#just had a very memorable class with a teacher who we were this close to reporting in the beginning of the semester :(((

[sixeyescurseuser]

Imagine teachers Goge. First years Yuji and Nobara have just enrolled and they only know Gojo as “Gojo-sensei.”

Then they meet Geto-sensei who is in charge of the second years but handles a lot of the first years’ classroom lessons.

Geto-sensei keeps referring to a “Satoru” as if Nobara and Yuuji should know who that is?? 🤔

“I know this is a lot of information to memorize, but trust me that diligent studying with methods that work for you will help you tremendously on your exams,” Geto explains. “Not all of us can learn all of this from a young age like Satoru. Lord knows he’s also been gifted photographic memory.”

Megumi sighs dramatically.

Nobara is focused on her phone and Yuji is nodding like he actually understands these "Satoru" references.

It’s partially Gojo’s fault because he just introduced himself as “Gojo-sensei” and partially Geto’s fault because he assumed the new students knew Satoru was their Gojo-sensei…😭

One time, Geto’s phone rings and he quietly answers it: “What is it, Satoru?”

Oh, context clues! Yuji and Nobara at least know their Geto-sensei seems to be close to this Satoru.

Are they…??

Is Geto-sensei in a relationship?

Nobara brings it up to Gojo on one of their missions.

“Gojo-sensei, is Geto-sensei in a relationship?” She asks.

Gojo visibly glitches, choking on a piece of daifuku. Nobara and Yuji give him puppy eyes, pleading for an answer, while Megumi has gone MIA.

Gojo: “What makes you ask that?”

Nobara: “Believe it or not, Geto-sensei is quite a catch! He’s very well-spoken and polite. Super knowledgeable, handsome, and also a special grade! Who wouldn’t jump at a chance for a piece of that?”

Megumi: “Hold on-“

Gojo: “Interesting observations-“

Yuji jumps in: “Yeah yeah! But we also think he’s taken! Erm, well, he always mentions a ‘Satoru.’ Maybe that’s the name of his girlfriend?”

Megumi, under his breath: “A guy’s name?”

Gojo lasts about five seconds before he bursts into uncontrollable laughter.

Gojo: “How scandalous of Geto-sensei! Oh ho, a girlfriend indeed…You know, with news as groundbreaking as this, I believe you should ask him yourself. Get the nitty gritty details and all that.”

Yuji and Nobara: 🫡🫡

The next class period, before Geto can even rattle off the introduction to their lesson, Nobara’s hand shoots up into the air.

“Geto-sensei, I have an extremely dire question that cannot wait!”

Clearly taken aback, Geto holds his spot in their textbook with his finger on the page.

“Yes, Kugisaki?”

“Do you have a girlfriend? And if yes, is it this Satoru person you keep mentioning?” Nobara asks.

“I- excuse my language, but what the hell?” Geto blurts out, snapping the textbook shut. “Are you serious?”

Nobara snaps out a “How dare you think I’m never serious!” while Yuji comes in as back up.

“As serious as Fushiguro takes his academics, Geto-sensei! We recognize that you are a very attractive and capable adult, and hypothesized that the ‘Satoru’ you keep bringing up must be your girlfriend.”

Nobara nods along.

Megumi is trying to melt into the ground.

“We don’t mean to offend you, sensei. Just an honest question,” Yuji finishes. He then stands up and bows 90° for damage control.

Geto: “Okay guys, I hate to disappoint but I’m not answering this right now. Moving on to our lesson, which is what we’re all here for…”

After class, Yuji and Nobara are a bit bummed because they did exactly what Gojo-sensei suggested and they were left with nothing. No confirmation or denial. No answer at all.

Megumi has gone back to his room, leaving the other two first years to their own shenanigans.

Having had enough of classroom thinking for awhile, Yuji and Nobara decide to get some last-minute training in.

Except by the time they get to the training fields, they see two people already sparring like their lives depended on it - causing quite a ruckus.

It’s Gojo-sensei and Geto-sensei!

They’re so busy fighting that they don’t notice Nobara and Yuji, who quickly hide behind a tree.

Geto-sensei is yelling at Gojo-sensei too, something about putting dumb ideas into their students heads? And spreading false rumors ?

Finally, Geto-sensei manages to pin Gojo-sensei down in their hand-to-hand combat.

Geto sits on top of Gojo’s abdomen, restraining Gojo’s wrists to the ground. It’s here he leans down to boldly slip off Gojo’s blindfold, revealing bright blue crystalline eyes.

“You owe me, Satoru. Dinner’s on you tonight.”

Gojo just laughs, loud and happy, and says: “Fine. Whatever my dear Suguru wishes.”

He wiggles one of his hands free to tug Geto down by the nape, and their lips press together in a passionate kiss.

***

TBC

w/ @no-one-says-hi

[cheesysoup-arlo]

Cady’s Cousin (pt.3)

(pt. 1)/(pt. 2)/(pt. 4)

*beep beep* you hear someone honking outside “that must be Damian” Cady says grabbing her backpack “oh ok I’ll be right there I left my headphones in my room” you say quickly going to your room to grab your headphones then running down stairs and getting in the backseat of Damian’s car. “Heyyy (y/n)” “hi Damian” “ok so we’re gonna pick up Janis then heading to the school and making sure you have your schedule then meet up with the rest of the group” Cady says buckling up in the front seat “sounds good to me” you say buckling up

You guys got to Janis’ house and Damian honked his horn. It took about 3 minutes before Janis clumsily stumbled out her front door and to the car “hi” Janis said with an awkward smile as you two made eye contact “hey” you said with a smile on your face as she sat next to you

You guys get to the school and Cady takes you straight to the office telling the others you’ll be back in a minute. “Hello excuse me miss?” Cady says trying to get the lady at the desk’s attention “oh hello dear do you need help with something?” The lady asks “yes my cousin in new here and I just wanted to make sure she has a schedule and that all of her credits transferred from her old school” “oh I can check that right now, what’s you name dear?” The lady asks you “(y/n), (y/n) heron” “ah yep you’re right there and all your credits seem to all be in order, would you like me to print out your schedule now?” “Yes please” Cady answers for you. The lady gives you your schedule and you and Cady head over to the rest of the group to hang out before school starts. “Hey we’re back” cady says enthusiastically “good morning here are your drinks” Regina says handing each of you your cups “thank you Regina” you say sitting down next to Janis who is sketching and drinking her coffee with headphones on not paying attention. You lean on her shoulder trying to get a glance at her sketchbook, accidentally starling her “AH OH MY GOD” “oh um sorry I didn’t mean to startle you” you say feeling really bad and scooting away a little “fuck sorry I didn’t mean to scream like that” she says taking off her headphones “it’s my fault, don’t apologize, I should’ve tapped you before invading your space” you say feeling like an idiot “it’s ok…do you want to see what I was drawing?” she asks hoping you’ll say yes “oooo yes I’d love to” you say scooting close to her again, she shows you some of her more recent projects. While you two were talking the rest of the group was observing you two from a small distance. “You guys are seeing this right?” Regina said with a small laugh “if you’re referring to Janis being a dorky lesbian then yes I see it” Damian says smiling a little “you know (y/n) isn’t normally this close with people, she normally keeps a decent amount of physical distance but this, this is definitely new” Cady adds to the conversation. You and Janis are practically in your own world, laughing and talking about her different art pieces and the inspiration behind them “wait so you’re telling me that you made this based off a Kids cartoon you were watching while high as fuck?” You say looking at a very colorful detailed drawing that had some embroidery on it “yeah and surprisingly I didn’t stab myself making it” Janis says laughing a bit then making eye contact with you for a few seconds before you both turned away, you looked at your hands and Janis looked up at the sky “Hey (Y/n) what classes did you get?” Regina asks and you hand her your schedule “ooo yay we all have the same home room, break, and lunch this year” Gretchen says looking over Regina’s shoulder at your schedule Gretchen already had everyone else’s schedule memorized since they all got their schedules over break. You and Janis join the rest of the group “Oh damn English first period, I’m so sorry for you” Damian says with a hand on your shoulder “I have English first period too, who’s her teacher?” Janis asks “Ms. Barnes? Is that the new teacher Ms. Norbury was talking about?” Cady asks Aaron “yeah, it’s actually her first year teaching from what I’ve heard” Aaron says

STUDENT: (Y/N) HERON. 12TH GRADE. SCHEDULE

HOMEROOM: ROOM 1802

(SHARON NORBURY)

PERIOD 1: ENGLISH 12 ROOM 708

(HAILEY BARNES)

PERIOD 2: STATISTICS A-B ROOM 370 (SHARON NORBURY)

BREAK: A

PERIOD 3: STUDY HALL 407

(BRIAN JOHNSON)

PERIOD 4: THEATER PERFORMANCE 1900

(LINDSEY CATER)

LUNCH: A

PERIOD 5: VISUAL ART ADVANCED 1706

(MAZELY JONES)

PERIOD 6: HISTORY 12 ROOM 1204

(HAROLD BAKER)

“Art and theater, that’s the gayest thing I’ve seen since Damian” Regina half joked “we literally have every other class together plus break and lunch, I guess you’ll be seeing me a lot” Janis said with a laugh “that’s honestly really cool, I’ll have someone fun in at least half my classes” you say with a wink

