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martialstories · 4 years ago

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Tape to tape - chap. 1

Coops - High School AU

All credits for the world & the characters for @lumosinlove. (I’d also like to thank the list of 100 most popular baby names in Canada in 2019 and Most Common Last Names In Canada for helping me figure out names for side characters.)

I did some more research and found out that hich school in Montreal actually lasts only 3 years instead of 4. For the sake of my sanity, we are just going to ignore it since I have no idea how to work with that time frame.

With this chapter we jump backwards in time to see what the beginning of high school was like for Sirius.

PSA. The texts in cursive are inner dialogue. ;)

Enjoy!

(ps. Hazel, absolutely loved the new chapter but hated the cliffhanger. Please post the next one.)

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Sirius admitted that he was nervous. It was the first day of high school. He didn’t really stress about school since hockey was the only thing that mattered in his family. But he didn’t like things changing. And this was a big change.

You’d think that school wasn’t important for a hockey player. Partly you’d be right. But school was the only thing that made Sirius feel normal. There he wasn’t the hockey prodigy with a name widely recognised already at the age of 15. He wasn’t the family disappointment who had gotten beaten behind closed doors for years. There he was just a regular teen who isn’t the best of the class but passes every exam.

“Have a nice day Sirius!” Linda wished from the driver’s seat. “Try to relax a little. You’re gonna be fine!”

Sirius glanced at her with his face emotionless. “I’ll try. Bye.” He said before getting out of the car.

This was the part he hated. He hated the mask he had to put on every single day. He hated that he wasn’t sure if his little brother would remember who he really was or if he’d only remember this stonefaced teen who could only try to smile when sneaking into each other’s rooms. He wasn’t even sure if he remembered how to smile properly.

He hated this and wanted to get out of here but he knew he was still too young. If he wanted to pursue a career in the NHL he’d have to stay in school for a couple more years and get drafted after he graduated.

”Black! I didn’t know you’d come to our school! Listen up ladies and gents, this man will be the biggest name in the league one day.” Sirius turned towards the side of the main stairs. There he could see sitting around 10 boys and girls all wearing the same school uniform. A dark eyed boy with cornrows was smiling brightly towards him.

”Nice to see you Felix. And don’t jinx it.” Sirius said walking over. Felix raised his hand to ruffle Sirius’s hair but he was fast enough to duck.

”Alright, alright. It’s nice to see you too Little one.” Felix grinned at him cheekily.

Sirius groaned a little. ”Oh don’t start that again. This year there will actually be people my age in the team.”

”Oh I know. But you can’t blame me. You were actually tiny when you started last year. That name was earned.” Felix started explaining to his confused friends. ”Black here was way too good for his own age group so they decided to transfer him to play with us older ones last year. The thing was that this boy hadn’t really hit his puberty like the rest of us so he was about a head or two shorter than the rest of us.” That caused Felix’s friends to laugh. Sirius was shaking his head.

”Where’s your other half Felix? I thought you couldn’t do anything without him.” Felix’s twin brother, Levi, suddenly appeared at their side. The rest of the gang jumped a little but Sirius just ducked instinctively to avoid the hand trying to ruffle his hair.

Levi didn’t even try to act surprised. ”Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Hello, Little one. I still think it’s slightly creepy that no one can surprise you. What do you think Felix?” ”Definitely creepy.” ”As I said.”

Sirius just chuckled lightly and tried to move on as fast as he could. There definitely were reasons to his constant awareness of the things happening around him but he’d never say those reasons out loud. ”Alright boys. I have to head to class. You don’t mind telling me where the French classes are?”

”Yep, you just walk in, take the first stairs you see up to the third floor, turn right and you are in the language corridor. Then just look at the classroom numbers.” Levi guided him.

”Thanks Levi. I’ll see you at practice!” Sirius shouted over his shoulder while walking towards the doors.

Sirius had asked Linda to drop him off a little earlier than usual so he’d have time to find his first class. Bumping into the Wright brothers had cut that extra time down to a couple of minutes. As he walked along the corridor Sirius kept his eyes open in case he’d see any of his relatives that would need to be avoided. He knew that he’d have to face them at some point but the first day wasn’t the right time to do that. The longer he could avoid them the better.

Once Sirius finally reached his French class he could see it was almost full already. The teacher greeted him with a nod and told him to go sit at the back of the class where there were two free seats next to each other.

’Hopefully I am the last one. That way I wouldn’t have to sit next to anyone.’ Sirius thought as he lowered his bag to sit next to the desk. Sirius sat down and glanced around the room to see if he recognized anyone. There were a couple persons he knew from his old school but he didn’t know them enough for them to try to start a conversation with him.

Before he could let out a sigh of relief one last person walked through the door. Sirius watched as he walked towards the teacher who directed him to go sit at the back next to Sirius. As the boy started to walk across the class Sirius got a better look at him. Slightly taller than himself, kinda lanky but his stance was strong. Curly light brown hair, couple of freckles on his cheecks and hazel eyes. A small scar on his nose and he was one of the few people who could make the school uniform look actually good.

’Cute.’ Sirius thought. ’Wait, what? Since when have I thought boys were cute?’ ’Since him. And the cute ice cream vendor that we met during the summer with Reg. But mostly since this one. This one is also hot.’ ’What? No. Shut up.’

The boy had already sat down next to him as he was having that fun little piece of inner dialogue. (’More like the beginning of an existential cris-’ ’Shut up!’) The boy looked at him and offered him a small smile. Sirius just nodded and turned towards the front.

The teacher introduced herself and went over what to expect from this class. After 15 minutes she told the class to get to know the person sitting next to you as you’d be doing a lot of exersices with them.

Sirius eyes widened a little. ’Shit.’ ’YES! Now we get to know their name!’ ‘I still don’t get what you are talking about.’ Sirius turned towards the boy sitting next to him.

”I guess we are going to be a pair.” The boy said. (’Ah, his voice is like the prettiest dream.’ ’What does that even mean?’)

”Yeah, I guess so.” Sirius answered. (Stop being a jerk, idiot! Go on, introduce yourself.’ ’Shut it.’)

”I’m Remus.” (’Mon dieu! His name is Remus! Merde, I’m going to faint!’ ’Please, I beg you. Do that!’)

”I’m Sirius.”

”Nice to meet you.”

”Nice to meet you as well.”

After that they sat in silence for a few moments until Remus opened his mouth. ”Is French you first language?”

Sirius turned towards him. ”It is.”

”Oh, well in that case I think I should warn you.” Remus chuckled quietly and raised his hand to rub his neck. ”I’m really not that good in French. I just moved here like a week or two ago so I haven’t had the chance to learn. I actually am a year older than you but they put me with the younger class in French since I need to catch up on this subject.”

Sirius raised his eyebrow. ”I see. Where did you move from?”

”From Wisconsin. This city is quite the change from the small town I used to live in.” Remus told him.

”I can believe that. Did you learn any French before moving here?” Sirius asked, starting to get genuinely interested.

”Yes, I decided to take it as an elective subject two years ago but you can’t really learn a language in two years.”

”Well, it’s good that you don’t have to start from nothing.”

”D’accord! That’s enough. Now let’s go through the first chapter.” The teacher interrupted the chatter. Everyone started to focus on the teacher but Sirius was too busy gazing out the window and trying to figure out what he was feeling.

After French Sirius had a math class before lunch. There he found Felix and Levi again and sat with them. He knew it might have looked weird, a first year sitting in a group of third years, but he had no intentions to find new acquaintances. He had met the brothers last year and they were the few people he actually was friends with in the team. While Sirius played center, Felix and Levi were a pair of defencemen. They were also loyal and kind and Sirius liked them. After lunch he had two more classes before it was time for hockey practice.

The rink wasn’t far but Levi offered him a ride since they had to carry their equipment with them. Sirius accepted the offer so after school he climbed into Levi’s car. Once they arrived they got their gear on and headed to the ice.

”Okay, boys! Settle down and gather around! I know it must have been an exciting day but you can spare the talk for home. Today we are going to do warm-ups and then some drills. After those we should play some easy games to figure out the best positions for you.” Coach called from the bench.

Sirius didn’t really like this part of the season. They had started training a few weeks ago already but it was still confusing with the new players. The team dynamic always changed with older players leaving and younger ones coming in. It always took a little while for everyone to find their places.

”Let’s start with sprints, so skate around the rink and every time you reach a blue line sprint to the other one. Questions? Ok. Go!” Coach said and glanced at his watch. The team started to skate around the rink. Some players wanted to focus on the drill like Sirius but others were chatting casually.

Levi and Felix skated up to him. ”Look at the boy coach is talking with. Do you think he is gonna join our team?”

Sirius looked over to the bench but the boy there had already started to walk away from the rink. ”I don’t know. Didn’t see him.”

”Well he had skates on and looked to be around our age.” Levi reasoned.

Just as Sirius was going to answer Coach called them over. ”Good work! Next we are going to move onto the next drill but before that I want to welcome a new player to the team. This is Remus Lupin. He just moved here from Wisconsin, so be nice.”

Sirius froze a little. He watched as Remus came from the tunnel wearing a team jersey. He nodded at Coach and said hi to the team before kicking himself onto the ice. ’Oh this is wonderful.’ ’Stop. Focus!’ Sirius shook himself out of his frozen state as Remus skated over to stand next to him. They exchanged nods with each other and turned towards coach to hear him explain the next drill they were going to do.

For the first half of practice Coach made them do drills. While waiting for his turn Sirius could try and figure Remus out. He could see that Remus definitely knew what he was doing. His movement with the puck looked natural and easy.

At the beginning of the second half Coach gathered them around himself. Then he instructed the ones that played last year to find their old lines. Sirius stayed where he was as two guys skated towards him. Grayson Lee and Fenrir Greyback. Grayson was a smart guy and player and Sirius was glad to have him on his left wing. Greyback on the other hand was completely another story. In Sirius opinion he could have easily been a part of the Black family, with how racist and homophobic he was. Sirius really hoped he wouldn’t have to play another year with him but it seemed like he’d have to. None of the new players seemed good enough to compete with Greyback yet.

After they had gathered there was still about 10 guys left. ”Alright, now let’s see what we have left. Roy, you play left wing right? Go over there. Is here any defencemen? Ok, you can be a pair. Any centers? You can go…” Coach started distributing them into lines. At the end there was one new line created and the rest had been spread around the team. ”Let’s try with this. I’ll change your lines if needed. Black and Ricard, you first.”

Sirius won the first puck and immediately realized how much he had missed playing. During the summer they had had hockey camps and a few practices but it had been mostly other forms of training. He had missed how he could just play and forget about himself for a while.

Coach shouted directions and shift changes from the bench. These matches really didn’t have any winners. It was just to see who played well with who. When Sirius wasn’t playing he was following other players. Really he was just waiting for Remus to get on ice since he was the only one who he hadn’t seen play.

Finally coach shouted for Sirius’s line to get on. At the same time the opposing line was changed with the line Remus was in. ’Well, no we’ll see how he plays.’

The puck was dropped and Sirius won it. He passed it to Felix in defence who passed it back to him. Sirius started to circle opponents when suddenly someone came next to him and stole the puck from him. He turned quickly to see the other player already skating over the centerline. ’Is that Remus?!’

”Black! What are you doing?” Greyback shouted at him from across the ice.

Sirius just ignored him as he raced to get to Remus before he got the goal. Sirius could see Remus looking around him in search for his teammates to pass the puck to and realizing that they were still in their defensive zone.

’He’ll have to try to score by himself.’ Sirius thought. Remus seemed to have come to the same realization as he skirted around the goal. Remus managed to avoid Greyback trying to slam him against the boards and flipped the puck over Plante’s right shoulder. Coach blew his whistle in a mark for a goal and Remus’s teammates, who finally got to him, slammed into him. The bench was standing and thrumming the boards approvingly.

Coach shouted over the noise. ”Alright Lupin! We gotta change this up a bit, it’s clearly not working as it should. It sure is a pity there’s no tape on you as it would make my job a lot easier. Let’s put you with the older ones.” Coach decided to try Remus in Ricard’s line. Sirius’s line jumped over the boards for a break as another one settled to face Ricard’s.

Remus could clearly play better with Ricard’s line but the dynamic still wasn’t the best match. Ricard’s shift consisted of big guys who used their sizes in advantage. Remus on the other hand wasn’t as big but was one of the fastest players Sirius had ever seen. ’I wonder if we’d play well together.’

Ricard’s team scored a goal and it was Sirius’s turn. After they had played for a few minutes Coach whistled. ”Greyback! Switch with Lupin.”

Everyone stopped. It was rather rare that the top line would be altered. Especially with a newcomer.

”But Coach! Lupin hasn-” Greyback tried before Coach cut him off. ”Stop complaining. I want to try this out.” Coach nodded at Remus who was looking between him and Greyback. He jumped onto the ice as Greyback shot him a dirty look.

Remus took his place on the right side of Sirius and the puck dropped.

At the end of practice Sirius had already gotten used to the new dynamic of his line. He actually wondered how he had coped without it. Without Greyback Sirius’s line could simply use their speed and skill in advantage. Greyback was moved to Ricard’s line, where he in Sirius’s opinion fit well. He, after all, was on the bigger side and usually liked to use his size over his skill.

Remus on the other hand had been a complete surprise to Sirius. He didn’t often encounter players who could match his level but Remus was one of them. When Sirius may have been the best in handling the puck and one of the fastest, Remus was definitely the fastest and didn’t leave far behind in puck handling either. He also played well with Lee and Sirius was sure they would be a fatal trio this season.

#sweater weather lumosinlove #sweater weather #lumosinlove #high school au #wolfstar

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emy-loves-you · 4 years ago

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Wrong Numbers and Useless Gays Chapter 4

Sad Boys and Fun Facts

Patton’s a sad boi but Virgil has a distraction

Chapter 3 | Masterlist | Chapter 5

Three weeks had passed since Virgil had first texted Roman. In those three weeks, Virgil had learned a lot about his new friends.

First, there was Patton. God, did that man love puns. Virgil also loved puns, but he preferred reading Patton’s puns over making his own. Remus had caught Virgil blushing at his phone and made a comment about his new “friends with benefits” (Virgil had been unable to respond. He was too busy trying to hold back his giggles from one of Patton’s pun tangents). Patton also made it clear that he was the “Dad Friend” of the group. Virgil couldn’t type a single self-deprecating comment without Patton threatening to physically fight him. It was rather terrifying, really. He also made sure that everyone was taking care of themselves. Once they learned that they were in the same timezone (They hadn’t shared cities yet. Friend or no, Virgil was telling where he lived in that quickly) Patton made it his goal to check in and make sure that Virgil ate at mealtime. One last thing about Patton was his… struggle with technology. He tended to send almost everything directly to the group chat instead of private messages. Logan said that he tried to teach Patton how to do so, but the lessons never seemed to stick.

Speaking of Logan, the nerd had his own quirks. He didn’t type much, usually only responding when someone required everyone to respond. The other time that he typed was during debates. Nine days into their friendship, Virgil had mentioned saying “you too” to a cute barista and claimed that he ruined any chances with his new crush. While Patton and Roman offered words of encouragement, Logan remained silent. Virgil had assumed that Logan agreed with him but didn’t want to upset his boyfriends. As soon as their conversation ended, Virgil received a private text from Logan, requesting to debate. They argued over cognitive distortions for a whole hour before they reached a compromise. Logan had called the debate “lit” and asked if they could debate again in the future. That was another thing about Logan. Apparently, he had vocabulary cards for slang words. When he was talking out loud, he would hold the card up so the others knew what slang word he was attempting to use. When texting, he would put quotation marks around the word. It was adorable, in Virgil’s humble opinion.

Then there was Roman. Princey was known for his dramatic flair and Disney references. When he was feeling especially Extra™ , he would use “thees” and “thys” and call people peasants. He also had a love for nicknames. Patton had very few personal nicknames, with most of them being terms of endearment like “honey” and “amor.” Most of Logan’s nicknames pertained to him being a nerd, such as “pocket protector” and “Microsoft Nerd.” He seemed to have a limitless number of nicknames for Virgil, with most of them referencing his emo-aesthetic (how Princey had discovered that so early in their friendship, Virgil had no clue). He never repeated Virgil’s nicknames; the only exception was “storm cloud,” which he tended to use at least once every conversation.

