#student activities and campus engagement

[ncfcatalyst]

Newstock 2024: A Showcase of New College Culture

Good music, food and art. What more could one want? Newstock, the annual outside extravaganza hosted by the Student Activities and Campus Engagement (SAuCE) office, was another vibrant celebration of music, student art vendors and food trucks. Second-year Alejandra Martinez, the Traditions Event Coordinator for SAuCE and lead planner of Newstock, shared insights into the preparations and…

[chunksworld]

Double Fantasy

NewJeans Minji x Male Reader | (Tags: Smut)

A/N: Apologies for the long hiatus, ya boi was busy with life. Also, thank you @kaedespicelatte as always for beta reading. ————————

“My room. I’m giving you 15 minutes or we’re never doing this again.”

Kim Minji be damned.

You hate how every ounce of self-respect you have flies out of the window when it comes to her, as if you’re nothing but an outlet for her carnal desires (as she was to you). And perhaps you are—maybe it was just part of your delusion to think that she perceives you differently than the hundreds of men that shamelessly ogle her. That she views you more than just that guy that fucks her so good she struggles to keep that mouth of hers shut. But who are you to complain? Every encounter with her leaves you starstruck, wanting for more, tongue tied—as if she commands an unquantifiable amount of gravity that leaves you speechless literally and figuratively. As much as your brain is telling you that she’s dangerous, that everything that’s happening between the two of you can jeopardize everything you’ve worked so hard for, it’s the thrill that keeps you coming back time and time again.

I mean who would’ve thought that the two top students on campus would be engaging in such unholy acts? Not when everyone (your professors included) think of you two as the embodiment of the values that this very institution was established upon. The beacons of hope that would serve as inspirations for the rest of your peers, that through hard work they can attain the level of success that you two have. That couldn’t be any more farther than the truth however. Certainly your after school hookups with her inside empty classrooms, behind the bleachers, and inside the gym showers would beg to differ. But it’s not like you have any morals, that disappeared eons ago when you found yourself down this treacherous path of self-destruction in an attempt to alleviate the stress that comes with such expectations and responsibilities.

On the surface their perception of you two is true; students that constantly receive top marks in every subject and find themselves involved in as many activities and clubs as possible. Racking up awards was just second nature, as you would always receive the highest recognition much like she did over the years. It was only natural for a rivalry to spark between you and her; a byproduct of your competitiveness and your desire to come out on top. It was friendly at first, you would congratulate each other and encourage the other to do better next time. But it soon became ugly, the once wholesome banter turning into horrifying insults that you wouldn’t even think to come out of your mouth—needless to say you both became jealous of each other, of how successful the other one became.

You could say it was a petty affair, one that was exacerbated by the fact that everyone was pressuring you two to continuously be the best—a mental strain that proved to be too much. It was something that only happened behind closed doors though, everyone still thought you had an amicable relationship with her when everything was actually already falling apart. Yelling and screaming and arguing, truly an ugly sight. You would often talk about how you couldn’t stand how condescending she was towards you every time you made a mistake and she in turn would talk about how much she hates your ego. But it also involved even the smallest of things including how you thought her boyfriend was a dick because she would rarely see him (she claimed he was busy all the time but you knew better).

And with two extremely combustible elements in constant interaction with one another, an explosion was bound to occur. After months and months of arguing, it finally happened. It was midterms week and you two were extremely stressed (it didn’t help that you were only getting on average two to three hours of sleep and consuming an unhealthy amount of energy drinks). Oh, and that dick of a boyfriend she had broke up with her. She was inconsolable to say the least— but when you brought up how much you didn’t like him and blamed her for dating him in the first place like the asshole you were, that's when things took a turn. You know you fucked up, that it was a line crossed and that such words should have never been uttered. But instead of receiving a resounding slap on the face, you found yourself kissing her. 

Or rather, Minji kissing you. And any sane person would react by trying to pull away in shock but you couldn’t find yourself doing it. Perhaps this was something that was bound to happen. All of those arguing and bickering, maybe it was just a ruse. The urgency, the passion, the look of desperation in her eyes; they told the story. Maybe it was the caffeine, maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was something more. Whatever it is, she needed you as much as you needed her. She was coming off a terrible breakup and you, well—you would be lying to yourself if you said that you didn’t find her attractive because who didn’t? There’s a reason why she’s rejected at least half of the male students, and you definitely don’t miss the way some of them would glare at you because of how suspiciously close you were to her. 

In that aspect, a part of you considers this a small victory; especially when she grabs you by the collar and pulls you in deeper, as if the thought of letting you go would be the end of her. It was intense and as much as your senses were firing from all cylinders, your brain was telling you that this wasn’t right. You were supposed to hate her, she was your mortal enemy. What would everyone think? That the two top students were hooking up with—close the fucking door before I change my mind. Right. Every rationale you may have had was gone in an instant. The prospect of a classmate, a member of the maintenance crew, or worse—a staff potentially catching the two of you never crossed your mind. Not when you had her bent over the desk at one point screaming you’re fucking me so good and don’t stop while you rearrange her guts. Or when you had her pinned against the wall and pumped her so full of cum that she finally gave you her number after because she wanted you two to do it all over again.

Did the room reek of sex? Sure. That’s why she’s made it a habit to bring a bottle of air freshener to mask the scent during your subsequent “study sessions.” And were people starting to notice how you two would frequently stay up late despite not always having a busy workload? Definitely. But you could care less. In fact, nothing else matters. You were addicted to her in more ways than one, not romantically however. That was something she made abundantly clear the day after—clearly she was one to establish boundaries which you respected. Yet here you are, frantically putting on some nice clothes and making yourself smell nice with that twenty dollar bottle of perfume that she hates. Fuck it, why even bother? Your clothes will be thrown to God knows where the moment you enter her place anyways. At least put on a face mask, especially since you’ll be sneaking your way to her dorm once again and you don’t want another close encounter with the security guard.

Fortunately there wasn’t any problem, your disguise actually worked this time around but you still have to be cautious. It’s a quick elevator ride yet it takes forever, maybe it’s because you two haven’t had sex in the past two weeks and you’re just dying to get a taste of her again, to feel her irresistible body against yours. Look around before knocking on the door three times and fortunately you didn’t have to wait any longer. Minji hastily pulls you inside and grabs you by your hoodie for a kiss—immediately you get a taste of her favorite cinnamon lip balm. Her strength (which still surprises you to this day) forces you to move backwards and you find your back pressed against her door. Hands roam each other’s bodies and you groan as you feel her fingers cup your bulge. Fuck, why are you so hard already? 

You’re not one to just let her do what she wants so you avoid her chasing lips to plant yours on her neck, biting and nipping on her smooth skin while your own fingers creep underneath her shirt. “D-Don’t fucking mark me. I—shit—I’ve got a presentation tomorrow.” Minji finally speaks and you would’ve gladly granted her wish but with the way she’s leaning her head back, it didn’t seem like her words were matching her actions. Much more so when you grab on the hem of that same shirt and pull it up and she willfully raises her arms so you can remove it. And before you even get the opportunity to appreciate her body, your sweatpants are already being pulled down. Help her out by kicking that obstructive garment away; in fact you end up removing your hoodie as well which only leaves you with your boxers on and it barely conceals your raging desire for her. 

“This is your fault. Your fault for making me wait so damn long.” You don’t miss the way she bites her lips at the sight of your bulge, even as you make your way further down with your mouth and proceed to mark her collarbones and her cleavage. Her deft fingers continue to distract you however, pulling your boxers down and wrapping her cold digits around your throbbing and pulsating cock. The effect on you is immediate as you can do nothing but lean your head back and groan shamelessly. Minji smirks, especially because this is one of the only few times she has the upper hand on you; when you’re just putty in her arms and rendered breathless by her actions. It gets even worse when she slowly begins to pump you, drawing more precum out of your tip with how badly you just want to ravage her. 

“You poor thing.” You can feel her hot breath against your ear, sending more shivers down your spine as she’s decided that it’s now her turn to leave marks on you. It’s apparent that Kim Minji is just as possessive as you, even though neither one of you wants to reveal your dirty little secret to everyone. “Guess you couldn’t last that long without me, huh? Were those pictures I sent not enough?” Of course they weren’t, no amount of thirst pics of her in her underwear can satiate your endless lust towards her. Nothing can replace her hands, the way she can just work you to submission and make you so impatient. “I can’t blame you.” Her teeth sink into your jugular like a vampire. “I’ve been thinking about how much I want you to rail me into the bed, to make me moan so fucking load, to make me choke on your cock. Will you do all of that for me?”

You’re ashamed by how much that turned you on, as if a switch has been flipped inside you. You don’t miss a beat and lift her up by her waist which makes her squeal; her legs wrap around you while you carry her towards her bed. No more foreplay, you almost throw her onto the bed before yanking her shorts and her panties in the process. They’re discarded along with the rest of your clothing somewhere in the room. Her bra follows suit as well—you can’t believe she’s had it on for this long. “Fuck, you don’t know how much I want to put a load in you. Until you’re filled with so much cum that all you can think about is my cock.” You spread her long legs open and it’s clear that everything she said is true; her clit is puffed and her inner thighs are already drenched with her juices. 

Kneel in front of her and carefully position your length inside her. “Gonna fuck you now.” Through gritted teeth, Minji nods; her fingers gripping your biceps while her legs are already pulling you in. You sink into her further and further, drinking her moans and whispered curses until you bottom out inside her. She still feels so good, so  tight, so warm. You have to silence her mouth with a kiss because her moans are increasing in volume as you gradually increase her pace. “So, so fucking good. You’re gonna drain me dry.” Feel her nails digging into your shoulders and back, you’re definitely going to feel the sting of the scratches she’s leaving tomorrow morning but that’s not your concern for now. A bite of your bottom lip further confirms that she’s in an equal state of euphoria and you respond by continuing to fuck her with the same pace and intensity.

You’re careful not to make the bed creak but that’s fortunately an art that you’ve already mastered given the circumstances. But even with her luscious thighs wrapped around you, it’s not enough to have her drunk on your cock, you want her to beg for it like her life depends on it. You pause for a brief moment much to her verbal disappointment before pressing her legs against her chest to effectively fuck her in mating press. You know it’s her favorite position because an uncharacteristically loud moan escapes her mouth the moment you resume your fucking, your fingers gripping the bedsheet for support. “F-Fuck! Please, keep fucking me. So—damn—big!” You’re going to have to kiss her again because she’s slowly losing her grip on her surroundings, only focused on how much you’re pounding her into the bed.

“This is what you wanted, right? I bet not even your toys can fuck you this deep.” Minji doesn’t answer but her body responds for her; a particularly deep thrust has her clinging on to you for dear life. Her breasts pressing up against you and followed by the rest of her body. Bury your face on the crook of her neck, inhaling her addicting scent as you can feel her tightening ever so slightly around your cock. It’s becoming more of an effort to thrust inside her now, especially when you’re fucking her balls deep with every motion of your hips. Only broken sentences and curses are leaving her mouth at this very moment, along with shameless moans of your name as if she’s not afraid to reveal to everyone just how much the model student is getting dicked down by her fellow model student.

Maybe she isn’t. Maybe that’s part of the thrill after all, the aspect of getting caught. But that’s not your worry at this moment; not when that said model student is beginning to tighten even more and her breathing is becoming more hurried. You pull away to look at her facial expression and it’s painted with nothing but lust. The way her face is misted with sweat, her eyes closed, and her mouth open. It’s clear that her orgasm is just right around the corner. “C-Coming! I’m so fucking close, don’t you dare fucking stop.” You don’t care that your abs are burning, that’s what those 7 AM workouts in the gym are for. It’s for moments like these, when her nails are damn near close to breaking your skin and tears are starting to well on her eyes. It then becomes your goal to break her, like you always do during these sessions.

And it’s during another particularly deep thrust that her orgasm hits her like lightning, her pussy becoming unimaginably tight as if she wants you to join her in her euphoria as well. She’s almost crying, her body twitching uncontrollably as you pin her down to the bed. Tears eventually do fall due to the overwhelming pleasure, that makeup that you’re only noticing now is completely destroyed. Her juices begin to soak your length and the sheets underneath. She’s biting her lips so hard that it’s starting to bleed, get rid of the blood by giving her open-mouthed kisses. But you’re so focused on helping her come down from her high that you don’t realize that you’re about to explode as well, Perhaps you might, because you’re starting to throb madly as you continue to fuck her through her powerful orgasm. 

You spread her legs as far as you can, pistoning into her with no abandon. More of her juices stream out and you’re almost apologetic because of the mess that she’s going to have to clean up. But it’s really hard to focus on anything else when her pussy is still pulsating, continuing to urge you to join her in her orgasm. “Need your cum inside me, don’t you dare pull out.” It’s not like you had any intentions to in the first place, not when her suffocating warmth is begging to drain your balls for everything it has. The tension is building, rising, culminating—one animalistic growl after you bottom out and you’re pumping ropes and ropes of semen deep inside her. It floods her walls, it overflows, and you just can’t stop pushing it as deep inside her as possible. To make sure that her womb is completely filled with your cum and nothing else. It’s downright euphoric, the way her name leaves your lips like it’s a mantra. The way all of it triggers a smaller, second orgasm from her—truly wringing you dry.

It takes minutes for your movement to come to a halt, and by then your orgasm has completely subsided and so has hers. You feel her arms pull you in for a kiss, a much slower and passionate one compared to earlier. As if she’s saying thanks, because her voice is probably already gone. Or perhaps she’s just preserving her energy because if there’s anything you know about Minji, it’s that one round is not enough for her. If that’s the case then you better get a quick rest. Pull out of her and watch your excess semen drip out of her and down to her thighs. It’s truly a sight that you’ll never get tired of time and time again. Even more so when she takes a finger and takes a sample of your combined juices. It doesn’t take too long for your cock to become fully erect once again despite your orgasm just mere minutes ago.

There’s no time to contemplate though as Minji saves you the trouble because the next thing you know her perfectly shaped ass is raised and facing you, her arms bracing herself on the bed as she clearly shows you what she wants. “Need you to cum in me again, can you do that for me?” There’s no more time to waste, take a glance at the bedside clock and it’s already way past midnight—any noise at this hour would further alert people. You quickly kneel behind her, positioning your cock once again inside her pussy but this time in a much swifter manner. But despite all of the lubrication she’s so much tighter in this position. Grab on her ass for support and leverage as you begin to thrust, it’s a sight to behold that is her curves and back covered with sweat and her hair becoming a disheveled mess. 

She’s much more silent this time, thanks to the fact that her moans are being muffled by the pillows. This slow tempo also gives you time to recover, though it’s clear that she wants you to be rough with her once again with the way she’s moving her hips in a back and forth motion. Fine, if that’s what she wants then that’s what she gets. Just thirty seconds is all you need to recover, especially when you’ve got that heavenly view in front of you. You grab her by the arms and pull her upright until her back is pressed against your chest, your hands palming her breasts as you suddenly increase your pace. It’s your favorite position because not only is her body pressed against yours but you can view everything about her up close—her ruined mascara, her swollen lip, the dried tears on her face. 

Your fingers slowly creep up to her neck as you fuck her with all of your remaining strength, quieting her with more kisses—also because you just love kissing the hell out of her due to how irresistible and soft her lips are. She might’ve had another orgasm already but you’re too far gone, too caught up in chasing your own that you don’t notice. Either way, it only takes ten minutes this time for you to unload whatever remaining load you had (which is surprisingly a lot considering that when you pull out, a copious amount of semen is dripping out of her now swollen pussy once again). Now you’re truly spent, crashing on her twin sized bed that can barely fit the two of you so you always end up cuddling post sex. And as crazy as it sounds, this is the part of this whole ordeal that you’re oh-so-afraid of. Will she hear how quickly your heart beats when her head is resting on it? Will she find out that you’re slowly starting to wish that there was more between you two? Despite the fact that it’s an incredibly terrible idea that could have major implications in your future?

“Take me out to dinner first.” Minji is the first one to break the silence and the words that come out of her mouth completely terrifies you—it almost makes you jump out of the bed.

“What?”

“I’m not stupid.” Minji looks up to you, then places a gentle kiss on the hickey she left on your neck. “We’ve been hooking up for five months and you’re telling me there’s no way you haven’t fallen in love with me yet?”

Maybe you have.

Then you remember how angry you felt when her boyfriend broke up with her and you couldn’t do anything about it; you just wanted to barge inside her room and hold her in your arms and apologize for being such a dick and you couldn’t. You wanted to tell her that she deserves better because she truly does, but whether it was you that deserved to take that place in her heart you didn’t know. You were mortified at the thought of your relationship only remaining at such a stage—even though she made it crystal clear that she didn’t want anything to develop between you two. But it’s all in the past now—which begs the question: have you truly fallen in love with her? It only takes one look at those eyes and the way her lips curl upwards and how she fits so perfectly in your arms and how you wish you could be with her forever and how it all completely fucks up your equilibrium.

Yeah.

Of course you have.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Lincoln Brown

Beckett Law, a religious freedom advocacy group, has taken up the cause of three Jewish students at UCLA. The students claim that in the wake of the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, they faced mounting antisemitism, which included barring them from access to areas of the campus. The students are also represented by Clement & Murphy, PLLC.

In the lawsuit, Frankel v. The Regents of the University of California, the plaintiffs claim that pro-Hamas/anti-Israel protesters set up barricades on the Los Angeles campus, effectively creating a "Jewish Exclusion Zone." Beckett Law states that after creating the encampment, protesters not only constructed barriers but also linked arms to prevent Jewish students from accessing the most popular areas on campus. They also imposed an ideological test, and those whose views were deemed to be sufficiently anti-Israel were issued wristbands and allowed to pass unmolested through the "checkpoints."  

By contrast, Beckett law says that Jewish students were harassed and even assaulted. Law student Yitzchok Frankel was forced to find other ways to reach his classes because his route was blocked by the exclusion zone. Sophomore Joshua Ghayoum could not attend classes or study sessions because of the zone and the antisemitic activities on campus. Additionally, he was forced to listen to chants of "death to the Jews" and "death to Israel." Eden Shemuelian had trouble getting to her final exams because of the zones and had to listen to the vitriol from the encampment as she tried to study. These, said Beckett Law, are just three examples of the problems faced by Jewish students at UCLA.

Mark Rienzi, president and CEO of Becket, stated:

If masked agitators had excluded any other marginalized group at UCLA, Governor Newsom rightly would have sent in the National Guard immediately. But UCLA instead caved to the anti-Semitic activists and allowed its Jewish students to be segregated from the heart of their own campus. That is a profound and illegal failure of leadership. This is America in 2024—not Germany in 1939. It is disgusting that an elite American university would let itself devolve into a hotbed of antisemitism. UCLA’s administration should have to answer for allowing the Jew Exclusion Zone and promise that Jews will never again be segregated on campus.

The suit notes:

Defendants have deprived Plaintiffs of the free exercise and enjoyment of religion without discrimination or preference, as secured by the California Constitution, through a policy and practice that treats Plaintiffs differently than similarly situated non-Jewish individuals because Plaintiffs are Jewish.

Defendants furthered no legitimate or compelling state interest by engaging in this conduct.

Defendants failed to tailor their actions narrowly to serve any such interest.

As a result of Defendants’ actions, Plaintiffs have been injured by losing access to educational opportunities, losing access to library and classroom facilities, losing in-person learning opportunities, losing the ability to prepare for exams, being denied equal participation in the life of the university, suffering emotional and physical stress that has diverted time, attention, and focus from study, and by other harms.

In addition to seeking compensation for damages, the primary goal of the lawsuit is to hold the leadership of the University of California accountable and ensure that such a situation never arises again.

As usual, "never again" is here and now. The fact that these "students" take a great deal of pride in slinging the term "Nazi" at anyone with which they disagree yet use tactics that echo those of the Third Reich is ironic and chilling. But their savage nature can be attributed, at least in part, to those who educated them. 

