#good thing I have a whole another day to study for my further mechanics exam

[supernova-variations]

10th Doctor, Brave

(not my gif!)

10th Doctor x reader

warnings: mentions of anxiety. but overall a fluffy oneshot with a slightly angsty ending?  word count: 2000! got carried away with this one but i don’t care. i had so much fun writing this! request: Ola could do a picture with Doctor ten and reader / fem with the music phil collins - you'll be in my heart

A/N: before all of you read it, i just want to remind you how brave all of you are. even if you don’t know it. you just need to be shown that you are capable of everything. i love you guys so much. thank you for the never-ending support. mary xx

“Brave”

Come stop your crying

It will be alright

Just take my hand

And hold it tight

 The Doctor came when she needed him the most, crushed by her own expectations and broken spines of old university books. Y/N measured her worth in coffee cups and hours she spent not-sleeping. She couldn’t be the judge of her beauty, she was way past looking at herself on the mirror, striving to gain knowledge to please everyone around her. She wouldn’t allow herself to fail, even if it meant running on fumes with limbs shaking from a caffeine overdose.

Afraid of failure, that’s who she was.

But we all have our limits, don’t we? Apparently, Y/N’s limit was the Latin exam, the one that got lost in her mind, tucked between a fifteen pages long essay due Monday, and an oral presentation that was supposed to take place the next day. Even the books in the library – usually her friend – seemed to judge her incompetence. Absurd thoughts filled her mind – maybe if she hid under the table and closed her eyes people would just forget that she existed? Maybe she would forget that she existed.

“Taurus agricola fugat,” she mumbled, tightly hugging her knees, her stomach turning into a big knot of nervousness, a bitter taste in her mouth. “No! Agricolae taurum fugat. N-”

“Why are you crying in Latin?” A pair of converse-covered feet peeked under the table, soon to be followed by a head full of ruffled, chaotic hair and concerned deep-brown eyes.

“I’m trying to bring back the Roman Empire to life,” the bitter joke escaping her lips mixed with a waterfall of tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

“Come on then, it’s not a place to do that.” The man reached out his hand and she grabbed it without hesitation, holding it tight. His fingers were slim, tender and warm, bringing comfort to all the cells inside her body that shrunk with the terror of the upcoming exam. “I’m the Doctor by the way.”

I will protect you

From all around you

I will be here

Don't you cry

 Y/N pounded on the chamber’s door with great force, her knuckles turning pale and bloody. She was suffocating, but not because of the lack of air. Her body decided to shut down, anxiety shaking her bones to the core.

A small window provided the girl with a view on a narrow, long corridor. She looked around to find something heavy to crush the electrical mechanism of the lock, the lasts of adrenaline kicking into her bloodstream. There was nothing around her, she knew that already, but she couldn’t give up. The Doctor would give up.

 Soon enough Y/N found herself on the floor, the walls getting closer and closer, pressing against her back and knees. She could do so much more, right? Discover the world beyond the coffee-stained pages of the university books, brush her fingers against the ancient ground – only with a snap of the Doctor’s fingers. He promised her that. He said she would be safe with him, only if she took his hand and held it tight.

The ship was about to collapse and the Doctor ran towards the vault. Y/N forced herself onto her feet, knees bending with fear. She could decipher her name from the movement from his lips. The coat floated outside of his slim figure, not being able to catch up with his fast movements. Even the time he was slowly running out of couldn’t stop him.

“Don’t you dare cry, Y/N! I will be there!” And soon she was. In his arms. With only one problem: the ship was about to collapse.

For one so small,

You seem so strong

My arms will hold you,

Keep you safe and warm

This bond between us

Can't be broken

I will be here

Don't you cry

 Y/N wasn’t afraid to cry in front of the Daleks. It was good to show them her humanity, to remind them what they weren’t capable of. “Cry baby” they used to call her, but she wasn’t embarrassed by her feelings by now. The Doctor showed her the beauty of them, the beauty hidden within.

“You don’t seem to know who he is,” Y/N laughed bitterly, angrily wiping the tears escaping her eyes. Resting her ear against both of the Doctor’s hearts, reassured by their beating, she got up slowly, limping on her left feet. The sudden explosion knocked out both of them and she was the first one to regain consciousness.

The Time Lord laid on the ground, sonic screwdriver abandoned on the ground. Without a playful smile on his lips and sparkling eyes, he seemed out of place, like an impostor, and that broke her heart. But he needed her, even if she was small and fragile. He didn’t teach her to be strong, he simply showed her how.

She faced the Dalek, resting her teared-up but furious eyes on the creature. She would take one step at the time, just like the Doctor taught her, gravel shifting under her feet.

“He is the Doctor.” The Dalek screeched. “He has been exterminated. And so will you be.”

“He is so much more than the Doctor.” She moved further, jumping on her right feet, the sprained ankle sending fireworks of pain to her synapses. “And so am I.”

'Cause you'll be in my heart

Yes, you'll be in my heart

From this day on

Now and forever more

You'll be in my heart

No matter what they say

You'll be here in my heart

Always

 “Are you sure about this?” Y/N asked him, holding onto the sleeves of the Doctor’s jacket. He wasn’t terrified, not at all. A goofy grin lit his face when the heavy wind hit their figures. How they still stood in the middle of a storm was an enigma to Y/N. Maybe the Time Lords defied the laws of gravity.

“Was I ever sure about anything?”

“Don’t be cocky!” The companion scolded him, earning another boyish laugh from the Doctor. He expected her to jump off a building. Not any building; the highest building in the world. She rested her eyes on his face, focusing on counting the freckles on his cheeks. She knew that if she even dared to trail off her gaze towards the void beneath them, she would most likely faint.

“Thought you were deadly scared of heights, and here you are, lecturing me. I adore you, Y/N Y/S.” The girl shivered at how her surname sounded in Doctor’s lips. He made her feel like she was a giant, capable of anything. No matter if it was a Latin exam, deadly Dalek, or a collapsing ship.

“Allons-y before I change my mind?” Gripping on to his arms, Y/N took the first leap. They were so close she could feel the Time Lord’s eyelashes tickling her cheek.

 Why can't they understand the way we feel

They just don't trust what they can't explain

I know we're different, but deep inside us

We're not that different at all

 Even though they were so different – hell they weren’t even the same species – they belonged to each other. When one was anxious, the other one filled them with hope. When one needed slowing down, the other one told him to take a deep breath. The Doctor and Y/N found themselves in a curve of time, imprinted as a mere fraction in the universe’s history. It wasn’t possible and yet it was.

 “What is this called again?” Y/N gasped, examining a tiny object in her hand. The surface of a shining ball seemed to shift it’s constellations and orbits every time she turned it around. The Doctor had told her that she was holding a miniature universe in her hands. “I mean, it’s not possible. In my physics classes, we’ve-,”

“Haven’t I proven to you that physics is so much more than school education? You can’t simply grasp it. It’s intangible. Well,” he stopped himself and cupped her hands with his own, “usually. Right now you are holding physics in your hands.”

“Physics, physics, physics?” Y/N reminded him, meeting his eyes and he smiled at her.

“Physics, physics, physics.”

She could hear the happiness stroking his vocal cords.

Don't listen to them

'Cause what do they know

We need each other, to have, to hold

They'll see in time, I know

 “Ah, the Doctor and one of his pets. At last.” A voice echoed throughout the empty hall of the Westminster Palace. Who would have thought that the current Prime Minister was indeed a Reptile? Well, only the people on the internet.

“Yes, nice to meet you. Or not. Funny enough, you’re the one that resembles a…pet.” Y/N cocked her head to the side and looked up at the Doctor’s expression. She carefully studied his face, how his nose curved and the subtle raise of his right eyebrow.

“Twelve million people just punched the air,” The Doctor snickered and leaned onto the wall. “Sorry, a mistake in calculations. You can add two more people to that number. You know why? Never let me near all those buttons.” The sonic screwdriver pointed at the secret panel hidden behind a painting of one of the kings of Britain. Probably a Reptilian also.

“Are we officially a number one enemy of United Kingdom?”

“Oh yes! Yes, we are!”

When destiny calls you, you must be strong

I may not be with you

But you got to hold on

They'll see in time, I know

We'll show them together

 Old Y/N would cry at this point – terrified of alien destruction, the Time Lords pulling through time itself, the unpredictability of the Master. It was time to be strong. She had to, the Doctor counted on her. The whole world did.

The Doctor didn’t need to hear the four knocks coming from the chamber, radiation levels rocketing on the panel where Y/N stood. The Time Lord already knew what had to be done, it was his time, his song was ending. He didn’t think of the things he could do if he had the opportunity, because he knew his Y/N could do so much more. Brave to stand where she stood, facing all the dangers and the end of the universe itself.

“It’s an honour, Y/N.”

“Please, don’t.”

Just look over your shoulder

Just look over your shoulder

Just look over your shoulder

I'll be there

Always

 In his last hours, he allowed himself to push the leaver inside the Tardis and see Y/N for the last time. He went way back, crippled by pain, and peaked outside the blue door, seeing his beloved one walking on the sidewalk, buried with notes, ready to study for the Latin exam she had forgotten about. In just a couple of hours, they would meet for the first time, only she didn’t know it yet. But he did – the burden of the Time Lords, wasn’t it?

“Please, look over your shoulder,” he pleaded, his voice at the point of breaking, sharp pain bending his back, deep brown eyes hidden behind tightly shut eyelids.

“Y/N, please. Please look over your shoulder.”

But she didn’t. The last thing he saw before shutting the Tardis’ door was the time machine of his past self and the Doctor’s head peaking onto the street. He envied him.

The younger Doctor looked over his shoulder, staring confusedly at a disappearing time machine. A feeling in his two hearts told him to visit the library nearby.

[crowgale]

Resident Evil 2 AU

Claire Redfield x Elza Walker

Generally the characters are the same, but with a kick of real so they aren't blank slates. Elza herself is a street-smart, confident young woman with a troubled past.

Born Elizibeth Walker in Anchorage, Alaska to parents separated before she was born, her father was an fortuitous yet endearing construction worker who took custody of her until he went missing during the construction of an Umbrella Research Facility in the Rockies during her early teens and was then sent to Connecticut to live with her mother, who was an abusive drug addict.

In her teens she developed a keen interest in motorcycles while overstudying in a library to avoid her mother and further strengthed it with part-time jobs in various mechanics. Eventually she lost hope in her father being found and her increasingly hostile mother drove her to runaway from home, using connections she developed through gangs and mechanics to move to Florida and join an amatuer racing contest in Daytona under the alias 'Elza' (Her father's nickname for her)... where she broke the track record 4 times (The first was the previous fastest lap time, she then broke her own fastest laps 3 times).

By her 18th birthday she had left her criminal ties behind and became a minor celebrity on the fast track to becoming a professional bike racer. She had sponsers ready to pay her into any university she wanted, emancipation from her mother and enough money saved up from work and victories to let her live as an independant young woman.

Elizabeth was gone. She was Elza now, and she had found her path to happiness.

~

By 1996 Claire had enrolled in the University of Houstan, Texas. Chris hoped she would enrol in Kansas City so she'd be closer to him but she wasn't going to be his little sister forever. She had grown up quick after their parents died... they both did.

Elza and Claire first met the week before classes started, Claire having just moved into the dorms a day before; Elza arriving like a perfect storm the next day on an customised kawasaki sports bike and a trailer full of her belongings.

Claire recognised her of course, her debut into the racing world made national headlines. So like a dork Claire was shy and tried to avoid Elza as she rode in on her Harley Davidson, after running an errand off campus.

Elza however, heard the sound of a Harley and wanted to know who owned it. She took one look at Claire in her red leather shorts, that 'Made in Heaven' jacket tied around her waist and that tight black bodysuit she had no business looking so sexy in, decided 'Yeah, I'm chilling with you!" and was having none of it.

There was, what a native of Northern Ireland like myself would call, a fresher's fair that night and like a hawk Elza seeked out the introverted Claire and started asking about her bike.

By the end of the night, Claire's shyness vanished upon realising that the seemingly untouchable queen of bikers, whose body was covered in tattoos and whose hair was as wild and untamed as the wind, was actually a massive dork. Elza however found someone who had quickly seen her and not the racing queen. The dealbreaker came when Elza asked what made her get a bike to begin with.

"Well... my brother owned a Suzuki before but... I guess I saw the film 'Akira' and that's what made me do it"

"Oh my god bitch me too!!!"

The two would then become firm friends. Elza being the misadventurous one who managed to talk Claire into actually leaving the library and give herself a break from studying; Claire being the one to get them out of trouble and keep Elza grounded. The two became a power-couple without realising, defending the other from rude people who mocked Elza for daring to be a woman racer or harassed Claire for her looks or for trying to latch onto a celebrity. It went without saying no one could harass these women if they wanted their hearing and face intact.

Things would eventually become more personal between the two. The week after New Years, Elza received news that her mother had died from a drug overdose. Although she didn't need to, Claire bought a side-car for her bike and rode her to New London for the funeral.

The service itself was tense. Elza being uncharacteristically silent and the lack of relatives worried Claire as the service ended. She never saw Elza's eyes look so cold as she gave her eulogy, which she soon realised was a stock eulogy the minister gave to those who didn't write one.

A while after she was buried in the a man approached Elza in the cemetary, introduced himself as her mother's dealer and decided that since she was a famous racer her mother's debt would pass on to Elza and that she would pay him else there would be cpnsequences; it goes without saying she refused to pay off the debt and apathetically asked him to leave.

Claire was on him like a wolf the moment he slapped her and was ready to kill him when he started to threaten her with a knife.

She very nearly did.

They left New London that evening amidst a police BOLO for a woman with auburn hair seen kicking the living shit out of a man in a graveyard. They made it to Kent Island before a blizzard rolled in and they had to say at an inn along the Chesepeake Bay.

That night Claire meant to apologise for her actions, stating she saw her get hit and just... reacted. But Elza pulled her into a tight hug and finally released her pent up emotions. She told Claire about her fathers disappearance, about the years of torment at her mothers hands, that this wasn't the first time something like this happened, that she doesn't understand why she's crying if she hated her mother so much and how much it hurt to remember all those terrrible things and have someone make her feel like that scared little girl again.

Claire, feeling her best friend shake in her arms, doesn't know what to say. She's silent for a time as Elza holds onto her like a lifeline, as if letting go would make her fall off the Earth itself. She finally tells Elza that she isn't that little girl anymore.

"You are Elza Walker! Yhe Woman who can never be slowed! You're unreachable! Unstoppable! And no one will ever hurt you again!... I... don't want to see you hurt again"

Elza didn't speak for a while after that... but eventually she did and what she said broke Claire.

"I've wished for someone like you my whole life Claire"

~

Life returned to normal soon after that. One tournament race was enough to bring Elza Walker roaring back to life and with a vengeance. She was faster, she was braver, her smile after each weekly victory able to light up the world... or at least Claire's, who now made it a point to go to every race, or at least watch it on TV if the race was in a city too far out of reach.