Virgil had become extremely close with the trio over these three weeks. That wasn’t the only thing he did, just the thing he did most often. The Dark Sides had finalized their contract with Thomas, who set up a tour almost immediately. Virgil really should have seen that coming. Their band had become extremely popular over the past few years, and they had only done one tour before this. Performing across the country would help boost their popularity even further. Virgil sighed, his anxiety spiking at just the thought of seeing all those faces in the crowd. That was why he used the persona Anxiety. Anxiety wasn’t afraid of anything, he was fear. Being Anxiety allowed Virgil to be confident and suave without worrying about judgment. They judged Anxiety, not Virgil. The case was similar for Janus and Remus. Deceit was elegant and mysterious, while Duke was loud and over-the-top. They didn’t have to be rejects wanting to fit in with society. No, they were Rockstars. Society wanted to fit in with them. And Virgil was just fine with that.

Bzzz

Vigil glanced over at his phone. He was in Los Angelas right now, around halfway through his tour, which put him 3 hours behind his new friends. He glanced over at his clock, 9:45 PM glaring at him through the dark. He turned back to his phone. Why are they up at 12:45 in the morning? I know Logan keeps them on a rigid sleep schedule.

P- (9:45 PM) Ro? Are you still up?

V- (9:45 PM) Pat, why are you still up?

P- (9:45 PM) Why are you still up, kiddo? It’s almost 1 AM! Don’t you have a hangout with your friends today?

Virgil sighed, thinking of the concert he had tomorrow. He glanced over to his sketchbook. Patton had been really impressed with his sketches, so he had been practicing less gory drawings to show him. It had evolved into something almost therapeutic. Knowing how he worked, Virgil would probably sketch until around 2 in the morning, then sleep until 8 AM. The concert wasn’t until 7 PM, so he had enough time to sleep in if necessary.

V- (9:46 PM) First of all, you know I’m in California right now. It’s 9:46 for me. Second of all, we’re not hanging out until tomorrow night, so I can sleep in if needed. Third of all, you’re avoiding the question: What are you and Roman doing up at 1 in the morning? I thought you guys had work in the morning.

P- (9:47 PM) We do. Roman got a burst of inspiration at around 10, and he usually refuses to sleep until he writes it all down. He probably fell asleep at his desk, that silly billy!

V- (9:47 PM) That doesn’t explain why you’re still awake. And why didn’t you get up to check on him? I thought you guys lived together.

P- (9:47 PM) We do! I just couldn’t fall asleep tonight. And the bed’s too warm to get up!

V- (9:48 PM) Well, Princey’s probably being a “sleeping beauty”

Virgil frowned at his phone. Patton hadn’t responded to his text. Sure, that wasn’t a very good pun, but it was still a pun. Patton laughed at every pun he saw, or at least followed it up with another pun. He could be asleep, but didn’t he just say that he had trouble sleeping?

V- (9:50 PM) Pat?

P- (9:50 PM) Yeah, Kiddo?

V- (9:50 PM) Are you okay?

V- (9:52 PM) Patton?

V- (9:52 PM) I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. Just because you didn’t answer my pun doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with you. I’m sorry that I sounded like an asshole.

P- (9:52 PM) No, Sweety. It’s fine! It’s nice to know that someone cares about you!

P- (9:53 PM) I’m just a little sad today.

V- (9:53 PM) Do you wanna talk about it?

P- (9:54 PM) I’m fine, Kiddo! This just happens sometimes. No need to worry!

Virgil sighed, thinking about how much Patton reminded him of Janus. Janus grew up neglected, and was taught to convince everyone that his life was perfect. By the time Virgil had met him, Janus was 19 and a compulsive liar. Virgil wasn’t much better, having just gotten kicked out of the foster system. Virgil lived with Janus (and soon Remus) until The Dark Sides had enough income for Virgil to live on his own (technically Janus had more than enough money for that- his parents were loaded. But Virgil wanted to have something that he earned. He wasn’t just some charity case). When they first lived together, Virgil could never tell what Janus was actually thinking. It took a lot of time and trust to separate Janus from Deceit. Now, he was still heavily sarcastic, and he tended to close himself off when he got upset, but Janus had come a long way.

Virgil looked back to his phone. Patton didn’t seem to have it as bad as Janus did, but you could never tell. At least he acknowledged that he wasn’t okay. There is the chance that something really is bothering him, but Virgil had to trust Patton on that note. It is entirely possible that Patton is just feeling down today; God knows how many times Virgil would question why he should get out of bed. He bit his lip. What helps me when I feel sad for no reason? He smiled, remembering when Remus would spout the most obscene things to distract himself from his own negative thinking. A distraction.

V- (9:56 PM) Did you know that giraffes can clean their ears with their own tongues?

P- (9:56 PM) What?

V- (9:56 PM) “Rhythm” is the longest word in the English language that doesn’t have a vowel.

V- (9:56 PM) Elephants are the only mammals that cannot jump.

P- (9:57 PM) More like Elecan’t!

V- (9:57 PM) Haha :)

V- (9:57 PM) Without food coloring, Coca Cola would be green.

V- (9:57 PM) A 3-year-old boy was elected as mayor in Dorset, Minnesota

P- (9:58 PM) No way!

V- (9:58 PM) Yes way! His name was James Tufts.

V- (9:58 PM) 7 different dogs have been elected as mayors in the US.

P- (9:58 PM) I love dogs! They’re such good boys!

Virgil smiled, adding Loves Dogs to his mental list of Quirky things I like about Patton Morale. They continued to talk about dog mayors for a while until Patton ended it abruptly.

P- (10:14 PM) Why are you doing this?

V- (10:14 PM) Doing what?

P- (10:15 PM) Why are you going out of your way to try and cheer me up? You should’ve stopped talking to me 20 minutes ago. Instead, we’re laying here at 1 AM talking about dog mayors! I would have been fine on my own. Why are you wasting your time on me?

V- (10:16 PM) Pat, if you tell me that I’m wasting my time talking to you, I’m going to have to physically fight you. You are my FRIEND. I care about you. When you’re sad, I WANT to cheer you up. When you’re happy, I WANT to laugh along to your punny jokes. Because I know, at the end of the day, if I was sad and needed someone to cheer me up, you would do it in a heartbeat. You, Lo, and Princey are amazing people, and my time spent with you will NEVER be a waste. I swear.

Virgil sighed, dropping his phone on the bed. He might’ve been too forward with that last text. But it was true. While the four of them weren’t nearly as close as Virgil was with Janus and Remus, he still cared about them a lot.

P- (10:18 PM) Thanks, Virgil. That really means a lot to me

P- (10:18 PM) I’m gonna try and get some sleep now

V- (10:18 PM) Alright Patton, Goodnight

P- (10:18 PM) Goodnight

The next day, Virgil saw a postcard in the window of a gift shop. It had a puppy with sunglasses on the beach, with cartoonish letters saying “Having A WonderFUR Time!” He took a picture and sent it to Princey.

V- (1:08 PM) What’s your address or PO? I wanna send this to Patton.

R- (1:09 PM) Say no more, Hot Topic!

V- (1:09 PM) Aw, you think I’m hot.

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Taglist: @bisexualdisaster106 @self-taught-mess @itawalrus

#sanders sides fic #useless gays #LAMP fic #virgil sanders #roman sanders #patton sanders #texting fic

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thewanderers-world · 4 years ago

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Nicaragua vs. South Korea: Which is Better?

By: Lilyan Sanchez Silva

Many just want to explore, some may feel the need to escape their reality. Here, I’ll be breaking down two touristic countries. Comparing and contrasting, while also going in depth with their economic systems. At the end, you will choose which you’d make an escape to and which will remain unchecked on your travel list.

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NICARAGUA

This Central American country, neighboring Honduras and Costa Rica, holds a number of titles, and you can add the largest lake in Central America to the list. With a view to both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea on opposite ends of the country, it’s no wonder Nicaragua means “here united with the water”. Imagine a nice walk down the beach, doesn’t it sound amazing?!

----------------------------The Culture----------------------------

The merging of different cultures within Nicaragua has caused the dawn of a creative, lively and blissful culture. Rhythmic marimbas and folkloric dances give vibrancy to fiestas across the country and the beautiful works of skilled artists spread an understanding of their history and nature.

The culture of Nicaragua reflects the mixed Ibero-European and Indian ancestry of the majority of its people. Diversity, I love it!

---------------------------The Weather---------------------------

Nicaragua has a tropical climate, hot all year round.

Temperatures are quite stable; however, there is a relatively cool winter from November to January, a hot spring from March to May, and a sultry and rainy summer from May to October. On the west coast, it's hot all year round, but there are the sea breezes. However, you may notice a certain temperature increase in the spring. On the Caribbean coast, there is no real dry month; owing to both the rains and the trade winds, the temperatures are a bit lower than on the west coast, but relative humidity is consistently high.

What’s a little rain to this magnificent view?

----------------------The Economic System-------------------

Nicaragua's economy is very active and has experienced great changes during the past decade or so. Its economy was truly a phoenix emerging from the ashes. The cause behind Nicaragua’s past economic problems stemmed from the earthquake of 1972 as well as the rule of the Sandinista regime. Nicaragua’s economic situation improved dramatically with the 1990 election of Violeta Chamorro and the establishment of a democracy. Nicaragua has a mixed economic system which includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation.

Despite the expansive growth in Nicaragua’s economy that took place after the new form of government came in, Nicaragua remains one of the poorest countries in the region and faces issues such as unemployment, low per capita income and great foreign debt. Nicaragua’s economy is working towards improvement in the future, focusing on potential growth in the agricultural sector, energy generation, tourism, export manufacturing, mining and construction, as well as the sale of consumer goods.

With all this budding potential, Nicaragua is the perfect place to invest in, especially in the tourism aspect.

---------------Where to go & What to do---------------

Fun activities to do in Nicaragua include, but are not limited to: Eco-tourism; adventure and sports activities, including surfing, deep-sea fishing, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, diving, volcano sand-boarding; historical and agricultural sites; cultural activities; agritourism; volunteerism; nightlife. Just enjoying the sun and all the different smells wile walking down the market would be wonderful. Nicaragua has lots to offer.

Towns like San Juan Del Sur on the Pacific Ocean's Emerald Coast near Costa Rica are top places to visit, famous for their colorful architecture and surf scene. Many things to do really lie in the smaller cities, like Leon and Granada, which are known for their colorful architecture and churches, and natural attractions such as Lake Nicaragua. It is the largest freshwater lake in Central America and home to hundreds upon hundreds of islands, including some with amazing ecolodges. Here are the Top 5 places to visit while exploring Nicaragua!

1. Islets of Granada

2. Corn Island

3. Masaya Volcano

4. El Cerro Negro

5. Mombacho Volcano Natural Preserve

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SOUTH KOREA

South Korea is a country in Eastern Asia occupying the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It borders the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea, and North Korea. In the year 1934, Korea was given the title "Chaohsien" which meant morning freshness. The title was well suited to South Korea because of its natural beauty of stunning mountains, clear waters and splendid peacefulness – particularly in the morning. Because of this, Korea was also called "Land of Morning Calm."

In a country filled with city lights and multitudes of people, a little calmness in the morning is just what you need to start the day out right!

------------------------The Culture-------------------------------

Korea is all about education, constantly ranked world-best in terms of education system and the knowledge of students as studies such as the PISA and the World Top 20 Poll suggests. They’re also quite unique when it comes to asking their age. In Korea, everyone is already one year old at birth. And not only that: on New Year’s, everyone simultaneously turns a year older! That means, in turn, that in Korean age, you could already be two years older than you are in an international age. In Korea, people love to have a good time and they also love entertainment. But they are not crossing the line—pun intended. Even in bustling Seoul, you will rarely see non-tourists jaywalking or misbehaving. It’s part of the identity and the culture to not cause too much trouble or problems for others.

The Korean entertainment industry is also becoming one of the biggest in the world. K-pop, k-movies, k-drama, k-beauty… the K’s all around! The catchy beats, colorful soap operas and gripping dramas are invading countries around the world with a massive force, and they are here to stay. No genre of media is excluded: Film, literature, graphic novels, language, food, fashion…you name it. But arguably the genre with the biggest global impact is the new wave of Korean pop music, commonly referred to as K-pop, with its addicting melodies and innovative choreographies. You know BTS?

----------------------------The Weather---------------------

South Korea has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Winter, from late November to mid-March, is freezing in the north and in the interior, while it’s milder, but still with night frosts, along the southern coast. Spring, from mid-March to May, is initially cool, and gradually becomes milder, but the rains become more frequent because of the formation of low pressure systems. Summer, from June to August, is hot, humid, and rainy. Autumn, from September to late November, is a pleasant season, especially in the month of October, when it’s not too cold or too hot.

Serious droughts occur about once every eight years. About two-thirds of the annual precipitation occurs between June and September. South Korea is less vulnerable to typhoons than neighboring countries. Typhoons usually pass over South Korea in late summer, especially in August and bring torrential rains.

The weather may be crazy, but the sights are worth it, rain or shine!

-------------------The Economic System------------------

South Korea’s economy continues to maintain its ranking among the mostly free countries. It has a mixed economic system in which the economy includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation. South Korea has achieved rapid growth in a short period. The country has displayed global competitiveness in various fields such as mobile phones, semiconductors, automobiles, chemicals, and steel making. In recent years, its cultural content, including music, gaming, and webtoons, is emerging as an essential industry in itself, taking the lead in the Korean economy.

South Korea's rigorous education system and the establishment of a highly motivated and educated populace is largely responsible for spurring the country's high technology boom and rapid economic development.

-------------------Where to go & What to do---------------

Travelers will want to indulge in all that South Korea has to offer like: Enjoy delicious Korean food, Explore Seoul on foot, Witness the grandeur of Changdeokgung and Gyeongbokgung Palaces, Learn about traditional Hanok architecture, Be a street artist, Check out free museums, Glide down the ski slopes from the 2018 Winter Olympics, Visit the temples, Take a trip to Busan, Experience a botanical garden island, and visiting Jeju-Si Island. The different architecture between residential places and the city alone is astonishing!

South Korea offers everything a traveler could want in a destination. It has a long and fascinating history, a wonderful culture, amazing food, friendly people, and an excellent tourism infrastructure. Here are the Top 5 places you must absolutely think back on when planning your trip:

1. Changdeokgung Palace

2. Gamecheon

3. Jeonju

4. Seoul Tower

5. Bukchon Hanok Village

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

So Which One?

This may be a very biased answer, but being from Nicaragua, I’d say take an off-grid vacation. Although known for its tourism, you don’t loose the quiet peaceful atmosphere. Its rural landscape extends even to the most populated cities, adorning the country in a cloud of green and crystal blue waters everywhere you look. The gates are open, which life-thrilling destination will you choose?

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thecrownnet · 4 years ago

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Update 4/28/2020: Dr. Tedi Millward died in April 2020 at the age of 89. Prince Charles paid tribute to his former tutor following his death, saying:

"I am deeply saddened to hear of Dr Millward's death. I have very fond memories of my time in Aberystwyth with Dr Millward over 51 years ago.

While I am afraid I might not have been the best student, I learned an immense amount from him about the Welsh language and about the history of Wales.

After all these years, I am forever grateful to him for helping foster my deep and abiding love for Wales, her people and her culture.

I send my most heartfelt sympathy to his family."

____________

Original: Anybody with even a passing interest in the British royal family knows that Prince Charles's title is the Prince of Wales, but you may not know the fascinating backstory behind his appointment. The Crown's third season spends a lot of time with the 20-year-old Charles, played by Josh O'Connor, and episode five specifically focuses on the semester the royal spent at Aberystwyth University in 1969, in the run-up to his investiture as Prince of Wales.

Titled "Tywysog Cymru"⁠—which means Prince of Wales in Welsh—the episode follows Charles as he is taken out of Cambridge for a semester and sent to Aberystwyth to study the Welsh language on the suggestion of Labour prime minster Harold Wilson, who hopes to promote a spirit of unity between England and Wales.

The core of the episode is the relationship between Charles and his reluctant tutor Dr. Edward "Tedi" Millward (played by actor Mark Lewis Jones), who—in a real "truth is strange than fiction" detail—happens to be the vice president of Plaid Cymru, a political party advocating Welsh independence from the United Kingdom. Plaid Cymru had recently won its first seat in parliament at the time, and Welsh nationalism had gained huge momentum along with a push for more public recognition of the Welsh language. Millward is deeply opposed to the royal family and everything they stand for, which makes for some lively exchanges during tutorials.

