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[sgphysics]

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[nerdie-faerie]

Why is it that when I'm sick, finishing work late because a load of people didn't show up and ongoing work drama, stressed about my upcoming essay and still have a hour walk before I can get home, my dad is apparently kicking off and threatening to kick me out when I'm not even there??

[beneathashadytree]

HI GUYS! LONG POST, MAKING A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT OVER HERE! I WILL BE ACCEPTING WRITING COMMISSIONS FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, DUE TO THE FACT THAT I LIVE IN EXTREME POVERTY… PLEASE REBLOG!!

Here are my commision prices:

1$-2$ —> an SMAU (depends on length)

5$ —> a drabble (around 500 words)

10$ —> a oneshot (around 1000 words)

20$ or more—> a ficlet (2000-4000 words or more)

What fandoms I’m willing to write for (the ones in bold are the ones I’m best at and hyperfixating on):

Attack on Titan

Mr. Love: Queen’s Choice

My Hero Academia

Haikyuu!!

Jujutsu Kaisen

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Moriarty the Patriot

Tokyo Revengers

One Piece

Bungou Stray Dogs

Kuroko no Basket

Ikemen Sengoku

Ikemen Vampire

Ikemen Revolution

Ikemen Prince

Love and Deepspace (my current fav)

How do I request a commission?

Either contact me via my DMs here, or on my Ko-Fi! I’ll be linking my account at the bottom of this post.

What’s the commission format?

Tell me your name or your OC’s name, their gender & pronouns, describe them to me both physically and in terms of personality, then tell me which character you want me to write them with. I’ll be writing “character x reader” or “character x OC” fics, so I need to know what I’m working with! Any extra details will help a lot. Of course, we will discuss everything concerning your commission privately.

If you want to check out my previous works to have a rough idea of how things will look like, be sure to check out my masterlist, which is my pinned post! Of course, my writing improves over time, so it may not be precisely as it is there.

How do I pay you?

You can pay me via my Ko-Fi account, which is linked to my PayPal! Here’s the link to my Ko-Fi.

Please consider helping me out, whether by requesting a commission, or by sharing this post and my links as much as possible!! I’m trying my best to do all I can now that I haven’t got many options left.

As some of you might already know, I’m a dentist, but still at uni. Sadly, studying dentistry is extremely expensive, and I can’t rely on my parents to pay my fees for me for a few reasons.

The first being that my dad is a heart patient, and can’t work anymore. The pension he receives is literally less than the equivalent of 90 dollars. Of course, that doesn’t provide anything in terms of food and living (we usually can only afford a meal or two a day) except for some of his meds—not even all of them. His health is steadily declining.

My mother is extremely narcissistic and very, very abusive. I’ve gone through hell living with her because I have to, but even she can’t even afford to take care of us because no one wants to hire her at her old age, and she’s used up all her savings on my dad.

I’m also physically disabled, and can’t move around often. I also have to have surgeries every now and then because of the chronic illness I have.

I am in serious, dire need of money, both for my tuition fees, and hopefully to be able to live. I have to keep us afloat until I can get married in a couple of years, since I can’t live alone. Besides, my dad doesn’t deserve to suffer with his heart problems.

I tried working with dentistry last year, and that worked for a while, but this year no one’s hiring due to the terrible state of our economy. I have no skills aside from my writing, so that’s what I’ll have to work with. I’m getting seriously desperate, so I hope you guys understand why I’m doing this, and hopefully feel inclined to offer any support you can—even if not financial, but just by reblogging this post!

[onceuponatown]

Elizabeth Cochran was born on May 5, 1864 in Cochran’s Mills, Pennsylvania. The town was founded by her father, Judge Michael Cochran. Elizabeth had fourteen siblings. Her father had ten children from his first marriage and five children from his second marriage to Elizabeth’s mother, Mary Jane Kennedy.

Michael Cochran’s rise from mill worker to mill owner to judge meant his family lived very comfortably. Unfortunately, he died when Elizabeth was only six years old and his fortune was divided among his many children, leaving Elizabeth’s mother and her children with a small fraction of the wealth they once enjoyed. Elizabeth’s mother soon remarried, but quickly divorced her second husband because of abuse, and relocated the family to Pittsburgh.

Elizabeth knew that she would need to support herself financially. At the age of 15, she enrolled in the State Normal School in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and an added an “e” to her last name to sound more distinguished. Her plan was to graduate and find a position as a teacher. However, after only a year and a half, Elizabeth ran out of money and could no longer afford the tuition. She moved back to Pittsburgh to help her mother run a boarding house.

In 1885, Elizabeth read an article in the Pittsburgh Dispatch that argued a woman’s place was in the home, “to be a helpmate to a man.” She strongly disagreed with this opinion and sent an angry letter to the editor anonymously signed “Lonely Orphan Girl.”

The newspaper’s editor, George A. Madden, was so impressed with the letter that he published a note asking the “Lonely Orphan Girl” to reveal her name. Elizabeth marched into the Dispatch offices and introduced herself. Madden immediately offered her a job as a columnist. Shortly after her first article was published, Elizabeth changed her pseudonym from “Lonely Orphan Girl” to “Nellie Bly,” after a popular song.

Elizabeth positioned herself as an investigative reporter. She went undercover at a factory where she experienced unsafe working conditions, poor wages, and long hours. Her honest reporting about the horrors of workers’ lives attracted negative attention from local factory owners. Elizabeth’s boss did not want to anger Pittsburgh’s elite and quickly reassigned her as a society columnist.

To escape writing about women’s issues on the society page, Elizabeth volunteered to travel to Mexico. She lived there as an international correspondent for the Dispatch for six months. When she returned, she was again assigned to the society page and promptly quit in protest.

Elizabeth hoped the massive newspaper industry of New York City would be more open-minded to a female journalist and left Pittsburgh. Although several newspapers turned down her application because she was a woman, she was eventually given the opportunity to write for Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World.

In her first act of “stunt” journalism for the World, Elizabeth pretended to be mentally ill and arranged to be a patient at New York’s insane asylum for the poor, Blackwell’s Island. For ten days Elizabeth experienced the physical and mental abuses suffered by patients.

Elizabeth’s report about Blackwell’s Island earned her a permanent position as an investigative journalist for the World. She published her articles in a book titled 10 Days in A Mad House. In it, she explained that New York City invested more money into care for the mentally ill after her articles were published. She was satisfied to know that her work led to change.

Activist journalists like Elizabeth—commonly known as muckrakers—were an important part of reform movements. Elizabeth’s investigations brought attention to inequalities and often motivated others to take action. She uncovered the abuse of women by male police officers, identified an employment agency that was stealing from immigrants, and exposed corrupt politicians. She also interviewed influential and controversial figures, including Emma Goldman in 1893.

The most famous of Elizabeth’s stunts was her successful seventy-two-day trip around the world in 1889, for which she had two goals. First, she wanted to beat the record set in the popular fictional world tour from Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days. Second, she wanted to prove that women were capable of traveling just as well as—if not better than—men. Elizabeth traveled light, taking only the dress she wore, a cape, and a small traveler’s bag. She challenged the stereotypical assumption that women could not travel without many suitcases, outfit changes, and vanity items. Her world tour made her a celebrity. After her return, she toured the country as a lecturer. Her image was used on everything from playing cards to board games. She recounted her adventures in her final book, Around the World in 72 Days.

In 1895, Elizabeth retired from writing and married Robert Livingston Seaman. Robert was a millionaire who owned the Iron Clad Manufacturing Company and the American Steel Barrel Company. When Robert died in 1904, Elizabeth briefly took over as president of his companies.

In 1911, she returned to journalism as a reporter for the New York Evening Journal. She covered a number of national news stories, including the Woman Suffrage Parade of 1913 in Washington, D.C. Elizabeth often referred to suffrage in her articles, arguing that women were as capable as men in all things. During World War I, she traveled to Europe as the first woman to report from the trenches on the front line.

Although Elizabeth never regained the level of stardom she experienced after her trip around the world, she continued to use her writing to shed light on issues of the day. She died of pneumonia on January 27, 1922.

[lowkeyerror]

The Family Business Ch.2

WandaNat x Reader

Word Count: 2.5k

Ch Notes: No warnings for this chapter, Krolik=Bunny, Sestra=Sister

Summary: Wanda was sent away on important business, by the time she comes back you're all grown up and a part of the family company. Wanda doesn't come back home empty handed in fact she returns with a brand new wife.

An: Ok someone asked me for Ch.2 early and I had to deliver. Next Ch.3 will be up on Monday. Stay tuned and hope you enjoy.

Series Masterlist | Masterlist

True to their word, the Maximoff’s provided you with a roof over your head and protection wherever you went. You never worried about your mother again and you saw your father whenever his schedule permitted. However, your primary residence was with the Maximoff’s. They were just as kind as they had always been.

Dragos and Flora paid for anything you could ever want or need. They paid for your tuition at NYU, though you tried to argue against it. You double majored in software engineering and physics. Without the constant insecurities that your parents piled on you, you were able to reach new academic heights.

Wanda had gone off right before her college graduation, Dragos said she was doing important work internationally. He didn’t know when she would be returning. There was a small part of you that hated that the woman didn’t come to your graduation, but a card from her in the mail was enough to make you smile.

Once you had your degrees you weighed your options. After multiple boring interviews and under stimulating work you finally asked Dragos if there was anything you could do in the family business. Pietro wasn’t thrilled about you wanting to be involved, but once he saw you at work, he knew you’d fit right in.

The crime was fronted by a legitimate business that Dragos owned. Which meant that you got to work out of one the tallest office buildings in New York. Your standing with the family also afforded you a desk pretty high up. When you weren’t hacking into competitors’ systems or running field operations, you did simple accounting for the company. It was easier that way, as the numbers for both the true business and the under-cover business were vetted by you.

“Y/n, come on a delivery with me?” Pietro pops his head into your office space.

“What kind of delivery?”

He smirks, “Special.”

You quickly grab your jacket and follow him out of your office. As you navigate to the bottom floor the two of you make small talk.

“So, when are you going to stop playing around and ask Monica out?”

Pietro rolls his eyes, “When you date someone for more than 2 outings.”

You feign a pained look, “Ouch, that one hurts Piet.”

“The truth often does.”

Once you both are out of the building and into the car your demeanor changes a bit, “So who are these going to?”

