#you're supposed to be my most diligent student!!

[earhartsplane]

Since we're all talking about plagiarism now, I'd like to share this video which came out last year about a paper accepted at the CVPR 2022:

For the people not in the know, the Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition conference is the biggest conference in computer science. Last year, in 2022, the paper featured in the video got accepted. A few days later, this video was posted. The first author, a PhD student, apologized and the paper was retracted and removed from the proceedings. Hilariously, the first reaction of the co-authors, including a professor at the Seoul National University, was to say that they had nothing to do with it.

My point here is that scientific papers are not rigorously checked for plagiarism, and a background in academia tells you absolutely nothing about whether or not someone will be diligent in avoiding plagiarism. The biggest difference is that there are consequences if you're caught.

I also don't want people to be too harsh on the first author of this paper, or to think the situation is equivalent to the whole Somerton debacle. For starters, you don't get paid for publishing papers, you (or more commonly your university) pay the publishers. But the phrase publish or perish exists for a reason, and everyone in the field wants to get published in the CVPR, because it's supposed to show that you're great at research. Additionally, the number of papers and the prestige of the venues they're published in criteria on which you will be evaluated as a researcher and a university employee.

The way I see it, there are basically two kinds of plagiarism that are shown in the video. The first one concerns sentences that are lifted completely unchanged from other papers. This is bad, and it is plagiarism, but I can see how this would happen. Most instances of this appear in the introduction and on background information, so if you're insecure about your mastery of English and it's not about your contribution anyway, I can understand how you would take the shortcut of copy-pasting and tell yourself that it's just so that the rest of the paper makes sense, and why waste time on phrasing things differently if others have done it already, and it's not like there are a million way to write these equations anyways.

Let me be clear. I don't approve, or condone. It's still erasing the work of the people who took the time and pain to phrase these things. It's still plagiarism. But I understand how you could get to that point.

The second kind of plagiarism is a way bigger deal in my opinion. At 0:37 , we can see that one of the contributions of the paper is also lifted from another paper. Egregiously, the passage includes "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first [...]" , which is a hell of a thing to copy-paste. So this is not only lazily passing other people's words as your own, it's also pretending that you're making a contribution you damn well know other people have already done. I also wasn't able to find a version of the plagiarized article that had been published in a peer-reviewed venue, which might mean that the authors submitted it, got rejected, and published it on arXiv (an website on which authors can put their papers so that they're accessible to the public, but doesn't "count" as a publication because it's not peer-reviewed. You can also put papers that are under review or have been published on there as long as you're careful with the copyrights and double-blind process). And then parts of it were published in the CVPR under someone else's name.

I think there's also a third kind of plagiarism going on here, one that is incredibly common in academia, but that is not shown in the video. That's the FIVE other authors, including a professor, who were apparently happy to add their name to the paper but obviously didn't do anything meaningful since they didn't notice how much plagiarism was going on.

#Youtube #plagiarism #hbomberguy #james somerton #CVPR #computer science #Academia

[teaberrii]

Teach Me, Please

Who knew volunteering at your local swimming pool would get you closer to your neighbour?

Alhaitham/You

Notes: When you're supposed to be working on your WIPs, you write a one-shot instead. 눈_눈 But, somehow, this man has taken over my mind. Cross posted on Ao3.

Part two

Those triceps… those biceps… those abs…

It isn’t until one of the older volunteers starts snapping her fingers in front of you that you finally turn to her. She’s giving you a deadpan look as she says, “You’re starin’ for far too long, missy!” Then, quietly with a wink, “I see why, though. He’s total eye candy! It’s not every day you see someone like that.”

But, in your case, you see him almost every day. Why? Because Alhaitham is your neighbour.

You were running to catch the elevator. Whoever was inside must've heard your hurried footsteps as the doors opened again. You gave the man inside a smile... only to almost forget to say thanks, as you were shocked at how handsome he was. You were about to scan your key card when you saw that the floor you wanted was already selected. On the way up, you subtly looked at him. You'd never seen him before. Did he just move in? Suddenly, his eyes met yours, and you quickly turned away in embarrassment.

When the doors opened, he gestured for you to go first. You gave him a nod of thanks and stepped out. Soon, you noticed that both of you were walking in the same direction. When you stopped in front of your unit and reached for your keys, you heard someone do the same. You turned around and saw the handsome man opening his door… across from yours. He stepped inside, turned around, and slightly smiled before closing it.

You feel your ears turn red. Gosh, you hope he didn’t catch you staring. You’ve been volunteering as a swimming assistant at your local swimming pool on the weekends, and you mostly see the same people every time. But Alhaitham?

With your hands full, you used your body to push open the doors, exhausted from a long day at work. But then, you saw your neighbour standing in front of the elevator… and suddenly, you didn’t feel so tired anymore. He greeted you with a slight smile, to which you returned. Once you stood next to him, you put your groceries down. After a short while, as you waited for the elevator, you asked, "...Did you just move here?"

"I did. If I'm not wrong... we live across from each other."

So, he remembered you. "Yeah, we do."

So, you remembered him, too. Once the elevator arrived, he once again gestured for you to go first. You were about to pick up your groceries again when he asked, "Do you need some help?"

"Oh, no, I'm okay."

You grabbed the bags again, but a small box fell onto the floor. Before you could reach for it, he had already grabbed it for you. "At least let me help with this."

Did your heart just beat a little faster? Once both of you were inside, he swiped his card key and pressed for his floor. Then, he glanced at the box in his hands. "You bake?"

"I wouldn't call it real baking..."

He chuckled. "Well, it's a start." Was it bad that you couldn't look away? But, his man had the most enchanting eyes you had ever seen. Your mind went blank. It wasn't until the doors opened that he said,  “Sorry, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Alhaitham." He held the door open for you as you stepped out.

You were walking beside him when you introduced yourself. Then, just before you parted ways, he placed the cookie mix into your bag. You both stopped at your respective doors and opened them simultaneously. Then, you walked in and turned around. You happened to face each other, so you took the opportunity and said, "...Have a good night."

Suddenly, you feel someone grab your hand. You look down and see your cheeky student smiling at you.

“Did you miss me last week?”

“I sure did. Did you have fun on your vacation?”

He starts dragging you toward the pool. “I did! We went swimming by the lake. I practiced hard! Want me to show you?”

“Very diligent of you! I can’t wait to see.”

The young boy suddenly stops just before he gets into the water. “Oh, but there’s someone I’d you to meet first. He’s my uncle!” Then, he lets go of your hand and runs to the charming, green-eyed male. Well, what are the odds? When Alhaitham walks over and smiles at you, your heart unexpectedly races. “This is my uncle! He just moved here.”

Althaitham affectionately ruffles his nephew's hair. "Ah, this is the pretty instructor you told me about?" But, then, he looks at you, and you feel the heat rush to your cheeks. "You're right. She is pretty."

It's been a while since you last got dolled up. You and a couple of girlfriends were going out for drinks, so you took this opportunity to dress up. However, as soon as you opened your door, the first person you saw was Alhaitham… sweaty and in a gym tank. He turned, and you saw his eyes widen for a moment.

"Going out?” he asked.

“Ah, yeah, I’m going out for drinks with a couple of friends.”

He opened his door. “Have fun.” Then, he slightly smiled. “You look amazing.”

Without thinking and your emotions on a bit of a high, you said, “You too.”

You wanted to kick yourself. Your face turned red as Alhaitham laughed. “Maybe under less sweaty circumstances.”

Alhaitham looks at his nephew and puts his hand on his shoulder. “Do you mind if I chat with her for a bit?”

His nephew suspiciously looks from his uncle to you. “...Fine. But only for a bit.”

Once his nephew is swimming alone in the shallow water, Alhaitham asks, "How long have you been volunteering here?"

You hope he doesn't know that you're fighting the urge to look at his sculpted torso. “Not too long. Just a couple of months ago, actually. Are you here because of your nephew?”

Yes and no. But before Alhaitham tells you the real reason, he says, “He keeps gushing about his instructor on vacation, so I was curious.”

“It sounds like you like her a lot,” Alhaitham said as he prepared dinner.

“I do! I think you’ll like her, too.”

“Well, a friend of yours is a friend of mine.” Alhaitham turned off the stove. “So, what’s her name?” Your name wasn’t the one he was expecting.

“Well… surprise! It’s just me.”

Alhaitham chuckles. “It’s a pleasant surprise.”

You look away and use the back of your hand to touch your face. You aren’t blushing, are you? “Um, well, your nephew learns fast. He’s diligent, too.”

"Glad to hear. But, I want to ask... Do you have room for one more student?" At your silence, Alhaitham looks away awkwardly. "You don't have to. I just thought I'd ask."  Hold up. Is he turning red?

"Of course I do." But then you smile a little mischievously, "But... do I get something in return?"

Did his gaze just darken? Or is that your imagination? Just before he can reply, his nephew runs up to you. “Are you done talking yet?”

You lean down. “Looks like your uncle will be joining you.”

To your surprise, the young boy frowns. Then, he gives his uncle a deadpan look. “Are you hitting on her?”

You almost laugh at Alhaitham’s flustered expression. “Okay, okay. Should we start our first lesson?”

“What about meee?”

Alhaitham ruffles his nephew’s hair. “Looks like you’re sharing today.”

Tag List: @suoshiii @lordbugs I tagged y'all because you wanted to get updates for all of my stories. But, I'm not sure if that includes new stuff, too. XD. Just let me know otherwise.

#genshin alhaitham #alhaitham x reader #al haitham #alhaitham x you #alhaitham fluff #al haitham x reader #al haitham fluff #genshin x reader #genshin impact fanfic #genshin fanfiction #genshin impact #al haitham genshin #one shot

[kookaburra1701]

I know you deal in adopted NPCs, so I'm gonna ask some specific ones based on that :>

For Kaidan: What is their stance on taking a life? Do they kill without a second thought, in the name of a god or daedra, or do they adhere to pacifism? For Lucien: Do they regret journeying to Skyrim? (You have to understand how much I restrained myself from asking "what's his opinion on the bandit problem?") For Pascale: If they are a magic user, what is their favorite school of magic? Do they have a natural talent for magic, or does it require diligence and study? For Borgakh: What is their favorite kind of food that can only be found in Skyrim? For Olur: What are their opinions on the civil war? Do they support a side or leave them to their own devices?

Hello friend! Heh you know me very well with my habit of adopting NPCs and shaking them very hard giving them loving safe homes. For this ask game I will take a page out of your book and answer in-character. :D

For Kaidan: What is their stance on taking a life?

"If you're doubting the strength of my sword-arm, you've no need to worry. I've killed many things, many people; I haven't lost a patron yet! To tell the truth... I used to not think about it at all. Brynjar never talked about how he felt when he had to kill someone, but by that time whenever we weren't on a job he was always at the bottom of a bottle, so maybe it bothered him more than he let on."

Do they kill without a second thought, in the name of a god or daedra, or do they adhere to pacifism?

"A pacifist? Do you know what a sell-sword is? I'll give you a hint, I'm not a shopkeeper specializing in edged weapons. The only thing anyone in Skyrim needs to know is that I was brought up by and as a Nord, and I honor our traditions. I call upon Kyne for strength, if She feels I'm worthy. Anything more is no one's business but my own."

For Lucien: Do they regret journeying to Skyrim?

