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cipheress-to-k-pop · 28 days

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academic rivals d.g.

Pairing: Dick Grayson as Robin x Reader

Warnings: Some injuries.

Word Count: 4.3K

A/N: Full discretion this idea was given to me by an anon and even though I said I wasn't taking requests I just couldn't resist.

Also @writing2sirvive I hope you find this offer acceptable after not writing for our baby for so long 😭😭

There was always a slight pinch of anxiety when your teacher went around the class, handing back your test papers after grading them and you waited with slightly bated breath, a fist clutching the fabric of your uniform.

Even though you knew you had done well on the exam, you were particularly unnerved by her declaration before distributing the stack of papers that only one person had managed to get a perfect score.

You kept your eyes trained on your desk, waiting for someone behind you to exclaim that they had gotten a 100% but it never came. Not until your teacher had placed your paper in front of you with a soft 'Good job'.

You beamed, barely able to contain your excitement as you waited for the bell to ring.

Of course, you were over the moon that you got a 100. And that you were the only person in the entire class that managed to get one.

But secretly, you were more elated by the fact that someone else didn't.

"Aw, what's wrong Grayson? Your daddy finally run out of money to bribe your teachers with?" You snarked as soon as you caught a glance of the 93 written in red at the top of his paper.

"Sub-par insult, (L/N)." He said flatly.

"I disagree, nothing about me is sub-par, as you can clearly see." A sly grin on your face as you waved your paper with '100' in his face. He rolled his eyes so far back you couldn't resist making a comment, "Roll your eyes as hard as you want, Grayson, you won't be able to find a brain back there."

His friend, Barbara, who was sitting beside him chuckled at this and he turned to her with an irritated glare, "Can I help you?"

She gave him a teasing smile, unnerved by his annoyance toward her, "Oh, nothing, I'm just eagerly waiting for the day you both stop pretending you hate each other and start dating."

It seemed like her comment had just the effect she had wanted when Dick choked on his spit in his haste to argue that even if you were the last person on Earth, he wouldn't go near you with a 10-foot-pole.

"I'm not too happy to agree with you, Grayson but I, very fortunately, have a boyfriend."

His face twisted, "Gross, who'd wanna date you?"

You gave him a fake smile, "Hopefully, not you."

***

"Recognized: Domino, B-08."

You squealed in joy the second the light faded from your eyes, gaze landing on your boyfriend who stood right outside the zeta tube with a giant smile on his face.

You threw your arms around Robin's neck with a giggle, peppering his lips with smiley kisses that he so enthusiastically returned, his arms snug around your waist.

"Do you guys have to do this every time?" Came Conner's unimpressed voice as he shuffled uncomfortably around the two of you making out, "Can you at least stop doing it in the middle of the entrance? People are trying to get places."

You pulled away with a soft blush, smiling at the sight of your sparkly lip gloss on Robin's mouth and his slightly dazed expression. There was nothing like your kisses that was able to knock the vigilante's world off its axis and it had been this way ever since you started dating 10 months ago.

The pair of you were still very much in the honeymoon phase, much to the chagrin of your teammates, who have walked in on you many times while your lips were practically glued to each other.

"How was your day?" Robin finally asked when you had each gotten your fair share of kisses, leading you to the kitchen for a snack before the mission briefing and you beamed, "Amazing! I got a perfect score on that test from last week!"

He raised a brow, "The one that you skipped a date to study for?"

Smiling, you nodded, "The very one."

He sighed, taking a box out of the fridge, "See? I told you that you'd do great! You probably didn't even need to skip our date."

You rolled your eyes, giggling at his pout that you were all too quick to kiss away, "Hey now, I made it up to you, didn't I?"

Nodding, he pushed the box further toward you with a smile, "You did. Which is why I got you this, but I guess it could be for a job well done too."

You gasped when you saw the squiggles of the familiar logo of your favourite bakery on the top of the box and eagerly opened it up, completely missing the fact that it had been sealed with tape and nearly ripping the carboard to shreds in order to get to the treats inside.

The smell of the strawberry shortcake and red velvet cupcake had you salivating, and you wasted to time before digging in.

"Ugh, I love you." You moaned, nearly dissolving into the symphony of flavours and Robin chuckled swiping some of the cream cheese frosting off your cheek before licking it off his thumb, "Are you talking to me or the cupcake?"

You paused, glancing up at him from the cupcake wrapper, "I can love more than one thing."

His affectionate gaze had you melting, forgetting the delicious treat for a second, "Thank you for the gift, I really love it."

Robin happily accepted the sugary kiss you had given him, "Well, I figured, since it had been a while since we had a date in Gotham, you'd be craving it."

You only took another bite of the cupcake to hide your guilty wince. While the list of details you didn't know about your boyfriend was limitless, starting with his name and ending with literally anything else, you felt guilty that he somehow knew even less about you.

At least you knew what city he lived in while he was under the impression that you lived in Star City with Dinah, your mentor. You really thought he wouldn't buy it, especially after he didn't believe Artemis the first time.

But nearly a year after joining the team it would seem that he was still blissfully unaware, and you were planning to reveal your identity to him soon enough. You were firm that you wouldn't be celebrating your one-year anniversary without knowing each other's names at least.

At least once he found out you were living in the same city, you'd be able to have more frequent dates.

"Team to mission room." You heard over the PA, and you grabbed the box with you to the meet Batman and Canary along with the team, unwilling to leave your precious strawberry shortcake at the hands of Wally. This way you'd be able to dislocate his shoulder the second he put his hands on your things.

When you entered the room to find a face that you recognized on the holoscreen, you paused and glanced at Artemis who shrugged in response.

"Leo 'The Lion' Stark, the leader of the cult that was kidnapping young girls was officially incarcerated this morning."

Cheers erupted around the room, and you passed the box in your hands to your boyfriend to high-five Artemis and bring her into a hug. Black Canary patted the both of you on the shoulder, "Job well done on this mission, you two."

The mission that led to his arrest had been an undercover op with both you and Artemis posing as the girls from the private school that was being targeted. Eventually, you were able to find the leader and put a stop to his entire organization.

You had never seen Robin more fearful for your life than during this mission and it was after it that you had said your first I love you's.

"Today's mission is a covert op. For stealth, I will only be sending two members of the team: Robin and Domino."

Robin sent you a smile and you squeezed your interlocked fingers underneath the table.

"If they can stop kissing long enough to actually get the mission done." Conner grumbled underneath his breath and was rewarded with a swift kick to the knee.

***

It happened too quickly.

Everything was going fine. The mission was well underway, and you had observed them long enough to know where they were keeping their illegal servers. All that was left was to input your program that would upload all their data wirelessly so it could be accessed by the league.

Then it all went wrong, all at once.

You don't even remember much of what happened. All you knew is that when you had least expected it, someone had snuck up on you and you had felt your stomach squeeze with a painful terror that you hadn't experienced in a long time upon being caught off-guard.

"The Lion sends his greetings."

What followed was a series of excruciating shocks up your body that had your heartbeat ceasing in your chest and the movement of every single muscle came to a standstill such that you couldn't even make a sound come out of your throat.

You didn't even have the time to think about anything before you lost consciousness, the last thought flashing through your head being your worry for Robin.

And then every single pulse in your head came to an abrupt end.

“Come on hero, come on!” Robin panted as he continued to pump his hands against your chest, counting down the beats in his head to the compressions, “Baby please, please wake up!”

He was in tears, even though he tried to control them, but he had been looking at your unconscious face for the last 30 minutes as he continuously tried to revive you. His stomach was in knots and his chest felt like it was on fire, but he still didn’t quit, he wouldn’t until he passed out himself.

Before he could even stop himself, he was sobbing and the wails he let out erased the count he was keeping in his head, “Someone please help! Please help.”

His communicator lay discarded only a couple of feet beside him, but he couldn’t take his hands off you for a second, he couldn’t mess up the beat, he couldn’t stop the chest compressions because you’d die; and he’d die right alongside you.

“Robin, come in. Robin, can you hear me?”

His chest collapsed in a fit of sobs as soon as he heard the sound of his mentor come through from the communicator. The device beeped with the sound that alerted him of an override indicating that his mentor could now listen in.

“Batman help! She’s not breathing! I don't think she has a pulse! I’m trying to do CPR but she’s not awaking up! Please help!”

“Hang in there, Robin. Someone will be there in five.”

***

"She's alive but her brain was deprived of oxygen for a while so we can't accurately put a time frame on when she could wake up." Batman explained, his voice as stiff as concrete like always but the hand he placed on his ward's shoulder was warm and comforting.

There were so many questions rushing through Robin's head, but he kept silent because a part of him already knew the answer. This wasn't the first time he had seen something like this, while being Robin he had seen countless families, parents, spouses, receive the same news.

The distraught questions would usually follow: would take months? years? is there a chance that she could never wake up? is there anything he could do?

He wanted to ask Batman anyway, he wanted Batman to lie and say that everything would be okay, that the girl he loved would wake up soon and he just had to wait but he knew better than anyone that was all it would be. Lies.

There were those that were fortunate enough for their loved one to eventually wake up. Others would be forced to watch life go by while their loved ones were imprisoned to a bed with the empty hope that one day they'd wake up.

So, he swallowed down all his questions, Adam's apple bobbing painfully in his throat, "Can I see her?"

His father nodded, leading him to the med-bay with one hand on his back. Robin felt his stomach sink with every step he took, staring sullenly at his sock-clad feet. In his rush to change after the mission so he could get to you as soon as possible, he had thrown on anything he could find.

Which resulted in him being dressed in your sweatpants and his hoodie that you had stolen so often it smelt like you; a combination that both comforted him and broke his heart all at once.

When he saw you from the door, a rush of epiphanies struck through him like lightning to a metal rod. Although, first and foremost, he was just relieved to see you. Even though it hurt him to see you unconscious, and he knew that there was a chance he'd never get to see you awake again, a part of him forgot all about that as soon as he saw you.

