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myloveforhergoeson · 21 days

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Online Songs - Chapter 1

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Chapter 1: Must Have Done Something Right ~ 3k

With shaking hands, Daisy-Mae Denton walked into the Clear Creek High School Public Library.

What was usually a quaint, quiet space to read or sketch over her summer break was filled with the hustle and bustle of other students now that their first day had ended. The crisp smell of comfort and old paper swallowed entirely by the pungent scent of bodies, bodies, and more bodies.

Plenty of her fellow classmates had flooded the space, taking up the sage green couches she loved to curl up on as friend groups caught up, sitting on the floor between the endless rows of shelving while she tried to weave through to the non-fiction section, picking things up from their assigned spots and setting them down elsewhere just as she turned the corner down another row of books.

The history assignment she clutched should have been the main source of her anxiety, because a multi-page essay handed out on the first day was never a good sign, but in reality, that was the one thing keeping her together as she passed the others her age, keeping her eyes trained on her brown penny loafers for as long as it took to reach the 970s.

If 900 is History and Geography… And 970 is North American History… That makes United States History-

“Maisie! Duck!”

Just as her fingers reached out to trace the 973 call number at the spine of the first US history book, she processed the words and crouched as quickly as she could. A football spiraled right through the area where her head used to be in a perfect arc from one side of the long, four-tiered shelf to the other. Her heart began to painfully pound as the junior who threw it rushed past her, clad in his blue and silver varsity jacket.

Rory Jenkins. They’d been in the same classes together since elementary school.

Shoulders brushing in the narrow space when Daisy straightened herself upright once more, Rory hurried over to his receiver, who was laughing, “Nice one!”

Cheeks heating, Daisy gripped the paper in her hands tighter, hardly able to register what he’d said with all of the blood rushing to her ears.

He’s laughing at you.

The 973s filled her vision, allowing her to confirm her memory of the Dewey Decimal System as the first title about US history popped up. A book about World War Two; Way too late in the timeline. Mrs. Gruben had barely gotten through her introduction to the course and its extensive quarterly essay project before touching briefly on the settling of the first colony at Jamestown right as the bell rang.

Eyes flicking down the line until she found a title related to colonial times, Rory’s laughter filled her ears again. Her awkward duck couldn’t have been that funny. Neither was his mash-up of her first name.

When she turned to correct him, he and his friend were already at the opposite end of the long shelving, backs turned to her as their shoulders shook. One of the librarians at the help desk held a finger to her lips, shushing them as they walked by.

Though she wasn’t able to shake her feelings of unease, grabbing the first book that looked helpful did get Daisy back on track. She was here to get a jumpstart on her work after all.

Please use three primary sources, five secondary sources, and this YouTube documentary to construct your thesis, the student read from the sheet in her hand. Having the freedom to choose what documents and books to use was reassuring, she had no problem scouring the shelves for whatever she needed, and the original Jamestown site was only about an hour's drive away from her hometown of Chester, Virginia. Gathering the necessary sources would be no problem.

It was the printed-out YouTube link that scared her the most.

Neatly placing the assignment instructions on the book's cover and tucking it between her arm and hip, Daisy kept browsing, picking out any title that caught her eye. Checking out books on a desired topic was a snap, especially with such a nice, full library on Clear Creek’s campus; Her almost perfect memory of the building’s layout from a lifetime of visits with her Nana made it even easier.

Holding all the information she could between the lines of the texts as she stacked them up was reassuring. Everything she should need was filled into the bent, yellowing pages, perfectly spelled out for her and her needs. Far better than some silly online documentary she’d have to keep pausing and rewinding over and over again as she wrote down the facts she’d need in her notebook.

By the time she’d found an empty table and set her impressive stack down, most of the other students had trickled out. Silently, she thanked God she didn’t have to ask someone if she could take the seat next to them, that was always so embarrassing. Her watch read 3:30. Had she really been lost among the shelves for half an hour? Nana would be proud.

Besides, she wouldn’t be expected to be home until her Grandad returned from his art studio around 5… If she were there any sooner her older brother, Jay-Jay, would certainly pester her to help him whip up whatever recipe suited his wild whims. Cooking was his thing, certainly not hers, though she was always happy to partake in his impressive dishes.

So, for the time being, she grabbed her spiraled history notebook from the beige messenger bag leaning on the leg of the plastic chair she sat in, and opened the cover to the first book, Jamestown: A Legacy, and dove back in time.

At least, she tried to, but the keyboard of the computer in front of her was annoyingly large. When she allowed the book to fall completely open, the cover hit one of the keys and the bright blue screen flicked on, reflecting off the lens of her bronze-lined glasses.

Daisy wasn’t a technophobe, as her best friend Makana Aukai liked to call her, but she wasn’t all that fond of the way the computers had overtaken her beloved library over the years. Less space for her note-taking, and more space for a blindingly bright monitor in her face while she was trying to learn. The greatest civilizations in history had gotten along just fine without the internet, all the way from Mesopotamia to Ancient Egypt to the modern United States, so why couldn’t she?

Besides, it seemed like the models changed every year. No one had the time to keep learning how to use these new devices for information when the encyclopedia and reference books worked perfectly fine. Or they did when given the proper space to use them.

Her eyes flicked back to the assignment sheet. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to check out the documentary early now that the computer was awake. It’s not like she had a computer of her own to watch it on at home.

Slowly taking her index fingers to the keys, she typed out her student ID into the first box labeled username. White polish on her nails stood out starkly against the black of the keys.

Password was the stumper. Having set this account up two years ago at the beginning of her freshman year, she had no clue what she’d chosen to protect her account.

She typed out password, as that seemed the most logical choice. It’d be impossible to forget the word if it was right there on the screen. The box wiggled after she pressed the enter key.

A small pop-up filled her vision asking What street did you live on growing up?

Letter by letter she squeezed out Hilltop Avenue.

An image of the large white colonial her grandparents owned filled her vision, picturing the expansive green lawn and gorgeous forest surrounding it. The street Jay-Jay taught her to ride a bike on, the large open spaces they’d build leaf piles in when fall came.

Once that answer was accepted, another question appeared. What was the name of your first pet?

That was an easy one, Poppy.

Daisy’s aging calico was her first and only pet, given to her by her grandparents on her tenth birthday. Originally, Poppy had been a way for Daisy to learn about the responsibility of learning to care for another living being, but the other members of her family were just as obsessed with the cat as she was. Poppy’s toys littered their carpet, her food taking up a whole shelf in the fridge, and her fur clung to their clothing as tightly as their little cuddle bug did when everyone gathered in the study in the evenings to read together.

Also accepted, she was then prompted to change her password, once and for all picking password before she was brought to the desktop - An image of the front of her high school during the wintertime, snow blanketing the gorgeous brick buildings. Now, she had to get to YouTube, which she believed was easier said than done.

None of the icons on the left side of the screen looked like the company logo on the videos she’d seen Makana pull up. Awesome.

Internet Explorer looked promising, so she maneuvered the mouse in that direction and clicked on the blue and yellow icon, waiting to see what would happen. A small outline appeared around the picture, but beyond that, nothing, so she clicked it again. Once more, nothing.

So stupid, she thought to herself clicking on it over and over until something changed. Piece of junk!

A few moments later a larger box appeared in the middle of the screen, the pointer of the mouse icon turning into a spinning wheel for a few seconds before the Google search bar appeared on a white background. Now, this Daisy knew how to do. Whatever she put in the smaller bar under the logo would pull up just what she was looking for.

YouTube, her fingers managed, enter.

This time, an unfamiliar image pulled up in the box, and this was usually where Makana shone, picking out something to show her friend to try and “cure” her “internet aversion.” So far nothing she’d picked had made Daisy want to explore the platform any further, but now that she knew it housed history documentaries too, that might pique her interest far more than the poor excuse for sketch comedy Kana always pulled up.

The search bar was a little tougher to find this time, at the top of the tab instead of in the middle, and Daisy pulled the essay instruction sheet out and began to slowly copy the link Mrs. Gruben had added in. One by one, she read the letter out on the paper and meticulously searched for it on the keyboard. Why the letters weren’t in alphabetical order was beyond her, and it probably took her five minutes to struggle out every single letter, but eventually, she was confident enough to hit enter one more time and wait for the video to pull itself up.

Nightmare In Jamestown sounded awfully intriguing, especially given the sordid actions of the settlers against the Indigenous people who had called the land home long before their boats arrived, but that title didn’t show up on her screen.

Check Yes, Juliet - Kendall K popped up instead, causing her eyes to flicker up to the bar where she’d painstakingly typed out the long link. Apparently, she’d gotten something wrong and it had taken her to the wrong video.

Just as she was about to click away and try again, the small black box changed. In its place, a blond boy who looked about her age filled the screen. Beanie and flannel-clad, he sat on his bed, presumably in his bedroom with a brown guitar laid across his lap. Carefully, he adjusted the black and silver lightning bolt strap across his shoulders and cleared his throat.

“Hey, this is Kendall…” He appeared uncomfortable speaking to the camera, eyes flickering upward from the strings like he was looking right at Daisy.

Her chest tightened.

A few more seconds passed and Kendall cleared his throat, taking the pick clasped between his fingers to the strings and strumming out a quick chord. When he smiled, sheepish, two dimples cut into his cheeks. “My friends dared me to try this out - Here goes nothing.”

The video was loud, probably far louder than it should have been playing in a library, but she had no idea how to turn it down. However, the moment he began to sing the words, fingers flying across the fretboard like it was nothing, she wanted to make it even louder.

Kendall’s voice was beyond captivating, siren-like, she’d argue, and she found herself enthralled before he even hit the chorus. It was clear, yet sultry… Smooth, with a gruff edge. Daisy had never heard anything like it.

He kept looking in different directions as he sang, changing it up when he needed to take in more air or switch his strumming pace, but near the end, he looked back at the camera again and she swore he could see her on the other side of the screen, piercing swirls of green and flecks of yellow coming through even with the poor video quality. It didn’t help that he was singing what sounded like a love song…

Cute… She caught herself thinking, propping her chin in her hand as she leaned into the screen, as if it would give her a better view of him. The wall behind him boasted a handful of posters for people she’d never seen before and a bunch of pictures that were too small to make out. A few medals were tacked up by his headboard, and what looked like a hockey stick was propped up by the wooden frame.

Daisy couldn’t look away, attempting to decipher every pixel of the video she could to learn more about this boy with the beautiful voice. Which was, as she came to realize once he sang out a final, “Forever we’ll be, you and me…” completely irrational. Kendall had made this video to show off his musical prowess, not to be studied by some stranger.

Despite this, she quickly gripped the mouse and shook it over the video until the bar at the bottom appeared and she hit the two bars sitting next to each other. Slowly, she followed along the red line indicating the watch time and grabbed the circle at the end, pulling it back to the beginning and starting the video again. Makana did that at all the funny parts of her favorite videos to see them play over and over.

“Hey, this is Kendall…”

Watching the video again felt like the first time, though this time, she closed her eyes and focused on the lyrics, trying to remember all the parts of his face. And maybe, she imagined he was singing to her for a few seconds, before feeling her cheeks heat and shaking the thought out of her head. He certainly didn’t deserve to be ogled over as much as he deserved to be picked apart based on his bedroom.

