#and my classmates made a wonderful resource

[uygfiug]

i wish i had a functional printer so bad rn :(

[rooksamoris]

💞 — 𝐋𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐇 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒.

💞 — in which professor divus crewel is down bad for his spouse.

💞 — divus crewel x reader

💞 — warnings: none really, just fluff and ace and deuce being ace and deuce.

💞 — around 700 words!! not very long, but yk it came to me when i should have been writing my essay (due tomorrow) since that card came out. ive been hella offline, my cousin had a malwi (yemeni bridal party) yesterday, and the wedding is tomorrow, and my other cousin is in the process of having engagement parties all throughout july--hope you enjoy!

“No way you get bitches,” 

“What was that, Trappola?” Crewel shot a glare at his student who was staring at the picture on his desk.

The picture was of him and his spouse, looking very happy. He looked relaxed in the picture, his arm draped around you while you held his face in your hands and kissed his cheek. The best part was that you were dressed in one of his designs, looking ever so elegant in the fur shawl over your shoulders.

Ace stiffened up and was sent a concerned glance from Deuce, “Uhm, nothing… sir,” he quickly corrected himself.

He could not help it—all the time he spent in Professor Crewel’s class was filled with a certain strictness that he did not think anyone would find appealing. The redhead glanced at the picture again, before back at his professor.

Deuce was sweating, praying to whatever was in the sky that he would not get caught up in whatever trouble Ace would be in. He almost wanted to shake some sense in his dormmate.

Crewel drew the silence out, just for the sake of intimidating his students a little longer before his brows softened. He would not do anything further wreck his mood, not when the love of his life would come over and share lunch with him. He sighed, raising a red gloved hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, “I’ll let it slide this once, pup.”

The cyan-eyed student visibly slumped in relief.

He handed each of them their corrected worksheets. They both had detailed notes written in the margins on what they could do to improve. He pointed out how Ace could use his skills in Magic Analysis and apply them to Alchemy, and gave Deuce examples that could make more sense to him. He was a strict professor, but that did not mean he was a bad professor. He knew his rowdier dogs could improve—he expected them to. He laid out the resources, they just had to use them.

“Thank you, professor!” exclaimed Deuce, bowing his head in respect as he held the page to his chest. Deep down, he appreciated his professor's willingness to correct his work so thoroughly.

Ace nodded, as if sharing the thanks with Deuce, before following his classmate out.

Things stayed quiet before you burst through the doors, carrying lunch bags with you, wearing that smile he loved so much. Your clothes were a bit of a mess, but when were they not? You were always running about and doing something.

Crewel stood from his seat, a softer grin on his face as he stepped forward, his arms reaching out to adjust your outfit. Gentle hands tugged at the collar and fixed your mixed-up buttons, “Now, I wonder what circus you just returned from,”

You laughed and leaned into his touch, “Just the kitchen, nothing too crazy, Divus. I made raisin butter and homemade bread,” you told him, excitedly.

His thumb brushed over some flour left on your cheek, “I can see that much,” he muttered before he moved to your side and slid his hand down to the small of your back, “Come sit,” he said, guiding you to the seat across from his desk.

“You saved me from another lunch spent playing chess with Mozus,”

“Oh, come on. You act like spending time with him is a chore,” you replied, reaching into the bags to set the food on the desk for you guys to share.

He carefully moved his things out of the way, before taking his seat as elegantly as ever, “It’s only a chore when he spends thirty minutes deciding on his next move.”

You rolled your eyes playfully, “One day you’ll be just as old and spending thirty minutes buttoning up your vest. When that happens, I’ll remind you of this conversation.”

He let out a little laugh at that. Your joke just affirmed what he always knew, you would be with him forever, even when white became the natural color of his hair, even once his students were visiting him as adults with their own lives, and thanking him for his harshness. He let out a breath of contentment, before carefully cutting the bread you made for him, “How was work, my love?”

[pinkacademiaprincess]

Any guide on Elle woods / hermione / rory coz I had no study motivation 😮‍💨

“she’s like a real life rory gilmore…”

fictional study icons guide, part 1: rory gilmore

ty for the ask! i’m gonna make this multiple parts, next will be elle woods, i never read/ watched harry potter tho so idk about hermione 🫣 but if y’all want me to do other characters, feel free to send ideas!

know your goals

rory had a clear idea of what she wanted for herself: to go to harvard & to become a journalist. when school & studying starts to feel tedious or difficult, having a strong “why” will keep you going. maybe you want to get into a certain school, you have a dream career path, or you want to become extra knowledgeable. never lose sight of your goal - surround yourself with reminders of it. rory had harvard memorabilia hanging in her room as a constant reminder of what she was working towards. you can create a vision board online, print pictures & hang them in your room, put notes up on your mirrors & walls. remember that classes, tests, & assignments are all leading you to a greater goal. studying is a means to an end and you deserve the best ending!

study a lot

rory prioritized her studies and spent a lot of her free time on schoolwork. the easiest way to succeed is to put in the time. don’t cut corners when it comes to your education - do your homework and assignments diligently, go through assigned readings & videos carefully, & if the teacher gives you optional/additional work, do it. remember tho, it’s important to study smarter, not harder. the most beneficial thing you can do is spend as much time as possible utilizing study methods that work for you. don’t waste time on study methods that aren’t effective for you. you can search my older posts for info about study styles or google learning styles & use that to help determine your best approach to schoolwork.

conquer challenges asap

when rory first started going to chilton, she unexpectedly got a bad grade on one of her first essays. she could have sat there and made excuses, felt sorry for herself and blamed the school/ teachers, but instead she worked extra hard to improve and overcome that poor grade. in the end she was valedictorian, showing that she was able to rise to the challenge and ultimately succeed. if you find yourself struggling with schoolwork, please take initiative asap and get whatever help you need. utilize all your resources - teachers, classmates, youtube video explanations, khan academy, tutors (if possible) - do not allow a dip in performance to be your norm. try to get to the bottom of why you’re struggling and then take care of whatever’s causing it. if you let yourself succumb to the struggle - telling yourself it’s because of bad teachers, the content is too hard, etc. - the only person who is gonna suffer in the long run is you. be proactive and take charge of your education.

take breaks

while rory did spend a lot of her time studying, it didn’t rule her whole life. she still made time for friends, family, and fun activities. life is about balance, and you don’t want to burn yourself out by spending every waking moment on school. take breaks for fun, to spend time with loved ones, to get fresh air & be active. give your mind breaks so that you can stay in top shape. that being said, make sure you strike a balance. don’t let your social life get in the way of your academics, but don’t let studying stop you from living life.

read a lot!

when i think of rory, i think of reading. she always has her nose in a book! she not only reads, but she reads books that are thought-provoking and intellectual - classics, non-fiction, and so on. reading is a wonderful hobby and it can also be a way to expand your mind. challenge yourself by reading books that are somewhat difficult to challenge yourself to read closely & dissect the content. find classics that genuinely interest you or non fiction on topics you enjoy. combine the fun of reading with the desire for intellectual growth. by reading more difficult books you can improve your vocabulary, build you reading comprehension skills, become better at analyzing literary devices, and overall become a more interesting person.

that’s all! have a great school year & best of luck with your studies! 🩷

[springdandelixn]

With Flying Colors

Summary: Your excitement about being an intern at Stark Industries turns into a nightmare you weren’t prepared for.

Warnings: 18+ content, noncon, unprotected sex, bondage, manipulation, age gap (reader is legal), power imbalance, some use of drugs, reader is smart af but also painfully oblivious, not all things that glitter are gold.

Characters: Dark!Professor!Tony Stark x F!Reader

A/N: This fic is my entry to @ironlady1993​‘s I love you 3000 dark! writing challenge 2022. I’ve chosen the trope Professor/Student with Tony and F!Reader. It has been such a joy to write this and to write Tony once again. Also tagging one of my babies, @fictive-sl0th​

p.s. Belated Happy Birthday to you, my dear.

Side note: The Avengers do not exist in this universe—yet.

As always, your feedback is highly appreciated and reblogs would be amazing. And of course, I hope you guys enjoy! ❤️

“See me after class.” 

You swallow thickly and nod at Professor Stark’s words when he passes you, your head bowed down as embarrassment and nervousness mix within your veins for you’re the only one who hasn’t gotten their final paper back. You try to peek up, seeing the array of frowns and smiles on your classmates’ faces while they stare at their thesis, and you don’t understand why yours was singled out. 

Seeing the professor after class, especially with Professor Stark, was never a good sign. You’ve once seen Maya run out of the lecture hall before, crying after he gave such detailed comments on her essay during the midterm exam. And you don’t doubt that you’re the next in line to receive the brunt of his tactlessness. 

But you know to yourself that you’ve done your research right. You’ve cited all your resources at the back of the page and made a thorough review of all the points you’ve made about Vibranium. Yes, it was a big leap for a simple engineering student to study but you were confident with your work, and passionate even about how such an element can reshape the future. 

So you just don’t understand why he hasn’t returned your paper.

“For those who passed, don’t forget that if you wish to enroll in my advanced class for senior year, application forms can be found on the school’s website.” Your professor calls as he makes his way back to the front. “And to those of you who have failed, forget about seeing me for re-dos or considerations. My office will be closed for such nonsense because my decision is final. Dismissed.”

Sighs of resignation resound throughout the room as the students pack their things and file out. You stuff your laptop back in your bag and stand, eyes looking at the door then over at Professor Stark while he stacks a couple of papers in his hand and stows them in his briefcase. You swallow thickly and make your way to the front, wishing to be one of the students to be leaving, closing up the chapter of this course. 

You stand beside a desk at the front and wait for your professor at his table, hands fiddling in the pocket of your hoodie and feet anxiously shuffling against the tiled floor. There’s a subtle smile on Professor Stark’s face when he glances up at you, waiting for the door to close before he faces you completely, the grin turning full on his lips. 

“Please, sit.”

You do. 

He rounds his desk and leans against the edge, a file in his hands, the pages flipping against his fingers. You gulp hard, a nervous tick you’ve grown to have, when he looks at you once again, and you look down at the desk of the seat when he places the folder atop it. 

“You might be wondering why I asked to speak with you.” He starts and you simply nod in response, the questions you wanted to ask dying on your tongue. “Well, I’m not here to scold you, if that’s what you’re worried about. In fact, I’m here to praise you.” 

“I—I’m sorry?”

“Your paper, sweetheart, was the best one out of the entire class.” He nods towards the folder on the desk and you startle. Slowly, you open it up, and your eyes grow wide when you see the mark written in red at the top right corner. 

You’re lost for words.

“You passed. More than that, you got a perfect mark.” You hear his smile and you can’t help but feel the corners of your lips slowly lift. You got a perfect mark! “Your research on how vibranium can reshape the future was very riveting.” He praises. “All your notes and the detailed analysis you constructed to make it respond to brain waves just blew my mind.” You look up at him, a wide smile now kissing your lips.

“I—I thought it was mediocre at best.” You confess. “I didn’t think—”

“But you did, sweetheart, and a lot of it.” He chuckles, his arms crossing over his chest and his head tilting to the side as he looks at you. “Although that���s not why I asked for you to see me.”

You blink, confusion filling your senses. Why else would he want to speak with you?

“Have you gotten a chance to find a place for your internship?” He asks. 

You shake your head. 

“Why not?”

“I’m only a junior, professor. I was hoping to get one next year.” 

“But you are aware you can get one even as a junior, right?” He looks at you expectantly and you nod once again. “Perfect! How would you like to do a summer internship at Stark Industries? I could really use someone like you.” He beams and you gawk at him in disbelief. “Of course, it will be paid.” He starts once more. “The company offers its employees free meals for the day and some recreation to let off some steam from work. We can even provide for your lodging since the campus is pretty far from the company and it would save you some time from the New York rush.”

Did he just offer you an internship at his company? Stark Industries is known to be one of the leading technology companies in the world, which your professor owns, and he’s personally offering you a slot within his ranks. This couldn’t be real. 

“T—That’s very generous of you Mr. Stark.” You fumble, the nervousness from earlier having already seeped out from your bones, leaving you stunned yet excited at the opportunity that is being presented to you. “I don’t know what to say, professor.”

“You can start by saying ‘Thank you, Mr. Stark.’ and end with ‘I would gladly accept your offer.’” He chuckles and you can’t help but mimic him, amused at his tenacity. 