He took quick steps toward you, wanting nothing more than to feel your skin against his when he stopped in his tracks once again with wide eyes, realizing you were without your mask.

"Robin?"

"I-I know her. (Y/N) (L/N), s-she's in my class." He stammered, staring at your relaxed features with his mouth hanging open. As odd as it sounded, this was the first time he had ever seen you, as (Y/N), so relaxed.

Whether it was a scowl or even just a grimace, you always seemed to be frowning at him and he never bothered to pay any attention to you outside of classes, when you were talking with your friends. He was sure you'd have a mesmerizing grin, one that would reach your beautiful eyes.

Batman stayed silent behind him, and Dick wondered just how many times Bruce had heard him talking shit about the love of his life, having to keep silent to respect your privacy. His cheeks coloured, remembering the conversation from this morning, where he had claimed that he would never touch you even with a 10-foot pole.

If only he had known that he had been pressed against the same girl so many nights prior.

"Does it matter?" Batman asked, snapping him out of his mortified state where he remembered every single insult he had ever directed at you, either to your face or behind your back.

To anyone else, it would have sounded like a shallow question, but Dick knew his father was concerned about whether his feelings would have changed, whether your identity did matter to him more than your relationship or his love for you.

He swallowed, walking up to your bedside, and gently brushing a strand of hair away from your face and for the first time in his life, he took in all your features. It was startling how quickly his worst enemy became the most beautiful person in the world.

"No, it doesn't."

***

You could see the bright light even though your eyes were shut. There was nothing more you wanted than to slip back into your deep slumber but for some reason your consciousness began trickling back into your head in a gentle stream.

You squirmed, brows pinching together in a frown as you murmured something unintelligible, features twitching until finally your eyes began to flutter open.

"(Y/N)?" You heard and your hand was squeezed by someone you couldn't quite place. Your vision was still quite blurry, and you were extremely disoriented. Still, you tried to blink through the hazy shapes in your sight and you managed to recognize a familiar head of black hair.

"Baby?" You breathed out, sighing in relief when he pressed a kiss to your knuckles, "Thank goodness you're okay."

Right before you had lost consciousness, a thought had flashed into your head. Robin would never abandon you there, no matter what had happened to you, if you had died or just lost consciousness.

You worried that in his effort to stick by you, he'd be hurt or worse.

"Me? (Y/N), you were unconscious for two days! Do you have any idea how worried I've been?!"

If you had been any more conscious, you probably would've been concerned over the way his voice broke in grief and his heartbroken words but in your exhaustion, all you could do was give him a silly smile, wishing your eyes could focus long enough for you to see his beautiful face.

"I'm okay now, I'm okay."

"I didn't think you would be." He confessed, pressing another kiss to your fingertips, holding your hand gingerly but still in a firm grip in between both of his. Like he was scared you'd evaporate and disappear before his eyes.

"I'm okay, baby. Just a little sleepy." You told him, feeling your consciousness slip further and further away as your blinks began to get longer and longer and your strength began to disappear, "You'll be here when I wake up, right?"

He nodded, voice thick with unshed tears even though you couldn't see him, "Yeah. I'll be right here."

***

This time when you woke, you felt much more refreshed than you had before. Your head didn't feel like it was nailed to the pillow anymore, but it felt like you had lead in your veins which was expected considering you had been unconscious for days.

Despite his promise, Robin was nowhere to be found when you finally sat up, stretching your arms as much as you could, careful of the IV in your hand. Your eyes darted around the familiar med-bay, trying to catch a glance of the clock by craning your neck but was ultimately unsuccessful.

Was it a weekday? Was it school hours? Was that why Robin wasn't at your side like you had asked him? What about you? What excuse had Batman given the school to explain your sudden absence? Were your parents aware that you had been injured?

The endless barrage of questions was silenced to a mum when you heard the door slide open and you sighed in relief, noticing the head of black hair first, "I believe you promised to be here when I wo—!"

Dick Grayson was beaming at you and in certain angles of the light, his blue eyes almost looked glossy with tears, but you shook your head unconsciously. Why would he be crying at the sight of you?

'Because you're so ugly the sight is making my eyes water.' Would have been his classic response and you practically rolled your eyes at the thought.

"(Y/N), you're awake!" He took a step closer, and you flinched.

"Stop right there!" He quite literally froze in his steps, he might as well have been encased in ice at the receiving end of your cold glare, "What the hell are you doing here, Grayson?"

He paused and somehow you were annoyed by the dumbfounded look on his face while multiple scenarios ran through your head. A concussion, brain injury or something along that likeness. Perhaps the part of your brain responsible for recognizing faces was damaged and this wasn't actually Dick Grayson. Amnesia, possibly? Maybe you were actually good friends with him but managed to forget it all? Of course, there was always the possibility this was a dream.

Your brow twitched at his lack of response, "I asked you a question."

At your terse tone, it seemed like he was finally able to snap himself out of his stupor, "(Y/N), baby, it's me."

You scowled, "Don't call me that and speak clearly; the hell do you mean by 'me'?"

"Baby," He said again, so firmly that you were silenced in your effort to snap at him again, "It's me."

Dick watched as your face melted from an expression of disgruntled bewilderment to the smallest sliver of recognition. Your eyes raked over his body, only now noticing that he was in short sleeves, and you were able to see the familiar scar on his forearm that belonged to your boyfriend. The little patch of freckles near his elbow that you had traced with your finger so many times before.

Your voice was small when you called him again, "Rob?"

He nodded and your eyes went wide, not quite able to believe it. Your boyfriend stood stiffly, berating himself for not handling this better. He had very quickly gotten over the fact that his girlfriend was his greatest rival in high school while he watched your unconscious face for the past couple of days, waiting for you to wake up.

It had completely slipped his mind that you were still unaware of his identity, and he swallowed nervously. Sure, it was something he could easily put past him but were you the same?

Robin knew you inside and out, he knew how much you loved him, but he didn't know how just much you hated Dick Grayson. Was that hate enough to overpower your love for him?

You stared at him in surprise for only a minute, but it felt like hours to him before you closed your eyes and leaned your head back, "Wow."

"This-This doesn't change anything right?" He began, feeling the lump in his throat grow three sizes larger when you turned to him with an expression that was not a reassuring smile like he had wanted.

"Are you kidding? This changes everything! Barbara is never going to let us hear the end of this. And my friends? Oh, they've hated you ever since that incident during our group presentations." You exclaimed, fingers twitching, and Dick knew it was because you wanted to flail your arms around but couldn't because of the IV.

He bit his lip. You weren't outright rejecting him or anything, but he needed to hear you say it and he needed to hear it as soon as possible.

"No—(Y/N), does this change anything between us?"

You paused, stopping in the middle of your tangent to give him a confused glance, "Between us? No. Why would it?"

And just like that, the tension in his muscles evaporated away and he relaxed, approaching to your side like he wanted to and interlacing your fingers, "I love you."

You finally smiled at him, leaning to kiss his lips, "I love you more, even though you said I was gross and that no one would ever want to date me."

"Well, to be fair you said you'd hope I never did, so I guess we're even."

***

"Hey, stranger." It really didn't make sense that after almost a year of dating, your boyfriend's voice still managed to send shivers down your spine. You closed your locker shut before turning to meet the beautiful blue eyes that you grew to love.

It was scary how quickly you completely rewired your brain into loving every single feature belonging to Dick Grayson.

"Hi, Grayson."

His eyes dipped to your lips for a second, mentally scolding himself for turning to putty the second you said his last name. It was weird how the last time you both were in school together, he thought that the sound of his name coming from your mouth was like nails on a chalkboard.

Now, he felt like he had been blessed just by being in your presence.

"I have all the assignments and notes that you missed the past week." You had been ordered bed rest and some physiotherapy to regain complete mobility after being unconscious for a couple of days. Under your boyfriend's watchful care, he had dutifully nursed you back to health.

You smiled when he handed you the stack of papers even though the heft of it made you want to cry. All this work from just a week? All the AP classes you had been taking in order to compete with your own boyfriend had come back to bite you in the ass.

"Thank you. Can I come over later so you can help me out with it?"

It was really a formality that you were asking because you both knew he was obviously going to say yes. But you figured you'd do the polite thing and ask the first time. After today though his room would practically be yours, just as your room would now be his personal hideout.

"Of course, baby. I've been dying to introduce you to Alfred. We can go back to mine together after school."

You nodded, starting when you heard the bell, "I have Physics." You bemoaned, it being the only class Dick didn't take with you. He had opted for a language instead, which you were beginning to think was more useful than whatever you learnt anyway.

He gave you a smile, eyes twinkling when he slanted his lips over yours in a soft kiss and you had to pull away quickly before you forgot just where you were.

His disappointed pout was all too quick to disappear when you reminded him that you'd be going home with him that day, "I'll see you later."

The two of you parted ways with delirious smiles, feeling too much like you were wafting on cloud nine, completely unbeknownst to the small crowd of people that watching your entire interaction with wide eyes.

Barbara, who was stood at the centre of the flock, smirked, and held out her hand, "Pay up bitches."

***

Bonus:

"I'm surprised you didn't figure out her identity earlier, Dick. Aren't you supposed to be a great detective?" Wally teased and your boyfriend rolled his eyes.

"It's not that I couldn't find out, I just didn't try."

"How come?"

He spared you a glance and shrugged, "She asked me not to."

"I don't remember you offering me the same consideration." Artemis sniped but he knew it was all in good nature.

"You aren't nearly as pretty." He replied coolly, making you blush.

