#BA Exam News

[writers-potion]

𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫

Like many other fields, magic comes from a combianation of natural talent, determination, study and practice. Here are some ways that your character can learn, either to develop throughout the story or as a part of their backstory.

School of Magic

It may ba a school of magic for children, a college of magic, a mage academy, or even a university offering postgraduate degrees in comparative magic and magical anthropology.

Students sign up for full-time study, often on tuition-bed-and-board basis.

Depending on the type of school and level of education, students will be taught subjects that address various aspects of their magic system, sometimes even non-magical subjects.

Apprenticeship

This is where a senior magician takes one or several trainees to lern under them. The terms of the contract would vary, but the basics of it would be that the student is indentured for certain years of service in return for an education.

There may or may not be payment involved, and the appentices may live with the master.

Self-Study

A magician can plausibly teach themselves through research, reading, trial and error.

This is reclusive, organized, studious characters who have self-discipline and intense curiosity.

Part-Time Study

It is also practical to study magic as a hobby, and to devote only a few hours every week to training.

Many organizations offer part-time courses: community colleges, pagan religious groups, New Age societies. There may or may not be an examination/certification requirement.

Informal Learning

Non-professional magicians can pick up some skills that are passed down from mother to daughter, or a few lines of magic that goes viral among teenagers.

Candidate Selection

A magical academy's entrance exam or a master choosing an apprentice may look at the following: ability to concentrate, memory, creativity and imagination, motivation moral integrity, ability to control thoughts, patience, health, sensory awareness, natural affinity for magic, existing skills in related fields, faith and piety, etc.

Initiation

When the student has passed the probationary period, he is initiated into the craft. This ritual often takes place during a solstice or equinox, or an annual event like a festival.

Some systems of magic may have several levels of initiations or degrees.

Some systems may have lethal consequences for candidates who fail to pass the test.

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[accio-victuuri]

one day i will write a proper per episode post about yibo’s show, but right now, just sharing some really heart felt reactions from people who watched the documentary. 🫶🏼

yibo is so easy to love if you just give him the chance!

(P1) "exploring the unknown" is a must-see for every postgraduate candidate preparing for the exam. I originally watched it with the mentality of watching a documentary about wilderness science, but after watching it, I realized that I was narrow-minded. This is not just a documentary about survival in the wilderness. In the journey of exploring the unknown, we are often driven by a desire to conquer, eager to challenge the limits and prove our strength. However, there is such a documentary that subverts the traditional concept of exploration. It is not about how to conquer nature, but about how to coexist harmoniously with nature and how to love every inch of land on this planet. The protagonist of this documentary is none other than Wang Yibo. He was not challenging the authority of nature, but challenging his own limits. I really like what he said: "I never believed that I couldn't complete it, it was just a matter of time." This sentence really gave me a lot of thoughts. Looking back at the time when I was taking the postgraduate entrance examination, if I had seen such a documentary, I would really have less anxiety. In the process of the examination, everyone is challenging their own limits. Because I took the postgraduate entrance examination relatively late at that time, I didn't have much time left. At that time, I was anxious and uneasy. Fortunately, I met a group of very good people at that time, which allowed me to quickly get out of anxiety. The postgraduate entrance examination is a long and challenging process, which requires you to have a firm will and good qualities.

(P2) In order to get to know my daughter's idol better, I watched it again..."Exploring the Unknown" made us feel a different Wang Yibo.

In the past, we felt more about him in film and television works, and documentaries are different from film and television works, because the characters in film and television works are more about the plot settings, while the characters in documentaries are closer to the characters themselves. But the documentary is different from ordinary documentaries. It is not just about recording scenes and processes, but about challenging and experiencing the extreme geographical environment.

First of all, you must have the courage to challenge, and dare to challenge, especially when facing an unknown and uncontrollable environment, people will involuntarily produce fear, which really tests the courage and courage of the participants, and in "Exploring the Unknown", Wang Yibo showed it vividly, allowing us to feel the power from him. Just like what Wang Yibo said in the film, "I used to think that every time I did something new, the first time in my life would become less, but after trying, I found that there would be infinite first times. Secondly, you need to have super physical fitness. The complex natural environment of Ba Wang Ling, what you will encounter and what will happen in the process of chasing gibbons are all unpredictable and uncontrollable, and the necessary condition to face it calmly is that your physical fitness must be absolutely super. Long-distance hiking and swimming, Wang Yibo's super physical fitness is fully displayed. Super physical fitness is not trained overnight, nor is it obtained by persistence for one or two years. It is the result of more than ten years of accumulation, perseverance and self-discipline. It also shows the superhuman perseverance.

(P3) I have a new understanding of the stars my daughter likes. Last night, I watched the documentary "Exploring the Unknown" created by Wang Yibo. This is the first time I have watched a star program carefully from beginning to end. Although Wang Yibo's name has worn calluses on my ears, why do I say that? Because my daughter is his die-hard fan. After watching the program last night, I really got to know him and it really touched me. In the Hainan Bawangling Nature Reserve with a temperature of up to 35 degrees, we all know that the temperature is 35 degrees, but people may feel nearly 45 degrees. At the same time, they are also tested by various animals. In such an environment, in order to throw a rope to the opposite tree, he threw it for a whole hour, doing repeated actions again and again, and thinking about the skills and strength of the actions again and again. In the middle, the explorer said to take a break and come back, but he did not stop and still insisted on throwing it down. Seeing this makes me admire him, and it makes me understand why he can succeed. His tenacity, perseverance, his determination to achieve his goal, his fearlessness of hardships, and his courage in the face of adversity are destined to make him successful. He is the spiritual representative of the younger generation. I remember his donations and on-site disaster relief during the 21st flood in Henan. He is a public figure with a sense of responsibility and mission. So my daughter likes him, which makes me feel relieved. Because I believe that she can definitely draw more positive energy from Wang Yibo, because she likes him, she will definitely make herself better.

[lunas-side-anime-blog]

Modern College Student/Gf Mikasa Ackerman Headcanons

Armin Version: Here Eren Version: Here

scary goth girl that everyone is too scared to talk to but secretly crushes on

psychology major bc I think she had a tough childhood and wants to better understand trauma / help others

somwhere in the middle between Armin and Erin when it comes to academics

like I don't think she is as intense about grades as Armin is, but I also don't think she's as laidback about school as Eren

moderately studies throughout the week, but it's just basic note taking and chapter reading, i don't think she's afraid to miss a few classes though if she feels like it

only really crams and does all-nighters right before an exam if she thinks she needs it

i think she wears men cologne and deodorant and it fits her soo well, idk how to describe it but she smells powerful but comforting at the same time?

maybe like woodsy with strong notes of vanilla and cashmere

loves a black cold brew: no creamer, foam or sugar like she's so intense that way

i think she's that one cool girl who always walks into class like a few minutes late with a hot resting bitch face, AirPods in and a cold brew in hand

tall girl and I think her height is prob her fave feature about herself, like I can see her wearing more heeled boots or platforms to exaggerate it

wears lots of black and hardly any makeup besides some light eyeliner most days

doesn't talk alot unless she fr knows you, i think most people would just hear her say "here" for attendenace and that's it

doesn't go to parties unless she has to

I think think she'll only go to watch eren and armin. she knows eren loves to go overboard and armin will most likely get distracted so she takes it upon herself to be the sober one watching everyone's drinks

def a girls girl like if she sees another female in an uncomfortable situation shes jumping in, no questions asked

i can see her working out with eren so in my mind shes ripped too and yeah...most guys don't fuck with her

has a cute lil skincare routine, only has like a three step process tho since I think she has naturally good skin

she secretly loves facemasks tho and doing her nails with armin as rewards for studying lol

I think out of the main three mikasa would have the most instagram followers, which is so funny bc she doesn't know why she's so popular?

I just think her aesthetic and vibe is very cool, if her account is set to public she would quickly get a lil following

lots of secret admires with this one, men and woman alike

I can see her being BI or Pan too so like that's very conveient

other than armin and eren, I think Mikasa would be besties with Yimir and Sasha

i can see them going to concerts together, shopping, late night drives, getting food (at sasha's demand lol) like i think they'd be a chill lil trio

views eren and armin as brother figures btw, gets grossed out when people ask if shes dating them

obviously a very protective friend

the type of freind whose like "what's their name" when you tell her you're seeing someone new and within an hour Mikasa will have an entire report on where they went to school, all their exes, hobbies, pets, address, ect.

I can see her getting a masters tbh, I def think armin would talk her into it so I think they would be grad school buddies while eren finishes his BA (he'll lag behind them a year or two since he changed his major so much anyway)

Loves cats and I think she'd have one or two if armin and eren are cool with it

I think she would have a few tatooes and piercings, but very subtle ones she can hide since I think as a psychologist she'd want to be taken seriously

music taste is kinda stuck in middle school tbh, still loves my chemical romance with a passion

I don't think she'd smoke weed or drink

^^ not that she has anything against it but i think she just hates the feeling of not being in complete control of herself so she stays away from things like that

never gets sick? it's actually medically fascinating

Overall she's that one quiet girl in class who looks scary but is a sweethear and everyon'es dying to be friends with

As your GF

omg I think she'd be the best significant other tbh

I think you would meet her in a meet-cute way since it's always the people who you least expect to be cheesy

I think maybe like you accidentally tripped and made her spill her coffee in class. you look up an see this tall, ripped, emo looking chick and you rush to apologise and give her your drink in hopes she doesn't flip

shes like "...ok." and takes it. but then the next class she randomly sits next to you and passes you a drink and is like ... "i hope i got your order right?"

the dork memorized your drink akjglalg

after that she kinda keeps sitting next to you and attempts small talk, so you realize she's actually v sweet and exchange socials

which is great bc I think mikasa is way better at flirting over text than in person and you'd quickly understand that she likes you

First date would probably be a show, i think she'd take you to a local band she likes and would get a quick bite after it

I think for second date she'd like you to choose what you guys do and then third she chooses, you guys switch bc she's all about that equal effort

once you agree to be her s/o she'd gonna be so annoying on social media like she's def gonna loose some followers as she only posts you now

type of partner to notice the smallest changes in you right away

you give her a peck and shes like "why aren't you wearing your usual lip balm? do you not like strawberries anymore?"

in bed she's a dom, is that even a queston?

