#I wanna doodle a bunch of them in pride wear now

[mossbed-roots]

Reposting this cause Zell’s a good ally and you should be too

#my doodles #acnh #acnh zell #acnh Julia #human ac villagers #ac villagers #trans pride #I wanna doodle a bunch of them in pride wear now #oh no I have ideas

[ghoulishhusband]

I just realized I can actually talk here. Like this is my account fuck u

Fucking uhhhhhh, hi ig lemme ramble abt my God ocs yea?

Ignore this part if you don't wanna hear (likely) unedited rambles lol it doesn't matter

CW: neglect/abuse, assholery/narcissism, manipulation, tread lightly!

read the under cut owo

Also don't steal my art I'll fucking?? Fight you????

So

I have three main gods that I wanna talk abt especially bc they've been on my mind lately.. Less get it, side notes are in (parentheses) and are bolded cause I have perception issues whoo I don't want it to jumble together is my point lol

First up is my asshole,

Giodine

they/them (preferred)

god/godself (i like pronouns that fit my characters, so I'm giving a bunch away for one night only at--)

ID : Giodine is colored with gold-ish yellow skin and ginger hair. Their eyes are a muted purple and they have tiny eyebrows. Their lips are a muted brown and are full looking, their nose is sharp and points down. They have wings for ears and is wearing a blazer with a long-sleeved, collared shirt underneath it. The background is beige with a yellow square and a dark purple square partially encompassing it. It is signed GH (for ghoulish husband), Spork, 21.

(lemme know if that helps at all! I'm sure I can do better so lemme know!)

If they look weird here it's bc I accidentally made their face too long but believe it or not this is in fact just a doodle Ik I'm so fuckin talented babes.

Anyways, they're basically the first God to ever exist on my version of earth (though even that is fickle rn, world-building is hard unless I hyper-focus on it, and haha Guess What I Haven't Been Thinking About) and they're very egotistical and selfish. As I'll probably yap about later is how they're manipulative as well, especially to another God I'll mention, and very neglectful to the other... other one.

Their partner(professionally), or fiend as they call him, is sam who for the first few eons was, unsurprisingly, absolutely terrible to him. A few tender moments are few and far in between in what could only be described as a completely rancid relationship. I'll describe giodine's side and in sam's lil ramble, I'll describe his :]

I have to explain this because it's a big part of the lore and how they can't work together, even when one of them is very much near The Void (technical death for gods) BUT basically, with Sam, giodine created purgatory. The issue here is that they basically seduced sam into doing it. Well, even if they hadn't, sam was in lesbians(happy pride month lmao) with giodine and would've done it anyway. But the ISSUE is that with the creation of purgatory came complications. See, my gods have to take time to develop into their power, and considering giodine was first and sam was around 666th.. you see the issue. Sam wasn't into his complete power yet and thus lost a giant part of it that went into purg.

See, giodine saw no problem with this (until much later, they do get a VERY SLOW BURN redemption arc cause this ain't even the worst of it), they got what they were aching for out of them and thusly had no need for..sam. They laid him in the spot where she was made (fwi it isn't inherently sexual, it can be, but literally, they just merged together-- taking bits and pieces of each other (which sam did not have enough of) and earth and light yadda, yadda I'll post the story I wrote for that later if I'm up to it) and left him there in the grass.

Again, they saw no problem with that, the deed was done, they didn't care anymore. A common issue in their qualms, sam and Giodine. They did find an issue in Sam finding an issue in the lack of aftercare, which resorted to any message going to or coming from sam going straight to his assistant and going back through them for a couple of thousand years. They found that infuriating-- how could he not face them over something so small! and for years?! it was ridiculous. After forcing a face-to-face meeting, a heated proclaim of hurt from sam, and a bitter agreement to meet up every now and again, they got what they wanted from him. Again. It was a business after all, there was no point in making it harder than it needed to be. 

Giodine doesn't necessarily like boundaries and tends to overstep sam's frequently. They also don't like his reaction to his boundaries being long jumped over, which thusly ends up in disgruntled messages being sent back and forth between them and his assistant for a month or three. It slowly gets through to them, but they tend to say some stupid shit and if they want sam to stay, they have to try and avoid mentioning how "overly sensitive" he is to something that happened eons ago.

(quick mention, there isn't like. time. here. so in all honesty, giodine probably counted earth days instead of Heaven 'days' to get that) Soon into their arrangements to meet, they seem to get on at least tolerable terms, obviously, a few meetings where neither of them feels like going apeshit and taking proper shapeless (or in sams case, he's got a newfound form for ANGER OO just for giodine 🤗) forms isn't going to fix a grudge that has yet to be apologized for by the way. But it's a start to a very long process down the road. Tolerance.

Giodine as an entity is very fickle and rude and demanding. They tend to have a short temper that no one else is allowed to have or comment on-- They were the first therefore they were the most important!

This is very obviously an issue. But it's mostly directed to purgatory. Almost all of their seething rage is pointed towards the poor entity, she's barely been alive yet and they already seem to hate her for things she doesn't know how to do. Honestly, I don't think Purg will ever fully forgive them for the unnecessary abuse of her character, but just as Sam and Giodine get on better terms, they had barely just begun fixing the hole in their relationship. As of now, Sam/Giodine don't have any minor plot points with purgatory other than the major one so I don't have a lot to say about their relationship right now. Maybe one day.

I'd go into details, seriously, but I just wanna ramble about their relationships with each other and their impact on each other's existence. Hope you don't mind a few secrets 😉

But, now, it's time for a new God, one I think most people take a liking to...

Sam (Samuel)

He/him

ID: Sam is surrounded by clouds in the light blue, fading to a darker blue sky and the yellow sun. His horns are a darker beige, which is being highlighted by the sun shining down on him, he also has pointed ears. His skin is red which is very prominent in the sun. His eyes are completely yellow, his hair, beard and mustache are also black. He has an orange scar crawling up to his Adams apple. His wings are a darker grey which is also being highlighted by the sun. His nails are painted black and his hand is holding up the black fabric barely covering his shoulders. Around the painting is a gold and red shaded frame with swirls complimenting each side and a crystal at the bottom of it. It is lightly signed GH, for ghoulish husband.

Sam, Sam, Samuel.

If you don't realize right away, Sam is basically Satan, he's the ruler of hell

Like how giodine was the first to appear on earth, as mentioned before sam was 666th for funnie reasons. Sam was made from bugs, dried blood, and sunlight which sounds pretty gross, but he's far from it. He's a silly, yet neat, guy. He wears Hawaiian shirts and khakis (not around giodine lmao) for cryin' out loud! how bad of a person can he be? Apparently to giodine (for a while obviously) he was the most retched entity to exist. This very much hurt him considering the amount of fake care they showed him before. With a mixture of confusing feelings (which wasn't supposed to be a thing but Univerce went "lmao you'll be fine" and left... short explanation, Univerce is the Universe and is the entity who simply builds these planets and gods that'll appear there and leave them to their own devices, xyr not extremely important in this story. Nor would they care.) and feeling used, he decided that no he wasn't going to take that.

If there is one thing Sam knows how to do is to self preserve himself, even if that means getting passive-aggressive notes sent to him every once in a while. While this period, Sam was surprisingly the least productive (unfortunately giodine knew this and eventually mentioned it in one of their meetings which made him hide away cause like hell giodine was going to be critical of /him/) but he managed. It wasn't terrible, but unfortunately, Sam being able to talk it out with someone who does practically the same work as he does and gets newer, more helpful ideas was better in the long run.

Unsurprisingly, Sam was the first to initiate the healing of his and giodine's relationship but it wasn't reciprocated. Who would've figured, aye? Giodine kept pushing it back onto him and ignoring any progress that could've been made before. Which was frustrating.

The painting above was 'painted' by giodine, which is sorta where their relationship gets somewhat on an understanding of each other. Giodine gets to take a deep long look into who Sam is and tries to express it but it never fit him, it makes them realize that they never really-- truly got to know him. And all it does for Sam is make him even more confused about his place in giodine’s mind. He figured it's another fluke to get him to do something, so he ends up distancing himself when they start actually reciprocating his friendship advancements.

Suddenly, like a flash, Sam was forced to stay with giodine which is where the majority. I'll explain.

Sam...isn't actually the ruler of hell. Anymore, anyways depending on the timeline. His and purgatory's relationship has always been complicated, she always avoided him, and when they talked she always seemed scared of him. So in the end, they've never been close. Distant. Sam always wanted to talk to her, he made her, but if she didn't want to talk to him he wouldn't force it. But imagine his surprise as Purg singlehandedly took over hell in a hazed frenzy.

