#and is perhaps better educated than the average child on the subject

[elenorasweet]

My sister was a sex ed instructor for a while and went around middle-and-high schools in our city speaking to kids, and coming back around to the same schools every one in a while and answering new questions and shit. It was a good program, she felt like she was helping a ton of kids with very specific experiences and questions.

I don't know where she got this from, I imagine it's an existing thing, but she would talk about "safer sex", not "safe sex", because some teens are going to want to experiment with unsafe behaviours, and your job is not to tell them "absolutely never do that" or "don't even think about that until you turn 18", it was to educate them and give them the information to choose for themselves how safe they do or don't want to be.

Because if you try to force them to be safe, then there are some who won't be safe at all, and it'll be even riskier because they won't know shit.

I think about that a lot in relation to online safety and shit. My kids and I talk about it a lot too. Like, my 15 y-o daughter is allowed to go online, and I'm not monitoring who she talks to. But she talks to me about her online friends, and the one question I got as a teenager that made me clam up was "but how do you know who these people REALLY are??" so I don't ask that.

I've talked to her about predators, and how some people will lie like fucking creeps, and she seems to get it well enough. Her friends know she's french canadian and a teenager, because any amount of voice chat will indicate both of those real quick, and that seems to be about it. She has a "public" instagram that has her name and face and is related to school stuff, and a private one that has no identifying information. That's not something we suggested, that's her own idea.

If I was monitoring her search history or whatever, I know my kid would be smart enough to find another way to get information or talk to the people she wanted to talk to, and that's getting into riskier territory.

Cutting her off from people and restricting what she can access seems like a real bad way to protect her, man.

ngl feel really really weird about the direction we've gone wrt internet safety for teens. when i was a kid it was hammered into us that we should never reveal our real names, our faces, or our ages on the internet. in fact it was extremely important not to reveal your age bc if you did, predators could target you.

now we've decided that the locus of potential sexual harm from adults is not predators who set out to target teens, but rather well-meaning adults who might accidentally let a minor see smut on their blog. so we make everyone broadcast their ages to everyone. which puts a target on the backs of teens who are now advertising to everyone that they're underage.

we also situate sexual harm of minors in "a minor saw sexual content!!" which, listen, im sorry to tell you this but teenagers have sex drives and want to see sexual content. a 16yo is not being harmed by reading a smut fic.

now i do understand why nsfw blogs don't allow minors to interact, bc the interaction constitutes an issue since that's on some level a teen and adult interacting sexually. but the issue is not that a teen saw something sexual, it's that you should not be having that interaction with them. still i am not convinced that that is riskier than giving predators knowledge of who to target.

i also worry what happens when all the well meaning people with best practices turn teens out of their spaces -- who does that end up leaving them with? i'm not saying the solution is to invite them in but there has to be some other, third option. i also think we need to understand the difference between a 17yo liking a sex-related shitpost on tumblr vs an actual intentionally predatory sexual interaction from an adult.

i don't think it's necessarily bad to set a boundary and not allow them to like the shitpost, but i don't like the idea that it was harmful for them to have even seen it. i think it's actually positive for teens to have exposure to adults who are talking about sexuality in consent-based, sex-positive, queer-informed ways to balance out all the shitty, sexist bioessentialist perspectives they're getting elsewhere.

also again, we should remember that the issue is sex-based interactions between teens and adults, NOT that teens are bad or wrong for being interested in sex and sexuality. if a really young teen is too interested in that it could be concerning but age-appropriate levels of sexuality are fine and good and i don't want kids to think they're wrong, dirty, or bad for experiencing sexuality.

i think there's a balance here where we need to make sure interactions are safe without diving headfirst into a spring-awakening-style world where we assume teens are too innocent and pure to know anything about sex which results in risky behavior, not practicing safe sex, and not understanding consent. and i get worried sometimes that the current culture around this leads us there.

i especially worry about this in regards to kink and bdsm because i don't know if there are any educational resources out there geared to teens. i do think it's a good idea to wait until you're 18 before doing anything hardcore or too intense, or even kink at all, but if they're going to anyway (and some will) i'd rather teens have a solid safety backing and knowledge as opposed to just acting on instinct because that can really be dangerous. and something i really worry about is people who turn 18 and immediately show up to play parties and start hooking up with people without having that background knowledge because they were prevented from accessing it before then, since it's so easy for abusers to exploit them. young adult women are already extremely vulnerable in those spaces.

i don't know what my exact solution to these issues is but i feel really concerned about where we're heading. i've been wanting to say something for a while but have been afraid that people would interpret this the wrong way. i'm sure some still will, but i hope this can at least start a conversation about these issues.

[spacemonkeysalsa]

Her Embrace, Her Tears

Multi-chaptered, fluff, angst, eventually smut

Lae'zel probably didn't need a good excuse, or further motivation, to go to war with Shar. But, she is about to get it anyway.

Five years post game, Dark Justiciar/Mother Superior/Chosen of Shar Shadowheart and (with a few notable exceptions) everyone got their bad endings, in that everyone is still alive, but shitty. Lae'zel is thriving though, aside from her relationship.

Read Chapter One on Ao3

or read Chapter Ten below the cut

The child’s awe at the sight of Wyrm’s Rock Fortress forced Lae’zel to experience the place for the first time, again, through his eyes. It was impressive, as far as these stone castles went. Its positioning was to be admired, more than anything. “Have you not been this way, in all your wayward wanderings?” she asked the child.

He started, looking at her with a rush of blood in his cheeks. She could see the question in his features, even if he didn’t voice it, how did she know about that? He finally just shook his head.

The guards were staring, but no one stopped them. No doubt, Wyll had been clear that approaching githyanki were not to be harassed. At least, not today. All the same, a few of them did look like they wanted to stop her, but they remained quiet but for a few coughs, and were unobtrusive besides their stares, especially towards the small boy with her.

She let her feet fall heavy and tapped an echoing rhythm on the stone floor of the spacious entrance. The pitter-patter of her small companion sped up as he tried to keep pace with her march.

“Wyrm’s Rock is a highly desirable position in a siege. Why?” So simple a query should have been easy for any average githyanki of his age to address.

And it seemed that the child wasn’t an exception, though his education was spread more broadly across many subjects, several of them, probably useless. “The sea surrounds it. And it’s very high. The bridges close in, and everyone inside can just attack from their perches.”

“Precisely,” Lae’zel wouldn’t praise such an easy answer, but perhaps the child had more to say. “So, if you were to take Wyrm’s Rock, how would you?”

“Me?” the child looked baffled. “I wouldn’t.”

Lae’zel sighed. “Literal-mindedness is not a fault unless it prevents you from engaging in these helpful mental exercises. Imagine you are older, and have an army, and need to take the rock. How would you do it?”

The child frowned, face hot again.

These little games, ultimately, were just that. Though, they served an important purpose, and Lae’zel would press him for an answer once he’d had the chance to think about it and observe the place more closely.

Back during Gortash’s brief, ignominious reign of terror, he’d kept offices in the very top of the tower. Lae’zel understood that much of this had been remodeled as living quarters, and that Wyll preferred to conduct his business much closer to some of the Flaming Fist’s barracks. They were directed to an open landing, with nothing between the Duke and the rest of the bustling life of Wyrm’s Rock than a wooden railing and some cleverly engineered sightlines. It made for less privacy than was ideal, for certain meetings, but perhaps that was the point. Wyll might be inclined to cultivate a climate of transparency. Their time together and the occasional mental exchange enabled by embedded mindflayer tadpoles had taught both of them that transparency could save you a lot of time, and better foster understanding. 

It could also get you into trouble.

Wyll was lounging, which was a good look for him, especially paired with a somewhat disheveled appearance, fine, dark, fitted clothing that he’d obviously been wearing while in the course of actually doing things. He had his feet up, and his horned head leaning back, almost tapping the wall behind him. In front of him was a map of Thay on a table, and a familiar creature. Tara, the tressym. The tressym’s grey tortoiseshell coat was looking a little more drab than Lae’zel remembered it. With a somewhat unpleasant pang she had to acknowledge that it had been five years since she’d seen the creature, who’s lifespan was the same as the average housecat. She was getting old.

Tara’s voice was a harsh whisper, directed towards the duke, though she quieted the moment that Lae’zel drew near, her ears and wings twitching as she sensed the approach. With a flick of her head, her fur almost bristled, then softened as she regarded the gith. “Oh! It’s you, my dear,” Tara straightened up, some of her youth and brightness returning. “And who’ve we brought here? A pup of yours?”

Wyll was slow to notice them, seemingly deep in thought about whatever it was that Tara had been telling him. His false eye found them first. Bloodstone. A fine replacement to the sending stone he’d worn when he was still under a fiend pact. His other eye resembled Astarion’s new ones in no small way; deep black sclera and a deep red iris. “Well met, Lae’zel! So good to know you again,” he rose up from the chair in one fluid motion and bowed low. “Pray, introduce your companion.”

“A child of gith. He has a name, though it was gifted to him by those who would not know him. I hope to afford him the opportunity to choose for himself.”

“Can I?” the child was fixated on Tara with wide eyes.

“Gentle,” Tara approached and bent her head, feathers fluffing a little as the child’s fingers awkwardly patted her fur and the joints of her wings.

“And you’ve met before,” Lae’zel went on to introduce the child to Wyll, “though in a premortal state.”

Wyll’s eyebrows lifted at that. “Not the egg we took from…?”

“The very one,” Lae’zel confirmed gravely.

Tara and the child seemed to be getting along immediately, comfortably. It surprised Lae’zel a little, as she’d always thought of Tara as somewhat choosy about her company, and especially about who she would actually speak with. But, the tressym was whispering to the gith child already, asking him questions, “you’ve got a fine scent of the weave about you, have you studied much?”

“I love studying. You can smell the weave? What does it smell like?”

“I’m sure you can too. Perhaps that little nose of yours just needs practice.”

Wyll gestured to the seat he’d vacated, but Lae’zel waved him off, feeling too restless to set herself down, even briefly. She sauntered over to the railing instead, getting a good look at the map of Thay on the table and distancing herself enough from the gith child and Tara that she couldn’t hear their conversation any longer. Wyll followed her, taking a place beside her at the railing and throwing a self-conscious glance at the map on the table. “You said in your missive that this visit was just going to be a short one?”

“If all goes accordingly,” Lae’zel admitted. “There’s a kith’rak I’m meant to parley with. I don’t know the details, but someone powerful enough to arrange for my portals seems to think I’m the best possible person to talk him out of something.”

“Why wouldn’t they tell you?”

“Likely, because they’re uncertain in their intelligence. Githyanki do not like to risk being wrong.”

Wyll smirked at that, but diplomatically added, “no one does.”

“The rest are minor tasks. Chores.”

“Like retrieving our long lost egg?”

“Apparently, yes. You’re not also going to start calling him Egg as a name, are you?”

Wyll shrugged, “If he likes it.”

“He’s not yet six years old. He’s just discovering what he likes.” Lae’zel spared the tressym and the gith child another glance, but they were engrossed with each other, not paying Wyll or Lae’zel any mind. “Why is Tara with you?” She was careful with the question, not wanting to reopen old wounds. Tara was Gale’s tressym, and his most beloved friend, but the two of them had a falling out after Gale ascended to godhood. Lae’zel had rather hoped that they would have made up and that perhaps Tara could enjoy an extended life in Elysium with her newly divine friend.

“Because, I insisted,” Wyll’s voice sounded heavy, he was hiding some tragedy, but didn’t seem remotely willing to get into it. 

Wyll and Gale had been together, and she thought, had been happy, during their adventures. But, it had not ended well, as she understood it. She’d never gotten more than a few dregs of gossip from Shadowheart, and it didn’t seem like Wyll was inclined to discuss it now, either. She resisted the temptation to press him, though hearing about his own heartache might serve to relieve her own.

“To speak of the past,” Lae’zel sighed, she might as well deliver her own bit of gossip to the duke. “Our friend, The Vampire Ascendant, has been marked as a fiend.”

Wyll let out a sigh mingled with a curse, but didn’t look surprised, even as his own horned head dropped. “Poor bastard,” he chuckled.

“Indeed.”

“As showy as me?” Wyll wondered, gesturing to his face and horns.

“Worse,” Lae’zel admitted. “He’s got wings and a tail too. And claws. Those fangs of his finally match the rest of his body.”

“Gods,” Wyll lamented. “I suppose I’ll have to stop by.” He shuddered, “That place gives me the shivers.”

“It is a poorly decorated tomb,” Lae’zel agreed.

“Appropriate, maybe. But enough of old times. Let’s recall them when we’re better disposed to be romantic and wistful about all of it.”

A good suggestion, but Lae’zel felt her face rest into a sad smile as she looked at Wyll’s mismatched eyes. Would they ever be able to recall that time without thinking of all the weight that had come with it? “When I mentioned to some of my resident kin that I was going to see you, they told me I was lucky you were back in town. What took you out to Thay?”

Wyll collapsed just a few inches into his own chest, apparently this topic wasn’t much cheerier. “To sum up? Disparate groups of desperate and miserable wretches in search of either a new god, or a means to ingratiate themselves to the indifferent old gods. I needed to go,” he added the last part firmly, “I did accomplish what I set out to do. But, it shouldn’t have taken the effort it did. What about you? How goes the revolution?”

“Desperate and miserable are two words that come to mind to describe my situation as well,” but even as she said it, her heart felt strangely impassioned. “The plan was always to set a cycle of sowing and reaping. After years of effort, I’m about to enter my first stage of reaping.”

“What does that mean?” Wyll pursed his lips at her.

“It means that my efforts to draw together those who are disenfranchised by the Lich Queen’s reign is finally starting to create some movement, independent of me and my closest allies. I’ll take to the astral, and let time pass without me, and return to see if there is anything to sow.”

“Why go about it this way? Shouldn’t a gardener attend to his crop daily?”

“Depends on the crop. In this case, I think we always knew the most significant harvests would come long after our natural lives. So, we must embrace the ways to live outside of our natural lives, to overcome the ravages of time.”

Wyll began to nod along, this much, he understood inherently.

A hush had fallen over the tower, it was the kind of subtle change that alerted Lae’zel to potential danger, and her hand found the hilt of her sword before she could even turn to see what had caused the tower at large to cease its echoing chatter.

Wyll was already chuckling, aware of the cause for sudden, increased tension. Then Lae’zel saw her.

Minthara Baenre. She was approaching Wyll’s perch at a stride, effortlessly drawing the eyes of everyone as she did so. The drow looked well, proud, at home, even, or perhaps especially, as she was perceived by the collection of fists, stray dignitaries and patriars visiting the tower. She wore a uniform that Lae’zel didn’t recognize, a simple, but elegantly cut work of leather armor, meant to evoke the strengths and aesthetics of drowcraft, without any embellishments. 

“Your Grace,” she paused before ascending the staircase, tilting her head back to look up at Lae’zel and Wyll from the floor below. Her stance was so careful and practiced, and Lae’zel wondered how the woman managed to make it seem as though they weren’t looking down on her, even while they were physically doing exactly that. “I take it you did not do something so careless as forget our meeting today?”

“I did not, Minthara. Please, come up. And please, it’s just Wyll.”

“No, Your Grace,” but Minthara’s grin at the Duke was as close to playful as Lae’zel had ever seen it; gilded with viciousness.

Minthara greeted Lae’zel properly, with the bow identical to the one which she had trained to perform in her youth. She then surprised Lae’zel by offering two fingers to Tara, briefly letting her sniff her hand before she trailed those fingers over her nose and onto her forehead. The tressym purred in satisfaction, but said nothing. Minthara didn’t seem remotely surprised to see her in Wyll’s company.

The gith child, the drow merely looked at briefly before choosing to ignore him completely.

“Lae’zel. A formidable guest as any. But, Your Grace, It is more seemly to discuss such matters in private.”

“True,” Wyll conceded, “and in truth, I did not know when Lae’zel would be here today, and did not plan carefully. But how often have you told me that my perspective on matters lacks a certain ruthless tenacity? Surely, Lae’zel’s presence can do nothing but make up for my shortcomings. There was a time when you trusted the two of us as equal leaders of our little fellowship.”

“And you led us to success, equally,” Minthara still looked somewhat unhappy at Wyll’s behavior, but didn’t seem willing to press the point further. “Or—at least, you led us to avoid total failure.”

Heavily, Lae’zel had to agree with that adjustment. 

Minthara paused a moment to take a steadying breath before she delivered her news. “I’ll be brief then. The Eltans have thrown me over. I’ll be leaving the city.”

“That’s… unexpected,” Wyll sounded worried, “unwise,” he added. “Of the Eltans, I mean.”

“I agree. And I do not believe the decision was either well thought out, nor do I think it came from a consensus of any kind.” Minthara clipped her thoughts in such a way that hinted she was quite capable of saying much more on the subject, but was choosing to emphasize only what she found to be her important conclusions.

Lae’zel couldn’t follow what those conclusions meant, exactly. She knew that over the last few years, Minthara had been splitting her time between Avernus and Faerûn, and that her time in Faerûn was focused on cultivating a company of mercenaries. They had a reputation already. If the Eltans had hired her company for something, then tossed out the contract—that probably didn’t mean anything good, for anyone involved.

“I see,” Wyll did seem to see a great deal that Lae’zel could not, but Minthara at least, seemed satisfied by his reaction. There must be some larger implications for the city and its duke in this new development. Wyll knew what he had to do, whatever that was.

“I will linger,” Minthara promised, “It will take a tenday at least for my company to make arrangements, and I’ll stay at least another tenday after with my skeleton crew to ensure that there aren’t any other opportunities in the city to take advantage of,” she eyed Lae’zel with a little curiosity here, “what’s your business in Baldur’s Gate?”

“Nothing that would require additional blades,” Lae’zel admitted. Hoped.

“Pity,” Minthara sighed. “It may be time to take an elite force to Avernus anyway. Let them get their feet singed cutting down cambions and stomping imp skulls. They’ll be better able to train the others that way.”

Lae’zel followed her with a strange spark in her chest. “You’ll take the hells?”

“Eventually,” was Minthara’s answer.

Curious. She would have thought Minthara was more disposed to march on Menzoberranzan itself. And it might not be quite as difficult to do so.

Wyll was still nodding. Of course, he would approve of that. Perhaps he and Minthara didn’t make such unlikely allies after all.

“Duke Ravenguard,” a voice called. Lae’zel didn’t see who it belonged to, but Wyll’s eyes lifted in such a way that suggested he knew it immediately, and would not keep them waiting.

“Would you excuse me please? I’m sure this will be brief?” It was unlike Wyll to walk away without receiving a response, Lae’zel watched him do just that with a little twinge of additional worry. It seemed that like all her other former allies, he also had something weighing on him.

Minthara seemed to be thinking in similar circles, as her red eyes met Lae’zel’s gaze, “there was something comforting about a shared burden, was there not?”

“You mean back when we were traveling together?” Lae’zel knew exactly what the drow was talking about. Being infected with an illithid tadpole was still the greatest mental and physical burden that Lae’zel had ever experienced, but she hadn’t been alone, and the camaraderie that she and her fellow seemingly doomed adventurers found together was unmatched.

She did feel rather alone now. Her burdens were lesser, in many ways. She had her responsibilities to the revolution, but those were strategically reasonable for her to shoulder. She had the gith child to train up, but surely that would be more tedious than treacherous. Light burdens felt heavy when there was no one to share them with.