I think she's actually a brat tamer, in my head rn she gets a lil smirk when you act up and i think she just mentally notes what to punish you for later

mikasa views sex toys as allies not enemies, and yeah i think she has an impressive collection so buckle tf up

okay so she's kinda yandere (tbh i think most ppl from the aot universe are but esp mikasa) I think shes very protective and a touch paranoid?

like i think her past is kinda messed up and I can see her mind running wild with ideas if not reassured

so you can just oversleep for a bit and you'll wake up to mikasa practically breaking into your apartment to make sure you're okay bc you suddenly went silent on her

some trust issues too, would def be really upset if you didn't give her the passcode to your phone

doesn't like your friends or anyone else you talk to tbh, she just doesn't think anyone else has your back like she does and will always remind you

i also know her manipulation skill is cray being a psych major, I don't think she's as good as Armin but ik she can weaponize some therapy speak and make you feel a lil stupid (only does it for your own good she says)

doesn't get jealous but does get even

I can see the little shit putting thumbtacks in pockets or laxitives in drinks if someone dares flirt with you, she can be so evil sometimes i just know it

she isn't even scared of the aftermath bc she knows eren and armin have her back so she wants the smoke tbh

the type of partner to death stare someone from behind your back but when you turn around she's suddenly all :)

would love matching tattoos with you if you're down

think she'll be the quickest to bring up marriage too, porbably only a few months of dating and she's like "so when we get married-" and you're like "!?"

big spoon gf, you can be bigger than her and she don't gaf she's still holding you not the other way around

Overall a really sweet girlfriend who just wants to protect you and keep you all to herself

Can be a lil crazy at times, but she means well I swear !!!

Nicknames for you: love, my other half, wifey/hubbie

Songs that fit the vibe: The Perfect Girl by Mareux, Breezeblocks by Alt-J, Me and Your Mama by Childish Gambino

"You're such a strange girl, the way you look like you do."

"She's morphine, queen of my vaccine, my love, my love, love..."

"Girl you really got a hold on me, so this isn't just puppy love"

(She's so hot omg I love her, i developed a lil crush writing this! Anyway srry the moodboard didn't include couple stuff, girlfriend aesthetics are way harder to find than bf aesthetics and the ones I did find looked nothing like her :( tell me if you guys like this series, totally open to doing more characters! not even just from aot, i also kinda wanna do demon slayer or hxh, also love jjk and chainsaw man but I didn't read those mangas yet so I may not be the best at it!!)

[manicpixiefelix]

is reader rich? how rich are we talking, like what their family heritage or something?

idk im sorry i just like exploring lore

Don't apologise I love thinking too much about the lore for my stories (also this will probably develop into something far more concrete as the story progresses)

this is regarding head, heart, hand if you wanna read the fic 🥰

Also, warnings of parental emotional neglect and distance regarding the reader's backstory.

So I'm thinking the reader is from Old Money, long-time generational wealth, like the Cattons. While I assume their grandparents were more occupied with the family business, I think on their mother's side, both their father and their mother are image-obsessed "philanthropists" who make a big show of their charity fundraisers and feel-good endeavours, despite their family money almost definitely being sourced unethically.

The reader and Felix are childhood friends, since their parents are old friends, as the Catton's used to attend many of the reader's family publicity events, usually just Elspeth and Sir James, but several times they brought Felix and Venetia when encouraged.

Most people don't actually know the reader is even their parents' child. They were born to satisfy their grandparents wishes for a grandchild, but neither of their parents were particularly interested in raising a child. After Felix and Venetia took a liking to them, and Elspeth too, their parents were more than happy to let them spend breaks with the Cattons after they were finally old enough to send to boarding school.

The reader is a legacy student at Oxford (I think that's the term when one or more parents have graduated from the institute). While their mother comes from old money, she, like Felix, was attending more as something to do. She met the reader's father there, and he is well off, but from much newer money. Both sets of grandparents have approved of the marriage, and while the reader's mother finished a BA in Art History (that she uses to determine the value of various paintings across the world to then auction them for charity), their father studied law. While he completed his degree, he never attended the exam to allow him to officially become a lawyer, as soon after they were married, the reader's father fell ill, and he elected his new son in law to become head of the business. These days it's more of a symbolic title, they simply use the money while the company's board of directors actually runs the company.

They're very distant with the reader, even more so than Sir James and Elspeth are with Venetia and Felix. reader's parents just seem to be glad that they became so quickly independent, without realising how emotionally neglectful they were, which is another reason the reader clings so strongly to Felix. That independence their parents see is also why they believe the reader is capable of making important decisions so young, hence why they were allowed to attend the same schools as Felix and Farleigh and Venetia in their youth.

😅😅 maybe I actually have thought about this a lot haha I love this stuff, is there anything else you'd like to know?? I'd love to dive into this world, it helps me figure out how to write it and these characters going forward 🥰🥰🥰

[justanothervigalanty]

You were sat on Jason’s lap on the couch traysing the scars on his arms and he was playing with your hair. Bruce was scribbling some work stuff on a notebook in his armchair, Damian was sat with titus and ace drawing on his hands. Stephany was reading her school book and cass was studying for an upcoming exam when Tim came running in.

“Jason it’s on!”-tim

Jason signed siting up still holding on to you to look at what tim was on about tim showed Jason his laptop

“Holy shit put on the Tv!”-jason

Damian picked up the remote and put on the news everyone looked up to watch what was happening it was Batman, red hood and robin on the news fiting the joker. Everyone was fixt on the scene when the joker through some knife’s at them you looked up to see Batman grab robin and cover him with his cape but red hood was left to doge them leaving a cut acros his chest

“Well that was visibly favouritism” you said (you don’t know anyone’s vigalanty job’s identity)

everyone looked up at you even Bruce looked up

“What do you mean by favouritism y/n?”-bruce

“Well you all saw it Batman new red hood was there and robin was visibly ablaze to hide behind that garbage truck but red hood was out in the open and had no chance of dogging all of those knives but still Batman went to protect robin who didn’t need it when red hood was In Visible danger.”-you

Jason looked down holding you closer

“It did look like that knife hurt”-Jason

which was his way of saying ‘y/n is right it was favouritism and that knife really hurt!”

“Well yea I guess it would of”-Bruce said

“Hay y/n who even is your favourite hero?”-tim

everyone looked at you

“It’s robin right?!”-damian

“Umm not really robin seems a bit spoiled same for nightwing”-you

Jason sniggered as his glancing over at a secretly very offended dick

”how about red robin or spoiler or many batgirl?”-cass

“Umm no probably not red robin is all brans no brawn and spoler and batgirl don’t normally show up.”-you

Jason turned your face to look at him

“Ok time for the million dollar question ready babe.… what are you thoughts on red hood!”-jason

“Oh umm wow he is actually pretty cool! Ha that’s actually pretty funny!”-you

“What?”-jason

“Um god this is embarrassing. When I first met red hood when I was 13 he was kinda still a criminal but he stopped the joker from throwing a load of grenadines at me so I wow um this is awkward, I had this massive crush on him it was probably stupid I mean dating a vigilante wow that right there is death sentence!”-you

Jason just smiled at welst the other ps looked at you in disbelief. When the news finished Tim put on back to the future in the back round as everyone continued their stuff. At some point you leaned your head on Jason’s chest which made him flinch

“Oh god jay I’m sorry did I hurt you!”-you

“No I’m fine just-ow crap I’m fine it’s all good!”-jason

“Um no it’s not! i’l be right back”-you

“Shit!”-jason Said covering his face with his hands “babe-

before Jason could stop you. You hade left the room and he folded after you. He found you in your shared room where you where looking through your mind frige in the corner of the room.

“What are you doing?”-jason

you pulled out a ice pack and towel of the floor

“This, here it should help.”-you

“Thanks”-Jason sat on your bed and placed the ice pack on his chest.you just stood there knowing he was hiding something

“I feel like you’re starting at me?”-jason, he smiled at you at you sat down next to him.

“Jay it’s an ice pack it goes on your skin not shirt”-you said taking of his shirt to show a massive gash across his chest lit looked like a knife cut.

“Jason what the hell is that!?”-you

“Oh um I just I was-“-Jason

“Your red hood aren’t you.” You said standing up

“Shit. Babe I was going to tell you just oh god I’m so sorry”-Jason walked over to you and took your hand

“That’s why you come home late and how you got all those scars isn’t it?”-you

Jason didn’t speak he just nodded when he looked up he saw you trying to hold back tears

“Ho god n/n I’m sorry.”-Jason , he hugged you so tight and you just leaned your head on Jason’s shoulder crying.

“Hay baby it’s ok why are you crying it’s all ok”-jason

“I-I , you a-almost died yesterday!”-you

“Ho babe. Y/n I’m so sorry I”m here it all going to be ok”

[oddballwriter]

Dwelling in the Night

Series Masterlist

Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4

Summary: There's a new vigilante figure out on the streets at night. And there's also a new neighbor on the same floor as Steven and the rest of the boys.  

Warnings: Mentions of blood, dead bodies, crime, all that. Reader is a vampire so it's implied that they consume blood and all that. Also, Y/N kills, but the act is never actually written or depicted. Steven being dumb and clueless for reasons of the plot. This is mostly Steven-centric and Marc-centric but Jake's here too but doesn't really do anything for the plot other than simply have some lines that progress the plot. Gender-neutral reader with they/them being used for them. Heads up, it does get a bit confusing in one part but I think it's fine.  

Author’s Snip: I wrote this in one sitting and it's currently 1:30 am. Honestly, anything to stall my studying for an exam for one of my classes. I wrote this fucking unit of a shot involving my love for vampire Y/N's just to do it.

Notes: Please appreciate vampire reader. We need more of that in the x reader community. I as a reader would love for that to happen more often. Thank you.

Word count: 2,600~

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy!

The system took pride in their patrolling. Even if it was still doing work for Khonshu, they were still free in what they did when coming across a criminal rather than being yapped at. It brought a sort of satisfaction of taking, or at least scaring, another threat off the street. But things were getting weird, and slightly disturbing.

Criminals had started to drop like flies with a theme of them being found in dark alleys with bitten throats, but there was never any blood to be found that made sense with their wounds. Just their pale corpses with looks of fear or shock in their glazed-over eyes.

