#Distance Education portal

[covenofagatha]

Two professors and a student (Part 3)

Word count: 2700

Warnings: phone sex (kinda?), smut, masturbation, sex

It’s the first Monday of your winter break, and you’re back on campus. Rio had sent out an email to everyone in the course saying that if anyone wanted, she would be in her office all day so you could look at your graded exams. She hadn’t put the grades into your student portal yet, so your heart is pounding as you climb up the stairs to the science building. 

From nerves, yes, but also at the prospect of seeing Rio again. 

You hadn’t heard from her since the text Saturday morning, and yet, you had been able to think of little else. Thoughts of her and Agatha had plagued your mind all weekend and now you weren’t sure how to interact with Rio in an educational setting. 

Should you bring up the dinner tomorrow night? Or just pretend that you were her student and nothing more? 

What if there were other students from your class in her office right now? You sort of hope that’s the case and then you won’t have to stress about it. 

But of course, when you knock on her office door and then push it open, it’s only Rio. 

She’s sitting at her desk, looking expectantly at you, like she knew you would be coming. 

“Hey,” you say, voice sounding more shaky than you intended. 

“Y/n, to what do I owe the pleasure?” She asks, tone silky and suggestive. You gulp and take a few more steps in the office, not missing the way the door clicks shut behind you. 

“I wanted to see my exam?” It comes out as a question instead of a statement. God, it’s almost embarrassing how much this woman affects you, especially after the other night. 

“Of course you did,” Rio says smugly and stands up. She moves some papers around on her desk. Once she finds it, she holds it out to you so you’re forced to close the distance and take it from her. 

Inhaling deeply, you chance a peek at the top and are pleasantly surprised to find a 97% scribbled on the paper. You exhale slowly and you can almost feel the tension seeping out of your body. All the effort you had put in had paid off. 

You flip through the pages of the exam to see where you messed up. You’re so focused on reading her feedback that you don’t notice Rio has moved right behind you until you feel her hot breath on your neck. 

You stiffen and you can feel goosebumps creep up your body. 

“You did so well,” she says, practically whispering it into your ear. “Your attention to detail, the amount of care you put into your work, it’s impressive.” 

“Thank you,” you manage to squeak, hands wrinkling the paper from how tight you’re holding onto it. Her fingers come up to lightly play with your hair and you’re having trouble reading the words on the paper. All you can think about is Rio. 

“What do you think about going to Herb’s tomorrow night?” She murmurs. Herb’s is probably the fanciest steakhouse in town. You whirl around, startling when you realize just how close she actually is to you. Her lips (not that you’re looking) are probably three inches from yours. You can see the little specks of gold in her dark eyes. 

“I couldn’t, that’s too much,” you protest, but she puts a finger to your mouth. You freeze. 

“Agatha and I want to reward you for being such a good girl for us,” she says and a thrill runs through you. “That’s who you are, right?” 

You think you’ve forgotten how to breathe. You nod ever so slightly, afraid to move too much since her finger still hasn’t left your mouth. 

And then she grabs your chin with her hand, causing you to gasp at the sudden roughness, her thumb coming to stroke lightly at your bottom lip. You part your lips reflexively and she smirks, delighting in the obvious effect she has on you. 

“Say it,” she urges. 

“I’m your good girl,” you rasp, heat now flaring in your stomach. Her eyes are locked on yours and you can see desire clouding in them. You’re positive yours look the exact same. Her thumb swipes against your lip again, and this time, you flick your tongue out to brush against it. Her eyes flash and she opens her mouth to say something but there’s a knock on the door and you jump back from her. 

Rio chuckles sardonically, tongue pushing against her inner cheek, and calls out, “Come in!” 

A kid you’ve only seen once or twice in the entire semester pushes open the door and walks in. 

“Um, well, thanks for this,” you say, flustered more than you’ve ever been in your life, and hand the test back to Rio. 

“Professor Harkness is in her office, if you want to stop by and say hi,” she says casually and you don’t know how she is so composed. Is she telling you to go see her? Did Agatha ask to see you? 

You wouldn’t be surprised now if they were counting on you coming to see Rio to see your test. If this whole thing had been planned. 

But if anything, you feel like this is confirmation that they want you too. 

“Okay,” you say, still a little breathless. 

You take a moment to collect yourself once in the hallway again and then in almost a daze, walk to Agatha’s office. 

You had spent so much time there in the semester earlier that you could map it with your eyes closed. And even now, when you haven’t been there in months, it still looks the exact same when you finally arrive and go inside. 

Sitting at her desk, Agatha looks positively ecstatic that you’re there. 

“Rio said–” you begin, but trail off because you’re not sure how to explain what just happened. You’re not sure if Agatha will be jealous. You awkwardly walk over and sit on the couch where you spent so many afternoons. 

“How’d you do on her exam?” She asks, but from her grin, she clearly already knows. 

“Really good,” you say. “I think better than I did on your final.” 

Agatha pouts mockingly. “Trying harder to impress her more than me?” 

“No! I don’t – no – that’s not –” 

She laughs. “Sweetheart, I’m teasing.” She stands up and comes around to sit next to you on the couch. Her body is tilted towards you and her legs come up so her thigh is against yours. You bite back a gasp at the contact. “Did Rio talk to you about dinner tomorrow?” 

You nod and try to contain the blush that is surely spreading on your face, but the memory of Rio calling you a good girl and tasting her thumb on your tongue makes that impossible. “Herb’s?” 

“Have you been?” She perches her elbow on the side of the couch and rests her head in her hand, leaning in closer. 

“No. It’s too fancy for a broke college student like me,” you answer in a lame attempt at a joke. “You guys really don’t have to take me there.” 

Agatha’s other hand comes up to cup your cheek and rub her thumb against it. “Hon, you are so much more than that. And yes, we do. We want to. It’s been awhile since someone has caught our attention like this.” 

Your breath hitches. “Like what?” You dare to whisper. You find yourself also leaning in closer and can’t help from glancing down at her lips. 

She smirks. “Like this.” 

And then she closes the gap and your eyes close in anticipation. But her lips stop when they’re a breath away from yours, maybe just to make sure you want this too. You want this more than life at this point, so you’re the one who makes the first real move and you kiss her. It’s featherlight, just a ghost of a kiss lasting mere seconds, but when you pull back, her normally-blue eyes are dark and hooded. 

Her hand on your cheek tangles itself in your hair and she pulls you in to crash your mouths together in a bruising kiss. 

You moan into her open mouth when her tongue parts your lips and licks against yours. Her fingers move to scrapple at your hips and you figure out what she wants so you maneuver yourself into her lap without breaking the kiss. Her hands slide under your shirt and just rest against your skin, but you have to pull away to throw your head back and moan at the hot contact. Agatha doesn’t hesitate before kissing down the side of your face and then down your neck. She sucks a bite into the juncture of your neck and shoulder and your hips cant in her lap. 

“Fuck,” you gasp and her nails dig into your back. You drag her mouth back to yours, panting into the kiss. You can feel her losing composure as well when her teeth nip aggressively at your lower lip. It turns you on beyond words that you’re having this kind of effect on her. 

“Well, would you look at this?” A voice says from the doorway and you jerk back so hard that you topple off Agatha’s lap and onto the couch. Fear spikes through your body as you look and–

–it’s Rio. 

Part of you is relieved that it wasn’t anyone else, but then again, you were just caught making out with her girlfriend. Agatha doesn’t look worried at all, though. If anything, she looks proud of herself. 

“I didn’t realize when I told you to come here I was giving you permission to whore yourself out,” Rio says cooly as she walks over to the couch. 

“I’m sorry,” you whisper and you scramble off the couch, smoothing your shirt down from where it had ridden up. Agatha rolls her eyes amusedly. “I’ll, um, see you guys tomorrow night?” 

“Six pm, don’t be late,” Rio says, eyes burning into you as you scurry out of the office. 

Your plan is to get to your dorm as fast as possible so you can touch yourself to the memory of the kiss, desperately needing to relieve the ache that has built up in you.  

You haven’t even left the building though when your phone rings. You pull it out of your pocket and, much to your surprise, it’s Rio. Is she calling you to tell you to come back? To scold you?

You swipe to answer it and hesitantly lift your phone to your ear. “Hello?” 

At first, you don’t hear anything specific, just some muffled sounds. You say something again, but you don’t hear either of them. Did Rio butt-dial you?

You’re about to hang up when you finally hear Rio. But she’s not talking to you. 

“How was it?” She says. Her voice sounds far away. Is she asking about you?

“Fuck, Rio, it was so hot,” Agatha says. Your entire body tenses. They’re talking about you. 

Your head starts to spin and you frantically look around for somewhere you can go. 

“Yeah? It looked hot. She looked so good with her tongue in your mouth, Aggie.” 

There’s a bathroom a few yards away. You duck into it and lock yourself in a stall. You’re not sure you could hold the phone any closer to your ear. 

“I thought you were going to kiss her, too,” Agatha admits. “I wanted to watch.” Someone scoffs and you think it might be Rio. 

“I would’ve earlier if one of my idiot students hadn’t interrupted. You should’ve seen her, so desperate for it.” 

“Oh, I think I know what desperation looks like on her.” You can practically hear the smirk in Agatha’s voice and you blush. “And I know what it looks like on you, too.” 

