figleaf - hunters hill high school
TRANSCRIPT
F I G L E A Fissue #1, 2021
how to fight stress · SWIMMING CARNIVAL · year of the ox ·comics · stories · reviews ·
Mee
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Figl
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EDITORSEditor: Amelia YoshidaDeputy Editors Zeynep Erdogmus and Lily Sarzentich
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENTFeatures Editor: Isabelle BakerChief Sub-Editor: Amber SzucsExtraordinary Writers: Aaryash Bharadwaj; Natasha Dixon-Dowd; Sean Hughes; Isabella Jones; Isabella Lawrie; Elsa Pulvirenti; Nina Schafer; Quinn Williams
ART DEPARTMENT
Art Directors: Maxwell Patrick and Emmy WoodsAmazing Artists: Sabian Concha; Paige Diamond; Ryan Kimpton; Jasper Pringle
SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM
Social Media Manager: Aidan PetersenSocial Media Specialists: Sage Brophy; Sammy Hurworth; Scarlett Kimber; Bridgette Kirkman; Amelia Lee; Disco Pedersen
Cover art by Emmy WoodsContents art by Paige Diamond
Contents4 Features
28 Reviews
33 Stories
39 Comics
Hunters Hill High School has always had a school gym providing students with equipment for their workout
sessions. The gym has never been anything too fancy, but it didn’t exactly cater to the whole school either. This year, the school gym has been revamped and is now looking more stylish than ever. Just by looking at the gym, you can really tell that it took “New year, new me” extremely seriously. Fit with
brand new equipment, and an abundance of mirrors, the school gym is looking fierce deadly. Our brand new gym is ready for all students to come down there and sweat it out. We decided to have a talk with Mr Smith, the Head Teacher of PDHPE, to hear a few things about the new school gym.
How can students get started at the gym?
“The first thing all beginners need to do is to come to the staff room and get a user
Move it, move it!
Amelia Yoshida goes behind the scenes at the HHHS Fitness and Movement Laboratory (aka, the gym) to find out why even the most sports-phobic among us will love
this workout space.
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agreement which their parents will sign saying that they understand all the rules that govern our new space here. Then the first time they come here, the teacher on duty will give them a bit of a tour, and show them through all the equipment.
You see, we’ve got some cardio gear in here, we’ve got lots of weights gear as well and we’ve got plenty of floor space for bodyweight activities. So once they’ve had a little bit of a tour, it really comes down to an individual and what is it they want to achieve. Do they want to get fit in terms of their cardioid-respiratory endurance? Or to improve their fitness in terms of strength and their power or their muscle endurance, or do they want a combination of both? Or, maybe they want to work on their flexibility.
So once they work out what it is that they would like to get out of using the space, then the teacher on duty will be able to give them some direction on which equipment would be best to use. So yeah,
if you’re a beginner the main thing to take out of it is not to be shy, ask the teacher on duty and they’ll give you the best guidance for what equipment you should use so that you improve your fitness.”
How are you going to make students more comfortable using the gym?
“So obviously, the whole point of refurbishing the gym was to make it a safer, more accessible place for everybody. If you remember the old gym, it tended to be used predominantly by boys in Years 11 and 12 and it was virtually all weights; what we call free weights. (Essentially, you load up the weight on either end of a barbell or you grab the dumbbells and then it’s up to the individual to be in complete control of that movement.) So, if you’re not looking to bulk up and get muscle or if you are a beginner and you haven’t quite put your balance there, or you haven’t quite got the experience, doing free weights can be very daunting and very intimidating. So, we have had a comeback
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here in this new space by having a lot more cardio-respiratory endurance stuff in here; we’ve got assault bikes, treadmills, the ellipticals, the up-row bikes, the rowers and the fancy new ski trainers which replicate cross-country skiing.
The great thing about all of these is that you can adjust them to suit your height so if you’re a small person in Year 7, you don’t have to be stuck up miles away from the pedals, so to speak, and really reaching for them. You can adjust everything to suit your height, and you can adjust everything to suit the resistance that is most suitable for your age group and your strength.
So, yeah, those are some of the things that we’ve invested in to try and make it less intimidating for people of smaller stature, and less intimidating for female students. The other great thing about when we allowed students into the gym before and after school was we developed rosters, so you would be in here with people of similar age. This meant that Years 7 and 8 would be in at the same time. We've rostered it in terms of
gender, male and female, but we’ve also got other options, because we do have students here at school who identify as genderfluid or nonbinary, and they are more than welcome to come to the session which best aligns with how safe they need to be.”
How long have you been planning this type of gym?
“So, I guess the seed first got planted when I first arrived here, back in 2019. I had previously taught at four different high schools and every school I’d taught at before had a gym. I remember walking in here thinking, “Okay, it’s great, we’ve got a gym, but all the gear here is very old, it’s very dangerous”. I thought it was a little bit unsafe, and I thought it was also a little daunting, you know, for younger students in particular, and for female students as well.
I think it really hit home about 12 months ago when we had Open Day. We had students in here, and we also had parents and guests, and we had younger people from the primary schools come in here, and they were in the space as it was before.
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And they were having fun, they thought it was great, but I kept cringing every time I looked over it, a little kid using a piece of heavy equipment going “ahhh” and then they hurt themselves, so, I thought, “that’s the writing on the wall”. So from there on, we were very fortunate that Mr Lill was approached by members of the community who were looking to donate to the school. He suggested that they donate to our new Fitness and Movement Laboratory and gym. Then, the P&C got on as well and made a very sizable donation, and we used a bit of money from the PDHPE faculty budget, and that’s what’s enabled us to pull it all off!
Once we got our funding and approval, it got going at a steady process. Things have been turning up in bits and pieces. We got a new chill, filtered water bubbler. Mr Range put a screen and speaker system up there, so we’ve been able to have instructional videos appear up there as
well. All the equipment is here, and ready to use.”
What is your favourite piece of equipment here?
“My favourite piece of equipment? Well, I was a runner in a past life. (I say past life, because the older I get, the better I used to be!) But I am more into the cardio-respiratory endurance style machines. The big thing in the gym is actually called a “Smith Machine”. So that’s what’s called me to the industry, that maybe I might venture on there.”