Jake admired the simple tactic of scaring off would be scum by the fear of being the next person in the obituaries, but he had to admit that the method of doing that was unsettling. He just killed them and let whoever came across the scene be shucked with cleaning the mess.

Marc worried that this other party wasn't actually someone necessarily on "the right side" and this was an actual threat to the public that just so happened to have a streak going with having their victims coincidentally being criminals.

It wasn't until they came across two cases that proved that worry otherwise.

The first was a girl they found running around the alleys in a panic. When they went to her and asked if she was okay, she was babbling about something in her panting. "There was this guy! He dragged me into the alleys, he held up a knife to me and was threatening me!" she explained pointing in the general direction, but she kept talking "But this... in the shadows, there were these two glowing lights, like eyes! And this person came out from there and grabbed them." she said. "I just ran off I didn't know where to go! They were blocking off the way to the street." she exclaimed.

It was actually Steven who was fronting then. He helped her calm down and led her out of the alley system and back in to get the perp and maybe help whoever got him away from the poor woman. But when he found the guy, he was like all the others he and the system had heard about.

Dead with a bitten throat, fear on their face, and hardly any blood in the pool for it to make sense.

The second was with Marc himself. He dropped in on a duo of muggers who cornered a young man, getting a left hook in on one of them. But his buddy ran off into the dark and dank alleys to get away. Marc needed to do a few more punches to get the first down and out before chasing after the second, but he swore he could've seen a figure follow after them in the corner of his vision.

He heard the sound of what must have been the guy's scream as soon as Marc moved on.

But when Marc got there, he was already on the wet brick floor writhing and grabbing at his neck. He saw them. A figure in the shadows where the backlights couldn't reach to show them in all say for a silhouette, had ducked into another alley. "Hey!" Marc called to them before chasing after them. But when he turned the corner, they were gone, only seeing a complete dead end.

When Marc came back to the guy, he found him trying to breathe through a gargled, and bitten, throat. He tried his best to help the guy since he was still alive. Unfortunately, bites to the jugular weren't kind injuries to those who are dealt them.

🩸🩸🩸

"I don't understand," Steven mutters as Marc slides back into their flat after patrolling and finding a few more crooks who came across this other person. "Why the injuries to the neck? And how is there hardly any blood?" he questions, "There's nowhere for it to go. There's nowhere for them to go. They just come out of nowhere and pick these blokes off and leave in such a short moment.".

"I don't know. And I don't think I want to know. This freak's keeping the load easier for us by doing whatever they're doing with these guys." Marc says, emphasizing the word 'freak'. "Hey, watch who you're calling a freak, amigo. We aren't exactly normal either." Jake says, mostly joking. "Yeah, sure. But we're not the one who's having our guys come up without a drop of blood left in them." Marc defends.

A crash is heard from nearby, in the flat next door.

"The hell's going on over there?" Marc muttered to himself as a reaction to the sound, but Steven said a name almost instantly.

"Who?" Marc asked.

"It's Y/N. They're our neighbor. They moved in a few months ago." Steven answered. "I've never heard of them." Marc comments before Steven quips back with "That's because you two hardly meet anybody.".

"Give me the body for a bit. I want to check on them. That sounded like something big fell over." Steven requests. Marc shrugs and switches out after briefly instructing "Put the body to sleep when you're done.".

Steven un-summons the suit, steps out into the hallway, steps towards your door, and knocks. After a beat, the door opens enough to have your head pop through, but not enough to show the rest of your flat like a fully opened door would. Which he didn't really mind, you always did this whenever he or anyone would knock. "Hello." Steven greets you with a little smile.

You look worried at seeing him in front of you. "I heard a pretty loud noise come from your flat. Is everything okay?" Steven asked. "Yeah. I'm so sorry. I knocked over a shelf." you answer. Steven is shocked for a bit, "A shelf? My word. Are you sure you're okay? Do you want me to help you lift it back up?" Steven stresses as he moves to the side to peak into your flat to see how bad the damage is. But you quickly pull back in and tighten the width of the open door to a sliver , making him unable to see the inside with a "No!".

He pulls away, startled at the sudden reaction.

You open the door back up to step out again. "I'm sorry about that." you timidly apologize. "It's fine. I can pick it back up on my own. Thank you for offering to help and for your concern." you say. "There's some blood on your hand." Steven notices. You pull your hand behind your back at the realization. "It's fine. I'll clean it up myself." you blurt out as you go back into your flat with a quick "Good night, Steven." before closing and re-locking the door behind you, all before he can properly react.

"Good night?" Steven repeats back in confusion.

"That was weird." Marc comments, exposing that he had watched the whole thing go down. "Yeah. They... are a bit strange. They don't really come out most of the day." Steven explains. "Why were they up this late?" Jake buds in, having seen it all too. "It's nearly four in the morning and they look wide awake and aren't in any pajamas." Jake adds.

The next time Steven saw you, you were bringing a huge box into your apartment a few days after that night.

"Need help?" he asked. "Sure. It's actually really hard to drag around." you admit. As he picked up the other end of the large, and heavy, box and walked with your pace into your flat you spoke. "I'm sorry about the noise and acting weird a few nights ago. I was just embarrassed from having woken you up." you explain. Steven gently huffs, "No need to apologize. I wasn't asleep anyways. I was pulling an all-nighter like you were." Steven reassures. You look at him for a moment, "Oh right. Yeah. I do that a lot. I do better with work at night." you remark.

You two manage to get the box past some things it would have bumped, into and into the space between the space of your bedroom and living room. That's when he sees that there's no bed there in your bedroom area, glancing at the box to see a depiction of a bed frame.

"Changing furniture?" Steven asks. "Yeah. I already sold my old one." you say. Steven quarks a brow, "When? Have you had to sleep on your sofa-?" he asks as he turns towards your living room area before interrupting himself with a "Woah!".

There in the area, where a coffee table should be, was an authentic-looking coffin. "Quite the decor there." Steven comments with a breathy little chuckle. "Yeah. I like the look it had." you claim.

Looking around your flat for the first time, Steven could see it. It wasn't exactly goth per se, but there was a weirdly somber and antique look to your decor. It had that same attic look that Steven's did, but you had an attic feel of that of an abandoned house that was left for the dust bunnies to call home. Almost haunted house-esk with the draw curtains adding to it all.

"Is someone in there?" Steven jokes, mostly to himself. "No." you stutter out, "But it does still open." you mention as you walk towards it to show him by lifting the lid.

And, wow. It was real. It still had the pale pink padding and even the pillow inside of it, still pristine as ever, ignoring a couple of scratches on the outside wood.

"Impressive. How'd you even get your hands on this?" Steven asked. You thought for a moment, most likely trying to recall the answer to that question. "Some funeral places have spares that never got sold. So they sell them for a much cheaper price." you say.

Steven nodded as he took another look at the coffin.

"Well, it really is a nice touch." Steven complimented. "Thank you." you reply with a sigh.

🩸🩸🩸

Again.

And again.

One alley crawler dead and paled out after another.

Finding the bodies seemed to become a normal accordance for the boys when they were out doing their rounds around the city. Whoever this was at least started to lean the bodies against the wall after doing the deed now so that there wasn't just some corpse in the middle of the alley's street.

He was still finding the people this person 'saved' too. With them saying the same thing each time. Talking about a person in the shadows with a pair of glowing eyes being the only visible thing about them and then having gotten whatever criminal tried their luck yanked away into the said shadows with a scream echoing as the victim ran to safety.

They never see the actual person though. They don't seem to wear a costume like they do. No mask. No suit. Their only identity keeper they have being that of the shadows that exist beyond any light sources. The only sign of it being them is just the animal-like glow of their eyes. And one brutal calling card for those who came to see where they were.

Tonight was different.

Marc heard the sound of gunshots and rushed to the scene. But he found someone running for their life trying to leave already. He grabs a hold of them, thinking it was a person escaping a forceful mugging till they tried to aim a gun at him. Thankfully, he manages to subdue them.

"That thing tried to get me!" they shouted frantically as they attempted to get loose. "You gotta let me go, man. I don't want to be another body found around here." they beg.

"They tried robbing someone." a voice rings through.

Marc, and also the person he was holding down, looked towards where it came from. He notices the eyes first, with their white pearly glow surrounded by the rest of their shadowy form. The eyes almost looked like the system when they wore their suits, though it was dimmer, just enough to pierce through the darkness, and looked more like the glow was coming from the irises than the whole eye.

"I stopped them before they could pounce. This one was holding more firepower than most. I didn't want to have to risk it." the voice spoke again.

It felt a little haunting. The glow was almost disarming somehow, and their voice was calm and collected as it naturally echoed through the walls of the buildings, and sounding almost familiar. Marc stood there just staring at them till the person he was holding started thrashing harder in his hold, "Let me go, that thing's going to fucking kill me! I swear to god!" they pleaded.

"You're in his court now. You aren't my issue anymore." the silhouette says looking towards the person from where they were before looking back up at Marc.

"Sorry about me leaving my actual catches around." the silhouette apologizes. "I have nowhere to put them." they add as an explanation.

"Why kill them?" Marc questioned, speaking before really thinking. "You kill some of yours don't you, Moonknight? I don't see why you're judging me." the silhouette remarks. "I meant in the way that you do. I just kill them and leave them. You do... something to them." Marc speaks, hesitating for a second at the latter end.

The silhouette stays silent for a second seemingly striking their eyebrow from the way their eyes move. "I have reasons to do it that you probably wouldn't like to hear." they say. "We're doing the same work either way. My method is just more intense than yours tends to be." they comment before slipping back and disappearing into the shadows.

Marc calls out a "Wait!" but gets nothing in return.

He's just left alone with a scared shitless would-have-been mugger and more questions.

🩸🩸🩸

"Hey!" Steven calls out as he does a brief jog over to you in the hallway. "About time I catch you out in the day." Steven jokes. "Oh. Hello, Steven. Yeah. I needed to run some errands." you say, giving an explanation for the rare occurrence. "Good thing you've come back. It's been overcast all day and would rain at any minute." Steven comments.

"Anyways. I knocked on your door yesterday but you didn't come to the door at all." Steven mentions. "Oh. Really? I'm sorry. I'm usually asleep in the day because of my all-nighters." you claim.

"Really? You've got to be the hardest sleeper then. You're like the dead in there. I knocked hard for a while." Steven explains. "So I've been told." you nervously laugh. "You must be real tired if you usually sleep in the day then," he comments. "Yeah. But I have to deal with it." you say.

