#Student-Led Assemblies

[townpostin]

Shiksha Niketan Students Honor Medical Professionals On Doctors' Day

Class XI Leads Special Assembly Highlighting Dr. B.C. Roy’s Legacy The celebration emphasized the crucial role of doctors in society, likening their importance to that of deities. JAMSHEDPUR – Shiksha Niketan School in Telco marked Doctors’ Day with a special morning assembly organized by Class XI students on Monday, paying tribute to medical professionals and their contributions. The program…

[reasonsforhope]

"Seventh graders at Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Rockford, Illinois are learning about STEM — but they’re also learning about real-world challenges.

The students have taken on a new project: assembling “solar suitcases” to help bring electricity to schools in Uganda’s Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement, which is home to 270,000 South Sudanese refugees.

It’s an initiative led by We Share Solar, a nonprofit that provides science and technology learning projects for students that then go on to benefit other students in low-income areas of the world. 

The project introduces middle schoolers to fundamental electrical concepts, like positive and negative charges, voltage, amps, and wiring, ultimately producing a 12-volt DC solar power system that will be distributed among the refugee community.

“We’ve learned many things like positives and negatives, amps, volts, all that stuff, and how to wire stuff together,” Pratham Mehta, one of the Thurgood Marshall students, told WIFR News. 

“We’re taking all this stuff for granted, and other countries don’t have all this stuff, like electricity.”

The suitcases will bring electricity to 40 schools in the refugee settlement, which provide education to over 12,000 students. They are designed to be easily transported (thus the suitcase design), which makes them ideal for off-grid locations, like a refugee camp.

The panels in the suitcase collect sunlight and harness the energy in a built-in battery. It can then provide power to up to five light bulbs for 50 to 60 hours a week. Depending on the capacity of the system, it can also help power small electronics like phones or radios.

For people in the Bidi Bidi settlement — one of the largest refugee settlements in the world — this kind of power can make an enormous impact.

In fact, We Share Solar has deployed over 1,000 suitcases to “energy-scarce locations” across the world, with more than 500,000 students and teachers benefitting from the power they provide.

“The We Share Solar education program serves youth twice,” Hal Aronson, co-founder of the organization, said, “first as an educational experience for American youth and second as a renewable power and lighting system for youth in parts of the world that lack electricity.”

Along with connecting students to learning opportunities, the organization ensures each device is tested by a professional to ensure it is built to withstand energy demands. Then, the suitcases are installed by trained partners in destination countries, and students and teachers alike learn about the new clean energy technologies they have implemented.

At the start of the 2024 school year, the We Share Solar program was implemented in 13 Illinois schools, training educators in the curriculum and setting up the project across the state.

“This is just the beginning,” a Facebook post from We Share Solar states. “These passionate teachers will now guide their students in building solar cases, providing a hands-on STEM experience with real-world impact.”

-via GoodGoodGood, January 16, 2025

[utilitycaster]

imagine. you are an deeply ambitious young woman in the rural Empire. you get a lucky break to go to the Soltryce Academy where you are hand-picked by one of the professors who proceeds to both favor and torture you and two others, with whom you become romantically entwined; he always does seem to favor one of the others over you. On the night of your final exam, when you poison your parents, that other student has a mental break, badly injuring you and you get him to the Vergesson Sanatorium. You continue on as a wizard assassin for years until one day, in your late 20s, he escapes. You hear nothing of him until he resurfaces when you receive a letter. He comes to see you. You talk. Not long after he and his friends are invited to dinner by your mentor and your mentor proceeds to offer the seat you thought was yours directly to him in front of you. He and his friends openly insult the mentor who has held you for years. You and your ex joke about racing each other to the top. You are then called upon to spy on them as they traverse Eiselcross for another Assembly wizard; they return to Rexxentrum and ask you to help them break into the asylum where your ex was once kept. You have a brief mental breakdown in an alleyway but you give them what they need. It does not go well and you are asked to chase them down but when you have them you find yourself letting them go. A few days pass and you track them down once more to a small temple. Your mentor is defeated and you are asked, after all this time, not to kill him. You leave in rage with your partner only to return when you realize you can have some small closure in testifying against him. You do so. Your mentor's seat is offered to your ex. He turns it down. It goes to you.

Seven years later the Assembly breaks from the empire during an era of mass unrest. You go and hide in a smut shop in Zadash. A group of fucking weirdos come in. One of them uses your ex's childhood name. They use every way they can trap you possible. When they finally succeed you realize they're being led by your ex's current boyfriend. You are pinned against the wall in a smut shop in Zadash. Every day Astrid Becke wakes up.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Melissa Gira Grant at TNR:

Late Sunday, a reported 20,000 people joined an organizing call quickly convened by Indivisible, a group founded to push back on Trump’s first administration, in response to actions largely undertaken by one of his unelected lackeys, the chaotic tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. As the call maxed out its capacity, tens of thousands more watched via YouTube. Meanwhile, outside an otherwise unexciting federal building in Washington, federal workers and D.C. residents assembled. Inside, under orders from Musk (who apparently paid his way into the president’s good graces), a small group of young men, whose only professional experience was working for one of Musk’s or Musk’s cronies’ companies, were wreaking havoc on federal payment systems. “Musk is inside the Treasury right now with his cadre of flying monkeys, and we don’t know what they’re doing,” said Indivisible co-founder Ezra Levin on the organizing call. No one seemed to know how to stop them.

But the accounts from that small protest outside the federal building, with just a few people blocking the doors—backed up by chants of “There’s a robbery in progress”—put a spotlight on the scene and gave it a story. On Monday morning, as federal workers reported lockouts from their offices, more people joined. Some protesters took to the street outside the Office of Management and Budget and blocked traffic. And the next day, Indivisible demonstrators and Democratic members of Congress gathered at the Treasury Building in opposition to Musk’s ongoing takeover, which some lawmakers were by then plainly calling an “illegal raid,” in which he “illegally seized power.” When they tried to get into Treasury on Tuesday, they were turned away. “We’re not going to allow them to steal from our people, from working-class people!” Representative Maxwell Frost said at the rally assembled outside.

In the wake of the November election, multiple news outlets ran stories suggesting that, this time, the president’s opposition were exhausted and inclined to sit this one out. But the fact that the National Mall isn’t packed with pussy-hat-wearing women does not mean that everyone has moved on. Some may have, of course, like the group of Pennsylvania women profiled in The New York Times ahead of the 2025 inauguration, whose first experience organizing was protesting Trump’s first term. (But, to be fair, we don’t know how many people in that particular demographic have really tuned out.) The story those particular protests were telling—a man who sexually assaulted women was in the White House, and himself was a threat to democracy—has only gotten more grim, more all-encompassing, in the last eight years. If anything, there is too much to protest and there are too many villains, an overwhelming number of stories competing for attention and action. But protests are, in fact, happening—and this week, more people are starting to show up.

At the same time as some lesser-known federal office buildings became sites of protest on Sunday, thousands of people across the country were turning out in opposition to Trump’s promised mass deportations and the already-escalating ICE raids: In Los Angeles (blocking the 101 Freeway), Phoenix, Las Vegas (over several days, including hundreds outside Trump’s hotel), Dallas, and Atlanta, among others. On Sunday and Monday, a few thousand people in Washington, D.C. and New York protested Trump’s attempted bans on gender-affirming care for young trans people. On Tuesday, as Trump contemplated shutting down the Department of Education by executive order, students walked out of schools in Los Angeles, and members of the Chicago Teachers Union held “walk-ins” at 100 schools, calling for protections for immigrant students, parents, and educators.

What do we know about these protests? It’s too early to make any data-based generalizations. But based on the rapid-fire research I did for this story, including going to some of these protests (both now and in the first Trump administration), they are not primarily organized under a banner of “Resist Trump.” Protests have mobilized around Trump’s orders, but they are also targeting those who are carrying out his orders, whether that’s responding to an ICE raid in their own neighborhood or to a hospital that is preemptively banning gender-affirming care. Many of these same protesters, not coincidentally, remained active no matter who was in the White House.

