#means to take a break and focus on research in academia

[communistkenobi]

would you be at all willing to talk about your experience of undergrad vs grad school? personally i struggled quite a bit in undergrad but am still always tempted to go back, and i think maybe the narrowed focus of grad school would be a little easier to handle, but i'm not sure if that would actually be the case... & perhaps your experience was something else completely and maybe this is too vague also lol, but i'm very curious about how you felt they were different!

yeah totally! My experience is doing graduate degrees (writing a thesis) in the faculty of social science in Canadian universities, so everything I’m about to say comes from that specific context. Definitely not universal lol

in my experience grad school is a lot more customised than undergrad. You still have required courses, non-course degree milestones (usually you’re required to present your work at conferences, which can get expensive and isn’t always covered by your department, as well as produce summaries of work you’ve done, research proposals, scholarship applications, etc), and standardised expectations, but you have a lot more choice in the courses you take and what topics you focus on. One university I was at was very relaxed about deadlines in grad school (I easily got extensions from profs without needing doctors notes or official accommodations, i was given the ability to redo assignments, etc), and the other was the ecact opposite (treated me like a idiot for needing extra time with work). If you’re doing a thesis project, a lot of your degree is independent work that you do in your own time - this was a huge struggle for me at the end of my masters, and I had to do “martial law” with my graduate friends at the very end, which basically meant us instituting a highly regimented schedule together made up of work sessions and breaks where we would each meet up and work on finishing our thesis (1 hour of work then 15 min break, rince and repeat, do this for four or five sessions a day every day). You are on a time crunch as you only receive funding for so many years, if you get offered funding at all.

your supervisor has a lot of control and influence over you - they are meant to guide you through the research process, develop your project, give you feedback, provide you with appropriate literature, double check your work, and help you get grants / funding. If you get a bad one it can legitimately ruin your life. I have had hilariously bad luck with supervisors (I’ve had to switch supervisors twice due to discrimination and breaches of provincial human rights law - which is not the norm to my understanding lol).

it depends on why you want to go to grad school and what you plan to do after. I want to stay in academia so that’s where most of my advice comes from. Tenure-track positions are incredibly difficult to secure and if you’re serious about staying in the academy you should be publishing your research while you’re still in graduate school, and treat every term paper as a draft of something you’re going to publish. I also have backup jobs I know I can apply for outside of academia if I don’t get any academic offers.

it’s relatively common for students to join a two or four year grad program but take way more time than that to finish. Usually if you get any funding packages, they only cover the official allotted years (in my experience, two for a master’s, four for PhD), meaning that if you need extra time, you could be finishing your degree with no funding and no guaranteed employment. If your supervisor is cool/connected they might have money they can swing your way, but it’s a tenuous and scary way to live if you have no other source of income.

funding usually comes from 1) grants your department gives you (they will tell you if they’re giving you money on your acceptance letter), 2) teaching assistant positions (I was/am required to be a TA, which usually involves grading undergraduate work, running labs, or leading teaching sessions/“tutorials”) and 3) federal scholarships that you are required to apply for. You need to write applications for these scholarships, usually including a research proposal, a CV/resume, a transcript of your grades, and recently, they’ve added a requirement for a diversity statement explaining any minority statuses you have and how that affects your education. TA work has an uneven workload from week to week, and usually most of the work is towards the end of the term when you’re grading final essays/exams, which creates crunch periods where you’re both working on your own coursework and grading undergrad work.

again a lot of this might not apply to your particular discipline or university or country. Usually universities list a lot of this info on their website, which can help you figure out what’s required of you. Grad school is structured like a full time job and it doesn’t pay very well even if you are funded. I lived with my parents for most of my master’s which gave me the financial stability to complete it. It’s not easy and it takes up most of your waking time, and it can leave you in a financially precarious position with a lot of debt. It’s definitely not something I would recommend for fun unless you have a lot of money and time to burn

[likealittleheartbeat]

hey!

this is more of a personal ask so if you do not feel comfortable answering it, feel free to ignore.

what did u mean in your previous post about 'finding your lane finally'? what profession/outlet did u find for writing about your interests if i may ask?:) it just sounds interesting!

So I really have never enjoyed the career I’ve been in, and I’ve been considering grad school for a long time (even did a semester in a professional track counseling program that I did fine in but really did not enjoy). I read academic texts for fun, which no one else I’ve met does, so it seemed like the best path. But I have always struggled to feel confident in figuring out which field would really let me integrate all my interests that I could reasonably break into without having to do a whole bunch of extra work. I’ve considered studying Literature bcuz I love literary fiction, thematic analysis, structuralism, and literary hermeneutics; Film Studies bcuz I love a lot of tv and film but I’m not super into the more masculine parts of the canon nor as many technical aspects of the craft; Gender and Sexuality Studies to get at the focus on queer subjectivity and dynamics that are a core interest for me; History since I was a history major in undergrad and still really enjoy that type of research; Religious Studies so ai can dive into Buddhist and Reformed Christian religious ideas; even American Studies so I can touch on indigeneity, colonialism, and gender in American contexts, which is another special interest of mine.

But none of those fields felt like they’d let me obsess over the contemporary tv and movies that form the hub from which all those other interests spring. American studies felt close, but I really wanted to study media beyond its American context when applicable, and I really don’t care about a lot of political and legal mechanisms tbh unless the stuff I’m watching is engaging with them.

Today while reading a book of essays on the development and impacts of the Boys Love genre in Asia, I was looking at what each of the scholars studied in (I’ve done this a lot as I’ve been trying to figure out what to do) and one of them, whose writing and analysis was inspiring me, had studied Media Studies. A lightbulb turned on.

It’s wild because media studies was my sister’s major in undergrad, and I even edited and helped develop her essays throughout college and her final thesis. It had never occurred to me, though. I realized media studies would let me explore the development, content, conveyance, and reception of all the stuff that makes me feel the most fulfilled 🥰 And I could take it toward working in the tv industry or, probs more likely, a career in academia (which I know has plenty of it’s own issues and criticisms but it also seems like it might possibly be a great fit for me personally).

But yeah, that’s the realization I had today. Just feels good to have some clarity.

[a-flickering-soul]

i am considering changing my major to engineering but I have basically no experience with it. any thoughts about what someone should expect maybe pros and cons or something. you don't have to respond lol I can always do more of my own research instead, sending this ask was kind of an impulse ig

Hi, thank you so much for the ask! I miss doing engineering and talking about it, so I'm always happy to answer any questions about my experience doing engineering in college.

Engineering as a college major is exactly as hard as everyone tells you, but if you know that going in, it helps a lot. I was perfectly happy to spend most of my free time doing homework and very carefully managing my time to allow myself breaks and time for hobbies, but for many people that's either not feasible or not pleasant. What helps a great deal is finding support systems (friends to study with/share answers, extra tutoring, Chegg) and really getting smart about where your weaknesses are as a student (mine was figuring out exactly what I didn't understand and attacking it). Expect to get nominally terrible grades, but with a generous curve.

Cons would be the workload and the expectation that you really should get real-world experience through summer internships or co-ops, making it difficult to find any sort of downtime (I genuinely cannot stress this enough, you will be hustling your ass off). Pros would be (and I also cannot stress this enough) very, very reasonable job security. While I am not working a nominally engineering job, my engineering degree made me a very competitive candidate, and this holds true for a lot of professions. While, of course, it is not a 100% guarantee, engineering majors do make pretty good placements for decent salaries and for me that was very important. Also, when I actually did engineering stuff and not coursework, I really liked it! You don't have to be particularly smart to be an engineering student-- you just have to work hard and be able to think constantly. I really loved the content, getting to run through the reiterative process of design with a team, and being able to have a tangible product to show for our work. If that's something you like, then you might want to consider it, because once you get through the pre-reqs to focus on your interests, it's really damn fun.

I will say though as a more specific note-- you mentioned you're changing your major into engineering. I don't know from what field you're transferring into, or what year, but it's important to know that all engineering degrees have a substantial amount of pre-reqs to take as a freshman/sophomore before you even think of taking a major-specific engineering class (usually Physics I & II, Chem I & II and maybe Orgo, and Calc I-II). These pre-reqs will wipe you out, even if you do them all on-schedule. They are purposefully weeder courses because academia is hell and engineering academia is an even deeper layer of hell. It's definitely doable to take these pre-reqs while not being a freshman and still graduate on time-- I have a few friends that were able to manage it-- but you will hustle and it will most likely not be pleasant, unless you are smarter and more hard-working than I am. It can be done though, and I would suggest talking to either an academic advisor about what you need to do or with people you know that are engineering majors already.

Of course, this is just my two cents-- any other engineering folk, please feel free to add on. If you want to ask follow-ups or DM me directly, by all means do so! I hope this helps!

[pandelion-fic]

Signed up for the Au Roulette 2024, so this is my last-minute submission for that. Working with the third prompt I got, College/Academia. This is almost 1k of the concept and I'm still working on it, full fic will be posted to AO3 when it's done.

So, this is for Yin Yang Master: Dream of Eternity, gen. --

“He Shouye, what a surprise to run into you here,” someone says from behind Boya and he breaks off in the middle of his sentence, turning to look at the newcomer.

“Qingming,” He Shouye answers, standing smoothly. “Zhongxing did not tell me that he was sending a representative this year.”

“It was a last minute decision,” the man - Qingming, apparently - says, smiling. “I am glad that I made it in time for the opening ceremonies.”

He bows, a little deeper than strictly necessary, and He Shouye nods in response. The dean rarely smiles, but Boya has learned over the years how to read the subtle shifts in He Shouye’s moods. He is pleased to see this Qingming.

“It is good that you are here,” He Shouye says. “A new perspective is always useful.” He shifts, turning slightly towards Boya to include him in the conversation. “Ah, allow me to introduce you. This is one of our newest professors and my former student, Yuan Boya. Boya, this is Qingming, first disciple of the Yin-Yang sect.”

Boya bows, polite, and when he lifts his head, he finds Qingming regarding him thoughtfully. "Yuan Boya? You wrote that paper on appropriate investigation techniques when dealing with demons, didn't you?"

"I - yes, I did," Boya says slowly. He glances at the dean, but He Shouye's expression is as inscrutable as ever, though Boya tentatively "Several years ago, it was one of my areas of focus during grad school. I didn't realize anyone had actually read it."

"It was very interesting," Qingming says, smiling. He’s got a pleasant face, Boya thinks, and clearly knows it, which is rarely a good combination in their field. "Mostly incorrect, of course, but that is to be expected, given the instructors at Tiandou - "

Boya opens his mouth, but nothing comes out, the words all tangling together in his throat. Incorrect?! He'd spent a year alone on research for that paper and to have someone tell him point blank that it was wrong -

"You - !"

"Qingming," He Shouye interrupts before Boya can decide which insult best suits this infuriating man. "This conference is intended to be a way to facilitate peaceful talks between the sects and the schools. Please refrain from antagonizing your fellow academics."

Boya would very much prefer to not be a fellow academic to this Qingming, but despite his clear opinion regarding Tiandou University's instructing staff, the rebuke seems effective.

"Apologies," Qingming says, bowing his head. He glances at Boya. "I did not mean to antagonize, though if Boya-daren is so inclined, I would be willing to discuss the inaccuracies of his paper at a later date."

Boya is saved from being charged with second degree murder by Longye's arrival.

“Boya, there you are! They’ve got these incredible little shrimp things at the buffet, you’ve got to come try them,” she says, latching onto his arm. Then she blinks, turning to look at He Shouye and Qingming and gives them a bright, simpering smile, every inch the ditzy scholar that she very much isn’t. “Oh, I’m so sorry! Did I interrupt?”

“Not at all,” Qingming says before Boya can, returning Longye’s smile. Asshole.

“I was just about to come find you, actually,” Boya says. He manages a tight, polite smile and inclines his head to Qingming the barest amount to be considered polite. “If you’ll excuse me.”

“Of course,” Qingming. “Far be it for me to stand in the way of, ah, incredible little shrimp things.”

Longye’s fingers dig into the hidden underside of Boya’s arm, but he doesn’t need the reminder to not cause a scene. It takes a fair bit of willpower to ignore Qingming, turning to give He Shouye a much more sincere bow. “I look forward to hearing your presentation this afternoon,” he says.

He Shouye nods back. “I hope it will be informative,” he says.

Another quick bow and then Boya lets Longye drag him off, presumably in the direction of the buffet table and the ‘delicious little shrimp things.’

~*~

Longye stays pressed against Boya’s side as they walk, glancing back under the guise of tossing a lock of hair out of her face. “He Shouye looks as sour as ever, but who was the new guy? I don’t recognize his robes.”

“His name’s Qingming,” Boya says, keeping his focus forward. “He’s the first disciple of the Yin-Yang sect.”

“The Yin-Yang, really? They haven’t attended one of these conferences in, like, almost twenty years. Wonder why they’ve finally sent someone?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care,” Boya tells her. He spots the buffet table through the crowd and adjusts their course to head for it. Shrimp things or not, food is a good distraction. “He’s an asshole.”

Longye looks at him. “Boya, I know you have a great talent for being off-putting, but you were only talking to him for like, five minutes. What did you do?”

“Why are you assuming it’s my fault?” he asks, stopping to better glare down at her. “I was perfectly polite, he’s the one that - “

For someone who only comes up to his shoulder, Longye is irritatingly good at making him feel like he’s a bug under a microscope. Probably from all the practice she gets on a daily basis. “Boya.”

Boya only lasts a moment before looking away. “I wrote a paper, apparently,” he says. “When I was a grad student.”

“…He read one of your grad school papers?”

“Read it and disagreed with it enough to say so to my face,” Boya says.

“Damn, what an asshole,” Longye says.

“Thank you,” Boya says.

She adjusts her grip on his arm and tugs him back into motion, resuming their journey to the buffet table. “Well, look on the bright side. It’s a big conference, what are the chances you’ll actually have to deal with him again?”

[thedistortedfroggit]

Welcome, welcome, welcomeeee—back!! Yes, yes! He is indeed the homeless caterpillar man from the ever popular anime: My Hero Academia!!

Now, Why am I making a post about him? Whats with the sad blob? What're the weird fairy things? why is Aizawa sad, and whats the with the thing in the lower left corner?