But, the sweep of his blond hair into his eyes when he looked down at the strings had her head spinning. She couldn’t help her mind from wandering just slightly.

Besides, seeing him on the screen allowed her to skip the fear of meeting someone new and potentially embarrassing or humiliating herself like she normally did. Getting thrust into social situations against her will was at the top of the list of things Daisy hated, but at least this way, she could watch the video and admire Kendall’s talent judgment-free. It was halfway social, especially if she kept pretending the song was meant for her.

Though… I bet he’s sweet when the camera’s off too…

Daisy pulled at the neck of her brown sweater. The library was never this warm. Had someone turned the thermostat by the bathroom earlier as a prank?

When the song ended, she rewound it. Then again. The stack of history books towering beside her all but forgotten.

“Ms. Denton?” Someone behind her asked, and the girl practically jumped out of her skin. She didn’t even pause the video as she turned in the chair, looking at the older woman behind her. Ms. Peabody, one of Nana's friends, who was also the head of the library, stood over her. “Would you mind putting some headphones in if you’re going to watch something?”

The heat creeping up her face from embarrassment quickly turned into the fires of shame. “O-oh. Of course. Sorry… Sorry.”

Scrambling, her hands were trembling at the unexpected interaction before they stabilized themselves on the plastic mouse. Daisy paused the video as quickly as she could.

Headphones. Why didn’t you think of that? Ms. Peabody’s going to complain to Nana next time they see each other.

“Thank you, dear,” The older woman smiled, flipping one side of her cardigan over the other before she turned to walk away. A second later, she turned back. “Is that a friend of yours?”

Eyes widening, Daisy turned from Ms. Peabody’s intense gaze, only to find her line of sight locking with Kendall’s on the screen. Now she was back to flushing with embarrassment, dropping her view to her shaking hands. “No. I just… found this. I’ll turn it off. Sorry.”

“No? What a shame. He’s very handsome.”

Daisy was about to combust in her seat, heart leaping up and down her throat like the drop dower at the Chesterfield County Fair. Brain freezing, she was unable to come up with anything to say before Ms. Peabody smiled, crow's feet by her eyes crinkling before she headed back over in the direction of the help desk.

He was handsome. So handsome Daisy couldn’t breathe. What did that say about her?

This poor stranger, she chastised herself, about to click off the video, gather her books, and head home, before she noticed a section at the bottom of the video labeled Add a comment.

It didn’t appear as though anyone else had, which was shocking to her, considering his undisputable talent. No one had anything to say about the ease at which he played the guitar or his unique tone of voice? Not even one comment about his choice of song or how cute he looked in that beanie?

No… That last one wasn’t as relevant, but the thought swirled in Daisy’s mind regardless.

What a shame, I suppose I should change that.Lacing her fingers together, Daisy turned her palms outward, cracking them with eight satisfying pops. Swallowing thickly, she placed her index fingers on the keys and slowly began to piece her thoughts together.

eee hi! welcome to the first chapter of online songs - i hope you enjoy! <3 be sure to check out my other works in the btr fandom too :) lmk what you think!!

#online songs fic #big time rush #kendall knight #james diamond #carlos garcia #logan mitchell #kendall schmidt #james maslow #logan henderson #carlos penavega

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mariacallous · 28 days

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From the second the message popped up on X, it had a familiar ring. Jools Lebron, the TikTok creator who went viral just a few weeks ago for a post discussing “very demure, very mindful” work looks, was upset that, seemingly, someone had attempted to trademark her viral phrase.

In a since-deleted video, Lebron lamented through tears that her future ability to sell demure-branded merchandise seemed in jeopardy. “I wanted this to do so much for my family, provide for my transition, and I just feel like I dropped the ball,” Lebron said, adding that “someone else has it now, and I don’t even know what I could have done better, because I didn’t have the resources.”

Lebron’s situation is echoed in the story of fellow Chicagoan Peaches Monroee. Back in the summer of 2014, the then-teenager posted a video on TikTok precursor Vine describing her eyebrows as “on fleek.” Her catchphrase caught on everywhere, from Nicki Minaj lyrics to Kim Kardashian posts. #Brands like Taco Bell hopped on the trend; Forever 21 made crop tops. Monroee, aka Kayla Lewis, reaped no rewards. Three years after the trend went viral, she launched a GoFundMe and raised just shy of $17,000, according to the campaign’s page.

Like “on fleek,” “demure” has attracted scores of admirers. Jennifer Lopez. The White House. Kim Kardashian (again). Earthquake survivors. The original video has nearly 50 million views, and Lebron’s follower count is now above 2 million. She appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! while RuPaul was serving as guest host. But her ability to seize her moment of internet fame may not meet exactly the same fate as Lewis’. Despite the fact that a Washington resident named Jefferson A. Bates and the company Do or Drink both filed “demure” applications with the US Patent and Trademark office, Lebron posted a TikTok on Tuesday saying that it’s been “handled.” “Mama got a team now!” she exclaimed, smiling.

Exactly how it got handled is unclear—Bates didn’t respond to an email seeking comment, and representatives for Lebron and Do or Drink didn’t reply, either. Still, the tug-of-war marks something of a shift in how the internet understands the value of trends. Almost as soon as word of the “demure” trademarks surfaced, social media sprung into action decrying the fact that anyone other than Lebron would try to claim the phrase.

One lawyer on TikTok, who uses the handle @bellewoods, did a breakdown explaining that “Jools is going to be just fine” because of the intricacies of how the trademark system in the US works. Another TikTokker claimed to have filed her own trademark application with the intention of transferring ownership to Lebron. (Though, as a Washington Post story this week pointed out, transferring a trademark may not be so easy.) In the comments section of the “handled” TikTok, brands ranging from Ritz Crackers to Zillow weighed in with emoji-strewn affirmations.

All of this underscores that, unlike 10 or 15 years ago, there is now a greater understanding that “content creation is labor,” says Kate Miltner, a lecturer in data, AI, and society at the University of Sheffield’s Information School. “It is time-consuming and often poorly remunerated labor for the most part,” but far more people make entire careers out of being content creators than a decade ago, Miltner adds, “and it feels like an ethics of plagiarism, in addition to trademark/copyright, have come into play.”

Simply put, people get this shit now. A decade after “on fleek,” creators are much smarter when it comes to ownership of their creations. “A series of conversations and discourses about cultural appropriation and where a lot of contemporary (online) language comes from (Black communities, queer communities) have happened since Peaches Monroee,” Miltner says. Lebron may have felt like she dropped the ball because of a lack of resources, but the resources she did have were other creators who knew how to call out what had happened. She also had companies like Netflix, which—perhaps anticipating blowback for just hopping on a viral trend—just asked that Lebron curate a “Very Demure, Very Mindful” list.

Will this happen every time? No. Memes built from everyday language will always be hard to trademark—Miltner cites Fox Media’s unsuccessful attempt to trademark “OK Boomer” as an example. But now that even Hawk Tuah Girl has merch, the possibilities of getting credit for your meme, or even cash, don’t seem as unlikely as they did before. Might your meme get ingested and reinterpreted by an artificial intelligence bot? Yes. Will that bot be able to make a T-shirt? Er, well, that might happen, too. Creators, especially minority creators, will always have to fight to keep control of their works once they’ve been unleashed onto the world. Now, though, they have a few more coaches in their corner.

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loukaiitis · 1 year

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Evan Ramsey: 1997 Bethel Regional High School

Summary of the 1997 Bethel Regional High School shooting committed by Evan Ramsey. Note: this is for informational, educational purposes only. Post is below the cut.

Background:

Evan Ramsey was born on February 8th, 1981, in Anchorage, Alaska to Don and Carol Ramsey. When Evan was five years old, his father was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted kidnapping, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment at the Anchorage Times building. The incident occurred after Don Ramsey’s attempts to speak with government officials about his family’s poor living conditions were unsuccessful. This failure led Don on a campaign to slander government officials in hopes that they would be removed from office. One part of this campaign included a full-page advertisement against Senator Frank Murkowski, which was paid for by Don. The advertisement only ran for a short period of time before being redacted from future publications. On October 21st, 1986, Don Ramsey entered the Anchorage Times building with guns, grenades, and other hand weapons with the intent of killing Robert Atwood, the publisher he deemed responsible for the removal of his advertisement and a fire that caused extensive damage to the Ramsey’s apartment a few months prior. He was subdued by employees in the building and arrested.

After her husband’s arrest, Evan’s mother spiraled into a severe case of alcoholism and began dating abusive men. As a result of neglect, Evan and his brothers were placed in the foster care system. The Ramsey brothers lived in ten foster homes in the span of two years, many of which ranged from unsuitable to violent. In one of these foster homes, Evan and his brother faced severe physical abuse from their foster parents. The biological son of these parents would also torture Evan and his brother; being attacked, urinated on, and sexually abused were common occurrences. After a school nurse noticed signs of physical abuse on Evan and his brother, the Department of Youth and Family Services was notified, and the boys were relocated to the home of Sue Hare. Evan described Sue as a positive role model for him. When he told her about the bullying he faced at school, she encouraged him to report the instances of bullying and to not retaliate. However, his problems in school persisted.

“Well I can tell you that the Superintenant Sue Hare has been the nicest person I’ve ever met cause she took both William and I in and didn’t get any money for it, and she like was a mother for William and me.“ - excerpt from Evan Ramsey’s suicide note written shortly before the shooting (1997)

Evan had been dealing with depression as early as the age of 10, and even attempted suicide (possibly multiple times) between the ages of 10-16.

School Life:

Along with his ever-changing and abusive home life, Evan claimed to be frequently teased and bullied at school. He has stated that this was likely due to him being mixed– he was targeted by both white and Indigenous students, and he did not feel accepted by either group. Students nicknamed him Screech after a character from the television show Saved by the Bell. Former friends of Evan described him, along with the rest of their friend group, as outsiders. Despite being a target for physical and verbal bullying, Evan was described as an empathic and funny friend.

Around two weeks before the shooting, students at Bethel Regional High School had heard of Evan’s plans to bring a gun to school. Reports claim that at least 15 people knew of his plans. In fact, some students encouraged these plans and helped him. Two of Evan’s friends, James Randall and Matthew Charles, helped Evan organize a “hitlist” of people who had bullied him. James also taught the inexperienced Ramsey how to load and shoot a gun. Instead of taking the threat seriously and reporting it, students planned to bring cameras to school to record the event.

Shooting:

On February 19th, 1997, Evan Ramsey concealed a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun in his pants and walked to his normal bus stop. He made small talk with others while waiting for the bus. After arriving at Bethel Regional High School, Evan entered the commons area and shot three students. Although the other two students survived their injuries, Fifteen-year-old Josh Palacios, who was shot in the abdomen, succumbed to his injuries shortly after. Art teacher Reyne Athanas and another teacher pleaded with Evan to stop three times. Instead of surrendering, Evan continued the shooting in the main lobby, where he fatally shot principal Ron Edwards twice. He returned to the commons with the intention of killing himself. After shooting one round at nearby police, he positioned the shotgun under his chin. However, Evan did not shoot. He abruptly decided to not kill himself and was quoted saying “I don't want to die” as he placed the gun on the ground and surrendered.