"Skyrim, on the whole, has been simply marvelous! I'll grant you there were some slight hiccups in the beginning. And a few brushes with certain death in the middle. Some recent moments where I thought it would all end. But it all worked out ! And just think about all the exciting adventures I would have missed if I'd decided to stay in the Imperial City, locked up in some tower only reading about the things I've seen! I thought I'd be fortunate to write a few treatises, but now I've got enough material for at least ten volumes!"

(You have to understand how much I restrained myself from asking "what's his opinion on the bandit problem?")

"If that's supposed to be a joke I'm not laughing. Sit down Kaidan. I'm going to assume you didn't mean anything by it, and we're all going to forget it was ever asked."

For Pascale: If they are a magic user, what is their favorite school of magic?

"Oh I adore Conjuration! People don't seem to know all the things you can summon - sure they know about weapons like bows and swords, but did you know there's things like furniture in Oblivion? You can take it, too! Sometimes there's sticky stuff on it or it smells bad, but if you keep trying you'll usually get something good. Lockpicks are my favorite. And that doesn't even touch on my familiar, or atronachs! Conjuration means never being lonely, and your new friend has to do what you say!"

Do they have a natural talent for magic, or does it require diligence and study?

"Mistress Clarreau -my governess- said that I had the largest magicka pool of any of her students! I didn't have to study for most spells at all, but she always making me do exercises and such like. Do you know how tedious it is to light and extinguish a candle flame one hundred times when you could just as well burn the entire castle to ash with a thought? It's very tedious. Maybe I wouldn't want to burn down the castle if I didn't have to do such ridiculous things as exercises."

For Borgakh: What is their favorite kind of food that can only be found in Skyrim?

"My favorite food can now only be found in the Ashpit, Outlander. And that is if Hearth-Wife Grutha feels like giving the slaves who serve there her recipe golden-cup mushroom and goat cheese pasty."

For Olur: What are their opinions on the civil war?

"It's a lot of humans fighting a long way from here over one of their gods. The chaplains in the Legion always said the gods were better than Daedra like Malacath but if they were they wouldn't need mortals to fight for them, to my way of thinking. But if things go too poorly for the Legion they're going start calling up levies, and those of us who have served before will be first on the lists. I hope Mor Khazgur is too isolated for them to bother with me."

Do they support a side or leave them to their own devices?

"The last time a lot of Nords calling themselves "Stormcloaks" came through the Reach things were bad. I was very young, but I remember the smoke from the burning Reachclan camps turning the sun red, and the air poisonous. You know the stronghold Rahkzuga Yal? No you don't, because it doesn't exist any more. The Nords in blue didn't care if what they burned belonged to Reachclans or not, only that it didn't belong to Nords. The Chief and his Shield-Wife died defending their stronghold, and it still burned. Now his son Ghunzul and the Rahkzuga clan is having to make do in some ruin down south in Falkreath. I don't know why they didn't clear out of Skyrim altogether but they always were strange ones.

"But that doesn't answer your question. I support whichever side will leave Mor Khazgur alone, and not meddle in things they don't understand. I don't understand the Reachfolk and their hagravens so I don't meddle with them, and things are just fine as long as outsiders don't get involved. If only more people acted like me."

#kbs asks #skyrim oc asks #kb writes #kaidan 2 #kaidan skyrim #lucien flavius #oc:pascale #borgakh the steel heart #olur

[yeniiyy]

"I saw you sleeping in the library the other day"

Spica said as he sat down in the chair opposite mine, those emerald green eyes peered right into me. I, on the other hand, was letting my thoughts wander somewhere and only got startled by his sudden intrusion.

"Yeah I think I found a pretty neat corner"

I smiled, recalling the memory I had the other day. A library is always a perfect place for napping, even though I was really determined to study, everything just started to fall apart with the right ambience and that impeccable silence.

"Were you tired?"

"Maybe a little bit" I didn't want to lie, but I didn't want to make him worry either "I just need time to rearrange my thoughts, you know"

The cafeteria in the afternoon was not too crowded with students. Most of them already left for the afternoon class, some of them remained here, working diligently to complete whatever task was displayed on their laptops in front of them with a bottle of water. And we were there, sitting across from each other, in this undoubtedly quiet area, our chatter was practically the only thing I could hear.

"You know you can always ask me for help, right?"

His sea-green eyes once again delved into mine, as though he was searching for any answer he could find in there. I flinched for a second, but quickly regained my smile.

"That is very kind of you" I hesitated "but, you know, there is stuff I need to resolve by myself. It's not that I don't want your help, sometimes things just got complicated".

I found myself averting his eyes, staring off into space. Those eyes, they were too powerful that I was scared if I looked into it any longer, I would end up coming clean and telling him the truth.

"Summoner" his voice was gentle as if soothing a little toddler "You are avoiding the problem"

I touched the hem of my uniform, not knowing what to say. He was right. As if it's only a matter of time before everyone else notices. Ever since that night, I have been hiding from "him". Avoiding group meetings, switching team missions, I've done everything I could in order to buy myself some time, to figure out what is this feeling inside of me.

"Little do you know" Spica once again broke the hush "That night when you went missing, he was the first one to contact everyone, and also the first one who seems like he would go crazy just because we couldn't contact you through Stella tab" he stopped for a moment before continuing to finish his words "To be honest with you, that was really out of character. Never have I witnessed Vega acting so impatiently before"

I finally shifted my gaze from the hem of my skirt to Spica, who was looking even more thoughtful than before. He wasn't joking, he surely couldn't withstand our little hassle and decided to step in.

"I just don't know how to face him right now" I spoke genuinely "So many things happened at once, and, you know, logically speaking, I'm not supposed to take it for granted and pretend like nothing happened. I just don't know. I feel like the more I look at him, the more I got drowned in my own frivolous thoughts"

"You're so slow, you know that?" I just heard the person in front of me sigh "Let me just dumb it down for you. Do you have feelings for him?"

"I" I looked down "I don't know"

"Then just tell him you don't know. Anything is better than eluding the problem right now" Spica said with concern "It's not your fault, there's no need to feel bad about it"

"But" I blinked twice "What if he doesn't accept it"

"Then we have no choice other than flinging him into the ocean" he said nonchalantly "But to be frank, I don't think that would be the case. Why don't you try talking to him first, or at the very least, listening to what he has to say?”

Surprisingly enough, as soon as Spica finished his sentence, my Stella tab flashed. I instantaneously took a glance at the display and saw that it was unmistakably he - the person we are discussing over - had called.

"Take it" Spica urged "We are not going anywhere if you keep agonizing over it"

I took a deep breath.

"Thanks, Spica" I stood up "I'm gonna take my leave"

He nodded.

I was totally unaware that after I left, Spica stared into the space where I had just gone from with a broody expression on his face.

_____________________________________________________ I have no idea what I just wrote but thank you for reading! :D

#arcana twilight #arcana twilight vega #arcana twilight spica #arcana twilight x reader

[dear--mars]

Academic rivals…? Pt 3

Synopsis: You hated Alhaitham. From his arrogance to his grades. Even looking at him made your stomach turn. But then why were you two embracing each other in the broom closet intertwining breaths together…?

Notes: Fem reader, Crying, Misogyny, Fighting, Swearing, Spreading rumors, OCC Alhaitham

900+ words [not edited]

It’s been a few days since the incident. You came to the Akademiya only to be told there was an unexpected assembly. Before you could walk to the gymnasium, one of the TAs said to follow them to one of the box seats.

"You can sit there. The assembly is going to start soon."

"I see… Thank you."

'What’s going on?' Soon one of the sages went up on the stage. He tapped the magic orb. (Kind of like a microphone)

"Hello everyone. I assume you're doing well?"

A resounding "Yes" was heard.

"That’s good to hear. How unfortunate that I come bearing bad news. It has come to my attention that people have been speculating that one of the top students, [Name] has been cheating off of Alhaitham."

Your eyes widened 

'This was why the assembly was called? Am I going to get publicly expelled?' You look down at the crowd, only to see Alhaitham already looking at you. He smirked devilishly.

(He didn't. He gave you an awkward smile.)

"I would like to say that [Name] will at this moment be expelled from the Akademiya." You felt as if your whole world broke down. You looked down at your feet.

‘What am I supposed to tell my family…?’

“I object.” A voice tears through the silent atmosphere. 

“Top student Alhaitham. What is it? Why do you object to my decision? Are you not the victim in the situation?” 

“As someone who was involved in this rumor. Would you allow me to come up and speak my part?”

“I see no harm in that.” He said as Alhaitham got up and walked to the front.

‘What are you doing?’

“Am I correct to assume that the rumor is that [Name] is cheating off me to get good grades?”

“Yes, you are.”

“I’ve known [Name] all the way back from the first day of my first year here. Not to mention we’ve always had the same classes. I’d like to say that I know her particularly well and the one thing that I'm quite certain about is that she hates me.”

“...” Everyone was speechless.

“It seems I unintentionally gave them a bad impression the first time we met.”

‘Unintentionally?’

“[Name] is a clumsy, foolish airhead.”

‘That bitch! I can't believe he's saying that in front of everybody!’

“Not to mention a loudmouth. However, I can attest that [Name] didn’t cheat off me.” Gasps were hurt throughout the gymnasium. My eyes widened.

‘He’s defending me?’

“Although [Name] is naive at times, she is one of the most hard-working people in the Akademiya. She’s a diligent person, who gets too engrossed and immersed in her work. It seems her dislike stems from our rankings. As such [Name] would rather die than copy my work. ”

“Can you back that up?” one of the students said.

“I've seen her collapse before due to malnourishment from studying without breaks. Not to mention as the victim if I’m saying that I'm not actually a victim I think that tells a lot.”

“I see. Then I’ll revoke her expulsion.”

“Do you think I could talk about something else?”

“Go ahead.”

“I was wondering where did this rumor start? I asked around and it seemed like a girl named Lindsay Michaela had spread this rumor.” Everyone turned to look at Lindsay.

“Y-yeah. I-I did! So what! I only said what I heard!”

“And I assume you heard this from outside the science professor's office?”

“Y-yes.”

“I assumed as much so I went and confronted the professor about it. Sage, I have two pieces of paper here with me. One is the first and the other one is the final draft of our science paper that we worked on together. Do you think you'll be able to distinguish which is which?” Alhaitham asked handing the papers to the sage.

“Let me see here… Well, it seems like the one on the left is more crinkled and the ink is more faded. Not to mention the one on the right just looks like an edited version of the left. So I'd say the left one is the first draft.”

“That is correct. On the day the rumor spread the science professor called [Name] to his office and accused her of not doing any work and leaching off of me. [Name] did not panic and provided many valid reasons why she couldn’t have been it. Nonetheless, the professor dismissed her under the pretense of being a woman.” Gasps were hurt throughout the crowd.

“T-that’s not true!”

“Well, then why don't we ask the victim herself?” Alhaitham said as the magic orb in front of me lit up.

“[Name] that magic orb in front of you is the same one that's on stage right now all you have to do is speak into it. What did the professor say to you?” You bit your lip as you softly smiled.

“He said that he hated female students because according to his own personal studies, he concluded that women are more prone to lie..”

“What…?” The sage said flabbergasted.

“S-she’s lying!”

“Lindsay? Did you hear him say that when you were eavesdropping on their conversation?”

“I did.” The science professor’s eyes widened.