Well, for the last question!—IGNORE IT!! It's not part of this topic! Now for the other questions,

I'm in the process of making an AU! Specifically one that revolves around an Aizawa Shouta's torment!

Thats alot of take in, isn't it? Lemme explain!! But first, a warning.

I've only done light research about the folklore and topics I've planted into this fantasy, quirkless world! I like it's premise as is, and it'll be kinda hard to make replacements since they're already so ingrained into the AU. so don't expect it to be accurate on how the fantasy creatures actually are, I just based them off a few lines from google results and wikipedia!

That being said, lets continue!

"Aizawa Shouta, An orphan (probably, I haven't figured out his lineage yet) young adult man who lives "alone" in the forest. A group of 20 spirits of seelies and will-o-wisps that live in the surrounding forest, haunt and torment the tired adult from his first week at his tree-cabin, to recent times!

A toxic relationship between the 20 and Aizawa grows. Normalized and with nobody around or willing to help him, he never knew a different environment. Despite the constant torment and jabs being 'gifted' to him, he treats them as a parent would. Their remarks of his 'curse'? The seelies' laughs at his mistakes? The wisps' pitying looks sent to him every which way? Ah, he doesn't mind. After all, it'd be rude to insult his guests."

...Wooh, quite the intro huh? Lemme break it down into bits to form somewhat of an overview.

Welcome, welcome! This is the Alternate Universe I often call: the Spirit Torment AU, or ST for short. Keep in mind this is still a Work In Progress, so things are subject to change! But I'll explain what I have at the moment.

From that lil intro, we get our starting cast! With Aizawa as the main character! ..thrilling. And yes! that group of 20 seelies and will-o-wisps are, indeed, class 1A of this AU! Don't fret, they won't be the only people that get the spotlight in here! I'm making progress on including some pro-heroes(mostly just the UA staff rn tbh), perhaps some villains, perhaps some 1Bs—and a possibility of a backstory substitute for the ever feared, ever loved: Nezu!

But that can wait 'till a future post. No, right now, lets focus on what I actually have for the ST AU! (at the time of writing this, I've managed to gather 29 words that come from the meaning of Aizawa's full name, in kanji, in different languages to string together a foreign-sounding name--atleast to me)

Our protagonist used to live in a small town far from the country's capital, yet miles away from the boarder. A generic, isolated community with similar beliefs and traditions.

Enter our tired, black-haired, younger-than-present protagonist! Into a quirkless world set in somewhat of a medieval era, although—not all is as our history books! Fantasy creatures, big and small, intelligent and feral. These are the creatures who are the only ones who are not bound by the rules of humans.

By the rules, of a magic-less body.

Yes, yes! Our magical fantasy creatures are able to use magic! Several factors depending on the species. A cluster of several of theses fantasy creatures litter the forest that the town neighbours.

Unfortunate for Aizawa, he was born different from his peers. A bad kind of different. From the creatures that scurry and survive in the forest, to our quaint town of magicless beings.

For a first in the town, when Shouta Aizawa was born, the small child with unique red eyes, instilled fear and uncertainty to those who knew of his trait.

With a word from a traveller on horse, The red eyed child became part of a town folklore: On the days the wind was ever so slightly chiller, when an ominous sense of danger wafts through the town—It shall be a sign Theia's descendent came outside his abode.

'Theia, the titan goddess of sight and the shining ether of the bright, blue sky. She was also, by extension, the goddess who endowed gold and silver with their brilliance and intrinsic value' or, that's how the story goes.

The descendant's tell-tale sign of his linage by his other-worldly eyes. A color natural to no man, woman or child. He wanders aimlessly around town, the people who the goddess so graciously gifted gold and silver to—yet only to be wasted on pubs, slaves and the like.

They say, to quell the descendant's growing fury: One must give back to the goddess by the descendant, must pay back a debt so long ago—no human would live to today, must graciously gift the descendant with shimmering blue hues of jewellery and gems of value, to the titan goddess of the sky's blue.

Breaking out of that rhyming fest! Yes yes, Aizawa's natural eye color here is red! Like how it turns when he uses his quirk?

And he got a town folklore made after him! Sure, it make him sound like some tyrant leader....but still! Also, now we know where he gets his income from! Sad he doesn't have much to actually do with it except buy groceries. ...what? Did you expect him to hunt the fantasy animals for food? or harm the forest for fruits? How rude!

Fun factoid! I actually came across that goddess while researching a bit for this AU! Found the question 'what deities are associated with blue?' The answer was given before! I'm not rewriting that just back scroll. Yeah, I didn't really look into her outside of that one question...

I don't really think it matters much in this AU, since I just needed an excuse for why the townspeople are ostracizing him or basically begging to be spared instead of just executing Aizawa. And it gave me an excuse to give the lil boy a source of income.

I found it a pretty great coincidence how she's the titan goddess of SIGHT, ya know, something Aizawa is known to need to activate his quirk?

Anyway, thats pretty much the most detailed thing I've got rn.

Moving onto the seelies and will-o-wisps, I read the seelies' wiki page, where a part caught my interest..

Appearently, in legend the seelies could be morally ambivalent and dangerous. Calling them 'seelie' similar to names such as 'good neighbors' could just be a euphemism to ward off their anger.

So just from that alone, I made the seelies in this AU more toxic and outspoken about it.

Now to will-o-wisps, I'll be honest...they weren't supposed to be added in originally until I thought that just having a roster of only toxic character would be a bad idea... So I added in the wisps.

...until I made them toxic too

Reading from the wiki again, in Urban legends, folklore and superstition.... will-o-wisps are typically considered to be ghosts, fairies or elemental spirits.

This is getting a bit long and I have school so I'll try to wrap this up quickly.

On how these spirits are toxic to Aizawa? Well, you've seen some hints throughout this post but I'll explain a little more!

The seelies, they're more of the outspoken emotions out of the slightly opposing sides of seelie and wisp. Emotions like anger or frustration, maybe mocks and taunts with laughter.

The wisps, while not meaning any bad intentions, still is toxic to an extent--or atleast not treating Aizawa properly. They're more of the sadder, subtle and worried emotions. Emotions like, as I said, sorrow and worry. Maybe with a hint of treating him like frail glass and underplaying most of what Aizawa does or dreams of.

I said before they're slightly opposing sides, not necessarily good and evil—its more of 'intent' or 'display' than that. But there will be times where a side would agree with the other Ex: "The wisps are right, you cant even do [ ] correctly. You're so useless! Pathetic!" "The seelies are right, you cant do a simple [ ] without getting hurt. You can't do [ ] or else you'd get yourself killed."

Anyway, I'm tired and maybe I'll make another post about ST!AU in the future

For now, have these bits of art as a thanks for reading this far!

[greyeyedmonster-18]

(oh. and since we all seem to like my word blunders-- yesterday, I was trying to say sabbatical, but said "spaghetti" instead and you can imagine the immense confusion on everyone's faces.)

[acecheesecake]

Confession

Female!reader x Cyno

TW: fluffy stuff in the beginning, then smut below (it's marked so if you want to you can just stop reading) unprotected sex (stay safe kids), semi-public sex and I think that's it

Summary: Cyno has something to say to you (spoiler I'm a sucker for happy endings so yeah it's gonna be a sweet confession obviously)

WC: 2.056

A/N: I diiiid it guuyys! My first smut, I hope it's alright and not too shabby. Please gimme some feedback if you liked it <3 (also featuring Cyno boy cause I want him sooo baaaad)

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT THANKS

It's a warm day in Sumeru, just on the border of being a little bit too hot. You had already taken off your jacket and put your hair up in a tight bun to make yourself a bit more comfortable. You're sitting in one of the many libraries of the Academia, this one featuring mostly books about the marvellous mysteries of the Liyue adepti.

You're sitting at one of the desks, slumped over a book with your nose only centimeters away from the pages. The air is hot and heavy, amplified by the dusty books stored in the room.

You’re completely invested in the words in front you, so you don’t even notice a slim figure appearing behind you lurking over your shoulder.

Cyno breathes lightly past your ear. The sensation startles you a bit and you finally turn around to look at him.

“Oh hey, didn’t see you there”, you smile as you squeeze his arm a little bit. Oh if only you knew what you are doing to him, he thinks to himself.

“Busy as always, I see.” His eyes wander over the pages in front of you. He lays his head on your shoulder.

“You wanna go take a break?”, you ask.

Cyno thinks for a moment, “sure”.

You stand up and put your books and papers away; Cyno not taking his eyes of you. He seems awfully distracted today, you think to yourself.

Both of you leave the enormous building. You forgot how hot it is outside, the sun shining ever so brightly above you.

“Soooo, what do you wanna do?”, you ask.

“Would you mind if we went for a walk?”

“Uhh sure… doesn’t sound ominous at all”, you laugh it off and Cyno smiles at you awkwardly. He’s just so nervous.

Cyno leads you into a less crowded place, a wide stone path with the beautiful desert left and right. A semi-transparent canopy above you lets the shade on the stone dance softly in the wind.

As you walk together you tell him about your latest research, “someday I’m gonna go to Liyue and write my own book about the adepti. Can you imagine? Me leaving this place? Oh Cyno, I just want to see the world”.

You walk a bit ahead and lean against the hip-high stone fence, you gaze onto the sandy landscape. “I mean you get it, right? You’ve been to Mondstadt”. Cyno is now next to you, just looking at you silently.

“Hey, are you alright? You’ve been really… off today”, you ask.

Cyno breaks eye contact, he sighs. “I have to tell you something, Y/N.”

“What is it?” Your heart sinks to the dusty floor. Is he leaving again? To another mission far away from you?

“I don't know why this is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. It’s so irrational”, he chuckles softly, still avoiding your eyes.

You look at him, brows furrowed. The silence feels unbearable.

“I- uh… I like you, Y/N. You know that, right? You’re like my best friend and whenever I’m away just for a day I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t focus when you’re not around, like there’s a piece of me missing. I guess… I guess what I’m saying is… I’m in love with you.” He finally looks at you. Ruby-colored eyes so honest, you could see right into his soul.

“Please, say something.”

You reach out to touch the ears of his hood, gently rubbing his head. “Cyno…” He thinks his heart is going to give out. “You think this is news to me?”

He is completely shocked, his jaw hanging slightly open.

“Cyno, you are my best friend. You think I don’t notice all the little things?”

“Does that mean…” he begins.

“I’ve been falling for you for ages, I was just waiting for you to catch up with me”, you laugh at him, your hand now at his cheek.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I- I don’t know. It seemed unlikely for you to feel that way about me.” Your hand leaves his cheek to grab the fence in front of you for support.

“What- how could I not? You’re so brilliant and beautiful and when I see you studying, I just want to hug you and hold your hands in mine”

You giggle a bit, “I’d like that”

Cyno smiles at you. He feels like a heavy stone laying on his heart was finally lifted.

“Can I… kiss you?” He leans in closer, only a few inches away from you.

You answer him by just closing the gap between you, your lips pressing softly onto his. He’s startled for a second but quickly embraces it, reaching into your hair. His other hand travels to your hip pressing you closer to him. You feel a warm, tingly feeling growing in your stomach.

After a few minutes you break off the kiss to catch some air, your lips are red and swollen. Cyno’s eyes are a little droopy and somehow darker, he’s chewing on his bottom lip a bit. He clears his throat, looking away. “I wanted to do that for so long, I can’t believe it. You feel so good, I don’t know how to describe it”

“You being at a loss for words is a first. I like it.” You give him another quick peck on the lips.

He is still so close to you, both of his arms slung around your waist now, one hand gently tracing your spine up and down.

You didn’t even notice the sun had set and the warm yellow desert was transformed into a cool blue-ish ocean of sand.

NSFW down below

You shiver a bit from the drop in temperature. “You okay?”, Cyno asks.

“Yeah, just a bit cold, I just need my- shit. My jacket. I must’ve left it at the library.”

“Oh… wait, here take my cloak, we’ll go and get your jacket”, he says softly, taking of the black mantle to drape it over your shoulders. You stare at his toned arms and muscled chest now being exposed.

“You look so cute in it”, he whispers lowly, pulling the hood over your head. You grin proudly.

He gives you another soft kiss before intertwining his fingers with yours and walking all the way back to the library.

The streets are empty, the city already sleeping. You quietly sneak into the building, although it is not at all uncommon for people to keep studying even after sundown. You lead the way, your hands still clasped together.

“Ah, found it”, you say as you grab your jacket you had laid over the back of the chair earlier.

As you hold it in your hands, you turn around to face Cyno. The white-haired boy is just a few inches taller than you and yet it feels like he is towering over you.

“How are you so adorable” His voice is low and he smiles when he pushes a strand of hair behind your ear, his hood still over your head.

You smile shyly, still not being used to him complimenting you so openly.

“Okay, this is gonna sound completely insane but bear with me… come on”, he winks at you and grabs your hand again, leading you into the back of the library. The space between the book shelves is smaller and the books themselves are a little older so no one usually comes here.

“Do you wanna… maybe…”, he stutters, his hands on your hips as he guides you against the shelf.

“Here?”, you ask.

“Well…”

Without letting him finish you go in for a kiss. Your hands are on his cheeks when he slides his tongue into your mouth, lovingly playing with your own.

His hips push your ass into the shelf behind you and you can already feel the bulge beneath his cloth. His hands travel down to the soft fat of your ass, kneading it not so gently.

“You’re unbelievable, so hot for me”, he whispers into your ear. His mouth travels from your lips to your jaw, then down to your neck where he sucks on your sensitive skin, making you moan and throw your head back.

You fumble on his hip piece to get rid of the clothing. “Eager, are you?”, he smiles against your skin, pressing his thumb into your hip. His other hand is softly travelling to your panties, he pulls them down slowly, making sure his fingers touch everything on their way down.

When he’s finally freed your pussy from the fabric, he helps you with his belt, his hard cock springing out. You drool a bit when you see him fully naked and hot for you.

His thumb goes up to the corner of your mouth to wipe away some saliva. “You’re so gorgeous, I just wanna take you already”, he grunts, his other hand finding your slick pussy and circling a finger over your folds. He presses his dick into your stomach as he resumes to kissing your collarbone, his other hand sliding beneath your shirt to knead your breast.

