#they're gonna take me a little while

[jtl-fics]

Fluent Freshman - Part 19

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There’s a couple things about FF that might be good to know at this point.

1. There are few things in the world he hates doing more than asking for clarification or admitting he doesn’t understand / know something. The thought of going up to someone and admitting that he hasn’t perfectly comprehended the situation upon the first explanation is something makes his stomach twist like he’d just eaten Mango-Habanero ice cream.

He has figured out his own math theorems in the pursuit of not having to ask the math teacher to explain he doesn’t understand. He got lost in an Ikea once for over 6 grueling hours where he considered making a home there and living among the display rooms until his grandma grabbed him by the ear and dragged him to safety (the food court) and let him regain his strength (eat Swedish meatballs). He, to this day, is not sure about one of his foreign language friend’s names (how embarrassing he just keeps waiting for someone else to say it but they go by some insane nickname).

So he has become a master of piecing shit together on his own. He sometimes gets it wrong (Andrew, god how embarrassing) but for the most part 8 times out of 10 he can get to the right answer if he just has a couple pieces to work with. No one had ever actually explained to him how Exy works and he was too embarrassed to ask after the third week of practice in middle school so he just pieced together what he was and was not allowed to do through the art of trial and error. He’s even mostly pieced out the rules for the other positions.

So with the information he has gotten through people being bound and determined to talk in foreign languages in front of him he has an idea about the tenuous situation some of the older Foxes find themselves in.

He’s heard Kevin Day and Jean Moreau talk in French.

He’s heard that the anxiety in both of their voices as they talked about their futures and owing 80% of their salaries to the ‘Moriyamas’ and how nervous they were about getting on professional teams or else they’d be killed.

Captain Neil and Andrew are not always using Russian to talk dirty.

He’s heard Andrew soothe Captain Neil’s worries about playing for a professional team. He’s heard Captain Neil mention that at least ‘Ichirou’ would likely just kill him and not make a game out of it like his father did.

Organized Crime might have more to do with Exy than FF had originally thought.

(He had thought it. Plenty of times he had thought it but his Gran had warned him that he was overthinking things. That he wasn’t playing a sport invented by the Mafia. That he had caffeinated coffee instead of decaf. “It’s going to be okay sweetie. Just take a deep breath.”)

This leads into the second thing you should know at this point.

2.  Before he had signed with Wymack he had known the broad strokes of Captain Neil’s life. There had been a lot of news articles about it and Gran (bless her) loved trashy gossip magazines.

After he had signed with the Foxes he had done a bit of a deep dive on as many of their controversies as he could find. There’d been things from brawls on the court (worrying), player overdoses (concerning), a straight up MURDER (Oh god), and the very public breaking of the King of Exy’s arm resulting in his suicide (Warranted, that wacko was going to take off Captain Neil’s HEAD.)

But the thing that had made him actually a little bit, dare he admit, excited to go to Palmetto was the fact that Captain Neil was there.

For someone who froze for almost a decade, who just took it and didn’t have the balls to even react? Neil Josten is an inspiration.

This is someone who got away, who lived a life completely unlike FF’s, someone who knew how to run and more impressively someone who learned how to FIGHT. Captain Neil was being hunted but he still ripped people to shreds in interviews. Captain Neil was probably more scared of the Butcher than FF had been of anything in his entire life but Captain Neil was way braver than FF could ever hope to be.

Captain Neil was taken and tortured but he still fought. FF had seen the scars and Captain Neil is right to wear them proudly (though based on some conversations he has unfortunately overheard he is sure Andrew may have a role in Neil’s positive feelings about them).

FF had thought that he was being lead to his death down in a basement of a club (Don’t cringe. Don’t cringe. Don’t cringe. Don’t-) and he just trailed right behind the two of them without even an illusion of a fight.

Neil Abram Josten was a bit of a personal hero.

He’s proud to call him Captain Neil. He wishes Andrew hadn’t been there when Greg had mentioned wanting autographs because FF wants an autograph from Captain Neil but now Andrew has probably mentioned it to Neil.

Long story short, FF had looked into a lot of details on Captain Neil’s case.

Including two of the Butcher’s top men who were still on the loose.