Actor Mark Lewis Jones in character as Prince Charles’s Welsh tutor, Dr. Edward Millward. NETFLIX

Many Welsh people were deeply unhappy that an English-born man would once again assume the role of Prince of Wales, and O'Connor's Charles is shown arriving at the university and being met by furious protestors, which reflects the royal's real account of what happened. "Every day I had to go down to the town where I went to these lectures, and most days there seemed to be a demonstration going on against me," he told the Telegraph. Things don't initially go much better for Charles behind closed doors: his fellow students are either disinterested or openly hostile to him, while Millward can't entirely hide his suspicion either. He dismisses Charles as a lightweight with no real interest or respect for Welsh culture, but is ultimately delighted to be proven wrong.

youtube

The real Millward briefly reflected on his lessons with Charles in an interview with The Guardian in 2015. "The early '60s was the start of an upsurge in Welsh nationalism that saw the first Plaid Cymru politician elected to parliament," he recalled. "By that point I was a well-known nationalist, so I was a little surprised when the university asked me if I would teach Welsh to Prince Charles for a term. He had a one-on-one tutorial with me once a week. He was eager, and did a lot of talking. By the end, his accent was quite good."

In The Crown's version of events, a bond develops as Charles not only excels at his studies, but also turns out to be unexpectedly sympathetic to the Plaid Cymru cause. The turning point comes when Millward, taking pity on a lonely and friendless Charles, invites his student over for dinner—much to the horror of his wife, who shares her husband's political fervor. But by the end of the evening, both Millwards are won over by Charles, who makes a startlingly candid admission during a conversation about nationalism. "What people really want is self-determination," Millward tells him, "Not being spoken down to, dominated, governed by those so remote that they don't even know you. Know who you are, or what you think, or need."

Charles quietly responds that he knows how that feels, and in his eventual investiture speech, he draws an implicit parallel between his own experience of growing up in the royal family, and the Welsh feeling of being voiceless and oppressed: "Wales has her own identity, her own character, her own will. Her own voice." Millward is thrilled. The Queen, needless to say, is not, and coldly reminds Charles that part of his royal duty is to be politically impartial, adding that "no-one wants to hear" his voice.

Though The Crown's version of Charles's speech isn't faithful to the real version (read the real-life transcript in full here), it's absolutely true that his words raised some eyebrows. According to official cabinet papers released in the year 2000, members of Wilson's government—and specifically the Welsh Secretary George Thomas—were concerned that Charles was making speeches which "boosted Welsh nationalism."

Thomas specifically suggested that Charles had been influenced by Millward, among other contacts at Aberystwyth: "He was subjected to concentrated attention by Welsh Nationalists. His tutor, his neighbour in the next room, and the Principal were all dedicated Nationalists," Thomas wrote. "It has become quite evident to me that the Aberystwyth experience has influenced the Prince to a considerable extent."

#edward millward #prince charles #mark lewis jones #tywysog cymru #the crown

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missjosie27 · 4 years ago

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Year 3 Part 3- Access Denied

Hey, guys! Really short chapter but the future ones will be much longer. Already at work for Year 4! Nothing much to say except I hope you enjoy! Bigger things are yet to come!

‘Work’ proved to be an understatement during the month of September.

With the addition of two electives, school work suddenly became much more difficult to manage. Of the ones David took, Care of Magical Creatures turned out to be quite wild. He didn’t really have much interest in animals but having Charlie in the class certainly helped him get along (though he remained hopeful about possibly seeing a dragon). The class was run by a rather eccentric man by the name of Silvanus Kettleburn, who had been at Hogwarts since the 1940s. That longevity was evidenced by the sheer number of injuries he had sustained during his time spent with creatures which included but was not limited too- a fake prosthetic leg, an eyepatch over his left eye, and a metal claw for a hand. Though Professor Kettleburn preached safety and caution, he himself did not always live up to such standards, as he constantly was being healed by Madam Pomfrey. Case and point was the first day when he received severe burns from fire salamanders.

“This is nothing,” Charlie told him afterwards. “Legend has it that he was ten times more energetic than this back in the day. The previous Headmaster Armando Dippet placed him on probation sixty two times!”

Such a comforting thought.

There was no immediate risk of injury in Ancient Runes though David could tell right away that the class would not be easy. Professor Octavius was an extremely competent man at his subject but deciphering and learning ancient languages, codes, and other magical artifacts was not for the faint of heart. Bill Weasley told him that it was useful for curse breaking and one of the main reasons he took it was the focus on Ancient Egypt. He would hold off making a judgement just yet. Either way, it meant more homework for all of them.

Adding on to this was his own personal popularity. As he was reminded by Rowan, any secret at Hogwarts didn’t remain one for long. As returning students recovered from the shock of the previous year, rumors spread quicker than wildfire about his involvement in the cursed ice vault. Far from being seen as mad or miniature version of his brother, most regarded him as a hero who saved the school. The Slytherins weren’t too keen on congratulating him but aside from Merula and her squad he didn’t face much trouble from them either. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but David couldn’t deny it felt good.

Combining all of these factors, and the possibility of learning more about his brother at Hogsmeade, he was becoming increasingly distracted which would later come back to bite him.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two weeks before Hogsmeade, Professor McGonagall made an appearance in the Gryffindor common room to collect all the permission slips.

“All third years please line up with your written signatures from your parents. The first Hogsmeade weekend will be October 14th on Saturday,” she announced.

David, Charlie, Rowan wasted no time in dashing upstairs with Ben in tow. Even Jae seemed eager to stamp his ticket to the all wizarding village.

“Is Hogsmeade really all it’s cracked up to be?” Ben asked. “My parents couldn’t understand the appeal, but they allowed me to go anyway.”

“Trust me, mate. You’re going to have your mind blown by how amazing Hogsmeade is,” David told him enthusiastically. He’d personally never been but his parents and brother had regaled him many times about it…before the dark times.

“Bill’s gone loads of times,” Charlie added. “Says the experience never gets old. Even as you get older.”

“Especially since it will allow me to meet with contacts a lot more,” Jae said, giving a shifty grin. No one bothered to ask him what that meant. Sometimes with Jae it was better not to know.

By the time they reached Professor McGonagall, the girls had already turned theirs in (Olivia Miller was already giggling about a new brand of nail polish). However, when David approached his head of house she frowned.

“Mr. Grant please step to one side.”

He obeyed but did not like the way she looked at him when she said. Any time Minerva McGonagall used that tone it meant nothing positive.

“I’m sorry, Grant but I cannot allow you to visit Hogsmeade.”

David picked at his ear and strained in order to ensure he heard her correctly.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard me, Mr. Grant.”

He began sputtering like an old worn out automobile.

“But-but…why?”

“Unfortunately, I am under specific instructions to forbid you to leave school grounds even with a permission slip.”

Instant indignation crept into his bones as he tried to resist giving a trademark sardonic remark.

“My parents, of all people, signed this slip. Now all of a sudden for no apparent reason I’m not allowed to go? How the hell is that fair?”

For a second he feared going too far with McGonagall, but thankfully she did not take away points.

“You seem to forget why you are at Hogwarts in the first place. Given your disregard for school rules, endangerment of others, and lack of self control, I have plenty of reason to prevent you from going to Hogsmeade.”

“I promised I’d meet Hagrid and meet Madam Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks,” David continued to complain. “Professor, she knows more about my brother.”

He thought a family appeal might soften her heart, but he thought wrong as the Transfiguration master held firm and her posture was as uptight as ever.

“You are demonstrating my point. Like your brother you are too focused on trivial matters as opposed to your grades and schoolwork. Do not think I haven’t noticed the slip in your marks.”

“Oh, come on, I always get top marks in your class.”

“It is not my class that the concern stems from,” Professor McGonagall huffed, and David swore he saw the steam coming out of her nostrils. “Professor Flitwick has informed me that your charm work has suffered considerably since last year. If you want to earn Hogsmeade privileges, you will need to earn them Mr. Grant. And nothing you say will change my mind until I see evidence of that fact.”

David wanted to scream, shout, stomp his foot, do anything to show he wasn’t going to take this lying down. That he was not being held to the same standard as everyone else. How many poor marks had Jae received in his time at Hogwarts. He knew that either his parents or Dumbledore was behind this. Yet, there was little choice but to take her words in stride.

“Yes, Professor.”

“Good.”

As she walked away, no one looked him in eye (Charlie began whistling), not even the older students. David began muttering under his breath before a familiar voice began chastising him.

“Grant, don’t blame McGonagall. I know she’s tough, but she also has a point.”

He saw it was Angelica Cole and resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“Oh boy what a shocker. The person who enforces the rules supports the person who also enforces the rules. What a coincidence.”

“I’m well versed to your quips by now,” his prefect told him. He was almost as tall as her by now yet her stern gaze did not waver. “And you need to approach this differently.”

“Don’t pretend you’re any more objective than she was,” he shot back. “I know I lose as many house points as I gain but can you not point out my every flaw for once?”

“I’m not telling you this because I want to kick you while you’re down, Grant. Do as she says: study hard, improve in charms and she will treat you fairly. You know this as well as I do.”

There was something odd about the way she was speaking to him. In the previous two years, she would have been either condescending or lecturing. But ever since the incident with Ammon Lucian and helping Blishwick defend his sister’s honor her attitude towards him had noticeably changed.

“Why are you saying this?”

“Because I’m trying to help you. You’re more than just Jacob Grant’s little brother and you’ve shown that time and again. Now it’s time for you to show you’re also more than wisecracks and causing trouble.”

If he didn’t know better David could have sworn he saw an uptick in Angelica’s mouth as she walked away. Almost as though she were humoring him in her own unique way. He almost didn’t notice Rowan come up behind him.

“I’m sorry that happened, Dave,” he said. “In front of everyone no less.”

“It’s alright,” he said shrugging.

“For the record I don’t agree with Professor McGonagall banning you from going to Hogsmeade. But there is a bright side to this.”

“Which is?”

“You still have a couple weeks to raise your grades in order to come with the rest of us. And I’m not going without you.”

David gave a reluctant grin. He also knew that Rowan despite his misgivings was also ensuring he met with Madam Rosmerta in order to learn more about Jacob. He was also being a good friend.

“Well then, guess we better hit the books.”

“I’ve studied in nearly one hundred places all across Hogwarts and I can safely conclude that the library is the most efficient place to improve one’s marks in a subject in two weeks’ time.”

Thinking back to what Angelica told him, David gave an affirming nod. He wasn’t going to let a minor inconvenience like a bad charms grade stop him from going to Hogsmeade.

“Then that’s where we’re going next. Let’s go.”

#year 3 #hphm #hphm fanfiction #fanfiction #hogwarts mystery #david grant #rowan khanna #charlie weasley #jae kim #ben copper #angelica cole #gryffindor #minerva mcgonagall

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blouisparadise · 5 years ago

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Upon request, here is a rec list of fics where Harry and Louis fight or argue over the course of the fic. While there is at least a small argument between them in the vast majority of fics, we tried to narrow this list down to include fics where there’s either a larger fight or a bunch of smaller ones. Happy reading!

1) Forever, Uninterrupted | Explicit | 8578 words

Harry finds a mysterious picture in Louis' bag one night and drives himself crazy over it. It's definitely not what he thinks. An excuse to write Harry in rut, because there's already so many heat fics out there.

2) Poppies In May | Explicit | 9457 words

And maybe he deserves it, Louis thinks bitterly. His hand curls around the fence tightly, and he feels like if he lets go he’ll slid onto the cold ground and never fucking get up again. Maybe standing here, staring at Harry’s hunched over, retreating back is what he deserves.

3) 3B Neighbor | Explicit | 10407 words

A mysterious neighbour keeps slipping the worst sort of notes under Harry's door.

4) Rather This Than Live Without You | Explicit | 10715 words

Harry decides to give it all up. Louis refuses to be left behind.

5) We Should Get Jerseys | Mature | 12147 words

Harry is a hockey player, and Louis is his slightly melodramatic boyfriend.

6) No Bleeding Hearts | Explicit | 12651 words

“I’m going to come out,” Louis says abruptly. His grip on the controller is tight, knuckles whitening. He doesn’t look at Harry when he says it.

“What?” Harry says. Louis sucks in a breath through his teeth.

“When we re-negotiate our contracts. I’m going to come out.” Harry fumbles with the controller and manages to set it down on coffee table without cracking it in half.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Harry says. Louis is still pointedly not looking at him.

“I’m not having this argument with you again, Harry,” Louis tells him. He leans forward and deposits his own controller on the table beside Harry’s before standing up. “I’m gonna go to the hotel.”

7) Know You Got That Thing (That I Like) | Explicit | 15798 words

Note: This fic has a BH mention.

In all the ways he thought about their reunion going, watching Louis finger himself open was not on the list.

8) Wait For Me (To Come Home) | Explicit | 16066 words

A future fic of time stamps where Louis finally comes to grips with a love he'd denied for too long.

9) My English Love Affair | Explicit | 19198 words

The thing about sleeping with a member of a famous indie band is that the inevitability of having a song written about you is most likely a hundred percent. The second thing is that in the end, nobody's supposed to find out it's about you.

The one where Harry writes a song about his English love affair and Louis sleeps with someone in White Eskimo and all he gets is a stupid song written about him.

10) Dance Like Warriors On A Battlefield | Explicit | 20083 words

Down in the arena, the triumphant gladiator places his foot on the back of the loser, holding him there as he waits for instruction on his next move. Kill or let live. It’s barbaric, really, the bloodlust involved in this sport. Louis is pretty sure that if it wasn’t for his distaste for the killing there would be a lot more blood soaking that sand.

As it is, his father rarely gives the kill order anymore. He gives the order to let the loser live. Louis rolls his eyes, turning away. He doesn’t miss the way the gladiator’s eyes linger on him.

11) Up To No Good | Explicit | 26525 words | Sequel #1 | Sequel #2

Harry doesn’t think of himself as a womanizer, not at all. Sure, he enjoys sex, enjoys how women feel underneath him, and by some people’s standards he has sex with quite a lot of people, but that’s no reason to tell him that he can’t have a female PA anymore.

It’s especially no excuse for giving him a male PA who’s possibly the most gorgeous boy in the world who won’t even let Harry look at him for too long.

Sometimes Harry hates his life.

12) All The Lights are Full Of Colour | Explicit | 26727 words

So, fast-forwarding eight years from the day Harry met Louis, he is now a twenty-seven year old owner of one of the most up-and-coming eating establishments on the London restaurant scene, father of two wonderful boys and… separated from his husband. Now, that last part definitely was never a part of the original plan.

13) Time Out | Explicit | 27539 words

Harry and Louis are perfect for each other.

Everybody knows it.

They know it, their friends know it, everybody knows it.

That's why Zayn, Liam and Niall won't let them get away with breaking up.

No chance in hell.

14) Carnelian | Explicit | 30631 words

Louis finds himself donating blood to the most beautiful being he’s ever seen.

15) Where The Lights Are Beautiful | Mature | 31170 words | Sequel

The accidental bonding a/b/o fic.

16) Close To Nowhere | Explicit | 34589 words

Louis and Harry are psychics who kind of hate each other. They go to Tennessee to investigate a haunting.

17) No Matter Where You Are (No Matter How Far) | Explicit | 35799 words

An Everest AU where Louis sets out to climb the tallest mountain on the world and meets a curly-haired guy named Harry who worms his way into Louis’s life. It’s not long before reaching the summit becomes the least of Louis’s worries.

18) The Things I’d Do To Wake Up Next To You | Mature | 36019 words

AU. Harry wakes up to a pregnant Louis Tomlinson and a wedding band on his finger.

19) Bloodsport | Explicit | 40283 words

“You know how our next game is against the Cardinals, right? You remember how vicious those guys can get. I wanted us to come up with some plays, maybe work on a block from the left--” Louis stops when he hears a chuckle. He doesn’t think he’s said anything particularly funny, so he turns to Harry, waiting for an explanation. "‘S funny, ‘s all.” Harry throws his finished bottle somewhere near the other discarded ones. “This is the first time you’re talking to me in eight months, and it’s still about football.”

20) The Sweetest Incantation | Explicit | 40598 words

Harry is a witch who's still working on developing his powers and Louis is a werecat who falls into his life and turns it upside down.

21) Falling Into Place | Explicit | 40754 words

Louis and Harry spend nine years apart but inevitably find their way back to each other.

22) Another Hazy May | Explicit | 41043 words

Louis is a terrible poet and Harry lives in the now and they have six weeks to fall in love but, really, it only takes six seconds. Bookshop meets military meets summer romance AU ft. Malboros, the Backstreet Boys, and underrated literary devices.

23) Show Me Life Like I’ve Never Seen | Mature | 42953 words

Louis never expected to leave the small art studio three blocks down from his job with anything besides the painting he caught a glimpse of and simply couldn't forget.

24) Can I Not Like You For A While? | Explicit | 43346 words

Louis Tomlinson is awful. Harry is just as difficult, and they’re both terrible to each other. It makes being in the same acapella group together quite complicated.

25) Just A Feeling | Explicit | 43977 words

Note: This fic is a sequel to this fic.

The first time that Harry thinks about marriage in relation to Louis, he’s eighteen years old, standing in the middle of a crowded frat house, six drinks down and another in his hand.

