#i'll probably try to save that for after classes end

[iknowwhereyousleepatnight]

i have classes again! (i do not know if this is good or not yet) so i will not be able to draw as often. that or i will be drawing extra as a way to procrastinate working on assignments

[bibbityboppitybillyharvgrove]

All Thanks to You - T.Nott

Summary - At first, Theo found her gifts sweet and kind but the longer they went on the more they annoyed him. He had the false assumption that she was chasing after his money and status but he was very wrong. He didn't realize how wrong he was until he overhears her sticking up for him in library.

Pairings - Theo Nott x Fem!Reader

Warnings - Use of Y/N, female reader, profanity, stress

Author's Note - I'm getting through all of my requests slowly but surely, this will probably be my first and last post of the day. I'll try my best to keep banging these out but unfortunately today was my last day of spring break and my vacation from work. Thank you for being patient!

Based off the request by an anon

Expect delays in my posting! My semester has started and I am taking 4 classes! Please be patient with me!

My requests are open!

my masterlist

Feedback is welcomed and encouraged!

Enjoy!

It was almost disgustingly obvious how much she liked Theo, except to the boy himself. It had taken him ages to figure it all out. He thought it was weird at first, he was always getting baked treats, a seat saved, books that he ended up loving and notes sent to him. Then, it started to annoy him, he thought that she was just trying to get to him because of his status and money. That of course wasn’t her intention but he didn’t figure that one out until he overheard a conversation, one revolving around him and all of his flaws and untrue rumors.

He was about to jump in himself until the sweet voice of the girl sending him all of these good things chimed in. 

“That’s not true at all. Theo is so kind and sweet. He cares so much about his friends and only acts cold to people like you because you believe and spread all of these bullshit lies. He’s not rude, he’s not unnerving, he especially isn’t ugly or gross to girls. He’s sweet and kind and loving and a great person and if you can’t see that, then don’t consider me your friend anymore,” She ranted before packing up her books and walking away, not expecting to bump into the boy himself. “Oh shit, I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going, I’ll get out of your way.”

“Wait,” He pleaded, having every expectation of her walking away but she stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, “Thank you for sticking up for me. I know I said your gifts were annoying but I don’t really think that. I honestly thought you were after me for money or to boost your status or something, I shouldn’t have assumed that.”

“No, you shouldn’t have. You’re a good person Theo. I’d love to talk more but I really have to go study for the potions exam,” She told him.

“Study with me, I have an O in the class, I can help you.” The smile on her face brightened the room, making his heart skip a beat, a smile finding its way onto his own lips.

“Okay! I know the best spot in the library,” She chirped, grabbing his hand and leading him to the top floor into a quiet corner. The two of them studied together for nearly an hour before she spoke again, “How in the fuck do you make a draught of the living dead again? I can’t remember anything right now, my brain is fried,” She groaned, resting her forehead on crossed arms.

“You need a break, love. Let’s go to the kitchen and get some food from the house elves,” Theo offered.

“Won’t we get in trouble?”

“No, I’m friends with the prefects on duty, let’s go before they change shifts.”

The whole way down to the kitchen, the two were holding hands, neither of them had even noticed until Draco stopped them in the stairwell leading down to their destination. “What do we have here? The infamous Theodore Nott holding hands with his admirer?”

“Oh shove off, we need you to cover the kitchen while we get food,” Theo told his friend, still holding onto her hand even though they were caught.

“What’s in it for me?” Draco asked.

Before Theo could open his mouth, Y/N answered, “Pumpkin pasties, green apples and cauldron cakes. I see you eating those a lot so I assume you like them?”

“You assume correctly, fine, let’s go lovebirds.”

Holding up her end of the promise, she got Draco his favorite sweets, snacking with the two Slytherin boys. The blond boy had taken a liking to her, finding her genuine, funny and observational. The bond between Theo and Y/N had grown and only got stronger by the day. It was no surprise to any of their friends when they started dating not long after studying together. 

They continued to have study dates until the day of the Potions exam. She was extremely nervous and Theo was nervous for her. They didn’t get to see each other until dinner that day. Taking her usual spot next to Theo at the Slytherin table, casually sliding a paper to him. He furrowed his eyebrows before opening the paper, the red ink stared him right in the face.

“You got an O?! Bellissima, that's amazing! I’m so proud of you!” Theo exclaimed as he hugged her tightly, placing kisses on her head.

“All thanks to you, handsome,” She smiled at him.

Theo kissed her deeply on her lips causing groans and gags around them. Neither of them having a care in the world other than her O.

[deadbeat-motel]

For my rewrite, I wanted to tie each sinner who's staying at the motel to a specific deadly sin to make it easier to understand what got them in hell and just for the fun of it.

It doesn't apply to the rest of hell to have a specific sin, but I thought it was interesting that the inhabitants of the motel will represent a sin.

Some of these characters are still rough ideas and will be subjected to some changes once i finalize the actual lores for these characters:

First up, Angel Dust is easy to confuse as Lust because most people might assume that since he's a sex worker, its probably what got him in hell right? Though, his sin had nothing to do with being lustful since he didnt become a sex worker until then (plus being a sex worker doesnt warrant someone a tacket straight to hell). Instead what really did him in was Gluttony since it was his appetite for vices that got him into trouble and also inadvertently lead to his death and it was that appettite that lead him to take any and all clients to feed his appetite for angeldust.

Nifty's sin is Lust, though not in the traditional sexual sense that we know. For her sin's sake, Lust is all about an uncontrollable desire that leads one to do horrible acts in order to attain what they've been obsessing over. In the rewrite, I was going to let her be a lot younger (most likely an adolescent-young teen) with a very skewed sense of what romance/love is like and have her lean in more towards a yandere-type character or a crappy creepypasta kid character (think Nina the killer levels of crappypasta). I'm torn between the two ideas at the moment.

[Also fun fact, hearing that nifty was a japanese woman from the 1950's kind of took me off because googling it, she wouldve been a woman who grew up in the middle of world war 2 and lived through a bit of the Post war boom if we assumed she's also american as well. Having someone with a background like that who acts like she's mentally a child makes it feel like Viv did no research at all.]

Husk's sin remains as Greed, as gambling just seems so hard to quit for him, even when his life is on the line, especially when he's cheating death so many times. Maybe it was after he had his first close encounter with death in his youth... or the few couple of times during the war... that he began to think of himself as too lucky to die. Unfortunately for him, he'd have to learn the hard way that whatever force that was trying to save him can't do anything about his own body failing from years of self-destructive alcoholism.

[Husk will literally kill me with all the research I'll have to do from 1910-1970 to get his story straight.]

Alastor is one Prideful mf. As an intelligent serial killer (possibly cannibal), he was able to evade the police whilst keeping the high-profile radio host job he killed others for. He enjoyed leaving clues and slipping little hints around his scene that stumped the entire police department. In the end, getting sloppy because of his own overconfidence in his abilities was what did him in and he was chased down and shot by a hunter in his escape.

Sir Pentious is Envious of the Victorian family and those above the middle class. He believed that he deserved to have the same kind of privileges they have especially since he was a brilliant inventor who believed he could forward Great Britain to a greater future. So he gave up 15 years trying to take over the monarchy by himself and failing miserably. He died due to an invention gone wrong and that was the day Great Britain was rid of its persistent annoyance.

[Some people may read about him in history books and confuse him for an anti-monarchist when this man's entire goal was to replace the monarchy with himself.]

Cherri Bomb grew up as a resentful youth of the Japanese 70's being a sukeban of a delinquent girl gang. Their Wrath was known all across the other local schools in their area and they were known for their sheer brutality. However, Cherri Bomb in particular was also feared by other members of the gang as she was ruthless punishing those who wanted to leave the group. She doesn't ever disclose how she died to others and thus no one is ever really sure how she ended up down here but no one really feels the need to ask.

[I'm extremely unfamiliar with Australian history so Cherri Bomb will have to have grown up in Japanese 70-80's delinquent culture.]

.

There's one sin left.... but since I don't really have anyone in the HH cannon that could realistically fit Sloth, I'm left with two options: Characterizing the blank slate that is Crymini myself or leaving the last resident as a community effort "Build-a-Sinner."

So first poll ive done but....

[kimbap-r0ll]

Twist characters with a crush that loves making hand-made cards with motivational or loving messages (ex. "You are Enough!" "Every accomplishment starts when you first try!" "When you feel down remember all the people that love and care about you!") However, reader never gave one to them yet, they think reader hates them. Then, when the go back to their dorm they see a huge card with a bunch of pictures of their accomplishments with a special note from reader.

Hm, this is a very interesting scenario, thank you for the ask! I'll stick with Jamil, Malleus, Azul, Vil for this one

Jamil, Malleus, Azul, Vil react to being given a special note from y/n

You work with the yearbook! Thus you work with the camera a lot, and it just so happens everyone wants their photos taken. However, you have always liked taking photos of your crush when they asked and when you could for official events. Will you be able to showcase your photography skills and hopefully make their day happier?

Jamil

To start off, he didn't expect to get anything since he knows most of his work goes unnoticed :/

He did wish he got something after seeing how much Kalim loved it. He basically shoved it in Jamil's face without even thinking about the possibility that the vice dorm leader may have a crush on you. Nonetheless, Jamil hid his feelings from everyone but secretly wished you would notice him haha

In reality, you were always looking at him whenever you two were in class and you would find yourself shyly running the other direction when he was walking towards you. Sure, you could say hi to your crush as well, but you were worried you might spill your guts by accident so you decided to make him a really nice card instead

Jamil came back from basketball to see a little note slipped under his door. It was a rather large note actually. Turns out you had made him almost a poster with some of the photos you had taken of him throughout the semester. The note had kind words, things about how you were so happy to have met him and how you admired all of the hard work he puts in everyday.

He totally freaks out, silently. Like he looks around, opens his door, shuts it quickly and just screams silently because of how excited he is to have gotten a card from you haha. Will he write one back? No, but he will try to talk to you one day and thank you for the letter, perhaps even ask you out

Malleus

He was a sucker for love letters, only a few people knew of this. He had always written people nice letters, either for special occasions like birthdays or for the holidays. However, he never received one. Malleus only realized this after seeing his crush give everyone around him a nice letter except him

Of course, he starts to worry. You two had been going on walks and reading books together in the library for some time. However, seeing that he was the only one without a letter starting to make him doubt your relationship with him. Did you find him scary? No, Malleus shook his head but he ended up overthinking again.

You were actually trying to give everyone a card because it was your hobby but saving up as much paper as you could to make a really big one for your crush (who was also your best friend). Malleus rarely had photos taken of him, but there would be times he would ask you for some when you two went out on walks (dates at this point lol). He never asked to give the photos to him, but you figured this would be the perfect opportunity.

One day, Malleus comes back from his classes and is probably ready to just hit the bed (fae get tired too!) but he notices a rather large piece of paper sticking out of under his door. Curiously, he reaches down and takes it.

Malleus is beyond surprised, he might've started a thunderstorm by accident. It's a lovely letter with words about how much you mean to him and he just laughs to himself at how cute and just plain lovely it is to have a crush love you back. Dang, this guy's spirits is going to be heavens high for a long time. Expect the card to be placed on a special shelf up high and for him to be smiling when he goes to class (everyone will be scared haha)

Azul

He's received letters but they're always about how the writer needs help in something. Azul was a sucker for romance, he just never thought it was practical and always told himself to focus on other things. Yet here he is, with a crush, and letter-less.

Azul thought he might've scared you off with his twin henchmen and with his slightly arrogant vibes. He just wanted to find a way to tell you that if anything, you made him feel wanted for once for who he was and not for his ability. You helped Azul come to terms with his past and let him feel comfortable being relaxed with you. Oh but how to tell you without screwing up?

In reality, Azul didn't have to tell you because you had a crush on him too. You loved him for his knowledge on almost everything and anything, but more importantly because he was hardworking and cared for you. He was dedicated to his passions and you wanted him to receive your best card yet

Azul entered his office to start sorting through the wishes that students had asked for. When he turned on the lights however, he noticed a large letter on his desk instead of his usual mess. Lo and behold, the letter he had waited for. Slowly lifting up the letter and opening it, he felt his heartbeat grow faster.

It was a collage of him from the photos you had took for his lounge, his work at school events, etc. The letter had words of love on it, telling him you loved him for who he was and that you were grateful to have met him. Azul may tear up a little, but he will make it a goal to tell you his feelings soon after reading the letter. The letter will go into his safe haha

Vil

He receives more fan-mails than he wants. He gets so many that he has a manager go through them and all. However, there was one letter that he was waiting on, specifically one from his crush — you

The two of you bonded over old films and often spent Friday nights cooped up watching films together. He loved those moments, but then he realized he loved them because he was spending time with someone who saw him as more than just an influencer/actor. You listened to him, let him be relaxed with you and that was just magical to him. But it seemed like you didn't want to write him anything.

This made Vil worry, perhaps he was always too arrogant in your eyes, or you saw him for the villain roles he had to play. But truth be told, you were worried the letter you wrote for him wasn't good enough. Shaking, you placed it under his door and ran off into the hallway, quickly saying hello to him when you whizzed by (you would rather not see his reaction to your creation since you were worried he wouldn't like your love confession)

Vil shrugged it off but then felt his heart stop when he saw the letter under his door. It was large, but that wasn't it. You had made a beautiful collage in the inside of the letter of the photos you had taken of him. In the middle was a handwritten note, one that spoke of how you thought he was beautiful because of his personality and not just his looks. You wrote at the end "I want to star in a romance movie, do you want to be my love interest?"

Vil will talk to you the next day about the movie but do it in the most suave way possible. You two will watch a movie as always, but he will place an arm around you and ask if this is the kind of movie you want the two of you to be in, a romance film. "I couldn't have said it better," he says. "I would love to star in the film with you as well."

[minhosimthings]

Fault

Prompt by @banghyunchanji : Imagine when Chan finds out that your manager is making you perform the day after you have a miscarriage.

Pairings - Idol!Husband!Chan × Soloist!Fem!Wife!reader

Warnings: Mentions of pregnancy, reader has a miscarriage, angst with a shit ton of comfort, mentions of food, chan has a nightmare

A/N: saw this one gif and I just had to write it! I don't like the way I wrote the ending much but I think this was my favorite descriptions to write. Thank you to @banghyunchanji for the prompt! I hope all of you like it.

"Channie-" you gasped for air. The lilac painted room, your favourite colour, seemed to be whirling around and you swore you could see the moon dancing up in the sky through the magnificent windows. Why was the moon shining tonight? Why were the city lights still turned on? Why were the buildings still stinking of coffee? Why wouldn't the world stop for you?

