#Interactive STEM Notebooks

[iridescentmirrorsgenshin]

I find it so interesting that kaveh always knew that he and alhaitham saw the world differently, but they were still best friends. In kaveh's notebook he wrote this about alhaitham, "Our views are contradictory, but it is through contradiction that more speculation and philosophy may be born." Only when alhaitham noticing kaveh was activity harmful lifestyle for himself with his mindset and called him out. I always thought they had their first argument from different philosophy, but it stemmed from kaveh activity harming his lifestyle WITH this mindset that alhaitham got concerned and confronted him

Hiya! Thank you so much for your ask!! <333

Kaveh's old sketchbook has a very special place in my heart <3 it's as you say!! initially he believes that he and alhaitham have views which align, but then comes to the realisation that they actually hold opposing views, however, instead of viewing that a negative, this is actually a benefit to their relationship, as it can lead to new points of discussion!

it's only after their approaches in dealing with other people come to the surface do problems arise in their friendship - as brought about by their collaboration with others during their thesis. kaveh exerts himself to help others whilst alhaitham maintains the view that this is a fruitless endeavour as this a short-term solution to the marked difference between those driven by hard work and those by natural ability. by kaveh denying his own capabilities in spreading himself thin for others, alhaitham deems this as harmful, as kaveh effectively denies his 'true self'.

their problems culminate in this criticism of each other's philosophies, whereas their friendship was strongest when they perceived the positives in the differences of their respective philosophies. kaveh asserts his altruism as correct over egoism, critiquing alhaitham's aversion in helping others, whereas alhaitham highlights the detriment of kaveh's altruism. it is particularly interesting to note here that the comment that makes kaveh revoke their friendship is not solely their differences in dealing with people, as their previous arguments had been about, rather, it is the source of kaveh's altruism. this is noticeably different from their other disagreements, as this is seen to be the first time alhaitham has made such a personal comment, given how kaveh reacts to it, feeling 'seen through'. it is this personal comment which causes kaveh to end their friendship, more so than their differing philosophies

in-game, alhaitham is aware that their true issues don't merely lie with their differing philosophies, and instead focusses on kaveh's detrimental altruism stemming from his guilt of the past. this can be seen in a parade of providence, in which he researches sachin in order to gain clarity and closure around kaveh's father's disappearance into the desert not directly being tied to kaveh

as seen within their conversation, alhaitham initiates the conversation for a personal reason - to tell kaveh of his findings, in an attempt to alleviate some of his guilt; to provide closure - whereas kaveh sees this interaction as a debate of philosophies, as in a potentiality for correctness over the other. alhaitham changes the subject when kaveh discusses, and insults, alhaitham's egoism, which directly leads back to his own personal interest, being that of sachin's involvement with kaveh's father's disappearance

kaveh standing his ground in defence of his altruism prompts alhaitham to claim that their issue does not lie in correctness with the answer as to what, then, is their issue being subtextual - being provided in alhaitham seeking kaveh out for his personal interest over a scholarly debate

overall, i think it's pretty easy to simplify their relationship due to their opposing philosophies, but the fact they were best friends complicates this concept - yes, their approaches to life and dealing with other people are inherently different and acts as a point of contention between them, but in actuality i'd say that it's the concern behind this opposition of each other's way of life and the way this is miscommunicated to the other which appears to be the main issue

kaveh is a highly empathetic person and this empathy is further extorted by his own sense of guilt, therefore his altruism is excessive, detrimental even, and he denies his true capabilities by attempting to merge with the crowd - this is the issue that alhaitham has tried to express to kaveh, whereas kaveh sees this as a personal critique on his ideals and philosophy, and thus kaveh is rejected

alhaitham is a socially averted person who prioritises himself over others, actively denying himself the care and company of others due to this individualism - this is the issue kaveh has with alhaitham's egoism, whereas this comes across as asserting the correctness of collectivism as a philosophy over individualism, which denies alhaitham as an egoist, and thus alhaitham is rejected

i'd say the issue is balance - they must have achieved a harmony in the foundation of their friendship, so much so that they were best friends, they wanted to combine their 'opposing' fields of language and architecture to pursue a thesis project together. this balance was lost due to the idea of their being a correct way to live life, a correct philosophy, and this balance has yet to be retrieved.

ultimately, the two want the best for each other according to their own values, but with this comes acceptance. a level of understanding has to be realised once more before progress can be made, i think

This got super long but you raised a really intriguing point!! this has me thinking a lot about a parade of providence so i think i'll make a separate post on that!! <3333

[multiwreckedmess]

Entertain Me

Pairing: Hongjoong x reader

An idea i had for a cold chaebol version of Hongjoong who'd hidden his artistic side for the sake of his family and a failed writer who'd stolen his notebook of ideas and gotten famous off of them.

This is en-media-res, the reader is staying with Hongjoong to learn from him. She finds herself writing snippets of ideas but none of any worth and Hongjoong gets tired of it.

