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#wrote this in a biochem lecture

sandinthemachine · 1 year

Note

You know what be cute cuddling with horangi with a deep voice more rumbly just waking up and he give the best hugs.

Sure he might let you go of you give a few kisses and cute bumping of the nose. He needs you to giggle first and he lets you go.

And okay you being stubborn and don't want to sleep okay carry you bridal style. Or maybe carry like those mama cats carry they kitten cause you're being to wiggley

The thought of someone being carried by the neck like a kitten is so funny to me ngl, that's a König thing to do for sure. But this is so sweet aww

Alright, ya got me. Have a little good-morning fluff drabble. On the house

A sudden shiver pulls your body from sleep, bleary eyes taking in the deep blue-grey of the room, soft and fuzzy. Just dark enough that all of the sharp edges and corners blur, making the entire room feel wispy and ethereal. Comfy.

A cool breeze tickles over your exposed shoulders, sending another shudder reverberating through your ribcage.

Ah, that'll do it.

You had never bothered to shut your window last night. It had been...a bit too hot for that.

You smile at the thought, slowly sliding a leg out from under the sheets into the frigid air.

A warm arm tightens around your torso.

How does he always know?

You let yourself fall again, pulled back against a pillowy chest. You wiggle, shifting your hips, and another arm slides around your waist, holding you still. The delicate outline of a nose and lips press into your neck, soft breaths tickling over the sensitive skin.

"Horangi."

He only grunts, gravelly and deep, shoving his face even further into you.

"I need to close the window."

"I'll keep you warm."

You giggle at the slurred voice, heavy and resonant. It always is when he first wakes. With a sigh you shift again, curling your fingers around one of his arms. Tracing the lines of ink you know by heart.

He shivers.

And with you so tight against him, it sets you shivering too.

"Will you let me shut the window now?"

A sound, gritty and rough, rumbles his throat. Halfway between a groan and a sigh. His head tilts, nose and lips skating over your skin.

His tongue darts out just as fingers slide up your side, and you squeal, writhing against him.

A laugh shakes his body, rumbling thunder crackling and rolling, his chest heaving against you before he lets you go.

As you roll, a hand catches the back of your head, fingers curling into your hair, guiding you back, and his lips are on you, warm and wet and too soft. His fingers are tight in your hair, but the knuckles of the other hand stroke your cheek, gentle and smooth.

You sigh, head falling back into his hand, feeling his smile against yours.

And then he's pulling away, tucking the blanket over his whole body as he flops belly first into the mattress. "Better close the window, then. And get right back here."

You grin at that, skipping across the room to slide the pane closed, pausing to watch the rivulets of water run down the cool glass. They merge into each other, streaking across the canvas, stray paintbrushes full of blues and greens and greys, shining first this color and then that as the low light catches them.

Hands wrap around your hips, tugging you back, and you squeak.

'Wha-hey!"

His hands rise, flinging you up and catching you, arms tight under your legs and shoulders. "You took too long."

"It was five seconds!" You throw your head back, laughing as he lays you on the bed. "I'm sure you can wait that-"

Your retort is cut off with an oof as he drops his entire weight onto you. "Too long."

You giggle, wiggling an arm free to brush his hair off his forehead. "Whatever you say, tiger."

He rumbles happily, burying his face into your chest. And within seconds, he's asleep again.

#wrote this in a biochem lecture #thinking about a very different kind of biochem #whoops #horangi #horangi x reader #still not really sure about his characterization tbh #so I'll just be learning as I go #also horangi has a cool tattoo sleeve because tattoos are hot #and he speaks in grumbles and unintelligible sounds in the morning #anon replies

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studentbyday · 8 months

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aaahhh school started today, i'm taking 4 courses which is a first for me and i reallllyyyy don't wanna have to drop anything bc it would set me back for next year but i also wanna learn everything there is to learn in these courses and do really well AND Not Be Stressed- can i do this idk aaaaaahhhhhh

day 74 // 100dop

wrote down all the due dates (my god there are so many due dates 🫠)

finished 1/4 psych readings (i swapped the calculus for psych since i need more time to review high school math)

finished notes on 8 slides for microbiology

finished notes on 13 slides for molecular bio

finished notes on 15 slides for biochem

day 44 // 100doc (yesterday)

finished fiftyville

finished html/css/javascript lecture

started lab 8

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alfalfaaarya · 10 months

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5th July 2023 // Wednesday

Day 4

Attended all my Lectures , attended Biochem ECE ( early clinical exposure ) class in which we discussed a case of Myocardial Infarction , I'm glad I had prepared for the class :) it was easier to keep up !

Studied Pericardium , wrote down a probably short note in exam and studied a bit of the anatomy of heart.

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ieisia · 1 year

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Sir Arthur Harden

was a British biochemist. He shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1929 with Hans Karl August Simon von Euler-Chelpin for their investigations into the fermentation of sugar and fermentative enzymes. He was a founding member of the Biochemical Society and editor of its journal for 25 years.

Arthur was born to Scottish Presbyterian businessman Albert Tyas Harden and Eliza Macalister. His early education was at a private school in Victoria Park run by Dr Ernest Adam. He went to study in 1877 at a Tettenhall College, Staffordshire, and entered Owens College in 1882, now the University of Manchester, in 1882, graduating in 1885. He studied chemistry under Professor Roscoe at Owens College and was influenced by J.B. Cohen.

Research

In 1886 Harden was awarded the Dalton Scholarship in Chemistry and spent a year working with Otto Fischer at Erlangen where he worked on the synthesis of β-nitroso-α-naphthylamine and studied its properties. After receiving a Ph.D. he returned to Manchester as a lecturer and demonstrator and taught along with Sir Philip Hartog. He researched the life and work of John Dalton during these years. In 1895 he wrote a textbook on Practical Organic Chemistryalong with F.C. Garrett. Harden continued to work at Manchester until 1897 when he was appointed chemist to the newly founded British Institute of Preventive Medicine, which later became the Lister Institute. He earned the degree Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) from the Victoria University(which included Owens College) in June 1902. Five years later, in 1907 he was appointed Head of the Biochemical Department, a position which he held until his retirement in 1930 (though he continued his scientific work at the Institute after his retirement).

At Manchester, Harden had studied the action of light on mixtures of carbon dioxide and chlorine, and when he entered the Institute he applied his methods to the investigation of biological phenomena such as the chemical action of bacteria and alcoholic fermentation. He studied the breakdown products of glucose and the chemistry of the yeast cell, and produced a series of papers on the antiscorbutic and anti-neuritic vitamins

Harden was knighted in 1926, and received several honorary doctorates. A Fellow of the Royal Society, he received the Davy Medal in 1935.

"Harden–Young ester"

Harden's work on glycolysis in yeast with William John Young led to the discovery of a phosphorylated ester that was known as Harden–Young ester until chemical analysis showed it to be fructose 1,6-bisphosphate. It is now known to be the product of phosphorylating fructose 6-phosphate by the action of phosphofructokinase; it is broken down into glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate by the action of aldolase.

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sounmashnews · 2 years

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[ad_1] Edward Anthony speaks of his time at Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia and the checks wherein he participated whereas an inmate, pictured right here on Oct. 24, 2007. Michael Bryant/AP cover caption toggle caption Michael Bryant/AP Edward Anthony speaks of his time at Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia and the checks wherein he participated whereas an inmate, pictured right here on Oct. 24, 2007. Michael Bryant/AP PHILADELPHIA — The metropolis of Philadelphia issued an apology Thursday for the unethical medical experiments carried out on largely Black inmates at its Holmesburg Prison from the Fifties by the Seventies. The transfer comes after group activists and households of a few of these inmates raised the necessity for a proper apology. It additionally follows a string of apologies from numerous U.S. cities over traditionally racist insurance policies or wrongdoing within the wake of the nationwide racial reckoning after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The metropolis allowed University of Pennsylvania researcher Dr. Albert Kligman to conduct the dermatological, biochemical and pharmaceutical experiments that deliberately uncovered about 300 inmates to viruses, fungus, asbestos and chemical brokers together with dioxin — a part of Agent Orange. The overwhelming majority of Kligman's experiments have been carried out on Black males, lots of whom have been awaiting trial and making an attempt to save cash for bail, and plenty of of whom have been illiterate, the town stated. Kligman, who would go on to pioneer the pimples and wrinkle remedy Retin-A, died in 2010. Many of the previous inmates would have lifelong scars and well being points from the experiments. A gaggle of the inmates filed a lawsuit towards the college and Kligman in 2000 that was finally thrown out due to a statute of limitations. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney stated within the apology that the experiments exploited a susceptible inhabitants and the influence of that medical racism has prolonged for generations. "Without excuse, we formally and officially extend a sincere apology to those who were subjected to this inhumane and horrific abuse. We are also sorry it took far too long to hear these words," Kenney wrote. Last 12 months, the University of Pennsylvania issued a proper apology and took Kligman's title off some honorifics like an annual lecture sequence and professorship. The college additionally directed analysis funds to fellows centered on dermatological points in individuals of colour. [ad_2] Source link

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infinites-chaser · 3 years

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are you still doing the librarian thing? Can I request hmmm#14 with Lucien please? Thank you and I love your writing!!!!

this. is SO LATE but anon I was planning one thing and then finals came and then the holidays and then Lucien’s theater date happened and I was inspired to do another thing bc Shakespeare and tragedies is my absolute JAM. this is rly just an excuse to draw parallels and analyze characters and themes from both mlqc and lear and there is so much talking. and it ended up. a little very pretentious but I'm not sorry I love shakespeare there is a Kiss tho :> and I think. that counts for SOmething

14 + Lucien/MC (Second Person POV bc it just felt more right)

‘Hear the words like it’s the first time you’ve heard them.’- If We Were Villains, M. L. Rio.

lowkey spoilers for Lucien’s Theater Date, which you can read a translation of here <3 but rly the main thing I’m absolutely capitalizing on is the fact MC/Lucien were hosts for a production of King Lear so really, spoilers for King Lear long story short it’s arguably shakespeare’s biggest tragedy Everyone is Sad and Dies awiofjklsds

“It’s interesting, really.”