“Mr. H.”

You groan, “That guy’s sketchy, I don't like him.”

Pietro laughs, “I’m sure a lot of people feel the same way about us. “

“Whatever,” you mumble, scrolling through your phone.

The rest of the ride is quiet, until you pull up to the drop of location. “So, I’m going in and dropping the stuff off. You’re going to wait for me in the driver's seat.”

“Why the driver’s seat?”

He blinks at you, “In case we need to get away faster, you'll already be in here. Keep the car running, this should be quick.”

While Pietro goes in to handle the business, you let your mind spiral into thoughts about Wanda. You miss her and feel like it has been too long. Dragos said that she ended up staying in Russia for awhile before heading to their home country of Sokovia. Apparently, while he ran the business here, she ran the operations over there.

You weren’t surprised that Wanda was trusted with such an important role, she always had leadership qualities. For a long while you thought you wanted to be just like her. Instead, you realized that the older woman had been someone you were interested in. Wanda had nearly a decade on you in age, but how could you not like her as a young queer girl.

Sometimes you could still feel her hand delicately grazing your torso as she patched up the wounds your mother inflicted. For awhile in the Maximoff’s home everyone treated you as if you would break into a million pieces. Maybe Wanda did too, but it was different with her.

She wasn’t just careful with you because she was scared, you’d break, but she truly believed that you deserved the care. Even when you began training with her, she treated you delicately. You wanted to learn how to protect yourself and she stepped right in and became the perfect teacher. You also began going to the gym with Pietro at least once a week. You weren’t trying to be buff, but just in shape enough to defend yourself if you needed.

Even though your outward appearance changed to be stronger. You felt as though Wanda saw right through that into your deepest insecurities and tended to them accordingly.

Your daydreaming is cut short by Pietro busting out of the warehouse where the drop was supposed to take place, with the goods still in his hand.

“DRIVE! DRIVE! DRIVE!”

He jumps into the passenger seat, and you hit the gas. Pietro is talking to you, but your adrenaline is kicking in. Your fieldwork doesn’t really get this exciting without a debrief. Getaway driver is definitely a new change in speed.

Your eyes focus solely on the road, ignoring what the man is saying as his chest heaves up and down. A quick glance in the rearview mirror tells you that they are following you. While you are curious about what happened, those questions can be answered later. 

Pietro is actually mildly impressed with your driving skills. Your sharp turns and redirections are top notch in his opinion. Though you are doing great the guys are still tailing you.

You think for a moment, trying to remember the nearest parking garage. You realize that it’s behind you and brake hard, you weave through oncoming traffic to try to get to the parking garage.

“Get ready to hop out,” you say to Pietro parking the car. Once you do the blonde starts running on foot and you call after him. He stops in his tracks frantic until he sees you breaking into another car. When you get in you drive normally out of the parking structure and straight back to the office.

“Jesus Christ, Y/n I didn’t know you could drive like that?”

Pietro grabs the wooden box from his lap before walking to the elevator. He wipes his hands on his jeans and proceeds as though it was a just another day.

“So, what the fuck happened?”

He raises an eyebrow, “You weren’t listening in the car?”

“Duh, I was a little preoccupied with the whole driving for my life thing.”

“I guess you'll hear it when I tell Papa then.”

The two of you are definitely headed to the top floor of the building to inform Dragos of what has transpired. Pietro is never one for knocking and simply barges into the man’s office.

“Papa, do you have a- Sestra?”

Pietro’s sentence dies in his throat as he gets a glimpse of his older sister. He wastes no time sitting in the wooden box on a couch nearby and scooping up the redhead in a tight hug. You could hear them exchanging more words in their mother language. It’s an unexpectedly tender moment as Pietro tries to keep things on the light side.

Somewhere in the hug Wanda’s eyes land on you and they widen slightly. She untangles herself from her brother to get a good look at you. She’s older, as expected, but age had been more than kind to her. Wanda looks as elegant as ever, an air of distinguish surrounds her.

The way she looks at you makes you feel like a teenager again. You do your best not to squirm under her gaze. When a smile placed itself on her lips, you feel relief washing over you. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she pulls you in to a big hug.

Her hands rise to hold your face, pulling back just slightly. She wants to get a good look at you. The softness of her hands causes you to blush.

“You’ve grown up on me little krolik.”

She releases the hold, and you speak, “You’ve been gone a long time, Wanda.”

There it is, in your voice for the first time in years; That fragile tone that you had only ever allowed Wanda to hear. You hope it didn't sound as desperate to everyone else in the room and it didn't. But Wanda picked up on it instantly.

“I have, but now I'm back; permanently,” Wanda says, keeping her eyes on you.

“And she brought a friend,” Dragos interjects, and you watch Wanda roll her eyes.

“She’s more than a friend Papa, she’s my wife and she’s sitting right here. I expect you to treat her kindly.”

Wanda is married and to a woman. Your mind scrambles to piece together what had happened in the years that she was gone for this to be the case. It is hard for you to digest what the woman had said. Your breathing becomes a little shallow, but no one takes notice.

Finally, you take notice of the other woman in the room, sitting in the chair next to the one Wanda had just been sitting in. Your mouth dries at the sight of her. The woman is stunning. Her auburn hair is a few shades darker than Wanda’s. She has a button nose, soft pink lips and piercing green eyes. You couldn't be mad at Wanda for marrying such a beautiful woman.

“Sestra, you’re married?” Pietro exclaims, looking between the two women dramatically.

“Yes; Y/n, Pietro, this is my wife, Natasha Romanoff.”

Your eyes linger on the woman even when Dragos claps his hands together to get the attention of the room, “Piet you were saying something important. I see that Mr. H didn't get his package.”

Any further pleasantries would have to wait.

“Papa it was a bad deal. They tried short me on our exchange, so I told them they could either bring me the rest of what they owe, or I’d be walking. They planned to take the package from me, so I ran immediately to the car. Of course they chased after me, but thanks to need for speed over here we got away.”

Dragos pinches the bridge of his nose lightly, “Don’t I always say being back up?”

Pietro answers back, “I took Y/n.”

This causes Natasha to chuckle a bit.

Your eyes narrow at her, “Something funny?”

She doesn’t back down, “Well from the way Wanda described you, you don't necessarily scream back up.”

Your jaw clenches slightly and you steal a quick glance at Wanda, “Wanda hasn’t seen me in over 5 years. I’m not that fragile little kid anymore.”

Dragos nods proudly, “Y/n is the biggest asset we have in this organization. She’s by far the glue that holds this all together and I will not tolerate any disrespect thrown her way.” The final part of his sentence carries a lot of weight to it, it’s a verbal warning.

Wanda clears her throat, “Hammerhead is a loyal customer, why would he try to cheat us?”

“He could have a new dealer,” you speak up. “Someone who might be charging less for similar goods.”

“You think someone is dumb enough to try to undercut us?” Pietro questions.

You speak candidly, “I think that people in this city can be greedy, and greed blinds all good sense.”

Dragos clearly agrees, “We need eyes and ears on the streets listening to anything about dealers that aren't us. I need a meeting with Hammerhead to make sure he’s got that big ugly head of his on straight. Y/n if I can't sell this, I'm going to have see a profit of this quantity somewhere else on the sheets.”

“Let Natasha and I come with you to your meeting Papa. I want you to see what we're capable of.”

“Papa, is this woman going to be joining our group?” Pietro asks.

You turn your attention to Dragos, curious of what the man has to say. There is an unbridled shine in Wanda’s eyes and a small upturn of Natasha’s lip. They seem to think that the man would say yes immediately.

Instead, he heavily sighs, “For now Ms. Romanoff is simply Wanda’s… wife. There is a chance that she’ll be given access to join. However, her involvement isn’t guaranteed. So just to be clear, she’s not going to be sitting in on the meeting.”

Wanda wants to fight back, you can tell, but she refrains. The playfulness of her features dissipates as she responds, “Is she at least allowed to stay and watch them work?”

“Y/n do you mind if Ms. Romanoff shadows you for the rest of the day?” You know what Dragos was actually asking of you. He wants you to vet her.

Your eyes land on the woman, staring at her intensely, “Sure.”

She squirms in her seat which makes you smile a bit.

“Pietro,” Dragos starts.

“Eyes & ears I’ve got it Papa,” he’s out of the door fast, setting the plan in motion.

Dragos presses a small button on his desk, “Kate can you set up a meeting between Hammerhead & I. It needs to be as soon as possible. Make it clear that if I’m kept waiting, there will be extra fees to pay. Ones that can't be bought by money.”

“No problem Mr. Maximoff. Should I have Clint get the car ready?” She responds over the intercom.

“That’ll be great, thank you Kate.”

Now it is Wanda who claps her hands, “So I guess it’s time to get to work. Which mean it’s time to say goodbye to my beautiful wife and my little krolik.”

Natasha stands from her seat and places a gentle kiss on Wanda’s lips. “Be safe,” she murmurs, not quite ready to part from her wife.

“I’ll be fine Nat, it’s just business as usual.”

Something about the two women in the same line of sight together made you feel weird. You had seen beautiful couples before, but you seem to be a little mesmerized by the sight of Natasha and Wanda. For now, you would say that it was just the shock of seeing Wanda after all these years and being blindsided by the news of her marriage.

“Have you changed too much to give me a hug before you go?”

The teasing tone in Wanda’s voice makes you roll your eyes. You walk over to her nonetheless, “I hugged you earlier, you know.”

Wanda doesn’t hesitate to pull you into another hug. “I know, but maybe two is too much for the new Y/n.”

You look up at her, maybe for a second too long, and you can’t help yourself, “Don’t worry, part of me is still your little krolik.”

A slight blush paints over her features as she smiles at you, “Good, keep my wife safe, ok?”

Your eyes cut to Natasha, “Of course, I’ll leave you guys to it.”

You walk out of the office with Wanda’s wife trailing closely behind you.  

“So, are you going to show me what makes you the glue?”

Her words make smile tug on the edge of your lips, “If you’re lucky.”

[lexxierave]

When Fate Intervenes- tasm!Peter Parker x Reader Part 1

It was a wonder you and Peter Parker never met each other until you were both forced to attend a mandatory pre-midterm conference with Mr.Hertz, your physics professor for the fall semester, of which you were currently running late for. Then again maybe it was all part of fate's funny game it wanted to play on the two of you. 

