#i also think i need to use my schools scanner to upload images from my the murmurs cd

[effielovesapples]

guy who is so excited for these two cds to come in the mail so i can listen to them in my walkman

[autistic-girl-academic]

Cookie Run OCs

gdi apparently one of the cookies in cr kingdom is named licorice cookie so screw it i’m biting the bullet and posting my half-baked (ha) oc ideas now even if some of them have already been taken anyway. sorry there’s no art bc i’m terrible with digital stuff and can’t access a scanner to upload my drawings. there are almost certainly going to be more to come later because this game refuses to leave my brain.

Black Licorice Cookie: The powerfully astringent flavor of black licorice certainly isn’t to everyone’s taste - and that’s just the way Black Licorice Cookie likes it! This daredevil of a Cookie loves nothing more than testing her limits, so she’s always on the lookout for something to get her adrenaline pumping. That doesn’t mean she isn’t without her sweet side, however, which comes out most strongly when protecting her precious little sister. Get between them at your own risk!

Red Licorice Cookie (Sibling): Don’t mess with my little sis if you know what’s good for you!

Mustard Cookie (Trust): Nobody else gets me like Mustard Cookie does!

Kiwi Cookie (Friendly): Hey, I’ve got an idea for some cool bike tricks!

Roll Cake Cookie (Friendly): Going for a ride in that road roller and smashing things is such a rush! WHOO!

Initially I had the mental image of her as a Cookie with a web design and a spider pet, but then Truffle Cookie came out, so now I pretty much picture her skill being that she runs a Ninja-Warrior-style obstacle course or something. Maybe her pet could be a black cat instead?

Red Licorice Cookie: Between the fruity fragrance of her signature red hair and her sweet, outgoing personality, it’s no surprise that this Cookie is so popular! Red Licorice Cookie is a champion at gymnastics with plenty of fans, and performing with the ribbon is where she shines the most. She and her older twin sister might be as different as night and day, but their bond is as strong as a thousand strands of licorice twisted together!

Black Licorice Cookie (Sibling): I’ve got the coolest big sis in the world!

Cheerleader Cookie (Trust): Cheerleader Cooke is my BFF!

Yoga Cookie (Friendly): She’s helped me train to be much more flexible for my routines.

Skating Queen Cookie (Admiration): I can’t believe I actually got her autograph!

At first I imagined her as being a sort of epic version of Cheerleader Cookie, performing double dutch with a few friends much like the cheer team. Her pet would be a charm bracelet.

Oatmeal Cookie: Every day at the crack of dawn, this dutiful cowgirl is already hard at work, keeping a watchful eye over her herd with the help of her trusty steed, Raisin. If even a single cow goes missing, Oatmeal Cookie won’t rest until she’s got them home safe and sound. The tricks she can perform with a lasso will certainly knock your socks off! And when the sun starts to set, you can hear the sound of her yodeling from far across the plains.

Peanut Butter Cookie (Family): I’m the luckiest Cookie alive to have such a beautiful gal as you...

Knight Cookie (Friendly): You sure know how to burn the breeze!

Adventurer Cookie (Friendly): Nice hat ya got there, pardner!

Space Doughnut (Tension): Hey, stop spookin’ my herd!

Her skill would probably involve dodging obstacles on her horse while catching some runaway cows, and her pet would be a cowbell.

Peanut Butter Cookie: There’s nothing better for a boost of energy than some delicious, nutritious peanut butter! And forest ranger Peanut Butter Cookie definitely needs that energy, as she spends every day traversing the woods to keep them safe. Whether she’s helping Cookies who have gotten lost find their way home or rescuing woodland critters from danger, you can always depend on Peanut Butter Cookie. She’s especially fond of younger Cookies and enjoys teaching them wilderness survival skills.

Oatmeal Cookie (Family): She and I pack each others’ lunches every day.

Pancake Cookie (Friendly): Be careful climbing trees for those Acorn Jellies, dear!

Cream Puff Cookie (Friendly): I’m sure you’ll get that spell right next time, hun.

Fig Cookie (Trust): They’re always eager for me to tell them stories.

Fire Spirit Cookie (Tension): You keep those flames away from the forest, you hear?

You can probably tell by now that I’ve put like 0 thought into any of my Cookie OC’s skills. Anyway, her pet would be a bear that she helped when it was a cub, who shows up to help her by smashing obstacles.

Coconut Cookie: The Tropical Soda Archipelago has a long history of telling stories through traditional dance. Coconut Cookie comes from a long line of those dancers, and Cookies will flock from every island to watch her perform. Crowned with a garland of bright yellow coconut blossoms, she moves with the utmost rhythm and grace. It’s said that she practices every day so that she can bring peace and good fortune to the islands.

Mango Cookie (Trust): My best friend since we were little - I remember his very first boat!

Ananas Dragon Cookie (Admiration): The Dragon honored my ancestors by praising their dances.

Soda Cookie (Friendly): Going for a ride on the waves is the best, isn’t it?

Squid Ink Cookie (Friendly): Poor little thing, there’s no need to be shy.

My first thought was for her to make a sort of bubble shield out of coconut oil, like Lemonade Cookie but without the magnetic effect (maybe slower energy drain instead?) - I’m still undecided about it though. Her pet would be a bunch of coconuts who make coconut milk potions. Also, I picture her being related to Artichoke Cookie, but he’s not in Ovenbreak...YET? (pls devsis)

Honeycomb Cookie: Out in a charming little cottage atop a hill lives Honeycomb Cookie - and her many hives of Jelly Bees. Years upon years of working with the bees has allowed her to understand them so well, it’s almost as if she talks to them! If you happen to arrive on her doorstep, you can be sure that she’ll treat you to some delicious tea sweetened with honey and send you on your way with a basket of homemade treats.

Herb Cookie (Family): My cute little grandson certainly inherited the family green thumb.

Spinach Cookie (Trust): Oh, how sweet of you to bring me a basket of vegetables, dearie!

Fairy Cookie (Friendly): Ah, you’re so small I mistook you for another bee.

