International financial accounting and theory Term Paper

International financial accounting and theory - Term Paper Example Accounting theories are primarily developed to enhance economic decision making prior to financial record keeping and reporting. In the modern times however, industrial activities have had both positive and negative impacts especially on the society and the environment. The government and the society have consistently aired their concern and pressure on companies to address the adverse impacts of business undertakings on both environment and society. In this regard, social and environmental accounting theories have been integrated into the accounting practices to account for these concerns. The strengths, weaknesses and limitations of these theories and their position in the current accounting frameworks are evaluated in this paper. Social theory in accounting practices is concerned with the social responsibility of entities in regard to their recording keeping and financial reporting. Although it is not necessary for companies and business entities to prepare income statements and balance sheets that pertain to social responsibilities, it is important for such entities to evaluate their social achievements and success by evaluating their social performance aspects. Social accounting is used to measure this performance and report the social responsibility of a firm given the social activities it undertakes (Business and Economic Review, 2006, p.21).

Oedipus Rex Essay Example for Free

Oedipus Rex Essay â€Å"Fear? What should a man fear? It’s all chance, chance rules our lives. Not a man on earth can see a day ahead, groping through the dark. Better to live at random, best we can.† (lines 1068-1072) The themes of fate and light and darkness are prominent in Oedipus Rex, a play written in ancient Greece by the famous poet Sophocles. Oedipus was a powerful Greek king and was notable for his compassion, sense of justice and his swiftness of thought and action. Unfortunately for him, his life fell ill when the prophecy of his birth came true. Throughout the play, the audience experiences a series of emotions. They experience pity, fear, and anger. At the end of the play, the audience may or may not experience a katharsis, a cleansing or purgation of emotions. The dispute between whether Oedipus should be viewed as a victim or merely a part of the gods manifesting their power and thereby teaching man a lesson is a common argument still in literature today. As many members of an audience believe, Oedipus can appear as having been victimized by the prophecy stricken upon him at birth. Oedipus, being born into such a horrible predicament, had no choice but to live his life as he did always afraid of the horrible outcome of his fate. His parents Laius and Jocasta chose to selfishly bind there son’s feet together and abandon him as a way of making sure they would never see him again and never be vulnerable to the day that Oedipus’ prophecy would come true. Therefore, the emotion of pity arises in the audience and Oedipus is viewed as a victim of a very tragic fate. However, it is important to consider whether he inflicted more agony into his life by trying to fight against his fate. Were the gods punishing Oedipus and ultimately all of mankind because of his retaliation? If so, not only was Oedipus punished, but also his parents were for interfering with the gods’ plans. Oedipus suffered the consequence of losing his sight and his mother committed suicide because of her shame and embarrassment. Today, some view the idea of fate as something planned by a greater being and for human beings, out of our control. For Oedipus and his parents, they thought that they could change their fate but as an outcome and consequence for disrespecting the gods, there was no way to escape it. As Oedipus eagerly attempted to uncover the truth about his fate, acting decisively and deliberately refusing to shield himself from the truth. Although we see Oedipus as a playing-piece of fate, the irony becomes so magnified that it seems as if Oedipus was willingly bringing catastrophe upon himself. In one of Oedipus’ speeches, he declares that when he discovers the truth he will excommunicate the murderer from Thebes and punish him severely. Ironically, Oedipus is the murderer himself that he spoke so viciously about and he leaves Thebes and blinds himself after he finds that Jocasta has hanged herself. Despite the many character flaws that Oedipus withholds, such as quickness to anger, stubbornness, ignorance and arrogance, rather than viewing his fate as a natural result of the virtues and vices of his character, Oedipus teaches mankind a lesson in humility. Like many tragedies, Oedipus Rex teaches a lesson of morality to the audience. It teaches the audience that it is better to be humble and that even if you are a good leader, it does not necessarily mean that you are a good person. Oedipus Rex also teaches that no matter your past or what you do to change your fate, it will always catch up to you somehow. â€Å"People of Thebes, my countrymen, look on Oedipus. He solved the famous riddle with his brilliance, he rose to power, a man beyond all power. Who could behold his greatness without envy? Now what a black sea of terror has overwhelmed him. Now as we keep our watch and wait the final day, count no man happy till he dies, free of pain at last.† (lines 1678-1684) These words, spoken by the chorus, form the ending of Oedipus Rex. The chorus announces that even though Oedipus solved the riddle of the Sphinx, he was never happy with his life and his fate and he caused his own fall. Rather than a victim to his fate, he was the antagonist to his fate.

