#Calculus is being taught in Math

[dykeishh]

lessons in lust

ellie williams x fem reader

synopsis: ellie meets with her hot tutor for calculus and somehow ends with an anatomy lesson! 

CW: 18+ MINORS DNI, dealer!ellie (throwback asf), tutor!reader, slightly dom!ellie, cunnilingus, public sex (they don’t get caught tho), a bit of teasing, both reader and ellie are just sluts basically. not proofread :3

a/n: heyyy the way i wrote this in literally 2023 and it's just been in my notes… hence slight dealer!ellie appearance LOL its also barely relevant to the story but I just think tutor!reader x dealer!ellie is a hot pairing. also ellie being lowkey dominant in this is so funny cuz i'm really in my sub!ellie era… but its still hot honestly. anyways hope y'all enjoy!

——————————————————————

ellie sighed as she looked at her current course score, knowing she was about to fail her calculus class if she didn’t start getting decent grades soon. she cursed herself for picking astrophysics as a major, recalling how she ‘thought it sounded cool’ and failed to consider that she would need to take difficult math classes.

she didn’t hate it, but she was falling behind as she allowed her ‘business’ to take up most of her time. it was easy to get caught up, and she was pretty proud of herself once the money really started raking in, but was quickly humbled when she remembered she couldn’t afford to retake a foundational course to her major. 

that was how ellie found herself tapping her shoes against the library chair, waiting for her calculus tutor to arrive. she blew out a sigh from her pursed lips as she scrolled mindlessly through her phone, in a daze—so much so that she hadn’t noticed you walk up to the round table until you said, “hi, are you ellie?”

she looked up, a bit startled by your voice in the quiet library, especially because she had picked a spot in the back, away from other people and their chatters. 

she took a second to respond, partially because she had expected some kind of geeky math nerd to be her tutor--especially since it was through the school. however, the main reason for her delayed response was because she knew you.

well, knew is an overstatement, you were a bit of a crush that ellie had in one of her classes. she had never made a move to talk to you, but she often indulged herself by staring at your legs, barely covered by the short skirts you wore to class, and fantasizing about the sounds you’d make with her face between them. she noticed you were wearing a similar skirt today and her mind already started racing, but she quickly snapped out if it. 

“hi, yeah that’s me.”

“i’m y/n, i’ll be working with you today,” you said, smiling at her. she felt her heart rate increase, but she made sure to play it cool. “oh, nice, thanks.” you gave her a slight smile aam pulled your chair in next to her. 

“so, where should we start?”

—————————

after several minutes of going over the subjects taught in the course, ellie’s mind had started to wander back to your short skirt and your words faded into the background as she wondered how quiet she could be while fucking you in the library. you can feel her eyeing you up as you spoke, and try to keep your voice steady regardless of how nervous she’s making you feel. how are you supposed to teach her while she’s practically undressing you with her eyes?

“so, can you show me how you could solve this kind of problem?”, you ask. after a few moments of silence and ellie scratching her head, you giggle, noticing she looks a bit spaced out.

“jeez, am i that boring of a tutor that you’re zoning out?”, you tease. she chuckles and shakes her head, “no, not at all. these kinds of problems just confuse me is all, i really don’t know where to start.”

you scoot your chair closer to her and aren’t sure if you imagine hearing her breath hitch. 

“okay so, show me exactly where you’re having problems."

—————————

“holy shit. you’re a fucking genius. or a saint. both—whatever. i can’t believe i actually understand this,” ellie scoffs in disbelief. 

you smile at ellie and and shrug, “you had it in you. sometimes it just takes a bit of a push. i’m sure you’ll do great on your tests.”

ellie looks at you with a suddenly soft expression, suddenly realizing her appreciation for your help and being so patient with her. she also realizes that she might have a thing for nerds. she would be lying if she didn’t find your intelligence extremely sexy, as if you weren’t already hot enough.

“so, how am i going to repay you for this, y/n?” she asks, leaning towards you and brushing a hair out of your face. 

you let out a shy laugh at her sudden boldness, caught off guard by the cute girl’s fingers brushing against your skin. 

funnily enough, you had heard about ellie before. there was a small number of queer students on campus, and an even smaller circle of queer girls. and as it usually happens, lots of you knew of each other. in fact, you and ellie were both hooking up with the same girl, which was how you knew about her. just based on this, you assumed she was a bit of a womanizer, and her obvious flirting with you now seemed to align with this idea. 

but you aren’t put off by this—in fact, it only makes her more intriguing to you. behind your studious math-nerd image, you aren’t all that innocent either. 

“please, i already get paid to tutor. i’m just doing my job, so you don’t have to thank me any special way,” you reply, amusement laced in your tone.

“i know i don’t have to,” she states simply, “i want to. you helped me out, and i think it’s only right that i return the favor.” as she says this, ellie places her hand on your thigh, slowly moving it up as she looks into your eyes, waiting for a reaction. 

you raise an eyebrow at her, but once you smirk, ellie knows it’s game over. you lean in forward and lower your voice. “y’know, i think you might be right. i did, after all, save your grade in this class didn’t i?” 

you decide you’ll play along and see where this goes. after all, she was fucking hot. when she smirks at your response, you almost start drooling. 5 minutes ago, you were focused on integrals, but now all your brain can think is how fucking badly you want those long fingers to keep moving up your leg. 

“so how exactly are you going to repay me?” you ask, although you already had an idea of what she had in mind. 

even though ellie was hoping for this situation, she couldn’t believe you were actually down. when she realizes this, it goes straight to her clit. was she really about to fuck her hot tutor? 

ellie suddenly starts lowering herself under the desk.

“i think i can help you better down here.”

you just about come right in that moment, looking down at her mischievous green eyes from beneath you. your breath hitches and you look around to make sure that nobody is watching. 

“fuck. that’s so hot. okay… you just-you have to tell me if i’m being too loud, okay?”

ellie nods and can’t seem to wipe that smirk off her face as she crawls forward and positions her face so she could look under your skirt. you spread your legs slightly for her access and you can immediately feel her hot breath on your inner thighs, causing you to shudder. she looks up at you, making direct eye contact as she leaves wet kisses on your thighs, teasing you, even in this moment where she should be going quickly as to not get caught.

you bite your lip when she drags her middle finger over your clothed heat, then slowly rubs your clit through the pink fabric. you hear her curse to herself and you feel yourself getting wetter as each excruciating moment passes. after a few moments, she pulls your panties to the side to view your soaked pussy. 

“you’re already so wet,” she quietly groans. you almost whine when she brings her mouth so close to your center, looking up at you from her hooded eyelids and just holding herself there to tease you just a little bit longer. 

ellie takes a mental snapshot of your desperate expression as you look down at her, with your lips between your teeth and eyebrows furrowed. but she can’t wait any longer herself. needing to taste you, she licks a long strip from up your pussy and you immediately find yourself choking back a moan. 

ellie seems pleased by your reaction and starts leaving wet kisses on your clit, sucking lightly as she pulls away and alternating with gentle flicks of her tongue. its driving you absolutely crazy how gentle and slow she’s being, and you start to roll your hips to satiate her relentless teasing. she knows that it’s not enough but she’s also aware of how much more wet it’s making you. 

she sucks a little harder on your clit and your head falls back as you gasp in pleasure. then she pulls away, lightly smacking your thigh. 

“uh uh, keep looking at me. i want you to watch me while i make you feel good, baby,” she murmurs before she dives back in.

you pull your head back down to watch her with your mouth slightly agape and see her low-lidded eyes are clouded with lust. your back arches as you feel her the pressure of her tongue increase and watch her bob her head up and down under your skirt. ellie isn’t holding back and you can hear the messy, wet noises her mouth makes against your cunt in the quiet library. everything about the situation was borderline pornographic, and you almost feel dizzy from how much it was turning you on. without stopping her mouth movements, you feel her one of her fingers rub against your entrance before plunging deep into your cunt, causing you to let out a little moan. her eyes flick up back to yours, giving you a dangerous look as a warning. one of your hands clasps over your mouth to muffle your sounds as best you can. 

“feels good, doesn’t it?” she whispers, and you nod in response, causing her to tsk at you. “i want to hear you say it. tell me how good i’m making you feel,” she demands, slipping in a second finger. 

when you remove your hand, you accidentally let out another small whimper, and you respond as best as you can, “it f-feels so good. fuck, it’s too good,” you whisper, eyes rolling back into your skull.

satisfied with your answer, she reattaches her mouth to your clit and sucks harshly, forcing you to bite your fingers to hold back your sounds. her fingers speed up as well, and you can hear the lewd sounds of your wetness even louder now. you’re getting dangerously close, and she can tell by how your insides clench around her fingers. 

