Summary: F!MC, Sebastian, and the classic “let’s compare hands” trope.
Word count: 1.1k
Tags: fluff. friends to lovers(?).
Author’s notes: I just know they did this.
—
MC and Sebastian had their noses buried deep in stacks of dusty old tomes, fresh sheets of parchment, and vessels of ink as they spent the better part of the afternoon holed up in the library trying to finish an essay that Professor Ronen had assigned for homework. Although he was keen on reading books, Sebastian was never the most inclined to write essays. A part of him thought that it was a bit counterproductive to repeat what the textbooks had already mentioned. MC, on the other hand, worked as diligently as ever to complete what was given to her. The pair sat side by side on one of the desks tucked in a cozy hidden corner of the library, a small kerosene lamp illuminating the words on paper.
MC lost track of just how long they had been at the library by that point, having perused all of its shelves and sorted through the numerous books before them. Sebastian tried, and failed, to distract MC for the last few hours once he started becoming bored with what they were doing. They must have written over five pages on the topic now, but she resolved to maintain her focus on completing the essay before the dinner feast rather than entertaining his grumbles. She was more than aware that if she gave in to him now, she would never be able to submit the assignment in time.
Sebastian dotted the end of his paragraph with an imposing period, spilling a few tiny trickles of ink over the parchment. He let out a deep exhale as he felt his grip begin to tense up from all the writing he had done. He placed the quill by its tip in the bottle of ink and rested his hand over the surface of the table, a mere few centimeters away from MC’s own. He stole a glance at her and allowed an amused chuckle to escape his lips, taking note of her concentration that was intense enough to draw her eyebrows into a furrow. She finished the final section of her writing and set her quill down with a relieved sigh, leaning back against the cushion of the seat.
“Finally…” she mumbled and closed her mildly strained eyes, “that felt like it would never end.”
“Leave it to Ronen to give us an essay to review Levioso,” Sebastian shook his head and shrugged.
“His teaching methods have always been a little… unconventional,” MC stated, raising herself back up to gather the composition sheets into a pile.
As she maneuvered around to line the parchment into a neat stack and tapped its edges against the tabletop, Sebastian couldn’t help but notice how delicate her hands looked in comparison to his. It was definitely daintier in size and her gentle movements accentuated its elegant appearance.
“You know, for someone who’s spent most of the past few months fighting goblins and dark wizards, your hands certainly seem to look otherwise,” he remarked.
She turned her attention to him and tilted her head in confusion, “what do you mean?”
Sebastian grabbed her hand without a second thought, placing it in his grasp as he situated it between them to show her what he meant. MC’s cheeks flushed softly at the contact, not used to being so close to him like this.
“Your hands are so soft and smooth, hardly any callouses or scars from your battles. If I didn’t know you, I would never assume that you’re quite the fierce opponent!” he said as he inspected her hand, scrutinizing every joint, every little mole, and every wrinkle that formed on her skin. He saw how slender her fingers were as well as her perfectly manicured nails, showing almost no signs of combat.
“Oh, well, thank you…” she flashed him a sweet smile.
“I mean, just look at mine! I’ve gotten so many marks from dueling and practicing spells, and got a couple just from helping out around Feldcroft,” Sebastian spoke candidly, “I can even remember how I got most of them,” he laughed as he repositioned his hold to press her palm against his.
“And I suppose it is quite small in comparison to yours,” she nodded with a giggle, peering over at the callouses and scars that were laden across his appendages.
Sebastian’s attention was fixated on her hand resting across his own, his gaze shifting up in curiosity to see her expression. He began to wonder if she could hear his heart pounding through his chest, potentially betraying his overt confidence—and, upon realizing that he had been looking at her for a minute too long, was suddenly concerned at the way his stares could probably give away just how smitten he was by her.
MC’s laughter subsided and her smile faded away. She swallowed the small lump that had formed in her throat as her eyes flickered up to see his face, observing his reaction when she curled her fingers down to intertwine amongst his own. Her breathing slowed to a still beat as she mustered up her next words.
“They fit rather perfectly together, don’t you think?” her tone was subdued and meek.
“...Like they were made for each other?” Sebastian gave her a charming smirk.
She felt her breath hitch in her throat as she looked at him with wide eyes. There was a brief silence that fell over them as the two were trying to gauge their feelings for one another, thoroughly considering which direction their friendship should go following everything that had happened between them. MC’s cheeks were tinted with a more visible crimson hue, averting her gaze and pulling her hand away as she grew bashful of their exchange.
“Sorry, I got a little carried away,” she murmured sheepishly.
Sebastian would be lying if he said he didn’t feel slightly disappointed when she released his hand. He feigned a reassuring smile, “you don’t need to apologize. I got carried away, too—but I quite liked it actually,” he chuckled.
“Ah…” her mouth parted after hearing his words, feeling the pit of her stomach fill with a nearly endless horde of butterflies. Unable to come up with a response, MC could only allow him to continue. It was evident that he was a bit timid as well, considering his following words carefully.
“So… I hope you wouldn’t mind if we did it again,” he reached over and laced their hands together once more, raising it up to his lips to brush a coy kiss over her knuckles.
MC’s heart practically burst at what he had done. She squeezed his hand in acknowledgment of their now-apparent mutual feelings for one another and met his smile with one of her own, determined not to let go this time around.
Crystal needs help with her class work, and Edwin happens to like Shakespeare a lot.
