#teacher black my year in China

[highsummonermercar]

Black Ink Asia

[book--brackets]

Temeraire by Naomi Novik (2006-2016)

DESCRIPTION

Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors ride mighty fighting dragons, bred for size or speed. When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes the precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Captain Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future – and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire. 

 Capt. Will Laurence is serving with honor in the British Navy when his ship captures a French frigate harboring most a unusual cargo–an incalculably valuable dragon egg. When the egg hatches, Laurence unexpectedly becomes the master of the young dragon Temeraire and finds himself on an extraordinary journey that will shatter his orderly, respectable life and alter the course of his nation’s history.

 Thrust into England’s Aerial Corps, Laurence and Temeraire undergo rigorous training while staving off French forces intent on breaching British soil. But the pair has more than France to contend with when China learns that an imperial dragon intended for Napoleon–Temeraire himself– has fallen into British hands. The emperor summons the new pilot and his dragon to the Far East, a long voyage fraught with peril and intrigue. From England’s shores to China’s palaces, from the Silk Road’s outer limits to the embattled borders of Prussia and Poland, Laurence and Temeraire must defend their partnership and their country from powerful adversaries around the globe. But can they succeed against the massed forces of Bonaparte’s implacable army?

Wayside School by Louis Sachar (1978-2020)

There was a terrible mistake. Wayside School was supposed to have been built with thirty classrooms all next to each other in a row. Instead, it was built with the thirty classrooms all on top of each other - thirty stories high! That may be why all kinds of strange stuff happens at Wayside School. Especially, on the thirteenth floor. It is a school full of unusual characters too. Mrs Gorf the meanest teacher in the world. Terrible Todd who always gets sent home early. John who can only read upside down.

Modern Faerie Tales by Holly Black (2002-2007)

Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she drifts from place to place with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces them back to Kaye's childhood home. But Kaye's life takes another turn when she stumbles upon an injured faerie knight in the woods. Kaye has always been able to see faeries where others could not, and she chooses to save the strange young man instead of leaving him to die. 

But this fateful choice will have more dire consequences than she could ever predict, as Kaye soon finds herself the unwilling pawn in an ancient and violent power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms--a struggle that could very well mean her death.

The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist (1982-1986)

My name is Pug. I was once an orphaned kitchen boy, with no family and no prospects, but I am destined to become a master magician...

War is coming to the Kingdom of the Isles from another world, bringing with it chaos and destruction. Pug yearns to train as a warrior and fight for his kingdom alongside his foster-brother, Tomas, but instead he is forced to follow a different path: a path that will lead him right into the heart of the enemy. And one that will change the course of the war - and two worlds - forever.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (2009-2011)

It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet. 

 Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men. 

 Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered. 

 With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way...taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede (1985-1993)

Cimorene is everything a princess is not supposed to be: headstrong, tomboyish, smart - and bored. So bored that she runs away to live with a dragon - and finds the family and excitement she's been looking for.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (2020-present)

Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.

In an attempt to prove himself a true brujo and gain his family’s acceptance, Yadriel decides to summon his cousin’s ghost and help him cross to the afterlife.

But things get complicated when he accidentally summons the ghost of his high school’s resident bad boy, Julian Diaz – and Julian won't go into death quietly.

The two boys must work together if Yadriel is to move forward with his plan.

But the more time Yadriel and Julian spend together, the harder it is to let each other go.

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi (2003-2004)

After finding a mysterious, handmade field guide in the attic of the ramshackle old mansion they've just moved into, Jared; his twin brother, Simon; and their older sister, Mallory, discover that there's a magical and maybe dangerous world existing parallel to our own--the world of faerie. 

The Grace children want to share their story, but the faeries will do everything possible to stop them...

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman (2012-2015)

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs, the captain of the Queen's Guard. While they begin to uncover a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect the secret behind her musical gift--a secret so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

The Queen's Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (1996-2022)

Gen can steal anything—at least that's the boast he's made in wineshops across the capital city, and this bragging has landed him in the king's prison. His chances of escape look slim—even for someone of his talents. When he is invited to join a quest to steal an object straight out of a legend, he's hardly in a position to refuse.

[esggs]

“It’s just… it’s been 16 years since…” Yuuji finds it difficult to put it into words.. “... since he last saw Divine Dog White…” 

[when your kids inherit the Ten Shadows, Megumi Fushiguro gets to meet a long lost fluffy friend again]

[1.5k words   |   fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, post-canon   |   part of Obeisance to The Arrow universe]

“Hito, Kiko, don’t.” Noritoshi glares at the twins who have been caught red handed trying to ride atop the pair of dogs. In fact, it’s the 4th time they’ve been caught. They refuse to stop trying. “Just sit, okay? Just sit down for a bit. Let dad make his call.”

Noritoshi Kamo is tired. Truly, soulfully, tired. His day began at 5 am today, because you had to go to work earlier than usual, and are still not back yet. Handling 4 kids and their own separate timetables all day, while working as a teacher for Jujutsu High… at 34, he’s not old, but goddamn does his body ache like it is. And now, when he was looking forward to putting the kids to bed and waiting for you to come back and uncork this good vintage and maybe wear that nice lingerie you bought last week and be asleep by 10 pm, when tonight was supposed to go like all other nights, he’s got a huge fucking emergency on his hands. Not that he can show it, of course, in front of the kids. 

“C’mon, pick up, pick up. Asahito! I swear, if I see you– Tsukiko! Tsukiko, hands where I can see them! Good, okay, now sit down and count till 100.” Noritoshi is doing his level best to maintain any semblance of calmness. It isn’t working. Naomi and Chihiro, the older two kids, are terrified. Their usually monk-calm dad is frantically calling people, while his Flowing Red Scale is on, as are two discs of Slicing Exorcisms, ready to strike at the slightest provocation. Not at them, of course, but still. The twins, Hito and Kiko, are too young to realise the gravity of the situation. 

Click. Finally.

“Hey Noritoshi, it’s me, Yuuji. Megumi’s driving right now.”

“Yuuji!” Damn, Yuuji thinks, the man seems out of breath. “Give the phone to Megumi, quick.”

‘But he’s driving, we were playing basketball and now we’re coming ba–”

“Put it on speaker then! Yuuji, it’s urgent.”

“Huh? Wait.” Yuuji puts him on speakerphone and gasps. “Oh my God, is y/n pregnant again?”

“What?” 

“Damn, that’s your fifth one.” Yuuji chuckles. “You must really like being a dad.” 

“It’s not–”

“Five is a lot though –”

“MEGUMI!” Noritoshi shouts out. “Are you there?”

“Yeah” Megumi leans towards the phone that Yuuji is holding out. “Congrats, Noritoshi.”

“Oh, Megumi, thank God.” Noritoshi’s voice is palpably more stable. “y/n isn’t pregnant. The twins’ cursed technique showed up, about 5 minutes ago. Megumi, they have the Ten Shadows.”

Megumi almost crashes the car.

—------- 

“Noritoshi, love, I’m here!” You’ve run all the way from the parked car to your drawing room. It’s bursting with people: Noritoshi (battle-ready), Naomi and Chihiro (hiding behind their dad), Yuuji (fascinated), Megumi (teaching the twins to release the large black dog that’s running amok amid your fragile china-display and Edo era vases), and your little twins (actually listening to their uncle, surprisingly). 

“Mom!” “y/n!” “Honey!” 

Half an hour ago, you had been working on a new telecom venture when your assistant rushed in, claiming an urgent call from your husband: “Love, it’s the twins, Hito and Kiko- cursed technique- unstable control- dinner- Ten Shadows!” It takes a while for you to piece together the information, but when you do, you turn pale as death. 

The twins inherited the Ten Shadows? Together? They share one cursed technique? They share the fucking Ten Shadows?

—------- 

The black divine dog was sent back, thanks to Uncle Megumi Fushiguro. “The other one was already gone when we got here.” Megumi says, leaning back as everyone sits in peace around the low tea-table on the ground. Yuuji is playing cards with the boys, Tsukiko sits in Megumi’s lap, steadily stealing extra cookies from the table, and Naomi is quietly talking to her dad. “They summoned the Divine Dogs by accident, don’t punish them for it, okay?”

“I know.” Noritoshi sighs. “I didn’t even know two Ten Shadows users could exist at the same time.”

“It’s very rare.” Megumi replies. “But rare things are common nowadays.” Since the Culling Games. Since it all got messed up. 16 years ago. 

