#(just wanna be an english major.....english professor to be....)

[brujawrites]

✧ ˚ · . 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 — 

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏: "𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞," | masterlist | next chapter

contains: suguru x female reader, shoko ieri, college au, modern setting, college!suguru, english major!suguru, pining, slow burn, inspired by lana del rey lyrics, 18+ ONLY MDNI

synopsis: meet reader! see how suguru and reader's paths have crossed before and why we're especially excited to see him in class this final semester. chapter 1 of a series so there's alot of background being set up!! ao3 - kofi - playlist - pinterest

"sometimes I feel like i've got a war in my mind, I wanna get off but I keep riding the ride, I never really noticed that I had to decide to play someone's game, or live my own life -- and now I do. I wanna move out of the black, into the blue,"

— "Get Free", Lana Del Rey

Suguru Geto was so cool to you. He just exudes an air of captivating mystery, a quality that draws you in. You found a reflection of yourself in him — the curious, introspective soul that found joy in dissecting and analyzing literature and movies for the sheer pleasure of finding a deeper meaning in art. This was a stark contrast to the persona you currently inhabited. Ever since you got everything you thought you wanted by joining the sorority, there’s this “hot girl” facade you’ve been keeping up. You had to, at least you tell yourself that. Being Vice President of the sorority, the hair and nail appointments every couple weeks, the packed schedule every single week, consumed by obligations at work, for the sorority, date functions, or mixers with fraternities — it was everything you thought you wanted. 

The past two years had been hard in an unconventional way. You were suddenly best friends with over 60 girls, learning about what it meant to be a ‘sister’, navigating your academic life, new found social life, & trying to not fail miserably. 

Meeting Suguru in Spanish class two years ago may have actually been around the time things started to get overwhelming. The sight of him walking into the bustling lecture hall remains etched in your memory. His raven black hair gracefully framed his cheekbones, a striking contrast to his fatigued expression. He calmly looked around the room for a potential seat when his gaze suddenly met yours, his velvety dark eyes sending what felt like a jolt of electricity through you. Immediately, you looked away, intimidated by such abrupt intimacy. As the moment drifted away, you couldn’t help but steal more glances, mesmerized by the effortless allure of his hair half-tied, and admiring the contrast between his hair and the crisp white of his band tee. Your hungry eyes lingered on the sight of his strong, lightly tanned forearm, the muscles flexing as he set his bag on the ground in front of his feet. 

A small smirk played on your lips as the facts informed the fiction, aligning your romanticized narrative with reality — you liked him. You wanted him… right? It seemed like a recurring pattern, a new infatuation added to your roster each semester, you were starting to hate how your mind went to those places when looking at complete strangers. He settled into his seat a few rows ahead, to your right. The rest of the hour-long class went by as your attention wavered from the professor's lecture to the constant pings of the pledge class' group chat on your laptop, all while thoughts of this enigmatic boy swirled through your mind. What was it about him? Obviously, his looks played a role — he was undeniably attractive! But there was an unspoken allure about him that resonated with you. Something remarkably genuine.

He was attractive, but not like the frat boys you had started to learn — those confident, almost arrogantly charming boys supported by the rowdy group of self identified brothers. Suguru stood apart in that way, his demeanor stoic, shrouded in enigma. You, on the other hand, were no different than those frat boys. Donning your Greek letters, surrounded by sisters at parties or on campus, you exuded a confidence that was empowering. But when you’re all alone, face to face with a cute guy, maintaining prolonged eye contact feels like you’re in over your head. 

A twinge of disappointment grew inside you as the realization set in; you haven’t changed. You hadn’t felt the profound shift you had envisioned when justifying your sorority membership to friends back home. College was supposed to be a fresh start, a chance to compensate for feeling like a loser in high school. Encountering someone like Suguru served to remind your of your discomfort within your own skin, in your clothes. Despite this, you pressed on, going through the motions because you thought that was what would make you happy. You thought it was what you wanted. 

That concern quickly snowballed into a full-fledged personal identity crisis, intensifying by the time you were twenty-one. Everyone your age experienced that overwhelming anxiety about the trajectory life seemed to be going in, right? You were pretty aware that these insecurities stemmed from your less than wonderful experiences in grade school. The desire to be accepted, to belong, felt deceptively straightforward but in reality, it was complex. Seeking validation through association of status started to overshadow authentic connections, a realization that took two years to hit. Stepping down from the exhaustive responsibilities of the exec board of your sorority, a position that took way too much time and stress, you now craved a final semester dedicated to your genuine pleasure. No more putting on a facade, no more living for appearances. 

So, when you trudged through the cold, grey January air to your senior seminar to find three or four other students, you immediately slipped into your unnatural facade, feigning interest in your phone screen instead of others around you that actually held your interest. So much for not living up to appearances, you thought silently to yourself when he walked in. 

Suguru Geto. The name alone sent a jolt through you, so seeing him walk into the room sent a surge of excitement swiftly followed by a pang of panic. Today, he looked impeccable. His hair effortlessly framing his features, a brown flannel that accentuated out the deep hues in his eyes, paired with a white crewneck & off-white khakis. Simple, but something about it brought on a flush of warmth over your body. As he moved closer to your side of the classroom, the facade threatened to crumble. Buried in your phone, pretending to text your roommate, Utahime, just trying to avoid the prospect of awkward eye contact or embarrass yourself by speaking to him. 

Your attention is lifted from the screen when the desk in front of you starts to shift. Suguru stood before you, unfastening his backpack, meeting your gaze. You silently hoped your flushed cheeks weren’t betraying your emotions as you offered the boy a friendly grin. After all, the two of you knew each other. A soft smile grew on his lips before he turned away, settling into his seat before class.

Yeah, you think to yourself, recalling that you and Suguru had crossed paths before, that it wasn't a fantasy you made up. Last Spring you took that boring poetry theory class together. That professor was super strict & everyone in the class realized it at the same time when he revealed the daunting project: reconstructing a Wikipedia page for an ancient poem. You got a B for the midterm, Suguru got a D and was shocked to see your grade so much higher than his. “Everyone got a super low score,” you remember him rationalizing, a touch of defeat in his tone. There was nothing you could really say back to him thanks to the slight intimidation that comes from talking to someone so effortlessly cool. Handsome, even. 

“Yeah, I’m not entirely sure how I managed that score either. I didn’t really know what I was doing.” You admitted, not intending to mislead, but also recognizing you had no actual insight to give.

“I’m gonna call Shoko and see what she got. See ya later,” he waved before strolling over to the bike rack, phone already at his ear with Shoko on the dial. You tentatively wave back, feeling a peculiar sensation settling in your stomach. You noticed Shoko and Suguru in class together, but they’re dynamic never struck you as particularly flirtatious. They were definitely close though. It was funny for you to think back to the immense crush you had on him the spring semester one year before, only for fall semester to roll by — out of sight, out of mind. And then, there you were a year later.

The digital clock on the wall hit 9:30 right as the professor entered, exchanging morning greetings before setting up the projector. The first class of your last semester is starting now, causing a subtle flutter in your stomach. It was surreal that just four years ago you got lost in this exact building during orientation week. You had experienced a myriad of changes within yourself since starting university. Why did you feel such shame about it? Because it’s not you, you quietly reasoned to yourself. As Suguru adjusted in his seat in front of you, his hair and big shoulders encroaching on your desk space, the subtle whiff of his black-cherry scented cologne served as a gentle reminder of your conundrum. 

Okay, so you’re into him.

This time, you silently told yourself, you’re actually going to do more to get to know him. Usually, your interest in men gravitates towards fraternity-affiliated boys, but after two years of mingling with them, nothing felt truly authentic, worthwhile, or genuine. Reflecting on the time an upperclassman in another sorority was gushing about her parents meeting through Greek life at a mixer — you could barely mask your dismay at the notion of finding a lifelong partner within that circle. Gradually, you learned to adapt to navigate those environments with copious amounts of alcohol among other substances. They served as a mask, veiling the disdain some of those young men would bring out in your expression. Their thoughtlessness with their dicks and carelessness with their words often left you repulsed and disheartened..

“Alright,” the disappointment in your professor’s voice snapped your attention back to the room. “Well, you were expected to have had that reading done for today’s discussion. Given that only two of you have actually taken the initiative of checking their emails before class, we’ll need to end early. Check your email for Thursday’s assignment as I’ll be sending it out briefly.” The sound of zipping bags and shuffling papers filled the room as the Professor’s words trailed off, students preparing to leave. Both you and Suguru remained seated, attentive. Hot, you thought. A man with respect for women speaking. “Thursday’s discussion will cover today’s missed discussion along with the planned agenda for our second meeting. See you then.”

She nodded briefly in your direction, and a faint warmth spread across your cheeks from the unexpected attention. Only two of you completed the reading? That caught your curiosity, and it seemed Suguru shared that sentiment. Pivoting in his seat to face you, his grin returning with your flush. “Hey,” his voice, smooth and gentle, made the corners of your mouth instinctively curve upwards. 

“Hi,” you replied with a playful smirk, casually tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. 

“Did you do the reading?” Suguru’s voice lowered, his gaze discreetly scanning a few classmates nearby. You responded with a nod and a soft giggle. 

“Did you?” You teased back, your own voice barely above a whisper. You felt like jelly when he rewarded you with a chuckle. Oh man, you thought silently.

“Yeah, I did. It’s just... none of it really made sense. Wondering if you might have some notes or something you could share,” he admitted as you both gathered your belongings, preparing to leave. You suddenly felt self conscious about your outfit, conscious of his attention. You and Suguru were unintentionally matched with your puffy, white turtleneck and shades of brown from your plaid mini skirt complementing his flannel. The leather knee high riding boots didn’t exactly match his black Converse in style, but certainly in color — you just worried it was too… girly. You hoped he wouldn’t write you off for your affiliation to Greek life. 

“Um, I did read it, but I have a bit of a weird approach... Do you have a class next or are you free for a bit?” the words spilled out before you could second guess yourself. Yes, keep going, you urged yourself silently as you led the conversation with Suguru into the hall. He can’t make assumptions without knowing you, you reminded yourself. He nodded agreeably, indicating he had some time to spare, then suggested grabbing a table at the coffee shop near campus. As you exited the building together, you decided it was time to let him see the real you. 

#jujustu kaisen #jjk #jjk fanfic #jjk au #jujutsu kaisen au #geto suguru #suguru x reader #suguru x you #geto x reader #geto x you #geto fanfic #college au #suguru geto fanfiction #geto fic #suguru fluff

[moodywyrm]

bookish lil crush

college au! Abby Anderson x bookworm! reader

she is occupying my every thought I want her so bad but here!!! a lil series of thoughts I had about abby bc she is so cute I wanna hold her hand. occasionally nsfw/suggestive at times so MDNI pls go away u can’t be here I'll block u 

also listened to do I make you nervous by dreamer isioma while writing this! I am also!!! so down to talk about these books and other books pls talk to me about books in my asks I love reading so so much and so does abby! or talk about college abby bc she is rotting my brain away 

wc: 1.7k im sorry idk how

Thinking so much about Abby developing the most debilitating crush on the cute girl in her class who is always early and always reading

Like one day she decides to show up to class earlier than usual, bc she usually gets there like 5min before class starts and gets stuck with weird seats or super packed aisles that had the only seat open and it really sucks

So out of spite she just starts showing up unreasonably early (1hr before class) to make sure she gets a good seat and low and behold there is no class in that room before her english class (bc I firmly believe she would do an english minor and like maybe kinesiology? I have not put too too much thought to her major but i would love to hear opinions!), so she gets her pick of the entire room!

She nestles into the third row bc it’s the perfect spot! Not too far back to be easily distracted but not immediately in front of the professor. I think she’d pick an end seat, but the ones next to the wall and not the aisle bc she knows she’s a bigger girl and she doesn’t want to make people like crawl over her to get a seat and she’s always super aware of how much space she takes up anyways

There she is! In her lil seat! An hour before class just hanging out! She’s checking her laptop and her phone and getting her note-taking situation set up and god she is so regretting not bringing like a book or something bc this is a lot of free time and it would be perfect for reading and then!!

Like fifteen minutes later you show up and she doesn’t really notice until you sit in the same row as her, a few seats down

She looks over and she is f l o o r e d bc who is this cutie??? Have you always been in her class??? How did she not know??? She thinks ur so cute in ur lil outfit, how much shorter you look compared to her, even in the seat, ur headphones in and ur music barely audible and she’s just staring at this point and oh god oh no you notice and now she wants to crawl into a hole and decay 

You, unbeknownst to her, are completely Awestruck by this absolute goddess of a woman who is suddenly sitting in your row and thank god she didn’t take Your seat that you have been sitting in since the class began and oh god ur not gonna change seats now so you have to sit next to her

So you act Natural and pull out your stuff as you usually would, including your current read!! Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo!! Very good very gay and oh my god you hope the mystery girl sees the girls on the cover and gets the hint and you hope that she also likes girls bc wowowowow!!! She’s even prettier the closer you are to her!! And she looks so strong!!! Her arms so big and now ur head is spinning bc she could probably pick you up and mandhandle you and do whatever she wanted and now ur completely off track bc she is just so pretty

And she is staring at you!! So you panic a little bit and send her a lil smile and wave and her heart damn near stops because One she got caught Two ur so fucking cute so she Composes herself and waves back and then

Just turns back to her laptop

Like a coward. Bc u are so cute and she wants to talk to u so bad so Obviously she can’t bc she can and will make a bigger fool of herself than she already did

n this makes you sad bc duh, she’s so cute u thought she was gonna say something but no :( so you just start reading ur book and u get so into it that u don’t notice that abby keeps looking over at u! And she thinks ur so cute! Bc ur so focused and there’s this lil crease between ur brows from how hard ur focusing on this book and oops now she’s trying to look at the cover without u noticing and oops now she’s typing it into her browser and would u look at that! It’s in stock at her favorite bookstore! so now she knows what she’s doing after class instead of homework!

so u two sit and u read and she watches and floats aimlessly on the internet and then class proceeds as usual and abby feels so much better in this seat! She can actually hear and see without being stuck with ppl who talk during class or are super distracting on their laptops bc ur the closest to her and ur a diligent little notetaker! truly the best idea she’s ever had good job abby :)

Immediately after class she hauls ass to the bookstore and picks up the book u were reading (and maybe two more ok she has little self control in here it’s fine her dad is a neurosurgeon) and she starts reading it that day and omg!! She loves it!!! She reads like half of it in one day and forgets to do her homework and oh shit okay she has to bust out two discussion posts before midnight and now she’s panicking but it’s fine she’s got this!

the next time she has that class, she brings the book with her to read beforehand and u show up! But with a different book :( she’s so sad she wanted to talk to u about this one but u probably already finished it! So, of course, she pulls out her phone and writes down the book ur reading now, In A Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes

she is both kinda shocked that it’s so different, some old crime novel but it sounds interesting so after class she runs back to the bookstore to get it and it’s there!! She didn’t even bother to check if it was in stock but it was! obvs the universe wants yall to have this connection so ofc she buys it and starts reading it the next week bc school caught up to her and it took a second to finish the first book :(

so she’s so excited when she shows up to class that week with the book, which she hasn’t started yet! And then u show up! And omg she might cry bc u have another book again :( ur just so fast she cannot keep up but she is gonna keep trying!

another two weeks pass with another two books and by now ur starting to notice that she always seems to be reading the last book u read and u don’t know if it’s intentional but if it is that is so sexy of her and u will hold her hand about it

so u decide to test it! u slow down on ur reading speed for the next book and u intentionally pick a less popular one (???)  bc at that point what are the odds it isn’t intentional? So u show up with When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore for the next three classes and sure enough! By the second class she has it and she’s reading it and so are u and ur both so excited about it!!

