#academic anthem

[sylvanium]

You know you have a supportive and very understanding friend when...

(pov: instead of writing a thesis, you send a catchy song about ADHD to your friend, saying it reminds you of her and the dynamics she has with her husband (he is the ADHD one); and she absolutely loves the song and sends you back “just a little something to mentally support you in your eternal thesis/diploma battle" - so you click the link and...)

...the song she sends to you is "I've No More Fucks To Give" (by Thomas Benjamin Wild Esq.) and she wishes you to get to this Point Of No Return because SHE KNOWS your life will be so much better when you get there.

I love her, your honor.

(And no, I’m still very far away from this point - I still give waaaay to many fucks about anything, really - but it’s nice to know your friend has faith you can do better than that. lol)

[iamadyingangel]

my academic comeback be like:

[copia]

save me quick blast of chokehold. quick blast of chokehold save me

[mkzmerryfriend]

I just. I just need everyone to know that National Anthem is a lot better than you might think it is. So many people miss things from it that make it so much better.

Like how Books on Tape not only never intended for the "reset" to be optional, but by the time they called the A.K.A.s to the meeting they had already made deals with all but the Fabulous Killjoys and the Weirdss, as evidenced by every single other group being given money and power and fame so long as they were available to be called on when B.T. Global needed them. It's obvious with the Pristeens, but we see members of the Lorettas, the Sadie Hawkins, and Vacation Adventure Society in later scenes in the board room and when they go to intercept the Fabulous Killjoys at the Weirdss hideout. Books on Tape had already solidified the deal with everyone else, the only two they couldn't control were the Weirdss (for self-evident reasons) and the Fabulous Killjoys, who were firmly on the side of Mom and Dad and who were already distrustful of the other A.K.A.s, which we see in their reactions to showing up to the meeting and Blue's readiness to start a fight.

There's just so much that adds to the depth of the story that I love and that I feel like people miss pretty easily. Like legit, please, if you are confused about something in this book, I can and will explain it for you. I have read it so many times, analyzed it twice as many times, and spent way too much time thinking about almost every aspect of it.

[freshbakedbreadstick]

No. 1 Party Anthem - Mikey Berzatto x F!Reader - Chapter Eight

Past!Mikey Berzatto x F!Reader

Carmy Berzatto x F!Platonic!Reader

Richie Jerimovich x F!Platonic!Reader

Summary: Forgiveness is earned, not given. And you were prepared to do whatever it takes to earn it, even if it means groveling for the rest of your life. 

Warnings:  All my fics are 18+ regardless of the content. Heavy spoilers. Mentions of death, grief, angst, strained relationships, arguments, details of anxiety/panic attacks, bad coping mechanisms, mental health issues, running away, addiction, al-anon.  

Word Count: 4.8k

A/N: BESTIES ! ! ! i AM BACK FROM THE DEADDDDDD ! ! ! Unfortunately, i became an academic victim instead of an academic weapon this past year . Currently suffering thru a stress induced cold too LOL love that 4 me . ut the year is over n finals r done so ill be continuing this ! ! ! ! Anywaysssss only two chapters left of this series </3 breaks my heart low-key LOL I really enjoyed writing this whole thing, it was fascinating putting the emotions into this whole thing ! Quite the experience, I tell ya ! but anywayssss have a slay day ! 

Taglist: @marysucks-blog @shinebright2000 @jadeittic @eternallyvenus @jackierose902109 (i apologize if i missed anyone new or previous!! please let me know if you were missed/wanna be added <3)

Masterlist

The tears wouldn’t stop bubbling over, leaving stains of sea salt on your cheeks that wouldn’t go away no matter how many times you rubbed it with the back of your hand. At this point, your skin was raw from your scrubbing. But no matter what you did, they just wouldn’t go away.

The Al-Anon meeting had since been adjourned and slowly but surely people were shuffling out of their seats and either to the snack table for a quick swipe of donuts and coffee or straight to the door out of there. But here you were, scrubbing away fat tears that continued to roll down your cheeks, staring straight at the back of the head of a person you didn’t really know if you wanted to face at that moment. 

A particularly watery group of tears clouded your vision, making you wince and snap your eyes shut before bringing both your hands up to viciously scrub them away, taking your vision from the head whom you were trained on. As you scrubbed, feeling your eyes burn and vision turn into a kaleidoscope of colors, you failed to notice the sound of someone getting up and rapidly approaching you until it was too late.

A strong hand gripped your forearm and jerked you up from your seat, making you yelp and snap your eyes open again. They stung from the sudden sunlight invading your vision, but you blinked it away, instead focusing on the person with a calloused grip dragging you out of the room with a rush that made those still sticking around gasp and glance in your direction. 

You barely managed to hold yourself and your stuff together when you realized you were out the door of the room and back into the empty hallway. Carmy dropped his grip with an expression on his face that you couldn’t read at all. 

“Carmy-“ you began.

“Stop, stop, stop. Don’t start…. Not now….” 

Carmy sighed and ran a hand through his hair, looking off and away from you. His shoulders started to sag, making him look so uncharacteristically… scared in front of you. 

He glanced back at you, watching your mouth open and close like a fish out of water as you kept trying to stop yourself from launching into some sort of explanation or apology. He continued to watch as you leaned against the wall, your body folding it on itself as your knees got weaker and weaker. All you did was stare at him with wide, watery eyes, trying so hard not to say anything. 

After some silence, Carmy looked away and spoke up, “You came.”

You swallowed the knot on your throat before nodding hesitantly.

He turned to look at you, blue eyes rimmed red. 

“Why.”

You opened your mouth, ready to launch into what you wanted to say, but Carmy threw his hand up to signal you to stop. With one hand on his hip, he looked at the floor and sighed again. 

“Why now? Is this an attempt for you to... to make it all better? Just like that? Listen, that might’ve worked on my brother but definitely not me.”

“No, I-“ 

“If you think of this as your form of retribution for everything, forget it. I don’t need your begging for forgiveness or your pity. I can’t… I can't just get over this, okay?”

“Carmy, I get that but-”

“But what? There are no amount of apologies or declarations of love for my brother in front of a group of strangers that will… that will change how i feel about this-”

“Carmy!”

He snapped his mouth shut.

With shaky legs, you stood up before him and made direct eye contact.

“I’m sorry.”

His adam's apple bobbed as he stared at you. 

You took in a shaky breath, “I’m not asking for anything, okay? I just… I want to say sorry. For stressing you out. For worrying everyone. For…. for leaving. I’m sorry.”

