#how to add letter in excel

[rauspberries]

lawyer!aaron hotchner x paralegal!reader. summary: your boss shoots down your big idea to try and win a big case, only to use it later without telling you. noting your irritation, he sets the record straight. tags/warnings: afab reader, no use of y/n and no physical description of reader, prosecutor!hotchner, author didn't go to law school, reader is in law school, this is mostly just very hidden flirting and tension word count: 4.1k notes: this was recommended by an anon! i unfortunately accidentally deleted the ask but thank you so much whoever suggested this <3 this is mostly just tension but maybe one day i'll write more of this pairing [leave me requests huehuehue]

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the wall, cascading your shadow against the wall full of plaques on the wall. When you had first started working at the district attorney’s office as a paralegal, you had been amazed by the look of the place. High ceilings, tile flooring, the cleanliness of the place. It screamed excellence and richness, like you had finally made it – even if you weren’t exactly high on the food chain.

As a paralegal, you were essentially a mini-lawyer. Your job was to collect evidence to assist the prosecutor, conduct interviews for them and help prepare for court, meaning you were extremely important in the way legal cases were handled. Your caseload was just as high as the one of prosecutors, your overtime hours just as extreme, but you enjoyed the fast-paced environment and the lovely collection of recommendation letters you’d get once you finished going through law school.

While you sometimes tended to stray to help other procescutors, you tended to be on the cases that Aaron Hotchner handled, to the point where you had memorized everything about him. How he liked his cases ordered on his desk, what order he preferred to gather extra evidence in, how he conducted his witness interviews, all the way down to his coffee order. In order to help him efficiently, you believed that you needed to know absolutely everything in order to excel.

You had been called a perfectionist for the majority of your life. To be a lawyer, that’s what you had to be. You couldn’t slack off just because you weren’t there yet.

You push through the doorway of Aaron’s office just as he sets down his briefcase on the desk, giving him a soft smile as you place a coffee cup on his desk. “Detectives found more evidence in the sexual assault case in Columbia Heights, meaning we’ll most likely have another court case on our hands during the week. I pulled more cases to set precedent for the Argal case and the summary for that is right here,” you grab the manilla folder from beneath his briefcase, holding it back to him, “and the lab results on the knife finally came in for the Neller case, we got him dead to rights.”

The corner of Aaron’s lip pulls up in a slight smirk as he pulls open the file you handed him, glancing at it for a moment before back up at you. “Whatever happened to ‘good morning, Counselor?’ And breathe, please.” He chuckles, setting the file down before sitting in the chair behind his desk. 

Taking a deep breath at the reminder, you cross your arms over your chest, tilting your head. “Is it a good morning if you haven’t slept? Kidding,” you add quickly when he pins you with a stern look, afraid of being sent home due to exhaustion. 

“The Temple murder case is tomorrow, by the way.” The words come out of your mouth slowly, cautiously. The high-profile murder case had been a storm cloud over the office since it had come through, making it the main thing that had plagued your mind – and your workload.

You knew the case like the back of your hand. A spree killer, William Temple, a married business man loved by many. Four different bodies, blunt force trauma to the head and stab wounds to the chest, evidence of sexual assault on low-risk victims. It had gotten media attention before the cops had even known what to do with it, making it a case that had to end in a guilty verdict. It was either that or letting him walk free with a God complex, believing that he could do absolutely anything with no consequences at all.

Unfortunately, there were always issues with high-profile cases. It put them under a microscope, all left under the court of public opinion before getting in front of the jury. His defense attorney would most likely use his charm to their advantage, playing him as a loving family man who couldn’t hurt a fly. Crowds would gather on the steps of the courthouse, either chanting for him to be released or for him to be locked away for good.

There had already been issues with the case. The defense attorney had buried you and Aaron in unnecessary motions, brought you in front of the judge about every single piece of evidence you had attempted to submit for fabricated reasons, along with asking for extraneous files that’d never be needed for the entirety of the case. After that stalling, in which they took the chance to put his good name all over the Internet, jury selection had taken over a week, too worried about his media coverage poisoning the possible jurors.

Finally, after what seemed like years of making an air-tight case, it was time for the case to proceed. Despite the judge granting Aaron’s motion of keeping the media out of the courtroom, a few things would definitely fall through the cracks, meaning everything you’ve pulled together evidence-wise had to be airtight.

“Are you asking me if I’m ready?” The prosecutor hums as he scribbles something in a file, glancing up through his eyelashes for just a brief moment before back down at his work.

“Are you?” You respond calmly, brow arching. It wasn’t like you to question Aaron - you often worshipped the ground he walked on as a prosecutor - but this case was practically half of you. You couldn’t bear to see it go the wrong way. “Do you think we have enough to prove he did this beyond a reasonable doubt?”

A sigh leaves his lips as he sets down his pen, chin tilting up until his focus levels on you, eyes wrinkling around the corners. “I know what my job is.” He reminds you evenly, challenging you with a twitch of his lip. “We have witness testimony putting him on the block of two of the kills, the expunged record of sexual assault, the testimony of his ex-girlfriend on his domestic abuse that shows his dislike towards women.”

You press your lips together as you sit down in the chair on the other side of his desk, crossing your leg over your knee. “Yes, but they have his wife. She’d be willing to perjure herself to give him an alibi, no doubt about it, we’ve seen it before. Also, you said it yourself, his record was expunged. That’s asking for the defense attorney to twist it into how he was wrongfully accused, how this is twice in a row. This man is charming people by just existing, Aaron, we have to come up with either more concrete physical evidence or a way to show the jury that he’s not the kind man he appears to be.” 

Realizing you might’ve overstepped, you clear your throat. “Sir.”

Clearing his throat, Aaron leans back further in his seat, long legs stretching out and splaying apart as he crosses his arms over his chest. He looks dangerous, holding the same focus and grit that you often saw displayed across his face in the courtroom, sending a soft flutter of butterflies in your stomach. Dark and determined eyes watch all of your movements closely, jaw set despite the seemingly relaxed state of his body, a tuft of hair draping over his forehead and his patterned tie just slightly crooked around his neck.

“What would you do?” He questions, keeping his face even. “You want to be a lawyer, don’t you? You’ll have to make these decisions for yourself. So, what would you do?”

You swallow, anxiety creeping its way up your spine. While he doesn’t look upset at your obvious overstepping, the conversation feels like a game of tug-of-war. Pull too hard, you risk anger. Let go, you risk kicking yourself for giving up so easily. “Bring in his wife and have her sit on the wrong side.”

The prosecutor’s eyebrows raise. You can tell you’ve caught him by surprise, watching as he shifts his weight and leans a bit closer to you in curiosity. “Why?”

“During the trial, Temple is going to keep to the calm, good guy demeanor that they’ve tried to paint him to be. His attorney is going to coach him into looking likeable, sophisticated, someone who would never kill anyone, much less four people. But, based on the evidence with his domestic abuse and all of his victims being women, you can infer that he has something against women who go against what he believes is correct.” You lean closer to the desk as you talk, being extra aware to hold the tense eye contact with him.

After a pause, you continue. “If his wife, who believes he has trained to obey his every command, looks to be deceiving him, the irritation will show. If he believes his only solace is his wife and that that one person is betraying him, his good-looking image would immediately be reconsidered by the jury when he snaps at you. If you press into him, explaining to the jury exactly why he looks so agitated and nervous, he will grow defensive, further proving your own point.” Your hands move wildly as you speak, growing excited as your idea spills out of your mouth.

Despite your excitement, Aaron stays in his relaxed position, bending his knees as he places his feet firmly on the floor. “That sounds too risky to make it our smoking gun.” He responds, head shaking just a smidge. “If the wife doesn’t agree or if he’s able to keep his composure, we’re right back where we are at this moment.”

The way he speaks, so easily dismissing you, makes irritation prick at your skin. Your idea is good. You know it’s good. It’s been done before, tactics used to sway the jury’s opinion over the defendant’s personality rather than the evidence laid out in front. At the end of the day, everyone held personal opinions about people – those ruled above any fact that someone could provide. It’s why celebrities are so highly revered despite the controversies painting the front page of magazines.

“Let me talk to the wife.” You thread your fingers together, cracking your knuckles anxiously. “I can get through to her. If Temple is the abuser we think he is, she’s been wanting to get away for a while, but hasn’t because of her kids. All I have to do is empathize and bring up her confidence. I can do it,” you insist, embarrassed by the slightly pleading tone lacing your words.

With a heavy sigh, like this conversation was unimportant, Aaron scoots his chair forward, elbows hitting his desk as his body leans towards you. “That’s not going to happen.” His tone is still even, cool, probably as an attempt to be reassuring while he crushes your idea beneath your nice shoes. “If his wife tells him or his defense attorney that we tried to turn her against him, the attorney will use that to their advantage to poison the jury and paint us as the villians. Every move we make has to be careful, I don’t need to remind you.”

Your lips part again to speak, however your words fall short on your tongue when he raises one hand, immediately silencing you. “Please. Focus on the other cases we have. I will work this case on my own and let you know if I need anything. As for the courtroom,” he takes a sip of the coffee you gave him, clearing his throat, “you are allowed to sit next to me at the prosecutor’s bench. To observe and learn, not to participate.” 

His focus finds you again, eyebrow raising in question. “Understood?”

The urge to let your irritation boil over is intense, causing you to bite at the inside of your cheek to silence yourself. The both of you are held in a tense staring contest for a few heartbeats before you nod, standing back up. “Yes, sir.” 

Without waiting for an answer, you turn around, heels clacking loudly against the tile floor as you rush towards your own office.

For the rest of your shift, you try to avoid Aaron as much as possible, dropping off files when he was away from his office and avoiding any meeting room he might be occupying. You’re annoyed, if not hurt, by his instant dismissal of your ideas. Usually, anything you suggested tended to be mulled over by him, accepted with a grunt of approval or denied with an explanation of exactly why. To be waved off so easily on the biggest case of your career so far was so annoying, so demeaning on the work you had put in in the year you had been working underneath him.

After finishing up all of your work for the day, long after the sun had set beneath the horizon, you immediately shut the door to your office before making your way back through the hallway, pulling your bag up higher on your shoulder. You are aware that you look slightly insane, chin tilted up as your feet thunk against the ground at an annoyingly fast pace, but it’s a price you’re willing to pay. You just need to leave the four walls of the office in order to simmer down the irritation before it turns into a grudge.

Unfortunately, you peer into every meeting room as you step by it, only to look directly into the eyes of Aaron. Across from him, you could only make out a mop of blonde hair, recognizing it as Mrs. Temple. Her shoulders are stiff as she keeps her focus on the prosecutor, having not noticed that his attention was now directed over her head. 

Quickly, you turn your attention away, heading straight for the exit. You weren’t supposed to work on the case anymore – it wasn’t your business what he was doing.

`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹✩°｡⋆⸜ 🎧✮

Court days were always extremely stressful days. Every small thing mattered. What time you arrived, if you were too late or too early, what you wore and how you presented yourself. Even if you weren’t the person on the stands, or even one of the lawyers talking, you would be scrutinized. The last thing you needed was to embarrass Aaron.

Pulling your shoulders back, you practically strut into the courthouse, fingers curled around the handle of your briefcase. Your power walk is only stopped by the sight of Temple’s defense attorney, watching as a wicked smile curls on her lip, looking over at you and blocking your way. “I see Hotchner doesn’t have a very good hold on his dog, letting you walk around by yourself. Scared you’re going to embarrass him?”

You narrow your eyes as you look closer at her face, playing innocent. “Did you miss your Botox appointment? Or are you just stressed about how hard you’re going to lose this case?” Your head tilts slightly to the side, the corner of your lip threatening a smile.

Her brows raise in slight surprise at your bite, lips parting to respond, although she’s interrupted by the clearing of a throat. “Counselor. You best teach your paralegal some manners.”

Manicured hand raising, you’re ready to bite back again, only to stop short when you feel a tug on the back of your neck. Without you noticing, Aaron’s hand had slid up the space between your shoulder blades, his index finger curling around the hair at the nape of your neck and giving it a sharp, but brisk tug. The temporary pain sends a slight shudder down your spine, eyes turning towards him accusingly. Leaning down, he murmurs low enough for only you to hear. “Behave.”

You manage to keep your cool long enough for him to straighten his spine, looking back at the other attorney. “The only time you should be speaking to my paralegal is if you are requesting to speak to me. The only time you should be asking for me is if you are willing to discuss a deal. Until then, any conversation you have is not my business. See you in court.” His tone is authoriative and straight to the point, leaving no room for argument before his hand is on the small of your back, leading you away.

“I can handle myself.” You grumble, although you make no attempt to step away from him. You’d spend the next few days by his side in the courtroom, anyways, it wasn’t like you could avoid him. Plus, the warm feeling of his hand through your shirt was comforting the butterflies fluttering in your stomach. You always had the worst anxiety on court days. Aaron usually poked fun at you for it – when it was lesser charges and not multiple counts of murder, that is.

He sighs as he opens a door to one of the conference rooms, guiding you in before shutting it. The room isn’t too small, enough to fit a larger table and a group of people, but it feels like he’s looming over you, taking up too much space. “You need to get yourself together. It is a stressful day and you don’t need to make it worse by arguing with the defense. Focus.” He crosses his arms over his chest, the act almost sinful with the way it makes his toned arms press against the fabric. “You aren’t speaking today, but I will be speaking a lot of words you spoke. You will be the one speaking in front of the jury soon enough, you need to take this time to learn, not bicker.”

The way he looks at you, dark eyes searing into your own while he scolds you, makes you feel small. Not insignificant, just small. You’re very aware that you are just one piece of this puzzle. You’re also aware that you are incredibly attracted to the stern version of Aaron Hotchner. 

Sighing, you shake out your shoulders, cracking your knuckle before nodding. “Yes, sir. Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I just need you to make sure the best version of yourself is walking into that courtroom. And stop cracking your knuckles, it makes you look nervous. You can be nervous, but you cannot show it.” His brow raises as he stares you down before his hand finds the doorknob. “Are you ready?”

You nod, adjusting your blazer before grabbing your briefcase tighter. “Yes.”

Aaron nods back at you, opening the door. He holds it open for you to step out before following close behind, his shoulder brushing yours as you make your way towards the courtroom.

Once you’re in, you let every thought not regarding the case fall away. Instead, you go over the facts in your head. There wouldn’t be much today, other than opening statements, but it was vital. The opening statements were the jury’s first impression of your side – and one of the only things they’d actually remember. 

As you settle down at the prosecution bench, you take a quick look around the courtroom. There’s a few faces you don’t recognize, but they’re blurs alongside the faces you do know. The first victim’s kids, the second victim’s parents. It’s almost suffocatingly sad.

Your eyes raise again as the courtroom doors open, revealing Mrs. Temple and her two kids. You note the nervousness on her face, but you chalk it up to the fact that she was walking into a court session for her husband of a few years. That is, until you watch her saunter to one of the benches behind you, settling herself down on the wrong side of the courtroom.

Immediately, irritation prickles at your skin. Accusatory eyes find the side of Aaron’s face, which is perfectly settled and calm as he stares down at the pad of paper in front of him, scribbling notes after notes. If he feels your gaze, which you’re sure he does, he doesn’t react to it. 

Not one bit.

`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹✩°｡⋆⸜ 🎧✮

The trial goes by quicker than expected. After Aaron cross-examined Temple himself on the stand, digging into all of the worst parts of him in the perfectly suave tone he saved for the courtroom, the defense attorney had practically begged for the plea deal you two had offered long before. It took a couple of days to actually settle the details, but then it was done. Over. Months upon months of work just for it to go away in a couple weeks.

Now, you’re back to normal life. Who knew how long it’d be until you got into another courtroom again, especially since you had been doing everything in your power to avoid him. It was childish, how something so simple had hurt your feelings, but you had never been one to let a bruised ego just get swept away.

You’re nosedeep in a pile of cases late at night, sitting on your desk for a new perspective with your leg crossed over your knee, when there’s a knock on the door of your office. Your head raises quickly, thinking it’s a prosecutor needing something urgent from you, only to take in the sight of Aaron. He’s obviously on his way out, his necktie loose around his neck and the buttons on his wrist and collar undone. You feel dumb for the way your heart flutters.

“Can I come in?” He questions, leaning against your doorframe.

“Depends. Are you going to steal my stapler?” You deadpan. The past couple of weeks, you haven’t been hiding your discontent, nor have you had any intent to. You did your work, you put in the hours and you weren’t outwardly rude – what would he do, fire you?

A shadow slowly looms over you as he steps closer, two palms landing on your desk on either side of you. His presence is so close, so sudden, that you’re automatically leaning back, eyes widening as you glance up at him. “Can I help you?”

“I didn’t steal anything.” Aaron starts, his brow furrowing as he looks down at you sternly. “You had a great idea and I decided to use it. I know I was a bit blunt when I dismissed it the first time, and I apologize for that. I should’ve told you when I changed my mind, and I apologize for that. But I’d appreciate it if you’d speak to me instead of acting like a brat for weeks.”

That word, falling off of his tongue so easily, mixed with the slightly dishelved look he was currently sporting, was enough to have blood quickly rushing to your cheeks, heat gathering there as you stared back at him. There’s a part of you that wants to argue, however you cannot get the words out.

The prosecutor must take your surprise for being upset, sighing as his shoulders fall. His head droops for just a moment, causing a strand of hair to come loose and drape over his forehead. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to make you feel any type of negative way.” He sounds the most sincere you have ever heard him – which was saying a lot, seeing as he spoke in a cool, collected cadence most of the time. 

Not wanting to make him beg for forgiveness, you find your words. “It’s okay. I probably was being a bit of a brat.” You admit, raising one shoulder in a shrug.

“Oh, you definitely were.” He stands up straight, removing his hands from their spots beside you as he shoves them into the pockets of his slacks. The air around you feels ten times cleaner now that he’s no longer in your space, although the feeling is bittersweet. 

Aaron is quiet for a moment, eyes flickering to the work on your desk and the ground before back at your face. “You’re the hardest worker here at this office and an essential asset to me. I didn’t intend to offend you and I never will.” His eyes glint with a hint of amusement, the familiar wrinkle on the side of his lips deepening with the ghost of a smile. “Can’t have my best girl leaving me in the dust because I wasn’t clear.”

“Now you’re just trying to flatter me.” You roll your eyes, standing up and setting the files in your hands on your desk. You’re trying your very best to seem calm and collected, although you’re admittedly extremely flustered. For someone who craved to be recognized growing up, you’d never been the best at taking compliments.

“Just a little bit.” He admits bluntly, a small chuckle rumbling in his chest before he turns his back to you, making his way towards the door. “Go home, take a break. Come in late tomorrow. We have a lot to do so I need you at your best.”

With that, he steps out of your office, leaving you to watch him walk past the glass and disappear down the hallway, ignoring the intense thudding of your heart against your ribcage.

You’ve got it bad.

[ghrgrsfdesfrfg]

Back at it again with another OC, the Iron Maiden ! what are the secret of this serious and elegant toy ?

i hope you'll like her introduction, it took me a while to write, i also had the help of a friend who gave me tips and suggestion, if you read this you know who you are and i thank you.

Picture doesn't belong to me, credits to the artist, found on pinterest.

I wanted to make a toy with element from "The Thing" and add more horror to my ocs, there's also mention of other toy like baron, eudora and the king as well as the mysterious [REDACTED] and the reject.

Writing tips, critics and request are all welcomed here so don't hesitate to send them in the comments.

Some elements might be changed in the future but i'll make an edit if it's the case.

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

Archived information about the ‘‘Iron Maiden’’:

-Experiment 1167 known as the ‘‘Iron Maiden’’ was created in 1992 to be the bodyguard of higher-ups of the company but other Maidens were also put to work at a cafe built in the game station.

-She measure 1m85 or 6,06ft in height, her body is separated in 3 parts, the first known as the “outer shell” is made of carbon and metal giving it a metallic shine and rigid movement in some case, the second is the cage inside the “outer shell” who help the final part of the body to work properly as it cover the entire interior and is akin to a skeleton of sort.

[Third part of the body will be discussed in another part of the document].

