#a level computer science tutors

[daniels01]

Daniel's Educational Services| Excellence A-Level Computer Science Tutors

Daniel's Educational Services offers top-tier A-Level Computer Science Tutors tailored to meet the unique needs of each student. Our experienced tutors provide personalized, hands-on learning for A-Level Computer Science exams, focusing on complex concepts, programming languages, and exam preparation strategies to help students unlock their potential.

[computer-science-revision]

Computer Science Revision

www.computersciencerevision.com

[limarkova]

Yandere Batfam x Neglected Reader x Yandere Al Ghuls

Pt 5.

Prev Next

The library was quiet when you walked in. Since it was still early in the morning many people hadn't shown up yet. Your luck of finding a tutor were slim right now. It was best to start independent so you could tell a tutor what you needed to learn more about anyway.

You wonder the shelves contemplating where to begin. Maybe the computers to look up what fourth grade standards? Didn't those vary though? Okay maybe you should have goaded your 'family' into telling you were the 'boarding school' was supposedly base. Science sounded like a good option. It used a mix of math and reading comprehension.

You had to choose a science fourth grades typically learned, though. Honestly you wished you could just pick any science and say the school had specialized classes. However you didn't know what type of boarding school Bruce claimed you went to. The slightest misstep and your siblings would alert him that something was up.

Being realistic Bruce could send you back at anytime. By playing into his lies, you would appear compliant or like you don't suspect he was involved. That could buy you time. If it seemed like you were truly trying to integrate back into the family and not expose the experiments, he might let you stay for a little longer. Why get rid of someone if their potential as a threat was limited by their ignorance?

For now you need to match the cover story. Whatever books were labeled fourth grade level than. Maybe a few fifth grade books. You had implied that you were doing more advanced work. Maybe you could safely make the claim that you were placed in advance classes. They had been talking about those during your last year at Gotham prep.

The kids section was full of basic cartoon style books. You browsed a few before frowning. Most of the information was the bare bone minimum. Half the books mark 4th grade level only covered surface level knowledge.

You pulled out a book on human anatomy and almost bursted out laughing. The drawings were over simplifications of the organs, nothing compared to how they really looked. Slimy, covered in veins, shades of pink or gray you didn't expect once the blood was removed. That thought brought back a haunting memory. You shoved the book back on the shelf. Medical research would come later.

Grabbing any books that caught your attention, you headed over to a secluded area. Most of the information was basic understand. Yes, you learned some new things and were fairly certain your reading comprehension was ay the appropriate level. But there was nothing involving math. "Maybe a few tutors have shown up or a librarian can help me call one."

Standing back up you wondering over to the librarian desk. No one was there. You yet out a heavy sigh. Oh course they weren't there, that was just your luck.

"Hello, are you looking for something?" You jumped at the sudden voice behind you. Spinning around you saw a woman with long dark brown hair and green eyes. She carried herself confidently but some part of you screamed the she was capable of violence.

"I was looking into what's available in terms of math tutoring. Maybe social studies or history if that's an options." You angled you body away from her.

She laughed slightly more to herself than you. There was a gleam in her eye, like she was impressed by her assessment. "Well you're in luck. I happened to home schooled my own son in math and know a lot of teachers. What do you need to know?"

"Pretty much everything above adding and subtracting." You scowled down at the books in your arms. It they had and hadn't been useful. Maybe you should take advantage of this woman's help. You needed a tutor, it shouldn't matter who it was also long as your family didn't find out. "What’s your name?"

"I'm Talia." She crouched down to your level and held out a hand. You stopped thinking.

Talia.

The woman mentioned in your mother's diary. It couldn't be. Though she mentioned having a son. No Talia might have been an older flame and Damian's mother had a different name. Maybe you had been to quick to get in a fight with him. Now you couldn't ask him about his mother. What if he sent her to spy on you because you had pissed him off? Not good, really not good.

"I'm (Fake Name)." You gave her the wrong name and watched. If Damian had sent her, she would probably already know your name. So by giving her the wrong one you could figure what she already knew about you. It wouldn't be through her words or actions. No the hints would be subtle. Some kind of disappointment or a sign she felt slighted.

Yet her face remain pleasant. That slight hint of being impressed remaining, "It's nice to meet you. Let's do a few tests so I can see where you are first." Just like that you were swept away into a world of learning.

Talia was beyond impressed with the young Wayne girl. First she correctly identified Talia as a threat. It was obvious by the way she angled herself away from the older woman. How her eyes flicked for the nearest exit, probably a subconscious reaction. Without Talia's weapons or reputation, the girl had pick up on danger.

Next was the wrong name. Said so surely like it truly was her name. The girl shifted so fluidly into the new identity too. Talia would have believed it if she hadn't already done research. Never once did she catch the girl not responding to the name. All without proper training.

However, that all paled in comparison to her true shining trait. The girl's intelligence was well beyond average. She caught trick questions and picked up topics quickly. Talia was willing to bet her intellect could rival Bruce's. Obviously not at her current state, she need guidance to reach that level. Still all the material was there.

"Thank you for the help, today." Her voice was quiet. Movements quick to put away the notebook she had written all of her work in. They had moved from mathematics, to English, social studies, sciences, and the one that she seem the most interested in Criminal Investigation. Damian had taken his father's intelligence but was held back his ego. She didn't have that fault.

Talia smiled, "of course. Will you be returning tomorrow? I would love to continue our lessons. There's a chance I might be able to teach you Arabic."

"Arabic, the language?"

"Yes. I taught my son but well he lives with his father now and I don't get to speak it with him anymore." Talia said the information to get the girl to relax but the opposite occurred.

(Name) bit her lip, "I apologize if this is sensitive to you but what's your son's name?"

"Damian." Talia observed the girl's reaction. Her shoulders tense, body angling again, one deep breath. "Too bad his father turned him against me."

"How?" The girl blinked after saying the word. Her face was too blank to be natural. The information was throwing her for a loop as she tried to make it fit her reality. They would need to work on that.

Talia shook her head sadly, "I'm not a hundred percent certain what he told my boy but I think... I think he made Damian believe that he was in love with me and I broke his heart. Even though it was the other way around when he cheated on me."

Talia watched as the words hit home with the girl. Oh she had chosen the right story to turn her against Bruce. The girl gave her an easy smile that was a smidge too tense in the corners, "Yeah. I'll be here tomorrow. Can I ask one last question?"

"Go ahead." Talia gestured with her hand.

"Do you happened to know any self defense teachers?" Determination morphed her features. It made her come alive in a sense. That fire she saw yesterday back in her eyes and brighter. Confidence shifted her stance into one more sure.

"Oh I know several material arts teachers."

Bruce sat in his car, rubbing his brow. In a little over twenty-four hours since his youngest had shown up at manor things had arguably gotten worst. First the information coming out about (Name) never being at school followed by a full blown investigation by his kids. Than there was what the others had officially dub "The shit list". Damian had become so upset he secluded himself in the barn. Last but certainly not less were the changes the other reported in his youngest.

Dick's last phone call said she was at the library researching for 'school'. They had decided to watch her through the cameras believing space was what she actually need. Yet one thing was clear from the little time she had spent in the manor since coming back. Whatever had happened was traumatic and she was not going to tell them directly. Perhaps whoever had her was now stalking her to ensure she wouldn't cooperate.

Bruce would double the manor's security. He wouldn't fail one of his kids a second time. She hadn't arrived home from the library yet, so Bruce had time to prepare. Taking one last deep breath he exited the car. First stop the Batcave to get an update on investigation.

Bruce might as well have entered a war zone. At least there he would know where to start. Dick and Jason were in a screaming match about who should have been checking in on her. Tim was two steps away from drinking coffee straight from the pot, while pouring over financial records. Barbara looked like she was having an aneurysm. Cass was analysising video footage taking notes on presumably her body language. Duke was being interrogate being Steph on how (Name) acted while the two were out and what she could have been writing in "the shit list."

"Status report." His voice shattered the chaos in a matter of seconds. "Oracle you go first."

"I searched through city wide surveillance feeds and found some video footage from a few days ago. It seems like who ever had her did chase after but..." Oracle, Barbara trailed off. The screen flash to show (Name) being chased by an armed pursuer. In two seconds, she had turned thrown a knife of some kind than ran down an another alleyway. Her pursuer fell to the ground weapon lodged in his throat. "Police reports identified him as James Lenon, a low level criminal with a history of violence. He had a scalpel in his trachea and was pronounced dead on arrival of the scene."

Bruce now understood why Barbara looked ready to have an aneurysm. This footage showed (Name) committing murder. Just to get away from whoever was holding her captive. He could only imagine what might have pushed her to that point. That or she didn't know the guy was dead. It would technically count as self defense either way but not a good sign.

Barbara typed something on her laptop before another video appeared. "Than there's this one." It show (Name) running off screen injured. When she reappeared the injuries were gone, not even a speck of blood. The video ended with (Name) throwing a mangled bullet at the camera. An act of defiance, but towards who.

"Has this video been edited?"

"No. This is the orginial video. Do you think she might actually be a meta?" The room filled with anticipation at that.

Bruce nodded once, "we'll need to test her DNA but the odds are good. Red Robin what do you have?"

"She was telling the truth about her card being stolen. It would seem whoever stole it though knew better than to use it to pay for something directly. All of it's cash withdrawals, the ATMs used are in Gotham though so it's all local. Oracle any updates on ATM footage?"

"Na-da. They're smart, covered their faces with sunglasses and sick masks. Generic brand sunglasses and disposable mask so no identifying markers. They wear them on video until they disappear." Barbara brought several still shots onto the screen.

Bruce nodded to the two, taking in the information. It assumable from the ATM footage alone there were multiple people involved in this. They would need to identify which group had the most to gain.

"Nightwing, Red Hood. What did your investigation of the PO box reveal?"

"They scorched the damn place the night she escaped." Jason dropped a picture of a burnt and destroyed PO boxes on the table. One box in the third row was circled "Also destroyed any mail going to all the PO boxes on that wall. Feds are looking into it since the post office was involved, I couldn't get closer than that."

"The person who orginially opened the box, Marcus Antonio, was found dead last night." Dick placed crime scene photos on the table. A man with a singular bullet wound laid in a pool of blood. There were tipped over and rifled through drawers, books, coffee containers. The scene was mess. "Decided to take a look around. It was a clean hit but catch this. The guy had loads of cash stashed all over the place. GCPD thinks it was a robbery gone wrong since they didn't take all of it and left in a hurry. With what we know, I think it was a targeted attack. They mostly just took the cash they could find, figuring they were going to get cut off"

Tim interrupted, "I second that. All cash withdrawals stopped the day after she escaped. They pulled more than they usually did so the bank flagged the card. It's shut off pending investigation."

Bruce nodded. It was likely that most of the people involved were going to leave Gotham. Cash would be necessary for that. "Any sign of the mail?"

"No but he had a burn bucket in the bedroom." Dick shook his head. Leaning against the table he sighed. "They're getting rid of evidence quickly and have a three day head start."

"Orphan."

"She shows signs of hyper vigilance, avoids cameras, and I think she probing us for information." Cassandra looked up from the tablet she was using one.

"Wait, she's probing us for information?" Tim stopped typing on his laptop before throwing his head back and groaning. "She's become one mystery after another."

"At the breakfast table. She was trying to figure out if we read her diary, was gauging how we all reacted to her mentioning school, and was ensuring the debit card got closed out. The roommates she referred to as troublesome were probably the gaurds."

Everyone nodded. Bruce looked to Barbara, "I want a video of breakfast this morning. I need to know exactly what was said. Spoiler, Signal."

"If she doesn't have PTSD I don't know what she has." Steph leaned back in her chair rubbing her eyes. "Though this one wasn't pay any special anytime to her behavior."

"I didn't know I was supposed to. I genuinely thought she was upset because Damian attacked and having to leave 'school' early." Duke ran a hand over his face. "In the hours we spent at the mall, she implied she had to leave school quickly because something really bad happened. That and she's..."

Duke froze, pieces connecting in his head. When he looked at Bruce, horror started to mix with realization. "Was she a Meta two years ago?"

There was a pregnant pause as everyone in the room thought. Bruce shook his, "No. She never showed signs of being a Meta."

"Disappeared for two years, comes back with meta abilities, refers to the thing making her leave as really bad with potentially two triggers for her being needles and the smell of disinfectant." Duke looked at all of them more pieces falling into place. Bruce's eyebrows knitted together. Duke was on to something but for the life of him, Bruce could piece it together? "What was happening two years when she disappeared? Other than that Joker attack."

It finally hit Bruce what Duke was getting at. Two years ago Meta Human traffickers stop looking for ways to find 'product'. Instead they began looking for ways to create new it. There were reports of them doing horrifying things to create new meta humans. It didn’t work because most of them lacked the funding to get the necessary chemicals and equipment.

Yet, with a Wayne kid's debit card that gets weekly deposits. He even gave her a higher amount than the others because she was supposedly aboard. It was possible but there was one missing component for this. "There are no meta humans in my biological family. She wouldn't have the gene to activate."

"And her mother's half of the family?" It was a valid question for Duke to ask. Bruce thought for a second, had her mother had a meta in her family. She mentioned an aunt that was disowned but that was it.

"Spoiler I want you looking into her mother's side of the family." Bruce gave the command before looking across the room again. "Red Hood start looking into Meta Human Traffickers who went off the grid two years ago. Red Robin you're in charge of looking into whoever made those withdrawals. Find out where that cash went. Oracle, look into the two people we've identified as being involved, get contacts, favorite hunts, anything you can. Send that information to Oprhan and Signal. You two are with me in tracking them down."

"What about me B?" Dick gave Bruce a questioning look.

"You're going to talk with (Name) and get her to open up to you." Bruce nodded at Dick, "Go be her older brother."

Prev Next

Taglist:

@stove-top96 @mysticalhills @00hellohello00 @a-lurking-fae @yhin-gg @twismare @charlenexoxo1 @moondust-clouds @darkumbreon92 @jsprien213 @bellethesleepypotato @time-shardz @randomlyappearingartist

[izzysink]

𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬

𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒙 𝒇𝒆𝒎! 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡: 𝟷𝟽𝟺𝟿 ✎ 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑠: 𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 ✎ 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ✎ 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝟷 ✎ 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝟸 ✎ 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝟹

𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑜 = @lanalosty0uu - you should totally check out their steve x reader time travel fic here on Tumblr!