“It’s so dangerous for a 6 year old to have the power to accidentally summon Mahoraga. Megumi-chan, what did you do at that age?” You still haven’t kicked the habit of calling him Megumi-chan, even though he grumbles about it a lot, especially since the twins are starting to call him that too.

“Well, I had Gojo-sensei to show me the basics, and then I figured it out myself. But I was a very different 6 year old than Hito and Kiko.” He looks down at Tsukiko who’s trying to hide her growing bundle of cookie-loot. “Maybe it’d be safer if I stay with the kids for a bit…”

The kids are delighted to hear this, of course, Uncle Megumi who lets them get away with anything, and buys them whatever they want, he’s their favourite. (Uncle Yuuji is very hurt by this proclamation).

“Yeah, that’d be great, Megumi-chan. Thanks.” You yawn. 

“Say, Hito, Kiko!” Yuuji says. “You called both the dogs? Can you call them again?”

“Now, Itadori?” Noritoshi is still wary. When he first saw the dogs, he almost killed them on the spot, thinking that someone had sent them there to hurt his kids. It had taken a second for light to enter his head: Ah, these are my children’s shikigami. They inherited the Ten Shadows…. Oh my God- my kids inherited the Ten Shadows. “Take the yard outside then, not in here.”

Except for Megumi and the twins, who are working on calling the dogs in the middle of the yard, all of you stand in the veranda. Noritoshi’s Flowing Red Scale is on, ready, just in case.

“It’s just… it’s been 16 years since…” Yuuji finds it difficult to put it into words.. “... since he last saw Divine Dog White… back at the detention center....” 

The shadows under the twins have definitely started to hollow out choppily. Megumi shouts out words of encouragement, telling them to “steady, keep steady!”, while you can tell that Noritoshi is growing more agitated by the second. The volatile control over their shared cursed technique seems to shift between the twins randomly. The shadows underneath, like turbulent sea-water, split.

Megumi Fushiguro is no stranger to loss. It’s a fact of his life. He hardened his heart to this a long time ago, he's bid his good-byes properly in private. He’s done his due mourning when Divine Dog White died over a decade and a half ago. 

Why does his throat feel tighter? Hito and Kiko are making the huge dogs shake hands with a delighted Yuuji. Why does he remember the damp walls of that old apartment, where his dad left him and Tsumiki? Why does he remember Tsumiki’s laugh when the white dog, invisible to her, tripped her as she walked? Those snowy walks with Gojo-sensei, when he brought all three of them mochi, and an extra one for the dog? Those tired midnights in Jujutsu High when the dog curled around him in his sleep? Nobara and Yuuji, back in their teenage years, begging him to summon his precious dog? Nobara who still remains 16 in his memories. Gojo-sensei. Tsumiki. The White Dog. 

If anyone notices a tear stuck in Megumi’s lashes, they don’t mention it. They let him sit on the grass, keeping watch. The overprotective parents have loosened up, allowing Naomi and Chihiro to pet the dogs too. It’s nice, he thinks, everyone getting to enjoy a night like this. It doesn’t come by often. These small moments like playing with the dogs, eating meals together, hanging clothes to dry, taking walks in the setting sun, these are privileges they've earned with blood. Families, especially happy ones, are rare; Megumi’s proud that you and Noritoshi have managed to create one. As for him, he’s content sitting on grass and watching. 

“Megumi-chan, come play!” Tsukiko beckons him. “Shiro, go jump on him.”

“Shiro, no–” But these aren't Megumi’s shikigami, they don’t listen to a word he says. He’s immediately tackled on the soft ground by the weight of the white furball, who’s wagging his tail and licking him all over, as excited as the kids to be summoned. They even smell the same, Megumi remembers. Still, mine had softer fur. 

Naomi valiantly comes to his rescue. Noritoshi offers him some tea before bed. Him and Yuuji are staying the night, you’ve declared, and keeping watch over the twins. Despite all the loss he’s endured his whole nightmare of a life, at the end of the day, there’s still a family he’s part of. There’s still hope, there’s still love, there’s still soft white dogs. 

—------- 

The battle is over: all 4 kids have been put to bed. Yuuji whistles softly, complaining that Hito wheedled five stories and three lullabies out of him. That reminds him: “y/n, you know when Noritoshi called us, he seemed so stressed, I thought that you were pre-” but Noritoshi whacks him on the head before he gets to finish. Megumi isn’t done entertaining the twins yet. 

a/n: timeline wise, this work is set faaar in the future, when the Kamos have returned to and established themselves in Japan. Regardless of the merger, the amount of cursed energy cultivated from the Culling Games have GOT to have fucked up effects on the kids born afterwards, like the remains of nuclear bombs. Naomi is the oldest kid at 13, Chihiro is 10 and the twins are both 6. reader would be 30, noritoshi 34, yuuji 32, and megumi 31. if it was unclear, Asahito and Tsukiko are nicknamed Hito & Kiko

[gzteacher]

I'm still here.

I work for a school directly now and we've finished a school year.

This was me at one point trying to find an apartment in China:

I was legit considering living in a hotel because of this. I posted on WeChat explaining the situation and the secondhand embarrassment my local acquaintances experienced moved two in particular to step in and help me find a place to stay.

I didn't want to talk to the school's HR because she was hounding me about why I didnt have a Chinese girlfriend. She asked with her whole chest during the interview if I was changing jobs because of a woman.

Even as a fluent Chinese speaker, going to those housing agencies and watching them call up landlords and explain to them that a foreigner wants to rent, only to overhear the landlord asking "white? or black?" was never not embarrassing.

Everyone was all "dial 123456 and report them!" Tried that. I was all automated prompts which then lead to an app I had to download but then couldn't use because I didn't have a Chinese ID. No surprise, honestly, but was worth the shot I guess? (A lot of institutions are designed on purpose to be exhausting. You can know this in a place like China because they'll tell you straight up: If you wanna complain about is, dial this number. Good luck lol)

It was only luck that the person who reached out to help me was the random gym trainer who added my WeChat after searching for a place to workout literally 2 days prior.

Fast forward to now. School's out. Typical shenanigans: students making accidentally racist microaggressions. One kid commented that "it doesn't look right having a teacher who should be a rapper or basketball player; I don't think you're professional and can't take you seriously." And after the whole apartment malarkey, I could only give him a look, shrug my shoulders, chuckle at his inbred ignorance and keep teaching. Too tired to give the you-probably-haven't-learned-this-about-yourself-yet-but-you're-racist talk. It's 2020something, I'm saving my energy.

I'm just here to save up to leave. That's all. I now have friends in a different country and I'm working to collaberate with their career endeavors more intensively.

I'll be out of here soon enough. Just need to get a few things in order.

[geryone]

Tagged by @briarhips (thank you ❤️) to make a post of 9 book recs!!! ❤️

1. The Book of X by Sarah Rose Etter

Etter is quickly becoming a new favorite writer! Cassie is born with her abdomen twisted in a knot and her family owns a meat quarry. So weird & so good.

2. The Dumb House by John Burnside

One of my personal favorites. A man tries recreating an experiment to discover the origin of language. The narrator experiments on his own children. The story itself is so upsetting but the worst part is living in the mind of the narrator who feels NOTHING.

3. At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop

A small book that packs a huge punch. The story of a soldier’s descent into madness in the trenches while fighting in WWI.

4. Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

Lesbians, deep sea horror, & the experience of grieving someone who is physically still with you

5. Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge

This audiobook was INSANE!! Have listened to it many times. Scifi book about different types of “beasts” that exist in the world. Told in different short stories. Think about this book often!!

6. My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell:

I don’t recommend this lightly. This one is hard to read & deeply uncomfortable. About the relationship between a 15 year old girl and her 45 year old teacher. Partly told from the perspective of 15 year old Vanessa & also from Vanessa when she’s 30. A reflection on trauma & the inability to let yourself believe you are a victim.

7. The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling:

Essentially Crimson Peak. Gothic horror & such a fun audiobook to listen to in the fall.

8. Rien Ne Va Plus by Margarita Karapanou:

This book is about a relationship ending & all the cruelty and pain that are involved. Told from the perspective of both people. Adored this!!

9. Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis:

This book was formative read for me as a teenager. A retelling of Psyche & Eros told from the perspective of an older sister. I related so hard to Orual the first time I read this :(

Tagging: @jockpoetry @coffee-writes @iloveyoumorethangod @emiliosandozsequence @bloedkoraal @mermaidteeth @saintmelangell @woundthatswallows @oliverisms @othellho @typewriter-worries @unmarrow + anyone else who wants to :) !! Always looking for more recs

[askew-d]

today i had an idea. that recess therapy channel, but make it wangxian.

teacher lan wangji, who recently adopted a-yuan, carried out his son’s desires to create a youtube channel interviewing other kids. he’s totally inept at it in the beginning, but fortunately his brother helps. and who would've thought? his son ends up making friends and he really finds children’s minds fascinating.

until their channel gets quite big. like, two million subscribers kind of big. other people interviewing him kind of big. and soon enough, his brother says, “wangji, huaisang wants to be part of one of your videos! he said it looks fun!”

nie huaisang didn’t have a large fanbase without reason. he was a well-known digital influencer with over ten million followers and a good writer. though lan wangji finds him odd sometimes, he accepts it. it couldn't bring any harm.

famous last words.

after nie huaisang, a lot of celebrities wanted to join in. lan wangji imagined it was for that facade of selling a good-hearted image inside the industry, but as long as a-yuan seemed to be enjoying, he continued.

in the two years he had the channel, he progressed to five million followers, hosted many top-tier artists along, interviewed hundred of kids — some more enthusiastic than others, that’s rather true — and received some proposals from famous entertainment companies to work with them, which annoyed lan wangji.

he continued being a teacher, a father and a host content creator for long, and one day, his son was checking his emails with him and jumped in excitement, “baba! look, look!”

lan wangji looked. it was a request from a certain wei wuxian’s agency, that, he later discovered, was one of the singer’s a-yuan and his close friends have been listening to lately. apparently, his rock band was very influential internationally, and when having a tour around china once more, he wanted to join for a video (why would his thirteen-year-old a-yuan be interested in rock music when humanity had the classical ones, he could never imagine).

lan wangji accepted, because again, it couldn’t do any harm.

well, maybe he should learn more about that expression, since wei wuxian was absolutely infuriating.

he was just a handsome, dauntless man in tight black pants and an oversized hoodie with the shiniest smile he has ever seen who got his son's favour in just minutes of conversation and could not, for the love of god, stop teasing lan wangji. lan wangji shouldn't be that affected by someone. he shouldn't be affected by the way he didn't care about social manners and plastered himself on lan wangji's side all the while he interviewed the kids as if they were intimate, but oh, what one shouldn't do truly wasn't how one acted or felt.

he found out that wei wuxian did have a good voice, although he secretly thought that he wasted it with those loud songs about rebelling against the government. he found out that he was exceptionally careful with children, withholding a balance of fun and wisdom; he had that carefree creativity and treated their worries with seriousness, struggling not to let them think he judged them childish. lan wangji was truly amazed at his character, and soon, they had recorded about four videos together.

and when it was all uploaded, the comments and views exploded. people focused more on them together than on the kids. it became the most viewed videos of his channels in no time.

"lan zhan, the numbers are growing each day! i'm so happy for that," wei wuxian said on the phone afterwards (when he proposed the idea of exchanging numbers, lan wangji was hesitant, but wei wuxian insisted that it was for them to share bunny videos, so he gave up on fighting the man, but weeks passed and they still talked more about their lives than just sharing said content). "but tell me, lan zhan, i think my amazing presence did bring some touch to your channel, won't you treat me to something as a sign of gratitude? you told me your family had a rule on being polite..."

they did have one. lan wangji told him once and it was enough to be engraved on wei wuxian's mind. he sighed and said, "mn. does wei ying want to have dinner with us tomorrow?"

wei wuxian laughed in apparent joy, and he shook his head slightly. it would be good to have someone over for dinner once in a while, beyond his brother. maybe he'd even buy some wine and meat for him, just as he said he liked.

lan wangji talked to wei wuxian some more, the other explaining about how his band would perform the upcoming sunday. they also talked about children, books and traveling. and on the other side of the room, a-yuan giggled in mischievousness.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Good morning headmage

I was wondering if you and the other teachers went to the museum with your students this year to celebrate its 100th anniversary ?

If so what did you like there , do you have a favorite artwork ?

Have you been there before 👀?

Enter; An Unkindness of Ravens.

"Why, of course we teachers accompanied our students to the Land of Dawning's National Museum of Art. It would be highly irresponsible of us to allow children to travel to a foreign land without chaperones!”

Crowley perked with pride. Prestige—the acknowledgement of it—tended to have that effect on him, pompous man that he was.

"Not to mention... It's an honor for us to be invited to this centennial celebration! This is a wonderful opportunity for us teachers to appreciate art alongside our young pupils—though I myself have already visited numerous times. Ah, but that is what a long lifespan and a deep respect for history does… Sharpens the mind and the spirit!”

Somehow he ended up circling around and feeding his own ego again.

You walked alongside him, tactfully staying silent and letting the headmaster ramble.

Famous faces passed by, relics of the past unearthed. Stories, centuries in the making. History coming to life around you.

Click, clack, click.

Crowley’s polished shoes and cane alternated, echoing sharply in the gallery.

“This solemn, almost reverent atmosphere is rather pleasing. It grants one the space and time to properly admire and reflect on the artwork on display.”

He raised a hand, his golden claw-shaped rings upon each finger shining under the museum’s lights. Crowley gestured to the paintings that lined the closest wall. You followed where he led your gaze.

Platinum frames, seven in total. Each held an illustration of a familiar figure—you recognized them from the stone statues lining Main Street.

“I find myself gravitating toward the classics. Perhaps I am sentimental, fufu. My bias is clear.”

The Queen of Hearts.

She looked on from up high, posed with a gavel behind a banister and flanked by card soldiers. Her face was kind and rounded, but her expression was stern. Hands folded in her lap and her hammer raised to deliver justice, she was the picture of dignified grace.

The King of Beasts.

He reclined in a dark cave, bones scattered around him. The King stood out from the others of his kind--body lanky, a scar knitting one eye, mane a deep black, and with an unmatched feline poise. He toyed with a skull in one paw, his mouth twisted into a contemplative smirk.

The Sea Witch.

She danced, tentacles curling, in an anemone garden, lilac arms outstretched to cuddle her beloved pets: two moray eels that adorned her arms like a living boa. Pinkish light spilled onto them, emanating from her bubbling cauldron. Another potion brewing to fulfill some poor, unfortunate soul's wish.

The Sorcerer of the Sands.

A thin man with a long face and a goatee pieced together a golden scarab, its light piercing the starry night. Particles of sand and glittering magic kicked up, scattering across his black and red robes. The wings of the scarab, flickering rapidly--as if about to take flight.

The Beautiful Queen.

She triumphantly held up a goblet of bubbling liquid, her radiant face reflected in it. High cheek bones, skin smooth as china, full lips, long lashes, a gown that clung to her hourglass figure. Her beauty was every bit as deadly as the poison in the glass.

The King of the Underworld.

He beamed in the painting, showing sharp teeth. Various tabletop games surrounded him, and he seemed to take great joy in maneuvering a chess piece across a board. No opponent was in view--the man was a lone player.

The Thorn Fairy.

She loomed in her spiked throne, her calm face cut severe by the gathering shadows and green candlelight. Briar crept around the tattered hem of her cloak, waiting for her next command. One word, and you felt as though they would come to life and rush at you.

The Great Seven together dominated the hallowed halls of the museum. In awe of them, you felt yourself shrink back. If was as though your body instinctively knew to kneel in the presence of such raw power.

Crowley, too, quietly bowed his head to the Seven. He held his top hat to his chest, his dark lips pursed into a serene smile.

"What visionaries! We must all strive to the same heights as they."

[armandsdivorcelawyer]

@yekkes

Oh my god so glad you asked!!! There are many different types of Expat in Korea:

FB Rant Woman is who I’d classify as “First Time Minority.” There are many of these. They’re white people that usually believe that they now understand systemic oppression because they’re now a minority group in Korea and xenophobia exists. Probably doesn’t believe that they have white privilege in Korea.

Will say anything seemingly negative that happens to them is racism. Korean person not interested in having a serious relationship with expats that will most likely leave the country in the next 1-2 years? Racism. Korean person doesn’t understand their accent when they speak Korean (their pronunciation sucks)? Racism. It’s all racism. They understand now. Don’t you see, American Person of Color? Here, we’re the same 🫶🏽

Other types of expats are:

The Koreaboo

They love KPop and K-dramas and moved to Korea to find their oppar. This expat either has a Korean boyfriend who is an ugly loser or is attractive and clearly not taking the relationship as seriously as she is, or a revolving cast of Korean boyfriends that changes so fast you never can actually learn their names. You would warn her that most men looking to date foreign women are only really looking for casual relationships, but she’s insufferable so you don’t bother.