-Like huggy-wuggy she is capable of extreme act of violence thanks to her unshakable loyalty in the company and natural obedience, making the Iron Maiden an excellent toy for protection in Playtime Co.

Early life :

-Penelope Spencer was an orphan for as long as she could remember as she was given to playtime Co soon after her birth, the only memento of her parents being a letter explaining they couldn’t take care of her because of financial issue and another section with her given name and some apologies for abandoning her.

-Despite this rough start at life Penelope adjusted easily to the life of an orphan and quickly built a reputation of a reliable and obedient child willing to work and take any task given to them, sometime even helping the staff of playtime to organize activities for the children.

-Speaking of the staff, be they counselors, scientist or random cleaning crew she quickly came to associate the staff of playtime as her family even if she would only see them once or everyday. This was swiftly put to use as the staff were ordered to build a good relation with Penelope in order to gain her trust and possibly spy on the children at the orphanage or other task involving collecting information on other children without having to use the counselors or another toy.

-Soon enough she was acting as a spy of sort gathering information on whoever the scientist ordered her to spy and was rewarded with toys, books and better living conditions at the orphanage much to the anger or confusion of the orphans who didn’t understand how Penelope gained such privileges.

-The staff nurtured her loyalty by acting more and more like a family to her, giving her the connection she was always after. Even if she was an asset of the company more and more people came to appreciate her for who she was and not what she was doing for the company, even cold-hearted scientist started to like the blonde girl and her friendly, playful nature.

PROCEDURE :

-She was selected for the procedure rather early in her life and finally taken after turning 11 when the scientists didn’t need her around the orphanage anymore and decided to give her a better station (in their judgment) by turning her into the first Iron Maiden.

-The body and procedure for the Iron Maiden was upgraded and modified several time to make sure only the best candidates could be turned easily and hopefully retain a maximum amount of cognitive functions. The first procedure, specially designed for Penelope, was meant to make her into an even better Maiden compared to the future generations that came after her.

-The procedure was a resounding success despite the grueling process, her vital organs were removed and placed in a vat of Poppy-Gel for 48h in order to fuse with them and being capable of transferring the blob of flesh into it’s new body. Once the organs and Gel have fused they need to be carefully transported into the Maiden’s open body and laid in the cage then closed and left in a room with adequate temperature and constant life support to ensure the blob of flesh can properly awaken and move on it’s own inside the Maiden.

-This so called “Blob of flesh” is all that remains of the subject before being transferred in it’s new body, this mass of moving tissue, fused organs, eyes and deformed hands is capable of moving on it’s own slowly and “possessing” any maiden’s body provided it’s empty. The blob can be carried by hand but protective equipment is needed because it can produce an acidic liquid which can penetrate the skin of a human being with enough time and exposure.

-When placed in a Maiden, it anchors itself to the cage and then adapt to the shape of the body to occupy it in it’s entirety in order to use it, scientists described this disturbing process as “filling up a body with a living, breathing, massive organ and seeing it come to life”, once the adaptation is done the testing of cognitive functions starts such as using the body by moving the hands and legs or speaking because unlike many toys the Maiden doesn’t use a voice-box but modify their own vocal cords to take on a voice they like.

-Penelope or now, the Iron Maiden, adapted to her body extremely quickly despite a short period of confusion and took her security training with disturbing ease while perfecting her stealth and mannerism as she would blend in with the other Maiden’s or toys to gather information or dispose of them if needed.

Work for Playtime.Co :

-With her training done extremely quickly she was handed to Leith Pierre to act as his personal bodyguard and assassin whenever needed, she would also clean his office or bring whatever drinks he required or paper to work on, she was virtually always seen with Leith or never too far away.

-Her targets marked for assassination were often whistle-blowers, nosy journalists or disobedient employees whose usefulness came to an end either because they uncovered something they shouldn’t have or harmed the company’s interest in some way.

-She was also seen handling customers at the cafe in the Game Station when something went wrong or to lead them to a higher-up if they were to meet one although many people reported feeling the “Uncanny Valley” effect when looking at her or another Maiden for too long, this was further amplified by the fact that many Maidens kept their eyes closed (for reason we’ll explain further down this document).

-While she preferred handling her targets alone, she would sometime team up with another Maiden or even the Rat King on rare occasions however the two toys didn’t like each other much as the Maiden was suspicious of the King while he found her to be an uncompromising zealot regarding the company’s order.

-She was rewarded for her work with a better holding cell than most toys and it was more akin to a private room than an actual cell, the food given to her as a result was also of much better quality and she was even permitted to eat with other employees.

Hour of Joy:

-High involvement, she and some other maidens were focused on escorting the few high value employees like Leith Pierre to safety and exterminating whatever toy or adults coming their way, virtually every Maiden sided with the company and started an extermination campaign in the company and the various levels to purge it of the rebellious toys to varying degrees of success.

-Penelope and the [REDACTED] were the sole people responsible for Leith Pierre’s escape to safety much to the absolute rage of the toys who learned of this, Penelope was also responsible for the single highest death toll of any toys in the factory as she tore a bloody path to allow Leith to escape.

-Leith’s final order were for her to work with the [REDACTED] to capture the Prototype and secure the factory to acceptable level no matter the time it took or the methods used to do so. Leith was escorted by a high security team and left the Iron Maiden to her task, one she set out to do immediately.

-She then went to the [REDACTED] level and contacted the [REDACTED] in order to start the reclamation of the factory and capture of the prototype, this is the last know sighting of the Maiden while some toys reports seeing her in the prison alongside the Warden or in the Labs hunting the toys there.

Design:

-The attire of the Maiden is comprised of a maid uniform with an iron diadem, a white and black uniform with a royal symbol at the bottom of the robe. The symbol vary depending on the Maiden’s station and seniority.

-Her hair is made of silk to complete her regal appearance and unfortunately require a lot of maintenance, this is often done by another maiden or two employees dedicated to taking care of her hair.

-Her body is made of carbon with a mix of pliable and lightweight metal in order to sustain damage, contain the blob of flesh and it’s acid at the cost of sometime causing the maid to have rigid movement, especially when walking, talking or even cleaning.

-The first generation of Maiden were forced to keep their eyes closed as the flesh inside of them would bleed out of the socket which forced later generations to be outfitted with a small glass panel in the eye socket to prevent the bleeding.

Abilities:

-The maiden is capable of creating an acidic liquid similar to the bile produced by the stomach, she can use this acid and spit it at the enemy to melt the skin or fur over prolonged exposures and period of time. She can also coat the flesh of her body to use it as a defense mechanism or even specific part of the body such as the hands to create a lethal weapon if she were to grab or punch someone.

-The most horrifying ability of a maiden is to open her body in any way she sees fit as the cage inside her body and the outer shell is capable of splitting open in an almost limitless amount of shape like splitting her head open or even her entire body in half to absorb a very unfortunate target, she can also split another part of her body in various disturbing shape such as forcing her hand to split in dozens of parts to better grab a target.

-Once a target is incapacitated, she will split her body in whatever way she sees fit (often splitting in half) and force the target or pieces of them inside her for consumption, this is even worse for a target who can fit inside her as they are slowly dissolved by the acid and heat of the flesh.

-In some rare occasion, a Maiden is also capable of sticking to the ceiling and crawl on it if the splitting is done in the right way, this was used by some employees to give the scare of a lifetime to other when they saw a Maiden and their exposed flesh looking at them with deformed eyes and hands from the ceiling.

Employees and toy's opinion of the Iron Maiden:

-Leith Pierre who was happy about her service although slightly unnerved by the impassive face or stillness of her body, saying it was “a moving statue, unseen and undetectable”.

-Stella Greyber who saw the Iron Maiden for what they truly were, a security and surveillance system. She didn’t like them and tried to avoid them but was assigned one nonetheless, she would try to converse with the maiden but she found them to be poor conversationalist.

-Harley Sawyer who considered them a massive improvement upon all the other Bigger Body and a masterpiece of union between science and biology, although he was never assigned one because Leith Pierre didn’t trust him with a Maiden.

-The Rat King who hated her because he saw a twisted reflection of himself in her, his loyalty toward his friends and Clara was twisted to become an enforcer for the company while Penelope betrayed all the orphans for some recognition. This unnerved him as it showed him what he could’ve been, a monster dedicated to the company willing to do anything to please them.

-Baron Bon-Bon who was scared of her, seeing her as an assassin ready to strike anyone whom the company saw as a burden, he worked harder when she was around, desperate to not be seen as a target much to the twisted amusement of the employees.

-Eudora who did her best to avoid the Maiden and worked quietly when she was around, scared of the quiet monster who loomed around her train, she sadly had to work with the Maiden on some occasion when delivering certain items to the lower levels of playtime.

-The [REDACTED] who saw her as the perfect tool and ally, willing to strike down anyone and do anything in the name of the company no matter how gruesome the order is. The [REDACTED] who worked with her even after the Hour of Joy and upgraded her when needed to continue her sinister purpose.

The others Maidens who saw her as the example to follow when it came to service, obedience and performance as she was a toy held in high regard by the highest employees of the company, none faltered from doing their job be it serving customers or killing a curious journalist.

Trivia :

-Penelope was said to always be smiling or trying to cheer up other, this facade was never broken and served to gain the trust of other children. While she wasn’t as popular as David Bohman she still managed to gain a large group of friends and some of them even helped her to spy on other children although they didn’t know it was to help the company.

-Some called her a “Mini miss-Delight” due to her happy and sunny smile, always saying how her presence brightened a room with happiness and joy, she had few bullies and would even turn older, meaner children to her side in a few days at most.

-Her room was bigger and more comfortable than most orphans thanks to her service for the company as a child, her room had a radio, a bookshelf along with many toys that few orphans could afford or even obtain in the company.

-The first time her procedure was truly discussed with her was when she saw other Bigger Bodies such as Catnap or the Baron and asked a scientist if she could get a “cool body like them”, her wish was granted sooner than she ever expected.

-Even as a bodyguard for Leith Pierre himself she was still required to work at the cafe and often dealt with complaints or rowdy customers (as rowdy as someone can get drinking tea or coffee), she didn’t hate this part of her job but she appeared notably happier when she could roam around the Game Station following some employees or potential target.

-An avid consumer of tea, especially lavender tea which would often be shared with other Maidens or any employees who were nearby.

-As a child she enjoyed the Treasure Hunt of Baron Bon-Bon and won it many times, earning her two Brass Compass and a Golden Coin with her own face on it. She would also play with Mommy Long-Legs a lot, finding it fun to try and tangling her legs.

-Stella Greyber notoriously hated the Iron Maiden for who and what she was, a security system. This ironically put her high on the list of people to be watched by the Maiden much to the ire of Stella who complained to Leith about it, only to be told that each Head of the company (except Harley Sawyer) was assigned one to serve as an assistant.

-Penelope, even as the Iron Maiden would often read her books and even write some herself, most were fairy-tales or folklore from her country and had varying success with the orphans of Playcare.

-The Iron Maiden stealth’s was almost as good as the Rat King, the two would often be compared in some competition amongst the guards and made bets on who could fight the other or best them in various stealth-based bet. She could move around silently while standing up and even sneak up on someone in broad daylight and appear as if she suddenly teleported.

-Her eyes were almost always closed and despite this she could move around a huge crowd or in complete darkness without much trouble, she would only smile when asked how she could do this.

-She was later given the glass panels all Maiden were later equipped with but even then, her eyes would remain closed at all time but those who saw them said they had a beautiful purple color.

-During the Hour of Joy she would fight against many Bigger Body such as Boxy-Boo, the Reject (who made the most damage and was the most difficult to fight off) and huggy-wuggy already weakened after his fight with Eudora, few wounds or scratch were present on her body.

-Her collaboration with the [REDACTED] is a closely guarded secret and those who knows of it often try to understand their plan, only to receive an unexpected visit from the Maiden and be left with grievous wounds or outright dead.

-To this day few Maidens are left and most toys in the factory knows better than to mess with the ivory-faced Maiden, she never hunts them but word of her presence on a level of the factory is often enough to incite the toys to retreat until her departure.

[jennelikejennay]

How to Make Up Vulcan Words

Using the Vulcan language is like trying to follow a recipe written by a grandma who already knew how to make the thing and only jotted down a couple measurements. That is, it does have information, but it rarely has all you need. Even words I would consider obvious and necessary simply aren’t in there. However, if you know how to put Vulcan words together, you can create a lot more words than the VLD will give you.

Vulcan is a language that relies very heavily on a small number of roots and affixes. English does the same sometimes, especially in scientific language, where we use Greek and Latin roots to hide the fact that we’re doing it. This makes it easy to make up new words whenever you want, in exactly the way the creators made them: by jamming together bits until a word is built up with all the parts you want.

There are only two basic rules: first, you have a limit of two hyphens, so when parts are connected with hyphens (which is the case with some affixes and all roots) you are limited to three. There’s no limit on apostrophes or jammed-together affixes, though, so keep that in mind.

Second, you want the final version to be the part of speech you are looking for, which may require a change in ending. Verbs usually (but not always) end in -au or -tor. Making a noun out of a verb is a little complicated, but in the end, a noun can have any ending. Adjectives end in -k, often -ik. Adverbs end in -ng.

The basic process I use for finding a word is this.

First, I look up the word I want in the VLD. Instead of searching by word, I go to that letter of the alphabet and scroll to it, in case there are related words in the same area. It’s probably not there, so I try a couple of synonyms. Then words that aren’t synonyms, but are related.

Hopefully in all that searching, I’ll come up with a couple of roots. For instance, I can find that sadakh means “to eject.” Dakh means to cast out, get rid of. Sa- can mean a bunch of things, including “male” and “automatic” but I see it in a lot of words like extend, exhale, expand, etc. So I think in this case sa- means outward.

Then I can add on other roots and affixes that I want. Say I want a substance that has been ejected, I can use -tukh, stuff, substance, and get sadakh-tukh. Or if I want a machine that ejects, I can use sadakh-vel. A thing that ejects? Sadakhek. A person whose job is ejecting things? Sadakhsu.

Here are a bunch of Vulcan affixes, some of which are in the VLD, some of which you have to figure out after seeing them in a bunch of related words.

su: person. This can mean a person from a given place or a person who does a certain thing. It attaches without any punctuation. ashausu: one who loves. besu: a companion, one who is beside or with you. kugalsu: a person who is betrothed. sasu: a man. kosu: a woman.

-vel: thing, object, machine. tor: do; tor-vel: mechanism. tum-tor: to count, tum-vel: computer.

-tukh: stuff. alem: salt; alem-tukh: sodium. dau: affect; dau-tukh: hormone.

ek: -er, something that does a specific thing. Not used with people. feshel-tor: to disrupt; feshelek: disruptor. spitau: to drill, spitayek: a drill, something that drills. (Note: -ek is going on the noun form of the verb, generally, spitaya being the act of drilling.)

sa-: male, masculine. sa-mekh: father. sa-fu: son.

ko-: female, feminine. ko-mekh: mother. ko-fu: daughter.

‘es: -ness, basically turning another word into an abstract noun. abru’: over; abru’es: dominance. marom-: excellent; marom’es: excellence.

shi’: place. masu: water; shi’masu: oasis. 

-bosh: full of. kau: wisdom; kau-bosh: wise

-fam: without. kau-fam: unwise.

-tal: study, the study of. gen-lis: language, gen-lis-tal: linguistics. (And -talsu is a person who studies the topic! We’re all being amateur gen-lis-talsular right now.)

tra: this is an odd collective plural, which I think is really cool. It’s a big mass of the thing you’re talking about. So sular is people, but sutra is a nation. masu: water; masutra: ocean.

rik, ri: not or without. kwon: forever; rikwonik: temporary. tsuri: normal, usual; ritsuri: abnormality, divergence, eccentricity. kup: can, able; rikup’es: disability. Vulcan loves to use this one to make opposites; if ever you need a word and only have its opposite, use this.

pi’: small. laptra: forest; pi’laptra: copse. sahan: wind; pi’sahan: breeze. You can make diminutives of any kind like this.

weh-: more. abru: above; weh-abru: upper.

dan-: most. irak: far; dan-irak: farthest.

From a few roots and these affixes, you too can craft words like shi’sasnem, bathroom, or qlar’hy’es, curiosity. The VLD alone barely gets you through a few sentences of whatever you wanted to say, but if you know how to construct your own words, you really can say almost anything.

[adhdwannabewriter]

What the hell is the difference between -, –, —?

And how do you use them?

Hyphen -

A single-length dash is called a hyphen. Here are some uses:

1. To connect compound words

You can use it for compound words. Now, what the hell are compound words, you may ask? These are words you pair together (can be more than two) to create a new word with a new meaning.

short-term plan

full-time job

six-pack

well-known author

2. With prefixes

(Not always, so be sure to check.)

ex-boyfriend

anti-inflammatory

self-loathing

3. With numbers

Smash a hyphen between numbers (21–99):

twenty-one

seventy-three

4. For stuttering

Need to make your blorbo stutter? Shove a hyphen in there. …In between the letter and the word, you dirty-minded fuck.

“I’m s-sorry.”

If you want to read more on hyphens, here’s an excellent article

En Dash –

It’s a slightly longer dash than the hyphen—perhaps we could say double length. Use it to:

1. Show a range (meaning "to" or "through")

Pages 15–32

Monday–Friday

1990–2020

2. Show a connection or contrast between paired items

The New York–London flight

The liberal–conservative divide

Em dash —

Finally, the big daddy dash. The triple-length bad boy. The writer’s favorite.

It’s mostly used to create a strong break in a sentence. Use them to:

1. Replace parentheses for emphasis

You can use big boy em dashes to insert extra information or asides in a sentence, with more emphasis than parentheses.

The wizard—Mystra’s Chosen One—wandered into the market.

2. Replace a colon for dramatic effect

You can use it to introduce a conclusion in a stronger way than a colon.

She had only one goal—survival.

3. Show interruption or sudden change

If you want to show someone being cut off or switching thoughts, throw that em dash in.

“I just thought you should—” “No, you didn’t think at all!”

He turned the corner—and froze. 4. Add emphasis or a final thought

He wasn’t just tired—he was defeated.

Want more? Here's how to use commas. Here's how to use semicolon.

[feyhunter78]

I’m actually DYING for part 14 of the Dreadful Need of the Devotee, like my pain is clinical and your writing is the only thing that will cure me 🙏

No rush of course, I’m just in love with this story!! (But please, I need it badly)

I got you babe!!!! Enjoy <3

Chapter Fourteen - Ser Arthur Dayne has returned to court. Ch 15

Jon sits in Tyrion’s solar, the small table that sits between you all laden down with breakfast foods and teas. He is seated across from Tyrion, while you are seated next to Jon across from Ser Arthur, your soon-to-be good-father.

Introductions had gone well, you complimented his father, he complimented you, your betrothal was announced, and Jon had to keep himself from kissing you. The joy that radiated from you was so intense, he could not help but smile like a lovesick fool. But now, now the doubts begin to creep in.

If he had been told at the age of two and ten, he would be sitting with his soon-to-be wife a Lannister, the Imp Lannister and Ser Arthur Dayne the Sword of the Morning who was also his true father, Jon would not have believed whoever spoke such things to him. Truly he would have thought them playing a cruel joke, but now he sat in that very position wondering if it would all be revealed a horrid prank. A test to see how much the bastard boy could be convinced to believe.

You place your hand atop Jon’s where it rests on his knee, your brows furrowing in concern, and he waves you off, focusing on the meal set in front of him. You and him often broke fast together, and it was not too uncommon for your father to join the both of you, but this time it was different.

“Lady y/n, your father tells me you are a talented seamstress.” His father says, cutting into his sausage, his eyes, those dark purple eyes, so like Jon’s in the right light, observe you with an oddly formal air.

“I am, in fact the tunic Jon is wearing this morn is one I made myself.” You say, gracing Jon with a smile so bright it rivals the sun, and he turns further towards you following it as crops do, ever reaching, ever seeking your warmth and light.

His father hums in acknowledgement, examining every stitch of his tunic. “It is well-made; and the embroidery is quite detailed. It is not what one would think a sworn sword would be given by his charge.”

