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#just a few more months before I can graduate this community college and it won’t matter what he thinks of me anymore 🙏
raan-miir-tah · 7 months
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I JUST ACCIDENTALLY SENT MY ZIONIST SHIT ASS DAD A LINK TO WEST BANK APPAREL girlies I am not getting my college paid for
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opiatesandspeed · 24 days
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To my fellow addicts,
I know the cold/hot sweats are one of the worst things but my least favorite was the restless legs which today it’s your lucky day because I remember the cure. I knew this before my overdose (the in in 2016 that I was the actual closest to death), but when I needed to learn everything from scratch I completely forgot that Nikki always used to stock up on as much gabapentin/neutontin as possible before attempting to come off of H. I have recently come off of suboxone only about a month ago and have been having some opioid withdrawal symptoms that have been delayed. I already know and understand a lot of the science of this because I did so much research on it. Also now that I have finished school and I’m serious this time I would love to get the nodsquad page back up and running. It will be a lot of work but the amount of lives we saved I say fuck you directly to tumblr’s ToS. We never directly facilitate a deal but if someone is using and is asking for help because their supplier got locked up/they don’t trust this person anymore we at least did a little bit of screening beforehand to ensure the legitimacy of the individual pointing the person in at least the general direction. We had a network of people all over the world which we would need to reestablish but now that I have finally graduated from college I have a few weeks of free time before I get stuck with a job and won’t have as much is anyone is down to help out PLEASE DM ME. Also the motto that Nikki and I had was that we never tried to talk individuals out of using because we were addicts ourselves and that would’ve been highly hypocritical. Second, we always tried to get them resource help before just telling them yeah we know someone in (any city, USA/the world) this included ensuring they had narcan and for specific situations we sent out a lot of narcan to people(it was not just in the pharmacy back then). But still I would be interested in getting people clean needles/rigs/sharps… another thing is please because you use different wording do not attack others or make fun of the way things are said in their particular area. This created a lot of unnecessary chaos. If you’re serious about helping others and if you know your shit PLEASE DM ME DIRECTLY ASAP. I will be creating the new email for the new page at some point today. Lastly, all I ask is that if you are interested you at least have 1 hour a week minimum to answer messages or look on the page and that you do your research before answering questions from our fellow addicts. I will be adding on to this message because I have so much more else to say but I hate typing on my phone and I’m too lazy to get to my Mac which is a few feet away from me 🤣. However I want to end this with that no matter how bad things are things can get better. I’m not going to go into my entire story but I completely lost the ability to gain any short term memory and was able to graduate from a top 30 school in the US. You can do it and it is possible no matter how hard it seems to get clean but it is the hardest thing you will ever do but it is worth it. It is not sunshine and rainbows and you will have to fight harder than every other sober person 5 times as hard but after graduating I think my first field before going into cyber security will be addiction counseling. Which is where my true passion is. Just know that you are worth it even if you have no one. that’s what this community is for to support people who are bring constantly criticized by others or not getting the help they need. This may go nowhere but I think it’s worth giving one last shot for @sweet-despondency my fiance who passed away next to me back in 2016. Where if there was a way to see her for just a minute and be able to hug her I would go through hell. I know that is how most of you people feel for the people you lost as well. But the best thing we can do is keep their memory alive by helping others. Thank you so much if you got this far. I love you all and hope to talk to you all very soon.
UPDATE: 13:18 ET: So good news... We at least still have a page up that I am going to try to get the login info for but I'm not sure how hard this will be. Just wanted to let you all know A PAGE still exists... not the original page.
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ragingbookdragon · 3 years
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I’m Only A Crack In This Castle Of Glass (Hardly Anything Else I Need To Be) PT. 7
Batfamily x Batsis Story
Word Count: 2.1K Warnings: Explicit Language, Angst
Author’s Note: Anyone order a part seven? Cause I got a part seven for y'all. Enjoy! -Thorne
**********************************************************************
Ever since the meeting that night, she’d gotten more letters from her family than she’d ever received in twenty-one years. Not that she decided to read them. The first line from Dick’s letter was, ”I never wanted you to leave because of me. If only I’d known…”. She couldn’t keep reading, and she wasn’t sure if it were from guilt, sadness, or anger, but there was something there that she didn’t want to face.
It didn’t stop there though. They kept coming even if she tacked a return to sender on it and sent it back. She’d even labeled one and written, ”Stop writing me.” but that didn’t stop them. Wally texted her every other night on top of the letters and she wanted to strangle him through the phone.
She knew though, that if she could keep holding out for three more months, she’d be home free. Wherever home was at this point. Every city she kept thinking about had some type of vigilante and there was nothing that didn’t; eventually she decided on Coast City. Somewhere warm and sunny, and as far from Gotham and Central as possible.
Of course that little voice in the back of her head just kept telling her to talk to them, but she was going to be as stubborn against it as possible—but time was dwindling, and so was her resolve.
***
“Ophelia, have you seen the extra bag of espresso beans? I can’t remember where you put them the other week.” She waited for a response. “Ophelia?” she turned and frowned. “Why did I accept the manager’s position when I can’t even round up my workers?”
She walked out of the storage and wiped her hands on the rag at her waist. “Ophelia?” A giggle sounded at the counter and when she walked out, her eyes went wide at the sight.
Jason was leaning against the counter with that smile he used to use on the models at the galas. He smiled at Ophelia. “Tell me, what do you make better, the cappuccinos or lattes?”
“Well, I make a —”
“She makes a mean ‘get in the back and find my espresso beans’,” she grunted and both of them jumped.
“Melisandre!” Ophelia stuttered, pale cheeks flushing pink. “I thought you were in the back.”
“I was. Think you can go find the coffee beans you put away?” She shot Ophelia a stare that screamed ‘scram’ and the girl nodded, hurrying to the storage room.
“Aww, why’d you run the cutie off, Melisandre?” Jason queried. “I was going to ask her out on—”
“Can I talk to you?” she interrupted, voice barely containing her seething rage. “Outside.”
Jason shrugged and shoved his hands in his jean pockets. “Sure, but be careful, people might get suspicious.”
She grunted and walked outside, listening to him follow and when the door shut, she turned around and hissed, “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just getting coffee.”
“Oh, don’t play dumb with me, Jason. We both know that’s a load of bullshit.”
His eyes narrowed and he noted, “You’ve really gotten comfortable using foul language. You know that, (Y/N)?”
She glared at him. “What. Do. You. Want.”
“You won’t answer our letters,” he shrugged. “Didn’t have a lot of options to talk.”
“And showing up at my job is the better option?” she griped.
“It was that or your house, (Y/N). Take your pick but you can’t have both.”
“Well, maybe my silence is supposed to be the answer to those letters. Did you think about that?”
“I did,” he nodded. “But after the third letter being rejected, I decided to go big or go home.”
(Y/N) growled. “Go home.”
Jason smirked. “No.”
“I’m not fucking joking here, Jason. I don’t want you coming here. Ever.”
“Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn,” he retorted then stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. “You don’t wanna talk willingly, fine. I’ll make you talk to me. And if I have to show up here every day, I will.”
“No, you won’t.”
Jason cocked a brow and tightened his grip. “You wanna bet? Because I’m not Dick and I’m sure as hell not Bruce. I don’t have a day job to get to.” He smirked. “I can do this all day.”
(Y/N) bit the inside of her cheek and thought for a moment then sighed and yanked her arm away. “Fine. Come to my apartment after five. We’ll talk there.”
“Thank—”
“Don’t thank me yet,” she interrupted coldly. “I’m agreeing for one meeting and then you fuck off back to Gotham City and leave me the hell alone for good.” She spun on her heel and started back for the door when his voice reached her, tired and pained.
“Do you really hate all of us? Do you really hate us like you make yourself think you do?”
(Y/N)’s feet felt like lead and she stopped, gazing at the glass door. “I don’t know, Jason.”
“Then let me help.”
“You can find the apartment on your own. I know you’re good at looking for homes.” She slipped in the café door, leaving him standing there shocked and hurt.
***
Sure enough, a minute after five o’clock, her doorbell rang and she called, “It’s open.” The door opened and shut, and she looked up from the little kitchenette, watching the way Jason walked into her apartment, gazing around the empty living room.
“Shit, do you live in a home or a prison cell?”
(Y/N) grunted. “Nice quip. Come up with that by yourself?”
He wandered into the kitchen, leaning back against the counter as she prepared dinner. “What’re you making?”
“Chicken marsala,” she replied. “You’re here to talk. Start talking.”
“Are you going to be a bitch like you were the other night or can I ask about life in Central the last three years?” she shot him a glare, warning him, but he paid it no mind. “You going to school?”
(Y/N) nodded. “I go to Central City Community College. Take classes all week at different times.”
“What are you studying?” he asked.
“For now, general studies, but I’m minoring in political science.”
“Planning on a four year after you graduate?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.” Her hands stalled for a moment. “I don’t have the money for a big school to get a bachelors.” Shaking her head, she chopped up the vegetables. “Figure if I can get a job in the area, I can scrounge up enough to start the process though.”
“Might take years,” Jason noted, and she nodded.
“Yeah, hard work usually does.” (Y/N) glanced at him. “What’s Cassandra like?”
He blinked, evidently not expecting that, though he recovered and smiled. “She’s great honestly. Kicks ass better than anyone I know.”
“Even Batman?”
Jason huffed a laugh. “I’m sure she could wipe the floor with each of us if she decided to not hold back. Her mom’s Lady Shiva and her dad’s David Cain.”
“I don’t know who they are but I’m assuming from the tone that they’re not exactly the best parents in the world.”
“No…they’re not.” He agreed. “David didn’t teach Cass how to speak so she’s been mute all her life.”
“I’ve heard the few interviews she’s given,” (Y/N) replied. “She’s very eloquent when she does.”
“Shakespeare’s influence. And probably Emily Dickinson.” He smiled. “I leave her a lot of books to read so I can be her favorite.”
She snorted. “Yeah, that sounds like you.” Sliding the cast iron skillet into the oven, she sat at the crappy metal dining table, Jason taking the seat on the other side. (Y/N) scratched at the table. “Does Bruce like her?” she questioned lowly, and he nodded.
“Loves her like she’s his own.” He her with cautious eyes. “Just like he loves you.” Jason watched the emotion flash across her face, quick as lighting, a deep sorrow, then she was humming.
“Well, that’s good then.” She cleared her throat and looked at the clock. “How’ve you been? I hear a lot about Outlaws.”
Jason chuckled. “Yeah, that’s my band of renegades. Me, Roy Harper, and Koriand’r.”
“Remind me, those were Speedy and Starfire, right?”
He snorted. “Arsenal and Starfire. But yeah, close enough.”
(Y/N) got up and pulled two glasses from the cabinet before going to the refrigerator and getting the lemonade. She poured them both glasses and sat back down. “How’d you manage to wrangle two of the Titans into your posse?”
“Kori willingly tagged along, and Roy won’t leave me alone,” he griped, sipping his lemonade.
“Mmm…and how does Dick feel about you stealing two of his exes?”
Jason choked on his drink, spilling it on the table and down his chin. “That’s not—” he coughed. “That’s not what that is.”
“Uh huh, sure it’s not.”
“It isn’t,” he glowered.
“Riiiiiiight,” she drawled out with a grin, then took a sip and set her glass back down. “Figured you’d get Cass along with you. she seems like she’d be fit for Outlaws.”
He shook his head. “Nah, she’d be better off with Tim and his Young Justice weirdos.”
“She non-lethal?”
“Mhm.”
They dwindled into silence until the timer went off on the oven and she pulled the skillet out and set two plates on the table. “You’re gonna feed me?” he asked as she handed him a fork.
(Y/N) scoffed. “Duh. I’m a bitch, but I’m a bitch with manners.” She smiled sweetly. “But you have to leave afterwards.”
“Mmm…can I crash on your couch?”
“No.”
“Please?”
“No.”
He shrugged. “Figured I’d try anyways.”
They ate in silence, occasionally speaking about their lives the last three years, and when the food was all gone and the lemonade drunk, he sighed and reclined in the chair.
“What?” (Y/N) questioned and he shrugged.
“Dunno…I’d like to do this again soon.” His teal eyes found hers. “It’s been too long since we were together.”
“Tread carefully,” she murmured, looking at the wall and he sighed.
“Sis, talk to me,” he begged. “Even if it’s just to tell me how much you hate me, just talk to me.” She didn’t respond and he sighed again, standing from the table. “Thanks for dinner.”
“…I hate that you all put Gotham and every civilian before our family.” Jason stopped dead in his tracks and turned, gazing at her, though she didn’t tear her eyes from the wall. “I hate that the only time I felt like anyone paid any attention to me was when we were at galas and even then, the attention was just for show. It didn’t matter because all anyone wanted to do was get the hell out of the manor and go on patrol. It didn’t matter because I wasn’t like any of you. I wasn’t a part of the real family.”
Tears gathered in her eyes. “I hate that I spent more nights sitting in a dark and silent manor than spending them with my family. I hate that I never had a normal family growing up where we’d go for ice-cream after school and attend school performances. I hate that I got stuck with a bunch of siblings hellbent on giving every piece of themselves to the world and they couldn’t take one night off to have a family night to save their lives. To at least pretend to be normal.”
(Y/N) finally took her eyes from the wall and he felt his heart tighten as the tears slipped down her cheeks and she breathed, “I hate that I was born Bruce Wayne’s biological daughter and I’d give anything and everything I have to be someone else’s daughter and sister.”
Jason’s mouth felt dry, and he didn’t have single thing to say to her and she whispered, “Is that what you wanted to hear, Jason?” she blinked. “Because that’s what I feel every morning I wake up.”
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, and she cleared her throat, wiping her cheeks.
“Yeah well, I’m three years passed sorry.” (Y/N) nodded to the front door. “You should leave now.”
Jason nodded but his feet didn’t move. For a moment, he couldn’t move them, then he sucked in a breath and started edging back to the door. When he neared the door, he pulled it open and paused, looking back at her. “(Y/N)?” she didn’t answer but he said it anyway. “I love you. More than you’ve ever known.” He sighed and stepped out, closing it behind him.
(Y/N) buried her face in her hands and sobbed alone at the dinner table.
********************************************************************************
Tags!: @itsnottilly @cloudyskylines @starflyer-104 @iwillstaywiththemforever @justine-en @weirdgirlfromtx @notsostraightweeb @candlestudy @willowoo @peterxwade24 @the-atlantic-french-fry @bad-bouquet-of-emotions @vvipgot7be @pure-princess-97 @atomicsoulhumanspy @foreverthefloor @natatawa-ako @impactshawol @bethabear12 @adazzlingsakura @kimhanbiin @thatanonymouschocolate @mischief-writter-24-7 @lostinwonderland314 @elz-zalarrr @lady-of-the-abyss @peqchynero @d3m0n8ch1ld @goldenguki @fallen-wolf22 @battlenix
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neko-rogers · 4 years
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All I Ever Need
Peter warned you about the dangers of online dating.
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words: 4,007
tags: dark!peter parker, strong and explicit non-consensual elements, manipulation, implications of sex-pollen or drugging, lowkey breeding kink
a/n: please forgive me! i’m still new to writing dark!versed fics <3 but this was a request and i couldn’t resist (: if you liked this then you are free to help me out and improve my writing by leaving feedback or suggesting prompts that i could write about
     It was emotionally crushing.
     The moment you decided to create a Tinder account led you to all sorts of feelings. 
     As someone who had been busy with your final year of college, you never thought of engaging much in the relationships territory. With all these, you could only focus on finally graduating and obtaining a stable job. The idea that you were providing for yourself, without having to depend on a significant other, was fulfilling.
     It did not help further considering that most of your group of friends were just as hardworking as you. Peter Parker was one the closest and much more than just a good influence. Truly too good to be true.
     Nonetheless, you finally tried out those infamous dating applications you have been hearing. Despite warnings from your friends about how dangerous it can be, you were confident that you were smart enough to handle it.
     “You're still hung up on that app?” Peter interrupts alongside.
     The professor dismissed the class moments ago, and at least half of the people already exited the room. As always, Peter waited for you before heading for next subject.
     Admittedly, you were a bit caught up with your phone. Swiping left and right sounded boring, but for some reason you found it amusing how convenient it can be – the interaction and messages was a bonus. “So what if I am?”
     You lock your phone before Peter got to snoop further. Both your reflections could be seen amongst the black screen as you placed it on top of your other textbooks to be carried.
     “Any interaction online is dangerous,” he explains. “I thought you out of all people should know that, Y/N.”
     You roll your eyes at his remark. “You’re only a year older than me yet you sound like my dad. You know I’m already twenty-two, right?”
     “I’d hate to be the one to say I told you so when your world comes crashing down,” he consoles. 
     “Oh thats bullshit, Parker.” You could almost laugh at his sense of ridicule. “Like you said, I’m smart. I’m sure I’ll be able to handle online dating. Have faith in me, yeah?” 
     “Yeah, whatever. It’s fine.” Peter nods, still beside as you walked along the hallway. “It’s not like you’re already going on a date with one of them, right.” His assumption comes off as a statement rather than a question.
     However, you stay quiet seeming as it was best to leave it unanswered.
     “Oh no, please don’t tell me you’re seeing someone already.” Peter looks back when you decided to stay a meter behind him to save you from the guilt.
     “It’s just a second date, it won’t harm me,” you defended. “Plus, he goes to the community college nearby.”      “What?! You two are already on your second date before you told me, or anyone of your friends?” You could understand where his temper was coming from, but in the end, it was none of their business.
     “I know, but I just thought it wasn’t a big deal. Besides this is about me and Jacob.”
     Fortunately enough, you and Peter have the same subject which was BioChemistry. This time, he followed you behind while you avoided his gaze. He waited until you took a seat along the second to the last row, and then taking his seat next to you.
     You look straight, facing the chalkboard displayed at the farther side of the room. Though you could not see Peter entirely, you could see his glowering look by the corner of your eye. “So his name his Jacob, huh, tell me more about him.”
     This was the reason why you could not update him, or any of your friends. You knew this would happen. They begin getting so nosy around your life before they even realize it.
     Surely, you did love your friends, much more the boy sitting next to you. They have been with you since freshman year, and you were more than grateful for one another’s support.
     “Peter, I don’t think that whatever I tell you would concern you,” you state clearly to avoid a dragging conversation. 
     “But we care about you, I care about you, Y/N.” He pouts, “The moment he tries to hurt you, you’ll run back to us and cry about it. I just want to skip seeing that part knowing I can’t see you heartbroken.”
     You furrow your eyebrows. His statement comes off as a bit acquisitive, but you knew that it was just his concern caught up in the moment. “That’s the problem. We all need to eventually fail or feel pain. It’s normal, especially for young adults like us, Peter!”