I'm currently undecided on who to pair the reader with atm lol 🌝 but that means that it's kinda up to you 🫵 :0 if you have a character you'd like for the pairing, drop a comment and if I like them or feel it fits with the story I'll use them!! but!!! I won't write poly so you've gotta pick one 😔 ik ik it's a hard choice babes I know you can do it!! can you tell I like exclamation points

“I’m heading out! I’ll be back after my comp-sci class!” you call to your friend Hannah from the door of your dorm at Hawkins Community College, waiting a moment for a sleepy response from the pile of blankets at the end of your roommate’s bed. You shut the door, not bothering to lock it because you knew Hannah had a class pretty soon anyway. You whistle down the small corridor of the singular dormitory for HCC, checking your bag for the essentials; laptop, phone, charger, wallet, keys. 

You’d never expected to end up in Hawkins. Your parents had envisioned you going to an ivy league since you were little, enrolling you in extracurriculars and tutoring as soon as you could read and write; but you didn’t really want that for yourself, you weren’t the best at school - not the worst, but you weren’t yale level, like your parents wanted. After your parents insisted you only apply for places like Harvard and MIT, it didn’t surprise you that by the end of senior year you had no college to drive off to like so many of your friends. You had scrambled to find a place at any college that would take you, scraping the barrel for empty spaces, until a college from the middle-of-nowhere-Indiana, Hawkins, accepted you and your average test scores for a computer science course.

Walking to the campus, you check your phone, giggling at the bickering of your friends on the group chat and the tiktoks Hannah sent you last night. Hawkins Community College has its own campus, but it uses the old high school building as well (a new building was made for Hawkins High in the 2000s, and the old one went out of use until the community college picked it up and refurbished it for the Arts building).

You didn’t have any arts classes, but there was a little known shortcut through the old high school building to the main college campus, and you had made the route your little ritual of the week. It calmed you to walk through the old halls and be saturated in that old school smell and oil paints, getting to see unfinished paintings hung on the walls to dry or works in progress sat against the wall. There was a corridor on the way to the shortcut that was lined with shelving units, all stuffed full with bowles and sculptures and mugs. Your favourite little ritual was to see which ceramics had been kilned, picked up, or painted each week you had your comp-sci 101 class. 

This week, the swirling set of green plates you’d been eyeing for yourself had disappeared, whisked away by their creator. In their place sat an array of little figurines, you guessed they were for a board game of some sort with their angry poses and weapons, axes and magic wands held delicately in their hands. You were entranced in the precision and detail of the mini figures, quiet admiration floating in your mind as you continued on to your class.

The shortcut was just through a door on the left, it led into a small, little used drama room that had a back entrance door to the yard of the lecture building of Hawkins College. Checking your bun in the glass of the old classroom door, you made sure your claw clip was still in place as you opened the door and–

A chorus of sound burst from the dimly lit room, a small group of high school boys sat around a table in matching black and white shirts, a boy your age with a mop of curly hair sat at the head of the table on a plush armchair. The table was filled with dice and figurines and pens and paper, you guessed it was DnD, you had a couple of friends back home who played, and you’d even sat in on a couple of sessions with them before deciding it wasn’t for you.

As soon as you were noticed, all sound stopped, their faces turning to you in surprise. “Oh my god I’m so sorry,” you said, inching past the table towards the back door, “I didn’t realise this room was being used, I’ll be out in a moment don’t worry,” you flash a sheepish grin to the hoard of teenage boys gaping at you. Insecurity bubbled in your stomach a bit, they’re like 12, you thought, snap out of it, you’re in college now! 

Nobody replied, which you thought was a bit rude, but oh well, you had a degree to earn, and you probably wouldn’t see them again anyway. You opened the back door to head to the IT building, but when you stepped outside, it felt like you were sucked into an 80s time capsule, neons and shoulder pads and straight leg jeans assaulted your eyes from every corner. Also, why were there so many teenagers? The high school was a 20 minute walk away from the college. You got a couple of odd looks from some seniors, all decked out with massive hair and even bigger earrings, you could tell some cheerleaders were judging your outfit, which, rude, you thought you looked pretty cute today. You were wearing some baggy low waist jeans with the mini Ugg boots you’d gotten for Christmas a few months earlier, as well as a baby tee with a cute cat graphic on the front. To top it all off, you’d worn your favorite jacket and some little hoop earrings.

Walking backwards, you went back into the minor safety of the inside, at least the drama room had less kids having an 80s phase. You paused once the door shut with a click, looking around confusedly at the room you hadn’t noticed when you walked through seconds prior. You were pretty sure that whiteboard wasn’t there before, the same with that rack of costumes and those desks piled in the corner. The thing that caught you off guard the most was the writing on the whiteboard. There, marked in neat red pen, was the date 10/03/1986.

The hell? 

You tried to ignore the boys sitting around the table who were obviously staring at you as you fished your phone out of your bag, checking the date, yeah, 10/03/2025. You looked up and down from your phone to the whiteboard a couple times before awkwardly walking back to the other door. You’d take the long way then. 

You opened the door before immediately closing it again. 

Hell. No. 

“You okay there, princess?” your head snapped up to meet the eyes of the guy at the head of the table. Looking at him more closely, he looked like a total 80s metal head, crazy hair and rings on each finger. You mouthed a response, not really knowing what to say, I’m stuck in an 80s revival high school, surrounded by teenagers with big hair and all of the dates on the walls say it's 1986 when last time I checked it was 2025 and I’m late to my comp-sci class and-, you get the point.

Since you figured you didn’t have anything else to lose you asked, “sorry, um- where am I?” A younger boy, you guessed a freshman, with baby fat and a mess of curls made a face at your response, “Hawkins High?” he answered with a lisp blinking at you confusedly as you panicked over the new information. How could you have gotten from your college to a building 20 minutes away?

Scratch that, what the hell was going on?

“Okay, thanks,” you say distractedly as you think of what to do next, you look back to the eldest boy, you really needed to catch his name, “Do–” you were cut off by the bell, a lethargic pickup of footsteps outside the door telling you that it was lesson time next, not the end of school.

A chorus of groans rang out in the room as the boys got up dejectedly to get to their next class. You were swept up in the wave of kids exiting the room before you could get another word in edgewise and you found yourself back in the middle of an 80s tornado as the boys dispersed to their respective classes.

The one who had sat at the head of the table leant against the wall as you stood in the middle of the corridor, marveling at the disappearance of your favorite pottery shelves, instead replaced by school lockers and wall decals with various Hawkins High memorabilia. Students swerved around you, giving you odd looks and confused faces, you were clearly in the wrong place.

When the corridor emptied and the halls quietened, the boy spoke up, “I take it you’re not from around here? I’m Eddie,” you spared him a glance before introducing yourself. Don’t get you wrong, he seemed sweet and all, but your mind was a little preoccupied to engage in small-talk.

You decided to at least leave the school, it would be really awkward if a teacher found a college student just wandering the halls, but then again, looks like we’re in the 80s now, and from what your parents had told you about growing up in the 80s, most people wouldn’t care that much about some rando in the school.

You thought it better not to test your luck. “I’m… gonna go,” you tell Eddie, not waiting for a response before beelining it back the way you came. Navigating the hallways, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder at how different everything looked, how there was still art on the walls, but done by different people, there were club posters smattered around the school, basketball tryouts were next week apparently, and the walls were almost pristine compared to the paint and grime smudged college block it had become almost 40 years in the future.

You sped-walked through the front office, trying to make it seem like you weren’t not supposed to be there, and burst into the midday sun, tension melting out of your muscles immediately once you escaped the high school.

You stood there for a few minutes, wondering what to do. You didn’t want to even think the utterly stupid idea that kept prodding at your mind. Worried that if you allow yourself to question it that you’d go insane. Not that this situation wasn’t already insane.

You heard your stomach rumble. Well, food didn’t seem like such a bad start.

𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑠! 🤍

[svnnyd4ys]

The Leftenmost Window characters in a (modern) British school

(this is based off of my school, so yk might not be accurate for everywhere ofc)

SALLY XAVIER - she is one of the netball girls (PE teachers love her) - "You going shops at break?" - in year 10 (9th grade) - took PE, Food Tech, Art and Geography GCSE (a lot of coursework) - she and her netball gang basically occupy one of the girl's bathrooms in the geography block every break and lunch - very good at maths/sciences, doesn't try but still manages to get good results, so even when she isn't paying attention, the teachers don't really get mad at her - has about 5 Victoria's Secret or So...? body sprays in her bag at all times - always accidentally leaves her food tech ingredients at home - always gets called Samantha by teachers (even though they don't really look *that* similar) - nice when she's not with her netball friends, but will ignore you if she is - spends a lot of time in her head of years office because she gets overwhelmed by everything very easily, and her HOY is her biggest support system - her school tie is criminally bad (it starts off good but as soon as she gets into the school building, she gets 'swot-knotted' and gives up) and she never wears her blazer

SAMANTHA XAVIER - used to be a netball girl, but quit in year 11 (unlike Sally, she wasn't close with the people on her netball team) - "Who took my lanyard?" - in year 13 (final year of high school) - took English Literature, English Language and Biology for her A-Levels - suffers from migraines and spends a lot of her time in the medical office/listening services because they're the quietest places in school - building on that, she has an LSS pass which means she can take breaks from lesson if she needs and the teachers aren't allowed to stop her - passed all of her GCSEs apart from German (she took Computer Science, German, Drama and PE) - has been going out with Egbert since year 10, because they were in the same GCSE Drama group - pretends not to know Sally in the hallways, but will go into Sally's classrooms to drop off bags and any books that she forgot by loudly announcing it and embarrassing her - applied to be head girl, but got rejected because of her attendance - has at least 5 hair bobbles on her person at all time, because her biology teacher gives them a lot of practicals and goes mad if you don't tie your hair back - absolutely despises assemblies

EGBERT BABB-DAILEY - used to be a roadman, but pulled his act together at the end of year 11 and managed to pass all of his GCSEs (everybody was very proud of him) - "You're actually such a beg." - in year 13 and took German, Maths and Economics A-levels - student librarian because he feels bad for the amount of chaos he used to cause to the actual librarians - his teachers chose his GCSEs for him, because he really just didn't care and got good grades in everything anyways (ended up in RE, Drama, German and Triple Science) - pushes in line in the canteen because he's a sixth former and therefore priority /hj (the teachers love him, so he doesn't get in trouble) - gets in trouble for being on his phone in the lower school - has at least 5 hair bobbles of Samantha's all the time, just in case she loses hers - his mum is an ICT teacher so he always goes and hangs out in her classroom - lives next door to Peter Stephen and is always late because he has to walk Peter to school, and Peter is always late

ALEXANDER XAVIER - Economics/Woodwork teacher and year 8 tutor - "If you swing on that chair you'll fall backwards and smash your head open. I saw it happen!" - strict, but most of the students love him - when he has to give an assembly, he mysteriously goes off sick - whenever Egbert comes over to see Samantha, it turns into a tutoring session - never immediately tells people the answers, and will stare at them until they at least say something - comes into school very early to set things up, and Sally usually goes in earlier with him

THOMASIN XAVIER - part time drama teacher (has dizzy spells which means she has to take time out) - "Uh, girls! This isn't a salon!" - loved by students who have her for A-Level/GCSE but those who only have her because they're forced to despise her lessons - lets you eat in her class as long as you have brought enough for everyone and are actually doing work (she will check) - takes note of which students are comfortable performing vs those who aren't and acts accordingly - comes into school later than her husband, and Samantha drives her in

[worldmediathewhowhatwhen]

A Catholic nun was the first U.S. woman to earn a Ph.D. in computer science.

Although computer science goes back to the 19th century, the academic field really came into its own in the early 1960s. The first United States graduates with advanced computer science degrees emerged in the middle of that decade, and the first two Ph.D. candidates graduated on the same day (from different schools) on June 7, 1965. One of the graduates was not only the first U.S. woman to earn a Ph.D. in the field, but also a nun: Sister Mary Kenneth Keller, who earned her degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. (The other candidate was Irving Tang of Washington University in St. Louis.)

Keller was born Evelyn Keller, and her name was changed to Mary Kenneth after she took her vows with the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM) in 1933 at age 19. She was assigned to teach elementary and high school for the next 29 years, so she earned her academic degrees slowly so as not to interfere with her duties. She graduated from DePaul University with a bachelor’s degree in mathematical sciences in 1943 and a master’s in mathematics in 1952.

Keller was working as a high school math teacher in Chicago when she took her first computer workshop in 1961. “I just went out to look at a computer one day,” she told religious publication The Witness, “and I never came back.” By delegating mundane tasks to computers, Keller said, people could “aspire to higher levels of thinking.” After graduation, she founded the computer science department at Clarke University, a college founded by the BVM in Dubuque, Iowa. She also taught adult computer classes on the side, including tutoring the famed architect Buckminster Fuller, and helped develop educational modules for BASIC programming.

An escaped Renaissance nun lived her life as a swashbuckling man.

Soon after Spanish Basque nun Catalina de Erauso, born in the late 16th century, escaped her convent at age 15, she sewed her first set of men’s clothing from her own habit. She lived the rest of her life under multiple assumed male identities, eventually settling on Antonio de Erauso. During her many adventures, she killed seven people (including her own brother), took women as lovers, worked as a soldier in Latin America, and had multiple run-ins with the law, including avoiding two death sentences. After disclosing her story to a bishop in 1623, she became an international celebrity.

[noidahometutor]

Home tutor in Sector 44 Noida | Noidahometutor

The Ultimate Guide to Finding the Best Home Tutor in Sector 44, Noida

Are you looking for a qualified home tutor in Sector 44, Noida? Whether your child needs help with schoolwork, exam prep, or skill building, the right tutor can greatly enhance their learning experience.

Why Choose a Home Tutor in Sector 44, Noida?