Another huff. There’s silence for a moment and you strain your ears so you don’t miss anything. And then there’s the faintest of sounds, almost like a smacking noise. Your eyes widen. Are they kissing?

“Can you taste her on me?” You hear Agatha mutter between breaths and you think you’re about to combust on the spot. You can’t resist from sliding a hand down your shorts and you gasp at how wet you are. 

The sounds continue and you hear soft moaning, but you’re unable to distinguish who they’re coming from. 

And then: “Get on the desk,” Agatha orders roughly. “I never thanked you properly for Saturday morning.” Rio chuckles breathlessly and you can hear things being cleared off the space. 

You are completely overwhelmed now, by the knowledge that Rio had fucked her the morning after you had seen them (was the dinner invitation before or after?) and now Agatha’s about to return the favor. 

And you are listening. 

“Are you going to tell her about your dream?” Rio asks. You hear the sound of a belt buckle and a zipper. 

“Should I?” Agatha retorts. “Do you think she could handle knowing I had such a good dream about the three of us that you had to take care of me in my sleep?” 

You moan involuntarily and clamp a hand over your mouth. If they catch you listening there’s a chance they’ll hang up and you cannot take that risk. 

“I think she could,” Rio says, words turning into a groan at the end of the sentence. You wonder if Agatha is touching her now. “I saw how much she needed you just now. I think she’d be a good girl and let us do whatever we wanted to her.” 

You nod enthusiastically like they can see you. 

“Fuck, Agatha,” Rio gasps and you think if you listen closely enough, you can hear her wetness. You slide a finger into yourself and mirror what you’re imagining Agatha doing. 

“She is our good girl, isn’t she,” Agatha muses conversationally. You have to bite down your lip so you don’t make any other noises. “Can you picture her doing this to you? Making you feel good with her fingers?” 

Your ring finger joins your middle finger to thrust into you and your thumb rubs at your clit. You are embarrassingly close after making out with Agatha and now this. 

It seems like Rio is, too. “Yes, fuck, I want you both.” You can hear her breaths coming out short and fast and Agatha laughs. 

“You both are so desperate. What am I going to do with you? I have some ideas.” 

You almost beg to hear them. But Rio has that covered for you. 

“Oh yeah?” She whimpers. 

“I’m going to teach her how you like to be eaten out. How you like to be fucked. And then we’ll see if she’s as good of a learner in bed as she is in the classroom.” Rio’s moan is so loud it cuts out the next thing Agatha says. You can’t be mad though because her sounds are just as hot as Agatha’s words. “And then we’ll fuck her. She’ll look so pretty stretched around your fingers. With my tongue in her pussy.” 

You taste blood from how hard you bite your lip after she says that. Your hips stutter and you are so close. 

“Fuck, Agatha,” Rio swears. “I’m going to cum.” 

“Yeah? Cum for me, Rio. And you too, sweetheart.” You can’t stop the gasp that falls from your lips when you register that Agatha is talking to you and hearing her say that sends you over the edge. Rio as well, from the sounds of it. Your orgasm is explosive, even though you’re fucking yourself in a college bathroom stall. You pant and rest your head against the wall, thoroughly ruined. 

Your cheeks are flushed at being played like a fool. Of course they didn’t accidentally call you right before they just happened to have sex. 

There’s movement from Rio and Agatha’s side and then Agatha’s voice close to the speaker. “You okay, honey?” 

You cough to clear your throat. “Yeah,” you say weakly and they both chuckle. 

“We’ll see you tomorrow night,” Rio says. “Wear something pretty for us.” And the call disconnects. 

You laugh in disbelief. Fuck. 

[shikshaconsulting]

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[evilminji]

You know what I would kill to see?

Nedzu, in the Zone.

He IS a registered Hero, after all. He probably gets calls for missions. Failing that, he's still legal allowed to intervene. Like, say, if some poor four year old were losing their shit? Got separated from their mommy, their headache, which has been getting Ochier ALL DAY has finally gotten Really REALLY bad... and they... they just CAN'T! So they melt down.

Whoops. Four year old with portals.

In a crowd.

Luckily he, Mr. Principle, is a "cute" looking sort of Hero. And as an educator, well trained in de-escala-*CRASH!* Some jackass glory chasing young thing, with no care for innocent lives around them, smashes onto the scene. Terrifying the poor child. Which obviously makes their non-existent control WORSE.

Starts throwing the word "villian" around.

Nedzu is going to EAT his license in front of him.

The poor thing is hyperventilating, crying, clinging desperately to Nedzus suit. Things are being flung from portals. Sucked into portals. He's seen no less then 53 SEPERATE dimensions on the other side of those rifts. At least two were to the open void of space.

He narrowly dodges a portal straight into the heart of a volcano. Can feel the blistering heat singe his fur. Alumni from HIS school, at least, have arrived to actually SAVE people. Get the crowd away from the danger zone.

And to think, all he wanted was some tea.

How this MORON doesn't recognize him, he has no idea. His graduates are actively SHOUTING his identity, for heavens sake. Yet the glory hound continues to chase his so called "villians" at the expense of everyone around him.

He's about to throw the boy to a near by police officer, to get to safety, when the worst occurs. The tract of land he was about to push off of disappears beneath them. The boy's mother screams. He activates High Specs, world slowing as his mind rushs. Twisting, he throws the boy high.

The portal closes before he can see if it is Eraserhead or Cementoss who will be the one to catch him. The odds were 68.3% in Eraserhead's favor. He hopes... Aizawa, does so take these things quite hard, he hope he will not blame himself.

There was no way to catch him in time.

He was already gone.

Gravity arrests, slowing to a drifting meander. The air thick with something the burns his sensitive nose. Green. Everything is a very peculiar green. This is not a planets or if it is, it is countless times larger then Earth. A gas giant of some sort? There does not appear to be a horizon.

In the distance, an almost stereotypical spaceship changes destinations. Now aiming right for him. It seems aid might be on the way. With nothing better to do, he waits. They slow to a stop, a hatch opens, and... oh? A young Hero student! Hello there young man! I am Mr. Principle of the illustrious UA!

And just? Danny? Trying to return this small furry alien guy back to his alien hero school? Getting the run around and "hmmmm, let me look that uuuup *takes forever* yeeeeah, soooorry. You're in the wrong department. You'll have to fly like three days to this OTHER department, fill out 260 forms, and dance for our amusement. Byeeeee~"

Like? He just wants to get this guy HOME! Why are you all LIKE THIS!?

All while Nedzu is " :) My, this is FASCINATING. I am learning new things, battling wits, learning new languages, AND guiding a promising young mind towards a future of Better Heroics? Delightful! This is practically a vacation!"

He even stops by the Fentons for dinner. Some fudge. A little light destruction of Goverment branches on the side. Just? A Grand ol adventure of Nedzu.

Danny suffers through bureaucratic hell. But Nedzu? The most mentally stimulated he's been in years. His crops are watered and his fur is groomed. Thriving! New toys!

Then?? He just... shows back up to work.

How did he return? Where has he been?? Who is this glowing green Hero Child groaning face down on his very expensive carpet? *sips tea* wouldn't YOU like to know, weather boy! *maniacal Nedzu laughter*

@hdgnj @babbling-babull @lolottes @nerdpoe @the-witchhunter @hypewinter @spidori

[xaphrin]

At Midnight, My Heart Drops

Fuck.

Raven stared into Damian's calm face, desperately trying to think of something to say - an excuse, a flippant comment - anything. But, no. She stood there, frozen on the spot watching the muscle in his jaw twitch as he waited for an answer for the most unnerving question he could have asked her. 

“I'm… sorry?” She feigned ignorance, trying to buy enough time to get her brain to process his request again. Her heart was pounding in her throat and he had to have heard it. “Can you ask me that one more time?”

“Be my date for the Wayne New Year's Eve party.” 

When he repeated it, it sounded less of a request and more of a demand. As though the inconvenience of repeating himself should have been repaid with a ‘yes’ answer regardless of what the question was. Cocky bastard. Raven fought the automatic urge to open a portal to anywhere and shove him in it. Taking a deep breath, she calmed her pounding heart and stared at him, keeping her face expressionless. Just because she was adept at controlling her emotions, it didn’t mean she didn’t have any.  

“What the fuck for? You’re the son of Bruce Wayne. You wake up and trip over people trying to get dates with you. You have a wellspring of viable candidates to choose from for a New Year’s Eve party.” She fought to keep her panic under control, and continued to stare at him, hoping she looked calmer than she felt. “Please don't ask the girl who doesn't know the difference between an oyster fork and an olive fork.”

“Or a dessert fork.” He smirked as he reminded her of the celebratory dinner party the Mayor had in their honor last year, and the horror of some societal elites as Raven ate her salad with a dessert fork. The scandal.

Raven's face fell and she gave him a deadpan stare, but Damian was unaffected. Finally, he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “The truth is that I need someone I trust to run interference.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted an eyebrow, motioning for him to elaborate. 

“There are… girls. Women.” He shrugged. “Some men.”

“Yes. That's usually who make up populations of people. Your point?”

“I'm a rich, educated, eligible bachelor.” He groaned and stared up at the ceiling, as if he was ashamed to be direct. “Of marrying age.”

