#and i don't know how to explain it and i don't know what tests to push for

[somanystars]

"Well...this explains a lot."

A blinked, gun wavering for a moment before he tightened his grip. In response, B raised his hands higher, resting his palms on his head.

"What?"

"I mean. My guess was ADHD. For all the...random knowledge you've got."

"Why would that explain it?"

"Well, why do you think I know so much about mushrooms?" B asked, waving to the one "Types of Mushrooms" poster that had looked nice enough to come with him to college despite the hyper fixation fading years ago. A, astonishingly, did glance at the poster. B shrugged. "Figured you had a phase like that for lockpicking."

"How do you know about the lock picking?"

"I lock the room every night before I sleep?" B said. "Yet you're still here the next morning."

"I use my key."

"No, you don't," B said. "Switched the keys a while ago. I wanted to test my hypothesis."

Before I knew you had a gun, he didn't add.

A kept blinking at him. B could practically the cartoonish plink-plink sounds from his childhood TV shows.

"So, are you really just trained? Or do you also have ADHD?"

"Is that really your priority right now?" A demanded, waving the gun a little as if to reemphasize what he thought B should focus on.

"I mean" B began, "I guess - I thought I'd just startled you when I walked in, and once you relaxed, you'd put the gun away. I mean, I don't see how I could be your target. The only person who might want me dead is Nancy Cordez since I rejected her Valentine's Day offer. That was in like, 4th grade though. So probably not."

A cracked an incredulous smile and lowered the gun. B grinned and lowered his arms.

"So."

"So?"

"Do you have ADHD?"

A's eyes darted away. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean. I guess I suspect sometimes. I dunno."

"So that's a yes then," B said, clapping his hands together. "I knew it."

"Dude."

"What? No one else here has it. No one I've met anyways. It's nice knowing you're not the only one"

A scoffed. "Yeah. I'm great company."

"Better than nothing."

His eyes darted away again. For an assassin, he was shy as hell. Another reason to suspect ADHD rather than assassin.

Oh well. He'd still been half right.

Today you just found out your roommate with strange hobbies, like knowing how to pick a lock, knows how every puzzle and cipher by heart, or how to commit tax fraud, and so many other things, wasn't a guy with ADHD, he was an ex-assassin and now you have a gun pointed at your face

[eskumii]

yandere!genin!sasuke uchiha + darling who's secretly half uchiha hcs

TITLE: " LIKE WATER, LIKE BLOOD " — navi. — general yandere!sasuke hcs.

NOTES: i've been randomly feinin over naruto again and this idea just won't leave me alone :'D don't press me on lore specific stuff i just yap and pretend it's true ok. also i accidently posted this b4 it was finished ... if you read that, no u didn't.

☆ you're no stranger to the fact that your mother had an affair with an uchiha man a few years before the entire clan was slaughtered like cows. your father had been a high-ranking official in fugaku's inner circle, but you had never learned his name, even when he secretly visited you and your mother on weekends between his missions and clan dealings.

☆ this is not to say, of course, that he was a bad man. he often tried to instill core uchiha values into you (never dishonor the uchiha clan name, always seek to carry on its legacy and strength, etc..) but nothing ever seemed to stick. you were more interested in the little trinkets he would bring you: necklaces, bracelets, hair ribbons, hand fans, and various other accessories that were often branded with the uchiha symbol. none of it was ever worn out in public, though, so you just hung them on your walls instead.

☆ after your father's death, you eventually distanced yourself from the uchiha side of your identity as it had always been steeped in secrecy and the fear of scrutiny from the third hokage/konoha elders/villagers who felt strongly about the nine tails attack. after all, you aren't supposed to exist. you're not sure what your mother was thinking when she got knocked up at such a politically fragile time, when the uchiha clan were still under fire for conspiracy and treason.

☆ at the academy, you intentionally avoid sasuke. you've probably spoken to him a handful of times—many of which were him telling you to get out of his way, or to shut up if you were talking too loud with your friends (your assigned seat was directly behind his, unfortunately).

☆ it isn't until much later after you graduate from the academy and are placed into teams that sasuke somehow finds out you're also an uchiha. whether someone told him or he just... knew, you do not know. at this point, you haven't seen him in months (you're on different teams), so him appearing on the landing outside of your open window is a very startling jumpscare.

☆ he takes one look around your room, which has uchiha merch strung up all over the place, and is immediately pissed at you. all this time there was another surviving member of his clan and he had no clue? and it was you, of all people?

☆ sasuke always thought you were weird and suspicious during your days at the academy. whenever he interacted with you, you would cower from him, almost looking ashamed. you were adept at everything he was and, as much as he used to hate admitting it, you were often his competition when it came to scoring at the top of various skill tests. looking back, it all makes sense: the blood in your veins is special, as uchiha children often are. as he is. and now, instead of callousness, he feels a kindling of pride at your excellence.

☆ it takes no time at all for everything to change between you and sasuke. after he barges his way into your room (you don't how he found out where you live in the first place?!), he forces you to explain why you lied about being an uchiha. you have no choice but to comply after his threatening glares pin you into submission and he refuses to let you past him until you talk.

☆ sasuke really doesn't care that you're a "half uchiha." you descended directly from a member of the uchiha clan so as far as he's concerned, you're his kin through and through. this discovery immediately sparks something primal in sasuke, like a desprate clinging to preserve what has been, and to protect what can be.

☆ you're often dragged away to secluded places by sasuke—the training grounds, usually. you try to fight but sasuke is just stronger than you and you are easily wrestled into defeat; a reoccuring pattern that makes you feel unsafe around him. but despite your growing feelings of contempt towards sasuke, he is brutally relentless in his pursuit of you or, rather, his pursuit of molding you into a proud uchiha who is willing to restore the legacy of his clan with him.