“Please escort the science professor off Akademiya property.”

“Be quiet! You are hereby expelled from the Akademiya. You will never set foot on its property again.”

Your shoulders slumped as tears fell from my face. I watched as the science professor got dragged out of the room.

‘It’s over, right?’ 

It's been a few days since your name got cleared. People you didn’t know came up and apologized to you about spreading the rumors more and even Lindsay said sorry.

You and Alhaitham have gotten a tad bit closer. Barley but closer is closer.

[Pt 1] [Pt 2] [Pt 3] [Pt 4] [Pt 5]

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#genshin impact #genhsin #genshin impact x reader #genhsin x reader #genshin fanfic #genhsin fic #genshin impact fluff #genshin fluff #genshin alhaitham #al haitam x reader #alhaitham #alhaitham fluff #marsworks #academic rivals

[iremiari]

anyway, time to ramble abt life and stuff

Remi Rambles 1: Responsibility and Diligence - The Difficulty of it All

does anyone else know that one meme where there's a teacher in a music theory class captioned "come on it's not rocket science" and then on the bottom image it's a teacher in a rocket science class going "come on it's not music theory" like i get it's supposed to be a joke but it just makes me think about how subjective we determine the difficulty of something.

like yeah thats a given, but if you really think about it, it's really cool, and weird. because two ppl from completely different backgrounds can also find this one thing easy but someone else finds it difficult and it just blows my mind. and i find it interesting to observe this in the way people practice morals.

i feel like the only reason i find it interesting is because so many people that i know are responsible and actually do their requirements for school, studying for exams and quizzes, yk everything, but i find it so difficult to do that for whatever reason. call it the burned out gifted kid effect but i do know how to study i just dont. do it often. bc i assume everything will be alright and did not actually experience the consequences of my laziness, and i still dont.

yeah im doing average in school and i could get better grades and i want to do that, but at the same time, why should i? where do these people find the motivation to do good in school? they say it's out of necessity or urgency because if they dont then they'll get punished but i feel like?? that's the way to more burnout??? and i dont really ever get punished for low grades so i cant use that as motivation.

someone once said, that responsibility is the standard to which we do what is expected of us, and going the extra mile just means you know very well what is asked of you so you do it well. like say, and i apologize for the odd analogy, if someone asks a banana from you: giving them the banana is you being responsible, but peeling the banana for them means you know that they're hungry so you're being extra responsible. they explained it better than i did but you get the general gist, right?

so, i guess the question i need to ask is: "what is expected of me as a student?" because i get good-average grades, but most people would call me lazy and would not entrust any major assessments from me (but i guess that's just because i submit things late). but in the rare occasions that i do submit on time, most people would still call me "smart but lazy" and. i dont know. it's just odd because most people would definitely not call me a particularly responsible student even if i submitted early.

and ive thought of it, and even if i got better grades, they would not call me a particularly responsible student. so, once again, that leads us to the question: "what is the responsibility of (or standards for) a student?"

it's not to get good grades, because i do that, i still learn but people would just call me attentive instead of responsible. and maybe it's to show due diligence in my studies?

because when you think about it, most people would call someone who follows their schedule and exceeds expectations as "responsible" because they go the extra mile in their responsibility as a student. but maybe diligence is the key so that i can get people off my back..?

diligence is a thing that i find... scary to apply in my studies. because then it'll be really hard to find that work-life balance since i tend to get carried away in my pursuits, and once again, burnout.

i guess what i can try to do is think that my schedule is for the whole year to make sure that im not too engrossed in it and allow some more room for fun.

yeah, maybe i'll do this actually. im posting this for archiving reasons and for future me to read again. future remi, if you're reading this follow through w your damn plans mf. and remember to be urself <3

and for the poor unsuspecting stranger reading this, im sorry and i hoped this helped ! if it didnt then welp, tough luck.

#remi! rambles!! #ignore this if u dont like it xx

[decoysouled]

unprompted asks // accepting // @momdstadt. " Excuse me... " Her words came out in more of a whisper. Layla tapped on the other's shoulder gently, one hand still holding onto her few books as she did so. Golden gaze sweeping over him, she couldn't recognize him & wasn't quite pinpointing what Darshan he might be a part of. But regardless, all the other tables in the library had quickly filled up with other students looking to study. Once she was sure she had his attention she continued. " I'm sorry, would it be okay if I sit here with you? I'll sit on the other side of the table as to not disturb you. " A nervous tone to her inquiry. ( for Arakan! )

IT SEEMS THAT NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO, their self-imposed seclusion would always be interrupted. In such a public place as the House of Daena, surely anyone could find an empty table or twelve — yet it seems another human has gravitated toward them despite their best efforts to look intimidating enough that the scholars would run at the first sight of their glare like the cowards they were supposed to be. It's a shame, in their opinion, that the students of the Akedemiya have begun ignoring Arakan's annoyance regardless of whether it's on show or not.

( more & more it seems they treat arakan like some sort of socially challenged loner who didn't know how to make friends. or a weird cat with a tendency to bite the hand that feeds it. it's absurd. )

It can't hurt to allow her to sit by them, at the very least, considering the books in front of them ( those they so diligently seem to be reading ) have been open to the same page for the last half hour, their eyes scanning people in the crowd in lieu of studying for their thesis. It isn't as if they want to be here, after all, considering the only reason they even have academic work to do in the first place is because of Nahida's intervention — it is part of their prison sentence, they suppose.

Even if she never truly saw them as a prisoner. Even if they haven't seen themself as one in a short while. They still owe her a debt, whether she intends to collect on it or not, & the thesis is simply their way of repaying her. Or avoiding her inevitable disappointment, considering she had stated she would personally read it.

( for a moment, they wonder if they should ask what the person in front of them is writing. they banish the idea of pleasantries & casual conversation as quickly as it arrives. )

❝Haven't you already disturbed me by interrupting me?❞ There is a lack of true annoyance in their voice, the question asked more to see what reply it would garner & whether it would be as ridiculous as most mortal excuses were. ❝You're here to ask forgiveness rather than permission. Anyone could see that.❞ Save for the fools that seemed to make up the majority of humans these days. Then again, perhaps this is one of the many odd behaviours they cannot understand.

( as they are more machine than human, more divine than mortal. yet ordinary all the same. )

❝The pleasantries hum- people.❞ Their correction of their language is something they hope goes unnoticed, if only because the questions it would likely lead to were not the sort Arakan enjoyed answering. Nor would they bother to, regardless of the outcome. ❝Come up with are truly astounding. Why not just sit down rather than asking? I wouldn't even notice if I were as engrossed in my work as a good student should be.❞

( as someone who wasn't there against their will would be goes unspoken. )

❝You might as well just sit rather than idling nearby, anyway. Regardless of my feelings on your existence, I'd bet you probably have important work to do — but is it actually important or have you just convinced yourself of that to feel like your life has a purpose? Do tell. Indulge me.❞ The words are accompanied by a sharp smile, the sort of which one might find to be threatening, or perhaps menacing. It has always seemed unnerving at best to those, save for those who ( for some reason they could not figure out ) actually wanted to spend time with them.

Perhaps it is a personal question, the sort which might make her uncomfortable — & by all means, they hope it does. After all, humans had a tendency to escape a situation that was filled with discomfort & taking advantage of that would lead to the return of their beloved isolation once more.

Or so they hope.

#& fandom — genshin impact #114. ❝i'm just a puppet in your play.❞ — arakan #115. ❝synthesised & transformed; pathetic lifeform.❞ — V1 ( wanderer ) #momdstadt #addressed to — layla (momdstadt) #( i'm sorry they're so mean it's just how they are ) #003. ❝transmissions: halo.❞ — interactions

[i-myeoni-blogs]

Chapter ~5

Mars trailed behind the dean as they made their way to his office, a compelling book in his hands, its pages beckoning to be perused. Seated across from the dean, he waited with anticipation, sensing the gravity of the impending conversation.

"Since this is the last semester, I assume Ms. Nada has already provided you with the student's records," the dean began, prompting Mars to nod solemnly, his brows furrowing in earnestness. "The music majors have already been assigned, leaving only the arts students. And…" The dean paused, intertwining his fingers and resting his chin upon them. "I'd like you to mentor Jinny."

Mars' eyes widened at the unexpected request. First, there had been the strange behavior of Ms. Nada, sending him reports primarily containing Jinny's information. Now, the dean's peculiar choice left Mars wondering about the unusual turn of events.

"But that could be seen as favoritism."

"I understand how it might appear that way, but I'll do my best to handle it discreetly," the dean replied, though Mars could discern skepticism in his expression. As the dean stood and Mars followed his movements, the dean positioned himself before a painting—Amarias' eastern castle, the warmest and most picturesque of spots, boasting endless meadows and blossoming flowers.

Mars noted the eerie similarity between this painting and the one hanging in his own home, save for the absence of a girl in this one. "You do realize that Amarias is a place filled with mysteries, don't you?" the dean inquired, his gaze transfixed on the artwork.

"Yes, sir," Mars affirmed.

"I know you're diligently researching the cliff," the dean continued, swiveling slightly to meet Mars' gaze. "Consider this an intriguing clue." Mars was taken aback by the cryptic remark and appeared even more puzzled. "Perhaps I'm a bit biased, but Jinny is truly an exceptional student with a genuine passion for history and the cliff," the dean added with a chuckle, adopting a more lighthearted tone. "Well, I suppose that would serve both of our interests."

After some laughter and conversation, Mars ultimately decided to take Jinny under his wing, although he didn't want to admit to the dean that he was secretly pleased.

The painting in his home, the towering cliff, and Jinny were the three enigmas that intrigued Mars the most, and he eagerly anticipated solving them. Not encountering Jinny and her friends on campus all day due to the absence of a literary class left him somewhat exasperated.

He sighed and exited the college; it was already late, having followed his earnest discussion with the dean with a pleasant meal in the company of fellow educators. The dean had introduced Mars to the entire faculty, and some were familiar with him since he had graduated from the institution. They were delighted to see him return as a teacher. Mars, in turn, shared his studies on a cliff near the northern castle.

"Oh, that's a challenging but impressive endeavor," one of his former professors remarked. Some even suggested he visit places that could aid his research. Mars and the dean found the idea appealing, and they decided that for the final-year students, organizing an excursion to Amarias' three castles was a worthwhile proposition.

"I'll give it some thought; once the second midterm examinations are over, we can arrange something," the dean proposed.

As Mars waited for the bus, he was beaming and thinking back on his conversation with the dean and the other teachers. He had a great and successful day. After what seemed like two years of researching his thesis and coming up empty-handed.

The biggest surprise came when the dean mentioned the clue, assuring him that there was some evidence about the history of the North Castle. Mars was eager to figure it out since it reminded him of the mysteries he used to investigate in high school and college.

Perhaps, in his excitement, he inadvertently skipped over the familiar melody of "The Paper Crown" and instead opted for the tune of "Two is Better Than One." The reason behind his fixation on the North Castle remained a mystery to him, one that seemed to sprout from a unique form of optimism.

At times, he attributed it to the absence of concrete evidence, unlike the other three castles, and occasionally to his deep-rooted passion for history. Mars diligently began jotting down his thoughts and plans on his phone's notepad, seeking to embark on this venture with newfound enthusiasm and assistance.