Matcha Cookie (Friendly): A bit of a strange one, but it’s nice to have some laughter over tea.

Not sure what her skill would be, but I think her pet would be a queen Jelly Bee that grows from a baby to an adult as you collect more jellies.

Souffle Cookie: A chef famous for turning simple Jellies into extravagant and delicious meals. Though he can come off as strict and a bit intimidating, he truly does care about creating good food for every Cookie who comes to his restaurant. Souffle Cookie is quite the perfectionist, so if a recipe doesn’t come out as planned, he tends to sulk so badly that even his fluffy chef’s hat deflates! But it never lasts long before he throws himself back into his work with renewed passion.

Sparkling Cookie (Trust): My cooking and your juice is the ultimate combination!

Sandwich Cookie (Admiration): To create such simple but delicious meals...C’est magnifique!

Mala Sauce Cookie (Friendly): Just watch, I’ll create a meal more than spicy enough to satisfy you!

Dr. Wasabi Cookie (Tension): I am NEVER using your syrup as a ‘secret ingredient’ EVER again!

Again, not sure what his skill would be, but maybe his pet could be a spoon. Sous-chef Spoon?

Rainbow Sugar Cookie: Sugar Cookie was always painfully shy and never considered herself all that important. However, everything changed when she met Rainbow Puff, a creature who begged for her help in protecting the happiness of Cookies everywhere from the wicked Dark Puffs. Bestowed with a magical wand, she becomes Rainbow Sugar Cookie, chasing away darkness with prisms of joyous light! RAINBOW...BEAM!

Pink Choco Cookie (Trust): The two of us would make a perfect team!

Wind Archer Cookie (Admiration): Wow...what an amazing warrior...

Sandwich Cookie (Friendly): She makes the best toast as a snack on the way to school!

Dark Enchantress Cookie (Rival): I won’t let a villain like you make other Cookies suffer!

Pomegranate Cookie (Tension): Why are you helping the Darkness?

Originally her name was Glitter Cookie, but then Shining Glitter Cookie got announced. In any case, she’d pretty much be an epic version of Wind Archer Cookie, fighting a big ‘boss’ monster once enough little ones were defeated with her magic.

Jack-o-Lantern Cookie: Trick or treat! Wait, is it Halloween already? The answer doesn’t really matter to this young Cookie, who loves trick-or-treating so much that they never take their costume off! If you don’t have Jellies to give, then get ready for a mischievous trick! But if there’s one thing they love more than getting treats, it’s sharing them with friends, so don’t be shy and join in the fun!

Candy Corn Cookie (Trust): My bestest trick-or-treating buddy!

Devil Cookie (Admiration): WOW! What a great costume!

Apple Cookie (Friendly): Here, candy apples!

Onion Cookie (Friendly): Trick o- um, please don’t cry...

Vampire Cookie (Tension): Hey, don’t fall asleep when I’m trying to trick you!

I thought I was in the clear with this OC when we got Truffle Cookie for Halloween...but then Pumpkin Cookie was an NPC later, lol. At least the name was an easy change. Their skill would basically be like a slower version of Chestnut’s, where you go up to houses and trick-or-treat.

Candy Corn Cookie: This Cookie used to be a scarecrow who stood in the middle of a big field of candy corn. However, they wanted to travel the world, so one night they wished upon a star...and miraculously, their wish was granted! Bursting with curiosity, Candy Corn Cookie is full of questions about everything they see. They still have a habit of chasing birds wherever they go, though.

Jack-o-Lantern Cookie (Trust): This ‘trick-or-treat’ thing is really fun!

Alchemist Cookie (Admiration): Wow, this Cookie knows lots of things!

Blueberry Pie Cookie (Friendly): Ooh, what’s in all these ‘book’ things?

Mocha Ray Cookie (Friendly): Cookies can really live under the sea? WOW!

Carrot Cookie (Tension): Aw, I don’t wanna go back to the farm yet!

Candy corn apparently used to be called ‘chicken feed’, so their pet would probably be a chicken. Again, not sure about the skill.

[aliceslantern]

Give/Take, a Kingdom Hearts Fanfic, Epilogue

Ienzo has been too busy since the war to be overwhelmed by the past. But with little progress to be made in his work with Kairi, old nightmares start to invade.

Riku is a glorified housesitter. Lonely and faced with no choice but to wait for a way to find his friends, he eagerly accepts when Ienzo asks him to help do repairs around the castle. Before long, the two strike up an unlikely friendship, united by their dark pasts and their attempts to be better people.

But just as they begin to consider something more... Kairi wakes up.

Ienzoku (Ienzo/Riku), post-Melody of Memory, slow burn. Updates Thursdays until it's done.

Chapter summary:  Ienzo moves on from Radiant Garden.

Read it on FF.net/on AO3

---

Still, Ienzo was sad to see Destiny Islands fade from behind them. It was raining here, too, and despite his initial worry about visibility Riku seemed nonplussed. “I’ve flown through worse,” he said. “Try to relax.”

But it was nearly impossible. The thought of going to the basement had his heart beating hard, a slick anxiety chasing away the joy and freedom he’d felt the past month. Ienzo took slow, deep breaths. After so many days in shorts and sandals, his normal clothes felt constricting, and Riku looked odd in his adventure wear.

The flight was both too long and too short. He’d accumulated a small bag of things in his time there--mostly weather-appropriate clothing--but he’d also brought along a few souvenirs that Kairi had helped him pick in an attempt to placate the others of his absence. And some foodstuffs he couldn’t get here. He couldn’t help it.

The day was clear, though cloudy, when they landed, and, Ienzo noted with a strange irony, when he disembarked it felt cold. He scoffed to himself.

Dilan was standing guard at the entrance. “Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” he said dryly. “Wasn’t sure we’d ever see you again. With a bloody tan , too.”

Ienzo rolled his eyes. “Good day, Dilan.”

The castle felt massive and brutal, though Ienzo noted Aeleus had made some more progress with the paint. Though he’d cleaned his bedroom before he left, it smelled a bit dusty. He set down his things.