☆ the uchiha boy is a little worried that you lack so many of the values that he himself has been taught by his parents and itachi. you don't know much about the sharingan nor the clan's signature great fireball technique. so he starts there.

☆ let's be honest though: you're not interested in being lectured on the history of the clan by sasuke, but you're not entirely opposed to learning a new jutsu so you allow him to train you for now. whenever you mess up or ask too many questions, he'll sigh in very clear annoyance but bites back any insult as a mercy to you.

☆ you notice how much more patient he is towards you. how he quietly praises you when your little flame grows, how he immediately checks on you when you're winded from using too much chakra. there's a general closeness that never existed before (sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, physically guiding your hands into signs, or poking your forehead when you say or do something he thinks is dumb). it's all strangely... intimate.

☆ the frequency of his visits begin to increase as the days go by, and there were a few times where you would wake up in the middle of the night to see him standing over you. obviously, this scares you, and you have to keep sasuke's sudden intrusions into your bedroom a secret from your mother, so you begrudgingly agree to his strict schedule of meeting at his apartment at least four times a week instead of him breaking into yours.

☆ in the following months, you see a side of sasuke that you're sure no one else has seen. one that isn't carefree, but deeply emotional and reactive, especially when it comes to you. soon enough, he reveals his plan of revenge against itachi to you. you're shocked that he would go to such a length, and the sentiment is not shared by you at all.

☆ before sasuke leaves the village, he of course tries to convince you to come with him. you aren't a fool, though. despite settling into your uchiha heritage at this point, you're no destined avenger. you followed along with sasuke's strange intrusion into your life thus far, but this is where you draw the line. you refuse.

☆ "no? what the hell, [name]? you're an uchiha." he'll spit heatedly, arresting you by the hand when you turn to walk away from him. "your duty now is to kill itachi and restore our clan. don't think for a second that you can just run away from this. from me."

☆ and... he's right. one way or another, you find yourself a traitor to konoha for the sake of the blood that binds you to sasuke. what happened to his family, he won't let happen to you. this time, he's the one who'll kill to protect the one he loves, even if you hate him for doing it against your will.

[chronicbitchsyndrome]

Do you have any examples for what kind of air filtration places should be using? And how do I go about asking what they’re using? I’ve been wanting to contact my library to ask, but I don’t know what word to use.

(DISCLAIMER: this answer is for the USA. air filter regulations and certification vary country-to-country, and i live in the USA. please do not assume any of this--beyond the basic scientific information--is true if you are not in the USA.)

so the short answer is that in order to be effective against COVID (and most other viruses), your filter must capture particles in the size range of 0.1-1 microns. if the minimum capture size is larger than that range, it will not trap viral particles. just as importantly, it needs an appropriate Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) for the size of the room it's filtering; you can learn about how to calculate CADR and other details in the linked documents here, but the short version is your purifier's CADR should be equal to at least 2/3rds of the room's total area (for example, a room of 120 square feet requires a minimum CADR of 80), and rooms with ceilings higher than 8 feet require a higher CADR-to-area ratio than that. most wisdom recommends aiming for 5 complete air changes per hour, however, i've been told that this can be overkill.

the most commonly-used air filters in the USA which filter particles in the correct micron size range are HEPA filters. HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air [filter]. you can learn a little about HEPA filters on the EPA website here. because of how air purifier testing and distribution work, the easiest question to ask to determine if something filters the correct micron size range is "is this a certified HEPA filter?" there are many filters being marketed as "HEPA-type" filters which do not filter microns in the correct size range. make sure you ask if something is specifically a HEPA filter and not a "HEPA-type" filter.

other than asking if it's a HEPA filter, i would suggest asking the following questions:

is the CADR of your purifiers rated for your room size[s]?

if they don't know: who can i talk to in order to get that information?

if they don't know that: what is the CADR of your air purifier[s] and what is the square footage of the room[s] they are in? (you can calculate whether or not it's rated appropriately to size yourself.)

the CADR should be on the packaging and info booklets that come with the air purifier, but if whoever you're talking to can't access any of that information, try asking for the specific brand and model of the purifier. if you look it up, you should be able to easily find its CADR on the manufacturer's online listing.

hope this helps! let me know if i can expand on anything or explain anything more clearly.

[hunters-vigil]

The Archon's Baby - Chapter 10 - Into the Night Kingdom

First Chapter Previous Chapter

request from ao3: Make one where they have a child but the female character doesn't tell Mavuika that she is expecting a child and distances herself from Mavuika please 🙏🙏

warnings: talks about castration, sisters arguing, talks of dying (nobody dies in this chapter), innuendos.

Fic under the cut, don't repost my stuff on other platforms, i have ao3. Reader is not the traveller. Reader's adoptive sisters are Chasca and Chuychu.

"What did the doctor say?" Mavuika asked, giving you her full attention as Iansan looked confused.

"Archon?" Iansan began, but her question went unanswered.

"To rest. I'm fine... we're both fine. Mayahuel thinks the calculations are off though."

"Oh?" Mavuika frowned, knowing that Chuychu had estimated how far along you were when you took your test.

"Ten maybe... rather than nine. Find out more accurately soon." You shrugged, trying to block out how Iansan was looking between you and Mavuika.

"Archon, what is happening?" Iansan waited for an explanation, before realising this was clearly not her business.

"A personal development. One that in time, those closest to us will know more about. I apologise, Iansan." Mavuika explained giving you an apologetic look as she held back her urge to sweep you into her arms. Or to pepper your face in kisses and bury her face in your neck. To one day hold your baby in her arms.