Prompts: "Will you help me with this?"
Read on Ao3
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Edwin and Crystal were in the office. Charles was out getting Edwin some volumes (he didn’t really care where he got them from, he just needed him to retrieve them for him). Crystal was in some class or other, trying to get her GED so she could get into a nearby college and get a job.
Edwin didn’t really understand the appeal since she was living here and didn’t pay the rent, but he hadn’t exactly made it past secondary school either, so it’s not like it was something he’d ever thought much of after he died.
She was on her computer on the couch, and Edwin was at the desk. He didn’t know where the Night Nurse was and he didn’t much care since she had stormed out on them after their latest case in a huff due to their “unconventional methods” and “inability to follow a simple direction”. Edwin was trying to focus on letters in front of him from numerous potential clients, hoping to add some to their case board, but he kept getting distracted by Crystal looking up at him every other minute.
“What is it?” He finally said, not looking up from trying to figure out how to pronounce a client’s name.
She looked up at him, glanced at her computer screen, then back to him. “Um,” she started, then rolled her eyes and set her computer on the table in front of her. She dragged her hands over her face and looked at him through the cracks of her fingers. “Will you help me with this?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Your… classwork?”
“Yes.”
“You need help with classwork?”
“Is that so weird?” She said, narrowing her eyes and dropping her hands. “Yes, I need help with my homework.”
He put a chin on his hand and peered at her computer. He wasn’t very tech savvy. “I certainly hope it’s not on computers,” he said, standing up and walking over to her. He sat on the couch and waited for her to pull the laptop back into her lap and turn it towards him. This technology still baffled him a bit. He wasn’t sure how they fit so much in such a compartmentalised space. He supposed he could ask Charles to get him a book on it. Or better yet, they could get a computer. The question was whether he would use it for research or simply dissect it and figure out how it worked himself.
He squinted at the screen, then said, “What business do you have with Shakespeare?”
“Hilarious, now help me,” she said, scrolling downwards so he could see the assignment instructions.
He raised an eyebrow at her. “It's a soliloquy.”
“What?”
“A soli- give that to me.” She held her hands up and let him take the computer, and he very hesitantly pointed at it before briefly explaining, “It’s a drama device. Shakespeare was fond of them. A character is talking to themselves, and the character must be alone on stage. Usually they’re quite long, like a monologue. It’s to show the thoughts of a character more intimately to the audience.”
“Right,” she said, and she glanced at the text on screen. “How did you know it was a soliloquy by just looking at it?”
“Well I’ve read it before.”
“Of course you have.”
“Well, everyone should read Othello,” he said, though more to himself than anything. He gestured to the screen. “Do you know the story?”
“The important bits.”
Edwin would argue all of it was important, but he just nodded and pointed at the screen again. “Well, then, here you see…”
The amount Crystal had to write considering her teacher wasn’t even having them read the play was frankly absurd. By the time they were done, they were both huddled over the screen, discussing the different aspects of the excerpt she’d been given. Charles walked through the wall, and he raised an eyebrow at their focused state.
“Did I miss something?” He asked.
“All the fun,” Crystal murmured, finally closing her laptop. “Othello.”
Edwin stood up and held up a finger as he walked over to the case board. “Shakespeare is very fun, thank you!”
Charles smiled as he leaned against the desk. “Bonding over Shakespeare?”
“Is it bonding if only one of you knows what’s going on?” Crystal asked.
Edwin scoffed. “You learned things.”
She just sighed and lied down on the couch. “Charles, why don’t you tell us about your day?”
He nodded and began to tell them about his expedition to the bookstore and the library. All the while, he watched Edwin start making another list for books on their board, and grinned when he wrote out “Othello [for Crystal]” on it.
Edwin and Crystal were in the office. Charles was out getting Edwin some volumes (he didn’t really care where he got them from, he just needed him to retrieve them for him). Crystal was in some class or other, trying to get her GED so she could get into a nearby college and get a job.
Edwin didn’t really understand the appeal since she was living here and didn’t pay the rent, but he hadn’t exactly made it past secondary school either, so it’s not like it was something he’d ever thought much of after he died.
She was on her computer on the couch, and Edwin was at the desk. He didn’t know where the Night Nurse was and he didn’t much care since she had stormed out on them after their latest case in a huff due to their “unconventional methods” and “inability to follow a simple direction”. Edwin was trying to focus on letters in front of him from numerous potential clients, hoping to add some to their case board, but he kept getting distracted by Crystal looking up at him every other minute.
“What is it?” He finally said, not looking up from trying to figure out how to pronounce a client’s name.
She looked up at him, glanced at her computer screen, then back to him. “Um,” she started, then rolled her eyes and set her computer on the table in front of her. She dragged her hands over her face and looked at him through the cracks of her fingers. “Will you help me with this?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Your… classwork?”
“Yes.”
“You need help with classwork?”
“Is that so weird?” She said, narrowing her eyes and dropping her hands. “Yes, I need help with my homework.”
He put a chin on his hand and peered at her computer. He wasn’t very tech savvy. “I certainly hope it’s not on computers,” he said, standing up and walking over to her. He sat on the couch and waited for her to pull the laptop back into her lap and turn it towards him. This technology still baffled him a bit. He wasn’t sure how they fit so much in such a compartmentalised space. He supposed he could ask Charles to get him a book on it. Or better yet, they could get a computer. The question was whether he would use it for research or simply dissect it and figure out how it worked himself.