Abby is like ninety percent sure she’s been found out but her suspicions are confirmed when u turn to talk to her, voice low even though ur like the only people in the classroom bc class doesn’t start for another forty minutes, and u ask her how she likes it, especially compared to the rest of the books and she just turns Bright Red

She’s so cute and blushy and tripping over her sentences when she tells u she really likes it even though she just started it and by god she thinks she’s gonna melt into a puddle of pure sapphic when u giggle and smile at her and tell her ur glad!! Bc it’s one of ur favorite books!!

n y’all start talking about the books you’ve been reading and ur both so into it that u completely give up on reading before class today! Not when this absolute sweetheart of a girl is reading the book u read!! For u!! Bc abby straight up tells u she wanted to talk to u but didn’t know how so she just started reading all the books u read bc that makes sense?? I mean it worked so yeah!! Makes sense!!

u scoot into the seat right next to her, abandoning ur old seat :( but for a much better one bc omg she smells so good u wanna bite her or kiss her or sit in her lap and snuggle into her :( and abby is freaking out bc u also smell good and ur so pretty she wants to hug u and kiss u and make u cre-

Anyways eventually class starts :( which sucks so bad but ur right next to her and she maybe finds it a lil bit harder to focus but it’s fine!! She gets through it and at the end of class, she builds up the courage (tbh she wasn’t really listening to the last ten minutes bc she was so Anxious) to ask u for ur number!!! Which u give her ofc, and right before u leave u nearly make her heart pop out of her chest

As u pull on ur bag, u turn to her and say that you’ll text her to set up ur lil bookclub :( maybe you can go get coffee to talk about it :) and by god that is close enough to a date for abby that she just nods dumbly and smiles and watches as you leave, a lil smile on ur face that makes her want to pull u back and kiss u silly!!

She knows then and there that she has to make u her gf or she’ll literally wither away (ofc she succeeds!! She’s abby!!!)

Anyways yeah thinking of her debilitating crush i luv her

#abby anderson #abby anderson x reader #abby tlou #abby x reader #Abby Anderson fluff #Abby Anderson suggestive #tlou fic #tlou fanfic #tlou abby x reader #abby anderson headcanons #tlou headcanons #mdni

[marvelnatr]

New book!! Widows bite

This is going to be a professor romanoff x professor Maximoff x student. It will contain mdlg scenes as well as age regression. Therefore it is an 18+ book. Minors DNI. Let’s get into it

Students name is Aspen Moore. Natasha teaches psychology and Wanda teaches English. Natasha and Wanda are both married. Both begin to feel drawn to Aspen

Aspen’s POV:

As I opened the door the chilly fall air hit my cheeks. “Absolutely not” I mumbled to myself, I had been settled into the dorms for a week now. Classes start in three days. I was able to get a dorm room all to myself. I’ve never really been a social butterfly. My psychology teacher has a meeting tonight. We get extra credit if we attend it. I turned around and grabbed my jacket throwing it on and taking my hair that was trapped between the fabric out, letting it fall over my shoulders. Checking which building it was in one last time I opened the door for the second time and headed to the classroom.

I glanced in the classroom to see it empty. Only a red headed woman sat at the teachers desk. I do not want to be the only one in here. Just as I went to turn on my heels she flagged me to come inside. Opening up the door slowly I stepped inside, She stood fixing her blazer “hello, nice of you to join me” I nodded “hello, My names Aspen Moore” she gently shook my hand and looked in my eyes. Shivers ran down my spine as she smoothly spoke “professor Romanoff, please sit” I found a seat and sat down. The meeting was supposed to start in five minutes. I swear more people better show up. A minute later another woman walked in. My body relaxing just for it to tense up again when the other red headed women put some food down on professor Romanoffs desk. They engaged in small talk while I pulled out my phone and played on it trying not to stare at the two beautiful women in the room.

A few minutes passed and there was no sign of anyone else. All the attention was turned on me as Professor Romanoff sighed “well it looks like it’s just us miss Moore, the only thing I have for you is a worksheet to fill out telling me a little about you” I nodded as she came and handed me the piece of paper and started to fill out the questions. It took me about five minutes before I got up and stood a few feet away from her desk. The two women were still talking and I didnt want to interrupt. The woman nudged my professor and she spoke up “hello Aspen, thank you for this” I nodded “you’re welcome” she smiled and looked over my paper “you wanna get a minor in personality psychology?” I nodded slightly “yeah, I think the human mind is captivating” she nodded and showed her paper to the other woman. I furrowed my eyebrows a little bit. Professor Romanoff looked back at me with a softened expression “its okay hon, thats another teacher in the school professor Maximoff, shes also my wife” I nodded and whispered “the name sounds familiar, does she teach English honors?”. The woman lifted her head and looked at me “I do” I nodded “I believe I’m in your Wednesday class at 6 pm” she lifted her gaze slightly, looking me up and down “then I’ll be excited to have you. What would you like to major in?” “Criminology”. She nodded “interesting, any reason why?” I shrugged “I’m drawn to it. So is that all to get the extra credit?” Professor Romanoff nodded and stood “yes it is, thank you again for coming” I smiled politely and headed out.

Leaning against the wall I breathed out. My teachers are fucking hot. Like god damn. I caught my mind just as it began to wander to my ex girlfriend. How she broke my heart. How I got betrayed. Shaking off those feelings I headed right back to my dorm. Throwing my jacket on my hook and flopping into bed. I needed some type of distraction. Turning on the TV I started watching my favorite show and started making some tea.

Natasha’s POV:

I glanced at Wanda and she was watching me. Putting down the paper I looked at her “you can’t do that to yourself love” she sighed “but you didnt see what I saw in her head, she’s lonely babe” I shook my head “we can’t love, were doing such a good job laying low since they’ve been searching for us. We just can’t risk it” she nodded and leaned her body into me gently. I could tell Wanda hated being in hiding like this. To have to be so careful. But they were after us and they were definitely looking. Only reason we’re safe here is because of my connection to the head of the school, allows us to be here and live as slightly normal people. Kissing my wife’s head I whispered “lets get home and make some dinner okay?” She nodded as we picked up our bags and headed out

Once we got home Wanda headed straight to our room. We both have our own little routine. Wanda gets home and puts down her stuff and heads straight to the room to change. I put down our bags and start making us some tea and pulling out some fruits or veggies for us to snack on while I drink some water. I loved our little routine.

Wanda came out a few minutes later in her long shirt and panties. I loved that she’d wear barely anything at all around the apartment. Pulling her in by her waist I smiled at her “well hello there gorgeous”. A red tint formed on her cheeks “stoppppp babe” I smirked and lifted her up by her waist and placing her on the counter “mmmm no baby, you looked beautiful today in your dress”, resting her hands around my neck she tilted her head smiling “you say that everyday” I rolled my eyes grabbing her chin “because you are beautiful everyday, isn’t that right dorogoy?” She nodded and smiled “yes ma’am”. I gently tapped her cheek and kissed her rubbing her thighs “mmmmm what do you have to do to left to prepare for this semester?” She shrugged “I think I got it all, welcome message gets sent out tonight” I nodded and kissed her softly “you wanna order Chinese?” Wanda nodded gently and leaned on my shoulder as I ordered it. Massaging the back of her neck gently as she whispered “has Steve tried to contact you yet?” I shook my head “not yet my love”. Kissing her forehead I rubbed her cheek “why don’t you go ahead and put on Greys anatomy?” She nodded as I helped her down and patted her ass as I sent her on her way.

I stared at the tea as I waited for it for finish. My mind wandered to my new student. She made me feel….different. Wanda saw something in her. Pouring our tea I went to the couch and sat down “hey baby?” Wanda leaned into me gently “yes love?” I whispered gently to her “w-what did you see in Aspen?” Wanda looked at me, trying to study me. She knew she wasn’t allowed in my head anymore “well um she looked like she was hurting and she looked tired” I nodded and sat back kissing her head “okay my love”

A blissful silence fell over us. Just the soft chatter of the TV show in the background. I decided to put in the extra credit for Aspen. Giving ten more points then I really should have but she was the only one who showed up. Wanda looked over at me and my phone then whispered “thats more then you made it?” I shrugged “she was the only one to show up” Wanda mumbled quietly, but she forgets I hear everything “no its not because I like her too” a smirk displayed on her lips as I smacked her thigh “watch it”

#natasha x reader #marvel #mdlgkink #mommy dom little girl #mommy wanda #wanda maximoff #wanda x nat x reader #wlw smut #wlw #professor Romanoff #professor Maximoff #marvelnatr

[awlumii]

be still, my heart.

# — pairing: kazuha x gn!reader

# — characters: gender neutral reader, kazuha, lumine, aether

# — summary: you're not really cut out for this whole "matchmaker" deal.

# — warnings: n/a

# — tags: long fic (~9k words), 3+1 format, fluff, angst, misunderstandings, hurt/comfort, (failed) matchmaking, aether & lumine are your best friends

# — notes: finally, finally, finally! i finished a commission! thank you so, so much again to the commissioner; your support means so, so much to me, especially at a time like this. i had a lot of fun writing this :D reblogs and reactions are greatly appreciated, and i really hope you all enjoy! 🥰

wanna join the tag list?

i.

"hey! do you mind if i sit here?"

in hindsight, you should've known right away that that was a stupid question to ask. the café is far from crowded at this time of day. there's a smattering of people sitting at tables and all of them are alone, and there's still an empty table here and there. if you were going to be subtle about wanting to sit near this guy, you should have chosen, say, the empty seat behind him. but thank your lucky stars; the man is kind enough to smile back at you and gesture to the seat across from him.

alright. one foot in the door.

the guy in question is none other than kaedehara kazuha, the english major who's famous for his insightful poetry and exceptional grades. everyone loves this guy, even professors outside of his department. he's not the most social, but he's open to anyone and everyone who happens across him, and it would appear that you are a part of that as well. it's a good thing, too — if he'd secretly been an asshole, you'd have turned tail immediately. of course, that'd only make you look more suspicious than you already do, but that's besides the point.

when you say that everyone loves kazuha, you mean everyone — and that includes your best friend lumine. it just so happens that kazuha is also the object of many people's affections — the perks of being popular, you figure. it came as a real shock to you that lumine was interested in him of all people; you could've sworn she was head over heels for ayaka, the endearing political science and dance double major that she spends a lot of time with. but instead, lumine came to you out of the blue one evening gushing about kazuha.

"wait, wait, wait. are you telling me that you have a crush on him?" you closed your book to gape at lumine, who was sitting across from you with her chin propped in her hand.

lumine nodded. "yeah. what, is that weird or something?"

you raised an eyebrow. "very." you stood up and circled the table to eye her closely. lumine watched you the entire time, her eyes curious. "did you get hurt anywhere? hit your head or something?"

"oh my god, you're ridiculous." lumine pushed you away lightly. "i just think he's... dreamy..?"

"you don't sound too sure about that."

"fuck off, you know i'm not good with this sort of thing." lumine flipped you off. "but you know who is? kazuha." when you scoffed and sat back in your seat, she sighed. "would you stop being an asshole and help me out?"

you opened your book and skimmed the words. "what now? are you gonna tell me to set you up with him or something?" when lumine didn't answer for a few seconds, you froze. you looked up at her with mild horror. "ohh no. fuck no, i am not playing matchmaker. do it yourself."

lumine didn't answer you at that. you knew very well why she didn't do these things herself. you're aware of her reputation on campus; she's not exactly the most popular, but those who do know her know that she can appear rather callous at times. lumine's rough exterior made it difficult for her to branch out, which was probably why she was asking you to begin with. once it occurred to you, you groaned. "fine." you conceded. "but you're doing all the hard work."

lumine's face brightened into a smile you don't think you've ever seen her wear before. "you're the best." she reached across the table and tapped your hand. "seriously."

meanwhile, you'd already started dreading the first interaction you were supposed to have with kazuha. "yeah, yeah," you muttered. "whatever."

because at the end of the day, who are you to question lumine? she's been by your side through thick and thin ever since middle school. she's got your back and you've got hers (and her brother's). you'd do just about anything for her if she asked, no matter how ridiculous it seems. although, you think as you settle in your new seat, this is pretty fucking ridiculous. playing matchmaker is stupid, especially for a guy like kazuha, who has probably had this kind of thing happen to him before. you can only hope that that's not the case.

you pull out a notebook and a pen to start idly writing when you notice that in front of you, kazuha's closed his book. when you look up, you see that he's actually staring at you. what for? "is something wrong?" you ask. "i can move if you want me to; i didn't mean to disturb you."

kazuha shakes his head, his platinum bangs brushing over his forehead. he has a streak of crimson in his hair, you notice. it's kind of cute. in fact, now that you're really looking at him, you can really see why people are so drawn to him. he's very attractive with his kind eyes and almost serene expression. you see his lips moving then and realize that he must have been saying something for a while. shit, were you checking him out just now? did he notice? it's not until his lips stop moving that you realize that you have no idea what he just said. "i'm sorry, i, uh... really should've got some coffee before i sat down. can you say that again?" you give him an apologetic smile in hopes that it'll make him forget that you obviously weren't listening just now.

kazuha actually smiles then. it seems like he's always doing that, really. your ears start to burn; he probably thinks you're ridiculous. "that's alright." he tilts his head to the side slightly and says your name. when you raise your brows, his smile grows. "i figured my guess was correct. you're friends with lumine, aren't you?"

oh, right! duh! how did you already forget your goal? stupid pretty boy and his stupid face. "ah, yeah," you reply. "she's my roommate too, actually."

"i see." kazuha pushes his book to the side and you follow the movement. is he trying to start conversation? this wasn't exactly how you saw this playing out, but hey, that saves you the trouble of coming up with a topic. "how long have you two known each other?"

perfect. you've got him hook, line, and sinker. with lumine as the topic of conversation, you'll have him smitten with her in no time. "since middle school," you say with a smile. "she and aether moved into the house beside mine and my mother tasked me with befriending them. the rest is history, i suppose."

kazuha looks endeared. "the two of them must have been a handful, no?"

you don't miss the playfulness in his tone. yeah, you can really see why people like him. you weren't exactly supposed to get caught in his little web, but here you were, charmed by the guy anyway. at kazuha's request, you divulge a few stories about your history with lumine. you cherry pick stories that are centered around her and leave out the more embarrassing parts (which is difficult since you guys were some embarrassing kids); when this is over, she better love you for talking her up like this.

at some point, kazuha excuses himself for a moment. while you wait, you pull out your phone and text the group chat that you have with lumine and aether.