Given that, one must ask if the regents of the University of California were merely caving to mob pressure. Did they turn a blind eye to the madness out of fear or because of the optics? Ideally, there should be nothing wrong with discussing the war and even debating whether or not Israel's response to the Hamas attack has been proportionate. 

The regents, president, vice-president, and chancellors never stopped to think, "Gee, it seems to be getting awfully brownshirty around here." And if they did, they were too cowardly or indoctrinated to say a word.

[teabutmakeitazure]

Dissimulation

>Yan! Mafia! Childe x Fem! Student! Reader (Modern au)

>Word Count: 11.6k words (slow burn)

>a/n: my offering for best boy's birthday

Warnings: coercion, Childe doesn’t know how to flirt, blood is finger licking good, panic attack

An unwelcome customer turned into an unwelcome acquaintance has been terrorising your life starting from your minimum wage job. Perhaps your flight back home is your only way out.

Continuation | reasons why Childe is #1 husband | Continued Again

Patience is a sign of virtue. Or at least that’s what your mother taught you when you were growing up. No, it’s all just some elaborate scheme for the notorious members of society to make others more docile and submissive to them.

Regardless, you don’t say anything, tired already as it is and just wait for the month to be over so that you can get your pay and go back home.

Even if he seems to like you, you would rather not push your luck. Despite only being in this city as a student, you’ve picked up that it’s best not to engage with the local mafia members, even if they seem friendly. Just keep your head down and return the greeting if given one. If one of them comes to your shop, treat them as a regular patron, and if a fight breaks out somewhere with one of them, do not take sides. Simply leave as quietly as you can.

Unfortunately, you have no such choice or opportunity to keep contact to a minimum. That is why you opted to bide your time and sneak out as quickly as you can and never opt for minimum wage jobs again. Maybe you could get a paid internship next time. You’ll probably meet the course requirements.

The dreaded convenience store you are currently walking to is situated a ten minute walk away from your campus dorms. Having to stay there and beep items all day was its own form of punishment as it was, but with the crowd that had recently started to come in these last few months, it started to seem more like a form of purgatory.

You still remember the lecture your friend had given you on how to act normal around the mafia community. The fact that they recently got active in this neighbourhood is simply an added bonus. Honestly, you’ve been counting the days when your incarceration will end with your flight. You just want to go home and hug your cats first, family members second. 

The bell chimes as you walk inside, and you sigh when you see the mess of ginger hair and a dangling red earring already waiting for you. At least this time his back is turned while he scrolls his phone even if he is sitting near the register.

About that, where’s the manager? He should be at the register right now since your shift just started.

“You’re late,” the dreaded man scrolling his phone points out, eyes not leaving the phone screen.

Keeping your friend’s advice in mind, you decide to reply before twisting the knob to the employee room. “Sorry. I was doing laundry.” A lie but you aren’t going to tell him that you got distracted watching cat videos.

No greetings were exchanged and he didn’t even look up at you. Strange, but it’s best to only reply when talked to. Getting too friendly might backfire.

Still, you decide to say something just for good measure.

“Is the manager in today?” you ask, eyes on him while your hand remains on the knob.

All you receive in response is a shrug.

Thus, you enter the employee room, and there you have it! Mister manager sits on the desk in all his white polo shirt glory.

The door hinges squeak loudly behind you when you close the door. Stepping to the desk, his head slowly rises to look at you when you greet him, but he doesn’t respond. After you’ve slipped on the employee uniform jacket and pinned your nametag, he speaks.

“I may have made a mistake.”

That causes you to frown. “What happened?”

“The guy outside… I… I didn’t realise he’s a high ranking member. I may have asked him to leave because he’s been here for half an hour already and… well…”

“Well, what?”

He shakes his head. “Well, he sort of jokingly said that the building belongs to his division and that the store could close if he wanted it to.”

“...”

“Look. I know you’re a student, so I promise I’ll pay you somehow, but please! He listens to you, right? Try to appease him!”

                        

You groan. “I’m sure he meant it as a joke.”

“Please!”

“Alright alright. I’ll… try.”

Honestly, you don’t know what you’re going to do. He’s a higher ranking member, you know that much, but why he even bothers to be so friendly and chatty with you is out of your scope of understanding. At least now those tough looking ones that drop by in the evening don’t test your patience anymore.

Cautiously, you open the employees room door and head back outside. There’s still no one in the store, but you know that afternoon rush hour is about to start. With you on the register seat, the dreaded man who will stay with you on another shift turns his body to face you, phone immediately slipping into his pocket.

“So,” he drawls, “was the manager inside?”

You put your phone on the little shelf underneath the cash drawer. “Yes. He was inside.”

“Was he mad?”

“Um no.” You look at him questioningly, brow raising when he just smiles. “Should he be?”

“Who knows?”

“Right…”

Silence ensues and you briefly ask yourself why he’s less chatty today. You can’t believe that it’s concerning you. Sure, he’s a very dangerous person if he’s so young and in the mafia of all things, but dangerous people are downright terrifying if pissed. At least you’re not the one at fault. Besides, three more weeks and it will be time for your flight.

You just hope you make it.

“Something on your mind?”

He’s looking at you now, cheek resting in his palm. He’s even gotten closer, next to you to be precise. You don’t think you heard him get closer.

Nervously, you give a little laugh. “It’s nothing.”

“Are you sure?” Dull blue eyes bore into yours, gently forcing you to answer truthfully. The lack of vitality in them unnerves you but that is precisely what compels you to answer.

“Well… the manager said that you might get the store to close…”

“That? I didn’t think he’d tell you. Anyway, I was messing around,” he smiles. “You’re a student, so it would be unfair to you to suffer in consequence to him.”

The statement doesn’t make you feel any better. “Ah, you’re too kind sir Tartaglia.”

Like before, the way you addressed him makes him frown. “Just call me Childe. Tartaglia is only for my men. Though… if you would prefer…” he leans in, hand that was previously holding his face now gripping the edge of the table as he whispers dangerously close to your ear, “I’d gladly tell you my birth name.”

He backed away again, a smile on his face. “And I know you wouldn’t tell anyone haha.”

How do you even reply to that?

Scratch that, should you even reply to that?

He’s looking at you again, that smile that doesn’t reach his eyes gracing his lips and impatience oozing from his face. You sense that he’s waiting for an answer so you try your best to comply.

“Understood... Childe.”

The name feels foreign on your tongue, and you blame the unfamiliarity on the nervousness that comes with being near him. Thankfully your answer seemed to appease him and he happily nodded.

Okay, one problem solved. You’ll get your minimum wage salary. Another problem. You’ll have to endure the awkwardness because you don’t have it in you to call him out.

As if on cue, your employer exits the employee room and heads for the exit without even looking at you. The fast walking didn’t make his exit any graceful, but it did make it seem important with how Childe eyed his movements.

Silence settles again as you blankly stare at the empty store in front of you. Regrettably, you’re a little worried about what might happen when you’ll be back after summer vacation. You never told him that you’re leaving for home and the white polo dunce of a manager has been sworn to secrecy about it after he flat out told Childe which institution you study at right in front of you.

Protecting your personal details is your job, so you’ve taken it into your own hands. It isn’t wise to tell a mafia member who obviously pines to be more than just acquaintances about your personal life and details. Thus, you will slip away to home on a weekend flight.

What happens after you’re back is something you didn’t consider.

Well, almost two months would have passed by then. Surely he wouldn’t care anymore… right?

You hope he doesn’t. Perhaps it would be best to avoid this neighbourhood. Maybe even look into school transfers to be safe.

“Something’s on your mind again.”

His voice cuts through the air like a dart and lodges into your head. Is it so wrong to simply want some peace? No wait. Peace is bad. If he's quiet then that’s bad. You’ll have to humour him.

Thus, you take a deep breath. Act normal, you tell yourself. You aren’t the criminal here. You’re a humble student trying to earn some money. Relax. 

“Well,” you drawl, “I’m just spacing out.”

You don’t even look at him, eyes still fixed on the empty store.

“You must be thinking about something.”

Grumbling, you internally curse your luck. Patience is running out and you don’t know how long you can remain civil with him breathing down your neck like this. Maybe he had a bad day and that’s why he’s more inquisitive than chatty.

“Nothing,” you sigh. “I’m not thinking about anything. Just waiting for rush hour to start so that my shift can go by quickly and I can go home and sleep.”

“Hm.” He’s closer now, and you can see him in the corner of your eye. “So you’re tired of this job?”

“Tired of the people that come here actually. Most of them are so shady it’s unreal.” Now that that’s said, you hope he doesn’t realise that the jab is actually at him.

“I realise that. I saw what kind of crooks used to come here. They mostly thought they could intimidate the people working here, but all that’s in the past now.”

Well, you do owe him the credit of straightening them out. If it wasn’t for Childe, you’d still have to endure taunts from those weirdos about how they can take anything from the store and you can’t do anything about it. Regardless, you can’t be certain whether his presence is actually good or bad.

“Anyway,” he’s behind you now, hands suddenly on your shoulders, “you’re not from here, right? Any plans to visit home for the summer?”

Well… shit.

How do you go about this… 

You never told him that you’re not from this city, so that can only mean that white shirt dunce did. Great. 

“I’m not sure,” you reply. Would it be wise to ask him how much he knows? Childe does seem to be friendly in all the weeks you’ve known him. Ah. You’ll take that chance. Slowly turning around in your chair, his hands remove themselves from your shoulders when you face him. “Did my manager tell you anything?”

Now you’re looking into his eyes, but he doesn’t seem affected at all.

“I asked him about it. He told me that you might go home for the summer if you can afford the ticket.”

Okay so maybe the manager saved you a little there, but you still need to answer him. So, you settle with going with what he said. 

Nodding, you look at Childe standing in front of you again. “I'm planning to decide by the end of this month. If I do go home, I'll put in a one week notice. Hopefully it isn't a problem."

He smiles. "Don't worry. It won't be."

You can't tell if he's comforting you or making notes to assist you. Either way, he doesn't know about your flight. Figuring out how to get him off your back when you come back for the next semester will be for when you're home.

"Anyway," Childe says, breaking the silence, "are you doing anything after your shift?"

Where did that come from?

Tilting your head a little, you act innocent in hopes he gets the hint. "Depends on what I'm asked. I do have some pending work. Why? Do you need me for something?"

"No. Just asking. What about tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure about tomorrow yet…"

Childe chuckles. "Then how about you make a reservation for the evening, with me?"

"W-why?"

"I just wanted to take you out for dinner. Is that alright?"

Did… did you just get asked out on a date?

Seeing your confusion, Childe chuckles again. “I promise I’m not going to kidnap you, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’ll just take you out, treat you to dinner, and drop you home. No shady stuff.” He raises his hands in mock surrender, tongue teasingly peeking out.

You suppose there’s no way out of this, but still try nonetheless. “What if something important comes up? Would it be okay to… cancel…?”

His hands go back to his hips. “Important? What could be more important?”

“Um, my summer courses? I still get assignments for those…” You hope that doesn’t offend him, but judging from his face he looks more confused than angry.

Childe clicks his tongue, a scolding look on his face. “You can’t get an assignment with a same day submission date, so that’s out of the question. But hearing your response, it’s alright if you’d rather not go.” He sits back down, arms crossed. “I would prefer it if you'd be honest with me. Prevaricating with lies is more than just annoying, you know.”

In the silence of the store, you can feel your heart beating loudly in your ears, the thump a scolding sound for your stupidity. If he’s angry with you, who knows what could happen. “No! Not at all. That’s not what I meant.” Your patience is still being tested but at this very moment you’re more fearful. “I’m just worried because those courses are counted in my cumulative GPA, and I can’t afford to let it drop!”

“So you’re only worried about your grades?”

“Yes!”

“And you’re not opposed to getting dinner with me?”

“Yes! Wait…”

He smiles. “Go on~”

You narrow your eyes at him, fear all gone and annoyance taking its place. “I sense I’ve made a mistake here.”

The teasing smile turns into an encouraging one and with a sigh, you surrender. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

He gives a little celebratory ‘yes’ but you cut him short. “But I need to be back home by ten max.”

“Wait… your shift ends at seven…”

You cross your arms, finally getting back at him. “And what about it?” Seriously. Was he planning to hog your entire evening?

“That’s way too short!”

“I have a curfew placed on me by my mother back home. If I phone her any later than ten pm local time, she loses it. I would rather not be screamed at.”

“Alright. That’s fair.”

Now that that’s done, you still can’t believe you just agreed to a date with him.

However, Childe looks more than just ecstatic. He’s practically jumping in his seat, leg bouncing up and down and a wide smile on his face. When you raise a brow at that, he just smiles at you, practically oozing happiness.

He stays the same way, quiet and happy and fidgety as customers start to come in. As usual, he doesn’t say anything while you’re ringing them up and just stares. It’s when the rush dies down a little and only one guy is in the store that he speaks.

“Don’t you ever get tired of working so hard?”

You look at him from the corner of your eye. With his face in his palm, he’s staring directly at you. “I’m beeping items with a barcode scanner. I don’t see why it’s hard.”

“It is actually,” Childe says, firm in his statement. “I think you’re just used to the extra work so you don’t find it bothersome.”

“Maybe,” you shrug.

“Hm. You deserve better. Perhaps… someone who would take care of you, no questions asked. Someone… who would treat you as you deserve, cherish you, and make you happy.”

The way he speaks makes you uncomfortable, but you don’t let it show. Patience, you remind yourself. A few more weeks and you’ll be gone.

“There’s no need for others to look at you like this.” He sighs, “I hope that changes soon.”

You have no idea what he’s talking about, so you’re grateful the guy who was browsing the drinks for the last five minutes finally came to the counter. You busy yourself with billing him, but Childe just… stares. He doesn’t take his eyes off of you for a second.

Now, the regret of agreeing to dinner seeps in.

The customer leaves, and as soon as the door closes, you hear a phone buzzing. Before you even look at your phone, Childe has already pulled his out of his pocket and answers. He doesn’t give a response to whatever was said on the other side, brows furrowing as he cuts the call.

The chairlegs drag against the floor when he stands. “Sorry but I have to go.”

You don’t dare question the oddity despite your surprise to him leaving before your shift ends. “Alright.”

“I’ll pick you up outside your dorm. Is that okay?”

“Okay but what time-”

“I have your number. I’ll text you, don’t worry.”

With that, he’s out, leaving you confused inside the store. Considering the lack of smile and the fact that this is the first time he left before seven pm, it must have been something work related.

You just hope nothing advances after the dinner tomorrow.

-

He really does have your number. You don’t remember ever giving it to him, so you don’t dare question how he got his hands on it. At exactly 8: 06 pm he texted you that he would pick you up at 7: 30 pm outside your dorm tomorrow. That means that you would have around ten minutes to get ready. 

Ten minutes are too much. You’re only going to change, maybe put on some lip gloss if you look too dead. No makeup and no accessories that could possibly make you look more attractive. Simple and plain is the goal.

Speaking of dinner, you’re going to have dinner with a mafioso. Perhaps you really should look into school transfers during the summer.

This sort of vicissitude was not welcome in the slightest, but you’ll have to work around it. If nothing else, you’re thankful that Childe is respectful of most basic boundaries and hasn’t attempted anything yet. Maybe if he wasn’t working where he was, you would’ve given him the time of day.

At 8: 19 pm, he texts you again. ‘Make sure to dress well :) I’d like to see you in a dress if you have any.’

Dress? Does he mean a fancy one? You send back a message asking for clarification, but he only replies with, ‘Anything casual and cute would work.’

Casual and cute… is he really bluntly asking you that?

- 

7: 17 pm. You kick off your shoes and head inside, dashing straight to the bathroom to wash your face. You’re less tired than usual because of Childe’s absence at the store today, something that made the manager anxious, but you didn’t dare tell him about the date.

7: 23 pm. You change into the baby blue Gingham maxi dress you bought a week before finals. It flows just fine, and you grace the look only with pearl studs. Wallet and phone are shoved into the pockets of the dress, and to not look soulless, you apply some lip gloss. The gloss is also stuffed into your pocket in case you want to reapply it later, which you would rather not but you never know. 

7: 28 pm. You set your hair again and slip on your sandals. One last look in the mirror and you give yourself a thumbs up. The look is something you would wear to a casual hangout with friends. Doesn’t look very try-hard or date-like. Perfect.

7: 30 pm. You open the door and head out. Pushing the elevator button, you check your phone for any messages while the elevator reaches your floor. Sudden nervousness makes you a little nauseous, but you breathe in slowly, telling yourself it’s no big deal.

The elevator door opens and as you step in, you collide with a very firm body. One look to the face of this body, and you’re frozen.

“Going somewhere?”

You nervously chuckle. “Childe. What’re you doing here?”

He ushers you both inside the elevator, pushing the ground floor button. “I’m here to pick you up? Did you forget about dinner?”

“Ah, no… it’s just… they don’t allow outsiders without a resident escorting them. I was going to wait in the lobby.”

“Really? The watchman let me in pretty easily.”

You don’t even want to know what that means.

“Anyway,” Childe says, voice louder than the gentle elevator music, “you look lovely.”

You glance at his maroon button down and roman silver dress pants, eyes resting on his earring. “Thanks. You look… fine as well.”

“Fine? I only look fine?” He’s leaning towards you now, and the elevator suddenly feels too small. Before you can be pressured into a reply, the doors open and you hastily step out into the lobby.

A chuckle comes from behind you, and soon you’re following him outside to a black car parked a little farther from the dorm entrance. With every step you take, you pray that no one left in your building for the summer catches you.

The car is unlocked with a beep, and though you’re a borderline broke student with no knowledge of expensive things because you can’t afford them so why bother, you can tell that the car is expensive. Or maybe it’s just polished to perfection, but it looks expensive.

Regardless, this is the hard part. Do you sit in the front seat or the back seat? The back seat would be rude but the front seat would be too straightforward. The front seat is too intimate and close but the back seat is too alienating. Shit. What do you do?

You leave your choice to luck and close your eyes, reaching for a door handle. Whichever you grab will be where you sit. Upon grabbing one, you open the door just to hear another one open as well. You open your eyes and a car speeds by at the same time.

Childe stands next to the open front seat door, a brow raised as he looks at you incredulously. You look at him, then to the door you just opened, then to him again. The door you opened is graced with your gaze once again before it’s Childe’s turn.

It’s silent, awkward, and you can’t shake the feeling that you messed up before the date even started.

“Would you… prefer the back seat?”

You blink at him, courage all gone when you reply. “Ah, no! It’s not that. I-I just wasn’t thinking. Sorry…”

Childe’s brow is still raised. “Okay. I’m not your driver. I’m your date. So, I’d like it if you sat in the front.”

Shit. Everything has gone to shit. You agreed to the dinner just to appease him and leave things on a good note instead of a sour one, yet you’ve already made things bad. Great job, [Name]. Aren’t you just wonderful?

Awkwardly, you close the door you opened and get in, allowing Childe to shut the door next to you before slipping into the driver’s seat. He starts the car, puts on his seatbelt, cracks his fingers, and folds his sleeves to the elbow before exiting the parking and going onto the road.

Your seatbelt feels uncomfortable in the heavy silence. Thoughts of what Childe might do if displeased swirl inside your mind but you frankly don’t know what. He seems to like you. He has never mistreated you besides being creepy a few times. Perhaps he’d forgive you. He always says your airheadedness is cute.

The pounding heart inside your chest gets more aggressive when Childe clears his throat, lips parting to give you another mini heart attack. “Aren’t you going to ask where we’re going?”

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a secret.”

The pounding heart quiets down a little, confusion kicking away some of the anxiety. “Then it’s good I didn’t ask out of my own accord.”

A secret? What does he mean by that? Scratch that, is the location being a secret a good thing or a bad thing? Should you text your live location to someone? But all your friends are gone for the summer. That one girl you’re acquainted with on one of the upper floors might help if you disappear. At the very least, your jokes in the conversations you’ve had might at least let her sympathise enough to report your status to the police.