If she sees you on the street when she’s with her boyfriend, she’s going to glare at you even though he looks like a foot and is chronically unemployed. In her mind, you want him. And that’s all that matters.

She’s an English teacher, but she really doesn’t care about her job. Has an annoying social media presence with titles like “My KOREAN BOYFRIEND tries NEW YORK PIZZA for the FIRST TIME!!”

She posts on the FB groups about how her boyfriend won’t introduce her to his family. People try to tell her that, culturally, people in Korea don’t introduce partners unless they’re engaged and about to get married. She doesn’t get it.

The Loser Back Home

This person is usually a white man who for some reason could not cash into his white male privilege in his country of origin, so he came to Korea expecting Korean women to throw coochie at him simply because he’s white. The LBH fetishizes Korean women, and loathes non-Korean woman. He’s also insufferable.

Also an English teacher, not good at his job. Has lived in Korea for 10+ years and speaks little to no Korean. Sometimes has a Korean wife that you pray divorces him eventually. He usually relies on her to do everything because he refuses to learn Korean.

The “Why are You Still Here?”

This person has also lived in Korea for 10+ years and they HATE the country. They don’t like the food, the people, their jobs, the culture, everything. Chronically miserable.

You ask them why they’re still here, and they never have a straight answer. It’s implicitly understood that they’ve been living in Korea for most of their adult life, and don’t know what they’d do if they left. If they do leave, they’re going to a nearby country (probably Japan or China) to start the process all over again.

The College Student

This person is studying abroad for a semester. Commonly seen in Hongdae clubs. They’re 19 and they can drink legally in Korea and it’s about to be everyone’s problem!

This group has overlap with the Koreaboo.

The Military Man

This person is a man in the US military. He’s either looking to get married to someone after knowing them for 5 business days, or is cheating on their wife with whom they share 3 children (with one on the way!) Swears he gets tested regularly, but will give you an STI. If he’s been in Korea for years, he probably ended up on The Black Book fb group to warn women to not interact with him. (TBB got shut down because other women started leaking the information to the men listed in it, and they threatened to sue the moderators. RIP TBB you saved many a life.)

This person is reviled by everyone in the country, expats included, because he is a menace. He and his friends terrorize the innocent citizens of whatever poor city their base is closest to. Avoid at all costs.

The Traveler

This person hasn’t lived in their country of origin for years, and has mostly been jumping from country to country for adventure! They live in Korea because 1. It’s a nice place to live., 2. Relatively low cost of living, and 3. Close to other countries. A holiday is coming up? They’re going to Thailand. They got vacation days? They’re spending it in Vietnam.

Either very chill and interesting, or insufferable.

And finally; The Running Away from Something. (That’s me!!)

This person is living in Korea because for some reason they do not want to be in their country of origin.

Shitty family? It’s hard to keep in contact with a 12 hour time difference. Don’t know what they’re gonna do with their life? English teaching in Korea is a good gap year job to let you save and figure your shit out. Mentally ill? Oh you stupid bitch. Go make that appointment at the Itaewon International Clinic. DO IT NOW.

Is either staying 1-2 years, or ends up living there forever. No in between.

[eretzyisrael]

by Julia Steinberg

Within the first minute of scrolling under a search for “Zionism” on TikTok, I saw a “Zionism Explained” video with over 125,000 views. It said that Jews are forbidden by God to have their own state, completely ignoring the fact that the State of Israel is secular. “How did this start? Let’s go back to 1897,” the video instructs. But Jewish history in Israel started thousands of years ago, not in 1897. 

When I searched “history” on TikTok, a woman with the “cute freckles and lashes” filter told me and over 80,000 viewers that, in “the biggest plot twist of the century,” Jews are using their ancestors’ “tragedy to justify and inflict another Holocaust.”

That explainer video is why, when I went to a pro-Palestine rally at Stanford on Wednesday and asked a fellow student what she meant when she chanted “from the river to the sea,” she said that, after admitting she wasn’t knowledgeable about the issue, Palestine must be free from the Tigris River (in Iraq) to the Black Sea (north of Turkey). This student, though she has no sense of geography, is actually chanting for the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea to no longer contain the state of Israel. It is an eliminationist slogan.

I saw a similar message at an off-campus café recently when I walked by a girl whose laptop bore a newly applied sticker with the words “By Any Means Necessary” stamped over an outline of Israel. It’s been less than three weeks since October 7 and already these glib stickers plugging genocide, aimed at my generation, are proliferating. 

A new axis of evil—Big Tech, social media companies, and China—has taken the once-fringe position that Jews are undeserving of a homeland, and is now pushing the idea of their mass slaughter via shoddy animation and beautiful women hosting “explainer” videos. And it’s trickling down onto t-shirts and “cute” laptop stickers. 

It’s cool to promote hate.

My Jewish parents, whose hearts break to hear about what I go through at college, did everything they could so that my brother and I would reject this simplistic, horrible way of thinking. But they can’t change that my little brother’s high school also teaches ideology with T-charts. I doubt his teachers or classmates care to understand that no T-chart can account for why he and his Jewish friends feel sick when they see slogans calling for their deaths.

[warren-ulysses]

[Physiological Teachers 'Physical Needs]

The physiological needs of physiology teachers

Author: unknown

Number of words: 2328 words

That was when I was in my third year of high school. Our former physiology teacher resigned, so our physiology classes were all replaced by other teachers! The last class in the afternoon is physiology class. I heard that there is a new physiology teacher, and he is very beautiful and sexy.

The bell rang, and I heard the crisp sound of high heels coming from the hallway of the classroom. Then the new physiology teacher came in.

I froze, she is too beautiful, tall figure, wearing a pink navel shoulder, a pair of breasts towering. A translucent skirt was stretched on the lower body, and the shape of the underwear was completely exposed. The slender beauty faded, thought by a pair of white stockings, and the sound of high heels aroused my sexual desire, and I found that my "little brother" was about to burst! Can't help but reach out and touch it.

Then she went up to the podium, looked around, then showed a fascinating smile and said, "Hello, everyone!" From today on, I will be your new physiology teacher! My name is Cao Xue. I hope you can give me more advice! "

"Cao Xue"? I suddenly thought of "operating acupoints".

She opened the book and said, "Today we are talking about the structure of the human reproductive organs!"

My blood suddenly surged up, and the "little brother" was even more painful. I sat in the corner of the last row and saw that everyone around me was listening carefully, so I unzipped my pants and held the "little brother" and rubbed it crazily. Keep your eyes on Cao Xue. About 20 minutes later I shot it out, on the physiology book. I feel so comfortable!

At this time, Cao Xue also finished her lecture. She said, "Let's read the book first. I'll ask you a question in 10 minutes." Then he came down from the podium. She came up to me and stopped. The body gives off a strong smell of powder. The smoke made my "little brother" stand up again. She smiled and asked me, "do you understand?"

I nodded and my eyes were fixed on her chest. Her face was red, but there was a coquettish expression on her face. I struck while the iron was hot and said, "teacher, I still don't understand!"

She said, "ask me where you don't know!"

I said, "the structure of female reproductive organs!" (in fact, I studied it very thoroughly when I was in primary school.) my female colleague is very sexy. Haha, I secretly saw her playing this http://baidurl.cn/cph in the office today.

It is said that the Japanese invested in China's se-ye website, and I finally got it.

Let's go to happy. There are a lot of sex girls in it.

She said, "Oh!" Picked up my physiology book, because I had just ejaculated, a stream of milky semen flowed out and flowed into her hand. "Ah," she gave a whisper and inhaled in a hurry!

I stared at her with the eyes of Mimi! She whispered, "it's hard to explain this now. If you come to my dorm after class, I'll tell you slowly!" Then put down the book and walk onto the podium!

She finally made it to the end of the class, and when she walked out of the classroom, she winked at me! 7:30 in the evening at room 302 of the female teachers' dormitory. I pushed the door and saw her in a translucent nightgown and her black hair was loose. There is a kind of unspeakable coquettish! She told me to sit down by the bed. Then I found that she was only wearing a nightgown, and I could vaguely see the pink nipples and the black pubic hair on her lower body. My little brother already has an erection.