The air was frigid, a common occurrence in Amarias' northern reaches, where he imagined it must be snowing. Engrossed in his note-taking, Mars was interrupted by a message notification from a friend.

Hans: Hey, Mars! Are you available? Can I come over?

What a truly remarkable day it turned out to be! Mars found himself in the unexpected company of his long-lost childhood friend, Hans. They had once shared the vibrant tapestry of their youth but had grown apart due to divergent career paths.

Hans had ventured to the southern part of Amarias in pursuit of his business education, drawn by the region's reputation for housing international enterprises and opportunities aplenty. After what felt like a span of ten to twelve years, who could resist the call of a reunion?

With eager anticipation, Mars swiftly initiated the conversation:

Mars: "Cease with the questions and simply pay a visit."

Hans: 😊

Mars was elated beyond measure, to the point that he lost track of his surroundings and disembarked several kilometers away from his intended destination. His fellow passengers had already alighted from the bus, and the driver had raised his voice in inquiry.

Driver: "Where exactly do you need to go?"

Snapping out of his reverie, Mars hastily disembarked, settling his fare. An exclamation of dismay escaped his lips as he realized he was now on the opposite side of town, a considerable distance from his residence.

His options were limited; he could either hail a taxi or wait for the next bus, a prospect that entailed a two-hour wait. However, upon surveying his surroundings, Mars hesitated to pursue either of these alternatives.

This neighborhood had undergone a remarkable transformation in the six years since he had last visited. What used to be a rather mundane or unremarkable area had now blossomed with charming small shops and welcoming residences.

Since Hans wasn't expected until late in the evening, Mars decided to take advantage of this surreal opportunity and explore his newfound surroundings.

As he meandered through the vibrant streets, a poster caught his eye, seemingly advertising the grand opening of a delightful new café. This unexpected discovery only added to the sense of wonder and magic that filled the air.

Mars sauntered towards the café with a pleasant idea tickling his mind: "Maybe I could grab something for Hans as well," as if his feet had a mind of their own.

Or perhaps his day hadn't unfolded as splendidly as he'd thought. He had intended to visit a quaint little café and a couple of nearby bakeries down a narrow alley. However, his stride came to an abrupt halt when he spotted a quartet basking in laughter by the window.

But why would the sight of four joyful souls faze him? Maybe it was because he recognized three of them. Inside the café, sat Matt, Wade, and Jinny. Oh, but wait, there was a stranger in the mix, sharing a pastry with Jinny.

He hadn't been keen on delving into a student's love life, yet his hands instinctively clenched. However, he couldn't help but notice an uncanny resemblance between this newcomer and someone he knew. But who?

Mars couldn't shake off his disquiet as he observed Jinny's nonchalant chatter with the stranger, who sported a peculiar mark on his forehead. He neither approached them nor continued on his way. Instead, he stood there, silently observing, an uncharacteristic behavior for him.

He remained still, lost in thoughts and scenarios he wished weren't real. He kept his eyes locked on them for a good five to seven minutes until it seemed they were preparing to leave the café. Acting on an impulse, he darted behind the nearest small building, watching them like a shadowy figure. He couldn't quite fathom why he was doing this, but neither could he bring himself to stop.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Summer," Matt greeted with a smile.

"Yeah, seriously, if it weren't for Jinny, we could've connected a year ago," Wade remarked, receiving a playful smack from Jinny.

As Mars eavesdropped on their conversation, he pondered, "So, his name is Summer. A year ago, must mean they recently became friends."

The alley's small size made their conversation faint but still audible, not too challenging to eavesdrop on. Mars's ears perked up as he tried to catch more of their discussion.

Jinny handed Summer a second helmet and asked, "Summer, why do you carry a spare helmet?"

Summer replied with a smug expression, "I was hoping someone might need it someday."

Jinny chuckled and said, "Summer, we've just met, but get ready for some witty banter in the future." The four of them laughed together at Jinny's friendly yet sarcastic remark.

"Anyway, how do you plan on getting back home?" Matt and Wade began to whistle, pretending they couldn't hear. Jinny glanced back at them; her expression displeased. She let out a small gasp before turning her attention back to Summer.

"I'll take the bus," she replied, her tone still tinged with sarcasm.

"Or I could give you a ride." Summer suggested.

"Please, Summer, rescue us, or she'll torture us with her chatter all through the upcoming semester," Wade chimed in.

"We're in our final semester, Wade," Summer retorted.

Mars overheard their dispute about having only one bike and leaving Jinny behind. After a brief argument, Jinny agreed to join Summer. She put on the helmet once more and took a seat at the back of the bike. Just as they were about to leave, a café employee emerged, carrying two bags. He handed one to Wade and the other to Jinny.

"I couldn't resist sharing these with both of you; you make such a lovely couple," she said with a warm smile. Grateful for her gesture, they all expressed their thanks, and the woman beamed in response.

Soon after, they departed, leaving Mars alone. He emerged from his hiding spot and approached the café with a mysterious expression on his face. It wasn't happiness or sadness he felt; instead, it was a profound sense of suffering, the cause and origin of which remained elusive.

Glancing at the clock, which displayed 7 o'clock, Mars knew that Hans could arrive at any moment. He swiftly returned from the café shortly after entering, purchasing only a few pastries, specifically the ones the hostess had offered to Jinny and Summer. This left the hostess somewhat puzzled.

Mars slouched on the couch, engrossed in his phone's news feed, while the pastries and beer bottles were scattered across the coffee table.

Ding Dong! The sound of the doorbell echoed through the house, jolting Mars from his seat. He leaped to his feet, excitement coursing through him, and hurried to the door to greet his old friend, Hans, with a warm and hearty hug. Hans was enveloped in the bear hug, and their laughter filled the air as they rejoiced in their long-awaited reunion.

Hans' eyes were like clear mirrors, reflecting the joy of the moment. You could almost see your image in those sparkling orbs. With a nearly contagious grin, Mars gently pulled his friend inside the cozy confines of his home.

"The house looks just as it did all those years ago," Hans remarked, his voice soft and soothing, perfectly complementing his attractive features.

"I never saw a reason to change it," Mars replied with a nostalgic smile.

"Pastries and beer, a deadly combination," Hans mused, his eyes briefly flickering to the coffee table laden with treats. With a deft motion, he removed his jacket and winter cap, revealing his sleek raven-black hair.

As they made their way towards the inviting couch, both Mars and Hans knew there were countless topics to discuss that couldn't be adequately covered over the phone.

"I currently hold a position as a guest faculty member at The West College of Arts and Music," Mars proudly stated.

"Congratulations! That's great news," his friend replied, curiosity in his eyes. "But what about your research on Cliffe?"

Mars smiled; his enthusiasm undiminished. "The research is still ongoing, and I've enlisted the help of a student."

His friend chuckled, recognizing Mars's clever approach. "Ah, I see what you did there."

Curiosity piqued; Mars couldn't help but inquire about his friend's unexpected visit. "By the way, what brings you here all of a sudden? I thought everything was going well in the south."

Hans grinned, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Indeed, everything is just fine. Can't a guy visit his hometown?" Mars joined in the laughter, nodding in agreement.

"But I must attend to an important matter here," Hans said with a serious tone as if there was an unfinished task he couldn't divulge. Mars didn't press him for details, and that's how their relationship had always worked. Even when Hans planned to journey to the southern region of Amarias, he'd drop hints, and Mars would piece it together. It was this dynamic that had forged their friendship, and Mars always understood without needing explicit explanations.

"So, you'll be seeing more of me," Hans continued.

"I'm prepared for that," Mars replied with a smile. They both raised their brand-new beer cans, applauding before cracking them open and savoring the first sip of the alcoholic beverage, followed by a hearty burp.

Mars and Hans seemed to be on a quest to uncover the hidden secrets of Amarias. The ancient castles of the land held mysteries within their walls, their secrets whispered through the ages. While the words written in the four libraries across the four districts of Amarias echoed from the castles, most people remained apathetic, dismissing them as mere fiction with little real consequence.

Jinny lay on her bed, restlessly turning and twisting as her thoughts wandered back to an encounter she had postponed for an entire year. "If only I had realized how sweet he is," she lamented, her voice muffled as she buried her face in the soft cushions.

Summer, a decent guy, had dropped Jinny off in front of her house, with Matt and Wade quietly trailing behind, just in case Summer turned out to be less than trustworthy.

Jinny had attempted to offer a pastry to Summer as a gesture of goodwill, but her younger brother spotted her from the window and, to keep their parents from discovering the clandestine snack, suggested that he should have it instead.

Summer refrained from asking for Jinny's contact information, fearing it might come across as impolite. However, to his pleasant surprise, Jinny willingly shared her contact details with him.

Late in the evening, a brief but heartwarming text message arrived from Summer. It read, "Good night 😊 and thank you for today."

Jinny was taken aback by the unexpected message, as she had assumed that Summer would wait for her to initiate the conversation. Her heart skipped a beat as she read the words on her screen.

Jinny found herself caught in a whirlwind of emotions; her excitement palpable. She hurriedly tucked herself under the cozy embrace of her blankets, unable to contain her joy. For the first time in a long while, she drifted into a peaceful slumber, a wide grin stretching from ear to ear, and her heart feeling lighter than ever before.

...

Chapter ~6

#creative writing #my writing #writersofinstagram #literature #love story #series #betrayal #college #queen #writers on tumblr #writerscommunity #writer things #writers of tumblr #writers and poets #ao3 writer #writing #writing community #cliffs #secret #past lives #past life

[authoralexharvey]

Happy WBW!

In A Sharper, More Lasting Pain, is there any magic or spell that's forbidden? If so, why?

Happy wbw and thanks for the ask!!

This post explains Magic College™️ somewhat and the fact that you legally need to go to and graduate from Magic College™️ in order to use it. The true answer is only slightly more complicated.

Magic in this world post-TWEfA has been divided into "public use" and "legislated use". The best way to explain this is to think of electricity in our world. Most of us have it. You flip a switch or press a button and shit happens. HOWEVER you need specialized training to be an electrician, right? Similar enough case here.

So for example, magic as a whole is kind of everywhere. It powers transportation and is imbued into mobility aids and on and on and on. But to actually ENCHANT those things or like, cast a fireball, you NEED to go to college. So, in that sense, magic as a whole is forbidden to you if you haven't gone to school for it.

That said, there are coalitions world-wide of people trying to illegally grant access to magic to even more people, but the means are super dangerous. I can talk about it more in another post.

As for forbidden spells... kind of?

There are eight realms of magic, as explained in this post. Spoiler alert, I ripped off D&D and also made necromancy its own realm. (Also talked a bit about necromancy in my response to you here, but the rules changed after the events of TWEfA). The realms themselves are open to any student willing to specialize in them. However, there are a couple that are harder to graduate in and take lots more training and diligence. Those are Enchantment and Necromancy.

Enchantment is a more rigorous realm as this is the realm of magic that can get into like. Mind control and things that mess with your autonomy. They generally have to take more theory classes before even getting to the actual magic of it, because in the wrong hands this magic can be INCREDIBLY dangerous. In fact, graduates of this realm are quickly whisked away to jobs and locations where they can be closely monitored. As a result, this realm is forbidden in the sense of if you do not do what you're supposed to when you're supposed to, it can have dire consequences.

