#and that her students have a broad range of interests

[wen-kexing-apologist]

Who is Mew Anyway?

I realized we are over halfway through Only Friends now, and that I have only talked about Mew once in my write ups. Which…makes sense for me, all things considered, until now he’s kind of been a blah character in my eyes. And I am leaning in to and really appreciating how intentional that is beginning to feel on behalf of Jojo and co. 

When you think about it, until literally halfway through the show we have known almost nothing about Mew besides the fact that he is the table keeper for his friends, he is a hotel management student, and he’s a virgin. If you asked me to list any other facts about Mew’s life or his role in life, I would not have been able to answer much of anything. 

And that’s because Mew isn’t really anything. Personally, I feel like Mew thinks he has a strong sense of self and the second that something comes along to question that, all those illusions he has of himself start crumbling. When I look at Mew’s character, and I mean start getting in to the nitty gritty of Mew’s character, I don’t think Mew has any idea who he is. Which, for a show about college students is fucking brilliant. I thought I knew who I was in college, and then I graduated and promptly became queer and trans. I thought I knew what career I wanted, and then I ended up going to grad school for something outside of my initial plans. I know @waitmyturtles mentioned something similar about trying on different personalities in college in her Episode 7 Review. 

Think about Mew’s apartment, it was his mother’s old place. He took it over after she moved out. He didn’t choose this place, we can’t be certain this is the type of apartment or the location that Mew would actively decide to be in. When he brings Top home the first night they meet, Top comments on the place:

“Your room is nice, it suits you” 

To which Mew replies ‘It’s my Mom’s old room. I decorated it using ideas from the internet” 

Which says to me that Mew’s own personality, his own interests weren’t even involved in the creation of his own personal space. He decorated it based on inspiration from what other people had done to their own places. And Mew’s apartment fascinates me further, as a color-coder in BL kinda person. Because Mew’s apartment is all over the place in its decoration. 

On one wall we have striped wallpaper, in orange hues.

On another we have light blue walls with white and golden patterning. A yellow couch, a blue bookshelf. 

In his room he has a wall that is painted a solid green

And I can’t quite get a good image of it, but the opposite wall in his room is painted a dark turquoise with white patterning, which is different from Ray’s house, but still evokes a similar visual point of comparison.

Even Mew himself, when we first meet him is alllllll over the place with his colors. He has lines all over his shirt, with squares of different colors. His second look of the show is a solid light blue shirt over top of a striped shirt with orange, green, yellow.

His bed sheets are similarly stripes with dark gray, green, yellow, and orange.

Which is to say, at the beginning of our time with Mew, it is hard to pin down who he is as a person. He doesn’t have a color, he doesn’t have a pattern, to associate with his character. He fluctuates between rich, saturated colors and light, washed out pastels. 

When I think of Mew, I think of all the outfits he’s worn that have a strong green tint to them, but honestly, looking back through his wardrobe, Mew has a broad range of colors he chooses from. 

(Now, I recognize that all of this could be because the costuming department does not actually care about color coding, and that the eclectic styling of Mew’s apartment was just how it already was. And that’s fine, but I’m here so I’m gonna overanalyze it.)

All this to say that, Mew’s colors, Mews home, Mew’s pattern choices are all very disparate. All this to say that as a result I am now assuming that Mew does not know who he is, and neither do we. He could go any number of ways. Mew could go orange, yellow, green, blue. He could be complicated (with complex patterns) or straight forward (with solid colors). But none of us know at the beginning of this show quite where he will go. 

Truthfully, the only aspect of Mew that I have seen be steadfast throughout the show, is Mew’s moral superiority complex. Everything else is mutable. Mew has throughout most of the show, regarded himself as a good person. He doesn’t drink much, he doesn’t dance much, he doesn’t sleep around at all, and that somehow in his mind, grants Mew the opportunity to talk down to his friends. 

He’s not an alcoholic like Ray who he has no problem lecturing in the bathroom about how he is  going to be dead by 30, despite knowing that Ray is/was suicidal. He’s not a slut like Boston, who is far too obsessed with Mew’s virginity, etc. etc. etc. Mew fucks with Top, deciding that he is going to wait to have sex with him for awhile. And that is his right, but Mew doesn’t say he’s waiting because he isn’t comfortable with sex. He tells Boston and Cheum that he is waiting to have sex with Top to make sure that Top is serious about their relationship. Because if Top is serious about dating Mew without sex being involved, that means that Mew is worthy of the top tier because he is top tier, and not because he is an easy lay that Top can use for bragging rights (bagging a virgin). 

And I would have previously entertained a conversation around whether or not that is true, but unfortunately for any dissenters to my read of Mew, now that Mew has decided to #embracethenasty, there is no convincing me out of my observation that Mew does not know who he is. 

Why? Because the second that Mew starts retaliating against Top, the second he decides to ruin Top’s life, to stoop low, to be the lesser person…Mew starts dressing like Ray. I am certainly not the first person to notice this, it has been circulating in multiple different forms across my tumblr page, but.

Gif from @firstmix

Mew doesn’t know who he is, Mew doesn’t know how he fits in to the world now that he has decided to make Top’s life a living hell. I am not convinced Mew is capable of seeing himself as a bad person, because he isn’t a slut or an addict or a cheater. [As an aside here, this is Mew’s thinking, not my own personal beliefs on what makes someone a good or bad person]. So, of course, if he wanted to become a bad person. If he wanted to play at being as toxic and terrible as the people around him, it makes sense Mew would don the wardrobe of his “best friend”, Ray. Ray, who Mew looks down on for being an alcoholic, for not valuing his life. Who Mew has told time and time again to love himself, and to quit drinking and doing drugs, as if that is going to cure Ray’s addiction. And who in under five minutes just took a blowtorch to everyone’s relationships. 

Why? Because Mew is so self-righteous that he looks down on others around him. Mew isn’t ready or willing to look at and acknowledge the nasty, flawed parts of himself, so he adorns the nasty, flawed parts of others, to abstract himself from his own behavior. He uses Ray’s clothing, Nick’s methodology, and Boston’s personality to retaliate at the people he feels wronged by. 

Mew uses Boston against himself, wielding Boston’s sexual prowess, his willingness to fuck, his Hunter charm to get himself in to Gap’s apartment. He uses Nick’s methodology to steal the video of Boston and lords the knowledge over Boston’s head (like Nick did to Top), and again, he is wearing Ray’s clothing. But while Mew is trying to be a chameleon in his behavior, his appearance, his strategy to get back at Top, Mew’s own flavor of flaw starts becoming ever more clear. 

Mew has a superiority complex.

It is absolutely, unbelievable shitty and vile to threaten to out Boston to his father. To treat Boston’s privacy and safety with such disdain. Boston records others and he keeps those images as evidence, so Mew steals Boston’s MO. Mew takes the recording of Boston, looks Boston in the eye, and makes Boston think that he is going to hold on to that for evidence.

Now, right before this, Mew does actually draw a comparison point between himself and Boston. 

“You and I have something in common.” he says

“We’re both gullible” 

Mew makes Boston beg. And after he has made Boston sweat sufficiently, he throws the flashdrive on the ground. He says: “I’m kidding. No matter how much I hate you, I won’t do it. Because I don’t betray my friend like you did. 

“Then I’d be just as filthy as you are.”

While Mew is able to identify a potential flaw of his own, being gullible isn’t a fundamental aspect of Mew’s personality or character, being gullible isn’t who Mew is. It’s a flaw that he is pointing out only because he is still reeling from allowing himself to be fooled by Top and Boston. It’s a flaw that he is point out so that he can weaponize his superiority complex. 

In other words: “You and I have something in common, but I am better than you because I don’t betray my friends”  As if he didn’t just threaten to publicize Boston’s sex life to his father, the implications of which could have a national impact.

And while it is ultimately unsurprising that Mew channels Ray in doing all of this, it is interesting. Interesting because Mew is using Ray. Mew not only knows that Ray is capable of fucking up his own life, and the lives of the people around him, he also knows that Ray is the least liked by both Boston and Top. Boston’s distaste for Ray is subtle, as his obsession with Top and Mew has been more at the forefront of his interactions with his friends. But we have seen from the very beginning of this show that Boston does nothing to care for Ray. Boston is assigned to take care of Ray and make sure he is safe when he’s been drinking too much. Boston literally never once helps Ray when he’s drunk. Boston sees Ray and Sand crossed, cuddling, and generally having a good time, and Boston goes and airs Ray’s dirty laundry. Ray is the first person to confront Boston about cuckolding Mew. 

So wearing clothing that is reminiscent of Ray when Mew goes to Boston’s house to threaten him is a flavorful undertone for how Mew is hoping Boston will see him. 

At the points in which Top and Mew interact during the episode, Mew is not dressed like Ray, but he sure as shit does lord Ray over Top just to fuck with him. When Top comes to apologize to Mew, Mew asks Ray to find a new designer, literally asking Ray to replace Top. When Ray helps treat Mew’s injury after the group fight, Mew decides to use Ray as a rebound. To use Ray’s feelings for him as a way to experiment, once again, with the type of person he wants to be and the type of person he wants to be with. We end the episode with Ray and Mew dancing together at the bar, Mew dressed in a very Ray style

Because Mew is trying Ray on for size, trying his fashion, his company, his lifestyle (as we see from the promo for next week) and that is prone to make RayMew crash and burn, because Ray is self-destructive enough as is, and I don’t think Mew is going to do well with treating himself with Ray’s level of self-care.

Mew doesn’t know who he is, Mew doesn’t know what he wants, the only thing Mew knows is that he’s better than everyone around him, and he can only stoop as low as them is by pretending he is them, rather than facing the fact that he's just as terribly human as the rest of the group.

#only friends the series #ofts #only friends #raymew #topmew #forcebook #book kasidet #khaotung thanawat #neo trai #force jiratchapong #ofts meta #ofts analysis #only friends analysis #only friends meta

[rottenbrainstuff]

So while I was in Switzerland, I had the really neat opportunity to visit my daughter’s college and sit in on two big project presentations.

I was… really, really disturbed by the amount of AI the students use. Like. Ok for the one class that everyone hated and no one gave a shit about, I totally understand the students turning to AI to help fill in info for a boring presentation that most of them apparently only started the night before. Sure. It’s shitty but I get it, honestly probably I would have snuck a few assignments in this way myself in a few different classes.

But then, even in the fun class project that everyone was excited about, there was still SO MUCH AI usage. And not even secret “I hope the teacher doesn’t notice this is all from chat gpt”, like, proud AI usage, like, yes, my final project is just a whole bunch of images that I got from AI, then collected together as if this represents actual work that I did. Shocking. Especially with me coming from an art college and imagining what my teachers would have said if I had ever DARED to hand in a stack of AI images and called it my project.

The teachers seem to not really know what to do about AI. Just last year they were teaching the students about the possibilities of this interesting new technology, and now just one year later, the teachers are dealing with a pile of worthless assignments written by chatgpt. The students are using it whether the teachers like it or not, and there’s not much you can do to stop them from doing it, and even if you wanted to stop them, in many cases it’s hard or even impossible to tell if it’s been used or not. But I had a really interesting conversation with one of my daughter’s teachers about it.

If AI can write papers and presentations for students, maybe instead of figuring out how to crack down on AI usage, the schools really need to radically shift what they are grading and why. If AI can spit out whatever you want, then what is it that the human brings to the equation?

So for instance: in this particular class, the students had an extremely broad assignment to make a project analyzing and transforming European mythology into a contemporary setting, somehow. Some of the students came up with some really interesting projects ranging from children’s books, a video game, a hypothetical interactive map of European dragon locations, etc. One student really did just literally output a big stack of dragon pictures generated by AI, bound them into a book, and called that their project. On the other hand, my daughter made a journal of an explorer who had got lost. Now she did use AI to generate the first draft for some of her journal entries (which made me grumble - I think even I, who does not write, would have enjoyed writing the entries from scratch?) but the idea of the journal was hers, the narrative it told was her idea, and she aged the pages and illustrated them with diagrams and bound the book in leather by hand and presented her project with an entire display of hypothetical found objects and an explanation of the narrative of the hero’s journey, and how her journal fit into that.