18+ below the cut. please do not interact if you are not for my own comfort thankssss.

not edited/beta'd if you cared.

TW/CW: fem reader, "darling" used once, under/unnegotiated kink.

"If you're going to write trash you might as well finish it." There's no arguing with Hongjoong when he's in this state. Eyes cold and jaw set he leads you by the scruff of your shirt to his study. "Clearly you lack proper motivation, that's my fault. I should've recognized that from the start."

There is a different chair sat in front of his typewriter, short and plain and wooden instead of the usual ornately backed throne. It isn't until you round the corner that you notice a contraption tied to the center of it.

"Remove your undergarments" He hisses, air smacking the shell of your ear and sending shivers down your spine. You splutter. "Hongjoong but-that's-I can-" "Did I ask?" His hand weighs heavily on your shoulder, waiting for you to comply. The weight doesn't drop as you reach underneath your skirt to tug at the cotton of your underwear. They aren't anything special, simple maroonish briefs not meant to be seen by anyone except yourself. Falling weightlessly to the floor you stand in their small puddle. "Pick them up and hand them to me."

You can't hide the wide-eyed shock that crosses your face, head snapping in his direction. "But they're-" Hongjoong gestures again, with his free hand palm up. An expectant pulse of flexed muscle, other hand heavier still on your body. The hand travels to your waist as you bend over to untangle your feet and scoop the flimsy cotton into your fist. "That didn't seem particularly difficult now, was it?" He coos with mock sympathy as he tucks your underwear neatly away. Guiding you by the strength in his arm to the chair, you can see the contraption better. What you originally thought was a curved cushion actually seemed more solid and shiny. A medium-ish conical instrument protruded upward, glistening in the lamp light. "Sit. On it." "Hongjoong-" "Don't play dumb. Light is waining and I don't have the patience. Sit or I'll make you. That choice, is yours. Darling," he practically snears as he places you palms down on the desk, chair pressed to the backs of your thighs.

Tentatively you perch yourself on the curved platform, you can't hope to hide the apparatus beneath your skirt, the way your thighs are forced open to accommodate the curve ensure that if the stem isn't within you, it would be noticable. He'd at least liberally lubricated it, the glide easy between that and your growing anticipation. Fully settled you bite your lips shut, unwilling to give him that satisfaction. "Do you know what I'm going to do?" "Do I ever know what you're going to do?" You volley back, uncaring of your predicament. Hongjoong giggles. You feel the buzz and lurch forward, top half spilling over onto the desk as your hands scrabble to find something to hold onto. "You're going to write. For every fifteen minutes that pass I increase the vibrations. You'll either finish your chapter or pass out. At this point I don't particularly care which." You clench on the apparatus. Shit. The motor turns off and you shoot him a glare. "It's not fair!" You protest. Hongjoong shrugs as he settles on the couch in front of the desk, laying casually back into the velvet with his knees akimbo. "You're staying here for free and I'm bored. Fair is fair. Entertain me."

[skz-bella]

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ RELATIONSHIPS

IN STRAY KIDS

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⌦ .｡.:*♡ BANG CHAN

Being one of the first Stray Kids, Bella was one of the closest with Chan. Since he was an older trainee who had been in the company for a long time, she really looked up to him.

When he stayed days at a time in his studio, Bella would always be seen entering the room with food, presumably for the elder boy. She was also a good help to him when he produced new songs, singing, writing lyrics and what have you, she had Chan's back and he was thankful that she was always there.

While he mostly seen as a father figure to most Stays, there have been several moments when the fandom ships them together from the several interactions they have with each other.

Bella cares for the mentality and health of their leader while Chan cares for her safety and well being. A wholesome ship, and we love it.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⌦ .｡.:*♡ LEE KNOW

The two met, ironically, in a dance room. Bella had been touching up on a newly learnt choreo when Lee Know walked in without her knowledge. After she was done, Lee Know applauded her and was kind enough to point out the mistakes she made and helped her.

From that day onwards, the two would often meet each other to practice different dance moves and choreographies. When they found out they would be in the same group, they were both ecstatic.

Despite being younger, Bella acted like a mother towards him as well as the other members. While Lee Know is known to act cold and rude towards people, several compilations from fans on Youtube and TikTok disagree. The two are seen on various occasions laughing together and cuddling, a rare but adorable sight.

Also, just because Bella is a girl, doesn't mean she's exempted from Lee Know's Butt hunting activities.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⌦ .｡.:*♡ SEO CHANGBIN

If a word was given to describe their friendship, it would be wholesome.

During their trainee days, Changbin often gave off a scary 'don't talk to me unless necessary' vibe. This made a lot of people afraid of him. Bella, however, did not care and was able to befriend the boy which made him happy.

When they are not in the studio making music, they will either be in restaurants or in the gym working out. Originally, Bella really didn't like the idea of working out but after Changbin persuaded her several times, she agreed and hasn't stopped ever since.

Bella is often a target of Changbin's hugs and affection, which she likes. She likes it when he wraps his arms around her because of hs amazing muscles. Changbin likes it when she cares for him and would always massage his shoulders after a tiring day.