More under the cut

"Channie- I-Im-" Chan immediately pulled you into his chest, engulfing you in a warm comforting fire, as all the crystals you've held in your eyes started coming out. Chan felt the fabric of his shirt getting wetter and wetter, but he couldn't care less. His eyes were bloodshot, illuminating his dark circles, from all the days you got him back home at midnight from the studio.

"Shh princess. Shh, it's alright it's alright." Chan rubbed circles on your wrist, always a way of calming you down, "I'm here. I'm here." He tried to keep his voice from cracking.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Your voice tried to be stable, and your soul tried to stop itself from bleeding. Chan's heart broke into a more than a million pieces, probably enough to scatter the entire world. "Baby no~" he shushed you, his voice as warm as a freshly baked pecan pie, your favourite wasn't it? "It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's. No shhh don't cry baby, you're still very weak." He held you tighter, as your tears dried up, "you'll only get weaker. Have some water, come on."

Chan got you up slowly, hands resting on your waist, trying not to float over to your stomach, where stitches lie, tightly packed, but still bleeding gold. He pressed a glass of water to your lips, gently lifting it, so that your throat could get a drop of hydration.

"thank you." You whispered, laying back down on the bed. Chan smiled gently at you, a weak attempt at calming you down. You could see the rotten pain in his smile, his dimple shining less than it usually did. "It's alright." He mumbled into your ear, as you wrapped your arms around him, as he spoke a lie which would perhaps become a disguised truth, "Everything's gonna be alright."

The next day

"Alright Mrs Bang," the doctor clapped her hands together, rearranging her stethoscope around her bruised neck, "Your tests are looking good. I think you're free to go home today! But please-" she turned to Chan, who had his hand wrapped around your shoulder, "-make sure she doesn't do any physical activity. I know, her being a top class soloist is hard, but she absolutely cannot do any physical activity until her next checkup." Chan smiled gently at the doctor and shook her hand bracingly. "Thank you Dr Yang. And I'll make sure she doesn't even move a limb until you say so." Dr Yang laughed heartily and moved out the door, chan following behind her, while a nurse removed all the saline bottles hooked up to your veins. "Thank you." You said, as she threw all the bottles into the bin. She looked like a warm presence, with her hair tied into a bun, exactly how your mother used to do it. "It's alright." She fidgeted with her fingers. She mus'nt have been older than you, probably three or two years younger. "Uh Ma'am?" She approached, "I know it's insensitive to ask you in such times like this. B-but-" she looked down at the floor, "my little girl, she's 15 and she really loves your songs a-and her birthday is coming up and I saved up enough to buy her one of your albums." Your heart warmed at her words, distracting you from what happened the night before. "It really would mean the world to me if you could sign the pc. I would love to see her this weekend, since we haven't been talking much." You smiled at her and took the pc she offered you. You traced the frame of the pc and laughed at your younger self posing for the photo, dressed in a tube top that would barely fit you now. "Here you go." You handed the pen and the pc back to the nurse. "May I ask, you seem so young to have a child? Were you-" you lingered in the last words as the nurse smiled again. "Got pregnant when I was 16." She let out a chuckle. "Couldn't let my baby go, so I endured it for nine months, and now she lives with another family. I visit her from time to time to give her gifts and remind her I still exist. She's started calling me mom now!" Your heart engulfed in flames hearing the nurse's words. The excitement with which she talked about her daughter was so melodious to you, like hearing one of Chan's songs before the rest of the kids did. It was like that word you read once what was it what was it? Ukiyo! The Japanese word. To be unbothered by the duties of life, when your heart tells you to. A beautiful word, you thought. Languages really are pretty, more prettier when you notice for the first time, that you weren't alone.

"Baby can I lie down on the bed for a minute?" You had finally reached home after what seemed like the longest drive of your life. It felt lonely, to have nothing in your arms instead of having a crying baby. You didn't mention a word of it to Chan. True, letting go is easier than keeping it in, but as you looked at his bloodshot eyes and remembered Minho telling you in secret about how much your husband wept, you decided to keep it in just a little bit.

"Sure darling." Chan guided you slowly to the bedroom, his arms holding you so tight yet so fragile, "I'll wake you up when you need to eat alright?" He kissed your forehead as you hummed in response, drifting off into peacefully troubled sleep.

"Ahh fuck." You groaned as you woke up. You checked the time on your phone. It hadn't even been fifteen minutes since you slept. You decided that it was best to wake up and go outside to your husband, instead of laying in bed with your pillow giving you the worst ideas.

"Ch-channie?" You voiced out, nervously stepping into the kitchen. You couldn't see a broad shouldered figure clad in black anywhere in the kitchen, so you gave up your search there and instead strolled over to the living room.

There he was. Dozing off on the sofa, without a blanket. You smiled at him gently shivering every now and then. You could hear him muttering something in his sleep.

"No- not- fault", he kept muttering, "ocean-give the". He started shivering a little more violently, and you could see his fingers start to fidget. You sighed and went over to his sleeping figure, and upon closer inspection you saw that his eyes were twitching uncontrollably.

"Baby?" You shook him gently, to which he groaned but still didn't open his eyes. "Channie wake up." You shook him more harshly this time. "Wh-what?" He mumbled, slowly opening his eyes and blinking up at you, as he usually did on the rare times that he fell asleep. "Baby were you having a nightmare?" You plopped down next to him on the couch and wrapped a blanket around both of you. As if it was a natural response, Chan wrapped his arms around you and buried his head into your neck. "Just had a dream about the ocean." He mumbled into your neck. "Alright Mr Huggabear." You chuckled, feeling his breath on your neck, "How about we order something hmm?" Chan nodded, still not removing himself from the crook of your neck.

You picked up your phone and quietly tapped your fingers on it, ordering all of Chan's favourites, without him knowing, as he was still deep in your neck. "I'll pay." You heard him mumble, trying to stifle a yawn. "It's alright baby." You stroked his curly hair, "I already paid so you don't hav-"

The sound of the bell echoing through your house slightly startled you. Was the delivery man already here? That was certainly quick, you thought as you decided to give the delivery man a tip for his speed.

"I'll go darling. You sit." Chan finally got up, rubbing his eyes. You smiled up at Chan and got up anyways to turn the tv on, switching to the last episode of Hannibal.

"Uh baby?" You heard Chan call your name from across the house, "Paul's here!"

Paul was one of your many managers, the main one you could say. And yes, only ONE of your many managers, because a world class soloist has got to have atleast a hundred of them right?

"Hey Y/N!" Paul walked in casually, followed by some members of staff. You felt slightly uncomfortable having so many people in your house, but like a good Samaritan, you kept it in. Chan followed behind.

"Nice of you to drop in Paul." Chan smiled, "Please do sit down." Paul plopped down on the sofa opposite you as Chan sat down next to you, wrapping his arm around your shoulder. "What can we do for you Paul?" You smiled gently. Paul brushed a hair out of his face and pulled out a paper, giving it to you. "So I got the schedule for your shows." Paul smiled brightly, "Tomorrow you'll be performing in Busan and for the next month-" "I'm sorry can we pause for a moment?" Chan's stern voice shut Paul up. "She can't perform." He took the paper from your hands, and gave it back to Paul, "She's on maternal leave you know that right?" Chan eyebrows were furrowed and anger was starting to creep up to his face. You put your hand on his, a weak attempt to calm him down.

"Now now-" Paul laughed awkwardly, "no need to get angry Mr Banhg. But this is entirely Y/N's buisness not yours." "Excuse me?"

You felt Chan visibly shake beside you. "Channie-" you whispered, in a vain attempt to calm him down. "This is my buisness, she's my wife incase you didn't know. And she just had a miscarriage, so could you atleast pretend to be sympathetic, you fucking Asshole?" Flames seemed to erupting from Chan, as Paul scoffed, looking offended. "Mr Bangh I really suggest you not use such language." "And I suggest you leave right now." Chan fired back, as you watched the scene unfold, not being able to do anything, "Tell PD Nim that she cannot perform and whe most certainly will not."

"Mr Bangh." Paul started, but Chan was quicker in his words. "Nothing you say will convince me to let her go so please I suggest you leave."

"Whatever." Paul scoffed, getting up along with the rest of the staff and swinging his bad over his shoulder. "When she loses her fans because of her laziness, don't tell me I didn't tell you so." You could have punched Paul right then and there and you were going to if Chan hadn't gotten to him quicker. The glass vase on the round table fell off and shattered noisily as Chan slammed Paul into a wall. You heard gasps from the rest of the staff members and you rushed over to Chan, holding him by his arm and whispering "let him go Channie he's not worth our time" into his ear. Chan begrudgingly let go of Paul who adjusted his collar quickly and scampered out the door, along with the staff. "Hey!" Chan called out to the last staff member who was about to leave. She turned around quickly and bowed to Chan. "Tell JYP that Y/N will be on a hiatus for the next three months and Bang Chan from Stray Kids will also be on hiatus for very related reasons. Put emphasis on the related. Got it?" The girl nodded frantically and rushed out the door.

"Chan" you sighed heavily, "Alright that slamming into the wall was hot, but what was the hiatus about?" Chan meekly smiled up at you, a total contrast to how he was five minutes ago. "You're not going anywhere nor are you doing anything related to performing in three months. You're staying at home and I'm feeding you chocolate and hugs and kisses until you die." You laughed heartily and plopped down onto the couch, getting the food that had magically appeared at the doorstep.

"I love you Channie." You rested your head on his shoulder, leaning into his warmth. "I love you too babygirl." Chan kissed your forehead, "More than you could ever know."

[actualbird]

UHM HELLO!! idk how to use tumblr tbh and im awkward so this is gonna be. uh. yeah HOW DO YOU GO BACK TO ANOTHER LINE - moving on. i love ur polynxx hcs soooo so much please i need more more more 🤲🤲

wahhh, hello and welcome to tumblr :D!!! im so glad i enjoy my nxx polycule stuff hehe and it's been a While since ive written for them (be it for fic or hcs) so this ask came at a lovely time. without further ado, here's some:

the nxx polycule date permutation hcs

due to everybody's schedules being immensely packed all the time, all 5 of them cant go out on dates/get-togethers very often with everybody in attendance. like, when theyre All together it's often for NXX Work OR they save it for special occasions (ex. christmas, new years, any of the team's bdays)

that being said, the Top 1 most common not-everybody date permutations are: artem + mc + luke, and then marius + vyn

-

artem + mc + luke can meet up often and easily because artem and mc work at the same place (so they can quickly figure out when their schedules align, quickly meet up), AND all three of them LIVE IN THE SAME STELLIS CITY DISTRICT!!!

they all live in South Stellis (mc's address was mentioned in The Birth of Stellis | Tears of Themis "Behind The Scenes" Episode, and artem's and luke's can be seen easily in the Stellis Explore function) so i can imagine just like

artem and mc finishing up with work and wanting to go out to dinner together and both of them independently and intuitively understanding that on the drive to the restaurant, they should go pick up luke because if left to his own devices he'll probably only chips and a stale salad for dinner.

mc shoots luke a quick text like "let's have dinner! artem's treat!" 5 minutes prior to them arriving at his shop, and luke panics trying to find something nice to wear because if it's Artem's Treat then that means the restaurant is gonna be QUITE UPSCALE AND FANCY and he doesnt want to look like their boyfriend who they picked off the street from a dumpster because earlier today he had just so happened to be tailing a lead for a case that sent him into the forest so hes all muddy. but hes only got like two (2) sweaters that he himself finds viable for a Fancy Restaurant Date

so when mc and artem arrive to pick him up, hes wearing the blocky xmas partyland sweater. at which mc visibly winces at and at which artem internally winces at

but they all go out for a nice dinner out anyway

-

MEANWHILE, marius + vyn's homes are in completely different stellis city districts: orchideshine and long beach, hemingway heights respectively. and the Stellis Explore function seems to posit these two locations as pretty far-ish away from each other, yeah, BUT....

marius' PERSONAL STUDIO is right in the same neighborhood as vyn's place

i assume marius' personal studio is in this area because another thing thats in hemingway heights (that's just not mentioned in the Stellis Explore function) is Stellis University, where marius is taking his masters. so right after his classes, he can drop by his studio and destress before heading over to the CBD for work

ORRRR HE CAN DROP BY VYN'S PLACE UNANNOUNCED AND SWEEP HIM OFF HIS FEET FOR AN IMPROMPTU DATE

marius has mastered this art. he comes to learn vyn's schedule at the university, at the research center, and at his home so that he only shows up when vyn isnt busy and is most likely to actually say yes to an impromptu fancy lunch

and vyn acts like hes Bothered but he really isnt, especially when marius has the money to treat him out to the High End Pastry Places that even vyn "pastry master" richter can appreciate

basically it goes

marius, yelling on vyn's yard: hey vyn! let's go out on a date!

vyn: get off my yard

marius: PLLEEEAAASSSEEEE, i'll take you to that bougie place you like!

vyn: fine (secretly pleased to be spoiled)

-

that being said, while these are the most common date permutations due to the simple reason of proximity, they all still find time to meet up in different permutations and all together

vyn appreciates luke taking him out on dates to more simple places, like a family owned diner or a hole in the wall ramen place. while it's not his usual kind of place, he enjoys the food and seeing luke light up talking about the memories hes had in this particular establishment ("one time, i ate here immediately after a mission and i was still bleeding out!!" "....please take care of all open wounds before you have ramen")

marius and luke and mc often meet up online and video call to game together. sometimes artem will join in on the call, despite not being much of a gamer himself, but he just likes hearing their voices and enthusiasm and yelling in the background while he cooks or works

ARTEM AND VYN GO TO THE FARMER'S MARKET TOGETHER. theyre both culinary Geniuses after all, and together they are extremely picky about produce and honey and handicrafts like an old married couple

and of course, they all get together every once in a while when their schedules permit and have a lovely time and enjoy each other's company

-

bonus, what kind of dates each of their residences are best for

artem's residence: best for full-team dinners and movie marathons in his home theatre

mc's residence: best for cozy afternoons because her place is so homey!!

vyn's residence: best for full-team outdoor brunches and tea times and also if you want a touch of nature relaxing in his garden

marius' residence: best for THAT WALK-IN WINE CELLAR and also movie marathons because have you seen the wall-mounted flat screen TV in his bedroom??? phew

luke's residence: best for uhhh...if you wanna slip on stray files on the floor or stub your toe on his palette bedframe? JHFKJ JUST KIDDING, best for in-person gaming hangouts

[sadakorosee]

Friends fight too

all turtles x fem!reader (platonic, best friend relationships)

summary: friends fight all the time and sometimes it gets a bit too far

A/N: this is probably my, like, 5th angst fanfic of these turtles. told ya im the expert when it's angst; i like to break people's hearts ;)

"the best fights don't occur between strangers. they occur between friends who trust each other." - chuck palahniuk

It was a cool simple Tuesday night when the turtles and you went out for your patrol. You're a still in training to become part of their team as a female ninja - a kunoichi. You've trained under their watch and Splinter's but mostly Splinter. The turtles, when not occupied to save the city under Chief Vincent's order, would train you.