“Your Sharran has avoided me of late,” Minthara revealed, “bodes ill for me, I fear.”

“Why do you say that?” but Lae’zel thought she could discern what Minthara was trying to say here as well.

“We all feel the way the current shifts around us. At one time or another, the Lady of Loss will draw us in towards her nothingness. Shadowheart cannot comfort her friends when they are listing towards the Lady of Loss, she can either give them a push, or she can avoid them. Thus far, she avoids me.”

“I take it as a good sign,” but even as she tried to do just that, Lae’zel felt an extra prick at her heart. If that was true, and Shadowheart did still fight Shar in some small way, just by refusing to further bring her friends into the Lady’s shadow, what did that mean now? “I was thrown over as well this morning,” she explained, “and though it pains me, perhaps, in some small way, she’s trying to protect me.”

Minthara’s expression hardened. “No doubt.”

#

Although she had many questions for the gith child, their next little journey was silent. The problem was that Lae’zel wasn’t sure of the best way to approach her questions. She wanted to know what the child and Tara had spoken of together. She didn’t have a great deal of experience with wizards, and what experience she did have, wasn’t entirely positive. But, the way the tressym had taken to him immediately reminded her that the child was undoubtedly a wizard. More than that, surely, but a wizard all the same. She also wondered what the child thought about their meeting at Wyrm’s rock, and whether or not he’d picked up on how ultimately fruitless it had been.

Usually, Lae’zel wouldn’t be so self-conscious about how she spent her limited time on Faerûn. There was a revolution to nurture, alliances to be made. But she could spare a few minutes to catch up with old friends. She was just lucky that she had the rationale of their general power and usefulness to justify the meeting. All the same, the presence of another child of gith forced her to reflect on whether or not it was wise to have such indulgences. She wasn’t certain how to approach any one topic, so silence it was, and for his own part, silence seemed to suit the child, just fine.

Her next meeting was in a place she’d never been before. The basement of a small bookstore that’s proximity to a festhall hinted at shared underground space. The half-orc owner didn’t even look up when she entered, preserving whatever plausible deniability they might need should someone point out that the shop was a meeting place for clandestine githyanki activity. Almost, the gith child was distracted by the books, but Lae’zel spurned him along with a look.

At the foot of the stairs, two lanky guards, barely more than youths themselves, stood with glittering spears. They exchanged curious glances, but didn’t acknowledge the gith child, and only bowed to Lae’zel, one of them gesturing to the single musty room ahead, where Kith’rak Trysan awaited.

The music from the festhall reached them through the underground, louder than even out on the street directly outside. An unexpected wave of heady longing hit her, carrying all her thoughts away and slowing her stride. She and Shadowheart had gone to this particular festhall together on more than one occasion. Though it was not precisely the kind of setting that Lae'zel immediately thought of as a venue to enable true intimacy, Shadowheart had expressed some interest. Lae’zel got the hint, and suggested that they go.

“Do you gamble, ever?” Shadowheart's hand was warm in her own, her excitement pulsing through both of them, as she wove their way through barely dressed bodies. Wine and incense thickened the air, dimly lit in alternating warm and cold hues that seemed to cast every varying shade of bared skin in a perfect light.

“With my life, frequently,” Lae’zel stated, still half undecided whether she was being facetious or not.

“And with mine, on more than one occasion,” Shadowheart stopped leading her through the crowd so abruptly and spun to bring their bodies right up against each other. Both of them had been bathed in a sweet, intoxicating mixture of scented water and refreshed with crisp cologne, their more practical street clothes replaced with gauzy robes for relaxation, comfort and convenience within the festhall. Shadowheart had permitted her hair to be unwound from its chain, a rare sight indeed, for her face to be framed by dark waves,, and for a moment Lae’zel was cowed by the sight of her, half-lidded and blushing, unsure whether she felt thrilled or wary at being so very near to naked, and so very close to her lover’s sweet body while also being entirely surrounded by strangers in similar entanglements.

Then Shadowheart pressed their lips together, quick and reassuring and whispered to her, “we can go, or just ask to be shown to a private room, if you'd prefer that.”

Lae’zel pulsed their entwined hands, and shifted so she could feel more of Shadowheart’s warmth and weight against her body. “I don't want to spend the evening sitting at a table losing coin. Let's see if the stage show has any appeal, then go get a room anyway.” And though she was sure that every moment that passed meant collecting more voyeurs’ eyes, she indulged in another taste of Shadowheart’s grinning mouth before the enthusiastic half-elf dragged her to a pair of seats where they could best watch the performance.

The stage show was appealing, in its way. The deliberate performers stripped one another in their dance and the creative use of a tiefling’s tail certainly inspired a few ideas for later, at least. By the end of the first song, Lae’zel felt more than ready to find that private room and implement what they had witnessed, but it had turned out that there was an actual story to the piece, and the couple’s rest was interrupted, first by a narrator who let them know that the tiefling woman was meant to be a succubus in their story, and that the other featured dancer was our hero, and meant to be married the next day to a fourth character who was presently making their way into the stage.

Shadowheart was clearly invested in the story by the time the next dance began, so Lae’zel watched the whole show with her head resting on Shadowheart’s shoulder. When it was done, they took to their private room to attempt to recreate a few of the more intriguing situations depicted in the story until they were both exhausted, drunk and wild with passion and laughter.

In the end, they had such a good time, that Lae’zel suggested that they return the next time she was back in Baldur's Gate.

The rush of fond memories stopped abruptly on a wall, and ice filled Lae’zel veins as the sensual and beautiful images, tastes, and sensations in her mind melted away to one final aching memory of Shadowheart's face in puzzlement.

“Return? To that festhall? When did we go there?”

Lae’zel swallowed and for a moment understood the temptation to forget it herself. But no, she needed to hold onto all of it. Even, perhaps especially, the pain.

“Master…?” a small voice at her side drew her eyes, and she found the gith child looking up at her in confusion, eyes flitting around the hallway and then to the door in front of them.

“Master?” Lae’zel echoed back at him, a little thrown by the use of the honorific. 

“D-do you want me to sit down here?” He gestured back at the stairs that led up into the shop. “Can I stay with you?” the gesture shifted as he pointed one of his lanky fingers at the door. He was a bit obvious in his tone. He wanted them to stay together, and though Lae’zel wasn't certain that was quite as appropriate for this meeting as it had been for her last one with Wyll, the alternative was to leave him restless and unsupervised and that wasn't acceptable at the moment.

She was far too aware of his tendency to wander off to let him out of her sight. “You are not to interrupt our conversation with any noise, irrelevant requests,” Lae’zel cut herself off with a wave. “Pay close attention to what Kith’rak Trysan and I discuss, I will likely have questions for you afterwards, to test your understanding and ability to follow.”

The gith child displayed no small level of anxiety at this declaration, but only for a moment. Then his wide, amber eyes softened in acceptance and he nodded.

“You are about to become more acquainted with your own people. Commit this to memory.”

“Yes, Master.”

[fantomette22]

Can you make the top of all Byrgenwerth scholars from least to most smart, responsible student? I know your Laurence doubles as a teacher but I think he counts as a student too iirc. And maybe describe more about how they behave in the class

Oh following this post I'm guessing.

Well I'm really bad at choice and making top/choose an order. But I can try XD

Also being "smart" or intelligent is really subjectif and depend on way too many things. Plus you know some school system are really not well made for some people. Clearly I don't wanna do a huge 4h essay on that so I will just go with who have the worst to best grades x)

As for the responsible ones who do all their classes/homeworks + have a serious attitude in class. I might add outside class to difference them too XD

Grades : So I tried to make an order but it really depend sometimes it depends of the classes/ years really.

Rom : Poor girl got the lowest grade ;-; she's trying hard. In some subject she have good marks but in the general stuff it's just above the average if not really low. University is not super adapt to her. Also got you see 8km2 fanart (I love it) well I got inspired and that's what happen to her. Everyone train her but it didn't work in the end 😭 Also in high school my notes in maths were so bad because it's harder in scientific field. I pass my big 18y diploma with 7/20 in maths help. But hey in got like 11/20 at university and I think above 15 in my sandwich course so believe in your dreams!

Gehrman : So for me, while the other are students he's closer to a "free auditor" Idk how you call that in English : he can joined some really specific conferences and listen to those classes but don't have exam on it. But he was a students alongside Laurence, I guess he got a basic diploma perhaps (or none) but it would be useless. He didn't got the best of grades too but he try! he often asked Laurence for help about things or terms he didn't understood while in class. He had a decent education for a Yharnamite and always read tons of books as a child but he only get to Byrgenwerth after working a few years abroad as a young adult (when he got enough money to pay for a few classes after a few years). He really wanted to just learn things more than exceed really.

This 3 next are pretty average too and good. I am unsure for the order as well so not sure it mean too much :

Ludwig : Ludwig is stronger in sportive and outside class for exemple but still have decent results.

Damian : Damian is basically the normal average students possible but I think might be quite good too

Charles : (my dear cainhurst oc) he had great results too but you know he didn't push himself too much as well.

Maria /Laurence : Unsure which one to put above (Laurence perhaps? I mean he got a doctorate so if you look at it that way) they both had really great results and a good scholarship in general. Plus it also depends the years. What I mean by that is that Laurence first years were not great at all then excel later on. Maria had great results since the beginning but without wanting to reveal to much a semester was quite a mess for her... then it got better again.

Micolash : I guess Mico would be quite smart yeah? (maybe a bit above in the top idk) Like he could have a big ego but he would right lmao. So I'm unsure where he's placed but yep good grades for Mico.

Caryll is a gifted student of course they got the best grades most of the time.

Not counting Willem but I guess he had quite good results, Liam (gatekeeper) would be moderate like Patches if he make effort probably and poor Dores know lot of stuff and procedure but don"t ask her to write an essay she will probably eat the paper from anger XD

Responsible students : I'm really unsure how to class them soi'm doing my maximum here XD

Patches is probably the worst responsible person ever...but more like not responsible for his actions senses XD

Charles : You know the cool guy who don't pay attention all the time in class, go on many parties, show off attitude still got good results? yep it's him.

Laurence : basically the same as Charles as the beginning of his scholarship if not worse. But his grades were bad. He got his things together after a while thankfully. thank you Gehrman, again Still he still miss a few homeworks and didn't went to all his class and didn't pay attention everytime XD but hey he made it! (That's why he can't be too mad at students who don't listen he did worst XD)

Ludwig/Maria/Caryll : I guess when Caryll don't day dream and forgot a homework they're serious and on point XD same for Ludwig. Maria rarely miss a a thing too. But this 3 do get in troubles sometimes XD and it's generally big mess over their comprehension

Rom/Micolash : Well for Rom, daddy is literally the headmaster so um... (I know it's not an excuse, Laurence is like the adoptive son and miss class at first and all but still)... So yeah even if it's hard she try to do things as much as possible. The only times she missed classes (besides your typical appointment/being sick) is when she need to go save her friends's ass from weird bugs & spiders XD the excuses Mico, Damian & patches yes came up with so she could exit class are always gold! And I think Mico always almost did his things like a nice lil students.

Gehrman/ Damian : You know the parent/ big sibling of the group? XD they almost never missed a class and try to do every work.If Damian ever miss smt it's the other fault and probably Micolash's

And how they behave in class? Well I think I already talk about it earlier, a lot are calm, in group it's a mess XD or some get bored and do smt else. Sorry I will probably develop more an other day perhaps or if I wrote about it well it will be more detailed that day!

[therealvalkyrie]

god i’m so sorry to bring that up like a very annoying person but…… it really bugged me

what you described in your fic « deserving » is not at all how you should treat a nosebleed…… quite the opposite actually

you should never put your head back and plz don’t ever put gauze (or anything else for that matter) in your nose to stop the bleeding…. it’s a very common misconception but you really shouldn’t and i’m not saying this because my entourage told me saw but as someone trained to give first aid

i feel like its time to share what you actually should or shouldn’t do here and why to educate everyone reading your blog

so here what you actually should do:

sit up right, put your head slightly forward and press your nose (not to hard) with your fingers for at least 10min.

all the material you need to treat a nosebleed are your hands and water and towels to clean yourself from the blood afterwards.

you really dont want to put your head back bcz you’ll be swallowing blood and that’s not great bcz you’ll end up vomiting

plz never put anything inside your nose especially not cotton balls (they’re the worst!! they tend to stick to your wound and this is a problem..). The reason for that is that, once the bleeding stop and you remove the thing you had put in to stop the bleeding, it’ll tore open the healed again and you’ll be re-bleeding.

you want to gently blow your nose every few minutes to avoid blood clots to form for the same reason you don’t put anything inside your bleeding nostril; when the blood clot dry it’ll become annoying and you risk re-bleeding once it get out. you have to be very gentle when doing this.

if your bleeding is caused by and head injury, lasts for more than 30min, is frequent or very abundant or if it’s in a child under 2 go see a doctor asap !!!! don’t take this lightly.

using gauze is usually the better way to clean and bandage a cut or open wound because it is made for this use and won’t fall appart on the wound, i’m happy you mentioned gauze in your fic instead of anything else, but for a nosebleed it’s not appropriate.

again i’m sorry to bother you with this but this is important and too many people don’t know how to correctly treat a nosebleed, i took this as the perfect opportunity to teach people how to do this

hi! thank you for taking the time to educate me, i can see you’re very passionate about the subject.

y’know, i debated while writing the fic whether or not to include this line (which is the one i think you’re so incensed about):

“you open your watery eyes and tilt your head back like your mom always told you to do with a nosebleed.“

because (and i know this might come as a shock to you, considering you assumed i don’t know anything at all!) i do actually know that you’re not supposed to tilt your head back when your nose is bleeding. i have some first aid training, and was a nanny to my little cousin with frequent nosebleeds for a summer a while back. (though, i wouldn’t expect you to know that:))

but i thought to myself, “what might your average high schooler who’s just been bonked in the face do?” and i said to myself, “why, self, she might not know this little tidbit of fairly obscure first aid information, and might simply rely on a common misconception that perhaps her mother told her!” and i called it a day.

you might note, also, that there are no qualified medical personnel or first responders at the volleyball practice in question who would know what to do with a nose break. one could argue that the coaches might have some first aid training, but it’s my goddamn story, and in this particular little fantasy i concocted about falling in love with anime men, they do not. so they did what they thought was right and patched her up with stuff from the first aid kit, as best as they were able. (and, as you might note, i never said anyone put gauze inside her nose.)

now, when we get to the nurse’s office, one might also argue that the nurse would have handled it differently! because she is in fact a qualified medical professional. perhaps i could have included some dialogue about how she instructed our dear reader to gently blow her nose. alas, i did not.

luckily, i don’t believe anyone’s coming to my blog for emergency medical advice! and if someone takes what i’ve written in a self-indulgent little fantasy about falling in love with an anime boy as indisputably correct medical fact, i can’t exactly say that’s on me. that one can be pinned on whoever neglected to teach them reading comprehension or how to separate fiction from reality.

what it comes down to is that i believe what i wrote makes sense within the context of the story. thanks again for taking the time out of your day to educate me. please know that i, too, once suffered from insufferable know-it-all disease, and there is a path to redemption. godspeed.

[jonathanvik]

Starlight Dream - Chapter 8

“Yes, suffer more!” A girl hiding behind a pillar said, watching her evil plan coming into motion. Emiyo watched from the sidelines expectantly, curious.

Emiyo waited and waited, but still, nobody screamed or howled in pain. She scanned around the packed food court and saw people going about their usual daily lives, laughing and having fun. Everything seemed normal, making Emiyo furrow her brow in confusion.

“Yes! Their suffering is so perfect!” The girl said again, her fairy partner smirking in satisfaction. The girl was a tiny thing, standing shorter than most pre-teen-aged girls. Her hair was bright pink, cut into a quick bob.

“Am I missing something?” Emiyo intensified her search, but found nothing but an average day at the mall.

“I don’t see anyone dead or unconscious.” Nyx flew around, searching for anything out of the ordinary. “It must be so subtle it’s invisible!”

“What, come on!” An annoyed teenage boy with pimples said behind a counter at a burger place. “I just filled that!”

“Hey, what gives? Where’s the ketchup? I’m in a hurry!” A customer said. “My movie starts in ten minutes!”

The boy winced. “Sorry, sir. I’ll get some right away.”

“Victory!” The girl said, her fist pumping upwards.

“Victory in what, exactly?” Emiyo asked behind the girl, who yelped in surprise.

“Emiyo, uh, hi! You aren’t usually out in the field.” Himari said, wearing a nervous grin on her face.

“Yeah, it’s nice to see you!” Liam, her partner, gave a reassuring smile.

“You never answered my question.”

“You know, magical girl stuff!” Himari said. “Causing all the suffering I can.”

Emiyo gestured to the calm food court, her patience thin. “What suffering?”

“Lots of it! We stole all that store’s condiments.” Liam replied. “Remember how annoyed that man was? He might miss the beginning of his movie! Now that employee needs to refill the condiment stand! What a bother, right?”

Himari gave an emphatic nod. “Right! And that worker got yelled at! No one likes that!”

Emiyo fought the urge to rub her temple, feeling a headache coming on. “This is your idea of suffering? Really?! Suffering is having your body crushed and living in never-ending agony. Suffering is losing everyone you’ve ever loved and having nothing to live for. Suffering is living in a nuclear wasteland!”

“That boy seemed pretty miserable to me,” Himari muttered under her breath.

Himari coughed, regaining her confidence. “I think you’re a little confused. I’m actually playing the long game!”

Despite herself, this piqued Emiyo’s interest. Perhaps she’d misjudged the girl?

“Yeah, nuclear wastelands are great and all, but it’s tacky and too easy.” Himari puffed out her chest. “I’m destroying worlds with a thousand cuts!”

“Sorry, what?”

“It’s simple. I’m causing countless small instances of suffering so they’ll build into something greater and more explosive. People will bottle up their frustration until they burst and cause untold havoc!”

Emiyo’s eye twitched. “This is your brilliant plan, really?”

“Totally evil, right?” The girl and her partner gave an emphatic nod.

In her head, Emiyo’s headache intensified. “No wonder the suffering levels in your universes have only increased by .00000000001 percent.”

“I’m playing the long game.”

“For two hundred years?!”

“The very long game.”

You incompetent little! Emiyo wanted to throttle the girl but kept professional calm. An outburst would be unseemly. “If this is the caliber of sector 8’s magical girls, no wonder the suffering levels haven’t increased much.”

Of sector 8’s magical girls, Himari is one of the few remaining who still lived. Emiyo had found the others dead, killed by the rebel. Why didn’t she save Emiyo the trouble and kill Himari too? It’d be so easy!

“Look, I’m currently assessing the entirety of Sector 8. When I get back, your universes’ suffering better increase by at least twenty percent!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll just accelerate my plans somewhat.” Himari pulled out a small vial, smirking. “I plan to put this into the water supply!”

Hope sparked in Emiyo’s heart. Poisoning water was an excellent way to spread fear and panic!

“It makes the water taste funny. Not horrible, but still unpleasant.” Himari said. “It will force people to buy bottled water instead! What a needless expense, right?”

Emiyo put her face into her hands and screamed.

---

Takako howled in pain as her opponent tossed her onto the padded mat.

“Are you okay?” Seina asked, concerned.