You moan quietly when his thumb brushes over your clit, your hands are tangled in white locks with a tight grip.

“You’re such a mess for me, all wet and pretty”, he breathes out, hot air against your chest.

His foot steps in between your own feet and pushes your legs apart. One finger slips into you and not three seconds after another one. He’s slowly pushing them in and out, swirling them around inside you.

You groan sweetly, your head falling over his shoulder. His hand goes back to your ass and under your thigh. He lifts your one leg up and you lock it behind his hip. He gives you another passionate kiss to your mouth, slow and romantic.

“Do it, Cyno”, you beg, your fingernails lightly scraping his skull. He bites your bottom lip, “as you wish, love.”

And without having to say it again, he lifts you up a bit, aligning himself to your entrance. You stop kissing for a moment, your foreheads still touching. You breathe the same air as each other.

The tip of his cock is already buried in your folds and as he slowly pushes himself into you, you boath moan against each other. Your eyes are closed as his length stretches you out so good you could cry.

“Oh, my Archons, Cyno”, you whisper breathlessly. His grip on you intensifies when he bottoms out.

You stay motionless for a moment, both of you taking in the new sensation. “Y/N, I have to move”, Cyno breathes out.

You swallow thickly and nod. With this, Cyno starts pulling out a bit, only to split you open with his cock again. He moves slowly at first, to give you time to adjust to him.

“You feel so tight, I don’t know… if I can… hold myself back”, he stutters.

“Then don't”, you groan when he hits a particular deep spot inside of you.

Cyno grunts like an animal, biting softly into your shoulder. He speeds up, thrusting into you with force. His free hand pushes into your lower stomach, but then travels down to your clit. His thumb massages your spot with just the right pressure. Your breaths start getting heavier and more intense, your moans of his name louder.

“So—good—for—me ”, he moans between thrusts.

You feel yourself coming closer to the edge, your walls tightening around him. And the way Cyno’s moves get sloppier, he’s close too.

“Cum for me, baby”, he whispers into your neck.

That sent you over the edge completely, your orgasm hits you like a firework, you feel like you’re exploding inside, a big wave of pleasure washing over you and taking you with it.

With your pussy contracting around his cock, Cyno makes a particularly harsh thrust before cumming all over your stomach. His hand pushes against the shelf behind you for support. Your head leans onto his arm as you both come undone.

Cyno lets go of your thigh and you both try to catch your breath. Your knees are weak, your head is spinning a bit.

“Well, that friendship is officially ruined then”, you sigh with a smile.

Cyno laughs a bit, he’s just as exhausted as you. “Let’s get you cleaned up, sweetie”

[qingxinis]

jealousy - zhongli, albedo x gn reader

anon asked: hello! same anon with the xiao and childe rqt. :) it was great! love it! came back to ask if i could have the same rqt but with zhongli and albedo, please? ty!

hii again anon! tysm for requesting again, i really enjoyed writing the scenarios!! although i am not very used to writing albedo (or any genshin character, that’s my first time doing this T-T), i am happy to see someone request him and zhongli!! i hope yall enjoy it <3

gn reader x zhongli, gn reader x albedo sfw word count: around 500 each warnings: eavesdropping ? but that's it i believe!

zhongli

it was a peculiar feeling, this thing mortals called jealousy. 

it was an overwhelming feeling as well, consuming every part of zhongli’s mind, only growing stronger with the passing of time. his throat felt tight, along with the million words he wanted to say to your pursuiter, but never came out. what was this feeling, after all? zhongli had never felt this before, and he made a mental note of studying this so-called “jealousy” afterwards.

zhongli sipped his tea once again, looking at you, who was talking to your friend. it was quite obvious what was happening, even for zhongli — your friend wanted to ask you out, and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. you weren’t even that close to this friend, as you had met them a few weeks ago and since then, they had been infatuated with you. zhongli couldn’t blame them for being infatuated, as he could say the very same thing about himself. but this? this was too much.

“y/n, are you really sure you don’t wanna go out today? perhaps tomorrow, or even later? i’d be willing to wait, you know” they said, apparently oblivious to your uncomfort. 

they already knew about zhongli too, and yet didn’t seem to care at all he was there to watch it all. before their arrival, you both were drinking some tea at heyu tea house, enjoying the performances as zhongli told you curious facts about liyue. everything was fine before, so why did they have to show up? 

“ah… i’m quite busy recently, i’m afraid I won't be able to hang out with you…” you replied, turning back to sit again with zhongli. 

yet, that rascal decided to grab your wrist as you were leaving, and that was the breaking point to zhongli. he slowly put down his tea and got up, having enough of this discussion. your friend backed up a little bit, but tried to maintain his facade. you were confused, too. zhongli was a peaceful and polite man, but you couldn’t see the usual calm in his eyes.

“aren’t you aware they are saying ‘no’? shall you still bother them with such idle chatter?” he said, staring into your friend’s eyes. your friend never heard zhongli talk, but it seemed like being questioned by him made them quite frightened. “or should i explain what ‘no’ means?”

your friend gulped, staring between you and zhongli back and forth. they surely hadn’t anticipated zhongli would step up, and he knew it. maybe seeing the tall man make his way towards them was enough to make them feel afraid, and maybe cornered. perhaps then they would stop bothering you?

“uhm… yes, now that i look at it, you don’t seem interested… sorry for bothering you, y/n” your friend said, and quickly made their way out of the tea house. 

you looked at zhongli and gave him a mischievous smile, knowing fully well what had happened. he only smiled back, the usual calm coming back to his eyes now that your pursuiter was gone. zhongli grabbed your hand and guided you back to the table, sitting beside you with a relaxed figure. 

“it seems like the tea is still warm. well then, shall we continue with the tales of liyue?”

albedo

albedo never thought he’d be doing something like this.

this was just supposed to be a short trip to the library, albedo thought. but what am i doing? he wondered, pushing himself to the darkest and most hidden corner he could find, just so he could hear what was happening. he was quite surprised to hear your voice while looking for some alchemy textbooks sucrose asked him to get for her, and was about to greet you, until he heard another voice. now, albedo was stuck between two bookshelves, trying to perhaps find out what this was about.

“...but this is so interesting to hear! say, do you have more to tell me about sumeru academia?” you said, voice full of excitement. it was one of the things he liked about you, your endless excitement over the smallest things. 

maybe this was considered eavesdropping, and albedo knew it. but it’s for research reasons, of course, he thought. it was always a research, everything involving you. it was a research for both you and him, as he was quite new to all these feelings he suddenly found himself having. albedo wasn’t one for relationships, but everything you did… it was fascinating. it made him want to give it a try, for once. maybe it wasn’t a waste of energy and time if it was you, after all.

“i’d love to tell you more! what you say, we go out for a date- i mean, a dinner, and i could tell you more-” the voice said, but a sudden loud noise made the library ground tremble. 

you stopped listening and went to look for the source of noise with worry, just to find textbooks on the ground, next to albedo’s emotionless figure. seeing your face, albedo let out a small smile, which quickly disappeared at the sight of your other companion, a young sumeru scholar who had just showed up in mondstadt. you lower yourself, trying to help him with the mess he had just made. this was unlike him, and he knew you knew, but maybe albedo just accidentally stumbled over himself and let the books fall, right?

“hi, albedo! didn’t see you there, are you fine?” he quickly nodded with a slight smile, lowering himself as well to help with his own mess. 

maybe it was subconscious, but his hand quickly made its way to yours, brushing it lightly while grabbing the books. you looked at him with blushed cheeks, while he kept on collecting the books, trying to hold a smile. you quickly recollected yourself, grabbing the rest of the heavy textbooks.

“do you need help taking these to sucrose?” you offered, to the sumeru scholar’s dismay. he was about to protest, until albedo looked at him for a brief moment, and then back to you.

“i’d enjoy your help, if you don’t mind” he replied.

albedo knew he was fully capable of lifting those books alone, but who was he to deny your help? and he needed to find out why his heart felt so tight when you were next to the scholar. maybe he could make some notes about these feelings later. as you two left the library, you replied with a soft “i’m sorry, but i think i’ll pass” to the sumeru scholar. albedo’s heart felt lighter, and now he could focus on accompanying you.

after all, time spent with you was never lost time. 

[ckret2]

GVK spoilers below, about conspiracy theories

I’m gonna get around to posting all my GVK reactions but this one got long so I’m putting it in its own post.

The Monsterverse series, in both KOTM and GVK, has some pretty interesting things to say about conspiracy theories and ecofascism; but, unfortunately, it doesn’t REALIZE that it’s saying any of them, so it keeps dropping the ball and missing opportunities to explore them.

Starting with KOTM, “there’s too many humans so we’ve just gotta let some die and that’ll fix pollution 🤷” is like false ecofascist claim #1 but at no point in the movie was it challenged as unfactual, it was just presented as a sad truth that people have to do morally ambiguous things about. Except that it’s just literally mathematically not true!

Emma could be such a GREAT, believable character—especially in this world with, like, frigging QAnon nonsense getting such widespread traction—showing a compelling, realistic tragedy of how this normal, intelligent, well-educated white mom who otherwise is likely left-leaning (pro-environmentalism, pro-nature conservation, got a doctorate and generally more academia correlates with more liberal ideals) got sucked into a far right ecofascist doomsday militia that combines hokey pseudo-environmentalist propaganda with “in balance with nature” semi-religious mysticism, because she was exploited at a time when she was emotionally vulnerable (when her kid had just died) and was lacking healthy emotional support (when her husband turned to alcohol and then ran off).

... Except the movie never says that her “overpopulation” beliefs are WRONG. It says that they’re RIGHT, and she was just forced to choose between two losing scenarios—deliberately kill most of humanity to hopefully save a few, or watch humanity kill itself.

Nobody bothers to mention that the size of the population isn’t the problem, it’s the disproportionate pollution coming out of first world countries. Nobody bothers to mention that when Emma talks about “overpopulation” and shows a screenshot of an overcrowded neighborhood, it ain’t affluent downtown skyscraper condos in Europe or America that she’s highlighting, but large masses of poor people whose neighborhoods look “dirty” to the white woman’s eyes, despite the fact that they’re contributing the least to humanity’s carbon footprint.

Emma’s beliefs are empirically wrong, and if KOTM had ever demonstrated that, it would’ve been brilliant. Instead, it tries to say “she was right, she just went too far,” and in doing so loses an opportunity to make Emma a deeply believable, timely, realistic, well-meaning but wrong villain.

And now we’ve got GVK, which has swerved away from the ecofascism but doubled down on the conspiracy theories. Here, Emma’s daughter, who was raised for five years with what amounts to a survivalist doomsday cult’s beliefs, when faced with the grief of her mother’s death and the struggle of trying to reconnect to her estranged father, turns—again—to conspiracies to make sense of the world around her. Because that’s what Madison’s been raised with, and even though she got disillusioned with the particular “we know something special that the normal people can’t handle” beliefs that she was raised with, that kind of thinking is still what she knows. She’s still doing what her mother raised her to do! She’s still pulling the “hypercompetent highly-trained lone wolf ‘survivor’ saves the world” shtick that Jonah’s gang taught her to do—but it’s never brought up that it was screwed up to raise a child like that and it’s screwed up for her to still be interacting with the world like that.

At least THIS conspiracy theorist isn’t literally advocating for global genocide. Bernie’s focus largely seems to be on “this corporation is trying to screw people over and screw up the environment—” (because in Monsterverse, as in Toho monster movies as a whole, kaiju/titans and the environment are symbolically conflated, so if a corporation is messing with Godzilla then they’re messing with nature as well) “—so I’m gonna find out what they’re up to and be a whistleblower.” Which is great! Solid start! We’ve got a guy taking aim at big business and who says “when the weather Godzilla acts erratic, it’s not random chance, it’s because a big business is doing something it shouldn’t,” so it looks like we’ve got a leftist conspiracy theorist, that’s different, could be interesting to explore.

Except then he starts talking about governments serving a “global elite” and facilities built by “lizard people” and then we’ve swung right back around to the far right by casually dropping in a couple of antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Add that in with the whole “hollow earth” thing and damn, we’re namedropping a lot of antisemitic conspiracy theories, aren’t we? Granted, most conspiracy theories ARE antisemitic—but like, they could have dug around for some that aren’t. Have him talk some more about Roswell. Have him bring up things that we’ve actually got documentation happened and theorize that MKUltra research was used in Apex’s development of their pilot’s psychic mind link to Mechagodzilla. Have him bring up tailor-made-for-the-Monsterverse conspiracy theories that don’t exist here, “Monster Zero is actually the secret weapon of a nearby ‘Planet X’ that’s gonna invade,” whatever. Instead, nah, we went with the antisemitic ones.

Now, do I think the writers behind KOTM and GVK intended antisemitism? Do I think they’re closet alt-right trying to dogwhistle the fascists in the audience? No, I think they think they’re making fun of—or playing around with—what they see as harmless, unbelievable, way-out-there conspiracy theories. I think they know just enough about “hollow earth” and “global elites” and “lizard people” to make references to them, but not in a way that promotes the common antisemitic understanding of those theories as true. (Monsterverse’s hollow earth, a weird underground jungle where King Kong lives, sure doesn’t resemble the usual conspiracy theory.) To me, the way they were used suggests the writers didn’t deeply understand (or at least, didn’t deeply think about) what the theories really mean—nor what they imply about the beliefs of the characters who espouse them. Which is the crux of my issue with how the movies deal with conspiracy theories and ecofascists and so forth (beyond the fact that, hey, I just don’t like seeing likable characters casually referencing antisemitic beliefs): the writers didn’t think about the implications.

Because these things do imply a lot! For example, if, say, Josh, total newb to conspiracy theories, had asked about lizard people, I would have grimaced to hear it but I would have believed that he’s a teen boy that picked up the term at school and doesn’t know anything about what’s behind it. But on the other hand, I can’t believe a guy so deep in the conspiracy theory world that he bathes in bleach doesn’t know exactly what those conspiracies mean—or, even if he does somehow staunchly refuse to believe that “lizard people” is a code for “Jewish people,” that whatever circle of conspiracy theorists he runs with doesn’t use it as a code. Bernie didn’t pick up those beliefs in a void. I really doubt that’s what the writers wanted to imply about the goofy likable underdog with a podcast.