Then, Carmy did something you haven’t seen him do in a long, long time.

He cried. 

Tears spilled over his red rimmed baby blues, falling slowly, then faster and faster and faster.

With a choked breath, Carmy whispered out, “I needed you.”

“I needed you and you… you weren’t here. You ran. And I ran too.”

He shifted uncomfortably and looked away, but still whispered out his confession. 

“I was so… so fucking scared. I didn’t know what to do. But I knew that I needed you here. But you got scared too. So you ran. I…”

And with that, you began to sob.

You leaned against the wall, sobbing into your hands. You could barely hear his words over the echo of your cries, but you didn’t care. And you didn’t care when people came slowly out of the meeting room, casting glances in your direction before walking away to exit the building.

“I’m sorry. I… i’m taking it out on you. But you aren’t my brother. You're you. And I needed you in the same way you needed me. But…neither of us were here for each other like we promised.”

One thing you and Carmy always did during an infamous Berzatto family dinner was sneak out of the house and into the front yard, leaning against the garage door to share a cigarette.

Whether it was Donna’s yelling that drove Carmy out or Mikey’s constant erratic personality that got you feeling overwhelmed, you both somehow managed to take a second to go outside and catch a breath at the same time. 

So it became tradition to sneak out for 10 minutes before someone came looking for one or the other, to silently smoke and have a brief moment of peace.

Most of the time you were alone together, other times Natalie joined the two of you, usually just closing her eyes and leaning against the wall besides you, silent. 

By the 32nd informal Berzatto Family Sneak Out, as you two dubbed it, Carmy was opening up to you. He would tell you about how life has been treating him, his struggles, and general day to day things he enjoyed. You would do the same, providing him with his own mental escape just as he did for you.

Some days he would chatter on and on in a way you didn’t normally see him do. Other days it was silence. But regardless,you enjoyed his company regardless, as he did yours.

One Christmas, the two of you were shivering in the cold but still out there in scarves and sweaters regardless. 

“Shit,” you murmured and threw the cigarette down to stomp on it, foot sliding across the icy pavement.

You wobbled a bit, making Carmy snicker as you shot him a look.

“Hey uh, i got you a really cool present this year.” 

You glanced at him, rubbing your hands together, “Oh yea? Owning up for last year’s mistake?” 

Carmy rolled his eyes, “I swear i didn’t know you owned that sweater.”

You laughed, “I wore it during Thanksgiving!! It was right in front of you and you didn’t even notice!”

Carmy rolled his eyes and chuckled, rubbing the dark circles under them.

“Yea whatever, give me shit. But i promise this one will blow you away. I put a lot of thought into it, especially because it’s been a while since i’ve been down here…”

You hummed, looking off into the soft piles of snow glittering under the string lights, some red, others blue. 

“I missed you, you know…”

Carmy sighed, throwing his cigarette down and stomping on it. 

“I did too.”

You looked up at Carmy, smiling but no longer feeling your lips. He smiled back at you. 

“Promise me that we'll always have these little sneak outs, yea? It keeps me from going insane on your brother,” you said with a snort. 

He just chuckled, “Of course… I'll always be there for you if you’ll always be there for me… yea?”

He extended his hand out. You slapped your hand into his, shaking it with a playful grin. 

“Agreed.”

Someone calls your name from inside. Mikey’s booming voice echos from the house, loud and clear like a siren call within a turbulent sea. You whip your head to the front door and giggle, “Better get going, come on Berzatto. Maybe i’ll let you have my leftover christmas cookies if you sneak me an extra piece of that tiramisu you brought.”

With that, the two of walked back into the home for the rest of the night.

You can feel his hands gently grip your shoulders, helping you up from leaning against the cold wall into his arms. His muscular arms wrapping around you, the familiar scent of spices and sweat invading your nose; a scent so remarkably Carmy. 

“I’m sorry… I just really needed you… I needed you and i.. didn’t know how to ask…” He whispered into your neck, muffled. 

You sobbed, staining his shirt with tears but neither of you cared as you stood there, in the empty hallway as the setting sun streamed in through stray rays. 

By the time you separated from the hug, the hallway was a twilight blue. His rough hands reached up to your eyes, thumbing them away with a gentleness that made you want to cry again.

“I missed you.” you managed to say, after a long period of silence. 

“I missed you too…” he murmured, eyes droopy.

It was quiet and it felt… good. It felt good to stand there, staring at the lines on one another's' faces that showed the age and the years that you missed while apart. The stories they told you of each other, of how you drifted apart. But now they showed a different story. 

It felt good to be back.

“Hey uh, i have to get back… we have a, uh, bachelor’s party today…”

This made you snort, making Carmy crack a side smile. 

“A bachelor’s? At The Beef? Are you that broke?”

This made him chuckle softly, “Uh, yea…”

You shook your head with a small smile, “Well, I guess you better get going then. Everyone’s waiting on you, chef.”

Carmy looked to the floor, stepping away from you as he continued to smile, “Yes chef.”

You watched through as Carmy waved to you and your parents from the backseat of their car, your arms wrapped around yourself tightly. Your mom waved enthusiastically as your dad backed out, tires scratching on the gravel underneath you.

He got smaller and smaller as you all pulled away, making your way back home with a car full of hope. 

It was 6 in the morning when you got the call from Carmy.

You drove a little above the speed limit as you chewed on your bottom lip, eyes sweeping across the streets as your car lurched forward ahead of everyone else. The streets were slick from a light morning fog, rolling in with the cooler weather of fall and winter. But your skin was too hot to even realize how cold it was outside as you ran across the street from where you parked to The Beef. 

You threw the back door open, causing multiple people to throw their heads around to look at you. Ebraheim nodded in your direction and Tina smiled warmly. She glanced behind her before turning back to you, beckoning you in from your stiff stance in the doorway. 

You thanked her softly as you walked in, the chill from the air behind you making you shiver in your light sweatshirt and thin pants. 

You found Marcus in his corner, organizing diligently as Carmy walked away from his station and to Ebraheim’s, where he held up and complained about a sparkly black bra. You giggled as you watched them, getting Carmy’s attention.

He walked swiftly around the kitchen, signaling you to follow with a nod of his head. 

The two of you moved to stand in the door way leading to the front of the restaurant, watching Richie and Tina laugh before they turned, grabbing cleaning supplies. But when Richie turned and saw you, he briefly froze.

“Richie…” you said softly, crossing your arms across your chest with an arched brow. Carmy clued you in during the call, which is why you rushed here as soon as possible, worried sick about Richie.