And not only that, had a personal vendetta against him!

Well, that would be the only explanation to Sam considering how he ended up broken and barely 'alive' at the hands of her. Horns broken and in tatters, pain and almost obliterated it felt like a hate crime. He didn't know what to do when he made it to the office, Purgatory was creating chaos outside his door and barely being able to breathe he felt like it was the end. So he called giodine. 

Purgatory

She/her

ID: Purgatory is surrounded by flowers that are dark grey and white. The light fades down into a dark green. The light shines down on top of her straight, white hair that has yellow flowers tucked into it.  Her skin is a dark brown and has a orange-ish yellow scar on her shoulder trailing up to her neck. Her skin is also highlighted by the sun. In one of her eyes, her sclera is black with an orangey, glowing iris. As for the other eye it it has a white sclera and the same, glowing orange iris. She has wings for ears, one dark grey and one white along with beige horns. She has a white fabric covering her chest. The frame is gold with white accents, but also has vines and moss crawling up the side. 

(may have goofed a bit and forgot to color the sclera of her other eye white but ignore that pls)

Purgatory was made by Sam and Giodine, but to her it felt like a mistake. Why make someone that you’re going to be terrible to, she believed. Giodine seemed to hate her and eventually made her section almost obsolete because she simply wasn’t able to keep up with the backlog that she wasn’t taught to deal with. Not only that, she didn’t have any help with any of it, it was almost like she was expected to just do it on her own. Until Death came along to help, but that’s not what we’re going to be talking about right now. 

And also, Purgatory is Purgatory yadda, yadda, I wont insult your intelligence.

Giodine’s thought process (other than wanting to be Real Close to Sam and once that thought filtered out, promptly ignored it) was that all the extras that don’t fit in either category of their thought of good and evil they’d go to her. (doesn’t matter cause in Sam's system it filters through ‘levels of assholery’ and depending on how bad you are you either just vibe in the upper city under rule of capitalism and possibly many under paying jobs or being actually tortured for his amusement if you’re just evil. Morally grey. Anyway, it could work p well in heaven if giodine wasn’t such a damn stickler.) But in the end, every day, less and less people ended up in purgatory, leaving her with barely any people and more verbal abuse from giodine who ‘HAS to take them or they would be more dead than they already are’. You see the pain she has to go through, right? 

~Idea section, this is probably not canon anyways so dont take it serious~ 

My thought is that another oc (BA, you may have heard of him idk) takes over simply because Purg took multiple hims from alternative timelines (which isn’t allowed but what’re they gonna do, undead a dead clown? multiple times from multiple timelines???)) because she adored him and they figured ‘well we gotta redo purgatory may as well do it like this’ and make him a demi-dead-god. i think thats a cool idea right? anyhoo

~Idea section over uwu~

Purgatory overall is a fairly timid character, she doesn’t like conflict, is easily overwhelmed, and generally keeps to herself. She doesn’t see the point in being in any drama if she’s just going to be yelled at and scolded even if it’s not about her. The only way i could describe her taking over hell is this: 

She was tired. She was angry and after feeling like nothing was in control or in her hands, she snapped. Why doesn’t she get anything or get to be ‘all powerful’ but they do? She knew if she took on Giodine she’d likely get thrown to the void, but sam? He felt fair game. Considering her fear of both of these gods, she planned and got her courage up to take him over. She had considered negotiations but in the end, she ended up going into a haze and ruining everything in sight. She was more powerful than she thought and once she started, she didn't stop until Death restrained her and Sam was already in pieces at God’s doorstep. 

The aftermath was fuzzy for her and for everyone really. Godine was planning a take back hell while actually worrying for sam, sam was planning for a retirement, and she was being consoled while trying to get in contact with sam to apologize. Giodine wouldn’t dare let her talk to him, until she just showed up in their office. She didn’t have a problem with Sam, honest, she just was going to take shit over, but it got out of control. 

Spoiler, Sam took her apology and they actually became.. somewhat closer after reaching an understanding. 

I wanna say that giodine took them being okay and sam retiring as good as sam did about purg running hell, but they didn’t. Giodine and purgatory actually barely got along in the first place, and only begun ‘working’ on their bitterness toward each other because they both had sam to encourage it. I can’t say for certain if they’ll get better, as theyre both undying and have time, but I’ll just say for now its uncertain. 

Also, Death is Purgatory’s girlfriend after all of that lmao.

And.. yeah, i hope this makes sense and that you like my drawings and ramblings about my lil story in my head, i guess this is my way to develop it without just keeping it to myself cause god forbid i keep things to myself hshsh. If you made it to the end, thank you for taking the time to read and attempting to process everything, and even if you didnt read and just looked to look at my art thank you to!!

I may post some art over on @ghoulishhusbandart cause.. it was my art account before i completely forgot about it but i might reboot it! But if you wan art NEOWWW follow me on insta (ik cringe lmaoo) by the same name as this account @ghoulishhusband​ or just click that insta link! also ignore the fact that giodine is the only one without a portrait, maybe I’ll replace it the next time i draw but im graduating on monday and my dad’s coming TOMORROW?? so i won’t have too much time to do it... but i hope you like my art anyways :]

ok!! ty!! ily!!

#ghoulishrambles #ghoulishsporkocs #man this is weird lmaoooooo #THE CUT DIDNT CUT IM SORRY #Man I should've edited this before ppl could see it I'm so sorry if it's a mess shshhs #I keep adding tags bc I have more to say but I wanna pin this but I don't wanna remove that Palestine post just for my ramble so #I'll just reblog it every once in a while

[pwnyta]

POKEMON DOODLES. BETCHA DIDNT SEE THAT COMING.

These mediocre doodles are mostly for Omi. Theyre not even real characters from the games/show... its just... dont worry about it. Since im lazy its all just sketchy doodles. ((A shit ton of them under the cut!))

Hugo (Nat- ):

Candy (Nat- Naive): A not all together newbie. Im sure she was delighted to get he codename... and then less delighted that there was someone already called ‘Candyman‘.

Scarecrow or just ‘Crow’ (Nat- Modest): A spooky man who’ll fit whatever roll he needed for. Very flexible. Has an easy personality to deal with though hes not very forthcoming about himself personally... might be better in a job like this.

Lock (Nat- Quiet):

Doc (Nat- Careful): He has a lot of information on almost everyone... aside from Sickle whos doctor is Emanuel. Hes not a fighter and refuses to evolve because his tail was mutilated and he can be a Slowbro anymore. Hes somehow gained a weirdly dark organ harvester rep... maybe because hes rarely seen and peoples imagination go wild... but to the people under his care hes just a nice, tiny guy who does a good job of patching them up quickly. He will smuggle drugs however because now he gets to work in better conditions under Sickle... hes also got a strange morbid sense of humor.

Wisp (Nat- Hasty): An ice queen type, kinda haughty and smug but shes got the skills to back that up so no one can talk shit. Like ‘sure shes an asshole... but shes not wrong‘. She tries to work WITH people just so she can get them the fuck away from her as quickly as possible. She doesnt appreciate people overstaying their welcome and prefers to go solo. If she needs a partner she prefers another woman or at least a pretty man... but someone like Link or Skim would be better.

Skim (Nat- Sassy): Honestly just a nod to Catwoman in general.

Father (Nat- Serious): A very religious man, mute, demands perfection. If you work for him and fuck up and embarrass him youre in for a world of hurt.  No matter how fond he may seem to be towards someone this is true. He doesnt play favorites and he doesnt want anyone under him to stagnate. You push yourself or HE’LL PUSH YOU. The operatives working under him are jokingly referred to as his ‘kids‘. Toward his equals he can be respectful... or maybe just tolerant.

Perma (Nat- Adamant): A cruel efficient lady. Has a thing for blades which is possibly why she has no trouble working for a guy like Sickle. The fact hes not interested piques her interest in him even more.

Gadget (Nat- Rash): Tries to be a fun gamer girl but her short temper makes it hard. Some suggest her codename should be ‘Tripwire‘ because of how unpredictably dangerous she can be... but she disagrees BECAUSE SHES A FUCKING DELIGHT. Can be a bit of a troll... and not the goofy fun kind (the malicious I’ll ruin your life if you cross me kind).

Blink (Nat- Calm) A Very obedient and very smart. Has a really droning dull voice and never loses his temper. Hes good at calming a certain Luxray down.

Mele (IDK)

Wool (Nat- Sassy) Plays dumb and pretty but hes rather clever and is a fun loving fella. Has a French accent. Master of disguise!