*ring* *ring* “well that’s the bell let’s head to homeroom” Cady says with a smile putting on her backpack and holding Regina’s hand while you all walk to class, you and Janis are in the back of the group walking close to each other but both focused on your phones, you’re texting your friend from back home and Janis is looking at what yarn to buy for her new project. Once you guys get to homeroom the group decided to sit together until they inevitable get separated for talking too much. “Good Morning class, happy Monday, My name is Mrs. Norbury and I will be your home room teacher this year, I was just informed we have a new student here from Florida so everyone please welcome (Y/N) and be kind to her” Mrs. Norbury says “thank you Mrs. Norbury” you say a little awkward Cady kindly puts her hand on your shoulder to comfort you. The class goes by pretty quickly. “So we’ll see you guys after this class, meet at the tree as usual?” Janis asks “yeah I’m so glad we all have A break and lunch this year” Cady says with a smile then gives you a hug “see you later (Y/N)” “bye cads, bye guys” you say before turning to Janis “follow me” Janis says sticking out her hand for you to grab and you do. You to get to class and sit next to each other in the back of the class. The teacher passes out a get to know you worksheet which you finish quickly then pull out your sketchbook to doodle. You’re doodling for like 10 minutes when you feel a light tap on your shoulder, it’s Janis you look at her a little confused then she shows you her sketchbook, it’s a small sketch of the friend group and to your surprise you see an in progress sketch of yourself. This causes you to blush a little, you’re not exactly sure why but you face definitely felt warm and there was definitely butterflies in your stomach “woah that’s really cool” you say quietly “thank you” Janis says turning away quickly, was Janis- no she couldn’t be blushing from such a simple compliment. The rest of class is pretty quiet with you two showing each other progress from your sketches. Class ended and you went to your next class saying good bye to Janis. Math went quickly and before you know it, it was break so you head to the tree from this morning to meet with the rest of the group. “So how’s everyone’s first day of senior year going so far?” Aaron asks “good, really chill” says Janis “for me it’s been going by really fast but it’s fun” you say “oh my goodness I can’t believe how easy today has been” Gretchen says with a sleepy Karen leaning on her “honestly a lot more boring than I expected” Regina says fixing her hair “I’m having an amazing day, that cute theater boy that I’ve been talking to has 4 classes with me” Damian says really happy “ooo ok Damian” you say hyping him up a bit “I am not having fun, I want to go home” Karen says leaning more into Gretchen “aw Karen what’s wrong?” Regina asks concerned “someone called her stupid because she asked what day it was when it was written on the board” Gretchen says holding Karen close “don’t listen to them Karen, they don’t know you, you’re incredibly smart and amazing, ok?” Janis says upset, Karen smiles a little very appreciative of Janis caring so much. You almost smile at how defensive Janis got for Karen seeing this caring side of her melted your heart in the best way. The break ended and you headed to study hall with Janis since none of your teachers were crazy enough to give you homework on the first day you and Janis talked quietly in the back about the different types of art she liked and how she does a lot of mixed media art. Every time you talk to Janis about art it feels like you two are the only two people on earth and like time stop. When the period ended she decided to walk you to theater since her class was in the same direction. Though you haven’t known her that long Janis made you feel really special, it was weird you felt like you didn’t need to put your walls up to protect yourself, you were just you. Exchanging goodbyes and saying you’d see each other at lunch. Theater was fun and easy, you played a name game

you played a name game so everyone could introduce themselves and then a few other games. The bell rang. Lunch time!

The cafeteria was honestly kind of chaotic but you ended up spotting Cady’s red hair very easily. You sat across from Cady knowing Regina would be siting next to her “hey cads” “hi (y/n) how were your classes?” “Good, how about yours?” “Eh pretty boring” Regina, Gretchen, and Karen come over giggling about something “I’m gonna go get cheese fries does anyone else want anything while I’m up?” Regina says “water please” you say and she gives you a nod “hmm i don’t know surprise me?” Cady says with a shrug. Regina leaves Gretchen and Karen follow as Damian and Aaron come over “no dude I’m telling you sports are way less complicated than that” Aaron says trying to convince Damian to watch some sport game with him “hey Damian where’s Janis?” You say a little worried “oh she’s in the art room she wanted to ask Ms. Jones if she had some yarn Janis could use” “oh ok…is she coming to lunch?” “Yeah she should be back in like 5? minutes” a few minutes later Regina, Karen, and Gretchen come to the table then Janis comes over and sits next to you taking one of your chips “Hey!” You say moving your chip bag away from her and she laughs “what you can’t share 1 chip with me?” Janis jokes “I can but you could’ve at least asked silly” you say laughing a bit “ok after school we should totally go to Regina’s house” Karen said “oh absolutely, my mom said that she misses you guys” Regina say.

Art class goes the same as all of the other classes you’ve had with Janis but this time you paint it’s really good quality paint especially since it’s from the school. You and Janis have been close all day. “Alright last class of the day, have fun” Janis says “you too, see you at Damian’s car?” You say “yeah see you later” she gives your hand a small squeeze then heads off to her class. You were definitely blushing from that, ugh this girl has only been your friend for 3 days but this felt different a good difference.

(Monday 2:00pm) fruit loops

Regina👛: y’all wanna go swimming? Today has been pretty warm and as you all know my pool is heated plus there’s a jacuzzi so like if you don’t want to go in the pool we could just chill

Aaron🧍‍♂️: I’m down I’m so glad you decided to keep swimsuits for everyone at your place

(Y/N): um I don’t have mine I’d be down to just go in my bra and the shorts I keep in my bag

Cads🦁: I have an extra one you can wear if you want (y/n)

Gretchen🌷: omg Regina that’s a great idea

Karen💕: 👙👙👙

Damian🌟: ooo absolutely I love a good swim at the George house

Gretchen🌷: Janis?

Damian🌟: she’s probably asleep or in the middle of a sketch with her phone on silent

(Monday 2:15pm) fruit loops

Janis👾: hey y’all sorry I was in the middle of a really good art jam but I’m totally down for a swim

Damian🌟: HA see I was right!!! do I know my best friend? or do I know my best friend?

Regina👛: ok ride arrangements for the ride to my house. Cady, Gretchen, and Karen in my car then the boys and single gays in Damian’s car

Janis👾: WTF BRO

(Y/N): damn 💀 no need to call us out like that

Bell rings and you head to Damian’s car. Aaron is already sitting in the front so you and Janis get in the back “let’s go queers it’s pool time” Damian pulls into Regina’s driveway shortly after Regina and everyone heads inside.

A/N: I couldn’t figure out how to end this one lol but here’s what I think their lunch table seating arrangement looks like also finally so cute Janis x reader moments lol ALSO LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT TO BE TAGGED WHEN I POST NEW PARTS OF THE STORY IVE SEEN OTHER PEOPLE DO IT AND NOW I WANT TO LOL

[txtaetertots]

HOPELESSLY DEVOTED 04: spring production

[ synopsis ] you’re trying to get into your dream school. beomgyu’s just trying to pass a class. the only way to ensure you both get what you want is to work together. very closely.

The spring production was the most highly anticipated season for the theater department at Hybe International High School. The club director, Mr. Kim Seokjin, always makes sure it's memorable for the seniors since it's their last high school production. YN has been waiting for this production since she arrived to HIHS as a fourteen year old with great ambitions. It was finally her turn.

She squirmed in her seat, clutching onto Chaewon and Yunjin's hands as they watch their club director and literature teacher, Mr. Kim Seokjin, walk into the auditorium and greet them as he made his way to the stage. He took a seat at the edge of the stage, clearing his throat and grabbing the mic being handed to him by the club's junior president Kang Taehyun. Everyone settled down, eager to begin this long awaited meeting.

"How are we doing today?" Mr. Kim begins, snickering at the students pressing him to get on with the plans. He looks down at the clipboard in hand, scanning over his notes. "I know you're all eager to hear about the spring production, but first we have some housekeeping and news to get into, alright?"

He began congratulating seniors who received acceptances from their first choice schools, including Chaewon and Yunjin. Despite her own results, YN was still happy to celebrate her best friends for getting accepted. She knew one way or another she would be joining them in New York, whether it be at NYU Tisch or not. Though NYU Tisch is her dream school and has been since she was a child. NYU Tisch has more alumni in broadway theater than any other theater school in the United States. She has to pass that second review. She just has to.

"Now, before I announce this year's Spring production, I'd like to welcome our newest member," Mr. Kim said, holding his arm out for none other than Choi Beomgyu.

Beomgyu tried melting into his seat, but there was only so much space. Mr. Kim wasn't moving on until Beomgyu made himself known. Beomgyu glanced around, seeing a mix of surprised and horrified looks. Choi Beomgyu was the last person anyone expected to see in the drama club. For years he has been making fun of it, thinking theater was for losers and geeks. No one cool actually does theater, he thought. Yeah, his best friends were involved, but they had been friends since they were kids. They were practically attached at the hip, not even drama club could break the attachment he's already developed on them.

Beomgyu stood up, awkwardly waving to everyone still staring at him. Kai said he had to play nice enough to earn the credit he needs to pass. The summer trip they had planned since they were in middle school was on the line and he didn't want to ruin it by not being able to go.

"Beomgyu, we look forward to your participation," Mr. Kim said, almost teasingly. Beomgyu had been giving him a hard time all year and, professionalism aside, he can't wait to return the favor.

Beomgyu sat back down, wishing he had listened to Soobin and sat with them. He could've at least blended in better then.

"Now," Mr. Kim sighed. "The moment you've all~ been waiting for,"

Drumrolls commenced. Everyone on the edge of their seats exchanging excited glances with another as Mr. Kim edged what's left of their patience.

"This year's Spring production will be..." A moment of silence. Everyone frozen, squeezing each other's hands or arms.

"Grease."

The ground literally quaked from the sheer volume of students' excitement. Beomgyu covered his ears, floored by his peers cheering and jumping in their seats.

"Many of you have been begging for this production for quite a while and after some convincing emails, I've managed to get it approved by the dean and school board," Mr. Kim shared. "Audition scripts will be available on the stage, so please pick one up before you go if you plan to audition."

"Stage crew meetings will begin next Monday, so crew members, please be on time and ready to begin prep," Mr. Kim skimmed his notes once more, making sure he didn't miss anything.

YN had practically begun tuning out his voice. She was still wide eyed, staring down at the floor still thinking about the production. Grease. She had been begging Mr. Kim to consider it for years, and finally, they're doing it. It was perfect timing. Her senior year. Her second NYU Tisch review. Almost like it was meant to be. Her nerves relaxed, so sure that everything was going to work out.

It had to work out.

The meeting was over almost as quickly as it began. Student shuffled over to the stage picking up an audition script, asking Mr. Kim questions, or conversing amongst themselves about the plans.

Beomgyu met up with his friends up near the stage as they grabbed audition scripts for themselves. Soobin and Yeonjun put their arms around him, urging him to grab one for himself.

"If you're gonna be in drama club you've gotta audition for at least one production," Yeonjun said.

"Those are the rules," Soobin teased, waving a script in front of Beomgyu's face.

He pushed Soobin's hands away, scowling. "There's no way I'm auditioning for a stupid musical."

"Oh, really?"

Beomgyu tensed, scrunching his face as he turned around to meet his literature teacher. Mr. Kim had his arms crossed, smirking as he held up a script himself.

"Since this will be the only production you're participating in the making of," Mr. Kim held the script out for Beomgyu to take. "I expect you at auditions. Friday afternoon, 3PM sharp."

Beomgyu reluctantly took the script, "Can't I just do stage crew?"

"If you don't get a part, yes." Mr. Kim promised. "But, I expect a genuine audition. Don't bomb it on purpose. I'll know if you do."

Mr. Kim turned to walk away, leaving Beomgyu stuck in place staring down at the script in his hands. He grimaced as he read some lines, cursing himself for getting himself stuck in this predicament.