“s-shit, i’m close, ellie,” you half-whisper, half-whine. 

“i know, baby.”

she continues her assault with her tongue and fingers, doing her best to drive you crazy. she can feel her own wetness growing between her legs as she listens to your muffled sounds. when she sees your face, all fucked out and desperate, she nearly cums on that alone. “you gonna come for me?”

“mhmm,” you whimper, unable to respond properly as your mind and body are completely clouded with pleasure. your hands find her hair, needing somewhere to grab as the intensity became too much for you, causing her to moan into you, and the vibrations of her voice push you over the edge.

your body freezes up completely for a moment, then jolts as your release hits you, hard. you can’t help but moan and your legs shake as she keeps her pace, prolonging your orgasm for as long as she can. when the overstimulation becomes too much, you push her head away from you causing her lips to detach from you with a pop. you gasp for air and your body trembles as you come down from your high. 

when your vision unblurs, you see her still between your legs, lips and chin covered in a combination of your wetness and her spit, and watch her smirk before she cleans her fingers off with her mouth. it’s the most erotic view you’ve ever seen—you could cum a second time.

she helps you put your panties back on and slowy rises from under the table, looking around to make sure the coast is still clear. she chuckles when she sees you still slumped in your chair, recovering and wraps her arm around your waist to help you up. 

“how was that for repayment?” she teases.

you laugh, still out of breath, hoping that she’d be setting up more sessions with you in the future.

[lexsssu]

Naive (Alhaitham)

TAGS: Alhaitham/F!Bunny!reader, friends to lovers, pining, yandere, possessive behavior, obsession, mating cycles/heats, oneshot Ao3 ver. | Ko-fi | Commissions (OPEN)

“Why do we have to learn more math even if our major has nothing to do with it? At this rate, I’m going to flunk and take it again next semester…”

Alhaitham’s fingers twitched unconsciously as your pair of long ears drooped down, hanging by the sides of your face almost as if they were pigtails instead of actual appendages.

“What the heck am I going to need calculus for when I’m trying to develop improved cultivation tools and methods? It’s not like I need to find out the value of X while I’m plowing the fields or something…”

His heartbeat is delayed for a single second at the mention of ‘plowing fields,’ and he has no one else to thank other than the hormonal male Akademiya students who’d made one or two passing unsolicited remarks about Amurta’s only female beastkin student.

He made sure to memorize their faces and names for him to deal with at a later date.

“Alhaitham, help meeee…!” 

Despite being a proud descendant of the Taguel, the way you so easily beg and plead so submissively at him with large watery eyes and a pout formed by a pair of luscious lips has him wondering if you were unconsciously using some sort of secret seduction techniques passed on through your clan. Perhaps you were even secreting some sort of pheromones that made him calmer, more relaxed, and susceptible to your whims…

“Knowledge always comes at a price. I’m willing to tutor you, but you’ll owe me a single favor that you can’t refuse and which I can redeem at any time of my choosing,” bright turquoise orbs darkened as he leaned his head against his curled right fist. “Are you still willing to pursue this knowledge despite the costs?”

“Of course! I trust you, Alhaitham. So why would I be scared about the favor I’ll be owing you for this? Knowing you, you’ll probably make me do some paperwork or help with your research,” you giggle, the fluffy cotton ball of a tail you had wagging at how silly your friend was. 

Why would you ever be afraid of him when he’d been nothing but honest with you? Alhaitham wasn’t some random cur that tricked hapless maidens into his slimy grasp.

If only you knew just how depraved he truly was when it came to you. 

Then again, it is his luck that his adorable little bunny was such an innocent creature that only saw the best in him.

It’s up to him to make sure no one ever takes advantage of your kindness and naivety.

Even if it means he has to carefully plan and wait for the right time to finally express his true desires, he is willing to be patient. Especially when he knows that you are what awaited him at the end.  

You remain blissfully unaware of his thoughts and intentions, not even questioning him or thinking how odd it was for him to have you sit on his lap as he taught you your most dreaded subject.

Alhaitham is a good man and an even greater friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You both graduate within the same year with, as expected, flying colors, much to the joy of your respective families. It’s a solemn yet joyous affair, one that you invited him to because how could you not when it was with his help that you managed to even graduate with honors?

There is sure to be some teasing courtesy of your family once you get home, but that is the last thing on your mind as you leap into Alhaitham’s strong arms.

Even through the layers of your graduation attire, you feel the wall of solid muscle that is his body, something that always amazed you when he was one of the most brilliant scholars in Sumeru.

“Thank you, Alhaitham. I wouldn’t have been able to get this far without you always having my back,” you don’t notice the way his sandstone-colored irises seem to dilate as you curl around him, your entire body supported by a single arm around your soft waist while another hand settles upon the plushness of your bum.

Being so close to you like this allows him a whiff of your scent, a mix of soft floral and woody notes with a hint of fruity and citrus underneath. He feels his body heating up from the inside as his senses are assaulted by your voice, your body, and even your smell.

He won’t be able to last long if you keep this up.

Don’t you know how much you drive him crazy?

Rational thoughts come second to instincts when it comes to you, something your kind is very much familiar with.

If there aren’t so many people right now, he’ll throw you onto the grassy ground and mount you right here. He’ll put a whole litter of kittens in your belly and take care of you and your new family for the rest of his days—

Somehow, he manages to keep himself from making a scene by fucking you right in front of your family and the entire Amurta faculty, namely your master, Sage Naphis, whose short temper was legendary throughout the Akademiya. 

However, each day that passes and each small action you make only wears his thinning patience and self-control. It’s not a question of ‘if,’ but rather a question of ‘when,’ and only the Archons know when that will be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So…Acting Grand Sage, huh? I always knew you’d go on to do great things, but Sumeru’s de-facto leader? Makes me wonder why you’re even hanging out with a country bumpkin like me~” Sticking your tongue out playfully and winking at him, you miss the way he swallows seemingly nothing but air.

“Don’t be absurd. Who I associate with of my own volition is no one’s business but my own.” 

Although he may look and sound cold at first glance, you have known Alhaitham long enough to know for sure that he simply has his own ways of showing he cares. He wouldn’t let Kaveh stay at his place if he didn’t care about his friend after all. And even if the scribe wanted to be stubborn about it initially, you simply offered to house Kaveh instead, which ended up with the architect staying at Alhaitham’s in the end.

It’s honestly downright adorable how contradictory he could be at times, seemingly wanting to maintain an unbothered and uncaring attitude when you knew full well how good of a friend he was.

If only you knew that the real reason why he allowed Kaveh room and board was that he’d sooner gut the other man than let him stay in the same house as you. 

He’d gouge the architect’s eyes out if they even settled too long on you.

It’s one of the reasons you’ve come to harbor feelings for him.

He is handsome, he is brilliant, but most of all, he is kind even when you have nothing to give him in return aside from your time and friendship.

You repeatedly stamp down the warm bubbly feelings within you that try to rise to the surface, repeatedly telling yourself that there is no chance that such a fine specimen as Alhaitham would return your affections.

Archons know just how many times you’d fingered yourself to thoughts of him during your heats. How you imagined scenarios of him coming to you in the dead of night, whispering sweet nothings and promises of breeding you full, just as nature had intended.

But there’s no way that could ever happen…right?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"'m sorry…didn't know…it'd come early this…year…!" 

You are a pitiful mess as you lie on the grassy ground, your body overheating from the inside as the symptoms of your heat swiftly overtake all rational thought. According to your calendar, it wasn’t supposed to happen for another few days!

He memorized the exact dates of your cycle, so he knows full well just when you’ll be perfectly ripe and ready for the taking.

Had you not forced his hand in the first place, he’d have gladly waited for your regular heat.

“Don’t l-look at me…Haitham…!” 

How can he not look upon the stunning sight of you looking so hot and disheveled because of your need to be mated and bred? It is a sight he will commit to memory for the rest of his life.

You desperately force down the beastly instincts that urge you to submit to the nearest virile male and present your soaked cunt that begged to be bred. It is humiliating, especially because Alhaitham is forced to watch your lewd and debauched display. 

It brings him such glee at the knowledge that no one will ever get to see you like this. 

Whether it was your upperclassman Tighnari, your friend Cyno, or even Kaveh, none of them will ever have this privilege.

You don’t even want to think about how you’ll face him after this.

Because why would he ever want a mere beast like you?

It is his misfortune that he wasn’t born a beastman like you were. However, he’ll make sure to make up for what he lacked tenfold.

You sniffle, feeling small tears pricking the corners of your eyes as your body and mind fight one another. Your hands move to cover your face, unwilling to let him see any more of the pitiful sight you made.

There’s no need for you to look for a mate from the other beastkin clans.