You had completely forgotten what day it was earlier this evening and went straight home from work instead of heading in the opposite direction to your college.

You were recently new to New York, settling into a small and cheap apartment on the outskirts of Queens. It was all you could afford after you packed up and moved across states to attend college, preferring to be as far away from your family as you could get. 

You used what was left over from your college tuition to make the down payment for rent. After that you found a job at a small corner store. Just around the corner actually and you happened to find out they needed help by chance when you went there for basic food supplies. It wasn't much but they were willing to work around your college schedule and let you do your homework whenever it got slow.

You had just finished your shift at work and were completely wiped from working all day and thinking about the mountain of assignments and reading you still had to do.

You envied the rich college kids if only for the facts that they didn't have to worry about that. Didn't have to worry about failing or surviving in the real world. While you never had a moment's rest. Never stopping and allowing yourself just to breathe and live.

You didn't come from a happy home. No, you came from a broken home. One that taught you terrible habits, like avoiding your problems. Or people in general so that you don't get attached, get let down and have more problems.

Anxiety was a constant in your life so much that you always wore out. Which was why you decided a nice nap after work sounded better than starting your schoolwork.

You woke up to your phone going off about an hour later.

You looked blinked that sleep away and picked up your phone to see your college's name rolling across the screen.

Puzzled and tired you answered it. The sleep is evident in your voice.

"So it's not just my class lectures you tend to be late for." The voice on the other end spoke after you said your typical greeting. The exasperation evident in their voice.

It was clearly your physics teacher, you'd remember that voice from everywhere. Having been scolded by him multiple times this semester for arriving late for his early morning class but it was challenging when you usually had to work the evening shift at work then stay up late to finish up your course work before the next day.

It was not an ideal balance but it was one you had to manage for the time being. Your job wouldn't give you the morning shift and the college only offers this class during one time this semester and you would rather get it out of the way fast then wait to do it plus it was a prerequisite for a handful of your other classes.

"I am so sorry I thought it was Tuesday for some reason. I'll be there in about 30 minutes." You apologized for the tenth time for letting the meeting slip your mind and lied through your teeth about when you'd be there.

Which is why you were running across campus to one of the buildings in the back to meet your fate.

Meanwhile in another part of campus Peter hand touched down from swing to one of his emergency backpacks that he left for when he was running late for something on school grounds, like right now. 

He knew what time he had to be at the meeting for Me. Hertz but you try to tell that to highspeed bank robbers going in the opposite direction. They'd laugh at him and then blow smoke from their getaway car in his face.

Peter shook his head at the mere thought of it before jumping on his skateboard and jetting over to the backside of campus. 

He needed to get this over with face and get back to patrolling. He knew it was not about his grades, he's one of the smartest students in class. Probably is the smartest but he'd never give himself that much credit with his classroom attendance. 

That's probably what this is all about. He's attendance or lack thereof, especially of late. Peter really only took some easy college courses to get Aunt May to stop worrying about him following Spider-Man around all day long.

His heart and head weren't in any of it. He'd rather be stopping bad guys so no one got hurt like Gwen did or Harry.

If only Peter could save the people he cared about most. It was a guilt he'd carry like a scarlet letter forever.

With all of Peter's thoughts consuming him it didn't take him long to reach Mr. Hertz's office. 

He kicked up his board and reached for the door handle, mentally preparing himself for the lecture he was about to receive. But who can prepare for what fate has in store for them?

Part 2

[bolithesenate]

you know what there isn't enough of?

aggressively social jedi

you think mandos are bad with all the adoption? well too bad, your cousin gred looks real padawan shaped. no it doesn't have to do anything with the fact that gred is having a hard time and cannot legally leave the planet under his own name because of student debt. also it is padawan gred now and he has been a valued member of the jedi order since years. no mister border control guy, you didn't not see him when the jedi delegation landed because he wasn't there, you didn't see him because he is shy.

or that nice little cafe that's been having a hard time paying rent because of a property tax increase? well sure would be strange if there was a sudden increase of patrons with all the same religious background.

not to speak of the children. you can't afford to pay tuition for a regular school? well, here's a full on praxeum ship that doubles as a mobile academy and there's always space for more students and never enough helping hands. no this offer doesn't come with hooks, apart from that these nice EduCorps people would sure like to have a look at the custom modifications on that land speeder of yours because by all known laws of physics that should have exploded long ago and they have already founded a new field of research over it

[nova-alien-rants]

sometimes it can be really fucking scary to achieve the things you've always wanted.

i think i need to put this out there not just for myself, but for anyone else who may be having a hard time coping with change in their lives, even if it's for the greater good.

this past wednesday was genuinely a really hard day for me. like, really really fucking hard. one of my best and oldest friend bailed on me along with her entire family which i considered to be my own, my parents acted disgusting toward my brother and tried pulling the same shit on me, i came back to my dorm after 40 minutes of driving to discover someone came into my room and touched my shit, and then had some stupid freshman act like a brat when i brought it up to the RAs. i haven't felt as low in a LONG time as i did by the end of that day.

but while i was driving back to campus, feeling completely alone and like i had no one to talk to, my grandparents ended up calling just to chat. i was crying so hard that i couldn't stop myself and spilled everything that had happened to me that day, and to my surprise, they were... really nice. they comforted me and even offered for me to move in with them once they get settled in their new house. i told them i felt really worried about how my parents would take the news of me moving, but my grandma said not to worry about that and she'll take care of it. for once i'm actually glad the people in this family are crazy.

all i've ever dreamed about for as long as i can remember is getting away from my parents. no longer living with them, no longer being controlled by them, no longer being physically and mentally broken down by them. my life goal has been to break free from my parents permanently. not a career, not material possessions, none of those things can ever come close to that goal. but now that it's happening, i'm filled with a kind of fear i've never experienced. there's so much uncertainty about literally everything in my life now.

will this thing with my grandparents' house even work out? how will my parents react to it? how am i going to manage to move all my shit into my grandparents' house even if i am able to stay there? what will happen when next semester starts? if i move in with my grandparents, my parents will cut me off financially and i won't have any help paying for my university tuition and/or housing. how will i finish my degree? how will i be able to afford going to graduate school? how will i pay for my medical bills?

i know in time all of these questions will become trivial, and i'll be able to look back eventually and be able to laugh about the fact that i was ever worried. the universe always works in my favor, even if i can't see it at the time. things always seem to have a funny way of working out but it's scary in the moment to not know what's going to happen. i'm a person who desperately craves stability and concrete plans in order to function, so all this uncertainty is... a lot to deal with.

but i think all this is happening so i can shed my old life and start another chapter in which i can finally heal for good and stay that way. even if our old lives suck, we can get used to them anyway and changing them can be absolutely terrifying. i think that's why leaving one's comfort zone can feel so hard. we don't know what to expect, so how are we supposed to protect ourselves in the event that something goes wrong? but i've come to believe that things don't go wrong, they simply don't go the way we expected them to. and that's scary, but it's also okay to sit with that fear. everything happens for a reason.

i'm not one of those people who will say to just "be happy" under circumstances such as these, even when your feelings may seem irrational and/or confusing to you. we're human, we're not fucking robots. we can't go through life stone-faced. change is hard. it's scary. it's overwhelming and full of so many questions no one may ever have the answers for. it's okay to take some time to cry, to scream, to get those feelings out. our brains are trying to keep us safe, and it's our job to let our brains express themselves. not every feeling has to be rationalized. it doesn't all have to make sense. sometimes it's okay to Just Be.

i personally believe that the world would be a much better place if we all took more time for ourselves to really feel our shit, because that's the only way it's going to get processed and let go. if you're someone like me whose BPD makes every feeling seem like a nightmare straight from hell, or whose alexithymia confuses you about what you're even feeling, that's okay too. again, you don't have to have all the answers. let yourself cry. let yourself lie on the floor. let yourself engage in your comfort activities. let yourself rest.

change isn't supposed to be all sunshine and rainbows. it's hard work, but it will all be worth it in the end. after every single one of my darkest times, i found myself shining brighter than i ever did previously. i don't know why we have to go through certain experiences, but it will all make sense one day. every single person on this earth has trauma, even if they may not have been abused or deal with a form of a post traumatic disorder. we're all just oversized children who are scared and need a hand to hold as they navigate life. we're human, and we're allowed to feel. we're going to get through this.

there's a reason why people say bravery is being scared while doing it anyway. change really is fucking scary, regardless of how good it may be for us. i'm going to keep saying it. hold your breath and do the thing anyway. let yourself be scared. feel that fear. make room for it and live with it. your brain loves you and is trying to protect you, even if it seems misguided. it's doing its best to be there for you, so you may as well at least humor it, right? how beautiful is it that your brain loves you enough to constantly try and protect you, regardless of the circumstance? i think it deserves love back. love those parts of you which have always loved you.

you're going to make it. you love you.

[etceteraon]

echoes of exile | chapter one

pov: female reader pov

genre: angst, sci-fi, series, slow-burn

warnings: space, sci-fi themes

word count: 7.8k

summary: After the long awaited return of the space program, seven crew members were finally announced to take the long awaited leap into space, their mission to find a safe location to build a liveable society. Their mission could take years to successfully finish, but the crew is loyal to their duty, unaware of the fact that their government is only using them for something more sinister.

a/n: This is the first chapter of a series I have been building for a few years now. The first few chapters will be introductory, but I hope you enjoy the eventual lore drops and in-depth world building that will come! For now, I will be keeping any romance and potential pairings tight lipped since I intend for this to be a slow burn. Chapters may be a little slow, but more will be coming soon.

Waking up in the comfort of your own bed was nothing new to you. In fact, it was something you had grown accustomed to. That was nothing out of the ordinary considering most of the population was used to sleeping in their own beds, wrapped in their comforters, either with a partner or alone. For you however, it wasn’t always normal. You had grown up in a normal household, it wasn’t exactly the best, but you were never considered ‘poor’ just middle class or blue collar. Once you got out of highschool however, things changed. After applying for college, all of the scholarships and money you received went straight to tuition. Unable to afford to live in the dorms or have your own place, you were constantly couch hopping, sometimes sleeping on a park bench or in a homeless shelter every now and then. It wasn’t ideal, but it got the job done. After four years of this, you graduated with your masters in engineering. 