“Hey uh…” he mumbled, sheepishly looking away from you as he scratched the back of his neck and avoided your gaze.

“Really? Jail?” you huffed.

“Come on, it was hardly even jail. I spent a night in holding, that’s it. Besides, i’ve done my penance… i’m a changed man. ” Richie said with a roll of his eyes and a choked laugh. 

You rolled your eyes, only to tense up when he asked his next question, “Why are you here?”

It wasn’t meant to be accusatory, just curious considering how the last conversation had ended here. But here you were, beside Carmy who didn’t seem very upset next to you. 

You looked away, clearing your throat softly, “Can we… can we talk in private about that…”

Richie visibly softened and glanced at Carmy before turning back to you, “Listen, you don't have to worry about-”

“No no no, just listen to me first, okay? Please… cousin?” 

This made Richie perk up and clear his throat, “Yea yea, come uh, come out back with me then..”

The two of you made your way to the backdoor, Carmy’s eyes trained on your backs right up until the door clicked shut behind you. 

“Listen Richie, I'm… I'm sorry. For… for everything. It’s…” you began, your throat drying up pretty soon after. 

Richie sighed, pacing away from you for a second as you struggled to swallow the lump in your throat. 

“Can i… say something…?” 

You looked at him, his back turned to you. But you heard him and the slight quiver in his throat loud and clear.

“I… it’s a secret so you have to promise not to tell anyone.” He said, laughing softly.

He slowly turned to you, showing the guilt and remorse all over his face that cleared that little moment of laughter right up. 

You nodded slowly, stepping forward toward him, “Yea, yea, of course….”

He hesitated, glancing up at you and analyzing every part of you for some form of dishonestly… but he found none. He only found the same eyes looking back at him, with trust glittering in them, like all those years ago. 

“Okay…” he began with a shaky breath, “I…”

You leaned forward some more, nodding softly. 

“I… I never once regretted loving Tiff.” 

Your eyes widened.

“She… was everything to me. I don’t regret loving her… even now…”

You could feel your heart racing in your ears. The way his eyes watered slightly as his hands shook at his side made your own eyes water. But his words, his words shook you up more than anything.

“I fucked up alot with her… you know that… and… and i don’t regret it either…”

Your bottom lip quivered. 

“I don’t think you should regret anything you did out of love for Mikey either… okay?”

You could only whimper, reaching forward to wrap your arms around him. He wound his arms around your own body, squeezing tightly as he did so, squishing you against him but neither of you cared. 

“So don’t apologize to me, okay? I know why you ran, and I don't blame you for it either.”

“....Thank you Richie… you're the greatest friend Mikey and I could ever have…”

Richie smiled softly, pressing a kiss to your hairline, “Of course, Mikey might… Mikey might not be here but I am. I’m here for you…”

“Thank you…” you tried desperately to hold back the tears.

The two of you held each other there, in the cool morning air until Richie cleared his throat and murmured, “So you and Carmy are good now? Or what the hell?”

You laughed, voice watery. 

“Listen, i thought you two would fight each other out here, honestly. Wrestle like you would as kids over the last goddamn pudding cup but uh, i guess not huh.”

“No…no. We uh, talked yesterday and it… it ended pretty good i think.” 

You stepped back with a sigh, brushing away a couple pesky tears, “You know Carmy, he’s not easy to forgive so I don't expect that talk to fix everything but i… I'm glad I finally grabbed the hand that was reaching out…”

Richie shook his head, “I don’t get how you two always were so buddy-buddy, you’re like exact opposites.”

You shrugged, “You don’t know Carmy like I did… like I do. We are a lot more similar than you might think.”

With that Richie chuckled and clapped his hands together, “Alright, no more slacking, we got a shit ton of prep today.”

The two of you wiped your tears away with small chuckles as you stared at one another’s puffy eyes and flushed faces, trying your best to not look like wrecks as you walked back inside with small smiles. 

The day went off without a hitch, until… the fire.

[unearthlytraveller]

The singing of the National Anthem was always a ragged affair, the good people of Ankh-Morpork feeling that it was unpatriotic to sing songs about how patriotic you were, taking the view that someone singing a song about how patriotic they were was either up to somthing or a Head of State*. *i.e. up to something.

Terry Pratchett, Unseen Academicals

[invisibleicewands]

‘Theatre changed my life,’ says Michael Sheen. ‘Now my passion is for helping others’

Theatre can change lives. And I should know. It’s changed my life more than I’d ever have imagined. Back in 2011, a play called The Passion took over the streets of my hometown of Port Talbot. And I haven’t been the same since.

Perhaps the perception of actors before a play is that we’ll learn a few lines, try on a few costumes... break a leg. But with The Passion, I went all in like never before.

I also met the people doing vital work in the community I grew up in, helping vulnerable people who need it the most, often at make-or-break moments. Being at this coalface of community opened my eyes.

This patchwork of people holding society together with the thinnest of threads, going over and above each and every day to help people in almost every aspect of their lives.

I saw then – and I continue to see – kind-hearted, warm, tolerant people helping out their fellow humans to bring communities together. These are the people who make our nation what it is.

The good deeds that these people did – from giving young carers a night off to go bowling, to setting up the only grief counselling service in the area – generally worked under fragile funding and often were under-appreciated by the wider community.

I knew then that I had to devote as much time and energy as I could to helping, however I could.

In the decade and a half since The Passion, I’ve started projects around homelessness, high-cost credit, care, and local journalism. And for the past 18 months, these have come under the banner of a movement known as Mab Gwalia.

Mab Gwalia believes that opportunity should not only be available to those who can afford it. The ambition is to build a movement that makes change.

We support people and projects which work in three ways: projects creating opportunity and fighting for fairness; projects rooted in communities, helping people directly; and projects that work in new and ambitious ways to deliver change.

My work on The Passion made me realise there’s so many people out there doing this. And Mab Gwalia has supported as many of them as we can.

This has included: Army veterans in Merthyr Tydfil. Autism support for children in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Food growing in Pembrokeshire. Opportunities for women in Swansea who’ve suffered knock-back after knock-back. Community skills hubs in Rhyl.

Theatre changed my life. Now I want the spark it set off in me to do the same for others.

My ancestor, Nanny Blower, the lion tamer

My great-great grandmother was called Mary Ann-North. Or Nanny Blower, as we know her.

She left Wales for New York in 1896 where she became, wait for it, an elephant and lion tamer for the Bostock and Wombwell Circus. Fast forward to today and young people in the Upper Neath Valleys don’t have to run away to join the circus. Organised Kaos comes to them.