"What did you need?" you ask.

"Oh. Nothing from me. I was told to tell you, by the landlord, that there would be a check of the fire alarm system next week and that some might go off." Steven explains. "They tried to knock on your door the day before I knocked, but I guess you were asleep." Steven says. "Yeah. I probably was." you reply, "I'll send them an e-mail or something telling them about my sleep schedule." you mutter to yourself.

"Well, nice running into you. Go get yourself some rest." Steven says as he bids you goodbye by patting your shoulder. "Be sure to wrap yourself in something warm too. You're a bit cold." he adds.

[the---hermit]

Oh how I love my ghost mug.

26|09|2023

Today while working on new recorded lectures on my class about power theories and men's theories in the modern era I found out about another class I want to add to my study plan. One of the lectures I worked on today was held by a researcher who only started working at my uni last year and I loved everything about her lecture. The topic was incredibly interesting and her way of explaining stuff was fantastic. I found out she is holding a class on the relationship between gender and society and religion in the modern era and I am determined to add it to my future classes. It will probably turn out to be one of those classes I will have to work on by myself because the lectures are during a time I cannot physically attend but good enough. The same professor will also be holding a seminar with the professor who tutored me for my ba thesis, so I feel like everything is fitting together perfectly today. I am really really hyped about this, because taking an exam with this professor will ensure I will have the possibility to have her tutor me with my master thesis once I get to it, and the topics she works on are right up my alley. I would maybe get a chance to work again on the repression of witchcraft, but also maybe something dealing with queer history in the modern era. My thesis topic will definitely be a future me problem, but I am much more confident and excited about it now!

cozy hobbit autumn activities and productivity:

read first thing in the morning (well actually the first thing I did this morning was to walk in the kitched to find my brother about to leave for work, who stopped a couple of minutes only to show me a video of an adorable sheep he randomly found online)

worked on two recorded lectures, and highlighted the notes for one of them

did some research on future classes, and did yet again a bit of general study planning for the whole uni year

made a very minimal and quick cover page for next month on my bullet journal

worked on my crochet project

listened to the latest episode of re:dracula and I am loving the longer episodes, when I finish studying before lunch I love to shut down my thoughts with the daily episode

daily Irish practice on duolingo

📖: The Book Of Lost Things by John Connolly, The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

[camilla-denniston]

Blots

It gives me incredible joy that the academia aesthetics exist - that humans year knowledge so much that they create dream-castles about learning. But so many just 'wish they could run away to a school in New England.' Guess what - you can't.

But you know what you can do? Buy a fountain pen.

I have a Pilot pen that cost less than $25. Get that, a converter (mine is squeeze, but I can't seem to find the link; the screw should work just as well), and a bottle of Noodler's Ink, and you'll be set for pens for the rest of your life. Seriously. I've had my bottle for seven months now, written dozens of letters, marked up papers, and transcribed translations, and I've barely made a dent. Maybe I'll need to get more ink when I've worked my way through my BA, a Masters, and a PhD to boot. Maybe.

There's a reason fountain pens are fancy and pretentious. I suffer withdrawal when I use ball-point for exams and such - it's just not as smooth.

[anouchard]

Hellooo! Wanted to ask -

Did you go to university for drama? How did you get started in acting? I’m currently trying to figure out how to go about college and somehow simultaneous theatre

Thanks for answering these! You’re amazing

Hi! And thank you - I'm enjoying the questions so far.

I read English at uni for my BA, before going on to do a Foundation course and MA in Professional Acting at drama school. Graduated, got an agent, e-mailed a lot of people, found jobs on casting websites and through social media, did a lot of TIE, and then got Protocol after about two years in the industry (I'm relatively new to professional VA work - had a few paid gigs, but this is my first series).

I've been acting generally speaking since I was 8 (drama classes, LAMDA exams, school musicals, etc.), but focused very heavily on academia in school and college (sorry, sixth form!). Fortunately my uni had an incredible drama society, so that was my main pursuit outside of my degree. I also did some extra work, which was really fun!

It's all about the balance I think. I prioritised getting into uni from the age of 14 to 18, and then when I left uni I shifted to prioritising acting more. It's a very personal journey - even at drama school, the range in terms of the work people wanted to engage with was astonishing - and within the industry it feels like a real balancing act between what you get offered and what you chase. You've got plenty of time to find your way through it all. 😊

Hope that helps even slightly, and break a leg!

[dreamingkdrama]

Relationship analysis:

Seo Hwi x Nam Seon Ho

They are close friends from childhood who have always supported and helped each other. But things changes when they are challenged with reality of the regime, their past, prejudices and intrigues of the powerful men fighting for the influence.

Happy careless times will end when their ambitions put them against each other and Seo Ho driven by his desire to be appreciated by his father beats Hwi unjustly and win the exams. Hwi is dragged out of the arena and Seon Ho's father then send him away to lifetime service in army so he isn't longer a thread to his family

Seon Ho regrets his actions. He takes care of Hwi's sister Yeon, but his guilt won't stop him from trying to get more power to be able to take revenge of his father (and also get his respect, he has some really serious daddy issues). Meanwhile, Hwi is going through hell in battlefield when leaders decide to abandon his unit. Seon ho thinks Hwi is dead.

When they finaly meet again, Hwi saves Seon Ho's life begging the doctor to heal his wound he got in the fight. Hwi still thinks about Seon Ho as his dearest friend and is happy to see him. Seon Ho isn't that happy. Maybe he was feeling the guilt and sadness when he thought that Hwi is dead, but now he probably doesn't know what to do.

It seems that Seon Ho kind of regrets his actions but he decides to stick to his new role and tells some terrible things to Hwi. He admits it was him who sent him to army (but it was actually his father) and now he was sent here to kill the rest of his men. Is it some kind of reverse psychology that makes him do even worse things than he originaly regrets? I have no idea. Seon Ho also tells Hwi that his sister is dead and he will kill him too if he will come back to take revenge on his family. It's probably attempt to protect Hwi and his sister from being killed by his father who is really capable of anything. But it really isn't the best way to protect your fried's life by hurting him more.

From that day, their paths starts crossing more often and Seon Ho is acting like Hwi isn't longer his friend. He convince his father to use Hwi and make him obedient by keeping his sister hostage, which probably saves lives to both of them. But I don't understand why is Seon Ho acting so cruel even though he clearly cares about Hwi and all of this just keep hurting Hwi more and more. More open communication would help a lot. This treatment makes Hwi to change sides and join prince Bang Won who is opponent to Nam Jeon (Seon Ho's father).

Hwi is acting like he has nothing to lose. He doesn't care about himself anymore and there are many situations when Hwi almost dies and Seon Ho is trying to save him over and over again. But now he has not enough power to protect his former friend.

They now stand on the opposit side of the power struggle knowing that one day they will have to face each other and we know this will happend from the opening of the first episode.

As the events progress they meet each other in a fight few times but they have such a love-hate relationship that they are not able to kill each other. They always wound the opponent slightly so he can't fight anymore, but he survives. Seon ho even tells to Hwi: "Your sword still feels affectionate."

Hwi is very generous to Seon Ho, he saves him many times, he stops him from suicide and he apologies for being too overhelmed by revenge that he doesn't saw how much was Seon Ho suffering. But, hear me out. Seon Ho surely has not an easy life, he surely was protecting Hwi and Yeon, but a lot of suffering that he and Hwi were going through was also his fault when he was blinded by his plans and ambitions.

Almost at the end, they again find the lost bond they once had. This however destroy the alliance between Hwi and Bang Won, who is Seon Ho's enemy and who was sparing Seon Ho's life because of his friendship with Hwi. When Seon Ho tries to assasinate Bang Won and fails, Hwi comes to save him. Hwi beggs Bang Won to let them go and promise that he won't be thread to him if he just let save his dearest friend. Bang Won release them and tell them to never come back.

Hwi and Seon Ho are thinking about living better life without intriques and violence, but they are already too deep in the game and they realise that their frieds will always be in danger if they are alive. They decide to make final action. They fight their way to the palace where Bang Won just took the throne and change their lifes for lifes of their loved ones (precisely...Seon Ho sacrifice himself so Hwi can reach Bang Won and then Hwi sacrifies himself for the deal). They die together like friends. It's really epic and I am really glad for this ending, it was kind of poetic.

So, lets make some conclusion. Seon Ho is really shitty friend. Yes, he did protect Hwi and his sister, but his behavior and bad communication helped to make total emotional wreck out of his friend. Seon Ho was very immature from the beggining and he really lack someone who would love him in childhood. I think his psychical instability origin in very young age. He is lucky that he has such a good friend who will not even forgive him, but also undestands him. I am not sure I would be so sympathetic towads him if he wasn't portrayed by Woo Do Hwan who managed to make this character more layered. Hwi's feeling for Seon Ho are not very healthy. But overall, I am glad that they find the way to each other at the end.

What do you think? Did I missed something?

[maryjane888]

On the stump (h.s.)

Part II

Two weeks. Only two more weeks and the semester would be over. It's hard to fuck it all up in only 14 days, but not impossible. Y/n was not going to allow herself to lose focus being this close to her dreams. She had it all planned on her journal and in her meticulously curated vision board. She was going to finish all her grading this week and give Mr Morris a highly detailed lesson plan for next semester like none other. He would recognize her hard work and send that recommendation letter to the UN offices. She would reserve the last week to focus on her last exam. Acing that was a guarantee. By the start of the summer she would receive her congratulations email, making her an official UN intern. A celebration was obviously going to be arranged with her friends and family. Then, the search for an apartment and logistic details would occupy the rest of her summer. By the beginning of fall, y/n was going to be on her cozy new place in Vienna working at the UNOV. There was no room for failure.

Y/n kept thinking about the strange interaction she had with that man Harry and Mr Morris. She decided not to question her professor about it. She didn't want to come off as intrusive. If he felt like it would have been important for her to properly meet him, then he would have formally introduced them that day. Who was he, anyway? Not a student of his, at least not a current one. Y/n was also almost sure he wasn't teaching there either. He looked to young for that. Maybe they were relatives? She decided she needed to go somewhere public in order to continue her work and feel the pressure of strangers to stop herself from wondering about silly things.