Now, with a masters in aeronautics and a minor in electrical engineering, you could do a lot of things. Find plenty of jobs that paid the bills. But the job you had chosen wasn't exactly the most mainstream. You had decided years ago that you were going to be an astronaut. So, the first thing you had done once you received your masters was apply to the space program as an intern. Luckily, being an intern in the space program paid more than normal jobs, so you weren’t hurting for money anymore. You were able to afford a small apartment with the help of another intern you were roommates with, a male by the name of Felix who had his masters in computer science. He was also looking to become an astronaut, and luckily for the both of you, it seemed that once you had done your due diligence for a few years, you would be placed in the same crew. 

That was, until you were introduced to a pilot. Christopher Bang, he was a very well-known pilot with a masters degree in physical science. He was a genius in every sense of the word, so when you and Felix had been introduced to him by the grace of Seungmin, the flight director for mission control, you were both in shock and awe when he kindly offered to teach the both of you to pilot a jet. It would make things a lot easier for the both of you since it would only require 1,000 hours as opposed to a few years working in the field. Of course the both of you had taken him up on his offer, now spending the majority of your time learning the ins and outs of piloting a jet, eventually getting up in the air. After about a month, you were able to pilot the jet on your own, Felix as well. Another month or so later, the both of you had completed your 1,000 hours as a pilot-in-command.

Now all you two had to complete was the long-duration flight physical and you both would be deemed astronauts. The timing was almost too perfect since the space program had just announced they would be looking for astronauts for a new mission they were launching. You and Felix had decided you were going to be on that crew no matter what it took, and it seemed like Christopher had the same idea. He hadn’t originally planned to be an astronaut according to his own words, but once he had heard about the mission and heard you and Felix were aiming to be on the first flight out, he wanted to join. He stated that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and he had nothing better to do. You weren’t so sure of that, but you let his excuses slide. 

The long-duration flight physical wasn’t easy to pass. Not in the slightest. Of course Christopher had passed without much of an issue. Felix passed the third or fourth time around, meanwhile it took you around six times to actually pass. Along with the help of Christopher and Felix both instructing you on what to do and helping you work out your body in specific areas. With that done and out of the way, you were now finally able to rest after years of hard work. Simply waiting for word back on whether or not you were accepted as a candidate for the mission and interviewed along with the other candidates. 

So here you were, lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling after a long, well deserved rest. You could hear Felix rummaging around in the kitchen, a sure sign that he had been up and about for a while. Glancing over at the digital clock on your nightstand, you were made aware that you had slept in for much longer than you had intended, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you wondered why your alarm hadn’t gone off. Slowly peeling yourself off of the mattress, you rubbed your sleep ridden eyes, yawning as you kicked your legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Stretching your arms over your head, you stood there for a moment, letting your body relax and wake itself up before heading over to the bedroom door and propping it open slightly, just enough to peek out and see if Felix had anyone over. 

You didn’t see anyone besides the brunette male, so you decided to step out of your bedroom in your strapped tank and shorts that were meant to be worn for workout purposes, but really only got worn to bed. You hadn’t even brushed your hair, so you had no idea what state it was currently in, but by the amused look on Felix’s face when he caught sight of you, it most likely wasn’t pleasant. “Well good afternoon. I take it you slept well?” He teased, raising an eyebrow as he continued to work on what he had set in front of him, cutting up various vegetables and other assorted items. A quiet hum of acknowledgement was all that left you at first, walking into the shared kitchen and opening the fridge, browsing through the contents before simply pulling out a bottle of water and cracking it open. Once the cold beverage passed your lips you sighed, closing the fridge and looking directly at the freckled boy. “Slept for much longer than I intended. My alarm didn’t go off for some reason.” 

The statement made Felix snicker for a reason unknown to you. He stopped cutting for a moment to look at you, a smirk tugging on his lips. “Your alarm did go off. I had to go into your room and shut it off since you didn’t even wake up.” Your eyes widened at the sudden realization, placing the cap on the bottled water as you approached the lanky male. “You didn’t think to wake me up? What the hell Lix?” 

“Hey, don’t get mad at me. I figured since you didn’t wake up to your alarm that you needed the rest. I didn’t want to wake you up just for you to not get enough sleep. Besides, it’s not like you have anything to do today right?” He posed a question, tilting his head slightly before going back to cutting, focusing his attention forward. “Well actually I did have plans today. But now I’m going to be la-” You paused your reprimands when you heard Felix’s bedroom door open and close, revealing none other than Felix’s boyfriend of a few months, Hwang Hyunjin, the public affairs officer of mission control. 

The tall male only paid you a glance before a smirk similar to the one Felix had worn not too long ago adorned his features. “Oh? You have plans? That’s new.” The long haired boy commented, clearly having been listening to the conversation that had nothing to do with him. “Oh shut it Hyunjin, not like you’re any better than me considering the only place you go besides work is here.” 

“She does have a point.” Felix muttered, causing the long haired male to groan in frustration. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

With a roll of your eyes you opted to exit the kitchen, heading back to the safety of your room to get dressed and ready before you were much later to your plans than you wanted to be. Before you shut the door to your room, you glanced back at the two males, clicking your tongue at them. “Next time you spend the night, tell me. I’d rather not wake up to a strange man in my apartment.” The door was closed before any protests could leave Hyunjin’s mouth, quiet giggles could be heard from Felix, but nothing more as you went over to your closet and started picking out your clothing for the day. 

You were never one for really dressing up, mainly because you could never really afford it, but also because it just took a lot of time and effort that you didn’t really have. So when you were able to afford a nice wardrobe, you mainly stuck to a business casual look. It also made work life a lot easier since you didn’t have to think much about whether what you were wearing was ‘work appropriate’. Everything in your wardrobe was. So, today was no different, picking out a high-waisted pair of black slacks, a white cami top and a brown blazer. You decided shoes would be an issue for later, setting your clothing down on your bed before heading into your bathroom, turning on the shower before peeling off the clothes you had been in all night and half of the day and then hopping in the shower. 

It wasn’t long before you were clean to your standards, stepping out of the shower and drying yourself off with a towel. You then brushed through your hair as you walked back out into your bedroom, glancing at the door to make sure it was locked before ridding yourself of the towel and getting dressed in what you had laid out minutes before. As if on cue, there was a knock at your door, signaling someone wanted your attention. You looked over as if you could see who it was through the wood, tilting your head slightly. “Yeah?” 

“Are you going to eat before you leave?” Felix. Of course it was. You thought about his question for a moment, deliberating on it for too long according to his liking, causing the male to huff. “Yes? No?” He prodded, earning a groan from you as you went over to the door and unlocked it before opening it, going over to your closet and pulling out a pair of black strappy heels. 

“Probably not considering I’m going to be eating there.” You answered his question, thought it seemed your answer only gained more questions from him. Feuling his curiosity. “There? Where is there? Are you meeting someone? Is this a date? Oh my god if this is a date I’m going to be so mad that you didn’t tell me. Who is it?” For the second time since you had awoken, you rolled your eyes, shaking your head as you made your way back into the bathroom to pull your hair up out of your face, Felix trailing along behind you. 

“First of all, this is not a date. You of all people should know that I don’t date. I don’t have the time or energy for a relationship. Secondly, I’m going out for lunch. I was invited to this new place not far from work, I think it’s called Vincenzo’s or something. Lastly, if you want to know so badly who it is, you can figure it out for yourself when he gets here.” You stated matter-of-factly. Felix frowning and folding his arms across his chest as he leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom. “So, you were invited out to lunch by a guy… who is picking you up and taking you there? Sounds a lot like a date to me.” He muttered, his eyebrows creased. 

With your hair now in a ponytail, you turned to face the slightly older male, sighing quietly. “Lix, why would I lie to you about something like this? It’s just lunch. It’s a nice thing people do sometimes. It doesn’t always have to be a date. The only reason I’m not driving myself is because my car is being worked on, remember?” Felix seemed to lighten up a little once he realized he wasn’t being lied to, nodding his head slowly as he lifted himself up. “Yeah, sorry. You’re right. I’m just being nosy since you’re usually busy with work or just holed up in your room.” 

You nodded in understanding, paying him a small smile as you stepped past him into the bedroom, putting on some earrings and placing your watch on your wrist right as the doorbell rang. Felix’s eyes lit up and before you could tell him to open the door, he was already there. You shook your head at his eagerness, spraying some perfume on and giving yourself one last glance in the mirror before grabbing your purse and exiting the room, closing the door behind you. Sure enough, there stood none other than Christopher Bang in the doorway, Felix bombarding him with questions that male the poor male’s head spin. You looked over to your friend's boyfriend, motioning towards the smaller male. “Can you control him please?” There was a long stare shared between the two of you before the long haired male sighed and went over to his boyfriend, pulling him back by his hips and whispering something in his ear which made Felix stop asking questions. You were curious as to what was said, but before your curiosity could get the better of you, Chan stepped into the apartment, looking around. 

He had never been to your apartment before, so it only made sense for him to take everything in. You stood in silence for a while, glancing down at your feet before looking up at the pilot, noting his all black decor. It was different in comparison to his pilot uniform that you always saw him in, that or the uniforms you had been provided while training for the long-duration flight physical. He was clad in a long sleeved button up shirt along with some jeans and tennis shoes, making him look much more casual than you, but nonetheless still somewhat classy with the button up. His dark brown hair was of course in its natural state, curly and unruly. He had stated many times that despite trying to work with it, it never seemed to want to agree with him. So he let it do its own thing. 

“I take it you’re set to go?” His voice snapped you out of your trance, quickly raising your gaze to his and putting on a smile to hide your embarrassment from being caught staring. “Yeah, all good to go. Thanks for picking me up, it would have been a nightmare to have Felix drive me.” A chuckle left the pilot's lips, nodding as he stepped back out of the apartment, leaving you enough room to follow behind. 

“It’s not a problem really. I figured I might as well since I was the one who set everything up and asked you to join me. Which reminds me, did I ever tell you the occasion?” He questioned, not stopping his descent down the stairs towards his parked car. You hummed in thought before shaking your head, realizing he hadn’t told you why he had offered to take you to lunch. “No, you didn’t.” You finally answered, causing Christopher to laugh quietly to himself as he reached his car, ignoring the stares from Hyunjin and Felix.