He’d rather burn Gandharva Ville to the ground than hand you over to the likes of Tighnari. 

Just because the other male was your senior and studied under the same sage didn’t mean that he’ll let that damnable fox sink his claws into you. 

“No. I believe I have a better solution for your plight,” with one hand, he pins both your wrists above you as he settles himself in between your legs.

“Mate with me.”

His words send a shock through your body, floppy bunny ears standing ramrod straight as you gaze up at him with large eyes, heart beating like a drum as the weight of his statement registers in your mind.

“Don’t you see? It’s simply because our bodies are compatible with one another that your heat opted to arrive earlier than expected. Your body already knows what your mind has yet to even comprehend,” Alhaitham’s turquoise orbs seemed like they were almost glowing in the dark as they gazed down at you like a predator eyeing its prey.

You were always the only one meant for him, even if you didn’t realize it at first.

And yet, you don’t feel a single ounce of fear.

Rather, you want to be devoured by him.

You want him to stuff you full with his cum again and again until his seed takes root in your awaiting womb and bears fruit.

You want him and will gladly take everything he’ll give you.

“Alhaitham…mate with me, please?”

[tinytimbits]

more little! tim hcs!!!

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪ ✧⁠

⭐ tim loves bath time! he likes the closeness and intimacy of it

“cmere you little stinker, its bath time for you”

“yay!”

⭐ he doesn't like video games and opts to play outside or do a puzzles

[scribbling on paper with his pacifier in, obviously regressed]

“whatcha doing timbo?”

“math”

“oh really? let me-”

“...”

“tim this is calculus”

⭐ he loves to play in the mud, its a nice texture to him. one time alfred found tim walking on the carpet completely covered in mud, he almost had a heart attack at the mess

“master timothy i beli- oh my goodness gracious”

[head to toe in mud, waves with a bright smile]

⭐ damian secretly loves playing with baby tim but pretends it's such a problem to do, tim knows he doesn't mind though

"tt, you' re coloring it all wrong. let me help you timothy"

⭐ dick is banned from watching tim alone because he took him up on the chandelier because

"he just looked so cute asking! how could i say no?”

⭐ tim gives bruce insane baby fever when he's regressed

[tim, giggling]

“i need to adopt more children"

[in blüdhaven] “something just happened”

⭐ jason loves to read jane austen to tim, tim makes noises back at him like he's understanding but he has no idea what's going on

"vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us"

"buh uh!”

"yeah, i think that too timbo"

⭐ cass taught tim ASL So he could communicate what he wanted if he got too overwhelmed

“repeat to me in words” [signs “i need help”]

“i need help!”

“yes, very good”

⭐ tim is a menace to bruce but everybody pretends not to believes him

"he's just a baby! how could he have rearranged all your WE files? look at that little guy! he would never!”

[max1461]

I've said this before, but I was identified as gifted in elementary school but my school didn't have any kind of gifted program or anything like that so nothing was done about it. Later in life when I met people who did go through gifted programs, especially earlier in their education, I always thought "oof, glad I did go to one of those". Of course this is purely anecdotal I don't have any policy opinions based on this. But I have the sense that it would have made my thinking more academically myopic and robbed me of the chance to develop the genuine autodidactism that has served me very well.

Like, from middle school through high school I hated the math I was being taught. Not because it was too easy, but because (among other reasons) I wasn't any good at it. Turns out I was good at proof-based math, which I found out by Browsing The Web, and in college I was a math major and did very well and loved it. But I just scraped by in HS calculus and stats. If they were even harder and more rigorous and so on I probably would have concluded I wasn't cut out for math.

[moistvonlipwig]

🔥

kara danvers :)

ok well you and i have discussed this at length so this will not be new to you but imco (in my correct opinion) kara danvers [as portrayed by the cw's supergirl, not necessarily in other versions] is actually pretty lazy, and i would argue this is one of her most central and consistent character traits. and i don't just mean physically lazy, although i should note that per 3.17 "trinity" she canonically Hates Walking and doesn't understand why humans exercise. i mostly mean on an intellectual & moral level.

kara wants to be a reporter, but when she figures this out (because......a pretty lady told her she should do it? ig?), she does not apply to journalism school, or take online classes. instead she is handed a reporter job by her boss (who scrawled 'reporter' on her hilariously terrible resume when they met for reasons known only to her) and from then on proceeds to basically just do whatever she wants and get offended when more seasoned reporters who have gone to journalism school ask her to do basic functions of the job like Acquire Sources and Report On The Facts And Not Just Your Personal Opinions. at no point do we really see her ask her colleagues, even friendly ones like james, for advice or help; instead, advice is something that's imposed upon her by the wicked snapper, who dares to be unimpressed by her uneducated slay. throughout the show, on multiple occasions, the idea of actually Doing Her Job seems to offend her -- lena even calls her out for this explicitly in 3.02 "triggers," but she continues to display this behavior with andrea in s5 & s6. in the finale, when she is promoted to editor-in-chief in an act of blatant cronyism that truthfully should prompt the entire catco staff to quit in protest, it is not on her initiative, nor due to her efforts, nor is it because anything about the position has piqued her interest; it is, again, simply handed to her, and she just accepts.

additionally, we rarely see her express meaningful curiosity about, well, any subject, really -- we know she learned calculus young, but her interest in math and science seems nil; she is deeply naive about the u.s. justice system in s6 in a way that suggests she has never looked into it, though her own mother was a judge on krypton; and a lot of her interests seem very Basic (pizza, potstickers [? why girl.], nsync, the wizard of oz, harry potter), which to be clear is not inherently a sign of intellectual laziness or incuriosity, but it also does nothing to suggest that she is someone with a wide knowledge of food, literature, music, or film.

she also demonstrates what i would argue is a kind of moral laziness, though you could call it an offshoot of her intellectual laziness, in her general lack of real self-reflection about, like, any of her actions. although some of the other characters sometimes bring up how messed-up the DEO is (e.g. james in s1 with the gitmo comparison -- which, CRAZY line to put in your show and then never address, btw), kara herself does not question it (until the Wrong People take over, of course). her rhetoric in early s2 about daxamites suggests that she is quite comfortable believing sweeping generalizations she was taught as a child and has never really sat down to interrogate them, but while mon-el being.....pretty bad but i guess not as bad as his mom? yay? inspires her to stop being bigoted against daxamites specifically, we will later still hear her say that certain species tend to be peaceful or aggressive, etc., with no self-reflection. in 3.05 "damage," when morgan edge tries to make it seem like lena's lead dispersal device that kara activated poisoned children, kara does not take the opportunity to self-reflect on the choice she made and whether it was worth it; instead, her arc for the episode is reacting emotionally to her best buddy feeling guilty (about the thing kara also did. i cannot emphasize that part enough).

i would argue the conclusion she draws in 5.13, too, smacks of this moral laziness; she spends the episode looking for a magic shortcut to not having to feel bad anymore, and when she can't find one, she decides that actually, meh, there was never a perfect way for things to go down, so all that lying wasn't such a big deal and lena should just get over it. kara is dripping with a lot of guilt in 5A, but throughout both 5A and 5B there's very little actual, thoughtful self-reflection on what she did wrong and why, and that carries over into S6 when, after like ten episodes of lena (and also william ig) repeatedly trying to tell her not to play god, she decides in the very penultimate episode to solve her problems by eating the sun, and then when she decides against it partway through doing it, there's again very little self-reflection on her part of why the hell she thought that was a good thing to do. kara's morality, on the whole, seems largely based on (a) alex and (b) vibes, and not so much on any actual thought she's dedicated to the moral questions at hand.

and similarly to when kara is asked to Do Her Damn Job at her place of work -- when kara is challenged on her morality (like when lena challenges her on the kryptonite in s3, or on myriad in 5.17), she acts annoyed at the very idea of having to do the hard work of thinking about the morals she espouses as a superhero. and it doesn't read as someone who has thought very hard about her moral choices and is offended because she believes so strongly that she's right, because we never actually see her thinking hard about these moral choices she makes at all. it reads as someone who hasn't thought about it beyond a very cursory level and is frustrated that she's being asked to. because, again, she's just fundamentally kind of lazy.

and the thing is this might sound like i am dunking on her but actually i think this is a trait that is incredibly funny. my favorite portrayal of supergirl/kara danvers is the one from the children's cartoon dc super hero girls 2019, whose version of kara is ALSO lazy, on top of being an aggressive, quick-to-anger, rude, irresponsible, selfish brat. and she's hilarious in that show, she's one of my favorite characters. another favorite character of mine, also a children's cartoon character, is anne boonchuy from amphibia, whose entire character journey is about learning not to be physically, intellectually, or morally lazy and learning to [school principal voice] Apply Herself instead. it can be incredibly fun to watch characters be lazy and incurious and self-centered, whether they change for the better or not. but it is a bit strange that some people act like kara is this super disciplined person who loves working out and loves learning and reads widely and is curious about everything and self-reflects on her own decisions and how she affects others to the point of obsession. i wonder if part of it is 'femslash same-character syndrome,' where people slap other characters' traits from other popular femslash ships onto each other. because the character i just described is adora from she-ra. who a lot of people think is similar to kara. except no. she's not at all. as evidenced by this whole write-up ☝️ lol. they're just both blonde and for some reason (#blondephobia?) femslash fandoms wanna act like all blonde girlies are the same. but they are not. #wakeupamerica.....