“Are you scared?”

Childe’s question makes you look at him, your heart going back to pounding crazily upon seeing his smile. “S-should I be?”

“No. You should never be scared when you’re with me.” His eyes are still on the road. “I realise you have a negative impression of me, but there’s no reason for you to be scared. Well, not you but others should be, but that’s besides the point.”

“Ah. I see.” No. You don’t see, but just go along.

“Mhm. That dress looks amazing on you.”

He takes a right turn at the green traffic light, and you briefly glance at his flexing arms as the steering wheel turns. “Thanks,” you reply. “The dress has pockets.”

As a demonstration, you pull out your phone and show it to him. Childe chuckles at that, calling it cute and you find your heartbeat growing tamer. The phone is shoved back inside and pleasant conversation fills the car on the way.

Childe asks about how university is, how your finals went, and how you’ve come to find the city. You answer the last question truthfully, hands fidgeting as you tell him about your reservations with the ‘law and order’ situation and how you’ve been begged to steer clear of the mafia. The statement is followed by a joke of you doing a horrible job at that, and Childe laughs, saying that you don’t have to be afraid of anyone in the city anymore.

The comforting sentence doesn’t comfort you at all.

The car stops in front of a restaurant and Childe opens the door to allow you to step out. Keys are given for valet parking, and Childe takes your hand as he leads you inside. Thankfully, it’s not as fancy as you thought. It’s not even as expensive, the kind of restaurant where you could arrange a fancy friend get-together. 

The not so high end restaurant doesn’t make you uncomfortable, but sitting across Childe does. He apparently made a reservation for the rooftop, so here you are, wind gently blowing in your hair as he unbuttons another button of his shirt.

“Do you like it?” He’s looking at you now, eyes briefly going to your phone when you place it on the table.

“It’s… nice.”

“I didn’t choose somewhere any fancier because I figured you might get uncomfortable. Next time though.”

Next time? Good God what is he planning?

Your face may have given it away because he's tilting his head at you, earring dangling in tandem as he acts coy. "Is something wrong? Do you not like the idea?"

"N-no. That's not it…"

"Hm?"

You gulp. "Ah it was just a little sudden. That's all."

"I'm glad." He's back to smiling now, face resting on his palm. "I'll make sure to treat you like how you should be next time."

Again, next time? Not happening.

Childe grabs the menu, requesting that you let him order for you both. He says something about the taste of home and this restaurant being the only one able to recreate that, but you don't bother. You simply brush him off, telling him he can go ahead.

It's when a few minutes have passed since ordering that he speaks again. Luckily, the clanking of plates and chatter helps tone down your nervousness.

"I come here whenever I miss home. This restaurant actually originated from my homeland, so I thought I'd bring you here. It's not high end as well, so that's an added bonus."

You nod. "Interesting."

Elbow on the table, he rests his chin on the back of his hand, blue eyes studying you carefully. The observant gaze makes you feel small, and you end up clearing your throat when his gaze drops to your collarbone.

You look him in the eye as you speak. "It's a little awkward, isn't it?" 

He tilts his head like earlier again. "What is?"

"The silence."

"Ah. Sorry. I just couldn't help myself. You look stunning."

Unlike the previous times, the compliment makes your cheeks heat up. It's probably because this time he's looking right at you with the faint hint of red on his cheekbones. Seriously. He's so human. You wonder how he ended up being in the mafia.

Childe doesn't allow silence to settle again, chatting away about his homeland and how he misses the snow. He says it's easier to go outside in this city's climate, but the memories and people back home make living there worth it. During his rambling, you simply nod along, only adding in a comment wherever you deem necessary.

Patience, you tell yourself. This'll pass. At least you're fortunate in the sense that Childe is accommodating and nice. 

He continues rambling, telling you about his younger siblings. Fulgent expression and energetic voice, you lean forward to give him your attention, content that he's making good conversation. As you listen to him, your fingers start fidgeting with the cutlery set in front of you.

Your eyes remain on him as he recounts a story where his youngest brother Teucer refused to acknowledge his sister Tonia after she got a haircut. Hearing about the young child's inability to recognise his sister makes you chuckle which in turn makes Childe pause to look at you with widened eyes.

A smile stretches on his lips, and you trace the edges of the knife when he resumes. 

"Mama was pretty concerned about that. It took Teucer a few days to accept that his sister looks different now. Ah. I miss them. They're a lively bunch and I miss being with them."

Your thumb runs up and down the edge of the knife while it's clutched in your hand, face resting in the palm of your free hand. "You can visit them if you miss them that much."

Childe gently shakes his head, hair swaying with the movement. "It's not possible at the moment." At your confused expression, he clarifies, "I can't tell you why. It's confidential information."

"That's fair."

"But I am glad I still get to be here. I got to meet you, after all."

"Oh. That's… nice."

"Mhm." He's leaning towards you as well now, both arms resting on the table. "Any development in your plan to visit home? You should go. If you're having any problems with the plane ticket or something then-"

"Ouch!"

The knife drops from your hand, clattering dully on the table. Blood oozes from the pad of your thumb as your hands shake from the startle. It doesn't take Childe even a second to be on his guard.

"You cut your thumb?" He gets up, drags his chair beside you and sits, knees brushing against yours. "You were fidgeting with the knife… well, no matter."

Instead of grabbing a tissue, he takes a hold of your hand and stares at the bleeding cut. More blood oozes out of it the longer he stares and one drop even reaches your palm. However, that isn't what's bothering you. It's the fact that he just licked that blood trail. 

He licked it. And now he's sucking on where the cut should be.

The feeling of his tongue is what brings you back to your senses, confusion and panic overtaking your senses and overwhelming you. Pulling your hand away does nothing because his grip is too strong. Goodness, at least the few tables around you are empty and no one else seems to be looking.

"Childe."

He doesn't let go, pressing your thumb down against his tongue instead.

"Childe. Let go-"

A trail of saliva joins your thumb and his mouth. The two of you make eye contact and you notice a slight blush on his face. Childe then manoeuvres your hand, his lips on your palm as he tenderly kisses the skin messily. 

The action gives you goosebumps but you remain quiet, still confused about what's going on. It's when he finally lets go and presses a tissue to the cut that he speaks.

"Be careful."

You remain frozen, hand in his while the tissue remains pressed over your thumb. You can no longer hear the faint background chatter or feel the gentle breeze in your hair. In your senses are dull blue eyes, freckles dusted across cheekbones and nose, and warm breath fanning over your ear when he leans in.

Childe's voice is a whisper, the edges of his hair tickling your cheek as the chair quietly croaks. "You shouldn't be playing with dangerous things."

He leans back again. With a smile, Childe gets up, drags his chair back to where it was, and seats himself. The air surrounding you both is casual, light, like something completely out of the blue didn't occur. This gives you the hint that it's best to not talk about it.

Elbows on the table, both his palms hold his face as he looks at you with a smile. The skin under his eyes crinkles slightly, freckled cheeks squished, and long auburn eyelashes framing the deep blues. You sit there puzzled and feeling slightly violated while Childe continues staring.

It's honestly a little funny.

Right when you concluded that Childe was nice, he does something completely uncalled for. You remove the tissue that was pressed to your thumb, pleased to see that your blood cells have done their job and the platelets coagulated. It'll probably turn into a scab by the time you get home.

Dammit, now you're nervous all over again. Curse you mass of neurons floating in cerebral fluid! Be useful! Sure, he just sucked on your thumb, but keep it together.

When you look at him again, he's still staring. With a sigh, you ask him about his job, what kind of work he does, but Childe only shakes his head, refusing to answer.

His excuse smoothly exits via soft, pink lips. You didn't know you were looking at them until you heard him speak.

"I don't think you'd enjoy hearing about my job. Plus, it's all confidential."

You will yourself to look back into his eyes no matter how difficult eye contact may seem. "Shady? Is that what you're implying?"

"Hm." He hums. "Let's just leave it at that."

So he admits it? Great. You can't wait for the evening to be over. The bag of chips sitting at home sounds very comforting and appetising right now.

When he continues talking again, you start fidgeting with the edges of your sleeves under the table. You need a distraction. Using your phone would be rude, so you figure abusing the fabric of your sleeves is a better option. It takes a little while for your food to be here, but when it is, you compliment his order and ask him about his choice.

The question serves to keep the conversation easy and light while allowing you to only answer, not speak. This in turn allows nothing uncomfortable to occur during dinner. It’s thankfully uneventful until it's time to pay.

You had no qualms about paying for yourself, but being Childe, he told you he’d take care of it. You had no problem with that either. What you did have a problem with was what he said.

“Let me treat my girl.”

My girl. That’s what he called you. If that’s not a red flag, you don’t know what is. Despite that, you suck it in and let him take you home. Patience. You’ll leave soon and never show your face in his active districts again. Maybe you’ll even transfer schools if you’re lucky.

You’re really hoping you can transfer. He might come find you himself after you come back from summer break. Even with all those troublesome thoughts in mind, you act as casual as you could while sitting in his car as he drives you home. Conversation was nice, the thumb incident was borderline violating, but the meal was tasty.

The car stops near your dorm’s entrance, but before you could make any move to exit the car - hand hovering over the handle - Childe locks the doors. You turn to look at him but he’s already looking at you.

“I need to ask you something,” he says, voice unsure and eyes not meeting yours.

Tentatively nodding, you signal him to continue.

“Did you… enjoy yourself?”

“Huh?” You scold yourself mentally for the confused expression. Clearing your throat, you compose yourself. “Yeah. As far as enjoying dinner goes.”

His eyes finally meet yours, and the eye contact is intense. “I take it that you’d like to do this again?”

“...”

“I don’t mean immediately but maybe sometime in the future?”

Sighing, you slump in your seat. “I can’t be sure.” It’s better to make things clear and not lead him on, even if it’s harsh. “I’m not… looking for something right now. It would be unfair to say yes to you when I don’t mean it.”

Childe’s grip on the edge of his seat tightens, the leather squeaking as it gets abused. “I understand. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t like me, right?”

“Um, yeah.” You can’t pull your eyes away from his. “You’re… nice.”

He blinks. “I’m nice?”

“Yes.”

Childe’s mouth opens in disbelief before he goes back to his senses with a shake of his head. He leans towards you, hand grabbing the back of your seat and eyes widened. “So that means I have a chance?”

“Well,” you laugh awkwardly, “I never said you didn’t. I just said that-”

“I know I know. You’re not looking for something right now, but that doesn’t mean you won’t change your mind later. I’m not going to do something weird, don’t worry. I just… won’t give up.” He’s smiling as he speaks, happy at the prospect of not being rejected. “I’ll keep trying!”

Honestly, the determination he has is cute but it’s almost 10 pm. “That’s great and all, but could you unlock the door? I really need to go.”

“Oh, of course.” The doors unlock with a soft click and Childe bids you goodbye with another concerning statement. “I’ll make sure you change your mind. It’s a promise.”

The chips in your room lived to see another day.

-

The events of last night’s dinner keep replaying in your mind. It’s like a curse, the moment when Childe grabbed your wrist and gently shoved your thumb inside his mouth. Even with the bandage over it, you can still feel the ghost of his tongue, wet and warm, licking it.

You stop in your tracks to shiver.

It’s infuriating how even on your way to your shift you can only think of him and how he promised to change your mind. So much for leaving without any trouble. Can’t he take a hint? Maybe he’s too dense. It does seem characteristic of him.

The bell chimes when you open the door and head inside. A few customers are browsing the store, one middle aged woman and two office workers to be precise, while the manager sits by the cash register. His white polo shirt greets you before he does and by the time you come back from the employee room changed into your uniform jacket and nametag, the customers are gone.

Beloved and totally not airheaded manager moves away from the register, handing you a little list of work to do and announces that he’s leaving to meet up with someone.

Not even ten minutes of him being gone and the dreaded blue eyed mafioso walks in.

The bell chimes to signal his arrival, and unfortunately you meet his eyes as he stands at the entrance. He’s dressed too casually today, a white T-shirt with some band name on it, blue jeans and white sneakers. If you weren’t aware of his lifestyle, you would’ve thought that he was just another young adult on the street.

“Hi!”

You return his greeting with a simple nod, and he comes in. The only sound is his footsteps till he stops on the other side of the register. You meet his dead eyes again, regret instantly seeping into your bones. Childe’s gaze is affectionate, soft. Being on the receiving end of such a look is overwhelmingly foreign and uncomfortable. 

The freckles dusted across his cheekbones and nose catch your attention, but they fail to be graced with your eyes for long. You immediately look away when you realise you started to stare.

Regardless, Childe acts as though he didn’t notice and rounds the register to sit on the chair next to you like always. He doesn’t speak of the date. Typical conversation plays out, much to your surprise, and you mentally curse yourself for expecting him to bring up yesterday evening.

However, it’s not his casual physiognomy that bothers you. It’s his friendliness and the fact that he has started messaging you like one would a friend. Just yesterday he had texted you for the first time in his life and now he’s spamming you funny videos and memes?

Should… should you be worried?

It might prove to be more difficult to shrug him off. You didn’t want to be harsh and outright reject him for him after how he had seemingly tried to be kind and took you out for dinner, but now it seems like that would have been the correct course of action. It’s not that you’re rejecting him solely on the basis of being a part of the mafia. It’s simply your desire to not be in a relationship right now.

Perhaps he’ll respect your wishes like he did last night, even if he did claim that he will keep trying.

-

You should not push your luck. Really. You shouldn’t. You shan’t do so.

First, you leave his meme spams on read. Then, you have the gall to address him as ‘sir Tartaglia’ again by mistake. The instant fall of his smile had sent a shiver down your spine and reminded you of why you told yourself to be careful. Just because he likes you doesn’t mean you’re safe.

Maybe you are, but that change of expression has creeped you out to no end. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

It has been two weeks since the dinner and Childe has settled with chatting with you over text during the late night hours. Tonight, however, you’ve put your phone away in favour of watching something on your laptop. The screen illuminates your face in the darkness of your room, and your phone’s buzzing briefly catches your attention.

You ignore it, obviously. You’re leaving in one week. This little ‘friendship’ or whatever one could call it is pointless. You’ve already planned on blocking Childe on all the socials he’s invaded as soon as you reach home, a step towards never seeing him again. The less you let him get attached, the easier it’ll be for him to forget you and move on.

-

Childe is… a little annoyed. You didn’t reply to any of his texts for a few days, leaving it on read since he sends some random videos after the texts. He let it slide at first, but now he’s bothered. It’s evident in the way he isn’t smiling or even talking to you for that matter. 

Not wanting to end up on his bad side permanently, you capitulate your ego. “Childe? Is something wrong?” You’re restocking the potato chips as you speak, head peeking over the short aisle to look at him while he sits at the register. “You seem off.”

He makes eye contact with a face devoid of any emotion as if that were the most natural thing to do in the situation. “Why do you ask?”

“I just said so. You seem off.”

“It’s nothing.” Childe looks away, opting to stare at his shoes. He’s wearing casual clothes today as well, something you noted he started doing more often after the date.

Seeing that he won’t budge, you go back to restocking but perk up again when you hear him speak, albeit very softly.

“You’re ignoring me,” he mumbles to himself.

So, you do what comes to mind. Leaving the chip packets on the floor of the empty store, you walk up to him, hands on your hips. “I’m ignoring you?”

He doesn’t look at you, his shoes the most interesting sight in the world. “Yeah.”

“What makes you think that?”

“You don’t talk to me. It’s always me who initiates the conversation.” He looks up, making eye contact. “Is it because I’m in the mafia and you don’t want anything to do with me?”

The subtle accusation makes you defensive immediately, and you stammer. “N-not at all-”

“It is, isn’t it?” The earring hanging from his ear briefly catches your attention when he tilts his head. “That’s why you lied and said that you weren’t looking for a relationship right now.”

“But I’m really not.”

“Relationships aren’t ‘looked for’. They just happen.” Childe leans back in his seat, making you grow more nervous. “And you don’t want one to happen with me just because of where I work.”

Your hands start fidgeting with each other on their own, tongue pushing against your mouth’s hard palate. It takes strength to reply to his imputation. “That’s not true…” Heart beating wildly in your chest, you push the words out. “It’s just… I don’t want a relationship right now.” Think brain, think! “It’s not you, it’s me.” Curse you mass of neurons and amygdala for thinking of this ginger as a serious threat. “So please, don’t think of reasons that aren’t true.”

“But they are true,” he states, like he’s telling you that the moon also exerts gravity on the earth, voice boring and flat. “You just refuse to admit it because you’re scared of me.” Childe’s eyes bore into yours again, seeing through your casual lies and crafted confidence.

“I’m not scared of you.”

“You can’t fool me, [Name]. I’d prefer you to be truthful. Lies just get on my nerves.”

You gulp. There’s no way out of this now. “Sorry…”

“It’s alright. Just keep that in mind for next time.”

“...”

“How can I change your mind?”

“What?” You blink at him, not understanding what he’s asking you. “What do you mean?”

“How can I change your fear of me into attraction? I don’t like knowing that you’re afraid of me.” Childe’s expression turns into a pleading one. Genuine helplessness is written all over his physiognomy which in turn makes you uncomfortable. You feel small under his watchful gaze. It’s as though he’s watching every single movement and breath you take.

“I… don’t know…” Your hands hang by your sides as you stand in front of him, lips pressed into a thin line.

Voice gentle, he tries to persuade you once again. “Please. Tell me how to win your heart.”

“I… I don’t know.” There’s a pitiful helplessness in your voice now, and you don’t know what makes you want to tell him what you are about to. But you do. And you have to watch the realisation appear on his face. “I never wanted your attention.” Admitting that somehow leaves a sour taste in your mouth. “I never wanted anyone’s attention. All I am is a student trying to make ends meet while cussing out the degree I chose for myself.”

Eyes wide, Childe tries negotiating. “I could make your life better.” Hands slam the desk in front of him as he stands, barcode scanner jumping and falling back with a thunk. “I just need one chance. That’s all I need.”

“I’m sorry, Childe, but-”

“No no. I’m not asking. You don’t have to give me one.”

You look into the lifeless blues of his eyes as he continues. “I’ll take that chance whenever I get the opportunity. You don’t have to worry your pretty head over it.”

Somehow his decision to take matters into his own hands unnerves you more than his blatant signs of attraction. It didn’t help that he wordlessly left the store after that.

-

Today is your last shift before you leave for home. Oddly enough, Childe didn’t swing by the store ever since he left the other day, and he isn’t here right now as well. It makes you uneasy. Something’s wrong. You can feel it in your gut.

He hadn’t even contacted you or sent any cat videos or memes, and being the coward that you are, you left things as they were. Hope that you won’t see him again keeps you going and stops you from poking at the obvious issue lest it bites you back.

But… you feel a little guilty. Even now as you stare at the floor on the other side of the cash register, you can’t help but recall how Childe tried his best to keep conversation flowing during dinner despite getting a very rude lack of input from your side. He’s been trying, and you’re the one not giving him the time of day.

Nonetheless, relationships aren’t built on pity. You hope he finds someone else, someone more suited for him. That’s the only wish you have for him even if the moral ramifications are eating you up on the inside.

Still, you can’t stop your mind from wandering to the question of what he meant by taking the chance when the opportunity presents itself. Does he somehow know about your flight? Well, if he did, he wouldn’t have disappeared. Best to end things on a good note rather than a bad one and stay in contact. But what if he doesn’t care anymore?

Though that outcome is the welcomed one, it still stings to think that. Someone losing interest in you isn’t exactly something that makes you feel good. Regardless, it’s welcome in this situation. You were never in favour of his attention being on you and you never will be.

At 7: 08 pm, the bell at the door chimes in goodbye as you step out. The evening rush hour greets you, and you go with the flow of the people rushing home after a long day or work. Well, it’s the weekend tomorrow. At least they have something to look forward to.