“No, it’s fine.” She said, rubbing her bruised arm. Even without her magical girl powers, Seina hit like a truck. Takako returned to her feet, determined to go again. Her pride refused to leave until she’d scored several points against her rival.

“Darn it.” Takako cursed as her back struck the padded floor once again. “I’m much quicker than you. Yet, you keep beating me!” Somehow, the girl seemed more like a wall than a person, deflecting back everything Takako threw against her.

“That’s because you aren’t sticking with what I’ve been teaching you.” Mr. Kiyojiro said. “You always go for the dirty move rather than the practical one.”

“But it’s totally predictable and lame!” Takako waved a dismissive hand. “Not my style at all.”

Seina smiled. “I suppose, but you always leave yourself wide open. You aren’t working on your defense enough.”

Takako turned away. “Whatever. My genius is too brilliant for you to understand.”

Seina sighed, but a slight smile appeared on her lips. “Okay, Maeko. Fine. Want to go again?”

“Always, best out five?”

Despite her best efforts, Seina still won most exchanges, moving with lighting precision. Yet, Takako didn’t mind it. Instead, it only pushed her to work harder. She hadn’t been this excited in decades. Usually, she found her magical girl duties dull, but she enjoyed the challenge Seina presented. The fighting made her feel alive. It’d be a shame when Seina inevitably died in days ahead, but Takako would enjoy her company until then. They chatted as they walked across town, enjoying the scenery. People were working hard to rebuild, invigorated with a new purpose after the vampire’s fall. Despite herself, their grit and determination impressed Takako.

“Is that the new school?” Aiko looked down towards the skeleton of a building from their vantage point.

Seina flinched. “Yes, Lotus High School.”

“No way! The Prime Minister named a school after you?” Aiko beamed with pride.

“Yeah,” Seina replied, with little enthusiasm. “They wanted to call it Kamiyama High School, but I vetoed that idea. And the statue.”

Aiko rolled her eyes. “Please, you deserve some recognition! You saved the world!”

“I guess.” Seina said, still unhappy. Uncle Kenji is adamant I should attend it once it’s finished. Isn’t that the worst, going to a school named after you?”

“Don’t worry, I'll be by your side if anyone bugs you about it.” Aiko puffed out her chest. “Never thought I’d ever attend high school. I’m so looking forward to it. Do you think it’ll be anything like those mangas Maeko likes?”

“I hope so,” Seina said. “Clubs, romance, lunch on the roof, meeting with friends every day. It sounds nice.”

Takako rolled her eyes. The dullest, most ordinary things always infatuated Aiko and Seina. What next? Wanting to attend cram school too? Even thinking about it gave Takako bad memories.

“How about you, Maeko?” Aiko said. “What are you looking forward to in high school?” The two girls looked at her expectantly.

Shows what you know. I’m too old to care about things like high school! She paused, realizing, despite being several hundred years old, she’d never attended high school. Soon, both Seina and Aiko would have a much higher education level than her. Takako had run away from home long before high school age. Not that she cared, of course. Takako was smart enough without it.

“Eh, seems boring if you ask me,” Takako said, not impressed..

“How can you say that after the vampires basically starved us of any education?” Seina said, irritated. “I had to learn basic reading and math in secret! Uncle Kenji had to risk his life to teach me how to add!”

Takako took a step back, surprised by the usually meek girl’s angry outburst. “Okay, okay. Sorry,”

“I’m sorry too.” Seina said.” I lost my temper. It just frustrates me what basic things the vampires denied us. We were just things to them, not even people!”

“I know what you mean,” Aiko said, nodding. “But the vampires can’t stop us now! Humanity can’t be stopped!”

“Right! Oh, I can’t wait for high school to start!” Seina said dreamily. “Mr. Kiyojiro’s tutoring is great, but I want to learn from a real teacher! Uh, no offense, Mr. Kiyojiro.”

“I’m not offended.” Mr. Kiyojiro said, finally joining the conversation. “Teaching from random textbooks is awkward.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not a great teacher.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. Any chance to learn!” Seina replied, trying to reassure her bodyguard and tutor. “You’re doing an excellent job teaching me Japanese. It’s my favorite subject. And I’m not too shabby at English either.”

“Private tutor, you’re lucky. I just wish I could understand half of my lessons.” Aiko rolled her eyes. “Ms. Inouye still hasn’t created a coherent study plan yet.”

“Hey, the adults are working hard to teach you youngsters.” Mr. Kiyojiro said. “A few kinks in the plan aren’t unexpected. You’ve already lost too many years. How can you become proper adults without the proper education?”

“No argument here.” Aiko said, and Seina nodded.

“Sure, but being a proper adult means getting a job and paying taxes and rent.” Takako said, piping in.

Mr. Kiyojiro coughed into his fist. “Well, yes. But, that’s part of growing up. You can’t stay a child forever.”

“Except, Seina will stay a child forever,” Takako said, pointing out the flaw in the bodyguard’s logic.

“Not in my heart. I can get a job anyway!” Seina said, retorting the point.

“You actually want a job?” Takako asked in disbelief. It sounded like such a needless bother. “You’re a magical girl! There’s nothing stopping you from doing whatever you want.”

“Yes, actually,” Seina replied, puffing out her chest. “I’ll still be an adult, even if I appear ten!”

Colten’s eyes lit in awe. “You’re so responsible, Seina!”

Takako snorted. “Stupid if you ask me.”

“Trust me, Maeko,” Seina said. “Being a magical girl isn’t as appealing as it sounds.”

“Whatever. Well, I better get going.” After all that hard training, Takako wanted to gorge herself on shaved ice and watch some anime.

“Later!” Seina and Aiko waved as she left.

“You’re too comfortable with those two,” Lilha said from an alleyway. “You’d almost think you’d become friends.”

“Friends? Not likely.” Takako was too evil and hardhearted for such nonsense.

“Good,” Lilha replied. “Come. There are matters we need to discuss. It won’t be long until we’re ready.”

“You’re acting already? I’ve barely learned anything. Mr. Kiyojirois still teaching us the basics!”

Lilha raised an eyebrow. “Are we meant to wait years while you play with Seina?”

“We are both immortal.” For someone who was ageless, Lilha certainly was impatient. “Is it that important for you to return to your nightmare world?”

“We are vampires. We rule.”

“Okay, but why ban schools? Why make children work 70-hour weeks?” Takako couldn’t resist asking these questions any further.

“The humans needed to know their place. My husband was always adamant about grinding them down as much as possible.”

“Why? Aren’t these policies more likely to cause humanity’s extinction?”

“It wouldn’t get that far. We’d keep them alive. They are our pets.”

“You didn’t answer my question. Why?”

“You’re a magical girl. It’s your job to make people suffer.” Lilha gave her a pointed look, making Takako hesitate. It was true. Why was she caring about this?

“Well?”

“Have you lost your nerve? Don’t you hate Siena as deeply as I do? I’ve seen how she humiliates you. Are you happy always being her inferior?”

Takako stood straighter. “I’m the strongest. Always will be. We will kill Seina.”

“Good. I see no further use in having you train with Seina. You’ve learned enough. I fear you’re getting too cozy with her. It’s time we enact our plan.” Lilha shone with excitement. “By tomorrow, Seina Kamiyama will be dead!”

Takako nodded, realizing her doubts were foolish. This was what they’d agreed upon. She glanced back, watching Seina talking and laughing with her friends without a care in the world. It left a strange bitterness in Takako’s heart. But no, for the sake of the magical girls and Starlight Dream, Seina’s death was necessary. After giving the girl a final look, Takako focused on the task at hand. No more useless doubts or distractions.

---

“A day out? Sounds great!” Seina said. Mr. Kiyojiro had given them the day off, and they were debating how to best spend it.

Aiko beamed. “I know this cute little place that’s becoming really popular. It’s super trendy!”

“Clothes shopping?” Colten sighed from his perch on Seina’s head. “Okay.”

Seina patted her fairy friend on the head. “It won’t be long, then we’ll get some ice cream.”

Colten perked up. “Really?”

Aiko snorted in amusement. “You spoil him too much. Yes, I promise it’ll be quick. I haven’t forgotten you, Colten. I have some activities planned for you too. There’s this street performer I heard about that might interest you. He does Kamishibai.”

Colten’s eyes lit in excitement. It also piqued Seina’s interest. Since DVD players and working TVs were still rare, the art form had reemerged on Osaka’s streets to entertain people. Though because of her training, she hadn’t caught one yet. The art form used still pictures accompanied by the performer, who narrates the story. Her fairy partner bounced on her head, unable to contain his excitement, making Seina giggle.

“Kamishibai?” Maeko said, showing genuine interest. “I haven’t seen one of those in forever.” Mr. Kiyojiro nodded in agreement, also genuinely interested.

Seina blinked. “Really? How?” The vampires were strict about punishing anyone who dared defy their edicts. Even singing could get you killed. Maeko’s past was so bizarre. Did her taskmaster even do his job?

Maeko coughed into her fist. “When I was really young. You know, before the vampires.”

Seina nodded, embarrassed by her misunderstanding. Unfortunately, most of her memories before the darkness were scarce and blurry. Worse, they consisted of people she’d rather not consider. Their presence tainted her childhood worse than anything the vampires had done. It sent blazing furious hatred through her and almost brought tears to her eyes. Why had her parents’ betrayal hurt her so much? Despite trying to forget them, thoughts of them returned at random moments, hurting her all over again. Sensing his partner’s distress, Colten rubbed her back, calming her.

“Are you okay?” Maeko said, worried by Seina’s sudden change in mood.

“It’s fine.” Her parents didn’t matter anymore. Besides, she had a new family and they wouldn’t hurt her as they had.

“There’s this ramen stand that recently opened up. I’d like to try. Would you mind having lunch there?” Mr. Kiyojiro said.

“Sounds great. Is there anywhere else you’d like to go?” Seina felt guilty for dragging her bodyguard around town without his input. Was he as bored by girls shopping as Colten was? But Mr. Kiyojiro only waved his hand, indicating his wishes didn’t matter. After some consideration, Seina decided she’d at least allow him to pick where they’d eat supper too.

“I have a suggestion.” Maeko had been quiet throughout the entire conversation, drawing everyone’s attention. “Before going anywhere else, there’s this manga shop nearby I’d like to try. I heard it sells brand new manga. I’m curious if the rumors are true.”

“Sounds fun.” Aiko replied. “It will give Colten something to read while he’s waiting!”

Brand new manga? That sounded interesting. It brought a smile to Seina’s heart. Little by little, humanity was reclaiming their lives. The vampire’s reign was becoming a distant memory.

“Is this the right place?” Aiko glanced around, eying their surroundings with curiosity. They’d entered a part of Osaka that still remained mostly abandoned. The streets were empty, but Seina couldn’t help but feel she was being watched. Yet, when she looked, she spotted no one around. Odd.

“Just down this alley, and we’ll be there,” Maeko said, pointing towards a colorful sign that showed the shop’s name, Shinobu Manga Emporium. Seina peeked down the alley and saw an open door, seeing shelves of colorful manga ready for purchase.

A sense of wrongness overcame Seina, and she stopped her step. The feeling of being watched intensified, but she still couldn’t locate its source. Aiko picked on her anxiety.

“Is something the matter?” Aiko glaced around, a worried expression on her face.

Maeko snorted. “Nothing’s the matter. It’s just a manga shop.”

She gave her bodyguard a meaningful look, and he nodded in agreement. He’d also sensed the prevailing wrongness. “How about we go somewhere else? This place seems kinda sketchy.” Before Maeko could offer a retort, Seina jumped aside as a humongous axe flew towards where her head had been a moment earlier. It flew past and crashed into a nearby building leveling it with a resounding crash.

A large vampire emerged from literally nowhere, brandishing an axe almost larger than his body. “You got lucky. Next time I won't miss.” Several more muscular vampires emerged, surrounding them. Aiko screamed in terror and hid behind Seina.

Maeko rubbed her temple. “Jentin, you idiot! Your eagerness alerted her to the trap. Never mind. We do this the hard way instead!” Much to Seina’s shock, her friend pulled out a brooch similar to hers. “Change Change, Magical Love Genocide Dress Up!”

What the heck was happening? The veil of illusion disappeared, revealing a face she hadn’t expected. “Takako?”

The dark magical girl smirked. “Is it that shocking? Now be a good girl and die.” She pointed her black pistol point-blank towards Seina’s midsection and fired

[luckystarchild]

INUYASHA Volume 01, Scroll 01: “The Accursed Youth”

Welcome to Lucky’s INUYASHA recap—a recap of the Inuyasha manga by me, Lucky, an anime fan who has somehow never read it or seen the anime before.

Over the course of these posts, I’ll be recapping and reacting to the events of a chapter (or series of chapters) of the Inuyasha manga. I’ll be using the official VIZ manga volumes as my source material. References to Not Quite Kagome (“NQKagome”) pertain to my ongoing fanfiction series, Lucky Child.

And without further ado... chapter 01 of Inuyasha (or volume 01, “Scroll 1,” as VIZ titles the manga chapters.)

We begin in media res; Inuyasha has stolen the Jewel of Four Souls (the “Shikon Jewel”) and is rampaging through a village. He wants to use the jewel to become “a true demon.” Kikyo, mortally wounded, shoots him with an arrow and pins him to a tree. Her body is burnt along with the jewel by her young sister, Kaede.

I don’t generally like prologues that employ flashbacks in writing, as they sometimes seem like a way to shoehorn in backstory that either isn’t necessary OR backstory that could be imparted through the reader more organically. (They’re all-too-often lazy, basically.) But this is a manga, so maybe it’s not so bad. Not sure how I feel TBH.

Was sort of surprised we learned what Inuyasha’s goal concerning the jewel is so soon; thought maybe that would get dragged out a bit longer, though IDK why I got that impression exactly. I’ve seen a few random eps of the anime and know he isn’t fond of his own half-demon status. Perhaps I feel like we should’ve earned this revelation during the narrative and on Inuyasha’s terms, rather than have it handed to us right off the bat by a faceless narrator. But that’s me being overly critical, perhaps.

Flash forward to 1997. The day before Kagome’s 15th birthday. Her grandfather tries to tell her a legend about the Shikon Jewel, but she shrugs it off. 

Kagome’s family lives inside a big temple, and everything has a legend attached to it (including the massive 500-year-old Go-Shinboku God Tree), but Kagome never pays attention to them. Later, her brother loses their cat in the mini-shrine, specifically in the well house (which a sign declares the home of the Bone-Eater’s Well). Kagome bravely ventures inside to search for the cat.

Right off the bat, we get the impression that Kagome is a pretty average teenage girl—a bit of an airhead with a sharp sense of humor who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty or shy away from a dark and spooky well house. Nice bit of characterization in just a few panels. Well done, author-san.

NQKagome Bonus: She’d probably pay more attention to all the legends her grandfather tells, which could give her an edge in the Feudal Era.

Kagome hears odd noises coming from the covered well; the cover pops off the well and a horrible, Noh-mask-faced women with a skeletal snake body to leap out and drag Kagome into the darkness. 

Her body regenerates, turning into a... centipede body. Not a snake. D’oh. Frightened as they fall, Kagome emits a light from her hands, breaking off the woman’s arm and sending her careening away into the dark as she cries something cryptic about the Jewel of Four Souls.

Soon Kagome stops falling and finds herself at the bottom of the well, but upon emerging, she’s lost in an unfamiliar forest.

I gotta say that as far as first-chapters go, this one is pretty good! We immediately know who Kagome is, where she’s from, what she’s like as a person, and this introduction to the supernatural is spooky and interesting. The stakes are high and the action is fast-paced, without an overload of exposition.

Kagome spots the God-Tree and hurries toward it, noting that she always used it to find her way home in the past, but she does not find her familiar home at its base. Instead she finds Inuyasha pinned to the God-Tree.

We’re treated to this gorgeous two-panel spread:

She notes that the boy pinned to the tree has inhuman ears before some villagers find her in “Inuyasha’s forbidden forest” and bring her to Kaede, the younger sister of Kikyo (who is much older than she appeared in the earlier flashback). Kagome realizes she is in the Sengoku Period (1467 to 1615 CE). The villagers theorize that she’s a spy, a kitsune, and similar before Kaede realizes that Kagome looks identical to the deceased Kikyo.

Kaede tells Kagome briefly who Kikyo was before the centipede woman attacks the village. 

That bit where Kaede tells Kagome about Kikyo is where I would’ve placed the flashback from the start of the chapter, FYI. Would’ve given the earlier parts of the chapter more mystery to withhold some information from the reader.

Also we have TOO MANY K-NAMES. Already three of the four named characters start with K, and two even start with the “ka” sound in Japanese. We have this problem with YYH and I foresee it being a problem as I type these names a ton, LMAO 🤣

So... Kagome realizing what time period she’s been magically dropped into after approximately seven seconds seems… IDK, kind of handy? Easy? The only info she has to go on are the vague references to “battles” a few villagers shout at her, and maybe the way they’re dressed. She supposedly doesn’t pay attention to old legends, so it doesn’t seem plausible that she’d pay enough attention in history class to discern what period she’s in now based on the cut of a kimono.

(Disclaimer: I’m American and the American education system is notoriously horrible at teaching the subjects of history and science with any accuracy, so I might be projecting my experience onto hers to some degree. Maybe Japan is better about this stuff. IDK, but thought I’d mention it.)

ALSO, Kagome jumps to the possibility of time travel really fast. I would jump to “this is a dream” or “I have fallen into a historical reenactment amusement park in which no one will break character” (a special hell of its own) first. Again, though, this chapter is moving quickly to draw in readers, so I can see why they didn’t give her confusion more screen-time. Especially with serialized manga, you have a handful of chapters (if that) to grab readers, so it’s gotta move fast as a matter of necessity.

I appreciate that some of the villagers mentioned “kitsune” in this section (and not just because it reminds me of all the reasons Yu Yu Hakusho is so easy to cross over with this manga). It shows that the supernatural is something the locals consider on a daily basis, which helps with worldbuilding.

Also, I wasn’t expecting the nipples on the centipede woman??? In her first panels, her breasts were covered up a bit, but now we’ve got detailed nipples. I’m guessing the scant few episodes of the series I watched were censored quite a bit. I’m wondering if there’s going to be more fanservice in this series than I expected, especially after reading that the series’ author, Rumiko Takahashi, advised the anime team to avoid using Kagome for any pantie-shots…

The centipede claims Kagome has the Shikon Jewel, and Kagome flees the village (toward “that light” in the east, which Kaede notes she shouldn’t be able to see) as the centipede woman gives chase. Elsewhere, Inuyasha wakes, stating he can smell the scent of the woman who killed him.

So I know a few things about this series already thanks to the research I did for Lucky Child, and chief among these things is that Kagome is Kikyo’s reincarnation. We can already see this tidbit coming through in obvious ways: Kagome’s resemblance to Kikyo, the Jewel being connected to her somehow, etc. Kagome seeing that light is probably a power she got from Kikyo, too.

It’s interesting that these connections are as physical as her having the same scent as Kikyo, though; scent is informed quite a bit by genetics. Obviously we’re dealing with magic and not science in this story, so I’m not looking for infallible logic when it comes to this reincarnation plot device… but it’s almost like the magic here overrides things like genetics and the extreme differences in what Kagome and Kikyo must’ve eaten in their respective times when determining their scent and appearance. The soul is more important than the body, etc. Wondering how consistent that will remain over the course of this admittedly massive story.