Wreckingball (Nat- Hardy): Has no real talent or skill. Hes just a tough bastard you call in if you need to fuck some shit up. Hes probably one of the more pleasant agents in Sickles crew and is chummy... probably not the greatest idea considering his coworkers are a bunch of shady assholes.

Mittens (Nat- Jolly): Hes another rather nice agent of Sickles. But hes not a dumbass like Wreckingball and has become of the head of the Sigma divison. He is a bit reckless tho. He can shoot his arms off and use them as weapons so he occasionally wears prosthetic arms and spends a lot of time with Doc.

Prick (Nat- Impish) Hes a smarmy lad who enjoys talking vaguely and annoying people. HIS NAME IS APPROPRIATE AND HE LOVES IT.

River (Nat- Naughty): Flirty and dangerous. Hes a killer but hes quick and efficient doesnt draw out anyones death. Not because hes nicer or squeamish or anything its because torture isnt in his job description. Hes great at getting people to think he honestly cares and like using built trust to crush his victims. He also like cucumbers! He somehow gets along well with Madam even though theyre both just being fake bitches.

Madam (Nat- Mild): Looks very dainty and delicate and uses peoples desire to please a pretty woman to take advantage of them. Shes not shy about minor edits to peoples memories to help her get away even though its illegal.

Cleo (Nat- Docile):

Cresent the Shiny Lycanroc (dusk form. Nat- relaxed)

Link the Golisopod (Nat- Quiet)-

Methuselah the Drampa (Nat- Mild)

Viola the Chatot (Nat- Naughty)

Sandstorm the Flygon (Nat- Adamant)... Her personality is like that of a strict teacher dont let her have a ruler unless you wanna get spanked. Shes neat and detail oriented and because shes so outwardly respectable... no one would ever suspect shes a fucking thief. Shes a collector of rare and valuable books and of course prefers original copies. Her social skills arent grea unless shes pretending to be someone shes not and gets embarrassed if she reveals too much about herself to anyone.

Cavendish the Tropius (Nat- Lax). Her personality is like shes on autopilot, she gets shit done but shes sorta checked out. Shed much rather just stay home but she also got expensive tastes and shes not rich.

Alkaloid (Nat- Lonely): A gloomy lass that craves companionship. Shes not great at making connections to people which is fine for her position but really wants to have someone to click with. After she lost her eye she became even more distant with people. Shes rather fond of Doc though their relationship is rather one sided... her projecting some strange friendship on him because he cares for her and keeps her secrets... but hes a doctor and its kind of his job.

Blanco (Nat- Quirky): A vain dramatic ladies man. Is a skilled in his job (of course) but he hates when hes gotta tone back his extravagant life. After a long job he likes to surround himself with lively people and have some fun. He thinks he works VERY well with others and thinks himself a perfect partner.... most find him obnoxious and a lot have told him so... he just takes all criticism as jokes and lets it roll off him. If nothing else hes very positive!

Mistletoe (Nat- Serious): He seems cold and scary but hes a man of honor (for a guy who tortures people for a living anyway). He refuses to harm anyone weaker than him and is very caring of children and will step in if he sees some injustice if he can. Rouge agents, traitors,and shit like that though... hes ruthless and is very good at prying information out of them.  His hobby of developing new and dangerous poisons/chemicals are often tested on whoever hes toying with. ((He should have spots on the light red parts of his jacket... I forgot them IDK how OH WELL. I wanna tweak his costume a bit anyways. Vileplume colors are so bleh.))

Dust (Nat- Calm): Outwardly very charming but theyre not as sweet as they seem on the inside. Dust doesnt need to bring their victims in any kind of room to do their dirty work and prefers using their dust and psychic abilities to just mind fuck their victims into submission.

The Candyman the Alolan Muk (Nat- Quiet) is an annoyingly patient man and the perfect guy to call if you need to teach someone a lesson. If no one else can do it... THE CANDYMAN CAN. IDK what that Mr Mime did but he pissed Sickle off... Candyman has one weak point and thats his poor eyesight... and he’ll get very annoyed if you touch his glasses.

Doc gets a penpal.

BB Sparky helps Boat be a Pichu with the clever use of feathers and a pink marker.

Lees a hit with his mommas work friends.

Lee and his kids. (Sam and Sparky are his kids occasionally.) Hes a stronk boy but his health isnt the best... even Sam can feel a little guilty and worried when he causes trouble for his friend.

Alex is not an easy man to anger and hes very dangerous when hes angry but no matter how pissed off he is... just seeing Lee can sweep that all away. Alex can get away with a lot... but Lee still wont let him wear his preferred fighting attire. QQ so mean.

I revamped Boats friend Arcane. Hes a cop. ...he mostly hangs out with other dogs but also Boat. Nice guy, very righteous but also kind of a prideful asshole sometimes.

Ray revamp.

I made Sandy shiny because the black looked cool.

Some cops.

Another scientist

TAPUS!!!

Halos childhood friend turned criminal.

Stan and Davy fam!! Stans mum is a detective, his dad is a stay at home dad.

Davys mum is an ~*~ARTIST~*~ especially in fashion but shes flexible and creative... and very spontaneous and his dad is former military turned workhorse for his wife. Hes good at sewing with all his tentacles.

Although her desire to have a kid was random and ill thought out... they werent as awful at being parents as he thought.

Another Ray! Mega Manectric and Hebenon.

BB Pokemon Quest crew.

I forgot to add Ho-Oh Lugia

And the trios.

#Pwny Gijinka mon fanarts. #PKMN fanarts #Slowpoke #Toxicroak #Milotic #Hitmonlee #Raichu #...I dont feel like typing all the Pokies I added to this post. #LMAO Fuck it.

[grailacademy]

Welcome To Grail Academy - Chapter Sixteen: Heroes And Villains

There was a small courtyard behind the factory, with stone benches and a circular gravel patch where a patch of grass grew from the center. People usually took their lunch breaks out there, but right now it was empty. The ringed path broke off in a line that led to a greenhouse, glass walls and a ceiling where vines sprouted out from the skylight. Nothing really grew in there anymore, aside from the weeds. Yorick found it as an opportunity to get away from the noise and bustle of the factory workers and his new team. Or so he thought. When he entered the presumably empty hut, he saw Scarlet, his back turned, clutching a singed white scarf.

“He loved this spot. Always quiet.”

“Scarlet….I’m so sorry.” “I don’t get what she sees in you.” “What?” “Sable saved us, all of us. Rescued me from a freak show circus, pulled Rettah out of a trafficking ring, kept Queenie from rotting away in an orphanage. Even Buck, he was working as an errand boy for his deadbeat dad before Sable found him. But you, you’ve got nothing. No training, no character. I don’t understand why you’re so goddamn important. She doesn’t even care that he’s dead.” “I’m-“ “She doesn’t even care that you killed him. It should have been you.” Scarlet hastily wrapped the scarf around his neck. He turned and stormed out, shoving his shoulder into Yorick’s to push him out of the way. Now, alone, finally, he couldn’t stop looking at the scarf, and thinking about what he did.

Nico loathed the Grimm Studies class. Though, he loathed all of his classes in general, but this one above all others. As Professor Kismet paced in front of the class, drawing diagrams on a chalkboard much taller than his own stunted stature in the green suit, reciting a passage from a next book about the vulnerabilities of mammalian Grimm, Nico found himself nodding off and drooling over his notes. Of course, he never actually took any notes, they were really more scribbles and doodles of him riding dragons and wielding flaming swords and guns, vanquishing the teachers whose classes he hated. He spent a good chunk of his study time chewing his fingernails, balancing pencils above his upper lip, and napping. Trying to find some entertainment in the dull period, he folded a sheet of paper into a triangle, and flicked it with his finger at the back of someone’s head.

Bernard felt a sharp tap at the back of his head, and turned around after the paper hit him to spot Nico showcasing a dashing smile with two pencils stuck up his nose. It had been a week since his team had enacted their plan for a private investigation, so he had been distracted and daydreaming in most of his classes as well. Bernard rolled his eyes and turned back around, unfolding the paper that had been delivered to him unconventionally. Pulling up the last fold revealed a crude drawing of Nico and Bernard, both wearing sunglasses and riding in a car with flames on the sides and comically large tailpipes, speeding away from an explosion and a fleet of alien spaceships. Bernard smiled and chuckled quietly, tucking the paper away in a folder that housed many more drawings just like it. But before he did, he turned it over and saw the note written on the back.

Wanna cut class?

