#Stem Tutor Training

[lesbiansandgayssupporttheminers]

I want to write something long form about the teacher strikes and the state of education in England right now.

You’ll hear a lot of teachers in the coming days and weeks say they don’t want to strike, or they feel guilt about striking. I’ve thought about it, and I want to strike, and I don’t feel guilty, and I think I owe it to students to strike. Maybe not the ones I teach now, but the ones I might teach in five years time.

I owe it to some of the Y7s, 8s and 9s I taught last year who were deeply passionate about science. In particular, I’m think of the Y7s who loved our space topic, and may never get taught by a qualified physics teacher. I’m also thinking about the sort of country they’ll grow up in, the opportunities they’ll have and the future they deserve.

I can write some arguments within the liberal, capitalist context we live in,  for improving education, and specifically why pay and working conditions need to be improved for teachers and why striking is our only option. I know that’s not what a lot of you follow me for, but they may be persuasive if you know teachers or want to talk to people about why they should support the teacher strikes.

1)     There is a national shortage of teachers. This is a fact- we know a large number of teachers do not stay in the profession long term- 1/3 of teachers who trained in the last 10 years are no longer teaching. Other research suggests many of these teachers quit in the first 5 years of teaching. This year, we have struggled to recruit across secondary subjects. In subjects like maths, science, MFL, geography and more, the situation is especially dire- but this crisis is even starting to impact primary schools now. First and foremost, students are going without qualified, subject specialist teachers. In other professions, the Tories acknowledge high pay is needed to recruit suitable staff. Why not teaching- which after all requires a specialist degree and often a post graduate qualification too.

2)     This doesn’t just hurt individual students, it hurts the whole country, because it leaves us with a lack of people who are capable of becoming doctors, dentists, engineers, entering other health care professions, working in the STEM fields that are meant to drive our economy. Investing in education grows the economy long term, and is better for society as a whole.

3)     But it does also hurt the social mobility of individual students. Richer families can pay tutors, or go private to make up for deficiencies in teaching. But those from low income families can’t. Few parents have the time or ability to bridge the gap themselves.

4)     Furthermore, if we think about really vulnerable students- who, make no mistake will be used as a weapon against teachers during the strike- they benefit from well funded schools. They benefit from having consistent adults in their lives. They often take a long time to form relationships with staff. A revolving door of supply teachers (which is the reality in many secondary schools) really hurts them.

5)     Teachers struggle to negotiate pay for themselves. Many schools will baulk at the idea of a teacher negotiating on their own pay, and take deep offense, as if the idea of negotiating pay in a capitalist society when you have an unusual skill is totally unreasonable. So, teachers can only negotiate pay on a national scale. And because the government won’t sit down and negotiate, the only thing we can do is take industrial action.

6)     Ultimately, schools can’t afford to pay teachers well- so any pay rise needs to be fully funded. Again, hence strike action.

 We can say that the teacher shortage is about working conditions too- and it is, for sure. But it’s also true that the teacher shortage appears to be most acute where a teacher’s pay won’t stretch as far because accommodation costs and other costs are high.

I want to take a moment at this point to address the idea of “work to rule”- which doesn’t actually exist in English law, btw.

Action short of a strike in teaching would likely take the form of teachers not running clubs and trips, maybe refusing to do marking as well. These are all things that would negatively impact students, but have a totally negligible economic impact, if at all. It would, inevitably, drag on for months, because the government simply would not notice.

A teacher strike, ideally one that shuts a large number of schools, will have a noticeable impact on the economy, because some parents won’t be able to work or travel. Yes, it’s rubbish for parents, but the impact on students will genuinely be lower than weeks or months of action short of a strike. And it’s the only language the government will listen to, unfortunately.

 I want to talk also about what the Tories are doing to education. I alluded to this earlier, but I think it bears exploring specifically.

The Tories are destroying education. At this stage, I think it’s gone beyond neglect, into a deliberate policy to damage state education. They can’t say that out loud, of course, but why else, at a time of massive teacher shortages, would they cut teacher training places from 2024? Why else would they implement the ECT program in such a way it’s driving early career teachers out of teaching? Why else would they starve schools of funding to such an extent?

Why would the Tories do this?

I’ve got two possible theories for you.

One, they want a poor, uneducated underclass, with limited job prospects, in order to exploit them. And educating the working classes and providing them with opportunities for social mobility runs against that.

Two, some tories take a more eugenicist outlook, they think education is simply wasted on said “underclass”. That no amount of good education would improve the prospects of certain groups, so why bother?

Perhaps it’s a little of column a, a little of column b. Certainly, there are strong objections to teachers in state schools sharing opinions that might be contradictory to the governments’.

So I strongly believe this strike is to preserve the future of education.

 Obviously, if we consider the wider state of the country, there are lot of important reasons to join a wider worker’s movement. And I’m going to come back to that point about working conditions, because part of that is the shortage of funding in other public sector areas, meaning schools are asked to do more and more with less and less.

It’s increasingly clear Rishi Sunak’s Tories are both fascists and disaster capitalists, who are going to take what they can from this country before their party implodes. And you all know what I think of the political alternatives. It’s also true if we wait two years for an election, people will die- not least in A and E waiting rooms, or waiting for an ambulance.

The Tories are happy to let £42 Billion in tax go unpaid (largely by the rich and mega-corporations), and then they turn around and say there’s no money.

I genuinely think this wave of strikes could be the start of something- of meaningful political change that carries this country to the left. Maybe the some of the current union leaders will not push things far enough, but we are the union, so we must push further. And we can use this opportunity to really influence the UK political landscape, and build solidarity for a mass worker’s union.

[namelessdeceased]

intro ~

longer (much longer) intro post here

☄️ ab me~!✩

theo || 27/10/2010 || he/him only || ftm trans, ⚣

╰ low support needs autistic || chronic headaches

╰ highest kins rn: charles xavier, tsumugi aoba, rinne amagi, riz gukgak

🪐 i love~!✩

subjects: astrophysics, particle physics, DnD

games: ensemble stars (!!) - kurei:b, alkaloid

tv/movies/books: dropout, loki (d+), x men but specifically cherik and pietro maximoff/lensherr, the goldfinch, naddpod

characters/people: enstars oshis, brennan lee mulligan, brian murphy, charles xavier, pietro maximoff, deadpool/wade wilson, marvel loki, theo decker

🔭 i do~!✩

academic: study (ofc), astrophys/particle phys research, tutoring science and math

life: self defense/mma, voice training, DMing

🌙 tags~! ✩

study logs: #theo's study log

╰ plans: #plan :)

╰ results: #result :)

moots: #theo's moots

asks: #theo's asks

posts i want to see again: #save

🌌 goals~!✩

by 2027:

GPA >/= 3.5

get into tripsci + lit + STEM TD2

pass express chinese

straight a math + science(s)

begin studytubing

by 2029:

cambridge university: natural sciences

win breakthrough junior challenge

successfully voice train before i go to uni

future:

achieve valedictorian someday

properly move to the uk/eu after uni

when i move out of sg, go get hrt

☀ role models~!✩

i have a lot. but hey. it works. different types (personality, academics, DMing, etc etc yanno. dont assume)

irl people: my best friend, my parents, uncle sonny (family friend), uncle cesar (family friend), brian murphy, brennan lee mulligan, zac oyama, ruby granger

characters/ytbers: charles xavier, tsumugi aoba, hank mccoy, ouroboros (from loki)

𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒑��𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒆.

╰ the goldfinch :)

[alstroemeriadissonance]

Compartmentalize (NSFW)

A/N: Aaaa I've been gone for some time (was busy with doing my urban fantasy AU found here), and I haven't been active in my socials including Twitter...I hope I can muster the will to do housekeeping and updating links. RL stuff is just getting a bit too much these days...

NSFW. Dr. Vyn Richter navigates his emotions with the help of his trusty dictaphone. Or, Vyn gets his own bad end. Crossposted from AO3 here

[0:00 - 0:37]

Dr. Vyn Richter

Patient is neatly groomed. Mood and affect is moderately dysthymic. Speech is normal in rate, rhythm, and volume as sampled in this recording. He is moderately distracted, with thoughts that are slightly tangential. Insight and judgment is impaired, with a tendency for emotionally-driven decisions. He has persistent, intrusive thoughts of his limerent object for the past fourteen hours and twenty five minutes since waking up at nine this morning.

[0:37 - 0:50]

Dr. Vyn Richter

Thoughts of jealousy, stemming from mild obsessive behavior towards limerent object have been observed, leading to difficulty with focus and concentration causing two instances of critical lapse in decision making.