     There was a lot of things you wanted to say now. He trigged you somehow and now you’re at the edge of becoming a rambling mess. The worst part of it was that you were scared that you might say something that you would not be able to take back. 
     “Okay then I’ll–”
     “No look, I apologize for raising my voice.” You sighed to calm yourself down and compose your thoughts better. “You know I adore you so much, Peter. And I appreciate you looking out for me. But this can’t be forever, I’ll eventually have to learn how to deal with these kinds of stuff.”
     You got through barely half of your day yet you could already feel the emotional turn of having an argument with one of your best friends. 
     And eventually, your professor entered the room. Barely giving the two of you a moment to continue the heated conversation just seconds ago. The displeased look on Peter’s face remained as he looked in front, acknowledging that both of you took lectures seriously. He wanted to pick up this argument at another setting. 
。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚☆ 。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚
     "Congrats to your first ever anniversary!” Your friends applaud just as Jacob was seated next to you.
     “We’re so proud of you.”
     “You two look so happy together!”
     “Both of you look amazing, practically perfect for each other.”
     “Can’t believe it’s already been a year.”
     A year has passed, your group of friends remained even so with Peter. In addition, they learned to accept your boyfriend despite their doubts on online dating sites and applications.
     Just as they learned to trust your decisions more, you also learned way more about your significant other. Though despite your differences in fields, you learned to love him more than you thought you could.
     All of you have freshly graduated from college. Most of your friends did not have much planned so far; however, as your friendship with Peter remained, he grew to understand your feelings more and handled it sensitively.
     After your argument during your early days of dating Jacob, he eventually apologized for his behavior too. Though that was not the only time your friendship with him was put to a test. After the succeeding months, Peter still gave feint warnings and acted a bit overprotective when you tried telling him how you wanted to take your relationship to another level and get more serious.
     Nonetheless, you did not let any of your peers affect your view upon your relationship. Seeing that you were now at your first anniversary, you were happy that you followed what your heart and gut believed in.
     “To be honest we didn’t expect our Y/N to be getting into a relationship before we graduate, let alone celebrating her first anniversary!” Liz joked. “But in the end, just know that we love you and we’re here for you.”
     You smiled, looking at your friends who seemed to share the same feeling. After graduation, everything feels too good. It feels as if your life was falling into place.
     Not only have you gotten into a relationship with a kind guy. You also attained high ranks among the other students in your program, which led to companies offering you internships right off the bat. Rather than you worrying about where you’re heading to after college, you got the privilege to pick what you wanted to do.
     Surprisingly, you got an offer from the Stark Industries to become an internship on being their analytical chemist. It was the most tempting offer you got. Who would not accept an opportunity like that, right?
     When you learned that Peter also got an offer, you were more than happy for him. You knew he was one of the smartest persons in class and he deserved it just as you did.
     Both your contracts agreed that the internship starts a month from now which was just perfect, considering that you also have a few things to do prior to it.
     “Well, this girl also has a lot planned ahead,” you announce while catching the attention of your friends that were circled around you. “Me and Jacob were talking about moving in probably in his apartment by the end of the month.”
     Your intention was not to brag. Everyone could see how genuinely excited you were with such a big event. You were just so happy that despite what every one thought your relationship would end, you accepted whether the outcome would be good or bad. 
     Your friends cheered at you for taking a big step into your relationship. Looking back, you were so scared to accept the second date, but little by little you could not notice how much progress has been done.
     “I am so thankful for you guys.” You smiled and nodded at them before looking to your side where Jacob happily watched you interact with your friends. You slung your arm over his chest and planted a kiss directly at his lips.
     “We’re always here for you, Y/N,” Peter added along with a smile.
*
     Unbeknownst to you, just as your friends had left the celebration, you had big news yet to hear.
     As you drape your purse over one shoulder, your boyfriend assisted you out. He held one side of the door for you and walked after you. He held onto the side of your waist until both of you reached his car.
     Like the gentleman he is, he went over to the passenger side to open the car door for you before doing the same for himself at the driver’s side.
     When both of you were finally inside the car, Jacob had not started the car immediately. He paused with fingers gripping around the edges of the steering wheel.
     His sigh was just as evident, hearing it echo around the car which left chills across your skin as you looked at him. “You seem bothered. What’s wrong?”
     He avoided to look at you just as both of your hands reach for one of his. He lets you toy with his fingers yet his gaze still directs straight at the gas pedal. You lean further to catch a glimpse of him, moving one hand to cup his cheek. “Hey, what’s bugging you, babe? I’m here to listen.”
     “I’m sorry,” he starts off. The puzzled look on your face apparent as to what he’s trying to apologize for.
     “What do you mean?”
     “I just don’t think you deserve to stay with someone like me.”
     His self-loathing was not settling your confusion in any way at all. “I still don’t get it.” You did have an assumption in mind, but you chose not to jump into it as it might flare up on what’s happening now.
     “I think we need to break up,” Jacob swiftly drops.
     Slowly, you pull back and rest your back against the window. You bring a hand up to brush the little fringes in front of your face. You were trying to comprehend everything that’s happening. “I don’t understand. Why so sudden?”
     “Don’t get the wrong idea, Y/N–”
     “Then what should I get?” Your voice starts to crack as you hold back the tears. “I don’t understand anything at all! You seemed so happy a couple of hours ago.”
     “That’s why I’m apologizing,” he softly explains. “You don’t deserve me, I’ve been so horrible to you–”
     “You have been so nice to me. I don’t know where you’re getting all of this, at all!” Eventually, tears could not help but form around the corners of your eyes.
     Jacob sighs, finally looking at you. “You deserve so much more than this, I’m so sorry, Y/N.”
     Finally, the tears began to spill. You covered both your eyes with your palms, trying to both hide and wipe them away. “Y-you can’t just break up with me after celebrating our first anniversary.”
     “I’m sorry–”      “Stop saying that,” you sniffed. You did not know what annoyed you more, hearing him apologize like a broken record or hearing him imply the ‘its not you, it’s me and you deserve more’ bullshit. “You’re too cruel.”
     “I’ll drive you to your house,” he offers. The look on his face seemed very guilty. You did not know what was behind these sudden turn of events, but either way you were heartbroken for how
     “No,” you stated. “Uhm, I have a friend who lives nearby. You can drop me off there.”
     “Okay.”
。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚☆ 。・:*:・゚★,。・:*:・゚
     “That’s pretty much my night in a nutshell,” you sighed as Peter entered his room with a blanket and some clothes in hand.
     Your legs were cross-seated over his bed as your hid your face with your hands. Peter frowned as he walked over to the edge of his bed where you were positioned. “I just don’t understand why he dumped me all of a sudden, might I add, dumped me on our first anniversary!”
     You felt a hand over your back, rubbing slow and comforting strokes as you continued to cry. “Just as I thought I was getting to know him better.”
     It was emotionally crushing.
     “I’m so sorry, Y/N.”
     “Well.” You look up at him despite knowing your nose eyes eyelids became swollen, “You can finally tell me that you told me so.”
     “That doesn’t matter right now.” His hands move to the ends of your hair, toying with the strands before turning half of his body aside. He reaches for a mug that situated on top of his nightstand, “Here. I brought you a cup of tea.”
     “Thanks, but I’m not really thirsty–”
     “Drink,” he calmly says. “You need to get hydrated after crying.”
     You could not argue with that. You’ve definitely lost a lot of water in your body after hours of just crying, without drinking anything. “You know me so well.” you told him and added, “I should’ve just listened to you when you warned me about strangers online.”
     “I guess I owe you an apology.”
     Peter chuckled at your statement and watched you as your lips slowly sipped at the heated tea he had just prepared. “No need to be sorry about anything now, I’m just glad you’re safe. He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
     “Don’t worry he didn’t physically touch me,” you assure as he nods.
     The adorable boy in front of you slyly looked down as he called for your name. “Y/N? Can I ask you a question?”
     “Of course, Peter.” 
     “Why’d you choose to stop by my place amongst our other friends.” 
     You finally finish the entire drink he had prepared. Before you could answer him, you extended your arm in order to set the fragile mug back on top of his bed side drawer.
     “Well for one, I still know where your place was, and it was closest from the restaurant,” you answered. “And conveniently enough, you were the first person I could think of after Jacob hurt my feelings.”
     “I could vividly remember your warnings just as I realized he was breaking up with me already. I didn’t know whether to feel sad or ashamed. What I do know was that you knew me too well, even before I became fully aware of it.”
     He smiled at your answer, and you gave the same look at him. “Well I’m glad you thought of me.” His hands reach over to yours and places them on top, feeling the warmth of his body over yours. “I would never want to hurt you, nor let you feel the pain Jacob gave you.”
     “You’re too sweet.” You smile.
     Your hands rubbed circles around your eyes first. Then you tried to lean in front, opening your arms wide signaling for a hug. Peter did not hesitate to hug you back, enveloping his arms while both of you rest your chins on top of each other’s shoulders.
     From this angle, you could strongly scent his cologne. However, that was not the only thing you could observe.
     As each second passes, you were not sure if you were the only one who could notice how hot the room was getting. Either that or that your skin was starting to burn up. “Peter?”
     “Don’t you think it’s getting hot–”
     As you were just about to react, you felt a pair of lips against yours. Peter had pulled back, and even when you could have realized it, he was pinning you down as your back presses against his bed.
     And as much as this was entirely contradicting your morals, you did not feel an ounce of guilt as one of your best friends continued to leave kisses down your neck. You were not entirely sure why your mind was doubting this, but your body was suddenly, badly craving for touch – and Peter was conveniently doing you the favor.
     “Don’t I think it’s getting what?” Peter sits up and teases just as he pulls his shirt over his shoulders.
     “Nothing,” you groan. “But I don’t think this is a good idea–”
     He shushes you, “Relax. Let me take care of you, yeah?
     His hands gently released heir grip around your wrists. He was confident enough that you wouldn’t fight back after finishing the drink he exclusively brewed for you.
     Your state of mind was perfectly right where he expected it to be. Just conscious enough to feel him against you, but incapable of thinking rationally. 
     He just hated how smart you were when it came to his friends and school; however, just as he expects, you were not as quick-witted when it came to relationships. 
     And hiring Jacob was definitely one of his greatest achievements so far. He lost a part of his savings along the way, but nothing could ever become as valuable as you. Now that you were in his room, let alone under his touch, he had the upper hand.
     Peter was not letting you go that easy afterwards.
     For now, he continues to leave kisses under your jaw while your hands lazily combs through the locks of his hair. He proudly hums against your skin after leaving gentle nibbles that started to leave evident love marks.
     One of his hands creep under your shirt, reaching to unhook your bra. As he successfully does, he moves to adjust your shirt over your breasts. He gets a good view of them even without having to pull it over your head, smirking to himself as this has been a fantasy he has been dreading for.
     “Fuck you’re even more beautiful than I imagined,” he murmurs. With one hand, he gently squeezes around one of your breasts just as he descends at your body.
     “Peter,” your moan comes from above his head just as he was ready to spread your legs.
     “Yeah, babe?”
     “C-condom,” you mumbled with eyelids partially open.
     He chuckled as a response, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”
     Peter tried to test the waters first to make sure he was completely in control of this situation. He drags the tip of his fingers across your stomach, further narrowing the path down as it reached at the entrance of your cunt. 
     He could instantly sense how wet you have become throughout his teasing. Both his middle and ring finger grew damper as he inserted them inch by inch, slowly seeing them reappear. 
     The warmth radiating around your walls excites him more, assuming how good you would be while his cock was wrapped around it. He instinctively curls his fingers out of excitement, forgetting that he was trying to handle you gently.
     You react by tightening around it, along with a whine. 
     “Sorry, babe.”
     Moreover, he continues it up until he felt his erection grow harden than before. He made sure he was completely hard before finally dropping both your pants down, attending to yours first until you were completely naked – excluding the shirt he did not haul over your head.
     Next was his turn. He undid his shorts and threw them away ever so quickly. Then rushed to welcome himself between the space of your legs. “You ready for me, babe?” He did not leave a choice despite asking that either way. You remained helpless under him.
     “Hmm,” was your only response.
     Peter did not hesitate as he glides into you. He groans at your heat, grasping that you feel better now compared to when he was using his fingers. “Oh shit,” he groans while speeding up the pace of his thrusts, “you feel so good.”
     “That’s it, holy fuck.” He was surprised at how responsive your body was still. Despite drugging you to the extent of being mentally incapable, your body was contracting all over him as if it was enjoying itself. 
     He continued to praise your body even if you could not understand what he was saying. The entire event revolved around him fucking you and leaving sweet remarks as if he was your boyfriend – and not, at all, a friend who laced your drink and made you believe you were somewhere safe.
     Though Peter did say he was going to care for you. Ironically, it was obvious that all he can think about now is chasing his orgasm and nutting inside you. After all, it was one of his dark and twisted fantasies – to have full control over you, at least.
     There were few moans coming from you, but the happy noises being created by Peter overpowers. With all of this, sexual, tension he finally got to release, it was expected that he was going to cum sooner.
     “Fuck,” and other swears came from him. “Didn’t expect to cum so soon.”
     As he did not care about your take on this, he also did not give a fuck when he was planning to cum inside you. Since he purposely avoided to wear any kind of protection, let alone learn if you were in any kind of birth control, anyone in their right mind would know what could happen the morning after.
     Willfully, he made sure to go deeper inside you until he could feel the tip of his cock twitch as a sign that he was going to cum. “Gonna fill you up with my cum, yeah,” he grunts as if you were going to reply. “And you’re gonna take it like the good girl you are.”
     Even so, when Peter finally felt his release, he took a good look at you beneath. You seemed hot and bothered, but not as him. Your chest was heaving all the while he could feel the speed of the beating of his heart.
     When he steadily pulls out, the awaited moment of his deep, dark fantasies finally arise. He could clearly see his own cum beautifully spilling out of your cunt like a cream pie. He could almost feel himself get turned on just at the sigh of it, but he considered that round two’s with you would be saved for next time.
     “Peter?”      “Hmm?”
     “I still feel hot,” you purr. 
     Peter extends his arm to gently place the back of his hand over your forehead, feeling how feverish your body still was. There were few hints of sweat streaming from your forehead. “Let me take care of you, I’ll just run you a bath, okay?”
     You childishly smile and agree with him, “O-okay.” He pulls back to be able to properly stand and proceeds to head to his shower with a huge smile from his face.
     You were his.
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nataliedanovelist · 3 years
Text
GF - Timestuck AU: The Power of Mabel ch.6
While fighting over a time machine so one twin can win a pig or the other can win the heart of a girl, Mabel is left stranded in a snowy forest with no time machine and no brother. Oops.
ch.5 - ch.7 (finale)
~~~~~~~~~~
The air was still quite nippy and crisp, but the afternoon sun sparkled on the white snow and made the atmosphere pleasant to stand in if the Main Sequence Star was shining directly on a living organism, like it was on Stan from where he stood on the porch. He sighed tiredly as he dug into his hoodie’s pocket for a fresh cigar and lit it with his Zippo-style lighter. He knew he probably shouldn’t smoke with a kid in the house, but after the few days he’s had, he needed and had well earned a smoke-break.
The door opened and Stan hid his cigar by his side, his right arm glued to his hip to hide the newcomer on his left, but when he saw it was an adult, he relaxed and took another puff. “M’trying to quit.” He mumbled.
Ford snickered. “Yeah, it looks like you’re trying really hard.”
“Don’t be shitty.” Stan said casually.
“Mind if I lend one? I can replenish you in a few minutes.”
Stan stared at his goody two-shoes of a twin and handed him a cigar and the lighter. “You smoke?”
“Not often. For a celebration or after a long day.” Ford answered as he lit his borrowed cigar. “Maybe twice a month. Thrice?”
“Huh.”
Ford looked down at the lighter in his hand, and he was surprised when he recognized it. He can clearly remember seeing the tiny silver box in a store and thinking Stanley would like it as a Only One More Year of High-School present. “I gave this to you.”
Stan smiled as he took it back and pocketed it. “Yeah, it’s a good lighter. Only needed to change the flint a few times.”
“Hey guys!” A small voice called from inside the house. “Do you like vanilla or chocolate?”
The twins looked at each other, smiled, and called back. “Both. Both is good!”
“Both it is!”
Stan chuckled and shook his head. “Knucklehead… I knew she had to be family just by looking at her!” He bragged proudly.
“I suppose I was too distracted by the fact that a cold girl was at my doorstep to recognize the family resemblance.” Ford reasoned, shrugging. “I wanted to make sure I did the right thing. I didn’t exactly feel like getting arrested for kidnapping.”
Stan barked a laugh. “Yeah, you got a good point.” The conman yawned and stretched his arms over his head. “Guess I’ll head out tomorrow.” He mentioned offhandedly.
Ford stared at him, a little saddened and disheartened by this fact that was news to him. “You’re leaving?”
“I mean, yeah?” Stan equally stared at his brother, confused and not daring to be hopeful, but still. “What?”
“I just…” Ford hesitated and busied his mouth by taking a hit of his cigar. With everything that has been said and how well he and Stan have been communicating, he really didn’t feel like ruining it now. He relaxed his shoulders and said with his eyes on the snowy woods. “I was really hoping you would stay.”
Stan looked dumbfounded, like a child discovering candy for the first time, but he looked away and down at the porch floor. “Oh.”
“I’ll of course be taking care of Mabel until Dipper comes back in time for her…”
“He might not.”
“We got over our grudges. They can do the same.” Ford said firmly. “Still, you have a point. Dipper might not be able to come back. Regardless, whether it’s for a short time, a long time, or for the rest of my life, I will take care of her. I might not be the best for her, I can acknowledge that…”
“C’mon, Sixer, don’t be like that.” Stan scolded lightly, giving a sympathetic look to the nerd. “What else can you do, y’know? There’s no way in hell you’re gonna give her up, I’ll kidnap her and run away to Canada before I let you…”
Ford laughed and waved a hand as he smiled. “No no, I promise I won’t.”
“Good.”
“The point is, she loves you. Clearly. And it takes two, and I’ll be busy with my research, especially once the snow melts and the anomalies become more active in the spring and summer, but…” Ford bit his lip. This was a bad idea. If he makes it seem that the only reason why Stan needs to be here is because of Mabel, if or when she’s gone, then Stan will have no reason to stay. And there were many reasons why Ford wanted Stan to stay.
Despite how much of a social-cripple Ford was, he knew that Stan was homeless. His frequent traveling and how full his car was right now was enough proof of that. And Ford hated that for his brother.
But there was another, bigger reason why Ford wanted Stan to stay. So he better just say it.
“Do you know why I went to Backupsmore?” Ford asked.