[headcanonsandmore]

American things my British arse genuinely thought were fictitious throughout my entire childhood:

Lima beans

Wendy's

Permanent records in schools

Anything below an A grade being considered a "bad grade"

Electrical plugs without an earth bit

Individual desks in classrooms

Garbage disposal units

"Herbs" pronounced with a silent "h" (I genuinely thought this was a particular type of herb that only US shows pretended existed)

No train service outside of major cities

The oath of allegiance said in schools

Electrical switches in bathrooms

Cheerleading

Homecoming

Calculus (when I was a kid, this was only taught at A level and above in the UK)

Okay, this is a bit pedantic but because it's referred to as "Math" in the US, I thought Americans only had one type of Mathematics and British schools were just unnessecarily unpleasant for making us learn other types.

[gublernatural]

spencer!dad with a teen daughter, theyre having an argument (bad grades, behaviour, sassy etc) but in the end she feels bad for her actions and apologises. fluffy/happy ending please <3

the only way to comfort your daughter most of the time was to remind her that spencer was a statistical anomaly.

there was such a small chance of him having such a big, beautiful brain, and it was completely unfair of her to hold herself to the same standards he held himself to. but, she did it anyways. and this caused a lot of tension in the house. especially since she started high school.

claire, your oldest child and only daughter, has been gifted. she was years ahead of her classmates, already taking calculus 1 instead of the algebra her friends were in. but being in these classes came with a lot of work on her part. and you did not mind helping her, but keeping up with the way schools change how they taught or trying to do the hard math she was doing wasn’t going too well.

so, spencer stepped in.

“you’re looking for the derivative here,” spencer spoke, frustrating clear in his voice. “that’s what i just said!” claire exasperated, throwing her arms up and tossing her pencil down the table. “you’re not listening to me!” you could hear the frustration and the hurt in her voice. you wished you could step in, but you knew you’d be no help.

“if you knew that, you shouldn’t have asked for help.” spencer rolled his eyes, growing equally as frustrated. “stop being rude, claire. i’m just trying to help you.” communication had never been spencer’s strong suit.

from your place in the kitchen, you could see the way spencer’s face was getting redder and redder, not liking the way his daughter was talking to him. “hey guys,” you called, quickly hustling around the kitchen to throw together a snack plate, “why don’t we take a break? i have a pre-dinner plate for you guys!” you did your best to cover up the real reason why you were interrupting them. hearing them go back and fourth broke your heart, you knew they didn’t want to argue with each other and it really did upset both of them.

“i gotta get done, mom.” claire deadpanned, once again rolling her eyes. “be kind to your mother.” spencer demanded. “dad!” she shouts, needing spencer to just be quiet.

“claire, go to the living room.” you pushed, shooing her away. they needed space from each other. they were too alike for their own good.

“you didn’t have to do that,” spencer sighs, accepting defeat. “yes, i did, spence. you gotta be nicer when she asks for help.” spencer nods, not really caring for your opinion.

claire had disappeared to her room, working on assignments for other classes. she doesn’t come out until you call everyone down for dinner. she asks her little brother, benny, to switch seats so she could sit next to spencer.

as you’re in the kitchen scooping everyone’s plate, you hear claire talking to her. “dad, i finished the homework.” she says, not elaborating. “yeah, how’d it go?” he smiles at her. the anger he was feeling washed away just as quickly as it came. “yeah, i had mixed up the different variables a few steps up. i had to resolve it like six times.” she explains. “great job, claire bear.” claire smiles.

claire was like her father, never one to apologize despite knowing she was wrong. neither of them would say the words “i’m sorry”, but the way they shared a bowl of chocolate ice cream for dessert was more meaningful anyways.

[theroguescientist]

Polish scientist watches Orb: Episode 6

So in this episode we're introduced to Badeni, a somewhat unusual monk. Like, I kept wondering why he chose to be a monk, when he clearly does not have the humility for it. I guess it's a way for a sufficiently intellectual troublemaker to get some education and maybe gain access to some information that is off limits to other people.

"Will these documents dramatically change my life" Yeah, probably. And to most people this would be a threat, but to this guy it's a promise.

So that "abbey" he used to be at was some kind of research institution… which didn't want him to so so much research? Okay, that's weird and I fully understand his frustration with it.

But, yeah, I also understand his superiors' frustration with his arrogance. He doesn't want to just do what he's told. He thinks he's better than others and in some ways he might actually be. A guy like this doesn't belong in a monastery, but they don't wanna risk letting him out either.

And he wants to discover something great. A relatable motivation, tbh :P And he's arrogant and reckless about it. Seems like the right man for the job.

Oooh! The church has a library of forbidden writings! Makes sense that they would read a text first before banning it, but still it's interesting that such a library exists. Right here, at this abbey, huh?

Why is that book just lying there? Someone could easily break in and steal it!

Aaand he broke in and tried to steal it.

Wait, it this that guy's office? It's a trap, isn't it?

Yep. Of course it's a trap.

Great. We've got another genius who is also kinda dumb. Looking forward to watching him work with the overly cautious uneducated peasant :)

Observe Mars. It's easy. The instructions are in the diary. And poor Oczy can't read much and is afraid to look at the sky. Not that this would occur to someone like Badeni.

This is a very real phenomenon. People who know a lot about a certain topic tend to expect others to know something about it even when there's no reason to expect that. I actually know a math professor who used to be really annoyed at the fact that his students didn't even know calculus. What was he supposed to be teaching them, you ask? Calculus! They don't know it because you haven't taught them yet, dummy!

Anyway, Oczy did it! He looked at the sky! And it stared back at him, but he did it. Because if he doesn't, what did they die for? The only people he's ever met whose deaths seemed meaningful?

Badeni gives a whole lecture about Aristotle and Ptolemy… to a guy who's never heard of them. It's okay, Oczy. This is exactly how I felt at my first quantum physics conference. At my second, I presented some new research. Being utterly confused might actually be a necessary step towards understanding something new.

Anyway, yeah, this is going to be a fun dynamic.

Heaven and Earth are one. Yeah, isn't that a beautiful thought? This show can really make things we take for granted today seem amazing. Heaven and Earth are one. That means the Earth is not special. But it also means it's a part of that beautiful universe. A planet in another world's sky.

And these medieval peasants will never see it. And I will only ever see it in pictures where it's just another little dot in the sky and you need some astronomical knowledge to even recognize it without someone pointing it out. Really, the thought of it is more beautiful than the image itself. There are worlds in the sky, and you live in their skies.

Also, Oczy looking up at the sky just like that without freaking out. You're doing great, buddy. Keep going.

[the-dragon-hearted]

Fairy Tail: Smartest Character Headcannons

No one asked, but I wanted to elaborate on my characterization of the "smart" characters in the Fairy Tail fanfiction. These are just in chronological order.

Zeref Dragneel: One must imagine boy-genius mixed with a teenage moron. By that I mean this man is so smart when it comes to science, math, history, language, health, magic - but he's a dumbass when it comes to literally anything else.

Feats: He's a genius

Discovered ethernanos and then created a whole race to combat both dragons and gods. Literally a pinnacle of magic theory and development: all ethernanos studies stem from his initial discovery

On that note, he's actually the one who coined the phrase "magic container". He discovered different individuals had different-sized internal containers for holding mana. Most progress in magic deficiency syndrome can be attributed to him

Created several forms of enchantment magic

BUILT A FUCKING TIME MACHINE

Perfected the making and using of lacrimas, whose development can also be tied back to him.

Does strategize incredibly well, if he has the time to think everything through. He likes being thorough and so prefers to make an all-inclusive plan. As you'll see his plans are bat-shit wild and complicated because the man doesn't like loose ends, and also his opponent is MAVIS. Bro can't afford to slip up. I'd say more, but I'd spoil the story -

Weaknesses: He's literally so stupid sometimes

Makes a time machine, it requires a celestial mage to activate it: the celestial wizard dies. Man leaves all twelve keys in the grass where they are lost to space and time. Whoops, no more working time machine.