Procrastinating wasn’t going to help.

Riku squeezed his shoulder. “Ienzo?”

“I’m… I’m alright.” He found himself glad he hadn’t eaten much at breakfast. “Right. If you would just… give me a moment to change.”

“Change?”

“Yes.”

He nodded once. “I’ll be right outside.”

Ienzo took a deep breath. Took two. He went over to his wardrobe, took out the black slacks, the white shirt, the sweater vest. The boots, the ascot. With shaking hands he took his lab coat off of its hanger.

The apprentice garb felt heavy on him, and its fit was different; he must’ve gotten more exercise on the islands than he thought. He looked at himself in the mirror. “Right,” he said softly.

Riku appraised him when he came out. “Ready?”

“...As I’ll ever be.”

The walk down to the lab felt long. He realized he hadn’t even checked to see if Even or Ansem would be down there, but when they got down it was empty, the computer asleep, the room in semidarkness. Ienzo didn’t realize he was almost gasping for air until Riku squeezed his shoulder. “Are you sure about this?”

Wearily, Ienzo nodded. He approached the keypad. He typed in the default password, and the door slid open.

He wasn’t sure what he expected--darkness rolling out, running at him--but nothing happened. “I don’t smell or sense much,” Riku said. He drew his Keyblade. “Stay close, just in case.”

They walked down the long, long ramp to the second lab door. The air smelled musty, stale, but not much worse than that, the lights flickering unevenly down the hall. Ienzo felt shaky, weak, already choked up. At first he wasn’t sure if he were seeing things, shadows flickering. Riku surveyed the space warily.

He took slow, shaky steps. The offices were all the way at the end of the corridor, past all of the cells. Their doors were open, unoccupied, but the whole place was in disarray; mattresses torn to shreds, gouges taken out of the floors and walls, sinks and toilets ripped from their joints. “You kept people here?” Riku asked, in a neutral voice.

“...Yes.” He swallowed. “It takes some a long time to fall to darkness.” He imagined, not for the first time, how his subjects might have felt. Dazed, terrified, in pain. He did remember them screaming out--either in anger, in fear, or in grief. He remembered himself giving them psychological profiles as a child--some had thought he, too, was a victim and tried to save him, only for their horror to grow that much more when they realized he was apart of it.

The pain he’d inflicted echoed heavily around the room as the memories poured in. Xehanort, or Even, or Dilan gently nudging him to do this, that, or another awful thing. Wanting to do it without their prodding as well. Seeing his family members do so in turn.

“How many?” Riku asked.

Ienzo swallowed. “A little over a hundred. But… what we wrought here… spread across the world--the seeker of darkness’s artificial Heartless--”

Riku rested a hand on his back. “You were a child. If you were anything like me… they used you.”

Somehow Ienzo made it to the office. It was a large space, with filing cabinets to one side, a few computers to another, a printer in the far back. Chemistry supplies, glassware, and a fume hood were to the center right of the back wall. Black-topped worktables were also towards the back, a Bunsen burner left out connected to the gas line. In a lot of ways it looked untouched, like it was that hectic and horrifying day they’d been turned. A coffee cup sat on the table in the center of the room, its contents long evaporated. Papers were still spread across the desk, someone’s old, moldering lab coat on the back of a chair.

Ienzo’s knees gave out.

“Ienzo!” Riku cried.

He felt like he couldn’t breathe. It was all so… casual. Mundane.

This had been his normal. School days spent here, torturing other people, other kids, because he thought it was for the greater good. What were a few sacrifices for knowledge? To understand human nature?

He made an odd, guttural noise. “I’m sorry.” He sounded like a wounded animal. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Ienzo?” Riku knelt next to him.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Look at me.”

The tile floor was cold and dusty under his hands. He wanted to rip the file cabinets from the walls and destroy everything--

“Look at me.”

Ienzo did so, breathing through his teeth. Despite it all, there was still somehow tenderness in Riku’s eyes.

“Apologizing can’t help them now,” he said. “But what we can do to help is to preserve the memory of who they once were.”

He felt so incredibly heavy. “I killed them.”

“Xehanort and the darkness made you. Weren’t these guys your only family? If you hadn’t listened, what would’ve happened to you?”

“I’d be alone.” His chest hurt. “I’d be an orphan.”

“It was all you knew. What happened to the Zo who forgave himself on the island?”

Ienzo looked down.

“Huh?” he prompted.

“Do you think I deserve forgiveness?”

“Yes. I do. I think you were a victim too. Just like I was one of my Ansem’s.”

Ansem had said the same thing. The pain bled out of him. Riku let him cry, and mourn the person he could’ve been if not for all this. “Alright,” he said at last. “Alright. Alright.”

Riku helped him to his feet and wiped the tear from his face. “Better,” he said gently. “Where are these files?”

“Over… over here.” His knees were still shaky. He pulled open the drawer. “Help me…” He hefted them over to the scanner. “Digitize them. So they never get forgotten.”

“Right. Of course.”

It was a tedious, annoying task, but seeing the images, the people , get uploaded into the system, Ienzo felt something like relief. Once it was all--finally--done, he checked with his phone and the network that the data was safe. “All these years,” he said softly. “We kept the results, the data, but this was all left here to rot.”

“Easier to forget the price that way,” Riku said. “We can do something with this.”

“I’ll talk to the others. See how they feel. But seeing as all this--” He spread his hands, “Is due to my influence… I think I can guilt them all into agreeing.”

“For some reason I don’t think they’ll need much persuading.” Riku kissed him once, lightly. “Are you ready to leave?”

He looked around the room. He noticed a document on the table with his childhood self’s handwriting. He touched it once, turned it over. “I think so,” he said. “I think so.”

---

“Ansem? Can I speak to you?”

The man looked up from his writing desk, startled to be called his name. “Oh, Ienzo, it’s so good to see you,” he said. “I feel as though it’s been ages. You look so wonderfully well. Did you have a good time?”

“I truly did,” he said. “There was a lot I learned. But I’d…” He exhaled. “I realized something.”

Ansem gestured for him to sit in the opposite chair, so he did.