“He is my champion, seen as an extension of myself, I would never leave my chambers in rags, or dull, dreary clothing, so why should my sworn sword?” You say, taking a sip of your tea, sizing the man up.

“An interesting perspective.” His father comments, his eyes flickering to Jon.

“I suppose so.” You respond, dabbing your mouth with your cloth napkin.

“She is also a wonderful dancer.” Jon adds, unsure of his place in the conversation. He has never before been privy to these situations, and it is both exhilarating and terrifying.

“I am only wonderful because I have such an excellent partner that allows me to keep my skills sharp.” You smile prettily at him, and he watches the mask slip into place, you are attempting to charm the father by charming the son.

“They are a most excellent pairing, even Robert before he oh so tragically passed said they would make a good couple.” Tyrion says, spreading strawberry jam onto a thick slice of bread.

If I were not a bastard. He said we would be a good match if I was not a bastard. Jon thought bitterly.

“It pains me to know my son had love within his grasp for so long and could not claim it, I would soon see that rectified.” His father says, pulling a folded letter from his pocket. “I have kept this for you, it is a signed statement from the septon that presided over your mother, and I’s wedding. It was quick, not the lavish affair I would have wished to give her, but it was true in the eyes of The Seven.”

Jon feels you lean into him, reading the letter along with him.

“I fear it will not be enough. Aunt Cersei tore up Uncle Robert’s will, what if someone does the same to this?” You ask.

“Your Uncle Robert was dead he could not defend his will, but Ser Arthur is here, in the flesh.” Tyrion says.

Jon folds the letter and returns it to his father. “When would this take place? I would like to inform my siblings; they should not hear it from strangers or gossip.”

“They know, Lord Stark told them and Lady Stark once I had confirmed Ser Arthur was alive and wished to see you.” Tyrion assures him.

Jon pokes at his eggs, the yolk running, yellow-orange liquid tainting the white outer edges. He is glad the truth is known, but will this change how they see him? Will little Arya no longer trust him, will she keep him at a distance as Sansa had now that he is revealed as an impostor, a stranger? And Robb, his brother, will he still call him by that name, will he still hold the same love for him? At least Lady Catelyn will no longer have reason to hate him, he is not proof of her husband’s indiscretions, but his love for his sister.

“Where does Jon fall in the line of succession for Starfell?” Y/N directs the question towards his father, bringing him out of his gloom-stricken thoughts. “I know Lord Edric Dayne is your eldest brother’s son, but he is still a child close to Arya’s age, and your sister does not yet have children, does this not make him third after you?”

His father smirks and leans forward, placing his elbows on the table. “Do you wish him to be second?”

You mimic his posture, voice deadly calm, face unreadable. “I do not condone the murder of children, even if it would catapult Jon to heir of Starfell. I was merely asking a question.”

His father laughs, the sound warm, boisterous, filling the room as he leans back in his chair. “Your father has taught you well, lioness. But yes, Jon is third, if Edric, Seven forbid, were to die then I would take the seat, and Jon would follow after me.”

“We need not worry about that though, he will be by my side at Casterly Rock, is that not right, Father?” You hold your position, eyes still on Jon’s father.

“I have not yet heard word back on our family’s succession, your grandsire still holds out hope that Jaime will leave the Kingsguard and return home.” Tyrion drawls, before taking a sip of his tea.

“But he will not, and even if he did, would it not be shameful?” You venture, stirring your own tea with the tiny spoon provided.

“We shall see what options lay before him when our new king takes the throne, he could take Jaime’s head.” Tyrion says, his eyes on his bread, he has still not taken a bite, Jon feels confident that Tyrion will not be eating this morn.

“I am sure Robb will be merciful to Uncle Jaime, perhaps he could send him to the Wall? As loathe I am to think of him being sent far away, I imagine his skills would be of good use there?” You turn to Jon for confirmation.

Jon’s stomach churns, he wishes to tell you the truth, that it matters not what Robb thinks. “Yes, they are always in need of skilled and hearty men.”

“Oh, and then we could visit him, could we not?” Again, your question is directed at him, and he fights back the bile rising in his throat. He did not like this new weight, this new secret he must keep from you.

“The Wall is a long journey, even from Winterfell.”

“No journey is too long when it comes to family.” You say, dismissing his spoken worries with a smile and a wave of your hand.

“Little lion, perhaps we save our travel plans for after the new king arrives?” Tyrion suggests, seeming unfazed by the half-truths that roll off his tongue.

“Of course, Father.” You say, giving him a smile and tucking back into your breakfast.

Jon cannot eat, he can barely swallow. He wants to tell you the truth, wants to throw you over his shoulder and run, run all the way to Winterfell and hide you there until all this chaos has subsided.

“I think a wedding in Dorne is completely out of the question Ser Arthur, do you really believe people would attend a Lannister wedding that is not held at Casterly Rock or the Red Keep?” Tyrion says, pulling him back into the conversation that had proceeded without him.

“But it is not a Lannister wedding, it is a Dayne wedding.” His father smiles, sending Jon a wink.

“My daughter is a Lannister, in the eyes of Westeros it is a Lannister wedding, and truly it must be held at Casterly Rock, gods know the Red Keep has seen enough weddings.”

“House Martell will not attend if it is at Casterly Rock, which means Myrcella will not attend.” His father reminds Tyrion.

“Father could it not be held somewhere more neutral? I so want Myrcella to be able to attend.” You ask, looking at him pleadingly.

“I am sure once the new king comes into power, the Martells will not hold the same anger towards our family as they once did.” Tyrion reassures you, reaching across the small circular table to pat your hand.

Yes, because all who they hold anger towards will be dead. Jon thinks solemnly, guilt eating him alive.

“I will trust you then.” You say, before turning to Jon’s father. “Ser Arthur, are there any marital traditions that you would like us to observed for the wedding?”

He thinks for a moment, resting his hand on his chin, the dark stubble so like Jon’s but flecked with gray. “There are none that come to my mind at the moment, but I will think on it and if any return to me, I will inform you.”

“No bedding ceremony.” Jon says, he will fight for this, not only to spare you the brutality, but as an apology for the secrets he must keep.

“I will not argue with that.” You laugh, picking up two strawberries and handing one to him as you bite into the other one.

Jon takes it from you, his teeth breaking the delicate flesh, the sweet juice tasting like ash on his tongue.

The look upon Cersei Lannister’s face when his father steps into Highgarden’s Great Hall, is enough to make Jon forget why he is even standing before the royal family. His father wears a cloak of lilac, the white sword and falling star crossed in the center proudly displayed, Dawn strapped to his side. His curls are cleaned and styled, his beard trimmed, his armor and boots shining. When he takes a knee bowing his head to Tommen, Jon does the same, feeling a flicker of excitement when their knees hit the floor at the same time. Perfect synchronicity.

“Ser Arthur?” The startled exhale of his father’s name escapes Ser Jamie’s lips before he can stop it, his conflicted expression betraying far more than simply shock. There is grief, rage, longing, and confusion all whirling within Ser Jamie’s widened emerald eyes.

“My King, I have come to ask that you legitimize my son. I have brought the parchment signed by the septon that married myself and Lady Lyanna Stark. Jon is not a snow, he is a Dayne, my trueborn and only child.”

Tommen does not move, does not speak, he looks at Margaery who has her hand in her grandmother’s.

“Let us see this parchment.” Lady Tyrell says, holding a wizened hand out.

His father rises, and Jon does as well, watching as he delivers the paper to Lady Tyrell, who shares it with Margaery.

“You were thought dead Ser Dayne, why did you not return to King's Landing to take up in the service of your new king when my husband ascended to the throne?” Cersei asks, her jade eyes alight with rage, sparking like wildfire.

“I was badly injured at the Tower of Joy and was unable to make the journey for many years.”

“Unable to make the journey and to retrieve your son, it seems.” Cersei drawls, skimming the parchment, then handing it to Ser Jaime.

Jon can see how his hands shake, the color draining from his face.

“I was told Lord Stark treated him kindly, as if he were his own son, it was better for him to remain there than at the bedside of a nearly crippled man.” The shame that colors his tone clearly tugs on Tommen’s heartstrings.

He has not dared to think what his life would have been like if he had lived with his father. All he knows is he would not have met you, and he does not consider that much a life at all.

Tommen clears his throat, looking at Margaery once more, she nods.

“Ser Dayne, you swore an oath, Kingsguard cannot marry or have children.” Cersei cuts in, stepping forward, her head held high.

Jon bites his tongue hard. The irony in her statement…

His father fares better, nodding his head towards her, his tone steady. “I am no longer a whitecloak, I lost the right to that title when I aided Prince Rhaegar in stealing away my dear Lyanna. I am only a knight of the realm now, Queen Mother.”

Tommen goes to speak, surely in agreement with his mother, but Margaery puts her hand on his arm and leans down to whisper in his ear.

Jon tries not to fidget, tries not to look at you, you who sits beside your father, dressed in a well-tailored gown the shade of pomegranates, your hair swept away from your face, a golden pendant around your neck. He will ruin it all if he looks at you.

His father puts a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

“In honor of my queen’s nameday I will grant her request. Ser Jon Snow, you shall no longer be a Snow, but a Dayne, Lord or Ser Jon, whichever you would like, of House Dayne, son of Ser Arthur Dayne the Sword of the Morning.” Tommen says, smiling brightly when Margaery plants a chaste kiss of thanks to his cheek.

His father gives his thanks, bowing low. Jon follows his example, keeping his expression grateful but neutral as they return to the sidelines, ducking behind the crowds of nobles as Tommen and Margaery begin to leave the hall. It is only when they have disappeared from view that his father embraces him, crushing him to his chest.

Jon returns the embrace, joy running wild through him.

His father pulls back, a wide smile on his tanned face. “My son, oh, it is good to say that aloud, to say it where anyone can hear. We must celebrate, do you have a preference for wine? ”

“No, Father.” Jon tests the word out, rolling it on his tongue, it feels strange but pleasant. “I do not.”

His father smiles. “We shall soon fix that, but first, you must return to your duties, no?” He jerks his head towards you.

Jon nods. “I must.”

TL: @mostclevermiss, @solacestyles, @2valentines, @sharknutz, @idohknow, @bdudette, @pluraldoggo, @legolastheleafyelf, @faerie-film, @wifiatthetrainstation, @duskypinki, @tartine-de-pain

[pricesgirl]

Cherry flavoured

Chloe Price/female reader

C.W: Substance Use/Addiction, Implied Suicidality, and overall darker themes

──────────────── ୨୧ ────────────────

Chapter 1

Y/N

80

80 out of 100.

Never once in my life have I gotten below a 90 on a damn test. Not in middle school. Not in freshman chem. Not even when I had the flu and couldn’t see straight.

And now? Now I get an 80 in the one class that actually matters for me  college.

The number glares up at me like it knows what it’s done. Red ink—circled twice. Twice. Like the professor thought I wouldn’t notice. Like I needed help seeing my failure.

It’s not just a grade. It’s a scarlet letter.

“People would kill for an 80,” I’ve been told, like that’s supposed to be comforting. Like knowing someone else is worse off should stop me from feeling like I’ve been gutted.

I exhale slowly, smoke spilling from my lips as they part, head tipping back against the cold metal of the stall wall. It’s sharp in my throat, a dry bite that scratches all the way down. Burns, but I welcome it. I need it to.

They’re American Spirits—the yellow pack. I’m on the last one.

I bought them because they were supposed to be the healthier choice. Like that fucking matters. Like there’s such a thing as a clean way to self-destruct. As if branding could soften the edge of the blade I keep pressing to the inside of my lungs.

I didn’t even get them from the corner store near campus—too risky, too many familiar faces. Too many questions in the cashier’s eyes.

So instead, I drove fifteen minutes out to some seedy, half-lit grocery store that reeked of bleach and rotting produce. Cash only. No small talk. No one to recognize the straight-A girl trading quiet excellence for a slow, smoky suicide.

They burn slower. That’s the whole gimmick.

More time to sit with it. To stew. To rot. To hate myself a little longer with every drag.

Silence can be fucking suffocating, but of course, it doesn't last long because the door creaks open.

Shit.

I go still, lips parted, cigarette hovering mid-air. I barely breathe. Footsteps click across the tile, hesitant, like whoever it is already knows they’ve stepped into something they weren’t supposed to see.

There’s a pause. Then a voice, meek and soft. "Y/N?"

My heart drops. No. No no no. Not her.

It’s Kate.

Sweet, sweet Kate Marsh.

Kate—who prays before exams, who always has tissues in her bag, who probably says “bless you” even when no one sneezes. Kate, who smiles like the world hasn’t already chewed her up and spit her out. Who still somehow believes in goodness.

In forgiveness.

In grace.

She probably has a Psalm bookmarked for days like this. Something about laying your burdens down and being cradled in divine light. Something gentle. Something merciful.

I don’t turn. I can’t. I stare straight ahead at the cracked tile, at the barely-smothered ember of the cigarette I just killed, and hope she takes the hint.

But her shoes shuffle closer. Soft soles. Of course, she wears soft soles.

"I—uh—I saw you leave class early," she says, her voice hushed, "You looked kind of... upset."

I want to laugh. Kind of?

Try barely holding myself together. Try losing it in a bathroom while chain-smoking my GPA into oblivion.

I clear my throat instead. It sounds rough. Scraped raw. "I'm fine."

Kate doesn't buy it. I can feel the warmth of her sympathy even without looking. It burns worse than the smoke. Like holy water on a wound. She edges closer. I catch a glimpse of her in the mirror—long sleeves, nervous hands twisting the edge of her sweater. 

"Well… Victoria shouted at me asking where you were.” Her voice is almost apologetic like she’s the one who should be sorry.

I laugh—bitter, humorless.  Of course, Victoria did.

Too good to walk her glossy little heels into the bathroom herself. God forbid she step into the trenches.

Send the lamb to fetch the wreck.

Kate shifts awkwardly like she knows exactly how this sounds coming out of her mouth. “She said something about… Nathan,” she adds, voice smaller now, careful—like even saying his name might summon him.

“She said he’s got your cigarettes,” Kate finishes. “For you.”

“Took him damn long enough.” I let the words drip with venom, even though I don’t have the energy to mean them. It’s just habit now. Deflection dressed up as defiance.

“Did she say where to meet him?”

Kate hesitates. Just for a second. Just long enough. “In the back lot,” she says. “By the old maintenance shed.”

Out of sight, out of mind. Where all the real rot happens.

Typical Nathan.

Typical Victoria.

Kate’s still standing there, looking like she wants to say more. Like she’s trying to puzzle out a safe way to care without overstepping.

“Don’t worry,” I mutter, voice rough. “I’m not planning to OD behind the shed or anything.”

She flinches at my joke. Just barely.

“Kate,” I say, turning to look at her finally, eyes half-lidded and smoke-tired. “I promise I’ll be safe, pinkie swear?”

I hold up my pinkie, shaky and insincere, the ghost of a smile tugging at my mouth like it's been stapled there.

She hesitates. Just for a second. Then she lifts her hand. Slow. Careful. Like she’s afraid I might shatter if she moves too fast. And she hooks her pinkie around mine. It’s warm. Small. Steady in a way I haven’t felt in days.

“God holds us to our promises,” she murmurs. Not a threat. Just a truth she believes.

I swallow hard. Can’t look at her. I tighten my pinkie around hers anyway. “Then I guess I better keep it.”

For once, I almost mean it.

──────────────── ୨୧ ────────────────

Chloe

Absolutely fucking typical.

The second David peels out of the driveway to go do his shitty little job—security guard, like that means anything—is the exact second I run out of weed. 

Of course it is. Like the universe was just waiting to kick me in the tits the second I got comfortable.

I rifle through the drawer by my bed like there’s gonna be a miracle eighth I forgot about. Like maybe, just maybe, past-me left a little salvation tucked behind the dead Bic and broken dreams. But no. Just a lighter that doesn’t spark, a crumpled receipt from Two Whales with grease stains on it, and a busted guitar pick that used to mean something. 

Fucking awesome.

I let myself fall back onto the mattress, arms out like I’m waiting for the second coming—only it’s just mold on the ceiling and the sound of a leaky pipe behind the wall.

My chest tightens just thinking about a day without a hit. 

Not because I’m some addict or whatever—fuck that label—but because this is the one thing that makes the static in my head go quiet. For a second. Sometimes. When it works.

Whatever. I’ll text Frank. Again. 

Pretend like I don’t owe him for the last two. Pretend he won’t give me that sleazy, judgmental look over his stupid sunglasses. Pretend I’m not crawling back because the alternative is lying here sober enough to feel everything.

I grab my phone off the nightstand. Screen’s cracked—again. The brightness stabs my eyes but whatever. I thumb open my messages and hover for a second over Frank’s name.

me: hey

me: u around

me: need to grab something

me: asap

I stare at the screen. Three dots. Then nothing. He’s so fucking indecisive.

frank: thought u were gonna pay me first

frank: this some kind of joke?

frank: not a fuckin charity, chloe

I roll my eyes so hard they practically detach. Of course. Always with the guilt trip. Always with the I’m just a businessman act like he’s not dealing dime bags out of a busted RV.

me: i’ll get it to you

me: swear

me: just need it now, okay?

The typing bubble flickers on and off. Like he’s thinking real hard about whether I’m worth the effort.

frank: meeting another client first

frank: can’t babysit u all day

frank: come by in an hour, don’t be late

me: let me guess

me: prescott?

Because of course it’s him. Rich little psycho with a trust fund and a god complex. Probably paying Frank double just to feel cool.

Probably ordering molly like it’s takeout while people like me scrape together couch change for a dime bag.

frank: none of ur business

frank: just be on time

I clench my jaw so hard it aches.

Yeah. That means yes.

──────────────── ୨୧ ────────────────

Y/N

The maintenance shed is crumbling now—wooden walls sagging under the weight of time, a shadow of whatever it used to be. Ivy crawls up the sides, thick and tangled, like it’s trying to choke the life out of the place. I can’t blame it. I get the impulse.

The ivy’s dark green, so lush it looks almost alive. It twists and winds in on itself, reaching up and around like it’s trying to escape, just like me. Trying to take over, smother whatever’s already decaying.

I lean back against the splintering wall, the rough wood pressing into the delicate lace of my top—tiny floral patterns catching on splinters, pulling at threads with every breath. The lace is thin, almost translucent in places, and it feels ridiculous against this decaying backdrop, like I’m wearing a fragile cage around my skin.

I should’ve brought a jacket—it’s cold as hell out here, but the chill doesn’t register. It’s the same numbness that’s been sitting on my chest all day, crawling under my skin like I’m made of ice.

The crunch of footsteps breaks through the silence, and my heart jolts in my chest. I turn just as Nathan appears around the corner, his silhouette cutting through the dim light like a shadow with too much presence.

“Got your shit,” he says, casual as anything, but there’s a glint in his eyes—something sly. He tosses the crumpled pack in the air like it's nothing, lets it arc before catching it again with a grin. “Miss me?”

I don’t answer. Just cross my arms and stare him down, but that only seems to amuse him more.

He steps closer, boots crunching on the gravel, letting the silence stretch like he’s enjoying the tension. The space between us shrinks until I can smell his cologne—sharp and synthetic, trying too hard to smell like danger..

“C’mon,” he says, smirk widening. “Don’t be like that. I bring you gifts and everything.”

He holds the pack out with two fingers, just out of reach, like he wants me to come closer for it. I don’t move.

“You always this grumpy, or just when I show up?” he adds, tone dipped in mock-flirt. “It’s kinda hot, not gonna lie.”

Something twists in my gut, tight and uncomfortable. I snatch the pack from his hand like it’s poisoned.

He shrugs, hands shoved into his pockets. “They’re the same damn smokes I always get you. I dunno why you’re all psychoanalyzing them.”

“They look different,” I murmur, fingers tracing the pack’s surface. The logo’s the same—American Spirits in cherry red—but the color’s changed. Not the usual bright orange. This one’s a deep forest green, the words “Menthol — Full Bodied Taste” scrawled in black at the bottom.

“What the fuck, Nathan, menthol full-bodied—are you serious right now?”