You want to think about it, to weigh the options you have in your hand. But you don’t really have anything to consider, you haven’t even begun looking for an internship. Yet, your professor is already offering you one, probably even the best one, and would you really turn away from the window? Out of all the students in his class, he chose you. Not Brandon who is a super fan of his work or even Alyssa who’s basically a show-off just to grab your professor’s attention. You.

And working for Stark Industries would no doubt boost your chances of finding another company that’s equally respectable. A big stepping stone to set your career on becoming an engineer on its course.

“Thank you, Mr. Stark.” You echo, a soft smile on your lips. “I would gladly accept your offer.”

“Beautiful.” Professor Stark grins, pushing himself away from the desk and walking back behind it to gather his things. You stand, all the same, picking up the folder with your thesis and tucking it between your arms and chest. “I’ll give the go signal to our HR and have them email you the details for your first day.”

“Thank you again, professor.” You thank him once more, feeling elated at the sudden turn of events.

He snaps his briefcase close and faces you. “No. Thank you, sweetheart. I can’t wait for you to join us.” He says, finishing off with a wink, chuckling at the playful act before walking with him out of the lecture hall.

A sigh of relief leaves your lips when you haul the final box into your new apartment. You weren’t really planning on taking up Professor Stark’s offer of free lodging but after being almost 30 minutes late on your first day and struggling to get into the subway during the rush hour, you caved and took on the perk, giving up your slot in the campus dormitories and packing up your things, never to see the cramped box space again. 

And after seeing how spacious the provided lodging was during the tour on your first day; a two-bedroom unit with an open-concept kitchen attached to the living room, the master’s complete with an en-suite and a walk-in closet and even a balcony that oversees the New York skyline, you mentally cursed yourself for not agreeing immediately. 

You could have saved all the time you used for moving and focused on your tasks in the company. Though you’re thankful for Professor Stark’s aid; giving you a couple of days off to pack and hiring movers to help you, though you couldn’t help but feel too indebted to him. Offering you the job and then helping you move, you’ll just have to pay it off by working extra hard on your internship. Prove to him that all the decisions he's made so far with you are worth it.

You close the door and begin unpacking the last box; some textbooks and sentimental memorabilia to decorate the shelves in the living room. You place a photo of your mom and dad on the side table at the end of the couch, a small smile playing on your lips as you think of how proud they would be of you once you tell them of your latest achievement.  

One by one, you slide the books into place and stop short when you hear a knock on the door. Sitting the stack in your hand on the coffee table, you make your way to the front room and look through the peephole, your brows furrowing when you see a tall, stout man with curly hair, donning a tuxedo, on the other side, a bottle of, what you suspect to be, champagne in one hand and a bouquet in the other. 

Who’s that? You ask yourself and let out a breath, unlocking the door and poking your head through the open space, blinking up at the stranger. 

“Can I help you?” You ask.

He doesn’t respond, simply looking at you with a stoic expression yet his eyes seem to be judging you all the same. You want to close the door and hide but you don’t want to be rude either. Just when you’re about to ask once more what he needed, he holds out the flowers and the bottle to you.

“I’m sorry but you must have the wrong—”

“Compliments from Mr. Stark.” The man interjects, voice monotone and expressionless. 

“Oh. Okay.” You say. Stunned. You take the gifts from his hold and your eyebrows knit in confusion when the man turns and leaves without another word, giving your thanks to the air instead.

You close the door with your foot and walk over to the kitchen to drop the items on the counter. The bottle, as you guessed, is champagne, and not the cheap kind either as you eye the label. Don Perignon. And the flowers, there seem to be almost two dozen roses in the bundle, leaning over and taking in its fragrance. Fresh. 

You pick up the card nestled in the petals, carefully flipping it open, and recognizing the cursive letters of your professor’s handwriting. 

‘Sorry I wasn’t there to welcome you on your first day, sweetheart. But rest assured I will be present to officially welcome you to the company. Have a glass of champagne for me. —T.’

You knew your professor came from old money—the history of Stark Industries is no secret to the public—but you never imagined he’d spend such things on you, one of his measly students in the university. And yet what lays before you is a piece of his wealth and you feel a slight sense of trepidation creeping up your spine if you were to mishandle such gifts. 

Grabbing the bottle, you tuck it in a safe spot on the kitchen counter before rummaging through the cupboards for a vase to put the flowers in. Once you’ve placed the bouquet on the coffee table in the living room, you set back to unpacking the rest of your boxes, your eyes darting to the flowers every once in a while as the scent of the blossoms invades your senses and slowly fills the entire apartment. 

The door beeps and slides open after scanning your badge on the pad. You’ve only been in the company for a week and still, the advancement of all the facilities takes your breath away. You walk to your desk, eyes blinking when you see a stack of folios ready for you to dive in. It’s not what you really wanted to do when you thought of your internship but it’s definitely something you expected. 

All careers would render any individual to start from the ground up. To learn how the company works and how each department functions. And if you were being honest with yourself, you don’t really mind doing such a mundane task in the most prestigious company in the entire world. 

Setting your purse on the desk, you take your seat and grab the first folio from the stack, determined to finish each one before lunchtime. But before you can even begin, a nudge on your chair takes your attention away from your task and you blink in surprise when you Professor Stark looking down at you, a coffee cup in each hand. 

“What are you doing here, sweetheart?”

“Professor—I,” You blink, words stuttering, still bewildered at his sudden appearance. “I’m filing the expense reports for accounting.”

“Yes, I can see that. But what I meant was why are you doing that?”

“Oh, it’s what Ms. Potts assigned to me.” It’s the truth but with the way your professor’s lips slant, you feel you’ve made a mistake by mentioning it. “I don’t mind it—it’s nice to know the business from the ground up.” You add, an attempt to soften any blow his assistant would get. 

“But this is not what I wanted you here for.” His voice sounds serious and you scramble to get the coffee cup he hands you before lifting his watch towards his lips. “J, tell Pepper to find a replacement here on the accounting floor and to have her meet me in my office later at noon.” Professor Stark turns back at you, giving you a full smile, taking a sip from his cup, and gesturing for you to stand. “Come on, chop-chop.” 

You do as you are told and grab your purse, following him out of the office and through the halls toward the elevators. 

“Where are we going, Professor?” You can’t help but ask when he presses the up button, shoving a hand in his pocket as he sways on his heels while waiting. 

“Why sweetheart, I’m taking you to the best place in the entire building.” He responds with a grin and gestures for you to enter the lift first when the metal doors part.

Professor Stark wasn’t lying when he said that he was taking you to the best place in the entire building for his lab was indeed an engineer’s, or pretty much anyone else’s, dream. His AI, JARVIS, greeted you as soon as you stepped off the lift, startling you in the process. Though you can’t help but feel amazed at how lifelike he was despite the absence of a physical form, for his voice alone exuded emotions and understanding, making you smile when he and Professor Stark began to banter playfully. 

The hologram interface that scattered throughout the room was another feature that took your breath away. How the supposedly inanimate pixels suddenly come bursting to life with one flick of a hand from your professor, how he easily manipulates it, and from further observation, he’s got complete control of it with the help of his watch and a simple silver bangle on his other wrist. 

He toured you around, showing off his projects that despite being incomplete, look immaculate for someone of your status. The robots that come following the both of you as you walked around the lab made you elicit a soft giggle, loving how responsive and lifelike they were with their reactions to each action done by their creator. 

But what really has you standing in awe is the full metal suit laying atop a metal desk, with electrical wires attached to it from the ceiling and a holographic chart showcasing its readings on the side. You stand close, seemingly becoming hypnotized by its beauty. You run a finger against the metal arm, the cool surface chilling your skin yet weirdly warming you all the same. 

“I call it Iron Man.” Professor Stark says as he stands beside you, looking down at the coffee cup in your hand when he takes it and discards it in a nearby bin. “A fully functional armored suit, furnished with the latest weaponry that I made myself.” A grin forms on his lips when you look up at him. “It’s currently under testing but still top secret so—” He places a finger over his lips and your eyes grow wide in surprise at the information. 

“Oh! I’m so sorry, Professor!” You blanch and quickly turn away, taking a step back to have the suit out of your view. “I promise not to tell anyone of—”

“Relax, sweetheart.” He chuckles and walks over to you, his hands resting on your upper arms, giving them a light squeeze. “This is exactly why I brought you here, why I wanted you to be here.” He says with a smile.

“Y—You want me to test your suit?” You’re not claustrophobic but the thought of being inside such a tight space makes your heart beat faster. 

“Heavens no.” He laughs and squeezes your arms again before sliding his hands down the length of it and taking your hands in his, Professor Stark walking backward and leading you back to the suit. “I wanted to try and turn the suit completely into vibranium. I’ve tested this baby out so many times and don’t get me wrong, it’s very durable but after taking a couple of hits, it needs to go back into the shop. But with vibranium, this would be the most indestructible piece of engineering on the planet.”

“You want me to make you a full vibranium suit?” You ask.

“I want you to make it with me.” Professor Stark corrects, releasing your hand and giving the arm of the metal suit a pat. “Even more, to embed the element into nanotech and have it respond to a single neurotransmitter.”

You gape at him in disbelief. You’ve only known such a feat to be a theory and that each person that has attempted to create such a thing has done everything and still failed. Yet your professor is asking you to make one with him, something you’ve only ever read about in articles and have never even tested on your own. Hell, you’ve never even seen vibranium with your own eyes.

You look into his eyes, brown orbs full of sincerity then glance down at the suit. So much doubt begins to run around your head, the fear of failure creeping up your spine all the same. Deep down, you want to do it, you want to try but the lingering thought that you would fail at this project, fail your mentor, won’t leave you alone and you’d rather do the paperwork down at the accounting floor than mess up a top-secret asset of your professor, who is also now your boss. 

“I don’t know, professor.” You sigh and pull your hands from his grasp. “The scale of work has only been theorized and the tests that have been done have all failed. I wouldn’t want to waste any resources you’d give me.” Your lips curl into a frown as you look up at him. “I can assist you if you wish but to be the one to create it? I don’t think I can. I don’t want to disappoint you.”

“But I believe you can and you can never disappoint me, sweetheart.” He smiles at you, your skin shivering when he runs his fingers up your arms, hands gripping down on your shoulders. Your eyes grow wide when he takes a step closer, your bodies only inches apart. “I’ll be here to guide you and if we fail, we try again. And again and again, until we perfect it. And once we do, you’ll have your name written in the history books—well, with my name along with it, of course.” He chuckles and you can’t help but smile at his playfulness. 

“So? What do you say?” He grins, his fingers tapping along your shoulders as he keeps his eyes on you.

Your university had once coined Professor Stark as one of the smartest people in this generation. And if your professor has such faith in your capabilities, maybe you are capable of accomplishing such an extraordinary feat. He’s there to guide you, either way, he said so himself, and if you do fail, at least you can tell yourself that you tried. 

Taking a deep breath, you close your eyes to clear your thoughts. When you open them once again, you see the shine in Professor Stark’s eyes, the expectation in them. 

You nod. “Okay. I’ll try.” 

“That’s my girl.” He grins widely, your face going hot when he leans over and places a kiss on your forehead. 

The act takes you by surprise, making you step back and have his hands slide from your shoulders. You look up at him, eyes wide, stupefied, yet your professor seems unbothered by his intrusion into your personal space. 

“Sir, I’d just like to remind you of your meeting with Ms. Potts at noon and it’s already 11:30.” JARVIS intervenes and you release the breath you didn’t realize you were holding when Professor Stark steps away.

“Thanks, J.” He says to the air, keeping his eyes on you. “JARVIS will keep you company while I’m in the meeting but in the meantime, make yourself comfortable, and when I come back, we can start playing. Sounds good?”

You nod instead, the words not forming in your head as your thoughts still linger on the unexpected kiss. 

“Great.” He gives your nose a light tap, his nose scrunching when he smiles before turning to leave the lab. 

You remain standing, still in shock at what happened but try your best to push such thoughts away. He just got excited. You tell yourself. It is a big project. Another attempt at convincing yourself and you move to look down at the suit once again before claiming a seat on one of the stools propped beside the table.

You hear JARVIS call your name, looking up at the ceiling to acknowledge him. “Would you like me to show you where the vibranium is?” He asks. 

That somewhat makes you smile and you nod at no one. “Yes please, Mr. Jarvis.” And you stand from your seat, following the instructions of the AI, and walk towards the door that slides open, staring in awe as cylinders of the element stand before you. 