“You’re doing it again.” Marius snapped his fingers in front of Vyn’s face, only to have his hand slapped away.

“Stop that,” Vyn muttered, reaching for his cup of tea. “What was I doing again, pray tell?” He took a sip, then made a face once he found out it had long gone cold. Irritated, he slammed the cup back into its saucer, spilling amber liquid all over his documents piled on the glass conference table. “Fuck.”

“Zoning out. Focus, will you?” Marius groused as he closed the document folder in his hands. It was obvious to him that Vyn couldn’t crunch data off the top of his head in his current state of mind. “I don’t like staying here past seven either, but we’ve got a job to do.” He tossed the folder onto the table and reached out for his tablet. “How about you take a quick look at this instead—”

The door to the files room opened, but Marius did not take notice; he was busy flipping through the documents on his tablet to look for the one he needed feedback on. “Vyn—ah, damnit.” 

Vyn wasn’t zoning out yet again, but Marius thought what he did was way worse: the doctor’s hawkish gaze was trained at the recently opened door, or more specifically, the couple who had emerged from the files room: Luke and Rosa. 

Marius, with his gift for observation that was mostly used in his art endeavors, easily picked out how the doctor’s fingernails dug into his thighs. He was sure that Vyn would bleed it if it weren’t for the sturdy fabric of his khakis. “Vyn?” No response; the doctor was already burning holes onto the backs of his colleagues, both too preoccupied with their light-hearted bantering over their smartphones to notice Vyn’s all-too bitter glaring.

[0:50 - 0:59]

Dr. Vyn Richter

I am looking in the mirror, my rose. Beholding the just deserts of our stubbornness. It is a tragedy that we have to hide the truth about ourselves, what we feel for each other, this beautiful thing that we have nurtured together.

Oh boy. Marius gave up and grabbed his bag to stuff his things, resigned that he would have to wait till their next meeting to get something pertinent out of his usually fastidious tutor. Whatever.

Luke was mumbling something as he hunched over Rosa’s shoulder, pointing at whatever was displayed on her screen. They seemed a little too intimate for work colleagues; Luke pulled Rosa closer to him, his arm wrapped around her as he fiddled with her phone’s display. 

[1:05 - 1:13]

Dr. Vyn Richter

Try as we might to separate our personal lives from the professional, the world is trying to take advantage of the consideration that we allow them at the expense of our own needs and desires, Rosa, do you not see it? 

Marius wasn’t surprised to see Vyn finally flipping his lid when Luke whispered something to her ear, his lips dangerously close to her face as if he was kissing her cheek.

“Luke, Rosa,” the doctor began, his voice controlled yet loud enough to easily fill the entirety of the sizable conference room. “If you could please keep your voices down. Marius and I are trying to do work here.” 

No we aren’t, because someone here is stewing in his jelly juices, Marius thought to himself. He would have said it out loud, but he did not feel like getting in the crosshairs of his tutor’s ire at the moment. 

“I have no qualms about any of us pursuing personal relationships, but if you could please exercise enough restraint to keep your flirting outside of working hours?” Vyn, despite his flat, emotionless tone, wasn’t giving any quarter. “I did not sign up for this circus.”

Marius threw the doctor a look that said Are you fucking serious? and nervously shifted his sights towards Luke and Rosa. As he expected, Luke was positively incensed, and Rosa was nothing but downright mortified.

“If you’ve got more to say about me and her catching up, why don’t we take this outside?” Luke nudged Rosa to stand behind him, but she didn’t budge; she remained rooted on the spot, her face red with embarrassment. 

“That is not necessary,” Vyn said, his voice clipped. “I am done here. You two can carry on with your business. I care not.”

Marius merely watched as Vyn stiffly gathered his things to leave the conference room; held his breath in anticipation when the doctor had to pass Luke to get to the door—only to be grossly disappointed when they merely stared each other down.

“I bid you a good evening, Rosa,” Vyn said quietly, his eyes never leaving Luke as he addressed her. “Enjoy your time together.”

[1:14 - 1:21]

Dr. Vyn Richter

Do you not see how much it tears me apart?

Later that night.

He drove his head deeper into his pillows, relishing the warmth and wetness of her mouth wrapped around his cock. He let out a moan as she did her best to deepthroat him; he had told her that she didn’t need to, yet Rosa was adamant to try pleasuring him. 

Perhaps as a way to make up for what happened back in the headquarters.

The earnestness of her efforts alone was enough to send him almost weeping in his own bed, a mere few minutes until midnight, way past his routine bedtime. But he did not care; sticking to a healthy routine was important if he were to maintain his mental acuity, yet at that moment nothing mattered to the doctor than feeling his lover’s hot, wet tongue swirling around his tip, and how her small lips were stretched to accommodate his girth as much as she could. His head spun in pleasure; the thick thread of precum leaking into her sucking mouth betrayed just how much he had waited for relief.

The muscles of his inner thighs tightened; he was getting near. His fingers twitched and sought her auburn tresses, unsure where they needed to be in his sudden bout of kindness, only for his care and restraint to be undone as she started sucking in earnest; her hand wrapped around the rest of his shaft and jerking off what her mouth couldn’t fit. Shuddering breaths quickly turned to needy gasps as he grabbed fistfuls of her hair, and begged for her to let him come—

But she only stopped and drew back, his still rock-hard cock slipping out of her lips.

Vyn almost wept in abject frustration. “Rosa, I—” His strangled voice told a little too much of just how much of his control was lost, only for him to be thwarted at the last minute. “...Why?”

“You didn’t have to antagonize him,” Rosa muttered, wiping the mixture of spit and precum off her lips with the back of her hand. “He was just showing me the videos he took from his last assignment.” Her olive eyes were clouded with such a mixture of emotions that Vyn couldn’t discern, not when he was too vexed after being deprived of release all too suddenly. 

Was it anger? Resentment? Regret? 

In the end he decided that none of those mattered, and he roughly pulled Rosa closer to him for a lingering kiss that told of his simmering desire for her, long ignored and neglected during the daytime. “I do not like how he holds you as if you were his possession,” he murmured against her lips, his arms snaking possessively around her sweat-slickened body. “Only I have the right to do so, Rosa. My love.” 

[1:25 - 1:37]

Dr. Vyn Richter

Only I should see your smile. Only I should hear you speak, in that sweet voice only your lover should hear. Only I should feel you. Around me. In me. Your intoxicating scent as we make love, only I should know of it. 

“I keep on telling you, we were only—ah—” Her protests died in her throat as Vyn pushed her down onto the mattress. “This wouldn't even be a problem if we'd only admit to our rela—” 

“Sssh.” Once again Vyn interrupted her from voicing out her grievance, this time with his slender finger across her grumbling lips. “We have already talked about this, pet.” He spared her from his usual vague platitudes about keeping things professional. Now wasn’t the time. The indignation he had to go through a few moments ago was still swimming in his bloodstream, but the need to sate his hunger was paramount. 

He spread her thighs open, and a dark chuckle rose from his throat. Despite her misgivings aimed at him the lurid sight of her wet and swollen flesh between her thighs betrayed just how much she was indeed his. 

She throbbed for him, and not for whoever she was with during the daytime, certainly not her childhood friend, try as hard as Luke might to worm his way into her heart by taking advantage of their shared memories. 

Memories that will be easily edged out by the lifetime of midnights shared only between the doctor and his precious rose. 

He could feel his dick harden even more at the thought.

His blood sang in triumph. 

“I will now take what is rightfully mine,” he whispered, licking his lips as he pushed her thighs further apart.

[1:40 - 1:59]

Dr. Vyn Richter

I knew my obsession with you was far too dangerous to allow unimpeded, but still I happily indulged in it, devoting my time and energy to your altar. You made me realize how much of a hypocrite I am, that I am no better than any man, just another someone who would squander everything in pursuit of that one woman. 

His bedroom was filled with nothing but shared sighs and ragged moans as he sank deep into her, inch by delicious inch, into her hole. He threw his head back, closing his eyes as he relished the heat inside her cunt grasp his cock perfectly as if it was made for him. Yes. For him only, she was his alone, of that there was never any doubt. They fit perfectly, both of them pieces of a puzzle they did not know they needed to solve until their first touch. Vyn knew there was no one else made for him. He was going to make her his, in every sense of the word, but that was for later.

“Sing for me, Rosa,” he murmured, hands sliding down to her thighs and wrapping her legs around his waist. “I want to hear your voice. Tell me you are mine,” he demanded, his voice a touch too needy for his liking. It was difficult to grasp what little composure he had left with how good her hot cunt felt around him. 

