#if it was a teacher or a young sub teacher who would show interest in me doodling with my buds

[trashbatistrash]

,

[pinkthrone445]

-Baila conmigo- Part 2

(Dance with me)

Part 1

Pairing:Melissa Schemmenti x Reader

Gender:Fun, soft, first time knowing someone, slow burn

Warnings:a little bit of insecure Mel (future smut)

Summary:Mel finds you sad in a bar and decides to step in, not knowing that life will bring you back together again. When she sees you again, she doesn't know how to react.

What a way to start your first day, with the firefighters emptying the school and finding out that the woman you had kissed the night before worked there.

On the other hand, the kids were perfect, ready as a sponge to absorb everything you had to teach. They were well-educated and learned children, you could tell that their previous teacher was really interested in them. The school also had some glitches and problems, but you didn't plan to complain now that you finally had a job.

At lunchtime, the children went out to eat and you stayed in your classroom drawing on the board to encourage them when they returned. Also, you hadn't brought food and you didn't know if going to the staff room for coffee would be the right thing to do since Melissa would be there.

-"Hey sweetheart..."-one of the oldest teachers got in your classroom with a big smile on her face-"I'm Barbara, nice to meet you. I'm the fist grade teacher..."-She stretched out her hand to greet you and you took it smiling too

-"Hi, I'm (Y/N), the new second grade teacher" - You said irrelevantly since you were in your classroom and it was obvious that you were the teacher, the oldest laugh

-"I can see that... Do you want to have lunch with us? It will be nice to know the others and also see if you have any thoughts about the smoking kid" - she offered and you got a little bit nervous

-"I don't have any food and don't want to interrupt you all, I don't mind staying here drawing for the kids" - You said quickly trying to avoid going to the teacher's room since the redhead would be there

-"Oh that's no problem at all, Melissa always has extra food, she surely will share with you and also, we teachers also deserve a break... Let's go" - she took your hand giving you no room for arguing and guiding you to the teacher's room.

As soon as you entered, you could hear how everyone was talking about the student who had smoked and what to do about it. But the subject quickly turned when everyone began to accuse each other because some of them vaped or ingested an edible from time to time, Barbara quickly intervened to add her comment

-"Don't these children know that smoking kills?" - a young teacher said and one of them scoffed

-"Jacob, you literally vape" - Janine, the teacher you were subbing for spoke

-"Okay, that's different, that's..."-Jacob,now you knew his name, added but got interrupted

-"Yes! And that is worse because you can vape anywhere" - Janine added and you stayed standing in the doorway, being invisible to everyone

-"You inhale thousand of toxins, yuck" - another young teacher added

-"Yeah, well...Janine smokes weed every day" - Jacob replied and everyone gasped, you included to not feel left out

-"Daamm afroman" - Ava said and you silently laughed

-"No! Not every day... Every night..."-Janine said a little bit ashamed

-"The devil's lettuce" - Barbara said

-"That's why your feet are so big" - The janitor said and you looked at her feet curious, they were a little big for her high...

They started to acuse her, specially Ava, but the teacher you didn't knew his name yet, stood up for her

-"Ava you can't talk,okay? you are a hookah head" - He said and the principal nodded

-"Mhhh hhhm, facts. And micro dosing, I just eyeball it and said, yes that's enough" - Ava simply said

-"Now, I don't smoke, but I do enjoy a protein bar edible on the weekends. Research actually shows..."-The guy who defended Janine started talking again and Ava rolled her eyes

-"Wooow, this man just made drugs boring"-she nodded

-"I suggest that you all drop your vices, and take a hit of my drug of choice J-E-S-U-S, street name Christ! - Barbara said and everyone put a boring face on, Melissa scoffed this time lifting her finger

-"Uh, you've been known to demolish those little bottles of Chardonnay" - The redhead said pointing at her friend

-"And you snort that liquid Marijuana" - The friend quickly replied to her

-"You don't snort it, it's CBD oil, and I rub it on my joints" - You listened to her and couldn't avoid thinking about helping her rub that oil in her soft smooth skin, a small whimper escaped your lips, everyone kept talking but the redhead listened and looked at you, turning a little bit red.

The janitor was about to speak but Janine stoped him

-"Don't finish that sentence" - she quickly said pointing at you and it was your turn to blush thinking that someone else heard your little whimper, but everyone stood and walked right out, chasing a student that was hiding behind you and recording all the conversation. You quickly ran after him like everyone else, and you were the first to get him

-"Nice work speedy" - Ava said. Everyone began to interrogate the boy about the video, but before anything could be done he had already shared it and many people had seen it, so the school district immediately took the matter in their own hands, again.

A few hours later, everyone in the school already had seen the video and F.A.D.E came to the school to give a talk about substances and drugs, to make some damage control.

After taking your children to the gym, Barbara invited you to sit with her and Melissa since there was a free space next to the redhead, and you had no choice but to accept since there were no more free spaces around.

You spent the whole talk giving her not so discreet glances out of the corner of your eye, a little overwhelmed by not knowing how to talk to her without making her feel uncomfortable. After torturous hours of listening to meaningless rhymes and bad advice, the meeting ended and still neither you nor she had spoken a word to each other.

Before you knew it, the day of school was over and your new students had gone home. Without thinking much about things and concecuenses, you went to the teachers' room to ask the redhead if the plans of the night before were still standing. Thank heavens, the redhead was in the teachers' room packing some of her Tupperware and none of the other teachers were there.

-"Hola Mel" -You said and she looked at you with a little bit of annoyance in her face

-"Tell me the truth please, what are you doing here?" - she asked and you frowned

-"I was looking for you, to ask..."-you started talking but she interrupted you

-"No, I don't mean here in the teacher's room, I mean in the school" -she barked at you

-"I have a job here..."-you answer and you saw fear in her eyes-"Look, I applied for the job way before we find each other in that bar, I'm not stalking you or anything and I'm sorry if it makes you feel uncomfortable to see me here, but I really need this job and I'm not gonna let it go"-You answered confidently and she sighed

-"I'm really sorry, I've dated people who weren't very stable and I was scared when I first saw you... I thought maybe you were a little obsessive."-She whispered embarrassedly, avoiding looking at you and playing with the lid of one of her tupperware containers nervously

-"Don't take it the wrong way, you're beautiful Melisa, but it would take more than one kiss from you to drive me crazy for you" - You joked and she barely laughed, still embarrassed. You carefully approached her side, delicately taking one of her trembling hands, immediately she raised her head looking at you and you smiled- "Look, last night I had a very nice and fun night with you but I thought we would never see each other again since we didn't share our numbers and I was a little embarrassed to ask your brother for your contact, but this morning the universe gave me another opportunity to see you again and that makes me very happy. But if you don't feel comfortable with me being here, it's okay and I understand, I'll keep my distance. You don't need to feel scared or helpless, you can choose what you want to do"-You whispered looking at her trying to calm her down and she smiled at you with a little embarrassment

-"I want to... I want to go on with our previous plan and go out with you, if you think that's okay... Maybe go to dance to a good bar if you know a Latin one with good music?" - she said and you smiled more. You gave her a chance to walk away but she didn't and that made you happier than you wanted to admit.

-"Hey guys, you are still here!"-Jacob entered the teacher's room and you immediately let go of the redhead's hand-"Ready to go home Mel-Mel?" - He asked and she looked at you, you looked at her smiling a little bit-"Am I interrupting something?" - He asked and the redhead got nervous again

-"Not at all... I just invited her for a few drinks to make some friends since I'm new here" - You quickly said and he nodded

-"Can I join? I'm fun to be around. I know some pretty good bars" - Jacob offered

-"You can if Melissa wants to... But I already picked the bar, a gay latin bar" - You said and his smile grew a lot

-"You are gay?" - He asked and you nodded - "I'm gay too! Oh- my - god, are we best friends already?" - The young guy asked and Mel looked at him a little embarrassed for his behavior

-"Not yet, but we are off too a good start"-You said making the redhead laugh-"let's go, it's too late and my body needs a glass immediately after a day like today"

Melissa and her roomate followed you, but along the way the others found you and also joined in, including the school's cameramen, which you were not yet used to seeing.

When everyone entered the bar, the music was playing with a good beat, the food was delicious and there were many friendly people. Quickly everyone settled down and ordered drinks and food, you were about to sit next to the redhead but Ava beat you and sat next to you

-"Hi, I read your file, so you're latin... I know a little bit of spanish..."-she tried to remember and smiled looking at you in a flirtatious way-"Está muy caliente y deliciosa(It's very hot and delicious), they used to tell me that when I went to Cuba, they kept telling me I was hot and delicious every time I went to any restaurant or bar" - She said proudly and you smiled trying no to laugh, maybe they told her that because they were serving her food, not talking specifically about her but you will not burst her bubble

-"That's a very good accent Ava" - You said smiling and kept talking to her. Meanwhile, the redhead was looking at you with squinting eyes, she knew that you and she barely knew each other, but she also knew how Ava was and how much she liked to flirt and she wouldn't let that happen with you, your attention was better when it was directed at her, Ava could find herself another person to flirt with.

-"Hey honey, do you want to dance?" - The redhead asked standing next to you, her jacket was slightly open and as you were sitting, her cleavage was right in front of your eyes when you looked up to look at her and answer, which made you blush

-"Y-yeah, sure, let's go" - You took her hand and headed for the dance floor a little confused, she immediately placed her hands around your neck and directed yours to her waist - "I thought you were going to eat first" - You said and she looked at you frowning

-"Be careful with Ava, she is a flirt" - she said with annoyance in her tone

-"And you are not?"-You asked and she frowned more-"I'm a flirt too, you don't like when I flirt with you? Maybe I should go flirt with Ava" - You teased and she pulled you closer

-"Don't you dare" - she said threatening

-"What is this Mel? I thought you were going to take this slow now that we work together" - You kept teasing

-"This means nothing, we are nothing, I just want your attention on me" - she confessed and blushed when she heard herself - "I mean that is better that you have your attention on me that on the dangerous Ava" - she tried to correct herself

-"I never picture you as the jealous tipe" - You said

-"I'm not, just shut up" - she said anoyyed

-"Make me" - You replied and she gave you a little very short peck that made your brain stop working, you never expected that to happen with her coworkers being there, you knew the low lights and the people dancing around you made a cover, but anyways it made your brain short circuit

-"I thought that might work, now keep your mouth shut and let's keep dancing" - she said proudly looking at your shocked and lost face.

[v3nusxsky]

Hiiiiiiiii !!! First hello glad your reading this, wanted to say, you write absolutely amazing! Love it.

This is a request, hope your interested.

Can you write Chubby Reader x Larissa. Where Reader and Larissa are married and by Larissa efforts ( unprotected shape-shifted sex ) reader gets pregnant. While there’s a parents meeting in the school, (students knows that pregnant Reader & Larissa are married with a baby on there way, parents don’t know.) a single student’s father begins to flirt and try to seduce a 6 month pregnant Reader thinking she’s single. Larissa turns passive aggressive and manages to run the single father away, and showing everyone who Reader belongs too by wrapping a hand around Reader’s swollen middle and resting a hand on Reader beautiful baby bump. In the night in the privacy of their bedroom, Larissa shape-shifted cock pounds Reader’s needy wet cunt, to show her who she belongs to, while gently grasping Reader’s baby bump on her hands and moaning about how gorgeous reader is by being pregnant with her child and how she will keep reader always pregnant. (Can you put Heavy breeding kink, mommy kink, doggy position, cock warming.)

Bump 18+

*Authors note~ i couldn’t seem to fit cock warming in their im sorry! This is one of my favourite tropes though I had a blas writting it*

Trigger warnings~ heavy breeding kink, mommy kink dom l sub r pregnant r shifted dick praise kink worship? Oc jake mentioned

Prompt~see ask^^^^

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

Marrying Larissa Weems is nothing short of a dream come true, but carrying her child? Out of this world. By the gift Larissa was bestowed with you were blessed with a beautiful baby girl that you we're currently six months pregnant with. Your little Arwen Saige would be here soon, the students of Nevermore were all buzzing at the prospect of a new arrival, they even went as far to throw a little baby shower last weekend. It was adorable and such a surprise for you and Larissa. You'd have to remember to thank Enid for that day.

This weekend was parent's weekend so you made sure to adorn a lose fitting dress to conceal your beautiful bump just enough to make it slightly less noticeable to the parents. It went smoothly at the start, parents weren't really taking much notice of the potions teacher, Larissa did her speech before settling down at the table with you and some students who's parents didn't come to see them. It was sad but some of the students had been at this very same table since their first year and had got use to the disappointment but some were new and fresh faced, and struggling to understand what was happening now. The look of abandonment fresh in their eyes alongside poorly hidden tears.

When it came to mingling you were immediately caught in a conversation with Jakes dad about how his grades were poor. Truly he should be doing better than he was but he was a very complicated young man and you knew his mental health was struggling. He mentioned the recent death of his late wife and how Jake needed a mother figure. Jake did nothing but rave about you and apparently that made you a prime candidate.

Larissa couldn't help herself, she noted the way he looked at you. Her wife. Like you were free and claimable, you were not. You are hers. She immediately came to stand behind you and place her hands on your baby bump, moving the clothing to show the bump more defined. A simple kiss to your cheek, and a gentle rub to the bump as Arwen kicked her other mothers hand. With a sickly sweet smile, Larissa managed to tear you away from his preying eyes, guiding you away with her hands on your bump showing everyone who's you both were.

The rest of the day went smoothly, you sticking with Larissa as she placed her hand on your stomach whenever she could, a soothing measure. As soon as you both retired to your bedroom Larissa was on you instantly, her lips making home on your neck and leaving purple blemishes in their wake. "Ris" you whined tilting your head back to give her more skin to work on. You're pregnancy hormones had been wild recently, alongside cravings. But this, the need to be taken by her over and over again. An insatiable desire for her to help you. "Ris please please I need you" you whimpered with need as you moved her hand off the bump and to your needy core as best as as you could do. "Okay darling, I know love. Mommy's gonna fix it baby, gonna stuff your needy cunt with cum until it can't hold anymore" she purred while shifting her anatomy.

"Mommy" you mewled feeling it pressing into your body as she tore through the clothing creating a barrier between both of you. That was how you found yourself on your back Larissa mercilessly pounding into your absolutely soaked cunt walls. One hand on the mattress to hold herself up while the other hand caressed where Arwen laid. Her mouth working on showering your swelling breasts with love and attention, taking extra care as you were feeling sensitive these days. "Mommy! God mommy I god fuck" you whimpered as the head of her dick bumped against your cervix repeatedly.

"God, the way you're gripping me darling, can't wait to fill you up with my cum. You're so beautiful like this. All round and full of our child. Gonna stuff you full with my cum. You're always gonna feel me inside you baby. Gonna keep you pregnant with my children forever. God these breasts, the way they got bigger as you prep for our Awren" she panted and moaned with the labour of her thrusts. With your heightened sensations due to your hormones, it wouldn't take much more to having the coil snapping and throwing you into pools of ecstasy. The same process happened time and time again in different positions, Larissa’s favourite was you on your hands and knees as she supported your bump.

You came with her hand caressing your stomach as your fluttering walls clamped down around her shaft which triggered her own climax. Larissa's warm white spurts of cum painting your walls white. One thing pregnancy had done for you meant your orgasms were that much more overwhelming now but also you became sensitive quicker. "Mommy, no more please no more" you whined causing Larissa to hush you as she worked you both down and cleaned you both up. Truthfully she could've gone round after round with you but not wanting to hurt you or Arwen she happily settled between your legs to place sweet little kisses on your bump. "Hi baby girl, mommy loves you wen wen, so so much. You're gonna be the most beautiful baby every darling, gonna take after your momma."

Arwen choose that moment to kick you stomach, where Larissa's lips had just pressed. "Oh you cheeky little monkey. "We love you so much Wen now you be a good girl and not keep momma up tonight my darling" she murmured before she gave your daughter one more kiss goodnight. "Ris?" You whimpered, "I uh um I'm craving orange sorbet." Larissa chuckled and moved to grab a cover, "right away my queen, we must give our princess what she requires."

Word count~ 1205

[spagyricqueen]

✨Writing Interview Tag Game✨

Thanks to @kalmiaphlox for the tag! (I'm sorry I've been so quiet lately. Best excuse I've got is 'life happened'... heh)

When did you start writing?

I started my writing journey way back in 1994. I was 12 years old. There was no Fanfiction.net, and certainly no AO3 or Wattpad. We had the good ol' "world wide web" and discussion boards, where there were FTP databases with root and sub folders, and all the fics were in .txt files. Read stories written by fans of my favorite TV show at the time, and thought I'd give it a shot. It was all downhill from there.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

I honestly can't say that there are. I write what I like to read.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

I don't think I've actively been compared to any one writer, nor do I necessarily write like any particular author. I read fantasy novels, for the most part, and if I were to try to emulate anyone (lately, anyway) it's Elaine Cunningham and her work for Forgotten Realms.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

My computer is my space for everything, and I share a desk with my partner. We're both gamers with dual monitors. Occasionally, I'll sequester away in the bedroom with my laptop.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

Daydreaming scenarios and writing back-and-forth dialogue for situations (that may or may not end up getting used at all). But that seems to get the flow going most of the time.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

Recurring themes? Hmm. Well, I suppose I've written a lot about disability and how it affects the characters, in their lives and interactions with others. Not every story I've written has this theme, but it certainly counts as 'recurring' for many of my works. I can't say it surprises me at all, as I've had great interest in disabilities (respectfully) since I was very young. Not exclusively for the sake of writing angst, though there is some of that too. But mostly for exploring how people can adapt and grow in the most astounding ways, despite what society at large deems a "disadvantage".

What is your reason for writing?

To put it succinctly, I enjoy it. I like having the ability to paint worlds with words, to evoke emotions in written form, and describe action, excitement, and romance. I have stories in my head, and I want to share them. Writing them down is the most accessable way of doing this.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

I adore any comments on my stories. The fact that someone takes the time to say even one word to me about my work is monumental. But of course, if I were being honest, the ones that really inspire me is when they engage with what I've written. When questions are asked, details pointed out, or even theories floated about what could possibly happen next... I live for those. They not only make me happy, but they make me want to deliver the goods, you know?

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

I'm not sure I want to be dictating or hoping for anything in particular here. People will think what they will. I should hope that, if anything, anyone reading my work would appreciate my effort. I guess I just want to be thought of as a good writer, an entertaining writer. A nice person? A thoughtful person?

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

I had the benefit of starting very early in learning how to write, and I am by no means perfect at it. I'm always learning new skills, tricks and methods on how to present the story I want to tell. I have consumed a lot of media over my decades, particularly cinema. I think one of my strengths would be visualizing scenes of my story like a movie, with having a good balance of action, introspection, and dialogue. I had a mentor during my early years who was an English teacher, and learned the ins and outs of traditional creative writing.

How do you feel about your own writing?

My writing style has evolved over the years. My early attempts were, naturally, very juvenile, though I tackled themes that I was told were beyond my years. Writing adult male friendships, learning about the psychological impact of diability and how it affects those friendships and the character's personal life... these were not common themes for a thirteen year old to write about. But again, they were attempts.

These days, I have read many books and experienced enough life to be able to convey deeper, more nuanced interactions and situations. Gathering information, learning about fantasy settings, and having a better understanding of emotions have all helped me to get better. I like what I write, and I write what I like. I know I've improved a lot since thirty years ago, and I'm always looking to get better.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

It's only recently that I've catered a bit more to my audience in my work, though the idea starts with something purely for my own enjoyment and interest. That's how it begins. I have an idea for a story I think is interesting, write it, post it, and hope others like it too. For the most part, I try to keep the story as I envisioned it, but having the benefit of live interactions with readers has inspired me to insert little tidbits here and there that I felt would be enjoyed---as a nod to the reader, and because I found it fun to make it work within the context of the narrative. :)

And that's all she wrote! Maybe I have a couple friends who might be interested in joining in. @cassieuncaged @busy-baker @davenswitcher

[1001albumsrated]

#35: The Beatles - With The Beatles

Genre(s): Pop, Rock

This is the first Beatles album to make 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, but it certainly won't be the last.

We'll be talking about The Beatles at great length throughout this series, as they are heavily represented in 1001 Albums (7 albums from the band, plus an assortment of post-Beatles solo material from 3/4 of the band... I'm sure you can guess who didn't make the solo cut 😉). Every music critic has at least one hot Beatles take, so I'll go ahead and get all of mine out of the way up front in the interest of transparency:

- Their contributions to recording and studio technique vastly outstrip their contributions to music performance or composition.

- Everyone in the band is a sub-par instrumentalist and an excellent vocalist.

- The Beatles are much greater than the sum of their parts.

- Magical Mystery Tour probably isn't the best Beatles record, but it's by far my favorite.

- Most people either vastly overrate or vastly underrate The Beatles. They're not the best band of all time as their megafans would have you believe, and they're not the dreadfully boring teeny-bopper band their detractors like to paint them as.

I'm open to having my opinions changed by this project (not just on The Beatles, but in general), but I would be surprised if this revisit changes any of my Beatles takes on account of the sheer amount of Beatles exposure I've already had. Only time will tell I suppose.