Romero Malcolm and Jackson Plank.

He keeps his presence low but no matter how many times he blinks the man grumbling in Italian next to him continues to be Romero Malcolm.

Moreover Romero Malcolm continues to grumble about the fact that he is having a hard time finding ‘Nathaniel’ and that he’ll have to grab one of ‘The Wesninski brat’s friends’ to draw him out.

FF is a recently confirmed friend of Captain Neil.

FF who is standing next to this man, with his dick out, and trying to remain as invisible as possible.

After two shakes (Yes he was watching but only because he had to! He wonders briefly if he goes to the FBI if they would accept a description of Romero Malcolm’s penis for the wanted poster? Probably not but it is BURNED into his retinas.)

He watches as Romero tucks, zips, and then bypasses the sink entirely.

FF shivers at how unhygienic that is. Who RAISED him?

The door shuts and FF needs to get out of here ASAP but his hands are shaking with the sudden adrenaline of ’One of the FBI’s Most Wanted just took a piss next to me and is looking for me friend’. He pulls his phone from his pocket and ducks into one of the stalls. Even if there’s no door it’ll at least FEEL a little safer, a little more private. He needs to warn Neil, Warn Andrew, and warn-

The door to the bathroom SLAMS open and music blares in (palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy-) and his phone slips out of his hands and into the toilet. There are footsteps coming towards him and FF digs deep.

He’s in ultra stealth mode. He is the wall behind the wallpaper. Mantis shrimp can only dream of the color he becomes, the United States military have the CIA on the look out for him because he’s fallen off all conventional forms of radar and tracking.

He is a bargain fruit platter on a dessert table at a kid’s birthday party.

He is ULTRA stealth.

Romero’s gaze glides over him.

Then the man leaves (STILL DID NOT WASH HIS HANDS).

His heart is hammering in his chest but he manages to reach down and grab his phone. Well, Coach Wymack had gotten the extended warranty at least. (“Do you know what these fuckers do to phones? Josten crushed his last year in a fight with the Baseball team captain.”)

His phone’s extended dip into the toilet water had not done it any favors in working properly.

Well fuck.

He wipes his phone down the best he can. He wipes his phone down with some toilet paper before cramming it into his pocket (Sorry Nicky, he’ll wash the toilet water pants if they survive).

He sees a flyer on the wall of the bathroom and starts to think of a plan.

He rushes out of the bathroom (he still washes his hands because he will not have something in common with a man on the FBI’s most wanted list and he just dipped his hand into a CLUB TOILET) and clocks Nicky’s wild arm movements and WORSE clocks Romero just 10 clubbers away.

He sees Romero’s eyes lock onto Nicky and a smile that terrifies him.

He’s out of Ultra Stealth Mode even if every atom in his body wants to run.

He is so stressed and panicked that he has gone beyond his body’s ability to process that so all that is left is determination. He’s got a head full of a half-baked plan, a hand going to his pocket, a second hand on the only ‘weapon’ he has on him, and a stomach full of acid.

He’s pulling his phone out of his pocket before he can really let himself think about it and walking up next to where Romero is standing. He holds his toilet water phone up to his ear and does the one weird social anxiety thing that he had never done before.

He pretends to be on a phone call.

“Hey Captain Neil,” he says and in the corner of his eye he can see Romero’s gaze shift from Nicky (surrounded by an adoring public, covered in sweat and therefore difficult to grab - a difficult target) to himself (alone, shorter, and probably looking like he’s about to pass out). “Yeah I think I’m going to take a break outside after I grab quick drink and then a water at the bar.” He says because he has to be the easier target and he has to go to the bar. “Yeah, yeah, okay I’ll mention it to that bartender guy.” He says and pretends to hang up.

He turns and he walks towards the bar and feels his pulse in his throat go to the beat of the music (success is my only motherfucking option, failure’s not).

He only knows about the alley because in the car ride to Sweetie’s Nicky had mentioned that he wouldn’t let FF’s first time be out there. He had been embarrassed but it was the only way he knew to get Romero out of the club and away from where he could hurt Captain Neil or anyone else in the pursuit of that.