He squinted at the screen, then said, “What business do you have with Shakespeare?”
“Hilarious, now help me,” she said, scrolling downwards so he could see the assignment instructions.
He raised an eyebrow at her. “It's a soliloquy.”
“What?”
“A soli- give that to me.” She held her hands up and let him take the computer, and he very hesitantly pointed at it before briefly explaining, “It’s a drama device. Shakespeare was fond of them. A character is talking to themselves, and the character must be alone on stage. Usually they’re quite long, like a monologue. It’s to show the thoughts of a character more intimately to the audience.”
“Right,” she said, and she glanced at the text on screen. “How did you know it was a soliloquy by just looking at it?”
“Well I’ve read it before.”
“Of course you have.”
“Well, everyone should read Othello,” he said, though more to himself than anything. He gestured to the screen. “Do you know the story?”
“The important bits.”
Edwin would argue all of it was important, but he just nodded and pointed at the screen again. “Well, then, here you see…”
The amount Crystal had to write considering her teacher wasn’t even having them read the play was frankly absurd. By the time they were done, they were both huddled over the screen, discussing the different aspects of the excerpt she’d been given. Charles walked through the wall, and he raised an eyebrow at their focused state.
“Did I miss something?” He asked.
“All the fun,” Crystal murmured, finally closing her laptop. “Othello.”
Edwin stood up and held up a finger as he walked over to the case board. “Shakespeare is very fun, thank you!”
Charles smiled as he leaned against the desk. “Bonding over Shakespeare?”
“Is it bonding if only one of you knows what’s going on?” Crystal asked.
Edwin scoffed. “You learned things.”
She just sighed and lied down on the couch. “Charles, why don’t you tell us about your day?”
He nodded and began to tell them about his expedition to the bookstore and the library. All the while, he watched Edwin start making another list for books on their board, and grinned when he wrote out “Othello [for Crystal]” on it.
˚. ⋆ ☄︎ 🔭 in which you meet arisu for the first time after the meteorite— an internet cafe is a much more pleasant meeting spot than the borderlands.
pairing — ryohei arisu x gn!reader (works both platonically and romantically)
genre — fluff / angst (idk how to categorize this tbh)
tags — aib s2 spoilers, post-borderlands au, reader and arisu were friends in the borderlands, reader was best friends with tatta before and during the borderlands, reader is acquainted with arisu's brother, sad boy arisu due to the deaths of karube and chota
warnings — not proofread lol
—————
it was taking everything in you to not drop out of university. you would think that after a deadly meteorite left you and numerous others hospitalized that you would get a break. unfortunately, you were wrong, as always.
even though you were pronounced dead for one minute, there was no getting out of your dreaded assignments. perhaps you should honour your late best friend, kodai tatta, and drop out of school to immediately be sucked into a pyramid scheme. you sighed at the memory of him; you didn't think you would ever accept the fact that he was gone. it was all too sudden and incomplete— you should have at least been there to say goodbye.
you shook your head at your pointless ideas, arguing with yourself that you wouldn't be able to pursue your lifelong dream if you were to leave university unfinished like your late friend. the homework would have to be done, despite how much you'd rather stay in bed. plus, you could use a distraction. studying was better than coming to terms with loss.
after about twelve minutes of begrudgingly filling out questions, you couldn't help but find yourself coming back to blankly stare at your ceiling. it was obvious that you could do with a change of scenery. you had just survived a literal space rock falling from the sky, the least you could do is get out of your bedroom and into the city of tokyo to find a comfortable place to hit the books. plus, you could use something to drink in the meantime.
fortunately for you, you wouldn't have to walk for long before spotting a familiar building— an internet cafe which you had often seen on your instagram feed being praised for its delicious beverages. from the looks of it, it didn't look too busy at this hour, either. you mentally shrugged, figuring that this could work for your study time.
—————
taking a seat at one of the computers in the corner, you can't help but look up at a boy around your age furiously clicking his keyboard and mouse. it alarmed you slightly, as you had dabbled in your fair share of computer games when you were younger, but never to the extent of the male adjacent to you. biting your bottom lip, you stifled in a laugh; you had never seen someone so passionate about video games before. it was almost concerning how much emotion he put into clicking buttons. perhaps you should try his methods to cope with losing tatta.
turning your head back to your own computer, you made a mental note of all the work you had yet to complete, sighing as you realized that the list was almost neverending. your mind idly faltered, instead letting in thoughts of anything but your work into your brain. one thought in particular caught your attention— it was about the passionate gamer you had just observed. before you had looked away, you caught a small glance of his face, more specifically his eyes; you could have sworn you had seen them before. a wonderful shade of deep brown, with sparks of integrity and honesty behind the irises. where have you seen them before? they made you feel too warm to have just belonged to a stranger, but then again, you could count on one hand the amount of friends you've ever had. this boy was not one of them.
you decided that you needed some caffeine, as you obviously were starting to show signs of sleep deprivation. standing up from your chair, you carefully make your way over to the counter, intentionally not looking in the way of the fluffy-haired gamer. quickly ordering your classic drink of choice (a vanilla latte), you leaned against the wall, entraced in deep thought once again. if there was one thing to know about you, it's that you aren't the kind to easily let things go. could he have been in the same class as you? that was possible, but you ruled out the possibility knowing that you would have at least known his name.
your train of thought was broken by the voice of the barista. "one vanilla latte—" he started, and you made a start for the counter to collect your beverage. however, your path was blocked by the only other customer that had caught your attention— the fluffy-haired gamer. you watched as his hands attached to both sides of the mug that you believed to be your latte. "—for arisu," the barista finished.
arisu.
his name is arisu.