He also likes how she is shorter than him.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⌦ .｡.:*♡ HWANG HYUNJIN

In simple words, Hyunjin is a simp for Bella. While the most known ship by the fandom is Hyunlix (Hyunjin and Felix), a lot of people have shipped both Bella and Felix together with Hyunjin to form a poly three-way ship. This, however, mostly stemmed from Bella & Hyunjin.

When the first met, Bella did not like him as she assumed he would be arrogant and pretentious because of how handsome he looked, but she soon realized that he was very kind and caring to everyone around him, it didn't take long for Bella to befriend the older boy.

If the two could not be found dancing the night away, you can bet you can find them in their dorm together. They could be watching Netflix, vibing to songs and so forth. What however that fans love the most is Bella is mostly an inspiration for some of Hyunjin's artwork.

He once revealed in a VLive that he had at least three notebooks filled with sketches and paintings of Bella. The reason? She was too pretty not to be drawn. Stay's were absolutely happy and awed at their relationship.

Hyunjin is also known to buy gifts for her at random times. A new bag, makeup, clothes, food, you name it. Hyunjin is so in love and everyone can see it. He also loves that she names her pet ferret after him.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⌦ .｡.:*♡ HAN JISUNG

No doubt, they're the cheeky duo. Chan once complained in his VLive how the two stole his clothes and took pictures of his bare upper body. To this day, fans are still waiting for the photos.

When they met, they instantly clicked. Despite Bella being older than Han, the two got along very well. Han is known to be very touchy with Bella, from hugs to cheek kisses, you name it. Sometimes it may be a bit too much for Bella but Han at least knew when to stop.

They are very well known as pranksters within the group as well as in the company. Because of their notorious prankster nature, they were nearly punished by JYP himself, however Bang Chan were able to stand up for them and prevent that from happening.

Bella is Han's safe place. When he's stressed, sad, angry of just doesn't feel like doing anything, she's the first person he goes to. They'll spend the day easting, laughing, making jokes, playing games and even dress up. The two act like best friends, but sometimes fans wonder if there is something going on behind the scenes.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⌦ .｡.:*♡ LEE FELIX

The sun and moon duo. Night and day. Felix and Bella are polar opposites but get along very well. At first, they were able to get along with the fact the both spoke English, but it later evolved into something more.

Bella is mostly known to be cold regarding her appearance, despite her being a cheeky, funny and cuddly girl. This is why fans admire this ship extremely because of the polar opposites that show: Felix who is a literal sunshine and Bella whose smiles are beautiful but sometimes rare.

On their off days, they love to bake. With Felix who is an amazing baker and Bella, who practically lives in the kitchen, the members tend to gather in the living room whenever they're in the kitchen whipping up something delicious. Even Chan who is normally holed up in his studio.

Felix admires Bella as she is one of the few older female companions aside from sister and mother. He is known to be very cuddly towards her and definitely won't hesitate to do. (he has done it before, live too)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⌦ .｡.:*♡ KIM SEUNGMIN

The savage child and his tired mother duo. Seungmin has most likely Bella to lose several brain cells due to his teasing and savage behaviour. When Bella met him, she thought that he was a sweet and kind person. Boy was she wrong.

It's not a surprise when someone spots the two goofing around in public. If it does happen, Seungmin is most probably carrying several bags or a Day6 album or a stuffed animal, all the while Bella was trailing behind him with a solemn look on her face. No doubt it he forced her to buy it for him.

Seungmin often teased her, like Changbin, for her height. Despite being younger, he was taller than her. Bella did not take it seriously as she was used it, but would often show that she is irritated.

Despite the teasing, the two actually have a caring friendship for one another. Even if he doesn't show it, Seungmin will do anything for Bella. She in turn cares for him and makes sure he is healthy. They also have recordings of each other singing along to different songs. When Stay heard this, it was immediately dubbed as one of the best moments of SeungElla.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⌦ .｡.:*♡ YANG JEONGIN

The touchy mother and unaffectionate child duo. Also known as the most popular ship inside Stray Kids. While it is known by the Stay fandom that he doesn't like physical affection, there is only one person who can freely hug him and that is Bella.

When they met, Bella's motherly side was awakened. The urge to take care of him was strong, considering how he was so young at that time. Fans believe that was the reason why I.N got used to her affection.

I.N is sometimes seen buying food for Bella whenever she is called on to mentor the younger trainees in the company. Despite being the maknae of the group, he treats Bella like she is younger and takes care of her. When it is that time of the month and her cramps are bad, expect to see I.N the first one out of that door to go to buy snacks for her.

The maknae has several times shown the fans his caring side towards his Noona. He has shown that his lock screen is a picture of her, he bought for her a polaroid camera and even bought her pet some clothes, which she loves. Whoever said that I.N doesn't care for his members, let this be proof that it's not true.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

OUTSIDE OF STRAY KIDS

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⌦ .｡.:*♡ JEON SO-YEON ((G)-IDLE)

The two first met at MAMA 2018. Bella was excited to meet the mind behind the song, Soyeon. Even though she debuted earlier, she felt that Soyeon was ahead of her but she did not hold it to heart, instead she was in awe at how amazing she was.