He spots the bartender who had gotten the drinks for their table and his mind completely blanks on the name but the bartender sees him and smiles. “Oh you’re Neil and Andrew’s new friend! What can I help you with? I thought you were-“

“Hi, yes I am Captain Neil and Andrew’s friend.” He says a little loudly because he can feel Romero behind him and he does NOT want the man to know anything about where Captain Neil was.

“Captain Neil? Oh wow that’s adorable.” The man gushes. “What can I help you with? I won’t ask for ID for one of their friends.” He winks.

“I’d like to order the uh…” he tries to remember the exact drink name from the flyer, “…the deluxe chocolate martini?” He asks and knows he got it right when the bartender’s expression shifts ever so slightly.

“Oh yeah, how do Andrew and Neil feel about that?” He asks and oh great a coded conversation. It’s nice to actually be having a real one of these for once instead of just perceiving normal conversations to have hidden meanings.

“They don’t know. They probably prefer that I order it instead of Nicky or Aaron.” He lets his eyes dart to the wide where he believes Romero is watching him.

“I don’t know if that’s true.” The bartender says, “Nicky knows how to handle a drink and Aaron’s not a lightweight either.” He adds.

FF struggles to find a coded way to say ‘It’s not that someone’s hitting on me too hard like the flyer mentioned. It’s that there’s a mafia hitman in your club.’

Finally after a moment, “It’s not the usual kind of drink they get.” He tries and the bartender looks confused by the statement, dammit. He struggles to find a different way to say it before the bartender smiles.

“Y’know you’re really cute.” He reaches under the bar top and grabs a piece of paper and a pen. “How about you write down your number for me cutie? We can meet up sometime.” He says. “I’ll get started on that chocolate martini for you.” He says.

HE COULD KISS THIS MAN.

“I’d like that.” He says.

He writes out a quick message on the small note paper.

‘Armed. After Neil. Looked at Nicky. I’m going to the back alley. Phone is dead.’

The bartender comes back and looks at his note. “We’re out of chocolate martini mix, can I get you something-“ He hopes the club lighting obscures how pale the man got, “something else?” He asks and FF can SEE his pulse.

“Can I just get some water then?” He asks.

The bartender nods and pulls up his phone and hopefully is dialing the police and hands FF a water. His hand grabs hold of FF’s “You don’t need to go out into the alley. You could hang in the backroom with me?” He offers.

There really are some kind people in the world.

“I think it’s better if I’m not in here for a bit.” He says back and honestly he needs this kindness and he has a spare bit of courage, “What’s your name by the way? Sorry I missed it.” He says.

The bartender swallows, “It’s Roland.” He says.

“Thanks Roland.” He twists the cap off of the water bottle and takes a sip.

He turns and pretends not to notice how Romero is trying to be inconspicuous pretending to be on his phone.

He makes his way over to the alley door and notices that Romero is tracking his movements but is not following him like he did to the bar.

His heart is pounding and he can’t BELIEVE he’s doing this. He wants to run, wants to hide somewhere, wants to become imperceptible but…but…

He opens the door to the alley as the bass of the remixed song finishes.

(You can do anything you set your mind to, man)

He lets the door slam behind him and he is alone in the alley.

He was not expecting a van to come to a screeching halt in front of the entrance and for a different face to appear climbing out of the car.

Jackson Plank.

FF looks at the ugly smile on the man as he walks towards him with a knife in hand.

Okay now what genius?

MASTERPOST FOR ALL PARTS OF FLUENT FRESHMAN AU

NEXT

5/26/23: EDITED. Can’t believe I forgot to put the Captain in front of Neil’s name on the meme. I’m blaming the accidental early awakening.

Per your requests:

@i-have-three-feelings​ @blep-23​ @dreamerking27​ @andreilsmyreligion​ @belodensetdust​ @rainbowpineapplebottle @yarn-ace​ @iwouldlikesometea @lily-s-world​ @obscureshipsandchips​ @booklover242​ @whataboutmyfries​ @sahturnos​ @pluto-pepsi​ @dreamerthinker​ @passinhosdetartaruga​ @leftunknownheart​ @aro-manita-muscaria @hologramsaredead​ @Chaoticgremlinswishtheycouldbeme @tntwme​ @tayspots @nick-scar​ @crazy-fangirl2524​ @blue-jos10​ @stabbyfoxandrew​ @splishsplashyouropinionistrash​ @sammichly​ @the-broken-pen​ @bitchesdoweknowu​ @very-small-flower​ @ghostlyboiii​ @its-a-paxycab​ @bisexual-genderfluid-fan​ @cheesecookie​ @theoneandonlylostsock​ @foxsoulcourt​ @blueleys @adverbialstarlight​ @elia-nna​ @can-i-just-stay-in-the-corner​ @nikodiangel​ @foxandcrow-inatrenchcoat​ @hallucinatedjosten​ @satanic-foxhole-court​ @vexingcosmos​ @chalilodimun​ @insectsgetcooked​ @angry-kid-with-no-money​ @queer-crows​ @lillyndra​ @themugglemudperson​ @readertodeath​ @apileofpillows​ @mortalsbowbeforeme​ @hellomynameismoo​ @next-level-mess @youreonlylow​ @interstellarfig​ @notprocrastinatingatalltoday​ @percyjacksonfan3​ @queenofcrazy27​ @bsmr261 @ghostlyscares​ @spencellio​ @adinthedarkroom​ @harpymoth​ @sufferingjustalilbit​ @anxietymoss​ @oddgreyhound​ @ohno-myhyperfixation-itsbroken​ @ken22789​ @atiredvampire​ @isoldescorner​ @not--a--pipedream​ @azure-wing​ @bushbees​  @roonilwazlib-main​ @crumplelush​ @foldedaces-paperbirds​ @thesenseinnonsense​ @let-tyrants-fear​ @ketchupfriesandallthingsnice​ @legowerewolf​ @deadlydodos​ @but-we-respect-his-craft​ @cariniqe​ @zanypersonapricotbiscuit​

The requests to be added to the tag list keep being spread out across a few different areas. If I missed you please just ask again in the replies I promise I just missed you.

As stated before if you’re up here and I spelled it  right but you didn’t  get a notification there might be something  switched around in  your settings that won’t let me tag you properly?

Lillyndra it worked this time!!!

[vulpinesaint]

they are so fucking silly it might be terminal

[rakkuntoast]

i love ninho but god the rooms getting smaller and smaller the more the parents get paranoid its just,, depressing??

like holy shit badboyhalo you are so fucking smart but god just seeing this room being built on paranoia, just decked out with secure blocks and removing what little the eggs have of personalizing this small room with things that makes them feel comfort in a situation where they well know they are in danger just makes me feel so sad

like, they're kids. all of those rooms are for little kids. they're safe in there yes, but they're going back to what they didnt want to make the rooms look like, like a prison

[possamble]

realizing im kind of a weirdo about laios and marcille

[goldencorecrunches]

"I saved your life once. You don't have to do this." "I know," he says, and cuts another slice of fruit to place in her upturned palm. The aristocratic arch of her cheek is softened by the afternoon glow, and here under the sheltering eave of the branches criss-crossed with shadows. He likes to look at her. He's in no hurry. She'll figure it out one day. "Really, you don't owe me any debt." The single ox is getting on in years, and every year slower for it, the road to town longer and sprouting more stops. Every third month he shares the ox with his mother: he's been considering giving him to her outright, and buying a new one– well, new for him– new-old– newer than this– he'll miss him, though– but his mother will take care of him, that's all right– She's refused to ride up on the seat with him, choosing instead to stride beside the wagon, sword perched on her shoulder and wide-brimmed hat pulled down across her brow, for the whole world like a rogue cultivator from his favorite childhood stories. All she's missing is a nasty scar and a stalk of wheat poking out of her mouth. He hides a smile, so she won't raise her prickles at him. Well, maybe she does have the scar. He's been too polite to check. He wouldn't mind. "I know," he says. "Here." It's a beautiful cloth, silk-of-gold, heavy and tightly woven. It was something else, once, that he can tell as he runs it through his hands; there are holes from unpicked stitching. That's common enough in this part of the world, and it's impolite to ask where it comes from, even if usually everyone in the clutch of farmlands can trace the same scraps of precious textile through generations of repurposing. She's not from here. She won't meet his eyes– she keeps shifting back and forth on her feet, smoothing the fringe-ends of her hair. This came from the small sack she keeps tucked in the rafters of the barn and never looks at, except when she's very sad, or very angry. He spreads the cloth out over his knees. "It's lovely," he says. "Thank you. What do you think we should do with it?" "Why?" She is in front of him, towering over— he's taller than her, usually, but he's sitting and she's standing, and he makes no move to match her, simply tilts his head back at the neck to keep watch. 