Elza knew Claire was watching her... she figured that's why she was doing better now.

~

Spring came and went, the summer exams now already a fading memory to the pair, but foreshadowed by Claire losing her part-time job and being unable to find another one. With no means to pay for her student fees it looked like she would be forced to drop-out.

But Elza wouldn't have any of it.

"I know how you can pay off your fees. A guy in my pit crew retired a month ago and I've been short two hands ever since. It's hard work but the pays good and if I make pro next month it'll be even better"; she said idly at a bar one evening.

"You... you want me in your pit crew?"; Claire asked incredulously.

"No, I want you as my personal pitbabe so I can drool at you in a tight spandex jumpsuit looking all cute with dirt on your face"; Elza said with a lop-sided smile.

"Ha!"

"Hm... seriously Claire, I want you there with me. I can't imagine anyone better to look after me on the track"; Elza said confidently.

"...You do take way too many risks"; Claire mused, before Elza held her cheek in her hands.

"You told me once that I am the woman who can never be slowed... well Redfield, I'd slow down for you!"

~

Elza's manager might have called her decision to hire Claire personally driven and entirely unprofessional. However, Claire proved herself highly compotent within a week of employment, being able to keep up with the repairs, adjustments and tyre changes her job demanded.

It was also found that Elza actually listened to Claire whenever she was pushing her luck, which turned out to be a blessing in the final race of the season in San Francesco. Her main rival who was tied for 1st with Elza didn't want to lose to a woman, and in the final 3 laps had begun making poor judgement calls to try and keep up with her. Risky overtakes, tight cornering and high speed was equally met, and soon Elza found herself in a dogfight she refused to lose.

If Claire hadn't screamed at her to brake before the last corner, she would have been thrown off her bike with her rival after an attemped inside lane overtake resulted in them losing control of the bike and wiping out.

Elza won of course, making it into the professional league. It was a dream come true. At no point after she took off her helmet and locked teary eyes with Claire could she make any expression that wasn't a bashful smile or tears of joy. It also seemed like she couldn't stop looking at Claire during the victory reception or later that night on the train ride home... where she had too much to drink, leaving Claire having to help Elza meander into the sleeping car after the 8th Buttery Nipple.

She helped her move herself onto the bed, but Elza didn't let go of her hand. Instead she brought her hand to her lips and kissed her knuckles and held it to her cheek as she openly wept.

[xb-squaredx]

Fire Emblem Three Houses Review: Shin Megami Sensei

The Fire Emblem series has been on an interesting journey in the past few years. Going into the development of Awakening, the series looked to be on its last legs, only for Awakening to catch on and result in the best sales in the series’ history to that point. While stumbling a bit with Fates and the release of Echoes flying under the radar, all eyes are on the franchise as they make their grand return to home consoles with Three Houses. If the sales data, reviews and word-of-mouth haven’t caught up to you yet, then let me be the first to tell you that Three Houses is an absolute smash hit for the franchise. Engrossing, packed with content, and not afraid to make some bold decisions, it’s an ambitious title that fans, new and old alike, shouldn’t pass up.

ACADEMIA OF THE THREE KINGDOMS

The premise for Three Houses is quite different from your typical franchise entry. Players take the role of Byleth, a young mercenary who is requested to become an instructor at Garreg Mach Academy. The Academy houses students from the three main governing bodies of the continent of Fodlan, and one of the first major decisions players will make is choosing which of the three houses to teach at, which results in many branching pathways after the beginning chapters unfold.

Right from the start, there’s intrigue. The game opens with a stylish, surprisingly bloody battle between two mythological figures, the Goddess Seiros and the King of Liberation, Nemesis, with Byleth’s connection to the two becoming more apparent as time goes on. The Church of Seiros has a tight grip on Garreg Mach, with the archbishop, Rhea, in particular setting her eyes on you. Amidst the schoolyard fun, there’s an undercurrent of rising tensions between the various countries and kingdoms under Fodlan, with certain figures working in the background on some truly gruesome things. While much of Three Houses is fairly lighthearted, when things get serious, it gets dark fast, but thankfully it’s done tastefully and rooted in complex character motivations and excellent world building. Depending on the route you choose, events unfold in different ways and different pieces of the puzzle become clear, though admittedly you’d be losing a lot of context gained from other routes. While each ending is, at least from what I’ve seen and heard, satisfactory, those that want the “whole story” have quite a bit of game to get through to see it all.

Of course, I personally don’t mind, as I find the narrative extremely interesting. Three Houses is packed with great bits of foreshadowing for many later-game events, the alternate routes give you tons of replay value, and in this game more than almost any other Fire Emblem game, the characters sell the experience. While not all are winners (at least in my book), just about every playable unit has more than meets the eye. Some characters come across as one-note: Raphael loves to eat and get sick gains, Annett is the cute, clumsy girl, Marianne is the shy wall-flower, and so on, but getting to know the students, and seeing how they interact with each other, often leads to some interesting surprises. Certain characters ended up winning me over after a few support conversations gave me a bit more insight into why they act the way they do, and some characters in particular have great chemistry with each other. Seteth comes across as a stern, overprotective brother at first glance, but he’s always there to help others and gives some pretty sound advice to anyone willing to hear it. Bernadetta might seem like the mopey shut-in that just needs to get out of her room more often, but it becomes clear her situation is a lot more complicated (and disturbing) than it seems. As in past games, you can have units raise their Support values to get to these heart-to-heart conversations, and while not every single character can Support with another, there’s enough overlap to help make these characters appear three-dimensional, and prove they’re more than the anime tropes and archetypes they seemingly embody.

A MASTERCLASS OF WAR

Fire Emblem has always been a series about decision-making, though Three Houses extends that past the battlefield, resulting in a very different structure for those used to the old games. Each chapter in the game is laid out on an in-game calendar, in a manner that can remind one of the Persona games. At the end of the month, the chapter’s main mission (or “lesson”) will take place, and it’s up to Byleth to make sure their students are prepared. During the week, Byleth teaches students in the art of warfare, helping them cultivate their skills and in some cases, have them reassess their goals. In past games, playable units had a fairly linear path. This one’s an Archer, and can become a Bow Knight or a Sniper, while this Cleric can choose to become a Mage if you wish, for instance. In Three Houses, however, players have almost total control over how their students grow and what they specialize in. While each student has their own strengths and weaknesses (Lysithea excels at magic rather than, say, melee combat, for one), it’s ultimately the player’s choice who fills what role. Students can focus on up to two skills in their own studies, occasionally asking their professor if they should switch goals and focus on other skills instead, resulting in some interesting customization. Characters can also have Budding Talent in certain fields, resulting in them excelling at classes they’d never do on their own. Hilda tries to player herself off as a fragile weakling, but she has the potential to be one of the best Knights in the game, with bulky armor that repels most attacks.

Class Changes work quite a bit differently here too: rather than strictly requiring an item to swap to a new class, students also need to pass Certification Exams to gain the right to use a certain class. Depending on the class, they might need to get weapon skills to a certain point, as well as reach a base level requirement. While I appreciate the customization in this system, being able to keep all my favorite characters in one group without becoming over centralized, I do take issue with the late-game Classes in this game. The Master Classes in this game feel a bit too homogenized, almost all requiring high-levels of skill in horse riding or flying, two skills that happen to be rather annoying to level up. Most characters wouldn’t normally bother with horses, but suddenly need them to complete their upgrade path, which just seems odd. Not to mention certain niches, like the Thief Class, being left out and effectively losing out on a final Class Change. A minor problem in the grand scheme, but it’s a bummer.

Outside of studying, Byleth uses Sundays as their free days. Here players can explore around the academy to chat with students and engage in a number of activities. Gardening, fishing, cooking, fighting tournaments and more. Most of these activities grant you some kind of usable item, or at the very least increase Support levels with students, so they’re well worth doing. You can also attend lectures if you want to squeeze in a bit more skill leveling, take a rest day and effectively skip ahead to the next week, or engage in battles. At times Paralogues, character-specific missions, and side missions can be tackled as well. While the game gives you plenty of options, keep in mind that you only have so much time in the day. Everything in-game has a limited amount of “points” attached to it, so you have to plan wisely. Lecture points for students, exploring points on free days, and battle points for…battles. On Normal Mode, however, there are some battles that can be repeated without any point penalty, effectively allowing for grinding for those that need it, though Hard and above lack it. Three Houses is a game all about options, and of course that’s before we even get to the battlefield!

SQUAD UP

When it comes time to battle, the experience has largely stayed the same as the older titles, though not without some refinements and a few new things thrown in for good measure. The game is still a grid-based, turn-based tactical game at its heart. Players move their units into position and move to take the enemy down, hopefully without any casualties along the way. While many traditional rules still exist here, such as arrows ripping right through flying units or magic wrecking bulky knights, the games iconic “weapon triangle” has largely been downplayed. Players can still earn skills in-game that more or less mimics the advantages you’d get in the old games though. Players who picked up Fire Emblem Echoes will surely notice a lot of that game’s mechanics also appearing here, albeit changed slightly. Weapon durability returns, for one, but now Combat Arts, special moves that cost players health in Echoes, now wear down weapons faster, and I personally like the change. There are a couple of neat additions and minor changes to certain unit types that I like too, like being able to dismount from your horse or flying creature once per turn, allowing players to greatly reduce the specific risks those units typically carry. Pair Up, introduced in Awakening, has been turned into the much-less-powerful Adjunct system, where you assign a character in reserve to another unit, where they will occasionally attack alongside your lead character, defend them from an attack, or heal them. They gain a small amount of EXP from this too, without being in danger of dying, which is neat. Though honestly, I barely noticed Adjuncts helping much throughout the game. Fates already rebalanced Pair Up, so I’m not sure why Three Houses felt the need to weaken it further.

The only out-and-out new mechanics in Three Houses are Battalions. Effectively a small army that is equipped to a given character, Battalions gives a slight boost to stats and also allows for the use of Gambits, special moves that players can only tend to use once or twice a battle. These range from large-scale magic attacks that hit multiple targets, healing or support spells that affect multiple allies, or powerful attacks localized to one enemy. Most of the time, a successful Gambit results in the target becoming “rattled,” unable to move or gain perks from their own Battalion for one turn. While it IS visually interesting to have these battles fought with actual armies as opposed to the dozen or so units seen in most games, Battalions don’t really add too much to the game and if they took them out in the next installment, I wouldn’t miss them much.

One feature that looks like it might become a series staple is the ability to turn back time to undo mistakes. In Echoes it was “Mila’s Turnwheel” and in this game it has been christened “Divine Pulse.” While having limited uses per battle, using Divine Pulse allows players to travel to the turn or action of their choice and have another go at it, undoing a unit’s death or attempting another potential strategy. For all those random “gotcha!” moments these games occasionally dole out, like an unlucky enemy critical hit, or sudden reinforcements, Divine Pulse ends up taking away a lot of the frustration that would otherwise arise. It certainly makes runs on the Classic difficulty toggle, wherein each death in battle is treated as permanent deaths, a lot more manageable. Full disclosure here, I went Normal Casual for this game, and admittedly the game lacks a lot of bite here. Perfect for a newcomer for sure, and there are still some standout missions that required me to reload and try again, no matter how many uses of Divine Pulse I had, but fans that crave challenge might be a tad disappointed. Harder difficulties are coming in a free update, however, so there’s that. On the whole, I think the game did a good job in streamlining some aspects and making it easier to glean information from what’s on screen without reducing depth.

IN CONCLUSION, FEAR THE DEER

The announcement trailer for Three Houses had me nervous, admittedly. After Fates had quite a few missteps, this title needed to be a slam dunk to rebuild faith in the series, at least in my eyes. Hearing all of the positive impressions from reviewers before launch got me interested and upon finishing the Gold Deer route, I was left with a sense of relief. Three Houses surpassed a lot of my expectations, and ultimately delivered on what I wanted out of a home console Fire Emblem experience. The school setting seemed like an odd choice but put into practice, it worked out perfectly for the game and I hope later titles keep finding ways to keep things fresh. Most issues I have with the game are fairly minor, nitpicks at best, and do little to sour me on the title. Yes, there’s the odd nest of menus to navigate for certain things, certain characters aren’t as compelling as they could be, and the game ain’t exactly a looker a lot of the time, but hooked me from the first time I booted it up and it took a lot to pull me away from playing, and that says enough. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a fantastic starting point for new fans, and a deep, rewarding experience for series veterans. I know strategy RPGs aren’t exactly for everyone, but anyone who has even a passing interest shouldn’t hesitate to add this to your Switch library.

Fear the Deer.

-B

[fireofmyloins19]

Him - Chapter Two

Oh how unfortunate it should be to love an older man. Unless, he was to love you back. 

Prologue / Chapter One

“Why can’t you just use a typewriter to write all that down?” Michael questioned as he placed the nimble cup on the table beside Rose, steaming with freshly brewed tea. She lifted her eyes from her journal momentarily with a glare before continuing to write, Michael lifting his hands up to her defensively without another word.

“Well I’m obviously not very good at using one am I Michael? Or else I would have passed my exam.” Michael spluttered back his tea in between laughter while Rose stared at him in disbelief, stifling a sarcastic laugh herself, not finding her failure at all amusing. “Besides, I prefer to write in pen, it's more personal. The words come to me and I can put them straight onto the paper.”

“As you can with a typewriter.” Michael stared hard at his tea with wide eyes, a smirk fighting its way from his lips as he avoided looking towards her, the ever growing anger seething from her eyes. Rather than retaliate she decided to ignore him, knowing her defensiveness would only encourage him to irritate her. She pulled her legs further to her body, crossing them together where she sat on top of the chest by her window, her preferred spot to write as the view of the street below and the people on it fuelled her ideas. Rose placed the journal in her lap carefully, popping the pen between the crease of the pages and reaching for her tea, slurping it carefully once it met her lips, welcoming the warmth. “So, still not got round to decorating?” Michael’s eyes studied the decaying room, its cracked walls and dim interior a sorry sight.

“Obviously not” Rose huffed, “I will soon.”

“You’ve been saying that for a year.” Michael gave her a quick grin to show he was joking before pulled himself from the bed and walked towards one of the worser areas of wall, his finger gliding steadily over the cracking brick. “You know, Mum has said plenty of times you can live at our place, why are you still paying rent to stay in this squalor?”

“Christ Michael” Rose finally snapped, no longer capable of holding back the rising anger, “you make it sound like I’m living in a slum!” She crawled off the chest and threw her journal to the side, realising with Michael present and in such a playful mood, her writing wasn’t going to be very productive. “Is your mum also still saying she hopes for us to be together some day?”

