#also he looks so much like an art student here striped shirt and all

[telomeke-bbs]

BAD BUDDY RERUN SEASON – EP.5 (NOTES ON THE REWATCH)

Slowly making my way along the ep-by-ep rewatch – part of why it takes so long is because I love rewatching bits over and over again! Anyway here are my notes on Ep.5 (links to notes on previous episodes are at listed the end of this write-up).

The opening scene of Ep.5 is one of my favorites and I have so much to say about it (because there's just so much happening in there). So much so that I've had to write it up separately – there's just too much information to combine it all with this essay. To read about the opening scene, see this link here.

So after the opening scene, Pat goes to look for Pran at his faculty, doing him a favor and handing him a thumb drive of files. This is of course a parallel with the scene in Ep.10 [1I4], when Pran summons Pat with a similar errand (delivering more files on a thumb drive), but in Ep.10 it's really an excuse to get him to their khan maak – and meta regarding significance of the khan maak scene is also buried within the details of the opening scene of Ep.5, when Pat is first assigned the task of extracting files from Pran's computer just before this (see link above).

But when Pat gets to Pran's faculty at Ep.5 [1I4] 6.39, in my mind the scene has also been set up to parallel another one (in Ep.9 [1I4], though it's not as important as the khan maak).

There are several signs pointing to this. When Pat walks through Pran's faculty, this is the one time in BBS when Rangsit University's College of Engineering stands in for Pran's Architecture Faculty building. Everywhere else, the role of SouthTechnology's Architecture Building is played by RSU's Architecture Building, readily identifiable by its use of charcoal gray walls.

I'm thinking that RSU's white-walled College of Engineering was employed for this scene so that it would be visually less jarring when Pran drags Pat away, to end up at the white angled struts of a third building – actually RSU's Student Center (at Ep.5 [1I4] 7.35). But why go to all that trouble, just so that they could end up there?

There are two clues embedded in the proceedings. The first is Pat's "Boo!" at Ep.5 [1I4] 7.37, which is a set-up to draw attention to Ink's "Gotcha!" at Ep.5 [1I4] 7.58. The second clue is the way Ink's look has been styled when she surprises Pat and Pran in their "lovey-dovey" moment (her words).

Director Aof mentioned in one Soon Vijarn Reaction/Recap video that he was heavily involved in the art direction, and I don't think Ink's styling here is just random.

Ink's t-shirt looks quite shapeless and unisex, and is a departure from her usual style that sometimes incorporates a masculine touch but that also still projects femininity overall (e.g., small white men's shirts under large overshirts – see Ep.4 [1I4] 7.03 and ­­­­Ep.7 [3I4] 3.16 – or men's knitted vests worn as blouses – see Ep.5 [2/4] 1.42 and Ep.10 [2/4] 5.16).

And apparently oversized t-shirts with contrasting horizontal stripes are a BL trope when worn by guys? 🤷‍♂️ Ink's top in this scene is reminiscent of Ayan's t-shirt when he dined with Akk's parents at the seaside in The Eclipse (although it's not the same cut or design).

In BBS it's definitely a look that's more identified with the male characters – the SouthTechnology rugby uniforms in Ep.9 [2/4] are one example. And Pran pays homage to this trope by wearing loose, long(ish)-sleeved/drop-shouldered t-shirts with horizontal stripes many times (e.g., at Ep.3 [4/4] 6.11, Ep.4 [1I4] 2.15, Ep.4 [1I4] 4.22, Ep.5 [2/4] 5.36, Ep.7 [2/4] 6.51, Ep.9 [1I4] 11.26, Ep.9 [4/4] 5.20, Ep.10 [3I4] 0.22, Ep.12 [1I4] 2.34).

It's not a look typically applied to Ink, Pa, or any of the other female characters (Pa does wear a top somewhat like this at Ep.10 [1I4] 17.09, but the contrast of horizontals is more muted). So Ink wearing this striped top really looks like a conspicuous deviation done on purpose (even though I think it is a women's t-shirt – see this link here).

But it's not just Ink's t-shirt that deviates. The biggest style divergence to me is in Ink's hairstyle –her hair's been done up with a distinctive topknot (and we don't see her wearing it this way anywhere else in BBS, at least not that I can recall – it comes closest in the poster for GMM25's rewatch though).

It's the topknot that is the biggest tell, in my opinion. In all of Bad Buddy, only one other person wears their hair consistently like this – and it's Pat's good buddy Korn.

So I think this scene – when Ink jumps out and surprises Pat and Pran – is a parallel to the scene in Ep.9 [1I4] 10.10 when Korn surprises Pat at these very same white angled struts of the RSU Student Center.

What they're trying to suggest here is that Ink is really just like Korn – someone who can never be anything more than a totally platonic friend to Pat. Her clothes and hairstyle are telling us she's not the girl Pat thinks she is – she's really just "one of the guys" here, so to speak (though I wish I could think of a less gendered phrase to use here – "one of the gang" maybe?).

This depiction of Ink also gets a reprise at Ep.5 [3I4] 12.28 when she places a sympathetic (but platonic) arm on Pat's pining shoulders at the Freshy Day Song Contest, while wearing a t-shirt that is almost exactly the same color as the one worn by another of Pat's buddies (Mo, who apparently likes that unusual shade of grape as much as she does).

BBS is blurring the lines with Ink here, even while showing us that she is not at all the lazy BL stereotype of the scheming ex-girlfriend from the protagonist's past, who exists only to provide tension for the main couple's narrative. She's really a supportive buddy who deserves and gets her own fulfilling story arc too.

Of course Pran looks back at Ep.5 [1I4] 8.59 and sees the opposite of platonic InkPat. And ironically Pat will then actually go on to fall for one of the guys – but it's one who's totally outside his bro zone. 😊 This situation with Ink as Korn is BBS underlining what Pa says at Ep.5 [2/4] 0.55 – "Never date a friend. It won't work." Therefore Pat goes on to date his "enemy" instead (a bad buddy, not a good one – the quotation marks being of utmost importance here 💖).

So at the wonton noodle stall (Ep.5 [1I4] 9.28) – we see that Pat is perplexed when Ink's order is the same as Pran's favorite (egg noodles with three wontons). He seems a little cross even. On some level perhaps he's irked that the lines of emotional connection are getting entangled. But what it also shows is that he is ignorant of Ink's preference (haha) while Pran's is already known to him – by heart. 💖

Furthermore – the scene also contrasts with PatPran's Ep.12 scene at the noodle stall. What we are shown here at the Ep.5 table is that – insofar as being a partner for Pat (dining or otherwise) – Ink is quite the opposite of Pran. She compliments his table manners here, even though we go on to see that they never really improved – Pran still bugs him about his table manners in Ep.12. Three wontons might be the perfect number for Ink, but by Ep.12 Pran has learnt that his ideal order is four wontons not three (because Pat will steal one).

And in contrast to Pran giving up a wonton to Pat (in Ep.12) – we see Ink stealing one from Pat's bowl instead and not letting him take any from hers (Ep.5 [1I4] 10.39). In the world of Thai BL where food = love is a trope, Ink is receiving from Pat, but not offering in return – quite the reverse of Pran, who in Ep.12 returns Pat's love by ordering extra to give to him.

Looking again at PatPran's wonton noodle battle in Ep.3 – Pat takes a wonton from Pran, but he also returns it later (and this illustrates how there is love from Pran being sent in Pat's direction, and Pat eventually returns his love too).

So in the scene at the pancake café – Ink does go "Feed me" at Ep.5 [2/4] 4.05, but of course she says it to Pa instead (also echoed at Ep.12 [4/4] 0.38). And she then returns the love at Ep.5 [2/4] 5.09 when she offers a spoonful back.

At Ep.5 [2/4] 0.32, when Pat says "I can sense it" I think we can all agree that he was sensing the stirrings of his heart for Pran, but misinterpreting them and mixing them up with his feelings of friendship for Ink instead.

But actually it looks like Pa is very much like Pat too – she's egging him on to date Ink and saying things like "Never date a friend… But if that friend is Ink, you have my greenlight" (Ep.5 [2/4] 0.55), "Let's do it!" (Ep.5 [2/4] 1.06) and "I like her. That's all" (Ep.5 [2/4] 1.09. Her proposal for Pat's date with Ink somehow includes her, as though it's normal for a guy's little sister to tag along 🤷‍♂️ (Ep.5 [2/4] 1.34). Pa is throwing herself into the mix with Ink and Pat, and on the rewatch we can now see that she herself is really into Ink, but isn't aware of it (just like her brother with Pran).

So when Pat's assignation with Ink at the Gram pancake café goes all awry, he's more than happy to leave Ink with Pa even though neither he nor Pa realize that it's actually he who's the extraneous third wheel on that date.

The first few times I watched Pat taking refuge in the music shop, it was hard to look past the bloopers though. When Pat and Pran reach for a guitar at the same time, whose hand is on top switches places in consecutive shots.

And given the open layout of the shop they must have seen each other before that happened (even if Pat were somewhat lost in his thoughts), so both of them darting out simultaneously for the guitar like that doesn't seem natural. It also doesn't read too convincingly to me that Pran is so standoffish (even if the guitars do provoke an uncontrollable fascination in him – we know that he was never blind to Pat's charms, and should have acknowledged his presence earlier).

But I think the hands on the guitar together is significant, in more ways than one – it's more than just a set-up to show how Pran's touch triggers Pat's awakening in the light of Pa's love guru dictum.

We know from Ep.3 [3I4] 2.20 that Pat doesn't play guitar. The guitar is Pran's thing – Pat knows this and identifies the instrument with Pran because he salvaged and kept Pran's guitar all those years ago. And looking at Pran's relationship with his guitar throughout BBS, but especially in Episodes 11 and 12, we can see that it is also a metaphor for his heart (while his relationship with his guitar and music also a metaphor for the LGBTQ+ experience growing up; see this write-up here for more explanation).

When Pat says "I wish I could play" in Ep.3 [3I4] – this shows more of his longing for Pran's heart, rather than just him wanting to take up another musical instrument. And when Pat reaches for the guitar he's actually reaching for Pran in his mind.

One of the themes in BBS that is shown to us (but is also underdeveloped I think) is how music binds Pat and Pran together. If Pran's guitar symbolizes his musical soul, on the rewatch I think it's possible to uncover a reading where Pat gets an equivalent metaphor too.

Way back at Ep.1 [1I4] 4.34 we saw Pat drumming happily in his room while pre-separation Pran was still in his life.

And when they re-established contact after Pran's exile, one of the first things they did together was jam in the music room at Ep.1 [2/4] 9.20, with Pat on the drums and Pran on guitar. Taking another look at that scene – while their previous encounter at the dustbins was fractious and confrontational, in the music room it looks like they're having a conversation and communicating. It's not the most beautiful dialogue, but they're talking with each other, while still maintaining their comforting competitive dynamic.

At Ep.6 [1I4] 10.06 Pat drums in frustration across their balconies trying to reach a closed-off Pran, while Pran making music on his guitar calls him over in Ep.12 [4/4] 9.15.

And Pat playing the ranat ek in Ep.8 [4/4] is able to call Pran back to him after their backstage argument through the power of emoting wordlessly through music alone. Pat playing the drums and the ranat ek is like Pran on his guitar – these are ways for them to express their inner selves and their truest emotions to each other.

But one feature of the drums and the ranat ek is that you can't just pick them up and play them like you can with a guitar. You need accessories to do so; without the right mallets for the ranat ek and drumsticks for the drums, they are unable to communicate their musicality to the audience.

The parallel for Pat is that he needs the right tools in order for the drumming of his emotions to be heard accurately and correctly.

It's significant that in Ep.4 [2/4] Pa had to deliver Pat's contact lenses to him at the photoshoot, blessing him with the gift of clearsightedness with regard to Ink and her camera (a metaphor for Ink and her romantic focus). This was BBS foreshadowing Pa delivering Pat's ranat ek mallets to him at Ep.7 [3I4] 1.38, and also why she says "Use a delivery service" at Ep.5 [2/4] 4.42 – it's a call-out to these instances when she delivers what Pat needs in order to connect correctly with (and also articulate) what he's feeling inside.

Just like the contact lenses clarified his vision at the photoshoot, and the ranat ek mallets helped Pat call Pran back to him after their argument behind the backdrop in Ep.8 [4/4], it was Pa's love guru advice that enabled Pat to recognize his love for Pran and eventually reach out with it.

So the drumsticks in the music shop are more than just an excuse to get Pat and Pran in the same locale for his romantic awakening. They actually symbolize Pat's experience in unlocking the communication of his true feelings, which is also why he's clutching those drumsticks so tightly as his long-buried but always abiding love for Pran finally bubbles up into his consciousness.

Anyway, when Pran tosses out a "Are you trying to bug me?" at Ep.5 [2/4] 7.44, he's fully expecting Pat to fall back into their game of sniping at each other again. But Pat then lives out the fourth bit of Pa's love mantras – "People who like you can’t be themselves around you" – and storms out all flustered instead. This is why Pran looks so confused at Ep.5 [2/4] 8.02, because Pat here is not the cheerfully competitive and engaging sunshine boy whom he knows so well.

The next two scenes that close off Ep.5 [2/4] show Pat coming to the realization that he's really in love with Pran (getting jealous over Wai's phone call and closeness with Pran's family), even as Pran paradoxically spirals further in the other direction, firmly believing that Ink and Pat are a couple now (when he recalls seeing them on their pancake date and crosses out all hope of Pat loving him back).

So Ep.5 [3I4] starts off with a scene showing Pat swirling and sinking ever deeper into his realization about his love for Pran, with the flashback to their songwriting process in high school.

Some minor observations on the flashback:

Both Ohm and Nanon are tall (6'1" and 6' respectively) and the production has been really smart when setting them up for their high school portrayals – the flashback scene is a good example. Their uniforms are always oversized so that the boys still look gangly and growing into them, with the short sleeves almost reaching their elbows. But it's also in the way they hold themselves too – Nanon is hunched over his guitar, and Ohm leans forward toward the camera. Their postures both work to foreshorten their tallness and at no point do they look like anything but teen schoolboys.

Pran was already deep in his crush for Pat here, and was feeling inspired to write a song describing their relationship, but doesn't tell Pat directly. The scene shows us that Pat still sees the connection, and jumps on it by saying "This is exactly our houses’ situation!" at Ep.5 [3I4] 1.32. But it also shows us clueless Pat ignoring (and maybe subconsciously accepting) the first part of what Pran said: "I'd like to compose something that conveys the sense of ‘born to be together’" (Ep.5 [3I4] 0.54), which is an echo of Pa's "I call this 'soulmates'" at Ep.1 [2/4] 2.40. It seems that Pat on some level knows that the two of them are deeply connected in a way that possibly transcends time.

When Pran says "born to be together", the background music that immediately starts is similar (though not the same) as that which plays behind their cross-balcony tin-can telephone scene at Ep.12 [4/4] 13.43, which shows PatPran closely bonded both as adults and as kids. Both are tinkling, unaccompanied piano motifs that emphasize the first three notes and dominant fifth note of the scale; in Ep.5 the motifs repeatedly descend while in Ep.12 the direction is upwards and uplifting. In connecting this scene with that one musically, it shows that their bond was maintained even in high school before Pran was sent away, and suggests a certain continuity and perhaps unbreakability too. As the scene is a flashback, we see Pat mulling over the significance of this bond and also the meaning behind what Pran was saying over his guitar all those years ago.

If Pran's totem is his guitar, and Pat's totem is his drumsticks – both are present in this scene (the drumsticks are on the picnic table), and suggest that the boys are speaking emotional truths from the heart to each other. Maybe this is why Pat signs off his name with a heart as well (see Ep.5 [3I4] 2.59), symbolizing his yet unrecognized love for Pran, and demands a half share (showing his emotional investment in the song, that he will only realize later and acknowledge on the rooftop in Ep.5 [4/4]).

Pat spells his name with an "h" after the "P" (Ep.5 [3I4] 2.58) and this is not technically wrong. The "P" in Pat's name is aspirated (with a puff of air, kind of like the way the British, Australians, Kiwis and South Africans pronounce the letter "p" when speaking English), and the spelling in his signature is in line with the Royal Thai General System of Transcription (RTGS) where an aspirated "p" sound is spelt "ph". The "P" in Pran's name is non-aspirated, and is closer to the way the letter "p" is pronounced in Malay/Indonesian, Tamil, Tagalog, French, Spanish and Italian (also corresponding to the sound of the letter "b" in hanyu pinyin). I suppose the production eventually went with spelling Pat's name minus the "h" to avoid it being pronounced like "Fat" (which is how "Phat" looks like it should be pronounced, to any monolingual English speakers).

When Pran displays a fascination for the words "wan wan" (หวั่น หวั่น) at Ep.5 [3I4] 2.03, he's actually describing his state of mind during his ongoing crush for Pat (see this write-up here for more explanation).

In response to Pat acknowledging that Ink sent zero romantic signals to him, of course Pa says "I would go on if I were you" – because if she were in his place her love guru advice would show results.

But when she tells Pat he should continue to court Ink, BBS plays with the food = love trope yet again. He doesn't say outright that he won't court Ink, but he refuses Pa's offer of khanom jeep (and we know by now that jeep is a homograph that can also mean "to court", besides referring to the Thai version of shaomai dumplings as well).

When she forces one on him, he takes it reluctantly but doesn't swallow, munching out his feelings pitifully (in an unconscious parallel with the way Pran was munching emotionally on plain bread at Ep.5 [2/4] 10.02) as he pines for his soulmate while trying to decode Pran's lyrics to the song they wrote together in high school.

Backstage before the Freshy Day Song Contest, we see that Pran is firm in his belief that InkPat are a couple when he says to Pat "Where is Ink?... She should be here supporting you" (Ep.5 [3I4] 5.50). This is BBS setting things up for Pran's retreat after their kiss on the rooftop at the end of Ep.5 [4/4]. And when Wai breaks up the conversation shortly after, the scene is also being set for the seeds of Pat's jealousy to grow before it erupts fully in the fight at the base of their student apartment building, also in Ep.5 [4/4].

When Pran begins singing though, the shared bond that he and Pat have over music finally breaks through and communicates with Pat what he'd been so blind to for so long, and that he'd only recently begun suspecting – that Pran actually loves him back. (For more info, Pat's POV is written up here.)

And then we see that any closeness that Pran demonstrates with Wai from this point on really begins to fan the flames of Pat's romantic envy (e.g., at Ep.5 [3I4] 13.40). Wai's gloating in the Flagpole Bar later just fuels this further.

So this episode just keeps hitting harder and heavier after starting out so light-hearted, until all the emotional pressure explodes in the conflagration between Pat, Pran and Wai beginning at Ep.5 [4/4] 2.21 – with drunken Pat's possessive yet needy "Come here" (มานี้ดิ, "ma ni di") to Pran.

For a breakdown of that powerful scene, see this write-up here.

As the dramatic tensions fall away after the fight scene, with a montage of Pat coming to grips with its aftermath, we are led to the rooftop for what looks set to be a denouement of all the emotional entanglements that had come before. But Bad Buddy is not letting us off the hook so easily – just as Pat is thinking post-Kiss that he'd found the answers to all his questioning in this episode, Pran breaks away and raises even more questions about their relationship. (For an examination of Pran's motivations, see this write-up here.)

When Pran runs, BBS is setting up our two boys to embark on their real journey – and it's not to find the love between them (because it already exists). Pat and Pran's real voyage of discovery in BBS (insofar as their relationship is concerned) is how to establish the ground rules for their unconventional couplehood (because the normal rules don't apply), and then to find a way for that couplehood to survive in a world bent on extinguishing it.

But the first step of course is for Pat to convince overthinker Pran that their love isn't the doomed impossibility he thinks it is.

I'm resisting the temptation to go into detail about the whole scene on the rooftop, partly because I could write reams on it and this essay has gone on far too long as it is. But I'm also refraining because the scene was so powerful that it has been lodged indelibly in everyone's consciousness, and it was so raw and real it can stand on its own, and doesn't need any analysis for its strength to be conveyed. OhmNanon really gave it their all, and it shows.

But I will say this – remembering that PatPran's relationship is an allegory also for the LGBTQ+ experience of love (but with the animosity toward it based on reasons other than homophobia), Pat needing to change Pran's mind after The Kiss is Bad Buddy reminding us that in a world hostile to queer love, we need to start with ourselves first and counter any naysaying voices in our heads with the confidence that LGBTQ+ love can not only survive opposition to its being, but that it is also worthy of defending, and that we deserve to have it thriving in our lives. And only then do we embark on finding a way to live out that love on terms of our own making – not terms set by those around us who just want to tear it down.

[Afterpost Edit: for notes on the rewatch of other episodes, see these links here: Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3 and Ep.4. 😊]

#BadBuddyRewatch #LONG post #bad buddy analysis #patpran #telomeke #bad buddy #bad buddy episode 5

[indiekidsau]

Chap. 10-Moving Pictures

Here it is! The long-awaited Bendy chapter! I originally planned this as Chapter 9, but I wanted to celebrate Basil’s birthday first. I know I’ve been releasing new characters left and right, but I want to introduce as many characters as I can before I can get into major story stuff. 

I know after the Bendy chapters I’m gonna take a break from introducing more characters and get some limelight on our other characters! Though I know who I’ll be introducing next after Bendy!

Thanks to @gigilefache for being my beta reader!

Hope you all enjoy it!

Art class was one of the most relaxing lessons for the kids. The lesson was run by Henry Stein, an artist and a pal of Vice Principal Joey Drew. He smiled seeing the kids painting and drawing together, enjoying art to its fullest.

Henry was an easy going guy. He wore a rusted gold jacket over a white shirt with a loose tie, black jeans, and black shoes. He had graying hair and his eyes looked like he hadn't slept in days even though he always said to his students he did. He was the type of art teacher who didn’t care how you drew or what style you went with. Henry respected all art styles, even anime.

Kel wasn’t much of an artist, but started to draw thanks to his friend Mincy; a young girl with black hair, who wore brown glasses, a gray jacket with darker gray stripes, a black hood, jeans, and brown shoes.

“So what are you drawing this week Mincy?” Kel asked.

“Well, after what you told me about Hat and Bow I figured I would draw something for them.” Mincy explained, her eyes not turning away from her drawing.

Kel carefully put down his paintbrush and looked at the drawing. It showed Hat and Bow on top of a hill looking at the stars and planets. Kel smiled as he looked at Hat Kid, who was also in their art class drawing away with some colored pencils. She and Bow have made the kids' lives a little bit brighter.

Henry glanced at the clock and saw it was five minutes before the bell was about to ring. “Alright class, your next lesson, or lunch depending on your schedule, is about to start soon!” He announced. The class did what they were told by putting their art away, and their supplies in their lockers before gathering their stuff and waiting for the bell to ring. Once it did, the kids walked to class or lunch.

Kel and Mincy made it to their history class and sat down at their seats while they waited for Mr. Prince to enter and start the lesson. Kel and Mincy took out their notebooks for their lessons until the latter noticed something missing from her backpack.

“Oh no!” Mincy exclaimed. Kel turned to his friend seeing her dig through her bag hoping she just misplaced it. 

“What’s wrong?” Kel asked.

“My sketchbook! I thought I put it in my bag, but I must've left it in Mr. Stein’s class.” Mincy yelled.

“Don’t worry I can run and grab it!” Kel replied. He got out of his seat and ran out of the classroom to get to Mr. Stein’s art room, however, Mr. Prince caught him running off and grabbed him by his shirt.

“Where are you going?” Mr. Prince asked.

“Mincy forgot her sketchbook so I’m going back to Mr. Stein’s class to grab it for her.” Kel explained. The warning bell reminded the kids that there was one more minute left before heading to class or they’ll be tardy. Kel sighed knowing he wouldn’t make it to the art classroom in time.

Mr. Prince smiled and led the boy back to class. Once back in class Kel went to his seat and put his head down. Mincy looked back at her friend and patted his back. “There’s always after class before you go to lunch.” She reminded him.

“Thanks.” Kel muffled from his seat. Once the final bell rang, Mr. Prince started the lesson for the day.