Ok, now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the album. With The Beatles is their 2nd studio album, following the enormous success of their debut, Please Please Me only 8 months prior. Given the record-breaking performance of Please Please Me, EMI gave the band quite a bit more studio time to play with, and more creative control over the album (including the striking cover art). Whereas Please Please Me was a fast and dirty affair recorded mostly in one marathon session, With The Beatles was recorded over 7 sessions spanning 3 months, and it shows in their more aggressive use of overdubs and (comparatively) oddball arrangement choices. Please Please Me had more of a standard "band in a room" sound and recording approach, With The Beatles hints at the future avant-pop studio explorations we'll see from the band later in the decade (good examples of this are the hard cut back-and-forth vocal overlays on the chorus of It Won't Be Long and the oddly room-mic'd out-of-tune piano in Not A Second Time; these sounds may not blow your mind today, but good luck finding a track from the early 60s that sounds like either of those). It also features a number of original tunes, compared to the cover-heavy lineup of the debut. The quality of the original material varies, with some tracks showing more maturity than others; the core Beatles sound, to me, involves a use of chord progressions and instrumental layers not seen often in pop music at the time. We're starting to see those ideas creep out around the edges of the pop rock songwriting here, but they haven't quite coalesced into the true sound of The Beatles yet.

When you get down to it, With The Beatles is a gawky teenaged album in the band's discography. It's grown beyond the pop tunes of Please Please Me, but it hasn't reached the real history-making potential of the band yet. While the singing is excellent, as mentioned in my hot takes earlier, the musicianship on the instruments is lacking. This is a running theme in their career, but is much more noticeable early on. They're not quite sloppy, but there's a lack of understanding of dynamics; any music teacher will tell you that this is a hurdle for most young men, who often think technically impressive playing always involves playing as fast and hard as you can. I think many of the tracks on this album could be improved with a bit more dynamism and fluidity to the instrumental performances. Like with many other elements, you can hear improvements on this front on With The Beatles, but they're not all the way there yet.

With The Beatles presents an interesting look into a time of transformation for one of pop's biggest bands. But is it an album you MUST hear before you die? I'm going to say No. It's certainly a good album, but I don't think it's exceptional in the way some of the later Beatles catalog is. I think it is of immense interest and value to anyone taking a broader interest in the story and career of The Beatles, but I wouldn't rank it particularly highly in their catalog or the overall pop/rock lexicon. I think if you want to hear this era of the band, Please Please Me makes for a more informative listen. And if you want to hear the next era of the band... well, we'll come back to that next time we talk about The Beatles 😉.

Also, of moderate nerd interest: this album was unavailable in the US in its original form until the CD reissue. I won't get too into the weeds on Beatles collecting (a bottomless rabbit hole of a topic), but their early material got split among a number of records here in the states, With The Beatles included. It's much easier to get today than it was when the book was originally published in 2005. Also for the nerds: I listened to this in hi-res on Qobuz.

Next up, another artist who receives extensive coverage in 1001 Albums: Bob Dylan, with The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan!

[omalichathewriter]

A LITERARY MASTERPIECE : DISCOVERING NEVER TO LOVE AGAIN

A unique story which transcends between friendship, love, hope and uncertainties that accompany the journey of an average Nigerian girl and her struggle to keep her commitment to the love of her life. This literal work of art, written and published in 2004 by American based Nigerian author Ngozi Onyegbule has its setting in two very contrasting places : A small intimate town in the Eastern Nigeria , and United States of America. In this novel of 18 chapters, Onyegbule, was able to deliver an African fiction in English, that promotes the culture and tradition of Nigeria just like some remarkable diaspora Nigerian based authors; the likes of Buchi Emecheta and a few others. As its name depicts , this is a story of a vow made from experiencing the rough side of westernization.

SUMMARY

Never to Love Again is a fictional story that centers on a young beautiful girl by name SYBIL AFOR, who falls in love with a promising young teacher KENNETH NKWO. Sybil, the last child of her strict and disciplined parents, gets into a committed relationship with Kenneth: the handsome, sweet and caring part time soap supplier of her mother. These two characters go through several phases to keep their relationship glued in hope to get married someday. Their many years of friendship and commitment is thrown into new and complex trials which comes with Sybil’s move to further her study abroad. Though a struggling and underpaid young teacher, Kenneth quiets his plans to study law abroad, and channels his finances and energy, to complete the traditional marriage rites for his soon-to-be bride, and also reward her with a rich send-off party. Sybil arrives the western soil, and is faced with pressure from her sister, college roommate, and the environment around her to follow the path she has ventured into: coming to America, and forget about the old path : Kenneth and their commitment. After much thinking and deliberation, Sybil drops the bombshell of breakup on Kenneth by letter, who receives it with shock and horror. Karma strikes the face of Sybil as she is asked to leave her school and the country after she was found ineligible to matriculate. Meanwhile on the other side of the world, Kenneth prepares to leave his home country, to study law. This leaves a heartbroken and deported Sybil in regret. But alas! a ray of hope appears for their relationship as Sybil receives admission from another school to start over again. Though the novel ended in a declined mood, there seems to be a sunrise to their relationship in the sequel “LOVE FORGIVES ALL SINS”

THEME: The novel has various themes laced in it, which would be of great interest to diverse readers. Some dominant themes are : Love, Peer-pressure, Doggedness, Respect, Cultural practices. And some sub-themes like : Independency, Friendship, Discipline, Courage, Fear, Early Detection can also been found. With makes it a jungle of many emotions and thoughts.

SETTING: Employing different places and cultures, the general setting of the novel is the late 20th and early 21st century. The movement of the characters also juggle from the western setting to the Nigerian setting.

PLOT: The plot, which is very much arranged and beautifully intertwined, graduates into the themes, characters and setting. So it’s safe to say that the plot is well planned.

ANALYSIS

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: The rise and use of each character, shows that the author, carefully thought of each one, and their role-play before infusing them to the plot. The main/ round characters which are Sybil, and Kenneth,touched every aspect of their role with precise and accurate details. There are some stoic and flat characters who played their role perfectly without absorbing change like : Victoria Sybil’s sister, Rosario Perez, Anthony, Bethrand and host of others.

LANGUAGE AND WRITING STYLE : The author employs the use of Narrative and Descriptive style to tell this story. The use of figure of speech is also dominant, and it can be seen is some examples like : “one hundred feet long” ( line 3,page 124) which is used to describe the veil of a bride. “All hands were on deck” (line 2,page 122) “Marching to the altar” ( line line 5,page 119) “Small lord” ( page 101) . The author also makes use of the Omniscient point of view style to illustrate the various aspects of the book.

STRENGTHS: The greatest strength of Never too Love Again, is its accuracy and powerful illustrations of the people’s cultural practices, the different ways people see or accept the cultural practice amongst them. The fact that a lot of people would be able to relate to this story because of its authenticity and it vibe, is a major strength of this book. When you line the background and personality of the author with his fictional work of art, you would see that the author has had ample experience of both cultures, so it’s safe to say he knows what he is writing about.

WEAKNESS: The dominant weakness of this book, it’s in its typesetting. The absence of quotation marks in this book, is what makes it weak. This makes it harder for readers to differentiate between the characters speech from normal writing. This is a major weakness because it would take a longer process to read and accumulate.

IMPACT: Never to love again, has recorded significant progress and awards in United States, due to the diasporic nature of the author. But discoveries that are about to be made about this novel, would soon throw it into National archives and collections.

CONCLUSION

My dear book readers and lovers, you just have to add “Never to Love Again” to your TR ( To Read ) list, because a journey through the cultural display and the rollercoaster emotions in this novel, is worth every glance. Remember, be patient and make sure you savor each chapters essence.

I wish you a lovely read,

@omalichathewriter



[otakween]

1-Nensei Charenji - Mirai no Shougakkou Tanken (First Grader Challenge: Future Grade School Expedition)

In today's installment of "Otakween watches everything on MAL", I accidentally watched a 45 minute infomercial, yippee! So, for some backstory, this is on the "#" section of MAL that I'm currently going through but it isn't available anywhere on the internet. I actually ordered the DVD for like 100 yen on Mercari and just got it today. No subs, but it's for kindergarten/first graders so...no subs needed for me. Normally, I'd just skip over something I couldn't find for free, but I have a fascination with homeschooling and curriculum so I was excited to see what that was like in Japan. This is from a company that sends your young child a box in the mail with a bunch of educational materials (some of them remind me of Leapfrog/Leapster) as a regular subscription. Included in those boxes is DVDs like this one I guess. I thought this would just be like an ordinary kids show with some educational stuff baked in (like Dora or something) but nope! It was a full on commercial for the company -_- It kinda pissed me off cuz advertising to children like this is kinda gross. Anyway, full thoughts below! Happy I can check an obscure one of my list :D

Notes:

So the "plot" for this OVA was you have two "good" kids who use Benesse products to prep for first grade and three "lazy" kids who ain't doing squat to prepare. They all go to the future through some random magic artifact (very Doraemon-coded) and see their future selves in first grade. The good kids see how successful they are as first graders but the lazy kids see that they're going to turn into flops if they don't shape up. You see how insidious this is?? The whole plot of this special is "kids, if you don't use our products you'll be a failure in life!!" Gross. (Admittedly the toys look kinda fun tho lol).

Characters are bland and nothing to remark on. Again, the mascot character (Korasho?) is a total Doraemon knock off. He's supposed to be a living randoseru backpack, so that's kinda cute.

In addition to all of the ads I was bombarded with there are two songs on this disc that you can watch in either music video or karaoke mode. Not gonna lie, they're pretty good songs for little kids. One of them is about friendship and the other is about moving on from kindergarten to first grade (emotional)

The thing that made me laugh the most is that they have a (live action) music video of (I guess?) a real kindergarten graduation where they sing the second song mentioned above and it's like the most melodramatic thing I've ever seen. The parents are crying and the kids are crying while singing. They're just moving up one year get a grip!! (jk I'd probably cry if I was a parent). It wasn't really the crying that made me laugh but the fact that they kept zooming in on everyone that cried. Some kids/parents they didn't focus on just looked bored haha

The other (slightly) interesting thing on the disc was a brief message to the adult/parent viewer about first grade pedagogy. As you can imagine, this one was a little harder to understand, but I liked the part with the math teacher. He explained that it's not just important that students spit out answers, they have to tell you why that's the answer too. On a chalkboard he showed his students the different ways that people do mental math and that was neat.

Whelp! I got like 5 other DVDs this one (they came as a bundle) so hopefully they're on MAL. I give this a 4 outta 10 for being a sketchy ad aimed at children >:(

[ggukkiereads]

Hello!! Just a few days ago I stumble upon your blog and I'm wondering if you have some recommendations for Hybrid AUs, much appreciated if it is an OT7 and completed, but if so I will still be so thankful. (I just need some cure from the stress that modules brings) Thank You in Advance (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤

🌷 Hello! welcome to my mini fic-reading land. I’ve actually received asks for Hybrid AUs (I pinned the requests in the navi) but I just have a very messy draft.

But to help you with your stress, I think I can share a few of my ongoing reads (sorry they won’t be complete but they’re OT7). But, I added completed ones I could remember too (●'◡'●)

*note: will edit this later and organize this per member - maybe add other fics I’ll remember*

Fic Recs | BTS Hybrid AUs

→ A Place Called Home @agustdakasuga -  OT7 x Reader

series [27/27] | 88k | Hybrid AU, Poly AU, Soulmate AU, Romance Humor | Fluff

Having saved your own injured hybrid, you were determined to try and help any other hybrid that crossed your path who needed saving. But being a vet in a small hospital wasn’t enough for you. You wanted to do more, you wanted to make a difference. You wanted to give them a home.

→  If I Can Never Give You Peace @candlewaxandp0lar0ids - Jungkook x Reader

series [3/?] | 17.6k+ | Mafia AU, Enemies to Lovers | A (so far)

It starts like quite a few stories do, in your world. Girl meets boy, who happens to be a hybrid, girl buys him at an auction where hybrids are sold, boy falls in love with her, girl gets bored of him. Then it’s not so typical anymore, when the boy ends up forced into illegal fighting rings, until he makes a wrong move and her father decides he needs to be killed.

Where does that leave you? Well, you’re the one who handled Jungkook’s fight and generally organized his life, and, when the girl’s father, your boss and mafia leader, tells you he wants him ‘put down’, you’re the one who has to get it done. Except, instead, you let him escape, and everything turns out fine.

🌷ggukkienote: I am so hooked on this (because I am a sucker for Mafia AUs too). This is such a great story and the OC is really different from the usual OCs. Very interesting.

→  Eunoia @wishesunderthestars -  OT7 x Reader

series [15/?] | 100k+ (I just assumed this, masterpost doesn’t have wc but it’s 6k per chapter or more?) | Director!Reader, hurt/comfort | fluff, eventual smut

You are a world famous director and you have dedicated your life to your job. You have everything you could ever dream of; wealth, recognision, talent, your friends and family. But loneliness ins’t cured by success. So what happens when you somehow rescue seven hybrids? Can they fill the void?

→  Restitution @cloudteawrites - OT7 x Reader

series [7/?] | 48k+ | slow burn, poly, mystery, romance

when an estranged uncle leaves you his massive fortune you wonder if the universe is playing a joke on you. when that fortune comes with seven hybrids, you know for sure that it is.

→ Lacuna @barbika1508 - Jungkook x Reader

series [42/42] | 324.3k | Hybrid AU, check for TW | Fluff, Angst, Smut

Lacuna - (n.) a blank space, a missing part

Y/N just wanted to go back home, to enjoy her peace and quiet away from problems and people. But typically, her luck strikes as she stumbles upon a horrific scene of two guys mistreating an already beaten down hybrid. Will she take matters into her own hands and help him? Or let someone else help along the way???

🌷 This is on AO3 and I got a recent ask about author’s tumblr.  So if you prefer AO3 you can check their profile

→ A Hundred Percent Human by wrienne- OT7 x Reader

series [12/?] | 88k+ | Hybrid AU, fluff, angst, smut |

In which you (reader) are forced to take care of seven hybrids in a twist of fate. Drunk and down on life, you finally decide to deal with the house and the unsavory business your mother left behind. However, to your shock, you find that seven very different hybrids are included with both the house - and the business. Seven hybrids you never even met before - even less agreed to take care of.

🌷 This is on AO3. I don’t normally reco AO3 since my blog is focused on tumblr fics but someone sent an ask about this so I’m including it

→ Inferiority Complex @starlightauroras-writes - Jimin x Reader

series [10/?] | 88k+ | political themes, themes of abuse (hybrids) | A, S

You had never liked hybrids. You disagreed with their very existence, and you never wanted to have anything to do with them. And then one day, you discovered a hybrid who was more scared of you than you were of him, and everything changed as you realised you were the only hope he had…

→ Sanctuary @chimchimsauce - Jimin x Reader

series [16/16] | 20k |  Wolf Hybrid!Jimin, Barista!OC, feat sanctuary staff Taehyung, hurt/comfort | F, A

YN is a young girl, bright and ambitious, but due to her busy schedule, she's been unable to make any real friends. When an ad for Saint Mary's Sanctuary catches her attention, she never expected her life to be changed by a certain hybrid named Jimin.

→  Summer Nights @marginalmadness - Jungkook x Reader

series [4/4] | 23k | Hybrid!Fantasy, Romance | F, S

A freak weather anomaly leads to a chance encounter with a rabbit-hybrid, and your kind nature results in you gaining a small, fluffy lodger, who questions your taste in television shows. It’s won’t be for long...will it?

→  Risk it All @/httpjeon - Jungkook x Reader

series [5/5] | 8.3k  | hybrid au, alpha wolf!jungkook | A, F, S

ripped from your family, you find yourself in a warehouse filled with predators. just your luck, you’re right across from a caged alpha wolf.

🌷 (I linked Chapter 5 because for some reason others couldn’t find this chapter so they thought it’s still incomplete)

→  Outro Love is Not Over @kiirokero - Hoseok x Reader

series [12/?] |  Daycare Teacher!Hoseok x Single Mom!Reader

You are the single mother of a beautiful 6-year-old golden retriever hybrid who you named Yunho.  But you’re a human.  You can’t show him the ropes of being a hybrid, and you can’t teach him things the other moms can.  So, when a handsome German Shepard hybrid comes into your life, helping you and guiding Yunho in a way you can’t, you can’t help the cozy home he sets up in your heart.

→  It Takes Two To Make A Thing Go Right @imaginethisbts - TaeKook x Reader

two shot [2/2] | 11k | dom/sub themes, heat cycles | S

What’s better than one dogboy lover? Two dogboy lovers. But when Tae and Jungkook seem unusually clingy, it can only mean one thing. That time of the month has snuck up on you and your dogboy lovers do not want to share.

🌷 Also try their other Jungkook hybrid series Out of the Blue

→  Peculiar Park @daydreamindollie -  OT7 x Reader

series [9/?] | 38k+ | imagines, slice of life | Writer!Reader, Psychologist!Reader, imagines | fluff

you’re a successful hybrid writer and psychologist who takes in seven hybrids on one stormy night after finding one of their pack stealing from your garden

→ Yeouiju @nomseok - Namjoon x Reader

one shot | 33.7k | Mythical AU, Hybrid AU (if you squint), suspense | A, F, S

you find an ancient stone in the middle of the mountains and bring it home with you, oblivious to the consequences of taking a dragon’s yeouiju.

→ Beautiful Stranger @/nomseok - Taehyung x Reader

one shot | 19k | circus AU | A, S, F

your dream is to take care of animals for the rest of your life in the big city, making sure that they’re cared for. but you stumble upon a malnourished, rare tiger in your local circus, and you can’t help but want to take care of him.

→ Evolution of You and I @readyplayerhobi - Jimin x Reader

one shot | 10.2k | kind of epistolary (letters), chat, childhood friends | F

For 15 years, Park Jimin has been in your life in some form. From childhood penpal’s to the closest of friends now, you can’t imagine your life without him even if you’ve never actually met him in person. It doesn’t help that you’ve fallen for him, even across the distance that separates you. But what happens when you finally meet up and you discover he’s been keeping something secret?

→  Fish are Friends @httpjeon - Taehyung x Reader

one shot | 10.2k | seahorse hybrid!taehyung | A, S, F

after moving to the seaside, there is a dreadful storm. when all is clear, a man washes up on shore…only he isn’t quite human.

🌷 you know seahorses mate for life and it’s the male that gets pregnant? Interesting huh

→  Pink Panther @gimmesumsuga - Seokjin x Reader

one shot | 13k | boss-employee | F, S

The one where your boss, Kim Seokjin, tries to show you how beautiful you are.

→  Ragdoll @ausblack - Jimin x Reader

series [17/17] | Hybrid AU, College AU | F, A

As you were studying to obtain your medical & veterinary degree, your professor came up with the idea of organizing an internship - where you found yourself side by side with a sick hybrid that needed nothing other that complete care.

→  Jagged + Catnap  @opaljm - Jimin x Reader

one shot + sequel | 18k |  jaguar/black panther!jimin, sand dune cat!reader, mutual pining, friends to lovers, established relationship (sequel)| S, F, slight A

The pretty little sand cat hybrid Jimin has been in love with for the past year experiences her first heat and Jimin would love nothing more than to be the one to guide her through it and breed her with his kittens.

🌷 there’s also a possible spin-off for Taehyung (Eye of the Tiger)

→  Owner @jessikahathaway - Jungkook x Reader

series [6/?] | 17.4k | Fake Dating AU, Hybrid AU, based on Kimi Wa Petto (Japanese anime) | F, S, A

With your mother hounding on you (no pun intended), you decided to get a little help from a hybrid, who was also in need of assistance.

→ Loving Him Was Red + Somewhere Only We Know @userseok - Jungkook x Reader

series [3/?] | 12.8k+ | enemies to lovers, childhood friends (sorta), college au, jock!jungkook, unrequited love (for OC) | S, F, A

you’ve been chasing after jungkook for years. after a harsh verbal altercation between both of you, you decide to leave him alone and pursue a relationship with someone who seems genuinely interested in you, thinking he would never return your feelings.

I would like to recommend the catalog of these writers:

@ditttiii - so I realize I’m following them on AO3 when I realized the fics looked familiar 🤭. They have an ongoing series called Enchanted to Meet You which you might want to check out if you like Soulmate AUs too! I recently reblogged a Jungkook two-shot comfort fic (hybrid au too) so I recommend going through their masterlist!

@aroseforyoongi - who I discovered because of Gossamer (KTH). It was completed but I think it’s up for re-write/re-post? You can try the others:

Navy Blue - Jungkook [completed]

Forever Yours - Yoongi [one shot, prequel to Navy Blue]

Let Me Love You- Jungkook [one shot]

@magicalsalamander - another favorite author of mine I just feel like I’m reading a great tale every time I start on a series or one shot. They have great fics with supernatural themes too

Rabbit on the Moon - Jungkook | if you’re in the mood for police officer Jungkook [6/6]

The Act of Persuasion - Seokjin | if you are in the mood for Single Dad AU x Arranged Marriage too [one shot]

Firefly that Guards the Fox - Taehyung | if you are in the mood for mystery [11/12 - just epilogue left]

Kitten’s Little Flame - Yoongi | if you like BF to Lovers between dragon and a cat [6/6]

There’s more so please check their Masterlist

@hollyhomburg - I just love Of Fire and Love (hello dragon!yoongi and baby!jungkook? 🥺) But you can check:

their masterlist of all their hybrid fics

Dance to This series which I’ve added to fic recs based on an ask about stories that include members/readers with disability.