Kaos stands for “keeping adolescents off the streets” and that’s what they do. I first met them on The Passion (riding BMXs through fire – them, not me) and now Mab Gwalia has helped fund their work.

Manics band drum up £15,000 for drama study

“Libraries gave us power” – the opening lyrics to Wales’ second national anthem, A Design For Life.

The Manic Street Preachers wrote a version of the song for The Passion, performing it at The Last Supper in the Seaside Social & Labour Club… before being arrested and hauled off stage for the show’s added drama.

The band is working with Mab Gwalia to fund a drama scholarship, providing financial support to students who need it. Since 2021, 11 students have received up to £15,000 each academic year.

We’ve just committed to another three years. The students tell us it gives them a chance to believe. The arts should be for everyone.

Mothers Matter, like my mum and partner Anna

My mum’s going through a tough time as my dad is living with Alzheimer’s. It’s a lot to take. I’m thankful every day for how my partner Anna is with our daughters.

It’s an understatement, but mothers matter. That’s the name of an organisation Mab Gwalia has supported. Mothers Matter helps mums suffering from loneliness and isolation through support, counselling, wellbeing hubs and workshops. Mothers in South Wales don’t have to do it alone.

We give a voice to working class writers

A summer reading recommendation: Only Here, Only Now by Tom Newlands. It’s Cora’s story – a teenage girl with ADHD finding her way through life in the early 90s in post-industrial Scotland. She’ll change the way you think about neurodivergence. It’s an unforgettable debut novel.

Tom was part of A Writing Chance, a project I developed alongside the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, New Writing North and Northumbria University. The Office for National Statistics says nearly half all authors are from the most privileged backgrounds.

So we’re trying to redress that balance. To turn up voices not always heard. Tom was one of the first group – 11 writers who received bursaries and mentoring with industry leaders including regular writer of this column, Ros Wynne-Jones.

You can hear their stories in the BBC Sounds podcast Margins to Mainstream with Michael Sheen. Now, 16 more writers are on board. Think of the stories to come.

My debut at the ‘brilliant Welsh party’

With origins dating from 1176, the National Eisteddfod is Europe’s largest cultural festival. A celebration of Welsh language culture with performances and competitions in everything from composition to cynghanedd (a type of Welsh poetry). And, last weekend, in Pontypridd, I made my debut on the maes (site or field).

My four-year-old daughter now refers to it as “that brilliant Welsh party” which neatly describes the atmosphere. On stage, the actress Sian Phillips said the sounds of words in Welsh “echoed with the language”.

I felt those echoes all day. Spoken in the park by families. Performed by young actors. Sung with emotion by choirs. It was a beautiful thing.

Homeless World Cup a beautiful game

Next month, the Homeless World Cup takes place in Seoul, South Korea. Bringing the tournament to Cardiff in 2019, seeing 500 players with experience of homelessness represent their nation on the football field, was something I’ll never forget.

If you can’t wait until then, watch The Beautiful Game on Netflix. Keep an eye on Callum Scott Howells, a brilliant young Welsh actor who I directed in BBC drama The Way (available on iPlayer).

Nye NHS vision seen on world stage

I’ve spent much of this year playing the man who had the vision and valour to create the National Health Service. Nye was theatre at its most far-reaching.

There were sold-out runs in the National Theatre in London, the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff. And cinema screenings were viewed by people all over the world.

On the night we filmed the NT Live screening, NHS workers from around the country were invited to be in the audience. They knew that at that moment, a global audience was learning about our welfare state and the man who was behind it.

My dad came along one night. He was just a little kid when Bevan’s idea became reality. Soon there’ll be very few left who can remember what life was like before the NHS.

Let’s hope it stays that way. Can the new government come up with a progressive policy that inspires a story which packs them in 75 years on? We can but dream.

[earth4angels]

the stars work in silence - WIPs

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 ✶: angst ☆: smut ✿: fluff

Jacaerys Targaryen/Velaryon

— rom-com gone wrong ✿: spider-man au, jacaerys is the masked super hero who in the middle of danger finds himself conflicted how to tell his bestfriend two things, he’s spider-man so can’t be seen with her, and that he’s madly in love with her.

— seasons (to love part III) ✿ ☆: high school was meant to be the easiest thing to let go, why was entering college harder? but as they say, true love will overcome it.

— comic dancer part II ✿: reader finally gets accepted to her dream school and jacaerys is the best boyfriend to ever exist - plus a awkward family birthday causes some disagreements.

— feeling lucky ✿ ✶☆: jacaerys couldnt help but fall in love with his academic advisor, a secret relationship blooms but it’s forbidden due to campus rules

— nervous ✶✿: the red string theory, where two souls were meant to meet and be written in the book of fate as a destiny. however jacaerys did not think his other half would be his bestfriend’s sister who happened to already be in a relationship.

— run to the moon ✿: reader is a nasa scientist, she’s dedicated to studying the universe, workaholic is what they call her but her favorite barista tells her otherwise (jacaerys is a part time barista) — until the end, i love you ✶: reader is a lannister who met jacaerys during Aegon’s name day celebration, forbidden love au - her father makes her sail to the ocean to fight the battle where she rather burn than watch her love drown.

— love is a laserquest ✶✿: as a blackwood, she’s rageful, full of vengeance for the death of her little brother by the greens, so when Jacaerys Targaryen comes to seek bent knees, she gladly follows him to war

— the new national anthem ✿: jacaerys falls in love one summer night with the violinist that comes to perform at his mothers wedding

Benjicot Blackwood

— six thirty ☆: reader gets notes and roses from a secret admirer, who turns out to be benji, what he doesn’t know is that she knows and enjoys the chase he gives her

— mbibty part II ☆✶✿: signed to an official record label, benji feels ready to take over the entertainment industry what he doesn’t realize is just how nasty the media is towards established couples.

— bulletproof love ☆ ✿: in order to become lord of house blackwood benjicot needed to marry, produce heirs. in his rough style he says fuck that because he’s going to steal Lord Brackens’ daughter one way or another who he’s been dating at secret.