“You forgot good looking.”

Why in the fuck had she admitted that out loud? Raven bit the inside of her cheek to keep from looking embarrassed, but Damian stared at her, and she swore she saw his face flush at least a little. She shrugged, trying to be as objective as possible. “I'm not blind, Damian.” She managed to keep herself from blurting out the rest of that statement: you're drop dead gorgeous and totally stacked - of course people are going to try and at least bang you.

“So what… you want me to lurk in the shadows and scare off anyone you don't approve of? Is there someone specific you're trying to… date? Court?” She rubbed her thumb along her jaw, thinking. “What do rich people from the Hamptons call it? Woo?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. “Is there a reason you're being so blithe about this?”

“You just asked me to be your pretend girlfriend so that you can avoid talking to people who might want to date you.” She shoved at her hair and crossed her arms over her chest, needing to do something with her hands. “That’s a setup for a bad romance movie.”

He sighed again, obviously frustrated that Raven wasn’t taking his request seriously. Raven couldn’t take his request seriously. The minute she stopped trying to treat his request like a joke, her heart would break into a hundred pieces. She had been harboring feelings for Damian for years, practically since they had been pulled onto the Titans team together. She could keep her feelings under control as long as she kept a heavy barrier of friendship and distance between them. 

But knowingly putting herself into a situation where she had to be a girlfriend - even a pretend one - would force all of those feelings front and center. It would leave an opening for her to confess those feelings, and she would admit to him (and probably all of his family too) that she loved him. If Raven was being honest with herself, she didn’t want to be hurt when Damian ultimately rejected her confession.

She could see the whole scene play out over and over in her mind, and the risk felt far too great. 

“You’re the only one I want to be my date for the party.”

Raven felt like the floor underneath her had just disappeared. Her heart fell into her stomach before leaping back into her chest to pound frantically against her ribs. Damian’s face was unreadable, and he stared at her, his eyes searching her face for something he could read. 

Raven panicked again, trying to find something she could say that would keep her in control. “Is it because you trust me to not fall in love with you?” Because too late, she added within her own thoughts. 

“Because you’re my friend and I trust you. Full stop.” 

The excitement of his words mingled with the pain of the word friend, leaving Raven to feel both elated and disappointed at the same time. But, that was what she wanted, wasn’t it? She would rather be safe behind her barrier of friendship, then put herself at risk of a broken heart. But still… if he only considered her a friend, then there was nothing she needed to worry about. She could do this for him, as a friend.  

Rubbing her forehead, she turned and stepped back from him, knowing that her next words were going to be her downfall. 

“Just tell me when I have to meet you, and what the hell I should wear.”

[universaln0b0dy]

The new NCR students (twisted wonderland x reader)

This oneshot was inspired by this:

warning: Toxic behaviour?

Summary: Yuu has always had a slightly snide side to them and now, the longer they spend at NCR the more mean they become.

You didn't get to return home. It was to be expected but when you heard the news it hit you like a ton of bricks. It was the very first time you dropped that very nice facade you had build up for yourself, because to say the truth....

You weren't kind.

You weren't loving.

You weren't hard working.

But that is what people thought about you, adding that they thought that you were naive. So imagine their suprise when you look at Crowley, your face scrunching up in disgust and calling him a useless, greedy bastard, before smiling sweetly and exclaiming that you had expected that out come.

Now, months had passed and all the first years had changed, but the biggest transformation was coming from you. Usually you wanted to uphold the reputation of a nice and polite kid, but now? You acted like a fucking thug.

You sigh heavily, looking down on your food. Because you and your friends had fought so many Overblots you guys were constantly the hot topic around the campus and the subtle but noticable change didn't help with that.

"Ace has been getting into more fight! He has developed such a bad temper. Just like Housewarden!"

"I swear to good Jack's worse than Azul when it comes to returning favours."

"Deuce acts exactly like Trey-senpai. You remember? Last years vice housewarden?"

"Epel has gotten so darn mean, sevens he is a master at snide remarks."

"What about the Ramshackle student?"

"We don't talk about them."

You stand up rolling your eyes, they were making an elephant out of a fly. It wasn't like any of their behaviour was weird in NRC, so why were people so suprised. You had done your very best to uphold your good grades, after all even in this world education was important.

In the hallway you run into Ace, who is holding a bunch of papers grumbling under his breath, the second he sees you he rushes over. "Man! I haven't seen you in a while! Who would have thought that being a second year would make our schedule so tight."

You smile quietly, not wishing to tell him that you had reduced all contact with twisted wonderland to the bare minimum. You never really cared about this place anyway, but not being able to leave had made you extra bitter.

"Yeah, seems like it." You mumble, starting to stare into the distance, you didn't know how much time had passed until you feel Ace brush past you, hitting your shoulder in the process. He was rambling on about being ignored by everyone and how angry he was about it.

He sounds like Riddle...

You think to yourself before contining your way.

The days passed in a daze, sometimes you met some of your friends in the hallway, but you always cut short any contact.

"Uh, have you done your part of the assignment yet?" Sebek asks annoyed, dragging you out of your mind. You shake your head sheepishly. "Sorry, I promise I will work on it right away."

Sebeks shook his head standing up. "Forget it, you won't do it anyway. Your promises don't mean much you know?" And so he left. You just shake your head in annoyance.

"My promises mean a lot, asshole." You mutter under your breath, before making your way back to Ramshackle. Grim looked at you, his eyes filled with worry, but you brush past him only passively mentioning that there was tuna in the fridge, before looking yourself in the bedroom.

Said bedroom was filled with books. Books about portals, magical realms and even forbidden rituals. You wanted to leave this fucking place and there was nothing holding you back from doing so. Not even your "friends".

You look up from the book your holding for a second. Wasn't it wrong to think that? Despite everything they had been there for you when you needed it, right? You smirk slightly, you had proven to yourself that NRC was only bringing out the worst in people, so who ever ended up here was bound to become an ass one day, right?

You snicker before contining to read the book, even trying out some of the spells by improvising with diffrent types of magic you could use, because it was more of a sacrificial nature.

That went on for months.

But the person who had it worst was Grim. He watched his only family fall apart because they started to adapt to their surroundings, but what hurt the most was you dismissing everyone and thing.

So he did what he always did, lay down on the sofa and wish for everything to be a bad dream and that when he woke up, everything was back to normal...

[humbledragon669]

S2E1 - The Arrival Write Up P4 - the Present Day from The Box to Crowley's arrival at the coffee shop

There has been an awful lot of rambling from me on this episode so far, so let’s see if we can’t rattle through a few scenes without me picking them to pieces. Unfortunately, I am going to fail at the very first frame of this section of the episode, because I want to talk about the location this scene is shot in. It caught my eye from the off because I was struck by how beautifully picturesque it was, despite us being led to believe that our storyline is still in London (note the lack of placard to tell us otherwise). And so of course I Googled. Turns out this street isn’t in London at all, but is in fact in Edinburgh (for those amongst you for whom UK geography isn’t a necessary knowledge item, that’s a distance of just over 300 miles). Huh. Well alrighty then, Crowley and his Bentley are in Edinburgh. Despite us just seeing Crowley in St. James’s Park. But wait, what’s that in the background?

Well on the right of the tower structure is the Gherkin building, and I believe the one on the left is the Shard (this is confirmed in episode 2). Huh. So London after all then, seeing as even the most eagle-eyed of people wouldn’t be able to place London skyscrapers in the background of a photo taken in Edinburgh. I have 3 possible suggestions for what I think is going on here:

Crowley really is in Edinburgh. There’s some sort of portal that he is able to navigate through, which also shows him the background to where it leads.

Crowley really is in Edinburgh. The background view is another example of the impossible view we can see from Heaven’s HQ.

Crowley is in London. This is just a quirk of filming – somebody found a beautiful location for a shot and wanted to use it. Adding distinctive London landmarks into the background is a convenient way of reminding the audience that the storyline hasn’t left London.

Of the three of those possibilities, I am actually minded to go with the last one. I know, I know: it’s not like me to be so dismissive of potential subtext possibilities. If you’ll forgive me, I would like to revisit this little scenario in the next episode, when we get a little more of that background, and I will happily argue my case further.

There’s something I find interesting about Shax’s behaviours. Or more, her lack of them, and what that suggests for Crowley. She is completely clueless to any kind of human subtlety. She doesn’t understand the etiquette of calling vs. showing up, she doesn’t understand sarcasm. It’s something that Crowley seems to think he can educate her in, as if its part of her training for her to reside on Earth successfully. Here’s the interesting thing though – Crowley never had that sort of induction period. He understood sarcasm, manners and etiquette right from the beginning of his time on Earth; we see him using all three during his conversation with Aziraphale on the wall. Furthermore, Shax’s behaviours appear to be consistent with other demons – Hastur doesn’t understand jokes, and Ligur had little historical knowledge of life on earth. In my mind, all of these things just serve to enforce the idea that Crowley has never really been “all demon” further – he’s always been closer to human than he was to a demon. Not only that, we can apply this same set of suppositions to Aziraphale and his (lack of) similarities to his angel brethren, because we see the same sort of discord between his natural human behaviours and their forced ones.