Don’t care if it Hurts - Jimin | this is probably my favorite (again I’m a sucker for Mafia AUs) , guard dog hybrid!jimin [12/13, just epilogue]

@angelicyoongie - I got hooked after reading their stories on AO3 but they have tumblr too! Check their masterlist for ongoing hybrid fic (Abundance - OT7)  but these are completed ones:

Desolate - Yoongi, grumypy cat hybrid [14/14]

Out of the Woods - Namjoon, wolf hybrid, strangers to lovers [3/3]

@worldwidebt7 - if you like webtoons! I read parts of Jungkook’s webtoon and I think currently we’re on Yoongi’s story. Access it here

@jincherie - One of the first hybrid fics I remember encountering is Inheritance (MYG). Other fics:

Perihelion - Hoseok, college, roommate, enemies [2/?]

Butterfingers - Namjoon, teacher au, this is cuuuute READ IT if you’re looking for something fluffy [one shot]

4 o’ clock - Taehyung, single dad au (I included this in the singel dad fic recs too) [3/?]

Under the Bridge - Jungkook, found jungkook under the bridge [one shot]

@whitesparrows97 - a writer I discovered because of a Yoongi soulmate fic but I found that they also have other hybrid fics:

Cat’s Cradle - Yoongi, bestfriend [5/5]

Underdog - Taehyung, shifter, brought home what she thought a stray dog [5/5]

@foxymoxynoona - and what would my reco be without foxymoxy? So they have tumblr but their works are on AO3. I’ve listed their current works here but I didn’t include their completed works which are must-reads:

Sugar Fairy - Jungkook, mating, adopted hybrids [48/48]

A Sea of Indigo - Jungkook, ex-fighter [48/48] ⭐⭐⭐

@therealmintedmango - They have a whole masterlist of their hybrid!au fics. I recently finished Kingdom Come and I always remember Jimin from King (for some reason)

@joonbird - check their Zodiac Hybrid Masterlist of one shot per member

There are more (usually one shot per member) but I’ll probably put them in another Fic Rec List for Hybrid AUs. Sorry this list is kind of all over the place (not even organized per member 🤭). But good luck with your modules and I hope these help!

(❁´◡`❁)

[lunaekalenda]

𝖓𝖚𝖒𝖇𝖊𝖗 𝖋𝖎𝖛𝖊

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

eren x fem!reader

suggestive conversations, teacher x student mention, smoking, alcohol, mention of love triangle, reiner doesn't have an easy life, characters are aged up and they correspond to the last season, modern au, eren being a tease, nsfw once they get to the party, dirty talking, reader may have a degradation kink, slapping, finger-sucking cause that's my sign, neck grabbing, rough composure, really long fic and really long warnings, size kink, wall sex, consensual relation, reader is tiny next to eren, kneejob (does that exist?), use of words like fucktoy, doll, slut; dom!eren x sub!reader, goddess i’m getting scared bc of the quantity of warnings, unprotected sex (don’t be like eren), oral (m receiving), consensual filming,, author is horny half of the drabble, please correct me in any errors! sex scenes are really bad written sorry

a/n: yeah... i don't know what i'm doing someone pls tell me to stop. as always, very welcome criticism and minors please do not interact!!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"Jaeger, Eren." The teacher says his name and he gets up, loose clothes and his lazy bun on the back of his head giving him that attractive visual he has. Girls look at him with interest and boys with envy. After all, they all want to be like him, date him, be his friends. Be near him is something to be grateful for half the university students. What a bunch of idiots.

His tall body reaches the professor table, were he leans on, receiving the paper that acredites his graduation. A smirk on his face, directed to your young teacher, makes your friend Pieck sigh on the chair next to you. "He has for sure fucked her." she says. You look to the teacher expression, a smile just for him while he raises just the corners of his lips to her. You look to the paper on your hands. It's your last day. You're finally graduating. University is just another closed door for you. The last people take their diplomas quickly, the teachers giving their typical emotional discourses before releasing you to the campus yard. Reiner gets closer to your group, his arm around your shoulders as he smile for all of you.

"Today. Tonight." he corrects himself. "There's a party and, as the captain of the Waterpolo team, I'm the host." he says, a smile on his lips reaching his kind eyes. "You're all invited, of course. VIP invitations" Winking to all of you and gaining a giggle from Pieck, Reiner moves his head to a whistle. Bertholdt calls him from the door of the swimming pool, and Reiner leaves, smiling at you.

"I'll see you there?" he asks, a huge smile on his face. You can't help but smile back at him while you nod. Reiner leaves running the yard and Porco smiles at you, a joke about to escape his lips. You two have been friends time enough to know every single expression of the other.

"He does like you." he says, instead. Something serious for the first time in your friendship. Someone hits him with a paper when he was about to add something.

"You're finally out." Porco's big brother, Marcel Galliard, who works as the waterpolo trainer, takes his brother by the arm. "And out of the pics if you stay here, come on." He takes Porco with him, both of them leaving in Reiner's direction. Pieck smiles at you, about to comment something about Reiner, and you search your phone. It isn't there. Fuck.

"Pieck, I've lost my phone." you say, her face changing to a concerned expression. You touch every pocket and every place you've could have put it, without gain. Even she searches on the little handbag she's carrying. You remembered to take a pic with Pieck on the terrace and had to fix your shoes. You probably forgot it there. "Shit. Is the Uni still open, right?" Pieck nods quietly. Annie turns around to look at you. "Coming back real quick, wait for me here, please."

You make your way upstairs to the latest floor of the Univeristy, a terrace where teachers liked to go and smoke or drink their coffees between classes. "How can I forget my phone there? Am I dumb?" you think for yourself. There are just a few stairs left. You find Armin on your way. His short blond hair and his big blue eyes are recognizable everywhere.

"Congratulations." he says, that gentle smile on his face. "We finally graduated." You smile at him back, nodding.

"We did, Min." you say. Armin was in the same class as you, and he's really nice to you. Being paired in a couple works has made your friendship grow little by little, and you can consider him a friend now. It's ironical how he's Eren's best friend, even when the two of them have been seen parted for a while. He looks at you, his eyes following your way. "You go to the terrace?" he asks. You nod. He hums and looks upstairs, as if he was making sure something.

"Forgot something there, but it will take a minute." Armin nods and you keep going. Opening the big door, that is casually still open, the wind shakes your hair and your dress. You see your phone on the chair you sat earlier, while taking the pic, and you're fast to take it. Fortunately, it does have battery and it seems as nobody has touched it. You turn around, ready to go down to meet your friends, when you listen femenine giggles and sound of wet kisses. Gross. Is somebody using the rooftop to fuck? In the university? You shake your head. But your legs don't move. Your head searches unconsciously the place where the voices are coming from. You want to know who they are. Another giggle. Another kiss. A quiet sigh, the sound of fabrics. "Come on, move, move." You say to yourself. The woman speaks. "Now that you graduated..." Isn't that your teachers voice? With a student? You remain silent, trying to hear him. You hear a sigh. A manly and long sigh.

"Now that I graduated I have no reason to come here." You know that voice. That deep, raspy tone and that way of talking. Your brain searches quickly who does that voice belong to.

"Come on, Eren." even when you where about to figure who was the mysterious boy, she says his name. You move your hand to cover your mouth, your phone ringing in that moment. Pieck's ID showing on the screen. "Fuck, fuck." you try to silence it in vain. They heard you. Eren sighs, a long sigh that is followed by high heels steps. She's searching you. You're there, on the middle of the rooftop, and she's going around, near the door, no way to escape for you. You search quickly a place to hide. Then, he talks again. "They probably left, hm?" he says. His tone is way deeper now. "But we should as well. Search another student next year. I won't come back here for you." he says. With angry steps, she leaves. You can see her shadow from behind the little maintenance shed. You hear then calm steps, a lighter and the combustion of a cigarette. Eren palms the shed metallic roof, scaring you.

"Having fun spying the others?" he says. The smoke comes out of his mouth when he kneels next to you. "I can bet you're wet with just hearing us making out." you look at him in his green eyes, without avoiding his gaze. He raises a brow, putting the cigarette again between his lips.

"This is a public space. It isn't for you to bring every single girl you want." you say. Eren lets out a little laugh.

"I had the teacher's permission." he says, jokingly. "Who do you think you are to question her permissions?" his lips part, letting the smoke escape quietly. He gets up, his tall body resting against the structure. He's attractive, and he knows it for sure. But, the moment he opens that damn mouth of his... He loses all his attractiveness and charm. You take your phone, ready to go down with your friends.

"I hope you have a good future, Eren Jaeger. See you."

"Later, baby. On Reiner's party." he says, a little smile on his lips. "I guess he had invited the girl he likes." you didn’t like that joking tone. 

"And why the hell would he invite you?" you ask. Eren slides his eyes down your body when you get up, your light dress moving with the wind, your hair getting messy and your challenging eyes looking directly at his. He entertains himself on your legs, how they looked smooth and good under the dress. And, surprisingly, he finds himself thinking of the sweet thing upper, covered by the dress and your underwear. 

"Because I'm on his waterpolo team." he says, his green irises going back to yours. Damn, true. He’s the point of the team. The offensive. The strongest one between them. 

"Then I hope we don't see each other." you say. Eren gets closer to you, smoke leaving his lips while he smiles jokingly at you again. You can smell the tobacco from your position, but you don’t want to move. You want to show him you can also keep his gaze. That you’re not intimidated by him.

"I'll be searching for you." he whispers. "After all, you stayed up here to see who I was making out with. Maybe you're jealous. But don't worry, i'll gladly show you what I did to her" You raise a brow this time, giving a couple steps back to put distance. You cross your arms on your chest. Eren smiles, taking the cigarette away from his lips.

"Search another girl. I'm sure a lot of them want your attention." you say. That makes Eren smirk. He walks a couple steps back, his back resting against the shed again. He throws the cigarette and steps on it. 

"You have a strong personality, not like all the others. I like it." his eyes are on yours, and you're not afraid to keep the visual contact with him. "You're different." he says. You take a couple steps near him, heading to the door. Palming his shoulder, you smile.

"Good job reading all that cliche books where you took that phrase. Now, I have to go." his hand grips your wrist. With a shake, you get free and, false smiling at him, you leave. Your heart is racing while you go downstairs, Eren is still on the terrace, giggling for himself. He found such an interesting one. You keep going downstairs until you reach the yard, Pieck's black hair and Annie's bun can be seen. You walk towards them, your phone ringing on your hand. It's Pieck again. She sees you a hangs up, walking towards you.

"You took forever, y/n" she says, showing you her phone. "I calles you a hundred times. What were you doing?" she asks. You don't want to discover the teacher and Eren and less on the campus. "I'll tell you later." you say. Pieck told you to have dinner and get ready for the party at her home, so the two of you start to walk, waving your hands at Annie, who was waiting for Armin. Eren comes out of the university as well. His gaze finds yours and he smiles at you, but it isn't a sweet smile. It’s a teasing one. You turn around and follow Pieck.

"Eren? I told you those two had something!" she says. You're tying your shoes while she applies rimmel on her lashes. She looks beautiful, with that golden tight dress that shines when she moves. You wanted to go with your graduation dress, but she quickly corrected you. "No, no, that dress is too beautiful for this type of party. You have to show what you have." she said. She lended you a red dress that fits you. It is beautiful, and you look good on it. She turns around. "Were they in the middle of it? What happened!" she asks. You blush.

"They were just kissing, i think. They kinda broke up." you say. Pieck nods quietly and looks again to the mirror, taking blush to her cheeks. You explain her that Eren talked to you after that.

"Oh, so he's going to the party?" she asks. You nod. "Porco told me he wasn't that interested, so he'll probably pass." You really hope Porco is right while you two walk to Reiner's house, a big duplex near the campus. You can hear music and people talking from the corner of the street. Reiner opens the door for you.

"Y/N!" he says, quickly hugging you. Pieck waves her hand at him. "Come on, girls, enter." he lets you in. There isn't a huge amount of people. Jean and Connie from the Waterpolo club are playing beer pong and Bertholdt is serving some drinks. You look around, but you don't know if you want to find him or make sure he isn't there.

It seems like Eren isn't there, for your luck. Bert gives you the drink you asked for and you thank him. There's a couple people talking near a speaker, another ones are playing on Reiner's TV and another ones are dancing. Reiner smiles.

"If you need anything, the rooms and the living room are up. There's a bathroom in that door and another one upstairs." he says. You smile at him. "I'll be around here if you need me." he says. You nod and he disappears, giving your arm a soft squeeze. Pieck tells you that she's going outside and you decide to stay inside. The juice with a little bit of vodka is kinda strong, but it tastes sweet. You hear a hum near you.

"What are you drinking?" you roll your eyes, turning around. Eren's tall body is there, smiling at you. He looks into your cup. "Juice?" he asks. You raise a brow.

"Do you care?" he lets out a melodious laugh. "Don't you have friends?" you can almost feel all the gazes in you. Envy gazes, surprise gazes. You know they're commenting. "How did she get his attention?" "Sure he's playing with some bad toys" You look at Eren.

"I do. But my interest tonight is in you." he tells. "After all, you deserve private representations of what we were doing, since you were that curious."

"Get lost, please."  you ask him. He smirks. Taking your cup, he smells it. He gives it back to you.

"Don't drink that much." he says. You look at him. Is he now giving you orders? Taking the cup to your lips, you drink under his gaze. He raises a brow when you take the cup away from your mouth. You weren’t going to get orders and less form a dork like him. Surprisingly, his thumb takes a drop that slides from your lips. He licks it.

"Tastes sweet." it's all he says, before disappearing. Did he just licked it? You put the cup on a near table and follow him outside. He's lighting a cigarette. He smiles at you when you arrive.

"What was that. What you did inside." you ask. He laughs.

"We can't waste alcohol, can we?" he says. He walks closer to you. His bun is still low and loose, and he's wearing his waterpolo team t-shirt with ripped black jeans. A big 5 in his t-shirt. The number he uses on the water. "Do you smoke?" he asks, offering you the cigarette. You shake your head. He raises a brow. "Wanna try?" he asks. You're not into that type of things but, maybe, the way his green eyes challenged you makes you nod. You want to show him you're capable. He gives you the cigarette. "Want me to teach you?" When he ended the phrase, you're coughing. He laughs. "Such an impatient girl, hm?"

 He takes the cigarette again, taking a puff, his lips right on the spot you stained with gloss. He gets closer. "Let me show you." his lips touch yours quietly and you feel the smoke flowing between your mouths, entering yours. You’re unable to move, even when he’s kissing you. It feels nice, feels warm and soft against your mouth, the smoke entering right from his parted lips. You want more. More of him. He parts. "Breath out quietly." Why are you following his orders now? You do it softly, his gaze on your lips while you do it. "Good girl." 

That was hot. You can't deny it. The way he passed the smoke to you, how he looked at you. Oh, goddess. He smiles, stepping on the cigarette. Your legs feel like jelly and your heart races when he gets closer.

"You liked it?" he asks, a sweet purr on your ear. You nod. You did. Now you get why everyone is always around Eren. He's naturally magnetic, attractive. He’s the type of person that bewitches, that makes you follow his orders even when you don’t want you. He can make you weak for you from just a single peck. "I know more tricks with my mouth than passing smoke" he says. That makes you cringe a little, get down of your bubble.

"You're so dirty minded." You say. Maybe he was starting to attract you, to make you fall for him. You won't. You need to go out. Far from him. Far before you fall.

"I was starting to have fun." he whispers. You start to walk, heading to Reiner's house again. Eren follows you quietly. You've seen enough romantic films to know every single way he has to take you to his bed. You sigh. Inside, a lot of people is dancing. You also want to. Eren follows you quietly while you enter the improvised dance floor, a empty space between two sofas, moving to the song. It's hot inside Reiner's house, a stupid amount of people dancing together, bodies close and teasing movements. Maybe Eren tries to seduce you outside, but it is your time to make him beg for you. Moving your head and your body, you see him from th corner of your eye. He's there, behind you, his hands tingling. He wants to touch your body, that tiny red dress and that velvety skin. He wants to mark that exposed neck with his bites, tangle that hair with his fingers, feel you against him. You take one of his hands, putting it on your hips. He swallows.

"You're not that brave now." you whisper, without letting him hear you. His other hand finds your belly, going up to the low cut of Pieck's dress. His hand touches your skin, making you gasp. He gets close. "You won." he whispers on your ear, his hands sneaking, touching every showing skin he finds. You smirk, turning around. You're not aware of Reiner's sad gaze. "I won?" you ask. He smiles, his face getting closer, as if he wanted to kiss you. "Hmh." he hums. You smile at him, letting your body meet his really close, making you feel every part of Eren’s body. You raise a brow. "There's evidence of my win." you joke, Eren's lips curving on a teasing smile.

"You should take responsibility of your trophy." he feels your hands on his arms, making him sigh. He takes your hand and guides you upstairs. "Wait, Eren, wait!" you ask him. People look at you, going head to the second floor, your hand jailed on his. Almost everybody knows now what you two are going to do. "Eren, everybody will..."

"Let them talk. We can have a good time while they spend their last braincells making rumors." he says. He's kinda right. You shouldn't care of what people say or what people think. "But it is Reiner's house." you tell him. He smiles. 

"He lets me use the guest room to sleep. It's almost my room. My brother doesn't really like my company, I guess." he says. You feel bad for Reiner. He's such a sweetheart with you, and everybody thinks he likes you. And there are you, about to make out with Eren on his house. But you're drunk of him, of his smell and his skin, his deep voice and his green eyes. You can't help. You need him. He opens the room and lets you in. You don't have even time to see the room, feeling his lips on yours as soon as he closes the door, his hand sneaking behind your back to lock it. One of his arms rest above your head, against the wood, and the other pulls you closer to his body from your low back. His hand grabs your ass roughly, making you jump a little. He giggles against your mouth. His lips taste like tobacco and mint bubblegum. He parts.

"Are you drunk?" he asks. You shake your head. You take his hair on your hand, trying to make him cover your mouth again with his. He gives you a peck. "You want this?" he asks. Your hands search his chest, defined muscles under the team t-shirt. 

"I want you, Eren." you don't even know who you are. He has you crazy, begging for him and his kisses, feeling his hotness in your body. You want it. You want him. "Please.". His superiority smirk covers your lips again, your body arching to feel his closer, the grip on you harder, his other hand still on the door. He parts your lips quietly, the softer action of all he has done until now. You feel his tongue caressing yours quietly. It feels nice. His hand takes the border of your red dress, lifting it, asking for your consent. You nod at him, his hand moving it to your waist. He parts to look down, your underwear on his vision camp. He passes his tongue on his lips while his eyes scan that cute black panty you’re wearing. He likes it. Simple, something a cute innocent girl like you would wear. The thought arouses him. He’s going to ruin you, the sweet little girl that seems too tiny for him.

“What a precious panty, doll.” he hums, his knee going up until it meets the black fabric. Then, with a smirk, he makes pressure up, your body feeling his knee hot and hard against your wetness. You gasp and he smiles. “Such a desperate fucktoy.” he whispers, his lips near your open ones, your sighs every time he moves his knee against you. He likes that expression on your face. The way your cute lips are open in silent pleasure signs. He would love to watch them open around another thing, but he takes his free hand to your mouth, his long thumb caressing your lips before entering your mouth, pressing your tongue while you keep making that expression that has become his favorite. “Suck.” he asks. You obey, your mouth gently sucking his thumb, your tongue playing circles around it. He keeps that game on your cunt, making you lose your concentration on sucking his finger. He puts his knee down, you feel the emptiness between your legs. He takes his phone, tobacco pack and a lighter from his pocket, putting them on the near bed. Then, he takes your hands, guiding them to the fabric of his jeans. You understand what he wants and take the button off, then, unzipping his pants. They fall around his ankles, his muscled legs and his underwear is revealed. He sighs when your hand finds the bulge. You look at him again, spreading kisses on his jaw. His hand covers yours while you try to sneak it in his underwear. He sighs when he feels your cold hand against him, fine and elegant fingers taking his shaft softly. His head rests against the arm on the wall, your kisses going down his body. When you were about to kneel, he takes you up again.

“I’ll let you take a taste of it later.” he sighs again, your hand squeezing harder, making him gasp. His hand closes around your neck, not hard enough to choke you, just a grab. A way to make you know who’s in charge. He kisses you. “Now.” he says, out of breath. His fingers take your panty, sliding it down your legs. He looks at your half- naked body, the dress covering just your thorax. “I want to fuck you right”. He takes your body, pinning you against the wall, your legs around his waist and your hands gripped to his t-shirt. He takes his hand down, the other one holding you in place. His hand strokes his shaft a couple times, also making sure you’re ready enough to take him, before starting to put it in. He feels excited. How your body seems so little between his and the wall. How you’ll struggle to take all of him in. His cock twitch in anticipation. He can’t wait to be deep in you, to know how much of him can you take, but he wants to make it right. Make this something you’ll beg for. Make him feel superior. He pushes slowly, feeling every squeeze and every movement your walls make against him. You moan and he lets out the deepest groan. He doesn’t wait that much to move against you, even when he’s not fully inside, your lips parting to the sensation of him caressing your insides. He puts you against the wall, making the hold easier for him. He thrusts into you with such a power and strength that you feel your head dizzy. He keeps moving, lewd sounds and mixed heavy breaths leaving your mouths. He feels how he’s going deeper and deeper. He smirks.