Once the car was unlocked and you were both inside, you took a moment to take in the state of his car. Clean, so clean that it almost seemed like the car was never used. There was the scent of cologne however, which made you wonder if he had sprayed it before leaving the car. Before you could see if there was a bottle of it lying around, Chan decided to break his silence about what this lunch was really for. “Seungmin rounded up the Mission Operations Directorate Manager and apparently he wanted to talk with you. So uh, really, this is kind of like a business meeting. For you anyway. I’m already acquainted with him and Seungmin.” Your eyes widened as you turned to face the pilot, jaw dropped in shock as he simply smirked, pulling out of the parking lot and keeping his attention on the road. 

“You didn’t think to ask me if I wanted to meet him? Or even inform me beforehand? I’ve heard the guy is a total asshole and I don’t think I even want to be in his presence.” You growled, earning a scoff from Christopher. “He’s not an asshole. He’s just strict when it comes to work. Which he should be considering where he works and what he does. There’s no room for error. Besides, if you want to be on the next crew out of here, he’s going to be in charge of you. You might as well get to know him now and get on his good side, no?” He countered, making you puff out your cheeks in irritation because, goddamn it he was always right. 

“I guess.” You muttered, having no good comeback. Of course, Christopher knew that he had succeeded in winning the argument, so he stayed silent, simply smiling rather smugly in the driver's seat. The rest of the car ride was spent in silence, Christopher parking the car not far from the restaurant’s entrance once you arrived. Unbuckling your seatbelt, you leaned back in the seat for a moment, taking a deep breath and closing your eyes. It was your way of calming yourself down before something stressful, Christopher knew this since you did it almost every time you were about to fly. So, he left you to it, not saying a word as he stepped out of the car and shut the door behind him. After a minute or so, you had managed to control your thoughts, keeping your anxiety at bay. As you stepped out of the car, you noticed Christopher had been leaning on the hood, waiting for you. A soft smile formed on your lips, but it quickly faded when he turned to face you, an eyebrow raised in question. 

“Yeah, I’m all good.” You assured him, not even needing him to ask the question to know what he was going to say. He nodded, pushing himself off of the car and making his way to the entrance of the restaurant. Like the gentleman he was, he propped open the door for you, letting you enter the building first before following close behind, looking over you to see if he could spot Seungmin and the Directorate Manager. You were about to talk to the lady at the front counter when Christopher placed a hand on your shoulder, motioning to your left. “They’re over there.” He stated, nudging you slightly. It wasn’t anything invasive or pushy, just enough to get your attention. Glancing over, you saw that he was indeed right, though you only recognized Seungmin. You let him go over towards the table first, informing the server where you would be sitting with the rest of your group before following behind the pilot. Putting on a smile as you approached the other males, you noted that they didn’t stand despite acknowledging yours and Christopher’s presence. 

Before you could pull out a chair for yourself, Christopher took the liberty of doing it himself. A mumbled thanks left your lips as you sat down across from the unfamiliar male, Christopher sitting beside you and across from Seungmin. You placed your purse on the back of your chair, trying your best to avoid eye contact with anyone since it felt like all eyes were on you. You opted to look at the menu that was set in front of you, fumbling through the pages as Christopher cleared his throat, trying to fill the awkward silence. “So, Mister Lee, it’s been quite some time. It’s nice to see you again, I know you have quite a busy schedule.” A quiet chuckle could be heard from in front of you, but you kept your eyes glued to the menu, not even focusing on the words despite skimming them over and over again. 

“Chris, how many times do we have to go over this? You don’t need to call me by any special terms when we’re not at work. It’s just Minho, you are older than me after all.” Shocked by the relatively easy-going nature of the Directorate Manager, you lifted your gaze, only to see he was looking right back at you. Your eyes widened slightly, your breath caught in your throat as he smiled, tilting his head slightly. “You must be y/f/n y/l/n. I’ve heard a lot about you, moving up the ranks pretty fast hm?” 

You weren’t sure what to say, so you simply nodded, a nervous smile the only thing you could manage. How did he know about you? You weren’t the only person who was trying to become an astronaut. There were thousands of other people shooting for the same thing, Felix and Christopher included, so why was the focus on you? You couldn’t recall doing anything spectacular to gain any attention. Your mind was spinning with questions, but before you could ask any, Minho continued on. “Before you ask, I do research on everyone. I found your background quite interesting. Perfect scores throughout middle school, high school and college. Then once you became an intern, all anyone had to say about you was good things. Christopher tells me that your piloting skills are nowhere near subpar, so I have to ask, is there anything you can’t do? Or are you just another genius we have on our hands?” 

To say you were at a loss for words was an understatement. Your jaw nearly dropped at the blatant compliments and praises that were leaving Minho’s mouth, looking to Seungmin for some kind of confirmation, he simply smiled and shrugged. You then turned your attention to Christopher who chuckled at your expression, shaking his head. “You’ll have to excuse her, she doesn’t know how to respond to compliments, especially from you.” 

“Ah. Well please, don’t worry too much about your image. I know perfectly well about your work ethic and that’s all that matters to me. Feel free to be yourself outside of work, I’m just here to get to know you a little better. That’s all.” He assured, easing your nerves just slightly. Taking a deep breath and laughing quietly to yourself, you sat up straight, setting the menu back down on the table and clasping your hands together on top of it. Returning your gaze forward, Minho’s piercing gaze was still locked on you. Gulping down your anxiety, you forced a smile, ignoring the stares from Seungmin and Christopher. “Well, thank you for the kind words. However, I’m not a genius like Christopher I can assure you. I simply aced my classes because I had to. Nothing more. As for what you’ve heard about me at work, I’m glad they are all good things, but once again I must tell you that I feel like what you’ve heard is blown out of proportion. I do my work and I go home. It’s not like I’m going out of my way to do anything major.” 

A scoff could be heard from beside you, Christopher leaning forward to try and catch your gaze with a disapproving look. “That’s not true. Anyone who works with you knows that.” He grumbled, Seungmin clearing his throat to finally speak up. “I agree with Christopher. You may not think that you do anything major, but if you really aren’t trying that hard like you say you are, that only makes it more impressive.” 

“I hardly think that’s true. I-”

“So you are a genius like Christopher. Good to know.” Minho cut you off, a smirk tugging at his lips as he picked up his menu and started browsing. He seemed awfully smug with the fact that he had shut you up, causing you to huff and mutter a few things under your breath as you picked your menu back up, the server approaching just moments later. After asking the table what they wanted to drink, everyone ordered their assorted beverages, the server then leaving to give you more time to consider your meal. Silence gripped the table. Not one person speaking a word as they looked at the menus. It felt awkward, you weren’t sure why, but you weren’t about to ask. A few minutes passed before the server came back with the drinks, setting them down and earning a plethora of thanks. Once asked if everyone was ready to order, Minho answered for the table, ordering first, followed by Seungmin, then Christopher, then you. 

After everyone had ordered their meals, the server left the table yet again, leaving the four of you to your devices. You were half tempted to pull out your phone, but you knew it would be rude, so you fiddled with your hands in your lap, looking around the restaurant for some form of entertainment or stimulation. There was a couple with a baby in a high chair who was less than happy to be there, something that you saw almost anywhere you went. An old lady seated by herself, which seemed sad at first glance, but after a few moments a younger woman who looked like her daughter came out from the bathroom and sat across from her. You smiled at this, happy to know she wasn’t alone. Apparently you had been tuning out and a conversation had started at the table. Christopher nudging you and calling your name snapped you out of your trance. 

“Hm?” You looked to the pilot for some sort of explanation. “Minho was curious what made you want to become an astronaut.” He reiterated, glancing over at said male who nodded in agreement. 

“It’s not exactly a job everyone wants. Sure, we get a lot of applications, but compared to the population, it’s miniscule. I don’t think you just woke up one day and decided that you wanted to do this. Especially since your masters is geared towards the career.” Minho stated, resting his chin in the palm of his hand as his elbow rested on the table. You nodded slowly, trying to figure out the best way to word it. “Well, I’ve always been interested in life beyond Earth since I was little. I read lots of books about space and astronomy, the public library was where I went everyday after school.” You recalled, smiling fondly at the memories. 

“When I was first asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I told everyone I wanted to be an astronaut. The older I got, the more people told me that it was unrealistic, and that I should try to shoot for something else. I’m stubborn though and I decided that no one was going to tell me what to do, so here I am. I guess you could say that I wanted to become an astronaut out of spite.” You snickered, Minho chuckling at your honest response. “Well, that’s the first time I’ve heard that.” He admitted, Seungmin and Christopher agreeing in amusement. 

“I mean, Chris has said that he only applied because he had nothing better to do. I guess geniuses have nothing better to do with their time besides do things out of spite and boredom.” You shrugged, Christopher nearly choking on his spit beside you. “I- That’s not-” He stammered, Minho laughing out of pure amusement. 

“Sounds like something he would say.” He stated cooly, running a hand through his auburn hair which was clearly dyed, but it looked good on him, natural even. As you were noting his other features, eyes that reminded you of a feline, a gaze that could kill, his lips seemed to be permanently curled up into a half smirk. If you hadn’t known any better, you would chock it up to him having a big ego and cocky attitude. It didn’t seem that he was like that with what he had said to you earlier, but nonetheless, he still gave off those vibes. His nose was similar to Felix’s. You hadn’t realized you would recognize something like that, but considering you had been around Felix for so long, perhaps it was something that was just in the back of your head that hadn’t come up until now. 

“Y/N?” You looked around the table, only to realize that the person that had called out to you was the man you had been staring at not so subtly. Of course it had to be him. You could feel your cheeks heating up with embarrassment, one hundred percent sure that he was aware of your staring. You opened your mouth to apologize, only to be cut off. It seemed Minho was good at doing that. “You seem to get along well with Christopher and Felix, am I right?” He questioned, catching you off guard once again. 