The bell to end classes rang, and Kel took this chance to book it and go straight to Mr. Stein’s art class. Luckily, everyone was to busy coming or going to lunch to notice Kel sneaking into Mr. Stein’s classroom. Good news, Mincy’s notebook was in the same place, and like a spy, Kel was low to the ground as he crawled his way and grabbed the notebook.

“Easy! Mincy is gonna be so happy!” Kel whispered. He was about to leave the classroom when he heard a voice.

“C’mon Henry, can we please join everyone for lunch?” A voice asked. Kel’s eyes widened, not recognizing the voice as any of his classmates. He took a small peek to see the silhouette of the art teacher as well as Vice Principal Drew, talking to someone in the art closet.

“I told you, no one can see you.” Henry told them. 

“Please, Henry!” The voice begged again.

While Henry was trying to convince the voice to stay put. Kel decides to look a bit closer and sees what looks like a cat talking with the art teacher.

“I’m sorry Bendy, but I’m not sure if anyone is ready to see you yet.” Henry told the figure named Bendy.

“Now, now Henry. He’s been cooped up in here long enough I’m sure he’s ready.” Joey told the art teacher.

Kel tried to get an even closer look, but he ended up bumping into a chair causing it to scratch along the floor. It caught the attention of the two adults, but before they could see who was watching them Kel had bolted out of the classroom.

In the lunchroom, everyone was enjoying lunch when Kel came rushing horrified and catching his breath. “What’s up with you Kel?” Aubrey asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I have.” Kel whimpered.

Aubrey and Micahel looked at each other, but both had different expressions over this whole thing. Aubrey didn’t believe this whole ghost in the school thing while Michael was planning an idea after hearing Kel mention the ghost in the school thing. “Care to explain before Michael gets too excited and comes up with something stupid.”

“Well, I went to get Mincy’s sketchbook. Then I heard Mr. Stein and Mr. Drew talking to someone named Bendy, and that’s it.” Kel explained.

“So it could be another kid at the school?” Aubrey replied.

“Yeah, but has there ever been a kid at this school named Bendy?” Kel asked.

“Maybe a relative? Plus if it was a ghost, how can Mr. Stein and Mr. Drew see them?”

Kel sighed and stared Aubrey straight in the eye. “They see dead people.” He whispered.

In a split second, Aubrey smacked Kel in the back of the head. “You're an idiot!” Aubrey yelled. Kel glared as he rubbed the back of his head. “I can think of hundreds of theories and none of those is the school being haunted.” 

“Well, I’m willing to see this ghost.” Michael said.

Aubrey groaned. “Look there is no ghost!” She yelled.

“What’s this about a ghost?” Mincy asked as she passed by the lunch table.

“Oh, Mincy!” Kel exclaimed. Quickly he saw her sketchbook and held it out for her. “I found your sketchbook! Safe and sound.”

Mincy smiled and put her lunch down, grabbing her sketchbook and hugging it tight. “Thanks, Kel!” She beamed hugging her friend tight. Kel chuckled in reply. Mincy let go and left the lunch room to go draw, forgetting about the ghost Kel mentioned.

“Okay, after school let’s check and look for this ghost.” Michael suggested.

“Michael there is no ghost.” Aubrey repeated.

“That’s why I said look. We went to the art room, took a look and if there’s no ghost then you're the hero of the day Aubrey.” Michael explained as he teased Aubrey.

Aubrey glared ready to smack Michael in the back of the head. The latter gave a smirk testing Aubrey, which proved her point as she smacked him in the back of the head too. “You two are idiots.” She grumbled. “But,” She continued with a sigh, “I’ll take a look too.”

Kel sighed as well and smiled. “Great!” He beamed. Kel didn’t know why he was excited. Maybe it was for the fact he, Aubrey, and the rest of their friends would do Ghost Hunts when they were kids. This brought back memories for him.

By the time school ended Aubrey and Michael followed Kel into the art room. On their way there they stopped seeing Audrey go into the art room. “What is Miss. Drew doing?” Kel asked.

“Maybe she’s gonna see Mr. Stein or her dad.” Aubrey guessed. “Remember, Mr. Drew is the father of Miss. Drew.” 

The three kept walking and looked through the window of the art room. From the other side of the room, the strong smell of ink lingered in the hallway. “Man I didn’t know ink could smell that strong!” Kel complained, keeping a low whisper.

Michael sushed the taller boy as they kept looking at Audrey as she talked to a figure in the corner. The shadow of it showed two horns.

“See no ghost!” Aubrey mentioned.

Michael got a closer look and glanced at Aubrey. “Yeah, but do kids have horns? We don’t have a ghost, we have a monster in the school!” He yelled.

The trio saw Audrey look through the window, which quickly made the three dash out of the classroom and out of the school. Once the three were out of there they caught their breath.

“Now do you believe me?” Kel asked.

“For the ghost thing…” Aubrey paused so she could continue to catch her breath. “I still don’t believe it, but with the wacky shit at this school. I can believe that!” She yelled.

“You know what this means?” Michael asked, making Aubrey and Kel look up at their friend. “We could do a monster hunt! Tonight!” He beamed.

Aubrey’s eyes widened as she turned towards the boy. “Oh no! We are not sneaking into the school again!” She yelled.

“Oh yes, we are!” Michael chuckled. “This time we are not gonna steal test answers, but gonna go on a monster hunt!” He beamed.

“You're an idiot, Michael.” Aubrey groaned, slamming her hand into her face.

The trio waited until sunset before coming back to the school. This time equipped with flashlights and Michael brought his video camera in hopes to capture the monster on tape and make a profit out of it.

Along on their journey joined Hat, Bow, and Basil who was dragged into this by Michael. The latter did ask if his siblings could come along, but they refused before Michael could explain more of the plan.

Aubrey thought bringing Basil and two little girls to this was crazy, but was surprised that Hat and Bow were excited to go.

“I can’t wait to tackle the monster!” Hat Kid beamed as she swung her umbrella.

“A-are you sure you should be doing this? Your father will kill us!” Basil yelled.

Michael scoffed. “He won’t!” He replied. “As long as we stay quiet, and get footage my dad won’t harm us.” If he kept his eyes on Basil, the latter whispered something under his breath. Michael did hear whispers, but couldn’t make out what he just said. Michael then used his sister’s bobby pin to unlock the door and let the group in.

Once inside the school, Micahel turned on his camera and Kel and Aubrey turned on their flashlights as they walked inside the school. “Alright gang, let’s hunt for this monster.” He said taking the first steps inside the dark and quiet school.

The school felt different at night. It was quiet and dark, and every corner felt like someone or something was watching you. Basil flinched every time they stumbled upon a corner. “S-so-w-where is this monster?” Basil asked, stuttering.

“It’s in the art room.” Michael replied.

Basil slowly nodded. “Okay, you guys go into the art room, while I stand outside to be safe.” He replied.

“Alright, but if the monster gets you first don’t come crying to us.” Michael replied. Basil whimpered as he slowly followed the group. Aubrey linked her arms to Basil’s in hopes to calm him down. It made the nervous flower boy smile seeing his best friend help calm his nerves.

“Hey Hat. Promise me you're not gonna fight this thing like previous monsters?” Bow Kid begged.

“Ha!” Hat Kid laughed loudly. “Bow you should know me by now! I'm not scared to fight some monster!” She yelled. Soon she was shushed by everyone.

“Don’t let it hear you.” Kel whispered.

A loud bang was heard from the art room causing Bow and Basil to yelp and hug each other in fear.

“Too late. It did.” Michael said. The group paused to see they were just inches away from the art room. It felt different for the trio to approach the room as it was night time and whatever they saw in there would have escaped and was hiding in the shadows. “So who’s going in first?” He asked.

“Well,” Basil gulped before speaking up. “Kel was the one who noticed it first he should go in.”

“I agree to that.” Aubrey replied. She then used her bat and pushed Kel to the door as everyone stood behind. Kel turned to his friends as Michael and Hat Kid gave him a thumbs up for luck. 

Chuckling nervously Kel slowly opened the door and was ready for whatever they were gonna face. Once Kel opened the door wide open he was surprised not to see a looming monster. Just an empty dark classroom.

“Okay, keep your guard up. The monster can strike at any time.” Michael said. Basil and Bow Kid whimpered as they held onto each other with Michael behind them using his camera to scan the art room. The ink still scented the room knowing the monster was around.

Soon a low growl shook the room causing Basil, Bow, and Kel to hug Aubrey for comfort. “What…are you…doing here?” The monster growled.

Michael turned to the group and shushed them. “Keep quiet.” He whispered.

“I can smell your fear.” The monster growled. “No need to go quiet.” Soon footsteps were heard as the group looked around for the monster.

“Alright, stop with the jokes Mr. Afton! You scared us good!” Aubrey yelled.

Michael’s eyes widened seeing something horrifying. “Uh Aubrey, if this was my dad, that door wouldn’t be turning into ink,” He yelled.

Aubrey was confused until she faced the door to see a spiral ink portal and something, or rather someone, coming out of it. The group started freaking out seeing the figure slowly coming out from the ink.

“You fools, you dare disturb me?” The monster roared. The group whimpered as they backed into the wall as the creature’s horns and feet appeared. “Well, prepare to fear, Bendy the Ink Demon!” Soon a small black and white cartoon imp came from the ink door.

The group opened their eyes in shock seeing that their “monster” was just a harmless imp. “Wait, THAT'S the monster?” Michael asked.

“Yep!” Bendy replied. “So do you fear me now?” He asked.

Bow Kid looked closer, her eyes widened as she blushed seeing how cute Bendy was. “Oi me Cutie!” Bow exclaimed in her alien language as she ran and scooped Bendy into her arms. “You're so cute! Aren’t you? Aren’t you?” She said in a gushing baby voice.

“No, I’m not cute!” Bendy yelled. “Alice! Boris! Help me!” He yelled just as soon as Bow started to nuzzle the demon.

The rest of the group stared in disbelief seeing Bow just cuddle and nuzzle the demon like it was a pet cat. 

“Don’t worry buddy I’m coming!” A deep voice yelled. The group turned back at the door and soon they heard another voice that followed suit.

“Wait Boris no!” A female voice shouted and two other toons came out from the door and fell to the ground. The toons in question were a black and white wolf wearing overalls, and a black and white Angel with horns and a halo.

“There’s more of them!” Aubrey yelled.

Soon footsteps came running across the hallway and quickly opened the door. “What’s going on?” Henry shouted. He then groaned seeing the kids inside the art room. “And how did you guys get into the school?” He asked again.

“Uh…” The kids all stuttered.

“Henry! Henry! What’s going on?” Joey asked, running into the art room. He then saw Bendy, Boris, and Alice as well as Michael and the gang all together in one room. Joey just let out a chuckle. “Well guess the cat’s outta the bag!” Henry sighed seeing none of this as a joke.

“Mr. Stein, Mr. Drew, could you explain what’s going on!?” Aubrey asked.

Henry sighed. “Alright. Alright. I’ll tell you.” He said. “So many years ago, Joey…” the second Henry said his name Joey let out a bright big smile. “Somehow brought my creations, Bendy, Boris, and Alice to life.” The second he said the toon's names, Boris and Alice did a little bow.

Kel and Michael had to think of how they were born, but before they went too far, Hat Kid quickly spoke up. “So they were just born like how everyone is born or…”

“Well with just a pencil and a dream, and a whole lot of ink,” he stated before mumbling, “from an ink machine.” 

“What?” Aubrey asked.

Joey ignored the girl and continued. “I was able to bring this lovely trio to life!”

“Like this bundle of joy?” Bow asked as she continued to nuzzle the ink imp.

“Henry! Joey! Help me!” Bendy called out.

Henry and Joey chuckled seeing how cute this was; Bendy was being treated like a plushy as Bow continued to cuddle and snuggle him. Bendy glared seeing he didn’t take this as funny. Henry stopped laughing and cleared his throat. “Uh… Bow could you put Bendy down?” He asked.

Bow Kid smiled and put Bendy down but not before giving him a head pat. The imp sighed as he brushed himself off. “Thank you! Now that I’ve been discovered, could I please be enrolled in the school!”

Henry sighed. “Bendy we talked about this. I can’t have you enrolled here.” He told the little ink imp.

“Why not Mr. Stein?” Kel asked. “I mean we have Cuphead and Mugman in the school, why can’t Bendy be enrolled?”

“Because,” Alice spoke up. “We’re different from them. Like we weren’t born by regular means.”

“So you're just gonna hide and live in the school for the rest of your days?” Hat Kid asked.

“Yep!” The ink trio said at the same time, though Bendy sounded not impressed.

Hat Kid frowned, feeling bad for the three as she looked up at the art teacher. “Mr. Stein, could you please give Bendy and his friends a chance?” She begged.

“Please!” Bow spoke up. “I wanna be best friends with Bendy!” Her eyes then grew big, which made Joey clench his heart.

“Oh Henry can’t you say no to that face?” Joey asked, pointing at Bow.

Henry tried to be strong and stick to his word, but he couldn’t handle the cuteness. With that he let out a sigh, giving up. “Fine.”

Bendy gasped with a big smile. “Really?”

“Yes, you three can go to school here.” Henry said.

Bendy cheered as he hugged Boris and Alice excitedly going to school. “Did you hear that guys? We’re in!” Bendy cheered.

Henry let out a soft chuckle seeing the little demon happy. Once Henry took a good look at the time he knew the celebration could wait till tomorrow. “Alright before Mr. Afton could see that we all should go home and sleep.” Henry said.

“Oh right!” Joey realized. He then cleared his throat and went serious. “Okay, kids! Get out of here! I hope to see you all bright and early.” He said. The kids complied and went out of the school building and went their separate ways home.

Not long after, Henry, Joey, and the Ink Trio followed and went home as well. Bendy was constantly talking about how excited he’d be about going to school and making new friends. The more he talked about it the more Boris and Alice smiled at the thought of going to school.

Once everyone left, the camera that faced the art room manually shut off.

#indie kids #omori #kel omori #aubrey omori #basil omori #mincy omori #fnaf #michael afton #ahit #hat kid #bow kid #batim #bendy batim #boris the wolf #alice angel #henry stein #joey drew

[kook-ssi]

jungkook ♡ run bts episode 143

#jungkook #bts #dailybts #dailybangtan #btsgif #jungkookedit #dailybusans #bts jungkook #run bts #jungkooksource #mine #mygifs #*run #*jungkook #loml he looks so BEAUTIFUL #can't believe i actually manifested a whole episode with blueberry koo #my most beloved <333333 #also he looks so much like an art student here striped shirt and all

[hoodharlow]

Mine

AN: bc this bitch can’t give me a minute to get my fics done, y’all are getting this instead of the workout!cal from the other day. Thank you to @cherryxwildflower for helping me with my scene, ilysm Mede 🥰🥰🥰Also pic from @calmfolklore​  💕💕💕

requested? By my coochie

Warnings: jealous!Cal, smut, use of possessive language during sex, kinda rough sex???

Word Count: 2.2k words

Calum watched Claudia struggle carrying her bookbag, backpack, purse and lunch bag when she exited the middle school. It wasn’t much, but in 86℉ weather it was. He chuckled to himself as she still kept a bright smile as she passed her students. He got out and helped her with her things. 

“Why am I doing this again?” She huffed when she sat in the cool car.

“For the kids.” Calum said, starting the car.

“Fuck them kids.” She grumbled. 

She climbed to the backseat and rummaged through one of Calum’s duffle bags that he kept in the car for when he stayed in the studio and needed to change clothes. She grabbed his red and black striped jersey and took off the dress she wore. She also grabbed a pair of Vans she had and swapped out of her sandals. She fell off the seat as Calun did a sharp U-turn. 

“Dude what the fuck!” Claudia cursed from the floor.

“Sorry, I forgot the ice cream shop you like is on the other side.” He said.

Claudia pushed herself up and got back in the front seat. She clicked her seatbelt as Calum pulled up at the front of the shop. 

“I’m going to find a spot. Can you wait in line for us?” 

“Yeah,” she said. Claudia leaned over and gave him a kiss. 

She grabbed her wallet from her bag and hopped off the car, pulling down her biker shorts. She pulled her hair into a bun and entered the shop. She took her spot at the very back of the line. Claudia looked out the window and saw Calum’s car drive around the corner. She pulled out her phone to text him that he should stay in his car and wait for her to send him another text to come get her since there was a long line. Mid text she felt someone tap her shoulder. 

“Miss. Santos, what brings you here?” It was Christian Rosas. 

He was one of her co-workers at the middle school. He graduated from UCLA last year where he got his Master of Arts in Teaching for mathematics. Claudia met him on her first day when she went into the wrong wing. 

“Hi Mr. Rosas.” She said. Calling each other by their last name was their inside joke because one of the other teachers claimed it was unprofessional to call each other by their first names.

They slowly fell into conversation about school and how the heat is getting to the students. Claudia’s message to Calum was long forgotten until she saw him enter the shop. He approached her.

“I was gonna text you but I ran into Christian.” Claudia said, reaching for his hand. She turned to Christian. “This is my boyfriend Calum and this is Christian. He’s one of the other teachers that works with me.”

“Nice to meet you.” Calum said politely. 

He extended his hand out to shake Claudia’s co-worker, but he dropped it when the guy left him hanging. He was iced out by the guy. He took all of her attention while he trailed behind them. If someone saw them they would think that the guy and Claudia were dating and not Calum and her. She was too busy talking to the guy that he ended up ordering. He stood off to the side and read over the band’s group chat.

"Are you in grad school too?" The guy asked Calum.

"No." He said, looking up from his phone.

"So you're done with school?" He pressed.

"No, I didn't go to college." Calum said curtly. 

"Oh." 

Calum knew that tone and it made him feel inferior. Like his success wasn’t equivalent to someone who got an education. Even more when it was said in front of Claudia. It always made him feel less intelligent when someone pointed out that she has a college education and he doesn’t. Like he doesn't deserve someone like her. 

He focused on his phone and barely heard Claudia tell the guy that he’s a successful musician. He didn’t hear what the guy said, but he could tell it wasn’t good from the face Claudia made. Luckily their order was ready. 

Claudia handed Calum the box of paletas while she took her nieve flotante de limon and Calum’s diablito. She ignored Christian when he bid her goodbye.  

The pair quietly entered the car and were on their way home. Fortunately there wasn’t traffic and they made it home in less than half an hour. Calum angrily entered the house, placed the paletas in the freezer and locked himself in his home studio. Claudia awkwardly stood outside of his home studio and knocked. 

“I have your ice cream.” She said, offering him his diablito when he opened the door.

“Thanks.” he said, taking it. “I’m going to work for a bit. Then I’ll order some dinner.”

“Okay.” She nodded. “Listen Cal, what Christian said about—”

“I have some work to do.”

***

The next few hours were silent. Calum was still in his home studio. Claudia heard him playing his bass. It wasn’t actual music, it was more of him just taking his anger out on the bass. She knew Christian’s comment upset him thus upsetting her. 

No one has the right to diminish Calum’s success to nothing. She’s seen him work hard for almost two years. He’s one of the most successful people she’s ever met. She admired him for his determination and drive. Hearing her co-worker say that being a musician isn’t going to take him far pissed her off. 

She finished her grading and went upstairs to shower. She emerged from the bathroom, refreshed and with her mind somewhat at ease. She grabbed a pair of black lace panties from her drawer and pushed the sliding door of their walk-in closet open. She looked through some hangers with some of Calum’s t-shirts and tugged one off. It was black with a skeleton dunking around a circle of fire. 

She sniffed into the collar, surprised that it didn’t smell like him. She went to a small shelf where he had all of his colognes and spritzed her favorite one all over the shirt. 

Claudia skipped down stairs and settled in the living room. Duke crawled to her chest and curled up on her. They both decided to watch 102 Dalmatians. They were at the part when Spot flew away with a puppet in balloons when she decided to get a paleta.

Calum emerged from his home studio and stood in the kitchen in nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants. 

“I’m gonna order. Do you have— Is that my shirt?” Calum said, cutting himself off. 

“Duh,” she said before sucking down her paleta. “I found it in the closet.” 

“Don’t you have your own clothes to wear?” He snapped, taking a few steps to her. 

“You’re kidding me right?” She scoffed sarcastically. “Is this really coming from the guy who begs me to wear his clothes? Since when is me wearing your clothes such a big deal?”

“Claudia, I just bought it. I haven’t even worn it.” He argued. His hand tugged the bottom of the shirt, pulling her to him. “That’s my shirt. Mine.”

Claudia swallowed hard. It was rare for Calum to use that tone on her. She can count the times he's used it in one hand, but nonetheless it left her dripping with desire. She met his gaze and smiled sweetly at him.

“Then take it off me.”

Calum towered over her and took her paleta, tossing it in the sink. Before she could make a comment, he grabbed her face and kissed her. They moaned into each other’s mouths, tasting the sweet chile and chamoy on their tongues. Without breaking their kiss, he grabbed the back of her thighs and picked her up, sitting her on the counter. 

He slowly pushed the t-shirt up her body, kissing up her body. Claudia wordlessly lifted her hands up as he continued to slowly remove the shirt. He swiftly tugged it off and took a step back to drop his sweats. He reached for Claudia’s panties and pulled them down her legs. 

They resumed their kissing. Calum pressed his hips into hers. Claudia let out a soft gasp of pleasure. He pulled away and thrusted into her once again, earning louder sounds from her. 

He stroked his length a few times then coated himself with Claudia’s arousal. He placed one of her legs over his shoulder and slid into her. 

Claudia nails dig into Calum’s biceps as he pounded into her. He took her rough and possessively. She knew Calum was in a mood where he just needed her to know she was his and only his. And she let him. She didn't mind it. She knew he needed some quick way to distract himself with whatever was on his mind.  

He snapped his hips, burying himself deep into her with every thrust. It didn’t take long for Claudia to come. She chanted his name and wrapped her legs tighter around him, wanting to feel all of him. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

“Can you take another?” Calum asked her. 

“Yeah.” she nodded, breathless.

Calum pulled out of her and carried her to the couch. He laid her down and patted the couch 

“Hands and knees.”   

Claudia nodded and knelt in front of one of the arm chairs. She felt his hand on her back, gently pushing her over the armrest. He leaned forward and kissed up her neck.

“This is to remind you you're mine.” He whispered in her ear. “Ready?”

Claudia nodded eagerly. She looked over her shoulder and pulled him into a kiss. Without breaking their kiss, she turned her whole body so she was laying down.  Before she did anything else, he grabbed her and draped over the armrest like she was seconds ago. He shoved himself in one satisfying thrust.  

Calum pulled out and pushed himself in her once more. His hands gripped her waist as he slowly rocked into her. He twisted his shirt around his hand, using it so Claudia could stay up right. As the minutes passed, his thrusts got rougher, and Claudia couldn’t hold back. She begged Calum to keep fucking her at that deliciously slow and rough pace she loved. He leaned over his chest against her back. 

“Fuck.” Calum moaned out.

His lips kissed all over her neck as he continued to fuck Claudia. She rocked back against him, meeting his thrusts.

“That’s it, take me so good, pretty girl.” He groaned in her ear. Calum shifted his hips as he thrusted into her. The new angle he was fucking her made her beg for him. 

“Tell me I’m yours, Cal.” She moaned. “Please, fuck—” 

“Shit.” He groaned. 

“Cal, please tell me.” She cried

“You’re mine, Claudia. Is that what you want to hear? You’re mine.”

“Yes!” she nodded.

She pushed back rougher to meet his thrusts. He gripped her hips with one hand while the other went back down to her clit. Calum worked his fingers roughly as he pushed his hips into Claudia. 

He buried his face in her neck, kissing her sweet spot. She quietly whimpered his name, lazily meeting his thrusts before her orgasm took over. Calum’s orgasm followed soon after. He cried her name and pushed himself deep inside Claudia, spilling every last drop in her.

“I love you so much, Claudia.” Calum mumbled against her lips. 

“I love you too,” Claudia giggled, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. 

Calum grabbed a blanket from behind the couch and covered them. They laid in silence, exhausted. Claudia ran her fingers over his blonde curls. 

“Were you upset with what Christian said?” She asked him quietly. 

“No.” He said, sitting up. “If I’m being honest, I think I was just jealous of him. Not because of his looks or whatever, seeing you laugh at your inside jokes made me feel left out. Then I got over it because I’m the one who gets to hear you come undone… What did he say?”