[ me ]: you owe me your soul after this, bitch

[ lulu☆]: oh my god, did you actually find and talk to him

[ lulu☆]: i didn't think you'd actually do it, help

[ me ]: you asked, didn't you? and i said i would, so

[ lulu☆]: that's not

[ lulu☆]: well..

[ lulu☆]: okay look what did you tell him

[ me ]: don't worry, i didn't embarrass you

[ me ]: ...yet

[ aefer☆]: did you tell him about the time she nearly shit herself because a cat fell out a tree on her head

[ aefer☆]: cause that's funny

[ me ]: shit u're right, i should've mentioned that

[ me ]: but no.. i had to talk her up to impress him

[ aefer☆]: i would've told him. just sayin

[ lulu☆]: i know where you live, bitch

[ aefer☆]: what a coincidence, so do i

[ me ]: okay he's coming back, later losers ♡

[ aefer☆]: make sure to tell him the story!!

you chuckle at your phone before you put it away. when you look up, kazuha is seated in front of you with two cups on the table; one looks to be coffee, while the other seems to be tea — green tea from the smell of it. you blink in surprise and open your mouth, but before you can ask, kazuha explains: "you said you needed coffee and it just so happens that i needed a pick-me-up as well." he gestures to the coffee and gently eases it towards you. "so i took the liberty of getting some for you."

you shake your head quickly. you weren't supposed to be indebted to him! "y-you really shouldn't have!"

kazuha's expression falls a little and you swear you feel your heart tug. "was that too forward of me? my apologies, i..."

fuck, you can't have him looking so downcast. you try to cover up your flustered state with a grateful smile. "no, no, i mean-- thank you, really, but you're too kind. how much was it? at least let me pay you back."

"there's no need," he says. "i got it because i wanted to. and what better need to celebrate a new friend than over a drink they enjoy?"

you blink twice. once because you're surprised he considers you a friend already, and twice because if you're not mistaken, kazuha looks... sheepish. you stare at him just a moment longer and this time it's him who breaks eye contact as he moves to sip from his tea. confused, you drink from the coffee he got for you. the second the flavor hits your tongue, you make a noise of surprise. "this is.." you mutter.

"ah." kazuha sets down his own drink. "i'm sorry, i forgot to explain. i wasn't quite sure how you took your coffee, so i guessed. it's not bad, is it?" he actually looks worried. "should i take it back for you?"

"no, no, it's not bad, it's..." it's perfect, you think. this is exactly how you order your coffee every time. how did he guess this well? your order isn't exactly standard; it would take some serious thinking to get it down to a T. "it's great," you finish your sentence. "thank you so much."

relief settles on kazuha's face. "that's good." he sets his tea aside and keeps his attention on you. "would it be too forward of me to ask if you have any more stories to share? they're quite interesting."

right. shit. you're here to play matchmaker. this is the second time you've forgotten your goal. you put your coffee to the side and launch into another story that you'd thankfully lined up in case he wanted to keep the conversation going. kazuha listens attentively; his eyes are on you the entire time and his usual smile grows wider each time you giggle when you remember something funny.

he's very easy to talk to, you think. you wouldn't mind doing this over and over. this is a win-win situation for you and lumine; she'll get a boyfriend, and you'll have a new friend.

(you won't realize it just yet, but the skip in your pulse each time kazuha laughs is far from platonic.)

ii.

it's nice to have a new addition to the group — really, it is — but does he really need to be invited everywhere?

lately, whenever you, aether, and lumine go out as a trio, kazuha ends up receiving an invite as well. sometimes he gets the invite from you, but every other time, it seems to be coming from lumine. it's a little irritating, honestly. not because kazuha is annoying, no — he's the furthest thing from it. if anything, he's the most soothing person you've ever known (amongst other things). no, what's annoying is that lumine seems to be taking charge of this whole matchmaking thing herself, which leaves you without an objective. because really, if she's gonna make sure he's around all the time, then what did she have you get involved for?

take now, for example. the four of you are in an arcade celebrating the end of midterm season, and when you entered, you decided that you'd be split into pairs — you with aether, and lumine with kazuha. you and aether complained when lumine suggested bringing kazuha along on the grounds that the two of you would be third wheeling. so she suggested splitting into groups.

for some reason, the initial pairing put you with kazuha. not like you're one to complain — you love the time you spend with him. but seeing as how you spend a couple hours every day chatting him up in that café, you think you can do without him for a few hours today. you said as much when the first pairs were decided on.

"aw, you'll hurt his feelings!" aether said with a chuckle. "don't you wanna be around your new friend for a while?"

before you spoke, you stole a peek at kazuha who looked... a little hurt. you thought you were imagining it since he was smiling along with the joke, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. regret started to claw at your throat and you tried to take it back, but kazuha spoke before you could.

"i'm more than happy to spend time with lumine," he said. "we don't spend much time together as it is."

your fingers slow to a stop on the game you're playing. do kazuha and lumine really not spend time together? that was the whole reason you spent time with him — to get him more motivated to speak to her in the first place. was he still too shy to speak to her? no, you think as you pick up the game. he wouldn't have jumped at the opportunity to be with her tonight if he was really shy. besides, shy just isn't kazuha's character; he has moments where he's a little hesitant, but he's certainly not the shy type.

then why weren't they together more often? you feel confused for a moment, but then it hits you — you've been taking up kazuha's time, not her.

there's no reason why you should be in that café for so long with kazuha. your mission was simple: get him interested in lumine, get them to hang out, and then watch the rest unfold. but instead, you've been hogging all his time, talking about topics that had nothing to do with this whole matchmaking situation to begin with.

you swear lowly when your character dies on screen. if anyone is to blame for the lack of progress being made, it's kazuha. he's the one who's always asking off-topic questions when you meet up. specifically, he would coax you into talking about yourself somehow. how he does that, you're not sure, but you hate it. he's making this difficult!

oh, your mind just can't stop running. kazuha's making everything so complicated! why did he look so dejected when he said you wanted to hang with someone else? why does he want to know so much about you? why does he smile so brightly when he sees you in passing? why isn't he sticking to lumine's side? is he even going to make a move? is that why he jumped at the chance to do so today? why didn't he do so earlier, and why in the fuck does your chest hurt right now?!

"if you hold the controls any harder, i think they're gonna break."

aether's voice suddenly appears to your left, startling you. you let go of the controls in your shock and soon after, a fluorescent red 'game over' appears on the screen. you glare at him and punch his arm. "you asshole, you made me lose the game." you hiss.

aether's lips curve into a cheeky smile. "actually, you were already losing. you kinda suck at this game."

"i don't, i just..." you sigh and look at the screen. "i was just thinking about something else."

"now are you making an excuse, or were you really distracted this whole time?" aether asks. when you struggle to come up with a response, he rests a hand on your shoulder. you don't look at him, though. you're too busy trying to figure out why your throat feels like it's closing. aether calls your name once, then twice. you still don't answer. just when you think he's given up, he drapes an arm over your shoulder and pulls you to him. "how about we go get something to drink?" he finally suggests. "it's been a while."

you look at him and for a split second notice how blurry he is. you blink a few times and it goes away. weird. you still can't really form words, so you nod and allow aether to whisk you away from your game.

once you're seated with your drink, you let your mind go off the rails. why does the thought of kazuha asking lumine out bother you so much? that's literally why you became friends with him in the first place, no? you're supposed to be relieved — once they start dating, you can wash your hands of this whole ordeal and be on your merry way. at least, that's the plan... right?

"we came out here to stop thinking," aether speaks up. "but you look like you're still studying. what're you thinking so hard about?"

you open your mouth to explain yourself but quickly shut it. you can't just tell lumine's brother that you're having second thoughts about getting her a boyfriend! best friends or not, his first priority is his sister's happiness; if you back out, you'll definitely have to face aether's wrath later. yet still, you want nothing more than to unload these confusing emotions onto aether's shoulders — you need to explain yourself or else you feel like you're going to pop.

you feel crazy. are you crazy? you think you're going crazy. and dammit, why does your throat still feel so tight?

after a few seconds pass, you decide to bite the bullet. you hate to toss aether in the middle like this, but who else are you going to tell this to? kazuha? yeah, fuck that. "it's... about kazuha." you rasp. you take a sip of your drink.

for some reason, aether sits up a bit straighter. you don't recognize the look he's giving you. maybe intrigued is the right word? "yeah?" he leans his chin in his hand. "what about him?"

"i think... i think i fucked up somewhere." you feel a little lighter now that you've gotten that out. that's the heart of the problem... you think.

"how? he's spending time with lumine, isn't he?"

"yeah, now he is. didn't you hear him earlier? he said that they didn't spend much time together."

"aaaand..?"

"what do you mean and? they're supposed to be together all the time!" you scoff. "i tell him about her like, every day, and yet they're still so stiff around each other whenever we all meet up!" a thought occurs to you, then. the four of you hung out all the time, but each time, you were in a group. "wait, do they never actually hang out outside of our outings?"

aether's frowning a little at you. surely he understands what you're talking about, right? "you think that that's weird?" he asks.

you throw your hands up in frustration. "yes, that's weird! god, why am i even doing this if he's just gonna hang out with me instead of--" you shut your mouth.

intrusive thoughts are funny little things. soft as they may be, they leave ripples in your mind. and those ripples grow bigger and bigger as they spread, reaching the far corners of your brain until they become all you can think about. yours are pretty out there: what if i tripped and fell right now? or what if i'm reading the stop signal wrong and i walk into traffic by accident? they make you reconsider your every move, make you see reality in a different light. these particular thoughts, however, send you spiraling.

what if kazuha likes me? becomes: what if i like kazuha? which eventually turns into: i do like kazuha.

"oh." you mumble. "shit."

"i feel like you just had a revelation without me, and i'm feeling very out of the loop right now." aether gestures between the two of you. "are we on the same page right now?"

"god, i hope not." you groan and push your face into your hands. this is the fucking worst. it's supposed to be the worst, anyway — for some reason, you feel the urge to smile. feelings are strange like that, huh? you realize that you have a big crush on the guy you're supposed to be setting your best friend up with and yet you want to smile — you want to take a breath of fresh air, like this is a good thing. "aether, i'm a horrible fucking person." you laugh derisively. "the fucking worst."

aether, who'd been sitting across from you this whole time, moves to sit next to you. when you finally look at him, you see that he's frowning, his face marred by confusion and worry. "as much as we like to joke about it, i can't read your mind. you need to tell me what's up."

"...promise you won't hate me?"

"why would i ever?" aether looks at you like you slapped him. dork.

you smile, but it doesn't last very long. "i just, uh... realized something."

"would you quit being suspenseful and get to the point?"

fine. you decide to let it all out. "i like kazuha, aether. there. i like him a fucking lot. he's really pretty and he's kind, he spends time with me every day, even when he's busy; he holds my hand sometimes when we talk and i swear, i feel like i can fucking fly whenever he does, and i..." you take a deep breath. "i'm a fucking moron because i'm letting down lumine. she's supposed to be with him, not me. i have to let this go."

aether's silent. you feel your throat tighten up again and immediately recognize the feeling — you want to fucking cry, dammit. you're a terrible fucking friend, and that's exactly what aether's about to say--

"you need to tell her," he says seriously. "and you need to do it now before things get worse."

that's... not the reaction you were expecting. "aren't you mad at me? i-i'm supposed to be helping out your sister but i'm--"

"falling in love." aether finishes for you. you try to deny it, but he's not hearing it. "trust me, it'll get to that point soon enough. you can't wait until then -- you have to say something. please," he implores you, "for your own good."

you want to say that you shouldn't do anything to benefit yourself, not when you've fucked up so majorly, but you hold your tongue. you really don't know what to do now. how are you supposed to look kazuha in the face after this? you were always enjoying yourself when you were around him, but now you understand that you enjoyed yourself far too much. he's supposed to be with lumine and he's--

a sudden call of your name has you snapping your head up. in front of you is none other than kazuha and lumine.

speak of the fucking devil and he will appear.

the two of them are wearing matching smiles and carrying four plushies from the prize counter. they look so... happy. all at once, you cram your raging emotions into a box and shove them into the furthest corner of your mind. that can wait -- what's important now is these two lovebirds and the rest of the evening. you ease away from aether and sit up straighter, plastering a friendly smile on your face. "did you two kids have fun?" you ask.

(beside you, aether's frown deepens.)

"i learned quite a few things while playing with lumine tonight." kazuha is the first to speak. he adjusts the two plushies in his arms and looks over to lumine. "the most important thing being that she's amazing at video games."

lumine sniffs proudly. "he's the one who didn't believe me when i said i would kick his ass at anything we tried. aether and i used to play games like these all the time when we were kids. but," she nudges kazuha's shoulder affectionately, "you put up a good fight. i respect the effort, but better luck next time."

"i'll keep that in mind." kazuha chuckles.

next time, he said. there's going to be a next time. they're going to go on a date. you giggle softly despite yourself. now's not the time. not when they look so happy. you feel aether pinch your arm, but you swat him away subtly. "that's good to hear." you say. "is there something else you guys wanna do tonight?" you hold your breath, hoping they say no.

fortunately (or unfortunately), aether cuts in. "actually, lumine, wait." he doesn't say anything else after that, but judging by lumine's expression, you wonder if they're doing that twin communication thing. you've always wondered what that's like, having another half. aether and lumine are always sharing information over everyone's heads -- sometimes, you wish they'd include you.

lumine nods after a second. they must have finished their psychic conversation. "actually, aether and i have to head back." she shrugs one shoulder. "something came up."

kazuha's brows knit with concern. "is everything alright?"

"yeah, aether has to take a shit or something. i don't know." lumine is suddenly hit in the face with a wadded up napkin while you poorly stifle a laugh. she doesn't retaliate the same way she normally would, but she does shoot aether a glare that could probably melt steel beams. "anyway," she smooths her expression over and looks straight at you. "are you two gonna be okay alone? because this is kind of urgent."

wait. shit. fuck, no, no, no! she can't leave you with kazuha! why is she trying to leave you with kazuha?!

words fail you in this moment; you open and close your mouth a few times as you struggle to find the right words. there's so much going on in your head; you could say yes and have some alone time with kazuha, but lumine is supposed to be the one having alone time with kazuha, not you! if you say no, then kazuha might look like a kicked puppy again, and you don't want to see him looking so sad, dammit! but then again, if you say yes, you could interrogate him and find out why he and lumine haven't hung out often, right? but--

"we should be fine." kazuha speaks before you can, leaving you floored. "i'll see them home when we're finished here."

well, there goes your internal conflict. it's too late to back out now. you put on a brave face and hope that neither lumine nor aether can see through it. "i'll see if i can keep that winning streak for you, lumine." you say.

kazuha chuckles quietly. "is that a challenge i hear?"

god... damn him. "it sure is." you play along and give him a grin.

all your years of friendship must have meant nothing, because lumine doesn't pick up on your silent distress signals. she and aether say quick goodbyes before turning and heading home, leaving you with kazuha. once the twins are gone, you hop to your feet. since there's no one here to save you, you may as well dive in head first. "so," you say with a sigh, "which game do you want to play first?"

rather than suggest a game, kazuha shakes his head. "we don't have to play a game if you don't want to." like always, he tilts his head to the side just a little. he's so endearing. "you don't seem like you want to play anymore. am i correct?"