…

Y/n's plans came true. Although it did not surprise her, she always felt the warmest sense of fulfilment when she got the things she most wanted. Receiving tight hugs and numerous praises from her family and few friends, recognizing her hard work and high achievements, was definitely one of her favourite things in life. Y/n thrived on that; it gave her purpose.

When she got to Vienna, fresh out of Schwechat Airport, she had never felt so free. She opened the taxi's window and let the crisp air travel to her lungs, as she contemplated her new home for the next 9 months. Y/n carried her two large suitcases up the stairs to her small studio with the help of the taxi driver. There were lots of things to do now. Unpack everything, clean and tidy up the place, buy some decorations, groceries, get familiar with public transportations and timetables, learn the itinerary to UNOV. She did all that during the weekend prior to the start of the internship, and she also got a little time to explore the fun places in the city. She couldn't wait to make friends and hang out with them.

On Sunday night, as y/n was planning her perfect first day outfit, she began to feel her dinner turn into knots in her stomach. She wondered if the job would meet her expectations, if she was good enough and if she would get along with her colleagues. Y/n hoped things would run smoothly. She hoped she would enjoy it. Y/n tried to remind herself that not everything was under her control. She could only show up with a friendly smile and trust her capacities, and not be afraid to ask for help. Perfection was not something she should be expecting this early. Awkwardness was a part of the process of being successful. Y/n would do her best, and everything else would come to her.

She repeated these mantras as she arrived to the foyer. One of the secretaries at the reception guided her to a meeting room where she would meet the other interns and get familiar with the tasks she would be given. Y/n took a deep breath before entering, grounding herself to the moment. First impressions were everything.

There were five people sitting and two other standing side by side at the top of the table.

"Good morning. You must be Y/n." One of the women standing smiled at her. "Good morning. Yes, I'm Y/n". She smiled back at her and at the other eyes examining her.

"Welcome. You can take a seat. We will start the presentation now since everyone has arrived." Y/n sat down and checked the time. She was 15 minutes early. All the others had arrived before her. Mr Morris had warned her about this. She would be working with the best students at their universities. A group of overachievers. And she was the last one to arrive.

The presentation was divided by the two women. They were friendly and made sure the interns were comfortable. The activities didn't seem too difficult to y/n. Challenging, yes. But not discouraging. She felt motivated to start working.

"You will be attributed a tutor. Your tutor will be the one responsible for giving you your specific tasks. These tasks will concern mostly his work and position , although you can perform activities in any field of the UNOV. Your tutor will be someone with experience inside these offices. If you need any help, you should go to him. You will meet them now."

They ended the presentation and gave the interns the names and offices of the people responsible for them. Y/n looked at the printed sheet in her hand. Mr. Styles, office 33D. While she waited for the elevator, she read the brief description presented below. He was a Junior Professional Officer on Drugs and Crime. He had held that position for the last four years. She took a photo of his e-mail and schedules for easy access. Drugs and Crime were not her favourite fields, y/n preferred the Environment Programme. She even highlighted that during her interview, thinking she would be a lot more valuable to that department. Y/n tried to not look disappointed as she knocked on the door to his office. 33D.

“Come in.” As she opened the door, she stopped in her tracks, confused by the man sitting at the desk. Y/n couldn’t speak when she locked eyes with him. He didn’t seem to be surprised. “You can close the door now and take a seat.” Harry looked almost annoyed at her lack of action and words. Boy, how the tables have turned.

Y/n took a seat. Is this a joke? “I’m Harry Styles, your tutor.” Her tutor had seen her in her bra. “You’re- “ He raised and eyebrow at her loss of words. He was unimpressed. “I’m your tutor”. Was she hallucinating?

“We have met before.” Y/n made it sound more like a question than an affirmation. He broke the eye contact and took a deep breath.

“Yes, we have. We shouldn’t have. Specially in those circumstances. So, let us forget about it.” He clasped his hands and leaned a little forward. “I won’t be giving you a lot of work today. I’ll call someone to show you the department. You’ll get familiar with your intern colleagues later.” Y/n felt like he was trying to get rid of her. He wouldn’t even look her in the eye. “You can wait in the floor’s lobby.” Harry started to type on his computer, completely ignoring her. “You can go now.”

Y/n wanted to cry of frustration. She couldn’t believe she would be stuck with him for the rest of her internship. She wouldn’t ask for another tutor on her first day. That would make her look too demanding. She would wait a few weeks to ask for that. In the meantime, y/n would have to find a way to cope with this annoying man.

…

Three weeks had gone by, and y/n wasn’t happy. She had gotten familiar with two other interns, and they had even gone out for a couple of drinks in the city. She was really enjoying her cozy studio and her neighbours were quite friendly. Things were doing well except for the main reason she was staying in Vienna. Her job. Harry was giving her tasks that could be given to a 12-year-old. Go print these. Go get me a black coffee. Go give Mr. What’s His Name this file. And those were the few things she would do for him, because most of the time he would just send her off to watch some old documentaries about drugs in some empty tiny office. It was supposed to broaden her horizons on the matter. She was like a dog to him. Fetch, fetch, fetch. Sit there and do not disturb me. All day. Every day.

Y/n was losing her motivation and most importantly her mind. It was impossible to maintain sanity around that devil of a man. She had an exquisite curriculum. She had an amazing interview. She was chosen for her hard work and excellency. She could not tolerate this any longer.

So, on Monday morning, Y/n decided she would confront him about the tasks she was being given. And if he did not change the types of activities he planned for her, then she would ask for another tutor.

She looked at the reflection in front of her. Y/n didn’t particularly have the most threatening face. Her features were childlike. She just hoped her makeup would make her appear older and more serious. Fingers crossed for that smoked liner. After freshening up and giving herself a pep talk in the bathroom, y/n strode to 33D with determination.

“Good morning, Mr. Styles.” I felt weird calling him that. But it would also be bizarre to call your superior by his first name.

“Morning.” He barely even noticed her, preferring the sight of his computer screen.

“I would like to talk to you, if that’s possible.” Y/n tried to discreetly wipe her sweaty hands to her trousers. “Sure.” Not even a glance. Great.

“It has to do with the assignments you have been giving me.” He stopped typing “What about them?” Y/n cleared her throat and continued. “They’re not quite like the types of activities that were described to me during the internship presentation.”

“So? I don’t see the problem. I am not obligated to give you the exact same chores.”

“I understand, but the problem is that these chores are not very challenging. A child could do them.” He raised an eyebrow at her. He was not happy.

“Mr. Styles, I have skills and knowledge that could be very helpful to the department. I am not here to fetch coffee. All the other interns have been doing tasks that are far more interesting than the ones I’ve been given.” Maybe that was too much.

Harry got up from his chair and slipped his hands in his pockets and gazed at her for a minute before speaking. “Fine. I’ll give you more interesting tasks.”

“Oh.” Was it that easy? She should have complained sooner. “Thank you.” Y/n felt relieved at his answer. It wasn’t as bad has she thought it was going to be.

“You’re dismissed for the rest of the day. I’ll have to plan other errands for you.” Y/n swore she almost saw a glimpse of amusement in his eyes. Was he a mad man?

…

That morning, despite the heavy rain and dark grey clouds, y/n woke up on the best mood. If felt like her first day of work. She felt motivated again, knowing that she wouldn’t have to do the job of a secretary and actually or at least potentially do something fun.

On her way to the offices, she received and e-mail from Harry telling her to meet him in the lobby. They would be working somewhere else today. Y/n grew happier, not minding the fact that she forgot her umbrella at home. The walk from the bus stop to work wasn’t long anyway. Harry spotted her the moment she arrived. The girl with the dripping wet hair and a big smile on her face. She’s weird.

“You’re going to be sick. Go to the bathroom and try to dry it out before we go. Be quick.” She didn’t mind his moody demeanour as long as he didn’t ask for another one of his black coffees. Y/n used some toilet paper and the fancy hand dryer to help her look a little better. Her hair was more voluminous and had soft waves due to the humidity. She also looked a bit flush from the walk and the heat of the dryer. Y/n looked like she had just made out with someone. Not very professional.

They rode together in his car to the place where they would be working. The place in question was still a mystery to y/n. Better not bother him with any questions. It was a miracle alone that she was doing something different.

For some reason, Harry kept glancing at her. Did she look too bad? She wished there wouldn’t be someone too important wherever they were going. She noticed a few planes flying low. They were close to the airport.

He parked the car in front of what seemed to be an old warehouse. A very big one. Was she getting kidnapped? He probably got tired of her and decided he wouldn’t tolerate any interns for any longer.

“Where are we?” To y/n’s surprise, Harry opened the door for her. He showed his ID to the security guard that was standing near by and motioned her to follow him.

“This is where the Austrian federal police investigate drug smuggling and other cross-border crimes.” They walked side by side through a long dull corridor. Then he opened another door to a small dark room with a two-way mirror that allow them to see another one. A classic interrogation room.

“The UN tries to make sure that all the fundamental rights of the people being investigated are protected. Even if they are criminals. The department believes in a more humanistic approach to deal with bigger social problems.”

Two other men entered the room and greeted Harry. “This is y/n. She’s here for some field work.” They offered her warm smiles. Y/n didn’t exactly feel at ease, being in a small room with three other men in a random warehouse. She did always want to work in politics though. And politics were dominated by men.

“They’re about to bring him in.” One of them said.

“Who are they bringing?” She whispered to Harry.

“Just watch.”

A woman with a navy uniform entered the questioning room. “Polizei” was written on top of her right shirt pocket. This woman stood there waiting for something. Another man entered the room accompanied by a security guard. He was probably in his mid-forties.

As soon as he sat down, the officer started the interrogation. At first, she almost seemed friendly to him, but after a few minutes she was slowly becoming more serious. One by one, each question provoked the suspect just a little bit more, gradually tormenting him. With his cuffed wrists laid on the table, y/n could see how white his knuckles had become from how hard he was curling his fists. He was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

All of a sudden, the alleged culprit, who had remained perfectly still until now, got up from his chair abruptly, making it fall sideways to the floor. The loud sound made y/n jump slightly. Harry did not move an inch, nor did the two other men by her side.

Then, the suspect managed to hit the officer and make a long cut across her cleavage with his shiny cuffs before the security guard could get a hold of him. Y/n hadn’t even heard the question that made him lose his mind. The only thing she could see was the crimson that was spreading through her chest. She started to feel faint.