“I recall you telling me I am one of the victims of what happened here,” he said slowly.

“Yes. I believe that is true.”

“Staying with Riku’s family… seeing what type of life he used to have, what I could’ve had… it… so much of it shifted my perspective.” Ienzo cleared his throat and knotted his hands. “I think I’ve started to forgive myself, but moreover… I… I want to do something to honor those we destroyed.”

Ansem’s face slackened a little.

“Riku helped me digitize the personal files of the victims. I feel like… by accepting responsibility openly… we can give the townspeople closure. Ensure their memories aren’t lost. We can’t bring them back, but using what we’ve learned… we can help the people here move forward. Help heal their hearts.” He spoke quickly, not at all encouraged by his expression. “Please, master. This is because of me. I want to do something--even if it is so simple as a memorial.”

A long pause. Ansem tapped the tips of his fingers together. “That is very wise, Ienzo,” he said at last. “I think it’s a good first move. I think myself, and the others, agree heartily.”

He took a deep breath. “Moreover… I think I would like to leave Radiant Garden.”

Ansem’s eyebrows shot up.

“I know it probably seems selfish--” He couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact. “I have so much to atone for. But being there, in Destiny Islands, I… I just need time, I need time to figure out who I can be, before I’m truly emotionally able to do all the work here that I need to. I’d like to move there and attend university.” He bowed his head and realized he was asking for permission. “I want to heal, and experience normalcy, and in order to do that in any meaningful way I have to leave. The memories are too painful. There’s too much unsaid.”

Ansem smiled kindly. “Ienzo,” he said. “Why are you trying to convince me?”

He looked up.

“I think that would be wonderful for you,” he said. “I always thought you were so young to be weighed down by so much. I’m your father. Of course I’m going to support whatever you think you need.”

“Thank you.”

“I just have to ask…” He chuckled a little. “This isn’t just because of the boy, is it?”

Ienzo blinked. “I do love him, but no,” he said. “I’m not going just to be with him. ...Though that will be a perk.”

“You have no idea how much it soothes me to know you’re beginning to move on,” Ansem said. “For the longest time I felt like I’ve damned you. Whatever I can provide--money, an official letter, name it.”

“I still have to figure it all out. They just barely know of other worlds. How would they deal with an immigrant? I don’t think forged papers would be good enough.”

Ansem sat back. “I seem to recall a good friend of your beloved has sway with the mayor,” he said.

“Kairi,” he said. “I completely forgot.”

“You may want to start there. I’m sure she’d be more than happy to introduce you.”

“...Yes.” Ienzo was dizzy. “Yes. That’s a good place to start.”

---

“You’re what. ” Even’s nostrils flared.

“I’m leaving, Even,” Ienzo said. As much as he’d braced himself for this conversation, he was still not looking forward to Even’s reaction. “I just… I need time. I need space. I need to learn how to be me… and I can’t do that here.”

Even sniffed. “The boy’s been too much influence on you. All of the tenderheartedness, the ideas… Life won’t be easy, Ienzo.”

“But it will be normal,” he said. “I think that’s what I need in order to begin to heal. A… controlled environment. A vacuum.”

This made him soften a little.

“ I need to have control,” he said. “And if I stay here, for now, I’ll only be reminded of when I didn’t have that. It’s not forever. Or maybe it is, that is yet to be determined.”

Even sighed. “I see,” he said. “Ienzo… child… there’s so much I have to do to make up to you, and you’re just leaving ?”

Ienzo smiled. “Then support my decision,” he said. “Moreover, with the phones… it’s not as though I’ll never see you again. And we can still work together, as well. I think… one of the things you can help me do is spearhead the memorial with me.”

Even took a breath.

“I know you want to atone just as much, if not more, than I do. Help me accept their pain, Even, and make sure they don’t get forgotten. And that nothing like this happens again.”

“Yes,” he said softly. “Alright.”

“Thank you.” He turned to leave, but Even spoke.

“It is… easy, to get caught up in the guilt and the grief,” he said, “And let it paralyze one. So often I feel as though I’ll never have enough time to even begin mitigating the damage I’ve done to this world.” His green eyes were sharp, reddened at the edges. “My mistakes were mine more than yours were yours. Yet…”

“In the end you chose to give up everything in order to stop Xehanort,” Ienzo said. “You deserve to be here. You deserve life too, Even.”

He chuckled. “You have gotten soft, child,” he said. He squeezed Ienzo’s shoulder. “It suits you. But don’t let go of all that bitterness just yet. Use it. Build your new life just to spite us all.”

Ienzo nodded. “I likely shall.”

Even sighed. “I will miss you,” he said. “But I understand.”

“And I you, I think,” Ienzo said.

“Though if you’re going there we must come up with a way to protect your complexion,” he said, snapping into brightness, though Ienzo saw his eyes watering. “I’ll get to it at once. We can’t have you end up with… moles, or worse, you’re so fair.”

He chuckled. “Thank you, Even.”

“You’ll… you’ll take care of yourself?”

“I will if you will.”

Even smiled.

“Truly, Even, you lecture me for working too hard, yet I’m not sure you sleep.”

A beat, a moment. “Take care, Ienzo,” Even said. “I do hope this new life treats you well.”

He nodded. He nearly left, but acting on impulse, he hugged Even once, quickly. “I’ll be back to collect that sunscreen, I’m sure,” he said. “I’ll see you before I leave.”

“Yes, yes, leaving me with more work, as always.” A smile.

---

The apartment had come pre-furnished, but was cramped. The sink leaked. Most of the microwave buttons did not work, and the electric stove heated unevenly. If Ienzo was not quick to shower in the morning, the other flats in the building used up all the hot water.

It was run-down, but it was his, and he loved it.

Riku groaned a little when he got up. “Why,” was all he said.

“I have to get to work,” Ienzo said. “I told you last night I’d be getting up early and if you wanted decent sleep to go home. I warned you.”

He sighed heavily. “To be fair, after what we did, I didn’t think I could move.”