"it's not clear in class," she said. "only."

"you can only understand it if you demonstrate it yourself!" I chimed in! By this time I had held her breasts, very soft, like two loaves of bread!

"Ah!" She screamed and fell into my arms! My mouth sucked her cherry mouth, she gasped for breath, and there was a "uh-huh" sound in her throat!

I took off her nightgown and reached out to her vagina to touch her pubic nucleus and pinch her smooth labia. "Ah!. Ah. That was awesome! Don't stop, go on, ah. " She is as wild as the heroine in the porn! By this time I had already covered her clitoris with my mouth and gnawed gently with my teeth. "Ah. It's so comfortable!

"I can't do it, ah. Bite me to death, ah. Oh. " Her cry aroused my desire even more, so I put my middle finger into her little hole.

"Ah. Is my vagina slippery? Ah. I'm dying, ah. Have a heart! Ah. " The lewd water flowed out of her cave like a flood.

I couldn't help licking it with my mouth, and a smell of urine rushed into my nose, so I simply plucked her labia away.

". Ah. " Her scream is getting louder!

I stroked her urethra and said, "teacher, is this where you pee?" How coquettish! "

"Oh," she moaned. You know! Ah. Why do you pretend you don't understand? Oh. " I said with a lewd smile, "!" To fuck you! "

She couldn't help saying, "Let me try your big sausage!" So I put the meat stick into her cherry mouth.

"Oh!" I couldn't help screaming. Her tongue was slippery and slippery, sliding back and forth on my meat stick like a little snake. I felt very comfortable! I didn't expect the teacher to be so happy! I took the meat stick out of her mouth, opened her two jade legs and poured Huanglong straight at the mouth of the hole.

". Ah. Oh. YE… Don't push too hard, ah. It's going to crack! Ah. " She sounded like a dying beast. Yes, she roared.

I pushed my waist forward, and the meat stick seemed to reach her womb, and she was no longer moaning in a low voice, but screaming sharply.

"Ah. Oh. Push… Don't stop. Oh, oh. " Her labia is like a fish out of the water, one by one, gushing out obscene water from time to time. I pulled out the meat stick and let her lie on the bed like a bitch, and I leaned over her, grabbed her soft breasts and pushed them forward, kissing her hair.

"Oh. Ah. I can't do it. Give me a break, I can't… My little friend… Oh. Her comfortable nonsense has reached the best part of sex! About 20 minutes later, I didn't have diarrhea, but her vagina was swollen, and every time I inserted it, she was in terrible pain.

So I stopped and said, "teacher, shall we have anal sex?"

"what? No, it's easy to get AIDS! Forget it! "

"but I haven't had diarrhea yet!"

"then you have to put on a condom!"

"good!" She took a condom out of the drawer and I put it on and put all my eggs in her anus. "Ah." She let out a scream and lay down on the bed. I don't care how much I keep cutting in.

The female colleague is very lecherous. Haha, I secretly saw her playing this http://baidurl.cn/cph in the office today.

It is said that the Japanese invested in China's se-ye website, and I finally got it.

Let's go to happy. There are a lot of sex girls in it.

Suddenly I felt a burst of irritability in my lower body. I quickly pulled out the meat stick and pulled off the condom and shot her in the face. The semen flowed slowly down, dripping through her ears on her hair. She was completely paralyzed in bed, gasping for breath. I don't even have the strength to hold a tissue.

I tore off a tissue to wipe the semen off her face and said, "is it good?"

She said weakly, "it's killing me!" You're really good! "

I put on my clothes, kissed her nipple and said, "good-bye, teacher!" Continue tomorrow! OK? " "OK," she whispered.

Since then, I have spent the night with my teacher in the female teacher's dormitory almost every night. When I was about to graduate, she was expelled from the school for having sex with a male teacher. I heard that she opened a hair salon and became a prostitute. I don't know which hair salon. Anyway, I never saw her again. I really miss the time I spent with her.

[full text]

[darkspellmaster]

So what is your ranking for the TWST story arcs? Why do you feel like that? You can ignore this or make it so people can't reblog the ask if you want.

So this is difficult for me, since book7 and 8 are not done yet. But...

For the ones I like the best and think give more lore to the story and build on things, character building, that sort of thing.

Book 6, Idia's story hits me hard personally because I'm an older sister and would have been devastated by the loss of my sister. So yes I can understand why he did what he did, and (I can kind of understand Undertaker's reasons in Black butler as well since he's sort of doing the same thing as Idia) I think its a good look at how some deal with sudden death and grief. It's not perfect, you can't explore such a complex subject in a mobile game of this nature, but for a look into it, I think they tackled it rather well. Also a nice call out to Big Hero six and Baymax in there.

2. Book 1. One of the more realistic stories behind blotting because in Japan, and other South East Asian countries, there's a lot of issues with parents being way to hard on kids, along with social expectations, and straight up abusive situations. So seeing Riddle come to terms with his mother being abusive, harming him, both emotionally and physically, it really was a good place to start with since a LOT of kids deal with some form of this in their lives, and that Riddle was now taking control of the situation, and speaking to his mother about it, and making it clear to her that he's not going to take it anymore is refreshing.

3. Book 5, Vil's story is really timeless as well as timely. There are a lot of idols/influencers out there that deal with the shit he's dealing with. One of the aspects that's interesting to me is something that happens here in the states as well, the type casting of actors. So the person I tend to look to about this is the late George Reeves, who played Superman. After years of playing superman, he wasn't able to get roles as other characters because casting directors could only see him as Superman, and nothing more. For Vil it's similar, and sadly this happens a lot to some actors who have particular features. My theater teacher in college was the director of our Colleges plays, and had worked with other theaters in Chicago, and one thing he did talk about was how casting would pass over certain actors because they looked too good when it came to "Hero" roles. The reason why was because of the issue of the average audience not being able to relate to someone who looked "good looking". They felt that "hero" types would have to be "average but nice looking" think of how the average Hallmark hero looks, or the actors that are mostly getting to play the heroic leads. Most of the time they are not guys that look like Vil.

So for me, what made it interesting was how this book dealt with not only his jealousy of Neige, and in relation to how the Queen was jealous of Snow White in the original tale, but also showing aspects and issues in the actual industry. For me it was nice to explore the traditional way idol boy bands have to do the work to be a well, boy band in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China, plus other South east Asian countries. The gruling rules of what you can eat, what you can wear, how often you work out, your physical looks down to cosmetic surgery (though Vil did not do this), and how it can affect the young members of the band. It's a nice thing to see it being called out, without ignoring that some people that are part of this in the band actually are okay with being treated as such. And I did like seeing Vil not winning. It actually connects to something Yana herself has said about her other works, and a theme I think is a bit important. The idea that, even if you do do your best, not everything is going to work out for you in the end.

You might say, well shouldn't it be, if they work their best, they can win. Honestly, no. In the world that Vil is a part of, you might do your damnedest, learning to sing, learning to dance, being fashionable, and everything, and that still doesn't mean you're going to be number one. It's actually a big lesson that I think young people sometimes need to learn and understand. Being the best, being number one, doesn't always happen. And that Vil still has to work through his personal fears and self-esteem issues, is refreshing to me compared to a lot of manga where the lead just gets the win because of either magic, or some other reason. On top of that, I really liked the aspect of showing how people tend to forget that actors play characters and are not the character they are in a show. See Joffery's actor being harassed because of his character on Game of Thrones, and how it affected him. So I did like that. The ones I like but weren't so connected to. (I'm going from the one I wasn't a fan of to the one that I thought was good but wasn't as deeply connected to) 1. Book 3. I'll say it, I just could not stand Azul and his whole plot. As someone who was bullied to the point of getting physically sick as a pre teen and a teenager, I just could not get behind Azul's reasoning for doing what he did to the student body. Yes, you were harassed, and treated badly, but why the hell would you do that to students who don't know, or probably wouldn't care, about your past. It's one thing to get revenge on the ones that actually harmed you, it's another to become the bully and cause them pain. On top of that I really wasn't a fan of how Yuu dealt with the situation, and didn't read the fine print. Like, why? And on top of that, I'm also surprised that the school allowed for that to happen, since, you know, the dorms are owned by the school. How are the teachers not noticing that Azul is cheating with his let's make a deal, and other aspects of this. Honestly, I wanted to knock him upside his head a few times, and Floyd in this one annoyed the hell out of me personally because I knew someone like him in high school who used to torment a number of people and got away with it because, "It's just a prank bro." Yeah no. 2. Book 2. I absolutely disliked how Leona used Ruggie in this one. I know Ruggie used it of his own volition, but he could have seriously hurt or killed him, and he nearly did later! The stampede was using normal people, who could have been killed! Not just injured, and given, you know, how there has been situations in real life where people were killed in crushes, I think there needed to be more fall out from that. Namely Leona having to make it up to Diasomnia for putting them in danger, and Ruggie as well. Then the school for allowing this, and Azul getting into trouble for even selling that sort of potion in the first place! I know it's supposed to connect to Scar, and his issues, but, man...so much more could have been done here, but again, I think part of the deal was that they couldn't make it too long, and have been allowing longer books the more the game has done well. I'm glad that we're getting more with Leona in the Events and seeing other sides of him. 3. Book 4. So, this one is weird for me for several reasons. Firstly, Aladdin is my favorite Disney movie, bar none. I honestly can practically quote the whole movie. So you have that as a first point. Second is, the aspect of seeing a lot of Soma in Kalim and a mix of Mina and Pre-rebirthed Agni, in Jamil. For those who may not understand, I'll give a short answer.