—————
your arms held on tight to tatta, your face buried in the crook of his neck as you two leaned against the door to an apartment. ever since most of the population of tokyo had disappeared, you two remained attached to the hip— even in near-death situations.
"game clear."
a sob escaped your mouth at the annoucement. the nightmare was over, and you and tatta were still alive. in all honesty, it was thanks to the lanky boy that had saved your best friend. him and the girl that you had spotted climbing between floors. they both seemed accustom with these death games, seeing as neither of them were paralyzed with fear at the sight of a man wearing a horse mask successfully killing a majority of the other players.
"let's get out of here," tatta said to you, to which you responded with a solemn nod. slowly standing up, you looked down at the floors below you. though you saw no dead bodies, you could see their blood; that was enough to make you wince. turning your head towards what you could only assume was the exit, you spotted your two saviours conversing. sighing with relief, you started to follow tatta towards their direction. passing the boy that had so courageously pushed your best friend out of the way of the tagger, you paused. turning to face him, you gave him a sincere nod— you couldn't muster up a smile in these conditions.
"thank you for saving tatta. he's all i have." making eye contact with you, the boy gave you a humble nod.
"it was nothing," he replied.
from one of the lower floors, you could hear a male yell out. the name "arisu" rang throughout the floors, catching the lanky boy's attention. you figured it had to be the yellow-haired partner of the boy who you could now identify as arisu.
following tatta, you exited the game arena, unaware that this would not be the last time you had your ass saved by a boy called arisu.
—————
your face lit up. you knew the surname arisu— you used to be in the same class as hajime arisu before you switched out (you were too frustrated that he always came top of the class). that had to be hajime's brother, right? it was the only explanation as to why he had seemed so familiar.
approaching the younger arisu brother with a smile on your face, you looked up at him.
"are you hajime's brother?" you asked the boy, tilting your head ever so slightly to the side as you awaited your answer. you could tell that your question had very obviously caught him off guard, seeing how he now resembled a deer in headlights. he nodded quickly, picking up his latte in the process.
"uh— yes, i believe so," he started, mixing up his words in the process. "sorry. i am, my name is— um. it's ryohei." you couldn't help but feel a smile creep upon your face. you had never asked him for his name, just if he was related to a boy that had been in one of your classes previously. a typical response from a gamer, you thought. you opened your mouth to introduce yourself, but you were cut off by the barista calling out your name. the both of you turned your heads to see a beverage identical to the vanilla latte in ryohei's hands on the counter. picking up your drink, you grinned at the boy.
"you have a nice name," ryohei said to you. not moving from his position in front of the counter.
"thank you, as do you."
a moment of awkward silence passed, and neither of you had moved— you were sure that the boy in front of you had an intense gaming session to return to, yet here he was; staring at you. perhaps he was experiencing the same sense of deja vu as you had? no, that didn't make sense. you knew him from his brother, but he couldn't possibly know you from anywhere else.
he must be lonely.
you weren't the only person who had lost somebody close to them due to the meteorite. could he be one of those people, too?
it seemed too soon to ask.
"if you want to sit at my table, you're more than welcome to do so," you said to him. taking your vanilla latte from the counter, you nodded to your study setup in the corner. his eyes followed yours, acknowledging the unoccupied computers next to you.
though he said nothing, his warm brown eyes were enough to give you an answer.
little did you know that this would become a regular occurrence, with you walking into the internet cafe every week to see ryohei at your regular table with two vanilla lattes. perhaps adding another friend to your list wasn't so bad after all.
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𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 ── re : josephine aydin, second year, creative writing + graphic design major, math minor .
most would expect that a dual major ( and subsequent minor ) in completely differing fields of study would fill her week with more course time than anything, but the reality is that neither major field of study require a significant number of compulsory courses, which means much of the time she dedicates to them goes into homework, projects, etc. josephine is known to throw herself into her courses, because she finds much of it very interesting and it’s things she likes to do rather than needs to do, but is still carefully chosen to best suit her not - so - morning person tendencies.
𝐂𝐑𝐖𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟖 ── 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 .
course description. explore various modes of storytelling in a contemporary context, with a view to developing narrative skills. engage with contemporary fiction, poetry, non - fiction, film, and theatre and will aim to investigate and understand the multiple ways readers and writers engage with storytelling and narrative. students are required to engage with and analyze their own writing and the writing of others, with the aim of helping students to hone their ability to edit and create.
schedule. this course lectures once a week for an hour and requires a two hour seminar each week for eleven weeks. josephine attends this course every tuesday. her lecture runs from 10:10 am to 11:10 am, and her seminar is lucky enough to fall on the same day from 1:40 pm to 3:40 pm.
assessments. the end of term assessment for this course is primarily a summative one, which includes a portfolio of creative writing ( 2,000 words or equivalent in poetry or script ), a self - reflective critical commentary ( 500 words ), and a review of a literary event ( 500 words ). there is also a formative assessment based on lecture discussions and tutor feedback based on on - going coursework.