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[bnnuy-wabbit]

The cockroach incident? 👀

ok. picture me, your average flightless, featherless, biped animal. This happened roughly 2 months after i decided i wanted to drop out of college, but 2 months before classes were over, so i really was just Not Having It. I hated most of what i was studying and saw no point in continuing. I was 5 states away from my family, living in a shared apartment with a deadbeat roommate who was in the same house as me like once a week. It was the middle of the hottest summer i have ever experienced in my entire life. My apartment complex was this old moldy hole, full of spiders the size of a closed hand, bats in the attic (i had never even SEEN an attic but here we were and mine had BATS in there). and a brand new cockroach infestation. I was slowly going insane very quickly.

On top of all that I had a very stressful practical anatomy test to study for. It was hard ok? over 300 names to memorize across several different animal species. I was studying solely through videos because the teacher didn't let us actually study with the anatomical pieces. So there i was. 1am on a sunday. Sitting at the kitchen table, a white, plastic lawn table, broken. if you put too much weight on it it just came undone. Sweat is dribbling down my asscrack. I am studying to the sound of friday night funkin songs because it's the only thing that could keep my adhd ass awake while i binge studied.

Out of the corner of my eye i catch some movement and i see a Giant Flying Cockroach approaching rapidly. It was the size of my pinky EASILY. It lands on the wall opposite to my room's door. It stays there, its little antennae moving and flickering DISGUSTINGLY. I stare at it. I can't move. At that moment i am 300% sure if i move itll move and i really dont want that. I stare at it. unmoving. for half an hour. it doesnt move. but of course, im intelligent enough to know that sooner or later one of us WILL have to move, and the other one will die. So i figured, well, better for it to be me! So i get up. slowly. carefully. i walk towards the kitchen to get the broom. really fucking slowly. still staring at it constantly (it didnt move). i get closer to it again, broom in hands, shaking like a leaf. utterly terrified of the horrid animal in my house.

it begins to move.

i stop moving.

it stops moving.

every single time i moved it moved. i couldnt get my broom any closer to it without it Walking Around. It wasnt even running away or scuttling. it was just walking little steps, like it was mocking me. mocking me and my existence. mocking my every daily toiling.

i went god im SO FUCKING FUCKED! This is it! This is how i die! Death by trashbug!

so i stop moving. i dont move. i stop breathing. i become stone. my white ass camouflages within my landlord white surroundings. once again i go back to staring at it and its horribly long antennae. I just stare at it, trying to find the courage within me to stab the fucker. But one thing you need to know about me: i am a scared little animal who just happens to be very big. my soul is very small. it is puny even. i am proudly a coward. but being a coward doesnt fix the fact that there is a very scary bug threatening my livelyhood and my hopes and dreams and that im ALONE and have to deal with this myself.

and so i whack it. i whack the beast. i stab it. i shove the broom up like REALLY HARD against the ceiling. i am confident i smashed it because i very vigorously whammed a broom on the wall. it was very loud!!!! still, i keep it there for a moment, trying to gather the courage to let it go now because thats another entire beast. thats another task within itself. but like. im confident i killed it at this point. im confident my efforts paid off in the end and that courage wins every fight etc.

so i let it go!

and what does it do? It FLIES OFF! And i yell. i begin yelling. my throat gets hoarse.

the thing didnt even get a scratch! On top of that, it just flew STRAIGHT INTO MY ROOM.

At this point im this 🤏 close to a mental breakdown.

so my first idea, of course, is FUCK I SHOULD CALL MY MOM. She picks up despite the fact that it is now almost 3am. that does very little to comfort me because 1. shes 5 entire states away. thats half a country. 2. shes also terrified of cockroaches.

so yeah. dead end.

i tell my mom "im going to ask my elderly neighbor for bug spray" and she says "its past 3am dont wake up your elderly neighbor for bug spray".

so what do i do? i desperately bang on my elderly neighbors door for 10 minutes. Her 2 dogs bark a lot. Never once does she open the door, but i could very much hear her flipflops squeak on the floor, so she was just Standing There. I beg for her help, i ask for bug spray, im full on crying at this point and my voice is hoarse from the yelling from before. She begins praying like im some sort of apparition i guess. I can hear her praying to god or some shit and then leaves me to be. she doesnt ever reply to me directly. So i sit against her door like a very normal person, curl up on fetal position and lose my shit right there. i am shaking. i am crying. theres snot running down my face. im bawling.

eventually i drag myself back home. stand at my bedrooms door and i look at the fucking mess my room is. depressed grad student, ok? keep that in mind. theres dirty clothes all over the floor. actually. let me Show.

as you can see there are Many places for a cockroach to hide. so i decide to remove everything from my room. item by item. until i either find its hiding spot or die trying.

i find the cockroach. or rather, it finds Me.

It sneakily crawls up my leg just as i was about to move my clothing pile.

I scream. It fucks off.

I remove every last fucking thing from my room.

i flip the bed upside down, under it i find a lone galoshe. I figure that's where it was hiding. im too scared to touch it seeing as the thing has already flied several times and tried to CLIMB ME. I'm tired and Already out of my mind. I have no more fucks to give. Scared (still, as always) i sack the boot and throw it off my apartment. like, i just yeet the thing out. lock the door. Look at the clock. its like 3.30. i spent over half an hour hastily empting out my bedroom.

Honestly at that point i wasnt even sure the cockroach was in the boot. i felt i couldnt be sure it was dead until i found the body. it was late, so i called a friend to call down and broke into my roommate's room because my room no longer had furniture in it. I slept in his crusty ass sheets, the very ones he was fucking his very annoying girlfriend on top of a week earlier (he only had 2 sets and he hadnt washed anything bigger than socks in like a month. the apartment was small. his laundry was my business and i was Very Aware of its existence in the middle of the living room). so yeah. they were cummy. they were crusty. it was cracker solid. i could Not care less though.

i slept shittily until 7am. i ran to the store first thing in the morning to get the strongest bug spray i could find and also bug repellent.

I sprayed the entire house. I mean this. The walls were slick with bug spray. You could NOT breathe inside my room. Not even the kitchen was spared. I walked out of it smelling like mothballs and cancer and walked straight to the university so i could study to my effing anatomy test (it was monday, the test was on tuesday), eat and watch my classes.

I did just that. The entire day was unremarkable.

Oh actually. the elderly neighbor complained in the complex whatsapp group about a certain incensitive and unruly neighbor disrupting the peace late in the night. LM fucking AO.

I got home late, but still decided to clean my room from the chemicals. my roommate was home for once, so i told him what was going on, that id be cleaning the house because of the bug spray. I deep cleaned the whole house. I took special care of my room tho. At the end there was nary a speck of dust on my furniture (1 wardrobe, 1 bed, 1 beach chair). my clothes were folded. it smelled CLEAN IN THERE for the first time in weeks. i lit up the bug repelent. it was one of these babes.

I was SURE it was dead. the room had soaked all day in bug spray. i caught every single crevice in that room. i even sprayed INSIDE my box bed. it had to be dead. there was no way it wasnt dead. right???? right???????

i sat on my bed. i changed the sheets so it felt really good. i grabbed my computer and went back to studying. i was just vibing, man. i was just vibing.

The cockroach appeared from nowhere, climbed the wall, got sucked by the fan, flied, whacked me in the face.

I yelled, grabbed the my newly acquired spray can and then yelled some more. Then i remembered my roommate was home. I banged on his door until he opened it. shoved the thing on his face and dragged him into my room (me. tall guy. btw. dense. him, taller guy, confused, thin as a rail. just funny. to keep in mind). he went holy shit, thats big.

he sprayed it and everybodys biggest fear at that moment became true. again. it started flying. again. it went all over the room. he sprayed all over the room. it landed on my pillow, he drenched my freshly washed pillowcase in bug spray. it landed on the window, he sprayed the window until it was no longer see through. it scurried across the floor, he sprayed the floor. it went under my bed. then he stopped. i lifted my bed. he got it with his flipflop.

the evil was finally defeated.

but so was i... my clean sheets man......

[starandsims]

Book 1: Normal Type | Chapter 1: Newcrest New Me

Teddy Poche stood outside of his new home in a mixture of pride, grief, anticipation, and uncertainty. All of those emotions made him want to throw up in their own special way. He’d never lived in a home on his own before, and truth be told he’d never lived in a home that wasn’t the house he’d been born into. So to be staring at this tiny lot that belonged solely to him and no one else was more than a little intimidating. 

Let’s backtrack a little bit here. This is Teddy Poche. He was born into a close knit family - the Poches obviously - as the oldest child. His parents, Ivy and Trev, were fantastic parents, he’d never say a bad word against them, rest their souls. Unless you got a few drinks into him, then he might tell you about how almost from the day he was born he became a third parent in the household, taking care of his younger siblings, who were practically the same age as him. Not that he minded any of this, he loved taking care of his younger siblings, and doing their chores, and making them food, and doing their homework for them, and covering for them when they snuck out to see their sort-of-girlfriend-who-has-a-boyfriend-already-so-how-can-you-really-call-her-your-girlfriend?

Where were we?

Oh right. Teddy’s family. Ivy and Trev were loving parents and they loved their children, but they also really loved being a couple. They would go out often on dates just the two of them, which was sweet, but they always left poor Teddy in a weird position as the de facto third parent of the house. Teddy, therefore, had little time for close friends or relationships. Not that anyone really knew who he was to try to get to know him better anyway. Even well into high school he would hear kids in class that he’d known since he was five years old say “Teddy Poche? Who’s that?”. 

He always helped the teacher and did his work on time and made As and Bs, but in the end he just wasn’t that memorable. He was just average. The epitome of normal. While his brother Stan was Prom King, his sister Bliss was the Troublemaker, and his other sister Lilli was That Weird Girl, Teddy was…nothing in particular at all. And that hurt. He dreamed of a day when he could go off to university, become a teacher, and become someone to a whole bunch of people. He also dreamed of a day when he could have a family of his own and raise his children to be amazing at everything they did - he would make sure they never had to go through what he had to go through. 

On the night of his high school graduation he knew he was very nearly to the point of achieving his dreams. And then his parents died in a car accident that very night. Although his siblings were all in high school, he still felt like he needed to take care of them. So, he stepped fully into his role as third parent and took guardianship of them until they were all old enough to move out on their own. He sold the family home to help pay for Stan’s wedding and the deposit (plus six months rent just in case) on the apartment Bliss and Lilli moved into. 

In the end, he had just enough money to put a downpayment on this little house in a new town. Here in Newcrest, nobody knew who he was - but this time that was by choice. He had a chance at a fresh start, a chance to make a lasting first impression on the neighborhood, and finally enroll in university so he could become a teacher like he had always dreamed of. 