***

Forever Taglist:

@simonsbluee

@notslaybabes

@superheroesaremyjam113263

@writers-whirlwind

DC Taglist:

@emmacata

@p--e--a--c--h--e--s

@sometimeseverythingsucks

@sokkas-honour

@unstable1902

@lostgirlheart

@missdisapear

@tadpole-san

@isawachickeninatree

@uxavity

@battlenix

@capricorn-stark

@evermoore580

@dumbbitchgalore

@fuckingjinkies

@some-lovely-day

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mindfulstudyquest · 8 days

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❥﹒♡﹒☕﹒ 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 ( 𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 !! )

𝟭. improve your writing skills ( ✒️ )

i feel that not everyone has the perception of how important it is to know how to write. you don't have to be a poet, nor the new emily brontë, but fluid, conscious, rich writing makes the difference. really. you could write a page without saying anything at all, but if that damn page is written good and smoothly, then you can be sure that you will get extra points. take the time to improve your writing skills, the best advice i have for doing so is reading. read as much as you can. read novels (non-fiction in this case doesn't help because the content is preferred rather than the form), read contemporary authors – you don't necessarily have to read sophocles' tragedies, but read quality stuff. expand your vocabulary, your knowledge of syntax, learn to use punctuation! and then write, tell stories, write love letters, write reviews of films, books, cultural festivals, open a blog on tumblr and write to practice, reread what you write ad nauseam, until it is perfect, until the form of your essay is pulitzer prize worthy.

bonus some of my favourite authors (tell me in the comments about yours!): ian mcewan, banana yoshimoto, haruki murakami, george orwell, josé saramago, albert camus, khaled hosseini, hanya yanagihara

𝟮. develop critical thinking ( 💭 )

if you have always studied passively by absorbing information and vomiting it onto a test sheet then you have wasted your time. taking on information is not enough, you need to know how to rework it and develop your own idea about it. especially in the arts and literature one may disagree with certain information provided by a textbook. developing critical thinking is not easy, especially due to the school system that teaches us to standardize thinking. always consult all available sources on a given topic, compare them, analyze contradictions. it might be difficult and tiring – our brain spends more energy processing two conflicting pieces of information than processing two pieces of information that agree – but it will be worth it. by practicing critical thinking and improving your argumentation skills, you will not only be able to improve in your studies, becoming able to present complex topics and make interdisciplinary connections, but also in daily life, you will become much less influenced and manipulated by external information.

𝟯. find yourself an interest ( 🌷 )

it could be anything, but find an interest that excites you and you enjoy and do research about it. watch videos, documentaries, read articles. it doesn't have to be school-related, it must be an external topic that you are passionate about and that allows you to rediscover the joy of studying and learning every time school seems to suffocate it. sometimes i'm not in the mood to study for exams, so i dedicate myself to my personal research and finally find my spark, my seek for knowledge. for example, my interest is true crime, it has always fascinated me since i was little, but yours could be wild animals, makeup, comics, ships, planes, ocean flora, literally anything. there is no constraint.

𝟰. analyze your mistakes and recognize your wrongs ( 🫒 )

there is no shame in making mistakes. everyone makes mistakes, we are human, but the real sin is getting bogged down in mistakes, refusing to acknowledge them, and continuing to make them again and again. we should be continually growing, continually discovering ourselves, both intellectually and emotionally. how many of you were the "gifted kid" when you were little and then grew up into burned out high school / uni students desperately seeking academic validation? there comes a time when talent isn't enough, you have to put in the effort, and this doesn't make you less intelligent or gifted, in fact, quite the opposite. dedicating time and attention to your personal and intellectual growth also means having to ruminate on your mistakes. it's scary, but it's the most effective way if you really want to improve. take a notebook and at the end of the day reflect on the highlights and the wrongs, what you could have done better, where you would like to push forward tomorrow, what you achieved today. did you make a mistake? first ask yourself why and then look for a way to solve the problem, make every bad moment a lesson, a brick on which to build the version of you you wanto to become tomorrow.

𝟱. don't be afraid of doing researches ( 🧃 )

the amount of fake news and misinformation online is appalling. opening any app like tiktok or instagram we are inundated with information that is often (not always, but not so rarely) inaccurate. don't be afraid to conduct your own research, if you have time to mindlessly scroll through tiktok you will also have five minutes to read an article regarding that information provided. don't know the meaning of a word? look it up before using it. not sure about a piece of information? check it before using it in your argumentation. in the age of immediate access to data we have no excuse to be superficial.

𝟲. master communication ( ♟️ )

mastering communication is essential in both personal and professional realms. it's the cornerstone of building meaningful relationships, whether it's conveying ideas effectively in academia or fostering connections in the workplace. developing strong communication skills not only enhances your ability to articulate thoughts but also empowers you to listen actively, empathize with others, and resolve conflicts constructively. ultimately, honing these skills cultivates confidence, credibility, and success in all aspects of life.

𝟳. push yourself out of your comfort zone ( 🧸 )

build your confidence. confidence is uncomfortable. don't be afraid of it. you are young, this is the right time to experiment, take risks, discover who you really are. this is the best time for you to do those things that you would otherwise never do, you don't want to regret later in life that you didn't accept that scholarship, that trip abroad, that job opportunity, because you didn't feel comfortable enough. do things that take you out of your comfort zone until everything becomes your comfort zone. go on solo dates, be a social butterfly, tell the girl at the bookstore you love her t-shirt, go to the theater alone, eat at a restaurant alone, take that trip. if it goes badly, you'll only have one funny story to tell.

𝟴. stay informed about the news (but not too much!) ( 🌍 )

this might be controversial, but: stay informed about the news, just don't overdo it. personally, i am an easily influenced person and i realized that being constantly exposed to the bad things happening in the world had drained me and made me terribly depressed. don't get me wrong, you need to be informed about what's happening in the world and in your country, just being constantly surrounded by horrible news repeated ad nauseam on TV programs is of no use. be aware.

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iamsonny-j · 4 months

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This was originally going to be in reply to @glowinggreeneyes-e post about the Captain's education and career path...but then I got carried away because I'm so normal about this stuff so it's now its own post...with added angst because I have no control over any of this, my brain just goes.

So for a start the Captain would have gone to a public boarding school. I think it's worth pointing out that public schools and universities operated scholarships for students from less wealthy backgrounds. We're still talking middle class and upper middle, but not always full on wealthy and privileged in the way of someone like Julian. Cap strikes me as having the background of a family well enough off but he probably always had to work hard to prove himself for his place, maybe not so much for public school but definitely for university.

Whatever school he attended would have had an Officer Training Corps junior division. Basically cadets. This would lead to the possibility to do an exam (written and practical) to get what was called certificate A to show he had participated in the OTC.

From the Button House Archives it says Cap got to the front in WW1 at armistice and so never saw action. So I imagine he finished his studies at school in the summer, enlisted and completed basic training, and then was out to Europe just in time for things to end. Because he got his certificate A at school he had the option at university to join the OTC university division. This was a route to becoming a commissioned officer. You either needed certificate A or experience in the ranks to join. For the sake of argument, serving in the army for a couple of months wouldn't count as experience so he must have had the certificate A...

University options at that time were limited to Oxbridge, Durham or London. All of those had OTC. I think London can be ruled out...only because it was busy, loud and ugly, even then (sorry London friends!) and the Captain likes wildlife and the countryside and nature walks...I can't see him thriving in London.

Training with the OTC at university involved physical training, military strategy, history and law etc. The Captain would have had to complete 2 years training before he could have done exams for his Certificate B - practical and written. Passing the exams would have entitled him to a commission on graduation. Getting Certificate B wasn't common because of the amount of work involved and dedication required to be successful. It was hard!

Like I want to point out that to get that far would have required so much effort and dedication right from being a child. And this is where I will get sad and headcanon-y for a bit (let me have this one thing out of all this research!)

Bullying and abusive rituals were a big part of public school life at this time and any boy seen as even slightly different would have been targeted for sure, even by some of the teachers. So although Cap comes across as clever and capable at what he knows I think school would have been socially really freaking hard. For a child in that situation I could see the OTC being a respite and something the Captain would have found very comforting with the set rules, order and expectations and from there you can understand why career army would have been appealing...

And I think that's when things get a bit complicated. The army was his life but in a different way to officers who wanted to be on the front line, like Havers. Obviously Cap worked extremely hard for his commission - and he was obviously very well qualified and knowledgable in his areas of interest, but he was always ever going to be best at HQ tasks like intelligence or engineering or whatever his particular career skills were - loving the army in theory, but some of it would have always been out of his reach. And I think being in a public school during WW1 and hearing of so many former pupils (some he would have known personally as seniors, prefects or head of houses) losing their lives on a daily basis during WW1 would have had a huge effect on him and probably influenced some of the guilt about not having the opportunity to fight himself, but ultimately I think he probably knew that wasn't his part to play even with WW2.

And I think all that that shows in his interactions we see in his past as CO - he was obviously doing a good job at whatever secret little operations he had but he really didn't have the skills/personality needed to be a CO. Having someone like Havers as a second hid that (and that's also seen in Havers getting 2 promotions in 4 years...he was much more of a natural CO) and I wonder if a lot of affection that Cap had for Havers originally came from the fact that Havers not only respected him as CO but he was also just kind to him and saw a person worthy of affection - rather than the CO that everyone tolerated but secretly disrespected and laughed at (just look at how all the other officers couldn't wait to come down on him in 5.05)

And then he lost Havers. But still had to command up to 150 men and operations at Button House for the next 4 years. And it's obvious from the letters and information in the Button House Archives that he really REALLY did try and I think with considering everything it's no wonder he overcompensates a lot and that's where he's at in the first couple of seasons of Ghosts; fighting for authority and trying to do his best.

Last sad point because it does relate: When he died Havers gave Cap the swagger stick to hold - Havers still called him 'Sir' even though he outranked him at that point. I don't know if I can begin to unpick all of that, but there's definitely something in there about respect, belief and the burden of responsibility that he clearly took seriously into his afterlife not wanting to let Havers down both personally and professionally.

If you read all of this I love you and respect you and appreciate you for appreciating my level of not normal xD

#bbc ghosts #the captain #i missed sharing infodumps so much #please feel free to add

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dotster001 · 2 years

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How You Met/Enemies to Lovers Crewel Edition

Summary:Divus Crewel x gn!reader. After misunderstanding the reason you were failing his class, he ended up spending lots of time with you. Part of the mini series requested by @stygianoir

A/N: It's in my pinned post, and I've mentioned this in a couple posts, but if this is the first of my stuff you've read, I view NRC as an actual college, so reader here is 18+. If it makes you more comfy, imagine it as grad school age.