standing. she currently ranks second in this class with a 98.83%, just behind isak nilsson ( small talk tells her it’s a small margin of difference, however ), not that she’s too concerned about that fact. out of all her courses, she considers it her third favorite class, mainly because she loves exploring the way storytelling presents itself in a variety of media forms ( with a preference for fiction, poetry, and film ), and it’s taught by her favorite creative writing and literature professor, and published author, dr. ophelia parker.
course description. look at how a range of contemporary literature is constructed around issues of gender and sexuality. using prose, poetry and drama written by men and women from britain and north america, it explores what it means to write about masculinity, femininity and desire and, indeed, how these concepts affect form and determine meaning. the course provides a theoretical underpinning that will enable students to construct links between contemporary texts and relevant theories.
schedule. this course lectures once a week for an hour and requires a one hour seminar each week for eleven weeks. josephine attends this course every thursday. her lecture runs from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm, and her seminar is also on the same day, from 1:40 pm to 2:40 pm.
assessments. the end of term assessment for this course is a summative one, which includes an essay ( 1,500 words, due by the end of week eight ) and a two hour examination. additional formative assessments may occur in the form of seminar discussions and tutor feedback.
standing. she currently ranks first in this class with a 97.68%, a feat given how complex her fellow classmates consider the content and execution of information. out of all her courses, she considers it her favorite class, and the one she is most excited to attend each week, because she loves dissecting the representation of gender in writing, understanding how individuals of differing genders and sexualities perceive others, and how it affects the overall story being told. it is also taught by dr. ophelia parker, which one may argue is the only professor she consistently seeks to take.
𝐃𝐄𝐒𝟐𝟏𝟎𝟒 ── 𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐒 .
course description. students will be introduced to how organizations use graphic design to benefit and enhance their image and products. students will continue to learn more about the principles and practices of graphic design in the context of business in addition to learning industry standard graphics software by applying their skills and knowledge to create original content. content will be in a variety of styles and formats to best represent a student’s range and understanding of the principles as they have been learned.
schedule. this course lectures twice a week for an hour each week for eleven weeks. josephine attends this course every tuesday & thursday. her lecture runs from 9:00 am to 10:00 am.
assessments. the end of term assessment for this course is a summative one, which includes a personal portfolio of graphic design ( at least three major pieces reflecting some part personal aspect of the student’s life ), two reflection papers ( 500 words each, one mid - semester and one at the end ), and a final project that uniquely uses at least five basic principles of design. additional formative assessments may occur in the form of tutor feedback.
standing. this course does not use traditional grades for ranking methods, opting for letter grades based on submission completion and understanding of the assignment. she currently holds an a+ in the course. her design courses are not necessarily her favorite, because of how monotonous they can seem at times, but she highly enjoys the creative liberties that her professor allows them to take with each assignment. the designing process is her favorite part. it is taught by the head of the graphic design department, dr. blake adams.
course description. students will be introduced to the core skills and essential knowledge associated with the discipline of graphic design, as well as a range of conceptual and practical approaches to image - making in relation to the discipline of graphic design. through technical workshops and software inductions, students will explore the analogue and digital construction of graphic design, informed by historical and contemporary research, as well as find a great deal of support in experimenting with both analogue and digital methods of production.
schedule. this course lectures once a week for two hours each week for eleven weeks. josephine attends this course every thursday. her lecture runs from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, though generally speaking, her professor only asks that they work for the first hour as the second is often reserved for editing, questions, etc.
assessments. the end of term assessment for this course is a summative one, which includes a portfolio ( five analog & five digital pieces ) and a two hour examination. additional formative assessments may occur in the form of tutor feedback.
standing. this course also does not use traditional numerical grades for ranking methods, opting for letter grades based on submission completion and understanding of the assignment. she currently holds an a+ in the course. her design courses are not necessarily her favorite, because of how monotonous they can seem at times, but again, she does enjoy the content, and quite likes this course in particular with the option to work with analogue and digital means, as she find drawing quite relaxing. it is taught by known artist and professor, julien troy.
𝐌𝐀𝐓𝟏𝟎𝟑𝟑 ── 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘 & 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒 .
course description. an introduction to probability theory and statistical methods. the course leads to a deeper understanding of probability distributions, random variables and their role in sampling. tools such as hypothesis tests are presented and a basic introduction to the statistical software r is provided. this course acts as a foundation for mathematical statistics, general linear models, and stochastic processes. more generally, it underpins other course where an element of uncertainty / chance / randomness exists or where knowledge of the software package r is required.
schedule. this course lectures three times a week for one hour each week for eleven weeks, meets once every two weeks ( for eight weeks ) for a one hour hands - on lab, and once every two weeks for a one hour seminar ( for ten weeks ). josephine attends this course every monday, wednesday, and friday. her lecture runs from 10:30 am to 11:30 am, her lab meets every other wednesday and her seminar is held every other monday.
assessments. the assessment for this course is a summative one, with one in - term test ( worth 25% of course grade ) and one two hour examination ( worth 75% of course grade ) taken at the end of the term. additional formative assessments may occur in the form of individual written feedback ( or auto - feedback from online tests and quizzes ) via a number of marked formative coursework assignments, as well as verbal group feedback during lectures and by a seminar tutor at fortnightly seminars.
standing. it’s no surprise that she ranks first in this course, given her math history and proficiency, with a current grade of 99.21%. what may be a surprise, however, is that she considers this to be her second favorite course, over most of her major - specific coursework, as she has always loved numbers and enjoys putting in the time to understand and solve complex equations. math brings her a certain sense of happiness and considering it’s the only class she takes on mwf, it helps break up the long hours of writing and design, even if it’s the most thought intensive course she has to take. but dr. michiel ivy was both kind and made the class entertaining, and was among one of the more helpful professors she’s ever taken.