He just smirks, so fucking infuriating. His grin spreads like he’s won some private joke.

“Now, I thought you might say that—” His hand disappears into his pocket and pulls out a small, sealed bag. It’s discreet, the kind you’d miss if you weren’t looking closely.

“Just got this from my plug,” he says, tossing the bag between his fingers. “Wanna try?”

It’s weed. I can tell by the way it’s packaged. Not the same as the cigarettes I’ve been chain-smoking, but just as easy to slip into a routine.

I want to say no. I should say no.

But then the thought drifts through my mind like a half-formed cloud: what’s one more thing? One more way to numb myself from whatever it is that keeps gnawing at my insides.

──────────────── ୨୧ ────────────────

Chloe

Frank’s already got that look on his face when I swing open the RV door—the one that says I’m about to be disappointed.

He doesn’t even wait for me to sit down before dropping the bomb.

“Sold the last of it,” he grunts, not even pretending to feel bad about it. “Kid cleaned me out.”

I blink. “Are you fucking serious?”

He shrugs, lighting a cigarette with that busted-ass Zippo like this is just another Tuesday. “Yeah. What, you think I’ve got a secret Chloe stash somewhere? You’re not that special.”

I let out this bitter little laugh—one of those hollow, no-humor-in-it laughs that feels more like choking. “Yeah, no shit I’m not special. Trust me, I’ve been getting the memo.”

Frank doesn’t even flinch. Just leans back in his chair, smoke curling out of his nose like a bored dragon. He’s in one of his don’t-give-a-fuck moods, and I know pushing him won’t do shit except maybe get me kicked out of the RV.

Still, I can’t help it.

“Let me guess,” I mutter, already knowing the answer. “Nathan?”

Frank doesn’t answer, which is basically confirmation. His silence is loud as hell.

“Fucking knew it,” I hiss, standing up so fast the couch creaks. “Rich prick probably bought the whole stash just to impress his imaginary friends.”

Frank gives me a side-eye, unimpressed. “Or maybe he just paid in full.”

I pace a little, every step making the floor of the RV creak like it’s gonna give out. My hands are shaking—part rage, part craving, part god-knows-what. “He doesn’t even need it. It’s just a game to him. He plays druggie for fun, and the rest of us are just stuck.”

Frank shrugs again, not unkind but definitely uninterested. “That’s life, Chloe. Pay up or miss out. You want me to feel bad, you picked the wrong guy.”

I look at him, jaw clenched. “You got anything left?”

He stubs out his cigarette, finally meeting my eyes. “Not unless you’re buying off Nathan.”

-

Buying off Nathan.

Frank, you fucking prick—you were onto something.

I haven't been on Blackwell's campus in ages—hell, I was expelled for being too much of a fuck-up—but it’s hardly changed, same red brick, same tired-looking windows staring back like they’ve seen it all before. 

The trees are still there, all sprawling and overgrown, giving the whole place a sort of half-hearted charm, looking straight out of a damn pamphlet.

“Enroll in Blackwell Academy today, where the ivy’s picturesque and the trauma’s free of charge.”

I round the corner, near the old maintenance shed—that's where I’ve heard whispers of Prescott lurking. 

Classic Nathan. 

Too rich to deal in alleyways like the rest of us, too fucked-up to use his dorm like a normal person. Nah, he picks the rotting skeleton of campus to play kingpin in.

Figures.

The shed looks like it’s about to collapse if you breathe on it wrong. Wood sagging, ivy strangling the walls, like even nature’s trying to put it out of its misery.

Rounding the corner, I can already hear his snotty little voice—nasal and smug, like he was born with a silver spoon halfway down his throat.

It should be shoved further.

“…This is good shit,” he’s saying, voice pitched just a little too loud, like he wants someone to overhear. “Like, actually top-shelf. My guy doesn’t fuck around.”

And then I hear it.

A girl. Her laugh’s soft, uncertain. She sounds tired. Off. But I swear to fucking god I’ve heard that laugh somewhere before.

“I don’t know if I even want it,” she says, words slow like she’s trying not to trip over them. “I just… can’t sleep.”

Nathan laughs—grating and hollow. “Then definitely take it. You’ll sleep like the dead.”

──────────────── ୨୧ ────────────────

Y/N

“The dead, huh?” I echo, trying to make it sound like a joke, like I’m in on whatever game he thinks we’re playing. But it comes out flat. Hollow. Like I’m the punchline and I don’t even get it.

Nathan snorts, nudges my arm like we’re friends. “Relax, it’s not that deep. You overthink everything.”

Maybe. Maybe I do.

Maybe if I thought less, I wouldn’t be out here freezing my ass off beside some crumbling maintenance shed, buying weed from a boy I barely trust, trying to soothe something I can’t even name. Maybe if I thought less, I’d be able to sleep. Or eat. Or breathe.

I stare down at the bag in my hand. It feels heavier than it should. Like it's full of decisions I’m not ready to make.

And then I feel it—someone watching. A shift in the air. The kind of silence that doesn’t come empty but full, dense, waiting.

“Y/N.”

The voice cuts through the haze like glass. I don’t even have to look up. I know it.

Chloe.

──────────────── ୨୧ ────────────────

authors note: hiii, i had so much fun writing this fic, life is strange is so important to me and i really hope i delivered with Chloe's characterisation because i love her so much, as of right now i have absolutely no idea how this fic is gonna progress but i can guarantee a happy ending :)

pls like and reblog, hope you enjoyed <33

[utilitycaster]

re: production values for Thresher and actually liking the choices made, I think my thought processes are as follows:

The filming of standard gameplay isn't terribly different from how D20 is often filmed, which I've never minded. I think why I don't like the CR split screen is that it doesn't add anything and indeed subtracts deliberately and without any real end except Making Faces Bigger/ removing people from between two actors. Which, if the notes on my post about Caleb and Fjord's wild interactions are any indication, isn't even something the audience cares about and indeed seeing other players' reactions is fun (see also: everyone tracking Aabria and Travis in EXU Calamity). But if you're filming a table without the Two Rows method that is CR's mainstay, then sure, frame your shots.

Obviously no complaints about costuming/fun set stuff; I don't find that disruptive and I enjoy it. Same goes for credits or intro.

The interlude as they descend works because it was a pure RP moment and a transitional scene. Same with the introductory video and the recordings; diagetic information is great! In C1, C2, and a little even in early C3 Matt was quite good at giving the players physical letters when relevant, and a recording in a setting that offers that is also great.

The music was pretty subtle but present and non-intrusive. I actually like a little more noticeable music personally, but I think there's been a trend away from it in filmed AP lately, and what they had was setting-appropriate and while I don't know if it really deeply enhanced the vibe, it certainly didn't disrupt it.

The background was very cool and again I think scrims/cool backdrops are great.

Radio voice effects also good and I think they did a good job of making it still sound very listenable (plus it was released with closed captioning).

Pop-ups with descriptions are great, especially in actual play, and these were very unobtrusive in my opinion. D20 does this sometimes as well.

I think what I don't care for, particularly, are extensive VFX in-game. The ones in Downfall were ultimately ok because they were brief and added to the idea of this being otherworldly/outside of time as we understand it, once we understood the vibe of the actual show. If they'd continued I'd have been annoyed, but fine for just the Tengar scenes to show how the gods were once very different. But I don't care for, as discussed, the split screens; the Jaysohn edit from Burrows End and some of the jittery effects in Neverafter; or whatever the hell Kollok is doing.

It's also, ultimately, a matter of production prioritization. If the story isn't strong and production values are, then I'm going to be a lot more harsh than if the reverse is true - once CR fixed their sound equipment issues in their debut, the story was still stellar despite filming in what the cast has joked looks like a child's bedroom. Late Campaign 2 is still excellent despite the demands of social distancing putting everyone in front of a backdrop reminiscent of 1990s school pictures. A bare bones podcast with a good story is going to be better than a heavily produced show with a bad one. Thresher thus far has delivered, with great acting and an intriguing premise, and so I'd be enjoying it even if the production was much simpler. It doesn't feel like the core was neglected in order to provide a glitzy exterior.

[kbandtrash]

Less Than Three (Hongjoong x Reader)

~Rachel~

@sorryimananti-romantic hahaha remember how I said I was the slowest writer ever? Apparently that's not true because it only took me a month and a half to write this. I need help

Content: fluff, a whole lot of delusional one-sided pining (the cute kind though) (from him), silly middle school antics from both teachers and students, betting, friends to lovers

Summary: Kim Hongjoong teaches middle school math and finds himself absolutely smitten with you, the math department's newest hire. You're the last person to find out.

Note: This is set in an American-style middle school because that's where my teaching experiences have been and I figured my best work would come out of the system I'm most familiar with

Word Count: 11.5k

Why did Hongjoong choose middle school?

He asks himself this question every day as well

If he wanted to be a math teacher, high school was clearly a better option

But no he had started out in a middle school, promising to take a high school position as soon as one opened up

And now he was actively avoiding high school principals that wanted to recruit him

Is it because he found out the math is easier to explain and the kids really aren’t that bad?

Yeah sure

But this year he had another reason to stay

See his math department had a position open up this summer and as he got to take part in interviews to select a new hire

He fell in love

Now that was not the whole reason he advocated to hire you

In fact your credentials as a math teacher

The places you had taught before

Your praxis exam scores

Your recommendation letters

The professional development programs you were a part of

Test scores from your previous classes

The way you understood math

And especially the way you believed that every student had the potential to pass your class

All of these made you the obvious choice and everyone else agreed

But he was struck several times with Cupid’s arrows throughout the interview and that absolutely did not hurt his opinion of you as a potential colleague

On this particular morning his excuse to talk to you before classes started for the day was a test for your 7th graders

Which they would be taking next Friday

Your feedback always ended up being valuable anyway so there was no need for this to be an “excuse” but it got to be one anyway

You were typing something up when he knocked on the open door to your classroom to announce his presence

You finished typing your sentence before you looked up, and when you saw Hongjoong leaning against the door frame with some papers in his hand, you greeted him with a smile and a wave

He wondered if it would look unprofessional if he grew out his hair to cover his ears

You looked gorgeous today (every day) and he knew there was no stopping his ears from turning bright red

“I have the unit tests for 7th,” he said, stealing a chair from a desk to sit backwards on while he talked to you

“Oh good!” you replied. “I’ll take a look at those and get them back to you by lunch”

Buy lunch he thought

That sounded like an excellent idea

He should buy you lunch

He didn’t say that though

“Works for me. How was your weekend?”

And he stalled and stalled and stalled until the first bell rang and he had to get out to hall duty

At lunch he walked in again while you were putting in assignment scores and munching on some pretzel sticks

“I made a key for that new assignment we decided to add for 8th grade. Can you check answers if you get the time?”

His heart did a little flip as you covered your mouth with your hand while you finished chewing

How could you be so graceful and polite?

And your hands were so pretty wow

“Yes just as soon as I finish putting these in. And—” you turned your chair around and grabbed something from behind you— “here are the 7th tests from this morning. I added a couple notes on the integer operations review questions, but other than that, I think they’re great”

He unfortunately did need to go and eat his own lunch and fulfill other teacherly lunchtime duties so he couldn’t stall as much as this morning

But he read your notes on the way back to his classroom

And boy he could have lived in your handwriting

The pen that you used was the perfect instrument to capture every letter, every dot, every loop in a way that encapsulated your personality

And as soon as he caught himself thinking that he knew he needed to ask the home ec teacher to smack him over the head with a frying pan because wowie

He would need professional help in order to date you like a normal person at this point

Anyway he was practically skipping back after lunch because he came up with another question to ask you

There were students there so instead of using your first name he caught your attention by calling you Miss (L/N)

Which for some reason gives him more butterflies than calling you normally

This time luckily instead of giving you a new task it was a task he could do for you

“How many copies of the activity page should I put you down for?”

“Ooh good question”

You put your finger over your lips as you counted on your other hand and he had to actively look away and think about other things

There were students present after all

“Which classes are you doing it with?” you ended up asking

He used the opportunity to set a hand down on your desk and lean forward in a cool pose

“I’m making the eighth graders do it but it’s extra credit for the seventh”

“That sounds like a good plan to me. So sixty for the eighth graders and then how many do you think I would need if it’s optional?”

Oh boy he loved it when you asked for advice

It gave him the chance to look cool and smart and he always got to play it off as the humble senior teacher

“I do half just to be safe. Plus then you have extra if you want to do it again later in the year or even next year”

And then your face did that thing it did when you liked a suggestion he gave

Your face lit up with your eyebrows raised and your mouth in a little “ooh”

There were students around there were students around

“Okay then sixty for the eighth graders and forty-five for seventh. A hundred and five?”

He scribbled the number down on the copy request form

“Excellent. I’ll run this down then”

He gave you a smile and a wave as he went to attend to his own class

Which you returned

And he was sure his heart would never physically recover from the stress it was under this year

You didn’t need to know that you were the only other teacher he was sharing this particular activity page with

He would give it to the other teachers if they asked him for it but he wasn’t going to go out of his way for this one because it was kind of silly and short

But he would do anything to make your first year at a new school just a little bit easier

Back in his classroom he tried to get class started when one of his eighth graders had the audacity to raise his hand and say the following:

“You just walked back from Miss (L/N)’s class huh?”

Mr. Kim squinted suspiciously at the student

“Yeah…why”

“You’re way nicer when you go to her class before our class starts”

Before he had any time to figure out what that meant, the class exploded in giggles and shouts of agreement

“Yeah you smile a lot more this year than you did last year” a girl who had had his class the previous year as well agreed

And then from the back corner

One of the notorious trouble makers stood up

Pointed his finger up at poor Mr. Kim, who was now considering taking a high school position again

And shouted “Mr. Kim has a crush on Miss (L/N)!!!”

There was no longer any hope for this class

Exponent rules? Down the drain

Hongjoong was now a laughingstock

Irredeemable in front of a bunch of 13-14 year olds

So he stood with his hands clasped behind his back, lips pursed, and his eyes dangerously blank

It wasn’t long before kids started shushing each other

Even once they were quiet, he held their attention for a second longer

“If you have two to the fourth times two to the third, what’s the product?” he asked clearly, writing the problem on the whiteboard in new black marker

Not addressing the issue would not stem the tide of curious teenagers for long but it would have to be a band-aid solution until he figured out how to do this properly

Because he couldn’t allow rumors to spread that he liked you because firstly unprofessional and secondly what if you heard them and thought he was weird

But he couldn’t lie and allow rumors to spread that he definitely didn’t have a crush on you because firstly. unprofessional kids don’t need to know about that stuff

Like they think they’re all mature and old enough to date when they can’t even drive yet like can you imagine as a teenager asking your mom to drive you to your date with your girlfriend. Embarrassing

BUT SECONDLY

What if you heard the rumors and maybe you did like him back and it crushed your heart to hear that he didn’t like you

While the kids were working on their assignment and he was working on his computer he decided the best way to explain this to them

If they ever brought it up again

Was that they’re always in a better mood when they get to talk to their friends, right?

You’re a good friend and it’s fun working with you

The other math teachers are fun too but you’re close to his age so it makes sense that you would be closer

Yep

Good explanation Mr. Kim

Literally just one day later the kids bring it up again and they do not buy his explanation

They don’t even pretend to because their brains are not developed enough to have that kind of social tact

And the rumor doesn’t exactly spread like wildfire around the school but everyone knows about it you know what I mean

Except you actually

You’re usually very aware of everything going on in your classroom but somehow this particular subject escaped your attention

You learned early on that for some reason kids don’t have shame anymore in spilling their guts to the classroom about what they’re gossiping about

So the usual “if you can’t wait to tell your friend later then tell the whole class now” classroom management tactic is now useless

So you didn’t do that instead you just asked them which problem they’re helping their friend with and if they’re not helping their friend with math then they should get back on task

You didn’t think that any middle school level gossip could actually be that interesting anyway so yeah you had no idea that kids were shipping the teachers

And you didn’t want to know

So you stayed blissfully ignorant

While Hongjoong was lowkey agonizing over it

Now you and Hongjoong tend to eat lunch in your own classrooms rather than the staff lounge

Because why use up any more social energy than necessary right

But there is a vending machine in the staff room and Hongjoong was craving something sweet one day

And when he walked in the other teachers in there suddenly went awkwardly silent

And he knew

They were talking about him

Yeah he should take a high school position next year

Two of the younger teachers, Jung Wooyoung from the history department and Choi San from the phys ed department, broke the silence giggling to each other

“Sorry Hongjoong” San apologized “the kids are just hilarious these days. They’re so excited about you and (Y/N) it’s adorable”

Hongjoong gave them a look

“Adorable?”

“Well firstly you” Wooyoung pointed out “I never thought I’d see you fall head over heels but I totally get it. She’s super cool”

“And secondly the kids” San continued “any time you guys are talking in the hall I have all of the girls talking about it during warm ups. The boys all think of you as their role model when it comes to liking a girl”

“That reminds me!” Wooyoung interrupted “I actually did have a boy confess to a girl in my class the other day and you wanna know what he told her??”

Hongjoong’s eyebrows furrowed in a glare, absolutely sure that his reputation was never going to recover

“He said ‘I like you more than Mr. Kim likes Miss (L/N)’”

The teachers tried to tone down their laughter out of respect

Hongjoong wanted to leave immediately but this stupid vending machine was having issues

“And then you know what she said back?”

Wooyoung was having trouble holding himself together

His eyes were shining a little with tears of laughter

“She said ‘That’s impossible. No one can like anyone more than Mr. Kim likes Miss (L/N)’”

The other teachers could not hold it back anymore

The vending machine finally gave Hongjoong his candy bar

(Plus the extra one he bought for you)

So he made his way swiftly back towards the door

“Oh no no wait” Wooyoung called after him

“Tests to grade” Hongjoong lied simply

“No come on you have to hear this”

Hongjoong stopped at the door, fighting the urge to classroom manage his coworkers

He looked back both unimpressed and expectant at the same time

“Okay everyone raise your hands if you betted on before Christmas break” Wooyoung called out

Some of the teachers looked at him like he had just asked out a widow at her husband’s funeral

But they raised their hands sheepishly anyway

“Great yes and after Christmas break?”

The other half raised their hands, most of them looking like they wished that had eaten lunch in their own classrooms

“These are bets on when you’re going to ask her out” Wooyoung explained cheerfully

“Wasn’t someone also trying to get bets going on whether you would confess first or she would notice first?” San asked

“That was also me” Wooyoung said with a grin

The lounge door opened again and in walked the principal and one of the vice principals

Hongjoong thought this was finally the end to this stupid conversation

But no

“Oh Hongjoong!” the principal greeted him with a pat on the arm “I’ve got $50 on you dating before Christmas. Don’t let me down”

Waiting until the end of the school year to take a new position would simply not be soon enough

Hongjoong needed to find a new job or retire within the month

But then on the way back to his classroom he remembered he had an extra candy bar for you

So he made a detour

But what greeted him was a closed door with the window on the door covered

He hadn’t ever seen your door shut like this before so he wasn’t sure what it meant exactly

Maybe you went out to lunch today?

Then he could just nab one of your sticky notes and leave the candy bar on your desk with a positive message

He would rather give it to you himself, but the idea of you finding the candy bar on your desk later made his chest feel all warm and cozy so it was fine

Your door was unlocked, so he pulled it open just enough so he could see inside

And you were in there actually

Slumped in your desk chair with your head in your hands

Oh

Oh no

Hongjoong had been there before

Every teacher had been there before

The work of a teacher isn’t as easy as most people would like to believe

Especially for middle school, and even more so for math, it takes someone with unending patience and courage to help kids learn every day

And some days that patience and courage runs a little thinner than other days

Even experienced teachers wonder from time to time if it’s worth the soul that they give to their classes

The classes that seem sometimes not to notice one way or the other if you’re teaching or not

You hadn’t noticed that you weren’t quite alone anymore, so that left Hongjoong with a choice to make

Did he let you have this moment to yourself?

Or did he try to help you through it?