Stan’s facial expression darkened as he looked away and he shrugged. “Cuz I fucked up your project?”
“No,” Ford answered plainly. “I may not have been accepted into West Coast Tech, but there were so many other colleges that wanted me. I could apply to Yale or Harvard or any college from New York to California and instantly be accepted.
“But I didn’t.” The author added grimly. “Stanley, when you left… When you were gone, I was a mess. So many days I just lied in bed without meals or sleep. Ma was hysterical. I failed most of my exams and only barely scraped a C in the ones I didn’t fail. My GPA dropped significantly and I even lost my Honor Roll. Thankfully my past grades were enough to let me graduate with a 3.2, but my clean record was stained and a lot of prestigious colleges didn’t want me.
“All I wanted at that point was to get as far away from Glass Shard as possible. Luckily there was a small college outside of San Francisco that practically accepted everyone and had a wide range of studies to offer, so I applied and was accepted by graduation day.”
“Good for you.” Stan grunted.
“No! The point is, I…” Ford groaned, feeling like he was failing, but he had to try. “I understand if you don’t want to stay. I understand you have your own life and things you want to do, and I can live without you again if I have to, but… I really, really don’t want to. Yes, I know that part of growing up is going in different directions and being independent and all the other bells and whistles, but it doesn’t have to be. So, if you can tolerate living under the same roof as me again, and if you’re okay with it, I want to offer you a job.”
Stan raised an eyebrow at the six-fingered man. “What kinda job?”
“The committee gives me monthly boosts so I can continue my research. As long as I prove to them once a year that progress is being made, I have a good income coming in. It is a big job, exploring the large woods, climbing mountains and waterfalls, combing the lake, mapping the Enchanted Forest, and hunting down monsters and anomalies to learn more about them. I’ve always managed to make it out of trouble alright, but… I need a partner, and I want to keep it in the family.” Ford smiled at the last sentence.
“What are you saying?” Stan sneered, not daring to believe, not daring to hope, but that stupid smile Ford had…
“I’m saying I want you to do this with me, Stanley.” Ford said matter-of-factly. “I can share the grant with you after bills are paid and groceries are purchased. We can renovate the small room on the ground floor to be Mabel’s bedroom and you can have the entire attic as your own space.
“I know it’s not sailing around the world, but… Please. Will you give me another chance?” Ford pleaded with a soft smile.
Stan grinned and shook his head. “Shit, Sixer, you’re a better salesman than me.” He looked him in the eyes. “Okay. Yes. I’ll stay.”
Ford’s cheeks puffed with happiness as he smiled, his lips pressed together, and he looked ahead, happily daydreaming his future. Being surrounded by weirdness for a living was amazing by itself; doing it with his twin and raising their niece together on top of it was better than anything he could have imagined.
Stan was watching him and laughed good-naturedly, then held out a hand to him. Ford blinked at it like a startled owl, but then returned the smile and sealed the deal with a high-six.
Both brothers stood contently outside with their cigars for a minute, but then heard a bowl clatter on the floor. Mabel must be making a mess in the kitchen, which was fine.
What wasn’t fine was the sound that followed of a body falling on the floor.
Ford raised an eyebrow and called calmly, “Mabel, are you alright?”
They both expected a quick “yeah, sorry, I’m okay,” and maybe an explanation to follow, like she tripped getting down from a chair or something. But there was no reply.
“Mabel, sweetie?” Stan hollered, trying not to sound mad or scared or anything but cool-under-pressure, but this voice trembled with fear.
Still no answer.
Ford and Stan quickly discarded their cigars and bolted inside. Racing like children for cookies, they soon stood at the doorway of the kitchen and were horrified to find Mabel sprawled on the floor on her front, her hair scattered over her face to hide her expression, and her legs and bottom-half of her body slowly fading.
Literally. Fading. Mabel was fading away. She was disappearing like a stain on cloth.
“MABEL!” The men screamed and were immediately on their knees beside her. Ford scooped her up into his arms and felt her pulse and looked over her.
“What happened to her?!” Stan cried out. “Pumpkin, what’s wrong?!”
Ford’s eyes widened in panic as a horrifying realization slapped him in the face. “Mabel… You changed history.”
The tired girl nodded with her eyes closed. “If… If you guys had a fight… and never made up… in my timeline, then I guess…” Mabel paused to yawn tiredly. It didn’t hurt, but she was really sleepy now.“I guess that timeline doesn’t exist anymore, huh? I guess I don’t exist anymore.”
“WHAT?!” Stan yelled and took Mabel’s hand and squeezed it. “We have to do something! You’re family! You’re… We can’t just let you d- not exist!”
Ford held Mabel tighter and closer to his warm chest, making her smile. She swore she could hear his heartbeat. It was too fast. She would have to fix that. Poor Ford was also shaking like a leaf. Mabel could fix that, too.
“I’ll exist.” She smiled up at her uncles. “In a few years.”
Ford bit his lip. He shouldn’t ask this, it was probably dangerous to learn about the future, but the worst was already happening. What else could possibly happen that was worse than losing his girl? Ford couldn’t help but ask, “When?”
“August 31st, 1999.” Mabel’s eyes dazzled. “You’ll meet Dipper, too.” She shifted her eyes to only Stan and whispered, “Did you know you were there? You came to see us when we were born?”
Stan’s eyes watered as he smiled at the new piece of information. “I did?”
“You did. I came out first. You were so proud when I kicked the doctor in the jaw.”
Stan made a watery chuckle and wiped at his eye. “That’s my girl.”
“Dipper came next. He was blue. Umbilical cord wrapped around his neck.”
“Was he okay?” Stan asked.
“He was fine. You knew he would be. You never doubted.”
“I never will, pumpkin. I swear.”
The fading is now much worse. It was spreading over Mabel like a virus. Her legs were hardly visible to the naked eye, and even her shoulders were losing color. This Mabel is almost completely gone. 
Ford, pressed for time, bit his lip as tears flooded his eyes and he cupped Mabel’s cheek and cradled her. “I… I can’t let you go! We just started to become a real family! Wh-What am I going to do without you?!”
Mabel smiled and used the free hand not holding Stan’s trembling hand to caress Ford’s jaw and lower cheek, then cupping his face so her fingertips grazed his sideburn. “It’s okay, really. I’ll see you again, and next time it’ll be when both of you come to see us. Totally worth it.” 
Ford held his breath, and shut his eyes, a tear escaping from each eye and sitting comfortably in the corners of his windows to his soul. Stan hiccuped a laugh and rubbed her hand between both of his. Both of them were doing everything in their power not to cry. 
To that, Mabel laughed and said, “Boys are stupid. It’s okay to cry.”
The cursed power of Mabel. Making people be honest and breaking dams.
Ford curled into his niece, his face sloe to her heart, and cried gently. He wasn’t ready, but he didn’t think he could ever be ready for this.
Stan laughed with tears streaming down his face and he kissed Mabel’s tiny fingers trapped in his hold, then held their hands close to his bowed forehead and just focused on feeling her pulse between his palms.
It only lasted another minute.
Ford was mortified when his chest sank and his arms were empty. He threw himself back and stared at his lap and felt sick to his stomach to find his little girl missing.
Stan’s hands also clasped together and he squeezed tightly, his fists against his trembling lips as he cried.
The genius who always seemed to know what to do didn’t have a damn clue what to do with himself. He growled in his throat, squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth, then let out a painful howl and moan that most definitely disturbed birds and made a deer or two gallop farther away.
Ford removed his glasses and held his knees, sobbing his heart out. Stan blinked his tears off his eyes, resulting in them rolling down his face, as he watched his brother completely shatter to pieces. He had seen him upset before, sure; all those years of bullying, of Pa’s outbursts and sometimes physical punishments, hopelessness that he was actually worth something. You don’t spend seventeen years with a person and not see them break every so often, granted the blessing to help them put themselves back together again.
But Ford didn’t need Stan to swoop in and fix it. There were no bullies to punch or parents to stand against or jokes to crack that would make this okay. All Stan could do was throw his arms around him and bury his face into Ford’s shoulder and cry, too. 
So that’s what they did on the kitchen floor for over an hour.
~~~~~~~~~~
Dipper blinked to try to see, but all he saw around him was inky blackness for miles. His heart raced as he looked around for his sister. “Mabel? Mabel! Mabel, answer me!”
The boy scrambled and collapsed out of a portable potty at the fair. He blinked his eyes rapidly to adjust to the sunlight, scurrying off his hands and knees, clutching the warm time-machine in his hands. Wendy was still admiring her price and Robbie was still sulking, and Waddles was still trying to get away from Pacifica.
That didn’t matter! Mabel was stranded back in time! But how far back?! When was Mabel?! Dipper started jamming the button, but the machine wasn’t working, and it was soon swiped from him by a black-gloved hand.
“Mason Pines,” A gruff voice commanded above him and Dipper looked up to find two new guys with that Blendin guy. The two other guys were muscular and guarded with high-tech armor. 
“You are under arrest for violating the Time-Traveler's Code of Conduct and for jeopardizing the timestream.” The man labeled as Dundgren stated as serious as death.
“Do you have any idea how many rules you just broke?!” Blendin squawked. “I’m asking. I wasn’t there with you. It was probably a lot, right?”
“Wait, wait please!” Dipper begged as the two members of the Time Paradox Avoidance Enforcement Squadrent each grabbed the boy by an arm. “My sister! She’s still back there! We have to get her!”
“You have the right to remain silent.” The man labeled as Lolph informed robotically. “Anything you say can and already has been used in the Court of Time-Law.”
“Let me go, Mabel needs-...” And Dipper and the three time-travelers were blasted forward in time.
~~~~~~~~~~
In the endless space of time, Dipper was levitated off the ground by a giant baby using the power of his forehead-hourglass to trap him in a baby-blue field. Members of the the Time Paradox Avoidance Enforcement Squadrent circled the two, and Blendin stood with his arms crossed over his chest and smiling smugly as the kid who caused so much trouble was getting what he deserved.
“You and your sister have broken the eternal laws of space-time.”
“I’m sorry!” Dipper cried out, trying to fight the energy circling him, but it was futile. “I’m sorry! Do what you want to me, just help my sister!”
“Your sister does not require help, nor do you require punishment.” Time Baby informed as he held his feet. “You are lucky the events that occurred do not change anything drastically. However, your timeline has shifted and therefore this reality’s version of you and your sister are no longer viable and will cease to exist.”
“What?!” Dipper squeaked and looked down at his body to find his legs disappearing. “No no NO! What’s happening to me?!”
“You and your twin sister will be born again on August 31st, 1999, but too many things are different in your timeline for this version of you to continue to exist.”
“W-W-What did I do wrong?! What did I change?!” Dipper cried out as his whole body was drained of color. “What changed in our timeline?!”
“Your uncles have amended their bond thirty-four years ahead of schedule. As unfortunate as this is, your sister miraculously delayed the plans of Bill Cipher by an entire millennia.”
“What uncles?!” Dipper asked, panicked as the fading reached his neck. “Who’s Bill Cipher?!”
“If you wanted the answers you sought out, you should have been patient.” Time Baby scolded. “We all get the answers we seek… in time.”
“P-P-Please!” Dipper begged as he appeared as a ghost. “Please! What did Mabel do?!”
Time Baby cruelly stayed silent, testing Dipper’s strengths, but he was dying, anyways. Might as well.
“She met the Author of the Journals. Your missing uncle.”
Dipper’s eyes widened. “Mabel…” He rasped, and then he ceased to exist.
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inknopewetrust · 3 years
Text
A Little Chaos
Summary: A thief finds herself at the center of the kidnapping of two girls and has the attention one very attractive detective. 
Pairing: Detective Loki x Fem!Reader 
Word Count: 3.8k
Warnings: Criminal activity, flirting, sexual references, brief choking, probably 16+ based on content but no explicit smut. A mention of pedophilia but nowhere near in detail.
A/N: I don't think I've ever written something like this and can I just say that I really loved it!? So, I really hope you all do too! Requests are currently CLOSED but I hope to open them soon again and with new characters to add to my list. Check out my Masterlist for all other works. Thanks so much for requesting this @mrs-blooooom! I just loved the idea so much and thanks for being so kind about all the delays!
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One - pick the lock 
Two - lift up the screen and frame as quietly as possible but make absolutely no rough work of it. 
Three - slip on the shoe covers and assess the gloves before entering through the window. 
Four - get to work. 
That was always the structure, no questions asked. Though, you noticed the news beginning to trace your patterns. You had made a hit in another neighborhood two weeks ago and because the news began reporting the patters, you were sure the police weren’t far behind. 
And perhaps on that particular Thanksgiving, you shouldn’t have done another–or picked that house, rather.  
Detective David Loki had a million different things running through his mind on a daily basis. When a case such as the Dover-Birch one stuck itself in the middle of an already pending investigation of burglaries in the Conyer’s area, he had a hunch of who he would investigate first. But he couldn’t get to that immediately because Keller Dover convinced him and his superiors that the RV belonging to Alex Jones was the first and only way to go. 
But even after interrogating the man who had a child-like innocence to him, David Loki was convinced there was something more to the story. There had to have been a connection to who burglarized the Dover’s that same night and where the girls could be... he was certain, but then he wasn’t because he wasn’t sure you were the kind of person who would kidnap two innocent girls. 
On a particularly slow Tuesday, no new leads had come in and the investigation had stalled because Alex Jones had now gone missing without a trace. Although he was doing everything he could, Loki was far from finding a solution and decided to take the initiative into his own hands and dive into the file he had been working on for nearly five months–the one into you and your less-than-stellar activities. The post-it note sticking out of the side of the manilla folder contained an address to an apartment in the center of town. He plucked it out, tucked it into his pocket and walked straight out of the station. 
You weren’t worried about being considered a suspect in the kidnapping of two girls. You had no connection to the Dover’s, Birches’, or the Jones’, as well as no connection to the scene of the crime. You were always careful, and the Dover’s had no security cameras. So, when your comm buzzed in the middle of the day, you weren’t expecting it to be the police. 
“Hello?” 
“Ms. L/n? This is Detective Loki with the Conyer’s Police Department. I have a few questions I would like to ask you.” The voice was cackled with the circuited communication buzzer but you heard the man loud and clear. You also knew exactly who that was. 
Detective David Loki was an infamous creature of Conyers. One day he just seemed to sprout out of nowhere and into the public sphere, but you had known him for a while. You were never friends, and you were sure until now he didn’t even know your name, but he was the star pupil of the town. And the spotlight he was in, he absolutely hated it. Every time his picture appeared in the paper or when he had to speak on the television relayed that message and you laughed in pity. The poor man just wanted to do his job and that was one part he didn’t sign up for. 
“Can I ask what this is regarding?” 
“The investigation into Joy Birch and Anna Dover. I just have a few questions I’d like to ask you if you would step-” 
“I’ll buzz you up.” You pressed the button and unlocked the door, opening it just enough for you to rest on the frame with one arm on the door and the other on your hip. 
Another thing you knew about Detective David Loki was that he was one of the most attractive people you had ever laid eyes on. The man was a walking dream but unfortunately, on the other side of the law which was far from promising when it came to your vivid imagination. 
“How nice of you to not barge into my home, Detective.” You called out to him as he appeared on the steps landing just down the hall from your door. Loki gave no smile but shoved an orange post-it into his jacket as he shoved his hands into his pockets. 
“This surely won’t take long.” 
With a nod you moved away from the door, shutting it closed behind you. With the sudden and unexpected presence of this man who was a fine line between formal detective and loose cop, there was an urge to be exactly the opposite of what he wanted you to be. He had been trailing you for just enough time to learn patterns in your life, the people you associate with, the fact that you had a degree and a decent job. You had an apartment to call your own, a car that wasn’t stolen and yet you continued to break into people's homes and steal curious objects for what? Consignment sales? He wasn’t sure. But you weren’t going to give him the answers he was looking for. You enjoyed the life you built for yourself...even if you had to steal and sell things to arrive at ends meet to pay for everything in your life. 
“So... what can I do for you?” 
“Can you recall where and what you were going on the night of Thursday, November 28th?” 
“Thanksgiving?” You asked with a raised brow and he nodded. Loki pulled out no notebook to take notes, rather he watched every movement. He was trying to identify guilt, but you were a casual sleuth. It wasn’t a game he was used to because all of his suspects eventually gave in. 
“I got up around 8:30, maybe 9 and ate some breakfast, um I-” You took a seat on the arm of your couch, running a hand over your mouth trying to “remember” what exactly you were doing a few days ago. 
“-took a shower and then got started on my dish to pass at my parents dinner. I made sweet potatoes and stuffing-or dressing... I don’t know what you call it.” Loki was far from amused that you were making this appear less than serious. He couldn’t let himself believe that you were stupid enough to believe he wasn’t there on behalf of the story that captured the attention of the entire nation, so he didn’t believe a word you said. 
“When that was done I got ready, did my makeup, and headed out to my parents where my sister and her family were meeting us to have dinner. Then I left their house around 7-ish and came home.” 
“After dinner you went straight home?” 
“Yes.” 
You looked at him with an unfazed gaze which he met but didn’t buy. It was a game. A cat and mouse game that he wasn’t willing to bite into but it was too late, you already had him on a string. Loki would be lying if he didn’t find you attractive, even in the slightest. You were a beautiful woman, and it was because of how you looked that you’ve never been caught. You always covered every inch of your body and you looked unassuming. You had a perfectly pristine house, looked like someone who didn’t need to steal to live but then again, most of the time, all the people who do steal never look like they would because that is what people are taught not to look for. 
“I made some phone calls late last week and someone in your family spilled that you weren’t there. In fact, you haven’t been to a family holiday since you graduated college nearly ten years ago. Bad relationship?” 
“I can assure you–whoever you talked to, they weren’t there. I was there. I can tell you what I wore, what I ate, what was on the T.V. and what color shoe my nephew was wearing that day.” 
“Those could just be good guesses?” Loki let his eyes wander around the small living space. He looked at the picture frames, the vases, the bins, the T.V. stand, everything that could have screamed “out of place” to him but nothing did. 
“You didn’t happen to pass two little girls on your drive home, did you?” 
“Excuse me?” 
“Two girls. I’m sure you’ve seen their picture on the news.” Loki pointed to the T.V. at first but then dug into his pocket and pulled out a single picture of two girls photographed on a playground. They were smiling widely and happily at the person behind the camera. You had never seen the girls so you shook your head no and crossed your arms. 
“No. I’ve never seen them before. Am I supposed to?” 
“I don’t know, are you?” 
“What are you implying, detective?” 