Claudia rolled her eyes. “He thinks you’re just starting out in music and implied that you’re not going to make it. Like, hello, you’re Calum-fucking-Hood. You have four albums out and working on your fifth one. You have tons of hits and you tour around the world playing sold out shows.”

“He kinda has a point. I mean, he has a degree and I don’t. What if something happens to the band, and I can’t make more music and tour? I would be fucked because I don’t have a degree or whatever to fall back on. Then I wouldn’t have money to support us.” He shrugged.

“I mean yeah, but that doesn’t matter to me.” She said. “If shit hits the fan then we can just open a dispensary and I’ll bake edibles.”

“You’re right,” he chuckled. He got up from the couch. “I gotta do something real quick.”

Claudia gave him a confused face as he went to the kitchen and grabbed the shirt and his sweatpants. She trailed behind him and slipped on her panties. She got even more confused when he stopped out on the patio and started taking selfies. She watched him grab his bucket hat off the table and snapped a few more pictures. After he typed on his phone and took off the shirt. He went inside and handed her his shirt.

“Here you go,” he said, kissing her head. He leaned down and whispered, “tonight you’re riding me with this on.” 

Taglist: @aquarius-hood1996 @suchalonelysunflower @f-mu @another-lonely-heart @sunshinebabycal-deactivated2021   @calumscalm @karajaynetoday @cherryxwildflower @ashtonsunflower  @idontneedanyone @findingliam-o @5-secondsofcolor @mulletcal @polycashton @fckingpernico @2fangirl4u @calpops

Special Guest: @nowherebound @wastelandcth

#calum hood smut #calum hood fluff #calum hood one shot #calum hood imagine #calum hood blurb #calum hood fanfic #calum hood series #calum hood oneshot #calum hood fanfiction #calum hood #calum hood imagines #calum hood fan fiction #El Novio series

[midnightstar-90]

Live Laugh Love ~ Pilot

Masterlist | Taglist | Request

Georgie Cooper x Reader

Summary: 9-year-old Sheldon Cooper learns that having a brilliant mind doesn't always help growing up in Texas.

Warning: None

A/N: I wrote 2,587 words! I loved being able to bring my creations to life. I hope to do more in the future.

Y/N and Georgie are in Georgie's room when Mary calls the two teens down for dinner. They head down the stairs and into the kitchen. As they sit down in their chairs, right next to each other, they hear Mary yells towards the garage, "Shelly, dinner's ready!" Mary starts serving the table as we wait for Sheldon. George yells out to Sheldon after a couple of minutes, "Sheldon! Don't make me come in there!" Y/N and Georgie sit there engaging in a hushed conversation about the movie they watched together earlier that week. Missy soon gets tired of waiting for Sheldon, and yells to Sheldon, "Sheldon, if you don't get in here, I'm gonna lick your toothbrush while you're sleeping!" Sheldon quickly responds with, "Coming" before rushing into the house to eat.

Sheldon enters the house, and he quickly sits down with the rest of his family, who are all sitting around the table. George waits for the boy to sit down before saying, "What the hell were you doing in there?" Mary calls George's name with a calm yet angry voice. George notices and responds with, "What?" Mary gets onto George for his language. "What language?" George asks Mary before turning to Sheldon, "So?" "I was having fun with dimensional kinematics", Sheldon says responding to his father. Hearing this, Y/N and Georgie look at each other and roll their eyes.

"Just at admit it, he's adopted," Georgie says to his parents after turning his attention away from his food. Sheldon turns to Georgie and says, "How could I be adopted when I have a twin sister? Think monkey, Think." Y/N chuckles at Sheldon's insult towards Georgie. Georgie gives Y/N a glare. Mary breaks the fight between the boys by telling them that no one was adopted, but Y/N. Mary realizes what she says and sadly looks at Y/N. Y/N just shrugs and goes back to listening to the people she called family. Y/N was sad about the reminder of the situation that occurred when 11 years ago but didn't let the comment affect her.

"I wish I was.", Missy comments under her breath. "That can still be arranged.", Mary tells Missy before telling the family that it is time to pray. George expresses his irritation with a groan, causing Mary to give George a very stern look. Right before the family starts to pray, Sheldon puts on a pair of mittens. George groans again which makes Y/N chuckle. "Leave him be," Mary says defending her youngest son. George argues, "He can hold hands with his family, it won't kill him."  "We don't know that." Sheldon says before looking at Georgie and asks, "Did you wash your hands before dinner?" "Shut up," says Georgie defensively. Y/N finally speaks up, "Hey, I have to hold his hand to pray every night, whether his hands are washed or not." Georgie glares at Y/N again, and Y/N and Missy laugh and high-five each other under the table. "I hold his hand Y/N, hence the mittens." Y/N playfully rolls her eyes at the comment. The family holds their hands together and prays.

After prayer, Sheldon takes off his mittens and starts eating with the family. Mary asked everyone at the table if they were excited to start school on Monday. Sheldon is the first to respond with an "I am". Missy then responds to Mary's question with an "I guess so". Y/N is third to respond with, "I guess. The only thing I like is hanging out with Georgie and the fact that I am in Art this year". Ever since Y/N moved into Cooper's household, Mary noticed that the one thing Y/N loved more than hanging out with Georgie was how creative she was. At church, Y/N would sing like angel. When Y/N thought Mary wasn't looking she would dance her heart out. Y/N also had a sketchbook full of really cool art and a notebook full of wonderful poems and stories. Mary knew Y/N was gonna have a successful life, and she hoped and prayed that Georgie wouldn't mess it up for her.

Georgie was not happy about starting school. "How can I be excited when he's gonna be there?!" Georgie complains. Sheldon boasts, "Don't worry, I won't be in the ninth grade for very long". George tries to help Georgie by saying, "Never mind him, you and Y/N just focus on your practice". Georgie is on the football team and Y/N is on the cheer squad. "How am I supposed to do that when he's in the same grade as me?" "Just ignore him. At least you'll have me there, except for 5th period. I have art" Y/N reassures her best friend.

"All I know is he's not in the same grade as me anymore, and I am thrilled," Missy says before getting a kick in the leg and glare from Y/N. Sheldon sarcastically says, "Good luck with your finger painting."Missy responds with, "You're gonna get your ass kicked in high school". Mary yells at Missy about her language. Sheldon says, "I'm not going to be assaulted- high school is a haven for higher learning". Y/N and George both respond with a quiet, "oh, dear God".

"Speaking of God, who's going to church with me tomorrow?" Mary asked. George says he can't make it because he has to meet with the other coaches. Mary asks if they could meet after church which George responds with a, "no, we can not meet after church". There is an awkward pause before Mary asks Georgie. Georgie tells his mother, "I have to study my playbook." before looking to his father for approval. George nods at his son, while Y/N looks down at her food with a sad expression, wishing that Georgie would have gone with them. "I have to practice my cheer performance, but I can do that after church. It would be nice to go back," Y/N tells her godmother, which puts a big smile on Mary's face and a frown on Georgie's. Sheldon also decides to go with Mary. Y/N's face grew a wide smile hearing that Sheldon was going. "Oh! Cheer practice can wait! Sheldon at church will be more fun than any cheer performance! I can just see it now. Sheldon and science versus Pastor Jeff and God." Y/N jokingly says while laughing. Missy brings the conversation back to Sheldon by asking why he's going to church when he doesn't even like church. "No, but I believe in mom," Sheldon said putting a big smile on Mary's face.

When Mary asked Missy if she was going, Missy tried to get out of it, but as I said she tried. "Son of a bitch.", Missy says under her breath. Mary flicks Missy's head and Georgie laughs. George smacks Georgie's head and Y/N laughs.

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Y/N's Pov

Mary, Sheldon, Missy, and I were all in our church clothing, sitting in a pew. The church was full. Everyone except for Sheldon sang Onward Christian Soldiers. Sheldon whispers something to Mary, that I couldn't hear.

Pastor Jeff starts the sermon and Sheldon is still asking Mary questions. "Do you have evil thoughts?" Sheldon whispers to his mother. Mary shh's him but he still keeps going, "I just don't think this part applies to me". "That's fine, be quiet and listen," Sheldon says something else about puberty, causing an older woman to turn towards the boy and his mother. When the woman turns back toward the Pastor, Sheldon asked Missy and me if we had evil thoughts. I respond with a "Not really" but Missy said the opposite, " I'm having one right now". When Sheldon asks what it was, Missy said that she was going to kick him where the sun doesn't shine when we got home. Sheldon tells missy that his balls haven't dropped yet and then asked his mom when his balls would drop. The older lady turns back towards the family and Mary threatens the woman.

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

We get back from church and Sheldon instantly goes for the student handbook. I pass Mary and Sheldon to go change. I go into Georgie's room after I change. Georgie is in his normal wear, a t-shirt, and jeans, reading his 'Sports Illustrated' magazine. "You know you have no chance with any of those girls in that magazine, right", I say leaning against Georgie's door frame. Georgie instantly looks up at me and says, "You look good. Maybe more than those girls in my magazine." I'm wearing a black jean skirt, with a nirvana shirt tucked in and a black and white striped long sleeve shirt under it.

Georgie and I laugh at his comment and walk over to his bed. "So, how was church?" Georgie asked while going back to reading his magazine. "It was ok. Your mom almost beat up an old lady for calling Sheldon weird, after he talked about his balls dropping. Other than that, it was like any regular church day." I tell Georgie. "So!", Getting Georgie's attention, "How was your playbook?" I ask Georgie knowing he was lying. Georgie looks at me then back at his magazine. "You know that was not the main reason I didn't go to church. I'm not as invested in church as much as you are, so don't give me that look." Georgie says knowing I was going to get onto him for lying to his mother. I dropped that conversation, and we went downstairs to watch tv and talk.

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

When I get downstairs, I see George and Georgie talking, so I walk over to them. On my way there, Mary stops me and asked me if I've to saw Sheldon's bowtie. I shake my head no and continue walking. When I get to the table where the boys are talking, they are talking about football. Mary comes up and asks if the boys have seen Sheldon's bowtie. George tells Mary, "Leave it alone Mary, he doesn't need a damn bowtie." Mary argues back, "It's his first day of school, let him wear what he wants." Sheldon yells down the stairs that he still can't find his bowtie. "Oh dear lord, why's he gotta wear a bowtie?" Mary says walking away.

"Can Y/N and I ride in with you", Georgie asked his father. I sit there eating my breakfast quietly, before looking up when hearing my name. George contemplates the situation, then says "sure". "Everybody's gonna know he's your brother. You can't hide. It's gonna be awful for you." I didn't even know Missy was at the table before she said something. "Tell her to shut up." Georgie defensively tells his father. Georgie tells his son, "She's not wrong" earning a light slap on the arm from me. George mumbles sorry and goes back to his coffee.

We're all eating when Mary storms into the kitchen. "George Junior, give me back that bowtie right now!" She yells. "I didn't take it!" "Don't you lie to me!" "I'm not lying!" "We'll see about that!" The pair go back and forth. When Mary walks back upstairs, he yells for his mother to stay out of his room. Missy smiles and says, "She's gonna find your dirty magazines." "Shut up." "You are not having a good day." I shake my head at Georgie, agreeing with Missy.

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

Georgie and I are sitting in homeroom when we see Sheldon walk in. Sheldon calls out, "My father's a football coach, my adoptive sister's a cheerleader, and my brother's a football player!" When Sheldon sees us he yells out, "Oh, 2/3 of them are over there! Hi, Y/N! Hi, Georgie!" Georgie and I put our heads down in embarrassment.

Ms. Macelroy introduces herself and the class. She makes a joke about having some of our family members in her class, which causes a few students to chuckle. She introduces Sheldon and Sheldon raises his hand. When the teacher calls on Sheldon, we hear Sheldon tell Ms. Macelroy who is breaking the dress code. Georgie and I sink in our chair lower and lower as Sheldon keeps talking. She dismisses Sheldon, but he puts his hand up again. Sheldon tells his teacher that she is also breaking the dress code because she has a mustache. Georgie and I sink as low as we can in our chair while the rest of the class laughs.

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

Georgie and I are on the football field but on opposite sides. I am with the cheerleaders practicing my moves, and Georgie is with the football players practicing blocking drills. I knew Georgie was having a hard time with starting school with his younger brother, so I kept my eye on him. When I see the fight between him and Albert Stinson, I excuse myself from my squad and follow Georgie to the boy's locker room.

I walk in to see Georgie angrily tearing off his equipment. When he accidentally throws something at me, I quickly dodge it. "You know, if you threw like that on the football field this year, we would win playoffs for sure," I say jokingly getting Georgies attention. "What are you doing here? This is the boy's locker room." "I don't care if the whole team was in here naked, I would do anything to help my best friend when he is down." Georgie sits down next to me. George is watching the whole thing play out. "Do you remember when I was 5, and I missed my parents so much that I had that tantrum?" Georgie nods his head. "You were there for me when I needed you, now it's my time. I've seen how upset Sheldon going to school with us has made you. You have held in your emotions for too long. I know you get jealous when Sheldon gets special treatment. I want you to know that you are not the only one. Missy and I feel that way sometimes, but I have you. I don't need anyone to but you to make me feel special. I guess what I am saying is..." Georgie looks up at me, and I take Georgie into a side hug, "When you feel emotional don't take it out on your team. You have me. Talk to me. We are always together and I don't want to see you tear your life apart over something stupid like going to school with Sheldon."

George comes from behind the locker and tells me to go back to practice. I let go of Georgie and give him a sad look before doing as George instructed.

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

We get home, and George stops me at the door. "Thanks. You stopped your practice to help out Georgie. I appreciate that.", George tells Y/N sincerely. "Georgie is my best friend. Now, if he managed to hit me, that conversation would have gone a whole other direction." I say jokingly. George chuckles and lets me go.

I go up to Georgie's room. Georgie looked like he was in a better mood. I went in and talked with Georgie until time for dinner.

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

Narrator's Pov

The whole family gathers around the table to eat, but first, pray. When it's time to pray Sheldon surprisingly doesn't wear one of his gloves. No surprise when it wasn't the hand Georgie held.

Later that night everyone was sleeping peacefully, except for Y/N who would find laying right next to Georgie, like they have been for the past 11 years when someone was upset.

#montana jordan #georgie cooper #sheldon cooper #missy cooper #mary cooper #george cooper #meemaw #big bang theory #young sheldon #fanfic #x reader #connie tucker #georgie cooper x reader #wattpad

[phoenixflames12]

SO I'm very torn between:

18: “You come here often?” “Well considering I work here, yes.”

And:

42: “Are you flirting with me?”

For Bridglar xxx

Thank you so much, dearest @pudentilla! This got very long very, very quickly, but I hope you enjoy all the same!

Takes place in the same 'verse as Tawny Leaves, Croissants, Crosswords, and Raspberry Jam and Soft Summer Evenings, but you do not need to have read those three to understand that these two are precious beans and I love them dearly.

Prompt list

18 ‘You come here often?”

“Well considering I work here, yes.”

John Bridgens/Henry Peglar

Modern AU

London’s streets are awash with a fine mist of September drizzle when they meet for the first time.

The cobbles outside the main entrance to the shop are shining in the washed out light, the street a huddle of umbrellas, coats and harried pedestrians trying to make it to the bus stop for their journey home.

John is making himself a cup of tea (his fourth of the day after a particular trying customer had berated him for not having an online presence- he would like to; he just doesn’t know where to start) and checking the supplies in the small café area when the bell goes.

Stravinsky, curled in his favourite spot on the window ledge overlooking the street, mewls to greet their new customers.

‘Just coming!’

Shoving the milk back into the tiny fridge and scribbling a note on the pad of post its (more milk and brown sugar, book a vet appointment for Stravinsky, buy more cat food) John weaves his way into the main hub. He brushes past a drooping vine, toes a bag of compost out of the way, and finds the counter still littered with books, stationary, and a packet of radish seeds that he was just about to store away before he’d been interrupted.

Ned Little is standing in the doorway to the shop, shaking sheets of rain from his coat, and trying to pet Stravinsky at the same time.

‘He settling in OK, John?’

‘Fine, I think. Found that spot on the window ledge perfectly.’

Ned’s eyes are dark and soft as he grins in reply, squatting to scratch the cat behind the ears, and John spots his companion for the first time.

He’s of average height, John thinks; yet his arms and legs look long and gangly, as if he hasn’t quite grown into his limbs. A crown of heavy dark hair flops out from a grey Brixton beanie, a maroon jumper showing the hint of a crumpled blue and white striped shirt untucked into buff trousers and leather boots that are scuffed at the toes, their laces tied around his ankles several times. A full, dark beard sparked through with blonde lights caresses his chin. He looks like a fawn, a Bambi fawn from the Disney film that hasn’t found his feet yet, John thinks.

The sight of backpack straps and a cheap Canon camera looped around his neck, and John thinks, but can’t be certain, and doesn’t want to presume, that he’s a student.

Yet it is the eyes that catch him off guard.

They are deep and endless eyes, seemingly huge in the thin, beautiful face with its high cheekbones and long nose. John suddenly feels ancient in his leather apron and unravelling jersey with its’ leather patches on the elbows.

‘This is Henry Peglar, John,’ Ned says quickly, remembering his manners as he straightens up and flashes the lad a smile. ‘He’s doing the photographs for the local arts magazine. Henry, this is John Bridgens. All round book guru, plant nerd and a retired Classics teacher, so tells a brilliant story. Top notch bloke. Makes a wicked chilli too.’

He grins cheekily at John, who swallows a smile and hopes he isn’t blushing.

And there’s a name to the face, and John cannot help but swallow a smile, and Henry smiles in return, a soft lopsided smile that he never wants to end.

‘Pleasure,’ Henry murmurs, and John hears the twang of south London mixed with something deeper and rounder that makes him think of the west country.

In that moment, John Bridgens also knows that he has fallen completely and hopelessly in love.

~*~

Henry is a regular in the shop, after that.

John can often find him curled up in one of the sagging armchairs that is tucked under a beam by the kitchen, slowly reading his way through Jane Eyre, a biro tucked between his teeth as he scribbles down unknown words. Anne, the little underdog, will always be John’s favorite out of all the Bronte sisters, but he wants Henry to make up his own mind.

Stravinsky is purring on his lap, a puddle of fire kissed tabby, stretching luxuriously against Henry’s knees.

‘He likes you.’

A soft, approving smile as he passes the chair on his way to the outer storeroom to hunt out some more pea sticks. Stravinsky yawns, and curls closer. The sun from the skylight dapples across his tawny fur, setting lights of amber and russet ablaze across his back.

A flash of that lopsided grin in reply.

Some evenings John will find an obnoxiously large Sports Direct mug sat on the counter of the café’s sink, long after Henry’s said his farewells, and smile to himself. A mug that should by rights be balancing on the arm of the armchair, filled with hot, milky tea and now has found its’ way to the flat, looking like it has always been there.

Henry agrees to get John online as well, showing him the basics of a Square Space website and how to make a business Facebook page and Instagram account.

He takes photo after photo of hydrangeas, giant poppies, Dracaenas, Hederas and Philodendrons, whilst John scribbles down notes and carefully writes out their Latin names from memory.

‘How do you know all of this stuff?’

‘Time. Time and patience, and lots of reading.’

Late one October evening, when they’re closing the shop, they find themselves in the inner storeroom. John’s putting away some recently acquired stock and Henry is lounging against a shelf post, beanie askew, hands in his pockets. The bare bulb flickers over the granite slab floor, picking out the lights in his beard, and there’s a hum of something in the air that John can’t quite place.

‘You come here often?’

It’s an innocent, teasing question, lights dancing in dark eyes.

‘Well, considering I work here, yes.’

John turns from the shelf, heart suddenly thudding in his chest despite his smile.

And then Henry’s face is in his hands, and his in Henry’s, the weight of their fingers strange and unsteady and awkward; the rich, deep sharpness of Henry’s almond-y scent pressing firmly against John’s lips.

The kiss tastes of tea and milk and biro acid and a heady undernote of almonds, and neither of them know who began it.

It’s over before either of them know that it’s begun, or what they’ve started, and yet it feels to John to last a lifetime.

In the flickering light, he cannot see the younger man’s face, but feels him draw away, slow and shaky and awkward as the moment stretches, time seeming to slow until each heartbeat is an agony.

When he catches his gaze, Henry’s eyes are somehow even wider with embarrassment, shimmering with what could be tears.

John’s heart is suddenly tight in his chest, a knot of pain and shame and fear that will not go away.

‘I’m sorry- I didn’t- I didn’t know-‘

Wordlessly, he takes the young man’s face in his hands and draws him under the bulb, knurled fingers tracing the lines of cheek and jaw.

‘Don’t ever be sorry, Henry. I didn’t know either- I –’ he murmurs, looks away, the words caught and choked in his throat.

Standing on tiptoe, Henry presses a soft, chaste kiss against John’s cheek in reply.

It’s a kiss that’s caught with salt, and John nods in reply, their fingers gently twining as Henry shoulders his backpack and leaves the room.

#mine #writing #fanfiction #the terror #modern au #henry peglar has a sports direct mug cinematic universe #john bridgens #henry peglar #edward little #thoughts?

[mythgirlimagines]

Here is a brand new talentswap for this week! Let’s give a sweet welcome to Myth, the Former Ultimate Mathematician!

——————————————————-

BACKSTORY AND TALENT

Myth was raised by a family of academics and alumni of Hope’s Peak, and thus, Myth has a massive appreciation for all things academia. Ever since Myth was little, she has shown stunning aptitude in math, and eventually, it became her favorite subject in school. Myth was also captain of her school’s Math Bowl team, after usurping the previous captain in a battle of wits. Before Myth was invited to join the Hope’s Peak roster, Myth attended a very prestigious school district, and garnered local fame for her mathematical prowess. Her mathematical aptitude is so large, that she can solve complex mathematical equations, such as calculus, mentally and in under half a minute. These skills make her a valuable asset in both competitions and mathematical journals. As an adult, she runs a mathematics tutoring business, for younger struggling students.

 ——————————————————-

RELATIONSHIPS

Wyre Anon, Former Ultimate Baton Twirler

Two halves of a whole nerd, these two have been best friends ever since they first met in the same prestigious academy. As opposed to the math club, Wyre was part of the marching band as the head baton twirler, and garnered infamy for her prowess at leading the band. Despite Wyre’s wild and crude nature contrasting heavily against both her former academy and Myth’s personality, Wyre is like Myth’s personal cheerleader and hype girl, always there to pick Myth up on her low days and defend her against people who want to pick on Myth’s weight. In return, Myth offers Wyre tutoring to help her get through the private school. 

Outfit: A blue and red majorette outfit with a matching hat, glasses are clean and unbroken.

Anon Scar, Ultimate Gardener

Fancying herself as the “Supreme High Overlord of The Valley of Death”, said ”Valley of Death” is actually simply a very large flower garden that Scar tends to all by herself. With a vast botanical knowledge and a caring and maternal nature towards both plants and people, underneath her constant supernatural boasting. Myth never really had much experience with botany, but she uses her conversations with Scar as learning experiences. While Scar finds Myth polite and kindhearted enough, Scar’s maternal instincts just flair up, every time she witnesses Myth get stressed and then shoving unhealthy snacks into her face.

Outfit: Hair in a side plait and decorated with small flowers, a hooded black cloak and matching makeup, over a copper and green dress, nothing on her feet.

Fusion Anon, Ultimate Billiards Player

Originally from a less-than-fortunate family, Fusion has taken it to the pool tables to earn his family money. Fusion’s accurate eyesight and strategic mindset lets him dominate every pool tournament that he enters. Myth and Fusion both bond over their intellectual interests and their love for snacks. In fact, Myth and Fusion usually meet up to exchange snacks with each other. Fusion is currently trying to teach Myth how to play billiards, viewing Myth’s intelligence as a great advantage on the pool table. Similar to Scar, Fusion carries himself with a parental air and regularly looks after the other Ultimates like they are his children. 

Outfit: A blue and yellow striped vest over a red tie with a star on it and a white dress shirt, glasses, pants and shoes from original design, always carries and stims with his lucky pool cue.