"i..." you deflate a little. "yeah, you're right. i'm sorry. i don't want to bore you or anything, but i just don't have it in me anymore."

thankfully, kazuha doesn't pry. he pushes one of the plushies in your direction. you'd actually forgotten he was holding it. it's a little penguin with a frog hat on — absolutely adorable. the other penguin that he's holding has a dinosaur hat. were they a matching set?

you don't take the plushy right away, which prompts kazuha to speak. he shifts his stance a little bit and... maybe it's just the trick of the light — it is quite dark in here — but you think you can see his cheeks turning color. "this is for you," he says. in an uncharacteristic moment of shyness, he suddenly backtracks. "only if you want it, of course. i won't push it on you, but... i figured that you might like it."

you blink a few times. you kick yourself and reach out to take the penguin — it's soft to the touch and the perfect size for hugging. you hold the thing gingerly in your arms and stare at it for a moment. did he really get this for you? or did he get this for lumine? maybe she didn't want it and that's why he's giving it to you; yeah, that has to be it. but just to be sure, you look up at kazuha, hoping you're not smiling as widely as you think you are. "you really didn't have to. why're you so nice to me, huh?"

you foolishly asked that as a joke, but this time, you're absolutely sure kazuha's face starts to redden. it's hidden by the lights of the games around you, but even in this dim lighting, you know what you saw. he doesn't look too fazed by it, though. "must there be a reason?" he asks in return.

you know what? no. some things are better left unexplained. you shake your head and hug the penguin close. "thank you, kazuha." you think you're going to explode. "really. i love it."

"i'm glad," kazuha says. and boy, does he look the part. the relief on his face is palpable. for someone with such an even expression, he sure is easy to read when he's nervous. what he's nervous about, you have no idea. but he's also really fucking cute. he shifts on his feet and breaks eye contact after a beat of silence. "why don't we get you home?" he suggests. "it's probably late at night."

ah. well, there goes your excitement. he just wants to get rid of you now, huh? for someone who's not supposed to like him, you sure do have pretty intense mood swings when he's involved. you agree and the two of you head outside and start towards your home.

the walk home is slow and silent, and kazuha's walking close by your side. you'd think of something to say, but it's a very comfortable silence — with you hugging the plushie that he got for you in one arm, you don't see any reason to speak. it's not like this is abnormal, anyway; he's seen you home many times before. you hazard a glance at kazuha after a moment to find scarlet eyes already focused on you. you look away in a hurry, as does he. weird.

even weirder still, you feel kazuha's fingers knock against yours. are you two really walking that close together? you flinch away from his touch like he'd burned you. "i'm sorry." he apologizes right away.

"no, it's okay." you reassure him. to make him believe you, you put your hand back where it was. it's not until you do that you realize that that wasn't the first time your hands have touched. you soon find that that wasn't the last, either; once more, kazuha's fingers knock against yours. you don't move away this time, instead opting to knock back. you swear you can hear him chuckle when you do, but maybe you're just imagining things.

a few more seconds pass and you feel kazuha's fingers intertwining with yours, and for a second, your mind completely stops. tonight was moving so fast — first you realize that you're a goner for kazuha, then he gifts you a plushie, and then he's holding your hand? what is happening right now? and why aren't you pulling away?

you should pull away, you have to, but... you can't bring yourself to. your fingers lock with kazuha's one by one until eventually, you're completely holding his hand. he's so warm, you think. he always is. the walk home remains silent, and you and kazuha exchange playful squeezes every so often.

(to make yourself feel better, you tell yourself that this is just you training him for when he starts dating lumine. maybe that will ease your conscience.)

iii.

so you're in love with kazuha. big fucking surprise there.

you quickly realized that you were doomed from the moment you met. not that it was love at first sight, but he charmed you right away. he was the one who had you hook, line, and sinker from the very start. it doesn't help that he became a permanent addition to your friend group; you're forced to face him and your feelings just about every single day. you're reminded every day of how much of a weakling you are when it comes to him. you hold his hand, you share food with him, you sleep with the plushie he gave you, you borrow his sweaters... you're a fucking mess.

it's agonizing. you were supposed to be helping lumine and kazuha get together, but you grew too greedy and inserted yourself into a position that wasn't meant for you. you try every day to rationalize with yourself and aay that the two of you are just really close friends, but friends don't think about each other the way you think about him. even worse was that you couldn't tell lumine about it — the only person who knew of your feelings was aether, and he gave you shit about it whenever he could.

come clean, he says. stop lying to yourself, he says. to that, you have to laugh. if it were that easy to rid yourself of this situation, you would've done it months ago.

there's only one solution to this problem, and that's to avoid kazuha like the plague.

it makes sense, right? just ignore it until it goes away? because there's no other way for you to get over this. you're starting to dream about kazuha; about kissing him, about holding him in your arms, about being with him. so maybe if you see him less, the thoughts will go away.

it starts with you not going to the café anymore. when kazuha texted you and asked why you hadn't been showing up, you brushed it off with a lie, saying that you found a place with better coffee. he asked what the place was called, but you left him on read. (a very adult move.)

then, you stopped making eye contact whenever you passed by him. it was hard for a few days since you missed seeing his eyes light up whenever he saw you, but you had to be strong. you're better than this, dammit. don't think about how dejected he might look when he realizes that you're avoiding him — don't you do it!

after that, you stopped going out with the twins if kazuha was going. every time they suggest something, your first question is if he is going to be there. if the answer is yes, you make up an excuse to stay home. lumine was really fucking upset with you for bailing because of some petty argument that she thought you two had, but when she pieced it together that you weren't going to budge, she gave up trying. (man, you wish it was just some argument — disputes can be solved. not feelings.)

lastly, you straight up walked away from him if he approached you. you wouldn't just ignore his presence, of course — you're an asshole, not a monster — but if he tried to make conversation, you would cut it short and hightail it out of there.

"it's been a few weeks since we've talked." kazuha sounded so pleased when he managed to stop you one day. you didn't know why you let him catch up to you, but once he got to you, you couldn't just up and leave. so you decided to hear him out. "have you been well?"

no, you wanted to say. not in the fucking slightest. but you're grown — fake it 'till you make it, baby. you nodded and gave him your best smile. "yeah. better than usual, actually."

you watched kazuha's face fall ever so slightly. he was quick to fix his mistake; his usual smile returned to his face in an instant. if you were anyone else, you wouldn't have noticed. but you noticed. you'll always notice. "i see." he said. "that's good to hear."

because you didn't want to be subject to his quickly declining mood, you excused yourself. "i gotta run, but i'll see you some other time, okay?" you said. (like a liar.)

anyone could have seen the glimmer of hope that appeared in kazuha's eyes. "of course. be safe, please." he gave you a little wave as you took off.

after about three weeks of not seeing kazuha, you think yourself to be cured. huzzah, it worked! sure, you're still daydreaming about him, but it's not as vivid if you can't see him every day! he hasn't texted you or approached you outside in a couple days which, admittedly, stung like hell, but it's for the better. kazuha can focus on lumine without you in the way, and you can move on with your life.

you spend most of your time in the library these days. lumine's been super pissed at you lately — probably because of the whole kazuha thing, but you're not sure why she wants you to spend time with him so badly. to avoid potential conflict, you hole yourself up in here. being surrounded by books (reminds you of kazuha) makes you feel at peace; it's so quiet in here, which makes it easy to focus on work (which in turn helps you stop thinking about kazuha).

the library is empty today, save for a few people seated at the tables on the other side of the building. you're standing in front of a bookshelf skimming through a book when you suddenly hear a soft whisper of your name. thinking it's aether, you prepare a shitty excuse for why you're not home, but when you see who it is, your blood goes cold.

it's kazuha. you haven't seen him in three whole weeks.

you swallow back your apprehension as best you can. "hey, what's up?" you try to remain as casual as possible. "do you need one of the books behind me?"

kazuha's brows draw in a little. "are you asking that so you can make your escape?" his comment is a little pointed — so pointed, in fact, that you visibly wince and give yourself away. he sighs when you do. "i was hoping that i wouldn't be correct. have i done something wrong?"

that's just like him — straight to the point. you flounder for an answer. "of course not." you shake your head.

"then is it alright if i ask why you've been avoiding me?"

"what? why would i do that?" your eyes slowly drift to the side. you're not too fond of all the attention you're getting right now.

"you can never make eye contact when you're hiding something." kazuha walks closer to you, but you keep your eyes on something else. "you won't even look at me. i must have done something to cause this."

no, no, no, he's blaming himself! stop him! you force yourself to make eye contact with him, but wither under his stare. you look away again and your face starts to grow hot. "you didn't do anything, kazuha," you say honestly. "i promise. "i've just been busy, that's all."

kazuha doesn't back down. "i've heard from lumine that you've been spending time here instead of at your home. she's worried about you. she-- i'm worried about you."

"don't do that," you blurt. you're starting to breathe a little faster, you notice. "stop worrying about me. you shouldn't." kazuha starts to retort, but you cut him off with a shake of your head. you turn around and put the book back in it's place. "look, i need to go. please move."

you never wanted to be so forceful with him — so cold. but what else can you do when cornered like this? he's desperate and you can tell, but so are you. you don't want to confront your feelings anymore. you just can't. you're tired of feeling like a shitty person for being in love. this is the only way you can make it stop.

kazuha doesn't make it easy for you, though. when you try to move away, he steps closer, invading your space. "if there's something wrong, you would tell me, right?" his voice is so soft, so mellow. it's like a hug, which you could really use right about now. normally, you'd get that from kazuha, but well... you don't answer him, nor do you look at him. kazuha then takes your chin in his fingers and gently makes you face him. "would you please look at me?"

your eyes land on him and it's like the world's faded away. there's so much rolling off of him at once; unease, comfort, and suspicion all hit you at the same time, and it overwhelms you. you don't like how tender this moment feels. he's so close — too close. you can smell maple and cedar, and not because you're wearing his sweater (which you didn't realize until just now). autumnal eyes threaten to take you under and you feel your eyes start to sting. "kazuha, let go." your voice wavers and your heart throbs. "please."

you wish you could read his mind. his eyes search your face, though you're not sure what for. the seconds of silence that tick by are excruciating, but when they finally come to an end, kazuha lets you go. his hand falls to his side and he steps away with a bitter smile. "i'm sorry. i fear i may have made the problem worse."

that's putting it lightly. you step around him wordlessly, but before you can get too far, kazuha catches your hand in his, stopping you. you don't turn around. you can't.

"i miss you." kazuha speaks at a whisper, a volume so low that you shouldn't have been able to hear it. but you heard it. whenever he speaks, you listen with your entire being.

he lets you go after a few more seconds and you take the opportunity to grab what stuff you have and make a beeline for the exit. you fumble for the doorknob on the way out; your vision is too blurred by tears for you to make it out properly. you manage, and you set off towards home, where you're going to ignore lumine yet again and mope in your room.

(and as you cry to yourself that evening, you can only think of the way you saw kazuha's eyes fall to your lips as he held you in place. you think of how badly you wanted to confess everything to him and clear the air for good, but you also remember what you were tasked with. this is for the better, you tell yourself. this is for the better.)

iv.

kazuha should have never agreed to this.

honestly, what was he thinking? why did he allow lumine to play matchmaker? he has two legs and a functioning mouth; he could have walked up to you and started a conversation himself, no problem. things would have been so much easier if he had just swallowed his pride and spoken to you like a normal adult. but no, he just had to go along with this idea.

in retrospect, it seemed like a good idea. but perhaps he's been reading too many novels. meeting through a mutual friend is a lovely concept, but it would appear that it only works in fictional worlds. he'd hoped to just spend time with you through lumine, but somehow, you got the wrong idea and started trying to push him onto her, which made no sense. and not only did it not make sense, but it completely backfired — you're absolutely miserable now and so is he.

kazuha's not an idiot. he knows that you have feelings for him. and the only reason he knows is because you seemingly reciprocated when he approached you romantically. he thought he was being obvious — giving you a plushie, holding your hand, lending you his sweaters, resting his head on your shoulder during movie nights... you accepted it all. he wasn't being subtle at all, right?

so then how? how on earth did things end up like this? he asks lumine as much when they meet up a few mornings later.

"they've been ignoring me too," lumine grumbles, "you aren't special."

right, because that helps. kazuha buries his hand in his hair. "every time i try to talk to them, they manage to slip through my fingers."

lumine frowns at him. "are they actually slipping away, or are you letting them get away?" he must take too long to answer, because she tuts at him. "if this is because you don't want to overwhelm them, then you're being stupid. they're overwhelming themself with this whole... thing, okay?"

but he's too much for you, he wants to say. every time he comes around you, you look about ready to explode. you look so torn, and he hates it. he just wants you to smile at him again. "at the very least, i want to repair our friendship." he sighs. it hurts to even think about keeping you at a distance, but if that's what it takes for you to come back, then... "they cried on their way out of the library the other day."

lumine's expression falls. he's never seen her look so saddened before. "yeah, i heard."

"you heard?"

"our walls may be thick, but our doors aren't." she grimaces. "the sniffing told me all i needed to know."

there's a tense silence. neither of them know what to say because in the end, this is their fault. this whole misunderstanding and your pain? that's on them. if they want to solve this--

"you have to confess." lumine voices kazuha's thoughts out loud. "that's literally the only way this is gonna stop."

while kazuha acknowledges that she's correct, there's two ways that this could go. you would either: a) accept his confession, start dating him, get married someday, and live happily ever after, or b) turn him down and hate him for causing this whole misunderstanding, leaving the two of you to be miserable forever. either way, life as he knows it now is going to end — how it ends is purely up to you.

kazuha agrees to do so and asks lumine for your whereabouts. despite not being on talking terms for a while, she still knows where you are. (it's how we care for each other, she explains.) as he walks, he lets his head fill with thoughts of you.

unsurprisingly, you're all he's been thinking about. you're all he ever thinks about, really. he thinks about the way you tried to hide your joy when he gave you that plushie in the arcade that day; the way you flustered every time he "jokingly" kissed your hand; the way you seemed to melt into his clothes whenever you wore them; the way you seemed to read his mind whenever you couldn't help but stare at him, the way you would smile when he felt warm at having been caught staring back.

he huffs a laugh to himself. it's hilarious how after all that, you still thought that he liked lumine instead of you. honestly; you two have nearly kissed several times, and yet you think he liked someone else? your mind will never cease to amaze him, beautiful and strange as it is.

kazuha comes to a halt under a canopy of trees with bright red leaves. the change in seasons has turned the campus into a beautiful landscape; all of the usual resting spots were less inhabited by others, which made them the perfect escape for people like him. you're seated on a bench underneath those trees with your nose buried in a book and, if he squints, he thinks you're wearing his scarf. you're exactly where lumine said you would be. perfect.

deciding not to wait until his nerves get the best of him, kazuha approaches you and sits a little ways away from you on the bench. right away, he notices the way you go completely still, your shoulders visibly stiffening. he sighs internally. how should he speak in order to not scare you away? it's a miracle you haven't just up and walked off, actually.