“That’s it. You’re taking it so good, like the cockslut you are. You struggled to take all of me in that little cunt, all stuffed by me. Such a doll, hm?” he says, out of breath. You nod while he keeps moving against you, you hand taking his hair as his mouth bites your neck. “You were a brat this morning, a fucking tease, but now you’re behaving like a good girl.” he whispers, before bitting you again. One of his hands sneak to the part you two are connected, and he caresses you gently, his fingers knowing perfectly were to touch. You gasp. “You like it, don’t you?”. Your back starts to hurt a little, the wood door is too hard to be resting against. Eren doesn’t mind, his muscles flexed while he keeps moving you up and down his length. “You’re about to, hm?” he asks. “You’re squeezing me. Hard.” He groans. It's true, you're feeling it as well, the knot on your belly that announces your end, pleasure maximized by Eren’s fingers. His lips cover yours, a strand of spit connecting your mouth when he parts, your mind unable to make a coherent sentence. You take your hands to his back, helping him with your movements, reaching your end faster. He isn’t going to edge you. He feels merciful today. He’ll let you cum after all you did for him, after how good you’re squeezing him, after the pretty expressions you made. You fall on his arms with a long sigh,  juices dripping down the two of you as you keep shaking on his arms. He smirks. "Oi, you came really hard." He puts you down on the floor again, quietly sliding out of you. He's still as hard as he was. "I'm that good at it?" he asks. Then, he grabs your jaw, making you look at him. "Or maybe you're just a slut for me?" 

You blush. You did. He knew where to bite, where to touch and where to thrust. You couldn't help, he’s good at this. He pats your head softly. "Now, in reward, since you didn't wait for me, you could use that pretty little mouth you used to tease me this morning in something more interesting, hm?" he asks. You know what he's asking for. Before you kneel, he sits on the bed, tying his hair again while a cigarette hangs from his lips. Then, he pushes softly by your shoulders. You hear him inhaling the smoke. Taking his phone, he makes you look at him, pulling your jaw quietly. “Do you mind if i film you?” You shake your head. Filming is quite interesting, and hot, definitely hot. “Promise me that those videos will never leave your phone”. He smiles, a soft and genuine smile, offering you his hand. You shake it. 

“Promise.”

The image is quite hot, your face resting in his tight and your hands caressing him, while his parted lips let go moans mixed with smoke. He takes two fingers to your mouth, the other hand taking the phone. He films your hands, your expression, his words.

"You look pretty with your mouth full of my fingers, but I prefer another thing, doll." he says, quietly pushing your head, making an intrusion in your mouth. He sighs. "Fuck. Show the camera, pretty." You try to wipe the tears away and he caresses your jaw, making you look to the phone filming you. “Show it how you suck me.” You think about him, watching this video in the loneliness of his dormitory, no light, his hand sneaking into his pants. "Do it alright and we'll be done in a second." he says, taking a puff again. He smokes too much for your preference. His fingers, still full of your saliva, impact against your ass. "Faster, doll." he asks. Slap again. Again. You feel your skin tingling under his slaps, hot and red. "I would also like to ruin that pretty ass you have." He grabs it this time, the camera pointing at his big hand squeezing your buttock. You keep sucking under his sighs and gasps, helping yourself with your hand. He smiles. "That's it, I'm already." he moves his hips against you, strong enough to make you feel it. Tears come again to the corners of your eyes as he keeps moving, stronger, the camera pointing everywhere while he loses himself. "You want it? Should I let you have it on your mouth? Or maybe on your pretty face?" he gasps at the thought of your face full of his seed, and maybe that's what makes him pull it out and paint you. With a final sigh, Eren pauses the video, putting out the cigarette against an ashtray. You rest again near his legs as he looks at you. His hands grab your neck again, making you sit on his lap. “You should clean that mess. Don’t want everybody to know how much of a slut you are for me.” he says, his fingers outlining your lips. “And I’ll keep this.” he says, taking the panties he throw away earlier. “You know where to find me if you wanna get them back. Or maybe give me new ones.”

[anotherhumaninthisworld]

Instruction en forme de réglement, pour les maîtres de quartier

I found another Louis-le-Grand rule list, and guess what, it’s even longer than the one I posted about a month ago! This one focuses on the works of the ”quarter masters” (maîtres de quartier) and contains intructions about everything from how to best punish a disobedient pupil, to outings in the countryside, to what to do if a student gets sick. Like La vie de l’écolier vertueux it was written by L’abbé Proyart (1743-1808), and also like with that text I unfortunately couldn’t find the exact year for when this was penned down. However, according to J.M Thompson’s Robespierre (1935) it ”was the inescapable frame-work of their (the students) daily lives” while the focal character attended Louis-le-Grand.

Source: Oeuvres de Abbé Proyart (1819) volume 6 page 258-291

The work of the quarter masters is painful and subjugating, I know this from experience; it is, above all, among the works which are never acquitted well by those who undertake them only out of views of interest and temporal advantages. The richest and most generous principal, would he ever have enough to pay for the services of a good master, a virtuous master, intelligently persistent in his duties, docile to wise advice, zealous for good order and for the advancement of his pupils in the sciences and in piety? It is no doubt only in the treasures of religion that such a master can discover, with the worthy reward of the functions he exercises, the reasons for his perseverance in fulfilling them well. How sublime, indeed, are these offices, how important they are in the eyes of faith! The employment of the quarter masters to train the youth in science and virtue, constitutes them the ministers and immediate vicars of the Almighty, who is called, par excellence, the Master of the sciences and the Lord of the virtues. But what motive could be more apt to maintain the activity of their zeal than the thought of the account they would have to render to this God of sciences and virtues, if, by their negligence, the souls whom he entrusted to their care had remained in ignorance or had only learned the fatal science of vice?

The masters, charged immediately with making the boarders execute the rules of the house, will serve them as models by their fidelity in all the points which concern them; they would lose the right to command exactitude from others, if they did not know how to command it from themselves.    

Their vigilance must be frank and open; I could not approve of a master (and young people detest this kind of insidious vigilance) who seems to hide himself for the pleasure of discovering faults; the vigilance that true charity inspires is far from laying snares for the weakness of childhood; it shows itself everywhere and at all times, to take away from him the temptation and even the thought of straying from his duties.    

On the days when the schoolchildren do not go to class, the teachers who are priests will make arrangements to say their mass without prejudice to the punctuality in the quarters; and on school days, they will not dispense with attending community Mass, during which they will conveniently recite the Breviary.        

All will be in the refectory, and will remain there until the end of meals, even when they have some reason for not eating there.      

They can only be replaced in their quarters with the approval of the principal or sub-principal; they will only do it for good reasons, and never in order to go supper outside of the college.     

Masters who leave the building during class or recreation hours will take the most precise measures to be in their quarters before the pupils return there; and if anyone foresees that extraordinary business could make him late, even if only for a minute, he will notify the principal who will have him replaced.    

For schoolchildren, the least inconvenience that can spring from the absence of their master during a study is the loss of all the time that this absence will take; but, in recreation time, the danger is much greater, it is then that petulant children can hurt themselves or their comrades; it is then that the disgruntled scheme against the authority that represses them and that more dangerous subjects could do even more harm.      

The masters will make the most suitable arrangements, both with the porter and with people they know, so as to not receive visitors during the hours they spend with their pupils; and, if it happens that they are obliged to see someone, they will usually receive him, not in the corridor, but in the quarter, where they will take care to speak only in a low voice, and in a manner to make the foreigner feel the inconvenience there would be in prolonging the conference.     

They will never lead neither the relatives of the boarders, nor the other persons who might enter the study rooms, beyond the threshold of the door: where public duty begins, that of politeness ends. The officer on duty does not leave his post to escort the general or even the prince who visits his quarters.    

As a general rule, the masters will leave the study rooms last, and will follow their pupils when they go to the church, to the courtyard, to the refectory and to the various common exercises, where they must be received by the principal and the sub-principal; and, on the contrary, they will be the first to leave the place where these common exercises were done and precede their pupils when they go to the study rooms.    

Nothing is more important for a master than to establish his authority well when he enters a quarter; and it is not only by giving an advantageous idea of ​​his knowledge to his pupils that he will succeed in it, but much more surely by winning their esteem by a wise and measured conduct, by a firmness sustained and tempered by a great deal of honesty towards the most reasonable; and above all, we cannot recommend him enough to speak little and apropos; I have always noticed that the masters who talk the most are those who are listened to the least.    

The master must not be satisfied with the esteem of his pupils, he must aspire to the affection of at least the majority; and he will obtain it not through soft indulgence and through closing his eyes to their faults or flaws, but by making them understand that he is sincerely attached to them and that he only wants their good, by taking part in their pains, by taking interest in their health, their successes, even their amusements; and, if he is obliged to employ reprimands and punishments, by letting it be seen that it costs his heart to come to such extremities. No, I know of no surer adviser for a master than a truly Christian affection for his disciples. With that feeling in his heart, let him do whatever he wants out there; let him employ, according to his knowledge, gentleness or severity; whether he blames or praises; whether he controls or caresses; whether he forgives or punishes; whatever he does will be well done. As much as it is to be feared that natural love blinds parents so much, we can count on true charity to enlighten a Christian master; and what Saint Augustine said to a man who was worried about what he should do to make his actions pleasing to God, we can say to a master who wishes to make his care useful to his students: Ama et quod vis fac.    

The hours intended for study will be spent in profound silence; it is during the first minute that the master or the pupil whom he will have charged with it, will make the necessary distributions of paper, feathers and ink [1]; it is also during this first minute that the boarders will take their morning peignoirs and take their books from the desks, [2] which must not open for the rest of the study.      

The master will not allow a pupil to leave his place without permission; and only those he has entrusted it with can open or close the windows in the quarter, draw the curtains, blow or put out the candles. etc    

When a boarder has something to communicate to his master, he will approach him and do it in a low voice.    

Often the master, so as not to interrupt the study himself, will content himself with speaking with his eyes and giving his opinions by signs.     

He will not endure insolent replies; but, rather than disturbing a study by interminable discussions, he will leave the reasoner to his reflections, and will yield to him for the moment, except to have his turn. To have obtained perfect silence during the studies is to have ensured its success; and, with care, masters can achieve this.     

They will take great care to keep away anything that could become an occasion for distraction for schoolchildren; they will be able, if the season requires it, to leave the windows of the quarters open during the studies, but never the doors; they will take care that the people in charge of combing and styling the boarders do their job in greatest silence; they will not allow foreign servants, tailors or shoemakers to appear in the quarters during study hours; they will impose silence on servants and workmen employed in the house, who could disturb the studies by their songs or their clamors or otherwise.    

In the distribution of the places which their scholars must occupy in the quarters, they will seek the combination the most proper to prevent dissipation; and they will place more immediately before their eyes the most negligent and fickle; they will disconcert the little stratagems employed by scholars to talk with impunity, and to communicate to each other in written form either the class assignment or the ideas that pass through their heads; writings slip secretly under tables, or are handed down in books that are passed around with an air of assurance; the talkers are usually found under the lowered hats, or behind the piles of books, if the masters allow them to rise on the tables.    

At no time will they let their schoolchildren leave the quarters without knowing who the people asking for them are; and if they prolong the interview too much, they will make them implore to go where duty calls them; as a general rule, they will not allow two schoolchildren to be absent from the quarter at the same time.    

They will only grant a boarder permission to go to the dormitory during the day for indispensable reasons, these do not include having forgotten a buckle, a hat or other similar items.    

It will be during lunch or snack breaks, in the quarter and not in the dormitory, that boarders who do not launder in the house will receive or return their laundry; in the morning they will bring to the quarter the overnight bag which they must return; they will put it in their desk the white linen that will be given to them until the evening when they will take it to their dormitory.    

The masters will take care to send to the lingerie, to be recognized there, the handkerchiefs, collars, towels and other items found in the house, and they will punish the negligence of those of their pupils who are in the habit of mislaying them.    

It is the duty of masters to see to it that their pupils write correctly the material for the homework of the class, and to see to it that they study it diligently; from time to time, during their studies, they will make a round around the tables, to make sure no one is busy with foreign reading or writing, to examine the notebook and prevent the haste of some and the slowness of others, two extremes which often start from the same principle and produce the same effects.   

When the homework is badly done, badly written or badly spelled, they will tear up the copies, and make them start over during recess; they will remind their pupils from time to time that the principal or sub-principal will be able to examine their homework; and indeed, they will send them copies at least once every two weeks, and more often if they deem it fit.    

In the evening when the homework of the class is done and transcribed, the master will require his pupils to prepare their classic authors until supper, and in the morning he will employ the first half hour of study either to inspecting and correcting the homework, or to the explanation of the authors prepared the day before; not because a master, in anticipation, should do in his quarter everything that the professor will do in his class, but because it is essential for the advancement of his pupils that he exercises and directs the weakest, and that he assures himself, at least by a quick glance, that all have used the time of study. For the same reason, he will have the lessons recited during the last quarter of the hour preceding the morning and evening classes.    

When there are several days off in a row, the master will take care not to leave his pupils to themselves for the distribution and use of their time; as soon as they have done the class homework and prepared the authors, he will occupy them, either by dictating to them the subject of a particular homework, or by having them go over the authors explained in class, or by allowing them when they do well, to read books from the quarter library.    

In the season of the year when the boarders receive private lessons in history and geography, the teachers will require them to take care of the analyzes that are asked of them without prejudice to the general duties of the class, but preferably to those of whom we have just spoken.   

They will ensure in a particular way that their pupils take, not from the hours intended for study, but from those of recreation, the time necessary to fulfill these particular tasks which are called pensum.    

They will see the professors from time to time, and will consult with them for the greater good of their common disciples.    

They will graciously lend themselves to replace them when circumstances require it; there is no doubt that in the event of a vacancy of a chair holder, one of the best recommendations in favor of the master who would aspire that place, would be that the principal should be able to say of him that he has already taught with zeal and intelligence.   

The masters will be free half the time the holidays last; as they then unite the functions of the regent with those which they habitually fulfil, they must, while they are in exercise, redouble their zeal and vigilance, and give all their care to maintain the taste for study among the boarders which remain to them, and above all to prevent the dissipation of longer recreations and more frequent walks from undermining their piety or the innocence of their morals. [3] Faithful to all the articles of the particular regulations drawn up for them for this time, they will regard as most important the one which invites them to remind their pupils more often of the great truths of religion.    

They will at all times give their pupils an example of hard work; and, during the silence of studies, they will occupy themselves, according to their needs and circumstances, sometimes with the study of theology or that of belletristic literature, sometimes with the composition of a sermon, or with the preparation of a catechism, without indulging in any occupation other than study, because it would infallibly become a subject of distraction and dissipation for the schoolchildren.    

The masters must give all their care, and employ all their industry, to animate the studies and excite the emulation of goodness in their quarters; in emphasizing the great motives of religion, they will not neglect an infinity of innocent little tricks, by which one obtains much from young people while granting them little. They will appear, for example, to attach much importance to established usages, that the principal prolongs the recess which follows dinner when there are ten emperors among the boarders, and that he grants an extraordinary walk to the quarter of which all the schoolchildren have, for three weeks in a row, earned praise in the grades given to them.    

The method followed by some masters of keeping a weekly list of good and bad grades seems to me very well devised to keep schoolchildren in suspense; at the end of the week, the combined result of these different grades becomes the subject of either rewards or punishments. The master, by this means, does not punish with temper, and the student, who has made a mistake, endeavors to repair it before the day appointed for the punishment; or, if he happens to aggravate it, feels that he has punished himself by filling up the measure.     

Every Saturday, at eight o'clock in the morning, the masters will deliver to the principal notes in three columns on how the boarders of their division have satisfied them during the week, for piety, study, character; and, in order that they may always have the opportunity and the facility of conferring with him and of consulting him, they will go every day to his apartment for lunch.    

One finds few people who have just ideas on the punishments which it is advisable to employ to contain in line those of the young people on whom the motives of religion or honor do not yet have enough power; some, condemning what the Holy Spirit himself prescribes, clearly decide that the rod should never be used in education, and others would like it always to be in the hand. A wise master takes the middle ground between these two extremes; the punishment of the rod is, without a doubt, the saddest of all resources, and the last torture for a schoolboy; and, to imagine, like certain masters, that traits of thoughtlessness or liveliness, misinterpretations of a version or solecisms in a theme can make him worthy of it, is to detect a real witlessness and a radical inaptitude for the institution of youth: a dash of black malice, stubbornness or formal disobedience in an easy matter, deliberate insolence, an obstinate and determined laziness, these are faults which deserve this last punishment. The masters, however, will never cause it to be inflicted except in the opinion of the principal or sub-principal; and they will then remember that it is the shame more than the blows that must make it effective.   

A punishment is profitable only insofar as the one who undergoes it feels that he deserves it, and that his master acts neither by prejudice nor by caprice. It must be proportionate to the age, naturalness, and the degree of malice in the fault; a misplaced punishment embitters or discourages instead of correcting.    

A master should not pursue the slightest faults of his pupils with meticulous zeal; this would be the means of hardening them to reproaches or punishments without correcting them.    

Several masters punish in their pupils faults which are really the master’s own, faults which their vigilance, their zeal or their charity should have prevented; a master who is exact in his duties always punishes less, and these are rarely serious faults; an attentive and observant teacher, knowing the different characters of his pupils, knows how to take each of them by the sensitive spot; he imagines and employs, with discernment and by gradation, an infinity of privations and punishments which prevent the most humiliating of corrections; he will find, for example, children who are timid characters, for whom the slightest reproach, a higher tone of voice, sometimes a single look, will be real punishments. To contain others, he can threaten to denounce them to the sub-principal, to classify them in the lowest ranks in the notes he gives to the principal; he can prevent them from playing, condemn them to silence during recreation, give them a particular task to write, or better still to learn by heart; he could refuse them their exeat on a day off, deprive them of the walk, suspend payment of their meals, make them kneel in the quarter, in the courtyard, in the refectory; he will be able to make them kiss the ground, send them to kiss it in another quarter, or even to the principal or the sub-principal, deck them out in a dunce cap, make them kiss their rods, beat them with the ferule, etc.    

In the event that a boarder stubbornly refuses to undergo the punishment which would have been inflicted on him, his master, without excluding him from the quarter which is subject to inconveniences, without using violence, and especially without hitting him, would have recourse to the sub-principal or principal; and if the case were urgent, he would ask one of them to come to the quarter; he can have faith in that he will always be supported; but it would be regrettable if he needed to be so having himself been wronged, were it only from imprudence or a too impetuous zeal.    

When the master has reason to fear that a student, embittered by circumstances, will aggravate his fault by resistance, it is in his wisdom and charity to suspend the punishment, to allow the culprit time to feel the justice; this delay, far from harming his authority, will only serve to strengthen it.   

Collective punishments should only be employed when all the students of a quarter are guilty, and such cases will always be very rare under vigilant teachers.    

A master should always show himself less ardent in prosecuting the faults that his pupils may commit against him, than those concerning other duties. If it happens, for example, that someone makes a fool of him, he must avoid appearing worried and too affected: that would be offering a new triumph to malice; if he discovers the culprit, let him discharge on someone else the care of punishing him; or better still, let him put before the culprit’s eyes his ingratitude and the baseness of his conduct, let him make him feel how easy revenge would be for him, and let him say to him, "I forgive you because it is I who am the offended.” Such traits of moderation will always correct more effectively than the most severe punishment.    

Each master, specially charged with the boarders of his division, still has a general inspection over all the others; and wherever he finds them at fault, he has the right and it is even his duty to reprimand them or impose such punishment as he deems fit.   

A pitfall against which a master cannot be too much on guard is that of prevention. He will find students who offer, so to speak, nothing but repulsion in their whole person: these are the ones who have the most right to his charity, because they have the greatest need of it; others, on the contrary, amiable and virtuous, seem to be constantly soliciting testimonies of predilection: let him be aware here, this feeling, if he showed it to them, would soon have the double inconvenience, both of exposing them to the envy, and of altering their virtue by vain complacency.   

Among the dangerous subjects that can be found in a college, the masters must above all seek out and denounce to the principal, as soon as they know them, those who would inspire the spirit of insubordination and revolt among their fellow students, those who would ridicule them and would torment them because of their wisdom and their piety, and finally those, who, by their speeches or otherwise, would dare to attack the innocence of their morals.   

The vigilance of the master on what concerns morals must be continual, always active, always suspicious even; but above all it must be all that without showing it too much; for a clumsy affectation in this respect might become as dangerous as negligence itself.    

As the boarders find in the small quarter libraries all the books that can be useful to them, the masters will not, under any pretext, allow them to obtain them from strangers, and will only allow them to keep those they would have had in price; they will also see to it that they do not introduce into the house any prints or drawings which may offend modesty; and, to prevent these various abuses, they will from time to time visit the desks and cassettes.   

Every evening, at the hour of retreat, they will make sure that all the boarders are in their alcoves, and they will close them themselves, without ever unloading this care on the servants.   

The time for recreation and for walks is a time of solicitude and real work for a good master. During the recreations which take place in the yard, the master who presides there, will ensure that all the doors are entirely closed, and that no boarder is absent without his express permission; he will prohibit all kinds of coarse familiarities, dangerous races, crowds, rustic songs and clamours, abusive disputes and reproaches, games that are not decent or dangerous, such as buck buck and others.   

Masters will take the greatest care to ensure that their pupils, during recreation, never have in their hands either knives, penknives, or other instruments with which they could hurt themselves or their comrades, and, a fortiori , that they never procure petards, rockets or gunpowder, under any pretext whatsoever.   