Their communities did not see the Biden years as a victory but as a possible reprieve. That reprieve didn’t materialize: Biden didn’t brand his deportations as Trump did, and they weren’t media spectacles, but by the numbers available, he removed as many people from the United States as Trump did in his first term. For trans people, who Biden did at least mention in some speeches and whose rights he backed in a number of executive orders, almost all of that has been undone by two weeks of Trump. The Biden years also saw a constant onslaught of attacks on trans people at the state and local level. There was nothing to sit out. Maybe, to those who deemed protesters “tired,” this resistance doesn’t look like what they expected. Perhaps they don’t see protests led by immigrants and trans people as part of the resistance, or see these as side issues—even though those are the communities Trump is specifically targeting.

The resistance to Tyrant 47 feels and looks different from Autocrat-in-Chief Trump’s first term. #Resist47 #ResistTrump

[otherkinnews]

New York bill proposes criminalizing costumes and masks in public

[This article was originally posted on the main blog for Otherkin News, on DreamWidth: https://otherkinnews.dreamwidth.org/95526.html Orion Scribner @frameacloud wrote it on January 8, 2025.]

During the previous two years, Republicans in the US have penned "anti-furry bills." These come from Republicans rumoring that schools also provide litter boxes for students who believe they are animals. The rumor has been debunked by the fact-checking sites Snopes and Reuters. Anti-furry bills oppose what the legislators variously and inaccurately describe as people who are furry, anthropomorphic, transspecies, identifying as animals, or having the "perception of being any animal species other than human". Sometimes the text of the bill itself uses those words, and sometimes the legislators only spell that out in interviews. The bills are based on the satirical urban legend about litter boxes, not on the behavior of any real people. The purpose is to satirize transgender students' requests to use the correct restrooms in schools. Republicans care about this as part of a vendetta against public schools and LGBT people.

The bills began in 2023 with North Dakota House Bill 1522, Oklahoma Senate Bill 943, Indiana Statehouse Bill 380, and a proposed amendment to Montana Senate Bill 544. 2024 had Oklahoma House Bill 3084, Mississippi House Bill 176, and Missouri House Bill 2678. No anti-furry bills have yet passed into law as such. Fellow volunteers and I have been reporting on these in the Otherkin News blog all along, which you can read in the tag for that purpose. I expect to see Republicans propose some more anti-furry bills this year, too. Here is the first relevant bill for 2025 that I've found, though it is not specifically what I would categorize as an anti-furry bill.

New York Senate Bill 723 would make it be a class B misdemeanor to wear a mask and/or costume in public places. It describes these as "deceptive wearing of a mask" and "disguised by unusual or unnatural attire." It would be a crime even for people who are doing harmless activities, such as "loiter[ing], remain[ing] or congregat[ing] in a public place with other persons so masked or disguised while engaged in a protest, rally or other public assembly." The explicit purpose is to make it more difficult for peaceful protestors to maintain any anonymity.

Today, one common tactic of protestors is "Black Bloc," in which all the protestors cover themselves in sunglasses and black clothing from head to foot. They hide their body shape as well as hair and faces as much as possible. Because Bloc makes the whole group look uniformly similar and anonymous, it makes it more difficult for police to identify an individual for later legal punishment or single someone out for immediate brutality. Covering one's skin and eyes as part of Black Bloc also gives some protection from pepper spray. If Black Bloc is banned, protestors will be more vulnerable to injury and police violence. If common attire of protestors is criminalized, then the bill could be used to some degree to limit or effectively ban peaceful protest, which is a First Amendment right. For centuries, disguises have played a role in how protestors protect their anonymity, show who they're together with, or invoke cultural symbols and beliefs (Leslie Feinberg, Transgender Warriors, pp. 75-80). In American history alone, disguises were a part of the famous protest that led to the US becoming an independent nation in the first place: the Boston Tea Party in 1773.

If your city in the state of New York requires permission from the police or other authorities for entertainment events, then Senate Bill 723 would require you to specifically get permission for people to wear disguises to the event, because it makes an exception for those. The bill also makes an exception for attire worn for religious reasons.

This bill could have an impact on other sorts of gatherings. It leaves itself open for various sorts of people to be considered to be wearing "unusual or unnatural attire." It doesn't specifically mention people who wear costumes and masks as part of hobbies such as fursuiting, cosplay, and quadrobics, but it could have an impact on them. There are other bills that oppose transgender people in much more explicit ways, but couldn't this one also be stretched to be used against people whose outfits don't conform with their assigned gender?

The bill was prefiled on January 8 by Republican Senators Steven Rhoads, George Borrello, Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Jack Martins, Mario Mattera, Dean Murray, Peter Oberacker, William Weber, and Alexis Weik. Here is the bill on the New York Senate government website: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S723

If you care about costuming hobbies as well as the First Amendment right to peaceful protest, what can you do about this bill? My partners Page Shepard, House of Chimeras, and I have presented a convention panel about that. In the recording of our panel, skip to the timestamp 23:44 to hear what ordinary people can do about bad bills. In the written script of our lecture, see Slides 21 through 25.

[exhaslo]

Kinktober Day 6

(Bully!Grimmjow x TeachersPet!Reader)

Summary: You were given the role of making sure everyone attends a mandatory school assembly.

Warning: MINORS DNI, smut, groping, dirty talking, grinding

------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was horrible.

You were great at everything, so much so, that the teachers relied on you a bit too much. There was a mandatory school assembly and it was required for everyone to join. You had managed to get a good chunk of students to go...

So the teachers decided to have you convince the delinquents.

Now, as much as you wanted to refuse the task, you couldn't. Your difficult task led you to facing each of the Espada gang. Students in the school that broke different rules for their own benefit. They were a frustrating group to deal with.

Lucky enough, all you had to do was convince a select few for the others to follow.

Except for Grimmjow.

The man was avoiding you and purposely ignoring you. The assembly was almost approaching. Following the cyan haired man, you huffed and puffed as you watched him snicker.

"Grimmjow! Please, I just need a moment...of your time!" You huffed, chasing the frustrating man.

"Hah, wha's wrong? Runnin' outta breathe?" He snorted.

"I am!!!"

After another corner turn, you had to stop and catch your breathe. Your cheeks were probably red from the heat. Feeling a presence before you, you looked up and saw Grimmjow smirking above you.

"Well? Cat at yer tonged?"

"Hah, Grimmjow...You are needed....at the assembly," You huffed, standing before him, "Please."

"Hm? I suppose I could...if ya do somethin' for me." Grimmjow said with a low hum. You furrowed your brows,

"And what could I do for the school bully? I'm not going to help you cheat."

"Nah, got somethin' better in mind." Grimmjow chuckled lowly, pulling you closer into the alley, "Don't think I can't see how ya rub yer legs whenever ya look at me."

"H-Huh?!"

Your cheeked started to burn as Grimmjow whispered in your ear. Biting your lip, you tried to think of something to say back. Just as he caught you, you could feel heat between your legs.

"Hehe, look at ya now. Caught like a deer in headlights. C'mon teacher's pet. What cha gotta say now?"

"I-I don't know...w-what you're talking about! We need-"

"To find a solution to both our problems," Grimmjow nibbled against your ear as his hands started to grab and squeeze your ass, "You want me, and I want you."

"G-Grimmjow! We're in public!" You hushed, your heart racing.

Grimmjow just grumbled into your ear as his hands kept playing with you. You gasped softly as Grimmjow pulled you against him, pressing your crotch against his.

His hands slowly sliding up your shirt. His tongue sliding against your ear down to your neck, causing you to shudder and gasp. His breathe was so hot against you. His touch was rough, yet wanting.

"There ya go. What a naughty girl." Grimmjow chuckled.

You wanted to complain, but Grimmjow crashed his lips against yours. Your eyes widen for a moment before closing and letting him ravish and dominate your mouth.

You whimpered as you felt his crotch press against yours, a large bulge poking against his pants. This was making your heart race. This was something you could only ever dream of. You really thought you had no chance with Grimmjow.

"Hehe, like the idea of me ruinin' ya?" Grimmjow snickered, his hands sliding under your bra and pinching your nipples, "Won't lie, makin' the teacher's pet mine...just feels so right."

"Hah~ Y-You wish." You whimpered softly. Grimmjow raised a brow and lifted you against his crotch, grinding into you, "A-Ah~"

"Awe? Wha were ya sayin'?"

You were hot and wet. Grimmjow was grinding his bulge against your panties. The heat of the fabric turning you on even more. His lips capturing yours in a deep kiss as his tongue tasted every part of your mouth. His hands toying with your breasts.