“I don’t know who came to the school that day, but it wasn’t my friend. It wasn’t Evan, and I think whoever that person was that came must have killed him too.” - a friend of Evan Ramsey, interviewed for “Bethel, 20 Years Later”

Evan wrote two notes prior to the shooting:

“I have thought to myself, what kind of damage can a 12 gauge slug do to a human’s internal organs or their head? Well today I found out, and so did everyone else that is in school . . . No, I am not on drugs . . . ciggerettes, that’s all. I am not really depressed just that the fact that I want people, the world, or maybe just Bethel, to know how [expletive] and cruel the world is or can be. This school has got to get its [expletive] together ’cause there are too many deaths this past 2–3 years. Well I can tell you that the Superintenant Sue Hare has been the nicest person I’ve ever met cause she took both William and I in and didn’t get any money for it, and she like was a mother for William and me. But anyway I’m dead you guys are living, you should be happy.“

“Hey Every body!! I feel rejected, rejected, not so much alone, but rejected. I feel this way because the day-to-day treatment I get usually it’s positive but the negative is like a cut, it doesn’t go away really fast. I figure by the time you guys are reading this I’ll probably have done what I told EVERYONE I was going to do. Just hope 12 gauges don’t kick too hard but I do hope the shells hit more than 1 person because I am angry at more than 1 person. One of the Big [expletive] is Mr. Ron Edwards, he should be there, I was told this will be his Last year, but I know it WILL BE HIS LAST YEAR. The main reason that I did this is because I’m sick and tired of being treated this way everyday . . . By the way every one allways told me “Don’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover.’’ This saying is true because I was told that my teachers say that “He’s Such A Good Kid.’’ But they Say that About everyone. I don’t think I’m a good-Hearted person. LIFE SUCKS in its own way, so I killed a little and killed myself. Jail isn’t and wasn’t for me, ever”

Trial:

During the trial, the defense argued that Evan’s understanding of guns and murder were based on video games such as Doom. Specifically, he was under the impression that people could not die from a single gunshot wound. Because of this, the defense claimed he could not have foreseen or understood the effects of his actions. It was also argued that Evan was suicidal and never intended on killing anyone but himself, but one of the notes he wrote prior to the shooting implied otherwise. The letter also implied that Ron Edwards was a main target, leading to first-degree murder charges. The defense wanted to use Evan’s history of abuse in the foster care system as evidence, but this was opposed.

On December 2nd, 1998, Evan Ramsey was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, and fifteen counts of second-degree assault. He was originally sentenced to 210 years, but this sentence was later changed to two 99-year sentences with the possibility of parole in 2066. James Randall and Matthew Charles were charged and sentenced as juveniles for their involvement in the shooting, but both have since been released.

Appeals and Recent News:

In 2002, Evan Ramsey attempted to appeal his case. The primary reason for the appeal was because Evan’s defense was not allowed to introduce past physical and sexual abuse as evidence. However, this appeal was denied.

In 2005, Evan Ramsey appealed his sentence, which led to the sentencing of 2 99-year sentences with the possibility of parole in 2066.

Although apathetic during the shooting and trial, Evan’s mindset towards the event has since changed. He stated in an interview that the death of his mother gave him perspective as to how drastically his actions changed the lives of others. He has stopped trying to appeal his sentence, as he realized it would only cause more pain to the families affected.

"I would tell them the situation they're in now is not half as bad as the situation they're going to be in if they do something similar to what I did. It will only get worse." - Evan Ramsey, when asked what he would tell potential school shooters (2001)

#loukaiitis #tcc #true crime #my post #summary #evan ramsey

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kp777 · 2 months

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By Jessica Corbett

Common Dreams

Aug. 2, 2024

"If you did not believe he was maniacal or evil, before this, well now you know," said a former congresswoman.

A super political action committee connected to billionaire Elon Musk is not only working to elect Republicans including former President Donald Trump but also collecting voter information in battleground states via a method that is setting off alarm bells, CNBC reported Friday.

CNBC political finance reporter Brian Schwartz explained how an online America PAC advertisement featuring footage of the recent assassination attempt targeting Trump sends viewers to different websites depending on their location.

"If a user lives in a state that is not considered competitive in the presidential election, like California or Wyoming for example, they'll be prompted to enter their email addresses and ZIP code and then directed quickly to a voter registration page for their state, or back to the original sign up section," he reported. "But for users who enter a ZIP code that indicates they live in a battleground state, like Pennsylvania or Georgia, the process is very different."

"Rather than be directed to their state's voter registration page, they instead are directed to a highly detailed personal information form, prompted to enter their address, cell phone number, and age," according to Schwartz. "If they agree to submit all that, the system still does not steer them to a voter registration page. Instead, it shows them a 'thank you' page."

One user on X—the Musk-owned social media platform formerly called Twitter—trialed the process and shared related screenshots:

"How is this legal!?" Veni Kunche of Diversify Tech asked on X in response to the reporting. "America PAC is misleading voters."

Georgetown University professor Don Moynihan also raised legal concerns, saying, "Getting people's personal information on the promise of helping them to register to vote, and then not helping them to register to vote definitely seems like election fraud."

Retired journalist Mary Beth Schneider said: "Scamming people into thinking they registered to vote? This should be illegal."

Jodi Jacobson, founder and executive director of Healthcare Across Borders, called for a federal investigation.

"Is anyone actually working over there?" she asked the U.S. Department of Justice on X. "Because here is something you should be investigating. Now."

Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, a professor at Stetson University College of Law in Florida and fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, criticized the super PAC and offered guidance on registering to vote in the United States.

"This is so shitty," she said of the group's actions. "To avoid... a fake registration webpage problem: Google your local board of elections and register directly through them. Typically your local board of elections is the name of the county you live in and 'board of elections.'"

Former Congresswoman Marie Newman (D-Ill.) took aim at Musk, saying, "If you did not believe he was maniacal or evil, before this, well now you know."

While a spokesperson for America PAC declined to comment and Musk did not reply to Schwartz's emails, the billionaire confirmed he created the political group during a July 22 video interview on X with right-wing commentator Jordan Peterson. Musk also denied a recent Wall Street Journal report that he is putting $45 million a month toward sending Trump back to the White House.

"I am making some donations to America PAC, but at a much lower level and the key values of the PAC are supporting a meritocracy and individual freedom," Musk wrote on X the following day. "Republicans are mostly, but not entirely, on the side of merit and freedom."

Super PACs are not subject to the same legal restrictions as campaigns and traditional political committees; they can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from individuals, corporations, and groups. There are limits for coordinating with campaigns, but they can coordinate on canvassing, thanks to a Federal Election Commission advisory opinion from earlier this year.

America PAC has already raised millions of dollars, with donations from venture capitalists and cryptocurrency investors.

Last month, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) publicly thanked Musk for doing "an exceptional job of demonstrating a point that we have made for years—and that is the fact we live in an oligarchic society in which billionaires dominate not only our economic life and the information we consume, but our politics as well."

As The New York Times detailed Thursday, America PAC is off to "a rocky start" and now "shaking up its field operation." Still, the group's potential impact on the presidential election—in which Trump is expected to face Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris—is generating concerns, particularly given the new revelations from CNBC.

#elon musk #America PAC #voter fraud #voter deception #battleground states #CNBC

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shsl-box-worshipper · 3 months

Text

A Lesson on Dragons

(A ficlet from The Dragons of Lyoko AU, where Code Lyoko takes place in a modern version of the setting of HTTYD.) Masterpost Coming Soon

It was cold September morning in the year 2001 when the final bell of Kadic Academy rang shrill against the sluggish morning atmosphere.

School had only begun a few days, yet its exhaustion already sank its teeth into the children.

And no place where this exhaustion was more apparent than Ms. Hertz's biology class. Children were either starting mischief, sleeping at their lab counters, or not even present.

However, the exhaustive atmosphere came to a screeching halt with the slam of the front door and the appearance of the woman herself.

*BANG!*

"Now, children, turn to the front and keep quiet while I call for attendance."

A stern, strict woman with graying hair, a lab coat, and glasses marched her way to her desk as the class silently watched with bated breath.

Ms. Hertz wasn't the greatest teacher, but she did a good damn job of it. She always dedicated herself to making sure her little prodigies had their heads overflowing with knowledge by the time she was done with them.

And, as she quickly finished attendance, today was no exception to that rule.

"Now, turn to page 227 in your animal biology textbooks while I set up today's lesson."

The lesson she had for this particular day required more of a digital presentation than most of her lessons did. But then again, this week's unit is going to be dedicated to a highly complex order of animals. It was important she be as clear and as concise as possible.

So, while her students flipped to the respective page, she went around the room to close the curtains, roll up the projector, and insert the reel she was going to use.

And then, she flicked off the lights, bathing the classroom in darkness. At first, the children had no idea what was going on, even calling out in fear in some cases. Then, she turned on the projector.

Suddenly, a beam of light shot across the class, pointing directly at the white screen she used for her presentations. On that screen displayed a minimalist depiction of the subject of today's lesson.

"Now, children, today, we are going to discussing dragons. Now, I am sure that you all are aware of such creatures, as they are quite popular work animals and pets, but can someone give me an exact definition of what a dragon is?"

She looked around for any raised hands at her beckoning. She was disappointed with the lack of participation. However, before she could volun-tell someone to take the plunge, she was relieved to see a hand finally come up.

"Ah, Jeremie! Good to see you putting effort in as always. Now, can you tell us, if your own words, what a dragon is?"

Jeremie was a blond-haired boy with thick glasses, a blue turtleneck sweater, and tan khakis. It was obvious he was quite nervously discussing such a topic, but was able to spit it out regardless.

"Uh-They're a group of large, powerful reptiles. The most common traits are they can fly and they have some sort of weapon that can make them deadly."

Hertz smirked as she turned to the next slide, always happy that Jeremie was able to pick up the slack where most failed.

"Correct, Jeremie. Though the correct terminology would be that they are an order of reptiles. Specifically, Order Draconica."

The slide she had turned to showed a textbook diagram of the anatomical structure of a particular dragon species. Judging by her memory, this should be a diagram of a Deadly Nadder's organs, specifically a halignus and its digestive digestive system, but it could be a Gronkle's genitalia for all she knew. It had been forever since the school updated the presentation.

"Like Jeremie said, the most common attribute among dragons is that they are large reptiles that share a common ancestor that is distinct from most other reptiles. Now, as seen here, this is the inside of Volarignus Spinicus, commonly known as the Deadly Nadder."

Some of the kids gagged once Hertz said that. Whether out of actual disgust or to make fun of her class, she had no idea. However, she tried to continue on as if she hadn't heard it.

"This particular diagram showcases specific subsections of her internal organs."

She then pointed at the Nadder's lower digestive system, emphasizing it as she went on with her lecture.

"This is a Nadder's stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. While dragons, like all animals, have a variety of different diets, the Nadder in particular is mainly a carnivore. It can eat anything, but the best for it's system is meat."

A small hand rose up in the back, high above the drone-like heads that stared off into space. Hertz, attentive as always, quickly pointed to it.