As discreetly as possible, Bernard gave a thumbs up to his partner sitting a few rows behind him, and the theatrics went into play. Nico caught his signal and started licking the palms of his hands. He wiped the spit over his face and through his hair to the point of being practically drenched in false sweat, then held his breath until his cheeks turned bright red. “Professor Kismet,” Nico raised his hand and interrupted the lesson, “I don’t feel too hot.”

“Mr.Rosé, this is the fifth time you’ve fallen ill during my class this month.”

“Yeah, but this time, I really feel sick!” To add to the charade, Nico stood up and began to stumble down the stairs, gripping the railing with both wet hands. “Ooh, my head...my stomach….my bones….”

Bernard raised his hand, saying “I should take him to the nurse. I’ve seen what happens, it gets nasty.” Professor Kismet tiredly nodded and Bernard rushed over to his partner, picking him up and carrying him out off the classroom fireman style, all the while Nico moaning “I can see the light! Papa, is that you? I’ll be home soon! Wait for me! Oh, the light, it hurts….I feel so weak, papa!”

The two of them strolled through the empty hallways, taking care to avoid the corners where hall monitors were stationed. Uniforms weren’t required at Grail Academy, but some people still wore the emerald trousers and green-striped neckties over their white button-down shirts to show school pride. Those who didn’t feel the need to be patriotic, like Nico, just wore their combat outfits or casual clothes. Bernard loosened his necktie and rolled up his shirt sleeves, walking beside his friend who was holding his arms out and balancing on the lines of the patterned tile floor as they strolled. “Soooo….we never really talked about what happened.”

“Be specific,” Bernard crammed his hands into his pockets, “A lot of things happened.”

“We did see a dude die. Then there was Yorick running off with a bunch of murderers, Madehold being in a cult, and YOUR little adventure. What was that, anyway?”

Bernard stayed quiet for a few seconds before he responded by shrugging and shaking his head. “Whatever it was, it’s strong.”

“You think that was the stuff Yorick was smoking?”

“Boost? Maybe.”

Nico hummed, taking the bottom of his shirt to wipe his face clean from the spit he rubbed over himself. “Is Esme gonna be okay?”

“Don’t know.”

“The Great War left Remnant in shambles, which is why hunters were so important at the time. High stress made most communities trying to rebuild vulnerable to more Grimm attacks. So many in fact, that registered and licensed hunters were barely enough to defend the kingdoms. Can anyone tell me what happened as a reaction to this problem? Anyone?” The teacher for Remnant History slouched against the back of their desk, looking out over the sea of disinterested students. Professor Choi frowned in disappointment when nobody offered an answer, and slapped the long pointer stick on the chalkboard, under the word MILITIA that was circled and underlined. “Citizens formed militias. This will be on your written final, people.” Esmerelda yawned and glanced down at the textbook open in front of her. Grimm Studies. She was wasting time in this useless class when she should be out searching for her friend. She couldn’t stand to be so idle. “Citizens who weren’t already hunters trained themselves and established militias, and guilds of rogue hunters. The community efforts helped to fight back the Grimm scourge, but after the kingdom’s governments were fully recovered, everyone in those guilds and militias were arrested.”

Esmerelda’s hand shot up. “Why?”, she asked.

“Do you want the textbook answer or the truth?” Professor Choi leaned forward, glad that someone was finally getting engaged with the lecture.

“Which one will be on the written final?”

“Clever.” Choi straightened up and strutted across the room as they explained, “The official reason is that they were operating as hunters without licenses. But there are plenty of documents that prove the guilds did more work fighting back the Grimm than the actual hunters they hired. If they weren’t arrested, those villagers would put hunters out of business!”

Some of the classroom giggled, and Choi was proud of themself for getting a laugh out of their students. “It’s the power of community. Your semester exams are right around the corner, so remember this. Family protects each other. There is strength in numbers. That’s how the militias and guilds survived for so long, and it’s how you’ll survive.” Oh, crap. Semester Exams. And Esmerelda hadn’t trained for them at all! This never happened before. For the very first time, she forgot to prepare for a test. She was so focused on finding her partner that the exams completely slipped her mind. Beau was sitting next to Esmerelda, and she leaned over and asked under her breath, “What do you think it’ll be this year?”

“I STUDIED!” She was startled and blurted out the blatant lie, her nails clawing at the underside of her desk. The gaze of the entire room fell on her for a painfully long moment, and then her classmates went back to their work. “Ahem, uhm. Hm? What did you say?”

“I asked what you thought the exam would be! Are you alright?”

“Oh, of course. I’m fine, darling. Just tired, that’s all.”

“....Sure. Well, you aced all of your exams in the first semester, right? You must have some insight on what’s going down this time!”

“Gosh….I suppose it will be something physical. Perhaps a hunting mission? Last year my team had to clear out an Ursa den and retrieve a talisman. It usually entails an excessive amount of Grimm.”

“Whoa….I guess I should get BRVI ready for it, then.” Beau closed her textbook and stuffed it into her book bag along with a couple of folders and a pencil case. She straightened the jeweled pin that held her headscarf tight. “By the way, where’s Yorick? I haven’t seen him in a while.”

Esmerelda plucked her nails out from the bottom of her desk and sat still in her chair.  “He’s visiting his grandmother in Atlas.”

#rwby #rwby oc #ebny #team ebny #grail academy #welcome to grail academy #fanfic #fanfiction #writing #oc writing #oc fanfic #oc fanfiction #rwby fanfic #rwby fanfiction #punk #pink

[koalataeil]

Basketball Player!Youjin (High School

AN: this is my first time writing for any knk member and I'm a little scared, but I hope it’s okay!

Grade: Senior

Position: Starting Center

Skills: aggression, defense

youjin can look so intimidating

especially during lifting and games

underclassman, especially those trying out for the team, are highkey scared of him

like some guys have even been so scared of him that they decide to not even try out because they don’t want to be around him

but his teammates know how goofy and completely sweet he really is from spending so much time with him during practice

like he likes to imitate others on the court when he’s taking a break

or he pokes fun at the coach

and it usually gets everyone to laugh

he also makes a lot of silly mistakes during practice

and he just laughs it off

youjin’s intimidation really helps him during games bc his aggression definitely comes out too

which can make some of the other teams kind of scared of him

he LOVES defense

like on offense he’s always being bumped into and gets elbows in his side

which is so uncomfortable and annoying day after day

but on defense, he’s the one doing the bumping and elbowing

and his height helps him out a lot by being able to block a lot of shots

and on the rare occasions he actually gets his hands on the ball, his height helps him make some shots

youjin’s favorite part of basketball is the weight lifting during practice

he just likes being able to be in his own world

his muscles are something he takes a lot of pride in as well

he’s proud of his progress, but he also knows not to completely bulk himself up either

like he thinks his muscles are perfect for his body right now

so the training is mainly focused on him just maintaining the muscle he has

you’re actually youjin’s classmate in calculus

but you’ve never really payed much attention to him as calculus was confusing enough even when you were paying attention to the teacher

one day, your teacher decides to give assigned seats

and she’s met with a bunch of groans and complaining

and you end up sharing a table with youjin

the whole class, you tried to pay as much attention as possible to what your teacher was saying and your notes

but occasionally your eyes wandered to youjin

who was just doodling something on his notebook and completely ignoring the lecture

and when you were given time to work on your homework you struggled with the first problem, even relying on your notes

but youjin was already a quarter of the way done and he didn’t look any bit confused

you called his name quietly to get his attention

and he just looks at you with a blank expression on his face, confused as to why you’d be talking to him right now

“can you help me please?” you beg quietly

“why?”

“because you know what you’re doing and I have no idea”

and he sighs but starts to explain the first problem to you

and you start to understand the concept a lot more and you get a couple of problems done before the end of class

when the bell rings you thank youjin quickly before heading off to your next class

and youjin smirks to himself for like 0.5 seconds before going back to his straight face and going to his next class

the next day, youjin walks into calculus wearing a nice suit with his hair pushed back nicely

and he sits next to you, opens his notebook, and starts his doodling again

the teacher begins the lesson and about halfway through, starts calling on people to answer the practice questions

and she calls on youjin, who clearly doesn’t look to be paying attention

he just looks up at the board, reads the question and answers quickly

the teacher looks mildly surprised but shows the class how to get to the right answer, which was what youjin’s answer was

after a couple of more questions, she calls on you with the last question

and while you’ve tried to keep up with what she was saying, you still weren’t confident in the slightest

and while you were studying the question and trying to do some quick calculations, youjin writes something on his notebook and slides it closer to you subtly 

you read the numbers and answer the question

and the teacher surprisingly says it’s correct

you smile at youjin who returns to doodling without saying anything

while working on the homework for calculus, you get his attention again

“why did you help me?”