Development In Social And Cultural Contexts

Development In Social And Cultural Contexts According to sociocultural theories, child development differentiates in different social and cultural contexts. Culturally- specific beliefs and practices in each sociocultural context influence childrens development in its unique way (Berk, 2009). This essay sets out to examine how Chinese childrens developments in academic knowledge and temperament are impacted by culturally-specific child rearing in Chinese society. Bronfenbrenners ecological systems theory and Vygotskys sociocultural theory are applied to analyse the general practices, the assumptions, the beliefs and the upheld values of child rearing in China. Definitions of Culture and Society Culture and society may mean different things to different people. For instance, society is defined as an association with ones fellowsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, the system of customs and organization adopted by a body of individualsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered communityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (2002, p.2906, cited in New Zealand Tertiary College[NZTC], 2010). In this essay, society refers to the aggregate of people living together. Therefore, the Chinese society means the populations living in China. Culture in this essay refers to the distinctive customs, achievements, products, outlook, etc., of a societyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦as defined in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (2002, p. 575, cited in NZTC, 2010). By culturally-specific child rearing practices within this essay, it means the consistent and similar child rearing practices adopted by Chinese, such as feeding, toilet training, sleeping arrangement, a nd discipline. Academic Knowledge and Temperament of shyness Generally speaking, there are three broad domains of child development: physical, emotional and social, and cognitive (Berk, 2009). This essay will focus on studying the influence of culturally-specific child rearing on Chinese childrens academic learning (cognitive development) and temperament (emotional and social development). In a study of Hong Kong-Chinese preschool childrens literacy skills, it is advised that: 75% of five years olds can write their names in Chinese correctly; more than 50% of four years olds can write appropriately using strokes and stroke patterns (the two smallest units in Chinese writings); 75% of three years olds can differentiate drawing from writing, and 20% can write appropriately (Chan Louies, 1992, cited in Chan, Juan, Foon, 2008). In international cross-cultural studies of reading, mathematics, and science achievement, children from all the participating Chinese cities, namely Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, are rated top performers, way above the international level (Programme for International Student Assessment, 2003, 2006, cited in Berk, 2009). Despite relevant high academic achievement, most cross-cultural studies define Chinese children as shy and withdrawn (Chen, Rubin, Li, 1995, Chen et al., 1998, cited in Berk, 2009). In a cross-cultural study of Chinese and Canadian two years olds, Chinese toddlers were found significantly more inhibited than Canadian ones (Chen et al., 1998, cited in Papalia, Olds, Feldman, 2004). Child rearing practices in the Ecological Systems According to Bronfenbrenner, the environment influencing child development can be classified into five different layers from the innermost to the outermost levels: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and the chronosystem. The microsystem refers to childrens immediate environment, such as home and early childhood centre .The mesosystem is the interaction between the microsystems. Other social settings outside the immediate environment that affect childrens development make up the exosystem. The macrosystem includes cultural values, laws, customs, and resources. Chronosystem means the whole environment system is an ever-changing system. Any changes in life events imposed by others or by the children as they grow up can modify the systems (Berk, 2009). The child rearing practices in the respective systems that contribute to childrens development of relevant high academic performance and temperament of shyness are analysed as below. At home (microsystem), the childcare is mostly carried out by mothers. Chinese mothers are found to indulge their infants and toddlers in terms of feeding, sleeping (Roopnariane Carter, 1992, cited in Yunus, 2005). They always keep their children close to them and favour physical contact over verbal stimulation. The mothers start toilet training the babies when they are six months and most of they are successfully trained by one and half years old (Whiting Whiting, 1975, Sung, 1995, Lee, 1999, cited in Yunus, 2005). It is suggested by Kelly and Tseng (2000, cited in Yunus, 2005) that the over-indulgence and early rigid toilet training are positively related to Chinese childrens slow physical and motor development. The fathers role is to discipline children. The discipline is taught by induction: explicit statement of what exactly the child is expected to do and why. If the child doesnt do as told, some parents might resort to shaming the misbehaved child, retrieving their love or e ven physical punishment (Jose, Huntsinger, Huntsinger, Liaw, 2000, Schwalb, Nakazawa, Yamamoto, Hyun, 2004, cited in Berk, 2009). The parenting style is less warm and more controlling (Dehart, Sroufe, Cooper, 