"Yes, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth, or rather Sissi, was shaken somewhat by the wrong name usage, her eyebrow twitching and her face briefly pitting into disgust. However, she kept her composure long enough to ask her question.

"Ummm, what's that near the Nadder's mouth?"

Hmmmm...Oh!

Hertz found what Sissi was refering to when she saw the somewhat large organ, or more accurately organs, on the Nadder's jaw in the diagram.

"Ah, good question, Ms. Delmas," she said before pointing at the organ, "That is a Nadder's halignus, an organ that is only found in most species of dragons. This organ is responsible for the breath weapon of most dragons. Like other organs, it always looks different and function different depending on the species."

She then walked over and moved along the presentation, the slide of a Monstrous Nightmare's halignus now being shown.

"This is a Monstrous Nightmare's halignus for comparison. Notice how one tube of the organ extends out and breaks off into tinier tubes as it reaches the skin. Well, that is because this fuel also serves a dual purpose of regulating the dragon's body temperature. It can cool the dragon all on it's own or..."

She then moved on to yet another slide. However, it got more of a reaction out of her students than the previous ones before.

However, it wasn't disgust or anything negative of the sort. It was wonder, as subtle wows filled the class. She was expecting this, of course.

After all, how could a bunch of teenagers hold themselves back from being shocked at the sight of a Monstrous Nightmare rising up to the skies, covered in flames and fire like a phoenix from hell?

"It can ignite it to keep warm and as a territorial display. This also served as a combat advantage when being hunted by other dragons and our ancestors."

As always, she will thrive in whatever chance she can have to surprise her students, and this was no exception. However, she also realized that she didn't have much time left. Only about 30 minutes to get today's assignment done in class. So, turning the projector off and saving the remaining presentation for the rest of the week, she turned to her kids as she walked over to turn on the lights.

"Now, any questions before we begin with today's assignment?"

Surprisingly, as she finally brought like back into the lab, she was met with a raised hand. From...Jeremie?

"Yes, Jeremie?"

What kind of question could her star pupil have?

Oh well, she might as well give a listen. Jeremie stood and cleared his throat as Hertz walked back to her desk.

"I-I was busy reading a book on mythology, and noticed there was a species of dragon in the book called a Night Fury? I-Is there a real-life equivalent or...?"

Hmmm, good question, though she expected better from her best student. This is a topic he could've easily researched with a little effort.

"Hmmm, there is one such species. However, they are considered extinct in the wild due to poaching and purposeful extinction efforts in the past, but there are about a hundred in captivity. Of course, we, the average civilian, cannot see them, but there are plans for some breeding programs to bring them back into the wild."

Jeremie nodded and his eyes became obscured by the light bouncing off his glasses as he sat back into his seat.

"Okay...thank you, Ms. Hertz."

Weird, even he usually wasn't this meek. Oh well, he probably realized he could've researched that topic on his own.

"Now, for your assignment, please read from 227 up to 252 silently and give me a paragraph about a dragon fact you find interesting on a piece of loose leaf paper. Remember to put your name and date so I can grade them properly."

As Hertz finally sat her computer, she noticed how Jeremie kept looking at his desk in a solemn way. As if whatever Hertz said to him was gnawing at him alive.

Oh well, Hertz thought. It was probably nothing.

#code lyoko #httyd #alternate universe #writing #fanfiction #the dragons of lyoko au #some bits of world-building including dragon biology stuff

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tobegiggledat · 2 years

Text

To the One I Greatly Cherish

18+ CONTENT AHEAD MDNI

✦pairings: Nemuri Kayama (Midnight) x afab!reader, Emi Fukukado (Ms. Joke) x afab!reader

✦word count: 4.7k (this part only), 9.4k (total)

✦summary: A series of anonymous love letters fill your inbox days before the world's most notable romantic holiday, but who could possibly be your secret admirer? Will you be able to find out their identity in time for Valentine's Day?

✦warnings: slight angst, guilt, kissing, massages, mutual fingering, oral sex, clit-leashing, vaginal sex, dildos, praise, begging, pet names (angel)

✦a/n: A special fic for the folks that only got love from fictional characters this year (me)

This fic has different endings depending on who you think wrote the letters (you’ll have to choose a link at the bottom), but I’d recommend reading both for the full context.

To the one I greatly cherish,

If you’re captivating eyes manage to stumble upon this message, then you must know how often you cross my mind.

And how there isn't a breath I take that isn't fueled by my desire to be with you one day.

Even from a distance, your presence will continue to consume me, although I'm afraid you won't understand.

Longing for you always,

Your Secret Admirer

It’s only been a day since you’ve discovered that someone wants to pursue you from afar.

The first message from this unknown sender was delivered with an eye-catching header to your school email address, one which you clicked with an urgency, zipping across the romantic lines before your cursor could keep up with you. The thought of it still sends a fresh rush of warm fervor through your system at the possibility of who it may be.

When was the last time someone yearned for you, let alone expressed it in such a heartfelt way?

A blaring bell chimes to interrupt your reminiscence. It's a signal for another day's work at U.A. High School, and as the Heroics Department’s Journalism teacher you mustn’t spend your time idly.

Dozens of students flock to their seats, some bright-eyed and eager to learn, while others give distant, dull gazes you’re certain wouldn’t falter even if the sky were to somehow collapse into your very classroom.

No matter, you’ll teach the subject with utmost enthusiasm as it’s one you’ve been passionate about since youth. Many of your teenage years were spent gathering first hand sources on heroic symbolism, the faults/benefits of quirk regulation, and more. You managed to garner a following for yourself on all socials—though whether you’re a good journalist or not has always been…up for debate.

Today’s lesson goes by swiftly, with you discussing privacy rights and the importance of examining a source’s background and potential interests. It's a lesson you could've used many years ago, nonetheless, you believe you'll shape your students into promising reporters even as you grow from your past mishaps.

The next period gives you an opportunity to collect your thoughts; an empty classroom makes for an empty mind, although your fingers itch to finally text your best friend about the whole “secret admirer” ordeal.

You: Gained a potential love interest today👀

Emi: Right, and it's not that one loser from the bar again is it?

You: Hmm, maybe. They're a secret admirer after all

Emi: So, secretly the loser from the bar?

You: I’d hope not, but the secret part does make that sound a bit more alluring.

You: Let's grab coffee later so I can tell you more.

Your phone slides from your hands and onto the desk in exchange for the stack of papers you were meant to grade. Your pointy, red pen taps against your bottom lip as you scan over the neat arrangement of letters at the top of the stack, checking and ticking along the margins then repeating this for the next page or until class ends.

The lunch bell inevitably releases you from your dreary task, and you're quick to align the correct stacks in their designated corners before gathering your lunch box and taking off toward your usual secluded spot.

Students line the walls in minimally chaotic rows, something you've come to appreciate as order is always upheld in U.A. despite how small.

You turn the corner into an empty hall, but your heart plunges into your ass upon looking to the very end of it to discover the long, violet strands and crimson lenses of Nemuri Kayama.

In an instant, you think to escape before she makes out your presence, but just when you turn on your heels to do so she gives you a condescending smirk while raising a palm to give a curt wave.

The controversy of your past always seems to linger.

“Afternoon, Kayama”, you keep your introduction brief upon clashing with her stark center amidst the path.

“Professor Kayama”, she corrects snobbishly. “Remember, this is a school environment, not one of your trashy articles.” Her shapely brows frown as she grits her teeth.

You give her a faux grin to appease her ridiculous standards of professionalism. “Trashy or blunt truths you chose to avoid?”

Her eyes nearly roll back into their sockets. “If you're the source of truth, then maybe the world is too incapable to seek it themselves.” Kayama whips her hair away with a pale hand, the click-clack of her heels echoing against the tile as she storms off.

You're just glad the whole thing is over with.

You stumble upon your destination; a quiet gated area outside the back of the school. The trees around it are ample of life, leaving shadowy freckles of shade across your skin as you sit beneath its thick heads of leaves.

Your head turns to and fro while you attempt to spot the signature dark wardrobe of your occasional accompanier, but it seems he hasn't arrived today.

Besides you and Aizawa, no one else has noticed this area's unusual privacy, but it makes things all the more peaceful.

You chow down on leftovers from yesterday's dinner then depart to begin teaching the last two classes; stringing together repetitions from the lesson earlier except with more exaggeration on the privacy aspect.

You head out to meet Emi minutes before the final bell rings, giving your class an early dismissal as long as they agree to go about it quietly.

You've known Emi since high school, although you ultimately decided to teach at U.A. for more newsgathering opportunities. Emi never lets you hear the end of it as she jokingly calls you the traitor of Ketsubutsu whenever you'd mention your experiences there.

While you weren't in the heroics program back when you were a student, you made notable achievements as an intern for a national website by investigating scandals of corrupt heroes and crafting opinion pieces on the ethics of hero society.

You met Emi at the beginning of your first-year orientation, with the two of you sitting beside each other at the assembly hall, playing off of each other's jokes in whispers and concealed giggles to keep yourselves entertained.

You could never bring yourself to admit that she's the funniest of the two of you, but you've always spoken of how you admire her approach to heroism as she brings smiles to civilian's faces even without the use of her quirk.

Sweet aromas of vanilla and herbs waft through the coffee shop air, with dim lights illuminating the rustic interior and dark wooden tables placed in all corners.

Emi’s seated near the end of the cafe and has already ordered you and her drinks. You make your way to her table, teeth gleaming and eyes bright while meeting her own eager, chartreuse ones.

“Hey, what’s the news?”Emi chirps, sliding a cup to your end of the table.

You hold the drink firmly before releasing a small sigh. “Not much to tell. I still don’t have the slightest clue as to who they might be.”

“I’m excited!” Her smile grows wider as she twists side to side with glee. “What’ll you do once you find out?”

“Probably marry them or something. I mean, no one has ever gone through this much effort for me”, you jape despite the depressing reality of your words, then take a sip of your drink, savoring the familiar flavors with each gulp.

She puckers her lips to give a playful pout. “Does this mean you’ll replace me?” She asks with fake weariness. “Does what we have mean so little to you?”

You reassure her teasingly, “Don’t worry, I’ll marry you next if things don’t work out this time.”

She taps her lips with her straw as if considering. “With such a good offer, I’m not sure if I want to help you with this anymore.”

“Oh, come on, Emi. You know I’ll always love you.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll help you”, she relents. “Maybe you should try picking a person close to you and observing them.”

“Hmm…funnily enough, I’m not that close to any of my coworkers. It’s weird I received a love letter through my school email at all.” You reach down to take another hefty sip.

“But there’s gotta be someone you know at least a little more than the others.”

You take a moment to ponder. “Sometimes, I sit with Aizawa during lunch, although we don’t talk often so we just enjoy each other’s silences.”

Emi’s brows raise noticeably. “Yikes…if anything I’d think he’s your least likely candidate.”

“I know, but there aren’t many options to choose from. Kayama hates me, I hardly get a chance to speak to Mic or Vlad outside of meetings, and All Might is…All Might.”

“Well, if Aizawa is your best bet there shouldn’t be harm in looking into him anyways, right?”

“Yeah, I guess so...”

You and Emi’s talk concludes with exchanged hugs before you take your train home, contemplating Emi’s suggestion and how to go about your approach.