Literally everything that he did after Mavis died. Literally all of that.

Actively picks fights with Acnologia

Actively pick fights with Natsu

Picks the aforementioned fights and then feels BAD when the fight happens. LIKE BRO -

Anna Heartfilia: Math smart (high-level physics and theoretical calculus), and a strategist/leader. She was privately tutored as a child and had celestial spirits to teach her.

Feats: Math and leadership

Wrote most of the calculations for interdimensional travel when Zeref was building the Eclipse Gate

Is pretty good with calculating angles on the spot, and is fairly accurate when estimating distances (this is a big deal when you're directing spirits with mass destructive power and using abilities that are distance-limited)

Unlike Mavis' strategist side, Anna's strength in strategy was in rehearsing and forethought. She would practice with her spirits on what to do in high-stress situations so they would all know how to react and who to work with. In all honesty, her ability to lead her spirits was what made her so useful on the battlefield.

Practiced for years subdividing her magic container and memorizing how much energy she'd need to summon ALL TWELVE GOLDEN KEYS AT ONCE -

Weaknesses: One must imagine a chaotic perfectionist two seconds away from a nuclear breakdown

Gets too focused on things and will stay up all night. Will forget to eat and drink, in fact.

A perfectionist - will not stop until her calculations make sense

H A T E S writing, spelling, language, etc. Keep that shit away from her

When backed into a corner, and none of her strategies work her next plan is quite literally: RANDOM BULLSHIT GO -

Acnologia: Bro may be illiterate but he's also an actual genius when it comes to magic. Street smarts > School smarts, because fucked up mentors don't send their human weapon to school.

Feats: Anything magic related. I'm not exaggerating. And funny enough, grammar, vocabulary, diction, etc...

Picked up several human languages fairly quickly and has taught himself to read.

An actual GOD when it comes to enchantments and rune recognition, NO ONE knows more than this man

His knowledge on magic is CRAZY, this man can smell what type of magic you use, deduce whether it be elemental, reactionary, or application, and then IMMEDIATELY figure out how to counter it.

Even if he can't EAT the magic you're using, he knows. He knows what to do. You're cooked.

Thinking and strategizing on the spot is literally his thing. He's a terrifying opponent because he's insanely strong AND insanely good at reading his opponents

Weaknesses: Cannot do math

In all fairness, man did not go to school so all academic areas are a lil hard to grasp when you're over three hundred years old

Old man dilemmas: man can and will disarm a seventy-layer enchantment in thirty seconds but PLEASE do not ask him how to use the newfangled screen lacrimas. He bought those for the children and never touched them again -

His options in any social environment are (a) constant sarcasm, (b) ignoring everyone he doesn't know or like, (c) leaving, or (d) leaving, but faster.

Mavis Vermillion: The greatest strategist there ever has been. This is canonical but let's just elaborate shall we. The gal basically had a decade of university-level studies under her belt when she was fifteen. Girl learned to read by opening up Sun Tzu and memorizing it.

Feats:

Won the Trade Wars. I'm not kidding. This is canon. In the fanfiction though, she won the trade wars and didn't ask Acnologia to participate at all, because she literally didn't need him. She is the SOLE reason Fiore is still a country

Her level of strategic comprehension and quick thinking is terrifying. She actively runs simulations in her head, and thanks to her illusion magic (which makes her a god at multitasking), she can predict several outcomes to a TERRIFYING level of accuracy within an insanely short amount of time.

Even if you catch her by surprise (big "if" there, buddy) she's not pre-planning dependent or easily stunned. She can and will have another plan before you can register that you did something good.

GOD LEVELS of poker face when necessary (canon)

Now, thanks to the curse, she can emotionally detach from most conflicts and make riskier and riskier plays to attain victory. The ability to remove her emotion from plans only makes her that much more terrifying

Weaknesses: The poorest loser to ever lose

Literally hates losing. Will not stand for it. Will demand a rematch

She hates surprises and also hates any information that she deems useless. She will and has lectured spies over what counts as "good" intel.

Detaching from your emotions is not always the best thing to do when your "pawns" are your family and friends, but in all fairness when you have Ankserham's curse, it's kind of for the best to leave those affections aside. Still sucks though, and will cause problems

Natsu Dragneel: The man, the myth, the legend himself. No one has the brain for fighting like this fucking idiot.

Feats: FIGHT

Literally can fight without thinking. His subconscious is that in-tune with his body. Erik HATES him.

When he fights and thinks, his mind his canonically like a steel trap. He can pick up on patterns and weaknesses in his opponents that he will utilize. There's no mercy.

I don't usually include being underestimated in feats - but it's important here. Natsu's so good at what he does, it's easy to mistake strategy for raw power, or even dumb luck. Enemies go in thinking they're fighting some arrogant asshole and then get absolutely annihilated by the combat strategist himself

Pain is never a limiting factor. Natsu prevails.

Weaknesses: Bro has ONE brain cell and it flip-flops between wanting to eat and wanting to BRAWL

Focus is not his strong suit. ADHD poster child right here, he will be distracted if he is not locked in

Cannot read (like he can, but not really -)

Does not know how to multiply. DO NOT ask him what a quadratic is, he'll ask if he can eat it.

Can be a little arrogant, but he's kind of earned it

Someone he cares about is in danger? BRO IS GONE! Bro is not strategizing! Bro is IN THERE and no one can stop him. Bro will throw off all your plans and risk everyone else to save one person. It's all or nothing for him.

Like someone else we know, if he's backed in to a corner and doesn't know what to do, he falls back on "RANDOM BULLSHIT GO", but that random bullshit is usually just PUNCH THEM HARDER -

Ur Milkovich: A creative queen like no other. Her creativity in Ice-Make magic is indicative of just how out-of-the-box she can be. Such an ability is easily overlooked, but that creative tenacity IS a game-changer when you're mid-fight.

Feats: Other than just being the best fucking ice mage on the planet? She's cool about it.

Recognizes her own strengths and weaknesses. This may sound obvious but in a world of arrogance or false humility, Ur knows EXACTLY how good she is and what match-ups favor her, as well as which ones don't. Knowing that allows her to pick her fights very well.

Minor spoiler for the fanfic: She will be thinking up some CRAZY ass creative plans in the future. I'm talking chaotic-Ur-certified plans that will actually work. Perks of creative strategy.

You know how the ice mages typically specialize in a form of ice make, whether it be animals or weapons or armor? Yeah no. Ur has it all. Ur can do it all. Imagination? Ur has all of it -

Weaknesses:

She will compromise her strategy for her boys. As soon as Lyon and Gray are involved, all bets are off - she's going in whether it's a good idea or not. Normal Fairy Tail things.

She actually has a shit poker face. She cannot hide her thoughts at ALL

The smallest mention of calculus will get you turned into a popsicle. She'll suffer through science and history but as soon as the numbers get mentioned she's OUT.

Lucy Heartfilia: Quite literally the peak of adaptive learning. I will DIE on this hill

Feats: Lucy ACED every exam she ever took. Jack of trades, LITERALLY -

Her ability to pick up new magics or items and use them is nothing short of impressive. She's not afraid to leave her comfort zone and try something new.

A master at improvised weapons. Literally a M A S T E R-

She can be quick on her feet and has a great reaction time which lets her effectively pick the best spirit for the job. Her gut instincts are solid in battle.

She knows she has a smaller magic container and so is more limited in longevity and magic potential, which means she's very careful about her magic usage - as we've said, being aware of your weaknesses AND taking the steps you need to work around them counts as a strength.

Let's not forget canonically she REWROTE a book of Zeref after reading through it ONCE and learned how to cast Fairy Sphere after seeing it cast (kind of) ONCE

Photographic memory? Oh yeah, that's Lucy.

Knows when to make the tough calls (Aquarius' key)... enough said.

Weaknesses: Confidence and maybe some application

She doubts herself, a lot, and that is reflected in her hesitation to take action.

She hates putting her spirits in harm's way (which is hard to put in the weakness category cause that's literally just her being a good person but it does inhibit her ability to act efficiently as a celestial mage).

She recognizes that her magic container is not as large as those around her but can get too far in her head about how limited she is. Doubt is never a good thing.

Special mentions, in no particular order, I just don't have as many headcanons for them and this shit is getting long:

Erza Scarlet: Same vein as Natsu. Her ability to strategize in combat is INSANE. Realistically, she's actually ranked higher than Natsu because she can read, write, do math, pay bills, and also knows when to NOT run into a fight. But in battle, Natsu has her quick thinking and prowess beat, at least by the end of the series.