2004; Berk, 2009). Yunus(2005) suggests that Chinese parenting is more authoritarian compared to Western parenting. The communication pattern is one way: parent to child. At most times, children listen attentively to what parents say. Children are not to openly express opinions on certain issues (Chiew, 2000, Zhao, 2002, Akhtar, 1998, cited in Yunus, 2005), or to express strong emotions ever since they are babies (Berk, 2009). It is found that parents do little to help their children release emotions, encouraging them to hide the emotions (Chan, Bowes, Wyver, 2009).. Children are taught the emotion-feeling rules and display rules justified with moral reasons (Wang, 2006, cited in Chan et al., 2009). Being reared in an authoritarian way and taught the emotion display rules (hiding the emotions), Chinese children are inclined to be shy and withdrawn (Chan et. al., 2009). In terms of parents attitudes towards play, almost all Chinese parents discourage their children to play at home. They often tell their children Dont think of playing all the time. Learning is most important. Believing in the importance of academic learning, parents begin to teach their children to count and write since they are three in most cases. Therefore, for home activities as well as mother-child interaction, it would be mother teaching the child to write, count, and appropriate social behaviour through fable storytelling, especially respecting the elders (Pearson Rao, 2003). A recent survey shows that before children attend primary school, 88.6% parents teach their children reading, recognising Chinese characters and counting; 28.2% parents teach their children foreign language, and 20.3% parents tutor their children the courses for primary school (Wang, Wang, Chen, 2010). A lot of demonstration, time to practice academic skills, and explicit values of academic skills, faci litate Chinese childrens development in academic knowledge (Chan et al., 2008; Gershoff Aber, 2006, cited in Berk, 2009). Most Chinese parents send their children to kindergartens when they are three. The children will then spend eight to nine hours daily in the kindergarten (Liu Elicker, 2005). The interaction between Chinese parents and teachers (mesosystem) is limited (Schwartz, 2003, cited in Yunus, 2005). While parents do concern about their childrens learning, they assign the teaching responsibility to teachers, relying on the teachers for childrens learning in the kindergarten (Morrow, 1999, cited in Yunus, 2005). In a survey of parents expectations of kindergarten teaching, parents express their main aspirations for their children as possessing academic skills and filial piety (88%) (Xinyuan Kindergarten, 2010). Parents highly valuing academic skills urges teachers to put a lot of efforts in academic teaching to meet up their expectations. In China the child rearing is shared among the extended family (exosystem), especially grandparents take up a large role in raising the children. The filial piety and the whole system of family are greatly valued among the extended family (Yunus, 2005). Children are taught the importance of respecting the elders and the obligation to contribute to familys honour by behaving properly (Zhao, 2002, cited in Yunus, 2005). When children are shy, reticent, quiet, they are considered by the extended family to be well-behaved and having sense of understanding (Hart, Yang, Nelson, Robinson, Olsen, Nelson, Porter, Jin, Olsen, Wu, 2000). Children are constantly reminded that their first means to fulfil family responsibility and obligation is through education (Yunus, 2005). The expectation of academic achievement and honouring family reputations placed by the extended family put pressure on parents child education and childrens motivation towards high academic performance. In macrosystem, the Chinese families are greatly influenced by Confucian philosophy stressing the importance of academic achievement and social harmony. The following assumptions are deeply rooted in Chinese child rearing practices: children inherently penchant for the good; proper training during early childhood helps to build childrens positive character; formal education and high standards of academic achievement is important for childrens development (Yunus, 2005). It is the custom that parents are to provide an environment conducive to academic achievement, while children are to work hard for high performance in academics. Besides, Chinese value the doctrine of mean (Zhong Yong Zhi Dao in Mandarin), not being extreme. Inhibited, sensitive, and socially restrained behaviour are highly valued in the Chinese culture (Ho, 1986, Lao, 1996, Chen, in press, cited in Hart et al., 2000). It is partly because they prioritise the importance of maintaining social order and interpersonal har mony in the society at large in the collectivism society (Hart e al., 2000). The one-child policy in China also affects childrens development to a great extent. Having only one child, a lot of parents do their best to start their childrens education at the possible earliest age to make their children more advantaged within the intensely competitive Chinese educational system (Brassard Chen, 2005). Government also devote the increased resources to the care and education of children to support the families and to secure the countrys future generations success in the highly competitive economy (Dehart et al., 2004). In the chronosystem, while shyness is traditionally valued by parents and the society, recent researches indicate a change of peoples attitudes towards childrens