When you arrive, you hastily discard your work clothes before putting on something more comfortable and lounging on your bed to reread the email you received.

Is this really something Aizawa would write, you hesitantly contemplate to yourself, scanning over the flowery words and recoiling at the idea of him putting them together—you ultimately decide it’s tomorrow's problem.

✦✦✦ ✦✦✦

To the one I greatly cherish,

I hope you’re pleased reading my messages as much as I am while writing them.

As the time passes, I find my days to be progressively trivial without you.

My most profitable successes are worthless as they’re void of your companionship. My biggest fear overlaps with my inability to have you.

Will we ever be united? It’s up to fate to decide.

Continuing to be blessed by you,

Your Secret Admirer

Today’s letter creates new waves of violent jitters along your spine, coupling with the preexisting dread that’s already palpitating through your system at the thought of approaching Aizawa about it.

You’re unsure how you’d feel if you found out he truly had feelings for you, and while you told Emi you’d probably reciprocate them, you can’t say that for certain.

You've grown to respect Aizawa to some degree after investigating his days as the underground hero, Eraserhead, but nothing more as of yet.

Only time will tell, for now you’d just like to get to the bottom of who’s been plotting to romance you, once and for all.

The lunch bell eventually stirs to life, and with your steeled resolve, you hurriedly pace along the halls, toward the back of the school.

The dark blue doors feel heavy against your palms as you press on them to finally arrive at the shaded area. Its lulling atmosphere is as undisturbed as you expected, you spot Aizawa’s rugged form on a bench, faced away and gazing at the limited scenery of the campus.

“Hey, is it okay if I sit here?” You ask upon approaching him while awkwardly hovering outside his range of sight.

He nods slightly but makes no effort to turn your direction.

You take a seat beside him, picking at the prints of your fingers to occupy yourself and the silence. “It’s beautiful weather for February, isn’t it? I honestly expected a little more snow”, you finally attempt to break the tension.

He hums softly in agreement but nothing more.

“Valentine’s day is right around the corner, but I’m not one to usually celebrate it”, you pause, clenching your peeling fingers into a snug fist. “What about you—”

“You’re awfully chatty today”, Aizawa interrupts, his voice gruff with irritation as his hands hook along the sides of his scarf.

Your words are nearly caught on your tongue. “I’m sorry?”

“If this is for one of your news columns or something, I have no interest in gossiping.”

You sneer, turning fully to face him, but only his stoic, disinterested profile can be seen. “That’s not my field of work and you know it. Haven’t you read any of my reports?”

“Possibly, but it’s not like I’d remember those kinds of things.”

Ouch.

“Whatever, it’s nothing. Sorry to have bothered you.” You defeatedly rise from your seat, throat and eyes stinging from the heat that grows with each step you take toward the door.

This isn’t the first time your work has been reduced to pandering nonsense, but for some reason it hurts way more than usual.

“Fuck”, you mutter quietly, sniffling away in the nearest bathroom stall as you try to collect yourself.

Has it really been that long since you’ve written something that deconstructed the masses view on heroics? You must’ve grown too complacent at this school—in fact, this is where it all went wrong.

Choosing to become a teacher instead of risking your comfort to uncover hidden truths wasn’t what you initially planned.

But is it so wrong to change paths even when your prior choice was deemed more impactful?

Is it so wrong to write proposals about a hopeful, nonexistent future than to expose more darkness of a knowingly ineffective society? You’ve long realized the corruption runs deeper than you ever could’ve hoped to shed light on. You journal about the new era of quirks, searching for an ability that’ll make the old way of things seem outdated.

Is that too foolish to look forward to?

Your phone vibrates along your clothes’ seams, and you swiftly remove it from your pocket as you swipe away the last of your tears.

Emi: Soo, is Aizawa dying to be with you or what???

A small smile creeps up your cheeks at her overwhelming interest.

You: Nope. It was a complete shut down.

Emi: It’s okay. I’ve been there too, Aizawa’s tough.❤️

A hefty exhale escapes you before you finally make yourself presentable enough to return to your classroom and finish teaching for the rest of the day.

Once classes end, Mic summons all of the heroics teachers into the teacher’s lounge to invite everyone out for drinks in celebration of his podcast’s growing success.

You: I was invited to go to a club with my coworkers tomorrow night, should I go?

Emi: Yes!! How else will you find your true love?!

You: Yeah, but with Aizawa and Kayama it'll be awkward :(

Emi: Aizawa doesn't go out on school days so you should be down at least one problem

You: Fair enough, I’ll just try to avoid Kayama the whole night🥲

Now, the only thing left to do is prepare yourself for another long day of hardships…

✦✦✦ ✦✦✦

To the one I greatly cherish,

Come find me on Valentine’s Day so that I'll be rightfully yours. Let your heart guide you to the correct choice if you feel the same as I.

Thinking of you fondly,

Your Secret Admirer

Unlike the emails from before, today's love letter arrives a half hour after school ends rather than before it starts, and is much briefer in length.

You’re expected to somehow discover the identity of your admirer within a few days and without much to go off of.

It’s almost like they never wanted to be discovered in the first place.

Sharp pin-pricks zip through palms and into your twitching fingertips as the nervous chill that’s pervaded your body attempts to find an outlet through your skin.

If only they knew their longing is being reciprocated…

You aid your shudders with disordered breaths, mentally counting each dry pant before drafting a text to update Emi on the state of your situation.

To pass the time before meeting with your coworkers and to get your mind off the whole letter ordeal, you spend the rest of the evening formulating your lesson plans for the next week.

It’s tedious but necessary work as you ultimately decide on journalism ethics and informed opinions for the topics.

Emi still hasn’t responded to your texts since before classes ended, although you know she’ll want you to persist with going out anyways.

Nighttime arrives and you promptly put together a casual yet tasteful look then exit your home with the weight of the world seemingly trapped in your chest. The ride there is even more disorienting with clammy passengers cramming all corners of the train and bracing themselves for each turn with the lack of space.

Luckily, the trip is short as you find yourself standing before the glowing green lights of the club’s name etched in neon, with purple hues also trailing the rim of it and leading down to the snowy glass doors.

You tug at the elongated handles, breath caught in your throat as you take your first steps toward the source of your unease.

Ambient music sweeps through your ears, its vibrations jolting enough to stir the hairs on your skin and rattle the depths of your bones. Your eyes drift across the arrangement of floundering civilians to spot the bright yellow of Mic’s hair as he’s seated on a stool closest to the front of the bar.

His hands flail outwardly to make exuberant gestures while he speaks to a hooded man beside him. Kayama also sits near Mic, slender fingers cupped around a glass with a salted rim and lemon. Her glossy lips meet the edge of it as her gaze passes between Mic and the unfamiliar man as they speak.

How long will you continue to watch from a distance?

Your hands cup the sides of your arms for comfort—but suddenly, as if Kayama could feel the force of your stare, her intense blue irises spot you in her periphery before promptly shifting away.

Your body moves backward mechanically to leave until you feel your phone chime against you.

Call me, the message from Emi reads, and you take off toward a dark, empty hallway at the end of the club to do just that.

Thankfully, the area is quiet and private enough for you to make the call.

“Hey, have you reached the bar yet?” Emi cheerfully answers after the first ring.

You press the phone tightly to your ear. “Yeah, but I’m not sure if I can do this anymore. I feel so out of place here”, your voice drifts as you speak, tone shaky and uncertain.

“I get what you mean. It must be exhausting to perform in front of people you’re not really familiar with.”

“Right. I just never expected having a secret admirer to be so…stressful.” Your head falls back against the wall as you shut your eyes gently. “How will I ever find out who they are if they never plan to reveal themselves?”

“I’m not sure, but if you really want to find out this may be your only chance.”

“Yeah, then I should probably get back to it... Thanks, Emi.” You take a last sigh of relief before reluctantly hanging up to go back to the rest of the group.

As you turn the corner to retreat, a dizzying force crashes into you and sends your heels tumbling backward, scrambling for a tidbit of balance.

Before an apology could form on your tongue, you recognize the passerby as no one other than Kayama and begin to pull yourself away.

“ ‘m sorry, just came to check up on you”, Kayama’s words are slightly slurred as she speaks. She clumsily swipes her purple wisps from her deeply stained cheeks. Her eyes are glassy, pupils blown as they examine you with an intrigue you’ve never witnessed from her.

“Are you drunk?” You ask hesitantly, but she only blinks at you slowly.

“Just tipsy, but come on.” Her hand locks around your wrist as she pulls you along the halls to lead you back to the bar, and for some reason you don’t pull away. You opt to be dictated by her impulse despite the conflict that’s always existed between you.

Mic and the stranger have gone off somewhere by the time you both return. Kayama pulls herself to the counter and orders another round of shots after awkwardly pointing along the lengthy menu provided to her.

Three clear glasses are slid in front of you with a smirk passing over Kayama’s lips.

You question if her actions are a drunken whim or a genuine attempt to mend your strained dynamic, but you don’t think it matters much.

This’ll make things easier, right?

Fuck it. You gulp down all three shots consecutively, jaw tightening as the burning liquid courses down your throat and through your chest. Heat seeps into your nerves while the alcohol begins to conquer your judgment.

Kayama’s smile grows wider, a giddy hum passing through her lips. “Let’s have some fun!” She redirects you once more, except to the dance floor as the next song begins to play.

Her body begins to sway delicately to the thrums of each beat, a series of synchronized yet hypnotic movements possessing her limbs as her piercing eyes remain on yours.

She shuffles a little closer then places a soft palm on your shoulder, trailing down along your sleeves then grasping your hand again tightly. She twirls away on the tips of her feet, free hand extended outward, before pulling into you and pressing her back firmly against your chest, while her hips curve into your own.

As quickly as she spins into you, she turns back to face you with her features no more than a breath away from yours. She stills for a moment, quietly taking in each ridge across your cheeks and the delicate shape of your lips.

“You’re really hot, y’know that?” She speaks tenderly against you, although there’s an underlying sadness as she utters it, one her facial expression seems to mimic as well.

“Buut…I still haven’t forgiven you”, she winks without any trace of her earlier gloom present. The heat of her closeness disappears to leave you cold and aching as she turns away to leave the club without another word.

Her words still echo across your synapses while the clarity of her silhouette slowly fades until gone completely.

You've wronged her but have yet to atone even though the guilt of your actions continue to fester and swell in your chest to engrave rotten, pus-filled holes in the walls of your heart. It oozes and drips into your veins as it spoils you, body and mind.

Would she ever accept your pleas of forgiveness if you were to give them to her? Does she too believe that the tight-walk around the conversation has gone on for too long?

You anxiously text Emi on the way home.

You: I think I may have found my secret admirer

Maybe the letters were a ruse to finally address things once and for all…

✦✦✦ ✦✦✦

The very next morning Emi sends a message to your school email.

Hey

No service right now but email me back if you need anything :)

Emi

A wave of relief washes over you now that you’ve been given the reasoning for Emi’s lack of responses.

You’re eager to give her more juicy details on your valentine, but you’d rather discuss with her in person once classes end.

Today is a typical Friday, with students excitedly whispering discussions of their weekend plans, and teachers assigning the appropriate amount of coursework for the next two days off.