Lucien’s voice, as quiet as it is, is clearly audible to you over the scattered applause from where you both linger in the wings, waiting to re-emerge and close out the show. Onstage, the actors take their last bows amidst the cheers, their characters resurrected for one final moment of glory before the curtain falls.

You pause in your clapping to cast him a sidelong look.

“What is?”

“Why King Lear, of all plays?”

“For students to choose to perform, you mean?” You frown, suddenly thoughtful. “I guess you’re right, it is strange-- it’s not exactly a crowd-pleaser, not to mention it’d be hard to find a talented actor mature enough to play Lear, and be believable as an old man, too.”

“Their Lear did great, though,” you add on hastily, as the actor steps forward into the spotlight and sweeps into a deep, dramatic bow, fake beard clutched in one hand, Lear’s crown in the other. “I didn’t expect that from a twenty-year-old at all!”

“You think so?”

“Mm. I just--” you break off. Take a breath. Try to rearrange your thoughts.

"I guess I'm a little biased,” you say. “I like Lear. A lot."

Around Lucien, it’s not often that you feel you can keep up with his seemingly endless knowledge and his quick wit, but you’d read Lear in high school English class, and the teacher had made you all go over the lines with a fine-toothed comb.

You’d wrung the meaning out of each carefully-phrased soliloquy back then, and gotten full marks on the essay you’d written on it, on Cordelia and her sisters, and what it meant to be selfless, what it meant to love. But it hadn’t been until college that you’d understood it, understood Cordelia, felt every inch of her care for her father, her devotion to him, to her ideals, to honest, true love above all else.

You’d read Lear again, after one fateful night, one call from the hospital. The nurse’s I’m sorry. Your phone, falling from numb fingers.

The funeral.

You’d read Lear again in the dark, grey days that had followed, and it’d felt frustrating, it had all felt so futile, for Cordelia to love and love in her own way and not know how to properly express it, not until it was too late, not until the very end. (It had felt human, too human-- and you’d loved every word of it, despite the tragedy. You’d vowed to never be too late ever again.)

“Ah.” Lucien’s gentle interjection brings you back out of your thoughts.

Has he been waiting this whole time for me to continue? You wonder, your cheeks heating at the thought. You open her mouth, ready to apologize, but his next words cut you off.

“Your father,” he says, dark gaze unreadable. “That’s why you like Lear.”

You nod.

“I-- I like thinking I understand Cordelia,” you mumble.

“Do you think it should’ve turned out differently, then? Did she deserve her ending?”

“I don’t know,” you admit. “I just think... She and her father get to make up and maybe they finally understand one another, but then-- she just dies. For no reason.”

“Does death need a reason?”

There’s some dark undercurrent to his voice, a cold, lurking thing that nearly gives you pause, but you answer anyway.

“Maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it never really will ever make sense, no matter how much we think about it... What we could’ve done differently. What we did wrong. But I don’t think she had to die. Not her, or Lear, either.”

“So you think it should’ve ended differently. Happier?”

“No,” you start. You falter. “I don’t know, I guess. Not really.”

He shrugs. When he speaks again, his voice is warm again, tone light, teasing.

“Speak what you feel,” he quotes, “not what you ought to say.”

You huff. He smiles and waits. After a long moment, you finally reply.

“On one hand, it’s sad. There’s much death over a misunderstanding.”

“But?” He prompts. You swallow.

“But, maybe there’s more to it than just sadness. There’s some hope in the tragedy of it all. Or, at least, I like to think there is. After all, Cordelia and Lear-- they get their feelings across to each other, before the end.”

“Hope,” he murmurs. Then, more hesitant than you’ve ever heard him: “And what about Edmund?”

“The villain,” he says, half to himself, “Edmund.”

There’s a question hidden in his question, you know. There are parallels he’s trying to draw. You reach for his hand instinctively. He lets you take it, and you hope the warmth of your interlaced fingers takes the bite out of your next words.

“Edmund betrayed his kingdom,” you say, and Lucien’s hand stiffens under yours. “He betrayed his brother.“

“A traitor,” he agrees, detached and carefully calm. “A villain.”

“A villain on necessity,” you quote as response. Then, quieter, more gentle: “Yet Edmund was beloved.”

“Was he?”

You nod. His fingers tighten around yours, and he tugs you closer, deeper into the stage curtain’s shadows, ‘til there are bare inches between you and him. His eyes seek yours in the dim light.

“Is he still?” He asks, leaning in close, voice low. You know he’s asking about himself, not Edmund, he has been all along.

“He is,” you say. “He always will be.”

Your words are all the invitation he needs to close the remaining distance between his lips and yours. It’s a hungry kiss, almost desperate. as if at any moment he’s afraid this moment will end, but you loop your arms around his neck, deepen the kiss, draw him closer, memorize the feel of his mouth on yours, one hand gripping your waist, the other tracing down your back to the butterfly brooch, the nerves of your spine a wild flutter in his fingers’ wake.

He pauses at the small of your back, his hovering hand a silent question. You whisper a yes against his lips as answer. A smile ghosts over his lips. He kisses you even harder than before.

The butterfly falls.

#mlqc #mlqc lucien #mlqc fanfic #val writes #thIS IS ABSYMALLY LATE AND HUGELY PRETENTIOUS IM. SO SORRY.#catch me ABSOLUTELY PROJECTING mY PHILOSOPHIES ONTO MC and rambling on bc. i love shakespear #lucien stans; the world at large: thE Karma was spicy i wish the date was more spicy #me: what. if . i made it eVEn less spicy and they just talked.#I DID PUT IN A KISS THO IM PROUD OF MYSELF FOR THAT :> and. it is up to the reader's imagination what happens after but. that's it #yes. i wrote this instead of watching my biochem lectures yes. i am proud. yes i am caffinated

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exams-exams-exams · 3 years

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🧊 Day 21/100 productivity 🧊

I really thought yesterday was friday but that’s as good of an excuse as any to get everything else for the week out of the way today! - mainly incase we get assignments over the weekend.

I started my day with some last minute revision for my biochemistry test then sat the test- I got 70% but it seems like everyone found it pretty hard so I’m hoping he’ll show us the grading scale next week. It’s still a H1 so I’m not upset about it but my average result for biochem last year was 89% so I could have done better.

I re-wrote my to do list so I have 6 lectures to do today then some optional study if I have the time.

#study #studyblr #drawing #study motivation #studyspo #days of productivity #productivity #biology #mental health #notes

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cyraclove · 4 years

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Higher Pursuits

BOTW Grad School AU

“...so, if you do decide that you’ll be writing a thesis in lieu of the comprehensive examination, I’ll be the one you’ll need to speak with.”

Zelda scribbled furiously in her notebook as Dr. Kaneli continued to speak, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose every few minutes like clockwork. He’d come to Dr. Teba’s diagnostics lecture that morning to speak about research opportunities, accompanied by several of his current research assistants.

“No need to decide right this moment, of course,” he said, “but we will be needing your name and thesis topic by the end of your first year if you do select that track.”

Thesis by end year one, she scrawled onto the paper.

God, a thesis. She’d dreamt of this moment.

Had Zelda ever wanted anything more than to write a thesis? What greater pleasure was there than to delve so completely into research that you know every facet of it like you know the letters of your own name? The plethora of potential opportunities was exhilarating, her mind running rampant at the very notion of selecting one.

A hand suddenly covered hers, causing her pen to scratch to a halt.

She glanced up to see Link staring at her, an eyebrow cocked in her direction.

“What?” She whispered, “I’m taking notes.”

‘Just listen,’ he signed, ‘You don’t have to write down every word he says.’

She felt a smile tug at her lips as she rolled her eyes. “We’ll see who’s coming to who with questions in a few weeks.”

Link grinned brightly, waving a hand at her in dismissal.

“My personal field is neurological disorders,” Kaneli explained, recapturing Zelda’s undivided attention, “and if you have any interest in my research, do let me know. I am always in need of hardworking graduate assistants. It’s not easy work, mind you, but we do have fun.”