"It's fine, but aren't you supposed to be resting?" Iansan turned to you, as you raised your hands in surrender, heading into Mavuika's personal chambers- yours and Mavuika's chambers, to do as you were told.

"How much does she know?" Iansan asked the moment that she heard the doors close behind you.

"Everything and more." Mavuika sighed, playing with the cuff of her bodysuit as Iansan frowned to herself. Were you one of the ancient name bearers?

(You were definitely bearing something alright...)

The sun was setting, you had no doubt Chuychu had reached wherever Chasca had gone and was giving her an earful now. You however, returned to Atea's letter, frowning as you read over its contents, then glancing at the other things in the package...

/// Meanwhile...

"Alright. It's just the two of us now. You have one minute to explain yourself." Chuychu folded her arms, not even facing Chasca, who sat on a crate, mirroring Chuychu's folded arms.

"I don't have anything to say. You don't have to approve, but you should know I only do what's necessary." Chasca huffed, but her younger sister was having none of it.

"What's necessary? You almost stormed the Speaker's Chamber to castrate the Archon. You seriously think our little sister needs that on top of everything? Your attitude is the problem here. Half the time, it's like you don't care! You try to sneak off to the Night Kingdom behind my back, then play it down as if it's just a trip abroad! Did you think about how it might affect me, or our pregnant baby sister, who would hang onto our every word growing up? Do you want her baby growing up without one of their aunts?"

"Well... technically I am going abroad, right? And, did you really have to bring that up?" Chasca shuffled uncomfortably at the memories.

"Again with the excuses!" Chuychu exclaimed, frowning at her older sister's attitude, before starting to talk through the four levels of danger, again.

Unfortunately, unlike arguments with you involved, this one did not end peacefully... it was not a normal argument.

"Alright, let's stop this here. If we keep going, I might actually have to get serious, and I think Wayna prefers his roof attached to his house."

"Is that a threat? That sounds like a threat to me!" Chuychu shouted, as Chasca finally raised her voice, momentarily.

"UGH! Chuychu! Younger sisters are supposed to listen to their elders."

"Well, we both know how well that goes sometimes." Chuychu huffed, reflecting on what she had told you in the past, "so you're really going to go? No matter what I say? I'm supposed to be your sister."

"Then, support me. I'll be back, all you have to do is wait." Chasca stated before turning away to go back to the others.

"Chasca... so, that's it? Why'd you both have to turn out to be... so... darn... annoying!" Chuychu grumbled, walking away first. She could at least distract herself with any patients at the Scions of the Canopy... while her elder sister risked her life in the Night Kingdom.

///

Paimon's voice woke you up first, but you had no interest in leaving the bed until you heard Chasca speak.

"Is she here?"

"Resting." Mavuika was vague, gesturing to her personal chamber doors. She didn't want anyone else entering after Chasca headed inside.

"It's me. I'm back. We're heading off again soon, but I wanted to check on you-" Your eldest sister began, but her words stopped at the moment you moved to hug her, waiting for a moment before she nodded, and let the hug happen.

"I missed you." Her ears barely picked up your words, holding you gently in her arms. She didn't want to hurt you accidentally, but you both needed the hug.

"I missed you too." Chasca whispered, before she moved her arm, "also, I brought you a snack. Puff Pops, from the Scions of the Canopy."

Your eyes lit up, the snack reminding you of many a time you watched the stars with Mavuika, eating it together in between conversation.

"Can I share them with Mavuika?" you hesitatingly asked, looking your oldest sister in the eye as she softened and nodded.

"I should warn you though. There's more than just Mavuika out there."

"So I should put on more clothes... um, can you help me find something comfy that also fits?" You flustered as Chasca raised an eyebrow, feeling out of her depth as she glanced around the room.

"I thought Chuychu helped you with that stuff. She mentioned something about bras-"

"She told you that? She said you'd shrivel up like a raisin if I asked you for help bra shopping!" You spluttered, as Chasca did indeed metaphorically shrivel up like a raisin at the idea of bra shopping with her younger sisters.

"Just... put some socks and shoes on too." Chasca brushed you off as you changed out of the sleep shorts into something more appropriate.

"Yeah... I confused the doctor by walking around with no shoes on earlier too." You admitted as you and Chasca headed towards the door to Mavuika's office, where all her mementos were... and apparently everyone else had gathered too.

"What is this place?" Paimon enquired, waving when she spotted you appear with Chasca, and a food she hadn't seen before, "ooh, food! What is that? Hey, isn't that Atea's talisman?"

"Puff pops. Scions of the Canopy specialty." You answered, flicking one of them into your mouth before scurrying over to Mavuika's desk.

"This is where I store all the various mementos I've collected." Mavuika explained, while the others admitted they'd never been in here, you were all too familiar with the room.

"I suppose you could see it as a hobby of sorts. In Natlan, everyone grows up listening to the stories of heroes. Chasca, you're already aware of your sister's work in preservation, physical items do a far better job at preserving those stories than our own memory." Mavuika sighed, watching you from the corner of her eye with a fond smile, "now, I still have some preparations to make for the ceremony, so feel free to take a look in the meantime. If you're curious about an item, I'm more than willing to tell you about it's origins."

"I can, also. Some of the stuff in here is what I've recovered or helped make." You replied, leaning against Mavuika's desk, much to the confusion of Mualani, and Chasca's uncomfortable frown.

"This flower looks like it's thriving. You must be good at taking care of plants, archon." Chasca commented, looking from the flowers to where you and Mavuika were stood, exchanging glances.

"The seeds were a gift I planted, there were so many I spread them between a few pots." Mavuika explained, not seeing how Chasca held back a shudder.

"Maybe you should have been more careful about where you planted your seed." Luckily everyone else was distracted observing the historical objects from their respective tribes, or chose to ignore what Chasca said because of the look on your face.