Her bare feet padded along the cold wooden floor towards Michael, her eyebrows raised to him dramatically and her head tilted to the side as though waiting for a reply but she already knew the answer, having to hear the comments from his family day in, day out about when the two of them would finally tie the knot. “I'm sure moving in would really shake off those hopes Michael, your whole family would have a bloody field day. Wouldn't hear the last of it from John, making little remarks every time I entered the offices, not that he doesn’t already. And God, Polly would be buying a hat for the wedding the second my foot stepped over the threshold.” Rose threw her free arm above her head in despair at his suggestion, finding it ridiculous. She shuffled back across the room, stepping over the organised mess that was strewn along the floorboards towards the little table where she returned her now empty tea cup.

”God you're so against marrying me aren't you.” Michael took the last swig of his with a shake of his head, a wide cheesy grin plastered on his face when Rose turned to him with a playful look of disgust.

“Too right I am” she giggled, swinging open the doors of her wardrobe and digging inside for the dress she had earlier decided on wearing. “Right sling your hook whilst I get ready, we don’t want to leave your family waiting!”

Michael frowned at her from where he had just got comfy on the bed but reluctantly dragged himself up and made his way for the door. “I’ll wait downstairs but don’t be taking your time.”

“Out!” Rose called as she began unbuttoning her dress causing Michael to hurry from the room.

Rose’s heels clipped along the street as she caught up to Michael’s strides, grabbing onto his arm. “Right remember what we said?” she pulled him away from the Garrison’s door before they entered, “Don’t ment-”

“Don’t mention that you failed your exam.” Michael interrupted whilst rolling his eyes, laughing at Rose’s pleased smile when she was satisfied he remembered. She nodded her head as though to signal that he could now enter the pub which he did, resulting in a cheer from the Shelby’s who hovered by the bar in a rowdy cluster.

“Here they are!” Arthur cheered, raising his glass to the air causing some of its contents to splash over the edge which Rose swiftly dodged when she reached them. “Come on get yourselves a drink.”

Michael stepped forward and lent on the bar as he took up Arthur’s offer, waiting patiently whilst watching him slosh an excessive amount of Whisky into a glass. Rose simply ignored the offer as her way of politely declining, the taste of Whisky, or any alcohol for that matter, being one thing she was thankful to have not gained a liking for since moving to Small Heath. She weaved her way through the men steadily with her eyes fixated on the floor, making her way towards Polly. The fear of her exam being mentioned dissipating as a new fear arose; being in the presence of Tommy. But before making it to Polly’s warm embrace, as though he had read her mind and taken it upon himself to send her fragile body into a frenzy, she heard Tommy say her name softly, the sound of it rolling off his tongue in his thick Brummie tone caused her feet to freeze on the spot, incapable of moving any further.

“Let me get you a drink.”

“Oh no honestly Tommy it’s fine” she insisted once she’d spun around in his direction, fighting for her eyes to look anywhere but at him, the mere thought of his structured face and tantalising eyes sending her into a fluster. “I’m not really into drinking….still.”

“That was when you were in the country love, you’re not gonna be able to keep that up here for much longer!” Arthur’s voice bellowed over the bar sending a ripple of laughter through the family, Rose breaking into a smile and somewhat agreeing with his words. She turned back to Tommy instinctively with the smile still spread across her lips and instantly cursed herself when she met his eyes, making the exact mistake she had hoped to avoid. The smile stayed yet seemed out of place as her eyes widened slightly, ducking her head and pushing the few stray hairs from her face as she succumbed to the nerves. Her eyes settled on his broad chest, counting the buttons on his shirt as a way of distracting herself before letting her eyes flicker back towards his face. She parted her lips to speak, not the slightest clue what she was about to say but before she had chance John’s voice called out, saving her.

“Oi Rose.” she lifted her head quickly, desperate to find his voice to remove her from the embarrassing situation with Tommy. Michael gulped back his Whisky behind her, peering over her shoulder with strained eyes as he tried to gain John’s attention, realising what he may be about to say and shaking his head violently to warn him. “How’d your exam go?”

Michael let out a sigh and buried his head in his hands, wincing at the inevitability of Rose yelling at him later. She huffed and squeezed her eyes closed, pulling herself together before facing even more embarrassment.

“I failed” she rushed, her eyes still scrunched together before turning to Tommy and opening them quickly without worrying about meeting his for the first time, “I think I’ll have that drink.”

“It’s fucking lively down there, in London.” Arthur swayed his glass side to side, slumped back in the booth with John by his side, explaining to the half whom payed attention about his trip, “God those women, there’s just…...something about them.”

“Do they just have that ‘je ne sais quoi’?” Rose teased him leaning across the table a little too far, having to concentrate exceedingly hard on not slurring her words. She giggled whilst taking a sip of another Whisky, adding to an amount she had now lost count of. Expecting a laugh and nod of agreement from the family she pouted in an exaggerated manner when nothing came, frowning at them.

“What the fuck did you just say?” Arthur’s face contorted with confusion, him and John sharing a puzzled glance between one another as John attempted to repeat the phrase and ending up nowhere near.

“Je ne sais quoi?” Rose questioned as though the phrase should have been easily understood, not welcoming the bemused faces looking back at her and becoming slightly defensive when she heard Tommy chuckle lightly beside her, a small smile playing on her lips in a more flirtatious presence than she had of wished for, but the Whisky was in control of her actions now, no longer her rational mind. Tommy smiled back, finding her smile and inviting eyes to be more sweet than alluring, the glaze cast over her eyes confirming she was drunk.

“How the fuck do you know what that means, but you can’t pass a typewriter exam?” Arthur gave her a toothy smile while cracking into a hoarse laughter. Rose turned to him with a dramatic gasp, glaring at him before raising a finger across the table to his face.

“It is a correspondence course Arthur and how do you know the name and mechanics of every gun, yet can’t do simple adding up?” She snarled at him before raising an eyebrow and smirking playfully, waiting for him to respond until the whole family gave a chorus of jeers, confirming Rose had successfully put Arthur in his place. Arthur continued to smile, raising his glass again as though to cheers to Rose’s efforts.

“Cause I fought in the bloody war love” his voice echoed through the pub grabbing a few of the punters attention as he rose from his seat with a struggle, stumbling to the bar while John followed him to collect another bottle. Rose smiled to herself while watching them walk away, her vision seemingly jumping in and out of focus while she concentrated. She felt the touch on her lower back, turning slower than she had intended to see Tommy sat with a cigarette between two fingers, held towards her. She took it off him with great care, fiddling with it between her fingers before it made its way to her lips.

“Never going to stop smoking at this rate if you keep handing them out” Rose joked whilst taking another long drag, the smoke burning at her throat and leaving her mouth haphazardly as she struggled. Tommy’s turned up smile blessed his lips again, something Rose was thoroughly enjoying the sight of on that rare occasion.

“Oh you’d still be smoking Rose, trust me” he glanced around at the people of the Garrison as though he was suggesting that Small Heath as a place could turn even the most innocent people toxic, soon enough.

“Do you dance?” Rose spluttered excitedly all of a sudden, balancing the cigarette between her peach stained lips and already beginning to rise from her seat before he had answered. Tommy watched her carefully, holding an arm up only to steady her and being shocked, yet pleased when she grabbed onto it attempting to pull him from his seat.

“On occasion” he spoke truthfully, those occasions being incredibly infrequent. He rose from his seat with one hand still in hers, his other held tightly onto his cigarette as he took a final drag before stubbing it out into the glass tray on the table. Rose slipped her way out from the table and began to twirl around under his arm, swaying side to side clumsily before they made it anywhere near the crowd of people. Tommy watched, only realising now how drunk she actually was once she was on her feet, knowing if he let go of her hand she would more than likely be on the floor.

“Rose” he began, the concern evident in his voice though she wasn’t capable of noticing it. She didn’t respond, not having heard him over the boom of the jazz music being played into the pub, continuing to twirl about giggling. “Rose I think we best get you home ey?”

“No” Rose whined, dragging out the word with a pout, continuing to giggle seconds later as though forgetting Tommy’s words. He reached forward to take her other hand, hoping to guide her towards the door but she went stumbling into a man at the bar before he had the chance.

A small yelp left her mouth when she met his body, his hands having automatically reached out to grab her, her arms now dangling out to the side over his where he pulled her to a standing position.

“Are you okay?” he beamed at her, finding her drunken antics quite amusing and also finding the pretty face he was greeted with once she looked up to be quite the sight. “You’ve been enjoying yourself tonight haven’t you.” Rose simply let a girlish giggle slip her lips, no awareness of what she was doing in that moment as she attempted to steady herself, the man’s grip around her tightening when he felt her beginning to fall again. Rose half managed a nod in agreement which caused him to laugh, his tongue rolling steadily across his lip. “Well, how about we get you another drink then, you can have one with me this time.”

“Rose, were leaving” Tommy placed his hand on the small of her back, giving the man a polite nod as though to warn him against doing anything he may regret but also seemingly to suggest he had no problem with the exchange, which pained him. The man gave Rose one more look up and down and a smirk formed on his lips, Tommy grimacing at the hunger in the man’s eyes before he handed Rose over to him.

“Jesus christ she’s going to be bad in the morning!” John laughed as he approached Rose, the rest of the family following to get a better look, Michael the only one with worry tainting his face.

“I’ll take her home.” Michael insisted, reaching an arm out to steady her while Tommy reluctantly let him scoop her limp body into his arms.

“Take her back to our house Michael” Polly said, giving Rose a sorry expression as she watched her head lolling about, “let her stay in your bed for tonight.” Tommy blinked harshly, his head turning to Polly with sharp eyes as her words sent a rage racing through him before she continued, “You can manage on the sofa for a night.”

Michael said his goodbyes as he pulled Rose closer to him to get a better grip, John and Arthur holding open the Garrison’s door for him to get her out safely. Polly cooed with sympathy once Rose had left, feeling guilty for the having let the men get her in such a state. She looked to Tommy and shook her head with disappointment, receiving only an eye roll in return before he turned back to the bar and dug into his pocket for a cigarette, waiting a few moments until he was sure his family had dispersed throughout the pub once again. Harry dropped a Whisky onto the bar in front of him without Tommy having to say a word, he nodded in thanks, lighting the cigarette swiftly and turning to the man who had caught Rose. He coughed lowly, gaining the man’s attention and receiving a puzzled look when he didn’t speak but continued to smoke his cigarette slowly.

“Yeah?”

“You saw the girl, who fell into you here.” Tommy began, taking another drag on his cigarette.”

“Yeah.” the man smiled widely as he remembered.

“Well,” Tommy took a final drag, leaving the man waiting in anticipation as he stubbed it out on the bar and turned to him with his fingers folded between one another, leaning them on his chest. “You’re not to go near her again, do you hear me?”

Tommy waved his hand nonchalantly, as though having an ordinary conversation with a regular punter, his blank expression never wavering for a second whilst he had he man’s now panicked eyes caught in his stare. The man began to deny any wrongdoing, repeating the word no profusely as Tommy straightened up. He lifted his hands defensively, shaking his head and cowering at the fear of Tommy harming him yet he couldn’t, not wanting to draw the attention of his family as he wasn’t able to explain why he was giving the man this warning.

“No never Mr. Shelby, it won’t happen again I swear.” the man whimpered.

Tommy dragged his glass along the bar and downed the contents in one, allowing the Whisky to burn his throat and trickle its warmth into his chest, as though the pain was replacing his anger.

“Good, or I’ll fucking cut you and feed you the blade.”

[kokiri-at-the-pack]

0820

August 20

I waited for the effect of an ability to disappear. It was out of curiosity on how long the guy named Steven would “pretend” to be friendly towards me. However, Steven hadn’t changed his behavior a bit. In fact, he was the first one to start the conversation or introduce me to his friends today. What’s more, he even ate lunch with me, the course in which I used to spend my time alone. He would ask trivial questions like my life before I came to the present school, or he would share his own story: that he moved from another country, that he had been shy to talk to strangers before and etc.

Although I tried my best to give him a response, back in my head, I did not know if the situation I was in was natural at all. I thought my ability was temporary. The effect should have been off now, returning Steven into one of the guys who had not mind me at all. Is my “visualization” becoming permanent? Knowing that his actions were only derived from my ability and awkwardness of talking to a student for a long time no doubt made me restless. I must give it a test on how it works. I can’t believe I do not know what I’m capable of doing properly…!

But...in spite all these…for some reason...

I didn't hate it.

August 25

I managed to draw more illustrations. This time, I divided them into two categories. One was a pack of simple items I thought my family would want the most: money, a plane ticket for family vacation and other random things. Another was a series of events. I sketched those that I had personally wished to occur. It was not easy to come up with them at once, but at last I narrowed them into two. I was reminded that I had a presentation tomorrow so I drew myself confidently reporting my assignment to my classmates and teachers to get good grades(my main objective). That’s one of my drawings for my personal desires. The second was drawing some of my classmates and teachers to make them have different personalities from their usual. If a guy was selfish, I drew him as a coward. If a teacher was cold-hearted, I made her the exact opposite. I didn't know how long it took to finish all of these sketches, and I had to do it secretly. Nowadays, Mother did not give me compliments for drawing; in fact, I was sure she hated me seeing me like this. Once, I tried to ask Father to convince her, but he only defended her and asked me not to disturb her anymore. Was he scared of her? To be honest, his behavior was like a person in front of a bomb that was about to explode when one single thing was handled incorrectly. There was no such thing as “bright” in my household. Ah, Mother is asking me to go to bed. I am getting busy lately, so I don’t think I can write as much as before. But if the results of my experiment appear, I can write them down here in my diary.

August 26

I have finally grasped the exact mechanism of my ability. This morning, all the items I drew--cash, a plane ticket and etc--were materialized on my desk when I woke up. I remember it was around 6 AM at that moment. However, at 7 AM, when it was time for me to go to school, they were all gone like thin air. It looks like my power to maintain an object is not professional yet; it would only last for an hour or less. 

As for the event, I have never seen my ability work like what I discovered today. Steven remained as a gentle guy and said hi to me in the hallway, but that wasn’t what surprised me. The moment I entered the classroom, I knew the environment differed from usual. I saw Sean at the back, yet something was off. He was one of the most talkative boys whose voice shook the whole classroom. But today, he was just by himself and was quietly reading a book on his seat. When his friends talked to him, he would shyly back away or rather listen to their stories. This was quite a shock to them as he was usually the one to lead the conversation. Not only Sean, but also Erika, a mean girl who bragged about herself often, had a change of personality. She suddenly started to share sweets with us, together with complimenting how we look joyfully. Few more students and teachers had changed as well, whose names I can’t mention as the list would become too long. They had kept their new personalities throughout the whole school day.

After lunch, the time for presenting my project came. At first, I thought there wasn’t any effect on me. I was still a nervous, frightened girl who could only speak softly. With my handmade chart about animal and plant cells, I attempted to stop my hands shaking and opened my mouth to utter at least a word. 

Then I heard someone exclaiming amazement. I turned to where it came from. It was Erika. 

“I love your drawing!” She was referring to the chart.