With a snap of his hips he bottomed out inside her; her moans of pleasure music to his ears as he started moving. 

“Vyn, Vyn, I—nngh—” There was no hope for Rosa to come up with coherent words, not with how she helplessly clung to his shoulders, her legs greedily pulling his hips back to hers in time with his hard, deep thrusts. “Yours, I’m…ahh—” Tears pricked the edges of her eyes, to his utter, unhinged delight; a sinister laugh rose from his lips the moment he felt her fingernails drag across the skin of his back, no doubt drawing blood. That is fine, he thought as he hissed in the pain and licked his lips, his darkened gaze locking onto her unfocused olive stare that told of just how far gone she was in her head, focusing on the climax steadily building as he pounded into her, over and over. 

“I need to…come. Please,” she managed to whisper, her weakened voice almost inaudible as he kept on rutting into her mercilessly. “Please, Vyn,” she whimpered, one of her hands letting go of his shoulder to reach down between her bodies. 

He was going to let herself reach her precipice first, but the feel of her hand desperately rubbing her clit—her knuckle grazing his cock as he kept on fucking her the way God intended him to do her—pushed him past the point of no return. With a loud, guttural moan he burst his hot seed inside her. 

She is like a drug, he decided as he slumped over her body, fully spent; and as she came, her cunt milking him for all he was worth with each orgasmic spasm, he knew that his spiraling obsession for her would lead him to nowhere but the abyss, and there was no hope for him to turn back and save himself. 

[2:05 - 2:12]

Dr. Vyn Richter

It is unfortunate that you know this side of me, my love. And I cannot afford to let others know of how much of my control I lose over you.

At exactly one in the morning she was already fully dressed, her smartphone in her hand as she booked for a taxi to come pick her up from Vyn’s place.

“Rosa, being out alone at this hour is unwise,” Vyn said, still naked on his bed. “At the very least please give me a few minutes to dress myself and I will drive you home.” 

He wanted to tell her that he’d rather she stay the night, for her to sleep beside him, but many things have already been said between them; it was much too late for him to renege on what they have already agreed upon, in the interests of compartmentalizing their romantic entanglement away from their professional lives and, in Vyn’s case, duty of his birthright.

And so all he could do was slip on his robe and see her out his door.

[2:23 - 2:52]

Dr. Vyn Richter

I will now come out and say it: You own me, my beloved. Me, and everything it entails. You own my thoughts, and my feelings. I cannot help it, your ownership of me is etched into my very being. You must bear responsibility for this, my rose. I place my fate into your hands.

“I will miss you, Rosa of my heart,” Vyn solemnly said, reaching out to her with the intent of holding her hand. 

His fingers could only brush the back of her hand as she drew back and away from his grasp. 

“I know,” was all she said before she stepped out through the door.

[2:52 - 3:01]

Dr. Vyn Richter

But the world is not yet ready to know this. Not yet.

They passed by each other the following morning, when he took it upon himself to personally deliver subpoenaed documents for a high profile case Themis Law was currently working on. 

Vyn, on his way to Artem’s office, went past the pantry where he saw Rosa poring over documents spread out over the table with a mug of coffee in her hand.

He was about to approach her and say hello but Artem beat him to it, pulling a chair beside her. Vyn could only look on as the senior attorney huddled closer to his junior, going over the specifics of whatever the documents contained, sharing a laughter or two during their impromptu meeting in the pantry.

He could only watch as Celestine approached the two, loudly calling Rosa ‘Ms. Wing’ in jest, and tasked both attorneys to attend a business function together in her stead. An out of town business trip. Easily two or three days, out in the country together. 

I have intruded on her business enough. The doctor pivoted on his heel and strode over to Kiki’s cubicle instead. “Hello, Miss Kiki,” he said in his bright voice usually reserved for the most reticent of patients. “Wing seems to be preoccupied at the moment.” He handed her the folder, along with his favorite green striped pen for her to sign the receipt slip with. “Would you be a dear and receive these documents for me?” 

The bespectacled intern was quite surprised to see him, and her cheeks bloomed easily in his presence, ducking her head as she clumsily signed her name at the bottom of the receipt. It did not take her a minute before she handed him back his pen and the signed receipt. 

Vyn let their fingers brush against each other as he accepted the items. “Thank you.”

“Y-you’re welcome, Dr. Richter,” Kiki chirped, then surreptitiously hid her furious blush behind the documents folder. 

He briefly wondered how easily it would be to bed the pretty, yet painfully shy intern, to fill the gaps of his immensely lonely nights, but shoved it out of his mind just as quickly. 

Nobody deserves to be hurt by petty jealousies, and people who manipulate others with the promise of love are nothing but despicable. He knew this very well.

His heart hurt.

Left with no reason for him to linger, his business finally done, Vyn decided to retreat into the comfort and semblance of control that his research center afforded him.

Yet before he could step into the elevator to leave the premises, Rosa emerged from the pantry and brushed past him, Artem in tow. 

Their eyes briefly met, only for her to look away and place her hand on her boss’s arm, to Artem’s obvious surprise.

Vyn merely pursed his lips.

“Wing, I left the documents with Kiki,” was all the doctor said, after giving them a curt nod. “Have a good day. I shall take my leave now.”

[0:00 - 2:19]

Dr. Vyn Richter

The patient is appropriately dressed but disheveled. He would describe his mood as ‘within limits’. His thought process lacks flow. It has been sixteen hours and seventeen minutes since waking up at nine this morning, and thoughts of jealousy have consumed his sensorium. I am nothing without you, my rose, and I…

[The recording is cut off here. Faint sound of glass shattering could be heard in the background]

[madame-cookie]

Varuna’s affinity for water magic stems from their early career as an Elementalist. Since birth, their parents were aware of the magical prowess, and hired a tutor for each of the main elemental schools to rigorously train them for a future fighting against the dragons. Varuna was a largely apathetic child, struggling to make friends of either family members or classmates alike. But they often heard stories of the conflict against Zhaitan, and were adamant about staying true to their studies that it would help in the fights to come.

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

Two years into working for the Priory, they were deployed to a dig in Sparkfly Fen— deep in Risen territory. Most of the excavation had gone well, and their crew was only a day or two out from actually setting to return to the Priory with the information they had all uncovered. But after an ambush by Risen forces, they were left with just one companion— a fellow novice among their peers named Clipp. The two hadn’t been particularly close, but had shared space for long enough that it hurt them to see her in such pain.

“I know healing magic. Please, let me help.”

“No! No. Rin, we can’t risk you losing your strength. You’re—ah…” Her side seized up as she winced in pain, clutching the side of her face in frozen agony, before taking several deep breaths and relaxing her posture to continue. “You’re our only hope that the Priory knows what happened here today… That we didn’t die for nothing.”

“You aren’t going to die! We are going to— Clipps.” Their voice fell to a hush. “Clipps stay down… please.” Ahead of them, a group of 12 Risen had steadily made their way into the clearing adjacent to where the two of them had been taking shelter. “I can— oh, Dwayna… no.” It was then that they had noticed familiarities in the faces of at least three of the shambling undead. Gronn. Slash. Edmund. There were plenty of accounts supporting corruption by slain victims happening so soon. But still, Varuna began to tremble, tears streaming down their chin. “I’m sorry. But I have to do this. For both of us. And for all of us!”

Still shaking, they rose to full stature and emerged from behind the cliffside, blasting a single fireball at the head of the group to get their attention. Trying not to panic, Varuna remembered when they were younger, learning about the different sensations of magical flow. Sand and stone may both be aspects of Earth Magic, but they aren’t the same. Sand moves with the flow of magic. Holding stead with two hands, they set their staff into the sand, sinking the charging Risen into the earth, some of them still snapping and screaming to reach them as they struggled. Gasping for breath, Varuna propped themself up with their staff and wove a glyph with an outstretched hand, calling down bolts of lightning on the submerged Risen, and charring them to a crisp.

Still struggling for breath, they turned back around the corner to check on Clipp. “Hah… phew… I think I got them. I… Clipps.” But they had nothing left to say. Standing in what would only be a moment of silence before death rattled at their own feet, Varuna decided to leave. They abandoned the relics, and tried to forget the sensation of battle at their fingertips. Now, still, they almost always use Water Magic— striving to live a life healing the damage caused by others.

[bapouro]

If you have the time and if it’d be fun at all, can you talk about how going to school for art is/was? Like what was bad about it but what did it make you realize about why you create? What was originally incomprehensible that became digestible after being surrounded by it? I’m just curious because I really only got into art after college age.