“Do you know the house you broke into on Thursday, November 28th was the home of Anna Dover. Anna and her friend Joy went missing that same night after returning to the Dover residence to find a whistle. You were inside the home at the time we believe the girls went missing. So, tell me–do you know where the girls are?” Loki was zoned in accusation. The man was unwavering in his tone or his assumption and you would say it was scary if you didn’t find it attractive. Why, God WHY, did the detective working on this case have to be everything you looked for in a man? It would be so much easier if he were old and wrinkled but he was far far from it. 
“Detective, if I would have known you would come into my home and accuse me of kidnapping two innocent girls, I wouldn’t have answered the ring.” 
“Where are the two girls? Do you know where they are?” 
“No. I told you I didn’t take the girls.” 
“But you were in the house? Did you see the girls?” 
“I didn’t say that either.” 
“What if I told you that you were a sloppy thief?” 
“Excuse me?” You furrowed your brows in confusion. You were certain that you were not. There was never a time where you left as much as a trace of hair in a location that you hit. 
“The bin.” Loki walked over to the T.V. stand that had three white bins tucked into slots. The bins were generally filled with junk except for one thing that the Dover’s told him went missing yesterday afternoon. A medium size blue decorative pot with yellow flowers on its sides. It was meant for shallow flowers as a table center piece that was gifted to Keller and Grace on their wedding day. Grace was distraught over it and it was sitting the left-most bin under the television. Loki pulled open the drawer and carefully took out the pot and you looked at it with a shrug. 
“Where did you get this?” 
“My mother.” 
“I thought I told you that they told me you haven’t spoken to them in a decade?” 
“Well I obviously spoke to them before that.” 
“I am going to ask you again and I want an honest answer. Where did you get this pot?” 
What were you supposed to do? The man literally cracked the code. If only you hadn’t chosen that house. Oh! How much easier your life would be. 
“I plead the fifth.” Oh, fuck. 
Loki set the pot carefully down and pulled a pair of handcuffs from his belt. It would have been hot if you weren’t terrified of what came next. Then you made an ill-timed joke. 
“You’re not pulling those out for another reason are you?” You didn’t even laugh yourself because he simply ignored it and motioned for you to stand and turn around. 
“I am going to take you to the station and we will talk more there. Stand up, turn around, and give me your hands.” 
“I already told you I don’t know where the girls are.” Ignored again but the feeling of him pushing your shoulder with his hand and taking your wrist was something you wished you would stop replaying in your mind. 
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything-” 
The Conyer’s Police Station was wimpy compared to other cities. It was a small, single story brick building with three holding rooms and one interrogation room. You weren’t sure how long you sat in the holding cell, but it was nighttime by the time you were taken out of the room by another officer and into a brightly lit, slightly yellowed room with a mirrored window and a small desk with two chairs. There was a pencil and a pad of paper at the center of it but you were sure if it was going to be Detective Loki interrogating you, he wouldn’t need it. 
The officer uncuffed you with no words spoken and pointed at the chair facing the window. You rubbed your wrists from the friction the metal left before taking a seat and staring into the glass where your reflection met your own. You had nothing to do with the two missing girls so you had nothing to give them, or rather, nothing to give Loki to further his investigation. 
The man of the hour waltzed into the room a mere five minutes after you were sat down. He had a half-drank cup of coffee in one hand and a small grouping of papers in the other. Loki sat down, settling himself before looking up at you and beginning the interrogation. 
“Please state your name, age, and address.” 
You recited the information as told.
“How many homes a year do you burglarize?" Loki opened a file that was tucked under some papers with a series of pictures printed on a piece of computer paper. It was amalgamation of missing objects from families around Conyers. You were fucked, but you couldn't let him think that, or at least believe that you were guilty in anyway. Your stealing wasn't going to find those girls because you had no idea where in the world they were. You had never seen them before their faces were plastered on every hour of the news.
"Shouldn't my lawyer be here if you are going to accuse me of something?"
"Do you need a lawyer?"
"Do I, Detective?"
It was the attitude that angered him the most. A woman like you didn't need to steal. Based on your records, he had no reason to truly believe you would. Clean record. No screaming signs of intent or distrust popped out but he knew you were guilty. There was not a doubt. But there was something in that attitude that made him squirm. An attractive quality that he did not want to admit.
"If you answer the questions I ask truthfully, then no, you won't need a lawyer."
"Ask away." You leaned back in the chair with arms crossed and a determined narrowness to your eyes. It was a challenge. Try me, Detective. Do it, I dare you.
"When did you first start stealing?"
"When I was seven. My sister always had better stuff, so I took it."
"And that escalated to...what?" Instead of leaning back on his own chair, Loki leaned forward. His shoulders were hunched in an aggressive, intense tactic to scare you into admitting something that you didn't have any part of. He just wanted to find those girls and you happen to be a speed bump in the way.
"Minor petty theft. I never take anything over $500."
"How do you know what something is worth?"
"I'm sure you can find that in my file, Detective. Everything is there I am sure of it. You all know just how to frame the people you want. But I had nothing to do with those girls."
Loki's line of aggravation was growing thin. Sooner or later, attitude wasn't going to cut it and he was going to have to use the tactics he used on Alex Jones and other potential perpetrators on you. He never liked to get outright violent with women, but he couldn't let this go without trying to get something. The days were wearing thin and he needed to find Joy and Anna.
"You were in the Dover's house the night of the abduction. Where are the girls?"
"I told you I didn't have anything to do with that."
"Didn't or don't."
"Doesn't matter. I did not see them. I do not know where they are. Ruining children's lives isn't my MO, Detective-"
"But you do and you did! YOU were in that house. YOU were at the scene of the crime at the time they went missing. YOU are the one who knows what happened to those girls!" His voice was no longer steady and calm as he had been taught during his training. His string had snapped when in response, you laughed.
Loki flew out of his chair, rounded the table as the sound of his chair skidded across the floor and to the wall behind him. If you weren't so focused on him, you probably could have heard the surprised yells of the Detectives and Officers behind the mirror. The angered Detective roughly arrived at his destination–you, and grabbed the back of your hair, pulling your head back to look at him as he stood over you.
"Where the fuck are the girls?" It came out like a hiss. His eyes enraged with pain for the families and his own reputation if the case goes wrong and he doesn't find them in enough time. You weren't scared of him or his tactics. Rather, it was quite the opposite. If he wasn't attractive, you would have been disgusted but the man was the epitome of perfection and this scene would be one to get you off for years to come.
"I told you, I don't know where the girls are." He gripped your hair harder and you felt the chair waver underneath you. Still not scared.
"You're a liar, a fucking thief, and I don't believe you. Where are the girls? Do you like that sort of thing, huh? Do-"
"You sick fuck. I'm a thief not a fucking pedophile. I didn't take the girls!" You were slightly taken aback by his suggestion, but it was all a tactic. You had seen it on millions of police shows before. He just wanted answers, but he wasn't going to find them with you. Whatever in the sentence you had just spoken to him, Loki was worse off for it. He practically lifted you by the hair and charged you into the wall roughly. Not enough to leave a mark, but enough to make a point. He wasn't playing around but neither were you.
Loki's hand let go of your hair and one found itself on the wall next to your head as he closed in on you. You could feel his breathe on your face and his eyes pierced your goddamned soul. The other, well the other found itself right on your neck, holding you in place against the wall with a slight squeeze. Holy fuck.
"Keep this up Detective and I would have the means to believe this might lead to something else." The smile, your smile crept up on your face at your own assumption. You wouldn't complain if it did escalate to that.
"TELL ME WHERE THE GIRLS ARE? WHERE IS ANNA? WHERE IS JOY?"
"I told you I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE GIRLS ARE!"
There was something in your own anger that made him want to believe you didn't take the girls or had any clue where they were. He would hate to see a woman like you throw your life away for a career of crime. The proximity between the two of you was next to none. A knife wouldn't have been able to break the tension and the way he held you, unintentionally violent with a hand just a little too suggestively on your neck was a mistake but not one that he was readily going to admit. If this was any other situation, he might have let himself be willing to feel something more. But this was an interrogation, so he kept the face and squeezed just a little harder.
"Where are they? Tell me where they are?"
"Starting to sound like a broken record there. I would tell you again but I'm sure you have my admission of NOT KNOWING WHERE THEY ARE ON TAPE!"
Loki had enough and let your neck go with a jolt. His hands went to his belt where his cuffs were sitting and he pulled them out and turned you around. Your body was flush against the wall and one of his large, tattooed hands held your wrists together as he went to cuff them. This was another thing that would forever be engrained in your "sexy when it shouldn't be" file in your brain.
"Fine. You won't tell me where they are? Maybe a night in lock up will make you think." His voice was low, just at the base of your ear and his hot breath lingered on your neck as you could hear nothing but your heart beating out of your chest and the sound of cuffs closing.
But the man didn't get much further than that because the door to the room opened and like two deer in headlights, you both turned your heads to the sound of the intruder. It was another officer who looked both scared and amused and slightly embarrassed in regard to what he walked in on. He approached Loki as the latter man pulled you off the wall and forward, in front of him to walk toward the door.
"It was the hospital. Joy Birch was just admitted."
The look on Loki's face was priceless. You literally scoffed out loud and turned your face to his.
"I told you I had no fucking idea where they were."
Loki simply passed you over to the other officer and headed to the door, frustrated and confused about his own work and internal feelings about what had just happened–both the realization that you had no idea where they were and that he had been aggressive to the point where it kind of turned him on.
"Detective!" He was halfway out the door when you called out to him and if he had a mind, he would have ignored you and continued on, but he was so flustered that he did.
"If you ever want to use those cuffs sometime, you know where to find me."
Loki didn't say anything, but his eyes wandered. From your face to your body to the floor and back up. It was an unashamed look that made the officer uncomfortable, but you couldn't help but let a small, sly smile grace your face at his look. This man would be the end of your criminal career if he managed to find the time to reunite with you again.
And he did. Two days after Keller Dover was found in a hole and on a holiday he knew you were not going to spend with your family.
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matthewbeilschmidts · 3 years
Text
It’s been a long while since I’ve posted but I’m so glad that I am :’)
This is for Day 1: of @prucanweek - Ordinary
Apologies for spelling errors, it’s a little short but I hope you enjoy 😭💞
-
Matthew doesn’t mind that he’s living an ordinary life. Really.
He grows up near the coast, two parents, a fraternal twin brother, and their gangly hairless cat, Tony (picked curtesy of Alfred). Their parents take them everywhere they can during their childhood, the beach, museums, sports game. They focus on their interests, figuring out what the two like and dislike, as they encourage them both to be themselves and do what they love no matter what. Alfred debates between whether he likes wrestling or football more, while Matthew settles into hockey. In between family get togethers, community festivals, and endless sports training, they somehow have time for homework. (The two share answers a lot.)
He and Alfred each have their own rooms when they enter their teen years, a space to decorate and fill with their own mementos and awards. The sports continue, but later their parents find themselves a little bit busier than before. They do though, give them as much time as they can during the school year, never wanting them to go without someone by their side.
Matthew fades into the background a little bit as they get older, while Alfred puts himself front and center. Matthew watches once with a hand over his eyes as Alfred auditions for the school musical, and surprisingly he read and sings the lines well. “It’s always the rowdy ones!” their theater teachers says after he’s finished performing, a mix of anticipation from planning on putting Alfred on stage and dread at the thought of having to manage him.
Matthew silently supports him, after all he has his own things to do.
He’s the co-caption of the hockey team, the coach giving him the position to give him a little more of a voice, and his teammates verbally agree, considering on the ice Matthew has a lot more to show than he does in person. He accepts, albeit hesitantly.
By the time graduation comes by, Matthew can barely believe how the time has passed. His team even wins a championship under his watch. Some of his fellow classmates look so ready to go out and experience the world, and it’s scary to him because weren’t they all going at the same pace?
His parents talk him through picking his college of choice, and he decides to go. He needs to do what everyone does and experience the world.
And if he decides he wants to come home, that’s okay because at least he tries.
-
He’s in his first art class during his third year at university. The time has been going well, he’s got pretty decent grades and has managed to join a few clubs. But he’s not done yet. Extra curriculars, can’t finish without them. He prioritizes his general education first, and even slips himself into a few major classes early on, but humanities is on record now and has to be completed no matter what one’s studying.
He can get through one semester, he hopes.
Next to him, a student is snickering and the professor doesn’t look amused.
“Gilbert.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“If you’re done, I can introduce myself now.”
The professor goes in with complete, in-depth introductory slides with her name and credentials, and a briefing of all they will overcome this semester.
He’s never been an artist, at least not one that picks up a pencil and creates a realistic masterpiece with nothing but that and a pad of paper. Maybe some poetry contests in high school, if that counts. The written word has its own impact, its own set of colors to breathe out for the world to see.
There’s another snicker, interrupting his internal monologue.
He doesn’t say anything, because he doesn’t know the student, and it’s not his place to control others. But, if it starts to hinder the class, maybe he’ll tell him something. He’s paying to be there, too.
The man catches him staring.
“Yes?” he asks Matthew without being spoken to in the first place.
“Oh,” Matthew flushes at being caught, not that he was trying to hide it anyway. “Well, she didn’t say anything funny?”
The guys waves a hand, making a “psssh” noise as he does.
“I’m just laughing because of how formal this all is. She won’t be this dignified later in the semester that’s for sure. She’ll be ripping her hair out.”
Matthew glances back, he doesn’t want to say anyone looks mean but, he would believe it if she was.
“You look scared,” the guy laughs, which is rude because isn’t he the one that just put the thought in Matthew’s mind? “She’s not too mean just a sticker to the rules. Will get real pissy if something doesn’t go right.”
“And you still set her off knowing that?”
The man laughs again, but this time around he’s actually trying to contain it behind the thin art easel. He’s not very hidden.
“She’s my cousin’s wife.”
Ah, that makes sense then? Messing with family is normal, but also he shouldn’t be bothering her at work.
“It’s no wonder you seemed casual.”
“She taught both of the lower division figure drawing classes, too. This is my third semester in her class. She’s the only one teaching this specific class I didn’t have too much of a choice.”
“Art major?”
“Yep! And you?”
“Psychology major. I have to get in some cultural classes.”
“Ever taken art?”
“Actually no, not even in high school. I got through that stuff by working backstage in the theater department.”
“Well not to worry my friend, because you picked the best one.”
“Is it easy to pass?”
“Nope. Well, maybe if she likes your work,” Matthew deflates at the blunt response, “but don’t worry because I’m here to be your guide.”
Matthew perks up, but it takes him a moment. This guy’s gonna help him?
“Are you any good?”
“Am I good?” He looks perplexed Matthew would even ask. Matthew has to cover his own amusement. “I may not look it but charcoal and I go way back. I’ll show you my work later as proof.”
“Deal.”
“Gilbert, since you’re adamant on talking, you can be the first to introduce yourself.”
Even if his name wasn’t said, Matthew feels just as guilty. Caught, for talking on the first day of all things.
“Gilbert Beilshcmidt. Fourth year. I’m an art major and my favorite breakfast food is pancakes.”
Matthew looks surprised that he was paying attention, even to the last addition of their introduction. Matthew’s not sure he would have known considering he was distracted.
-
And so their friendship starts.
-
Gilbert sits next to him again. And again.
Where ever Matthew sits in the art room, Gilbert follows not too long after.
Some days they take the sitting desks, some they stand and lean against the stools.
And despite not even talking much, Gilbert treats him like a friend.
-
“Do you have any plans this afternoon?”
“Nope, this was my last class.”
“Do you want to get some coffee and work on our sketch books.”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
-
Matthew finds himself meeting Gilbert in his downtime. Every Thursday after drawing for three hours becomes the day they meet. At first, all they do is draw, little more.
Gilbert is animated in all moments, but he has short spurts where he focuses exceptionally on his work. Matthew is no art critic, but he thinks Gilbert expresses himself quite well on paper. Graphite, charcoal, and pastels, all the utensils glide easily without a single stroke missing its mark.
Watercolor though, could use some work, which actually happens to be Matthew’s favorite. Even if the intention is to guide the colors with a brush, it’s okay for them to take a life of their own spreading across the thick paper.
They share snacks, art supplies, and their time.
Gilbert proves himself very useful as he promised. Matthew though never planning to be the next Van Gogh, has to pass this class. And it would be nice to pass it with flying colors, but some concepts are harder to grasp than others.
It’s obvious to tell he’s a beginner, while Gilbert excels. Matthew finds out he only now needs the intro class since it’s the first semester it became a requirement.
Gilbert helps him find the shapes he’s comfortable with, explains the processing for hatching and how it relates to shading. And while he’s no expert, he sees a subtle improvement over the next few weeks that makes some pride swell within himself.
-
“Do you want to come with me and my friends to this cool bar for dinner on Friday?” Gilbert asks about a month into the semester.
It’s the first time Gilbert and him will have spent time off campus.
“Yeah, I’d love to.”
-
Gilbert’s friends are just as animated as he, it’s almost hard to keep up. Overwhelming as they are, they’re extremely welcoming. Matthew eases into the atmosphere, joining in when he can but mostly pleased to be out and doing something different.
He’s made friends during his time, but like him they’re a little more reserved and pick quieter places on the town.
It’s fun. And he wants to go out again.
Matthew invites Gilbert and his friends to watch his next hockey game.
After their shock in finding out he plays such a violent sport, they’re all agreeing and planning to find the best seats in the arena.
-
“Are you serious. Are you hiding muscles under that red sweater?”
Gilbert pokes at him, it tickles when he gets closer to his biceps, but he knows he’s only teasing.
“You think I’m playing but I’m serious! You should have been there, well you were there. On the stands, I mean. We all screamed after you sent that player flying against the wall.”
Gilbert recreates the motions, but only slams himself into the wall and whines after he bounces back. He then plays it off like it doesn’t hurt. Gilbert’s not a very good actor.
People tell him it’s so much different watching him on the ice, but it’s still him. He’s always wondered how much different, he feels like himself. He just knows he goes into the zone when he’s in his gear. He just wants to win. And he will.
“It’s like night day,” Gilbert continues. “You were ready to kill a man down there.”
“You’re not the first to say that. I guess maybe, I could be a little more out there in real life, huh?”
Gilbert stops walking.
“Nope.”
“Nope?”
“You’re perfectly fine the way you are. I like the way you are, so don’t go change. I don’t want to be at risk of dying during art class.”
And as silly as it sounds, he’s pleased. He likes Gilbert a whole lot, too. Just the way he is.
-
“Do you want to have dinner with me?” Matthew takes the initiative.
“Dinner?”
“Yeah, just you and me. I want to take you out.”
“Like you did to that guy on the court,” Gilbert laughs nervously.
“On a date. Gilbert, would you like go out with me?”
He says yes.
Later that evening when he’s heading home, Gilbert starts running through the courtyard cheering that “I have a date with the cutest guy I’ve ever met!”