The work finally begins. Weeks have come and gone, and all that you’ve ever come to know is Professor Stark’s lab, working and experimenting with various ways to produce the outcome that your mentor expects from the element. You’ve only been researching so far, testing theory after theory on how the element would bind with the nanotech Professor Stark has at the ready. But each virtual attempt has proven to be a failure, having you go back to the drawing board to start from scratch once again. 

“Let’s take 5, sweetheart.” Professor Stark calls from the other side of your desk after another failed test. 

You nod and slide from your seat, asking JARVIS to continue running some tests, a disappointed sigh escaping your lips as you make your way to the open balcony. You’ve been on the computer for hours now, codes and holographic diagrams being your constant company. You know that you’re missing something, something important to have all the pieces fit—but you just can’t find it. 

The summer breeze of New York City is a welcome distraction as you step out into the open air. You look down from where you stand, seeing the streets busy and full of life yet the noises don’t reach you from where you are, the silence feeding into the tranquility that slowly embraces you. Even the view is breathtaking. The sun is already beginning its descent, orange and blue hues painting the sky, making the buildings underneath glow in beauty. 

You take a calming breath, one that you think you desperately need to help clear your mind and bring you back to focus on the task you’ll be facing. 

“Enjoying the view?” You startle when you hear Professor Stark beside you, his hand resting just at the low of your back as he leans his side against the railing. 

You quickly compose yourself and give him a light nod, looking back at the picturesque sight before you. “I never thought New York could be so beautiful.” 

“It’s what I love most about this place.” 

“Doesn’t it get lonely though?” You couldn’t help ask.

“I have JARVIS and the bots with me.” He chuckles and glances inside his lab before looking back at you. “And now I have you. If all things work out, I might just make you my assistant.”

“Your assistant?” You blink in surprise at his words. “But everything I’ve been doing has been—” The words you wish to say face away when you hear a loud beeping coming from the inside. You look at your professor, the expression on his face equally surprised and you both make your way back into the lab. 

The hologram by your computer has changed from cyan to yellow and you stand in awe as you watch the image playing before you, the vibranium slowly wrapping around the atoms and binding together before bleeding around the model of a human, successfully forming the suit. 

“I believe your theory has proven to be successful,” JARVIS says. 

“But—h-how?” You ask, rounding the desk to sit in front of your computer, looking closely at the formulas you’ve curated. 

“I kept running tests just as you asked and took the liberty of adding the power to the stabilizer. Your equations are correct but the equipment simply needed a little modification.”

You scan the tests and sit in utter disbelief as the words of JARVIS prove to be true. You did it. Although with a little help from your professor’s AI, you actually did it! You can’t help the smile that slowly forms on your lips as you dwell on the thought that it was all because of your research and the theory you created that has deemed the project to be a success. 

“What happened?” Professor Stark asks after, peeking at him from your computer. “What is J yapping about?”

“It worked.” You say with a steady voice as you stand from your seat. “My theory worked.” 

Professor Stark moves to stand beside you behind your desk, his hands pressed against the surface as he leans forward to look at the hologram. A smirk forms on his lips and he looks at you, a glint in his brown eyes before he wraps an arm around your waist and pulls you close to him, tapping the side of your hip. 

“I knew you could do it, sweetheart. I’m so proud of you.” You bask in his praise, feeling your heart feel full at making your professor pleased with your work. 

“I wouldn’t have done it without you, professor.”

“Tony.” He says out of the blue and you look at him curiously. “When you’re in the lab, I’m not your professor and you are not my student. We’re colleagues.” He explains. “So please, call me Tony.”

“Okay—T-Tony.”

You feel a slight unease as his name rolls through your tongue. You���ve never called any professor by their first name before, thinking it to be disrespectful towards them to assume any sense of camaraderie especially if they didn’t welcome it. But Professor Stark did ask for it and you somewhat see the sense in his account, that you both are colleagues in such a setting. 

“Say it again,” 

You look up at him in confusion, your teeth worrying your bottom lip before whispering his name once more. 

“I can’t hear you, sweetheart.”

“Tony.” You raise your voice an octave and blink in surprise, blushing intensely when he plants a kiss on your cheek. 

“Good girl.” He chuckles and pulls away, leaving you stunned by your desk. “Calculate the time frame for the complete binding process.” He calls out loud to JARVIS. 

“I already ran the numbers, sir, and upon initial estimation, it will take approximately 2 days.”

“Then I guess we better get to work.” Professor Stark grins in your direction, giving him a light smile before turning away to press a hand against your cheek, your thoughts running wild as you dwell on the sudden kiss. 

You and Tony decide to take turns staying in the lab to watch over the stabilizer as the binding process runs its course. It took a while for it to start, with both of you modifying the equipment needed to be used to turn your theory into a reality. Even with the labor proving to be tough, it was but a small feat worthy to endure as you watch each progress bar glow in success. 

You watch the moon shine brightly in the night sky through the transparent wall of the elevator, making your way toward the lab. You try to hype yourself up and prepare for the grueling 7 hours of doing nothing ahead. Though after your first watch, you decided to bring along your computer this time and catch up on some reading before you go back to university the next month. 

JARVIS' voice makes you smile when he greets you upon your arrival, the double doors of the lab opening in an instant for you to enter. Setting your bag on the couch, you hum in confusion when you don’t see Tony inside. 

“JARVIS?” You call the AI, walking towards the screen to check any changes in the progress. “Where is Professor Stark?”

“He was called for an emergency meeting. But rest assured I would send him any updates of any changes to the process.” 

“No need for that. You can just tell him that I’m already here.” You smile up at the ceiling and make your way back to the couch, looking down at the bottles of energy drinks gathered on the coffee table in front of it.

“Mr. Stark says to help yourself with the drinks. It could help keep you up during the night.” JARVIS adds. 

You give the AI your thanks and pull your computer from your bag, getting comfortable on the couch as you boot it up and diving head-on to the first reading topic you pull out for your senior year. 

The hours slug by and the words on your screen begin blending with each other. You check the time and groan upon seeing it’s only 2AM, giving you 4 more hours to spend in the lab. Even with the project being an exciting and once-in-a-lifetime experience, you can’t help but find the wait to be boring. Yes, it’s part of the process but you think it would be more efficient to have JARVIS oversee the project himself and inform either you or Professor Stark of any problems that may arise. 

You blink away the sleepiness from your eyes and slip the computer off your lap, reaching over for a bottle of energy drink on the table. You twist the cap open and take a heavy gulp, wanting the sugar to kick in immediately to keep you wide awake before your shift ends. 

You stand from the couch, clutching the bottle in your hand, and decide to take a walk around the lab, hoping it would help to keep the lingering exhaustion at bay. The stabilizer seems to be in check, each progress bar ticking off as complete before another begins. 

You do another lap around the lab, looking at the assortment of gadgets and equipment your professor has laying all over the place. The suit remains dormant on the steel table, lifeless and still yet looking all too vibrant in its metallic glory. You run a finger against its steel surface, amazed at its structure when a yawn forms at your lips, having you take another swig of the sugary beverage. 

But your eyes begin to droop, your head feeling all too light that you make your way back to the couch, the plush cushions looking enticing as you drop yourself on it and lay your head against the armrest. Professor Stark wouldn’t mind if I take a quick nap, right? You ask yourself but before you could even debate for it to be a bad idea, your eyes close on their own accord, your mind going blank and the darkness completely taking over you as you fall into slumber. 

You dream of flight. Your body light as you soar through the clouds, swimming over the skyscrapers of the city. A cool breeze brushes against your cheek and you smile at the pleasurable sensation that ripples through your body. Your arms are spread wide, a bird basking in the aerial domain. You look behind when you feel a tingle down at your legs and you see a streak of red and yellow breaking the peacefulness of the sky. 

Then all of a sudden, something pulls at the pit of your stomach and you’re falling fast toward the ground. A sense of panic washes over you as you flail your arms, trying to grasp for anything to save you but nothing comes to your aid. You try to scream, hoping anyone would hear your cries but no sound comes from your mouth. The earth comes closer by the second and you close your eyes as you await your death. 

You wake in a jolt, your chest heaving as you pant heavily, trying to regulate your breathing and grab a semblance of reality from the dream-turned-nightmare. The ceiling looks different and the couch you fell asleep on feels all too wide. You’re cold, a chill kissing your skin that slowly shakes you awake, and it's then that you finally realize that you’re naked. 

“Wha—” You try to speak but a moan escapes your lips instead when you feel something smooth and wet lap against your soaking cunt. 

“You taste like heaven, sweetheart.” You hear the voice of your professor echo through the room, fear crawling up your skin when you look down between your thighs and see his brown orbs staring at you, his lips glistening with your arousal. “Just as I’ve imagined.” He smirks and crawls up from where he’s kneeling, his face hovering over yours. 

“Professor—” You cry and try to push him away, but such attempts are a defeat when you look up and see your wrists bound with silver restraints, the fibers glowing blue and purple with each tug you make.

“Sweetheart, I told you to call me Tony.” He whispers, grabbing your chin with his hand and pressing his lips against yours. 

He slips his tongue through your lips and kisses you hard, his mouth devouring yours whole as he dominates you through the kiss. You try to move away, to stop him from his assault but you’re rendered helpless as his hold on your chin tightens, almost to the verge of pain making you stop altogether and allow him to do his lecherous act. 

You gasp for air when he pulls away, moving your face away when his lips trail down to your jaw then to your neck. Tears begin to spring from your eyes as you continue to pull on your restraints. Confusion clouds your mind as you question how it has come to this, that your professor has pulled you into a nightmare you never saw coming. 

“I’ve waited for so long and now you’re finally mine.” He mumbles against your skin, looking up at his blurry image when his face lingers above you once again. 

“I—I don’t understand.” You whimper, wriggling against the bed when he pushes his clothed pelvis flush against yours, rolling his hips, the fabric of his pants rubbing against your clit. “Why a-are you doing t-this, professor?” You say in between grunts then yelping in pain when you feel a zap of electricity sting your wrists.  

“I told you to call me Tony.” He growls and pushes himself up, your eyes widening when he pulls off his shirt, witnessing the contours of his muscles lining his bare torso. He then makes work of his pants, the soft sound of his zipper seeming all too loud as dread completely takes you over. 

He pulls off his pants and kneels back down on the bed, hands running up and down your bare thighs, your arms aching and going taut from the metallic restraints when he grabs you by the waist and pulls you against him. You cry when he rubs the length of his cock against your folds, rolling the tip against your swollen clit which makes you whine and cry even more in turn. 

“You ask why I’m doing this?” He echoes your question as he lines himself against your cunt, closing your eyes when he slowly inches the tip of his cock inside you. “Because I can.” He snarls and impales you in one swift move, a pang of pain surrounding your pelvis from his sudden intrusion. 

You grit your teeth when he bottoms out, feeling yourself grow full from his size. You didn’t think he’d be big but the pain that radiates through your pelvis as your pussy walls clench around him tell you otherwise. He groans, his head tilted back as he stays still, allowing you to adjust to his girth but you have difficulty in doing so with your body remaining tense. 

You try to push him away, flailing your legs to push him off but you’re no match for his strength. His hands push your thighs apart, pinning them to the bed, whining when he slides out of you and slowly thrusts himself back in.

He starts at an easy pace, watching himself slip in and out of you. But his impatience eventually grows, picking up the rhythm of his hips and you shut your eyes tight when he begins to fuck you fast and hard, all the same, your body jostling against the mattress, slamming himself against you at a brutal pace. 

You close your eyes. You try to think this all to be a dream, some horrible night terror that you’ll be waking up from any time soon, but such attempts are futile when his hands begin to linger, feeling them clamp on your shoulders from behind and his hot breath fanning over your cheek. 

“I’ve wanted you for so long, sweetheart.” He says in between grunts, his face pressing against the side of yours, knees tucked underneath your thighs, shifting the angle of his cock and letting out an incoherent moan as you feel him slide deeper within. “Watching you in my class for three fucking years and now you’re here.” 

You try to drown out his words, wishing them to be lies. He’s your professor, a mentor you’ve looked up to for so long. You did the work. You paid attention. You’re not the best but you’re also not the worse. And still, you don’t understand what you’ve done to garner his attention, that he'd pull you into this nightmare disguised as a dream when all you’ve ever been was a diligent student. 

“Tony—please,” You try to beg for him to stop but the words drown in your tongue, turning into a reluctant moan when he hits that sweet spot hidden within. 