Ooh, soundscape time! It’s been a LONG time since I pointed out something in the soundtrack, not because it’s any less important or impressive, just because there is so much to say about this season in general. We’re coming back to the miracle noises though, and it’s about time because I think they will be come incredibly important to the storyline from now on.

Alright, so we’re back something that sounds like a cymbal being brushed, possibly with a little trumpet-like call at the end of it (that could be part of the soundtrack, rather than the noise for Shax’s disappearance: the two blend into one another so it’s impossible to tell). Now that we know what a miracle sounds like in this season (at least as far as demonic miracles are concerned anyway), we know what to look for going forward.

Alright, so remember what I said about the fly not being in the box but then crawling into the box? Well, the fly is definitely in the box when Aziraphale opens it:

It is very hard to see - it’s probably a bit easier to pick out in the shot that immediately follows, but this one is what we see as the box is being opened, so there can be absolutely no debate on this one as far as I’m concerned. We will also hear the fly leaving the box in a few minutes when Aziraphale steps away from his desk.

Now then, what is this funny exchange between Gabriel and Aziraphale? This is one of those moments that, like the interactions between them in the previous write up section, I have struggled to reconcile with the narrative from the first season where Aziraphale is, rightly, scared to be in Gabriel’s presence.

GABRIEL: You’re funny. I love you. AZIRAPHALE: Oh. Thank you. I- (Gabriel looks on expectantly.) Hm. (Aziraphale looks away.)

So firstly, I’m of a mind that Gabriel says this in his innocent amnesiac state where he doesn’t understand the weight that those words carry (we actually hear him say he “loves” the names Gabriel, Jim, and James, shortly after this exchange – it’s clearly a word he doesn’t understand the weight of). His expectant look at Aziraphale suggests that he understands he wants to hear it said back to him, but the vacant grin also suggests that if he did he’d just assume that was a normal part of conversation. At this point in the storyline, I actually think Gabriel’s behaviour is rather reminiscent of watching a child that ate the brownies Mommie made for the grown-ups, and as such, I don’t think we can put a lot of stake in the words he happens to vomit out of his mouth. It’s actually Aziraphale’s reaction I find more interesting because his first reaction is to say thank you. His expression even suggests that he has taken this to be a compliment, as if he finds it flattering to believe he could be lovable.

angel? What would possess you to even consider saying those words to this being? Granted he stops himself, it’s just I can’t understand why he even begins to say it in the first place. I don’t think I could even argue it was instinctive reflex – there wouldn’t be a pause between Gabriel’s statement and his reply if that was the case. And let’s be clear about the tone here – Aziraphale isn’t under any sort of pressure, there’s no threat of danger, and the dominant mood I get from him towards Gabriel at this point isn’t one of fear, but of exasperation. There’s just something about this little exchange that I can’t make sense of – I even went so far as to consider whether the statue in the background (which I believe is of Diana the Huntress) and the fact that it could be argued to be threatening him with an arrow to the back, but I couldn’t get that to make sense either. Maybe (just maybe) this is just something that was added because it was funny, but I’d love to hear what other people think about it.

 Alright, let’s move on, and talk for a second about what I think is probably a little Easter egg. Where is it that Aziraphale plucks Gabriel’s yet-to-be adopted name from?

Aside from the fact that these books appear to be in literally NO order*, and that Gabriel is about to become the namesake of another nonchalant “Lord” reference, there might be something in the plot of this book that makes it the perfect choice. From what I understand, the book is about a crew that abandons a passenger ship in distress (for “ship in distress” read “Heaven”), and the subsequent effects that the event has on one of the crew members, whose name is Jim, who spends the rest of his life coming to terms with himself and his past, seeking redemption and acceptance. I mean. Oof doesn’t really cover it, does it?

* Some of them don’t even have any writing on their spines for somebody’s sake. I can’t tell you how distressing I find this. The only reason for this I am prepared to accept is that the books are deliberately in a shambles so that no customer can ever find the book they want, and therefore can’t buy it.

Couple of quick notes about the first time we actually see our hero couple interacting in the present day for this season:

Crowley doesn’t offer a greeting when he picks up the phone in the Bentley. Doesn’t even look as if he’s going to before being interrupted. Personally, I think this indicates that there’s only one person that ever calls him – what need is there to offer a meaningless greeting if you’re only really resuming the conversation you had with that person anyway?

Aziraphale gives the whole name of the coffee shop when he tells Crowley where to meet him. Why? Why not just call it “the coffee shop”? There’s only going to be one coffee shop “across the road from the bookshop”, and even if it had changed hands/name since Crowley was last in Soho, I don’t think Crowley would notice the difference.

“2 minutes” is how long Crowley tells Aziraphale it will take for him to get to Soho. 2 whole minutes (that’s sarcasm there). And if we put our detective hats on for a moment, we can see that Crowley is actually already in Soho at the point where the phone rings. How do we know this? Well, it’s the bar. There’s a bar that Crowley screeches out in front of called The O Bar.

Google (and legacy Google Maps photos) shows that this bar used to be on the corner of Wardour Street and Brewer Street, in Soho. And that’s quite apart from the obvious that in order for Crowley to be there in “2 minutes”, he would already have had to be pretty close. So really my point is that it would appear he was already making his way to Aziraphale’s anyway, despite not having spoken to him beforehand. Granted, he has some intelligence from Shax that he likely needs to discuss with the angel, but the fact that he makes his way back to Soho without prior announcement speaks volumes to me about how comfortable the pair of them are with each other at this point. And in all honesty, if my head canon is to be believed, he’s really just making his way home after the night sleeping in his car (which I am pretty sure he does just to maintain the cover story that they aren’t already in a relationship).

There’s that fly again, this time being a nuisance and flying around Jim’s face. He notices it, tries to shoo it away even. Honestly, I don’t know how I didn’t up figuring out how important that damned fly was when I first watched this episode, it’s pretty bloody obvious.

One last thing here – a sighting of Terry’s hat and scarf!

Aside from how beautifully it’s posed on the rack (or in fact that it’s there at all), what I love about this is the callback to the ad in the paper from season one I pointed out:

Goodness, the Easter egg force is strong in this section. Here’s a whole bundle of them, wrapped up in a tiny object, delivered with a healthy dose of foreshadowing:

Let’s break this down a bit, shall we?

The story of Job will become a big storyline later in the season, bringing with it a host of revelations about both Aziraphale and Crowley.

The verse numbering can be reversed to give “1941”, another hugely important and impactful part of our hero couple’s chronology.

The matchbox itself originates from The Resurrectionist pub, a link to the final historical time period we will see in this season.

That’s all three of our minisodes that will play out later in the season referred to in one shot. Kudos for that, because that is smart. Not only that, but the quote (which we forcibly have our attention drawn to, so we know it MUST be important) is an accurate and genuine bible verse. It brings to mind Crowley’s actions in Heaven when he’s “dressed” as Aziraphale. How that ties in to everything else, I’m not sure.

There’s one more thing of note in this shot:

What’s that you say? Tartan? IN Heaven? Actually IN Heaven? Interesting. I raised the idea previously about exactly what it is I think the tartan additions to Aziraphale’s outfit symbolise way back in the first season:

Now that would make things really interesting, wouldn’t it? Because if that’s true, that would suggest that Muriel is also capable of exercising free will. And they’re not wearing a simple little bow tie like Aziraphale – their costume is riddled with it. It’s on show in a fancy little cravat sure, but it’s also weaved into the layers of their skirt, which I find really interesting. Wearing it in such a fashion would mean that sometimes it’s hidden, other times not, and that when it is on show, you rarely see its full extent. I love that Muriel gets their own tartan pattern too, rather than sharing the one that Aziraphale has; if you look at this in the context of free will, this would signify that there isn’t just one way to exercise it. More on the presence of tartan in Heaven later…

Alright, Crowley’s dangerously fast arrival in Whickber Street seems to me like a good place to stop, not least because I know I have plenty to say about the upcoming scene. Jeez, I said I was going to try and be less microscopic; that didn’t really pan out very well though, did it?! For now though, and as always, comments, questions, discussion; all welcome. See you next time 😊

[tmwcs]

guuuurl that bow tie fic was just too damn hawt. Love heelel he’s always so rough and gentle at the same time but takes time to educate and talk to reader like he’s so damn perfect! I love his moments of storytelling to reader. I have a question since heelel is so smart and just so perfect even though I know he used to be murderous af when he was angry at God but now that he has reader what would his reaction and lesson be for humans that try to summon demons or do rituals? Does he like that stuff? I had to ask since I watched some horror movies and it kind of popped up in my head in what he would do and say if someone tried to summon a demon from hell.

Warnings: mentions of rituals, summoning demons, hellish creatures, brutal deaths, hints of quid pro quo vibes, hints of smut near the end. think that’s it.

“Heeseung…”

Niki’s voice catches both of your attention as you sat in your usual spot on Heeseung’s lap, while the latter played with your hair and gripped you by the hip. “What is it, Niki?”

“Belial is gone. He took advantage and escaped through a summoning portal. My guess is a bunch of dumb cult members again.”

