I bet for the professors teaching Ravenclaws is like herding cats away from empty boxes.
Older Ravenclaws have finely honed the art of asking just the right argumentative questions to direct their teacher onto an entire-class-session-long tangent about something entirely irrelevant to the course material.
Can you imagine Ravenclaws trying to overhaul the entire school system with Muggle ideas. Trying to figure out how to best teach people, more concerned with how people learn than what they’re learning.
“Why do we force people to learn things they aren’t interested in, we should create our own curriculum.”
“We should figure out everyone’s learning styles.”
“We need smaller class sizes.”
“No, no, wait, guys, what if we eliminated grades entirely.”
Yeah, Ravenclaws would drive Hermione up the wall.
“Fire the whole staff and start over.”
“Present more opportunities for seventh-year independent research!”
“Why hasn’t anyone made magically modified calculators yet?”
“Why are we still using quills and parchment when pencils exist? Please explain.”
“I don’t want to enter the work force directly after school, what are my options for higher education? Is there magical university?”
“I don’t feel confident in my professor’s qualifications because she’s teaching me astrology but doesn’t know any facts about space beyond about the year 1764.”
Muggleborn Ravenclaws forming rogue study groups to teach other students chemistry and algebra and English literature, just imagine.
“They call this the astronomy tower but we’re learning about the effects of Venus when it’s in the fourth house and the professor doesn’t believe Neptune is a planet I am really concerned.”
“Okay but what’s the oxidation state of Mandrake root in pepperup potion?”
“But can you apply differential calculus to arithmancy or not?“
“The portrayal of the witches in Macbeth has some pretty troubling implications, also, I don’t think their potion would have actually done anything.”
Alex finished lighting the candles on the table and stood back. After a quick check, she nodded to herself. A hand squeezed her shoulder and she looked over at Lois with a smile.
“Luce isn’t gonna know what hit her.” Lois shook her head. “I’ve heard you don’t half-ass anything, but this is…”
“They deserve it.”
Lois nodded. “They do. Thanks for taking care of her.”
“I’d say she make it easy, but we both know that’s a lie.”
“She makes it almost impossible, but that just makes you even more amazing.” She looked behind them when she heard the oven door open. “Let me get that, Miss Sawyer.”
“I’m not so fragile I can’t take a pie tin out of an oven,” Maggie’s aunt said, waving Lois off. “Besides, you just stood in front of a stove for the past hour. Moving a pie is the least I can do.” She slid the tin onto a colorful ceramic plate she had brought with her and carried the steaming desert to the table. “And, yes, thank you, Alexandra. I cannot express how relieved and happy I am that you and Lucy love my girl.”
For once, Alex didn’t wrinkle her nose at her full name. When Maggie’s aunt said it, ‘Alexandra’ didn’t ring flat and empty. It probably helped that she said it in a way that was just…so full of love. Alex blushed a little under the praise, but smiled proudly. “Now, Maggie actually -does- make it easy to love her.”
“She does, yes.” Looking around the kitchen, she seemed satisfied with how they had cleaned as they went. “I hope you put the rest of the recipes to good use. Don’t think I didn’t notice the drawer of delivery menus.”
Alex was embarrassed, but shrugged it off. “I bet Maggie would be more willing to follow your recipes than a cookbook.”
There was a knock before Eliza let herself in. “Everything looks amazing, Alex.” She set two covered baking dishes on the counter. “Warm this up for a few minutes, and it’ll be ready to eat.”
“Thanks, mom,” Alex said, going in for a hug. “What’s in the second one?”
Eliza wrapped her up in a tight embrace before pulling back. “I made you two, one for you to freeze for later.”
“You really are the best mom, ever.” Alex knew she could get one out of her mother, easily, since she would be sharing with Lucy and Maggie. Two, however, was beyond generous.
“I’m so glad we’re back to that ‘b’ word,” Eliza teased, causing Alex to protest that it was only the once, and she was fifteen, so it didn’t count. “Forgive me, Miss Sawyer.”
The older woman managed to tone her down laughter enough to speak. “It’s nothing I haven’t heard from Margarita as a teenager.”
Lois picked up her jacket from where she had left it on a chair. “We should probably get out of here before they get home.”
“Thank you both so much,” Alex said, squeezing their hands.
“You are most welcome.” Maggie’s aunt put a hand on Eliza’s arm. “Now, I hear there will be games at this bridal shower, and I have a few ideas.”
“I’m willing to hear all about them over dinner.” Eliza led the way out, their plotting carrying down the hall.
Lois snagged her keys. “Kara is taking me to meet the so called Superfriends at an alien bar. I’m going to pretend I’ve never seen aliens before, see how long it takes her to pick up on it.”