Fusion Anon II, Ultimate Knitter

As much as Fusion II tries to pull off the rebellious teenager act, it’s a bit hard to do that, considering she knits in her spare time and donates her knitted crafts to charity. While at first, Myth viewed Fusion II as simply a thug from the wrong side of the rails and Fusion II viewed Myth as a reminder of her nerdy self from middle school, her opinion of the knitter quickly changed once she learned about her charitable and kindhearted side, particularly to children and elders. Now the two’s relationship are on the more positive side, with a private intellectual meme chat being the ultimate deciding factor in their friendship. 

Outfit: Same outfit from the original, but with a red scarf around her neck and blue gloves and brown boots with white fluff on the inside.

Just Anon, Ultimate DJ

DJanon is well-known in underground nightclubs for his energetic music mixes and his expertise in hyping up his audience. Many rumors claim that he is nocturnal, and it’s not hard to see why, for he seems to lose all of his energy during the day and become grouchy and lazy. Myth never really was experienced when it comes to music, and Janon’s music just seems to hurt her ears. Janon doesn’t seem to like anyone who reminds him of school, so the hatred between Myth and Janon is mutual. However, Janon has a secret soft spot for the preteen fanbase of his that he desperately wants to keep hidden.

Outfit: A pink Daft Punk style helmet with bunny ears on top, a pink jumpsuit with blue circuit patterns, light blue boots.

Sparkle Anon, Former Ultimate Jazz Musician

As both an expert on both the saxophone and the piano and a person with a very flashy stage presence, it is no wonder that Sparkle is the leading lady of her all-female jazz troupe, ”THE SPECTACULAR SONGSTRESSES”. As opposed to Janon’s music, Myth finds Sparkle’s music to be much more pleasant to listen to. Myth may not understand much of Sparkle’s over-dramatic demeanor and vocabulary, but she stays silent and tries her best to keep up with the energetic attitude of the jazz musician. Sparkle appreciates the high class and intelligent musical tastes of Myth, and usually lets Myth preview her new jazz songs. 

Outfit: A black fedora, a black overcoat slung around her shoulders, a white dress shirt with golden music note buttons, a red tie, black pants, black slip-on shoes.

Egg Anon, Former Ultimate Soccer Player, and Wet Sock Anon, Former Ultimate Actor

Both of these twins have achieved stardom and became role models for NB youth everywhere. They also have a penchant for creeping people out with the cursed images they put into people‘s heads, but the similarities stop there. While Egg is an inspiration for non-binary people thanks to their athletic prowess securing wins for their varsity team, Wet Sock inspires and astonishes non-binary people, thanks to their famous face and stellar performance skills on both theater sets and movie sets. As much as Myth tries to be polite when interacting with the Freak Twins, their verbal intrusive thoughts just disgust her.

Egg’s Outfit: A green headband, a green and dark blue track jacket, a white tanktop, shorts that match their jacket, white socks, blue and green cleats.

Wet Sock’s Outfit: A black and white tuxedo with a light green scarf.

Curious Anon, Jr. Ultimate Film Director

Despite their age and relative newness to the job, Curious has garnered fame for their high-budget and gripping emotional tales on the big screen. But the one film that truly sealed their fame as a director was ”The Ice Cage”, a film detailing a person slowly moving out of the glass shell that they have been put into by society. Because of their similar polite and passive temperaments, Myth and Curious get along very well. While Myth may not have much experience with the arts, she uses her conversations with Curious as learning opportunities to gain more knowledge on the creative process.

Outfit: Same outfit from the original, but with a black jacket and beret.

Anon Nerd, Former Ultimate Kickboxer

Dominating the underground kickboxing tournaments that are frequently held in his less-than-stellar hometown, Nerd‘s sheer physical power is nothing to laugh at and many people yearn to learn Nerd’s ways. Unfortunately, Nerd isn’t exactly the best when it comes to being kind to others, and responds to foreign emotions with his fists and feet. Nerd can’t help but want to whip the chubby mathematician into shape, upon seeing her get stressed and stress eat as a result. But Nerd’s aggressive training just scares the kindly mathematician away, much to the kickboxing champion’s chagrin and anger. 

Outfit: Black shorts held up by a white drawstring, bandaged-up arms and feet, a black bathrobe over all that.

Eldritch Anon, Ultimate Party Planner

As a strong believer in Murphy’s Law, Eldritch shoots and double-shoots to make sure that every party that he plans goes off without a hitch, and nothing bad will ever happen. This mindset may make him a great planner, but he isn’t so crash-hot, when he actually attends the parties he planned. Fortunately, Myth is polite and easily-pleased, which is a pass in Eldritch’s party-planning and people-pleasing book. Unfortunately, Eldritch found out that Myth gets easily stressed, so he has to remove any stress—arousing things from any party that she happens to be attending. At least Eldritch now has some common ground with Myth.

Outfit: A green and yellow party hat on his head, hair stained with streamers and sprinkles, a pink camo jacket with his pockets stuffed with party favors over a light pink shirt with blue and yellow balloons on the front, shorts and slippers from original design.

Dream Anon, Ultimate BMX Biker

Commonly known by the stunt community as the “Pink Pinball”, Dream became famous on the internet for her filmed BMX stunts, and her bright pink ensemble she wears while performing said stunts. She regularly frequents skate parks and bike-racing tracks to practice her skills, and even established a BMX club at her school. Dream and Myth are complete opposites in just about everything, so Dream regularly gives proper workout sessions (unlike Nerd) and encourages Myth to loosen up and live on the edge, and Myth regularly looks after Dream to make sure her stunts aren‘t too dangerous. 

Outfit: A bright pink and grey jump suit with a matching motorcycle helmet. 

Iris Anon, Jr. Ultimate Glassblower

As the latest child in a long and prestigious line of glassblowers, it was expected by her parents that Iris would carry the family business. Despite her parent’s doubts due of her supreme clumsiness, Iris is amazing at both creating and delivering drinking glasses and adorable glass trinkets, which happen to be her two major specialities. Despite her optimistic temperament, Iris has anxiety that she tries desperately to hide underneath her happy and slightly ditzy facade. Myth can especially relate to keeping up a facade to mask anxiety, and Iris regularly imparts wisdom onto Myth to help the constantly-stressed mathematician.

Outfit: Hair pulled back into a braided ponytail, a pair of brown goggles over her eyes, a grey jumpsuit, black gloves and boots.

Purple Anon, Ultimate Sailor

Well-known amongst her peers for piloting the P.S Prose, Purple sailed across the vast and open ocean, and dodged dangerous storms, waves and wildlife along the way. Unfortunately, spending all your time surrounded by nothing but water doesn’t exactly do wonders for your social skills, for Purple is shockingly timid and regularly hides behind her good friend Fusion. Despite Purple’s archaic maritime terms confusing everybody but Myth and Fusion, Purple is still very sweet and kind. Myth offering Purple some of her anti-stress candy was the start of a simply beautiful friendship. 

Outfit: A white captain‘s hat, hair tied into small pigtails, a purple overcoat over a blue and white striped shirt and a black ascot, black pants, tall white socks, black shoes.

This series centers around the secretly-stressed mathematician learning about new anti-stress techniques from her colorful peers, in order to combat her constant stress-snacking.

——————————————————-

APPEARANCE

Myth wears her brown hair down with hairpins on each side that resemble a plus and minus sign. Myth wears the same uniform from her old private school that she (much to her embarrassment) still is able to fit into. It consists of a black jacket that has math-themed pins over a white dress shirt and a red and blue tie, a white and light blue checkered skirt that resembles a line graph. On her legs and feet are black leggings and red Mary Janes. Because of her chronic snacking, Math!Myth has a plumper figure compared to Romantic!Myth.

——-————————————————

PERSONALITY

Because of her upbringing, Math!Myth has a taste for anything scholastic or pertaining to academics, and always appreciates a good intellectual conversation. Math!Myth carries herself with a polite and courteous demeanor, treating all men like kings and all women like queens. Unfortunately, underneath that calm and well-put-together facade, is a very stressed young lady. Because Math!Myth doesn’t like stress, she tries her best to stave off the stress. However, stress-eating is her go-to-method for dealing with stress, and the other Anons are trying their best to teach Myth a proper way of dealing with constant stress and anxiety. On the plus side, Myth is a constant source of snacks for the other Anons. If anyone needs a snack, they just head over to Myth and ask for one, for she will have it stashed somewhere on her person.  ————————————————-——

I’ve done Buff!Myth before, but I haven’t done Chubby!Myth yet, so here you go. Let me know what you think of this Myth and the other Anons in this AU!

-Fusion Anon

#fun fact i was in math league for a year in hs #submission #anon #fusion anon #art #not my art #talentswap tuesday #fusion anon ii #egg anon #wet sock anon #purple anon #iris anon #just anon #curious anon #dream anon #sparkling anon #eldritch anon #anon nerd #anon scar #my evil twin #anon kg

[jazminetoad]

In My Reality | Prologue

Hey, I was bored so I decided to start a fanfic series of the Tatsumi Brothers from Juuni Taisen. Yay

It’s a “Tatsumi Brother x Reader” story about how the Tatsumi Brothers enter the reader’s reality which kinda flips her world upside down.

So I just finished the prologue. If you guys like it or if I’m bored again, I’ll make the first chapter. (Click “Keep Reading” to read the story)

"[Name] get out of bed; It's 3 in the afternoon," my mom told me as she came into my room with fresh, clean clothes. I didn't have to look over to know.

Groaning, I removed my mask from my eyes then rolled over to face up at the white ceiling. The sunlight seeping in from the blinds caused my sight to cringe before it finally adjected to the light and I could see the grey walls lurking in the corner of my eyes. Arising from my queen-sized bed a yawn escaped from my mouth. My form reached over and placed my sleep mask on the nightstand, next to my water mug.

"Morning mom," I greeted her as she sorted out the pile of clothes on my dresser. Looks like she did a colour load, which means no pants to put away.

"Morning sweetheart. Can you put your clothes away before you come downstairs?"

"Sure," I simply answered as I slipped out of the cozy sheets I once was tangled in.

"Thank you. I'll see you when you come down," she stated, placing the last of my t-shirts neatly on the others. Afterwards, she wrapped her arms around the remaining clean, clothes that weren't mine, carefully balancing them as she left my room and closed the door behind.

The click of the doorknob echoed into my ears when my feet landed on the fuzzy rug. My eyes drifted their gaze to the plain black bodypillow wrapped in [f/c] blankets, reminding me of a burrito. It just had the colour for the case, no special Anime character on it. I wish there were one though; it'd make the nights seem less lonely to see my favourite character's face on it. However, a pillow is a pillow. Despite me using it as an illusion for myself it doesn't change the reality that when I hug it in my sleep or when I'm awake no arms will return my embrace.

A sigh falls out of my breath, my eyelids dropping in sync. I turned my head away from the lying pillow and dragged myself to the other side of my bed, towards the dresser that patiently held the clean clothes my mom put there. I opened a drawer, putting my undergarments away first then my socks. Once those were put away, I moved to retrieve hangers from my closet, passing by my desk and shelves as I did.

If you were wondering why I slept so late into the afternoon, well, it's currently winter break, so that means I can stay up late and sleep in late past noon. Sadly enough, it's January which means the break almost over, and that means school is standing around the corner, menacingly. Just the thought of it disturbs my mind as that reality tries to infect my thoughts.

I hate reality. I know not all of it is shit, but there's enough of it that makes me want to drown myself in the world of fiction. Whenever it's the weekend or breaks from school, I binge Anime, tv shows, YouTube, and movies, so that's the only thing on my mind. I then write or read fanfiction, there is the rare occasion I sketch something but I'm not good at art since I don't practice enough. By the time I return to reality after having my head stuck in my imagination for so long, I can barely focus without going back to daydreaming. Eventually, that wears off, and then reality is what floods my brain; I despise it but I know I can't be stuck in my fantasies forever. Luckily my friends provide that nice spot in-between for me, helping me stay in the real world but also let me discuss the fictional. Then there's also my bro.

"Yo sis," my brother's voice called from the other side of the door after his fist knocked on it. "You wanna continue Code Geass?"

My bro is the best. Unlike most siblings I know, we actually get along. He's also a big help in my life, one of the reasons why I haven't lost my mind. He makes sure I don't overwork & stress myself and reminds me to have fun and chillax. I love him for it, and he's practically my best friend. We aren't the exact same age but we were born in the same year, just a few months apart so we get to be in the same grade. He's the older one. He's also taller which means he can t-pose over me, and we reenact the meme; it's great.

"Yeah," I answered. "Just let me get ready."

"Alright," he replied before I felt the vibration of his footsteps grow distant from my room.

'Heh, if I had Takeyasu's ability, I'd be able to sense his movement better.'

I chuckle to myself at the thought floating in my mind as I put the final shirt away. My two favourite characters that I desired to be real was the Tatsumi Brothers, Nagayuki and Takeyasu. I love those two. Whenever I watched their episodes from Juuni Taisen, I always smile. They make my heart feel something that I never felt for any character before. I don't want to be cliche and say true love, but to me, that's what it feels like. I know they're fictional characters, so I won't get much out of it, but strangely enough, I'm okay with that. I can't imagine my heart belonging to anyone else. I do wish they were real, though. I even used my wish on the bracelet my friend, Meri-chan, got for my birthday one year, that they'd become real.

The bracelet was some urban legend. It was lime green and had a few beads on it. The legend goes that you make a wish and when the bracelet breaks, your wish has come true. 'Course, it's most likely a bunch of baloney but that didn't stop me from wishing that the Tatsumi Brothers would become real. I currently just wear the bracelet as an accessory since the wish probably won't happen, it's not like the thing is going to break anytime soon.

Grabbing my towel, my other hand opened my door. I slipped down the hallway and slid into the bathroom, my foot pushing the door closed as I put the towel on the towel rack. Hopefully, I don't take too long because we were left on edge on the last episode of Code Geass we watched. Well, I'll finish sooner than my wish coming true that's for sure, heh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay bro but if you think about it, Lelouch-"

"[Name], I washed your school uniforms. Can you put them away while I start on tacos?" Mom requested from the kitchen, interrupting the Anime, my commentary, and reminding me that school is coming soon. "You too, [b/n]."

"Yes, mom," we both respond.

My brother picked up the remote and hit the pause button so we wouldn't miss anything. I pulled myself up from the plush couch, disappointment growing on me since I had hoped not to be interrupted until dinner was ready. Well, I guess I could let the disappointment wither away since it's Taco Tuesday, my favourite. I chuckled to myself as my feet reached the next level above the main floor and headed down the open hallway to my room.

My laughter died out upon seeing my seven school uniforms, five that were the regular female uniform and two that were gym uniforms. Unlike most students, I didn't like the idea of having to wash my uniform every day, so to make things simpler, I paid for six more with my own money. It was a bit irritating, using the money I earned from my summer job for this instead of getting something else. Still, my practical choice, so I didn't necessarily have to worry about my mom washing my uniform every night.

"Hhhhhh, why does school have to come back so soon?" I asked myself as I picked up one of the uniforms.

The uniform wasn't too special, a simple white blouse, a blue skirt, a blue jacket, and a blue & black striped tie. Students could decide if we wanted to wear tights, leggings, or shorts underneath the skirt as long as it was black or white. I wore leggings unless it was summer which I then wear shorts and knee-high socks. There are those girls that only wear thigh-high socks and panties under their skirt to which my nerd brain questions why. 'Course that's their choice, have fun with your ass cold.

A Discord ringtone made me resurface from my pond of inner thoughts. Becoming aware of my surroundings, I realized my friends Meri-chan and Kamida were calling on the Discord group chat we had. I could tell by the laptop I had open on my desk. I quickly put the uniform I had in hand on the rack with the others before sliding over and clicking the answer button that popped up.

"Yo, what's up nerds."

"Hey I'm not a nerd," Meri-chan protested. "I'm a cool kid."

"Meri-chan, we're all nerds here," Kamida stated before greeting me. "Hey [n/n], how you doing?"

"Eh, good I suppose but I could be doing better, Kami," I answered simply. "How's life?"

"Pretty chill but I got bored, so I decided to call you guys."

"Well, I'm just putting my uniforms away," I informed them and went to put the last uniform away.

"I sometimes forget that you have more than one," Meri-chan commented before I heard her gasp. "Hey, how 'bout we hang out tomorrow, we only have so many days before we have to go back to school."

"Oh, don't remind me," I groaned, hanging my head, then went back to putting the uniform on the hanger and walking over to the closet, hanging it up with the rest.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea Meri-chan, we could hang out tomorrow," Kamida suggested.

"I'm down," Meri-chan quickly responded.

"Welllllll..." I hesitated, sitting down in the [f/c] spinning chair in front of the desk.

"[Name]."

"You see, I kinda want to stay inside my last few days..."

"[n/nnnnn]!" Meri-chan whined.

"Come on [Name], you know you can't stay cooped up inside forever," Kamida reminded me.

"I know," I grumbled, leaning back in my seat. "Fine, I'll come out tomorrow, but it's going to be after 2."

"2 am, geez [n/n] I didn't know you'd be willing to come out that early," Kamida joked.

"I meant 2 pm," I corrected.

"Okay," he chuckled as Meri-chan pipped in.

"But if you're late again, you're buying lunch this time."

"Okay, bet, but what if I'm not?" I inquired, my fingers tapping on my desk.

"Mmmmmmm," she hummed, seemingly to be thinking.

"It's fine I'll pay for lunch tomorrow."

"Alright, but don't use it as an excuse to be late."

"I won't," I reassured her. "Anyway, I'm gonna go watch a few more episodes of Code Geass with my bro-"

"You still need to watch Dragon Ball Z," Kamida interrupted.

"And you need to watch Juuni Taisen," I countered, emphasizing the "you".

"Yeah, yeah," he brushed it off. "Anyway, go have fun with your bro. We'll call again later on tonight."

"Alright, bye guys." I left the call and closed out of discord then proceeded to shut my laptop.

Kamida and Meri-chan were my two friends from school; we've known each other since childhood. 'Course Meri-chan isn't Meri-chan's real name, that's just a nickname Kamida and I gave her. Occasionally, they called me [n/n]-chan but not too often. Then there are times where we call Kamida, Kami-kun, but mainly Meri-chan does it out of spite since Kamida doesn't like it. Especially when Meri-chan does it in her kawaii voice. Those two are the only ones outside of family that have the same vibe I do, that's probably why we've been friends for so long.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey, you guys ever wish fictional characters could become real?" I randomly asked out of the blue, staring up at the white ceiling as I waited for my friends over the call to answer my question.

"All the time," Meri-chan answered.

"We know simp," Kamida smugly commented.

"Nuuu!" Meri-chan pouted while Kamida and I laughed. "Hey, if anything [n/n] is the simp over here, she's the one actual crushing on the characters."

"Hey don't call me out like that."

"Ha! She doesn't deny it," Kamida jeered.

"Okay, what about you and Android 21?"

"Ack-" Kamida blurted before muting himself, causing me and Meri-chan to giggle. A few seconds pass by before he unmuted himself. "Why are you asking this question [n/n]?"

"No reason in particular-"

"Are you sure it's not you wanting to talk about Juuni Taisen?"

"No- it's not just that. I just think fictional characters would make reality interesting."

"Right..."

"Meri-chan if you could bring someone from Juuni Taisen to-"

"My boy Uuma! You should know this by now."

"Bruh-"

"Well, it's either that or Usagi, and I rather be alive thank you."

"Who's Uuma again?" Kamida inquired, not knowing who was who quite yet since he hasn't watched the Anime.

"Uuma is the warrior of the horse," I informed him.

"Right," Kamida mumbled before letting out a yawn.

"You sound tired, go to sleep!" Meri-chan told Kamida.

"No, you go to sleep."

"Guys, we're all on the same timezone. If one of us goes to sleep then we all do," I stated. "It makes sense since we're all planning on meeting up tomorrow."

"I guess we go to sleep," Meri-chan said bluntly.

"Yeah, alright, goodnight guys," Kamida yawned.

"Night."

"Night guys."

With that, we each left the call. I, however, didn't fall asleep right away. I woke up late and the night was still pretty early, so I opened up the Funimation app on my phone. Scrolling through the list of saved Anime, most of which were halfway through since my brother and I are watching them together, I came across Juuni Taisen.

"Why not..." I muttered to myself as my finger tapped on the Anime and went right to click on episode 7, In Like a Dragon, Out Like a Snake (Part 1).

By the time I finished episodes 7 and 8, it was 2 am when my eyes glanced at the clock in the top corner of my phone. Sighing to myself, I leaned over and snatched my charger off the nightstand, plugging it in the wall before connecting the other end to my phone. Turning off my phone, I placed it on the nightstand and snagged my sleep mask, putting that on my head.

As I laid there on my bed, silence flooded the room, not a sound to be heard but my own breathing. Vines of sorrow began to grow on me as the feeling of loneliness came over me. I tried to pull myself out of the emotion, turning over and wrapping my arms around the plain bodypillow in an attempt to comfort myself. In the end, it only helped slightly. It didn't erase the pain because I knew there were no arms that would hug me back. A tear escaped my eyes before I pulled my mask over them, and a final thought appeared in my mind before I entered the dream realm.

'I wish I wasn't alone...'

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"Congratulations, Tatsumi {Ani|Otouto}, warrior of the {dragon|snake}!" Duodecuple exclaimed. "You are the winner of the 12th Juuni Taisen, everyone give yourself a hand!" The man started to applaud but soon stopped. "The antidote has settled in by now. You'll be fine."

{"Tch|Alright"} the Tatsumi brother simply responded.

"Now that you've won the Juuni Taisen, you can make one wish of your choice. Would you like to make your wish now, or would you like for it to be granted later?"

"In all honesty, when I arrived at the Juuni Taisen I wished for {nothing|money}, I didn't need anything else really but now that {I'm here|I had time to think about} I don't want to wish for {nothing|money}."

"Oh, do you have another wish in mind?" Duodecuple inquired the Tatsumi brother sitting in front of him, alone.

"Yeah... I wish me and my brother were never apart of the Juuni Taisen."

#tatsumi brothers #tatsumi kyoudai #tatsumi kyoudai ani #tatsumi kyoudai otouto #nagayuki tsumita #takeyasu tsumita #takeyasu #nagayuki #tatsumi brothers x reader #juuni taisen #juuni taisen au #juni taisen #juni taisen x reader #juuni taisen x reader #juuni taisen: zodiac war #juuni taisen snake #juuni taisen dragon #juuni taisen zodiac war #spot the reference

[pluto-art]

Syncytium - Chapter 3

Title: Syncytium - Chapter 3 - Sodium Bicarbonate Words: 7,115 Rating: T

Fan Fiction: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13712482/3/Syncytium

As always, I recommend the fan fiction version, which includes all italics. Other than that, enjoy the full story below the cut!

September 16th, 1993 - 11:48 PM

Two little feet raced pitter-patter down a chatter-filled hallway in A.C.M.E. Arts & Sciences, its occupant laden with pen and petition, eagerly calling out to any hapless individual that came her way as that ever-present tam-o-shanter bounced atop her head.

"Signatures! Come put down your signatures! Sign the petition! Bring baseball back to A.C.M.E.!" Olivia called out, her little jingle ringing in its thick Scottish accent down the corridor and bouncing off the walls. "Baseball for all! Hear you shout! Let them know or we'll strike out!"

Like a fuzzy brown bullet she shot through the school, passing students and teachers, janitors and gym instructors, nearly running into the wall on two occasions, and receiving a sharp reprimand of "Watch it!" or "Land sakes!" from those whose book pages and scarves she ruffled on her flight down the hallways.

"Let your voice be heard! Put your name down! Have a- OOF!"

Olivia gasped as she landed on the hard, linoleum floor, having been knocked back by something tall and firm. She shook her head and looked up... and up... and up, into the stern face of Basil, teacher of Advanced Science and Deduction. Even for a mouse he was rather lanky, towering above Globetrotter and practically a giant to Olivia. The only other mouse in the school who reached his height was Pinky. He glared at her, one eyebrow cocked in silent judgement as he peered down from above, a great slab of papers cradled snugly against his side.

"Oh...," Olivia mumbled, gulping as she quickly stood up, face scrunching, and shook off her clothes, her little tam-o-shanter and petition laying very sorrowfully at her feet.

Basil sighed.