And sure, the “global elite” and “lizard people” references are presented like a “haha look how far out his beliefs are” joke—the same as the fluoride reference, which is basically Hollywood code for “bogus nonsense only complete lunatics believe” thanks to Dr. Strangelove—but at the same time, they’re never really disproven. Nothing he believes is challenged. Nor are any of Madison’s beliefs that she’s picked up from him. Everything they both believe is either a “wow that’s wild” throwaway joke, or else they’re presented as totally right, e.g. about Apex being up to dubious crap that’s irritating Godzilla.

Just like Emma, who was presented as in the wrong not because she was incorrect but because she WAS correct but took the wrong actions. And just like Rick in KOTM, who kept bring up the hollow earth theory like a running joke but then the joke was that he was right.

And that’s at the root of the issues with both movies’ portrayals of conspiracy theories. Aside from the jokes that are never explored (and therefore, never disproven), the movies say that, every time it matters, the conspiracy theorists on the fringe are correct, the heroes that need to be believed. Even though all (excluding Rick) are characters who have suffered deep loss, who have been hurt, who you can imagine as passionate but grieving people who turned to dangerously wrong extremism in their search for meaning... the movies don’t portray them as people who have been led astray by their pain, but enlightened by their pain. Which is what they themselves think they are, sure, but that doesn’t line up with reality.

The movies never forces them to grapple with how far they’ve gone astray from reality—and I think they should. I’d like to see them processing the revelation that their beliefs are wrong. Whether it’s as big as somebody trying to convince Emma that killing half the population doesn’t fix the pollution caused by corporations rich enough to weather a global hurricane, or as small as Bernie looking at Apex’s financial records and realizing the company’s money is going to the CEO’s vacation home rather than a reptile government and deciding to rethink those beliefs after they’ve checked out Hong Kong.

“Conspiracy theorist is right about everything” is already a common enough trope that Monsterverse isn’t breaking any new ground with it. And in a franchise like Godzilla, whose movies are rife with messages both allegorical and literal about environmentalism, corporate exploitation, the futility of military action, international politics, war crimes... letting the conspiracy theorists be wrong and showing that they’re wrong and what that wrongness can lead to would mesh far better with the themes of Godzilla.

Think about Jonah and Emma unleashing Ghidorah (who emerged from a destroyed ice cap and immediately caused devastating hurricanes—a perfect metaphor for climate change), and what that could say about how ecofascists who purportedly joined the movement because they support environmentalism are actually far more in bed with the destructive industries really at the root of environmental damage... if the movie acknowledged them as ecofascists.

Think about how Jonah collected Ghidorah’s head at the end of KOTM and by the time of GVK it was in Apex’s hands, and how this exchange demonstrates that “I want to unleash titans to destroy humanity to save the environment” Jonah the ecoterrorist and “I want to beat the titans to protect humanity” Simmons the billionaire CEO actually have far more similar ideals beneath the surface of their opposed goals—ideals that have less to do with the environment or with humanity and more to do with securing personal power and control... if the movie had explained how this exchange took place.

Think about how Madison’s mother died trying to mitigate just a little of the damage she did under the thrall of a doomsday cult’s skewed beliefs, how even though Madison broke free she found herself embroiled in similarly skewed beliefs just three years later, and how powerful it would have been if she recognized that she herself had walked right back into the kind of fringe beliefs her mother had led her into as a child, and if she had then resolved to learn how this kept happening to her and break this pattern... if the movie had ever let her realize that she was making the same mistakes, or even acknowledged them as mistakes.

There’s so much potential there, so many things you can see happening right beneath the surface... but the movies never touch on them. And so it looks like, in Monsterverse, all fringe beliefs are either right or harmless. And we never get the “disillusioned conspiracy theorist” story that could be so brilliant and that, right now, would be so relevant.

[yostresswritinggirl]

Scholars’ Chit Chat Prologue Submission

XXX

Cyno x Reader (Platonic, possibly romantic in the future)

*Lore dump warning

*Spoilers for all the Archon Quests and speculations of Teyvat

*Really it’s all serious talk

XXX

This is basically how you and Cyno met

XXX

The libraries of Sumeru are quiet, like how they’re suppose to be.

It is a new semester after all, the freshmen are still getting a grasp of the large campus, though Cyno does guess that soon enough they will be awed of this place.

Walking among the tall shelves, he tries to locate the section he had been researching on, but a voice calls out to him, breaking his concentration.

“Hey, you ever thought of why were you given a Vision?”

He turns to the source of the voice, only to see you there, sitting on top of one of the book shelves as your legs dangled from it.

“I would say that it is a question worth discovering with my entire life.”

“Huh, to think that you would answer so naturally… Wouldn’t one first ask who I am or ask why would I want to know that?”

“Because, first, I know who you are and second, those who come to this place seek knowledge.”

“Oh, so I had become the talk of school despite me being here for the first day?”

“Indeed, you were known as one who had declared to not take part in any sort of Mysticism studies yet aim to unveil the mysteries of this world. They called you naive yet you had earned the highest scholarship obtainable. It’s kind of hard to not let such news spread out.”

“Well, there are certainly advantages and disadvantages with this commotion, but that’s not my main focus anyways.”

“And may I ask what that would be?”

“To search for answers to fulfil my contract with the God of Wisdom.”

“Contract?”he questions, not capable of following your conversation, you slyly smiled at this.

“Unfortunately, this upcoming topic requires a fee to unlock~ I don’t mind sharing my findings to others, but when it comes to something as rare as words from an archon….”

“You get the idea, a price is required for everything after all.”

“…”

Cyno stared at you as if you were pulling his leg, but his reaction made you smirk even more.

“Oh, I won’t be asking for much, something like… Your name, perhaps?”

Suddenly realising that he hadn’t introduced himself yet and was reminded in such a playful matter, Cyno couldn’t help but let out an embarrassed chuckle.

“My apologies, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Cyno, a pleasure to meet you.”

“Hmm… You know that one’s name is important, right? Names hold power, not necessary the one given by your parents but the one that defines your soul. There are quite a few stories mentioning that giving your name to someone is the same as giving a part of their soul to them.”

The male however lets out a laugh at your advice.

“Thanks for the warning, I’ll keep that on mind.”

“It was nothing, and to the end of my bargain, yes…’ you began as you jumped off the shelf, landing right in front of him. “Well, it’s more like a bet than a contract if I’m being honest.”

“Which is?”

“To find out the truth behind Khaen-riah’s fall, or more specifically, the reason behind the alchemist Gold’s fall, before I graduate.”

“?!”

The kingdom that had technology and Mysticism developed greatly even without an archon, then was destroyed five hundred years ago.

Not much is known about Khaen-riah, and yet...

Cyno, was shocked, no, shocked isn’t enough to describe how he’s feeling.

“That’s... nearly impossible, isn’t it? Just what sort of offer did he gave you to tip the scales-”

“If I succeeded, he would answer me anything I want to know about.”

“A-Anything?”

“That’s right~”

...

“What happens... If you fail?”

Everything comes with a price, as you had said.

“Then my life would be in his hands, for him to decide my fate.”

Despite only knowing you for not long, Cyno cannot believe what you had risked.

“Are you out of your mind?! What would you possibly want to know that you’re willing to-”

“To understand the laws of this world.” You answered one a simple matter.

“It has been so long that the human race had been existing and yet none of us came close in finding the truth of the world...”

“Or perhaps someone did, and they failed to tell anyone?”

“Even Khaen-riah itself is advance with Alchemy, history tells us that their greatest alchemist Gold fell and became quite a threat... But why...?”

“...”

“What I’m trying to say is that we’re too trusting towards the gods cause we’re told to do so since we were born, you know what I had learnt after being tricked once? Doubt everything when you first see it, question it’s existence and see if you can use another point of view to perceive it.”

“Why do you doubt the gods?”

“That’s because I believe in humanity’s wisdom. I believe that even without the gods, humanity can still take care of themselves as fine.”

“If you need to rely on someone else in order to live, then what’s the meaning of living in the first place?”

“This is... quite a lot...” Cyno mumbled.

“It is a lot to take in, I agree.” You nodded as you leaned against a shelf.

“Our senior Lisa left this place after mere two years and went to Mondstadt to be a librarian despite her being a genius the Academia hasn’t seen for 200 years... Is it because she saw something that nobody else realised?”

“So what you’re saying is... There’s more to the bigger picture?” Cyno guessed as you snapped your fingers. “Bingo.”

“But that being said, questioning the gods is the same thing as raging treason against this world... “ Cyno pointed out with worry. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“Indeed, *I’m trying to understand the rules of this chess game, so that humanity, the supposed audience of this game gets the chance to participate in it.”

“And if we can win this chess game or not, is entirely up to our legacy...”

“You have too much belief in humanity... Or should I say you have no intention of losing in the first place?”Cyno predicted with a sigh.

“Hm, seeing that you’re being so interested in our bet, perhaps you would like to become my partner in crime?”

Hearing this, Cyno finally realised that he was tricked at the point when he answered your question about his Vision.

“So that was what you were going after for all along, huh?”

“Haha, yup~ I mean, our archon didn’t state anything about not able to team up with others, so why not?”

“Able to ask anything from the God of Wisdom himself, what else more can a scholar wish for?”

Cyno understand that your words are trying to lure him, but in truth, who can give up this opportunity?

“I mean, even if we fail, I’m the only one who would lose anything so it really sounds like a pretty good deal to me~”

“And would you mind me asking for a warrant from you for the time I would be spending on this?”Cyno requested, surprising you for a bit.

“Well, how about my name? You’ve heard about me but haven’t known that yet, correct? With a part of our souls in each other’s hands, no one can run off easily, don’t you think so?”

“Alright I accept the of your con-”

“It’s a promise, not a contract.”

Cyno pauses at your sudden seriousness, he then takes notice of the frown on your face.

“...”

“You want this partnership to be built on trust and not just a piece of paper?” He guessed.

You softly nodded, trying not to meet him in the eyes.

But there’s no way that he would accept that, you two only just met after all-

“Then I promise, that I will be your partner in crime upon this bet against the Dendro Archon.”

Wha-?!

Cyno offers you a small smile. “Everyone has their own reasons, I too wish that I can understand you better within these few years... That is if you wish, of course.”

I’m glad.

“Yeah, likewise, Cyno.”

“I also by offering my name, promise that we will find out the laws of this world and allow humanity to earn the chance to be a part of this chess game.”

“My name is-“

XXX

*The chess game is referencing The Feynman Lectures on Physics, it is also referenced from Honkai Impact 3rd (another game of MiHoYo) Honkai Quest event by the character Delta, it is possible that it works as well for the world of Teyvat.

(One way that's kind of a fun analogy to try to get some idea of what we're doing here to try to understand nature is to imagine that the gods are playing some great game like chess. Let's say a chess game. And you don't know the rules of the game, but you're allowed to look at the board from time to time, in a little corner, perhaps. And from these observations, you try to figure out what the rules are of the game, what [are] the rules of the pieces moving.

You might discover after a bit, for example, that when there's only one bishop around on the board, that the bishop maintains its color. Later on you might discover the law for the bishop is that it moves on a diagonal, which would explain the law that you understood before, that it maintains its color. And that would be analogous we discover one law and later find a deeper understanding of it.

Ah, then things can happen--everything's going good, you've got all the laws, it looks very good--and then all of a sudden some strange phenomenon occurs in some corner, so you begin to investigate that, to look for it. It's castling--something you didn't expect.)

And welp, Exiled, mind me adding this?

-To their future child(ren)

And this is how your parents met//slap

With the Gnosis shaped as chess pieces and with MiHoYo’s other games referencing this...

Well theories will be theories until they’re truly revealed.

Until then Snowdrop’s gonna freak out on what the heck I just wrote

There will be continuations... Just please don’t look forward to it... OwO

Oh I do NOT mind AT ALL, Snowdrop. CONTINUE. This series looks so freakin cool and refreshing even!

[violetarks]

Just A Game: Nope

Anime: My Hero Academia (SMAU)

LEVEL DOWN | MENU | LEVEL UP

A few hours later, he came around with some sushi.

Kaminari went to the bathroom and as he passed the hallway window, he noticed Shinso getting out of his car. So he raced back to warn Y/N.

She stood there for a few moments before taking a deep breath in. She said she would talk to him. It stunned everyone.

Judging by the last time she faced a conflict like this, the way she acted now was way different. She didn't want to ignore the problem, she wanted to face it. It was unusual for her to do so.

Kaminari offered to come. He was worried for Y/N. Everyone there was. But he felt his heart heave the most when she said she wanted to talk to him. Although, Y/N still insisted on going alone.

"What are you doing here, Shinso?" Y/N asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Shinsos stopped on his tracks. He wasn't even inside yet and she was in front of him. "I... was gonna' drop off some lunch because you seemed a little out of it during our texts." He claimed, holding a bento box, "Are you okay?"

Y/N tilted her head to the side and mumbled out, "I'm fine. Although I was wondering when your part in Uraraka's video comes up." She watched as he stiffened in his shoes. "Because I watched the full 45 minute thing, and you were nowhere to be found."

"My parts were probably cut out." He told her, shrugging his shoulders, "Don't worry about it, I don't do much."

Y/N squinted at him before clenching the fabric of her shirt. "That's a lie, Shinso." She stated, "I talked to Uraraka. She said you had nothing to do with the video. And that you weren't even filming with them."

Shinso froze. He didn't think she'd go so far. But she did and now he was found out. "Okay..." He sighed out, dropping his shoulders into a slouch, "I'm... I wasn't in the video and I didn't help... I'm sorry, Y/N."

"Why did you lie to me?" She asked, lofting her head up to stare him in the eyes.

"Because I..." He started, but found himself struggling to finish. Todoroki's words rang in his head. 'You have to tell the truth to some of us'. Why did that stop him now?

"Because I didn't want you to know why I really missed out on our date."

"And why did you miss out on our date?"

A part of them wanted to be thrilled for announcing that it was officially a date, to the both of them. But they couldn't right now.