They will take the fairest measures so that their pupils will never find themselves in darkness when they arrive to the quarters to pass the evening recreation there; they will not allow them to climb on the tables or on the benches, nor beat the soles, nor make enough noise, in any way, to not hear the sound of the bell which calls them back to silence.   

To prevent the inconveniences of private liaisons, secret conversations and solitary walks, the masters will apply themselves to making a general gaiety reign during the recreations which are taken, either in the courtyard or in the quarters; they will animate the games, they will encourage them, by the interest they seem to take in them, and by the applause they will give to those who distinguish themselves there by their skill: but they will never allow the boarders to play for money nor for equivalents; they will also take care that the honest freedom which they can then grant them does not degenerate into familiarity which diminishes respect.   

The walks will as a rule be taken to the country house, the most beautiful place as well as the most convenient one in the surroundings for the repose of the supervisors; the masters will be of the greatest exactitude in requiring that the boarders do not deviate without permission from the large aisles assigned to them; they will often look around for those whom they might have reason to suspect; and, if they notice that they lack people, they will make a general call to find out who is absent.   

If there is any reason for fixing the walk elsewhere than to the country house, the masters will decide with the sub-principal where they will go; and, in this case, they will take care to regulate the march on the youngest of their scholars, and never to make them go alongside rivers or pieces of frozen water.   

They will not allow them to do any damage in the countryside; such as letting them walk in the sown land; letting them cut branches from trees; letting them go into wheat and fodder to pick flowers; letting them climb trees to find birds; and, a fortiori, letting them insult or molest the peasants, pursue their cattle, or take fruit from them.   

They will not allow a boarder to deviate from the promenade, not even under the pretext of entering his parents' house.   

If there are boarders to remain at the college during the walk, either by punishment, or for an inconvenience which does not require them to stay in the infirmary, the masters will give their names to the sub-principal and to the colleague who stays to watch over them.   

When a boarder who has gone out to spend the day off with his parents does not return at the time prescribed by the rule, his master will inform the principal.   

The masters will never allow their scholars, during walks, to enter an inn to buy wine or eatables; they will be able sometimes to allow them to buy fruits, but they will regulate the quantity and the quality of it; and if they perceive that the permission is being abused, which will sometimes happen, they will revoke it for as long as they see fit.   

To cure certain parents of the mania of wanting to inconvenience their children and train them in gluttony, the masters will seize all the provisions of food which would be sent to individuals, to make an equal distribution among all their pupils.   

They will strictly prohibit all sales, exchanges or lotteries of books or other effects between the boarders, and they will make known to the sub-principal and to the regens those whom they would suspect of maintaining some relation with the externals for these kinds of markets.   

They will often recommend cleanliness to their pupils; in the visit they will make every evening to their alcoves, they will see if they keep their clothes and linen in order; the little ones, above all, need the attention and care of a mother; it is often necessary to examine if they have changed their linen, that their clothes are not torn or their shoes punctured, that they have washed their hands, that they have cut their nails, that they do not go to bed dressed, that they do not leave in the yard, or in the park of the country house, their hats, collars, buckles, handkerchiefs, etc.   

The masters will combat in their pupils the taste for adornment and frivolity, the affected refinement in the clothes, the tone and the precious manner of the little masters; they will forbid them those shapes of hats which imprint an air of impertinence on faces, all pretentious curls, and especially those vertical warrens called Greek warrens, impenetrable retreats to the combs, and which the wig-makers establish on certain privileged heads only at the prejudice to the care they owe to others.   

The servants responsible for combing, making the beds, lighting the lamps or streetlamps, opening the windows to renew the air, carrying water to the quarters, maintaining cleanliness there, as well as in the dormitory, the corridors and the toilets, will be, on all these points, supervised by the masters, whose advice they will follow; and, if it happens that they do not take it into account, the sub-principal puts order to it; they will never do any errand for a boarder without the express order of his master.   

Boarders newly arrived at the college are entitled to special attention from their masters; they will provide for their small needs; they will entrust to the most reasonable of their pupils the care of instructing them in the rules of the house, while waiting for an explanation to be made to them; they will repress the petulance of the scatterbrained who would like to pursue or mortify them.   

The masters will demand that their pupils be polite and honest with each other and with strangers; that they salute them when they cross the yard during recess; that they do not crowd around them when they stop to speak to a boarder, that they never speak to a person who is superior to them with the hat on the head; that they greet him when approaching him and when they leave him; that they add the words monsieur or madame to their answers; that they take off the hat each time they enter or leave the quarter; that they don’t speak to the servants in an imperious tone.   

They will give them the necessary advice on how to behave in the refectory; to lean the elbows on the table, to bring the knife to the mouth, to cut the bread on the tablecloth, to wipe one's hands there, are rudenesses which must not escape the attention of the masters; nor will they allow their scholars to eat, much less drink each other's portions; they themselves will distribute the wine to those who eat from their dish; and, to make sure that they will not drink it neat, they will only pour it out to those who present their glasses half-filled with water.   

They will not allow the boarders to speak among themselves the dialect of their provinces, to use, even in jest, coarse terms or trivial expressions; they will point out the mistakes they make in conversation against language or pronunciation; they will proscribe bad jokes, flat buffooneries, contemptuous airs and causticity.   

Although the principal eats in the refectory the same bread, the same meat and the same dishes as the boarders, it could nevertheless happen that, through the negligence of the servants, the food lacks something in quality, quantity or preparation; the master, who would have recognized some abuse in this part, will speak about it with confidence to the principal or the sub-principal; but he would never allow himself to show the slightest displeasure in the presence of his scholars, to whom he would even give, on occasion, the lessons they might need.   

The masters will be careful to close their quarters when they go out; they will prevent, as much as they can, the depredations of bread, candles, paper, powder, etc; they will take care that their pupils do not spoil or misplace the books of the small libraries that they have transmitted to them, that they do not degrade either the furniture or the buildings of the house; that they do not pierce the tablecloths and plates in the refectory; that they do not cut tables, benches and doors in the quarters; that they do not write on the walls and that they do not break the windows in the corridors, etc. The only effective way to cure them of the mania for destruction is to make them pay for the damage they have done.   

Among the cares that teachers must give to anything that may affect the health of their pupils, they will especially focus on that of preventing them from drinking, or from sitting in the cool, immediately after exercises which would have overheated them.   

As soon as a boarder finds himself inconvenienced, his master will notify the principal, who will have him taken to the infirmary if necessary; and, in this case, the master will be careful to visit him often, but without allowing his pupils to do so, unless they are brothers of the patient.   

If the inconvenience which keeps a boarder in the infirmary is not incompatible with application, his master will take measures so that he does not waste his time.   

When a so-called ill or inconvenienced student stays in bed in the morning, the master will close his alcove and notify the sub-principal, so that he can judge his condition.   

It is an essential duty for teachers to keep alive in the hearts of their pupils the sentiments of tenderness and gratitude which they owe to their parents; they will often remind them of what these do for them, and will make them feel how guilty they would be before God, and contemptible in the eyes of men, if they contristed them by their ingratitude and their misconduct; they will make sure that everyone writes to them from time to time, and that the little ones especially do so as often as the parents wish.   

The ultimate end of education being to prepare citizens for heaven, the first and greatest duty of teachers is to train their pupils in the knowledge and practice of religion; they will make sure that all their pupils learn and recite every year the whole catechism of the diocese; those of them whom the principal will have charged with making the explanation of it will prepare themselves for it with care, in order to say only useful things, and which are within the reach of those whom they instruct; they will consult the good books we have on this subject.   

Anything related to religion should be treated with the utmost respect in the quarters; it would be much better for young men to omit a practice which is not a precept than to infringe, by fulfilling it, the ever-subsisting precept of respecting holy matters.   

The teachers must take care that the short prayers which precede and which follow the studies are done with recollection; and I would not have a great idea of ​​the intelligence or the virtue of one who would allow his pupils to do them with dissipation and haste, standing or having only one knee on the ground, arranging their books or rummaging in their desks.   

During the morning and evening prayers, the teachers will place their pupils in such a way that they have them all under their eyes.   

On the eves of Sundays and feast days, they will take care that those who have given their names for confession go to the chapel as soon as the confessors notify them.    

The devotional readings which are given on certain days in the quarters must be well chosen, and within the reach of those who hear them; an intelligent teacher will feel that it is not indifferent whether these readings are made by good or bad readers.   

Finally, a master worthy of his profession is not content to make himself the model of his pupils, and to offer them in his person a continual invitation to virtue; he constantly has his eyes open to them, he follows them in the manner in which they discharge all their religious duties, he instructs them in the necessary dispositions for a holy and frequent use of the sacraments; imbued with the truths of salvation, he always speaks to them with zeal and unction, like a good father to children; he watches the moments, he takes advantage of the circumstances; he gives general advice, he gives particular advice, he exhorts, he conjures, he does everything to everyone, to form them all in virtue.   

"I have done all this," said a master one day to his principal, "and, after so much care and solicitude, after all the efforts of my zeal, I am sorry to see that several of my schoolchildren still remain fickle, inattentive, insensitive to everything, that's what discourages me.” ”Well!" replied the principal, “So you weren't expecting that? So you only offer yourself the consolation of success, when nothing is asked of you but the pains of the work? But, tell me, if the student you regard as the most desperate, was the son of a great prince who says to you: This child is born for the throne, strive to make him worthy of his high destiny: witness me I shall know how to appreciate even your care, and whatever the success, I promise to reward you like a king. In this supposition, I say, would you not still find within you a remnant of zeal and courage to oppose the faults of this precious child? Well, have faith, and you see in all those in charge of you, the children of the king of heaven; and this king has powerful and immortal promises you as a reward to make you shine like the stars in the splendor of his glory. [4] Some of these children, you say, benefit little from your care, are deaf to your advice, neglect your instructions: address yourselves to their father, explain your troubles to him, ask for his advice, ask him to speak himself to these rebellious courts; and, while awaiting with confidence the great reward that he intends for you, know how to support in his children what he has the patience to support there himself. The master took advantage of this advice; without concern then for successes, he contented himself with neglecting nothing to obtain them, and his persevering efforts were not fruitless.”

I urge the teachers to re-read this regulation from time to time, and to comply with it as best they can; let them forget the pleasure that their accuracy will give me; but let them take care to arouse their zeal with this encouraging thought: “It is under the eyes of the Lord, and it is for the work that he cherishes that we work:” SOLLICITUDINE NON PIGRI DOMINO SERVIENTES DINTRENDE

[1] It is relieving the masters of a burdensome detail, and sparing the disciples many opportunities for dissipation and waste of time, to make arrangements so that the small daily supplies, necessary for schoolchildren, are made for them all in common: this is what determined the office of the college where I live to decide that, for the sum of 24 pounds per year, the principal will provide the boarders with paper, ink and pens; that he will have minor repairs made, both of their linen and their clothes, for which it is enough to use the thread; that he will provide them, under the direction of the quarter masters, with all the books that they can read usefully, after having satisfied the classic duties; and that finally he will have them styled every day by the wigmaker, after they have been thoroughly combed. After several comparative attempts, I thought I should prefer the method of having the schoolchildren do and comb their hair in place and in the quarters, to that of having them pass, for this operation, in a separate place; which is subject to several drawbacks. The young people take the opportunity to run around the house, to strike up a conversation with comrades from neighboring quarters. Finding themselves alone every day, vis-a-vis people whom it is usually quite easy to corrupt, they induce them to run errands for them, to buy them delicacies, dangerous books, etc; and finally, the movements, the comings and goings, the continual knocking of doors, cannot fail to maintain in the dissipation a naturally light and fickle youth, and to make it lose the time of the day best suited to work; whereas by requiring that every morning the schoolchildren, before getting into their places, put on their peignoirs, that the people appointed to comb them thoroughly, begin their work first, that the wig makers follow and do theirs, studies are not disturbed, and young people, even when their heads are being worked on, can read, learn by heart, or leaf through a dictionary.

[2] Schoolchildren must have in their quarters either desks, or small boxes, for containing their books, their peignoirs, etc.; if they are allowed to place these small pieces of furniture on the tables, and they are of unequal height, they interfere with the inspection of the teacher; if they are required to lay them on the floor, they obstruct the study rooms. These inconveniences will be remedied by having fairly wide study tables built, which will create a centre in which divisions will be made which will offer on each side of the table as many desks as there will be seats. The master, placed on a small rise, at one end of this table, will very conveniently watch over his pupils.

[3] The holiday season is, without a doubt, of all the times of the year the one when our youth is most exposed. This is the case in our colleges, if the masters do not then redouble their zeal and vigilance; it is usually the case especially at the paternal home; we advance it here only with the certainty and pain of experience; it is a very small number of parents who know well and who faithfully fulfill their duties towards their children, and the most religious would often have great reproaches to make in this regard; for where are those, for example, who, convinced that idleness alone is enough to ruin young people, demand that their children, during the holidays, give at least a few hours of the day to work, if only for a few amusing and instructive readings? Where are those who do not allow them to leave the house unaccompanied, nor to receive visitors there except in their presence? Where are those who like to follow them in all the detail of their religious duties, who, not content with speaking to them of examples, still strive to confirm, by their instructions, the lessons of piety they have received in our schools? And yet these are great duties for parents who call their children back to them at the end of the term. But how many do we not see who themselves conspire, some out of principle, others out of culpable recklessness, the loss of their children, who could say of them, with a Father of the Church: Patres sensimus parricidas! Scarcely have they arrived at the paternal house, that one hastens to throw them into profane diversions, and to initiate them into the most dangerous assemblies; the parents leave them complete freedom on the use of their time, on their outings, on the choice of their particular companies; the masters have granted them holidays for studies, they believe they can still grant them holidays for religion, sobriety and good morals. The slightest indisposition would alarm these parents on the health of their children; but it never occurs to them to worry about the state of their souls before God. If they prescribe some rules of temperance to them, it is by disregarding the moral danger, and by calculating only the physical; they do not think that excesses in eating and drinking often cause young people to lose their innocence before altering their temperament; they do not think that these equivocal remarks, and these indecent jokes, which they either allow themselves, or which they allow others in the presence of their children, are so many traits which carry poison to the bottom of their hearts. Finally, they do not even dream of withdrawing from the curiosity of the young those novels and plays which form the bottom of their library, scandalous productions of libertinage, of which a little more virtue should have prevented them from acquiring, and the reading of which will consume in the hearts of their children the already begun work of their depravity. And they believe, these frivolous men, to have answered everything by saying: ”The youth must pass; we must remember what we were.” What! must youth, that age which determines the inclinations of all ages, pass in disorder? Parents must remember what they were; must they remember all the excesses of a licentious youth, not to make their children avoid them more carefully, but to engage them themselves by a blind and culpable condescension? These dispositions, in a large number of parents, are one of the greatest obstacles to the success of education; and it is especially after the holidays that we notice it. It is then that we see arriving from the paternal house young people quite different from themselves; an amiable gaiety made them interesting, and they carry on their foreheads the gloomy clouds of sadness and anxiety; they were gentle and modest, and they affect dissipation and indocility; they loved their position, and study bored them; the rule bothers them, the voice of religion bothers them; the innocent pleasures, which were sufficient for them in innocence, appear to them insipid; everything around them seems new to them, when they alone are changed. We employ the remedies that we judge most suitable for the situation of the sick, and perhaps we would succeed in effecting their cure; but, when it has only just begun, the same causes recur, which produce the same accidents, the wound festers and becomes incurable. It would therefore be good to wish that there were no vacations for young people who live in a well-regulated college; but it only remains for us to conjure the parents who call their children back to them during the holidays, to consider that they impose it on themselves, for this time, the painful task from which they discharge us, to watch them every day and at every moment of the day.

[cienie-isengardu]

The Lin Kuei? As far as social dynamics and structure. You probably have a lot of these questions answered already, so you might just have to consolidate them... but what do think the Lin Kuei social structure is like?

I know there's the Grandmaster whose above everyone, and the Master Assassins (game characters we know about) and Sifu above everyone else, and rank is probably determined by skill less than birth. Sektor doesn't seem to get any special protection or treatment despite his family tree.

But what exactly is the hierarchy among the members? Who out ranks who? Both in teams, and as a group? What are the inter Lin Kuei relationships like, who feels what about who? What exactly is the qualifications? (Cyrax who I admittedly don't pay much attention to, for example confuses me, since he doesn't seem very impressive as a fighter?) How is rank maintained? I know they probably fight for it, but fighting constantly or to the point of death / serious injury seems counterproductive, even in mk? How is peace maintained? How is punishment dolled out, what constitutes punishment in a aggressively combative society like that, and in such a brutal environment, what is punishment?

If there's other things you think of to answer that I didn't ask, answer those too please. I love how much thought you put into these. Your the best. 🥰

"RELEASE THE RAMBLES!!!"

First off, sorry it took me so long to answer. Secondly, thank you very much for such a wonderful ask! Hope you will not regret once the rambles are set free, because there is a lot to talk about :D

The safest way to analyze Lin Kuei social structures would be to start with some basic question: what is a Lin Kuei? And the answer will be of course a clan, more precisely, a clan using assassins and thieves as its main source of income. But there is also another thing about Lin Kuei that will play an important role in creating and sustaining social structures - the strong independence streak and the pragmatism born from it.

Because the vital part of Lin Kuei is their loyalty to themselves. They work for those who can afford their service, but they aren’t bound to any earthrealm government or outworld ruler. I mean, Shang Tsung/Shao Kahn probably had a long-lived deal with Lin Kuei that benefited clan and in MK9 Lin Kuei offered the emperor their loyalty and service, but we also known that cyber Sektor refused to serve Quan Chi/Shinnok [MKX] once he decided the sorcerer had failed to fulfill his part of contract. Which means at the end of the day, the Lin Kuei benefit was the major goal to achieve. Even Kuai Liang’s reformed Lin Kuei shows this tendency - Sub-Zero will work with other Earthrealm Defenders but he isn’t blindly following anyone and is willing to go against fellow combatants (seen especially in banters with Raiden [MK11] where Sub-Zero questions god’s competence to protect the realm).

Interestingly, Shirai Ryu in the past did offer their service to various Japanese leaders / shoguns and who knows, even in modern days the clan still could have served the government as some special forces in time of need (and in return, have some protection and/or supplies from government?). In contrast, there is little to none information of Lin Kuei being loyal to one country - I mean, the sources usually call Lin Kuei warriors the “chinese ninjas” but we have never seen them showing any sign of national pride, haven’t we? Their only pride comes from belonging to Lin Kuei and their own skills. Another point against connection to any government is the fact that Lin Kuei are operating world-wide and collect people with special powers from over all world (Cyrax comes from Botswana [Southern Africa], Smoke/Tomas Vrbada from Prague [Czech Republic] and even Ice Bros were born in USA in old timeline). So, the fact that Lin Kuei warriors are diverse in terms of their powers and appearance/ethnicity will also affect the social structures.

So, the social structures on one hand must create a society that blindly follows Grandmaster’s will, on another be enough A) elastic to adapt a vast number of different people and B) solid to maintain the clan independence from others, Earthrealm and Outworld alike.

The problem with independence is that Lin Kuei works for the best price which also means constant danger. For warriors sent on missions to the safety of the whole clan. Without a clearly defined loyalty to anyone but themselves, Lin Kuei would be left on its own in case of enemy attack or any other potentially dangerous crisis. So the members of the clan must stick to each other because no one else would do that.

Regardless of type or date of source, the clan headquarters - one or many existing at the same time? - is usually presented as located in a naturally hard-to-reach, isolated place and with a clear defensive character, as can be seen below :

Lin Kuei for ages used naturally hard to invade / attack places like mountain peaks separated from the rest of the world by abyss with a bridge that can be easily destroyed and solid, thick walls to protect the clan. But here is a thing to think about - as much as there were a lot of strong, cunning and skilled warriors, Lin Kuei operated world-wide, taking jobs in various parts of Earthrealm and Outworld and some missions could take months if not years to finish and there was no guarantee that everyone would return. Which means the warriors couldn’t always be available in case of an enemy's attack or other serious crisis.

So, to maintain the defensive advantages, especially in a naturally harsh environment, there should be someone to control and if necessary take care of the state of walls, the bridge(s), residential buildings and so on. Which means Lin Kuei would need access to natural resources (wood, stone, metal) for expansion or repair but also for experienced craftsmen. There is also a matter of access to drinkable water and food supply, the most basic requirement for a clan to survive and thrive.

On one hand, warriors could fulfill such roles too, especially if we take into account a paragraph from Mortal Kombat novel by Jeff Rovin (1995):

They [Lin Kuei] would kidnap children when they were five or six and raise them in secret caves or woods to become superb athletes, great scholars, and unparalleled fighters, able to use all weapons and to improvise arms from common objects such as paper rolled to a knife-point or sand packed into a sock. They would train the children, boys and girls both, to be masters of many trades: carpenters, fishermen, priests, and even beggars, so they could blend in and make themselves useful in different towns as they traveled on missions for their lords.

Many young people died during training: some could not hold their breath for five minutes and drowned, others weren’t fast enough to avoid the weapons of the masters, some starved or froze or dehydrated when they were stranded, naked, in deserts or on mountaintops and told to make their way home. But those who survived were the Lin Kuei.