Hi

ive finally handed in my final project ever last friday and after somewhat recovering i can now answer u. (ill put an aside here that before i started uni, i saw a lot of the online umming and awing about art school and it being a scam etc that made me nervous going into it. i dont really think it has been for me but keep in mind im doing this in the uk. i think if i was in the usa or somewhere where it was that expensive i think youd get just about as many benefits going to somewhere like a community college instead. its worth a bit of money but not a lot of money.)

i realised while turning over your questions in my head last week how much doing my degree (illustration undergrad) during covid lockdown, illustrated (haha) the point art school had for me. and the point being that after trying to stick it out for the first few terms during lockdown, i deferred, i didnt really see the point i had already spent my entire life making art in my bedroom online for free, without somebody telling me what to do. practically what that degree offered me was physical facilities and resources, but really what i wanted it for was that vague miasma of drive and something bigger than myself to physically 'prove' myself to. i was and still am very interested in that gap between the online environment i learnt art within that felt a world away from my 'real life', and coming to meet with that 'real life' was kind of my goal. i needed both to meet on a very basic level for my quality of life. and id say i succeeded. twice now somebody i was originally mutuals with online turned out to be in my class. i live with one of them now. and i feel some pride now looking back on how much i felt like i had to separate my 'school' art and my 'personal' art during secondary school and now theyre practically one and the same. in fact one piece of advice ive kept with me from the uni tutors here is they consistently wish the students wouldnt 'hold back' so much on the kind of work they make: one of my friends, the one i now live with, was doing a tasteful furry pinup statue for a project and one of the tutors essentially asked them why the statue was being so sexually subtle with it, for example.

so what was bad about it! man... thinking about it the same reason i gave for why i came back after lockdown could also point out how flippant the reasoning was. its still a lot of time and effort let alone money to be putting into something that you dont Need an institution for. and art and academia, as much as you might try, arent going to be as neatly married as maybe STEM and academia. not that there isnt a place for it. we need it in there. but basically your work still has to get 'graded' on things so they can prove themselves as an institution so they can still get money to run. i ''apreciated'' the deadline part, for what it was, because i was(/am) a serial put-er off-er and i knew i needed something big to try and train me out of it. but the actual mark scheme and trying to work off of it is never not going to be nebulous. what the hell does it mean to 'demonstrate my awareness of the changing landscape of contemporary illustration' graded between 0 - 100 via a 3d animation. ive done pretty well. sometimes id get top marks. a couple times i wouldnt even pass and id have to do it again. the only pattern i could really see between what got those marks for me and what didnt was effort? so take with that what you will.

yea that being said, what it helped me realise why i create... i am thankful my particular course at my particular uni is so into their experimentation / medium diversity. because it proved to me again that experimenting is something i love to do. i could keep doing it forever maybe. but that also made me realise after trying to do that project after project that its only one part of the enjoyment. i couldnt sink my teeth in as much as i wanted. part of why im glad to leave is im glad to try and focus on just a few things now. take a project at my pace... reeeally get way too into it. hopefully.

what was originally incomprehensible that became digestible after being surrounded by it? mm.. i think getting to see a lot of the behind the scenes and the people actually doing illustration as a job kind of softened my glare on some art styles / ways of working i dislike. not that i Like them now but that kind of flat illustrator thing.. for some people it really is more of a job than anything else. i think thats fine. theres all kinds of other art to enjoy outside of their 9-5. i just hope they like it too. but of course it does set a precedent for what clients expect/what you feel like you should be making..? oh also i did actually end up really enjoying the couple of art essays we needed to write. reading cultural/art/etc pdf essays was something i already liked to do like reading baudrillard and ellen dissanayake and things but it was great to actually get to apply it in writing. and i think it certainly became more digestible to realise that these kinds of writers and this kind of writing wasnt some hard to penerate academia i couldnt be a part of really but turned out to be writing about things that already applied to life, whether i went to uni or not. really the whole experience... for me i felt like it was just something i needed to do. if anything just to get away from my family and make my own life. im glad i did it. but really art is art no matter where you find it. uni gave me a push to go further, i could sit around and say i couldve done it without uni but i think we overestimate ourselves. i think i couldve but i bet it wouldve taken longer and i may have experimented less, challenged myself less. who knows. just dont ever let something like that put you off art, it will always find you again eventually. im glad you got into it too.

[edensliterarydiaries]

The Secret History by Donna Tartt. The dangerous pursuit of climbing the social ladder.

The Secret History (SH) is an account of a murder in Hampden College, New England, through the eyes of outsider Richard Papen. A academic life that is similar to Tartt’s own, this novel artistically blends the rational with romantic ideals. However, after reading this stunning narrative, I have to address the title, so many say, it ‘truly deserves’: A Modern Classic. SH can plausibly be classified as a psychological crime novel that is derivative of other writings before it. From Crime and Punishment to Sigmund Freud’s essays, Tartt transforms the ideals of college life and academic study into one of morose horror. The knowledge of characters is greatly outweighed by the clear obsession with academia. From a first person account, we never get to know Papen’s fellow classmates, or the teacher Julian Morrow, on any other level beyond physical appearance. Instead, we become familiar with their love of Greek stories and rituals (only to kill a local man in the process, oops 😬😯).

SH is ‘devoid of character but has plenty of personality… there is nothing good beneath the heavy surface of academia’. -J.Wary, Michigan Daily

The influences of psychology in SH are evident in the difficulty these characters face outside the walls of academia. Papen, seeing hope for a better life in attending Hampden, only comes to observe that his ‘existence was tainted’ in the process and after. Yes, the death of his friend Bunny may have been the catalyst for such a perspective to be drawn. But, can the fact that Morrow insisted that his students have him as their only teacher be the cause for such an outlook too? (You had it coming as soon as you switched your tutor to Morrow as well Papen, we all saw it coming!)

We can see that his ‘morbid longing for the picturesque’ (NY Times) is a parallel to how private colleges are perceived by the common folk. As a ‘idyllic’ as it was on the brochure As the outsider, Papen’s, opportunity to escape the dull reality of Californian life is only met by the Dickensian tradition of financial and societal desperation; a long way from the better life he once dreamed of when coming to Hampden.

The opportunity to entrench yourself in the worlds created by classic literature is something our original five Greek students do persistently. With lots of money behind them, it is easy to get captivated by the romantic fantasy without feeling the consequence. The richest of the five, Henry, states that ‘Death is the mother of beauty… and what is beauty (without) Terror?’. The ideas behind Henry’s speech links back to the passage read by Camilla in the first class together.

In a ‘harsh and low and lovely’ voice, she reads about the ‘dark red and violent-driven rain of bitter savoured blood (that makes the character) glad’.

The repetition of ‘and’ both lengthens the sentence and makes Camilla’s speech creepily seductive. Yet, finishing the passage with a character that is ‘glad’ could be Tartt alluding to the murder later on in the novel. In the mean time, the excitement and vigour stemming from both Henry and Camilla’s imagery is plausibly seen as escapism away from the ‘monkish bare’ windows and ‘whitewashed walls’ of Hampden.

As a former student of the said ‘elite’ school life, time between those tall walls can be reminiscent of prison. Pursuing the idea rehabilitation was in the form of etiquette (often indirectly) and hazing Saturday matches and army training. All of which spat you out into the world with your school plastered on your psyche.

To be a Modern Classic, SH had to focus individuals personal morals and ethical behaviours both in their daily lives and in unusual situations (such as a murder). As a first person account, Tartt avoids this. She only lets us know Papen’s opinion on their physical appearance and any actions they commit. This alone, speeds up the pace of the novel. As Tartt does not stop to give us any background information of these students, especially Henry and Bunny, whose interaction is quite intriguing to Papen.

In contrast to the world of Greek literature, Papen’s description of his fellow students is reminiscent of the contents of a photo album. We see the images of people and know about what they did in life. But, we don’t know them beyond their physical appearance, what they like and dislike for instance.

The replacement of character development with the obsession with Dionysian madness, distances Papen (us as readers), from the original five Greek students. Under the spell of Dionysus’ words, it is plausibly easy for the students to be captivated by the colourful imagery displayed in such books. Especially in the black and white surroundings of Hampden, the classical world created connotes a Baroque undertone that is both captivating and sinister; the latter is more prominent to us than the former.

Can we plausibly see that Tartt is suggesting that literature was a way to escape the daily grind of academic life?

In the end though, it is difficult to see how SH can be a Modern Classic. Yes, Greek literature and elite university settings are visuals that are associated with the adjective ‘classic’. But, the limited character development does make Papen’s account of the events ,leading up to the murder, dry; no conflicting emotions or true feelings about certain events (beyond Papen) revealed in any way. Furthermore, being publishing in the early 90s, SH was released into a world that was in love with murder mysteries and psychological thrillers both in the book and on screen.