"Fuck, who would have known how sexy ya were." Grimmjow groaned as he took a step back, "I'll go to the assembly...if we continue this in yer dorm room." His smirk growing wide.

"W-Why not yours?" You asked, a little disappointed that he stopped.

"Because if ya ever wanna make it to yer next class," Grimmjow pressed against your crotch again, his grinding rougher than before, "Yer gonna need me to stop."

"Mhm~" You gripped onto Grimmjow's shoulders, enjoying the friction once more. Your cunt fluttering with each rub, "O-Okay, b-but can...can you just...hn~ A little more~"

"My dirty little pet," Grimmjow chuckled darkly.

You whined softly as Grimmjow continued. His grinding getting rougher with each thrust, causing you to feel a pool of heat form. You shuddered and gasped, your body moving with his, quietly begging for more. Grimmjow just chuckled before coming to a halt once more,

"Heh, let's go to yer dorm now."

"Okay~"

Needless to say, you both missed the assembly.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hope you enjoyed!!!

Kinktober Masterlist

[reilliane]

Septem (iii) ⊱⊰ Genshin!Various

✤ she/her - ✤ words: 3.8k

[ PART ONE ] [ PART TWO ]

✤ An Academy built to hone and prepare gods-to-be and blessed mortals for the world beyond — isn't it a dream come true, when a blank Vision greets you in invitation? ✤ News of your enrollment in Septem Academy reaches students who were dispatched for on-field training and expeditions. They are more than eager to return.

✤ neuvilette, wriothesley, freminet, lyney, gaming

a/n: for this part, mc is a part of hearth 'null'

It wasn't unheard of that there were students on official leave from the Academy, a handful of them coming from on-field training and expeditions [according to news/gossip central Kaveh and Childe].

It was the women that returned first, their new faces expressing surprise at the arrival of another 'Null' in their academy. They were all well acquainted compared to most, which relieved you. The rivalry in the Academy was no joke, so having more 'I-don't-have-time-for-competitions' ladies was a breath of fresh air.

You also wondered just how many students there were at Septem, it appeared like there were more than fifty or so—but then again, there really only was Septem that catered to people with elemental affinities.

You're still learning the ropes of being attuned to all seven elements by the time your first official semester met its curtain fall, right when the later group of men arrived. They were friendly, the whole lot of them, and compared to most of the men you've come to know who thrive in Hearth rivalries and competitions, everything was just a passing source of amusement to them.

It was rather disconcerting—but hey, so long as they were friendly, right?

— Neuvilette

Lo and behold, Hydro's Hearthleader in the very flesh.

A long, long time ago, according to accounts of the Hearthleaders, Hydro's authority had complications that led to the title being passed on to one after the other. Rumors even mentioned fraudulence and 'false' titles, who knew it had such a controversy?

Nevertheless, the past was the past, and all had been settled now. Kokomi mentioned that the issue was resolved a term before you arrived at the Academy, what are the odds!

Now, being the newest face around Septem meant being polite, so after your Potioneering class and after scrubbing away the residue of Lampgrass dew from your vest, you made a beeline to welcome the returning students along with Lumine and Aether.

Hydro's Hearthleader wasn't there, however, having reported to the Headmaster as soon as he arrived. Far from being chagrined, you make formal introductions with everyone else after an embarrassing trip down the stairs.

Your first official meeting with the one and only was during the Hearthleader's Assembly, a time of discussion over the next events, competitions, charity programs, festivals, and the whole shebang that takes place at the start of each semester.

Since there's no Hearthleader for the Nulls, Aether and Lumine take turns in attending; and since your enrollment, this happened to be your first Assembly.

Familiar faces you've gotten to know calmed your nerves, being in good standing with everyone else but that man who stared you down with inquisitive eyes.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss [Name]. I am Neuvilette, Hearthleader of Hydro, I've heard wonders about you, and I look forward to your presence in the Academy. Should you be in need of any assistance, or have been wronged by anyone, I implore you to seek me.”

Long silver hair with streaks of aqua, a passive expression on his features, a walking cane that screamed luxury, and a cloak that billowed like the current—if you thought Ayato had an imposing aura as Hearthmaster, then you were terribly wrong.

Hearthleader Neuvilette appeared to be a man of a few words, his gaze oft inexplicable as he firmly shook your hand after giving it a thoughtful look. You thought you were a moment away from interrogation, but he only turned your hand over and kissed its back. Wha-?

You could manifest a question/exclamation mark out of your head at the gesture, Hearth Hydro's chivalry flying off the charts and rendering you speechless. Ayato, he did it with some sort of 'gentleman cunning' if that was even a word pair, Xingqiu did it out of sincerity, Childe was more playful with it, and Dottore—well, that man was peculiar. [He was misplaced and transferred to a different Hearth.]

You didn't expect this tall, handsome, intimidating Hearthleader to do the same. But then again, with a position like his, he was meant to embody what his Hearth represented, right? You shouldn't have been so shocked.

Throughout the Assembly, however, the awe remained. He even his tea, saying it was only right to extend good tidings to the newest student in Septem. He barely smiled, but his eyes were—well, they were softer than you realized.

He even apologized on behalf of his Hearthmates 'in case they did anything to offend you', which got you shaking your head wildly and responding that they were most courteous. Childe was more of a playful menace, but you omitted that part. And ooooh boy, with the subtly proud look he wore on his face brought about by your answer, you didn't dare say anything about Childe's flirtations.

Huh! Perhaps the man wasn't so bad after all. In fact, he was mellow. You realized that the air around him and Zhongli was a little tense though, and not in the good sense. Thankfully, they were composed and tolerant of one another—but you couldn't shake off the feeling that they had issues running deeply that they didn't want to address. At least not of late. Oh well.

The long-standing tradition of Hearth Hydro's invitation for tea parties ensued. With their Hearthleader back in their ranks alongside other returning students, the long winding table in their great hall was finally complete. Insert a couple of chairs for you—and Aether and Lumine whenever they join in—and everything was solid.

Hearthleader Neuvilette's return also had a significant impact on the rest of the Hearths, mainly Hearth Dendro's residents... and particularly Kaveh, who showed a bit more restraint when contending with Childe. Their rivalries didn't disperse into thin air, no, but it became a tad 'quieter'. That alone was quite alarming, but the ladies in Hearth Hydro said that it was frankly normal; with Neuvilette back in the picture, the Student Council's Iudex was basically in his seat again.

No wonder everyone's rowdiness suddenly got tamer.

Being a Hearthleader and the Iudex—practically accounting for as the Head of the Student Council—commanded authority. You heard that it was previously Zhongli, but he has long since stepped down. While Zhongli managed with more order along with lax but well-managed funding for events and programs, Neuvilette was more of an adjudicator, valuing justice and equality.

Reading the records of his just governance made you gulp. Really? That same guy who personally pulled your chair for you to sit? Who permits you to have the first sip of tea during his tea party even when his Hearthmades say that he's never done that before?

It was common courtesy! Common courtesy, yes!

“Since Hearthleader came back, those Dendro know-it-alls can barely do anything during our debates during Incantations class, hah!” “Are you implying that you've both gone overboard with your Incantations when I was absent, Childe?” “Wha- hey now, I didn't mean it like that... Hearthmaster was with me the whole time.” “You don't want to tempt our Hearthleader, Ajax. Do you recall the last time you provoked them? We had to disturb Sigewinne from her shift in the infirmary.” “You speak as if you weren't a part of it, Hearthmaster.” “Now, where'd you get that idea, lady Mona?” “Well, the past is the past. Whatever happened, I'm certain you were all responsible enough to handle the consequences. Let us begin the tea party—.. where is lady Furina?” “I believe lady Barbara was last with her.” “Oh! I, um- I have slipped up; I accidentally told her that since she wasn't here for the Theater Program that was being planned for the public, Hearth Pyro had to take the spot. I think she's contending for the main role...” Ding! “Was that yours, lady Kokomi?” “Yes, I just received a message from Furina.. she says to come and help her because the casting director put her on a list, and the temporary manager for the Theater is Madame Arlecchino...” “... This tea party is paused.”

— Wriothesley, Freminet

You did not want to admit it nor did you want to condemn the sweet guy, but perhaps lounging about Hearth Pyro's dorm had Bennett's catastrophic bad luck rubbing off on you.