— props & mayhem ✶✿: reader feels the pressure of being the second oldest, and with that comes negativity and a lot of self doubt — benji being the best boyfriend will steal the stars to proof you’re worth it

Cregan Stark

— low on gas, and you need a jacket ✿: reader struggles to make ends meet, and she uses her skills in dancing to become a dancer at a club, she just didn’t expect to meet the guy who would show her what she’s been missing on

[punkeropercyjackson]

Percy Jackson is peak autism.He's audhd so nobody thinks he can be autistic because he 'already' has adhd.He popularized the term 'troubled kid' in fandom,the irl meaning being 'minority kid who is abused by everybody for it and dosen't get their needs met for the same reason'.He was a bully beater and so set on standing up for others he got kicked out of 6 schools by 12 and it destroyed his self-eestem but he just couldn't stand down and let others be hurt and it escalated into him turning into a punk and a team parent with professional instigation,an overt sense of community and intersectionalism,unrestrainable anarchism and activism both mortal and mythological and he has 11+ books of street cred.He has a canon safe food-blue food-and a canon Resting Bitch Face.He hates 'truly mature interests' and is into kiddy stuff instead as a mix of natural attitude and childhood trauma coping but handles and understands serious and complex situations way better than self-proclaimed genius' without a need to brag about it or himself in general.His emotional regulation is in the bottom layer of Tartarus and his social skills are deeper below than Poseidon's characterization.He sucks at academics but is beyond smart in literally every other area.He's super kind and earnest in a way that gets called fake and offputting and naive in-universe by allistics yet also treated as actively threatning even though he's never done anything wrong.His sense of humor can only be achived by unmedicated adhd and undiagnosed non-stereotypical autism.He wears layers and is feminine in gender while being amab and worships women and is in heavy touch with everything of the sea and loves every kind of burger and sharks are his favorite animal and is just a he/she/they/neos egg waiting to crack in a glass closet.His foil is Abusive White Allistic Man Supreme(Luke)who talks down to him about radicalism and trauma when he's sheltered asf and an entire fascist.He can never tell when people are attracted to him because romantic norms don't filter into him as he thinks they're stupid and weirdly toxic and he's right but everyone treats it as a flaw out of normiehood.His found younger siblings,pseudo-kids and platonic soulmates by choice in every universe are also autistic as they're a socially awkward outcasted physically disabled accurately goth gay boy and a misfit creepy cute black middle school artsy weirdgirl with gems,horses and ghosts special interests that always mean as well as their dad,notably Percy and not Hades/Pluto,does but don't ever get believed just like him too.He's a mama's boy who hates his dad and his Mamí considers his differences to be a blessing instead of a curse and dosen't always understand him but never treats him badly for it either and supports and nurtures him all the way through.'Good Kid' from the Pjo musical is the anthem of abused by the system and at home audhd black kids.Percy Jackson is literally the audhd with no masking game experience

[freakymcnastys]

“meet the grahams” - a mha book - headcannons!!

general headcannons:

sero and bakugou are hispanic 🤷‍♀️ sorry yall i don’t make the rules

sero specifically is puerto rican (on his dads side)

bakugou is dominaican, on his moms side because that is a dominican mom if i’ve ever seen one 😭

i can totally see those two getting into it during hangouts because sero called him a pendejo (stupid) and they’re just yelling at each other in spanish💀💀

tokoyami is a hardcore mistki lover and his favorite is the puberty album (i bet on losing dogs is his anthem 💔💔)

1A does friday night karaoke

mina and tokoyami singing “bring me to life” by evanescence-

ok hear me out… bakugou SECRETLY likes mitski (“i want you” and “class of 2013”)

every other friday night sero and denki take editables (provided by sato in 1B) and go to the aquarium

class 1A has a secret tiktok account

junko and chiaki stream fortnite sometimes

aizawa recommended that they do weekly bonding things so every week 1A gathers in the common room and they play boardgames or cook or watch something

uraraka and tsu are the biggest bakers known to mankind!! like they skip activities to bake cakes and cookies for everyone

1A has a minecraft server but junko and sero got banned for being too freaky :(

hawks x dabi is cannon in this because it’s my (kats) roman empire so be excited for the juicy drama

junko’s headcannons:

enji has def said to junko that shoto should’ve eaten her in the womb ☺️

“i know it’s over” by the smiths is so sero x junko core <33

whenever junko was on her period she literally REFUSES to get up for day 1 and makes sero or shoto go to the convence store to buy her like snacks and stuff

she’s actually really good at 21 (card game)

plays on sero’s ps5 (tlou2 and sims4)

her pfp on twitter is a pic of endeavor with a red cross over it (🚫) and the name is “dni endeavor”

hangs out with natsuo more than the rest of her siblings

her and shoto have to fight the twin telepathy allegations ☹️

wasn’t sure what sero meant by “netflix and chill” until he sat her down to have the whole birds and the bees talk 💀

chiaki’s headcannons:

has a picture with metallica (she was like a toddler)

toshinori has camcorder footage of her when she was younger running around in UA and it’s tucked in a box somewhere

“duvet” by bôa is literally bakugou x chiaki :)

chiaki's favorite game is resident evil and her king is leon kennedy

her devil (which is apart of her quirk) is always present behind her but only when she takes her eyepatch off does it actually do anything other than loom behind her LOL

the biggest drawback of deal with the devil (her quirk) is that every time she overuses her quirk it takes a year off her life starting at 100...and bakugo doesn't know this until someone says something

not to make her an mc...but she didn't take the regular entrance exam cause her quirk is so powerful so when she gets there everyone is like "who tf is this weirdo" and yeah she's so mysterious

she's an academic weapon but you would never know cause all the time she's playing video games.

She loves having really colorful braids and she loves putting them in fun lil hairstyles :3 she usually lets denki pick because he thinks her hair is so cool

whenever she had to take her hair down/out of braids she invites the bakusquad to help but only katsuki, mina and sero are allowed to since denki and kirishima aren’t allowed to use scissors 💔

- love always, kat + devina <3

[pendale]

Pairings: Eloise Bridgerton/Theo Sharpe, Eloise Bridgerton & Francesca Bridgerton

Tags: Alternate Universe - College/University, Academic Rivals, Casual Sex

Summary:

Eloise trips and falls into Theo's bed.

[Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, and thrice is neither of those things.]

Excerpt:

Eloise had Theo pressed against a shelf, her fingers deftly working open the buttons of his neatly-pressed shirt. There were voices outside, important people having important conversations right outside their hiding place, but all she could focus on was making sure that this man (with his perfect hair and his perfect smile and his perfect—) walked away from this closet looking wrecked.

[blues824]

Do you also do Pokémon? Pokémon crossover? Because I got a request that involves the obey me boys react to mc who’s a trainer from the Pokémonverse who got summoned to Devildom with their Pokémon in tow. Mc could be a 10 year old kid if you want, because I kinda want to see the brothers react when this 10 year old human child tells them the story of how they ending up toe to toe with a terrorist group from their region with their Pokémon and saved the world in the process.