Even Mikey. Yes. His classes aren't easy to catch up especially when he's hyped about you joining their team. He makes sure you eat enough so you can build a muscle.

"Don't be as bad as Raph, though." He said one time and with sharp ears, Raph threw a spare shoe at Mikey's head and knocked him over.

Almost 9 months into training, you were 87% ready according to Donnie's statistics. A week or two and you'll be 100% ready depending on your confidence.

Whoever said ninjutsu was easy, they're nuts. Here you are in your early 20s learning extensive martial arts, you are sure your legs are going to give out the moment you're in real combat.

Which is happening right now - Donnie's monitors picked up movements from a factory 10 minutes from their whereabouts and Casey Jones, who is now the NYPD's lead detective, contacted them that there was a gang infiltrated the place. The turtles responded.

"We'll be there by truck." Leo informed Casey and turned to you, "Head back to the lair."

"Wait, I'm not going with you? I'm almost full-on kunoichi."

"It's too dangerous, y/n. You're not ready for this combat yet."

"So I head straight to the lair after my 9-5 job to do my training despite being in my 20s and busted my ass doing the training and you're benching me? What the fuck, Leo?" You were pissed. What's the point of training so hard if he's pushing you away from real combat?

"Guys, we have to go." Donnie called. Without further arguments, you ended up following them to their mission.

Part of you was excited but deep down, you were nervous. Perhaps Leo was right; maybe you weren't 100% ready and into the mission.

"You okay, angel?" Mikey interrupted your thoughts and nudged your knee. "It's alright, I'll protect you! Just stay behind my back and fight as many bad people as you can!"

Oh, that much you could do and it was easy bringing down human fighters. There were 30 of them against 5 of you. It was a piece of cake until-

Whatever these gang wanted to retrieve, it was important to them as they're willing to hold down 4 large turtles and cut their skin with their blades while you stood there with a grey suitcase in your hand, threatening to throw it into a pit of fire below you. Above you was a gap to the rooftop, a chance for you to escape with the suitcase to your reinforcements outside waiting for you; Casey.

You were about to escape until you see their leader taking out a shotgun that brings down large animals and you knew it was enough to kill the turtles with one shot. Their shells may be bulletproof but their physical bodies weren't.

"Give us the suitcase, little girl, or your mutant friend's head will explode in pieces." The gun pointed at Mikey's head and he exclaimed, trying to struggle his way out but there were more than 5 men holding him down.

"Run, y/n! Get out of here!" Raph shouted but all you heard was ringing in your ears. You froze. You started wheezing at the thought of your friends getting taken down by a shotgun.

You made a huge mistake.

You didn't remember a thing - as soon as your mind was clear, you were outside the now burnt down factory but the suitcase you thought you were holding was gone. Your fists formed into a ball and repeatedly hitting yourself.

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

The ride back to the lair was dead silent, even Mikey didn't look too happy. The truck abruptly stopped at an empty undercross bridge, away from the main lights and city. The turtles stepped outside and this was it; you knew they were furious at something- or rather, someone.

"What the heck were you thinking, y/n? You had that suitcase with you and you had that chance to escape to Casey." Leo started, calm on the outside but pissed on the inside. He towered over you as he speaks, "If you didn't play hero, this case would've been closed."

"Why the heck did you stay up there?" Raph's critic came after.

"Now the suitcase is gone. It was our only source to ever find these gangs. They're tougher than the foot clan." Donnie remained calm but his arms were crossed staring at you. "All evidence of them existing, just gone."

"y/n.." no, not Mikey too. "You could've ran and save yourself. We'd be totally okay."

"They were gonna shoot you, Mike. I can't--"

"Didn't I say you weren't ready for this? And what did you do then? Full-on kunoichi, you say? Not even close to our level," Leo went up to your face, scaring you for the first time. "You screwed up our plans all because you were too cocky to admit you can't be like us. Master Splinter was wrong about you being the addition to our team."

Strike one: to the heart.

"If you weren't stupid enough to freeze like a deer caught in headlights, the cops wouldn't look at us like we're a joke. Thanks to you, by the way." Raph scoffed, eyes glaring at your shaking figure.

Strike two.

"If only you had stayed behind." You couldn't believe your ears when Donnie mumbled that but you caught on, tears pooling down your cheeks.

Strike three.

Mikey stayed silent the whole time they criticized you and went inside the truck. The 4 of them got so caught up in their own feelings and disappointment, they drove off back to the lair not realizing they left you behind in the streets all by yourself.

Just like that - something in you snapped and as the last tear dropped to the wet ground, so does your body.

The beautiful April O'Neil entered the lair 5 days after the accident happened with Chinese food takeouts and Casey walking in behind her with boxes of pizzas. "Hey, guys! Food's here!" Casey called out and immediately all 4 turtles rushed towards their human friends. Mikey practically hogged two pizza boxes but Casey smacked his hand away. "Excuse you. Ladies first." He winked at April.

After the turtles thanked them, Leo broke the ice, "How's everything at the precinct, Case?"

"Actually, we got a lead on the gang's movement. We have our spy with them."

"That was quick." Donnie commented.

"Uh, have you heard from y/n lately?" Raph asked, causing tension in the air. While the turtles looked at each other guiltily, they failed to realize Casey and April sharing looks.

"Have you?" Donnie realized his human friends weren't answering. He turned to April this time. "April?"

"Wait-" Casey pulled April aside, far enough so the turtles don't hear them whispering, "We were instructed not to tell them, April. She said-"

"I know.. she said not to tell but--"

"Guys!" Raph's voice boomed the lair, flinching at how loud he was being. "Sorry but are you hiding something from us? Did something happen to y/n?"

All April could do right now was shaking her head, her facial expression gloomed.

Both April and Casey's phone dinged at the same time. Looking at each other curiously, they looked down their phones. Slowly, the message registered in their heads and without saying anything, they rushed out of the lair leaving the turtles bewildered.

The turtles haven't heard from April and Casey for 2 hours. Whatever the message they received, it was involving their 5th member; you.

Unable to sit still, the 4 of them followed Casey's GPS.

"Casey's at the PD?" Leo frowned. "Then there's nothing to worry about, right?" When Donnie didn't answer and looked as if he's concentrating on something, Leo caught on. "You hacked into Casey's phone and listening to the conversation?"

"What-- uhh yeah," Donnie chuckled guiltily. "But nothing's happening. He's just catching up with another case that's-- hey, it's April's voice!" Donnie put on a speaker for the rest to hear.

"Hey, how's everything going?" Casey asked her.

"It doesn't look good, Case.. They called me at 2am saying her heartbeat stopped from the toxins and managed to revive her back to life but then she had a seizure." April's voice trembled, followed by sniffing. "She was fine when we picked her up that night and told me the turtles were mad at her. They left her when she was dying, Case. I never thought--"

"It's okay."

"Wait, dying?" Mikey stepped back. "y/n's dying?"

"We don't know for sure it's y/n.. m-maybe it's--"

"y/n is a tough girl. She lasted long in that mission. I didn't even know she was stabbed and injured badly. She-- she's good at hiding her pain, April. At least we found her on time."

"T-They're talking about y/n!" Mikey was already sobbing.

"Toxins? Stabbed? Their blades were poisoned," Donnie barely whispered, stepping back in disbelief by what they just overhead. Raph was pacing in the background; Leo had his head down. They will always recall the night they criticize you - yes, they were disappointed they failed the mission but half of them feared for your life that night.

They nearly lost April to Shredder throwing her off Sacks building and they didn't want to repeat that mistake again but history repeats itself.

The PD had built a secret entry for the turtles' transportation to go through and that's where they're headed immediately after finding out what happened to you.

"Chief Vincent." The brothers walked into the PD, their tall forms towering over all the cops and staffs there. They were told to keep their existence a secrecy and they came over a lot for complicated missions so they're used to the turtles bursting into their department.

"Leonardo," Vincent greeted. "I don't remember calling you over about a case."

"We're not here for a case. We need your help with something." Leo started, then Donnie moved to the front handing her a canister with a blue chemical inside.

"This is for y/n.. we know what happened to her so I made an antidote for the toxin in her body. She'd feel more pain but this would detoxify her internal organs. She'll be in good shape after 1 week of bed rest." Donnie swallowed trying not to cry.

Don't cry, Don. Be strong.. for y/n.

"I will." Chief Vincent smiled in encouragement and put a hand on Donnie's large ones, "Don't worry. We have the best doctors to treat her. Keep her in your prayers," she flinched, "if you believe in those, though."

The antidote Donnie created worked, much to the doctors' surprise. They asked the genius behind the creation. After 1 painful week of your body detoxing, you finally opened your eyes to bright lights and the holter monitor annoying you. You finally recall the past events and your body shot up, forgetting the sharp pain on your lower abdomen. You hissed by the excruciating feeling.

"y/n, hey hey hey, it's me April." April held you back from moving so much. As if your reaction says it all, she sighed, "You got poisoned on your last mission. Did you remember?"

Oh yeah, you remember - when your body hit the ground, you were conscious for a while and pressed the emergency button to whoever's responding. The turtles didn't have their own personal phone, except Donnie's communication device, so it was April that came to the rescue. All you remember was being brought to the emergency room and doctors asking you questions. You blacked out after that.

"Yeah." you responded, voice half gone. April handed her water. "How long was I out?"

"15 days."

"Feels like centuries." You grumbled.

April laughed, "Actually, you died like twice and the hospital couldn't find other solutions to help you. Luckily, our friend created an antidote for you after they found out." You frowned. "I know you said not to tell them but Donnie hacked Casey's phone when they overheard me talking. He actually thought I didn't know." She winked at the end.

You finally got discharged and went straight to the Chief Vincent, who helped with your treatment.

"Chief, I'm sorry I screwed up on our last mission. Don't blame the turtles; they were trapped and I was the one holding the suitcase that night. I should've ran and hand it to you."

"Well, sometimes things don't go our way. But the good news, our medical team managed to track down the poison that came from your body and traced it to a well-known dealer in (F/C/N). Thanks to you, our team is already there apprehending them." She put a hand on your shoulder. "Good job, l/n."

"Good job but at the cost of my life." You grumbled.

April chuckled and put her arms around you. "Wanna see our turtle friends? They've been waiting for your return."

It felt like years since you last walked into the lair, when it's only been 15 days. Even though you missed the turtles, you were anxious. If they weren't so concerned about looking good infront of the humans and paid attention to your injury, none of this would have happened.

But you were at fault too and you accepted that.

"Guys!! Guess who's home!" April yelled out, surprising you a bit cause you were deep in your thoughts.

You heard loud footsteps running towards you and without warning, Mikey landed infront of you making you scream in surprise.

"Whoa whoa whoa! Chill, it's me Mikey! We're cool!" he stepped back after seeing your terrified expression.

The rest huddled up infront of you asking questions here and there until April pushed them away. "Guys, she just got discharged; go back a bit. And no Mikey, she did not see Rihanna at the hospital."

You waved meekly. "Hey, guys."

Raph couldn't help himself and hauled you up in a gentle hug, his chin over your shoulder. "You dumbass. Don't you ever do that again." He forgets about his dignity and sobbed after finally hugging you. Feeling your flesh against his. You were alive. You're in his arms.

Donnie came next and hugged you gently, your arms around his neck. Of course, you didn't miss him sniffing. "Thank goodness the antidote worked. I-I was desperate to make it for you a-and if it didn't work, y-y-y--"

"Okay, braniac." You pulled away laughing, wiping his overflowing tears from his cheek. "It worked and it was hell for me but my body is healthy, thanks to you." You kissed his forehead.

"And you--" you turned around to see Mikey waiting for his hug and you jumped into his arms. "If I die, who's going to finish our hip hop Christmas album?"

"I'm not finishing it without you, angel." Mikey sobbed.

Then finally, Leo. Man, he was getting antsy waiting for his turn to properly welcome you home. And apologize to you earnestly. When you turned around to hug Leo, he was bowing 90 degrees at you. Your eyes widened.

"I'm sorry for what I said to you," Leo remained still in his position. "I was angry and blinded by my pride that I overlooked my own team member and sister who was injured badly to the brink of death. For that, I'm truly sorry and I'm willing to accept any punishment you're giving me."

"Any punishment, you say?"

"Yes." His fists shaped into a ball.

"Buy me Baskin Robbins, choco mint flavoured and--" Leo looked up when you paused and thought he'd be seeing you angry or upset but instead sees you forming tears in your eyes, "--a hug from you. I haven't gotten a hug from you ever since I started my training."

Leo reacted and hugged you so tight you might suffocate to death but you didn't care.

[d0llylove]

♡friends? [2]

♡pairing: saiki kusuo x f!reader

♡synopsis: art class put you in a sticky situation, having to pair up with someone you were uncomfortable with led saiki to save you from that. but things didn't go too well even after that.

♡t/w: sorry I forgot to add the reader was mocked in this fic for her art skills 💀

♡link to pt1: indifferent , pt3: furry feline

♡note: 'thinking', "saiki speaking telepathically"

ah yes art class, everyone's favourite lesson. not because everyone loves art, but probably because it's the one class where people could slack for it and get away with it.

obviously, kusuo was never a fan of art class to begin with. due his powers, he could draw the perfect replica of anything. almost as if it was traced line by line.

"spilt up into pairs and draw each other's portraits."

upon hearing that, you knew you were doomed. you always hated doing pairwork. not because you couldn't do it, it was because you had no one to do it with. you were ensure whether people just never noticed you to begin with or are actively avoiding you. either way, you still held a resentment against any sort of pairwork.

kusuo wanted to be careful with who he picked, he had already outed nendo and kaidou.

'I've got no one again?'

this familiar voice.

'I suppose she's struggling to find a partner.'

kusuo could see the you from the corner of his eye. it wasn't too obvious but you were sulking, probably beat up by the fact that no one approached you.

you face lit up as you saw someone walking towards you, he had weird lips but who cares?! this was the first time someone has spoken to you today!

saiki knew that there was no way he was going to let you end up with someone like takahashi.