It’s not the first time that he’s laid eyes on Louis. It’s not even the second time, or the third time, but Harry doesn’t believe in denying what his brain is trying to tell him, and his brain has been telling him that Louis might be the prettiest person in the world ever since that first fateful meeting, when Harry hadn’t been able to stop looking and Louis had ‘accidentally’ spilled his tea all over Harry’s lap in retaliation.

26) Love's Truest Language | Explicit | 48193 words

“I don't want your flowers.” Louis chided before directing all of his attention to the arrangement in front of him. Harry laughed under his breath as he stood to his full height, “Who said anything about them being for you, love?”

27) Tug-Of-War | Explicit | 55475 words

Louis' husband dies suddenly and he is left with nothing. Well, not really nothing. He has Harry. And a St. Bernard puppy named Link, whom his late husband left behind for him. Louis takes care of Link and Harry takes care of Louis. Everything is okay until suddenly, it isn't.

28) Into The Midnight Sun | Explicit | 63523 words

It's 1983, Harry embarks on his first world tour and Louis is a budding actor in LA. Life spent apart isn't easily adjustable, but somehow they make it work.

29) Why Can't It Be Like That | Explicit | 63567 words

A fashion AU with a royal twist, where Louis doesn't need a stylist, Harry's thrilled to have a real life Barbie doll, and they're both very wrong about each other.

30) Perfect Storm | Explicit | 80230 words

What do you do when your best friend asks you and your (now) ex to be the best men at his destination wedding? You can either tell him the truth, tell him you’re not together anymore, and deal with the consequences, or you can pretend you’re still together and roll with it, just pray you don’t spiral. Fake it ‘til you make it. You know, for the sake of the wedding. Harry and Louis choose the latter.

31) Pinkies Never Lie | Explicit | 83615 words | Sequel

AU in which Louis hates his job and loves Harry, Harry just wants a distraction, everyone else wants them to get their shit together, and Louis learns the hard way that new beginnings are only possible when something ends.

32) I Want You So Much (But I Hate Your Guts) | Mature | 83648 words

AU in which Louis gets accepted to play for the Manchester University Alpha-Beta Football Team. The only problem: Louis is actually an Omega. He is determined to make it big in the football world, though, and he can't do that bound to an Omega team. With the help of a faked doctor's certificate and some pretty strong suppressants he is ready to fight for his dream. That Harry Styles (Alpha, second year and youngest football captain of the A-B team in ages) doesn't seem to like him complicates matters, though.

33) Electing Strange Perfections | Explicit | 84757 words

Back for the summer from university, 19-year-old Louis is faced with a massive problem: their new gardener is quite possibly the most gorgeous man he's ever met. Over the course of the summer, Louis and a 25-year-old Harry will learn that love can be found where you least expect it.

34) For Reasons Wretched and Divine | Explicit | 94655 words

Ten years ago, Harry Styles was just a nerdy kid with one friend and a debilitating crush on the captain of his school’s football team. He thought the stars were smiling down on him the day he and Louis Tomlinson were paired for their end-of-term Literature project. But because Harry’s life is decidedly not a fairytale, the budding friendship quickly leads to the least happy ending of all time. Now, Harry Styles is a household name. Barely twenty-seven with two Grammy nominations to his name, the singer-songwriter is poised to take the music industry by storm with his highly anticipated third album. So, what happens when the best producer in the business is also the only person Harry’s vowed never to speak to again?

35) Blue Ice | Mature | 102967 words

An AU where Louis finds himself in a marriage he didn't bargain for.

36) A Taste Of Desire | Explicit | 104414 words

A Victorian ABO where Harry is the owner of the most successful cotton mill in Manchester, and Louis is an opinionated social activist about to disrupt Harry’s world.

37) Tainted Saints And Velvet Vices | Mature | 126056 words

A self-fulfilling Hogwarts AU in which Louis is new to seventh year and Harry is the resident devil-may-care Slytherin set to make his entire experience a living misery. Due to less than favourable circumstances they're forced to forge an unwilling, tentative relationship for their own survival. Repressed emotions, decidedly unromantic ballroom dancing, Triwizard Tournament tasks, creative jinxes and twilight flying above the Forbidden Forest ensue.

38) All I Want | Mature | 289307 words

When Harry and Louis got together it wasn’t under the best circumstances. Louis was taken by another. But go figure that the way they ended up together is the very same way it ended. And Harry left Louis. He left him with a lot more than he thought. A story about how people’s misconceptions almost destroyed a love that went beyond measure.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

#blp fic recs #fic recs #bottom louis #top harry #arguing #fighting #blp

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twiddlebirdlet · 5 years ago

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https://www.wired.com/story/chris-evans-starting-point-politics/

Chris Evans Goes to Washington

The actor's new project, A Starting Point, aims to give all Americans the TL;DR on WTF is going on in politics. It's harder than punching Nazis on the big screen.

It’s a languid October afternoon in Los Angeles, sunny and clear.

Chris Evans, back home after a grueling production schedule, relaxes into his couch, feet propped up on the coffee table. Over the past year and a half, the actor has tried on one identity after another: the shaggy-haired Israeli spy, the clean-shaven playboy, and, in his Broadway debut, the Manhattan beat cop with a Burt Reynolds ’stache. Now, though, he just looks like Chris Evans—trim beard, monster biceps, angelic complexion. So it’s a surprise when he brings up the nightmares. “I sleep, like, an hour a night,” he says. “I’m in a panic.”

The panic began, as panics so often do these days, in Washington, DC. Early last February, Evans visited the capital to pitch lawmakers on a new civic engagement project. He arrived just hours before Donald Trump would deliver his second State of the Union address, in which he called on Congress to “bridge old divisions” and “reject the politics of revenge, resistance, and retribution.” (Earlier, at a private luncheon, Trump referred to Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s top Democrat, as a “nasty son of a bitch.”) Evans is no fan of the president, whom he has publicly called a “moron,” a “dunce,” and a “meatball.” But bridging divisions? Putting an end to the American body politic’s clammy night sweats? These were goals he could get behind.

Evans’ pitch went like this: He would build an online platform organized into tidy sections—immigration, health care, education, the economy—each with a series of questions of the kind most Americans can’t succinctly answer themselves. What, exactly, is a tariff? What’s the difference between Medicare and Medicaid? Evans would invite politicians to answer the questions in minute-long videos. He’d conduct the interviews himself, but always from behind the camera. The site would be a place to hear both sides of an issue, to get the TL;DR on WTF was happening in American politics. He called it A Starting Point—a name that sometimes rang with enthusiasm and sometimes sounded like an apology.

Evans doesn’t have much in the way of political capital, but he does have a reputation, perhaps unearned, for patriotism. Since 2011 he has appeared in no fewer than 10 Marvel movies as Captain America, the Nazi-slaying, homeland-defending superhero wrapped in bipartisan red, white, and blue. It’s hard to imagine a better time to cash in on the character’s symbolism. Partisan animosity is at an all-time high; a recent survey by the Public Religion Research Institute and The Atlantic found that 35 percent of Republicans and 45 percent of Democrats would oppose their child marrying someone from the other party. (In 1960, only 4 percent of respondents felt this way.) At the same time, there’s a real crisis of faith in the country’s leaders. According to the Pew Research Center, 81 percent of Americans believe that members of Congress behave unethically at least some of the time. In Pew’s estimation, that makes them even less trusted than journalists and tech CEOs.

If Evans got it right, he believed, this wouldn’t be some small-fry website. He’d be helping “create informed, responsible, and empathetic citizens.” He would “reduce partisanship and promote respectful discourse.” At the very least, he would “get more people involved” in politics. And if the site stank like a rotten tomato? If Evans became a national laughingstock? Well, that’s where the nightmares began.

It took a special serum and a flash broil in a Vita-Ray chamber to transform Steve Rogers, a sickly kid from Brooklyn, into Captain America. For Chris Evans, savior of American democracy, the origin story is rather less Marvelous.

One day a few years ago, around the time he was filming Avengers: Infinity War, Evans was watching the news. The on-air discussion turned to an unfamiliar acronym—it might have been NAFTA, he says, but he thinks it was DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-era immigration policy that granted amnesty to people who had been brought into the United States illegally as children. The Trump administration had just announced plans to phase out DACA, leaving more than half a million young immigrants in the lurch. (The Supreme Court will likely rule this year on whether terminating the program was lawful.)

On the other side of the television, Evans squinted. Wait a minute, he thought. What did that acronym stand for again? And was it a good thing or a bad thing? “It was just something I didn’t understand,” he says.

Evans considers himself a politico. Now 38, he grew up in a civic-minded family, the kind that revels in shouting about the news over dinner. His uncle Michael Capuano served 10 terms in Congress as a Democrat from Massachusetts, beginning right around the time Evans graduated from high school and moved to New York to pursue acting. During the 2016 presidential election, Evans campaigned for Hillary Clinton. In 2017 he became an outspoken critic of Trump—even after he was advised to zip it, for risk of alienating moviegoers. Evans could be a truck driver, Capuano says, and he’d still be involved in politics.

But watching TV that day, Evans was totally lost. He Googled the acronym and tripped over all the warring headlines. Then he tried Wikipedia, but, well, the entry was thousands of words long. “It’s this never-ending thing, and you’re just like, who is going to read 12 pages on something?” Evans says. “I just wanted a basic understanding, a basic history, and a basic grasp on what the two parties think.” He decided to build the resource he wanted for himself.

Evans brought the idea to his close friend Mark Kassen, an actor and director he’d met working on the 2011 indie film Puncture. Kassen signed on and recruited a third partner, Joe Kiani, the founder and CEO of a medical technology company called Masimo. The three met for lobster rolls in Boston. What the country needed, they decided, was a kind of Schoolhouse Rock for adults—a simple, memorable way to learn the ins and outs of civic life. Evans suggested working with politicians directly. Kiani, who had made some friends on Capitol Hill over the years, thought they’d go for it. Each partner agreed to put up money to get the thing off the ground. (They wouldn’t say how much.) They spent some time Googling similar outlets and figuring out where they fit in, Kassen says.

They began by establishing a few rules. First, A Starting Point would give politicians free rein to answer questions as they pleased—no editing, no moderation, no interjections. Second, they would hire fact-checkers to make sure they weren’t promoting misinformation. Third, they would design a site that privileged diversity of opinion, where you could watch a dozen different people answering the same question in different ways. Here, though, imbibing the information would feel more like watching YouTube than skimming Wikipedia—more like entertainment than homework.

The trio mocked up a list of questions to bring to Capitol Hill, starting with the ones that most baffled them. (Is the electoral college still necessary?) They talked, admiringly, about the way presidential debate moderators manage to make their language sound neutral. (Should the questions refer to a “climate crisis” or a “climate situation,” “illegal immigrants” or ��undocumented immigrants”?) Then Evans recorded a video on his couch in LA. “Hi, I’m Chris Evans,” he began. “If you’re watching this, I hope you’ll consider contributing to my new civics engagement project called A Starting Point.” He emailed the file to every senator and representative in Congress.

Only a few replied.

In hindsight, Evans realizes, the video “looked so cheap” and either got caught in spam filters or was consciously deleted by congressional staffers. “The majority of people, on both sides of the aisle, dismissed it,” Evans says. Many “thought it was a joke.” Yet there are few doors in American life that a square jaw can’t open, particularly when it belongs to a man with many millions of dollars and nearly as many swooning Twitter fans. Soon enough, a handful of politicians had agreed to meet with the group.

On the morning of his first visit to Capitol Hill, as he donned a slick gray windowpane suit and a black polka-dot tie and combed his perfect hair back from his perfect forehead, Evans felt a wave of doubt. “This isn’t my lane,” he recalls thinking as he walked through the maze of the Russell Senate Office Building. Here, people were making real change, affecting the lives of millions of Americans. “And shit,” Evans said to himself, “I didn’t even go to college.”

“This isn’t my lane,” Evans thought as he walked through the maze of the Russell Senate Office Building.

The trio’s first stop was the office of Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware. “Which one is the senator?” Evans asked.

Coons, having never watched any of the Avengers movies, didn’t know who Evans was, either. But in short order, he says, he was won over by the actor’s charm and “very slight but still noticeable” Boston accent. The thing that got Coons the most, though—the thing that would lead him to pass out pocket cards on the Senate floor to recruit others, especially Republicans, to take part in the project—was how refreshing it was to be asked simple questions: Why should we support the United Nations? Why does foreign aid matter? Coons saw real value in trying to explain these things, simply and plainly, to his constituents.

“Look, I’m not naive,” Coons says. He is the first to admit that one-minute videos won’t fix what’s wrong with American politics. “But it’s important for there to be attempts at civic education and outreach,” he adds. “And, you know, his fictional character fought for our nation in a time of great difficulty.”

Evans stiffens slightly when people mention Captain America. The superhero comparison is, admittedly, a little obvious. But again and again on Capitol Hill, the shtick proved useful: Sometimes it’s better to be Captain America than a Hollywood liberal elite who defends Roe v. Wade and wants to ban assault weapons. When Evans met Jim Risch, the Republican senator from Idaho joked about catching him up on NATO, “since he missed the 70 years after World War II.” When he met Representative Dan Crenshaw, a hard-line Texas Republican and former Navy SEAL who lost his right eye in Afghanistan, Crenshaw lifted up his eye patch to reveal a glass prosthetic painted to look like Captain America’s shield.

Eventually, Evans loosened up—at least he lost the tie. Since that first round of visits, he and Kassen have returned to Washington every six weeks or so, collecting more than 1,000 videos from more than 100 members of Congress, along with about half of the 2020 Democratic hopefuls. Evans has conducted every interview himself. Kassen, meanwhile, managed the acquisition of a video compression startup in Montreal. About a dozen of the company’s engineers are building a custom content management system for A Starting Point, which is slated to go live in February. They’re running bandwidth tests too—just in case, as Kassen worries, “everyone in Chris’ audience logs on that first day.”

“We have to do this now,” Evans says. “It’s out there. We have to finish this. Shit.”

Back in LA, Evans pulls up the site on his iPhone. He hesitates for a moment and covers the screen with his hand. It’s still a demo, he explains, in the same bashful tone he uses to tell me the guest bathroom is out of toilet paper.

On the homepage, there’s a clip of Evans explaining how to use the site and a carousel of “trending topics” (energy, charter schools, Hong Kong). You can enter your address to call up a list of your representatives and find their videos; you can also contact them directly through the site. The rest is organized by topic and question, with a matrix of one-minute videos for each—Democrats in the left-hand column, Republicans on the right.

Early on in the development of the site, Evans and Kassen fought over fact-checking. Kassen, arguing against, was concerned about the optics: Who were they to arbitrate truth? Evans insisted that A Starting Point would only seem objective if visitors knew the answers had been vetted somehow. Ultimately he prevailed, and they agreed to hire a third-party fact-checker. They have yet to put their thousand-plus videos through the wringer, so for now I’m seeing first drafts. If they’re found to contain falsehoods, Evans says, they won’t appear on the site at all.

Kassen showed me a sampling of some of this raw material. Under “What is DACA?” I found dozens of videos, offering dozens of different starting points.

One representative, a Republican whose district lies near the Mexican border, describes the program’s recipients as “1.2 million men and women who have only known the United States as their home.” They go to school, he explains; they serve in the military; they’ve all passed background checks.

Sometimes it’s better to be Captain America than a Hollywood liberal elite who defends Roe v. Wade and wants to ban assault weapons.

Another Republican representative says, “So, DACA is a result of a really bad immigration system … We’re seeing record numbers of families crossing the border because a kid equals a token for presence in the US. All right? We have all of these people come over, we can’t process them, they’re claiming asylum. I just heard from the secretary of Homeland Security this week, about nine in 10 don’t have valid claims of asylum. Meaning they’re not political—there’s no political persecution going on. OK?”

These two responses (from politicians on the same side of the aisle, no less) illustrate some of the quandaries that Evans, Kassen, and their fact-checkers are likely to encounter. The first representative, for instance, says there are 1.2 million DACA recipients, when in fact only 660,000 immigrants are currently enrolled in the program. The higher number is based on an estimate of those who could be eligible published by the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington think tank. The “nine in 10” statistic, meanwhile, is a loose interpretation of data from 2018, which shows that only about 16 percent of immigrants who filed a “credible fear” claim were granted asylum. But this does not mean, as the representative implies, that the other claims weren’t “valid”—merely that they weren’t successful. Nearly half of all asylum claims from this time were dismissed for undisclosed reasons. These are fairly hair-splitting examples, but even the basic, definitional questions are drenched in opinion. What is Citizens United? “Horrible decision,” says a Democratic senator in his video response.