Our new school gym should make every student and teacher here proud. Not only does the school gym look great but it also feels great. Even students like me, lazy and totally not sporty, could still enjoy their time here. So come down and check out the HHHS gym!
By Amelia Yoshida
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A person’s career will change multiple times in one lifetime. You could go from working a job in an office to working a job in a
National Park in the blink of an eye. Careers change, and they can be drastic changes, depending on what that person needs. Now you may be wondering, why would you trade a good job far away from screaming teenagers and social interactions with
pubescent adolescents for a job that deals with exactly that? We were both very curious as to why someone would choose such a career. So we went out and scouted a group of teachers from different subjects and asked them just that: what was your past career and why did you become a teacher?
We started our investigation with the one and only Ms Lake from English, who is also
change it up
From dreaming of being an interior designer; to hairdressing; to hanging with a Hemsworth,
Elsa Pulvirenti and Amelia Yoshida get the scoop on what your teachers did in their previous careers.
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the coordinator of the "Figleaf".
What was your past career?
"I was a journalist for 10 years. The first magazine I wrote for was a soap opera magazine. It was so cheesy! What was so good about it was we got to go to America and visit the sets of the soaps we did reviews on. We interviewed costume designers, directors, actors, set designers; it was super, super fun. At that time I was also working for a kid’s magazine.
After that, I did a complete pivot and went to "Weight Watchers Magazine", which was actually a really positive experience. Everyone was so lovely and so excited about making healthy lifestyle changes.
I went back to TV and worked for "Foxtel Magazine". I got free Foxtel and got to interview lots of different people. I interviewed Kim Kardashian and Kourtney ..."
At this moment we were stunned, and proceeded to bombard Ms Lake with an orchestra of “What?!”, “Wait, wait, wait- What?!” and “Did you meet Kris??”
"... I didn’t meet Kris. I would have loved to have met Kris. Oh, and Khloe came too. Kris is a god. She is ah-mah-zing. I don’t think she’s real; I think she’s a unicorn-person. I interviewed Miley Cyrus when she was still on "Hannah Montana". Yup."
Once again were we shocked. Ms Lake had told us, in the flattest of voices, that she had met THE Miley Cyrus. How could someone be so calm in dropping this sort of news-bomb???
"I also just missed out on interviewing Johnny Depp."
OH my GOD
"I did interview Chris Hemsworth. Very sweet. Oh! And I interviewed John Cena."
OH MY GOD
"It was at 1 am, and I was sitting at my desk, half asleep, waiting for John Cena to call me. But that’s the media. You meet lots of fascinating people, and that’s why I encourage pursuing it. It’s kind of amazing."
What did you want to be when you were younger?
"I wanted to be an astronaut but I realised I was terrible at Maths and scared of heights. So there was no space for me - no pun intended. I had a bitter careers adviser who dissuaded me from being a teacher but encouraged me to do journalism. I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to teach."
Why did you become a teacher?
"I finally felt ready to give it a try. Plus,
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Why did you become a teacher?
"Like I said before, I come from a long line of teachers. I think there are certain characteristics you need to be a good teacher: you need to be passionate, work hard, think creatively, and care for people. So I guess what I am saying is that I think my personality fits into the role of being a teacher quite well.
I don't think I would be happy doing anything other than teaching. I wanted to have a job where I could see myself helping people every day. I saw and heard of the wonderful things that people in my family were doing, and had met people who were taught by my grandparents and parents, who had left a lasting impact on them! There is no one day that is the same; sometimes it's inspirational, sometimes it's hard, but I am so glad I made this decision!"
The evidence gained from our interview with Mrs Pena and Ms Lake provided us with a hint; family influence. From there we locked our target onto Mr Law, Science and Maths teacher extraordinaire and Discord user.
What was your past career?
"When I was in university I worked at a tutoring job, two actually. Also, at a restaurant as a waiter for maybe, five or so months. Finally, I also had a three months job at Officeworks. This was probably about five years ago."
with many, many other teachers in my family, it is kind of the family profession. It was in my blood."
After acquiring some evidence from Ms Lake, we continued our investigation with the lovely Mrs Pena from HSIE.
What was your past career?
"While I was at uni, I worked in a Before and After School Care Centre. Before I was sure I wanted to become a teacher, I decided to work my way up to managing my own OSHC centre. I really enjoyed it! It ultimately led me to becoming a teacher."
What did you want to be when you were younger?
"I think I always thought about becoming a teacher because there are five generations of teachers in my family. While in uni I wasn't really sure, because I saw how hard it was through my parents, aunties and uncles. I looked into doing interior design for a while, but it wasn't really for me."
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What did you want to be when you were younger?
"I had no idea. When I was a really young kid, I wanted to be a hairdresser like my parents because I didn’t know any better. When I hit high school, I think I wasn’t really sure for a while. In year eleven I juggled the idea of teaching but, you know, coming from an Asian household we had to be the doctor or the lawyer and I just didn’t want to be either. So I kinda went into university choosing a science and commerce degree. I only had a solid idea of ‘I want to do teaching’ by my third year of university. So at the age of 20 or so."
Why did you want to become a teacher?
"I wanted to become a teacher at first because there was something about tutoring, as well as helping friends out with work that was kind of I guess, addictive? Because when kids really understand something, that light-bulb moment, when they actually understand things is really encouraging, I think even just as a normal person.
I ended up deciding that I wanted to do teaching because of that, I wanted to help kids value learning and I think that’s particularly, I don’t know what the word is… I don’t know, big? Coming from me because when I was in high school I really couldn’t give a hoot about school, like I kinda just coasted through school. There were a lot of enrichment programs, there were a lot of interesting things that happened in class but I kinda didn’t really care, part of that was because of how things were taught when I was in school, it was just dry learning and I guess I didn’t want to be that kind of teacher.
I wanna be someone who inspires kids to- want to learn. That’s actually not my main reason for teaching anymore, but it’s still there."