When Soyeon met her, she found her adorable. Who wouldn't? The leader approached her first, making Bella very flustered and scared, and they talked whenever the camera was not on them. By the end of the show, they had each other's number vowing to call whenever they were free.

From then on, fans saw from their socials that they hang out every so often and were happy that the two idols were getting along well and not being influenced by the toxic 4TH Gen Netizens.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⌦ .｡.:*♡ HWANG YEJI (ITZY)

Being in the same company, you figured that the two would inevitably meet one way or the other. Well, you figured wrong. Especially when it was the group leader of ITZY herself, Yeji, that was too shy to hold a conversation with the 00' liner Bella.

While they are agemates, Yeji considered Bella her senior and never dared to approach her, fear of it being disrespect. Because of this, it was Bella who initiated the conversation with her. Along with the other ITZY members helping Yeji.

Now, the two are often seen in the dance rooms dancing together and talking. No doubt that their friendship is one that will last a long time, according to fans and their fellow members.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⌦ .｡.:*♡ AN YU-JIN (IVE)

Bella was a great fan of IZ*ONE when it was at its peak. Hence, she was extremely sad to see the group disband. While it was inevitable, seeing as they were from a survival show and their contract would end faster than any average KPOP group, it still broke her heart. Moreover, she would not see her bias, Yujin, for a long time.

Well, that was what she thought. That was why she was surprised when she met Yunjin on M!Countdown when both Stray Kids and the newly formed IVE were present. At that time, she was so busy she could keep up with the affairs of other groups, so she never knew that Yunjin re-debuted in a new group with another member from IZ*ONE, Wonyoung.

After the show, she ran into Yujin and they talked. Because she had kre-debuted, Bella gave her some advice on how to handle herself in the industry, cause it was not easy. However, when she was about to leave, Seungmin and Han showed up out of nowhere and revealed that Bella was a WIZ*ONE. They ran away before Bella could kill them and Yujin got a good laugh out of that. From that day onwards, the two were friends and always kept in touch.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⌦ .｡.:*♡ HUENING KAI (TOMORROWXTOGETHER)

Despite being in two separate companies, Bella met hm through Kazuha. She was instantly smitten by his sweet smile and the rest is history.

Bella might have a thing for maknaes of groups, is something the fandom often joked about. From I.N, to Kai to now Ni-Ki? It was an entire trend by now, but Kai was not complaining. He loved it when Bella cared for him like a little brother. Sometimes, when the two groups would come together on stage, he would take the opportunity to piss I.N off by referring himself to Bella as 'her favourite maknae.'

Bella and Kai love to goof off and make TikToks together. They often go out to get food but do so with other idols so as to avoid dating rumours.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⌦ .｡.:*♡ NAKAMURA KAZUHA (LE SSERAFIM)

Debuting into the KPOP industry as a foreigner is sometimes a problem, according to Netizens. That was why, despite having help from her members, Kazuha struggled with Korean culture and such. It was also another reason why she admired Bella for being an idol despite the criticism from racist Netizens.

The two girls met, weirdly enough, at a gym where JYP and HYBE idols sometimes worked out at when the company gyms were too full or when they wanted to just be away. Bella was with Changbin at that time, as usual, and Kazuha was by herself, if you don't count the bodyguards.

Bella had seen her struggling a bit with some of the machines and had gone to help her. Safe to say, Kazuha was flabbergasted. She was so shy she could barely speak. Luckily Bella understood her pain and started a conversation. From then on, the two were talk smoothly and Kazuha was able to get Bella's number. She was so happy she went to brag to her members, who told Kai, who told Bella.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⌦ .｡.:*♡ HUH YUN-JIN (LE SSERAFIM)

Since she was in the same group as Kazuha, Yunjin was able to get (read as: stole) Bella's number. She began to text the JYP artist, which Bella found amusing, and the two continued to text whenever they were free and would talk about various topics.

The two met, in real life, after two months of talking at a restaurant. Stray Kids were going there for a Friday night dinner to celebrate the success of their album. Coincidentally, LE SSERAFIM was also going to the same restaurant, but for a casual hangout.

When Bella and Yunjin saw each other, they immediately hugged each other, while their members are left standing there in confusion. In the end, their managers booked one room so that the two groups could eat together. While Bella and Yunjin talked, Yunjin would send a provoking side-eye to Kazuha, who would later interrupt their convo. The two idol groups had a fun time overall and Bella was happy she had finally met Yunjin as well as the other LE SSERAFIM members.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

⌦ .｡.:*♡ NISHIMURA RIKI (ENHYPEN)

Ni-Ki, as a Japanese who debuted in the Korean Entertainment Industry, he often felt lonely even with the efforts of his members. When he met Bella, he felt as if he was no longer alone.