Teddy Poche entered his new home, decorated with the sparsest of furniture and essentials, with only one thought on his mind. 

“New home. Newcrest. New me.”

House Credit: Newcrest Starter No. 9 by smubuhcakes

[scarefox]

I wonder what are signs in childhood, in hindsight, of autistic folks who got diagnosed as an adult? Are there any researches on that?

Because I start to wonder if the few weird things I did as kid, may be relevant in that matter. Since my childhood me is always not bad enough in school or not emotionally cold enough for some to get me tested further (even the suspicion of me having dyscalculia got put down because I was good in math in elementary school... yea when I used my fingers or imagination to count, after that level of math I was lost....).

Anyways these are the things I recall in my childhood:

According to my mother I was always scared of other people and children even already in nursery school. The teachers told her that I will have it difficult later if I don't start socializing more.

I always had to observe them for a while till I was fine playing with them (I still need to do that today. Observe new people to learn their communication style, so i can read and predict them better... I do that with animals too btw which is why I always have a good and close relationship with my pets, others envy me about. I srsly don't get why not everyone does it like me. Just treat the pet like some little guy who doesn't speak your language but can speak with their body and face)

never liked singing with others, already in nursery school (i like singing alone tho). Apparently I was a good singer as kid because a neighbor overheard me and suggested my parents to get me in his singing class but I was too scared about that idea (who knows how my life would have been if I said yes or my parents would have gently pushed me to not be scared and give it a try. because I am good at recognizing sounds, memorize music / sounds and basically can get high from music... also synaesthesia with sound)

I mainly only ever played with kids I knew. Which were my cousins who were around my age and since we lived near each other I didn't need other friends anyways.

obsession for animals, always watched animal documentaries. fell in love with corvids and collected all crow and raven feathers i could find as a teen. (still have some). Mainly started liking them because I was shocked that people hate crows and even kill them. So I decided to be their only fan basically and then it turned into me printing ornithology pages about all corvids.

obsession with drawing it's kind of a way for me to analyze something and rotate and touch it in my head for a while.... basically made this into part of my job, but am suffering from art block since a few years now

Always needed to walk holding hands with my mom, even till elementary school I think (and we only stopped because my mom made me stop). I felt insecure and overwhelmed when I had to walk on my own. Even nowadays. With my bestie (we were kinda flirty) few years ago, I loved walking holding hands with her. I don't have to focus as much as when I walk alone ya know... kinda like a guide dog just as a human I like.

Was super gullible as kid and took a lot literally. Till I learned from mistakes or others explanations. I have an interest for linguistic (at least nowadays). I learned what metaphors are / how they work, what sayings mean and all that. I even had a phase where I talked with my cousins in metaphors because it was funny to me but they didn't understand me so i stopped.

(might have taken my parents "if you do this / do this wrong, everyone will laugh at you" too serious too because for a long time I associated it as horrible event of failure when people laughed because of me)

very annoyed from daily noises people make, developed a strong dislike for afternoons since that's the noisiest, most crowded and brightest part of the day. But noise that belongs to my set of sounds I am used to are fine (like hearing the noise my pets did even calmed me)

heat is the worst feeling on my body sweating, breathing gets harder, thinking gets worse. It's one of the few states I can get pissed and irritated so fast

super sensitive to smell, or at least chemical / artificial smells. The amounts of times I got car sick into my fathers car because of the cleaning products or the smelly things you hang on the mirror 🤢 till they learned to don't use that anymore. I also get migraine from perfume or some deodorants. Parts of my sense of smell turn off at some point and every perfume smells the same then... like acid...... (sad / funny thing is that I even mentioned my very discomfort and struggle I had with long car rides during heat and bad smells, when my latest therapist asked the group what extreme situations we know where we learned to "sit it out and stopped listening to our body" but she was like "Nobody likes that, that's normal"... Ma'am you don't understand the level of discomfort I learned to endure / zone out of, which nowadays leads to me sitting through a lot of things other people would quit because it's the same level for me)

BUT I also liked care rides (when not sensory nightmare), looking out of the window calmed me so much my parents used that to get me to sleep as a baby when I was crying. Still am into this kind of "content" because I love watching driving and walking videos on youtube when I feel down or need to focus on work.

also light sensitive during migraine. you can kill me with the light + artificial smell combination

HATED it when my parents rearranged my room without asking me first. One time I even got a rage fit and tore everything out of the closet again... just to put it back in myself but in a better order.

always uncomfortable till panicking in big crowds, depends how packed they are. unless it's a concert then I focus on the music enough (also helps when someone is with me)

always had stimms like rocking my body but people told me I look like a psycho doing that. or leg bouncing, which annoyed my mom (my dad does leg bouncing or shaking too btw 🤔 sometimes I wonder if he too is sort of neurodivergent, he does have some signs)

synaesthesia numbers / letters / words -> colors, movements -> sounds (useful for drawing), music -> shapes, movements, colors, mathematical units and chronological order of numbers -> imaginary number line / timeline in literal space....

[itsladyshin]

FIRST QUARTER OUTPUTS IN CREATIVE WRTING

SEATWORK#1

Once upon a time, a curious cat bumped into a friendly rabbit and formed an unlikely friendship. Suddenly, the rabbits basket of carrots fell from the three. The cat saw it, and its eye grew wide with another excitement if felt hungry. Together, they chased each other around the garden. Then, the rabbit realized that to catch the run away carrots, so it pounced into the basket. This was where the rabbits cleverly used its long ears to pull the basket away, and the cat eneded up with nothing but a handful of grass. Therefore, the rabbit learned that sometimes its better to work tother and share the rewards, rather than until trying to catch everything for oneself. The End.

As I write this story I feel joy and playfulness. I enjoyed writing this because I felt like I was there in the story of an unlikely friendship and the lessons they learned together. The image of the cat and rabbit chasing each other in the garden evokes a sense of whimsy, and I enjoy creating a moral that highlights cooperation and sharing. It's like weaving a little world where animals can teach us something about kindness and friendship.

SEATWORK#2

This activity reminds me of all the things I used to do. We should write a letter for someone or a loved one, but that's where I put my girlfriend in the letter. I decided to blur my letter for privacy but I didn't blur the picture of the two of us. While I'm doing this it feels good because you're writing to each other. I can say that this activity has been good for me because it is very perfect to bring out what we want to say to our loved one or the person you love.

SEATWORK#3

This morning, I saw ponce seemed very tired didn`t know what to do, so I watched him closely, and then I saw him bend down, and I was surprised because he fell asleep during recess and woke up a classmate of ours because the teacher is next. I saw how sleepy and tired his eyes were, and during the second break time.

This is where he got back to sleep he slept for a long time because he was very tired. I saw the change in a classmate of ours because the teacher is next. I saw how sleepy and tired his eyes were, and during the second break time.

This is where he got back to sleep he slept for a long time because he was very tired. I saw the change in him when he slept for a long time he became energetic, and he was happy again until after the class.

OUTPUT#1 ACROSTIC POEM

M-emorable a delight to know because there is someone who admires your ability.

A-ttractive smile you show because just one smiles makes your tiredness disappear.

R-idiant light who gently guides me whatever I am afraid of the dark

I-dealistic, I believe in myself that i can overcome all the challenge in mylife.

C-apable, what you are ineded dont be shy to tell me or ask me questions, as long as i know i can help you.

E-nchanting beauty who has my heart if i do it for good things.

L-ove and kindness should prevail and mot bad manners.

In this Activity as I write this acrostics poem, I feel a deep sense of admiration for it`s intended purpose Each letter brings forward a unique quality, and I am remined of how these traits make them memorable and inspiring.

OUTPUT#2 HAIKU

A flow stone grey sky

The cold heavy on our bones

Faith light in the dusk

In this activity, we will create a poem called "Haiku." It contains 3 lines, and the syllables are arranged 5-7-5. It was about clouds, and I remembered that I had taken a picture of a gray cloud when the weather was bad so I took the opportunity and used it. We must connect the poem to the picture, and I had fun doing this activity.

OUTPUT#3 LYRIC POEM

WHISPERING DREAMS

In twilights glow, the stars begin tosing,

A gentle breeze, the night`s soft lubally.

With every breath the world feels like a dream,

As shadows dance breath the silver sky.

The moonlight paints the earth in shades of gold,

While secrets linger in the cool, still air.

In whispered thoghts, our stories will unfold,

A tapestry of hope, beyond to comapre

In this activity, we will create a lyric poem where we will create lyrics with the structure of a poem. This time I chose whispering dreaming as my theme because, in making my poem, it always related to me to make it easier. While working on this poem, I realized that I was becoming obsessed with that event to the point where I became happy.

OUTPUT#4 TANAGA

Susungkitin ang buwan

Pangarap hahawakan

Walang kakatakutan

Iingatan Kailaman

This tanaga poem is the easiest of the works we do, it has 4 lines and 7 syllables in all. This activity can be enjoyed especially if we want to achieve our dream of not giving up even if we are tired.

[ghostflowerhotpotch]

To be honest I am fine with him being bad at the theory because is really bullshit.

Hi, Spanish is my first language and I learned back home, being in a school back home until I move when I was an older teen.

But here is a funny story, when I moved to Canada I only did the last two years of high school, and in my last year I didn't have enough credits in almost all of the classes for my grade, so my own ESL teacher suggested me getting Spanish because that was a class I would be able to attend regardless of credits. I ended up doing it because of a lack of options.

I didn't get a 100%, or even that close, why? The theory part continued tripping me over. Ask me the difference between pretérito perfecto and pretérito imperfecto with a gun pointing at my head and I will be dead.

Want to know the difference? Is basically verbs in the present tense and past tense, and I never remembered because rather than just saying that, they put names that weren't indicative of what they do (At least not for anyone speaking colloquially at this time, maybe this made sense a few centuries ago.) You technically can just ask someone to do X verb in present/future/past, but there are formal names that we were taught both in Spanish classes here in Canada and the ones we had back home.

And no one ever remembers.

No seriously, once my family started making fun of me for not having a 100% at the end, I ask them how many of them remembered these details, like participios (aka the -ing at the end of a verb, because spanish works differently we have more than that,) and other stuff, and then everyone shut up. My own mother, who was a teacher for over 30 years; told me she also couldn't recall most of these details, and she taught classes from kindergarten to high school.

Again, I am only one latine person, and we have a big community, but if I am honest I think if I ask at random about any of these details to any of my friends who speak Spanish as a first language, they wouldn't remember.