“because I didn’t want you to be embarrassed for not understanding that teacher’s confusing teaching style”

“thanks.. how do you know all of this stuff?”

he just shrugs and starts working on his homework

you start to work on yours, struggling quite a lot, but you’re slowly figuring it out

right before the bell rings, as you’re putting your stuff away, you ask youjin why he’s so dressed up

and he just gives you a really weird look

like how do you not know that he’s on the basketball team and has to dress up for some of the games

so he just mumbles “I have a basketball game tonight”

“you play basketball?”

“yeah, have you never been to a game?”

you shake your head and he says you should come if you have time

the bell rings and you two go your separate ways but you keep going over the thought of going to the game tonight

and you eventually decide to go

you make it into the gym right as the game is starting

youjin finds you walking to the bleachers, his eyes lingering just a little too long as you look back at him

but he goes into his game mode

he’s in the middle of the court, jumping to get the first possession

and his vertical is impressive as he tips the ball to yoongi and runs to start the play

you watch the ball, impressed by everyone’s skill with both ball handling and shooting

and when youjin gets the ball and goes up for a shot

you notice how focused and intense his face is

it doesn’t match the same youjin that you share a table with in calculus that helps you

and you feel weird seeing this other side of youjin

the game continues, youjin’s team is winning by over 20 points, but he isn’t letting up on defense

you end up leaving as the final buzzer sounds

the next day in calculus, youjin’s hair is messy and he’s wearing sweatpants, vastly different than the day before

“did you enjoy the game?”

“yeah, you guys killed them”

youjin smiles, something you and many others haven’t seen before

the teacher interrupts your conversation, only to further confuse you with the new lesson

you just stare at the homework, not even sure how to start

youjin notices, “I can tutor you if you want” he mumbles

you nod, “when should we meet?”

“I have practice after school but after 6 I'm free”

so you make plans to meet at a coffee shop nearby that night

youjin arrives to the coffee shop a couple minutes later than you

and he looks tired from basketball practice but he kind of lights up when he sits with you

you two do meaningless small talk about practice or the rest of your day before getting started with the calculus

and he teaches the calculus in a way that you easily understand

he’s really patient with you and will go over explanations if you need him to

and when you get excited about getting a problem right, he also smiles and gets excited

and somehow you were actually starting to understand calculus and weren’t hating every minute of doing the homework

and at the end of the tutoring session, you had finished your assignment and both youjin and you were hella proud of you

and as you were both walking out of the coffee shop, youjin said “I can keep helping you if you want”

“I don’t want to be a bother, you spent all this time helping me and you didn’t get to work on your own stuff”

“it’s okay. I liked helping you”

you nod and say okay and as you’re turning to go home youjin calls your name

so you look back at him, and he’s just like “do you wanna hang out sometime?”

and you’re in shock for a couple of seconds but you smile and nod, waving to him and going home

so for the next couple of weeks, you get help from youjin and you go on these sweet little dates

like one time you two met at a park and he taught you the calculus lesson and while you were working on some problems he was shooting hoops 

and he kind of distracts you bc you end up just watching him shoot a couple shots before he notices and points to the book in front of you

and you pout and go back to calculus

youjin just smiles to himself

you two have gotten really close over time

like you’ve come to realize his goofy self and you question why people are scared to approach him like he’s such a dork

and you’ve gotten to know some of his teammates who love that youjin has finally found someone that isn’t scared of him

and youjin always tells you how much you mean to him

bc he isn’t scared to be himself when you’re around

and you just bring out the best in him

but you are also so grateful for him too bc without him you’d be failing calculus and you wouldn’t gotten to know the real youjin

#kpop #Kpop scenario #Kpop scenarios #knk #knk scenario #knk scenarios #youjin #youjin scenario #youjin scenarios #bb!au

[holdenmgrudges]

Chapter 2 - Clubsies

Welcome back, readers. In this chapter, Davey and Sarah meet Katherine. And then Spot meets Sarah. Next week, we’ll get our first taste of Sprace, but this week, enjoy chapter 2 of what I’ve decided to call, Newsies High: What We Are, Not What We Should Be.

Or read on AO3 if you prefer.

Every day in art class, David watched as Jack worked on his art project, and soon, the girl in the drawing was imprinted in his brain. His own town drawing wasn’t going as great even with Jack’s occasional tips. Jack hadn’t brought his own perspective drawing yet because he didn’t want David to try to copy it, even with David’s assurances that even if he tried, he’d be bad at it. Jack insisted he wasn’t that bad and that he thought his drawing was great for a beginner.

On Wednesday, David decided to wear pink. He knew he didn’t have to, but he wanted to come up with some kind of inside joke with Jack. He knew inside jokes were the key to a good friendship. He put on a pink polo and tucked it into his jeans, looking forward to the club meeting and to seeing Jack outside of art class.

After the usual overlapping in PE, he headed to his AP English class and as soon as he entered, he saw her. The girl from Jack’s drawing. Live and in the flesh. If before he’d thought she was beautiful in the drawing, now he thought Jack wasn’t doing her justice. She paid him no mind and instead was busy writing. David instantly wanted to know everything about her.

After a more than appropriate amount of time, he realized he was just standing at the doorway, staring like a creep. He ran over to his desk, making sure not to stare too much at the girl. Though, no matter how much he stared, she never stared back.

Lunchtime came and David had lost most of his confidence. He'd even untucked his shirt because only nerds do that. Still, he made his way to the Little Theatre where the LGBTQ+ Club was meeting and stood right outside, waiting for something to happen.

“Are you going in or are you just gonna stand there?” he heard a boy ask.

David turned and saw a boy about his age, but shorter, walking with a crutch. Despite his disability, he held a friendly smile on his face, which David took comfort in. David also couldn’t help but notice the boy had a pink shirt on as well. He wondered if it was a coincidence, before remembering he was asked a question.

“Oh...actually...I think I’ll just go get lunch.” So he was chickening out. Sarah had been right for not starting the club back home. He started to walk away when the boy spoke again.

“There’s food inside!” the boy said loudly. David turned around, and saw the boy walking toward him. “Our adviser, Miss Medda, brings in donuts or bagels. Sometimes even actual food.”

“I don’t know...I’m a pretty picky eater and I don’t like donuts…”

“Aww, c’mon. The club is pretty cool. We’re friendly. And our president, Jack, is the best guy you’ll ever meet.”

David perked up at the name and had to ask, “Jack’s the president?”

“Ah, so you’ve met him,” the boy said, looking like he was connecting some dots.

“Yeah, he’s in my art class. He’s the one who invited me.”

The boy just nodded and then turned to walk into the Little Theatre. “Don’t let him down then, and come in.”

David thought about running. But then he thought about how he’d see Jack in his next period and he’d probably ask where he was. He didn’t want to have to think up a fake excuse, so he followed the guy with the crutch into the building.

Inside were a bunch of seats where an audience would usually sit, and on the stage were several desks set up in rows. David figured it doubled as a classroom when there weren’t any performances.

“Hey, Crutchie!” came from one of the desks in the back. David looked over and was surprised to see the young guy who always overlapped him in PE. Except the speaker was the boy next to him, who was waving at...Crutchie?

“Hey, Jojo,” Crutchie said with an air of slight annoyance, but with the same kind smile he seemed to have for everyone. “Hey, Race.” The overlapper was playing with a deck of cards and only looked up for a second to give a headnod. What a fitting name. Crutchie walked toward the front of the classroom and David followed.

“Is your name really Crutchie?” David asked before he could filter himself.

Crutchie gave David a mischievous smile as if he knew something David didn’t. “Not my legal name, but it’s what everyone calls me. It’s what you can call me.” David was confused but was distracted when Crutchie stopped and he saw they’d reached the desk where Jack was sitting, doodling in a notebook.

He looked up and smiled as he saw David. “Davey...glad you could make it.” He turned to Crutchie and his smile faltered as he saw his expression. Crutchie had an eyebrow up as if to remind Jack about a previous conversation they’d had that David knew nothing about. Some inside joke, perhaps.

“Davey, eh?” David turned to see who asked and saw a younger, ethnically ambiguous boy with a lollipop in his mouth giving him a flirty smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll come up with a better nickname for you.” The boy walked away to go sit with an older boy wearing glasses.

“That’s Romeo,” Crutchie explained. “He hits on everyone, but he’s harmless.”