Matthew’s window is open, he’s face is bright red and he slams head first into his pillow. He needs to plan the best first date ever.
-
Three months into dating, he’s finally heading home again for a school break. He wants to take Gilbert with him, who is waiting for the next major holiday to go back home. But isn’t it too soon? They haven’t been dating that long, after all.
But Gilbert surprises him, and jokingly says he wants to go with him because he’ll miss him too much while he’s gone. And then, Matthew asks if he seriously wants to go.
“I do.”
So they ride the 3 hours train down to Matthew’s childhood home. He’s a little bit nervous, because he’s had dates to school dances, and brought friends over, but this is entirely different. This is someone he wants to take a serious step with, even if the time hasn’t been that long. They’ll never get anywhere if they don’t, so they’ll both take the leap and pray it works out.
“Mom, dad, Alfred, this is Gilbert.”
It’s the most timid Matthew’s ever seen him.
“Nice to meet ya, I’m Matthew’s boyfriend.”
After he shakes all their hands, he takes his hand back to link pinkies with Matthew.
There’s not an once of regret in his mind as the long weekend passes.
-
Gilbert graduates the next year, and the year after it’s his turn. They’re going to move in with each other. Gilbert really has no irresistible urge to go back to his home town, satisfied with just visiting a few times a year. And Matthew thinks he would like to go back closer, just to figure out his next move. So, they go together.
It’s only a one bedroom, but is more than enough space for them both. Gilbert finds work as a docent while Matthew works for a second degree in education.
He still plays hockey for a local league, Gilbert becoming their number one fan. They find their own rhythm, a pace that works for them both, where they can settle down or speed up when they agree with each other. Dewey mornings, warm summers, chilly evenings they spend them altogether.
They decide move up North closer to Gilbert’s hometown. Matthew’s more nervous meeting his grandparents than he was introducing Gilbert to his own family, but Gilbert assures him again and again they’re just a stuffy old family who actually really care about each other a lot more than they let off.
Gilbert’s grandfather towers over him, despite being a hair above 6 feet. He’s silent, eyes boring into Matthew as he introduces himself. And to end all of Matthew’s worries, the elder man pulls Matthew into a hug and tells him he’s glad him and Gilbert are home. Gilbert, just as perplexed as he, stares, but he melts into a pleased laugh.
Yeah, this is his and Gilbert’s home now.
-
They stay, for a long while, contemplate moving a few times, but they’re satisfied for now.
Gilbert and him always make time for each other, continue their own respective interests with complete support of the other. They’re never afraid to complain, because they always work through it rather then let it simmer.
Gilbert’s vivacious spirit keep them going, and Matthew’s heart keeps them grounded.
His life at first seem a little bit ordinary, but how can he complain when the pieces of the puzzle fit themselves in and stayed locked in tight.
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thecopyeditorsdesk · 2 years
Text
Resistance
As I was looking through my books at the beginning of summer, something made me pick up the War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I suppose it was my current circle of writing friends at work, as well as the fact that I was published in a school publication this year. I have never been published in anything, as far as I know. Pressfield’s book is all about the sort of resistance I (and all other artists) face. Resistance is anything, and I mean anything that keeps you from your art. It can be your bad attitude or it can be the enjoyable hours you spend playing computer solitaire. Essentially, anything that stops you is resistance. 
I’ve been making my way through at a pace of about 5 pages a day. It is set up in short segments, a bit like a religious devotional. Some of the “days” have only one paragraph, others fill up a  few pages. Things I have found interesting on my almost second time through (I didn’t finish the first time, but more on that later) are that I no longer agree with some of the more “kick yourself in the arse” phrases he uses. In fact, I find those counterproductive. I have learned enough in the last two years, or so, to know that self-compassion is always a better path. However, there are only a few such statements in the book that give that negative vibe, and I have been trying to learn how to read around those parts in all books of this nature.
At one point, and I assume this is where I must have stopped in my first reading, he writes about healing as a form of resistance to our art. He combats the idea that creativity is predicated by healing. According to Pressfield, we do not create from our injured part. I can see how, five years ago, this would have made me put the book aside. At the time, that was the only part I knew of, and I truly believed that was the source of all my work.. I did not understand that, as Pressfield insists, “the part that…needs healing is not the part we create from…The part we create from can’t be touched by anything our parents did, or society did. That part is unsullied, uncorrupted; soundproof, waterproof, and bulletproof” (p 48-49). In short, the part we create from is Self. I had never heard of Self or Internal Family Systems or anything that would have led me to see that Pressfield was making the most important point of his book here. He goes on to say, “what better way of healing than to find our center of self-sovereignty?”
I have not written a creative work in months. The one I published was a reworking of a short story I wrote while still in community college. I told my fanfiction readers in January that I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to write something creative again while in school because it seemed I could not get anything to work out. I have sat down many times to only stare at a blank screen or an old story that needs editing before posting, and never typed a single character. I let my blog domain expire because I start posts and leave them hanging in midair, suspended without ending, a gaping hole where the heart should be.
I write for school. I write brilliantly for school. And until recently I assumed that was how it had to be. It’s a huge stress to write for a grade, worse than any other type of public writing out there. My entire future depends on me getting it right. I’m not doing it for “likes,” I’m doing it for the almost un-acheivable act of financial independence. I’m doing it so I might be able to get us to a place, monetarily, where my kids won’t have to worry about where we will live next month, or next week. It is a weight comparable to that Atlas carries, because, in my world, it is just as important. Dropping it means definite demise.
There is a part, or parts, of me that shuts down almost all writing outside of school. Each other project I might work on is seen as a threat to that goal of graduation. Even journaling and self-reflection are not allowed. It’s ironic that this started last year, because I always feared this is what would happen if I went on medication for my anxiety and depression. I didn’t start those until December, long after my parts hijacked my creative processes for the sake of my end goal.
They mean well, parts. I can see the need to make sure I focus on the school work. I think, though, that the real source of all of this is fear. Not just the fear of failure at school, but fear of failure in my other writing pursuits. To write beyond the scope of the classroom assignment would put me in the realm beyond school, and, as much as I want to graduate, what comes after school is the biggest and most terrifying unknown of all. At school, I am safe. I know I will almost always be met with success because academia is one of the only places in the US where hard work is truly rewarded. Out there? I’ve been out there. It’s scary and cold and mean. If I just focus on my schoolwork, maybe I can just not think about the fact that in less than one year, I will be out there again. And this time much older and in a far worse economy than the one I left behind when I entered into this foray.
Resistance, in my case, looks like a lot of hard work, moving in the right direction, and improving my skills. All the while, I use it as a reason to give up all other writing so I can avoid thinking about anything outside of school. Because outside of school, life is uncertain. My parts probably would love it if I could stay in school forever, but that would be like a baby never being born and instead living its life out in the womb. One day, each of us alive had to leave that safe environment. Some of you came into something better, the rest of us hit the ground hard, but we all had no choice in the matter. It is the same at each step in our lives, we must move forward. After we were born, we did not resist that inborn desire to grow. We did not think to ourselves, “I will just sit in my cradle because who knows what will happen when I leave.” It came naturally.
As the years went by, well, I think we know what happened. The school of hard knocks does not teach resilience, only fear. Overcoming that fear is optional, and sometimes impossible. But life will move us forward regardless. What I have to decide is which is the better way to face the fear. Do I deny all but the present fear, or do I find a way to acknowledge each, the present and the future, so that when I get to the future, I might have less to fear.
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vas-happenin-team · 4 years
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my personal thoughts and experiences from Unus Annus, be warned this is long...
i apologize now if this is messy I am trying to get my thoughts in order so this is probably going to be ramble-y... One Year. There is so much that can change in one year and so many opportunities that pass us by and almost just as many regrets. And I am so glad I didn't let Unus Annus pass me by, even though it almost did. When i think of the past year I can't say that this was the year that I hope for but I definitely think this was the year I needed A a former friend of mine (who is a a HUGE Markiplier fan) tried to show me Unus Annus back in December. I think they showed me a couple videos but the one that stood out to me was the Escape Room video (probably for the fact that I was high, and thought Eef was very cute and very funny, but that's besides the point). I enjoyed the videos they showed me but a never really got into the channel and didn't watch anymore Unus Annus videos with them. I regret not watching more with them. At the time I knew who Markiplier was, I had watch his FNAF videos when I was younger and was subscribed. But I had no idea who Mark Fischbach as a person. And I had no idea who Crankgameplays or who Ethan Nestor was. I wasn't emotionally invested with them so I didn't really watch. A few months went by I was no longer in speaking terms with the friends who showed me the channel, the pandemic hit, I graduated college, i moved back home, i was unemployed, and incredibly lost. With graduating in May and being home all the time I spent more time on youtube. I don't remember how, but I ended back on Unus Annus again. And by July I was hooked. Not only did I began binge watching Unus Annus but I was also subscribed to Ethan, watched both his and mark’s videos, and become part of the different communities. As I am reflecting back on this time I can see how the message of Unus Annus, and  by extension Mark and Ethan, started to influence me and help me for the better. Cause I was, and still am, struggling with my mental health. While I don't want to give them all the credit, the idea of only having so much time and questioning myself on whether or not I wanted to be a passive on looker in my own life, lead me to discover just how unhappy i was. I decided to therapy and getting the help I needed. And while I am still not 100% and that the reminder that life is slipping us by and I feel like I wasting it still stresses me out and causes me anxiety. I have to remind myself that I am making progress, and while this isn't ideal, this is the best I can do at the moment. It also helps looking at both Ethan and Mark. Mark, who was around my current age, when he decided he was going to make something of himself, reminds me that it is never too late to give yourself a happy life. And Ethan, only a year older than me, is living his out his dreams currently, but that took him 8 years to get here. Ethan, who has a very similar personality to me (in fact i think our myer-briggs is the same) also reminds me that I don't have to hide the loud and silly parts of my personality and that I can find people who will accept the different parts of me and want to help me succeed. One of my favorite aspects of the show would be where they would say "Memento Mori. We will see you tomorrow." I think liked that so much because it was a concrete promise in a year of unpredictability. Because I knew for certain, that no matter what happened, I would see them tomorrow. And while we might no longer see them tomorrow when the channel ends. It still feels like a promise, because even with the channel gone, the world still turns and there is a still a tomorrow. A tomorrow where Ethan and Mark still upload on their channels. A tomorrow, even as time marches on, we will remember Unus Annus and how much it had an impact on our lives. Because one thing is for sure, we aren't all the same people we were a year before. We grew and changed and Unus Annus helped shaped a year of our lives. So while we won’t not be able to "see them tomorrow" in the future. The impact of the channel will be seen in the future by the millions of people that it had an impact on. Even in this last few months I have seen some positive changes in my own life. While I am normally a lurker in the different fandoms I am a part of. I stepped out of my comfort zone and started to interact and create more for the Unus Annus community than I had before. And I did this because of the idea of "why not, we only have a limited time" and I wanted to make my mark. While I still struggle to interact with other blogs outside a random response or anon message, I was still able to find some people in this fandom to follow and appreciate. Thank you to @johanna7290 , @heistshenanigans , @lady-raziel , @tiny-crecher , simpgameplays and so many more blogs who helped make my experience in this community even better by not just taking any moment for granted, and  really made the most of this year. Thank you as well to the blogs who have interacted with me on posts, sent anons, or even followed me. Thank you to the artist, the writers, the meme maker, the gif creators, the video editor, and the theorists for making this year even more unforgettable. 
  Finally to Ethan ( @crankgameplays), Mark (@markiplier), Amy, Evan, and all the editors and guests of the channel, thank you. Thank you for giving me something to look forward to everyday. Thank you for making something so full of love, humor, and friendship. Thank you for the laughs and the good times in a year where they were hard to come by. Thank you for the hidden codes and lore that kept us all on our toes. Thank you for challenging yourselves to go further beyond, and encouraging us to do the same. Thank you for introducing me to a community full of hilarious, smart, and caring individuals. Thank you guys for being authentic to yourselves.  Thank you for all the memories. Thank you for all the merch. Thank you for giving us a year. Unus Annus  Memento Mori ~Lexi
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clairenatural · 4 years
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look at you, strawberry blond
destiel, 1.8k. pining, fluff, growing up together, etc! minor character/parental death, vague mention of John’s A+ Parenting. based on the mitski song  (this is a repost because the first one got deleted)
I love everybody because I love you
Castiel first learns what love is when he’s eight years old and Gabriel, sixteen, is grumbling about driving an hour out of his way to find his girlfriend the rare chocolates she likes for Valentine’s day.
“Why?” he asks his older brother, and Gabriel sighs, melodramatic as always.
“That’s love, little bro. Remembering the little things and then putting in the time to make it happen.”
Cas thinks about when he told Dean his parents don’t let him eat candy. He thinks about how Dean has given him half his Kit Kat bar every day for the last year.
He thinks about the time he scraped his knee falling off the jungle gym and Dean spent the rest of recess picking dandelions to make him feel better. Yellow is his favorite color.
“Oh.”
“You’ll understand when you’re older, Cassie. Love is about sacrifice, and commitment--” he goes on, but by the time Michael cuts him off, yelling from his office that you’ve only been dating for two months, Gabriel, stop preaching to Castiel, Cas has already sprinted up the stairs to his bedroom.
A broken piggy bank, $1.50 in pocket change, and several pleas to Gabriel later, and Castiel tucks a king-sized Kit Kat into Dean’s valentine box.
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When you stood up, walked away, barefoot
It’s eight years later, one summer in high school, when Castiel realizes that there’s a difference between loving and being in love, and that he is, in fact, in love with his best friend.
He realizes this as he watches Dean walk away, sandals discarded and unnecessary in the soft grass, back to the picnic tables to get them both more fruit punch. It’s the annual junior class picnic, the official welcome to being upperclassmen, and the August sun casts a warm glow over Dean’s freckles, and Castiel knows.
Two seconds later, he watches Dean nearly get hit by an errant frisbee and completely forget his punch mission in lieu of playfully tackling its thrower, Benny Lafitte. He watches Lisa Braden, giggly and glowing and perfect as always, yelp as she’s almost caught in the crossfire, and Dean winks at her as he releases Benny.
He swallows thickly and turns his attention back to the patch of grass they’d been laying in, flattened where Dean had been just a few moments before. He wishes he hadn’t come to this particular realization.
And the grass where you lay left a bed in your shape I looked over it and I ached
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I love everybody because I love you I don't need the city, and I don't need proof
Castiel goes to college in Chicago and pretends like the two-hour drive between them doesn’t mean anything. And it doesn’t, until Dean’s father gets a job back in Kansas halfway through his freshman year. Dean goes with him even though he’s an adult because the alternative is letting Sam deal with John alone, so Castiel spends most of that summer in Lawrence, dodging both his friends in the big city and his family back in Pontiac. He tells them all that he’s studying Kansas’ role in the Civil War, assisting in research back at the University, but he and Dean spend two months going on road trips with Sam.
His sophomore year John dies and Castiel flies back for the weekend, explaining his sudden departure as a family emergency and getting an extension on two papers. Dean holds his hand at the funeral but won’t look him in the eyes for two hours after, even as he refuses to leave Castiel’s side.
The boys move in with Bobby but that summer Dean shows up in Chicago, explanations lined up about not worrying about Sam anymore and wanting to see what about the city made Cas keep coming back. Castiel gets an internship and pretends like that was the plan all along. He quietly cancels his plane tickets to South Dakota.
All I need, darling, is a life in your shape I picture it, soft, and I ache
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Reach out the car window, trying to hold the wind You tell me you love her; I give you a grin
Dean stays in Chicago. He moves into Castiel’s empty room when his original roommate moves out, he finds work at an auto shop, and he starts taking mechanic classes at a community college. Castiel isn’t sure why—he doesn’t want to ask. Afraid to look the gift horse in the mouth and risk having his happiness bitten off.
Then Dean starts talking about a girl. Then Castiel meets the girl, Cassie Robinson, and it all makes sense.  
He pretends it doesn’t sting every time Dean brings her up, that the way his face lights up doesn’t burn, that he doesn’t feel physically ill the first time he meets her.
By the time Dean tells him he’s in love, gushing about Cassie in a way eerily reminiscent of Gabriel twelve years earlier, it’s turned into a dull ache that Castiel has mostly contained in the back of his chest. They’re on their way to Cassie’s apartment, the first stop on their way to a cabin spring break of their junior year, and the ache is suddenly threatening to break through his ribcage.
But the sun is warm on his cheek, and the radio is playing a soft summer soundtrack, so Castiel allows Dean’s happiness to wash over him long enough to forget who—or, more importantly, who isn’t—causing it. He grins at his best friend before turning his gaze back out the passenger window of the Impala.
Oh all I ever wanted was a life in your shape So I follow the white lines, follow the white lines, Keep my eyes on the road as I ache
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Look at you, strawberry blond
Dean and Cassie break up, and Dean drinks for a month, but Castiel getting into Stanford for grad school distracts him just long enough to go back to normal (a normal that does not involve thinking about how Dean nearly kissed him when they were both drunk the night he got his acceptance).
This new normal involves staring graduation in the face, and California beyond that, and moving out of his Chicago apartment somewhere in this middle, which also involves coming to terms with moving away from Dean.
Until Sam gets his own acceptance to Stanford a few months later. Then Dean starts sending him links to two-bedroom apartments, and using “we” when talking about the move, and looks just as confused as Castiel when he asks about it.
“Well, yeah. I mean, with you gone, and now Sam—You thought you were going by yourself?”
And even though Castiel vaguely thinks this is a bad idea, and living with his best friend who he’s been in love with for his entire memory had been hard enough for the two years they’d been doing it, he can’t say no. Because every time he gets up the nerve to say something Dean calls him over and shoves his laptop into Castiel’s face, talking about hiking trails and flower fields and front lawns and dogs, and that quells any doubt he had.
They move to Palo Alto, into a townhouse with a lawn and a communal garden. Dean adopts a golden retriever.
Fields rolling on, I love it when you call my name
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Can you hear the bumblebees swarm? Watching your arm
Two months into Castiel’s first year of graduate school they have a picnic, taking advantage of the lingering warmth of the California fall. Sam is off in the field playing with Zeppelin, obviously having used the ‘come meet my brother’s dog’ excuse to invite the pretty blonde woman (Jess?) chasing the golden with him. Dean is rambling about Star Trek and Castiel is paying half attention, the majority of his focus on the reading in front of him because professors don’t consider picnics an extension-worthy excuse.
He’s just started to get invested when he hears a yelp and looks up to see Dean Winchester, his best friend, most trusted confidant and the possible love of his life, swatting a bumblebee. Cas gasps, reading forgotten, and lunges across the picnic blanket to grab Dean’s wrist. “Dean.” He chastises, and Dean gives him a look.