Recently, you had a bout of stumbling into unfavorable circumstances that inevitably led to tons of false accusations. Of course, your innocence was easily proven given you had alibis and witnesses. But this time- ohoho, no.

It had been a relatively nice afterlunch and you were just about to head into the library for an arranged study group with Candace and the rest of Hearth Hydro's ladies when you chanced upon a waddling mechanical.. penguin? It had cute tiny gears for eyes and a winding key attached to its back.

You would coo—but that was if it didn't have a sword and buckler on and was terrorizing a frantic Itto and Gorou out of Ingenuity class. Thinking quickly on your feet, you cast a minor Cryo spell that froze the penguin's mechanical feet so it couldn't continue chasing after its victims. Then, you moved to pry the sword and buckler—but it was at this exact time that a cough came from the back.

Heizou and another student who looked far gruffer than expected looked on with equal parts amusement and disbelief. You only saw the latter in passing since he was a part of the last returning batch of students, but he had sped away to some office before you could get to him that day.

You did not think this would be how you'd officially meet him!

“Um.. good afternoon.” great, what a way to imply that you were not the perpetrator of chaos nor the inventor of a killing machine.

“Good afternoon, indeed.” Heizou mused, and the man beside him clicked his tongue with a shake of his head.

“I know you, miss [Name]. I need you to come with me though,”

There was a sound of metallic clinking and—hold on, were those handcuffs?!

“We can discuss this situation in a civilized manner in my office, yeah?”

Although Heizou promised that he'd do his best to investigate the situation with Cyno since you weren't the kind of person to have an incentive to end someone's life, you were far too restless sitting in what you could only assume was some kind of interrogation room.

What on Teyvat—the fact that such a place even existed was beyond you! What were the odds that this location was underneath the Academy? It felt like descending into a completely different environment; what with all the machines and metal that gave off a steampunk feel.

The man in front of you was fixing his cufflinks, unbothered by your presence. Wriothesley was his name, part of Hearth Cryo, and the Warden of the Student Council. Specifically the head of SC's Discipline Committee.

Septem's higher-ups loved designating lots of managerial roles to their students, huh? But well, you understood why; Vision-holders were preconceived to take on a majority of roles in their nations' government once they graduate, so this was some kind of field training for them!

.. Why did he have to go the extra mile and carry some handcuffs, though? And can a man look so stern and give off such a relaxed vibe? Somehow, he reminded you of a Hearthleader you met just recently.

Surprisingly, when the talk began, Wriothesley reassured that he wouldn't harm you—the handcuffs were just there to make sure you wouldn't be doing the harming. It was funny, you don't think you could even make a dent in his muscular—yeah...

He was also very accommodating?? Serving you tea and biscuits as if you weren't bound and were the primary suspect of a potential campus homicide. It wasn't true, of course, but still; if there were actual bad people that found themselves underneath the Academy, was he always this cordial?

Ah, well, he did say he liked things civilized. When Heizou and Cyno—who joined in on the investigation—entered the room and clarified that you were, in fact, innocent, Wriothesley was quick to offer his apologies... even sliding a few coupons he whispered gave a huge discount in Fontaine's restaurants.

“I certainly do apologize. I had to take precautionary measures. It eases me that Neuvilette's insight was true, though; you do come off as a good woman that likes to behave.”

ASDFGHJKL?? Boy, why was he smiling?

“I'm so sorry I dragged you into my mess... I shouldn't have left Thelxie alone when he was already malfunctioning. I ran off to get the tools I needed, but.. huh? You forgive me?”

A shy and downcasted student distracted you from Wriothesley's statement, and your attention was thrown off. The creator of the dangerous penguin machine was a guy who didn't even look to have any malicious intent. It was a misunderstanding with a dash of improper management and impairment.

He was carrying the recently tinkered penguin in his arms, which was free from its weapon and shield, and now that it was harmless, it looked cute.

The student shyly introduced himself as Freminet, and you recognized him as one of the boys that stood at the far back of the group when they returned a few weeks ago, willing himself to be invisible. He was Lyney's younger brother if you weren't mistaken. It was so amazing how siblings could be so vastly different in personalities.

Freminet was kind enough—or perhaps he did it because he was kicking himself over his blunder—to escort you out of the 'Fortress', leading the way back to the upper levels and to the ground floor of the Academy. He didn't say a word the entire while.

When all was over, he bowed his head and sped off. Feeling sorry for him, you didn't give chase. The guy felt so bad, you couldn't even be mad for today's fortune.

But since that day, little trinkets would appear on your desk during Ingenuity class. You never got to see who left them there, but judging by the waddling mechanical penguin you spotted trying to escape the door one day... you had a feeling you knew who it came from.

Wriothesley had a knack for 'apprehending' misfits, and you only later learned that there was an apparent reason for his calculated 'hunts'. Hearth Cryo, in their weekly gatherings bundled around the fireplace, liked to chat about a lot of things going on in the Academy.

They didn't mean anything bad, really, but the Hearthmembers were keen on observing, opting out of any outward actions unless the situation required their intervention. So of course, the only outlet for such a bundle of news—read: 'innocent' gossip—was during their get-togethers.

It was a den of information—and daresay, you wouldn't forget the time you were invited for a sleep-over and got a firsthand experience of Hearth Cryo's scary number of observations.

You reminded yourself not to look stupid whenever any of them were nearby.

“The windows are broken in Elementals Class again, and it had just been repaired last week... it gets tiresome to look out for the perpetrator... I often fall asleep..” “Elementals... supernatural entities can harm physical entities, so perhaps-?” “I don't think ghosts are the issue, Chongyun. But I do have an idea... hm, do you recall that bottle we saw underneath the table, Charlotte?” “Yes, yes, sir Kaeya! I took a photo of the room for documentation to send to the Student Council. It was a wine bottle!” “Oh.. I also saw a wine bottle tucked in one of the drawers in Ingenuity Class.” “Ingenuity Class? Duly noted, Freminet.” “Alcohol consumption is forbidden on school grounds so that clearly violates one of the terms in the student handbook.” “Such irresponsibility.. not to mention the lack of accountability. Vengeance will come upon them, surely. Tsk. Are rules not being reinforced enough?” “Precisely, miss Ganyu, Eula. That is why it is only right to search for said students and have them come in for a little questioning, perhaps also give them a due punishment. It's only right that we stand by the given order.” “.. That wouldn't be easy, right? There are so many s-students in Septem, and this has already been going on for so long..” “Yes, but it isn't impossible, Mika, after all..” “Wait, hold on, has anyone seen Rosaria?” “Oh, miss Ayaka, worry not. She's scoping out the potential rulebreakers as we speak.”

— Lyney, Gaming

You remembered the day you rushed out of Potioneering class to greet the returning students—and now that you're actually going down memory lane, your attempt at decorum was met half-heartedly midway. By the time you arrive at the front gates, most of them have already gone off to their own agendas.

The only ones there were a pair of boys that goofed around with one another, and another shy-looking one with a quiet girl. It was such an embarrassing introduction, really. In your delight, you may have hurried down the steps a little too fast... and ended up tripping and stumbling on your way down.

Your shriek took their attention, and the guy nearest to the stairs was quick enough to catch you.

Safe to say, you went back to your dorm that day unable to talk to Aether and Lumine, opting to flop onto your bed, red face first.

Since then, meeting those boys would always trigger that moment in your head and you'd scramble or shy away against your better judgment. It took a long while before you were able to talk to them without feeling like you wanted to throw yourself out the window.

Before that instance, they took it upon themselves to approach—sometimes corner—you for a stroll outside the Academy. They expended such a ridiculous amount of energy that you thought you spent a decade's worth of magic reserve.

Students in Hearth Pyro were no joke.

“Woah there! Glad I caught ya, you're fine, right? Better in my arms than the ground. Trust me... it sucks.”

Gaming was the one that caught you that day, a relieved laugh escaping his lips as he held you in such a way that looked as if he dipped you in a dance, it was humiliating. He didn't tease you or anything, though, bless his good heart.

Very extroverted much like his hearthmates, he blatantly called you over to sit with him in the cafeteria one afternoon. It wouldn't be a problem if he hadn't called from across the place and every head had turned to look at the two of you. Quick steps led you to the table he shared with Xiangling, Hu Tao, Xingiu, and Chongyun, with the Cryo student looking empathetic.