On the other hand, to become masters of the traders mentioned above, those children needed proper teachers. And yes, the already trained warriors could pass the knowledge to the younger generation but warriors first and foremost were responsible for earning money for the clan which is why personally teaching kids anything other than martial arts seems like wasting a time they could utilize in a better (more profitable) way.

This is why I suspect the social structures of Lin Kuei included various groups responsible for different needs of the clan.

The leader

So, we have a Grandmaster, the ruler. In modern times, pretenders for this title needed only to defeat and kill the current leader to take over the clan. Like Cyber Sektor and Kuai Liang did. But such practice may be just an exception to the long tradition, because Cyber Initiative was an extreme project that divided and ultimately destroyed the old version of clan. Killing the previous owner of the title may have some value (as in, eliminating any potential conflict of interest) but at the same time choosing and teaching a successor sounds much more practical. Because leading such a big clan is no easy feat thus any preparation would be useful and beneficial for the clan’s future. Not to mention the possibility of some secret knowledge that should be passed alongside.

Sadly, we don’t have much information about the inner politics of Lin Kuei. From the crumbs here and there, we know about Sub-Zero and past-Grandmasters that:

→ they could have offspring (example: Sektor).

However the sources don’t define if that was required from them in the form of a marriage or just as a way to secure the continuing inheritance of power (a tradition that Kuai Liang could simply ignore) or from their own choice or if the procreation of a child was unplanned and just happened. Whatever the truth was, in the case of Sektor, “it was never in question that he would join the Lin Kuei.”

The line from MK9 Sektor bio suggests that being a child of a warrior does not give immediate status as a member of the Lin Kuei. This in turn could suggest that not every child begotten by Lin Kuei warriors would be forced to join the clan. Sektor, as the son of the Grandmaster simply didn’t have a choice in the matter and who knows, maybe there is some premature qualification should the child be taken or not.

Another interesting part of Sektor’s BIO is this line: “Though this mission will put his clan in good standing with Shao Kahn, Sektor's ultimate goal is to supplant his father as Grand Master of the Lin Kuei." which may suggests that Sektor wasn’t the designated heir after all so plotted to overthrow his father?. I mean, he was sent to the Mortal Kombat Tournament as a participant and then cyborgized while the Grandmaster himself stayed human with a handful of other members of the clan. Then again, Sektor’s ending suggests that Grandmaster wasn’t surprised much by Sektor’s attempt to take over Lin Kuei, so maybe the killing of the previous leader was in fact a necessary part of rite of passage between old and new ruler?

→ it was against tradition for them to personally train new recruits

Stated in Deadly Alliance, in Frost’s Bio:

The winner was a mysterious female named Frost who seemed to have freezing abilities similar to those of Sub-Zero. Breaking with Lin Kuei tradition, the new Grand Master, Sub-Zero, took it upon himself to train this new recruit.

Interestingly, the Grandmaster was supposed to be the absolute ruler yet there were some traditions that actually regulated his or her participation in daily life of the clan. Kuai Liang simply ignored those and chose Frost as his apprentice, who at least in theory, became his appointed heir. By that logic, Sektor shouldn’t be trained by father, at least not before he gained the official status of Lin Kuei and proved himself worthy of Grandfather’s attention.

→ but it was their duty (choice?) to teach advanced arts to a few selected warriors.

This is mainly seen in Mortal Kombat Conquest TV series. The third episode (“Cold Reality”) gave us Shang Tsung’s explanation about clan and its warriors:

“The Lin Kuei, an ancient sect. Their training is the deepest secret as is their code. They are silent, swift and always lethal [...]. For some, a select few… the Lin Kuei Grand Masters will continue their education into darker areas. Then death comes in more interesting ways.”

Then, through this and another episode, the TV series shows that Grandmaster in fact personally oversees the training of Sub-Zero. So, the training of the new recruits may be against the tradition, but passing the advanced knowledge and the final trials seem to be not. Or at least the trials of the warrior with special (ancient) abilities.

This suggests the social status of a warrior - or any clan member - is affected by Grandmaster’s favor or lack thereof. Those chosen will advance, become more powerful and thus sent on more dangerous yet profitable missions. With a successful streak of missions, their notoriety will grow between prestige clients and the Lin Kuei community for good strengthening their social position. And who knows, one day they could take the place of (grand)masters in the inner circle serving closely the leader? On the other hand, those whose loyalty or skills get doubted by the Grandmaster are punished in several ways.

Inner Circle / Ancient (?) Masters

The same as with Grandmasters, there is little confirmed information about Lin Kuei masters. Bi-Han/elder Sub-Zero seemed to be favored by Grandmaster who called him the “our most cunning assassin and thief” (Mythologies: Sub-Zero) but it doesn’t sound like he was one of the inner circle.

In Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm (episode 5, “Old Friends Never Die”), Kuai Liang mentioned “Ancient Masters” who decided to change warriors into cyborgs, while in the Mortal Kombat Conquest TV show we could see that Grandmaster keeps talking to some men about Sub-Zero’s training and powers. Interestingly, those men had uniforms looking more like his own than of any warrior.

(If Lin Kuei co-operated with Shang Tsung for ages, their life-span could be extended by sorcerer’s magic. Or, their own special abilities allow for such a long life. Thus the name of ancient masters?)

I think it is right to assume those masters formed an inner circle that advised the leader and helped in training the chosen warriors and most likely oversaw specific operations / aspects of the clan's life. Most likely with Grandmaster, they made the higher command and were the law.

Warriors

In the simplest way, this is the working class that earns money and builds the reputation of the clan. The warriors were the main source of incoming profit for the clan, but it wasn’t just material goods from assassinations and stealing but most likely also important intelligence data that Lin Kuei could use for its benefit or sell on. Thanks to them, Lin Kuei was also feared and respected in Earthrealm and Outworld alike.

So, on one hand, being a warrior in itself was a prestige rank that gave a chance to gain fame. The skilled and smart could advance into higher positions (the master assassins and thieves) and maybe even get Grandmaster’s attention. On another the life of a warrior was the most dangerous and hazardous occupation in the clan with little prospects for a long life. The victory was paid in warrior’s blood and pain while punishment for failure was severe and harsh.

The easiest way to classified them would be those two categories:

→ the common ones,

in games and comics looking alike, without distinctive features. It is hard to tell, if they possess any special abilities, if they were blood related to each other, what kind of missions they took.

→ the master assassins and thieves,

whose uniforms and weapons are modified to their personal taste and style of fighting and who have greater independence than warriors from the first category. I think it is right to assume that named warriors should be classified as such. So we have Sub-Zero/Bi-Han, Tundra/Kuai Liang, Smoke, Cyrax, Sektor, Frost, comics!Hydro.

Yet, this division may be in fact disastrous due to lack of enough sources. I mean, the lack of individuality does not necessarily imply a lack of appropriate abilities and for all we know, the “nameless” members just wear proper uniforms for their duties. Something that maybe even the named characters would wear if any source actually showed their downtime between missions. Frankly, the classic “ninja look” also makes everyone look alike, with only proper colors to distinguish between characters. Like the old comics version of Sub-Zero and Hydro - the main detail to tell them apart was the color of their eyes because both wore the typical Lin Kuei blue and dark uniform.

There is a lot to say about Lin Kuei warriors, so I will focus only on the aspects most vital to the subject and the role and effect it has on the Lin Kuei social structures.

→ armors, uniforms and their colors

Lin Kuei seems to have various uniforms, from those with plain (“classic”) look to very ornamented ones. Like I mentioned earlier, there may be an established type of clothes the warrior should wear on duty between missions while during the job the uniform was personalized due to the owner's skills and preferences. Some more advanced designs could be also a sign of personal achievements and were given / passed down (as family heirloom?) to said warriors.

The most noticeable thing however is the color. Since most clan members shared some kind of blood-ties (thus specific set of genes), the color may represent their connections to a specific branch of the clan. For example, blue was used by cryomancers and those warriors who had water-related powers. At the same time, blue seems like the most common color used by Lin Kuei. It makes sense for Kuai Liang’s warriors to use such tone, as to honor their leader and maybe even cut off from the dark past of the clan but frankly, Sub-Zero’s freezing power was called “ancient one” in Mortal Kombat Conquest TV series that alone was set ages before the last tenth Tournament happened, so maybe the ice/water always played a big role through the history and Lin Kuei simply adapted it for its common use? As to combine the reputation of the clan with the terrifying powers of cryomancers?

There is also grey color used by Smoke that fit well to his special power and yellow worn by Cyrax. Albeit if that has any connection to his unique genes or is just a color for a specific branch of clan or just esthetic, hard to tell.

Then we have a red color that most commonly is related to fire, something that Sektor frequently used at least in the new timeline. At the same time, various Grandmasters used red / reddish or burgundy colors (examples: [1] Mortal Kombat Conquest TV series, [2] Mythologies: Sub-Zero, [3] Sektor’s Ending in Mortal Kombat 9). So the red accents on Sektor’s uniform may in fact be a sign of his blood-ties to the leader (or leading family?).

Whatever true reasons lie behind the meaning of colors, Lin Kuei warriors seem to be segregated in certain smaller groups. Interestingly, even if Sektor’s red color in fact symbolised his connection to Grandmaster, this played little to none role in the MK9 game. Of course, the source did not show much inner dynamic between Bi-Han, Sektor and Cyrax but even with so limited space, Sub-Zero was the central figure in the group screen time which makes an impression he was in fact the leader. Then, the argument about the Cyber Initiative project happened only between Sektor and Cyrax, which could also imply Sub-Zero outranked them so they did not want to bring attention of their superior to their personal conflict. Especially since disobedience to Grandmaster was a serious crime.

→ codenames

Mortal Kombat X and 11 provided information that Shirai-Ruy does have some system of official ranks including the term Chujin that in general was a middle rank between ninjas (Takeda Takahashi is a known example). Lin Kuei has complex social structures but as far as we know, they do not use analogous to Japanese ninja system of ranks and yes, I know I categorized the named characters as the master assassins and thieves but frankly, I don’t remember other warriors to refer to them as such. The warriors just called each other by codename and various sources say the codename wasn’t something that permanently belonged to one individual. The name of “Sub-Zero” is the best example since it was used by many warriors through the course of a long period of time.

In both timelines, Bi-Han and Kuai Liang come from lineage of cryomancers serving Lin Kuei

and currently have ongoing conflict to whom the codename truly belongs. Because apparently, the name is passed to new generations once the younger cryomancer will prove their worth, most likely, by defeating the present champion. This does not mean that one must die because frankly, “retired” cryomancer still could teach adepts or serve the clan in a meaningful way. Also, which is very prominent with cryomancers, their mastery over ice grew stronger with passing years, so Bi-Han and Kuai Liang’s Grandfather in fact could be a pretty powerful warrior even as an old man.

The important thing however is that, the codenames may determine the position in clan hierarchy. We don’t have a way to analyze the subjection between codenames and social status of Sektor, Cyrax or Smoke but names used by cryomancers may define their level of mastery over ice. The title of Sub-Zero has existed for ages and I think it is right to assume this is a codename intended only for the best of the best. Sadly, we don’t know how high in the hierarchy was “Tundra” but we can’t cross the possibility that Bi-Han at some point in his career used that name too, before he managed to earn the mantle of Grandfather’s name.

So, Lin Kuei may not use typical ranks and instead stick to codenames passed from one generation to another. Thus no one is addressing Bi-Han as the master assassin and thief but everyone knows that the person using the codename “Sub-Zero” is one of top warriors in the service of the clan.

→ combat experiences, teachers and retirement

Combat experience is something that affects a warrior’s position in a clan because no amount of training (even as hellish as training of Lin Kuei adepts) will be the same as real life and death struggle. The more experienced a warrior is, the more valuable become to the clan. At the same time, old age will slow down even the best of the best fighters at some point. Surprisingly, the first game mentioned (hinted) the idea of retirement in Lin Kuei in Sub-Zero’s (Non-Canonical) Ending:

"After receiving the title of Grand Champion, Sub-Zero disappears back into the shadows from which he came. His only goal in the tournament was...the assassination of Shang Tsung. He was paid a large sum of money by one of Tsung's wealthy enemies. With his mission accomplished, Sub-Zero will collect his fortune and retire from his dangerous profession."

The original Sub-Zero was usually described as 32 years old. Which doesn’t sound old, but if we take into account the previously mentioned passage from the book, the teachings started at the age of 5 or 6 which could mean Bi-Han already survived two decades of harsh servitude to the clan (that abducted him and his younger brother). No one leaves Lin Kuei but there is a possibility that at some age the warrior may step down from the dangerous profession. Then, such a “retired” fighter could train adepts and young, less experienced members of the clan and maybe even start a family that will produce offspring - preferable with special powers - to supply the clan with new recruiters.

Because of that I assume that warriors in their prime were used mainly to do the dirty job and get as much money and valuable items as possible. Once they survived to a certain age, they shared the gained wisdom with less experienced fighters. We don’t know how students and teachers (“sifu”?) were assigned to each other; it may be related to their family ties or similars powers (cryomancers teaching cryomancers, like Kuai Liang and Frost) or the veterans picked youngsters for certain skills or traits that made them worth the time and effort. Anyway, veterans, as those who survived years of service, should be placed high in the hierarchy. Because their experiences and wisdom help to shape a new generation of warriors earning money and fame for the clan.

→ they work alone, in pairs or in bigger groups.

We rarely see the “nameless warriors” working alone - in case of danger or mission, they form a small army and do as they are commanded by Grandmaster (MKX) or one of master assassins, like Bi-Han (Mortal Kombat 2021). In contrast various sources show that named characters usually worked in pairs (Smoke & Tundra, Cyrax & Sektor, Sub-Zero/Bi-Han & Hydro) or alone (Bi-Han, Frost) and in some special cases, commanded larger groups of warriors.

This is an interesting detail, because all the named warriors seem to be to some degree familiar with each other even though it looks like they were permanently paired. Of course, training together will have this effect, but Lin Kuei operated world-wide and in different realms so it is not guaranteed that warriors had time to hang out between missions or to be at the same time in headquarters. If they possessed diverse, opposing elements, after passing the trials and earning the title of warrior, they could be trained separately. Thus again, a smaller chance to form (forbidden) friendship. Which is why I think there must be some exercises that force fighters to cooperate or test their skills in some sort of tournaments. Partially to see how well they fare in fight (thus judge their usefulness to clan), partially to establish hierarchy between them.

Who and how decides about pairing certain fighters is completely a mystery. On one hand, Hydro (water) and Sub-Zero (ice) were compatible and probably naturally increased their own powers. But we also have Kuai Liang (ice) and Tomas (smoke) whose elements seem like not the best combination since Smoke’s power should work better with fire (at least his battle cry, “Where there is Smoke, there is fire!” suggests that) and there is Cyrax and Sektor who powerwise may work well, but their mindsets are extremely different.

Are warriors forced into such partnerships by their superiors or were they allowed to find the right partner, sadly we do not know. On one hand, the dynamic between named characters makes an impression they are in fact an equal partners - Smoke joined Kuai Liang in his quest for revenge on his own (MK9), Sektor didn’t manage to force Cyrax into submission before the man left the clan. Comics!Sub-Zero and Hydro were so close that “Bi-Han” wasn’t afraid to admit his fears of undead Scorpion relentlessly haunting him and Hydro was supportive all the time (“Blood and Thunder”). On the other hand, partnership could provide additional safety and increase the chances of survival during missions and maybe even uphold an already earned social position, so the warriors may seek each other for solely pragmatic reasons, even more since friendship was seen as a weakness and forbidden. I also suspect that though partnership between two warriors was based on mutual benefits, there could be fierce competition between pairs.

Surprisingly, all known to us partnerships are between male characters. There is no gender-mixed duo as far as sources are concerned (unless comics!Hydro was female, trans- or agender person and frankly, for 4 comics issues only one narrator box used the pronunciation of “he” for Hydro, while Scorpion was constantly called by Lin Kuei, other characters or narratives as “he”, which always makes me wonder about Hydro’s gender. Or did comics!Lin Kuei warriors talk about themselves in third person to not betray their and their comrades true identity / gender?). Regardless of the nature of said partnership, those working together share a strong bond. Kuai Liang and Tomas outright considered themselves very close friends (family) despite clan rules that forbidden friendship. Bi-Han was willing to show his weakness / fear to Hydro who in return was very protective of him and even Sektor shows a pathological need to keep Cyrax at his side despite all the oblivious signs how unwise this decision is. Frost, sadly, didn’t have any named partner (what may be related to her role of chief between female Lin Kuei warriors) and if she was included in an important mission, she partnered Grandmaster (MK: Deadly Alliance). And their collaboration was based on a master-apprentice relationship, so it had none of the equality that characterizes the previously mentioned duos.

Of course, ultimately, the warrior who works alone does not need to share the fame (and earning?) with anyone. Bi-Han is the best example of that (Mythologies: Sub-Zero, Mortal Kombat novel (1995) or his bio from the original game). And yes, every warrior should be capable of completing the job, but though weak Lin Kuei fighters may look superhuman in Earthrealm they will not last long in Outworld.

And that brings us to another important matter:

→ the place of activity.

Because those who work frequently in Outworld by default should be considered better in the combat area. But at the same time, Lin Kuei must have a wide and well organized spy network, to keep track of all potential recruits (Smoke and Cyrax), access to science research and laboratories and so on. So, especially in modern times, combat skills may not be the most appreciated feature anymore and some Lin Kuei warriors, no matter how weak they are compared to others, will still have their special value to Grandmaster’s plans. Due to the nature of spying, they could also work alone or in small groups far from their homeland. Thus, operate outside the social hierarchy established between other warriors.

→ Punishments

A warrior could die on mission at any moment, but also could be killed for various offenses, such as:

Leaving the clan - punished by death and this seems to be a consistent punishment in all sources. Of course a determined warrior could manage to successfully run away (like Takeda, the founder of Shirai Ryu or Kuai Liang did) but Lin Kuei does not forget such crime and will hunt down the fugitive for years. The best example comes from the Mortal Kombat book, in which Sub-Zero spent two decades hunting down his own ex-partner in crime to kill him in a brutal way in front of the man's family.

So even if someone managed to run away and start a new life, there was no escape from the clan's wrath. In the modern time, Cyrax was captured and cyborgized - for him, it was fate worse than death. This actually brings the question, if there were warriors responsible for hunting down fugitives or was it the duty of those whose partners broke the sacred rule of “no one leaves Lin Kuei”?

Failure of mission - another known major crime punishable by death yet most likely not applies to Kuai LIang’s reformed clan.

In the Conquest TV series, by Grandmaster’s order two warriors that failed the mission were killed by then current Sub-Zero. This was as much public execution to show others what happens once you fail as presenting the ice powers of freshly promoted cryomancer:

“Before you stand two who have failed. For this there can be but one consequence and it must come from within, within us. Earth, wind, fire, water. To control one element of the four that make up life is power. A twist of nature, an aberration, one who brings forth true killing force. Before you stand one whose ancestors have passed on such power to us. Remember this well. Behold... Sub Zero. [Grandmaster’s speech, episode 3, “Cold Reality”]”

This is just one example from the distant past but it may also be a suggestion that warriors with special powers played the role of executors.

Another example, from Mythologies: Sub-Zero, thus relative modern times:

Scorpion: Yessss... I am Scorpion. You killed me in cold blood.

Sub-Zero: I had no choice. If I had not stolen that map I would be the dead one.

Frankly this attitude is both inhuman treatment of subordinates (failure in itself is just another source of experiences and sometimes failed mission wasn't the result of someone’s mistake or incompetence but of independent circumstances) and unpragmatic (losing manpower). We may only wonder if warriors were punished for failing all kinds of missions or just selected ones. At the same time, a fighter that survived to old age should be really respected - with such harsh laws, not many members live to old age and those who did through the decades failed little to no missions.

Lin Kuei punished also impostors:

which brings us back to the point about codenames and their relationship with social position (and hey, Noob’s complaints aren’t baseless). We don’t know though what kind of punishment was used for such an offense.

Disobeying Grandmaster was also a big deal. I suspect this could be punished by death too although rather not in Kuai Liang’s clan:

“When Sub-Zero made historic peace with his clan’s enemy, Scorpion, defiant Frost challenged her Grandmaster as unfit to lead. Sub-Zero defeated and banished Frost. [MK11]”

In general, Lin Kuei laws were harsh and cruel and it was really easy to lose such hard-earned privileges and positions.

Recruits

In ancient times, children were abducted at the age of 5 or 6 and forced into harh training. Some didn’t survive but those who did became fully pledged to Lin Kuei warriors. In modern times, it seems like most adepts have some blood-ties to other members of the clan and usually are “given” for training freely. There are exceptions to the rule, like Bi-Han and Kuai Liang, who were stolen from home at a young age. Finally, there are people who seem to join Lin Kuei on their own (or at least they think it was their choice), like Smoke, Cyrax and Frost.

(Tomas and Frost are confirmed users of special powers. Cyrax most likely possesses some unique genes too or at least is capable of well controlling his own energy (chi) during fight. Frankly, it looks like Sektor is the only one named Lin Kuei who does not utilize any special power. Ironically, considering how Grandmaster (Oniro) from Defenders of the Earthrealm was shapeshifter. Who knows, maybe Sektor didn’t inherited father’s unique skills?)