Mr Law’s interview left us with three more interviews to conduct. The day had been tiring, so we treated ourselves to a break. This means our investigation continues into the next issue of the "Figleaf". Stay tuned for more!
By Elsa Pulvirenti and Amelia Yoshida
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What is your fave part of CAPA at HHHS?
“I am loving our massive ensemble program at the moment. We have an amazing drama event taking place with Mrs Patten; that's on Friday mornings. We have a string ensemble, concert band, stage band, we have lots and lots of dancers. We've got 2 new rock bands, We’ve got a fabulous supply of equipment and the P&C over 7 years have let that
happen. It's taken time but we are now at a state where each class is able to access good quality instruments in 2.5 rooms.”
Which extra-curricular CAPA activities should more people get involved in?
“The concert band. I think a lot of students did concert bands in the past and come into high school with the attitude that they are a bit over it. But our concert band has got
MAKE SOME NOISE!
Quinn Williams sits down with Ms Sibley to discover how (and why) you should get involved with one of
HHHS's amazing ensembles.
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a great conductor and the music is really really fun and the more people that join it, the more exciting it would be."
What is the age range for concert band?”
“The age ranges are from Year 7 right up to Year 12. We predominantly have students in Years 7, 8 and 9, but any student that can play an instrument is invited.”
How can people who are on the fence get involved?
“Come and see me, first of all; we have a lot of instruments that can be hired out. We also have a beginners guitar program for people that haven't played before but want to try. It’s a great way to save money and means that parents don't have to drive to guitar lessons. Instead,students can learn at school and use our guitars during those lessons (although they should have their own at home for practice). It’s a fabulous way to quickly learn guitar whilst you are at school.”
What times are guitar lessons on?
"On Tuesday morning. The guitar ensemble is more for people who already know how to play competently, but on Wednesday morning, we have beginners guitar lessons. Those are for students who don’t know how to tune a guitar and/or haven’t played a chord in their life. We
have room for one or two more students in that one and all those students learn guitar together at 7:30am in the Music room.”
Which HHHS clubs are you a part of?
“I am running all of them at the moment. I would love to be in one of the dance troupes but every time I go there, the girls are exhausted, and so it would kill me to do what they are doing! I do the setup for the concert band to get them going and I’m involved in the promotion of every single one of those ensembles. So I’m usually running around the school or calling parents or collecting names and email addresses to get all of those programs running at the same time.”
Which ensemble is your favourite?
“That’s a tough one. I can tell you some of my favourite things about each of them.
TECH CREW: "Sound and lighting crew meet on Mondays after school. The tech crew are now engaging with all the other ensembles. I love that about the tech crew, especially because we now have one of our rock bands meeting them on Monday, but it’s opened up to all ensembles.
DANCE: "I love the energy in the Dance troupes when I arrive early in the morning and hear them. They're either puffing from
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the exercise or from the laughter so I love that about them!"
GUITAR: I love going to the guitars on Tuesday morning with Shane because those students are very proficient. They were beginners a few years ago and now some of the students are playing really confidently in and outside of school events that have been organised by Shane."
STRING ENSEMBLE: "Did you know that Mr Kennedy in English has joined the string ensemble as a double bass? And our new teacher Saga is really young and vibrant and keen to have lots of events, but we need more members. At the moment, it is an elite group of five, but we would like that number to grow."
CONCERT BAND: "I love that our concert band has got a lot of new young students in Year 7. There are also some Year 8s who missed out last year, but have come back."
PERCUSSION: "I love that I get there on Monday morning and the ensemble are all working away on things. Their teacher, Robert, has two ensembles; one on Monday and one on Wednesday and they are both doing very different things."
ROCK BAND: "It’s great to see the enthusiasm Miss Colligan is bringing on
with the rock band and we have now gotten to the point where we have to rehearse after school because we need to do a lot in such little time. Miss Colligan is the best teacher for the rock band because she is a performer in her own right."
DRAMA: "Drama is going excellently with Mrs Patten and the kids in Drama are unbelievably excited to be selected."
VOCAL ENSEMBLE: "The vocal ensemble meets Monday morning with Britney. She isn't just teaching them to be a good ensemble; she is teaching them to be high-calibre singers. Her technical singing training is superb. All of our tutors and ensembles are superb in their own right."
Interested in getting involved? Head to the CAPA staffroom and give one of HHHS's amazing ensembles a try!
By Quinn Williams
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FIGLEAF
F I N D O U R I N S T A G R A MP A G E A T
@ H H H S F I G L E A F
F I N D U S I N R O O M 3 0 6D U R I N G T U E S D A Y
S P O R T T I M E
W E ' R E D A Z Z L I N G A U D I E N C E S W I T H O U R F A B U L O U SA R T W O R K S A N D A R T I C L E S
H H H S
T U E S D A Y S
1 : 1 0 - 3 : 0 0
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8 great ways to de-stress
Experiencing stress is a normal part of life, but there are tonnes of easy and effective ways to deal with it. Isabelle Baker shares her stress-busting solutions.
Image created by Amelia Lee.
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Try using the 4,7,8 breathing exercise. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 and
breathe out slowly for 8 seconds.
1
Give yoga or meditation a try.
Gardening is a lovely way to relax and be surrounded by nature.
2
Play sport; exercise is a great endorphins booster, plus, it's fun!
3Spend time with family and friends.
5
Draw something; it doesn’t matter if you’re not the best at art.
Watching your favourite movie or TV show is my favourite way to relax. Remember to
bring the snacks!
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7
8
6
Take a stroll outside.
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pain
, pai
n, g
o aw
ay
Ease the pain of your next period with these top tips from Isabelle Baker.
Getting your period can really suck sometimes. And even worse can be getting period cramps! It’s horrifying!!!
(Just kidding, sorry if I scared you for a second.) Period cramps are completely normal, however, they don’t always feel very good. That too is normal.
Are you a bit unsure of whether you get cramps or not? Well, they are typically felt in the lower abdomen, back or thighs. The majority of the time, you feel cramps right when your period starts, although, you can get them days before your period.