Preventing Procrastination: Study Tips for Online Learning
During these unprecedented times, multiple institutions have converted to a virtual learning format for the safety of their student body and staff. Consequently, the lives of students around the globe were drastically altered, with many scrambling to adapt to this new way of life. As someone who is part of this group, I have spent the past couple of weeks trying out various methods to figure out how to optimize my studying in a rather distracting home environment.
From this experience, I have gathered essential tips that will certainly enable you to establish a sense of routine in your life and win the battle against procrastination.
1. Create a planning system personalized for your needs.
Although this piece of advice may be considered slightly generic, I believe that it is crucial for every student to follow this recommendation. For those who possess a love for art, aesthetic planners and calendars will definitely allow you to feel at home. When writing down your assignments, develop a color scheme using items such as highlighters as it may help make it easier for you to differentiate between classes.
However, there are many who do not particularly enjoy creating works of visual art. For those who prefer simplicity and convenience, utilizing a simple to-do list on online platforms ranging from Google Keep to Momentum (a widely used Chrome extension) may be the way to go. Regardless of your system of choice, prioritization is key for success. Personally, I would suggest you write your top five most important agenda items, and complete them before turning to anything else. As most often people are unwilling to tackle their entire workload head-on and thus procrastinate, by focusing on only a few tasks at a time, their workload will seem less daunting, resulting in more willingness to engage with each task.
2. Eliminate all distractions.
I have found that order in your physical work space works wonders for your productivity, and will, by extension, improve your organization skills. Unless you are claustrophobic, I believe that the smaller the room, the better due to the fact that less space ensures less room for possible distraction. Additionally, remove any excessive items you do not need out of your line of sight, and stack all necessary files in organized rows.
For the desk itself, try to sort out as many items as you can, leaving overflow study materials on nearby spaces—the clearer the desk, the clearer your mind will become. Furthermore, when studying, completely shut down your phone or pass it on to a family member so that the temptation of constantly checking your notifications does not become a problem. If you are still preoccupied because of disruptive background noise, wear noise-cancelling headphones or turn on peaceful music using Spotify (I would recommend listening to jazz music playlists).
3. Connect with your teachers often.
Since the method of contact has been reduced to through a screen, it is quite likely that many students will gradually withdraw from social interaction; this may pose a problem later on when one is confused about the coursework. As a result, I truly think that the conversations you have with your teachers may end up becoming your most valuable resource this term.
By emailing them and attending Zoom conference sessions, you will have the opportunity to ask any follow-up questions that may arise instead of having to figure out difficult topics on your own, saving you both time and stress.
Before sending out your requests, however, it is important that you master the art of emailing properly. From having perfect grammar throughout to an accurately generated signature at the bottom, you should hold your emails to a high standard of professionalism as they represent your public persona in an online environment. With more casual conversations, it may be appropriate to add emojis or images to add some personality and color to your messages. Remember that email etiquette is important, such as asking people how they are doing before posing a question or making a request and ensuring you get the time zones right when scheduling a meeting.
4. Maintain a level of balance in life.
Lastly, because having a balanced lifestyle will greatly improve your mental health and performance in school, it is critical that you create space in your schedule for non-academic activities. Widely recognized as beneficial, exercise should be integrated into your daily routine, whether that means you running a couple of miles or simply doing yoga stretches in your room. To do so, you should block out an hour or two in your schedule each day, and plan your workouts using online fitness plans as a model.
In addition to exercise, although often overlooked, receiving adequate sleep is absolutely necessary. For high school and college students, you should be sleeping at least six hours a night as a bare minimum.
To resist the temptation to constantly snack on sugary foods, study far away from the fridge as it can help prevent over-consumption and mindless eating. When eating your meals, do not attempt to complete homework while doing so because focusing on your food will make you feel fuller and assist your stomach in digestion. From colorful salads to hearty steaks, there are a variety of healthy food options you should steer toward whenever possible to keep your body energized and filled with good nutrition; there are numerous online sites and channels that can easily help you find what is right for you.
As a result of this chapter being semi-late (I was working on the plot of this story and figured out a pretty solid one, though I'm not sure about the ending yet), have the longest chapter of the story so far — clocking in at 2,660 words
Aella’s phone blared with one of her 30 alarms telling her to get out of bed, though Aella thought otherwise. Aella buried herself deep into her blankets and tried to go back to sleep but the alarms kept going off. Damn her and her genius method of making herself get up. The warmth that encased Aella lulled her back to sleep, but she knew she had to get up — school was in 3 hours and she had to now plan out a schedule and a new budget to share with Levi. She really needed to take a day off sometime; this shit is fucking horrible. Aella finally pulled herself out of bed and checked the time on her phone — 5:04 A.M. not bad considering that she spent all four of those minutes just trying to sleep in. Aella thought about taking a shower but decided against it knowing Levi was probably asleep still. Aella opened her door and was surprised to see Levi across from her on the couch watching the news looking like he’s been awake for hours.
“Levi? The hell you doing awake?” Aella asked, rubbing her eyes while walking to the kitchen; Aella was already famished, any food seemed delicious right about now.