So like. AI might be able to write papers and make pictures, but AI can’t supply the thought process behind it, or the gathering of the physical objects and the tactile experience of the book. The specifically human work is what’s valuable, and schools have a challenge now to reevaluate the kinds of assignments given and they way they are accessed.

Or something. Made me think a lot.

[killershark82]

I’m back hyperfixating on mbav again instead of doing my projects and preparing for my presentations in class and the school expo or writing my capstone paper or doing my 400 level stats project or my English essay and presentation or the group project or the stats lab that needs to get done this week so here we go:

Why couldn’t we have delved more into the difference between witches and earth priestesses? What is the difference in classifications? Is it like some kind of Druid or pagan thing? Is it tied to any specific belief system? How broad is the range of magic in the show?

Was Benny supposed to be potentially a priest as well or is he just a wizard? What’s the difference between a wizard and a witch and a priestess because the range of magic is wild

Did grandma weir know about the Druid tree cutting down being an earth priestess? Being about nature and plants I’m assuming was there something she could have done about it?

Did she purposefully leave it alone so the vamp squad can learn by doing but not giving them help? Or was it something she couldn’t sense? If it’s the first one it’s pretty messed up for her to expect these inexperienced highschoolers to know what they’re doing after only like one major fight and also no information or what kind of stuff to do.

She’s more experienced than they are in the supernatural world but doesn’t seem to be guiding them much and letting them handle it on their own. They don’t know the rules and laws and etiquette in the supernatural world and are stumbling like fawns solving their problems with violence. With the tree, if they had known about it earlier and knew all the stuff would they have been able to reason with it? Perhaps take cuttings and replant it elsewhere somewhere with no humans so it’s happy and people don’t die?

If it wasn’t airing on Disney we all agree that plant girl would be dead right? That shit was all up in her skull and she was wide open eyed and not breathing. How far did it get into the school, how many other students potentially would have died in the series if it wasn’t on Disney and stuff wasn’t cut out?

Also why didn’t we get more into what stern was doing? He should have been more involved background wise.

Example: what if he found rory’s flushed gators powered up by Benny’s potions and trained them and used them to attack students? I think that would have been more interesting. They wouldn’t know who was doing it but it would have added to the build up of a finale I think

#I should be doing my capstone right now #it’s 48 pages #I’m nowhere near done enough to turn it in Wednesday #but I digress #executive dysfunction kicked in and I gotta rant #mbav #mbav rant #ethan mbav #rory mbav #sarah mbav #benny mbav

[evoldir]

Fwd: Course: Czechia.WildlifeMalariaNetwork.Sept1-5

Begin forwarded message: > From: [email protected] > Subject: Course: Czechia.WildlifeMalariaNetwork.Sept1-5 > Date: 27 February 2024 at 06:12:39 GMT > To: [email protected] > > > Pre-Announcement: funding for Wildlife Malaria Network (WIMANET) 1st > Summer Training School > > The Wildlife Malaria Network 1st Summer Training School will take place > from 1st – 5th September 2024 in Field station Mohelno, Mohelno, > Czechia. The training school will consist of five days of lectures and > practical activities designed to introduce students to a broad range of > research activities and skills related to working with Wildlife Malaria > Parasites. Topics will include sample collection and storage, analysis of > haematological parameters and an introduction to parasite identification, > analysis of genetic sequence data, collection and identification of > vector species, and methods to analyse community-level data. Specific > topics will be tailored to the requirements of the selected students. > > Geographical restrictions on funded places apply > according to COST funding rules, and more information on > eligibility can be found in the Annotated Rules for COST Actions > (https://ift.tt/024aATE). > All teaching materials will be available through the WIMANET website > (https://ift.tt/qbHlEY9) after the course has concluded. > > Applications are open to anyone interested in learning techniques > to work with wildlife malaria parasites, but applicants must have an > eCOST profile and have applied to be a member of WIMANET in order for > their application to be approved. You can apply to join WIMANET here: > https://ift.tt/L4zTns8, and more information about the > network can be found here: https://ift.tt/qbHlEY9 > > The call for applications for the Wildlife Malaria Network > 1st Summer Training School will open on 1st March and close on > 31stMarch. Applications must be e-mailed to the Grant Awarding > Co-ordinator, Dr Alexandra Conduneanu ([email protected] > ), and to the WIMANET account ([email protected]). > The application consists of the following documents: > > - a motivation letter detailing the benefits for the applicant and >  relevance of the training school to current research, > > - Anticipated travel budget in Euros (costs of transport to Vaclav Havel >  Airport Prague, and travel insurance) > > - a support letter from the Home Institution, > > - a CV, including a list of academic publications if applicable. > > The applications will be ranked by the Core Group based on: > - benefits to the applicant in terms of career progression > - benefit and contribution to the development of the COST Action > > The selection will follow the COST policies on inclusiveness (gender, > age, geography). > > The final ranking will be approved by the Action Chair and Co-Chair. > All researchers who applied to the call will be informed of the outcome > of their application by 19th April. > > The selected researchers should wait for the official invitation from > the Grant Holder before booking any travel arrangements. > > Please direct any questions to [email protected], and please > alert any students who may be interested and not on the evoldir mailing > list to this opportunity. > > Best wishes, > > Jenny > > > Dr Jenny Dunn (she/her) > > Senior Lecturer in Animal Health and Disease, > Postgraduate Research co-Lead, > Chair, Wildlife Malaria Network COST Action, > School of Life and Environmental Sciences, > University of Lincoln, > Joseph Banks Laboratories, > Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK > Twitter: @jennycdunn > > Google Scholar: https://ift.tt/UYtFpPB > Wildlife Malaria Network: https://ift.tt/0Lh4yFq > via Email February 27, 2024 at 07:31AM

#IFTTT #Email

[modernmisadventures]

Chapter 5: Girl Gossip

“Hard at work as always.” Thancred’s amused voice startled Kal’istae and she squeaked, fumbling her pen and sending it flying across the desk. He reached down and stopped it before it could spin off the edge, and smiled down into her wide, staring eyes. “What, do I have a spot on my face or something?” Still grinning cheerfully, he offered the pen out to her.

Heart racing in her throat, Kal’istae reached out and took the pen. “I wasn’t expecting you to come by today,” she said faintly as she lowered her hand. “Monday’s not your normal day.”

He came around the corner of her desk and eased his hip onto the edge, crossing his arms and gazing down at her. She continued to watch him like a cornered pigeon, searching his face for any sign of the affection that Jess had alluded to - but all she saw was the desire. The other woman had been so certain - surely she knew her brother well enough, right? “I was in the building,” Thancred was saying, ignoring or oblivious to her internal conflict, “meeting with a new student. And fortunate for me, it ended before your planning did, if just. So what are you working on?” He glanced down at her desk and his eyebrows raised curiously.

Dropping her gaze to the list she’d been scribbling in front of her, her cheeks flushed and she deliberately flipped it over and slid it to the side. “Just a list of book recommendations for a friend of mine. Nothing to get excited about.”

Having seen some of the titles on that sheet, Thancred wasn’t entirely certain he agreed. “I’m pretty sure getting excited is exactly the point,” he said mildly, and was rewarded with a second blush. “I’m certain your friend will appreciate the thought.”

There was absolutely no way she was telling him that this list was for his little sister. “The kids will be back soon,” she said instead, just a bit desperately. “Is there anything you needed from me?”

There was a flicker in those pale gold eyes. “Mostly the delight of your company, short though my time to enjoy it may be,” he replied, and grinned smugly when she blushed yet a third time. “‘Tis a shame that I must absent myself of it so soon.”

“Thancred,” she murmured, grinning and shaking her head.

Chuckling, he reached down to brush his fingers over the back of her hand. “I can’t help myself. But I’m not lying; I’d like to spend more time with you. There’s a new Hingan place over on Fourteenth. We should check it out - my treat.”

There it was. The expected date request. She fought against the instinct to brush him off; Jess’s words rang in her ears. I can assure you he's very very much interested - and he's in deep. While Kal’istae wasn’t entirely convinced that the younger woman was correct, the bartender had seemed certain enough of her words, and her conviction had been hard to deny. Why not? she asked herself. In the end, she could always say no if he tried anything.

Was it worth taking the chance?

“Yes,” she blurted out, as much to herself as to him.

Thancred’s lips were already tightening, his eyes flinching against her expected refusal. “Of course,” he said heavily. “I just thought I’d offer. I’d like…” He trailed off as her response struck him. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and just a bit shocky. “Yes,” she repeated. “Yes, I’d like that.”

“You would?” he asked stupidly, staring down at her. “I mean, you know I mean as a date, right? Not just friends? Not that I would say no to just going as friends,” he added, “if that’s what you really wanted, but I’d like it to be a date.”

He’s babbling, she realized, her heart pounding and a giddy joy swirling about her belly like butterflies. “Yes, Thancred,” she murmured gently, and watched him stutter to a stop, jaw slightly agape. Laughter caught in her throat. “I’d like it if you would take me to dinner. As a date.”

He stared at her a moment longer, then broke into a broad grin. “Great! Wonderful! Great,” he said again. “I - uh. How about Wednesday? That’s not one of your normal nights for dance, right? If Wednesday doesn’t work, just pick the day. I’ll clear my calendar for you.”

Never before had she seen the suave, self-assured Thancred Waters reduced to stumbling over his own words. Just when she’d thought she was already deep enough, he sent her stumbling further from the shore. “Wednesday is fine,” she replied. “You can pick me up at my apartment at six-thirty.”

He began to pat at his pockets, pulling open his sports jacket to check inside the breast. “Where’s that damn phone?” he muttered. “Ah.” He pulled out his tomephone and thumbed it on, quickly keying in the date in his calendar. “I’ll be there.”

She didn’t bother to answer, merely smiled up at him. He smiled back, just a bit goofily, and it was to that scene that the first of her students walked in, breaking the spell. “Miss Miurani?” the girl asked hesitantly, staring at the pale-haired hyur perched on the edge of her teacher’s desk.

Thancred jerked upright. “Ah - I didn’t hear the bell,” he murmured. “Thank you for your insight, Miss Miurani. This has been a most illuminating conversation. We’ll talk again soon.”

She rose as he straightened and offered a hand out to him. “It’s always a pleasure to speak with you, Mr. Waters,” she replied evenly, and it took everything she had not to react as his hand closed gently over hers, holding it for a beat longer than necessary. Then she extricated herself from his grasp. “Take care, and give my best to Ryne should you see her before me.”

“Same goes. Good day, Miss Miurani.” He smiled down at her a moment longer, then turned and wound his way through the seating towards the door, feeling the pinprick gazes of the seniors trickling into the room. He slipped out the door, leaving Kal’istae alone with her students.

“Miss Miurani,” said the first girl, “who was that?”

Lavender-edged eyes laughed. “Technically, none of your business,” she chided the girl, who wrinkled her nose, “but he’s a social worker, and he came to speak with me about one of my students. Why?”

The girl giggled. “He’s cute.”

Kal’istae blinked and arched her eyebrow. “Is he now?” she asked dryly. “I hadn’t noticed.” The girl giggled again. “Alright, seats everyone. Let’s open with our breathing exercises. Find your center. Open your mind. Prepare yourselves.” She settled down on one of the oversized chairs to join her students, finding that she, too, needed a moment to compose herself.

She had made a date. With Thancred Waters.

Oh gods, she thought in that last moment before emptying her mind of distraction, what am I going to wear?

“Jess! Jess!” Kal’istae burst through the door of the bar, ignoring the stares of the few patrons scattered about. “Oh gods, I need your help, desperately.” Flinging herself onto an empty stool, she gazed beseechingly at the bartender. “Please, I’m begging you.”

The Au Ra's abrupt entrance nearly sent Jess jumping from her skin, the mug in her hands clattering to the floor with the sound of broken glass. Eyes widened, she whipped around.

"What? What's wrong, Kal'istae?!" 

Yet for all the urgency in her voice… the woman seemed fine. No one was chasing her, no wounds scarred her flesh, she hadn't fainted or anything… 

Confused, Jess filled her a glass of tap water, carefully stepping over the shards at her feet to pass it to the distressed Au Ra.