Other Versions- Idia. Crowley. Malleus. Vil. Rook. Lilia. Leona.

Divus didn't like to throw around the word stupid around a lot, especially concerning students. But it was starting to be hard to find a better word for you…

"I just don't understand, Y/N. How can you not understand the most basic principles of potionology?"

He had called you to his office after classes to discuss with you your complete lack of knowledge, even in the most basic of courses.

"In our most basic course, you should be reviewing the things you learned in high school potions. Even if you aren't solid on it, you should have a better grade in this course than you do!"

You winced, shrinking into the chair as much as possible, and mumbled something.

"Speak up, puppy!"

You cleared your throat, "Professor, I'm doing my best. I'm having both Vil and Riddle tutor me, and I spend as much time as possible studying for this class. It's just hard to undo everything I've learned," you were starting to get more hysterical the longer you spoke. "I mean, literally, you're asking me to learn things that completely challenge all the laws of science I've ever learned!" You stood up and smacked the table in frustration. "I'm doing my best, man! I just…I can't…it's…."

"Sit!" He shouted, and you plopped back down into your seat, wide eyes displaying fear.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed heavily. "If you could please remind me of what high school you graduated from."

You sat in silence, pursing your lips in a tight line. After he was certain that you weren't going to answer, he stood up.

"Wait here," he said, leaving you to go to the headmage's office.

….

Divus had cursed Crowley on his entire trip back to the office. Of course that bird brain would have "forgotten" to mention that you were not from a world or even a dimension with magic. You should have been in remedial private lessons the entire semester.

He slammed the door loudly on his way back into the office, clearly startling you in your seat.

"Alright, puppy. Your situation has been properly explained to me. Starting now, you will be in private lessons with me, on top of your tutoring with Rose hearts and Schoenheit. I will be in contact with them so that we can all be in agreement on a curriculum, and you will learn it. Mark my words, you will pass this course."

You nodded shakily. He dismissed you with a flick of the wrist, and you practically ran from his office. He sighed as he began to map out a plan for your lessons. This would be a long hard road.

….

You had surprised him. You had spent the last four years studying potions with him. That first year had been hard, but before the exam, you had had a breakthrough, and it had all been uphill from there. By the end of your second year, you were all caught up to the current curriculum. By your third year, you had surpassed it.

You were now nearing the end of your fourth year, and still in lessons with him, although, now it wasn't to catch you up, it was to keep you learning.

You had been limited in your internship options, due to your lack of magic. Divus had even written a glowing recommendation for you, but it had been for naught. At least until he had realized that you could be his teaching assistant for your internship.

It hadn't been a glamorous position, but you seemed to enjoy it; getting to work with potions, having access to the magical library, being at a center point so you could still see your friends, it had been perfect for you.

But your internship was nearing its end, and people had caught on to your skill in potions. You were getting job offers left and right, for ridiculous amounts of money. And it was making Divus nauseous.

"Another offer, pup?" He looked up from the papers he was grading, to see you at your own desk looking at a letter.

"Mhmm," you acknowledged, reading the letter.

"And?"

You set the letter down, and grinned. "Aw, are you worried about me? I'm just going to let them know I'll think it over. I've told everyone I won't make a decision until I have my degree in my hand."

"Are you planning something that would make that not happen?" He asked, matching your grin.

You laughed. "Well, Grim is scheduled to be back next week, and Ace is a day behind, so anything is possible."

"Just remember, bad puppies will need to be retrained," he flashed a devilish grin.

You gasped in mock horror. "Thanks for the reminder, I'll try to let them know."

You both went back to your work. After some time in the silence, he found himself looking at you again and again. Eventually, he was all out staring. You were so focused on your paperwork. You looked truly beautiful.

It hadn't been until the letters started coming in that he had realized his time with you was coming to an end. He'd grown used to your presence. No, that wasn't right. He'd grown dependent on your presence. Seeing you everyday, working close to you, seeing you make new discoveries, watching you help other students achieve what you had…. he'd fallen at some point without even realizing it.

To make matters worse, you were one of the few reasons he took care of himself. You brought him food on days he'd forgotten to pack some. You made him coffee on late nights. You volunteered to take up some of his work when he was getting run down. He had never realized how much he had stopped caring about his general health until you started doing it for him.

He was the happiest he had been in years. And you were going to be leaving him.

He hadn't spoken of his feelings, because he had only recently noticed them himself. Besides, he couldn't be sure how you felt about him. You two had definitely grown closer, but was it close enough for you to feel the same way?

….

The school had hosted a graduation party. After the official ceremony all the grads, their family, and anyone who had been invited to the ceremony itself were in attendance. It was usually a way for classmates and teachers to have a last hurrah before going out into the real world.

But you had been swamped by people who were offering you jobs. They were all complimenting you, pressuring you to make your decision, and just in general bothering you.

Eventually, he noticed you were able to break off from the group, and step outside. He followed you, worried after seeing you swamped with people.

You had found a bench to sit on, and were staring at the stars. You looked beautiful in the moonlight, so at peace. He quietly sat next to you, and patted your knee.

"How are you doing, puppy?" He asked.

You turned your head to face him. "Well, I've been here long enough to get a degree, and am no closer to going home. Oh, and I still haven't decided where to work now that I've graduated." You giggled. "But I'm fine."

"Hm." He said. "Well, for the first point, you truly are gifted at potions, so I selfishly am happy you've been here long enough to get a degree in it. And, hopefully by now you've found something that makes being here worthwhile."

You stared at him for a moment, then quickly turned away. "Yeah, I guess so." You stood up, and stretched. "I'm gonna head back in, thanks for checking on me." You began to walk away.

"Don't go," he couldn't look at you, but he heard you stop walking. "Stay here."

You giggled, "I would but it's getting cold out here and I don't have a fire coat like you…."

"That's not what I meant," he stood up, and strode over to you with an intense confidence. He ran a gloved hand down your cheek as he spoke, his discerning gaze picking up the shiver you tried to hide.

" I mean at NRC. I want you to stay here as my teaching assistant and," he paused. Once he crossed this line he could never go back. Who knew the master would become so shaken by a puppy. "I want you to stay with me."

His hand froze on the side of your face waiting for your response. After what felt like a painful wait, you nuzzled into his hand. Nothing could stop his grin.

"I think I'll take that job," you smiled up at him sweetly.

"And my other proposal?"

You shrugged, and walked off with a mischievous grin. Ah. You were going to need some heavy retraining. But there would be plenty of time for that. For now, he would just enjoy the knowledge that you had chosen him. He looked up into the stars and thanked whoever or whatever had brought you to his world. Then he returned to the party, feeling uplifted for the first time in two weeks.

#twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland #divus crewel x reader #divus crewel #twisted wonderland divus #twst divus

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hybeboyenthusisast · 6 months

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➺ fifteen

prev | masterlist | next

written part after, dont miss it!

November 15, 2021

Soobin was pacing nervously in the very farthest corner of the library. He had 30 minutes until his college entrance exam was slotted to begin, and he was freaking out. He had spent weeks studying and preparing, but he woke up that morning feeling as if he knew absolutely nothing. While his friends had reassured him that he was fully prepared and would do great, Soobin did not believe them one bit. This was too important to mess up.

So even as he could very faintly hear his friends goofing off and yelling about god-knows-what, he was reading a textbook and reading aloud to himself quietly. It helped him concentrate, the pacing, kept him moving and his blood flowing while his brain remainded engaged. The library was empty, save for himself, so Soobin really didn't even need to be in the farthest corner.

He wanted as much peace and quiet as possible before the dreaded exam. The school was almost entirely empty, except for the seniors who were there for their entrance exams. The rest of the students were given the day off, so no distractions would disturb the seniors. There wasn't even a librarian in that day, at least as far as Soobin could tell, as she hadn't made her Prescence known in the two hours Soobin had been there.

Soobin's decision to do extra studying that day would be the biggest regret of his young life. If he hadn't been there, or perhaps if you weren't there. Yeah, it wasn't his fault. It was yours.

It started off slowly, Soobin's nose twitching at the sudden intrusion on his senses- something stunk. Stunk bad. The stench had started off so slow, but became so overpowering to Soobin's sensitive nose, that he began evacuating the library. He didn't know what was going on, but if his hunch was right, the Choi twins had snuck into the school and set off a stink bomb in the library.

How unfortunate for him to be correct. He could hear you and your brother snickering just outside the doors as he got closer and closer, determined to get out before the actual stink explosion happened.

He was not in luck.

Soobin swore that the stink bomb was so powerful that he passed out as soon as it fully went out, because all he could remember is walking to the door and then the next, laying on the hallway floor outside the library.

"Come on!" Soobin could hear Beomgyu yelling; the two of you must have been caught in the school. Soobin groggily sat up, slowly becoming more and more aware that he smelled absolutely awful. His eyes widened as he watched you and Beomgyu run across the adjoining hallway, a teacher hot on your trail.

A groan left Soobin as he checked his watch; five minutes until the exam. Soobin shot up in alarm, securing his backpack and racing to the exam. Where did so much time go? Did he really pass out from your stink bomb? He didn't have time to dwell. He needed to take his exam.

The hallway was empty as he approached the room; everyone must have been inside. Soobin knocked on the closed door, unsure if he should simply walk in. The teacher in charge of monitoring the exam opened the door and almost slammed in shut in Soobin's face.

"I'm sorry, you cannot take the exam. You should practice better hygiene."

Soobin didn't need more than those words to know that he stunk so bad that nobody could stand to be stuck in a closed room with him for hours.

Soobin was embarrassed, heartbroken, and he was pissed. The Choi twins were normally harmless, albeit incredibly annoying, but this time they had gone too far. He swore to himself that day, that he would hate the pair of you until the end of time. And if it so happened, maybe one day he would get his revenge.