The professor then paused to smile at a young man seated amongst the other second year students In the front row.

“I’m sure you can attest to that, Mr. Medoh,” he teased cheerily. A few of the others around him chuckled lightly.

From where she and Link were sitting in the lecture hall, it was impossible to see his face. Even when craning her neck a bit, Zelda could only glimpse locks of raven hair that dusted the man’s shoulders, several strands pleated into delicate braids while some was piled atop his head in a haphazard bun.

Medoh, she wrote hastily in the margins.

Link tapped the table to get her attention before furrowing his brow and asking, ‘Why?’.

She shrugged. “Might be good to have second year connections. And quit reading over my shoulder.”

Link’s face took on a sly expression as he eyed her curiously. With two fingers, he gestured a circle around his face before pointing to the man in the first row.

“Handsome?” Zelda scoffed, “How can I think that he’s handsome when I can’t even see him? You hush.”

He waggled his brows at her. ‘I’m not talking,’ he signed.

“You know what I mean,” she said. “You can make that joke all you want and it still won’t be funny.”

“Ah, does someone there in the back have a question?”

Zelda’s face prickled hot as nearly everyone in the room swiveled around to look at her. She froze, damning her immoveable tongue for not immediately coming to her rescue with a response. She barely heard Link sniggering beside her as she stared blankly at Dr. Kaneli, an expectant look on his face.

Her gaze was drawn downward to a pair of green eyes staring up from beneath thick, dark lashes.

The young man that Kaneli had called Mr. Medoh was now looking directly at her, incredulity marring his brow. His sharp, almost bird-like features gave him a stern appearance, the strong cut of his jaw curtained by wisps of hair. The striking emerald of his irises was offset by the deep, rich tone of his bronzed skin.

Oh. He was handsome.

Someone cleared their throat.

“Ms. Farore,” Dr. Teba prompted from his seat in the corner, “did you have a question or didn’t you?”

“Oh, no. Uh, sir. No, sir,” she stammered, “I didn’t...um, no. Sorry.”

Teba pursed his lips and hummed his disapproval, but said nothing more. He instead encouraged Kaneli to continue, apologizing for the interruption. Zelda’s pulse thundered in her ears as she caught a hint of a smirk on the dark-haired man’s face just before he turned back around.

She wanted to die.

And, maybe, smack Link.

The remainder of the lecture went quickly, though Zelda registered only a quarter of anything that was said. She still felt hot with humiliation, her embarrassment taking the uncomfortable form of sweat; she could think only of how badly she wished she had a stick of deodorant and a new blouse.

When Kaneli and Teba finally concluded and announced dismissal, Zelda slumped down into her chair and covered her face with her hands. She sat amidst the shuffling of papers and zipping of book bags, letting the rest of the class file out until she and Link were the only two left in the large hall.

When she finally peeked through her fingers at Link, she saw him looking just as remorseful as he could, signing ‘sorry’ on his chest.

Zelda sighed. “Oh, don’t look at me that way. I’ve already forgiven you, you know that.”

He beamed at her, and she suddenly remembered why it was impossible to ever be cross with him in any capacity. He stacked his fists then, twisting one atop the other as he raised his brows in question.

“Yeah, coffee sounds good. You’re buying.”

The Café Bar was bustling with students just being released from class, flocking in from outside to escape the chilly October air and scrambling for a place in line. Others stood idly by and scouted for empty tables, often to no avail. Though there were several places to go for coffee on campus, the little, locally-owned coffee shop that sat just near the university was by far the most popular.

The gentle hiss of milk being steamed and the pleasant gurgle of fresh coffee brewing could just be heard above the sound of light jazz mingling with idle chatter. Cups and saucers clinked as they were cleared from tables. Zelda inhaled deeply, the comforting scent of espresso a welcome respite.

“I have a vanilla latte with extra whip on the bar!”

She nudged Link with her elbow to get his attention. They had managed to procure their favorite spot; a small circular table over by the large bay window that sidled right up to the window seat. He looked up from his phone.

“That’s you,” she said. He nodded and stood with a smile, lightly touching her shoulder and giving it an affectionate squeeze as he slipped behind her. Zelda smiled to herself before returning to the article that she’d been perusing, a clinical research study on the affects of naturalistic treatment protocols on aphasic patients. She’d not even read five words when she heard her name being softly called from across the café.

“Zelda, over here.”

A petite, red-headed young woman came striding towards her, her arms piled with books. Zelda hopped up from her chair to lighten her load, carefully taking a few of the books off of the top.

“Oh, Mipha, let me help you. Where’s your--wait, here, set them on the table.”

She thanked her profusely as she plunked the remaining books on the tiny table, making it wobble sadly on its narrow legs. She slid onto the window seat, shrugging her blue sweater from her shoulders. Her cheeks were a pretty, wind-bitten pink as she smiled warmly, releasing a sigh of relief.

“I thought you’d already gone home,” Zelda said, “And what are all of these for?”

“Oh, these are my textbooks for this semester. I’ve just been to the bookstore to pick them up,” she explained. She screwed up her face. “They didn’t have the one I need for my biochem class, though. I preordered that one, too.”

“You need all of these?” Zelda asked, brows raised in awe as she mentally tallied the books.

Mipha nodded resignedly. “Yes, all of them. That’s what I get for deciding to get my master’s in marine biology, I suppose. I’m on my way to the apartment, but I thought I’d stop and grab a latte or so—” she paused, copper eyes shifting their attention from Zelda’s face to just behind her. “Oh, Link, hello.”

Link nodded cheerfully at Mipha with a mug in one hand and a plate holding the largest muffin that Zelda had ever seen in the other. She kicked out his chair for him with her foot and he sat, gingerly placing his coffee on the table. He signed ‘thank you’ with his free hand, the other still absentmindedly clutching the plate as his eyes swept the café. Mipha and Zelda gave one another a quick, knowing look.

“Sidon’s still at the rec with Bazz,” Mipha mentioned, a smile in her voice, “He told me to tell you ‘hi’, though.”

Zelda watched Link’s jaw visibly clench as he sucked in a breath through his nose.

‘He did?’

Mipha nodded.

Link bit the inside of his cheek, and then quickly shrugged and focused his attention on making a dent in the mountain of whipped cream on his coffee.

‘That’s cool,’ he told her, ‘Tell him hey, I guess.’

The redhead turned to Zelda for a translation; she was with the two of them so frequently now that she’d been able to pick up quite a bit of ASL, but still needed occasional help. Zelda found that Link was particularly difficult to understand when the subject of conversation was Sidon, simply because his hands moved twice their normal speed.

“He said to tell Sidon that he’s the most handsome man he’s ever seen and that he’d love to go on a date sometime,” Zelda answered casually, unlocking her phone to open up her article again.

Link nearly choked on a piece of muffin.

“I have an americano with cream on the bar!”

“Be right back,” Zelda chimed as she got up to get her drink, looking back briefly to see Link signing ‘wrong’ on his chin repeatedly. She chuckled inwardly and turned back around, only to collide with an oddly familiar looking green cardigan.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, backing up, “That’s my fault. I wasn’t even paying attention.”

“Evidently not.”

Zelda’s eyes flicked up at the foreign voice, her heart leaping into her throat as she realized with whom she was speaking.

Oh, shit.

Handsome braids guy.

“Uh, hi. Again,” she muttered, hopelessly lost for anything else to say.

He gave her a queer look. “Again?”

“Um. I mean, yeah. You were just in Dr. Teba’s lecture? You came with Dr. Kaneli. For the, uh, research. Thing.”

The corner of the young man’s mouth quirked up ever so slightly as he tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. “Right. You didn’t have a question.”

Zelda felt her cheeks burn at the very mention of the incident, her chest tightening at the memory. The man raised a brow at her, an irritatingly amused expression on his face. She felt her eye twitch.

“Yes, well. If you’ll excuse me. Sorry, ag--”

A barista interrupted.

“Americano with cream to-go!”

Green cardigan stepped up to the bar to accept the coffee, thanking the woman who’d handed it off with an actual smile. Zelda watched him, dumbfounded, as he hoisted his messenger bag up onto his shoulder and glanced in her direction for a fraction of a second before heading for the door.

“Wait!”

The words had flown out of her mouth before she’d even had time to register them. Perfectly annoyed, he stopped to turn and face her, his eyes on her in silent query.

“About Dr. Kaneli’s research lab,” she began, “are there still spots open for new assistants right now?”

His demeanor changed at the question and he adopted a defensive, almost territorial stance. He studied her closely, eyeing her with an uncomfortable thoroughness; as though he were sizing up a rival.

“Yes,” he drawled, “Why?”

“I’d like to apply,” she responded, maybe too quickly.

He sucked his teeth. “Interesting. Well, come by the office at the clinic if you want an application. They’re due in a week.”

Zelda grinned, nodding excitedly. “Oh, that’s excellent. I’ll definitely be by, then. Thank you, um...” she paused, chewing her lip, “Sorry. What did you say your name was?”