Your body then ripples in desire, the unwanted pleasure filling your senses as your feel your body tighten. It shouldn’t feel this good, you should detest it but with each thrust he makes, with each rub of his pelvis against your clit, the only place you see going is up, soaring high as your arousal gradually reaches its peak. 

Your walls tighten around him and he growls like some feral animal, his lips sloppily kissing your cheek while he whispers your name in staccatos. 

“That’s it, baby—” He grunts, one of his hands releasing your shoulder and reaching down to fondle your swollen bud. “Say my name.”

You clamp your lips shut, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of his desire. But your wrists sting once more, making you cry out in pain, panting heavily as your heartbeat spikes both from the electricity pinching your skin and the man taking you as he pleases. 

“Say it!” He repeats, punching the air from your lungs as he slams himself hard against you. 

“Tony,” You whisper, his name sickening rolling against your tongue. 

“Louder!” He commands. 

And you give in, chanting his name, again and again, your voice and the sound of your skins slapping with each other bouncing off the walls of the room, filling your ears, filling your senses. 

“Yes—” He growls, muttering nonsense against your temple as his fingers and cock work you in tandem. 

The tension in your stomach builds and builds, the dam ready to break with each flick of his fingers on your clit and each pulse your pussy makes. The pressure he adds on the bud only pulls you higher into ecstasy and all at once you find your release, your pussy fluttering around his cock as you come tumbling down from the sky. 

You feel him throb inside you, his words growing erratic with each thrust he makes. He then comes all together and you mewl when his seeds fill you up, coating your slicked walls. You lay almost lifeless on the bed, chest heaving, moans leaving your lips as he begins to give you shallow thrusts, riding out his orgasm and pumping every last drop into your cunt. 

Your name tumbles out of his lips once more and you feel him go still, keeping his cock inside as he too pants heavily against your side. 

“Tell me you’re mine, baby.” He whispers against your cheek, his hand leaving your clit only to run it up your abdomen and cup your tit, giving it a light squeeze when you don’t respond to his command. “Tell me.” He repeats with strength.

You let out a heavy breath, the tears spilling from your eyes once again as you try to form the words on your lips if only to please him, to keep the anger he keeps hidden within at bay. 

“I—” You swallow thickly. “I’m yours.”

You stand at the side of the stage with your other classmates, waiting for your name to be called. Today was supposed to be the best day of your life, one you’ve been waiting for since you entered university. But you can’t find it in you to be happy on your graduation for all the glee has been sucked out of you since that day your professor showed his true colors. 

He retired in the middle of the school year. An organization called SHIELD asked for his assistance after he presented himself as Iron Man. You would have been proud of the suit if things didn’t go the way they did, if your professor remained your mentor and didn't turn into your captor. But every time you see the name on the news, or even the image of the suit, all you feel is fear. Fear towards the man you once trusted and the power that he has at the palm of his hand. 

Your thoughts are broken when Maya taps your shoulder from behind, looking at the stage to see Michelle finishing her bow and leaving at the other side. Your name is then called and you put on a fake smile as you meet the dean, shaking his hand and taking the scroll of parchment from his grasp before standing center stage and giving a deep bow. 

You were deemed Valedictorian of your class. A recognition that was given to you upon the university’s knowledge of your helping hand on the Iron Man suit. A recognition you don’t deserve after Tony’s blatant words. 

“You’re not here because you’re smart. Your brain isn’t that special, sweetheart. You’re only here because I wanted you to be here. I just got lucky that your thesis matched with what I was working on and it was the perfect excuse to have you in my tower.”

After the ceremony, you meet with your parents. Both of them hug you tightly as they tell you how proud they are of you. You smile at their words if only to hide your true feelings about the occasion. Nevertheless, you still bask in the freedom that is bestowed upon you with Tony being away on a mission with a band of people they call The Avengers. 

“We made reservations at 9th Brewery.” Your mom says with a smile, her arm wrapping around yours as the three of you make your way to the parking. 

“9th? Isn’t it expensive there?” You ask and they simply chuckle at your disbelief. 

“Our Valedictorian only deserves the best.” Your dad comments, a small smile forming on your lips when he places a kiss on your temple. 

You congratulate some of your classmates as you pass them by. Receiving their greeting all the same while some try to stop you and ask for details about working with the most famous man in the world. You try to escape them all the same for you have nothing to tell them, wishing to erase that part of your life, but you stop dead in your tracks when you see Tony just up ahead, looking pristine in a three-piece suit, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. You feel a sense of worry wrap around you when he walks towards you and your parents. 

“Congratulations, sweetheart.” He greets you, walking past your parents and pressing a kiss to your lips. You take the flowers when he holds them out to you, whispering your thanks before looking at your parents when they stare at you and Tony, question evident in their eyes. 

“You’re Tony Stark.” Your dad breaks the silence. “You’re Iron Man.” And Tony grins at him proudly, wrapping an arm around your waist as he holds you close to him. “Why did you kiss my daughter?”

“You haven’t told them yet, sweetheart?” Tony chuckles and holds out his hand to your father. “It’s nice to finally meet you, sir.” He says, a wide smile on his lips as your dad shakes his hand. “As well as you, ma’am.” He greets your mom next, taking her hand and placing a light kiss on her knuckles. 

“Uhhh—mom, dad, this is Tony and uhhh—” Your hands get clammy as you try to find the words to say. What do you tell them? That he was previously your professor? What would they even think when they find out such information after seeing his public display of affection?

“I think what your daughter is trying to say is that she and I are together.” 

You frown upon seeing the expression on your parents’ faces, your dad seemingly excited and your mom, in shock. 

“But aren’t you her professor?” Your mom asks. “Sweetie, you never mentioned you were seeing someone.” She turns to you, worrying your bottom lip with your teeth as you feel the anxiety creep up your skin

“I know it’s somewhat of a surprise but I assure you everything is legal,” Tony says coolly, feeling no shame as he places a kiss on your cheek. “We are both consenting adults and I was no longer a member of the faculty when we engaged in our relationship. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?” 

Your stomach rolls in disgust at how easily he lies to your parents’ faces. And what’s worse is how they seem to believe every word he’s saying. The shock on your mother’s face seems to dissipate and your father is all too oblivious, all smiles as the fame of the man at your side cloud his judgment. 

You squeak when Tony’s hand pinches your waist when you don’t answer immediately, feeling a small wave of electricity rippling through your skin from the necklace he’s given you; a smaller replica of the arc reactor he’s embedded on his chest. 

You nod and force a smile, leaning closer against Tony’s frame and resting your head against his shoulder. “Yes, honey.”

[animebw]

Short Reflection: My Hero Academia Season 7

It's so hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that My Hero Academia is ending.

For context, MHA is maybe the third anime I ever watched. Not counting Spirited Away and a few seasons of Pokemon, I was first introduced to anime through Attack on Titan, then decided to explore the medium more fully after falling in love with Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. And the next show I decided to check out after that was, of course, this silly little superhero show that only had two seasons out at the time. So it's safe to say that My Hero Academia was one of my formative experiences as an anime fan, one of those shows that defined for me what this medium was capable of and why it was worth devoting so much of my life to. I fell in love with its charming characters, its pulse-pounding action, its deeply earnest portrayal of heroism that wasn't ashamed to be corny and heartfelt. And in the seven years since, I've continued to find new reasons to love it, even as my taste has evolved and my understanding of anime has deepened. As much as I've changed, one thing remains indisputably true: My Hero Academia is a show I'm always excited to return to.

But seven years is a long time, and the anime industry of today feels worlds away from when this show started. Smash hits like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen have rewritten how shonen anime gets made and how fans engage with it. There's more anime being made than ever, but it's all spread so thin almost none of it gets the resources it needs to be the best version of itself. And somewhere along the line, it feels like My Hero Academia slipped through the cracks. What use does this earnest, sentimental show have in today's more jaded landscape? What use does the world of today have for heroes anymore? In a way, it's like our world has started to mirror the world of the show itself: paranoid, cynical, distrustful of the very concept of heroes that once drew us to it as surely as Deku and his classmates were drawn to All Might's seemingly eternal silhouette. And now we're staring down the end of the anime that once stood at the forefront of mainstream appeal, left to wonder what remains when the dust finally settles.

And what remains, it turns out, is one of the best goddamn anime I've ever had the pleasure of watching.

There's just no getting around it: My Hero Academia fucking rules. From start to finish, from 2016 to now, it's remained one of the most consistently entertaining, emotional, and thoughtful series to ever spring from Shonen Jump's pages. A story that effortlessly merges heartfelt sentimentality with complex moral quandaries, that deconstructs its own premise to reach the beating heart of heroism itself, that isn't afraid to call for massive, society-reshaping change if that's what's necessary to right the wrongs of our current system. And it delivers those themes through deeply rewarding personal journeys for almost all of its characters, no matter how small, and a series of no-holds-barred superhero showdowns that will have you punching the air one second and screaming in panic the next. My Hero Academia is excellent. It's always been excellent. And as it barrels headfirst into its final stretch, it's never been more obvious just how spectacularly it's going to stick the landing.

It's tricky to talk about Season 7 in isolation because unlike most seasons of MHA, it doesn't stop comfortably at the end of an arc. This is, after all, the final battle, the final showdown against One For All, the League of Villains, all their myriad supporters, and the failures of hero society itself made manifest in the lost souls they've let slip through the cracks. And with how massive the cast has grown, it's inevitably going to be a massive, sprawling affair with far too many moving pieces to comfortably wrap up in the space of a single season. So after a brief stretch of build-up to set the stakes, this season is all about climax, countless skirmishes between countless characters as UA enacts its final plan to take down OFA and rebuild their world into something better. It's all gas no brakes as plot threads from all throughout this series come crashing and tangling together, finding closure for every step of the journey we've taken to get here in the most suitably explosive and cathartic ways imaginable. And even then it only has enough time to get us to the start of the final final battle before saying "see you later" for one last season next year. But we've waited this long for the grand finale, we can wait a little more. I'll take an appetizer this fantastic en route to the main course any day.

So in essence, this season is all about taking MHA's sprawling narrative and whittling it down to its core one step at a time. And I think it's worth taking a second to acknowledge what an insane challenge Horikoshi set for himself here. With the final confrontation between Deku, Shigaraki and All For One looming, it falls to this season to make room for them by finding closure for literally every other character's story arc. Not just big supporting players like Bakugo and Uraraka, but minor characters we haven't seen in years, one-off background players we didn't even expect to see again, heroes, villains, bystanders, civilian collaborators... at times it feels like every single named character, no matter how small, is given a part to play here. And not only does this season have to resolve all those storylines in time for Deku to take center stage, it has to make those resolutions mean something. Every conclusion is a single thread in the grand tapestry that is My Hero Academia's thesis on what it means to be a hero, all intertwining and building on each other's meaning. It can't just be checking items off a checklist; the way these countless little stories resolve is crucial. And Horikoshi has to accomplish all of that without it dragging, or losing focus, or running out of steam, or rushing to get to the main event, or letting even a single one of these moving parts fall through the cracks.Say what you will, the man clearly loves a challenge.

I'd love to say he pulls it off flawlessly and this semi-final stretch is nothing but home run after home run. Sadly, I can't. As much as I loved this season, MHA's final battle has more than a handful of issues running through it, issues that would've easily tanked a weaker show if the good stuff weren't still so spectacular.

The most obvious issue is an over-reliance on flashbacks. In order to keep a lot of the final battle's biggest surprises secret, the show skips over most of the planning the heroes and villains do in the build-up so all the big twists and reversals can come out of nowhere, only to double-back and explain how those twists came about retroactively once they've landed. Which, you know, I get the instinct, I wouldn't want to sit through five episodes watching everyone make plans either. But this happens so many times, and the explanatory flashbacks are usually so long, that it starts to feel like trudging through waste-deep mud just to get through all these fights in a timely manner. Which only gets worse when the fight starts flashing back to itself, bouncing back in time to cover several different battlefields in succession. We'll finish up a massive fight between say, Endeavor and All For One, only to flash back twenty minutes earlier to see what Kirishima and Mina were getting up to at the same time the big guns were trading blows. It's flashback on top of flashback on top of flashback at a time when the story needs forward momentum more than ever, and all I can say is thank god all the stuff it's flashing back to is still compelling in its own right, or this would've gone from an annoyance to absolutely insufferable.