"...why are you here, kazuha?" you ask flatly. you sound like you're holding something back. "what do you want?"

"you're not going to leave?" he asks in return.

you shake your head. "i don't see the point in running from you anymore."

so you finally admit that you were running. it'd be humorous if it didn't sting so bad. "you're going to listen to what i have to say?" he asks again for good measure. when you nod again, kazuha takes a steadying breath. he just needs to get it out there. he needs to let you know. it shouldn't be hard — it's not hard. he may as well have told you already with the way he treats you. just say it.

and say it he does. "i'm in love with you."

immediately, you rise to your feet. kazuha balls one hand into a fist as he fights the urge to pull you back down. if you want to leave, then so be it. he told you, and that's all he can do; whether or not you believe him is purely up to you. you stay standing for a while, and he can see you clenching and unclenching your fists over and over, but eventually, you sit back down. you rest your book to the side and put a hand over your eyes.

"are you alright?" kazuha dares to ask.

you laugh humorlessly. "of course not. you're not supposed to like me, kazuha. please don't do this." you start to bounce your leg rapidly. "take it back, or... or something. just don't get my hopes up."

he scoots closer to you cautiously. when you don't back away, he keeps moving until your shoulders are touching. he calls your name softly and you shake your head sharply. "stop saying my name like that. would you stop being so... so nice to me? i'm gonna get the wrong idea."

"you're not getting the wrong idea," kazuha keeps his voice low. "i'm telling you the truth. and the truth is that i'm in love with you." he rests his hand over your free hand on the bench. "is that wrong of me?"

"yes! i mean-- no? ugh, fuck you." you sniff and swipe your hand over your face. kazuha tries to get a good look at you, but you turn your head away, keeping him from doing so.

"i'm in the wrong." you finally say after a while. "i was supposed to-- you and lumine were supposed to be a thing, not-- not us. but i... fuck," you pause for a second to sniff. "i fell in love with you anyways, and i just feel like a terrible person, okay? i ignored you because i wanted to just... stop feeling like shit, i guess. i wanted to forget about you and this stupid deal that i made with lumine and--"

kazuha taps the underside of your chin twice. you take a moment to collect yourself and slowly turn to look at him. "what do you want?" you ask. it's spoken harshly, but there's no bite to your words.

"did you forget?" he asks.

"wh-- no. god, no. i could never." you give him a wry smile. "unfortunately, you're all i think about, so no. you didn't let me forget. thanks for that, by the way."

one more time, kazuha thinks. just one more. "i love you." he says.

your lashes flutter and your face warms. "i love you too, kazuha. but-- mmh--"

that's all kazuha needed to hear. he leans in and kisses you, silencing your thoughts. he hears you sigh into the kiss and you start to kiss back, but he pulls away slightly before you can. "can you say it again?" he murmurs against your lips. "one more time."

your breathing is shaky, but you speak anyways. "i love you."

kazuha kisses you again. "once more, petal. please."

"you're so greedy," you chuckle shakily. "i lov-- mmf--" kazuha kisses you again but you pull back with a laugh. "at least let me finish my sentence--"

"no." kazuha drinks in your laugh when he kisses you this time, his skin singing at the contact. he's wanted to this for so long -- wanted to kiss you silly and hear you laugh. you're all he's wanted this whole time, and he's not going to pass up this opportunity to let you know. each time you try to speak, kazuha kisses you to shut you up. and each time, it makes you smile wider. you kiss until you can't anymore — you're both smiling much too wide.

"do you still think you're not supposed to be with me?" he asks cheekily.

your face doesn't fall at his question. that spark that your eyes held a few weeks prior is back and brighter than before. you look renewed — you're glowing. while basking in your glow, kazuha wonders if he is, too. you lean in and kiss him quick, resting your forehead on his when you pull away. "don't ask stupid questions." you chuckle. "i said i loved you, didn't i?"

kazuha hums. "and i said the same. so what now?"

"i dunno." you sigh and lean away. "we tell lumine, i guess?"

he squeezes your hand. "about us?"

you nod. "about us."

(when you get home and tell her later, she yells: "fucking finally!" and pulls you in for a hug.)

✦ *bows* and that's what i call a job well done.

✦ seriously, i hope you guys liked it 🥰

#genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #kaedehara kazuha x reader #kazuha x reader #[ ✍️🏽 — scribbles! ]

[scorpius-major]

#class is now in session!

Ft: Hu Tao, Barbara, Zhongli, Childe, and Gn! Reader

College au!

in which each character gets their own major and school headcannons

𝙃𝙪 𝙏𝙖𝙤

Mortuary science major without a doubt

Gives off chaotic theater kid vibes as well

Has definitely brought an Ouija board to multiple different sleepovers on multiple different occasions

She’s that one friend that gives you oddly frightening fun facts. Facts that make you go “why does she know that?”

“Did you know that if you eat around 10 crushed black cherry pits there’s enough cyanide to kill you?”

Just leaves you sitting there like ma’am how do you know that?

Hu Tao would peer pressure you into joining theater with her

If you have stage fright she’d find a way to expel it from you

In class she can be very committed to work

If you sit next to her however, that’s a different story

has surprisingly good grades ngl

you sometimes wonder how she keeps up with the work while simultaneously goofing off in class

it frightens you sometimes

like she was dead asleep in class one time and nothing would wake her up

until the professor asked her a question

She sat up really quickly and answered it correctly

you just stared at her like🤨

needless to say you quickly stopped questioning her abilities as a student after that

Barbara

choir kid without a doubt

like no explanation needed

no fr barbs literally has the most angelic voice you’ve ever heard

you probably met in a music theory class

let me just tell you this lady is the most respectful roommate EVER

omg her room is always so clean and tidy it’s just like

miss please teach me your ways I beg🧎🏾‍♀️

stright A student without a doubt

her classes are probably all honors too

with the occasional AP

Not exactly a “teacher’s pet” but like is always willing to help them out

She probably becomes a teacher’s aid at one point

please let her tutor you, she loves it

Ayaka

Dancing major without a doubt

she’s taking a business class too

and also studies traditional Japanese calligraphy

listen I didn’t wanna be the one to say it but

she was the kid who reminded to teacher they had homework in middle school

IT JUST MAKES SENSE💀

if you’re a dance major too, she will always partner with you

another respectful af roommate

she cooks too

and it’s absolutely delicious

like she will cancel any takeout you order and will cook herself

another star student

it always surprises you how she can keep up her grades with her 17 different extracurricular activities

Zhongli

let’s be honest he probably is the professor💀

he’d teach world history without a doubt

that or AP English

i can’t see him as a math teacher

most def the teacher that everybody loves

he’s well aware too

i like to think he takes a little pride in being “the coolest teacher”

yeah let’s be honest he probably subtly humble brags ab it in the teachers lounge😭

he’s also the teacher that everybody trys to guess his age and terribly fails at it lmao

Struggles a LOT with technology

when he first tried to use a smart board he got so frustrated he never used it again

probably the only teacher who still uses textbooks and whiteboards

back in his college days I can kinda see him being a philosophy major

but he changed career choices and became a professor instead

Childe

STILL hasn’t figured out his major lmao💀

he fr changes it like every 3-5 business days

without a doubt he got in on a sports scholarship

med avg grades

i can see him struggling in math idk he just seems like the type of guy I can’t explain it

another one who is a really awesome cook

hes probably involved in a frat house ngl

if you’re roommates expect little to no sleep

heavy college fuckboy vibes

but in an endearing way

idk this is really random but in grade school he was the kid at the water fountain who would say “one, two, three, that’s enough for me” whenever someone was more than three seconds

He also would pick a fight with the 8th graders when he was in like 3rd and after he lost he’d tell his friends that he beat up an 8th grader

def a partier

he’d drag you out to parties late at night

but he always makes sure your comfortable and safe at them

love a respectful man fr

please help him in math he’s begging

#astronetwrk #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact headcanons #childe x reader #genshin impact imagines #zhongli x reader #hu tao x reader #barbara x reader #ayaka x reader #childe hcs #childe genshin x reader #childe imagines #zhongli imagines #zhongli headcanons #hu tao headcanons #ayaka x you

[soracities]

hi!! how are you? i really liked your answer to that james joyce ask! i'm actually a literature student (i think it's equivalent to what in the us call "english major") and a BIG part of this career is reading difficult books! i think your advice is great, and thought i could also give my two cents: read literary theory! search for articles and papers about that book you wanna read, i find it to be the best way to understand what you're reading a bittt more and actually enjoy it and learn why it's written that way! also in my university professors always tells us to not go to a book expecting to understand it completly but go with an open mind and try to get into that book's logic.

anyway i just thought i could give a bit of advice that i find helpful tho it's basically what you said. i love ur page!!<3

genuinely what i love most about "go with an open mind and try to get into that book's logic" is that the exact same thing applies with people & once you internalise that i think your experiences and your understanding of so much (not just books) deepens immeasurably & really what is literature at its heart but a new & exciting deepening of the world for you? a book is a door etc, etc 💛

but yes, yes to all of this, and thank you for sending this in, lovely x

#ask #anonymous #book talks

[alexjcrowley]

You know what I am fucking tired of inly talking of anglophone media on here

I am URGING everybody who see this post to watch the I Can Quit Whenever I Want trilogy (in italian: Smetto quando voglio) and I am going to convince you to watch it because it's hilarious and it's good and its only sin is not being an american/british product. (Also I found out there's a Spanish movie inspired by it, but I am talking about the italian trilogy).

Take Breaking Bad. A college neurobiologist professor desperately needs money, so he decides to start making drugs. Because he is a genius, though, he creates the formula of a new drug that, being new, isn't technically illegal. You follow me?

Okay, now let's give it a Ocean's 11 twist. To create and sell these drugs, Neurobiologist Professor needs the help of a few friends. These friends are all brilliant laureates, with several PhDs, who, due to corrupt state of Italian academia, are forced into minum wage jobs: you got two latinists working at a gas station, a chemist washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant, an anthropologist pretending to be an ignorant so he will get hired for low-budget jobs (yes, him having a degree in anthropology is actually making it harder for him to be hired), an archaeologist who supervises road work and, my personal favourite, an econmic professor who loses more than wins money at poker.

They're a bunch of disillusioned adults, well in their 40s, who were brilliant and were let down by their country's academia, that hires people based on political affiliation and recommendations rather than actual merits. All they're trying to do is better their pretty miserable lives and fuck the system that fucked them.

And that's just the premise of the first movie. It's a comedy, it's a mafia movie, it's a Shawshank Redemption parody, you got drugs, objectively badass villains, political humour, chases, jumping from moving trains, more and more wild characters adding up (all with their special academic field, you might as well create your OC based on your major). It's like if Guy Ritchie directed Breaking Bad but all of the characters were played by the male cast of The Office.

The third movie is one of the few movies that made me cry not at the end, but at the start. I don't even wanna spoil but there's a story of friendship and revenge for the ages. I could talk about it all day.

I want to be honest, these three movies aren't very politically correct- and I use the expression in a positive way. Sadly there are some stereotypes portrayed in the movies (the first especially), but I still think they're very valid products.

So please, please, even if it's not in English, give it a try. You won't regret it. Here's the link to watch it (there are subtitles in a lot of language on this site, not just english)

Here you got the trailer

And here is the way the movie starts, I translated it in English.

"In Italy, a drug to be defined as such must be registered in the list of illegal molecules of the Ministry of Health. Cocaine, heroin, amphetamines, methadone, ecstasy and roughly 200 other molecules are part of that list. If a molecule is not in that table then you can produce it, you can take it, but above all you can sell it. At 24 I graduated in neurobiology with honors, I have a master's degree in computational neuroscience and one in molecular dynamics. In recent months I have formed a gang that manages a turnover of hundreds of thousands of euros, I am accused of manufacturing and dealing in drugs, armed robbery, kidnapping and attempted murder. My name is Pietro Zinni... and I'm a university researcher."

#smetto quando voglio #smetto quando voglio masterclass #smetto quando voglio ad honorem #no io mi so scocciata del fatto che se le robe non so in inglese la gente non se le guarda #e per carità mi incolpo pure da sola che non è che sia la persona più internazionale del mondo #peró mi sono detta vabbè sai che c'è mo inizio a promuoverle le cose che mi piacciono #io ci provo a coinvolgere la gente #pure perchè se smetto quando voglio era americano o britannico tutti ci morivano dietro #letteralmente found family di poor little meow meow quarantenni criminali #bartolomeo ti amo da secoli #se bartolomeo fosse inglese ci morirebbero tutti dietro lui la definzione di black cat #sarebbero partite le ship sarebbero partiti gli oc #please just try to watch this movie #movie #movies #cinema #italian cinema

[seelestia]

OMG THE NEW NAVIA THEME IS SO CUTE??? i think it's safe to say that you definitely cooked, lia hehe >:3 /lh /gen

anyways! that's pretty much what it is when it comes to college and frankly? i just wanna get it over with like literally the only highlight to it is seeing my friends and spending time with my boyfriend 😭 but!! a social science major sounds cool! i'd say you have some pretty good goals set in mind and you can always take up a minor if you want to pursue the others :> (i did consider having music as a minor) and sure! the courses depend on what you pick really and the college/professor, online is just about the same as in-person if you have a lot of reading on a pc to do tbh. english classes are well. kind of like the ones in high school but college-leveled. just make sure you give yourself enough time to do assignments bc they can be painful :"D