Despite the upcoming weekend, you won’t be at ease as Valentine’s Day will be on the approaching Monday and you’re still dissatisfied with your “investigation”.

You’ve yet to see Midnight, even after intentionally passing her classroom, but other than that classes go by swimmingly.

Emi receives your email begging her to let you come over to her apartment so that the two of you can chat and she obliges.

Still dressed in your work attire, you give a few taps on the beige door to Emi’s apartment, which opens the moment your knuckles retreat from its smooth wood.

"Hey, come on in”, Emi greets, swiftly turning so that you'd follow her into her lavish living room, adorned with patterned wallpaper and two lime-green suede sofas at the center.

She sits on the farthest end of one of the couches and you join right beside her. The small coffee table before you is already decorated with snacks and drinks, you smile at the thought of having another movie night or sleepover with her.

“So tell me about it already”, Emi says, eyes wide and fingers clasped together as if she’s pleading.

“Emi, you're not going to believe me when I tell you who it is”, you begin as you reach passively for a bottle of water to occupy your hands.

She gasps. “No way, is it Kayama?”

You nod with a smug grin. “I think so, but I'm not one-hundred percent sure yet.”

“What makes you think it's her? She totally hates you.”

“That's what I thought too, until she started dancing with me at the club the other night.”

Emi claps her palms over her mouth as you continue, her emerald brows nearly touching the soft hairs of her hairline.

“We were both a bit drunk but I still think it was odd she tried to initiate anything with me at all.”

“Did you get a chance to talk with Mic or the others?” Emi asks with undeviating attention.

“No, not once. I doubt they had anything to do with this otherwise they would've made an attempt to reach out to me.” You focus on the feeling of the cool condensation on your fingers as you speak, rolling the thin plastic bottle between each hand.

Emi hums in agreement. “Good point. And going by the emails, this person must really-really like you. They're not just someone who passed you by and thought you were cute.”

“Yeah, putting it that way means Midnight is the only one I’ve had a history with, even though we’ve…drifted apart.” You let out a deep sigh before finally taking a few gulps of water. “Emi, things would’ve been so much easier if you were the one behind this.” Your pouty eyes meet hers, and for a second her expression is unreadable.

“What if I actually was?” She asks softly, but her features are stern as she awaits your reply. Her body unconsciously shifts closer to you while yours goes rigid.

“You mean, you’re my secret admirer?”

“Mhmm.” Her stare slowly trails to your lips and lingers there for what feels like an eternity.

You swear your cheeks are searing to the touch as warmth spreads beneath your skin from the intensity of her look.

“I’m just kidding!” Emi suddenly beams then playfully taps your shoulder. “You should’ve seen the look on your face.”

“Don’t joke like that Emi. My heart was racing.” You can’t bring yourself to look her in the eyes.

“Good, that means you’ve fallen for me.”

Shortly after talking with Emi, she puts on a romcom that she's been wanting to see for ages, but you can hardly pay any attention to it.

Are you overthinking what she said earlier?

It feels like you’ve known Emi forever, but it’s still hard to tell when she’s being serious at times.

Maybe you shouldn’t brush off the possibility of there being some truth to what she suggested, after all, she could’ve easily sent you those emails at any moment.

You decide not to sleepover at Emi’s house that night due to the unusual nervousness that accompanies you at the thought of sharing a bed with her.

Under the comfort of your duvet, you look into the pitch-black darkness of your room, silently meditating on what you’ve gathered while looking into your admirer's identity.

You vividly recall Kayama’s fleeting interest in spending time with you and how it correlates with the sudden letters. Do her feelings for you remain despite all that’s happened?

You also begin to ruminate the feel of Emi’s harsh stare as she spoke with you earlier. When she entertained your misled thoughts about the emails, was it merely façade?

After deliberating, only one conclusion seems most sensical to you. The orchestrator of it all has to be

Emi ✦ Kayama

#midnight smut #midnight x reader #nemuri kayama x reader #ms joke x reader #ms joke smut #emi fukukado x reader #ms joke #mha x gender neutral reader #pro hero x reader #mha smut #bnha smut #bnha x reader #mha x reader

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badluck990 · 7 months

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I saw a post that reminded me of a story but I didn't want to derail the oringal point so you're getting a storytime post.

One thing I would do when I finished my school work I would write out stories in script formatt in the back of my notebook.

Well before I got a folder dedicated to my writing but I didn't have thst at the time so I just tore it out and put it in my biology folder since I wrote it during biology.

Well fast forward a couple days and I had to turn in my notes. Having long forgotten my scripts were in there I emptied all the papers in my folder into the turn in tray.

Fast forward a week and we get our notes back but...

My teacher, very confused, asks the class if anyone turned in a script.

It took me a moment to realize that was almost definitely mine and awkward walk up to the front to retrieve it.

She tried to quietly assure me she didn't read it but I was more embarrassed because everyone was watching this.

The fun part of this I was usually the last one to leave this class since I had a system on witch side of the folder papers went so I'd take a moment to make sure I put everything away properly.

And while it was just us she told me she really liked it.

So yeah, she did read it... Thats not the story.

A couple days later class finished out early and while waiting for the bell to ring I was working on another script and she asked if she could read it when it was done.

I admitted it was a mid-game scene that needed a lot of context to explain and hoped I didn't sound like I didn't want her to read it since that was an honest anwser.

She said that if I wrote the contextout or got to class early to talk for a bit she'd read that/listen.

So I wrote out a couple pages of explanation of Black and white magic and how they worked and gave it to her.

The next time she passed back papers my notebook paper was among them and she left a sticky note on the top saying

'You could be the next Rowling'

And all I could think was, "Dont compare me to her."

#aaa #storytime #i forced a smile since I knew she meant well

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princesspuresarahk · 11 months

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Meg Fanfic

Chapter.1 the Honeycomb Café

It's was an hour and 40 minutes since Meg left Spooner Street. Decided to take her time going to the cafe watching the Sun rise in the distance during her walk there by the time she got to the little cafe it was already open and few customers were coming in ready for a nice hot cup of coffee and fresh baked pastries of hot cinnamon rolls, fresh baked donuts, bagels toasted with smooth cream cheese and delicious breakfast baked goods the cafe was little old fashioned style place in old brick with pretty flower boxes decorated with pretty yellow and white face curtains the sign in the door shape of a cute honey beehive decorated with cute little flowers saying welcome to the Honeycomb Cafe sound of a cute little bell ringing a Meg open the door the fresh scent of baked goodies of cinnamon, nutmeg, hazelnut and fresh brewed coffee hit her nose making her mouth slightly water in joy of the fresh scent as she looked inside the cute Cafe and she looked around there is the ordering place to get coffees next to the counter was a display of the fresh goods being displayed as customers said their orders across the room was an old fashioned brick fireplace that was still working having already been lit to warm up the room cold autumn weather surrounded with comfy couches and chairs there is even a door connected next to the bookstore where you can enjoy some reading while waiting for your coffee it was a small cute little paradise to Meg."This is a place I can relax in." She said to herself walking up to the counter she was there just in time for the barista to take the next order "hello welcome to the Honeycomb Cafe how may I help you this morning? Meg looks at the menu so many delicious options from Good Old pumpkin spice, campfire S'more latte, breezy brown sugar latte, cinnamon maple and spiced Irish cream. So she decided on Irish cream coffee with a raspberry Rose cream donut to go with it.

While waiting for her order make decided to wait by the fireplace walking over to the comfy love seats they were dark leather but were soft and plushie plump for your bottom in the middle of the couch and chairs was a small coffee table with books and a few magazines displayed probably from the bookshop next door curious decide to look through them somewhere about artwork and nature the magazines had stuff about season holiday cooking and knitting and home decor but one book suddenly caught her eye with interest it had different shades of blue on it with a rocky planet galaxy in the background the title saying The Beauty of Space Art An Illustrated Journey Through The Cosmos. That sounded interesting? Curious she picked up the book and gently flipped through the pages to take a look and what she saw amazed her paintings of what people thought of space expressing their thoughts of the solar system through ART!

As she continued to look through a stunning artwork of stars and planet landscapes Meg didn't notice some old faces from her school walk into the shop and that happened to be Connie D'Amico and her friends Tina, Scott, Doug it was quite a while since she saw Connie last ever since she got in trouble for framing her mom and faking her death rumor had it that her parents sent her to boarding school for a while to straighten her out but it seems she was still carrying bad habits. a bit nervous try to make her look small in the corner placing the book in front of her face hoping they wouldn't notice or whatever they were here for she hopes it would be quick. Thankfully they didn't seem to notice or recognize her due to her new appearance kind of made her wonder if the superhero disguise really works? Oh she kept the book close to her face as a cover (keep calm Meg just keep calm if they do begin to notice pretend that you're too busy looking at starlight as her bullies school we're discussing their orders it was then that a couple of more students came in Julius and Clemont who have recently became part Connie's friend group having become pretty good friends with Doug and Scott so Connie accepted them into the group while Connie and Gina ordered the lattes it was that Clemont a tall guy known for his signature look of an orange shirt blue jeans and brown hiking boots and always wearing a green and white cap backwards on his chestnut hair with big brown eyes that suddenly noticed Meg in the corner but due to her different appearance he only saw a new girl never meet before sitting by the couch engrossed in the pages of a book even if he couldn't see her face he couldn't help but see that she was really cute.

He whispered and nudged to Julius and Doug "hey guys check out the cute chick in the pink sweatshirt." Nodding his head to the direction where Meg was sitting and as if on cue the rising rays of the morning sun peek through the window just right and a warm soft glow"man definitely talk about a cutie all sweet in pink!" Doug commented, "I never seen her around school before maybe she's new?" Replied Julius who was also in all of the pretty girl reading a book in the corner unaware of who she really was they were so distracted looking at her that they didn't notice Connie, Gina and Scott (but he was busy on the phone texting his boyfriend) trying to get their attention that it was their turn to order "hey what's got you guys distracted?" She spoke a bit louder slightly annoyed finally getting their attention geez she was gone for a few months and it seems they always forget she's popular. The guys look slightly embarrassed and apologize. "Sorry Connie we were just uhh..." Doug tried to explain without trying to upset Connie to which she just scuffed “whatever it doesn't matter just pay attention next time." Brushing her long blonde hair over her shoulder still annoyed by Doug's excuse until she noticed by what the guys’ distraction she found out what she saw. Oh it's so it's a new pretty face reading some stupid book scoff what's so special about her she's probably some nerd geek or freak from what she could see the book she was reading it must be dumb science space stuff that all geeks or freaks seem to be interested in.

A sound of a ding came from the counter as a worker called out for an order "Irish cream coffee with a raspberry cream donut for M your order is ready?" Meant for Meg knowing she had to answer taking a cautious breath she set the book down and to quickly make her way to the counter trying to avoid eye contact with Connie and them whose eyes widen in surprise of the strange new girl's face!

A face Connie immediately felt threatened in beauty standards soft snow white skin with rosy cheeks, natural deep red pink lips, rich chocolate hair and eyes that are like sparkling gems all deep blue and purple! She was short (making her relief on that knowing that she's hotter and taller than this shortcake) but still can see this girl had a really cute figure on her even with her clothes hiding it. In the meantime Meg decided to continue to ignore them as she got her order and saying a soft "thank you.)She quickly made her way to the book section to avoid the popular kids and hopefully be able to relax again after they left and have her coffee in peace.