Evans doesn’t want to spend time refereeing politicians. To him, A Starting Point should act more like a database than a platform—rhetoric that rhymes with that of Facebook and Twitter, which have mostly sidestepped responsibility for their content. He’s just hosting the videos, he says; it’s up to politicians to decide how they answer the questions. There’s no comment section and no algorithmically generated list of recommended videos. “You need to decide what you need to watch next,” Kassen says.

One of the assumptions underlying Evans’ project—and it’s a very big assumption—is that the force of his fame will be enough to attract people who otherwise would have zero interest in watching a carousel of videos from their elected officials. This, by all accounts, is most people: Only a third of Americans can name their representatives in Congress, and those who can aren’t binge-watching C-Span. “Celebrities bring an extraordinary ability to get attention,” says Lauren Wright, a political researcher at Princeton and author of Star Power: American Democracy in the Age of the Celebrity Candidate. But Evans, she says, is “not taking the route that a lot of celebrities have, which is: The solution to American politics is me.” It would be one thing if Evans were guiding you through the inner workings of Congress like a chiseled Virgil. But why would someone watch a senator dryly explain NAFTA when they could watch, say, a YouTube video of Chris Evans on Jimmy Kimmel?

Without its leading man in the frame, A Starting Point begins to look uncomfortably similar to the many other platforms that have sought to fight partisanship online. A site called AllSides labels news sources as left, center, or right and encourages readers to create a balanced media diet with a little from each. A browser plug-in called Read Across the Aisle (“A Fitbit for your filter bubble”) measures the amount of time you spend on left-leaning, right-leaning, or centrist websites. The Flip Side bills itself as a “one-stop shop for smart, concise summaries of political analysis from both conservative and liberal media.”

The underlying idea—that there would be a new birth of civic engagement if only we could wrest control of the information economy from the hands of self-serving ideologues and deliver the news to citizens unbiased and uncut—is an old one. In 1993, when the modern internet was just a gleam in Al Gore’s eye, Michael Crichton wrote in this magazine’s pages that he was sick and tired of the “polarized, junk-food journalism” propagated by traditional media outlets. (This was three years before Fox News and MSNBC came into being; he was talking about The New York Times.) What society needed, he argued, was something more like C-Span, something that encouraged people to draw their own conclusions.

But does any of it work? Not according to Wright. “We have many years of research on these questions, and the consensus among scholars is that the proliferation of media choices—including sites like Evans’—has not increased political knowledge or participation,” she says. “The problem isn’t the lack of information. It’s the lack of interest.” Jonathan Albright, director of the Digital Forensics Initiative at Columbia’s Tow Center for Digital Journalism, agrees. “All of these fact-checking initiatives, all of this work that goes into trying to disambiguate issues or trying to reduce noise—people have no time,” he says. “Some people care about politics, but those are not the people you need to reach.”

Naturally, this sort of talk makes Evans a little nervous. But he takes refuge in what he sees as the core strengths of the concept. For one thing, he argues, snack-size videos are more accessible than text. Also, those other sites rely on a translator to interpret the issues, while A Starting Point goes straight to the source. It’s not for policy wonks. It’s for average Americans, centrists, extremists, swing voters—everyone!—who want to hear about policy straight from the horse’s mouth. (Never mind that most people hold horses in higher regard.)

Evans has all kinds of ideas for how to keep people coming back. He might add a section of the website where representatives can upload weekly videos for their constituents, or a place where policymakers from different parties can discuss bipartisan compromise. He talks about these ideas with an enthusiasm so pure and so believable that you almost forget he’s an actor. The whole point, he says, is giving Americans a cheap seat on the kinds of conversations that are happening on Capitol Hill. That’s a show that Evans is betting people actually want to see.

The worst thing that could happen isn’t that nobody watches the videos. That would suck, but Evans could deal with it. What gets him riled up most is thinking about what he might have failed to consider. What if the site ends up promoting some bizarre agenda that he never intended? What if people use the videos for some kind of twisted purpose? “One miscalculation,” he says, “and you may not get back on track.” (See: Facebook.)

Evans knows his idea to save democracy can come off a little Pollyannaish, and if it flops, it’ll be his reputation on the line. But he really, really believes in it. OK, so maybe it won’t save America, but it might piece together some of what’s been broken. A fresh start. A starting point.

“This does feel to me like everybody wins here. I don’t see how this becomes a problem,” he says, before a look of panic crosses his face, the anxiety setting in again.

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mila-nott · 4 years ago

Text

**about mila nott.

I want money and all your power, all your glory. Hallelujah, I wanna take you for all that you’ve got.

basic information

Full name: Mila Louise Nott

Nickname: Mimi - only by Nikolai

Gender: Cisgender Female

Sexuality: Bisexual (not out to her parents)

Species: Witch

Date of Birth: January 6th

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn sun, Sagittarius moon, Leo rising

Languages Spoken: English and Spanish

Nationality: Cuban and Mexican

Blood status: Pureblood

appearance

Hair Color: Black

Hair Style: It depends on the outfit but she’ll usually have her hair up whether that’s in a ponytail, a bun, or a braid. When she’s not working that’s usually when she’ll have her hair down.

Eye Color: Brown

Tattoos: The Dark Mark on her left forearm

Piercings: She has two holes in each ear and her nipples pierced. She wears a stud and hoop in both ears then just regular silver bar jewelry for her nipple rings.

Skin tone: Tan

Height: 5′6

Clothing Style: Mila loves clothes and anything that has to do with fashion, she doesn’t have a distinct clothing style but she never wears the same clothes twice in the same week. She’ll never be seen wearing sweatpants, pajamas, or flat shoes out in public.

Other Distinguishing Features: The small gap in between her front teeth and she has multiple scars on her hands and forearms.

personality

Positive Traits: Confident, efficient, independent, and observant

Negative Traits: Aloof, calculating, decadent, and malicious

Character Alignment: Neutral Evil - A neutral evil villain does whatever she can get away with. She is out for himself, pure and simple. She sheds no tears for those he kills, whether for profit, sport, or convenience. She has no love of order and holds no illusion that following laws, traditions, or codes would make him any better or more noble. On the other hand, she doesn't have the restless nature or love of conflict that a chaotic evil villain has. Some neutral evil villains hold up evil as an ideal, committing evil for its own sake. Most often, such villains are devoted to evil deities or secret societies. Neutral evil is the best alignment you can be because you can advance yourself without regard for others. However, neutral evil can be a dangerous alignment because it represents pure evil without honor and without variation.

Likes: Fashion, successfully learning a complicated spell, money, when her parents tell her they’re proud of her, massages, skincare

Dislikes: Being talked down to, being treated like she’s less than, watching quidditch or anything quidditch related, horizontal stripes on clothing, and dogs

Hobbies: Reading, practicing spells, shopping, doing facemasks, playing chess

Fears: Being poor, marrying a muggle, being a housewife

Ambition: To restore the Nott’s reputation and be an extremely wealthy woman

family

Father: Theodore Nott Mother: Mariana Nott ( neé Pérez ) Sibling: Nikolai Nott, older brother by 2 years Paternal grandparents: Aldrich and Imogen Nott Maternal grandparents: Alvaro and Benita Pérez Uncles: Mauricio Pérez, None on his Father’s side. Aunts: Amada Diaz ( neé Pérez ), None on his Father’s side. Cousins: Fernán Pérez, Estefania Pérez, and Santanna Diaz Pet: A siamese cat named Alfred, he’s three years old Other noteworthy relatives: N/A Family home:

The Nott family estate is located in the country side of Englad. Their estate is cloaked from muggles, airplanes that pass by only see an illusion of a house in ruins. It’s a two story estate with a basement and 8 bedrooms and 7 and a half bathrooms. It has been in the Nott family for generations when they settled to England during the Renaissance.

After the war, Theodore’s parents went to Azkaban and he was forced to travel around Europe to escape the Aurors who were rounding up Death Eaters after the war. Theo found himself in Havana, Cuba where he met his wife. After being pardoned by the Ministry, with his wife and new child, the new Nott family returned to London. However, because the Nott’s assets were seized. They were forced to move to a suburban house. The new Nott family home is a two story house in the suburbs of England. It has 4 bedrooms and 3 and a half bathrooms. It’s also cloaked to keep muggles away.

Blood Status: Pureblood Social standing: Part of the Sacred 28, had a good standing as a powerful family the generation that his father was born, their standing went down after the war and their penchant for the dark arts came to light. They’re in an okay standing now, they’re not in the public eye as much. Family background: The Nott’s date back generations. They settled down in England around the Renaissance period, claiming land in the country side. They were a big family but swindled as they lived through generations due to only having 2 or 3 children to continue the family line. Each generation inherited their estate until the end of the Second Wizarding war.

individual magic

Wand Reaction When First Held: Her wand glowed at the tip when she first held it in her hand and made her hand and forearm feel warm, she automatically knew it was the one.

Wand: 9 inch Walnut with Dragon Heartstring, unyielding

Boggart: Being a beggar on the street and having nothing to her name

Patronus: A siamese cat

Animagus: N/A

Polyjuice: Has never used it

Amortentia: The crisp smell of money, tobacco, jasmine, and cedarwood

prologue

What happened before Hogwarts…

Mila, unlike her older brother, was never one to shy away from people or try to blend. She wanted all eyes on her and everybody’s attention, she was also very loud. At any gatherings Theodore held, Mila wanted to be right in the center of it all which usually lead to her being sent to bed not too long after. Mila didn’t seem to know what an “inside voice” was especially when she was very young, yelling was just her normal volume. It was as if she was a direct contrast to Nikolai which wasn’t a bad thing but it was different than what Theodore and Mariana were used to.

When Mila was around seven, that was when she’d begin to sneak into Theodore’s study and attempt to read all of the big books he had sitting on his shelves. She barely understood a word of it, of course. The words were too big and confusing but Theodore always promised her that one day he’d let her read everything he had once she was old enough. Around this time Mila really started to bond with her father, she loved her mother and brother too - of course. But she really was glued to her father’s side until she went to Hogwarts. She was practically under his feet where ever he went. Mila and Nikolai were never particularly close but there wasn’t any sense of a rivalry. They were just into different things at the time. It was pretty rare to actually see them hanging out when they were younger. However, that doesn’t mean that she completely left him alone she would often try to stick her nose into whatever he was doing just so she knew what he was up to.

years at hogwarts

first year

Sorted into: Ravenclaw Best subject: Transfiguration Favorite subject: History of Magic Worst subject: Herbology Least favorite subject: Flying Quidditch: She went to all of the games that Ravenclaw played in because she felt like she had to but was dreadfully bored during all of the games. Christmas holiday: Went home, she missed her parents like crazy. Other: Mila was heartbroken that she wasn’t sorted into the same house as her brother but she did make it her mission to stalk him out at any time she could. She knew he preferred to be “alone” but obviously, sisters don’t count.

second year

Best subject: Transfiguration and Charms Favorite subject: Potions Worst subject: Herbology Least favorite subject: Herbology Quidditch: She didn’t try out and had no interest in the sport at the time, she’d show up for some games to show her support for Ravenclaw but would’ve rather been in her dorm. Christmas holiday: Went home. Other: Began bonding with her fellow Ravenclaw students more and had a few friends but she didn’t consider them to be “close”. She more or less just spoke to them so she wouldn’t have to sit alone at lunch, she was still upset she wasn’t in Slytherin.

third year

Elective subjects: Arithmancy and Study of Ancient Runes Best subject: Transfiguration, Charms, and Arithmancy Favorite subject: Study of Ancient Runes Worst subject: Astronomy Least favorite subject: Herbology Quidditch: She went to about three games, max. Around this time, Mila stopped pretending that she was interested in quidditch and would only go if she was absolutely begged. Hogsmeade: She went with a few of her Ravenclaw buddies and had her first butterbeer, she did end up ditching her Ravenclaw friends for her new Slytherin ones. Christmas holiday: Went home. Other: This was the first year her brother didn’t come home with her and she was livid, she of course didn’t know what her older brother was going through so she took it a little too personally. She didn’t talk to him until her birthday the next month which was the longest she had gone without talking to him.

fourth year

Best subject: Study of Ancient Runes and Charms Favorite subject: Transfiguration Worst subject: Herbology and Astronomy Least favorite subject: Herbology Quidditch: She completely stopped showing up for quidditch games by this point, unless it was an important game even then she’d ditch early. She wasn’t concerned with pretending to like the stupid game anymore. Hogsmeade: Mila went with her Slytherin friends and a few Ravenclaw ones, she spent most of her time and money at Honeydukes then the group of them went to the Three Broomsticks before they left and had a butterbeer. Christmas holiday: Went home. Other: Mila and Nikolai began getting closer around this time, they weren’t exactly joined at the hip or anything but they hung out if they both had free time. There weren’t any deep conversations, usually them just sitting in silence and enjoying each other’s company. She was also absolutely terrified about what she had been hearing about the Death Eater attacks. Theodore didn’t tell her he was involved with the Death Eaters at this time.

fifth year

Best subject: Study of Ancient Runes, Charms, and Transfiguration Favorite subject: Charms and Arithmancy Worst subject: Herbology Least favorite subject: Herbology and Astronomy Quidditch: Didn’t go to any games at all her fifth year, she usually took this time to catch up on her school work or go sneaking around with her boyfriend at the time. Hogsmead: She went with a mixed group of friends from Ravenclaw and Slytherin, also with her boyfriend at the time. She had her first date at Madam Puddifoot’s teashop which was absolutely dreamy to her at the time. She went to Honeydukes after and then finished the day at the Three Broomsticks. Christmas holiday: Went home. Other: During her fifth year was when her relationship with Nik really blossomed but she couldn’t help but be disappointed since this was his last year at Hogwarts. But she really tried to see him every chance she got when she had free time. Mila still wasn’t told about her father’s involvement with the Death Eaters at this time.

O.W.L. Scores

Potions: Exceeds Expectations Charms: Outstanding Transfiguration: Outstanding Astronomy: Poor Herbology: Dreadful Arithmancy: Exceeds Expectations Study of Ancient Runes: Outstanding History of Magic: Exceeds Expectations Defense Against the Dark Arts: Exceeds Expectations

sixth year

Dropped subjects: Astronomy, Herbology, and Arithmancy Electives: Alchemy and The Study of Ancient Runes Best subject: Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts Favorite subject: Transfiguration and Charms Worst subject: Potions Least favorite subject: Potions Quidditch: Didn’t attend any games her sixth year, usually used this time to try and keep up with her Potions work since it was really difficult her sixth year. Hogsmeade: She went with a group of her friends and definitely ignored Madam Puddifoot’s since she was broken up with by her boyfriend at the time. However, she did go to the Shrieking Shack with her friends and ended up hexing him when she saw him with another girl. She got detention for two weeks for that but she thought it was worth it. Christmas holiday: Went home. Other: When she came home for Christmas this year, Theodore told her about his involvement with the Death Eaters. He told her that when she was seventeen she’d have to make a choice on whether or not she’d be joining them.

seventh year

Best subject: Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration Favorite subject: Defense Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration Worst subject: None Least favorite subject: None Quidditch: She only attended two games for her seventh year, she figured she might as well since it would be the last time she’d be seeing her house play - she only left early once. Hogsmeade: This year Mila went to Hogsmeade alone and spent most of this time reflecting on where her life after Hogwarts would take her. But she made her annual trip to Honeydukes, of course. Christmas holiday: Went home. Other: Mila got the Dark Mark this year.

N.E.W.T Scores

Potions: Acceptable Charms: Outstanding Transfiguration: Outstanding Defense Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding Study of Ancient Runes: Exceeds Expectations Alchemy: Exceeds Expectations

epilogue

What happened after Hogwarts…

Once Mila left Hogwarts she got the Dark Mark like her brother. She knew that if the Nott’s were going to rise back up, all of them needed to be on the same page. While she was living at home, she was definitely struggling to find a job. She didn’t really know what she was qualified to do but she also didn’t want to be stuck in a job she hated or worse, behind a desk doing paperwork. Boring. Which was how she ended up as a Curse Breaker which definitely wasn’t a job that Mila had ever considered before. But she discovered that she really liked it and it also got her to work on her spells, especially her non-verbal ones. Mila lived at home until only last year since she was saving up her money to get a place of her own.

Her home is very ...modest but it’s her own and that’s what mattered to her. Even though she was always close with her parents (her dad more than her mom), she didn’t really make the time to visit them as much as she thought. On the rare occasion she would visit home, she always felt this need to do more and be better. She had to do more to try and get the Nott’s reputation restored, she had to be a better Death Eater but also better in her career. Since her father couldn’t remind her of this everyday since they were no longer under the same roof, it felt as if he had to drill it into her head as soon as she walked in through the door. Although Mila wasn’t really sure what else she could do, she was pushing herself as hard as she could.