One by one, my classmates gave interest to it and encouraged me to present each part. Their words were followed by my advisor’s generous comment that I earned half a point by my diligence in the science project and that I would get the rest if I share how I managed to create it. That was when my confusion was replaced with a more positive emotion. When was the last time I was recognized as a talented person in the community? The rest did not need to be explained. After my presentation ended, I received the loudest applause everywhere. Students...my teacher… all admiring me alike...I could forget what I was going through at home for a while. I was no longer a wallflower.

It was clear. My ability displayed greater and more everlasting effect on events I want than ordinary items.

If only I can use this to my advantage…!

September 10

I wasn’t able to write as many entries as before due to my school work. Fortunately, I am able to record this one as I have thought today’s experience was worth remembering.

Ever since my drawings resulted in long-running changes of my classmates and teachers’ characters, I noticed that I became closer to them--with some whom I can call best friends. What’s more, I could find that my school life was getting more enjoyable and helping me not to mind the tension surrounding my family. Yet, I never forgot Steven, the very first student who approached me voluntarily. Frequently, he was the one to help me when I was having difficulties understanding topics for our exams. When we were free, we would eat lunch together and share any topic which would be interesting to both of us. Once I thought that that was his original personality. That he was always a good guy who never discriminated against his friends by who they were. On the other hand, I was afraid that he would suddenly change his behavior towards me when the effect of my ability wears off. Whatever it was, I did not have a clear idea, but what was sure was that my friendship with him was getting deeper compared to the rest of my friends.

Was it because of that bond that I made such a “decision?”

The day was remarkably rainy. The sky was as gray as ashes, and the sound of the rain was enough to make anyone feel downgraded. Nevertheless, I managed to arrive at the school on time, and the first thing I did was to look for Steven. That was because I borrowed his notebook for assistance in terms of my assignment, and I promised to return it to him today. When I opened the door to his classroom, however, his seat was empty. How strange. He should be reading his new book by now. I asked a student nearby about his whereabouts.

“Steven? I saw him go out minutes ago. He looked awfully quiet,” she replied.

Where would he be? Oh, well. He must be busy. I put down his notebook on his desk and headed back to my classroom. But I did not take more than five steps when I spotted an unexpected sight.

On the other side of the hallway, there was the guy I was searching for, but something seemed bizarre about him. His face contained shadow and appeared gloomy, his signature smile nowhere to be seen. What surprised me more was his action of climbing the stairs to the rooftop. It was raining at the moment! What was wrong with him?

I quickly followed his steps and covered my face with my hands to see through the rain properly. Luckily, Steven was not difficult to find. He was just standing in front of the railings. He was just staring at the distance, oblivious of his wet body and clothes. I tapped his shoulder, asked him what was wrong and told him that I was worried if he might catch a cold.

“Sorry…” he refused, “I just want to be alone.”

“Then at least go back inside please. Look at yourself!”

“...I’m fine.”

But he wasn’t. He did not look fine at all. I ignored his reply and took off my jacket. I put it around him and brought him inside the building and to the nearby bench. He showed a sign of rejection at first but after that, he simply let me take control. Then I used my jacket as a towel and softly rubbed his drenched hair and uniform. Steven’s head was down and did not utter a single word. 

When I was finished, I calmly asked him again what was going on in  his head. What would make a guy like Steven depressed and powerless? I stayed by his side without further conversation. A minute passed...Then two...three… I did not know how much, but after some time, Steven began to whisper, followed by a sudden sob.

“I just...don’t like myself,” he sniffed.

I turned to him. Those words were something I never thought to come out from Steven at all. It was the first time he ever talked about how he saw himself. I let him continue.

“I caused my team to lose because I was not good at sports...Some guys ignored me just because I was not as strong or active as them...And...and…”

Tears began to stream down his cheeks.

“I disappointed my family…!”

“Wh--what do you mean?”

“I made them worry...because I was too quiet...could not socialize...could not study well...They must have thought something was wrong with me. They had their own concerns, but I exhausted them more. And now...they are going to be separate, and they told me I’m going to move to my aunt’s house when I graduate…”

I could not speak a word.

“They do not want me anymore. I am sure of it. Ah, I think I’m going to be a burden to my aunt, too…!”

I wanted to comfort him. Tell him that nothing was his fault. Tell him that he was one of the best people she ever met. 

But I also knew that mere words don’t always cheer people up. In fact, they would sometimes result in more damages and be interpreted as a lack of sympathy. More importantly, they are not the ones to directly solve the problem. Still, I wished Steven to smile again. Of course, it might have been because of my ability, but he supported me to enjoy school in several ways that I wanted to do something for him as well.

...That’s right. My drawing. 

I briefly recalled one of my wonderful incidents I had when I was an elementary student. It was when my neighbor lost her puppy and could not find him for months. With a simple wish to help her, I asked her how he looked and drew her finding him again, grasping the precious family member tightly. That miracle came true the next day, and up to now, I can remember her bright smile with joyful tears on her face. My drawing made her happy. 

Can the similar thing happen to Steven?

An instant spark of brilliant ideas led me to ask Steven to share with me his family picture so that I can clearly remember how his parents look like. Then with a single intention of retrieving Steven’s joy, I drew a couple of sheets of Steven smiling and him spending good time with his family and friends.

September 11

Praying for my ability to work on Steven, I opened the door of his classroom and called him outside. He stared at me curiously, probably wondering the reason why I wanted to talk to him. So far, I could not read his emotions, but his face appeared better than before. If I was correct, his personal problem yesterday would be gone by now. I asked him if he was feeling alright.

Steven tilted his head with a confused look. It was as if he did not comprehend my question. Then he gave me an answer which I did not anticipate at all.

“What do you mean? I was sad? Crying?”

For seconds, I thought I was hallucinating. With a stutter, I repeated my question and explained his sadness and confession towards me about his view on himself and his family issues. Steven laughed and disregarded them as a joke.

“You must have had a weird dream about me,” he chuckled, “I’ve never thought about them at all. Nor my classmates. Besides, why would I have an issue with my parents?”

I wasn’t able to move an inch even after Steven went back to his classroom. Why was he acting that way? Was he the same guy who talked about the burden? It seemed like he forgot yesterday's event entirely. I don’t think my ability worked that way before.

What in the world happened to me?

[cheetahsprints]

Beyond the Surface

Words: 2822 Summary: Cisco couldn’t stand Harrison Wells. Crossing his path in an unexpected place would change that view permanently. Rating: Gen A/N: Title inspired by Fly Down - Stephen

Cisco tapped his pen on his mouth. He checked over his grocery list to be sure he got everything. It was just general foodstuff. He added some extra items.

- That new conditioner I heard about - All the bath bombs - Try the candle Caitlin suggested that smells like my kinda man called “Mechanical grease and Angst” - A recorder to piss off my grumpy neighbor. Tell him it's for a hipster band. - Dog food. - One of those big fake owls. It might freak out neighbors cats

Cisco always left without dog food. He underlined it three times. He chuckled at the recorder addition, picturing the constipated expression his neighbor would make. It wasn’t a challenge to antagonize him. Cisco was constantly finding new and creative ways to accomplish his mission.

His neighbor was also his professor. He was the unrelenting Harrison Wells. He cursed the day he incidentally moved to his floor, beside him to boot. The man was intelligent, handsome, and mysterious. Under most circumstances, Cisco would have a crush the size of Alaska. Unfortunately, Harrison Wells needed a personality transplant. He was an infuriating jackass. He gave not an inch, and he enjoyed pushing people over the edge.

Every day he passed the man’s giant door poster. It was a picture of the Grinch (cartoon version) that said: Don't bother me after 8 p.m. or I'll steal YOUR Christmas. The building supervisor had referred to him as only Mr. Grinch, due to this decor.

Cisco was willing to bet it was custom-made. Rumor had it that Professor Wells was a man of many talents. Cisco’s complaints also fell on deaf ears. Because no one else lived on this floor to corroborate his stories. Cisco didn't blame people for moving. On the bright side, he had to pay lower rent for this shit apartment location. The apartment itself was nice, with a big bathtub, walk-in closet, and balcony. It was worth Wells knocking on his door to tell him his party was too loud. Wells threatened to call the cops, but he never did. He knew Cisco would have it cleaned and shut down before they got halfway there.

His cats meowed all hours of the night. Cisco didn't know how he could hear them running around at night. Especially since one was a stick. One had also snuck into his apartment and shredded his stuffed Rocky the flying squirrel. It had been a present from his ex, Lisa. On one hand, technically kind of a good thing. On the other, he had liked that squirrel.

Cisco perked when he heard his six month old brown-and-white shih tzu mix yapping. He strolled out to the balcony. Sure enough, there they were. Wells’ stringy black and white oriental shorthair and tabby maine coon. The maine coon was the chillest animal on the planet, asleep to the tune of barking dog. That was the one that murdered his squirrel. Everytime Cisco left his apartment, the oriental starting yowling from behind Wells’ door. Then his puppy barked her head off.

Stevie, his brindle greyhound, appeared to investigate. He nudged Cisco curiously. He patted his service dog on the head absently. Cisco was prone to seizures. They were mostly random, but could sometimes be caused by distress. He grabbed a squeaky toy to distract Buttercup. He closed the balcony doors. He packed up and got Stevie in his work outfit. He expected to run into the Professor’s dumb face when he opened the door. He always complained about Buttercup’s barking even though he could just bring in his cats. Cisco had nothing against cats as a whole. He had everything against Wells’ disregard for the effects his cats had on others. Cisco was relieved when he was miraculously not there. He either decided to keep to himself or went out. Cisco saw enough of him in class, it just figured he would end up living beside him.

On a positive note, pissing him off was the most entertaining thing. He even drove him crazy in class. On the first day, Professor Wells had began by saying, “Science fact: The world around you is made up of protons, neutrons, morons, and electrons.”

When he said “morons” he had looked directly at Cisco. He wasn’t sure if Wells was presumptuous, if it was an accident, or if the man was prejudiced. Wells hadn’t eased up on him. He had called on Cisco to answer the toughest questions, contradicted all of his answers. Cisco wasn’t a special case, Wells was mean to other students, but they were slackers or whatever. He did have the potential for kindness, immediately helping anyone who seriously required it.

Either way, Cisco went out of his way to make his teaching aspect of life a bit of a nightmare. He pretended to be incredibly dumb in class, forcing Wells to cater to him. He would ace his tests and grin like a little shit.

He would ask the stupidest most basic questions, eyelashes fluttering like an infatuated schoolgirl. Wells was that “hot silver fox professor” as the women, and even some men, all of whom had no self respect, referred to him. They fawned over him. It was revolting. Cisco made them upset too by imitating their behavior. Wells always apparently lost his train of thought. He would sort of freeze on the spot, mouth open. He stuttered over his next words. It took everything Cisco had to hold in his laughter.

He kept the irritation to the minimum at home. Needless to say, but the airheads in his class didn’t believe Wells played the most obnoxious music at four in the morning. They didn’t believe he had a psychic connection to his cats and bid them to drive Cisco up the wall. They didn’t believe Wells pounded on the wall when Cisco played Christmas music. They didn’t believe he would sit on his balcony and throw things onto Cisco’s. Those objects had included: a wrench, a stupid singing toy from a dollar-per-item store, and even a rather large dildo. He had the supernatural ability to know when Cisco was studying. His hobby of throwing random shit would always scare the daylights out of Cisco.

For some reason, they did believe when he told them about the time Cisco had returned to his apartment shirtless. Some wiseass at he dog park had knocked him into a puddle of mud. At least, he hoped it was mud. He had thrown his shirt away and stormed home in a huff. Wells had seemed to choke on his own saliva when he saw Cisco. His blushing and stuttering was adorable. It was like he had never seen another man shirtless. 

Cisco figured he might’ve been offended by the tattoo, curling around his nipple and over his shoulder. Cisco had experienced a bit of a phase in his first semester of college. He lost a bet which required him to get the tats. They were pretty, and he luckily didn’t end up regretting his decision. He went through a bit of a ‘only get away with being young and dumb once’ phase. He cleared his less that stellar ideas and urges from his system, to pave the way for responsible adulting. He would have a lot of stories for his kids, if he ever felt like having any. Maybe he would tell the stories to Barry’s or Caitlin’s.

Stevie walked easily beside him in the Starling-Central City Shopping Center. He whistled a jaunty tune. He was having a pretty good day. He had satisfied with his level of studying for the upcoming exams and wasn’t exhausted. His new puppy hadn’t peed on the carpet this week. He hadn’t seen Wells’ annoying face yet.

He spoke too soon. He saw Wells, browsing in the assorted candles and incense. He glared at his turned back. He couldn’t believe the man chose this day to enter society and be shopping for something Cisco was looking to purchase. He tentatively stepped into the section, footsteps light. He hoped Wells wouldn’t see him.

He heard someone scoff and stage-whisper, “Do you see that rat he has in his cart? Like anyone believes that’s a real service dog.”

His girlfriend cackled. “What an asshole.”

Cisco’s gaze riveted on Wells’ little dog. She was a chihuahua-corgi mix named Rocket. Wells was secretive as hell. The only things Cisco knew was that he had a daughter and pets. That was due to the photos on his desk of a young girl in braces, a calm Chorgi with its tongue hanging out, next to the 85 % legs oriental shorthair (same pic) and one of the fluffy Maine coon. And there was a final faded, worn one of a German Shepherd/Dalmation in a doggie wheelchair next to an urn simply engraved Sam - Never Forget. Cisco had asked the little dog’s name, and gotten such a gruff reply that he didn’t inquire further.

It was simple to assume his professor was not much beyond a grumpy old jerk. His humanity seemed to be buried deep. He was robotic, functional enough to take care of pets and teach a class, that was all. Cisco would have to rethink that. Rocket was even cuter in person. Wells had obviously heard and he winced. He picked up Rocket, cradling her close. He marched up to the couple.

“Hey what is your deal? His dog is well-behaved, and he did nothing to you!” Cisco crossed his arms, raising his chin. The boyfriend attempted to tower over him, but he was no match for Cisco’s sheer force of will.

“Back off asshole,” The girlfriend butted in. “No one asked you.”

“I’m the asshole? It’s pretty rude to go around assuming things about someone’s life. For all you know, he nearly lost his life fighting in a war.”

“For all I know, you’re a phony too. Look at that - that thing you have. Is it imported from Africa or something?” The Dude narrowed his eyes at Stevie. And that was the end for Cisco.

“Listen here,” he said dangerously, voice flat. “Judgey tools like you is why we can’t have nice things. You can get that stick out of your ass and -”

Dude started making offended noises. The Girlfriend looked ready to jump on Cisco and tear his hair out. He braced himself. Let them try. A distinct high-pitched bark interrupted his tirade. His mouth shut with an audible click, and he whirled around. Rocket was back in the cart, whining, trying to get to Harrison Wells. He was crouched on the floor, all six feet of him. His hand was covering his eyes. The other hand was braced on the shelves. He was rocking back and forth, making breathy noises.