Sector 44, Noida, is a well-connected area where families value quality education. A home tutor provides: ✔ One-on-one attention for better understanding ✔ Customized learning pace for each student ✔ Flexible timings to fit busy lives ✔ No travel stress—learning happens at home

Subjects & Levels Covered

Whether your child is in pre-school, CBSE, ICSE, or preparing for competitive exams, expert tutors in Sector 44, Noida, cover: Math, Science, English, Social Studies  Hindi, Sanskrit, French, and other languages  Computer Science, Coding, and Robotics  JEE, NEET, Olympiads, and more

How to Choose the Best Home Tutor?

 Check Qualifications & Experience – Look for tutors with relevant degrees and teaching skills.

  Student Reviews & Feedback – Past performance is key.

  Teaching Methodology – Engaging methods work best.

  Trial Session – Many tutors offer a demo class to see if they fit.

Benefits of Home Tutoring Over Coaching Centers

Personalized attention –  No distractions from other students.

Convenient scheduling – Learn when it suits you.

Stronger student-tutor bond – Better communication boosts improvement.  

Regular progress tracking – Parents receive frequent updates.

Final Thoughts

Investing in a home tutor in Sector 44, Noida, gives your child personalized support, better grades, and more confidence. Start your search today and see the positive change in their academic performance!

[dlftutor]

The Best Home Tutors in Sector 54, Gurugram – DLF Tutor Excellence

Finding the right home tutor in Sector 54, Gurugram, can be a game-changer for your child’s academic success. With the increasing competition in schools and the need for personalized attention, a home tutor from DLF Tutor ensures that your child receives top-quality education tailored to their learning style. Whether it’s CBSE, ICSE, IGCSE, or competitive exams like JEE, NEET, or Olympiads, having an experienced tutor at home can make all the difference.

Why Choose a Home Tutor in Sector 54, Gurugram?

Sector 54 is a prime educational hub in Gurugram, home to some of the best schools and coaching centers. However, classroom learning often lacks individual focus, which is where DLF Tutor’s home tutoring services excel. Our tutors provide:

✔ Personalized Learning – Customized lesson plans based on your child’s strengths and weaknesses. ✔ Flexible Timings – Sessions scheduled as per your convenience. ✔ One-on-One Attention – No distractions, just focused learning. ✔ Strong Foundation Building – Concept clarity in subjects like Math, Science, English, and Coding. ✔ Exam Preparation – Specialized coaching for board exams, NTSE, CUET, and more.

Subjects & Expertise Offered

Our home tutors in Sector 54, Gurugram, cover a wide range of subjects and levels:

 School Curriculum – CBSE, ICSE, IB, IGCSE (All Grades)  Science & Math – Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Advanced Mathematics  Computer & Coding – Python, Java, Web Development for school students  Languages – English, Hindi, French, German (Spoken & Written)  Competitive Exams – JEE, NEET, Olympiads, SAT, GMAT

Why DLF Tutor Stands Out?

✅   Highly Qualified Tutors – We select only the best educators with verified credentials. ✅   Interactive Teaching Methods – Engaging sessions with real-life examples. ✅   Regular Progress Reports – Parents get updates on their child’s improvement. ✅   Affordable & Trusted – Competitive pricing with assured results.

Book Your Home Tutor Today!

If you’re searching for the best home tutor in Sector 54, Gurugram, DLF Tutor is your ideal choice. We ensure academic excellence with a structured and student-friendly approach.

 Call Now to schedule a free demo session and give your child the learning edge they deserve!

Serving All Areas in Gurugram – DLF Phase 1-5, Sector 54, Sohna Road, Golf Course Road & More!

[careercontact1]

job opportunities in chennai for freshers - Career.contact

Job Opportunities in Chennai for Freshers

Finishing college and stepping into the job market is a big milestone. It’s exciting, confusing, and sometimes overwhelming. One of the first big decisions is choosing where to start your career. If you’re considering Chennai, you’re already heading in a smart direction.

Chennai is among India's most vibrant cities in terms of job prospects. It has a robust industry complemented by an emerging technology and services economy. For newcomers, that translates to choices — many of them — cutting across industries and job types.

A Strong Tech and IT Presence

When one hears about jobs in Chennai, IT is the first thing that comes to mind. And rightly so. The city has some of the big IT parks, particularly along OMR and Guindy. Freshers with a computer science, information technology, or even electronics and communication background can get jobs in software development, testing, support, and so on.

Startups are also gaining momentum, so you can even venture into product-based firms that seek young minds with fresh ideas.

Core Engineering Jobs

If you belong to a mechanical, civil, or electrical background, Chennai has something concrete to offer. Dubbed the "Detroit of India," it's a hub for the automobile and manufacturing sector. Several plants, both local and multinational, have units in and around the city.

Freshers can apply for entry-level positions in design, production, maintenance, and quality control. These positions tend to provide hands-on experience, which can be a major advantage early in your career.

BPO and Customer Support Positions

Chennai is also well-represented in the BPO and customer service industries. These careers are available to graduates with backgrounds in a broad spectrum of schools — and to many, they're the bridge to the corporate world.

They get you used to hard work, verbal communication, and timely work — all essential no matter what career path you later end up in.

Finance, Admin & Operations

Commerce and business graduates will find many opportunities in Chennai’s finance and corporate services sector. Banks, consultancies, and backend offices of large firms are always on the lookout for fresh talent to fill roles in accounting, data processing, admin support, and more.

These positions can serve as the groundwork for building a career in finance, business analysis, or management over time.

Media, Content, and Digital Careers

The creative ecosystem in Chennai has been steadily developing over the past couple of years. Digital marketing agencies, content studios, YouTube channels, and design companies are always on the lookout for new content creators, social media managers, video editors, and graphic designers.

If you're a fresher with good creative skills, a good portfolio, or even just an active blog or Instagram account — you may already possess what it takes to begin.

Education and EdTech

With its high-learning environment, Chennai is also an ideal location to begin a career in teaching or education services. EdTech websites, schools, and training schools recruit freshers as tutors, content writers, coordinators, or counselors.

If you are interested in teaching or student services, this is an area worth pursuing — given the success of online learning.

Conclusion

Beginning a career is seldom easy, but the right city can ease the process. Chennai has plenty of job opportunities for freshers — whether you're an engineering graduate, a business school graduate, or a creative mind.

The city boasts a friendly work environment, a comparatively lower living cost than other metros, and a combination of old and new industries. Your initial job may not be ideal — and that's alright. What counts is to start, and learn as much as you can on your way up.

If you remain open, flexible, and willing to learn, Chennai can prove to be a wonderful place to establish the building blocks of a successful career.

[autumnalwalker]

Empty Names - 20 - Changeling Child

Author's Note: In which Ashan helps out a fairy that just realized they aren't human and draws uncomfortable parallels to his own experiences. Also, Lacuna horrifies everyone with mad science. There were a lot of delays with life generally getting in the way of this chapter being written, but I am a little proud of myself for just barely squeezing this in before the year ends, as per the goal I set for myself a month ago (in my home time zone anyhow). That said, I didn't manage to give this chapter my usual once-over full reread before posting, so I won't be too surprised if I edit this post later, if only to add the spoiler commentary to the tags. Hope you enjoy, and Happy New Year, everyone. Minor edits to wording/typos have now been made and additional commentary has been added to the tags. Word Count: 11,337 Content Warnings: Fantasy fight scene violence. Attempted (but failed) mind control. Passing reference of blood and gore without detail. Mild body horror. Deadnaming and misgendering a trans person (not Lacuna for once).

<-Previous Chapter Masterpost Next Chapter->

It is a strange thing, to suddenly obtain a new material possession when one has previously made a point of keeping as few as possible.  Stranger still when that new possession is slightly too big to fit into the folded space within the sleeves of your robe to keep safely on your person at all times.  Eris did however include a white carrying case to go along with the matte-black laptop she gifted to Ashan last week, so that is something.  It is not quite the same shade of white as his robe, but it is close enough that Ashan appreciates the thought.

For the time being, that laptop has stayed hooked up inside the guestroom within Bridgewood Manor that Ashan has been occupying since that first mission with Road nearly two months ago.  At Lacuna’s urging he has tried to incorporate it into his morning and evening routines, if only to check the electronic mail.  Thus far that has mostly just consisted of messages from Lacuna containing images with humor he is still grasping, the occasional suggestion from Eris regarding educational resources, and one from Bridgewood congratulating the three of them on connecting to the Manor’s WiFi.  That last part had been nearly as esoteric process as Lacuna’s explanation of memes, and that had rapidly devolved into a rambling lecture about long cats, defunct deities, a philosopher called Plato, dual linguistic meanings lost in translation, and the ultimately futile and deceptive nature of the written word.

Whether it had been Lacuna’s intention or not, that extended feline rant led to his spending even more of his downtime on the computer than in the Bridgewood library since then.  Not for the memes, but to find out who Plato was.  That reference to an (apparently) historic figure as if familiarity were assumed once more drove home the fact that being stolen away before even completing an elementary-level education made him a foreigner in his own homeland.  True, Aliana had tutored him on mathematics, logic, literary analysis, and other such skills in addition to magic, but none of the history or philosophy he learned under her guiding hand came from Earth.  And why would it have?

But now this strange little bifurcated box offered a way to, if not fully amend, then at least mitigate that ignorance.  While Ashan had long been aware of the Internet and its theoretical use as a store of knowledge and a communication medium, between a childhood in a home without a computer and adolescence spent in world without electronics he had never really experienced it until Eris showed up at the Lonely Walk office and handed him a surprise gift.  To hear about it is one thing, but to actually scroll through the pages upon pages listing titles for tens of thousands of transcribed books free for access and hyperlinked inter-referencing encyclopedia articles tracing an interwoven tapestry of conceptual linkage from ancient philosophers to arboreal bearcats was another thing entirely.  Ashan had known scholars on Orthon who would weep with joy and envy at the mere idea of such a library. 

Admittedly, there were some complications with exploring the wider Internet caused by his translation charm not knowing how to handle trying to use a keyboard.  Writing words by hand had been bad enough ever since the onset of his condition, causing whatever he wrote to come out as a pidgin of a dozen or so different languages - many of which he had never even personally encountered before - that was effectively gibberish to anyone without translation magic of their own or a very intense interest in linguistics.  Trying to force his thoughts through a single achingly unrecognizable symbol at a time to try to form words specifically in a language that had been stolen from him was… distressing.  Speech recognition software had proven no better, with the device - as Eris explained it to her - responding to specific physical sound patterns without any true perception happening for his charm to tap into.  But he still has the collection of links and bookmarks his friends had sent him, and that is proving to more than suffice.  Just those first two resources Eris provided him with were more than could be read in a single human lifetime.

Friends.  What a wonderful thing to be able to call someone.  How had he never realized what he was missing?

So now, on this particular morning, after his long-standing morning rituals of exercise and meditation (and a breakfast that he is perfectly capable of remembering and not putting off when there are not more pressing matters to attend to), Ashan turns on his laptop and checks his electronic mail.  There is one new message, sent from Lacuna at two in the morning.

Its subject line reads “Simulations are done.”

Ashan is not normally one to hurry or rush things.  Ashan barely takes the time to skim the full text of the message before closing the laptop and departing from Bridgewood Manor and the surrounding Estate at the quickest possible pace that will not leave him visibly winded.  The brief time that it takes to reach the tree bridge that will transport him to its twin tree across the street from the office feels like an age in his excitement, and he tries to remind himself that after this long of a wait a few extra minutes will not make a difference.  It is certainly nothing worth breaking decorum over, even with no one else around.

An eager grin the like of which has not graced his face in years creeps in all the same as he steps out of the Bridgewood Estate’s secure transit between the trees and into the early morning sunshine.

He crosses the street and then the sidewalk, and then the outermost of the security wards surrounding the Lonely Walk Outreach Agency.  Invisible to the mundane or inattentive eye though they might be, after all the time he has spent adjusting and fine tuning them it is difficult for Ashan not to perceive them as a shifting rainbow lattice-work overlaid in concentric bubbles around the refurbished antique building.

The front door is unlocked, indicating that Lacuna must already be inside, given that Road and Eris were not expecting to be back from the followup to their most recent mission for another day or two.  Ashan heads straight downstairs towards Lacuna’s basement lab; the woman is hardly ever anywhere else these days.

And yet, when the door slides open he finds her usual chair unoccupied despite all the computer monitors surrounding it being turned on.  Ashan’s first thought is that she has simply stepped out for a moment to feed or relieve herself, but then he notices the figure displayed on the monitors.  Eight different cameras at eight different angles and levels of zoom are displaying eight live feeds split across two screens  Eight mechanical eyes watch a faceless white mannequin in worn and baggy clothes standing almost perfectly still in the middle of an evenly-lit blank white room.  Its chest and shoulders rise and fall to the rhythm of slow and steady breaths despite the lack of mouth or nose.  A timestamp on one of the video feeds tells Ashan that the recording has been running for nearly five hours now.

Ashan crosses the lab to the testing chamber door where he finds the clothes Lacuna was wearing yesterday lying crumpled on the floor.  Curiosity morphing into concern, he hits the large red button to open the testing chamber doors and steps inside.

The mannequin takes no notice of him.

“Hello,” Ashan softly calls out to the figure.

No response.

“Lacuna, is that you?” Ashan asks, sliding his wand out of his sleeve and into his hand in a practiced gesture.

A shudder runs through the mannequin.

“Lacuna,” Ashan emphasizes the name, “are you alright?”  Cautiously easing closer, he realizes that the mannequin is making a fist around something in one of its hands.

The mannequin twitches and jerks, contorting its limbs.

“Lacuna, may I see what that is you are holding?”

The mannequin goes still again before slowly turning its head down to eyelessly look at the hand it has brought up to chest level.  Its fingers uncurl to reveal a sphere of interwoven plastic tendrils that rolls off of its hand and shatters when it hits the ground.

In an instant, the mannequin grows three inches, shifts its skin from blank white to a mere sickly pale with the occasional freckle, sprouts hair, and contracts its blank face to reveal the contours of features.

It surprises Ashan just how light Lacuna is when she falls forward into his arms.  He is barely even eye level with her shoulder on the rare occasions she stands up straight, but he realizes now just how much she is skin and bones beneath the loose-fitting clothing she always seems to favor.