"I... drank too much coffee the night before because I wanted to make sure which one I liked before going out with you." Shinso stated. It felt like a weight off of his chest, but he knew just admitting this wouldn't make things any better.

No matter what, that little part of him wanted for Y/N to never know the real reason he don't make it to their date. Or maybe for her to forget now that she knows. Maybe it was his pride or his insecurity.

She only grit her teeth and pinched the bridge of her nose. On the inside, she found it kind of cute that he was going so far. But that doesn't mean lying was okay for that.

"Shinso, why are you keeping secrets from me?" She huffed out.

"Why not?" He retorts, his defenses pulling up, "Why should I always tell you the truth?"

This was his barrier. He'd become snarky and sarcastic in times when he was freaking the Hell out, like now. His mind was screaming at him for doing this whilst his mouth kept ratting off whatever bullshit he thought of. It was horrible and he knew full well that it was.

She was shocked. She took a step forward to him. "I thought we were finally getting somewhere, Shinso..." She mumbled out to him, blinking her eyes, "I really wanted to get to know you. Maybe we could've been friends or—..."

Shinso's heart was beating so fast at what she was saying. It's been weeks since they met. Shinso would be lying if he said his YouTube history wasn't filled of her videos and best stream moments. He adored her. Even from the start. His first 'research' task was when they went to the shops together. He liked how she seemed like a normal person and not some big time streamer. She was amazing and he knew that from the start.

Getting to know Y/N was like a very hard game that only few dare to play. You have to get passed her jokes and Daisuke talk to see that she's actually very caring and wants to please everyone. Under that, she was hard-working and driven. And beneath that, she was insecure of letting people in.

He could tell by the fact that she became so wary and walled in after he didn't show for their date. It took a while to break those walls down.

They had texted for weeks after that and he simply made it back to his respawn point where Y/N would make jokes about Daisuke being her child. He could go in with another life.

"I don't know if this is just a game to you, but this is my life, Shinso." Y/N stated, pulling Shinso out of his gaming thoughts, "I... really wanted to let you in. But not anymore."

Shinso could feel his embarrassed anger piling up. He didn't want the dam to break but it most definitely did. "You only wanted me in my life because you think I'm pretty, Y/N." He told her.

"That's not true!" She called out, feeling even more offended now.

"You don't know anything about me." He claimed, waving a hand in the air, "You only like me because you think I'm hot. Name one thing about me. Go on."

She looked angered by his statement, like she wanted to pound his face in. But when Y/N relaxed a little, she released her fists at her sides. She looked up to Shinso, furrowed brows.

"No. I don't want to name the things I know about you." She said lowly. She stepped forward, jabbing a finger into Shinso's chest harshly.

"Because fuck you, Shinso. I thought I knew you enough to say you were a good person, but now I see that I really don't know who the Hell you are. And if this is you, then I don't want to."

With that, she turned away and shut the door behind her. Looking up, she saw Jirou, Kaminari, Kirishima and Bakugou standing there. They most definitely were eavesdropping.

They didn't say a word, only making their way back up to the studio.

"Get off your phone, Y/N."

She looked up from her screen, seeing Bakugou standing in front of her. He had his hands on his hips, one of them with his drum sticks encased inside. He looked irritated and strict, making Y/N sigh and place her device back on the couch. She was going through her silly text messages with Shinso.

It had been two hours since he left, Y/N declaring that she didn't want anything to do with someone who wouldn't tell her the truth.

"Right, right, I gotta' focus." She said, rummaging through the piles of papers that had lyrics written on them, "I can't get distracted anymore!"

They were all pre-written, half of them Jirou's and a quarter each for both Y/N and Kaminari. Some of them were absolute shit, written at 4 AM with alcohol running through their systems. Others were well-written but only half done, abandoned as soon as another idea popped into their head. Only few were great and finished.

"Still mad about Shinso?" Kaminari asks from apposite her, sitting on the floor with his electric guitar on his lap.

Y/N nodded her head slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, I am." She responded quietly back, trying to re-read the sentence over again, "But that doesn't matter anymore. We're working on a video. I can't let you guys take all the work."

They all exchanged looks before Y/N grabbed her drink from the table. As she sipped, Bakugou clicked his tongue and stood up from his spot on the couch, moving to the drum set.

"That bastard doesn't deserve it." He claims, twirling the drum sticks in between his fingers, "He should've just told you the fucking truth from the start."

Y/N had reached out to Uraraka as soon as she realised that Shinso had lied. She asked the brunette if he was in the video at all, and she asked for the truth. Uraraka did tell her the truth. That Shinso wasn't a part of the video. At all. She also apologised for the things he did. Y/N said it wasn't her fault and that she didn't need to apologise.

"What's so great about him anyway?" Jirou questioned, tuning her bass guitar.

Y/N blinked a fee times at her. "He's just... so calm and I felt loose around him, like with you guys." She admitted, playing with the corner of the paper in her hand, "It was like he went out of his way just to talk to me. It was nice."

The smile she wore soon fell. Because she realised she was smiling. And needed to stop.

"I guess not anymore." She mumbled out, placing her hand on the table, "If he has to lie about filming a video as an excuse."

Everyone noticed how down she was. Usually when she was upset, they'd play games and stuff to help her. She would even play Minecraft, it was relaxing. Kaminari once deleted a whole lot of footage for an upcoming video and got Y/N to calm down by building her a flower garden in her world.

But she refused this time. She didn't want anyone to see how badly Shinso affected her. It was horrible. But she wanted to work.

"Maybe if we liked each other some more, then this wouldn't have happened." She whispers to herself.

Kirishima eyes a stack of papers. "Hey, what about this one?" He asked, trying to pull her out of her thoughts, "Have you done this one yet?"

Y/N plucked the paper out of his hands. She then shook her head upon reading it. "Nope. I haven't." She informed them, passing around the paper to Jirou, "Me and Jirou worked on it but we can't get the third verse right."

Once Kaminari got the paper, he gasped and searched for another one. "Wait, wait, wait!" He shouted out, waving the lyrics in the air, "I've got something perfect for this!"

He shoved the stack of papers into Y/N's lap. She chuckled, reading through them, "Wow, Denki, these are great. I bet we can use them for this song." She stood up and walked over to the other electric guitar. "Katsuki, can you follow along? Jirou has bass line and I have main plucking."

Bakugou nodded his head, ready to play.

The air seemed better now that she was distracted. Everyone silently cheered for Kirishima, thanking him for finding a solution to this unspoken problem.

They started playing, Bakugou falling in line with the drumming and Jirou teaching Kaminari the base chords.

Kaminari said the lyrics he wrote didn't quite suit his voice, which is why he dropped the song after getting to the chorus. He has asked Bakugou to sing it and he refused. He said he'd kill him if he asked again. So Kaminari asked Kirishima, who sheepishly accepted after the blonde assured him that his voice fit perfectly.

"Y/N, you doing okay?" Kaminari asked, hand on his hip, "You seem more tired than usual."

She waved her hand. "I keep messing up the plucking. It's freaking hard to keep it in line while singing." She sighed out, stretching her fingers out.

"Why don't I play the plucking while you sing?" Kirishima offered, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood by Bakugou, "You sing the chorus' and the first and second verse. So I can play the rest to take it off your hands. Easy."

Y/N smiled, looking at him with a grateful gaze. "That'd be great, Eijiro. Thank you." She said, handing him the electric guitar. As she began teaching him the chords and the plucking, Jirou, Kaminari and Bakugou stood by.

"Really brings you back, huh?" Kaminari said, staring at them. They all looked so happy.

"Yeah. Back in high school, when all this was just a pipe dream." Jirou laughed quietly, shaking her head. She would've never dreamed of having her own studio.

Bakugou hardened his glance at Y/N. "Should've kept her safe." He told them.

Jirou and Kaminari shared a look.

"There's only so much we can do for her. She's bound to fight for herself at some point. Y/N's strong."

Fun Fact: Y/N and Jirou have a bunch of things they've worked on. Jirou's played alongside her in many video games, sometimes with Mina too. And Y/N's featured in many of Jirou's songs. 'On Board Bebop' is Y/N's most recent project that her fans begged her to make with Jirou featured, which is a pile of songs she wrote with her passion and emotions. That's because the way 'Cowboy Bebop' ended made Y/N feel different than she was before she watched it.

TAGS: @just-some-stars @freyafolkvangr @headfirst-halo @wotsitgirl @falling4fandoms @katsuki-bakuhoee @adorable-punk-superheroes @firecet @ouijaeater15 @swoonhui @thegalxe @caitff @camry-orphanaccount @angelofdarkness1020 @someweirdshitman @jazzylove

[bean-na-farraige-agus-foraoise]

also... I don't know if youve answered this before but how *do* you know what sources to avoid? (if you've answered this before, a link or keyword to search up would be great!)

The absolute first thing I look for is- do they cite their sources? And by this I don’t just mean are they attributing their quotes to someone. I mean like full on MLA, APA, Chicago Manual of Style or at the very least links to what they’re quoting from. An appeal to an unnamed authority is unviable. You, as the reader should be able to know where to look to find the information they’re presenting you. 

While on the subject of quotes- if they take a classical author at face value- run. I’ve mentioned this in other posts, but classical authors are notoriously unreliable narrators, and are renowned propagandists, there are entire graduate seminars on learning how to read through the propaganda, if someone takes something they say at face value then they don’t know what they’re talking about. 

Next up, we have the matter of year of publication. I’m not going to say that older sources are useless, far from it, it’s helpful to see how interpretations have been shaped over time- there’s an entire field of history based on doing histories of historical thought for a reason. But you need to be aware of the schools of thought from the time period your source is from. And this goes for the lore too- you can’t separate Yeats and Lady Gregory from the Celtic Twilight- you can’t separate gender studies in the 60s and 70s from feminist revisionism- the 50s are all about “carryovers/vestiges of pagan thought” you have to be aware of what scholarship has been disproven, what interpretations are unfounded, and how the scholarship has changed as new archaeological discoveries are made and as researchers work with previously ignored or unknown sources. Generally the more recent the better in terms of academia, but sometimes nobody’s written about a particular subject in decades and that’s okay too. 

Sources that use words like “females” to refer to women while using “men” to refer to men is to be avoided like the fucking plague. Sources that focus on racial identifiers are also to be avoided- if it’s asking you to break down how Irish you are, they don’t really care about your heritage, they care about how white you are- often the same sources that claim that GaelPol is closed to those who aren’t Irish or of Irish descent are the same ones who will harp on Irish-born POC for not being Irish enough. 

For a myriad of reasons that I’ve mentioned a lot in the past few weeks- avoid druids, just in general for so many reasons avoid druids. I cannot stress this enough. I only read their sources so that I can get some form of understanding on what the Gael/CeltPol community at large is believing/thinking. 

And of course if it sounds too good to be true? It probably is. Use your own judgement. Pseudohistories abound in polytheistic circles, and have since this all started- Williams’ fabricated Welsh lore is still more well known the originals and he’s been known as a fraud for over 100 years now. Take the time to look into sources and their authors before you read them, it can feel tedious but it will help give you a greater understanding of the source. 

READ REVIEWS. Academia is built upon peer review for a reason. Find a review of a book or article- ask around to people you trust to see if anyone’s read it and has an opinion on it. Community is your friend, don’t hesitate to reach out. 

Don’t dismiss a source simply on the grounds of it not agreeing with your UPG or your interpretation- ask yourself why that is? Different opinions are the most important, why do they disagree with you? Have they done research you haven’t or read a story you haven’t heard of/seen? 

This is by no means comprehensive, but it’s a pretty good place to start! Hope this helps! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions or want access to my drive!

[ucflibrary]

Women’s History Month began as a week-long celebration in Sonoma, California in 1978 which was centered around International Women’s Day on March 8. A year later during a women’s history conference at Sarah Lawrence College, participants learned how successful the week was and decided to initiate similar in their own areas. President Carter issued the first proclamation for a national Women’s History Week in 1980. In 1987, Congress (after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project) passed Pub. L. 100-9 designating March as Women’s History Month. U.S. Presidents have issued proclamations on Women’s History Month since 1988.

 The Libraries will be hosting two virtual events to celebrate Women’s History Month for 2021. The first is a talk by Nicholson School of Communication faculty member, Dr. Kimberly Voss, called “Make No Mistake, Florida is Crucial”: Sen. Lori Wilson and the Equal Rights Amendment, which discusses efforts to ratify the ERA in Florida. The second is a panel discussion called Women & Academia in the Time of COVID where five UCF faculty and administrators will discuss the impact of the COVID pandemic and remote learning on their teaching, scholarship, service loads and personal lives. Both events are free and open to the public. Click on the links to register to attend.

 We have created a list of books about women, both history and fiction, suggested by staff. Please click on the read more link below to see the full book list with descriptions and catalog links. And don’t forget to stop by the John C. Hitt Library to browse the featured bookshelf on the main floor near the Research & Information Desk for additional Women’s History Month books.