Nodding your head in response, you fought the urge to look over at Christopher who seemed tense beside you. You weren’t sure why, but you made a mental note to ask him about it later. Minho hummed, leaning back in his chair, seeming to think about something. Just then the server came to the table with everyone’s food, setting them down and asking the usual questions before retreating from the table once again, Minho sitting up straight and clasping his hands together. “How do you think you would feel about them after spending two years of training with them followed by spending years with them in space?” The question in itself wasn’t really surprising, but it was the look that Minho shot Christopher when he asked you. You couldn’t quite place what it was, but it didn’t exactly seem friendly. “Uhm, well… I’ve already spent over a year with Felix as a roommate and a co-worker, so I’m sure I could manage with him. As for Christopher, I haven’t known him as long, but we’ve never had any big disagreements or arguments. We get along fairly well I think, so I’m sure I could handle him for a few years.” You giggled out the last part, finally looking over at Christopher who paid you a soft smile. It looked like he was hiding his true feelings, like he was being insincere, but you couldn’t think of a reason he would be, so you brushed it off. 

“That’s good. I’m glad to hear that.” Was all Minho said in response before starting to eat, Seungmin following suit shortly after. You figured that was a signal that you could eat as well, so you picked up your utensils, only to see that Christopher was just staring down at his food. You raised an eyebrow in confusion, nudging him slightly. He didn’t look over at you immediately, taking a few moments before actually facing you. You tilted your head, motioning towards his food. “Aren’t you going to eat?” Clearly concerned, you set down your own utensils, catching the attention of the other two males across the table. Their gazes seemed to bother Chris more than yours, causing him to pick up his own utensils with a forced smile. 

“Yeah, sorry. I just got lost in thought.” The pilot then started to eat without another word. Everything suddenly felt off, but you knew it wasn’t your place to ask any questions. Keeping to yourself, you picked your utensils back up, lifting them to your lips right as your phone went off in your purse. Quickly, you set everything down, turning around to fumble through your purse to find your phone. Once you had, you were prepared to turn off the ringer, only to note the number that was calling you, the selection board. You nearly gasped, placing your hand over your lips before looking across the table at Minho who had a knowing look on his face. “I’m sorry, I need to take this.” You apologized, Minho shaking his head and motioning to the side.

“No worries, go ahead.” Nodding, you stood from your seat, pushing your chair back before heading out of the restaurant, standing by the door as you answered the call, placing the phone up to your ear. “This is y/f/n y/l/n.” 

“Miss y/l/n, this is Taehyun Kang from the selection board. It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been selected for an interview.” Your heart nearly leapt out of your chest, but you knew you had to keep it together and keep it professional on the phone. “Thank you so much, this is great news. What time and what day will the interview be?” Information, that's what you needed right now before you got too ecstatic. 

“This Friday at 6pm. Does that work for you?”

“Of course. I’ll be there.”

“All right. We’ll talk to you then Miss y/l/n.”

The call then went dead, leaving you to your own devices. You hadn’t even realized you were shaking, a chuckle of disbelief left you as you clasped your phone in your hands. This was actually happening. You were actually going to be interviewed by the selection board. You had to make it to the second interview, you had to make all of this hard work count. If you didn’t get selected then all of this was for nothing. The stress and anxiety was starting to set in, your lip suffering due to the pressure you were putting on it. Biting your lip had always been a nervous tick of yours. 

What had you been expecting? You had applied as a candidate fully expecting for it to work out, so now that things were going in your favor, why were you so surprised? Maybe you hadn’t really thought about it much as you thought you had. Your head was spinning with questions and worries. What were you going to wear to the interview? How would you get there with your car still being worked on? How were you going to tell Felix? Had he been called for an interview? What about Christopher who was right inside, waiting for you. Right, you had people waiting for you. 

Turning, you pushed open the door to the restaurant, stepping back inside and trying your best to act as natural as possible. All eyes were on you once again as you approached the table, sitting back down and being sure your phone was on silent this time as you placed it back in your purse. Picking your utensils back up, you finally began to eat, the food was a little cold, but overall it was still palatable. Of course, you couldn’t ignore the stares for long, Christopher being the first to speak up. “Who was that on the phone?” You nearly froze, swallowing what you had in your mouth before you had the chance to choke. “Uhm, well- actually…” You tried to figure out how to phrase it, figuring Christopher hadn’t been contacted and not wanting to somehow end up hurting his feelings. 

“It was the selection board.” Minho suddenly piped up, your eyes widening at how sure he sounded. Christopher turned to face you completely now, his eyes lighting up as he smiled. “Was it really? Did you get an interview?” Gulping, you smiled sheepishly, nodding your head. 

“Y-Yeah, they set an interview for this Friday at six.” You admitted, Christopher seeming overjoyed at the news, Minho acting as if he knew it was coming all along, meanwhile Seungmin was tuned out, focused on the food in front of him. “That’s so great y/n, I can drive you to the interview if you need me to. Will your car be out of the shop by then?” You were surprised at Christopher’s reactions, something not adding up. Was he really this happy for you if he hadn’t been selected for an interview himself? 

“Chris, did you not get called for an interview?” Finally you had amounted the courage to ask. Christopher paused for a moment only to chuckle and rub the back of his neck as he looked away. “Actually, I was called for an interview last night. I didn’t want to tell you in case you didn’t get a call.” He admitted, a gasp leaving your lips. “Well that’s not fair, you should have told me. I would have been more upset if I hadn’t been called and you didn’t tell me.” 

Shrugging his shoulders with a sigh, Christopher picked up his drink, taking a few gulps before setting it back down. “So, I’m picking you up on Friday, five thirty?” He had just completely ignored what you had said to him, but that was nothing new. If he didn’t want to address something, he wouldn’t. “I don’t think that will be necessary.” Minho suddenly spoke up again, earning both yours and Christopher’s attention. 

“Felix will have an interview at the same time. You can ride with him, right?” So Felix was going to be interviewed as well? Oh the boy was going to be beside himself whenever you got back to the apartment. His poor boyfriend was probably having to deal with his spastic energy right at this moment. “I mean, yeah. I’m sure that will work out just fine.” You mumbled, noting the slight glare Christopher sent in Minho’s direction. 

The younger male seemed to pay no mind however, simply smiling and nodding his head in agreement. “Then that’s all settled. Congratulations on your interview y/n, I can’t wait to see what else you accomplish.” He sent you a wink before standing up, Seungmin following suit quickly after. It looked as if Minho had hardly touched his food, Seungmin had eaten pretty much everything however. Minho made his way up to the front counter, paying for his and everyone else's meal. Before leaving the restaurant, he turned to face the two of you that were left at the table. “I’ll see you around y/n. Nice seeing you Christopher.” He offered a small wave before leaving the building with Seungmin in tow, Christopher muttering a few things under his breath that you couldn’t make out, but it didn’t sound pleasant. 

“What was that all about?” You questioned, looking at the pilot who now had an unreadable expression on his face. It was definitely one you had never seen on him before. You knew something was going on between him and Minho, but you couldn’t tell what. Christopher had just been talking about how Minho was a good guy, just strict when it came to work. So why was he sending him glares during lunch? What was going on that you didn’t know about? Christopher forced a chuckle, shaking his head as he raked a hand through his dark brown curls. “Nothing, just thinking.” Setting down his utensils, he leaned back in his seat, looking over at your plate which still had most of the food still on it. 

“Did you want to get a box for that?” He questioned, making you frown. “Chris. You’re changing the subject because you’re lying to me. I’m not an idiot. You of all people should know that. I can see right through you. You’ve been acting weird since our food got here, what’s the deal?” 

Biting down on the inside of his cheek, Christopher looked up at the ceiling, staying silent for a while before sighing and hanging his head. “I don’t know, something about how Minho was talking to you gave me a weird feeling. I’m just worried about you and what he’s planning.” he admitted, causing you to furrow your eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Christopher bit at the skin of his lip before rubbing his face with one of his hands, clearly struggling with whatever was going on in his mind. “I know Minho, and he’s not a bad guy, but I know that there’s more that goes on in his head than he lets on. He’s not the directorate manager for nothing. I just think it’s odd. He’s never taken an interest in someone like he is with you. Sure, he does his research on everyone, but he’s never explicitly wanted to meet someone like this. Especially not an intern.” You frowned, folding your arms across your chest while tilting your head. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“I’m not trying to say that in a degrading way. I could care less that you’re an intern, you’re smarter than half of the people I work with who aren’t interns. I’m just saying, Minho is someone who cares about status and hierarchy. Normally he wouldn’t even look in an intern's direction. So for him to be going out of his way for an intern, it’s weird. It’s not normal. He’s pulling strings behind the scenes for you and this is his first time meeting you. It’s like he knows something I don’t and I don’t like it. Not only that but it’s almost like he’s trying to push me out of the picture, or make me out to be the bad guy? I don’t know. Maybe I’m just thinking too much because it’s uncharacteristic of him. All I’m trying to say is that I’m worried you might get hurt or used.” It took you a moment to process everything that Christopher said, but once you had, you simply sighed. The server came over to your table just then, asking if you wanted a to-go box, you obliged, watching as they scurried off to get one. You then turned your attention to Christopher who was watching you intently. 

“Listen, Chris. I appreciate your concern, I’ll keep what you said in mind, but like I said before, I’m not an idiot. I’m fully aware that he’s never met me before, I think I would have remembered meeting him. I’m cautious of everyone I meet and I know when someone is trying to use me. This doesn’t feel like that, it seems like he’s just trying to be nice and give someone an opportunity. I’m not going to turn it down just because you think something weird is going on.” You watched as Christopher took a deep breath, almost as if he was containing his anger or irritation. You couldn’t tell which it was. “Y/n. I’ve never said you were an idiot. I’m fully aware that you’re not. I’m just trying to tell you to be cautious with him, please?”

“Here you go ma’am.” The server set the to-go box down in front of you. You thanked him quietly before filling the box and closing it, getting to your feet and slinging your purse over your shoulder. “I’ll think about it.” Was all you said to Chris before turning and heading out of the restaurant. You could hear an exasperated groan leave the pilot, but you chose to ignore it, going over to his car and leaning on the passenger door as you waited for him to leave the restaurant.

Why had Christopher even driven you here if he was so worried about it? What was the point of him saying all of this stuff when he had just told you that Minho wasn’t a bad person? None of this was adding up, it was just making you more confused the longer it went on. You just wanted to go home and lay in your bed at this point. You were so tired of thinking. However you knew when you got home you wouldn’t have the option to just lie in bed. Felix was going to be off the walls with excitement and he was probably going to want to do something with you and Hyunjin to celebrate. You wouldn’t have the heart to tell the male no either. You were just going to have to pretend everything was fine and that you weren’t losing your mind. 