David nodded and then turned to Jack to ask him when the meeting was starting. However, Jack was distracted because right at that moment the girl came in. The girl from his drawing. David and Crutchie turned to look at her and David was almost hypnotized. She had such an aura of commanding respect. David still wished she would notice him.

“Katherine,” Jack announced. “Now you’re here we can start.”

Apparently she was the club secretary and took the minutes. Jack started the meeting and David took a seat to pay close attention.

The advisor, Miss Medda, popped in after a few minutes. While Katherine commanded respect, Medda Larkin had great stage presence. As soon as she came in, everyone cheered. David thought at first it was because she came in with several boxes of pizza, but after she started talking, he knew that she was just a really popular teacher. David noticed Jack let Miss Medda take over as she spoke to the students.

“Oh, I see a new face with us today,” she said when she noticed David. “What’s your name, honey?”

David flushed a little, hating that he was being singled out. At least Katherine’s eyes were on him now. He looked away from her and answered the question after a quick glance at Jack. “I’m Davey.”

“Welcome, Davey. I sure hope everyone here is making you feel welcome. Did you have a slice of pizza yet? Jack, get him a slice!” David immediately liked her. She moved on from him and gave them an impromptu speech. She told them she was proud of them and that they should be proud of themselves, putting lots of emphasis on pride. Everyone had a smile on their face. After a few minutes, she looked at the time and told them she was going to let Jack take back over before time ran out. She headed toward the back to listen as Jack got back to it.

Overall, David was glad that he’d chosen to attend, but was surprised that most of Jack’s objectives were just to recruit more club members.

At the end of the meeting, Katherine quickly packed up and left, and Jack looked sad about it. After waving goodbye to a very attention-seeking Romeo, David turned and noticed the look on Jack’s face. “She used to be so outspoken during club meetings before we broke up. I don’t think she likes it anymore because I’m in it.”

David had no idea what to say to that except, “Oh. That sucks.”

“Yeah, it does. It’s not the same as it was before.”

“Maybe instead of trying to get more people to join, you should plan on an activity with your current members.” He realized what he said a second after he said it and immediately wished he hadn’t spoken.

“Like a trust exercise?” Crutchie asked, joining the conversation.

“Uhhh…” David hesitated, not wanting to offend anyone.

But Jack didn’t look offended. He did look surprised, but in a good way, like his gears were turning. “That’s not such a bad idea,” he finally said. “I mean, this is supposed to be a safe space. We should make it a place where people want to be. Even if their ex is the president. Good job, Davey.”

David smiled and nodded.

“And Crutchie,” the shorter boy reminded them.

“And Crutchie,” Jack agreed, putting his arm around Crutchie and pulling him in for a side hug. “Now we just gotta think of what kind of trust exercise we can do.”

“You could pitch it at the next meeting,” Davey continued. “Have everyone give ideas and then vote on them.”

Jack beamed at him and David felt proud of himself. Not only had he joined the LGBTQ+ Club, but he was actually helping out, and he had a friend in Jack. Maybe Crutchie, though it was hard to tell with him.

The bell rang and the three of them said a quick goodbye to Miss Medda before they headed out. As they walked together, Jack chuckled a little. “I just noticed you two did a little color coordination. Thanks for the memo.”

David looked down at his shirt, having had forgotten about the inside joke he was planning. He figured now it was an inside joke between the three of them.

“See ya next week, fellow Plastic,” Crutchie said before heading to his next class, leaving Jack and David to walk alone to theirs.

“Or you can see him tomorrow if you wanna have lunch with us,” Jack offered. “We’re always in Miss Medda’s.”

David was overjoyed that he was being asked to have lunch together. To David it wasn’t just an invitation to hang out, it was a friend request. “I accept,” he answered with a confident smile.

Every day as she headed to her last period, Sarah could see the Delancey brothers watching her. Other than a quick glance to check, she paid them no attention. Maybe they’d take the hint soon, but at least they hadn’t bothered her since that first day Jack interjected. So maybe they had taken the hint. There was nothing wrong with just looking, right?

The more time Sarah spent in class with Jack, the more she liked him. She liked that he was flirty but never crossed the line. She liked that he let her be in charge of whatever they were doing in class. She liked that he didn’t stare at her too long or too little. She liked that she did catch him staring. She liked that he made her feel empowered. She wondered how many days she had to know him before it was socially acceptable to ask him out. Or if she should wait for him to ask her out.

Every day after school, Jack would walk her to her locker before heading off. A few minutes later, David would appear and they would walk home together. On Wednesday, however, Jack was distracted by something behind Sarah. As she turned to see what it was, she saw the girl she’d seen in the main office.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Sarah,” Jack said before rushing off. But Sarah wasn’t paying attention to him anymore. Her sights were set on the girl with the curls. She closed her locker and followed the girl before she could lose sights of her. If she was paying closer attention, she’d notice she was also being followed.

The girl went into a room labeled Computer Lab, and Sarah quickly thought up a reason to go in there. If asked, she’d say she was there to print out an essay. Of course, as soon as she stepped into the room, she froze. There were four people in the room and they all turned to stare at her. The girl with the curls was standing near the doorway, putting her backpack on a chair.

“Can I help you?” the girl asked. Sarah opened her mouth but the words wouldn’t come out. The girl was so beautiful up close. Sarah would’ve slapped herself if she could see the way she was acting. The same way most boys acted around her. “The computer lab is closed right now. Unless you’re here to join the school paper.” The girl looked as if she knew she wasn’t there to join the school paper.

Sarah wanted to impress her. To surprise her. So she said, “Actually, yeah. I’m here to join the newspaper club.”

The girl’s eyebrow raised, and she turned to look at the other three people in the room as if she didn’t know how to respond to that. Sarah guessed she was the first person to join in a long time. The teacher who was at the front desk nodded at the girl and she turned back.

“First of all,” she said, “we’re the school paper. Not the newspaper club. That just sounds...amateur.”

“Do you get paid?” Sarah rebutted.

“Well...no. But we’re not just some silly little newspaper club. We’re a serious weekly publication.”

Sarah nodded. “Second off?”

The girl looked taken aback, but continued, “Second off, I’m gonna need some writing samples from you. We don’t let just anyone join.”

“Clearly.”

“Third off!” The girl took a pause and offered her hand. “My name is Katherine Plumber and I’ll be your editor in chief.”

Sarah looked down at Katherine’s hand and then back at Katherine. “Sarah Jacobs.” She reached out to shake her hand, but almost as soon as she had a grip, Katherine took it back.

Katherine pointed behind her at the two other students sitting at a couple of computers. “Those are Darcy and Bill. They’re mostly quiet and keep to themselves. You could learn from them.” While she was saying this, the teacher rose from his desk and approached them. “And back in the desk is-”

“I can introduce myself, Miss Plumber.” Katherine flinched a little and nodded. The man smiled and offered his hand to Sarah. “I’m the adviser, Mr. Denton. Katherine may be editor in chief, but I approve everything, so if you have a story idea you feel Miss Plumber is unfairly rejecting, just come to me.” Sarah nodded. “But we usually have the same tastes. Katherine grows on you. Or rather, you’ll grow on her.” At this, Katherine walked away, as if she didn’t have time to listen to this. “If you stick with us, that is.”

“Well, if I’m not driven out,” Sarah replied, staring at the back of Katherine’s head as she sat at a computer, “I’m planning on sticking around for a while.”

“Good answer,” she heard Katherine say loudly from her computer.

“Why don’t you go sit down next to Katherine so she can show you what we do around here,” Mr. Denton said, welcoming Sarah into the room. She gladly did as she was told.

As she sat, her phone buzzed. Sarah quickly withdrew it from her bag and saw a text from David.

“Wya?”

She quickly texted back, “Joined an after school club, don’t wait up,” before looking up and seeing Katherine giving her the side eye. She slipped the phone back in her bag and smiled. “Just texting my whereabouts to my brother, but you have my full attention now.”

“Good,” Katherine said. “Welcome to the club.”

“I thought you said this wasn’t a club.”

“Don’t make me drive you out.” Sarah could swear she saw a tiny smile pop up in the corner of Katherine’s mouth. That alone made her want to keep coming.

Spot Conlon was always surrounded by people. Being the captain of the wrestling team had its perks. Especially when everyone knew he had a temper and could kick their ass if they got on his bad side. Of course, he'd only ever beat up one person, regretting it almost immediately. But it was a very public beating and after that, no one messed with Spot Conlon.

And since then, Spot’s life had just gotten better and worse at the same time. Better because he was offered a spot on the wrestling team, he was both feared and respected, and his mother was pleased with him. Worse because he’d lost his best friend, his new friends didn’t know him at all, and he felt more isolated than ever. As a solitary person, it was great to be able to be alone whenever he wanted to be; as a lonely person, it was hell. He needed a friend.