This may happen due to premenstrual syndrome (PMS). And for those of you unsure of what PMS is, it is the group of symptoms that occur in women between ovulation and a period.
I have to admit that sometimes I can’t get out of bed because of how bad my cramps are but thankfully, there are many great ways to relieve the pain! Personally, I like to get a heat pad and lie down on my back. I have found that it's a good idea to lie on your back with a pillow under your knees because it will help relieve back pressure. Some other
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effective way to relieve menstrual cramps include:
• Taking over-the-counter medicine. This is a great solution to relieve any pain you may be experiencing, especially if it is severe pain. Just make sure to talk to your doctor in case you may have any allergies etc. Some home medicines like essential oils can also be helpful.
• If you use tampons, switching to pads can be good way to relieve pain.
• Sometimes, it’s tough to be active while getting cramps. However, research shows that getting regular amounts of exercise can helpful for
cramps. Exercise makes your blood flow which can reduce cramping. It also releases endorphins that make you feel happy, which will relax your muscles.
• I apologise to all you coffee addicts out there, but it's good to avoid caffeine for a while. It's also best to avoid foods that can cause bloating and discomfort, like onions and garlic.
• Are you someone lazy like me? Then go and enjoy yourself a nice, warm soak in the bath to relax your pelvic muscles.
By Isabelle Baker
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New Year’s Eve a
spotlight on:the year of the ox
2021 is the Year of the Ox in the Chinese Zodiac. Those born in the Year of the Ox are thought to be trustworthy, dependable, strong and determined! Find out more about the traditions and treats of
Lunar New Year. Image created by Paige Diamond.
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In the Western world, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrate the final day of the Gregorian calendar year and the
first day of the new year. However, this story isn’t about western New Years’ celebrations; it’s about the Lunar New Year. The Lunar New Year is its own celebration, with its own traditions and customs. But what are they?
Cleaning your house
One popular Lunar New Year tradition is to clean up the house, from the darkest, most hidden corners, to the
ceiling, to parts of your house you were only vaguely aware existed. The purpose of this is to clean away the remnants of old things and bad luck away from your house in preparation for a new year of new journeys and good fortune.
Shopping
Another Lunar New Year tradition is to shop, whether it be for new clothing, furniture, or cutlery. The purpose of this is to welcome new things in the new year, and prepare for the new start which the new year brings.
How to celebrate lunar new year
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New Year’s Eve a
This custom often takes place after cleaning your home.
Family Reunion Dinner
A major Lunar New Year custom is to have a large family reunion, along with a delicious homemade dinner. Family members come along to be part of these gatherings, regardless of how far away they live. Common foods eaten at these dinners include dumplings, which are said to bring wealth and fortune; fish, which is meant to bring prosperity in the new year; braised meatballs in gravy which are meant to bring luck, wealth, longevity and happiness; and spiced beef, braised prawns and chicken, which are included simply for their refreshing, fragrant tastes.
Giving Red Envelopes
Another Lunar New Year custom is for the elderly to prepare and give away red envelopes filled with money to the children after the family reunion dinner. These envelopes are also known as “lucky money”. In folk culture, it is believed that children will have a safe year if they are given this lucky money.
While these traditions may be different than those most commonly practiced in Australia, it is important that we all recognise, appreciate and learn about different cultures, as it promotes diversity and understanding in our extremely multicultural country. And while learning about different cultures is important, it is also interesting. It’s interesting how
humans, living on the same planet, sharing similar resources, beginning as the same, can develop to be so different and unique. It’s interesting how history and geography and all these other factors can come together to create something entirely different out of what once was the same.
I was particularly lucky to be tasked with this article, as I got to learn more about a culture that is widespread in our large country. This article talks about some traditions concerning the Lunar New Year, but there are far more celebrations than just a list of four. Learning about the Lunar New Year alone isn’t enough to learn everything about Chinese people and their culture, as Lunar New Year is not all that Chinese culture is, the same way that New Year’s isn’t all Western culture is. However, it gives an insight into a different world, and that is a delightful thing.
By Zeynep Erdogmus
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20-minute dumplings
Ingredients:
400g of flour
350g of pork
300g of leek (or any green vegetable you like)
Seasoning (Amount depends on personal taste)
Green onion
Ginger
Salt
Five spices powder (optional)
Cooking wine
Soy Sauce
Sesame oil
Step 1: Add water into the flour to make a dough. Knead the dough and then cover it for later use.
Step 2: Prepare the fillings by mixing the ground pork with chopped celery, ginger and green onion and add other seasoning.
Step 3: Cut the dough into small pieces and make each in roll flat to a round wrapper.
Step 4: Put the filling in the wrapper and seal the edges to wrap the dumpling.
Step 5: Cook them in boiling water for about 10 minutes.
By Amelia Yoshida
If a runway show existed for Chinese New Year foods, dumplings would be that one outfit that is seen every year but nevertheless steals the show! Dumplings are a staple in New Year celebrations. “Jiaozi” is a popular Chinese dumpling. Its name means “year changing”, so it makes sense that it is commonly enjoyed during the new year. Chinese New Year can be celebrated by all, so why not join in on the celebration with some tasty Jiaozi dumplings!
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Words. They are (currently) the most common form of communication, and there are a lot of them. There
are different types of them; they are said differently by different people; sometimes they keep their meanings and change their letters; and sometimes they keep their letters and change their meanings. There are nouns, verbs, adjectives; different languages, different accents; different lengths and syllables. As if that wasn’t enough, there are different tones to adopt when using words verbally; social cues which imply opinion
and convey emotion. The point is, words are hard, and there are a lot of them. And, objectively, no word can be more beautiful than another. But there is just something about the following words that set them apart from the rest:
Nyctophilia, noun: “Love of darkness or night; finding relaxation and comfort in the darkness.”
Academia, noun: “The environment or community concerned with the pursuit of research, education, and scholarship.”
word play
Zeynep Erdogmus reveals how to dazzle your friends and vanquish your foes with these beautiful words!
Now that is truly ambrosial!
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Nemophilist, noun: “A person who loves or is fond of the woods or forest.”
Mellifluous, adjective: (of a sound) “pleasingly smooth and musical to hear.”