And that’s it for chapter 1. This was super fun! I’m guessing I’ll have more to say once we get past the set-up and are introduced to more characters, but overall I think this was a really strong start to this feudal fairy tale.

If you enjoyed this recap, feel free to buy me a Ko-Fi☕, and subscribe to the tag “lucky’s inuyasha recap” to see more!

NEXT CHAPTER

[enygmass]

Title: Fragments

Author: Ames

Wordcount: 2355

Fandom: Not batman for once [whoa]

Synopsis: Brief glimpses of Nikolai’s life from birth (ish??) to the first scene of the game

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

So I haven’t written one-shots in so long, but I discovered the game Monstrata Fracture like a hot min ago and haven’t been able to get it off my mind so like… if you wanna bag yourself a monster babe then you should jump over to @astralore [or their itchi.io] and check it out, i’m js... ^^

Anyway I may be botching this but I a) love Nikolai and b) love delving into characters pasts, so let's rock and roll, kids

Everything this is based on was snagged from the game play, mythology books, and lore that was answered on the blog 

____________________________

When the eggs were retrieved from the ocean, the fortune teller had announced that the speckling on the shell of the seventh egg looked “off.” The second fortune teller agreed, and the third one had not protested the former declaration.The three fortune tellers were sisters, renowned for the accuracy of their predictions, and for them to state such a thing with brutal bluntness brought immediate attention to this small, stunted, seventh egg. Albeit, a declaration that this seventh child would bring great things had come along with the unusual spotting, yes, but the unusual spotting was what stood most clear in the minds of all who were present. 

The young mothers did their best to pay it no heed. Alkonosts were superstitious by nature. Their ancestors had brought with them tales of dangers in the woods, of beasts in the snowdrifts, and of consequences for every action. Once, this declaration of unusual spotting may have brought dread to the ears of any parent, but the two mothers were of a more modern mentality. They thanked the sisters, inclining their heads with grace, before sweeping the eggs up into their arms and leaving. 

Seven eggs, seven children, and the seventh, to be a son. 

_____________________________

Nikolai could not recall the exact procedure that led him to become a he. 

What he could recall were colours. Colours of all kinds; reds, golds, blues, greens. It was a myriad of hues that swirled before his naive eyes. He remembered that he had tried to speak. He had wanted to say something to his mothers, perhaps ask them what the colours represented, but he was silenced by a talon coming down and pressing upon his chest like a weight. 

Then, with the colours, there had suddenly been pain. Magic always had a consequence. This was a concept that had been drilled into the minds of any species that lived in their realm. Any entity that used magic, was exposed to magic, or even so much as learned about magic, knew that it took as much as it gave.

It felt like he was being reborn. 

A part of him wondered why he had agreed to this, although the reward held greater merit. To be able to feel like he was truly himself made the process worthwhile. Not to mention that the sprawling records of their family lineage that his mothers’ kept locked away indicated that he was not the first one in their family line to go through with this procedure.  

The process overall lasted minutes, but to Nikolai, it felt like centuries. It was only when the colours faded away and the bombardment of sensations fell to a dull thrumming in his mind did he become aware of his mothers’ voices. 

“Take him back to his room. The recovery process…”

“The recovery process can be tedious.” Another voice, less familiar and more jarring, cut his mothers’ protests short. Nikolai struggled to see who the owner was as the world seemed to spin in front of his eyes. He could make out the form of another Alkonost woman, with brown feathers meticulously groomed, standing a few feet away. Her lips were pursed in a thin line and her golden eyes were fixated on someone behind Nikolai’s prone form. 

“But it has never failed. He’ll be fine within a few days.” Another shift, and Nikolai felt himself being lifted from his position on the floor. The Alkonost woman’s gaze moved to meet Nikolai’s and her lips, if possible, drew into an even tighter line. “Contact us if problems arise, although I think there won’t be. I highly doubt the one who is supposed to be destined for ‘great things’ will be going away any time soon.”

With that, she turned away as the world in front of Nikolai’s eyes faded to black. 

______________________________

“Nikolai.” The voice of his teacher snapped Nikolai out of his daze, forcing him to turn his gaze from the treeline outside to the front of the classroom. An Alkonost woman stood at the front, her grey feathers adorned with silver, and a small smile tugging at her lips. “You’re lost, again.” 

“Not lost,” Nikolai was quick to protest as he straightened his back. “Just thinking.” 

“And what were we thinking of today?” The amusement was not lost in her tone as she settled herself on the edge of her desk. Her name was Lada, and she had been teaching him and his sisters to sing since they were hatchlings. His mothers’ could have taught them, but they were too busy with their political careers. Hence why Lada was in their lives. 

Singing was, unsurprisingly, a major part of an Alkonosts life. Singing was involved in everything they did: celebrations, mourning, daily routines, even mundane tasks such as cleaning often led to a chorus of songs from the flock engaged. One of the most profound memories Nikolai held was singing at a chapel during a Christmas celebration. The way the chapel had been lit in a brilliant golden glow, with holly entwining its columns, and how the room had been filled with Alkonost of all colour and kind singing with their glorious voices, was burned into his mind. He held onto it with every ounce of strength he had, in fear that he would never experience it again. 

“The regulations.” He spoke what he thought because he knew that Lada would find out either way. The regulations were on his mind a lot lately. His mothers had taken him aside and explained that his family, in particular, were under government watch for the use of their voices. An average Alkonost could wipe an individual's memories for 12-24 hours with the right training. Nikolai’s family could wipe them for more than 48. In fact, an ancestor of his had been known to have a voice that could wipe memories for years, if she so chose. 

“Ah.” Lada’s smile slipped and she fixed him with a more stern look. “What about the regulations?”

The question was so simple, but enough to cause Nikolai’s shoulders to tense up. It was no secret that the regulations were greatly protested by many Alkonost, but there were a few in the mixes—Lada included—who believed they saw the benefits of the regulations. 

“They’re unethical, that’s what,” Nikolai was quick to snap with his response, his brow furrowing as he turned to face his tutor. “Why should we be restricted when our gift doesn’t even make it into the harmful category of magic? Vampires have no restrictions on their compulsion abilities, and I dare say that being able to persuade someone to do something like slaughter their family is much more dire than causing memory loss for a day. Not to mention the lack of restrictions on Banshees, Fae, or even Kelpies. God knows their abilities are worth a ban.” 

Lada’s expression betrayed no emotions as she folded her talons on her lap, allowing Nikolai his brief vent. It was only when there was a pause for breath between his rants did she speak. 

“You’re forgetting, Nikolai, that many of the individuals you’ve listed have their own struggles they deal with. Yes, they may not have restrictions, but they’re subjected to far worse.” Lada’s lips twisted to a grimace as she fixed him with a stern gaze. “Like the slave trade, for example. No Alkonost is subject to that, but I can tell you that many Kelpies are.” 

The slave trade. It was one of Lada’s main points to bring up whenever they got into this debate. Nikolai was young, yes, but he was well educated in what the slave trade incorporated. Many Alkonost and other higher-class species had a hand in its ongoing, and it wasn’t uncommon to hear it discussed at Alkonost events. Nikolai bit his tongue. It was better to not discuss those kinds of things with Lada; she usually found a way to make several fair points to counter any objection Nikolai voiced. He wasn’t a fan of the trade either, but his resentment didn’t run as deep as Lada’s did. 

“Why don’t we get back to the topic at hand?” Lada clapped her talons together and stood back up, gesturing for Nikolai to come closer. “We can practice a piece from принц огня, if you would like?” 

принц огня was an Alkonost tale from the old country about an Alkonost Prince with red, gold, and violet plumage who discovered he had the ability to control fire. Most people chalked it up that he was a phoenix mixed into the nest, but it was still one of Nikolai's favorite stories to listen to when he was a hatchling—only because he saw so much of himself in the Prince. Not to mention that both of them had received ill-fated prophecies about how they were destined for greatness, although the Prince's ended off on a much more tragic note. From what the text said, his magic cost him the life of his loved one, and although his powers brought great change for the Alkonosts, his grief over his partner's death drove him into utter despair. The story ended off with the Prince becoming nothing but a wandering hermit who sang a mournful ballad, much to many's chagrin. Alkonosts rarely felt, but when they did feel, they felt with their entire being, and the Prince's story showed how dire the consequences of this could be. 

Gathering himself, Nikolai frowned at Lada's abrupt change of topic, but nodded his head regardless. In the end, it was best to focus on lessons rather than politics. 

_______________________________

"You seem preoccupied." Rishika's voice all but purred in Nikolai's ear as she settled herself beside him, tucking her feathers in as she did so. The sunlight filtering between the tree leaves and into the courtyard caused Nikolai to squint a bit as he turned his head to address her. She was looking rather smug this morning. 

"What did you do now?" Rishika, for all she was worth, was quite notorious for inciting a bit of trouble wherever she went. Nikolai had found this out himself when they met in high school, which he so fondly called the 'Incident'. She became a close friend of his after the 'Incident' occurred. She also became a fast enemy of the two students; they ended up getting expelled, although Nikolai was more responsible for that outcome. Not that anyone would say that, of course.

Rishika had the audacity to look offended at his question for just a moment, before a wide grin split across her face. "I got the dog girl—Aileen, I think her name was?—to loan me some of her assignments for cheap. At least now I'll finally get what McCal is talking about in their statistics classes." 

"Did you blackmail her or something?" Another more disapproving tone interjected before Nikolai could get a word in. A flash of raven-black feathers indicated the arrival of Faust, who promptly settled himself into his usual position on Nikolai's right. Rishika shook her head vigorously.

"Hardly! I just needed to ask, and she was more than obliging." She tutted a bit before closing her eyes. "Sometimes simply asking is the best way."

"She was probably terrified." Nikolai's own lips twitched into a grin as he surveyed the courtyard. "You're a rather intimidating person, even when you aren't trying to be." 

The courtyard was less busy than usual, which was odd. The last gasps of the summer months often drew everyone to the outdoors in a bid to bask in the warmth before the long winter set in. Nikolai knew for a fact that he wasn't too eager to have to bundle up again, hence why he was out here. His body was naturally warm and to be wrapped in scarves and blankets was near-torture for him. This didn't seem to be the same case for others. Besides the flock of Alkonosts, there was a wyvern, a fae, a faun, and a few groups of various other species dispersed among the trees. 

"Well, I'm rather flattered by that declaration, Nikolai." Rishika rested a talon on her chest as she sent him a rueful smirk. "It's the closest thing to a compliment you've ever given." 

Now it was Faust's turn to give a scoff as he leaned back on the picnic bench, focusing his attention skywards. Nikolai followed his gaze to the windows of the North Courtyard. The university itself was impressive, but the architecture was truly a marvel. Given that the university was an old castle generously loaned by a few nobles, the mixture of gothic arches with Edwardian flair was breathtaking when first seen. After several classes and near breakdowns, though, Nikolai deduced that it lost a bit of its charm. 

He was about to prod Faust to see what was on his mind—presumably, something to do with James—but a flash of colours in one of the windows caught his attention first. The figure that the colour belonged to seemed to pause and look towards them, as though they knew they were being observed. Nikolai's smile grew broader as he leaned forward, taking in their still form. Alkonosts had wonderful sight-another perk of their natural predation- and Nikolai could see every detail of their observer's face. He leaned to his right and jabbed his elbow sharply into Faust's side, gesturing to the observer. 

"It seems like we have an audience." Faust focused his attention to where Nikolai had indicated, and arched an eyebrow in response. 

Nikolai, in return, leaned forward further and shot a rather exaggerated wink and kiss to where the observer stood, prompting Faust to let out a chuckle. The observer seemed to bristle at the attention and hurry off, leaving Nikolai to watch their form disappear past the remaining few windows. 

"Was that necessary?" Faust asked, closing his eyes again. 

"Well, I strive to make our audiences feel welcomed. Besides," Nikolai paused and looked between his two friends. "Do any of you recognize what that was?"

Both Rishika and Faust shook their heads. None of the flock seemed able to assign what species their mysterious observer belonged to, leaving Nikolai feeling unsatisfied. Hopefully, he'd run into the observer at a closer proximity. 

They were interesting, and interesting things were something that Nikolai always strived to collect.

[privateschoolatlanta57]

Why Private School? Phone Potential Benefits

Private school atlanta

The issue of precisely how to teach a youngster is among the most critical a dad or mom can ask. A basic choice that lots of parents battle with are public vs. private school. Parents should not undertake unnecessary expenses whenever they will not ultimately benefit their son or daughter. In the end, many public schools do a great job of educating students. But while it is true that public schools do not have tuition costs (as well as a private school can run, typically from 12,000 to 30,000 dollars a year), the advantages of an individual education could far outweigh the expenses with respect to the local options parents may face.

private schools atlanta

Students who attend private schools could be more academically challenged, confronted with clearer value systems, given greater usage of teachers, and may simply feel safer than local public school options. If you do plan to pursue private schooling on your child, start the research process early. A chance to access private schools may be competitive, and obtaining a school that's a perfect fit for your child where he or she is going to be also be accepted, will take a little while.

A better Bar:

A major benefits of private education is that the child will likely be challenged with a higher academic standard. Private schools can be more academically rigorous than public schools, and school students may have to meet more criteria to maintain their grade point averages. Based on the Condition to train 2001, in the National Center for Education Statistics, Private high schools routinely have more demanding graduation requirements than do public high schools.

In comparison with public schools, private schools required more coursework (in 4-year high school graduation programs). More can be expected of personal school students when it comes to quality of work, course workload, and special requirements such as community service or Arts participation. In some schools, what can normally be regarded extracurricular activities, are prerequisites for graduation, which ultimately complete students' senior high school experience. The push in order to meet this higher standard often makes a greater a higher level student performance. In a recent NAEP report it was discovered that, 'Students privately schools scored significantly higher than the national average in grades four, eight, and twelve.

Because the report input it, 'Performance brings about 2002 reveal that, at all three grades, students who attended nonpublic schools had higher average writing scores than students who attended public schools.' In general, trainees in the possibility to attend an exclusive school probably will reach a higher level of academic achievement.

Student Teacher Ratio:

Private schools also tend to concentrate on controlling their class sizes. The NCES Schools and Staffing Survey found that, 'Private high schools typically are less than half the dimensions of public schools. In central cities, as an example, the normal size of a private high school is 398, when compared with 1,083 for a public school.' Students of private schools could have more possibilities to form relationships using their teachers, which could lead them to greater academic success. In such instances, trainees emerged help for his or her specific academic problems, which could enable the issue to get resolved quickly and correctly.

Once any issues inhibiting a student's progress happen to be addressed, the child can embark upon to accomplish at her or his highest level. Inside the Condition of Education 2002, it absolutely was discovered that, 'Placing students in small groups will foster close working relationships between teachers and students, thus enhancing learning, particularly among at-risk students the ones in the early grades.'

Also, small classes let the teachers to possess a better sense of who your son or daughter is, along with what their specific strengths and weaknesses are. Your kids will also have more opportunities to speak up and be involved in class discussions. In addition, students might be offered work hours when the teacher is going to be available. Students who've worked closely using their teachers are less inclined to feel intimidated about using such time and energy to actively seek help from their teachers directly.

Contact with the Arts:

Private schools are able to create their particular curriculum. Although, they have to ultimately prepare students with the same basic course every other school, private schools have the choice to include various elements with their programs. Private school administrators often develop programs that emphasize the humanities, perhaps much more than local public schooling options.

Schools might want to produce elaborate plays and musicals, giving students unique opportunities to explore their talents and go to town. Government regulations on public schools prevent them from spending higher than a number of college funds around the Arts. Private schools, however, are not subject to exactly the same regulations, and the've more freedom to build up and expand these programs as they wish. Some private schools may even offer filmmaking or video production courses which are opportunities normally available university students.

Potentially More Funds:

The schooling that you and the other parents of an private school contribute often should go toward developing and funding special programs that would be restricted in public places schools. The institution may be able to offer other pursuits including special field trips that reinforce the school's curriculum. Such trips may give your youngster the opportunity to form close friendships and build independence. The institution may have more available funds to offer supplies to student-run clubs. The institution can also create programs that better tie the arts or sciences to the overall general curriculum.

A Push Towards College:

Private high schools can instill their students with the expectation of enrolled. Data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, 'Fourth Follow-up' (NELS: 1988/2000) show, 'Students that had attended private school in 8th grade were twice as likely as those who had attended public school to have completed a bachelor's or maybe more degree by their mid-20s (52 versus 26 percent) and much less inclined to have experienced no postsecondary education.'

With college being a focus, students could be more goal oriented, and quite often portions of the colleges curriculum will likely be specifically targeted at preparing your youngster for faculty. Many private schools are even called 'college preparatory.' Private schools often encourage their students to consider a dynamic role in their college admission process. Students might be given more usage of details about college options, and they could possibly be made more alert to what's needed they should fulfill to be entitled to a particular school.

Community Service and a Feeling of Values:

Private schools often place a major emphasis on personal values. When selecting an individual school to your child, it's possible to find a school that includes a great deal of your own personal values into its everyday curriculum. Private schools will have honor codes and stricter behavioral standards that assist students develop into responsible grownups.

In line with the Condition of Education 2001 in the National Center for Education Statistics, 'At private schools, a better area of children had parents who have been very pleased with order and discipline compared to the varsity or teachers in 1999.' Parents in many cases are given greater say in school policies at private schools.

Many private schools require that their students complete a mandatory amount of community service hours. This not only supplies the obvious advantage of instilling a feeling of respect for your community and the significance of creating a contribution to society, but it also happens to be something colleges especially favor. Students could also find possible career options while fulfilling this service requirement such as political involvement to aid the neighborhood or counseling for endangered teens. Community service experiences teach students that education goes past the walls in the school, which sometimes requires action and initiative.

Discipline and Safety:

After dark fact that smaller classrooms are by their very nature easier to control, most private schools put special emphasis on discipline. Even though your son or daughter doesn't need discipline problems, disruptive peers can take away from your child's valuable learning time. The Condition of Education 2002 states that, 'Private school teachers were more probable than public school teachers to convey they had lots of affect on setting student performance standards (63 versus 38 percent) as well as on student discipline policy (48 versus 30 %).'

The push for discipline in private schools teaches children self control, that may ultimately be a requirement in college in which the student will likely be far more responsible for his personal attendance, and achievement. Also, stricter disciplinary policies mean that any major problems will be handled and eradicated quickly. Typical crimes that plague public schools are less frequent at private schools. The School Crime and Safety Report discovered that, 'Students in public schools (37.3 percent) were more apt to see hate-related graffiti at college than their counterparts privately schools (16.8 percent).'

A Word About Teachers:

Because teachers at private schools are not needed to generate same certifications as public school teachers, some parents worry that this teachers aren't as qualified. This is not necessarily true. Private schools must maintain their reputations and make positive word of mouth to thrive. Toward this end, private schools are often very selective about who they put in place front of these students, plus they choose educators with training specific towards the subject they shall be teaching.

A Community alone:

When you elect to sign up your son or daughter inside a private school, your family becomes part of a network of households sticking with the same goals. Parents at private schools will be more involved in the lives with the students and other school events. Being a parent, you might have the ability to connect to other parents to go over the lives of your children. Such relationships allow parents to find out from the other and support each other.