“I didn’t.”

Making for the door once again, he left Zelda with her mouth partly open, staring after him in quiet disbeleif. His fingers brushing the handle, he hesitated, looking back over his shoulder.

“It’s Revali,” he said, and was gone.

Zelda stood in place for a while until he was completely out of sight, her mind fumbling with the entire interaction. Her stomach had twisted itself into a squirmy knot, a feeling with which she was unfamiliar. She felt like she’d somehow been both insulted and praised at the same time.

Revali, she thought to herself.

What a dick.

I hope you enjoyed this completely self-indulgent drabble of a Grad School AU that I’m considering. The more I think about this ship the more I like it. Thanks for reading! @botwrareships

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inkofamethyst · 2 years

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November 20, 2021

I wish I had a princess coat or one of those long turn of the century womenswear coats to wear over my skirts because wearing just a normal puffy coat over a long skirt looks awful. It means I can’t go strolling around campus in my nice midi circle skirts in the cold.

I just finished the “study” session with that girl who asked me for help, and oh boy. Like, it was fine. We went through the practice exam (she asked me questions about the practice exam and I led her through my thinking), and she asked me about my study habits (and like, I told her the (embellished) truth but absolutely omitted the part about how I don’t really do any major studying until the night before), and we chatted, and it was over in fifty minutes. I have not studied for this exam, not seriously, but I think I just have a better memory?

There’s often a power dynamic when it comes to studying with other people that I don’t particularly care for. Like, sure, teaching helps you learn the material better, and being taught reinforces the material if you don’t know it well enough already, but I much prefer the dynamic my dnd-friend and I shared our freshman year when studying for anatomy in the final day or two before a lecture exam or lab practical. We tended to be on equal levels in general, with some specialization in one area or another, and we could excitedly regurgitate information to one another with the occasional drop into teacher/learner roles if necessary.

...

Reading back on that last paragraph... Everything I said, I meant. But I think... I think I should maybe reevaluate. Not now, but I think what I wrote there is very telling... of something.

Anyway, I went to my very first opera last night!!!!! It was Mozart’s The Magic Flute and it was actually an amazing first opera. I mean, it was also wack, but I’m glad I went, and I’m glad that I liked it, and I want to see more operas!! It seems like such a cool scene to get into, the whole, getting dressed up and listening to music in a foreign language.

Also I think my physics exam yesterday was fine. Um, the prof is automatically giving everyone an extra ten points which is cool. Don’t know why, but I hope it gets me closer to an A. I’m actually really feeling confident about it lol. It’s funny because I barely studied for that exam, I was just so exhausted from the previous day and studying for my biochem exam (which... I’m feeling, like, C range, on that biochem exam, maybe up to a mid B if I’m lucky (and that’s without the curve), but I feel like I rushed on that helical wheel diagram and probably screwed it up even though they would’ve been easy points :/).

Today I’m thankful that the study session was short and also that I made it seem like I knew what I was doing and also that she didn’t see my failure of a quizlet (it’s a fantastic quizlet, actually, just very much not finished).

I historybounded today :) I mean, it's Saturday and I didn’t leave my apartment until after dark, so no one really saw me for real, but, you know, baby steps.

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korra-the-red-lion · 3 years

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Unnatural Affairs. Chapter 20: What Do We Do Now?

(Ally + Lyn + Michael)

Ally.

It doesn’t make sense to me.

No matter how many times I’ve stared at the picture, it’s just not connecting. How could our professor be the one in the picture when he was alive and well, torturing us with his love for drama? It was like my brain had stopped working, because there were no theories or thoughts running through it for once. I was at a loss for words.

We ended up just going back to our rooms after that bomb was dropped, because what else could we do? We needed answers from someone who could actually give us something to work with. Our best option was to see if Dahlia would be able to tell us anything, or maybe even the lady that Michael’s been speaking to at the Dreaming Mythic.

As I unlocked the door to my room, Sarah was still up, working away at something on her laptop. She glanced my way when I walked in, looking away with an embarrassed flush. At this point, I was used to her just ignoring me, even though it still stung. Controlling the urge to sigh, I dropped my schoolbag and purse onto the floor, then kicked my boots off. I was ready to hit the bed right there and then when I heard Sarah clear her throat.

“Hey…” she said carefully, glancing my way.

“Hey,” I said just as cautiously.

“So, like…um,” Sarah rubbed her hands together awkwardly. “I thought about you told me… and like, well, it is a little hard to believe but I’ve decided something. I’m not going to like, ruin a friendship I have with you because of that.” She sat on the edge of the bed now, her eyes filled with tears. “I’ve been a bad friend, Ally. I hope you can like, forgive me for taking so long to realize that. I totally understand if you like, never want to talk to me again. I just wanted to let you know that I like, really miss you and know how badly I messed up.”

My own eyes had filled with tears and now they were spilling out. They left hot trails on my cheeks as I nodded. “I forgive you.”

Sarah sobbed as she got up. I got up too and we hugged each other tightly. I couldn’t believe that this was happening. I honestly thought that this was over, that we were never going to talk to each other again. I’ve lost so many people in my life to this, so the fact that I had so many friends I had who accepted me was so startling beautiful.

We pulled away and Sarah put her hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes. “Ally, you have to, like, promise me that you’ll be more careful, though. Those bruises…they were horrible.”

“I’m trying to be,” I sniffled. “It’s not like I’m looking for danger, danger just comes looking for me.”

Sarah giggled wetly. “Danger usually follows trouble. So, if you’re like, looking for trouble, danger is sure to be there too.”

“Okay, I’ll try a little bit harder.” I smiled softly at her, placing my hands on hers. “Now, sorry, but I really need sleep. I’m about to pass out on my feet.”

“Please don’t.”

Tonight, as I slipped under the covers, my heart felt a little bit lighter, even if my head was full of uncontrolled thoughts.

XXX

Drama was the most awkward class the next time I was in it.

I sat in between Mags and Michael, as Professor Kinkly was wrapping up his lecture for the day. Exams were only a few short weeks away, so he wanted to make sure he was cramming all his last-minute crap in now. I wasn’t listening to a word he was saying as my eyes were focused solely on the clock, watching the seconds tick away. Class seemed like it was never going to end.

“…and I’m handing back those papers you all wrote for me,” said Kinkly as his final remarks before the end. I sat up a little straighter when I realized what was going on.

He started calling names so people would go up front and grab them. When my name was called, I stiffened for a second before scooting out of my seat, slipping past Michael as I did. When I walked up to him, all I could see was the face in the photograph. He barely looked any older now. How was that even possible?

“Good job, Alexandra,” he said as he handed back my paper. “It was a very interesting read.”

“Thank you,” I said stiffly. I’m not sure why, but suddenly I really didn’t like that he had my full name. There was a deep discomfort settling in my stomach at the thought. I quickly retreated back to where my bag was and stuffed the paper inside.

“Is everything okay?” Mags asked as they glanced at the grade scrawled on the back of their paper.

I nodded carefully, making sure to look more relaxed. “Just ready to get out of here, I’m starving.”

“Amen to that.”

Eventually Michael got up to get his paper. I’m pretty sure he was actually the last person in class to get his paper. Poor guy and his unfortunate placing in the alphabet. Together, we scampered out of there, the two of us sparing one last glance at our professor. I noticed with a jolt that he was watching us leave, the lens of his glasses reflecting funny, so we could barely make out his eyes. It was very creepy.

My head was in the clouds as we walked across campus, not really focusing on the conversation at hand. We passed by Dahlia’s tree, and I found myself looking for the ghost, only to see she wasn’t showing herself right now. I wondered where they went, if they couldn’t go back to the spirit world or whatever.

We sat down in the meal hall, and I could practically feel the tension in the air. Students were nervously catching up to last minute work that needed to be submitted. Others were discussing final papers or final exams. Some of the students even were discussing the big football game that our team was playing in this week. It was surprising, considering how bad they were last year. They really turned things around, I guess. Overall, there was just a sense of unease filling the room today.

Maybe it was just my over heighted senses, but I was feeling a lot more spiritual presence as well. I’ve suspected for a while now that there was something going on…oh. Oh. OH.

My eyes widen as the thought hit me like a wrecking ball. Oozing walls. Doors locking themselves. People had reported many times that something bizarre or unexplained happened each time there had been a murder. I was sensing stronger spiritual presence, even more so than usual. None of the students had said anything so far, but I wasn’t sure who would really be able to pick up on that. But suddenly, her skeptical face flashed in my mind, and I knew who I needed to talk to.

Janna Kawada.

I didn’t even think about it before, when she had mentioned it to me, because my mind had been collecting so much information at the time that I buried it. But she saw Fiona. She saw her in the mirror. No one else had ever said as much, but that meant that either Janna could see them too or the spiritual powers were growing, and I just never noticed because this is what I was used to.

I had to speak with her. I needed to know. But where would she be? A third year Biochem student on the soccer team. She probably didn’t live on campus anymore, and practice was no longer going on. Crap. I needed to think. How would I be able to get in touch with her?