“Don’t tell Eris,” Lacuna breathes into his ear before passing out.

*******

“I’m sorry,” Lacuna apologizes for the tenth time since waking up.    The first three times had come in quick succession upon regaining consciousness a minute or so after fainting.  The fourth came when asking for a moment of privacy to change back into her clothes from yesterday, and the fifth when emerging from her lab some minutes later.  The sixth was a part of turning down Ashan’s advice to put herself into the autodoc suite.  The seventh was instigated by her stumbling on the stairs ascending out of the office’s basement, which in turn led to the eighth when accepting Ashan’s offer to help her up.  The ninth took the place of thanks when Ashan unstuck the cap she was struggling with on the bottle of apple juice she retrieved from the refrigerator.  What this latest one is for is less immediately apparent.

Now she sits at the other end of the kitchen table from Ashan, staring down at an empty wrapper of plain salted crackers.  Stripes of morning light cut between the window blinds and divvy up the space between them.

“For what are you sorry this time?” Ashan prompts.

Lacuna flinches at the question, withdraws momentarily, and hesitantly answers, “I’m doing it again, aren’t I?  That must be annoying, sor- Gah!  Why do I keep - I mean -” She stumbles over her words a few more times before closing her eyes, holding up one finger, and taking a long drink to drain the rest of her glass.  Setting down the glass, she opens her eyes and tries again while drumming her fingers on her arms in a rolling motion.

“I should have gone to bed and gotten a decent night’s sleep after sending you that message.  So that I’d be able to help you today.  Instead I got over-excited and tried to squeeze in a little bit of time now that the server load was free.  For a personal project.  Selfish.”

“Apology accepted,” Ashan says, keeping the disappointment out of his voice.  He tries to tell himself that just one more day of waiting will not hurt him.  And if Lacuna is a reckless enough enchanter to run some manner of botched transmutation ritual on herself, perhaps it would be for the best that he does not let her try to experimentally “help” him.  “But why did you not want me to tell Eris?  Friends are supposed to aid one another when distressed, are they not?”

“I don’t want her to worry about me.  Same for Road,” she mumbles.

“You mean to say that becoming stuck as a faceless imitation of a human being all night is not cause for concern?”

“It’s fine!” Lacuna snaps defensively and then shrinks back from her own raised voice.  “It’s fine,” she says more quietly.  “I’m fine.  I’m fine.  It’s a problem I’ve been working for a while now and that’s not even the worst thing that’s happened to me so far.  And the enchantment had a safety timer built in, so I would have been fine.” She raises her head, looking through Ashan rather than at him.  “Compared to some of the other mishaps, this one actually felt… nice?  It was quiet.  Like all the thoughts going in my head all the time finally shut up for once and let me just be.  Awareness without a sense of self to be aware of and in a room with no external stimulus.”  She slaps a hand to her forehead and laughs.  “Okay, wow, that does sound bad when I say it aloud, but I promise I’m fine.  It was actually about as restful as sleeping, I’m just a bit frazzled right now from the sudden jolt back into things.  And probably dehydration.  And maybe low blood sugar.  But I’m good now.  Mostly”

As Ashan opens his mouth to form a reply to that, several other noises interrupt him at once.  The sharp ringing of the outer barrier detecting an intruder with violent intent.  A shout of fear.  A howl of pain.

Before Lacuna can even make a surprised exclamation of her own, Ashan is already out the kitchen, past the repurposed check-in counter, and throwing open the door.  The frightened and haggard individual sporting a denim jacket covered in enamel pins on the other side stops dead in their tracks at the motion of a wand coming within an inch of poking their eye out.  Looking under and past the unexpected visitor’s placatingly raised arms, Ashan catches a glimpse of a smoking pantherine shape on the sidewalk dissipating in a sparkling green haze.  The tree-lined street is left empty except for fallen petals and parked cars.  The blue electric hatchback with claw marks on the side parked nearest to the former bed and breakfast had not been there when Ashan arrived barely half an hour ago.

Ashan’s eyes flick back to the individual standing in front of the door, locking gazes.

“What was that?” he asks.

“I was hoping you could tell me.  Now please, you gotta let me in.  Before it -” 

They double over groaning in pain.  With effort they crane their neck up to reveal a face flickering between two forms.  One of an unremarkably average brown-eyed human with two or three days of unshaven stubble, and the other violet-eyed with smooth, waxy leaf-green skin.  Violet eyes or brown, the look of desperate fear and confusion is the same.  It strikes Ashan how young they are.  No more than late teens.

“Help me,” they gasp.

Ashan guides them to a couch in the nearby living room, locking the door behind them.  They recover quickly enough after lying down - Lacuna catches up just in time to see the surprise guest’s face flicker for the last time - but even after their face settles back to human their left arm remains green.  They cradle it to their chest, as if it were still in pain.  Or as if they were trying to hide it.  Shame?  Fear?  Embarrassment?  All of the above, Ashan guesses.

“Name,” Ashan says, instruction more than question.  He remains standing, alert for the first sign of treachery from whomever he just invited in or of another attempt at entry from whatever that was outside.

“Tam,” the individual on the couch stammers.  “Tam Lin.”  Their green left hand clutches tighter at the utterance.

Ashan stares this Tam Lin down.  On the one hand, that sort of fear - the bewildered fear of having been abruptly thrust Backstage for the first time - is as difficult to fake as it is recognizable.  On the other hand, that which he suspects them to be are known to be excellent actors and none of their kind would so easily give away their Name.

“Tell me Tam Lin,” Ashan asks, “what brings you here today?” 

The green hand twitches at the Name’s emphasis, even without any attempt at nominal magic infused into his voice.  Yes, definitely one of the fair folk, but why the guileless deception?  Why take such risk with a Name freely spoken, as sensitive as their kind are to that?

“The website,” Tam says,  “it said you can help with weird stuff like this.  You can help me, right?”

“Most likely,” Ashan answers, “but first we need to know more specifically what your problem is.”

“If I may,” Lacuna speaks up from where she has perched on an ottoman at the other end of the couch from Tam.  As she slips her phone back into her skirt pocket and intently looks Tam up and down all her earlier disorientation has vanished completely.  Ashan knows that eager, almost hungry look.  It is a look he has seen on experimentally-minded wizards presented with a unique specimen and alchemists greedily eying rare reagents.  And on children seeing their favorite animal in the flesh for the first time.

With only the slightest misgiving, Ashan nods in assent.

Lacuna’s eyes light up and she leans in even closer.  “Right.  So.  Tam.  Let me know if I miss the mark anywhere.  As a kid you saw all sorts of fairies and similar magic.  When you got older you wrote them off as childhood make believe, but ever since you had strange and vivid dreams about them.  Maybe you even were one in your dreams.  When you hit puberty, those dreams got more frequent.  More intense.  Easier to remember.  Almost a second life whenever you were at your lowest points.  Still just dreams at the end of the night though.  Nothing you couldn’t put out of mind and focus on the ��real world.’  And then one day.  A recent day.  I would guess.  One or both of your parents died.  Ever since, you’ve started having those dreams every night.  And then every time you closed your eyes.  And then when you looked in the mirror, wide awake, you looked like you did in your dreams.  That’s when something started following you.  Not knowing where else to turn, you turned to the Internet, and found us.  No one answered your calls or the message you left.  That’s my bad.  Real sorry about that.  So you hopped in the car and drove all night to our address.”

Tam stares at her, eyes wide and jaw agape.  “My moms are still alive, but everything else is - how did you know?”

Ashan tilts his head, surprised and curious to know himself.

Lacuna slips back into her usual discomfort, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck.  “Sorry.  That was weird of me, wasn’t it?  Got carried away.  Touches on a… special interest of mine.  So.  Basically.  You’re a changeling.  A fairy swapped with a human baby to be raised in its place to take its Name.”

“You’re joking,” Tam denies.

“You were quite literally shapeshifting in front of me,” Ashan points out.

“Not intentionally,” Tam says.

“It wouldn’t be,” Lacuna says.  “Historically speaking, most children accused of being changelings were just some flavor of neurodivergent.  The real ones tend to blend in as normally as the baby they swapped with would have, fooling even themselves.  Not that there isn’t overlap between the two from time to time.  A Name isn’t just the name it’s tied to, it’s a whole identity, physical and mental.  Most changelings have no idea they’re not human until something triggers a change, at which point whatever fae liege made the bargain will come to retrieve them.  Or send a servant to do so.  Kinder ones will be upfront about it and explain things.  Maybe even make an offer to continue living as you are.” 

“And crueler ones will send a hunting beast to drag you back kicking and screaming,” Ashan posits.

Tam’s nervous nod is all the confirmation Ashan needs as to what tripped the wards around the office.

“What I’m still hung up on,” Lacuna says, “is what triggered your change.  Normally it’s the death of whichever parent made the deal, but…” She trails off as her eyes alight on one of the pins adorning Tam’s denim jacket.  A heart of four stripes.  Yellow, white, purple, and black.  “How long ago did you start calling yourself Tam?” she asks.

“A little over three years ago.” Tam answers.  “Just before I turned sixteen.  But, come to think of it, the dreams actually stopped for a while when I came out, if that’s what you’re getting at.  The therapist my moms had me see told me it was probably just a repression thing that didn’t need an outlet anymore now that I’d accepted myself.  I’d just about forgotten about them until this all started out of the blue a couple weeks ago.”

“You said ‘moms,’ plural,” Ashan observes.  “What about a father?”

Tam shakes his head.  “I asked about it once and they told me they went through a fertility clinic.  Anonymous donor.  No legal way to know who.”

“Oh, that’s clever,” Lacuna says.  “Dirty dealing and a really messed up way to get around the classic ‘firstborn child’ contract, but clever."

“Clever or not,” Ashan says, “I suspect it is beside the point at the moment.  The more pertinent question is this:  What do you want Tam?”

“What do I want?  I want to stop being chased by a giant monster cat!  I want to stop randomly turning green!  I want my life back!”

“Do you truly want that?  Even knowing what you know now?  Even with the knowledge that it may not be your life to begin with?”

“Of course it’s my life!  So what if I was switched with some other kid at birth?  It was me that everything happened to.  It’s me that everyone in my life knows.  My moms, my friends, my experiences, and my life!”

“And you are not the least bit curious about what else your life could be if you found more answers and embraced what you really are?”

“Oh screw you and your mind games.  Do I look like I give a shit about some absentee fairy king dad wants for me?  I know who I am and don’t you dare imply that my life hasn’t been real.”

“Good answer,” Ashan says.  “Now hang on to that conviction.  You shall need it.”

“What for?”

“For when we go tell a fae liege unused to being told ‘no’ that they cannot have what they want.”

*******

“Last check if you want to wait until Road and Eris get back,” Lacuna’s voice says through Ashan’s earpiece as he stands just inside the picket fence marking the border of the office and the unwarded sidewalk.

“Road left me behind for the express purpose of helping any clients that show up needing help while they are away, and that is exactly what I am doing now,” Ashan responds.  “We have taken the necessary precautions and I see no reason to doubt my ability to resolve the matter.  Or are you saying that you would rather wait?”

“I’m nervous, not gonna lie, but what else is new?  You’re the one with the hard job here, so we’ll be fine.  Anyway, mirror charm’s still holding strong on this end.  Tam still looks like you in here, and you still sound like them.  Let’s just hope it fools everyone else as well as it fools me.” 

According to Tam, the beast that has been hounding them for weeks now only shows itself when no one else is around, which presented a complication for any plans to assist them.  Fortunately Lacuna had been able to dig up a pair of bracelets she had enchanted some time back as part of one of her ever-vague “personal projects.”  Allegedly they operated via a modified perception filter to cause observers to perceive one wearer as the other while leaving the wearers’ perception unaltered.  That last part had caused Lacuna to deem the bracelets “an experimental failure but exactly what we need now,” while leaving Ashan and Tam to take her word on their efficacy.  While even now Ashan can tell that the bracelet is doing something whenever he glances down at his wrist, actively focusing on it is nearly as nauseating and disorienting as that concealment ritual of hers.  

The same goes for the little metal rectangle engraved with a not-quite-fractal on either side now hanging from a cord around his neck and tucked beneath his robe.  According to Lacuna it is supposed to provide protection from anything trying to get into his mind.  It was the one amulet out of the whole clinking mass she had tried to foist upon him that he accepted, and mostly just to placate her, if he is being honest.  She had been busy these past weeks with enchanting trinkets from her library of pre-recorded rituals from her old job and if Ashan had hung all that she had offered around his neck the combined static noise of their auras that close to him would have run the risk of making him sick.

Once again, he wonders how she has not accidentally killed herself already.  Or at least blown up her lab.

But enough of that.  What comes next requires a clear mind free of distracted musings.

A static tingle runs over Ashan as he steps through and beyond the outermost ward and onto the unprotected sidewalk.  He continues forward, past the car Tam hastily and crookedly parked on the curb.  The claw marks on the vehicle are long and deep, and numerous enough to indicate multiple attempts at retrieval. He comes to a stop with one foot on either side of the painted divider line bisecting the empty street. 

“I am ready now,” Ashan says to no one.  “Guide me to your master and I shall follow of my own free will.”

A sudden breeze carries the scent of dry leaves and kicks up a swirl of sparkling green dust.  The same synesthetic mapping that allows Ashan to “see” the wards around the office shows him a rapidly growing ring within the verdant haze.  A low growl rumbles out of the hole within the formless ring and a pantherine shape slinks out from behind the breeze. 

The great cat sharing the street with Ashan would be longer than he is tall even without the tail that coils and unfurls as it slowly sweeps back and forth.  The beast’s baldness only accentuates its bulging muscles and the isolated shock of dark hair atop its head. The brown eyes that stare up into Ashan’s look just like Tam’s.  It snarls, barring too-human teeth for the shape of its head, and then turns away. 

Ashan follows the hunting beast across the street to a fairy ring of white mushrooms near the bridge tree that most certainly had not been there when he arrived earlier this morning.  It pads around to the far side of the fairy ring, looks back to Ashan, gestures downward with its head, and flexes its claws.  Its front paws have thumbs. 