He rolled his eyes and went to go shower. He’d made it for the hot water, though under the wire. When he came back out to get dressed Riku had pulled the blanket over himself, like a burrito. “Don’t you have class to get ready for?”

“Yes, and if I don’t go now I’ll be late.” Still, he didn’t move.

“The last thing I want is for you to become a ne’er do well on my watch,” he said. He grabbed his apron from the closet door handle.

“ Fine. ” He got up and started putting on his discarded uniform. “As long as I can be the first customer. You’re not going to make me wait outside until open again, are you?”

“The last time I didn’t my manager was unhappy.”

“You are the worst sometimes.”

Ienzo smirked. “You still keep coming back.”

The left the apartment together, down the rickety narrow staircase. The sun was just starting to rise. The days, lately, seemed long; but they were full, and Ienzo no longer dreaded them. He found the keys in his bag and unlocked the cafe’s door. “See you in half an hour,” he said breezily to Riku, who just rolled his eyes and sat at one of the outdoor tables.

Most days he didn’t mind this work. Opening the cafe meant he got out of work early, leaving the day open for his classes, or seeing people, or simply existing in this strange city. It wasn’t forever--he had reason to believe he’d be offered a student research position at university, and that would cover most of his living expenses. Ansem had given him money, but he didn’t want to touch it unless he had to.

Sometimes admittedly if he was having a frustrating day--if customers were awful to him or the espresso machine was on the fritz yet again --Ienzo felt his genius was being wasted being a barista. But most of the time, he liked the work, baking and making coffee the most. It was objective, harmless. I wanted normal, he’d think.

He counted in the drawers, put the breakfast pastries in their displays. Warmed up the machines and made coffee. He’d been promoted to keyholder when the manager saw how efficiently he was able to work, and that meant opening shifts. Sometimes on breaks he’d sit with a book and watch the people go by.

He hadn’t realized life could be gentle.

He saw Riku making faces at him through the window, and though he knew it was unnecessary, Ienzo waited until it was six on the dot to let him in.

“You’re a horrible boyfriend,” Riku said.

“Sure I am. Your usual?”

“You’re bankrupting me.” He placed a note on the counter. He made Riku’s latte and handed him the usual buttered croissant, and before the morning rush, sat with him to have his own breakfast. “So, later,” Riku said. “Couple of us are getting together at Sora’s. You in?”

Ienzo sighed. “I’d love to, but I have to finish that paper. I’ve procrastinated enough.” He seemed to be angling towards a degree in psychology with a minor in literature. He could use this to help people--he was trying to help Sora, who seemed to at least be more willing to open up. It was a start.

“Come anyway.”

“Then I’d have to stay up all night.”

“...Like you haven’t done that before.”

“Anyway, don’t you have a test to study for?”

“So?”

Ienzo sighed. “I’ll come, but I’ll be late.”

Riku leaned over and kissed him. “I should try to grab the ferry. Looks like you’ve got customers.”

---

There were already a few people over at Sora’s by the time Ienzo had done enough schoolwork to justify going. “Oh, you made it!” Sora said.

“And I brought snacks.”

“Yay, snacks!”

“Easy to please, as always,” Ienzo said, and Sora stuck out his tongue.

All of this wasn’t easy, but it was slowly getting easier. Sometimes Ienzo felt he was living a lie, not disclosing his past to everyone he met. As he made true, real friends here, it became apparent that this would be something he had to figure out how to deal with. Darkness still poked out from time to time.

There was some kind of movie playing on TV; Sephie and Tidus were arguing over what to watch. “But this is the good part!” Sephie said.

“I don’t care, it sucks.”

Someone had put on music, an upbeat pop song. Only Riku and Ienzo were of age to drink, but somehow someone had brought some wine. A normal Friday. His phone chimed with a text; a file from Even. Call me. Ienzo sighed and went onto the balcony. “Do I even want to know what time it is for you?” he asked, as prelude.

“This is what we’ve come up with,” Even said. “Can you let me know what you think? If it passes your muster?”

“Even, you know it’s better if these things are symbolic. It’s more meaningful that way.”

“I know, I know, I know, I’ve heard enough from your father.”

“I do look forward to seeing it,” he said. “The notes from the committee were helpful, at least. I’ll do it tomorrow.”

“Out and about, are you?” Even asked.

“Ah--quite.”

A pause. “You’re eating well, and all that?”

He smiled. “Yes, Even.”

“Because you know I raised you to--”

“I promise I’m getting all my fruits and vegetables.”

“Right. Ah.”

“Go sleep, Even. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“As long as you do.”

He hung up. The moon was full, and it was glinting on the ocean. Ienzo heard the back door slide open. “What are you doing here, all alone?” Riku asked.

“Even called me. He has a new draft of the memorial.”

“Oh,” he said softly.

Ienzo smiled. “It’s alright. I think we’re getting close.”

He offered him a glass of wine, which Ienzo took. “Are you glad you came after all?” he asked him.

“Of course. Why do you ask?”

“I just… I dunno. I want to make sure you’re happy.”

“Well, I am.” He chuckled a little. “As much as I can be. It’s just that… sometimes the darkness still… comes out.” They both nightmared, occasionally. Sometimes Ienzo heard Riku cry out in his sleep for Sora or Kairi.

“It… does.”

“Are you happy?”

“As much as I can be.”

Ienzo nudged him. He rested a hand on Riku’s waist.

“I’m just glad to… have time,” Riku said. “I think I’m understanding that… it’s not all gonna get snatched away.”

“Good. I told you as much, though I know why…” He sighed. “Sometimes I still feel like I’m going to wake up in that… stark white castle. But then I wake up with you.”

Riku kissed him. “I can’t wait to figure it all out together.”

“Yes. Exactly.”

The door opened again; Kairi was smirking. “Alright, lovebirds. Do you want to want to play dominoes or what?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Ienzo said, “I’m going to wipe the floor with you all.”

“Easy there, killer,” Riku said.

And they went inside, to the rest of their lives.

[bnhavillainauzine]

Mobile Links

Hi everyone! 