So even recruits are a diverse group to begin with and include people ethnically totally different from the majority(?) who needed to learn a new language(s) and culture from scratch. This alone gives a ground for potential conflicts though there is little to none examples of racism between Lin Kuei adult members? I mean, Lin Kuei used to look down on everyone who wasn’t one of them all the same, with special hatred for Shirai-Ryu - not for being Japanese (different ethinc group) but just for being Shirai-Ryu.

The adepts were trained by older warriors and looking at Sub-Zero’s origin (MK9), some adepts trained with family members (Kuai Liang and Bi-Han and maybe even under their Grandfather’s eye?) and teacher (Sifu?) could train more than one student at the same time.

In a way, those coming from the lineage of warriors could be from the start at better social standing than those who were “no ones” or came from far away lands and needed to earn respect of others. Those blood-related to clan members either developed specific powers during training or at least possesed special DNA that could be passed down to the next generation. So, even if those children weren’t the best of best fighters, they still have something valuable to the clan.

At the same time, again, Sektor doesn’t seem to have any special privileges, not once in game(s) called his father as anything other than Grandmaster and in general, he did not have much presence (respect?) between other warriors. I mean, he freely spoke only with Cyrax who in the end did not listen to him at all and almost always fell silent if there were more people around. So yeah, how big an impact on social dynamic between fighters had their blood-ties is not sure.

I’m not gonna talk much about the life of adepts (and there is a lot to say about potential pathologies and harm done to the kids), but they for sure were the lowest rank in (warrior) hierarchy, at least until they proved their worth.

So, the Lin Kuei warriors could be separated in three categories, from lower social rank to the highest:

adepts (in-training, maybe assisting in missions under the watchful eye of their superiors),

warriors (the one earning income),

veterans (teachers)

and the circle was completed.

(For some reason, the circle of Lin Kuei warrior life resembles the “Three-field system” but I have weird associations, I guess).

Household?

When we talk about the Lin Kuei clan, the first association that comes to mind is its warrior nature. But with such a large organisation, warriors are just one social class rather than the majority. Because someone needs to feed them, cloth, arm, heal, which seems logical to assume that there were other specializations that keep the clan running.

I mean, Lin Kuei is an independent faction that as far as we know, has no ties to any earthrealm government. This alone suggests to keep that independence the clan have to possess their own source of food, water, medical supplies and access to other necessary resources, so no enemy could besiege their strongholds and starve them and so on.

⇒ The medics will be for sure an appreciated branch of the clan. And yes, warriors to some degree must have medical knowledge (if not to save people then at least to know how to successfully kill them) but at the same, with so many specific genes and used in fight elements, some Lin Kuei members may have different medical needs than normal people.

⇒ Armorers (and smiths?) provide clan additional defensive equipment and weapons. And we know that even in modern times Lin Kuei barely used firearms and relied more on shurikens, knives and swords.

⇒ Scientists, computer experts and researchers, especially in modern times when C.I. Project became a thing, most likely playing a big role in the clan, fulfilling Grandmaster’s wish to change warriors into cyborgs. May not be liked by the traditionalist members of Lin Kuei, but favored by the leader (so be untouchable).

⇒ Farmers and craftsmen, providing the clan with the basic needs. I doubt they had much impact on social dynamics and may not even live on the grounds of the Lin Kuei Temple / Fortress. I imagine them living in the surrounding villages (or at the foot of the mountains?), giving the Lin Kuei food and handicrafts (and maybe even their own children?) as a tribute, and in return get protection.

My conclusion is that, Lin Kuei have pretty complex social structures in which Grandmaster and his closes circle administrate the whole system, warriors, depending on their age and expertises, are responsible for earning money and prepare the new generation to replace them, while household is there to keep previously mentioned groups alive and in the best condition. Everyone plays a role that helps to maintain Lin Kuei independence and reputation.

So, finally I get to the main part of the question about the dynamic between characters.

Who outrank who is a good question. The Grandmaster of course is above everyone else and so are the “ancient masters” / inner circle. Bi-Han seems to be one of the favored warriors by Grandmaster, the only(?) one confirmed to be the most cunning assassin and thief and the use of a codename associated with “ancient power” only adds to that impression. So, in regard to the named five characters (him, Kuai Liang, Smoke, Cyrax and Sektor) I would say Bi-Han outranked everyone. At the same time, he does not act arrogant against his fellow clansmen. Okay, to be honest, he seems to not interact much with anyone but that is rather the abrasive, asocial nature of cryomancer than anything else, really. And we have examples from various sources that Bi-Han wasn’t always rude to people around him. (Noob is another deal, but even then he has a more passive-aggressive attitude toward his brother than outright hate / arrogance).

Anyway, Bi-Han outranked the others. And yet, he does not seem to perform any special social functions - except maybe at Grandmaster’s command executing those who failed. In contrast, in MKX intro vs. Sonya, Frost was described by Kuai Liang as “chief among [female Lin Kuei]” which implies her high rank and responsible position in social structures.

One may wonder why Bi-Han most likely wasn’t given similar honor but to be an effective chief, the person must be available and close at hand. Going with Mythologies, the elder Sub-Zero barely came back from one mission (stealing map of elements) to be sent right away for another difficult task (stealing Shinnok amulet and side trip to Netherrealm) and then next one (Mortal Kombat Tournament). Of course, the game due to its limited time and space, won’t focus on realism such as making a proper preparation for the job but even if Bi-Han was allowed little rest between one and another mission, it really looks like he didn’t spend much time at Lin Kuei Temple. Thus there was no point in giving him any big group to oversee, if he wasn’t available to control what was going on between his subordinates. Also, he seems pretty familiar with Smoke and Kuai Liang’s close relationship but there are not many hints that he tried to do something about their breaking clan rules forbidding friendship.

Then again, there is a possibility that Kuai Liang, Smoke, Cyrax and Sektor did in fact belong to Bi-Han’s own “cohort” what could explain

A) why all the five characters are always so closely tied up to each other while the rest of clan members are just a background and

B) why with Sub-Zero’s death everything went to hell between them.

(And again, the amount of duties to female Lin Kuei could keep Frost from leaving headquarters too often, thus no need for partnership with anyone. Because of that, she grew angry at Kuai Liang for “holding her back” and at the same time not respecting enough to grant her the title of Sub-Zero).

Pragmatic resolution to solving inner conflict would be some kind of neutral judge (chief) and the fight for rank and position most likely happened under watch of superior(s). As in, official challenge, especially for top ranks like Sub-Zero. The official fight did not need to end with someone’s death but this could be one of rare situations when a warrior could kill the other fighter - or even the hated teacher / master? - without much consequence. Of course, Lin Kuei proved pragmatism is not always a priority but I strongly believe the clan structures were based on discipline and so arbitrary fights were also severely punished. What is the point of having warriors if they can’t be sent to earn money due to unnecessary injuries? Also, corporal punishment in itself shouldn’t be that big deal for society growing up in brutal ways since early childhood - which is why I suspect that the punishments were administered in public. As a form of humiliation, to force the guilty people to earn respect of fellow warriors again from scratch.

I suspect that warriors could be separated into smaller groups - basing on their special powers or family connection? - that competed with each other. Age could also regulate how one person should act around the others; for example, like youngling around veteran or fully trained fighter. Not sure how this rule could relate to those representing “household”. Were there laws protecting them or could they be bullied/killed on whim? Could warriors even be involved romantically with “servants” / lower class? The good thing from such affair could be the birth of children given to the clan once they were old enough and well, sex with “outsider” in itself can be a good way to relieve the warriors growing tension / stress resulting from living in a brutal environment without complicating things between companions. To be fair, some warriors could have romantic / intimate relationships with each other as well but most likely kept them secret to avoid punishment.

There is also a matter of who and how chose warriors to represent Lin Kuei at Mortal Kombat Tournament. I mean, Bi-Han was always the first choice, supported by the first game and Mythologies but did he choose Sektor and Cyrax as his companions or they naturally were chosen as part of his group or did Grandmaster assign them to Sub-Zero on his own? Dunno but keeping the five named Lin Kuei warriors together through the course of years really makes me think they came from the same, for a lack of better word, a cohort.

Cryomancers most likely stuck together (Bi-Han and Kuai Liang) and Smoke tagged along. Cyrax looks like an easy going type of person who isn't afraid to speak his mind so I wouldn’t be surprised if he were either on good terms with most clan members or pissing the rest while human Sektor, in contrast, is much more introverted, or even withdrawn from social interaction. This is of course only my subjective feeling, but he lacks a dominant presence to make a big impression. Not like the older Sub-Zero or Cyrax. Then we have Tundra!Kuai Liang whose loyalty belongs first and foremost to an older brother than the clan itself and to honor Bi-Han he will get into all sorts of dangerous problems and conflicts not caring for consequences at all. A behaviour that may not sit well with Sektor (even more, if he never had such a strong bond with own father/other people?). Sektor and Kuai Liang have a long history of ideological conflict and I suspect they truly could agree only about not giving up Cyrax’s remains to anyone and whatever was going on, protect the body at all cost.

Interestingly, as much as Kuai Liang and Tomas or Kuai Liang and Cyrax were close and on good terms (especially after the fiasco of C.I. project), Bi-Han and Sektor seem to be much closer to each other. If not in the stricte emotional sense, they at least share the pride in Lin Kuei and strive for perfection (manifesting itself in accepting their drastic changes for example). Even with limited sources, the storyline never(?) put Sektor and Bi-Han against each other, either as humans or cyborg and wraith and I strongly suspect there may be something much deeper about their relationship that lack of interaction on screen could suggest in the first place (x)(x).

Then we have tradition vs technology.

This most likely is a modern issue that could be the basis for serious inner conflicts between warriors. Those taking jobs in Outworld for sure must be powerful fighters, especially since technology is not something working well there. Bi-Han in most if not all sources was a traditionalist who didn’t use much or outright refused to use technology and I wouldn’t be surprised if he worked in Outworld frequently (especially Bi-Han in the newest movie was presented as a close associate of Shang Tsung). For the weaker warriors, advanced technology could be a life-saver. Then there is the whole Cyber Initiative that divided (and ultimately destroyed) Lin Kuei. For such a project, the clan either worked with independent / private researchers and cybernetic experts or actually had its own specialists (another possible social group?).

From MK9 we know Cyrax spoke in public against Grandmaster’s plan. In Defenders of the Realm, Smoke and Kuai Liang run from the clan at the first occasion to avoid such fate. Logically thinking, Sektor (supporter of the advanced technology) should not get along well with Bi-Han (stubborn traditionalist), the same as he fell out with Cyrax, Smoke and Kuai Liang. And yet there is not much evidence suggesting any big conflict between them. Of course, Sektor could simply not speak against his superior(?) the same as he argued with Cyrax but in all fairness, I doubt Bi-Han’s lack of use of technology was a secret not openly critiqued by others. I mean, even comics!Kuai Liang said about his brother that Bi-Han was “stubborn in many ways, refused to utilize modern technology on his missions. A shame, really. He was among the Lin Kuei’s finest --although fast becoming obsolete”. If Sektor and Bi-Han (and the rest of the group) worked together on joint missions, the issue of technology would come sooner than later. Though I suspect that no matter what Sektor would say, Bi-Han outstubborn him anyway. On other hand, it looks like only Sektor needed/chose to use advanced technology (flame thrower) while the rest relied on their special powers. In that case, being Sektor between gifted people for sure was a hard deal.

So, if I have to rank them I would say Bi-Han → Sektor & Cyrax who most likely were at least a bit higher than Kuai Liang (younger cryomancer) and Smoke. In case of conflict, I think as long as it was possible, they solved their problems among themselves. Bringing authority (Grandmaster, one of chiefs(?) or Bi-Han)’s attention was never a good idea because it could lead to public punishment / humiliation. Bi-Han may or may not knock some sense into others if the inner conflict gets out of hand or at least told them into face how idiotic they are (and he is pretty famous for insulting/mocking even those he shouldn’t. Like Quan Chi, a powerful client. Which is why I doubt he would tone down his natural abrasiveness. Especially not for an idiot that actually deserves it ).

And yet, whatever conflict was between those five characters, they still stayed loyal to each other. At least until someone outright broke one of the most punishable laws, like leaving the clan.

For example, Cyrax and Sektor argued about C.I. project - and most likely it was already an ongoing argument between them. Cyrax even was “among those speaking out against the Grand Master’s plan”. Not a good thing for their partnership yet Sektor still vouched for Cyrax when Shang Tsung had his doubts about the man. Or how Bi-Han changed sides during Tournament (MK9) - otherwise his fight against Scorpion would have zero sense - and maybe he did discuss the course of his action with his fellow clan members. But whatever he told or not what was going on, Cyrax was absolutely ready to kill Scorpion to avenge fallen cryomancer (“Scorpion will pay for this!”). Then we have Smoke not abandoning Kuai Liang even though he was already turned into Cyber Sub-Zero and attacked his friend and of course furious Tundra interrupting the Outworld Tournament and literally demanding from the Emperor to bring him Bi-Han’s murderer to kill. Hell, even Noob and Cyber Sektor stick to each other despite everything that happened.

Those five were a really loyal group, weren’t they?

So, in general:

the social structures of Lin Kuei were diverse and complex,

the punishment was harsh and deadly - in some cases, executed by a fellow warrior in public.

Bi-Han most likely had a high position in clan hierarchy but he wasn’t outright called a master

and there is possibility Sektor, Cyrax, Smoke and Kuai Liang worked under his command.

Most of the Lin Kuei members share blood ties to some degree but experiences and skills seem to outrank any family bond. In contrast to friendship, keeping touch with family (within the clan) is rather not forbidden. There may be a conflict between friendship (a choice) and family matters (a fate / tradition of serving Lin Kuei to uphold).

Kuai Liang and Smoke broke clan rules forbidding friendship (and Bi-Han did nothing about that?).

Cyrax most likely were familiar with Tundra and Smoke enough to like / respect each other. In the case of Tomas, the additional factor for keeping together could be the fact that both were born as outsiders (different ethnicity, lack of blood ties to clan).

Cyrax and Kuai Liang had ideological conflict with Sektor, who in turn seems to be on good terms with Bi-Han.

Bi-Han on the other hand seemed to not have any conflict with the four named warriors? Kuai Liang was his brother (and there is no example he was abused in any way by the older sibling, I think?), MK9!Smoke may not be on a first name basis with Bi-Han (didn’t call him in game as anything else than Sub-Zero or Kuai Liang’s brother) but he was accepted as Kuai Liang’s close friend. At the beggining of Tournament, Cyrax was seen on Sub-Zero’s right side and there is the scene-parallel (with Sektor cut off from the frame, the impression is that we were shown the honorable/”good” Lin Kuei) and he showed protectiveness toward Sub-Zero.Then there is Sektor who somehow get along with Bi-Han (and Noob) without any complaints or problems. Of course, Smoke, Cyrax and Sektor could be smart enough to not get in any open conflict with abrasive Bi-Han. Kuai Liang is a whole different matter, I guess.

The named characters in fact didn’t need to like each other but they were taught discipline and loyalty to the group from the start. Though it would be really hilarious if the most abrasive cryomancer with little to no social skills was in fact the one that keep them all together and was a bridge between strong-willed/hotheaded Kuai Liang & Smoke, independent Cyrax and blindly loyal, withdrawn Sektor.

I’m not sure if such a mix of strong personalities was the norm between warrior groups or was it just Bi-Han’s luck to get involved with duos of Tundra-Smoke and Sektor-Cyrax at some point. Anyway, this is my take on social structures and dynamics between Lin Kuei.

Hope it satisfies your curiosity!

[alittledizzy]

Advent Day 23: LOTRIPS

This prompt showed up in my advent form and it’s been on my mind since I saw it. It’s not a fic but I hope you’ll enjoy it in place of one today!

Hi! This isn’t fan fiction per say but I’m very interested in early fandom history and saw you mention lotrips— it’s difficult to find good information about what the fandom was like back then and I’m especially curious about the real person shipping/ domlijah aspect of it. If you’d like, could you say what it was like back then and what happened to it/ how fandom and opinions have changed? Have a great day!

This answer really ended up being more about my experiences specifically than the shipping, but if you want to ask specific questions about that I’m happy to share opinions! I think I just don’t know how to approach that from such an expansive perspective. Also lotrips friends please jump in!! 

When I think of my time in lotrips fandom, I think of three main things: 

Fic: This was not the first fandom I wrote for, it wasn’t even the first fandom I actively participated in, but it was still a revelation. I fell into lotr/lotrips during the second half of my senior year of high school, at the same time I had just been outed at my rural Mississippi high school by my childhood best friend. I did not have a good senior year, and this fandom dropped into my lap right when I really needed escapism. 

My origin story: my senior english teacher was out on maternity leave and the sub was a massive fan of Tolkien and had us watch Fellowship. (The Two Towers had just hit theaters, so FOTR was the only one available on DVD). Over that Christmas break I found the fandom and I found livejournal. I lurked for a while (longer than I’d ever lurk in a fandom now) but within a few weeks I hit up someone for an LJ invite code, since at the time you still couldn’t just sign up. (Shoutout gabbyhope, wherever you are, from the once upon a time seventeen year old that emailed you saying please read my (shitty) fic and also help me, a total stranger, get on this website.) 

I started writing and posting fic fairly quickly after that. It’s funny because I know I made friends, I know people liked my fic, and I was passionate about writing. But when I look back the things that really stand out to me aren’t what I wrote or the reception I got, but the amazing writers in that fandom that I knew and followed. Some of them became what I hope are lifelong friends, some of them were only in my life for a short time, and some of them I never even talked to but their work influenced me so much. That fandom more than any other helped shape who I am as a writer. 

AIM Chatrooms: There was no social media! There was no performative fandom creative output for the purpose of trying to get notices from the actors online. The fic was on livejournal, you posted there, people commented. No one from the cast was in that space. That just wasn’t a thing. So the social bond of the community seemed a lot stronger. 

But people still wanted to get together and talk in a more immediately way, you know? so the main group of friends I had in that fandom came from an AOL Instant Messenger chat room that we called “fandom chat.” The awesome thing about AOL is that you could invite yourself into a room, so all you had to do was know the name of the chatroom and boom you were there. I invited myself in and after, idk, a few months I just felt like a natural part of it. 

Every single night we would gather and chat about everything under the sun. I met the longest relationship I’ve ever had in that chat room. I had my first (and second, and third and fourth, shhh look we were all young and kinda horny) kisses with women from people who were in that chatroom. I met friends that would change my life. I was exposed to so much from other countries and other cultures and other ways of life that I’d never had my eyes opened to before. Even as I type this, a part of me just misses what a pure social experience that felt like for me.  

Conventions: I went to every single Lord of the Rings convention there was. I stayed with people that I knew from fandom chat, but I also met so many people there. I flew on a plane for the first time going to a convention. I had those first kisses at conventions. I fell in love with a new side of fandom culture I’d never really felt before, and the reality that the people in my computer screen didn’t have to only be there. Meeting the celebs was exciting but nothing compared to the bonding experiences. And like, yeah, there was absolutely drama. Amongst people who were around my age I think we all (well, the queer ones) had weird crushes on each other and there was jealousy and some pettiness and it was like any social group of baby gays dipping a toe into the world for the first time. But I love those people so much, even the ones I haven’t talked to in years, and I love how many other people I just never would have met otherwise. Maybe I have some rose colored glasses on but if so it’s just because LOTRIPS gave me the building blocks for what I expect a fandom to be for me and what I want to get out of it. 

[ladyartemesia]

DO NOT TRANSLATE, REPOST, OR COPY MY WORK AND/OR IN ANY WAY CLAIM IT AS YOUR OWN

MINORS ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED FROM READING OR INTERACTING WITH THIS POST OR ANY OF THE CONTENT LINKED WITHIN THIS POST. I DO NOT CONSENT TO ANY INTERACTION WITH MINORS. PROCEEDING PAST THIS POINT AND/OR ACCESSING ANY OF THESE LINKS WILL BE CONSIDERED AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT YOU ARE OVER THE AGE OF 18.