The sound of breaking glass jolted Kal’istae out of the frantic panic she’d been in since the moment Thancred had walked out of her classroom. Her cheeks lit up a brilliant indigo and she buried her face in her hands. “I’m sorry,” she choked out. “I’m so sorry. I’m such a mess, Jess. I haven’t been able to think straight since…”

Trailing off, she reached blindly for the glass of water and barely managed to prevent herself from knocking it over. She brought it to her lips and took a long, deep gulp, then exhaled noisily as she placed it back on the bar. “I’m here, making a fool of myself, because I have a date and I have no fucking idea what to wear. I’m desperate here.”

Dropping her hands away, she lifted her head and stared beseechingly at Jess. “So here I am, metaphorically on my knees because now there’s broken glass all over your floor and I’d rather not bleed for my efforts - unless that’s what it takes,” she added faintly, and dropped her head again. “I’m a mess,” she repeated, and falls silent.

"A date? Like, with another person? Romantically?" Jess raised an eyebrow - that's what had her so upset?

Wait, a date? After everything she'd told her about Thancred, the woman would up and go out on a date with someone?! 

"With who?" Jess asked, hoping she didn't come off nearly as accusatory as she felt. "And, uh, where? The where is important. I think."

Kal’istae stared at Jess for a long moment, as though trying to process the other woman’s words. “With Thancred,” she replied slowly, clearly confused as to why that was even a question after their discussion the other day. “He came by the school, as he does, and he asked me out, as he does - but this time I said yes.” That last came out in a rush, and the Au Ra looked almost faint after it. “Oh gods. I said yes. He said something about Hingan food… I don’t think I heard much after ‘I’d like to spend more time with you’.”

Looking faintly ill now, Kal’istae crossed her arms on the counter and laid her head down on them. “Please tell me I’m doing the right thing. I want this so much.”

Jess couldn't help but excitedly clasp her hands, practically bouncing on her toes. She'd done it! 

Though, given the other woman's current state, she had to admit, it felt slightly strange to celebrate… 

"Wait, you came to me? For dating advice?" At that, Jess let out a barking laugh. "I have no fucking clue, I've never so much as been asked out - well, not by well-intentioned people, anyway - how am I supposed to know what you wear on a date?!" 

Echoing the woman across from her, she leaned down and rested her chin upon her palm, wracking her brain for the sorts of things one would wear on a romantic eve. To a restaurant, not a ball, she had to remind herself, lest she start dreaming of corsets and gowns.

Oh gods, they were hopeless. 

“I mean, I’ve been on dates,” Kal’istae said as she stared at the rows of liquor bottles behind Jess. “Plenty of them. But they’ve always been kind of casual, a prelude to a pleasant evening without the expectation - or hope - for more. I didn’t have to do more than appear sexy, and that’s easy enough, I guess. Little black dress, little make-up, boom.” Those lavender-edge eyes slid towards the other woman. “But I have no idea how to dress for a date when sex isn’t on the table.” She blushed. “I don’t want him to think I’m too easy.” Discounting the fact that it took him a year of steadily asking her out before she finally said yes.

She sighed. “My wardrobe is filled with jeans and slacks and shorts, teacher-wear, casual-wear - and that single, aforementioned little black dress. I just want something… nice. Sexy without screaming ‘do me’. Casual without coming across as friendly. How do people do this?” she complained. “How do people… date?”

"How do people date?" Jess couldn't help but echo, her mind just as blank as her friend's. "You, um… go on a journey to save the world from untold evils and kiss at the very end when the villain dies, yeah? I… I don't know, Kali. I mean, clearly he likes you enough in jeans and a t-shirt to ask you out."

A fashionista, Jess was very, very much not. One look into her own wardrobe revealed a handful of shirts in roughly the same style and color, some more worn than others, and a select few pairs of bottoms to go with. 

And she hadn't been exaggerating - never once had she been on a date of her own, and never once had she even been asked - and she didn't count the endless propositions she received from drunks across the counter. Truly, the Au Ra couldn't have picked a worse partner in crime; hells, even Thancred would have better advice to offer than her. 

Thancred’s advice would likely be ‘don’t wear anything at all, and we won’t go out’. Kal’istae wouldn’t dream of asking him. “Well, who does know?” she asked plaintively.

“Who knows what?” The cheerful question from behind made Kal’istae jump; so wrapped up in her drama, she’d neglected to notice when the door had opened to admit Ciprys. Hopping onto the stool next to Kal’istae, she slung an arm across the other Au Ra’s shoulders. “Girl, I can’t tell if your puppy died or you’re on the run from the mob. If it’s the latter, I bet I know someone who could help with that,” she added with a snicker.

“The mob?” Kal’istae asked faintly, a bit shellshocked by the constant avalanche of surprises. “Wha- no.” She shook her head. “No, no tangents. You…” Trailing off, she pulled back slightly, studying the lavender-skinned Au Ra.

As before, Ciprys was dressed to impress, this time in a smart pink outfit that complemented her pale purple skin and pearlescent horns. “You know how to dress.”

Ciprys flashed a dimple. “Well, yes. Generally, one leg at a time.” Before Kal’istae could explain, she held up a hand. “I know what you meant. I like clothes. Gods know I have enough of them. I like to think I’ve an eye for putting together the right ensemble for the right moment. Why?” she asked curiously. “Need some fashion advice?”

“Please?” came Kal’istae’s plaintive answer. “I’ll beg.”

Ciprys’s eyes glinted. “Oh, to see that. What about you?” she asked Jess. “Do you get off at a decent time tonight? Shall we make a date of it? I’m always up for a shopping trip, and it’s been at least a week since the last time I bought a new outfit. I’m dying here.”

"Me? I…" Jess paused. Shopping wasn't something she considered to be much of a hobby, and gods knew she didn't have the gil for any such thing. "I suppose I can ask Buscarron to cover the rest of the night - just to come along, of course. I'm not the one in need of clothing, as you can see." She motioned to her outfit, a pair of grey jeans shorts and a simple red tank top - quite fine if she did say so herself. 

Ciprys gazed at Jess, her expression almost pitying. “Oh, darling,” she sighed. “Everyone needs clothing. Don’t you worry about a thing; you’re in Mama Cipi’s hands now, and we’re going to have a ball. Go see if your boss’ll be a doll, and our friend and I will sit right here and enjoy… hmm. Something suitably girly. How about a pair of Bloody Marys?” Her eyes twinkled with delight before she made a cheerful shooing motion to the bartender and turned to Kal’istae, who looked just about ready to faint. “Now, friend, just what did you say your name was again?”

Weakly, Kal’istae replied, “Kal’istae…”

“Kali, then,” Ciprys chirped, reaching out to take her drink as Jess placed them before the women, then headed into the back to roust her boss. “So why are we so worried about dressing? Especially since you’re wearing a perfectly lovely ensemble now?” She studied the dove gray trousers and the lavender blouse that the other woman wore. “Teacher. You must be a teacher.”

Kal’istae groaned and reached for her own drink, taking a long swallow. “I am, and that’s why. I’ve got a date - a date date, not a date-then-sex-then-goodbye date, and I want to look like an adult woman who doesn’t practically live in her classroom.”

Ciprys looked up as Jess returned. “Let me guess. That gorgeous silver fox you were in here with the other day - though I dare say that hair is a lie; he couldn’t possibly have been much older than you. Your brother, right?” she asked the bartender. “All settled then? Because if we’re going to all find date clothes, we’d best get started now.” She placed a handful of gil on the counter - more than enough for the drinks and a substantial tip besides. “Shall we?”

"I got the ok," Jess nodded, quickly sorting the gil into the till before vacating her place at the bar. "And he's not my blood brother, mind you - if you couldn't already tell." She motioned to the doorway, allowing the two tiny women to go first - though to where, she couldn't rightly say.

Kal’istae allowed herself to be swept off by Ciprys, her arm caught in the other Au Ra’s even as they walked towards the door. “Do you think that matters to him?” she asked Jess curiously as they sailed out of the bar and onto the street. “Truly, do you think he cares how you came to be family? Does it matter to you?” There was nothing chiding or irritated in her tone; the woman seemed genuinely curious.

Ciprys waved her free hand before reaching out to grab at Jess’s. “Eh, blood family is overrated. I’d much rather have a family I picked out - but everyone’s different, hey?” Blissfully unaware of the fact that she was walking with two orphans, she led them along the street, studying the boutiques as they passed through the borough’s shopping district. “How are we feeling, date wise? Cute? Spicy? Sexy? Strong? What impression do you want to give?”

Kal’istae swallowed back her instinctive dismay at Ciprys’s careless words regarding family, sternly reminding herself that her family history was hardly common knowledge. “I don’t know,” she replied faintly. “I… cute? Maybe a bit flirty? But nothing that says ‘take me now, stud’, because I’m not ready to sleep with him.” Her eyes darted to Jess and she colors slightly, although surely by now the girl knew her brother had sex with women.

Everyone knew Thanced Waters had sex with women.

“Right, right. I approve,” Ciprys said cheerfully. “It’s different when you’re looking to the future, yes? Not that I’ve ever done that,” she adds with a laugh. “Not ‘til now, anyway. Waiting. Don’t need to wait any more, now it’s time to grab the Au Ra by the horns, as it were.” Her smile turns sly, eyes glinting cheerfully. “How about you, Jess-a-roo? What kind of date outfit do you want?”

“Me?” Jess shook her head, ignoring the odd nickname. “I’m not the one going on a date - and by Rhalgr’s ass I am not inviting myself along to hers. I’m not sure I could stand to watch Thancred attempting to actually romance someone for a change - I might die of second-hand embarrassment.” Sure, she had confidence in her brother’s… well, performance, based on what she’d heard and what she wished she could unhear, but courting and wooing a woman? Well, she wished the both of them luck. 

Ciprys sighed, just a touch exasperated. “Yet, Jess. The word you forgot is yet.” Hand on her hip, she stared at the hyur, lavender eyes tracing from the tip of her head to the bottom of her feet. “You’re young, you’re hot, and you’re funny. Nothing stopping you from grabbing some  young man by the… tie.” There’s no doubt she censored herself. “So yes, you. Don’t worry,” she added airly before the most obvious protest could come up. “You don’t have to pay. The gods know I never spend all of my clothing allowance; I might as well get some use out of it.”

“I-” Jess bit her lip. While they weren’t there for her, it was true, she also couldn’t deny just how desirable it sounded to find someone to call her own - though she couldn’t exactly agree with the hot or funny descriptors. She flashed a glance towards Kali, brows furrowed, a silent plea in her eyes - she was plum out of excuses, and more than a little scared of whatever Ciprys had planned. 

Kal’istae was going to be no help. She was nodding her agreement with Ciprys. “I think that’s a great idea,” she said. “Even if you don’t go on a date, every girl needs something to wear that makes her feel like she might be.” Her lavender-edged eyes slid to Jess, and her smile was encouraging - and just a bit pleading in return. “And who knows what might come in the future. If nothing else, it would be nice to have something to wear if the three of us ever go out for some girl fun. Like this,” she added, gesturing in the air around them.

Ciprys giggled. “Exactly! C’mon, Jess,” she wheedled. “At least just look and try things on with us. If nothing strikes your fancy, no harm, no foul. If you find the perfect outfit, at least you know you won’t have to put it back, ‘cause I totally have your back.” Her eyes opened wide - wider than should be possible for such a small creature - and gazed soulfully up at the bartender. “Please?”

With a long sigh, Jess conceded defeat. “Fine. But we’re really here for Kali, ok?” With any luck, focusing on the Au Ra would keep the Highlander from being shoved into too many unflattering outfits. “And don’t think I’m agreeing because of the puppy eyes - I can’t be manipulated that easily.”

“Deal,” Ciprys replied instantly. “And I know just the place. Come on!” Firmly taking ahold of both women, she strode along the main thoroughfare until she came to a particular cross-street. Turning left, she dragged them both towards a small boutique which sported a number of different styles displayed upon mannequins of all different races and sizes. “I like this place,” she told them as she reached for the door and hauled it open. “They’ve got something for everyone. In you go.”