Everyone, join me in our national anthem. POKEMON! GOTTA CATCH THEM ALL!!!

This is platonic, obviously

Also, check out @reiketsunomizunomegami and their art. Beautiful, truly.

Lucifer

He knew Diavolo wanted exchange students from both realms, but he didn’t expect an angel and a human who looked like they were just learning their ABC’s. This is where he draws the line. How can a 10 year old human academically keep up with demons who have been around for many millennia?

The short answer is: you can’t. It’s quite literally impossible, okay? So they set up different courses that are more simple so that you can get a better grasp on the lessons. After all, if you’re going to be staying here, you need to understand magic. 

Lucifer most definitely takes you in as a younger sibling. It’s not his first rodeo, after all. Plus, he’s intrigued as to why the system chose you out of every other human besides Solomon. Because you’re 10 and don’t know much about what should probably be kept a secret, you tell him all about your home in Pallet Town.

When y’all first met, he noticed the red and white spheres you kept on your person. He also noticed that there was one particular familiar that followed you around. He asked you about it and told him that it was your Pokémon and the spheres held other Pokémon that you use in battle. 

He’s intrigued because this seems like it’s straight out of a show for kids. He has to explain that there are no Pokémon in the Devildom, but you don’t care. Lucifer’s glad that you can defend yourself to some degree. You then tell him about the run-ins you’ve had with Team Rocket and he is immediately concerned. Grown ass adults are stealing the Pokémon of literal children?? May God forgive them, because he won’t.

Mammon

I’ve seen the headcanons where this guy is a sucker for kids, so I’m putting this into play. Older brother Mammon, I choose you! He sees you overwhelmed and gets down to your level to try and calm you down.

He will be the one to give you a tour around RAD and introduce you to his brothers. Most of the time, he has you on his shoulders so that it’s a bit of a better experience for you. He knows that the little things matter in situations like this.

Mammon takes his role as your protector very seriously. He will gladly throw hands with his own brothers if they mess with you. It’s amusing to you because he will always act so tough when in reality he’s a huge softie.

On one of your shopping trips (he most definitely spoils you), he notices your satchel and asks you about it. You pull out one of the Pokeballs and throw it, shouting Shedinja, I choose you! He let out an audible yelp when he saw a cicada looking animal come out of the ball. It was your weakest Pokémon, so you chose that one.

You explain more about your home region and how Pokémon are the norm just like demons are here. Pokémon are used in battle so that the Trainer can move up through the ranks. You also told him about Team Rocket and how they try to steal rare and powerful Pokémon, like your dear friend’s Pikachu. 

Leviathan

At first, he wants nothing to do with you. Children are loud and irritating, so he tries to steer clear. That is until Lucifer forces him to interact with you. Then he realizes that your situation is a lot like the anime in his favorite genre: isekai.

He feels bad that you are a literal 10 year old child in Hell. Not just that, but there really isn’t an elementary course at RAD. Did Diavolo do any calculations right when he was selecting the exchange students?

Eventually, Leviathan warms up to you. Whenever you come to his room to hangout or for him to babysit you, he has snacks and juice for you. You both have a blast just playing some kid-friendly games while listening to some anime intros.

During one of these babysitting adventures, he asks you about the spheres you keep checking up on. He’s seen something similar in a children’s anime, but he just wanted to make sure. You happily explained what Pokémon are and how they are utilized in battle. He was surprised about the battle part because these fights could potentially be life-threatening with the abilities of the Pokémon.

You go on and give an example of such a battle, more specifically the ones where you were going against Team Rocket. He definitely felt anger bubble up when you told him about how they tried to steal you and your friend Ash’s Pokémon on many different occasions. He was very mad, now. How could grown adults have the audacity to steal Pokémon?!

Satan

Found you quite intriguing, and amusing because it’s not everyday that you see a 10 year old human in the Devildom. He already has so many plans to prank Lucifer, and you are gonna be the bait in the situation… with your consent obviously.

He does feel genuinely sorry because you are a 10 year old human in hell. You had a pure soul as well, so that made things way worse. On his worst days he feels the temptation, so he can’t imagine how scared you must be.

He will always invite you into his room to read. If you need it, he’ll even read you a bedtime story to help you sleep. It’s adorable and flattering that you trust him at your most vulnerable state. It makes him realize that he is so much more than just Wrath. 

He does notice the spheres you keep in your room. He’s asked you about them a few times, but the one time you give him an actual answer you tell him that they are your Pokémon. He just stands there until you go more in depth. You tell him about the battles you constantly go through just to become the Champion of all the regions and he is astonished.

You also go further and tell him about Team Rocket and how they constantly go after you and your friend Ash whenever you’re on your way to another Gym Trainer. Satan was unbelievably angry that you had to go through something like that at such a young age. How dare they try and hurt you?! They will be personally answering to Lord Diavolo as well as the Avatars of Sin.

Asmodeus

Oh, you’re so adorable to him~ He will absolutely try to steal you away from the idiotic brother that Mammon is because you don’t need to be influenced by him. Instead, come hang out with big brother Asmo!

He would gladly listen to any issues you need to rant to him about because he knows all about bottling up emotions and how it takes a toll. It’s better not to start that habit. He will have tissues on hand as he wipes away your tears.

He would absolutely love dressing you up! The first part of feeling good is looking good, or at least that’s how he lives his life. He would give you trendy outfits (that you are comfortable with) and he would definitely take you out shopping.

At one point, a demon child was taunting you for being human and being weak, so you brought out your Pokémon. You had a full on battle with this kid and one. Asmo knows he shouldn’t be condoning this behavior, but damn did he feel proud. But wait, you never told him about your Pokémon.

You tell him how you managed to befriend each and everyone one that was in the pokeballs you had and how you teamed up with Ash Ketchum to help each other get stronger. While going off on a tangent, you let out your stories with Team Rocket and Asmo is very close to dialing up God and telling Him that His creation malfunctioned again.

Beelzebub

He most definitely loves you like a younger sibling. I feel like he would be great with kids, and we can see that with how he treats Luke. You both share an unbreakable bond and it’s only been 5 minutes since you appeared.

He’s always happy to see you in the stands whenever he has a game. Sure, there are a bunch of other people and maybe a few cheerleaders, but it doesn’t stop him from always looking for you and the bright smile you always have when cheering him on.

He’s the type to always bring you to the kitchen to get some snacks and jokingly ask you to keep it a secret between just the two of you. He would also wipe some whipped cream on your nose to get you to laugh.