But the bigger issue for me comes from the main villain himself. I'm going to be blunt: All For One is boring. He's the most generic big bad imaginable, no interesting goals beyond world domination/destruction and no interesting powers beyond Be Stronger Than Everyone thanks to his infinite quirk stockpile. In a series that's always excelled at writing its bad guys and imbuing them with compelling humanity, the biggest bad of them all comes off as little more than an overpowered punching bag who always has some bullshit trump card to win every fight he's in. Which worked fine when he was still in the shadows, showing up for brief moments of horrific destruction and otherwise letting the much more compelling Shigaraki and Friends take the spotlight. But now that he's actually out in the spotlight, endlessly monologuing about being eeeeeeevil and negating everyone's attempts to stop him with all the grace of literally being handed an Everything-Proof Shield by Horikoshi himself, all that horror has rapidly leeched away. Turns out, the only thing that made him compelling was how well he he managed to hide what a lame loser he was. And now that he's over-exposed, I can't take him seriously again, no matter how many Deux ex Machinas he pulls out of his ass (Honestly, a lot of the villains feel like they're saved by the hand of the author this arc, but it's most obvious with AFO).

So there's a lot to criticize about Season 7. It's a huge, messy, ambitious climax that's trying to do everything at once, and it's no surprise it buckles under the weight of all that ambition. If I was feeling ungenerous, I could see myself calling this a pretty lackluster season of MHA overall, weighed down by all those problems that keep it from reaching its full potential.

Except.

It turns out, Horikoshi is really fucking good at endings.

It's always an open question how much a mangaka plans for their story's finale. Especially in Shonen Jump, where series are pushed to run for as long as they're profitable, even the best-laid plans for an ending can be led astray. Sure, not every story needs a full roadmap laid out from the start, but when you ask an audience to invest so much time into your work, making them feel like it was all worth something at the end can make all the difference in the world. And what's become clear in My Hero Academia's final stretch is that Horikoshi was prepared for everything. I don't know exactly how much he had planned, but whether he had lists of notes written out from chapter 1 or if his story sense is just that good in the heat of the moment, he somehow managed to pull off the impossible: he delivered. He took that staggering tapestry of intertwining story threads and made each and every one of them sing. Every single character you've been following for all these years, whether you've cheered them on from day 1 or forgot they even existed, is sent home in triumph and leaves such an indelible mark on My Hero Academia's soul that I can no longer imagine the show without them.

Like, fucking hell, where do I even start? Endeavor somehow becomes one of my favorite characters as he completes one of the single greatest redemption arcs of all time! The forgotten kids of class 1-B showcase why they deserve to share the spotlight once and for all! An unexpected return from some of the most delightful villains fighting for justice! Jiro and Tokoyami drawing blood from the devil himself! Mina facing her trauma head-on and triumphing over it! Even Ojiro and Shoji, who've had basically nothing to do the entire series, somehow pull off a genuinely fantastic fantasy racism subplot in the space of a single episode! Lemillion! Aizawa! Aoyama! FUCKING KATSUKI BAKUGO! There wasn't a single episode that didn't leave me screaming with glee at least once. Seeing all these characters I've known for so long coming together and raising their voices in a single harmony was cathartic on a level I didn't even know was possible. These aren't just a bunch of kids anymore; they're heroes. They're heroes in the truest sense imaginable, raising a burning fist in a dark world and refusing to let the embers die, rekindling a fading flame until it can blaze back to life brighter than ever. And seeing their stories brought to a close with such overwhelming passion made every frustrating flashback or boring AFO monologue suddenly as unimportant as a speck of dust on the wall.

And then there's Uraraka.

Jesus Fucking Hell, there's Uraraka.

Ever since I first watched this show back in 2017, I've been in love with this girl. I've cheered for her, I've cried with her, I've put my faith in her oddly paw-like hands as she's grown from a sweet and bubbly girl to someone who understands the true value of that compassion. But after this season? After her final confrontation with Toga? There's just no denying it anymore: Ochako Uraraka is one of the single greatest shonen heroines of all time. Her relentless, unstoppable, defiant kindness in the face of the world's cruelty is the single most inspiring force in this entire damn show. And it's that unyielding love, that refusal to reject the humanity even of her worst foes, that saves the world in a more profound way than All Might or Deku ever could. In her heartbreaking showdown with Toga, we don't just see the salvation of one lost girl; we see the way forward for all of us, everyone blinded by hate or ignorance, everyone who turned a blind eye to the cracks in this seemingly perfect system. All Might might be the Symbol of Peace, and Deku might be the champion of hope, but Uraraka is the raw, bleeding heart that makes this world worth fighting for. And seeing her and Toga find each other, choose each other, save each other against all odds, left me sobbing harder than this show's ever made me cry before. To think the show that inflicted Mineta upon us could pull off a story of queer acceptance and love this unfathomably beautiful.

But that's been the magic of watching My Hero Academia for so long. For all its stumbles, it's a series that's always gotten back on its feet, a series that's never stopped trying to go beyond Plus Ultra. And if there's one thing season 7 proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, it's that this long, long journey was absolutely worth it. This story is coming to an end not with a whimper, not with a bang, but with a goddamn fireworks shower that fulfills every promise it ever made. And Christ, how lucky I am that I've been able to share so much of my life with it. Between this and Attack on Titan, I really picked the perfect starting points to my anime adventure, series that would grow and change with me but never lose the wonderful spark that made me fall in love with them in the first place. And just as my faith in Attack on Titan was proven right by its all-timer finale, My Hero Academia has rewarded my investment with a spectacular final arc that, despite its issues, will cement this series as one of anime's most enduring triumphs. All that's left to do now is wait for the final season to bring it all home. And I can't wait to share that experience with you all as I say goodbye to my anime-fan starting line, one last time.

For now, though? I give season 7 a score of:

9/10

Season 8, here we come. See you all next year...

[k-dokja]

synopsis: headache count: the amount of times gojo satoru opens his mouth to speak |

timeline: second year, 65-66 parallel

characters feature: geto suguru, gojo satoru.

relationship: classmates, friends. gojo is into the reader but not serious about it. geto is into the reader but not really doing anything about it.

notes: ooc as hell since i'm trying to narrow them down.

you weren't there for it, but you heard about it.

upon returning from your own solo mission, you are informed of the mistakes made by your fellow classmates. apparently, the three of them have all forgotten to put up the curtains while exterminating the cursed spirits, with satoru at the helm of the problem. vaguely, you had thought this would happen, with how often you are responsible for it when you're out with satoru.

to see it actually plays into reality, you only want to slap your forehead.

it was to be expected. he's arrogant and reckless. you can't deny his strength, but you can condemn his flaws. suguru might be the sweeter one of the two, but he's no better. if anything, you only have shoko to rely on with holding their brain cells together.

but apparently, that's too much to ask for.

although, for once, you aren't going to give them slack about it. you're tired enough from your mission, you don't need to add satoru to the list of problems you have to deal with. not that he ever likes to make anything easy.

with any luck, they'd be too ashamed of their mistake to talk about it by the time you return to class. but you know you'd never be that fortunate. in fact, you should've expected something worse to happen.

that way, when you're within the threshold of your classroom, your eyes wouldn't roll far back up your head when you hear satoru and suguru bickering. your irritation barely gives you time to react when shoko dashes out past you. briefly, you wonder if she even noticed your return with her haste to escape the fight.

you slide the door open with more force than necessary. as expected, that succeeds in breaking the tension between them by pulling their attention towards you.

"are you guys honestly fighting? is there a limit to your stupidity?"

ignoring the fact you straight-up called him stupid not a second earlier, "you're home!" satoru bounces towards you from his seat close to the door. reflexively, your hand raises to block his head before he can crash into you.

"i thought you wouldn't come back until tomorrow?" and ignoring your block, he continues to make grabby hands towards you.

"i finished early," you purposefully angle yourself away from satoru, but you know he isn't trying very hard. at least, not with the difference between his arm's length and yours.

"welcome back," suguru smiles pleasantly at you, the ire he has towards satoru the moment before dissipating. instead, it's replaced by the warmth of unspoken affection. "it's nice to have you with us again."

you smile back at him, "thanks, it's definitely better to be off-duty for a little while," you say, "can't say the same for the two of you, though."

suguru arches an eyebrow at your statement, but before he can ask anything, you step aside to let yaga-sensei enter. as your teacher takes the podium to settle them down, you take your seat next to satoru's. hearing him catching the boys up about their mission with the star vessel gives you a moment to take a breath.

idly, you think about your next mission. you only have a day or two to recharge before the next one requires you to be on the go. this schedule keeps you active and busy, but you can't deny you've missed working in a group a little.

as if sensing your thoughts, satoru speaks up, "wait, just the two of us?" he pulls you to him at the waist, grinning up at yaga-sensei, "can we bring her with us?"

you knock him on the head, "don't talk about me like i'm some pet poodle to carry around, i have my own mission to deal with," you grumble, "besides, it'd be an overkill to bring the three of us. i'm resource better spent elsewhere than babysitting the two of you."

yaga-sensei reaffirms your words, "she's right. all three of you are extraordinary at your age, but master tengen believes the two of you are enough. unless in case of emergency, you and geto will be the ones responsible for this mission."

you give satoru a sideway glance that basically says "see?" but he only pouts in answer. his foul mood is nothing but a charade and neither you nor suguru bothers to do anything about it. yet, satoru doesn’t relent his hold on you. exasperated, your eyes meet suguru's, he only smiles in sympathy but once again leaves you to fend for your device.

truly, you have no ally in this hell hole of a class.

[mueritos]

Hello., sorry if this is random, I found your blog awhile ago and thought your art was so cool, I love your style a lot 😭 , but I lost it and only recently found it again!

I am a trans man from Australia and I was wondering if you knew any good reads for lgbtq+ history or anything similar, I am white but I would love to see some more by creators of color and experiences around that but I’m not sure which books are best, regardless I hope you’re having a great day ! I feel I need to read more in general.

And I’m loving your posts and hoping you’re doing okay! Your art is so inspirational , things are more than rough atm and even though it’s all right here (kind of) I am hoping that shit starts getting better , the world really needs to be helped right now and there is so much suffering, your posts are very informative , too, and I’m glad to see it , too with all the helpful links, much appreciated -

Thank you again !! And thanks for reading even if you don’t reply, I don’t mind :]! /genuinely i word things awkwardly so I hope you don’t mind -

Hi there! glad you found me again :) This is quite convenient because I actually made a queer theory folder for my classmates/professor after chatting with them about queer theory. You can find it here full of readings and suggested books. A lot are more academic than others. I also realize I forgot to put the download of female masculinity in the drive so I'll try to do that later. I'm adding stuff as I find more downloads and related titles, but if anyone has an recommendations/links I can add them to the additional resources list.

Anyway, I'm glad you like my art and the stuff I post. Things are extremely rough and I cannot deny that it has been affecting me. I can only hope to contribute to any feelings of joy and solidarity with others.

hope that was useful! have an epic day :)

[burgeoning-ambition]

Hi Vincent! Since you're studying Japanese & Korean, I was wondering if there are any major differences in the way you approach studying each language? Especially since you are laddering Japanese and Korean.

Any helpful hints you've picked up on the way would be great too! ありがとう！

Oohhhh... This is a good question...

I think in terms of grammar I approach them similarly, by memorizing grammar by its function rather than by how it's translated, but when I review grammar I try to review my Korean by comparing to equivalent Japanese grammar. They're a lot easier to compare than either one with English, so it's easier since the word order is often the same and stuff.

But with Korean I think I use a lot more learning apps? Although that's mostly because the Korean resources around me aren't as plentiful as Japanese ones, so I can't get my hands on as much native reading material and stuff to practice. (And I'm not huge on k-dramas, haha)

Oh, another thing with my experience with Korean is that my learning community for it is much smaller- I couldn't really click with a lot of my classmates in Korean the same way I could with my classmates in Japanese (and there was one person in my Korean class who was kind of... A creep so I sort of avoided socializing in there in general), so a lot of my Korean learning is more independent. I won't lie that specific person being so like, uncomfortable to be around kinda killed my motivation to study Korean for a little while, so I really had to improve my internal motivations for studying to make sure I didn't give up.

In terms of tips and tricks I have, one thing I've made a habit of doing is writing down the equivalent Japanese grammar point next to each Korean grammar point in my textbooks! I'll write down conjugations with the same meanings, particles with the same meanings, and sometimes also phrases or vocab terms in Japanese next to the Korean headings and try to memorize based on that. It's usually pretty easy to do, honestly, since the English language textbooks I use for both languages describe things very similarly!