It is a product of its time, not a Modern Classic. The latter is used on a piece of work that is going to last and resonate with everyone over centuries. To state it’s a modern Classic would be to compare it against the works of authors from the early to mid 20th century.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover (1928), for instance, uses letter writing and indirect and direct dialogues to convey Constance’s character development to us. Through letter writing and talking to specific ‘trusted friends’, we know how difficult her life was becoming with Clifford (the plausible predecessor of Richard Papen!). The main point to take away is that the character development aided the progression of the narrative. It did not lead the reader to express doubts or question anyone’s motives and inner beliefs and it certainly did not leave us to speculate what lead up to certain events.

Anyway, coming back to SH, I can say that it is a psychological crime novel. Tartt does suggest to us that there is more that meets the eye when it comes to elite colleges and the academic world. She also draws a dark shadow over feelings of temptation and ambition, especially in the case of outsiders like Papen.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone seeking something to read under the bed covers this autumn. If you grow to love it and form opinions about it (like I have) and fancy something more- then watch some crime movies from the 90s! (A good place to start would be The Good Shepherd (2006) and The Skulls 3 (2004).

Hoped you enjoyed this post as much as I did writing it!

See you in the next one!

Yours sincerely,

Eden xxx

[forthesanityofstorytellers]

Into the Caves

(I'm working out a new WIP idea focused on Lyra and decided I might as well just post as I go. No idea how far Imma get but ya'll can be along for the ride, lol)

Context: A bit of worldbuilding as Lyra follows her tutor into a sort of underground area where the maps are kept.

(Previous)

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

Lyra followed her tutor down through the carved hallways, grown patches of pillars scattered throughout the area, supporting the domed ceiling high above. They were well below the level of the waters now, the sound outside the building having changed to a sort of dull thud instead of the usual sounds of sloshing movement. The usual scents of salt and seagrass were replaced by still air and carefully cultivated species of plants they used for nearly every purpose on the islands; the building itself was carved out of a giant sea plant they found could support weight, carved and out and reinforced with things like mineral and hardened sediment from the other lands.

Along the way, long tube-like stems and caps bloomed at movement, trained to do so in order to light up the darker reaches, the stems and growths tended to by caretakers that seemed to never leave these darker reaches, dressed in only cloaks with the hoods pulled up and only identified by the antlers that were allowed to poke out from the sides or the front.

Lyra’s ears twitched as her hand went up to her own antlers, prodding at them gently. They had started coming in maybe two or three cycles ago, and it was around then that her more serious lessons with her tutor had started. Right now they were small and grew from her hairline back along her head into a sort of bowl shape, with very few prongs. Easy to cover up. Easy to miss.

She always knew they would come in eventually. Everyone grew horns when they reached a certain age. It was a mark of maturity, she was told, and therefore meant she had to start learning how to behave in a manner worth of her growth.

If she had her way she’d cut them off and pretend she never had them. But no, you’re not allowed to do that. Never allowed to do that. How you grow your antlers, the size and shape of them, how many prongs you have, all of it was some strange indicator of so many things in the world, according to her tutor. How one used their magic. If they were warrior or scholar. High social or lower social, mate desirability, birth origin, and some even believed they could tell someone’s destiny or fate by whether or not your points and antler growth matched up with specific constellations or planet movements.

She glanced back at the hooded ones and peered at their antlers, trying to see if she could read the marks yet, but her tutor merely rolled his eyes a little and tugged on her arm.

“Did you want to look at the maps today, Keroi, or did you want to study the Aimonhb and their Qawn?”

Lyra grunted and quickly sped up her pace to keep up with him. “Do we have to use the formal words for everything? Can we not just call them antlers? The offworlders do.” She paused. “At least, I think they do. Their translators are hard to understand.”

“And should we do everything the offworlders do?” he asked with a sniff. “They who have no understanding of our traditions? Who have no Qawn?”

“They seem to have an okay time with it,” she grumbled.

He sighed. “Keroi, our Qawn are our connection to our world. Our magic. Our way of life. To not have them is curious at best, a curse at worst. They allow us to sense our planet in a way that the offworlders do not seem to understand, that they can make no sense of.”

“They are trying, Qwkas. You must see that.”

He considered. “They are. But I doubt they will ever get there if they cannot figure out how to grow Qawn for themselves. It is not something to learn so much as it is something to feel.”

He paused at a closed pathway, long beads of sticky mucus coated with beads and mineral blocking the way. He reached into his jacket, inside one of the many pockets and pulled out a ring. “But the offworlders are not something you need to concern yourself with anyway. We have arrived.”

She grinned, ears twitching and wings fluttering as he slid the ring on and waved his hand at the sparkling blockage, the thin lines of mucus parting as he did so.

The room of maps.

Her key to the outside world.

Her path to escape.

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

And for a bonus, translations!

*Keroi - Child with authority/Princess (affectionate) *Aimonhb - Hidden One *Qawn = Antler/Horn

[a-hell-of-a-time]

hc + control (for each of your muses pls) ♡

Send me hc + a word of your choosing and I’ll write a headcanon relating to that word! : Accepting!

((Andrealphus was raised from an early age to be in absolute control of himself and his emotions at all times. If he was to show even a hint of what could be perceived as a weakness, an example being him shedding any tears, he was met with swift blow back and a reminder that such displays of emotion were unbecoming of a goetia.

This eventually spiralled into a desire to control every single aspect of his life; to make sure that not a single imperfection could be found and would be well hidden behind masks of ice. To have control of every situation, to manipulate everything to his favour and that of his family, that is what is expected of him as a goetia and how he runs his life.

Sadly such perfectionism and way of living comes with a cost, and it will be only a matter of time before he breaks due to the pressure and stress of it all.))

((For Octavia, control means keeping her true emotions hidden behind a veil of indifference, snark and sarcasm. With the chaos that is her home life, which has no say or control over, Octavia has since buried the more joyful part of herself so that she can better cope with the situation at hand.))

Caim - Control was something Caim had struggled with in her youth; she did not like the many rules, customs and manners of the goetia, nor did she have the patience to sit and study. It wasn't until she started training in swordsmanship under both her uncle and a tutor her father hired that Caim began to gain control over herself and submit herself to youkai society.

With regard to Goetian society, she would toe the line but not fully submit to it like she did her mother's culture, and that would come back to bite her later. While she has since mastered self control, she takes issue with being under the control of others that stemmed from her time spend among the goetia in her youth.

Yui - Control is not something she bothers with, or fusses about. Due to her long life, she knows that there are many things outside one's control, and there was no point in trying to manipulate every aspect of one's life. The only thing that can be controlled is one's thoughts and actions; the rest is left up to fate. As a result Yui has come to master self control like her wife, but she is more of a free spirit than Caim and lives her life accordingly. She has no use for rigid rules, hierarchy (even though Japanese and youkai society require conformity and have some sort of hierarchical structure) or anything that limits her freedom to do as she pleases.

((Dawn's whole life has been one of towing the line and doing what was expected of her, leading her to feel as if she had no say in, or control of her own life. While her status among the goetia meant she got to live in comfort, she lacks the freedom of the lower classes. Those far below her station got to make choices and live how they pleased within the means provided to them; they didn't have to obey the rules of hell's nobility and remain sub servant to them.

Maybe one day she'll be able to control her own life and destiny.))

[multiversetravelingjournalist]

Project Lock and Magi

This entire premise comes from the depressing genre of mature magical girl animes and Path to Nowhere.

Basically, magical girls -- or boys* -- (known as Magi or Magus in the singular) come about from certain circumstances. Their powers are awakened by exposure to magical energy, extreme emotional turmoil, being in the Prescence of a dying magi, or all three which will definitely awaken one's powers. The type of powers a Magus has varies from individual to individual but can be overall classified as:

Conjuring. The ability to summon items of a specific type (see Sayaka Miki and Mami Tomoe from Puella Magi Madoka Magika).

Manipulation. The ability to affect certain elements, materials, and in rare cases energy. These are your telekinetic individuals or “Benders” for an idea.

Amplification. The ability to enhance an aspect of his-*/herself. Whether it be muscle strength, intelligence, or endurance. (See Rinne Berlinetta from Vivid Strike**).

Summoning. Similar to conjuring except its living creatures instead of inanimate objects. If it moves on its own, it is summonable.

