Hi,

I have two questions regarding your story.

One sort of general

Eve paused and wiped her black bangs off her forehead.

If women have to "wiped their bangs off their forehead" all the time, why do they have bangs, to begin with?

Second is a question of a non-native speaker

Torn between academic and primal instincts, Eve felt a chill run through her.

What do academic instincts mean? Is this an idiomatic expression?