Since she threw herself pretty much head first into her career and her life with the Death Eaters, she never really had much time for friends. She’d usually end up bailing on gatherings with her old friends from school or just flat out ignoring them. But Mila always had time for a little romance, even though the last serious relationship she had was when she was a fifth year. Having a nice man or woman (only men if you’re her parents) take her out and treat her to an expensive meal always lifted her spirits after working hard, especially the after dinner entertainment. Mila has little to no social life outside of that and she swears up and down that it doesn’t bother her but - of course it does. After seeing how her father treated her brother for being “weak”, she would rather die with the weight of the world on her shoulders than tell anyone she needs help.

#bio

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and-sometimes-i-draw · 6 years ago

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Draw Everyday Challenge: 2019

This challenge was created by myself and @markiplieristoblame

The rules:

The point of this challenge is to draw something at least once a day and document it to hold yourself accountable. The drawing can be a full illustration or a simple sketch the only rule is you must have shown some effort. Don’t just draw a smiley face or a stick man to get out of missing a day, draw a smiling stick man doing something. You are not limited to pencil and paper, draw every day sounded nice but painting, sculpting, textiles, etc. all count. Your work of art may have taken seconds or it may have taken hours but in accordance with the rules a work of art can only count for a single day. For example, posting a progress sketch of a larger illustration can count for one day but posting the final illustration a week later does not count for another day. Feel free to post and share more artwork than needed, but this challenge is meant to make you find something to draw and draw it each day whether the inspiration be from life or from your mind. The point of this challenge is to force you to look for things to draw even after you have exhausted your go to drawings. This will help you to draw outside your comfort zone, learn new shapes, and see more things that you want to draw in the world as well as give you practice to improve your drawing skill. From beginner to expert this challenge can encourage you to improve and for those, like myself, who struggle with motivation we have introduced a motivator. Punishments. Following are a list of punishments (hopefully you won’t need more but if you do feel free to get creative!) Life happens, and we all know that. Many of these punishments are harmless. If there are any that you cannot perform due to religious or cultural constraints, please replace them with your own. If you just really don’t want to do one, all the more reason to draw! Should you find yourself with an emergency, you are granted one free pass for every 30 days you draw in succession. This is all up to the honor code but I hope you will participate to the fullest of the rules as it will bring you the most satisfaction come 12/31/19 when the challenge comes to a close. Now, what is a punishment if you can just say you did it? For a punishment to be considered complete, you must record video proof of your completing it and post it to the same account you have been drawing on with a tag or description containing the day the punishment is replacing. This may all sound harsh, but it is because I have so much faith in you to succeed. If you are going to participate in this challenge please post these rules on your blog. Punishments must be completed in numerical order. Yes, there are some easier ones down the line but that is because if you miss that many days we figure you need a break. If you found this after the first of the year it is not too late. For the number of days you have missed since 1/1/19 you may draw 2 drawings a day to compensate without punishment. THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THAT DRAWING TWO IMAGES THE NEXT DAY WILL BAR YOU FROM THE PUNISHMENTS ACCORDING TO THE OFFICIAL RULES. If you are planning to participate and use this challenge as a baseline for your own rules, please reblog this with your changes to the rules so that we can consider those changes for the official rules should this challenge be hosted next year. I wish you all luck in your pursuits, now on to the punishments!

Punishments:

1. Publish an apology video

2. Write “I will not miss another day” 50 times on any surface

3. Do a piece of art in a medium you usually don’t

4. Sing a song (karaoke is fine but no lip syncing)

5. Dance on camera

6. Caramelldansen (if you aren’t old enough to remember look it up)

7. Show us your bedroom. Now!

8. Do an exercise on video

9. Walk a dog. If you don’t have a dog borrow one.

10. Review a product in your home

11.Go somewhere in your town that you have never been before

12.Go for a hike (complete the hike)

13.Make a collage of pictures of what matters most to you (minimum 5 pictures)

14.Attend a local class or function (school courses do not count this is an elective attendance)

15.Go to your local grocery store in a costume (this punishment must be completed at least a week before or after Halloween. Delay it if necessary.)

16.Find an instrument and play it as best you can in a video

17.Create a tutorial for a piece of art you feel confident in (if you are a new artist, follow a tutorial online and film that instead)

18.Cook something and film the process

19.Review the nearest red product to you (if you are colorblind or otherwise visually impaired reach out to your left without looking and review the third object you touch.)

20.Learn to say “I promise to try and do better” in another language and film yourself saying it.

21.Take a self-care day and post pictures and a list of your activities. You do not have to be in the pictures.

22.Call a relative over 50 years old and explain a meme they are not familiar with to them. (Obtain consent from the relative first if you plan to include their audio in the video.)

23.Go to the site nyan.cat (not sponsored) and listen for a minimum of 30 minutes.

24.Write “DRAW” on the back of your hand. (If you are prevented from doing this by occupational or otherwise binding restraints, write it on adhesive notes and stick one to either side of every door in your home)

25.Text a friend who in not aware of the challenge “art is shrek and skrek is <3 so art is life bro [eggplant emoji]” including the typos and lack of capitals. You cannot explain for a minimum of 10 minutes after they have read and/or responded.

26.Call the fifth contact in your phone without explaining why to them first. (Obtain consent from the person you called before posting any audio with their voice. If they do not consent and you do not have a way to remove that audio from your video, post a picture of your contacts showing just the names and then a picture showing them in your recent calls.)

27.Call your mom and explain the challenge to her and that you accepted it. Admit that you have missed 27 days so far and provide her with a link to where you are posting your art. (If your challenge has contained NSFW art just show her your punishments and at least 5 SFW drawings. Obtain your mother’s consent before including her in the video. If she does not consent post a video summarizing your experience with this punishment.)

28.Eat something you hate on camera.

29. Post a piece of art to Facebook for all your family to see. (If you or your family are not on Facebook, text the image of your art to at least 10 people.

30.Watch Nanalan’ for a minimum of 20 minutes. You can find it on YouTube.

The most important part of all of this is to have fun. This is meant to help you improve and stay accountable, not to be torture. Lets draw some stuff and have a great time. Feel free to suggest additional punishments to be added. If either @markiplieristoblame or I need additional punishments we will be sure to post a list here and on her blog.

#draw everyday #draw everyday challenge #draw everyday challenge 2019 #art #self improvement #challenge #new years resolution #2019 #challenge 2019

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sebeth · 6 years ago

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Young Justice: Welcome To Happy Harbor, Drop-Zone, What’s The Story

Warning, Spoilers Ahead…

Episode 3: “Welcome To Happy Harbor”

The episode begins with Speedy interrupting one of Brick’s shipments. Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad soon join the party.

Brick gets cocky and pays for it. I’d completely forgotten about Brick’s appearance in this episode. We see Brick in the trailer for the third season. I bet he appears in Arrowette’s origin/recruitment episode. It would be a nice callback to the first season.

The boys attempt to recruit Speedy to the team but he’s a manly man who doesn’t need to be part of a team.

“Recognized Robin B-01, Kid Flash B-03”

You know Batman programmed the codes and was all “Robin will be the first”. It’s also a nice nod to Robin’s status as the first sidekick.

“Mission assignments are the Batman’s responsibility.” – Yep, poor Red is the one who has to reign in their shenanigans. This Red doesn’t know how easy he has it – there should be a crossover between the Red of the cartoon universe and the Red of the comic book universe. Comic book-Red can terrify Cartoon-Red with tales of his Conner and Bart.

“This team is not a social club.” – Kaldur would be the one most adamant about assignments and not wasting time on socializing. He entered the Atlantean military at 12 years old. He’s had structure and duty drilled into him at a young age.

“I cannot read his mind.” – Ooh, foreshadowing of M’gann’s later abuse of her powers? That is a pretty clear violation of privacy for no other reason than convenience. On the one hand, I cut M’gann some slack because even at 45 years old she is still a teenager by her race’s standards. Teenagers don’t always make the best decisions and she’s obviously attempting to impress her teammates. On the other hand, J’onn is a very ethical telepath and I’m positive he would have coached M’gann on the proper uses of telepathy.

“We all know what you’re thinking right now.” – Wally the horn dog is taken straight out of his solo comic in the late 1980s.

Wally and Dick competing over M’gann’s attention is hilarious. I don’t think Dick event wants M’gann’s attention as much as he wants to annoy Wally. Meanwhile, Superboy is not amused by their shenanigans. At all.

Kaldur continues to be the only “adult” in the room.

“Granny Jones’ recipe from episode 17” – Subtle foreshadowing of an element that wouldn’t become prominent until much later in the season.

Wally needs to learn subtleness in his flirtations.

“Here, your powers are an extreme invasion of privacy.” – Wouldn’t that have been one of the first things J’onn would have gone over with her?”

Superboy would be highly sensitive to telepathic intrusions due to his experiences in Cadmus. If your entire upbringing revolved around telepathic manipulation, you are sure not going to want anyone randomly popping into your head.

“Helo, Megan.” – What we thought was a catchphrase is more foreshadowing.

The Martian bio-ship is cool.

“Fast with his feet. Not so much with his mouth.”

“Dude!”

Yep, Dick is having too much fun giving Wally a bad time.

Kaldur takes the lead and reaches out to Superboy. Even before it was made official, the writers did a great job laying the foundation for Aqualad to become the leader of the team.

“Mimicking boys is a lot harder.” – Would it be? Do Martians even have gender? Their natural forms – green or white – are basically androgynous.

“Are tornadoes common in New England?” – A pretty sensible question. Kaldur lives underwater, Conner’s a newborn, Megan’s an alien, and Wally’s from the Midwest. Dick is the only one who lives in New England area.

The team battles Mr. Twister and comes out on the losing end. I’ve always felt Red Tornado was one of the most formidable heroes around. How do you fight a tornado?

“That was quite turbing.” – Dick’s mangling of the English language is thrown back into his face.

Megan deduces (wrongly) that Mr. Twister is the Red Tornado. To be fair, it was an obvious guess.

“Stay out of our way.” – Is this Conner’s catchphrase? This is the second time in three episodes he’s stated a variation of it.

The rematch with Mr. Twister is going as well as the first round.

“First thing Batman taught me.” – Yeah, I can see Bruce believing “never be without a weapon” is a valuable life lesson.

Where did Dick hide the utility belt? It’s rather bulky.

Megan devises a plan and the team makes short work of Mr. Twister.

“Cool. Souvenir.” – Wally begins his collection of trophies.

The scientist at the end is Dr. T.O. Morrow – his search for Red Tornado sets up a future episode.

“Sorry. I’ll strive to be more accurate.”

“And more respectful.”

Yep, Dick and Conner could both use lessons in manners and tact.

Conner mutters an awkward “Sorry” to Megan. Judging from his expression, it pained him in his soul to do so.

Episode 4: “Drop-Zone”

For those curious, the first three episodes of the cartoon, along with the first five issues of the comic, took place from July 4th through the 12th.

“Drop-Zone” begins on June 19th – Kobra has forcibly taken control of Bane’s Venom-production facilities on Santa Prisca. Bane is not happy.

Bane battles Mammoth for control of the island and loses.

I like Kobra and his minions visual design. Very nice. I’m not sold on Shimmer or Mammoth (pre-transformation.”

We flip ahead to June 22nd. Two possibilities for why we are now in June – which is before July, not after. One – the creators messed up and put June in the captions instead of July. Two – we skipped a year between episodes 3 and 4. I’m going with the first option as the team still hasn’t elected a leader. Pretty sure you can’t have a year’s worth of adventures without an established leader.

That said, I’m pausing “Drop-Zone” and switching to the comic as the fifth issue takes place on July 20th. I’m trying to keep this in chronological order.

Issue 5: “What’s The Story?”

Wally is at the HQ – bored and flirthing with Megan. Wally suggest a camp fire. Megan enthusiastically agrees but dashes Wally’s hopes by inviting the rest of the team.

Tents are set, fires lit, and smores made.

Dick tells Wally to tone down his flirting as it’s “kinda bordering on the creepy.” Yeah, Wally isnt’ exactly smooth.

Conner’s not impressed with camping: “Sleep in these flimsy things called tents and sit around the fire?”

Dick scolds Wally again: “You’re about as subtle as a train wreck.”

Megan wants to learn more about her teammates.

Aqualad begins. Here are the highlights:

· Grew up in Shayeris, a city of Atlantis

· Atlantis has many people, many cultures

· Completed his education at 12 and began mandatory service in the Atlantean military

· At 14 years old - Transferred to the prestigious Conservatory of Science in Poseidonis

· Queen Mera is the headmistress of the Conservatory

· Met Garth and Tula at the Conservatory

· Garth Kaldur saved Aquaman’s life during an attack by the Ocean Master

· Aquaman offered the boys a chance to become his protégé and later carry on his “suface duties” while he focused on running the Kingdom

· Kaldur leapt at the chance while Garth continued his magical studies

Nice origin recap for Kaldur. I love the inclusion of Garth and Tula as it is a nice nod to Arthur’s original sidekicks.

Wally goes next. Highlights:

· Jay Garrick is still the original Flash! Yes! I love the nods to the depth of the DC Universe. Modern creators don’t seem to care about characters and continuity but Greg Weisman and company flawlessly incorporate all aspects and elements of DC’s history.

· Barry’s next.

· Wally desperately wants to be Kid Flash but Barry is “No! No partners! I don’t want the responsibility!”

· Wally’s all “Screw that. I do what I want.” and recreates the chemical combination that caused Barry to turn into the Flash.

· Wally as a science nerd is unique to the Young Justice universe but it’s a nice addition to the character.

· After a few weeks, Wally gains super-speed. He campaigns to be Barry’s new partner. Barry’s not thrilled but agrees as long as Wally does “exactly as I say, when I say it.”

The writers did an excellent job of establishing exactly why the heroes allowed the teenagers to run around in costumes:

· Aquaman is training a protégé to assume his role as surface world ambassador/protector.

· Batman doesn’t want Dick to turn out like him. Bruce doesn’t want Dick’s “inner light” to face out.

· Barry had no choice as Wally was hell-bent on being a hero. Better to have Wally by his side than face the danger alone.

Roy is too busy being a manly loner to discover Ollie’s reasons. Traditionally, Ollie doesn’t make the best life choices so it could have been the more typical “well, letting a kid run around in a mask and punch criminals seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Robin passes on story-telling time. At first, Wally ribs Dick about Batman not letting him say anything but realizes he’s rubbing salt in the wound and passes the story-telling baton to Conner.

Conner doesn’t say much. He mentions the G-Gnomes and the containment pod. Conner states he never thought for himself until his rescue.

Conner states the one thing that’s always on his mind is “Destroying Superman.

And with that bombshell, I’m off to work.

Up next, we continue story time and resume “Drop-Zone”.

#Young Justice #Wally West #Aqualad #Kaldur #Dick Grayson #Superboy #Miss Martian #Red Tornado #Kid Flash #Conner Kent #Robin #Kon-El #Roy Harper #Speedy

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not-all-those-who-wonder-r-lost · 7 years ago

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Racism/Ethnicism in the 3rd World

I wanted share my experiences because most people don’t know how people like me feel. The reason is we don’t hear much about these stories. How are people supposed to know what we go through if we don’t tell them? Anyways, here is my story.

I find out that I was less than others when I was ten years old. I was super into politics back then (even though my family was not). My grandmother’s favorite childhood story of mine is when a party I didn’t like won the elections that year, I cried all night long and no one could console me. (This party was later banned from politics by an international human rights court.) After that election, I decided that I was going to start my own party when I grow up and become the prime minister. I had already started working on a list of things to change/improve in my country. That is until my parents sat me down and told me that I could never become the prime minister because of my ethnicity.

My initial reaction phase was to be the best citizen I could be. I was going to be such an ideal citizen that everyone was going to be in awe. I started to distance myself from our ethnicity’s religion and our ethnicities social circle. And I realize how foolish this stuff was but I was ten... I loved my country and I thought if people saw that, they would love me.

The racism/ethnicism in my country is usually not in your face, especially for children. I had a good couple of years. Everything was fine. I found out how much hatred and anger the majority in my country had towards my ethnicity when I was 12. In history class, I classmate got up and started yelling at me and calling me names because of my ethnicity. I was in such a shock that I did not know what to do so I sat there and took it. The other students did not care enough to stop him. Most telling for me was that the teacher did not care enough to stop him.

My second reaction phase. After that day, I decided that I was not going to take this. I did not want to be somewhere I was not wanted. I decided that I was going to work REALLY hard, become super smart and some first world country was going to invite me to move there because I was so smart and studious. That will show my country, I thought. And I followed through. I got into the best high school in the country (our high schools have an official ranking). I learnt English REALLY well. I took AP courses in high school and learned multiple programming languages. I got into an university in a first world country where I was given 4 awards for various academic reasons. I went on to get two Master’s degrees.