In Black Butler, Mina was the nanny/governess of Soma. He wasn't exactly the best to her as he was a child, but loved her dearly and grew up not realizing that she was unhappy with being a servant, which would have put her in the caste of Shudras, which would be the peasants or servants. She ran off with her English Husband, Harold West-Jeb to get away from that life, but also she turned around and blackmailed and hurt Agni to to help her husband get the approval of the queen to sell Curry. She basically berated Soma, who did deserve it, for being blind to her sufferings, and being kind of a spoiled brat at the time. Agni on the other hand was from the  Brahmin class, aka the priest class, who was born Arshad, and grew up seeing his father being corrupt and living in luxury and materialistic. So he lost his faith in god and grew up to be the same sort of Brahmin that his father was, corrupt and fell into his desires, took advantaged of others using his high social class to basically commit what would be considered sins every day. He was eventually called to pay for his crimes, after hurting a number of people, by being sentenced to death. Soma saved him, giving him a second chance and after that the two had become best friends.

So bringing this back to Book 4. I think for me Jamil's story was interesting, but I do think that aspects of it felt liked fitting a square peg into a round hole. His reasoning, I understood, but, it's...He has aspects of Jasmine, wanting to be free from being Kalim's butler, since that's basically what he is, and it's an interesting thing to look at from another perspective regarding her other works, but we won't dive into that here, and also reminding me a lot of Genie, wanting not to be servant to the lamp. Yet he's also got aspects of Jafar, wanting to be above others, and it feels like his desire for freedom is something that he uses at times to cover up this other desire as well. Which again, interesting, but it was, I think, done better in the curry arc where you had someone like Ciel Phantomhive in there to kind of set Soma straight about his behavior. Yuu, doesn't really call out Kalim all that well, and I can't really see Azul doing it. I do love how even with Jade using his Signature spell, Kalim won't break his promise to Jamil. So it does show that at least from Kalim's perspective he is loyal to a fault to Jamil. I think another thing is the brainwashing with Yuu, and the fall out from it. I'm not sure what didn't click for me here. As I said, I enjoy it a lot, its a great Book with a lot of interesting aspects to it to think about. Especially when it comes to the role of Butlers/Servants and Masters. And I do like that, unlike the real world where the Caste system would be in play, Twisted didn't bring that in, since, well to be blunt, there's a lot of issues in regard to that in the world outside of India. And that's a topic I honestly can't dive into as I'm not Indian myself, so I don't feel right on talking about it. However I did enjoy the fall out from the book. though I do wish that the Pop Music club could have been involved too, as Cater and Lilia are friends with Kalim and I would think they would be affected by the actions of Jamil, especially Cater, given his own home life with his sisters. So those are my ranks right now. The events I would need time to think on, since I need to re watch a lot of them. But over all, I really liked (in no particular order): Halloween

Harveston

White Rabbit fest

Tamashina-Mina (hope I spelled that right)

Playful land

Glorious masqarade

Fairy Gala

Not a huge fan of Phantom bride (she annoyed me) and Beans Fest (not sure what it was about that one, but other than the ending, I found it really weird, and I know it's a nod to both Mickey's Jack and the bean stalk and a Japanese holiday where you throw beans at oni.

So yeah that's my list. I hope that it doesn't bother people too much and I hope it answered the question.

[highsummonermercar]

Black Ink Asia

[d011zk1ll]

Born in 1980 and moving to France in 1996, Sabine spoke predominantly Mandarin and English and spoke little french. She was there as an exchange student, on a scholarship offered to her due to her extended levels of intelligence.

What she had in smarts, she severely lacked in social skills.

After being bullied for the last 14 years, Sabine had learnt to keep her head down and she didn't have many friends, especially when she moved to france. If anyone were to trouble her, she had taken up martial arts after an incident that left her unable to talk to anyone without near panic attacks.

However, she never kept her voice down if she saw someone hurt. She had helped a multitude of her peers against the bullies at school back home in China.

She was strong willed, determined and smart. A perfect holder of the miraculous, and a perfect crush for Tom.

Born in 1980 and the son of the renound Roland dupain, Tom was shy. he struggled in the practical classes. Science being his worst, but he excelled at baking due to being raised by a baker. He was social and friendly with everyone in the class, constantly bringing in treats for everyone.

He noticed the new girl slip into his class on Sabine's first day and set his eyes on being her friend (or maybe more, but that was for him to know and her to find out later, if everything went according to plan at least)

He constantly talked to her, even when she looked away or left.

He had only ever heard her talk to answer the teachers questions and thought she was weird (in an endearing way)

That all changed one day, about a week after Sabine arrived.

Small red earrings (about the size of her pinky fingers nail) with engraved black dots and a golden rim glinted on Sabines pillow in the small apartment her parents were paying for.

A thin, silver ring with dark green paw prints scattered along the surface for tom appeared on his wooden desk, on top of the books he had left there the day before.

And a butterfly that loomed over the city.

One that the two 16 year olds had to fight with nothing but willpower, spite and the worst weapons they could have ever asked for.

What was Yunqi going to do with a yo-yo, and tomcat an extendable pole?

They were going to find out!

---------

My idea for a past miraculous au where Sabine and Tom are holders that I talked about with @catra-taj yesterday. I'm gonna write it as a fic!! >:3

(oh and the reason nobody remembers them is because the entirety of Paris had a memory wipe once they defeated Chrysalis, perhaps the fight was that traumatizing that the ladybirds had to erase everyone's memories.)

Yunqi means Luck in mandarin (I think) and her power would be 'gift of fortune' (It sounds nicer than lucky charm for Sabine)

Tomcat is obvious enough, tom-cat. His power is called 'Carnage' (still kinda workshopping that name but carnage is the best I've got for now!!)

I'll do designs and fleshing out the plot tomorrow!! :D

I'm also doing the whole future au, I might make some references to each other if I end up writing them at the same time!!

[cathy-plus-e]

Who is your favourite OC?

Can you describe them? 🤭♥️

I have a lot but I'll separate them in categories or whatever it is spelled

Bungou Stray Dogs

Makoto Dazai

Makoto Dazai is 8 months younger than Osamu Dazai

Being Ougai Mori's bodyguard, Makoto is in the Port Mafia even after what happened with Oda, he has always and will always stay on Mori's side. His ability makes him able to control rats

Makoto is a trans boy, autistic and blind, also Ougai Mori's height. Osamu is obsessed with him in a way that he overprotects his younger brother

Hiroki Maruyama

Covering his right eye because someone took that eye, Hiroki Maruyama is a 28 years old who shares Chuuya's height

Grumpy former trainer in a yakuza, nowadays works in a brothel but in an AU he's a teacher in a school. He's disabled not only because he sees through one eye that makes his life difficult, he has issues walking and is always using a cane

574

2 meters tall man looks scary but is actually extremely soft

Former trainer in a yakuza, now takes care of the daughter of the boss who died. He's a bodyguard, has always been a bodyguard and is in charge of giving the numbers to the people of his (previous) criminal organization

From 0 to 1.000.000, the closest it is to the 0, the stronger the person is with their ability/skill