Loser Taglist : @yangwaa @izzyexe @reiiydained @mackjestic @yawn-zzns @browniestraykidshiteu @n034sy @ladyartemesia @shenquanruii

Permanent Taglist (open): @junnmizz @ashxxgyu @igotkpoops @xiaoderrrr @alyssajavenss @mintxts <3

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666writingcafe · 7 months

Text

In the Planetarium (Again)

Belphie

"I heard you passed your potions exam," I tell MC, wrapping an arm around them.

"I almost got an A, but I missed too many questions on the written exam," they respond.

"Even though you studied your ass off?"

"I had a brain fart." I smile.

"Happens to the best of us."

"How did you do on your history exam?"

"I only missed one question."

"Out of how many?"

"200. It was one of the multiple choice questions."

"What other questions were there?" I'm surprised that MC is this curious about the content of my history exam. Then again, they are the academic type, so maybe this stuff genuinely interests them.

"The first hundred were all multiple choice. Fifty of them were short answer, and the other fifty were split evenly across two essay topics."

"That truly is a lot."

"That's Advanced History for you." I pause. "You only have two more exams, don't you?" MC nods their head. "What one are you most nervous for?"

"Speechcraft." Huh. Based on the conversation I overheard between Lucifer and Diavolo the other day, I never would have guessed that.

"How come?"

"Rumor has it that the professor reached out to random people on campus to help administer the practical portion of the exam, which means that they'll be the ones we'll have to seduce."

"That's interesting. Asmo never mentioned having to do that when he took Advanced Speechcraft."

"Apparently the professor wanted to try something new this year. It's all just speculation, though."

"I see."

"What if I get paired with a total stranger? I've never been too good with strangers. I get really shy."

"I'm sure you'll get introduced to them before you begin. Even if it's just, 'this is so-and-so, and they do xyz on campus'. But if you do go into your exam completely blind, start with their appearance. Observe their reactions and use them to hone in on their weaknesses."

"Easy for you to say. You've had thousands of years to practice."

"Don't sell yourself short. This is your second stay in the Devildom, and you're already in advanced classes. That ought to count for something." I glance up at the night sky. "The stars are magnificent tonight."

"There's certainly a lot of them." Right. I forgot. Humans have to deal with light pollution a lot more than we do. Leaning closer to MC, I point to a pair of stars.

"See those two over there?"

"The ones right next to each other?"

"Yeah. Those appeared in the sky over the Devildom after the Great War ended. They're twins."

"Like you and Beel."

"Exactly. They're our stars."

"They don't look like anything I can see back home."

"That's because they're not visible there."

"Do you like having your own star?" I nod.

"I was able to see them when I was in the attic. Whenever I felt completely alone, I would find them and imagine that Beel was sitting right next to me."

"What if we search for our own pair of stars?" That has got to be one of the most romantic things anyone has ever said to me.

"There's one that reminds me of you." I point it out to MC. It's one of the smallest stars in the sky, but it's also one of the brightest.

"It's all of us."

"What?"

"Do you not see the stars surrounding the one you showed me?"

"I'm not seeing what you're talking about, MC." They sigh, clearly exasperated.

"Okay, so there's my star."

"Right."

"And then there's a circle of stars that surround mine."

"Okay..." Where is MC going with this?

"Count the number of stars in that circle."

"What?"

"Just do it, Belphie." I start with the one on top and go clockwise. Sure enough, there's seven stars.

"The one on top is Lucifer's."

"Obviously."

"The yellowish star is Mammon's, and the pinkish star is Asmo's. The one that's almost outside the circle is Levi's. Satan's is at the opposite end of Lucifer. Beel's is the largest, and yours is the one that's closest to me." That actually makes sense.

"I don't think those are visible in the human world."

"That doesn't matter. I'll always have the memory." They put their head on my shoulder and glance up at me, a soft smile on their lips.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Admiring you."

"Me?" MC hums in response.

"You're quite pretty."

"You're not trying to practice on me, are you?"

"No. I genuinely mean it." I try to swallow, but my throat tightens up.

"MC, I..." Dammit. I can't form a complete sentence. MC repositions themselves upright, putting their face a few inches away from mine.

"You don't have to talk," they whisper. Even if I wanted to, I can't. Not coherently, anyway.

They lean in and gently kiss me.

"You know that one isn't enough." MC smiles.

"I know."

#obey me shall we date #obey me mc #obey me belphie #obey me belphegor

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luffythinker · 7 months

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Love we are Kami-centric here let's go Kamiida

In the ultra impact iPad game Kaminari has a conversation with Iida I think Iida helps him with his homework and Kaminari says he wants Iida to get into reading manga. so he gives him one of his manga and they are gonna have like a manga reading together thing its cute. Smartest student and believed dumbest student, spending time with him Iida can see Kaminari isnt dumb hes actually very intelligent, iida finding out Kami has ADHD and surprsingly Kaminati does a perfect job at making sure his meds are taken it's his electrical powers that do fumbling with his brain is the reason why hes slower than the other students. Next time he sees him using his quirk and he goes brain dead he comforts him instead of watching everyone laugh cause his brain Is in overload and Iida doesn't know what that could possibly feel like so hes there for him. Denki finding out Iida's got a piercing on his body and it's the hottest thing in the world to him. With Bakugo you said Iida would be a little rough Denki likes it rough too so he loves to be ordered around he makes that goofy face and goes Yes sir tenya sir cause hes silly, Iida grabbing his face and kissing him hard the small and tall dynamic! these two have my heart.

YOU HAVE SUCH A BIG BRAIN!!!

The potential for 'best student of the class tutors the student who's failing' AU, with these two!! I actually love that Denki could have ADHD and it could work as a side effect of his quirk, his meds would help a lot I'm sure! I can see Iida helping him study for written exams and stuff, cause he's not that good at memorizing things but Iida tries his best to make it practical and easier to remember. I know you said Denki would like it rough as well, but I think this would be more for sexy~spicy times, so like in general I think he would love being treated gently and with care, like lots of good affirming words after his brain gives up on him after a fight, gentle touches as well, just like very soft aftercare, do we rock with this headcanon?

#kamiida #denki kaminari #iida tenya #bnha #bnha rare pair #rei replies

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recurring-polynya · 1 year

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Writing/Art Update 3/14/2023

So. The fanfic.

Man, when I started writing fanfic, I would just think up a story and write it, no plan, only write. It was fun. I think most people write fanfic this way. Anyway, I don't know if my brain broke, or if I just used up all my good material, or what, but the more fanfic I wrote, the more work it takes. I am now a regular outliner, even though I hate it. Anyway, I have reached a new level of Using Things I Learned in English class, in the sense that I think I'm going to actually make a second (third?) draft.

I hate this for me.

Anyway, the upshot is that I've got, like, 90% of the scenes written. There are still 4 that need endings (including the final one), and I think I might need a few more scenes, but I'm not sure exactly what they should be. I have some notes for what they might be. I realized while writing this that the penultimate scene/chapter of a fanfic is often the most important one, and I'm not happy with the one I have, so I gotta figure that out.

In any case, though, the problem I have at the moment is that, partially as a consequence of writing this thing one sentence at a time, is that it's not necessarily coherent. The first thing I need to do is actually read it, top to bottom. Some of the scenes need to get moved around chronologically (I knew this when I wrote them). I need to figure out if this thing has any sort of trajectory or arc to it. If I can do that, I think it will help me figure out what scenes I still need, and how to end the ones I need to end. I am mildly embarrassed, but I think I am going to start yet another doc for this, but maybe if I call it a "draft", it won't be so bad.

I feel like once I get to the other side of this process, I'll have the end in sight and I'll feel a lot better about this thing, but it's very intimidating at the moment. Among the worst writing feelings I have is "there is something wrong with this story and I don't know how to fix it" and I know I have to pass through that valley.

Weekly numbers: Current word count is 15,457 (which includes a few hundred trash words). I guess I didn't write down my exact word count last week, but that somewhere on the order of +2000-2400. I guess that also includes some that were pasted over from the original doc. It doesn't really matter, a lot of those words were hard fought, and I feel okay about the amount of effort I put in this week, especially considering I had other stuff going on. I also wrote 500 words on the spicy fanfic.

I said I was going to draw this week and I didn't do a lot, but I did do a couple of Mike Mignola skull studies. Little P said these were "some cool skulls, Mom", which was nice, since she hated my Menos ("I don't like the hands. I don't like the witch nose. I don't like them.") Anyway, a lot of improvement between sketch 1 and sketch 2 and I finally found an excuse to use my "photocopy error" brushes. Gonna try to do a few more of these, maybe even see if I can manage to do an actual drawing in this style.

Hrrrnnnngggh, did I promise you a preview this week? This would be easier if I had already read the fanfic, the thing I have been dreading.

UGH, brb.

Okay, I'm back, I found one that'll do. If you missed it last week, this story is about the time Rukia and Renji spent at the District 70 Consolidated Shinigami Recruitment Station, trying to get pre-approval to travel north and take the Shin'ou Entrance Exams. The title is either going to be Go Places or Stay with Me, Go Places, I haven't decided yet. Either way, it's after the New Pornographers song that I listened to incessantly while writing this.

They have each been given a set of practice clothing-- sturdy cotton kimonos and hakama. Even though she’s wearing the smallest set Mr. Mochida had, Rukia’s hakama are pulled up under her armpits and still drag on the ground. This is somewhat humiliating.

Renji, on the other hand, looks perfect in his, like whoever invented hakama did so with him in mind. Furthermore, he’s holding an actual wooden practice sword like he died with one in his hands. Renji has been habitually picking up sticks and swinging them around the entire time she’s known him. It is obvious to Rukia that he belongs here, that he was meant for this. His face looks like all his dreams have finally come true.

Mr. Mochida holds his own sword expertly and calmly. “Go ahead,” he says, patiently.

Renji runs at him swinging.

Mr. Mochida blocks the blow, pushing Renji off to one side. He shakes out his sword arm. “Good. Again.”