Hands-On Learning

You have (most inconvieniently) become obsessed with your dissertation partner’s hands. In an effort to relieve some stress about it, you begin sending texts to your best friend detailing - explicitly - what you want those hands to do to you. Perhaps you should have checked the number a bit more carefully... College AU (Notes, Drabbles, and Extras in the HOL Universe)

Oreos and Electroshock Couples Therapy

You and precinct playboy Jeon Jungkook go undercover to catch a killer targeting engaged couples. Rivals to Lovers meets Fake Dating (Loosely inspired by Brooklyn 99)

Heart of the Storm

Jeon Jungkook was the handsome RA that you could never quite bring yourself to talk to, and you were the ice princess whose status kept you far out of his reach... But a selfless act of kindness in the midst of a terrible storm forges an unexpected bond between you - one that could break your guarded heart... or finally set it free. College AU

Boyfriend Material

Falling in love is never quite what we expect it to be. From the first spark of interest to the first fight, this (occasionally comedic) take on the path to true love is about two imperfect people who are perfect for each other. Friends to Lovers Bullet Point Fic

Once Upon a Bracelet

You were born to nothing, but your powerful craft caught the eye of a charming prince. However, his distinctly un-charming younger brother challenged your betrothal and is routinely challenging you. Jeon Jungkook is (probably) a former necromancer and (definitely) the wrong prince. But the bracelets tell a different story. Fairytale Royalty AU (Notes, Drabbles, and Extras in the OUAB Universe)

The Mentor (Preview)

Jeon Jungkook is a rising star in your agency, but as an established idol with a raging international fan base, you couldn’t care less... that is until you’re forced to “mentor” the brash young rookie in a cringy reality show. Between the pranks, the suggestive teasing, and one extraordinarily irate goat, you and Jungkook will either kill each other or learn that there are some things in life that are truly worth fighting for... Non-Cannon Idol AU

Drabbles

The Painter (Sub JK)

PARK JIMIN HAS SEEN MY GRANNY PANTIES

The best time to encounter your work crush is when you’ve just bounced down the stairs and are probably delirious. Teachers AU

The Alpha

The mate of the Luna, the one true moon princess, is The Alpha and everyone knows it will be Kim Namjoon... Except it isn’t. When the ritual is complete, the moon princess kneels before Park Jimin and upends her pack’s predictable hierarchy. Werewolf (ABO) Fantasy AU Series

Back to You

Kim Taehyung was the love of your life. One day he disappeared without a trace. Established Relationship Fluff

Heat Run

Alpha lawyer V is a man of many secrets, but his well-ordered reality splinters wildly out of control when he crosses paths with a fiery omega determined to save the world from his wicked ways. A/B/O Lawyers AU Series

All I Want For Christmas is You

When Park Jimin is unable to escort his precious sister through the gauntlet of corporate holiday galas, he blackmails his best friend Taehyung into being her chaperone. After all, who better to safeguard his headstrong sibling than a man who would never want her for himself? (She and Tae have spent the better part of a decade mutually disliking each other - and that’s putting it mildly.) Yet, even the best laid plans may go awry at Christmas and Kim Taehyung is about to discover that the girl he never wanted has become a temptation he cannot resist... Brother’s Best Friend featuring Enemies-to-Lovers (Notes, Drabbles, and Extras in the AIWFCIY Universe)

Arrested

Love is hard with secrets... especially if you’re a criminal in love with a police detective. Enemies to Lovers with a Twist

Kim Seokjin and the Mean Omega (Preview) (Teaser 2)

In the modern world, alphas are almost unheard of so why even bother learning about them? After all, as a spoiled (but reasonably kind-hearted) omega who is used to getting whatever she wants, you have better things to do. However, when unexpected circumstances throw you in the path of (extremely) nerdy and (probably?) shy Kim Seokjin, you're shocked to discover that he won't be wrapped around your little finger as easily as all the rest. Bringing that infuriating geek to his knees quickly becomes your personal mission in life... But it turns out that Kim Seokjin is not what he appears to be and the mean omega who eats beta boys for breakfast is about to get way more than she bargained for... A/B/O Enemies to Lovers/Best Friend's Brother AU

The Choice

The prophesy is clear, but the path ahead is not. Your betrothal to the cruel crown prince has never been questioned, but it is his brother, the notorious bastard prince, whose quiet fire ignites your destiny. Fantasy AU

The Mark of Yun-Ki

For a thousand years the tiger god Yun-Ki has marked the heirs of the Min Empire and thus only a marked heir can inherit the throne. When the beautiful daughter of the emperor’s loyal warlord rescues a mysterious tiger hybrid from the imperial prison, she unleashes a secret that the throne would kill to protect. The young emperor claims to be the chosen heir… but who really bears the Mark of Yun-Ki? Fantasy Daechwita Royalty (Hybrid/ABO) AU (Morning After Drabble)

▨ drabble masterlist ▨

Contains drabbles for all members. Ratings vary. Length is usually under 2K words.

▨ on writing ▨

Advice on Writers Block

Hidden Truths

Brief Thoughts on World Building

Writing Hybrid/A•B•O Heats

Betas in A•B•O and Hybrid Stories

WIP List

Memo About Asks

Tips on Getting Engagement and Interaction

▨ for fun ▨

Tiny Soulmate Story

How I Make My Edits and Banners

Phases of BTS Masterpost

Trials of a Fan Fic Writer

Attempting to Figure Out My BTS Bias

Banner Portfolio

What Happens Every Comeback

▨ fic rec lists ▨

Brother’s Best Friend Fic Rec/Review List

Taehyung Fic Rec and Review List

Fantasy Writers and Fantasy Stories

Sex Worker AU Rec/Review List

Quick and Dirty Jin Fics

Kinda Subby/Kinda Nerdy Jungkook Fics

Fic Rec Blogs to Follow

▨ note ▨

I previously wrote extensively for a different fandom and some of my BTS fics are reworks of those pieces. If you have any concerns, please contact me and I will happily provide proof of my other online identity. 

[sock-drawers]

does anyone follow the happy sugar life tags? if you do hello and have an info dump.

happy sugar life and love:

the central theme of happy sugar life is love and how people perceive love. all of the characters perceptions of love are what caused them all to be obsessed with shio. all of the characters perceptions of love are warped by their world view and their upbringing. this is just a simple breakdown of how all the characters perceive love and why it causes them to be obsessed with shio.

satou: (tw for mentions of abuse)

satou was raised with a emotionally manipulative aunt who had a warped perception of love herself. satou’s aunt taught satou that the abuse her aunt endured in the hands of her many lovers was just their way of showing love. satou was taught a different perception of love by society, causing satou to sleep around but was only left with a feeling of bitterness. this also ties into the sub-theme of purity (although that theme is definitely more present in taiyou)

when satou met shio a light went off into her head. finally satou found the love that she had been craving for so many years and this love was not bitter. shio herself was perfect, innocent, **pure**. shio was nothing like her aunt or her aunt’s lovers. shio was light itself to satou. satou finally felt the happy sugar life she dreamed of. and she will do anything to protect this happy sugar life.

satou has never felt the pure love for anyone except shio. satou finally saw something pure, something perfect. shio is the complete opposite of everything her aunt represented. shio was the only thing that could make satou feel pure. satou didn’t get that bitter taste she got from other relationship. this is why she latched onto shio and why she went so far out of her way to protect shio.

but in the end it was never about shio, the relationship was only meant to be beneficial to satou, another theme present throughout the show. shio wasn’t satou’s love, shio was the purity that satou wanted in her life.

taiyou: (tw for mentions of sexual assault)

taiyou was a fairly standard guy, he was handsome, charming, he had everything he wanted in life. that all ended once his manager (a woman who also had a warped perception of love) raped him. now taiyou wasn’t what he was before. now taiyou was not perfect. not pure.

to taiyou, shio represents the purity he so desperately wants back. shio is what taiyou wanted to be. pure, clean, innocent. shio was the only thing he felt that could “fix him” although deep down he knew nothin could.

same as it is for satou, shio is not the actual thing he wants. he wants the innocence and purity that leeches off of shio. taiyou doesn’t want shio, he wants to be shio. he wants to be in her position and be the innocent, pure one.

purity was the only thing that made taiyou feel loved. the moment taiyou didn’t feel pure, he felt unloveable. purity was love to taiyou.

asahi: (tw for mentions of abuse)

asahi also grew up around people with a warped perception of love. his father was abusive and his mom could very easily flip a switch. his mother could easily blow up at him or be the sweetest person on the face of the earth. this caused asahi to not feel loved. due to the intense physical abuse his father put him through he felt as if he was not pure.

the difference between satou and taiyou and asahi is asahi isn’t protecting shio out of his own selfish desires. asahi is protecting shio to keep shio from being what he is. asahi wants to protect that purity shio has, not take it for himself or leech off of shio like a parasite.

asahi is showing his love for shio by trying to give her the life he wish he could have. asahi slightly projects himself onto shio, giving shio what he wish he could’ve had.

another part of asahi feels guilty for not being there for shio in the first part of her life, causing him to almost spiral into obsession with finding her, allowing him to be manipulated by others.

but in the end none of this matters to asahi. asahi’s mother showed her love for asahi by enduring the abuse asahi’s dad put her through, giving up her own well being for her children.

all of the happy sugar life characters represent a different part of satou:

shio: her innocence and purity

asahi: her protectiveness over shio and her need to right the wrongs her aunt did to her

taiyou: her facade and how it comes crashing down

the manager and teacher: a more fucked up version of her

all the characters in happy sugar life represent satou in some way or another. a lot of the characters in the show mirror her and her personality traits. almost every character also holds a piece of satou’s personality. by mirroring the characters off of satou it makes her more likeable and justifies her actions in the viewers mind, even if her actions are explicitly not justified.

shio herself represents satou in her early life. they’re appearances even mirror each other and they look incredibly similar.

shio represents who young satou could’ve been without her aunt’s corruption. shio represents the purity and innocence that satou herself no longer has, so she uses shio to supplement that.

asahi represents satou’s protectiveness over satou and her regret in life. asahi holds a lot of regret for not being able to help his mom or stop his dad. he also holds guilt for not being there for shio.

asahi’s life goal is to get back to shio and help her. at the end of the series you see asahi snap and freak out over shio. asahi will do anything to get shio back with him at this point. just like satou does to protect her happy sugar life.

taiyou represents satou’s corruptness and her lost innocence. taiyou recognizes the purenees that comes from shio, and he wants that for himself. similar to how satou hoards shio’s innocence for herself.

taiyou values pureness, just like how satou does. they both value the innocence in shio. satou values that because it is a pure relationship with no ulterior motives, like the many relationships she had been in before. taiyou values it because he feels the need to take shio’s pureness for himself.

(tw for mentions of sexual assault)

the teacher and the manager represent the fucked up part of satou that most people know her as who have seen the series. a pedophile. the difference between the manager and teacher and satou is that satou is only interested in the romantic part of her relationship with shio. also that we are lead to hate the teacher and manager and love satou

the teacher attempts to lure satou into an alleyway and openly admits to cheating on his wife with multiple women. he represents the older part of satou.

the manager raped and kidnapped taiyou and she represents what satou’s aunt implanted in her brain. the toxicity of the manager represents her aunt. and again, they even look similar.

the manager even makes satou look better by comparison when satou tells her “you’re not supposed to go after underage kids.”

the way the writers make the other characters mirror the worst part of satou makes you want to root for satou. by making the teacher and manager worse than satou it’s very easy to say, “at least she’s not like them”.

like it or not shio is safest with satou in the series. with her mother she would be abused by her father, with asahi she would be homeless, taiyou openly admits he would rape her and she’s too young to be out there on her own.

all of this makes satou incredibly sympathetic to the viewer, by portraying her as a lesser evil it’s easier to see why she does what she does. not only that but satou also has the added plus of being a cute teenaged girl. even the manager says to her, “you can’t get everywhere in life by being cute.” but she can, and she does.

by making satou not good nor evil in the viewers eyes it makes her a much more interesting character and by mirroring the other characters off of satou it makes her more sympathetic because the people you’re rooting for have elements of satou in them.

[wheres-sam]

I binge-watched the spn anime because of the brain rot

It’s bad except for the parts that are good, and it’s pretty to look at. Here’s a comprehensive list of pros and cons. Spoilers ahead!

Pros:

- more psychic kid backstories: Max (Nightmare), Lily (Darkness Calling), Jake (Loser)

- more psychic Sam

- more Azazel

- basically if you want more about the psychic/demon kids, watch the anime

- more young Winchesters

- the monsters, the superhuman abilities, the fight scenes, it all looks really cool animated. (But PSA it’s violent. It doesn’t shy away from blood and gore.)

- Sam and Jessica backstory

- more of the brothers being cute and funny together

- Missouri isn’t forgotten

- includes some Japanese legends/mythology

- the impala looks great in every scene. They did Baby good

- the “Supernatural” intro title

- the outro sketches of the boys hanging out with Baby

- Episodes adapted from the original show are different, but I like some of the changes? It’d be boring if it was an exact retelling and the visual medium wasn’t utilized. (I know I said spoilers before, but this is when they get detailed. If you wanna skip over, I’ll tell you where they STOP.)

Nightmare goes more into the abuse Max has suffered. Instead of locking Sam in a closet, Max sends Sam through the floor and covers the hole by breaking his bed in half, and it’s extremely sexy how Sam shoves the 2 halves apart with his mind. Later on Dean puts bandaids on Sam and they talk about demons loudly in front of a fast food intercom.

In My Time of Dying highlights the guilt Sam feels over Dean. In both the og and the anime John verbally blames Sam for not shooting Azazel, but where in the og Sam goes right on arguing, in the anime he reels back for a moment like he was slapped. Dean’s spirit touches Sam’s shoulder, and Sam knows immediately that it’s Dean. He doesn’t even question it. Instead of “Are you here?” it’s “I know you’re with me. I can feel it.” And I love that. Dean figures out right away he’s dealing with a reaper, and the reaper takes on the appearance of Mary to convince Dean to move on to the afterlife. Instead of a Ouija board, Sam uses a laptop to talk to Dean, and the first word Dean types is “Sammy!” Dean is so fond of his little brother and Sam is so baby.

Rising Son is an anime only episode, but it draws inspiration from John’s journal. Dean has a proper breakdown over his dad’s death and the possibility of having to kill Sam. Ms. Lyle, Sam’s favorite teacher who turns out to be possessed, is explored. John takes Dean hunting, and in the journal Dean hesitates to shoot a buck, and little Sam shoots it thinking it was endangering Dean. In the anime, Dean’s cornered by a moose and Sam makes it explode with his mind and it’s so !!! How little Sam’s first words are, “I’m glad you’re okay. It didn’t hurt you?” The boys are covered in blood and guts and Dean’s like 👁👄👁 “Why are you here? Did you do this?” And then Sam starts freaking out a little, the shock sets in. “I don’t know. I don’t know, honest.” And he’s staring at his hands, and I am a big fan of Sam showing superhuman signs as a kid. Like in the journal, Ms. Lyle tries to take Sam. She gives Sam the illusion of a choice to come with her or stay with Dean, and Sam chooses Dean. This ep is pretty much when John figures out Sam has demon blood. He kills another hunter that wants to kill Sam.

Crossroad is based on Crossroad Blues, and I love how the crossroads demon shows up. It’s hard to describe, but it’s so neat, like she’s walking underneath Dean in this mirror world, and then the mirror world takes over the regular world, so you really get this sense of otherworldly seclusion, existing outside of time.

What Is and Should Never Be shows Dean is a firefighter in his ‘Mary never died’ world, and Sam got to play soccer growing up like he wanted. The brothers hold each other after Dean is saved from the Djinn.

AHBL part 1. When Azazel shows Sam that he fed Sam his blood, Sam gags and slaps a hand over his mouth, and I like that reaction more than the live action. The psychic kids get to go more anime with their powers, and that’s a lot of fun. They don’t need weapons. Ava slams Sam into the brick side of a building and cuts him without touching him. Jake snaps Ava’s neck with one hand and then catches Sam in his arms. When Jake attacks Sam, there’s no gun or knife. He’s relying on his super strength, his fists. Sam throws his arms up to protect himself, and (accidentally?) pushes Jake back with his mind, and the collision creates a crater in the ground. Jake puts his fist through Sam’s chest to kill him. It’s brutal and it’s rad as fuck. These kids are terrifyingly powerful.

The Sam and Dean reunion before Sam is killed is not as emotional as the live action imo, but what the anime does intrigues me. Hurts in a different way. Because Sam is stunned after he uses telekinesis again, on Jake, and when he hears Dean behind him Sam freezes. He doesn’t look relieved to see Dean, but wary and weary. It’s Dean taking steps towards him, not the other way around, and it has to be because Sam doesn’t know if Dean saw him push Jake back. Sam doesn’t know how Dean’s going to respond to all this, to him, having powers that come from a demon, the demon, Azazel. Sam hasn’t had a chance to process anything. He’s scared. He’s tired. And the way the anime focuses on Sam’s eyes here. Gah. “Dean. Dean, I’m...” I’m sorry. I’m all right. I’m glad you’re okay. I’m a monster. There’s also this one shot between Sam and Azazel that sends me because of how anime it is.

AHBL part 2. I love how Sam brought back to life is animated, with all the color returning to his face and a light wind rustling his hair and his lips parting to indicate his soul returning to his body. Jake attacks Dean, and, a lot like how Sam activates telekinesis to save Dean from Max in Nightmare, Sam gets a burst of superhuman strength. He rips Jake’s arm off and tackles him to the ground and beats him to death, punches holes into his body, and it’s so savage and bloody and scary, and I love it. The Devil’s Gate opening looks so cool animated. Same goes for Dean shooting Azazel with the Colt.

Not to turn this into a meta post, but I also noticed how the last couple times Sam uses his powers they’re colored green-yellow, the same colors as Mary’s ghost when she reveals herself in the anime’s Home, and I don’t know if that’s intentional, but it’s neat how it draws a connection to Sam’s biological family instead of Azazel’s blood.

The Spirit of Vegas is like Bad Day at Black Rock, but Dean has all the bad luck instead, and it shows off the silly cartoony physics that make animation fun. The boys sleep outside and split a chunk of bread for dinner. Also this lil bit of Dean’s hair tied in a bow.

- (STOP) the brothers are pretty. I am not immune to animated Sam and Dean Winchester.

Cons:

- Jensen doesn’t voice Dean until the last 2 episodes

- The English dialogue is really bad sometimes. I wish I could’ve watched the sub, but I couldn’t figure out how to change the language

- Some character designs are really different from the live action, and maybe that’s petty, but if you’re gonna change the characters diversify them? Don’t just make them unrecognizable white people

- Missouri’s design as a stereotypical witch doctor is racist

- Gordon is replaced by some British guy named Jason?? Why

- There’s an LGBT character who is not accepted by her family and, while that bigotry is always shown to be negative and she dies the hero of the episode, she still dies ://

- In the English dub Lily’s gf is made into her roommate instead. Idk about the sub

- Bobby’s pretty much a totally different character

- Sam and Dean are OOC sometimes

- Dean’s hair usually looks darker than Sam’s and it drives me crazy

- The storytelling is, overall, not nearly as good as the live action

- The non-Japanese lore in some episodes makes no sense. Sometimes it’s just plain ridiculous?? Like there’s a giant robot made of cars and scrap metal controlled by a demon? ? I wish I was making this up

- Meg’s role is severely reduced

- No Harvelles or Roadhouse

- Shadows are overused, but maybe that’s because the og show is so dark?

- I don’t mind the art style. I like the aesthetic, but I wish it was a little more expressive. It doesn’t do Sam’s puppy eyes justice.

- AZAZEL’S SHADOW?? PROPORTIONS?? PEA SIZED HEAD

- Idk why they mashed season 1 and 2 together? The story feels rushed

- there’s not as much chemistry between Sam and Dean, but that’s a given without J2 on screen

- Nobody tells you!! That there’s scenes after the credits!! And some of them are important! Why are important scenes after the credits??

The anime would not be good on its own, without the heart and depth the live action brings, but it works as supplementary material you can cherry pick from. I would watch more if there were more episodes.

It hasn’t turned me off from wanting an spn anime. I’d like to see it continued or redone, with updated animation and better scripts. There’s a lot of potential in exploring more about the psychic kids and Sam’s powers, storylines that were cut short in the og show. Animation is a great medium for showing off the supernatural, getting creative and creepier with the designs, dramatic with the fight scenes, without having to worry about bad CGI. I don’t want a live action reboot, but I think a redone animated series could be a lot of fun! (As long as it’s not an excuse to make any romantic ships take over. SPN is a platonic love story, and I like it that way.)

If you made it to the end here and are interested in watching the spn anime, you can watch it for free on the CW Seed app! You can probably stream it elsewhere, but idk where!

[straydog733]

Reading Resolution: “The Guru of Love” by Samrat Upadhyay

5. A book written in South Asia: The Guru of Love by Samrat Upadhyay

List Progress: 12/30

There is more literary fiction about older men having affairs with younger women than you can shake a stick at. Many, many authors have waxed poetic about how depressed intellectual men, be they artists, professors, or any profession, have been inspired and reinvigorated by the presence of a bright, sensual young woman who lights up their life and reignites their passions. Whether the young woman in question gets an inner life or not is entirely incidental to this type of story. But Nepali author Samrat Upadhyay takes an interesting approach to the poetic infidelity sub-genre; by placing the reveal of the affair in the middle of the story, the story is just as interested in showing the consequences of the older man’s actions. The Guru of Love is not groundbreaking, but it has enough twists on a familiar formula to be engaging throughout.

Ramchandra is a math teacher trying to make ends meet in Kathmandu, as political unrest in the city and country is spelling the end of the Panchayat partyless political system. Ramchandra comes from humble origins, but his wife by arranged marriage, Goma, is of high-class birth; despite being the ones to arrange the marriage, her parents seem to hate their low-class son-in-law. The couple have lived in relative peace for decades, raising their two children, until Ramchandra’s eye is drawn to a young woman he is tutoring for her national exams. The woman, Malati, is living in poverty and the single mother to an infant, but she still represents more vitality and hope than Ramchandra has felt in a long time. They begin an affair…and then Goma finds out. 

This is where the book really kicks into gear, because Goma is no harridan wife trope. She is hurt and upset, but she also sees the impossible position that Malati is in, and shows her immense kindness, even inviting her to live in their home. Ramchandra’s sexy fantasy is now yet another domestic reality and the women in his life are actual people, not his symbolic playthings. His thirteen year old daughter in particular is appalled by her father’s behavior and he just has to deal with that.

The Guru of Love could have gone a lot further with these ideas than it ultimately did. The stuff that works works, but there is certainly a lot of slack room. However, the peek into Nepali life in the 1990’s is fascinating, and Kathmandu feels populated and alive. There is enough here to recommend, but it is certainly not an essential read, just an interesting spin on a tired trope in a good setting.

Would I Recommend It: Maybe.