Now, being with Gaming didn't spell tons of embarrassing moments, of course. If there was a student popularity ranking in the Academy—you heard there was one a long time ago, but that got scrapped because certain people got competitive..—Gaming probably would've gotten the lead, or he would've tied with either Lumine or Aether.

Everyone knew the guy! Apparently, it was because he acted as the bridge to the Academy and Teyvat, escorting civilians in and out of Septem for respective visits. Sometimes, he worked alongside Kirara from Hearth Dendro, who handled the delivery of tiny parcels and souvenirs to and fro.

Boy, the energy he had was endless! Students coming from Hearth Pyro had this uncanny ability to mingle with other Hearths and not get tired; Gaming was the same, but he was taking it up a notch when even the professors adored him.

One time, he was showing you the ropes of Wushu Dancing when he tripped over a prop and ended up stumbling over you to the floor with his huge dragon head prop and all. Needless to say, Charlotte and Childe chanced upon you at the wrong time, and.. well, it was a hassle to dispel whatever rumor and gossip sprung then.

“What a stroke of luck that was, wasn't it, miss [Name]? Oh dear, you must've been frightened, here you are, a little magic to distract you~ Tada! A rose!”

This Academy wasn't so strict with its uniform policy, you realized. So long as they wore the standard fit with either the vest or the blazer, they could add whatever flair they wanted. And Lyney, well, he wore a top hat, selling the point of a charming magician quite well with his twin sister Lynette.

You never forgot the way he mischievously leaned over when Gaming had caught you in your first meeting, rubbing his chin and musing about 'a maiden having fallen from the steps of heaven'. It was flustering because he wasn't entirely off; the corridor you went from previously led to the Mirror Court, where the entire environment was the very sky.

Some days, you wondered if Lyney was misplaced like Dottore was. With how he was acting, it felt like he belonged in Hearth Hydro. He wasn't a student who actively exhibited an interest in rivalries, but you learned that his smile served well in magic shows as it did with passive-aggressive goading. He liked playing innocent.

This guy also loved leaving roses on your desk. The first time it happened, you mistook it as something that came from Ayato or anyone from Hearth Hydro [the men there had a tradition of giving flowers to women]. They didn't really give red roses, but still.

Long story short, Lyney bounded up to you after class with Lynette and Freminet in tow looking so excited, only to have his eye twitch when you spoke about your due thanks to someone from Hearth Hydro.

He got so melodramatic over it that he reasoned the only way to make up for punching his heart was to—surprise surprise! Go see a movie with him on the weekend. You didn't have any problems with it—but you didn't know he meant it as going outside the Academy, to a mall. When certain people heard of it, well... suddenly there were other invites to the movies, too.

There was never a lonely day in Hearth Pyro, and the arrival of the rest of its members seemed as though everyone got twice as exuberant in their day-to-day activities. Alternatively, it also meant a lot more managing from Dehya and Diluc.

Lyney and Gaming offered another layer of elation and intensity in the Hearth's hosted events for Septem, and both had audiences even outside Septem Academy. They have tons of followers on their social media that they could almost pose as celebrity students, especially Lyney, Yoimiya, Xinyan, and Diluc. Hu Tao was also famous but.. for a completely different reason.

Anyway, Hearth Pyro was hosting a Theater Program that keyed on Romeo and Juliet, with musical scores and scenes held in collaboration with Yunjin from Hearth Geo. Anything theatrical was often hosted by Hearth Hydro, but given that Furina wasn't present in the making, the duty fell upon the hyperactive, exuberant group in the Academy. Amber invited you to sit in on their casting discussion, but never thought you'd actually get roped in the production process...

“Where's Amber? Oh, and Yanfei?” “Amber's fetching [Name]. Yanfei is passing on the documents for estimated expenses and all the jazz for this Program we're hosting.. say, lemme help ya with that, Diluc.” “No need, Dehya. It's fine—where's Bennett?” CRASH! “I'm here!” “Oooh, [Name]'s coming, is she? Are Aether and Lumine coming with?” “I don't think they're going to come knowing how you pulled them into one of your advertisements for your funeral service business, Hu Tao...” “Teehee!” “Chevruse, do you have prospects for our lead roles? Miss Arlecchino waits for the list. She appears quite fond of this play.” “Ah, Thoma. Lyney here was very vocal about wanting to try something new outside his magical shows, but he'll still have to audition for the role along with Venti, Xingqiu, Kaeya, and Ayato.” “Sir Kaeya and the Hearthmaster Ayato? How- well, the compensation for the lead roles is pretty big.” “I'm just as confused and weirdly excited, Xiangling.” “Hey.. sir Kaeya's trying out. Diluc, don't cha want to try and audition for Romeo, too-” “M'afraid not, Xinyan.” “Lyney's only choosing to audition because he made a bet with Lynette and lost. It wouldn't hurt if [Name] gets to be Juliet, though, right?” “Gaming, my friend, what's got you assuming? Ahaha...” “Hold on, why are there so many prospects, anyway? The last time a Theater Program was held, no one was this interested in acting. What gives?” “Huh? I thought Yoimiya and Hu Tao said that they got [Name]'s consent to be Juliet. Wasn't that why Amber was getting her?” “WHAT?” “Thoma, you ratted us out! D:” “I- I didn't know that they didn't know!”

a/n

LMAO yes, welcome to the harem, men. haaaah, this is finally out. it's been long! i ought to write septem scenarios just so i can write about every single character there is lmao! feels nice to write again. i have another idea in mind for this au and it excites me hehehehhe-

[srvbryn]

Luke Castellan. Detention

Not set in riordanverse & highschool au!Luke; MASTERLIST

Luke Castellan X f!reader

Summary: "Well, well, look who's joined the detention club" Luke gets detention — He misplaced his history textbook, and what's better than stealing borrowing it from the library?

Warning: teenagers acting like teenagers, not a lot of dialogues, they have houses like the one in Harry Potter lol (only mentioned once) & Reader house is not mentioned, this is a bit boring

The detention room felt confined, with time moving at a snail's pace. Luke sat there, tracing imaginary patterns on the desk, the minutes ticking away like a never-ending countdown.

Just when he thought he was alone with the hum of Mr. D and the ticking of the clock, the door creaked open, and in walked (Name), a smirk on her lips.

"Well, well, look who's joined the detention club," Luke teased.

(Name) rolled her eyes and took the seat next to him. "Figured I'd keep you company. Detention is always more fun with a partner in crime, right?"

Luke couldn't help but chuckle — "Partner in crime, huh? I like the sound of that."

As the minutes passed, the two of them had whispered conversations, exchanged notes, and made light of the situation.

(Name) couldn't resist making fun of Luke's situation.

"So, what's the grand crime that got you in here, Luke?" she asked with a sly grin.

A few hours ago — LUKE CASTELLAN

Luke's risky textbook stealing borrowing scheme involved a well-thought-out strategy that, avoided the school administration's watchful gaze.

He may or may not have misplaced his textbook accidentally.. hahaha

However, this time, it was a classic case of overconfidence that led to his downfall.

Luke decided to carry out his plan during the school assembly, when most teachers were busy with maintaining the wandering student body under control.

Confident that he could slip in and out like a shadow, he ventured into the classroom, only to find himself face-to-face with the one teacher who had decided to stay behind to organize some papers.

As he reached for the textbook, Mr. Chiron looked up from his work and caught Luke in the act. The moment was frozen, and an uneasy silence filled the room.

Luke's grin faded into a sheepish smile as he tried to come up with a plausible excuse.

Mr. Chiron raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Luke Castellan, what exactly are you doing in here during the assembly?"

Luke scratched the back of his head, attempting to feign innocence. "Oh, you know, just wanted to get a head start on some reading. Education waits for no one, right?"

"Nice try, Mr. Castellan. I don't recall giving you permission to access the library during the assembly. Detention it is."

And that's how Luke's textbook borrowing adventure came to an abrupt halt, leading him to the very detention that (Name) chose to join.

Luke leaned in, a gleam in his eyes. "I may have liberally borrowed some textbooks without asking. The school administration didn't appreciate my innovative approach to study materials."

(Name) burst into laughter, earning them a stern look from Mr. D. "Classic Hermes house move. Couldn't just check out a classroom book like the rest of us, huh?"