"Chuychu is right, you're so annoying!" You shivered, no longer hungry as you offered a grateful Paimon the rest of the Puff Pops.

Mavuika's ears burned with warmth, trying to keep her face blank but failing as she turned on her heel to not look in your sister's direction.

"Are you alright?" you mouthed, trying to hide the photo that your lover had on her desk of the two of you, but all you had done was gently lay it face down, leaving the mural of Mavuika's family fully on display. Mavuika nodded, answering Paimon's questions about Atea's talisman, then the other mementos.

Eventually the Traveller and Paimon made their way to Mavuika, who had just finished up with the powder, waiting for it to set.

"Well, what do you think of my collection? Do you feel like you have a better understanding of Natlan's culture?" Mavuika smiled, continuing to explain how the collection served as something similiar to ancient names. Something you were aware of, which was why you had taken photos of everything Mavuika had collected, and banned her from trying to use the albums for anything but looking at sentimentally.

Mavuika's talks about time left you speechless, having heard her explain the shape of time before, but it never failed with you. Something about time haunted you, but you knew why. Mavuika was on borrowed time, and so was Natlan, if the abyss couldn't be stopped. Blinking back tears, you directed your attention onto the Traveller, who spared a concerned glance at you.

"Humanity excels at living in the present, but too often, we forget the past, and neglect the future." Mavuika explained, nodding as the Traveller figured out what she was saying.

"So it all comes down to the power of the divine throne and the rules... wait is that, a family portrait?" Paimon floated closer to Mavuika's desk, "and- what do you have there?"

Paimon spotted your hand holding a photo frame down from her view, "It's mine. It's just a photo. Mavuika, how about you explain your family portrait?" you stumbled, looking panicked but Mavuika didn't hesitate to explain. Especially since that photo was of you and her as a couple.

"That's my father, mother, younger sister, and the little saurians we raised. I turned a piece of my dad's armour into a canvas and comissioned a famous artist to paint our likeness." Mavuika explained, her hand lingering over her heart as she spoke.

Chasca watched carefully, noticing the soft look on your face as Mavuika spoke of her family.

"Your sister is so cute! Looks like you two are really close!" Paimon cooed, "Paimon was having a hard time thinking of an archon as a normal human, but seeing this portrait... it kinda makes sense now. It really doesn't look like there was anything special about you before-" Paimon froze as you let out a cough, "wait, is Paimon allowed to say that?" covering her mouth, the Traveller gave her a warning look to watch her tongue.

"A little late for that question, don't you think?" Mavuika chuckled, but the tenseness of the Traveller and Paimon left you raising an eyebrow, and Paimon's hurried apologies left you to wonder. What had happened in their interactions with the other nations' archons?

Mavuika's laughter brought you back to reality, catching yourself before you reached out to snuggle into her side. You couldn't, not when you two weren't alone... plus, Chasca seemed to still be mad at Mavuika, judging from the way she was watching you both.

"Becoming the archon doesn't mean you sever ties with your family. The position just comes with a lot of responsibilities, so it impacts how often you get to see them." Mavuika turned her head to look at you, hiding the sad look in her eye from the two outlanders. Instead, she began to recall a memory with Hine from her childhood, noticing how you had closed your eyes, trying to hold back your tears.

"As the Archon, I made a vow to defend this nation, and experiences like that... they remind me of what I'm trying to protect."

"Well, what happened after that? This portrait looks pretty old, your sister must be all grown up by now, right?" Paimon innocently asked, not even acknowledging how you got up, leaving the photo frame alone as you headed towards your older sister.

Mavuika had guessed about what happened to Hine, thanks to your work alongside the Scions of the Canopy, and the previous pyro archons knowledge. However, a lot had been lost to history.

"Hey, what's-" Chasca began, freezing up as you hugged her without a word. Her arms eventually wrapped around you gently, her chin on your shoulder as she stole a glance at Mavuika, who only smiled understandingly back at her.

"It's getting late, Chuychu arranged food for you with Chanca." Mavuika explained, smiling softly as you frowned but nodded, heading out of the door to let the others try to save Kachina. You didn't need to be there, so Mavuika would find you when everything was done.

"I'll tell Chuychu to be ready just in case. She's very experienced with dealing with abyssal corrosion- that face you just made, don't tell me you two got into another fight?" Mavuika spotted how Chasca immediately looked uncomfortable at the mention of Chuychu.

"The last time all three sisters were in the same place, it didn't end well. Chuychu doesn't know I've apologised..." Chasca gestured to the photo frame, while Mavuika sighed.

"You three... I can only have myself to blame."

///

"Hey munchkin." Chuychu approached you eating dinner under the watchful eye of Chanca. The ancient name bearer suspected something the moment your sister had arranged food with her, and tatacos were off the menu indefinitely. You loved tatacos, your sisters would order them from her all the time for you after all.

"Hi..." you tried to speak over your mouthful of broth from your grainfruit meat soup, deciding to hug Chuychu instead of finishing the meal.

"Oh- hey, finish your food." Chuychu tried to tell you off, but the fight with Chasca was still in her mind, no matter how much she'd shoved it back, "you're worried about Chasca too?"

"When am I not? I worry about all of you, all the time. Especially with the abyss getting worse." You admitted, turning back to poke your spoon into the soup for a moment, Chuychu raising an eyebrow as you chewed your lip, looking back at her.

"Um... I love you, I'm proud of you, and I will always love you and be proud of you." Your eyes were glassy as you took Chuychu by surpirse, her stern attitude that worked on Chasca melting away at the look on your face.

"Shhh, I love you too, okay? You're okay, little one. We're... all okay." Chuychu's heart ached as she realised that was a lie. Chasca going to the Night Kingdom, exposing herself to so much abyssal energy... hopefully they should have found Kachina by now.