Levy McGarden: Same as Lucy, except she's taken photographic memory to the next level. Girl can remember the exact book, page, paragraph, and line number when recalling information. Perks of her magic but also just the perk of being that fucking brilliant. This is also apparent in her magic (which was nerfed in canon but will not be anymore because a BOOK LOVER being able to use ANY WORD is CRAAAAAZY).

Laxus Dreyar: He's here for his reaction time and quick thinking. It's insane. And, as seen in the Grimoire Heart act when he canonically gives his power to Natsu, he has a good foundation on magic pairings and can make sacrificial strategic plays. All in all, solid foundation for smarts and strategy.

Serena: Man has mastered 8 elements and can switch between them with no problem. That takes some brain power. He loses points for being an actual menace to society and picking a fight with Acnologia in his last life. Actually no, he loses points for being THAT arrogant in his first life and dying a single manga panel later.

Wendy Marvel: Has mastered not one, not two, but THREE forms of magic. Healing, Enchantment, AND Offensive. She quite literally has application magic (her enchantments and healing) and elemental magic (dragon slaying) and has mastered BOTH. She does, however, also struggle with confidence and her good nature means she hesitates before inflicting permanent harm.

Erik: Bro can handle reading five people's minds at once and has the multitasking ability anyone would be jealous of. Bro just gets a lil too angry and distracted sometimes. Can also get overwhelmed if he's experiencing a loud noise or a lot of noise. Really, he just loses points for those times when he gets too mad to listen to anything. He gains points back for having zero hesitation when necessary - man will decide someone's free warranty on life has expired with no remorse.

Special, Special Mentions:

Yajima: Man put up with Team Makarov's bullshit, Fairy Tail's bullshit, AND the Magic Council's bullshit without going insane. Is a lawyer by trade, and a friend of Makarov's by choice. That's crazy work right there.

Warrod: Has been committing tax fraud for over a century. Has never gotten caught.

Weisslogia: Was a strategist in the draconic wars and was pretty damn good at it. No, Sting did not inherit that lol.

Tyregenium (OC): Acnologia's master do be that evil sadistic strategist. He loses points for arrogance - and for losing to Acno twice and STILL coming back for more. Also crazy work right there.

[egosdelirium]

Thinking so many thoughts about...... James and Remus both being Spiderman in their own universes and somehow meeting when a portal opens a passage between them.

- Earth 48915

Remus is eighteen. Your local nerd, the loner with his nose always stuck in a book, the weird kid who's never really made any friends in school or at church. The one who never attempts to talk to girls. Dirt poor, has recently moved to London with Hope after Lyall suddenly passed away in a car accident (Remus was driving the car). Him and his mum left Wales and their little village behind to go live with Hope's brother, Ben, to try and give their lives a new meaning and get Remus a better education while they're at it. He gets into this private posh Secondary thanks to his uncle's contacts and his outstanding academic records.

There, he meets Sirius Black: the fittest, richest, smartest, most successful boy of the entire school who exclusively hangs out with future runaway model, Mary Mcdonald, and his little brother, Regulus. In addition to his all-rounded perfection, Sirius also belongs to the family funded Black Industries, a multi-million pharmaceutical corporation that is well known for its advanced discoveries and unorthodox research methods.

Remus avoids Sirius (and everybody else) to the best of his capabilities until he gets paired up with him for the end of the first trimester science project. Sirius loathes science, chemistry, and everything that has anything to do with molecules or atoms. He still gets top marks in it, but his real forte his maths: arithmetic, trigonometry, calculus. Sirius's brain is like a computer wired to solve equations. Remus, on the other hand, is 100% the science nerd Orion Black wishes his son was. In the end, their project turns out to be so good that they get paired together for the rest of the year, and Remus keeps falling more and more head over heels in love with his new lab partner and is very pathetic about it.

They start hanging out outside of school too, after Remus catches Sirius crying in the bathrooms one afternoon during footie practice and Sirius breaks down to him about how horribly abusive his parents are to him and Regulus. One night, Sirius has the great idea to sneak into his father's private lab with Remus (who's now become a regular in Sirius' bedroom) to employ his scientific knowledge to understand some top secret project Orion has been very elusive about, and there Remus gets bitten by a modified specimen of Wolf-spider that Sirius mistakenly frees from its box.

Spiderman shenanigans ensue (but Remus' chronic joint pain gets cured, so he's not complaining all that much)

- Earth 48916

James is a high school senior in a prestigious private school in upstate New York. He lives in Brooklyn with his british/punjabi mother and puerto rican father. He's the 'five different vacation houses in five different states' type of rich boy. Straight A's and B's, captain of the soccer team with a fullride scholarship to Columbia University, every girl's and boy's dream boyfriend.

Everyone's but Lily Evan's, no one other than his main academic rival and the girl he's been desperately in (unrequited) love with since ninth grade. She's top of half their classes (mainly the ones James can't be bothered trying to excel at), future valedictorian, exceptionally hardworking and particularly gifted in 'all things science'. She also allegedly hates his guts.

James mainly hangs out his two childhood best friends: Marlene, star player of the female's soccer and basketball team, and Peter, their very own regional chess prodigy. When James is not with them, he's usually surrounded by the guys from his soccer team or the ladies from the 'Crocheting for Charity' club he attends on weekends. He never really dates anybody else, albeit being asked out almost daily, because his mom taught him that perseverance is the only way to truly show the authenticity of one's desires.

James gets bitten on a saturday night, when he overhears Lily Evans argue with Severus Snape, her ex best friend turned new nazi schizo, as he was heading out after his crochet meet-up. The two are fighting about something in the school's science lab and Severus keeps trying to get Lily to look at a small box he's placed on the table, but they just end up screaming at each other and Lily storms out of the room. In his hurry to chase after her, Severus mistakenly hits the box and drops it to the floor. James, who had hidden just behind the corner, enters the lab to check for himself what the whole argument is about, and the genetically modified Golden Silk Orb-Spider that once was in the box bites him.

Spiderman shenanigans ensue. James is thrilled, Marlene is too, Peter not so much.

And Lily is too curious, and way too good at science and genetics to not get roped up into the whole mess, unfortunately for her.

[anremithrl]

I've TAed a number of math classes. And I've seen a lot of students come at math with this... axiom, that they are bad at it. They already feel like they're going to lose before they enter the room. Especially with people taking some math GE they feel like they're going to struggle through, barely pass, and not use.

And to be fair, I don't know why the university mandates calculus as a GE. Is it that hard? No. Not really. Like... most things in anyone's major are going to be harder.

But, what does a history major need with calculus?

It's not a relevant skill, and especially the way I've seen it taught, it's not shown as particularly interesting. It's taught as calculations, to the point where I've met well-meaning people that ask if I've calculated anything interesting recently because they have not even the slightest knowledge of what mathematics becomes. They aren't taught ideas. They are taught disconnected formulas and expected to apply them blindly. And then what happens is that wihh to put a fundamental understanding, they get lost on edge cases. Not because they're bad at math. Though the more clever ones can figure out edge cases, the real problem is the lesson is this large task of memorisation that misses this edge case. So they feel like math sucks. And have not the slightest idea what it is about.

And how would they? Math teaching... isn't great. I had a lot of awesome teachers as I went higher into mathematics, but very few ones in lower mathematics. This isn't just a problem with mathematics. Basically any GE is a massive class with hundreds of students, most of which are studying things completely orthogonal to the class and have next to no interest in them. And the only way to grade such a large class is by rote, oversimplified, contrived tasks. I wouldn't want to teach a GE for that reason. I imagine a lot of professors feel the same way.

There's a few alternative classes they can take instead of calculus. I happened to see that there's an introduction to logic there on the list and I decided to nose in and see what was being taught, and it was a rudimentary introduction to proofs and sentential logic, along with some fallacies and whatnot. Some amount of hand-waviness was going on but it seemed a much better beginning to mathematics than calculus. Calculus is a very important foundation to engineers and physicists and anyone going into stem, but logic feels... really fundamental? Like, just basic logical reasoning, that we do every day, formalised just a bit. It gives the students confidence in their skills, and a good foundation for the formalisation required for mathematics. And it felt more creative and less rote. And probably more connected to reality than calculus. And even if I don't like applications... a lot of people do. A lot of credit needs to go to the professor. But it did serve as an example that a large GE class can be interesting. And that calculus is a terrible travesty we inflict on future historians.

There are so many problems with education. And we often forget to teach people math is very much a creative act.