shyness. With the rapid growth of the economy, assertiveness and sociability started to be viewed as desirable for success in the society (Chen, Wang, DeSouza, 2006, Yu, 2002, cited in Berk, 2009). It is reasonable to assume, with parents values swift, their way of interacting with children will change accordingly in the future, influencing childrens development in a different way. Figure 1. Chinese child rearing practices contributing to academic learning and shyness in the Ecological Systems. Vygotskys sociocultural theory According to Vygotskys sociocultural theory, each culture provides its own context and different goals for children (Drewery Bird, 2004). Vygotsky proposes that cultural influence children through cultural tools, which refer to the knowledge of cultural practices that help children fit into their cultural context, including language, rituals, ceremonies and social values and beliefs that guide peoples thinking (Crain, 2000, cited in NZTC, 2010). Vygotsky further suggests that the values, beliefs, customs and desirable skills of a culture are transmitted to the next generation through social interaction, in particular through scaffolding by adults and more-advanced peers (Rowe Wertsch, 2002, cited in Berk, 2009). In china, the selected goals for children are high academic achievement and maintaining social harmony. There goals are valued by the Confucian philosophy which still deeply influences the Chinese parents (Hart et al., 2000). Parents encourage children to develop these culturally valued skills at an early age of three. Children strive for these desirable skills to fit into the sociocultural context. Social value and belief of early formal education, cultural practices upholding the academics and proper social behaviour of respecting elders and shyness add to the Chinese cultural tools. All these cultural tools support the daily child rearing practices, educational activities, the routines, the child-adult interactions as analysed in the ecological systems (Crain, 2000, cited in NZTC, 2010). Through interaction with their parents, extended family, children learn, apply and internalize these cultural values and tools of academic learning and temperament of shyness. Conclusion Different sociocultural environment places different goals and expectations on children. When the sociocultural context changes over time, certain values and practices might change. Generally speaking, Chinese children are expected to fulfill the goals and expectations of academic achievement and maintaining social harmony placed by their parents, extended family, and society. The values, beliefs upheld by the society affect the parents and extended family, and the extended family and parents influence childrens development in academic learning and temperament through specific child rearing practices emphasising these skills.

Economics and Poetry - Cotton And Corn: A Dialogue? by Thomas Moore :: essays research papers

What really makes economics and society flow nicely together? Economics can be described as the social science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Society is described as the social relationships among us. The answer is always changing as well as the economical and sociological thoughts behind it as well. This paper will relay a couple economic views from the poem â€Å"Cotton And Corn: A Dialogue† by Thomas Moore (1779-1852), an Irish poet. Should people be allowed to trade with whomever they want to? We’ve been doing it for thousands of years. There should always be fare/free trade, even if the government manipulates it a little bit. If there is an unhappy consumer out there, there is at least one unhappy firm. People should be able to trade freely and hardly controlled by the government. Too much of the time the government regulates it too much, and we lose some of our free trade rights, as this poem illustrates. As Franà §ois Quesnay believed the idea of â€Å"Laissez-Fair,† the government should have very little control, if no control over the economy at all. The government will then regulate heavily, create high tariffs, embargoes, and other forms of monopoly to accumulate wealth. This poem was written about the famed Corn Laws that took place in England, that limited the trade of corn to other countries if international rates fell bellow a certain value. The government didn’t want wealth to leave the country, as they stopped importing corn, wouldn’t export their corn out, and monopolized peasants to buy the countries corn with a regulated price. This is third idea, is a form of mercantilism. Hoarding a countries wealth, and building up power. Thomas Moore addresses some of these views by introducing thoughts about fare trade, how the government can control/manipulate trade, and mercantilism, in his poem about the Corn Laws. The question is then, with all of this go vernment supervision and control over trade, how do economies prosper and stay alive and well? One of many reasons that keep economies going is through fare trade. This poem deals with the unscrupulous Corn Laws (1689-1846); which deal with protecting English landholders by encouraging the export and limiting the import of corn when prices fell below a fixed point. The poem speaks of the greedy side of Squire Corn and the famished Poor Cotton. â€Å"Great Squire, if it isn't uncivil To hint at starvation before you, Look down on a poor hungry devil, And give him some bread, I implore you!" This line is Poor Cotton urgently begging Squire Corn to trade him some corn (food) for his fabric of cotton.