Necromancy is a harder field due to the intense strain it can have on you. As it is, it takes a... certain kind of mind and thought process surrounding death to stomach handling this realm. It also can take quite the mental toll. Again, not Outlawed, and the use of it and the ramifications aren't the biggest concern as the Spells and effects of this realm are all quite short-lived, but...

Hope this answered your question!

Tagging @magic-is-something-we-create cause I know you love hearing about this lmao

#alex has the floor #worldbuilding wednesday #worldbuilding #asmlp #ask and you shall receive

[myinventoryisfull]

Nothing makes me laugh more than the thought of the Primus coming back from Korthia only to find the Theater of Pain hosting “Maldraxxus Vision” and the Seat of the Primus covered in flashing rainbow lights while Carameldansen blasts from inside.

#i think it's especially funny if its Jailor!Primus #what happened to his unstoppable army? #the one that would do anything to win? #how is it that the ones to prevail were the noble idiots #and not the monstrous honorless ambitious bastards willing to commit atrocities for a taste of glory???? #what do you mean a kyrian happened #how could one little kyrian ruin so much of his plan? #they're not supposed to have comraderie #they're supposed to view literally everyone as an enemy #heirmir surely you haven't succumbed to this madness as well? #heirmir? #oh #oh noooooo #no heimir not you too!!! #you're supposed to be my most diligent student!! #you're supposed to be well versed in my ways!!! #why are you making COSTUME ARMOR FOR THE SINGING COMPETITION????

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Malleus Draconia Union Birthday Personal Story: Part 3

"Happy Birthday"

(Part 1) (Part 2) Part 3

[Diasomnia Dorm – Birthday Party Venue]

Riddle: Now, we move on to the next question.

Riddle: “If you were to join any dorm other than Diasomnia, which dorm would you choose?”

Malleus: A transfer, is it? I cannot imagine there would be any reason for me to do so…

Riddle: Whatever do you mean?

Malleus: No matter where I choose, I would become the Dorm Leader and build an atmosphere that suits my needs.

Malleus: Of course, that includes your very own Heartslabyul.

Riddle: In other words… If you were to choose my dormitory, you would challenge me to a duel and take from me the position of Dorm Leader?

Malleus: Indeed.

Riddle: I would like to see that. If I were to take your head with my Unique Magic, then my estimation as a mage would increase dramatically.

Malleus: For you to think that you would triumph over me, how insolent. Although, I suppose it would not be quite as entertaining, if you weren't.

Riddle: …Ahem! Pardon, we seemed to have deviated from the original discussion.

Malleus: I suppose an answer of "anywhere" is inappropriate for the purpose of this interview…

Riddle: The 7 dorms each have their own individualistic characteristics. Perhaps it would help if you viewed it from the perspective of "gaining knowledge"?

Malleus: "Gaining knowledge" …I see. I cannot think of anything new that I could possibly learn at this school…

Malleus: Ah, actually, there is one. If I were to think of increasing my comprehension in something, I would choose Ignihyde.

Riddle: That would be the dormitory that was founded on the King of the Underworld's spirit of diligence.

Malleus: Indeed. In Briar Valley, where I was born and raised, most everything is done with magic.

Malleus: However, regardless of whether they can use magic or not, Ignihyde students delve into using their machinery.

Malleus: If I were to join a dorm in which a majority of students are proficient in magical engineering, I believe it would be a perfect opportunity to obtain new knowledge.

Riddle: I see… If you were to place yourself into a vastly different environment than what you have become accustomed to, it is likely that you may learn of new experiences.

Malleus: Just by joining the dormitory and living amongst them, I am sure to be able to naturally learn how to use electronic devises.

Malleus: Eventually, I wish to gain the ability to use a smartphone to summon objects directly to my hand.

Riddle: Eh. A smartphone with the technology to summon objects…? That maybe a new magical technique… This is the first I've heard of it.

Malleus: Is that so? If one were to follow the proper procedures using their smartphone, the item of their choosing could be instantly ordered.

Malleus: I recall Lilia telling me of such a phenomenon in the past.

Riddle: Is it possible you're speaking of online shopping…? I have an inkling that magical engineering wouldn't teach you that…

Malleus: I am not quite skilled in handling machinery, however I cannot avoid the quickly arriving future.

Riddle: With this, the interview has concluded. Lastly…

Malleus: I am to receive the "Gift of Good Fortune" from my presenter, is that not right, Rosehearts?

Malleus: I am prepared. You may present it to me when you wish.

Riddle: …I am slightly shocked. I believed entirely that you would dislike this portion, Malleus-senpai.

Malleus: We had not any custom such as this in Briar Valley. Something such as this that could only be experienced while at this school is precious to me.

Riddle: So, you've been looking forward to this the most, I see. …Then, please refrain from any retaliatory lighting strikes once this experience has concluded.

Malleus: I would never strike with lighting during a celebration. Quickly now, I'm greatly looking forward to your efforts.

Riddle: I shall perform my final duty as your presenter… just as the rules state.

Riddle: MALLEUS-SENPAI, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

(Part 1) (Part 2) Part 3

#twisted wonderland #twst #malleus draconia #riddle rosehearts #twst malleus #twst riddle #twst translation #mention: lilia

[infernwetrust]

f**k, i luv my friends [Fem Reader x Michael Langdon x Jim Mason x AHS 1984]

BRIEF INTRO: This takes place in alternate universe, combining Cody’s characters Michael, Jim, Duncan (supporting), and Xavier. The 1984 gang is included as well. The Michael for this series is a cross between Sojourn and F&R.

Summary: You and your best friends gather around the beach for some fun. The beginning of this series.

Warnings: A WHOLE LOTTA CUTE SHIT.

WC: 3.0k

A/N: Holy fucking shit I’m so excited to share this massive series I’m working on with you guys. I don’t know what to call it yet so for now under my master list it’ll be called “THE BESTFRIENDS UNIVERSE”. This was inspired by the artist renforshort and her song “f**k, i luv my friends”. There will be PLENTY of smut, angst, fluff, and MORE across this series. I am so unbelievably excited. If you would like to be in my tag list for this series please let me know! My ask box is open, so if you have any ideas or requests for this series, please, please, please ASK ME. There is no plot to this, therefore there are no limitations. Thank you so much for reading! -Juno

You smiled as you took a sip of the drink your boyfriend, Michael had made you. As you sat in the sand between his legs, him laid out on his beach towel, arms behind his head, eyes closed as he breathed in the ocean air. Your smile grew even wider as you scanned the rest of the beach, spotting the rest of your friend group. There was Xavier and his girlfriend Montana, who stood barely in the water, arms wrapped around each other as they kissed slowly under the sunset. Then there was Jim and his girlfriend Brooke who lay on their surfboards lazily, letting the waves carry them away, being careful not to get too far away. And then Chet and Ray, each with a bottle of Jack in their hand, taking sips as they took selfies and laugh at what you were sure were their usual stupid jokes.

You curled your toes as you took another sip, loving the feeling of the sand between them. How did you get this lucky to have this many people in your life that loved you and you loved them too? What had started as a small friendship with Montana, turned into something so huge. She introduced you to her boyfriend, Xavier, who then introduced you to the rest of their group, including Brooke's boyfriend, Jim. All of you met in freshman year  of college and have been friends since. Michael was the last to enter the picture, but how everything changed when he did.

While you had finally found a stable friend group that you quickly grew to love, you were longing for something a little bit more. And that's when Michael came in and swept you away. He had come in as a transfer student from another college, sophomore year, and what a coincidence that you had him in all of classes first semester. He was a face you saw regularly around campus and you couldn't help but be drawn to his quiet nature. Slowly you began talking to him and you noticed how timid and reserved he was. He didn't really go out of his way to speak to anyone, besides when you would speak to him. He would give half smiles, and either one word or half sentences.

Soon you began walking with him to all your classes, the two of you never leaving each other's side. You'd help him with his homework for a class he didn't understand all too well and in return he would do the same. Lunch and dinner together became a regular thing. Your friends noticed your interest, often glancing at the two of you from another table afar, giving smiles and making stupid faces. When it came down to exams, you two met up every night 2 weeks prior, in the library, studying diligently, learning from each other's notes. He opened up to you rather quickly after that and when you were sure that he was comfortable enough you introduced him to everyone else, who immediately took a liking to the blonde boy with the soft, but vibrant blue eyes.

It was the small and subtle acts between the both of you, that drew you closer together. When you could sense that Michael was getting overwhelmed in a social setting, your hand found it's way into his, giving him a reassuring smile before the conversation continued. Or how when he spoke to you, you tuned everyone else out in the room to let him know that it was about him and no one else. It was you rubbing his back when he got frustrated, throwing his textbooks to the floor because he simply did not understand or when he would get into a spat with his older brother, Duncan over the phone.

It was him, picking up your favorite snack and coffee from the grand cafe before your 8AM. It was him, walking you back to your residence hall in the middle of the night to ensure that you made it safely. It was the way his blonde hair moved with the wind, the endless laughter, the stressful nights. Before you knew it, you had fallen in love with Michael. 9 months of an unbreakable bond.

You still remember the first time he kissed you. Both of you stood drunkenly in the middle of a frat party, not really wanting to be surrounded by the crowd of sweaty bodies and other screaming young adults. You screamed in Montana's ear over the loud music that you and Michael were going to step outside for some fresh air. She drunkenly gave you a thumbs up, not be able to remove her lips from Xavier's who roughly grabbed at her ass, pulling her closer into him. You finally felt like you could breathe once the cool air hit your skin.

As you stared out into the distance, you couldn't help but feel like a set of eyes were burning into your skin. When you turned your head, you met Michael's gaze and before you could even ask him what was wrong his lips were on yours. He quickly pulled back, shocked by what he did and he moved his lips to say sorry, but you grabbed him by his shirt, pulling him back towards you. A fire danced inside the both of you as he wrapped his arms around you, you doing the same. You could feel yourself melting away at his touch, his soft lips against yours, the occasional brushing of noses. For the first time, this was a kiss that felt right. You felt safe in his hands and knew you wanted to be his.

"Y/N!" Xavier called out to you, immediately snapping you out of your thoughts. The air had gotten a little bit cooler, which you welcomed. You looked over in his direction. He motioned the action taking a picture with a camera, and bringing his fingers to his lips like he was smoking. This signaled to you that he wanted you to come over with your Polaroid camera and that he going to light another joint. You enthusiastically gave him a double thumbs up, letting him know that you'd be over there soon.

You turned around to look behind you, down at Michael who looked so peaceful as he became one with the beach. His mouth hung open slightly and you knew that he was falling asleep, which caused you to giggle, moving a strand of his hair behind his ear.

"Hey..." you said softly, running your hands down his chest, watching as his eyes quickly fluttered open in a daze. He groaned sleepily, a smile forming on his face when he looked into your eyes. He grabbed onto your hands, holding them in place and running his thumbs along them. "Don't tell me that you're falling asleep already. Our night hasn't even really begun."

"I was resting my eyes." he said, chuckling a little bit at his obvious lie.

"You can do that for the rest of the night when we get back. Xavier wants to take pictures."

"Why is he so obsessed with taking pictures?" Michael questioned, propping himself up on his elbows as you rose to your feet, dusting the excess sand off you. He couldn't help but bite his lip as your bikini top fit you perfectly, combined with the booty shorts you wore that was snug to your figure. He ran his hand through his messy hair, sighing.