"Young lady," he began, bending down to pick up her hat and place it securely back on her head. "This is the third time this week we've met under unnecessarily chaotic circumstances and it's become... rather an interference in my daily schedule. Would you kindly keep harnessed certain frivolities at play, Miss Flabbergast?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Basil," Olivia muttered shyly, and not unkindly. "I'll be more careful."

She picked her clipboard with petition up off the floor, a little embarrassed.

"Sign my petition...?" she ventured, holding up the paper for Basil to see. He bent down to get a closer look at it.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"It's for a baseball stadium!"

"Baseball stadium?"

"Yes!" Olivia said, nodding excitedly. "So we can get sports back to the school!"

"Sports?" Basil nipped, practically spitting out the word as though it was a nasty slur. "Miss Flim-Flam, the last thing this university of science and culture needs is a bunch of dimwitted degenerates galloping about chasing after a ball. You'd do better to abandon the whole matter, in my opinion."

Olivia hung her head.

"But I doubt it will amount to anything," he continued, picking lint off his cardigan in a snooty fashion. "The most you could hope for is ten signatures, at least. Continue on your hapless venture if you must."

"Really?!"

"Yeeees yes yes. Now, run along."

"Thank you, Mr. Basil! I'll get more than ten. You'll see!"

"Jolly good," Basil replied curtly, sarcastically, pausing to flick a piece of dirt off Olivia's jacket. "Good day to you."

Olivia watched him as he went, his long shoes snapping click, click, click against the floor. She drew out a long breath of utter relief. Basil was fairer than Globetrotter. Anyone was fairer than Globetrotter. However, he still could get a bit cross when rubbed the wrong way, and it certainly wasn't the first time she'd gotten on his irritable side. She'd have to be more careful.

And so, as she continued her trek down the school hallways, calling out as she went (a bit more quietly this time), she jogged rather than sprinted, slipping between passerby with an "Excuse me" or "Pardon" and taking extra precaution not to bump into any more teachers, especially Globetrotter...

"Petition! Come you all and sign! Redefine!"

Maisy tossed Olivia an annoyed glance as she ran past, huffing a little and flipping back her hair as she dug through her locker.

"Since when did the principle allow kids to run around the school? I didn't think he'd be cool with that," she muttered.

Next to her, a chocolate-furred mouse leaned against his adjacent locker, deep in silent conversation as he texted rapidly on his phone.

"Why do you care?" he asked, not looking up at her.

"I dunno. It's just... This is like... a high-profile university, right? There shouldn't be any kids."

"We're kids."

"Um... Excuse me. I'm like... nineteen."

"Yeah. That's young, Maisy."

"Whatever," she spat, flicking her hair back again as she found what she was looking for: a red pencil with yellow flower print slapped all over it.

"Olivia is Flaversham's daughter," Gadget spoke from across the hall at her own locker, snapping her bulbous goggles atop her head as a matter-of-fact. "Everyone knows that." Tillie nodded next to her.

"Okay, but, like...," Maisy continued, pulling out a journal and tucking it under her arm, "... he works. When does he have time to watch her? He just lets her run around the school?"

"Well, isn't Mrs. Judson her nanny?" Tillie offered helpfully, albeit rather quietly. "I think that-"

Several students sprinted by. Tillie paused to let them pass before continuing.

"I think that she watches her in the nurse's office most of the day and lets her run errands."

"Yeah, but-," Maisy began, before being cut off herself as another batch of students trundled by, and then another. "But that doesn't give her leave to just-" More students. "To just run around whenever she-" Even more students. By this point, she could barely even see Gadget and Tillie. "Oh my gosh! I hate not having neighboring lockers!"

"It's lunchtime, Maisy," the male mouse said beside her, closing his phone with a sharp snap. "We should get going."

"Ugh. Fine. I'm starving anyway."

And so off they went, quartet heading for the cafeteria at the prompt hour of 12:00 PM, taking care not to bump into anyone as they entered the huge room.

Unlike the rest of the school, this area was terribly outdated. Or, rather, it had none of the classiness that the majority of the facility offered. Far from being dressed up in a mahogany coat, with comfortable seating, double-pane windows, and classical music that pumped itself like oxygen through the more casual areas of the building, the cafeteria resembled nothing less than something vomited out of an 80s shopping mall. The blue and purple paneling; the flashing neon food signs; the Whitney Houston music trapped perpetually within the speakers. It had it all. Students called it "The Flashback" or "The Blot", depending on who you talked to. The space had been heavily renovated a decade ago in an attempt to reflect the aesthetic at the time, and if the principal in office hadn't been ousted at the time for his radical ways the facility may very well have looked quite different by this point. As it stood, the cafeteria was an eye sore for some, a breath of fresh air for others, and it was a popular spot in which to congregate. If nothing else, the music was a relief. There was only so much Chopin one could take.

Chatter filled the dining area as the quartet entered. Already the tables were filling up, the smell of pizza and dumplings heavy in the air. Once upon a time, the food had reflected the decor: posh, healthy, and expensive. And then, of course, the cafeteria had been renovated, and with it the menu. No one had ever bothered to change the hot dogs back to ham; the grilled cheese back to caviar. Lemon sherbet tasted much better than shitake, and the students liked it that way.

"Think they're gonna have the jelly sauce again today?" Gadget asked, standing up on tip-toe to peer over at the food counter.

"Ew. Gosh. I hope not. That stuff is gro- HO MY GOSH," gasped Maisy.

"What?" Gadget asked, looking around, eyes wide. She hoped another wasp hadn't broken into the cafeteria again. Two had welcomed themselves in in the last week and she didn't think she could handle the stress another day.

"He's here," Maisy stressed, clutching at her heart and grabbing hold of Gadget's shoulder rather tightly.

Tillie and Gadget followed her gaze all the way across the floor to the food bar. There stood Pinky, dressed today in lab pants and a blue and gray striped shirt whose sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. Had it not been for the ridiculously long white lab pants that spilled over his shoes, Gadget thought he might have looked rather fetching. As it stood, though, he didn't. Maisy thought otherwise.

"Ugh. He's so hot."

"So hot he melts your brains?" the male mouse quipped, back to texting on his phone.

Maisy shot him a nasty look. Tillie didn't even notice.

"Wow. Clam chowder special," she mused, completely serious as she stared, astonished, at the counter.

"You're focusing on the food?!" Maisy exclaimed, flabbergasted. Tillie remained oblivious.

"Oh, I hope Mrs. Brisby isn't too early today. I rather like lunch break...," Tillie mused, loosening her shawl a little.

"But you also like her classes," said Gadget, smiling.

"I do. They're fun."

"Learning about weeds is fun?" asked Maisy.

"Agriculture is more interesting than you think it would be! You should try it sometime. It's fun!"

"Tillie, the only fun thing about this school is the lunch break."

The dark-furred he mouse with them rolled his eyes, his hands in his pockets.

"Seriously, Maisy? Not even the Chemistry class is interesting?" he mentioned, incredulous.

"Okay, well, that is a little bit interesting..."

The he mouse sighed.

"You're incredible. Our parents are paying good money for this school. You should be grateful. Come on. Let's stake a seat."

A few tables down, a gaggle of mice, moles, and a rat or two sat, chattering loudly. One of them, a black-haired mouse in a frilly, once-piece dress, sash around the middle and dark hair tied up in a bun, stood up in her chair and waved in their direction.

"Maaaaaaisy, girl! Come on! We've been waiting for you!"

"GIIIIRL! I was just about to ditch these losers! Gimme a sec!" Maisy called back, beaming. "Sorry, guys. I gotta go."

"Wha-..? But I thought we were gonna-" the male mouse began, taken aback.

"Sorry, Dex. I forgot I'd promised Marvell I'd be here at noon. We'll catch up later, I promise. Okay?"

"Yeah. Sure...," Dex shrugged dejectedly.

"Thanks, Dex. Bye, y'all!" said Maisy, and she ran off to join the loquacious group.

"Bye, loser!" Gadget joked back, shaking her head. "Airhead."

"Remind me why we hang out with her again?" Tillie asked, as the remaining three headed for the food bar.

Gadget shrugged.

"She's been my friend since middle school. I'd feel weird just ditching her."

"You wouldn't be missing much," Dex muttered, although there was a hesitancy in his voice.

Gadget threw him a sideways glance as she grabbed a tray, Tillie and Dex following suit.

"You know that's not true, Dex. She's a bit into herself, but you know she loves you."

Dex shrugged.

One by one, a steady line of students at the bar filed past the counter, picking off a box of salad here, a cup of macaroni there. Things reached a stand still at the chili bowl. Dex and Gadget stood up on tip-toe for a couple seconds, flattened back out on their feet, stared at each other, and rolled their eyes, sniggering. But of course...

The hold up, as per the norm, was Pip, one of the restaurant hands and the only chipmunk in the entire school. He was terribly chatty, not to mention contentious if you dared complain about any aspect of the food. Either something was wrong and he needed to comment on it, or someone he recognized as a friend had just crossed his path. Judging by the chipper tone of his voice, Gadget guessed it was the latter today.

"So what's with this petition? Lemme see that paper, sister!"

And he whipped from someone's hand a petite clipboard entrusted with several sheets of lined paper. He read through it quickly, nose almost touching the paper.

Gadget, Dex, and Tillie peered around the crowd ahead of them to see who had handed him the paper. Oh. Naturally.

There stood Olivia, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet as Pip perused her petition, a wide, expectant smile on her face. Was there no place she wouldn't invade?

"Hmmm," Pip mused, tapping his foot a mile a minute as his keen eyes roved over the paper one more time. "Weeeeeeell, I don't usually sign these things, buuuuut... baseball sounds like a worthy cause. Ya' got a pen?"

"Here you go!" Olivia squeaked happily, extracting from the inside of her coat pocket a blue pen and offering it to Pip. He took it swiftly and signed the petition just as fast.

"Just make sure you get me a position as umpire!" Pip said, handing her back the petition and pen.

"Oh, I will! Thank you!"

"Say, uhhhh... how many signatures you got on that thing so far?"

"Twenty-three!"

"Heeeeeey. That's not bad!"

"Come on, Pip!" a student piped up, brows furrowed.

"Yeah, we've got class!" a girl vole squeaked from behind the trio.

"All right, all right already! Sheesh!" Pip nipped back, rolling his eyes. "Hey. You keep gettin' those John Hancocks, okay?" he said, winking at Olivia.

"Um... Okay!"

And with that, she was off, not even bothering to grab an apple or a cracker, something that others cast glances at her for. Olivia passing up an opportunity to nab some food? She must mean business...

"She's so cute," Gadget mused, watching Olivia sprint around, on the hunt for more signatures, as she moved up a couple steps in line.

"Yeah," Dex said, arms folded. "She's a trip." Despite himself, he smiled after her. Little kids amused him sometimes, even if they could be a bit pesky underfoot.

As more students spilled into the cafeteria, fingers pointed, some quite shamelessly, in the direction of the food bar. Dex followed the invisible lines to a spot some paces behind them in line. But of course. They were all directed at the new teacher, Ronald Pinkus. The girls seemed particularly smitten, giggling and whispering and acting, in Dex's mind, perfectly idiotic. In fact, come to think of it, as he looked about the room, most of the girls were in deep conversation, their eyes trained on the same subject in the room, including Maisy's group. He shook his head. This was a university, not a middle school. Daftness came in all ages, he supposed.

"What?" Gadget queried, taking notice of the furrowed brow and the folded arms.

"Nothing," Dex muttered, shuffling forward a few paces as the line moved ahead. Both he and Gadget grabbed a plate of chocolate cake.

Gadget looked back at the new teacher and snickered.

"Don't let it get to you."

"She's just as bad as everyone else."

"Who? Maisy?"

"Yeah..."

Gadget shrugged.

"It's probably just a phase. Next week she'll fall for Basil again or someone."

Trays full, they set off to find a table. Tillie waved at them from a corner. They headed towards her.

"I dunno. I kinda...," Dex began, then stopped as they reached the table, sitting down with their trays. Tillie was already deep in her bowl of clam chowder.

"You what?" Gadget asked as she pulled her chair up.

"It's... whatever."

"What?"

Dex picked up his spoon, swirled it around in his own bowl of clam chowder, then set it down. Screw it. He grabbed his fork and dug into the chocolate cake instead.

"I miss when we used to hang out more."

"What are we talking about now?" Tillie asked, only half-interested.

No one said anything right away. Gadget picked at her sunflower seed salad for a minute, then spoke.

"You're her brother. She'll come back around eventually."

Dex shrugged again. He was about to shove another large piece of chocolate cake into his mouth when something lightly bumped his elbow. He turned and looked down. It was Olivia.

"Sign my petition?" she asked, her little whiskers upturned in a wide smile.

Dex couldn't help but mirror that infectious grin. In the distance, something... someone... caught his eye. It was Maisy. She frowned at him and shook her head. Dex frowned back. He took the clipboard and pen from Olivia's outstretched paws.

"You know what? Sure, kid. Baseball, right?"

"Uh-huh! We're going to have a mascot again, too! I hope..."

He handed her back the clipboard and pen and ruffled her hair, or, rather, the top of her tam-o-shanter.

"Break a leg, kid."

"Thank you!" she beamed, and off she went.

Dex smiled. In the background, Maisy shook her head. Dex snapped his fingers and winked, finger-gunning her. She rolled her eyes and went back to talking to her friends.

"Ugh. He's such a tease," complained Maisy to her company, twirling a strand of her long, golden hair as she sipped soda through a straw.

"He just cares about other people. Heck, I signed her petition," the black-furred mouse said. "How come you never hang out with your brother anymore? He's been lookin' kinda sad..."

"He's not even my real brother, Marvell. He's just my half-brother. You know that. Do we look like we're related?"

"But y'all used to be so close! What happened?"

Maisy shrugged.

"I dunno. We just... shifted."

"Don't you mean 'drifted'?" offered up a boy rat next to her.

"Whatever," Maisy shrugged. "Anyway, what do you guys think of him?" she smirked, jerking her head in the direction of Pinky still in line at the food bar.

All at the table turned their heads to look at him. He seemed to be picking out quite an odd assortment of foods: a hot dog, two cups of custard, and several pieces of cheese - just cheese. Every person that passed him a "hello" he greeted with a chipper "Good morning!", and his attitude towards the servers was polite and enthusiastic. Those around him couldn't seem to keep the smiles off their faces. Even the students generally known to be more reserved or stuck up couldn't help but throw him a curious glance. He was, for lack of a better term, "sunshine-y".

The boy rat popped several corn puffs in his mouth, his dry expression unchanged.

"He's kind of a twink, isn't he?"

Maisy slapped him on the shoulder playfully.

"He is not!"

"Dude. Come on..."

"He's not that young," Marvell said, filing her nails as another of their group, a white mouse in a red shirt and with a yellow sash tied about his neck, came and sat down beside her, a cup full of fizzy raspberry water tottering dangerously on the edge of his tray. "He is kinda cute, though..."

The white mouse set down his tray carefully... but not carefully enough. Slip went the cup, the mouse grabbing it before its contents could spill out entirely.

"AH!" Marvell yelped, jumping a little. "Stuart, that's the second time this week!"

"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry, Marvell!" the little mouse said, apologizing profusely as he skittered off towards the food bar. "I'll go get some napkins!"

"Awww, man. I just washed this," lamented Marvell, picking up a corner of her frilly blue frock, now tainted with fizz. "Well... At least it's just water. I can work with this, right? Looks kinda... sassy?"

The boy rat sat up, the better to look at Marvell's new fashion statement. The water had painted the rounded edges of one side of the dress. It could have passed for an interesting pattern if one squinted hard enough.

"Yeah, sure. You could pass it off as the new look," he suggested, smiling.

"Hm," Marvell replied, smirking as she sat back down, ringing out the dress edge.

Maisy didn't seem the least bit phased.

"I think he's kinda hot," she said, eyelashes fluttering as she sipped at her soda noisily.

"Hotter than Globetrotter?" sniggered the boy rat.

"Okay, Globetrotter's in his own league. Okay? I can never compete with that."

"Ummm...," Marvell mumbled, covering her mouth in a vain attempt to hide her embarrassed smile as she pointed to a figure behind Maisy's back.

"What?" Maisy asked, craning around slightly to look before swiftly turning back 'round in her seat again, shoulder hunched as she visibly blushed. "Oh my gosh," she whispered, burying her face in her hands.

The boy rat beside her could barely hide his laughter as Globetrotter walked past them, his nose deep in a very thick, very red, and very heavy-looking book. Had he actually been paying attention to their conversation Maisy might have had more reason to involuntarily add a bit of color to her cheeks. As it stood, however, he had not, and so continued towards the bar, oblivious to the fact that he was now fifth in line behind Pinky.

"That's astounding!" Pinky exclaimed, tray of food all but forgotten as he leaned across a glass awning in front of him, totally invested in Pip's latest story. "But... how were you able to keep the syrup layer from separating?"

"Oh, that's easy!" Pip replied, and on and on he went.

Two students ahead of Pinky peered back, interested. Others behind him simply chuckled... or tapped their foot impatiently. To Globetrotter it was complete gibberish. The culinary arts was a branch he rarely dabbled in unless absolutely necessary. Although I do make a mean rigatoni, he thought to himself before shaking his head disgustedly. Where the heck did that come from? He was supposed to be engulfed in Brownian Motion and Stochastic Calculus, but, as it stood, he found his attention inexplicably pulled towards a much... lesser subject. It was unfathomable how anyone could be so intrigued by such mundane topics as the properties of pancakes and how effectively one might prepare them, but the fanaticism with which his coworker now described it was almost... infectious. Nevertheless, Globetrotter frowned as he checked his watch. 12:18 PM. They were wasting precious time. He was wasting his precious time.

"Will you move along already!" he called out, voice peppered with vexation. "I've got class in twenty-seven minutes!"

"Oh! So sorry!" Pinky called back, paws quickly grabbing hold of his tray once more. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Pip. Good luck with your pancakes!"

"Same to you, my good man!" Pip squeaked back. "What a pleasant fellow," he muttered to himself, smiling as Pinky walked off towards the refreshments bar, laden with food.

Globetrotter huffed and moved forward, grabbing a single bowl of fruit and a cup of cottage cheese on his way down. As he passed the pasta section, he paused, reached out a hesitant paw towards a plate of spaghetti, then quickly snapped it back, sighing and frowning sadly as he moved on to the refreshments, grabbing a banana on his way over and angrily slapping it down on his tray.

He stopped beside Pinky, who was humming and pouring himself some English Breakfast tea. Globetrotter huffed again. Flavored water - a poor man's excuse for caffeine. How anyone could drink that stuff was beyond him. He went for the coffee, pulled down the carafe lever... and grumbled. Empty.

"Is there any place in this building that can afford a mouse a decent cup of coffee?!" he whined, popping his empty cup back onto the others.

"Oh, that's a shame there, isn't it? Have you tried the tea, Brain?" Pinky offered helpfully, as he popped a lid on his own steaming cup.

"I refuse to bow my knee to such a lowbrow form of refreshment," Globetrotter bit back, picking up his tray. "And it's Brian, you nincompoop."

"Well, how do you know you don't like it if you don't try it? Poit!" Pinky replied, unfazed by the retort.

"If I liked it I'd drink it. Good day to you."

And off he went, choosing a spot as far back in the room as possible, Pinky sadly watching him as he picked out a table devoid of occupants. Pinky looked back at the empty coffee cup, a light whimper escaping him as he stared at it dolefully. He turned back to focus on Globetrotter, who was once more lost in his big red book. Students who sat nearby gave him as wide of a berth as they could. Pinky's ears drooped. What a sad little man, he thought. But it wasn't long before they perked back up again. Why, yes. Of course! Beaming, he set his tray down at an occupied table ("Watch this for me, will you?"), and rushed out of the cafeteria, leaving several students at the table to stare after him, puzzled.

Flip. Globetrotter turned a page of his massive tome, popping a grape in his mouth and crunching down on it satisfactorily. Flip, flip, flip. He looked to his right. A girl mouse sat nearby, also buried in a book. A huge pink bow sat atop her head. He recognized her. She was one of his students. Teresa, her name was, if he recalled correctly. She was one of his brighter subjects, but struggled with the occasional mathematical theory. As it was, her nose practically brushed the pages of a book that Globetrotter recognized by sight alone: Calculus by Gilbert Strang. Teresa sighed deeply, her unironed brow effectively relaying her frustration. She looked up... and jumped a little as she noticed Globetrotter staring at her, a light pink almost the exact color of her bow kissing her cheeks. Globetrotter slowly ducked back into his own texts, his peripheral vision catching Teresa shifting her seat over a notch in embarrassment.

A paw reached out to grab for his coffee, and he looked up when it touched nothing. Right. No coffee... Sighing, he popped another grape in his mouth, biting into it rather harder than necessary. Nearby, at another table, several students whispered.

"Did you find out what he teaches?" a girl vole asked, her question laced with ardor.

"Yup. He teaches Trozology," replied a male rat next to her, a pair of thick headphones hung about his neck.

"What the heck is that?" voiced another female rodent at their table, a cream-furred mouse decked out in purple - purple shirt; purple pants; purple socks; purple everything.

"I dunno," the rat shrugged. "Sounds kinda cool, though."

Globetrotter frowned. His ears twitched as tinkling laughter echoed from another table beside him.

"I knooooooow. He's so cute!" chuckled a rosy pink-eared mouse. She spoke in a barely-contained whisper along with the rest of her group, all of which sported bulky backpacks laid out on their table and decorated with all sorts of patches, stickers, and keychains. "I hope I can get a spot in his class!"

"I think he still has slots open!" one of her friends, a field rat, spoke up. "As far as I know, though, no one's actually signed up."

"Whyyyyyy? He's adorable! I'm gonna sign up just so I can stare at that face every day," a girl hamster said.

"What if you don't even like the class?" the second friend spoiled. "Maybe it's a dud. And we don't really have time in our schedules for another course..."

They all paused sadly and contemplatively at this. Then the first girl perked up.

"Well, I guess we'll get him all to ourselves then. If no one else likes the class then we'll stay just for the teacher!"

"Yeah, until every other girl does the same thing. You know we're not the only ones with the hots for him," the hamster said, taking a swig from her soda bottle.

"Well, then I guess we'll just have to fight for him," smiled the rat nonchalantly as she picked at her nails.

"Fight for him?!" yelped the other girls, covering their mouths at their loudness. "Oh my gosh. Seriously?!"

"Yeah! Anyone who comes up, we'll tell 'em to meet us at the park at two. No knives. Just like... nail clippers and hair curlers or something..."

"No no! Wait! We tell them to meet us at the baseball stadium!" offered the hamster, soda pop forgotten.

"You mean the one Olivia's petitioning?" the girl mouse asked. "It's not even built yet!"

"Yeah, but when it is we can tell them to meet there!"

"Winner gets dibs. They get to call first date," said the rat.

"And the loser has to pay for the dinner tab."

"Yeah!"

"Oh my gosh, you guys are so funny," the mouse chuckled.

They all laughed gaily.

Globetrotter's frown deepened, his mouth hanging open, another grape suspended in mid-air. Was Pinkus really... that popular? He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the conversations now swimming about his consciousness, when yet another light exchange, a distant one this time, caught his ears.

"... thinking of actually dropping Globetrotter's class to take that Ronald guy's one. It's just as many credits. Probably way more fun."

Globetrotter gulped. He tried reading a sentence in his book, only to find that he kept gracing the same words over and over and over again. Blast it. He couldn't concentrate. He plopped the book down on the table and went to devouring his cottage cheese, all around him oblivious to the private war going on in his mind.

Why do you care what they think? They're kids. They're idiots.

Yes, and have you forgotten what happened when Basil came to the school two years ago? They went gah-gah over him, too.

They didn't all abandon my class!

Nooooo, but half of them did. And Basil taught a required course at the time. Same as yours. They all went for his. He was much more interesting than you.

That's neither here nor there! I'm still employed, aren't I? My class is still sought after.

For now, and only because it's required. This new guy is significantly more popular. What if his class becomes required? What if it's worse than before? What if you become... old hat?

"No!" Globetrotter yelled, out loud. Half the cafeteria paused to stare at him. He sunk in his seat a little. How embarrassing...