A Cognitive Perspective on Trauma and Memory

The human mind is a complex and marvelous mechanism. Like the operating headquarters of a huge corporation, its functional distinctions are based on information processing based on thought, language, meaning and imagery (Bruning, Schraw & Ronning, 1999).In order to understand how trauma and cognition are related, we first need to acknowledge the workings of our memory (Bruning, Schraw & Ronning, 1999). Traditionally, theorists have divided memory processes into stages or models of the following: acquisition, storage, and retrieval (Bruning, Schraw & Ronning, 1999).   These models came to be known as information processing models that govern the following: sensory, short-term memory and long-term memory (Bruning, Schraw & Ronning, 1999).The sensory memory refers to the initial perceptual processing that identifies incoming stimuli. The information then passes to short-term memory before it is coded before deciding if it should be translated into long-term memory (Bruning, Schraw & R onning, 1999). Thus, our cognition process tells us that meaning is constructed and it works hand in hand with our environment: behavior, visual register, and auditory sensors.Together, we are given a fuller sense of meaning of our actions, thoughts and behavior.   In the case of trauma, be it physical or psychological, our body is subjected to a form of shock, harm and hurt that leaves a lifelong effect which creates an unstableness of our perception and thoughts of   life when factors in the environment reminds our memory of the trauma (Bruning, Schraw & Ronning, 1999). This paper will discuss the subject of cognition in relation to trauma and memory.When we recall a bad episode it means the cognitive department of our brain has translated meaning from our surroundings. Our five sensors would have been involved in the incident (accident, abuse, etc) sending messages to our brain that the thought is unpleasant. This construction of meaning depends on three things in the act of our cognition: the nature of the stimuli, (2) our background knowledge, and (3) the context in which we encounter the stimuli (Marr, 1982, 1985).For instance, visual perception cannot occur if nothing is seen, likewise with our other sensors. When someone has undergone trauma, a pattern recognition occurs in which the person’s mind recognizes and stores the episode in his memory. Repeated series of trauma can be looked upon as someone being consistently hammered in the head influencing the mind to create side effects physiologically, mildly known as stress but if chronic, we know it as post-traumatic disorders.Post-traumatic disorders can be damaging as it prevents the person from normal daily functions. In this situation, the functional processes we discussed earlier have been disrupted into a form of mutation where the body sends offending signals throughout the entire body weakening the entire human system. Once weakened, the person becomes subject to illnesses such as can cers, mental disorders such as manic depression and suicidal, through to even death (Bruning, Schraw & Ronning, 1999).The mind, it is believed, is powerful enough to control the entire human body operated by its mental functions and processes. Thus, trauma, especially in children, cannot be easily dismissed as an episode that can be swept aside.As Freud theorized, the human is like a storage warehouse. Everything that has been experienced are recorded and kept in the warehouse. These chunks of memories leak subconsciously throughout out life from subtle to severe activities such as dreams (or nightmares), Freudian slips, hysteria and flashbacks (Bruning, Schraw & Ronning, 1999).   

The Indigo Spell Chapter Twenty-Five

ONCE MARCUS FINALLY ACCEPTED that I wasn't going, he wished me well, though he still wore that stunned expression. He'd planned on abandoning the car at the station but handed the keys over to me as a parting gift. I watched him walk away and wondered if I'd made a mistake. Then I thought of green, green eyes and all the work Adrian and I had to do together. This was the right choice . . . I just hoped I wasn't too late. He still wasn't answering my calls. Did he hate me? Or was he holed up somewhere, depressed and drinking away his sorrows? I fished his note out of my purse, wondering what I'd find. Knowing Adrian, I'd expected some long, flowery expression of love. Instead, all I found was a long series of numbers. The numbers meant nothing to me. I studied them for a while in the car, applying a few common codes I knew. No answer appeared, though I wasn't entirely surprised. Codes and complex mathematics weren't exactly Adrian's style. But then, why had he left the note? Obviously, he assumed I could decipher it. I held the note far away from me, hoping something visual would reveal itself. It did. As I looked at the numbers again, I saw a natural break in the middle of them, in a format that looked familiar. I entered the two sets of numbers into the latitude and longitude screen of my GPS. A moment later, it turned up an address in Malibu. Southern California. Was that a coincidence? Without even thinking twice, I pulled out of the train station's parking lot and headed toward the coast. It was entirely possible I was about to waste two and a half hours (five, if you counted the round trip), but I didn't think