After wrestling practice, he was one of the first to leave. He never liked to shower in the locker room with the other guys. He was about to leave campus when he remembered he’d forgotten his math book in his locker. He hated math, but he had to pass it if he didn’t want to get kicked off the team.

As he got to his locker, he saw a very beautiful girl walking out of the computer lab. She was followed by three other nerds and their teacher. They said their goodbyes and the beauty was left alone, walking toward him. She noticed him and he quickly looked away, rushing to open his locker.

She walked past him in a hurry, wondering if she was as scared of him as most other girls were. He hated that. Not because he wanted a girlfriend, but because he didn’t want people making assumptions about him because he didn’t have a girlfriend. Spot took his math book and stuffed it in his backpack, banging his locker shut.

He watched the girl, who was farther down the hall, and was about to walk in the opposite direction when out of nowhere the Delancey brothers appeared. And they seemed to be following the girl at a distance. Spot didn’t like getting involved with people, but he knew the Delanceys were trouble.

He sped off in their direction, yelling at the girl as he got closer to the Delanceys. “Hey, baby!” The brothers turned around and Spot shoulder bumped both of them as he passed between them. Spot put on the brightest smile he could and slowed down as he got to the girl. She had stopped, but looked terrified, so he said the only thing he could think of, “Roses are red, violets are blue, there’s nothing in the world more prettier than you.”

The girl stared at him, her face slowly changing from scared to confused, to amused. Her eyes flickered toward the disheveled Delanceys and then back to Spot. She nodded in understanding, and continued walking. Spot walked alongside her.

“Are you showing off for your friends?” she asked. “Because I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’ve heard that line before.”

“The Delanceys are not my friends,” Spot stated firmly, his fists slightly clenching. He took a deep breath and then relaxed. “Wait...you’ve heard that line before?”

“You don’t happen to be friends with Jack Kelly, do you?”

Spot looked straight ahead at the mention of Jack’s name and shook his head. “I know him, but he’s not my friend either.”

“But you do have friends, right?” Spot looked at her but she didn’t look like she expected an answer. So he stayed quiet. “You’re that guy that’s always surrounded by people, aren’t you?”

Spot turned his head to check if the Delanceys were still following them, but they were nowhere to be seen. “They’re not so much friends as they are bodyguards. Not that I need ‘em.”

“Friends or bodyguards?”

He was caught off guard by the question and stared at her. He settled on, “Neither.” They reached the end of the hall and the front of the school. Even though the Delanceys were gone, he didn’t want to take any chances. Those two were sneaky.

Spot opened the door for the girl and continued walking with her. “Are you trying to be my bodyguard?” He scoffed at that. He wanted to tell her this was only temporary and that he wasn’t for hire. “Or my friend?”

He shook his head and smiled at the girl. “Nah, babe, I’m just hitting on you. Hoping you’ll let me take you out sometime. Of course, that was until you told me someone stole my line. Now, I’m just stalling ‘til I can think of another one.”

“You can at least ask my name if you’re going to follow me home.”

He was caught off guard again. “What’s uh...your name?”

“Sarah. And yours?”

“Spot.” She gave him a confused look and before she could say anything, he clarified, “It’s a nickname, but it’s what everyone knows me as.” And as quickly as he thought it, he added, “Maybe I’ll tell you my real name when we go on that date of ours.”

Sarah rolled her eyes as they crossed the street. “I don’t go out with random guys I just met.”

“I’m not random, and you’ve never met anyone like me.”

“Please. There’s one of you on every street corner. What makes you special?”

He had to think for a second before answering. “I’m captain of the wrestling team.”

“Big deal. Every sport has a captain. Try again.”

“I uh...can probably lift you.”

“I’m pretty light. Next.”

“I’m…” He couldn’t think of anything else. And that made him sadder than not having any friends.

They walked in silence for a few seconds before Sarah spoke. “You’re protective of strangers.” He looked up from his shoes toward her. “I’ve heard the Delanceys are bad news. So thanks for scaring them away. Although, they’ve been gone for a while now so...you’re free to go.”

It was true. The Delanceys didn’t seem to be around anymore, but for some reason he wanted to keep walking and talking with Sarah. Maybe he was just that lonely. She sparked some interest in him. “I live in this direction. Besides, I’d like to hear other things that make me special.”

Sarah laughed and shrugged her shoulders. “You tell me. I barely know you.”

He shook his head. “I need more time to think.”

She feigned surprise. “You? Mister Roses-Are-Red?”

“Yes, me,” he replied, looking back down at his shoes. “I’m not used to praising myself. I’m used to having others do it for me.”

“Well, how about you think of something for tomorrow?” They turned a corner and she stopped.

“Tomorrow?”

“I assume the Delanceys are persistent.”

Spot thought again of telling her he wasn’t for hire, but she was right. And he liked her. Although there was some slight hesitation at first, she didn’t seem to be afraid of him. He could actually see himself going out on a date with her. He nodded. “Tomorrow.”

“Good. Now, this is where I leave you, Spot.”

He nodded. “See ya later, Sarah.”

“See ya, bodyguard.”

Sarah walked away and Spot went back around the corner to head to his house. He had a small smile on his face. “Not bodyguard,” he told himself. “Friend.”

#newsies #newsies high #newsies fanfic #javid #newsbians #sprace #jackcrutchie #holdenmgrudges #fanfiction #au fanfiction #jack kelly #david jacobs #sarah jacobs #katherine plumber #crutchie morris #spot conlon #racetrack higgins #romeo #jojo de la guerra

[pokemonmasterpaulo]

Row On (Part 2)

[Rusty]

I wave yellow fliers as people pass by. “Join Crew!” I shout over them. A few people jump back in fear, while others grab the fliers tentatively.

While waiting for his friends to finish talking with Coach, a sophomore stands in front of the Tri-fold poster board and examines the whole thing with a huge smile on his face. He moves closer to read the captions under the photos, then trace the bubble letterings of “UMBC CREW” I had glued on top of the board. I’m really hoping he doesn’t see some of the misspelled words I had forgot to correct while finishing the board this morning.

“I can’t believe you guys actually raced against schools like Harvard and Yale.” He exclaims with wonder. “What’s it like?”

I let out a hearty laugh and scratch the back of my head. “I haven’t done that yet. I just joined the club last semester!”

He silently mouths the word “wow” before thanking me again and walking away with his friends. They disappear in the middle of the room, into a crowd of cautious students checking out the different club sports offered here at UMBC. Over twenty gray tables replace the Ping-Pong and pool tables that usually lives here in the spacious Game Room, forming a large U-shaped chain of rectangles. Fortunately for us, the Crew table sits near the main entrance to this room, so people will see us as they come in. I can hear even more noise blaring from the entrance as other clubs and groups do their best to recruit new members for the semester all throughout the Commons building.

A warm feeling wells up from my chest, and I put my hand over my heart. What if that Sophomore and everyone else show up, then end up liking Crew, just like me? I want everyone who signs up today to feel the same thing that I did when I first joined the club.

“You okay?” I hear Coach Marco ask. I see him sitting down behind our table. I’ve never seen him wear anything that looks professional, but today he’s wearing a blue checkered button-up shirt with a blue and gray striped tie that he loosened up just a bit. He even shaved the depression beard that lived on his face for a while now.

I grin as I put my hand down. “Yeah, I just I couldn’t imagine Involvement Fest happening indoors, but somehow they managed to pull it off. Plus,” I lift up the sign-up sheet. “It’s only been 10 minutes, but we already have fourteen people interested! Isn’t this great?”

Coach furrows his thick eyebrows for a moment but gives me a reassuring smile. “You’re right, and I think most of that came from your friendly attitude.”

“Yeah, you’re doing really well as our wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube man.” Tucker replies. He stands next to the Tri-Fold, only wearing a pair of tight-fitting compression shorts while holding an oar with each hand. For some reason, his body has an eerie sheen under the fluorescent lights. “I mean, it’s not your fault. You’ve never raced. You barely know anything about rowing.” Tucker winks at a passing Freshman from my dorm, who immediately walks away from the table.

Coach rolls his eyes. “Leave him alone. And didn’t I tell you to put a shirt on? We’re gonna get in trouble if they see you like that.”

Tucker shrugs. “We won’t get in trouble; I’m only lightly-oiled.”

“Then, is there anything else that I can do to help?” I ask hopefully. Coach turns to me with a concerned look. “I want to pull my weight with keeping this club going.”