"saiki-kun, if you haven't found anyone to pair up with, do you mind partnering me?" the class's most gorgeous girl, teruhashi kokomi had approached saiki.

he thought for a second, before giving a quick nod and then pointing to you.

"e-eh? could you tell me what you mean?" teruhashi seemed confused as she looked over his shoulder to see you with takahashi, seemingly very uncomfortable.

"let her join," saiki said with his signature expressionless face. teruhashi immediately started panicking over the fact that he was trying to include you. she took a peek at your face as you backed off from takahashi, in a polite manner trying to tell him that you weren't interested in the date he was asking you out to.

she felt horrible for you, having to be paired up with someone that weird. however, her heart fluttered when she realized why saiki was trying to invite you to their group.

'saiki-kun is always so thoughtful! helping out a girl in distress, I'll let you do it this time. even if it means sacrificing time alone with the most beautiful girl in class!'

'not really, it was out of pity.'

"o-oh wow!" you gasped, upon laying your eyes on teruhashi, you were speechless.

'why are you saying oh wow to teruhashi.'

"y-you're seriously asking me to join your group?" you repeated your question for the second time now, still in shock that teruhashi asked you.

"yeah, the more the merrier!" teruhashi gleamed clapping her hands together with a smile on her face.

you gave her a nod, before turning to saiki.

'this guy... is.. saiki, right? I think so, he has so many friends, it would be bad if I didn't know his name...'

looking at him, you grinned, "pleasure to meet you saiki-san!" he looked at you with a blank expression before giving you a small nod.

'a man of few words huh?'

'you're not wrong.'

"i just wanted to let you guys know, i'm not the best artist, so i'm really sorry if I draw you poorly," you let out nervous laughter, your fingers fiddling with the hem of your uniform.

"no worries, we won't judge!" teruhashi was quick to lighten the mood up.

♡

the three of you decided to take turns drawing each other. teruhashi would go first, saiki second then you last.

you sat beside saiki comfortably, as the gorgeous lady who sat opposite the two of you had a nervous smile on her face and flushed cheeks.

"are you okay, teruhashi-san?" you asked, looking up from your sketch book when you noticed how nervous she seemed.

she gave you a quick nod, quick to deny the fact that she was feeling nervous and blamed it on the large amount people surrounding the three of you.

'must be hard being the prettiest girl huh..'

you peeked over to your side, saiki sitting calmly beside you. your eyes blew wide as you saw the drawing of kokomi, it was far to realistic for a normal sixteen year old student to draw. you looked up, at saiki.

'c-could it be?'

'crap! she saw it,' saiki's brows furrowed as he awaited your response, as if it was a gamble, to see whether he won or lost it.

'saiki is secretly the world's best sixteen year old artist?!'

'she's truly an idiot.'

♡

"I'm finished with mine!" you exclaimed, proudly showing kokomi your sketchbook. teruhashi's excited smile immediately switched to a disgusted look for a spilt second before regaining her composure.

"w-woah.. [name]-san... its truly.. something," kokomi grinned nervously, trying her best not to hurt your feelings. even though her feelings were hurt. you didn't know but in her head, she couldn't believe her eyes, your drawing was well, to put it nicely, horrendous. it made sense why kokomi was so upset.

her eyes in your sketchbook were uneven, one big and one small, they weren't even placed correctly. her nose was just two big dots, no nose bridge, nothing. her lips? it looked like a toddler drew it. actually the whole image looked like a toddler drew it.

'I didn't know you were funny.' saiki had an unnoticeable amused smile plastered on his face.

'but it's really ugly.'

♡

bonus: (everyone's reaction to your drawing)

your popularity actually got boosted up so much when you teamed up with teruhashi. it went from a 49 to a solid 78.

that was until you showed her your drawing. everyone who was surrounding you guys were absolutely horrified by the sight that stood before them.

many of the guys started scolding you, yelling horrible names at you. however, saiki saw that coming, he made sure to use his powers on you before they could start making fun of you.

basically what you saw was completely different. in your eyes, everyone just saw your drawing, then just stood there quietly.

however, in saiki's eyes, when people were yelling at you, you just sat there, smiling calmly. it only lasted a brief moment before kokomi stopped it, telling them to stop treating you poorly because she thinks that you both are friends.

at the end of the day your popularity raised by an astonishing one! sitting at a solid 50! it did pull up from a 20 earlier when you were getting bashed by your classmates. but you never noticed so it's fine!

[laxmiree]

[CN] MLQC Lucien’s Exclusive Past- Monochrome Scenery translation

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️

This post contains a HEAVY SPOILER for the story that has not been released in EN yet! Feel free to notify me if there are any mistakes in the translation~

Through Thousands of Mirrors Event | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | HS/Uni SSR Story: Monochrome Scenery (You're here!)

[Notes from Lux: Here’s the CN video link if anyone wants to follow along his Voice Acting. VERY recommended to re-read Until Dawn R&S regarding his 'contract' with BS. AND perhaps Distant Similarity UR MQ as it's the date that is relevant to this story.

-

[Part 1]

I walk hurriedly towards Dr. Lawson's laboratory, while opening the paper bag in my hand, and stuffing the hamburger into my mouth.

Skipping lunch might save some time, but if it leads to a lack of carbohydrates and sugar, causing a decrease in productivity during the entire afternoon, it could be counterproductive.

When will nutritionists finally invent nutritional packages? Preferably in the form of a liquid that can be consumed just once a day.

The time saved this way would be enough for me to read a few more research papers.

??: Hi, Lucien. Are you going to the lab?

A friendly voice from behind rings out, and I turn to look behind me.

Lucien: Hello, Elliot.

Elliot: Seems like we're both going to be late.

Elliot quickly crosses a puddle, only slowing down after catching up with my steps.

Elliot: But I recall you've always been punctual. Did the recent lab class not go smoothly?

Lucien: I chatted with Professor White for a while and lost track of time.

Elliot: Ah, I understand. She's always very talkative... The only one who can talk as much as her is my clinical medicine professor.

Elliot sighed deeply and pointed at the teaching building he had walked from. We quicken our pace once more.

When we arrive at the lab, Senior Caroline has already begun today's work.

Just as I put my bag next to my desk, someone heavily pats my back.

??: Hi!!

The overly enthusiastic voice pierces through my eardrums, and without turning around, I know it's Colt.

Now that he's here, his daily challenges are probably about to begin again.

Sure enough, after greeting me, Colt slightly composes himself and looks at me.

Colt: Good afternoon, "Xiū, Mǒ" How's that, did I pronounce it correctly this time?

Lucien: It's "Xǔ Mò".

He scratches his head in frustration and quickly starts a new round of attempts.

Lucien: Actually, you can just call me "Lucien".

Colt: How can that be acceptable? I have great respect for Chinese culture; I'll definitely learn how to pronounce your name!

Colt raises his eyebrows high, and the confident expression on his face is so exaggerated that it could be used as a reference for the facial expression scale.

I give up trying to explain to him that "respect" and "pronunciation" are not causally related, and I put on my protective gear after setting down my bag.

I hope he succeeds soon and gives up making me his involuntary Chinese teacher, where I'm only tasked with examining two words every morning.

Caroline: Shut up, Colt. Leave Lucien alone and come over here to work, okay?

Caroline who was immersed in her experiment furrows her brow and glares at Colt, using her gaze to reprimand the "senior" lab member who has been there the longest.

In the end, she smiles and greets me.

Caroline: How's it going today, Xǔ Mò?

Lucien: Sorry for being late. Where should I start taking over from now?

Colt: This isn't fair! You've never greeted me with such a smile. Wait, why is your pronunciation correct? One more time, Xiū... Xī…

Like everyone else, I calmly ignore Colt's continuous self-challenges and begin today's work.

As a newcomer who has been in the lab for just about a month, there isn't much for me to do.

In fact, everyone here is more like doing their own research in the lab on topics they are passionate about, while occasionally helping Dr. Lawson with minor tasks.

Looking back, it seems that this casual and free atmosphere could be glimpsed from the very beginning, during that interview with just two questions.

-

=Flashback Start=

Dr. Lawson: You have an excellent research experience, and the awards you've received are enough to apply to even more top-notch labs.

Dr. Lawson: Why did you choose to reach out to me?

The doctor set my application paper and the stack of recommendation letters aside, looking into my eyes.

Lucien: I'm currently very interested in topics related to parietal lobe function research and its applications.

Lucien: So, for me, your lab is the best choice.

Dr. Lawson: Hmm, there is indeed a high match in terms of research direction.

Dr. Lawson: So, what do you hope the lab can provide for you?

I instinctively thought I had misheard.

Questions like "What do you think you can bring to the lab?" are ones I've mastered, but this reverse question isn't as common.

After a brief moment of thought, I honestly answered.

Lucien: If possible, I hope to research more of what I'm interested in within the limited time.

The doctor raised an eyebrow without giving a clear response, concluding this brief interview that lasted less than a few minutes. And a few days later, he sent me an acceptance email.

=Flashback End=

Colt: Hey, Xī Mó! Listen to me, I have a great idea!

Probably seeing that I'm not especially busy, Colt eagerly strides over to my desk, holding a small box in his hand.

I set down the keyboard, take out a notebook from the side, and turn towards him.

Colt's thought process is unique; he always manages to come up with some innovative ideas.

Lucien: Do you have any new ideas regarding the research topic?

Colt: No, no, there's not much to do today. How about a game of the traditional lab card game - NOU!

Colt: Do you want to join?

Lucien: …

And of course, there are times when it's just pure time-wasting.

I offer a polite and apologetic smile in return.

Lucien: No, thank you.

-

[Part 2]

A fixed routine can often lead to a skewed perception of time and dates.

I flip over the calendar again and mark the schedule for the midterm exam week, which is about half a month away.

Exams may not be a cause for concern, but papers and classroom presentations still require time-consuming preparation.

I furrow my brow as I look at the data for my research project on my desk. Just as I'm about to set down my pen, I pause.

The current issue is that the research progress is slower than anticipated, requiring extra time to meticulously review the results.

The once well-structured plan has become exceptionally tight.

How about cutting two hours off my sleep? It shouldn't significantly affect my regular routine.

And smoothly, a blank section appears on the spreadsheet.

Satisfied, I add a line next to my schedule: "Email Dr. Lawson to request an extension of laboratory usage time" as a reminder.

Then, I pick up the already printed poster and leave the dorm on time.

It's my turn to present a report in class today.

Lucien: Hello, everyone. Now it's my turn to share something with all of you.

Whispers of discussion arise one after another, even a few students who had just been yawning straightened up in their seats.

Half the semester has passed, and the curious glances that used to accompany me have subsided. My age, my height, and where I come from might not be as important anymore.

I know very well that now all the curious and probing gazes are focused solely on the poster I have unfolded.

In the corner of my eye, someone raises their hand.

Lucien: Is there a question?

I set down my materials and quietly look at the student who raises their hand.

Student A: I don't have any questions about your presentation. I'm just curious if injuries in the relevant brain region have an impact on drug addiction?

This is an expected question, as I myself noticed similar uncertainties when researching for literature.

Lucien: There is indeed an overlap, but based on existing research, I don't believe there is a direct correlation between the two.

Lucien: Moreover, for the topic I'm currently presenting, there's no need to overly emphasize the impact of different functions within the same area.

But it's evident that the other person doesn't share the same view.

After a brief moment of silence, he raises the issue of potential effects caused by drugs, and I counter each of his points.

However, the consecutive inquiries and debates have actually given me a fresh perspective on the topic at hand.

I attempt to work it out in my head, then take a pen and start writing on the whiteboard.

Lucien: Adding the drug effects caused by addiction as one of the conditions…

Lucien: I currently lack the relevant literature evidence, further substantiation will require future research, but I do have some hypotheses.

The rapidly moving marker on the whiteboard makes a slight squeaking sound as I write, and more questions and discussions emerge in the classroom.

Student B: Given the drug effects, the current papers seem somewhat lacking in rigor.

Student C: But we also shouldn't overly focus on such special cases, just from an experimental perspective…

These ideas and questions aren't quite direct and precise enough.

But the known theorems are once again filled with possibilities, and what I initially considered just a school assignment topic seems to have become interesting again.

The brilliance of the unknown and curiosity subtly shine through the structured words, silently beckoning everyone who tries to explore the mysteries.

Of course, I'm also paying the corresponding "price" for this "interest".

Class ends nearly twenty minutes later than scheduled, and I can only jog all the way, hoping not to be too late for the next classroom.

As I gaze at the ever-extending street ahead, I begin to understand why so many people are buying bicycles.

—------------------------------------------------------------

Lucien: Good afternoon, I hope I'm not too late.

Caroline: Of course not. Take a rest for a while. There isn't much to do today.

Caroline looks up, smiles at me, and points to the well-stocked snack cabinet on the side.

I put down my backpack, intending to pick up my water bottle to get some water, but I notice that there's a stack of data on the table that I haven't worked on, with several annotations written in different handwriting.

Slender and smooth cursive characters detail the model's construction and calculation process, while round and hastily written words explain extensive contemplation and inferences, along with many grammar errors.

Slightly smaller handwriting marks cited references and related experiments.

Lucien: Are these... further derivations based on my personal research project?

A head pokes out from the edge of the table.

Colt smiles and waves at me, with Caroline and Elliot following behind.

Several people stand by the table, making the already small space seem even smaller.

Colt: Well, I heard about the direction of your project a few weeks ago during the meeting and found it very interesting. I got into the habit of discussing it with Caroline when we were chatting…

Caroline gives an apologetic smile.

Caroline: I'm really sorry. Colt looked at your desk and research notes without your permission.

Caroline: He usually doesn't have a strong sense of boundaries when he's around us, and we've become used to it. We didn't expect him to go through your research materials this time.

Caroline: I initially wanted to refuse to discuss it with him, but the research direction is so novel, and the reasons for the roadblock are also quite intriguing. It was easy to get carried away…

The research content is indeed not much of a privacy concern, and exchanging data and projects is quite normal.

Lucien: Next time, we could discuss it during the regular meeting or just talk to me directly. It would be more efficient.

Lucien: However…

I quietly watch the smiling faces of others, my puzzlement still not answered.

Lucien: As I recall, my direction doesn't really overlap with yours, does it?

Caroline: Yes, so we've just made some inferences. The specifics still require you to take another look.

Lucien: Okay.

I lower my head again and begin to roughly browse through those handwritings.

Colt didn't propose a new direction but changed the experimental approach, while Caroline and Elliot used this to present arguments or counterarguments.