 A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter Elnora Comstock grows up on the banks of Limberlost Swamp in Indiana with her bitter mother, Katharine. Unable to afford an education, Elnora develops a plan to sell artifacts and moths from the swamp. Suggested by Pat Tiberii, Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Services

 A Woman of No Importance: the untold story of the American spy who helped win World War II by Sonia Purnell Based on new and extensive research, Sonia Purnell has for the first time uncovered the full secret life of Virginia Hall--an astounding and inspiring story of heroism, spycraft, resistance, and personal triumph over shocking adversity. It is the breathtaking story of how one woman's fierce persistence helped win the war. Suggested by Dawn Tripp, Research & Information Services

 All the Horrors of War: a Jewish girl, a British doctor, and the liberation of Bergen-Belsen by Bernice Lerner Drawing on a wealth of sources, including Hughes's papers, war diaries, oral histories, and interviews, this gripping volume combines scholarly research with narrative storytelling in describing the suffering of Nazi victims, the overwhelming presence of death at Bergen-Belsen, and characters who exemplify the human capacity for fortitude. Lerner, Rachel's daughter, has special insight into the torment her mother suffered. The first book to pair the story of a Holocaust victim with that of a liberator, it compels readers to consider the full, complex humanity of both. Suggested by Katie Kirwan, Acquisitions & Collections

 Data Feminism by Catherine D'Ignazio and Lauren F. Klein This book offers strategies for data scientists seeking to learn how feminism can help them work toward justice, and for feminists who want to focus their efforts on the growing field of data science. But it is about much more than gender. It is about power, about who has it and who doesn't, and about how those differentials of power can be challenged and changed. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

 Field o' My Dreams: the poetry of Gene Stratton-Porter compiled and edited by Mary DeJong Obuchowski In her introduction to Porter’s work, Obuchowski argues that the natural and spiritual themes of Porter’s poetry mirror the self-same concerns regarding nature and social issues found in her fiction and nonfiction. Reflecting and in some cases reacting against, current social attitudes at a time of political and demographic change, she was in demand as a columnist for popular magazines and a widely read fiction writer. Porter wielded considerable influence over her reading public, and in that role she acted as a reformer, particularly regarding the environment but also on behalf of women, children, and education. Suggested by Pat Tiberii, Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Services

 Finish the Fight!: the brave and revolutionary women who fought for the right to vote written by the Staff of The New York Times Who was at the forefront of women's right to vote? We know a few famous names, like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, but what about so many others from diverse backgrounds—black, Asian, Latinx, Native American, and more—who helped lead the fight for suffrage? On the hundredth anniversary of the historic win for women's rights, it's time to celebrate the names and stories of the women whose stories have yet to be told. Suggested by Sandy Avila, Research & Information Services

 Founding Sisters and the Nineteenth Amendment by Eleanor Clift In this riveting account, political analyst Eleanor Clift chronicles the many thrilling twists and turns of the suffrage struggle and shows how the issues and arguments that surrounded the movement still reverberate today. Beginning with the Seneca Falls Woman’s Rights Convention of 1848, Clift introduces the movement’s leaders, recounts the marches and demonstrations, and profiles the opposition–antisuffragists, both men and women, who would do anything to stop women from getting the vote. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee Casey Han's four years at Princeton gave her many things, "But no job and a number of bad habits." Casey's parents, who live in Queens, are Korean immigrants working in a dry cleaner, desperately trying to hold on to their culture and their identity. Their daughter, on the other hand, has entered into rarified American society via scholarships. But after graduation, Casey sees the reality of having expensive habits without the means to sustain them. As she navigates Manhattan, we see her life and the lives around her, culminating in a portrait of New York City and its world of haves and have-nots. This fresh exploration of the complex layers we inhabit both in society and within ourselves. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 From Equal Suffrage to Equal Rights: Alice Paul and the National Woman's Party, 1910-1928 by Christine A. Lunardini The woman's movements and work in American history during the second two decades, was dramatic. It dealt with the past, with pageants and politics; with different organizations and with conflict from within. It took on the Democrats, founded a National Woman's Party; it waged a home front war. It dealt with prison, and resolution. It went from equal suffrage to equal rights. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 Indelicacy by Amina Cain A cleaning woman at a museum of art nurtures aspirations to do more than simply dust the paintings around her. She dreams of having the liberty to explore them in writing, and so must find a way to win herself the time and security to use her mind. She escapes her lot by marrying a rich man, but having gained a husband, a house, high society, and a maid, she finds that her new life of privilege is no less constrained. Not only has she taken up different forms of time-consuming labor - social and erotic - but she is now, however passively, forcing other women to clean up after her. Perhaps another and more drastic solution is necessary? Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

 See Jane Win: the inspiring story of the women changing American politics by Caitlin Moscatello After November 8, 2016, first came the sadness; then came the rage, the activism, and the protests; and, finally, for thousands of women, the next step was to run for office—many of them for the first time. More women campaigned for local or national office in the 2018 election cycle than at any other time in US history, challenging accepted notions about who seeks power and who gets it. Journalist Caitlin Moscatello reported on this wave of female candidates for New York magazine's The Cut, Glamour, and Elle. In this book, she further documents this pivotal time in women's history. Closely following four candidates throughout the entire process, from the decision to run through Election Day, readers are taken inside their exciting, winning campaigns and the sometimes thrilling, sometimes brutal realities of running for office while female. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Taking on the Trust: the epic battle of Ida Tarbell and John D. Rockefeller by Steve Weinberg Long before the rise of mega-corporations like Wal-Mart and Microsoft, Standard Oil controlled the oil industry with a monopolistic force unprecedented in American business history. Undaunted by the ruthless power of its owner, John D. Rockefeller, a fearless and ambitious reporter named Ida Minerva Tarbell confronted the company known simply as “The Trust.” Through her peerless fact gathering and devastating prose, Tarbell, a muckraking reporter at McClure’s magazine, pioneered the new practice of investigative journalism. Her shocking discoveries about Standard Oil and Rockefeller led, inexorably, to a dramatic confrontation during the opening decade of the twentieth century that culminated in the landmark 1911 Supreme Court antitrust decision breaking up the monopolies and forever altering the landscape of modern American industry. Suggested by Dawn Tripp, Research & Information Services

 The Book of Gutsy Women: favorite stories of courage and resilience by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chelsea Clinton Hillary Rodham Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea, share the stories of the gutsy women who have inspired them—women with the courage to stand up to the status quo, ask hard questions, and get the job done. Ensuring the rights and opportunities of women and girls remains a big piece of the unfinished business of the twenty-first century. While there's a lot of work to do, we know that throughout history and around the globe women have overcome the toughest resistance imaginable to win victories that have made progress possible for all of us. That is the achievement of each of the women in this book. To us, they are all gutsy women -- leaders with the courage to stand up to the status quo, ask hard questions, and get the job done. So in the moments when the long haul seems awfully long, we hope you will draw strength from these stories. Because if history shows one thing, it's that the world needs  gutsy women. Suggested by Richard Harrison, Research & Information Services

 The Good Fight by Shirley Chisholm Chisholm describes being the first woman, and first black woman, to run for President, and how politicians operate. She writes about her relationships with black political leaders Walter Fauntroy, Louis Stokes, Ron Dellums, and Julian Bond. She gives her views on what direction black politics should take in the years to come. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Unapologetic: a Black, queer, and feminist mandate for radical movements by Charlene A. Carruthers Drawing on Black intellectual and grassroots organizing traditions, including the Haitian Revolution, the US civil rights movement, and LGBTQ rights and feminist movements, Carruthers challenges all of us engaged in the social justice struggle to make the movement for Black liberation more radical, more queer, and more feminist. She offers a flexible model of what deeply effective organizing can be, anchored in the Chicago model of activism, which features long-term commitment, cultural sensitivity, creative strategizing, and multiple cross-group alliances. Suggested by Megan Haught, Student Learning & Engagement/Research & Information Services

 Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal In this retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in modern-day Pakistan, Alys Binat has sworn never to marry--until an encounter with one Mr. Darsee at a wedding makes her reconsider. A scandal and vicious rumor in the Binat family have destroyed their fortune and prospects for desirable marriages, but Alys, the second and most practical of the five Binat daughters, has found happiness teaching English literature to schoolgirls. Knowing that many of her students won't make it to graduation before dropping out to marry and start having children, Alys teaches them about Jane Austen and her other literary heroes and hopes to inspire them to dream of more. Suggested by Sara Duff, Acquisitions & Collections

[brand-strategy-consulting-blog]

26 Greatest Advertising Brand Strategy Consulting Services

We use increased brand consciousness to help draw prospects to your model by way of low or no price strategies. A U.S. alcohol beverage firm in the United States wished to enhance its comparatively weak place in the premium house of the market. To analyse the actual progress potential, we segmented key portfolio priorities and gaps. Maximising shareholder worth means selecting a course of action that has the most intrinsic value brand strategy consulting services. 

We help purchasers enhance their shareholder value by setting objectives primarily based on perception and foresight concerning the fundamental sources and drivers of worth. We then establish and buildcapabilitiesat the enterprise level and throughout enterprise models that may drive sustainable development over the lengthy run.

The Hackett Group® is a leading global strategy and operations consulting agency, with particular experience in performance benchmarking and enterprise course of reengineering . For corporations desirous to optimize their service delivery models, we offer deep experience in brand strategy consulting services  organizational design and in business course of outsourcing options together with HR outsourcing, IT outsourcing and extra. Our cash move evaluation services have helped shoppers to release billions of dollars in improved money move. The most trusted marketing consulting firm in India helps purchasers achieve profitable progress via strategic marketing, branding and digital advertising innovation.

When buyers go searching and see awkwardly brand strategy consulting services splayed arms in all places, they have nowhere to gravitate. Select two major traits or capabilities of your business and mix them. You could possibly declare that you are the chief on the intersection of these two things. The very first thing many companies do is develop their elevator pitch — that quick description of your agency that answers the question, “What does your firm do?

We work with the enterprises in the financial services business to implement workforce methods that help them source expertise with the talents they need so they can remain innovative and aggressive. MOBIS Resources is a community of SAP specialists providing consulting companies for SAP merchandise and options and ERP software program utilized throughout the enterprise. We expertly vet and match premium talent to enterprise shopper tasks. Find consulting alternatives — onsite and remote consulting jobs.

Your M&A strategy should be a logical extension of your development technique, and must be primarily based on a disciplined and repeatable mannequin that helps frequent, ever bigger offers. We assist CFOs and finance leaders boost shareholder returns, grasp capital markets, construct superior end-to-end M&A capabilities, and more. Your new product, service & experience from an outside-in perspective. Our strategy-first, customer-first & digital-first view on the New Model for Building Brands has transformed businesses and moved people all over the world. There are a number of answers to this question, relying on the type of service business that is into account.

That can be Lee, our managing partner, who suits up in a pair of cowboy boots every day and drives technique and analysis for our clients. With a Ph.D. in behavioral psychology, Lee is a former researcher and tenured professor at Virginia Tech, where he grew to become a nationwide authority on organizational habits administration and marketing. He left academia to start up and run three high-growth firms, including an $80 million runaway success story. You might announce a brand new brand in the center of an hour – however actual results take time. Your brand might want to work within the marketplace organically and throughout many channels, which is to say that people will have to encounter it via your website, social media, and their common experience of you. Here’s a easy truth of life in administration consulting – every firm creates a model.

Once it achieves a measurement that makes regional and/or nationwide advertising economically possible, a service enterprise can use promoting as a aggressive weapon to construct and maintain market share. Simpson’s ads for Hertz are an apparent example, but other firms corresponding to Orkin, John Hancock, and FinanceAmerica also use advertising effectively. Smaller companies merely do not have the capital required to mount a competitive promoting marketing campaign. Berma & Co is a gaggle of skilled progress entrepreneurs who've experience validating and scaling 7 determine + brands. For the last three years, they’ve combined their expertise to help deliver exceptional companies to fast-growing startups and fortune 500 firms. Their capacity to concentrate on proving early traction, produce clear outcomes, and generate advertising ROI, separates them from different consulting firms.

Deliver The Model Identity

“We help CEOs succeed” is an example of role-focused positioning — focusing on a particular operate in the group. Instead of specializing in a specific business or service, you goal a cohort of individuals. These buyers will understand you as more tuned in to their wants and anticipate that you simply supply particular information or expertise that may make their job easier.

Learn in regards to the self employed benefits for small enterprise homeowners together with retirement, medical well being insurance, life insurance, errors and omission insurance, employees compensation and more. MBO is at all times looking forward to where the independent market is moving, discovering new methods that can assist you get additional, quicker. Technological advances are pushed by group composition, agility, executional and operational bandwidth. Therefore, hiring is essential to maintaining pace with rapid advances in innovation.

We assist develop a powerful model promise so that customers choose the corporate beyond the product.

Platform Thinking drives creativity that thrives in today’s customer-driven and always-on advertising panorama.A brand’s function, its positioning and its id must be created together with your Interaction Field in mind.

He left academia to begin up and run three high-growth firms, including an $80 million runaway success story.

A good brand strategist is someone who can imagine the company’s future state and knows the means to make the most of enterprise branding to reach it efficiently.

In people-based service businesses, the acquisition is more risky as a result of individuals and their skills are the most important purchase merchandise.

We help develop a robust model promise so that clients choose the company beyond the product. We also help the creation of consumer demand for the product as an alternative of pushing merchandise via sales channels. Having a differentiated model technique just isn't sufficient to maintain up long-term sustainability. To make a brand stronger than ever and to maintain sustainable brand values, corporations have to build up a well-defined model management construction as well. In this model audit stage, we also conduct a full evaluation of the present situation of your brand id, clarifying how it might be altered to higher align with goals transferring forward.

It usually involves interviews with present purchasers, prospects and referral sources. It also contains an evaluation of your competitors — what they're saying about themselves and the way your audience perceives them. This is a popular and sometimes efficient method to position knowledgeable providers agency. It is one other form of specialized experience, and it lets you tightly focus your marketing and evolve your services as your market adjustments. The implication of trade specialization is that your firm has deep expertise working with comparable companies. If your business experiences financial decline, your fortunes may comply with.

In reality, management consulting companies tend to spend the next share of revenue on advertising than corporations in other skilled services industries, like accounting and AEC. Since you’re usually promoting expertise and recommendation, it’s important that you just help your audiences understand precisely what sort of advice and experience you supply. Our online id consultants have years of expertise working with a broad variety of shoppers in numerous fields.

The predominant mental image about “the way issues work” in business is a product-based picture. This picture results in a product-oriented language, and the language in flip constrains communication in such a means that one can not develop actually revolutionary approaches to managing the service enterprise. Consulting to help with the optimization and implementation of name growth methods.

• Like Go Compare, they will break things that must be broken. Saying so, they may continually re-think strategies and worth propositions to maintain your brand relevant. (Especially now since conventional approaches to "development and innovation" are turning incumbents into laggards). Ultimately, all seven of those branding ideas work collectively and reinforce one another for amassed effects – visibility and growth. Through strategic and deliberate branding, you'll be able to assist your agency stand apart and get ahead. Every single one of these advertising channels needs to befundamentallyaligned with your branding concepts.

Our Branding Case Studies

As the healthcare industry expands, they're shifting to implement contingent workforce programs that increase their reach and provide sustainable growth. We help these efforts through workforce management packages that provide the seamless integration of skilled independents into their ecosystem. We fuse an analytical strategy with creativity to grow stronger manufacturers and businesses. Lush's branding strategy is simple and genuine, precisely why the corporate has an enormous brand following.