Students also take advantage of the community atmosphere of non-public schools. The very specific personalities of private schools often lead the kids to possess a strong feeling of pride and loyalty to the school as well as community. Each student may also take advantage of affiliation to the school far beyond graduation day. Many private schools have alumni mentoring programs that connect older alumni with newer ones. Recent graduates could find internship opportunities with alumni who had been working in their field of curiosity.

Families is Different:

In spite of the numerous benefits of private schooling, it ought to be declared private school isn't for each child. Some children would benefit from the diversity a public school can offer. Some parents would like their young children to be more tightly focused around the core subjects as opposed to the arts and extracurricular interests. And, needless to say, the financial burden that the private school brings is considerable. No student is perhaps same as another, and only a parent or gaurdian can know very well what the best choice is made for their child. Any child, whether in private or public school, will require the active participation of his / her parents to get true success.

School Choice:

The key advantage of private schooling is choice. Rather than sending your youngster to a public school that's needed is based on geography, isn't it about time exposed a selection of several schools which could have completely different educational styles and emphases, simply because you are picking out private education. Every private school includes a unique personality, and with a little research, certain schools will leave the swimming pool as having more features may gain advantage your son or daughter.

Perhaps the school is associated with your family's religious faith, and your child may be given a spiritual education in reference to his or her core studies. Maybe the school emphasizes writing, or it pushes self-expression. With the vast variety of private schools available, you can actually decide on a school that will help your youngster to shine and develop the values you will find most critical.

[privateschoolroswell31]

Why Private School? Some of the Potential Benefits

Private school roswell

The issue of how to teach a child is amongst the most significant a dad or mom can ask. An elementary choice that lots of parents have a problem with are public vs. private school. Parents wouldn't like to accept unnecessary expenses if they will not likely ultimately benefit their son or daughter. After all, many public schools do a fantastic job of training students. But while it's true that public schools do not have tuition costs (as well as a private school can run, an average of from 12,000 to 30,000 dollars 12 months), the benefits of a private education can continue to far outweigh the expenses based on the local options parents may face.

private schools atlanta

Students who attend private schools can be more academically challenged, subjected to clearer value systems, given greater usage of teachers, and may even simply feel safer than local public school options. Should you opt to pursue private schooling for the child, start your research process early. Admission to private schools might be competitive, and obtaining a school that's a perfect fit for your child where he / she is going to be be also accepted, usually takes time.

A greater Bar:

A serious benefits of private education that the child might be challenged with a higher academic standard. Private schools may be more academically rigorous than public schools, and personal school students may have to meet more criteria to maintain their grade point averages. Based on the Condition of Education 2001, from your National Center for Education Statistics, Private high schools most often have more demanding graduation requirements than do public high schools.

Compared with public schools, private schools required more coursework (in 4-year senior high school programs). More to expect of personal school students when it comes to quality of training, course workload, and special requirements including community service or Arts participation. In a few schools, what might normally be considered extracurricular activities, are prerequisites for graduation, which ultimately complete students' high school experience. The push to satisfy this higher standard often makes a greater level of student performance. Inside a recent NAEP report it absolutely was discovered that, 'Students privately schools scored significantly above the national average in grades four, eight, and twelve.

Since the report use it, 'Performance leads to 2002 demonstrate that, in any respect three grades, students who attended nonpublic schools had higher average writing scores than students who attended public schools.' In general, a student due to the possiblity to attend a personal school probably will reach a higher level of educational achievement.

Student Teacher Ratio:

Private schools also usually target controlling their class sizes. The NCES Schools and Staffing Survey found out that, 'Private high schools normally are not even half how big public schools. In central cities, as an example, the common size of an individual secondary school is 398, compared to 1,083 to get a public school.' Students of private schools could have more the opportunity to form relationships using teachers, that may make them greater academic success. In such cases, each student emerged help for his or her specific academic problems, that may permit the issue to be resolved quickly and correctly.

Once any issues inhibiting a student's progress are already addressed, the child can continue to accomplish at his or her highest level. Inside the Condition of Education 2002, it had been learned that, 'Placing students in small groups will foster close working relationships between teachers and students, thus enhancing learning, particularly among at-risk students the ones in the early grades.'

Also, small classes let the teachers to experience a better feeling of who your son or daughter is, and what her or his specific weaknesses and strengths are. Your son or daughter will also gain more the possiblility to speak up and be involved in class discussions. In addition, students might be offered office hours during which the teacher will be available. Students who have worked closely using teachers are less inclined to feel intimidated about using such time for you to actively seek the aid of their teachers directly.

Contact with the humanities:

Private schools are able to create their very own curriculum. Although, they must ultimately prepare students with similar basic course just like any other school, private schools also provide an opportunity to incorporate various elements for their programs. Private school administrators often develop programs that emphasize the humanities, perhaps way more than local public schooling options.

Schools might choose to produce elaborate plays and musicals, giving students unique opportunities to explore their talents and express themselves. Government regulations on public schools prevent them from spending greater than a certain percentage of college funds for the Arts. Private schools, however, usually are not subject to exactly the same regulations, and they've more freedom to produce and expand these programs as they wish. Some private schools may even offer filmmaking or video production courses that are opportunities normally reserved for college students.

Potentially More Funds:

The tuition that you just and yet another parents of an private school contribute often goes toward developing and funding special programs that would be restricted in public areas schools. The school just might offer alternative activities like special field trips that reinforce the school's curriculum. Such trips can give your kids the opportunity to form close friendships and build independence. The school could have more funds available to provide supplies to student-run clubs. The varsity could also create programs that better tie the humanities or sciences to the overall general curriculum.

A Push Towards College:

Private high schools can instill their students hoping of while attending college. Data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, 'Fourth Follow-up' (NELS: 1988/2000) demonstrate that, 'Students who had attended private school in 8th grade were doubly likely as people that had attended public school to possess completed a bachelor's or higher degree by their mid-20s (52 versus 26 percent) and much less inclined to experienced no postsecondary education.'

With college like a focus, students might be more goal oriented, and quite often elements of the colleges curriculum is going to be specifically aimed at preparing your son or daughter for faculty. Many private schools are known as 'college preparatory.' Private schools often encourage their students to adopt an energetic role in their own personal college admission process. Students could be given more entry to details about college options, and they might be made more conscious of what's needed they must fulfill to be eligible for a a particular school.

Community Service along with a A feeling of Values:

Private schools often put a major concentrate on personal values. When choosing an individual school on your child, it is possible to find a school that includes quite a lot of your individual values into its everyday curriculum. Private schools frequently have honor codes and stricter behavioral standards that really help students become responsible grownups.

Based on the Condition of Education 2001 from your National Center for Education Statistics, 'At private schools, a greater amount of children had parents have been very delighted by order and discipline than with the school or teachers in 1999.' Parents in many cases are given greater say in college policies at private schools.

Many private schools require that their students develop a mandatory number of community service hours. This not only offers the obvious good thing about instilling a sense of respect for your community along with the significance about creating a contribution to society, but it also happens to be something colleges especially favor. Students can also find possible career options while fulfilling this service requirement for example political involvement to help you the neighborhood or counseling for endangered teens. Community service experiences teach students that education surpasses the walls from the school, which sometimes requires action and initiative.

Discipline and Safety:

At night indisputable fact that smaller classrooms are by their very nature better to control, most private schools put special emphasis on discipline. Even though your child doesn't have discipline problems, disruptive peers might take from the child's valuable learning time. The Condition of Education 2002 claims that, 'Private school teachers were more probable than public school teachers to say they had plenty of impact on setting student performance standards (63 versus 38 percent) as well as on student discipline policy (48 versus 30 %).'

The push for discipline in private schools teaches children self control, which will ultimately be described as a requirement while attending college where the student will likely be a lot more accountable for his personal attendance, and achievement. Also, stricter disciplinary policies signify any major problems will be handled and eradicated quickly. Typical crimes that plague public schools are less frequent at private schools. The college Crime and Safety Report found that, 'Students in public schools (37.3 %) were more prone to see hate-related graffiti at school than their counterparts in private schools (16.8 percent).'

Anything About Teachers:

Because teachers at private schools aren't needed to earn the same certifications as public school teachers, some parents worry that the teachers are certainly not as qualified. This is simply not necessarily true. Private schools must maintain their reputations and make positive recommendations to survive. Toward this end, private schools are usually very selective about who they devote front of the students, and they choose educators with training specific for the subject are going to teaching.

A residential area in Itself:

When you decide to register your child in a private school, all your family members becomes portion of a network of homes sticking with the same goals. Parents at private schools will be more active in the lives with the students and various school events. As a parent, maybe you have the opportunity interact with other parents to debate the lives of your respective children. Such relationships allow parents to master from each other and support the other person.

Students also enjoy the community atmosphere of non-public schools. Ab muscles specific personalities of non-public schools often lead the students to have a strong a feeling of pride and loyalty to the school and its particular community. A student can also take advantage of affiliation towards the school far beyond graduation day. Many private schools have alumni mentoring programs that connect older alumni with newer ones. Recent graduates might discover internship opportunities with alumni who had been doing work in their field appealing.

Families differs:

Despite the numerous benefits of private schooling, it needs to be declared that private school just isn't for each and every child. Some children would enjoy the diversity a public school can provide. Some parents would choose their young children to become more tightly focused about the core subjects rather than the arts and extracurricular interests. And, needless to say, the financial burden that the private school brings is considerable. No student is the identical to another, in support of a parent can understand what the most suitable choice is for his or her child. Any child, whether in private or public school, will be needing the active participation of their parents to have true success.

School Choice:

The major advantage of private schooling is choice. As an alternative to sending your youngster to some public school that is needed according to geography, now you must showed a variety of several schools which could have completely different educational styles and emphases, simply because you are picking out private education. Every private school features a unique personality, with some on-line research, certain schools will leave the swimming pool as having more features than that will benefit your child.

Perhaps the school is associated with your family's religious faith, along with your child can be given a non secular education together with his or her core studies. Maybe the school emphasizes writing, or it pushes self-expression. With all the vast selection of private schools available, it is easy to pick a school that will assist your child to shine and enjoy the values you see most critical.

[thisisnotartcritique]

Weird.

How do you define weird, personally?/ What is weird to you?

P: Weird is a compliment, they stand out from the rest and make life interesting. Weird is experimental, a daring combination of materiality and subject, not another average landscape painting. When you look at art 24/7, you get tired of those…seems like weird is interchangeable with novelty. I would argue so because novelty sparks curiosity and interest, but it can also be intimidating. Perhaps weird stands between the fear of and the enjoyment of novelty?

M: Well-worded, Pete. I’d say non-conformist. Weird defies expectation, society itself. It is an outcast that will remain obscure, inspire a cult following, or fade into oblivion. In terms of art, it can be weird because of its materials, fabrication, concept, profitability, and/or the artist itself. Can trash, bones, or blood become art? Can marble statues be tattooed? Can a pale child-eating monster become iconic? Can a duct-taped banana make money? Can BIPOC poor and/or “ugly” artists make an impact? Ultimately, like art, weird is defined by its creator and/or their audience. No idea is original, but each person has their own voice. Does mine even matter? Who gives a shit.

J: Another label that humans enjoy using. I understand the usage of labels to categorize and organize artifacts, thoughts, and centuries of history, but they shouldn’t be used too liberally. Calling a person weird is honestly so strange: the main differences between you and the person you’re calling weird are the outside bits, which are only about 16% of your entire body. The rest is pretty much all the same. Even if people were to become the same on the outside, I have an inkling you’d all judge each other on sillier things like blood type, fingernail length, or mental fortitude. Likewise, it’s impossible to judge something as weird when considering the context it’s in, and even less so when in a vacuum. Art’s nice. 

M: Says the demon *coughs* 

Is it okay to categorize someone’s work as weird?

J:  Maybe not categorize, but free speech does exist. You can say what you want, whenever you want, and you have to face the consequences. So yes, you could call someone’s work weird, but maybe not when they’re standing behind you holding a stapler on opening night where they’ve invited their new girlfriend to the exhibition, and you’ve already had a few drinks too many.

P: Or just when they’re standing behind you. But I agree, I am not against describing something as weird, as I said before, it is a compliment. There is always a weird one in a friend group, I won’t name names here, but they are always fun to hang around with, right? 

Since you are asking, I would say it is more problematic to categorize, even though that is what we are doing in this blog… let’s say we are against conventional categorization and labelling!

M: No idea who you’re talking about, Pete but sure you’re not an absolute bore. Hans on the other hand… 

Anyways, weird can be derogatory or complimentary. As critics, we tread a fine line between being critical and yet compassionate. Even if and when we separate an artist from their work, our words can impact them and our readers. Is it okay to critique? To label? 

As carefully, as responsibly, or as carelessly as one might dissect work, art is a dangerous world for those who paint their hearts freely on their sleeves. 

My higher education, my sordid history as an artist, and my colleagues Hans and Pete don’t make me any better a critic than the proletariat or the average person. My charm might, though. 

But regardless, weird is slippery. Abstract. Alone, it makes no real statement. That in itself may be worse than any scathing injury. 

J: I’m starting to see a trend in who the punching bag of the team is, but when you’ve been alive for as long as I have, you develop thick skin.

M: Bullsh**. I bet you’ll order UberEats after this to avoid facing your emotional problems. I hope you remember that time you said “you too” to that waiter in Rome centuries ago, you desiccated fuck. 

P: That is enough children.

J: I DID in fact order UberEats today. Nothing wrong with that, supporting businesses during a pandemic. Also, wasn’t I ordering for you? Your Latin sucked ass then.

M: Well, order directly then! Businesses barely make any money from Uber Eats with all their commissions. And you know what? You can learn a language, but you can’t learn class, Johnny. 

P: I said Enough. But good point there Mike, take notes.

J: … are we really going to let a mortal interrupt us? Fine, I’m leaving.

M: Finally! Good riddance. Pete, you want to get bubble tea? 

Pete leaves the chat. 

[kenshi-vakarian7]

Kira Ryder for the OC asks. Number 72 if you dont wanna answer all of them

This took a very long time, but I FINALLY completed this @alyssalenko !  Thank you for your patience. =)

---

1 - What is/are your OC’s nickname(s) and how did it come about?

She doesn’t have a nickname. Though there was that one and only time Luke called her ‘Ra Ra’ for no reason other than shits and giggles (and he was also tipsy). She put a stop to it right away by threatening to show his then-girlfriend pictures of him as a baby.

2 -  What is the color of your OC’s eyes/hair/skin?

Blue, dark brown, and pale peach.

3- How tall is your OC?

5'7''

4 - What is a noticeable physical attribute of your OC?

Her blue eyes, and her full lips.

5 - What does your OC normally wear? What would your OC wear on a special night?

She likes to wear her blue and black leather jacket and jeans most days.  Some days, she'll wear a cute shirt.  If it calls for it, she accessorize with earrings, necklaces, and the black scarf her mother gave her for her 18th birthday.  On special nights, she's more dressy and likes to wear a nice blouse and mini skirt.

6 - What is one word you would use to describe your OC’s appearances?

Brave

7 - Does your OC have any markings, such as a birthmark or a scar?

She has a scar on her right hip.  She got it from her time in the Alliance when she got too close to a batarian pirate while trying to help fight against a colony raid. Thankfully, it didn't go deep enough, but it did not heal right, hence the scar.

8 - How does your OC talk/what does your OC’s voice sound like?

She sounds just as she does in the game, just with a little more twinge of confidence (especially since I usually pick the logical/professional response options with her).

9 - What does your OC’s bedroom look like?  His/her living area?

On the Tempest, the room is bigger than she's used to, though she loves the panorama view of space.  Aside from a couple of personal items, she's pretty much kept the room as it was when she first boarded. The only thing she wished she had was a freakin' private bathroom!  Like, seriously, all that room and no bathroom?! Laaaaame...

10 - What does your OC keep in a special drawer?

Her old Alliance dog tags.  It was the only thing she managed to keep from her days in the Alliance.

11 - What is your OC’s relationship with his/her mother?  

She adores her mother and appreciates all the little things she's done for her and her brother over the years.  They rarely fought and she likes to think she inherited her mother's compassion.

12 - What is your OC’s relationship with his/her father?

As a little girl, she adored her father and considered him her hero.  She was close to him and wanted to be in the military just like he was once she was all grown up.  Their relationship changed when she was a teenager as he became more distant and more strict.  They fought a lot before she and her brother were sent to boarding school.  After that, there was nothing but tension between them.  After her mother died however, her father started to open up a bit more and their relationship before to slowly heal.  They were still healing their relationship when he died not long after they arrived in Andromeda.  These days, Kira tries to focus on the good memories.

She likes to think that she inherited her father’s bravery… and perhaps his stubborness.

13 - How many siblings does your OC and what is his/her relationship with them?

She has one brother, her twin Luke. Despite the fact that he could occasionally be a little annoying with his humor, they are in fact best friends who tell each other almost everything.

14 - Who is the mother and/or father figure in your OC’s life?

She actually doesn't have one… but at the very least, Drack has become more like a grandfather figure to her.  She fondly calls him 'Gramps.'

15 - What was your OC’s childhood like?

Aside from growing up on a space station and having a father who was a little bit strict, her childhood was actually pretty normal.  She had friends, went to school, went on family vacations, etc.

16 - What is your OC’s strongest childhood memory? Why and how as that impacted him/her?

There really isn’t another that was strong per se, but the ones that do stick to her were all the times she and her family would go on vacation to various places on Earth.  Her favorite trip was the time they went to Norway and saw the Northern Lights.  It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her lifetime.  She hopes to see something similar in Andromeda someday in order to re-experience that moment once more.

17 - What is your OC’s imagination like?

She normally imagines what the future would be like, like her career and even her romantic life.  She's not big on weddings, but does like to imagine herself in her dream wedding gown.

18 - How many times did your OC move as a child?  Which area was his/her favorite?

She spent the majority of her life on the Citadel, where she was born. Occasionally, she and her family would travel between there, the Sierras, Brazil (where her mother was born), and Arcturus Station where she and Luke attended the station's academy/Alliance Junior program (their version of high school). She really loves going to the Sierras more so for the view.

19 - What does your OC think of children- either in general or about having them?

She doesn't mind children, and figured that it didn't matter in the end whether or not she became a mother.  If it happens, it happens.

20 - What kind of mother/father would your OC be?

She'd like to think that she is as nurturing as a mother, and less strict than her father.

21 - Who are your OC’s closest relatives?

She adored her grandparents on both sides. otherwise, she wasn't really close with any of her aunts, uncles, or cousins.

22 - Who is/are your OC’s closest friend(s)?

Back in the Milky Way, her closest friend was Solana Vakarian, who was one of the few to stick by her till the end after the Ryder reputation got tarnished from her father’s AI experiments.

In Andromeda, she would become close to Vetra, who becomes like a sister to her, and Drack, who she fondly calls 'Gramps.'

23 - Who are the people your OC surrounds him/herself with?

Definitely her family and close friends.

24 - Who are the people your OC dislikes/hates?

Aside from those like the Archon, Kira really disliked Addison when she first met her. She could get her lack of trust in her since she was practically an unknown, but it really didn't sit well when she mentioned her 'goddamn father' while Kira was still reeling from his very recent death. The whole situation with Spender didn't help either, though once Addison stepped up, they started to get along a little better, at least professionally. Kira did appreciate the fact that Addison asked her how Luke was doing after everything he went through, but they otherwise didn't talk much unless it was about initiative business.