The point with all of this is that you can functionally speak Spanish perfectly, even having good grammatical skills, use of the language, and so forth, and still be tripped by the theory because of technicalities.

So it would make perfect sense for Miles to go to a test, have the test ask to separate the participios regulares e irregulares, and have him flunking the test because the question was using such obtuse terminology his mom may not even know what the question is about, and I say this because neither of my parents could answer this question without some explaining and juggling their memory.

If I am honest, the difference in how they teach Spanish in English-speaking countries vs the Spanish I learned back home wasn't really that different? Yeah, there was some different way to conjugate things and some words, but no teacher in their right mind would disqualify Miles' way of speaking Spanish unless they were asking for VERY specific things.

You can even have him trip for things that actually defy the grammar because those words are exceptions and the only way to know is remembering them.

For example, in Spanish rather than having "The" we have "El" and "La", these are normally assigned by what the word ends up in.

La Casa.

El Coche.

(There is obviously more to this but this is the idea.)

Simple enough, right? What would you use for the word "Dentista"? If you said La, that's wrong! It's actually "EL Dentista."

How do you know that? Well you memorize it, there is literally no other way.

Hope this doesn't come as a rant or anything, I understand that Miles speaking Spanish (which while the pronunciation is accurately a bit wonky, is pretty good btw,) is really important not just for the fans, but to remember that he keeps his roots dear to his heart,

This was really just me wanting to talk about how honestly the language can be pretty dumb anyways and if people whose first language is Spanish are forgetting this crap I don't want to imagine someone who speaks it as a second language and also missed 6 classes.

So believe me, is entirely possible to speak this language perfectly and still do the classes poorly regardless.

I prefer the theory that Miles has a B in Spanish because the Spanish they teach in schools is different than the Spanish he speaks at home more than the theory that he’s just bad at Spanish

Also, I’m getting tired of how people keep portraying Miles as more and more terrible at Spanish, like even if he’s not better at home, a B is still good!!

I know it’s mostly just jokes, but I swear it’s gonna cause a ton of people to just believe that Miles is just horrible at Spanish and refuse to give up that characterization, we’re gonna be watching in real time as a fanon version of a character gets popular and unavoidable

[theglamour-theterror]

thg OC. No warning applied Minh Anh and her crush, and her crush's little brother that she hates very much

Minh Anh has lived here all her life but she has never seen anyone who is as compassionate and pure as Clementia Mitchell, especially since when she first saw her she was 5 and Clementia was 8, and being 5 meant she had already seen a lot of people. Most of them are miserable. Not Clementia Mitchell. That didn’t change for Anh, growing up, and if anything, she only became even more convinced of her home’s total misery; this bleak, dreadful, boring place where everyone was meant to die, and that Clementia was the sole exception, the only one with warmth, not like the sun shining down above but homely, comfortable, keeping them alive.  The other Mitchell sibling, though. They were in the same class. Even with her total apathy towards her peers (useless, clueless children), somehow she even found herself increasingly annoyed with Mitchell. The thing is, she can’t decide if the kid was extremely stupid like the others, or even clever somehow and was just pretending to be dumb. Mitchell’s scores were perfect. Mitchell memorizes their materials to a fault. In Civil Introductory, when their teacher quizzed them about what they were given by the State, probably only expecting fragments of generic trivia- the kid had managed to read out the written article word for word without even looking at the text, before giving a comprehensive analysis. Anh knew, she checked, she watched, and she memorized it too. Anh also remembered being extremely confused by its total contradiction to their practical implication. Which Mitchell has decided to ignore in its completion.

Anh raised her hand. She said, “If Panem’s Treaty of Treason was created to protect its people, then why are we still sending children to The Hunger Games? Don’t they also hold citizenship, and thus, supposedly under its protection?”

Anyway, she ended up being sent out and she was also given detention. But she knew she was right so she insisted on being right, and when she was punished for voicing something so obvious, she became agitated.

She singled Mitchell (the lesser one) out. She watched their schedule and routine. When she made sure she knew when they were alone, she set up a trap. Its general purpose was to dump a can of milk on their head, because they were taller and she couldn’t reach so high, and she didn’t want them to know it was her.

She messed up. Perhaps she stood a little bit too close, her curiosity getting a bit better off her, so when they were assaulted and they looked around they managed to catch her eyes. The culprit became obvious. She had run off, mentally coming up with plans to counter should a report be made against her (the kid had no proof! Clementia would hate her!) but then no reports were ever made, and it irritated her even more.

She didn’t even have time to confront them before they approached her first. “Sorry,” they said first, standing over her table. Their hands cupped together, and they looked so sheepish they might be having a tail between their legs, ears flat down on their head. “For the other day,” “What?” “Yeah,” they nodded, and walked off.

[seah-john]

 "My Unforgettable SHS Journey"

My Grade 12 experience has been a rollercoaster trip with many unforgettable memories, accomplishments, and celebrations. From the very day of our class, I knew that it would be much more different and difficult than last year, knowing that we're all graduating students. From the very beginning to the end of our journey, each experience in my Grade 12 journey had an indelible impact on my high school life.

 

The excitement and pressure that I experienced every day were so obvious to the point that I was caught in a picture. I knew from the very start that it would be much more different and difficult, but I didn't expect it to be much more difficult because I sometimes forgot about myself. Despite the chaos, I remained still and was determined to push through until the finish line. 

Teachers' Day, a day of celebration, was a great day to thank the teachers and mentors who have helped us during our SHS journey. We planned a meaningful and much more entertaining way to honor our teachers, replete with speeches, performances, and foods and tokens of appreciation. It was a chance to reflect on the impact that our teachers and mentors had on our lives and express gratitude for their devotion, dedication, and efforts. 

 

The first grading period was an important milestone in my Grade 12 journey. Theceremony awards were a source of pride and satisfaction, knowing that all of my efforts were not in vain. As my names were announced and certificates were distributed to me, I felt a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment knowing that my efforts had all been paid off. It inspired me to strive for more excellence in the last semester so that my last year in SHS is more memorable and unforgettable at the same time. 

The year-end celebration served as joyous occasion to celebrate the year filled with hardships and victories. In a room filled with laughter, we all celebrated our accomplishments with delicious food, dances, games, and music. It was a day to reconnect with friends and reminisce about our hardships and unforgettable moments from the year before. 

The Pictorial Day was a day to celebrate all the challenges and hardships that I experienced in my SHS journey. I posed with pride and honor, knowing that I did all of my best just to come to this unforgettable moment of my life. Although it was one of our best moments of life, it was also a painful reminder that our time together was coming to a close as we parted ways in the next chapter of life. 

 

Passing the first semester was a milestone worth celebrating, and what better way to recognize our achievement than with pizza, right? We gathered as one and ate as one as we shared the 10 boxes of pizza to celebrate our accomplishments. It was a time of celebration and fellowship as we looked back on our Grade 12 journey with a grateful heart. 

 

As I look back, my Grade 12 experience has been a rollercoaster of challenges and experiences, full of unforgeable moments, from the first day to celebrating our accomplishments in completing our first semester journey. Each experience has shaped me into the person I am now, and I will treasure these memories for many years to come. As I prepare to embark on the next chapter of my life, I am grateful for the learning and experiences that have made high school so memorable.

[zaychik08]

(Autobiography)

Greetings! My name is Cirilo G. Lagrosa and I'm currently a senior high school student, particularly a Humanities and Social Sciences student, studying at Gen. Pantaleon Garcia Senior High School. I'm 19 years old, born on May 8, 2004. I'm currently living with my family in Imus, Cavite. We moved a few times due to financial problems and I even remember having a friend with the same nickname as mine way back in Navotas.

Even though my memory was quite blurry, I can still remember how happy I was back then as a 5 years old kid living in Navotas. I had some friends that I could play with and a best friend. I can say that we had a very simple life back then. Having a small house didn't negatively affect us but served as a motivation to work hard for a better life.

Five years later, I was already 10 years old when we finally moved here in Imus, Cavite. I was filled with anticipation for this new and unfamiliar environment. This time, that is 2010, is when I finally started attending school as a kindergarten student. In contrary to my current self, I was really happy attending school every single time. Listening to lectures, reading, and coloring materials is what made my days as a 10-year-old kid. As embarrassing as it sounds, I didn't know basic geography that I asked my mother on the way home, as was mentioned by my teacher, the question "Nakatira daw tayo sa Pilipinas e di ba Cavite yon?". I was quite introverted and I won't talk to people unless I was approached. I only had 1 friend in kinder but it didn't really matter to me. When we moved to Imus, Cavite, we became so close to a family in the neighborhood that we treated each other as family. In that neighborhood, I made a friend who then became my best friend that would last up until now. We're friends for over 14 years now. She's a really good friend to me as she would always include me in almost every sort of activity she doeslike participating in church, helping me become part of drum & lyre band, and more. We haven't had contact for a year now as she's busy with work and we already moved out.

I started elementary during 2011. I made a lot of temporary friends and I honestly miss them. Moving into elementary was quite a culture shock to me as it was a lot different than in kinder. I would be randomly approached by other students asking "kapatid ka ni-", about my older brother, it made me question if he's popular in school. Around 4th grade, I was introduced by my friend to her co-members in the church's children's choir, and around the same time, she helped me join their Drum & Lyre band as Lyre piqued my interest. Playing Lyre has made me really happy. Joining church activities has made me experience a lot of things that are both positive and negative. It was during elementary that I experienced being made fun of as my actions were "not of a boy's". I remember going home one night and hearing that my father got angry as his so-called "friend" called me gay because I mostly hung out with girls. It wasn't that much of a big deal to me back then as I was too innocent for these things.

Around 2017, I started my junior high school life. During 7th grade, I made a friend with a similar interest to me which was playing the lyre. I had a lot of memorable experiences with him like eating as Mang Inasal, making me eat lunch at their home out of nowhere, and more. During 8th grade, I met people telling me that I was "intelligent" and that I just needed to make effort at school. I made great friends and had great teachers. Honestly, I didn't like 9th grade except for my friends who have similar interests as me, anime.

After the school year ended, the lockdown came after some time. I stopped during the 1st quarter of the first online classes as I couldn't adapt to the new normal. During the lockdown, I immersed myself in online games meeting different kinds of people and even making some friends. I was supposed to drop out for the second time but my class adviser home visited me to give me a chance to graduate.

Mid-2022 was when the face-to-face classes were finally brought back and I didn't know what to expect. The two-year lockdown was quite isolating and I forgot the feeling of socialization. Though I'd rather be alone in a room, I still tried my best to socialize. The first day of class with set B was quite memorable and I enjoyed it. In the second quarter, I finally made a friend who made my senior high school life bearable. I encountered a lot of failures in grade 11 until I finally started trying and even got results that far exceeded my low expectations. As a grade 12 student, I'm working hard to give my best and so trying to find out my future career and goals.