"Where's the fun in that?" he replied, a playful glint in his eyes. "Besides, I thought it added a touch of rebellion to my academic pursuits."

The two of them continued to jokes, causing the otherwise boring detention surprisingly pleasant.

The more they chatted, the more (Name) realized there was more to Luke than his rebellious exterior.

They even swapped a few sarcastic comments about the school's absurd rules. (No phones allowed, must wear a tie all the time, don't run in the hallways (the usual))

The teacher on duty, Mr. D, sat at his desk, buried in paperwork (surprisingly) unaware.

Luke discreetly crumpled a piece of paper and passed it to (Name) with a glint in his eyes.

They exchanged a knowing look, silently agreeing on their next move. (Name), with a suppressed giggle, aimed the paper at the back of Mr. D's head and let it fly.

The paper landed with a soft thud, catching the teacher's attention. He turned around, narrowing his eyes at the seemingly innocent duo.

"Alright, who did that?" Mr. D demanded, scanning the room.

Luke and (Name) exchanged innocent glances, attempting to suppress their laughter. Mr. Anderson sighed, suspecting he was dealing with a pair of children.

As Mr. D returned to his paperwork, the both of them couldn't resist another attempt at amusement.

This time, Luke folded the paper into an aeroplane. With a quick motion, he launched it at Mr. D, causing it to glide gracefully through the air.

The paper airplane did a loop-de-loop before landing on Mr. D's desk, right in front of him. He looked up, a mix of irritation and bemusement on his face.

"Alright, that's enough. We're in detention, not a paper competition," he scolded, shaking his head.

Luke and (Name) exchanged a glance, barely containing their laughter.

As the final minutes of detention passed, Mr. D kept an eye on them, suspecting that more antics were on the way.

Luke and (Name), however, had already shared enough laughs to make their time in detention enjoyable.

Luke couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment as the clock ticked down to the end of their detention.

He glanced at (Name), a genuine smile playing on his lips. "Same time tomorrow, partner?"

(Name) raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming. "Only if you promise not to get caught every time."

Luke chuckled. "Deal."

[crystaltoa]

We’ve touched a bit on how life in Metru Nui wasn’t exactly equitable for all Matoran but I think I found some examples that really drive it home…

Okay… so most Ga-Matoran are students, and so there’s a lot of non-Ga-Matoran living, or at least working, in their metru to keep things running. But it seems Ga-Matoran could be students their entire lives if they so chose. I do wonder how those other Matoran might have felt about that, and whether it led to any resentment towards the Ga-Matoran? Or perhaps the inequity was so deeply ingrained they just felt they were lucky to get a job in Ga-Metru, especially if they had come from one of the rougher/ more dangerous regions..

Speaking of which…

Some of the Po-Matoran lived in ACTUAL CAVES. It’s a futuristic city inhabited by biomechanical lifeforms, and there are people having to live in caves.

And if the “Assembler’s village” sounds like a more pleasant option to you…

…IT’S NOT.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Do you think Riddle is so short because of what his mom made him eat ?

Like only making him get the perfect amount of calories like in his overblot backstory

Maybe it is because his mom is also short? Anyways she doesn't seem tall, also where is his dad.

***PLEASE NOTE: I am NOT speaking as a dietician or a doctor; the information and interpretations presented here are based my own scientific knowledge and research, and apply ONLY to the analysis of a fictional character. This post is NOT meant to be taken as any sort of medical or dietary advice.*** Personally, I'm not of the belief that Riddle is short due to his controlled dietary intake. In very simple terms, calories can be thought of as the fuel you burn to get through activities. While a caloric deficit can contribute to stunting of growth, I don't think this applies to Riddle since he lives a relatively sedentary lifestyle (sitting and studying) and is provided an adequate amount of calories per meal. I want to take a quick moment to dispel the commonly held belief that Mrs. Rosehearts underfeeds Riddle. This seems to sprout from a misinterpretation of a line in 1-25 when she is serving Riddle a birthday meal. Here, she states the exact amount that Riddle must have in order to not overshoot 600 kilocalories. This is led some fans to think that Mrs. Rosehearts restricts Riddle to 600 kilocalories a day, which is just not true. From the dialogue, it is clear that Riddle is granted 600 kilocalories per meal. Assuming 3 meals a day, that means 1800 kilocalories per day, which is very close to the recommended 1745 kilocalories for the average 8-year old boy (not accounting for fluctuations from individual child to individual child). This is a perfectly normal intake, but is appears strange at first glance because very few parents actively calorie count what their child eats to this extent.

Back to the original topic, nutrient intake also contributes to height. (Think of nutrients as the building blocks to a building called your body, and the calories as workers or the 'energy' that assembles the building/your body.) However, that doesn't mean that I think Riddle didn't get enough nutrients; it is possible to have low calorie meals which are nutritious. (For example, athletes may have to follow specialized diets in order to attune their bodies to whatever sport or activity they do. Similarly, Vil crafts a diet for the VDC/SDC squad in book 5 which cuts out junk food, is overall lower in calories, and still provides the group with the energy they need for practice.) Mrs. Rosehearts has dialogue where she describes the nutritional content of the meals she has prepared, which seem to be tailored for brain function. I'm going to assume that those meals also adequately provided for Riddle's other nutritional needs. I don't have reason to believe Mrs. Rosehearts, a doctor and mother who is detail-oriented and hellbent on her child's success, would knowingly and intentionally sabotage his health.

It’s canon that maintaining physical wellbeing makes for a good mage (which is why NRC makes its students take P.E.). Additionally, eating well is said to be one way a mage can make a recovery from blot accumulation. If Riddle were eating poorly and/or was of poor health, that would only mean struggles with concentration and his magic suffering the consequences—and that’s very much counterintuitive to the success that Mrs. Rosehearts envisions for her son.

You don’t need an abundance of calories or nutrients for growth and development. The excess will get stored as adipose tissue/fat or (depending on the nutrient) exit the body as waste. It’s important for a child to be fed well in order to grow properly, but generally if they aren’t malnourished (ie getting less than what they need) then they wouldn’t be stunted.

By in large, genetics is the major deciding factor in height. I believe current studies suggest as much as 60-80% of one's height is predetermined by DNA sequences (although those DNA sequences can be altered by the environment and outside other factors). It could very well be that Riddle is just short because his ancestors had the "short" gene. Looking back at manga images of Riddle's mom from the manga, she doesn't seem that short to me. Even when Mrs. Clover is bowing her head to her, both moms appear to be about the same height (if Mrs. Clover were standing). Maybe Mrs. Clover is a little taller (it's hard to say just staring at the image), but not by a lot. If I had to guess, they seem to be about average height for women. That doesn't mean anything in terms of genetics though, you could be any height and still carry the "short" gene to pass onto your children (the shortness trait just isn't always expressed outwardly.)

If I had to guess, I’d say Riddle is just “naturally” short or drew a bad lot in terms of genetics (since his height seems to be a sore spot for him). He’s about that age where most men will stop growing too (although some do grow well into their late teens and even early twenties).

Regarding Mr. Rosehearts, we haven't seen him yet but he's definitely mentioned a few times! He is said to be a medical mage like his wife and is implied to not have a happy marriage with her (according to Riddle). That's about all we know of him now. Some parental figures just get less focus than the other, and that’s the case for Mr. Rosehearts as well as many others (Mrs. Trappola, Mr. Spade, Mrs. Asim, etc.).