25 - If your OC has a soulmate, who is it?

A certain shady bastard from Kadara. 😋

26 - Why does your OC and his/her soulmate work so well together?

They relate to the fact that they're both leaders with big responsibilities (hers being more public of course).  But one key thing is the fact that they treat the other like they are normal.  Obviously it's more apparent in her case, but it's something he appreciates as well.  In other words, they see and treat each other like normal human beings rather than an enigma/very-well connected smuggler.

Also, the sex is great!  XD

27 - What are some things your OC admires about his/her soulmate?

She admires his practicality, resourcefulness (even if they came from shady dealings), and his ability to surprise her every now and then (except the High Noon mission of course - that’s one type of surprise she prefers not to experience again).  She does envy the fact that he can work anonymously.

28 - How did your OC and his/her soulmate meet?

Evfra had them meet at Kralla's Song involving a mission to find one of his men.  They were business partners at first, but the more time they spent together, the more they became infatuated with each other.  One thing led to another, and as they say, the rest is history.

29 - What is your OC’s level of education?

She has a high school diploma, and went straight to a military career after that. She considered her options of a college education after the whole thing with her career went belly-up.

30 - Did your OC participate in extracurricular activities, and if so, what were they?

She mostly was involved in junior military programs while at the academy.  She also enjoyings rock climbing.

31 - What is your OC’s opinion of school?  What kind of student was s/he?

Kira knows education is important, but like many kids growing up, she'd rather stay home all day and have fun.  She was an above-average student; never on the honor roll, but did well enough.

32 - What subjects did your OC excel at?

History and science.

33 - What subjects interested your OC?

Since she was young, Kira was always interested in military history. It helped give her insight on what life was like as a soldier, and perhaps what she could expect in our own career despite how 'results may vary.’

34 - What is your OC’s dream job and/or current profession?

Dream job: a military career, which she was able to get before her family reputation was tarnished and she was discharged.

Current profession: The Andromeda Initiative's Human Pathfinder.

In the future, she becomes an arbitrator.

35 - How is your OC working towards his/her dream job and/or achieved his/her current profession?

She attended her academy’s programs to get a head-start in her military career, which was her dream job.

As the Human Pathfinder, she was forced into the role after her father’s death and she did the best she could with it.

Becoming an Arbitrator included a very long story involving a near all-out war between the Milky Way species and Angarans living on Kadara.  In the end, while negotiating a peace treaty, the angarans wouldn’t accept anyone from the Milky Way to serve the role except Kira.  Kira accepted the responsibility because not only would it finally give her an exit from her role as Pathfinder, but she finally found a means of staying on Kadara (and Reyes) for good.  Her experience as Pathfinder would prove invaluable in her new job.

36 - What are your OC’s thoughts/opinions of his/her current profession?

She knows she's making a big difference, especially after a very rough beginning for the entire initiative. That, at the very least, fulfills her, though after a couple of years, she'll grow tired of her profession.

37 - What is your OC’s biggest dream?

It’s quite simple… A decent house with a great view, surrounded by at least two to four cats, and equipped with a mini bar.

Before that, it was joining the military and making a difference, which she got to do for a little while. At least as Pathfinder, she did get to fully make a difference as she always dreamed about.

38- How does your OC react to and handle stress?

She works very well under stress, which she knows is essential in leadership roles. She believes her father prepared her to handle stress since she was young.

39- How does your OC handle anger?

She's very good about clamping it down in public. However, if she's desperate enough, she'll march to her room, smother her face into a pillow, and then scream into it at the top of her lungs.

40- How does your OC handle grief?

She usually handles it privately and is usually very good at compartmentalizing her emotions.  Only very occasionally she loses control, and she really hates those moments.

41- What is your OC’s greatest fear?

Having everyone she loves die before her, leaving her completely alone.

42 - What makes your OC happy?

Trying new things.

43- What kind of sense of humor does your OC have?

She occasionally shows some dry sarcasm.  Every once in a while, she channels her brother’s humor, more so to someone who gives her an attitude for no reason… though she never lets Luke know that in order for him to keep his precious pride. =P

44- What are some things that greatly upset your OC?

The suffering of others, especially if she couldn’t save them.

45- What are some things that annoy your OC?

Entitled people, gatekeeping, and her brother’s humor (but only when she’s in a very bad mood).

46- If your OC has them, what are some regrets s/he has?

She had a friend she met on the Citadel named Jex who was also… a friend with benefits.  Things were fine between them for a year and Jex proved to be a very supportive friend during that time since this was all going on while her mother was ill.  However, at some point, Jex developed feelings for Kira and, one day, confessed to her.  Initially, Kira rejected him because the last thing she wanted was to get hurt again after her last serious relationship ended badly.

Not long after, Kira went to Earth to say goodbye to her mother, who was on the brink of death.  Her mother’s last words to her were, ‘Fall in love, at least once.’  Those words weighed heavy on Kira and soon, she came to realize that she couldn't be afraid to love anymore.  She decided to open her heart to Jex, sending him a message to meet up once she arrived on the Citadel… which was attacked by Sovereign while she was traveling.  Jex would die during that battle, but Kira wouldn’t find out until a few days later.

Holding back, letting herself be afraid, and not telling Jex how she felt are the things she would always regret.

47- How easily does your OC forgive?

It depends on the circumstances. She’s pretty good at detecting whether or not someone’s apology is genuine. Her gut instincts also help in these kinds of situations.

In general, Kira will forgive you depending on how sincere you are.

48- What are some of your OC’s vices?

Indulging in a little too much chocolate, having sex for stress relief, and (very, very rarely) drinking.

49- If your OC experienced trauma, what was it?

She never experienced trauma that affected her until she arrived in Andromeda. The first was when she was suffocating on Habitat 7, while adding the fact that her father sacrificed his life for hers.  She developed a fear of suffocation because of it.

The second was discovering what the kett had done to the salarians on the Archon's Ship as well as making the choice to leave Pathfinder Raeka behind. That affected her more profoundly than SAM having to revive her later in the mission.

50- What secrets does your OC have?

She doesn’t really have any huge secrets, just little insignificant stuff. There is one little secret that her brother Luke knows about - and will absolutely murder him over - if he ever said one word about it to anyone in Andromeda.  

The secret? 

That embarrassing moment from one summer, while camping with friends on Earth at the start of their adulthood, when she lost her bikini top while swimming in the lake… and didn’t realize she lost until all of her friends (and her brother…) got a *ahem* view.

51- What are some of your OC’s morals?

Her morals are pretty basic; be compassionate, understanding, and shoot people between the eyes if they try to kill you and your friends.

52- What are some of your OC’s motivations?

Simply, she wants to make a difference in making the universe a better place.

53- What is the health of your OC?

Physically, she's very healthy and in top shape.  

Considering everything she's been through, she's okay mentally, though the occasional nightmares plague her from time to time.

54- Does your OC think with his/her head or heart?

Her head, 98% of the time.

55- What are your OC’s thoughts on death?  

To her, death is an inevitability that will come sooner or later, which is why she needed to make the most of her life. The only thing that she hopes for is to not die alone and/or painfully.

56 - What are some of your OC’s strengths?

Her bravery, leadership skills, and maintaining calm and morale during stressful situations.

57- What are some of your OC’s weaknesses?

Hiding her personal feelings, even from those she’s close to.  Also chocolate.

58- How does your OC take criticism?

She’s fine with them as long as they’re constructive.  If they’re insulting, she brushes them off and moves on.  It’s not worth seething over.

59- What does your OC think of him/herself?

She likes to think of herself as responsible and braver than most.  She does worry about the morale of others under her leadership and how they perceive her.

60- If your OC could change one thing about him/herself, what would it be?

To open a little bit of her vulnerable side so that she could show others that, she too, is just human.

61- What is the general impression your OC gives other people?

Mature and brave, but still very young and learning about the universe around her.

62- How emotionally/mentally vulnerable is your OC with other people?

She's very private about her emotions and vulnerability. As a matter of fact, she'd rather not show them off at all if she can help it, even around those she is closest to.

63- How does your OC display love?

She shows rather than tells through her actions.

64- What are some habits your OC has picked up?

Hiding away when upset, and overindulging on chocolate when stressed.

65- What is your OC’s favorite drink?

Whiskey and coffee.  No, not at the same time!

66- What is your OC’s favorite foods?

Chocolate, sushi, and strawberries.

67- What is your OC’s favorite sweet?

Chocolate!

68- What is your OC’s favorite season?

Autumn

69- What is your OC’s favorite kind of weather?

Weather that is just cool enough for her to wear a sweater.  Autumn is her ideal season.

70- What is your OC’s favorite book?

She doesn’t have a particular favorite book, but her favorite genre is mystery thriller.

71- What is your OC’s favorite movie and/or TV show?

She doesn’t have a particular favorite, but she does enjoy action films and comedy shows.

72- What is your OC’s favorite kind music (and song if there is one)?

Modern synthetic music that she could dance to in a nightclub.

73- What is your OC’s favorite form of entertainment?

Nightclub dancing, concerts, and movies.

74- What is your OC’s favorite color?

Blue

75- What is your OC’s favorite scent?

Honeydew.

76- What is your OC’s favorite animal?

Cats 🐱

77- What is your OC’s favorite sound?

The crackling sound of an open fire.

78- What is your OC’s favorite time of day?

Definitely late evening. She feels most alive around this time.

79- What is your OC’s favorite kind of ice cream?

Chocolate fudge brownie.

80- What is your OC’s favorite dinosaur?

She personally finds the Saurolophus to be strangely adorable. 

[privateschooldunwoody2-blog]

Why Private University? A glance at the Likely Gains

Private Schools in Dunwoody

The issue of the best way to teach a youngster is without doubt one of the most vital a dad or mum can inquire. A basic selection that lots of dad and mom battle with is the fact that of public vs. personal faculty. Mother and father do not wish to consider on avoidable expenditures when they won't eventually benefit their youngster. Soon after all, a lot of community educational facilities do a wonderful job of training college students. But though it really is correct that community educational institutions would not have tuition expenses (as well as a personal college can operate, on regular from 12,000 to thirty,000 pounds a 12 months), the benefits of a non-public education and learning can nevertheless considerably outweigh the costs dependent around the neighborhood possibilities dad and mom may possibly facial area.

Private School Sandy Springs

Pupils who show up at personal universities is usually far more academically challenged, subjected to clearer value techniques, presented higher entry to academics, and could simply just experience safer than neighborhood public school selections. For those who do commit to pursue personal schooling on your little one, get started the research process early. Admission to private faculties is often aggressive, and finding a university that is a fantastic suit for your personal kid the place they might be even be recognized, may perhaps just take a while.

A better Bar:

A major edge to personal education and learning is usually that your son or daughter will most likely be challenged to a better educational standard. Non-public educational facilities may be far more academically arduous than general public colleges, and personal college pupils could have to satisfy more standards to help keep up their grade position averages. In accordance with the Situation of Schooling 2001, within the National Heart for Education Stats, Non-public superior universities usually have much more demanding graduation requirements than do public high educational facilities.

In comparison with community faculties, private universities required far more coursework (in 4-year highschool applications). Additional could be expected of private school pupils with regard to good quality of work, system workload, and exclusive requirements this sort of as neighborhood services or Arts participation. In some universities, what would ordinarily be regarded extracurricular pursuits, are prerequisites for graduation, which eventually round out students' high school encounter. The push to fulfill this increased normal often results in a bigger level of student effectiveness. In a very latest NAEP report it had been uncovered that, 'Students in private faculties scored appreciably higher than the nationwide common in grades 4, eight, and twelve.

Because the report put it, 'Performance results in 2002 show that, at all three grades, college students who attended nonpublic schools had bigger normal writing scores than students who attended general public colleges.' Generally, a student offered the chance to attend a private university will almost certainly access a higher level of educational achievement.

Pupil Instructor Ratio:

Non-public schools also are inclined to deal with managing their class measurements. The NCES Schools and Staffing Survey uncovered that, 'Private superior educational facilities on regular are a lot less than 50 percent the dimensions of general public faculties. In central cities, by way of example, the normal dimension of a non-public highschool is 398, when compared to one,083 for any general public school.' Pupils of private universities could possibly have much more chances to sort relationships with their teachers, that may guide them to higher academic achievements. In this kind of instances, a student is supplied assistance for his / her specific tutorial challenges, that may enable the concern to get fixed quickly and properly.

After any challenges inhibiting a student's progress are actually addressed, the kid can go on to attain at his / her maximum level. From the Affliction of Training 2002, it had been located that, 'Placing pupils in small teams has a tendency to foster near doing work interactions among teachers and learners, consequently boosting discovering, significantly among the at-risk students and people in the early grades.'

Also, little courses enable the teachers to have a superior feeling of who your child is, and what his or her particular strengths and weaknesses are. Your son or daughter will also have a lot more chances to speak up and take part in class discussions. In addition, college students could be provided business office hrs during which the trainer will likely be available. College students which have labored closely with their academics are a lot less likely to feel intimidated about working with these kinds of the perfect time to actively search for assistance from their lecturers immediately.

Publicity on the Arts:

Non-public educational institutions possess the capability to generate their own personal curriculum. Despite the fact that, they must in the long run put together learners while using the identical essential training course as every other college, non-public colleges even have the choice to incorporate a variety of factors to their plans. Non-public university administrators frequently develop courses that emphasize the humanities, perhaps more so than nearby public education selections.

Faculties may pick out to provide elaborate plays and musicals, giving students special chances to investigate their skills and specific by themselves. Authorities polices on community educational institutions reduce them from expending much more than a certain share of college resources around the Arts. Personal schools, however, aren't subject matter to the exact same restrictions, they usually have additional flexibility to establish and expand these plans as they wish. Some private colleges might even present filmmaking or online video manufacturing programs which happen to be options generally reserved for school students.

Likely Far more Cash:

The tuition that you as well as other moms and dads of a private school add frequently will go toward acquiring and funding exclusive packages that might be limited in community educational institutions. The college could possibly offer other pursuits these as special discipline trips that fortify the school's curriculum. Such visits can give your son or daughter alternatives to sort near friendships and build independence. The college can have much more cash available to deliver materials to student-run clubs. The varsity also may possibly create packages that better tie the arts or sciences in the overall normal curriculum.

A Thrust Towards University:

Private large schools can instill their pupils together with the expectation of attending higher education. Data from the Nationwide Schooling Longitudinal Research of 1988, 'Fourth Follow-up' (NELS: 1988/2000) display that, 'Students who had attended personal school in eighth grade were two times as possible as those that had attended general public university to get accomplished a bachelor's or larger diploma by their mid-20s (52 versus 26 percent) and far considerably less possible to obtain experienced no postsecondary instruction.'

With faculty to be a target, learners is often extra aim oriented, and often features from the educational institutions curriculum will likely be precisely targeted at planning your child for college. Numerous non-public educational institutions are even called 'college preparatory.' Private schools often inspire their learners to consider an energetic job inside their very own higher education admission process. Learners may possibly be offered more access to details about school choices, and so they may possibly be produced extra conscious in the demands they need to fulfill to qualify for any precise faculty.

Neighborhood Support plus a Perception of Values:

Private educational institutions normally place a major emphasis on individual values. When choosing a personal faculty for the boy or girl, it's achievable to locate a faculty that comes with a good deal of one's own values into its every day curriculum. Non-public colleges normally have honor codes and stricter behavioral expectations that enable learners produce into mature grown ups.

Based on the Ailment of Schooling 2001 within the Nationwide Centre for Schooling Stats, 'At personal colleges, a greater percentage of kids experienced mothers and fathers who have been extremely satisfied with purchase and self-control than while using the school or academics in 1999.' Mother and father will often be given greater say at school guidelines at non-public schools.

A lot of private colleges demand that their college students full a mandatory number of community support hours. This not just provides the plain advantage of instilling a sense of respect for that community as well as the worth of making a contribution to culture, but it surely also occurs to generally be something faculties particularly favor. Pupils may discover attainable career alternatives while fulfilling this provider need such as political involvement to aid the community or counseling for endangered teens. Community provider ordeals instruct college students that education and learning goes outside of the partitions of your school, and that it occasionally needs motion and initiative.

Self-discipline and Safety:

Past the fact that smaller sized lecture rooms are by their quite character a lot easier to regulate, most non-public faculties put distinctive emphasis on self-control. Although your child does not have self-control problems, disruptive friends could take away from your kid's beneficial understanding time. The Affliction of Instruction 2002 states that, 'Private school teachers were being more very likely than general public university lecturers to convey which they had a good deal of affect on placing pupil general performance benchmarks (63 vs . 38 percent) and on student discipline policy (forty eight versus 30 percent).'

The press for discipline in personal educational facilities teaches kids self regulate, that may finally become a need in school wherever the student will be much much more liable for their very own attendance, and achievement. Also, stricter disciplinary guidelines mean that any significant challenges are going to be managed and eradicated speedily. Usual crimes that plague general public schools are significantly less popular at personal universities. The school Crime and Security Report found that, 'Students in public educational facilities (37.three p.c) were being extra apt to discover hate-related graffiti at college than their counterparts in non-public schools (sixteen.eight per cent).'

A Word About Instructors:

For the reason that academics at personal schools are certainly not needed to receive exactly the same certifications as general public faculty lecturers, some dad and mom fret that the lecturers are not as qualified. This is often not always accurate. Personal educational institutions have to preserve their reputations and produce positive word of mouth to outlive. Toward this finish, private colleges are generally extremely selective about who they area before their pupils, and they decide on educators with training distinct to your subject matter they are going to be educating.

A Neighborhood in Itself:

Once you plan to enroll your son or daughter in the private college, your family becomes a part of a network of families while using the similar aims. Dad and mom at non-public educational institutions tend to be more involved inside the lives on the college students and different faculty occasions. Like a mum or dad, it's possible you'll provide the possibility to attach with other mom and dad to debate the life of your respective youngsters. These interactions allow for parents to learn from each other and assist each other.

The students also gain in the community ambiance of private schools. The really unique personalities of private universities normally direct the scholars to possess a potent feeling of pride and loyalty on the university and its neighborhood. The student could also profit from affiliation into the college considerably further than graduation day. Numerous private faculties have alumni mentoring systems that connect older alumni with more recent ones. Modern graduates may perhaps come across internship options with alumni that have been doing the job inside their field of fascination.

Each individual Family is different:

Despite the a lot of great things about non-public schooling, it must be mentioned that personal college is not for each and every child. Some children would advantage through the range a community school can supply. Some parents would prefer their little ones to generally be a lot more concentrated on the core subjects fairly when compared to the arts and extracurricular interests. And, obviously, the economical stress that a private university brings is significant. No university student is strictly the same as a different, and just a father or mother can know what the top alternative is for his or her kid. Any baby, no matter whether in non-public or community faculty, will require the active participation of her or his dad and mom so that you can reach true achievement.

College Selection:

The foremost advantage of private schooling is choice. Alternatively than sending your son or daughter to the public university that is necessary dependant on geography, now you've got opened up a selection of a number of universities which will have incredibly diverse academic variations and emphases, just because that you are picking out non-public instruction. Just about every personal faculty provides a exceptional character, and using a minor exploration, particular schools will emerge from your pool as owning additional characteristics than that should profit your son or daughter.