[jdgo51]

DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR MAY 4, 2023 Childlike Awe By John Alter (Florida, USA) READ MATTHEW 18:1-5 Jesus said, “Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” MATTHEW 18:4 (NRSV) "I have never forgotten an experience from first grade. It happened on a Monday. Just the day before I had attended junior church, a special class for children a bit too young to get the most from the adult worship service. Our teacher talked to us that day about how we will always have a friend in Jesus. He is with us hand-in-hand every day, she told us. On that memorable Monday as I walked to school, I recalled my Sunday school teacher’s message. Suddenly, I raised my right hand and imagined grasping Jesus’ hand. Even now, decades later, I still have a vivid and comforting recollection of that experience. As we mature, we often lose that simple relationship with Jesus. But Jesus made it clear that we need to “change and become like children” (Matt. 18:3), thinking and living humbly. I believe that means we must maintain a simple, unspoiled relationship with Jesus Christ. As we maintain that link with Christ in our prayers and thoughts, we may find ourselves reaching to grasp Jesus’ hand that is always reaching out to us." We can have that same childlike relationship with Jesus that we had when were a child. If you met Jesus later in life, you can still have the joy of a new relationship. Let's turn back to that early time and bring ourselves very close to Him. It's worth all the effort. TODAY'S PRAYER "Dear Jesus Christ, help us maintain a childlike awe in our relationship with you. May we always sense your presence with us, guiding us through each day." Amen. Matthew 18:1-5 New International Version The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven "'18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."' Be as a child and always treat children with respect and compassion. They deserve this. As of late, many people give no value to a child. That is so heart-wrenching. Be blessed always. Joe

[centrally-unplanned]

I think your own post admits to all of your own errors within itself, while the rest are judgement calls in the end but lived experiences will be very telling about:

The thing is, for any class there's some body of information that's "the content of the course", and you could imagine anyone who has taken the course (or anyone who's gotten an A in the course?), and thus has that knowledge, could teach it. And this is, like, obviously wrong.

While this isn't my claim of course, not even close, but I will actually tackle it - it is not obviously wrong! This is not my or anyone's ideal, far far from, but it is in fact obvious that sometimes someone who barely has more knowledge than the material being taught would be a better teacher than an expert in the material who has just awful pedagogy, who barely shows up for lectures, rambles, doesn't respond to student questions, and outsources grading. Which anyone who attends university will tell you is not the median by any means, most faculty are fine, but is nearly universal in existing at the school.

The mistake you are making is twofold: the first is optimizing only along one metric - "ability to explain beyond the material". But this is not the only metric by any means! If you, to take a concrete example, spend literally 50% of your microeconomics lecture going off on tangents about how the university president is an idiot with the finances of the university, your domain expertise is irrelevant.

The second failing is idealizing the classroom and ignoring class diversity - most students will not engage deeply with the material, and instead try to scrape by with a minimal understanding. And the content itself might not lend itself to such deeper engagement. A lot of classwork can be just memorization, or simple concepts grilled over and over. Deeper expertise helps, no one disputes that, but it can be of minimal help to the students who really just need patience re-explaining the basics, or need engaging presentation, and so on. Saying this:

And academic disciplines aren't just piles of facts: they're ways of approaching and structuring problems, sets of intellectual tools

Is idealization - while its a part of the curriculum, its not all of it. I definitely can describe an intro language course as Not This, and an intro accounting course does this in only the most basic way. The median student in an intro accounting course memorizes and practices basic math concepts & essentially number formatting.

Again, no one anywhere claimed this is the ideal, its far from it. I just think this is foundational along the chain to the mistakes you are making. Your statement is trivially false, because so many people in life have had an explicit experience otherwise - an awful 'expert' teacher bailed out by a neophyte TA who knows how to communicate and is giving them the time.

Now to the meat:

So to teach material well, you want teachers who are several levels past their students. They don't just have the ability to recite memorized answers and pass tests; they can draw connections the students won't make themselves.

Oh yeah, several levels past there students...like, I don't know, a senior biology student teaching an intro biology course? The literal thing I said? They have ~3 years of courses under them. They are qualified teachers from the content mastery metric (obviously assuming they were good students, like TAs normally are). This is a non-response, saying "they need higher experience" is not a useful rejoinder because the only thing under contention is how much and in what. I am claiming 3+ years of subject domain expertise is sufficient and superior when combined with an actual focus on pedagogy and a career in teaching (the TA example was used to expose how little you need to be a better teacher sometimes than faculty its not the ideal ofc); you are claiming (but not really, we will get back to that) that it requires 7+ years of a PhD program and a completed dissertation in order to better teach econometrics, and will beat someone who practices the craft of teaching in some irreplaceable way. You can make that case, but you haven't yet.

And sure, for Calc 1 you can get by with masters students or something, who are at the least several levels above Calc 1; this is why we can teach intro classes with grad students, and why community colleges get by with MAs. But this sort of benefit is basically unbounded, because more understanding makes you better at, well, understanding.

Acknowledging the fallacy of the benefit being "unbounded" - to repeat most students will rarely engage above those bounds, its beneficial but you have to compare it to other beneficial values - it again sounds like you agree with me. Now I will note that in the OP didn't specify I was discussing undergraduate, because it was an extension of a previous post where that was very clear. I did make clear in the reply in this chain, though, but still if this just confusion on that, fair enough. You admit masters students can teach intro classes! So can masters graduates teach the 201 and 301 courses? I think they can, I think they can teach the 400 level courses too. Maybe you don't, fine. But you are already confessing to them being qualified to teach the majority of courses. What are we debating here again? What am I demonstrably wrong about? Universities already admit to this reality in practice, they just are stuck with accreditation & internal requirements mandating x% of classes are taught by tenure track faculty so they can't fully give up the ghost. That was a mistake pedagogically, I stand by it. Obviously motivated tenured faculty can still teach undergrads! Of course they could! They would just be judged as teachers, not as a checkbox.

And I really do need to say how ludicrously insulting it is to posit that someone with a Masters Degree in Russian History cannot teach an undergraduate history seminar. I am sorry, this is just a cock of shit; those students are not going to be doing any archival research or massive research projects, and that masters degree included writing a 100-page thesis and fully engaging with the material. People can like, learn things on jobs. Someone who got a masters degree in Russian history and then spent 10 years teaching Russian history being inherently worse at that job than a PhD because he never did a dissertation is an extremely bold claim I don't even think you realized you were making. But you definitely did.

The suggestion that you don't need active researchers to teach PhD students is just laughably disconnected from how a PhD actually works. (It's an apprenticeship!)

Again what are you debating? I dont think that! Like sure I do have a hobby horse about how non-PhD's have a role in grad school education, not every PhD course is hyper-focused on the PhD expertise - something schools admit to, adjuncts and teaching faculty teach in PhDs all the time! And I think they should do more of it. So as I said, I think its like technically false but not in a way that matters. Which I said explicitly:

researchers teaching trainee researchers makes sense.

Which is literally saying what you said, its an apprenticeship.

Again I can't actually find a locus of any disagreement here outside of the failures to engage with any the arguments actually presented. I think what you are missing is just the entire crux here. Its not that PhD's can't be good teachers, they obviously can. None of this qualifications etc debate is core, at all. The point is that tenure research faculty are not paid to be good teachers. They are promoted and reward for research. But then, as a side gig, are forced to teach X% of the courses on top. This is how it works at higher tier universities in the US (the subject of the post), its not about community colleges or anything, which as you say don't work like this at all so of course aren't relevant. Because the job of a researcher is to *research* it was a mistake from a student learning standpoint to think they would be ideal teachers of 201 level courses. A full time teacher with a masters would be better because it would be their career. But universities did this because teaching is secondary to other concerns.

To discuss one of my own university issues, I personally think the marriage of research & teaching at universities was a mistake, something I have discussed before. It creates bad incentives for the teaching of good classes, and creates a mess of a mission for the schools in question.

But it serves a lot of purposes that are hard to disentangle! The status thing for elite schools is a big one; how does an Ivy Leage school perpetuate status? How does it make elite companies care about its students? Generating talented undergraduates, sure, but also through its research; the faculty are high-status people themselves, consulting for big companies, pushing pioneering science, etc etc. Companies gain value from their research, or want to associate with the prestige, and so on. An extremely common occurrence at an elite school is for a student to take a class with a professor who works with an elite company, and if you do well in that class and impress the professor they will write you a letter of recommendation or w/e for internships/jobs at that company. Career teachers are never high-status this way. So a school that shed its research would lose status and place its grads in worse jobs, even if it got better at "teaching core skills" via a focus on pedagogy ,or lowered tuition. Because pedagogy doesn't matter that much to the school's real outputs, and lowered tuition doesn't matter at all (the consumers that matter at every end are not price sensitive for elite schools).

There are a bunch of other reasons btw, this is just one of them. I do think an alternate path for schools did "exist" historically, where there was a bit more of a split between essentially undergraduate and graduate school. But we didn't take it, and now its going to be very hard to shift. So instead you push for marginal changes like more full-time teaching faculty & alternative ways to highlight student talent. And hey over time it could shift more and more, its possible ofc. I just like to focus on how dynamic the equilibrium really is on these things, which I think is missed a lot.

[hannie-dul-set]

breakup prank with nct 127.

due to popular demand (one person) here is the 127 version. yes, mark and haechan are still here don't ask why because i don't have an answer.

dream ver.

taeil:

johnny:

taeyong:

yuta:

doyoung:

jaehyun:

jungwoo:

mark:

haechan:

[devildomimagines]

Could you do the brothers (Lucifer especially) reacting to an MC who jokes all the time, seems carefree and stupid but eventually they find out that MC is actually a very deeply caring, responsible and intelligent person. They act like an idiot likely as a response to some adversity in their own past. Sorry if its complicated, i just like the idea of the brothers almost discounting MC only to realise they weren't looking deeply enough

Hi Anon! Thanks for the request! Sorry it took me so long to get to, it's been busy in my personal life. The older brothers are under the cut so this post isn’t a mile long lol. I hope this is worth the wait!

Belphegor

King of rolling his eyes at your antics.

Belphie is maybe the most knowledgeable about humans so, of anyone, he might be able to see a little deeper than the surface.

On one of the rare occasions you got Belphie out of the house, you two came across a Little D that was clearly lost.

He didn’t pay it any mind since he figured the Little D would just teleport to their master but you insisted on helping.