Cisco rushed over, argument forgotten. He wasn’t sure if he’d go to hell for it, but he gently picked up Rocket and placed her on the floor. He certainly lost his mind whenever someone tried to touch his well-trained greyhound on duty. But this seemed like an emergency. Rocket whined again and snuffled on Wells cheek. He sighed and pulled her close, taking deep breaths. Cisco shifted. He glanced over his shoulder to see that the couple had wandered off. Confrontation wasn’t always the best idea. Sometimes, his anger got the better of him. Stevie watched calmly. He looked a bit twitchy. He was always wary whenever Cisco got himself into tense situations.

Wells gained control of himself. His eyes were glazed for a moment, then it faded. His hands were shaking. Rocket was pressed close, licking at his face. He picked her up and stood, clutching her to his chest. He stared at Cisco with wide, bleary eyes. He had never seen Wells looking so spooked.

“Hey buddy. You good or do you need to call someone?”

“Did - did I hurt anyone? When episodes strike, I black out,” Wells explained at Cisco’s confused look. “I can be prone to violence because I think I’m. Back there.”

His voice was at such a low pitch. Cisco was stiff as a board. He shook out his hands, trying to loosen his muscles. He wasn’t afraid. He just wasn’t sure how to tread here.

“No it’s fine. You were kinda on the floor. Was that my fault?”

“They started it, you were only trying to defend me, thank you,” Wells replied.

He was surprisingly relaxed, for all that they didn’t get along. Cisco felt like a veil had been torn from in front of his eyes. He saw everything in front of him anew. He should really take some of his own advice.

“Well, it got a little out of hand ‘cause I don’t know when to shut my mouth and walk away sometimes. Can I - can I buy you some ice cream or something, Professor Wells?”

Wells blinked. Then he laughed, heartily. “You can call me Harry, Mr. Ramon.”

“Cisco!” He continued, mostly to himself, “Big Belly Burger sounds damn good right now.”

Harry nodded in agreement. Cisco indicated his cart. Harry began to pile his stuff inside. It was more efficient to take one cart. His eyes widened at the Star Wars paraphernalia. So, he was a fellow nerd too. There was probably so much Cisco didn’t know about him. These recent discoveries only scratched the surface. He suddenly had an overwhelmingly urgent desire to know everything that Harry would give him.

On the way to the in-store restaurant, Cisco said casually, “I have seizures. Stevie here, he’ll sit and howl when he senses one coming, so I can find a safe place. He stays by my side and helps me out. Completely necessary just like yours.”

“Some people think they’re smart. The reality being they know nothing at all,” Harry replied.

“I know that all I know is that I do not know anything,” Cisco said and snorted. “That guy didn’t even know how to remove the stick in his ass.”

“There’s no proof of that phrase, but the spirit of it is true.”

They finished their meals, bought separately, and Harry paid for their ice cream. Cisco opened his mouth to protest. He was silenced by Harry’s glare.

“I’m sorry I act empty-headed in your class,” Cisco confessed.

Harry nodded and lapped at his ice cream. He smiled as he scooped some with two fingers and fed it to Rocket. Absurdly, Cisco’s stomach started doing acrobatics. He couldn’t pinpoint the cause. He scratched Stevie’s ears, who made a dog-sigh of content.

“I’m sorry for being a difficult neighbor,” Harry offered. “Let’s promise to be at least civil to one another for now on?”

“Agreed. Life will be much easier. And we’re totally having a Star Wars marathon.”

Harry grinned. He rubbed at his lips with a finger. Cisco gnawed on his cone and watched him for a moment. He felt a stab of guilt. He had despised Harry for his behavior. He was a hypocrite. He saw now he had acted the exact same way and judged him. He knew next to nothing about his private life, because he presumed that he did not have one. What did he think? That Harry went home and hooked himself up to a charger?

The man probably had dreams, hobbies, as many likes as dislikes. Hell, Cisco had known he had a family he must care about, from the picture of his daughter on his desk. Cisco distantly noticed Harry had no wedding ring. Somewhere, under all that brain and bluster, Cisco was beginning to see his heart.

The best restart would be to address the root of the problem. Then they could clear the air. He licked his lips nervously. He locked his fingers in his lap and leaned forward. Harry folded his arms on the table, chin lifting in preparation.

Cisco kept his voice soft and not accusing. “Why did you single me out the first day of class?”

“Are you kidding? I heard you were practically wunderkind,” Harry answered in an incredulous tone. “I was very impressed with your records.”

“Seriously? I grew up in the most obscure town.”

“I’m in the habit of keeping an eye on talent. Finding out you were in my class made my entire week, which isn’t saying much, but still. You are the most brilliant and creative person I’ve met, aside from my daughter.”

Cisco internally preened, a flush of pleasure coming over him. He had a weakness for direct compliments of his talents. He realized that also meant Harry had believed in exactly none of his bullshit. Harry pointed at his own face and raised his eyebrows. Cisco squinted at him. Harry spread his hand and made circles. Cisco scrambled in embarrassment to wipe his face off. He found it wasn’t as bad as Harry indicated. He scowled.

“You say such sweet things. But you’re still a dick.”

“Did you really expect anything else?”

[hansenfred1991]

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[faces-in-unexpected-places]

Do You Have the Time? Episode 012: Three Months

[April 9th, 2018, 16:42]

Leslie blinked and nudged herself out of her thoughts. She was hunkered over her clunky, wooden desk in her physics department office. It was so bulky that it almost took up the entire width of the room; she always had to squeeze between the desk and the wall if she wanted to get up. The room did not come with an overhead light, so she was forced to bring a lamp which gave her office a moody disposition. In front of her table sat two cushioned chairs for her students to sit in while they visited her office hours. On her left-side wall hung a shelf with plushie subatomic particles. Protons, electrons, quarks, photons, and her personal favourite, the Higgs Boson. Sitting isolated from the toys was a plastic essential oil diffuser that had a wood-like design, so that it matched the wood in her office. The scent was mild, but she chose to give her office a hint of peppermint this time.

On the other wall, her bachelor’s degree in physics and a concentration in mathematics. Just next to it rested her doctorate in Astronomy. The rest of the wall space was taken up paintings and drawings. One painting had a pink tree that sat on a hill as its focal point. The grass, winding turns of the land, and the pathway leading away from the tree were all showcased in different shades of pink and red. A black and white drawing of an abandoned medieval castle with foliage growing out of the cracks and all over the exterior bricks joined the tree painting.

Her desk was orderly and minimalistic like the one she used in the lab, as well. There was an inbox and an outbox towards the far left corner, and they contained a moderate amount of papers in each. She was grading a student’s exam from her Basic Physics I course. She had supposedly gotten distracted some time ago. Before she could refocus herself, a knock occurred at her door. “Come in!” she said, out of sorts, but still cheerful.

Max stepped in through the door, smiled at her and took a seat in one of her chairs. Leslie’s cheer quickly dissipated.

“How’s the semester wrapping up for you, Leslie? I hope it’s good! I’ve barely seen you in the department for the whole time,” he poked.

“Yes, it’s going fine. How about yours?” she responded with caution. “It’s pretty great. You know, I wanted to tell you: I think after this spring is finished up, the university is going to let me start teaching three credit hour classes, instead of one and two,” he leaned back in his chair with his legs crossed.

“That’s really great, Max. Congratulations,” she said, mildly.

“You do know what that means, right?” he asked, seeming confused.

“Yes, I do. It’s great news for you.”

“It means I’ll get a raise!”

“Yeah, it’s wonderful!” Leslie repeated, trying to sound more enthusiastic.

“Exactly, thank you!” Max replied, appearing satisfied, “In a few years, I’ll try to get my own lab for research. Right now, I’m just trying to get things off the ground. I could try to do joint-research with another professor like you did, but I’d rather have it be my own brainchild. Do you know what I mean? It just feels more real that way.”

Leslie instantly felt fatigued, after being re-exposed to Max’s affect.

“Do I know the difference between working on a team and as an individual? Yes, I know what you mean,” she said with a quick, half-joking chuckle. Max noted the comment and his expression appeared pompous in response.

“Are you still working with, uh, what was his name?”

“Dr. Leopold,” she said.

“Oh, that’s right. Looney was his name. He’s at the same level as us, right? He’s an assistant professor? Except he’s like thirty years older?”

“Yes, he’s an assistant professor. But he is right where he needs to be,” she defended.

“No, of course,” he threw his hands up in the air, “With how long he’s been in the game, you’d think he’d have more prestige, but you are right. He’s right where he should to be.”

Leslie narrowed her eyes at him. She remained silent, picked up her pen and continued grading the exam on her desk.

“We’re all doing great, actually,” she decided to continue, “We’ve had some new personnel in the lab for about seven months now. He’s been pretty great to work with.”

“Oh, that’s nice. What are his specialties?” Max quickly jumped on the subject.

“He’s got a great mind for mechanics and theory. He brought a lot of fresh ideas for our current research project, and it’s going to pay off well. I think he’s doing his dissertation on it, too.”

“Oh,” Max scoffed, “So, he doesn’t even have his PhD?”

“No, but he’s making great progress so far,” Leslie countered.

“Well, great job to him. Best of luck. Getting a PhD in physics is nothing like a bachelor’s,” Max jabbed, “Listen, I know that you’ve known Leopold for a long time. But I’m drawing up the hypotheses now, so that when I actually get my lab, my team can move fast. And, you’re very experienced and intelligent, and I would really love it… you know,” he nodded, “if you came to work for me.”

Leslie tensed her body and leaned back at her desk, away from Max.

“Just think about it, is all. It might give more opportunities than working with Looney and that other guy.”

“Jeremy,” she corrected.

“Jerry?”

“His name is Jeremy.”

“Jerome?” he asked with a smirk.

“Never mind,” she snapped, “Thank you for the offer, Maxwell, I will… certainly think about it,” she responded distantly.

“I really think that would be the right choice for you,” he said with excitement in his voice, “I think you’re very qualified, you know? You’ve put so much effort into all your studies, and I just think you could do so much more if you weren’t… well— you know— chasing shadows,” he said with a sympathetic raise of his eyebrows.

“…Chasing shadows?” she asked with distrust.

He laughed wryly to himself.

“I mean, come on, Leslie, time travel? It’s kind of a pipe dream. The math says we can do it, but our bodies can’t withstand the stress of time travel,” he muttered and chuckled, “It’s… it’s science fiction. It’s great science fiction. I can kill a whole weekend poring over time travel stories. But I think there should be a ‘time’ when you—when you finally let Looney go, and stop pretending that you’ll find something, you know? He hasn’t had tuition to pay for you for how long? I mean, what’s the point, now?”

“Well, the point, is that he might find a way around those human body problems,” she said curtly. She clenched her jaw, and felt her blood boil as the subject shifted from her to Leopold.

He widened his eyes and leaned toward her. She leaned even further away. “Are you really on board with this loon?”

Leslie felt her face and hands heating up with outrage. The nerve that Max had to plant himself in her office and question her decisions. To question Leopold when he knew nothing about him or the things he’d done for her. Her emotions felt like they were on the border of losing control; her body was shaking. She had no idea what to say or do. All Leslie wanted to do was fight. In whatever way she could. She sat up straight and prepared to retaliate. A knock resonated on her door. Leslie instantly retracted her temper, cleared her throat and answered.

“Come in!”

The door opened and Madison danced through it, accidentally swinging her backpack around. One of her loose straps whipped Max on the cheek. It was harmless, so Leslie didn’t say anything about it. She threw her book-bag down while sporting a grand smile, and plopped herself into the chair next to Max. “Damn girl, you really do have your own set up here, too!”

“Of course I do, honey. Why would I lie about that?” she asked, still with a hint of hostility.

“It’s just crazy, you’ve got two offices?! You are such a boss!” Madison continued, unaware of Leslie’s tone.

“We all have offices though, so… technically we’re all bosses,” Max interjected. Madison furrowed her brow in his direction, glanced at Leslie, then back to Max.

“Uh, hi,” she said.

“Madison, this is Dr. Murphy. A physics professor here at the university. He was just leaving,” she said with a glare in his direction.

“Yes, actually, I was. I’ve got some things to wrap up before I can go home today,” he played along and stood up. “I think we had a great talk, Leslie. We’ll catch up again another time, soon.”

“Enjoy your day,” Leslie said with aggravated precision. Max effortlessly crept out the door, and left Madison and Leslie together in the office. Madison wore a confused smile on her face and tilted her head.

“Damn Leslie, that boy stirs something up in you, doesn’t he? What, is he your ex or something?”

Leslie sighed.

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” she mumbled under her breath. “No, he’s not,” she said aloud.

“Well, what’s his problem? Or what’s your problem with him?”

“Oh, honey, it’s all hard to remember,” Leslie exhaled. “We were friends a long time ago, and then somewhere along the way, I feel like he started getting… weird with me, and I don’t know what I did to even warrant it, and—” she shuddered. “It’s been a long day. Maybe we should talk about something else. How are classes? Are you ready for finals?” she redirected the conversation.

Madison scoffed.

“Fat chance,” she replied with not hesitation, “If we’re going to talk about something else, let’s at least make it not about my struggles, alright?”

“Okay, that’s okay,” Leslie accepted. They paused and thought about ways to break the silence.

“It took me forever to find your office,” Madison started, “But thanks for telling me where it is. It looks really nice! Wish I had my own space like this.”

Leslie chuckled.

“I think it might actually be a utility closet that the university just converted to an office for me. But I made it my own, anyway. If this is the hand they deal me, I don’t even want to know what kind of deal the adjunct professors get,” she joked.

“I really like the decorations you’ve got. It brings out a cutesy side of you that I didn’t know about!” Madison commented, “Those are some sweet paintings and adorable toys.”

“Aww, thanks, sweetie. I made them myself!”

“You what? Really?”

“Oh yeah!” Leslie smiled, “The paintings took a while, but the plushies? I could do a few of those in a day.”

“That is so amazing, do you take requests?!” Madison nearly shouted and leaned toward the desk, “I had no idea you liked stuff like this! Why haven’t we talked about this instead. Who cares about chemistry and science and all that other garbage, you can make toys! Honestly, you would make a pretty good Santa Clause. Mostly your personality, though. You’re pretty much the opposite of Santa in the physical appearance department.”

“Thank you?” Leslie replied with a perplexed smile and furrowed brow, “How about this, Madison: I was planning on leaving soon, so I am going to pack up my stuff and go to research building. I haven’t checked to see if our lab has been reopened for a few days. If you want, you can walk with me, and we can talk all about our hobbies and destress the whole time.”

“You got it, boss!”

“Okay,” she said with a slight laugh.

“So, if I have to take a physics class, does that mean I could have you as my professor?” Madison asked.