“I’m not feeling well.” Y/n grabbed Harry’s shirt for some support. “I need to get out of here.” He noticed how pale she was. The flushed cheeks from minutes ago totally drained. Harry immediately helped her out of the room. She noticed the two other workers were no longer there. When did they leave?

Harry made her sit on the floor of the corridor and grabbed a cup of water from the machine nearby. “Drink” He squatted in front of her, eyes on the same level, and gaze at her, making sure she didn’t pass out. “Are you okay?” Did he look concerned?

“I’m better.” Y/n rested her head on the wall and handed him the plastic cup.

“What happened? Did you eat breakfast?”

“I don’t like blood.”

“Oh.” Y/n took a deep breath to try to relax and forget that awful image from moments ago.

“What happened?” One of the men from earlier returned. A confused look on his face. “We’ve managed to control the guy. Is she okay?”

“Yeah. Just some low blood sugar it’s all.” Harry gave him a tight smile.

“Was it because of the scene in there? Didn’t she pass the training?”

“Don’t know. Everything’s fine now. Sorry for the trouble.” He dismissed his colleague too quickly for y/n to protest. She still felt weak.

“What training? What did he mean?” They were alone in the grey corridor now.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go back to the offices. “ Harry wouldn´t look at her. “This was a bad idea.” He murmured to himself.

“No. What did he mean?” Y/n was irritated now. What was he hiding from her?

“It’s nothing, y/n, let it go.” He tried to pull her up, but she fought against him.

“No. Tell me now!”

“Fine!” Harry got up exasperated. Fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. “People who observe these interrogations are supposed to take a stupid course on how to deal with violent situations.”

“What? Why did you bring me here then?”

“I didn’t know you would react like that!” Y/n couldn’t believe he thought this would be a good programme. Harry was the worst. He made her miserable. He was irresponsible and selfish. She had come to her final straw.

“I’m going to ask for another tutor.”

“What? You can’t be serious.”

“I’m very serious. You don’t know a thing about tutoring. I haven’t learned any thing with you these past weeks.”

“You will not ask for another tutor”. Harry lowered himself again and pointed a finger at her, an angry look in his eyes.

“Try me.” She had gained her colour back. The anger had awakened her.

“For fuck sakes, y/n.” Harry didn’t know what to do. He didn’t think she was this displeased. He thought she would be happy with the simple chores he gave her. That was stupid of him. It was also stupid to have brought her there.

“I’m sorry.” Harry let a heavy sigh leave his lips in defeat. “I shouldn’t have brought you here. I’ll be a better tutor.”

Y/n couldn’t believe what she had heard. “How can I trust you? Why do you even care that I might want another tutor?”

“It doesn’t matter why. I’m offering what you want, isn’t that enough?” She eyed him with suspicion. “At least think about it.”

“Fine.” Y/n gave in as well. He looked relieved.

Y/n got up slowly but still lost balance. Harry immediately snaked an arm around her steadying her by his side. They walked together towards the exit. Y/n couldn’t help but blush at the close proximity.

She was at least a foot sorter than him. While admiring his jawline and messy curls, her heart was beginning to beat a little faster. Y/n tried to remind herself that he was still her tutor.

“I’ll take you home.”

[corleonewrites]

La Vérité

AU: Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

Vincent Renzi x Original Female Character fanfic.

Summary: Two people connected by the same past. Two lawyers. And one tangled case which brought them back together again, giving them the opportunity to sort out their feelings towards each other, no matter how painful memories are to both of them can be.

Chapter 2. Nocturne No. 8 In D Flat Major

Underground train was running fast, taking me to my destination: to the café, which was situated in the heart of Paris, right in the Place Vendôme, to meet Vincent. Chopin’s compositions in headphones were passing my ears by without notification as memories started to pop up in my head. I didn’t want to fall into them, but I couldn’t help it just how couldn’t delete old conversation with Vincent from my messengers. It was a habit of mine to reread them from time to time, making me hurt once again.

______________________________________________________________

“Have you heard that there’s going to be teachers exchange this year, Camille?” – asked Loise, a friend of mine when we studied at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.

It was the final year of master’s studies. I just turned 24 and looked forward to finish studying and start new chapter in life after my graduation. At that time, I wanted to make a pause in studies after receiving my master’s diploma and return to them to get PhD in a couple of years later.

Nothing was extraordinary in exchanging teachers and tutors, as it happened during my BA studies and I myself had one year study exchange and lived in London for final year during receiving bachelor degree.

“And I’ve heard from Estella that he’s quite handsome”, continued Loise, “She saw him in the corridor, he was asking for our lecture room.”

“Oh, please, you’re only thinking about these kinds of things when our exams and degree essays are soon”, I rolled my eyes, taking pens and notebook with student book out from my bag. Sometimes it was pissing me off when everyone was talking only about boys. And yes, sometimes I was jealous for my friends who actually was in relationships, but at that time I concentrated only on my studies.

“And she’s not the only one who thinks the same way! Helene and Annie think that he’s handsome too!”, finished Loise when the door to the lecture’s room opened and the man entered the room: slim figure in grey jacket and black turtleneck, slightly tousled grey hair, and blue-green eyes which caught my attention. I must admit that he was handsome indeed, but at that time I just sat on my desk and opened the notebook, giving to the man zero cunning affair-like attention whatsoever.

Meanwhile, almost every girl in my group, and there weren’t many of them, got all their eyes on him and I felt embarrassed because of it.

“Good morning, class”, the man said and placed his bag on the desk’s chair, “My name is Vincent Renzi and I’ll be your tutor and mentor for this whole study year of your final studies.”, Vincent said and turned to the chalkboard to write his name on it.

I wrote his name in my copybook and looked at him once again, this time paying close attention to what he was about to say to us. How good was his handwriting. I could say it definitely when I looked at the chalkboard with Vincent Renzi name on it.

“I know that we don’t have a lot of time for fooling around, because your final essays are about to be written, but because I don’t know you at all I’m offering you one task for today’s class: take a piece of paper and write a small essay about you. It can be anything you like: why did you decide to study law, what was your favourite subject at school, what’s your favourite colour, just anything”, he smiled a little when he heard how students laughed at his offer cheerfully, “And if you don’t want to write about yourself – write an essay about something you like or want to discuss. Or don’t write at all, and do what you want, but just be quiet.”, he sat on his desk, “You can take your time, you have it until lunchbreak”, Vincent finished and opened his small red notebook and started making notes.

“I’ve told you he is cute”, Loise whispered to me, smirking, but I just rolled my eyes.

“Oh, stop it, Loise, and start writing”.

______________________________________________________________

“Pyramides Station”, the voice of the underground train informed me. It was my stop.

Trying not to fall into the memories completely, I excited the underground. The street was quiet and snowy. Crossing through the traffic lights and crowds of people who were shopping gifts for Noёl, I was getting closer and closer to my final destination.

I asked myself all the time if I was sure that I wanted to take new case, believing ahead that it’d be as tough as my recent one was, when I promised myself to relax and have couple of days off before starting a new one. But at the same time some thoughts were eating me: that I would miss something very great but very emotional and life-changing if I wouldn’t agree.

This uncertainty was in the air when I finally reached the café and opened the door immediately finding a very familiar man, who was sitting in the left corner, near big windows: same slim figure, his same slightly tousled grey hair which now was covering his eyes a little as he was writing something in the small red book, a cup of black coffee was standing nearby. He heard the sound of my footsteps and raised his head up and smiled with a slightly surprised look on his face when I wanted to fall into the ground, and my legs felt like they weighed a ton.

“I’m so happy you could come, Camille”, - his voice was soft and soothing as it was when I’ve heard him for the first time, years ago.

“To be honest, I wasn’t sure that I’d be here at all”, I replied dryly and ordered the cup of coffee as the waiter approached our table, “I’m still thinking about your question and I need to know the details before I’ll make the final decision”

He paused a little, probably astonished by my reply. His gaze quickly ran from my eyes to my hands, which were lighting a cigarette in my mouth.

“Of course, I understand you”, he said and moved closer to me

“Also, I still have the question: why did you write me? You could pick someone else, your colleagues, or another student from my class if you’re this kind of a picky person”, I exhaled the smoke of my cigarette”

Vincent laughed a little, when my heart started to beat faster once again.

“But you’re one of the most successful lawyers in Paris, right? And you’re free”

“Free in what way?”

“I heard you’ve just won the hearing. Congratulations, by the way, I’ve heard it was a tough one”

I smirked “Ah, that’s what’re you talking about. I got you, Vincent. And thanks, it was indeed very hard. Anyways, we’re here not to discuss my successful work, right? What’s the case that you’re working on?”

And Vincent began his story about the tangled and strange case on which he just started to work on, when all the details were still unknown and complicated.

______________________________________________________________

“What were you writing about?”, Vincent suddenly appeared behind my back when I just finished writing my essay about law in cinema.

He picked my paper, when I raised my glance at him looking unemotional.

“You told us to write about anything we like. Here’s my essay about law in cinematography”

“She’s François Truffaut of our class”, Jean-Louis, my classmate and future co-worker said out loud and some of students started to laugh. I just turned back and gave them the look, when Vincent looked at them, then back at me with cunning glance, and placed my papers back on the table.

“Well, at least I now know that with mademoiselle Cadieux I can talk about films and she has a very good taste in them”

I looked at my tutor once again, because I wasn’t sure if he was mocking me or talking seriously, but he wasn’t laughing at all. And in that exact moment I understood that it’d be a very unforgettable final year of my master studies.

______________________________________________________________

“It sounds tricky”, I played with a spoon in my empty cup of coffee, trying to place all the information about the case in order inside my head, “It honestly looks very bad, especially with the fact that your client isn’t French. The law for foreigners is way harder and with the accusations that she has, it looks lost in advance”

The café started to be filled with people who came to have their weekend brunch or just a cup of coffee, couples and friends were laughing. Me and Vincent were still sitting at the same table near the big window. The snow just stopped.