Renji has no skill at swords, but he has a lot of enthusiasm, and he has a lot of strength. Mr. Mochida doesn’t seem to have even broken a sweat by the time Renji is panting and exhausted, but he claps her friend on the shoulder and tells him he has a lot of talent.

Don’t tell him that! Rukia wants to scream. He’ll be unbearable!

“You’re next, Miss Rukia.”

Renji comes to take her place on the sidelines as Rukia takes up her own sword. It’s puny compared to the one Renji carries, and it’s still too long for her.

“You can do it,” he tells her. “You just have to push part of yourself into the sword, make it stronger.”

She nods, as if that makes any damn sense.

Rukia tries to imitate Mr. Mochida’s stance, knees slightly bent. She contemplates the weapon in her hands. It’s not a rock or a shard of glass or even a shiv. It’s just for practice, but it’s the size and shape of a weapon and you can certainly hurt someone with it. You and me, Rukia thinks at the sword. We can do some damage, you and me.

Push part of yourself into the sword. Maybe that’s not such nonsense after all.

She charges.

#writing update #art update

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nickelstudy · 7 months

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My JLPT N1 Study Method (& Plan)

9/25/2023

As my introduction said, I'm trying to pass N1 by the next JLPT exam which is in this December! In this post, I will share how I study or prepare for N1

Books I Bought

Nihongo Sou Matome Vocabulary N1

TRY! 日本語能力試験Ｎ1

GO! JLPT N1 Grammar(Translated from Shin Kanzen Master i hate the renaming sm)

They are translated into Thai.

If you want to improve your Japanese understanding, people might recommend buying the Japanese version when you are at an intermediate level. But personally, I can completely understand it better when it's explained in my mother tongue, hence the reason why I bought them (plus I'm broke)

I bought them 2 months ago!

I start with TRY! and Sou Matome by reading the vocabs first from Sou Matome, then move on to TRY! doing their exercise as much as my brain can handle, usually not over a chapter.

Here's what my notebook looks like

As you can see, nothing fancy– just a pencil and a sticky note. I write words I don't or barely understand at the top of every page. As for the sticky note, it's for the words from the seventh day of Sou Matome that I can't remember their meanings. You might notice I didn't write their meanings. It's because I want to challenge myself to recall their meanings without relying on written translations.

I also READ the TRY! book in advance, so I'm always ahead of my actual exercise. Why you may ask? It came from when I read the N4 book. I always carried it everywhere because reading it was fun! So I'm trying to keep up this habit (despite taking more effort than before). When I read sample sentences, I try to translate them into Thai by myself before looking at the translations, because I want to practice my interpretation/translation skills too! (It'll definitely be useful in the future).

After finishing TRY! I will start reading GO! JLPT. Hopefully, I can finish this before the exam date.

OH! One thing I forgot to mention, I haven't done the listening exercises in TRY!. The reason is simple, it's a bit of a hassle to use a DVD player so I want to do them altogether when I am done reading GO! JLPT. I use Kanji Study (Play Store only) for studying Kanji. Right now, I'm studying secondary 3's kanjis. Believe it or not, it has been a year since I started learning secondary 3 and never managed to make progress.

Future Plans

There can be a rare case where I finish these books earlier than I expect so here's what I should do (by that, I mean you definitely should because god those books don't cover the skill adequately)

日本語能力試験　対策問題＆必点整理　読解Ｎ1 This book is incredible imo, because it explains the answers to every question which made me thoroughly understand it when I was studying for N2

Shin Kanzen Master 聴解Ｎ1

These will be the books I borrow from my university's library. They are in Japanese too that's why I love borrowing from here! I think the CD resource can be found online because that's what I did for N2.

Lastly, if there is still time I'll take a mock exam from the official JLPT handbook.

AAAA Thank you for reading again. I will try to use this blog for archiving my knowledge and stuff like this more. See you in the next post!

#JPlog #JP #log #i hate how Grammarly told me that there were so many errors but I DON'T CARE GET OUT

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lucysarah-c · 1 year

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Hey Lucy

I read that you obtained your English proficiency test, and I wanted to ask you this:

How did you improve your English through the years, not just for the test but in general.

I am planning to take an english test too. Wish me luck 😅

Hi love! How are you?

I obtained that test, yes!

In general, I feel like I always give the same advice BUT it's because they truly helped me.

I started talking to people who were either English speakers or people who we couldn't communicate in other languages when I was 14 because I wanted to interact with people from the fandom, writers etc. That helped me improve a lot really quickly. Don't be scared to write or talk like if you're a chimpance, we all have been there, done that. I promise you that you wished you took the step sooner. The only person stopping you from talking even if it's wrong is your own fear of failure. Once you realize that it's like free practice until the exam, you won't be scared anymore.

Then watch shows in English with English subtitles. I swear on this, at the beginning it will be hard, it will be annoying, etc. But soon your brain will start to do the process of associating "written word" in the subtitles with "pronunciation". Therefore, you'll start to catch on pronunciation, easy everyday use of quotes, comebacks, etc.

Read, read in English, talk in English, do everything you can in that language. I like really "heavy literature books' ' and when I decided to start to read them in English, at first it was extremely hard and now I highlight words that I don't know to add to my personal dictionary. (words that I later on use on Holy Ground lol)

About the exam, I honestly hated that I spent money on classes for that exam. I was bored 24/7. The classes were too slow and I wasn't really "learning" English because I already had all the vocabulary, listening and pronunciation from the previous points. English exams don't test your "knowledge" of English, they test your capability of "solving their exams as they want you to solve it". Believe me, save money and use youtube videos that will teach you how to "solve" the exam, practice to do it quickly when the time comes and done. I learned more about listening and pronunciation watching Peaky Blinders than in an IELTS course.

I'm aware that I don't come across as native and people who read HG probably find Millions of mistakes or even find it "childish" or "not complex to read at all". But also I've been told that they can tell I'm not native because my way of transmitting feelings in English is not how "English speakers do" because I sound more "romantic" and maybe that's my Spanish soul speaking. Learn English to communicate and connect, study to pass an exam, enjoy discovering new ways to express your heart. That's what I do.

I hope it helps!

#About me!#learning english

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p-antomime · 2 years

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hii kiki !! im having my exam soon can you share some of your routine and tips ?

my darliiiing, do you mean studies routine?? because of course I can!

I think the best tip I can give you, regardless of what kind of exam you're about to take, is: don't force yourself to try to absorb more than you know you can because no information will be retained in your brain and memory once you pass the time/minute limit that you can absorb something, got it?

also, don't study doing only written summaries or in topics because, yes, your brain can understand and decode a lot of things while you write and record and memorize, but a method that helps me a lot more to see if i really learned and not just memorized (because they are different things, learning you can keep for a much longer time) is to try to explain the subject in the clearest way to a person who doesn't understand anything about it and, this way, you can also see where you are still lagging behind or where you need to focus your exam studies better, but if you don't have a classmate or a friend with whom you can "practice" this method you can simply either talk to yourself in front of a mirror or talk to a relative, like a brother, mother, father, cousin, etc.!

i also use the Pomodoro method to help me study more technical parts of a subject and it helps a lot! but if you have trouble keeping your concentration for half an hour (or more), you can simply decrease the time and load of study to fit the frame you can keep because, as I said in the beginning, there is no use trying to force your brain to absorb some study past its limit; less is more most of the time!

Besides that, my routine in general, especially during exam week in college, consists of

1. Wake up and have coffee

2. While I'm still at home/campus, I read some of the easier part of the subject(s) just to prepare my brain for the harder part during the day

3. Go to class (which depends a lot on the length and also the shift, my professors alternate between morning and afternoon)

4. During the break, I study a little more for the next exams and then go over the content using the method of explaining for those who don't know the subject and then I realize where I need to focus more.

5. After I come back home, after class, I go over all the material using Pomodoro and when I realize that my attention is too dispersed and I can't go on with my studies that day, I let myself have a little leisure time doing something that is not studying (it can be watching a series, a movie, being on Twitter, being on TikTok).

and that's all luv <3

#(:̲̅:̲̅:̲̅[̲̅:♡:]̲̅:̲̅:̲̅:̲̅) — kiki's answer ᵎ

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hinatastinygiant · 2 years

Text

Chapter Ten

Language

Pairing: Gojo x Fem!Reader

previous | next | last summer

After class the following day, you walk up to Gojo as the others pack up their belongings.

"So the written test on Friday is on our techniques? Like, we've got to explain how they work?" you ask with your notebook and pencil in hand.

"I'd suggest you brush up on your strategies," he responds. "Different ways you can use your technique in different scenarios. That will benefit you more in relation to the exam. The library might be a good place to start."

You groan quietly, not wanting to go and hoping he'd be a bit less vague than that.

"Good luck," he hums before waving goodbye and singing to himself as he practically skips out of the room.

"Hey, Y/N!" Nobara then calls as she runs up to you. "Wanna go to the mall since class is over and we've got some time to ourselves finally?!"

"Sorry, I can't," you sigh as you close your notebook. "I've gotta go to the library to study."

"Good one," she replies, snorting out a laugh.

You shake your head in disappointment that you're actually having this conversation. "I'm serious!"

Nobara frowns as she looks at your serious expression. "Oh, okay, well good luck then."

With a tiny smile, you thank her and walk back to your desk to clear it off. "I'll see you later," you assure her. "When I get back I'll make it up to you, okay?"

"You better," she teases as she tosses her backpack around her shoulder.

As the two of you exit the classroom together, you wave goodbye and make your way to the library that you've only ever been to a few times since starting your first year.

When you get to the library, you look up and down the mostly unfamiliar rows of books until you find a collection written by an author with a similar technique as yours. You curse yourself internally as you gaze upon the hundreds upon hundreds of pages that you've been asked to sift through.

Nevertheless, you grab one of the giant, heavy books and waddle over to the table in the center of the empty room where you plop it down with a loud boom- showing you just how heavy the thing really is!