“It’s a bee, Cas.”
“It’s a bumblebee, which are essential—”
“To our ecosystem, yeah, but it’s pretty essential to me that it doesn’t sting me.”
“It won’t sting you if you don’t swat at it.”
“You didn’t see the look on it, man. It meant business.”
“Bees are attracted to sugar. You probably just smell good.”
Dean grins. “You calling me sweet, Cas?”
And, well, no. He isn’t. He’s talking about the empty pie tin next to Dean. But the words make him realize just how close they are, how far he’d moved into Dean’s space in his efforts to stop his hand, how the force of the movement had pushed Dean almost back onto his elbows.
He opens his mouth to respond the way he usually does to Dean’s cavalier flirting, but the words don’t leave his mouth—which is, somehow, he swears, closer to Dean’s than it was a second ago. Just as Castiel is preparing to push back, clear his throat, and add this moment onto a growing list of almost-but-not-quite moments stretching back years, Dean sucks in a breath and closes the gap.
Castiel reacts before his brain can fully comprehend what’s going on, bypassing any shock entirely and kissing Dean back immediately. He lets go of his wrist, instead bringing his hand to the side of Dean’s face, stroking his cheekbone with his thumb. Dean pushes himself back up and wraps an arm around Castiel’s waist, pulling him essentially into his lap, and then they’re kissing, and Dean smells like summer and tastes like apple pie, and Castiel suddenly understands more than ever why bees are always buzzing around him.
It feels like a lifetime until it’s over, until they’re just staring at each other and out of breath, both scared to say anything and break the magic they’d accidentally created. The silence is only broken by a shout from across the grass, followed shortly by a tennis ball that nearly misses them, followed by 65 pounds of golden retriever that does not miss them and nearly topples Castiel in his pursuit of the ball. And then Sam comes running after the dog, still shouting—apologies, this time—and then there’s Jess, laughing hysterically, and then Castiel has to scramble out of the way because Zeppelin has made a U-turn, interpreting the whole commotion as a game of keep-away.
Dean meets his eye above the chaos and grins, and the sunlight hits his dirty blonde hair, and it’s so breathtaking Castiel almost forgets to smile back.
I love it when you look my way.
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ahz-associates · 2 years
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How To Get a Full Scholarship in the UK Universities?
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The UK remains one of the best places to attend university in the world. From its prestigious Russell Group to institutions older than certain countries, it consistently ranks high in the global university league tables. It’s also one of the most popular choices for international students and offers a variety of highly valued scholarships to study in UK for international students that have turned out world leaders, figures in the arts and popular culture, and influential individuals from all over the world.
UK University Scholarships for International Students
Having a good number of scholarships is a common desire for every international student. Before applying for the scholarship, you should have the offer letter in hand. It is important to know what scholarships you may be eligible for before applying. You should apply for several scholarships to study in the UK as early as you can.
If you want to secure more than one scholarship or increase your chances of securing at least one of the many you have applied for, then the earlier the better. You need to do your research and find out the requirements and deadlines.
You should spend the majority of your free time looking for potential scholarships. You can apply for scholarships to study in the UK. All the initial effort you put into looking for various scholarships and applying for them will be worth it in the end when you’re catching your flight to the UK.
Choose the Scholarships that Suit Your Interests.
When you’re searching for scholarship opportunities, you need to select them based on your interests and profile. You won’t select an engineering scholarship when you’re interested in the arts, right?
What if I don’t know what I want to Study?
You should first do career counselling with an expert to choose the right subject for you as a part of your long-term career. In that case, we recommend opting for open scholarships. Open scholarships allow you to select the program you’re interested in studying. They’re not limited to just a certain type of program. If you’re undecided, an open scholarship could also be your best bet for scholarships to study in England.
Where should I look to Find Open Scholarships?
We recommend looking at national-level scholarships to find open scholarships. Your community and school are a good starting point to look for them as well.
There are a number of senior scholarships available, which you can learn about from your guidance counselor or another person assigned to assist graduating seniors. You may also contact the UK University representatives. You can find the majority of the same information on the university's website as well.
Do You Know the Universities in the UK you Want to go?
Most universities in the UK offer scholarships to international students. You will most likely have two backup options in addition to your dream university. If you do, you can visit their website to learn about the different types of scholarships they’re offering and then apply for one of them.
Now, you need to apply for a scholarship to study in the UK. The same as in – “A,” University “B,” and University “C.” If you secure one out of three scholarships, that’s a big achievement. If you secure two or even all three scholarships, the ball is in your court, and the decision is solely yours.
What should I do Once I have Found Several Suitable Scholarships?
It’s simple; you apply. Depending on the type of scholarship you're applying for and the university you intend to attend in the UK, the processing time for your application could be anywhere from a few weeks to several months. The best course of action if you want to start college at the beginning of the year is to apply early. With scholarships, there’s a lot of competition, which is why it can take time.
By applying early, you also increase your chance of receiving the scholarship. Once you have found the different scholarships, you need to start preparing the rest of the paperwork the university will need you to submit with it.
Types Of Funding
Scholarships mean that you are being awarded money for your course of study, and you do not need to pay it back. Most people think that only those who have consistently excelled in academics are the ones who can qualify for a scholarship to study in the UK. But it is not valid. Here are a few types of scholarships that people can be awarded:
Música Scholarships
Financial need
Academic Excellence
Personal Circumstances
Industry Scholarships
Sports Scholarships
Grants/ Bursaries
Marketing Led Scholarships
The Application Process for Scholarships in the UK University
The application process for scholarships to study in the UK is relatively straightforward. You need to apply for a program at your top-choice university before you apply for scholarships because the application deadline is typically many months before the course actually begins. Here is how you can search for scholarships at UK universities:
After doing your research and selecting your preferred university, you can go to their website and browse the scholarships available for international students. Then, you can apply depending on which scholarship requirements you fulfill.
Getting a head Start on the Scholarship Application Process
Here’s what we want you to do next:
You Need to Prepare Your Financial Information
Your acceptance into a scholarship or bursary program may also depend on your household income. You’ll need to provide your financial information to the university. Since the information relates to the number of people in your household, you’ll need to ask your parents or legal guardians to provide you with the financial information you need to complete the application.
In order to avoid stress about making the deadline if your financial documentation is delayed unexpectedly, you should prepare all of the documents that you must submit with the application in advance.
You Need to Tailor Your Application.
You want to make an impression on the college and win as many scholarships as you can to study in the UK. If you want to succeed in doing so, you need to meet the unique requirements set by each scholarship and bursary. To make sure you comprehend everything, you should read the application form from beginning to end twice.
If there’s something you don’t understand, feel free to reach out to the university for clarification. Once you have read the application, you need to tailor your answers. Since you plan to apply to more than one scholarship, keep in mind that it may take you a lot of time, as most require you to write a personal essay.
We advise taking the time to comprehend the application and its requirements and then answer each question as best you can to increase your likelihood of receiving funding for your program, even though it can be a drawn-out and time-consuming process.
You Need to Speak to Formal Applicants
Thanks to the internet, you can find several community groups on social media where you can easily find people who had previously applied for the scholarship, got it, and have graduated since then. You can ask them for advice, and most of them will be more than happy to help you.
You can use the tips they provide you to fill out the application that’s more likely to get noticed by the university’s admission department.
UK Government Scholarships
The government of the UK actively works to enable deserving students to realize their dream of studying there. For instance, they provide the Chevening Scholarship through their initiative. This is a global scholarship award that all international students can apply for. The eligibility criteria are that students must apply for at least three-degree studies in the UK with scholarships.
Another excellent initiative from the UK government is the Commonwealth scholarship award. Those candidates who reside in a commonwealth country such as Bangladesh are eligible for it. The Commonwealth scholarship is awarded to students who are looking to study for a postgraduate degree.
The UK Department for International Development (DFID) is responsible for the provision of funding. The cost of flights, as well as a personal maintenance allowance and an initial arrival allowance, are likely to be covered by this, along with a number of other variable expenses like tuition, exam fees, and travel expenses.
UK University Scholarships
Students also have the option to conduct in-depth research to determine whether the educational institutions they want to attend offer scholarships. The vast majority of universities in the UK offer a variety of scholarship awards to students. The amount may vary but the idea is the same: scholarships help ease the burden on students and their families.
For example, The University of Nottingham has coined the Developing Solutions Scholarship award. Students from the developing Commonwealth nations of India, Africa, and other continents are eligible for this award if they intend to return to their home nation after earning their postgraduate degree.
The university seeks out deserving candidates who have the desire to help in improving their own country. There are over a hundred slots available annually and 30 of these cover the entire tuition fees of students while the remaining one’s subsidies 50% of the fees.
The University of Westminster International Scholarships are yet another illustration of scholarships for study in the UK. Similar to the aforementioned award given by The University of Nottingham, Westminster also gives the scholarship to students who come from developing countries and want to study for a master’s degree. Those who are successful can take advantage of free education, lodging, travel, and living expenses!
Studying in the UK with scholarships is a dream for students from around the world. However, realizing that dream can take many years. Also, there are several variables in the equation. Given the costs attached to UK universities, it is no wonder that students seek scholarship opportunities. We will take a look at the scholarships to study in UK below-
Denys Holland Scholarship (University College London)
Fortunately, universities aim to facilitate deserving international students by granting them scholarships to study in the UK. One such institute is the prestigious University College London. They have established the Denys Holland Scholarship award for undergraduate students.
International students who cannot afford studies in the UK without additional financial support are given this scholarship. The only requirement for the university is that these students maximize their potential and use all the opportunities they are given at UCL.
The scholarship, which has an astounding annual value of 9000 pounds, essentially covers the majority of the year's tuition costs.
Chancellor’s International Scholarships (University of Sussex)
Another excellent opportunity for brilliant students exploring scholarships to study in the UK is called the Chancellor’s International Scholarship. The vast majority of the schools in that region are able to offer this, which is conferred at The University of Sussex.
Students must, of course, fulfill the usual requirements, which include having a stellar academic record. Always non-EU applicants who qualified for and were awarded a full-time postgraduate taught degree at The University of Sussex are the recipients.
Think Big Scholarships (Bristol University)
Another scholarship award that is specific to a university is called the Think Big Scholarship and is given to those who study at Bristol University. The university committed a staggering 500,000 pounds in 2019 to the worthwhile goal of assisting the best and brightest international applicants to the University.
The Think Big scholarship is available for both undergraduate and postgraduate students who will enroll this year. Additionally, scholarships for tuition fees range in value from 5000 to 20,000 pounds.
International Ambassador Scholarships (University of West London)
The International Ambassador Scholarship is awarded in recognition of outstanding students who travel from all around the world to pursue higher studies in the United Kingdom. Regardless of whether they pursue undergraduate or graduate degrees, they are given financial support.
The scholars are subsequently named as representatives of The University of West London abroad. There are a total of 50 scholarships available, each worth 5,000 pounds.
Chancellor’s Scholarship (University of West England)
Another excellent opportunity for prospective students is called the Chancellor’s Scholarship at The University of West England. Situated in the city of Bristol, the institute offers more than a hundred thousand pounds worth of scholarships for international students on an annual basis.
Recipients are required to participate in an internship at the International Development Office and other departments in order to acquire the scholarship award. They can then receive the award, which will pay their entire tuition for one academic year.
Popular Scholarships to Study in the UK
These are some popular scholarships to study in the UK you can apply for include:
The Chevening Scholarships
The Chevening Scholarships are one of the most well-known scholarship awards available to students. These awards are offered directly by the UK government and are typically given to students with an extraordinary academic performance. In addition, these candidates must exhibit other qualities like excellent leadership skills to attain the Chevening Scholarship.
The British Embassies worldwide are involved in the process since they personally select the recipients of this prestigious award. For those seeking UK scholarship opportunities, this program offers more than 1500 slots each year. For example, the Chevening award provides outstanding students with the opportunity to pursue a postgraduate degree at any of the top universities in the UK. Therefore, if you’re looking for a UK scholarship, then the Chevening Scholarship is well worth a look.
Euraxess UK
The British Council provides the Euraxess UK scholarship to national and international researchers. Over the course of six years, the program offers support to researchers at all three levels—postgraduate, postdoctoral, and post-doctorate.
The Commonwealth Scholarships
The British Empire ruled over many countries once upon a time. A remnant of their ascendancy was that the countries they controlled are now regarded as Commonwealth countries. An advantage of that in the modern day is that UK scholarships are available under the name of Commonwealth Scholarships.
In simple terms, students who reside in Commonwealth countries may be eligible for the award, assuming they meet the prerequisites. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC) is a designated body that selects recipients of scholarships and fellowships for higher education.
Those who are selected typically need to have a strong academic background, and the CSC also assesses their ability to earn money and assist those back home. In addition, the award also includes the price of airfare. In addition to travel expenses, it also pays for tuition, exam fees, personal expenses, dissertation grants, initial arrival compensation, and various other expenses.
Rhodes Scholarships
A Rhodes scholarship, which is particularly prestigious in the academic world, is provided to postgraduate students wishing to enroll at the University of Oxford. This particular scholarship is designed for ‘exceptional’ students and so can be tougher to obtain, but is well worth it if you are successful. Students from all over the world can apply for this scholarship and previous Rhodes scholars include former US President Bill Clinton, journalist Rachel Maddow and film director Terrance Malik.
Fulbright Scholarships
The Fulbright Scholarship is specifically designed for American students who want to study abroad in the United Kingdom (UK). It provides financial assistance to any American students who want to attend one of the elite universities in the UK, such as UCL, LSE, or St Andrews. Merit-based programs are frequently linked to particular universities and are available to doctoral candidates and postgraduate students who possess exceptional skills in their field of study.
The Royal Society Grants
The Royal Society is a fellowship that awards UK scholarships to students. It is comprised of the world’s most pre-eminent scientists and is in fact the oldest science-oriented academy in the region.
This independent academy is responsible for the promotion of excellence in the field of science, which is why they provide scholarships for many impressive and promising students from around the world.
The Global Study Awards
This particular award is the result of a partnership between Study portals, ISIC and the British Council. It is designed to encourage promising students to study overseas so that they can explore new countries and cultures and exploit wonderful opportunities to maximize their potential.
Typically, a UK scholarship worth 10000 pounds is on offer twice a year to international students. This is also done in a bid to expand intercultural integration and allow these students to broaden their horizons by studying in the UK with scholarships.
The Different Type of Scholarships
It is important to note that even need-based scholarships do take an individual’s educational qualifications into mind before allocating them a scholarship to help. Universities offer scholarships of their own, however, it is always recommended to look into other types of scholarships. Scholarships are usually applied for at the time of course registration or after you have successfully registered. As scholarships are usually offered early in the year, it is important to start all your research on this subject carefully and ahead of time. The different types of scholarships that are offered include:
Part Scholarships
Part scholarships can either help to pay off a small portion of your tuition fees or even cover your total tuition fees. These types of scholarships do not usually cover dorm or living costs.
Full Scholarships
Most international students strive to qualify for a full scholarship. Full UK scholarships cover not only your tuition fees but also living costs. They are extremely difficult to get as you need to be one of the top performing students in order to qualify for a full scholarship.
Country-Specific
These scholarships differ according to the country you belong to. For instance, students applying from the US, Pakistan, India, Canada, China, and Hong Kong are eligible for Saltire Scholarships. If you do your homework, you will discover that students from a variety of nations are eligible for a number of the best scholarships for international students.
Course-Specific External
Apart from country-specific and university-specific scholarships, many NGOs, governments and even individuals offer to sponsor students from their country, so it advised to search for such entities who offer to do if you need.
Scholarship Applications have Deadlines
Just like universities have application deadlines, so do scholarships. There are many scholarships available for prospective students to apply. So, applicants are advised to apply for scholarships in the UK University. At the start of the year, at the earliest. International students from all around the world are eligible for scholarships of different kinds.
However, most undergraduate universities need you to submit your A-level results with your scholarship application. You can also be eligible for individual scholarships only after you have completed a specific amount of time, such as two or three years, so do look out for that.
Award type of UK scholarships
Academic Excellence Awards
Access Funding
Disabled Students’ Allowance
Further Education Funding
Hardship Grants
Scholarships in the UK without IELTS
There are numerous universities in the United Kingdom where you can study without having to take the IELTS exam. Approximately 3,240 scholarships are now available in the United Kingdom, and they are all fully funded. Why should you study in the United Kingdom? Universities in the United Kingdom have received international recognition. With so many World-Class Degrees available in the United Kingdom. You will be able to study at some of the most prestigious universities in the UK. Scholarships are available for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
The competition is open to students from around the world. Who wouldn’t want to receive a full scholarship to study in the United Kingdom? Over 50,000-degree programs are available in UK universities. It’s important to note that there isn’t any application fee.
UK Universities without IELTS
London Southbank University
Portsmouth University
Birmingham City University
Swansea University
The University of Warwick
The University of Bristol
The University of Plymouth
The University of Greenwich
North-Umbria University
Study in the UK Without Taking the IELTS
Applicants must have an English Proficiency Certificate to apply. The English Proficiency Certificate can be obtained from the applicant’s prior university.
It should be indicated in the university letter that the candidate has completed all of his courses in English. Instead of the IELTS certificate, you can use the letter form from that university.
Studying in the UK with scholarships can be an arduous task when it comes to the management of finances. The studies themselves and the cost of living can be quite exorbitant at times. Not to forget that for some international students, their local currency may be depreciating continually thus making the pound sterling more expensive to obtain. Once you have applied for the maximum number of scholarships, you can sit back, relax, and have fun as you wait to find out how many scholarships you were able to secure.
If you are interested in finding out more about which option could work best for you, Give us a call or drop us an email today.