“I know, but I’m sure that this case can be won and that she’s innocent. Well, at least she looks like one.”, sighed Vincent, finishing smoking his cigarette, “And the whole process is taking place in a town near Alps, I just got from there to take all papers and documents that I needed with me, I’m heading there tonight. So, if you make up your mind, Camille, I’ll help with you with accommodation”

“Many thanks, Vince, but I’m not a little girl, I can sort these kinds of things by myself”, it was really irritating sometimes when he was treating me like a small girl, he was always like that, “I’m not sure neither about the case nor about your client, but I love taking risks, so, I’m up for it”, and before Vincent tried to say something else, I finished, “And let’s just make it straight, I’ll help you out and this will be only work-related talks, nothing more than that”

Vincent looked straight into my eyes as he was trying to read my thoughts which were screaming for my loneliness and how much I missed him but hated him at the same time.

“You didn’t change a bit, Camille. You were always a cold-hearted strong and mysterious woman from when I saw you for the first time”, he tried to hide his little smile, but I saw it, pretending that I didn’t and smoked the rest of my cigarette.

For other people I looked serious and cold-hearted, and I tried to convinced myself the same way, and it worked really well during my work. But no one knew that sometimes I cried in the night when I couldn’t keep my emotions inside me no more. No one knew about my weakness. Not even Vincent and he was one of my closest people who I used to know.

[fitzrove]

Lol the Finnish public sector and university system are getting destroyed rn and I was already feeling unwell mentally but I feel more unwell now ajjdkdkfl

Going into more depth for universities and in their case it's:

Making the previously pretty robust student welfare system shit (= people won't have enough money to live on because the living expenses support is cut so drastically, there will be more pressure to work during your studies. But it's already hard to find suitable student jobs and because the cost of living is crazy, a lot of students struggle with poverty as is. Not to mention the strain of work PLUS school especially for people who are mentally ill etc...)

Reforming the entrance examination system. The Finnish university system was already wrecked one time in 2015, combining random ass subjects into Multidisciplinary Degree Programmes (tm) so you're forced to study a lot of stuff you're not even interested in and specialising is difficult. Like, it's an actual issue for applying to master's degrees abroad, like if someone was studying ie. sociology, they wouldn't have enough BA sociology studies to qualify for a master's degree abroad, because in Finland they also had to do such a huge variety of random ass other subjects. ANYWAY: the new entrance exams are making it EVEN WORSE. Now, for every "historical-cultural" subject there is one single nationwide entrance exam; same goes for political science/law/etc. So if you apply to study polsci you have to take the same exam as every law student in the country, which 1) makes it a poor measure of motivation for the actual specific subject you're going to study 2) filters out dedicated applicants with specific interests and favours random people who are good at studying and just want Some Kind Of Degree (also I'm suspecting that polsci departments will get filled with people who only applied to that as a backup for law). Also, the exams will have a huge emphasis on multiple choice questions and machines will correct them, essay writing skills or critical thinking are not really evaluated. Like I feel like this is actually going to have an impact on Finnish science some years down the line, people won't have enough motivation to get a strong enough basis and skillset in their own subject to do good and relevant research later..........

Making it impossible to be enrolled in two degree programmes at the same time. In some ways it's fair (there are people who are using that system for ill) but in some ways is catastrophic - it will make it really hard and daunting for people to switch majors (in Finland you can't switch within the university in most cases, you have to reapply to the university as a whole with the entire incoming cohort - which in Finland is not just recent high school graduates, getting into some programmes is so hard there that many people try 2-5 times, building up a huge applicant pool). So there's more pressure to know at 19 what you want to do for the rest of your life (especially given the huge emphasis put on the first-timer quota)

://////

[catb-fics]

Forbidden Part 1

I have so many parts to post before I can get up to date with this story! Student/Professor AU. Cliché as fuck I know but it has been so much fun to write 🖤

Words: 2.2k

Warnings: None really for this part… just Van’s skin tight jeans 🤭

Story Masterlist Main Masterlist

"Remember the coursework's due in on Friday. The deadline's 2pm. I won't be accepting any excuses."

You feel your heart sink at your lecturer's words. You'd barely even cobbled together enough material to write a 1000 word report, let alone the mammoth 6000 word essay that needed to be submitted. And it definitely needed to be submitted. You were barely scraping through as it was, teetering on the edge of failure. Another unsatisfactory module mark and your chances of progressing on to the second year were looking pretty bleak.

It's not that you couldn't cope with the content of the BA History course you'd joined the previous year in September. You were certainly bright enough. In fact with your A Level grades you had probably sold yourself short in picking your current university. You'd not chosen it on its academic merits or league table rankings though, you'd blindly followed your boyfriend there who'd bagged himself a full sports scholarship playing football whilst studying Sports Science. What you hadn't banked on was finding him in a compromising position with the student coach of the ladies volleyball team only a month into the first semester.

Things had swiftly gone downhill from there. All of a sudden poring over textbooks in the evening was replaced with downing shots in the Students Union bar. You told yourself you were having fun, you were only young once, it was just the first term, you had plenty of time to buckle down and better your weak grades after Christmas, but unfortunately your first semester exam marks were a harsh wake up call. If you didn't pull your socks up you'd be out of the course and off campus by the time early summer rolled around. And then Professor McCann came on to the scene...

Professor Ryan Evan McCann or 'Van' as he urged the students to call him was a recent addition to the Faculty staff. Fresh from his PhD studies and eager to teach, he'd fast become a firm favourite amongst both staff and students alike. He was friendly, enthusiastic and always took the time to explain the course content thoroughly. But it wasn't just his engaging teaching style which saw his module fast oversubscribed with keen students. He was drop dead gorgeous, and the flurry of excited whispers that had flowed around the lecture theatre when he'd stepped up to the lectern to deliver a short introduction on semester two options day had less to do with real excitement for the subject, and more to do with the tightness of his skinny jeans and his piercing blue eyes. You could practically hear the collective sigh from most of the females in the room... and a few of the males too.

And now here you were, three weeks into the term, your self-made promises of turning over a new leaf looking more and more like empty vows as night after night you ventured out rather than taking your studies seriously. Not even the thought of impressing your attractive professor was enough to tempt you away from two-for-one cocktails at the Union club nights.

In fact he'd been the main reason you'd been out until two in the morning the night before. It had started innocently enough. Loud cheers and cheeky remarks as the usual gang of revellers from your hall of residence had spotted Van and a male colleague enjoying a quiet early evening pint in the corner of a bar in the town centre. You'd struck up banter backwards and forwards across the room until Van had caved and agreed to join you all at the next bar in your planned pub crawl. Pint after pint had been sunk, and soon enough it was impossible to tell exactly who the responsible adult was. You'd all seen another side to Professor McCann, a fun, reckless, impulsive side which only served to make him all the more attractive. If only you'd not had that last cocktail you probably would have been able to restrain yourself.

You cringed internally as you recalled bumping into him as he was coming out of the toilets at the nightclub you'd ended up at. How you'd grabbed the lapels of his shirt and backed him into the wall of the narrow corridor, showering him with compliments which he'd awkwardly rebuffed. If you'd left it at that you probably could have laughed it off, kept your head down for a few lectures and there would have been no harm done, but you hadn't. Spurred on by your drunken state and your worries about flunking the course, you did something bad. Something you weren't going to recover from with a flushed face and an awkward apology.

You'd propositioned him.

One hand flat against the wall, the other toying with his belt buckle before slipping down to firmly caress between his legs as he looked back at you wide-eyed and disbelievingly.

"So... Sir," you'd slurred, voice thick with inebriation. "Is there anything I can do to help me pass your module this semester?"

You'd seen a spark of something in his eyes, but it was only fleeting. He'd quickly recovered, firmly pushing you back, hands on your shoulders, spinning you around so you were now the one against the wall.

"Y/N... you're drunk," he'd stated. "I'd think very carefully about your next actions if I were you or you're going to get yourself into a situation that's beyond your control."

"Ooh... d'ya like being in control then?" You'd giggled, pouting suggestively, reaching for him again.

He'd grabbed your wrists, hard, his grip firm as he pushed them back against the wall. "I mean it. Don't make me do something I'll regret."

His eyes flashed dangerously, boring into you for a long moment before he pushed himself back from the wall, releasing you and then stepping away, muttering that he was leaving.

You let him go.

It was supposed to be a warning, a show of his authority to deter you, but it didn't have the desired effect. In fact it did the exact opposite, and as you stumbled home and into bed that night all you could think of was his hands on your wrists, pinning you back against the wall. How it would feel if his lips had met yours and his body had pressed against you.

You fell asleep that night full of thoughts of him running through your head and woke up just hours later, hungover and restless, your head pounding.

"Come on Y/N, you've got a 9 o' clock lecture. You can't be late again."

Your best friend and room-mate Lizzie had appeared at your bedside, holding a glass of water in one hand and a couple of paracetamol in her other open palm. You'd raised your head stiffly, blinking at the harsh sunlight and groaning before sinking your head back down into your pillow face-first.

"Y/N!" she'd grumbled, louder this time. "Hangover or not, you're gonna be in so much trouble if you don't go to McCann's lecture."

The sound of his name reverberated around your head, bringing to mind images of you blatantly  throwing yourself at him the previous night. You considered just pulling the covers up over your head and blocking out the day, but you knew Lizzie was right. If Van decided to fail you then you were out, no second chances. If you even still had a place on the course after your shameful behaviour.

You'd grudgingly dragged yourself out of bed, dutifully swallowing the painkillers and the entire glass of water, then slunk off to the shower.

You'd kept your head down, quite literally, for the whole of your two hour lecture. If it had been any other academic up there presenting the material you would surely have dozed off by now, but you weren't going to miss a second of Van. It captivated you how he commanded every student's attention, his obvious enthusiasm shining through as he animatedly delivered the lecture. And what's more, despite being out until the early hours on a brutal pub crawl like you were, he didn't look hungover at all. In fact he looked fresh as a daisy and even more devastatingly handsome than normal. How the fuck did he even do that?

"Remember the coursework's due in on Friday. The deadline's 2pm. I won't be accepting any excuses."

So here you are, fuzzy-headed and shame-faced, trying to keep your head down as you merge into the steady stream of students as they file out of the lecture room. A sigh of relief is waiting with the big inhale you've taken as you step past Van, eyes fixed firmly on the carpet as you notice his boots in your peripheral vision. You’re nearly there, the threshold of the doorway just inches away...

"Y/N... I'd like a word please."

It isn’t a question. You don’t have a choice. You stop in your tracks, letting the remaining students slip past you, waiting until the last one walks through the exit and the door’s closed behind them.