It came to our attention that the links about the different sections of this blog don’t seem to be working for mobile users. So we decided to include them all in this post. More below the cut~ 

About

This is a fanzine for the anime/manga Boku no Hero Academia where as the name suggests, we re-imagine our favorite heroes as villains. This isn’t limited to only UA or other schools students. Pro-Heroes that have appeared in the manga by the time of the zine’s release, are also accepted.

The fanzine is going to be mildly NSFW, meaning that blood/injury and a little bit of body horror will be acceptable. So we won’t accept explicit or mature pieces. For writers nothing above the PG-13 rating.

Schedule

Applications Open: August 28th

Applications Close: September 25h

Judging Period: September 26th-October 3th

Announcement of Participants: October 4th

Creation Period: October 27th ~ February 24th

First Check In: December 20th

Second Check In: January 20th

Deadline: February 25th [00:00 EST]

Pre-orders start at beginning of March

FAQ

This is a fanzine for the anime/manga Boku no Hero Academia where as the name suggests, we re-imagine our favorite heroes as villains. This isn’t limited to only UA or other schools students. Pro-Heroes that have appeared in the manga by the time of the zine’s release, are also accepted. 

Q: Who is hosting this zine? 

Hi there~ It's mod Mirrarity and mod Scorpion Ink. We are both located in Greece. Nice to meet you! This is our very first zine and we are very excited about it. We love BnHA and all of its lovely characters. We look forward to be working with you and we are extremely thankful for all of your support. 

Q: How do I contact the moderators?

You can contact us through the ask box of this blog or by e-mail at villainauzine@gmail.com. We’re also going to be tracking the mhavillainauzine tag, so you can use that too~ 

Q: Digital or Physical copy?

The zine is going to be both physical and a pdf. Both versions will be avalaible for pre-orders, along several bundles. 

Q: Is this for profit or charity?

Our first priority is going to be about making a high quality book. We hope we gather enough money to pay our contributors as well. 

Q: How many artists/writers are you planning to accept?

We are thinking of a 20 artists and 10 writers ratio for now, but numbers are subject to change.

Q: Do I need a proper portfolio? Is my art blog/tag ok?

No, you don’t need a portfolio. Your blog is fine, as long as we can see some of your recent work. Alternatively you can direct link us three of your recent pieces.

Q: Do I need to have any BnHA examples?

No, it’s not necessary. Although if you do, it would be much appreciated. 

Q: Should I make my piece beforehand?

No, we will e-mail you with more details about your piece after the applications are over.

Q: What are the specs?

We are planning for the zine to be in A4 paper size, so artists are encouraged to send their submissions in pdf form with .tiff formated images inside and CMYK color settings. Also writers will have a maximum word limit of 2.5k-3k words for their submissions. 

Q: Can I post teasers and work in progress?

Teasers are okay to share. But please do not share the full image or fic. Any leaked works may result in exclusion from the zine or having you sumbit an entirely new work. 

Q: Is traditional art accepted?

Yes, as long as you can provide us with a good quality scan of your piece. At least 300 dpi resolution. Larger files will be appreciated. If you’re planning of scanning outside your house, please ask for the scanner’s settings of resolution. 

Q: Is there a theme?

No, so you can go wild.

Q: What’s the title of the zine?

Nightmare Fuel

Q: Are ships allowed?

Yes, as long as no mature or explicit content is involved. 

Q: How many characters are we allowed to include in our piece? 

Up to 3 characters. You can include more if you want in the background, but they shouldn’t be the main focus of your illustration. 

Q: Can I include my BNHA OC?

We’re sorry, but no. This is going to be a canon-characters only zine.

Q: Can I apply as both an artist and a writer?

Yes, but you’ll get accepted only as one or the other.

Rules*

If you’re selected as a writer or artist, you can’t upload your artwork/fic anywhere until after the release of the zine.

All illustrations/fics will have to be new for the zine. You can’t submit previously made work, but you can link it as an example in your application

Artists are advised to include backgrounds in their illustrations for the zine, at least blurry ones.

If any of the participants wishes to withdraw from the zine for any reason, please inform the mods as soon as possible.

*rules will be added as we go

That is all for now~ ♥

If anyone knows how to resolve this issue, please let us know! 

-mod Scorpion Ink

[zipgrowth]

Teachers Love How This Online Reading Platform Fosters Deeper Learning

Like many educators, Christy Stanley wants her students to practice close reading and deep learning. But she is up against a far more seductive habit. “We have a generation of skimmers and scanners because these kids are always on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat,” says Stanley, the Director of Humanities and Healthful Living for the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City school district in North Carolina. “They don’t know how to slow down their reading.”

We have a generation of skimmers and scanners because these kids are always on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.

Three years ago, Stanley’s district discovered a powerful ally in its quest to get kids to pause and really process what they’re reading. After a few of the district’s schools participated in a pilot program with the digital reading platform Actively Learn, Stanley got a look at teacher surveys and other program details. “I was impressed,” says Stanley. “I’ve been in public education for 20 years, and I don’t say that often. What we were hearing from teachers was, ‘I would really hate to be without this next year.’”

Stanley, a former ninth-grade English teacher, often thinks about how different her pedagogy might have been—or, as a student, how much deeper her learning might have gone—with access to Actively Learn’s sequenced sets of texts and other materials designed to provide historical context and achieve depth in a particular topic. When reading Anne Frank’s “Diary of a Young Girl,” for example, students can also explore related material, from the Maya Angelou poem “Caged Bird” to Nazi propaganda posters. “As a student, I’m not just reading the book,” says Stanley. “I’m learning conceptually about how these things fit together.”

Stanley spoke with EdSurge about the features she and the teachers love about their district’s reading platform, including the ability to curate content, build scaffolds, and embed standards-aligned questions throughout a text. She also discussed the importance of deeper learning and the challenges of facilitating it, and the necessity of making learning visible in order to see if and how students are processing information.

EdSurge: What led your district to adopt a digital reading platform?