In mock resoluteness, he grabbed the book before him and went back to reading. But he was only truly pretending to read, the bright crimson covers a pathetic excuse for a hole in which the frightened mouse hid.

The truth was that, despite his behavior being anything but amicable, his notorious reputation in the school had garnered him something akin to a celebrity status over the years. The course was required, certainly, even though he wasn't the only teacher who taught it, but the struggle to survive the rigorous schedule and harsh grading system he doled out had become a flat out challenge to the students. How long could you last? Would you manage to nab the ever elusive 'A' during a semester? One pupil even became famous for handing out "I Survived Globetrotter's Class" t-shirts. They hated the teacher, but reveled in the challenge. It was something that Globetrotter became ironically comfortable with over the years. Being notorious was better than not being noticed at all. He couldn't abide the thought of being second fiddle; of falling into obscurity. He'd never had reason to be concerned about it for seventeen years, even during Basil's "reign", but now...? Now he had legitimate competition. In all his years at A.C.M.E. Arts & Sciences, he'd never known an instructor so heavily discussed, so quixotic, so beloved, even on the very first day of his employment. Pinky was new and different, in all the wrong ways to him, yet in all the right ways to the students. And it terrified him.

On a sudden whim, he whipped out a pen from his inside jacket pocket and wrote feverishly on a napkin in front of him. He didn't see the tall figure approach him.

"Hello, Brain!"

Globetrotter practically leapt out of his skin.

"AH! Wh-... You..! Don't... do that!" he remarked, hastily stuffing the napkin and pen back into his coat pocket. He clutched at his heart, taking deep breaths as he rested his head in his palm.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Brain!" poor Pinky replied, resting a hand on Globetrotter's back comfortingly. Globetrotter shrugged it off, literally.

"And don't touch me! I just... h-had this... p-pressed," Globetrotter snapped, still catching his breath. "Who knows where your... paws have... been..."

"Oh, well, they haven't been far, Brain. They're always at my side! Ha-ha!"

Globetrotter cocked an eyebrow up at him, speechless. There was no way anyone could be this inordinately stupid.

"Mind if I join you?" Pinky asked, all innocence, that perpetually sunny smile never leaving his face.

"As I matter, of fact, I-"

"Oh, thank you!" Pinky initiated, grabbing a chair and pulling it close up to Globetrotter. Too close for his comfort. Apparently, personal space was something of a foreign concept to this character. "You know, I don't usually eat in public. Don't want to miss The Brady Bunch, you know? Hm hm. But it's rather nice out here! I might come and sit with you more often."

Heaven forbid, Globetrotter thought, ears reddening.

"Would you kindly refrain from mentioning that abomination of a tv show in my presence? It sickens me. And I don't appreciate your unnaturally close proximity."

"Come again?" Pinky asked, cocking his head.

"Move," Globetrotter said, managing, with difficulty, to push Pinky and the chair he sat in over an inch.

"Well, you could have just asked," Pinky chuckled, still smiling. He complied, scooting his chair a couple more inches away from Brain.

"Thank you," bit Globetrotter, turning away from Pinky and directing his attention back to the giant tome in front of him. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like a little privacy."

"Oh, but, I came to give you something!" Pinky exclaimed, and Globetrotter, despite himself, shiftily looked over as the lanky mouse dug in his pants pocket for... something. "A-ha! Here ya' go!"

And he handed him... a teabag? No. Not a teabag. It was too big to be a teabag.

Globetrotter took it from him tentatively, two fingers holding it away from his body as if it might explode.

"What is it?"

"Chicory root! I just thought that, well, when you couldn't find any coffee it reminded me of my mum. She used to be a big coffee drinker, too. She stopped recently, but she still missed the taste. Chicory root tastes a lot like coffee, only better! M-Maybe you'd like it, too?" Pinky offered helpfully, a tinge of shyness peppering his smile.

Globetrotter looked up at Pinky, nonplussed... and a wee bit confused. No one ever gave him anything; not unless he directly asked for it. To be fair, no one was ever bold enough to even attempt to show him much kindness, seeing as the result was often times a sharp reply and a sinister glare. This newcomer obviously hadn't learned the rules yet.

"Teachers... don't usually give me gifts," Globetrotter admitted. "Not unless I ask for them." Nevertheless, he pocketed the chicory root.

"Perhaps that's because you don't ask nicely, Brain? People give you lots of things when you're nice to them!"

It wasn't so much the statement itself, but the boldness of its deliverance that took Globetrotter aback.

"Sooooo... you're saying... I should be nice... to get rewards?"

"Oh, no, Brain! That would be taking advantage! You should be nice to people, 'cause, well, it's nice! And then they're nice to you! Don't you like making people happy?"

"No."

"Not even a little bit?"

"No one has ever given me reason to."

"Well, maybe they would if you showed them a little smile!"

And he actually stuck two fingers up against Globetrotter's cheeks, pushing up on each side in an attempt to draw something close to a grin on his drooping face.

"Ohhhhhhh. There's that smile, Brain!"

"Would you get off?!" Globetrotter blasted, waving his arms around as he flung Pinky off of him. "I told you not to touch me!"

His cheeks and ears burned red at the sound of laughter nearby. Some of the students had been watching and were now drowning in a hushed fit of giggles. Naturally...

"You dimwit. If you're still sitting in that chair in five seconds, I shall personally have to harm you," threatened Globetrotter, cheeks reddening worse than ever as his paws balled into fists.

"Do I get a prize if I leave in four?" Pinky smirked.

"One..."

"Or maybe I'll get one if I stay longer! It pays to be persistent sometimes, Brain."

"Two..."

"You know, you're rather funny when your ears turn red. Nya-ha-ha!"

"FOUR...!"

"Going, Brain!"

And with that, he was off, picking his food up off his tray to take back to his room, giggling to himself and humming, of all things, "Camptown Races" as he headed for the doors. One of the teachers, a Dr. Dawson, smiled at Pinky as he walked past him. And Dr. Dawson... Oh, have mercy. Dr. Dawson started singing along with him.

"I say. I do recognize that tune, young man!" Dawson said, grinning warmly. "Camptown ladies sing this song! Doo-dah! Doo-dah!"

"Camptown race-track five miles long! Oh, doo-da day!" Pinky sung back, beaming.

Others joined in. Still others. Soon, almost the entire cafeteria, minus Globetrotter and a few stragglers, was decked out in song.

"Gwine to run all night! Gwine to run all day! Bet my money on the bob-tailed nag! Somebody bet on the bay!"

And with that, everyone burst out into hearty laughter, Pinky's wail the loudest of all. He and Dr. Dawson exchanged a friendly word or two, shook hands, and with that, Pinky departed, leaving a trail of chuckles behind.

Globetrotter blinked, his mouth hanging slightly open again. Whatever had happened was... terrifying. This bloke didn't just have an effect on the students, but on the whole school. Even the teachers were getting involved! It was official. This needed to end. He had to be stopped...

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Pinky was still humming "Camptown Races" all the way back to his classroom. He'd just reached the door when a little someone came pitter-pattering down the hallway after him.

"Mr. Pinky! Mr. Pinky!" she called, hat bobbing wildly up and down on her ruffled, furry head.

"Hello, Olivia!" Pinky said, grinning from ear to ear.

"That was amazing!" she gasped, panting. "Mrs. Judson said she could hear you from the nurses' office. She was singing with you!"

They both giggled at this.

"Well, tell Mrs. Judson that Mr. Pinky is glad she enjoyed the song!" Pinky said.

"Oh, I will! I will! By the way, umm... do you have any more classes planned?" Olivia asked, tucking her paws behind her and rocking back and forth, the pink cheeks only complementing her humble posture. She looked awfully cute.

"Hmmmmm. Will you be here tomorrow?"

"Is that a Friday?"

"I think so."

"Yes! Yes, I will!"

"2:00 PM sharp tomorrow, little lady," Pinky said, winking at her.

"2:00 PM sharp, Mr. Pinky!" Olivia repeated, saluting him. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

And off she trotted.

"Oh! Olivia!" Pinky called.

Olivia stopped and turned around, her mouth in a curious little 'o' shape. Pulling a hand out of his pocket, Pinky tossed her a bag of crisps. She caught it with a trained paw.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, popping open the bag and tossing a chip in her mouth as she ran off and around a corner.

"Olivia!" Pinky called again, a hand to his mouth.

"Hm?" she queried, popping her head around the corner.

"How many signatures?!"

"Thirty-seven!"

"Woo-hoo!"

"Woo woo!" she called back, before flying off once more.

Pinky smiled, giggling to himself, as he turned the door handle and disappeared inside.

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

Author's Notes:

- Marvell is an original character created by a friend of mine who goes by the cognomen of "Geeky". You can find her lovely art and cute character on Twitter at: GeekyBlackGirl

- Flip phones weren't exactly in wide use in '93, but I cheated here for convenience's sake and story purposes.

- The book that Teresa was reading, as well as the book Globetrotter carried around with him, are actual published works. Stochastic calculus is, apparently, a very advanced form of the subject. Brain considers it light reading.

- Your typical volcano science project is partially composed of baking soda, which, in turn, is made up of sodium bicarbonate. The whole thing is a reference to Globetrotter's explosive personality, and how he views the current predicament as such: one big problem on the verge of erupting and destroying his position if he doesn't do something... and fast.

- Globetrotter going for the cottage cheese and fruit, while sadly eschewing the pasta, is due to the fact that, in this story, he has terrible bowel and diarrhea issues. He's been told by his doctor to avoid certain foods, but finds this... a struggle at times. I dunno why I decided to give him this problem, other than the fact that it amuses me. Lol.

- Olivia is a lot of fun to write. :)

#fan fiction #pinky and the brain

[nebulastarss]

So, in that post with the art of Rantaro and Kaito, I talked about an au in the tags but didn't go into much detail. This post is just, all about the detail. Keep in mind, had it been just me planning out this AU, it wouldn't be nearly as angsty. I worked on it with @miswritten-chronology

It started off with me just... Talking about the different fusions and their appearances, and how fusing works, so let's start like that here too!

In this AU, the fusing is kind of similar to Steven Universe. A fusion can be unstable, corrupted, or stable. A large difference is, these aren't Gems, they're still humans. In this AU, fusing is a normal thing that everyone can do. Also, you can fuse with a corrupted person without getting corrupted yourself.

Shuichi fuses with all but 2 of his classmates: Tsumugi and Maki. The reason is, when you fuse, you share memories. He accidentally fused with so many people, but he's so likeable that none of the fusions fall apart or get corrupted.

Two of them are already corrupted actually. Miu and Korekiyo. They both have small dots all over their bodies, and not a soul realizes this about Kiyo until he accidentally fuses with Shuichi and they see the (smaller amount of) skin dot things. Miu also fuses with Shuichi, and Kaede at one point, so I'mma talk about their appearances for a second.

The Shuichi and Miu fusion is really pretty, wearing a balance between Shuichi's very covering clothes and Miu's explosion to make a crop top and shorts (not booty shorts). Their hair is around mid-back and I haven't decided on a color yet. They do have Miu's eye color though.

The Kiyo fusion has really nice hair and a lot of accessories. That's all that I wrote down about it. The hair is a more saturated blue than either of their individual hair. That's all I can really say about it.

The Kaede fusion was also accidental but Kaede just shrugged and let it happen and Shuichi always panics too much to really do anything when accidentally fusing. Their wearing a medium purple striped skirt with the long sleeved white button up shirt they both wear. The hair is shoulder length and a desaturated blond.

Kaede still kills someone in chapter 1, so their fusion is Kaito's way of trying to cheer him up. It has Kaito length hair, but down with a galaxy-like gradient. They have a white shirt with red lines, a long blue jacket with a galaxy under side. The pants are a dark purple with Shuichi's shoes. They're also tall as all hell, being around 7-8 feet tall.

The next one I talked about before we got into the story element is Kiibo's fuse. Kiibs wanted to prove that he can do it too, and chose Shuichi because everyone trusts Shuichi. It was mainly a robot Shuichi but with some Kiibo attributes, like eyes and antenna. When he heard the inner voice, Shuichi startled so fiercely that he broke the fusion.

Their talents are also fused, depending on who's more... There's no other way to say it. I'm not gonna tho. Let's take the Miu and Shuichi fusion. The fusion takes after Miu more, along with her talent, making them a puzzle designer. You can figure out why without me having to type it again.

Of course then we got derailed by talking about a fuse that would never happen. Kokichi doesn't like memory sharing, and fights fusions like there's no tomorrow, making them very unstable and fall apart near instantly. The only person he fuses with is Shuichi, accidentally. They just sorta... sit on the ground, blue screening as they process all of the information. The whole class is gathered around, asking if their ok but they keep staring off into space. Because of the memory sharing, Kokichi doesn't do anything too stupid, and Shuichi is the only one who understands him. I'll talk about their appearance in a second.

We had been talking about a fusion between Himiko and Kokichi (Talent: Illusionist) because... Short. Kokichi is 5'1, Himiko 4'11, fused they would actually shrink, being around Ryoma's height. If Ryoma joined the fusion, they would be even smaller, around 2 feet. The size of a baby. Ryoma and Himiko do fuse at one point tho, being around 4'3. They have a witch hat with cat ears, a red shirt with a black and blue striped jacket, leggings with shorts over them, and Ryoma's shoes.

Back to Kokichi, his fusion with Shuichi is very feminine. They have Kokichi's hair length, but straight like Shuichi's so it looks longer. Long as hell eyelashes too, from Shuichi. They have a long sleeved grey shirt and a skirt on (neither mind it, but it's kinda confusing). The skirt is about knee length and very poofy. Also I'm pretty sure I saw that Kokichi has a belt so I'm using that. And chubby cheeks but shhhh.

Now, to the story!

The first one to kill is still "Kaede", but Rantaro had accidentally fused with Kirumi, shared memories, and he trusted her. He asked if she could check it out, and she died. That gives both of them enormous guilt but Rantaro has a small, sickening relief that it wasn't him that he ignores. Chapter one, Kirumi, Kaede, and Monokid die.

Chapter 2, we didn't talk this one out much, but Ryoma accidentally killed Angie. Everyone still thinks well of Angie when she dies, because she never got a chance to form the student council. Chapter two, Angie, Ryoma, and Monosuke die.

Next, our trio. The murderer is still Kiyo, and he kills in the same way. Chapter three, Tenko, Himiko, Korekiyo, and Monophanie die.

In the next chapter, Miu wouldn't go after Kokichi as he's close to Shuichi. She goes after and kills Gonta. Chapter four, Gonta, Miu, and Monotaro die.

Chapter 5 is the heaviest chapter because she went fuking HAM on the angst. We both agreed that Kokichi wouldn't do his mastermind plan so we had to figure out a whole new chapter 5 to pave the way for chapter 6. We decided that Rantaro and Kaito are a Chaos Duo and would absolutely blow shit up. Kaito hadn't fused since chapter 3 due to his illness, and Rantaro barely fuses, keep that in mind. They've been working together since a bit before the 4th trial, making things with the help of Monodam, who really doesn't give a shit anymore.

They get into the other Exisals, and blow up the inner wall of the dome, and a bit of the outer. There's defense mechanisms, obviously, but they're in the Exisals so they're fine. They stop outside one of the buildings with a satellite. They figure out that everything is being broadcasted and hijack Kiibo's inner voice to tell him

Basically, they give Kiibs a heart attack because they just heard a bunch of explosions and gun shots and now suddenly his missing friends are talking to him through his head. He relays the information, but at some point they start coughing.

At that point, Monokuma had locked them in and filled the building with poison. The two fuse, a small smile on their face as they cut off Kiibo's voice, lose oxygen, and die. The other explosives they had rigged start going off around the school dome as Kiibo, now free and traumatized, starts upgrading himself.

The first Danganronpa chapter to end without a trial. Feels kinda weird am I right?

The 6th trial goes as expected. They already know that it's being broadcast to the outside so Tsumugi can't shock them with that, and the outside can't take over Kiibo, as he's been permanently disconnected. Kiibs doesn't have to self-destruct as the dome is already in pieces with the combined effort of Kaito, Rantaro, and him, so he just blows up the school and lands. Tsumugi dies, but Maki, Shuichi, Kokichi, and Kiibo survive.

Tada

#fusion au #danganronpa #danganronpa au #shuichi saihara #kokichi ouma #himiko yumeno #kaede akamatsu #rantaro amami #angie yonaga #kirumi tojo #tenko chabashira #korekiyo shinguji #miu iruma #gonta gokuhara #kaito momota #tsumugi shirogane #k1 b0 #maki harukawa #and thats the fusion au! #sorry #i still dont know how to do *read more* let alone on mobile #im trying my best

[sincerelyreidburke]

Hey again! So like, you are under no obligation, and I send you too many asks anyway but... if you're down for writing Spencer's reaction to A FROSH GETTING EVAN THE AUDACITY I would be so pleased :) lol

First of all: you don’t send me too many asks. I believe the phrase you’re looking for is “I enable you to write fun things often”. Which is highly encouraged, in this establishment.

Second: yes. And for those who aren’t Via, let me enlighten you. Spencer is a Kiersey College drama club OC, part of the group of characters I created to enhance Quinn’s college drama club experience (and to have more fun on “Quinn Theatre Hours” Monday nights). You can read a comprehensive introduction to the drama club cast in this fic, which tells the story of the week leading up to Quinn’s casting in Dear Evan Hansen his freshman year.

Spencer is... hm, how shall we say. A giant asshole. He’s a junior theatre kid who fully expects that the role of Evan will land neatly in his lap. This ficlet depicts as much. It takes place pretty much simultaneously with the casting fic I linked to above.

This is also a precursor of sorts to a longer drama club fic, which I’m working on, that Via has also asked after. Stay tuned for that, because there is where you’ll see some serious, well... drama.

Until then: Spencer can choke. I’m entertained by the fact that I’m now being asked to write things from the point of view of the bully. Here’s what you asked for!

//

Today is going to be an amazing day.

And here’s why. Spencer has been waiting— all week, certainly, but also for months, even since the school year began, to see something he finally gets to see today. During all three of his years at Kiersey, the spring musical has been something to look forward to, but especially this year, with so much riding on it. Today, the cast list goes up for the biggest show of his life. Today, he confirms his place in a  role he’s been dreaming of playing for months. Today, he starts to lead this year’s cast.

He knows that the show was chosen for him. Dr. C is notorious for it— she’s not shy about choosing shows based on who she has available for casting. It’s resourceful, Spencer has told her time and again; after all, you have to work with what you have. It’s like how she chose Book of Mormon last year for him— well, and for Reid, he guesses, but mostly for him. And how the director at his and Kelsie’s high school chose Thoroughly Modern Millie for the two of them their senior year.

He planted the seed for Dear Evan Hansen in Dr. C’s head last spring, an offhanded mention in a conversation, right around the time Book of Mormon was closing. He forwarded her a few articles over the summer, just to jog her interest, and he and Kelsie even went to New York to see the show in June, so he typed up a review and sent it her way. When he arrived on campus this past fall, he was thrilled to hear she’d taken his advice. It would be their spring 2018 show.

His audition went just as expected, and he read for Evan during his callback. So this morning, when he rolls out of bed at five-thirty sharp, it’s the first thing on his mind, without a doubt in it. Today is the day he starts being Evan Hansen.

He deserves this.

To start his great day, he grabs a morning workout, like always. In the gym, he sees one of the freshmen who auditioned, using an elliptical and wearing pink leggings. She has curly, golden blond hair piled into a high ponytail, full lips, and tan skin. Her name is… Maddie? Mallory? He isn’t sure, but what does it matter anyway. She was in callbacks with him last night, and she wasn’t projecting well.

So he doesn’t say hello, and doesn’t even think she’ll notice him until he passes her as he’s leaving. She’s refilling a water bottle with stickers all over it, and she waves. “Hey, Spencer.”

“Oh!” He pretends to be surprised. “Hi, Maddie.”

“Uh.” She chuckles a little, and shakes her head. “It’s— Maggie, actually.”

“Oh. Sorry about that.” He stops in front of her, and bends down— she’s a little short— to deliver a word for the wise. “Hey, by the way… don’t take it too hard if you aren’t cast in a bigger role today.” She arches an eyebrow, and he continues, because she ought to know. “There just aren’t a lot of roles that would fit… you, y’know?”

It doesn’t look like Maggie understands what he means, but she shrugs and folds her arms, all standoffish. “Well, good luck to you, too.”

“Thank you!” He flashes a smile. “It’s always great to see beginners joining the musical.”

Maggie purses her lips and scowls as he turns to go. Huh. What a bitch. He was only telling her what she needed to hear.

Well, it’s her loss. Freshmen rarely ever get speaking roles. And it’s not like Zoe is going to anybody besides Kelsie.

He texts his girlfriend on the way out of the gym. Kelsie is an early riser, too, but she doesn’t work out in the morning like he does. By now, in her morning routine, she’ll be through with her shower and doing her hair.

They meet for breakfast every morning, but this morning, it’ll be a quick affair. The cast list goes up at 9:00 sharp in the Beckett Performing Arts Center lobby, and they have every intention to be the first ones there.

So Spencer showers and gets dressed, donning a blue shirt for the occasion. He meets up with Kelsie in the lobby of their dorm, and they walk to the dining hall hand-in-hand, leaving right around 8:00. It’s sunny out today, but still freezing cold.

“So,” she asks him, as they stroll down the sidewalk. “Any bold predictions?” She pauses to grin and bump against his hip, as she adds, “Besides the obvious.”

Spencer beams. He loves their relationship for so many reasons, but especially because they support each other so well. “Well,” he begins, pulling his stocking cap down on his head. “I think Reid is a dead ringer for Jared.” Which will be easy, because although Reid is unfunny at best, Spencer is used to working with him; he got well accustomed to it on Book of Mormon.

“Oh, absolutely.” Kelsie nods. “And I think… Claire, as Heidi? I can’t be sure, but—” She pauses for an exaggerated eyeroll, which is absolutely warranted, because Claire is such a goody two-shoes it’s insufferable. “I know Dr. C likes giving her principal roles.”

“Which I, for one, do not understand,” he quips.

“Tell me about it.” Kelsie sighs, then shakes her head. “But I could see Claire going that way.”

“I could, as well.” He pauses, racks his brain of the names on the audition list. He checked it religiously, to see who was trying to get involved, even after he had secured his spot as first on the list. “And… hm… alright, I’m not saying I’d like to see Danny Cho as Larry, but given they didn’t run his part in callbacks at all last night…”

“Mm,” Kelsie hums. “I think you’re right. That’s a shame. His singing is suspect at best.”

“And his acting…” He sighs. “I hope he can pull it off.”

“Maybe he can.” Kelsie swings his hand a little, and they sidestep for a rushing student who must be late to their eight-AM class. When they regain sidewalk space, she looks to him, smoothing her bangs, and asks, “And Connor?...”

“Hm.” Spencer’s mind lands on someone, but it’s an underwhelming thought. “Cole?”

“Oh.” Kelsie pauses, like she forgot he existed. Which is easy to do, because Cole, the sophomore he’s thinking of, is quiet and irrelevant. Spencer was surprised to see him audition; he played guitar in the pit for Book of Mormon, and from there he always assumed he was a fly-under-the-radar type. But he read all of Connor’s parts in callbacks. “Well, he has the look.”

“It’s a typecast,” he agrees. “He seems… sketchy?”

“Right? Kind of a weirdo,” Kelsie says. She raises an eyebrow at him, and asks, “Do you think you could work with him?”

“Well, it isn’t like I’ll have much of a choice,” he remarks. “But who knows? Maybe someone else will get Connor.”

“Maybe.” Kelsie pauses, then smiles and says, “You can do it.”

He kisses her cheek, as they walk along. “Thank you.”

From there, they move onto a rehearsal schedule tangent. It’s not until they’re almost at the dining hall that casting gets brought up again. “What about that kid?” Kelsie asks, suddenly, almost laughing. “The really short one, the freshman? Could he beat out Cole or Danny?”

“Oh…” Spencer thinks he knows who she means. “Scarf kid?” When she nods, he laughs out loud. “I highly doubt he’ll be seeing the cast list. I mean, Kels, he’s a freshman.”

“That’s true.” She shrugs. “You did get Anthony freshman year, though…”

He straightens a little as he walks, because it still makes him proud to think about Sweeney Todd freshman year. “I reserve myself as a small exception to the rule.”