Perhaps the college is affiliated along with your family's spiritual faith, as well as your little one is often given a non secular education and learning along together with his or her core studies. Probably the college emphasizes creating, or it pushes self-expression. Along with the huge variety of personal educational facilities obtainable, it is straightforward to pick out a college that could enable your son or daughter to glow and develop the values you find most vital.

[privateschoolatlanta3-blog]

Why Private University? A glance on the Possible Added benefits

Private Schools in Atlanta

The problem of how to educate a child is without doubt one of the most crucial a parent can request. A primary decision a large number of parents struggle with is that of community vs. non-public college. Mothers and fathers don't would like to consider on needless expenditures when they won't in the long run gain their youngster. Immediately after all, several public colleges do an outstanding occupation of educating college students. But though it really is true that public schools don't have tuition prices (plus a personal school can run, on ordinary from twelve,000 to 30,000 bucks a calendar year), the benefits of a non-public schooling can nonetheless considerably outweigh the prices dependent on the local selections dad and mom could experience.

Private School Sandy Springs

College students who attend private schools is usually extra academically challenged, subjected to clearer value methods, presented bigger accessibility to instructors, and could merely truly feel safer than community general public college options. In the event you do decide to pursue non-public education in your child, start out the investigate system early. Admission to personal universities might be competitive, and finding a university that could be a fantastic healthy on your youngster wherever he / she are going to be even be recognized, may take some time.

An increased Bar:

A significant gain to personal training is the fact that your child will likely be challenged to some greater academic conventional. Private colleges may be much more academically rigorous than general public universities, and personal university learners can have to meet additional standards to help keep up their grade level averages. According to the Condition of Education and learning 2001, within the National Center for Schooling Stats, Personal large universities commonly have additional demanding graduation specifications than do community large educational institutions.

In contrast with community educational institutions, non-public faculties demanded a lot more coursework (in 4-year high school courses). Extra might be envisioned of personal university pupils when it comes to excellent of labor, program workload, and specific prerequisites these types of as community provider or Arts participation. In certain universities, what would generally be thought of extracurricular activities, are stipulations for graduation, which in the long run round out students' highschool experience. The drive to meet this larger common generally results in a higher standard of pupil overall performance. In a modern NAEP report it absolutely was observed that, 'Students in non-public faculties scored noticeably over the nationwide normal in grades 4, eight, and twelve.

Since the report set it, 'Performance brings about 2002 exhibit that, in any respect 3 grades, students who attended nonpublic schools had larger common composing scores than college students who attended community universities.' In general, a pupil given the opportunity to attend a non-public university will more than likely attain the next volume of tutorial accomplishment.

University student Instructor Ratio:

Non-public universities also often deal with managing their course dimensions. The NCES Educational facilities and Staffing Study uncovered that, 'Private large colleges on typical are considerably less than half the size of public faculties. In central towns, such as, the average dimension of a personal highschool is 398, when compared to 1,083 for your general public university.' College students of personal schools could have far more chances to form associations with their teachers, which may direct them to higher educational good results. In these instances, a college student is specified help for her or his distinct educational complications, which can enable the concern to become resolved immediately and properly.

Once any issues inhibiting a student's progress have been tackled, the kid can go on to achieve at her or his highest stage. Within the Affliction of Training 2002, it had been located that, 'Placing learners in compact teams has a tendency to foster shut operating associations amongst teachers and students, consequently boosting learning, particularly amongst at-risk students and those while in the early grades.'

Also, small classes allow the teachers to have a better perception of who your child is, and what his / her unique strengths and weaknesses are. Your child will even have additional possibilities to speak up and engage in course conversations. Furthermore, college students might be presented office environment hrs all through which the teacher is going to be obtainable. Students who may have labored carefully with their teachers are much less most likely to truly feel intimidated about utilizing these time and energy to actively request enable from their instructors immediately.

Exposure to the Arts:

Non-public colleges hold the ability to generate their very own curriculum. While, they have to in the long run put together college students with all the exact fundamental program as some other college, non-public colleges also have the option to incorporate a variety of elements to their applications. Private faculty administrators generally build applications that emphasize the arts, possibly more so than community public schooling alternatives.

Colleges may pick to supply elaborate performs and musicals, offering learners distinctive chances to investigate their skills and express them selves. Government laws on general public educational institutions protect against them from paying much more than a particular percentage of college money over the Arts. Non-public colleges, nevertheless, will not be subject for the identical regulations, plus they have extra freedom to produce and develop these systems because they wish. Some private educational institutions may possibly even offer filmmaking or movie generation courses which happen to be options typically reserved for college learners.

Possibly More Funds:

The tutoring that you choose to along with the other moms and dads of a non-public faculty lead normally will go toward developing and funding unique programs that will be restricted in general public educational facilities. The varsity could possibly supply other functions such as particular area journeys that reinforce the school's curriculum. This kind of trips can provide your child chances to variety near friendships and establish independence. The college could possibly have much more funds out there to supply supplies to student-run clubs. The college also may perhaps develop packages that improved tie the humanities or sciences into the total general curriculum.

A Thrust In direction of Faculty:

Private higher educational institutions can instill their students together with the expectation of attending school. Knowledge through the Countrywide Schooling Longitudinal Examine of 1988, 'Fourth Follow-up' (NELS: 1988/2000) display that, 'Students who experienced attended private university in eighth quality were being 2 times as very likely as those who experienced attended community university to obtain concluded a bachelor's or higher diploma by their mid-20s (52 vs . 26 %) and much significantly less possible to acquire had no postsecondary education.'

With college or university being a emphasis, pupils is often much more goal oriented, and sometimes components of your educational facilities curriculum are going to be especially aimed at getting ready your son or daughter for faculty. A lot of personal educational facilities are even referred to as 'college preparatory.' Private universities frequently really encourage their college students to choose an active purpose of their individual university admission method. Pupils may possibly be provided a lot more obtain to details about university alternatives, and they may well be built much more knowledgeable with the prerequisites they have to satisfy to qualify for the particular school.

Neighborhood Service and also a Perception of Values:

Personal educational facilities frequently place a serious emphasis on particular values. When selecting a private college to your baby, it really is probable to find a faculty that incorporates a great deal of the have values into its each day curriculum. Non-public educational facilities normally have honor codes and stricter behavioral expectations that assistance college students acquire into mature grown ups.

According to the Condition of Schooling 2001 within the Nationwide Centre for Instruction Statistics, 'At non-public educational institutions, a better proportion of youngsters experienced mother and father who were being quite satisfied with buy and self-control than with the school or academics in 1999.' Parents tend to be supplied better say at school procedures at personal faculties.

Lots of private educational institutions need that their college students total a mandatory quantity of local community company hours. This not just presents the apparent benefit of instilling a sense of respect to the local community as well as the significance of making a contribution to culture, nevertheless it also occurs to be one thing schools in particular favor. College students could also uncover achievable profession alternatives whilst fulfilling this provider need these as political involvement to aid the group or counseling for endangered teenagers. Group service ordeals teach pupils that training goes outside of the walls in the school, and that it occasionally involves motion and initiative.

Discipline and Safety:

Past the point that lesser school rooms are by their very mother nature less complicated to manage, most personal colleges set distinctive emphasis on self-control. Whether or not your son or daughter does not have self-discipline issues, disruptive friends could get away from your kid's beneficial learning time. The Condition of Schooling 2002 states that, 'Private college lecturers were far more very likely than public university instructors to convey that they had lots of impact on placing student efficiency requirements (sixty three as opposed to 38 p.c) and on university student discipline plan (forty eight as opposed to thirty p.c).'

The thrust for self-discipline in private universities teaches youngsters self control, which can ultimately become a prerequisite in higher education where the scholar will be considerably much more responsible for his or her very own attendance, and accomplishment. Also, stricter disciplinary insurance policies imply that any key troubles is going to be dealt with and eradicated rapidly. Regular crimes that plague community faculties are significantly less popular at personal colleges. The varsity Crime and Basic safety Report located that, 'Students in general public universities (37.3 per cent) ended up extra apt to view hate-related graffiti in school than their counterparts in non-public universities (sixteen.eight p.c).'

A Phrase About Lecturers:

Because teachers at private universities usually are not required to get paid the exact same certifications as general public university academics, some mothers and fathers stress the instructors aren't as skilled. This can be not automatically correct. Personal educational institutions should keep their reputations and make favourable word of mouth to outlive. Towards this conclusion, personal educational institutions are frequently incredibly selective about who they area in front of their pupils, plus they select educators with instruction precise to the subject matter they are going to be instructing.

A Local community in Alone:

When you plan to enroll your child inside a personal school, your family will become section of a community of family members while using the identical plans. Mother and father at private educational facilities are more concerned within the life of your students and several school occasions. As a mum or dad, you could contain the chance to attach with other parents to discuss the lives of your children. These kinds of relationships enable mom and dad to master from one another and assist one another.

The scholars also profit from your neighborhood ambiance of personal educational facilities. The really certain personalities of personal schools often guide the students to have a strong feeling of satisfaction and loyalty to your university and its local community. The scholar can also profit from affiliation towards the faculty much further than graduation working day. Several non-public educational facilities have alumni mentoring systems that join more mature alumni with newer types. Current graduates could discover internship options with alumni who may have been performing in their industry of interest.

Each and every Household differs:

Despite the several advantages of private schooling, it must be claimed that non-public university is not for every youngster. Some small children would reward within the diversity a public college can give. Some dad and mom would favor their youngsters to become extra targeted on the core subjects fairly when compared to the arts and extracurricular interests. And, naturally, the money stress that a non-public faculty delivers is appreciable. No scholar is strictly similar to a further, and only a mother or father can understand what the most beneficial alternative is for his / her boy or girl. Any child, no matter if in personal or community school, will need the lively participation of his or her moms and dads so that you can reach legitimate results.

School Decision:

The most important advantage of personal schooling is choice. Alternatively than sending your son or daughter into a general public college that is definitely demanded depending on geography, now you have opened up a variety of many universities that could have extremely various educational kinds and emphases, simply because you will be selecting personal education and learning. Every single non-public faculty provides a unique identity, and using a tiny investigate, particular faculties will arise within the pool as possessing more capabilities than that will advantage your child.

Probably the school is affiliated with your family's religious faith, and also your youngster is often provided a religious training together together with his or her main research. Perhaps the faculty emphasizes crafting, or it pushes self-expression. Together with the extensive a number of private educational institutions readily available, it's simple to choose a college that should help your son or daughter to shine and build the values you find primary.

[docholligay]

She is a Diamond

A release from the Patreon vaults! @madegeeky was given a fic gift for New Year's from a very fine sponsor (Whose name I gave to geeky privately in case she didn't want to be revealed) and this was her prompt to me:

“And you, my glittering girl, are a diamond. Stone cannot love flesh. It can only bruise and break it." ---apparently a line form both me and Carmilla teaming up, as Jet pointed out.

Anyway, 2000 words, I hope you enjoy!

Michiru did not think herself sulky, in the least, and any sulkiness she might have had as a child had been taken out of her through good manners and etiquette and the gleaming veneer of perfection she was forced to put over everything, a white coat of paint covering every chip and crack and mural that might be there, leaving only a plain perfect base of elegant nothingness.

All that being true, there was a certain kind of low hurt and anger that settled in her whenever Haruka was treated cruelly by her family, and if they were so uncharitable as to call it sulkiness, she was plenty happy to take up that particular mantle.  

She’d left, tonight. She didn’t always. No, sometimes, she stayed through the assault, sometimes she would nibble on crostini as Michiru’s mother and father and siblings all fenced with the subjects of her education, her class, her occupation.

Oh, they have a problem with you being a lesbian? People asked, guessing at what the problem might be, and oh, if it were only that banal. They had a half dozen young women to line her up with, all of the appropriate breeding and the appropriate emptiness, vases to be filled with the flower of the seasons.

The party had ended, and Michiru pretended to be very interested in one of the lilies perched in a cold crystal vase, waiting for leave to be given, to return to her home with Haruka, that penthouse her parents threatened to take away whenever she displeased them, the trust fund and the cars and the very life that offered the only thing she truly had to give Haruka: A promise that she would never again know hunger, that she would wear new clothes.

“Michiru, my dear.” Her mother’s voice was firm and flowing and in French, a woman proud of the sense of the exotic she brought to the Kaiohs, the daughter of a fine textiles merchant who had raised her children in Japan and on the continent and never allowed them to belong to either.

“Yes?” She did not look up, simply pretended to be re-arranging the flower, the way she had been taught in her finishing lessons.

“I trust you will have a cordial with us in the salon. To close out the evening. I daresay the party was a rousing success.”

“Oh, I don’t know, mother,” She gave a weak smile, “I’m feeling rather tired, and must beg off to retire.”

Her mother returned the calculated smile. “Please don’t think me simple, Michiru. You’ve been sulking since that girl took her leave.”

“Her name is Haruka.” She crossed her arms. “We have been together for better than a year, and at some point you and father will need to simply accept that. This...casual cruelty, and whatever amusement you derive from it, will have to cease, unless your wish is to make every party ever after a testament to awkwardness.”

Her mother took a took a hydrangea and arranged it next Michiru’s lily. “My dear girl, I know you are of a certain age, and rebellion is a very tempting affair at this time in your life, but it can only bring ruin.”

“It would not bring ruin, if you and father were not so given to unkindness.”

“Perhaps you are unkind in your own way, Michiru,” Her mother looked at her, “To bring her into this world. To bring her to you.”

“Whatever do you mean by that?”

“Haruka is, I assume, a good girl. She probably watches baseball, and drinks beer with her friends, and reads car magazines and all such manner of things. I’m sure she is very sweet, and I have seen the way she looks at you. She does adore you.”

“But you, my glittering girl, are not like them. You have never been like them and you will never be like them. They are lovely, average, people. You, Michiru, are a diamond. You are a crown jewel, unique and talented and poised and cut and shined into such finery. You know this to be true, you are no great fool. You have known this all of your life.”

Michiru looked down at the wood of the table, suddenly interested in the way the grain flowed across the table.

“A stone cannot love flesh, Michiru. It can only bruise and break it.” She gave a chuckle. “Can you really not see that is all you shall do with her, in the end?” She shook her head. “You act as if you are the first woman of breeding on earth to fall in love below your station. It’s a cliche, Michiru.You would do well to note how those stories end.”

Michiru was not unaccustomed to trading barbs with her mother. Too much alike, maybe, her father had once opined, and the thought of it, and that terrifying shiver in the back of her mind that it might be true, haunted her still. Early on in life, she had discovered she was hardly going to fit in, and so she may as well lean into it, and while her brother Ryuji had tried to prove himself to be the most Japanese boy who ever lived, and simply tolerated his fencing lessons, Michiru had sighed through her tea ceremony lessons and asked to take traditional sommelier technique as a reward.

Maybe it was that Ryuji had been so good at being perfectly Japanese, and she hated him.

Maybe it was that she was so good at being perfectly French, and he hated that.

Maybe it was that no one in either place would ever let them be both. God knows Naoko had tried, that sad middle sister who simply managed to make a pig’s ear of both cultures.

In any case, Michiru thought, very often the whys of how our lives turned out were irrelevant to the reality of them. She was a strange diamond in this land, who knew now that she could not leave it for Paris as she’d planned when she came of age, who was trapped here by her duty and now foisted upon the country as a whole.

The Hope Diamond was French once too, wasn’t it? Beautiful and glittering and cursed, only fit to sit in a museum and never be owned by flesh.

“Michiru,” Her mother called her out of the docent’s tour of her childhood, “I tell you this from my own experience, you know that, yes?”

She had not, and yet it seemed foolish that she had not considered it. The tiny voice, the one in the back of her head that said she was just like her mother, laughed and whispered its terrible prophecy, the one that saw her marrying a fine girl and living in a penthouse so much like this one, the one that saw Haruka marrying a girl like her, a perfect blue collar wife who would laugh with her coworkers in dark bars over beer and snacks.

The one that said her mother was right all along.

“In any case, if you were seeking my leave, you have it,” She nodded at Michiru, “I will tell the others you’re a bit tired. But think on what I have said Michiru. However long you intend to toy with the simple girl, a fish cannnot fly with a bird, however it tries. She will never be like you.”

“Goodnight, Mother.” Michiru walked to the entryway, on autopilot as one of her servants helped her into her coat and called down for the car to take her home, whatever home was, just a place where she lived with the girl they all felt temporary.

It did not matter if she was in herself or not, as she was driven. Driven. Taken. She was a passenger in her own life, under glass, and maybe it was true what Mina had said of her, that she had never known what pain was, really, in her life, and so she’d never understand Haruka, not ever, and all the bringing Haruka bags of groceries and buying her clothes would never change that, it’d just make it more obvious to Haruka that Michiru didn’t know what it was like not to have those things.

It had been said in anger, but that didn’t make it untrue.

The car came to a stop in front of the fine apartment building with her fine apartment where the girl she was destined to destroy lived full time now, no longer carting a bag back and forth between Michiru’s upscale palace and the tiny place she shared with a mother that never noticed if she was there or not.

Parents that noticed every movement, and parents that noticed nothing at all, and the both of them feeling all the more unloved for it. What a pair.

Michiru paused outside the apartment building, the drizzle on her skin shining with the light of the streetlights, forcing that diamond sparkle to come alive, the glitter in that cold and painful way and show every facet of what she was.

The driver was still waiting, and she stepped inside the lobby.

“Good evening, Miss Kaioh.” A recorded response by those of the flesh, those who would never know what it was to be carved, a block with all that was not wanted stripped away to make you into a beautiful thing, cold and perfect.

She nodded, the only thing she could think to do. That had been carved, too, and she blended into the marble of the lobby as she walked through it, the pale of her skin becoming marked by the grey straitions of beautiful, perfect stone. As she stepped into the elevator and nodded to the attendant, the one whose name Haruka knew but Michiru realized she did not remember, she felt her hair intertwine with the wrought brass of the elevator door, following its curves and whorls perfectly, elegant and cold.

She touched the cool metal of the doorknob to her home, all a part of her, her purse hung on the wrought iron rack, which smiled beneath her hand, the travertine beneath her feet bending to its sister. The silk of her nightgown cushioned the gem of her body, keeping it from the slightest smudge or fingerprint, never a thing to be touched.

The bedroom door was still open a crack, the light peering into it, just a beam through the darkness.

Haruka lay asleep on the bed, the rain beading on the window, those same treacherous streetlights covering her body with a thousand tiny bruises in perfect circles. Glittering and bruised, two of a pair, but not two of a kind.

She sat down on the bed next to her, the plush of it cushioning each facet. Haruka rolled over and mumbled sleepily, her hand resting on Michiru’s knee, the warmth of it running through Michiru like Celopatra’s snakebite, a poison desperately desired.

Could her mother ever know what they had been through together? The fear, and then the love, and then Michiru, oh she had already broken Haruka to save her, and she touched the raised scar on her chest as she thought of it, that one way in which they were, in fact, matched.

Her mother had given her the number of a plastic surgeon. She had tossed it away. There was something, something, that she and Haruka would ever share.

She reached over and ran her fingers through Haruka’s hair, the boyish softness of it drawing her in, and she snuggled in next to Haruka, placing her hand in Haruka’s. There were callouses there, drawn across her palm. She was used to handling rough objects, wasn’t she?

Haruka sighed against her and pulled her closer. “I love you.”

Michiru touched the soft flesh of her cheek. Even the Velveteen Rabbit became real, once loved enough. So who was to say it was not beyond her, under the strength of Haruka’s belief.