Also, I try to cut out English as much as possible when I learn new words in Korean! Like, I have the Learn Korean With BTS book, and in that the new vocab is only written in Korean, and then if I can't guess the word's meaning from the illustration they put with it, I'll listen to the audio translation in Japanese. I only use English if I'm totally lost because I don't know the word in either language and the illustration is confusing.

Hmm... Another tip I think is important is to not beat yourself up if you aren't "fully laddering" or something like that. If you sometimes have to go back to your native language to double check something, that's fine! It doesn't cancel out all the laddering if you have to go back sometimes to make sure you're actually understanding.

You can also usually find what textbooks Japanese universities use for their Korean language classes! I know Waseda puts all of their textbooks up on their class search and that's publicly available to look at, so you can go find whatever level of Korean textbook written in Japanese with Japanese explanations if you're advanced enough in Japanese!

I feel like laddering is pretty similar to immersion study in the sense that they can both feel pretty difficult and high-intensity even when you're just doing something basic. Completely getting rid of your native language makes things a lot more stressful, I think, so it can be harder. Even if you know that for you personally laddering will be a better way to learn it or more efficient or whatever, it can still feel kinda overwhelming to suddenly be trying to avoid your native language when you study, and I think it's important to remember that! Because sometimes it'll feel discouraging to be overwhelmed by "super basic stuff", but the way you're studying is more intense than studying using native language textbooks! So feeling overwhelmed by stuff you'd find "easy" in your native language is fine! Because it isn't your native language!

I dunno, I don't have many life hacks for it yet... But I hope this blurb helps somehow anyway!

[safety-pin-punk]

Hi!

I’m sort of still getting into punk and learning about everything. You’re blog has been really helpful with resources and everything. Plus your cool.

Okayyy, now my question. I’m a junior in high school and I want to go to college. Pursue further education and all of that stuff. Learn more about the world and critical thinking. But I don’t want to pay a ton of money to a bunch of old ivy dudes.

What’s the right direction to go in for this? Is college a good option if I want to learn? What schools are good places? Where do I learn more about this stuff?

Sorry if this is a lot. Thank you though!

Hey! Thank you for your kindness!!

First off, Im going to stress that you are a junior and you have PLENTY of time to think about this. So dont stress too much right now.

Secondly, I want to preface this with the simple fact of college isnt for everyone. There are SO many ways to survive and thrive in life without it. And thats okay, good even! That being said, this post is just gonna be me talking about college. Under the cut of course

OKAY! So, is college a good option if you want to learn? My answer is yes! I learned a lot at college, both inside and outside my classes. I learned a lot of life lessons, I met people from all over the country (and a few international students). And I learned how to challenge my own beliefs and try to see things from perspectives that I didnt even know could exist prior to college.

But Im sure you were referring to the educational aspect. And truth be told, this heavily depends on both your school and you. Some examples: My school had a phenomenal chemistry program. You couldnt walk out of that program without having learned things if you made it through. But my school also had a very poor fine arts program. And to be quite blunt, I often wondered why any art student chose to stay. But going even further, it depends a lot on the individual as well. I was admittedly not the best student. I wasnt that interested in lab or research compared to some of my classmates, nor did I apply myself as much. And the difference is clear to see when others could rattle off different solvents and what reactions would occur from memory and I would be sitting there dumbfounded.

Next question, what schools are good places? Again, that fully depends on what you want to go to school for. But I’ll tell you what I did and how I chose my school. When I was a junior in high school, I found a list of every 4 year university in my state (I knew I wanted to stay in state, but you can do this for wherever you want to go). I then went through and gave each school a ranking out of 5 (based on vibes, chemistry program, education program, cost, and surrounding area). Once I had it narrowed down to only a few schools, those were the ones I toured. And I chose where to send applications from there.

Though, I cant stress enough how beneficial community college can be. A lot of people get all their gen eds out of the way either before they enroll in a university or over summers. Doing this will save you money and time. Literally not a single person on a university campus would look down on you for this. If anything, they will praise you for being smart. I took a few classes over the summers between semesters just to get them out of the way (and also avoid certain professors).

Where to learn more? Google. Google schools near you. Google schools where you want to go. Google schools ranked nationally in xyz. Google affordable universities. Google universities that have good financial aid programs. Just google so many things. From there, spend time exploring university websites. Read about their community and their academic programs. See if they have virtual tours uploaded. Check out their student activity board social medias to see what it would be like to be there as a student. Sign up for tours. Do an overnight visit if you can!! Or even, just walk around the campus without a tour guide

Best of luck to you on your academic journey! Hope I was a little helpful here

[mimilind]

A Magical Classmate - Part 2

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Reader

Rating: T

Chapter Word Count: 2500

Parts: [ < Previous Part ] [ Next Part > ] [ Masterlist ]

Full story: [ AO3 ]

Your new classmate is an excellent lab partner, and turns out to be a resourceful ally at a party as well. Especially if someone tries to mug you…

2. Lab Partner and Party Protector

The next morning you hauled out your cleanest jeans and best t-shirt, and spent far too long in front of the mirror before you rode your bike to campus. But when you arrived at the lecture hall you found that Catrine and Martin had already monopolized Drake, taking the seats on either side of him.

Feeling defeated, you realized he was probably a lost case, and felt embarrassed for dressing up like you had. As if he would ever notice you when there were attractive, fun people like them to hang out with. 

Morosely you took a seat in the row behind the trio. You knew you were overly dramatic and silly for feeling so jealous and left out, but couldn’t help doing it anyway.

During lunch break, Drake went to a nearby restaurant while the rest of you sat in a student lounge to eat your packed lunches. 

“I wish I could afford to eat out every day too.” Catrine took a bite of her dry cheese sandwich. 

“It’s not very healthy though,” said Filip, the only vegan in the class.

You had brought leftover macaroni and meatballs and ate them in silence, still feeling a bit low. When you had finished you decided to indulge yourself and bought a chocolate bar in the vending machine to cheer you up.

It didn’t help.

Drake returned in the afternoon when it was time for labs, and to your surprise and delight he chose you as his lab partner. You tried not to look smug when Catrine and Martin gave you long, jealous looks.

“Whew, saved by the bell,” he murmured. “Is Catrine silent, like, ever?”

You grinned. “Rarely.” Just like that, your mood had changed from glum to cheerful.

“Even if I had understood Swedish I wouldn’t have caught one word of today’s lecture with her prattling in my ear the entire morning.”

“I still don’t get why you attend lectures.”

He shrugged. “Bored, I guess.”

It was time to begin and you tried to translate the lab instructions. Drake turned out to be adept at practical chemistry as well – except for a few very strange instances. The first one was when you had to help him turn on the light and the fan in the fume hood. Apparently he didn’t understand that he had to press the red button with ‘on’ printed on it. 

His next difficulty was with the magnetic stirrer. This time he found the power switch, but didn’t put the plug in the socket.

”You need to plug it in,” you said, trying not to smile.

”Oh.” He turned the appliance over with a perplexed look. 

”Here.” You helped him again.

First when you began the titration, Drake showed how talented he really was. He claimed to have never done it before, yet managed to create perfect solutions every time, and his calculations – written down with the neatest handwriting you ever saw from a guy – were made with ease. Though you wondered a bit why he used an old-fashioned ink pen.

A gleam drew your attention. From under the lab coat, Drake’s shirt sleeves peeked through, and you saw he wore actual cufflinks. 

Seriously?

He had a matching silver ring on his index finger, with a serpentine pattern. It struck you he had really nice hands. Large but with a soft touch; he had no problem handling the fragile equipment.

”Wow, we’re already finished,” you exclaimed, looking around and finding that nobody else was done by far. ”Can I always be your lab partner?”

He just grinned and shrugged.

”Let’s go make the lab report now.” You figured it would be a win-win combination; he knew what to write in it, you knew Swedish. 

As you went to a study area and sat around the small, round table, Drake removed his suit jacket and loosened the tie so he could open the top button of his shirt.

Your stomach flipped and filled with flutters. Damn, what a body he had! He must work out a lot. You wondered why he kept hiding it under suits and dress coats – all muscular guys you knew wore tight t-shirts to make it show.

Then you began on the report, leaning your heads over the paper. His semi-long hair fell forward and made his face look softer, less controlled.

Sitting so close, his pleasant perfume filled your nostrils and you had to refrain from sniffing him like an enthusiastic dog. It was increasingly hard to focus on the report.

There was no denying it anymore; you had to admit to yourself you were getting a huge crush on this guy. He was just so perfect in every way!

You were nearly finished when Catrine and Martin joined you. Like you, they hadn’t quite understood the lab and had many questions, which Drake seemed glad to answer. In the end, both the reports became mostly his doing, but since you others had translated and written them you figured you weren’t really cheating. Much.

Unsurprisingly, after that, Drake became everyone’s favorite lab partner. He took turns and changed partners each time, and though you were disappointed, you weren’t really expecting anything else. He had no reason to single you out. 

A couple of weeks passed and Halloween was coming up. The following Friday there would be a big costume Halloween party hosted by Chalmers, the city’s famous university of technology. Since it was open to other academic departments as well, Catrine, Martin and you decided to go, and she managed to convince Drake to tag along. 

“But remember this will be Swedish Halloween, not American,” said Martin. “Here we only dress up as evil and nasty things, like vampires, ghosts, witches and stuff.”

“Ah. Then I can dress as a dark wizard,” said Drake with a wry smile you couldn’t quite interpret.

The evening came, and as arranged you went to the Karl IX statue which was where everyone met up in this city. You had spent a long time picking your outfit – wanting to wear something that both matched the Halloween theme and made you look good – and at last settled on a bat face mask and a wide, black cloak that flowed around you dramatically as you walked. 

Shortly afterwards, Drake arrived. “Neat!” He indicated your cape. “You look a bit like a dungeon bat I know, but much cuter.”

The compliment filled you with a pleasant warmth. 

Drake also wore a black cloak, his with wide sleeves, and held an old-fashioned broomstick in one hand. He had used makeup to make his face paler, except for dark red shades around his eyes, and with his blond hair snugly combed back it gave the impression of a skull. His attractive smile took away part of the effect though.

“You look great too,” you said, meaning it wholeheartedly. He was exceedingly handsome no matter what he did. “Only a bit too nice for a dark wizard.”

“Nice?” His smile disappeared and he lowered his eyebrows, piercing you with a dangerous, sharp look. He loomed over you, a hand menacingly hovering near his sleeve like he prepared to draw a gun from it.

You took a step backwards, a nervous throb in your chest. The transformation was uncanny. Drake suddenly looked lethal.

He relaxed and grinned widely, his face perfectly friendly again. “Were you afraid?” he teased.

“Of course not!” you lied, laughing sheepishly. 

Now the others had arrived and the four of you walked up the Avenyn boulevard. Along the way, you passed a beggar with a cup in front of him. 

Drake stopped, pulling out his wallet.

“Don’t,” whispered Catrine. “He will just buy booze.”

He shrugged and put a hundred-crown note in the cup. “Then so be it.” 

The beggar’s eyes became round and he grinned toothlessly, quickly snatching up the note. “Tack så mycket,” he repeated several times.

“It means ‘thanks a lot’,” you translated.

Drake chuckled. “I figured.”

“Are you always this generous?” asked Catrine, giving his thick wallet a speculative look as he put it away. You were all poor students and she probably hoped he would offer to share with you also.

“Nowadays I am.”

“But not before?”

He looked uncomfortable. “Shall we continue?” 

The Halloween party was held in a large student union building and the loud music met you already outside. Drake got that same pained look you had seen at the pub the other week. 

“Don’t you like pop music?” you asked.

“It’s just a bit loud. But I suppose I’ll get used to it.”

Soon your group was swept along by the many cheerful partygoers, each more scarily dressed than the other, and it didn’t take long until you got separated. Catrine and Martin wanted to dance, and you too, but Drake disappeared before you could invite him.

Biting down the disappointment, you danced with your friends instead. At least you felt unusually cool and interesting in your outfit. You were not used to drawing others’ looks, but tonight a random guy even bought you a drink unprompted. 

It had become quite late when you finally saw Drake again. He was standing outside the entrance, talking with your classmate Andreas who was a bit of a lone wolf. 

“There you are!” you said.

“The volume was more bearable here,” Drake explained. “Is it time to leave soon, you think?” He had a longing tone in his voice.

You immediately decided it was. “I’ll fetch Catrine and Martin.”

Catrine was easy to find, dancing like there was no tomorrow in her demon costume, and after a while you found Martin too, closely embracing a handsome ginger guy. 