///

Chuychu ended up persuading you to go to bed, the others would be returning by sunrise, Mavuika had said, and you needed to sleep.

"The photo albums?" you gave Mavuika a look that Chuychu could only raise an eyebrow at.

"Intact and perfect." She nodded, realising you knew what she had done. All her mementos, burnt to ash, all in exchange for power to save the group. It wasn't long after that for your sister to usher you back to Mavuika's chambers to sleep, although feeling her watch you fall asleep made you feel strange.

What happened was replaying in your head. The sacrifices Mavuika had to make for Natlan were piling up even higher...

[kamyru]

To love someone (Levi Ackerman x Reader) Modern AU

Author's note: I did it again. I wrote something no one asked me to and for a fandom most people don't even know I am a part of. So, if you want to, please enjoy this one-shot.

Summary: Petra asks you for a small favor. So now, you have to convince your husband to do something he most definitely will try to avoid. However, your interaction sparks interest in how you are not afraid to ask Levi for things that you know he doesn't like. But he loves you more, and both of you know it.

Words counting: 1942

You were grading tests when you saw Petra leaving her seat and coming towards your desk, but when you raised your head, she was going to the coffee machine. You didn’t have enough time to question her actions and went back to grading. The class was your husband’s and you knew that you had to finish it before he finished his lesson, otherwise, he would stay near you, commenting on every mistake his kids made. However, Petra had other intentions and a coffee put on your desk stopped you in the middle of Sasha’s sentence. You could have ignored your colleague if it was Mikasa’s test, or Armin’s, or Annie’s, because they were easy to understand. However, Sasha… She was a different case. It took you three tries to get what was the thought behind her writings and getting even a little bit distracted made you lose all the comprehension of what was going on. So, Petra had your entire attention now. 

“I wanted to ask you for a favour,” the young woman started, while shifting from one leg to another. You tilted your head, waiting for her to continue. “I have a driving exam this Friday morning and I won’t be in time to give my lesson. So, I’m searching for a substitute teacher,” Petra explained and pushed the coffee she brought towards you. 

Something was strange. You were in a good relationship with all your colleagues, and you even considered Petra as one of your friends. She also knew your timetable, well aware that you also had lessons on Friday morning. So, why was she asking you?

“But I am not free during that period,” you mumbled, trying to understand if she was okay or not. What could have been her problem? Did she overwork herself, or had a burn-out, was she too stressed regarding the driving license she tried to get for the past year, or was it something personal?

“I know. But you are the only one who can help me. Please! Can you talk with Levi and convince him to help me?”

You let out a giggle. Of course, she knew not only your timetable! She also knew your husband’s. 

“Why don’t you ask him? He would definitely agree. After some incomprehensible mumble and complaints, he will!” You said and laughed. 

“The last time I asked him, he made me write all the emails to the parents of his students for three months!” 

You laughed even harder because it sounded like Levi more than even Levi himself. It was the thing he asked the most every time other teachers wanted something from him. There was no one in the entire school not to go through this and if your colleagues weren’t doing it, it was you. It went on for so long that most of the teachers already forgot why it started. And the reason behind all of this was that once he called out a parent so badly for not taking care of their kid that the parent threatened to sue the school for defamation and verbal threats. Only thanks to Erwin’s negotiation skills everything was managed. 

You reassured Petra that you’d talk with your husband and that she probably could go with ease to her driving test. Before starting grading tests again, you smelled the coffee that your colleague gave you and put it away. Levi liked that one more than you, so you’d give it to him while telling him about Petra’s favour. 

And back to Sasha’s test. It wasn’t awful, she definitely did better than in the beginning, but it was so hard to go through it and try to understand everything she meant: missed comas, sentences without a predicate, ideas that changed three times before the period, and every now and then a small stain from whatever she was eating. Sometimes, if the test was very hard, you could even see tear stains. At least this time, you spotted no tears on any paper. 

“How many do you have left?” Levi said, appearing out of nowhere. You probably missed the bell. He took the chair from the desk near you – his desk – and pushed you a little to get some space near you. You rolled your eyes and let him be. “Eren is definitely better at writing numbers than letters. What the hell are these? A secret code of a double spy?” 

You laughed and punched your husband in the shoulder. “Don’t be mean. It’s a teacher’s fate to know how to decode kids’ secret messages. And you know, it was a couple of school teachers who decoded Zodiac’s first letter.”

Levi stopped and looked at you. “And you know, this is definitely not where I would like to use my skills of understanding this brat’s writing.”

You shrugged and continued to read the kids’ essays. It was going way slower than before, because you took more breaks, listening to your husband’s comments. At one point, he reached out his hand to take the coffee on your desk, which made you remember Petra’s request. 

“By the way, can you substitute a lesson on Friday morning?” you asked after putting away the last test. Levi raised a brow and stopped sipping on the coffee.

“Do you have some plans I am not aware of?” he asked and you shook your head.

“It’s not for me, it’s for Petra. She has a driving test,” you explained, while pointing towards your friend. This made Levi roll his eyes. 

“Only if she…” Your husband started.

“No. That’s exactly why she asked me, so you don’t make her message the parents for the next few months.”

Levi rolled his eyes again and started to aggressively sip on the coffee. You knew that you won, but you also knew he would continue to try to convince you otherwise. 

“I accept only if she asks me personally.”

“No. You know why she won’t. Dealing with parents is a pain for everyone, not only you.”

“She has to grow some balls.”

“She doesn’t. You can be a team-player.”

“I have had my driving license for nearly two decades.”

“Good for you.”

“No. It’s… She… I don’t wanna!”

“Levi Ackerman! You will substitute the first lesson on Friday. Period.”