The building of your current residence comes into view and relief washes all over you. Just a bit more and you can get into bed. There’s still a few more hours till you leave, and all your luggage is packed. All you need to do is take a nap.

You practically skip to the entrance, the cool air of the lobby’s air conditioning hitting your face. No one is inside and you hurriedly make way to the elevator. 

The nap you took felt like an entire night of rest. With a stretch, you jump out of bed to gather the rest of your things. It’s when you’re locking the door to your room when you realise just how quiet it is. Your apprehension is understandable, if not relatable. You’ve never exited your room after coming back home for the day, so you have no idea what the building is like after a certain hour.

Dragging your suitcase with one hand, hand carry with the other, you haul them both and yourself - the backpack on your shoulders being an honourable mention - inside the elevator. The air is uncharacteristically cool and dry, something elevator music fails to get your mind off of. 

Your phone buzzes in your pocket, but you ignore it in favour of dragging your luggage outside the elevator and into the lobby. Who would be calling this late? Probably your mother. The video call would cut when you step out and the Wifi disconnects, so it doesn’t matter. Key left at the receptionist’s desk, you mentally thank yourself for checking out online in the evening but pray that the key is still here by morning.

Hesitation wins and you end up leaving it next to the pen holder. You were told to drop it off at the desk. It’s not your fault it’s unattended.

The bus stop is a five minute walk away, so with a deep breath, you step out of the lobby and to the outside, allowing the night’s cool breeze to caress your face as your luggage stays grasped in either hand. Your eyes land on the empty road, praying that you don’t get creeped out by the lack of people.

Biting the inside of your cheek, you take a step forward, then another, and another, till you’re a few metres away from the building’s entrance. The breeze is still blowing and the air is cool so you won’t be hot during your wait at the sto-

“[Name]?”

The breeze stops blowing.

“Where are you going at this hour? And… why… is your luggage with you?”

Your breathing is the next to stop, though only momentarily.

Almost on instinct, you let go of everything in your hands and reach for the phone in your pocket. You don’t even bother looking at the source of the voice, eyes glued to ‘Childe’ glowing on your screen as the contact of the missed call. Heart hammering in your chest, you slowly turn to look at him.

Regret and fear seep into your bones at the same time. He’s wearing something similar to what he usually did in the beginning, garnet dress shirt and dark grey dress pants. The gloves on his hands cover his palms but leave the majority of the back of his hands exposed, phone held in the leather grip.

What your eyes focus on first, however, is the earring. It catches the light from the lobby behind him like a beacon, but you’re quick to look away and into the blue irises of his empty gaze.

There’s no time for you to question why you didn’t hear him before he spoke up.

“Are you leaving?” He takes a step forward, phone slipping inside his pocket, and you take a step back. The reaction is all he needs from you to raise his hands in surrender, only coming closer when the wary look on your face softens into something more observant.

“Are you going back home?” Childe stands only one step away when he asks that and tilts his head waiting for an answer. He receives one in the form of a nod, and questions further. “When’s your flight?”

“Half past 3 am,” is your reply.

“So you have a little less than four hours,” he points out. “I actually came here to talk to you. I uh… I missed you and couldn’t help it. If I knew you were leaving, I would have come sooner.”

You’re still watching him attentively, the clothing he’s wearing sufficient to ring alarm bells in your head. “So you wanted to talk?”

“Yes.”

“Well,” you bite your lip, “I guess I’m not running late. The bus will be here in fifteen minutes anyway, so I have time to spare.”

“Perfect!” He grabs both of your luggages and drags them in the opposite direction of your intended destination: the bus stop. It takes a stern question from you for him to stop and look at you with that empty gaze again. “I’m just taking you to my car. I’ll drop you off. There’s no need to bother yourself with the bus.”

Any demurrance from your side is promptly shut down and smoothed over with reassurances that he’d get you to the airport safe and sound. As your packed belongings sit next to the car, Childe eases the backpack off your shoulder and leaves it on top of them.

It’s when he looks at you that the anxiety skyrockets, eating away your consciousness. Alone with Childe, a highly ranked member of the mafia, at near midnight with all your belongings and an assurance to be dropped off the airport safe and sound is an obvious problem.

You should have listened to the uneasy feeling in your gut back in the store.

“So,” he drawls, standing a foot away from you with his hands in his pockets, “I know I was brash and that I shouldn’t have made you uncomfortable and also should have apologised to you later, but I won’t.”

That causes you to perk up, anxiety dying down a little. “You… won’t?”

“Yeah,” he shrugs, “I won’t. It’s because I’m not going back on my words. I know you don’t view me as a potential partner, let alone friend, but that isn’t going to stop me.”

You don’t like where this is going.

Childe continues, eyes still boring into yours. “I don’t understand why you’re afraid of me. I’ve told and showed you countless times that I’m not going to do anything. It’s pointless to waste your energy. All I want is to exclusively be yours and call you mine. Why would I ever do anything to you if that’s what I wish for?”

The sir suddenly feels too suffocating, like not enough oxygen is filling your lungs. There’s a subtle darkness in your vision, one you deal with by walking to and leaning on the parked car, not that it helps. Not with the deeper breaths you’ve started taking. It doesn’t take any more indications for Childe to rush to your side, an unwelcome hand gently stroking your back.

The breeze flows again, caressing your face and blowing through your hair, but you’re still sweating.

You don’t know what happens next, just that you’re inside the car, the AC turned on, a light shining over your head, and a hand still running up and down your back while you take mouthfuls of breaths. They’re quicker now, you note, and a hand - your own hand - rises to cover your mouth as your sight and self-awareness is restored.

The confusion and vulnerability hits you like a truck and the tears simply fall harder.

Each and every time the hand moves over your back, you feel like more of your skin was peeled off, goosebumps still littering over your arms. It takes several minutes for you to somewhat calm down and become cognizant of your emotions and actions. It doesn’t come as a surprise when the first thing you decide to do in that state is cry harder.

What are you crying for? You don’t know. It’s hard enough as it is to just continue breathing. Processing your emotions is for later.

A hand, a foreign one, gently lifts your face, allowing the dashboard to come into view, and turns it to the source. Childe’s blurry image greets you as your chest heaves, warm thumbs swiping away the tears rapidly running down your cheeks. You don’t have time to dwell on where his gloves disappeared to, focusing on the feeling of his warm thumbs feeling cool over your tear stricken face.

Several minutes pass again, and you sit with your face in your hands while Childe puts your luggage inside the car trunk. Reddened, swollen eyes meet his blue ones in the silence of the car, your sniffling being the only sound. Whatever you just experienced was horrible. Had Childe not been… no. He is part of the cause. Him helping you through it is the least he could have done.

The driver’s seat is quickly occupied once again, and Childe breaks the silence, concern present all over his face. “Are you feeling better?”

You nod, too uncertain in your ability to speak. His question of whether or not you want some water is met with a shake of your head, and Childe settles with pressing his lips into a thin line.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I didn’t think it would upset you that much.”

Voice slightly raspy, you reply after clearing your throat. “It’s alright. I… I didn’t see it coming as well.”

He slumps into his seat, head turned to look at you. Childe’s eyes glaze over your body, looking for potential signs of fear. It seems to him that you’re dazed, confused. It’s advantageous for him, if not relieving. Seeing you afraid or in pain doesn’t elicit any positive feelings.

After receiving your permission, Childe puts on his seatbelt - all the while making sure you fasten yours as well - and reverses the car, intending to drive you to the airport. You’re a bit late compared to what you originally planned, but you suppose he can get you there on time.

The car is eerily quiet with the lack of music. There’s no gentle humming from Childe, only the sound of either of you breathing. Unfortunately for you, the silence fails to last.

“So when are you coming back?” Childe’s voice is calm, flat. He’s completely casual in his question despite your concern that he wouldn’t take kindly to being lied to about such a thing.

“It’s one way,” you lie. Not being held accountable for your verbal deceit helps you gain some confidence. “I’m not sure when I’ll be back, but I’ll be back for class obviously.”

The car is silent again for a while and it fills you with hope for a quiet ride, one where you would get off, thank Childe profusely, and head home never to see him again. Alas hope is crushed, and you freeze in your seat, muscles tensing when Childe speaks again.

“How much more are you going to lie?”

Childe continues driving, acting unaffected with his demeanour and tone, but it wouldn’t take a genius to know that him gripping the steering wheel in a bone crushing grip is anything but him being casual. 

No. He’s certainly upset, and you’re afraid you’re too much at his mercy.

“I gave you another chance and you ruined it.” Childe’s fingers tap rhythmically on the steering wheel, voice even as he speaks. “Why don’t we try again? When’re you coming back?”

You bite your tongue when you feel the initial signs of panic bubbling up your throat. It takes a bit of force to make yourself speak, even if it’s in a more fearful way. “Seven weeks. I’ll be home for seven weeks.”

“You’re not going to block me on your socials when you get there, are you?”

With a shake of your head, you continue looking out the window. “No.” 

He hums, satisfied at your cooperation. “Good.” The car takes a turn, the empty roads seemingly omnipresent. “I’m not going to do anything. I just wanted to know the truth… er, more like hear it directly from you.”

A few minutes of silence pass, but it doesn’t last because you can’t stay quiet for longer. “You’re going the wrong way.”

“I am?” The smile in his voice is evident.

“Yes, you are.” You turn to look at him, nervously gulping at his grin. “Stop messing around.”

He doesn’t reply.

“Childe!”

Your panic fails to affect him in any way. With the fuzziness growing in your mind, there’s not much you can do except grab onto his sleeve. That causes him to look at you, even if just for a moment, but that’s all you get for a reaction. As a last resort, you reach for your phone in your pocket but freeze when you don’t feel the device.

You don’t need to say anything for Childe to provide the answer to your question. “Your phone isn’t there. It’s with me, I’m afraid.”

“Childe,” you say, voice low and pleading, “please stop screwing around.”

He sounds slightly offended when he replies. “You think I’m screwing around?”

“Yes!” Your exclamation doesn’t seem to affect him, so you opt for a more direct approach. “I don’t understand why you’re doing this. I came with you because I trusted you.” The words are spat out, but Childe only seems amused.

“Trusted me?” He chuckles. “Sweetheart, if you trusted me, you would’ve told me about your flight from the start instead of lying about putting in a one week notice. You’re scared of me, and despite the fact that it stings like salt on an open wound, I suppose there’s some merit to that as well.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“What do you think I mean?”

You bite the inside of your cheek now. There’s no way you can tell what Childe means by what he said. Judging from your previous conversations as well, your fear of him is a sour spot, but maybe you could exploit that to your favour.

“I’m afraid of you, because of your unpredictability and that is exactly what you are demonstrating right now.” You grab onto his sleeve again, albeit more desperately this time. “You gave me more reasons to fear you than you did to like you.”

The car slows, as if synchronised with Childe’s thought process. “Is that… really what you think of me?”

“Yes,” you reply in an even voice. “I was already a little scared from what I heard from people and then you started doing all this stuff-”

“Stuff like what?”

“Stuff like this!”

He sighs, moving the steering wheel to stop the car at the side of the road. “I just told you that I can’t ever hurt you, and you’re still calling me scary?”

Your eyes focus on his expression, specially searching for any signs of him lying - hypocritical on your part - but fail to find anything other than sincerity. The grip on his sleeve loosens, your hand ultimately returning to your lap, when he turns to face you. It’s intimidating to look into his dead eyes but it still makes you wonder how such a beautiful colour can be so lifeless.

Childe’s lips move and despite your feelings you find yourself absolutely memorised by the plush pink as his voice leaves his mouth.

“I’m not changing my mind.”

His declaration forces you to focus on his words, any attraction be damned.

“Lying to me and saying that you haven’t decided on leaving for home did get on my nerves a little,” he says, “but I forgive you. You’re cute, so I can’t stay mad at you for long.”

You let his words sink in. He says that he forgives you for the lie, but what now?

“Alright,” you drawl, voice nervous, “now can we please go to the airport?”

Childe leans in, a smile on his face. “How about instead of the airport, we go home?”

The word ‘home’ catches your attention and dread settles in. If he’s implying what you think he is, then you don’t think you’ll be able to catch your flight, let alone get to the airport.

“Childe,” you croon, “I think we have some misunderstandings. Before either of us does something impulsive and hurtful, let’s just talk it over.”

He just looks amused. “Oh? Talk over what? You’re the one pushing me away.”

You try again to de-escalate. “I only told you that I don’t want a relationship.”

“Liar.” Childe’s hand reaches for the edge of your seat, the skin below his collarbones and a little bit of his chest visible as he leans in closer. “We’ve already had this discussion before. Since you’re cute and obviously not in very good mental shape at the moment, I’ll give you a little bit of advice. Let me do my thing. I’m not going to hurt you, just… change your scenery a little.”

You narrow your eyes at him upon saying the word ‘scenery’. Though consternation eats you up on the inside, you trust that Childe wouldn’t do anything to you, at least not physically. What he is currently planning to do is a different matter.

Patience, you remind yourself. That might just be the only thing you have left.

“Now that that’s settled,” he says, going back to the steering wheel, “why don’t I take you home? I’m sure you’ll like it. It’s more comfortable and spacious than where you were living.”

In the most calm and even voice you could muster, you try pleading with him again. “Childe, please. Don’t do something that would make me hate you.”

He doesn’t even look at you when he answers. The lack of smile and his eyes fixed on the road as he continues driving does not help ease your increasing dread. “It might be a small bump, but the end destination is what matters in this case, not the journey.”

You glance to the door handle in an act of desperation but bite your lip when all hope is lost at the sight of the lock. Month old words hit you like a truck, patience being some elaborate scheme for the notorious members of society to make others more docile and submissive to them. After all this time, would it be wise to believe you’ll be alright?

[decolonize-the-everything]

At the University of Michigan on Wednesday, what was meant to be a peaceful pro-Palestinian die-in quickly turned violent after police ordered the students to disperse

[...]The immediate response by the police appeared to show a slightly different approach from the administration compared to last year, and protesters say law enforcement has become more emboldened to stamp out campus protests before they grow bigger. "We were surprised that they would commit such violence so brazenly and openly, with hundreds of new students watching, especially when it makes students feel so unsafe," the protester said. The university responded to the incident with a statement saying that it respects freedom of speech and expression but claimed the protesters were "violating university policy" by blocking traffic.

At the University of South Florida, all activities which may feature signs, tents or amplified sound now require prior approval. Likewise, at the University of California, which saw some of the most violent attacks on pro-Palestine protesters last semester, the university president ordered chancellors on all 10 campuses to ban student encampments and "overnight loitering". Using a mask to hide your identity or block walkways and university buildings is now also prohibited. According to the new directive, anyone not following the latest guidelines could face arrest. Students told MEE they perceived the policies as new layers of repression

"The university would rather focus on ways to perfect various means of both subtle and brutal repression of their students than engage and address the demands of disclosure and divestment," Mona, a student activist at UCLA, told MEE

Mona, who asked to be identified by her first name only, given the prospect of suspension and expulsion, said the policies being enacted are an attempt to bury the university's complicity in Israel's war on Gaza. "UCLA and many universities will claim to not have enough resources for a wide variety of social and health initiatives to benefit their students, but will stop at nothing to protect their role in furthering the genocide and occupation in Palestine. "There is a lot of rhetoric about the values that guide our campus, but the administration's reactions and policy implementations demonstrate that the values of equality and justice, which students are centring, are the farthest thing from their minds," Mona added.

*I can't find the source of the art to give credit, if anyone knows who it is pls let me know

If you are not at a university now is the time to start looking into how you can support campus protests; donating supplies/time, boosting bail funds, sharing posts about rights & law changes, etc.

[probablyasocialecologist]

The Guardian has uncovered evidence showing how Israel has relaunched a controversial entity as part of a broader public relations campaign to target US college campuses and redefine antisemitism in US law. Seconds after a smoke alarm subsided during the hearing, Chikli assured the lawmakers that there was new money in the budget for a pushback campaign, which was separate from more traditional public relations and paid advertising content produced by the government. It included 80 programs already under way for advocacy efforts “to be done in the ‘Concert’ way”, he said. The “Concert” remark referred to a sprawling relaunch of a controversial Israeli government program initially known as Kela Shlomo, designed to carry out what Israel called “mass consciousness activities” targeted largely at the US and Europe. Concert, now known as Voices of Israel, previously worked with groups spearheading a campaign to pass so-called “anti-BDS” state laws that penalize Americans for engaging in boycotts or other non-violent protests of Israel. Its latest incarnation is part of a hardline and sometimes covert operation by the Israeli government to strike back at student protests, human rights organizations and other voices of dissent. Voices’ latest activities were conducted through non-profits and other entities that often do not disclose donor information. From October through May, Chikli has overseen at least 32m shekels, or about $8.6m, spent on government advocacy to reframe the public debate.

[...]

Haaretz and the New York Times recently revealed that Chikli’s ministry had tapped a public relations firm to secretly pressure American lawmakers. The firm used hundreds of fake accounts posting pro-Israel or anti-Muslim content on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. (The diaspora affairs ministry denied involvement in the campaign, which reportedly provided about $2m to an Israeli firm for the social media posts.) But that effort is only one of many such campaigns coordinated by the ministry, which has received limited news coverage. The ministry of diaspora affairs and its partners compile weekly reports based on tips from pro-Israel US student groups, some of which receive funding from Israeli government sources. For example, Hillel International, a co-founder of the Israel on Campus Coalition network and one of the largest Jewish campus groups in the world, has reported financial and strategic support from Mosaic United, a public benefit corporation backed by Chikli’s ministry. The longstanding partnership is now being utilized to shape the political debate over Israel’s war. In February, Hillel’s chief executive, Adam Lehman, appeared before the Knesset to discuss the strategic partnership with Mosaic and the ministry of diaspora affairs, which he said had already produced results.

24 June 2024

[padfootagain]

Love in Verses (IX)

Chapter 9 : 'I think I will always be lonely in this world, where the cattle graze like a black and white river- where the vanishing lilies melt, without protest, on their tongues'

Hi! Here is another chapter! Saoirse is back, and our babies are making some evil plans…

I hope you like this new chapter! Tell me what you think!

****

Pairing: Hozier x fem!reader (professor!AU)

Warnings: slow burn, angst, hurt, hurt/comfort, tooth-rotting fluff in later chapters, some scenes in later chapters will have heavy sexual themes even if it’s not explicit nsfw description, so minors here

Summary: Your life seems perfect. You're engaged, your career is thriving as you become an assistant professor at Trinity College, and this Andrew Hozier-Byrne you're sharing an office with seems to be a nice guy you hope to call a friend soon. Life seems to be smiling at you... until everything goes sour. When your fiancé breaks up with you, your perfect world shatters. And when your colleague also gets his heart broken soon after, your shared office seems to be a curse rather than a blessing. But Andrew seems determined to mend your broken hearts... Will things finally go according to plan?

Word Count: 1798

Masterlist for the series – Hozier’s masterlist – Main masterlist

Lilies

I have been thinking about living like the lilies that blow in the fields.

They rise and fall in the edge of the wind, and have no shelter from the tongues of the cattle,

and have no closets or cupboards, and have no legs. Still I would like to be as wonderful

as the old idea. But if I were a lily I think I would wait all day for the green face

of the hummingbird to touch me. What I mean is, could I forget myself

even in those feathery fields? When Van Gogh preached to the poor of coarse he wanted to save someone--

most of all himself. He wasn't a lily, and wandering through the bright fields only gave him more ideas

it would take his life to solve. I think I will always be lonely in this world, where the cattle graze like a black and white river--

where the vanishing lilies melt, without protest, on their tongues-- where the hummingbird, whenever there is a fuss, just rises and floats away.

Mary Oliver

So, this was Pr. Hozier- Byrne…

H-B, or Hozier like everyone on campus seemed keen to call him. Saoirse understood the hype around the man though.