“We’re going home. You coming?”

“Don’t wait for me; I’ll be sleeping elsewhere tonight,” he said with a proud grin. 

Secretly very pleased, you returned to Drake. Martin had always appeared to be your most serious rival for the object of your crush, so it was a relief he had found himself another guy.

A few blocks away, the silence was nearly deafening after the noisy, crowded hall. The fresh fall air was cool against your heated face, with a light drizzle making the dark streets glisten. 

Andreas had been tagging along, now he fell into step with you. “He is such a nice guy,” he murmured in Swedish, nodding discreetly at Drake. “I didn’t see anyone I knew at the party and felt out of place at first, but then he came. He kept me company all evening, and even tried to match me with a girl I found pretty.”

“He’s super nice,” you agreed. “How did it go?”

“Well, she only had eyes for him, so not good unfortunately.” He smiled wistfully. “Still, I had a lot of fun for a change.”

His words gave you a pang of bad conscience. Andreas had been nearby when Catrine and you others asked Drake to come with you to the party – why had neither of you thought to ask Andreas too? Perhaps he wasn’t a lone wolf, just lonely and left out.

You decided to be more like Drake and be kinder to fellow students from now on.

After a while, you noticed two strangers following you. Something about them made you uneasy, and you involuntarily increased your step.

The strangers did likewise.

Drake had seen them too, and cast many nervous glances across his shoulder. He had become tense and alert.

Suddenly he stopped, turning to face them. “What do you want?” he asked in a low, threatening voice very different from his usual one. He looked dangerous. Like a tiger ready to pounce. 

“Oo an English tourist,” sneered the bigger of the two. He wore a frayed leather vest and his bare arms were covered in tattoos. A biker.

“We just want to talk,” said his companion. You suddenly noticed he had a knife in his hand.

Cold to the marrow with fear, you tugged at Drake’s sleeve. “Let’s go!”

“Don’t worry,” he said calmly. “These gentlemen were just going to leave.” For some strange reason his stance had become less taut, as if he found a couple of professional criminals no big deal at all. As if he had expected someone worse.

“No we aren’t, you little shit.” The big one drew a knife too. It looked nasty.

“I’m calling the police,” said Catrine in a trembling voice. She was fumbling with the buttons of her Nokia.

“Don’t.” Drake didn’t take his eyes off the thugs. “You go ahead. I will catch up with you.”

When you hesitated, heart pounding, he swiftly turned around. “I said go.” There was a steely edge to his tone. 

“But–”

“Get the hell out of here,” he growled, looking so stern and intimidating you didn’t dare disobey. 

Together with Catrine and Andreas you scrambled away a few meters, but then stopped again. You couldn’t just cowardly flee when your friend was in danger!

One of the bikers charged and Drake caught his knife with his bare hand. Blood trickled between his fingers. 

You yelped, hands flying to your mouth. 

Drake said something in a foreign language and his other hand moved too fast for you to see what he did. 

The bikers cried out and dropped their knives with a clatter of steel against asphalt. Their voices changed pitch, becoming shrill as they turned around, stumbling over each other in their hurry to run away.

You dashed to Drake’s side, shaking with excess adrenaline. “How are you?”

“Fine. They were just bullies.”

“Your hand…” Your voice trailed off, breath hitching. His hand was uninjured. No blood, nothing… but you had seen it!

“What about it?” He calmly flexed his fingers. There was not a mark on them.

“I can’t believe you scared them away,” said Catrine, joining you. “How did you do it?”

“Oh, I just… what’s that technique called, uh…”

“Martial art? Karate?” Andreas suggested.

“That’s it, yes. That’s how I scared them.”

You shook your head, trying to clear it. You had a few drinks at the party, perhaps you had seen wrong… the injury and the blood must be your imagination.

Warm relief filled you then, making your legs go weak. Drake was alright! You were all safe!

“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” he said, voice again soft and kind. “I was afraid they would go for you too if you stayed.”

You looked at him mutely, at the same time immensely grateful and awed over how heroic and selfless he was. Your throat constricted with emotions and you couldn’t stop yourself from giving him an impulsive hug. “Thank you,” you mumbled against his cloak. “That was so brave.”

At first he stiffened, then he hugged you back. “It was nothing. I’ve trained for this, you haven’t.”

You shyly drew back, wiping your eyes from tears that had appeared out of nowhere. 

He patted your shoulder soothingly. “It’s alright.” The motion made his cloak sleeve slide up, exposing the cuff of the black shirt he wore underneath.

That was when you saw it: there was a drop of fresh blood on his silver cufflink.

A/N:

Oops hehe. He should have been more thorough with his scourgify, but I suppose he was a bit in a hurry…

Thanks (or 'tack så mycket!') for reading! :)

Parts: [ < Previous Part ] [ Next Part > ] [ Masterlist ]

Full story: [ AO3 ]

[akatsukirites]

My first entry for @sweetspicybingo - Huddling for Warmth Narutoverse | KisaKonan | G | ~800 words

Kisame kicks down the door to an abandoned shed in the high foothills of Lightning Country. He breaks it apart for firewood, breath coming out in foggy clouds. With nothing to stop the snow from blowing in, Konan covers the opening with sheets of paper. It does little to insulate from the cold. Bright daylight filters through the paper, allowing her to strike some flint with her kunai into the gathered tinder. Kisame leans his greatsword on the wall behind him. He sits in the cramped space, cross legged; opposite of Konan, knees drawn up to her chest. The fire crackles, threatening to go out. Konan tucks strips of paper between the embers to encourage it.

They've been on the road for three days now, hunting down an Akatsuki member who leaked information about an upcoming attack to Hidden Cloud. It's a thorn in their plans, as it was their way to flush out another rogue shinobi Pein's had his eye on to recruit. Kisame volunteered to go on the mission. If they had members to spare, Pein would've assigned Kisame a partner. But since Akatsuki (the new one under Madara's advisement) is still in it's early days, Konan was selected to accompany him.

The woman isn't used to leaving Rain Country. In the coming years, she will travel to Wind Country to recruit Sasori of the Red Sand. But this is not now. She shivers underneath the thick cloak, biting down to keep her teeth from chattering; staring into the fire, eyes low. The wind beats against the thin, rotting walls of the shed.

Kisame takes note of Konan's waning stamina, dividing the estimated time left on the mission against their resources. Pein wants them back in four days, traitor found or not. The trail suggests they'll keep traveling north, but Kisame is no hunter-nin. Outside of Water and Fire country, he's too unfamiliar with the terrain to know what the best route is. However, unlike Konan, Kisame is used to the cold. In fact, this storm has nothing on northern Water Country blizzards, where they sent him to train after his 'graduation ceremony'. It was almost like they were trying to kill him on purpose, even after he did all that slaughter to his own classmates. He throws another piece of wood into the fire.

"Konan-sama, we should make an opening for smoke."

She nods and points her fingers at the makeshift door, peeling back the top few inches. What little heat they lose is easily made up for with the fire. But the storm doesn't seem like it's going to die down anytime soon.

The wood pile begins to dwindle as the hours whittle by. Kisame starts to ration the planks; one piece each hour. The current count means the fire should last about 20 hours. Surely the storm will be over by then, or at least light enough that they can travel again. Perhaps he can find firewood outside. While he debates traveling outside, Konan sets up provisions, heating up miso paste and dried whole bonito in water. She throws in a few handfuls of rice and sets the pot over the fire. She portions it out to him and says,

"If you eat something, it'll keep you warm."

Kisame takes the bowl and quietly thanks her. It's their third day together and he's somewhat gotten used to eating meals together. Except for the sharp memory of Miru asking for the same thing. If this is all it is, perhaps he should've said yes. It's not like they talk or anything.

It's a simple meal; one that Konan has eaten a thousand times. Having white rice and miso is a blessing she can never forget. Kisame is also used to simple meals. Kirigakure was only ever about function. Miso is something new to him– delicious. It flavors the rice and emboldens the taste of bonito. He briefly wonders how expensive the seasoning is, since Konan keeps it so close to her in a pouch on her belt. What's more is that she's right; it does keep him warm.

As the fire dies down, Konan inches her way closer. She'd like it to be warmer, but doesn't protest Kisame's rationing. The night comes. At some point, she falls asleep; and by the time she wakes up, the firewood is all used up. Kisame's eyes are glazed over, steadily keeping watch. She feels a tinge of guilt for letting him go without sleep, but if he wanted to switch, he should've woken her up. He flicks his eyes in her direction, acknowledging her presence.

"It looks like the storm is over." He says, gathering himself. Konan extends her observation outside the shack to confirm his report while Kisame slings Samehada over his shoulder. She nods and takes the paper door down. Today they pick up the trail.

[valiantunknowncrusade]

titled: “tools of liberation”

I made this art piece because I wanted to show my love for music and entertainment. This was initially inspired by dedication to learning the acoustic guitar. Though, it means a lot more. I’m currently studying African art for this semester and I’ve enjoy the history and art that the class has introduced me to. A lot of art history is connected Africa and was an inspiration for a lot of world famous artist such as Picasso. In fact, he developed a lot of his art from African artifacts, paintings and sculptures. This led to his introduction to the world the art style known as cubism. Whilst, I was creating this piece, my prof. Informed me that my art work emulated Picasso art piece titled “Picasso guitar”. I was amazed by this because I had no intentions of emulating his work but the idea of the history in itself, I guess, manifested on what my work came to be. Africa has been greatly brutalized and taken advantage of, from its resources, art, and land. So, it’s no surprise that their art it’s distinctly associated with freedom. I’ve come to recognize that African-Americans and Africans(blacks) have always seemed to be in a constant fight or struggle for freedom, in a sense. I mean, Ive even heard a classmate who presented a video of her sculpture on the street at night state “I felt so invisible, even when two cops driving by noticed that I was build my sculpture under this highway bridge, they didn’t do anything, they just allowed me to do my thing” I was amazed by this because she was, of course, white and I thought about what if it was a black person, would the results be the same? Why make the effort to point out something that was not necessary? what was the intent behind such a comment? I wondered… yet, I was influenced by the African drums and how they used animal skins to create them. I didn’t have antelope skins or anything so I used wood to sort of emulate the look and feel of the drum with the addition of the modern guitar as a contrast. Im happy for this piece because I’m approaching the freedom of graduation and music has been a big part of my growth and creative process. Taking a moment to not have to worry about assignments, deadlines, materials, or the obnoxious is very refreshing. Yet, my professor has been so amazing. Giving amazing advice, ideas, and means of a creative process. This has been an awesome semester.

[jasmariswonderland]

“How will I change from this year to next? I’m excited to find out so please look forward to it!”

And now, to finally conclude Danica’s birthday celebrations, here is her birthday interview for 2023! Fake screencap made with assets from the wonderful @ alchemivich! 💙

~~~

Danica: The one selected by the Magical Birthday Dice is supposed to bring a gift of good luck. It’s almost time for them to arrive, I wonder who it will be. *giggling* I’m so excited, I can barely stay still! 

???: I’m heeeeerreee! 

Danica: Oh! I know that voice! That can only mean...

Danica: Cater-san! So you’re the one the Magical Birthday Dice selected? Wonderful! I’m really looking forward to this!

Cater: Me too! It’ll be fun interviewing a fellow club member! Speaking of which, here’s a gift from all of us at the light music club! We put a lot of thought into it so I hope you like!

Danica: I’m sure I’ll like anything you guys get me! Hmmm, let’s see, this box is kind of heavy. *opens the present, her eyes widen when she sees what’s inside* This...this is...?!

Cater: SUPRISE! Lilia remembered when you said you wanted to learn to play violin one day! So we all chipped in and got you one! It’s a beginner model too! 

Danica: Gosh, I hope it wasn’t too pricy! Nevertheless I love it! I’ve always had a passing interest in learning how to play an instrument. 

Cater: I’m glad you like it! Have you always had particular interest in violin? 

Danica: I have, out of all the classical instruments, violins resonate with me the most. Depending on how it’s played, the sound it makes can have so many different kind of melodies that invoke all kinds of emotions from cheerful to sorrowful. And since you, Kalim, and Lilia all have your specialties and many of my Pomefiore friends are very skilled with piano, I can’t wait to start playing this!

Cater: You can sing, dance, and soon you’ll be a triple threat with this violin! *takes out his phone* Here, let me get a pic of you holding it for the first time!

Danica: Sure thing! Be sure to send it to me so I can put it on Magicam! *holding the violin and laughing* Uh...since this is the first time I’ve ever held one, I’m not sure if my hand placement is correct. 

Cater: Looks good to me, now smile for the camera! *he takes the pic* Awesome, flawless as always! And Lilia said he’ll help you learn to play it at our next meeting.

Danica: I’m looking forward to it! So, shall we begin our interview?