The two met at MNet backstage, after ENHYPEN performed for their latest comeback. Stray Kids were after them so there was a small time frame where the two groups could interact with one another. It was at this time Ni-Ki met Bella as well as her fellow members.

SKZ were preparing to go onto stage when the HYBE group approached them. The leaders began to chat and everyone followed suit. Bella went to Ni-ki, knowing he was a foreigner, and began to speak Japanese with him. The male idol was so excited hearing someone speaking his home language. The two talked for a while and were able to exchange contacts before Bella had to leave. After that, the two always talked with one another and met up whenever they could.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Introducing Me.

Hi! I'm Rickie the Storyteller! I like making up stories for fun.

I figured that it was probably time to have a proper intro post on here.

Here are a few facts about me:

My real name is Erica. "Rickie" is a nickname. (And I'm a girl.)

My MBTI is INFJ.

My birthday is 15/09 (so I'm a Virgo).

I'm British. And black. And kind of a nerd.

I love to read (I can't choose one favourite book lol. My favourite childhood books were the How to Train Your Dragon series, and I also loved everything by Roald Dahl).

I love movies (particularly Pixar movies. I think my favourite Pixar film is The Incredibles).

Right now, my two favourite shows are Gilmore Girls and BoJack Horseman. And The Boondocks… and I also love Phineas and Ferb (I always have. It’s my comfort show <3 )

I'm a STEM student (mainly computer science, physics and maths). I particularly like science a lot. When I was young, all I wanted was to be a doctor. I got over that once I found out how long you need to stay in school lol.

I hate swearing in real life, but I sometimes include swear words in my stories (only when I feel like the character would lol. It's about getting their personalities right, that's all).

I am a major perfectionist. And a tryhard. Because of that, I get burnt out a lot lol.

I have the most random music taste lol. I like just about everything so long as it sounds nice (my playlists range from old-school hip hop to gospel/rnb to jazz to classical to indie... right now as I'm typing this out, I'm listening to Lizzy McAlpine lol)

I've always loved writing and storytelling since I was a kid. I used to write in my notebooks whenever I could, and make up bedtime stories to entertain my younger sister when we were little kids. I enjoyed creating different worlds, scenarios, characters and personalities with my imagination. Making up stories is my passion and my escape.

I got the idea to start this blog because I type up a lot of stories and store them on my computer. Some of them are long, some of them are short. Most of them aren't finished… But I wanted to give them a space of their own. I wanted to have a platform where I can share my stories with other people who love writing and reading as much as I do. I wanted to connect with other writers and readers who can give me feedback, advice, and support. And I wanted to challenge myself to improve my writing skills and grow as a writer and storyteller.

On here, you'll find various types of stories (and poems, I guess) that I write for fun or for practice. Some of them are short stories that can be read in one sitting. Some of them are longer stories that are divided into chapters or parts. Some of them are based on prompts or requests that I get from you guys. And some of them are just random ideas that pop into my head. I'm here to share with you some of my original stories, characters, and ideas that I hope will inspire you, entertain you, and make you think.

I'm happy to be here, but it was a tough choice to start this blog for a few reasons - the main one being that it takes a lot of courage to share your stories/creations with others. You never know how they will react or what they will think of your work. And like I said before, I'm a perfectionist. I want the things I post to be good. I really hope you enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoy writing them.

I want to push myself and step out of my comfort zone. I want to experiment with different writing styles and genres: YA, fantasy, sci-fi, romance, comedy, mystery, drama, etc. Something for everyone. And if there isn't yet something that suits your taste or mood, eventually I'll try and get it there (I haven't been on here very long lol). I've never written fanfictions before, but I wouldn't mind writing for any specific tv shows/movies/video games in future. I'm open to anything! As long as we aren't talking about anything inappropriate…

I'd also love to interact with you guys more: answer your questions about writing or storytelling or anything else; give feedback on your own stories if you want; share tips and tricks on how to improve your writing skills; or just chat about anything that interests us. I don't just want to write stories that come from my own imagination (although I definitely will do that too). I also want to take your suggestions and prompts. So, if you have an idea for a story that you want to read or hear me tell, just let me know and I'll try to make it happen.

If you like what you read, feel free to follow and share with your friends. You can also send me requests for stories or prompts/topics you want me to write about. I'm always open to new ideas and challenges.

Thank you for visiting my blog and supporting my passion. Also, thanks for reading this (if you actually read the whole thing, then you're awesome)!

Stay tuned for more stories coming soon!

___

EDIT #1:

My main WIP is a three-part series titled, "Steph's Crew." I have finished this dialogue series for the first book/instalment (which is called, "The Misfit Manifesto").

Here's a link to the contents page -

Here's some more info on that:

I'm working on a ton of stuff lol. Here are a few... — The Internet's Resident Storyteller (tumblr.com)

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EDIT #2:

Here's a link to my Spotify, where you can find all of the OC/ship playlists that I make for my stories -

Feel free to make suggestions on songs to include in these playlists, since I'm always thinking of new songs to add and ways to change them.