Heeseung tilted his head to the side, shifting his face in hand as he rubbed his temples, slightly wincing as if he gained a headache from the news. “Again? I fucking hate mortals I swear—“

He cuts off his own sentence while keeping his eyes shut, yet no longer squinting in annoyance. His forehead continues to rest against his fingers as he slowly opens and shifts his gaze over to you, flaring a lazy side eye. His lips remained just slightly parted as he realized he just said something that he felt he shouldn’t, considering you were right there and previously, a mortal.

He loosens the grip on your hip and scoots up to your waist, where he pulls you in by tugging you back. Your back now meshes against his chest.

He shifts his face and leans into the side of yours, giving you a tender kiss to the tip of your nose. Despite you not having anything to say to his snappy statement upon hearing Niki’s news, he felt the need to show, in his own way, that he was sorry for saying it aloud. This was an act of submitting an apology without actually saying it, you knew him well enough to know it whenever he displayed it.

“Well, he’s there, wreaking havoc. Thought id let you know since the man upstairs is about to get an increase of admittance to the gates, as will we.”

Heeseung maintains eye contact with you as he gives a short nod to Niki. The youngest brother takes his leave and you are both left alone once again.

“What did he mean an ‘increase of admittance’?” You inquired, slightly worried by the tone that was used to relay the news. “The demons here were former mortals who have committed heinous crimes against the innocent. They roam Hell to find weaker ones to quench their bloodlust, but whenever an opportunity arises for them to leave here and go there…” he points over to Earth while giving another tug on your waistline. “They haunt, torture, and kill humans. Mortals are easy prey.”

“W-will you do something about it?”

He tilts his head with a somewhat amused look, one that was mixed with adoration as he lifts his hand and pets your hair. “Probably not. I don’t really care about that world nor its inhabitants, which is why I always leave it alone. If mortals are dumb enough to mess with the dead and night creatures for their own amusement, then let them pay for it.”

He pulls your face against his lips as he leaves a loving and sickening sweet kiss against your nose. “You’re all I care about. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“That’s not—!”

You lean away but the sudden grip on your arms and hips halts you from completely detaching yourself from him. He glares at you with angry brows as he makes it known that he didn’t appreciate the abrupt distance. You sigh out as you feel his clingy grip grow tighter, slowly pulling you back in against his chest as he begins to pet your hair again.

“Would you do it for me?” You inquired, not even bothering trying to give him a justified reason on why he should give mortals the benefit of the doubt. You knew that in order to get what you want, so long as it wasn’t concerning you getting away, you knew exactly what to ask, and how to propose it.

“You want me to get rid of the demon? Even though they were the ones who invited him?” His voice was calm and rather sexy, the way he growled out the last word as he pressed his lips against your forehead.

“Not all humans are like that. I know there are some that do reckless things…but there are many more that are kind and don’t ask for such troubles.”

“I understand what you’re saying, darling. Fact of the matter is I don’t care about any of them.”

You shut your eyes and spoke out in response. “I know…but I still have family there…please—“ you open your eyes and raise your head. You cup his cheek as the tears begin to formulate out of desperation. “Would you do it for me? It would make me very happy.”

He lifts one brow and strokes your cheek. “Fine. If it will put your mind at ease, I’ll do it just for you.”

You smile as he taps against your high. “You stay here, I’ll have Jake and Sunghoon watch over you—“

“Can I come with you?” You quickly interject as he stood up from his throne with you pressed against him, coming to stand simultaneously. “You want to see this?”

You nod. He holds you around the waist as he cups your cheek, gently stroking his thumb over it. “Alright.”

Without breaking his hold, or eye contact, everything around you transitioned to a new setting. It was as if your current environment shattered, like mirrored glass as the shards displaying the image of Hell, his throne, the castle, and the mountain, all surrounded your bodies as a dark and unsettling atmosphere replaces it. “Where are we?” You look around to see the vast openness of a driveway in a rather decent neighborhood, or would be if the street lights had worked and the darkness didn’t shrill of evil.

“We’re right at the very spot these idiots summoned him.” Heeseung states as he views the large house a few feet away. There was something terribly wrong with the air in this setting. It was frightening. Too frightening. You were glad that Heeseung was there as you tightened your grip on his forearms, leaning against his chest. He merely looks down at you while you stared at the house, smirking. Of course he would smirk.

“You sure you don’t want to go back?”

You shake your head as you continued to inhale the grueling aura of the air surrounding you. “No…I don’t want to be away from you. I’m too scared….”

Who’d ever thought that you’d feel safer and yearn to be back in Hell. This place was too unholy and unlike the castle that had been your home for over a year, this place was not prepared nor decorated for your arrival. Despite his offer of taking you back, knowing you’d feel better sitting on his throne, waiting for him to return, and watching the beautiful views of the moon, sun, and earth, you found yourself not wanting to be away from him. He hugs you close as he begins to walk you to the front door of the house. “Heeseung…this place…”

“I know.” He quietly tells you as he taps the tip of your nose right his finger. You were scared out of your mind, you didn’t even release your embrace from his waist as he opened the door. “Beeeeelial. Come out, come out, wherever you are.” Heeseung playfully calls out as he tucks you behind and leads you by the hand. The view of his tall frame, clad in black Victorian styled attire relieved you of your fears just a bit as you felt comforted by his hands latching on to yours while he led the way.

The halls were long and too dark, it was hard for you to see, even being an immortal. For Heeseung, it was a cakewalk as he smoothly walked through, passing by unopened doors along the way. “Aren’t you going to check these rooms?”

“Don’t need to.” He calmly tells you as he eyeballs the master bedroom up ahead.

You both enter and from the corner of which you stood, the master bathroom across the room remained opened. A glaring red light eludes from it. Peeking in as you remained behind him, was a large pool of blood surrounded by candles. “So it was a cult…fucking idiots.” Heeseung quips under his breath.

A startling sound coming from behind causes you to yelp as you bury your face in his back. He comforts you by holding you close as he shushes you m. “Shhh. It’s okay y/n.” You raise your head and see a person, a mortal, crawling through the entrance. “H-help…please…”

He was covered in blood and terribly wounded. A chunk of his torso missing. “Where is he?” Heeseung hisses, not paying any mind to the pitiful moans the man let out. “D-don’t…don’t know…it…it killed the rest…of the group…..”

Heeseung scoffs in annoyance with an irritated smirk as he shakes his head, facing the side as he peered into the bathroom. “Why can’t you propel content yourselves with useful hobbies? Why must you always subject the world to your wreck-less perversions and stupidity?”

The man croaks out as he cries out of guilt. “We…we didn’t know that…that…it would actually happen….we..we thought—“

“What? Didn’t think it would really happen?” Heeseung places a hand on his hip. “Well now, don’t let your tone falter. Where’s that outspoken attitude you had earlier when you and your idiot posse spoke of worshipping demons and tainting the world of its purity? Where is all that big talk now?”

The man slowly bleeds out, yet continued to speak out and coherently. “D-did it…to please the Devil.”

“You did it to please…the devil, huh?” Heeseung smacks his teeth as he looks at the ground. “Funny…never expressed in wanting this. In fact, never wanted anything from you people at all. If it were left up to me, you’d all be demolished in a blink of an eye.”

He huffs out as he takes his steps closer to the dying man. “Some advice for you before you see Niki.”

Grabbing the man by the hair, Heeseung lifts the man’s face to view him directly. “DONT…FUCK…WITH…THE…DEVIL.”

The man sums up the last bit of his strength and spoke out once more. “Ho-how would….you fucking…know?!”

Heeseung chuckles. “You’ll see soon enough. See you later, Phillip.”

The man’s eyes widened, perturbed as Heeseung knew his name, though it was clearly left unmentioned. Inhaling his last breath, he blacks out and lays dead. Heeseung releases the thatch of his hair from his grip and lets his face fall against the floorboard. Suddenly a morbid figure appears at the center of the room, emerging from the ceiling. It screeched and made a terribly sound as its all white frame stands terrifyingly straight, with black hallow eyes and a bloodied mouth displaying jagged, sharp teeth and a black tongue.

“There you are.” Heeseung glares at the demon, amused by the raging roar coming from it. “You think you’re tough now that you’re here, don’t you?” Taking a step closer to the monster in the room, he continues to taunt him. “Think that just because you’re not in Hell, that you’re unrestrained and immune from me?”

The demon challenges him as he roars out, flaring off a split tongue and spewing out splatters of blood. “Don’t forget, Belial, I’m the one that created this world. And since my lovely wife loves the view of it, I’m gonna end your nonsense here and now.”

The demon continues to roar enraged. “I’m giving you the count of three. Go home or cease to exist. Your choice. 3…”

The demon becomes infuriated, feeling absolutely no need to heed his masters warning as he continues to flares his offensive tongue. “2…” Heeseung remains calm as he crosses his arms and counts down.

The demon takes a sudden turn and instead of facing Heeseung head on, charges in your direction. It knew that you were his weakness, the only thing that mattered to him. It also knew that he couldn’t win against its own creator, the devil. So why not go down with a bang and take what is most precious to him?

You froze and back against the wall as the demon charges and flashes unruly teeth, claws coming into view as he aims for you. Through incoherent screams, you weee able to understand the language of the monster as the queen of hell. It wanted to tear you apart.