I had to take a year of from studying and working for health reasons two years ago. That was the first time in my life I stopped to look at my life. I also joined Tumblr. And I love this site with the amazing humor and beautiful art and the fandoms. But the thing that spoke to me most was the fact that there were so many people out feeling less than others for various reasons. I wish I had the privilege to hear about other people’s struggles when I was younger. Tumblr changed my life. After a lot of introspection, I realized some things.

I realized that I still feel less than others. Maybe even more so now. I feel like I am not full human being. I am less than here. I am less than in other countries as well because I am from a third world country and I have a slight accent. This is a disgusting feeling.

I realized that I am angry at my family. I would never bring a child into these circumstances and I am mad at my parents for doing just that. I am mad at them for condemning me to be less than a human being.

I realized that I am done with all discrimination and inequality. I am angry at my country for making me feel less than human. I am angry at the world for making others feel the same. In real life, I never shut up about human rights now.

I kind of glossed over the discrimination I had to face over the years. Mostly because I am not writing a novel here. The biggest issue living in my country was that knowing that I was not wanted even if I was usually tolerated. That is not nice feeling to have in a place where one considers home. And even if it was not every single day, I did face some explicit discrimination. The ones that really got to me were:

My ethnicity making it difficult for me to date. Either because people do not want to date someone with my ethnicity (which I have been told to my face) or because their families did not want them to date someone with my ethnicity (which I have been told to my face).

When I was told that all my ethnicity should get assassinated. A famous person from my ethnicity was assassinated and a person my dad’s age told me that he deserved it, we all deserve a similar end and in fact we should all get assassinated.

Watching a government mandated video in a high school class which claimed that my ethnicity and two other minorities in our country were the biggest terrorist problem our country was facing. The video went on to show clips and pictures of our country’s soldiers dying.

We have a saying here. “Even if you put on a gold saddle on a donkey, it is still a donkey.” I feel all my degrees and my accomplishments can’t make me a real human being. The ironic part is I have specialized to help people of my country. Like I can’t even really work anywhere else with my specialty. Why did I do that? I now realize that I still wanted to prove how much I loved my country. And I do. These are my people. They are the only people in the world I get 100%. I share their culture. They are my childhood. No one else can know my childhood movies, songs and even snacks like they can. To know that my people will never accept me breaks my heart. To know that I will never truly feel home anywhere in this world sets the crumbs of my heart on fire.

I feel like a wooden puppet like Pinocchio but there are no blue fairies in my reality.

#equality #human rights #racism #ethnicism #third world problems #minority #minority issues #human right issues #some are more equal than others #discrimination

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efreshhsoftware · 4 years ago

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What is Cloud-based POS Systems and Things to Consider before implementing Cloud-based POS Systems?

Cloud-based point of sale (cloud-based POS) is a kind of point-of-sale system where data for transaction processing comes from a remote cloud service. In common, POS refers to the point where buying happens, for example, at a cashier’s kiosk or at a hostess desk (or side table) at a restaurant.

One reason that cloud-based point of sale (POS) is getting such an influence in retail surroundings is that numerous firms are recognizing the comfort and advantages of utilizing mobile devices as modern cash registers. This is driving a huge transformation in retail and, in numerous cases, to the obsolescence of legacy systems that include specific cash register machines at the POS. In an expanding number of business conditions, these are being replaced by the usage of a smartphone or a mobile device running modern POS software.

The POS software on mobile devices is usually composed of cloud-based POS solutions. Cloud computing providers allow Web-delivered retail financial services for POS systems, where the information is adequately backed up in remote vendor servers. For numerous corporations, the overall advantages of cloud-based POS are evident — security, data storage, and many other features of the software development can be outsourced to vendors. However, it is necessary to check the service level agreement to refine uptime and other service provisions.

Many investigators demand cloud-based POS to proceed to proliferate in various different industries. Replacing old cash registers with mobile devices operating cloud-based POS can make a batch of sense because it streamlines the asset claims for retail business — in different words, instead of purchasing registers, the business can utilize personally owned or otherwise combined mobile devices in the store during business hours as required.

Things to consider before implementing a cloud-based POS system

Matched with the traditional POS system that has been approximated since the 1970s, the cloud POS system is a new class of technology that, despite being almost young, has shown dramatic growth over the past few years. According to Research and Markets, the global cloud POS market size is projected to rise from USD 1.34 billion in 2018 to USD 3.73 billion by 2023, at a combined annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.7%.

A cloud-based POS system has brought about various positive developments to businesses, simplifying multiple methods, providing excellent flexibility, and performing a broad, helpful range of functions that traditional systems could not adequately accomplish. Whether you’re a businessperson planning to obtain a cloud POS system for your personal retail store, or just completely needing to completely understand this kind of technology, this article is just for you. By the end of this article, you’ll discover the solution to the question of what to consider before implementing a cloud-based POS system.

I. Costs of cloud-based POS system

As a matter of truth, the first cost of a cloud POS is cheaper than that of a traditional POS. Instead of spending hefty fees for setup, licensing, and maintenance, which is the case of traditional POS, traders opting for cloud POS only require to spend a monthly subscription for access to the software. This offers cloud POS a practical choice for small, newly-established companies.

However, just like any buying decisions to be performed when operating a business, there are a number of factors that a business owner should keep in mind. First, see for the plans allowed by the POS merchants that stay within your budget. A cloud POS can cost you any expense between $20 and $200 per month. After you have narrowed below your choices, search the features that occur with your preferred plans in more detail. You’d require to learn if the merchants charge more for add-ons such as loyalty functionality, 24/7 customer service, or attaching third-party services. Another point to examine is whether to sign a long-term service contract with the merchant, as the amount can be decreased for committed consumers.

Business owners also require credit card processing payment selections. With various processors come various prices and benefits. Make sure to pick the best fit for your company which gives you open credit card processing charges, dependable customer support, and no demand for long-term contracts.

II. Functionality and features

However pleased you are with the convenient price you’ve accomplished to trade with the merchant, or with the highest customer service, if the system can’t work as you assumed, then your investment would mean zero. Functionality and features are positive of the key factors before buying a cloud POS system, yet it’s nearly too simple to overlook these essential factors. Below are some general questions to address:

1. Is an open application programming interface (API) blended into the cloud POS?

Open APIs provide a bond between all the programs that customers require to drive their business. They help with many business assistance taking place throughout the POS, such as accounts, inventory, sales, orders, loyalty, tracking, tables, mobile, or online ordering/payment and delivery. As the business grows, business owners can streamline a special method by developing specific apps using open APIs.

2. Which advanced integration is available?

Modern technology has created it possible for traders to combine an amount of advanced business and marketing functions into their cloud-based POS systems. For instance, any consumer can make a fee from anyplace within a business premise and not just at the head counter as they’d have to do including a traditional POS system, and then get receipts via their cell phone. External accounting, digital loyalty programs, and premia systems can also be combined into the cloud POS.

3. In which language is the software written?

For the system to work accurately and to assure ease of integration with third-party merchants, look for providers who give software written in a modern, cloud-native language and steer clear of those utilizing the no-longer maintained legacy code.

4. Is it possible to upgrade existing systems or do I have to entirely replace them?

Numerous merchants are not accurately willing to obtain rid of their current devices which have priced them thousands of dollars. Therefore, instead of driving them away, vender can investigate cost-effective upgrading selections to improve the current systems to advanced cloud POS systems.

5. How much offline functionality do I retain if network connectivity is unavailable?

Cloud POS is mostly internet-based systems, and as connectivity problems occur from time to time, your cloud-based software will also be affected. Therefore it’s essential to have your merchant explain what will happen in case of a disrupted Internet connection. Ask the merchant if you’ll yet be capable to access data, make sales or achieve other business duties; when and how will the knowledge be backed up or synced, and if additional fees are needed for offline solutions.

III. Data security risks

Getting your POS to the cloud indicates having to convey your data to a remote server, and to several business owners, this doesn’t sound very appealing. The company’s information is among the most important assets and it’s important to keep data security a prime superiority. You’ll be required to recognize how your data will be conveyed, what risks are associated, and what answers the merchants have to assure the safety of your data.

IV. Customer service after executing the system

Although cloud POS systems make a batch of a business method much easier, that does not surely mean that working this system will forever be plain sailing. Difficulties might occur along the process, and this is where consumer service comes in. Make assured that you’re operating with a reliable vendor who is able to provide you powerful and timely assistance. Study their maintenance options, learning if they allow a written user guide, live chat assistance, or how much time it needs for an answer, etc. Don’t believe the provider’s self-advertised, impeccable consumer service right away. Sometimes you require to check reviews or even test out the consumer service before electing to sign a contract.

Though relatively modern compared with traditional POS systems, cloud-based POS has attained important market penetration and will proceed to grow exponentially, giving superior answers that support companies streamline methods, operate with higher performance, and ultimately yield a greater profit. The Cloud POS system appears to be a classic choice, notably for small business owners. However, before you choose to use your POS to the cloud, it’s only fair to fully realize the benefits and gauge all the perils that come with cloud technology.

Efreshh is a great software solution provider in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, and the US for the food industry. We design your delivery management software or delivery management system that helps to reduce your operational time pressures, and manage your management challenges in the food industry, and cuts down on food wastage at the same time. Our software is primarily designed for the fresh produce and food producers that will assist your business. Efreshh supports you in your front and backend processes. Our software easy to use in your backend and helps you to manage:

Products

Customers

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Orders and Automated Repeat Orders

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universi-tea · 8 years ago

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With so many people from around the world talking about there experiences in school, it can be a little confusing to figure out what it all means. All states have different standards so things can vary a lot, but here’s a general guide to help you figure out what the heck your American friends are talking about.

Read on after the cut to learn more about grade levels, classes, high school, college, and a lot more!

Grade Levels and Ages

Preschool is optional, but many children attend. It teaches basic skills like shapes, colors, and numbers, plus helps to develop social skills and prepare children for school. It often only lasts until lunch, depending on the parent’s schedule.

Kids typically start the first year of school, kindergarten, when they’re five years old.

Grade level + 5 is a pretty good estimation of someone’s age.

K-5th grade is considered elementary school.

6th-8th grade is considered middle school, but 6th grade classes are often still held in an elementary school building.

9th-12th grade is high school

Freshman year = 9th grade, Sophomore = 10th, junior = 11th, and senior = 12th

Types of Schools

Public schools are where the majority of students go. They’re free to attend and government funded, so depending on the funding they vary in quality. These schools do not require uniforms but do have dress codes.

Private schools are, you guessed it, privately funded. Student’s must pay tuition or receive scholarships to attend, and some schools require admittance exams. They may be religion-based, and may also have a more rigorous curriculum. Uniforms (or strict dress codes) are usually, but not always, required.

Charter schools are publicly funded but privately operated. They often act as an alternative to under-performing public schools in the area, and may offer a specialized curriculum.

Magnet schools, much like charter schools, are publicly funded but offer specialized a curriculum which draws students from across districts (like a magnet) to attend. They usually offer a focus in a certain subject, like science, for students with special interests and aptitude for that field.

Home schools, are exactly like they sound. Students learn at home, but still must follow state guidelines for class requirements. A special license is required in order to teach your children at home, and students must take yearly standardized exams to show they are on track. Classes may be taken through special homeschool work books, videos, online, or classes offered at churches, community centers, or colleges.

Schedules

In elementary school, students typically stay in the same classroom with the same teacher for all of their core subjects. They’ll leave to go to recess, gym/PE (physical education), lunch, and sometimes electives like music or art.

Middle and high school classes are taken in seperate classrooms and students get to choose their schedules relatively freely.

The school day typically starts around 8 and ends around 3.

Depending on the school, students may take either four classes for a semester and switch after winter break or eight classes all year.

The same classes meet everyday with these schedules.

There’s also something called block schedule where block ‘A’ will meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with block ‘B’ on the others day, and then switch the next week.

Classes

Core classes are considered English, math, science, and social studies. Students are required to have a certain number of classes in each to graduate.

Students are also required to take a certain number of electives, some of which must fit certain requirements like foreign language and fine arts.

Every state is different, but as an example the high school graduation requirements for North Carolina are, as taken from the NC site: 4 credits of English (I,II,III,IV); Foreign Language not required for graduation, but 2 credits required for admission to a state college; 4 credits of math (Algebra I, II, Geometry & one beyond Algebra II), 3 credits of science (A physical science, Biology & Earth/Environmental Science), 4 credits of social sciences (Civics & Economics, World History, American History I and American History II), 1 credit of health/physical education, and 6 elective credits (chosen based on student’s interest and availability at their school).

Especially in high school, students have lots of electives to choose from. Anything from interior design to baking may be offered, depending on the size of the school and funding.

Students may also take advanced placement (AP) classes. They’re more difficult, and last the entire academic year (even if other classes are on a semester schedule). They also count for college credit.

Honors classes are also more rigorous courses, but do not count for college credit.

Students and their advisors choose classes together that fit the student’s future goals.

All classes have some sort of exam at the end of the term.

Grades

GPA (grade point average) is used in high school and colleges. Each grade is given a corresponding number -- 4 for A, 3 for B, 2 for C, 1 for D, and 0 for a failed class (add one point for AP classes). These are averaged together, leaving you with your GPA.

Grading systems vary, but a pretty standard scale is the 10 point. By this, 90-100 points is an A, 80-89 is a B, and so on.

A pretty common question was if it was actually possible to get straight A’s all through high school, and as for grades in the overall class -- totally possible. Not a breeze, but possible. It’s unlikely that someone would make an A on every assignment in every class all four years, but that’s not out of the question either. It all depends on the person!

SAT and ACT

These are standardized tests meant to gauge how well a student will do in their first year of college. They are not the same as end of year exams. different colleges prefer different tests, so students may take one or both, depending on where they're applying. The SAT covers writing, critical reading, and math. The ACT covers English, mathematics, reading, science, with an optional essay.

Extracurricular Activities

Having extracurricular activities that show your interests, talents, and ability to manage your time well is a really important part of college applications. This is why nearly every American student is involved in multiple extracurricular activities.

High school sports can lead to college scholarships, which is why they’re a popular option. If you’re really talented, colleges may recruit you and give you a ‘full ride’ (pay all of your tuition) to get you to play for them.

Other popular activities are special interest clubs, yearbook, choir, debate, after school jobs, and volunteering.

College

College is the term used conversationally for what is called ‘university’ in most other countries.

Community or junior colleges allow students to earn an Associate’s (two year) degree for a much lower cost.

Traditional four-year colleges typically have “university” in their title, and students earn their Bachelor’s degree from these.

After undergrad (earning a bachelor’s degree), some students go to grad school. For professions in the medical and law field, students must go to med or law school right after graduating because, well, would you want a 22 year old doctor?

For other fields, grad school ranges from basically required to find a job to totally unnecessary.

Programs can take anywhere from two (master’s) to five or more for a doctorate degree.

In college, students will always have a major and often have a minor.

A major is your major field of study, which will usually be listed on your degree (ie, major in biology to earn a Bachelor of Science in Biology), though sometimes a more general department (major in advertising for a Bachelor of Art in Communications) will be listed instead. All schools and programs are different as far as what will be listed on a student’s degree.

A minor is another area of interest which is used to fill other hour requirements for graduation. This will not be listed on the degree, and may either support and help refine a major (fine arts minor + elementary education major = art teacher), or may just be to explore interests outside of a student’s field. Minors are not required at all schools or in all programs; students may choose to double major or simply take independent electives to fill hour requirements instead.

At many schools, students aren’t required to declare a major until their junior (third) year. The first two years of classes are typically general education, like math and English, that are required for all degrees.

Hopefully that cleared up some of your questions, and if you have any more I would be happy to help!

#mine #studyblr #study #study tips #school #studyspo #academlets #medblr #lawblr #new studyblr #elkstudies #heysereena #us #school system

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bcorrales · 5 years ago

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Digital Assessment Final

I work for a small district that is farming and ranching community, 45 miles west of Corpus Christi. The district currently has 850 students enrolled from PreK- 12th grade. Banquete I.S.D. struggles to meet the needs of our students to have technological tools and resources that today’s world is now revolving to. In a countryside district such as Banquete, all three campuses have minimal resources for our students and teachers. The Elementary school has one computer lab, computer stations in a modern up to date library, and each classroom for an increased technological presence. The Junior High currently has one lab, only core classes have a smartboard and every classroom has a projector. The High School has one content area lab with having the same resources as the Junior High, although teachers are issued an ipad if needed. However, our hardware is aging throughout the district, some are 6 to 7 years old. Software is slowly added and updated when possible. The District is desperately in need of an upgrade for students to be successful. After discussing the topics we covered in class I feel confident that I can utilized the resources I have using the tools I learned in Digital Assessment. I have now explored with Blogging, using VoiceThread, and I can now create an online quiz. The knowledge gained from the research that educators and districts are now pursuing with technology enhancement assessment, understanding Standard Based Grading, and Computer Based Text Analysis. These are now resources that I intend to use in my class.