It's not until you're done complaining in your head about all of the pages and sitting down in a seat that you notice there's someone in the seat beside you- Fushiguro! You swallow hard, suddenly becoming aware of the awkward tension in the room as he gazes over at you in complete confusion. It's also quite nerve-wracking since you haven't had the talk you were supposed to have and feel as though you still owe him an explanation after everything that went down that first week back.

You smile awkwardly as you gaze back and fix yourself in the chair. "Hey," you mutter a bit uncertain how to approach what you want to talk about. "Are you here studying up on shikigami?"

"Yes," he nods quietly.

Well this is going absolutely nowhere!

"I'm here for the same reason," you chuckle awkwardly, "Oh, but for my techniques, not yours..."

After Fushiguro smiles awkwardly through the uncomfortable conversation, you sigh and think that it's either now or never. Of course, preferably, you'd like to forget about this entire thing and move on, but with Nobara's small voice telling you that she's counting on you in your head, you can't just not go through with it.

With a sigh, you look from your ginormous book over to Fushiguro and tell him, "There's something I wanted to talk to you about and since you're here I think now might be a good time."

I'm just going to tell him I'm not interested in him so no feelings get hurt and end this whole thing once and for all.

However, despite the things you promise yourself in your brain, all you end up doing is staring at him as he watches you in return. You've got absolutely no idea how to do this and let him down without making this whole thing even more awkward than it already is.

"So I know it was a long time ago but back in our first year of school together I kinda had feelings for you," you chuckle lightly to diminish the tension.

Fushiguro stares blankly for a moment but then nods. "To be honest, I felt the same. I respect you in a way different than the others and that's how I realized it."

Your heart skips a beat at his words. Him admitting that to your face is going to make everything that much harder! How can you let him down when you're becoming flustered and he's saying such things?!

Come on, Y/N, use your language. Just tell him and get this over with already!

"Well after everything that's happened and the things I'm going to tell you, I understand if-" you begin before being completely cut off by his lips squished up against your own. Your eyes widen as you kiss him back, completely shocked by the sudden gesture but definitely not complaining. You meant what you said, you did have feelings for him, but you never said they completely went away. So why would you stop him here?

It's probably so screwed up, messing around with both your classmate and your teacher, but what are you supposed to do? You know it's selfish to think, but seriously, what's so bad about it? Fushiguro practically already knows everything without you even needing to tell him and Gojo couldn't care less about following whatever norms tell him it's wrong to get with his students.

Besides, as Fushiguro kisses you, he gives you every hint that he's intending to do more- right here and now in the empty library now that he's finally got you alone. He places his hand gently on your cheek and tilts your head to the side. His tongue dips between your lips as you part them and, though less smooth than Gojo, it's nothing to complain about. Whatever's about to come, you decide you'll take one step at a time.

Taglist: @gothic-illustrations @thisbicc

previous | next | last summer

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captaindibbzy · 2 years

Text

Inspired by a post I just saw that mentions "I am pro cheating in exams" along side other things like "pro choice" and it really strikes me that those are not the same thing at all.

Like, for me? Cheating is a privilege. It's an access to extra resources in order to put you ahead of your peers, to make life easier for you. A lot of the time this comes from money, paying for other people to do work for you, or to be able to do things again, or to have access to things, to bypass restrictions others have. Some times this is a theft, stealing someone else's work for example. As a general rule it is an unfair advantage on people around you.

However, some times cheating is used in place of help that someone else needs, which is where I think people are coming from when they say pro-cheating. The only time I cheated in my life was when I was 8 years old and taking weekly spelling tests in primary school. A girl in our class figured she could put the list of words we had been given on the table and we could all see it and get full marks, which got us access to certain privileges. Now, at the time I was undiagnosed dyslexic so no matter what I did to study I could never access these privileges, and by cheating I could keep up with everyone else. (This didn't last which is my fault and also a story for another time.)

What I needed in that moment wasn't cheating, but rather a diagnosis and additional help for a disability. Meanwhile the system its self that handed out privilege to people who did well on spelling tests was shitty and wrong.

Another thing I think pro-cheating approaches is when the exam its self is garbage, or what is being tested isn't made clear. For example, kids often look at stuff on school and go "when will we use this in real life? This isn't useful." But quite often what we learn in school isn't for real life, it's teaching a set of transferable skills via exercise for your brain. This is never made clear to people in school, you're just learning to pass exams for some unknown reason. Another aspect of this is unnecessary restrictions on the exam, i.e. exams that could benifit from being open book, or a practical project instead of closed book timed paper that requires a level of skill not taught as part of the course (woodworking written exams, drama and acting written papers.)

Then exams themselves aren't fair, education is tiered. People who are poor, disabled, or underprivileged receive a lesser education to those who are rich and well connected. Instead of allowing assistance for those at the bottom they are punished and told it is their own fault and their own failing that means they are like this, rather than the fact the entire system is against you. In that moment cheating to be able to compete with people who you could not naturally keep up with is the easiest option, and often the only option available to people at the bottom. Individuals can't reform the system.

Another reason cheating is bad is danger. Depending on the nature of the exam at least. For example cheating on a driving test is Not Good. Cheating on food safety standards is not good. Wouldn't want to see a doctor who couldn't pass their own exams, etc.

So yeah, tldr:

Gaining additional resources just to get ahead is shitty and unfair to people who can not access those resources.

In cases where cheating is actually fixing an issue it does not actually fix the issue. The issue still exists, be that shitty exams or underprivileged.

Occasionally bypasses safety of others and creates danger.

[please do not reblog this, but replying is fine. I don't want to argue, I'm just straightening my thought process.]

#personal

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thatgoblin · 3 years

Text

Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy x Rookie Reader Headcannons

Leon

At first you were in awe of your lead. THE Leon S. Kennedy was showing you the ropes and helping train you for the job you'd dreamed of. Hero worship was common in this line of work, but you did your best to keep it to a minimum. You didn't want to embarrass yourself after all.

In place of that hero worship came this insatiable need to make Leon proud. Whether it was memorizing and nailing every written exam or physical test, you wanted to earn his praise.

You worked hard, harder than almost everyone it seemed. Leon never saw you slacking and saw how serious you were about the job. Protecting people was what you had always wanted to do with your life.

So when the grades came back that you weren't doing so hot, you were mortified. How could you let this happen? You didn't slack off, you studied everything you could get your hands on, hell you watched instructional videos on YouTube before bed! But you still weren't making a passing grade.

You thought you would be okay with the physical part, but no matter how hard you trained, no matter the extra hours you put in, you just couldn't seem to get what everyone else did. The moves were simple, why couldn't you just grasp them?

The only thing you thought you had going for you was the firing range, but even that was less than acceptable. Every time you tried to do something the pressure got to you and you messed up. You were so busy trying to make sure you didn't fail Leon that you were failing yourself.

It was when you were called into your commanding officer's office to speak about your grades that you were sure you were done. You were given two weeks that were used for break to study and practice and retest. But you'd already had nearly four months and the best you could do was subpar.

You were in your room, packing your bags because you knew you were going to be kicked out of the program when Leon showed up.

"Hey, Kid, you leaving for break?" He asked as he leaned against the door frame of your dorm.

"Uh. . . No," you said, hanging your head in shame. "I'm flunking out. Figured that it would just be easier to pack my bag now than wait later till I was officially asked to leave."

"What? How are you flunking?" Leon asked, straightening up. "I watch you every day and you're one of the hardest working cadets I've seen."

"Hard work doesn't mean much when you can't apply it correctly," you said. "I can't get the fighting technique right, the written exams are all a bust, and I can't even shoot a gun right. I don't deserve to be here."

"Have you asked for help or for someone to tutor you? That's what I'm here for, you know," he said, moving into the room to sit on the bed next to you.

You stared at the floor as you took a deep breath, feeling all the insecurities come rushing through to the surface.

"I didn't want to disappoint you," you said. "I mean, I wanted to do it all myself without help. I wanted to make you proud that you were my lead. If I was always asking for help, what good does that do? It shows that I can't do something on my own and need my hand held like some baby."

Leon sighed as he folded his hands together between his knees.

"I get it. I do. Wanting to make your leader proud and show how good you are, but we're a team here. No one is by themselves. You're only so good as your team is and if you're not doing well then that's a reflection on us," he said.

"Oh god, are you guys getting in trouble because of me?" You asked, looking at him horrified that you were possibly making things hard for your team.

"No, no, I mean. . . We're a team for a reason. You have to lean on us and trust us so when we need to, we can lean on you and trust you. If you need help studying or practicing outside of classes, I'll help you. That's why I'm here. It can be hard to ask for help in any situation cause it means you're admitting to a weakness, but that's okay. That's how we get stronger as individuals and as a team," Leon said.

You nod with a sigh. "I have two weeks to get better before I officially am asked to leave. I don't know if I can do it on my own," you said. "Can you help me?"

"Of course. I've got your back, Kid," Leon said, giving you a soft smile.

Chris

The B.S.A.A. was not for rookies, but they needed recruits so here you were. They provided training on weapons, protocol, how to work the gear, basically everything. Because they wanted everyone to be a well oiled machine out in the field, they made sure if you couldn't cut it that you didn't make it out of training. It was life and death and while they needed the hands, they weren't sending people out to die.

The trainers rotated to take classes of trainees. You were lucky enough to get the legendary Chris Redfield for your class leader. He would be teaching everything and making sure that everyone was ready. You had heard of him before, knowing that he was a weathered agent and could almost do anything was daunting.

Which was probably why you tried to avoid him at all costs in one on one situations. He wasn't mean or an ass, but he was intimidating. His stature and history were more than enough to show he knew exactly what he was talking about. You didn't want to feel stupid or embarrass yourself, so you kept him at a distance as you worked almost on your own.

Sure there were classes and work that you were trained in, but just the fear of being the weak link in front of others was hindering you. All of your tests and physical training was mediocre at best. Sure there were people that weren't going to cut it obviously, but you were much closer to their end of the spectrum than the other end that was running circles around you.