He closed the door as softly as he could

And then he gave a little knock to give you some privacy and some time to gather yourself

Then he opened the door and stepped halfway through

“The vending machine spat out two candy bars instead of one” he lied with a grin, holding up the extra candy bar and wiggling it between his fingers

You had sat up and were resting your chin on your hand curiously

But there was definitely a downtrodden aura about you that he couldn’t miss

“That’s pretty lucky,” you replied

He took that as permission to enter and on his way to your desk he snagged his usual chair to sit backwards on

“How’s today going so far?” he asked as if he knew nothing, setting the candy bar down on top of your closed computer

“Oh, you know,” you sighed

He chuckled, opening his candy bar, not making eye contact with you to relieve some pressure for you to keep up an act

“That good, huh?”

You laughed in return

“Just got my butt kicked by a bunch of seventh graders, so yeah, it’s kind of whatever right now”

Ah the teacher equivalent of “I want to quit my job and hide in my bed for the rest of my life”

“Oh, yep, I’ve been there more than once” he said with a nod “and sometimes there’s really nothing you could have done better, you know? Kids are just like that sometimes. It makes me glad I’m not an elementary school teacher”

“Oh my word yes” you agreed, finally picking up the candy bar “at least I can kick these gremlins out after 45 minutes and I don’t have to see them again until the next day. I can’t imagine being with the same class all day”

Did Hongjoong end up squandering his entire eating time just to talk with you and make sure you felt better?

Yes

He would have to sneak bites of his sandwich in between activities during his afternoon classes

But like it wasn’t the first time he’d had to do that and heaven knew it wouldn’t be the last

At least he had a good reason today instead of something stupid like he was lost in the test grading sauce and forgot to eat

He proceeded to get his butt kicked by his afternoon classes because he couldn’t wipe his lovefool smile off his face

But it was okay because once again it wasn’t the first time and heaven knew it wouldn’t be the last

Not long after came the hallowed and hated teacher inservice day

Professional development day

Both a huge waste of time and a relaxing little work day

The administrators usually planned a series of workshops for the morning that all looked. well. kind of stupid but it was all planned with good intention

Then it was lunch time

And then after that you had until the end of contract hours to do whatever pretty much

The math department liked to go to lunch together and then have a really productive planning meeting until people got bored and then it was individual prep time pretty much

Mostly it was just kinda nice to be at school without kids there

This year was no exception to all of this

But Mr. Principal had $50 on the line and decided to play matchmaker about it

For each of the workshops the teachers were split into groups

And you and Hongjoong had been placed together every single time

Somehow you genuinely thought it was just good luck

Hongjoong was hyperaware of every other teacher looking and pointing and giggling and you were so peacefully oblivious to it

The first workshop was about medical emergency training, specifically training teachers in case of allergy or diabetic emergencies

As soon as the nurse finished with the epipen instructions you leaned over to Hongjoong and whispered “like this?” 

And stabbed him with the fake epipen right in the thigh

Hongjoong swore he was going to die right then and there because why was that so attractive???

“Four…five…six…seven…eight…” you counted out, holding the epipen in place for the full ten seconds

And like a good patient he sat like a statue because his circuits were absolutely fried

You glanced up at his face and your expression immediately dropped

You checked the epipen all over to make sure it was just a trainer

(It was)

“Hongjoong are you okay?? Your face is all red did I do something wrong?” you worried

He unfroze and tried to undo the damage of his Little Moment but the nurse was already over at the table taking a closer look at him after dismissing the rest of the teachers to practice

She looked at you and then at Hongjoong and then at you again and back at Hongjoong and a funny look of understanding came over her face

“Are you Mr. Kim the math teacher” she asked

He nodded awkwardly

“And are you Miss (L/N) the math teacher” she asked

“Yes?” you answered

She patted Hongjoong on the shoulder

“He’ll be fine in a minute or so” she reassured you, glancing up and away somewhere else

You both followed her gaze over to the principal, who gave her a bright smile and a thumbs up

Which looked innocuous enough to the untrained eye

But to Hongjoong this was just another in a long list of embarrassments

The principal had told the guest workshop speakers about him

And he had been spotted that easily

After that was administration-provided snack time

Hongjoong offered to grab sodas if you would grab chips and stuff

And at the soda table he was greeted by Wooyoung and San, who called him affectionately Mr. Traffic Light

Hongjoong resisted the urge to react publicly

Even though there were no children around he refused to allow himself to be caught cursing them out

But he brainstormed violently about the ways he could get back at them without getting caught

Truly his middle school teacher powers of ignoring were activated because those two were practically dancing around him trading one-liner after one-liner and Hongjoong paid them no mind

Until he realized they were following him back to the table where he was sitting with you

He did not need them teasing him around you so he tried to shoo them off

But Wooyoung gleefully turned his attention up to the projector screen where the groupings for the next workshop were displayed

Truly your presence was the only saving grace this day had to offer

They were in this group with you two

The computer teacher/school tech support guy was leading this workshop and he was showcasing how one might use ai in their classroom

And all four of you were totally zoned out because firstly ai in a math classroom?? For what

Chat bots are notoriously bad at math

Ai in San’s gymnasium? Once again no practical application

And Wooyoung honestly just wasn’t that interested because none of you were listening so he didn’t feel like he had to either

So he decided flirting with you was more fun

Just to make Hongjoong mad

But for all of his whispered pick up lines and compliments you had approximately the same response as to this ai workshop:

Playing gamepigeon with Hongjoong under the table

(Which Hongjoong had initiated by the way)

(And you had perpetuated after destroying him at the mini golf game)

Aka you ignored Wooyoung pretty well

So Hongjoong got to glare over at him with the peace of mind that your attention was fully his right then

San tapped your shoulder and asked for your number

Which you gave him a little too easily for Hongjoong’s continued peace of mind

But then San just made a group chat for the four of you to play uno together for the remainder of the workshop

So Hongjoong decided that actually this setup wasn’t so bad

The last workshop was unfortunately much more important so the four of you couldn’t continue slacking off

The principal was running this one and it was genuinely for the betterment of the school environment

Plus San and Wooyoung were sent off to other groups

So it was the two of you and a few other senior teachers that were going to have a discussion about one of the behavior initiatives that the school was trying out

You were the only two math teachers in the group, so when the principal passed out data that had been collected about this behavior initiative, the other teachers sort of automatically passed the papers to you

(And the science teachers in the group but that’s irrelevant)

There was only one copy of each dataset, so that meant you got to share

And that meant that you got to scoot your chairs close together to look at the paper at the same time

And even better the text was kind of small so you had to bring the papers close to your faces to read them

So the two of you were shoulder to shoulder

Practically cheek to cheek, your heads almost touching

To read this data and explain it to the less number-savvy teachers

Today was actually pretty fantastic so far, Hongjoong thought

He also wondered if you could physically feel the heat coming off of his face but that was not something he was going to let bother him right then

He was going to live in the moment

And perhaps thank the principal later

After a surprisingly productive and insightful discussion

It was finally ~lunch time~

The math department gathered up in the department head’s classroom to decide which of the nearby restaurants to choose to go to

And no one could agree

Not a single person was feeling like eating the same thing

Except Hongjoong he was agreeing with whatever you said

Not just because he wanted you to have your way but because whatever you said sounded good to him too

Maybe it sounded good because you said it but nonetheless

And then the department head said the following fateful words:

“How about you two just go ahead and we’ll try to decide on something for the rest of us

Hongjoong was suspicious right then and there that this was a setup

The department head probably had money on Before Christmas

But Hongjoong was absolutely not going to let this opportunity slip through his fingers

“I’m cool with that” you answered before Hongjoong could gather his thoughts enough to say anything

Then you turned to him

“I need to go grab my purse from my classroom. Do you need anything from yours?”

“Oh, yeah, just my wallet” he answered totally on autopilot

You stopped by your classroom first and then his since his was closer to the front of the school

He was so excited to finally realize that dream of his from a few weeks back

He was gonna buy you lunch

And not only that it was just the two of you going out to lunch

It didn’t matter that this wasn’t a date

Or that technically you were just gonna buy food and eat it back at school

It was special to him to go somewhere with just you 

That wasn’t school

Seriously he was so happy he couldn’t stop smiling when he told the cashier that your orders were together and he was going to pay

You kinda elbowed him and told him he didn’t have to do that

But he just shrugged and turned his smile on you

“But I wanted to” he replied

You accepted that

“It’s on me next time” you promised

And oh man he could have died right there he felt so complete

Except if he died then there would be no next time

But you were saying next time and it made him think that wow yeah this would happen again

You meant if it ever happened again but he was determined that it was a certain for the future

Because even if it didn’t happen by chance then he would make it happen himself

When you got back to the school the rest of the math department was gone so you started eating without them

And that was a magical moment of peace too

Just the two of you

No one around to tease Hongjoong

He could almost pretend you were just normal friends and he wasn’t head over heels for you

Then the rest of the department came back and they all had food from the same restaurant

So Hongjoong had been right to be suspicious earlier

It was most definitely a setup to get the two of you by yourselves

And he liked it so he wasn’t going to complain about it

Even though it was embarrassing

Well as fun as professional development day ended up being

Parent teacher conferences were not

Hongjoong was looking forward to more Mr. Principal shenanigans

Like maybe when all the teachers were in the gym yours and his table could be next to each other

And he could talk to you when neither of you had any parents

And when the night was wrapping up

And he could walk you out to your car because it was dark

And maybe treat you to dinner because the school-provided food wasn’t usually that great

But no

None of that could happen

Because someone had decided to have teachers stay in their classrooms for conferences this year

The parents would have the wonderful opportunity to get lost in their child’s school trying to find all of their classes

What a joke

They were probably going to get so many complaints they would switch it back to normal next semester

But the one time Hongjoong was looking forward to parent teacher conferences

Of course

Was the one time they had to switch it up

The one silver lining in this was the teachers complaining about it together

Hongjoong’s favorite email he had ever received was now from Wooyoung

Who was replying to the email notifying teachers of the different setup this year but just to Hongjoong

In all lowercase:

“hey loverboy u see this crap

math teacher romancephobic fr smh”

And then with his full professional email signature at the bottom

This precious email was moved to Hongjoong’s funny emails folder, which was usually reserved for unhinged student emails

He did not reply to it

San and the other phys ed teachers were joking about how nice it would be to have the gym to themselves for once but they were in agreement that this probably wouldn’t last

Of course the math department had tests scheduled across all the grades right before conferences

Which of course left everyone grading like crazy

And of course the kids trashed the classrooms the day before

And of course the head janitor ended up getting sick

So it was up to the teachers to make sure their classrooms didn’t look like trash

Even though they had 150+ tests to grade and a pile of late work to grade

And they had 24 hours (7 of which were going to be spent teaching, and hopefully 7-8 would be spent sleeping) to make this all work before parents started showing up at 4 o’clock tomorrow afternoon

What a time this was going to be

So Hongjoong picked up his pile of tests and went to your classroom

Predictably you were grading tests

He stole a student desk and moved it close to your desk

“Which tests are you working on?” he asked

“Eighth” you replied, not looking up from the test you were currently grading

“How does this sound” he began “I’ll take your seventh and you take my eighth so we don’t have to switch answer keys?”

Still barely looking up, you handed him three binder-clipped stacks of paper

“As long as you don’t mind working to music” you replied, your eyebrows raising as a little smile played on your lips

He took your tests and handed you his eighth grade tests

(This worked out nicely as you both had three classes of seventh and two classes of eighth. He was tricking you into letting him take the heavier load ohoho so sneaky)

(He was just lucky you were grading eighth instead of seventh first)

“Don’t mind?” he snickered, uncapping his favorite felt-tip grading pen “I’d prefer it”

And that’s how speed grading turned into karaoke

Grading went almost certainly slower than it would have if you had worked alone but it was way more fun this way

Of course he ended up with sixty some more tests to grade than you

So when you finished you left for a bit and came back with snacks

As well as his pile of late work

He tried to protest but no no

“You’re not nearly as sneaky as you think you are Mr. Kim” you teased him “You thought you could fool a math teacher into thinking we had an equal workload here?”

“That wasn’t the point” he whined, trying to put the cap back on his pen and inking his finger instead

“Then what was the point?”

I love you that’s the point

But what was the point actually

What was a point he could believably tell you without giving himself away

“Just…because” he said convincingly, shrugging his shoulders and settling back into his tests “You look stressed these days. Wanted to do something nice I guess”

You brandished his late work stack again

“So I’m going to do something nice too”

Yeah he probably wouldn’t ever feel this way about anyone ever again

For him at this point it was you or nothing

But the problem was he was willing to let it be nothing for far too long

He would never make a single move unless he knew you were okay with it

Because if he and his stupid heart ruined whatever you had going now then it would really be nothing

He wouldn’t give up the something he still had

He was like a curve approaching an asymptote

He could get infinitely close, but he would never actually touch you

After settling your gradebooks for tomorrow you started by picking up your classroom together

This did go faster with music by the way

And then you picked up his classroom together

And then he realized Hongjoong realized he could have his wish

The one about walking you out to your car and taking you out to dinner

Walking you out was easy but taking you out was another story

He would have to suggest it himself

A little known fact about teachers is that they became teachers because they don’t know how/don’t want to talk with other adults

Kids don’t judge you if something comes out of your mouth a little different than you meant it

Other adults are mean and judge you over silly things

This unfortunately meant that he didn’t know how to ask you to go to dinner with him without making it sound like a date

He was kinda just hoping a lil Kdrama moment would happen and one of your stomachs would rumble really loud so he could laugh it off and say you should go eat together

But you got closer and closer to your car and no tummy rumbling

You got to your car and no tummy rumbling

You opened your door and said goodbye and still no tummy rumbling

“Wait!!!”

He could have slapped his own mouth

You were a little startled but it stopped you from getting in your car

“Hmm?”

“Just uh…it’s kinda late and snacks are great but they’re not that filling…so do you wanna um…” he trailed off and did not finish his thought

“Wanna what?” you asked

Big boy pants Hongjoong come on

“Go grab dinner? Or something?” he finally spat out

He must not have seen your face light up in the dark

“No pressure” he added when you didn’t answer within 0.05 seconds

“No that sounds great! I was thinking of grabbing something on the way home anyway and it would be way more fun to do it with someone else” you accepted

He let you pick the place again and you drove separately because after you would be going in different directions

But it ended up being a nice little fast casual restaurant

And it didn’t feel like a date really but it kinda felt like a date but no it didn’t

It just ended up being a comfortable little outing between friends

Hongjoong knew he couldn’t stop smiling

And he wondered if you already knew how he felt about you

He was sure he didn’t smile like this at anyone else

And you were many things but dense couldn’t possibly be one of them

He knew he was the opposite of subtle

But if you were willing to spend time with him like this then that meant he didn’t make you uncomfortable

Honestly he was so used to the way you made him feel at this point that loving you from afar felt like second nature

Being friends with you was enough if he could keep loving you like this

The waiter came by and asked if it was one check or two

And Hongjoong was fully prepared to pay once again

But you beat him to it

You were already prepared with your card and everything

“I owe you for last time, remember?” you told him with a cheeky grin

He shook his head

“You don’t owe me anything”

“Well then next time it’s on you”

Hongjoong started to smile again

“Next time?”

“Well, yeah” you said with a shrug, now a little bashful “This was fun. We should keep doing it”

“It is fun” he agreed with a laugh “It’s nice to hang out with people outside of school for once”

You laughed at that

“Oh boy tell me about it. Nobody told me that teaching would ruin my social life”

And things just kind of continued like that for a while

Before you had come to the school, Hongjoong had lowkey felt like he was kind of going nowhere with his life

Any time he spent at school outside of his contract hours felt like an infringement on his personal time

Or not even at school, just away from home

He had been hoping that taking a high school position would give him back a little bit of the passion for teaching that he was losing

He hadn’t even been teaching that long it’s just that the profession really is like that

Indescribably rewarding and incredibly draining all at the same time

(Especially these days. Sometimes you really wonder if it’s worth it)

But having something to look forward to every day besides a favorite class ended up being what he needed to love his job wholeheartedly again

It wasn’t just you he had fallen in love with

He had also found new friends in an unlikely place

The math department was like family and he enjoyed their company dearly

But that weirdo phys ed teacher and obnoxious history teacher had turned into excellent friends frighteningly fast

Sometimes they joined you and Hongjoong on your dinner outings

And honestly it was such a blast

An amendment to my previous statement about teachers being teachers because they don’t like talking to other adults:

Other teachers often do not count as other adults

Sometimes they do when you have to have grown up conversations

But gossiping about students does not count as grown up conversation

There were some eighth graders that all four of you had

Hongjoong not currently but he’d had them for previous classes and they were now in your class

Was it a little embarrassing as 20 somethings to have your main source of gossip be preteens?

Yeah but oh man there is nothing like finding out which of your students are lying to their other teachers about the work they need to do

Or what they’re like in other classes

(You and Hongjoong, and sometimes Wooyoung, tended to have very different opinions about some students than San did so it was double fascinating)

Who they’re friends with outside of your class

Or crushes they have on each other

Basically if you spend every day around preteens you gossip like them too

It was now November and starting to get uncomfortably cold outside

So San had offered his home as a little gathering space for you all to order food and hang out

It was almost like a little Friendsgiving

“Any of you have (male student name, obnoxious connotation)?” Wooyoung asked, taking a sip of his soda

You immediately scoffed

“I’m about to write an email home about that kid”

Hongjoong was surprised

Annoying kids existed in every class but you usually had something nice to say about them at first at least before you got into the bad behavior

He hadn’t had this particular student but he was intrigued as to why he annoyed you so much

Wooyoung and San also both looked surprised

“He’s great in gym—like cooperative, doesn’t do stupid stuff too often—” San said “but that doesn’t usually mean anything about how they are in math class”

“No he’s great in history too” Wooyoung added “finishes all his work on time, helps his friends with theirs if he finishes”

Your eye might have twitched a little bit

You let out an unamused laugh and crossed your arms over your chest

Hongjoong was fascinated and quite enamored with this new side of you

“If he has time to help his friends then he should be working on the seven late assignments I’ve been reminding him about. He hasn’t turned in anything for two weeks”

Wooyoung gasped and covered his mouth

“You’re joking”

“I’ve talked to him about it twice and I warned him if I had to remind him a third time then I would email his parents” you said, shaking your head “Like I asked him if he’s understanding the material, if he’s got something going on at home, if he needs some help, and he’s giving me nothing to go off of”

Wooyoung smiled devilishly

“He’s been lying to me, then. I ask him every day if he has other classes to do stuff for and he says no. I will absolutely be getting on him about that”

San shook his head

“Teenagers” he sighed

Everyone nodded and repeated what he’d said

“Teenagers.”

After a moment of silence, Hongjoong spoke up

“How about (female student name, pleasant connotation)?”

The mood lifted immediately and everyone gave their own version of the word “aww”

“She is the highlight of my whole day” you said

“Seriously she’s so polite and she tries so hard even when she’s having a hard time” Wooyoung agreed

“Super athletic too” San added

“Ooh and (male student name, pleasant connotation)?” you said to another chorus of agreement “He’s kind of a punk sometimes but he’s another one that always does his best”

Hongjoong smiled

Complaining was fun, but he loved the light in your eyes when you talked about the parts of the job that you loved

Anyway as I said it was November and the Before Christmas faction of teachers was starting to get nervous because there was no sign of anything happening

They saw you walk out together more than usual but they didn’t know that you were meeting up outside of school and stuff

The kids were also more riled up about it than usual

To the point where Hongjoong wondered if the other teachers were inciting chaos on purpose

It was getting bad enough that one of his classes almost failed a test across the board—on a unit about rounding and converting fractions to decimals of all things

As in the easiest math ever

So Mr. Kim had to resort to drastic measures

At the beginning of all his classes, he drew a box on the edge of the whiteboard

“This is the nonsense box” he explained with a teacherly smile

That is to say frustrated but still filled with love for his students

“Every time one of you is talking about anything that is not related to class, a tally mark goes in the box. Each tally mark represents an extra fifteen seconds you get to sit in your seat after the bell rings”

A chorus of protest arose

“I don’t want to hear it” Mr. Kim shook his head “How many of you are planning on retaking last Friday’s test?”