Blogging

Blogging was a little different but after I got used to the idea, I realized if I was a student I could give my thoughts about what I was learning without actually speaking a lot in front of my peers. I remember being a train wreck when I had to answer questions in front of my friends and then I would feel stupid if I didn’t know the answer. Using the blog, you could read each other’s thoughts and opinions about what were supposed to be learning. The best part of it was, I was learning from other student’s blogs because they wrote where I could understand. Student’s struggle because they cannot comprehend the reading material and if other students explain the reading, that student will have a better understanding. The best blogging sites for students are: Edublogs, Weebly for Education, Kidblog.org, tumbler, and many more. Edublogs give you 100 themes to choose from but not all features are free. Weebly allows you to create 40 student accounts for free with no student emails required and over 70 templates to choose from and you can upload pictures. With Kidblog the teachers have total control over student blogs and passwords so they can also be issued to the parents and they can view the student blog as well. I chose the Tumbler website where we discussed (ESSA) Every Student Succeeds Act, Steps to plan for implementing technology in school districts, Driven by Data, and (CBTA) Computer Based Text Assessment.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a law that was passed and signed by President Obama in December 2015 requiring states and districts to ensure that all students, including children with disabilities, English learners, and other minorities, get to graduate from high school and are prepared for college or a career. The law requires that states administer all students annually on statewide tests in reading/language arts and mathematics from third to eighth grade on once in high school as well as once in each grade levels of Kinder-12th in science for all students including ELL students. Texas has offered a statewide exam since 1980. Growing up in Elementary I remember those tests evolving from TAAS to TAKS and now since 2012 it is currently the STAAR. I teach an elective class so I know very little about testing and state assessment plans other than students only have four hours to complete their test. Texas offers STAAR online with designated support. Text-to-speech, this is where the student can click on the text and the computer will read it aloud for them, they also get assistance with spelling. The STAAR Alternate 2 tests for students who have disabilities or are English learners and they receive similar support with extended time rather than four hours and can have the text larger.

Implementing technology in schools topic brought attention to my eyes, given my district’s current situation. In order to effectively target technology to support teaching and learning it is necessary to engage in planning at the state, school districts, and classroom level.

1. Arrange a school or department planning committee.

2. Coordinate with existing school and district plans.

3. Identify student and school program needs.

4. Identify available technology based and support resources.

5. Integrate the school-wide technology planning with the curriculum.

6. Describe school wide objectives with related activities that describe how technology applications are directly related to instruction, curriculum enhancement, and the school program.

7. Allow teachers to implement their part of the plan

8. Staff Development should include technology activities for teachers to utilize and learn how to implement activities in their classroom.

9. The planning process should include procedures for monitoring, implement, collecting information of student outcomes, and assessing the effects on teaching and instructional practices.

10. Develop a School Technology Plan budget and funding strategy.

11. Implement, monitor, and revise the plan.

Driven by Data explains schools taking “Action in the Classroom”. Action plans are created in schools and are often stored away in a binder, when teachers plan their lessons at home. This causes the lesson to be poor planned and often forgotten. If schools have a mandated lesson plan template on a weekly basis, teachers can re-teach based on their action plan and helps keep the action plan present for the teacher and administrators. When a teacher has to re-teach a lesson they are to document where the student is struggling and when the student is succeeding.

Driven by Data also discuss schools having data-driven culture as a teacher, school leader, or district administrators. I understood this assignment when we had to watch the videos from “Man on Fire”. We had to apply the four key principles from Driven to Data by Paul Brambrick- Santoyo to Creasy help Pita win her race in the movie. The four keys are Assessment, Analysis, Action, and Culture. Creasy watched Pita race as this was her assessment, he recognized how fast she is but she couldn’t win no matter how fast she swam. The analysis identifies the causes of both strengths and weakness. Pita’s strength was that she is fast but her weakness was the she has a slow start. Creasy identifies later that the reason Pita has a slow start is because she’s afraid of the gun shot. The action principle teaches what students need to learn the most. Pita learns that in order to win the race she must overcome her fear of the gun shot sound. The last principle is culture which creates an environment for the data-driven instruction to grow and overcome. Creasy had Pita practice in the pool with the gun shot sound and made her become comfortable with the sound. He had her change her way of thinking that the blocks kept her prisoner and the gun shot is what sets her free. Creasy was the teacher and had the student, Pita, recognized her weakness and made her practice that weakness until it became her strength.

The last topic we wrote blogs on was (CBTA) Computer Based Text Assessment. The Department of Information Systems & Technology breaks down Computer-Based Text Analysis Techniques (CBTA). CBTA has two categories: automated assessment and machine-assisted analysis. Automated writing assessment does not need an actual person while machine-assisted analysis needs a person to give analysis of the test. With automated text assessments has two methods: (TII) Text In Isolation and (CBA) Corpus-Based Analysis. TII do not require people to grade a large number of the tests before they can assess new texts. CBA need a large set of tests graded by people beforehand. Machine-assisted analysis does not provide a summative score the tests without a person to assess the text and provide feedback. Computer-assisted human feedback systems will give automated assessment tools but must be finalized by an actual person. No matter how the tests are graded they must be finalized by a person. When I came across this assignment I immediately thought of the chemistry teacher I work with. She has trouble with students cheating on her tests and quizzes which are given out on paper. Even though she has different versions of the tests but the students will end up with the answers but the answers wont match the version of the test. Now that I have been taking this class, I will be a reliable source to her and show her how to make her quizzes online and harder to cheat.

VoiceThread

VoiceThread was a new tool I had never used. It was faster than typing out a couple of paragraphs. But I saw how this could be good for my district because not all our students have a computer at home and their only time they get to use a keyboard is if the teacher makes it a point to have the laptop cart checked out. With VoiceThread all you need is a recording device such as a smartphone or iPad. At least 98% of our students own a smartphone so they could use the Voicethread by verbally discussing their topics. From a teachers point, I see this as a tool for when teachers are absent. When I am gone it creates more work for me to come up with a “busy” assignment that the students can figure out with putting the substitute in a bind because they are lost. With VoiceThread I could use record myself with audio and leaving instructions using a visual recording so students can better understand what to do. When I am out for the day, I usually leave a word search or simple drawing assignment because I do not want students working on their projects while I am gone. Students can review the instructions as many times as they want and I wouldn’t get tired of repeating myself. I could see this working for math teachers that have to explain problem after problem. Students complain they do not understand their math teacher because the teacher becomes frustrated from have to repeat the step every class period and then explaining it again five times after that during the class because several students are confused. A recording on VoiceThread would be beneficial for teachers with problems like that.

Canvas Digital Assessment of Learning

My favorite assignment was creating the online quiz on Canvas. All you have to do is go to the website and make your account and you can create as many quizzes as you want. The quiz allows you to have different settings such as short answer, fill in the blank, matching, shuffling answers, set time limits, multiple choice answers, allow testing attempts, and viewing one question at a time. Back to talking about the chemistry teacher, I have shown her this website and she thought it was the greatest thing. I showed her how to put 40 questions on the quiz so when students took the test the quiz will shuffle the answers when they only are allowed to answer 20 questions. This way each student will receive different questions. On the plus side I don’t have to waste paper and make a 5 page paper test for all 100 students and having to grade them. The Canvas program grades the test automatically.

Educators need to be open to integrating technology into classrooms with all the programs, workshops, and applications that are available. With this course ending I am going to share these resources with teachers at my school. Hopefully soon more teachers will get on board and our students will be better prepared. We need to utilize what we have especially teachers that work at districts with low funding and get more creative with the laptops and ipads. School districts regardless of their classification or income have no option but to move forward with providing technology for their teachers and students, because without that support the new generations will not evolve.

Works Cited

Aken, A. (2017, November 4). An Evaluation of Assessment-Oriented Computer-Based Text Analysis Paradigms. Retrieved from SciencePublishingGroup.com: http;//:www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/her

Bambrick-Santoyo, P. (n.d.). Driven by Data. Driven by Data, 20.

Bambrick-Santoyo, P. (n.d.). The Framework. Driven by Data, 36.

Bill Cope, M. K. (2016). Big Data Comes to School: Implications for Learning, Assessment, and Research. 19.

Leah Dembitzer, S. Z. (2012). Designing computer-based assessments: multidisciplinary findings and student perspectives. EducationalTechnology, 12.

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ascendantly · 8 years ago

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tagged by: no tagging, we steal memes and delete them a few hours later like men. tagging: ^ ( tho please feel free to nab this and @ me so i can read it. i lov headcanon posts. )

instructions: fill out the questions about your muse, repost, and tag as many people you want.

1. what does your muse smell like?

varies, but there’s a constant baseline of leather about him, as well as the sharp tang of metal, though its prominence depends on how hard they’ve hit the field that day, what they’ve fought and if it bleeds. even princes sweat, needless to say, so he’s prone to taking up a ripe scent depending on how long it’s been since last they had access to running water ( and that’s any kind of running water; he’s not opposed to dunking in rivers or streams ) --- on particularly bad days, he’ll insist on keeping a number of layers on and his arms down, if he can help it. his diet really does him no favors here.

when he’s lucky, he smells like the ocean, salt breeze caught crisp in his hair from a few hours stolen on the end of a pier.

but perhaps the most curious of all is how he smells after warping. there’s a faint ozone scent to him, like lightning, charged but quick to fade. with the blood of kings strong in his veins, noctis is meant for smooth blinks through the air; he doesn’t burn along his path like those who would borrow the crystal’s power ( @ the glaives get wreckt ), and the scent of it clings to him for some moments after, bright, heady.

otherwise? motel soaps and shampoos, and stick deodorants of inconsistent brands, though he prefers ones that are ambiguous in fragrance profile ( that is, he’ll opt for something that isn’t too masculine without toeing flowery either ).

2. how often does your muse bathe/shower? any habits?

the shower is noctis’s third favorite place to be, with the first two being the regalia and his bed, respectively. most of the time, though, the preference isn’t so much a matter of enjoying the water pouring hot on his skin as it is about being in a space where he can be alone with his thoughts. no one can reach him with anything requiring his princely attention until he chooses to be done. it’s someplace where he can decompress and just --- center himself.

so if someone ends up using all of the hot water, it’s noctis.

his habits really depend on whether or not it’s a bath or shower ( rest assured that there are no circumstances in which he sings, too embarrassing ).

if bathing, he’ll massage his bad knee for a while, though in that case he’d like to have epsom salts on hand to make the most of it. he’s not keen on bubble baths because it’s not uncommon for him to fall asleep, slide too far in, and get a mouth- or eye-ful of soap.

if showering, well. aside from blanking out for twenty odd minutes and saving the necessities for when the water starts to run cold and he has to start scrubbing and sudsing furiously, he makes use of the private time.

3. does your muse have any tattoos or piercing?

none. noctis has a strange sense of ownership regarding his body in that he knows it’s his, of course, but wouldn’t dream of modifying it in some permanent way that would reflect poorly on his lineage ( on his father, more to the point ). not that noctis has ever desired to get anything tattooed or pierced, but it’s never actually been an option to him, either.

4. any body movement quirks ( ex.knee shakes )?

he’s dependent on closed off body language for personal comfort, so it’s not hard to find him standing around with his arms crossed, or his shoulders rounded forward, back curved in a noticeable slouch. his idle posture is casual and aloof despite fifteen years steeped in etiquette, and while he hasn’t forgotten all he’s learned, he can’t be assed to break it out unless the situation calls, and rarely does it ever.

his nervous energy tends to manifest in his hands, and to hide it, he’ll most often rub his neck, clench his fists or, again, fold his arms so as to tuck his fingers into his biceps. sometimes he’ll mess with his hair --- his bangs can be finicky for their length, after all --- though this isn’t always a result of unease.

when sufficiently tired or worn down, he’ll get a degree of pain and stiffness in his left leg, and can be seen limping to accommodate for the trouble. albeit his training has more or less ensured that he’s equally efficient with either side of his body, noctis generally favors his right half due to the old injury, even when not acting up, which leads to a bit of predictability in his attacks and movements. it’s something he attempts to be mindful of when sparring.

5. what do they sleep in?

provided he consciously decides to get ready for bed instead of knocking out the second he goes horizontal ( or sits down or leans against his chocobo ), it’s temperature-based, but as a rule he’ll elect to sleep in just his shirt and shorts when camping, jacket rumpled in a pile somewhere near the mouth of the tent, boots kicked off nearby.

if it’s cold, he may dip into his informal attire for a longsleeve, and if it’s hot, he might remove any shirt he’d gone to bed in, but that’s only if the heat’s too much to sleep through, and it seldom is.

6. what’s their favorite piece of clothing?

“piece” of clothing smh. put broadly, it would be his father’s suit ( royal raiment ), the entirety of it, for reasons that should be obvious. despite not quite loving the feeling of a tie around his neck or the collar buttoned so high, wearing it helps noctis connect with regis, helps him stand a little taller and walk a bit prouder, too, though whether that’s because of the fit or because the outfit inspires in him a comforting blend of nostalgia, dignity, and competence is anyone’s guess.

7. what do they do when they wake up?

try to go back to bed. please let him sleep.

really though, the only time he can wake up without needing five or ten minutes to sit and process everything is when he’s coming out of a nightmare --- which, coincidentally, is the best way to know if he’s had a nightmare, because noctis isn’t a fitful sleeper nor does he feel comfortable announcing his dreams aside from a very basic and implied i wish i didn’t remember them ( episode duscae // prompto: i always wake up before i can remember anything. | noctis: what i wouldn’t give for that. ).

he’s always the last to get up and ready to go, but unfortunately he can’t bring himself to hurry through ( much less multitask ) putting on his clothes or brushing his teeth, so there’s a definite grogginess that stretches out everything he does in the morning. for example, if he intends to wear his jeans, he might dress one leg, wait a good minute, then move on to the other.

8. how do they sleep? position?

he canonically sleeps through prompto veering off the side of the road, several peals of phone alarms, being jostled around, etc. --- it’s pretty safe to say noctis sleeps like the dead. if permitted to shut his eyes and stop moving for even the shortest amount of time, there’s a decent chance he’ll doze off, or at least try to.

position is irrelevant. he can sleep on his back, front, side, sitting up --- doesn’t matter. what he prefers, though, is that there is someone nearby when he starts to snooze. noctis has had a distinct aversion to sleeping alone since his youth, and while he’s more than capable of resting by himself as an adult, there’s a simple and invaluable comfort he feels when nodding off in the presence of someone he trusts. helps with the nightmares.

economically speaking, it’s a necessity that they sleep two to a queen-sized when lodging at a motel or inn. noctis usually lets the guys decide around him after he picks a bed, but of the three, he’s admittedly not the biggest fan of sharing the mattress with gladio. though noctis isn’t the sort to sprawl out anyway, gladio’s rather broad and exudes too much heat ( and body hair ), so noctis’s preferences lie with prompto and ignis.

he doesn’t shift around excessively in his sleep. there are no accidental cuddles, nor is there anything which could resemble them, either. any imperceptible closing of space is intentional solace-seeking and passed off as a product of rest. on occasion, noctis might also leave the bed to scrounge for food ( bad habits are hard to break and he’s a midnight snacker through and through ).

light snoring isn’t totally unheard of where the prince is concerned. drooling, neither.

9. what do their hands feel like?

dry, creased. cool. clammy, when noctis is especially nervous.

he doesn’t take any particular care of his hands, so they may come across as the oldest looking part of his body, knuckles ashy some days, a callus or two hard and peeling on the inside of his palms, while the skin itself appears strangely thin, delicate.

his hands aren’t rough, per se, but they certainly aren’t smooth or soft, though the gingerness of his touches make them seem so. still, when his grip isn’t tenuous, there should be a strength to his grasp that is paradoxically unsurprising and unexpected.

10. if you kissed them, what would they usually taste like?

what did ignis last cook.

i want that to be a joke but i’m also very serious. kissing isn’t something noctis has done, nor does it really cross his mind, so he wouldn’t be prepared for it in any breadth or scope. it wouldn’t be listerine fresh or cutely flavored, unless he’s been into sweets when he shouldn’t have been ( and he is, constantly ). ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#; ic: headcanon.#; ic: meme reply.#( cut for length.#i just *clenches* really love to never shut up about my favorite royal shishkebab. )

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