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fbfh · 4 years
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miss missing you - percy x reader
 1.1k words
 pls listen to miss missing you by fob and conspiracy and where the lines overlap by paramore
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The end of the summer could pretty miserable for a lot of reasons
But you always tried your hardest not to focus on that
Communicating with other demigods was pretty hard sometimes
You couldn’t really call or text, and writing letters was hard unless it was in greek, but that could seem pretty suspicious
But love can make you pretty creative
Over your years of being together, you and Percy have worked out a pretty good system
You managed to get your hands on old fashioned camcorders, dvd players, and blank dvds among other things
You film little video diaries every day, burn them onto a dvd, and mail them to each other
You’ve also gotten into the habit of filming during your time at camp half blood, too
The only consistency you have nine months out of the year is getting a big orange envelope from percy with a dvd of his face, polaroids of him and his mom, and little notes in greek
The singing thing started when he had a particularly rough week
He was behind in school, drama had erupted with the few friends he had managed to make, and his mom had the flu
He missed you so much it physically hurt
All he wanted was to feel your touch
Maybe hear your voice in person instead of through shitty dvd player speakers that stopped being made in 2006
He kept thinking back to being at camp with you
Those moments when you smelled like chlorine and your hair was warm from the sun
He missed the taste of your lip balm, the strawberry one with spf you only used in summer
When you would hug him and the knot from your tied up camp shirt would poke his stomach, the way your laugh blended seamlessly with the crackle of the bonfire
And now it was abysmally icy outside, and his seasonal depression was in full swing
“I just miss you… miss your voice. I can’t catch up on my homework because every time I try to, that song conspiracy by paramore won’t stop playing in my head even though I haven’t listened to it since middle school, so… I dunno what’s going on up here,” 
He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck, but you could tell he was really struggling
The next video you sent included a clip of you singing and dancing along to conspiracy in your kitchen, followed by your step parent asking what you’re doing up this late
It ended with you in your room, bidding him good night
You included a polaroid of  you kissing the teddy bear he got you for your birthday, and written on the back in greek,
“Remember ‘where the lines overlap’? What a banger ♥️”
You went back and forth for weeks, sending clips of you singing old songs you listened to in middle school among your other videos
You’d talk about school and camp, you’d dream about the future together, talk about getting a little apartment together after you graduate
Every time Percy came home and saw his mom holding an envelope with that specific look on her face, he knew something from you had arrived
That was the main thing that got him through each semester
Any time there was a school break, you tried to meet up with him
What felt like half an eternity later, you were both cramming for graduation
He had gotten into a college close to where he lived on a swimming scholarship 
The minute you got home from graduation, you ran into your room to pack for camp
You were coming early this year and nothing could stop you
You even risked an iris message to Percy while you got ready
You had no idea if you would be able to pull off the surprise you’d been working on, but you were going to do everything possible to make it happen
After you hung up, you finished the smaller surprise for his birthday
That summer was among the best you’d ever had
As august drew nearer, you started to get nervous again
Chiron had dropped by a few days before Percy’s birthday to give you a letter in person
“It seems important”
It was
You were beyond elated, things were finally falling into place
Once it was finally Percy’s birthday, you had pulled him aside to have a quiet moment together to give him his present
He unwrapped it, and gave you a confused look, a smile already unstoppable on his face
“All of our songs,” you said, “in chronological order.” 
And there it was
All of the songs you’ve sung and danced to numbered in blue fine tip sharpie
He pulled you in for a tight hug
You savored it for a moment, his hugs are always amazing
They’re so enveloping and warm
After a minute you mutter, “There is another surprise,”
“I was going to wait until the end of camp, but I can’t hold out on you anymore.” 
You pull the letter out of your pocket and hand it to him
You explain the plan you’ve been working on for months
You used the gifts from your godly parent to get an internship at a great company in manhattan
“I’ll need to do some training, complete some coursework, but…” 
He stared at you in disbelief
“I’m staying in New York”
He pulled you into another hug, this one tighter than before, and kissed you so warmly you thought you’d melt
After you finally pull apart, you grab the cd case and slip in a piece of paper you’d written the title of the mix tape on
He reads the title you wrote out in greek
‘Songs to dance to in our kitchen’
Our kitchen
He laughed in disbelief
“So no more mailing videos?”
You shake your head
“No more mailing videos,” 
He realized this really was the end of an era
But the beginning of a new one
Once he realized you weren’t going to be separated any more, he suddenly felt strangely nostalgic for all those times you got through together
He mentioned this, and you joked, “Oh, I can move back in with my parents if you want to keep doing that,”
“No way,” he laughed, pulling you into a hug, “I’ll miss missing you, you know, now and then... but I’d much rather have the real thing.” 
“So would I,” 
And you both got what you wanted 
Dancing in the kitchen together to songs you used to cry to
But this time everything felt alright
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woozisnoots · 4 years
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i’m not a hero | hansol vernon chwe
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° pairing: vernon x reader ° genre: floofity floof fluff ° summary: people ask you, the avid star wars enthusiast, who your favorite character is and to their surprise? it’s not the hero. ° word count: 1276 ° warning: i mention weapon maybe 2 times ° a/n: my installment for @merakiiverse​​ collab - thank you so much for this really fun opportunity!!! check out the masterlist + all the amazing authors below 💓 (and yes this is part of krys and i’s disneyland au as well!)
meraki’s job collab! / seventeen stars to the right!
masterlist!
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everyone will tell you how hard it is trying to pay for college, being away from home, living alone, occasionally having to cope with potential loneliness and lack of motivation from time to time
but some college experiences outweigh all those hardships
and for vernon, it’s two things: you and living out his dream job. well, close to his dream job
you and vernon actually went to the same high school and even shared classes together. exchanged a couple of laughs during graduation practice at how both your names were mispronounced at the podium
yet for the entire three / four years that you were there, no words ushered between you two aside from formal greetings and acknowledged nods. after those graduation caps went up in the sky and you disappeared into the crowd, vernon regretted not talking to you at least once.
just when he was about to lose hope and move passed it, the next thing he knew, he saw you again waiting outside his communications class at his university
‘so this must be fate, it has to be… or a sign? whatever the difference is’
vernon’s face completely flushed when you expressed how relieved you were to see him, alas a familiar face in this new foreign place. making small talk before class started. finding out you guys actually shared the same major, hinting that he’ll probably get to see and spend more time with you more often, in and outside of school
what a perfect perfect way to start a friendship!
after exchanging each other numbers, study sessions became regular hangouts and soon after a few months, the awkward air around him diminished and he finally let his nonchalant person shine through
…but that doesn’t mean he still isn’t shy.
“awe so yn still doesn’t know about your obsession with star wars? can’t be their little jedi to save the them from having to write an argumentative speech in five minutes?”
vernon only responded by sending a glare directed towards his roommate and shoved his head into his pillow, yelping out his internal screams
and for his information, he wasn’t necessarily the hero of the story 
how was he supposed to tell you that he worked as a storm trooper at disneyland? 
first and far most important, he can’t. that’s against the rules, he would get fired in a heartbeat. that would ruin the entire galaxy edge experience. where’s the magic in that?  
and second, even if he were to tell you, he just broke through the wall and is finally on good terms with you. yes, you guys may be friends right now but he does eventually want to ask you out  
in his head, being a star wars fan doesn’t really give him that cool reputation that he wants you to perceive of him 
and what if you didn’t know what a storm trooper was? now he would just be embarrassed :( 
the one free day that you guys have, he almost regrets wanting to work there in the first place
you: hey! you free this weekend? 
vernon: depends… am i?
you: well make yourself free :p think you can scavenge some money to get a one day ticket to disneyland on saturday? 
vernon: that is more than 100 dollars, do you really think
you: PLEASE IT’LL BE FUN !!!! my best friend and i just got seasonal passes and are ready to abuse it every weekend <3
vernon: ok and your speech?
you: …will be written before then :D 
vernon: …fINE 
vernon: bold of you to assume i already to have a pass. late to the fun train i see
oh gosh, what the hell did he just say yes to? he has work that day! 
thankfully, he only needs to work one shift and that lasts a couple of hours. he can make an excuse for meeting up late - his best being getting into a long phone call with his parents and losing track of time (which you wholeheartedly believe given his known soft spot for his family) 
there’s a possible chance, you won’t even go to his certain place of work anyways. maybe you’ll just go to check it out, go on a few rides and wander off.  
it was late morning bleeding into the afternoon and vernon was all set in costume, ready to march around the side of the park as one of two of kylo ren’s bodyguards 
on a warm, sunny california day like this, was the only time vernon didn’t particularly like having to play a character in a full body costume. he could feel the heat rising up in his helmet and sweat accumulates in places he didn’t know could sweat, uncomfortable wedgies throughout the day
and it suddenly gets a thousand times hotter when he sees you walking towards him, leading your best friend to the outside meet and greet area 
during his time, vernon has seen some pretty surprising guests at disneyland all while keeping his composure and staying in character. but this is the first time he almost lets his mumbling slip past his microphone and nearly dropping his blaster to the ground 
there’s nothing much that vernon can do as he stands in front of the guests, including you. it’s not like you came to see him specifically, everyone’s here to see the kylo ren 
so he decides to play it off the best and only way he knows how 
“approach,” he says to you and your friend as it was their turn, gripping his fake weapon in both hands 
he did not expect you to be so excited for this interaction. up close, vernon notices that you portrayed an opened mouth smile with a certain glimmer in your eyes that he doesn’t get to see off duty 
“have you sworn allegiance to the first order?” his partner to his left continues the conversation 
“if i say yes, does that mean i can get a picture with you guys?” you fiddle to find the your phone in your disney themed backpack and hand it to your friend that seemed rather distracted upon other things 
looking back and forth between the other storm trooper and you, as a cast member, vernon knew exactly what to say
“well that makes things easier for the both of us. proceed.” 
your high pitched squeal finally gets the attention of your friend, taking a few steps back to take the photo
you’re sandwiched in between the two stormtroopers and an awkward kylo ren towering behind you 
vernon promptly holds up his blaster with one hand over his shoulder, making for a more dramatic photo, but what the camera can’t capture is how completely flustered vernon is under his armored attire
he’s never been this close to you before
thank goodness he was playing a character or else you wouldn’t know what to do with him hyperventilating right in front of you 
once the picture is shot and approved yours truly, you continue to have a one on one conversation with kylo ren before having to leave. giving vernon a little while to recover and look around at anywhere and anyone to calm down his heart as you stand just a mere few inches close to him
being considerate of your friend, your time is short and you guys make your way to the exist with slight disappoint shown on your face 
vernon risks watching you leave the vicinity, not paying too much attention to the guests waiting patiently in line
and it’s worth it to see you look back at him one last time, feeling as if you could see right through his façade  
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sushiburritonoms · 3 years
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DinLuke 10. high school popular kid/nerd au
I've been sitting on this AU Fic request all week because High School was a long time ago for me and I have no idea what all you young people are doing these days. After talking to Dark, I finally came up with an idea based off what I remember from high school in the 1990s. Hence this is one of the more serious ficlets I've done, but then again I've never thought of the high school genre as a happy one? Unless we're talking about Sailor Moon or something (which trust me I WAS TEMPTED).
10. High school popular kid/nerd AU
Warnings: USA centric, Time period appropriate homophobia, homophobic language, school bullying.
This looked so easy in the movies.
Din squinted at his target, readjusted his stance and after a moment, let the small pebble fly from his hand. It made a graceful arch…and landed on the top of the roof instead of hitting Luke’s second floor bedroom window. Again. He groaned.
“I can’t believe you’re the Captain of the football team.”
Din yelped and spun around. Standing directly behind him was Luke’s twin sister, staring at him with an annoyed expression on her face. She was still dressed in the same white cardigan, pink spaghetti strap tank and skinny jeans he’d seen her in at school, and was carrying her silver JanSport bag on her back and her clarinet case in one hand. If looks could kill, Din would be….well. Not dead, but most likely wounded, since the look Leia Amidala Skywalker was giving him was one of distrust and utter annoyance.
A thousand different excuses flew through Din’s head, in one ear and out the other.  Of all the things he could have said, what actually came out was, “I thought you had Jazz Band today.”  Or was it Model UN? Was it Thursday yet?
“It was cancelled. Ms. Junda is out sick.”  Leia used her free hand to push her glasses further up her nose.  “Why didn’t you just use the front door like a normal person?” She shook her head at him and started to walk towards her front door.
Din hesitated.
Leia looked back and rolled her eyes. “My parents aren’t home. My mom has another fundraiser and my dad got dragged into helping. Doesn’t my parasitic twin tell you anything?”
Din frowned. He took AP Bio and that insult made no sense. “Did you two have another argument?”
Leia gave him an incredulous look. “We never fight.”
Not according to Luke, but Din wisely avoided mentioning that.  “My pager got confiscated,” Din admitted. “It went off during history and Mr. Mundi took it.”
“You could have just talked to him,” Leia said. Then she used the palm of her hand to hit her head. “Oh duh, I forgot. You’re too cool to talk to Wormie and Squirmie at school.”
“Hey!” Din walked over to Leia. “I don’t call you guys that.” He hated Luke and Leia’s stupid nicknames. He couldn’t stand the way the other kids treated the Skywalker twins, especially Fett and his gang of morons.
Leia’s hand jingled as she pulled out her house key. “You don’t stop them,” she said quietly as she turned her back to Din. “It’s pretty much the same thing.”
Din felt his heart drop into his chest.  That wasn’t true. Every time he heard his teammates talking smack about other kids he told them off. But apart from Football practice, he didn’t really spend time talking with Fett and his friends. He was too busy working his afterschool job at Blockbuster and helping his foster mom with the other kids.  “I would,” he protested. “If Fett or anyone else ever said anything to my face about you and Luke, I would smack ‘em.”
Leia side eyed him, with her hand still clutching at her front door. “What about Han? Would you stand up for him?”
“Han Solo?”  Din blinked. The infamous dropout of Coruscant High? “I thought he joined a biker gang?”
That was the wrong thing to say. Leia whirled around. “No he didn’t! What is wrong with you!” She swung her clarinet case at Din and he had to take several steps back. “I don’t know what Luke sees in you, you stupid jock!”
“HEY! Shhh! I’m sorry, I’m sorry ok! Calm down!” Din looked around nervously to see if anyone had heard Leia.  He had no idea what he’d done to piss Luke’s sister off. They’d never had more than a few short conversations with each other ever since Din moved into town two years ago.
“What? You don’t want people to know you’re a homo?” Leia shouted at him. She had tears in her eyes. “You afraid you’ll stop being Mr. Popular if they knew you were a gaylord like Luke? Huh? You thick headed, scruffy looking….Neanderthal!”
“Leia!”
Din and Leia both froze. They hadn’t noticed the front door opening nor noticed Luke until he was standing right in front of them.  His blond hair was all disheveled and he had an ice pack in one hand and the beginnings of an awful black eye on his swollen face. His lip was cut up and there was blood dotting his green t-shirt.
“What happened!” Din blurted out. He pushed past Leia to hover next to Luke. “Who did this?!”
Luke winced and pulled away before Din could touch his face. “I’m fine.  Will you two get in here before you get outed to the entire town?”
Din opened his mouth to reply but was shoved into the doorframe by a furious Leia.  “I didn’t know it was this bad.” She grabbed her brother’s hand and dragged him into their living room.
“I’m fine!” Luke repeated. “How’d you even find out?”
“Amy told me. She saw the fight.” She pulled Luke over to their couch and nudged her brother into sitting. Din quietly closed the door and watched the siblings from a safe distance. Amy must have been Amilyn Holdo, the school’s resident weirdo.  She was one of Leia’s best friends and another frequent target of the meaner kids in their class.
“Ugh Leia, quit it! Did you skip Jazz Band for me?!”  Luke tried to wiggle away from his sister as Leia fussed over his cut lip.
“I thought it was cancelled,” Din frowned.
“That’s what we’re telling my parents,” Leia muttered.  “But I don’t think we can explain this!”
Luke sighed. “You know they won’t even notice.” He sounded so defeated that Din felt a surge of rage at Mrs. Skywalker and her busy city council career.
“Mom’s gonna notice a black eye!” Leia paused. “Eventually.”
Din counted to three just like his foster mother was always telling him to do. “Will someone tell me what the hell happened?!”
Both twins turned to look at him simultaneously, doing that creepy staring thing that made them frequent targets of the school bullies.  “Greedo,” they both said at once.
Ugh. He really liked Luke, but that was just too creepy. It reminded him of the movie Village of the Damned. “Christopher Greedo?”
They both nodded. “He insulted Han,” Luke protested. “Spreading rumors about him and nobody was saying anything.”
OH.  Now Leia’s earlier comments made sense. “You tried to fight Greedo?” Chris Greedo was infamous for his bad temper, a real ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ type of jerk.
“He keeps spreading that stupid biker gang rumor. Nobody knows what really happened to him.” Luke kept clenching and unclenching his fists--which also looked bruised. “I couldn’t take it anymore.”
Din slowly started to approach the twins, keeping one eye on Leia.  She glared at him but still scooted over so that Din could sit next to Luke.
“What really happened?” He asked gently.  He only hesitated for a moment before he reached over and grabbed one of Luke’s bruised hands.
“Han’s old man threw him out.” Leia answered instead of Luke. “He’s been homeless for the last four months.”
“He’s currently living with Chuy Baca’s family on the East Side,” Luke added. “It’s not fair! Han was so close to finally graduating this year but Leia and I can’t convince him to come back.”
“That’s messed up,” Din said as he looked at Leia. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
It felt like he was being judged by Leia as her brown eyes peered into him. “It’s alright,” she said finally. “Now you do.”
There was a whole lot of school politics that Din didn’t understand, even though he’d been living in Coruscant for two years. He knew that Han, Leia and Luke’s nerdy group of friends were low on the social totem pole and by sheer luck Din’s athletic ability meant he was attractive to the popular group that ran the school.  Boba Fett in particular acted like he was some sort of king and because Din was useful to him he had become one of the ‘cool kids’ for the first time in his life.  Boba had some sort of grudge against the Church that Luke’s parents attended (Church of the Sith Eternal or something like that).  The other kids also picked on Leia because she was at the top of their class and Luke because he was gay. It didn't matter that Leia had garnered enough votes from the underclassmen to become the secretary of the Student Council. She wasn’t liked by Boba, so that meant the Juniors and Seniors had it out for her.
Din had tried to stay out of the politics. He had his Senior year and then he was done--he would be finished with school and aged out of the foster care system.  Maybe he’d go community college (if by some miracle he could find the money) but most likely he’d end up in the military like his foster brother Paz.  He had so many other problems to deal with, from helping out his loving but overworked foster mother to his uncertain future. But now as he looked at the horrible bruising on Luke’s face and the tears that still lingered in Leia’s eyes, he realized he was making a huge mistake. Distancing himself from the twins and taking refuge in his own popularity wasn’t right. Somebody had to stand up to the ridiculous bullies of Coruscant High. Starting with that slimy bitch Greedo.
“Easy, Romeo.” Din felt a pillow smack the side of his head and he looked up to see Leia shaking her head at him. “I can feel the bloodlust from here. Punching Greedo in the face isn’t gonna help Luke and you’ll only get yourself detention.”
“I’m fine!” Luke insisted as he gingerly put his ice pack back on his eye. They ignored him.
“He can’t keep getting away with this,” Din argued.
“I agree but we have to be smart about this. I’ve seen your GPA Djarin, I know you’re not a moron.”
Luke frowned. “How did you see his grades? Are you hacking into Principal Windu’s computer again?!””
Din tilted his head. “You have a plan.”
Leia adjusted her glasses again. “I have several plans, ranging in severity. Some of which hinge on you.”