About half of the hands in the room came up sheepishly

“Exactly. It’s because we’re constantly off topic that no one is able to listen and learn in here. We can do better, okay?”

And then immediately from the back of the room

“Ooh, Miss (L/N) just passed in the hall!!!”

And chorus of “Ooooooh”

Whether it was true or not, Hongjoong was happy to draw his first tally mark without a word

Just that same teacherly smile

Another round of protest came and he drew another one

After the third tally mark, they shut up

“Good. Let’s talk about coefficients. Has anyone heard that word before?”

Once again I will say it was November

And the month after November is December

And December is the month of Christmas

Not just Christmas break

But Christmas itself

And that meant that Hongjoong now

After coming back from a brief Thanksgiving break

Had only a few weeks to find you a Christmas present

Now he wasn’t thoughtless like this wasn’t the first time it had crossed his mind

It had just stressed him out wondering if he would have the guts to confess his feelings for you or if he would be outed somehow first

Plus in case y’all didn’t know teaching (especially teaching around the holidays) is stressful

He just imagined Christmas as this far off date that was too good to ever come

And so he hadn’t even had time to think about what to get you

Something for your classroom?

Something for your home?

A cute accessory?

A fun math shirt?

Not a gift card though that was far too impersonal

Nothing seemed good enough for you

If he were to deliver his feelings with a gift like any of these, it felt insufficient

Most lunches the last bit of November and the first week of December

(If not spent pestering you)

He spent fretting over his Amazon cart with his head in his hands

And then the most unfortunate miracle occurred

The heaters toward the math hall decided working at full capacity was a waste of tax dollars

And the weather was shaping up to be quite uncomfortable

Everyone started to bring blankets and stuff but it was never quite enough

Your classroom was especially cold, since it was the farthest down the hall

So Hongjoong was gifted an opportunity

He went and found one of those soft and cozy electric blankets

In a color he assumed to be your favorite considering how much you wore it and how many of the little trinkets around your classroom were that color

And he packaged it like he had meant to give it to you for Christmas anyway

Then he brought it for you the next day

You were sitting at your desk in your full winter outdoor gear with a blanket that did look cozy but thankfully was not electric

And your teeth were practically chattering as you waved hello

He still hadn’t taken off his coat or his gloves either actually

He set the present on your desk

“I was saving this for Christmas but I think you might need it more now” he told you with a grin

Your curiosity was suddenly piqued

You opened the gift cautiously, glancing up at him every few seconds

But as soon as you felt the material of the blanket, you perked up

And upon discovering that it was electric you could have cried

“I haven’t been able to feel my fingers since last week” you told him gratefully “Seriously I was trying to figure out how many space heaters I would need to buy to survive the winter”

“The department head has one in her classroom” he said “If you grab your old blanket and your laptop then you can let your new blanket heat up here while we hang out over there”

What a beautiful suggestion

The department head raised her eyebrow at the two of you coming in with blankets

But she smiled too when she saw you settling down in front of her heater

“Don’t tell anyone” she said “but sometimes I take a nap over there during lunch”

“Oh I see exactly why” you agreed, sitting cross-legged and setting your computer in your lap “I can literally feel my bones thawing out”

Hongjoong settled down a respectable distance from you

But he thought someone else was pranking him when he felt a blanket drape over his shoulders

He looked around, startled, and then he realized it was the other side of your blanket

You had thrown your blanket over him to share, even though he had one of his own

And now you were pulling his arm to get him to scoot closer to you

Was this a dream??

He would not be happy if his alarm rang

But no it was real and he happily obliged

You were sitting shoulder to shoulder again

Just like at the professional development workshop

Except this time it was so warm and cozy and there was definitely a much less professional vibe

The department head raised her eyebrow at you once again

But Hongjoong was way too enamored with your shy smile to notice

After just a few minutes in this cozy little haven

Your time was unfortunately cut short

Not by students arriving to school

But by Wooyoung poking his head into the classroom

“Oh I’ve been looking everywhere for you guys”

He stepped into the classroom and greeted its owner accordingly

She nodded as if to allow him permission to enter

“They have hot chocolate down in the teachers lounge” Wooyoung informed them “I figured you icicles back here in the freezer rooms would want some but it looks like you were hiding a—” he looked down at the two of you skeptically “campfire back here”

Wooyoung clearly thought he meant something by that but no one else knew what he was trying to say

So his last comment went ignored

“Do you want hot chocolate?” Hongjoong asked you “I can go get some for us”

“No it’s okay I’ll go with you” 

Oh Wooyoung saw exactly what was going on here

Hongjoong did not

Hongjoong was a little confused—was his help becoming an awkward burden to you?

While Wooyoung saw the truth

You just wanted the excuse to walk with him

Now Wooyoung had two choices

He could step back and let you two walk down together, maybe say something to speed this math teacher romance along

Or he could third wheel

And who was Wooyoung if he didn’t pass up the chance to annoy?

Plus he had taken an oath once he started collecting bets that he wouldn’t try to swing the competition one way or another

And since telling you about the hot chocolate while you were together felt like pushing the competition faster, it felt right to pull it back a bit by getting in between you for a few minutes

So he offered hands to both of you to help you off the floor

“Let’s all go together then” he said “You should also find out if your campsite director wants any”

“Campsite director?” Hongjoong asked, shutting his computer

You also closed your computer and set it aside, looking around to figure out who Wooyoung was talking about

“Your gracious host this morning” he clarified, giving the department head a charming little wave

You both took Wooyoung’s hands at the same time and almost pulled him down with you in the process of standing up

As you straightened your pants, you asked the department head if she wanted you to bring her back any hot chocolate, to which she responded yes please

Wooyoung insisted on walking in the middle

And Hongjoong wondered if all of the patience he had acquired as a middle school teacher was going to be spent on not wringing this guy’s neck this morning

Fortunately Mr. Jung acted enough like one of Mr. Kim’s students that he was able to pretend he was one and just let it go

Unfortunately by the time they got back to the department head’s classroom kids were starting to show up so that was the end of artificial campfire cuddle time

But there was a silent agreement as you picked up your blankets and computers that you would be doing this again sometime

The first few weeks of December didn’t necessarily fly by but they did go by quickly in hindsight if that makes sense

And before everyone knew it

Christmas break was upon you

And there was no further progression of the math department couple

The Before Christmas teachers had gotten antsier and antsier right up until the day before break started

But thankfully no one had been worried enough to interfere

Hongjoong decided to stay in his classroom that day

(As if he didn’t stay in his classroom every day)

Because people had been giving him disappointed looks all over the school and he was tired of it

Even the principal had made a trip to Hongjoong’s classroom the Friday afternoon before everyone left

Just to tell him how disappointed he was that he hadn’t had the guts to make a move even when he knew the principal’s precious money was on the line

And ask him if you were secretly dating already and just didn’t want to make a big deal about it

But ultimately to wish him luck and a nice break

A few minutes after he left, you popped into his classroom

You had your bag and your coat and it looked like you were ready to head home

“Are you so ready to get out of here?” you asked

He stopped immediately in the middle of his task and slammed his laptop shut

Contract hours had ended a whole minute ago and he had wasted a whole minute still doing work? On break?

“Say no more” he said, standing up and putting his coat on “We should have left five minutes ago”

“Wholeheartedly agree” you replied “I would have but the principal visited me and I felt like I had to look like I was doing something”

Hongjoong froze

The principal had visited you too?

Why?

For what purpose?

Betting purposes?

This technically didn’t still count as Before Christmas Break right?

“That’s weird haha he came and visited me too, like ten minutes ago” he said with the normalest most unbothered tone he could manage

(He tried)

(His voice was not quite an octave higher than usual)

(Which is considerable improvement since it’s usually an octave and a half)

“Maybe he’s just making rounds” you said with a shrug “It’s nice to see how much he cares about this school. Definitely one of the better principals I’ve worked with”

Hongjoong relaxed perhaps too visibly

“Yeah if you need a guy to have your back he’s got it no question”

“Anyway if you don’t have any plans for the day after Christmas you should spend it with me”

If Hongjoong had been drinking something he would have choked

Even if he’d had plans in the first place he would have canceled them for you

“My day is wide open” he said “As is almost all of my break”

You smiled and his stomach did a flip

He wondered if it was ever going to stop doing that

He hoped not

“Mine too. If you’re bored, you can probably text me and I won’t be doing anything”

Was it cringe that he was now looking for technically his second Christmas present for you?

Yeah maybe but that was his lifestyle now

To quote N.Flying’s Lovefool “if they call me a lovefool it’s okay as long as it’s for your sake”

Even if you didn’t see him that way that was A-Okay

Anyway he found some cute little math-themed trinkets like pi earrings and a right triangle pin that said “I’m always right”

Because actually who are math teachers if they don’t like puns

And the morning after Christmas Day he wrapped them up all nice for you

And he got ready to meet you at a little restaurant you now frequented together

But this was actually like the first time he was meeting you on a whole day off so he had to figure out how to dress not like a teacher but still kinda nice

He had no idea

All of his pants were teacher pants

His shirts? All teacher shirts

He was way too good at dressing for his job

So he wore jeans instead of his usual khakis and hoped that was different enough?

He also layered one of his graph paper teacher shirts with a plain t-shirt underneath and didn’t button it up

He looked himself up and down in his mirror, trying different poses to make sure he looked like a Normal Guy

In the end he decided his hair was the only issue

He only knew how to style it in a teacherly fashion

And leaving it unstyled wasn’t an option

So he looked up some tutorials on some easy styles but he just could not see himself as anything other than a math teacher

So he gave up and just prayed that he looked okay

You looked perfect of course

The difference was subtle in theory but the way you dressed, the way you did your hair and makeup, it made for a world of difference

Oh you looked so gorgeous he was never going to get over it

Your eyes practically sparkled when you met him out front and man he thought before that he couldn’t be more in love with you but he was wrong

You did seem a little more awkward today than usual and he couldn’t figure out why

Like you almost seemed nervous

What for? It was just him

You got your food and he suddenly remembered the gifts in his pocket

“Oh!” he exclaimed, pulling them out “I know I gave you the blanket a few weeks ago but I found these and I knew you had to have them. Merry double Christmas?”

You covered your mouth to hide your laughter and your bite of food

“That’s so funny because I found something for you too”

And you pulled a little package out of your bag

Down bad wasn’t even a good descriptor anymore and neither was head over heels like there had to be a stronger silly description of being in love and if there wasn’t it would have to be invented for him

You had found him a shirt that said “Math is hard. So is life. Get over it.”

(Tbh an actual shirt that I own)

And he promised you he would be wearing it the day you all got back from break

As for his silly little gifts you adored them

You put the pi earrings in immediately and started brainstorming what do do with the other things out loud

He could not have been happier with himself

And then you caught him staring at you

You paused in your excited little ramblings

He sat up a little straighter, wondering what to say next

But you smiled and looked down at your plate

“You’re pretty cute, you know that?” you told him, unable to meet his eyes for more than a second

In front of you, his first instinct was to deny the possibility and he followed it without thinking

“Eh, no I’m not—not in comparison to you, anyway”

Hmm if he wanted to keep his feelings secret then that was not the thing to say

But you deserved to know it

Not just cute but beautiful

Heartstoppingly so

You took the compliment well anyway

“Have you ever thought…” you began, trailing off

You watched him as he waited for you to continue, his eyes wide and curious

“Never mind” you dismissed with a casual wave of your hand

“No hey what were you going to say?” he asked

“Nothing I just had a weird thought for a second”

“No no come on! You know I wouldn’t judge you for anything”

You hesitated again and he could see that same nervousness he’d noticed before

“Have you ever thought…I don’t know” you put your elbows up on the table “of us as more than friends? Like dating maybe?”

Once again he was going to be very upset if his alarm clock went off now

But even if this was a dream, there was no harm in saying it out loud

“Every day since the day I met you” he answered honestly

You blinked like you didn’t believe him

“You’d better not be joking because I mean this like I’m risking our whole professional relationship here—”

And then he realized

You literally had no idea about him

Genuinely no clue that the whole school knew exactly how you had him wrapped around your finger

Except you

“—on the slightest chance that you might feel the same way—”

“Hey” he stopped you softly “I would never joke about how I feel about you”

Embarrassment began to set in for both of you

“Seriously,” he said, holding back a laugh, “you can ask any of my students, any of the teachers. I think you were the last one to find out that I have a massive crush on you”

“Oh no you’re kidding!” you exclaimed, your hands coming up to hide your face

“I really wish I were—Wooyoung has two rounds of bets going with the teachers about when and how we would end up dating. It’s just about me though—I don’t think anyone else knew about you”

You buried your face further in your hands

“That is so embarrassing” you whined “Seriously I might kill Wooyoung when we get back from break”

“I’ll help you” he promised

You ended up deciding to tell the other teachers on account of the bets they had placed on you

But you asked them not to tell the kids

Hongjoong was comfortable dealing with them at this point and he didn’t see the point in subjecting you to the attention he got about it

Speaking of the bets

No one won any of them technically

The two categories were before/after Christmas break and you notice/he confesses

And since you confessed during Christmas break well

As tempting as it would have been to say that you two deserved the money

(Especially on those teacher salaries)

You just made Wooyoung give it back to everyone who had put money down

And honestly? Very little about your at school dynamic changed

The kids still teased Hongjoong every day about his obvious soft spot for you

But he didn’t care because he knew better than they did anyway

You did actually start to notice now that kids were gossiping about you and Hongjoong

And it was really funny actually

Especially when he stopped by your classroom and the kids went dead silent watching you

Or when you left his classroom and you heard the kids explode with their weirdo little preteen comments from just outside in the hallway

Wooyoung insisted on telling you about every time you were mentioned in his classroom

This included the story about the girl rejecting a boy because quote no one can like anyone as much as Mr. Kim likes Miss (L/N) enquote

And you about died from laughter and embarrassment

Because how had you missed every single sign thrown your way??

It was so obvious now that you were dating him and you knew why he spent as much time as physically and contractually possible in your classroom

Because like I said very little about your at school dynamic changed

He still treated you almost exactly the same way

Except now if you were having a bad day he could hug you and kiss you on the head and tell you that everything would be okay and you were a good teacher

And if he got cold he could come to your classroom and have you sit on his lap while you shared your blanket

You were very very careful with any displays of affection by the way like it was only behind a locked door that you would even dare

Because firstly unprofessional

A literal breach of the code of ethics more likely than not

And secondly what if the kids saw you???

The other teachers were whatever like you didn’t really want them to walk in on you either but at least they were other adults

But the kids??? 

There were already too many rumors flying around the school about you and they did not need a even whispering of confirmation

The end of that came of course when you got engaged like a year or so later idk and you showed up to school with a ring on your finger and the kids went wild

“Mr. Kim she has a ring!!!”

“Mr. Kim what are you going to do?? She’s gonna get married!!”

“Mr. Kim you must be heartbroken”

You had prepared for this together

You had known it was coming so you knew you had to be ready for the chaos it was going to cause

So you had decided that he would also start wearing a ring to match even before the wedding

So to all his very concerned students he got to hold up his hand and say in the coolest most chic manner possible

“And who do you think gave her the ring huh?”

It was like setting off a nuclear bomb of middle school gossip but it was so worth it

Anyway breaking the chronological flow going back in time because this needed to be the last scene

The cutest change with your at school dynamic now that you were dating was now you could exchange secret messages on sticky notes with the papers you traded

He started it by handing you a test key to check with a sticky note on the top that you assumed was a label for what the test was

But on closer inspection it was a pickup line

“The limit of my love for you is like the limit of 1/x as it approaches 0; it doesn’t exist”

So you wrote back on the same sticky note “well mine is like 1/x^2 and it approaches infinity so there” and handed it back to him once you checked his key

Not to be outdone he wrote you a new note

“Girl are you a 30° angle inscribed in a circle because you’re acute-y pi”

Oh that one was bad

You had to give him something worse

“If we’re both math teachers, how come we have so much chemistry?”

You handed him that one in between classes

And as he read it he had to disguise his sudden laughter as a cough because there were kids around and they didn’t need to be curious about what he was laughing at

His next sticky note had a crease down the middle horizontally

128√e980

You recognized it immediately but you folded it in half to reveal the secret message anyway

“I love you”

So you gave him back “I hope you like fractions because you’re my other half”

You stored all these away in a little file on your computer titled “Valentine’s Day Math Jokes”

Maybe for some future Valentine’s Day activity

But mostly just to keep them all somewhere safe where you could look at them any time you wanted

Without some kid being like “oooh Miss (L/N) whatcha lookin at”

Your favorite note from him was about as simple and dorky as they came

Much like Hongjoong himself actually

Simplify 2x+6i<2(x+9u)

First you distributed the 2 on the right

2x+6i<2x+18u

Then since there was a 2x on both sides, you could subtract them and cancel them

6i<18u

Then divide by 6

And the answer made you smile every time

i<3u

(so I know how I wrote this so fast actually. I just have a goal to write 250+ words every day and uh pretty much every day of the month of January ended up dedicated to this one. Someone said Math Teacher Hongjoong and I (graduated in December with a math teaching degree, student taught in a middle school for 4 months) went feral over it whoops)

Masterlist

[tellmegoodbye]

Hello lovely people, and welcome back to my monthly rec lists. You know the drill by now!

Sorry it took me a few extra days to put this together, but I'm so excited to share some of my favorite fics from this month! There were also a few fics I wanted to read and didn't get the chance to, so hopefully you'll see those in the April list.

---

Oneshots

Cataclysm - @heartstringsduet

So much to say about this one! Michelle has truly created a masterpiece here. If you're thinking it's just another pwp, it's so much more than that. This is a fic about love, about how TK and Carlos love each other in the most vulnerable ways. It's so poetic in the way it describes every emotion and sensation, it takes great care with these characters, and it so beautifully written that it will probably make you cry. I don't think I've read a fic that describes love in its rawest forms better than this one. So yeah, it's not just sex. It's a love letter. And it's a gorgeous fic.

Telling You Anyway - @goodways

This fic requires tissues. Anything surrounding the Soulmates Scene™ is already going to make me an emotional wreck, so when you add Shannon's incredible writing on top of that I never stood a chance! The writing here is absolutely beautiful, and this 4x16 coda perfectly balances emotion and TK and Carlos being so in love that it hurts. The ending was especially heartwrenching...but the tears are worth the read because this fic will make you feel just as overwhelmed as the original soulmates scene did.

When You're Here, You're Family - @lemonlyman-dotcom

I love the beautiful chaos of this found family so much! I thought this fic was so sweet and funny. It involves sentimental wedding gifts, as well as a bit of a gift card mishap. I think it is now an official fandom HC that Marjan would love a restaurant enough that all of her friends unknowingly give her the same gift card. Also, it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that the title is the Olive Garden slogan. I was just watching tv today and an ad came on for Olive Garden, and I went "wait, that's Lemon's fic!"

In The Garden Of Evil, Honey - @mikibwrites

Y'all.....this fic was so good! The universe is so carefully and thoughtfully crafted for the length of this fic, and I was instantly pulled in. I love the dynamic of TK and Carlos being hunters and working together while also protecting each other. It's so fun, and also intense too. The end had me holding my breath! No spoilers, but this fic is definitely worth a read even if you're like me and not typically into these type of AUs.

Meetings And Partings - @paperstorm

God, this fic is incredible. It might be a tough read, but it's absolutely worth it. It's bittersweet, dealing both with the loss of Owen, and with the strength of the love that still exists between everyone else even after so much time has passed. He brought them all together and now they get to come together and celebrate that, and him. It's sad at times, but also beautiful! I also love getting to explore all of the possibilities regarding what all of their futures might look like, and I definitely enjoyed Andie's take on that here.

Everything You Pray For - @theghostofashton

I always love fics that focus more on the beautiful friendships in this show. Carlos and Marjan can relate to each other in so many ways, and while the show itself focused more on the overall group dynamics, I love when fics expand on that and touch on the ways individual characters can see and understand each other. I just think it's so wonderful that we still have so much more to explore with all of the potential this show left us with, and this fic does an excellent job at exploring the dynamic between Marjan and Carlos when it comes to their upbringings and relationships with their parents.