HELP LMAO??? okay that's true though, the fontaine quest definitely made a splash and we really had to dip our toes in the water with it huh? anyway thats kind of the thing, the only similarity between bedo and lyney is that they actively flirt with me in their own way, and its funny bc i usually try to find someone whose personality complements mine bc im generally the quieter one compared to both (ah yes a reality tv show for me HJEKAHD) also yea! i think both of them really do have traits that make them stand out and frankly i wish they got more screentime (also i have yet to watch the 4.6 trailer ehehe)

same here to you!! i'm always happy to rattle off of your hcs and i enjoy talking about our selfships as well hehe (*^ω^*) and i love it when bedo calls me his "sweet violet",,like the way he says it is just so endearing? like the pitch of his voice always becomes softer and more affectionate jsjdksndj (yk its funny, my boyfriend does the same thing with me bc his nicknames are unique to me as well)

also i'm throwing another ramble at ya: imagine wanderer or ayato surprising you with breakfast in bed HEHEHEHE

awh thats oki! like i said, i'm always happy to indulge your selfships since i enjoy hearing about them :> /gen. honestly i wouldn't be surprised if wanderer did knock you softly on the head for thinking the flowers were from yato ajjdkshd (nah just put the hairpin in before he gets a chance /hj /lh) also i forgot to tell u im a sucker for floriography so i methinks wanderer could give you camellias which represent everlasting love. the hairpin ayato gives you is unique in design and had it specially made for you alone :3

and i quote from my irl friend: "bouncing off the walls gf x completely stoic unmoving statue bf" HDJAKDHSJ NOT ONLY THAT SHE COMPARED HIM TO A PIECE OF FURNITURE BC OF HOW STIFF HE IS IN PICTURES (but hey i give him credit for a cute smile <3) and he is very much a pretty boy even though he tries to deny it until i accept that he calls me pretty too BUT YEA QUITE LITERALLY OPPOSITES ATTRACT anyway pretty much, not all relationships are like yk. sunshine and rainbows so thats why i feel very grateful to have a healthy one. if anything, we're just both trying to do our best to make one another happy but thankies hehe (also nw! i dont think u sound like a grandma, i just like hearing u ramble ehhehe)

also im not rlly sure why ppl think 20 is old either like dang, sure my back hurts on occasion but i'm not a fossil 😭

AHHH THANK U, VI!! so it seems you agree that i... baked? :3c /lh HAHAHA navia is so sweet and silly. i just have to make her my theme! (++ as a homage to her for carrying me in spiral abyss 🫣) since i do put in effort whenever i do theme changes, it makes me happy to know others like it <3

i'll have you know that i'm a true enabler of dad jokes & puns. throw 'em at me! which reminds me: how does albedo react to your jokes? for me, ayato just thinks it's funny that i find them funny (he pats me on the head afterwards - A+ for effort). wanderer is just the epitome of unimpressed and sometimes, he'd even pull on my cheek a little if the joke is extremely unfunny LOLLL. the only one who'd ever indulge me is mr. shikanoin heizou ( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡) oh, woe is me!!! /lh

i see! ty for the perspective, vi <3 i'm gonna find it nostalgic to look back on this convo after i went to college. tho assignments really are a staple of uni life, huh? one of the times i thank highschool for instilling the habit of “work first, play later” in me. i imagine it's gonna be more painful however so i'll need to juggle rest & work 😭 hope you're holding up with yours!! <3

THAT'S CUTE!! i find it so funny that albedo himself is the paradigm for introverts but when it comes to flirting with people he finds intriguing, he's not here to play LMAO. how does he act 〜suave〜 so naturally?? smh i need those skills too /hj. lyney on the other hand... he takes it as an achievement if he manages to fluster you! the sleight of the hand is his bread & butter but he's good with his words just as well, no? voila! ✧ i am biting my fist UWAGHH. i am head over heels for the 'speaks to you / says your name in a softer voice' thingy but to witness it first-hand??? i'm so happy for you 🤭

WWHWHWHWH. ayato usually has the maids prepare our meals so he probably tells them to make it extra special. unfortunately, i'm more of a night owl than an early riser so by the time he brings the tray onto the bed, i'm just looking at him all groggy LOL. he thinks it's cute, taps my cheek and teasingly asks if this is all a ruse to get him to spoon feed me.... this man /aff. wanderer tho is a good cook so he does not play around with food or breakfast! but it's gonna take lots of coaxing to have breakfast in bed since “if it spills on the mattress, i'll demote you to the floor for a day.” i tell him about the existence of trays but he's still adamant. no fun 💔 /j

CAMELLIAS?! those happen to be one of my fav flowers!!! and the meaning too... i'm ahhdjwjejw /pos. he would tho!! wanderer canonically like wandering off in nature (oh, dearest sumeru), i think he picks flowers to bring back home. but sometimes, he'd rather observe them from afar: they're fleeting, after all. so he might as well leave them be to bloom to their fullest. yk.... i should buy some seeds these days and make a garden of our own. maybe it could be a surprise for him oooooo mhm mhm!! wbu?? does albedo or lyney indulge in making you breakfast in bed too hehe :3c (for lyney, i'm willing to bet lynette sponsored that breakfast /j)

NOT THE FURNITURE POSE HAHAA 😭

“smile!”

vi: 🌸🌷🎀🩷

bf: 🚪🚪🚪

/j but we appreciate the effort!!! i'm also not vv photogenic myself so i can relate badly with the furniture pose LMAO 😔 i prefer taking pictures of others instead! ayato is really photogenic. this is what happens when you deal with paparazzi /j & wanderer can be photogenic too but only in candid. he does not like staring at the camera. what a grumpy cat /aff +++ i saw the picrew you sent me! VI IT'S SO ADORBS AHHHH feel free to share more picrews of you & your f/o's anytime! i love love love them ☆૮꒰ˊᗜˋ* ꒱ა /gen !!!!

#i'm still reeling over the camellias.... #floriography >>> #ask box! 📬 #visitor: dearest vi! 🍡 #selfships! 🧸

[mysicklove]

i say “teacher” cuz im not a native english speaker and had no clue there was a difference between “professor” and “teacher” jshsjhd i’m so sorry

omg no pls don’t be sorry, tons of my friends call their professors teacher. that’s why i put it in the tags more bc i’m not worried about the word teacher LOL

it’s more when ppl talk about parents i’m a context where it just feels…kid like. and when ppl mention classes that are obviously only highschool related/mention how they go to lunch (which obvi only happens in k-12).

i won’t block just because of anything of these things mentioned, but i may be like, “hey! are you a senior in highschool or above 18??” bc i know some ppl are in highschool that are above 18, it’s just not the majority of highschoolers and just wanna keep my area a safe space from that

it’s not that big of a deal, and i’m sorry that i made a few of you guys worried/upset, i was just kinda mindless saying how i feel, i didn’t know it would spark all of this 😰😰😰

so yeah, sorry for going in depth, but pls don’t worry!!

#💌 - love letters #secret admirer #love u lots!!

[synergysilhouette]

Choices review: The Freshman

Everyone talks highly of this series, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on it. Just gonna get this out of the way: This could've been GOC. There's no reason it couldn't be--though I will admit that this means Kaitlyn would either become playersexual (which some fans think would dilute her journey) or remove her as an LI entirely and just make her a platonic friend like Zac--though if MC is GOC, this could be tricky. You'd probably have to reduce their screentime if (depending on your gender) there was no reason you couldn't romance them. I don't wanna advocate for monosexuality for LIs in a romance game for obvious reasons. And since it's been a while since I played this, my review may change after replaying it or remembering certain details.

Book 1 focuses on the beginning of your journey at Hartfield University. I don't recall this book from start to finish, but it certainly had a lot of drama. For one, all three LIs are pushed your way, with Kaitlyn having a crush on you and realizing she's a lesbian, stereotypical sorority girls being possessive of jock Chris, and the studious James asks you to be his fiance for his parents. All this tied together with becoming an assistant to an English professor with a big ego just so you can keep going to college. Crazy, right? I do wish there was less pressure on the romance side. What if you had no interest in James? That'd make the lying to his parents even MORE uncomfortable, and while you and Kaitlyn work it out, I certainly wish she'd had a crush on someone else since it feels awkward if you don't feel the same. And I'm just gonna say I wish Zack had a more standout design; I know he's not a love interest, but he's one of the major characters, and yet he feels plain.

Book 2 focuses on your winter quarter at Hartfield and being a part of James' play, as well as helping Chris running for student president. Again, I do feel like forcing Kaitlyn our way with a kiss felt very awkward; if she didn't have feelings for us prior to this, it would've been fine, but it almost feels like we're leading her on or not letting her work out her sexuality. And Becca needs to go, especially since I was romancing Chris from the start, and her "not as bad as Sebastian" stuff really didn't absolve her to me--especially with her actions later on. And knowing what I know about how Sebastian's future goes, it's weird that the gang rallied around how Chris became a better person despite his criminal history in high school, but the theme of "redemption" doesn't translate too much.

Book 3 focuses on your spring quarter at Hartfield, when you meet a new LI, Kaitlyn joins a band, and dealing with classism at the school. While I like Zig, I'm not a fan of how he's essentially a repeat of Chris, having a criminal record prior to Hartfield, especially since this was covered with Chris in the previous book. I read somewhere that Sebastian made a stereotypical comment towards Zig due to his heritage, though I'd never heard the Latino-barista stereotype before; I thought him having a criminal record felt a bit more stereotypical, in that regard, along with his aggression. It would've been nice if he was written as a kid from a military family with a positive upbringing; his rough home life reminded me of the golden boy from MTFL, and it would've been nice if he was just sheepish and shy rather than confrontational--though I'm assuming the writers did that the contrast with the rest of the gang's easygoing vibe. I do feel weird about James' publicist coming onto him, and it feels like it should've been a bigger deal than it was.

Book 4 is a mini-book that focuses on the gang's summer vacation during a cross-country road trip. It kind of hurt my heart because of Brandon and Zack's relationship being broken for seemingly no reason. I get that the writers were trying to be a bit more realistic with relationships in this series, but I'd have preferred better buildup with the breakup rather than it being so random, or not break them up at all. It would've also been nice if Teddy was an actual LI for him; it was weird that it fizzled out but then we see Teddy again and ahve the option to ask why he didn't call Zack. I also think it's interesting how Zig reveals he's bisexual and it never comes up again--not that sexuality is a personality trait, but it would've been nice to see him talk more about his experience, not just the negative stereotypes he experienced, as well as the option to hook him up with someone similar to Kaitlyn and James. It's a really fun book, though--and it makes me want a Scooby-Doo-inspired Choices book ASAP.

Book 5 (Book 1 of "The Sophomore") sees you begin your sophomore year! After a less than savory living arrangement, you and your friends decide to take over a foreclosed house together, and you eventually invite Becca to live with you, and a little while later, you can date her. However, she hasn't been fully redeemed, as she tries to sabotage her so-called "best friend" since she replaced her as their sorority's new House President. It's really twisted, especially as Madison feels super guilty about it and just wants to be friends. It's pretty toxic, and I don't recall if this led to Madison giving up her position for Becca. I also feel like it's weird that James gets a love interest with Reyna when in one of the special books (which I don't cover), it's noted that he has someone who likes him. Why she isn't just made a love interest, I don't know. I did also feel bad for the pressures Chris faces being the captain of the football team. And honestly given the issue with Zig's criminal record being the hot topic a few books ago, I'm surprised his sexuality isn't mentioned to cause friction among the football team, like an exaggerated version of what happened with Manny. Granted, he was comfortable with his sexuality, and any issues regarding it would essentially feel similar to Kaitlyn's arc, but it's a thought. Btw, I love that the characters get new outfits in the Sophomore year.

Book 6 (Book 2 of "The Sophomore") has you trying to keep your house from being condemned after it's sabotaged. It was actually sabotaged by Sebastian, who tried to make amends at your house party, but only Tyler believes him. Rejected and with everyone assuming the worst of him, he sabotages the house and reports it to the house inspector, hoping you get a fine--only to be horrified that you get condemned instead. ...Really? Why are Becca and Sebastian so toxic even when they're trying to be better? Becca tries to ruin her best friend's reputation when she replaces her, and Sebastian is so lonely he's willing to get the people who rejected his friendship in trouble. But despite their spoiled and unhinged ways, I've gotta call out the hypocrisy here: the gang talks about Zig and Chris being more than their past mistakes, but they sure know how to hold a grudge against those who made recent mistakes--not that they can't do that, but it feels like they're going against their morals. Both Sebastian and Becca tried to screw over their friends, but Becca's the one who gets to stay with us and continue being high-maintenance? We may as well have moved Sebastian in too; I wanted more of him after this book (though the amount of headaches he and Becca could cause together is HIGH). Meanwhile, Tyler and Abby's relationship is fraying and part of me hoped Tyler would end up being bi and being with Sebastian (not that two men can't have platonic relationships with each other; I'm game with Sebastian ending up with MC, too), Chris' dad returning feels like it should've been a bigger arc, and a part of me wishes that Zig had been in dance the whole time, and I do wish we'd gotten more into the conversation about how sexual harassment/assault is common in the MLM community and that Manny definitely deserved worse punishment.

Book 7 (Book 1 of "The Junior") sees you getting an apartment with your LI and investigating a prank gone wrong. Your stay with your LI is pretty rough at first, and I feel like it could've been better-written to reflect the characters' personalities, though I respect the "break up/make up" option because of it. It would've been neat if your LI was annoyed by some of your choice- based decisions, as well. Entering a "fratority" with some dark secrets was fun, and it felt like it could've existed as it's own series rather than one book in a series. It definitely feel like it could've been more darker and mysterious than it ended up being. Though I will admit that despite not romancing him, I'm not huge on the "you can romance a twist villain" because when they're revealed to be bad, it makes your relationship feel like it's been for nothing. I do love that we can give the characters makeovers, though; it's nice to see them in new outfits and hairstyles.

Book 8 (Book 1 of "The Senior") has you figuring out your future ahead of graduation! I do wish we'd had a bit more legroom with what kind of writer we wanted to be and what profession we wanted to do in general. I also would've liked if we could've played as Kaitlyn and decided what kind of sound/visual her band's upcoming album would have. I don't have too many notes on this book, though I do hate how you have to go the sacrifice route; after you get a job offer, your LI is also successful with their career and is going to be in another part of the world; they essentially cut down your dreams, and it not only feels OOC, it feels almost manipulative. In the end, you have to decide if you want to go with them (and maybe find another job), make them give up their dream, or break up and you each follow your own paths. It's essentially a story with no clear winners, though I personally chose to go with them to pursue their dream.

Overall, I see why the series is iconic, and it's continuity over the app's growth really shows in it's quality, though I do wish we'd gotten more books for the junior and senior years, as well as fixing certain character issues and plot points. See you at my next review! Working on TRR right now, but let me know if there's a particular series you want reviewed! I've already done HSS, TRE, D&D, and AME. For now, I'm only making reviews for completed series, AKA 2 or more books (not counting holiday/special books) and the story is not currently in development (ie BOLAS, ID, COP).

#choices #choices stories you play #choices stories we play #choices app #choices game #pixelberry studios #pixelberry #the freshman series #playchoices

[lumiereandcogsworth]

tagged by @thavron thank you my dear :)

1. are you named after anyone? yes! my great-grandma lydia. we share a birthday AND she died on her birthday exactly one year before i was born. a very fun and slightly spooky anecdote

2. when was the last time you cried? last night, i got a very angsty fic idea and as usual i somehow manage to put myself into the character’s shoes so easily and i was crying a character’s tears. last time i cried my own tears was the night before i think, or something like that. idk, i cry a lot lmao.