“You missed a mistake in Connie’s essay,” was the last thing that Levi said before he left your desk. He threw the cup of coffee in the trash a few meters away from it. It ricocheted from the wall and went right into the garbage can. Then, he shoved his hands into his pockets and opened the door of the teachers’ lounge with his elbow. You rolled your eyes. A few seconds later, Petra came to your desk, with an apologetic look.

“It’s okay if he won’t. I don’t want you to quarrel just because of me. I can reschedule the exam.”

You tilted your head and raised an eyebrow. Quarrel? When did you quarrel? Oh… That exchange of pleasantries. Maybe it really looked like a fight from outside. 

“It’s okay. I know him well enough to know it is not going to affect us in any way. You know, that’s how love works,” you said and smiled. Only after Petra looked at you in confusion, you understood that she didn’t really get what you said. “When you really love someone, you are not afraid to make mistakes, or piss them off. Of course, you try not to do it, but even if something happens and they end up angry at you, you are secure enough to know it won’t end your relationships. I’m not afraid to talk in contradiction with Levi, or cause him discomfort, even if I better avoid it. But it’s not always possible, so it’s okay. And don’t worry. We weren’t fighting just now.”

Finally, Petra could breathe easily. This whole time she was so uptight, you even forgot how relaxed Petra looked like. She hugged you, saying thanks after thanks. 

“How did you come to this conclusion?” a new voice said from behind you. Damn, every time Hange was silent, you forgot about their existence. Everyone was so used with their energetic self, that if they weren’t talking, you assumed they weren’t even present. “What was the thing that made you understand that Levi will choose you over his comfort?”

Hange was looking at you behind their thick glasses, with their head supported on the hands they elbowed on their knees. Of course, Hange would ask for more details. There was no way they would find out something new about their colleagues and not poke their nose further into it. Nothing in this world was of more interest for Hange than other people, and it meant their personal matters too. But you took advantage of Levi’s absence and decided to roll down the memory lane towards one of your most precious memories from the start of your relationships. 

“You all know how Levi is obsessed with cleanness,” and everyone nodded. Of course, they did. The guy had a disinfectant spray with him to kill the germs on his desk every time he was approaching it. He was going to his class five minutes before the class started not to prepare for the lesson, but to clean the surfaces he intended to touch. “One of the first times I stayed over at his place, he left before me. We were students and he had classes early in the morning that day, when I had that period free. So, I took a shower after he left and started to blow-dry my hair. I felt how the blow-dryer started to get hot and wanted to unplug it, but before I could do it, it kind of exploded in my hand and caught on fire,” Petra gasped in shock, while Hange was nodding, looking directly at you. “I put it out fast, it wasn’t big or dangerous. But enough to scare me. However, I also knew how obsessed Levi was with having everything clean and perfect in his house, and a black spot with a hole in the middle, on the bed sheet wasn’t really going well with it. So, I messaged him, asking him not to be mad and sent a photo of the sheet. And you won’t believe it, but the first thing that he asked was if I was okay! He said he didn’t care about the sheet, or the bed – and he said it in a more vulgar way, as you can imagine – what he cared about was me. That’s when I understood that I can do things that can make him mad, but he will care more about me, than about the anger that it caused. The end!” 

You smiled, Petra smiled, and Hange nodded. At some point, they took out a journal and started to note down what you were talking about. Levi would be pissed if he saw it, you thought. 

“What are you talking about? Isn’t this what it means to love someone?” Levi said, as he closed the door behind him. He went towards the trash and took a wet wipe from the pack he had in his hands – he probably went after it when he left the room, you thought – and started to wipe above the trash, the part which the coffee cup hit when he threw it. You looked at Petra, who raised a brow at what was happening in front of her. Now, she could see that Levi didn’t storm out of the room, he wasn’t mad at you, he didn’t act like an angry teenager. Everything was just a coincidence. 

Mad or not, it really was just love. 

[starryswitchy]

this happened to me too! i had a nervous breakdown, twice, because i didn't know how to study or how to live up to the high academic expectations on me!

don't worry, you can manage this, you're going to be fine

((important note: a big part of why it happened to me is because I'm ADHD, and I didn't get diagnosed until my late 20s. if you are strongly motivated by interest or imminent deadlines, but otherwise struggle to focus or start tasks, look into ADHD!))

first, be gentle with yourself. everything is harder when you're stressed and burnt out. we get told to push hard, work hard, study hard, but academic success is pretty meaningless if you've made yourself really ill from stress. you'll do better long term if you pace yourself. rest. listen to your body. sleep!!

second, "study" is very vaguely defined, and different approaches will work for different people. a useful definition of study is like, "engage with the material with the goal of understanding and retaining it". that can look like:

- reading back over your textbook or notes

- reading back over your textbook or notes and writing out the important parts (this tends to be more effective than just reading)

- reading articles or books on the topic to learn more about it, or watching documentaries, or listening to podcasts, just finding more information whatever way suits you

- finding a different textbook, or a workbook, or some worksheets, and going through the exercises at your own pace

- making flashcards or summaries

- swapping notes with a friend and making your own version of their notes, to get a different perspective on the same material

- if your teacher gives feedback, going through the feedback carefully and making sure you understand it, even redoing the exercise or test with the feedback to improve it

- getting past exam papers or mock exam papers and using them as exercises to do

- getting those exam papers and practice answering them under pretend exam conditions (put your phone and notes away, set a timer, open an exam paper you haven't seen before, and try your best to do it), then go back through it with your notes and "correct" it yourself

- explaining the material to someone else: if you can explain it, you understand it, and the process of figuring out how to explain it is really useful for solidifying it in your own head!