The message is clear enough: Step into the ring.  Run again and claws will catch. 

If the earlier swirl of dust was a tunnel, the fairy ring is a hole beckoning him into its depths.  Ashan knows better than to let himself fall in. 

He leaps. 

He does not look before nor during the leap.  Such transitions do not wish to be perceived.  It takes longer than it rightly should for his feet to touch the ground.  He keeps his eyes closed and tries not to heed his less biological senses lest nausea take him as he falls.  Not that “falling” is the correct word for it. That would imply an up or down. 

His arrival is signaled not by an impact but by the smell of dry leaves and the tickle of inhaled dust. He pinches his nose to stifle a sneeze and opens his eyes. 

The space he finds himself in cannot seem to decide if it wants to be a forest or a castle.  He is surrounded by pale-barked twisted trees.  He is standing in a solid-walled narrow corridor.  Fallen leaves crunch under his feet as he shifts his weight to look around.  A neat carpet stretches behind him off into shadows and before him up to an ornate beaded curtain.  A cloud-muted sun filters down through a canopy of desiccated foliage.  A star-backed moon shines through a high vault of stained glass.  Either way, motes of dust catch the weak light, shifting through the slow motion gyre of a breeze too weak for flesh to feel. 

“Are you alright?  We lost the feed for a minute there.”  The static crackle of signal decay does little to conceal the concern in Lacuna’s voice.  Is that not the tone she normally reserves for Eris?  Are she and Ashan closer than he realized, or does she worry like that with everyone she considers a friend?  He has little basis for comparison to correlate sensitivity of concern for safety with emotional investment. 

It is a distraction. 

He wants to ask her what she sees through the filter of the camera atop his ear.  To verify the chimeric nature of his environs that shifts with every turn of his head and blink of his eyes.  To tell her that her charm of mental protection does not work to shield his senses.

But he is playing the part of Tam Lin right now and Tam would have no reason to ask such questions of the empty air. 

He nods and hopes she takes the cue to be silent when the hunting beast pads past him toward the hanging moss (beaded curtain).

For all that Ashan prides himself on stepping as lightly as any thief or dancer, he cannot help but stir up puffs of dust from the carpet (pulverize dry leaves into blooming clouds) with every step.  The hunting beast’s guiding passage leaves no such trace.  It is its master’s creature within its master’s demesne.  Unlike Ashan, it is not showered with gray powder when passing through the moss (curtain) and into the throne room (parched glade) beyond. 

The hunting beast crosses the space and seats itself on its haunches in front of a tangle of roots (a bas relieved throne), from atop which presides the fae liege with whom Ashan has come to bargain.  It/He/She/They/Fae wear(s) wears robes of gray that are in the active process of becoming moth-eaten before Ashan’s eyes.  Fingers and forehead alike are adorned with bechained jewelry; metals tarnished and patinaed, gemstones dull.  Its/His/Her/Their/Faer face is an overlaid multitude that blurs expressions into an indistinct haze of imperfectly aligned features. 

Ashan nods his head and sweeps an arm in a gesture of respect.  It is not something Tam would do, but while Ashan has not dealt directly with the fair folk before he has been trained well enough to know the danger of losing oneself to a role in a place such as this and a true wizard bows to no higher authority.  Fortunately, this lukewarm obeisance does not seem to perturb the figure on the throne.

“The Seventeen-Named Count of Curses and Dust bids you a welcome homecoming and congratulations on joining the ranks of the Named, Carter, my little changeling.”

With that proclamation one of those seventeen unspoken Names is chosen for temporary prominence and a conceptual waveform collapses.  Ashan’s surroundings solidify into a single hybrid of a forest woven together into the shape of a castle.  Tight-packed trees interlace branches to merge into solid walls.  Leaves fallen from the canopy above have been carefully arranged into patterns on the forest floor. The fae liege now sits upon roots that have been expertly coaxed into the shape of a throne and wears only a single grandfatherly face.  The hunting beast at the foot of the throne winces.

“You honor me with this audience, great Count,” Ashan says.  “Pray tell, what next lies in store for a newly returned changeling?”

“So you do still recall the tongue of your true people in waking as well as dream.  That shall save us much time in preparing you for your role as one of my emissaries.  Once you have resworn your oaths of fealty to me your training in the ways and arts of my court shall commence.  There shall be no time wasted on pointless festivities, for ours is the dominion of the dust to which all things return.  To be my emissary is to weave the curses that will hasten that return, especially for those foolish enough to believe they can postpone it indefinitely.”

“Well, there’s your offer,” Lacuna says to Tam on the other end of the comms link.  “Magic and probably a bit of world-hopping.  Still want out?”

“Hell yeah I want out,” Tam exclaims loudly enough to be picked up by Lacuna’s microphone.  “Screw this dust-to-dust reaperman crap.”

Ashan nods in silent acknowledgment of the expected response and addresses the fae lord in front of him.  “O great Count, thank you for your answer, but I must now take my leave.  To be one of your emissaries is not my place.”

“You misunderstand your position, little changeling,” the Count says, “your role here in my court was ordained long ago.  Now Carter, kneel before me and renew your oaths.”

The hunting beast crouches and growls.  Ashan stands unbowed and serene.

“I do not answer to you.”

“Such impudence!  Have you no gratitude for your liege who saw fit to grant you a Name purchased in fair contract?  By that very Name, Carter, I command thee kneel and renew your oaths!”

The Count’s voice echoes through the forest and shakes the dust from the trees.  The roots of the throne writhe and the leaves stir from the floor.  The hunting beast yowls and Ashan stands unbowed and serene.

“I do not answer to you.”

Another of the Count’s Seventeen Names takes prominence and the parched forest glade closes into a vaulted stone audience chamber.  Fallen leaves sew themselves together into a threadbare tapestry of a carpet.  Soft wrinkles stretch smooth and tight over a sharp-featured skull.  From atop a marble throne embossed with arboreal motifs, the steel-eyed Countess of Curses and Dust glowers down at Ashan.

“You are mine.  You.  Shall.  KNEEL!”

A will that is not his own claws at the edge of Ashan’s consciousness, ancient and vicious.  The mental wards he was taught early on and has diligently kept up ever since fray and fracture.  The invasive presence reaches in and touches a stray surface thought, withering it down to a vague sense of something forgotten.  Perverse delight seeps in from the outside at the prospect of doing the same to every other thought until his very self is reshaped by erosion into an ideal servant.

The amulet beneath Ashan’s robe oscillates between burning and freezing against his skin.  The intruder in his mind recoils and retreats.  The Countess of Curses and Dust lets out a scream from her throne that sends the feasting moths fluttering away from her regalia.

“I.  Do not.  Answer.  To you.”  Ashan gasps.  He has denied the fae liege for a third time.   By the Law of Threes he should be safe from that avenue of coercion for now.

“What trickery is this?”  The Count(ess) asks.  Their face and hall flickers between aspects on every third word.  “You are not my changeling.  What are you?  You are full of shards of glass and shattered iron that writhes and drips with rotted ichor.  I will have no dealings with mad and broken gods or spawn of the eldritch.”

Suppressing a shudder at the thought of what Lacuna has hung around his neck and wrist, Ashan slips off his bracelet and the glamor disguising him as Tam Lin with it.  With an audience gained and the nature of Tam’s would-be master displayed, there is no further need for that ruse.

“I am the student of Aliana Glassgaze, wizard, warder, and master of the Dancing Dream Paints style.  I am here as the appointed champion of Tam Lin whom you would call Carter to speak on their behalf.  I have judged the treatment you would afford your vassals and would now negotiate their release from your service.”

The room settles back into a hall of stone.  “Interloper,” the Countess accuses, “you have no grounds on which to negotiate.  Carter was one of mine when still Nameless and accepted the offer to become a changeling with full knowledge of and agreement to the terms that would come after.  Whether or not he still remembers that agreement is immaterial.”

“Contracts made before a change in Name are not binding except between the Name’s new and original owners, and you were merely a middleman in that exchange.  Elsewise you would not require a renewal of oaths.”

“You argue semantics of the general where it is the spirit of the specific that matters.  Changeling contracts are always between intermediaries for neither the unreal Nameless nor the unborn Named are fit to negotiate.  This contract was made and fulfilled in accordance with custom.  All services to the blood father of the prior Name-holder were rendered as contractually agreed upon and fairy was swapped for child as payment rendered.”

Ashan puts one of the practiced smiles he copied from his mentor; the narrowing of eyes and lopsided upturn of the lips that lets an opponent know they have just walked into a trap.  He never was able to muster the emotion she put behind it, but it remained an effective tool of intimidation and unbalancing provocation whether applied hot or cold.

“You would invoke the spirit of tradition, but this contract violated even that.  You failed to account for the realities of modern anchor world humans.  The exchange of child for changeling as a valid price is predicated on the bond between parent and child, but no such bond existed between the contract holder and child in this case.  This so-called blood father was a mere anonymous donor of seed who met neither mother, child, nor changeling.  It is doubtful he was ever even aware of the stolen child’s existence and certainly had no part in the bestowing of a Name.”

The audience hall shrinks down claustrophobically close.  Peeling wallpaper faded to gray surrounds the empty and dust-covered royal nursery.  The petulant Heir of Curses and Dust pouts from atop a pile of broken toys.

“That doesn’t matter,” they insist.

“Does it not?  You were tricked into providing your curses to a human for free and in the process inflicted harm upon an uninvolved third party.  That Name was not sold but stolen and was given to the changeling on false pretenses.”

“Liar!”

“If you truly thought I was such, you would not be wearing that face.”

The Count of Curses and Dust regains his composure and returns to being an old man on a throne of roots.  The moths return to resume their eternal feast on his regalia.

“All of this is beside the point,” the Count says with a dismissive wave of his hand.  “By my station, it is well within my rights to compel any courtless fairy whose Name I have command over into my service.”

“Then let us make a bargain,” Ashan suggests.  “What is your price for leaving Tam Lin whom you call Carter and their friends and loved ones alone in perpetuity?”

The Count stares into Ashan’s eyes for a long moment and once again the young wizard feels an alien touch brush against the edge of his consciousness.  This time the Count’s will does not seek ingress but instead traces the outermost border.  An assessment of general shape if not interior contents.  Twice Lacuna’s charm grows warm and twice the presence momentarily retreats before returning more cautiously.  On the third time the Count breaks the silence.

“You would deny me the return of a changeling whose Name I bargained for, so it is only fair that I receive the means to create another in return.”

“My Name is not for sale.”

“Neither of them?  You have two, do you not?  One you wear now and one you have all but abandoned since childhood.  A childhood name for a new changeling child would be most fitting indeed.”

“My Name is not for sale.”

“Are you sure?  I would think I would be doing you a favor to unburden you from it.  I can tell that all the recent times you’ve worn it have been marked by loss and longing.  Wouldn’t it be better to let that pain go?  To allow yourself to be fully the you that you are now?”  The Count leans forward with a smile that is kindly at first glance.  “Think about those loved ones you wish you could be with but cannot bring yourself to embody that old Name like you would need to.  They could have the you that they remember back and the you that you are now could finally move on.  You would be doing them a kindness.”

“My Name…” Ashan hesitates.  It would be a kindness.  As he is now, he cannot possibly hope to return to his parents without causing more pain than healing.  But a changeling with his old Name unburdened by everything he has been through?  A fae liege of the Count’s power could probably even alter memories and spin a story well enough to avoid a Masquerade breach.  Without that wounded Name, perhaps he could even find it within himself to forgive Aliana and they could travel together again the way things were.  Maybe he could even talk her into joining with Road and working with his new friends.

Maybe…

*******

“Maybe we’re wrong,” Eris said to Ashan the night after their mission with the vampire crypt beneath a suburban basement.  Hot drinks late at night in the office’s kitchen had become something of a post-mission ritual between the two of them.  At least when the two of them were both well enough to stand.

“Wrong about what?” Ashan asked.

“About family.  Love.  Broken bonds.  All that stuff.”

“I am not sure I follow.  Perhaps having been drained of blood is still affecting your cognition.”

“Eh, I’m mostly fine.  What I’m saying is the Masquerade's done a number on both of us.  You feel like you can’t go home after running away and my parents straight up disowned me after I came home covered in blood I couldn’t explain one too many times.  But maybe we’re wrong about not being able to go back.”

“That is highly doubtful.”

“Doubtful, but not impossible.  Look, let’s make a deal.  If you ever change your mind and decide to try talking to your family again, I’ll go with you to support you and back up whatever you decide to tell them.  Masquerade cover story or the truth, doesn’t matter.  Then after, we’ll go see my folks.  If it works out, then great, and if not, at least we tried and we’ll still have friends here to come back to.  So, what do you say?”

“I say that blood loss and blunt force trauma are impairing your judgment, and even if I were to accept your deal I would not change my mind on this matter.   But…”

“Buuuuut…?” 

“Maybe I am wrong.”

*******

“My Name is not for sale,” Ashan says for the third time to the Count of Curses and Dust within his wilted forest glade.

“So be it,” the Countess of Curses and Dust proclaims, her voice echoing throughout her gloomy stone audience hall.  “In that case, let us balance the deal with a more finite service in exchange for the denial of a servant.  A favor of my choosing to be decided upon and called in at a later date, as is the most traditional price of contract between fairy and mortal.”

Ashan imagines the way Aliana would laugh off such an offer but chooses not to mimic it.  “Do you think me naïve?  Once again you invoke tradition, but this is a tradition that any knowledgeable mortal would know to avoid.”

“Then this negotiation is at an end, for you have nothing else to offer me.  If you will not offer me your lesser Name, then you would certainly not part with your far greater one, and if you would refuse a single favor then I cannot hope to extract any other oath of service from you.”

“I have access to the library of the sorceress Bridgewood,” Ashan proposes.  Any payment out of the Bridgewood Estate would need to be negotiated with the current Bridgewood of course, but this fae lord does not need to know that.