Euphoria, noun: “A feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness.”
Melancholy, noun: “A feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause.”
Plethora, noun: “A large or excessive amount of something.”
Gossamer, noun: “A fine, filmy substance consisting of cobwebs spun by small spiders, seen especially in autumn.”
Eternity, noun: “Infinite or unending time.”
Solivagant, adjective: “A solitary wanderer.”
Astronomy, noun: “The branch of science which deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole.”
Hiraeth, noun: “Deep longing for something, especially one's home.”
Luminous, adjective: “Radiating or reflecting light; shining; bright.”
Ambrosial, adjective: “Especially delicious or fragrant.”
Onyx, noun: “A semi-precious variety of agate with different colours in layers.”
Nefarious, adjective: “(typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal.”
Petrichor, noun: “A pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather.”
Dusk, noun: “The state or period of partial darkness between day and night.”
Contemplate, verb: “Think deeply and at length.”
Gaze, verb: “Look steadily and intently, especially in admiration, surprise, or thought.”
Flaunt, verb: “Display (something) ostentatiously, especially in order to provoke envy or admiration or to show defiance.”
Discuss, verb: “Talk about (something) with a person or people.”
Regard, verb: “Consider or think of in a specified way.”
Discern, verb: “Recognise or find out.”
Heliophobia, noun: “Intense, sometimes irrational fear of the sun.”
By Zeynep Erdogmus
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From cornrows to afro-shaped up-dos, traditional Black hairstyles can be recorded all the way back to Ancient Egypt in drawings,
engravings and hieroglyphics. Early on in African civilisations, hairstyles could specify which tribe or family someone was from, as well as their social status. Almost an entire person's identity could be concluded just from their hair. Let's find out more...
Afro
The afro rejects all European beauty standards, showcasing the natural shape, texture and structure of black hair. Afros have been used as a political statement throughout history, including in the Civil Rights, Black Power and Black is Beautiful Movements. Throughout history, wearing an afro made many Black people targets for harassment, interrogation and arrest.
Focus on hair
To commemorate Black History Month, Isabella Lawrie researches the complex intersection between traditional
Black hairstyles, identity and politics.
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Intricate Braids
Braids have traditionally been used to identify one's religion, wealth, marital status, age and societal rank within West African communities. Nigerian housewives who were in polygamous relationships created the style kohin-sorogun, which translates to “turn your back to the jealous rival wife”. This hairstyle had a pattern at the back which was meant to taunt their husbands’ other wives.
Head wraps
In African societies, head wraps have also been used to signify a person's wealth and status. A woman’s age, wealth, social standing and marital status could all be determined just by how they wrapped their hair. Tying a head wrap in a bow is reminiscent of African traditions as members of royalty would wear hats or headpieces as symbols of their status. Wearing a head wrap in a turban style is often associated with Sikh religious
identity, but also has a long history with sub-Saharan Africa.
Locs
Known as locs, dreads or dreadlocks, this hairstyle is one of the most popular within the Black community due to its cultural significance. Locs have been dated all the way back to ancient Egypt and India, found on mummies and Hindu scriptures. Groups in Northwestern Namibia, Kenya and Tanzania often dye their hair red with natural ochre.
Bantu knots
Bantu knots have a rich African background, used to categorise over 400 ethnic groups in Africa, due to the word Bantu universally translating to “people”. This hairstyle was originated by the Zulu people, a Bantu ethnic group, in South Africa, which is why they’re also known as Zulu knots. The style is also widely known as Nubian knots. By Isabella Lawrie
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game review:cyberpunk 2077
Cars! Quests! Keanu! Sean Hughes takes you inside one of the most polarising games in recent memory,
"Cyberpunk 2077"
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Cyberpunk 2077", what a game; a game which has often been hated. Now, I would have preferred to be reviewing a game
I hate, but alas, I did not hate this game, and haven’t played many games I hated recently. That said, the beginning of this review will be incredibly negative; more negative than [ joke included for $5.99]. Now, the state of the game at launch was horrendous, absolutely terrible, unacceptable. This was a result of CDPR’s management, and if you blame the workers at the company, you are not only wrong, but also incredibly stupid.
Now, on my first play-through, I experienced very few bugs; few enough that I could count them on one hand. The game ran passably on my PC, but people on consoles had a different experience. Not only was the game littered with more bugs than "Fallout 76", the frame rates stuttered constantly, while the game on all systems is sorely lacking the content promised before release.
The reason I mention all of this is because the game industry has gotten lazy. No longer do we receive polished AAA games at launch; instead we get buggy messes that are fixed over time. This lack of effort is even spreading to the indie scene, which is pretty bad because some of the best games ever made were developed by indie developers, games such as "Return of the Obra Dinn", "Disco Elysium", and "Papers, Please". These games represent some of the more talented minds in the gaming industry, yet they are always superseded in news by these big AAA titles.
OK, time to get back on track.
Now, the game centres around a loving yet troubled couple in V and Johnny Silverhand as they journey around Night City helping people out with their problems and discovering more about each other. Eventually, this devolves and a desperate race against time is started. However, you can do anything at this point, so really, there is no race against time; just the illusion of one. In this time, you can do gigs (basically just the monster contracts from "Witcher 3" with a little more variance); you can do side quests, which are easily the best part of the game; or you can do hidden quests and get Misty to read your tarot.
In my first play-through, I spent 100 hours doing everything I could and finding all the little hidden secrets scattered throughout the gameworld. As you complete hidden quests and such, the world really expands in terms of how alive it feels. It feels like people actually do stuff when you aren’t there. This really helps the world feel real, and that is surprising, considering on my second day in the world I saw a car that had merged with the floor and a truck drove through a wall, sooo... yeah.
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Another major aspect of the game that improves its overall quality in the design of buildings, cars, and guns. The game goes for a Brutalist architectural style, which really adds this unique dimension to how the city looks; everything looks very angular, simple, and cheap. This can be seen in the cars and guns as well, with all the cheaper vehicles looking like garbage. But, they do still look like functional vehicles, and that’s all any of it is meant to be… functional.