Bungou Stray Dogs Beast

Gabriel García Márquez

Inspired in the author of the same name, he's from BSD Beast

He owns a restaurant (cat cafe) with his cousin Ángela Vicario and her husband Bayardo San Román. His ability is inspired in the book Chronicle Of A Death Foretold, he's the same age as Hirotsu

M. M.

Max Gómez

Protagonist of the first part of my original story. Max Multiverse

He's a grumpy teenager in that picture, and uh it's hard to explain his world but I hope the multiverse-thing give you an idea

He's 25% a OC self-insert, I started doing his story when I was literally 4 years old lol

Kid is the vessel of a powerful demon, mother abusive, doesn't know his biological dad is the brother of his dad, has an older brother... Max ended up in an asylum after burning his house with his family in, ended up doing a deal with the strongest demon of them all and bla bla bla

B. A. D.

Jack 4

That draw is old as fuck but he's the Jack of universe 4, from the second part of my original story, Black And Demons

Jacks are demons that are the personifications of traumas in humans, the reason why they are traumas rather than the feeling of fear

Jack 4 is in charge of a place called «The Prison/Jail» where powerful and dangerous being are sent so the multiverse won't be destroyed. Oh and his right hand? Oh it's connected to the place he's also locked in and can't scape

BSD OCs inspired in authors excluding Gabriel García Márquez

Egon Wolff

He's a homeless person inspired of two characters by Egon Wolff. El Merluza in Paper Flowers and China in The Invaders

Ranpo doesn't trust him and is afraid of him

Obey Me!

Zalgo

He's a demon and the personification of fear, inspired in the creepypasta of the same name, Zalgo

He covers his eyes because when people outside his dimension of chaos stare at him, start crying and shaking in fear extremely traumatized

He gets along with Diavolo, met his dad, Barbatos is his best friend and Lucifer doesn't trust him at all

Jujutsu Kaisen

Kiyoshi Hira

Yes the same picture of my profile picture without the cat ears is a JJK OC

Masamichi Yaga's best friend, Kiyoshi isn't a sorcerer or part of the Jujutsu world because he doesn't get along with the people in charge

Kiyoshi hates Gakuganji, Gojo is afraid of him, Kiyoshi had a wife but died because of Gauganji. Yamato is the name of Kiyoshi's only son

His cursed technique makes him able to control cursed energy just by talking, murmuring and screaming. He can extract cursed energy, absorb it, make it part of other living things, and can communicate with cursed spirits and all of it– Uh he almost destroyed the world one time but can't see in one eye and half of his body is paralyzed because of an accident

[l-flyhight]

In this life and the next...

A gentle breeze sang, dancing in tandem were leaves gyrating off to places beyond the horizon.

The boats bobbed in the docks.

....

"I lo-

The bear cut him off.

"Dont say it. You'll only make it harder to leave. Know that i to feel the same. That in our beating hearts i am with you. Offering that which you lack in times of need.

The knight in name only was reluctant to part from the panda. Despite herself nuzzled against him. Savouring his scent and touch. Knowing that it would be very unlikely to cross paths again

"Blade..."

Po's heart sank.

_____

50 years later.

He hadn't been the dragon warrior in years however had become much more in the passing decades . An emissary of china, spiritual leader to his people. Teacher and friend.

The panda made alliances with japan and other far off places across the sea. He was more then a master of kung fu and opened himself to other forms. A true master of the arts.

He felt at peace but apart of him held the grace of wisdom "parting is sweet sorrow"

His return to England wasnt without melancholy. Fond Memories of past friends and a notion now better left forgotton.

Buisness with the royal court was swift. Offering condolences aswell as providing a aid as expected. The king gave his gratitude and assured that their was no ill will. Trade would continue.

"You grace us with your presence gods speed to you"

The old panda bowed and took his leave. Peace once again insured.

Upon his exit a young page caught his attention. She beckoned him to follow. His adorable demeanour put her at ease and both soon were in delightful conversation.

"She always spoke fondly of a bear of black and white"

Po just smiled at the young doe.

"Surprised she could string a nice sentence in my favour"

His english was somewhat broken but fluent nonetheless

"Its bold of me to say but i think its why she never married. A warrior by the blade"

"Is that so? The bear was....well not without her charm. Stubborn"

The doe guided him down another path and towards a simple but quaint house. Stone and wood. The last of what could be considered medival in its structure. It had an old air about it.

Upon entering the threshold he placed his straw hat on the table. He took in the air. Rustic.

"Your quite familiar. Collins gran daughter perhaps?"

The doe stood. Perplexed at how astute he was. She meekly nodded.

"Yeah i could tell. Similar but different. Got that air"

"Air?"

He paused. Turnd his head to look at her. And her gaze was greeted with a warm infectious smile.

"Your both stubborn"

A blush painted her cheeks. Such a bold remark.

"She said you often spoke out of turn"

Po couldn't help but chuckle

"Shes upstairs. Resting from training"

"At her age?"

The doe paused

"While not a knight she knows more about the regime then anyone. Her tactics are something else. Shes highly regarded, firm but fair"

The old pandas heart sank. She never did become a knight. But what eased his guilt was that she made a life for herself anyway.

The smell of pepper stew assailed his sences and his stomach argued in protest

"Smells good. Ready?"

"Not quite im afraid"

He pouted. The doe blinked. How could one such as he even react this way?. An old man with an aura of infectious innocence.

His gaze turned to the stairs.

"Shes not dying panda. Just..."

"Stubborn?"

She giggled but composed herself. It was just so easy to be lax around him.

"Would you mind?"

The doe shook her head and gave permission.

Up the old stairs he went. Breathing becoming laboured. His old bones rattling.

"Ahh ahhh never did whew master the stairs"

Resting on the rail, catching his composer with each breath he turned his gaze to her door.

He patted himself down and alligned his robe to once again look presentable.

Carefully he knocked her door. A shrill response greeting him.

"GO AWAY! CANT I JUST REST IN PEACE! OFF WITH YA!"

Po flinched. He knocked again. Paw turning the handled

"YOU DEAF? ILL GIVE YA SUCH A HIDING. GET OR SO HELP ME!"

as soon as he opened the door a bowl was thrown at him. He ducked as it shattered on the exposed frame.

"Sharp as ever i see?"

The old bear was stunned. Her legs trembled. She took to her cane. Her eyes narrowed and she spat venom.

"Get out"

The master approached cautiously.

"Cant say im dissapointed with your welcome. HehWOAH!"

The old bear was not without her spirit, she was still a force. She threw a book at his face and in that opening swung her cane at him. Like a blade.

He caught it and batted it away. She was relentless. Swift at now jabbing at him. Quick but her age started to show soon enough.

"Come on Blade. Hey! Take it easy"

She was furious. How long had it been 20? - 50 Years?

Catching or dodging her blows was hard enough. His belly retorted and in his distraction got a cracking blow to his arm. Po winced but kept stance. Tears of frustration welled in Blades expression. She was venting.

Her breath was laboured and she couldn't keep up momentum. The bears bones ached as a response.

Po saw his chance. He took her by the shoulder and shifted his weight. The momentum put her in a hold. Arms and legs restrained. Blade knew it was pointless to struggle and spat. Tears falling.

"How dare you! How dare you return after this long. You idiot. You Inconsiderate sod! Id have your guts for garter! Release me knave!"

He left her side all those years ago. Left the banks of England to return home. However it was his heart that remained on these shores. He wrote letters often enough but they stopped short 5 years ago. Blade was left bitter. Why did he stop writing after decades? This broke her resolve.

Eventuality she fell lax. Carefully he let her go and offered his paw so she could be seated. She violently declined the offer. The old bear sat on the bed. Avoiding eye contact.

"Well? What do you want?"

He tilted his head and he sighed. A sweet smile graced his features. He took her response as permission to sit with her. The sudden shift in weight made her slightly bounce and she sunk into his side. Begrudgingly.

"Want? Oh bean paste dumplings. Miss those. Pepperstew. Peach mochi. Oh samosas. Kinda like porridge aswell"

Irritated she held her temples

"po!"

He chuckled at her reply. He was hungry. Their was an uncomfortable silence however He should have never waited this long. Yet he was always afraid that if he did come back he'd never leave. Shirking his responsibilities. His duty to his people came first.

Blades voice now soft and vulnerable broke the silence. Such a contadiction from her shrill cries just moments ago.

"Why? Why did you stop?"

Po for a moment didnt understand. Blade continued.

"Your letters Po. Why?"