“Michael,” I said suddenly, turning to him.

He was holding his fork halfway to his mouth, noodles dangling from them, dripping sauce onto the plate. “Uh, yea’?”

“Do you happen to know when the Biochem lab is for the third years?”

Slowly he put his fork down, his expression puzzled. “Kinda. Why?”

“I need to speak to someone. Janna Kawada.”

“The one from the newspaper article?”

I nodded quickly. “The very one and the same. It’s super important. I’ll explain it later.”

Michael frowned in thought. “Right. I think there’s actually one that happens at 4:30 today, so if you stalk outside the building, you might be able to catch her. But if you don’t, those labs are usually four hours long.”

I glanced at the time on my phone and saw that it was only 2:18. Crap.

“Why do you have to talk to her?” Mags asked, drawing my attention to them. Crap. I forgot we were sitting together still. My mind had jumped way too far ahead there for a second.

My brain worked furiously as I came up with an excuse. Finally, one popped into my head, and I said, “I’m thinking of taking Chem next term as my science credit, and I might need a tutor for it.”

Mags looked skeptical. “Why not take an easier class? Human Bio is supposed to be a bird course.”

“I want to challenge myself,” I lied.

Mags looked at me for a long minute before shaking their head. “Whatever, you do you. I don’t care. I personally would take the easy option though.”

I just nodded in response, not being to say much else. I had a plan now, I needed to focus on that. Maybe I could talk to Dahlia before then? I bit my lip, thinking it through. She was never willing to tell who had killed all these people before, but it still might be worth it. Deciding it was, I picked up my bag and said goodbye to my two friends.

Quickly I made my way back to her tree. I plopped myself down and knocked on the tree. After a few minutes passed, I was worried that she wasn’t going to come. But I felt the shift in pressure as all sounds stopped around me. Dahlia appeared beside me, but something about her posture was different. She had her legs pulled up, her chin resting on her knees with the smallest of frowns on her lips. Dahlia looked younger and more vulnerable than I’ve ever seen her before. She gave me a side-eyed glance. “Yes?”

I shifted so I was shoulder to shoulder with her. “What going on with you? You seem down or something.”

Conflict played out behind her sea-green eyes before she gave me a small shake of her head.

“Are you sure?” I frowned.

“Always,” she drawled. “What is it that you need, darling?”

“Well…I just noticed recently the increase of spiritual power on campus,” I said slowly, judging her reaction. But as usual, it was nearly impossible to read. “And I was wondering if you maybe knew something about that.”

Dahlia stayed quiet for several seconds as she gathered her thoughts. Finally, she did a jerky nod. “I can’t say too much. But yes, you are correct. He’s gathering power for his next…target. But that’s all I can say.” She shifted so she could look at me fully. “Ally, there isn’t much time left. If you don’t hurry, someone else will die.” Her image flickered briefly, as if she was disappearing.

A dash of fear spiked in my system for a flash. I was running out of time? I didn’t understand, and there was something that was not letting Dahlia tell me. I thought I saw a shadow of a hand creeping onto her face.

I wanted to reach out and touch her, to comfort her but I knew I couldn’t. I placed my hand next to hers and stared into her eyes. “Listen, I will stop him. I know you can’t help me but thank you for trying anyway.”

Her image flickered again as she smiled at me. “Archives, Ally. Check them, your answers are there. Trust me when I tell you that. It’s going to be extremely dangerous, but I do believe in you. I believe in Lyndsey and Michael as well. Just be smart.” She flickered even more intensely now, nearly disappearing from view. Her eyes lit up with mischief as she said, “Salty silver witches hurt those who cannot write missives, Ally.” She disappeared after that. Of her own volition, I wasn’t sure.

I sat there, puzzled. What did that even mean?

XXX

Michael.

It was later that night when Ally came stumbling into the basement of the library. After she had gone off to do whatever it was, I hadn’t seen her for the rest of the day. After Lyn got out of her practice, she texted me saying that she was able to help with any research, but for once I think we were all stumped on our next move. So, I ended up telling her not to bother. She still showed up and ended up just working on her paper. She looked up over her laptop, staring at Ally in silent confusion. I was just as confused by her sudden arrival.

Ally gripped her phone tightly in her hand, her whole body shaking. With what, I wasn’t sure. Slowly, she sat down at out table. Lyn pulled her headphones off and reached over to place a hand on Ally’s forearm.

“Ally, you okay?” she asked, the concern noticeable in her tone.

Ally nodded. “I think I figured something out.”

I scootched my chair closer. “Like what?”

“I…” she took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before slowly releasing it through her nose. The shaking stopped a little. “I spoke with Janna today, because I realized something. When I did my interview with her all those weeks ago, she told me she saw Fiona. It literally just came to me when I was thinking about the spiritual presences on campus feeling stronger. So, I did the stupid thing and asked her. I legit asked her if she could see the dead.” She stopped and took another deep breath.

“She said that she couldn’t. Not normally anyway. Michael, you said you could see her too, right?” I nodded and Ally continued. “Okay, so it is stronger. Stronger that other people can see it, which is why I think Dahlia was able to possess Lyn like she did, because she is already powerful as is, so it just increased her power. But it’s not all-around campus, it’s only at the Athletic Centre.”

“How come?” Lyn asked, her brow furrowed.

“Because…” Ally bit her lip, her face pale. “It was the last place someone was murdered.”

I tapped my hand against my knee, trying to keep my nerves in check. “What does that mean? Why does it matter it was the last place someone died?”

Ally pushed her glasses up her faces and pressed her hands to her eyes. “So, I spoke to the others before coming here. The others being the ghosts, that is. They all told me similar things.” She put her notebook on the table and pushed it forwards so we could read it. “Basically, each time someone had been murdered, the area where the last person had died some a sudden spike of energy. Jamieson said that he always hated having his class in Harper Hall because weird things happened all the time. Amelia was the last one to die, and she hated spending any time around the old art building, where it turns out there was another student who was killed there, but never reported on because it was considered an OD. Since Jamieson can’t leave the Student Centre, he didn’t notice the dark energy that surrounds the Athletic Centre, and he wasn’t aware that someone else had be killed.”

She sat back in her chair, the weariness on her face making her look older than 18. “So, the reason why you guys could see them when you normally couldn’t, is just that. But it gets worse, because Dahlia just went missing earlier. I can’t sense her at all. But, before she disappeared, she told me that the killer is gathering power for his next kill and that we’re running out of time. I’m not sure why he needs energy to kill, but if we think that he was the one who made Fredrik into the monster, he might be planning something similar.”

Lyn’s face looked like it was set in stone as she chewed on this information, while I continued to tap my hands against my knees. Ally sighed as she rubbed her face. “But I think if we can send Fredrik back, we can weaken the spiritual energy. That’s where Katherine comes in.”

“If she agrees,” I said quietly.

“If she does,” conceded Ally.

We stayed quiet for a minute, each of us thinking about different things. What if Katherine didn’t agree? I suppose we could always ask Talia, I’m sure she would help. But how much time did we have left? Not to joke in a serious situation, but I really hoped that he’d have the decency to kill before exams, so they were at least cancelled.

Lyn got up suddenly, as if she was possessed. Oh, maybe that wasn’t the right choice of words. Oh well. She said nothing to us as she headed for the staircase that led to the second floor of the basement. Ally and I shared a look before I shrugged. I wasn’t going to make the effort to go and see what she was getting up to.

XXX

Lyn.

I don’t know what possessed me, but I knew I needed to look in here.

The archives.

I was spending so much time looking up things online that I forgot about one thing: a lot of these old newspapers haven’t been put on the internet yet because someone had to do it manually. People were a lot of things but being paid a lame wage plus no motivation equalled someone not doing their job.

I knew the person who died in the ‘60s was Dahlia Cressman, because we had her old things in our home. My great grandpa had mentioned it a few times too. There was no point in looking into that, now that I’ve made that connection. But the opening of the school, that’s what I needed to know about. Ally had mentioned it a few times, but it wasn’t until now that something occurred to me. Dahlia had told her someone had died before the campus had opened. These things happened, unfortunately. Accidents happen at construction sites.

But what if that death was more than that? I went all the way into the back of the room, going to the oldest shelf. I gently pulled out boxes full of old news articles, flipping through them until I found what I was looking for: the article written about that day.

I gingerly opened the paper, being careful of where I laid it on the table. My eyes scanned through the garble of the paper until I found what I was looking for. The headline was still legible, reading Tragedy at New University Location.

What should have been a wonderful day ended in tragedy. During the nearly finished construction of the new University campus built in Yokeville, a disaster struck. 27-year-old Jeremiah Kinkly was found dead this morning, Tuesday June 12th. It was suspected that Kinkly was trying to sneak into the property, into the Kramer Hall building. This building had not been finished yet, and many pieces of scaffolding had been hung in place, not locked up. According to RCMP officer Lawrence, it looked as if the man fell to his death.