His voice was soft and lulling, his explanations clear, his love for his work evident. He seemed nice, answered all the questions, had something a little shy about him that seemed to quieten when he was teaching. He exuded confidence then, on the contrary, and despite the softness in his tone, it was impossible not to listen to him babbling away about Yeats. The fact that he was handsome was also a strong argument in his favour, Saoirse couldn’t deny it. Ridiculously tall, curls falling over his shoulders, trimmed beard and glasses over green eyes… She sighed as she stared at him, sporting a grey tweed suit, turning to write something over on the board. And that deep voice… damn…

She shook herself, focused on the lecture again, took note of the date her teacher was writing on the white board. The first class was an introduction to Yeats’ life and work, the study of his texts would start next week. For now, Saoirse was carefully writing down dates and historical events and the name of the woman he would spend most of his life pinning over. And she wondered if Hozier was pinning over a woman too, if he was married, if he longed for love, if that was why he seemed to love poetry so much, because he saw his own longing in other people’s words…

She shook herself again, wrote down something about Lady Gregory and the Abbey Theatre. She was projecting her own feelings over that tall stranger, she reckoned. A dangerous activity, if there ever had been one.

Apparently, more students had chosen the class about science-fiction, but Saoirse had definitely no regrets. If the topic seemed more complicated, her teacher was determined to pass on his love for poetry. She was grateful to Gabi for convincing her to choose this class, was already happy to have chosen his lesson about modernism for the second half of the year.

Indeed, she could see that Gabi had done well in recruiting for this class. Most of the students Saoirse had seen with Gabi during orientation week were now listening to H-B explaining the use of theatre to create a common Irish identity that worked hand in hand with the growing anger that would lead to revolution. And indeed, Sean and Donald were there too. If Donald had settled a couple of rows behind her, Sean was sitting next to her, actually. He had recognised her as soon as he had entered the room, had headed straight towards her and asked if he could sit next to her. And Saoirse was happy to have someone she knew in this class too, even if they had spoken but a few hours during orientation week. She hoped they could become friends, she felt a little lonely in this new adult world.

 The lecture went on and was over too soon, a feeling Saoirse had not been expecting for any of her lectures. As she packed up her things, she noticed that Gabi was at the door, eyeing the students inside, and she gave Saoirse a wave when their gazes met. Sean and Saoirse hurried out of the room.

“Hey! How are my wee students doing?” Gabi asked with a grin.

“Doing okay, so far!” Saoirse answered with a smile. “Didn’t even get lost this morning!”

“What an achievement!” Gabi laughed good-heartedly. “Saw that you were having a class with H-B this morning, my next lecture starts in fifteen minutes, just down the hall. Thought I’d come see you all, check on you.”

“We’re fine, thanks,” Sean nodded with a smile.

Donald joined them as well, and they chatted happily for a couple of minutes.

“There’s a party planned at the end of the week, to celebrate the beginning of the year. You should come!”

“Huh… sure! Sounds good.”

If Saoirse was feeling a little shy, Donald was already asking questions about the drinks and the music.

Gabi was about to answer him when she was distracted by someone walking behind Saoirse and Sean, and she immediately grinned.

“Good morning, professor!”

The younger students turned around and politely smiled at their teacher, while he beamed at Gabi.

“Well, well, well… if it isn’t our favourite troublemaker…” he teased, eyes sparkling with mischief. “How are you doing, Gabi? How was your summer?”

“It was good! Busy, lots of things to plan to make sure I can turn all our new recruits into proper menaces!”

Andrew laughed, shaking his head playfully.

“Oh, I bet you have tons of ideas for that… but don’t scare our students away too soon, alright?”

He quickly checked his watch.

“Gotta run, but it was nice seeing you. Will I see you on Thursday then?”

“You know me… how could I say no to a class about protest poetry?”

Andrew’s smile brightened even more.

“Grand. I’m glad to have you as a student again this year.”

He excused himself then, bidding all four students a nice day, and they stared as he walked away, his long legs devouring the distance between the classroom and the exit of the building in mere seconds.

“He’s so nice!” Saoirse sighed. “Thanks for recommending this class to us.”

“He is. And Christ… he’s a sight for sore eyes.”

They all laughed at that, and went on to chat for a while longer, until Gabi had to head to her own class.

Saoirse could feel it, it would be a good year.

Andrew hurried back to your office, knowing that you were waiting for him. And indeed, when he arrived, you had already taken your sandwich out of your bag and were focused on your computer screen.

You greeted him with a smile when he quickly stepped into the room.

“Sorry, ran into a student I know well. Okay… what are our options?”

Andrew took off his vest, took out of his bag his own sandwich and his water bottle, before pushing his chair next to yours so he could look at your screen as well.

Frank was asking for advices about flower arrangements, for the wedding but also for a party they wanted to organise a few weeks before the wedding, some kind of huge get-together with family and friends to celebrate their engagement. Sam and Frank seemed to treat the event as some kind of rehearsal for their big day, and wanted to decorate the place in a similar way they would use for the ceremony.

A perfect occasion to raise chaos and mayhem…

“Frank has already narrowed down our choices… meaning that he took out anything with carnations or calla lilies, he doesn’t like those. I’ve tried to probe to know Sam’s taste, but he seems clueless.”

“Are we surprised by that?” Andrew mumbled under his breath, something bitter in his tone. “Sam’s favourite flowers are white lilies, and she hates pink and yellow roses.”

“Okay, so… can we find any pink and yellow roses in those…”

Andrew chuckled before taking a bite of his sandwich.

“You’re kind of terrifying, Machiavelli…”

“One of my favourite books is about getting stuck in hell and watching people being tortured,” you reminded him, making Andrew laugh and glimpse over at the picture you had hung on the wall.

“Right… my bad. I shouldn’t underestimate your evil nature, clearly.”

“Unless you’re ready to face the consequences…” you added with false threat in your voice, while you were clearly struggling to hold back your laughter.

“Don’t turn me into anything… unnatural.”

You froze, turned to him.

“Was that a Lord of the Rings reference?” you asked with utter surprise evident on your features.

“Obviously,” Andrew smiled, something cheeky and cute at the same time, clearly pleased with himself.

“God… I love the Lord of the Rings!”

“Who doesn’t?!”

“Frank.”

Andrew huffed, but said nothing. He thought the words all the same… what a tasteless gobshite…

“Why am I not surprised?” was his answer instead, and you chuckled at his words.

“Yeah… he does have a few red flags,” you conceded.

“Hmm… but the fact that we’re plotting together against our exes is kind of a red flag, isn’t it? A scarlet one if I’ve ever seen one…”

“Is it worse than not liking the Lord of the Rings?”

Andrew couldn’t hold back the smile that tugged at his mouth.

“Nah, we’re good,” he joked, making you laugh.

And he liked the sound. Almost three weeks had passed since Sam and Frank had announced their engagement and Andrew and you were spending more and more time together. You had planned some things to get to talk to your exes, or just as you were doing today, to mess up with their wedding. Which meant seeing you outside the university, eating his lunch with you, talking over the phone sometimes…

And Andrew liked it. He liked that your dynamic was back on a friendly rhythm instead of something merely professional. You were nice, and hilarious, and so fucking smart. He hoped you would remain friends after all this. He hoped you would become good friends, with a bit of time.

“Oh, this one is so ugly…” you giggled at the picture on your screen, something pink and over the top, with a lot of roses…

“Oh, yeah… that’s the one. Send him this one.”

“Frank asked me for a favour by the way… he wanted me to go fishing for information about Sam’s tastes in flowers.”

“You mean… asking me about it?”

You nodded, and Andrew let out a wry laugh.

“What did you tell him?”

“That I wouldn’t have the opportunity to ask you today as our classes would keep us busy. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to play the perfect boyfriend and come to the rescue, and offer to use her favourite flowers.”

“You’re the best, you know that?”

“Of course!”

You both laughed, eating your sandwiches. And then the conversation drifted away from Sam and Frank, settled on your classes, on work, on the movie he had watched on Sunday, on the walk you had taken with Siobhán and how much you would miss her when she would be gone.

And Andrew still felt a hole in his chest, the weight of something hollow, of a piece missing, because of Samantha. But when he was with you, the grief didn’t seem so heavy, the pain so aching. The emptiness in his heart seemed a little less empty when you were around. God knew he missed Samantha, that he wanted her back. But at least, you made him feel human again. He reckoned you were the only one to make him properly laugh these days.

[meltedbluecaterpillar]

I Don't Care!: Heartslabyul

Savanaclaw - Octavinelle - Scarabia - Pomfiore - Ignihyde - Diasomnia

Romantic Jealousy: Based on real or imagined threats to a romantic relationship. There could be a history of infidelity or flirtations; however, this could also be solely based on insecurities. Sexual/Suspicious Jealousy: Based on fears that a partner may have cheated or be engaged in inappropriate communication.

Does he get jealous?

Riddle Rosehearts

Riddle Rosehearts likes to see himself as the least insecure person on the planet. But that changes when he sees Silver getting chummy with you...

The activities for the Equestrian Club had ended for the day and Riddle Rosehearts had made plans to spend the day with you on Sage Island. Just the two of you. He wanted to go visit a new bookstore that opened and get something to eat at a nearby café. The invitation was his indirect way of requesting a date with you. You had shown up ten minutes before the Equestrian Club's activities had ended for the day. Riddle didn't mind, but he also didn't like the idea of you waiting on him! With a quick wave exchanged between the two of you, he and the others began to return the horses to the stables.

Riddle was one of the last to finish up along with Sebek. He was chatting excitedly under his breath with Vorpal about how he hoped your date would go. Until he heard you giggle. His head snapped in the direction of the sound, a curious expression graced his features.

He poked his head out of the stable, cautious of making sure he wasn't seen as his curiosity morphed into something more... Intense. Something he couldn't label; but he did not like it. You were leaning against the wooden fence, a sweet smile on your face as Silver stood beside you. The two of you were talking, it was innocent but something about the sight bothered Riddle.

Was it that Silver was taller than Riddle? The way he looked down at you with longing eyes? Was it how he subtly moved closer and closer until his shoulder just barely grazed yours as he effortlessly got you to snicker at whatever it was he said? Was it his natural princely aura? The way his arms flexed when he crossed them over his chest?

The sight in front of Riddle left him feeling as though he could remove Silver's head from his body. Easily. He ground his teeth together when Silver leaned in close. Too close. The student pulled something out of your hair with a delicate grin that left Riddle's heart sinking into his gut. He and Silver got along fine. There were no ill intentions, Riddle knew that.

So why did he wish for Silver to be struck by lightning? Riddle was frozen in place until Sebek left the stables in a hurry, snapping at Silver to move his feet so they could return to 'Lord Malleus'. Silver diverted his attention away from you, offering you a wave goodbye as Riddle casually followed suit.

Sebek greeted you with his usual loud voice and the pair took off. Riddle now stood in front of you with his head spinning with a newfound worry. This is what Cater would explain as jealousy. But he's not jealous. He had no reason to be. Silver was probably dozing off and that's why he leaned against you. The student was just waiting on Sebek. You just happened to be there to chat with. It was nothing.

When you called Riddle's name, his eyes met yours. That icy shade of grey appeared clouded as he cleared his throat. His posture straightened as he nodded towards you with a weak smile. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting... I assume Silver kept you company? What did the two of you talk about?" Riddle isn't jealous. He doesn't care about things like that.

The two of you are dating. Everyone on campus knows that.

Trey Clover

Trey Clover isn't exactly the 'jealous' type. But he starts to re-think that when Che'nya starts to hit on you.

(tw blood)

Trey's eyes flickered between your smiling face and Che'nya's wide toothy grin. You had come over to assist him in baking an assortment of tarts for an UnBirthday Party, and apparently had met a familiar face on your way into Heartslabyul. Trey and Che'nya are friends and have been friends for a long time. And remained friends despite going to different schools; but this was different.

Something about seeing Che'nya getting so close to you was starting to piss Trey off.

He was silent as Che'nya hovered around you with his ear grating laugh. His fingers would linger against your clothes as the two of you talked with Trey idly listening and offering minimal input. He slid another dozen tarts into the oven to bake and removed the last set of twelve to allow them to cool.

Then, Che'nya got you to play a game with him. He slipped off your striped tie and wrapped it around your eyes as a blindfold. Trey glanced over with a frown and before he could speak, Che'nya waved a dismissive hand at him. "It's just a game. It's fine." He assured with that same toothy grin Trey was beginning to get sick of.

The beastman used a spoon to feed you different things, getting you to guess what the item was. Strawberries, walnuts, blueberries, and chocolate. All sorts of different things would be placed on the spoon for you to guess. It was harmless and you were clearly having fun. Trey thought that maybe he was overreacting. This wasn't that big of a deal. He had mentioned in passing that the two of you were dating to Che'nya. And everyone in NRC knew.

Che'nya wanted to get close to you because he was a friend to Trey, and he was naturally a very touchy and outgoing person. It's not that serious. Trey let out an exhale as he picked up a can of evaporated milk for one of the tart fillings. He glanced back over to see Che'nya looking at you with longing eyes, and the spoon he used to feed you was now hanging between his lips.

The can burst in his palm.

The sudden sound left Che'nya startled with a loud squeak of shock. The beastman turned invisible, leaving the spoon hanging in the air until he dropped it. You lifted the tie-blindfold with wide eyes before rushing over to check on Trey who dropped the can and looked at his palm. The metal had sliced open his hand, leaving it bleeding and mixing with the thick cream. He didn't even hear your worried voice as you tugged on his arm to pull him towards the sink to rinse off the wound. "Sorry... I'm not sure what came over me." He chuckled under his breath as you continued to fuss over him.

Your voice traveled in one ear and out the other as he started to frown. He didn't usually care about stuff like this. Or at least he thought he didn't care.

Cater Diamond

Cater knows he's a jealous person. Not that you would need to know that... But those emotions start spilling out when you have a tooth rotting encounter with Kalim...

Cater pretended to scroll through his phone, his eyes flicking up to look at Kalim with an annoyed side eye. The younger student was excitedly telling you about a mini concert the Light Music Club would be having at an underground club on the island. Something Cater has already told you about previously. 

“It’s gonna be so fun! And everyone is gonna be there. Even some of the RSA kids! The cool ones of course.” He promised with a wide smile, he sat backwards in his chair, his knee would sometimes bump against yours when he would kick his legs out with excitement. He would quickly apologize before going back to talking. Lilia was glancing between the group while sucking away at a box of tomato juice. 

“You can sit backstage with us too! I’ll show you all of the cool stuff.” Kalim offered to you with a gentle wave of his hand. He began to show you different hang out spots near the club, things to do and stuff to see. It was starting to feel almost like Kalim was inviting you on a pseudo date. But that couldn’t be the case. Cater didn’t think Kalim was smart enough to pull something like that off. 

Cater hummed thoughtfully before scooting closer to you with a lazy smile on his face. “We already have plans after the concert. Sorry Kalim.” Cater explained as he opened his camera up to take a quick selfie with you. “You did?! Sorry! I didn’t mean to change anything.” He smiled sheepishly as you posed in the photo before turning to Kalim, assuring him that it was fine. You had no idea Cater had made plans for after the concert.

Seeing Kalim going back to smiling and laughing with you made Cater frown. He slid an arm around your waist as he started to decorate the edges of your picture with stickers and colorful emojis. He began to pull you closer and closer subconsciously until you were seated on his thigh with a soft gasp of surprise leaving your lips. Lilia stood with his emptied tomato juice, turning to Kalim with a smile. “Oh, I’m out of juice! Kalim,” He shook the empty box in his pale hand. “Why don’t you walk with me? I’m not a fan of going alone.” He let out a dramatic sigh, appearing forlorn as Kalim jumped out of his seat. “Oh! I’ll go with you! Don’t worry.” He beamed and headed to the door with Lilia. “We’ll be right back guys!” Kalim waved to the both of you, and you waved back before turning to face Cater.

He was pouting as he surrounded the image in orange and red hearts. You asked him what was wrong and he shook his head. “Nothing, I’m a little tired, that's all.” He tried to feign a smile but it fell quickly when he went to post the photo on MagiCam. He doesn’t care. It’s not that serious. When you leaned over and kissed his cheek he felt his heart skip in his chest. Yeah, he has no reason to be jealous.

Ace Trappola

Ace doesn't believe he's jealous. In fact, it's beneath him. Well, he thought that until Malleus started hanging around...

Ace narrowed his eyes at Malleus as he sat on the other side of you during lunch. Malleus who was never seen gracing this part of the school, yet here he was showing you how he could make flowers out of nothing but magic. 

His eyebrow twitched when Malleus would lean down to hand them to you. Some of them would explode into glitter, some would fade away into colorful petals, and one turned into a mini swarm of butterflies. Ace could do a magic trick like that too. If you asked him to show you he would with no problem. 

Ace straightened out and looked at Malleus. His stupid horns, his stupid handsome face, the way his half lidded eyes looked at you as though no one else were around. It was infuriating. Ace’s jaw was starting to clench and he suddenly met eyes with the prince of Briar Valley. Lime green and cherry red locked together with challenging stares. “That’s an easy trick. Anyone can do that.” Ace huffed and broke away from the prince, looking at you with a smirk. “I can show you something super cool. You wanna see?” He asked you, and watched your eyes light up as you gave him a nod.

Malleus watched as Ace rubbed his hands together with a wide and proud smile. When he pulled them away, a massive and colorful bouquet appeared wrapped in a bright red paper. It was full of all of your favorite flowers and even some he had never seen before. Malleus frowned from the other side of you, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ace handed you the flowers and returned his gaze to the Fae. “There’s no trick you can do that I can’t.” Ace challenged the prince, not understanding the weight his words would actually hold. He wasn’t jealous. Especially not with someone like lizard breath. Malleus frowned with his arms crossed over his chest. “I apologize Trappola. Are you offended?” His question was genuine, but to Ace it was an insult. “I wouldn’t be offended by some lame party trick.” This made Malleus’ eyebrow twitch. “So, if I preformed something more grand for the Child of Man… How would you feel?” He asked with a small flick of his wrist. In his hand was a little dancing doll that looked like you. It was starting to annoy Ace. “Don’t you have a statue to talk to?” You looked to Ace, telling him not to be rude as the two of them locked eyes with anger. 

Ace wasn’t jealous. He would never be jealous. At least, he would never admit it. 

Deuce Spade

Deuce trusted you with his entire being! He had no reason to be jealous or possessive. But feelings change... Especially after seeing you and Jack become so close.

Deuce apologized profusely when he told you he had to go to a mandatory track practice after classes ended for the day. You let him know over and over that you didn’t mind going with him and waiting for practice to end. 

He walked onto the track with you beside him, smiling and talking until he heard you gasp. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to get that close.” Jack apologized as he appeared on the other side of you. Deuce was scowling and before he could speak, you explained that you felt something soft brush against your back. Jack has a large tail, but surely he knows that. Deuce looked away with a smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make a face.” He laughed away his worry as the three of you talked and both Deuce and Jack made their way to begin practice. Deuce was watching you the whole time, his eyes never leaving you after that moment. Jack seemed to be doing the same. It could be his imagination, but during stretches, during their dashes, and during their breaks, Jack’s eyes seemed to be watching you before he would break his attention elsewhere. It was starting to get dark and it was now the final break of the night before the last round of practice would resume. Deuce made his way over to you before stopping at his gym bag to pull out his track jacket to let you wear. He saw Jack standing in front of you as you stayed seated on the bench. The two of you talking and laughing. 

Seeing Jack’s tail wagging as you smiled up at him… Deuce wasn’t sure why he felt so angry. You were allowed to have friends. You were allowed to talk to other guys that weren’t him. He doesn’t care that much. 

So why did he entertain the idea of punching Jack in the face?

The beastman waved goodbye and walked off leaving you alone on the bench. There would be another hour of practice. Deuce awkwardly approached you with his jacket hanging from his hand. His arm extended as he held it out to you. “I thought you might be cold.” He commented with a small shrug and you accepted gratefully. He watched with a soft sigh as you stood and slipped it on, looking at it with a grin. He zipped his track jacket up to your chin with a weak smile. 