The sound of the car door opening snapped you out of your thoughts, Christopher simply raising an eyebrow at you before he got in the car, starting the engine. You opened the door and got in yourself, Christopher not saying a word as he waited for you to buckle your seatbelt, only pulling out of the parking lot once you had. The drive home was spent in silence, much like the ride to the restaurant had been. You were sure Christopher was upset with you for not listening to him, but you weren’t going to cave because of it. You would figure out Minho for yourself, you didn’t need Chris telling you what to do. You were a grown woman and you could make your own decisions. Christopher wasn’t your dad, nor was he your boyfriend. He was a friend, a co-worker. Nothing more. You would heed his concerns, but you weren’t going to completely avoid Minho or look into every little thing the male did. 

You were on the other hand going to be paying close attention to Christopher from now on. It seemed like he was hiding some things from you, and you were going to find out what that was whether he liked it or not. If he was going to put himself in the middle of your personal life, you could do the same. Your apartment wasn’t far from the restaurant, so you arrived fairly quickly. Not waiting for the car to come to a complete stop, you unbuckled your seatbelt, grabbing your purse and to-go box before practically kicking open the door. Before you could exit the vehicle, Chris grabbed your arm, pulling back on it slightly. “Y/n. Please don’t be mad at me. I honestly wasn’t trying to offend you or make you upset. I’m just trying to look out for you.” A scoff left your lips as you removed your arm from his grip, turning back to glare at him. “I can look out for myself. I’ve been perfectly capable of it my whole life. I don’t need your help, thank you.” You huffed, stepping out of the car and shutting the door behind you. 

You didn’t leave him any room to say anything more, making your way up the stairs to your apartment before turning the knob and opening the door, not at all surprised to see Felix clinging to his boyfriend as he celebrated his invitation for an interview. You put on a smile, closing the door behind you without a second thought, leaving Chris alone in his car as you forced yourself to celebrate with your best friend and roommate.

[militantinremission]

The 2024 Presidential Debate: Time for New Blood?

In a word, The 1st Presidential Debate of 2024 was BRUTAL! Both Candidates took personal shots at each other; but Joe Biden- to his Credit, offered more Substance than Donald Trump. Trump avoided questions on rising Child Care Costs, Drug Overdoses, & Israel's 'War On Gaza' to name a few, but Biden wasn't able to capitalize on his lack of Policy Measures. Joe Biden came across as 'Too Old for Primetime', & appeared to be regurgitating Talking Points more than confidently articulating his Agenda for the next 4 Years. Donald Trump rambled on & embellished the truth for most of The Debate, instead of answering questions directly. BOTH had moments where they were less than honest. Trump focused on Biden's Job Performance more than articulating his Own Agenda for the next 4 Years. Joe Biden seemed more cognizant AFTER The Debate, than during it.

Donald Trump- to his Credit, was more reserved than he was in the 2020 Presidential Debates. Ironically, it was Joe Biden who initiated the insults, but Trump apparently didn't take The Bait. BOTH performances were subpar for a Presidential Candidate; I understand why Robert Kennedy Jr. was kept off that Debate Stage. NEITHER Candidate offered a Real Solution to Black Specific Issues. Instead, Both pivoted to the Reliable Standard of including 'Hispanics' & 'Minorities' into the Black American conversation. Donald Trump commented that Illegal Immigrants were stealing 'Black Jobs'. Mainstream Media & some Blackfolk were insulted by the statement, but Black Men have been literally pushed out of Union Jobs; particularly in the Field of Construction, in favor of Immigrants. People seem to forget that Black Men have traditionally been Blue Collar Workers. Trump is a virtual King of 'Off Color Comments', but many of Us understood what he was trying to say.

From a Black Perspective, the pivot away from Black Specific Issues speaks volumes about BOTH Party Agendas. Most Black Americans can't afford HBCU Tuitions, so funding them is a Moot Point to Us. Offering Black Students Free or Lower Tuition to State Universities would make more sense. Joe Biden offered a $10K Tax Credit to Black 1st Time Home Buyers, but didn't elaborate on it. He appeared strongest on the topic of Abortion, but allowed Trump to flummox him on the topic; particularly Late Term Abortions. Donald Trump appeared strongest on the issue of Immigration & put Biden on the spot several times, but didn't offer a Specific Agenda on how he will tackle it. Trump also lacked a Policy for lowering Inflation, other than extending his Tax Cuts to Corporations. Joe Biden's Economic Plan, is the continuation of 'Bidenomics'- A Plan that many are already concerned about.

Political Analysts & Pundits covering the Debate were quick to point out Joe Biden's performance. Most felt that he missed several opportunities to catch Donald Trump in blatant lies; they also questioned his Physical & Mental Fitness. He was supposed to reassure his Base that he had the Strength & Mental Competence to Serve another 4 Years, but critics are questioning his ability to finish the 1st Term of Office. Several Democratic Strategists called Biden "feeble & weak". Joy Reid said that Dems she spoke w/ are bordering on 'panic'. Rumors are spreading of a possible intervention asking him to step down, but it might be too late to change Candidates. CNN was accused of Stacking the Deck in favor of Joe Biden, but Trump appeared comfortable w/ the format. Both Moderators allowed Donald Trump to embellish w/o fact checking him; was that their job, or Biden's to do?

Democrats are calling Joe Biden's performance 'A Bad Night' (citing a Cold & scratchy throat), while the GOP applauds Donald Trump for 'Doing what he had to do'. I thought that BOTH Candidates were mediocre. Trump is being congratulated for Side Stepping questions & presenting a Vision of Smoke & Mirrors. Biden took a week off to prepare, but instead of repeating his State Of The Union Address performance, he stumbled through most of the Debate. Mainstream Media tried to predict This Debate would rival the Kennedy vs Nixon Debate of 1960, but it wasn't even close. The best dialogue between the Candidates, was about their Golfing Handicaps. America deserves a President that will move Us forward, but We have 2 'Old Dudes' caught up in their Own Egocentricity.

Donald Trump admitted that he's only running again, because he didn't see a GOP Candidate that could defeat Joe Biden. There are GOP Moderates out there that Republican Leadership & Voters could legitimately support. A few might even sway Independents, Libertarians, & disaffected Democrats; but grassroot support for the 'MAGA Agenda' has silenced most, out of fear of being labeled 'RINO'... I thought that This 'Pre Baby Boomer' Generation was willing to pass the baton when Barack Obama was Elected, but it seems like they've Doubled Down since he left Office. We currently have a Congress run by folks adamant about holding Power until it's pried from their Cold Dead Hands. The World Dynamic is changing & America needs to adapt. The Era of 'Neo Conservatives' & 'Neo Liberals' has run its Course- BOTH allowed the development of a Plutocratic Billionaire Class that has literally choked the Middle Class.

The Future Generations of American Society are NOT expected to outperform the previous Generations. Gen. Z in particular, is DROWNING before They can even Start; but Our 'Elder States[Wo]Men' don't seem fazed by This. They ALL seem content w/ taking The Country Down w/ them.

-It's TIME for New Blood!

[cripple-punk-dad]

I find it exceptionally frustrating that people don't realize just how many barriers there are in front of trans people and our access to college/university/higher education. I'm mainly talking about the United States here, but I know other countries are just as bad or worse.

There's the obvious bias present in the application process, but there's also things like systemically unequal access to well-paying jobs because of unchecked discrimination in the hiring/onboarding process (you getting outed because you have to show an ID that doesn't have the correct gender marker) which prevents us from getting enough money to pay for tuition without going into debt.

There's bias present in housing availability. Not just because of a lack of income, but because again you will, more likely than not, have to out yourself for identification. I didn't move out of my parents house until halfway through my first semester. That meant I was commuting an hour and a half on public transportation every single day, 6 days a week just to go to class.

There's the lack of access to trans-specific healthcare which negatively impacts mental and physical health, which seriously impacts our ability to focus on schoolwork. I know that here in Utah, there are two or three gender clinics IN THE ENTIRE STATE. It can take forever just to get an appointment, and then most insurances don't cover treatment which means you're paying out of pocket. HRT and surgery are often prohibitively expensive. That obviously goes hand-in-hand with able-ism, because god forbid you be trans AND disabled. Or trans and any other marginalized identity.

Along with that, there's the stress that comes from attending courses in an increasingly transphobic country that has a history of violent, life-threatening attacks on visibly trans people and college campus' in general. And, of course, there's the constant misgendering and micro-aggressions that come from fellow students and faculty, which also add to the seriously declining mental state of the average trans college student.

I'm stealth in most of my circles, meaning that as far as most people know, I'm a cis guy. But the amount of mental and physical energy that I have to exert in order to maintain that stealth status is exhausting, even without acknowledging that I am physically disabled. When half of your energy is going into survival, you can't exactly do well on your finals, can you?

Anyways, this scholarship is for trans people attending college. I encourage y'all to fill it out if you need the money.

[johnnyxedge]

Drum Corps is not for everyone, but should it be?

I've said this for years, and I have meant and agreed with the idea that drum corps is not for everyone. While the activity in it's current form is celebrated for its precision, complexity, difficulty, and overall power and emotion of it's performances, it hides a lot of the less attractive sides of the season from it's fans and prospective members. Current members/alumni/staff of corps are quick to extol the virtues of competing for a summer in a DCI tour (and DCA to a lesser degree for other reasons), but slow to tell of the harder parts of a tour away from home. I understand that as a defense mechanism, we focus more on good memories and recollections rather than the bad ones, and even the bad ones are retold in a more humorous and softer manner.

On the whole, drum corps as it is now is not for everyone. I would even go so far as to say it is not for most people. Most people with physical and developmental disabilities/differences cannot partake in a season. People that cannot afford to pay the tuition, either through their own income or money generated from gifts, philanthropy or scholarships cannot partake in a season. People that are unable to handle the rigors of life on the road for several weeks cannot participate. People that have food allergies or overly specific diets may not be able to participate. Even people that are physically capable may be excluded if they cannot meet physical requirements set by the staff.

Hearing people talk about the differences from the 60s and 70s to today's current corps, one of the biggest changes is the consensus is that there is no place for the average youth in a drum corps today. They say the days are gone when a person can walk into a rehearsal, be handed a horn or a drum or a flag, and be taught how to use it. While I know some corps will teach people, especially in the brass realm, and also take preference to people that were unsuccessful in their primary audition, these corps are the exception and not the norm.