Kelsie grins. “You’re gonna be great, babe,” she says, and even though he knows he will be, it still feels nice to hear it.

Breakfast is very nice. He has scrambled eggs and sausage patties from the grill, and she has a fruit salad with unsweetened tea, in accordance with her New Year’s weight-loss diet. They have a breakfast table in the corner, by tradition, and they even see Reid when they’re in there. He’s eating with his girlfriend, and flashes jazz hands at the both of them, with a grin. “Happy casting day!”

Spencer wonders, just slightly, if Reid has seen the cast list yet. He may be a student, but he’s drama club president all the same, and maybe he has pre-existing knowledge. But on second thought, Spencer doesn’t think Dr. C would do that. She doesn’t even give him advance knowledge of casting, and he would venture to call himself her favorite student.

So he just waves to Reid, because he and Kelsie are on their way out. “Morning, Reid.” There’s something like a shit-eating grin on Reid’s face, so he can’t resist asking. “Have you seen the list yet?”

“Oh, yeah, dude!” Reid kicks back in his chair. “Didn’t you hear the good news? I’m Evan!”

Spencer’s soul leaves his body. “You— I’m sorry, what?”

“I’m so excited.” Reid smooths out his hair before he dusts off his graphic tee. “Tell me— do you think I’ll look good in striped blue?”

This is not real life. “You can’t be serious.”

“No, tell him, Bri!” Still grinning, Reid looks to his girlfriend, this chubby art student who always has ceramic work on display in the admissions lobby. “Weren’t we just discussing how lovely my angelic voice will sound on Words Fail?”

Bri nods, with her chin in her hands. “Oh, for sure.”

Reid throws his hands up, all smiles. “See?”

Kelsie steps forward, like she’s about to say something. And just as Spencer’s heart is set to beat out of his chest, Reid doubles over and bursts out laughing. “Jesus, Spencer,” he says, smacking the table. “I’m just fucking with you, dude. Could you not tell I was joking?”

“Well, he’s a little on edge,” Kelsie cuts in. “We both are.”

Reid shrugs, putting his hands behind his head like his dining hall chair is actually a lounge chair on the beach. “Well,” he remarks. “I have seen the list, but it’s not up for another…” He glances at the big clock on the wall in the dining room. “Fourteen minutes, so you won’t hear any leaks from me.”

“Wait, really?” he asks. “Have you actually seen it.”

Reid shrugs, making a face like he’s just been instructed to ‘do a silly one’ in a family portrait.

Spencer hates Reid Burke. He’s never really been sure about this fact until today. It’s partly the fact that Reid is still kind of grinning, like this is some big joke— Reid treats everything like a big joke— and partly the fact that he knows, even if he resorted to groveling (which he will not), that he truly won’t get any leaks out of him. Even with fifteen minutes left until he’ll see it himself, it’s tantalizing to know that Reid is sitting right here with full knowledge of the cast, and won’t say a word.

And by the way, what the hell, Dr. C? Since when does she leak the cast list to students?

But standing here being mad at Reid isn’t going to make the list go up faster, so he rolls his eyes, as Reid zips his lips, and says, “Well, I’ll see you later.”

“Bye,” Kelsie adds, like she is less than enthused that she wasted three minutes of her life on this useless conversation. Which is exactly how Spencer feels.

“Idiot,” he mutters, as they walk away, and doesn’t even care if he’s in earshot. “He almost gave me a heart attack.”

“Spence,” Kelsie says, taking his hand to squeeze it. “You know you have nothing to worry about.”

“I know,” he replies, because she’s right, “but what’s up with Dr. C letting Reid see the list early? How does that work? I practically picked the show—”

“It’s bullshit,” she replies, as they bust their breakfast trays. “You should say something to her, later.”

“I think I will,” he says. He’s already planning what he’ll say, as they leave the dining hall and head at a brisk pace in the direction of Beckett. It’s a quick walk, fueled by both of their adrenaline, and when they reach the double doors, Spencer takes one last breath of crisp winter air before walking inside.

Dr. C is in the lobby, crossing from the direction of Beck 1C, where the board is, back toward her office. She’s in a multicolored knit sweater, and she holds her head high, a surefire sign she just did something important. “Good morning, Dr. C,” he says, with a chipper wave. “Is the list up? We wanted to be the first ones to see it.”

“Yes.” Dr. C nods, adjusting her glasses as she stops a moment to talk to them. “It was definitely difficult to cast, and… some people may not be happy, but it’s the best fitting for the programme, as we say.”

Her wording is cryptic, but it always is. Two and a half years in her inner circle, and he knows her well. “Ah, I’m sure you picked the right people,” he says, with a wink.

Dr. C looks between him and Kelsie, then nods. “I’m confident I did,” she says, and it gives him an extra thrill of excitement. A quick glance to Kelsie and she’s smiling like she won the lottery. “Have a nice morning, you two!” Dr. C says, as she starts for her office again.

Kelsie blows her a kiss, and Spencer waves. When they meet eyes again, he takes her hand, and looks to the corner where the bulletin board is.

“Ready?” she asks him.

It’s time.

“Never more ready,” he replies, and together, they walk to the board with its promised sheet of paper.

The anticipation is adrenaline enough. Spencer knows what he’ll find on the list, but is still eager to get to it, to see his name at the top. They round the corner, and there’s the list, fresh white against the board’s maroon paper base. It’s only a few more steps.

When they get there, Kelsie sees it first. She leans forward, then recoils, like she’s been burned. “What?!” she cries, loud enough to be heard inside the actual auditorium.

“Kels? What’s wrong?” He wonders if Claire beat her out for Zoe. He consults the list to investigate, and— and— oh.

Right around then is when the world stops turning.

*

“Quinn Cooper?” Kelsie is staring at the list, her arms crossed over her chest, a permanent scowl etched on her perfect face. “The scarf freshman? Are they kidding?”

Spencer feels frozen. He stares at the list in disbelief, reads it up and down again and again. He feels like he’s been standing here for twenty minutes, but it’s probably only been two or three.

DEAR EVAN HANSEN

Cast & Crew List

Evan Hansen: Quinn Cooper

Connor Murphy: Cole Kolinsky

Zoe Murphy: Claire Deshaies

Heidi Hansen: Allison Halterman

Larry Murphy: Daniel Cho

Jared Kleinman: Reid Burke

Cynthia Murphy: Kelsie Wilkes

Alana Beck: Maggie Atkins

U/S Evan: Spencer Bergen

It’s fake. One of Reid’s practical jokes. They’re all out to play a big junior-year prank on him. Everyone is in on it. Including the scarf freshman.

There’s. No. Way.

“This is—” Kelsie sputters, then shakes her head. “I can’t believe this.”

“I won’t believe this,” he says, speaking for the first time since he saw the list. “There has to be some kind of mistake.”

“Um, I would sure hope so,” she says, popping the p in ‘hope’. “This is— this is a joke.”

Quinn Cooper. The freshman the size of a hobbit. Who wears scarves to every drama club meeting. Who’s barely been at Kiersey for half a year. Who just stole the role of his dreams right out from under him.

Spencer absolutely cannot believe this. “I have to talk to Dr. C,” he says, and it’s more an out-loud realization than anything, but he turns on his heel and marches straight for her office as soon as the words are out. “Like. Right now.”

*

But talking to Dr. C is a useless affair. “I work with what I’m given, Spencer,” she says, sitting behind her desk like some kind of supervillain, more closed-off to him than he’s ever seen her. “The cast may not look exactly how you imagined it, but some of the newer students showed real promise this year.”

“But Dr. C—” He paces in front of her desk. “I suggested the show. I practiced all summer. I thought for sure—”

“Spencer, I chose the show on my own accord,” she says, evenly. “It’s true I take input from students, but that has no bearing on my casting decisions.”

He throws his hands in the air. “But you have to see how this is unfair to me—”

“I think,” she cuts in, in this icy tone that’s usually reserved for people who fuck up majorly, and never for him, not in his entire time at Kiersey, “that once you see how the cast falls together, you’ll respect the casting decisions I made as your director.”

He sputters and rants, but he doesn’t dare disrespect her, no matter how much she’s betrayed him.

And so it goes. He’s lost out on his role, in his spring musical, to some no-name freshman who probably can’t even belt.

And just in case there needed to be a cherry on top, he’s his understudy. Of all things. How humiliating.

Spencer’s life is over.

It’s not until much later that day, when he’s sulking in Kelsie’s dorm room, mourning his lost musical season, that the idea for a solution crosses his mind.

It’s sort of her idea, but sort of his. She, at least, brings it up. “Spence,” she says, nudging his arm. He’s been scrolling mindlessly through Twitter for who knows how long, while she flips through her newly acquired script. “Y’know… you’re his understudy.”

“Well, jeez, Kels, I hadn’t noticed,” he snaps, dropping his phone onto the bed. “Thanks for reminding me.”

“That wasn’t my point,” she replies, scowling. “What I meant was… you’re his understudy.”

He knows she isn’t stupid enough to say the same thing twice over, so he tries to read her meaning. She’s gesturing, like she wants him to get it, and on top of the day he’s had, he doesn’t appreciate being made to feel like an idiot. He’s about to tell her as much when something dawns on him.

Something in the form of very, very useful knowledge. “And that means…” he says. “I perform if he can’t.”

A wise smile crosses Kelsie’s face. “Exactly.”

“So all we have to do is…” He nods. It’s taking shape in his head now. His spring musical season may not be completely lost.

Kelsie’s fingernails dance over his knee. “You’re getting it.”

“Figure out a way to inhibit his ability to perform,” he finishes. He loves her so much. “Kels. You’re right.”

“I’m right?” Her smile goes innocent. “What are you talking about, babe? That was all your idea.”

For the first time since before the saw the list, he smiles, too. He wonders if he looks as conniving as he feels. “I might be able to figure this out,” he says.

“That you might,” she replies, with a nod. “All we have to do is figure out what that looks like.”

To save his musical, Spencer is very much willing to figure that out.

#ficlet #quinn theatre hours #mini quinny #by extension #fuck spencer's rights! #kiersey drama club #drama club drama #the insanely cool reid burke #kiersey college #mel writes

[lovelyirony]

Made up fic title: i keep praying all day (all day long)// I'm Alive, Ain't That Enough?//you complete me// (I'll send more when i think of em)

Bruce Banner doesn’t really pray, hasn’t since he was around eleven and prayed to whoever would listen to take him away from his family. Then the police came and there was a funeral for his mother and he had to lie on the stand and say that his father was a very nice man, yes he was! 

Prayer doesn’t solve anything. He supposes he knows that that is not the purpose, it’s supposed to help, but he just...doesn’t. It’s not the kind of help that he needs. Professional help is what he needs, but his insurance won’t cover it. 

For a while, life was actually...okay. He was a grad student all alone at Culver, working on science projects. Working on that high of a level means you meet other people like you. You bond over having train-tracks for braces when you were in high school and relentless bullying by kids who thought they were better than you. 

It’s kind of uncomfortable, how friendly people are when they know your circumstances. It’s weird that Bruce can ask someone if they just want to get lunch and there’s no double-edged sword hidden. 

This is how he meets Betty, who smiles and laughs like she’s enjoying every minute of life. She is. He asks her about that, how she’s so kind and nice. 

“If you can’t maintain kindness, how do you maintain anything else?” Betty asks. “I know what it’s like to have people make fun of me, and I don’t want that for anyone else.” 

Bruce loves her for that. He loves her anyway, like the way her eyes light up when their team plays Trivial Pursuit on Sunday nights and she knows the answer to the obscure pop culture trivia from the seventies. He loves her when she asks for an obscene amount of sugar in her coffee and makes little snacks for the middle of the day. 

He loves her when they’re lying in bed together and he can feel like his life is working out. 

There’s a ring planned. He hasn’t told anyone about that. Ever. 

Not since he got too confident and tried to harness a little power of God. Then he turned green, and that was enough. 

He couldn’t love Betty. He wouldn’t let her try to be nice and sacrifice what her life should be for what it would be. 

She wouldn’t like that he’s making that decision for her, but she would also probably say he was right. 

So he’s alone in the world. The government keeps trying to find him, but so far they’ve had no luck. They’re starting to get frustrated, and Ross can’t keep his task force on for very much longer. 

It’s sometimes fun, Bruce thinks. Sight-seeing with all this adrenaline and fear in his system. He finally makes it to Rome. He told Betty he always wanted to see the artwork. 

She told him about the chemical analysis work she did, and the little coffee shop underneath a tiled building that served the best espresso she’s ever had. 

He doesn’t find it. He’s not sure if that means anything. But he sits on a balcony and watches the sun rise and watches a guy give him a look that’s a bit too odd for Italy, and he knows he has to leave. 

Not a lot happens, until he makes it back to New York. Or rather, a redhead spy convinces him to help find a magic cube and promises that the Hulk isn’t the primary reason for having him on-board. 

On a gigantic, air-borne ship with pressurized air pressing in all around. Fucking great. 

He meets new people. Natasha Romanoff, known as Black Widow. She looks at him like he’s a brand new species, nearly. He’s seen that look before. But he also thinks that it’s different, because she can’t kill him and it’s known that Black Widow can kill just damn near about everyone. 

Captain America, a man so out of his depth that he can’t help but be the odd one out. He looks at everything and he’s confused, maybe by all the buildings and people and the fact that nothing is the same and it won’t be. Ever. 

Not gonna lie, Bruce is kind of glad that for once it’s not him that’s the Very Odd One Out. 

Tony Stark is a headache and a half, but Bruce finds himself not minding that so much. Tony doesn’t give a fuck about Hulk. 

Bruce knows why. 

It’s not because he’s a billionaire who thinks he’s immortal. No, Tony Stark knows that his mortality is unbearable. 

But he’s also of the type that would give his life if you casually asked him to. He smiles the way Bruce does when he needs to just get through something. It’s painfully familiar. 

Bruce thinks that maybe Tony Stark, if he had been at Culver, would’ve been invited to Trivial Pursuit Sundays. 

And then Thor. A giant man--a god, some say, but Bruce isn’t really keen on actually saying that--who is...different. 

He handles Hulk like a damned pro. He’s not easy to take down. And Bruce is a bit interested in his perspective of things, if they all survive the imminent alien invasion that’s set to take place. 

He really wishes he could get drunk. Or maybe just slightly buzzed. It would make this transformation shtick so much easier. 

But after everything, turns out they’ve won. Hulk is even tired. This has been the first challenge for him since...ever. 

They eat food together at a restaurant that really should be closed, but he’s too tired to care about it and sits next to  Tony, who’s still contemplating his own “small death” and a guy named Clint, who is apparently very good at shooting things with a bow and arrow. 

He catches Thor’s eyes, and he smiles. 

“You did well, Banner.” 

“Uh, thanks.” 

Because, you know. Eloquence. That’s exactly what Bruce has when faced with the king of Asgard and supposed god of thunder. 

But he doesn’t have to worry too much about that when he hops into Tony’s ridiculous-and-loud-sporty-vehicle and heads to a lab. 

“It’s gonna be Candy Land, trust me,” Tony says. 

“I don’t trust you, but I do trust that,” Bruce says with a laugh. Tony grins. 

“I think I’m gonna like you hanging around.” 

Bruce then figures out that Tony’s heart is about the size of the gigantic tower he’s built, because Bruce doesn’t have to go apartment-hunting. Or pay rent. 

“I can handle it,” Tony says. “Just try not to hulk out in the living room, there’s a custom art piece that was gifted to Pepper. She’s fond of it, but I hate it. So I guess in a roundabout way, as long as Pepper thinks that it’s an accident, feel free to destroy it.” 

“Noted,” Bruce says, bewildered. Tony talks extremely fast, hands making gestures to emphasize certain points. If he wasn’t so dedicated to inventing and building the future as the present, Bruce is almost certain that he would be quite a celebrated actor. 

After some time, it seems the Avengers drift together again. Natasha shows up for breakfast one morning, as if she’d been there the whole time. 

“Pass the preserves, Bruce,” she says. He does and goes to find Tony to ask when she got here. 

Tony yelps, rushes up, and scolds Natasha for not telling him. 

“I’m not done painting your room!” 

“What color?” 

“Olive green.” 

“Oh my god, no.” 

“It suits you! Pepper approved it and everything! So did Bruce!” 

“I did?” 

“Well, not really. I think you were in a science-induced haze and said yes to everything I asked. You said your favorite era was ‘yes’ so I thought that meant you liked all of them.” 

“Oh. It’s the seventies.” 

“Figures,” Natasha says. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Bruce questions. 

“I guarantee all you have in your wardrobe is maybe four casual t-shirts and maybe one pair of jeans.” 

“I have two pairs of jeans, thank you very much.” 

“A man full of surprises,” she remarks, smiling coyly. “Tony, Clint’s coming at the end of the week. He’s finishing up a mission in Iran. Something about tracking down a woman for a gift.” 

“Well, best of luck to him and all that,” Tony says. “Do you think he’d liked striped pillows?” 

“Vertical or horizontal?” Bruce asks. 

“Horizontal. I’m not a heathen.” 

“Tread carefully,” Natasha says. “More than two is a no-go.” 

“Got it. Jarvis, be an absolute dear and put that in my notes?” 

“It should be common sense, Sir,” the AI responds, a bite of sass. Bruce smiles. He doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to that. 

Clint trips out of the elevator, says he’s finding a bed, and Bruce doesn’t see him again until he goes to his room to change into one of the four casual t-shirts that Natasha says he has and finds the archer on his bed. 

“Well okay,” Bruce says. “Might as well.” 

Clint comes down for dinner and announces that Bruce has a very comfy bed, but should invest in more pillows. 

“You have, like, two.” 

“I don’t really sleep with pillows.” 

“You don’t?” Natasha asks, surprised. “That’s...bad.” 

“Why? Can’t handle that I don’t require pillows?” he teases. 

Steve comes next. He brings a nice old-fashioned suitcase, the kind that begs for stickers to be plastered all over it. He doesn’t have any, not yet. He tells Bruce that New York has changed, although the only real thing that he truly hates about it so far is the subway system. 

“Used to just get on,” Steve grumbles. “And security wasn’t as tight.” 

“You still manage to get around it?” Bruce asks, amused. 

Steve’s cheeks turn red and they find out that “America’s Darling” hasn’t gotten a MetroCard, doesn’t like paying for it. He’s been finding different areas under construction or charmed certain officers into letting him pass. 

“Please tell me you used your lack of technological information,” Tony begs. Steve blinks. 

“No, I haven’t. But I’ll use that for next time! That’s a good idea!” 

They fool Steve into trying wasabi that night. It’s the hardest Bruce has heard Natasha laugh. 

-

A couple of months go by. They get comfortable with each other, close in a way that Bruce has never been. Clint gets him snacks without even asking. Just comes up to his room, sets the hummus and pita chips on the bed and asks if they can watch the cool documentaries. 

Then Thor comes back. He’s been dealing with a lot of ruling technicalities, although his father has regained strength. 

“He seems more active,” Thor says, grinning. “I think he’s going to try and interact with the community more.” 

“That’s nice,” Bruce says. 

Thor is...different. Not just because he pretends he doesn’t know what a microwave is because he wants to hear Steve’s rantings all about how “the microwave is the absolute best thing the twenty-first century has done, are you kidding me?! Who cares about anything else?” 

Not just because he speaks with a lilted accent and sees with eyes that are older than they actually know. He talks about meeting humans thousands of years ago, talks about how no one could have imagined what would come for the future. 

It’s because Bruce pays more attention to him. To his arms, the way he says things, and everything else. 

But it’s fine. Things are fine. He’s focusing on doing some of his lab work and trying to make Tony see that a Rocky Horror Picture Show movie night would be beneficial to the team. 

(And not just because he bet Natasha forty bucks that he could get Steve to dress up as Dr. Frank-N-Furter for Halloween, but mostly because of that.) 

The days get shorter, the nights get longer, and the weather is colder. Bruce can’t say he really likes it. He’s been living in the cold a long time. Tony, arguably, handles it the worst. 

“I have decided I think we should all move to the west coast,” Tony announces, shedding four of the six layers he’s put on himself. 

“And what, become the West Coast Avengers? Sounds lame as fuck,” Clint says with a snort. “Who would want to make that?” 

Bruce nods. 

“You’ll be fine, Tony. Get some blankets and some hot cocoa.” 

Thor is the Avenger who loves the season the most, arguably. Steve’s more a Christmas fanatic, and has been blasting Bing Crosby ever since the end of Thanksgiving. 

(Natasha has been a Christmas Music Purist, and this was getting on her nerves until December first, when she rolled into the kitchen blasting “All I Want for Christmas is You.”) 

But Thor loves seeing snow, loves walking out to get a hot chocolate and seeing the city during the cold. He thinks the jackets are intriguing. 

He also doesn’t really need one. He just wears a long-sleeve sweater and calls it good. 

Bruce thinks he looks great. 

“You want to get some hot chocolate with me?” he asks Bruce one afternoon. It’s been slow today, and Bruce hasn’t been able to focus on anything. 

“Why not?” Bruce says with a shrug. “Let me get my stuff on.” 

Bruce prepares well for the trip. He gets his boots on, a heavy jacket, and a hat and gloves. Thor smiles. 

“I like the hat, Bruce.” 

“Thank you,” Bruce says. “Present from a cousin.” 

They walk out into the freezing cold, and Bruce can feel his nose immediately turn red from the air blowing wildly. It’s the kind of cold that cuts right to your bones. 

“I wish I was like you,” Bruce says, sighing. “It’s too cold.” 

“I like it,” Thor says. “Reminds me of how much my brother and I loved the cold. We had a holiday during this time as well. The cold.” Bruce nods. 

They get to the shop, frequented by over-stressed college students and a pair of old men playing checkers in the corner, books tossed aside. 

Bruce orders cocoa with Thor, and they sit down. 

Thor is a surprisingly good conversationalist. Well, not really surprising. Bruce has seen him mingle at parties, able to talk to anyone with no sense of nerves. But what he is surprised about is that Thor can follow along with the work he’s doing, even going to suggest his own theories or knowledge from Asgard. 

“When did you get an interest in all this?” Bruce asks. Thor smiles. 

“I have to be well-rounded to assume the throne. To not be knowledgeable is to be a foolish king. But I like knowing about life and it’s creation. Our scientists are also very...interesting. They make the best drinks.” 

“Chemists here,” Bruce responds, laughing. “I had a couple of friends like that.” 

Bruce learns about Asgardian drinking games, the kinds of food they have for their holidays, and what Thor misses most. 

“I do like earth, however,” Thor says. “Your people are less--oh damn, I can’t think of the word.” 

“That’s okay,” Bruce says. “I get it.” 

And he does, to a certain extent. Thor grew up as a member of the royal family, his father a legend even to other people. 

Hot cocoa trips become a regular occurrence, until it starts to get a bit repetitive and Bruce offers to show Thor some breakfast meals that are good, like peanut butter and banana-cinnamon toast. 

They cook for each other. Bruce shows him some meals. 

The thing that makes Bruce realize Everything is when Thor brings some kind of fruit from Asgard. 

“You have to try this,” Thor says excitedly. “It’s the best fruit ever.” 

And Bruce realizes that he loves Thor. That he wants to take him to dinner, to kiss him breathless, and to go on romantic dates that involve candlelight and soft laughter and and and--

Oh shit. 

It feels complete, somehow. 

Bruce smiles at Thor, and thanks him. 

“This is special,” Bruce murmurs. “I appreciate that you went all the way there.” 

“No big deal,” Thor says, smiling. “Not when I care about you so much.” 

There’s something else there, but Bruce thinks his bias might be showing. He brings Thor into a hug. 

“Well unfortunately for you, I have no magic ability to summon myself to any other part of the country to get you a specialty, so making black bean soup tonight will have to do.” 

“My favorite!” Thor cheers. 

“Exactly why I’m making it, a favorite for a favorite,” Bruce teases. 

Thor smiles at him, and Bruce knows that there’s no going back. 

He helps chop the celery and strain everything for the soup. Bruce hums to an old song that Thor sometimes sings on rainy days, when everything is gloomy and comforting. 

“You hum beautifully,” Thor says, sweeping the vegetables into the pot. “I enjoy hearing it each time you cook.” 