[bagalois]

i've been asking the older grad students about how teaching calculus has been vs becoming a head TA. i expect to be teaching calc this fall, but obviously we haven't been told what the teaching assignment will be.

honestly, my instinct pulls me towards head TAing for my current class. it's more managerial work so i can handle more duties without the burden of being directly responsible for the outcome of your students. also, the curriculum stays the same. no need to learn/relearn stuff.

but i know that's just me running away from the potential stress of something i don't know if i can manage. the reality is, i need to get as good at teaching as quickly as possible now, so that i don't need to spend too much time on it later. i'm going for minimal effort with decent enough results (good student rapport, solid pass rate, and providing a safe learning space) by the time im a researcher. seeing how some of my current profs teach... maybe i should not be taking teaching skills for granted.

if i want to teach effortlessly, then i need to be able to teach, period. calculus is probably the most important undergrad math class there is, so i should get to teaching that sooner than later. i need to get used to the "burden" of educating people - it's not even that much compared to like, raising children.

i'm going to draft an email to my advisor asking about what paths people tend to prefer and which is typically suitable for somebody aiming to become a professor one day. she will probably say calculus though... bleh :0

i should compile some info about the way calculus is taught at this university too, while i still have free time.

[haganezukawaifu]

Rosa Dolce Chapter 2

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Bella. The same Bella since I was six. The same Bella I use to play with in the park and sleepover. I haven't seen her since she moved to Arizona. I always wonder how she was doing. She looks just like Renee except without short brown hair.

"Now today's topic is themes," Mr. Mason said. 

Everyone in the class groaned, maybe the class anticipated watching a movie based on a book we read. "Now class, themes are significant in English and  literature." I sat up intrigued. "Theme is the idea, concept, or lesson that repeats throughout a story. It relates to the protagonist's journey. It lies deep in their concerns, passions-their soul. Take "The Alchemist" for example, Santiago's desire to seek buried treasure, or in "Lord of the Rings", Frodo's only motivation was to destroy the one ring," Mr. Mason explained. 

"But that's not all, poems also have themes. Give Mr. Poe for example. His work "The Raven." I'm sure someone in the class can quote a line from The Raven," Mr. Mason said. The class was silent. "Come on. Anyone?" No one answers or bothers to raise their hand. I sigh as I fiddle with my pen. As I look down at my desk and said the line;

"Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing." 

 I could feel all eyes were on me at this moment.

"Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;

But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,

And the only word there was spoken was the whisper word, "Lenore?"

This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, "Lenore?"-

Merely this and nothing more."

Silence fills the room once again as everyone looks at me, some awe. "Very well Ms. Anderson. Now class," Mr. Mason as he continues to teach. I notice that Bella is staring at me, and I turn to look out of the window. After the last 3 to 5 minutes of being in English, you think English class can't end fast enough. In class, I wasn't often outspoken, but only in subjects I was passionate about like literature. Oh, how I adore it. For the last 45 minutes, the bell rang but not before Mr. Mason assign us a book to read for the week. As I gathered my belonging, I heard a sudden and surprising voice.

"Christine."

I looked up and it was Bella right in front of me. "H-Hey," she said. "Hey." "It has been a while since we have last seen each other," Bella said as she grip the strips in her bag. 

'It has been years.'

"Yeah. I thought you were moved to Arizona with Ms.Renée." "Mom got remarried and she couldn't spend much time with Phil so I decided to live here with Charlie," Bella said. I see. Make sense, her father Charlie Swan is the Chief of Police in Forks. "H-How about you? I wasn't aware you were staying here now," she reply. I sigh in response. "It wasn't my idea to move here but Cordelia decided to open up a flower shop here," I said as I gripped my books in my hand. She hmm in response. There was silence between us. We haven't seen in years. Before I could say anything, I was interrupted. 

"You're Isabella Swan, aren't you."

From the sound of it, it sounded like Eric and it was Eric, another classmate of mine.  "Bella," she corrected him as he nod. "Right. Hey Christine," he said. "Right. Um, I guess I will see you around, Bella. Who knows we might have another class together but we should catch up." "Yeah sure," she replies with a nod in response. I smiled before walking out of Mr. Mason's class and heading my way to my Trigonometry and Calculus class taught by Mr. Vanner. Math. Ugh. Mr.Vanner seems to want to make the class harder than it seems, but it isn't. In terms of that, I'm probably the smartest student in the class. If not the first, then maybe the second or third.

As soon as I arrived at my class, I sat in my usual seat. Following the final bell rang, Mr. Vanner announced that there will be a pop quiz.

'A pop quiz on a Monday. How typical to start the day.'

But it was nothing new for Mr. Vanner. Give us a pop quiz on something conceiving or something we don't know, then teach the class about it for four days and then the actual test will be Friday. Mr. Vanner held out the paper and as soon as I took a look at the paper, it was about the Pythagoras Theorem. There were only 5 questions. I already know it.

'This should go by fast as always.'

I answered every equation easily and finished. I stood up and walked to Mr. Vanner's desk but as soon as I place my paper on the desk, another paper was beside mine. And the owner of the paper was Cullen. Edward Cullen. I look at him as he looks at me with those golden eyes and nods his head and walks away. I did the same but with a small smile. Edward and I were always the first to finish. Then it would be Angela. But the crazy part is that I don't know much about him. He's like a closed book in my case. The family moves here two years ago from Alaska, and the moment they came, they became the talk of the town you can say. Our first interaction was quite awkward, the only time we spoke was when we both had a history together and we both were partners. He wasn't much of a talker last year.

'He's not much of a talker this year either.'

Soon as the quiz was finished, Mr. Vanner reviewed the quiz in hand and taught us the formula, as if I didn't know it. After the last 45 minutes in class, the bell rang and it was time for Biology. Then it was Government. When will this day ever end, I thought to myself. And now it's time for lunch. I grabbed my lunch and sat at my usual table... by myself. I always sit at the same table by myself and eat my lunch and read. It's more peaceful that way and I can enjoy my book. I grabbed my book and started reading. It was a classic called "Little Woman." I quite enjoyed it. As I was reading, I saw someone approaching my table and standing there. I looked up and it was Bella.

"Hey," she said. "Hey, Bella." "Umm... You mind if I sit here," she asked. I nod my head in response as she sat down in front of me. "I'm surprised you're not seated with Mike, Jessica, and the rest." "I was until I notice you were seated by yourself and wanted to catch up. So what book are you reading," she asks. I lift the book and say "Little Woman." She nods her head in response before she looks down and starts fiddling with her tray. I close my book and place it on the side. "So, what do you want to catch up about?" "Well, how have you been? How's Cordelia and Anthony," she asked.

'Oh.'

"I have been doing good. Cordelia is doing well. Anthony, he moves out when I turn 14. I haven't heard much from him or seen him since then." Bella nods her head. "And you. How was life in Phoenix." "Phoenix is great. Kinda missing it right now," she said. "Not used to rain and wet weather huh." Bella shook her head. I don't blame her. In California, I was used to the heat and it only rained so often but now I move here, all I see is rain. Boy, do I hate it? "You know Jessica and Mike told me something," she mentions.

'Oh boy.'

Immediately, it caught my attention, I knew what she was saying. "Let me guess. Did they mention I was a witch?" Bella looked a bit surprised when I revealed it before she did. I chuckled at her reaction. "Before you say anything, I'm not. I swear you work in a plant shop and people think you're a witch." "So how come they think you are," Bella said. I sigh at the question. New students are normally warned about me.

'I'm surprised that Jessica and Mike haven't told her why.'

"A girl in my sophomore year climbed a rope during gym class and I watched her while everyone did their own thing. She was climbing so high and my eyes couldn't leave her. Suddenly she stopped, then got dizzy. She start to let go of the rope and fell. Someone caught her, but one person said I probably caused her to fall because I watched. Since then, I was known as the 'witch'. Ridiculous thing if you ask me. Not to mention the cylinder incident." As my head flops down on the table, I sigh. "Everyone thinks I did that when honestly the heat was too high and it exploded." I sigh as I mumble down. I think that is the most I've ever explained myself. Soon I heard Bella sigh. "Well...I don't believe you're a witch." I gave her a soft smile before I nodded. "Thanks."

'At least someone doesn't think I am.'

Then the bell rang. Lunch is over already. "The bell. What's your next class." "Umm biology," she said. "If you like I can take you there. I have Spanish next. And I don't know, maybe after school, I can show you the flower shop. I'm sure Cordelia would be happy to see you." "Uh sure," she responded with a nod. We gather our things and exit the cafeteria. It was nice to talk to someone at lunch. I honestly haven't done that in forever. So maybe things might change.

or will they...

[maybeimamuppet]

Use this post as an excuse to dump all your Cady headcanons into one post. Go nuts dude.