so. There are no coincidences. It felt like the longest drive of my life. My hands tightly clenched the wheel the entire time. I was eager yet terrified. When I was only a few miles from the address, I began to see signs for the Getty Villa. For a few seconds, I was confused. The Getty Center was a very famous museum, but it was closer to Los Angeles. I didn't understand the connection or why I had ended up in Malibu. Nonetheless, I dutifully followed the directions and ended up in the Villa's guest parking lot. When I reached the entrance, I received my answers. The Villa was a sister museum to the Getty Center, one that specialized in ancient Greek and Roman art. In fact, a good part of the Getty Villa was set up like some ancient temple, complete with pillars surrounding courtyards filled with gardens, fountains, and statues. Admission was free but required a reservation. Things were slow today, and I quickly rectified the problem by making an online reservation on my phone. When I stepped inside, I nearly forgot why I was there – but only for a heartbeat. The museum was a dream come true for a lover of classics like me. Room after room focusing on the ancient world. Jewelry statues, clothes . . . it was as if I'd entered a time machine. The scholar in me longed to study and read about each exhibit in detail. The rest of me, with a racing heart and barely contained excitement, only briefly stopped in each room, just long enough to search and move on. After looking in almost all the interior areas, I stepped into the outer peristyle. My breath caught. It was a huge outdoor garden built around a pool that had to be at least two hundred feet long. Statues and fountains dotted the pool's surface, and the whole space was surrounded in gorgeously manicured trees and other plants. The sun, warm despite the December day, shone down on everything, and the air hummed with birdsong, splashing water, and soft conversation. Tourists milled around, stopping to admire the sights or take pictures. None of them mattered, though – not when I finally found the person I was looking for. He sat at the opposite end of the garden from where I'd entered, on the pool's far edge. His back was to me, but I would have known him anywhere. I approached with trepidation, still churning with that odd mix of fear and eagerness. The closer I got, the more detailed his features became. The tall, lean body. The chestnut glints that the sun brought out in his dark hair. When I finally reached the pool's end, I came to a stop just behind him, not daring to go farther. â€Å"Sage,† he said, without looking up. â€Å"Figured you'd be south of the border by now.† â€Å"No, you didn't,† I said. â€Å"You never would've given me the note or come all the way out here. You knew I wouldn't leave.† He looked up at me at last, squinting in the bright sun. â€Å"I was pretty sure you wouldn't leave. I hoped you wouldn't leave. Jill and I debated it forever. What'd you think of my sweet use of latitude and longitude? Pretty brilliant, huh?† â€Å"Genius,† I said, trying to hold back my smile. Some of my fear faded. We were back in familiar, easy territory again. Just Adrian and me. â€Å"You took a risk I'd know what those numbers meant. You could've been sitting out here all day.† â€Å"Nah.† Adrian stood up and took a step toward me. â€Å"You're a smart girl. I knew you'd figure it out.† â€Å"Not that smart.† The closer he came, the more my heart began to race again. â€Å"It took me a long time to figure some things out.† I gestured around us. â€Å"And how is it possible that you knew this place existed, but I didn't?† His fingertips traced the edge of my cheek, and suddenly, the warmth of the sunshine felt like nothing compared to the heat of that touch. â€Å"It was easy,† he said, holding me in his gaze. â€Å"I had to start my search somewhere, so I typed ‘ancient Rome' and ‘California' into my phone. This was like the first hit.† â€Å"What search?† I asked. He smiled. â€Å"The search for some place more romantic than Pies and Stuff.† Adrian tipped my face up toward his and kissed me. Like always, the world around me stopped moving. No, the world became Adrian, only Adrian. Kissing him was as mind-blowing as ever, full of that same passion and need I had never believed I'd feel. But today, there was even more to it. I no longer had any doubt about whether this was wrong or right. It was a culmination of a long journey . . . or maybe the beginning of one. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. I didn't care that we were out in public. I didn't care that he was Moroi. All that mattered was that he was Adrian, my Adrian. My match. My partner in crime, in the long battle I'd just signed on for to right the wrongs in the Alchemist and Moroi worlds. Maybe Marcus was right that I'd also signed myself up for disaster, but I didn't care. In that moment, it seemed that as long as Adrian and I were together, there was no challenge too great for us. I don't know how long we stood there kissing. Like I said, the world around me was gone. Time had stopped. I was awash in the feel of Adrian's body against mine, in his scent, and in the taste of his lips. That was all that mattered right now, and I found myself thinking of our unfinished business in the dream. When we finally broke the kiss – much too soon, as far as I was concerned – we still stayed locked in an embrace. The sound of giggling caused me to glance to the side, where two small children were laughing and pointing at us. Seeing me watching them, they scurried away. I turned back to Adrian, wanting to melt away with happiness as I looked up into his eyes. â€Å"This is a lot better than loving from afar,† I told him. He brushed some hair from my face and gazed into my eyes. â€Å"What changed your mind? I mean, I knew you'd never be able to stay away from me, but I won't lie . . . you had me scared there for a little while.