It’s quiet in the room, stiflingly so, and it makes your heart pound with a raw kind of nervousness as you turn slowly, eventually looking up at Van as you come to a stop facing him.

You’re expecting him to look stern and disappointed in you, a disapproving glare to show that you've let him and yourself down, so when you clock the slight smirk simmering at the edge of his lips you’re taken aback. Your cheeks flush a deep shade of scarlet as he holds you locked in his gaze.

"How's the head?"

You giggle girlishly, overcome with a shyness that doesn’t usually afflict you, shifting your weight from one foot to the other. "Oh, it's... errr... it's... I've been better I suppose... Look... about last night..."

You tail off, see his eyebrows raise expectantly as he cocks his head to look at you, his smirk widening. He knows you’re mortified and he’s thoroughly enjoying this. This is how he’s going to punish you, but you deserve to squirm. You suppose a touch of humiliation is a small price to pay for your actions. Especially as trying to bribe your way into an academic's pants to get an honours degree is grounds for an instant expulsion.

You carry on awkwardly, stumbling over your words, tongue-tied and pathetic. "I'm... really sorry. I was just... drunk... I... errr... I didn't really mean it."

"So what did you mean Y/N? Do you want to enlighten me?"

He takes a step towards you and you counter it, then another and another and then you feel your back hit the wall. You take a deep breath, holding it, your mind scrambling for a fitting response.

"I just... I... I don't know..."

"You thought you'd just suck my cock and I'd award you a First? Is that it?"

This hits you like a slap in the face and you let your exhale go quickly, your mouth falling agape.

It’s the way he says it, matter-of-factly like you’re discussing a mundane topic and not a sexual act in payment for your success. He isn’t flustered in the slightest, in fact he looks calm and collected. In control. It makes your heart race and that wild, wayward part of you come to life. The part that takes chances and doesn’t conform.

You look at him right back, a challenge you aren’t backing down from.

"And what if I was? What then?"

A spark lights in his eyes and he isn’t hiding it this time, it simmers there with a tension that you feel in every fibre of your being as your nerve endings bristle with electricity.

"Well... I couldn't just leave it ignored. You'd need to be punished of course."

His words light a fire between your legs as a dark part of you stirs and comes to life. Your pulse races and your breathing deepens.

"Van..." you begin, but your words don't come.

They catch in your throat as he leans in, one hand flat on the wall and the other rising up, two of his fingers trailing gently down your jaw. You swallow deeply, anticipation thick in the air as his fingers come to rest on your chin, tipping your head back so you have no choice but to look up at him.

"It's not Van to you, it's Sir... You got that?"

"Yes... Sir..."

It comes out like a whisper, breathy and full of desire. His lips curl up into a devilish smile as he looks down on you. There’s a long moment where you just look at each other, your heart thudding hard in your chest, your fingers twitching at your sides as you long to reach out for him, tangle your fingers in his hair, grasp at his hips as you push your own against him. Anything... anything to satisfy the ache between your thighs.

But it isn’t happening. He steps back, eyes still on you as he backs up, watching you carefully.

"Don't be late for my lecture tomorrow... or there will be consequences."

Then you watch as he turns and walks away, pushing through the door without so much as a look behind him, leaving you there breathless and wanting, coiled tightly like a spring.

[itswashington17]

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is great! Like so great! It's the best post-GC Monkey Ball game by a long shot!

There are a few issues like the performance tanking in Battle Mode and the sound design for the ball still lacking, but everything is amazing!

The Adventure Mode is classic Monkey Ball done right. The controls and physics feel so good and are better than Banana Mania. Plus the new Spin Dash move fits in with series much more than a jump button, since you're still using momentum physics with it and you can pull off some amazing skips with it. Seriously, the Spin Dash opens up a lot of speedrunning opportunities and I can't wait for the insane skips that I could do.

The game has some of the best stages in the series since the classics with the level design in general being creative, varied and most importantly, challenging. The later worlds in the Adventure Mode are quite hard, but the EX stages is where the game's difficulty shines where you will likely Fall Out a lot when taking them on the first time. The last 3 EX worlds in particular will literally test your skills, with them falling into late Expert/Master territory. Like the stand out stage is EX10-7, which is so brutal that it might fall in with the likes of Exam-C and Stamina Master as the hardest stages in Monkey Ball history.

Plus we got cutscenes in the series again since Adventure (SMB2 if you're counting only the more traditional Monkey Ball games) and they delivered on them. While the story is simple (which is expected out of Monkey Ball) and not as wacky as SMB2's story, it is carried by the charming character interactions with AiAi, MeeMee, YanYan and Palette being the highlights. It even gets a bit emotional, especially in the last 2 worlds, which you don't really see with this series. I love the cutscenes in this game and I hope future games don't abandon them again.

Then there's the Battle Mode. While it is the weakest part of the game (although I mainly play Monkey Ball for the challenging stages), it is still pretty good. As mentioned, the performance tanks in this mode since there's 16 players which is probably taxing for the 7 year old Switch, but if you can get past that, it is really fun, especially online. The online works for the most part (only had two instances of the game booting me out due to a connection problem) and it can get chaotic. Race and Ba-BOOM! are my favourites, with Race being a larger Monkey Ball stage and since you control like in the main game, you can get away with the same insane skips like in the Adventure Mode. And Ba-BOOM being chaotic as heck where you need to stay on your toes to avoid getting a bomb. However, I do think Banana Hunt is my least favourite. It's not bad, but I do think it's a bit boring when compared to the other modes.

If you're looking for any Party Games like Monkey Target, sorry, but the Battle Mode replaces the Party Games in Banana Rumble. Honesty, I think it's better off that way, considering that certain Party Games were butchered in Banana Mania. I would have no Monkey Target than another one that doesn't match the same qualities as the classics. Also, it's nice to try something entirely new and if that doesn't work out, then they can come back to the Party Games in future games. But IMO, the Battle Mode does its job as being a good distraction from the main game.

In terms of other online stuff in the Battle Mode, it has the most friendliest Battle Pass I've seen in an online game. It lasts for two weeks, but it only has around 12 tiers of cosmetics and if you're good, you could finish it in just one play session. There's also the Lucky Monkey Lottery to win more prizes, but you can only access it if you play online daily (which tbh, since we live in a gaming era where there's paid loot boxes, it's best they leave it like that).

Now lets talk about the presentation and IMO, Banana Rumble has to be the Monkey Ball game with the most soul and passion put into it since the OG games. Firstly, I love the new art style and character designs for the monkeys. They combine the best parts of their GC and Banana Blitz designs, while adding in some new flair into them and they look adorable. Plus they're a lot more expressive than any other game in the series, especially when compared to the Banana Blitz era games. Plus the new characters look really good and you can even play as them. Like all of the major characters in the story of this game are playable, including Dr. Bad-Boon despite not appearing in the story at all.

Visually, the game looks good. While cheap in a few places, the worlds look quite stunning with Caelum being my favourite. Plus there's plenty of attention to detail to the presentation that I like such as the maps for the first 7 worlds being holiday/tourist maps and the last 3 worlds being ancient maps.

In terms of the soundtrack, I think it's great. It's not the best soundtrack in the series, but I do think there are some bangers here and there. My personal favourites being Banana Farm, Rose Garden, Oceanus, Astrum, Race and Ba-BOOM! However, the sound design for the ball is still lacking when compared to the original games and even Banana Splitz, which is a shame (like seriously, they address many issues from Banana Mania, but they couldn't even address the ball SFX).

Overall, Super Monkey Ball is truly back and I'm so happy that it is! Despite a rocky comeback with the remakes, Banana Rumble manages to tilt the series directly into the right direction and proves that RGG Studio can cook up a great Monkey Ball game that can be considered the best game since the originals. In fact, this could be considered as the Crash 4 of the Monkey Ball series. Let's hope it gets enough support to last long and get ported to other consoles down the line. But as of right now, what a great game!

[wheeboo]

new ask from : dizzy anon ! xe says...

good evening, america. i,, have come with not a fictional story but something very much real! (also, i love your reviews sm. i actually am writing the first 'episode' of the compilation stories! but not patience and grace yet. i like to finish something for the most part even if i'll release it in parts, so it'll be a while,,, i can tag you in it in the future hehe ^^)

do you get that feeling when you feel really smart when you get something? i don't know about you, but i seriously love it- like i figured out equations for shit like voltage, current, and resistance in my robotics exam (that i didn't study for and didn't take the first time). even with a calculator, it was noon and i was exhausted beyond belief, like- ?????? HOW the fuck did i do that.

feeling smart is everything to me, even tho i'm a silly little dude who likes to partake in silly little activities. this is why i like making my lore make sense by working on every nook and cranny, it makes me feel intelligent /j as if di ako bobo (affectionate) LMFAOOOO

another thing btw, nag-choir kami ng gregorian chant para sa music, at tangina napasigaw lahat ng mga boys nung natapos HAHAHAHA 😭😭 ako din naman. like sumakit paa ako amputa, napa-omsim sa inisip na 'deserve ko kumain'. imagine dalawang PT exam tas nag dalawang written kasi nag-absent buong week last week. then i had like six or five exams the day before 💪💪

hopefully your week's been good!! in my timezone, we're abt to head into the weekend and i hope to finish a powerpoint before 12am ^^ reemmber to drink water and/or treat yrself in any way.

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FKSLJFSD im glad u love my review lovely <33 just know i'm always willing to share my input on anything!! and omg i'd love to be tagged pls tag me !!

bro OMG ALL THE TIME. me in my college math class fr right now i literally feel like a fuckin einstein whenever a problem finally *gets* to my head. but im glad u were able to figure out ur stuff ur absolutely slaying fr bestie!! u deserve it sm <3

mahabang rehearsal ba ito? sobrang maingay ng mga boys 😭😭 anong kumain mo afterwards? i ask because i'm eating pancit rn sobrang sakit ng ulo ko djflkdsjf </3 but i hope u were able to eat something delicious n treat yourself!! those exams sounded so stressful omg but just be proud u were able to endure it and get it done !!

my weekend has been fun so far :) ako ng oras kasama ang mga kaibigan kagabi and went sa isang haunted house SJLKFSD. hope u were able to get ppt down before 12am!! and don't forget to also stay hydrated and treat urself as well <3