Inside was well-lit and brightly decorated, with clothing in all styles and sizes hanging upon racks, from conservative work-wear that wouldn’t be out of place in Kal’istae’s wardrobe, to the casual day-to-day wear Jess tended to sport, to some outfits that Kal’istae had a sneaking suspicion might grace Ciprys’s wardrobe, only to be worn once she was well out from under her mother’s eye.

She had no idea where to begin, and looked helplessly at Jess.

And Jess was no better, staring at their surroundings in a mixture of horror and awe. As much as she hated to admit it, there was plenty that caught her eye - though nothing she had any business wearing, and certainly far too expensive. 

Ciprys took no note of her friends’ panic, sailing through the racks, pausing now and then to pull out a blouse, or a skirt, or whatever and give it a once over. Now and again, she’d thrust something at Jess, something at Kal’istae, or drape it over her arm. Once they each had an armful of things, she directed them towards the dressing rooms that took up the back wall. “Go on,” she shooed them, her smile almost maternal as she waited for them each to enter a dressing room - taking no chances that one or the other might escape.

Only once they were secured did she enter one of her own, to try on her own choices with a cheerful hum.

In her stall, Kal’istae hung the selections on the hook and studied them. Ciprys had gone with dresses for her, many of the same type - flirty skater- or sundress-style, with scooped necks and hems that flirted with her knees. Some were strappy, and some off-the-shoulder, but all of them would highlight one of her most striking features - the starry freckles that were splashed across her skin from head to toe. Swallowing, she tugged off her work clothes and began to try them on.

Jess found herself with an accumulation of halter tops, crop tops, skirts and well-fitted slacks, and though she had her doubts, they quickly melted away as she delicately tried on Cip’s selections, finding herself downright impressed with the tiny woman’s knack. It seemed she’d managed to choose things that highlighted what few features the Highlander actually appreciated, yet not in an overly-provocative manner - which was ideal for her line of work, of course. She’d learned in her short time at the bar that skimpy clothing was not worth the extra tips it brought in, no matter how much she tried to ignore the leers and comments. 

Gods, if people were going to lewd over her while she was just doing her job, they could have at least had the courtesy to be attractive themselves first.

She emerged a few minutes later sporting her favorite look so far - a red, cropped tank that showed the slightest hint of her toned stomach beneath, cupping delicately over her chest, with a modestly-short black, pleated skirt, giving a little twirl with a wide smile before the Au Ra awaiting her outside. 

She noted that Cip, too, had gathered a selection of clothing for herself - and unlike the Highlander, she seemed to have no reservations on exactly how much skin she showed.

“That looks nice,” Jess murmured as she eyed the Au Ra, a smirk upon her lips, “are you trying to show off for someone? Someone special, even?”

It occurred to her that she knew precious little of the woman who’d practically kidnapped her, aside from her endeavors in school and a smattering of her hobbies. 

“Mostly myself,” Ciprys replied, a smile flirting at the corner of her mouth, “but I certainly wouldn’t mind catching Cirdan’s eye. He thinks he can come back home and not let me know? Hah!” Her tail swished, and the short, short skirt brushed across the tops of her thighs, coming perilously close to flashing Jess and revealing exactly what color of underwear the Au Ra wears. “I plan to make him squirm a bit before I forgive him.”

That said, she eyed Jess thoughtfully, prowling around her as she studied the outfit. “Yes… yes! I love it. Is this the one you preferred, or are there others you’d like to show me?” she asked, stepping back and nodding approvingly.

The door to Kal’istae’s stall swung open and the Au Ra slipped out, plucking nervously at the lacy fringe that brushed against her thighs. The dress she wore was short and sassy, hitting just above the knee. It left her shoulders bare, the rich indigo lace gathered about her throat by a thin choker before draping down across her slim body. A brief satin chemise hugged her from breast to hip, but the rest of the gown was sheer, allowing flashes of her indigo skin and silvery freckles to shimmer through the lace. “I think I like this one best,” she said hesitantly. “What do you think?”

Jess couldn’t help but gasp in awe at the sight of the Au Ra - the way the dress hugged her beautifully, accenting the colors of her skin and hair, showing her features in a way that inspired adoration but not necessarily invitation - and she was certain Thancred would respect that.

“He’s going to love it!” she insisted, pumping her fist into the air. “Oh, if only I could see the look on his face when he sees you - he’s going to be even more smitten, I just know it!” Truthfully, it was a bit… well, modest for her own tastes, but if that was the style the teacher liked, it was perfect. “Oh, but what about outfits for your second date? Or third? Or-”

Kal’istae looked a little overwhelmed, but Ciprys laughed. “Let’s get past this one first, okay?” she chided lightly. “Now! Was there anything else that caught our eyes that you guys wanted to try on, or does this suit everyone for their respective first date ensemble?”

The dark-scaled Au Ra eyed the pale-scaled one’s outfit. “That’s a first date for you?” she asked faintly. “Where’s the rest of it?” When Ciprys nearly doubled over laughing - and once more came extremely close to flashing the color of her underwear (if she was wearing any at all), Kal’istae shook her head and held up her hands. “Never my mind. This suits me. I just need a pair of sandals to finish it off. And look!” she added, shoving her hands into pockets cleverly hidden in the cloth. “Pockets!”

“Well, I’ve got the ensemble,” Jess snorted, “but I doubt you can find me the first date to go with. I’m sorry for ever doubting you, Cip - you’re a fashion genius. And I’m sure you’ve got many first date stories to tell.” Stories she’d gladly hear - from either of her two newfound friends. For she was certain they’d had their fair share of encounters over the years, as gorgeous and fun as they were. 

Jess greatly overestimates the amount of people who are interested in dating and not just a fling when it comes to either woman - but then, as the hyur herself can attest, beauty can be its own barrier. Still, “I have a few amusing anecdotes,” Kal’istae replied as she moved back towards the dressing room, clearly intending to change back into her work clothes, “that I wouldn’t mind sharing over dinner, if you ladies haven’t eaten yet.”

Ciprys grinned. “I don’t date that much,” she admits. “Usually it’s just Mogflix and chill for me, but every now and then I’ll hit a club or do the dinner thing. I’m sure I can find something to share. Dinner sounds great! And since you picked the activity and I picked the clothes, Jess can pick the food. If you want to join us,” she added suddenly, blinking lavender eyes at the bartender. “You want to join us, right?”

“Of course!” Jess replied, almost indignantly. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d taken just to spend with others, with friends, and she was enjoying every damn second of it. “Especially if it includes some juicy, juicy stories - books are fun and all, but nothing compares to hearing an actual experience.”

As to where to eat… Jess brought a finger to her chin. Kali was already going for Hingan, or so she’d said. “What are you ladies feeling tonight, something refined like sushi, or something messy like a diner?” She picked two of her favorite places off the top of her head - one, a high energy sushi bar that she rarely splurged herself on, and another, a Lalafellan-run hole-in-the-wall diner that she was certain was 50% grease after all the years of operation - but damn if they didn’t make a killer milkshake. 

Kal’istae and Ciprys exchanged a look. “Diner?” asked the smaller of the two.

“Diner,” Ciprys agreed, eyes sparkling. “I haven’t eaten at a real diner in… gods, far too long. Sushi’s easy, but I want to know more about this diner.”

Kal’istae nodded her agreement. “Indeed. A little indulgence never hurt anyone, and any self-respecting diner should have something good for dessert!” She pushed open the door to her dressing room. “Let’s change, pay, and go find ourselves some delicious food and even more delicious gossip!”

#ffxiv #ffxiv fanfiction #au: misadventures in modern eorzea #multiple authors #author: ainyan #author: sasslett #oc: kal'istae miurani #oc: jess shepard #oc: ciprys dreamweaver #npc: thancred waters

[cartograffiti]

November '23 reading diary

In November I finished 9 books, mostly continuing series. I'm also at the caboose end of being very sick with the RSV, to the point that I actually couldn't comfortably read for more than a week, so this is my encouragement to get the vaccine for it if you've been considering it.

Poison or Protect is the next Gail Carriger novella I needed (I'm going in chronological order), and it was very pleasant, but not more than that. It stars Preshea Buss, who was a supporting character in a clique of mean girls in the YA Finishing School series. I can't say I was particularly compelled by her before, but she's been developed interestingly here, now a grown assassin very annoyed to be attracted to a rival spy at a house party. It should technically stand alone, but I wouldn't start here. Preshea's had a hard life, and if I hadn't read any Carriger before, this character's tendency to distrust strangers by grouping them into broad gendered stereotypes could have made me cringe away.

I thought I was pretty far into the Whyborne & Griffin series, but the massive ebook omnibus I've been repeatedly checking out informed me I was only halfway through as I got into Hoarfrost. I was desperately hoping that wintry title meant they were going to the Yukon Territory, which turned out to be exactly right. This one has a slightly slow-moving classic adventure plot of discovering a lost city, and then Hawk did a breathtaking loop-de-loop to use my genre expectations against me.

A Power Unbound was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and it delivered. That's it, that's the pitch, go start with A Marvellous Light.

For the Emelan group read I wrapped up the second quartet with Cold Fire, which had an incredible creepy A-plot and a lot of wonderful moments for Daja, but a pretty insubstantial teaching B-plot compared to the rest of the series; and Shatterglass, which has my favorite teaching plot of the quartet, and a solid but kind of impersonal crisis plot. I always think whichever of the four kids I'm reading about at the moment is my favorite, but I really do love Daja and Tris's pov voices, and descriptions of Tris's student glassblowing gave me delightful fever dreams.

The Children of Green Knowe is a very charmingly old-fashioned children's book about a boy sent to live with his great-grandmother, and becomes fascinated with the ghosts that haunt her house. I listened to the audiobook of this and enjoyed the story, which is heartwarming and only a little scary, but I was more struck by how well L.M. Boston integrates storytelling into the action.

System Collapse is the newest Murderbot book. You probably already know whether or not you're interested in this series about a security robot who has hacked itself and has to adapt to living as a free individual. I like it but don't go feral for it, but this one is my favorite so far, and made me want to reread from the beginning. (By which I mean relisten, because I enjoy the audiobooks with Kevin R. Free from WTNV so much I don't want to mix formats.)

Dressing the Part by Hal Rubenstein is the only nonfiction book for the month, a new book about how television shows have influenced off-screen style trends. I found it fascinating, with lots of photos and brief, focused entries for a wide range of shows. I'm not a big television watcher, so the amount of detail was good for me, but it might feel superficial if you're looking for something specific. Unfortunately, I found that it (at least the ebook) has major editing problems, with punctuation errors that confuse the meaning of sentences, and fact-check failures like misidentifying Rita Ora as black.

Masters in this Hall was the only KJ Charles book left on my to-read list, and since it's a Christmas novella, I went ahead and asked a library to buy it for me, and had a wonderful leisurely time reading a chapter or two a night and giggling over the lovers-to-enemies-to-"what do you mean we could have been on the same side all along" plot. Part of a series, but stands alone fine.

My brain is coming back, callooh callay, and I'm hoping I'll be able to finish Storygraph's Read the World challenge this year. I have the last two books picked out, I just need to get through them. Also the new Foz Meadows comes out this week, and I want to inject it directly into my veins.

#November is the most disagreeable month in the whole year #reading diary #bookblr

[bending-sickle]

I'm very critical of Dean but I feel like Dean and Sam are the product of a show where the creators said "this show is about the boys" and that's not their fault

What that means is, that the writers gave themself the mindset that Sam and Dean are the only thing that matters on the show. Therefore their goals are the only things that matter. So the writers will intentionally write Sam and Dean as people who don't care about other people's problems. E.g season 6 Dean telling Cas to find a way to help with Sam's soul right after Cas said he was busy fighting a war

In universe I am critical of them as characters, because it's not always possible to tell what is their character and what is the plot. What is them and what is who the writers forced them to be because the show is about them

Brothers Dean and Sam follow in their father's footsteps and set out to eliminate monsters, demons and other supernatural entities that exist on Earth

VS Buffy

Buffy Summers tries to live a normal life in high school while embracing her responsibilities and destiny as a hunter of vampires and demons.