“So that is why your mind is so hideously warped and sharp to the touch.  Speak that name no further in my presence.  I have never known a more unclean thing with a refusal to return to dust than that sorceress, save for the attack dog she made her consort.  If you claim to be her ally, then we truly have no more to negotiate”

“If you truly put such stock in tradition, then let me make one final offer on behalf of Tam Lin whom you call Carter.  Let us both put forth the prices we would otherwise be unwilling to pay as stakes on a wager.  My aforementioned request for noninterference against your request for a future favor.”

“The favor, and your childhood Name.  As the price of mentioning that hated sorceress in my home.  What is to be our game?”

Aliana’s way of doing things it is then.  Yet again.  Did she too try and fail to avoid this route time and again before giving in and making it her first option at every occasion?  Unlikely.  She always enjoyed it too much.

“I invoke the rite of trial by combat between appointed champions, to be held on neutral ground.”

*******

Hours later, after extensive negotiations regarding the precise wording of the terms of the duel and subsequent prices the loser must pay, Ashan finds himself standing on one of the few level rooftops in Crossherd’s outskirts.  This far out from the pocket dimension’s heart geometry and geography get strange.  The buildings here were dreamt up to give the impression of an endlessly expansive city skyline, not for use or habitation, so while they look normal enough from a distance upon closer inspection they quickly become nonsensical.  Overlapping windows tilted at odd angles, doors that open up to the outside seven stories in the air, fire escapes that connect to neither windows nor the ground, sometimes even whole buildings intersecting with their interiors leaking into one another and corners erupting from each other’s faces.  The interiors are even worse; where they are not completely hollow facades they are unnavigable mazes of doors that open into flat walls, stairs that recursively loop back on themselves, and floors with no route between them.

This particular rooftop however has become something of a fixed point in the city’s inconstant periphery owing to its repeated use giving it a firm place in the collective consciousness in a certain portion of the city’s residents.  In other words, while Ashan was handling the contract negotiations, he had to send Lacuna out ahead to make sure that no one else was already using the rooftop to violently settle a dispute away from potential collateral damage today.  Or rather, Lacuna sent one of her remote drones which even now hovers on paratech repulsors above the scorched and pitted ring of concrete where the half-formed air conditioning units and ouroboric ductwork has been cleared away to give would be duelists, pit fighters, and blood feuders room to do their work.

Crossherd has ever been a city built on symbolic stereotypes and tropes, and the climactic rooftop showdown is a powerful one.

Ashan’s opponent - the very same hunting beast that had been sent to retrieve Tam Lin for its master - impatiently paces the far side of the rough ring.  Someone has clad the nearly hairless felid in ill-fitting pale gray plate armor and strapped a rusty sword that it has no good way to wield to its back.  If it were not for the anger burning in its too-human eyes every time it glances his way Ashan might pity the poor creature.

Behind their two designated champions, Tam Lin and the Count of Curses and Dust stand witness.  In the Count’s case he is possessing the body of one of the Nameless fairies under his command.  Much like the surrounding buildings, the empty-eyed wretch looks normal enough at a glance but the illusion falls breaks apart and tumbles down into the uncanny valley under scrutiny as if someone described what a human looked like to some skilled alien sculptor who had never seen one in person and thus thought the eye whites and teeth should be the same material and was left to guess as to whether clothes were part of the body or not.  The fact that Tam has been having trouble maintaining human form every time he looks at their distant cousin whose fate they presumably once shared has not escaped Ashan’s notice.

“This is your last chance to put aside this foolishness,” the Count says through his Nameless vessel.  “Call off this farce of a duel Carter and renew your oaths to me.  Do it now and I will not hold this tantrum against you, for you are young and confused.  You do not realize the value of what you are and what you would be with me.”

The emphasis of the Name elicits a scowl from Tam and a growl from the hunting beast.

“That’s not my name anymore, old man!”  Tam shouts back.  “So you can shove your offers.”

“Nonsense,” the Count says.  “You cannot simply create a new Name for yourself.  That is a privilege reserved for mortals, and no matter how much you believe you are one that can never be.”

Ashan tunes out whatever further barbs Tam has to exchange with his erstwhile and would-be master.  He slides his wand into his hand and takes a stance, already envisioning the anchor points from which he will draw his conjurations.  He focuses on the hunting beast, the way it moves, the range of motion of its joints, the places where the armor hangs loose.  Which way will it dart once the duel begins?  Can he incapacitate it before it gets the chance to close the distance between them?  Should he open by tying it down with point restraints or start with a loose encapsulation and tighten his grip from there?

No, do not overthink it.  Remember Aliana’s advice: A duel is a dance and he must adjust his rhythm to that of his partner.  He has already avoided the mistake he made with Logos and set the stage in a locale that does not favor his opponent, now all that is left to do is wait for the signal.

Somewhere in Crossherd’s heart, a clocktower bell tolls the changing of the hour.

The hunting beast lurches forward, then to the left, then to the right.  It leaps with claws out and fangs bared.

Five fingers on one hand point to five points on the rooftop.  The hand makes a fist and five threads tie themselves to four limbs and a neck.  A wrist twists and the threads pull tight enough to keep claws from reaching throat.  The fist falls and the hunting beast is dragged crashing down to the concrete.  A wand draws a circle in the air and a shimmering disk appears.  The wand slashes downward and the disk falls onto the hunting beast pressing it further into the rooftop until the conjuration molds to its target’s shape, sealing off any struggle.

The duel is over before it begins.

But then the threads go slack and the disk goes flush with the concrete below.  

The hunting beast is gone but for a shimmering emerald haze.

Ashan spins a glass cocoon around himself just in time to block the claws seeking to tear out his spine.  The hunting beast disappears once more from behind him and then reappears to his left.  Then to his right.  From behind again.  In front of him where the prior conjurations have since dissipated.  Each time it reappears it strikes at Ashan’s conjured barrier, probing for weaknesses and finding none, then disappearing again in a cloud of green.

Ashan holds steady and examines his foe’s movements for a way to counter them.  The delay between reappearances rules out true teleportation.  No sign of active cloaking magic or illusions, so probably not invisibility.  No active magic signatures at all save for a fraction of a second when the green haze appears.  A phase shift then, or possibly stepping in and out of its master’s demesne.  Either way, he can work with that.

He pushes outward on his translucent cocoon, turning it into a tight bubble just big enough for him to properly move his arms and legs, but too small to fit both him and the hunting beast lest it try to reappear inside the barrier.  Bending down, he begins drawing the first of a sequence of glistening symbols on the ground to turn the surrounding area into a planar-locked ward.

“Arise, my servant!” the Count’s name echoes across the rooftop.  “Be not a savage beast, but my noble knight!  Become my Champion of Curses and Dust!”

Bone cracks, pops, and knits back together.  Skin stretches, tears, and heals.  The armored hunting beast stands upright on its still-feline hind legs and hisses through its muzzle protruding from beneath its helmet.  It reaches a forepaw-now-hand behind its back and unslings the rusty sword.

The Champion of Curses and Dust charges Ashan once more.  The wizard speeds up his drawing of the ward and begins the chant for the spell to activate it.  The air inside Ashan’s bubble grows cold and frost covers the ground.  The sigils flash.  The spell completes.  No more teleporting to worry about.

When the rusty sword makes contact with the conjured barrier it passes right through, melting a hole that causes the rest of the conjuration to unravel.  Ashan barely manages to spring backwards in time to keep from being impaled.  Instead the rusty sword cuts through the ward’s central sigils and into the concrete beneath.  

Staggered as he is by the dual backlash of two actively maintained spells being violently disrupted, Ashan fails to press the opportunity presented by his opponent’s blade getting lodged in the rooftop.  As the Champion of Curses and dust works the sword back and forth the concrete cracks and crumbles with a century of erosion passing in the blink of an eye.  When the sword is at last prised free, a hole in the rooftop the size of a grown man’s torso collapses into the room below, exposing rusted pipeworks and corroded wiring.

With the ward destroyed before it even got a chance to do anything the Champion disappears into green haze once more.  By reflex, Ashan throws a hand behind himself to conjure a shield in anticipation of the next strike before realizing his mistake.  He jumps to the right quickly enough to dodge the worst of the blade’s path when it reappears and once again passes through his barrier as if it were nothing, but the tip of the rusty sword manages to clip the edge of his arm, just above the wrist.  The wound itself heals before blood can be spilled but his hand grows old and wrinkled before his eyes and he can feel the same happening to his arm beneath his sleeve.  Arthritic pains flare up from his fingers to his elbow as joints seize and grow stiff, forcing a strained gasp from the otherwise young wizard’s lips.

A twist of his heel sends Ashan spiraling into the air to gain distance from his attacker but the corkscrewing conjuration propelling him is cut down, disrupting his trajectory and crashing him into one of the remaining air conditioning units halfway across the rooftop.  He rolls to his feet but still finds himself on the back foot with precious little to do but avoid and evade.  Bereft of his usual kinetic barriers he resorts to retooling his technique to conjure streams of fire, wind, and lightning, but even those do little to deter an opponent that can effortlessly shift in and out of this plane of existence, and is an inefficient enough power draw that his breath quickly stings his lungs from the cold air.  

All in all, it is nearly as bad as trying to fight Eris when she is wearing those dispelling gloves of hers, a sparring setup that Ashan is yet to emerge victorious from in their regular matches between missions.  

A memory flickers in the back of Ashan’s mind of waking from unconsciousness when his mentor thought a monster had just killed him.  In her cold fury she had filled the cave with conjured wires and floating shards of glass.  The monster’s own weight had forced it through the deadly web like so much cheese over a grater.  And then his mentor had set the wires and shards in motion and it became more like meat through a grinder.  The sight had given the young Ashan nightmares for weeks afterward, but maybe if he could now duplicate the technique at a lesser scale to merely injure…

Ashan begins to envision and draw the net of monomolecular wires and spinning blades around him for his opponent to cut itself on but hesitates just short of funneling in the energy to make them a reality.  Unfortunately, a lifetime of being careful to never kill nor maim with power that could easily do both deeply ingrains inhibitions that are not so easily overcome.  That hesitation very nearly costs him the use of his other arm.  Fortunately, a lifetime of training for blows coming from the periphery of vision ingrains reflexes that are not so easily overcome.

Another burst of flame buys him some breathing room at the cost of a chill seeping into his bones.  If only he could buy himself a moment to draw another planar ward.  If only that sword could be taken out of the picture.  If only the Count of Curses and Dust hadn’t transformed his Champion mid-fight.

If only…

Gods take him for a fool.

“I call foul play and outside interference,” Ashan manages to say between dodging sword strokes.  “By the agreed terms of the duel you must either forfeit or allow a counterbalancing interference.”

“Counterbalance accepted,” the Champion of Curse and Dust laughs from the mouths of Nameless servant and hunting beast simultaneously.  “Let us see what my wayward changeling can do to earn his freedom.”

Ashan locks eyes with the frightened Tam Lin watching from the sidelines and shakes his head.  No need for them to act.  They are not Ashan’s only ally present to act as witness and second.

“Lacuna!” Ashan shouts.

“Already on it!” her voice calls back from the hovering drone above.

The projector mounted on the underside of the drone flickers on and shines a ritual circle down onto the rooftop in the center of the designated arena.  The shifting glyphs spiral into a nauseating self-recursive mess that makes the incomprehensible guts of the building beneath seem logical by comparison.  The drone’s speakers begin screeching an ear-piercing white noise and the accelerated, computer-generated ritual begins.

The second sight of a well-trained wizard and the sensory organs of a beast tailor made to hunt prey across dimensions are sensitive things capable of picking up on the subtle shifts, folds, stains, and cuts in the fabric of reality that make up what is known as “magic”.  Whatever Lacuna is doing is anything but subtle.  From the sensation of hooks digging into his skin and intestinal lining, Ashan would guess that it is meant to be a combination of planar lock and teleportation anchor kicked up to a degree that would be overkill for anything short of a demigod or one of the eldritch.  Or perhaps a fae liege.  Even without that, the sudden chaotic mess of metaphysical noise is enough to set him clutching his head and retching out his breakfast.  Blurry glimpses through tear-filled eyes suggest that neither Nameless vessel of the Count/Champion of Curses and Dust are faring any better.  Tam Lin however seems unaffected and comfortably human once again.

Having experienced a few of Lacuna’s abominable rituals before - although none nearly this horrific - Ashan is the first to recover.  A flick of his wand is all that it takes to wrench the rusty sword from his howling opponent’s grip.  By the time the Champion of Curses and Dust is back on its feet, Ashan has already conjured chains linked to each plate of its armor.  He stabs his wand forward then pulls it back and the chains strip away the armor in a single motion.  His opponent attempts to disappear but there is no green haze to vanish into, only the pain in its gut and the noise in its bones as it drops back down to all fours.  A simple dome is all it takes to contain it to the point of being unable to fight any further.

Ashan staggers over to his trapped opponent.  Doing his best to ignore the wretched droning of Lacuna’s ritual he asks, “Do you yield?”

The hunting beast in the dome whines.

“I said, do you yield?”

The hunting beast looks up at him with human eyes and whimpers.  Once again Ashan is struck by the similarity of those eyes to Tam’s when they are in human form.

“My champion yields,” the Count of Curses and Dust says through his Nameless servant on the sidelines.  “You have bested us both, now stop that accursed spell.  Not even that hated sorceress would resort to a distortion so vile.”

“Lacuna, please stop,” Ashan says.

The noise, audible and metaphysical, cuts out and the projector goes dark.  The drone drops down to eye level with a flurry of apologies from its speakers.

“Was it really that bad?” Lacuna’s voice asks.  “It took a bit out of me, sure, but I didn’t think it was that far off from standard parameters.”

Ashan merely stares into the drone’s camera at a loss for words.

“I did not know the sorceress had made constructs that could speak and work magic,” says the Count.  “Little wonder such a thing is insane.  As are any who would trust it.  No matter, the duel is done and the contract sealed.”  The Count’s vessel turns to face the approaching Tam.  “Enjoy your freedom, Carter.  Love and lose those mortals you think you can be one of.  And when the pain of outliving everyone -”

“For the last time, old man, that’s not my damn name!” Tam shouts.  “My name is -”

“I introduce to you, Tam Lin,” Lacuna interrupts while maneuvering the drone between them, “whom my friend and ally Ashan Glassheart has acted as champion for today.  Tam and Ashan, for whom this formal introduction serves to prevent the accidental giving away of Names by acknowledgement, you know the rules, don’t blame me, oh goddess that was incredibly rude of me I can’t believe I just said that to a fae lord please forgive me just trying to help just ignore me and forget I exist I’m going now.” 