The guns are possibly one of the best and most detailed parts of the game. Every weapon has been modelled to look like a gun that could feasibly exist, with each being detailed to the smallest things, like the model number of the Malorian Arms 3516, and the fingerprints left on guns by prior owners.
The same can be said for many of the cars as well, with my favourite vehicle being the Rayfield Caliburn. It’s a little sensitive on the steering, but it’s fast, responsive, and looks rather intimidating if you get the free version. Ultimately, this is all very nice; a living world is cool and all, but does it actually have the depth to match, or is this a case of Bethesda syndrome, as wide as an ocean and as deep as a puddle? I’d say yes.
Now, if one plays "Cyberpunk 2077" the correct way (yes, there is a correct way to play every game), then one would experience several side stories and actually get a choice on how the game ends. Now, the main quest is a bit lacklustre by itself, but from what I’ve seen of the side content (not the gigs), the developers really wanted people to experience these stories instead.
The main story is touching and nice and all, but it really serves as a railroad to guide the player to some of the best quests ever made, from a narrative perspective.
For me, some of the best questlines in the game were ones based around meeting old friends of Johnny Silverhand. Each of these quests were beautiful, and one ended on one of the most touching scenes I've ever seen. The little bits of character development that they give Silverhand really make the Temperance ending feel like an actual ending, and not like the player messed something up.
There's not much that I’d like to talk about with these quests (I’d hate to ruin them for someone else), so instead, I’ll talk about another questline; one everyone will probably do. That would be the Nomad questline. This is pretty much a part of the main story, considering how much incentive your character has to do it.
In this questline, you play the companion to Panam Palmer, a Nomad who left her clan after some disagreements with their leader Saul. The quest follows V trying to help Panam not only get back to the Aldecaldos (her clan), but also to talk sense into Saul, and help these Nomads advance themselves so they can continue living free. This quest is essential to what most players consider the “good” ending. It has several fun set pieces, and builds V’s character through various dialogues within. This makes this questline near essential, and anyone who plans on playing "Cyberpunk 2077" should definitely go through it.
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Now, let’s talk about the acting. It’s good, really good. Every actor delivers lines extremely well, even the human Golden Retriever, Keanu Reeves. Two scenes really stick out to me: the scene where you visit the grave of Silverhand, and (warning: heavy themes ahead) the death of Evelyn Parker.
Let’s start with Silverhand. The setting here is great, a landfill in some oil fields, and a slab of concrete, under which is the corpse of the legendary rockerboy, Johnny Silverhand. V comes here at the end of quest “Chippin'’ In”. Here, V takes a seat next to Johnny, and they have a nice talk about Johnny’s grave, with Johnny being completely broken by it. It’s really obvious how he feels, based off of his voice. It’s deep, and kind of gravelly. He talks about how he didn’t expect a wreath, cross, and all the rest, but he expected something, a marker. Just a bit of writing saying, “Here lies Johnny Silverhand”, but instead there's nothing. It really hurt and I spent the entire conversation trying to be kind. The acting here was positively superb, and really showed Keanu’s skill with these kinds of raw emotions.
The second scene was a little more heartbreaking. The entire situation starts with a call from Judy Alvarez, and all she does is tell you that you have to get to her place, and quickly. When you get there, Johnny has a few witty remarks. When you enter the house Judy calls you into the bathroom. As you enter you see the body of Evelyn Parker, the lady who set up the heist that led to Johnny invading your body. Judy Johnny acts like an utter badingledongle, and Judy can barely speak. The emotions
are so perfectly portrayed by the actress. The scene nearly had me in tears by the end, the acting so perfectly brought across the emotions of the scene and it all really worked well.
So, should you get it? Well, the first question is: do you have a powerful PC? If not wait a little bit, because whilst what’s there is great, what isn’t there really should be there, like a polished experience. If you already "Cyberpunk 2077", just try to enjoy it. If you can’t, well I can’t do much about that. Well, that’s it. Not much else to say.
By Sean Hughes
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Once again, he had been captured.
He was dragged to a cage and locked there, as passers-by had not thought anything of it.
Pain seared through his muscles as he tried to regain enough strength to stand, however luck was not on his side as he had only collapsed once again onto the cold, hard bars below him. Why could they not just accept him as the being that he truly was; why had they only accepted him once he was in his human form?
Crack…
His ears perked up as he heard the familiar
sound of a whip being cracked in the air. He watched in fear, as an unfamiliar being rode through the clearing on the back of an unnaturally black stallion, cracking their whip every few seconds. It seemed that the stallion had been trained by the sound; it seemed to know what each crack meant. It was stopping, starting, going faster, going slower. It was really a sight to behold. As if they could feel his stare, piercing through their side, the newcomer shot their head towards him and began to crack their whip again, causing them and the horse, to make their way over to him.
“Well, what do we have here?” The stranger had spoken as soon as they reached him.
hom
e of t
he So
ul T
ied
Enjoy the first nail-biting chapter of Lily Sarzentich's sci-fi fantasy saga, "Home of the Soul Tied".
Image created by Emmy Woods.
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From the sound of their voice, he could tell that they were likely a woman, which had come to a surprise to him as their physique was one of a burly man.
Dismounting her horse, the strange lady knelt in front of his cage, before sniffing the air around him as if she were trying to find a specific scent. He leaned his nose forward towards her, touching it to her knee before pulling himself back, hoping that she would get the hint he trusted her.
“Tim, I’m scared. She looks like she could break your neck with just a single stare, then laugh at your lifeless body on the ground, calling you weak.”
“What do you mean? She might be my only ticket to getting out of the cage. Come on Jimmy, use that huge head of yours. Remember last time I was captured? I spent six WEEKS in my wolf form, pretending to act like a dog until I earned enough of that man’s trust for him to be willing to bring me out on a walk, then... you know what happened next.”
Jimmy stayed silent after that, likely remembering what fight they had to put up for their freedom. It was fresh in his mind, as if it were just yesterday that they had to fight for their lives to escape the grasp of that man. Neither of them wanted to do that again.