- if you like drawing, draw little diagrams or doodles or comic strips and write in the important vocabulary. this is my own favourite way to study!

just test out what works for you. anything that involves engaging with the material will help. remember to rest and take breaks.

the good news is, if everything's been easy till now, that means you're naturally good at understanding and retaining information! so once you figure out some ways to study, you'll be totally fine.

the end of my school story is that I recovered from my nervous breakdowns, got diagnosed as ADHD, completed my PhD with flying colours, and now I'm the youngest professor in my department, even though I "lost" a couple of years to mental and physical health crises. I thought I was failing, falling behind, ruining my chances to get the job I wanted, and then I did get the job and it turns out I got here EARLY. you've got more time than you think.

good luck, take care of yourself, and I'm here for you if you want to talk!

I've always been told I was smarter, better, more mature, and a good student. I was praised for being good and having the best scores. It just came so easily to me. I came to school, retained information, took tests, and completed the work. Now things are definitely harder. I'm no longer in regular classes, I'm in Honors. I don't know how to study. I've never been taught, and I never figured it out. Help.

[wizard-irl]

Modern crystal healing: It opens your ~chakras~ you will attract ~abundance~ you will ~connect with the universe~

Medieval crystal healing: This shit makes you invisible, stops your periods from hurting, and makes your husband love you.

[liesonthefloordramatically]

tired of having a gender at work; I don't want my colleagues to perceive me anymore

[xtinyslip]

"OH, I WILL BECAUSE YOU DON'T SEE IT. HOW COULD YOU? I'M SURE YOU'RE NOT PRIVY TO A LOT OF WHAT HAPPENS OUTSIDE OF HERE. ARE YOU? IF SHE'S NOT LIKE MY SIDE OF THAT FAMILY. HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN HOW SHE'S IN CAHOOTS WITH MY FATHER? HM?" the two of them and their secret family meetings. she was just like them. it was strange how when she said them, she wasn't talking about herself ; not that she was letting herself be fully aware of that yet. "you said it yourself, yes? no one lasts that long around me. what makes you so different. hm?" her head tilting. yes, she fully expected him to answer. cee was very prepared to snap over him, to tell him it wasn't possible. that she would never have trusted anyone with that information. that required a level of opening up to someone that she had never reached but… he knew. how could he possibly know any of that? no one knew. no one cared enough to know. "that's --" she wanted to tell him it was a good guess or -- ANYTHING, other than to face whatever this meant for her but… it couldn't have been a guess. for him to say that, to know exactly how her father made her feel. he knew about the room? "what is this? what i am not seeing? how -- is this a test?" was this her father's work? because as far as she was concerned, there was only one other person who knew what he had just said and that was her father. no, she told herself it couldn't be. "do you really think i'm that insecure? i would attempt to murder a CHILD? because you wished to spend time with them? you must be aware of how that sounds?" she wasn't going to claim she understood it, she didn't know what a normal parent/child relationship was like. "it doesn't look like i have a choice but to trust you." would she leave it all behind? the strange thing was it genuinely hadn't occurred to her once, until he had mentioned it. once he had, it was like that thought had already developed lasting roots inside of her. like it had always been there. "… i don't get to leave." would her father ever let her? and disgrace the family name by disowning it? him? it was like she knew how bad it could get, even though in her memories it had never happened. she sensed it. "YOU SAY YOU CAN HANDLE ME BUT YOU CAN'T EVEN HANDLE ME LOOKING AT YOU? WHAT ARE YOU SO WORRIED ABOUT?" why couldn't she look away? it was simple. she talked herself through it in her head, and when it came to tearing her eyes away from him. it was like she was refused. "I EXPECT TO STILL HAVE THAT CAKE. i want the satisfaction of putting it in the bin when i get to my apartment." would she? well, she couldn't just admit now that she wanted to eat it. she shouldn't be smiling over it but right now she couldn't help but grin back against his mouth. it annoyed her that his grin was catching or at least, she wanted to be annoyed but all of that was fading away. the closer they got, the harder it got to deny that somehow… she knew him. she knew how he felt, she knew how he tasted, she knew… everything and at the same time, it was out of her reach still, like she didn't know anything at all BUT SHE DID. "you were not foolish enough to turn that into a competition. were you? you know i will win. i hate you THAT much." her one hand twisted tightly into his hair, suddenly she was starting to wonder how the hell she had been able to ever breath without him? her lips crashing back against his, pressing her back against the side of the elevator as she tried to pull him as tightly to her as she could. @fcdcdmcmories