† I leaned against his chest. â€Å"It was a combination of things, really. Some surprisingly good advice from Jill. One of Wolfe's charming anecdotes – I have to tell you about his kitchen, by the way. Plus, I kept thinking about when we were on the table.† Adrian shifted just enough so that we could look at each other again. It was one of those rare moments where he was completely floored. â€Å"Let me get this straight. The future of our relationship hinged on advice from a fifteen-year-old girl, a probably untrue story from a one-eyed Chihuahua trainer, and me unromantically – yet skillfully – kissing you on top of silverware and china?† â€Å"Yup,† I said after a few moments of thought. â€Å"That's all it took, huh? And here I thought winning you over was going to be hard.† He grew serious again and pressed a light kiss to my forehead. â€Å"What happens now?† â€Å"Now we check out this awesome museum you've lured me to. You're going to love Etruscan art.† That roguish smile I adored returned. â€Å"I'm sure I will. But what about the future? What are we going to do about us – about this?† I caught hold of his hands, still keeping him close. â€Å"Since when are you worried about consequences or the future?† â€Å"Me? Never.† He considered. â€Å"Well, that is, as long as you're with me, I'm not worried. But I know you like to worry about those kinds of things.† â€Å"I wouldn't say I like' to,† I corrected. A soft breeze ruffled his hair, and I resisted the urge to brush it back into place. If I did, I was pretty sure we'd start kissing again, and I supposed I should first be responsible and answer his questions. â€Å"Are we going to run off to the Keepers?† he suggested. â€Å"Of course not,† I scoffed. â€Å"That'd be cowardly and immature. And you'd never survive without hair gel – though you might like their moonshine.† â€Å"Then what are we going to do?† â€Å"We're going to keep all of this secret.† He chuckled. â€Å"That's not cowardly?† â€Å"It's exciting and daring,† I said. â€Å"Manly and brave, even. I figured you'd be into that.† â€Å"Sage.† He laughed. â€Å"I'm into anything, so long as you're with me. But is it going to be enough? I'm not completely oblivious to consequences, you know. I get how dangerous this is for you, especially if you keep questioning the Alchemists. And I also know you're still worried about Jill watching us.† Right. Jill. Jill, who was probably witnessing all of this right now, whether she wanted to or not. Was she happy for his happiness? Was she filled with the joy of our love? Or was this excruciatingly uncomfortable for her? â€Å"The three of us will find a way to cope,† I said at last. I couldn't think much more about it right now or I probably would start freaking out. â€Å"And as for the Alchemists . . . we'll just have to be careful. They don't follow me everywhere, and like you said, I'm with you half the time anyway.† I just hoped that was enough. It had to be. And then the kissing started again. There was no avoiding it, not when we were together like this, far away from the real world of our normal lives. The setting was too perfect. He was too perfect, despite being one of the most imperfect people I knew. And honestly, we'd wasted far too much time with doubts and games. The one thing you learn from constantly having your life in danger is that you'd better not waste it. Even Marcus had admitted that in the arcade. Adrian and I spent the rest of the day at the Villa, most of it kissing in the gardens, though I did convince him to check out some of the artifacts inside. Maybe I was in love, but I was still me, after all. When things finally closed down for the evening, we had dinner at a beachside fondue restaurant and lingered there for a long time afterward, keeping close to each other and watching the waxing moon shine on the ocean. I was caught up in watching the crashing waves when I felt Adrian's lips brush my cheek. â€Å"Whatever happened to the dragon?† I mustered my primmest tone. â€Å"He has a name, you know.† Adrian pulled back and gave me a curious look. â€Å"I didn't know, actually. What'd you decide on?† â€Å"Hopper.† When Adrian laughed, I added, â€Å"Best rabbit ever. He'd be proud to know his name is being passed on.† â€Å"Yes, I'm sure he would. Did you name the Mustang too?† â€Å"I think you mean the Ivashkinator.† He stared at me in wonder. â€Å"I told you I loved you, right?† â€Å"Yes,† I assured him. â€Å"Many times.† â€Å"Good.† Adrian pulled me closer. â€Å"Just making sure, Miss ‘I'm a Quick Study'† I groaned. â€Å"I'm never going to live that down, am I?† â€Å"Live it down? Hell, I'm going to hold you to it.