3. do you have kids? no but my build-a-bear stitch IS my son

4. what sports do you play / have you played? i played basketball from ages 6-17 and it was basically my entire personality. haven’t done any sports since then and probably won’t, though i’m trying to find some kind of exercise that could actually be fun :/ i loved rock climbing in college but there’s no wall near where i live. but anyway i’ll figure it out

5. do you use sarcasm? noOooOoo i would Neverrrrrrrr

6. what’s the first thing you notice about people? i genuinely have no idea, i don’t really look at people. maybe their voice/the way they speak? or their shoes cuz that’s where i be looking lmao

7. what’s your eye color? i don’t knoowww. blue green grey. depends on what i’m wearing, sometimes the blue really pops. but sometimes it doesn’t look like my eyes are blue at all so. i think they’re mostly grey.

8. scary movies or happy endings? once again this question makes no sense because a lot of scary movies (most?? nearly all????) HAVE happy endings. but anyway to quote the fairy fauna from sleeping beauty, i just LOVE happy endings :”)

9. any talents? well i like to think i’m an alright writer! i actually Know i’m a good writer at least when it comes to school essays because that was always where i got the most praise. but i think my fics are pretty good too!! writing’s just always come naturally to me. other than that idk, i’m pretty good at memorizing stuff when i want to.

10. where were you born? pacific northwest babey!!!! (northwestern united states)

11. what are your hobbies? writing and day dreaming are like, my two staples. i’m striving to make 2024 the year i start being more crafty though. i have a couple projects brewing and i have a batb 2017 coloring book that i just bought some markers for to start coloring more. in the future i’d like to try crochet and embroidery but i don’t wanna overwhelm myself. one step at a time

12. do you have any pets? no :( i’m just an auntie to a lot of pets. the one i see most often is my brother’s shiba inu, mishka. he’s my little baby nephew and i wanna eat his face off. but anyway i’d like a cat or two some day! probably whenever i move out of my parents’ house. (which i’m not in a big rush to do, i like it here :3)

13. how tall are you? somewhere between 5’5 and 5’6. but with shoes definitely 5’6

14. favorite subject in school? elementary to high school it was probably english/creative writing, since i’ve always had a knack for it. in college it was my two majors, comparative ethnic studies and history. my favorite CES classes were “race and racism in pop culture” and “blackness in film.” my favorite history classes were “history of the late middle ages” (shout out to my girl joan of arc!) and “history of ancient greece” which was my absolute favorite course in all four years of university. it was actually one i happened to take in the quarantine year (my junior year of college) but it still slapped even despite being over zoom. that professor was awesome and i was so obsessed with the material, i kept most of the books and even asked him for more recommendations. (haven’t read them all yet, but i like seeing them on my bookshelf lol)

15. dream job? whatever ends up supporting my desires in life, and brings me at least some semblance of joy. the job i have right now is actually really awesome. it has a couple downsides but overall i’m extremely happy with my job and it feels great :)

tagging: @gayassbenaffleck @freakwiththeknifecollection @gavotteangel @roberrtphilip @ariiiloves @autumnrose11 @ginnyweatherby @enchanted-keys @romeoandjulietyouwish @japhan2024 @splendiferous-bitch + anyone else can say i tagged them :))

#tagged

[transboykirito]

college squad au bc i think of this a lot

koujiro rinko, our main character. she starts off at 18 in season 1. programming nerd. gemma from m3gan. trying to find herself and figure out how adulting works. millennial (affectionate). she’s determined that college is going to be the best years of her life. the entire fandom universally agrees she’s bi and in love with her best friend mayumi who gets introduced in season 4. rinkoyumi vs kayarinko debates plauge twitter for months until her actress posts a tweet on june 1st saying she’s always considered rinko to be bi and wanted to play her with the intention of her crushing on mayumi. every gay person fucking loves her she has so many comfort character edits on tiktok.

kayaba akihiko, Just Some Guy Turned Main Love Interest. starts season 1 at 19. somehow everyone in the university knows who he is. he keeps to himself and has a foreboding mysterious sense about him. fans either headcanon him as bland and emotionless or secretly a massive softie who volunteers at animal shelters. math nerd. he usually ends up solving most of the bullshit the squad gets into. the amount of autism coding in this man.

sugou nobuyuki, fandom-nominted misunderstood soft dork (negative). never have you ever seen a character be misconstrued like this. starts season 1 at 18 but turns 19 like halfway through the season. he’s originally an english major but changes his degree in season 2. he is a dick but he’s good at hiding it therefore people think that he’s gonna be The Bad Boy Love Interest. he briefly is bc he and rinko start dating at the end of season 2 but she cheats on him with kayaba in season 3 (yay). his entire tiktok hashtag is either thirsty edits or people screaming at other fans for liking him. his actor likes tweets hating on him. after the finale he tweets a picture of himself on set flipping off the camera like “so long asshole i will never miss playing you” and then later he posts a picture of the whole cast and crew like “i lied i miss these guys already”

higa takeru, fan favourite smol bean. 18 but acts like a 14 year old boy. he is solely comedic relief for the most part. he’s hardcore crushing on rinko the entire series. he has a million dumb catchphrases. his Big Moment is when rinko breaks down crying in her dorm bc Boy Problems and he comforts her like “you deserve better anyway. do you wanna come sit on the roof and we can finish some beers and you can insult me again like you always do?” and she kinda laughs and follows him onto the roof and they sit there drinking and talking and he’s like “wouldn’t it be cool if we could make an entire world of ai’s?” and its this moment and its like the only time he’s serious

professor shigemura, george feeny 2.0. he sometimes drops major life advice in the middle of a lecture. he gets super invested in all his students and gives them advice and wants them all to change the world. very loving dad. yuuna makes a cameo a few times and fans adore her. any scenes with young yuuna are played by the professor’s actor’s irl daughter and it’s just super wholesome.

yuuki kouichirou, cameo character. he’s mentioned a few times in the first 2 seasons and makes a couple of cameos but fans love him and so he officially joins the cast in season 3, when he’s 19. he’s the sweet doting older brother who doubles as nobuyuki’s childhood friend. he’s never super plot relevant but he’s cute and sweet and people like him. he does a lot of fairy dance foreshadowing and his actor is like tom holland levels of accidental spoilers

#college squad au

[lightninginhersoul]

15 questions, 15 mutuals

Thanks for the tag @janewaysratherirregularstarlog

1. Are you named after anyone?

Not my first name! My middle name is my maternal grandmother's name which is awesome because she's an absolute badass

2. When was the last time you cried?

Um the last time i absolutely sobbed? Two days ago. Cried at all? Last night

3. Do you have kids?

Not yet, ask me again in 5-10 years

4. What sports do you play/have played?

I was a three sport athlete pretty much from the age of 6 to 18 but it changed a lot. The last set was field hockey, swimming, and softball (hell yeah! i miss my teams!). I also ran cross country, played terrible basketball, soccer, and archery. Now I mostly just hike and swim but I'm thinking about volunteering as a referee for the younger leagues on weekends so I don't have to be stressed about calls.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Who, me? Never

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Likely the outfit, the costumer in me will not go away ever. After that, probably face and height

7. What’s your eye color?

Blue!

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings plz !

9. Any talents?

Maybe that I have a million hobbies and find it really easy to pick up textile arts? That I taught myself how to spin my field hockey stick and am really good at air dribbling? Otherwise I'm sure all my friends could tell you my talents but I sure can't

10. Where were you born?

The you ess of ayyyyy (North east US)

11. What are your hobbies?

Oh boy let's go! Star Wars, cosplay, hiking, writing, reading, drawing, painting, video games, embroidery, bobbin lace, sewing, mending (visibly and invisibly), knitting, crochet (relearning rn), calligraphy, wood carving, lathe work, woodworking in general/carpentry, wood burning, d&d, scrapbooking, tarot, baking, and probably a few more I'm forgetting. (yes I have adhd how could you tell?)

12. Do you have any pets?

Not at the moment but as soon as I live somewhere with space I'm gonna get a kitten (2)

13. How tall are you?

5'8"

14. Favorite subject in school?

This is not a fair question because at my graduation they mentioned that my favorite class was all 8 that I was taking...I'd pick what I went to college for but I got two majors and two minors in different things too? I guess I'll say English in a pinch but this is super hard

15. Dream job?

Getting to be a college professor for the humanities that I have degrees in (rather difficult given the market but that's a dream for next decade maybe after I stop my current job which is also cool I love engineering but like hmm to create art) or becoming a vampire and having my job be Student as I get degrees in basically every subject ever

Gonna tag some of my mutuals now and absolutely no pressure! Know that I think you're awesome and really cool!

@old-bird @chesapeakewoman @the-egginator @dioxizinegreeen @toofewtrueblue @acetheasshat @squagel @chickalupe @raevenlywrites @marisolinspades @explodingfurby @sir-jeffers11 @raineydaywrites @slightly-strange-girl @shouldnt-you-be-doing-work

(also if any other mutuals wanna do this please feel free!)

#tumblr vibes #tag games #hobbies #e

[eastern-lights]

Eastern Lights’ Guide to Bachelor’s Programme English Studies Courses

Introduction to the Study of English - where newbies learn that no, being fairly good at English in middle school has not prepared them for any of this, and they’ve just been tricked into studying linguistics in a foreign language

Introduction to the Study of Literature - where you learn zip about literature but hey, there’s gonna be cool stories told by the cryptid professor who’d literally be rather doing anything else than teaching your stupid ass

Phonetics and Phonology - you will be the weird kid making weird noises with your mouth in the library the night before exams, most likely looking like this:

Morphology - where your first assignment will be to write a think piece on “what is a word” and you’ll get negative marks if you submit a bold and well-argumented essay on why linguists should get rid of the concept of ‘words’ entirely. Not that I’d know, of course.

Morphosyntax - what you get when you mix morphology and BDSM

Syntax - rumour has it that the surest way to make out linguistics majors in a crowd is to whisper this word and listen for cries of terror

Lexicology and Lexicography - thanks to this course, you now know that this... 

... is in fact called a “zeugma”. At least one person will mutter “zeugma balls” under their breath

Introduction to Stylistics - no, the hot teacher is not single, and he will not let you forget it

British Literature - at this point, the student body is already divided into Linguists, Translators and Literature People and everyone but the Literature People is straight up not having a good time

American Literature - no, this hot teacher is not single either, and she’s way out of your league anyway

Translation Seminars 1 - 4 -  everyone but the Translators is straight up not having a good time

Translation Seminar 5 - the most desirable course in the department, made up of people who simp for the teacher, those who wanna hear him cratively translate curse words and that one person who just genuinely wants to learn to make subtitles

Pragmatics - everyone, Linguists included, is straight up not having a good time

#linguistics #english language #uni problems #phonetics #stylistics #syntax #pragmatics #translation #morphology #lexicology #taking AmLit and Stylistics in the same semester is a straight up bisexual nightmare

[moonwaterart]

Tell us about Danny 🔫

Alright! Alright! Put the gun down. If you wanna know about my little South Park OC, it's under the cut that contain rewritten elements to Stick of Truth and a small ounce of Fractured but Whole

Danny is the new kid in South Park. He and his parents moved there from Tampa, Florida after an incident that Danny was the catalyst for that he can’t remember due to the medication his parents got him on. It makes his brain all foggy so it’s hard for him to recall what happened before they moved to South Park other than they hopped from hotel to hotel a lot. The majority of the time, the pills made him sleep, so it's hard to tell what is real and what's fake.

His mom, Bianca, is Italian-American and came from Brooklyn. During the events of SoT, she is pregnant with Danny’s baby brother. She works at the abortion clinic as a receptionist.

His dad, Gan, is Thai-American and came from Mesa, Arizona. He and Bianca met when Gan moved to Brooklyn to pursue maintenance work at some apartments there and the rest is history. He now works at the retirement home as a maintenance worker.

Danny does look more like his mom, but has his dad’s nose and skin tone. Because of his upbringing, he knows Thai, English, and some Italian words and phrases (at least enough for a basic conversation).

He's a 4th grader (so around 9ish years old) and was to start going to South Park elementary the Monday after they moved in. He's soft spoken at first due to being unable to recall his life before South Park, but he slowly starts to recall things over the course of playing with the other kids as the days went by and became more crazy.

A running gag in the SoT arch of his story is that he's always trying to correct Cartman and the other human kids, getting progressively more angry as time goes on. Butters, however, calls him by his chosen name for the game, 'Daniel the Rogue' (He chose the thief class because he can be quiet and mysterious), but only when Cartman isn't around. When he was taken to the Elves, he actually felt more welcome with them given they would call him by his chosen title and said it in a way that made him feel included in the game rather than just another rando. It's no wonder he chose to betray Koopa Keep and lead the goth kids to Kyle.

A major plot hook I got rid of was the fact that Danny doesn't fart, but the boy can belch. Everything involving farts and butts kind of weirds me out, so I wanted to keep it to a minimum with Danny and focus on another equally gross bodily function. To counter balance everything, Danny will ocassionally get acid reflux and puke if he burps too much.

He still, however, would still have to fart on a man's balls for the sake of plot.

I have yet to play The Fractured but Whole, but I can tell you he hates the name Cartman yet again gave him, which would be Belchsack, for his super hero name. When he's sent to infultrate the other franchise with Professor Chaos, I think he's paired with Mysterion at one point and they have a heart to heart due to Danny not looking like he's having much fun with playing super heros like he did with the fantasy characters. Danny would tell him it's because he yet again didn't get a say in his name and he was upset that people won't listen to him.

Mysterion let's him rant then asks what he'd want to be called instead and starts to call him that, which seems to lift Danny's spirits about playing super heros with the other kids. At this time, his parents had been sneaking his medication into his dinners, so his memory starts becoming hazy again and he hates how he can barely remember his adventures now.

I can't think of anything else to talk about with him at the moment, but I'll try to sketch out a family portrait and post it when I can. If you want me to give context to anything, let me know. <3

#south park oc #ask answered #danny saelim #character details #character development #sp oc #stick of truth #fractured but whole

[kakusu-shipping]

oh i gotta hear about this au so if you gotta ramble take this

any and all ideas gimme gimme i wanna hear all about this

Settie. Settie bestie pal buddie I am blessed thankyou very much here comes a list and a ramble and for all intensive purposes I have never stepped foot on a collage campus

Okay first of all as fun as it would be to have a Campus wide polycule, in my head right now this plays like more of a dating sim with me as the MC, and all listed F/Os as romancible options

Second, something in my brain said it'd be weird if everyone was a student so I'll either be saying an F/Os major or whatever their job on campus is

Third I really want to include platonics in this post because what is the collage experience without ride or die buddies but this post gets really long and I just hate hate hate making long rambly posts plus it's 4am so for now it's romantics only but if you're every interested in anyone spesific please shoot an ask I have the thoughts

Fourth and finally I say in my request rules no AUs unless they are my own, and this counts as one of those, so I will take requests for this collage AU. Feel free to drop your F/O into the ask box anytime if you want me to put them in this collage AU as well somewhere I always have thinkin thoughts

Staff

Nezu - Principal/Dean/Headmaster whatever collages have, very lax about pretty much everything, basically has to be with the teacher's he has. Spends a lot of time wandering the campus grounds. Smokes when he thinks no one is looking, hates to be touched.