___

EDIT #3:

My Wattpad! I'm planning on posting more on there, so stay tuned for that.

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EDIT 4:

Check out my Instagram!

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EDIT 5:

Get to know me! Here's a link to my "Meet the Writer Tag" post:

[dearestones]

Fairy Rings and Sharp Teeth (Jade Leech and Reader)

Warnings: N/A. 

Anonymous Request: Ouuughhhh. I'm absolutely in love with that Jade Leech piece you wrote! Could I request him and "Do you even hear yourself?" (But I totally understand if you want to write someone else, please feel free to do so if you want💜💜) Romantic or platonic, I'd love it either way💜 (But it would be nice if it didn't end on a too sour note, hehe.) Thank you, Devin! And congratulations on the follower count!

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.

It’s not often that you visit the Botanical Gardens outside of school hours. While it was a beautiful space that boasted a variety of plants from various regions of the world, you had no reason to visit outside of potionology lesson plans. Furthermore, after your first run in with the lion prince from Savanaclaw, you were keen on not repeating such an interaction lest he actually decide to put you in your place via physical means. (You also did not want to discount the fact that there were probably other delinquents who fooled around in the gardens and lay in wait for unsuspecting prey). 

However, it was by the very nature of the school that you were called to do things that you were not assigned or expected to complete. It was unfortunate, but your fellow first year, Ace from Heartslabyul had fallen sick and had asked you to check on his project in the gardens. Like you, and the rest of the first years, he had been tasked to cultivate a specific plant to provide supplies for future potionology lessons. Had it been something not as important or needing a keen eye for detail, he would have asked Deuce or Grim to cover his bases, but this specific bloom needed daily recording for any changes—both significant and trivial. If his plant died due to negligence, he would have to start over. 

And starting over meant that you would incur the ire of one Professor Crewel. 

It was due to good fortune and luck that Ace was good friends with you.

Moved by his explanation and the fact that he was still bedridden in the infirmary, you accepted. How could you not? His illness rendered him bedridden and both his face and neck were shiny and tacky with sweat. If you didn’t lean in close enough, you would not have heard his request. With a voice as raspy as an old man thirsting for water and with a fever that was indescribably high, it would have been seen as cruel to refuse. 

As you stepped into the temperate areas of the Botanical Gardens, you relished in the scent of pine, beech, and poplar that filled your nose. It was like stepping into a new world—a microcosm enclosed in a space that was strictly controlled by both the fairies and the gardeners stationed within this small world. 

A few yards away from where you stood, you spotted a separate plot that had been tilled and was brimming with the fruits of your classmates’ labors. First, before you went to check on Ace’s project—a magnificent bloom that was native to the Queendom of Roses—you decided to make sure that yours was still alive and well. Yours was also a flower from the Queendom, albeit from a different region and was expected to elicit different magical properties once it was brewed into its appropriate potion. 

After observing the dark green stem and the corresponding leaves, you pulled out a reference from your backpack, your fingers quickly flipping through the yellowing pages. According to the aged text, your plant would start producing buds within a few more days. If well tended, the flowers would become voluminous and rose-like in shape, but the colors would sparkle and glow once underneath direct moonlight. After noting your observations into your notebook, you headed towards Ace’s plant. 

To your relief, his assigned project was not worse for wear. Slightly dehydrated if the light yellowing and coarse dirt underneath was any indication, but nothing a little water couldn’t fix. After writing down your observations on a separate sheet of paper so that Ace could copy it down later, you visited a nearby shed where the supplies were and grabbed a watering can. 

After watering the plants with the prescribed amount that was mentioned in your textbook, you began to head out of the gardens. 

Guided by your past interactions with the Savanaclaw Housewarden, you made sure to not be too enraptured by the wondrous sights of flowers blooming brilliantly when a certain amount of sunlight hit their petals or becoming slightly awed when you recognized some plants from your home world. Most of the greenery was meant to simulate real world environments (a plaque at the very front of the temperate zone of the Botanical Gardens revealed that it was supposed to be based one of the provinces in the Land of Pyroxene), so you weren’t all too surprised when you came across a patch of grass that looked relatively tame and boring if it were not for the patch of mushrooms decorating the middle of it. 

The mushrooms themselves bore dark red caps that were speckled with white spots. Meanwhile, their off-white stalks were short and squat but proudly stood tall in formation. Had you a pair of gloves, perhaps you would have peeked underneath their caps to see what color were their gills. However, you weren’t too keen on landing yourself on a neighboring bed next to Ace. You had risked your life many times during Overblots, but you drew the line at benign looking foliage. 

What stood out to you about these mushrooms was that they stood in a near perfect circle; the diameter at least three feet. 

You smiled to yourself and approached. 