Tucker leans in towards Coach. “He should have said ‘Keeping this club afloat’ instead.”

Coach mutters. “Yeah, it would have been an awesome pun — I do have something for you to do!” He raises his voice so suddenly that I jump back just a bit. “You can help Dietrich and Mike bring some ergs from the RAC. They should be heading back now, but they’ll need help carrying it up here.”

“Consider it done!” I skip past the tables and make my way to the entrance of the Game Room. People immediately step aside as I get near them; I don’t blame them, because seeing someone as tall as I am skipping towards them would probably be scary.

It’s even louder outside the Game Room. The next hallway on the right leads to the “Student Orgs” space where I think all of UMBC’s Greek Life has set up tables. Banners and signs decorated in Greek letters line the hallway and well-dressed upperclassman walk past me. I could hear K-Pop blasting from speakers from the lower levels of the building. Involvement Fest truly has taken over the Commons today.

After almost slipping twice on the main stairs of the building, I hear someone scream “RUSSELL RAPTOR!” somewhere nearby. Before I even turn around, I could hear Liza running towards me from the side. I bend my knees just a bit and catch her just as I turn around. She always smells like lemons and oranges, so I could feel my sinuses clear up immediately.

“LIZA LLAMA!” I shout back at her. We let go of each other and take a few steps back. She wears her small red coat over her Hello Kitty t-shirt, making her look even younger than she is. She seems to be traveling light today; I know she has classes but she doesn’t have a backpack or books on her. “Where’s your— Oh.” I look behind her and see Jeremy Cazares carrying a black shoulder bag and a pink umbrella. “That’s not nice, Liza Llama. My roommate is not your butler.”

Liza and I start cackling. She grabs her bag and umbrella from Jeremy and thanks him before the three of us walk towards the lower level exit of the Commons.

“Wanna come to class with us?” Liza asks, pulling on my sleeve. “It’s just Calc 3, it’s not too bad! There’s a bunch of other Freshmen like us there so you won’t stick out!”

“Rusty’s in Pre-Calc this semester!” Jeremy chuckles, punching me on the shoulder. “And have you seen this man? He sticks out wherever he goes!”

“Well, he can just doodle on my notes!” Liza grabs her umbrella as I open the glass door for both of them. “You still owe me a drawing, remember?”

Drops of water hit my face as we leave the Commons. I completely forgot that it was raining outside. The Quad, a square patch of grass between four buildings, is the spot where Involvement Fest was held last semester. I guess it’s a good thing that they brought everything inside this time. Even the concrete trail that cuts diagonally through the Quad looks drenched in the rain. The sound of rain at least replaces the noise of Involvement Fest out here.

We pause, hesitating to walk into the cold rain. Liza hands me her umbrella. “You’re the tallest. You hold it.” With a flourish, I open up the umbrella and shield both me and Liza. She moves closer to me, hugging me just above my waist and pushing her face right below my sternum.

“Wow.” Jeremy remarks, zipping up his jacket and raising the hood over his head. “I can never get used to this. The height difference is seriously unnatural.” Liza and I look at each other. I’m just about 7’1, so the difference is probably insane to see when I’m at least 2 feet taller than her.

Half-way across the Quad, I spot Dietrich and Mike pulling four rowing machines out the backdoor of the gym. I wave at the two of them as I say goodbye to Liza and Jeremy.

“I’ll visit you later after my lecture!” Liza shouts as we begin to walk our separate ways. “I have to show you a cute puppy video that I saw last night!”

I keep waving my arms at Liza and Jeremy until I’m almost face to face with Dietrich and Mike. They’re wearing waterproof jackets, but their exposed heads are now wet thanks to the rain. I greet them both of them as we bump fists.

“Hey there, big guy. Here to lend a hand with these ergs?” Mike hands me one of the two rowing machines he has and we push them towards the Commons. Saran wrap covers the long rowing machines, shielding it surprisingly well from the rain. The tiny wheels in the front squeak as we go over puddles of water. “And you should just call him ‘Diet,’ you know. We’re all friends here. Marco is the only person who calls him by his name.”

“Speaking of friends…” Diet says, keeping his voice low. He effortlessly pushes two ergs at once next to me. Small drops of water begin to stick to his glasses, but I guess he can’t do anything about it. “That girl you were talking to…”

“Yeah, I was just telling Diet about it too!” Mike howls, pride beaming from his face. “I had no idea you had game, bro. Are you going out with her?”

I feel my face get hot as I laugh. “I haven’t asked her out, but I do have a thing for her.” Mike grabs me with his free arm and pulls me in for a hugs.

“My man, Rusty!” Mike releases me. “Just make sure to always ask for consent and always wear protection—-”

“That girl is a coxswain for Varsity.” Diet cuts in monotonously.

After a short pause, Mike turns to me. “Forget everything that I just said. Don’t date her.”

“Wha–?” My jaw hangs open.

“It’s a curse.” Diet explains, turning to me. “Dating a teammate is always a bad idea.”

“Why?” I ask, suddenly feeling concerned. “I mean, we’re not technically in the same team. She’s with the Women’s team, and we’re basically just a club, aren’t we?”

“We practice around the same time and place, though.” Diet continues as we reach the lower entrance of the Commons. He pushes the blue button on the side of the entrance, causing the doors to open automatically. “You’ve seen what happened to Marco and Lily. I’m just hoping it stays pretty tame between them.”

“But… but why is there a rule against it though?” I ask again, pushing the erg through the door and into the building. The suffocating roar of Involvement Fest surrounds me again. “I’ve been in a couple of sports teams before Crew, and I’ve never heard of that rule.”

“The reason, my friend…” Mike replies, heading towards the elevators on the right side of the lower lobby. “… is very simple to explain.”

Diet tries to suppress his laughter. “This theory again?”

“It’s a solid theory, don’t laugh.” Mike hisses, pushing the call button. The fire in his eyes matches his hair. He pulls out a pocket knife and slices up the Saran wrap on the ergs. “You see, Rusty. Everyone in crew is a little crazy. With the amount of time we train and how close we get during practice, a few people are bound to like each other. And if you combine one kind of crazy with another…”

The elevator makes a loud DING! as it reaches the bottom floor. Once it opens, Diet and Mike pushes two ergs in, struggling to make both fit inside. They twist and turn the ergs until they lift up one end and rested it above the elevator entrance.

“Uhhh can you wait out there for a bit?” Diet asks, squeezing his bulky body into the elevator. “We’ll get those ergs once we bring these out on the top floor.” He turns to Mike as the door closes, who is scrunched up in the corner to make space. “Mike… Is it just me, or are these ergs stuck?”

I throw away the plastic wrap and wait a full minute before the door opens again. This time, it’s just Mike with the ergs, still stuck in the same positions.

“Don’t worry, we’re okay.” He says quickly, breathing very heavily like he’s been lifting something. I can’t tell if he’s sweating or if he’s just wet from the rain. “Diet’s already called for help, we’ll get out of here in no time!”

“Can’t I just carry the ergs up to the Game Room?” I ask, testing the weight of one of the ergs by lifting it off the ground.

“No!” Mike exclaims. His voice makes the walls of the elevator vibrate as the door begins to close again. “Just wait here! We’ll fix this!”

Once the door shuts, I push both ergs to the stairs then turn them around so my back is facing the steps. Slowly I get on the first step and walk backwards, pulling the machines up with me. The wheels on the front of the ergs make it easy to bring up each step. They’re not as heavy as they looks, but the length, shape, and front-heavy design of the ergs make them awkward to pull up like this. I continue to breathe calmly and go up the first set of stairs carefully.

I smirk as I conquer this first challenge and set my sights on the next set. As I push the ergs on the first level I realize that I’m still a little annoyed. I just want to help out the club. There are less than 10 of us right now and every little bit should make a difference. But now, something simple like carrying these weird-looking workout machines need to be delegated to the veterans of the club. I have one semester of rowing under my belt already! I can do this!

I eventually reach the last set of stairs, but I stop and try to control my breathing. As I prepare to pull the ergs again then ascend, I feel more determined and confident about being useful to this club. I have the ergs that Coach is looking for. I’m saving the day, even if they underestimated me. And one of these days, I’ll ask out Liza to dinner and—

My right foot slips on the next step. I land on my butt and drop both ergs on the stairs, slipping further and further down.

“SHIT!”

I jump back up on my feet and reach for the ergs, but I slip on another step. I lose balance and found myself diving closer and closer to the base of the staircase.

The ergs crash first. Parts fly in all directions. I close my eyes and brace for impact.

#crew #rowing #story #chapter #fiction