They also wonder why they never seen her in school before whoever she is Connie would definitely want to make sure to let this one know Who She Is "hey you and the freak in the pink hood!" Oh no Meg nearly froze out of fear but soon turn to annoyance she realized she couldn't let Connie stomp on her like that even if she didn't recognize her that should not give her a right to bully someone she barely knows standing her ground she turned towards her old bully "excuse me I appreciate that you don't call me freak when you barely even know me." Replying coldly a frown on her face "what did you say..?"

Connie was surprise how much guts this girl had very few ever stood up to her and gave her a taste of her own medicine "you barely know me and yet you have the spoiled snot nose attitude to be rude to strangers" This girl's attitude towards Connie surprised her friends not taking Connie's crap like a most teens do the popular crowd "who the hell are you anyway freak!?" Growled Connie raising her hand wanting to slap the girl but was suddenly stopped by Doug gently grabbing her hand "whoa hey take it easy Connie." He calmly said noticing people from the counter staring "people are noticing plus just got back and you don't want to cause trouble and have your parents find out right?"

Trying to talk some sense into the 18 yrs old she was already out of very hot water with her parents warning her that is she gets in trouble one more time she will face worse consequences then boarding school.

Letting out a frustrated groan Connie reluctantly backed off but not without having the last laugh as Meg turned to leave she secretly stick her foot out at Meg's feet trying to trip her and cause her hot coffee to spilled all over her but the reverse happen instead the angle caused Meg to trip backwards and her order to fall towards Connie as he coffee lid fell loose from her grip as Meg tried to regain her balance causing the hot liquid to spill all over Connie's shirt down towards her pants making it look like she wet herself as she let out yell!Thankfully the coffee wasn't dangerous hot when she looked at check her skin it was slightly tented red but still hurt a bit "my new sweater!"Meg looked a bit concerned for Connie but it was her fault that she caused Meg to trip and loose her balance "hey are you all right here?"She tried handing Connie some napkins she had try to help clean the coffee on her clothes but Connie angrily smack her hand away hard causing Meg to quickly retreat your hand back "whoa hey!"cradling her hand "I don't need your pity freak!"scorning "and you're going to pay for ruining my new sweater this was a polyester! Now I'm going to have to go get a professionally cleaned because of your stupid coffee!" Meg's frown deepen "hey I wasn't the one who tried to trip me and not ended up having hot coffee all over themselves actually I think you deserve it for being a bigtoed two-faced bullies like you!" She was really getting sick of this crap and was ready to leave her mood already getting ruined so much for a peaceful morning "her hand that was smack quickly grabbed in a tight grip "ouch! hey that hurt let go!"!" She cried trying to remove her wrist from Connie's grip her friends trying to convince her to stop some people were watching and they were going to get kicked out but Connie definitely wouldn't listen not until she gave this freak a good few slaps to put her in her place! While everyone was distracted by the commotion a familiar figure walked into the shop a little bell dinging their arrival but everyone was too busy with the little fight happening which the person noticed and was not happy about that no building is going to happen on her watch today! As Connie was about to slam her hand against Meg's face closing her eyes for the impact but it never came? That's when she heard a familiar voice "All right now that is enough! " opening her eyes Meg's eyes widen by her unexpected rescuer (Mrs.Brown?)

what happens next in Chapter 2:Lets talk

#meg griffin fanfic #meg griffin #meg #fanfiction

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vivencyglobal · 1 year

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School Bell System - PA System Based School Bell Solutions | Vivency Global in Dubai.

Vivency Global PA system-based school bell solutions. School Intercom PA - Bell system for improved safety.Paging and Bells System for School.

Efficient time management is crucial in educational institutions, where the smooth transition between classes, breaks, and events is essential. Traditional bell systems have limitations in terms of audibility and flexibility. PA system-based school bell solutions have emerged as an innovative alternative, leveraging the power of public address systems to provide clear and customizable audio signals. In this blog, we will explore the benefits, features, and applications of PA system-based school bell solutions, and how they optimize time management and communication in educational settings.

Benefits of PA System-Based School Bell Solutions:

a) Clear and Audible Signals: PA system-based solutions utilize powerful speakers and audio amplification to ensure that bell signals are heard clearly throughout the school premises. This eliminates the possibility of missed cues or confusion, improving overall efficiency.

b) Customizable Audio Notifications: Unlike traditional bell systems, PA system-based solutions offer flexibility in audio notifications. Administrators can customize bell sounds, tones, or even incorporate recorded messages, providing distinct and recognizable signals for different events or schedule changes.

c) Centralized Control and Scheduling: PA system-based solutions enable centralized control and management of bell schedules. Administrators can easily program and modify bell timings, ensuring synchronized signaling across the school campus or multiple buildings.

d) Integration with Communication Systems: PA system-based bell solutions can be integrated with other communication systems, such as intercoms or emergency notification systems. This allows for simultaneous announcements or emergency alerts alongside bell signals, enhancing safety and communication.

Features of PA System-Based School Bell Solutions:

a) User-Friendly Interface: These solutions typically offer user-friendly interfaces that allow administrators to easily program and manage bell schedules. The interface may include dedicated software or hardware controllers, enabling convenient access and control.

b) Multiple Zone Configuration: PA system-based bell solutions support the division of the school campus into multiple zones. This allows for different bell schedules to be set up for various areas or buildings, catering to the unique needs of each zone.

c) Scheduling Flexibility: Administrators can easily modify bell schedules to accommodate exceptions, special events, or changes in routine. PA system-based solutions offer flexibility in adjusting bell timings, ensuring smooth transitions and minimizing disruptions.

d) Emergency Notification Integration: These solutions can be integrated with emergency notification systems to provide real-time alerts and announcements in case of emergencies or drills. This enhances the overall safety and preparedness of the educational institution.

Applications of PA System-Based School Bell Solutions:

a) K-12 Schools: PA system-based school bell solutions are particularly useful in K-12 educational institutions. They facilitate the timely signaling of class transitions, recess, lunch breaks, and other routine activities, promoting a structured learning environment.

b) Colleges and Universities: Higher education institutions can benefit from PA system-based solutions to manage complex class schedules, exams, events, and campus-wide announcements. These solutions ensure clear communication and timely signaling across large campuses.

c) Sports Facilities and Auditoriums: PA system-based bell solutions find applications in sports facilities and auditoriums within educational institutions. They can be used to signal the start and end of sporting events, performances, or special assemblies, ensuring smooth coordination and audience guidance.

d) Public Spaces within Schools: PA system-based bell solutions can be extended to public spaces within schools, such as cafeterias, libraries, or outdoor areas. This allows for the clear signaling of specific activities or events, ensuring effective management and communication.

Considerations when Choosing PA System-Based School Bell Solutions:

a) Audio Quality and Coverage: Ensure that the PA system-based solution offers high-quality audio output and sufficient coverage to reach all areas of the school premises. Consider the size of the school and the required sound levels for effective signaling.

#PA system-based school bell solutions #Timetable management with PA systems #Customizable bell scheduling #Efficient PA system solutions #Integrated school bell systems #School Bells and Timer Solutions #Paging - Bells System for School #Automated Bell and PA Solution for Schools.

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consulcato · 10 months

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I didn't know what to post so I just said to myself: "Why not speak about life in Liceo Classico?" Honestly I know you guys don't care about it but hey I'm going to speak about it because I'm kinda bored so yeah 😎🤟

Let's start with a brief introduction of what is the Liceo Classico.

The Italian “Liceo Classico” is a high school major in humanities: it is possibly the only high school in the world where pupils study both Latin and Ancient Greek and it’s internationally renowned for its advanced curricula in philosophy, literature and history. The literal translation from Italian to English of “Liceo Classico” is “Classical Lyceum” but, as we anticipated above, it’s correctly translated as “humanistic secondary school” or “high school major in humanities”. The “Liceo Classico” is the oldest and most prestigious secondary school in Italy and, before 2012, was actually divided in two segments: the first two years – called "Ginnasio" or “Gymnasium” – trained the students for the second part – the real “Liceo” – which lasts three years. Now, the first two years are called "biennio" (transl. two-year period) and the last three "triennio" (transl. three-year period). Besides that, it was considered so prestigious that, up to 1969, you could not attend an Italian university of any kind if you hadn’t obtained a “Liceo Classico” diploma.

This is our week hours. The translation is:

Monday:

8.15-9.15= Italian

9.15-10.15= Science

10.25-11.15= English

11.15-12.15= Maths

12.15-13.15= Religion

Tuesday:

8.15-9.15= Latin/[Ancient] Greek

9.15-10.15= Latin/[Ancient] Greek

10.25-11.15= English

11.15-12.15= Italian

12.15-13.15= Geography and history

Wednesday:

8.15-9.15= P.E

9.15-10.15= P.E.

10.25-11.15= Latin/[Ancient] Greek

11.15-12.15= Latin/[Ancient] Greek

12.15-13.15= / (we leave school earlier)

Thursday:

8.15-9.15= Latin/[Ancient] Greek

9.15-10.15= English

10.25-11.15= Geography and history

11.15-12.15= Maths

12.15-13.15= /

Friday:

8.15-9.15= Latin/[Ancient] Greek

9.15-10.15= Latin/[Ancient] Greek

10.25-11.15= Geography and history

11.15-12.15= Maths

12.15-13.15= Latin/[Ancient] Greek

Saturday:

8.15-9.15= Latin/[Ancient] Greek

9.15-10.15= Science

10.25-11.15= Italian

11.15-12.15= Italian

12.15-13.15= /

Our school schedule is not messed up at all, actually. This is really good, considering many things. Of course, we have homework everyday and this week, for example, we had a test every day and the next days we'll have tests so yes, this is normal here. Oh, plus, not only tests, but also oral exams where our geography and history professor gives us 110 pages for the next day at 11.27 p.m. Oh, and she's a real bastard, like, she calls 8 people to her desks, does 2 questions each (things that she didn't say in class/things that aren't in the book), she continues to interrogate even when the bell of the end of the lesson rings and she gave all the people in my class a 3 (We have a 1-10 grading system, and below 6 it's a red grade, an insufficient). Like, for tomorrow, I have 130 pages plus the greek oral exam! Oh, also, today our latin-greek prof (don't get me wrong, we love her) entered our class and said "put your desks apart 😃😃" That means, there was a surprise test. Of greek. And god I went to school with 37.4 degrees of temperature (basically a fever) and pfft my mind was not working so yes 😭

These stuff that you see up here are our daily homeworks...of greek. Because yes, we have latin too for the same day!

These are the homework I had to do for today.

Ahem, so, after you cried and asked yourself why the fuck did you go to this school, you watch the clock and see it's 1 am and you think you can finally sleep, but you remember that the professor said some homework in class and she didn't put it on electronic register. With the will to live below zero, you take the enormous dictionaries.

The last step is believing that God actually exists, since you finished at 4 am and you have 2 hours to rest before waking up earlier (6 am) than the other days since you didn't understand half of the stuff that your prof will interrogate you on.