Different notes mutually fill in and correct each other, gradually outlining a clear framework.

Lucien: This hypothesis seems to have a high feasibility.

Lucien: I will try to adjust the experiment according to this approach later.

Lucien: At a suitable time in the future, based on the specific data, we can determine whether it can move forward or not.

Colt: Sure, it can!

Colt nods vigorously, his voice much louder than usual.

Colt: I've noticed that you've been busy with midterm exams and papers lately, so I ran some of the data with them to save you from spending extra time to test and verify the data.

Colt: So far, several graphs are looking quite good. I hope they can be of help to you!

Lucien: …All of the data?

I'm stunned.

I've already prepared to apply for extra lab time, but the data I needed to test and verify has just landed directly in my hands like this.

Colt: Of course! The three of us taking turns won't take much time, better than you staying here without eating or drinking.

On the side, Elliot also smiles and hands over another stack of documents.

Elliot: I asked a friend who's a clinical medicine student, and I was able to get some research materials on what happens when you have a lesion in the area in question.

Elliot: Perhaps it can offer some assistance from a different perspective. Consider it as broadening your perspective.

Lucien: Thank you. I did plan to reference some research findings from other fields, but unfortunately, I haven't had enough time recently.

A valuable idea to consider, coupled with readily available data, and the issue that had been stagnant for two weeks was suddenly solved without any warning.

I silently look at the mixed handwriting.

I know that human beings will always help each other and work together to achieve what individuals can't do alone.

Relying on each other for certain aspects and independently taking on the needs of others within the same community.

But along with the objective facts, there is also an inexplicable and faint warm feeling surging to my heart.

The seemingly ordinary paper in my hand now vaguely has a different weight to it.

Lucien: (gently) Thank you, all of you.

Colt: Hey, kid.

Colt smiles and puts his arm around my shoulder.

Colt: We're all from the same lab, so helping each other is only natural.

-

[Part 3]

After the last meeting before the autumn break, Dr. Lawson stopped me.

Dr. Lawson: Lucien, do you have any plans for the autumn break?

Dr. Lawson is organizing the reports we submitted, his tone is calm.

Lucien: I'm staying on campus. If there's a need for someone to oversee the lab, I can help.

Dr. Lawson: You aren't going home?

I smile and reply in the same tone that Colt and the others usually use when joking around.

Lucien: Returning to Loveland City during such a short one-week break?

Dr. Lawson smiles and shakes his head.

Dr. Lawson: How about going nearby? You still have time to plan a short trip with friends.

Dr. Lawson: There are plenty of interesting places within the state worth seeing. Take a train or bus, and "whoosh," it's easy to get around.

Lucien: That sounds appealing, but I'd prefer to take this opportunity to catch up on my project and coursework progress.

Lucien: Recently, my research has just started to make some progress. I'd like to work on it nonstop until I achieve some results.

Lucien: Or is it just that during the autumn break, the school doesn't allow students to stay on campus?

Dr. Lawson: Of course not, silly kid.

Dr. Lawson: I'm just curious, why are you always in such a hurry?

I quietly look at the old man in front of me.

There are too many things I want to explore, and there's too little time.

Nevertheless, I don't feel that I appear "impatient" in my usual behavior.

The doctor shakes his head and taps the table with his fingers.

Dr. Lawson: At your age, you should go out more, travel, play games, take walks, do something silly... Just do anything to waste time and enjoy life.

Dr. Lawson: You do have an impressive intellect, but there are geniuses all around here. So, frankly, you're also an ordinary kid.

Lucien: ….

I've never thought of myself as a once-in-a-lifetime genius, but being straightforwardly labeled as "ordinary" is indeed a first for me.

And, of course, being labeled "in a hurry" is also a first.

Lucien: I don't quite understand what you mean, Doctor.

After a brief silence, I eventually chose to ask the question directly.

Dr. Lawson: I don't doubt your abilities. Lucien, you can accomplish many things by yourself.

Dr. Lawson: But you should also trust your team, after all, this laboratory doesn't consist of just you alone.

He casually points to a group of people in the distance who are playing NOU, and over there, it's particularly noisy, as if the game of cards is reaching a conclusion.

Caroline proudly crosses her arms and looks sideways at Colt, who is slumped over the table, looking dejected.

Elliot begins to tidy up the card table and starts shuffling the cards again.

Dr. Lawson: They're all kids in their late teens to early twenties here in the lab. Came a few years before you, and perhaps they'll leave a few years earlier as well.

Dr. Lawson: But in the road of scientific research, everyone is just a beginner taking their first steps.

Dr. Lawson: I'm not asking you to really study and imitate anyone, but doing something different from your usual routine might make you gain something special. What do you think?

The doctor slows down his voice, his calm tone not resembling a question, it's as if he's talking about the treasure that he is most proud of.

The stack of data with various annotations from a few days ago inexplicably resurfaces in my memory.

I subconsciously infer that when the doctor said, "You're just an ordinary kid", perhaps it meant, "There are many people like you here."

Looking at Dr. Lawson again, he remains as not casual and serious as he was during class. His words are solemn and genuine with a touch of guidance.

Dr. Lawson: If you haven't achieved any significant progress or results within a week, there's no need to lock yourself in the lab every day. But if you need to, remember to turn off the lights and lock the door.

I carefully put away the key he had placed on the table.

Lucien: I'll keep an eye out for it.

Dr. Lawson: Happy holidays.

Lucien: I also wish you a happy holiday.

I say goodbye to him, and as I walk to the door, the doctor adds another sentence.

Dr. Lawson: Take care. And of course, I mean not just during these vacation days.

He smiles at me, speaking a bit slower than usual.

Lucien: You too, Doctor. Take care.

"Take care." The simple sentence passes through my mind, lingering longer than the other phrases.

I think maybe it's because of the pronunciation.

—-------------------------------------------------------

The teaching building has become much quieter during the holidays.

The leaves outside the window are rustling. It's as if the entire city is reminding people of the traces of autumn.

The laboratory feels strangely colder than usual after I'm the only one left.

I closed the window, put on my sweatshirt, and continued with the experiment at hand.

However, the autumn chill didn't last long and was soon warmed up again by the lingering heat of summer.

—-------------------------------------------------------

Five days later, along with the rising temperature, what returned was the noisy chatter within the laboratory.

The first to arrive at the laboratory is the always-diligent Caroline.

She brings a larger-than-usual handbag, takes out beautifully wrapped gifts, and places them on everyone's table one by one.

Caroline: A few days ago, I went to Yellowstone National Park with my family and brought back some souvenirs.

Lucien: Thank you. How was your holiday?

Caroline: It was pretty good, though I wish it could have been longer. I feel like I could stay there for at least half a month.

Caroline: I thought you might prefer something more practical, so I brought this for you. Go ahead and open it.

She smiles and points to the gift box I had placed by the desk. Inside the neatly wrapped layers of gift paper is a coffee mug, with the design of erupting geysers on its surface.

Caroline: This is a landmark sight in the park. I was truly moved when I saw it erupt right on time. I really wish everyone in the lab could go see it!

Lucien: I'll go there if I get the chance in the future.

??: Hi friends! I'm back! Did you miss me during your wonderful holiday?

The next second, a figure rushes in through the door of the laboratory.

Colt is also carrying a package, which is twice the size of Caroline's.

Colt: Oh my god... you're actually working. That's way too diligent.

He looks at me with wide eyes. After some rummaging in the package, there's another gift on my desk.

Colt: I highly recommend trying my grandma's cookies. Even the most popular shops around here can't compete with her skills.

Colt: Oh, by the way, the bookmarks inside were made by my mom. She's recently gotten into handicraft, and our house is getting filled with the things she makes.

Lucien: Please thank your family on my behalf.

Colt: Then they'd be so delighted that they might just invite you over as a guest.

Colt: By the way, do you really spend every day in the lab? Haven't you had any rest at all?

Colt sits down next to me, looking like he won't give up until he gets an answer.

Lucien: I visited a few museums.

Lucien: I also visited some scenic spots along the way and strolled through the market.

Caroline: I remember a few days ago there was a Shakespearean touring theater group performing nearby. Have you heard about it? The performance…

The computer screen in front of me enters screensaver mode, and I realize that I should politely decline this conversation to reactivate the computer and continue processing the data I was in the middle of reviewing.

But when my fingertips touch the keyboard, I pause again.

Such conversations don't have much meaning, but they don't make me feel annoyed either.

Besides, today's progress has been completed ahead of schedule, and there is indeed some free time on my agenda.

I let the screen continue playing the screensaver images.

Colt: How about we also go see a play today?

Lucien: The theater troupe left the day before yesterday, and tickets also needed to be booked in advance.

During the conversation, the laboratory door is pushed open once again.

Elliot: Hey, I thought I was the earliest one here.

Elliot also has a delicately wrapped gift in his hands.

Same greetings, same small talk, and same distribution of gifts.

I look at the three gifts on the desk- I should have some time over the weekend to visit the market and find three suitable return gifts.

Before the plan has been finalized, another particularly large gift appears on my desk.

Dr. Lawson: You all should find these books useful.

Dr. Lawson smiles and nods at us, placing the hefty books one by one on our respective desks, before finally sitting back in the chair and letting out a sigh of relief.

Dr. Lawson: I really should have chosen some lighter gifts; four big books are too heavy for an old man like me.

Lucien: ....Looks like it's four gifts.

I say to myself softly.

Dr. Lawson: Hmm? Did you say something, Lucien?

Lucien: Nothing. I was just saying… "thank you".

Lucien: By the way, Doctor. Here's the key to the laboratory.

The small key that has been with me for five days is returned to its rightful owner.

The gentle breeze blows a book on my table, flipping back a page as fallen leaves dance lightly and land on the windowsill.

I glance at the cloudless sky, hoping that this weekend will also be a sunny day, suitable for going out.

-

[Part 4]

Everyone left the laboratory with the gifts, but Colt unexpectedly broke from his usual behavior and didn’t attend any party.

Instead, he followed Elliot and me all the way to our dormitory building.

Elliot: Colt, your dormitory isn't over here.

Colt: I know, I know. But on this especially memorable day, how about a game of NOU to celebrate? Here's to our reunion!

Elliot: I knew it... I don't want to play NOU with just the two of us. You better invite one more person.

Colt: Will Xù mò be joining us?

Colt looks up at me, and this is the 16th invitation he has extended to me since I joined this laboratory.

Lucien: Okay.

Colt: It's fine, maybe next time... Wait, what?!

Elliot: You're going to join us?!

They aren't the only ones confused, I'm also a bit puzzled myself.

The choices I've made today are all a bit out of the ordinary, and it makes me wonder why I want to act the way I do.

If I join, will I be able to find the answers?

Besides... Looking at the two of them that have the same expression as if they've just seen a new topic; if I want to refuse now, the amount of effort required doesn't seem proportional to the outcome.

Lucien: Yes.

Lucien: I don't have any other plans for today-

Before I could finish speaking, the two of them had already surrounded me, one on the left and one on the right.

Colt: Is this the blessing of the Autumn Break God! Elliot, let's go quickly.

Elliot: Lucien won't run away again this time.

Saying so, he continues to pull me without stopping towards a small table in the public lounge area.

Just as we sit down at the small table, Colt eagerly begins to shuffle the cards.

Elliot: Do you need an explanation of the rules?

Lucien: No need.

Having watched them play so many times, I'm not entirely unfamiliar with the rules of the game, and the symbols on the corners of the cards also help me determine their colors.

I'll consider it as an exercise in reasoning and memory then.

—--------------------------------------------------------

Elliot: NOU, +2!

Colt: Wait a minute, that's not right. You're cheating! Why do you have a red +2?

After the initial "demonstration round", I quickly realized that this game might not be as straightforward as I had imagined.

Lucien: ...Drawing a +2 card directly from the deck is not entirely impossible either.

Colt: Huh? +2 should be in your hand, right?

Colt: Judging by the overall color distribution of the cards played, it seems like you're building a hand predominantly based on red cards.

Lucien: However, based on the cards that have already been played, there are still 28% red cards left in the deck.

Lucien: I would need to draw that +2 card along with another red number card starting from at least the first four rounds to maintain an advantage without playing the +2.

Elliot: My dear friend, just admit that low probability is still probability and draw the cards.

I nod in silence and urge Colt to draw a card, preventing the game from turning into his endless mathematical calculations.

If that happens, he will build a solid model in his mind and he'll be almost impossible to beat.

I take another look at the situation on the card table.

Setting Colt aside for now, among Elliot's three cards, there should only be blue and green ones.

Or in an extremely low-probability scenario, there might be one Wild card or possibly the last +4 card aside from mine.

I closely watch each card played, rapidly calculating the possible card arrangements in others' hands in my mind.

And I'm equally aware that the other two people sitting at the card table are also making their own deductions in their own ways.

I need to conduct another experiment, even if the cost is higher than expected value.

It's my turn once again.

Lucien: Change color, let's go with... blue.

Colt, who is determined to beat Elliot, wears a worried expression, while Elliot confidently draws a card.

"Reverse."

I silently say to myself.

Elliot: Reverse.

The variables waiting to be filled in gradually decrease, and assuming confirmation is obtained, the inference is established.

The opportunity to determine the course of the card game on the table comes back to me once again.

Colt: Come on Xǔ mò, it's time to play a number card and join forces to eliminate Elliot early!

Lucien: Is that so? I thought I'd have a better option.

Quick responses and extensive thinking make the brain more active than usual.

A seemingly meaningless card game becomes more complex due to repeated setups and disruptions.

Pure competition for calculation speed and formulating strategies stimulate the release of neurotransmitters.

I raise the corners of my mouth and quietly play my card.

Lucien: I choose +4, green.

Due to too many unexpected situations, Colt, who had stopped calculating, begins to howl in frustration.

Elliot, sitting across the table, also appears surprised, his gaze once again scanning the cards on the table.

It's my turn again.

I smile, say NOU, and play the green number card, leaving only one of the same color in my hand and skipping the next player’s turn.

Unless the almost improbable reversal occurred when they have the last card, a color-changing card, and bring it onto the playing field from the deck

But I trust my calculations more than probability.

Colt: Xǔ mò, I thought you were my friend!

Colt has flipped his cards onto the table, giving up on the struggle.

Lucien: Of course I am. That's why I'm sitting here, playing cards with you.

I lean my chin on my hand and look at the card table, unable to suppress the victorious curve at the corner of my mouth.

Lucien: Also, thank you for calling me by my name correctly.