Control. Like Conjuring but instead affects more complex systems. these include living organisms, toys with moving parts, computers, etc.*

There might be more, but this is what I came up with so far. And while there are categories, each one is further subdivided by a specific type or how the magus in question uses said powers.

Now if you are wondering how that sounds a little overpowered. That’s because it is. Which is where Locks come in. Locks are the older male/female* counterpart of Magi with only one ability. What is that ability? To bond with a magus and control the intensity of her/his* powers. Locks are pretty rare, less in number than Magi, their powers manifest from emotional overload and/or discipline and even that happens after they passed twenty years of age, meanwhile a Magus will manifest at younger ages. Locks can control the intensity of said magus' powers through will and certain hand gestures (“Turning the valve”). When doing this gesture, a sigil will manifest in front of the Lock’s hand to indicate the power level he/she* is allowing. Said sigil is personalized by the Lock in question but is always easy to read and has scalable signs. Such signs include a circle of eyes with the ratio of opened to closed eyes indicating power level, a ring of padlocks doing similar, a rose bud in stages of bloom, etc. a “Chain” of similar aesthetic will manifest winding around the Lock’s arm when using his/her* powers.

Now a thing about magi. Their powers without a lock become uncontrollable and will continue to grow, think of a magus as a faucet, the water flowing through them is in constant flow and overtime the faucet will degrade until it breaks entirely. When that happens, the Magus will, in order:

Go crazy.

Lose control of his/her* abilities

Physically mutate.

At stage three they cease to be human and become a ravenous beast. Their mutations reminiscent of their former selves (e.g. a Magus with a Steampunk Aesthetic becoming a skeletal brass beast of gears and pipes with a Boiler in place of a heart). Untamable and destructive they are considered highly dangerous in the world. This led to the creation of organizations to stem the tide of such monsters. How they do this is by enforcing any recently awakened magi to be paired with a Lock, suppling the locks with weapons and armor to help accompany his/her* magi on the field, and provide tutoring and training for the nascent Magi.

The policies and sponsorship of these organizations vary. They could try to provide an emotionally supportive environment for both magical members, or they see them all as nothing more than tools/weapons that must be kept. they could be privately owned, or state funded. The less said about their reputations and the scandals, the better. *

Not to mention that most of these agencies also have a policy of making sure that the Lock and only the Lock survives no matter what. If the Magus the Lock is paired with dies, then it’s the equivalent of smashing a nozzle, messy but manageable. When the lock dies, then instead of experiencing the gradual increase of arcane energy, that unfortunate Magus will experience the pent-up force all at once, a dam being broken. Five out of five times this surge results in the Magus breaking. It is of these organizations' top priority that either the Lock survives, or that both die.

Such policies could also explain the existence of rogues. groups of Magi and/or Locks not aligned with any organization. At their worst, they are considered a bigger threat than the monsters.

All that said, there is a tendency for Magi to be females, while Locks are most likely to be males. but biologically male Magi and female Locks are not unheard of. though their appearances never fail to shock the rest*.

*Editions made thanks to NoMoreFsToGive.

** Its been a while since I first wrote this. I am no longer sure it is the case for her.

[stxrslisten]

a study.

BASICS.

full name : seraphina draven nee galathenea

name meaning : fiery, burning, burning ones

nicknames : sera, phina

epithets : the evenstar

titles : highlady of the night court

gender / pronouns : cis woman / she/her

sexuality : heterosexual

date of birth : on the thirteen day of the first month

age : twenty-nine going on two hundred and ninety

zodiac : capricorn

place of birth : the dawn court, prythian

species : high fae, daemati

languages : common tongue, holy tongue

allegiance : the dawn court, the night court

APPEARANCE.

faceclaim : synnove karlsen

height : 5′5″

eye color : pale green/grey

hair color : brunette with copper undertones

dominant hand : ambidextrous

bargain tattoos : sworn protector bargain; intricate swirls of deep black ink that cover her hand like a glove all the way pass her elbow on her right hand, in between lines there is stars and flower like shapes. keeping a secret bargain: the swirls continue up to her shoulder were it seems the intricate lines turn into ribbons and stems of flowers that follow down the side of her torso and back a large eight pointed star is surrounded by a circle symbolizing the moon.

MAGIC.

abilities : daemati, immortality, winnowing, heightened senses, healing, dream manipulation

weaknesses : vulnerable to certain magic attacks, individuals with higher level of magic, burn out

PERSONALITY.

positive traits : eloquent & resourceful

negative traits : opinionated & judgemental

hobbies : reading, healing, stargazing, reading, archery

charcater inspiration : elain archeron, jeyne westerling, arwen undomiel, persephone goddess of the underworld, seraphena mierel, claire fraser

RELATIONSHIPS.

parents : former high lord caelestis galathenea & lady solara galathenea of the dawn court

siblings : high lord utp galathenea, utp galathenea & utp galathenea

extended family : the draven high family

spouse : utp draven

children : n/a

BIO.

seraphina is pressumed to be the second born daughter of her father, her mother's first daughter, a precious chubby cheeked cherub of healthy lungs and curious eyes. born out of duty, a piece in her father chess board of power, you're a pretty face that is meant to be mold into perfection, graceful, intelligent and above all obedient.

a wondering child of hungry mind, she is incapable of remaining still as soon as she gathers coordination, laughter adorns her presence and as soon as she utters her first words she is trusted into her studies, training. the best tutors the dawn court can offer, the same as her siblings. her father is over the moon, sera was born to please. the little girl is talented and by nature wishes to learn more, absorb more. she is easily bored, attention easily lost if her interest is not longer focused.

in her maturing years she becomes more rebellious, when the lessons no longer offer her anything new and interesting, she finishes fast, getting lost in the villages near the palace. she practices healing abilities of both high a low fae, her father often lectures her, but her growing abilities cannot be questioned, the healer of the family he whispers, her hands are saving graces, it is not her talent alone, but her passion for it. sera enjoys helping others, her people, anyone who needs it, perhaps that's where the secret was.

her dream manipulation comes many years latter, after her father has given up on the possibility, she is an excellent healer and therefor he cares little for the skill, but when it comes his chest swells with pride. sera was a price he would give to the best allie and the best allie alone, but she does not see that in his smile full of pride. no she only wants to see an adoring father and not to the calculating man behind it.

sera's daemati abilities come on gradually, she thinks she's imagining things, that her dreamer abilities are manifesting while being awake. however the years pass and she cannot longer ignore them. she shakes, her father will use her as a weapon if he is to find out, she has always been a dutiful daughter, but she is a healer not a weapon. it was why she had trampled her own training in dream manipulation, she did not wish to hurt other, not even in the name of her family. and for many years she can keep it from manifesting, she does not train it and pretends is not there at the reach of her mind. until the day her father first mentions marrying her off, sera knows the day would come, and yet it still stings nonetheless and she fights back. her fathers words and actions break her and ignite her all the same, she loses control and ends up manifesting the daemati abilities by overtaking her fathers mind for a lingering moment. the silence behind the surprise is louder than anything else she has ever heard.

it is this that changes sera from the dutiful daughter, to the rebel daughter, she cannot please her father, she won't hurt others. he pressures her into learning the ability, she would become his weapon even if he was to break her first. and he nearly does, until she realizes learning it, mastering it, means she can protect herself even more. and so she does, but she focus on her shields, they become heavy stone. the relationship between father and daughter breaks without repair, and as punishment he betroths her to the furthers corner of the continent. the night court would be her punishment.

the time goes by, days, months and years and the bargain is not called. when the former high lord passes she almost hopes his son will call it off, and when more years go by without word of it, she thinks she shall never be called to marry him. and yet, when the letter comes she cannot believe her eyes. gentle, soft, and a healer never a warrior, sera is afraid she will not survive in the mystery that hides behind the night court and its people. she goes and marries the high lord, but the darkness in his eyes makes her recoil, the coldness in his words makes her run away constantly.

sera spends most the first 20 years of their marriage constantly evading the night court, with one good excuse or the next, she spent as much time still in the dawn court, sometimes even the summer court, after desperation strikes her and she reaches out to an old friend.

it is on one of the times her older sibling drags her back to where she belongs, a night where she seats on the floor by the window. she is uncertain why he comes to her, or why they speak, as if the amount of years between the two had never passed them by. as if they were seeing each other for the first time. something changes, neither can put their finger on it, and somehow they begin to gravitate towards each other, finally getting to know what the other is like. sera no longer leaves the night court, not to run away anyways, her trips are shorter and far in between, she can be seen with her husband more often than not. and the heart begins to change, she is uncertain when it happened, or how, but she knows her feelings for the high lord are stronger than she ever imagined them to be.