There is an audible pop of static from a microphone being turned off and the drone rises back into the air.

“A thoroughly insane construct,” the Count mutters before turning his attention to the still-recovering hunting beast.  “Enough of this.  We depart.  Now.”

“I’m not done yet!” Tam says.  “Yes, that’s my Name.  The one I chose for myself.  Because ‘Carter’ was never my Name.” They turn to address the hunting beast.  It’s yours, isn’t it?”

“Don’t you dare,” the Count threatens.

Tam ignores him and kneels down eye to eye with the fallen beast and touches hand to shoulder.

“I return to you the Name of Carter, which was wrongfully stolen and passed into my care.  I return it to you, its rightful owner.  I return this Name to to you, Carter, my brother.”

This time the shifting of Carter’s form to a more human one is smoother, not wood being hacked apart and nailed back together but water poured into a new container.  When the transformation is done the two fall into a tearful embrace.  Hoarse “thank you”s choke out between sobs from a throat that has never been allowed to make its own words but now knows how thanks to the experience of a well-used Name.  Carter’s nails and canine teeth are still a little too sharp, his body's muscles still bulge from years of hunting prey, and the vestige of a tail still protrudes from the remaining cloth scraps of underarmor, but otherwise he could very likely pass for being fully human with minimal effort.  He and Tam could even pass for twins who just happened to take very different paths in life.

It occurs to Ashan that that is exactly what the two of them are.

“Remember,” the wizard says to the Count, “the terms of the contract include non-interference towards family as well, and non-retaliation towards the winning participant or participants of the duel.” 

The Seventeen-Named Count(ess) of Curses and Dust scoffs and its/his/her/their/faer Nameless vessel steps behind the breeze to depart without further comment.

“So, now what?” Tam asks.  They and Carter both look towards Ashan expectantly.  The fear of the unknown future for a life that has just been turned upside down thrice over is already beginning to creep into their relief at their ordeal being over.

“Now, we return to the Lonely Walk Outreach Agency.  We have multiple guest beds there where you may spend the night in safety.  When our leader, Road, returns they will be able to help the both of you find a way to return to the life that was stolen from you.  Or to help you find a new one Backstage now that you are in the know.  Balancing the two is always difficult, but it is also an option.”

The new twins nervously nod in unison.

What would Aliana say here?  Better yet, what would Road say?

“Not that either of you need to worry about any of that just yet,” Ashan says with a nearly genuine smile of reassurance.  “You have both had a long day and deserve to rest.  Tam, you have handled the sudden revelation of the existence of the supernatural as well as anyone ever has.  You should be proud.  Carter, while I hope you never have to do so again, you fought well today and I am honored to have faced you.  May that strength keep you safe in the future.  Now then,” Ashan looks around to hide his sudden embarrassment with the act of searching, “let us find a way down from this rooftop.”

“Hey,” Lacuna’s voice says directly into Ashan’s ear through the comm piece he forgot he was still wearing, “you did good too today.  The real hero here.”

“Thank you,” Ashan whispers back.  He conjures a platform to take him and the new twins down to the ground and suppresses a shiver.

“You’re welcome.  And sorry if this is weird to say, but if you ever want to talk about whatever that was with you having two Names, I’m here for you.  I don’t think it’s quite the same thing, but I’ve got some experience with that.”

“I will keep that in mind.  Thank you, my friend.”

No, it is not the same, not nearly.  But a friend’s experiences need not be identical to share a burden.  And who knows, Ashan considers while looking at Tam and Carter already smiling with wonder and comparing memories of mothers that only one of them has met in the flesh, perhaps a change in Name and a foot Backstage need not be the end of everything.

Maybe he is wrong.

Today is not the day to find out though.

He has plenty of time.

Maybe one day he will be ready to find out for himself.

<-Previous Chapter Masterpost Next Chapter->

[modnexus]

Intelligent AI Agents for Better VR Results

Introduction

Virtual Reality (VR) has taken a huge leap in recent years, from simple simulations to lifelike, interactive digital environments. But what truly pushes VR from impressive to impactful is the addition of Intelligent AI Agents. These digital agents bring real-time adaptability, personalization, and decision-making into virtual spaces, turning static experiences into smart, responsive ones.

This blog dives into how Intelligent AI Agents enhance VR applications and why their role is critical in delivering better user experiences across various industries.

What Are Intelligent AI Agents?

Intelligent AI Agents are autonomous systems that use artificial intelligence to make decisions, learn from interactions, and adapt their behavior accordingly. In a VR context, they can:

Guide users through virtual environments.

Respond intelligently to human input.

Simulate realistic interactions in training, education, or entertainment.

These agents can think, act, and even “feel” context, making VR scenarios much more engaging and realistic.

How Intelligent AI Agents Improve VR Experiences

1. Real-Time Personalization

Intelligent AI Agents learn from user behavior to tailor content in real time. For instance:

In a training module, they adapt instruction based on the user’s pace.

In a VR fitness app, they adjust workouts based on performance and energy levels.

They offer tailored storylines or challenges that fit the player’s style in Gaming.

2. Smarter NPCs and Interactions

NPCs (non-playable characters) powered by Intelligent AI Agents behave more naturally:

They react to voice tone, gaze, and gestures.

Conversations flow more like real ones.

Their behavior evolves based on past user interactions.

This makes storytelling, simulations, and gameplay much more believable and immersive.

3. Enhanced Guidance and Assistance

In enterprise VR, Intelligent AI Agents function like smart assistants:

They guide employees step-by-step in simulated tasks.

Offer real-time troubleshooting or training tips.

Adjust scenarios based on user errors or success.

This creates a safer, faster, and more effective learning experience.

4. Predictive Decision-Making

Intelligent AI Agents use predictive algorithms to anticipate user needs or future outcomes. In VR:

They recommend the next best step or decision in simulations.

Forecast scenarios for emergency training or disaster response.

Guide sales agents in virtual showrooms based on customer behavior.

5. Emotional Intelligence in VR

Advanced Intelligent AI Agents can detect emotional cues, like frustration or hesitation:

Adjust interactions to comfort or motivate users.

Change tone or actions based on stress levels.

Deliver empathy-based responses for therapeutic VR applications.

This level of human-like understanding boosts trust and connection in digital spaces.

Industries Benefiting from AI Agents in VR

Healthcare

Surgical training simulations with intelligent coaching.

Virtual therapy with emotionally responsive agents.

Patient rehab with adaptive guidance.

Education

Smart virtual tutors for personalized learning paths.

Real-time language correction and feedback in immersive settings.

Emotional engagement through interactive historical or science experiences.

Retail

AI-driven VR store assistants that help customers in real-time.

Intelligent suggestions based on browsing or interaction.

Personalized product demos and tutorials.

Manufacturing and Fieldwork

Onboarding with intelligent VR trainers.

Stepwise guidance for complex assembly or machinery use.

Performance tracking and real-time improvement tips.

Future of VR with Intelligent AI Agents

The future looks smart and immersive. With more refined models and greater computing power:

Intelligent AI Agents will exhibit human-level empathy.

Integration with AR, VR, and voice systems will become seamless.

We’ll see VR workplaces where AI teammates collaborate like real coworkers.

Conclusion

Better VR results don’t just come from sharper visuals or faster processors; they come from Intelligent AI Agents that understand, adapt, and enhance every moment of the experience. These agents make VR more human, more effective, and more impactful.

Whether it’s helping a student learn more quickly, guiding a worker safely, or engaging a shopper intelligently, Intelligent AI Agents are the intelligent force shaping the next generation of virtual reality.

Ready to explore how Intelligent AI Agents can level up your VR solution? Contact Modnexus to build smarter, immersive digital experiences.

[onlinesrm]

5 Key Online BCA Eligibility Criteria You Must Know

Choosing the right undergraduate degree is a major decision — especially when you’re planning to study online. If you’re interested in computer applications, an online BCA could be the right step toward a tech-forward career. But before you begin the application, it’s essential to understand the BCA eligibility criteria for online programs. This blog will help you understand exactly what you need to qualify, how to prepare, and what else to expect in terms of support and flexibility.

1. Here Are the 5 Key Online BCA Eligibility Criteria

To pursue an online BCA degree, students must meet specific academic and administrative requirements. These typically include:

Educational Qualifications

You should have completed your 10+2 (higher secondary) education from a recognized board. Students from any stream — Science, Commerce, or Arts — can apply.

Minimum Marks Requirement: Most institutions require a minimum of 50% aggregate marks in 12th standard. However, some may consider students with slightly lower scores on a case-by-case basis.

Additional Criteria: Proficiency in basic mathematics and English is often preferred. Some universities may also ask for a statement of purpose or other background documents during the BCA online admission process.

Documentation: You’ll need to submit scanned copies of your mark sheets, ID proof, and recent photographs to complete the BCA apply online step smoothly.

It’s important to note that the online BCA eligibility criteria may vary slightly between institutions, but the essentials remain consistent across most UGC-recognized universities.

2. Age Limit

When it comes to BCA eligibility criteria, most online universities in India do not set a rigid upper age limit. As long as you have completed your 12th standard education from a recognized board, you are eligible to apply. This opens doors for not only freshers but also individuals who may have taken a study break or are looking to restart their academic journey.

This flexibility makes the online BCA course ideal for working professionals, career break individuals, or remote learners who need time-sensitive learning models. Age should not be seen as a barrier — online learning is designed to accommodate life circumstances.

3. Entrance Exams

One of the major advantages of an online BCA is that most programs do not require a separate entrance exam. Unlike traditional BCA programs that may conduct institutional-level tests, online programs focus more on your previous academic performance.

This means that if you meet the basic educational requirements, you can directly move to the BCA online admission stage. This also speeds up the process, allowing you to start classes earlier. However, students should still be prepared for a simple screening or eligibility review during the BCA apply online process.

4. Support Mechanisms for Non-Traditional Students

Online programs today are increasingly accessible, especially for students who may not follow a traditional academic path. Let’s break down the key support services:

Academic Support Services

Top universities offer structured academic support for online learners. Whether you’re revisiting studies after a gap or shifting fields, this helps you stay on track with the online BCA course.

Tutoring and Writing Support

Many platforms provide personal tutoring sessions and writing assistance to help students meet academic standards. These tools ease the transition and improve performance.

Career Guidance and Mentorship

One of the lesser-known but critical BCA eligibility criteria is being career-aware. Online programs often offer career mentorship, resume reviews, and industry-specific webinars to keep students future-ready.

Internships and Practical Experience

Internships, project-based learning, and capstone assignments ensure that students — even in an online BCA course with a certificate — gain hands-on knowledge needed in tech careers.

Technical Support

Technical support teams help students with login issues, access to materials, or virtual labs — an essential part of running a smooth BCA online experience.

Personal Development and Networking

Through alumni networks, discussion forums, and student communities, learners can grow personally and professionally — no matter their background or location.

5. Additional Considerations

Choosing the right university isn’t just about meeting the BCA eligibility criteria. These other factors are equally vital:

Eligibility Criteria

While basic online BCA eligibility criteria are similar across institutions, always verify subject requirements, minimum marks, and school board recognition before applying.

Entrance Exams

Most online BCA degrees in India do not require entrance exams. However, some institutions may have assessments to gauge readiness — especially for specialized programs.

Application Process

Check the BCA apply online steps clearly — documents required, deadlines, and payment schedules. The BCA online admission process is often simple but must be followed correctly.

Career Guidance

Ensure the university provides continued career support. This could include placement assistance, industry mentoring, or workshops focused on emerging tech fields.

Ongoing Support

Beyond academics, look for universities that provide emotional and technical support throughout the BCA online course duration — this boosts completion and confidence.

6. Regional Variations

Some regions or institutions may have slight changes in online BCA eligibility criteria, especially regarding minimum marks, language requirements, or access to practical labs. Always refer to your chosen university’s official guidelines.

Conclusion

Understanding the BCA eligibility criteria is a crucial first step before choosing your academic path. From age flexibility to academic support and career mentorship, today’s online BCA programs offer more than just convenience — they offer a chance to build a meaningful career from wherever you are. By choosing a university that matches both your learning goals and long-term ambitions, you ensure your efforts today lead to success tomorrow. Institutions like Online SRM have structured their offerings to support this very journey.

Key Takeaways

BCA eligibility criteria usually include 10+2 completion with a minimum percentage requirement.

No age barrier or entrance exams makes an online BCA degree in India accessible to all.

Support services such as career guidance, virtual labs, and mentorship enhance learning.

Institutions offer flexible admission processes +and affordable online BCA course fees.

Always choose UGC-recognized universities that offer valid BCA online degrees.

[saralshraddha]

Unlocking Potential: The Value of IGCSE Computer Science Tutors

The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) in Computer Science is a challenging yet rewarding subject, laying a crucial foundation for students interested in the dynamic world of technology. While classroom learning provides a strong base, many students find that dedicated IGCSE Computer Science tutors can be the key to truly excelling and unlocking their full potential.

Why IGCSE Computer Science Can Be Challenging

IGCSE Computer Science (often Cambridge 0478) goes beyond simply using computers; it delves into the fundamental principles of computational thinking, problem-solving, and programming. Students are expected to grasp concepts like:

Data Representation: Understanding how data (text, images, sound) is represented in binary, denary, and hexadecimal.

Hardware and Software: Delving into CPU architecture, memory, input/output devices, operating systems, and different types of software.

Communication and Internet Technologies: Exploring networks, protocols, and the mechanics of the internet.

Algorithm Design and Problem-Solving: Developing logical thought processes to create efficient solutions.

Programming: Hands-on coding in high-level languages (often Python), involving concepts like variables, loops, data structures, and debugging.

Security and Ethics: Understanding cyber threats, security measures, and the societal impact of technology.