Unfortunately, it's still Elliot who reaches 500 points first.

Colt is not one to accept defeat easily, and he pulls us into starting a new round of the game.

The card game goes on from the afternoon into the evening, and we unknowingly gather a crowd of onlookers around us.

Centered around this small table, the dormitory that was quiet just a few hours ago is now overflowing with discussion and laughter.

We graciously give up our seats to other students who also want to give it a try and withdraw from the crowd.

Colt: Xī... Xú mò is quite skilled. If we go by rounds, he tied with Elliot.

I haven't responded yet when Elliot chuckles and shakes his head, then tosses a box of ice cream from the fridge to both Colt and me.

It's the most common chocolate ice cream with nuts and chocolate chunks added.

I've seen it in many convenience stores, but I've never been interested in buying it.

Elliot: In front of our little genius' brain, even the best luck can only yield to skill.

Colt: Sigh... the vacation is too short. It feels like it just started, and now it's already over in a blink of an eye.

Colt finished his ice cream in a few bites and tossed the empty box into the trash. He leans on the bar table, watching the new round of NOU craze.

Colt: How about we have another round of NOU to refresh ourselves after the experiment is over tomorrow?

Elliot: Lucien, are you joining as well?

Lucien: I have to start preparing for my thesis from tomorrow.

Lucien: The experiment has made progress as well, so I want to sort out the related processes.

Colt: Oh... that's a shame. But how about next time? You'll come, right?

In the dorm room without air conditioning on this autumn day, the ice cream seems to melt even faster than it would in the heat of summer.

I scoop up a spoonful of the slightly softened ice cream and put it in my mouth.

The taste of chocolate spreads with the coolness, it's sweeter than I had imagined.

Lucien: I will if I have the time.

—------------------------------------------------

After seeing them off, I close the door and start preparing for tomorrow's coursework, allowing life to return to its normal course.

A notification pops up on my laptop, indicating an email from Dr. Lawson.

"Hi, everyone. Thank you for your hard work. Our lab's project has passed the review, so you can start preparing for the academic conference that will take place in a few months."

"The conference will be held on a beautiful beach on the West Coast. Since we have ample time, you can all bring your swimsuits and enjoy some time by the water."

"Colt, as for you, don't bring too many fancy things. And definitely leave the unicorn swimming ring behind!"

I can almost imagine Dr. Lawson saying this with a furrowed brow, while Colt complains reluctantly.

"P.S. Lucien's personal research topic aligns with the conference theme. Although the application is a bit late, there will be people at the conference who have done related research."

"You can prepare a summary of your current progress and any issues you've encountered to discuss together."

"P.P.S. Welcome back, everyone."

These few short sentences make me feel a bit warm.

*Ding*

The inbox hasn't closed yet, and there's another notification sound.

The email is encrypted; its sender is Black Swan.

I glance at the calendar and realize that today is the day for the routine report.

The newly arrived email obscures most of Dr. Lawson's message, and the sharp-edged letters in the signature appear to be some kind of silent warning.

"Why are you always in such a hurry?"

Dr. Lawson asked me this before the autumn break.

Yes, children his age have plenty of time to pause, slow down, and enjoy the scenery around them.

To try, to fail, to start over from scratch, to explore endless possibilities.

But Doctor, vacations are always so short.

They always end when you least expect it.

I close the laptop and start selecting the book I want to read tonight.

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

[Phone Call- Class Reunion]

Lucien: Hello? At this time, you should have finished washing up and lying down, right?

MC: Um! I just finished my skincare routine and am already lying down.

Lucien: You sound happier than usual. Did you have a lot of fun at the class reunion today?

MC: You can tell?~ So many people came to the gathering today! All of my old roommates were there too!

Lucien: Are they the ones in the photo you sent, who took a group picture with you?

MC: Yes! Although we've kept in touch after graduation, getting back together like this is still quite rare.

Lucien: No wonder your eyes looked a bit red in the photo.

MC: Haha... I got a little too excited.

MC: But now that I think about it, I don't recall Professor Lucien mentioning much about his own classmates or roommates?

Lucien: I do have colleagues I work with in a lab, but our relationship might not be as close as you and your friends.

MC: Do you guys meet up regularly?

Lucien: We are now in different places continuing our own projects, and most of us have our own laboratories.

Lucien: It's indeed not easy to find a time when everyone is available.

Lucien: However, we do occasionally meet at neuroscience-related academic conferences. That could perhaps be considered a sort of 'class reunion'.

MC: ...Is this what gatherings are like for scientists?

MC: What about your roommates? Do you meet up with them?

Lucien: I lived in a single room and didn't really socialize with others in the same dormitory building.

MC: Wow! That must have been so comfortable! Doesn't that mean you could do whatever you wanted?

Lucien: At that time, I thought it was very convenient to have a space where I would not be disturbed by other people.

Lucien: But now, I've come to realize that having a 'neighbor' around who can 'disturb' me at any time might actually be more comforting.

MC: Oh? Do tell, I'm all ears!.

Lucien: For instance, when I'm out, someone can help me take care of the flowers on my windowsill, or if I forget to buy new tea leaves, I can ask this special neighbor next door for a bit.

Lucien: There are also occasional biscuits and sandwiches, and if I stay up too late, I will receive reminders.

Lucien: And more importantly…

Lucien: With this neighbor lady here, the place where I live is not just a spot to rest, but can be called a home.

-

[Phone Call - Novice Period]

Lucien: I thought you were also too busy to answer my call today.

MC: I just had a meeting with the new colleagues at the company, so I didn't hear your call.

Lucien: Do you still have some work left to finish?

MC: Not exactly... it's just that this recent batch of new colleagues who joined recently has been really busy.

MC: So I decided to hold a meeting to help them improve efficiency during work hours, aiming for them to leave on time after work.

MC: After all, there's always more work to be done, right? I don't want them to wear themselves out. The way they approach overtime work makes me quite nervous.

Lucien: [chuckles] They're lucky to have a boss who cares for the well-being of employees like you.

Lucien: However, when everyone starts their first job, there's always a certain level of nervousness. So, they can only ease that nervousness by working hard.

MC: Oh? Professor Lucien, you sound quite experienced, but I suppose you didn't have such worries, did you?

Lucien: Of course not, the first time I entered a laboratory outside of school, I also needed some time to adapt.

MC: Wow, what were you like back then?

Lucien: Hmm... I had to clean lab equipment, organize data files, help with literature research—there were many mundane tasks.

MC: Pfft, so Professor Lucien also started as a working person from scratch.

Lucien: That's right. Everyone in the same lab was highly capable, so back then, I often shadowed others, observing and learning as much as I could.

MC: Were there people even more capable than you?

Lucien: [chuckle] Among them, I think I'm just an ordinary person who works hard.

MC: Professor Lucien, your concept of 'ordinary' seems quite demanding.... But I didn't expect you to have a 'novice period' as well.

Lucien: Is that such a surprise?

MC: Maybe it's because your student days were quite unique. While most people were enjoying their youth, you were immersed in scientific research.

Lucien: I suppose it all depends on one's definition of 'youth'.

Lucien: If we're talking about a phase in life where you can do what you like without worrying about consequences, where you can fully explore possibilities…

Lucien: In that case, I'd say my graduate and postgraduate years could also be considered as 'youth'.

Lucien: If you define it as having a love with someone close to you, that you can't bear to part with and always in your heart…

Lucien: In that case, I'd say my youth hasn't had a chance to slip away from me yet.

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

[Lux's short rambling corner]

And finally, it's done 🎉 If I'm being completely honest, the reason it took so long was because I felt that the end of this story seemed 'incomplete'—and I think it turns out to be true? Because the newest birthday story feels like it completes this story.

Still, just as he mentioned in "Distant Similarity UR' MQ," he's accustomed to working alone because there was no one he could confide in, often sacrificing his own sleep to fit more into his schedule. Due to his past self-reliance, he finds himself somewhat at a loss when others offer their assistance 🥲. He's someone who is deeply touched by even the smallest acts of kindness, and you can detect a hint of confusion in his usually monotone 'thank you.'

It's heartwarming to see that he receives small acts of kindness from those around him. His college life seems less hectic thanks to the support he gets from both his friendly seniors and caring mentor 🥺. I also enjoy their harmonious yet playful team dynamic, with Colt being my personal favorite because he reminds me of Fan Zihang, hahah.

Another noteworthy point is what Dr. Lawson mentioned about him being fundamentally an ordinary kid. I think it's accurate, because beneath his 'rush to move forward' demeanor, there's also a yearning for warmth and the opportunity to slow down.

In the dorm room without air conditioning on this autumn day, the ice cream seems to melt even faster than it would in the heat of summer.

I scoop up a spoonful of the slightly softened ice cream and put it in my mouth.

The taste of chocolate spreads with the coolness, it's sweeter than I had imagined.

God, I absolutely adore PG's writing and the beautiful metaphors they weave into the story. Through the story you can see how Lucien's barrier starts to melt by the warm atmosphere. And that's because he's an inherently lonely kid who also longs for warmth and mundane life. It's just too bad that the longing he had shattered in the face of his reality. If i had to describe what I feel when I read that sentence about the email, It'd be like waking up from a sweet dream, and now the sweet dream is tinted with layers of sadness🥲. The dream was over and he had no other choice but to bury his longing so deep.

Why the constant hurry? Because he had no choice but to grow faster than other kids; he didn't have the privilege to fail and try again. Why did he keep his distance from others? Perhaps because he doesn't want to experience another loss after his parents. Why didn't he go 'home'? Because at that time he didn't have anything that can be called a 'home'. Once he wakes up from this sweet but fleeting dream, the world he's diving into is even more treacherous than hell. So in the end, he kept his distance from others just as he said in Distant Similarity UR.

Distant Similarity UR," "Until Dawn R&S," and "Monochrome Scenery" together create a comprehensive picture of his 16-year-old self. "Distant Similarity UR" sheds light on how his college experiences influenced him and his reflections on that period. "Until Dawn R&S" delves into his narrative with BS and his ambitiousness. Meanwhile, "Monochrome Scenery" reveals his more 'human' side and the sense of his relaxed college life being a sort of 'vacation' amidst the long darkness in his life… Anyway, I want to write more but my schedule is tight with all the birthday translation 🤣 Perhaps if I have time I'd write a more comprehensive analysis. Thank you for reading!

[jamisonwritestf2trash]

hiya :D

i love ur headcannons they always make me laugh reading them!

do u think u could do some on what subjects u think the mercs would teach if they were teachers?

What Subjects Would The TF2 Mercs Teach?

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Awe, thank you, Anon, that's so sweet 💖 I can definitely write this, it seems like a lot of fun! UH going to just assume that these guys are teaching at a college, so they get specialized fields to teach!

This is probably going to be very similar to "What Jobs Would The TF2 Mercs Have If They Weren't Mercenaries" post, so I'll probably keep this shorter so I don't end up repeating myself, uh I also added how the classes would like them as a teacher!

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Demo would teach chemistry, trying very hard not to dabble with anything too illegal in his classroom. He loves the way science almost works like magic when it comes to chemistry. Loves the bearly visible bridge between a perfect result and utter chaos. His students are both deeply terrified and greatly inspired by Demo. He's a genius when it comes to science, and it shows through the times he's deeply concentrated while teaching. May or may not have "accidentally" shown the class how to make explosives. Oops.

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Engie is a fan of biomedical engineering regardless of if it's his job or just something he'd be asked to teach to people who were curious about it. He has such a passion for the mix of two things he loves, helping people and making things. He will go on for hours, showing examples of how important biomedical engineering is, how impactful even one person in the field can be. His students would love the passion he speaks on the subject with and how willing he is to make sure everyone in his class understands the material.

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Heavy would teach Russian literature after being inspired by his teachers. The passion they showed in their teachings and how willing they were to prioritize helping students evoked feelings in him that he never known. He does everything for his students, making sure that everyone is supported. He tries his hardest to give his all to make these students feel the same passion he has for it. His students love him, and his class is one of the most popular, has made large impacts on every student that's came into his class.

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Medic teaches, shock of all shocks, medical classes! I know, I know, but what can I say? He lives for the medical field. Keeps his class ethical enough, stating multiple times that as doctors, their job is to heal and save lives. However, some of his students who share the same, uh, curious shine in their eyes are more than welcome to attend a class that dips into the unethical side of medical practices. He's a good teacher, and his students are fond of him for his unsettling aura and passion.

(Can you tell I know jack all about medicine and how it's taught lmao)

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Scout is a teacher in sports journalism, and his class both loves and loathes him as a teacher. He loves sports, so writing about them is super easy! He has a lot of fun teaching other people the best way to describe things and how to put their feelings on the page, but he's also horrendous at spelling and writing in general. His class understands his struggles but gets rather annoyed when Scout pulls up an article he wrote and can't understand any of it. He's trying his best, and he makes a half decent teacher.

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Sniper is a photography teacher, and honestly? His class isn't for everyone. In Snipers mind through every picture he takes he's expressing a deep feeling or trying to invoke an emotion in the viewer, which he succeeds in most of the time, but it's hard for other people to replicate that when you, don't. Talk. To. Them. Some people just pick up photography and understand exactly how to do what Sniper expects without guidance, others can't understand at all. Basically, not a teacher, teacher.

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Spy is teaching political science, hoping he can somehow subtly influence a few students into using the knowledge he provided to find a profession in espionage. He's definitely a teacher who would make you nervous, kind of a mean teacher, but he never let's a student fall behind. Subtly offering help or an extension to make sure his students succeed. Claiming he doesn't do it out of love for his students, just so he isn't known for having any failures in his class.

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Soldier is the worlds best american history teacher, hands down. You want to talk about passion? He loves American history and will go on the longest rants and makes all of them entertaining. His class is never dull or boring. He's another prime example of a teacher who will do anything for his students and make sure they understand everything going on. No man left behind and all that. His students love him :)

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Pyro is a teacher of fire science (I didn't even know that was a thing, but apparently it is, who knew?) Pyro, being obsessed with lighting fires, knows quite a bit about all types of fire is more than happy to share their knowledge about flames. While their students can barely understand them, they don't call Pyro out on it as their passion for the subject transcends words. Pyro's class is less of a class than a period of entertainment, but somehow everyone comes away from the class knowing everything they needed, and even somethings they didn't.