It was during one of these midnight kitchen raids where you told him about your life back in the Human Realm. You showed him one of the Pokeballs that you keep with you in case you were attacked and told him the story of befriending it and having it join your team.

He asks you if you’ve ever had to use your Pokémon in battle and you nod your head, telling him about Team Rocket. You’ve never seen such an angry face, but as you go on about all the crap they put you through, his face gets angrier and angrier. He wants so bad to go to the Human Realm and beat those guys to a pulp, but he knows that it would cause you a lot of stress if he did. You are his first priority.

Belphegor

Even though he is portrayed as mean and murderous, he still has a heart. You are a child, and so were they at one point. He’d act indifferent towards you. He doesn’t hate you, but that doesn’t mean you’re his favorite person in the whole world.

He has never seen a child so down to nap, though. Half the time when you’re not at school, you’re asleep. Now you’re speaking his language, Y/N! He will make sure that you don’t get cold by covering you with a blanket.

He does warm up to you and will eventually ask if you want to use his pillow sometimes. This is a very high honor, Y/N. Don’t mess this up, because he’s letting you use his most prized and valued possession.

During one of these napping sessions, he can feel you moving around a lot. He uses his power to see your dream and he sees you with a bunch of animal-looking things going against a lady with pink hair, a guy with purple hair, and a talking cat.

He wakes you up and asks about it. You explain that it was a nightmare of one of your many battles against Team Rocket because they stumbled across you and your friend. They saw how powerful your friend’s Pikachu was and decided to attack the both of you. As you went on, Belphie pulled you close and slowly lulled you back to sleep using his powers. He told Lucifer about it (which means he’s very serious), and went right back to the spot next to you to watch over you in case you had another nightmare.

[justacynicalromantic]

Long text about why current war Russia wages on Ukraine is not about territory and why modern Russia's ideology can be described as fascist.

We may safely assume that this was not a one-off episode and that punishment for speaking Ukrainian is a systematic practice in the occupied parts of Ukraine's south. Voevoda himself claims that it helped to "cleanse [Mariupol and Berdiansk] from khokhol shit." 

("khokhol" is a slur for Ukrainians)

Voevoda acknowledged this in a conversation with prominent pro-war blogger Kirill Fedorov, who recently called Ukrainians "biological trash." Such language in a war context is a call for action. This kind of eliminationist rhetoric is ideologically driven. 

This ideology, officially embraced by the Kremlin rather recently, implies that the very articulation of Ukrainian distinctiveness is intrinsically political. "Ukrainianness," in other words, is seen as a collective mindset that intends to subvert or destroy all things Russian.

According to this ideology, Ukraine is "anti-Russia" not because its leadership has taken an "anti-Russian" stance, but because it emerged as a political idea within "historical" Russia with the sole aim of weakening and dismantling it.

Importantly, this view represents a major departure from both the tsarist and Soviet traditions. The rhetoric of Russia’s war, which views Ukrainian identity as an anti-Russian conspiracy, is rooted in late imperial ultra-nationalist – one might say proto-fascist – ideologies.

These ideologies emerged from fin-de-siècle fears and anxieties about imperial disintegration, national degeneration, and racial deterioration in the borderland regions of the Russian Empire.

These ideas were rediscovered in the late 1990s–early 2000s by Russian revanchists and made their way into the corridors of the Kremlin. Surkov claimed, "There is no Ukraine. There's Ukrainianness. That is, a specific disorder of the mind." This is where Putin picked them up.

"De-Nazification is inevitably de-Ukrainisation," Timofei Segeitsev wrote in 2022. A recent programmatic text by the TASS agency asserted that Ukraine's "Nazism" is rooted in "the national historical myth of Ukrainian independence from Russia."

TASS essentially equates "Nazism" with "Ukrainianness," asserting that "Nazism in Ukraine began to be systematically inculcated at school after the publication of the monograph by Mykhailo Hrushevsky." Hrushevsky, a left-wing historian whose academic work inspired early-20th-century Ukrainian national activists to "rediscover" their homeland's unique historical experience, is now portrayed by the Kremlin's main outlet as the Ur-father of Ukrainian Nazism.

What triggers the Kremlin the most is not just Ukraine's struggle against its domination, but Ukraine's very existence—from its state symbols (notably, Russia's Foreign Ministry claimed its national anthem promotes "Nazi" ideas) to its language, effectively banned in occupied parts of Zaporizhzia and Kherson regions. Should Russian troops capture more Ukrainian territory, genocidal violence could escalate dramatically, with no shortage of willing perpetrators.

[kccinstitutes]

Glimpses of Academic Procession - Graduation Ceremony, KCC ILHE Batch 2019

On October 28, 2023, the KCC Institute of Legal & Higher Education in Greater Noida held its Convocation for the graduating class of 2019-2022. The atmosphere was charged with excitement as the graduates eagerly awaited the moment when they would officially receive their degrees. The event commenced with a formal academic procession featuring distinguished guests, academic faculty, and the graduating students making their grand entrance.

The chief guest for the occasion was Padma shri Prof. (Dr.) Mahesh Verma, Vice Chancellor of GGSIPU. He delivered an inspiring convocation address, imparting valuable life lessons and insights to the graduating class of BBA, BCOM(H), BCA and BAJMC.

Graduates were bestowed with their degrees and accompanied by warm congratulations and well-wishes in presence of distinguished representatives from various sectors of the industry, as well as esteemed members of the academic council of KCCILHE.

Shri Pankaj Rai, Managing Director , Quality Austria Central Asia Private Limited

Dr. Lovneesh Chanana, Sr. Vice President & Regional Head for Government Affairs (Asia Pacific and Japan)

Advocate Shri Rajeev Tyagi, Member and Advisor, TAC, Ministry of Telecommunication, GOI.

Prof Vijita Singh Aggarwal, Director, International Affairs, GGSIPU

Professor (Dr.) Amrapal Singh Dean, USLLS.

Shri Sunil Mirza, GM (North India) Hindu Group of Publications.

Shri Atul Tripathi sir, Data Scientist

Shri Buba F Keinteh, Financial Attache Gambia Embassy.

Shri Pradip Bagchi, Senior Editor, Times of India.

Shri Vivek Narayan Sharma ,Advocate & Ex Joint Secretary, Supreme Court of India.

Biswajit Bhattacharya, Lead Client Partner, Automative Industry Leader India South Asia, IBM India Private limited.

Shri Dhruba Jyoti Pati , Director India Today Media Institute.