"We're making memories Michael." you answered. "I don't want to hear anything when you literally have all the Polaroid pictures I took of us and everyone else scattered around your dorm room and on your car dashboard. You love taking pictures as much as he does. You're just feeling lazy."

"You enjoy reading me to filth, don't you?"

"Only sometimes." You walked over to your belongings, grabbing your camera and your tripod. Michael soon got up, also dusting the sand off of himself, shaking his hair in the process before following you down to where everyone else was.

"We were hoping you two would join us soon." Montana said, smiling at you and Michael. She wrapped her arms around you, pulling you into a tight hug that you gladly returned.

"Well don't you look more alive than ever, Mike." Xavier said to his friend. "Enjoy your nap? I mean we've been here for like what, an hour?"

"Fuck you, Xavier." Michael said, shoving him playfully in his shoulder earning a smirk from him. "It could have been a longer nap. It should have been."

"You don't want to miss out on this do you?" Xavier questioned, waving the joint in front of Michael's face. "It's your favorite strain, wedding cake."

"I suppose you have a valid claim." Michael answered, reaching for the joint, but couldn't grab it because someone else did.

"Don't mind if I do." Jim said, grabbing the joint out of Xavier's hand, immediately putting it between his lips and lightning it.

"Eager are we?" you asked Jim as you set the camera up, earning a smile from him as he stuck his tongue out at you, walking back over to Brooke who now stood only a few feet away, conversing with Chet and Ray.

"That's why I rolled two." Xavier said, taking another one from behind his ear and handing it to Michael. "Too many of us for just one, right?"

"More like Jim will inhale half of it before passing it to anyone else." Montana chimed in, rolling her eyes as she rested her elbow on Michael's shoulder, letting the smell of the freshly lit joint consume her.

"That sounds more like it." Michael said as he exhaled, passing it to Xavier.

"I strive to be a stoner like him though." she continued. "Detached from reality for most of the day, but still functional? That sounds like heaven."

"No it sounds like Jim's tolerance is through the roof." you said, to which Xavier nodded in agreement.

"He's been smoking since he was like 12. I'm jealous." Xavier said, handing the joint off to Montana who took a few hits before passing it to you. As you inhaled, you felt your body relax tremendously. A few more hits and the joint was back in Michael's hand.

"Okay everyone!" you yelled, getting everyone's attention. "Camera is all good to go!" You took a couple pictures of Montana and Xavier, your heart too warm at their various poses. He would wrap his arms around her from behind or she would climb on his back, wrapping her arms around his chest. A couple of off guards of the two were taken as well. You told them to act natural, just to converse with each other as you snapped pictures. Pictures of you and Michael followed. He made sure to always make a statement in the pictures that he took with you. He stood behind you, a hand wrapped gently around your throat as he snapped your head back to make you look at him, blissful smiles on both of your faces.

"Hey!" he yelled towards Jim who had his phone in his hand, taking Snapchats of everyone and posting them to his story. "Take a picture of Y/N and I like this. I want to post it to my Instagram." Jim gladly did as Michael asked, immediately sending the photo to him after so that he would have it to post later. The next picture was simple. You and Michael stood next to each other, his arm wrapped around your shoulder and yours wrapped around his waist, the both of you giving a soft smile. The final picture was of him holding you in his arms, legs wrapped around his waist as you pressed your lips against his, the both of you smiling in the kiss.

Jim and Brooke were wild and spontaneous and you loved it. Taking pictures of them were by far your favorite. Brooke held Jim in a headlock, a wild smile across his face and gripped onto her arm as you took the picture. Then she got on his shoulders, Jim holding her securely in place as her hands laid in his hair. Their last picture was of them, backs to the camera as they held hands, staring off into the sunset. You quickly turned the tripod around, taking an off guard of everyone who sat to the side around the fire. Xavier held the joint in his hand, mid sentence in conversation with Chet. Ray, Montana, and Michael were laughing their asses off at God knows what. All the emotions you were feeling inside, you swear you could cry at the sight. You fucking LOVED your friends.

You gathered all the boys up for their group photo. Xavier stood next to Jim, arm around his shoulder, hand slightly over his chest. Next to Jim was Ray, with a tooth pick in his mouth as he leaned into Jim's shoulder, his arms crossed over his chest. Michael stood next to Ray, his hand place on Ray's head as if he were holding a basketball, his other arm wrapped around Chet's shoulder, hand perfectly displaying a middle finger in the middle of Chet's chest.

"God, I fucking love y'all." Brooke said as she stood behind you, watching you take the picture.

"They're cute, aren't they?" you asked, putting on your best focused face as you snapped the picture. You told them to hold their pose as you snapped a couple more, wanting everyone to have a copy of that picture.

"Too cute for their own good." Montana said. "A bunch of shit heads."

"Our shit heads." you said. "Okay guys! Just two more. One of us girls and then all of us together and then we can figure out plans for dinner!" You bit your lip, holding hands with Brooke and Montana as the 3 of you stepped in front of the camera. Montana stood in the middle of you and Brooke, throwing her arms tightly around your shoulders, bringing the two of you closer to her. She stuck her tongue out for the photo, while you held up a peace sign with your hand, a wide, closed eyed smile on your face. Brooke held onto Montana's arm, her own wide, but opened eyed smiled, forming across her face. You can tell that Michael had taken a few extras for everyone else, consider how many time the cameras flashed behind your closed eyes.

Finally, the moment you, and you're sure everyone else was waiting for. The big, family, photo. Xavier and Chet took the ends. And in this order everyone stood: Xavier, Montana, You, Michael, Brooke, Jim, Ray, and Chet. You set the timer on the camera, all 9 of you trying to come up with different poses quickly for the camera. Your favorite one as you went through them had to be the one where you and Michael sat in the sand in front of Brooke and Jim who now stood between Xavier and Ray. He let you wrap your arms around his torso, your nose nestled perfectly into his cheek as you gave him a small kiss. 

"Okay." Xavier sighed as he hopped into the drivers seat of Jim's midnight blue Tahoe. Jim himself in the passenger seat. Brooke and Montana took the second row. You and Michael snuggled together comfortably in the very back row, your feet sprawled out in Chet and Ray's laps as they both got lost in their phones scrolling through Facebook and sharing memes with each other, which reminded Michael to post the picture of the two of you Jim had sent to him. "Anyone have any dinner ideas before we leave? Anyone in the mood for anything particular?"

"Honestly could just keep it classic and go for a burger and a shake right now." Ray said from the back.

"Ooo, from where though?" Jim asked, turning around to look at him. "That shake sounds really fucking good. Chocolate shake. I want a chocolate shake."

"Tommy's!" Montana, Brooke, Ray, and Chet said in unison.

"Michael? Y/N?" Xavier questioned, pushing his sun glasses down so he could look at the both of you.

"A cookies and cream milkshake is calling my name right now." Michael said as his hand lazily brushed through your hair.

"You had me at burger." you agreed.

"Tommy's it is." Xavier said, finally starting Jim's car, his blue LED strips, dimly illuminating the car, the last song on his phone beginning to play as Xavier single-handedly backed out of the parking space.

Despite how tired everyone was, the car ride was far from silent. For the first 30 minutes anyways. It would take over an hour and a half before you all got back into downtown LA. You finally sat up in your seat, Michael throwing his arm around your shoulder to keep you close to him. So needy , you thought, but you loved that about him. He always wanted to be close to you. He always wanted to touch you. He made sure you felt loved and secured. You watched at the front as Jim and Xavier currently sang and half danced to the song that played. You glanced at Brooke and Montana who had fallen asleep rather quickly, heads leaned against the car window. Chet and Ray had resorted to playing Among Us to pass the drive time, Michael soon joining them.

"Okay, fucking seriously." Michael said as he furrowed his eyebrows, pissed that he was killed by the imposter yet again. And the imposter just happened to be Chet, but of course he kept silent, not wanting to alert Ray. You giggled to yourself, tears forming at the corners of your eyes. You wiped them anyway, inhaling deeply before exhaling.

"Everything alright?" Michael asked, noticing your change of mood. "Why are you crying?" He made sure to whisper, not wanting to draw attention to the both of you.

"Michael." you said. "I love you."

"I love you too, Y/N." he smiled.

"And all of our crazy friends."

"I love them too." he laughed.

Fuck, I love my friends

Without them, I'd be dead

I know they're the only ones who'll love me till the end

We're all such a mess, lonely and depressed

Been so long and I can't wait to see them again

Fuck, I love my friends

Taglist: @jimmason @angelicmichael @whatcodysaid​ @theneverendinghunger​ @fernfiction

Again, let me know if you would like to included in the tag list for this series!

#cody fern #american horror story #cody fern imagine #xavier plympton #ahs #ahs 1984 #ahs apocalypse #michael langdon #michael langdon imagine #chet clancy #brooke thompson #montana duke #xavier ahs #ahs xavier #jim mason imagine #jim mason #tribes of palos verdes #duncan shepherd #duncan shepherd imagine #xavier plympton imagine #michael langdon x reader #michael langdon smut

[rocksandrobots]

Of Rocks and Robots Ch. 35 - Wrestlers, Boxers, and Ninjas, Oh My (Part 2)

Honey Lemon leaned in close to Varian's ear, a tempting smile playing across her lips, as she conspiratorially whispered, "Do you wanna go to tonight's wrestling match with me?"

Varian tried to stifle a laugh as he feigned a half hearted protest, "I thought we're supposed to be studying for finals?"

They were inside the studio apartment that Honey Lemon shared with Gogo; textbooks splayed out upon the table. Though small by most standards, the residency did occupy a sleeping loft, a fully equipped kitchen, and had a full bath complete with tub, which made it functionally larger than the dorms that Varian had lived in previously with Wasabi. There was no sofa though, nor any other leisurely dedicated space as Honey Lemon's own bed, which was positioned below the loft that Gogo slept in, took up the non-kitchen area. So there would be no more impromptu naps here as Varian had to either sit in one of the dining room chairs or on the floor, much to his disappointment; not that he would ever say so out loud.

But oh how she made it hard to focus even without a couch to cuddle on. She wasn't trying to distract him, he knew, but she just wouldn't stay still. First she ran about the apartment trying to do some last minute tidying up as he arrived. Next she tried to play the good hostess, asking if he wanted anything while she rummaged around the kitchen. Then even after finally getting her to sit down and open a text book, her free hand would constantly pick up her phone to read some notification or reply to a text, often sparking a random conversation that had nothing to do with the physics test he was trying to prepare for. Now here she was asking him to abandon the study session all together and he couldn't even get annoyed at her for it.

Everything she did was mesmerizing. Her voice was a siren's call that he could not ignore. She could have requested that he travel with her to the opposite side of the globe and he'd already be halfway finished packing a bag. But most frustrating of all was the fact that she was clearly oblivious to the effect that she had on him. She held him in her sway and didn't even know it.

"So do you wanna go?" She timidly asked again. "I mean finals aren't even for another whole week and I just managed to scalp two tickets off of Ticketwatch." She held up her phone so Varian could read the screen that confirmed her purchase.

Varian had to chuckle at the ridiculousness of Honey Lemon treating such an innocuous request as some sort of naughty affair that he had to be persuaded into doing, lest he refuse to succumb to temptation and take the dutiful high road of being a good and diligent student. Did she not know who she was talking to?