Christy Stanley

Christy Stanley: When one of our instructional coaches brought the program to our attention a few years ago, we had already identified a need to better prepare students for digital reading. In North Carolina, we have transitioned all of our state assessments to online. So we needed to ask, “What does digital or online reading look like, feel like? How do we prepare students to do that more actively? How do we get students to translate skills like annotation to digital reading?” Actively Learn offered many ways for our kids to read more widely and deeply with digital text.

How does the platform work?

In a nutshell, it allows teachers to create content. And it allows them to assess and provide feedback in real time around the metacognitive strategies kids are using—or not using. It reveals students’ thinking, which I think is so powerful. The only way you can know if students are understanding what you’re teaching is to get them to talk about it or write about it. The Actively Learn platform provides opportunity for both approaches. The program’s ASR framework—Activate, Support, Reveal—is all about how to activate students’ thinking, how to build in support for that, and how to get them to reveal their thinking. This is critical in any content area, because that’s how you unpack misconceptions.

Another strength is that the program puts grade-level content in front of children. It allows teachers to put in—and eventually remove—the appropriate scaffolds for children on any given text. For example, let’s say the reading is about the Fourth of July and why we celebrate Independence Day. If I’m from another country—and we have lots of children from all over the world in our district—that has no context for me. As a teacher, I can embed videos or add pictures of the Statue of Liberty or things about the Declaration of Independence to build background knowledge. Then I add standards-aligned questions about the content throughout the text. Through the students’ responses, I can see if there’s a weakness in terms of a particular standard.

The only way you can know if students are understanding what you’re teaching is to get them to talk about it or write about it.

Students in Actively Learn have access to a variety of support features such as scaffolding notes, embedded media, translation into more than 30 languages, an embedded dictionary, text-to-speech and dyslexic mode.

How does your district use it?

It’s very much choice-based for our teachers. Right now, it’s used primarily in our four middle schools and three high schools. English, social studies and science are our highest users. We also have a good handful of world language teachers who utilize it.

The platform is really multifaceted and can meet a multitude of needs. It can be a repository for your district curriculum. Not only does it allow you to upload and house your resources, it allows you to curate content. What they have is very robust, and it’s constantly being updated with their text sets and independent reading.

An example of an Actively Learn assignment with embedded questions and scaffolding notes.

How does Actively Learn engage students?

When you have things to click and you have to stop and answer questions, it keeps the brain working more than just passively reading.

One way is that students can’t move further into the passage until they answer a question, so it forces students to read, stop, think and process as opposed to letting them just go straight to the end before answering questions.

As a student, I can take notes within the text. I can look up vocabulary words. I can have text translated into myriad languages. I can use the dyslexic feature to change the text’s margins and spacing, font size or color.

As a teacher, I can number the paragraphs and chunk the text for some of my readers who need that. I can embed videos or pictures or related documents to make it much more engaging. When you have things to click and you have to stop and answer questions, it keeps the brain working more than just passively reading.

Actively Learn differentiates supports for students who need extra help, offering text-based features that let them access the same rigorous assignment as their classmates.

Why is that important?

Resources from Actively Learn

This catalog features assignments with embedded scaffolding, higher-order questions, and accessibility features.

These videos highlight how content, features, and data support deeper learning.

The whitepaper, Stop Skimming, Start Learning, explains how the Activate-Support-Reveal framework helps every student read for depth.

This blog shares more about best practices for literacy, such as metacognition and building content knowledge.

In education we talk a lot about rigor. I believe you increase rigor by increasing the opportunities for speaking and writing—because that is the only true way to unpack what you know about something. Students need to either talk to me about it, or write about it.

In the sense of learning things deeply, part of our task as educators is to build background knowledge for students—particularly those who don’t come from literacy-rich backgrounds—through exposure to a variety of texts, images and videos. That helps them create connection. Brain research tells us you have to have something to anchor new learning to. You can’t learn new things in isolation; you have to make a connection to something you already know for it to really become part of your working knowledge.

Why is deeper learning difficult to achieve?

So much of learning is wrapped up in metacognition. That means it is happening inside your head. The only way as a teacher I can help you learn better and deeper is to see what you’re doing. If you’re doing a math problem, you can show me your work. Your misconceptions become very clear.

But with silent reading—I don’t know what processes are going on in a student’s mind unless I create structures to make their thinking visible. Actively Learn allows us to do that.

Teachers Love How This Online Reading Platform Fosters Deeper Learning published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness

[leawilliamsart]

A day in my life

‘But all you do is paint pictures all day, its not hard is it?’

If I had a quid for every time I heard this line i’d be pretty well off so I thought i’d actually keep track for a day exactly what goes on in my life on an average Monday. Buckle up!

8AM : Up and showered, prod the child to get out of bed, probably about 10 times before she actually gets up and dressed. Dogs sorted out, fed and watered, lunch made and ready for the off. Kind of…

8.40AM : School run. I actually hate it and the scramble to try and get on and off the car park in one piece.

8.55AM : On a good day i’m back home by this time, later if the council yet again decide to dig up the lights at the top of the hill for the twenty-fifth time this year. Brew and sit down with laptop to start prepping for the day – check social media platforms and set up scheduled posts for the week, prepare my images for the day that were prepped last week. Start to look at what i’d saved over the weekend, interviews or TV shows that I hadn’t seen or press clippings. What are fans looking at right now? Head back over to Facebook groups and see if there is any news or announcements. I question what I thought I wanted to do today, come across some images that arrived in the post last week that I had forgotten about and totally re write my days work. Give myself 10 images to play with and roughly gauge what effect I want to go for. Pack up my paints, laptop, paper, inks and whatever else I can cram into my boot. Package up some originals that have sold over the weekend and ring my printers to arrange for some print orders to be fulfilled and posted.

9.45Am :Head over to Winnington Hall. Bec’s hasn’t arrived in yet so prepare everything we need for the day, fill up all the water pots and set up my space. Look back over the past weeks work. Where did I end up? what was the flow? do I want to to continue with that or try something new? Usually with a continuation I can pretty much pick it from where I left off, but today I choose a new direction. Back to the images and changing my prep again….