Virtually all product-oriented corporations have some form of research and growth effort that's responsible for designing and testing new merchandise and/or modifications to present products. The R&D task in service-oriented firms is totally different as a outcome of it is complicated by the shortage of a physical product. A service, especially in people-based businesses, could be a little bit different every time it is rendered.

They are made attainable by the reality that the production, distribution, and sale of the product may be uncoupled, usually being achieved by different firms. The conventional picture of the service enterprise is that the service is “invariably and undeviatingly private, as something performed by people for other people.”2 This perspective is erroneous. Automatic automobile washes, automated banking services, and pc time-sharing are simply three of the many examples of service companies in which the service is supplied by automated gear.

To provide you with concepts that make you go whoopee, the strategist will research your brand, study what your idea is and what you would possibly be offering in terms of worth to your customers. As part of the job, strategists will also keep an eagle's eye on the competitors. They will observe competitors, examine brands just like yours, have a glance at their communication and maybe the strategic approaches to position your brand to become THE BRAND.

This often entails conducting surveys, together with competitor analysis to understand the voids in the market that your brand can fill. Get methods, ideas, and instruments for growing your firm’s model with Hinge’sBrand Building Guide for Professional Services Firms. Finally, you'll use your positioning statement as inspiration for headlines and persuasive language on your website and in advertising collateral. To learn more about uncovering your differentiators, try our free Differentiation Guide for Professional Services Firms. Also, I recommend you learn this weblog post on aggressive differentiation.

The complete process of creating such providers deals with ideas rather than bodily objects. The testing course of varies depending on whether or not the service is equipment-based or people-based, but in both case it's tough to do check marketing or different kinds of market analysis on the model new service. Customers should be enticed into experiencing the service, and this usually requires major marketing efforts. Thus the worth of introducing a successful new service may be fairly high as a result of it is difficult to predict what service concepts might be understandable and engaging to the shopper. Probably less is understood about the usage of price as a strategic weapon in service companies than about any of the opposite strategic variables.

The finest logos actually look compelling, they’re aesthetically pleasing, and they’re memorable. They shouldn’t be overly advanced and must be simple to decipher visually. But more than all of this, one of the best logos speak to the brand itself. One essential component to that is the artwork and science that both go into logo design. Your emblem is more than your name, it says one thing about who you're, and it represents you when folks come into contact with it.

Establishing your self as athought leaderis one of the effective marketing instruments for impartial contractors. Blogging via your individual web site or via a channel corresponding to LinkedIn is a creative outlet that permits you to share your experience and attain an viewers you may not join with through traditional advertising strategies. Speaking opportunities are one other method to promote your name and voice. Reach out to skilled organizations, conferences, and local media and provide to share your expertise. Looking to grow your business by way of new merchandise and services?

[comicgeekscomicgeek]

Their Hero Academia – Chapter 59: Final Exam Part 1: Read the Directions

Presenting the next chapter of my on-going, next-gen, My Hero Academia fic, Their Hero Academia!

All chapters can be found here

The two weeks had passed very quickly, filled with cramming and practicing, and just a little time for themselves.   Midoriya and Tokoyami had been very insistent on that last point, stressing that looking after their mental health was just as important as their physical health and their academic progress.  Isamu had been glad for the breaks, however brief they had been, as he’d gotten time to spend with his girlfriend.  Class 1-B was just as busy with their exam prep, of course, but maybe once things were all over…

And the academic exams had indeed been rigorous, making the midterm look like a cakewalk by comparison. He was sure he’d done well on the physics exam, less so on the math exam (yes, physics was math, but the practical applications in physics made it a lot easier), with the rest falling on a spectrum of certainty.   He was pretty sure he hadn’t failed any of them, at any rate.

And then it was Friday morning, the day of their Heroics Exam.  The day all of them had been dreading.  Class 1-A filed into the classroom that morning with a tension hanging over the room like they were waiting for the dam to burst.

At the front of the room were Aizawa and All Might.  The former looked less his unusual dispassionate self than like some vulture eagerly awaiting the moment where the guy drops dead.   Isamu had a strong suspicion that whatever was going to go down in the exam, he had a heavy hand in it.  All Might looked slightly more serious than usual as well.

“All Might is going to brief you on the details of the exam,” Aizawa said.  “As well as some additional announcements.  Once those are complete, you’ll change into your costumes and then we’ll travel to the exam site.”

“Ahem, yes,” All Might said, stepping up to the podium.  “First… the announcements!  Starting with the next semester, I will no longer be your Heroics teacher.”

That got a collective gaps from the class.   “You didn’t say anything about this, Grandpa Might!” Midoriya piped up.  “What’s going on?”

“Ah ah ah, you did not allow me to finish, Young Grandson!” All Might bellowed.  “Yes, I will no longer be your Heroics teacher… for I will be your Principal!”

Well, that was unexpected. Sure, somebody had to get the job, but All Might?   Isamu supposed he was a veteran Hero and teacher, but sometimes he just seemed so goofy it was hard to picture him in a position of authority like that!  

All the same, he joined the rest of the class in clapping and cheering at the news.  Of course, that left a new question open…

“We are current looking into a candidate to replace me as your teacher,” All Might said, as though sensing the question lingering on the air.  “We’ll make the announcement about that when things are more certain.”

Satisfied with that, All Might moved on to the matter of their exam.  “As you already know,” he began, “your exam will be pass or fail for the entire class.  Aizawa, Vice-Principal Midnight, and I will be watching you during the entirety of it and scoring your performance accordingly.”

All Might pressed a button on a small remote and a diagram of a vast cityscape.  It looked like one of the training grounds, but not one Isamu was familiar with.   “This is Training Ground Omega,” he began.   “A vast cityscape.  While we have done numerous training exercises there with the second and third year Hero Courses, this will be your first time there.  While Heroes typically patrol and act around their Agencies and familiar territories, they never know when they may be called to more distant action.”

He pressed the remote again, cycling through pictures of the cityscape until it came to rest on a civilian defense shelter, a heavily protected building used in larger cities to give civilians a place to safely gather in the event of giant Villains or large-scale disasters and Villain attacks.

“For the purposes of your Exam, though,” All Might continued, “it is Omega City.  An isolated city devoted to scientific development.  An unknown number of Villains have attacked the city, forcing the population into hiding. Many of them were able to make it the defense shelter, but many more still remain outside it.  Furthermore, the Villains are after Doctor McGuffin.”

A picture appeared on the screen.   “Recovery Girl?!” the class shouted.

“Er, ah, no,” All Might said.  “Doctor McGuffin.   They’re after her Quirk research, which will make their own Quirks that much more powerful. But for the moment, she is safe in the shelter.”

He clicked the remote again, bringing up a series of bulleted points.  “You will have three hours for this exam and your objectives are threefold.  In order of priority: protect the civilian defense shelter and Doctor McGuffin. They Villains will try to attack it and capture her.  If they manage to get to the shelter and get her more than 100 meters away, you lose.

“The second objective is to rescue as many civilians still outside the shelter as possible.  The Villains may potentially operating in any area of the city, so you many have to protect the civilians from them, in addition to rescuing any trapped or injured by the damage the Villains caused.  We won’t be giving you specific numbers, but if too many of them die, you lose.

“The third and final objective is to defeat or capture the Villains, or failing that, delay them long enough for time to run out and “help” to arrive.  There’s failure conditions built into this as well.  You can’t simply hole up and wait them out.”

That… that was a lot. Almost to the point of being overwhelming.  Even with sixteen of them out there, it was a lot of ground to cover and a lot to keep track of.  Isamu could see Midoriya in the front row, already hunched over and scribbling furiously in his notebook. The way his mind worked, he probably already had the layout memorized and six plans in mind. And it didn’t look like All Might was done either.

“However, we will also be evaluating you on a variety of criteria, including your performance in the field, your decision making, your initiative and innovation, and your ability to work together.  Being defeated or knocked out does not necessarily mean a loss or a failing grade, depending upon the circumstances involved.”

Which meant he couldn’t just sit back and let the others take the lead.  He was good at letting other people take charge like that.  But maybe he could step up here.  So many people had seen something in him.  They couldn’t all be wrong.  …Could they?

“In addition to those watching and Recovery Girl,” All Might added, “Doc Clock and Water Spout will be in the shelter as civilians and will intervene if and only if it becomes absolutely necessary for your safety.  Robots will represent civilians in the field.  

“Make no mistake,” All Might finished, “this is as serious a challenge as you have ever faced.  But you have all performed remarkably this semester and I have every faith in your ability to go beyond!”  He flashed a “V”-sign.  “Plus Ultra!”

Before the class could join in, Aizawa shut that down.  “You’ve been briefed.  Get changed into your costumes and be outside on the bus in ten minutes.”

There was fifteen seconds of stunned silence before they bolted from their seats to their costume storage cubbies.

***

The civilian defense center was behind them, along with several smaller buildings, most of which looked damaged and broken.  But there was nothing behind it, so they only had to worry about attacks coming from the sides and front.  And maybe above, if any of the Villains had flying Quirks.  Those weren’t super-common, but not uncommon either, especially when there were two of them in their class alone.  Off in the distance, the sounds of destruction could be heard, and smoke could be seen rising from a few different points.

Yeah, Isamu thought, they were definitely being dropped right into the middle of the action. Sixteen of them against an unknown number of Villains with unknown powers, an unknown number of civilians to rescue, and a whole lot more unknowns.

They had ten minutes to strategize and then the exam would begin.  Isamu adjusted his gloves and kneepads, then made sure his bandanna and goggles were on tight.  

“What’s the plan, Gravi-Might?” he asked, using Midoriya’s codename now that were in the field. Maybe he shouldn’t have been deferring to him so easily, but the green-haired boy was usually the first one with a plan.  Isamu had given it some thought on the way over, mostly recognizing that he should probably be one of the people out in the field.  The more space he had to operate in, the better, even with perfecting his ability to turn his sliding field into projectiles.

Midoriya bent down and sketched a quick outline of the cityscape in the dirt, getting some on his bare fingers.  “Okay, so some of us need to stay here and protect the shelter.  The Villains are after Doctor McGuffin, so they’re going to show up here before too long.  But the rest of us need to cover the cityscape and look for civilians.”

“And the Villians,” Kirishima-Bakugo (Bombshell, he reminded himself) said, fiddling with the disk-launchers built into her gauntlets.  Of course she’d be more interested in fighting.

Midoriya drew three arrows in the dirt.  “Three search and rescue groups, one going this way, one going this way, and one going this way.  Splitting up as needed.”

There was the sound of another explosion.  Mineta (Purple Rein) pointed off in the distance.  “I recommend starting the opposite of thattaway.”

“Who goes where?” Sero asked, his pink face visible behind the clear visor of his helmet.  Isamu still couldn’t believe he’d gotten “Stick ‘Em Up” approved as his Hero name.

“We need to focus on defense, mobility, and rescue,” Midoriya said.   “I’m going to stay here.  I’d like Shock Jock, Purple Rein, and Thermo-Dyanmic with me.”

Izumi winced at that, the indicator bands from the regulator rig on her blue and orange costume showing a cheery green.  “I am capable of field action,” she said, firmly.  The look in her eyes was challenging, reminding him of her match with Kirishima-Bakugo in the Sports Festival.  She and Midoriya were good friends, but Isamu thought he respected her abilities more than that to sideline her…

Midoriya shook his head rapidly.  “It’s not that.  Your ice walls will make for the perfect defense if it comes down to the wire,” he said.

Oh, right.  Duh.  Fortunately, Izumi accepted the answer with a small nod.  “Very well.”

“Other than that… Slyde, Jet-Red, Jet-Blue, I want one of each of you in each of the rescue groups.  Somebody who can get from place to place quickly if they have to. And then I want Bombshell, Radiance, and Amaterasu to go with separate groups to spread out our heaviest hitters.”

“About time you recognize my usefulness,” Aoyama said, giving his cape a flick.  He was already glowing brightly in the sun.

A rapid-fire discussion followed and teams were quickly assigned.  Isamu was working with Tokoyami, Ojiro, and Sero.  A pretty good balance of skills there.  He just had to be sure he was pulling his own weight and not letting anybody down.

An alarm klaxon sounded.

All Might’s voice rang out over the loudspeakers.  “Your exam begins… NOW!”

***

As Toshi watched the three search and rescue groups move off, he wished them all the best of luck. He had a feeling they were going to need it.  Everyone was going to have to give their all here, himself included.  No coasting, no trying to boost the others at the cost of himself.  If they all didn’t do this just right… they all failed.

So no pressure or anything.

They’d all been issued headsets for communication.  That would make things easier if things got bad in any direction.  Plus he had Kaminari on his team, who had additional communications equipment in her new costume she could power with her Quirk.  He tapped the headset twice, the frequency for inside the shelter.  “This is Gravi-Might,” he said.  “My fellow Heroes and I are the scene.  No signs of trouble here, but we’ve dispatched Heroes to look for survivors. Everyone okay in there?  Is Doctor McGuffin safe?”

“We’re all right here,” came Uncle Kota--Water Spout—‘s voice, playing the part of a civilian.  “Including Doctor McGuffin.  Scared, but alive.”

“Headcount?”

“Over a hundred, counting myself.  I don’t know how many are still out there.”

To be expected.  Their teachers wouldn’t make this easy on them.

“Thank you,” he replied. “Don’t be afraid.  We’re here and we’re not going to let those Villains get past us.”

In the distance, he could hear a rumbling.   “Okay,” he told the others.  “I’m going to get some height.  Thermo-Dynamic, ice barriers at the choke points.  Shock Jock, Purple Rein, get ready for anything.”

Toshi took a breath, canceled his gravity, and jumped.  The civilian defense shelter was only two stories tall, with most of its space being underground.  He landed easily, quickly scanning in every direction.  Even if there was no “behind” the shelter, due to how the training ground was set up, he didn’t want to be docked points for missing a potential avenue of attack.  Too many small mistakes would probably be just as bad as a big one.