That plot summary gives the Buffy writers more room to prioritize other characters. The show is also about her being a high school student and part of being a high school student is your friendships and that means your friends also have to be developed and be important. Importance can be having their own arc, having the lead protagonist rescue them or the lead protagonist support their friends goals or just being an interesting villain or antagonist

Whereas in the Supernatural plot summary, it's about Sam and Dean fighting monsters. Therefore the mindset is that making the monsters more powerful, more interesting etc is important and Sam and Dean are important and until John dies he is important. But there is no room in that summary for a broad range of characters to be important

But I also happen to be critical of the writers putting themselves in a position where they forced the narrative to HAVE to be about Sam and Dean and that's not Sam and Dean's fault. No fictional character has full agency Like it would be 100% okay with me if the writers wrote that Cas brought Sam back with his soul so that season 6 could be about Crowley, Sam and Dean helping Cas with his civil war, with Dean and Crowley bickering over Purgatory because they no longer had to worry about Sam's soul plot. Had Supernatural been summarized as

Brothers Dean and Sam follow in their father's footsteps and set out to eliminate monsters, demons and other supernatural entities that exist on Earth as well as find friends and found family on the way

Just like the Buffy plot summary it allows more flexibility for other characters to have priority. Why does Cas have priority? Well because the show is about their friends as well, it says so in the made up plot summary

Being a main character means you get most of the priority rather than all of the priority

But with every character, including Crowley btw, I do have to look at the characters from an in universe pov that they are independent and can act of their free will. That they have agency. Suspension of disbelief that the character is fictional and almost believing they are real makes all the feelings for or because of that character possible. Part of that suspension of disbelief is not seeing them as fictional characters where they don't have true free will and they do or say whatever the plot needs

An example of whatever the plot needs is Dean selling his soul for Sam in 2x21 or 2x22 and then being okay with Sam dying from demon blood withdrawal in 4x21. Obviously that's a huge contradiction. Dean would give his soul for Sam, there is no way Dean would be okay with Sam just dying of "drug" withdrawal. But they wanted an emotional moment in the show and so they made Dean OOC for that brief moment

While I see them as people, while I watch the show, because it would be hard to have feelings about characters if you viewed them as being automatons programmed by the writers when I don't watch the show I have criticism of their characters but also criticism of the way the writers used them, that I feel like goes against who they are

I hope that wasn't too offensive because I know you love Dean 💙

okay that was a lot and probably could have been its own post but

"I hope that wasn't too offensive because I know you love Dean 💙" - criticizing a show's writing is not - and should not - be personally offensive to anyone, regardless of how they feel about a character? either way, i found nothing offensive about this so... we're good.

(like...i can love a character and at the same time go "i want to beat the shit out of you for those actions" and also "nobody lay a hair on him". i mean, the kid's complicated, and i can handle that.)

"What that means is, that the writers gave themself the mindset that Sam and Dean are the only thing that matters on the show. Therefore their goals are the only things that matter. So the writers will intentionally write Sam and Dean as people who don't care about other people's problems." - okay i disagree with these statements separately and also with the proposed "if A therefore B therefore C" logic progression.

sam and dean being the central characters of the show doesn't mean they're "the only thing that matters". there are narrative themes a show might consider central, regardless of characters. like the whole "road-tripping through america" aspect, or "monsters as metaphors" or the exploration of "what does it mean to be a monster". those types of things matter a lot and are often central to how a show is written, not just "these are our only two characters and everything else is cannon fodder".

"therefore their goals are the only things that matter" - in that case, "saving people, hunting things" is one such goal and covers...just about everything that isn't their own personal agenda. but again, just because they're The Main Character and everything is from their point of view doesn't mean they are the only compass on the table by which a story can be written. it's incredibly reductive to say that the only stories supernatural can have are those where the winchesters' personal goals are the only ones that exist.

"So the writers will intentionally write Sam and Dean as people who don't care about other people's problems." - even if the show were of the mindset "we only write about the winchsters" and "we only care about what the winchesters care about" that doesn't necessarily lead to writing the characters themselves as being self-centered or selfish or self-serving, just going "well, fuck everyone else, this is about me". that's...that doesn't follow, and it's terrible character design logic too. especially after years of them being all "i must sacrifice everything - my life, my hopes, my dreams - for every and any stranger who is in need of saving, because that's my code."

"it's not always possible to tell what is their character and what is the plot. What is them and what is who the writers forced them to be because the show is about them" - it's one and the same? the writers aren't forcing them, they're writing them. if a character is shoe-horned into acting a certain way, it might be bad writing, but it's still - in terms of "this is a work of fiction, and this is how it's being played out" - that character. like... if the show is a certain genre, and has a certain theme, and that's what is being written, and the characters are being used to highlight those themes...you can't then go and say "well but the characters are being forced by the narrative, that's not really them". i just. i don't understand this distinction you're bring up. if the character is written a certain way, and you're trying to understand that character as a theoretical person (rather than a tool in the narrative), you have to bring in everything the narrative has given you.

about the supernatural vs buffy summaries, to be honest, i'm not really seeing much of a difference between the two that would justify the distinction you are presenting. like... the "normal life in high school" simply gives the setting. it's as if the supernatural summary had started with "the winchesters travel through america" before going on with "following in their father's footsteps". the whole point of them traveling through america was to showcase the average joe, the little guy, all the people they saved. (like with angel: the series, the pilot is basically "look! we offer you one (1) character" and the summary could be "a vampire tries to find redemption" but in the end you have a solid set of at least five characters, all with their own goals and problems and it's not all just about the brooding vampire and what he cares about.)

"Importance can be having their own arc, having the lead protagonist rescue them or the lead protagonist support their friends goals or just being an interesting villain or antagonist" - supernatural also did this with recurring characters, but it kept killing them off or making them disappear for episodes on end instead of making a cohesive ensemble show. it's still amazing to me how after 15 years, supernatural never managed to accrue a solid ensemble. hell, the last episode with just the two mains and a long-time recurring guest.

"Whereas in the Supernatural plot summary, it's about Sam and Dean fighting monsters. Therefore the mindset is that making the monsters more powerful, more interesting etc is important [...]" - except this isn't WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and even they have storylines and lore and backstories. supernatural isn't just "two men beat the shit out of monsters". there's themes, there's arcs, there's character growth and development. it's not about the monsters.

"and until John dies he is important" - i would argue the themes of an absent father, of legacy, of generational trauma, of the divide he caused between the brothers and their views on hunting, or whatever else john symbolized is leagues more important than the character himself.

"But there is no room in that summary for a broad range of characters to be important" - but a summary is not a straight-jacket and even "man turns into beetle; is not terribly upset" can still lead to other characters existing in a story and a whole mess of themes being explored beyond "what is a beetle?"

"But I also happen to be critical of the writers putting themselves in a position where they forced the narrative to HAVE to be about Sam and Dean and that's not Sam and Dean's fault." - i don't get where you're going with this. writers plan out a story arc, with an A plot (the main storyline) and a number of B plots (stuff that happens in the background, or smaller problems), and every character has a progression planned out. there is a lot that can be done there, even with the narrative being about sam and dean.

"Well because the show is about their friends as well, it says so in the made up plot summary" - in that case, the unofficial-but-said-so-many-times-it-basically-is motto of supernatural ("saving people, hunting things") gives more than enough elbow room for the concept of "oh hey, they got friends, and they care about them".

"Part of that suspension of disbelief is not seeing them as fictional characters where they don't have true free will and they do or say whatever the plot needs" - true, but then you can't use "but the writers" or "but the summary" arguments to argue for character choices or flaws. these are two different conversations.

"But they wanted an emotional moment in the show and so they made Dean OOC for that brief moment" - but if we're doing the suspension of disbelief, then it's not out of character and instead it's a complex character. and like i said earlier, about how you can't go "[it's] not really them" about a character whenever they make choices (regardless of whether it was forced by the narrative or not): a character can be a hypocrite, and it doesn't have to be "oh, he's OOC because the writers wanted him to do that".

"I have criticism of their characters but also criticism of the way the writers used them, that I feel like goes against who they are" - i mean, i get this, sort of. (for instance, crowley in the latter seasons had me going "you are smarter than this" and on the one hand, yes, it was written that way because the writers needed plot point A to get to point B, but in terms of "let's ignore the strings the writers are pulling" character analysis, i just also go "you are being an idiot" and not "this is OOC". because, sometimes characters are idiots. or hypocrites.)

in conclusion: i don't really know where you were going with your ask, and i don't think i knew where i was going with my reply, either. (like, was this in response to something specifically or...?)

honestly, i'm more confused now that i've answered it than when i read it. idek if i made sense half the time. sorry?

#reasons why hardlovebeliever is awesome #supernatural #*flustered noises of confusion* #ask box adventures #everyone else reading this: i'm so sorry

[klywrites]

hi, kly! on a scale of 1-10, how did trool!mira's middle school years go? sending good vibes to ya. 🌌🌌 - 💫

ooh an interesting question! I don't know if I can give a rating (what is it based on?) but I can describe how it was.

trool!Mira was a transfer student - her family moved while she was in the middle of Grade 9*, which was initially difficult for her because she had no friends and was always alone (on top of culture shock). Then one day a group of nerds took pity on her and asked her if she wanted to hang out with them. Over time she opened up more and came out of her shell and eventually befriended the popular kids. She mostly moved on to those groups (she had more common interests with them) but she stayed friends with the nerds too. Some of the popular kids didn't like her because she was nice to "losers" so they would spread rumours and called her "fake" behind her back. (This was pretty rough when she found out, because she's a people pleaser and perfectionist and it fed into her fear of being hated by everyone and ending up alone.)

Mira is smart but academically she had (and still has) some trouble staying on task and also procrastinates, so there were some challenges there too. Overall though, she did okay. Her later school years were much better.

*Where I live the definition of "middle school" varies, so I chose grades 8-9. (Some places have middle school or they call it junior high, and it ranges from grades 5 to 10 (and varies still like 5-8 vs 7-9 vs 7-10 depending on location and school) (roughly age 10 to 16), which is quite broad in terms of development.)

#sts #it's still saturday here! #rsverse: mira #rs: the rest of our lives #kly answers #enchant.

[the-blonde-adventurer]

Never Ending Truths (5)

Indiana Jones x OC

Summary: Everyone is born with a matching tattoo to their soulmate, but not everyone can feel their soulmate’s emotions. Harley LaCarrubba is a freshman attending Marshall college to one day be an archeologist with her passion for history. Lucky for her, she is being taught by none other than the famous Indiana Jones, the school heartthrob. She can feel her soulmate’s emotions but never met him in real life, making her feel guilty about having a crush on her professor.

Words: 2546

I take a seat in my mythology class with a new thrill ever since I found out my godmother is my teacher. She sat at her desk, looking over the students as if she was waiting for something. "Eric, you are moving seats with Samantha," she tells him sternly. I looked back, and Eric glared at me before going to the very back of the class in the seat to the far left. Now he won't pick on me like an immature child. I look back at my Madrina with a giant smile on my face, so happy he won't bother me anymore.

We go over today's lesson, and I write down everything she said and additional notes. I enjoy this class not just because I'm related to the professor. The bell rang, releasing us for lunch as everyone got up from their seats. "LaCarrubba, stay behind," she told me as I had my bag over my shoulder. I nod in understanding as I sit back down in my seat, waiting for everyone to leave. "Have lunch with me today." she smiles, pulling out a giant black bag. "Of course, Madrina." I smile at her. It is raining pretty heavily today, so I don't know where to sit at lunch. She pulled out two containers of pasta salad and water. "Go shut the door and pull down the cover, then pull up your chair," she instructed. I walk over, closing the door and blind just like she said before bringing my chair to the corner of her desk. "So you were the talk of this morning," she smirks at me, tilting her head. "Good things, I hope." I open the lid to my pasta.

"Nothing but good things. Dr. Jones was talking about you nonstop in the break room. How you correctly dated and translated an ancient Egyptian artifact, he found, without any references, how you were so excited. He thought you were going to bounce off the walls. How you tease him about accidentally writing profanities in hieroglyphics. He also said you aced your baseline test getting the highest in the class." she says in between bites.

"Yeah, I did." I chuckle.