The demon is yanked back, and held by its thin neck as heeeeung suspends him in the air. With an expression that was more terrifying than the demon itself, you shift your face to the side to avoid looking at the horrific look on your husbands face. For the first time ever since you’ve known him, you felt scared of Heeseung. A different type of fear from the usual sense that you were subjected to whenever you displayed a sinister look whenever he expressed his desire for you. No…this look he had now….it was different. There was no love or adoration, no sense of pleasure or mischief…it was a look of pure evil, all aimed at Belial.

“Ooooh…really now….thats the way you want to go?”

His voice…his voice was slightly different. It was still deep and dark, but conjuring at the same time.

You’re not sure how he disposed of Belial since you kept your face to the side, wincing your eyes shut trying to rid the image of your husbands current expression. From the sounds of the awful screams, and the tearing of flesh and pools of blood and bodily fluids splattering all over the room, you figured it was a terrible end, even for a demon. When all was said and done, you hear a calm and peaceful tone, one that was very familiar. “Darling? It’s time to go home.”

Your breathes hastened. You’re on the verge of hyperventilating as tears formed in your eyes, and your voice shakes hysterically as you open your eyes, and witness the current state of the room. Blood and flesh stain the walls all around, everything from the dead cult member to the ceiling was coated with it, yet you remained cleaned from it all.

You lose control and begin to scream and cry out hysterically out of fear and sickness. It was all too much. “Come here, I’ve got you.” He catches you as you stumbled and found it difficult to stand on your own, collapsing each time you tried. His warm embrace covers you, but you refrained from looking at him. “It’s okay darling.”

He grips your chin and forces you to face him. Fortunately, it was back to normal…that sound expression. “I know. It’s okay, you don’t have to worry. I’ll never look at you like that.” He kisses you. “So long as you don’t leave.” The menacing look reappears, this time with a frightening smile. “Stay and keep me happy, and I won’t ever get angry with you.”

You scream and try to push away as he grips onto you tighter. “Stop!! What are you doing?! Get away from me! Who are you?!”

He chuckles as he holds you close. “Calm down baby. I know you’ll keep me happy, you have nothing to worry about.”

You tremble snd collapse to your knees once more, dragging him down as he kneels to continue on with his embrace. “Shhh…come on baby, look at me. LOOK AT ME!”

The last bit of his words spoke out in a demonic tone. “Stop! Why are you doing this?! Stop it!”

You wince away as he chuckles once more, taking pleasure in tormenting you a bit. “Please! I’ll be good! I won’t ever leave just please!”

“Please what?” A long, snake like tongue leaks out of his mouth as it coats your cheek with his saliva. “Heeseung please stop! Please! I want my husband back!”

His embrace tightens and he kisses you atop your head. “I’m here, darling. I just like having fun with you sometimes.”

You push his chest out of anger and fear, even went so far as to face him to slap his cheek. He liked that. Well…at least right now he did.

He growls a smirk as he stares at you wide eyed. “Stop looking at me like that! I don’t like it!” Tears stream down your cheeks as you grip the pads of his coat lining his shoulders. “Please…don’t scare me like that. I love you i just…you scare me so much.”

Chuckling once more, he kisses you. “Don’t worry. I had my fun to last me a while, let’s go home. We’re done here.”

He takes you and within a blink of an eye, you’re both back home.

You enclose yourself by wrapping your arms around your chest. Heeseung stands before you with a calm expression, admiring your hair. “You know baby…I kind of got the taste for a game.”

“A game?” You inquired with a semi-shaky breath.

“Yeah a game.”

“What…game, Heeseung?” Tired of his tormenting playfulness, you glare at him as you distance yourself away, step by step. “Feel like being chased?”

“Chased?”

“Yeah, chased….and played with.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

He smiles deviously as he develops his bedroom eyes. His handsome face tells you of subjecting you to the highest sense of pleasure and pain, which you had normally welcomed, but right now you weren’t in the mood. He licks his lips as he eyes your hips. Either a calm and dark tone, he tells you….

“Darling…RUN.

[crescenthistory]

Hi Carina! Don’t know if this is too random to ask but what is your experience being a student in London? I am thinking about doing my master’s there but as an international student and I really don’t know what to expect.

hi there lovely!! not too random at all, i'm happy to help<33

keep in mind now that i have wanted to study in london since i was literally 6 years old, so my experience is coloured by the naivety of having a dream lmao. additionally, i'm from norway, which isn't that far away and has a similar culture + everyone here is fluent in english, so the change isn't that drastic for me.

i would say studying in london is fucking great IF:

you want the full study experience

you are getting into an industry/sector where london is relevant (e.g. i'm studying history and there are loads of history in london to be studied + the uk are very influential in the discipline)

you enjoy a rigorous education

you LOVE to study and enjoy the city life

the last point is particularly important, because the biggest downside to studying in london is the economic one – do not underestimate how expensive tuition and housing is for an international student. you HAVE to love your master's, writing essays, deadlines, studying and being in london, if not it will not be worth it.

if you don't really like studying but feel like you should/have to, or if you don't really enjoy the big city but want to get away from home, then london is not for you. there are loads of cheaper, quieter places to study that still give you the study abroad feel and distance. on the other hand, if you are passionate and dedicated, then most universities in london (in my experience) will truly foster that like no other. i feel like my ambition is fuelled and supported thoroughly by my uni, and to anyone who share my mindset of adoring what you do and loving life in a big hustling city, then it is such a great choice.

in terms of what to expect, here are some things off the top of my head that you might not be informed about:

everything is very systemised here – you have a personal tutor that sees you through the term, you have a personalised online portal that you access and hand in everything through, you have very specific forms to fill out in cases of disability, illness or mitigating circumstances

you can get a lot through the uni, though you should usually apply early (talking dorms, scholarships, gym memberships, disability help, a general practitioner, a therapist, etc.)

some degrees have a majority of home students while others have a majority of international students, and it can be beneficial to figure out what the case is for your master's

there is quite a lot of pub life going on, but in my experience there isn't really any pressure to drink. though, going out will make making friends easier, but most people are very willing to subsitute that with coffee or study dates

most professors are super passionate about what they do and are willing to take you on for extra support/tutoring

most graduate teaching assistants are tired beyond belief and will not be much help lmao (with exceptions, @ tom the light of my life)

i have no idea if this was too much or too little compared with what you wanted to know. please let me know (through asks or dms) if you have any more questions! i am more than happy to talk about it 🫂

[girlactionfigure]

⚠️ SPECIAL IDF UPDATES ON HOME FRONT COMMAND GUIDELINES AND POTENTIAL ESCALATION ⚠️

Following a situational assessment, the IDF has announced changes to the Home Front Command’s defensive guidelines, effective today at 20:30. These changes apply to the Lower Galilee, Upper Galilee, Haifa Bay, Central Galilee, and parts of the southern Golan Heights (Emek Hayarden), while communities along the confrontation line, the northern Golan Heights, and other areas in the southern Golan Heights will continue to follow existing guidelines.

The updated guidelines include restrictions on gatherings, limiting them to 30 people in open areas and 300 in enclosed spaces. Work is allowed if a protected space is available, and educational activities can proceed as long as there are secure spaces.

Residents are urged to follow the official instructions published on Home Front Command channels, which are updated on the National Emergency Portal and the Home Front Command app.

IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari warned of potential rocket launches and other threats in the coming hours, advising that additional changes to guidelines could occur depending on developments. Hagari emphasized the importance of adhering to Home Front Command guidelines and staying informed about any further updates.

⚠️ALERTS NOTICE - those watching Israeli TV on computer or phone app, Homefront has confirmed that Homefront alerts MAY NOT APPEAR (we’ve noticed this on Ch. 14 and Kaan 11, Homefront confirmed the issue).

⚠️EDUCATION.. From the Haifa line to the north, classes will continue as usual and provided that there are protected spaces nearby. In other places, distance learning will probably take place. All trips in the areas in question (Haifa to the north) will be cancelled.  Check with your city - dial 106 - or school.

⚠️ In a special emergency situation declaration, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant signed new measures for the home front. A high-level security meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, key government ministers, top IDF officials, and other security agencies, is scheduled to take place soon at the IDF’s Kirya HQ. Senior officials have indicated that a dramatic escalation could be imminent.

[yudkowsky]

Don’t get me wrong, I liked Scholomance.

But I also want the story that I thought I was getting in the first half of A Deadly Education, the story of El Higgins, a witch with vast dark powers and prophesied to rise to a dread fate, who is kind of acerbic about the whole thing and never asked to be dark.

I want to watch the Disney movie of it.

I want to watch the story of Disney Princess El, who was born to a renowned Light sorceress and healer, who is growing up as a witch with vast dark powers, whose spells come out dark and evil-looking even if she tries to make them nice, and there's a prophecy that all in two kingdoms will fear El's name.

The movie opens with El singing about her dark powers and the prophecy and how annoying they are, and how she loses her magic if she doesn't dress in black, and she doesn't even want her name to be feared, wouldn't it be nice to be nice; as El goes around in a nearby town committing scary and evil-looking acts of helpfulness, like using an enormous fire-lance to blow up an chunk of roof that was about to fall on somebody, or summoning purple-glowing chains to drag a child's kitten out of a tree; and after El helps people, they run away.  Or they offer her a cupcake while saying 'please don't kill me', which El sighs and takes and eats, right after the part of her introductory song about how nobody's ever grateful when she tries to help.