If you remembered correctly, the circle of mushrooms was called a fairy ring. A quick flip through your first year textbook revealed that fairy rings were mentioned within the index, but some examples of the phenomena actually had latent magical energy. Most of the warnings attributed to the fairy circles stated that it was best to leave them well alone and that it was strictly forbidden to step within the circle. Satisfied after satiating your curiosity, you took a photo with your ghost camera, fully capturing the scene. 

“Lovely, aren’t they?”

You yelped, the sudden sound of someone asking you a question startling you. If it were not for the fact that the camera had a strap that hung loosely around your neck, you would have thrown the magical artifact at the speaker. 

Jade, having probably noted your reaction, merely smiled that benign smile of his before walking towards you, his stride efficient and quick. 

“Er, hi?” A little hesitant at his approach, you had to will yourself to not back away. Really, your initial reaction was born out of inborn instinct and not because you still had negative memories of Azul’s Overblot and the events preceding it. (The thought that Azul was still plotting revenge never quite left you, though). Knowing that, you didn’t want to expose weakness easily—you were all too aware that his sharp teeth weren’t just for show, he was still technically a predator. “What brings you here, Jade?”

He gestured at the fairy ring behind you, the cool smile he usually employed melting into something more… genuine. It was not an abrupt shift—it was like watching an ice cube melt in lukewarm water—but it was jarring all the same to see him so happy.  

“I have yet to see a naturally occurring fairy ring during my hikes in the mountains.” He shook his head, a mournful show that could have moved you to tears had you been a little more foolish and susceptible to his tricks. “I’ve only just recently started studying this particular ring after one of the gardeners alerted me to its appearance. Had I known that the conditions here can lead to the unpredictable fruiting, I would have begun searching for rings such as this much, much earlier.”

You blinked in confusion. Normally, Jade wasn’t this forthcoming. “You like fairy circles?” 

An amused smile graced his face as he shook his head at your question. “Not necessarily, but finding one within the school grounds is a boon that I endeavor to cultivate for my own needs.” You wanted to ask what he meant by that, but then you remembered that this was Jade Leech and it was better to not know. “What I find most fascinating about the surface is the various forms of flora and fauna, but most of all, fungi.”

Had you looked away at the wrong moment, you would have missed the yearning gaze in his mismatched eyes as he studied the mushroom. Honestly, it was almost as if he was seeing something cute and worthy of his time—a feat that you had to see elicited by anyone or anything else. It stunned you to see such a soft look in his eyes, but you refrained from speaking. 

Huh. 

You had no idea that Jade had interests outside of working as Azul’s Vice Housewarden or as a staff member for the Mostro Lounge. It was strange to see him speaking so openly about something that he clearly held close to his heart. The candid nature of both his tone of voice and even his body language (usually so reserved and tight, had become almost loose and relaxed like his brother’s mannerisms) had the unintended effect of soothing you as well. 

For the first time since your very first meeting, you actually wanted to spend time with the Octavinelle student. 

Imagine that! You, a small and very vulnerable human, actively wanted to hear more about mushrooms and fungi even though you weren’t exactly knowledgeable about mycology. 

And it wasn’t like you were doing this to get in Crewel’s good graces either. Being average in a class meant for students who actually had magic and the means to brew potions daily was more than enough for you.

Perhaps it was because seeing Jade’s lowered guard (or a seemingly convincing facade) felt like an invitation. It wasn’t often that you spoke or hung out with the upperclassman… And it wasn’t like he was actively trying to recruit you into working for Azul without pay or even swindling you into a contract. 

Did you even hear yourself?

You had either accidentally inhaled too many fungal spores or maybe Ace’s plant project had the unintended effect of causing hallucinations. Despite that, however, you found yourself setting your bag upon the patch of grass near the fairy ring (you were careful as to not accidentally disturb any of them) before patting at the spot next to you. At the confused expression on Jade’s face (you thought maybe he was faking it, but you still smiled at him in anticipation), you gestured for his presence once more. 

“Can you tell me more? Professor Crewel says that we’ll focus more on fungi next semester, but it never hurts to be prepared.”

Jade’s eyes widened before he plopped onto the ground next to you—plopped!—before pulling out a thick, battered textbook filled with stray notes and plastic markers littering the pages within. “Too true, Prefect, one should always be prepared, especially when it comes to the identification and classification of different types of fungi, but most importantly…” He rapidly flipped to what appeared to be a random page within his textbook, until you saw that it bore the chapter title and appropriate picture depicting— 

“Mushrooms!”

You leaned closer to him, not at all caring that he was within biting distance. 

If Ace was lucky, he would get your updates about his project before curfew. And if not? You could just visit the infirmary first thing in the morning. 

For now, you had something more important to do. 

.

.

.

If you want to donate a Ko-Fi, feel free https://ko-fi.com/devintrinidad.

TWISTED WONDERLAND MASTERLIST

[iheartsunset]

I fully accept all your headcanons as canon in the PLCU, Papa Louie Cinematic Universe, a universe more expanded, fleshed out and with more likable characters then the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so, may I ask if you have any Carlo Romano and/or Chuck headcanoms? I'd love to hear them!