"Why are you– I don't– you don't need to! Now I'm trying to repay you! Why won't you just take anything?"

"Qingyang," he says, gently, and reaches up a hand. She figures it out.

[yellow-computer-mouse]

that's enough, let's get you home is so winterwatchercore

[orchideae]

A casual note that as Liyue-native, as much as Yelan may be very well-traveled and thus may be familiar to various degrees with foreign cultures, they are still that to her: foreign. If we were to take Fontaine's inspiration of France to heart, it wouldn't surprise me if the common 'informal' greeting of the cheek kiss would be practiced there. Let it be known that if this were to ever be done to Yelan (and even the second, perhaps third, especially from each 'new' individual' as it would take some time getting used to), she'd likely show a semblance of confusion and retreat a little. Not out of uncertainty or insecurity, but simply out of confusion. It's important to remember that she is from Liyue, the nation that is firmly influenced and based on ancient China, and cultural differences are very much a thing. And while I still have much research to do on the social customs in both ancient and modern China (and taking these into account accordingly, just as Fontaine does not bear all customs and traditions from France and/or England by any means whatsoever), I am aware enough that this is not a custom that's shared between those countries.

[nerdgirlnarrates]

med school has lowkey broken me, my friend asked me a question about football yesterday and I got too nervous to answer even though I knew it

[hella1975]

MHA used-to-be-anon here with updates and reactions after finishing season one!

Aizawa is so relatable, but what's up with that sleeping bag? It's a huge mood and yet it also makes me think that his dearest-held dream is to be a caterpillar instead of a hero.

Of all the Quirks, no one has a bully detector? HOW is Bakugo in UA, honestly. Like, everyone overlooked the unstable bully vibes reeking from him because Ooh, Exploding Hands?? Unbelievable. I expect better integrity from such an esteemed institution

On the same note, I expect Bakugo to get an excellent redemption arc in which he actually apologizes for being a huge dick to Deku for YEARS, or I expect his intense and irrational pride to drive him to become a villain whose very existence haunts Deku

Deku continues to be cute af, no notes <3 Go little rockstar etc etc

French Laser Boy hit me like a poleaxe to the face, but I do like him

Momo really said "tits out" with her superhero outfit, huh? Respect.

Help Shoto is SO overpowered, it's hysterical. Cool af too

Emergency Exit Iida hjfhjghf, I love that uptight trust fund baby

I adore Uraraka and Tsu! Queens.

The principal is an animal???? Is that some kind of Quirk?????

Hmm. Don't like Mr. Hand Man. And I wanna know what's up with his face! The students looked horrified when the face-covering hand flew off, and then he shielded his face with his own hand until he could fix it. Like, that probably shouldn't be your biggest priority rn bud.

Side note: does All Might just. casually spray blood from his mouth when he talks sometimes?? And we're all fine with that?? Ok.

Thanks for the accidental recommendation, I'm greatly enjoying this <3

im so glad you're enjoying it! the hard thing with mha is that i DO actually really enjoy it, like as far as anime goes it's far from the worst one ive watched and especially in later seasons it actively becomes some of my favourite anime ever, but i feel like you still need to like... dismiss it? if you admit to watching it? and it's literally just because the fandom are so obnoxiously terrible about everything that you literally have to be like 'yeah i watch mha BUT NOT LIKE THOSE GUYS I WATCH IT IN A NORMAL WAY I SWEAR' and it's a bit frustrating lmao. so being able to rec it and someone actually enjoy it without taking the piss is really nice bc alas it IS something i love :)

[freesomebodybyluna]

the gensei/taeheon friendship is so sweet :'((

[catboydan]

fiance got me a kindle for my birthday <3

[victorluvsalice]