Perhaps a fish could not fly with a bird. But she was the sailor of the sea.

[ograndebatata]

Prince Alonso headcanons

Once more, these headcanons are a bit of a departure for me.

For one, they are about a character that I admit I haven’t given all that much focus to. Not a character I hate by any means, just one I haven’t paid that much attention to.

And for another... I will admit I have gone a bit ‘outside of the box’ with these particular headcanons, perhaps a bit too much so in some respects. 

I do feel it still makes sense... but I’m well aware that’s just me. way or the other, I look forward to your feedback.

This time around, these headcanons are fairly light, but there’s still references to a dark element, namely parental death, so reader discretion would still be advised there.

To those willing to keep reading, please click on the link below, and hopefully enjoy my headcanons on a prince who will hopefully keep trying to be better in the series proper. 

Rather late post script: Thanks to @cartoonfangirl1218 and @long-live-elena for helping me with some things on these, particularly regarding Alonso’s schooling. Sorry I didn’t credit you from the moment I posted this. 

Prince Alonso of Cordoba

Joy and sadness

They had wished for a child for some time, and had been trying to have one ever since their wedding night. When they finally found she was pregnant, both went up to the clouds in happiness. Both of them told their families and friends, and though he did not spread the word throughout the kingdom, both his and her joy was so contagious that the whole kingdom soon got to know as surely as if he had done so.

When the child was finally due to be born, that day seemed set to be the happiest in their lives.

Instead, it brought sadness to the whole kingdom, as Queen Soledad died shortly after giving birth to her first and ultimately only child, a boy who was named Alonso only moments before his mother let out her final breath.

Had she been in most nearby kingdoms, she likely would have survived, but while the kingdom of Cordoba knew of magic and had it present in the land, it had had no royal wizard ever since the day their old royal wizard had mysteriously left and left no qualified successor. By the time a ‘less prominent wizard’ was found to provide assistance, it was too late for the queen.

But despite the sad circumstances of his birth, Prince Alonso was luckier than other children with similar backgrounds. His father never blamed him for his mother’s death, and despite the duties inherent to ruling, made as much time as possible to be with him, both when it came to teaching him royal duties and to family bonding.

Unfortunately, said time was rather hard to come by on some occasions, and thus Alonso was mostly left in the care of his nurses, his paternal grandfather Arturo, and his maternal grandparents, Cipriano and Benigna.

All of them loved the young prince a great deal, but in some ways, one can say their love had a few unintended consequences.

Responsibility issues

As he grew up, Prince Alonso was most often described by those he spent time with as a bundle of energy, charm and mischief, as more than a bit of a prankster, but ultimately a kind and loving boy. More than a few strangers would gush at his adorableness upon meeting him, and then be thrown for a loop when he slipped past their fingers before they could blink and ran around the castle seemingly fast enough to catch a Xolo, often pulling some sort of clever prank along the way.

But while his intelligence was mostly directed toward pulling pranks, Alonso could use it for other things - and one of those was noticing how, unlike other children from the palace and from the kingdom, he did not have a mother.

Like most children do when they have questions, he voiced them to his elders. At first, neither King Juan Ramón nor anyone else in the family told Alonso much - all they told him was that she had left for the Spirit World. But they never told him how or why. All they said was that she was sad she had to go, and she wished she could come back, and the reason they always went to the cemetery on Dia de los Muertos was to be closer to her and the others of their family who had left to the Spirit World.

For a while, Alonso was satisfied with this answer… but when he was six, after the second Dia de los Muertos he remembered attending, he overheard two noblewomen talking in whispers. He approached to listen better, and caught an answer that left him devastated, and face to face with a horrifying truth: he had killed his own mother.

He cried himself to sleep in his father’s arms that night after breaking down in apologies. King Juan Ramon could barely hold in his own tears, as he could relate far too well to what his son was feeling - his mother had also died giving birth to him, and from the same kind of complication that had ensued with Soledad during Alonso’s birth.

For the following months, both Alonso’s nannies and Alonso’s family did everything they could to reassure him that no, Alonso hadn’t been guilty of his mother’s death. It had happened, and it had been tragic, but it hadn’t been Alonso’s fault. And the late queen wouldn’t want him to blame himself either. She loved him for sure and was just as sad to see him feeling like that as they were.

Unfortunately, said reassurance ended up somewhat backfiring, because over the time Alonso felt down, his family would let plenty of things that they would have scolded him for slide, and somewhere along the way, Alonso became much less willing to accept responsibility for his own mistakes, to the point he was borderline impossible to deal with. Nurses and tutors would grow more and more exasperated with him, and even his family, while they did not stop loving him by any means, were still disappointed in his behavior.

King Juan Ramon found himself at a loss. He had tried his best, but he had to admit he didn’t know what to do, and his father could not help him there, because while Juan Ramon had also learned what had  happened to his mother as a child, he had been older than Alonso, and, as unfair as it might sound to admit it, a more naturally responsible child.

Eventually, too uncertain that he would be able to have the ‘firm, but fair’ hand that his son required, King Juan Ramon took an unorthodox decision for that part of the Ever Realm and decided to enroll his son in Royal Prep, a school from a different kingdom which was specifically devoted to the purpose of teaching young royals to be royals.

It was a difficult endeavor. Most royals from Royal Prep were from kingdoms where flying horses could live, as flying horses were the standard mean of transportation for the school. Cordoba was not such a kingdom, and while Royal Prep did have a transportation service, it was in relatively short supply, and sometimes there was a waiting list to put royals there.

But luck seemed to be on Juan Ramon’s side, and he managed to find a spot for Alonso. The young prince was at first upset over going to school so far away from home, and though he calmed down when he learned he would still be able to come back home everyday thanks to the magical transportation inherent to flying carriages, he still was nervous about it.

Despite himself, Alonso did end up settling into royal school… but all the same, it seemed that very little about his behavior actually changed. He never outright crossed the line into a thug or a hooligan or a bully, but it seemed very little about his behavior actually changed.

Giving Alonso due credit, he did like Royal Prep, and made friends there, and did ‘somewhat above average’ at schoolwork even as most of it bothered him. A few subjects did please him, though, such as fencing and magic. But all the same, he remained quite self-centered and inconsiderate. Part of that, it seemed, stemmed from the fact that, for all that Alonso was difficult to deal with, not to mention wise as to how to use his charms to dodge the consequences of his deeds even at such a young age, not-so deep down he felt he just was not ‘properly good’ at anything. No retard for sure, but not outstanding either. He looked at his father and the way he ruled Cordoba, and he felt nothing he could do could measure up.

The only things he was truly good at were looking good, being lazy, and chariot racing. He was relatively good at fencing and magic, but not good enough as far as he was concerned.

Therefore, as he grew up, he devoted most of his focus to chariot racing, to the point he wanted to apply for the Corinthian Sports School. Unfortunately, that school did not have the required means to transport royals from kingdoms that did not have royal horses, so that attempt fell by the wayside, and he returned to Cordoba and continued his education there.    

He kept putting in the required effort at schoolwork, mostly because his father and the rest of his family stayed on top of him to ensure he didn’t slack off, but he seldom anything he wasn’t specifically encouraged to do, and more often than not would find excuses as to why he had failed this or that assignment.

He would also keep devoting much of his focus to chariot racing, learning ever showier moves and always posing whenever he won a race… and as a result, once he was past sixteen, he became quite popular with girls his age. He wasted no time basking in that newfound popularity, but at the same time, he tried to be careful enough not to grow attached to any of them and to ensure none of them got attached to him. For him, his dates (and they never moved past dates) were meant to be a fun thing between him and whatever girl he picked, not the pursuit of a serious relationship - all the more because he was afraid that if he had a relationship that progressed to the point of marriage, he would only end up killing his eventual wife like he had killed his mother.

Meanwhile, King Juan Ramon remained very much not-impressed by his son’s low standards. But there he couldn’t fault him very much without feeling like a hypocrite, because he too had loved chariot racing in his youth, and had indeed displayed similar behavior when it came to the ladies, although a much milder version of it. Worse, he had to admit he was out of ideas on what to do to inspire his son to take his responsibilities as a ruler seriously.

Thankfully, fate itself presented him with the solution.

Ties with Avalor

While it could be said he hadn’t yet been faced with a true test to his nerve, Alonso had gotten in enough rather tight spots at chariot racing that it was not easy to rattle him. However, at the age of seventeen, he, like every other inhabitant of the kingdoms close to Avalor, also learned that the one they had taken to be the rightful ruler of the land had in fact been a murderous usurper who had been fooling them all for years and would have conquered their kingdoms as well if she felt she had the power to do so.

Unlike other royals, he was instantly quite taken by Princess Elena when she first showed up to his kingdom as part of an alliance over a project their kingdoms would work on together, which was all part of an idea his father had to set a good example for his son. Alonso did not think it would work out quite that way, but to his astonishment, Princess Elena was the first girl in quite a long while who did not fall for his charms. Even as she initially listened to him to a degree, she gave much more focus to the task at hand and to getting the job done.

And later, his attempts at a nice time turned out to be interrupted anyway when the Yacali was disturbed by the construction of their bridge and the way it was ruining the homes of several bujitos. In the end, the incident that lead to quite some humiliation for Alonso, both thanks to the Yacali and to having to personally work on the bridge’s construction.

But despite himself, once he calmed down from the humiliation, he admitted he was quite impressed by Princess Elena and the devotion she showed toward being a proper ruler, even after everything she had endured in her life, which Alonso thought was much worse than what he had endured.

As a result of that, he later personally went to Avalor to help further establish the alliance between their kingdoms, and ended up giving a helping hand when it came to removing magical masks from two other dignitaries - though only after quite an experience with a mask he ended up wearing himself.

And around a year later, he ended up lending some help himself when a rocador almost destroyed the bridge that connected Avalor and Cordoba, although in the end he recognized his contribution hadn’t been anywhere big enough as he had wanted to pretend at first. But all the same, his father was genuinely impressed by him afterwards.

Further inspired, Alonso kept up in his attempts to be a better person. He would get his chance shortly afterwards, when he was at the  horse rehabilitation center his mother had built - and through which she had met his father - and a woman around his age showed up hoping to get a horse for her and her father. Alonso just about froze in horror - he recognized both the woman and her father from several wanted posters that Princess Elena had shared with his kingdom, and he recognized from their dark tamboritas that they were malvagos.

He managed to get over it in time to lead them on a tour around the center as he thought of what to do, but he was short on ideas. He briefly thought about using magic to stop them, but it was a fool’s errand - he had only learned wand magic, he did not have his wand with him, and while he wasn’t all that rusty (as his father had kept making him practice the basics he had learned at Royal Prep) what he knew wasn’t enough to stop one malvago, let alone two. And worse, his kingdom still hadn’t solved the problem regarding the lack of a royal wizard.

Eventually, he decided to stall them by giving them Pedro, the only horse his mother had never managed to rehabilitate, and sending Elena a message warning her of the peril after the two malvagos left. While the full plan did not work out the way he had intended, as Duke Cristóbal disposed of the message carried by the homing pigeon Alonso sent to Nueva Vista, Elena was still touched by the effort when she learned of it a while later, after Alonso tried to track Pedro down.  Her grateful gaze hit Alonso harder than the entranced ones of the many girls he had gone out with. And when Alonso confessed to her that he could have stopped them if he’d decided to study magic more deeply, Elena encouraged him he was still on time to learn if he only wanted to.

While it still did not mean she had fallen for his charms, Alonso had already moved past trying them on her. Whatever else she could have been at any other point, Elena had become the best friend he’d ever had.

And for him, that was wonderful already.

[yuzurk]

AS OF 2019    ━━━━━━━━        template ┊ @astraofrph  ◞  ❤ | taken from @rkjiwvn

❥ ┊ BASIC INFORMATION  ━━━━━━━━━━━

›   full name  choi yena ┊ 최예나

›   pronunciation

›   meaning  choi: high, lofty, towering | yena: life & vitality

›   reasoning  her parents wanted her to be just as successful and mighty as them (lol)

›   nickname ( s )  yuzu, mochi, nana

›   preferred name ( s )  yuzu

›   birth date september 29, 1999

›   age  nineteen

›   zodiac  libra  ・ air sign ┊ the scales. libra is the sign of fairness, and like you would imagine, libras value honesty and fairness. they seek harmonious living, and are often sensitive to those around them, and even run the risk of compromising themselves for the sake of harmony. balance for a libra means finding their other half, making them very romantic individuals. their search for balance and harmony also means biting their tongue, so from time to time, they’re bound to explode.

›   gender / pronouns  female ┊ she / her / hers

›   romantic orientation  hetero-romantic

›   sexual orientation  bicurious

›   nationality  korean

›   ethnicity  korean

›   current residence  itaewon, yongsan-gu, seoul

›   living conditions  sufficient to luxurious ┊ with her cousin & her boyfriend

›   title ( s ) gamer gal

❥ ┊ BACKGROUND  ━━━━━━━━━━━

›   birth place  daegu, korea

›   hometown  jung-gu, daegu, korea

›   social class  upper middle class 

›   education level high school graduate

›   father  choi kibum, 48 ┊ lawyer, politician

›   mother  kim ahrin, 47 ┊ housewife, “it girl”  

›   sibling ( s )  only child (subject to change, open for plotting!)  

›   birth order  

›   children

›   pet ( s ) two dogs owned by her cousin, very strenuous relationship 

›   other important relatives  cousin: song jieun, 26 ┊ indie musician & model

›   previous relationships  none she took seriously and considers worth mentioning

›   criminal record arrested for charges of assault. case dropped the same day     (information restricted from access due to her father’s influence)

❥ ┊ OCCUPATION & INCOME  ━━━━━━━━━━━

›   primary source of income  streamer in twitch (since 2016)

›   secondary source of income  investments managed by her cousin’s boyfriend 

›   tertiary source( s ) of income  part-time barista

›   approximate amount per year  around 5.000.000 $

›   content with their job ( or lack there of ) ?  as of now yes. 

›   past job ( s )  none

›   spending habits  bad but somewhat within reason. mostly spends money on food, game merch and clothing

›   most valuable possession  her computer

❥ ┊ SKILLS & ABILITIES  ━━━━━━━━━━━

›   physical strength she’s 49kg of weak muscle

›   offense  can deliver a punch if needed be

›   defense  as robust as a leaf

›   speed  runs 100m in 10 seconds

›   intelligence  graduated best of her year

›   accuracy  decent (did kyudo in primary)

›   agility  decent due to track and field practice

›   stamina 8 / 10 used to be full 10 but got lazy from her life as a streamer

›   teamwork 6 / 10 can work in a team but tends to stray when she does not agree

›   talents  games, making people laugh, dancing, sports, encouraging people

›   shortcomings  fails to take things seriously, avoids talking about her troubles, evades confrontation, tends to be ignorant

›   language( s ) korean ( fluent ), english ( fluent ), japanese ( fluent, dialect based )

›   can they : drive / jump-start a car / change flat tire / ride a bicycle / swim / play an instrument ( and what instrument ) / play chess / braid hair / tie a tie / pick a lock / etc:

❥ ┊ PHYSICAL APPEARANCE & CHARACTERISTICS  ━━━━━

›   face claim  choi yena, IZ*ONE

›   eye color brown

›   hair color ( naturally black ) but dyed dirty blonde

›   hair type / style wavy, generally up in ponytail or down

›   glasses / contacts  likes to wear “hipster-glasses”

›   dominant hand  left-handed

›   height / weight / build  163cm, 5'4" ┊ 49kg, 108lbs ┊ slender

›   exercise habits  stretch session in the morning, unknown to most she likes to jog

›   skin tone  slightly tan

›   tattoos

›   piercings  pierced ear lobes

›   marks / scars a scar on her knee from falling from a slide (5), scar on her hip from an appendix surgery (14), scar on the inside of her palm from grabbing a knife wrong (16)

›   notable features  pouty lips, squishy cheeks

›   usual expression  curious, approachable

›   clothing style  casual oversized

›   jewelry

›   allergies  walnuts, pineapple

›   body temperature  slightly more warm above average

›   diet  no such word found in her dictionary

›   physical ailments

❥ ┊ PSYCHOLOGY  ━━━━━━━━━━━

›   jung type  enfp┊ a ball of energydespite that, they’re moody af; unpredictable; bounces from one idea to another so much and so quickly it’s not even funny; awesome sense of humor; for some reason, their laugh is almost as funny as their jokes; actually more introverted than most extroverts and can actually be mistaken for an introvert

›   enneagram type  type 7  The Enthusiast  ┊ Enthusiasts are energetic, lively, and optimistic. They want to contribute to the world.

›   moral alignment  chaotic good

›   temperament  sanguine

›   element  air

›   primary intelligence type  kinaesthetic intelligence

›   approximate iq 125

›   mental conditions / disorders

›   sociability 9 / 10

›   emotional stability  8 / 10

›   obsession ( s )  

›   compulsion ( s )

›   phobia ( s ) none

›   vice / addiction ( s )  does coffee count?

›   drug use

›   alcohol use  7 / 10 ┊ loves to party and enjoy a good drink

›   prone to  evasive behaviour, flirting without any intentions, avoid responsibility

❥ ┊ MANNERISMS  ━━━━━━━━━━━

›   speech style  very dialect based, no matter which language she speaks

›   accent  slight accent when speaking japanese but working to get rid of it again

›   quirks  always chewing gum, unhealthy obsession with chicken, chews lips, headtilting

›   hobbies  dancing, gaming, running, archery, singing

›   habits  raises brows when she talks, gum smacking, shrugging, 

›   nervous ticks  twirls her hair, bites her lips, wandering eyes

›   drives/motivations  wanting to make people happy (herself included) 

›   fears  bugs, needles, darkness, ghosts, scary stories

›   positive traits  energetic, courageous, easygoing

›   negative traits  airy, decadent, fickle

›   sense of humor  sarcastic / memes

›   do they curse often? yup

›   catchphrase ( s )  “ hoo boi “ / “ y’all “ / “ foreal! ”

 ❥ ┊ FAVORITES  ━━━━━━━━━━━

›   activity  gaming

›   animal  cats

›   beverage  coffee moccha 

›   book the importance of being earnest

›   celebrity griffin mcelroy (gamer, podcast maker, entertainer)

›   color  black / red

›   designer doesn’t care much for brands- perhaps park ivy?

›   food  fried chicken

›   flower  carnation

›   gem 

›   holiday  christmas 

›   mode of transportation  motorcycle (even though she has no license)

›   movie  heaven’s postman

›   musical artist  little mix

›   quote / saying  fall seven times, get up eight.

›   scenery  sunset on a hill

›   scent  tangerines

›   sport  track and field

›   sports team

›   television show  hello counselor 

›   weather  breeze, warm

›   vacation destination  kyoto, japan

❥ ┊ ATTITUDES  ━━━━━━━━━━━

›   greatest dream  to live a happy and comfortable life

›   greatest fear  being judged in unjustified manners

›   most at ease when  streaming games, spending time with friends

›   least at ease when with her parents, in formal situations

›   worst possible thing that could happen  having to go back to daegu

›   biggest achievement being close to 400K followers on twitch

›   biggest regret none

›   most embarrassing moment  having to tell yoongi she had a crush on him

›   biggest secret  almost got a criminal record if not for the influence of her father

›   top priorities  first. friends and family; second. streaming (her fans); third. her job as a barista