you said i was your favorite.

rules + verses , also linked in the description , found here.

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where else can you find katie?

@riveir​ : river barkley of netflix’s the politician , headcanon / au - based ( primary )

@frnknteen : finn hudson of glee , headcanon / au - based & canon divergent ( secondary )

❝ just think, we’ll be out of this place eventually. ❞ the promise of the future was something that always kept astrid going. one day. one day this school would be in the rear-view mirror and she’d be cruising to some glorious future, hopefully a future that took her far away and allowed her to start her own life. ❝ as much as i would love trying to enlighten the board, i’m sure that it would be a waste of time. i mean, like i said, we’ll be out of this place soon enough. there’s no point in wasting our energy with a futile battle. i think high school is just meant to be shitty no matter what way you slice it and that means dealing with teachers who refuse to get off their high horses. ❞ she points out before shrugging dismissively, lips pursed before the consternation flits away from her features as a cloud disappears on a sunny day. ❝ we just have to grit our teeth and bear it. ❞

❝ well, be careful what you wish for because with all the drama that goes on around here, you know one minute you’re in the spotlight and the next, you find yourself the very definition of anonymity. ❞ of course, astrid couldn’t quite relate to the observation she had just voiced for she always seemed to be under one microscope or another. there was no escaping the attention of others.   ❝ no body of adults ever takes kindly to an intrusion from the ‘youths’ but they’ll get used to it. after all, we students have rights, don’t we? ❞ she pointed out, sarcastic words emphasized by the peal of laughter that succeeds them. ❝ it’s good to shake things up every now and then. ❞

❝    huh   .      yeah   ,     –    i  get  it    ❞          he    really   did  .      he  liked  mornings  too,    though  they  were  generally  not  so  peaceful  for  him  if  he  was  up  for  quidditch   practice .   he  liked  nights better,   loved  the long  stretches  of  empty  silence,  how  different  the  castle  looked  with  no  one  else  around  .     ❝    not   that   I   condone  rule  breaking   -       ❞       a  pause,  short  laugh  to  himself  over  the  small  joke  in that  .        ❝   but   you  should  go  out  at  night  .   after  curfew ,  it’s  really  quiet  then  .         ❞ 

he  could   have  taken  her  explaining  she  liked  peace  in  the  morning  as  a  sign  for  him  to  leave  .    he  was  clearly  not  a  part  of  that  peace .  but  he  was  intrigued,    so  instead  head  cranes,  a  nod  toward  her  book     ❝   whats  in  there   ?       ❞ 

“noted,”           betty answered with an appreciative sip of her head. she’d never considered a nighttime visit to the gardens, always instinctually favoring morning light, given that she snuck out in order to get some sketching in. she could, of course, just generate her own light, but there was something familiar and comforting about early daylight — though the objective was, overall, peace and quiet, a breather from the hustle and bustle and relentless chatter within the walls. if it came recommended, she could risk breaking some rules to come and sit beneath the stars, and the look in her eyes contrasted her polite smile and communicated interest in taking his advice.

          ❝ if only. trust me, if i knew the solution i’d be more than happy to share it though i don’t think there’s any one right answer. i’m an only child so even once i graduate, i’m sure my mother will still try to treat my like a child since she doesn’t have other children to focus on. ❞ not that her mother had ever been the sort of doting type but avis had always been attentive in her own ways even in moments of discord between mother and daughter which were undeniably frequent. ❝ i think it’s more of a bide-your-time situation which is unfortunate because personally, patience has never been a virtue of mine. ❞ she confessed with a sheepish laugh as she turned ever so slightly so that her side leaned against the counter as she shrugged.              ❝ someone should really come up with a manual on how to deal with all this growing up stuff. ❞

jack   appreciates   her   effort   to   comfort   him   ——   he   looks   down   at   his   hands   ,   fingers   on   his   left   hand   start   to   pick   at   the   ones   on   his   right   just   for   a   brief   moment   before   he   mentally   scolds   himself   for   doing   so   .   so   ,   to   occupy   his   hands   ,   he   reaches   for   a   rock   and   begins   running   his   thumb   over   the   gentle   ridges   that   populate   its   surface   .   “   they   would’ve   liked   you   ,   y ’ know   .   my   mom   and   dad   .   ”   it’s   true   ——   his   mom   would   have   loved   sitting   and   talking   about   .   .   .   well   ,   whatever   girls   talk   about   and   his   dad   would   probably   try   to   teach   her   to   fish   if   she   didn’t   already   know   .   jack   sets   the   rock   down   and   turns   to   look   at   her   again   .   “   .   .   .   you’re   a   good   friend   to   me   ,   betty   .   i   mean   that   .   ”