Snowed In - @chicgeekgirl89

Some good ole sick fic in beautiful, snowy Colorado, with some absolutely precious Jonah moments and lovely hurt/comfort all around! Despite the fact that Carlos is sick in this one, this fic feels like a warm hug on a cold winter's evening. I love how TK doesn’t do anything halfway, especially when it comes to worrying and taking care of his husband! I also love how Jonah is written here. He's a kid who's curious and perceptive, and he clearly takes after both TK and Carlos in many ways. This is a wonderful read if you're looking for some TK, Carlos and Jonah vibes as well as TK and Carlos getting their alone time in, even in less than ideal circumstances.

The One Where The Dogist Meets Buttercup - @firstprince-history-huh

This fic is so fun! Diti takes such a cool concept and turns it into something beautiful here with the idea of Owen and Buttercup meeting a stranger and Owen telling them their story. It's so sweet, and I love to think about all of the adventures Owen and Buttercup would be getting up to back up in New York.

Absolutely Wrecks People - @heartstringsduet

This was more than a fic to me. Michelle has gifted us with magic once again, and while reading this, I thought a lot about my own experiences with depression and felt a connection to TK as a character that I never had before now. And isn't that the beauty of fic? I feel more than just sad for the angst surrounding TK in this fic, I feel seen. I feel relief in having the privilege to read such a gorgeously written fic that details some of the more grueling aspects of our mental health in ways that I'm sure many of us can relate to. It's certainly a rough one, and not one for everyone, but this fic is something that is so raw, and so reflective, that it's worth sitting down and letting that wave of emotions crash over you.

Holding On To Your Final Breath - @morganaspendragonss

The angst in this one is not for the faint of heart! It's so achingly beautiful to think about a universe where TK and Carlos were together during push, and maybe it was necessary for them to be apart in order for TK to fight his way back. In this fic, the result is devestating, so I definitely warn you that this fic will give you a damn good cry if that's what you're looking for.

Chaptered Fics

Wild Pitch - @ironheartwriter

I'm loving this fic so far! The enemies to lovers dynamic is a classic, but Lana does such a good job at making that tension so tangible between TK and Carlos. You can practically feel the anger and (mostly sexual) frustration in every interaction! I also love this universe with them being roomates, and I love the teasing in TK and Mateo's friendship, too. It's still early on, but I can't wait to read more of this story!

This fic is currently ongoing.

I'm Way Too Good At Bad Decisions - @emsprovisions

This fic sucked me in right from the start! It has the charm and intrigue of an alternative meeting AU while also maintaining the awkward (and hot) hookups that we all know and love with Tarlos. They don't know what they're doing, but they know they can't stay away from each other. They're confused and down bad all at once and that makes me even more excited to see where this fic goes from here! I also love this art by @heartstringsduet because I am obsessed with their spring break atttire!

This fic is currently ongoing.

The Sounds Of Summer - @everlastingday

I absolutely adored this AU idea from the first moment Bee mentioned it, and now after having read the first chapter, I'm even more excited about this fic! I love the bickering between TK and Carlos, and y'all know the one thing I love more than a good, classic enemies to lovers fic is a music AU! The world of orchestra is so fascinating to me, and now even more so! I already feel like I've been sucked into this world, and now I want to learn even more about the ins and outs of orchestra, and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where this story goes!

This fic is currently ongoing.

Living On A Fault Line - @strandnreyes

If you're craving some solid angst, I definitely recommend checking this fic out! It's a very rough and realistic glance at how a serious injury would affect Carlos' mental health, as well as his relationship with TK. It also touches on the fear brought on by not knowing exactly when or how the healing process will go. Reading this fic actually reminds me a lot of another fic Jen wrote, Come What May, I'll Still Stay, which is another fic that does such a good job at showing the darker side of leaning too heavily on the job and the toll that takes on TK and Carlos.

This fic is currently ongoing.

The Lone Ranger - @rangersoup

Returning from the February rec list: This just keeps getting better! I am deeply intrenched in this mystery of who is going after Carlos, and it's also unique in that we get to explore all of this from Sam's perspective. It's equal parts angsty and mysterious, and the writing is so good! I feel even more immersed in this universe with every chapter. I can't wait to see where this one goes!

This fic is currently ongoing.

The Widow's Bite - @henrygrass

Returning from the February rec list: This fic is absolutely brilliant. There's really no better word to use for it. The writing is stunning, especially during certain scenes that were so immersive and overwhelming, and so beautifully captured that I had to stop reading to catch my breath at times. This is such a fantastic balance of angst, whump, mystery, and joy. It explores new relationships, old cases, and everything that comes with adjusting to a new family in more ways than one, all in less than ideal circumstances. I don't want to reveal too many spoilers here, so all I will say is that if you want to have your breath stolen away the same way I did, then you need to read this fic.

This fic is now complete.

You're Still The One - @strandnreyes

Returning from the February rec list: I loved this fic! It's such a lovely rendition of a Sweet Home Alabama style AU, with a story that Jen made into her own. That made for a lot of lovely surprises, even though this movie is a classic favorite of mine. If you love exes to lovers, small town AUs, and some good old-fashioned oblivious boys realizing they're still in love, run don't walk and go read this fic!

This fic is now complete.

Somewhere In A Song - @paperstorm

Returning from the February rec list: By now I think everyone knows how much I am obsessed with this AU, but it deserves repeating! Sure, I'm a sucker for any music AUs, but this fic pulled me into such a fascinating world with carefully chosen lyrics, emotional moments both on and off statge, and everything even down to the styles of music and the interactions with the crowd was an absolute blast for me to analyze after every chapter. Andie clearly put a lot of love into this fic, and it shows!

This fic is now complete.

[mrfrogmouth]

Day 23: Plumerias

Benny knows his graves.

He’s been keeping the grounds here for almost 43 years now. He’s tended these gardens through a pandemic, three alien invasions, and the brief fad of people shipping their remains into the sun. The world changes, but people always come back to good old stone. He’s seen the new graves with their fresh lettering and regular visits, he’s come to know the families of the older graves, regular visitors even after 20 years, and he knows the old graves, the ones with partially worn away names and no one left to mourn. Jaden has been telling him to retire but he just can’t bring himself to go. Sure the “retirement community” will be comfortable, but these are his people, his stones. If he left now, what would he do with himself? Who would clean the old stones?

Some of the older stones still get visitors, of course, or the occasional cleaning. A few famous actors are buried here, soldiers whose graves have become memorials to their various wars more than any individual celebration of life, and one old grave, where, every year, on October 10th, a small bouquet appears. There’s never a note left, and in the decades Benny has worked here, he’s never actually caught a guest with the peculiar branch of flowers. But nonetheless every year they appear.

It’s not that Lena Luthor lacks visitors precisely. Famous inventors with dramatic life stories usually get their fair share, add on her help against the Daxamites and that movie that came out a few years ago and Lena certainly had her fans. But still, she’d died when Benny was still a young man, and the flowers came every single year. She’d no family left these days. The wife had passed a few months after her. He’d thought for a while it might have been her children, but they had followed not long ago and the grandchildren were too scattered to be involved. He’d tried searching for some Lena Luthor Fan Club, some charity she’d founded or donated to (an annoyingly dense list). He’d even checked her biography for the significance of the date itself, but all he’d found was a botched assassination attempt in a long list of botched assassination attempts. If there’s a significance to this one, Benny can’t find it. Hell, she hadn’t even met Supergirl for few days.

It’s a surprise then, as he rakes the leaves, when he sees a figure standing alone before the grave, small bouquet clutched in one hand. He approaches quietly. He’s become an excellent lurker— part of the job, really— and watches. The woman is young, blond hair in loose curls around her shoulders. She fiddles with a wedding band as she speaks to the grave, too soft for Benny to hear.

She pauses after a while, and, without looking up, calls, “So are you just going to stand there or say hello?”

Benny straightens quickly. She hadn’t looked at him once. He’s sure he was quiet.

“I’m Benny.” He says, walking over as casually as one can after being caught snooping. “Fan of hers?”

“Something like that.” The woman says.

“You’re the new one then?” He asks.

“Hmm?” The woman looks up at him, and Benny gets his first real look at her face. She is young, maybe in her mid-thirties. Her glasses ever so slightly askew, a permanent crinkle has formed between her brows, only accentuated by the confused way she stares at him. Her blue eyes are tinged red. She’s been crying.

“The flowers? Somebody brings them every year. It’s you now?” The woman glances down at the bouquet in her hand as though she’d forgotten it was there.

“Oh. Yes. Plumerias. They were her favorite.” They stand in awkward silence for a few moments.

Finally Benny starts up again, “So, is it for a research group? Or some charity organizes the drop-off?”

“What? No. No, it’s just me.”

Benny fixes her with a look. “Just you. Every year?”

The woman shrugs. “Just me.”

“Aren’t you a bit young for that?” He asks.

“Didn’t realize dropping off flowers had an age requirement.”

“Those flowers have been showing up since before you were born.”

“And how should you know when that was?” That gets his attention. He freezes halfway to forming a rebuttal and stares at her. She stares back, challenge in her eyes, before her face cracks with a smile and she begins to laugh.

“I’m sorry, sorry, it’s—” The woman gasps for breath between giggles. Finally, she cracks out. “It’s just been a really long year.”

“Suppose it has. Plenty of new graves this year.” He thinks of the new lot in the east gardens. The one marked with a placard to remember the victims of Braniac’s invasion. “More than plenty. What’s got you visiting this one?”

The woman shrugs again. “Sometimes I like to talk to her. Ask for advice.” She continues quieter, more somber. “Sometimes I wish I could just ask her what I’m supposed to do. She always knew exactly what to say.” The woman pauses. “She’d handle all this so much better than I ever could.”

“Maybe she would. Maybe she wouldn’t,” Benny says. “It’s easy to imagine the dead have all the answers, but they were only people once too. Nobody’s born a hero. I’m sure when she was alive she had her own grave to talk to, and the same idea.”

The woman laughs again, lighter this time. “She always had this little bobble-head statuette of Einstein that she kept in her desk. Said if she read her research out to him, he’d show her where the errors were. She hated superstition but get between her and that little Einstein…” The woman’s face shadows. “I used to hate how quickly the time passed. Now it all passes so slowly. And for what?”

“Come on, now.” Benny says, soothing. A bit of a superfan then. Not all that unusual. At least he’d been right about the fan club. “You’re still young. Just give it time. You’ve got plenty of years left to build something out of.”

“Yeah. I suppose I do.” She doesn’t seem as comforted by that notion as Benny would have hoped. Young people, he thinks, always rushing around. Expecting life out of every moment.

They’re silent again for a while. Then the woman lays the bouquet on the grave, whispering something in a language Benny has never heard. She lays a gentle hand on the stone, before turning to Benny. Her smile is genuine, if weak.

“Thank you for keeping her stone clean.” She steps lightly away from the grave, heading back along the path, and Benny realizes he never got her name.

“Wait! Who—”

But when he turns, there’s nothing left but leaves dancing in the autumn chill.

Well, there’s always next time, he supposes. Jared will just have to wait another year.

[savingsallow]

Val Throughout the Years

A walk down the memory lane featuring my MC—Valentine Black— and her growth as an individual during her Squib days to the pink haired rebel we know today!

Valentine Esther Black, commonly known as Val, is the daughter of Sirius Black I and Daphne Black (née Yaxley). And yes, this makes her the niece of the headmaster, Phineas Nigellus Black, who later took her under his care shortly after her parents' untimely end.

Personality-wise, Val is an ENFP, which means that she's creative, charming, adaptable, and has excellent people skills. However, the downside of her positive traits eventually showed itself the more she spent time with her new family. At a young age, Val learned how to be sneaky, deceptive, manipulative, and a masterful people-pleaser; the young girl felt the need to resort to these following traits in hopes to gain approval, validation, and most importantly, to survive.

With that being said, let me walk you through the years as Val grows into the confident and self-assured young woman she is today!

↓

The Masterful People-Pleaser

Did I mention that she was a masterful people-pleaser?

Well, this Val in particular, was at her peak "I need to gain their approval or I'm useless" stage. This part of her life is what she calls now the "most exhausting and pitiful days" of her life. From the way she dresses to how she acts. The constant need to overly accommodate others even if it means to fully ignore her own needs, thinking that this is the only way for her to be worthy and loved.

The mask that she felt the need to wear every day and the role she was exceptionally playing, became almost pointless once she was almost disowned for not receiving the Hogwarts acceptance letter at the age of eleven. But thanks to her brilliance and her guardians' *coughs* hidden motives, Val was sent to a Muggle boarding school instead, which would add further damage to her already ✨sparkling traumatized character✨

↓

The Broken Yet Hopeful

Now here's Val during her time at the muggle boarding school called the Wycombe Abbey which is located at the top of a mountain. And yes, it's more eerie than peaceful there.

Despite feeling like a failure, this kid is still hopeful that she can prove to her 'family' that she's worth it and that adopting her isn't a mistake. This is the part of Val's life where she becomes overly competitive and too self-critical. However, even if she was overly competitive at that time, her methods were still leaning on the good side. After all, Val can get really creative and resourceful when she sets her mind on what she wants.

↓

The Fading Ray of Light

During her time at the muggle boarding school, Val also met her first best friend, Astrid Netherton, who was the first person to ever let her be herself without being judged, and vice versa. Val learned a lot from Astrid and they became each other's refuge and protectors as they navigated together the complexities of adolescence, societal expectations, peer pressure, and more!

Their friendship was very loving and healing, but time wasn't kind to them both. One day, Val found out that Astrid had entered a new realm, by her own will, most likely where her late parents reside now as well.

Her best friend's sudden passing left Val in a depressive void for years. What was once left that helped Val hold herself together has also lost their way. So the next few years of Val's life were what she calls now "the darkest days of my life".

↓

The One Who Lost Their Way

This is the part in her life where she lost herself and basically, everything that gives life meaning to her. Val was living in a colorless and "everything's pointless" autopilot here.

She would be crying every night when everyone was asleep. Val was so lonely that the only friend she considered was the Moon. At this time, she would also spend her holidays at school since her 'family' doesn't want her to be at their house.

Little did she know that she was a disaster away from being freed to that place. One day in 1890, Val accidentally set her dorm on fire after having a physical fight with her dorm mates after they disrespected the memory of Astrid. At that time, Val didn't know that she was the cause of the fire since she already accepted that she would never be able to wield magic even if she wanted to.

Val was sent back to London after she recovered from the incident, not that she was expelled, but because her Aunt Ursula requested that she return there immediately.

↓

The Almost Forgotten Reflection

During her long carriage ride back to London, Val felt like she wasted all of her chances to prove herself. She has no idea how she would face her uncle and aunt. To add on, she doesn't know how she would explain to them that her original features have returned.

[Additional note: Val was born with pink hair and pink eyes, hence why her name is Valentine. However, shortly after witnessing her parents' passing, her unprocessed grief and trauma as a child manifested into physical form, changing her appearance to green eyes and black hair.]

Long story short, when Val arrived in London, instead of being welcomed by the usual cold scrutiny, she was surprised that her long-awaited letter was being handed to her.

↓

The Eccentric Rebel

As Professor Fig mentored Val to be better prepared for her new school, she knew that in order to succeed in this endeavour, a few changes are necessary. She got rid of everything that's been holding her back all these years, especially the need for validation.

This is where she decided to be less of what's expected of her and more of who she really is. Naturally, she's more than aware that it's not an overnight thing, but a step forward is a step forward no matter how small it might be.

However, there was an overnight thing that occurred 😆 because during the night before her carriage ride to Hogwarts, Val being Val impulsively cut her short as a physical reminder that she does not need to fit a certain mould to feel worthy of love. In this new chapter of her life, she started to apply her "I rather be liked by a few for being the real me, than be loved by everyone for being someone else" mindset.

Fast forward to her days at Hogwarts, Val successfully stayed true to her beliefs and values while constantly breaking the stereotypes that her peers initially placed on her. Not only that she's nothing like her uncle or how one would expect a Black would behave, but she's the complete opposite of everything that her lineage stands for.

Val is the kind of person who looks cold outside, but once you talk to her, all that icy exterior is instantly thawed by her warm and sometimes playfully sarcastic personality. She's sweet and kind but never mistook it as her weakness for she knows when to draw the line and be direct but respectful about it. After all, Val's learning to balance her strengths and weaknesses during this time so it's definitely not a good idea to mess with her XD

Still, Val has a golden heart and is always willing to help others whenever she can. It's something she's working through as she slowly teaches herself that taking care of herself first would be more beneficial for everyone: better health = better help she can give.

All in all, my favourite part about this Val is her realization that—perfection is caging while being yourself is freeing. Of course, it isn't always easy, but it's fulfilling and worthwhile.

—

Not a massive lore drop, but thank you so much 🫵🏻❤️‍🔥 for reading my slightly elaborated lore yap about most of Val's teenage year experiences

There's definitely more of this in the future so watch out! 😌🔥

[additional notes:]

🌸 non-native english speaker here, so teeny tiny grammatical errors might be present.

🌸 i hope you enjoyed reading!✨

🌸 i'm sending loads of love and luck your way!🫴🏻❤️‍🔥🍀

[2ofpentacles]

An Extensive Character Analysis of Zelkov

You guys know that I'm a little unhinged about him, so have a lengthy examination of who he is and why he's like that.

Zelkov is an extremely unique, multilayered, and complex character. His supports are all excellent, ranging from funny to heartwarming to tragic. He had me from the moment he said, “It may appear as if I am sitting *mysteriously* by the fire, but I am actually cooking yams.” 

A few facts

His birthday is August 2nd. He’s 6’1”. His hobby is listed as “everything,” but he specifically likes reading, cooking, and sewing. His talents are “medicine and mystery.” His favorite foods are mostly carbs and potatoes. He hates being in the sun/heat and finds it exhausting. He carves a statue of Alear on the Somniel. The Ally Notebook describes his personality as “Meticulous and multitalented. Speaks in a *mysterious* way. Pursues activities passionately. Strong nurturing instinct.” I might add “extremely depressed, melodramatic, perfectionist workaholic.” So let’s break that down.

What’s his deal? The first thing you notice is that he emphasizes seemingly random words in his speech (also he never uses contractions). Why? For fun. As he says to Alear, “I may speak in a way that *suggests* a deeper meaning, but rarely is that actually the case. It is simply another way of “killing time.” Idle *amusement*, nothing more.” He also does it to appear more mysterious. The second thing you notice is his hobbies. Why does he have so many hobbies? To give him a reason to live. Again, as he says to Alear, “Once my work is done each day, I fill my evenings with these varied *pursuits*. As I *enjoy* them, I am always mindful to leave something unfinished for the next day. That ensures I always have a project. A reason to *continue* living.” He describes something as being “*fatally* boring.” With anyone else you would think it’s hyperbole, but with Zelkov you kind of wonder.

Additionally, he is a master at all his hobbies, as you see in many of his supports (such as Amber’s) or else he will work tirelessly until he does master it (as in Clanne’s). Of course he’s just as (if not more) serious about his job. As he tells Roy, “Our training begins now, Roy. It ends only when my body *collapses* from exhaustion.” He’s a perfectionist. He tells Camilla, “The thought of *failure* fills me with dread.” If he has to be healed frequently in battle, he’ll say, “That I should suffer so many *injuries* in battle is positively humiliating…”

The next thing you notice is his “strong nurturing instinct.” It’s particularly obvious when he’s interacting with children like Jean and Anna, and also Emblems that he thinks of as children, such as Tiki and Veronica. This often manifests as him giving them things (he also gives gifts to Ivy and Kagetsu). It’s most obvious in his support with Citrinne where he flips out about a bird he raised leaving the nest (he literally asks how he can keep living and is not over it by the end of the support chain), and then she asks him to write letters of advice to people struggling.

One of his characteristics that is less noticeable, but still very present if you look, is his lack of self worth. He calls himself a wretch in his support with Jean. He considers himself to be a bad influence on Alear. At Florra Mill Town he says, “Quite an *idyllic* scene, this. Someone like me is as wrong for this place as battle.” Most blatant is his bond conversation with Corrin. He says, “I have killed many people. So many, in fact, that I sometimes feel *violence* is all I am good for.” Corrin says, “If that were true, you would be a fundamentally bad person. I don’t think that’s the case.” He replies, “Your words are comforting, but I am afraid that is *precisely* the kind of person I am.” 