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Short and sweet little headcanons, how fun! Sorry if it's actually too short! Thank you again for the ask anon, super fun to write :)

I'm just now realizing that there's a chance that this won't make sense because I'm a little tired while writing this, so I hope it turned out well. Sorry if it didn't, Anon 😭

[minimooberry]

{ i've never actually finished a legacy challenge before but I am ridiculously attached to my main save sims so hopefully I will this time 😭I'm going to be starting the barbie legacy challenge by @sims-himbo, modified to fit where we're at with gen 2 }

ok so actually speaking when i say modified i mean like, super modified. i genuinely cannot bring myself to name so many sims barbara guys 😓 but after mercedes has a kid i'll probably give them the middle name barbie (like trisha paytas' kid ☠🧍‍♀️) BUT, just so we have some backstory on everything thats going on right now, here's a recap.

DAPHNE MAE CASTRO is the fourth and last child of Emilie and Jonah Castro, my gen 1 sims. She's clumsy, loves the outdoors, a romantic, unforgettable, and wants to be a housewife. Take care of her garden, her daughter, and live a nice, happy, life. TAKING AFTER HER OLDER BROTHER ROMAN, she is also a little too romantic. In fact she is so flirty that she ends up in really, really awkward situations. Like when she kissed her best friend Ciara at prom and then ran away which started an argument that ended with her crying in the shower at home. TO GET OVER THIS ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIC EXPERIENCE, she gets wasted at a party and ends up hooking up with two boys, Nicolas and Rafael, in the same night (not at the same time 🙏😭). They actually end up hitting it off really well and she became FWB with both of them. She just... didn't tell them that she was sleeping with someone else. THIS PROVES TO BE A GENUINELY TERRIBLE DECISION when she finds out that she is not only pregnant, but she also doesn't know who the father is. If it isn't the consequences of her actions 😋 THE SITUATION IS BAD ALREADY BUT IT GETS A 100 TIMES WORSE when she finds out that they are in fact, twin brothers. Rafael and Nicolas Blaze, born out of a summer romance between a wealthy business man and a lower class girl, are both definitely horrified that they've been sleeping with the same girl, but also horrified that she is pregnant! STILL NOT KNOWING WHO THE FATHER IS, they're both equally as involved in her pregnancy, even helping her move out into a little trailer. Family is family either way and Daphne is still their... friend? Whatever, we don't get into their convoluted feelings for the sake of the baby. MERCEDES ELEANORA BLAZE is born healthy and reasonably happy to a single teen mom who is trying her best to not fuck up again. She's healing from the absolute shit show that was her pregnancy, but at least Rafael and Nicolas are involved. And hey, she can find out who the father really is now.

AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW!!! Daphne recently aged up into a young adult and Mercedes into a toddler 💗💗

previous // next

[klbwriting]

Our Strange Duet

Chapter 3: Not Alone

Fandom: Red Hood

Pairing: Jason Todd x f!reader

Warnings: angst

Summary: audition time

Taglist: @deans-spinster-witch @amberpanda99

You're not alone. No one is alone - Into The Woods

The day of auditions Jason sought out YN after lit class, wanting to make sure she wasn't nervous. They hadn't been avoiding each other but it was a little awkward now, YN thinking she revealed too much and Jason wishing he could reveal more to her. He was working on it, opening himself up, but he was still terrified of putting himself out there again, especially with her. He knew that her mother getting accepted to that cancer program had been once in a lifetime, a last ditch effort to save her life, and that YN had to go with her but he still felt hurt, like she had let him down by leaving him. So many people abandoned him in his life and she was one of them now, and every time he wanted to throw himself off the ledge for her he froze at the edge, wondering if she would disappear again. He had asked Dick about it and of course Dick wanted him to take the leap, have faith in her, keep himself open, basically don't turn into Bruce. His therapist had a similar view but he also said that Jason had to make the decision himself because it wouldn't be fair to either of them for him to try and force himself into anything he wasn't ready for, it would only end in worse heartbreak. So here he was, following her out of the classroom, grabbing her arm in the hall, making her jump and yelp.

"Sorry!" he said, letting her go. She took a breath to calm down and nodded, giving him a smile. "I just wanted to see how you were? Auditions are later, are you nervous?" She nodded again.

"Ya, honestly I've never done a musical before, Gotham Academy looked down their snooty noses at them, plus I'm not exactly a very operatic singer. I think I'll probably end up being stage crew," she said. Jason frowned, not sure what he was hearing.

"I think you'll be amazing," he said. "And if you don't get a part they are idiots." She blushed a little and smiled at him, reaching out to take his hand like it was second nature, but stopped the moment her fingers brushed his, pulling back. He wasn't hers anymore, she couldn't just grab his hand whenever she wanted. She had left him, hurt him, and she couldn't expect him to just fall back in step with her because she wanted it. She dropped her hand by her side, but then he reached out and gently took her hand, squeezing it.

"Jason..." she said, not wanting him to force himself to do this.

"YN," he said in her same tone. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips and he felt the overwhelming urge to kiss her. He loved her slightly annoyed face, he loved all of her faces, but that love had that twinge of fear and hurt so he kept himself from moving closer to her. "I don't want you to think that you can't be honest with me, that you can't depend on me still. No matter what happened before I'm still your friend, still here for you and if you need to hold my hand for any reason you can." She nodded.

"Thank you," she said. "I have another class, see you before auditions?" He nodded and let her go, swearing that she walked away with his heart in her hands again.

As promised YN waited inside the auditorium, ten minutes early, for Jason to arrive. She was standing there singing to herself, making sure she enunciated her words, loosening her mouth up to prepare. She watched the door so much that a nearby theater member noticed.

"Got someone coming to see you?" she asked. YN looked over, blushing a little. "I'm Halle."

"I'm YN, and am I that obvious?" she asked. Halle laughed a little. Then Jason walked in and YN's eyes snapped to his and she smiled again. He looked annoyed, but when he saw her smiled back at her.

"O, I see now," Halle said. YN didn't move as Jason put his things down in the rows of chairs. She seemed frozen to the spot, doubts flowing through her head. That smile of his, the one he seemed to save for her, broke her heart now. What if she messed up? What if he ran this time? What if everything fell apart again and he was hurt? She was back in December when she had told him she was leaving, the way his face turned to hurt, she had become his father, his mother, Bruce, another on a list of people who left him. She hated being on that list. "Go get him," Halle muttered. YN snapped back to the present and nodded, willing herself to walk over to him. Nothing was holding her back from him this time, she could stay as long as he wanted her too. This time if he wanted rid of her he would have to leave her. She walked over to him, leaning on the back of the chair in front of him.

"You nervous?" she asked this time. He shook his head, but she saw his fists clenching and unclenching, and his eyes were a little green. "What happened?" she asked. That green only came around when he was feeling angry.

"Nothing," he said, trying to push down his emotions. On the way over he had read an article about Bruce Wayne's newest rescue puppy, Tim Drake. His rich parents had been killed and now he was an orphan and Bruce gallantly swept in to adopt him, the very picture of altruism. What a fucking joke. He was trying to keep himself from running, he needed theater, needed to be someone else right now, not run and hide somewhere. By the time his song was done he would be able to think clearly, just like always. He looked YN, seeing the worry on her face. "After auditions I'll talk to you ok? Right now I just...need to not be Jason." She nodded, this time reaching out and squeezing his hand. She held it for just a moment, supporting him.

Auditions started and men were first, Jason watching the upperclassmen preform before the freshmen. He focused on his song, getting into the phantom's headspace. He had watched anything he could find for this show over the last week, the movie, youtube videos of the live musical, the original black and white movie, anything to really dissect the phantom. He'd even read the book, only getting halfway through before auditions, but he would finish it. He was ready, he was getting this part and he would once again play a madman behind a mask. He did that almost every night now, should be easy.

"Jason Todd," the director said. He climbed on stage, hooking up his phone to the speakers for music. He swallowed hard before slipping on his new skin, body hunching a little, making himself look intimidating, but he looked down, hiding the half of his face with the scar on it, like he was ashamed of that part of his face. He became Erik, in love with someone who he could never have, someone who loved someone else more, he was a beast, he wasn't worthy of love.

"Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation, Darkness stirs and wakes imagination, Silently the senses abandon their defenses..." he began singing, and before he knew it the song was ending. This was surprising, no one else had been allowed to do the full song. He had expected them to use the little buzzer they had to stop him, but they hadn't. He had finished the song, going to his phone and disconnecting it. "Thank you." He walked off stage to two people in the crowd standing and clapping, YN and Dick, who must have snuck in one the auditions had already started. They looked so proud of him and he couldn't lie, he was proud of himself. Bruce was wrong, he wasn't replaceable to everyone. He waved to Dick who looked like he might burst, before going and sitting next to YN. Another freshmen finished and they said there would be a five minute break before the lady's auditions started. Jason stood, YN following him back to see Dick who hugged his brother.

"If you aren't the phantom I'm putting you in another school, this place doesn't deserve you," he said. Jason blushed, still not used to his brother being this way. Dick had changed also since he had moved in, he wasn't as cold as he had been when he first met Jason. He probably felt similar to how Jason felt now, seeing Tim Drake take his place, but the difference was that Bruce had eventually forced them together, making sure they became brothers, such good brothers that Dick had dug up his body to bring him back. Jason still wasn't sure why Dick did it, and he never told him, but he loved him for it. He let Dick hug him before turning to YN.

"What did you think?" he asked. Her eyes sparkled when she looked at him and he melted just a little.

"You were magic Jason, honestly," she said. "I can't wait to see you actually being Erik on stage." He broke down and hugged her after that. She clung to him and he felt the wall he build around himself chipping away, whole columns coming down at the feeling of her holding him again. She pulled back when they called for the lady's and headed up front. She stood next to Halle and they wished each other lucky.

It was the same format, upperclassmen first, and Jason could see YN started to get nervous as every other performer did a song from the show. It was the during the third rendition of Think of Me that he snuck up to the front, passing a note into YN's hand before sneaking back to sit in the exact middle of the theater. She looked at the note and opened it.

At least you stand out, you're amazing, sing to me, I know you'll kill it

She turned and found him. He smiled at her and waved. She waved back, reading the note a couple more times before her name was called. She went on stage, rolling out the portable piano that was kept backstage for band rehearsals. She sat down and introduced herself and her song.

"I'll be singing Driver's License, not the original but the Lewis Capaldi cover," she explained. The director nodded slowly, a small smile coming to her face. YN took a breath, not sure what that smile meant but she began, playing flawlessly as she slipped into character. She was heartbroken, she didn't need much to slip back into that state of mind, but she was still holding on that she might be with him again, which was also on her mind. She would pour herself into this, make them believe that even if she couldn't hit the high notes, she was still worth having in the show just for her acting abilities. She caught Jason's eye as they kept letting her sing, not buzzing her out right away either. As the song continued she found Jason in the auditorium, baring herself to him again, knowing he could bring out her best.

Red lights, stop signs I still see your face in the white cars, front yards Can't drive past the places we used to go Cause I still fucking love you

She finished the song and stood, moving the piano back. She bowed her head to them.

"Thank you," she said, going to join the others. Jason slunk back over to her, once again amazing her with how such a big guy could be so quiet when he moved. He sat next to her and smiled.

"You were amazing," he said. "They let you finish." She nodded, but she knew, she wasn't going to be the star, but maybe she could do something else, she was pretty sure that the director was listening to her piano skills more than her singing. After the others were finished they were dismissed, they would get an email with the cast list by Sunday.

Outside they stood, watching as the other theater members went back to their dorms or apartments. Dick said bye and told Jason to be home soon, they had something to do. YN knew that was code for 'taking out big bad criminals with our super secret identities' so she didn't ask follow up questions.

"You know, if you're out and about and you need help you can come to my place again," she said. Jason nodded, smiling at her. "And I look forward to seeing your name at the top of the cast list."

"Talk to you later?" he asked. She nodded, reaching out to him again, this time moving into his arms easily, hugging him close. He settled into her again, another piece of armor being dislodged. "Can we meet up this weekend? I want to talk to you again, just us this time." She nodded.

"Anytime your free I'll be free."

[mymainwastoocluttered]

Part two of Adorabat like reader.

She knocks someone out and in panick tries to hide the body, she learned that from Floyd and Jade. She does it bad and someone catches her in the act, cut to her running away yelling how she isn’t going to jail.

Takes her lil wooden sword (gift from Lilia) everywhere. And thanks to Lilia training, she often tries to one up Sebek because he also yells and it’s a knight.

As soon as she was turned and looked up at everyone in the room, screaming could be heard from all NRC. Upon inspection, they find a bunch of students trying to take a large stick for mixing potions (that somehow got on fire in the end by some flammable potion) from a child, screaming at who are this people and that she is going to break their faces.

More than one time, someone found this menace of society in the middle of the hallway, having escaped whoever was in charge of watching. And probably on her way to Floyd for chaos.

One time, when playing pirates, Jade told her there is a vault full of treasures in Azul office, she just needed to beat the boss.

Azul got his first taste of what a wooden sword and a motivated child can do to your legs. Was in octopus form for a full day after this.

She tried to help in Crewel class as his mini assistant, everyone is quiet for once since this child has a menacing look and will snitch on you for a pen. Or sometimes just plain fun.

HSJSHSJSJA I love this

The one who caught her was Riddle, and in her mind "Riddle = the Law = jail" (thanks to Adeuce, mostly). So she ran to Floyd, cuz he's the best "Riddle repellent" there is

HUMAN CEASE YOUR SCREAMING AND PUT DOWN YOUR SWORD YOU CANNOT DEFEAT— ACK!! Lord Malleus, this servant of yours has been defeated by such weakling, I am a shame to your name–! (Meanwhile, Lilia laughs, patting her head and offering some lemon candy)

Everyone thought the kid was cute, up until she screeched so loud some of the vials cracked. It was ever worse when she grabbed her fallen wooden stick, shoved it on the fire beneath the cauldron and then started swinging it around. The video of Leona jumping away from the murderous child that Cater recorded is safely saved in everyone's phones, even the Prefect's herself.

There's three type of people when it comes to finding Reader in the corridor when she very clearly should be with someone: The "I'm taking you back" (with Riddle and Vil being at the top of the list), the "I'll just take you with me, but no shenanigans" (this is where most of the students are), and finally "SHENANIGANS :D" (with Floyd unsurprisingly being at the top)

Azul is traumatized for life. He tries to stay in his octopus form after he sees the purple marks on his legs after Floyd convinced her she needed to beat the Big Boss to get the treasure, but he soon learns that having eight squishy, biteable limbs is NOT BETTER

"Fufufu... That brings back memories..."

"Jade, stop smiling and get that child out of my office!"