Love your fics btw :)))

ayyyy thank you nonnie!!!!

i for sure have more but i’m just gonna post the list of headcanons i made to base her on when i first started writing

and usual disclaimer this is her 2018 musical version i have not used some of these and they may not still apply etc etc ANYWAY

tw for death mention

-autistic

-special interest in math, specifically calculus

-polyglot, fluent in english, swahili, french, german, spanish, italian, swedish, and american sign language

-can say any word or sentence backwards, taught herself to read backwards when she was first learning

-sensitive to noise and touch

-swears in different languages when frustrated or hurt

-loves skincare, will pin janis down to make her let her do it to her too

-loves to stim with janis’ hair

-loves janis’ jackets

-and shirts

-steals them whenever she gets the slightest opportunity

-weird medical knowledge

-overly prepared for every possible scenario

-love language is touch

-loves to be snuggled

-tries to touch janis at all times, janis just goes with it

-doesn’t like soft touch, too tickly

-teaches janis asl for when one of them is nonverbal (or just for fun)

-loves fruit

-loves tea

-fascinated by american culture

-name is spelled because her dad was trying to be a musician when she was born and wanted to give her a musical name like harmony or rhyme, mother agreed to cadence if it could be cady on her birth certificate

-middle name is allison

-had an older brother named rhys, ten years older, died at 20 in the military

-he joined the military to pay for college, wanted to be a doctor

-was born in oregon

-aquarius, acts more like pisces, birthday february 11

-bisexual

-very organized but has terrible handwriting

-janis buys her chewy necklaces and stim toys and she loves and uses them all

-comes up with a code to help both of them whenever she has a sensory overload or other meltdown

-blunt as hell, honest to a fault

-tutors janis in math for payment of kisses and time as little spoon

-loves all animals

-kind of like a disney princess, can also befriend any animal

-loves to play animal crossing, designs her island to look like kenya, fav villager is rex

-afraid of the dark and big storms

-takes a sleeping bag and camps in the backyard whenever she’s stressed

-loves to let janis paint on her, the texture of the paint gives her good sensory input

-barefoot whenever possible

-hates being tickled

-tries to learn art to impress janis, it doesn’t work but janis loves what she makes anyway

-loves holding hands

-whispering irritates her

-shifts her lips side to side when she’s anxious

-keeps in touch with karen and gretchen throughout senior year, becomes friends with all plastics again once they become decent people in college

-keeps in touch with aaron, decided they were better as friends

-teeny tiny. 5’3 and 120 pounds

-will throw hands for janis

-vegetarian when she can

-sleeps on her tummy, janis thinks it’s adorable

-valedictorian in hs, fast tracks through getting her bachelors and masters in math , gets her phd really young

-becomes a math professor and tries her best to be understanding and fun, channels ms norbury

-they still meet for coffee sometimes

-used to go for walks in the woods alone when she got stressed until she learned how dangerous it was

-can play a little bit of guitar

-sings to herself a lot without realizing, janis is 😍

-goes to all of janis’ art shows and panics if she’s even a little late

-front row at all of damian’s shows too

-loves disney movies and makes janis watch them with her after they watch horror movies so she can sleep

-can and will sleep anywhere but pretends to have trouble sleeping sometimes so janis will cuddle her

-loves having her hair played with

-hates crowds

-certain textures put her off, janis thinks it’s odd but protects her from them nonetheless

-allergic to pollen, spends most of spring sneezing and with a stuffy nose (janis also finds this adorable)

-never wears matching socks

-said i love you first during a tutoring session with the equation thing

-finds signs easier than talking aloud most of the time

-knows all about space and the stars

-doesn’t understand sarcasm or most figures of speech unless it’s very obvious or intuitive

-janis gets her a bunny in college

-she tries to name it janice (but it’s different!)

-janis says no

-she names her pickles instead

-invents names for things and comes up with new swears

-drops shit all the time

-discovers crocs and causes chaos

-has frecklessssssss

-likes mornings, hates waking up to see them

-does not like eye contact but could stare into janis’ for hours

-janis helps her with english, she doesn’t like it because there’s too many exceptions to all the rules

-avoids alcohol at all costs

-can do really good impressions once she’s familiar with how they sound, learns a lot of social stuff through mimicry

-cannot do fashion at all

-doesn’t like surprises, gets anxious if her routine changes or if she doesn’t have enough information about a new situation beforehand

-hyper fixated on the lion king for a while after janis showed it to her

-has little plants she named after her friends, when one isn’t doing well she checks on them

-wants and loves to travel

-weirdly strong opinions about stupid shit

-says little things in her sleep sometimes

-will tell africa stories to someone on the sidewalk if they’d listen to her

-excitable

-lived in kenya from 3-16

-watches inter-species friendship videos all the fucking time

-loves riding in shopping carts

-soft spoken. so soft.

-smells of rose water and cherries

[trivalentlinks]

so many people hate math but people generally seem to like physics (at least based on responses i got when telling people that I was a math/physics major--i eventually just told people I was a physics major to avoid the "oh, ew, I hate math" response),

this is probably because everyone was forced to learn math for years in school, but most people had only one year of required physics in school, if that

but i'm low key kind of convinced that this is misplaced, because it's actually physics's fault that you had to learn so much math in school

like the math that people struggle the most with, things like trig and conic sections and graphing equations and functions, the things where you have to connect algebraic notions to geometric ones, these things aren't taught in school because math enjoyers love them on principle

(though as a topologist, i do love connecting algebraic notions to geometric ones on principle!)

they're being taught because they're so fundamental to physics (and to mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering, but only because those fields rely on physics, which relies on these mathematical concepts)

like you're only being taught these math concepts you hate so much because *physics* is *like that*

(computer science and statistics are also *like that*, what with things like DFT and distributions and such, but the school math curriculum was designed long before computer science and statistics gained such prominence)

(one could also argue that kids are taught math because medical schools require A's in calculus, but I'm low key convinced that this is circular reasoning in that medical schools probably only require A's in calculus because kids are taught math in school, and the A in calculus signals that you actually went to school and paid attention)

(but then your physics teachers get to show you these fun demonstrations and get all the credit while relying on the years of plodding and painstaking work your math teachers have done)

[tismcosmology]

Yippee I'm not dead I survived first year 🎉🎉🎉🎊🎊👯!!!

I crashed out the last few weeks of the term ngl, completely missed some assignments, but WE PULLED IT TOGETHER FOR EXAMS! I was consistently studying about 3-4 hours every day (minus break days after an exam) for 3 weeks during exam period, and by god, the last of my final marks just came in and it paid off. Doing the same thing I did last term, I'm gonna break down each class and how it went

Calculus 2 -> 66%

About the same mark I got in calc 1, a little bummed I didnt do better on the final exam. I really wish I could see what I got wrong but oh well. Not sure what else to do for math other than keep being persistent and constant in practicing (which I did improve on since last term!). Overall I did enjoy this class quite a bit actually, I found the content more fun to learn than calc 1.

Waves & EM -> 74%

Again, a little bummed about my performance on the final and my final overall grade, but also I really really hate EM so I'm just glad its over (for now,,,). I reaaaally fell behind in this class, there were so many bonus marks and free marks I neglected. For future EM classes especially I need to get better about reading the textbook before lectures, and I think just. practicing more problems. unfortunately.

EM Lab -> 88% ! This is Entirely because of my lab partner. Thank you, math physics student I will never see again, for carrying me though this lab, even though you were kind of rude and ordered me around a lot. I improved a lot on actually reading and preparing for labs since last term, but still need to do more. I think I finally have a good understanding of how an experiment is supposed to be run at least!

Astrophysics -> 82% !

I. Loved this class. And I'm so mad at myself knowing that handing in that one(1) last assignment I missed would've made this my best class this term. The final was also definitely curved, and the way I know this is that to finish with that grade I would've needed a 90% on the final, and seeing as I left a question worth 30% blank i dont really think I got that! I'm so insanely curious what the average was but alas. Overall this class wasn't too bad, I just got overwhelmed with other classes and missed a few assignments and marks here and there. Need to improve my ability to work ahead on larger projects even while working on other classes.

Astrophysics Lab -> 85% Honestly for the amount of effort I put into this lab (I got very antsy towards the end of the 3 hours), I am super happy with this mark. Overall I think I just need to figure out a strategy for 3 hour labs..... and maybe stop settling for 80s. It was super fun though, I'm excited for the next astro lab next year.

Modern Physics -> 84% !?!

I was terrified of failing this class and it ended up being my best (lecture) grade???? Insane how that happens. Not sure what to say about this one. The workload was insane and taught me a lot about how much work is too much and how much I can push before my body gives out on me, which is,,, good to find out now, ig? The content and lectures were super cool and I loved it overall just... jesus christ man. I stared into the void and the void stared back.

Term Average (labs weighted properly): 78.4% !!

Successful term if I do say so myself! Im looking forward to my next term in fall, I'm sick of being at home already lmao