Below, he saw Izumi’s ice walls going up, blocking off the streets.  Maybe not the best idea?  They’d keep the search and rescue team from returning easily, but between the Twins, Haimawari, and his own Quirk, they could probably work past it?    Protecting the shelter was the primary mission objective…

Dammit, there were way too many choices here.  Was this what Dad and Mom felt like all the time?

The rumbling continued. Something big and heavy was definitely coming their way.  He could see them now.  A massive metal man, coming in from the north.  Not one of the teachers or any of the rest of the school staff.  Maybe it was another Hero that Aizawa had roped into things?  There were a few different Heroes who could turn themselves into metal, but at this distance, he couldn’t tell if it was any of them.  Maybe binoculars would be a good idea to add to his costume.

He tapped his communicator. “Coming in from the north,” he said. “Big metal guy.”

“My ice wall is in place,” Izumi said.  “Solid and a foot thick.  I am not sure how long it will hold.  But I can reinforce it, if needed.”

“This isn’t a sprint,” Toshi said.  “It’s a marathon.  Let’s see what he does.”

Below, he could see Mineta seeding the ground in front of Izumi’s barrier with her sticky balls. Kaminari adjusted some device on her new costume’s gauntlets, plugging her Cords into them.  Ever since she’d gotten the new costume, Kaminari hadn’t fried her brain once during training.  He hoped that would stay true for the exam.

“Coming up quick,” he told the others.  How could anybody that big—built like a sumo wrestler—and made of what looked like solid metal move that fast?  Had he seen him before, maybe in some old video?  The distorted metal face and the distance made it difficult to see.  For a moment, he’d wished he’d kept Shota on his team.  He’d probably know, even that far out.  “Brace yourselves.”

The metal man crashed through Izumi’s ice wall like it wasn’t even there.   Toshi took a couple steps back, then launched himself off the roof. He dropped like a missile, increasing his gravity several times over.

CLANG!

Toshi hit the metal guy hard, making a sound that made his ears hurt.  But he bounced off, smacking into the outside of shelter with an impact that made his bones rattle, even with the gravity turned up.

There was a terrible screeching sound as the metal man’s face twisted up in a cruel smile.  “Gonna have to do better than that, kid.”

***

“What could do this kind of damage?” Iida asked, as Katsumi’s team made their way through the cityscape.  His expression was unreadable behind his silver helmet, but the tone was unmistakable. “I am seeing intense structural damage, multiple fires, compromise power grid…”  He dropped out of the sky, firing his Jetpack Quirk in short bursts to land.

“Doesn’t matter,” Katsumi said.  “We get the people out and if we run into any Villains, we hit them until they stop moving.”   Something about this whole thing felt… off.  Maybe she was just still wound up over, well, everything going on in her life right now. But nothing was ever easy or simple where Aizawa was involved.

Right now, though, there was a job in front of them: search and rescue.  Not her forte, but there wasn’t anything out there she couldn’t do.

“Heroes are here!” she shouted.  “Call out!”

“Over here!’

“Oh thank goodness!”

“I need help!  I’m hurt!”

“My wife… you’ve got to help my wife!”

More voices quickly followed, tinny and robotic.  Most were coming from the nearby ruined buildings.   Too many of them.  How the hell were they supposed to know who to help first?  They were all buried inside or trapped somewhere.  No way to assess.

She took a breath. Make a decision and commit to it. The same way she did everything else.

“Okay,” Katsumi said. She was grateful now, more than ever, for having done her Internship with Aunt Ochaco.  Even if it has started disastrously, she was more prepared than ever for the ins and outs of rescue work.   “With Villains on the loose, we gotta play this smart.  Nobody on their own.  We do pairs.  Arms, you’re with me. We’re going right.  Lips, go with Jetset to the left.  Call out if you need help.”

“Question,” Sato said, raising his hand.  “Do you not actually know our names?”

“Question time’s over,” she snapped.  “We’re burning daylight!  Move!”

She didn’t bother looking to see if Shoji was following her.  Instead, she took off to the nearest building.  The storefront was damaged, but accessible. Even the plate glass window was intact for the moment. Inside, shelving units had been overturned and the lights were out. The lights were out, but enough sun still filtered through from outside that she could see.  A thick cloud of dust hung in the air, causing her to cough.   Definitely needed a filter or a rebreather or something on her suit when this was over.  Canned goods, boxes of nonperishable, and fresh fruits and vegetables were strewn all over the ground.  “Rescue’s here! Call out!” she shouted again, eyes scanning.

A tinny but clear groan reached her ears and she saw a robot pinned under one of the shelves.  With Shoji behind her, she quickly sprinted over. “Hey,” she said, “we’re here. It’s gonna be okay.”   She reached out and touched his neck, then double-checked the stimulated pulse in his free arm.  “Breathing” seemed okay too.  The robots designed for rescue training were stupidly lifelike in some ways.

Not like what had happened during her Internship.  Safe, survivable injuries.  This, she could handle.

“Vitals are stable,” she said.  “We’re gonna get you out of here.”  She felt a little foolish reassuring a robot, but they’d had to do so during rescue training at the USJ, so she figured it was being tracked here too.  She turned to Shoji.   “Think you can lift this?  Doesn’t look like any real crush injuries.”

Shoji nodded, not bothering with words.  They weren’t close, couldn’t even really call him a friend, but she respected that he just got down to business without wasting a lot of words.  Definitely in the least amount of nonsense category for her classmates.

With not even a grunt, he hefted the shelf off the robot.   “Anyone else here?” he asked.

“Just me,” the robot reported.  

That was some good news, at least.  Shoji scooped him up to carry him outside, carefully using his many arms to support him in case of other injuries.  As they passed the doorway into the street, a light one of the robot’s chest turned green.

“Rescue complete,” the robot said.  “You may set me down.”

As Shoji did so, Katsumi looked around.  The building across the street’s entrance had been blocked when they’d first passed, covered in rubble.  Now though, it looked like someone had eaten their way through it.  Sato then.  Good. But where was he and Iida?

The answer to that came in the form of the sound of a fist hitting metal.  Iida’s body came flying through the chewed-entrance, landing on the street in front of them.  He was still moving, though, even with a dent to his chest armor, slowly getting back to his feet,  His arrival was followed shortly by the biggest woman Katsumi had ever seen, larger and more muscular than even All Might in his heyday.  

Of Sato, there was no sign.

***

Though her own exams had finished on Thursdays, Koharu wasn’t thinking too much on the results. With her getting into the Hero Course being partially dependent on passing those, she’d studied like there was no tomorrow, cramming in knowledge until she felt like she could practically fire out her String Shot in the shape of the texts she’d consumed.  She was pretty sure she’d run Mogura and Tokuda ragged with all the studying.

No, what she was thinking about was the Hero Course final exam unfolding in front of her on a wall of monitors.  When All Might had offered her the opportunity to watch the exam and get a first-hand look at what she’d be getting herself into, she’d jumped at the chance.

So now she was in the monitor room with the former Number One Hero, a woman who despite being more than old enough to be her mother was still distractingly attractive, and Class 1-A’s homeroom teacher, who gave off the impression of being a hobo they’d picked up off the street, despite also being, somehow, incredibly frightening. He was sitting bolt upright in his chair, eyes darting from screen to screen.   All Might and Vice-Principal Midnight were watching too, but they paused occasionally to take notes.  Aizawa never looked down.  She was glad to be on the other side of the room from him.  He was frighteningly intense.

And he was going to be her teacher next year!

Midoriya and Haimawari she knew already, and she’d been talking with Ojiro, Sero, and Sato since the Sports Festival.  The others, she was mostly unfamiliar with.  She’s fought Mineta at the Sports Festival, and had been on Kirishima-Bakguo’s team during Quirkball, but beyond recognizing some names, she didn’t really know anything about the rest.  

She found herself scribbling down as many notes as she could.  What to do in emergency situations, what her future classmates were capable of, questions to ask later.  She’d been given a great opportunity and was determined not to waste it.

The way Class 1-A worked together…  she could tell most of them had grown up together.  There was a trust and teamwork between all of them that she envied. Even Haimawari, who was the self-professed “new guy,” seemed to fit in like a glove.

And despite how well it had carried her, her Quirk suddenly seemed very small and insignificant by comparison to theirs.  Powers over gravity, electricity, speed, fire and ice… could she really keep up with that?

“Your grandson is a natural leader,” Midnight told All Might.

“He gets that from Izuku,” All Might said.  “He always had a way of finding friends and making people want to listen to him.”

“They’re too reliant on him,” Aizawa said, flatly.  “We should have forbidden him from coming up with any of the plans.”

“You know as well as I do that wouldn’t have worked,” Midnight said.  “You might as well try and stop the Iida twins from being exuberant or Mineta from being so enthusiastic.”

“I would if I could. And that isn’t the word I’d use to describe that girl.”

“Still,” All Might said, “they’re off to a good start.”

“We’ll see what happens when they get into the real meat of the exam,” Aizawa replied.  “Which should be right… about… now.”

“I’m still not sure about this,” All Might said, actually sounding a bit worried.  On a few of the screens, Koharu could see costumed individuals starting to engage with the teams. “I know you vetted them, Aizawa, but still…”

“What?” Aizawa asked. “Their world just got infinitely more dangerous over their Internships.”   That was putting it mildly, Koharu thought.  “History is repeating itself.  You don’t think they need this push?”

“No, that’s not what I…”

“There’s no room for playing it soft anymore,” Aizawa said. But it was what he said next that made her blood run cold. “They’re fighting real Villains now.”

[merrickwilder]

RISE

WHEN: Tuesday, 23 June, 1979; 3:23pm  WHERE: The Headmaster’s Office, Hogwarts  WHO: Gideon Prewett & Albus Dumbledore

“Professor Sprout tells me you successfully cultivated an orchard of fire seed plants for your Independent Research Project.” 

Gideon paused shoving Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans into his mouth, thankfully before plucking the earwax flavour from the heap of beans resting in his palms. “Uh,” he managed to utter, then swallowed hard. “Yeah, yeah. Left a bit of skin with them, though.” The beans slid from his palm back into the glass jar, and he lifted his right arm to show Dumbledore a small burn mark. Gideon beamed, as if flashing a badge of courage, and wondered if Freddie felt similarly when showing off his prized, vibrantly pink toy car to any adult showing even moderate interest. 

“Quite the feat, Mr. Prewett.” 

“Thank you.” Gideon’s grin managed to grow toothier. Once more, he reached for the candy; his smile faltered only when the earwax flavour finally met his mouth. Yuck. 

“Have you given thought to continuing your studies with Hogwarts’ graduate programme for Herbology?” 

Gideon winced; the fiery cinnamon flavour only further dramatized the reaction. “Yeah, I’ve thought about it.” The canned response sounded dull, having spoken the words to his mother far too often for any ground-breaking impact. “I want to take some time off, you know? I’ve got a job lined up bartending at Faintly Wronski in Puddlemere. I think I’ll be good at it.”

“I imagine you will be.” 

Brows furrowed in confusion, and his brown eyes narrowed onto the elder wizard’s twinkling ones. The answer surprised Gideon because he assumed Dumbledore would encourage him to pursue greater endeavors like Fabian with the Academy. Not that he planned to abandon herbology all together, but Gideon needed time to reacquaint himself with the subject outside the confines of academia. 

“We are all stitched together with varying gifts, Mr. Prewett,” Dumbledore peered at Gideon from behind his half-moon spectacles. “And you possess the wonderful ability to make all who enter feel welcome.” 

“Thanks, professor.”  

Silence flooded the office, and Gideon’s gaze drifted to the windows. A warm and bright June afternoon called to him from beyond the glass, but he felt rooted to this cozy leather chair—as if time and space folded together to drop him right into this particular moment, and now he sat waiting, filled to the brim with anticipation. Dumbledore cleared his throat, which shifted Gideon’s gaze back to the elder wizard. 

“I would like to discuss something with you, and I appreciate your discretion.” 

Gideon nodded wordlessly. Within seconds, the outside world slipped away and his focus narrowed. 

“I’m assembling a group of individuals to use their varying talents to stop Voldemort and his followers from their quest for power.” Gideon’s skin prickled; the name sent shivers down his spine. “We call ourselves the Order of the Phoenix, and I would like you to join.” 

Once more, quietness blanketed the pair. Gideon’s brows furrowed as he processed the information. Finally, after what felt like minutes, his response formed. 

“But I’m not going to the Academy. I’m not that great at duelling, either. I’m not—” Fabian. His brother’s name did not pour from his lips, but he knew Dumbledore understood. The Prewett twins often found their talents in different places, with a decent amount of overlap at times, and this particular opportunity suited the oldest of the pair more so than Gideon. 

“Your brother has his own path ahead which he must journey down. It is your talents that I believe we require.” 

The statement filled Gideon with a bright essence that warmed every inch of his being. The feeling only steadied at the realization of how quickly he mentally accepted the offer. Logic did not shape his answer nor relying on external forces for influence. Quite simply, Gideon’s gut felt good and this proved to be enough. 

“Can I tell Fabian? I’d need to talk about it with him, I think. I can’t lie to him, not about this.” 

“Of course. I understand.” 

How would his brother react? What did this mean for the pair of them—for Freddie? Too many questions circled his mind, but as each moment whooshed by, Gideon grew stronger in his resolution. It felt like destiny despite the fact he could not explain why, as if some string wrapped around his waist and pulled Gideon onward and his body instinctively knew not to resist. 

“How unfortunate,” Dumbledore added matter-of-factly after bringing to his mouth a bean from the bowl of candies. “Bogey-flavoured.” 

Gideon chuckled as he rose from the chair, hiking his bag onto his shoulder in the process. “Thanks, professor.” He paused for a beat. “I, uh. I don’t want to let you down—the Phoenix, I mean. I want to help; I want to make things better.” His eyes dropped to the ground momentarily as his voice lowered. “I have a son.” The explosion of truth regarding his most precious secret felt as though it lifted bricks from his chest. “Freddie. I want him to grow up happy, safe. To be whoever he wants—whatever he wants. I– I want him to be proud of me, too.” 

Dumbledore paused, peering with what felt like straight through Gideon, as if he were no thicker than air.  

“Mr. Prewett, you will come to find that those who love you most will find happiness knowing you embark on the path you believe to be right.”