Luke groaned. “Oh no.”
“Me?”
“Amilyn and I have a plan to take out the worst of Luke’s tormentors…” Leia hesitated for a moment before continuing, “but it depends on if you’re willing to come out of the closet or not.”
“What! NO!” Luke jerked up before Din could say a word. “You can’t Leia, he’s gonna go to the army next year! They won’t take him if he’s out!”
Leia nodded. “We don’t have to use that plan--”
“--I never said I was going to enlist for sure,” Din interrupted. “I’d like to hear all your plans first.”
Luke turned to him with wide eyes. “No! I’m not worth it!”
“Don’t say that!” Leia scoffed. “If anything, he’s not worth it.”
“Hey.” Din frowned.
“He’s about to graduate!” Luke said to his sister. “Why would we drag him down with us when he’s close to getting out of this hellhole!”
“Because you still have one more year and I can’t take this anymore.” Leia was crying now, slow tears dripping from the corners of her eyes. “Luke, please. Let me help.” She turned to Din. “I know you don’t really want to join the army, I heard you talking to Fennec last week. If you’re willing to work on this with me and Amy, I’ll see to it my mom hires you after you graduate.”
Din hesitated. A promise of a job after high school, something that paid more than Blockbuster,  would be a real life changer for him. But there was a problem. “Wait. Will this plan of yours out Luke to your parents? I thought they’d be against it because of their religion.”
This made Leia snort. “Please, my dad is the worst Sith in the world and my mom is only in it for him.  The bonus is that this plan would convince dad to finally leave that cult.”
Luke shook his head. “If Aunt Ahsoka and Ben weren’t enough to get dad to leave, why do you think he’d leave for me.”
Din tightened his grip on Luke’s hand. “Your dad loves you,” he said quietly. “I’ve seen how he interacts with you. I’ve always thought you weren’t giving Anakin enough credit.”
Leia nodded. “We’re almost in the new millenium, lots of people are out now,” she argued. “It's not like how it was when Aunt Ahsoka was outed.”
“I don’t know, this is a lot!” Luke moaned. But he allowed Din to tuck his head onto his chest and to wrap his arms around him.  Din was happy to see Leia smile at them instead of reacting with any sort of disgust.
“Why don’t we just take this one step at a time,” Din suggested.  “Can you call Amilyn over to talk about all these different plans?”
Leia nodded. She wiped her face with the back of her cardigan sleeve and took a deep breath. “I’ll page her. Will you stay for dinner? We’re ordering pizza. Our parents will be out all night.”
“I need to call home, but yeah, sure.” He wasn’t one to turn down free food.
“Coolio. I’ll brb!”  Leia shot up from the couch.  She walked over to her brother and gave him a soft kiss on the head. It meant that she had to lean close to Din and he could smell something sweet and floral in her carefully braided hair.  “We’re gonna be ok, little brother.”
“I’m two minutes older,” Luke griped.  But Din felt Luke relax in his arms.
As Leia left to use the phone in the kitchen, Din slowly loosened his grip around Luke, enough so he could look at his eye. “I thought I taught you to duck.”
“I did! The first time.”  Luke flinched as Din carefully applied the ice pack to his face again.  “I tried to go low like you said, but then Greedo got me with his knee.”
“That bastard fights dirty,” Din growled. He was going to have to create an ‘accident’ for Greedo in the hallway tomorrow. If he called in his favor to Boba, he might even get one of his lackeys to do it for him.
Din felt Luke’s fingers twist into his plaid shirt.  “Let it go. Please. It’s not right if we stoop to his level. And you shouldn’t come out for me, it’ll just ruin your senior year.”
“Who cares about senior year? Why does everyone make such a big deal about it?! Best years of our lives--that’s depressing as shit.” Din raised his hand to Luke’s chin and gently cupped his face. “I’ve been a big fat coward, ok? This is wrong, Luke. There’s nothing wrong with us.”
Luke swallowed. “There’s a big difference between everyone thinking you’re a fag and being in an actual relationship. I don’t know if you or I are ready for that.”
Din knew what Luke meant. He didn’t know any gay couples. Just rumors of various people, like Luke’s aunt, that existed in their town. There was a significant part of him that was terrified of the consequences of Leia’s plan. Would he still be able to play Football? Would his teammates be afraid of him? What if Leia was wrong and Anakin forbid him from ever seeing Luke again?
But then again, Leia was also right. Luke had one year left and what would happen once he was gone and unable to divert the worst of Luke’s tormentors from jumping him in the hallways?  It wasn’t fair to let the injustice in Coruscant stand. Not while he was still around to do something about it.
“I want to take you to Homecoming,” Din admitted. “I want to see you in a stupid rented tux and make out with you in front of Mr. Windu.”  Luke giggled, then winced as it made his lip hurt.  “And Han should be there with Leia so she can finally make him slow dance.” Din’s hands wandered into Luke’s hair as he dragged him closer.
“Han dances like a penguin,” Luke sighed.  He slowly rested his forehead onto Din’s.  “He’s got two left feet.”
“Even better.”  Din carefully kissed the side of Luke’s mouth, careful to avoid his cut.
“Promise me you won’t do something stupid,” Luke pleaded. “We can wait until I graduate and then we can both leave this trash town.”
Instead of answering, Din pulled Luke into his arms and held him close. He looked up and saw Leia return to the living room. He locked eyes with her and nodded.
“I won’t let them hurt you anymore.”
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simonsrosebud · 4 years
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so , what about, like getting older together , realizing that they are working for real, and maybe making it official (for the dalton au)
it’s taken me like 2 days to write this because i needed it to be right...
also i realized i read it wrong and didn’t realize u said “making it official” which i’m guessing is in relation to r*ngs but THIS IS JUST AS MUCH OF A MILESTONE FOR THEM!
kevin makes it a point to visit dalton on the weekend.  his second season with the new york blackhawks is coming to an end soon, and the deadline to make a decision about his contract is sneaking up on him.
but when he showers and climbs into dalton’s bed, he’s not the only one with news.  “okay,” dalton says.  he’s smiling, and sits up opposite of kevin.  “so i love teaching here, but- for me, at least, being three hours away from you has been the hardest thing since we’ve graduated.”  not when the moriyama’s stuffed you in a car?
kevin nods along.  they seem to be on the same page, but he’s wondering where dalton’s going with it.  “so i’ve been lining up some teaching jobs out in new york.”
what?
“can i stop you for a second?”  dalton nods, but his face starts to fall.  “new york wants to renew their contract, but i also have really good offers from south carolina, philadelphia, and florida.”
and dalton laughs and grins.  “oh- that’s amazing!”  but kevin knows what he’s thinking.  we can move halfway between the philadelphia stadium and the university.  it would only be a twenty minute drive for the both of us.
but when dalton’s smile fades again he purses his lips.  “but… you wanna go to south carolina, don’t you.”
kevin drops his head.  “i… i don’t want to ask you to leave your job, dalton.  and your whole family is up here.”
“and yours is all down there.”
kevin sighs.  he’s right, but he still can’t ask dalton to up and leave.  not if he doesn’t want to.  “i don’t know what to do,” he says.  “i’m not breaking up with you over location, that’s stupid.  i knew this kind of thing would happen eventually.”
“kevin.”  dalton grabs his chin between his thumb and pointer finger, and he’s got a soft little smile.  “i lined up jobs in new york to be closer to you.”
“i know and i’m sorry, i should have told you sooner-“
“no- i mean, i was willing to find another job there.  why not somewhere else?”  he pauses.  “if south carolina is your decision, would you let me come with you?”
kevin stares at him for a moment.  “really?”  he starts to smile.
“i did live there longer than you, when you think about it.  liked it for a reason.”  kevin can’t believe he’s willing to do that.  without even a second thought.  “carmen’s in georgia, anyway.  she’d love it.”
and kevin can’t really put into words how happy that makes him, that he won’t have to choose between dalton and his family, his chosen family.  so he tackles him into the mattress instead and lets dalton wrap his legs around his hips.
there’s only one problem left, and it’s been ringing in his head ever since he got new offers for the next season.
south carolina isn’t his highest offer.  the blackhawks renewal contract is, because they need him and because they know how valuable he is.  which is why kevin makes a call the next day.
“kevin day.  last time i spoke to you was in a car.  tell me, what did you do wrong?”
kevin’s heart is beating out of his chest.  “nothing.  i have a proposition, it has to do with my contract.”  when ichirou doesn’t answer he goes on.  “i know what you said about always accepting my highest offer, but at the moment south carolina is just below it and both neil josten and andrew minyard are signing to the team as well this season.  i’ve done the math and the press and publicity that would come of my transfer would ultimately boost my earnings higher than the blackhawks contract, which is why i’d like your permission to accept the offer to south carolina.”
he holds his breath.  it’s a full two minutes before ichirou answers.
“very well.”  and hangs up.
kevin sits stunned.  he pulls the phone away from his ear to make sure that really just happened, then looks to dalton sitting across from him at the table.  dalton raises a brow.
“i guess we’re moving?”
dalton grins.
dalton is more picky about house hunting than kevin would have expected.  apartments are different, and kevin wasn’t able to accompany him for that one.  he supposes he likes his decisiveness.  he knows what he- they want, had it in his notes on every tour.  he knows what’s practical.
there’s only a few things kevin knows he needs.  one or two spare bedrooms for when the foxes or the girls come by.  a big living room and kitchen, windows in every room, so that he doesn’t feel cramped and stuffed in.  after all, he’s still got a bit of claustrophobia left over from growing up in the dark.  literally.
he needs a yard big enough to do workouts and throw some balls around,  big enough for lilly to run around in.  kevin’s kind of excited to be living with a dog again, ever since the one summer he spent watching her.  they have the same amount of energy.
other than that, the rest is all dalton’s work.  they both have the same style, anyway.  kevin likes lavish, but he doesn’t want to live in it.  his apartment in new york is modern as all hell, but it’s never felt like a home.  the dorms?  they almost felt like home.  dalton’s house?  abby’s house?  those were homes.
kevin wants a big soft couch and a kitchen he’s not scared to get messy 24/7.  he wants to hang things on the wall, even though he doesn’t have many decorations he plans on bringing from new york.  the most of what he’s got are pictures from college.  framed photos of the team from their first championship win, a collage dalton made with pictures from graduations and banquets.  other than that, there’s no other decorations he cares to keep but a framed photoshopped diploma for “world’s okayest friend” from neil and andrew for his graduation.
anyway.
they do find somewhere, eventually.  they don’t have a ton of time, and they’re staying at abby’s while they search instead of traveling back and forth.  but they’re growing tired and honestly they feel like a burden on abby, even though they do their best to stay out of the way.
it isn’t until almost a month before preseason starts that dalton calls kevin on his way home from the gym.  “look at the link i sent you.”
so he does.  their realtor sent it to dalton barely seconds before he forwarded it to kevin.
it’s practically perfect.  and kevin’s got the money to spend, so the price doesn’t bother him.  he’d had to point that out to dalton more than once, every time they’d look at a place that seemed pricey he had to remind dalton that he had the money.  that he has more than he needs, even.
to paint a picture in your head:  it’s in a gated community, something else kevin really wanted out of paranoia now that he was going to be living with dalton.  he needed them safe.  needed him safe.
they walk in, and after a short hallway, the house opens up to the kitchen on the left and a big living room to the right.  a dining area sits past the kitchen and behind that, a sliding door to the backyard.
it’s all so bright.  
there’s three bedrooms upstairs including the master, and when kevin walks into the room he turns and holds his arms out.  “do i fit in?”
dalton grins.  “absolutely.”
they get the house.
kevin works some magic to get it sooner, and after they’re all moved in- though with a lot of work left, he leans against the garage.  dalton’s coming up the driveway after saying goodbye to matt and dan who had come along with wymack to help out.  kevin starts for him, and swipes him off his feet.  “hey!”  dalton laughs and clings his arms around kevin’s neck.
kevin carries him through the door.
dan sees it from the car as they drive away, and turns back forward.  “matthew, you didn’t carry me over the door when we moved in!”  she pinches his arm.
meanwhile, kevin tosses dalton onto the bed.  their bed.
dalton grabs his face and pulls him down.  “i love you, day.”
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meichenxi · 3 years
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Hi!! I'm a college student about to graduate and my dream is to teach English in China and I was wondering if you could somehow help me and give me some advice. I have been studying Chinese during my years at university (and I love your blog!), along with my physics degree. I don't know if any of this is relevant but my level of Mandarin is not very high (HSK3), I study in the UK and I'm planning to get a TEFL 120 hour certification in June. Is this a solid plan? Love your blog, Isa
Hiii! Sorry it took me so long to get to this, I have my final exams at the moment and am on semi-hiatus. First, what an amazing dream!! You'll have a wonderful time :D
SO in general having a degree not in English language and a TEFL certificate is most definitely enough to secure you a job, but at the moment it is a rather 'special period', as every job advert says, and so finding a job is a little trickier because of visa problems.
Basically, there are no work or study visas available at the moment for people from the UK. The only people who can get into China are those who the Chinese Embassy deems 'foreign experts' and therefore 'crucial to China's progress', and your company or school will have to provide something called a PU letter. This grants you the ability to actually apply for the work visa, though itself doesn't grant it. At the moment there aren't that many companies available who can offer that.
Because of this, I'd recommend going through a recruitment company. I do not necessarily mean a graduate scheme (the ones advertised as such are not very well paid and you don't have much control over where you go), but a recruitment company. You can find these on any general site if you google 'ESL jobs China'.
In terms of actual jobs - generally speaking there are three categories, private language schools, state schools, and international schools. International schools are by far the best in terms of packages, but they rarely take graduates without 3 years of teaching experience. The good news is that if you do find somebody who is looking for recent grads (if you go to a particularly prestigious university like Oxbridge, for instance), you might be able to teach Physics or Science rather than English language. International schools will also be the easiest to deal with in terms of communication and visa applications, but the competition is quite stiff, and most people who apply will be teachers in their home countries already.
State schools are another good option if you want 'normal' teaching hours, good holidays, and older children. The position I have next year is in a good state school that has two programs, the Canadian curriculum and the GaoKao (the Chinese university entrance exam). The main disadvantage is that you may be the only foreigner in the school, and communication might be difficult. I don't just mean with Chinese but in general: you will be not told things, you will be excluded, you will turn up to your class and find someone else teaching it and be told just to go back to your office. If you can be flexible and have an open mind, state schools are great, but they may be quite exhausting especially if this is your first time in China. You will also have to teach to exams, and the curriculum might be tight. For me personally though, I would much rather teach in a state school than the next option -
Which is private language schools. These are very good - sometimes. This is the main problem: the quality of the schools, the teaching, and the ethos all vary from school to school. You may be teaching very young children, and you may be teaching exclusively in the evening. The schools may be very supportive of creativity in the classroom, or you may be literally forced to teach the flashcards they give you. The plus about these schools is that they often have competitive relocation packages, are not too bothered about how experienced (or not) you are, and that there will be a community of other English speaking colleagues (natives and not) to help you integrate.
The reason I add this is that it's so, so important. It's very laudable and easy to wish for immersion and want to make Chinese friends - and you should!! - but living in another country without easy access to internet you are used to can be exhausting at times and even the staunchest believer in immersion is going to be stressed and tired and teary far from home. Having colleagues who want to improve their English can also be a good basis for a (somewhat awkward at first) friendship.
Some general tips: brush up on your English grammar. Seriously. Because the amount of teachers who have no idea and bluff their way through it is shocking and disrespects those who try very hard to make it a proper profession. Also having students ask you when you use the present perfect continuous and the present perfect simple and not knowing the answer is a very special kind of pain!! I'd recommend bringing a reputable grammar book with you, and using it when making your lesson plans.
Re Chinese: if you already have a little, your Chinese will improve so much when you're there!! Don't stress about it because China is a wonderful environment for learning - it's literally perfect, few people speak English and EVERYBODY wants to speak to you as many people are direct and very curious - but at the same time, the more you can learn, the easier it will be. Don't neglect your characters!! Learning useful menu characters and signs will be hugely helpful too. You won't need Chinese in your job really, but you definitely will in your daily life, so well done for learning and keep at it!!
The other thing I would say is: sort out your music and your social media and your banking before going to China. This includes a good VPN. You can't download apps on the google App Store, and to make the transition to the Chinese internet easier, I'd recommend getting a Weibo account, any music app, Baidu translate and maps and so on, and accustoming yourself to that before going.
Re where you are going and the package: you should have your flight paid, help with your visa, and transparency about quarantine procedures. You should also have accommodation or an accommodation allowance of between 2000-5000 (2000 is more than fine). Public or international schools may pay for your food during school-time as well. Re cities: prioritise what is important to you. If you want to save, bear in mind that China is extraordinarily cheap and that even in places like Shanghai, you can still save a lot if you live somewhat sensibly. To give you some context: I lived in Tianjin, a second-tier city, and I got 'pocket money' of 2000 every month (with accommodation and food paid), and I managed to save enough to do martial arts for a month at an academy after 5 months. And I was living well - going out about twice a week, taking taxis, eating out almost every evening (cheap food). So don't prioritise one position over another solely because of money, and also bear in mind kindergarten teachers may only be getting about 2000-3000 a month - so regardless of whether you earn 10,000 or 15,000, it's a) SIGNIFICANTLY enough to live very well and save very well too, and b) considerably more than many of your coworkers will be earning.
Also, different cities have different costs of living: 10,000 somewhere like Hangzhou will go considerably further than 16,000 in Shanghai. Another thing to bear in mind is the air quality, and the environment, and the access to green spaces. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THIS. If this is important to you, go somewhere smaller or in the south with access to nature - I nearly went crazy living in such a big city with such poor air quality. The positions I had to choose between were one in Shanghai, better paid and at a better school, and a position in Zhuhai in a campus in the mountains, in a third-tier city by the sea. I know now how important green is to me, how much I prefer a more relaxed pace of life, and so I chose the latter.
Lastly, don't be intimidating and don't be afraid to ask questions about your job. Make sure that everything they say is in the contract, in both the English version and the Chinese version. This is important because only the Chinese version is legal, so if you have a friend, get them to check that the same stuff is in each bit of the contract. Communication might be difficult, but don't be afraid to be direct and press for answers, don't just accept what you're told. You might be messed around with a bit, so it's important to 'shop around' for positions - don't feel bad if you do so, and don't be afraid to turn things down that don't suit. Finally, don't feel terrified if you can't find information about a school online - a lot of stuff isn't on Google, and will also be better accessed via WeChat or mini programs. Not finding information about your school or city does not mean it doesn't exist!!
So be prepared for a wild ride - and enjoy! If you have any more questions about any of this, please feel free to ask at any time!
meichenxi out :P
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