It’s possible that the short gene came from Mr. Rosehearts, but we don’t know for sure since we’ve never gotten so much as a silhouette for him. Again though, he could be tall or average but have an unexpressed short gene. I believe many fans headcanon him as short though, as the King of Hearts in the source material is smaller and meeker than his wifez

[psalm22-6]

Whoever wishes to obtain a clear idea of Parisian student life, or at least that phase of it which is just now brought to the world's attention in consequence of the riots in the Latin quarter, would do well to read Victor Hugo's "Les Miserables." Those who have read that remarkable and justly famous book will find it worth while to reperuse those chapters which describe the "surprise" given by Thalymes [sic] and his three fellow students to Fantine and her three feminine associates, together with the account of the barricade erected by students during the attempted revolution of 1830 [sic]. Victor Hugo's fascinating story is a picture drawn from life, as abundant testimony proves. But in studying it care must be taken to avoid mistaking a part for the whole. That mistake is what has led to such false and mischievous interpretations of "The Fast Set at Harvard," and other printed descriptions of certain phases of American undergraduate life.  Grantaire, who drinks two bottles of wine at a single sitting and then hiccough out a long harangue in which he argues, with a considerable display of learning and eloquence, that God is a feeble and shortsighted being, that things are the only realities, and that to get drunk is the summum bonum, no doubt represents an actual and not inconsiderable variety of young men who are always to be found in the far-famed Latin quarter of Paris. But at Grantaire's elbow sits Eujolras [sic], who is sober, chaste, studious, brave unto martyrdom for the principles of human liberty as he understands them, brilliant and eloquent with an inspiration that is as much loftier in its source than the fumes of alchohol, as the eagle's flight is higher than that of the dunghill fowl. Every enlightened country has peculiarities of university life that deserve separate analysis and comparison one with another. One peculiarity in France is that university life there centers in the capital. It is not so to anything like the same extent in any other great nation. In Germany there are half a dozen or more universities scattered widely in situation, each of which is a rival of the University of Berlin, and some, as Tublngton and Hallo, enjoy a far greater reputation. In England, Oxford and Cambridge, both comparatively remote from the capital, are still, as they have been for many centuries, the chief seats of learning; while London University is of very recent origin, and though not without features of striking excellence, is as yet neither famous, influential nor largely attended. Indeed, it is not a university at all in the sense of the word usually accepted on either side of the Atlantic. In America, as is well known, neither our political nor our commercial capital is a chief center of academic activity. For these reasons, if for no other, there could not possibly be such a state of things in any other city on the globe as has lately been witnessed in Paris, where an outbreak of students successfully defied the whole police force of the city, made headway for a time against battalions of soldiers, menaced the legislative assembly and came near to causing an overturn of the existing government. Another peculiarity is that in Paris students are at once more homogeneous in their mode of life than elsewhere. They are more homogeneous because they are massed in a single section of the city to a degree not known out of Paris, an aggregation that includes many thousands and is not confined to the representatives of any one institution of learning. And they are less homogeneous in that they do not dwell in dormitories and are not responsible to any recognized central authority. This last is true in a measure of university life in Germany and the United States, but to a far smaller extent. 

Source: The Indianapolis Journal, 2 October 1893

[yuurei20]

Translation from Twisted Wonderland the 2nd novel: Spelldrive Practice Match (pt 4/5)

"As Cater says, the unity of the Savanaclaw students—led by Leona—is overwhelming. With their own hastily assembled team, there is no way for them to compete.

Especially the inexperienced first-year students, who have barely ever played before.

Grim and the others have simply worn themselves out chasing after a disc that is always just above their heads. Deftly guided to where they would be at their weakest, they would find themselves isolated from their own team before they realized it.

And, once separated, there was nothing they could do but take the torment.

Spelldrive played by Leona’s team is like a hunt: efficient, elegant, and merciless. The Savanaclaw players surround their prey, toy with their targets, and laugh.

As the sun begins to set, the lights that illuminate the field cast a stark, shimmering glow on the dismal scene. Once again Grim makes rough contact with an opposing player, his small body rolling along the ground like dust blown by the wind.

‘Grim!’ Yuuya shouts toward the field. ‘Hey, are you okay?’

‘There's no way I'm okay!’ Grim yells back. He seems to still have some energy left, but his confidence from before the match is gone.

‘I can't take this anymore...Yuu, switch with me.’

‘Hey, you were the one who was the most pumped up about this…’ Ace struggles to stand but nearly topples, steadied by a hand that reaches out to save him from falling.

Just as Yuuya moves to step out onto the field, Ruggie interjects.

'Hey now. It's not cool for outsiders to interfere with a match.’

‘But everyone is so beaten up…!’

‘And?’ Ruggie mockingly tilts his head. ‘If you're serious about Spelldrive, you're gonna get worn out. Besides, injuries are part of any sport.’

‘B-but, when Grim got knocked into just now…that looked like it was on purpose.’

‘Huh? You tryin’ to say that that was our fault? I'd appreciate it if you didn't go making baseless accusations.’

Despite Yuuya gathering all his courage for this confrontation, Ruggie brushes him off without a care.

The player who ran into Grim gives a bark of laughter. ‘Yeah, that’s right!’

‘We’re practicing our tails off over here, where’s the gratitude?’

‘Damn it. They’re mocking us.’ Deuce spits brownish saliva onto the ground. He may have cut the inside of his mouth when he fell. He wipes his mouth with the back of his fist, which Cater then grabs, to stop him.

’Picking a fight would be playing right into their hands. Everyone—instead of following the disc, let’s stick to our teammates and keep ourselves safe.’

‘That’s a good strategy. If you can pull it off.,’ Leona chuckles, looking down at the frustrated group.

‘On your feet, herbivores. This barely counts as practice for our team. We need you to at least stand in as targets for the disc.’

[augentrust]

living for the idea that whenever professor widogast puts in sudden notice for “sabbatical” and it gets mysteriously fast-tracked by archmage becke, the members of the assembly start getting flighty. meanwhile the underground student-led betting ring takes off

[baelabong]

My girl

Pairing: Karen Shetty x Fem! Reader

Warnings: kissing?

Plot: Karen knew her girlfriend was hot, her only problem was she wanted her all to herself.

—————————————————————————

Northshore High was buzzing with activity as Karen Shetty caught the constant attention of students across the hall as they strolled. With Karen’s arm around y/n waist, the taller girl looked ahead with the same dazed look she always had. Although the couple garnered attention, it was Y/N who often found herself the object of affection for many boys.

One day, after their math class, Karen and Y/N walked through the crowded hallways, making their way past others to meet up with Regina and Gretchen. Y/N, with her hot demeanor and downcast eyes, attracted more attention than she was comfortable with due to her short plaid skirt with a cropped top, which was Karen’s favourite top on y/n, that hugged her figure. The taller girl, noticing the subtle glances and attempts at flirtation, couldn't help but feel a possessive twinge. Her normal dazed look twisted into a stare of jealousy.

As they reached Y/N's locker, a group of boys approached, led by Shane, the douchebag who was convinced y/n wanted to fuck him. "Hey, Y/N, I was thinking we could grab lunch together. What do you say?" he asked, flashing a charming smile. This went by with y/n clueless to the look the taller girl gave to the boy.

Y/N, blushing, looked at Karen for guidance. Karen, with a playful grin, replied, "Sorry, Shane, but Y/N and I have plans. We’re going to Taco Bell. Maybe next time."

Shane, undeterred, persisted, "Come on, Karen, can't Y/N make her own choices?"

Karen's eyes narrowed down slightly. "It's not about choices, Shane. It's about respect. And you should show some."

The days that followed saw an increase in attention towards Y/N. The school's rumor mill began churning stories of a rivalry between Karen and the persistent suitors. The tension reached its peak during a school assembly when Shane decided to make his move.

As the assembly ended and the students filed out, Shane approached Y/N with an assertive demeanor. "Y/N, we need to talk. Alone."

Y/N, feeling uneasy, glanced at Karen, who stood nearby. Shane, ignoring the silent warning, continued, "I don't know why you're with Karen. You deserve someone who can treat you better."

Before Y/N could respond, Karen, sensing the situation escalating, stepped forward. "Shane, we've asked you to back off. This is your last warning."

Shane laughed dismissively. "Or what? Are you going to fight for her, Karen?"

Fueled by a surge of possessiveness and frustration, Karen decided it was time to make a statement. She pulled Y/N into a passionate kiss, right there in the school corridor, in front of Shane and a growing crowd of curious students. God, Karen basically ate the girl in front of everyone, making sure that Shane saw how she slipped her hand into the top of the other. (Get a room 🗣️)

The kiss was intense, a mix of asserting dominance and expressing love. When Karen finally pulled away, she looked at Shane with a smirk. "That answers your question. Now, leave us alone."

As Shane retreated, flustered and humbled, Karen turned her attention back to Y/N, who was wide-eyed and blushing. "Karen, what was that?"

Karen, with a softened expression, caressed Y/N's cheek. "Sometimes, actions speak louder than words. I needed to show everyone that you're mine, and no one else's."

Y/N, still processing the bold move, whispered, "But, Karen, we could have handled it differently."