“Insomnia.” Is all that Levi said, not bothering to even pay attention to Aella; he was focused on the news that had just come on four minutes ago. Aella looked back to the TV and saw a report about the recent murders that happened in the capital. Aella couldn’t have given two shits about the politics happening there as they never did anything to help Maria or the districts that struggled to not go broke. Corruption was everywhere in Sina, which made it perfect for mafia activity rather than the gang activity that occurs around here, but it was just as bad, if not worse there. The capital had long attempted to cover the high crime rate occurring in Maria and Sina (Rose was considered the safest city out of the three) and did a fairly good job convincing the other territories that the country with three cities was safe and far from corruption, but when you’re isolated from every other country due to their hate for you, it doesn’t do much. Yes, it did suck being born in such a hated place, but it did have its benefits as well — mafias have tried to lessen the corruption by attempting to take over the government to establish a more equal democracy, but every attempt so far has failed. That’s right — mafias. When fucking mafias try to lessen corruption you know you fucked up. Aella bit off a piece of her sandwich and grabbed a tea bag from her cupboard; no day started off right unless she had her tea.
“Levi, we should establish a schedule and a budget since you’re living here now,” Levi grunted in acknowledgment and turned his head to pay attention to Aella once the news segment was over. Levi got up and stretched his arm a bit before walking over to sit at the tiny wooden table Aella had against the wall parallel to the kitchen.
“Tea?” Levi raised his brow and Aella rolled her eyes; she pulled out three tea flavors and made him pick one.
“You drink black tea as well I gather.” Aella nodded her head and poured the hot water into two cups with tea bags in them — she hoped he preferred nothing in his tea as she did. Aella grabbed the two cups and set them down at the table where Levi resided and grabbed her planner from the counter.
“How much money do you make a month?” Levi rolled his eyes at the question and sipped his tea.
“Too much. Let’s just say 50,000 for now. I imagine that’d be plenty for a month’s rent.” Aella’s jaw dropped — she only made 2,500 a month if she was lucky! How on earth does a high schooler make so much damn money?
“How old are you even, Levi? That’s so much money!” Levi looked up with a blank face.
“19. I would ask how old you are, but I already know from looking at your documents. You’re not doing all that bad for being a month away from turning 18.” Aella’s eye twitched; Levi could’ve seen her real name! Aella sucked in a breath and started planning a budget with Levi. Most of the funds would be stashed away and saved for an emergency while about 5,000 would be reserved for the apartment alone, 2,000 on food; which would bleed over to next’s month’s food reserves, and another 2,000 for anything that was needed but didn’t group in with the rest. Aella questioned why in the hell Levi, at 19, was still in high school, but made no attempt on asking knowing she’d receive a glare from Levi. Three hours pass by fast when planning out financials and getting ready for school, Aella managed to even start working on a ten-page essay! Levi stood waiting at the door with his backpack over one shoulder for Aella to hurry up and turn off all the lights — Levi even grabbed Aella’s own backpack and threw it over his shoulder too.
“I work from 5-8 at a local writing company, please don’t do anything that’d destroy my apartment during that time,” Aella begged as the two of them walked out the door to school. Levi rolled his eyes and threw Aella’s backpack towards her.
“Relax. I’m not going to do anything. The worst thing you’d ever come back to is me cleaning up a murder, which you’ve already borne witness to.” Aella rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. The dynamic duo had finally reached one of the numerous entrances for Karanese High, nodded at one another as a goodbye, and went their separate ways for one 90 minute class. Levi skipped out for the second half of his ‘block’ class for a smoke — he was considered a ‘bad boy’ for a reason, apparently. Levi thought the whole classification system was absolutely ludicrous, but who was he to judge? His official work title was being a motherfucking mafia boss. Another senior stepped out onto the roof as well, earning a blank glance from Levi — it was some guy named Armin Arlert. Contrary to popular belief, Levi and Armin both held the spot for smartest kid in the school even though both parties were considered ‘popular bad boys’. Armin nodded his head towards Levi and pulled out a blunt — offering an extra to Levi for later, which he gladly accepted. Armin had his bob-length hair pulled back into a mini man bun that surprisingly went well for some dude who was supposedly considered a nerd two years ago.
“Did you hear about the party happening over the weekend? Apparently, some really high-class mafia bosses are funding it.” Levi’s eyebrow arched in interest; Armin nodded in understanding and continued:
“Remember that chick Sasha from Government that’d always propose anything related to food?” Levi nodded and sighed through his nose. Sasha annoyed him to no end — especially when she was right next to him screaming to some kid named Connie right across from her.
“She’s hosting it. She’s inviting all the populars and any party animal that wants drugs and booze. Of course, there is little to no chance of the party being raided as the police couldn’t give fifteen shits about anything outside of the capital. You in? There are some of my friends that I told you about that will be there — you should meet ‘em. They love fighting, drugs, and crime as much as you.” Levi looked at his phone and stood up.
“I’ll keep it in mind, Arlert.” And with that, he walked off to fitness — where Aella would be. The whole popularity thing didn’t bother Levi much, except when the one person he was trying to talk to kept getting glares from every horny girl in the room wanting to have a go with Levi’s dick. Levi rolled his eyes and flipped off the girls before dragging Aella to a private sector for people who wanted to work out alone or in groups of two. Aella looked at Levi with the look of ‘you didn’t need to do that’; irking Levi to no end especially whenever he defended her from their comments.
“Why do you keep letting them hurt you like that, Dumbass?” Aella stared at Levi; unaffected by his insults and harsh words.