~~~

Cater: Alrighty then! The first interview question is: if you could bring one person with you to a deserted island, who would it be? Here’s the catch though: it can’t be anyone from your dorm.

Danica: No one from Pomefiore? Aww, well that rules out Rook-san then! He’d be my first pick. 

Cater: Really? Why is that?

Danica: He might be in Pomefiore, but he’s pretty strong and very resourceful. He has very keen senses too, the way he can see things from very far distances is quite a feat. And I remember after beanfest, he told me he was able to find me because of the scented lotion I was using. It’s a very light scent so I have no idea how he was able to do that! 

Cater: Rook’s senses are crazy powerful, he seems almost inhuman sometimes! 

Danica: *giggles* But I digress, let me answer the question properly. Hmmm, well, if not Rook, I’d say my classmate Jack. Jack Howl from Savannaclaw. 

Cater: Jack-kun, huh? Why would you pick him?

Danica: I’d pick Jack for a lot of the same reasons I’d pick Rook, he’s resourceful, has keen senses, but he’s also very levelheaded, thoughtful and quick to find solutions to problems. Jack is also from a region of Shaftlands further north of Pyroxene, it gets very cold and snowy in those parts. So he has to has to have pretty strong stamina to be able to tolerate such a harsh climate. In short, the perfect combination of brains and brawns! 

Cater: You two seem to get along well, and he’s definitely got that big brother vibe to him so he’d make sure you stay safe. 

Danica: That’s another reason why I’d pick Jack. You see, he has a lot of the same qualities of my own older brother. 

Cater: Your own big brother? What’s he like?

Danica: He’s not a muscular as Jack, but he’s very kind and levelheaded. Because he works a lot with our parents, he can be a little distant but if I ever need help, he’ll be the first to come to my aid. I remember, right before coming to NRC for my orientation, our parents were gone on some business venture but he chose to stay behind to see me off. He ended up missing some big meeting and our dad lectured him for it, but he didn’t want me to be alone before leaving for school. That...meant a lot to me. 

Cater: Ah I get it now! He sure sounds nice, I’d sure like to meet him one day. 

~~~

Cater: Onto the next question!

Danica: Ask away!

Cater: If you were to transfer to another dorm, which would it be?

Danica: Transfer out of Pomefiore?! I...wow...I can hardly imagine such a thing anymore! 

Cater: Anymore?

Danica: Before coming to NRC, Taima and I went to the same school and we were as much besties as we are now. I really wanted to be in the same dorm as her but fate had other plans. 

Cater: She’s in Scarabia right? I’m guessing that’s where you’d wanna transfer to right?

Danica: You’d think so, but I’ve come to realize that Pomefiore is the most ideal dorm for me. And there’s a few downsides to being in Scarabia that would rule it out for me. Mostly the hot and arid climate, extreme heat is as bad for my skin as extreme cold. I can’t imagine being anywhere else but Pomefiore but if I HAD to choose another dorm, it would be Diasomnia. 

Cater: Diasomnia?! I’ll be real, I wasn’t expecting that! 

Danica: Well after Pomefiore, I really like the aesthetic of Diasomnia’s dorm. It’s similarly noble but has a darker, more mysterious feel that I can’t help but be drawn to. Their dorm uniform is very regal too so I think I’d like wearing one.

Cater: I can definitely see you rocking a Diasomnia uniform! You’d look super cute in any of the other dorm uniforms but Diasomia’s would bring out your natural elegance! And you’d be in the same dorm as Lilia and Vidaria!

Danica: That’s another plus to Diasomnia since I like both of them. But the biggest reason, I really admire the Thorn Fairy’s noble spirit and fierce regality! I remember we were going over the Great Seven in my magic history class and Professor Trein showed us a portrait of her. The first thing that struck me was how gorgeous she was! Not as beautiful as the Fairest Queen but very compelling in her own right. I could almost feel her power seeping through the portrait. She was certain to be very powerful I’d hate to get on her bad side! I would love to learn more about her and what made her such a powerful sorceress. 

Cater: *laughs* I get that, all the stories I’ve heard about her make her sound like a force to be reckoned with! Diasomnia students are all super crazy skilled with their magic, especially Malleus! 

~~~

Cater: OK! That wraps up our interview! *smirks evilly* You know what that means, right?

Danica: It’s time for you to give me my gift of good luck, right? *grins* I’m ready!

Cater: Heh heh, you sound pretty excited about this, Dani-chan! 

Danica: Of course! It’s a Night Raven College tradition and as a freshman, I’m happy to finally experience this!

Cater: Awwe, I’m happy to be initiating you, freshie! But before we start, let me set up my camera. This is a special moment for you as an NRC student so we gotta make a memory of it! 

(...)

Cater: There! All set up! Are ya ready?

Danica: Don’t hold back, Cater-san! Give me all ya got! 

Cater: Don’t worry, I don’t plan to! Here we go! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DANICA!!!

Danica: <3

🥧🥧🥧

[trisharchives]

60:22

Growing up, I believed that I was blessed and that God always provided me with what I wanted. Whenever I planned something, I would pray, and it would surprisingly succeed. It felt as though God and the universe were on my side. However, there was one thing He didn’t give me right away, and it made me understand the significance of God’s timing.

On my first day of college, I had one goal in mind: to graduate on time. Unfortunately, my luck ran out in the first year. It was incredibly frustrating and discouraging to be an irregular student right from the start. The question “What if I’m in the wrong program?” constantly nagged at me, but I felt it was the only thing I was good at. Despite the doubts, I pushed through, took extra classes, and eventually graduated on time—with God’s favor, no less.

But this blog isn’t just about that. It’s about how God sends people to help you along the way and how His timing is always perfect.

In my second year, I attended a webinar on the specializations within my program. While I expected the topic to capture my interest, it was the speaker who truly grabbed my attention. She explained the subject so well that it opened my eyes to the fact that engineering isn’t just about horizontal and vertical structures.

What stood out even more was how she motivated the students through her experiences. It was like she was encouraging us to go beyond our limits and realize that there’s something out there where we can truly excel.

As someone with the attention span of a toddler, her presentation wasn’t boring at all. I made it through the entire webinar without forcing myself to stay engaged—she was that good.

Curious about her, I asked my seniors who she was. I knew most of the instructors in our department, but I had never seen her on campus. She turned out to be an instructor specializing in Water Resources Engineering, well-known among students for her excellent teaching and kindness. That’s when I realized she was like a hidden gem.

I was so intrigued by her that I started manifesting that she would become one of our instructors the following year. To my delight, the universe aligned, and she became our instructor for one of our water-related subjects.

As expected, her classes were engaging and full of knowledge. You couldn’t leave a session without learning something valuable, and that inspired me to study even harder.

Many of my classmates were intimidated by her, and I admit I was too. She's one of the pillars of our department, highly respected, and known for her research expertise.

I hoped to be lucky again and have her as our thesis adviser. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, but it made sense since our study focused on structural aspects, which wasn’t her area of expertise.

I thought that was the end of it. Then, imagine how shocked I was when I saw her name on the list of panelists for our thesis defense. Was I surprised? Yes. Was I scared? Not at all.

I was excited.

I knew this was an opportunity for our paper to be refined. There was something off in our research, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was. As expected, most of the insightful comments came from her, and they greatly improved our study.

Have you noticed how perfectly timed my interactions with her have been? While I was manifesting my school-related goals, I was also hoping to speak to her without feeling intimidated, like I would with a friend, but it felt impossible. So, I thought the thesis consultation would be the end of it. Surely, God wouldn’t favor me again, right?

But He always has a plan. Our paths crossed once more on Graduation Day, and little did I know, that marked the beginning of the manifestation I had prayed for years ago.

I used to wonder and ask God, “Why now? Why not when I was still in school?" However, after facing failures in my board exams and experiencing multiple job rejections, I began to doubt whether this field was meant for me. Then, I remembered something she said during that webinar: “Don’t stress yourself too much. You might experience a midlife crisis, asking, ‘What am I supposed to do?’ or ‘Where am I headed?’ But please, don’t compare yourself to others. You have your own timeline. Just follow your path and trust the process.”

Isaiah 60:22 says, “When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen.” Now, I understand why He made me wait through all the “not nows”. Just like before, God knows she can help me once again—to never give up on my dreams until I find where I can truly excel in this field.

Date Written: October 2024

[jptmayablog]

Shin Sekai Yori

I have enjoyed Shin Sekai Yori the most out of all of the anime’s because of the art style and how much the theme of the show made me question myself. The anime related to the issue of surveillance in Japan, and also the wider global issue of the threat of domestic terrorism. There is now a fear of children for what they are capable of- murder, beatings, rapes, school shootings, terrorist attacks, etc. Within this show, some kids, those who have Power, are inherently dangerous. They have telekinetic abilities which allow them to manipulate their environment. This makes carrying out violent attacks very easy. In response to this, the government has raised the age of abortion to 17, and is allowed to kill any child who breaks the rules, is too weak, or shows violent or dangerous tendencies. They use cats, known as Impure Cats, to fulfill these killings. This is done to protect the larger society, and the system as a whole.

This anime relates somewhat to my own experiences. It overlaps in that I have undergone school shooter drills and wondered what I would do if I was put in that situation. During my high school orientation, the school resource officer gave a speech to the room of kids and told us to look around, because the people sitting next to us might be future school shooters.

The anime relates to the readings, especially to gun control, because the kids are the weapons to be regulated. Within the show, it was not a problem within the kids when one of their classmates disappeared. It was just another part of life. They accepted the regulation as a normal thing. The opposite is true in the real world. Instead of removing weapons from being able to reach the classroom, people are fighting back, and use second amendment rights as justification. 

[ceaseless-petulance]

Safeguarding Student Data: Privacy and Security in USeP Enrollment

During a recent activity focused on data privacy and security in USEP's enrollment process, our class identified several concerning issues that require attention. As we delved into the topic, I couldn't help but reflect on the significance of safeguarding sensitive information and the potential consequences of lapses in data protection.

One issue that stood out was the College of Education's practice of storing student records in a shared Google Drive. While the intention may have been to facilitate access and collaboration, this approach raises significant privacy concerns. If the link to this drive were to fall into the wrong hands, it could lead to a catastrophic data breach, exposing the personal information of countless students.

Another practice that caught my attention was the public posting of room assignments by the College of Information and Computing. By displaying this information openly, the college inadvertently revealed the schedules and attendance patterns of its students. Such exposure could potentially make them vulnerable to harm or exploitation by malicious individuals.

During our discussions, we also learned about instances of data inaccuracy within the enrollment system. One of my classmates narrowly avoided being marked as an irregular student due to a system error. This experience highlighted the need for improved data integrity and quality control measures to ensure that such errors do not compromise a student's academic standing or progress.

The tracking feature within the enrollment system, which relies solely on student IDs without additional verification, also raised concerns about identity theft. If an unauthorized individual were to gain access to a student's ID, they could potentially impersonate that student and compromise their data, causing immense damage.

Furthermore, the practice of sharing student records through a shared Google Drive increases the risk of a data breach. If a malicious actor were to gain access to the drive, they could leak sensitive information about numerous students, violating their privacy and potentially causing harm.

Our professor's example of taking our picture during the activity without prior consent also struck a chord with me. As he rightly pointed out, capturing and using an individual's image without permission could violate data privacy laws and erode trust in the institution.

As we explored these issues, our professor shared insights from his experiences as a former Data Privacy Officer and Systems and Data Management Division (SDMD) Director. He and Sir Bong had created the security manual, which should serve as a valuable resource for addressing these concerns and establishing best practices for data handling and storage.

Our professor's time and motion study during his tenure as SDMD Director, when enrollment was conducted face-to-face, revealed an average enrollment time of 3.4 hours. This insight made me wonder about the potential for efficiency improvements in the current online system, particularly if data privacy and security concerns were adequately addressed.

Reflecting on these issues, I am reminded of the importance of proactive measures to protect the privacy and security of sensitive information. The university must prioritize robust access controls, data accuracy, and identity verification while adhering to best practices for data handling and storage. By addressing these concerns, USeP can uphold its commitment to fostering a safe and trusted environment for its students' academic pursuits.