Karen grinned, "Maybe, but sometimes a bold move is necessary. And besides, I couldn't resist kissing you."

—————————————————————————

Lawd have mercy. Avantika is so fine pls 🤬

[s8nny]

—WHEN Sugawara was younger, he always knew what color he wanted to paint the living room walls. He was also certain that he wanted a sofa with a chaise longue and a rug with an unconventional pattern. For his bedroom, he imagined a balcony that would let in plenty of light and blue sheets on the bed. And for his office, a large-capacity bookshelf. But as he stood amidst the scattered screws and half-assembled boards, he realized that some dreams were easier to imagine than to bring to life

She was certain there were more screws on the floor than there should be, but she didn't say anything because her husband's stress was palpable from the doorway. He had spent almost a month working on the room that was going to be his office, and more than once, he'd been so blinded by the excitement he felt for carpentry that he forgot he was never good at DIY projects.

"How's it going?" she asked softly, hoping her voice would ease his tension.

"Well, it seemed easier to put together when we saw it in the store, I'm not going to lie." Without diverting his attention to the figure behind him, the young man continued assembling the shelves, his brow furrowed in concentration. His hands, usually so steady when typing at a keyboard, fumbled with the unfamiliar tools.

Placing her hand on his shoulder, she gently caressed the space of his back that led up to his neck. Knots of stress were noticeable beneath her fingers. “We can always call Daichi,” she suggested, her voice a mix of concern and teasing.

Suga snorted, partly out of frustration and partly out of the stubborn pride that always flared up when he was in over his head. “We’re not going to call Daichi to put together a shelf.” Standing up, he looked at the three wooden boards he had managed to assemble, trying to convince himself that he could still pull this off. “At least, not yet.”

- TWENTY minutes. Daichi Sawamura had put together the shelf in 20 minutes. And he had even enjoyed a cup of coffee while trying out the new coffee maker that Koushi was dying to test. The pout on Sugawara’s lips didn’t disappear until his old friend was out the front door.

She grabbed his elbow and stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek and said, “You have no right to complain about your students.”

Returning to the office, they both began to open boxes and fill the bookshelf. The first shelf would be for bank paperwork. The second, for medical documents. The third for photo albums. And the last, for the drawings.

Sugawara had always been very aware of how quickly time passed throughout his life. But ever since he started teaching, he was even more conscious of it. His first students would be moving on to high school the following year, and he had known them when they still drew the sun in the corner of a piece of paper. He could still recall the way their small hands gripped crayons, and how their eyes sparkled with pride when they presented him with their creations. So he decided to keep every drawing they made. Probably, in a few years, he wouldn’t remember their faces, because they kept changing from one day to another, but he would always have their scribbles. It was a way to preserve their childhood over time, to hold onto a piece of them even as they grew up and moved on.

“Look, this kid drew me with a puppy he found on the street because he said I looked like it,” he said, his voice filled with fond amusement.

Sitting on the floor, they amused themselves with the colorful papers they were finding, each one full of creativity and innocence. As she placed them in folders, carefully sorting through the vibrant collection, the young woman began to admire the way her husband’s eyes lit up when he talked about the little devils he had as students. She could see how much they meant to him, how deeply he cared for each of them, and it made her heart swell with affection.

When the floor of the room was almost completely tidied up, she noticed two large folders that remained empty. Unlike the others, these were bright yellow, standing out cheerfully against the more subdued tones of the other folders. Suga placed them on the shelf and smiled proudly, as if he had just completed a task of great importance.

“What drawings are you going to keep in those?” she asked.

“The most special ones,” Koushi replied, smiling as he gently squeezed her hand, “the ones our children will make.”

a/n: I have this cute notebook in my drawer, full of colorful and creative drawings made by my students and two siblings I used to babysit. At the time they made the drawings, the only thing most of them knew how to write was their names, so the pages are filled with their little signatures. They all know how to write and read now. I like to keep these drawings in the notebook so I don’t lose them. So I can remember them as kids. My mom also keeps a folder in her wardrobe with all her kids' crafts. I like to think Sugawara also keeps the things that kids give him safe.

[sunoorintarou]

Catharsis: Polaroids.

Phos!Reader × (Platonic) Gojo Satoru

Warnings: Gojo being himself, Gojo being concerned about the reader, probably the fluffiest part so far, still pretty sad, mentions Phos' defection at the end, brief mentions of Haibara, Riko and Geto.

Notes: The urge to post like 5 parts of this a day😔 I'm tryna pace myself and like post once a day but I already have like 5 more parts done, perhaps I like this idea more than I thought😭 maybe I'll post mini snippets about phos, like a Playlist or smthn to listen to while y'all read, idk, might add songs to certain parts? Expect me to post about Catharsis and Catharsis only for a while tho💀

"Gojo - sensei?"

Gojo turned to face you, seeing your silhouette in his doorway. He almost wondered if this was a dream, pulling up his blindfold to look at you. It had been a good few weeks since you'd approached him, approached anyone for that matter.

"Y/n! My beloved student, it's been so long." He grinned, standing up and running to you comically. You didn't move, letting Gojo wrap his arms around you, forehead against his chest. You didn't hug back either, however.

"Ah, I know this is sudden, but could you do me a favour?" You asked, bashfully.

"Of course! Now, what does my lovely, precious, adorable student need?" Gojo used his animatedness to hide his concern and relief.

"Can- can you go out with me?"

Gojo paused, eyes widening as he pretended to blush, fiddling with his hands and swaying like a school girl.

"B- but, you're my student, that- that isn't allowed." He said shyly, batting his eyelashes at you.

"Not like that! I just want to go to a store." You huffed in annoyance.

This was how you found yourself walking through the crowded streets with Gojo, in search of what you were looking for.

"What are we looking for anyways?" He asked. Although you hadn't noticed, Gojo had been using his cursed technique nonstop since you left Jujutsu Tech. He refused to take any chances.

"You'll see." You sighed. It was winter. The air was cold, and your face was practically buried in your scarf, hands stuffed into your pockets. You hadn't worn your uniform in a long time, settling on sweatshirts or one specific hoodie Yukio had leant you that you never got to return.

Gojo watched you, noticing the little changes in your appearance. You had gained confidence and strength, back straight and head high, the jacket you were wearing looking ever so slightly less oversized than it had before. You were always covered from head to toe, your body composition something you often found embarrassing, not to mention hard to explain to normal people.

Watching your back as you walked in front of him, Gojo really noticed how things had changed. You had never previously walked in front, always settling for standing back and walking in silence next to Megumi.

You were an awkward but energetic kid. Always smiling, always happy, watching out for the group, making sure no one was left behind. You had reminded him of a girl he once knew, one he had failed to protect. And a cheerful boy who used to hang out around Nanami.

Now, however, you reminded him of someone else. Someone who had meant the world to him. His one and only best friend. And he refused to let you walk down the same path as him.

Your eyes lit up when you noticed the shop you were looking for, stopping in front of it. You looked at Gojo for a second, handing him your bag.

"Please wait outside with this, sensei." You said. And with how bright your teal eyes were in that moment, Gojo couldn't say no.

When you left the store, you had a plastic bag, the contents still concealed. You led Gojo across the street, to the park, letting him watch you in curiosity as you began opening the box inside the packet, assembling whatever was inside.

You had your back facing him, feeling embarrassed as you rushed to put what you had bought together. It was going to snow soon, and you had to be quick.

"Sensei! Y/n!" Gojo turned at the voices, eyes widening when he saw his other students returning from a mission.

You finished just in time, holding up your brand new camera and taking a picture of the moment Gojo noticed them. Capturing their smiles and excitement in the first snow.

Although Gojo and the others hadn't realised it, you had built up your resolve. Your fear of forgetting everyone had built up, and now you had found your solution. Even if you did forget their faces, you would never forget the way they made you feel.

Not even a year later, however, Gojo could only question what was going through your mind. Your room was empty and clean. Bed made neatly. And in the centre, was the only part of you they had left, your camera. The memory card was still in it, full of photos of everyone and everything from your team to Shoko and Nanami. Photos of everyone's birthdays, of a cat you had seen that reminded you of Gojo, of Nobara's favorite crepes, Megumi's demon dog, Yuji's disgusted face after he had eaten one of Sukuna's fingers. And a note on a piece of white paper was on top of it, with only the words: Thank you.