Eventually, Disney Princess El goes back to the hut slash tiny dark castle she built in the woods after moving away from her mother, which of course is very scary-looking and has a tiny local permanent stormcloud over it.  El enters bearing some cheerful bright flowers that she plucked nearby, puts them into a dark spiky vase, and sits down at her table with a sigh.

The camera viewpoint then shifts to Disney Princess Chloe, who's dressed all in white, singing about how nice it is to be nice, her song summoning small woodland creatures to hold up her dress as she walks through the woods (with a tiny stormcloud visible in the distance, in the direction of her travel).  Chloe is followed by her Disney-Princess pet, an adorable talking rabbit-like creature with big floppy white ears.

Viewpoint shifts back to El, who tries to sing the same cheerful song about helpers, requesting that they clean her cottage, and then El lets her head drop in exhaustion to her desk, as she gets a portal to Hell with cheerful devils who go around cleaning her house and also carefully darkening any spots of white that turn up, and making sure that the flowers El placed in a vase get turned to evil flowers with auras of flame.

But when Chloe approaches and calls for the witch of these woods, "my kingdom needs your aid!", El makes a much more serious effort to get her cottage cleaned up - somebody's actually looking for her help, who doesn't know she's evil!  After some increasingly futile efforts to sing spells of niceness and prettiness, as Chloe gets closer and closer, El finally gives up and sings a much darker song about diabolical illusions meant to deceive heroes, so that her cottage looks friendly when Chloe finally arrives.  Though it still has the permanent stormcloud over it, which sends down a tiny lightning bolt.

The story's central plot is now introduced:  Chloe is seeking aid in her quest to prevent her kingdom from being invaded by a neighboring kingdom, and she'd heard that a powerful and nice sorceress had moved into the woods nearby (in a disputed territory claimed by both kingdoms, in fact) so Chloe went to beg aid of her.

Then for the movie's main plot, they go around trying to unravel and avert the two kingdoms from going to war over how each kingdom allegedly kidnapped the crown prince / crown princess of the other, because each kingdom lays claim to one queen who gave birth to both the prince and the princess, finding increasingly tangled and ridiculous further causes for the conflict.

Or rather, the movie's main content is about El's frantic attempts to cover up her real powers so she can go on looking kindly and innocent in front of Chloe, and then the standard stalwart hero introduced shortly after, Orion.  The evil baron's guards capture El.  The guard captain recognizes her as the prophesied Dark Lady (since evil is all one big happy family).  El hisses at the guards they had damned well better keep her in the prison cells and act like they're imprisoning her so that her friends don't get suspicious when they storm in to rescue her; as Orion does, the guards assiduously falling over as soon as Orion whaps them.

El is also annoyed with the apparent romance developing between Chloe and Orion because she doesn't think Orion is good enough for Chloe and vice versa, but despite several temptations El avoids spiking their relationship through deception or trickery.  They're joined by further companion Aadhya.  El makes several attempts to get either Chloe or Orion together with Aadhya, all of which fail.

In the movie's finale, it's revealed that Chloe and Orion are the princess and prince of the two kingdoms, and that what El thought was their romance was actually just sibling affection, the two being icked out and asking why El even thought that.  "I said right when we met that I needed aid for my kingdom!" Chloe protests, and El replies "I thought you meant you lived there!"  Chloe has never been under the impression that El wasn't the dark witch from the prophecy, she just knows that dark isn't the same as evil and people don't always have good reasons to fear a name.  Orion is caught completely flatfooted.  Chloe's disney-princess pet is revealed to be the actual evil mastermind of the story, a demon king that El accidentally summoned when she was little.

Also El has gotten completely fed up with the two kingdoms insisting that they go to war with each other; and has, over the course of the whole story, become more accepting of her powers' dark style and realizing that you can use scary powers to do nice things.  El cows both armies with a show of supreme power and proclaims herself Dark Empress of both kingdoms.

In the denouement, the kingdoms try to marry Chloe and Orion to El, but El refuses and marries Aadhya instead.  They're both girls, but children won't be a problem: El accidentally accepted thirteen pacts from various people who now owe her their firstborns, back when El was too young to properly understand what she was doing.

- The End -

[shikshaconsulting]

There is a huge popularity of distance learning and distance education these days. Still there are a few people who does not believe in distance education. Well, if you are one of those here is one solid reason for you to choose NMIMS Distance Learning over conventional education.

[matrimonysitesblog]

Love, Arranged, and Online: A Modern Indian Love Story

Introduction:-

Indian society has seen arranged marriages as part of its culture for many decades. But the current situation regarding marriage and the way people find a partner for life has changed with time. Online matrimony sites have changed the Indian way of connecting, loving, and getting married. A Balance between Tradition and Technology.

Indian matrimony sites are a blend of tradition and technology. Though families play a very important role in matchmaking, the internet has empowered people to take charge of their love lives. Thousands of people can be accessed from one site, and the filtering is done in terms of caste, religion, education, and profession.

Benefits of Online Matrimony:-

Wider Reach: It helps widen the geographical range, making it easier for users to get a better match. Privacy and Convenience: They can connect privately with no social pressures at work or embarrassing family introductions. Self-Selection: One can choose their partners according to shared interests, values, or similar aspirations. Cultural Sensitivity: Most of these portals also consider specific cultural preferences or regional sentiments so that a perfect cultural match can be created.

Challenges and Considerations:-

While online matrimony sites offer many advantages, caution is necessary and vigilance towards possible challenges: Fake Profiles: Be careful about fake profiles and scams. Check the information and meet in public places for the first time. Cyberbullying and Harassment: Online harassment is such a serious issue. Suspicious behavior should be reported to the administrators of the platform. Culture: Though online platforms do overcome distance, sometimes the cultural factor has been a problem. Communication and proper understanding are very important.

The Future of Love:- As love continues to be redefined in the face of technological advancements, choosing online matrimony sites like Princess Matrimony Indian Society will perhaps enhance further. This might help people understand and love each other across cultures and redefine the concept of love and marriage.

[ven0ms]

☾ ₊ ⊹  •  trying to fulfill the inescapable feeling of emptiness within , the unmistakable melody of a piano playing softly in the distance , a pile of books with the corners folded over , the shift in temperature right before the storm , the choice between contentment and endless ambition , the brightness of a just - polished crystal chandelier .

*   biography   ,   pinterest   ,   spotify   .

full name , santos miguel - jakov ochoa . nickname(s) , n/a . name meaning , the saint . age , thirty . date of birth , august 7th . place of birth , new york city , new york . ethnicity , mexican , white . gender , cis man . pronouns , he / his . sexual orientation , bisexual . religion , catholic . occupation , casino heir , indulging in non - profits . education level , masters in business . label(s) , the humanist , the halcyon , the golden retriever , the magnet , the dynamo . positive traits , allocentric , staunch , adaptable . negative traits , recalcitrant , fractious , reticent .    

faceclaim , taylor zakhar perez . career / voice claim , n/a . hair color , dark brown . hair style , short messy curls . eye color , brown . height , 6'1" . build , athletic , muscular . tattoos , n/a . piercings , n/a . clothing style , jeans , t - shirt , beat up sneakers . distinguishing characteristics , always the upturn of a smile , long dark eyelashes , boisterous laugh . signature scent , tom ford oud wood , notes that overwhelm the senses with dark , earthy sensuality , exotic rosewood and cardamom give way to a smoky blend of precious oud notes , sandalwood and vetiver , tonka bean and amber add warmth .    

diagnosed disorders , insomnia . physical disorders , n/a . allergies , n/a . sleeping habits , irregular , often passes out at odd hours , in odd places ( friends couch , party , etc ) . eating habits , often forgets to eat regularly due to constantly working , but will eat large portions to make up for it . sociability , enjoys being around people , an extreme extrovert , will never get tired of talking . addictions , finding the next charity to sponsor , 20oz sugar free energy drinks , interacting with people on twitter . alcohol use , mostly social , the majority of the days of the week . drug use , regularly , to keep functioning at such a high rate , and to wind down , will deny if asked . cigarette use , n/a .    

likes , the ache that blooms in well - worn muscles , a grounding reminder that strength is earned through effort , that every lift and stretch sculpts resilience into sinew / the quiet reverence in small gestures of kindness , as if each offering is a note in a symphony of unseen compassion , anchoring the spirit in a world that often forgets to be gentle / the intimate scent of old pages , each creased line and frayed corner a portal to unspoken truths and voices long stilled , an escape from noise yet also a place of reflection , wisdom hidden within yellowed paper and ink - stained whispers . dislikes , the thin veneer of shallow exchanges , where pleasantries hang like gauze over a festering hollowness , the heart recoiling from connections lacking warmth , as though sincerity were a foreign tongue / the silent pressure of expectations , an unseen weight that presses upon the shoulders , urging a choice between self - truth and the mirrored gaze of others , a tension that knots beneath the skin / the abrasive hum of overcrowded spaces , where minds and voices overlap in discord , drowning out the gentle solitude craved yet often denied .    