“Hello sir, would you be interested in buying this fine specimen? He will be fairly well behaved, as long as you are willing to put him into some training. He-” the salesman was cut off by the new stranger.
“How dare you assume my gender, sir. I would also like to inform you that I will be taking this creature, no pay, no trade. I will just be taking him, and you should be honoured for someone such as I to take this creature. Now I shall be on my way and I will take this little guy with me.”
The salesman was taken aback by the sudden burst of anger. He thought for a second before speaking again.
“Y-you will do n-no such thing. This is o-one of my m-most prized possessions and y-you will not be taking him a-anywhere.” The salesman stuttered, afraid of the response that his reply may bring upon him. You see, the salesman was only a scrawny, middle-aged man that could likely not hold himself in a fight. The stranger, on the other hand, had the physique of a buff person, obvious muscles bulging through the armour that they wore, increasing the intimidating aura that was flowing off the lady.
Suddenly, her horse turned towards the salesman and lifted his lag, knocking over the salesman with a simple push, presumably not costing the horse more than a tiny bit of energy. With as much judgement that a horse could possibly show, it turned to its owner and neighed, before lifting up his cage with its strong neck. The woman made her way onto the horse and cracked her whip, calling for the horse to start heading off to wherever the lady needed to go.
“What was that? Tim, I think you should be concerned… I sense danger on her. She seems to be nothing, but trouble and she is probably going to kill you! I am following you from a distance, I will keep you updated if I sense or see anything dangerous.”
“Calm down Jimmy, I-”
“I thought I heard something from your way. I can’t say much, but I should at least reassure you both that I am no danger to either of you.”
Tim was left speechless as a new voice entered his mind. Who was this person? Was this the rider? How were they able to hear what they were saying? Many
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thoughts filled his mind as they galloped through the forest, presumably to the lady’s establishment.
It felt as if it took years to finally reach their destination. However, it had likely only taken an hour or so. The place they had stopped at was an enormous, high compact fence, causing his face to twist into one of curiosity. What was behind this fence, and how dangerous must it be?
“Welcome to the home of the ___________”
His shock was overcome by fear as his thoughts started rushing through his mind. What was this place? Why was there so much security? What was inside? How big was this place? His thoughts were endless.
After marvelling for a few seconds at the large fence, he felt the horse set his cage down while the woman stumbled down. She looked around, looking for something, before settling her eyes in the direction in which Jimmy was hiding. He could feel Jimmy tremble under her gaze as she began to speak.
“I would like to reassure you both, you are not in any danger. However, as we enter, I will need you to stick by my side, no matter what. If you do decide to run, you will likely never see the light of day again.”
At that, she opened Tim’s cage and requested he morph to a human. As he complied, he sent a mental call for Jimmy to come out of hiding, as it was no use for him to hide when she seemed to already know where he was.
”I don’t feel good about this, Tim… you don’t know what she can do…”
“I thought you learnt that I could understand you, but obviously you are a bit slow.”
At that, Tim had decided to not reply and waited for the woman to open the gate while Jimmy wearily made his way over to the small group, licking Tim’s hair and starting to grumble in his own little scratchy
language that he had made up. Jimmy was usually quite a fierce creature to any stranger, however, he was a huge teddy bear to Tim. Each would risk their own life for the other, no matter what they would have to do. Jimmy’s figure was large enough to almost reach the top of the gate, and obviously having the same thoughts as him, Jimmy stood up on his hind legs and peered over the top of the gate. An unknown emotion filled his face as the huge beast slowly lowered his hind legs and stared at the woman, confused.
Unable to help himself, Tim was about to send a mental call towards Jimmy, however before he could even attempt to say a single word, the woman raised her whip, cracking it 4 different times, before nodding and grunting towards the horse who disappeared behind a nearby tree.
“Wha-“
Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech!
Slowly, the large gate slowly started to creak open; the metal of the gate was clearly really old. Jimmy started to shrink down, covering his ears the best that he could, really not enjoying the sound of the creaking old gate as it opened ever so slowly. He turned to watch the woman; she was watching Jimmy with an almost apologetic look, but as she noticed him looking, her face tuned to an obviously trained one that let absolutely no emotions show.
Suddenly, the creaking of the door stopped, and he turned to look at the place the gate was once hiding. However, once his eyes peered upon the sight in front of him, he could not take his eyes off it. Standing in front of him, was a place of nightmares! He watched as the gates had revealed a dungeon-like place in front of him. There were cages surrounding them, each occupied by different, human-like creatures, covered in scars and blood of different colours. Beyond the occupied cages lay a
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huge gate that, like the other gate, was really old and unstable looking.
Out of nowhere, large, buff, human-like creatures appeared on each side of Tim. They grabbed his hands and placed them behind his back. As he turned back to Jimmy for help, he saw his beast was already 10 steps ahead of him, steadying himself before pouncing on his attackers, reaching out his elephant-like trunk, and pulling each of them off with ease.
“STOOOOOOOOOP!!!”
Suddenly, everything stopped where it was, the woman was standing behind them, face filled with terror and command as if she hadn’t expected the attack.
The attackers got up slowly from where they were thrown across the ground and brushed themselves off before muttering something that sounded like “Sorry, boss”. They made their way around Tim and Jimmy and disappeared into thin air. Petrified and confused, Jimmy reached his trunk down and picked up Tim in a protective manner, placing him on his back carefully, before turning his body to the woman and stood in his most defensive stance that he could do.
Everything in the entire forest seemed to have turned silent, as the woman and Jimmy seemed to have a staring contest that seemed to last for hours, when in reality, it was likely just a few seconds. Then the woman cleared her throat and began to speak.
“I really apologise for that unexpected welcome, the guards have recently been crazier than they usually are, as we have had a recent attack from unknown enemies, hence the cages,” she motioned her hand towards the cages filled with human-like creatures, who all seemed to be now looking at them with more awe than rage, which he first expected them to
be showing. “These prisoners should have already been moved by now, however it seems the guards and the movers seem to be busy with other things. Though, not to worry, we should make haste; the night is slowly approaching and the place we are heading is on the other side of this land. Wait for me in front of that gate.”