"Still love Egypt, I see. I'm so proud of you, Harley. You are a good student, and your professors have nothing but good things to say about you. I think you are becoming Dr. Jones's favorite with how much you impressed him yesterday." she gleams with pride.

"I'm just myself around him, and we both love history. One day, I want to go on adventures digging up unique artifacts and uncovering the past." I smile as I take a bite of food.

"Still so passionate. Are you still reading history books for fun?" She questions.

"I am; I'm currently reading the history of Egypt." I smile up at her.

"I've noticed that big book you lug around." She chuckled before taking a sip of water.

"Haha, yeah, just a little light reading." I chuckle nervously.

"That's light reading?" She laughs at me. "I'd hate to see the other books."

"You should see my bookshelf." I join in laughing.

"You are just like your dear mama. That woman always had her nose in a book. You got your love of history from her; she would always read you a history book." She gave a weak smile as she reminisced. "Let's get back to a happier subject. What is your favorite class?"

"Yours and Dr. Jones's." I smile at her.

"Your kiss ass." She lightly pushed me with her hand with a broad smile on her lips. "I know Dr. Jones is your favorite."

"And I also love your class; that was the truth. I love his class; he goes over such interesting topics and has an 18th-century tablet. Plus, he's funny." I smile as I play with my pasta pushing it around on my fork.

"Ahh, I see what is going on here." She leans forward-leaning on her desk as she stares into my soul. "You have a crush on him."

"What? No, I don't. I have a soulmate, and I will not be unfaithful to him by having a crush on someone else."

"Mmmhmm, you can't fool me, cara." She teases me by calling me sweetheart. I roll my eyes and sit back in my chair, crossing my arms. "Madrina, I don't want to cheat on my soulmate. I'm mean, yeah, he's nice, sweet, helped me get gum out of my hair, tries to look out for me, shows me artifacts he found because he knows I'll love them, funny, and handsome. I'm not trying to cheat on my soulmate or have inappropriate behavior with my professor. I'm saving myself for my soulmate, I haven't even had my first kiss yet, and I'm in my twenties." I tell her as I fumble with my hands admiring everything to her. "I'm trying to be faithful."

"Good, keep it that way. It will mean so much more when you're with your soulmate. Just be careful; he's a lady's man and quite the charmer."

"I have noticed, he hasn't done anything, and I don't think he would, but I'm keeping my distance," I tell her truthfully as I eat the final bite of my pasta.

"Okay, good. Tell me, how is your math class going?"

"Ughh, I hate math class, but I'm trying my best and taking notes and practicing every night. I don't need to study that much in most of my classes because it's a review for me, but in math, I have to keep practicing."

"You don't study for my class?" She raised her brow, scrunching up her lips.

"I have tons of mythology books that I've read through the years. Did you get me those?" I smile kindly as I try to piece together the pieces.

"I did, every year on your birthday." She went to her bag and pulled out two wrapped treats. She handed it to me with a smirk on her face. "Your favorite." She smirks. I opened up the foil to see it was a cannoli. I giggle excitedly as I take a bite of my favorite dessert from my childhood. A knock on the door suddenly opened, revealing a flustered Dr. Jones, that had water covering him from head to toe. "Isabella, I can't find..." he stopped in his tracks as he saw me sitting here. "Oh, umm..did I interrupt something?"

"No, we are just reminiscing. Do you need something, caro?" She smiles at him. I chuckled as she called him sweetheart in a joking manner.

"Oh, umm yeah... But, unfortunately, I can't find any more chalk. I seemed to have broken all of mine again." He smiles as he looks over at her and then back to me as I slowly eat my cannoli with a smirk.

"Always breaking your chalk; you need to stop writing so hard. I have extra in my closet. Go grab a box." She motioned to the room she had brought me yesterday. He nodded his head before going over to the closet and stopping to look at me as he had his hand on the door. "You are tracking water all over my classroom," Madrina tells him.

"Haha, I'm just a little wet." He chuckled before giving me a wink. I couldn't help but smirk as I shook my head, then looked over at Madrina, who was staring at me with no expression on her face and eyebrows raised, giving me the 'really' look. "What?" I question her, not knowing what I did wrong. "It was funny."

"You're a lady, don't laugh at jokes like that." She wacks my arm. I chuckle as I rub my arm before looking back at Dr. Jones, who has a proud toothless grin on his face. He went into the closet to find the chalk while I got side-eyed by my godmother. He came back out with two small boxes of chalk and a mop. He began to mop himself out of the closet, stopping by the desk. "Aww, you didn't bring me one?" He asks Madrina as he looks at the cannoli in her hands. She rolled her eyes and pulled out another one for him making him grin ear to ear. "You're the best, Isabella."

"I know." She grins up at him before looking at me as I eat my cannoli in silence.

"Well, I'll leave you two ladies alone; I know you have much to discuss. So keep the gossip to a minimum, please." He looked over at her as if I was missing something.

"Now we are just gonna talk about you more, Mr. Dr. Scientist." I joke with him. He chuckled and rolled his eyes as he shook his head. "Alright, hot head."

"What?" Madrina questions with a squint as she looks between us.

"I asked him how he knows if peanut butter would get him out. He said, trust me, I'm a scientist. I said sorry, Mr. I'm a scientist. He corrected me and said Dr. So now he's Mr. Dr. Scientist."

"She's the hothead because she Burst into my room screaming at me like a madwoman." Dr. Jones explains. She tilted her head down, looked at Dr. Jones, then crossed her arms disapprovingly. "Oh, come on, Isabella, it's harmless. She still calls me a professor in class like you and calls you Madrina when alone. You can't tell me you never had nicknames for your students." He matched her energy by crossing his arms. "May I remind you about tiger?"

"Very well, just don't slip up; I'm not getting involved if you get in trouble." She wags her small bony finger at him.

"I'm not going to get into trouble because I'm not doing anything wrong." He snorts, throwing his head back.

"Keep it that way." She threatened him. I sat here uncomfortable, not knowing what was going on between them. The bell rang for the end of lunch, so I started cleaning up my food. I give Madrina a hug thanking her for lunch. "You are still coming over Saturday for supper." She tells me.

"Oh, and I'm the one crossing lines?" Dr. Jones jokes with her.

"She's famiglia." She pinches her fingers together, shaking them at him.

"Era uno scherzo." He holds his hands up in defense, explaining he was joking. I looked over at him, shocked he spoke my language; how did he know.

"Get to your next class; you don't want to be late." She orders me. I grab my bag and walk out, trying to get to my next class in time. The rain was coming down heavily as if it was raining cats and dogs soaking through my clothes. I noticed most students had umbrellas to protect them from the rain, and I was the only one who didn't have one. I walked into the building, taking my seat just in time as the bell rang.

*** I go to Dr. Jones's class to see him sitting at his desk reading a book. "Sorry if I got you in trouble." I smile as I take my seat. He looked over the rim of his small glasses with a smirk. "No, you didn't. She was teasing me; you two are related." He closed his book before looking over at me. "What did you do? Go for a swim?"

"I didn't bring an umbrella; it's alright; it's just water." I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly.

"Just hope you don't get sick."

"Eh, I don't get sick very easily. I'm used to the rain and working out in it."

"Working on the farm?" He questions.

"Yes." I smile at him. I'm surprised he remembered that I work on a farm back home. But then, students started coming in and taking their seats, and we both knew we couldn't have a conversation in front of them.

*** I walk out to my car and notice I have a flat tire. Oh, come on! I have so much homework to do, which will make me stay up later. I set my things inside my car to avoid getting wet while changing this tire in the rain. I got out the Jack and tire leaver and got to work as I got drenched from the pouring rain. I lifted the car to change the tire, making it difficult in this wind. I finally got the car up and took off one lugnut but struggled to get the second one off. I put my total body weight on it, trying to get it off, but it didn't budge. "Here, let me go sit in the car and get out of this weather." Dr. Jones shouts over the storm. He grabbed the leaver and pushed down on it, getting the nut off in one try.

"I'm gonna help." I tell him as I spit water out of my mouth. He smiled as he shook his head, looking up at me as he went to the next nut. I held them for him while I watched him work. He's so strong. "Where is your spare tire?" He asks me. I stood up, revealing I was sitting on half of it while the other half was under the car in case the jack failed. He smirked up at me as he realized what I had done. He got the tire offset it on the ground, and grabbed the spare, putting it on. I handed him a nut and held the tire straight as he tightened it down slightly. We repeated this process until all the nuts were on correctly. He then tightened them down using the star pattern so it would be even on all sides. He picked up the spare tire going to my trunk while I opened it for him to place inside. He shut the trunk before turning to me with a severe expression. "Thank you, Dr. Jones." I smile up at him.

"Please, call me Indy when it's just us." He smirks.

"Okay." I smile as I stare into his warm brown eyes.

"You best be getting home and out of this weather." He breaths softly.

"Yeah, you're right. I have tons of homework to do." I breathe back, not looking away from his eyes as I feel my heart racing.

"Yeah, Drive safe." He mumbles back but stays in the same spot a foot away from me.

"Will do." I reply, not moving from where I stood.

"You haven't moved."

"You're in my way." I smirk up at him. He nodded his head and took a step out of the way before rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Thank you again, Indy." I smile as I walk to my car door. He opened it up for me, so I got inside, smiling up at him. "Drive safe."

"Will do." I smile as I start my car. He shut my door and walked back into the school no turning back. I drive home carefully, not wanting to get into a wreck as I had Indy on my mind. He's so lovely, and he always looks out for me. Stop this, Harley; he's your professor, not your soulmate. Ugh, why is he so charming, and I'm just attracted to him? Maybe one day, I'll meet my soulmate and leave this stupid crush on Indy behind.

#indiana jones #fanfic #adventure #harrison ford #indy #italy #indiana #jones fanfic #love #soulmates

[jolyneswife-anime-reviews]

My hero academia anime review

Spoilers for my hero academia and tw for family issues

Disclaimer: I have only watched everything up to about half of season 4.

“Even if it means twisting myself, I’ll win the way I choose,” - Katsuki Bakugo

Genre: action, high school, superhero

Where I watched it: Funimation

Characterisation: 8.5/10 (Characters have a very broad range of personalities and even minor side characters get some screen time. Most characters are gradually developed throughout the series, with the main characters being complex and diverse, but also improving as they learn more and make mistakes. An example is Todoroki’s struggle to view his fire as his own power after the abuse his father out his family through- gradually, he starts to realize that, despite it being the same power, it’s his power and he is not his father. There are a LOT of characters too, so there’s something for everyone. The series also strays from clichés a bit, making the characters more memorable, unique and the plot more enjoyable. An example of this is Uraraka, who appears light hearted, cutesy and carefree, but her real reason for becoming a hero is to make a lot of money so her parents can rest after working so hard for her whole life.)

Setting: 8/10 (As a setting, UA high school works very well- it has all the facilities that would be necessary for training future pro heroes for all kinds of situations, and the high school element adds a more realistic, slice of life feel. The setting is sometimes changed, with things like work studies at hero agencies or training camps, and this helps us to keep understanding this world and enjoy seeing the characters grow and develop. It also makes for a stimulating plot. Later on in the anime, the decision is also made to build dorms to keep the students safe from increasing villain attacks. This adds a nice, homely feel to the school, with each student personalising their room to reflect them, as well as creating opportunities for more relaxed and wholesome skits.)

Art style: 7/10 (The art style is pleasant- most characters are well drawn and their costumes as heroes are too. However, it’s nothing out of the ordinary, and settings tend to look way too computerised for my taste)

Plot: 8/10 (the plot is pretty fast paced and dynamic- it certainly doesn’t lack variety, as well as mysteries and questions that need answering. All this makes it quite engaging to watch, but sometimes, particularly with some battle arcs, some events dragged on for way too long, so I started to lose interest.)

Originality:9.5/10 (I absolutely adore the way this anime combined elements of a regular, slice of life, high school anime (friendships, rivalries, school events etc.) with a very comic like vision of heroes and superpowers. It managed to make the two go hand in hand in a very innovative way.)