“Because I deserve it after last year. Now, that’s enough talk about the past, let’s just work out so we don’t look like the fuckin preps.” Levi followed Aella to the library for study hall, though Levi still had yet to need it — he finished all his assignments in period 1; irking Aella whenever he rubbed it in. Levi sat down next to Aella at a table in the corner and watched her pull out every material she needed.
“Thought you didn’t like having friends.” Aella snarked, working on every bit of homework she was assigned for the entire day. Levi clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes.
“I never said that; you assumed, Brat. If you didn’t realize already, but I’m in a bit of a problem that won’t stop coming back to bite me in the ass.” Aella scoffed and continued to type her essay due next month. Hey, it never hurt to get ahead, right? Especially when your unexpected new roommate is a fucking gangster.
“Don’t you have homework too?” Levi shrugged his shoulders and leaned back in his chair.
“Unlike you, I get it done all in class.” Aella’s jaw dropped.
“Pardon me, but what the fuck? How in the fucking hell did you manage to crank out a ten god damned page essay in one 90 minute class?” Levi mentally face-palmed — he never mentioned once to Aella that he graduated when he was 16 after founding No Sympathy and getting access to online education to make up for the years lost from living in the slums.
“I graduated years ago, brat. I skipped five grades in one year the moment I had access to online schooling whenever things were quiet.” Aella groaned at the thought of asking about his GPA, but she already knew it was probably a 4.0 with no effort whatsoever.
“Can you at least help me, then? I have work later and I’m not sure I’ll be able to finish all of this.” Aella was as desperate as it comes when asking the Levi for help. She still had a job to uphold even if Levi started helping with paying the bills.
“No.” Levi was unfazed by Aella’s exasperated self and looked away to scan the library while she continued to beg for his help.
“Please, I’m begging you, Levi.” Aella was now not only stressed about a new roommate, a job, finances, and where she’d even go to college — if she could even afford it –– but now she had to deal with homework that almost cost her to be held back because all of her assignments were late; she spent all her time working with no time whatsoever for homework. This year was no exception.
“No.” Aella gave up trying to ask any help from Levi whatsoever — she simply sucked it up and worked on everything as quickly and efficiently as possible. As soon as school ended, Aella bolted out to get home to eat something before going in, leaving Levi to bolt after her in confusion.
“Brat! The hell you going?”
“Home!” As soon as Aella shoved the key into the apartment and got in, she dropped her backpack and ran to the fridge to make anything that’d keep her from starving, knowing that she’d be too tired to eat after work.
“Where’s your damn car?” Levi strode in, leaning against the door frame; his backpack still strung on one of his shoulders. Aella looked up from her food and raised her brow.
“Can’t afford one. You’ve seen this apartment — it’s all I can afford and even then I’m struggling to keep myself off of the streets.” Levi closed the door and gently set his stuff on the couch before padding over to where Aella resided.
“Why not live with your family?” Levi’s curiosity peaked.
“Hate me; like everyone else. Got kicked out two years ago.” Aella answered so nonchalantly like it was an obvious answer, though the hurt in her eyes was evident and shown right through Levi — she suffered just as much as he did and had no one to help her. Aella turned back, walked to her backpack, and started to pack for work. The room was silent after Levi’s question — he knew he stepped too far but also knew Aella forgave him as long as he never brought it up once more; Aella sighed and ruffled her hair after looking at the clock 20 minutes later.
“I gotta go. You have a phone?” Levi grunted and tossed his unlocked burn phone to her. Aella set up her contact info for Levi to reach her in case anything happened.
“There. Call me if you fuck anything up.” Levi raised a brow and gave Aella a look of ‘are you fucking serious’. As soon as Aella left, Levi looked around. Dust had covered everything — Levi felt disgusted at how little Aella must’ve cleaned the place. Levi walked to one of the cabinets in the kitchen to see glorious unused cleaning supplies that even came with the holy grail itself — bleach. Levi greedily grabbed every single product and started with a round of dusting and sweeping, then added a single layer of bleach on every hard surface that wasn’t the dark wood floors or the walls, followed by a good old fashion soap and water scrubbing while on his hands and knees, repeated about three times after until he finally moved on to the floors and walls. After deeply cleaning the floors and walls, Levi attacked the windows with Windex and polished them until they reflected everything — even the floors and countertops were so clean Levi could see his reflection in them; he even cleaned his room, the bathroom, and Aella’s room.
Levi retreated back into the living room and looked at Aella’s full backpack; she needed all the help she could get with her assignments — Levi saw her planner full with 4 essays due ranging from tomorrow to next month; to say Aella must’ve been stressed was an understatement. Levi carried her backpack to the table and started doing everything to either completion or half-way to completion until he decided two hours of work was enough — Aella should be getting home soon at any minute. Levi put every single item back into the backpack and placed it on the couch where Aella left it. Aella sighed, brushing a rogue hair out of her face while she unlocked her apartment’s door — oh the benefits of living in a complex where the building had access to every single apartment outside. When she walked in she was greeted with a clean space and reading Levi — Aella smiled and silently thanked Levi as she walked to the couch to collapse — collapsing right next to Levi. Aella didn’t care if Levi would yell at her, she rested her head on Levi’s lap; eventually feeling Levi’s fingers thread through her hair while he read — Aella watching some late night show.
Aella supposed that this entire arrangement wouldn’t be that bad.