"DON'T, OKAY? SHE'S... SHE'S NOTHING LIKE THAT. SHE'S NOT A PEDERSON IN ANYTHING BUT THE NAME. SHE WASN'T RAISED ONE. SHE'S DIFFERENT AND.. KINDER. she loves our kid. i've seen it. she's nothing like the other side of your family." shaking his head, as he found himself scoffing again. was she in this much denial because she was well aware that he was RIGHT? because she knew that he had seen right through her defences? or.. had he? "i did. i did last long enough to see all of it. or.. i think that i did. maybe it was all a lie too. MAYBE I ONLY SAW WHAT YOU WANTED ME TO SEE." he stopped for a second, unable to.. well, fight her on that. no, it wasn't a subject that he would ever use against her. not when - no matter what had happened after that, no matter what she was and no matter what she had done - he knew how much it had taken for her to tell him that in the first place. "i know.. i know what he's capable of. YOU TOLD ME ALL OF IT. what he did to you.. after your mother died. the room. how he'd keep you there sometimes, for.. weeks at a time, without.. anything to eat. ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE. YOU ALWAYS SAID THAT.. YOU FELT LIKE YOU COULDN'T BREATH WHEN YOU WERE AROUND HIM. that you were suffocating. that the only time that you felt like you could breath was when you were with.. me." his words did something strange. for a second there, it was as if something flashed right before his eyes - the sight of a coffin and the sight of dirt where.. something - or someone - had been buried. AND DREAD. A WHOLE LOT OF DREAD, THERE AND THEN. fuck? what the hell was that? he shook his head, trying to shake the thought away. "i didn't.. i.. it... if not you, then.. no, it doesn't make sense. it had to be you. you didn't want my attention anywhere else. you already hurt gabriela once. i-- it makes sense." did it? because.. if he wasn't so caught up in the situation, maybe he would have seen that he was just repeating the words that elaine had told him back then. wasn't he? when she placed her hand over his mouth, he froze-- startled by.. the proximity. "i.. i wouldn't tell anyone. it's funny - you.. you never said that until here, but.. I KNEW IT EVEN BEFORE. I KNOW YOU'D LEAVE THAT NAME BEHIND IF YOU COULD. him." she hadn't needed to tell him anything - he had known. hadn't he? yes. it had all been there and as clear as day to him. perhaps it still was. he knew that. "well, then.. i.. i... look away! i don't know -- just.. STOP THAT! STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE YOU USED TO!" because it was making him feel like he used to and that was dangerous. with what she had done? yes, it was. it was. "oh, i'm sorry - i'm not the one that lost her shit over a damned cake, am i? WHICH - FOR THE RECORD - I KNOW IS YOUR FAVOURITE. NO NEED TO LIE. not when i've baked one for you a lot of other times before. i know. i know you." he hated it. hated the way that he found himself grinning against her mouth, hated the way that he pulled her closer on instinct and how it felt like he could finally breath. it wasn't mean to be like that - he was meant to HATE HER. "NO WAY. I HATE YOU WAY MORE. YOU'RE THE ACTUAL FUCKING BANE OF MY EXISTENCE." he meant the actual opposite and perhaps, the way that he moved forward again to crash his lips against hers desperately showed that much. / @xtinyslip

[nyaacatboy]

hey aros/aces of tumblr has anyone else figured out to express the sentiment "I hate it when people complain about being single to me" to allos without them launching into the perfectly valid ways in which they are unhappy with their singleness or conflating "complain about being single" with "talking about dating or being attracted to anyone."

[hershey-not-the-chocolate-maybe]

so like I've kinda been working out lately and the day before yesterday i was like hey let's try to get abs ... didn't get any abs but definately got excruciating ABdomen pain the next day

[m4niackkyun]

Hi. (Announcement in the tags)

[fourfuckinghorsemen]

I think I probably did drugs

[shikiimisaki]

pretending I know less than I do has become a really strangely common habit of mine like someone will start talking about something I definitely know about and I just pretend I've never heard of it before or don't know what it means. or like I will know they are implying something and immediately play dumb. no idea why I started doing this cause condescension in general is like the one thing that makes my blood boil like you wouldn't believe. but also like. hehahaha. I act a little stupit

[lovelaceisntdead]

Just got discharged from the service I was waiting to see because I went to a different service in the meantime because the wait list was so long. And I'm on the wait list still for the interim service. I honestly don't know what to do anymore I can't keep going in circles I need help! And no one will give it to me they just say "you need more specialist help" and I go to the specialist service and they say "we are not a mental health service". Okay shall I just kill myself.

[calamitys-child]

Listening to a podcast discussing conspiracy theories and deconstructing the ideas behind them and it's reminded me of the coolest practical lessons in critical thinking I ever got, both in high school, both from the same teacher. One was a month long project on who killed jfk in which we could basically present any theory as long as we cited all our reasons and it got us really excited about research and interpretation, but it was the follow up that I liked best.

Our next project she brought us into class and showed us a documentary claiming the moon landing was faked. Gave us worksheets to do that sided with that stance. And at the end of class a bunch of us were like miss wait this doesn't seem right?? and she said okay, we'll discuss that next week. The next lesson, she showed us a mythbusters episode countering all the claims of the original documentary and gave us worksheets for that, and another bunch of people went wait miss you can't teach us two opposing things, which one is right? What do we put on the exam??

So she split the class in two and told us each to present a case based on each side, and to explain why our source was or wasn't the more reliable of the two. Got us to debate each other directly and use additional sources to back us up and explain why those sources were reliable and should be believed. And because they were randomly assigned there was no guarantee you'd agree with the stance you were presenting, but you had to present it like you did. At the end of the project she asked us all which stance we found more convincing and why, and the majority of us basically said "we think that the moon landing is real because most of the arguments against it seem like someone reacted to a confusing thing without testing it, but when you test it and ask the person running the test to explain the science it makes sense once you have more information. Also, one documentary was made with the help of scientists with qualifications and experience and the other was made by people who don't have that but like to write mystery books, which looks like a less reliable way to get an answer. But we still dont understand why you showed us both if one is wrong."

And she was like excellent. You've done exactly what you should do. At high school level, we as teachers are expected to filter for the reliable sources for you, so you know to repeat that to pass an exam, but if you want to be historians on your own, I won't be your teacher any more once you graduate. Lots of people have opinions and theories and research about times in history, and it's your job to learn how to look at them and decide who you want to trust. This won't be on the exam, but I need you all to know it. You all did a great job following the school's instructions to repeat information you were given, but for some of you, that information wasn't on a reliable foundation. I know you all know how to pass an exam. You're smart and you've been trained to follow these instructions. What you deserve to be taught is how to use all this once you don't have to do exams any more.

And then as a reward for us doing a good job at figuring out the value of checking your sources' sources she let us watch Bush get hit in the face with a shoe before we had to go to maths. Shoutout to you Ms Hannah you were a good'un I hope you're doing well ten years on from that class