Addictiveness: 7/10 (While the solid plot and the mystery elements, as well as the amazing world building do engage the viewer, I definitely wouldn’t say this anime was gripping- it didn’t leave me needing to know more, and, due to the storyline dragging in some arcs, I actually ended up losing interest for a short while)

Comfort: 7/10 (There are some darker areas to the anime- atrocious deeds are committed against vulnerable people, and there’s a lot of raw emotion too, due to the mental demand of being a hero. However, the friendship element of MHA, as well as the numerous funny or wholesome skits and the (for the most part) positive and good natured cast who always persevere make the anime quite comforting to watch.)

Philosophy: 8/10 (Due to the high level of character development, there are definitely some noteworthy points to take away from the anime. The majority of these are about self improvement, and come from the characters themselves growing. One of these is that you should never be so cocky that you don’t see your own weaknesses and don’t make progress, which is something Bakugo realised after failing his provisional license exam, despite being among the top students in the class. The main one however, is that no matter how impossible things seem, if someone is passionate, dedicated and works hard, they can make it happen. This is shown throughout Izuku’s own journey of training to become a hero.)

Consistency:7.5/10 (Despite the quality not really dropping from season to season, there are some areas where the plot drags and gets a bit repetitive, or where it becomes easy to lose interest.)

The plot

Izuku Midoriya dreams of becoming a pro hero, and has felt that way ever since he was a little kid. This was despite the fact that, in a superhuman society where 80% of people are born with some sort of power, or “quirk,”, he was born completely ordinary. When he saw All might, the number one hero, on TV as a kid, he grew to idolise him and wanted to become just like that. So, despite having no power, Izuku makes the decision to apply for UA, the school producing all the top pro heroes in Japan. His ambition is shut down by his childhood bully, Katsuki Bakugo, who insults him and tells him not to waste time applying- he himself is an amazing student with a powerful quirk. Before the UA entrance exam, Izuku meets all might, and asks him if he can ever become a hero. All might tells him he doesn’t think it’s possible, but a few days later, Izuku sees Bakugo being attacked by a villain and rushes to save him on impulse. After seeing all this, all might changes his mind, as it’s clear to him that Izuku has all the natural qualities of a pro hero. Because of this, he tells Izuku the secret about his own power, which greatly boosts strength and speed. It can be handed down from person to person- the previous user simply needs to choose someone, and all might has chosen Izuku. Once he knows this, Izuku works harder than ever, and he keeps up with a rigorous training regime all might sets up for him in order to be physically strong enough to wield the power. All might transfers his power to Izuku just before the entrance exams, telling him he will not be able to use it all straight away. The exam consists of taking down villain robots, with one robot being worth no points at all. Keeping in mind what all might told him, Izuku is cautious and reluctant to use his new power, but this quickly changes when he sees the 0 points robot heading towards a girl trapped under some rubble. The girl saved him from tripping up using her own zero gravity power before the exam, and had introduced herself as Ochaco Uraraka. Without thinking, Izuku jumps and punches the robot with all his strength, completely demolishing his arm in the process. He is then rushesd to the infirmary. This is the first of many challenges Izuku will face to become a pro hero, but his determination, as well as his skills, will only grow along the way, as he will work harder, and meet more incredible people; some mentors, some friends and some rivals. 

Masterlist

#anime and manga #anime fandom #anime reccs #anime review #anime recommendation #my hero academia #katsuki bakugo mha #izuku midoriya #ochaco uraraka #tenya lida #ejiro kirishima #denki kaminari #momo yaoyorozu #kyoka jiro #bnha dabi #toga himiko #pro hero hawks #shoto torodoki #ua high #league of villains #all might #tamaki amakiji #bnha nejire #mha #bnha #mina ashido #mha review #mha anime review #bnha review #bnha anime review

[bsonelue]

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[weeswageningen]

Dear all,

We would like to invite you to attend March’s Wageningen Evolution & Ecology Seminar (WEES) and Workshop.

The seminar will take place on Thursday 21st March, 16.00-17.00 in C1005 in Orion. This will be followed by drinks at The Spot and the opportunity to have dinner (at your own expense) with the speaker. Sign up for dinner with Ruth Fawthrop ([email protected]).

The associated workshop will be from 14.00-15.30 in B4014 in Orion. The workshop gives attendees the opportunity to meet the seminar’s speaker and have a discussion about a hot topic in science. Furthermore, BSc and MSc students can get 1 ECTS for attending 2 workshops. Registration is required for this workshop and you can sign up by emailing Ruth Fawthrop ([email protected]).

This will be a great event so please forward this information to anyone who could be interested!

Seminar: Mate choice, extra-pair paternity and social networks (16.00h in C1005, Orion)

Dr. Julia Schroeder

Senior Lecturer

Imperial College London, UK

Female mate choice is one of the hallmarks of sexual selection. Driven by anisogamy, females are predicted to be the choosier sex, selecting her mates by aiming to maximise the quality of her offspring, while males are predicted to favour quantity over quality. Extra-pair paternity in socially monogamous song birds is a model system where this female choice is put under magnification: females exchange the genetic contribution of the father, but the rest stays the same. This system allows us to test several predictions from sexual selection and beyond. Here I will explore the classical sexual selection hypotheses (good genes, sexy sons), more recent suggestions (pleiotropy hypotheses) and the roles of ageing, opportunity and connectedness in mate choice. I will present data from 25 years of research in our island system of house sparrows.

Workshop: Time management and life-work balance in academia (14.00h in B4014, Orion)

In this workshop we will explore the ongoing issues academics face surrounding time management and life-work balance. We will consider how we define personal productivity and how ecologists and evolutionary biologists can consider their own time management practices.

As an introduction to the workshop, attendees are encouraged to read the following article: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00648-x

About WEES

WEES is an initiative of PhD students and postdocs at Wageningen University to organize a continuing series of stimulating seminars on contemporary topics in evolution and ecology. For this series we invite researchers from all over the world who have leading roles in their field. We aim to bring together different groups at Wageningen University using a variety of systems, but with a common interest in evolutionary and ecological questions. WEES is funded by graduate schools PE&RC, WIMEK, EPS, VLAG, and WIAS. 

Want to organize seminars yourself? Join WEES!

WEES is looking for new members! We aim for a broad and diverse range in topics and would like to welcome new members to help and include topics not represented yet. If you are curious, send an email to [email protected] and join one of our meetings. 

For more information please visit www.weeswageningen.nl and follow us on twitter @weeswageningen

[chinmayavidyalaya]

How to Find the Best Girls' Boarding School in India

Choosing the right boarding school for your daughter is a significant decision that can shape her academic and personal growth. In India, there are numerous girls' boarding schools, each offering unique educational experiences. To ensure that you find the best fit for your daughter's needs and aspirations, consider the following essential factors:

1. Academic Excellence and Curriculum: Start by researching the academic reputation of the school. Look for schools with a strong track record of academic achievements and a curriculum that aligns with your daughter's interests and goals. Check if the school offers a broad range of subjects and extracurricular activities that will foster her overall development.

2. Teaching Faculty and Staff: The quality of the teaching faculty is crucial to your daughter's education. Look for highly qualified and experienced teachers who are not only knowledgeable in their fields but also dedicated to nurturing students' talents and potential.

3. Campus Facilities and Infrastructure: Visit the school's campus to assess the quality of facilities and infrastructure. A well-maintained campus with modern amenities creates an environment conducive to learning and overall growth.

4. Boarding and Residential Life: Evaluate the boarding facilities and the school's approach to residential life. A safe, comfortable and supportive environment is essential for your daughter's well-being and happiness while she is away from home.

5. Holistic Development: Look for schools that emphasize holistic development beyond academics. A well-rounded education that includes sports, arts, music, yoga, community service and other extracurricular activities contributes to a balanced and enriching experience.

6. Leadership and Empowerment Programs: Consider schools that have initiatives aimed at empowering girls and fostering leadership skills. Such programs instil confidence and equip girls to face challenges with resilience.

7. Parent-School Collaboration: Research the school's approach to involving parents in their daughter's education. Strong parent-school communication and involvement enhance the overall support system for the student.

8. Safety and Security: Ensure that the school prioritizes the safety and security of its students. Look for measures in place to protect girls both within the campus and during any outings or trips.

9. Alumni Success and Network: Check the success stories of the school's alumni. Alumni who have achieved success in their careers and personal lives are a testament to the school's positive impact.

10. Values and Culture: Consider whether the school's values and culture align with your family's beliefs and expectations. A school with a nurturing and inclusive environment can help your daughter develop a strong sense of compassion and empathy.

11. Reviews and Recommendations: Seek feedback from current or former students and their parents. Online reviews and personal recommendations can provide valuable insights into the school's strengths and weaknesses.

12. Entrance Requirements and Admission Process: Familiarize yourself with the admission requirements and process. Ensure that you meet the deadlines and prepare all necessary documents for a smooth application.

By carefully considering these factors, you can find the best girls' boarding school in India that will nurture your daughter's potential, foster her growth and empower her to become a confident and accomplished individual. Remember to involve your daughter in the decision-making process to ensure that she feels comfortable and excited about the school she ultimately chooses For more information visit us:-https://chinmayavidyalayanauni.com/top-boarding-school-for-girls-in-india/

mail us:[email protected]

Call us:[phone]

Location:Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni, Solan - 173230 (Near Shimla) Himachal Pradesh, India

#Best Girls Boarding School in India

[belladonna-wright]

You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me

As Time Goes By - Chapter 11

Cambridge, May 1934.

Jessie takes an interesting day trip.

The air was full of the scent of spring time, fresh grass green in the air and petals drifting against the backdrop of a cornflower blue sky, as students laughed from the perfectly striped college lawns on the other side of the river. 

But even the way the sun beat crisply down could not quite dampen Jessie’s spirits. The Backs were cool and shaded, and she had a large hat on that spared her from the worst of it. The colleges were beautiful, in their way, all turrets and towers and flying-buttresses and stained-glass. The whole place practically hummed with history, and Jessie couldn’t help but feel a certain electricity in a place like that.

“You know,” a voice came from beside her, “You really didn’t have to walk me-”

“I know.” Jessie shrugged her shoulders lightly. “But how would I ever forgive myself, Nurse Mountford, if something dreadful happened to you before you got to your Aunt’s house?” 

Nurse Mountford laughed. “You really are quite ridiculous, Jessie.” She looped her arm through her friend’s as they strolled along. “What could possibly happen to me in broad daylight in the middle of Cambridge?”

“Well nothing,” Jessie smirked, “Not since I’m here-”

“Ridiculous, I tell you!”

Jessie laughed, feeling the weight of Nurse Mountford’s arm resting on hers, the warmth of it seeping through the long sleeve of her blouse. 

“All the same, thanks awfully for driving me,” the brunette smiled at Jessie. “I know I could have got the train but the timings really are quite a headache, and so frightfully dull! I mean, there’s only so long one can admire the scenery when it’s all just flat fields.”

Jessie smiled a little brighter, ignoring the sight of the sweeping lawns for a moment as she fixed her gaze instead on the way Nurse Mountford spoke, the way her features came to life with every word. 

“Oh, it was nothing.” She shook her head. “Besides, as I told you, it works out perfectly since I had wanted to stop in and see that production of Hamlet the students are putting on-” she lied. She was sure the production was quite the coup that it had been talked up to be by the arts columnists, and yet at the moment it seemed a very long way away. 

“And I’ve heard so much from you about how nice your Cambridge is, I thought I simply must see it for myself and find out what all the fuss is about.”

“No doubt you’ll have a list of its shortcomings by the ride home then,” the Nurse replied. 

“Well it should brighten things up from all those interminable flat fields,” Jessie teased back. There was a lightness, a small and precious glow that sat somewhere between her ribs, that had been gone a long time. “That and your singing-”

“Oh! No-” Nurse Mountford slapped her arm gently, “You are every bit as terrible as I am.” 

Jessie laughed again. 

“Excuse me-!” The sound of a bicycle bell rang out from behind them. Jessie leapt to one side, drawing her companion with her, and staring as a small gaggle of young men came flying past on rickety bicycles, skidding stones up in their way. “Sorry!” Several called out. 

Jessie glared at them, before she remembered the person stood very close to her. 

“Are you alright?”

There were patches, almost golden, in those grey-blue eyes in this light. 

Nurse Mountford stepped back, dusting herself off, trying to make sure she hadn’t got too much of the grit thrown up onto her dress. 