“Umm, probably not, sweetie. I usually teach the simpler physics courses for non-science majors,” Leslie stacked the inbox papers on her desk and placed them into her backpack.

“What about Leo?”

“Hmm… he doesn’t teach as consistently as I do. He’s known to take breaks every few semesters. But he might teach more diverse classes, so… it’s possible!”

Leslie powered down her computer and slipped between the wall and desk, carrying her backpack in her hands. She cracked the door open and squeezed out of her office.

“Whew!” she chuckled. Madison jumped out into the hallway after her. Leslie reached around her and shut the office door behind them. She led the way out of the physics building and through campus as Madison skipped alongside her. Madison grilled her with questions about her paintings and plush toys. When did she start? Why did she start? What are her influences? What’s her favourite part? Can she teach Madison to make toys? As soon as Leslie answered one question, Madison instantly replaced it with another. She was flattered by Madison’s interest, but ultimately, her investment in crafty projects was less intense than Madison’s. Maybe if Madison got to participate with her, she would get her fill and move on. Leslie considered inviting her back to her apartment to paint and make plushes, but decided to put it off. She thought it best to ask when Madison was less wound up about the whole thing.

Leslie opened the doors to their research building to see Leopold leaned against Martha’s front desk, laughing. Seeing the two of them create happy moments for Leo to remember made her smile. He turned to the noise of the door opening and waved her and Madison over.

“Hey there, you two!” Leopold said, “I was just wondering where everyone was.”

Leslie almost seemed to ignore what he said and immediately went in for an unexpected, and tight hug. She glommed onto Leo; wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her chin on his shoulder.

“Whoa—okaaay!” he jolted happily, “What’s this all about, poppet?” he chuckled, It’s only been a few days, you know.”

“Don’t you think I’m a little old to be called poppet?” she said, still attached to him.

“Not when you’re stuck to me like this, you’re not!”

“Come to think of it, ‘poppet’ is a name for little girls! You should have called me that when I was seven, not seventeen!”

“Oh, so, I missed you by a decade, big deal!”

Madison began playing with the trinkets on Martha’s desk, and talking to her. Leslie released Leo from her grip.

“What was all this about anyway, huh?” he asked, with a gentle smile.

“I was just thinking about you today. We’ve come a long way from eleven years ago.”

Leopold hummed and nodded to her statement.

“Yes, we have, kid… yes, we have.”

Their attention was brought to voices coming near from the hallway opposite to Leopold’s lab. Leslie stepped in front of Leo and faced Sophia walking towards them. Jeremy walked alongside her with IO next to him. Someone else about Jeremy’s age accompanied Sophia on the other side, conversing with her. He had dark, shaggy, over-washed hair, and bangs that came to sharp looking points on his forehead. He wore burgundy and cream coloured plaid pants, an unbuttoned lab coat, and a white shirt underneath it that read ‘I bet you can’t 01010011 01110000 01100101 01100001 01101011 00100000 01100010 01101001 01101110 01100001 01110010 01111001.’ He had wire-framed glasses and carried multiple pens in the breast pocket of his lab coat. Just under his pocket was a blue Space Invader. Jeremy looked uncomfortable in their conversation, if not aggravated.

“So Dr. Blythe was thinking we could generously use the left over money in our lab’s grant combined with the surplus in The Board of Research’s budget to host the conference in San Diego this year.”

Jeremy rolled his eyes.

“Oh really? Blythe said that?” Sophia said with a flat tone.

“After she supported the idea, I decided to bring it to you to run it up the chain of command to the department head. I know you two are close,” he explained.

“So this is your idea. Not Blythe’s,” she concluded.

“Thought it might sound more convincing if it was coming from her, but yes, it’s mine,” he quickly rambled, “But whomever it came from, it’s a good idea. And that’s the part that matters.”

Sophia sighed in exasperation.

“I’m sorry Dexter, I simply don’t see a benefit of moving the conference across the country when doing it in the Curiesville convention centre has proven perfectly adequate time and time again.”

“Except that it would renew interest in local research, and increase overall attendance,” Dexter hinted before she could walk away. Sophia finally turned to face him and crossed her arms, giving her full attention for the first time. Jeremy frowned and backed away with IO. His lab friends also watched the scene, uncomfortably.

“Anything else?” Sophia challenged with an irritated, furrowed brow, “If you’re going to keep following me around, at least tell me your entire proposal so I can veto it. I’m sick of my answer, which is no, by the way, being countered with yet another reason why I should reconsider. So, come on, out with it. Why is this such a great idea?”

“If we host it in San Diego, people will be more interested in the event, and attendance will go up. People have more fun, it draws more attention to the university, then to our research, then we get an increase in grants. Maybe certain people get some raises? Maybe the board or even individual labs get sponsorships? There are infinite possibilities. The likelihood of any of these also increases with the amount of time we spend there. If it was a weekend event, people could do more networking, and enjoy the luxuries of the west coast. We’ve never had those opportunities in cold, dry Curiesville,” Dexter leaned back after his speech, appearing pleased with himself.

“Hmm,” Sophia paused with caution.

“I would certainly be more motivated to present in San Diego, and Dr. Blythe and I have some of the most cutting-edge research in the building. And that’s not hubris, that’s just a fact.”

“And how do you propose transportation would work? How do you know the board wouldn’t end up losing money by paying for a larger number of participants than usual to fly out to California?” she cross-examined.

“Because people from San Diego would also attend, and possibly other research institutes if we made it public enough. Transportation could be left up to the participants, anyway,” he said, “Realistically, if their research is worth presenting, I’m sure they can spare a few hundred dollars of grant money to travel to California for a weekend,” he shrugged.

The colour drained from Leopold’s face and he broke into a cold sweat. Leslie and Jeremy glanced at him with similar expressions. He reflexively shook his head at Dexter’s idea. It caught Sophia’s eye and she worked to conceal a smirk. She cleared her throat and maintained a professional demeanour with Dexter.

“I am making no deals, nor promises,” she began, “But I will look into it.”

“I’ll check in with you for regular updates, soon,” he said proudly.

“Don’t get excited,” she said, “I still have the time travel club to deal with before I can get to work on that.” They turned from each other and faced Leopold and his team.

“Yeah, what’s the deal Jeremy, why’d you bring the party pooper to our party? To POOP ON—?” Madison blurted out.

“OkaAAAY,” Leslie talked over her and covered her mouth, “You’ve made a great point just now, sweetie, that’s probably good enough.”

“You might want to watch how you talk to the person who is about to give you your lab back,” Sophia scoffed. The team traded glimpses in surprise at the remark.

“So… the gas leak was fixed?” Leo deduced.

“Yeah, essentially,” she replied, “It turns out that one of the pipes that collects the fumes from one of the organic chemistry labs had a fissure in it, so a lot of those gases — methane, hydrogen, chlorine — were starting to leak into your lab. But it’s been repaired, and they’re being disposed of properly again. I had the seals taken off your doors this morning; the air should be fine.”

The group looked at Jeremy for further validation.

“She wanted me to deliver the news, but I thought you should hear it from her. That’s why  I brought her here with me,” Jeremy added, “Less room for miscommunication.”

Leopold’s anxious face softened. Leslie kept a straight face and an erect posture in an attempt to remain professional.

“Well… we appreciate you being so transparent on the issue, Sophia,” she said with a hint of gratitude, “And great job to you, Jeremy. Great idea.”

He acknowledged her compliment with a smile and a nod. Dexter stepped forward and scanned the time travel club.

“Hmph,” Dexter enunciated, “So your research is temporal relocation. How far into the past or future have you been able to travel? Or are you still testing objects?” he asked.

Leopold sheepishly glanced off to the side.

“W—well, we are still working out the kinks for experiment one—”

“You haven’t even started experiments yet? Don’t you know that at least one research paper needs to be finished by July? And that abstracts need to be turned in by June? Have you even written your introduction?”

“No, but—” Jeremy stuttered.

“Do you even have a ‘time machine?’” he scoffed, “I don’t even have to do any calculations to know that you’ll have to work overtime every day to be prepared for the conference.”

“I’m sorry, Dexter, I don’t ever remember Leopold asking for your opinion,” Leslie shot back, “Why don’t you worry about your own research, and we’ll see you at the conference in August.”

“I don’t have anything to worry about because my presentation and research project is finished. Dr. Blythe and I are treating Cystic Fibrosis with CRISPR-Cas9. I don’t assume you’ve heard of that.”

“I have, actually,” Leslie said with folded arms.

“Well, it’ll be old news soon, anyway. Dr. Blythe and I will be starting a new, joint-project together after the convention. It’ll be my last project in my post-doc.”

“You’re getting your post-doctorate right now?” Jeremy questioned.

“That’s right. I really played my cards right. If I hadn’t I’d probably still be getting my PhD, too,” he shrugged. Jeremy felt lighter with a surge of anger and shock running through him. He couldn’t think of anything to say, for he was too caught off guard. He clenched his jaw.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Leslie spat.

Jeremy wondered how she even came up with anything to say.

“Then keep your eyes open, and you’ll be believing it any day now. I should tweak a few things in my paper before they publish it, anyway. Better get to work, Jeremy,” Dexter heckled, “I’m excited to read your first paper; I’m sure it will be great. But I’m a sucker for science fiction, so I’m biased.”

“Wha— I—”

“Come with me, Dexter. I want to finish working out the kinks of this San Diego trip before I forget. Enjoy your lab, there, Loon. Manage your time well,” Sophia mocked Leopold as she and Dexter turned and walked away.

“Oh, we will be just fine. Brilliant ideas work fast,” Leslie called to the both of them. She stood still, staring at their backs in silence. Madison and Leopold both stirred, as if they were going to leave, but she pulled both of them back to her side.

“Not yet. Stay here,” she directed, “Jeremy. Get over here, too.”

Confused and unsure, he drifted over to the other three with IO following behind. Leslie faced them in the same direction as her. She held a stone-cold expression, glaring Dexter and Sophia down while holding the rest of her team close. Martha held her body stiffly, out of discomfort. Jeremy spoke to her quietly, out of the side of his mouth.

“I thought you said people were intimidated by me for researching time travel,” he said.

“Well, I sure was! But… I am intimidated by most people who work here. Maybe I misread the room a little bit. Sorry sweetie,” she replied.

He sighed.

“I still think you’re all geniuses!” she whispered.

“At least we’ve got someone in our fan club,” Leo laughed wryly.

“Hey girl, you really know how to stand up for people!” Madison praised.

“Yeah, other people…” Leslie murmured, “Uh— but I— thank you, dear.” The two finally turned the corner and the team was officially alone. Leslie dispersed the group.

“Everything is not fine! We have to get moving,” she whisper-shouted, “We have to start writing our introduction!” She skittered down the hallway opposite to the one of their enemies, and waved them to follow her. Madison immediately lunged forward with her.

“Hey, hey, wait!” Martha whisper-shouted. Leslie kept running. Madison stopped in her tracks and looked back from a distance. Leopold and Jeremy came closer to her desk. Martha reached down beneath her desk, and placed three cardboard boxes on the surface.

“You got something delivered today,” she said, “I personally held onto them for you, just in case. I don’t trust some of these other employees around here, you know?”

Leopold glimpsed at the return address and raised his eyebrows. He picked up a box to check their weights. They were all fairly light, as he expected.

“The chemicals came?” Jeremy asked.

“Early,” Leo emphasised, “By an entire week!” he exclaimed, “Let’s go, let’s go! We’ve got work to do! Thank you, Martha! This is just what we needed!”

She smiled as Leo snatched a box, and ran. Madison stood frozen, unsure of what to do. Jeremy waved her away in the direction of their lab. He carried one box and stuffed the other inside the carrying compartment in IO’s body.

“Go on ahead, we got the boxes! We have no time to lose!”

[kevinasisart110fall19]

E - Extra Credit - Feedback

What did you think of the format of the class? To begin with, interesting to be sure. I’m a big fan of the way you eased us into the activities rather than starting all gungho right from the start. Starting with the art galleries surprised me, but I’m glad that I presented fairly early on rather than having the option to and surely procrastinating to this moment in time when I have other projects and things going on. The whole one idea about art a week thing is something I find particularly enjoyable, although it would have been nice to hear you talk about and explore the ideas on both days rather than just one.

What did you think of making & presenting your Art Gallery? Making the art gallery was rather interesting, I was pleasantly surprised to learn about someone whose work has been prevalent all throughout my life in the form of Best Buddies and Andy Haring who I never even knew about. Presenting the art gallery was actually more fun that making it, but I honestly do wish that I got a few more questions because Andy Haring is such an interesting guy. Working with Wix again has also got me thinking about how to use the website for personal purposes like I did way back in High School.

What did you think of visiting the SOA Art Galleries? I loved visiting the SOA art galleries and talking to the artists, but I really disliked the crowds that we went with. I understand the limitations with the class and the need for everyone to ask the same questions in the same time frame. I also understand that if I feel that way I should simply go at another time to ask my questions and get the responses that I want but that is just the way I feel about it at that moment. It was fantastic going out there and talking to those very interesting people seeing their passions spilling out onto the page. I am also glad that I have access to the social media and contact information of artists who I find I vibe with or whose work I especially enjoy since I can follow and message them on my own time!

What did you think of the weekly Art Activities? Rather interesting and counter intuitive(in a good way!) to me. As an engineer I am often given concrete steps and concrete answers for my work but the open-ended nature of these activities really work as a way to foster creativity. I often ended up resorting to my “strength” of making a picture or a digital painting but on the off days where I adventured outside of my comfort zone it was really rewarding and fun! That being said, the open ended nature of the activities can be scary. I can’t tell you how many times I have been paralyzed by choice only to waste minutes and hours and seconds trying to decide on what to do. It’s good that you offer options in class and on the website like suggesting a painting but I think it would be cool to maybe have a theme of the week? Even if it’s one word or one phrase, like from a random prompt generator so that we can all see different expressions of the ideas brought on by the same originator. 

What did you think of the “7 Ideas about Art”? Seven ideas about art... Abstraction, identity, speech, free speech, architecture, images, and remix. In this class I have learned so much and had my narrow mind widened in the few minutes per week I have spent listening to your explanations and explorations on these matters. I especially enjoyed your commentary on the whole “engineers are building their own replacements” that was hilarious and scarily true and awesome. My favorite activity was the remix activity. In a world where it seems almost everyone has done everything already, accepting the repetitive and cyclical nature of creations was refreshing and liberating. I am always worried in my Dungeons and Dragons games that I am being too cliche’ed or not being original enough to call it my story but as other Celebrity Dungeon Masters say: STEAL, steal everything and anything you can that you enjoy and apply it for you enjoyment. When you do that, you will end up creating something all your own: Synthesis, the end paragraph of every artist conversation.