Still Varian wasn't going to let her win so easily. "I helped you with midterms, so it's only fair you gotta help me out with finals. And unlike some people, I like being prepared beforehand so I'm not over worked." He teased, thoroughly amused.

Honey Lemon gave an exaggerated pout at this lighthearted jab at her scheduling abilities and Varian nearly lost it in a fit of laughter. She was so earnest in everything that it was comical. But he couldn't stand to see her sad, even if only in jest, and willfully caved into her demands.

"Okay, okay, I guess we can do this on Sunday instead." He dramatically sighed.

He was rewarded for his compliance by her jumping out of her seat with a huge grin and flinging herself at him to wrap him in a tight hug.

"But on one condition," he said as he held her close, "we stop and get food first cause those prices at the concession stands are criminal."

"Alright," she agreed as she pulled away, "Just let me grab my purse."

Varian watched her as she ran over to the other side of the room and bent down to grope under the bed for the wayward purse; still in complete awe of her. Though he still tried to play things cool as they prepared to head out the door.  

"Are you wanting to call Fred and see if he wants to come too?"

"Ah well, I could only find two tickets. They're sold out for the night." Honey Lemon answered guilty. "But he can come another time." She assured as she closed the door and locked it.

Varian chose not to press the matter, but he couldn't help but smile to himself knowing that she had thought to ask him first; even if it was only because he was the one who happened to be around at the time.

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

Joe's Diner was right across the street from Honey Lemon's apartment. The retro style restaurant had seen better days, what with its rusty sign and peeling paint, but it was clean and the food was good which made it a favorite hang out for the locals.

Varian had eaten there before with the rest of his friends, yet a new sight greeted his eyes as he walked through the door. Sitting at one of the tables was a purple gelatinous blob with eyes and a mouth. It excitedly waved one of its long jelly like appendages in the air upon seeing Honey Lemon and himself enter.

"Hi Globby!" Honey Lemon answered back and the blob stood up to meet them.

"Oh Honey Lemon I'm so glad you're here. I wanted you to meet someone." 'Globby', as the thing was called, said.

"Oh I'd like you to meet someone too. This is my friend Varian. Varian, this is Globby; he's Carl's boyfriend." She explained as if this answers all of his questions.

Yes he knew Carl had a boyfriend, and that said boyfriend was a superhero, but no one had bothered to mention that he wasn't human.

"Oh Varian," Globby's eyes lit up in recognition, "Yeah, you're in Carl's boxing class. He told me so much about you. Nice to finally meet ya!" He shook Varian's hand vigorously, which covered his arm in the same purple gloop of whatever it was Globby was made of.

"Uh, nice to meet you too." Varian replied back as politely as he could as he tried to wipe his hand clean on his pants.

"Globby here helps us sometimes with the 'you know what'." Honey Lemon whispered.

"Yes, not to brag, but what ya might call the I'm the protector of San Fansokyo! But I wasn't always so. Once I was a humble thief, and then this happened to me," Globby pointed at his right arm as it dripped goop on the floor, "and then I became a super villain. But once I discovered that the city was in danger I lept into action to save the day! With a little help from my fellow crime fighters Big Hero Six. But seriously, I'm a hero now! Can you believe it! Me!? And I owe it all thanks to Honey Lemon here."

"Oh, no," Honey Lemon blushed, "You did it yourself."

"No HL, I won't hear any false modesty from you." Globby protested. "You believed in me when nobody else did. Even when I didn't believe in myself. That matters a lot. So thank you. Plus you also kind of gave me superpowers."

"How did she do that?" Varian asked.

"Oh well it was kind of an accident." Honey Lemon said.

"I stole her a chim-purse." Globby explained. "Then I used it to break into Krei Tech to steal a neurotransmitter device. And then I kind of tripped and fell while wearing it and the chim-purse kinda exploded and now here I am!" He spread his arms wide at this last sentence, a huge grin on his face.

"Globby is a polymorph." Honey Lemon clarified. "He can change his molecular make up to be whatever he wants it to be."

"No way." Varian breathed in awe. "You mean to tell me you can charge and discharge photons and electrons on cellular level at will?"

"Uuuuuuh, I don't know about that? But I can turn myself into chocolate!" And with that Globby's hand transformed into what looked like a giant chocolate bar, of which he bit into and with mouth still full said, "Ooh nutty!"

Varian watched with a mixer of amazement, horror, and nausea, as Honey Lemon stood by silently; unsure of what to say. The awkwardness however, was dispelled by the sound of raucous laughter coming from the booth Glooby had been sitting at.

"That is a neat trick mi amigo."

A large man, wearing a trench coat and a mismatched luchador mask turned around in his seat to look at them. Varian recognized him from the wrestling ring.

"Hey you're…"

"El Fuego" Honey Lemon whispered in dread.

"Not anymore, now I am El Agua!" The wrestler proudly proclaimed; oblivious to Honey Lemon's discomfort. "It's a bit of a rebranding thing."

"Oh yeah, we saw you at the match last week." Varian excitedly jumped in, also not catching onto Honey Lemon's disquiet demeanor, "You were great! I especially liked how you threw The Sandman out of the ring with only one arm. That was cool."

"Oh hey, a fan!" El Fuego, or Agua as he now was called, enthused. "Always happy to meet fans. Would you like an autograph?"

"I sure would!"

The wrestling champ chuckled in delight as he pulled out a pen and began to sign his name upon a napkin.

"This is who I wanted you to meet," Globby explained. "Salinas here reached out to me for help. He's trying to go straight and is working really hard to get his life turned around."

"Yup, no more life of crime for me." El Agua confirmed as he handed the autograph to Varian. "I'm a changed man."

"How nice." Honey Lemon said with a strained smile on her face.

"Yeah I know, right!? I told him how much of a positive influence you were when I first started out superheroing." Globby continued. "I'm glad you stopped by, so that you two could finally meet. Wanna join us?"

He gestured to the booth and Honey Lemon looked like he had just asked her to dive into lava.

Varian was going to take up the offer but she answered before he could.

"Oh no, we only came here for… for… some… uh, ice!"

"Ice?"

"I thought we came here for fo-"

"Ice... ice cream that is." She nervously laughed. "Yup, we're just going to get some ice cream... to go. Wouldn't want to be late to… where we're going."

She wore a plastered grin as she turned to the counter to order. "Two vanilla ice cream cones please."

Varian and the others watched on in confusion as she took the two cones from Joe and then hurried back. She practically slammed one of the cones into Varian's chest as she hastily handed it to him, and before he could process what was happening, she grabbed the end of his sleeve and started to drag him out the door.

"Bye!" She yelled and Varian awkwardly attempted to wave before the glass door slammed shut behind them.

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

"Uh… Honey Lemon?" Varian asked after they were a few yards away from the diner.

"Hmmm?" Honey Lemon barely answered back as she strode forward, determined to put as much distance between her and the conversation they had just left.

Varian pressed on. "Ice cream is nice and all, but I thought we were going to go get, um, real food."

Honey Lemon finally slowed and turned to meet him, taking a guilty bite from the frozen treat. "We will, I just… I thought we could go get pizza instead!"

Varian turned back to look at the sign hanging from the restaurant window. Pizza was advertised alongside the menu's other assortment of food. He raised an eyebrow and Honey Lemon wilted under his skeptic gaze. She took another bite of her ice cream and suddenly found the toes of her shoes very interesting.

"Honey Lemon."

She looked up but still didn't answer.

"Honey, you're very sweet," Varian coaxed, "but you're a terrible liar. You know that right?"

Honey Lemon sighed and rolled her eyes in a rare display of frustration. "Look I just... didn't want to get caught up in eating dinner with them. We got on stuff to do."

"You mean stuff like going to the same wrestling match that El Agua was no doubt going to later?" Varian asked incredulously. "I figured you'd jump at the chance to hang out with an actual wrestling star. Maybe he could have gotten us backstage passes or something, I don't know?"

"Well, I don't." Honey Lemon said flatly.

Varian paused and looked at her in surprise. He couldn't remember ever seeing her being so cold or evasive.

"What 's wrong?"

Honey Lemon bit her lower lip, "I just.. I just don't trust El Fuego. That 's all."

"Why? What did he do? Did he hurt you?"

"No, no. It's just he's a super villain and we've fought him before…"

"But didn't Globby just say he used to be a super villain too?"

"Well yeah, but that's different."

"How so?"

"Well, Globby's nice and he tries really, really hard. He doesn't mean any harm, even back when he was a thief."

"Oh so, this other guy did something really bad then; something even worse than theft."

Varian thought he had hit upon the problem, but Honey Lemon's response was not one he expected.

"Weeeelll… Sort of…"

"What did he do then?"

"He- Well he.. He's a bully."

Varian tilted his head in confusion; not understanding Honey Lemon's point.

"I mean he called Baymax a bunch of names and tried to challenge him and Hiro to a fight." Honey Lemon explained.

Varian waited to see if she would list any other transgressions and when she didn't, all he could do was give her a look of utter bafflement.

"That's it!?"

She nodded her head timidly.

"Is- is that even a crime?" He asked with a hint of exasperation.

"Well, not exactly…" She admitted. "But it 's mean."

"So what?"

Now it was Honey Lemon's turn to act surprised, yet Varian didn't give her a chance to continue.

"You can't just lock people up for not being nice."

"Well we didn't," Honey Lemon defended, "but neither do I have to be friendly to someone who isn't."

Varian had to admit she had a point.

"Ok, fair enough. No one said you had to like the guy."

"Thank you."

"But he still deserves a second chance, surly."

"Well sure, and if he does become a nicer person that's great, and I wish him the best. But I don't wanna hang out with him."

Varian sighed and shook his head. "'Nice' has nothing to do with it, but of course if you don't feel comfortable being around him we can go somewhere else to eat." He pulled out his cell phone. "I'll call ahead and order us a pizza."

He continued walking towards the bus stop but Honey Lemon stood rooted to the spot in confusion.

"What do you mean 'nice has nothing to do with it'?  She eventually asked.

'Well you can't tell how good or bad some is by how polite they are."

"I know that. What matters is how they treat people."

"Yeah, but sometimes it's more complicated than that. Doing one bad thing, doesn't mean they're a bad person. You don't know what El Agua's life is like. You don't know why he did what he did."

"El Fugeo," Honey Lemon corrected. "And I know he tried to pick a fight with my friends; Your friends."

"Yeah, and from the looks of things he didn't actually hurt anybody. Hiro's never even mentioned him before."

Honey Lemon gave him an offended pout, and Varian tried to once more defuse the situation.

"Look, I just.. I know of people who've done far, far worse, and plenty of 'nice' people who'd stab you in the back. Anyways would you like the cheese pizza or the veggie supreme."

He pointed at his phone as he tried to change the topic, but Honey Lemon

wasn't ready to let the conversation go just yet.

"This isn't Corona." She said quietly.

"And thank goodness for that." Varian agreed, though his voice was tight with pained sarcasm.

"You think I'm being mean, by blowing El Fue- El Agua off?" She asked.

Varian immediately looked up from his phone. "No. Oh no, of course not; you're the kindest person I know. If you think the guy is bad news then you're probably right."

She searched his eyes for reassurance.

"Look,' he soothed, "let's just forget the whole thing and have a fun evening. We can get a five dollar pizza at Luigi's, then head on to the match and we'll see who's better at heckling. Loser has to buy the next tickets."

Honey Lemon snorted with laughter.  "Who decides that?"