The point of this line of thinking aloud is to ask these questions: Should drum corps return to it's roots of being an activity for everyone?

I don't think there is a wrong answer on this, but I do have some opinions. I think regardless, the current model of the activity is untenable and eventually will crumble. Hopefully DCI sees this and helps to make positive changes that will benefit all corps. Things like a regional tour over national tours, with a final trip to Indianapolis for Finals could massively help reduce a corps' budget for travel. Because of this, the corps could lower their tuition a lot, and allowing more people to be able to afford it.

However, I do prefer that drum corps stays on it's current path of being an activity that focuses on excellence and performance for the audience while pushing physical and creative bounds. The drum corps I marched in may not have had the most talent, money or the best design, but we did have the drive to squeeze every last bit out of a show to make it as good as it can be. I also liked how everyone was there for that mostly singular reason. One of my biggest frustrations when I did high school band was that some people like myself enjoyed band for what it was, and others were there for social reasons and didn't have the same level of care as I and some others did.

So what about the people that could benefit from being in an activity like drum corps, but have no experience? Depending on their geographic location, I think the SoundSport and All Age(DCA/Senior corps/whatever you want to call them) groups can definitely fill that role if they want to, and many do already. But for others, I think things like a recreational band or sports league or arts program or anything of the like would be just as good for people. Drum corps in and of itself is not the important part of being a positive thing in people's lives, it's the act of being active, doing something you enjoy that brings people together. If you can create a community for people from a league that plays baseball, or a local band that plays in parades or gives concerts at a local social place like a park or ampitheater, than that is just as valuable to the individual and community as the corps were back in the 60s and 70s.

[mochi-shortcake]

Late Night Studies

A small sound resonated through the dimly lit hallway, startling nineteen-year-old Tim as he worked through his pile of homework. The hands of a worn-out clock ticked slowly toward 1 a.m. He took a swig from his energy drink, doing anything to keep himself awake. Organic chemistry was going to be the death of him. He face-planted onto his desk. Was it too late to reconsider his major?

He turned his head toward the sound and stood up, wincing as pins and needles shot through his legs. He hobbled past the clutter on the floor and out the door. He looked around.

A textbook lay fallen on the floor in the living room. He rushed to it. It was a rental! He quickly checked for damage but saw none. He sighed with relief and placed the advanced physics textbook back on the messy coffee table. He couldn’t afford to pay for damages, not with rent and tuition already draining his wallet.

Returning to his seat, he plopped into the chair and turned back to the list of formulas waiting to be memorized. The dim lighting made him strain his eyes toward the textbook. Maybe studying at the library would’ve been smarter—if only he wasn’t hiding from the head librarian, who had been on his tail for weeks about an overdue book. He’d gladly return it, if only he could just find it.

The dying lightbulb overhead flickered once, twice, then plunged the room into darkness. Tim groaned. He had replaced the lightbulb last week! He stumbled through the apartment, making his way toward the junk closet.

Tim lived on the thirteenth floor of an apartment building ten minutes from his university. Unable to afford dorm fees, he’d desperately searched for affordable apartments that didn’t require a long commute. Luck had led him here, with rent so cheap it seemed too good to be true. Several tenants on other floors had warned him about bad luck living on the thirteenth floor. Tim had to keep himself from rolling his eyes at their superstitions, but he thanked them politely before he proceeded to sign the lease. Only after moving in did he realize he and his roommate were the only ones living on the thirteenth floor.

He had lived there for about a year now, and nothing unusual had happened—at least, nothing too unusual. Sure, the lights went out randomly, but that was a small price to pay for cheap rent.

Tim reached into the closet, feeling around until he found a lightbulb. He replaced the dead bulb, and the yellow light flickered back on. Time to get back to work.

He sat back down at his desk. About an hour later as he was finishing up his chemistry homework, he heard the front door open.

“Welcome back,” he mumbled to his roommate.

It took him five minutes—five long, tired minutes—before he realized something that made his blood run cold.

His roommate was staying at his partner’s place tonight.

Fear crept up the back of Tim’s neck as he slowly rose from his chair. He grabbed the nearest textbook – the advanced physics textbook – as a weapon and crept toward the front hallway. Just as he rounded the corner…

Tim blinked. He removed his glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose, and glanced at the clock on the wall.

1 a.m.

He groaned inwardly. It was late, and he still wasn’t close to finishing his work. Organic chemistry formulas danced before his eyes, blurring under the dim light. He took a sip of his energy drink, the overly-sweet taste doing little to jolt him awake.

A small thud echoed from the living room.

Tim stood up, wincing as pins and needles prickled through his legs. He trudged out of his cluttered room, following the sound. In the living room, he found his advanced physics textbook lying on the floor, pages splayed open. He sighed in relief—it was a rental, after all—and carefully placed it back on the messy coffee table.

Back at his desk, he glanced at the formulas again. The flickering lightbulb above buzzed in protest, then went out completely, plunging the room into darkness.

"Great," Tim muttered, standing up again. He fumbled his way to the junk closet, his fingers searching blindly for the spare lightbulbs. After a moment, he found one and swapped out the dead bulb, flicking the switch to restore the dull, yellow glow.

Finally, back to his work.

Tim settled into his chair, eyes straining against the dim light. He'd barely begun reviewing the formulas when he heard the front door creak open.

“Welcome back,” Tim called over his shoulder, assuming it was his roommate.

Minutes later, he froze. His roommate wasn’t supposed to be coming back tonight. 

Tim stood up slowly, heart pounding in his chest. Grabbing the nearest object—his advanced physics textbook—he crept toward the front hallway. His knuckles whitened as he held the book like a shield, inching toward the door.

Just as he rounded the corner…

Tim blinked. He removed his glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose, and glanced at the clock on the wall.

1 a.m.

He groaned. It was late, and he still wasn’t close to finishing his work. Organic chemistry formulas blurred before him, and the dim light overhead flickered once, twice—

A thud from the living room.

__________________________________________

There was a tragic story from over ten years ago about a college student who was brutally murdered in his apartment. The tenants had woken to a blood-curdling scream, and when they rushed to his door, they found him—lifeless, covered in blood. They didn’t know him well, but the whole building mourned his memory.

But that wasn’t the end of the story. Not for the ones who stayed.

Every night, just after 2 a.m., it happens again. First, they hear the footsteps—slow, steady, like someone pacing. Then comes the scream, sharp and sudden, cutting through the quiet halls. And then… a thud. Always the same. Footsteps, scream, thud. Footsteps, scream, thud. No matter how many times the tenants checked, the apartment was always empty. But the sounds—they never stopped.

Footsteps, scream, thud. Like clockwork, every night.

One by one, the residents packed up and left, unable to shake the sense that they were living alongside something not of this world. Soon, the entire building stood abandoned. The owner tried to sell it off, but word got around, and no one wanted any part of that place.

They say if you pass by the place late at night, you might catch a flicker of light from the thirteenth floor, even though the building’s been empty for years. And if you listen closely, you might hear the faint sound of a young man’s footsteps, pacing in his room—forever stuck studying for an exam he’ll never take.

__________________________________________

Let me know if you like it! :)

[themostefficientwaywithwater]

"If you would like to confirm the validity of this campaign, you can message either Bashar or I on Instagram. Our usernames are basharinshasi and darina.bishop and our accounts are public. Here is Bashar's story:

I have carried the dream of studying medicine since childhood, but now that my dream has become more important and my goal of studying medicine has become an unavoidable goal regarding what I saw of the dire need for doctors in my city of Gaza in this war that we are still living in until this moment. I write this letter after more than four months of bombing, destruction, starvation, and genocide to which we are subjected. I took the first steps in realizing my dream after I finished my high school and obtained a 99.6 % and ranked second in my country after struggling and studying in order to obtain a scholarship because my family isn’t able to afford my medical school costs. I registered at the Al-Azhar University majored in medicine through the scholarship of His Excellency the President, and I had started studying in September.2023, and I had only completed approximately two weeks on my dream path before this war began and the occupation bombarded my university and demolished it, as it did in all the universities of the Gaza Strip, and my dream has vanished along with it. The financial burden on my father has become unbearable , especially in light of the bad conditions caused by the war and the destruction of my house. My father may need many years to rebuild it and put everything he owns maybe. At the end, I aspire to be an extraordinary doctor in my field, in order to help the people of my city, Gaza, who are suffering from various physical disabilities , such as amputations and others, and health problems caused by the war and the killing of many, many medical teams while performing their duties in hospitals, clinics and medical facilities, which led to the collapse if the health system in the Gaza Strip, so I hope to continue my dream of studying this specialty as soon as possible.

This gofundme has been created and managed by Darina Bishop, a trusted friend to Bashar Inshasi’s older brother. I live in Australia and while in close communication with Bashar’s family, I am a vocal advocate for Palestine. The target donation amount of this gofundme is $65k Australian dollars equalling to around $42k US dollars. To enter Egypt from Rafah, it will cost $10k US dollars alone. $25k will be allocated to tuition fees at Bashar’s new university. The remaining approximate $7k will go towards housing and food for Bashar. Once our goal has been met, the funds will be transferred directly to Bashar. Thank you so very much for your kindness and generosity. Your support is deeply appreciated "

[metastablephysicist]

hey, got some question for you if you would.

do you think it's right to go for a PhD right after an undergraduate study? is it worth it to pursue a postgraduate course rather than working?

i've asked around and still feeling unsure. thought you'd have some insights maybe 🙏

it depends on the individual.

i started my phd immediately after my undergrad and it was the right choice for me. influencing factors were 1. i need a phd to get a job in my field (nuclear physics), 2. stem phds are usually fully funded (full tuition and stipend of $20k-40k per year in the u.s. depending on location and discipline), 3. if i got a real job and a taste of what it's like to have income, i wouldn't be likely to ever return to academia. so i should get it done now. and 4. my financial etc situation allowed me to afford applications, moving across the country, and living off relatively low income (if i had children or debts, there would be no way i could afford this)

so... what do you want? what are your goals? do you enjoy doing research? do you have life plans (such as having children) that are incompatible* with grad school?

*i'm not saying you couldn't, but it would make things more difficult and money might be tight.

[kochivamarketing]

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