The abstract nature of some concepts, coupled with the need for practical application through programming, can be daunting. Students often face hurdles in:

Translating theoretical knowledge into practical code.

Debugging complex programs.

Understanding intricate algorithms and data structures.

Managing time effectively in exams, especially with scenario-based questions.

Maintaining motivation when encountering difficult topics.

The Transformative Role of an IGCSE Computer Science Tutor

This is where a specialized IGCSE Computer Science tutor becomes invaluable. Unlike a general classroom setting, a tutor offers:

Personalized Learning Experience: Tutors can tailor lessons to a student's individual learning style (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) and pace, addressing specific weaknesses and building upon existing strengths. This focused attention ensures concepts are truly grasped.

Concept Clarification: Complex topics that might be rushed in a classroom can be broken down into digestible parts, explained through analogies, and reinforced with real-world examples. Tutors provide immediate feedback, correcting misunderstandings on the spot.

Hands-on Practice and Application: Tutoring sessions often involve extensive practical exercises, coding challenges, and guided problem-solving. This active engagement is crucial for mastering programming skills and computational thinking.

Targeted Exam Preparation: Tutors are well-versed in the IGCSE Computer Science syllabus and assessment objectives. They can guide students through past papers, teach effective time management strategies, and impart valuable tips for tackling different question types, including the often-challenging scenario questions.

Boosted Confidence and Motivation: As students gain a deeper understanding and see improvements in their performance, their confidence grows. A supportive tutor can inspire a love for computer science, transforming frustration into a sense of achievement.

Flexibility and Convenience: Many IGCSE Computer Science tutors offer online sessions, providing flexibility to fit learning around other commitments and allowing students to learn from the comfort of their homes.

What Makes a Good IGCSE Computer Science Tutor?

When searching for an IGCSE Computer Science tutor, consider these key attributes:

Strong Subject Knowledge: They should possess an in-depth understanding of the entire IGCSE Computer Science syllabus, including programming languages like Python.

Teaching Experience: Experience specifically with IGCSE or similar curricula is highly beneficial, as they will understand the specific demands and common pitfalls.

Effective Communication Skills: The ability to explain complex ideas clearly, patiently, and in an engaging manner is paramount.

Adaptability: A good tutor can adapt their teaching methods to suit the student's unique learning style and needs.

Problem-Solving Focus: They should emphasize not just memorization, but the development of strong problem-solving and analytical skills.

Positive Reinforcement: Encouragement and celebration of small victories can significantly boost a student's confidence and motivation.

Access to Resources: Tutors often provide supplementary materials, practice questions, and past papers to enhance learning.

In conclusion, IGCSE Computer Science tutoring offers a significant advantage for students aiming for academic excellence. By providing personalized guidance, clarifying challenging concepts, and fostering critical thinking and programming skills, a dedicated tutor can empower students to not only achieve top grades but also develop a strong, lasting foundation in computer science for future studies and careers in the ever-evolving digital landscape

[waffle-bubbles]

Let me talk about math class because it’s been a constant struggle for over a year at this point.

My degree is science, so it makes sense that I would need to take some math classes. However, I hate the way my college conducts their math classes. It’s all online; I have not seen a single one of my professors in the 3 math classes I took. This is not how I learn. I need a person to guide me through the steps through an in-person lecture, that way I can ask them questions. A computer can’t answer my questions. And my math classes I took in the spring had tutors, I’ll give them that, but there’s no tutors over the summer. And this class doesn’t tell me how my quiz answers are wrong, which sucks because I don’t know what I need to study for my tests.

Also, the way you got into a level 100 math classes was taking a test. I failed that, and I had to take entry-level course. Which was stupid, because it was teaching the same things as the math class. Just put me in the math class at that point.

I could have avoided this if I took the actual algebra class during my associates, but instead I took algebra for liberal arts. I low-key regret that, but live and let learn.

Long story short, I’m probably dropping calculus. I’m nearing burnout, and the struggle with math is not helping. I’d rather focus on the two other courses I’m taking right now, especially once I start work in two weeks.

[rawmouldedu]

Top #5 Skills the Digital SAT Tests—and How to Build Them

The Digital SAT has transformed the way students prepare for college admissions. With a sleek digital interface and adaptive testing format, it emphasizes a fresh set of academic and strategic skills. Whether you're aiming for a top U.S. university or simply want to improve your SAT score, knowing what skills the exam tests—and how to sharpen them—is key.

In this blog, we'll break down the essential skills the Digital SAT evaluates and how you can build them efficiently through expert guidance like that offered at Rawmould Education, a leading name in Digital SAT Online Coaching in India.

1. Reading Comprehension and Analytical Thinking

What the SAT Tests: The Reading section focuses on your ability to analyze and understand passages from literature, science, social studies, and historical documents. Questions often ask you to interpret arguments, evaluate evidence, and identify central ideas.

How to Build This Skill:

Read daily from a variety of sources like The New York Times, Scientific American, or historical speeches.

Practice summarizing paragraphs in your own words.

Use SAT practice tools to simulate reading comprehension tasks.

Rawmould Education provides guided practice sessions and expert feedback that help sharpen your analytical thinking. With Digital SAT Online Tutoring in Hyderabad, students gain focused attention on critical reading techniques that improve scores rapidly.

2. Grammar and Language Mastery

What the SAT Tests: In the Writing & Language section, the SAT assesses your understanding of English grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and clarity of expression.

How to Build This Skill:

Brush up on grammar rules including subject-verb agreement, modifiers, and parallel structure.

Learn to spot redundancies and awkward phrasing.

Practice editing sample SAT texts for clarity and correctness.

With Rawmould Education’s Digital SAT Online Coaching, students get targeted grammar drills, interactive lessons, and real-time corrections.

3. Data Interpretation and Problem-Solving in Math

What the SAT Tests: The Math section—split into calculator and no-calculator parts—evaluates algebra, advanced math, problem-solving, and data analysis. Questions often appear in real-world contexts, requiring more than just computation.

How to Build This Skill:

Understand the ‘why’ behind math formulas, not just the ‘how’.

Use charts and graphs frequently to interpret data sets.

Solve problems with multiple steps and units.

Rawmould Education uses adaptive technology and practice exams to tailor math coaching to your level. Focuses not only on problem-solving speed but also on accuracy and strategic thinking.

4. Time Management and Test Strategy

What the SAT Tests: Although not directly tested, your ability to manage time and navigate the adaptive test format is crucial to your success.

How to Build This Skill:

Practice full-length digital mock tests under timed conditions.

Learn to identify and skip time-consuming questions early.

Review performance to spot patterns of error or slowdowns.

Through timed practice tests and personalized strategy sessions, Rawmould Education’s Digital SAT Online Coaching helps students develop effective pacing skills and exam-day confidence.

5. Digital Literacy and Comfort with Technology

What the SAT Tests: Since the test is fully digital, students must be comfortable reading, scrolling, highlighting, and navigating between questions on-screen.

How to Build This Skill:

Take practice tests on a digital platform similar to the official SAT interface.

Use tools like on-screen calculator, answer eliminator, and annotation features regularly.

Familiarize yourself with adaptive question sequencing.

Rawmould Education uses a test interface that mirrors the actual digital SAT environment. Our Digital SAT Online Tutoring in Hyderabad ensures students are fully prepared for this tech-based format, reducing test-day anxiety.

Why Choose Rawmould Education?

Preparing for the Digital SAT can feel overwhelming, especially with its new structure and evolving demands. That’s where Rawmould Education makes all the difference.

Here’s what makes it stand out:

Expert Tutors: All instructors are SAT-certified and specialize in personalized digital SAT prep.

Adaptive Practice Tests: Simulate real SAT conditions with AI-powered assessments.

Flexible Learning: Whether you live in Mumbai, Chennai, or Hyderabad, access India’s Best Digital SAT Online Coaching from the comfort of your home.

Score-Improvement Guarantee: Focused strategy sessions and error analysis that lead to measurable improvements.

Affordable Plans: Quality coaching that doesn’t break the bank.

If you're looking for the most trusted Digital SAT Online Coaching in India, Rawmould Education is your ideal partner in your SAT success journey.

Final Thoughts

The Digital SAT is more than a test of academic knowledge—it's a challenge in strategic thinking, speed, and digital readiness. But with the right preparation, every student can rise to the occasion.

Start your journey today, and make your SAT score work for your dreams.

[kavinderrawat]

Discover the Best Home Tutor in Dehradun: Why Saraswati Tutorials Stands Out

In today’s competitive academic environment, personalized learning is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. Whether it's mastering basic concepts or preparing for board exams, having the right guidance can significantly improve a student's confidence and performance. If you're a parent or student searching for the Best Home Tutor in Dehradun, your search ends with Saraswati Tutorials—a name trusted by countless families for delivering excellence in home education.

Why Home Tuition Matters More Than Ever

Gone are the days when classroom learning was enough to ensure academic success. With rising student-teacher ratios and overloaded school curriculums, students often struggle to get the attention and support they need. This is where the role of a Home Tutor in Dehradun becomes crucial.

A good home tutor doesn't just explain topics—they assess individual learning styles, customize teaching methods, and offer one-on-one attention that simply isn’t possible in crowded classrooms. This personalized approach helps build clarity, boost self-esteem, and spark a genuine interest in learning.

Dehradun: A Rising Hub for Educational Excellence

Known for its serene environment and top-tier schools, Dehradun is also emerging as a hub for private tuition and academic support. Parents here are increasingly choosing home tutoring over coaching institutes because it offers:

Flexible timings

Individual focus

Safe learning environment at home

Better academic results

But finding the Best Home Tutor in Dehradun among a sea of options can be overwhelming. That's why Saraswati Tutorials has become a preferred choice for families looking for reliable and result-driven academic support.

Introducing Saraswati Tutorials: A Name You Can Trust

Established with the mission of nurturing academic brilliance, Saraswati Tutorials has quickly become a leading provider of Home Tutor in Dehradun services. Backed by a team of experienced, qualified, and passionate tutors, the institute caters to students from Class 1 to 12 across all major boards (CBSE, ICSE, State Board).

Whether it's science, mathematics, English, social science, or competitive exam prep, Saraswati Tutorials matches each student with the best home tutor in Dehradun for their specific needs.

What Makes Saraswati Tutorials the Best?

Let’s take a deeper look at why Saraswati Tutorials is considered the Best Home Tutor in Dehradun:

1. Customized Learning Plans

No two students are the same, and Saraswati Tutorials understands that. Their tutors design personalized lesson plans based on the student's current level, school syllabus, and learning pace.

2. Highly Qualified Tutors

Every tutor at Saraswati Tutorials undergoes a strict selection process. Most tutors are postgraduates or trained teachers with strong subject knowledge and a proven track record in helping students succeed.

3. Flexible Scheduling

Have a tight school schedule or extracurricular activities? No problem. Saraswati Tutorials offers flexible timing options so that your child can learn comfortably without stress.

4. Progress Tracking

Parents receive regular updates and performance reports to keep track of their child’s academic progress. This transparency builds trust and ensures that the learning objectives are met.

5. Affordable Fee Structure

Quality education shouldn’t burn a hole in your pocket. Saraswati Tutorials provides value-for-money services with transparent pricing and no hidden charges.

Subjects Offered by Saraswati Tutorials Home Tutors

Here are some of the subjects their Home Tutor in Dehradun team specializes in:

Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology)

Mathematics (Basic to Advanced Levels)

English Grammar and Literature

Social Studies (History, Civics, Geography)

Hindi & Sanskrit

Computer Science

Economics, Business Studies & Accounts

They also offer foundation courses for competitive exams like NTSE, Olympiads, JEE, and NEET—right at your doorstep!

Who Should Choose Saraswati Tutorials?

If you're a parent or student looking for:

Extra help in difficult subjects

A tutor who can explain concepts clearly and patiently

One-on-one attention without the distractions of a coaching center

A consistent learning routine with regular assessments

… then Saraswati Tutorials is the right place for you.

Whether your child is in Class 1 or Class 12, needs basic concept clarity or advanced problem-solving techniques, Saraswati Tutorials can match you with the Best Home Tutor in Dehradun suited for the task.

Testimonials: What Parents and Students Are Saying

"Saraswati Tutorials helped my son improve his math scores from 55% to 90% in just three months. The tutor was highly professional and very supportive." – Mrs. Sharma, Parent of Class 10 Student

"The science tutor made even the toughest topics easy to understand. I used to hate chemistry, but now it's my favorite subject!" – Riya Joshi, Class 11 Student

"Their tutors are punctual, knowledgeable, and genuinely care about student success. Best decision we made for our daughter's academic growth." – Mr. Rawat, Parent

How to Book a Home Tutor from Saraswati Tutorials?

Booking the Best Home Tutor in Dehradun is just a call or click away. Here’s how simple it is:

Contact Saraswati Tutorials via phone or website

Share your requirements – class, subjects, goals, preferred timing

Get matched with a qualified home tutor

Start learning at your convenience, right from your home

You can also request a free demo session to see if the tutor is the right fit.

Common FAQs About Home Tuition in Dehradun

Q1: How much does home tuition cost in Dehradun?

The cost varies based on class level, subjects, and tutor experience. Saraswati Tutorials offers affordable pricing with no hidden charges.

Q2: Is home tuition better than coaching centers?

Yes! Home tuition provides personalized attention, flexible timings, and a distraction-free environment—something coaching centers can rarely offer.

Q3: Can I request subject-specific tutoring?

Absolutely. Whether you need help with just science or all subjects, Saraswati Tutorials can customize tutoring plans as per your needs.

Q4: What classes do Saraswati Tutorials cater to?

They provide home tutors for classes 1 to 12 and for various competitive exams as well.

Final Thoughts: Give Your Child the Advantage They Deserve

Choosing the right tutor can transform a student’s academic journey. And in a city like Dehradun, where education is a top priority, you deserve nothing less than the best. With its proven track record, dedicated team, and student-first approach, Saraswati Tutorials has truly earned the title of the Best Home Tutor in Dehradun.

Whether you're struggling with formulas or aiming for the top ranks, having a dedicated Home Tutor in Dehradun can make all the difference. Let Saraswati Tutorials help your child learn better, score higher, and grow more confident with each passing day.