“Then I’ll cook more often,” Bruce says, smiling. “I think Pepper requested a chicken dish from us tomorrow.” 

“Who knew we’d be such a great cooking team?” he teases. 

Bruce turns on music, and Thor sways to the beat. He likes the older music more, including the old-school love ballads. 

It’s Nat King Cole, one of Bruce’s favorites. 

He sings “L-O-V-E” in the most ridiculous voice and prances about the kitchen, and this is what this song is for. 

They dance together, soup be damned. Bruce laughs as his socked-feet slide on the floor, pushing his body more towards Thor’s. 

The song ends with Thor dipping Bruce low, breathing only a bit faster. He looks up, and decides to go for it. 

“You gonna kiss me?” 

Thor is an excellent kisser, Bruce decides. 

“Been wanting to do that for ages,” Thor says. “I was actually going to ask if you wanted to go on a date Friday.” 

“I would love that,” Bruce says. “What time? I have a meeting at lunch.” 

“Dinner then,” Thor decides. “The burger place we went to a couple weeks ago? You liked their sauces.” 

“Ooh, good choice,” Bruce says, smiling. “I would love that.” 

They smile at each other as they dish out the soup. It’s nice, honestly. Thor lingers a little bit closer, and Bruce holds on for a bit longer. 

He may not believe in prayer. But he doesn’t need to, not when he has this family that’s come together and a love that’s unmatched. 

#holy SHIT this is long #i spent all day on this one oops #lovelyirony writes #thorbruce #betty ross #bruce banner #thor #avengers as a family #natasha romanoff #tony stark #steve rogers #clint barton #listen they BOND okay

[inthedayswhenlandswerefew]

Baby You Were My Picket Fence [Chapter 4: Dream On]

You are a first grade teacher in sunny Los Angeles, California. Ben Hardy is the father of your most challenging student. Things quickly get complicated in this unconventional love story.  

Song inspiration: Miss Missing You by Fall Out Boy.

Chapter warnings: Language, menstruation, sexually suggestive language.

Link to chapter list (and all my writing) HERE

Taglist: @blushingwueen @queen-turtle-boiii @everybodyplaythegame @onceuponadetectivedemigod @luvborhap @sincereleygmg @stormtrprinstilettos @loveandbeloved29 @ohtheseboysilove @jennyggggrrr @vanitysfairr @bramblesforbreakfast @radiob-l-a-hblah @xox-talia-xox @killer-queen-xo @caborhapch @kimmietea @asquiresofftime @hardzzellos @sleepretreat @ramibaby @jonesyaddiction

Your iPhone vibrates on the coffee table, buzzing lazily in a circle between the beading glass of ice water and the bottle of extra-strength ibuprofen. You reach out from under the heap of blankets and pick it up. The display screen reads: Ben Hardy.

You answer with a weak voice: “Hello?”

“Hey. I just dropped Eli off at school and I heard him and the other kids cheering that they had a substitute.”

“Ugh, they were cheering?” Evil children.

“I wouldn’t take it personally. The sub looked about two hundred years old and had candy. What’s up? Are you sick?”

“Uh...yeah.” What you actually are is a tad anemic, riddled with cramps, and narrowly staving off a splitting headache; but sick is close enough. You’re wearing leggings and a far-too-large Van Halen t-shirt, your hair pulled away from your face. Good Morning America is on tv. The hosts are learning how to cook some kind of garlic salmon pasta which is positively nauseating.

“Can I come over?” Ben asks.

“What?” You panic, sitting up on the couch, peering around the living room. It’s littered with school papers, empty Cadbury chocolate wrappers, books, hastily kicked-off shoes, gossip magazines. There are opened packages of tampons and pads strewn across the kitchen counter. Oh this is bad. 

“I’m uncharacteristically free this morning. Are you contagious or something?”

“No, no, it’s not that,” you begin. “I’m not...uh...I’m just not very attractive at the moment.”

“That sounds unlikely.”

You titter nervously. “No, but actually, I’m a mess.”

“Okay, fine, I won’t come over.” There are a few beats of silence. “Can I please come over?”

“Oh my god, Mr. Hardy.”

“Ben.” He’s smiling; you can tell from his voice.

“Ben. Right. Ben, you are the worst.”

“You have no idea.” And now he sounds just a touch too serious. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s a...lady thing.”

“Ohhh,” he says. “Gotcha.”

“Yeah,” you respond awkwardly.

“I am zero percent disturbed by that, just so you’re aware.”

You sigh; you can feel your headache roaring back to life. “Okay Ben, you win, come over. But just be prepared, I’m super unappealing and boring and—”

“On my way.” He hangs up.

You stare at your phone, mystified. “You are a very strange person, Mr. Hardy,” you murmur. Then you text Sasha: Daddy demon is coming over????

She replies in two minutes. Whaaaaa why?!

And then: Kinky period sex?? I feel like demons would be into that.

NOOOO, you respond.

As you climb off the couch, down another ibuprofen, unlock the front door, and start to straighten up the worst of the clutter, your phone vibrates again. Sasha says: Wait this is so adorable he wants to take care of you, omfg this is cute af, I’m dead.

You roll your eyes and don’t reply; Sasha’s first class should have started by now anyway. You stow the tampons and pads under the bathroom sink, shove your shoes into the closet, and toss out all the trash you can get your hands on before the room starts spinning and you’re forced to retire back to the couch like some flimsy Victorian maiden. You drape your arm over your eyes and exhale dramatically. “Forsooth, I am a damsel in distress,” you whisper to yourself, smiling. Just a few moments later, there’s a knock at the door.

“Come in,” you call.

Ben enters, a little hesitantly, stepping lightly over the kitchen floor. “Hi,” he says as he leans against the living room doorframe. He’s dressed in black sweatpants and an ill-fitting striped hoodie; his hair is fluffy and chaotic.

“Are we...having a pajama party...?”

“Well,” he explains, “I figured you’d be in casual attire and I didn’t want to make you feel underdressed so I tried to out-casual you.”

“It worked, you look homeless.”

“You caught me. That’s why I wanted to come over. I have no house.”

“By all means, my couch is your couch.”

He flops down on the opposite end of the couch, then glances over at you. You’ve tucked your knees to your chest to give him space to sit. “Oh no, unacceptable.” He grabs your ankles and lays your feet across his lap. “You good?”

“Yeah,” you answer, smiling shyly.

Your phone buzzes on the coffee table and Ben grabs it before you can. “How is the kinky sex with daddy demon going?” he reads aloud, to your horror. “Wait, hold up, I’m daddy demon?!”

“Oh my goddddd.” You cover your face with your hands. This can’t be happening.

“Because my kid is baby demon.” He could be offended, he could be livid, but he’s not; he’s grinning so widely you can see the tiny points of his canine teeth.

“This is so unprofessional, please forget you saw that, I’m so sorry, this is why I’m not supposed to date parents.”

“Wow wow wow.” His eyes scan the text again. “Since we’re already being unprofessional, should we address the kinky sex bit...?”

“No,” you beg. “No, we definitely should not.”

“Okay.” He drops the subject instantly and passes you your phone, then points at the tv. “What are we watching?”

“Well, we were watching Good Morning America, but now we’re going to find something better.” You pluck the remote off the table and flip through a few channels. “WAIT, I know what we’re going to watch!”

“What?” he asks reticently, reading your crafty expression.

“Bohemian Rhapsody.”

“No,” he breathes, petrified. “No, I definitely cannot watch you watch my acting.”

“You’re pretty humble for a demon,” you tease, clicking buttons on your smart tv remote until you’ve brought up the movie on Google Play.

“Y/N,” he moans.

Then you say seriously: “If you really don’t want to watch it now, we don’t have to.”

“No,” he relents. “I’ll live, let’s do it. But don’t buy it, don’t spend your own money.”

“I want to buy it,” you insist. “I want to support your art.”

“Babe, your salary is public knowledge.” He called me babe, Ben Hardy called me babe.

You click madly before he can stop you. “I want to support your art!”

He tries to wrestle the remote from your grasp. “For fucks sake, I have a digital copy, just let me sign in—!”

“Ow!” you cry, clutching your lower abdomen. Ben immediately backs away, retreating to his half of the couch.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, did I hurt you, are you okay...?”

You laugh triumphantly and purchase Bohemian Rhapsody. As it loads, you grin at Ben. “Gotcha.”

He shakes his head in awe. “You are...also a demon.”

“I’m sorry,” you say earnestly. You feel a sudden and strangely intense guilt; you never want to deceive him, you never want to fake anything with him. This is going to be so much more than a fling. “I am actually sick.”

“Yeah, I know. I can tell. You’re all pale and droopy-looking. Your eyes are glazed.” He reaches over and feels your forehead, then your cheeks with the back of his hand. You’re too astonished to move. You realize that you’ve never kissed him, never even been held by him; not yet, anyway. But everything he does is flawlessly intimate, tender, perfection. The words blaze through your foggy mind like fireworks on the Fourth of July: I love him. “Okay,” he says finally. “Let’s introduce you to BoRhap.”

“Okay.” This is too soon, this is way too soon, I don’t even know this guy. But now you can’t imagine a life without him in it.

“I have to tell you something first.”

I knew this was insanely too good to be true. “Go ahead.”

He locks eyes with you, fearful somehow, maybe even wounded. “I’ve never felt this way before,” he says softly. “About anyone.”

“Oh,” you whisper, all the words knocked out of you like china off the top shelf. The world is moving in slow motion; the house is silent except for your pounding heartbeat. Then the walls start whirling like a carousel. “Oh no.” You fan your face with your hands; you can feel blood pooling in your cheeks like wildfire. Your stomach is in freefall, you’re breaking out in a cold sweat.

Ben’s jaw drops open. “Are you...short-circuiting...?”

“It’s not you, it’s me, I get faint if I overexert myself during my period, oh fuck.” You wave your hands frantically. “No no no no no.”

Ben snatches a People magazine off the coffee table and starts fanning you like you’re Cleopatra. “Don’t pass out!” he commands.

You laugh wildly as he leans over you, wafting cool air into your face. “This is the most ridiculous not-date I’ve ever been on.”

“Feeling better?”

“Yeah, I’m okay now.” You wipe your eyes and turn to him. “Ben...”

“We can just forget about what I said, I don’t want to kill you or anything—”

“I feel the same way,” you tell him quietly. And it’s true: maybe you’ve had crushes before, maybe you’ve even been in love before. But all of those things before were nothing like Ben.

Slowly, like rays of sunlight peeking over the horizon at dawn, his face breaks into a smile. And he doesn’t say a word; but as the movie rolls he slowly migrates over to your side of the couch, and before long his arms are wrapped around your waist, and then his chin is nestled in the dip of your collarbone, and then his warmth is radiating through you like embers cracking in a firepit. Your cramps have vanished, and your headache is just a shadow beneath the waves, and you’re breathing in his myriad of scents: laundry detergent and cologne and mint gum and something else you can’t quite place, something heavy and dark like smoke.

Whenever there’s a close-up shot of Ben’s face, he covers his own eyes and groans bashfully; but when his costars are on the screen he can’t help telling you stories about how Rami learned to move like Freddie Mercury, how Gwilym transformed completely into Brian May, how Joe had to endure a perm for months after shooting wrapped. You’re entranced, not just by the movie, not just by the music, but by the love that emanates from all of it: love between the real-life Queen, between the actors, between the friends who became family.

“I love it,” you murmur as the credits materialize from the blackness. “I love it. I want to know all the stories, I want to know everything about what you do, who you work with.”

“Do you want to meet them?”

“Who, the BoRhap cast?!” You’re clapping your palms together, gasping, starstruck. “Yes, yes, absolutely! Can I do that?!”

“You totally can. We’re getting together next Thursday. You in?”

“That’s a school night,” you observe tentatively.

“Fine then, Miss Y/L/N, stay home and grade addition problems.”

You shove his firm, muscled arms away from you playfully. “I’ll make it work, Mr. Hardy. Which reminds me...there’s something I wanted to show you.” You lumber off the couch and start shuffling through a pile of worksheets stacked on your plushy teal lounge chair.

“Don’t wear yourself out.” Ben’s trying to sound casual, but his voice is just gentle enough to betray concern.

You find the paper you’re searching for and bring it back to the couch. “The assignment was for the students to describe their perfect day, the best day they could possibly think of. This is what Eli turned in.” You hold the worksheet out to Ben, and he takes it.

“My Best Day,” he reads the heading, charmed. Then his eyes skim down to Eli’s muddled handwriting; the letters are crooked, the pencil marks slightly smudged in spots. “My best day is with my Dad. My Dad is the funnest, best Dad in the world. We would go to the park and pool and get ice cream and In-N-Out Burger. I love him.” Below that is a crayon sketch of Ben and Eli—two stick figures, one blond and one brunette, with matching blue swim trunks—holding melting ice cream cones under a fiery orange sun. Ben gazes unfocusedly at the paper, wordless now.

“What do you think of that?” you ask with a smile. “I still need to write comments and slap on my dinosaur stickers and return them to the kids, but I thought you’d like to see it first.”

Ben nods, and only then do you realize that his emerald eyes are welling up, slick like morning dew on arched blades of grass.

“Ben...” You reach for him, your fingers closing around his shoulder. “I’m sure it hasn’t always been easy for you, for either of you. But you’ve done a great job. Eli’s a challenge, sure, but he’s a brilliant kid. And he idolizes you.”

“Yeah,” Ben says, and then stands abruptly, handing the worksheet back to you. You feel his absence like a crevice in the earth, like gravity falling out from under your feet. “I’m sorry, I have to take care of a few things before I pick Eli up from school, I gotta get going.”

“Okay, sure,” you agree uncertainly.

“Are you...will you be okay here on your own?”

“I was doing just peachy before you dropped in, Mr. Hardy.”

“Right.” He smiles distractedly and kisses your forehead before he hurries off into the kitchen. You hear him rustle around in there for a while, for longer than it should take to grab his wallet and keys.

“Are you leaving me more surreptitious fridge magnet messages?”

“Maybe,” he replies cryptically. “Okay, I’m off. I’ll call you. Don’t forget: next Thursday night. Don’t fill up your schedule with any other not-dates with friendly neighborhood demons.”

“You got it.”

And then he’s gone. You try not to get your hopes up; you take a bathroom break, finish your water, and find a Lord of the Rings marathon on tv before you venture out into the kitchen for what you swear to yourself is just a trip for iced tea.

The refrigerator magnets spell out three words: I love you. 

#ben hardy #ben hardy x reader #ben hardy fic #borhap fic #borhap imagine #bohemian rhapsody #borhap #borhap fanfic #ben jones #borhap cast

[neonstarz]

uuuuuhhhh ok here we go! These are for Fried Egg, Samuel, and I’m incredibly curious about Opal so this is also for them! Number wise, 6,9,26, 32, and 50!! Totally not asking about their fashion sense because I feel like they all are incredibly stylish and I want to be like some of them what noooo ahahah

LOOOOL 69 <3 also ur incredibly valid in wanting to look like some of them i try and give my ocs as much drip as humanly possible

FRIED EGG:

6. What were they like at school? Did they enjoy it? Did they finish? What level of higher education did they reach? What subjects did they enjoy? Which did they hate?

Fried Egg was kind of .. absolutely incredibly average in school. She kept her head down and tried to get good grades and not cause trouble. She dropped out when she ran away, though. Albert, the guy who owns the diner, is trying to enroll her in school again though. She liked art class and hated math.

9. Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals? 

animals in general don't really love fried egg but bacon is the exception 

26. How do they act when they’re happy? Do they sing? Dance? Hum? Or do they hide their emotions? 

copy n pasted from another ask: she goes like >:) a lot. she is not a super expressive person tho and like its kind of hard to tell what mood shes in most of the time. she doesn't actively suppress her emotions, when she ran away she promised herself she wouldn't lie about herself and how she felt, but she just naturally isn't very expressive. 

32. What do they dress like? What sorta shops do they buy clothes from? Do they wear the fashion that they like? What do they wear to sleep? Do they wear makeup? What’s their hair like? 

she wears a lot of band t shirts and black jeans. that is pretty much her entire wardrobe. she has a few things that Albert bought when she first started living in the diner that are like.. stereotypical cishet girl clothing and while fried egg would not be caught dead wearing them she refuses to throw them out because they were a gift and it makes her happy thinking about how little hesitation Albert had before he just started taking care of her. When she has extra money she’ll shop at hot topic but for the most part she thrifts her clothes. She didn't bring a whole lot of money with her when she ran away and Albert’s diner does not make an insane amount so she is not really rolling in dough. She wears a tank top and pajama pants to sleep! She doesn’t wear makeup, it irritates her skin. Her hair is about waist length and neon yellow ! She has bangs that she lets grow out so they cover her eyes for the most part.

50. If they could only take one bag of stuff somewhere with them: what would they pack? What do they consider their essentials?

KJASDFKLS she already did that so im just gonna. tell you what she brought with her when she ran away. The only clothing she brought was a flannel and pair of jeans, and her emotional support black hoodie. She brought about $200 with her, enough for 2 weeks of food and a bit of public transportation. She brought some beef jerky and those tuna cans that come with crackers and plastic spoons and an apple with her too, just enough food to keep her going for the first few days before she could stop and go shopping. she brought her phone with, after factory resetting it. Although if she had to leave and take one bag of stuff with her NOW she would also bring Egg, some food for Egg, and some creamer packets from the diner. 

SAMUEL:

6. What were they like at school? Did they enjoy it? Did they finish? What level of higher education did they reach? What subjects did they enjoy? Which did they hate?

when samuel was at the oakley academy of alchemy he was a very different person. he was very withdrawn and focused on being the perfect kid the perfect student. he didn't love the academy, it was a very conservative school full of other stuffy rich kids trying to be the best. a very competitive environment. he didn’t enjoy any of his language arts classes, but he did like basic/intermediate general alchemy, history of fine arts, and resource collection and identification. samuel dropped out of the university in his 2nd year, when he was 16. 

9. Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals?

samuel’s SO fuckin good with animals. he has a dog!! an Australian shepherd, named Bo!! animals just naturally trust samuel and like to be around him.

26. How do they act when they’re happy? Do they sing? Dance? Hum? Or do they hide their emotions?

samuel likes to hum and sing under his breath when he's happy!!! 

32. What do they dress like? What sorta shops do they buy clothes from? Do they wear the fashion that they like? What do they wear to sleep? Do they wear makeup? What’s their hair like?

he likes to wear knit sweaters and those super fancy extravagant old timey white button ups, with the flared sleeves and ruffles on the collar and everything. except he wears them in a cool and gay way not in a like. im part of high society way. he also likes to wear dresses sometimes especially for parties with dancing. he likes how skirts flare out. big brand clothing stores don't exist, people get their clothes from tailors, so he just gets his clothing from the local tailor. he does knit his own sweaters though!!

50. If they could only take one bag of stuff somewhere with them: what would they pack? What do they consider their essentials?

what is it with me and characters who run away god. anyway when samuel ran away he brought a fuck ton of gold, enough food to last a week, his bow and arrow, a photo of his parents (that he later threw in a river because fuck those bitches), his hunting knife, a journal, and a few pencils. i think if he had to get up and leave now tho, he just... wouldn't. he's built a life in the tiny town in the far lands, he’s healing, he's found a family and he’s in love, i don't think he could bring himself to leave. 

OPAL:

6. What were they like at school? Did they enjoy it? Did they finish? What level of higher education did they reach? What subjects did they enjoy? Which did they hate?

she was kind of shit in school. she managed to get good enough grades to get into medical school, although she dropped out, but she caused a lot of trouble and tended to get in trouble a lot. she was kind of neutral on school. she liked anatomy classes a lot, especially the ones that involved dissecting cadavers. she didn’t like ela though. 

9. Do animals like them? Do they get on well with animals?

animals do NOT trust her. vibes are RANCID

26. How do they act when they’re happy? Do they sing? Dance? Hum? Or do they hide their emotions?

she has this.. little smirk she does. her expression of emotions is always kind of lowkey though she tries to keep this air of like,,,,, neutrality and kind of stay formal and cool 

32. What do they dress like? What sorta shops do they buy clothes from? Do they wear the fashion that they like? What do they wear to sleep? Do they wear makeup? What’s their hair like?

she dresses SO fucking fancy. her clothes are from like. idk where do rich people shop?? im sexy and poor. she likes what she wears!!! she wears those weird old timey pajamas with the fuckin stripes and embroidered intials to sleep. she wears makeup!! she likes black lipstick and red eyeshadow. her hair’s brown and she has a buzzcut 

50. If they could only take one bag of stuff somewhere with them: what would they pack? What do they consider their essentials?

money <3 she has found that like. really all she needs in life to get what she wants is just insane amounts of money so she would just. bring money.

#ask asnwered: samual #ask answered: opal #ask answered: fried egg #tysm for the ask!! sorry it took me so long to answer

[feitanswife]

Facts about my Fe3h reincarnation au that may or may not come up in any media but are true nonetheless

They’re all currently either full time students or in the running start program at Sunset Court College (for those who don’t know, running start is a program that lets highschool students take college classes, most participants graduate high school with an associates degree) the vast majority of the cast are 18 at this time, notable exceptions being Lysithea, Cyril, etc.

The group started getting memories back around seven years ago, but each person varies in when it started and what they remember.

Some groups began to form independently as they began talking about the memories. Felix, Dimitri, and Sylvain already knew each other, same with Edelgard and Hubert. They slowly got in touch via friends-of-friends, internet searching, and occasionally seeing someone on the street and screaming “HEY HEY I KNOW YOU!” Obviously the last 3 to be found were Petra, Claude, and Dedue, but they’re here now with full ride scholarships just for existing.

But it all got organized when Byleth ran into Seteth at the college, where they were transferring into the class he was teaching. Seteth was amazed that the vast majority of the group had found each other independently and set up a discord server or some shit for them all!

At the college currently Edelgard is the president of the Queer and Allies club, with Ferdinand as Vice President, Mercedes as Secretary, Hubert as treasurer, and Hilda as Social Media coordinator (as in she runs the official club Instagram and not much else.) at this point the club is half just a front for the reincarnation group as a whole since they make up nearly all the members.

Leonie lost her parents in a car crash when she was nine and was adopted by her soccer coach, Jeralt Eisner. She and Byleth have a sibling rivalry for the ages cause neither of them want to talk about their feelings.

Jeritza works as a TA and tutor at the college and he drives a motorcycle and he and Byleth are dating and it’s great. This is post-verdant wind so Byleth’s memories include killing Jeritza and it broke their heart so now they cherish that boy like nothing else like IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO HIM BYLETH IS GONNA GO APESHIT but also he got his memories back much earlier than everyone else during his parents traumatic divorce and well... at least proper therapy exists in this era.

Lorenz isn’t as repressed and mentally fucked this time so his hair is long from the start and he dresses like a male beauty youtuber, you know the vibe I’m talking about, too much all the time, and he and Ferdie (art hoe vibes only) are notorious for making people stare at them with stupid looks trying to figure out what the fresh fucking hell theyre looking at

Like I mean it. You walk into a room and there’s Lorenz in a fluffy lavender poncho over a waistcoat and a pinstripe button up shirt, with white skinny jeans and platform stripper heels. Neon pink eyeliner wings and no other makeup. Next to him is Ferdie, with fake freckles drawn on and ten pounds of blush RIGHT on the nose, in a horizontal striped cropped t-shirt under an overall-smock-dress thing, with the most obnoxiously ugly socks and canvas sneakers with a sunset painted on them. And a sunflower necklace. Their power overwhelms you. They kill you with a single glare.

It’s so funny cause Sylvain is like... a generic Dude. And he hangs out with those two. Like you get these two just utterly obnoxious fuckers and then... oh here’s a decently normal looking dude with a white hoodie under a light wash denim jacket and ripped jeans and light blue converse. Maybe a beanie. He wears the weirdest sweatshirts tho, you know those ads from tiktok compilations? Yeah he buys from those stores and he always has some new weird hoodie. His favorite is a cream-off-White with cat ears on the hood.

You know who else dresses Super Good? Hilda. She’s an e-girl. It’s great. She posts thirst trap tiktoks and streams on twitch and she’s LOADED. Donates a lot of the money tho.

And Felix is Emo as Fuck.