It wasn't that you couldn't do it. You could, but sometimes you froze up because your hands did something your mind didn't want to do or nerves made you stutter and stumble over your words. Everyone in the class at least had a background in the military or the police force or FBI or CIA or some other group that was similar to this.

You on the other hand did not. You came from a more technical background rather than a physical one. While you were miles ahead on the written tests, the physical ones were going to kill your career.

So when the notice went out that you were on the chopping block to be let go unless you could prove you were capable of being in the field, you weren't surprised.

Half of you wanted to keep trying, but the other half was telling you to pack up and go. You weren't unique or special, so why bother to continue to try?

It was when you were were working with one of the large guns by the shooting range, that Chris approached you. Before then, you two hadn't said a word to each other outside of the classes or even directly to each other.

So when his large frame took a seat across from you, folding his hands on the table after setting a file next to him, watching you with the gun, you weren't sure what to think.

"Hi," you said, freezing as you looked from the gun to him.

"Y/N, right?" He asked. You nodded as you set the pieces of gun on the table. "Why are you here?"

Oh Jesus, no. Why now? Why here?

"Uh," you said, blinking rapidly as your brain tried to come up with an answer. "Because I wanna help people."

"That's usually the answer I get," he said, sitting back to let his hands drop into his lap. "That or 'to kill bio weapons.' That's also a popular one."

"Yeah?" You said, unsure of what he was getting at.

"But I don't think it's why you're here," Chris said. "Because I think you don't know why you're here." Opening the file, you could see it was all information about you. Your background, schooling, family, credit score, even online usernames. They had everything. "When I was looking through the potential trainee's info, you struck me as odd. It's not exactly an every day thing that we get people who are more tech inclined rather than have a police or military background, but it happens. Usually they wash out though and end up in our research department."

"But I don't want to be in the research department," you said, frowning. Was he going to push you over to that section of the organization? You didn't want to be there though, otherwise you would have applied there.

"Every time I talk to someone and they have the chance to go to research after speaking to them about it, they take it," Chris said. "They figured out they can't cut doing the ground work so they move to a different field, but not you. I see you everyday in training, working your ass off to keep up with everyone and you almost make it. Not quite, but almost. Almost isn't going to cut it out on a mission."

"I know, I just. . . I'm working on it," you said, trying not to sound hateful or rude as your hands started to move on autopilot, putting your gun back together. "I'm really trying and I just can't get over this stupid hump that's holding me back."

"What's that? What's holding you back?" Chris asked.

"Me. I'm holding myself back," you said with a sigh. "I second guess everything because everyone around me has the experience that I don't, but I know I can do it. I just choke when it's time to act."

"I know you have some experience that they don't," Chris said. You nodded, understanding what he was talking about.

"I was a kid when it happened, I could barely call it working experience," you said, pushing the empty magazine into the gun.

"It was for Sherry Birkin," Chris said. "Raccoon City for a 9 year old isn't something to sniff at. From what the reports said, you were by yourself for three days before you made it out."

"Yeah," you said, nodding as you moved to the handgun next, disassembling it easily. "Hid in my apartment till I saw military trucks driving by then ran out."

"You lost your whole family to what we're training you to fight," Chris said, keeping his eyes on your hands as your fingers moved without faltering as you put the gun back together. "You were a kid when that happened. I say it still counts for experience that no one else really has. You know what you're doing with the infected and you know what it's like in the aftermath. We need people who know what it's like so that we can stop it from happening again."

"So what do you propose?" You asked, looking up as you finished putting the handgun back together. "After school training? Tutoring? Or do you want me to be counselor for survivors or shove me off to R and D?"

Chris chuckled as he closed the folder to look up at your face.

"I'm not gonna cut you," he said. "You know what you're doing and you're right. You're hang up is yourself. I'm gonna work with you to get over it. It's probably one the easiest things to work through really."

"You mean I can stay?" You asked, relaxing back into the chair, not even realizing you had grown so tense.

"Yeah. I just watched you take those weapons apart and put them back together in record time without even pausing," he said, pointing to the guns in front of you. "I want to work with you, Y/N. This isn't going to be an easy fight, but I really believe you have what it takes to be a good B.S.A.A. agent."

"Thank you, Sir," you said, smiling softly. "I appreciate that."

"You're welcome. We'll start some one on one combat training tomorrow before class. You're going to be working double what the others are, but it'll be for the best in the long run," he said.

"Whatever it takes, I'll do what I need to," you said.

"Glad to here it. Now, while we're here in the shooting range, let's test your aim."

#resident evil #leon kennedy #chris redfield #chris redfield x reader #leon kennedy x reader

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sasschijinx · 2 years

Text

Day 7 - A free space drabble

Here's a snippet of something that has been rolling around in my head. It's set in the Evo-verse, which is probably my favorite 'verse to read but not one I've written in. I have a rough outline of the story in my head but I'm not sure what I'm doing with it. I guess we'll see 🤷🏻‍♀️

Rogue tossed her backpack over her shoulder as headed out of the auditorium classroom.

Her civil liberties class had ended early and she was done class for the day, and she was eager to get home and start on the copious amount of homework that had already started piling up.

She had just started her junior year at the local university, studying pre-law. It was ironic given her criminal past and brushes with the law, but she knew she could help make a difference for mutant rights in the courts and help those less fortunate. It really wasn't that different than what the X-Men did. Practicing law and defending the less fortunate were actually the perfect profession for a bleeding heart like her.

For years she had covered up and hidden behind a tough, untouchable Goth facade but that was only because she was literally untouchable. One swipe of a finger, an elbows, her lips, and thoughts, feelings, mannerisms, even mutant powers, were all downloaded into Rogue's brain. Over the past couple years, after sealing Apocalypse in the pyramid and saving the world, Rogue had slowly been working toward control over her powers.

It was slowly going at first but more recently she was making great progress. She was now able to make physical contact for up to 10 minutes before her absorption power kicked in.

She was nearing her Mini Cooper S, a high school graduation gift from Logan and the Professor, when she saw him. Remy LeBeau.

It had been 2 years, 3 months, and 10 days since she last saw the low-life swamp rat but she didn't think about him. Much.

At first she managed to convince herself that despite having found some common ground with the irritatingly handsome Cajun thief and one-time enemy, there was no way she was attracted him. He was a criminal. He had no scruples. And she definitely wasn't hypnotized by his devilish eyes. His dreamy red on black eyes, which threatened to burn her alive with their gaze.

Most of all, Rogue didn't believe in love at first sight. No matter how many of those harlequin novels she secretly read, sensible women do not just fall for the scoundrel. And one thing she highly valued about herself was her sensibility.

She stopped in front of him, ready to throw down.

"Not uh, no. Ah don't think so. You best move off my car, swamp rat, before Ah kick your ass. Ah got nothing to say ta ya."

He licked his lips, giving her a once over that ended with his gaze locking in on her bright green eyes that were no longer dulled down by thick black eyeliner. "Is dat any way t'treat an old friend, chere?"

"Friend?" she scoffed. "It's been two years! Two years since New Orleans. Haven't heard from ya since. Ain't such a great friend, huh?"

Even after two years, she had to admit, he still looked good. He was wearing his hair longer. A longish auburn shag that fell across his face. It was so much better than the stupid bowl cut. And gone was the goatee. Instead he was rocking all-over stubble. He was also wearing plain clothes, though he was still wearing a beat-up duster. This was the first time she'd seen him wearing something other than a uniform.

Rogue found she liked it. A lot. Then she immediately chastised herself for the errant thought.

He looked genuinely pained for a split second before masking his face. "Things have been... complicated down South. I'm sorry I couldn't look you up sooner. Truly, Rogue."

She wasn't buying his apology and was ready to dish out a sarcastic retort.

"Ahm SO sorry to hear that," she said in mock sympathy. "So, what can Ah do for my old friend Gambit? And hurry it up. Ah got a constitutional law exam to study for."

"Please, it's Remy," he said sincerely. "And law, chere? Dat's the subject of m' people."

He smirked and she rolled her eyes in disgust.

"It's true. We thieves are well acquainted with de many facets of U.S. and international law. Practically learned all de criminal law statutes along with our ABCs. If y' ever lookin' for a study buddy, I'd gladly offer m' services."

She sneered at his come-on and motioned for him to hurry up and start talking about the real reason he was here.

He took a breath. "I was hopin' y might consider putting in a good word with de X-Men for me."

Her mouth actually dropped. That's not at all what she thought he'd say. She looked at him blankly. "Ah'm sorry. What did ya just say?"

****

Gambit had been shadowing Rogue for weeks now. Getting to know her routine and rituals. Waiting until just the right moment to make himself known.

She seemed to have grown into herself. She walked with an air of confidence. Something the Goth teen hadn't had when he last saw her. In fact, she had ditched the Goth look altogether and seemed to be in favor of a more stripped-down natural look. Interesting.

Remy found it sexy as hell. He couldn't argue with her new look. Though the dark Goth style had never been his type, Rogue wore it well. And beyond even her good looks, there was something about her that drew him to her. Maybe it was the fact that her upbringing had paralleled his so closely that it innately felt like she was his kindred spirit. He felt connected to her in ways he couldn't describe or even begin to understand.

Not that he believed in that twin flame/soul mate nonsense. Not really.

Now that she ditched the makeup and apparently her flat iron, if her fluffy waves were any indication, Rogue was a knockout.

Even more curious was, although she still wore gloves, her outfits were noticeably less layered with more skin showing. In his shadowing of her, he hadn't seen her interact much with anyone other than brief conversations with classmates on campus and batistas at the local coffee shop she liked to study at. He hadn't dared follow her inside the Mansion's gates... yet. He wanted to lay low for as long as possible.

He looked up to see her huffing over to him. Dieu, she looks beautiful when she's riled up. He can't wait to talk to her, to verbally spar with her. He's been aching for it since he'd gotten back to town three weeks ago.

And for the last two years if he's being honest.

He glances down at his watch. She's right on time.

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