Now, as much as I’ve emphasized what a sweetheart he is, he can absolutely be ice cold. He’s not afraid to say exactly what he thinks (albeit very politely) in a cold, impersonal way as you can see in his support with Ivy. On the way back to Elusia, he says, “I have no issue with cutting down anyone in the Elusian army now. Not even the *familiar* faces.” In the DLC, he tells Fell Ivy, “I will end you now, and I will feel nothing.” (After she says that he can die for her again.)

There’s a reason why a lot of people start out scared of him. It doesn’t seem like he quite realizes this though. He doesn’t understand why Kagetsu thinks he dislikes him, and has to ask Yunaka about the impression he gives. Yunaka gives a good rundown. She says, “You’ve got the same killer instinct I do. It practically oozes from your pores. Like slime!” She describes his eyes as ice cold and calculating, and goes on to say, “Normal people don’t go around evaluating what folks’ lives are worth. That’s an assassin thing. You’re always probing for weaknesses too. Considering vectors of attack, right?” If he throws himself so entirely into his hobbies, you can imagine how intense he was about training to be an assassin. Which leads us to…

His history

The Ally Notebook tells us “From a wealthy family in a forest town of Elusia. Parents and younger brother were murdered by bandits.” In the Japanese version, it’s specified that his brother was his twin. We also learn from Jean’s support that Zelkov’s mother was a physician. It’s because of her he knows so much about medicine. We don’t know how old he was when his family was murdered, but he says that his mother has been dead for more than a decade. He swore revenge (he calls it his first pursuit) and became an assassin. He tells Alear, “A decade ago, my efforts bore their last fruit. All my family’s killers were vanquished.” If we’re considering his datamined age (28) to be accurate, that would put him at 18 when he accomplished his revenge. He continues to tell Alear that, “Once I had achieved my end, I suddenly became aware that I had nothing left. No purpose. It was King Hyacinth who rescued me, quite by chance. I was selected to join the royal guard. Then I was promoted to retainer, and that purpose has sustained me in large part since.” We don't know exactly how long he's been Ivy's retainer (although I have theories), but we know he was there before Kagetsu. (As an aside, Zelkov was able to defeat Kagetsu, so we know that Zelkov's a better fighter than Diamant who could only fight Kagetsu to a draw. /jk… mostly). Anyway, it’s clear that he fears his life lacks a purpose, and he uses his hobbies to fill that void. Now let’s talk a minute about…

His purpose

It’s being Ivy’s retainer, currently. He says as much in that quote above, but it’s reiterated multiple times. Edelgard tells him, “I’m glad you work hard for Princess Ivy’s sake, but be sure to take care of yourself as well.” He replies. “My duty *preoccupies* me. That is all the care I require.” In his conversation with Marth, he says, “The loss of my family left me with an emptiness that not even *revenge* was able to fill… Fighting for Princess Ivy gives me *relief.*” To Ivy herself, he says, “Princess Ivy, I hope you know I *enjoy* my work. In fact, when I have a task before me, it is my way to *immerse* myself in it entirely. In those times, and *only* those times, my mind is truly at peace. So long as I am your retainer, so long as there is *work* to do… I have a purpose. That is how deeply I appreciate working for you.” (I think people tend to take their support chain at face value that they dislike each other, when it’s much more complex than that, but that’s a whole post on its own.)

Although being Ivy’s retainer is currently his purpose, the fear of not having one in the future is still something that occupies his mind, hence all the hobbies. His ending card says that he later founded an orphanage.

In Conclusion

So what we have here is a man who has no sense of self worth who believes his life is meaningless. Despite all the kind and caring things he does for everyone around him, he thinks he’s only fit for violence. He ponders with Sigurd whether his revenge was just, and comments on Yunaka’s lack of regrets in a way that implies to me that he does have regrets. He’s desperately searching for a purpose, but in the meantime uses his hobbies to fill all his free time so that he doesn’t have to think about all the terrible things that he’s experienced. And speaking of which, his “superlative” in the Ally Notebook is that he sleeps the least of any ally. This is because, as he tells Tiki, “Old *nightmares* preclude me from proper sleep. I only dare to nap.” 

But for real, most of his supports are pretty funny.

Anyway, let me know if there’s anything you think I missed or disagree about. Also if you want to hear about my extensive headcanons, including: What’s with the keys? and Why does he have crit quotes in French?

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive (Daily updates!)

By Karam Bales

The decision to further restrict access to vaccines “will leave many vulnerable people unprotected” warn academics and health professionals

Acoalition of academics and healthcare professionals have backed an open letter critical of the Government and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) decision to restrict access to COVID-19 vaccines.

Campaign group Clinically Vulnerable Families (CVF) has expressed concerns over vaccine access for autumn 2025 and spring 2026.

Until now, COVID policy prioritised protecting “at risk” groups such as those with chronic heart failure, COPD, or diabetes, but using a bespoke, non-standard cost-effectiveness assessment developed by the Department of Health and Social Care, the JCVI has advised that only the following groups should be offered vaccination in spring 2025:

adults aged 75 years and over residents in a care home for older adults individuals aged six months and over who are immunosuppressed (as defined in the ‘immunosuppression’ sections of tables 3 or 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book) The JCVI is also withdrawing its offer to pregnant women, despite them having been recognised for years by the NHS as being at increased risk.

Vaccinating pregnant women helps protect their babies; COVID has been linked to developmental issues. The UK is now one of only a small number of countries including Afghanistan, Sierra Leone and Turkmenistan, which doesn’t recommend COVID vaccines for pregnant women.

Professor Christina Pagel of University College London and Professor Sheena Cruickshank of the University of Manchester expressed their concerns about the JCVI’s decision in a piece for The Conversation, urging the JCVI to “either reverse its criteria on vaccination in pregnancy or provide a much more detailed and transparent explanation for why it has been discontinued”.

CVF’s letter highlights how restricting access to vaccines doesn’t align with “evidence based public health principles, as supported by the WHO, as we do for the NHS flu vaccination programme”. It prioritises a range of at risk groups including those with diabetes and asthma, and frontline health and care workers.

The JCVI has not released the full calculations and evidence base to explain the discrepancy in its approach to COVID compared to flu.

The study provided by the JCVI notes data for clinically vulnerable groups is limited, meaning the most at-risk could fall through the cracks.

CVF are concerned the JCVI is sending a message to at risk groups that the vaccine is no longer necessary and that they are safe, a signal many may trust and believe.

At risk individuals have the option of paying for vaccines, but this financial barrier will add to inequality.

The open letter notes that private COVID vaccinations are priced around £100 per dose “an amount far beyond the means of many at-risk people”. The price of vaccines supplied to the NHS are approximately £35.04.

“Private charges will leave many vulnerable people unprotected, amplifying health inequalities and increasing the need for recourse to antiviral treatments, ultimately leading to an increase in hospitalisations,” the letter explains.

Eligibility criteria for COVID antiviral treatments is at odds with the JCVI’s decision on vaccination, the letter notes.

In January, NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recommended COVID antiviral treatments for those over 70, or with conditions such as diabetes, a BMI of at least 35 kg/m², and heart failure, acknowledging the strong evidence of a heightened risk to these groups.

The JCVI’s decision to withhold vaccines from this group is therefore both inconsistent with known risks and contradictory, as it will increase their reliance on more costly treatments.

CVF say “prioritising ‘cost-effectiveness’ over vulnerability sends a chilling message: That our lives are less valuable because protecting us isn’t deemed ‘efficient’.”

The focus on age-based thresholds ignores the reality for younger vulnerable groups, a 30-year-old in heart failure could face far higher risks than a healthy 70-year-old, yet this new policy would exclude them from protection.

The JCVI’s cost benefit analysis only took predicted hospitalisations and deaths into account. No consideration was given to Long COVID despite increasing evidence vaccination reduces risk.

Kit Yates Senior Lecturer in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and co-director of the Centre for Mathematical Biology at the University of Bath asks “Why wouldn’t you take long COVID into account when considering who should be vaccinated?”.

Yates continues, “quite apart from the health issues of the people who get it, it clearly has an enormous economic impact.”

Yates cites a recent paper estimating the economic burden of Long COVID in the UK to be over £20 billion per year from real cohort data due to functional limitations and fatigue.

The JCVI’s focus on hospitalisations and deaths is based on incomplete data. COVID hospital data is now significantly under-reported.

Since April 2023, most patients with COVID symptoms are no longer tested to confirm if they have it, unless they are in a vulnerable group eligible for antiviral treatment, meaning data on COVID hospitalisations and deaths will not be accurate.

There are also other post-COVID consequences besides Long COVID, for instance COVID has been linked to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and neurological harm.

The JCVI cites hybrid immunity, a combination of vaccination and infection acquired immunity as the reason they’re further restricting access to vaccines, however Professor Stephen Griffin, virologist at the University of Leeds, has criticised the JCVI’s reasoning, saying: “There are dozens of the usual platitudes, including the magical ‘endemic’. In my opinion, these are little more than misinformation, including the soothing balm of infection-induced immunity.”

Griffin warns, “we seem to value ‘normal’ over better, especially if it’s expensive up front, or gets in the way of ‘normal life’…but, complacency, ultimately, is also a devastating killer.”

[electricea]

Anonymous sent - 🌈 ― aesthetically pleasing blog ⭐️ ― convincing portrayal of a canon character 💻 ― excellent writing 🌼 ― creative headcanons 🎙️ ― great to talk to 📚 ― nice threads to read 🎀 ― all-around kind person 🥇 ― well-developed oc 😍 ― admiring from afar 📌 ― a staple on the dash 🏆 ― 10/10 blog, would recommend 🎲 ― random choice ( type @ and a letter and shout out whoever appears first ) 🧡 ― sender's choice ( sender can add whatever category they want ) 💜 ― receiver's choice ( simply shout out whoever you want ) ( Shout Outs of Awesomeness - Accepting! )

🌈 ― Aesthetically pleasing blog.

The aesthetics of their blog is only one of many things that makes them amazing, but I'm going for @pumpkinhcad on this one - like I said though, one of many - they have an amazing character, who they write amazingly and many amazing headcanons. I love our threads together and I love Pump.

⭐️ ― Convincing portrayal of a canon character.

I'd say @thuganomxcs - I thought at first that I would stick to muses I knew about - because it would feel unfair to write about the canon portrayal of a muse I didn't really know about but writing this one out I realized that was dumb because reading their blog, I feel like I know Yusuke - he's someone who can be headstrong, he's aggressive yes - but his aggression is directed at bullies, at people who deserve it. He's protective of his friends and uses his strength to help others. He's someone who lifts others up. All that and more I think is conveyed wonderfully through their portrayal.

💻 ― Excellent writing.

I try not to shout out friends for these sorts of memes so as not to come off as biased and only shouting out people I'm friends with but I really think @amaterasu-cmikami deserves it - they has a way of writing Amaterasu that not only conveys her warm and maternal side but also the sillier side to her, as well. Also, it's been really fun getting to read more about Ammy's lore and backstory and see it slowly coming together. They do a great job.

🌼 ― Creative headcanons.

I think it's always fun reading @tvstarkuma's headcanons - they always feel spot on and perfectly in character for Teddie.

🎙️ ― Great to talk to.

I enjoy talking to @townofcadence, just hearing their thoughts on things - they're someone with a lot of interesting thoughts and it's always fun to hear their perspective on things, sometimes it winds up giving me a new perspective, myself - plus they're also just really chill and open minded. I always enjoy it, think they're a great person to talk to.

📚 ― Nice threads to read.

Gotta give it to @darksonofsparda - like I said, I try not to shout out friends but when I know for a fact Chase puts a lot of work into his threads and a lot of care and detail and it absolutely shows. I also find myself pausing to have a little read - it's very engaging and really rich with detail and makes for a nice read.

🎀 ― All-around kind person.

@xdeerxhealerx / @story-magic / @shattered-protectors / @shadesofyellows - just about the kindest and sweetest person you'll ever meet on here! Always one to send others some love and positivity and cheering others up.

🥇 ― Well-developed OC.

I'd say @mayonakako for this one - they just really bring Madoka to life and it's always so enjoyable and engaging reading their threads and their headcanons, there have been times where I've wished you could actually play as Madoka instead of Yu, that's how real they make her feel, haha.

😍 ― Admiring from afar.

Okay so last night I did make some progress and send an ask but I'd love to write with @idolsummons more - they're someone I've always taken notice of on the dash and I just have a lot admiration and respect for them and Hana both.

📌 ― A staple on the dash.

@pupmusebox is someone I see on the dash every day - I feel pretty confident saying that and Pup is just someone who's always so kind and seems to always be having so much fun and I adore our dual promo and our interactions between Ryuji and Beel. I can't wait to meet their other muses. Lots of love for Pup.

🎲 ― Random choice.

@sunnysmiles2 - Looks like they came up for this one! Fun to write with and you can't go wrong with some puppy pics.

🧡 ― Sender's choice.

You didn't specify anyone, so I guess this is another round of @ roulette - @lightcreators - always someone who's detail rich, I feel like me not knowing about some of their muses doesn't even matter because through their replies they fill in so much like details about their backstory, their inner thoughts, their relationships with others. Their threads are really rich and make then feel all the more fleshed out.

💜 ― Receiver's choice.

Okay, so another round of @ roulette then. @darckcarnival - someone I've seen interacting with some folks on the dash, I don't know much about them but I think their icon is really cute - and it seems like their muse is always getting up to some interesting shenanigans. Seems they might be from or connected to Mystery Skulls, which has produced a lot of amazing muns, so seems like a good sign to me!

[spacejade]

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle Directory

As requested, here is the excel sheet that I use as a reference to revisit chapters! Because what better thing to do while waiting for chapter 400 than reread the manga another 5 more times? 😄 Please feel free to make your own copy and edit it to be more helpful to you.

DISCLAIMER: This doc wasn't originally meant to be shared, so chapter descriptions are brief and written in a way for myself to understand and may not apply to you. Again feel free to make your own copy and add more comments or highlight your favourite chapters etc.

Also! If you used to read fan translations you may have noticed that the official viz localisation gave some different names. I decided to standarise the doc using the official names to make searching easier, so please note when searching! I also added this character legend for characters with multiple names/titles/names that can get translated differently.

That all said, I shall now use the rest of this doc to ramble abt the localisation of the names, because I can.

For the record, I do study Japanese, but I'm not fluent and I wouldnt consider myself a translator. The sleepy princess raws use pretty simple language, so I like to read them for practice, and I think it's really interesting to see the different translation choices. Also, maybe this might help you when reading JP fans posts/fanart

1. トリース (Tori-su) vs. Bard

Starting off with Cursed Musician, because the localisation of his name baffled me for a long long time. I mean, I know bards play music, but how do you get that from Tori-su (or Tris or Tweeth, as some tls have gone). Only when I noticed that Ch 274 is called "Bird or Bard" in EN and "トリースオアトリート(Tori-su or Treat)" in JP did it click that Bard is one letter away from Bird, just as Tori-su is one character away from Tori (bird in JP) 🤦 I'm not sure if the "-su" in JP has anything to do with music, so feel free to tell me if you know!

2. 睡魔(Suima/Sleep Demon) vs. Hypnos, ヒップノース(Hypnos) vs. Somnus

So thing is, "Hypnos" in the official EN translation is the Sleep Demon that lives in the Old Demon Castle, but "Hypnos" in the original JP is the God of Sleep in Heaven's Haven. For this naming choice, I have questions... namely, doesn't Kuma-sensei have to vet localised names? Couldn't this confusion have been avoided? 😭 I feel like I've seen JP merch of Sleep Demon with "Hypnos" in English characters written on it before. Given that the God of Sleep is introduced 250 chapters after Sleep Demon, I'm just assuming Kuma-sensei hadn't thought of adding the God of Sleep yet, and thought "Hypnos" for Sleep Demon would be OK back then. And since Poseidon, Hades and Zeus are Greek, the God of Sleep should have a Greek name, so Hypnos in JP is correct (Somnus is Roman)..... Still. I've seen睡魔 translated as "Morpheus" in other works, I can't help but think that wouldve solved most problems (actually given how many characters have title-as-name, they could've left him as Sleep Demon), but oh well.

FYI "Oneiros" has the same name in both EN in JP, so at least that consistent (and possibly plot relevant?)

3. さっきゅん(Sakkyun) vs. Bussy

This one is just.... unfortunate... Sakkyun comes from サッキュバス(Sakkyubasu), and I guess Succun doesn't look that nice. I heard the anime subs uses Kyubey (I haven't watched) but in the manga Cubie is used for her brother. The translator and editors probably didn't know what bussy is and thought it would be the best choice (bless their souls....)

4. The Demon Kings

For those who don't know, the demon kings are named after times of the night! See below:

Understandably they couldn't name Twilight's father "2:00 to 2:30am" , and I can't think of any one-word equivalent in English. Does anyone know where "Gloom" comes from though??

Other Did-You-Knows:

- "Goodereste" in JP is "カイミーン(Kaimi-n)" which comes from 快眠(kaimin) which means "pleasant sleep"

- Most of the character names are directly translated: Hero Dawner in JP is called アカツキ(akatsuki) which means "dawn", Agave in JP is call ゼツラン(zetsuran), etc

Thank you for reading this if you did!! I've always wanted to ramble, translation is difficult and its so interesting to see what gets carried over (and what doesn't) in localisation . Happy reading! 📖

[summonademon]

hi! ive been so into luke and percy recently and was wondering if you could recommend some fics? i tried searching on my own but to no avail lol, any type works, from like light fluffy flirty ones (love flirty luke) to well written intense plot ones too. thankyou :)

Lukercy Fic Recommendations

Highly recommend you start with:

"I don't think I've changed" (it's wholesome overall)

"Searching for Sanctuary" (AMAZING) (unfinished but no cliffhanger) (I MADE FANART)

Those two fics seriously warmed me up to the Lukercy ship

Some more honorable mentions:

"Hope Is My Gravity" (resurrected au)

"hey, you, don't you think it's kinda cute (that I died right inside your arms)" (ghost au)

"Trading Tomorrow" (time travel?)

"5 times Luke and Percy shared a mark+1 time they didn’t" (Soulmate AU) (tragic but good)

"Bright Eyes" (War prize au)

From a Favor, to Forever (cheesy but sweet)(short series)

"the traces of life with you" (God AU)

If you want a large variety: "Touch" (series) (this is a GREAT intro to the ship)

EDIT forgot to add this:

"capital loss" (Luke survives AU) (and possibly the BEST take on this I've ever read)

If you just want a nice alt ending: "Luke Drabbles (Chronologically)" (series) (unfinished)

If you want EMOTIONAL DAMAGE: "Letters Verse" (series) (I read this to cry on command)

Highly recommended Mortal AUs:

"That's my fucking spot" (fluffy college au) (with pictures!)

"I Don't Mind Your Silence" (wholesome highschool au)

"You’re Always Welcome To Come In" (Neighbors AU)

"mountains and molehills" (College AU) (excellent but has dark themes)

EDIT, forgot to add this:

"Sunset Storm" (Twilight AU) (BUT IT'S ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD???) (it convinced me to watch Twilight)

Some more Explicit examples:

Dream-sharing: "In All My Dreams, There's You"

Explicit + Emotionally satisfying: "Rumors of Gandeur"

Damn Tragic: "My Hollow Holofernes"

Dream AU: If I’m Dreaming (Is This Wrong)

VERY Fascinating PJO Rewrite: "Finding Home" (regular updates)

Traumatic but good: "Taming The Sea"

Reminder: PAY ATTENTION TO THE FIC'S RATINGS/TAGS!!

And lastly here's one of the very BEST Lukercy fics EVER written, and it's actually on FFnet!!

"From Montauk to the End of the World" (unfinished)

(you have no idea how much I love love LOVE this fic)

EDIT: Pls feel free to rant/recommend some Lukercy to me, in my asks/messages!