"We do. Whoever makes the other laugh more wins."

"Oh you're on." She challenged; right when the bus pulled up.

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

Varian and Honey Lemon stepped out into crisp night air as they exited the arena. Crowds of people pushed past them also trying to leave the event and so Honey Lemon hooked her arm around Varian's so as not to get separated.

If there was one thing Varian knew about Honey Lemon, it was that she was a very tactile person. She showered everyone with physical affection; hugs, hand holding, cuddles, and pecks on the cheek, even people she just met would be subjected to her glomping them as if she'd known them her whole life. Therefore Varian tried not to look any deeper into such innocent action, but it still made his heart skip a beat to have his crush so close. Nothing could wipe the grin off his face as they hurried down the sidewalk to the bus stop.

"So why do you always root for the bad guy?" Honey Lemon asked as they went along.

She was referring to the wrestlers. Her and Varian always seemed to favor opposing teams. While she cheered on the heroes of the play, he always gravitated towards the heels that opposed them.

Varian shrugged. "I guess I just like the underdog. The villains tend to be more interesting in my opinion."

"But they're mean; at least in the story, I'm sure they're perfectly nice people in real life." Honey Lemon hastily added.

"All except that Vanguard guy you like. He's a jerk on stage."

Honey Lemon playfully sighed and rolled her eyes. "I don't see it that way. He's written to be like a knight in shining armor."

"Yeah and he's infuriatingly smug while doing it. He goes on and on about 'justice' this and 'honor' that, but what is he really fighting for? His own glory, that's what. It's a game and he wants to win it. At least the 'bad guys', as you put it, are more honest about why they're there."

"But it's all made up." Honey exasperated, "No one is more 'honest' than anyone else because it's scripted. If the story says someone is good or bad you just accept it. It's all a part of playing along and having fun with it."

"Oh sure, but I personally find the villains more fun because nothing is really at stake. Heroes in stories are always too perfect, too pure. Who can relate to that? Who's never wanted to lash out when angry or fight against the status quo? It's easy to be 'good' when you've never had to struggle for anything."

Honey Lemon studied Varian intently as she mulled over his words, and Varian could sense that he'd exposed a nerve; whether it was Honey Lemon's or his own, he wasn't sure.

He was just about to laugh it off and change the subject in order to ease the tension, when suddenly a very large and intimidating figure stepped out of the shadows. Varian instinctively moved to place himself between Honey Lemon and this new threat. Which was silly, he knew. She was an actual superhero. She didn't need him to shield her.

However the 'threat' was not a threat at all. The large man before them burst out into a very familiar boisterous roar.

"Oh I'm sorry mi amigos. I did not mean to startle you. You must not recognize me without my mask." El Feugo laughed.

He was out of costume, and dressed in the trench coat that they had seen him in earlier at the diner. Only this time the luchador's mask was off revealing a man in his late twenties with short black hair and a small scar running across his nose, indicating where it had been broken in a previous fight.

"You should have told me you were coming to see the show tonight." He continued on. "I would have gotten you better seats."

The wrestler's face beamed with an infectious grin and Varian was tempted to make polite conversation. He was always ready to make friends with just about anyone who wanted to, but Honey Lemon's grip tightened around his arm as she tensed up. He spared a quick glance back to see her still huddled behind him, looking like a deer caught in headlights.

"Uh, yeah, well we didn't want to trouble you." Varian answered.

"Oh no trouble at all. Any friends of Globby, is a friend of mine. Hey I know, I can get you tickets to tomorrow's match." He dug into his pants pocket and pulled out two tickets before either of them could protest. "We players always get a couple of free tickets for family or what not. I haven't got anybody else to give them to, so you might as well use them if you can."

Varian tried to politely turn him down "Oh no thank you. I don't know if we can make it. Finals are coming up and all that."

"I insist. They're good till the end of the month and they come with backstage passes too."

Without any other excuses to give, Varian took the tickets and said thank you, though he could feel Honey Lemon's disapproval radiating off of her as he did so. Still she neither said nothing, nor made any moves to stop him.

"Well I guess we better be going." Varian said, trying to exit the awkward situation, "We don't want to miss the bus."

"Oh me neither." El Fuego agreed as he walked with them to the bus stop. "Wrestling is my passion, but it doesn't always pay enough to hire a chauffeur to drive you around in a sports car." Then he doubled over laughing at his own joke and not unkindly nudged Varian with his elbow, "Not unless you get a promotional deal, am I right?"

Varian gave a fake laugh, "I wouldn't know. I never wrestled before."

"Oh that's right, Globby, said you were taking boxing lessons instead. Ever thought of getting the ring?"

"Oh no, my aunt would never allow that."

El Fuego titled his head in confusion. "I thought you two were in college? You still let your aunt tell you what you can and can't do? You stand up and be your own man."

Varian noticed Honey Lemon's lips tighten at that and she squeezed Varian's arm tighter. It was slightly unnerving to see the normally cheerful and carefree girl so clearly annoyed.

"Yeah, well she's the one paying for the classes." Varian explained and El Fuego nodded his head and then launched into another topic of conversation as the bus arrived.

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

And so it went the whole ride back to the apartment. El Fuego carrying on, freely talking about everything and anything, clearly oblivious to the fact that his company wasn't wanted. Varian trying to politely keep up his end of the conversation while ignoring the vice like grip Honey Lemon held his arm in. He was sure it had fallen asleep from lack circulation by the time they arrived at their destination. All while Honey Lemon, herself, kept deathly silent the whole way. She wouldn't budge from the Varian side, nor look away from wrestler sitting across from them; as if El Fuego had been a poisonous snake rather than just a man with a poor perception of social cues.  

What Varian couldn't figure out was why she wouldn't voice her displeasure. It was her evasiveness that threw him off kilter more so than El Fuego's chatter.

Yet he didn't have to wait long to find out, for as soon as they said goodbye to the man and made it back into the apartment, Honey Lemon let out a frustrated scream.

"Arrugh!"

"Have fun?" Gogo asked deadpan. She was sitting at the table eating a bowl of cereal when they had entered.

Honey Lemon's answer was another rage filled scream before flopping face down on the bed.

"Dude, what did you do?" Gogo asked of Varian.

Varian was offended "Why automatically assume it's my fault?"

"We met El Fuego." Honey Lemon said before an argument could break out.

"Where?"

"He was with Globby at Joe's and later he rode the bus home with us on the way back from the wrestling arena." She tiredly explained. "He says he's trying to 'go straight.'" She flung her hands up in exasperation before flopping back down on the bed, curling up with a pillow while continuing to pout.

Gogo gave the same bewildered look that Varian did earlier that day. "Oookaay annnd…?"

Honey Lemon scrunched up her face and revulsion. "Aaaand, he gave us free tickets to the next match, can you believe him?"

Gogo and Varian exchanged confused looks.

"Oooh how horrible" She sarcastically replied.

This really set Honey Lemon off. "You don't understand. He's just pretending to be nice to try and get us to trust him."

"And why would he do that?" Gogo asked.

"Well to...to... I don't know, to get to Hiro maybe."

"Does he even know who Hiro is? Cause all he ever cared about was fighting "Big Hero Six" and to him that just means Baymax."

"Then...he must be after Baymax then."

"Does he know that Baymax or any of us are in Big Hero Six?"

"I..I don't know. I don't think Globby would tell our secret. He didn't mention it when we met him." Honey Lemon starred out into the middle distance trying to recall their past conversation.

"Well, even then, it's not like he can actually hurt Baymax. I mean he's a robot." Varian added.

This only rewarded him with a narrow glare from Honey Lemon. Varian would have backpedaled away had he not been so shocked.

"You took the tickets from him!" She yelled.

"What else was I supposed to do? He insisted. It's not like we have to use them or anything."

Gogo ignored their spat as she texted on her phone. The reply dinged back; drawing everyone's attention.  "Okay, I just texted Globby. He says he hasn't told El Fuego anything about Big Hero Six other than that he works with us sometimes."

Honey Lemon pouted in confusion. "Then what is he after?"

"I don't know, friends maybe?" Gogo shrugged. "Whatever it is, it's nothing to do with us or superheroing."

"But...but, but he…" Honey Lemon stuttered over her words as she desperately tried to come up with another justification. "He… he was acting really creepy; alright!? Jumping out of shadows… laughing at.. at… well everything…"

"He was walking to the bus stop already and just happened to run into us." Varian clarified for Gogo. This made him the victim of another angry stare from Honey Lemon. "What!? It's true."

"Well, I don't trust him. I think he's up to something." Honey Lemon sulked, hugging her pillow tighter.

"Ooor maybe you just don't like him." Gogo said. "You're allowed to just not like people. You know that right?"

Honey Lemon looked surprised by this revelation. She opened and closed her mouth several times to form a response but the words just wouldn't come.

"Yeah and if anyone knows about not liking people, it's Gogo." Varian teased. "She doesn't like anybody."

This earned him a light punch on the arm. He just couldn't win today.

"Look, it's fine." She said, returning her attention to her roommate. "I know you're a little ray of sunshine, who's friends with the whole world, but not everybody gets along and that's ok. I'm sure even Varian here knows people he dislikes, and he's Mr. Congeniality."

Varian gave a look of offended confusion. He didn't know if 'congeniality' was a jab at his expense or a compliment. Either way he was sure the descriptor didn't fit him.

"Is there anybody you don't like?" Honey Lemon asked him.

"Who me? Yeah, I got a whole country's worth of people I hate."

"See?" Gogo confirmed, not catching on to the deeper meaning behind his words.

Honey Lemon pouted again, but didn't argue back as she mulled over her friend's advice.

Varian stepped in with a peace offering. "Look, would like for me to throw away the tickets?"

"No." Honey lemon sighed. "Ask Fred to go with you, since he didn't get to come this time."

"You sure?"

She nodded yes and gave him a small reassuring smile.

"So, are you still mad at me?"

"Oh, I was never mad at you."

"Really? Cause it sure seemed that way when you yelled at me just then."

"I'm sorry." She whispered sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sorry too. Next time we won't take the bus, how's that?"

She agreed and Varian made ready to leave.

"Do you want me to drive you home?" Gogo asked.

"Naw, It's alright. It's only 10:30. Besides, the bus is less drafty than the motorcycle." He joked.

"Well ok, just be safe and text one of us when you get back."

Varian rolled his eyes "Okay 'mom', See you Sunday."

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

They said their goodbyes and Varian walked back to the bus stop. He called Aunt Cass to let her know he was on his way home, and then proceeded to text Fred about the tickets while waiting on the bus to arrive.

Just then someone grabbed him from behind and placed their hand over his mouth. He dropped his phone in surprise and tried to break free of the person's grip. But no matter how he kicked and squirmed he couldn't escape their grasp.

Yet still even more frightening was the fact that he could feel his limbs grow heavy and his vision swam. They held a damp cloth in the hand that covered his mouth and whatever chemical itwas dipped in was making him lose consciousness. He listed the possible combinations in his mind as darkness rushed up to meet him; chloroform? no, morphine? probably not, fentay-.....

"Got him boss. We're on our way now." A man said over the intercom in his ear. He then picked up the unconscious teen and carried him off into the night.

#varian #big hero 6 #tangled #Honey lemon #globby #el fuego #gogo #rapunzel's tangled adventure #tangled the series #BH6 the series