-->Okay, that’s enough Build/Buy shenanigans – time to actually get the trio DOING stuff! Smiler got sent to the new barn basement to put away their nectar, clean the maker, then squash up some more grapes, while I told Alice to lick herself clean and finish up her delicate bracelet and Victor to clean up the pet poop on the back porch and then head upstairs to bed. XD After taking a moment to check the calendar (and to cancel the pop-up holiday “Neighborhood Brawl” as it just isn’t my scene), I checked in on Alice – she not only finished her bracelet at “excellent” quality, she also developed a Like for Gemology in the process! Right after pinching her finger working the wire, so you know she was serious. :p I got her a Crystal Charging Grid and put her new bracelet out there to charge (it has the crystal that reduces negative moodlets faster, so we want it charged up), then had her go and stop Shock from eating chicken feed. Fortunately, one scolding is all it took for Shock to finally learn that she shouldn’t eat trash, and she and Alice had an adorable bonding moment right afterward. Awwww~ It’s nice when the pets actually behave!

Anyway – after opening up the MySim capsule she picked up a couple of sessions ago (just another Chef Gino; I promptly sold it), I had Alice scavenge (she found a couple of common upgrade parts) then head to bed to top up her energy. Smiler, meanwhile, after finishing up their nectar, got put on “make mechanisms” duty for a bit because I’m still working toward that Servo, damn it. Once they were done with that, they fed Toothy the cowplant, repaired a broken water collector, recycled the resultant trash pile (plus some more wraith wax) and played with Shadow…

--->And then 5 AM rolled around, and the farm chores could begin in earnest! I woke Victor up to tend to his greenhouse – only to discover he had spoiled food in his inventory and instead sent him to take care of that (and clean out the fridge too while he was at it). Smiler, as usual, got put on chicken duty, spreading a little feed and cleaning the coop, while Alice got sent to harvest the prairie grass in Moory’s pen (finding a hematite crystal – the kind that makes your Sim functionally immortal when charged – and a bottle of energy nectar in the process; the latter went into the aging racks downstairs). Victor rewarded himself for a good clean-up job with a Minty Mocha cupcake breakfast, then I had him get in his “gardening” outfit and sent him into the greenhouse to plant some fresh oversized crops and tend the garden. Alice moved on from taking care of the prairie grass to taking care of Moory (the cow needed a thorough clean today), while Smiler did a quick sort of the trash (gotta get those recyclables) before heading back to the chickens to chat with them and gather the eggs (three normal ones, two hatchable ones – the latter got sold as I’m not interested in more chickens at the moment). I then had Smiler join Victor in the greenhouse to apply some super vitality fertilizer to the new oversized crops, while Alice cleaned out Moory’s shed –

-->And then, out by the recycle machine, transformed into a werewolf! Because it had been a little while since she hung out in Beast form, and I figured it was about time she did some werewolf stuff. Like marking her territory in the front yard. XD I was THEN going to have her do some more scavenging and the like –

[skrunksthatwunk]

not my dad not liking moral orel season 3 🤭🤭🤭that's so embarrassing for him (<- he's not wrong for feeling that way but i think it's like 60% because he doesn't like it when art gets weird and that's so so tragic for him)

[lisbonsteresa]

they make me so

[autistic-shaiapouf]

Okay okay so. Thinking.

I've mapped out how I want to pay off my credit cards, which means I'll only be getting new stuff pretty sporadically, which means I need to appreciate the zero cost things in my life, like:

- the 2.5 foot tall stack of unread books I have

- the violin I might finally actually pick up again

- the 500+ drawing prompts I've been hoarding

- the list of anime I still need to watch

- the 3000+ songs in my watch later playlist

- the stickers I've been neglecting to cut

- yarn??? I have a lot of yarn

- all the pink fabric leftover from moth cosplay

- the candles and incense I also already have

In short, time to actually use the stuff that I have 😭

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

i made dough for four different types of loafs today.

one is a standard one, because i simply have to and my family would be sad if there wasn’t at least a little bit of that

one is made half with rye (that’s the only one i haven’t shaped yet because it needs a bit longer out here)

one is with a bunch of seeds, sunflower, pumpkin, whatever i had lying around

and the last one is a sweet one. it’s a lot lighter and sweeter and has raisins and cardamom in it!