II. EXTRAS & OTHER THINGS

sera was very distant of the night court and its people at first, just as she was from her husband, but after things changed between them, it also changed her demeanor towards the court. she began to volunteer in the healers quadrant, helping people were they needed her. taking her role as a high lady far more seriously, and while the people are still uncertain of her, they are giving her the chance to prove herself.

sera refuses to use her daemati abilities, she has only used it accidentally on her father once, and the rest was only while mastering the skill and practicing with others. she is not sure she could even break anyone, since she's never tried, but her shields are impenetrable, it is the one thing she focus on.

CONNECTIONS.

first love; someone who she fell for when she was young, naive and idelistic.

broken betrothal; someone her father betrothed her to before, but she made everything to break it

friends

pen pals

allies

enemies

[foreverinthepagesofhistory]

Hii bestie! Hope you are feeling a bit better :)

I wanted to ask about archduke rudolf of austria. I find it so sad why was he treated so terribly that it drove him to suicide ( i believe the theories which suggests childhood trauma contributed to his suicidal thoughts) he was the prized male heir and instead of being doted on the poor boy was made to go through inhumane training and was punnished ( ABUSED) by his tutors while his father was not only aware but also asked the tutors to "beat cowardice out of the boy" why do you think franz joseph was so cruel with him while its said that he had good relations with his other children. I get it he has expectations from his heir but rudolf was suffering didn't he feel sorry. What do you feel

Hi bestie! Thank you for this deep question!

I honestly feel like both Rudolf and his older sister Gisela deserved better. I’m not an expert on these two but I still know how they were treated horribly by their parents and tutors. I think that this hatred really stemmed from Sisi and Franz, but also Sophie for kind of controlling them and “taking” them away from Sisi which resulted in a cold relationship. Sisi and Franz did love them in a way, it just wasn’t the same love that they had for Marie Valerie.

There we’re probably a lot of other things contributing to Rudolf’s suicide like an unhappy marriage and depression and also the things you said like childhood trauma and pressures of being the heir and stuff like that. I feel like he felt so unloved that he just didn’t think there was a solution to his unhappiness. That’s also why he did it with his lover I think.

Keep in mind here that I am not the expert on this subject, just another opinion. @archduchessofnowhere is a much better source for this subject because it’s the subject of her blog so definitely relay this question to her. Also I’m still constantly learning about this subject so if you have a different opinion please share! Thank you for asking!

[frnwhcom]

The Von Trapp Family: Beyond The Sound of Music

The Von Trapp family, whose escape from Austria during World War II was immortalized in the beloved musical and film "The Sound of Music," holds a place in both history and popular culture far more nuanced than the idyllic scenes portrayed on screen. Their real story is one of resilience, music, and new beginnings, stretching from the Austrian Alps to the mountains of Vermont. The Patriarch and Matriarch The family's story begins with Baron Georg von Trapp, a decorated naval officer of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Maria Augusta Kutschera, a young postulant at Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg. Their lives converged not out of romance initially, but necessity, as Maria was sent to tutor the Baron's daughter from his first marriage in 1926. Despite their differing backgrounds, love blossomed, leading to their marriage in 1927. Together, they had seven children, joining the seven from Georg's previous marriage. A Musical Legacy Begins It was Maria who introduced music into the family's routine, turning it from a pastime into a profession. Under her guidance, the Von Trapp Family Choir began performing throughout Europe. Their harmonies enchanted audiences, but as the political landscape darkened with the rise of Nazi Germany, so too did the family's prospects in their homeland. Flight from Oppression In 1938, following the Anschluss, the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany, the von Trapps faced a moral and existential crisis. Georg von Trapp, a staunch anti-Nazi, refused a commission in the German Navy and declined to perform at Hitler's birthday celebration. The family decided to flee, fearing retribution. Contrary to the dramatic mountain escape depicted in "The Sound of Music," their departure was through a train to Italy, thanks to Georg's citizenship stemming from his birthplace in Dalmatia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A New Home in America The family arrived in the United States in 1939, settling in Vermont. There, they bought a farm in Stowe, which they transformed into the Trapp Family Lodge, a venture that would ensure their livelihood and become a cherished site for fans of their story. America offered a fresh start, and the family continued to perform, touring the United States and South America, sharing their music and story with new audiences. The Story Becomes a Sensation The von Trapp family's tale was first immortalized in Maria's memoir, "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers," published in 1949. This book served as the basis for two German films in the 1950s and ultimately the Broadway musical in 1959, with the iconic film adaptation following in 1965. "The Sound of Music," starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, captured the hearts of millions, albeit with a romanticized version of the family's journey. Legacy and Continuation The legacy of the von Trapp family extends beyond their escape from Austria and musical career. The Trapp Family Lodge remains a testament to their enduring impact, now a world-class resort offering guests a taste of the von Trapp hospitality. The family's descendants continue to manage the lodge, ensuring that the story and the spirit of the von Trapps live on. In remembering the von Trapp family, it's essential to acknowledge the blend of fact and fiction that has made their story a global phenomenon. Their real journey was fraught with challenges and marked by courage, a testament to the power of family, music, and resilience in the face of adversity. Read the full article

[vergess]

Hello! For some reason, I can't get over that ask I sent you about who in their right mind, end up with Vace, maybe it's because I love rereading? XD Anyway, speaking of that, do you have any personal headcanons of Nougat? I feel like she's the type of character who could go anywhere and from the tutoring events, isn't also a child prodigy besides being riddled with energy and ADHD?

TBH, I don't have a lot of Nougat headcanons. I like that she occasionally shows up in epilogues but always in different places.

She represents to me the overall Good that Sol's loops are doing, like.... for the future as well as the present, y'know?

I do like that it turns out that unless Sol is trained in medical by the time the start tutoring the kids, no one ever notices Nougat's holopalm was installed wrong. Probably like half her behavioural issues stem from her holopalm causing pain when she uses it, and her just thinking that's normal because no one helps her.

Classic disabled-childhood experience. It was delightful to see in game.

I just like seeing her sprout up where ever, and seeing how she acts This Time.

[petervintonjr]

"I was taught about the denial of the right to vote behind the Iron Curtain in Europe. I never knew that there was (the) denial of the right to vote behind a Cotton Curtain here in the United States."

Today we look at the remarkable life of Robert “Bob” Parris Moses, who recently passed on July 25, 2021.  A major force in the emerging civil rights movement of the 1960s, Bob was born in Harlem, New York and graduated from Hamilton College, and later taught mathematics at the Horace Mann School in the Bronx.

An advocate for integration, Bob joined the SCLC and made the acquaintance of Ella Baker (Lesson #51 in this series), and was present during the founding meeting of the SNCC.   In 1964 (Freedom Summer), Moses had become a leader for voter registration, and is named along with Hamer as a co-founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.  During that year in Mississippi Moses was on the receiving end of multiple threats, intimidation, arrests, and outright violence --Moses holds the dubious distinction of being the first Black person to directly challenge white violence, specifically on August 29, 1961 in Amite County court, filing formal assault charges against his attacker, who had assaulted Moses and others while he was helping to register local Black citizens to vote.  Unfortunately his attacker, being a cousin of (naturally) the then-sheriff, was later acquitted by an (of course) all-white jury. 

A conscientious objector to the war in Vietnam, Moses unfortunately had to flee to Canada to escape the draft, and afterwards lived with his wife Janet in Tanzania, where he continued to teach mathematics.  The Moseses at last returned to the U.S. in 1976 and Bob completed his long-postponed graduate studies at Harvard, earning a PhD in Philosophy.

Perhaps Bob’s most meaningful impact came in the form of The Algebra Project, a 1982-1987 NSF-sponsored initiative designed to bring “math literacy” to low-income citizens.  Arising out of his brief stint as an eighth-grade algebra tutor and drawing on his grassroots experiences in the civil rights movement, Moses argued that greater literacy in math (and all of STEM, in fact) offered a true gateway to improved social and economic conditions, and ultimately to racial justice.  Moses’s focus on algebra was rooted in his theory that algebra was the critical "gatekeeper" subject.  Mastery was necessary in order for middle school students to be able to advance in math, technology, and science; without it, college  –and by extension, informed citizenship--  was often out of the question.

Among Moses’s many publications are Moses is Radical Equations—Civil Rights from Mississippi to the Algebra Project (co-authored with Charles E. Cobb, Jr.); and Quality Education as a Constitutional Right (co-edited with Theresa Perry).  Today the Algebra Project continues to further Bob Moses’s vision of supporting mathematics literacy for all K-12 students, particularly for students performing in the lowest quartile on various state standardized exams.  The Project provides curriculum materials, teacher training, and professional development opportunities and community involvement activities for schools, with a particular focus on the southern states. 