“You should get James to play along.”
“He will, if he knows what’s good for him.” Lois knew there were no hard feelings between her sister and James, but that didn’t mean she had to cooperate just yet. “Don’t eat so much you can’t get laid.”
Alex sighed, looking up at the ceiling in exasperated embarrassment. “Are all Lane women like this? Do I have to worry about the grandma Lucy invited to the wedding?”
“It’s not the Lane side you have to worry about.” Lois laughed at the look of horror on Alex’s face as she left. Not a lot of the General’s side of the family had been invited. The other side, however, were eager for the wedding between three people.
Alex set her desserts in the oven and freezer before opening the wine. She set up the fireplace, turned on a lamp in the bedroom, and closed the curtains halfway. She killed the overhead lights and decided things looked romantic enough. It wasn’t long before the door was unlocking. Lucy and Maggie were in the middle of discussing something, but went quiet when they saw Alex and the apartment.
“What’s this?” Lucy said, hanging up her coat and kicking off her shoes. “Oh, my God, is that-”
Alex nodded, biting her lip. “It is.”
Maggie approached the table slowly at first, then hurried over when the ceramic warming plate caught her eyes. “Where did you….”
“I asked your aunt and Lois for family recipes. I wanted to give you two a wedding present that would last as long as it takes me to cook what they sent. You aunt insisted on hands on learning, and Lois liked the idea.” Alex motioned to the table. “So they taught me your absolute favorites, and left the rest for me to learn.”
Alex found herself in bear hugs from both sides. She could’ve sworn she felt tears from Lucy, but when Lucy pulled back, her eyes were clear. Next came the kisses, and Alex had to take a step back before they decided she was an appetizer. Usually, she wouldn’t have minded, but the last few hours at a stove meant she wanted to be dessert for once.
“You are…” Maggie shrugged, at a loss for words. “Alex. Thank you.”
“For you, anything, Mags.”
“Except a flash grenade,” Lucy said before Maggie could perk up too much. “You, Alex, are amazing and now my gift feels totally inadequate.”
Alex shook her head. “I didn’t do this because I wanted you to give me something that measures up. That’s an exchange, not a gift.”
Lucy was hugging her again, and Alex once more felt the hint of tears. “Fucking perfect.”
Alex wrapped an arm around her and tugged Maggie back in. “What can I say? I’m in love.”
Kara’s out most of the day chasing down sources for her story on the rash of bank robberies in National City over the past month, although she checks in on the CatCo building regularly, knowing Cat is back in town today.
The AGM for shareholders is usually a lavish affair, one Cat could just about tolerate as CEO. Now she’s invited as a courtesy, no longer queen of her own media empire. Unfortunately her mother will be there too, having clung on to the shares Cat gave her out of misguided sentiment years ago. So much for finding the company tacky; she certainly doesn’t mind the money it makes her.
By the time Kara gets back, having stopped one of the robberies in progress as Supergirl, she’s barely thinking about the meeting at all. She hears Katherine Grant long before she sees her, making a sniffy comment about how much better the company seems to be doing since Cat left to go be a government stooge. Kara doesn’t need to hear Cat’s reaction to picture the tight line of her mouth and the hurt in her eyes. Zipping up a few floors, she interrupts their conversation before they even notice she’s there.
Fresh Off The Boat – “A League Of Her Own” – Nicole comes out to Honey in a lesbian bar
Fucking mELISSA ETHERIDGE
WHY AREN’T ALL COMING OUTS LIKE THIS?!?!?!?!
THIS WAS BEAUTIFUL
I love this. I love how the Bartender is immediately ride or die for the baby gay, and how all the other lesbians in the bar are waiting on the edge of their seat to see if they get to be happy for the girl or if they have to comfort her. There is literally nothing wrong with this scene, and it makes me happy.
They’re picking out Halloween pumpkins when Cat casually mentions it, leaning against the barn door at the farmers’ market that’s the only acceptable place to pick out seasonal produce. She has her sunglasses on despite the gloom, despite the fact Kara points out they draw more attention than not wearing them would. Cat has her habits, and she’s dealt with fame far longer than she cares to talk about, so Kara lets her be.
“It’s my year, with Carter. I had Christmas last year, so Thanksgiving this one. We don’t usually do much, just the two of us. Still, I thought you’d like to be part of it?”
Kara’s heart sinks just a fraction as she smiles. Cat has gotten much better at asking instead of just making hurricane-like plans and sweeping Kara up in them. They’ve been dating since the spring, and it’s a semi-public secret that Kara isn’t sure how they’re pulling off, but she’ll endure just about anything from paparazzi or the internet for the sudden feeling of Cat’s arm around her waist, pulling Kara close.
Question of Smoke 