How did you feel about using Tumblr for your blog? Well, at the start of the semester Tumblr was literally not working for me or my devices which left a really sour taste in my mouth. From the magic link not working, to the website not accepting my password, to the application on my phone refusing to open I was extremely angry and displeased. This, while not responsible for the irresponsible actions I took in not being punctual, massively contributed to me not wanting to turn in assignments through Tumblr. I would strongly recommend switching to Instagram although now that Tumblr is working for me I don’t mind it as much as I used to.

How did feel about using Wix for your virtual art gallery? I’ve used Wix before and I actually really love the intuitive design of the website builder. The only thing I can think of is that it is difficult to work together on it in class due to the restrictive nature of the one editor at a time thing. But mechanically, Wix is a great option for the online art gallery, very fun and easy to use.

What did you think of using the class website, glenn.zucman.com/i2va, plus your own websites, instead of BeachBoard? The class website was awesome, love the layout, love the colors, and especially the user-friendly interface. I think it would be cool to have a “post of the week” thing going that would also serve as a week-marker progress bar page that could feature one student’s exemplary post once a week with their permission. That could also make making a class semester memory page easy!

What did you think about having a class with no tests? I don’t just mean “was it cool to not have to take any,” but students use tests to guide their study and participation in a class. Students tend to learn what’s on the test, and to not learn anything that isn’t. Did not having exams make it harder to focus or find importance and relevance in the class? The thing about having a class without iron clad rules and other such constructs like rigid evaluations is that it largely depends on the students. We have to have open minds and the willingness to try to learn a new way and go along with the fluid nature of the course. I found my purpose in the class fairly late on in the desire to apply your teachings to my creative foundries in the forms of learning to draw, world-building my dungeons and dragons world, writing stories, and appreciating art for its message and emotions rather than solely mechanical and physical form.

It seemed like it was hard to get very much Class Participation, especially toward the end of the class. Did I talk too much? Ask the wrong questions? Was it too confusing? Not interesting/relevant enough? Any suggestions for more class participation in the future? One thing that makes me sad within these classes is that as I said in my answer to question 9 is that in these more fluid classes(especially in the GE sections) it largely depends on the students’ willingness to participate. I can’t tell you how much it breaks the flow of the class in STEM classes when the professor asks a question and no one answers and it becomes deadlocked in silence wasting time. No one like getting called on when they don’t want to answer any questions, and no one likes just sitting around in silent waiting for someone else to answer. I admit that I could probably have a long conversation with you regarding the ideas that you have been teaching like abstraction, images as story tellers, etc but I didn’t want to be constantly sticking my hand up and answering every single question even if I wanted to. It’s a sort of group mentality thing, I didn’t want to stand out like in my other classes(Greek Myth). I don’t know. I think that perhaps a method to get more group participation is to make it a requirement to ask a certain amount of questions or answer a certain amount of problems. I can tell you that it greatly aided my creative writing class’s teacher and fostered greater communication between students and forced people to contribute to the conversation on stories and ideas. If you make a question and answer quota for every student it will be difficult to keep track of(maybe don’t even keep track of it but just say you do) but people will begin to participate in the name of points.

Any other thoughts I really enjoyed the “write a story instead of an artist essay” that you implemented last week and I was taking a look at the art experiences master list. Perhaps as a way of giving further control to the students who want to you could offer the added option of swapping out one activity on a given idea about art for another of the same category on the master art experiences list. I doubt many students would take the opportunity but those that do would probably find something that they resonate more with.

[captainalwayslazycollectort-blog]

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I have a car from a dealership. It has to have full coverage etc. If I sell this car I got from the dealership & I don't pay off the loan an buy a car off craigslist. What will happen insurance wise when I take the car from the dealership of my insurance? Will there be a hassle? Should I call my dealership? Please help me

Looking for cheap cars to insure?

Hello there, im 21 and looking for a cheap good runnin car! Thats cheap to insure! :) I dont like the old shape corses or nissan micras.. Ewww lol but really need a car asap! Any suggestions would be great n could u put make of car n model please? Thanks for reading! Lewis :D""

How much impact will a claim of $1400 have on my Insurance rates?

I have a deductible of $500 so the actual payout would only be $900. But someone told me that the amount doesn't matter. Its the number of claims. So in that case would 1 claim matter? I have asked the same question to my Insurance company and they are non comittal. Anyone with similiar situation, please advise..""

Why wouldn't you call your auto insurance company when you have collision and comprehensive coverage?

My impression is that they're worried about their policy rates going up, or maybe they don't have auto insurance? But why not take advantage of your auto insurance whether you end up pursuing the claim or not?""

Health insurance just for the baby?

What health insurance is out there that i can just get for the baby? My current job offers family coverage to what i have now but it will be $83 EXTRA per WEEK for family...thats over $300 per month! i was wondering if there was a health insurance program that would do just the baby. THOUGHTS ANYONE?

Insurance for dummies(life insurance)?

Please help . I took out a life insurance policy about 8 years ago it is a whole life insurance policy and has some cash value .I recently discovered I have a group life insurance policy at work . Should I keep both or cash in the whole life insurance policy which is worth about 11,000 in coverage and 1,100 in cash value . The work policy is worth about 65,000 in coverage and 0 cash value""

If i cancel my car insurance will the rate later go up?

If I cancel my current monthly car insurance plan for my car, will getting a new play later down the line increase its premiums? i am wondering a few months down the line, or other time frames. i will not drive my car after this cancellation. currently my annual insurance is around $5,600.00 I am 24, male, live in toronto.""

""I am 17, and I recently got my driver's license. Can I avoid being added to the insurance policy?""

Because my rates go really high, since I'm a new driver. If my cars receive minimal insurance, and they're insured under my parents' name, could I legally drive the cars and would the insurance pay for any liabilities?""

Question about Car Insurance?

At the moment i have a G2 lisence. If i get my full G lisence will my insurance be less?

What's a low cost yet good car insurance co in California(northern)?

I have a gas hog and I am trying to lower my bills since the economy slump and I am trying to find if my car insurance is high and if I should switch and to who I pay every six months 681.00.Thanks in advance.

Do I need insurance if I have a drivers license but no car?

Im Juss Got My License and i dont have insurance And Wondering If I Can Drive My Parents Car They Have Insurance And Gives Me Permission To Drive It, so if anyone knows the correct answer please let me know and by the way i live in tx.""

What is an insurance discount disallowance?

i got my bill today for the lab where i had some tests done. on the bill it had a disallowance under the insurance discount category. just wondering what that was. the bill was about 400 and insurance paid 200 and it said disallowance of about 175 so my bill only ended up being 25 dollars.

Is affordable (not free) health care a right or a privilege?

There are many constituancies in this debate not the least of which is individual health responsibility. That said the costs are driven in large part by greed. Insurance, hospitals, doctors, drug companies, lawyers, restaurants and the food industry and fraudsters all have a dog in this fight. If affordable health care is believed to be a right (I believe it is) then all of these constituants need to come together. Al Tennessee""

An affordable dentist in Houston?

I need an appt. for an exam and maybe a couple of cavities that can be done before December. anyone know any affordable dentists that can do that in the month of November without insurance?

Health insurance.?

I need affordable health insurance.Where to find one? Thanks!!!

Home insurance automatically renewed can I get my money back?

Firstly, yes I am an idiot and should read my post more carefully.... I have just realised that I have been paying two sets of home insurance for a year because my previous years had been automatically renewed.....can I get my money back?""

Can you be on someone other than your families car insurance?

I just want to know if it is an option to be on someone other than your families car insurance. Like a friend's or whatnot. Or is car insurance for one family only.

Car insurance is abnormally expensive for me (18yrs old)? What am I doing wrong?

I go on gocompare, confuse.com, comparethemarket, etc. to check prices of different cars but I keep getting insurance at the price of 7,000+?! And the crazy thing is, it was for a Peugeot 2002 106 which is like 1.1 litre. which came to the lowest I found. Which was 7,000+. I fill in the details truthfully, such as locked home garage, very low miles per year, etc, but I can't seem to get cheap insurance? Everyone online says they get insured for around 2,000 on a Corsa, Peugeot 106, Citroen C1 and on like 1.4L+ cars etc. HOW TO HELL? Should I just buy my 1st car then insure it on my parents name then ask me to be put on as a named driver? My friends do that and pay around 1,000-1,200 on 1.6L cars.. Also, can you recommend me a good 1st car? (England) Thanks!""

How to bring car insurance premium down for a young driver?

I passed my test june of this year and have been a named driver on my mothers policy for short periods of time, its a 1.4 S Reg corsa. Now i am looking at buying my own car and building up my own NCB. I was wondering if anyone knew of a good cheap car to insure? an insurance company that doesn't wish to rob young drivers? and whether its cheaper being a named driver myself or having a parent as a named driver? or any other tips you might know of to keep the premium down. Any help would be appreciated.""

I'm 17 and can't find car insurance for under 2000. Does anyone have cheaper?

what car, insurance company ect? thanks :)""

Switching Car Insurance?

Next year when I get married my fiance and I are going to start a new car insurance policy. However - I currently have co-signed the car I own with my mom. She is the primary owner, but my name is on everything too and I make all the payments myself. How will that work with the car insurance? Does it matter that I am not the primary owner? Does it need to be insured under her name?""

Generally speaking, what's the cheapest auto insurance you could get?

Generally speaking, what's the cheapest auto insurance you could get?

Best insurance for Male 18-24?

What is the best type of insurance for a male 18-24. There is a basic prepaid one for $1200 (upfront) but my rates double if I get a speeding ticket etc.. Then there is the traditional one from my bank but that's $300 a month and I can't do that. What type should I be looking for? Also, is it worth it to get the cheap insurance if my rates could potentially double? Could I fight them doubling my rates. I don't plan on speeding but wow. 04-06 Hyundai Elantra GLS/GT.""

What is a reliable car with a low insurance group?

I've done a little research and noticed they put cars together in insurance groups - like 2e for example. Is the letter for the level of security - so is 'e' bad, for example and 'a' good? Could someone please explain the process, and as I've just passed (I'm 18) - could you name a suitable car for me - lower insurance bracket if possible?""

Does anyone knows an affordable weight loss camp for a 20 years old?

I am desperate to lose weight and i need a healthy, but affordable way to do so in the Florida area OR new England""

Car Insurance Settlement?

Ok about 3 weeks ago I was rear ended while my car was stopped on the freeway. The guy hit me doing about 30mph. I have had back and neck problems ever since. I have been seeing a chiroprator on a weekly basis. Also it was a hit and run but I was able to get his license plate number. I live in California. Ok so his insurance company called me trying to settle for 1000 plus my medical expenses. The problem is I don't now what my conditions will be like in the future. Also how many times will his insurance call me and change the offer?

How much was insurance when you got your first car (UK)?

I know that it is extremely high just after you pass and insurance depends on other things like job and where you live, cos I want to get a car but I have been quoted over 1000 and that's with my parents added as well.""

If you have fully comp insurance & drive somebody elses car & have a bump will it cover damage?

my daughter lent her car to her cousin who has fully comp of her own but she crashed the car will her insurance pay for damage??????????

Is there any site you can go to and find how much car insurance will be?

i am trying to get a 1997 chevy caviler the insurance will be in my name the car i have right now its in my stepdads name i need to find out about how much ill be payin car insurance so i know if i can afford the car or not

Is forced placed insurance acceptable when asked if i have insurance ?

gettin new auto insurance

Can I Buy Car Insurance Without Having A Car?

I'm not planning on driving anyone else's car it's just that my mom doesn't want to put me on her insurance because she says that it'll be too expensive for her (even though I would pay her for my piece). Thing is I don't have a car yet but do plan on financing a ar very soon. I've been pre-approved so I'm pretty much set to go but want to just drive my car off the lot without any problems. Also, does 'non-owner's' insurance like roll over should you buy a ar yourself? Like say for instance I did get non-owners insurance, drove my mom's car and then finally got enough money to buy my own car, can I use the same insurance?""

How long will car insurance...?

I'm a learner driver and have my driving test today.If i pass my test, how long will it take for my learner driver insurance to finish after i cancel it for me to start another insurance policy?""

Average car insurance estimate?

How much would insurance cost for a 17 yr old male to drive an insurance group 13 car e.g. Mercedes C200 etc - as a second driver! It will be parked in a driveway and is about 8 years old! Thanks for your help

How to select health insurance in the US?

I recently moved back to the states after living overseas for an extended period of time. I've started working as an independent consultant and need to find/sign up for health insurance. I've done a bit of internet research and contacted the groups I'm familiar with in the area I live, but it all seems absurdly expensive. What's the right way to approach finding an affordable plan that suits my budget and lifestyle?""

""What's your best car insurance quote? I'm with Budget at the mo, (ending in Sept) .....?""

paid 314 fully comp with business use (got 7 years no claims bonus and 3 points on my liscense for speeding which shouldn't be counted now cos was back in 2003) Went on moneysupermarket.com and Budget gave me a quote for 177, still all the same details so why the 137 price difference? you can bet my renewel quote will be rubbish, it only dropped by 40 last year but couldn't be bothered with the hassle of paying new company deposit etc. What site would you recommend for cheap insurance? other than Confused.com Sorry this ended up being really long winded.""

Can I turn my health bills from a car wreck into my health insurance?

I'll try to make this as short as possible. I was hit by another car, who fled the scene but I was able to get her license plate, made and model of her car. Her insurance is covering the body damage for my car but I'm having problems with the medical part of all this. In all, I have had two visits with my doctor and he sent me to the hospital for xrays. I have whip lash and nothing else. I live in Kentucky, which is a no-fault injury state (I have no idea what that means). The other driver's insurance company is not going to pay for my injuries since they are less than $1000. Which means I have to turn it in to MY car insurance company and pay my $1000 deductable or pay out of pocket, which will be about $800. Someone I work with mentioned that I can turn the bills into my health insurance company for them to cover it. Is that an option? I'm not at all familiar with any of this b/c this is my first experience having to deal with car insurances. I know it doesn't matter how I feel, but I'm really ticked that someone can hit my car, flee the scene, cause injuries to me, and then I am the one responsible to pay for the medical care. Does anyone have any experience with this? Can I turn this into my health insurance to avoid paying the $800 that I don't have? Thank you.""

""Has any one been quoted 23,000 for car insurance?""

i have just been quote 23,000 for a car insurance am i the only one (vaxhaul astra 1.4)?""

""How much is Homeowners Insurance in FL on a $150,000 home?

I'm a first time home buyer and very curious how much cash I'm going to need before closing a house.

Unfair car insurance?

My car was very old but in excellent working order. It has been written off in an accident that was not my fault. The insurance company will only pay me what it's worth, about 150. To get a reasonable second hand replacement will cost much more than this, and I cannot afford it. So I now have no car and cannot afford a replacement. Over the last few years I've paid thousands for insurance. Can the company do this, i.e not pay for an equivalent replacement, but pay what they think it's worth.""

Will this make my car insurance cheaper?