As you knelt down to the creature Belphie stood back and watched as you quickly soothed the Little D’s worries and it hopped into your arms. 

You brushed past Belphie to carry the spirit across the street and start talking to the shop owner. The two of you laughed and Little D hopped over to the shop owner’s hands.

“The shop keeper knows that Little D’s master and will give them a call,” you explained as you wrapped your arm around his and began leading him down the road.

“You’re amazing MC,” Belphie murmured, such a small act really changed his view of you.

Where he thought you were foolish in trusting him after what happened in the attic, he realized that he wasn’t a special case of forgiveness, you were just a truly caring person. 

“Hm, what was that Belphie?” You asked but he wasn’t sure if you actually didn’t hear him or if you were teasing.

He wasn’t too proud to admit his feelings but his face did heat up a bit, “I said you’re amazing.”

Beelzebub

He’s pretty caring for a demon so he could see you were too, although maybe he didn’t know the depth until today.

The two of you were enjoying a meal in Hell’s Kitchen. Beel was absorbed in the food that he didn’t at first notice you were distracted.

When you asked for a moment and got up to grab the attention of a waiter. Beel watched on curiously, he was hoping you were asking for more food.

The waiter nodded along and ducked into the kitchen. You waited in that spot and you caught Beel’s stare. You waved at him with a smile.

He waved back with a fried shadow bat in hand.

You laughed and then the waiter was back. They handed you a to-go container, you talked for a second, probably thanking them and then made your way across the restaurant, walking right past your table.

Beel thought to call out to you as if you had somehow accidentally overshot the table but you made your way right out the door.

He started to get up to go after you, he shoveled a few things in his mouth not totally satisfied but more confused why you were leaving.

Then he saw you through the window. He stopped moving as you approached a small demon looking into the restaurant through the window. Beel sat and watched the scene unfold.

It jumped back away from you, probably not having seen a human before, and was clearly defensive as you talked. You then offered the to-go container, popping it open so the demon could see the food contained.

The little demon inched closer, clearly hungry and tempted by the food you offered. You nodded and the demon took the container and ran. You watched for a second and then came back into the restaurant to join Beel.

You sat down like nothing had happened and went back to your meal. When Beel didn’t start eating you asked,  “What is it? Do I have something on my face!?”

He shook his head no, “You’re incredible.” He picked back up eating but he would not forget this moment.

Asmodeus

You watched on as Asmo was applying his make-up. He always enjoys your company when preparing for the day but he noted you were reading the ingredients pretty seriously.

“What’s got you frowning MC?” 

“This is from the human realm, right?” you held up the bottle so he could see the label in the mirror.

He hummed, “That’s right, I get products from all over so that one is definitely from the human realm. Have you used it before?”

“Um, no I tended to stay away from their brand.” You put the bottle back where you found it.

“Why’s that? It is kind of expensive in Grimm, was it the same in your currency?”

“Not really, it’s just that…” you paused trying to think of the most sensitive way to put it, “there are make-up brands in the human realm that test their products on animals before marketing it to humans.”

“How cute!” Asmo giggled at the thought of bunnies in blush.

“No Asmo, it’s more like they are testing if their products are safe for humans by using animals as a proxy. It can be brutal and even unnecessary and could result in the animal’s death.”

Asmo had stopped and turned to look at you as you explained. His face was slightly troubled.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable! I just tried to use products that didn’t use that as a part of their process in manufacturing so as to not cause any unnecessary distress.”

He nodded understanding your thought process. The Devildom didn’t have such markers since suffering was the norm.

The fact that you were thinking about what products you used and their impact on others, even just some animals, had him reassessing you.

It was more thoughtful than he originally credited you. When you and him were joking around and gossiping, he figured your interests were more superficial.

It was refreshing that not only could you keep up with the most recent hot news around town but you truly cared and respected your impact on others.

“Asmo?” You asked, he had been quiet for a while lost in thought.

“It’s nothing!” He recovered but he kept peeking back at you with a mysterious smile.

Satan

The two of you were studying in the RAD library.

There was a particularly tough exam coming up, notorious for dropping the GPA of 75% off the class.

Satan was confident in his abilities but he agreed to come study for your sake. He didn’t have access to know your grade like Lucifer did but he assumed you were struggling by your pleas for his help and deprecating jokes about failing.

He watched as you diligently took out your books and notebook. You flipped through a few of your notes and then shifted your focus to your textbook. Satan shrugged as he opened his own books, you seemed to be off to a fine start.

After about an hour you asked, “Can we quiz each other?”

He agreed and flipped to the end of the chapter he was on for the review questions. Satan took a question and asked it in a slightly different way so you couldn’t rely on memorized answers. 

To his surprise you answered correctly and made up a question for him that he thought was actually pretty difficult. 

Of course he got it right but shrugged it off as a fluke that you didn’t mean to ask such a hard question. The next one he asked you was harder, not from the textbook in any way, it was something that the teacher had mentioned offhand in class.

You got it correct again. With your turn next, you asked another complex question.

Satan answered properly but was now on the edge of his seat, surely twice in a row was not a coincidence.

His next question, he matched your difficulty. You thought for a few minutes and dived into explanation with examples and even a source that you quoted off the top of your head. Your answer was insightful and succinct.

You were waiting for Satan’s assessment of your answer but he sat unmoving.

“Was I mistaken?” You asked, and started frantically looking through your notes.

While you reviewed your materials, Satan was seeing you in a new light. He figured you got along so well with Mammon because the two of you could joke and slack off with the best of them. He thought that you and Asmo got along more as a pair of airheads. But here you were, in this moment your intelligence came off as easy and effortless.

“No, you were right.”

“Really?” you looked up surprised but happy.

He smiled back, but wondered, “What is your current grade in this class, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Last I checked, like 96?”

Satan laughed and shook his head, unbelievable that he thought otherwise.

Leviathan

He already thought of himself as a charity case. The fact that you would be willing to sacrifice your time to be with him was a miracle in his eyes.

No matter how many times you told him you wanted to hang out with him, it wasn’t a sacrifice, he still didn’t believe you.

When he gets more comfortable around you, he let’s you see his uglier sides when the envy consumes him.

You were a safe space he could vent to and you took that responsibility seriously. You listened and he felt the things he shared never left his room when you left.

It was after one of those vent/gaming sessions that you had to excuse yourself.

You had never gotten up in the middle like that and it scared Levi, had he gone too far? Did you actually hate him?

He watched silently as you left the room. Once the door closed, he was on his feet, what was so important? He decided to follow you.

Levi followed about a hallway behind you, as you turned a corner he would sprint to the corner to watch where you go next.

He followed all the way to the kitchen? He didn’t want to peek in fear of being caught but he listened as you greeted Beel.

Beel asked what’s up and you answered you were getting snacks for an intense gaming night with Levi. Beel must have perked up with the snacks you grabbed and you shooed him off, “If Levi’s up for it, you can join us but you can’t have that snack, I made it for a special occasion.”

Special… special? Levi couldn’t wrap his head around it when he thought of himself but the silence in the kitchen meant you must be leaving… meaning you were heading right for the door he was cupping!

He turned around and found a hiding spot on the other side of the hall behind a vase.

The door swung open as he held his breath. You started the way you came. You were heading for his room and he wasn’t there!

Cue montage of Levi comically running through the halls of HOL to get to his room before. He jumps into his gaming chair seconds before you open his door quietly.

He was panting and sweaty when he turned towards you with a smile, totally failing to act natural.

“Sorry I got up so abruptly but I just remembered I made you this!” You presented a cupcake exactly replicated from the anime the two of you watched last week.

Levi’s heart melted, he felt bad that he had second guessed you. He reached out for the cupcake with one hand and with the other he took your hand to pull you to the bean bags. He was blushing but still said, “Let’s put on that anime while I eat it.”

The level of detail that you had gotten correct showed how dedicated you had been to paying attention to his interests and how much you cared for him in turn. He was also impressed with your baking knowledge, it takes a decent level of skill to be able to replicate something just from seeing it.

The scene was coming up where the protag was going to give the cupcake and Levi was struck with the most embarrassing thought. But if anyone would indulge him, it was you.

As the protag took the cupcake, Levi copied their posture. Then he copied their words in unison they both said, “Thank you, no one has ever made me anything like this before.” The two of them ripped the cupcake in half in the same spot and he extended the half to you as he protag did, “Will you share it with me?”

“Of course!” You and the character answered together then giggled as Levi blushed and hid behind the half cupcake as the two of you returned to sitting on the beanbags.

There was no way he was ever going to forget this moment, his eyes opened to how much you did care for him. Even if he was doubtful of others by nature, he would never doubt you again.

Mammon

People always write Mammon off as dumb and because you have a pact with him, you’re often included in that assumption. The two of you get along like peas in a pod. You’re here for a good time and Mammon can definitely provide that. 

His schemes to make money keep things interesting so you usually go along unless you have other commitments. Today’s work was clean-up in the local park. Not because it was lucrative, but because this was a punishment from a prank that backfired.

You had pleaded with Diavolo for a lighter sentence on Mammon’s behalf as his pact partner and Diavolo indulged you.

Mammon was brooding on your way to the park but you were looking forward to being outside in nature for the day so you chattered aloud to fill the silence.

Barbatos was waiting for you two with the materials you would need. He gave you a look of pity when you turned but Mammon caught it and knew Barbatos was probably feeling sorry you had to be punished when you didn’t do anything. Mammon ripped the rake out of Barbatos’ hand and sulked off after you.

You each set to different tasks, Mammon raking leaves and you weeding the flowerbeds. 

Demons and spirits passed with a few snickers, definitely not the first time Mammon had been sent to do community service but he hated that you were now a laughing stock with him. You didn’t seem phased by it though, even flashing him a bright smile when you two made eye contact. 

Halfway through the day, the two of you were taking a break for a snack and fluids, you shared a bench and admired the work so far. “We might even finish early!” You shared your optimism.

Mammon nodded but still kept quiet. It was so unlike him and you were hitting your limits of how to try to get him out of his own head, you figured he would be back to normal tomorrow but missed hearing his voice.

You two split the last of the duties, you were now cleaning equipment and decorations while he was trimming bushes and trees.

While Mammon was trimming a nearby bush, he heard your voice, then heard his name. He peeked through the bush to watch you talking with a crow.

“I thought it would make the day more fun if I was here with him because he always makes me have fun but it’s like I’ve made his mood worse…” You looked down at the bird bath you had been polishing and knelt down. The crow watched your movements from it’s perch on the top. “Maybe he hates that I intervened with Diavolo, I probably overstepped. I don’t know what I can do to get Mammon out of this funk. What do you think?”