“His body was somewheres near the building, all mangled like,” said the young officer. “I got a call about a trespasser, and when I got here, I seen the body right away. I knew there was nothing I could do for him. Poor soul.”

Mr. Kinkly is survived by his mother, father, and pet dog.

The picture they had used for him looked exactly like the Drama professor. But that wasn’t the only thing I was looking for. I went back into the archives and shuffled through more of the boxes, knowing what it was I needed. The lights flickered dangerously overhead, which told me I was looking in the right spot after all. My heart picked up its pace when I found it. Quickly I read it over, just to be sure. I grinned in confirmation and headed back to the table. I picked up the newspaper and went back upstairs, where the other two where still sitting, looking just as tired as I felt. I put the paper on the table and pushed it towards them.

“Do you see the issue I see?”

Michael looked up with a frown. “What do you mean?”

I tapped at the end of the article, when Ally gasped. “Mother, father. No other family is mentioned. How is that possible? They must be related. They literally look like the same person…”

I dropped my other find on the table. “Look at this.”

Ally picked it up, her eyes widening as she got to the end of the article. Michael took it next and read through it a few times, his brow furrowed as he muttered, “This doesn’t make sense.”

“They’re the same person,” I said, crossing my arms. “Robert Kinkly claimed that he was related to the dead man when asked about after his hiring, but there were no other children, and the family seemingly didn’t have another child. Even if they did, Kinkly wouldn’t look as young as he did. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“But how…?” Ally’s voice was practically a whisper. “How is it that he died but he’s here now?”

Then Ally’s face paled as realization bloomed in her eyes. “He’s like them. He’s like the Moore siblings.”

Michael asked, “What does that mean?” as I sat down.

“They’re tangible. They can touch us and we can touch them.” Ally pulled over her notebook and started writing furiously. “I suspected the reason why they could be because they had turned into something evil. Was it because they had no family? Kinkly would fall into that category if that was the case, because his family may no longer be alive. But does that make him the killer?”

“The killings started happening once he got a job here, in the ‘70s,” I pointed out. “You said that Amelia didn’t like going to the art building, probably because someone had died there. What did she say about that?”

“That she always felt like there was someone watching her there,” said Ally. “Would it be worth it to try and talk to the ghost there? Maybe we can learn something.”

Michael ran his hands over his face as he mumbled, “We might as well.”

“Yeah, it’s not like it can get any more insane than this,” I said with a slight smirk.

Ally looked between us before nodding. “Alright, we’ll go for it tomorrow. I’m too tired tonight.”

“Blessed,” said Michael as he started tossing his things into his bag. “I really didn’t want to go tonight, no offence.”

“None taken.”

I packed up quickly too and followed them out. I made sure to say bye to Eileen as we left. I loved the little old lady and she always helped me out in first year. We walked with Michael all the way back to his res before I walked with Ally back to hers.

I wasn’t the most observant person on the planet, but I thought she seemed a little happier recently. A smile flickered across my face unbidden, and I looked up at the stars. They were hard to see through the light, the pollution, and the clouds, but they were fighting through. I always liked going camping in the summer and staring up at them, losing myself in them. It was one of the few things I liked as a teenager. It was a way for me to get away from all the drama at home.

Ally’s hands slipped into mine as she pressed herself against my side. I looked down at her and she was smiling up at me, her face pink from the cold. It was amazing that she could still smile through all of this. Her strength never ceased to amaze me. We were standing in front of Lukas but Ally didn’t seem to be in a rush to get inside. She probably would have stayed there for as long as possible, but I could already see she was starting to shiver. So, I bent down and kissed her, whispering good night in her ear. She kissed me back before heading inside, and I waved to her as I left.

I wasn’t sure why I went this way instead of heading back to MacGavin, but I found myself standing in front of the big tree. The one where Dahlia resides. I placed my hand on the bark, not able to feel the roughness because of my gloves. It was a strange feeling, knowing that someone I was related to had died here on this very campus. I didn’t feel a sense of sadness or anything, since I didn’t know anything about the chick, but still. It was a little unsettling, you know?

“Hey, um,” I felt my ears heating up, “I have no idea if you can hear me but thanks. I know I gave ya grief the other day for possessing me and shit, but you save our asses. Um…great grandpa never stopped missing you. I wish we had the chance to meet, because honestly you sound like a super cool lady. And thanks for helping Ally out, even if you can’t give her all the answers. I’m sure you have your reasons.” I let my hand drop to my side as I looked up at the branches, noticing for the first time that all the water had froze, creating a crystal-like appearance. It was gorgeous to look at. “Uh, yeah. That’s about it, I guess. It’d be awesome if you could help us one last time, but I guess you’re missing. I hope you’re okay. Well…bye, Dahlia.”

Did it feel super fucking weird to talk to a tree? Yes. Did it make any sense to me? Nope. But for whatever reason, I felt a little bit lighter as I walked back to my res.

XXX

Ally.

Next time I decide to solve murders of long dead people and go on spooky missions during the night, I’m doing it in a warmer season because I’m so sick of the cold at this point. It was only 8:00 at night but I was freezing.

I pushed open the doors of the art building, welcoming the warmth that blasted my face. The building was still open because there was a play going on for Drama. I had already seen it on a previous night because it was part of our grade to do so. I was here for a different reason tonight. To speak to one last ghost. Hopefully.

The music for the show was muffled but could still be heard through the doors. The two students in charge of the tickets were talking to each other to pass the time, paying me no attention, which was perfect. I didn’t want them to ask me any questions.

I quietly walked by their table as I felt my skin prickling. I looked up to see him sitting there, a young man sketching. I used the stairs to get up to the third level of the building, a decision I regretted almost immediately. Look, I’m not the most fit person, I’ll admit that, but I don’t think anyone on this planet could take multiple flights of stairs without getting tired. If they could, they probably weren’t human.

He was waiting for me when I finally made it to him, trying very hard to not wheeze. He had slicked back black hair and curious blue eyes. He gave me a wave and a small smile that I returned as I leaned over the balcony, looking down to the ground floor.

“You’re the one making waves around here, huh?” he asked, floating off so he was standing next to me.

“That’s me.”

He nodded, looking down as well. “You know you’re making a name for yourself in the spirit world, right? I usually don’t haunt here anymore, since I gave up hope a long time ago that anyone was going to bring that killer to justice, so when Dahlia told me about you, it was hard to believe. Yet, here you are.”

“Here I am,” I said softly. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my notebook and pen. I smiled at him as I waved it. “Mind if I ask you a few questions?”

“Go right ahead, young lady.”

“What’s your name?”

“David Lancaster,” he answered simply.

“If you don’t mind telling me, I would like to know how you died.”

“I don’t. I was here, working on my art project when I heard something strange. I decided to go check it out, because the banging wouldn’t stop. I ended going into the auditorium, that one over there,” he pointed at where the play was currently taking place. “Once I was inside, the doors slammed shut behind me and they wouldn’t budge. I knew about the emergency exit, so I wasn’t too scared yet, but I’d just seen Halloween with my girlfriend Sally, and I thought maybe it was my buddy Joe playing a prank on me. But as I got closer to the door, I felt this terrible chill just seep into my bones. I thought it was from the door since it led outside, but I was very wrong.

“Next thing I knew, I was frozen to the spot. I couldn’t move, no matter how hard I tried. Then I felt someone come up from behind me and jab me in the arm. I tried to get a good look at who it was, but I never saw his face, only heard his voice. He jabbed me again, and my vision went black. When I woke up, my body was lying on the ground and I wasn’t in it. I believe the coroner said I had OD’d. That hurt the most, since I never did a bad drug in my life. Just some weed, but most people my age had.” He scratched his chin before running his hand through his hair in thoughtful silence.

I put the pen down, surprised at how easy that fell off his tongue. I suppose being dead for nearly 50 years stopped you from being sensitive about your own demise. But listening to him, I was certain now that Kinkly was behind this. I asked if he saw the killer’s general height and hair colour, and when I showed him a picture his eyes widened a little.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he muttered to himself. “I remember taking classes with Professor Kinkly. He told me I was his brightest star.”

“I think…” I took a deep breath in and steeled myself. “I think he was the one who killed you, David.”

David looked at me, his jaw slack with surprise and his eyes watery. He closed them and his body started to shake. I was confused when I realized he was laughing, and I took a step away from him. The laughter became echoing, as if there was more than one voice laughing with him. When he turned to look at me again, his eyes were gone, and the skin was melting off his bones. Fear spiked in my system as I stumbled away from him. I spirted to the staircase, trying to get away from him.

“I told you he was coming! He’s coming for you!” His voice followed me all the way down, and when I turned around to see if he was gone, I saw nothing. However, when I got to the bottom of the stairs, he jumped out in front of me, reaching for my face. I screamed in shock as I fell back.

His face had warped into something monstrous, with bloody saliva and sharp teeth. I whimpered as I tried to scoot away, but the only thing behind me was the stairs and they stopped me from going anywhere.

“You shouldn’t have stuck your nose where it didn’t belong, you stupid girl,” said the voice of Kinkly’s from David’s mouth. “If you had minded your own business, then I would have left you alone. But now? Now, I have to KILL YOU!” He roared in my face, raising a clawed hand.