Hi, I'm only 15 so not anywhere near needing to buy car insurance, but unlike most teenagers, I am very interested in cars, and am already thinking about my first car, obviously I won't be getting an Aston v12 vantage, but I'd like a decent car, at the moment during the holidays I have junior driving lessons on an airfield, which are proven to make young drivers safer, I will have probably have had around 10 by the time I'm 17, will this make my insurance cheaper? Or will it just be for my own safety? Thank you""

How much will my car insurance cost? (Teenager)?

I am 16 years of age, and will be in 11th grade as of the next school year. I had B Honor Roll the last two years of school. I will be most likely driving my mother's Nissan Quest (2013) or my father's Nissan Titan (I do not remember the year). I am currently enrolled in Driver's Ed, and will get my permit once I finished. I live in Jacksonville, Florida, if that is helpful. I need to know for a Driver's Ed assignment. I was supposed to ask my parents, but they don't know, and I know they will forget soon.""

""%100 liable for totaled vehicle, very low settlement. help please?""

The auto insurance company says i am 100% liable to the damages, received mail from the auto insurance company, it said im responsible for 18000 for the vehicle however they will pay any 3rd party damages i hit a traffic light and rear ended a car . I called them to ask for payment options and they offered me 13000 one time payment and its settled. Why is it so cheap? im very confused""

How does a car qualify to be eligble for classic car insurance in the UK?

Are there specific companies that deal in this? Is it generally cheaper due to restrictions on the use of the car?

Will my auto insurance premium go up for passing a red light in NY?

This is my first moving violation, it originally was failure to stop for a school bus but it got reduced to passing a red light and is now only 3 points. I have a clean record otherwise and my auto insurance is under my mothers name, I am just a secondary driver under her quote. Will my insurance premium go up and if so will it be much? Is there anything that I can do to lower it if it does go up?""

Auto insurance for a job?

I got offered a full time job delivering for dominos. I need to know what to do about my insurace. My boss told me to raise my minimums and thats it but my mom has been yelling at me about special insurance i HAVE to get blah blah. So what do i really have to do? My insurance now on my suv is 120 a month but the quote from progressive is 5700 a year for commercial do i really have to triple my insurance for this...

How long would it take for my car insurance to go back down?

If I got a few speeding tickets, which resulted in my car insurance to go up, how long would it be before it goes back down?""

Average auto insurance rates?

I'm doing a cost of living project for my Pre-Calculus class, and I need to find monthly cost for auto insurance. The project is hypothetical, and so far I have been unable to get any sort of estimation as my legal information is not accurate to my hypothetical information. So, I'm asking what would be a typical or average rate for a twenty-two year old female college graduate, relatively good driver, and first time buying insurance would be. The coverage should include Comprehensive and Collision, and it's just one driver, one car. Thanks a ton, and if you could tell me where you got your information, citation or personal experience, that'd be great as well.""

Generally speaking, what's the cheapest auto insurance you could get?

Generally speaking, what's the cheapest auto insurance you could get?

Automotive Insurance?

Insurance designed to protect an insured driver or owner from the claims of others is called: collision insurance financial responsibility insurance liability insurance comprehensive insurance

Car insurance= cover all drivers?

if somebody has car insurance with everything on it possible as far as what you can buy ( plans like pip, medical, liablity etc ) is any driver of that car, covered if in a wreck? or will the person driving been liable? geico""

How much would full coverage insurance cost on a 1965 Silver Cloud 3 Rolls-Royce?

Male driver, clean driving history.""

Do trucks have high insurance?

As a ''rule'' are trucks high or lower side of insurance? BTW, I am looking at older trucks, 1994-1999 4x4's Thanks everyone. Please now Yes sort of maybe. Just a simple straight forward answer with facts to back up up! :)""

How much should I be paying a month in car insurance?

I'm going to be buying a car hopefully in the next two weeks, and I'm just wondering what the average rate I should be paying for car insurance should be. I'm 23, live with my parents, would be parking in the garage, and the car I would be buying is a 2012 Honda Civic LX. I would mostly be using it for commuting to and from work, I've never had a car before so I know it's probably going to be somewhere around $300/month. Note: I live in Canada so if you're in the states there will probably be a big difference in how much I pay.""

What are rates for car insurance?

I'm trying to answer a question for drivers ed about car insurance. I'm supposed to answer what rates are for a first time driver (just getting their liscence), what rates would be for someone who hasnt taken driver's ed, what are the rates for a 25 year old, what are rates for a person without drivers ed, and what are rates for someone convicted of driving while intoxicated. its not in my book, so i dont know how to answer it, but im trying to answer the questions based on full coverage.""

Car insurance companies with no deposit?

i need car insurance but cannot afford to pay an upfront deposit? can any one help?

Cheapest car insurance for first time driver? I'm a girl?

I'm looking for insurance that is as cheap as possible. I'm a 17 year old girl who is currently having driving lessons.

Auto insurance estimate?

new driver ( Licensed in 2013), accident free When I go to pick up the vehicle at the dealership, will they ask me if I want to pay the insurance monthly or annual? ( or do I have to ask ) Id really prefer monthly payments instead age 20. use of vehicle - work/school less than 15km 2011 Audi S4 Thanks.""

When asked to give name and address for a car insurance quote?

Do they send you information? Because my parents currently pay for my car insurance but I want to get some insurance quotes before I move out of the house (which they don't know about). I also don't want junk mail...

""A life insurance company sells a $250,000 1-year term life insurance policy to a 20-year-old female?""

for $200. According to the National Vital Statistics Report. 56(9), the probability that the female survives the year is 0.999544. Compute and interpret the expected value of this policy to the insurance company - I also have to find the probability that the company has to pay the female Im suppose to get .000456 but don't know how to get this?""

Car Insurance for Teen Girl Estimate HELP PLZ?

How much would you estimate that insurance for a 16 year old brand new driver in a 2001 acura integra 2 door hatch back would cost with a good student driver discount? any idea? any one close to those guide lines that have an idea willing to share? Please help thanks

How long do I have to get insurance on a car I just bought in Pa?

My boyfriend bought a car in private sale over the weekend. Because his parents don't have his name on the insurance cards I had to put the title and registration in my name. Now how does he insure the car with it in my name? And how long do we have to get the car insured?

Why do lots of people have no car insurance?

of course it must be cheaper to have no insurance than pay over 1000 and if you get caught you only pay a small fine (thats if you get caught)

""The lug nuts on my tyre are too tight to take off with my socket wrench, any ideas on how to get them off?

I don't know much about cars but I have to change a flat tyre myself as the car doesn't have insurance and can't be taken to the shop. Would there be a tool that i could use to make it easier to take the lug nuts off??

What is the best type of insurance to buy term or Variable Universal Life? Why?

What is the best type of insurance to buy term or Variable Universal Life? Why?

Car accident with no insurance?

I hit a car in Alaska, no damage to the cars except a tiny tiny dent on the other car's back bumper that barely can be visible within 20 inches distance if a person keeps looking very good. I gave all my details to the other guy and I am legal in everything. he showed me an insurance on his phone that expired on May 2012. Because I did not pay attention, right now I just found out from the VIN # that the insurance is for a different car but in his name. So I am not sure if the car I hit was insured or not. Could I get him in trouble if he tries to abuse me later? For example if he tries to go to the hospital and cause me problems, or if he calls me wanting money, or having me fix his engines issues that I never caused, because that is what he said is going to do. If he gets insurance hours later, could that save him? or he still can be in trouble with the law?""

Car insurance - premium increased without making a claim?

I rang my car insurance company to ask about my no claims bonus and excess as I thought there had been damage to my car. I am not taking out a claim. I have today received an email from them saying that We have amended the class of use on your policy due to the information provided by our claims department there is an additional premium of 21.38. This will be debited from the payment details we hold on file for you within the next ten days. Can they do this? I haven't amended any details and although I paid my car insurance last October in full for the year I didn't expect my payment details to be kept on file.

How much would car insurance cost for a Mustang GT.?

I am 16 years old Never had a accident Live in a pretty big city 2012 Ford Mustang GT

Best rate auto insurance?

i live in North york, On, CANADA i need best rate for auto insurance where i live""

Average price for mobile home insurance?

I am thinking about buying a mobile home from a family member and was wondering if anyone could give me some ideas on how much home owners insurance might cost

""What would be a good, cheap to insure and reliable car for a 17 year old?""

What would be a good, cheap to insure and reliable car for a 17 year old?""

Who are the top ten largest life insurance companies in the US today?

Who are the top ten largest life insurance companies in the US today?

Does insurance cover u if someone drives your car with no license?

This is for the state of Oklahoma, if u give permision for someone to drive your car and they get in a wreak but dont have a license will the insurance still pay for the damages?""

Affordable health insurance for self employed in Missouri?

Affordable health insurance for self employed in Missouri?

Generally speaking, what's the cheapest auto insurance you could get?

Generally speaking, what's the cheapest auto insurance you could get?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/affordable-health-insurance-individual-nc-gary-lopez/"

[ediwaw135]

Tale As Old As Time: The Effect of Cognition and Language on Time Perception

Coming soon to a University Theater near you (Photo from the UP Guilder Annual Facebook page)

“Ever just as sure,

As the sun(flowers) will rise”

As our time as undergraduate students is almost up, we look back on some of our memorable UP experiences:

G: I remember my first day of class in UP like it was yesterday. I recall walking around the oval with my blockmates and sitting on the AS steps for the first time. The whole idea of UP -- honor and excellence, the campus, the academic freedom -- excited my sheltered-freshie-self, and that day I promised myself that I would make the most out of my college experience. So much has happened since then, and when I look back, I can’t help but feel that 4 years seemed to have passed by so quickly.

Arla: I entered college without the slightest idea of what I wanted to do in life. I’ve always been a nerd, but I was never good at anything in particular. It actually wasn’t until my second to the last semester in UP that I realized I wanted to do something involving both biology and psychology –– two fields that I’ve grown to love. Before my eureka moment, college felt like a drag as my eyes were only set on graduating on time. After that, however, everything suddenly went so fast and I found myself busy trying to take it all in. It’s been an amazing journey of self-discovery and growth, and I’m thankful to have learned from UP that the journey is more important than the destination.

Ina: I had some semesters in UP where I felt like the sem was taking forever to end. I was begging for them to be over. But my last sem in UP was different. It felt like it was on fast forward. I thought the sem had only started, but the next moment, I was down to my last two weeks. I didn’t think I would ever say it, but I wish things would just slow down first. I don’t think I’m ready to leave UP yet!

Jimo: I’m really that kind of person who just likes to take their time, take everything in. I guess that’s what my life in UP was like. I felt that so many things happened, from the waiting for hours for a class to the numerous exams you spent days studying only for it to be over in an hour. I keep forgetting that’s it’s only been 4 years since I entered UP. It really feels like I’ve been here forever; I’m not complaining though, because it was a wonderful ride.

Stanley: I think it’s inevitable in every college student’s experience to have a dragging class –– one wherein you’re constantly checking your watch to see if it’s almost time to go. Of course, there also exist classes wherein time simply flies because of great content and engaging discussions. Though the language, or method of pedagogy may affect my time perception, despite the differences in my classes, the contrast allowed me to further discriminate what I truly want to spend my time on. Mahal kita UP!

Although our individual experiences differ, we saw something they all shared in common. It seemed that there were instances when we thought time flew by so fast, and other situations when we thought time dragged on. Given this, we wanted to find out what affects how we perceive time. After reviewing the literature, we found that cognitive state and language had an effect on time perception. We then came up with three hypotheses: (1) being in a cognitive state that required you to solve a problem would be perceived the longest, and anger would be perceived longer than sadness, (2) Filipino would be perceived longer than English, and (3) the interaction between cognition and language would have a significant effect on time perception.

To test this, we randomly assigned 150 undergraduate students (91 females, 51 males) to one of six possible groups (Sad-English, Angry-English, Problem Solving-English, Sad-Filipino, Angry-Filipino, Problem Solving-Filipino). Depending on their group, the participant listened to an audio recording of a speaker narrating a story that evoked sadness, evoked anger, or involved problem solving in either English or Filipino. After listening to the recording, they answered a few questions about the story. The goal was to check if they were paying attention to the story, if they could correctly identify the cognitive state the narrator was in, and if they felt the same emotion. The participants also estimated the length of the recording and answered the Bilingual Language Profile to determine their mother tongue.

After running the appropriate statistical tests on the data, we found no significant difference among the three cognitive states (sad, angry, and problem solving) as well as between the two languages (English and Filipino) on time perception. There was also no significant interaction between cognition and language on time perception.

Since the results didn’t support our hypotheses, we looked into factors that may have mediated the relationship between cognition, language, and time perception. The first factor we looked into was emotional contagion, which is the transfer of emotions from one person to another. Hatfield, Rapson, and Lee (2009) proposed two mechanisms of emotional contagion: the presence of a physical component and attention. The first mechanism emphasizes the physical component which includes vocal feedback, facial expressions, and body language. In our experiment, the participant only listened to an audio recording, and so there was no physical component present. This absence may have affected the emotion felt by the participants. Meanwhile, the story’s length could have affected attention, the second mechanism of emotional contagion. Participants listened to an approximately 5 minute recording, and there’s a high likelihood that they became distracted at some point while listening.

Considering the Filipino context, emotional contagion could have also been affected by the impersonal relationship between the participant and the narrator of the story. The participant saw the narrator as an “outsider” or Ibang-Tao as opposed to “one-of-us” or Hindi-Ibang-Tao. Pe-Pua and Protacio-Marcelino (2000) suggested that a more meaningful interaction is possible if one is considered Hindi-Ibang-Tao. Thus, the narrator’s categorization of Ibang-Tao may have affected emotion contagion.

The second factor that may have mediated the relationship between cognition, language, and time perception was arousal. The different cognitive states did not produce a significant effect in our results despite the evidence that arousal levels affect time perception. Research shows that physiological manipulations of body temperature (Wearden & Penton-Voak 1995 as cited in Droit-Volet & Gil, 2009) and dopaminergic agonists (Maricq et al. 1981; Cheng et al. 2007, as cited in Droit-Volet & Gil, 2009) influences how a person perceives time. We think that the content of the stories were not able to induce a significant level of arousal in our participants. However, due to lack of resources, we weren’t able to physically measure the levels at which our participants were emotionally aroused.

Should anyone wish to continue this research, we recommend (1) using shorter stimuli to sustain the participants’ attention, (2) ensuring that the stimuli’s content elicits the specific emotion, and (3) establishing a Hindi-Ibang-Tao relationship with the narrator through telling the participants that the narrator is a good friend of theirs.

Moving forward, we hope to inspire other researchers to conduct studies related to this topic and in doing so, provide people with better insight into their thought processes.

References

Droit-Volet, S., & Gil, S. (2009). The time–emotion paradox. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364(1525), 1943-1953. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2009.0013

Hatfield, E., Rapson, R. L., & Le, Y. C. (2009). Emotional contagion and empathy. MIT. Cambridge, Massachusetts.