“Yes, yes. Quite alright,” she gave a shaky breath, looking up again. “Thanks to you.”

“Well I warned you,” Jessie looked her over. Yes she was a nurse but… “Didn’t I? These paths might be lethal without me.”

“Well how very lucky I was that you were here-” the young Nurse gestured to her friend. “Come along-”

Jessie blinked, and continued their stroll. 

“I wouldn’t want to be late, my Aunt really is a stickler for things like that.”

Jessie glanced at her friend. “That seems to run in the family, Nurse Mountford-”

“Well it’s simply good manners to be on time!” The brunette protested. “And in my profession one has to be exact about these things. I feel practically bereft without my uniform watch.” She gave a small sigh, re-checking the wristwatch she wore as its replacement. 

“And how many times must I ask you to call me Ellen?” 

Jessie rolled her eyes. She didn’t want to show her age, it just felt so … familiar. To call her Ellen, to be called Jessie by her, when really they hardly knew each other. Crossing that threshold meant crossing one of the imaginary lines that let her pretend that they were simply two strangers. 

“Usually at least another time,” she smiled innocently. 

“Impossible,” Ellen scoffed. “I’ll meet you at five? You’ll be alright?”

“I’ll be here,” Jessie nodded. “Oh! Hang on… what was that book you recommended?”

“The Loving Spirit-” Ellen called over her shoulder as she set off. “I’ve already told you I’d lend you mine!”

Jessie watched as the other woman wandered away, half compelled to wander with her to the very door but… She shook herself. Ridiculous, she was being ridiculous. But the sun was beating down now, and after strolling along the shadiest streets she could find she still found herself with a splitting headache. 

-

The library was blissfully dark, with high bookshelves which blocked out light from the long windows, the air was thick with the smell of books, old cracked leather covers, the ancient wood of the floorboards. 

Jessie sighed a relief, and began to meander among the shelves, trying to tread lightly. The place was practically deserted, given that the undergraduates had finished for the year already. A blissful retreat, empty apart from a handful of postgraduates, and the elderly professor hunched over a reading desk under a window. Her headache receding, Jessie ran her finger along the crinkled spines of books, without even realising her feet had carried her to the contemporary literature section. 

Du Maurier … well, it couldn’t do any harm to take a look, could it?

Her eyes fell, eventually upon a copy of the book, a pale cover with simple lettering. It didn’t seem it had been too heavily read yet, but the spine had been cracked, a few pages dog-eared. Jessie felt a smile tug at her lips as she leant back against the adjacent shelf and turned it over in her hands.

Then she looked up, head turning as she felt something strange, her brow knitting itself into a worried furrow, the book down by her side as she stood suddenly bolt upright. 

Jessie set it to the side, and made her way with soft footfall down towards the end of the aisle. There was a soft rushing noise, like a cool autumn breeze - she found herself face to face with a young woman, who’s face seemed ablaze with rage as she began to pull a bottle of something from her bag …

“Aye that’ll do you lot.”

A thick Scottish accent sounded somewhere behind Jessie. She turned. From between the dimly lit shelves, another figure emerged, shoulders bowed with age, the white of his fly-away hair belying the brightness in his blue eyes. 

“Put that away, you know I’ll have none of that in my damn library,” he scoffed at the young sorcerer. “And this one” - he jerked his thumb towards Jessie - “clearly isn’t here for anything to do with you. I caught her reading Du Maurier of all things-”

Jessie glanced with interest between the two of them, interesting rising as she realised she had clearly stumbled upon something far more interesting. 

The sorcerer seemed to bow to the authority of the stooped old vampire. Jessie’s shoulders relaxed as they stowed the bottle again, and seemed to melt back between the shelves. 

“Now… what are you doing in my library?” the stooped old figure, jabbing a finger towards her.

#you're getting to be a habit with me #as time goes by #well well well if it isn't my favourite duo #hi Dunstan <3

[evoldir]

Fwd: Course: Czechia.WildlifeMalariaNetwork.Sep1-7

Begin forwarded message: > From: [email protected] > Subject: Course: Czechia.WildlifeMalariaNetwork.Sep1-7 > Date: 13 March 2024 at 05:30:32 GMT > To: [email protected] > > > Call now open: funding for Wildlife Malaria Network (WIMANET) 1st Summer > Training School > > The Wildlife Malaria Network 1st Summer Training School will take place > from 1st – 7th September 2024 in Field station Mohelno, Mohelno, > Czechia. The training school will consist of five days of lectures > and practical activities (2nd - 6th September) designed to introduce > students to a broad range of research activities and skills related to > working with Wildlife Malaria Parasites. Topics will include sample > collection and storage, analysis of haematological parameters and an > introduction to parasite identification, analysis of genetic sequence > data, collection and identification of vector species, and methods to > analyse community-level data. Specific topics will be tailored to the > requirements of the selected students. > > Geographical restrictions on funded places apply > according to COST funding rules, and more information on > eligibility can be found in the Annotated Rules for COST Actions > (https://ift.tt/nMUzZtq). > All teaching materials will be available through the WIMANET website > (https://ift.tt/ksA0uzO) after the course has concluded. > > Applications are open to anyone interested in learning techniques > to work with wildlife malaria parasites, but applicants must have an > eCOST profile and have applied to be a member of WIMANET in order for > their application to be approved. You can apply to join WIMANET here: > https://ift.tt/7IGaCT0, and more information about the > network can be found here: https://ift.tt/ksA0uzO > > The call for applications for the Wildlife Malaria Network 1st > Summer Training School will close on 31stMarch. Applications must be > e-mailed to the Grant Awarding Co-ordinator, Dr Alexandra Corduneanu > ([email protected] ), and to the WIMANET account > ([email protected]).  The application consists of the following > documents: > > - a motivation letter detailing the benefits for the applicant and >  relevance of the training school to current research, > > - Anticipated travel budget in Euros (costs of transport to Vaclav Havel >  Airport Prague, and travel insurance) > > - a support letter from the Home Institution, > > - a CV, including a list of academic publications if applicable. > > The applications will be ranked by the Core Group based on: > - benefits to the applicant in terms of career progression > - benefit and contribution to the development of the COST Action > > The selection will follow the COST policies on inclusiveness (gender, > age, geography). > > The final ranking will be approved by the Action Chair and Co-Chair. > All researchers who applied to the call will be informed of the outcome > of their application by 19th April. > > The selected researchers should wait for the official invitation from > the Grant Holder before booking any travel arrangements. > > Please direct any questions to [email protected], and please > alert any students who may be interested and not on the evoldir mailing > list to this opportunity. > > Best wishes, > > Jenny > > > Dr Jenny Dunn (she/her) > > Senior Lecturer in Animal Health and Disease, > Postgraduate Research co-Lead, > Chair, Wildlife Malaria Network COST Action, > School of Life and Environmental Sciences, > University of Lincoln, > Joseph Banks Laboratories, > Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK > > Twitter: @jennycdunn > > Google Scholar: > https://ift.tt/40kGBw1 > > Wildlife Malaria Network: https://ift.tt/vfVsJiO > > I may have sent this email outside office hours, but I do not expect a > response outside of yours > > [University of Lincoln]

#IFTTT #Email

[locustheologicus]

"You are the 'now' of God"

In 2019 Pope Francis put forward an Apostolic Exhortation for youth and young adults titled "Christus Vivit" (Christ lives). This was an invitation for youth to enter into a missionary spirituality: an invitation to be disciples that share in the social and spiritual mission of the Church. The invitation is to be co-creators with God, partners in Christ, to bring about the redemption of the world. "The Lord," Pope Francis tells us, "calls us to share in his work of creation and to contribute to the common good by using the gifts we have received."

This invitation comes with a sense of urgency, the youth may not be social and spiritual leaders of our community, certainly they will be, but even now they are the ones who have the pulse of the emerging community. They are the ones who feel the impact of the world as it is and are sensitive to what the world is becoming. As Pope Francis tells us, they, the youth, are the "now" of God.

Young friends, don’t wait until tomorrow to contribute your energy, your audacity and your creativity to changing our world. Your youth is not an “in-between time”. You are the "now" of God, and he wants you to bear fruit. For “it is in giving that we receive”. The best way to prepare a bright future is to experience the present as best we can, with commitment and generosity. (CV: #178)

Our Catholic Church recognizes that charity is not an optional virtue of the Church. Instead charity is an essential aspect of our Catholic mission and identity. As Pope Benedict XVI taught us:

The Church's deepest nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility: of proclaiming the word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia), and exercising the ministry of charity (diakonia). These duties presuppose each other and are inseparable. For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being. (DCE: #25)

Pope Francis recognizes this and in this exhortation he goes into some examples of how we can engage in this aspect of our identity:

Many young people in parishes, schools, movements and university groups often go out to spend time with the elderly and the infirm,

Or they visit poor neighbourhoods, meeting people’s needs through “nights of charity”, (Midnight Runs)

Some young people take part in social programes that build houses for the homeless,

Or reclaim polluted/contaminated areas,

Or offer various kinds of assistance to the needy.

University students can apply their knowledge in an interdisciplinary way, together with young people of other churches or religions, in order to propose solutions to social problems.

The appeal is for the youth (and those of us who teach them) to find or create opportunities to be the "now" of God. That is, to develop missionary opportunities where they serve those in need and bring the experience of the Gospel to a broken world. The youth share in this brokenness that they recognize in the world around them and experience in their own lives.

Study after study shows that there is a growing mental health crisis these days among youth. Social anxieties and forms of depression are increasingly observed with our youth and young adult communities. A recent NPR report, however, also highlights that being connected to one another, and to society at large, has had a mitigating effect on these disturbing trends.

The research shows that young people who feel connected to others at their school, who have others at their school who care about them, who are interested in their well-being, who are interested in their success. Young people who feel that way — anywhere in 7th to 12th grades — 20 years later have better outcomes in terms of their mental health, in terms of substance use, in terms of experience and perpetration of violence, and in terms of sexual health. It has a really broad-ranging impact.

In promoting our Catholic social principles Pope Francis has focused on developing a culture of encounter, a social sense of connectedness, that brings us into authentic relationship with one another. Our youth are invited to live out their Catholic social values through the experience of solidarity and what Pope Francis calls in his first exhortation, a mystical fraternity, "a fraternal love capable of seeing the sacred grandeur of our neighbour, of finding God in every human being." Through the experience of charity and social justice, we can "lay the foundations of genuine social solidarity and the culture of encounter."

We need to be attentive to the issues of social anxieties and depression that affect our youth today. These are real concerns. Those of us who parent teens and young adults should be able to recognize these symptoms. The youth may feel a sense of restlessness because they feel stuck or unsure of themselves. They may feel disconnected from their families, school, or society. They are restless because they experience a world that is increasingly indifferent to the social and personal issues they struggle with. As they get older they may experience a wanderlust, a desire to get out and engage and connect with this broken world, this is where a missionary spirituality can be extremely helpful.

Our Catholic social tradition can offer opportunities to develop the connectedness that they are looking for. We can help them by developing charitable opportunities, teach them about Catholic social teaching, and share with them the stories of past missionary models who were able to change the world through their ministry of service to those in need. Francis Xavier, Frances Cabrini, Pierre Toussaint, Dorothy Day, Bartolome De Las Casas, Teresa of Calcutta, Francis of Assisi, these are all saints and missionaries who transformed the world through their missionary activities. Our Catholic social traditon can guide them to be the "now" of God, to contribute their restless energy and their desire to connect with a broken world through service and a sense of mission. This is the invitation that our Holy Father makes to the youth in the the video above.

So many young people today have a certain restlessness and do not know what to do with that restlessness. Look at Francis Xavier. Look at the horizon of the world. Look at the people who are in so much need. Look at so many people who suffer. So many people who need to know Jesus, and go, have courage.

In addressing our broken relationship with God, St. Augustine famously said, "our hearts are restless until they rest in You." How do we rest in the Lord? Well, according to Jesus, we can find him when we serve "these least brothers of mine." Now is the time to end the restlessness of indifference through a culture of encounter and a missionary spirituality.

#Youtube #christus vivet #youth #young adult