Maybe he is a little jealous. But he shouldn’t care about that kind of stuff. He loves you and you love him.

[ncfcatalyst]

New Prom, New Location

Since its conception in 2014 with a two-year absence during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, New Prom has been an annual tradition for Novos. Usually held in College Hall, this themed event is a chance for students to dress up and dance the night away. For the 2024 iteration of the event, first-year Lane Hagan is leading event planning for an Ancient Greek-themed New Prom.  Hagan currently…

[vakarians-babe]

After a historic 6 week strike, the Temple University Graduate Students Association - the first graduate worker union in Pennsylvania - has WON.

When we went out on January 31st, I don’t think any of us thought that we would end up here. This was a long and arduous process that could never have been accomplished without everyone involved—and I do mean everyone.

Numerous news outlets have been reporting throughout the whole strike, but I’d like to run through what, exactly, it is we’ve done.

After well over a year of negotiations (we went to the table in January of 2022 after the administration delayed responding to our RFIs for months) and more than a year without a contract (it expired on February 15, 2022), we were stuck with an administrative team whose position was, resolutely, “we are happy with the contract as it is.” Their belief was that teaching and research assistants, who facilitate—at a conservative estimate—approximately one-third of all instructional work here on campus were “not a core function of the university.” Pay was structured around a tier-based system that generated inequity as part of its structure which ultimately manifested as race and gender based wage gaps, and that pay averaged out between 19k and 20k for the majority of our bargaining unit. We had only five days of parental leave in the event of childbirth. To cover a single dependent on the dependent healthcare plan required an individual to spend approximately 30% of their paycheck. There had been no substantive raises or adjustments for the cost of living since our first contract as a union.

During the strike, Temple university cut our healthcare and revoked tuition remission, attempting to break us through punitive bills and threats. They quite literally threatened peoples’ lives in addition to their livelihoods. International students were threatened for daring to exercise the rights they have as visa holders to engage in protected concerted activity. They attempted to break our will and our organization.

They failed. We didn’t.

On Monday, voting on a second tentative agreement closed. The contract negotiations team and the executive board unanimously endorsed that TA. It passed at an overwhelming 98% vote among our members. That TA, which will now become our contract, did the following:

Eliminated the tier system completely

Brought our pay up to 24k at the beginning of our contract, reaching pay of 27k by its end in 2026

Introduced 25% dependent healthcare coverage which, in addition to the pay raises, lowers the burden of single dependent care to just about 18% of one’s paycheck instead of 30%

Increased parental leave to 21 days

While this contract is not the most perfect contract, it is one of the largest single contract wins in recent history. It signifies an incredible amount of organizing power and it opens the door for future negotiations that will make TUGSA even stronger.

But more importantly, this strike and this contract are incontrovertible proof that graduate worker unions can win. They are proof that we can do it, and that administrations cannot expect to silence us through retaliation. We are stronger than them.

The fight doesn’t end here. The union of graduate workers, faculty, postdocs and more at Rutgers University has passed their strike authorization vote. The graduate workers at Duke University are fighting for their right to be recognized as employees, and that fight will soon be passed up through the nation to challenge rulings made at the National Labor Relations Board. Graduate workers at other universities in Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia area are moving to unionize. TUGSA continues to organize—our next contract negotiations will begin in less than two and a half years. Now is the time to support graduate workers. We cannot backslide. We have to fight for each other, because when we fight, we win.

[xuchiya]

"like a mermaid" || jung wooyoung ||

| genre: non!idol wooyung. fluff. swimmer! wooyoung | mentions: competition. anxiety attack. stray kids! han, lee know, i.n. , bangchan

| author's note: if you do not know free! iwatobi club, im sad ;<< its an amazing and wholesome anime.

your school always holds its annual sports activities, meaning some sports clubs are now active with their practice. your school at least has many sports mainly soccer, archery, volleyball, and lastly is swimming.

you have been intrigued with the sports, yet your body never felt like engaging to any sports and stick to playing mobile instead. You were walking around the campus as you watched a few players in their booth, handing out flyers, showing a few videos of their past competition and some encouraging them to try-out.

you thank a few students who were handing you a flyer until you were greeted by a cheery student who jumped out of nowhere, "Hi! Do you want to try out for our swim club?"

you chuckle, shaking your head to which the cheery student pouted, his whole positive aura went downhill as he sat down on the plastic chair while being comforted by his friends. you instantly felt bad, but you knew deep down that your body isn't built for any sports, heck water sports.

"don't feel bad for him. it is really our target to get at least 3 new people to try-out for our club." a new person came in. you look up to see Lee know. he is one of your classmates in geography class.

"Is that usually your target each year?" he nodded, looking at the other booths who had students crowd it with curiosity and excitement. Meanwhile, they both seem to be ... deserted.

"yeah or else our club will close. permanently." you stared at him, wide eyes. you felt your heart fall on your stomach. the guilt and the thought of this club closing because no one seems to be trying or interested.

you would if you just know how to. although weighing the pros and cons of joining the club will matter in your hands, you become relentless and a little bit anxious as you gaze at these people who had deep passion for swimming and you would die in guilt if you ever saw their booth— probably never in the next year opening.

"What about being a manager? I can help you guys with that." the same cheery guy shoots up from his seat as he hears about your suggestion, "please! we are bad at managing ourselves and always tend to mess up with our schedules."

He earned an earful from lee know and smacks from other members of the club. you chuckle as lee know shoots him with a glare.

As the day went on, you were given a chance to roam around the facility of the swimming club. It was located on the second floor of the gym. it was eerie, only the sound of the machine that regenerates the water. The pool is almost the size of a standard Olympic-size pool. The glass windows were covered in dark curtains to emphasize the artificial lights inside the pool instead.

It is beautiful. the blue color hue of the pool shimmering gently with waves. It was long, with a few bleachers to the side and a plank built at the foot of the pool.

It is simple yet it excites something inside you that it made you want to strip down and jump in, but you knew better. When you had enough of exploring the place, your feet took you towards a small archway towards the exit and towards the stairs, you heard a splash. Your ears perk up from the sound of the water hitting the sides, as you run your hand on the wall as you return back to the pool side, you are greeted by a view of a body underneath the water gliding smoothly.

It was as if they are built for this sport, being able to stay under the water for more than a minute. You were fascinated, eyes sparkling how the water hit the sunlight. The way their legs wave like a mermaid tail is something you would love to see every day.

You were at the foot, waiting for the person to rise from the water but you frowned when you waited a little too long and they didn't come up to the surface. you leaned forward, tucking your hair behind your ear as you do so. You yelp when the said person rises up and almost bumps your face. they opened their eyes and widened in surprise when they were met with your eyes wide open too.

"u-uh .. hi?" you awkwardly said, waving using your other hand which is stupid as it is the one holding your entire body. you were greeted by the coldness of the water, bubbles surrounding you as you fell into the pool.

your eyes were close, afraid of the chlorine ruining your eyes, mouth looking like a chipmunk as you felt your body floating amidst the silence of the water around you.

It was a minute later when you felt your hands on yours, it made your eyes snap open, and you saw him again. His hair floating around him is the same as yours. He tugs you towards him, his arm wrapping around your waist as he pulls you both up on the surface.

Clinging to him as much as how your clothes were clinging on your body. You shake your hair out of your face, wiping them before turning towards the guy, "you can't swim." was the first thing he said, his monotone voice echoes your ear. You could feel your cheeks reddening, you meekly nodded, "yeah ..."

he held both of your waist and pushed you up onto the rough flooring of the pool. you twisted your hair to wring out some water, you felt presence beside you and the sight of fresh towels. You look up to see the same guy holding it with a towel drape across his shoulder. What is more surprising is him only having swim trunks and nothing more.

Blinking several times, you thank him while diverting your eyes away from him. you sat there, him also settling beside you; a small distance between you two.

"you're the elected manager?" he asserted. you nodded, “i am … are you a new member or—”

“4 years.” Then silence overshadowed you two. The sound of the generator came back as the white noise only for your mouth to open because of the curiosity of him knowing what your role is although not seeing his figure during the opening.

"how did you know?"

he sighs, dangling his feet in the water. "If you know how to swim which you can't so it only resolves to you being the manager of this team and club." your cheeks flared in embarrassment yet it does make sense. it was silent between you two before he spoke once again.

"Please stay." you were taken back, your eyes darted at his side profile. There is something in his aura that screams for you to save him or the existence of their club; saving the latter is probably the blurriest thing you could think of, saving their club could still stand a chance if you know how to swim but your legs and lungs wouldn’t be able to cooperate. You don’t have a phobia, it’s just you don’t have any skills in staying afloat.

 Choosing to stay silent as you wait for him to talk more to which he did, "I could teach you how to swim so our club won't close."

That is not something you were expecting to come out of his mouth yet it must have been what is also in his mind too. Maybe the mere presence of a new manager won’t save the club though another member could consider it.

Plus, if you got to see him everyday, it would be a bonus.

Agreeing to his offer (if you even think about it as an offer), it has been a month since the opening, you were declared as part of the club as a member and the manager, though it is a bit complicated and full-handed duty, it is better than doing nothing. it would challenge you more physically.

when the guy—wooyoung who you learn its name from lee know— waited at your usual spot. Pushing the door handle of the stairs, you adjust the bag as you reach the bleachers, hands inside the pockets of your jacket. wooyoung walks towards you; already in his swimsuit, "you ready?"

shrugging, hands still inside the pockets, “ready not to drown, i guess.”

As you change from your school uniform to the prescribed swimsuit that lee know told you about and the things needed when joining the club since wooyoung will be more onto the needed positions that you will easily learn and adapt. Wooyoung settled on waist deep, he outstretched his hand for you, "you need to do bubbles first."

you raised an eyebrow, "a what?"

He demonstrates as he submerges himself and multiple bubbles come on top before he resurfaces again and does it again until you proceed to do it to which you end up coughing, water running in your nose. 

Wooyoung looks at you"The major rule in this is always to relax."

"I am."

"you're not."

you glared at him, "I. Am." he shrugs, "if you were, you wouldn't be choking each time you submerge." you huff glaring at him before turning to your front, not liking how he comes to point out the obvious and being called out for it.

"You can do it. you have to get used to it." somehow even in his poor state of encouragement, you understood his assignment to you and slowly learned how he does it.

everytime you see his swimming skills, a certain feeling of determination arises through you. that thought of being able to learn something new aside from firing guns and reloading them; also the thought of being on the same level as them as you continue to strive. Wooyoung took notice of your aura and body language changing each time passed. Months and months pass as he takes you in his swimming lesson serious. he could see behind your eyes the fulfilment of becoming a part of the swim club.

Wooyoung felt nostalgic hit him as he saw his old weak and unskilled self in you. You were just like him before, scared to learn something new yet with a push and new found determination is what got him going.

up until now, he still is.

"start!" you dive, hands in front of you as you swim, you have been practicing the front crawl nearing learning the breaststroke as it is much easier for you to do. You surfaced, leaning on your side as you swam closer and closer to the foot of the pool until your palm touched the other side that you rose up.

Removing the goggles, you look at wooyoung, who pressed the timer in his hand and examined the number written, "time?"

"2 minutes and 13 seconds." You cheered, splashing your hands as you stayed afloat kicking your feet to swam gleefully. It was a new record. You have been doing the front crawl position ever since you took interest in it and now you were determined to master as none of the members were able to.

Your previous records were embarrassing yet a stepping stone. Wooyoung saw your reaction and chuckle, sitting on the edge. You swim near him, folding your arms as you pushed yourself up; your half body still submerge to the pool

“You’re ready to compete.” He spoke, his eyes sparkling. You chuckle, leaning your chin on your folded arms, “I guess I am.”

Six months had passed and your first competition came so fast that it shook you to the point you were being held by Han. He is the cheery guy you met and the others who scolded him were I.N and Bangchan. 

“Hey! It’s normal to be nervous. You know when it was my first competition, I puked everywhere.” if it weren’t for the nerves wrecking you, you would have done the same thing but the difference of your nervousness to his is that you just shake like a leaf.

Lee Know cringes, pushing him away from you using two fingers like he’s worried he’ll contaminate himself with Han’s aura, “One disgusting and two learn personal space you’re making her more nervous.”

You hummed looking at Lee Know, “Don’t worry. I’m good, just really nervous but I’m good.” Lee Know could see through your eyes that you were just bluffing but he didn’t want to pressure you nor added to your burden so instead he smiled at you, “Before the competition starts, there’s like a mini-festival happening to welcome each student from different universities to loosen up. Like you.”

You chuckle, nodding, “Okay. I’ll do that.” 

Walking around the campus of the university where the competition was held, you were amazed at how big it is, how it managed such amazing booths, entertainments and clubs that were sponsored by the government to compete in Nationals.

You were so focused on the speaker about the details of the Nationals that you didn’t notice a figure standing beside you, smiling gently. 

“That’s my goal.” Your head snapped towards the voice and saw Wooyoung looking ahead. It had always been like this, ever since you both met, you had always viewed his side profile and never front profile. When you swim, it was him on his side to demonstrate or him teaching you by being close to you— being oblivious to your red face, warm body— by adjusting and sharing techniques to swim faster and smoother.

“The Nationals?” He hums, eyes glisten with sparkles. You have come to the conclusion that out of all the members, Wooyoung tends to keep everything to himself, suppressing emotions though his relationship with the rest of the members resemble brothers.

With a small pat on his shoulder, you look at him, your lips twitching in a small smile, “You and the others work hard for this. You’ll see yourselves entering it in on time—”

“Don’t exclude yourself.” He spoke with a hint of firm in his voice. Your breath hitch when his head turn towards you. Your heart suddenly started thumping inside your ribs that you held on to it, fearing Wooyoung would hear your loud heart. His face, so symmetrical and smooth, his eyelashes were long and curled, cheeks smooth with a tinge of redness because of the changing season and then his plump pink lips.

He is so gorgeous.

“W-What?” You stuttered, hitting yourself mentally. 

His foot took a step forward, making you step backwards, eyes still at him, “Don’t exclude yourself. You work hard to be part of the team, you finally see the passion, you learn and grind your way up to be on the same level as us. So don’t exclude yourself because you are a family here.”

Your eyes widen, not expecting his words nor his short speech. Your head moving in slow nod, “Okay. I’m part of the team.” A surprise squeak left your lips when a warm hand was on top of your head, tilting to glance at Wooyoung. A boyish smirk arched on his lips, “That’s a good girl.”

Your eyes widen even more, heart finally exploding. From his words and from his change of aura. He only showed one emotion to you and that being neutral and stoic emotions hence Hans and I.N joking around with hilarious stories that made Lee Know chuckle (which is hard for anyone to do but easy for these two). So actually seeing Wooyoung smile (or would you call it smile) gave you a nickname.

You would love to be in heaven right now. 

“Manager-ssi!” You spun, hearing Han called you. Thankful for his entrance since you were close to breaking down in front of him because of the multiple emotions and butterflies he is giving in a span of five minutes. 

Facing Han, you were surprised— literally taken back when a squirt of the water gun hit your entire torso. You frowned at your drenched uniform to Han’s playful face that turned upside down when his eyes flickered behind you. 

Wooyoung’s eyes flickered with fire, Han stumbling back but he was blocked by Lee Know. His face darkened from his previous action, snatching the water gun. A fire blazed in his eyes as he kept firing the water gun at Han and then throwing the water tank of the gun on his head, “You idiot! That is her only uniform!” 

Bangchan stepped in as they were attracting eyes and pulled away a ranging Lee Know while I.N picked up Han and dragged him away, the same direction as Bangchan. You shake your head, even if it is a playful banter and childish play of Han, you chuckle though your problem is the drench, your already transparent uniform being viewed in public.

Your face brightens as you try to subtly cover yourself, not being able to pack up your jacket is a consequence you are facing, that is until you feel a warm cloth covering you. You look up to see Wooyoung eyeing a group of guys before draping his arm around you and pulling you towards the entrance where Lee Know and the others just entered.

“Next time, bring extra clothes.” 

“Noted.”

The competition started. You were the first one to compete and all hell broke loose inside the changing room. You were clenching your chest as you heaved heavily on the bench of the women’s room, thick sweats dripping down from your forehead to your neck, body slowly and flipping from cold to warm. Your mind was racing, running around in circles of the possibilities, errors and most especially about the what if’s.

You were so deep in your consciousness that your entire team plus your coach were waiting outside the women’s changing room and started to get worried when what looks to be the last person inside steps out and your figure hasn’t stepped out of the room.

Everyone looks at each other in worry, not knowing how to call you or approach you without creating a scene but Wooyoung isn’t having any of the hesitations and bursts in the room despite the calls of his members and coach.

Wooyoung knew what it felt like to be cornered, to be alone with your cruel thoughts. To have no one on your side when competing. He searches through the multiple lockers until he hears a faint cry at the end, Wooyoung rushes towards the noise and sees you curled up on the bench, shoulders shaking and hands covering your ears.

His heart broke from the scene. He had never seen you in this kind of state nor were you able to display fear but from that moment, he saw another side of you. The little kid that fear of losing and trembling under the eyes of disappointment.

Wooyoung sat beside you as quietly as he could. Your sniffles and gasp were choking the breath out of you when your stuffed noise managed to swift the smell of cool water and spice, your head slowly tilted to the side to see Wooyoung looking at you.

You wiped your tears and snot, “Y-You can’t be here, this is the women’s room Woo—”

“I don’t care, you’re my priority right now.” That shuts you up, you were still trembling, still in your anxiety zone. Your mind is jumbled up, not knowing what time it is nor were you doing here in the first place.

“Don’t think about winning, no one in this team prioritises that.” You heard Wooyoung speak softly when he noticed you nodding, he continued, “Our team is about feeling the triumph of being part of this competition; winning is a gift of luck.”

“Why?”

He turns to you, and that same smile you saw a while ago comes back, “Because trophies and medals don't measure the strength of your passion and heart.” 

And his hand found itself on top of your head again, patting it gently, “Win or lose, you realise your worth in competition not in those bronze, silver and gold.” His hand slide down towards your shoulder, giving it a squeeze, “Everyone is rooting for their new member, they want to see the unskilled caterpillar turn into a butterfly swimmer.”

A burst of chuckle left your lips while a few streams of tears were wiped by you, “Great pun Woo~” He also chuckled before pulling you up on your wobbly feet causing you to lose your balance and leaned your body on his. Wooyoung felt his entire body fired, hands freezing from your body yet you were oblivious but pumped up from his pep talk.

You turn to him, inhaling deeply locking eyes with him, “Let’s get it.”

Wooyoung smiles at you, nodding, “That’s my girl.”

[dragons-and-handcuffs]

Key Areas and Attractions

1. Tower of the Sphinx

The Tower of the Sphinx is an iconic landmark that symbolizes the university’s commitment to knowledge and wisdom. This towering structure, with its grand spires and intricate carvings, houses administrative offices and serves as a central hub for university ceremonies and events.

2. Great Library

The Great Library is the intellectual heart of Citadel University. With its vast collection of rare manuscripts, ancient texts, and modern research materials, it provides students with unparalleled resources for academic study. The library’s elegant reading rooms and study areas offer a serene environment for focused research and contemplation.

3. Maester’s Gardens

A tranquil retreat from the bustling campus life, the Maester’s Gardens feature beautifully landscaped grounds, serene water features, and a variety of medicinal plants. It’s a perfect spot for quiet reflection, study, or leisurely walks amidst nature’s beauty.

4. Hightower Plaza

The Hightower Plaza is the vibrant social center of the campus. This open space is surrounded by cafes, shops, and student lounges, making it a popular gathering spot for relaxation, socializing, and campus events. The plaza’s lively atmosphere is enhanced by outdoor performances, markets, and student activities.