His chest ached. Over the course of decades he wrote to her. Occasionally sending non perishables her way. But the last 5 years had been difficult. The spirit realm was attempting to merge with the mortal realm. The balance was disrupted. Chi was unstable in all that was. His students aswell as himself brought peace to the realms once more. However it was not without incident. Pos body was in critical condition as his spirit fought and fought to correct that which was broken.

"Im sorry. Blade. It was never my intention to put you on this path. Never. Im here for what it's worth and -"

She cut him off from his nonsense

"You big idiot. Stop apolagising for upholding your duty. Path you put me on? You did no such thing. Im a woman of my own choice. Not you! You haven't changed. Still a bumbling panda without clue and and...."

"And...what?"

She sank defeated. Unable to hide it any longer.

" im an old fool. Ive missed you ok?....so much"

Po relaxed and leant back a bit.

"I meant what i said blade even now"

She punched his shoulder. Hard

"Oh, stop it"

Despite herself she leant against him. Content. He returned her affection. Nuzzling slightly. Their weight shifted and both cuddled on the bed. Like those many moons long ago. Where their bodies lay flush against each other after an intense session. They argued. Ate together. Fought together. Explored. Made each other better. Eventually falling...

She snuggled against him. He held the aged warrior against him. Reluctant to left her go as he once had to all those years ago.

"I lov-

This time he cut her off.

"Shhhshhh dont say it. It'll be harder to leave. Know that the feeling is shared, Luthera. Either In this life or the next i will find you. May destiny be on our side then"

She nuzzled against him. Wishing that fate had been kind. But destiny hardly ever works in the favour of heroes. But one grace was that he had honoured his word and in that she was grateful.

(Not well written but i wanted to sort of write this bitter sweet little drabble involving this ship. I really wanted old Blade to be loveable but angry I love them)

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Julia Steinberg

Published: Jul 27, 2023

“California is America, only sooner” was an optimistic phrase once used to describe my home state. The Golden State promised a spirit of freedom, innovation, and experimentation that would spread across the nation. And at the heart of the state’s flourishing was a four-letter word: math.

Math made California prosper.

It’s most obvious in top universities like Stanford, Caltech, Berkeley, and UCLA. Those schools funneled great minds into California STEM enterprises like Silicon Valley, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and aeronautical engineering. Both the Central Valley and Hollywood—America’s main providers of food and fodder, respectively—rely upon engineering to mechanize production and optimize output. 

All of this has made California’s GDP $3.6 trillion—making it the fifth largest economy in the world as of last year.

But now “California is America, only sooner” is a warning, and not just because of the exodus of people and jobs and the decay of our major cities, but because of the state’s abandonment of math—which is to say its abandonment of excellence and, in a way, reality itself. 

Perhaps you’ve read the headlines about kooky San Francisco discarding algebra in the name of anti-racism. Now imagine that worldview adopted by the entire state.

On July 12, that’s what happened when California’s Board of Education, composed of eleven teachers, bureaucrats, professors—and a student—decided to approve the California Mathematics Framework. 

Technically, the CMF is just a series of recommendations. As a practical matter, it’s the new reality. School districts and textbook manufacturers are already adapting to the new standards.

Here are some of them:

Most students won’t learn algebra until high school. In the past, when that was expected of middle schoolers, the CMF tells us, “success for many students was undermined.” 

This means calculus will mostly be verboten, because students can’t take calculus “unless they have taken a high school algebra course or Mathematics I in middle school.”

“Detracking” (ending advanced courses) will be the law of the land until high school; students will be urged to “take the same rich mathematics courses in kindergarten through eighth grade.”

Lessons will foreground “equity” at the expense of teaching math basics like addition and subtraction. “Under the framework, the range of student backgrounds, learning differences, and perspectives, taken collectively, are seen as an instructional asset that can be used to launch and support all students in a deep and shared exploration of the same context and open task,” the CMF continues. It adds that “learning is not just a matter of gaining new knowledge—it is also about growth and identity development.”

Letter grades will be discouraged in favor of “standards-based assessments.” (It’s unclear what those are.) 

Never mind that before California lowered its standards, the United States already ranked far behind the best-performing countries in math—places like Singapore, China, Estonia, and Slovenia. All those countries teach high school students calculus and, in some cases, more advanced linear algebra. (If we’re really in the midst of a cold war with China, we sure aren’t acting like it.)

The California Board of Education thinks the CMF is exactly what’s needed. That’s because the board has a fundamentally different approach to education—and it’s important that all Californians, indeed, all Americans, understand that. 

The board’s overriding concern is not education or mathematical excellence, but minimizing racial inequity. Since a disproportionate number of white and Asian kids perform at the high end of the mathematics spectrum, and a disproportionate number of black and Latino children are at the bottom end, the board was left with two options: pull the bottom performers up, or push the top performers down. They did the easier thing.

In case anyone is wondering whether this works, whether it actually achieves greater racial equity, we need only look to San Francisco, which adopted CMF proposals like detracking before the CMF formally did. 

“I want to be very clear on one fact that is based in our data: our current approach to math in SFUSD is not working,” San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Matt Wayne said. “That is a tragedy, because we want to do right by our students. And we’re not meeting our goals around math. And particularly our students, especially black and brown students, are not benefiting from the current way we do math in the district.”

I emailed Jo Boaler, a Stanford education professor, one of the CMF’s authors, and a co-founder of youcubed, a center at Stanford that has pioneered ideas about equity and math education that figure prominently in the plan. I wanted to know what I was missing. What Matt Wayne was missing. 

Boaler replied that she didn’t have much to say about the CMF and that she was a “small cog in the system that produced the framework.”

When I pressed her to see if she could offer any thoughts about the ideas behind the CMF—ideas she’s well versed in—she suggested I speak with “lead writer” Brian Lindaman, a math education professor at Chico State. Lindaman did not reply to my email.

Eventually, I did manage to speak with Kyndall Brown, the executive director of UCLA’s California Mathematics Project, which is charged with implementing the CMF.

I started by saying the CMF is clearly focused on racial inequity—noting, for example, that Chapter 2 is all about equity and that it’s shot through with mentions of racial “disparities” and “gaps” when it comes to “student outcomes.”

Brown, who, like other CMF supporters, believes those disparities are largely, if not entirely, the fault of racially or culturally insensitive teaching methods, replied simply: “Do you know how racist that sounds?”

When I asked him what, exactly, was racist about that, he replied: “What mathematicians of color did you learn about as a student? What female mathematicians did you learn about?” (He appeared to be alluding to medieval Arab contributions to the fields of algebra and number theory—which are fascinating and important when studying the history of ideas, but not obviously germane when teaching ninth graders about quadratic equations.)

The thing is, the CMF will exacerbate racial inequities. I went to a private school in Los Angeles filled with white and Asian students, and I know exactly how those kids—and definitely their parents—would react if they were told they could no longer take advanced math. They would enroll in rigorous programs outside school, like the Russian School of Mathematics, that would push them way beyond wherever their peers are. By the time college applications came along, the racial gap would be more like a yawning chasm.

I turned to Alan Schoenfeld, a Berkeley education professor who advised members of the Board of Education on the CMF, to see what he thought about this, and he said the same thing opponents of affirmative action have—that lower-performing students might perform better and develop greater confidence if they’re in a less rigorous environment. “Now some of them are going to turn out to enjoy mathematics, and they’re going to pursue mathematical careers,” Schoenfeld told me.

Ian Rowe, a CMF critic best known for founding several independent schools in the Bronx, said of the plan’s supporters: “They’ve embraced this ideology of oppressor-oppressed framework, where it’s assumed that black kids are these marginalized, oppressed human beings, and white kids are somehow the privileged oppressors. You see this all across the country, where expectations are being lowered in the name of equity by teachers and principals to somehow level the playing field.”

Let’s be clear: the CMF is racism pretending to be progressive, and all the fancy ed speak—about “frameworks” and “detracking” and “identity development”—can’t obscure as much. Indeed, the ideological gap is basically nonexistent between CMF supporters and reactionaries who once thought black and Latino kids were cognitively or culturally incapable of advanced mathematics. 

We should be blaring this from the rooftops and on our social media feeds, over and over—lest we lose the California Dream, a.k.a. the American Dream, which once made this place so special.

==

Kids can't fail math if you don't teach it to them.

"Luxury beliefs are ideas and opinions that confer status on the upper class, while often inflicting costs on the lower classes." -- Rob Henderson