❝ Nah, ❞   A sheepish smile was offered to the other, fingers absently drumming against the padded handle of her cane. ❝ I can’t see anything that isn’t right in front of me, but I could tell what I’d run into was, y’know, person-shaped. So I assumed I’d just wandered into somebody’s personal space without realizing. And then here I am, apologizing and feeling bad, and the person I bumped into into isn’t answering, like a jerk, and finally my mom goes “Uh, you’re talking to a mannequin.” I swear, I almost died of embarrassment. ❞

❝ you know, one can only live under the radar for so long before they fall off the grid altogether and though i can’t speak from experience, is that really how you wanna live for the rest of the school year? ❞ she pointed out, brow knit in amused bewilderment. ❝ maybe a teenage girl alone but what about the two of us together? you and i would be quite the formidable duo. plus, my parents have an in with the school board. ❞ of course, astrid had bigger fish to fry than a handful of out-of-touch teachers but the promise of such a distraction was too big of a temptation for the young woman to resist.

“   isn’t   it   ?   i   knew   you   couldn’t   resist   .   ”   his   tone   is   teasing   ,   and   he   gently   nudges   her   with   his   elbow   .   “   i   just   wanted   to   show   you   my   favorite   way   to   see   the   town   ——   just   before   the   sun   sets   ,   when   there’s   just   a   few   people   around   .   ”   jack   gazes   around   ,   taking   in   the   view   of   the   setting   sun   peeking   over   the   tops   of   the   trees   before   he   sets   off   slowly   ,   hands   inserting   themselves   into   his   pockets   .   “   how   are   your   folks   ,   anyways   ?   still   doing   well   ?   ”

there   was   that   look   that   most   people   gave   him   ——   the   oh   ,   i’m   so   sorry   jack   ,   now   let   me   show   you   how   bad   i   feel   look   .   at   least   she   doesn’t   seem   to   dwell   on   it   like   most   do   ,   such  as   asking   how   it   happened   or   how   he   felt   about   it   all   .   it   was   .   .   .   refreshing   .   once   again   ,   betty   continued   to   pleasantly   surprise   him   .   “   yeah   ,   i   like   to   think   so   too   .   ”   jack   grins   ,   turning   to   face   her   .   “   i   wonder   that   sometimes   .   what   they’d   think   about   how   i   live   now   .   ”   he   turns   back   towards   the   pond   ,   watching   the   sun   reflect   brightly   off   the   gentle   ripples   in   the   water   .   this   place   is   quite   calming   to   him   ,   the   ripples   are   satisfying   and   calming   and   the   gentle   breeze   hitting   his   face   keeps   him   in   the   moment   .   “   i’m   not   ashamed   of   the   way   i   live   ——   in   fact   ,   i   quite   like   it   ——   but   i’m   just   curious   ,   y ’ know   ?   ”

“   well   ,   that’s   all   surface   level   ,   you   see   .   ”   despite   the   heavy   topic   at   hand   ,   jack’s   posture   is   relaxed   .   his   arms   relax   on   the   back   of   the   bench   they   sit   on   ,   his   head   tilts   back   slightly   .   he   could   go   into   detail   about   his   abandonment   issues   ,   about   the   reason   why   he’s   always   opted   to   travel   around   ,   rarely   staying   in   one   place   for   more   than   a   year   at   a   time   .   “   maybe   i’ll   tell   you   one   day   .   the   whole   story   ,   hm   ?   ”   and   what   were   the   chances   she’d   hang   around   once   she   realized   all   the   issues   he   dealt   with   ?

        ❝ oh please, don’t be sorry! it’s nice to find someone who commiserates with me. ❞ claire had no siblings to which she could complain about such subjects and her parents certainly wouldn’t have been receptive to her lamentations but in this girl, she seemed to have found a kindred soul. ❝ it’s funny because in some situations, people are always telling me that i’m an adult and so i ought to act like one but then in other situations, they insist that i’m still a child and i can’t be trusted to make informed decisions. ❞ she added with an exasperated shake of her head before she managed an amused grin. it was rather comical when one took a step back to look at the situation but it was also constantly annoying to be treated in such a condescending and inconsistent manner. ❝ it seems like we’re both out of answers but it’s nice to hear that there’s someone else on the same page. ❞

              ❝ I say we start giving them condescending nicknames and we’ll see how they like it. ❞ astrid had never been particularly fond of any of her teachers throughout her academic career but she had a special disdain reserved for those who treated her as if she were an aimless ten year old wandering from classroom to classroom. ❝ They need to get off their high horses. ❞ the blonde concurred with an irritated shake of her head before she raised a brow questioningly, ❝ I’m surprised you don’t have some petition floating around already. I’ve always thought of you as the proactive go-getter type. ❞ Such words would have been intended as an insult to most but in this particular conversation, she meant to praise Betty.