After she helps Crewel, the teachers are more than happy to have her help them too. The payment? Candy and toys. Trein gave her permission to crawl around the class and bite the ankle of anyone who falls asleep. Vargas carries her on his shoulders so she'll have a better angle when throwing some "inoffensive" plastic balls at misbehaving students.

Crowley gets no help.

[sparklepocalypse]

And now for something I haven't done in an age (mostly because of that, you know, dozen-year hiatus from being active in fandom, which ended abruptly this fall)...

It's Fic Rec Friday!! I'm going to try to do this every other Friday (if not every Friday; TBH it really depends on my brain at the end of a given work week...), and share the links to 5-ish of my favorite fics. These will likely be multifandom rec posts pretty frequently, so just a heads up there, but I'll clearly mark each fandom included and chunk the recs out that way in the posts.

Will I rec new fics? Seems likely! Will I rec old fics? Signs point to yes! Will I rec WIPs? Probably just completed fics for now, but we'll see! Will I be effusive in my praise of the fics I rec? Absolutely!

Recs after the jump to save you a scroll...

Red, White & Royal Blue

With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest) by @kiwiana-writes [Alex/Henry acting AU | rated E | 65.5k words] Former child star Alex meets theatre graduate Henry in a queer stage reimagining of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.

This is the first fic that I ever yelled at MJ about, and there's been plenty of yelling since then. It checks all the boxes: it's an AU (my beloved!); there's a heap of drama on and offstage; there's big huge romance; there's really delightful humor. Also, you will feel the need to give their Henry a hug. The way MJ writes Alex and Henry always reaches into my brain and scratches it in the right place, and they'll absolutely be a frequent flyer in these rec lists.

Please Don't Let Me Be So Understood by @cha-melodius [Alex/Henry corporate AU | E | 20k words] Alex and Henry are colleagues who can't stand one another. They're assigned to mandatory reconciliation by their boss, but their therapist assumes it's actually couples' therapy, and well... things escalate from there.

How do I love this fic? Let me count the ways... after I crash-landed into the RWRB fandom this fall, this is one of the fics that really stood out to me when I was sort of frantically trying to digest all the M and E-rated (I know, super shocking) fic that the fandom had to offer. Sara always handles her characters with such care, regardless of the situation she throws them into, and couples' therapy that's not supposed to be couples' therapy is no different.

What Do I Know? by @three-drink-amy [Alex/Henry amnesia AU | E | 83.6k words] Alex has a serious car accident and wakes up a week later in the hospital with no memory of the past five years. He's shocked to learn that he and Henry are married, because they hate each other... right?

Put on your favorite angst pants for this one, because it's going to hurt. I absolutely had to pause and cry during this fic, but it's so, so well written that I can forgive the face leakage. And the promised happy ending absolutely delivers! Just, you know. Brace yourself because ouch.

Star Trek

How High the Moon by kyliselle [Kirk/Spock AOS AU | E | 37.7k words] After the destruction of Vulcan, Spock shielded his mind to protect it from his broken bond with T'Pring. Little did he know another bond had already formed in its place.

This is the first Star Trek (2009 Abramsverse) fic that made me absolutely feral, and I share it now with you because it's just that good. I'm a little bummed that the author hasn't claimed it on AO3 following the original archive being shut down, because I would love to yell at them on AO3 about it and know that they see the comments. But it's so good. I am a huge sucker for soulbonds, and Vulcan bonds in particular where they've got the telepathic component, and accidental Vulcan bonds in particular in particular, and this fic absolutely delivers. Angst galore, though, so just like with the previous rec, you'll need your angst pants.

Smallville

When a Strawberry is Pushed into a Mountain by Thamiris [Clark Kent/Lex Luthor | E | 33.1k words] While studying at Metropolis University, Clark takes a literature class and, with Lex's help, finds a new appreciation for poetry.

If you have an appreciation for Beat poetry, beautiful phrasing, and the DCU/Smallville, you'll love this fic. Thamiris was an incredibly talented writer who unfortunately passed away in 2007, but a group of her friends ensured that we'd have access to her writing in perpetuity by archiving it for her on AO3. This fic was one of the influences of the body calligraphy and intercrural sex fics I wrote for Kinktober 2023; just gorgeous, gorgeous prose altogether.

[obeymedevil]

Obey Me x M!Reader 

Summary: After getting overwhelmed and bursting into tears, the 7 brothers try to support you the best they can. They'd do anything to see you smile again. They love you so much, Mc!

A/N: I hope you guys like this! If any of you ever need somebody then just dm me. I'm here for you all! Guess who just got their accounts back? I did! Everything works fine and I'll finally be trnding to your requests after long last hehe. I'm thrilled to be back posting again! ♡ It's a reupload because nobody could see the first I posted oops- but its all fixed :3

Warnings: Anxiety mentions and being overwhelmed. Lots of fluff! ☆ Not proofread just yet but will be. ♡

(Tip here if you'd like to!)

Breathe with me.

Things had felt heavy all day weighing upon your shoulders and pushing against your chest. In class at RAD academy, had people been talking about you? Maybe not but their gaze lingered on you for more than a second and that had shaken you up alone. Let alone the amount of work that just didn't seem to be registering in your head. Currently you were in your room, laying on your bed and staring at the ceiling - vision blurred. Things had been getting better since your arrival to the Devildom but it was always bound to sneak back up on you again. It had always felt like a dark cloud hovering above your head only that you'd have no idea when a storm was coming.

 A light knock on your door caught your attention, momentarily pulling your mind away from that devastatingly heavy cloud.

"Mc?" Satan's voice sounded from outside the door. "Dinners ready, aren't you coming down?" In all honesty you really didn't feel like it. But, truth be told, if you didn't go down then everyone would worry. All you had to do was last until the end of dinner, then you could just relax and maybe get these tears out of your system.

"Yeah! I'll be down in a moment!" Listening to his footsteps getting further and further away, you decided to finally head down after wiping your face a little. This could work! The perfect distraction is 7 demon brothers, the amount of chaos that ensues every dinner would be brilliant. You allowed your feet to begin to drag you out of your room and down the hallway resulting in those lovely mixture of voices to get clearer.

"Mammon, we don't need another lecture on your schemes for more grimm at dinner." Lucifer sighed, probably with his head in his hands at this point. 

"Nah nah, ya gotta hear me out this time!" Walking forward you watched as he leaned across the table. "I'm tellin' ya this is perfect and it's gonna work this time!" Already you started to giggle a little at his antics, this would be a breeze.

"Ah, Mc!" Asmo cooed as he looked over at you, "I saved you a seat beside me!" Smiling at him in return you sat yourself between Asmo and Levi before gazing at your rather delicious looking dinner. Your eyes however soon shifted their focus to Levis gaming console in his hands. 

"What game are you playing, Levi?" His eyes instantly lit up at your voice, finally joining the real world. 

"Ah here, look! It's a more chill game. You can cook and stuff like that!" Lucifer once again let out a long and rather drawn out sigh.

"Mhm and instead of cooking in this game of yours, shouldn't you be focusing on your actual dinner?" Levi gulped a little at his older brother's voice, shoving his handheld console into his deep Pocket. 

"Ah... Oh yeah. Mc, I'll show you more later okay?" He grinned at you before shoving forkfuls of his meal into his mouth. Mammon's eyes soon moved onto you with a rather mischievous smile. Oh no. What does he want?

"Hey Mc, do ya wanna-" 

"No." The words were caught in your throat as Belphie spoke them first in his sleepy haze. "He doesn't want to hear anymore of your schemes." Belphie had appeared to save you pretty quickly which meant that you could just shrug and put the chaos on hold until you felt a little better within yourself.

"Aw c'mon he hasn't ever heard me out yet!" Giggling lightly at his words, you hummed a little.

"Later I promise Mammon, 'kay?" Your words seemed to settle him down pretty quickly as he slumped back in his chair, arms folded with a proud smirk against his lips.

"Hmph, see? That's my human." Shaking his head, Lucifer breathed a light sigh of relief as his eyes met your own - Softening instantly.

"Mc, how are you anyway hm? It's unlike you to be late to dinner-" Soft sobs cut him off as you began to cry almost instantly at his calm and gentle tone. 

"Mc!" Beels face instantly softened as he rushed over to you and in the Process abandoning his food. You're way more important than food. His hand gently placed itself on your shoulder and once you leaned into his touch he pulled you into his chest for the warmest bear hug you've ever experienced. Your sobs were muffled by his shirt as his hand rubbed soothing circles against your back. It didn't take long before the rest of the brothers rushed over and began to fuss over you.

"Hey hey it's okay lovely!" Asmo hummed lightly, moving your hair away from your face so it didn't irritate you further. He cooed softly at how sweet you looked with the other half of your face squished against beeIs chest. He just wanted to protect you... They all did.

"Human! We're here. What's wrong? Are ya hurt? Not feelin' well?" His hand soon held your own and you held it with dear life causing Mammon's usual protective instinct with you to go into overdrive. Levi and Satan were sharing comforting words with you all whilst rubbing your back. Belphie was beside his twin, worried as ever but not wishing to overwhelm you - he knew you were safe in his twin's arms though and he wouldn't hesitate to end anybody who attempted to harm you. Lucifer soon walked over, Concern lacing his eyes as he crouched down and held his hand against your cheek to catch some fears with his thumb.

"Hey hey... I'm sorry Mc. Did I upset you, love?" His words were So gentle and loving which just resulted in a light whine from you. But an apology from the Avatar of Pride even though he didn't do a thing wrong? Well he just loves you so much… His sin is nothing compared to how much he and his brothers adore you!

"N- no… 'm sorry i'm just upset. Anxious." You managed to barely form a sentence through your tears but the boys knew exactly what to do. With a gentle nod from Lucifer, Beel softly scooped you up into his arms and allowed you to hide your face against his neck. 

"That's Okay Mc, it's okay…" Satan soothed as Belphie left, only to return and begin wrapping you up in what you taught them was called a 'blanket burrito'. They all soon brought you to the main room before all of them held you closely in their arms.

"We won't ever let anything harm you no matter what." Beel spoke as Belphie wiggled his cow printed pillow into your arms with a soft smile. 

Letting you relax and lay back against Beel, Satan soon sat before you with a gentle smile.

"Breathe with me okay?" With ragged breaths you began to follow his lead.

"Breathe in for four seconds.

1...2…3…4

Hold for four.

1…2…3…4

Breathe out for four seconds.

1…2…3…4

Hold for four.

1…2…3…4

Let's repeat this Okay?"

You both repeated this until your breathing evened out and those tears slowly came to a halt, an occasional hiccup being the reminder of your tears. Satan soon praised you for doing so well as Mammon held onto your hands. 

"Hear that human? Ya did good! I'm so proud of you…" Lucifer soon smiled as he gazed at you softly.

"Please Mc, always tell us when things get to you okay? We will forever be here for you." With a gentle nod and tired smile you mumbled out a gentle thank you.

"Thank you all so so much…" Asmo Stood up rather abruptly.

"Now I think a self care day is in order!"

Be prepared for Skincare, your favourite movies and shows with literally all of your favourite snacks. Well... Most of the snacks considering Beels puppy eyes absolutely melting you. A giant cuddle pile would soon ensue during the movie filled with sleepy brothers and a sleepy you.

"Mc?" Levis' hushed voice soon piped up among the piles of blankets.

"Yeah Levi?" You whispered back, giggling a little at the hushed conversation coming from a very sleepy Levi.

"Love you, Mc. Let's play that game together tomorrow… All our favourite games."

"That sounds good! I promise we will Levi.♡"

[casquecest]

✨15 QUESTIONS FOR 15 MUTUALS✨

Thanks for inquiring after me, @forestdeath1 and @nodirectionhome-ao3 x

1. ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?

My middle name is my great-great grandparents' surname. They immigrated from Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland around 1850. My mum and one of my nieces also have it as a middle name, and if I ever have a kid -- regardless of gender -- they'll have it as well. I used to hate it when I was a kid because no one where I grew up could either spell or pronounce it correctly, but now I love it.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

I don't know exactly. I know I got drunk and listened to Beethoven a few weeks ago, so it was probably then. I find it cathartic, and will do it on occasion just for that release.

3. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

Nein.

4. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?

I tend to be rather dry as opposed to sarcastic.

5. WHAT SPORTS HAVE YOU PLAYED/DO YOU PLAY?

I'm reading this as asking which sports I've done in an official competitive setting outside of gym class, in which case, I've competed in: dance (ballet and tap); gymnastics; softball; basketball; orienteering; swimming; marathoning (and other road races); and I shoot pool. I, um, love sports.

6. WHAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE?

Probably their hair and general countenance.

7. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

¿Por qué no los dos?

I like scary movies, I enjoy happy endings, but what I really can't resist is a tragedy.

8. ANY SPECIAL TALENTS?

I can dislocate my shoulders and belch on command. I've got a pretty good head for facts and figures and do pretty well at trivia. I also do well at karaoke and drawing, and just generally being a consummate badass 😎.

9. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

St Louis, Missouri, USA.

10. WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?

I love puzzles!! Crosswords are my favourite, and have been since my grandmother taught me how to do them when I was little, but I also love jigsaw puzzles, word puzzles, rebuses, cryptoquips, sudokus, etc. You name it, I probably want to solve it. I also love travelling (I pretty much just save my money to travel), drawing, reading, running my mouth, pool (like billiards, not like beach), and going to restaurants and playing critic (I do this with breweries as well, but not as often). I love trying new things. I'll get too bored otherwise. I also just like wandering around.

11. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?

Not currently. Fishies would be relaxing. If I ever move to a larger place where I'd have space for a decent-sized tank, I'd look into having fish again.

12. ALL-TIME FAVOURITE PIECE OF MEDIA?

I had some smartass answer in my head when I sat down to start answering these questions, but it's left me now. Trust me, it was terribly clever and witty.

13. FAVOURITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL?

History and Human Anatomy and Physiology. I also adored Geography in middle school (it wasn't offered as a class in my district past that point, which is a real shame).

14. WHAT IS YOUR DREAM JOB?

As many others have said, I do not dream of labour. I just want to explore and be paid for it, lol. I did just apply for a job with a major airline, so, hopefully, that pans out as the position pays well enough and there are travel perks.

Being a pathologist would be wicked cool and suit me as well. Medical mysteries are just another puzzle.

15. WHAT IS YOUR EYE COLOUR?

I call it slate.

I'm just going to tag a few people, but if you want to do this as well, consider yourself tagged =D

@tvnacity @thelighthousestale @wendibird @rodiniaorzetalthepenquin @mariekavanagh @artemisia-black @avocado-moon @ladymalchav @casinthegarden @sl-walker @padfootswhiskers