#me #school #liceo classico #italy student #my school life

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leseigneurdufeu · 2 years

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Can you please when you have time ofc, write a list of the books any French high-school graduate should have read? Like the baccalaureate curriculum for example. I'm seeking to catch up my general knowledge of universal literature + attempt to read directly in French

Sure!

Now curriculum may vary and there was a reform of education since I left high school so it might have changed but what any french graduate should have read: (authors in bold, titles in italics)

Poetry (middle ages and early Renaissance):

Any three poems from Joachim du Bellay or other poets from the Pleiade. Most important is Heureux qui comme Ulysse.

Also look up who the Pleiade were.

16th and 17th centuries novels:

La Princesse de Montpensier, by Madame de Lafayette. 90 pages but very, very antiquated language.

Gargantua, by Rabelais. It's NOT cheating to take the modern-french translation. Native speakers do it. It's not cheating either to just dump it half-way through because you don't understand half of it. Native speakers do it too.

La Belle et la Bête, by Madame Leprince de Beaumont.

Any fairy tale by Perrault.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses, by Choderlos de Laclos. Please. Do. Not. Read. It. It's awful, the protagonist rapes a 15yo girl but it's ok because him loving her is making him into a better person (Yikes), the whole thing is about the protagonist and his long-time on-and-off girlfriend (who's married to someone else) teaming up to dirty/perverse two (maybe three?) innocent young ladies. It's studied because it's a classics, not because it's good. Please. Don't subject yourself to it.

Les Lettres Persannes, by Montesquieu. letters from a bunch of fictional characters to the others, two iranians (but at the time Iran was called Perse) visit France and criticize everything (way for Montesquieu to criticize but be able to say "nah it's my characters saying that not me"). TW of suicide and incest iirc. Not something too graphic either, since it's always second-hand testimonies or third-hand.

Theatre of the 17th and 18th centuries:

Le Cid, by Pierre Corneille.

At least one play by Molière. Can't recommand because I don't remember much of it. Do read summaries for a few of his plays though because some characters names have passed into common language to mean the type of characters they were (a Harpagon is going to be a greedy man, a Tartuffe a guy pretending to be devoted but being a hypocrite...)

Le Mariage de Figaro, by Beaumarchais. It's a political satire but also people are jumping from the window so that the husband doesn't find them in the lady's room. Basically.

If you fell in love with theatre at that point, you can look up Racine but fair warning, all of those have old language but Racine (along with Corneille) have very old language.

19th century novel:

Short version of Les Misérables, by Victor Hugo. I'd recommand the long one but only the short one is required and also the long one has 40 pages of description of the parisian sewers system with no relevance at all to the story and that's not the only long digression so... Do what you want.

A book by Honoré de Balzac, whichever you'd want. If you want to read the whole series, it might be best to look up the order on wikipedia, they'll know better than me. Basically him and the next author on the list had a bibliographic universe before Marvel made it cool. 60-or-so books with common characters but not the same protagonists. I'd recommand you simply go with Le Lys de la Vallée, slightly royalist and apparently the easiest to read? (so i've been told but i didn't read it myself so...)

Any book by Emile Zola. I'd recommand Au bonheur des dames because it has to be the only one with a happy ending and a cute romance out of the 40-and-more books by Zola.

Bel-Ami, by Guy de Maupassant. The protagonist has no morals but it's funny. Kinda.

Madame Bovary, by Gustave Flaubert. A tad bit depressing. Not the most interesting either. But it's one of the few that have been studied more than once in my schooling so I know it's an important one.

19th century theatre:

Hernani, a play by Victor Hugo. Tragedy, so a bit sad. But do look up the Battle of Hernani (sorry there's not a big choice of languages for this one on wikipedia). Basically founded the french romantic genre. Quite a scandal.

If per chance Hernani was love at first reading for you, you might also like Ruy Blas, still Hugo, although i found it a bit less good. If you want a ridiculously overdramatic, over-the-top movie freely inspired by Ruy Blas but in which no one dies, you've got La Folie des Grandeurs, a comedy with Louis de Funès.

Cyrano de Bergerac, by Edmond Rostand, and if the style of the author makes you want to read more, go for l'Aiglon, which is about Napoleon's son but is a bit sadder.

19th century poetry:

Les fleurs du mal by Baudelaire. Awful. Simply awful. I mean you can try a few. I hated them all. Not necessary to have read all of them by any mean.

20th century:

A Ionesco play, either La Cantatrice Chauve or Rhinoceros, for the Theatre de l'Absurde. La Cantatrice Chauve is funnier I think.

Actually I won't give you any novels from that century because most of the ones studied suck and also it's for post-bac (after graduation) studies so it doesn't fall under the ask.

Now if I had to give you a few classics to read, what I'd recommand:

Les Trois Mousquetaires, by Alexandre Dumas.

Le Comte de Monte-Cristo, (ibidem). Luckily this one is on substack format at the cristo account.

Notre-Dame de Paris, by Victor Hugo.

I think that's all. If you've got any more questions, about books or about whether or not it's worth reading That Book instead of watching an adaptation or reading a summary, or which adaptation of, for example, Les Miserables, is the best, I'm here to answer them.

#books #history #long post

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djtheabishai · 1 year

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Master! Part: 1/?

Barbatos feels he hasn't done enough for the last couple days and decides to ask Simeon for help.

This was originally gonna be 2 parts but Tumbler has word limits, so it's gonna have to broken into more than 2 (maybe 3 or more). Part 2 I already up, but it isn't as long as this part

For only Two parts (like intended), It is also up on my AO3 (Archive of Our Own) page under Dizzy_Sight.

For all the parts that's currently up, click the "Master! Simebarb" Tag

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The bell just rang for lunch at R.A.D. and Simeon quickly gathered his bag and swung it over his head, letting strap cross his chest. He was hungry. More hungry then usual when the lunch bell rang. He didn't have time to eat breakfast since he, Luke and Solomon woke up late. From what Solomon explained, the power kicked off and on sometime in the night and resest the clocks. Apparently it's a common thing in the Human Realm. As for the phones, their phones had a system update and turned off their alarms . If it wasn't for MC calling Solomon to wonder why he isn't where they planned to meet, they'd still be alseep. As soon as Simeon stepped one foot out the classroom, his phone dinged. Moving out the way of hungry students, he stood on the side of the hallway and checked who messaged him. His eyes widen a bit and a small heat rose to his cheeks to find it was Barbatos who messaged him. Barbatos: I'm sorry to bother you on your way to lunch, but I was wondering if you would join me for lunch today. There's something I'd like to discuss with you. Join the Steward for lunch? The angel thought. I'm rarely asked to join him for lunch. At least during school days. Any other time, we'd spend hours talking. Speaking of which. Simeon: What do you want to talk about? Barbatos: That's something I'd rather talk about in person. Simeon: Alright. Where do you want to meet? Barbatos: Meet me in Music Room No. 3 on the 2nd Floor. Don't worry about getting your lunch. I already have that covered. Music Room 3? Isn't that room abandoned? If so, it's probably the reason why he wants to talk there. So no one can overhear what he has to say. Simeon: I'm on my way. Barbatos: See you soon. And with that, their message conversation ended. Simeon was a bit relieved he didn't have to go far to eat. The music room was closer to him then the cafeteria. He was also a bit nervous. What did Barbatos want to talk about? Was it about Luke? I hope he's approving in his baking skills. Or was it about D.J.? Please don't let me hear anything negative about her! He frowned at the thought of his oldest getting in trouble again.

He messaged the others to let them know he won't be joining them for lunch today. MC: You won't? Where you going?

Simeon: Barbatos invited me to join him for lunch today. Solomon: Oh? Where are you eating? Simeon: In Music Room No. 3. MC: The abandoned music room?

Simeon: That's the one Luke: Don't let that demon try anything! Solomon: I highly doubt Barbatos is gonna do anything on him, Luke. He isn't Asmo. MC: You'd know that all too well, wouldn't you Solomon? Solomon said nothing in response while MC and Luke started talking about something else. Turning around and putting his phone on silent, Simeon put his phone away and found the nearest set of stairs a couple classrooms down. The angel climbed up them, taking the right set of stairs to the second floor. After passing a few classrooms, that had a couple students in them still, he reached the abandoned music room and opened the door. Peeking inside, he found large instruments covered in dusty white cloths. One he knew for sure was a piano.

Why would Barbatos of all demons want to come to a dusty room to talk? Unless he plans on cleaning it after we eat.The angel thought, walking over to the covered piano. Dust lingered in the air, as it tickled his nose and made him sneeze. He then a heard a chuckled coming from somewhere in the room. "My, my, " the voice said, a he could see a shadowy figure walking behind the curtain that paritly covered the hidden piano. He figure appeared to be Barbatos, in his demon form. The demon's tail raised, holding a duster between the tips. "bless you. I apologize for making you sneeze, I was dusting before you got here. I was hoping to at least get some part of the room decent enough for us eat, but I guess, that won't be possible with dust flying everywhere." He said, looking behind himself and letting out a small huff and frowned. He then looks back at Simeon and smiled. The demon grabbed the angel's hands and held them as he leaned in to kiss him. Simeon met him halfway. It was a soft, yet firm kiss. Butterflies fluttered around the angel's stomach and electricity shot through his body. The feel of the demon's lips on his was very sinful, yet exciting at the same time. If only demons and angels were allowed to be together, the two would have nothing to hide from their worlds. But it's also the thought of being caught by the wrong people is what made it so thrilling. The steward pulled away and looked at him with a small blush on his face and a smile. Simeon noticed Barbatos's tail no longer held the duster and was swaying a bit back and forth, tail tips twisting around each other. "How my angel doing?" Barbatos asked. The angel waved their arms in and out a bit. "I'm doing really good actually. So is Luke. He's really excited for your next lesson tomorrow." Simeon told him. " As am I, but I said "angel" not "angels"." The steward pointed out, letting go of Simeon's hands and pulled him closer to him by his waist. He then crossed his arms over Simeon's back and let his wrists sit on the angel's tail bone. Simeon wrapped his arms around the steward's neck and met him half way in another kiss. This time it was more passionate. The angel felt something slightly damp slither across his back. It only took a second for him to realize it was only the demon's tail wrapping itself around the two, pushing the two closer together where their chests touched. Neither one of them showed they minded, as they tightened their arms to bring their heads and waists closer as the butler slid his tongue inside the angel's mouth. The angel moaned as their tongues danced together in a playful fight for dominance. Barbatos slid one hand from behind the angel's back and rubbed his fingertips over Simeon's exposed side. The angel gasped and quietly moaned as the demon moved, kissing from his lips to his neck, the angel moving his head to give him more access. Simeon shuddered and blushed more, bitting but bottom lip from feeling Barbatos's teeth scrapped against his sensitive spot at the side of his neck. Barbatos was about to bite the angel, to mark him as his when the angel's stomach growled. They both froze and Simeon went very stiff, face going a very dark red. Barbatos chuckled and pulled away from the angel's neck to see his lover's face bright red dispite his dark color.

#obey me #barbatos x simeon #obey me barbatos #obey me simeon #simeon x barbatos #shall we date #obey me shall we date #Simebarb #Master! Simebarb

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