fears , the vulnerable sting of openness , the way honesty feels like standing on a precipice , arms outstretched with nothing to shield against the winds of judgment / the haunting specter of family , of anchoring oneself to others in a dance of love and risk , where past scars lie in wait to imprint themselves on the next generation / the terror of inertia , a soul dulled by the relentless ticking of time without progress , a nightmare where the fire to grow and evolve slowly wanes , leaving only shadows where brightness once burned . habits , driven by an insatiable urge to keep moving , a mind filled with lists and goals that run like clockwork , so much so that basic needs — food , rest — are lost in the relentless pursuit of “ better ” / rituals of physical discipline , the rhythmic strain of exercise like a heartbeat that steadies , the body’s silent communion with strength and control amidst chaos / a private collection of passages and phrases , lines of prose that speak back to a hidden yearning , small anchors of meaning in a world where grounding is often as fleeting as breath .    

mother , marija antonela ochoa , neé hazdic ( 50 ) . father , miguel tomás ochoa ( 52 ) . sibling(s) , alejandra ( twenty - seven ) , antonia ( twenty - four ) . significant other(s) , has not been in a long - term relationship . children , n/a . pets , n/a . primary vice , lust . primary virtue , modesty . weather , light breeze of coastal waters , half cloudy sky to shield the sun's full power . color , reddish - brown . music , anything that sounds good . movie , the departed . book , the once and future king . sport , football . beverage , americano . food , anything homemade . animal , bearded dragon . season , middle of summer , when the crickets make up the nightly soundscape .

[renee-writer]

Frank Chapter 63

AO3

“What is it?” Her grandfather frowns at her, “Is it the children?”

Her laugh is harsh. “You would know better than me.” This whole thing is overwhelming. Their birth, quickly followed by two others. The arrival of people she believed long dead and a man she had never imagined meeting.

He pats her hand. “My child, I know they survive, growing strong and healthy. Whether they suffer from issues in their newborn stage, I cannot tell you.”

She places her hand over his. “I am sorry. Should I call you Master Raymond or grandfather?”

He smiles. “Whatever you are comfortable with.”

“Grandfather,” he beams, “it isn’t my children I am worried about. Geillis reports that Frank is possessive of the baby, only allowing Laoghaire to hold him while nursing. She isn’t my favorite person, as you can well imagine but, a mother needs to bond with her child.”

“Quite true,” he frowns looking off into the distance, “The child will remain here. He will try to take it through the portal back to his time but, you are the one that allowed him through. He can’t travel without you. The young lad, who will be known as little Frank, will get what he needs from his granny, Mrs. Fitz and others from the castle.”

“Frank is stuck here,” at the look on his face she continues, “What? What aren’t you telling me?”

“Nothing you need to worry about. Truly. The child won’t be as loved as your own but will be alright.”

“Alright. Laoghaire will find happiness?”

He shrugs. “A type of contentment anyway.”

“All we can hope for, eh?”

“That it is my child.”

“Is there anything I and Jamie need to do to with or for the children to direct their path?”

“No. Just love them. Educate them. Raise them up strong and healthy. If you know to much about the future, you could change it.”

“Will you stick around?”

Again that look she can’t identify. “For a bit longer.”

“Grandfather?”

“I promise you will know all you need too.”

[axewchao]

I was right; I couldn't bring myself to draw anything other than a ref for Koopa!Dal after making the human one:'D

Part of me wanted to copy/paste some of the stuff from the human bio... but then I looked at the stuff I already typed for Koopa!Dal and thought "yeah no I'm not gonna build another goddamn wall of text." Because I don't really need to; if anything is different with a specific version of my purple boi, I'll say so. owo)b

~~~

Much like his human counterpart, Dalex is calm, non-confrontational, and observant. Being born as a Poison Koopa-Boom Boom hybrid didn't change that fact, nor did his eventual choice to side with King Bowser and his brood of eight. Hailing from a mountain range northwest of the Koopa Kingdom, Dalex made his way to the Dark Lands in hopes of learning more about his own kind, as there were very few Koopas to speak of in his hometown of Wyverra Village.

Apart from getting in touch with his Koopa heritage, Dalex had another goal in mind when he arrived: solving the mystery of his pendant, which had been with him since he was four years old. Both he and his parents had no idea what it was or where it could've come from, and no amount of poring through the books of public libraries helped. At most, he learned that the pendant resembled the Shine Sprites of Isle Delfino, but the pendant's color and lack of eyes made it clear that they were not one and the same.

The only remaining option was the Castle library, but he couldn't just... waltz right into the Koopa friggin' Castle to look at some books. And as much as Dalex wanted answers, he wasn't about to poke his snout where he wasn't welcome. Maybe... maybe if he got a job there, he'd be able to check a few things out? He wasn't gonna go out on the front lines to fight the likes of the Mario Bros.; more along the lines of cleaning, patrols, or heavy lifting. He didn't necessarily need the coins, but... well, he could put it towards a trip to Sarasaland. He'd been meaning to go there one day.

Dalex had begun his work as one of Bowser's many minions hidden in the background, and the background was where he'd meant to stay. Little did he know, he'd eventually catch the eye of not one, not two, but eight special Koopas, who were more than happy to pull him into the foreground whether he liked it or not. But that was fine; Dalex wasn't in a hurry, and to be honest, even if they could be a bit much at times, the Royal Family certainly knew how to make life a bit more interesting.

Trivia

Poison Koopas are a somewhat uncommon subspecies, often confused for Dragon Koopas with purple scales. As far as most people know, Dalex is just a purple Boom Boom. Admittedly this little secret is not as tight-lipped as one would think; no one (except Iggy) ever asks, so Dalex never tells.

His status as half-Poison Koopa renders him immune to poisonous substances, but he is vulnerable to his own kind's venom. If he were purely a Poison Koopa, he'd be immune to the venom as well.

His own venom can knock someone out in about 30 minutes, while a purebred's venom takes a mere 10. 

Among the other Minions, Dalex's best friends are Boom Boom and Pom Pom. They befriended him shortly after he joined and were the first two people he openly spoke to before any of the Koopalings got involved.

After meeting each of the Koopalings, Dalex became the "student" of Ludwig Von Koopa. First educating Dalex on Koopa culture and later magic, Ludwig initially wanted to keep things "normal" between them, but fell for him as time went on. Being treated like an equal despite Ludwig's higher status and generally feeling accepted and comfortable in Dal's presence certainly played a part in that. He didn't even notice how "close" the two of them were getting until it was literally spelled out for him by his siblings.

Since he's only recently begun practicing magic, doing something like making multiple paint portals over a short period/ones that stretch across greater distances can tire Dalex out quickly. The more he trains, the more magic he'll be able to use before he gets tired. Same goes for the magic output of his Shade Sprite.

Part of him is afraid of what he could do once he gets better at magic, particularly if he gets angry... but having no clue what he's doing sounds even more dangerous, hence him eventually asking Ludwig to help him.

[dasozelotvonnebenan]

Okay @bluebudgie here's a bunch of my thoughts about foci and stuff for my characters.

Aerana:

She has a large selection of very specialized foci that mostly see use for lab work. Her "everyday carry" foci are a scalpel for precision work (she mostly uses it for arc welding) and a scepter (it speaks to her of commanding authority which is a pretty versatile connection to make).

She also has a collection of staves, mostly so she can color coordinate with her outfit, as well of one for official ceremonies. One of her favourite uses is to slam the staff into the ground and from that sound create a deafening thunder, but it's also her preferred focus for throwing lightning.

Another neat trick of hers actually involves her jewelery, creating strobing flashes of light inspired by the sparcling stones.

Her toolkit includes things like a destroyer crab mandible for fire magic, a petrified branch from the pyrite peninsula in Orr for coating things with earth magic ans polished crystal lenses of various precious stones.

More characters for your dash's sake under the readmore:

Reevus:

He doesn't use much magic and only has two objects he uses as foci. First his gun as mentioned before. Knocking someone unconscious from a distance. And his mask (part of the ash legion uniform) for various things connected to sneaking around. Displacing and distorting his image, invisibility and sounds suppression, phantom noises, etc.

Lorna:

One of her teachers once said: "the sign of a good mage is not the number of foci they carry on their belt, but that their belt is also a focus. A great mage is capable of killing you with their underwear."

The ones she makes most use of are of course her greatsword and armor by virtue of having those with her most often, but also her tattoos are a focus for her, helping her enter the Necro shroud. Makeup like the demon mask and jewelery is more for ritual purposes. Daggers for images of drawing blood, sacrifice but also the teeth of an animal. A chak claw for drawing in life force (like the chak drainers she saw in rata novus) but also freezing through the memory of the shivers she gets when she drags the claw across rough stone.

Faladlain:

Not much of a magic user, partially because he's not good at doing the associations quickly. He derails easily, which is why if he wants stuff to work he usually pulls up a story in his diary or his drafts and reads along and focuses through that (he is a firebrand ingame)

Era:

Didn't have a formal magic education and doesn't mechanically understand what she is doing. She just goes "I wish my sister where here to kick some icebrood ass" and bam.

Commander Posh:

Uses mirror shards to create portals because they represent a changed angle of view.

Commander Ruck:

Very good at adapting to things he's just picked up, but prefers guns he's used to. Only recently learned about the mechanics of magic so most of his associations are more instinctual.