5. Alchemy Wing

The Alchemy Wing is a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the study of alchemy and chemistry. With modern laboratories, advanced equipment, and research centers, it supports students and faculty in their pursuit of scientific discovery and innovation.

6. Observatory Tower

The Observatory Tower offers stunning views of the stars and planets, making it a central location for astronomy students. Equipped with powerful telescopes and observation platforms, it’s a hub for stargazing events, research, and astronomical studies.

7. Citadel Amphitheater

The Citadel Amphitheater is a grand venue for performances, lectures, and cultural events. Its open-air design and majestic stage make it the perfect location for theatrical productions, musical concerts, and public speaking engagements.

8. Student Union Building

The Student Union Building is the heart of student life at Citadel University. It features lounges, meeting rooms, a cafeteria, and spaces for student organizations and activities. It’s a place where students can connect, collaborate, and engage in campus life.

9. Equestrian Stables

The Equestrian Stables offer facilities for horse riding and care. Students involved in the Equestrian Club have access to well-maintained stables, riding arenas, and opportunities to participate in equestrian events and competitions.

10. Oldtown Regatta Dock

The Oldtown Regatta Dock is where the university’s rowing teams practice and compete. Situated along the Honeywine River, the dock provides stunning river views and is a focal point for rowing events and social gatherings.

11. Arts and Culture Center

The Arts and Culture Center houses the University Choir, Theater Troupe, Film Club, and other creative groups. It features rehearsal spaces, galleries, and performance venues where students can explore their artistic talents and engage in cultural activities.

12. Innovation and Start-Up Incubator

The Innovation and Start-Up Incubator is a modern facility dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and technological advancement. It provides resources, mentorship, and workspace for students and alumni working on innovative projects and start-ups.

13. Cloisters of Reflection

The Cloisters of Reflection offer a peaceful, contemplative environment with beautiful gardens and quiet alcoves. It’s an ideal place for meditation, personal reflection, or studying in a serene setting.

14. Environmental Technology Lab

The Environmental Technology Lab focuses on sustainable practices and environmental innovation. Equipped with advanced tools and resources, it supports research and projects aimed at addressing environmental challenges.

15. The Cultural Heritage Center

The Cultural Heritage Center celebrates the diverse traditions and histories of Westeros and beyond. It features exhibits, cultural events, and educational programs that highlight the rich heritage of the university’s global community.

Campus Atmosphere

Citadel University’s campus is designed to inspire and engage students through its unique blend of historical charm and modern functionality. From the majestic Tower of the Sphinx to the tranquil Maester’s Gardens, every corner of the campus reflects the university’s commitment to excellence in education, community, and innovation. Whether you’re exploring the historic cloisters, attending a performance at the amphitheater, or engaging in cutting-edge research, Citadel University offers an environment where tradition and progress come together to create a truly exceptional learning experience.

Subjects and Extra-Curricular Activities at Citadel University

Citadel University offers a diverse range of academic subjects and extra-curricular activities designed to provide students with a well-rounded education. Below is a comprehensive list of subjects and activities available:

Academic Subjects

1. Arts and Humanities

Ancient History: Study the rich history of Westeros and Essos, including the rise and fall of empires.

Literature: Explore classic and contemporary works from across the world.

Philosophy: Delve into the thoughts and ideas that have shaped civilizations.

Languages: Learn High Valyrian, Old Tongue, Braavosi, and more.

Theology: Study the religions of Westeros and beyond, from the Faith of the Seven to the Old Gods.

Medieval Studies: Focus on the history, culture, and society of the Middle Ages.

2. Arts and Design

Fashion Design: Study the art and science of creating clothing and accessories, including pattern making, textiles, and fashion history.

Textile Science: Explore the properties and applications of different fabrics, from ancient materials to modern innovations.

Interior Design: Learn how to design and decorate interior spaces, focusing on aesthetics, functionality, and spatial planning.

Graphic Design: Develop skills in visual communication through digital and print media, including branding, typography, and digital illustration.

Industrial Design: Focus on designing everyday objects, from household items to complex machinery, combining form and function.

Jewelry Design: Study the creation and crafting of jewelry, including materials, techniques, and design principles.

3. Sciences

Alchemy and Chemistry: Combine traditional alchemy with modern chemistry to understand the elements.

Biology: Study the life sciences, including human, animal, and plant biology.

Astronomy: Explore the stars and planets in the Observatory Tower.

Physics: Understand the fundamental laws that govern the universe.

Mathematics: Cover everything from basic arithmetic to advanced theoretical math.

Environmental Science: Focus on sustainability, conservation, and the study of ecosystems.

4. Social Sciences

Economics: Study the forces that shape the markets and economies of Westeros.

Political Science: Learn about the governance systems across the Seven Kingdoms and beyond.

Psychology: Understand human behavior, emotions, and mental processes.

Sociology: Study the development, structure, and functioning of human society.

Anthropology: Explore the cultural and social aspects of human communities.

5. Law and Governance

Westerosi Law: Study the legal traditions and systems of Westeros.

International Relations: Learn about the dynamics between the various kingdoms and beyond.

Public Administration: Focus on the implementation of government policy and the management of public affairs.

6. Engineering and Technology

Mechanical Engineering: Study the design, construction, and use of machines.

Civil Engineering: Focus on the design and construction of infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and buildings.

Electrical Engineering: Delve into the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.

Computer Science: Explore programming, algorithms, and modern computing technologies.

Architectural Design: Study the principles and practices of architecture, combining creativity with engineering.

7. Medicine and Healing

Maester’s Path: A specialized track for those studying to become Maesters, with focuses on healing, herbology, and the arts of the mind.

Herbology: Learn about medicinal plants and their uses in healing.

Anatomy and Physiology: Study the human body in detail, preparing for careers in medicine and healthcare.

Sports and Athletics:

Rowing (Oldtown Regatta Team): Compete in the prestigious Oldtown Regatta on the Honeywine River.

Fencing: Master the art of swordplay in this elegant and strategic sport.

Archery: Hone your precision and focus with traditional Westerosi bows.

Equestrian: Ride and care for horses in the university’s stables and participate in competitions.

Martial Arts: Learn various forms of combat, from traditional to modern techniques.

Rugby: Engage in fast-paced, team-oriented matches on the rugby field.

Soccer: Play in competitive matches with teams across Westeros.

Swimming: Compete in individual and team events in the university’s pools.

Track and Field: Test your speed, endurance, and agility in a variety of athletic events.

Chess Club: Sharpen your strategic thinking through competitive and casual chess games.

Academic and Professional Societies:

Debate Society: Develop your argumentation and public speaking skills in lively debates.

Maester’s Guild: A community for students pursuing Maester studies, with specialized resources and events.

Engineering Society: Collaborate on engineering projects and explore innovations in the field.

Medical Society: Connect with peers in the medical field for networking, discussions, and case studies.

Law and Moot Court Society: Practice legal skills through simulated court cases and legal discussions.

Economic and Business Club: Analyze economic trends, discuss business strategies, and network with professionals.

History and Archaeology Club: Delve into the past with research, discussions, and archaeological field trips.

Philosophy Society: Engage in deep discussions about ethics, metaphysics, and philosophical ideas.

Creative Writing and Literature Club: Share your writing, discuss literature, and develop your creative voice.

Language Exchange Program: Improve your language skills by practicing with native speakers in a cultural exchange.

Arts and Culture:

University Choir: Perform choral music at university events and concerts.

Theater Troupe: Act in plays and productions, bringing stories to life on stage.

Film Club: Watch, discuss, and create films, exploring the art of cinema.

Photography Club: Capture the beauty of the campus and beyond through the lens.

Fine Arts Society: Express your creativity through painting, sculpture, and other visual arts.

Dance Ensemble: Learn and perform a variety of dance styles in a collaborative environment.

Music Band: Play and perform music with fellow musicians in diverse genres.

Cultural Heritage Society: Celebrate and explore the cultural traditions and histories of Westeros and beyond.

Folklore and Mythology Group: Study and discuss the legends, myths, and folklore of different cultures.

Poetry Slam: Share your poetic voice in spoken word competitions and events.

Community and Social Engagement:

Environmental Conservation Group: Participate in projects focused on sustainability and environmental protection.

Public Health Outreach: Work on initiatives that promote health and wellness in the community.

Student Government Association: Represent the student body and help shape campus policies.

Model United Nations: Simulate global diplomacy and debate international issues.

Volunteer and Charity Group: Engage in volunteer work and organize charity events to support various causes.

Debating for Change: Use public speaking to advocate for social justice and change.

International Student Association: Connect with students from around the world and celebrate cultural diversity.

Women’s Empowerment Network: Support and empower women in leadership and career development.

LGBTQ+ Alliance: Advocate for and support the LGBTQ+ community on campus.

Sustainability Club: Promote sustainable practices and environmental consciousness on campus.

Technology and Innovation:

Robotics Club: Design, build, and program robots for competitions and projects.

Artificial Intelligence Society: Explore AI technologies and their applications in various fields.

Coding and Programming Club: Enhance your coding skills through collaborative projects and challenges.

Astronomy and Space Exploration Society: Study the stars and planets, and discuss space exploration.

Innovation and Start-Up Incubator: Turn your ideas into reality with support for start-ups and innovations.

Virtual Reality and Gaming Club: Dive into the world of VR and gaming, exploring new technologies and games.

Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Group: Learn about and discuss the future of digital currencies and blockchain technology.

Environmental Technology Group: Innovate solutions to environmental challenges through technology.

Biotechnology Society: Explore the intersection of biology and technology in cutting-edge research.

Drone and Aeronautics Club: Build and pilot drones, and learn about aeronautical engineering.

Special Interest Groups:

Wine and Gastronomy Club: Explore the culinary arts and wine culture of Westeros and beyond.

Historical Reenactment Society: Bring history to life through reenactments of famous events and battles.

Meditation and Mindfulness Group: Practice mindfulness and meditation for mental well-being.

Book Club: Discuss and share insights on a wide range of literary works.

Board Games and RPG Club: Engage in strategy games, role-playing adventures, and board games.

Travel and Adventure Society: Plan and embark on exciting trips and outdoor adventures.

Gardening and Botany Enthusiasts: Cultivate plants and learn about botany in the university gardens.

Tea Appreciation Society: Discover the art of tea brewing and enjoy different varieties from around the world.

Fantasy and Science Fiction Society: Explore fantastical worlds and futuristic ideas through books, films, and discussions.

Traditions and Events:

Maester’s Ball: A grand annual event where students and faculty gather for a formal evening of celebration.

Spring Festival: A vibrant celebration of the season with music, dance, and cultural performances.

Oldtown Regatta: A rowing competition that brings together the best teams from across Westeros.

Harvest Feast: Celebrate the bounty of the harvest with a feast and festival in the autumn.

Winter Masquerade: A mysterious and elegant winter ball with costumes and masks.

Graduation Conclave: A formal ceremony marking the culmination of students' academic journey.

Innovation Expo: Showcase your innovative projects and ideas to the university and the public.

Literary Festival: A celebration of literature with readings, workshops, and author talks.

Cultural Night: An evening to celebrate the diverse cultures represented at Citadel University.

Sports Day: A day of friendly competition and athletic events across various sports.

The beautiful images are made by @zaldritzosrose, as amazing as ever. I only had to describe a few words and she created these so quickly. Really grateful for you help and ideas :)

[heavensickness]

Things university is for

Smoking a cigarette shivering in the cold in front of the library in winter

Experiencing the most intense friendship of your entire life and then never speaking to that person again

Having awkward small talks with the overworked assistant professor while waiting in the queue at the only cafe on campus

Drinking coffee in a plastic cup from a vending machine that has buttons such as cappuccino, latte, espresso etc. on it but all coffee it makes taste the same

Learning that unless you actively go to places, tirelessly take part in different activities and literally force people into meeting you if necessary, no one will invite you to a party, you won't have an iconic group of friends, you won't be able to do drugs or have sex or find the person you'll be engaged to in 2 years, and that even if you throw yourself at every socialising opportunity that comes your way, eventually you will always be more likely to spend the New Year sitting alone in your dorm room than spending the New Year with a group of friends at a big, fun party

Getting into a fistfight with the Student Affairs Unit and also with God

[dexlexia]

studies in relaxation - bokuto x reader

pairing: kōtarō bokuto x reader rating: 18+ summary: It was finals, oh how you hated finals. But that wasn't something was concerned your boyfriend. He made it through university on an athletic scholarship. While he was amazing at volleyball, he only marginally passed his courses. But unlike him, you had to make sure your grades were up to par. You couldn't slip in your marks. tags: college au, pwp, smut, couch sex, gentle sex, massages, praise kink, fingering, oral sex (f receiving)

It was finals, oh how you hated finals. But that wasn't something that concerned your boyfriend. He made it through university on an athlete scholarship. While he was amazing at volleyball, he only marginally passed his courses. But unlike him, you had to make sure your grades were up to par. You couldn't slip in your marks. 

And he worried so much about you.

He hated seeing you so stressed.

You both lived in an apartment just off campus, and while it was rather nice and domestic. It was hard when you had to study. Your hyper-active boyfriend was more engaged with the idea of doing anything else with you BUT studying. But you needed to cram every last piece of information from your textbook.

You couldn't afford to fail the final exam of the semester. You were a top student, but being at the top meant the weight of expectations fell on your shoulders. You couldn't be an ace player like your boyfriend. 

Currently you are hunched over the desk in the living room, with all the lights off except the lamp over your desk. With one pen in your mouth and another tapping at the open notebook. You felt like you were losing your mind. 

This all made sense about an hour ago, but now it felt like nails on a chalkboard inside of your brain. When you started to doubt yourself you felt your heart start to race. But you had no time to have a panic attack, you needed to absorb everything in this textbook ASAP. 

You took the pen out of your mouth and exhaled. This was all getting to be too much. You dropped the pen in your hand and buried the heels of your hands in your eyes to rub the sleepiness out of them. “Goddamnit.” You muttered under your breath. 

“Is everything okay, babe?" You heard from the couch nearby. There sat Bokuto with his laptop propped up and his earphones in. He hated being apart from you, so while you were swamped with studying for finals he was as close as he could be. He wanted to make sure he was there if you needed anything.

You exhaled, ”Everything's fine, Ko. I'll be okay. It's just a lot.“ You watched him take the other earphone out and put his laptop to the side. He got up from the couch and walked towards you. He always looked like a lost puppy when he didn't know how to help you, but not everything could be solved with Bokuto's classic smile. 

  ”Do you want a back rub?” He asked as he held up his hands and made a grabbing motion with his fingers as to indicate that he was willing to massage you. 

You sighed once more, “Just be gentle.” And pulled the chair away from the desk. You rolled your shoulders and straightened out your back which caused some cracking of your spine. 

  “Akaashi told me that they help more if you're away from where you are working.“ He reached to pull the chair out further. You had no choice, you got up and followed him to the couch. 

You flopped down on top of it and rolled your neck from side to side. Bokuto sat beside you and manoeuvred you with his back to him. ”Relax.“ He prompted, ”Please.“ Then leaned in and kissed you on the cheek from behind. Then with those large hands he started to massage your back.

The first bit of pressure made you tense up, but the careful movements at the base of your neck made you relax. But the sound of your neck being massaged was far from appealing with all the cracks. You really did need something like this. He went in for another kiss and gave you gentle praise. 

  ”You're my smart girl.“ He assured you, ”But you work too hard, I don't want you to hurt yourself.“ You could hear the frown in his voice even if you couldn't see it.

  “I'm fine, Ko. It's just the end of the semester, it'll be over before you know it and we can enjoy our break.” You reassured him. You felt his kisses against your neck. You knew he worried. He didn't worry about much, but he did worry about you. 

He continued to work at the muscles of your back. The occasion crack or pop of your back as he tried to smooth out the tension. It only increased his worry with how tense you were. He soon applied more pressure and you kicked out your legs from it. You tilted your head to the side and moaned as he pressed his palms into your skin.

  “Do you like that?” He asked.

  “I love it, honey.” You responded, “I haven't had a massage in so long. I forgot how sensitive I was.” You exhaled deeply as you felt another sensation through your body as he touched you. It wasn't painful but it also wasn't a nonexistent feeling. There was pressure to it that made you grip onto your knees to keep yourself steady. 

  “Good, good. I want my honey to feel good.” He started to kiss at your neck, “Akaashi told me that the more relaxed you are, the better you learn. So I need you to relax.” His warm breath was against your neck as he massaged your lower back which made you let out a small squeak. He chuckled and continued to rub you down. 

He was just perfect, there was no one like Bokuto. He was just perfect. He kissed your neck some more, and his hands went to your front. He smiled against your skin and started to grab at your breasts. You moaned and it encouraged him to keep going. To keep touching you while he attempted to make you comfortable.

  "Do you like that?“ He asked, his lips were close to your ear, ”Does my lovely, amazing girl like that? Because I want you to feel good.“ He chuckled softly. 

You tilted your head to the side away from him and shakily exhaled, ”It feels amazing. I guess.” You trailed off, “I could take a break.” 

  “Yeah?” He perked up, “You want a break with me?”

You giggled and turned on the couch. You faced him and reached to stroke his face, “After all, you know how to make me the most relaxed.” You leaned in close to him.  “I only ever feel safe around you.”

He chuckled and kissed you. He laid you out on the couch under him, his broad body covered yours as he cupped your face. Those gold eyes gazed down at you and you smiled up at him. He felt so close, you felt so loved. And maybe the feeling of stress was starting to leave your body. He pulled you in for one last kiss as his hand started to trail down into your shorts.

The waistband was stretchy which allowed his hand to slip in perfectly. He groaned into the kiss as he reached the band of your underwear. He smiled into the kiss as he felt around. Soon his longer fingers reached past the waist of your underwear and towards your pussy. 

 “Ko.” You said.

 “I got you, honey.” He replied as he pulled you in for another searing kiss as he started to play with your clit. His pointer finger rubbed up against your sensitive spot as he passionately made out with you. The feeling made your toes curl in your socks, you felt the urge to kick out your legs from the pleasure but managed to restrain yourself. 

  “Ko. Please.“ You moaned before you went in for another kiss.Your heart pounded in your chest as you held onto his arms for support. He was so strong compared to you, you could feel the strength of his muscles in his arms.

  ”Don't worry.“He reassured, ”I'll make you nice and relaxed honey!“ Then continue to play with your clit. The feeling made your back arch as you moaned loudly. He smiled down at you like a ray of sunshine and went in for another searing kiss. He was  just a perfect boyfriend.

You loved him with all your heart, he was just so perfect that there was little to put into words just HOW perfect he was. He wanted his number one girl to get her finals done and he'd make sure that through any means that you were the most comfortable and safe with him. 

He'd make sure that you were taken care of, and he adored you for that. He just thought you were perfect and there was no replacing you. He pulled away once more and gazed at your face, every expression you made as he dipped two fingers inside of you. His movements were rapid as you moaned loudly. 

  ”That's it, honey.” He moaned against your skin. His cock throbbed in his pants but that was a problem for another time. He closed the gap between you even further, and pushed his fingers even deeper into you. He felt your hot breath on his cheek as he played with your pussy.

Your heart raced in your chest and you felt warm all over. But you also felt the stress melt off of your body and pleasure tae over. Especially since his skilled fingers were stroking your sex. You held onto him as  he pleasured you. 

But soon that wasn't enough. He pulled away and got down to his knees in front of the couch with a 'thud' and started to pull down your shorts to reveal your pussy. He licked his lips as he got your legs spread and more of your sweet sex exposed.

  “Such a good girl.” He praised you. Those gold eyes gazed at you with such love, and hope. He adored you so much, he thought you were just a beautiful creature, “You're going to do so well on your exams.“

  ”Promise?“

  ”Promise.“ 

He gazed up at you and gave you one last grin before he held your legs open and started to pleasure you orally. He thought you were just divine, a holy object of worship. To do anything in his power to help you be the best you could be. I loved you so much. 