With that, Jimmy made his way, carefully, towards the other gate, as the woman cracked her whip and grunted. The gate started to close as the woman hopped on her horse, which had appeared from behind the tree. They raced through the closing gates, only entering as the gates finished closing. Surprisingly, unlike when they opened, the gates didn’t seem to creak as they closed. On reaching the second set of gates, Jimmy reached behind him. Using his trunk, he grabbed Tim and placed him on his head as the beast sat down and waited for the woman to reach them.
Once the woman and her horse had reached their side, Jimmy stood back up and Tim pushed himself back to the back of his beast, waiting for the woman to make her next move. She got off the horse and walked up towards the gate. This time she only needed to pull a lever beside her, and the gate did something unexpected; it lowered into the ground into some sort of compartment below it and they watched as it revealed a sight far more inviting than what the previous gate had revealed.
They stared in awe at the sight in front of them. There was a full civilisation of all different creatures, all seemingly unaware of the newcomers that stood at the gate. Everywhere he looked, Tim saw different creatures eating, drinking, playing, resting, working, talking, play-fighting, etc., the sight was just so… normal.
By Lily Sarzentich
Look out for the next instalment!
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Aaryash Bharadwaj pens the first thrilling two-part instalment in a deadly on-going crime fiction saga!
Image created by Paige Diamond.
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ASYLUMThe lighter's flame flickered gently
in the cold, whispering wind. It's glow, although dim, was a reassurance that I had not simply
faded into the darkness which otherwise encapsulated my very being.
I checked for any sign of life, the jailer’s midnight rounds, the pulse-like ticking of a clock or even the screams of other patients, but it had all been drowned out by the screeching of my soul. A droning in my ears like the flatline that would mark my end.
An end that was no doubt nearing; those in asylums did not live to die of old age, and given my… situation, old age had never been in the question. I was lucky even to be alive. Most who tried what I had often did not have the same fortune, and yet, calling this being alive felt almost like lying. It was the slow fading that awaited me. It was the question of ice or fire, whether the winter wind would fill my heart, or whether the flames would consume me.
Whether the stasis had lasted hours, days or for far longer than I dared guess, it was interrupted with what could barely be considered a noise. Footsteps echoed throughout the halls and grew louder and louder, till it became the only thought in
my mind. I crept towards the corner of the asylum.
No good news comes into the asylum. No good news comes into the asylum.
The thought repeated in my mind like a broken record.
The footsteps stopped in front of my cell, where the guard had been waiting. It wasn’t long before the loud sound of gunshot pierced my ears. A sound I had hoped to never hear again. Blood leaked into the cell, through the slit under the door.
The door opened, bringing with it a piercing light.
“You thought you could hide away in this rotten cell?” a familiar voice asked. I hadn’t heard that voice in a while; not in the last decade, at least.
“Hello, brother.” I muttered.
The lighter's flame flickered gently in the cold, whispering wind. Its glow, although dim, was a reassurance that I had not simply
faded into the darkness which otherwise encapsulated my very being.
I checked for any sign of life; the jailer’s midnight rounds, the pulse-like ticking of a clock or even the screams of other patients, but it had all been drowned out by the screeching of my soul, a droning in my ears like the flatline that would mark my end.
An end that was no doubt nearing; those in asylums did not live to die of old age, and given my… situation, old age had never been in the question. I was lucky, even to be alive. Most who tried what I had often did not have the same fortune, and yet, calling this being "alive" felt almost like lying. It was the slow fading that awaited me. It was the question of ice or fire, whether the winter wind would fill my heart, or whether the flames would consume me.
Whether the stasis had lasted hours, days or for far longer than I dared guess, it
was interrupted with what could barely be considered a noise. Footsteps echoed throughout the halls and grew louder and louder, ''til it became the only thought in my mind. I crept towards the corner of the asylum.
No good news comes into the asylum. No good news comes into the asylum.
The thought repeated in my mind like a broken record.
The footsteps stopped in front of my cell, where the guard had been waiting. It wasn’t long before the loud sound of gunshot pierced my ears. A sound I had hoped to never hear again. Blood leaked into the cell, through the slit under the door.
The door opened, bringing with it a piercing light.
“You thought you could hide away in this rotten cell?” a familiar voice asked. I hadn’t heard that voice in a while; not in the last decade, at least.
“Hello, brother,” I muttered.
ASYLUM
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Mafia
Do we have to do this?” I asked my brother Brutov, gazing at the tied-up victim. To the victim, I was a last glimmer of hope,
and I could see his expression of what could only be described as pain, with tears welling up in his eyes, too afraid to say anything.
This man, this poor man, had lost everything; his casino, his wife and children. He was in no condition to pay any debt. My heart called out to the man. I looked my brother in the eyes.
“I cannot continue. Rico has been loyal to the family for years. Can’t we wait a little longer? I’m sure he’ll come around.”
Brutov seemed disappointed at me saying this. I knew he would be, but I had to say it. I regretted my speaking out almost as soon as he opened his mouth.
“We are the gods of these streets. We maintain order. If we let him go, then we let everyone else go, and they won’t show the same mercy to us if a rival gang comes out of the ashes and slaughters the family. They need to die so we don’t. The family
has pampered you, away from all the bloodshed, but it's time you see how we can provide for ourselves.”
He pulled out his pistol and placed it in my hands.
“You will kill the man.”
He nudged me toward the victim, who stood silent, still partly loyal and mostly terrified. He could clearly see the pistol in my hands and each step toward him seemed to frighten him all the more, until... he closed his eyes, with tragic acceptance of his fate.
My pistol was not an inch from his head. It seemed worse a crime for me to delay and yet, I couldn’t just pull it. Could I? I could sense my brother, by my side, and, without thinking, free of all compassion for a careless, beautiful moment, I released the trigger. With a thundering noise, it was all over.
The man’s remains were a sight to behold. My brother comforted me as I winced away from the body. “It’s okay. It’s okay,” he said. “I’m here for you. I will always be.”
By Aaryash Bharadwaj
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COMIC by jasper pringle39
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