† I suspected Marcus's car was stolen, so we left it in Malibu. Adrian drove me back to the dorm and kissed me goodbye, promising to call me first thing in the morning. It was hard to let him go, even though I knew I was being silly to think I couldn't go without him for twelve hours. I walked into my dorm like I was dancing on air, my lips still burning from his kisses. It was crazy, I knew, attempting to have a relationship with him. Scratch that. It was going to be perilous – enough so that some of my euphoria dimmed as that realization hit me. I'd talked a good game with him, trying to ease his fears, but I knew the truth. Trying to figure out secrets within the Alchemists was going to be difficult enough, and my tattoo still wasn't secure. What I had going on with Adrian had raised the stakes exponentially, but that was one of those risks I gladly accepted. â€Å"Miss Melrose.† Mrs. Weathers's cool voice snapped me back to reality with a jolt. I came to a halt in the middle of the dorm's lobby and looked over at her. She stood up from her desk and strolled over. â€Å"Yes, ma'am?† â€Å"It's midnight.† I looked at a clock, surprised to see she was right. â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† â€Å"Even though winter break is here, you're still registered in the dorm until tomorrow, which means you're still subject to the rules. It's after curfew.† The only thing I could manage was stating the obvious. â€Å"Yes, it is, ma'am.† Mrs. Weathers waited, as though she were hoping I'd say more. â€Å"Were you . . . doing another assignment for Ms. Terwilliger?† There was an almost comically desperate look on her face. â€Å"I didn't receive notification, but surely she can retroactively fix things.† I realized then that Mrs. Weathers didn't want me to be in trouble. She was hoping I had some reason for breaking the rules, some reason that I could avoid punishment. I knew I could've lied and said I'd been helping Ms. Terwilliger. I knew Ms. Terwilliger would even back me up. But I couldn't do it. It seemed wrong to taint my day with Adrian with a lie. And really, I had broken the rules. â€Å"No,† I told Mrs. Weathers. â€Å"I wasn't with her. I was just . . . out.† Mrs. Weathers waited a few moments more and then bit her lip with resignation. â€Å"Very well then. You know the rules. You'll have to serve a detention – once classes start again.† I nodded solemnly. â€Å"Yes, ma'am. I understand.† She looked as though she was still hoping I'd correct the situation. I had nothing to offer her and turned to walk away. â€Å"Oh, I nearly forgot!† she called. â€Å"I was too astonished by this . . . transgression.† She turned back into the efficient dorm matron I knew. â€Å"Please let me know if your cousin will be staying with you in your room or if she needs her own.† I blinked in confusion. â€Å"Why would Angeline be staying with me?† â€Å"Not her. Your other cousin.† I started to say I didn't have another cousin, but some warning voice inside me told me to neither deny nor confirm her words. I had no idea what was going on, but all my alarms were saying that something was definitely about to happen. Whatever it was, I needed to keep my options open. â€Å"She had all the appropriate paperwork,† explained Mrs. Weathers. â€Å"So I just let her into your room since it's only for the night.† I swallowed. â€Å"I see. Can I, um, let you know after break?† â€Å"Certainly.† After a moment's hesitation, she added, â€Å"And we'll discuss your detention then too.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am,† I said. I went upstairs, a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. Who was waiting in my room? Who in the world was part of my imaginary family now? As it turned out, it was someone from my real family. When I unlocked the door, I found Zoe sitting on my bed. Her face lit up when she saw me, and she sprang forward to grab me in a fierce embrace. â€Å"Sydney!† she exclaimed. â€Å"I was so worried you weren't coming back tonight.† â€Å"Of course I was,† I said stiffly. I was so shocked that I could barely return her hug. â€Å"What are you doing here?† She pulled back and looked up at me with a big grin. There was no anger in her, not even the wariness she'd had in St. Louis. She was full of joy, truly happy to see me. I didn't know why she was here, but hope began to blossom within me that we'd finally get our reconciliation. Until she spoke. â€Å"They gave me a field position! I'm assigned here.† She turned her face, showing me a golden lily tattoo on her cheek. My heart nearly stopped. â€Å"I'm officially an Alchemist now. Well, a junior one. I've got a lot to learn, so they thought it'd be best if I was with you.† â€Å"I see,† I said. The room was spinning. Zoe. Zoe was here – and she was an Alchemist, one who would be staying with me. Her exuberant expression became a little perplexed. â€Å"And I guess you were telling Stanton something about needing Alchemist backup? That it was really hard being around so many Moroi by yourself?† I tried to smile but couldn't. â€Å"Something like that.† I'd urged Stanton to take action, and she had. It just wasn't the kind I'd expected. Zoe's enthusiasm returned. â€Å"Well, you aren't alone now. I'm here for you, not that you probably even need me. You don't ever get into any trouble.† No, I just had a romance going on with a vampire, was on the verge of joining a coven, and was investigating secrets no one wanted me to know about. No trouble at all. How in the world was I going to hide all that from her? Zoe hugged me again. â€Å"Oh, Sydney! This is going to be great,† she exclaimed. â€Å"We're going to be together all the time!†