The crow outstretched it’s wings and took off. You pouted, but continued polishing. Mammon was about to push through the bushes to comfort you, his mood wasn’t your fault and he felt even worse that you thought that but then the crow returned.

It swooped onto your shoulder and dropped something into your hand. You jumped with surprise and it scared the crow off your shoulder, it resettled on the bird bath. “This is perfect! Thank you!” The crow let you give it a few scritches and took off once more. You looked around for Mammon.

He nonchalantly rounded the bush so you would notice him, “Mammon! Look!” You rushed over and handed him the object.

It was a golden grimm coin. You explained, “A crow gave it to me, that has to be good luck! Take it and your luck will change, you won’t be punished forever!”

He wrapped you in a tight hug. What did he do to deserve you? Why did you care about him so deeply that you’d give him your treasure and good luck?

You laughed into his hug and he pulled back, “Alright, let’s finish this up and go home, I’ll treat ya to some ice cream on the way back.” He ruffled your hair but your shining eyes and too big smile made him blush and turn away.

Lucifer

He questioned if putting you under Mammon’s care at first was a mistake.

It’s not that you didn’t get along, in fact you two got along too well. Was Mammon’s stupid tendencies to slack off rubbing off on you?

You had been coming back late without being accompanied by one of his brothers and he was determined to find out what you were up to.

For the morning, he watched as you and Mammon walked to school. Lucifer stayed far enough away so he couldn’t be sensed so he couldn’t hear what you two were saying but it was clear you were having a good time. Mammon was snickering as you animatedly gestured and walked backwards. Lucifer’s heart warmed that his brother was genuinely happy then realized he was getting distracted.

You sat through your first class diligently taking notes and participating. The same for most of the classes that day. Lucifer started to acknowledge your responsibility to learning but it made him all the more curious as to why you skipped your last class. 

He watched you look around for any onlookers and dipped into the library. He was both surprised and amused that you were meeting with Simeon. The angel was leading you astray? 

Simeon didn’t look happy about it either, probably scolding you for missing class, but he was a pushover and your pathetic look won him over. The two of you sat as Simeon talked. You were taking notes on whatever Simeon was lecturing on. 

You left the interaction and Lucifer took the chance to talk with Simeon himself. He learned that you were asking about stories from the Celestial Realm. Simeon offered that it was just human nature to be curious what lays beyond life. Lucifer, the ever-skeptic, didn’t believe that was it.

He had lost your trail by talking to Simeon so he went home to wait for your return.

Lucifer intercepted you as you tried to sneak in. “MC, this way please,” he led you to his office, “How was today?”

“Good?” you answered but was unsure why he looked so serious.

“How was class?” 

You got nervous but answered, “Fine, same old same old.”

“Ah,” Lucifer smirked, “And how was Simeon?”

Your attempt to play dumb failed spectacularly when you stammered, “W-who’s Simeon?”

“Lying to me won’t do you well,” Lucifer reminded.

“Sorry, it’s just it wasn’t an approved activity so I didn’t want anyone in your family to be implicated…” you scratched the back of your head and looked away.

“And what activity is that?”

“Oh I thought you knew since you caught me,” you laughed, “Solomon and I were going to play with young demons at an orphanage in town. We were telling them stories from the Human Realm but I thought it would be nice to incorporate stories from the Celestial Realm too.”

Lucifer sighed.

You took that as a sign he was disappointed so you continued, “Let me explain, I know I should have asked permission first and for that I’m sorry. Solomon and I just stumbled on the place one day and the kids bombarded us with questions, never having seen humans before and before I knew it we were going almost everyday. I guess I thought it wouldn’t be bad because exposing the next generation of demons to humans would help Diavolo’s mission to strengthen relations between the realms. And I asked Simeon for stories so we could share Celestial Realm things too without getting Simeon in trouble or putting him in an uncomfortable position.”

Well that was definitely an eye opener for Lucifer. What you said made sense that changing minds starts with the youth. His original assumptions that you were just shirking responsibilities was way off base. He didn’t want to but admitted to himself he was wrong. Not only had you been doing something charitable but you were furthering Lord Diavolo’s message in a different way.

“You’re correct, you should have asked permission,” he started and you sank in your seat, “but I don’t see any harm in what you’re doing except for missing classes.” You sank further in your seat. “For skipping class, you’ll need to do extra studies,” he paused to make sure you knew this was a punishment, “I think a fitting topic would be interracial communication with a focus on the youth of Devildom.”

You perked up with a smile, “So I can keep going to the orphanage?”

Lucifer fought back a smile himself, trying to continue to be stern, “Yes, but that’s only if you don’t skip class and you have one of my brothers accompany you. As competent as Solomon is, he is also human and I would feel better if you had a demon escort.”

You were absolutely beaming now. “I’d like that but I don’t think you brothers would be interested.”

“They’ll do what they’re told but I think the twins would enjoy it the most,” Lucifer offered.

“Thanks! I would like if you could join us sometime too,” you suggested shyly.

He did smile at that, “If my schedule allows,” He didn’t finish before you were hugging him. He stiffened, not used to being hugged after doling out a punishment but softened and returned your hug, “I’ll make time to join you.”

[minaramen]

Nagi Rokuya - 16 Idol Album - Part 2: The book from my memories

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

*Castle library*

Nagi:...finished. Are my answers correct?

Educator: Astonishing as always, Your Highness Nagi. You’ve already memorized all the topics so far…!

Educator: I’m very lucky to be the educator of such an excellent student, Your Highness Nagi

Nagi: It’s because you’re a wonderful teacher

Nagi: Since I got everything right, are we done for today?

Educator: Yes, but…there's something that's making you behave nervously today, isn’t there?

Educator: Do you have something planned with His Highness Seth, once the lesson is over?

Nagi:...ah, ehm….

Educator: You glanced at the clock so many times. Also, you were unusually restless

Nagi: S-sorry….I lost my focus

Nagi: Just like you say, teacher, today I’m really looking forward to my brother coming…

Educator: I understand how you feel. His Highness Seth is very busy, you don't have much time to spend together

Educator: I was actually planning to go on with the lesson a little longer, but Your Highness Nagi was so well prepared that I don’t have anything else to teach you today

Nagi: T-that means…!

Educator: Yes. Today’s class is over

Nagi:......! Thank you so much, teacher!

Educator: Don’t mention it. What are you planning to do with His Highness Seth?

Nagi: We’re going to read a book. Lately he’s been reading me “The Little Prince”

Educator: Oh, it’s a pretty difficult book, but you can get a lot of knowledge from there

Educator: However, I’m sure Your Highness Nagi could read that book by himself?

Nagi:...w-well…

Nagi:....I want my brother to read it to me…

Educator: Fufu. I understand. You want to be spoiled

Nagi: Ah, please, don’t tell my brother…!

Educator: Of course, I’ll keep it a secret. In return, please don’t forget to properly review today’s class and prepare for the next one

Nagi:...yes! Understood!

Educator: I’m taking my leave now. Have a great time with His Highness Seth 

*Door opens and closes*

Nagi *thinking*: There’s still some time until my brother comes, I think…

Nagi *thinking*:  I’ll do some setting up, just so we can immediately start reading the book..!

Nagi: Okay, let’s put the book here on the sofa…ah, I also need my blanket!

Nagi *thinking*:  I need to properly check the point where we stopped last time…

Nagi: The Little Prince gets into a fight with the rose he had carefully nurtured, so he leaves for a trip and visits many different planets…

Nagi: I think this was the page…

*Knock knock*

*Door opens*

Seth:...Nagi? Sorry I’m late

Nagi: Dear Brother…! I’ve also just finished my lesson

Seth: The educator told me you’ve been a good boy today as well. Amazing, Nagi

 Nagi: Oooh…thank you! I’m so happy to be praised by you, Dear Brother!

Seth: Is that so? Then you must keep on doing your best with studying

Nagi: Yes! I will!

Seth: So, how about today? We’ve planned to keep on reading the book, right?

Nagi: Everything is ready! Last time we read until this picture

Seth: Ah, yeah… come here then, Nagi

Nagi:....! Yes..!

Seth: You look so happy. Do you really like this book that much?

Nagi: I do. Because you chose it for me, Dear Brother

Nagi: However, the content is…quite difficult

Seth: Well, there are many philosophical elements. I think it’s not easy to completely understand them for a child your age, Nagi…

Seth:...........

Nagi: Dear Brother?

Seth:...might I speak plainly?

Nagi: Are you sure?

Seth: We’ll now look back at the story we read so far, just to make sure we remember everything 

Seth: Do you remember who the Little Prince met on the first planet he visited? 

Nagi: He met a great king, who got mad because the Little Prince yawned in front of him and he said that it’s something one must not do

Nagi: Father would never say something like that, so I thought he was a really mean king

Seth: Yes. He was so focused on showing his authority that he couldn’t see what was essential

Seth: Authority is not something you can get just by being born with the title of king. You can only get authority when people recognize you as their king. He couldn’t see what was in the Little Prince’s heart

Nagi: The Little Prince’s heart…

Seth: Then he met a conceited man, and after that he met a tippler

Seth: They were also people who couldn’t see what is really essential

Seth: Everybody has their own interpretations, but at least that’s what I got from the story

Nagi: Maybe, the Little Prince himself couldn’t see what was really essential?

Seth: Good catch, Nagi. And what do you think was really essential to the Little Prince?

Nagi: Well…his beloved rose, maybe…? 

Seth: Exactly. The rose was so important to him, but since they fought he got mad and completely forgot about that

Seth: What is essential is invisible to the eye 

Nagi: I see…

Nagi:.......

Seth: What’s wrong, Nagi? Why are you looking at me like that?

Nagi: I was thinking about the fact that you probably are to me what the rose was to the Little Prince

Seth: Ahah, I see. Because I’m essential to you, maybe 

Nagi: However, unlike the Little Prince, I will never lose sight of what’s essential to me

Nagi: The fact that you’re essential to me may be invisible to the eye, but..

Nagi: Since I love you so much, Dear Brother, I will always be able to see it anyway

Seth:....thank you, Nagi. Your feelings are so warm

Nagi: Dear Brother…?

Seth: You're essential to me as well, Nagi. Your existence is really like a treasure to me

Seth: If it’s in my power, I don’t want to lose you

Nagi: Fufu. We’re talking about me and you, Dear Brother! Everything will be alright, for sure!

Seth:...I see. 

Seth: Even if we grow up, I hope we can stay that way forever

Nagi: Yes, I promise. You will always be essential to me.

End of part 2