I lifted my arms up in protection when something strange happened. His body froze and began to twist in an inhumanly way. He looked like someone possessed in a scary movie. One clear blue eye found mine and he said in the calming voice from earlier, “You need to get away, young lady.”

I’m not sure how David took his spirit form back, but I quickly scrambled away. There must have been a distortion of space in place, because no one was around. I was all alone here, stuck with the murderer who killed so many before me. I wasn’t sure how long David was going to be able to hold out for, and I didn’t want to stick around to find out.

I hear him howling behind me and I made a mad dash to the door. I slammed against the glass and pulled on them violently, but they wouldn’t budge. My panic levels were starting to rise to a dangerous level as I looked around for an escape from this hell space. My eyes were drawn to the other exit, back from where I came from. My pulse was pounding in my ears and in my head as I ran like crazy past David, who took a vicious swipe at me as I did. I managed to dodge out of the way, with only a nick in my jacket to show for it.

The sounds of galloping followed behind me as Beast David charged at me. I jumped out of the way as he flew by, taking a chunk of the floor with him. I winced as I hit the floor but ignored it for now as I scrambled back to my feet. I raced towards the exit and smashed my shoulder into it, and the door popped open with a hiss like a pop tab. I slammed it shut behind me and backed away. David slammed into the door but couldn’t make past it.

Students were leaving from the other side, blissfully unaware of the monster that was on the other side. David’s form melted as he disappeared, his haunting empty sockets being the last thing I saw.

A few students glanced my way as I stood there, breathing heavily. I winced as I took a step back, pain flaring like heat in my ribs. I must have landed on them funny when I jumped. I raked my fingers through my hair, trying hard to bring my heart rate down.

David’s voice had sounded so familiar to me, and now I know why. He was the one who warned me, back in the library. He warned me that someone was coming for me. How he did that, I wasn’t sure. But it was him.

Slowly, I made my way back to my dorm room. I quickly fired off a message in the ‘Spook Searchers’ group chat as I did, wanting to let the others know what happened. I was just about to slip my phone back in my pocket when I noticed that I had a notification on Messenger still. It was from someone who wasn’t considered a friend. Curious, I hit it open and saw that it was from Katherine Howard. I was a little unsure of who that was until I read the message.

7:52

Katherine:

listen I thought about it

come meet me at the shop and we’ll talk

bring your friends if you want to idc

Shoot, that a while ago. It was nearly 9 now. I sent back a reply saying I was coming now if that was okay. The little green dot saying she was online appeared, and the little meatballs showed up saying she was writing back. All she said was “yes,” so I gritted my teeth and walked briskly towards the store.

My ribs felt like they were stabbing me as I approached the store. I wiped at the sweat that starting to form on my forehead despite the cold weather. I was really, really, really getting sick of being hurt from these ghosts. If this kept up, I was going to need more serious stuff than just some Tylenol and Ibuprofen.

There was a single light on in the store as I got closer. I peeked through the window and jumped when the door swung open. Katherine hurried me in and quickly closed the door behind us, making sure it was locked. She directed me to follow her into the back where she sat on the counter and offered me the stool. I sat on it gingerly, watching her carefully.

Katherine was tugging on her hair, a nervous gesture from what I saw last time we spoke. It was tied back in a messy ponytail with pink tips, and I could see a hearing aid resting in her left ear. She had long nose and stunning green eyes that were watching me carefully as well. Her eyes darted to the door and back to me before she hunched her shoulders.

“Did no one else want to come?” she asked, moving her hands at the same time.

I shook my head. “I didn’t ask them, actually. I just got back from business and come over here.”

“Business?”

“The supernatural kind.”

She exhaled through pursed lips as she nodded. “Right. Well…I thought about what you asked of me.”

I waited for her to continue, but she just sat there and said nothing. I frowned and with an indication of my hand, I motioned her to continue.

Katherine sighed, dropping her hands to rest on the countertop. “What you’re asking of me is very dangerous. Like, stupidly dangerous. I thought long and hard about it, because it’s not just some decision I’m gonna make on the fly…but… I’ll help.”

My eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Really? How come?”

“Because, when I talked to my mom about it, she said it was the right thing for me to do,” Katherine huffed. “Whatever the hell that means. When I asked her why she couldn’t just do it, she said that she couldn’t anymore.”

I nodded slowly. “Okay…” I tried to shift, which was a bad idea. Closing my eyes, I focused on taking a deep breath through my nose. It actually made it worse.

“Are you alright?”

“Just a little sore,” I said through gritted teeth. “So, not to come off as rude, but are you actually a witch? I know Michael was a little blunt in his approach last time.”

Katherine’s face went slightly pink as she nodded. “Magic is real. My mom taught me all that she knows. But if you guys need me to do a banishment or exorcism or whatever, that’s a really heavy spell. I’m gonna be wiped out after that.”

“Good to know.” I stood up, not being able to withstand the discomfort anymore. “I’m sorry that I’ve put you in this position, but I’m really grateful that you’re helping us out. It means a lot to me.”

Katherine looked away. “Whatever. It’s the right thing to do. Someone shouldn’t suffer like that because the acts of another did that to them.”

My eyes must be playing tricks on me, because I thought I saw something flicker around Katherine’s head when she said that. But there was nothing there. I did still have that strange sense like I did last time, however. I wasn’t sure what it was about her, but there was something that was calling to me. It was very puzzling.

“Is that all you wanted to talk about?” I asked. “Because if it was, I’m going to head back to my room. I’ve got some stuff to catch up on.”

Katherine nodded and slipped off the desk with grace. She walked over to the door and glanced through the window before unlocking it. She glanced at me with her hand resting on the handle. “We’ll have to do it before the full moon next week, otherwise I’m worried this guy will be too much for me to handle. I’ll get a boost too, but I’m not risking my head for this.”

I thought back to our last full moon encounter with Fredrik and shuddered. “No complaints from me. Thanks so much, Katherine. I really mean it.”

“You’re welcome, sheesh,” she pulled the door open for me. “Be safe walking home… Uh, Ally?”

“Ally,” I confirmed with a smile.

“Right. Okay, well, I’ll message you when we should do. Might be in the next couple of days.”

“Okay, just let me know. Bye, and have a goodnight.”

“You too,” she said quietly. She watched me leave and walk a little up the street before ducking back inside and most likely locking the door again.

At least one good thing happened before the night ended. Knowing that we had someone who was willing to help us with our Fredrik problem was a way better ending than me nearly getting killed by David’s monster form. The stabbing pain in my ribs was now a dull throbbing, which might not be the best sign in the world. I just needed to get back to my room and take some meds before heading to bed. God, this semester couldn’t end fast enough if it wanted to.

#unnatural affairs #ua #ally holland #lyn hart #michael yamamoto #dahlia cressman #mags richard #ghosts #paranormal #romance #wlw romance #sapphic lead #murder mysteries #writing #orginal work #orginal writing #original story

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mythiccheroacademia · 3 years

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ignore, i’m just happy venting about nerdy tingz :’)

got a solid A on my biochem test. dk how tf that happened but God pulled through. now I hope it’s the same for bio bc i 100% have watched lecture since week 3💀

just found out my research team’s abstract was peer reviewed and approved and so now we’re gonna be published. it’s my first ever publication and to be my age and co author on a research article AND it’s something i’m passionate about is just skskskks it was sm work and i’m glad all the tiresome shit we had to do paid off. i’m so exhausted but v happy

idk if anyone remembers but my two friends and I came up w a covid related research question and our TA dragged us about it like on some hater shit and gave us a horrible grade. and turns out our professor wants to take the study into his lab and fund us to actually do it and changed our grade. and even though I knew that bitch wasn’t shit, him saying how good of an idea it was was validating asf. like, i’m not dumb or stupid. im meant to be at the school i am. i didnt get in just bc of affirmative action or whatever. i’m smart, I come up with good ideas, and I can make it where I wanna go if i try. idk it was just a really good feeling

this kindergartener I help (she’s got ADD so I just do what I can to help her concentrate) wrote me a note thanking me for telling her I was smart and that no one has ever told her that before like wtf bitch I wanna fight everyone rn

also I wanna learn sign language so just putting that out there so i’m forced to keep up w it

#I just can’t get to my journal (read: diary) rn and I need to write my feelings down #it’s been a tiring but good three days #very grateful for life :’)#not too bad for a girl from the hood hehe #personal

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raplinesmoon · 3 years

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Hi Isi! I've been wanting to talk to you for a while now, but I think today I’ve finally mustered up the courage to break out from my bubble of anxiety and test the waters for once. I've read a few of your reviews now, and I'd just like to say that you make it look so easy to just put every thought and emotion you have into turning them into something tangible and real. It's beautiful and admirable, and being able to do it as gracefully as you do is something that I aspire to do one day as well. Thank you for being you. I also just saw your most recent post, and you'll be surprised by the fact that everything you wrote in your tags is how I view you. If I do have a word of advice to give though, it would be that everything happens for a reason.