His licks were quick across your clit. You curled your toes and held onto his silver hair as he pleasured you. He held your legs open so you didn't crush his head with your thighs!

He kissed your pussy and left wet licks across your clit. You felt the pressure build up in your stomach as you clutched onto him. The feeling was immense, you knew that Bokuto had a skilled tongue but everytime it took you off guard. 

  ”You're amazing.“ He said, ”So perfect.''He groaned into your skin before he went back to lapping at your sweet sex. He was enthralled by you, he thought you were just so perfect. He couldn't get enough of you. But he knew you were getting close so he took one hand and began to tease you while he lapped at your clit. 

You almost kicked out your legs once more as you clutched onto him. You moaned out loud and leaned your head back as you felt the surge of pleasure. Your toes curled once more and you gripped onto him further.

He lapped at your pussy lovingly, he felt a swell in his chest. He loved your sweet noises, he loved how you sounded when he pleasured you. It was a remarkable feeling that he couldn't deny. 

It wasn't long before you felt the mountainous feeling of pleasure run through your body. You felt onto him tightly, the feeling of soft silver hair past your fingertips. You moaned and panted, and as you climaxed you kicked out your legs in pleasure.

 ”Ko!“ You moaned out loud as you finished on his tongue. And every anxiety was out of your body and you were relaxed against the couch with your chest heaving. You let go of him and relaxed. Your mind felt fuzzy but in the best way possible.

He got up and leaned in to kiss you on the cheek. You felt your heart flutter. 

He beamed at you and reached out for you, “Now why don't we go for another round in the bedroom. I know another way for you to relax.” And winked at you. You smiled up at him and followed close behind him as you tried to pull up your pants. 

[a-very-tired-jew]

They let X happen, why are they doing Y?!

So this is an argument I see in some form in Leftist spaces regarding the response of college campuses to protestors in recent days. Often it's used as "Sure, they'll let neo-Nazis on campus with no problem, but the moment we have a peaceful protest they call the cops." Except here's the problem. It's not a peaceful protest. It's also not a one time thing like the neo-Nazis. Every campus I have ever worked at or attended has had neo-Nazis show up and march around. They were booed and counter-protested. They stood there grinning with their slogans, took their pictures, and then went on their way to post on the internet about how they "owned the libs". Neo-Nazis do not have a prolonged presence on campus and they do not protest weekly for 6 months straight at campuses across the country. Sometimes there's altercations and violence, and sometimes there's not. Usually it makes the news in some capacity and that's it. Compare this to the Western Activists who have been protesting since October. Many campuses have seen weekly, if not daily, protests where protestors have held signs supporting terrorist groups, justified the actions of 10/7, chanted antisemitic rhetoric, and engaged in a whole host of concerning activities that have continued to escalate in some way. This escalation has culminated in different ways across these campuses but has resulted in Jewish students being attacked, Jewish dorms and student centers being defaced, bomb threats, attempted arson, stabbings, and so on... All of which has now led to these same groups, whose members have committed the aforementioned actions in some capacity, to established encampments on their college campuses. Think about that. Your peaceful protests are more violent that neo-Nazis showing up to college campuses. That's why the police have been deployed. You can delude yourselves all you want, but there are clear incidents over the course of these 6 months that show why this is happening, and you have no one to blame but yourselves. We have told you since the beginning that you need to address the antisemitism and radicalization present in your movement, but instead you ignored Jews and claimed Zionists were using claims of antisemitism as a "weapon to silence criticism of Israel". Well, it turns out we were right and your movement is now regarded as a violently antisemitic one by the authorities. Instead of accepting this and correcting it, you have continued to blame Jews Zionists. I would not be surprised if we see this escalate further into violent protests with things like cocktails being thrown, and even then I know you will blame the Jews Zionists for your own actions. Take a step back, breath, and think. Your peaceful protests are more violent than neo-Nazi protests. A Jew should not be saying this. A Jew should not be going "hey, those neo-Nazis? Actually less violent than what's going on right now." It should not take a Jew to point out the sheer ridiculousness of this entire situation. That should be a red flag that something is very, very wrong.

[silantryoo]

BONUS [ LIKEALOOK ] — minjeong's deal

aeri uchinaga's mansion, gangnam-gu, seoul, korea. 2:43 am.

WARNINGS ; cheating, drug/alcohol imparement, manipulation, slut shaming, incel behavior, suggestive (3.3k)

kim minjeong had met y/n about an hour after jang wonyoung.

the younger girl had strayed from the viewing group, wanting a more in-depth tour than the one kwon eunbi was offering her. she had read about the school online, and her connections (read: BTS' jin) had told her the best place to view the campus was in the first year's dorms, at the very top of the building.

it was minjeong's favorite place too, seeing all the cars scattered and all the students lingering.

y/n wore a red suma sweater that day, sporting it as if she had already been admitted to the university. her hair was lazily tied into a high ponytail, stray strands littering her face, all signs that indicated she was already part of the suma student body.

but minjeong could tell that she had never stepped on the school grounds until today. the amazement in her eyes seemed to shine brighter than the sun itself, and minjeong felt almost hypnotized.

"um, are you supposed to be here?"

y/n looked at her and minjeong swore she had never seen someone so pretty until her.

she looked like a movie star, one of the ones you saw as you browsed through the menu of a streaming platform. her face was flushed with embarrassment, coating the tip of her nose which lay a singular beauty mark, and minjeong could feel her cheeky smile radiating with an innocence that she wanted to have for herself.

"please don't tell anyone." even her voice was pretty. "i promise i was just looking."

kim minjeong could feel her heart beat out of her chest.

this was their secret, hers and this stranger's.

"i won't tell."

y/n nodded, smiling at the older girl as she looked down at the group she was supposed to be a part of.

minjeong could feel herself getting more and more nervous being around her. she wondered if this could finally be it.

"what's your name?" minjeong asked.

"mine?" y/n hummed. "my name is y/n."

y/n.

she was gonna make y/n hers, no matter what it took.

"i'm minjeong."

the suma student watched as y/n looked away from the crowd, her cat-like eyes staring into her dark irises. the air of the vents seemed to breeze along the hairs on minjeong's neck, the girl forcing back a shiver.

y/n...

y/n smiled at her.

jimin glared at the shorter girl crying into her hands.

the party was slowly dying downstairs, albeit at a snail's pace, and the smell of weed was starting to become less pungent. jimin had sobered up quite a bit, the vase full of her vomit leaving a reminder. her stomach still hurt from huh yunjin's constant kicking, but all that pain seemed to dull out as she saw kim minjeong whimpering sadly in the corner like a stray dog.

she hated kim minjeong.

"she chose wonyoung over you again." jimin snickered, speaking in a loud voice over the music.

minjeong looked up, glaring at the volleyball player as she gripped her stomach.

y/n didn't know what she was doing. it was just because she was frantic, and she didn't want to bug minjeong, the latter deduced. she should've asked her best friend, and minjeong would gladly carry her off to a safer place, away from wonyoung and jimin.

what did wonyoung have that she didn't?

"shut up."

"you'd think that you'd let go of this stupid crush on her by now." jimin loved pushing minjeong's buttons. she could practically see the steam coming off her head as the girl gritted her teeth. "she doesn't love you."

y/n did. minjeong was sure of it.

the older girl had done everything by the book. she had taken her out to dinner, paying for all her food and ordering any extra things she wanted despite barely having money to scrape by. she had always let y/n vent to her, listening to all her problems even when it bored her out of her mind. she had even put up with wonyoung for a couple months, allowing y/n to engage in sexual activities with the girl, knowing it was just one of those slutty phases.

minjeong was perfect. y/n had to have loved her.

"she does!" minjeong stood up, marching towards jimin as the older girl stood up. she grabbed her by the collar of her shit, the high making her mind swirl. "you have no clue what you're talking about!"

jimin snickered, the smell of puke and beer making minjeong wince. she pulled back, her eyes dull from the drugs in her system.

"you're delusional as hell."

minjeong needed to clear her head. y/n would hate it if she got hurt, like the caring person she was. she just needed to relax, and surely tomorrow morning, the younger girl would embrace her and everything would be the way it should be.

wonyoung wouldn't get in the way. y/n wouldn't do that to her again.

minjeong's stomach churned.

jimin could read minjeong like a book. she was everything she was. ambitious, volatile, a perfectionist. if minjeong hadn't been so aggrevating to be around, jimin would've gladly ruined her then and there.

"it doesn't feel good, does it?"

minjeong covered her ears, trying to ignore the volleyball player laughs. jimin was just saying things to annoy her. she had no idea what she was talking about.

"why would she date a fucking virgin anyway?" minjeong flinched. "you know nothing about her. how are you gonna find her-"

kim minjeong hated yoo jimin.

"don't talk about her like that!"

"why?" jimin took a step forward, leaning down as she looked minjeong in the eye. "are you mad that i got to touch her first? that she moans my name instead of yours?"

minjeong shook her head, screwing her eyes shut. sure, y/n had her rebellious streaks. she would comment about things that minjeong would internally disapprove of, and would post photos wearing outfits that minjeong didn't like, but she wouldn't fuck jimin willingly.

y/n was hers. she was minjeong's y/n, and no one else's.

"shut up!"

jimin could see the girl spiraling, the volleyball player's presence too hard to ignore. she understood all the younger girl's worries and fears, even if minjeong didn't know she had any.

god, jimin loved ruining pretty girls.

"she wouldn't do that!" minjeong clenched her fist. "she's just trying to make me angry."

jimin burst out laughing, and minjeong could feel herself overheating from anger.

"she doesn't even love you." jimin's could feel tears starting to form in her eyes from laughing so hard. "why would she care?"

y/n loved minjeong. she had to.

"she does love me!" minjeong could feel her heart racing, drug-laced hatred filling her veins. "she just-"

"keeps choosing people aside from your loser ass?"

minjeong flinched.

she wasn't a loser. she was quiet, yes, but she was pretty. she knew how to talk to girls, and she got decent grades without even trying. she held doors open for them, and smiled at them. she always offered her train seats to the elderly, and always walked on the side closest to street.

she was nice. she wasn't a loser. girls didn't like losers.

"she's just trying to make me angry." minjeong was a good person. she deserved someone as good as her. "she's just playing hard to get. you would've fucking understand since you're easy."

jimin clenched her jaw. it wasn't her fault that girls just threw themselves onto her. she was only human. by the third person, she just couldn't resist. jimin was still loyal to y/n emotionally.

but y/n wasn't, and deep down jimin knew that maybe she never was. it gutted her knowing that her girlfriend was probably thinking of wonyoung every time the two of them kissed.

"easy? i'm easy?" jimin scoffed, leaning closer to the girl with the bloodshot eyes. "i bet that slut under some girl right now."

minjeong's stomach churned.

"no, she doesn't!" she couldn't. y/n knew better than to upset her. "she wouldn't do that to me! she loves me!"

jimin rolled her eyes. "she went home with wonyoung, remember?"

minjeong shook her head once more.

"no, she didn't!" minjeong didn't hear it, and even if she did, she knew she heard wrong. y/n was hers. only hers. "you're lying."

jimin paused.

she looked at the shorter girl, her eyes red and system full of whatever lay in aeri's kitchen. jimin wondered if minjeong was actually this deranged, or if it was all because of the weed.

"are you deaf all of a sudden?" jimin laughter halted. "she asked wonyoung to bring her home. not you."

minjeong hated jang wonyoung.

she hated the way the taller girl could make y/n smile. she hated how wonyoung could come in, and sweep her off her feet. she hated that no matter how hard minjeong tried, y/n would always notice wonyoung in a room before her.

"no..." minjeong shook her head, watching as jimin smiled at her. "she wouldn't hurt me like that."

y/n kept hurting her. it wasn't fair. she did everything. it wasn't fair.

"she doesn't give a shit about you, minjeong."

minjeong could feel the weed hitting her system full force, the pressure in her head almost unbearable. her eyes felt like it was about to pop out, and everything seemed so distant.

if y/n wasn't gonna love her, if y/n wouldn't learn to love her, she would just show her how much it hurt. minjeong would make y/n understand how badly it gutted her to see her with another girl that she wasn't supposed to be with.

y/n would understand then. she would stay away from jimin, from wonyoung, from everyone and be with her.

pain was all minjeong could feel, and all minjeong could teach.

"fuck you."

minjeong had had her first kiss with a girl named miyawaki sakura.

she was pretty, with big, doe eyes and a smile that anyone would kill for. they had met during minjeong's first year, and the journalism major had ensured that minjeong wouldn't ever be left alone. it could've been great, if it weren't for lee chaeyeon getting in the way.

minjeong had pressured the older girl, even when sakura had told her to leave her alone.

but minjeong had always been persistent.

she lunged at jimin, her lips colliding with the older girl's like two stars forming a black hole.

everything felt like fire.

she could feel the pads of jimin's fingertips, and how the chilling sensation sent shivers up her spine. the younger girl could feel their teeth clashing messily, jimin's tongue forcing its way down her throat. all she tasted was a concoction of jin, rum, and vodka as jimin's hands found their way under minjeong's shirt.

she pulled away with a gasp, letting the volleyball player strip her down into nothing but her underwear as she fumbled with the buttons of jimin's pants.

she pushed jimin onto the bed, letting the garment pool to the older girl's ankles before straddling her.

minjeong was gonna ruin her, just like jimin had ruined her life.

she leaned down, marking the volleyball player's shoulder with a bite. she didn't care if y/n saw, minjeong wanted her to see. she wanted the younger girl to know how awful it felt to know the girl she loved fucked someone else.

minjeong wanted y/n to feel her pain.

jimin's hands wandered as minjeong took off the ace's already crumpled shirt, hurrying to take off her bra along with it.

"you can't get the girl so you fuck her ex?" jimin propped herself up on her shoulders, smirking at the girl above her. "you're fucking psycho."

it felt good to know that y/n was going to regret her decisions, but it felt even better to know that minjeong would have yoo jimin wrapped around her finger in a matter of seconds.

"fuck you."

aeri uchinaga wondered why the party had died down so suddenly.

mere minutes ago, crowds of people had gathered in her living quarters, getting drunk and high out of their minds. now, there were only a few people left wandering the halls, gathering their drunk friends and ushering to get them home.

(she had seen yujin passed out in front of the laundry room door, and judging by the bottles surrounding the younger girl, she was most likely gonna stay there all night.)

she had shot her not-yet-but-hopefully-soon girlfriend, baek alex, a text, hoping that the younger girl hadn't gotten herself in another one of yena's brilliant ideas. aeri had only been met with one reply:

jimin's upstairs. i saw her an hour ago.

the message held many meanings, a couple of which ended with jimin drinking herself into a puddle of her own vomit. though usually, it had been jimin breaking a random assortment of her things in a fit of rage.

yoo jimin had always been an angry drunk.

aeri sighed, going upstairs as the remnants of the partygoers started to disappear more and more. she turned the hall, expecting to see a broken painting or a smashed-up vase.

she didn't expect to see jimin two fingers deep in a random girl.

aeri covered her eyes, looking away as she screeched. no matter how many times jimin brought a girl over, she was never gonna get used to seeing her butt naked.

(come to think of it, jimin was never naked. she hated it when people touched her.)

the mystery girl shot up, pushing jimin off of her as she covered her entire body with the only pillow left on the bed.

jimin could feel herself reeling back to reality, her face heating up. most times, she would get angry at aeri for walking in, but she usually wasn't naked most times.

"shit," jimin looked around. "um..."

aeri glanced at the two girls wide-eyed, before grabbing the door handle. she had no idea how long jimin had been up here with her, but she could take a couple guesses based on the marks that littered their bodies.

"wait," jimin called before closing the door. her heart was pumping in her chest. "please don't tell anyone."

toying with minjeong was an experience that jimin didn't think she'd enjoy. it was like striking a match and throwing it into a pool of gasoline. watching minjeong throw away everything just for her pleasure made jimin ten times more excited.

but jimin wasn't gonna let anyone know. not when minjeong could easily hold it above her head and threaten her loving relationship with y/n.

aeri nodded, eyes clenched shut.

"i'm not going to!" the uchinaga just wanted to leave and erase... that image from her mind. "why the hell would i?! it's not like she's your girlfriend or anything!"

the room rang silent, and minjeong could feel her heart suddenly drop at the thought of y/n finding out. she looked over to jimin, the exact same expression on her face.

oh...

minjeong could use this (but so could jimin).

aeri listened to the lack of protest, the air hanging dead.

"...is she your girlfriend?"

minjeong could still feel the weed in her system, and the intensity of the situation wasn't helping clear her head. jimin's gaze burned into the side of her head, turning around before she opened her mouth.

but minjeong was faster.

"um..." minjeong whispered, her heart threatening to leave her throat. "i... i am."

jimin whipped her head to look at the younger girl, mouthing 'what are you doing?' before clenching her jaw. she needed to clear this up, before aeri had gotten the wrong idea.

the ace looked at the frightened minjeong, who seemed to regret ever meeting said girl, and all she could do was smirk.

minjeong had no choice but to come back, and god, did jimin love ruining pretty girls.

"jimin settled down?" aeri furrowed her eyebrows, hand still gripped on the half-closed door.

minjeong shot jimin a questioning look. had aeri never heard of y/n?

jimin cleared her throat. "leave, aeri."

aeri nodded, eyes still clenched tight. her manicured nails snaked its way to the inside doorknob, twisting the lock before she slammed it close. she was in no way, shape, or form ever gonna mention anything about tonight to anyone. she needed that image out of her head.

she turned around, a chill of disgust running through her spine.

aeri wished she could've met jimin's girlfriend in a different way, but she was glad that her best friend finally let go of the shadow that was hwang yeji.

jimin glared at minjeong as soon as the door slammed closed.

part of her was happy that minjeong would come crawling back to her from time to time, but her stomach churned at the idea of y/n finding out. she had always been careful to not hurt her girlfriend with her rendezvous, keeping her contact names vague enough for her to know, but for y/n to never find out.

but she knew aeri loved to snoop, and she was good at it too.

"are you fucking stupid?" jimin spat out. "what if y/n finds out?"

if y/n found out, there were only two things that could happen; she would run to jimin, or she would run to her. minjeong knew that y/n would always take her side, but her gut seemed to churn at the possibility of y/n going to someone instead.

she needed this to stay quiet, to use it as leverage, to bring her y/n closer to her and away from everyone else. when the time came - if the time came - minjeong would tell her, but by then, she and y/n would already be together.

minjeong could feel the haziness starting to fade.

"do you want your friend knowing i'm your ex-girlfriend's best friend?"

"you're not special." but she was. she was everything jimin hated about herself, everything that jimin wanted to change. "you're just a body."

jimin watched as hurt spread through her face.

"was y/n just a body to you too?"

jimin had never wanted to punch someone more.

"that's different."

"i know her more than you ever will." minjeong knew every breath that y/n took, she knew which places she frequented, which food she was allergic to. she knew. "she doesn't love you either. she never has."

she was right. jimin knew she was right.

"shut up!" y/n was hers. she was her trophy. the shiny proof that jimin had stayed a good person despite every curveball life had thrown at her. she wasn't ruined, she had y/n. "you're the fucking freak sleeping with her ex!"

minjeong looked away, her face contorting to something jimin had only seen in a mirror.

"she hurt me!" minjeong gripped her pillow tighter, raising her voice. "i'm just trying to teach her a lesson, okay?"

perhaps it started as a lesson, but minjeong couldn't deny everything that had transpired between them.

"this wasn't a lesson." jimin smirked leaning down in front of the girl's face. "you enjoyed it. i know you did."

"shut up!"

minjeong did her best to push the taller girl away, but jimin was much stronger than her. all she could do was face the consequences of her actions, and how much she truly enjoyed it.

"how's y/n gonna feel about that, huh?"

but she was y/n's forever, emotionally and physically. jimin wasn't gonna stand in the way, even if she was a good fuck.

"i fucking hate you."

jimin was addicting as she was annoying.

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