Shri Anil Singh, Manager, The Hindu City

Ceremony ended with pledging honor to our country by singing the national anthem. Subsequently, the celebration continued with a delightful lunch, memorable photo sessions, and the exchange of heartfelt messages among the attendees. The graduation ceremony concluded on a note of jubilation, leaving the graduates inspired to strive for greatness in their future endeavors.

[ros3ybabe]

Daily Check-in: October 12th, 2023 🎀

Today has been a lazy yet somewhat decent day? There's not much to complain about. Besides the fact that I didn't do a single homework assignment, I'm exhausted, so that's alright. I did do a decent amount of Japanese studying today though I didn't open up my Genki Textbook like I had wanted to but oh well, there's always tomorrow!

🩷 What I Ate Today -

Brunch - Spaghetti with ground Turkey and meat sauce

Dinner - Taco bowl with ground beef, black beans, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, sour cream, a small dollop of avocado, and red salsa with 1.5 low carb tortillas

Snack - bunny tracks ice cream, 16oz bottle of Dr pepper

Extra - 4? cups of coffee (or 5, I can't remember)

I was not very productive today in terms of academic progress, but I still feel like I did what I could given my energy levels. (and caffiene intake). Did not eat the healthiest, but I listened to my body, and honestly, not every day will be perfect, and that's okay!

🩷 Personal Achievements, Oct 12th -

cooked ground beef (leftovers woooo!!)

washed dirty laundry

put away all clean clothes

did my therapy phone call

video called my boyfriend

morning + night skincare

completed 2 duolingo lessons

completed 1 busuu lesson

completed 3 kanji lessons

typed up one draft for upcoming blog post

I had heard about an app called Kanji that teaches you kanji based on JLPT Levels, and I actually really like it, so I bought access to all levels for 11$ USD!! feel like that's a fair price for over 2000 kanji, and I'm excited to start expanding my Japanese knowledge. Also, I am trying out the LingQ app. It's pretty interesting and seems useful for reading practice! I don't know why I got such a kick to study japanese but I am not complaining!!

No Academic Achievements for Today

🩷 Personal ToDo, Oct 13th -

Review previous 3 kanji lessons

Complete 1 duolingo lesson

Complete 1 busuu lesson

Continue Genki I Lesson one (?)

morning + night skincare

morning + night journal

morning workout (at home)

make bed

read 1 chapter of atomic habits or other self help book

🩷 Academic ToDo, Oct 13th -

Culinary Chapter 10 Quiz

Consumer Debt Inventory Assignment

Chapter 9 Notes Psyc

Chapter 9 Quiz Psyc

Attend Psyc Lab

Attend Anatomy Lab

Using Credit Personal Finance assignment

module notes fitness health and sport

module quiz fitness health and sport

work on component 2 for psyc paper

Giving myself a lot of school work to complete tomorrow but that's okay because I have the day off from work so I know I'll be able to get a lot of it done, if not all of it! I'm hoping I sleep decently tonight so I can wake up ready to rule the world tomorrow. My goal is to wake up early, workout, shower, do some makeup and get ready, and be on campus early to get back into the school mindset because I know I've been slacking these last two days. I work a double shift on Saturday, so tomorrow is really the ideal time to finish everything as much as possible.

🩷 Song of the Day: Fearless, Jp Version - Le Sserafim

This has been my anthem lately. It's catchy, and I kind of prefer this to the original version in Korean, but that's a bit biased on my end as I am studying Japanese at the moment.

🩷 Tomorrow Morning Workout - Pilates

Even if I only finish the first video, I will be proud of myself. It's the effort that counts, and it's definitely gonna be a start! I will be posting an updated current workout schedule with routines soon!!

That's all for now! I will update tomorrow night!

Til next time, lovelies 🩷

[ampleappleamble]

15 lines of dialogue

Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture the character/personality/vibe of the OC. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you're free to include those as well!

tagged! by @dragonologist-phd like ten thousand years ago! (i didn't forget or deliberately shun you i promise, i'm just very very forgetful and tired all the time ♡) and more recently by @solas-backpack-mug for the same thing! i've been thinking of re-editing and possibly continuing Anthem Infinitum, my PoE1 novelization starring Best Girl and the Gods' Favorite Punching Bag Axa Mala, so honestly this prompt couldn't have come at a better time. here's her Greatest Hits:

all of these quotes are from Anthem Infinitum, because my other fics don't feature her as prominently (if at all). i may have goofed up some of the formatting somewhere between copy and paste. [...] indicates excised surrounding narrative text.

1. "I lost my academic standing, my career, my… everything. So now I'm here. Because it was this or killing myself, and with my luck that would probably just piss off Berath."

2. "No need for thanks. Couldn't leave another kith outnumbered like that. Wasn't right." [...] "Could have done without the extremely blatant goading, though, friend."

3. "Excellent. I was worried I looked like a weird asshole for a minute there."

4. "…I don't know if that's the best or the worst mixed metaphor I've ever heard."

5. “Knowledge seeks freedom, we say in Ixamitl, and the freer I can make it, the better.”

6. "Ha! Since becoming a Watcher with her own castle who offers to help everyone she meets solve all their problems, I do seem to be quite popular, yes," [...] "…I jest, of course. In any case, the friends I do make, I tend to keep. And cherish."

7. "Never tell me how to feel, Kana, never again. Or by the Beast, I'll show you fucking hostile."

8. "Smells like a kraken took a shit out here and died," [...]

9. "I may be forgiving, but the Doemenels aren't. He sticks around too much longer, they're gonna 'stick' him."

10. "'Trust is a double-edged sword, gift and burden both to friends and allies.' My father taught me that one."

11. "Can I please just go put some gods damned pants on," [...]

12. "Don't go around pinning all your trust on any one person or institution completely, Aloth. Not even me. You'll regret it, trust me."

13. "I don't need to be coddled, Aloth," [...] "What I need is to quit moping and get off my ass so I can actually do something that at least makes me feel like I still have a little control over my life."

14. "I wonder– will it piss off the gods, do you think, ruining two priests' days in a row like that?"

15. "You may be content to issue Hollowborn until your shriveled womb drops out of your skirts," [...] "but I will not permit you to stand between these people and the truth!"

and That's Our Axa! ™️

thus far, her alternate dimension counterpart/ex-fiance Vaargys has exactly one (1) written line of dialogue, so we will be skipping him. i plan on featuring him prominently in flashbacks during Axa's time in the White March, which will probably be the next six or seven chapters of Anthem Infinitum, so look forward to it! ♡