You’ve heard of the butterfly effect, right? It’s one of the principles of chaos where a single occurrence, no matter how small, can change the course of something forever. And so, when examining this, you realize that everything is based off of pure chance and luck. The reason why I'm here right now is based solely off of the one miniute instance of me looking at my phone while I was in lecture when I should have been paying attention (especially since it's biochem). But Isi, you’re doing what you're doing for a reason. You've met the people that you’ve met and have had experiences that not even one of the 7.9 billion people living on this Earth may ever have for a reason for the sole fact that they are simply not you. So, you’re worried about school, you say? I don’t think that you should be, even though it a reasonable emotion to have. Though, you also have to consider that even though your experiences may not ever parallel with others in your class, you made it to the place you are because you have something that not everyone else has, but is shared between all students like you: faith. So keep going. You have at one person who will be cheering you on to the finish line from the other side of the screen and quite possibly from the other side of the world. I’ll be sending you lots of love and encouragement until then and forevermore afterward💕

Kharli,

Truly, I do not have the words to describe how this ask made me feel. I was in the midst of a hard day where the blustering wind was threatening to knock me over at a single moment’s notice, but your ask calmed the gale into a gentle breeze and helped calm my anxiety down.

I’m so so touched that you take the time to read any of my reviews at all! Most of the time, they’re just the result of me having too many feelings about everything that I read, and wanting to get those thoughts down somehow. I look back at them and am in awe of how much I’m capable of feeling sometimes, but that’s just a testament to the fact that writing is the breath that gives life to the thoughts that are in our heart, and I enjoy seeing people share a bit of their heart with me in every story I read.

I love your thoughts about the butterfly effect! Truly, my chosen program of study feels like I’m running around in a void filled with chaos sometimes, just doing things and not knowing why I’m doing them, but just that I have to do something. It was so funny because at the same moment I opened up my phone to look at your ask, I was leaving and the professor who was teaching (one of my favorites), saw that I was anxious and said, “hang in there, I have the utmost faith in you.” And I really needed to hear that, so thank you to you both. I don’t know what prompted you to look at your phone in that exact moment, but I’m grateful for it.

You’re right, faith and belief in something is truly the reason why we are here, existing on this Earth. Time’s arrow always points forward towards the future, where things may seem scary and unknown, but we have no choice but to keep following. Even when it seems hopeless or desolate, something always pushes us to keep going, keep living on, just for the promise that tomorrow might bring something new and brighter. So thank you for having faith in me, I have a little bit more faith in myself after reading your message. And I’m also rooting for you, always.

With love,

Isi 💖

#kindest kharli #i really needed to hear this today #you are a gift #save for a rainy day #asks #propinqxity

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paging-dr-bowen · 4 years

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Tips for success during Basic Science Years

Now that I’ve finished medical school, been awarded my M.D. and landed a spot in my number one choice for residency I will be sharing some advice for what personally helped me succeed throughout all 4 years.

The first two years of Medical School are the ‘Basic Science’ years. They consist of courses in Anatomy, Histology and Cell Biology, Medical Biochemistry, Bioethics, Medical Immunology & Genetics, Neuroscience, Physiology, Community & Preventative Medicine, Behavioral Science, Pathology, Medical Nutrition, Pharmacology, Pathophysiology and some sort of Clinical Reasoning. Different medical schools may have different names for the courses and various ways of teaching/testing understanding of the course concepts but overall the main idea is the same. Below are basic tips for approaching your basic science years. How to swim not sink.

1. Identify the course’s main topics for each module or block. 2. Get organized – schedule in class time, block off study time daily to review new concepts and practice old concepts. Remember: every day you are learning something new is the opportunity to forget something you once mastered so practice, practice, practice. Stick to the time you allot yourself to study. For example: if I gave myself 30 minutes to review Biochem’s lecture notes, once the 30 minutes is up I moved on to the next subject. The following day I would review the content of the previous day’s lecture briefly because repetition is key, not dwelling on one point for too long. Don’t forget to schedule in time to relax, unwind and catch up with friends and family. Because I had a schedule I stuck to, I was able to Netflix, go to the gym daily and have weekly Skype sessions with my loved ones all while averaging about 7-8 hours of sleep nightly. 3. Practice questions are key to studying for medical school. Ask an upper level student for good resources for practice questions for the course, if that’s not possible – ask the professor. My professors provided practice questions before exams as well as during class, I made sure I did them and reviewed the definition and possibility of the other answer choices as well. 4. Figure out what kind of learner you are- Do you like study groups? Do you like to study alone? Do you like audio vs. video? Whatever it is, own it and don’t get distracted by what others around you are doing. 5. Minimize the amount of study resources. Less is more and all the books have the same information. Choose one or two sources that read well, is concise and helps you grasp the information. Books I liked were the BRS series for Physiology. My classmates swore by Netter’s Anatomy, but I barely touched it, spending more time in the Anatomy lab was all I needed. Key – Find what works for you and stick to it. 6. When should you start studying for USMLE Step 1? – You will encounter some classmates swearing that they are conquering flash cards to prepare for Step 1 from the day they began medical school. I am telling you that is unnecessary and *whispers* highly unlikely they are doing that. Medical school is a marathon and it is exhausting. You are being waterboarded with new information in large quantities daily. Your job is to take in the information as best you can and understand it so major concepts will be retained as long-term memory. A good turning point to integrate Step 1 studying would be in the second half of your second year of medical school. 7. Step 1 studying resources are UWORLD, First Aid for Step 1 and Pathoma. You can begin integrating those resources slowly while still taking your basic science courses. However, a true step 1 dedicated study period is needed. This will come after you finish our second year of medical school before you begin your third year. The general blueprint for preparing for this exam is to complete all the UWORLD questions at least once with review of the answers, review the First Aid for Step 1 book at least once and memorize the portions that are just fact. There are also practice exams offered by the testing company that makes the USMLE, they are called NBMEs. It is highly suggested that you complete these forms in conditions similar to test day to gauge your progress in preparation for the exam. They give you a score as a prediction as to what you would score on exam day so you know whether or not you should continue or tweak your study plan. 8. Make time to do extra-curricular activities, get involved in research, stay physically active. Not only will these things bring you joy but they also keep you a well-rounded candidate for residency applications when the time comes during your fourth year of medical school. 9. Make goals for yourself and reassess them quarterly. I had letter grade goals for myself at the beginning of every term and wrote out a plan for achieving those goals. When feeling discouraged to study I would look at the goals I wrote out and it would give me the strength to push on. If you need extra motivation, think of it this way – you want to be a well-informed future physician who understands deeply what they are doing, what you study today is a stepping stone for that. 10. Enjoy the process. Nourish your friendship with your classmates. The journey feels long and arduous, but it’ll be over before you know it and you will soon come to realize that you have joined a field that not many understand what it feels like unless they’ve been through it their selves. Rest when it is time to rest and study when it is time to study. Whatever you are feeling whether it is accomplishment, joy, stress or the feeling that you don’t belong are all valid feelings- just remember that you are not alone and just as many have come before you and succeeded, so will you!

#medical school #medstudent #medschoollife #Studytips #studyblr

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prince-liest · 4 years

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17, 32, 44, and 50?

THANK YOU FOR THIS ASK, ANON! this meme:

17. On average, how much writing do you get done in a day?

OH MAN, that really depends on how we’re taking this average.

While writing Damocles, it was usually 2k-4k words a day with breaks of some days where I wrote nothing for various reasons (ranging from ‘feeling bleh’ to ‘family hangout day’ to ‘ACNH came in the mail’). When I was RPing avidly, I didn’t count, but probably similar, because I’d be typing replies on my phone in biochem lecture. Someone in bio lab asked me if I got a text from my nonexistent boyfriend because I was smiling at an RP reply between pipetting.

On the other hand, when I’m not actively motivated by something specific, I just don’t write. My two settings are ‘zero’ and ‘A LOT.’

I feel like my approach and mindset about writing have changed a lot recently due to motivation, real-life career accomplishments, and quarantine, and I - like, I didn’t... write anything yesterday, and that feels weird and fucky? Which is something I need to work on, because I don’t want to burn out trying to force stuff when I should probably take a breather!

I really wonder how much I’m going to write when med school starts up... I hope it’s still a lot! I love it!

32. Easiest character to write.

Mine. Lol.

From the fandom that my followers are actually here, though: To nobody’s surprise, I’ve written Hawks into my headspace thoroughly enough that he comes very easily now. It’s just a matter of practice for me, though - like, of course he’s easy to write, I’ve written so much of him! Which is why I’m going to try and get more practice at other characters, as well. Going out of my comfort zone character-wise used to be a big fear preventing me from writing fic, so I’m happy to improve upon that.

44. Best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

I answered this here, and am still emotional about it! QAQ

50. Weirdest story idea you’ve ever had.

And I actually answered this in the same post as the previous question! Aphra sent me a lot of numbers, haha!

#personal #my writing #ask memes #thank you again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#Anonymous

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