10.30Am : Prep done for the 3rd time today. Becs is in now and we have a brew on the go. A set of Canvases drying which should be ready to use this afternoon. Looking at these blank canvases I can see exactly in my head what I want to do and how they ‘should’ look – Maybe I can turn this into a seperate collection? We start flinging some ideas about that covers backgrounds and techniques – wait – we can use that in class too! more notes for our up coming courses and classes.

11.45AM : Work is well underway for us both, music playing its a very relaxed atmosphere and ideas are bouncing around. Even though we are opposites with our themes, we can very easily feed of each others energy and thought processes. We have a visitor from the local college to come chat about what its like to be a working artist and how a studio works. Topics covered are things like marketing, how we work together, coaching and teaching and lots, lots more. The conversation quickly changes to the business side of art and just how difficult it is to make a living in this industry and the impact of social media on our careers.

1pm : Lunch. Working Lunch. Social media check – 3 emails to answer – and a planned meeting for Friday has just cancelled. Post a quick ‘work in progress’ shot to all my currently platforms, post a few questions in my class facebook group to find out what images they want to work on this evening. Time to grab our note pads and start to jot ideas down about what has to be done for the week ahead. How many do I have for tonight’s class, what are we working on, how much printing is needed? a stock take shows I need supplies for the night so its a trip to Northwich Art Shop for extra paint and a top up of my inks.

1.50pm : Back from town. Roadworks again! Back to actually painting. I manage to get 1 ink done and the basics down on 2 of the canvases. Start to think where and how to build this collection. Prints won’t work because of a metallic element, the scanner won’t pick it up. Maybe it’s a hand finished collection only? Maybe I can try something new!? Pick up the phone to my printer….. Yep, a new idea has formed and about to grow legs. This could be a really good piece to develop further.

3pm : Call in home to let the dogs out quickly and onto the school run.

3.20pm : School run done, post office next. I’ve built a great relationship with the team there which makes the trip a pleasant one rather than a chore, they are always passing on news that’s likely to affect my postal charges.

3.40pm :Back to the study with Ruby in tow. She has an ongoing picture that she is working on herself of a rather large donkey that she got inspired by from watching Bec’s and her brilliant animal pieces. Ruby is very tuned into her art and crafts, since I have been coming into the studio she has really been inspired to do well at school with her homework and turns all her tasks into a creative one. Even a small amount of time here has changed so many paths. Actually remembered to order more hard backed envelopes. Time for me to carry on with a bit more painting! I had set myself a target of 6 paintings by the end of the day – currently heading towards 5pm i’m way off that target…..

5pm : Home to cook for tea for us all. Shovel down my dinner as quickly as possible, scoop up all my supplies for tonight’s class that I had forgotten to pack this morning for class and print out additional pieces of work.

6pm : Back to the studio to prep for the evening class. Canvases out, paints, brushes, pallets and water all ready for the arrivals. This class is aimed and designed to be fun and relaxing. Generally they like to look at doing some kind of portrait. Just recently they have been bringing their own family pictures to work from which has been a challenge for them and me as some pictures are many years old and out of focus.

6.3opm : All students are settled in well and ready to crack on, some will bring work that they have been doing at home that we all take a look at give some feedback about. We have become a close knit little group, each one trusting not only me as a tutor but also their peers in gaining valuable feedback and suggestions about how they can take it to the next level. They are also looking at their artwork in a different setting and lighting perspective. Now that everyone is set up and ready to paint, I can pick up my own paintbrush and join in, pausing throughout the session to give advice and guidance to each student. Often I will be working with a different medium and different subjects which the group will pick up and try and add into their own work, stopping their own work and watching me demo a few techniques. This builds nicely into prep for the next class, they would like to try what I am working on themselves. I down tools and make some notes with Bec for next week.

8.30pm : As we are nearing the end of the class, i’m starting to pack away whatever isn’t being used and my own stuff. Time to take pictures of all my completed works and some snaps of what the group is working on. Upload everything to the relevant social media locations and our group. We start to look over our evenings work and assess the progress made. Some may finish their pieces, some may take theirs home to carry on – everyone works at their own pace and structure. No 2 of the group are the same, each has their own journey. I start to scan in all the paintings that I managed to finish.

9.00pm : Everyone is packing up ready to leave. We have a quick feedback session talking about what technique they want to develop further. Lots more notes to take forward to next Monday. Time to empty the bin, pack up the room and lock the doors.

9.30pm : Back home to the laptop. By now Ruby is in bed and (sometimes) asleep. Reply to emails and messages. A little more research for my projects, i’ve been thinking all day about what my printer can now do for me and have the images ready to send over to test.  Upload my completed work onto my website and adding links to my my social media. Within about 10 minutes 2 of the paintings I finished today have already sold so a few more emails to complete.  Each painting needs cellophane wrapping with my business card and enveloped up ready to post in the morning.  Set up a couple more scheduled social media posts to go out when I know I will be otherwise busy – its vital that I have at least 2 – 3 as minimum posts going out daily to ensure that i’m actually reaching people who want to see what is happening.

10.15pm : Laptop closed, time for bed….Not before checking in with my friends just to say hello. Read a few newsletters and see what my other artist friends have been up to today, its not unusual to find that artists are night owls and working/posting at similar times. I think the last time I look at the clock its 23.55pm.

This is just an average working day. Often I have to force myself to take some downtime and try and switch off, but, its virtually impossible when paying all your bills relies on the success of your business activity. I am VERY lucky that I have a good network around me that support what I do, without that then I wouldn’t be writing this now. I have a plan for where I want to be, and what I want to achieve. Building a career in the arts IS doable, however it doesn’t happen over night and comes at a huge cost, financially and personally. This is now my 5th year being self employed and truthfully its no easier or less stressful. It is however what I will be doing for the rest of my life, and I doubt I could ever go back to being employed in a conventional sense. So yes, I do paint pictures, I think I do it pretty well too, and I hope this dispels the myth that us artists ‘just sit and paint all day’

Until next time

Lea xx

A day in my life was originally published on Lea Williams Art