Toshinori Yagi - New English Professor, last teaching position was as an assistant teacher in a kindergarden class in his 20's, very out of practice with the youth. Randomly mixes talking to a toddler language into his lectures on accident. The most likely to slip into speaking Japanese while giving a lesson on accident.

Koro-Sensei - Head Librarian, changes the recommended books every day, always excited to introduce someone to his favorite series. Secretly sneaks students expensive textbooks for free, and offers free tutoring every day of the week after classes. Would keep the library open 24/7 if he could

Spamton G. Spamton - Engineering Professor, lectures go long and rambly and get off topic easy, comes to school in a different car almost every day. Still dresses like a Greaser in the year 2022, but wears a jumpsuit when in the garage, which is most days. Does not use a blowtorch safely.

Gaster - Physics and Astronomy professor, goes back and forth between being refined and clear, and over the top ecstatic about his topics. He and Spamton have something going on, people think they've divorced. Gaster likes to fuel that rumor.

Shirokuma - Psycology Professor, was a Child psychologist before this. Very soft spoken and gentle, kind of talks like he's speaking to children in a very pandering kind of way. Will give you till the very last day of the term to get any project done. People think he and Nezu are related somehow. They're not, and Nezu really doesn't like the guy so he avoids talking about him.

Monokuma - Political Science Professor, the worst. The Worst. Very strict about deadlines on assignments, will email you back a "k." if you ask for an extension on a project because you're ill, you will not get the extension either. Locks the doors to his class at precisely 9:05 and if you are even a second late too bad. He and Shirokuma are brothers

Raymond Shields - Law Professor, totally didn't flail his way through law school and most certainly always knows what he's talking about. Almost always the last one to his own classes. Hates the Government, Be Gay Do Crime is always on his chalk board.

Zenyatta - Humanities Professor, loves talking and debating religions. No one's ever heard him raise his voice but almost everyone on campus has seen the video of him taking down a cop twice his size in one move. Enjoys the company of most other professors, and spends free time grading papers in the Roost on campus along side Shirokuma.

Maximilien - Collage funder, shows up on campus every once in a while to sit in on classes and make sure his money is going to good use. Nezu hates him, but puts up a fantastic facade. Very picky about Scholarship applications.

Brooster - Runs a coffee shop on campus. Has almost every regular's order memorized. Gives free coffee during finals week. Has the best WiFi on campus.

Makarov Dreyar - Recently retired English Professor, still the school's Football Coach. Good friends with Nezu, like to pop in on Toshinori and see how he's doing. Was the Campus Crypid and likes to tell stories of his days as a Frat kid here on this very quad.

Leshy - Photography Professor, also pops up in occasional Figure drawing sessions as the model, under Magnificus' request. The New Campus Crypid, mostly because he walks like big foot and hangs in the woods around the art buildings. He hosts DnD games on the weekends

Magnificus - Art Professor, one of those snobby art teacher's who'll get mad at you for drawing anime and is devoted to REAL art, even though Leshy commissions him to draw the student's DnD characters. Speaks low and infrequently, beats the shit out of canvases with his brush in the woods behind the art buildings in the middle of the night so loudly it can be heard from the dorms across the street.

Viktor Humphries - Environmental Sciences Professor, has been working here longer than Toshinori but still as new to teaching as him. Very awkward, not good at conversation and tends to talk too fast during his lectures. Has bumbled multiple specimens into his shirt while doing field lessons.

Edalyn Clawthorne - Chemistry Professor, does NOT practice lab safety, believes in the fuck around and find out method of teaching which is not a good method of teaching to have working with highly toxic chemicals. Despite costing the school thousands in damage and being the bane of Maximilien's existence, she has yet to allow a student to get majorly injured. She keeps her job because Nezu thinks she's a great influence. She is not.

Raine Whispers - Music Professor, gives as few lectures as possible. Hates hates teaching Music history and music theory as it involves so much more talking than their comfortable with. Nothing brings them more joy than the Campus' marching band and Orchestra, loves those kids.

Andras - Sociology and Philosophy Professor, a fucking menace to the ideal of morals and ethics. Debates Zenyatta just to try and get on his nerves. Hates the library, and is constantly trying to kill Koro-Sensei, who thinks it funny and reminds him of "old times", thus not minding it. He and Maximilien get drinks every other week.

Leuvis - History professor, too tall to fit into most door ways without bending a little bit, brings Parvas to all his classes. Gets really into talking about ancient wars, goes on and on about how victors write the story. Would love to lose a knife fight one day.

All Hands - Business and Economics Professor, loves the stalk market and will not shut up about bitcoin. Paces and talks with his hands a lot, believes in conspiracy theories and will get off topic if brought to them. Also gets drinks with Andras and Maximilien every other week. Students call them the demon trio.

Student Body

Kazuaki Nanaki - Part Arts Major and part English Major, always late to class because he over sleeps and did not plan his schedule right. Struggling hard with collage burn out, depression, and self worth, but could ramble for a mile about his boyfriend.

Hitori Uzune - Child Education Major, planning to be a math teacher. Kazuaki's aforementioned boyfriend, doesn't share an apartment with Kazuaki because he refuses to be his babysitter and force him to eat and sleep on time. Lives off campus with his family.

Toko Fukawa - Creative Writing major with psychology classes on the side, here on scholarship. Lives in an on campus apartment with Celeste, Iggy, and Mae, never talks to them. Tends to be alone a lot, on purpose mostly. Scared of the Campus Crypid. Struggles to keep Jill at bay sometimes. Missed a whole day of class before because she saw N on her way to class and had to retreat back to her dorms to keep Jill from fronting.

Hifumi Yamada - Arts and Creative Writing Major, gets in very loud, obnoxious debates with Magnificus on whether or not Anime is an art that can take up the entirety of class some days. Part of Leshy's DnD group, though a little obnoxious about it as he perfectly mint maxed his character and was OP by the third session. He mostly uses it to cast charm on NPCs.

Celestia Ludenburg - Economics and Political Science major, has been mistaken for a first year fashion major, as even during finals weeks her look is always on point. Has been invited to the Demon Trio's drinking nights several times, only goes once or twice. The only person on campus to beat Eda at cards. Joined DnD because of Hifumi and also made an OP character very quickly and uses it for evil.

Teruteru Hanamura - Culinary Major, lives in the dorms on campus and is the godsend of the building. Loves cooking for large groups, so long as everyone brings an ingredient, or beer. Beer is always welcome. Bonus of it being an easy way to get a lot of hot guys in your room quickly.

Sagashi (Imposter) - Theater, Arts, and Fashion major. Loves costume design and special effects make up, they're hard to spot in a crowd because they are constantly switching costumes and make up, duplicating any look flawlessly. Shares and dorm with Teruteru, but also occasionally crashes with Celeste or Atsuhiro.

Ryoma Hoshi - On a Sports scholarship for Tennis, taking anthropology for the fun of it. Lives in the boys dorms on campus and usually stays in his room. Has a long distance girlfriend he rarely talks about, and a secret cat he's not suppose to have as it's against dorm policy he is constantly talking about.

Gonta Gokuhara - Entomology Major on scholarship, but in every Environmental Science class he could get into, also on the football team. Ryoma's roommate, also very loudly talks about their cat they're not suppose to have. Gets along great with Dr. Humphries, especially with non-verbal conversations.

Milo - Agriculture Major, also on the football team on scholarship. Really really dumb about everything other than plants and animals. He and Gonta get along like a house on fire, Makarov calls them his puppy dog players and loves them to bits. Has an apartment on campus with his boyfriend that is full of potted plants. He and Teruteru came from the same country home town.

Gordie - Geology and Philosophy major, use to live in the dorms but moved in with Milo after they started dating. Has a cat named Shuckle who he spends 90% of his time with. Plays bass in a band, thinks that's both super cool and extremely embarrassing so usually doesn't tell many people.

James - Theater and Fashion major, lives off campus with his bestie Jessie, bikes to classes with a full costume wardrobe sometimes. He and Sagashi cram together and bounce a lot of ideas off one another in the library after classes with Atsuhiro.

Guzma - Entomology Major, lives really far off campus in an apartment he shares with a huge group, works at the Roost and two other jobs to pay for classes and rent. Almost always falls asleep in class or in the library while studying. Gonta has tried to offer his notes and helps, but usually just gets glares or hissed at and leaves. Hangs out in the forest behind the Arts buildings sometimes to catch bugs, likes Professor Leshy.

N - Engineering and Calculus major on scholarship, also in oceanography classes. Campus Crypid the Second but everyone on campus who sees him thinks he's hot as well. Will info dump your ear off about math if you start a conversation with him. Has had long debates with Leshy about wildlife before. Hisses at the Demon Trio.

Papyrus - Engineering Major, Campus Crypid the Third. Still lives at home with his dad and brother, who are both Professors at the school, so he gets a free ride out of it. Good friends with N in that good Autistic way. One of the few students to match Spamton's energy during lectures.

Dick Gumshoe - Law Major, very close to flunking out, very recently lost both his part-time jobs, struggling to pay his bills, he is surviving on ramen and Koro-Sensei's tutoring. If he's not in class he's in the library cramming every book he can get his hands on. Ray would help but he honestly barely got through this nonsense the first time.

Ginko - Nursing and Chemistry Major on scholarship, wants to get into pharmaceuticals mostly to sell herbal medication rather than hard drugs and pills. Probably sells weed. Loves watching undergrads fall for Eda's "Try it." teaching strategy. Also does not practice proper lab safety. Couch surfs between his polycule's apartments.

Scorpia - Political Major with a lot of Art classes thrown in between. Doesn't actually know what she wants to do with her life, her parents kind of set this whole collage thing up for her and she chose to spend her free classes in art but doesn't really know if that's what she wants to do either. Feeds the campus pigeons while people watching pretty girls between classes.

Bismuth - Engineering Major, doesn't like Spamton but likes the class and the topic, so she can get through it. Likes talking with Zenyatta when seeing him in the Roost in the morning. Quarterback of the football team, leads them all in a jog around campus every morning. Talks about a girlfriend she left back home a lot.

Bob - Communications Major, mute and working on getting a job as a sign language translator. Was requested to join the football team but turned them down, preferring to use his free time to volunteer at a HoHing children's monstessori in town.

Lynx17 - Software engineering major, just wants to make games, talks a lot of game theory and arts with Magnificus, Leshy, Gaster, and Sans. Has no idea what their game is going to be about but sure has all the engine to make it up and running. Lives very close to campus in an apartment with Hana, Lucio, and Jamie. Lena and Emily live across the hall from them. Part of Leshy's DnD group.

Iggy - Music major, blasts music entirely too late for most her neighbors and roommates to stand, usually whatever song she's obsessed with on repeat. Always has headphones playing something or other in her ears. Lead vocals and guitar in a band with Gordie, constantly putting fliers for their shows up around campus.

Taishiro Toyomitsu - Martial Arts Major on a Football scholarship, gave up Quarterback to Bismuth last year to focus on his studies more. Still on the team for scholarship, but Makarov lets him skip more games under the guise of keeping him on the bench. Works at a Karate class for kids in town, lives in the dorms on campus and is always dropping into Teruteru's dorm for free good food.

Kendo Rappa - Martial Arts Major, on the football team, stalking Taishiro very blatantly. Only joined football because Taishiro took him down during sparring in class, and he fell in love the second he hit the mat. He's been trying for months to switch rooms with Taishiro's dormmate without success. Makarov has tried to talk to him about this behavior, but nothing will make him quit.

Atsuhiro Sako - Theater Major, lives with his found family way off campus and drives them all to school every day. Wears a waist coat and dress clothes every day, almost always the lead when the school puts on a play. The guy to go to for gossip. Does close up magic for birthday parties to pay for gas.

Jin Bubaigawara - Engineering major, struggling to keep it together through school. Recently lost his job, luckily he lives with a group and they’ll give him time to pay his share of the rent, but he’s still super stressed about it. Still thinks Plurality is a sign of a dangerous person and thus really scared of himself and tries not to talk about it.

Sun (and Moon, they're headmates) - Child Education Major with a side of psychology. Loves talking to Shirokuma after class for extra child psychology research. Also spends a lot of time in the library reading about child development, works part-time at a daycare and cannot wait to work full time as well. Moon is Campus Crypid number four.

Mae Browski - Not really majoring in anything, doesn't really want to be here, spends a lot of time locked up in her room having collage burn out and trying not to break down fully. Doesn't know what day of the week it is. Keeps forgetting when her classes are. Almost never misses DnD though.

Alfur - Law, Business, and Sociology Major on Scholarship. Correct Ray whenever he passes over something or gets something wrong, not maliciously he just genuinely loves the law and the fine print and technicalities and all that. Loans Gumshoe his notes every other class and offers to tutor him as well, but ends up getting turned down. Usually in the library reading through copies of old court cases.

Snork - Engineering major, thinks Spamton and Papyrus are both entirely too much and mostly misses classes because he cannot focus with them being so loud and colorful. N takes good notes so he'll ask to barrow them after class. Lives on campus in a scholarship payed for apartment alone. Video calls his sister a lot.

Takashi Morinozuka - Law Major, blends into a crowd and is easily overlooked in class. Tried once to offer Gumshoe his notes, but due to his silence, he didn't get the hint and ended up just trying to get past. Lives off campus in an apartment with Mitskuni, the rest of the Host Club are also around in the building. He and Haruhi study law together.

Harunobu Nikaidou - History major, misses a lot of classes due to illness or shogi tournaments, doesn't particularly care about school, just likes studying history in his spare time and wanted to follow Rei to collage to be near him. Lives in a rental house off campus.

Billions and Billions - Astronomy majors, double down on Gaster's wild energy while excited and tend to amp it up if it happens while they're in class. Uses the school's telescope all the time without permission, usually with the help of Koro-Sensei who loves their enthusiasm for the stars. They share a dorm room on campus and never miss a Teruteru pot-luck. They also play DnD.

Lynn - Language and Children's Education Major, plans on teaching High school to collage level Chinese classes. Very quiet and kind of stand-off-ish. Gets hard glares from the Demon Trio and gives them right back much harder. Part of the school orchestra with his sister Lily, who he also shares an on campus apartment with.

#Thankyou for asking #Collage AU #this is SO LONG #AND IT'S NOT EVEN EVERYONE I SKIPPED A FEW PEOPLE #GAH #Just romantics. Just SOME of my romantics. #I'm sorry I have thoughts always literally always #I have NEVER been to collage #I think I might have stood in my sister's dorm room once like ten years ago or more #So a lot of this was googling majors as I knew what they'd study but not what it's called #So if I got something wrong. Don't worry about it. #Thankyou so much for reading my long post if you did I know it was a lot I can really really ramble I'm so sorry #Zayne did this to me #I'm sending this to him in the morning in case he doesn't see it he needs to see it it's important #Aight it's 4am I've been sick all day this did make me feel so much better so thankyou #Now to try and sleep feeling still very ill #Emile's Writing