Moses has been a member of the faculty at Princeton University (Center for African American Studies), taught as adjunct faculty at NYU School of Law, and has served on numerous academic advisory committees over the years, significantly the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute.   Barack Obama named Moses in his memoir as one of the “young leaders of the civil rights movement” who inspired him. 

[b1ueoff1ine]

Prompt List

Here is a list of prompts that I have for you all to use in your requests.

Long Prompts

Prompt 1:

One evening, a young man knocks on your family's front door, seeking shelter from the brutal magic-fed thunderstorm. He is soaking wet and shivering from the cold, so you offer him blankets, a cup of tea, and a spot by the burning fire. He thanks you for your hospitality and tells you that he is on his way to the {character name}'s manor, the home of one of the wealthiest families in your county. You speak of your distaste for the {character name} family and their varied businesses, making the wealthy wealthier and the poor poorer. The young man says nothing and, once the storm has subsided, leaves your home. The following day, you go to the town center to gather food and materials but are stopped when a large carriage comes clattering down the road. The townspeople part to make way for it, and whispers pick up as people gossip about the carriage's inhabitants. Suddenly, the carriage door opens right in front of you, and you stumble back and fall to the dirt ground to avoid being hit. Grumbling, you see a hand extend in front of your face, offering assistance. When you look up, you spot the familiar features of the young man you welcomed into your home last night as hushed voices rise to declare, "{character name}."

Prompt 2:

You're a teacher who loves her job and her students. However, when your contract isn't renewed due to budget cuts in your district, you find yourself at a loss. Luckily, a friend of yours knows of someone looking to hire a tutor with just your qualifications. You go to the interview and realize the job is to tutor and mentor the son of a renowned tech billionaire. The son has had behavioral problems in school and was threatened with expulsion, so the single father decided to hire a trained professional to assist in his son's issues. The more time you spend with the small family, the more you realize that the son's behavioral problems stem from his poor relationship with his father. The billionaire is smart, innovative, clever, handsome, and stubborn. He initially disagrees with your analysis, but then eventually gives way to your advice. The longer you spend in the role of caregiver to both father and son, the more you start to feel like this is where you belong.

Prompt 3

After a car accident nearly took your life, you wake up from a coma. In the six months since the accident, everything has changed. Your best friend, who was behind the wheel when you crashed, is dead. All of your other friends have graduated and gone off to college without you. Meanwhile, your mom is busy working three jobs to pay your medical bills. You sit in your room in the rehab facility feeling a deep loneliness and depression that you never could have expected. One day you meet a new patient on the ward: a handsome man who shattered his leg and thinks his life is over, too. The two of you work through the healing process together, growing closer each day.

Prompt 4

When you were young, you were friends with a neighborhood boy who liked the same things as you. Both of you were dirt poor, but it didn't seem to matter; as long as you had each other, there was always a make-believe adventure right around the corner. He grew up to be a billionaire, and, now that he's wealthy beyond imagination, seems to have forgotten where he came from. You haven't talked to him in years, but a death in the family brings him back to the old neighborhood, where you reconnect and reintroduce him to the life he left behind.

Prompt 5

Life is hard, especially for a single mother, but you've made the best of it and took a new job as the secretary for a billionaire. A terrible tragedy rocks his world and you're there as a shoulder to cry on as he heals. During the healing process, however, he finds you are more important to him than he originally thought.

Prompt 6

You are trapped in the elevator of your office building with a handsome executive when the power goes out in the city for a few hours. You get to know each other a little during that time, and the attraction is strong. He's evasive about what he does for the company, and it's not until power is restored and you're back at your desk that you realize he's the billionaire CEO… and he's emailing to ask you on a date.

Prompt 7

You are a young girl on a student scholarship at a very high-profile British university. One day at the uni pub you meet a handsome young man with whom you feel in love at first sight. Next day, you open the newspaper only to discover you have been out with the {Crown Prince(loki) or CEO of the largest company in the state(norman or otto)}.

Prompt 8

As a senior detective in the special victims crimes unit, you are hunting down a serial killer who targets young college women. The clues lead you to a reclusive billionaire with a "devil-may-care" attitude. But something is off. It's just too neat when all fingers point to him. However, you can't help but question your motives as you find yourself drawn to him in ways you've never felt before. Can you put aside your own desires to find out if he's really a serial killer or will your passion get in the way of doing your job?

Prompt 9

You are a single mother who works as a waitress at a nightclub to make ends meet. The one thing you can't stand are people who get everything handed to them, like the rich, snooty patrons you have to wait on night after night. However, when a handsome and charming clubgoer becomes smitten with you, you find yourself drawn to his enigmatic way. After a few coffee dates, you wonder if this could be the one, but then you learn that he's actually the club's billionaire party boy owner—a man you've heard about and hated from afar for years. He swears he's changed and that he has fallen for you, but you're not convinced: Can you trust him to leave his partying lifestyle behind to become a family man?

Medium Prompts

Prompt 1

You're a woman fleeing an abusive marriage and you meet your husband's billionaire boss. You fall in love and your husband learns the hard way that abusers don't win.

Prompt 2

You are lost in the middle of the jungle with your clumsy and absent-minded co-worker. Under these adverse circumstances, you get closer than you ever thought you would.

Prompt 3

You make a great team—one is the driver, another takes the money, and you are the lookout. The three of you have been successful bank robbers for six jobs now. As the police begin closing in, you find yourselves in conflict—one never wants to stop, the other wants out of the game, and they are both in love with you.

Prompt 4

You've had foreign language students before, but none as handsome as the son of a billionaire inheriting all of his father's wealth. When he asks you to be a translator for a trip he's about to take, you're all in.

Prompt 5

Your dream is to sail around the world and he has the yacht to do it. The only problem is: You're the new maid hired to keep the yacht spotless while docked.

Prompt 6

{Month} {Day}, it’s snowing but the first buds of spring have already peeked out, and you lay bleeding on the ground.

Prompt 7

 “We aren’t blood related but you’re the most important family member of mine, you know that right?”

Prompt 8

“I know we didn’t talk much but either way I just want you to know, you were a big part of my life and I’m thankful for every second we got to spend together.”

Prompt 9

A billionaire loses much of his wealth in a legal battle with your family. To your mutual surprise, what begins as hatred turns into romance as you find a way to give him back the fortune he lost.

Prompt 10

"You can't go in there," you tell him, before he informs you that he owns the museum and can go anywhere he pleases. Since you're a museum guide, he asks for a tour, and you both recognize a spark happening.

Prompt 11

You hate his materialistic ways but a billionaire's charm wins you over when, following an airplane crash, you are stranded for weeks on his family's private island.

Prompt 12

You're boarding at a school overseas, and most students are going home for the holidays. You can't afford the trip, so you've decided to stay despite the fact that you miss your family. A charming classmate whose father is a teacher at the school invites you to join him and his family for Christmas. During the break, you relearn what Christmas, and love, are all about from a new perspective.

Prompt 13

On each of the 12 days of Christmas, you receive extremely thoughtful gifts from a secret admirer. You and your best friend search to find this mystery person, but you soon realize that it was your best friend the entire time.

Prompt 14

Your part of the Avengers, and when it's up to you to find the villain at an event, you find they aren't what they seem.

Prompt 15

He's a reclusive billionaire and you are a model hired to be his guest for the evening at a local charity function. He initially has nothing to say to you, but begins to admire you for who you really are inside. Romantic sparks ensue.

Short Prompts

Prompt 1

"Focus on me."

Prompt 2

"Because I love you!"

Prompt 3

"I can't lose you..."

Prompt 4

“Can you just please listen to me! Just this once. Please.”

Prompt 5

"It was inevitable, but I regretted it every step of the way."

Prompt 6

You’ve been bumping into the same stranger for months. Finally, you decide to say hello.

Prompt 7

Well, that was a New Year’s Eve kiss you won’t forget any time soon.

Prompt 8

After you move to a new city, you fall in love with your realtor while buying a new house.

Prompt 9

A college professor and their teaching assistant hit it off a little too well.

Prompt 10

Your husband accidentally sends you a text meant for his mistress.

Prompt 11

"Touch her and you're dead."

Prompt 12

"She's like glass. Break her and you're the one who's bleeding."

Prompt 13

"What happened?"

"I broke/snapped. Just like I knew I would."

Prompt 14

"You don't deserve to have the weight of the world on your shoulders,"

More prompts coming!