(AAAA I’m so sorry for taking so long on this ask! I’ve had a busy month at school and a lot of stuff to finalize for my college admissions. But thank you so much, especially for saying how much you love my HCs. Im always happy to do them, so ask away!)

Papa Louie Carlo Romano HCs

-Carlo Romano is a 21 year old musician and Scooperia worker who lives in a Portallini Mediterranean-style villa with his sister, cousin, father, aunt, and stepmother. He’s the mandolin playing heartthrob of The Romano Family Quartet as well as a popular music teacher in spite of his young age. While the family band, Scooperia, and teaching gigs keep him busy, he’s also studying to become a composer. When he’s not playing or working, he can be seen on fun dates with Koilee or giving advice to other workers.

-Handsome, charming, and crafty, Carlo Romano has made quite a reputation for himself as a womanizer. His knowledge of romance stems from his mother’s old love songs, romance novels, and romcoms, and he uses what he’s learned in order to woo different girls, only to break their hearts once he realizes that he doesn’t feel the same way for them. He’s fascinated with the concept of finding “the one” and is looking for someone who makes his heart flutter the way can he can so easily do to others. Carlo is also a reliable and understanding teacher who knows how to make learning instruments fun. He takes inspiration from the beautiful surroundings for his music, and can often be found using nearby objects to craft a tune that he’ll alter write down in his notebook. He also cares deeply for his family and misses his late mother, uncle, and grandparents greatly. Willow jokingly calls him a Wattpad love interest because, well, just look at him. I’d say he’s a himbo, but he’s actually very aware and very intelligent.

-He and Koilee, despite him being kind of a dick and her not liking him because Olivia didn’t like him, have become a very cute couple. In spite of them both having insecurities and issues interacting with others properly, they’ve found an understanding in their circumstances and fell in love. They don’t have too many shared interests outside of romantic broadway shows and instruments, but they like to introduce their hobbies to each other on dates. Their families love each other, but Olivia has told Carlo that if he breaks Koilee’s heart, she will replace his mandolin strings with spaghetti noodles.

-Carlo can play a multitude of instruments, all of which he learned from his parents, grandparents, and aunt and uncle. They include the mandolin, acoustic and electric guitar, flute, trumpet, cello, and the piano. Koilee has taught him how to play the biwa and Olga has gotten him interested in the balalaika. He and Scarlett give all sorts of music lessons with their wide range of instruments, with Marty being a their favorite student (Clover smashed a drum over Carlo’s head and Rudy won’t stop speed playing while chanting “gotta go fast”).

-He is a theater kid. As a theatre kid, I mean that in a bad way. He’s always the lead, but he’s pretty bossy and standoffish. However, if anyone else insults the techies or the rest of the cast, he will ruin their social life because he might be a menace, but he’s not a monster. He’s a badass when it comes to Shakespeare and classic musicals.

-Carlo once wrote a satirical YA romance novel that was the most cheesy, trope-y, and deluded thing he’d ever read. He meant for it to be a joke, but his family loved it and insisted he publish it, to which it became a massive hit. Do not talk to him about it, he will just cry.

-He owns a black and red striped Fiat with gold rims and a Calypso Island lei hanging from the rear view mirror, making him one of the few characters to own a car. The others are Rita, Rollie, Connor, Prudence, Roy, Willow (at least she used to), and James (also used to).

-He has gotten into two fist fights with Pinch Hitwell in the Scooperia and the Hotdoggeria in a battle for who got to keep their shared hairstyle. The winner, both times, was Hank, who is now very sick of having to settle their constant disputes and threatening to arrest them.

-He and Koilee believed that their first meeting was when they were both stranded in Oniontown and swindled by Guy Mortadello. However, they had actually met a few times beforehand. The first was when they were kids, only a month after Carlo lost his mother. While visiting Sakura Bay for a gig, his family went to the aquarium, where he wandered off and stared at the huge koi fish tank, reminiscing about his mother. A young Koilee sat beside him and while he was cold at first, they eventually bonded since she had also recently lost her parents. He left soon after, and they didn’t retinitis until much later. Koilee has also shown up on his few solo trips to Sakura Bay in order to point him in the right directions.

-Being one of Marty’s best friends, he’s made an appearance in many Scarlett and the Shakers fan fictions as a classic best friend character. This has fueled the fire in Carlo Romano x readers, where the inaccurate characterizations make him want to actively walk into the woods and live as a hermit for the rest of his life. In one particularly horrifying case, he was in a DJ Honey Buster x Carlo Romano E rated fanfic on AO3. Neither Hugo, Kayla, Koilee, nor Carlo have read it, but Willow just happened to stumble upon one late night. She is now not the same person she used to be.

-His friends include Hugo, Scarlett and the Shakers, Janana, Nevada, James, Chuck, Cooper, and Prudence. He’s tried to make some friends in fellow celebrities, Whippa and Mousse, but they’re creepy as hell and most certainly have ties to the mafia. He and his friends mostly listen to music together, cook, watch movies, and go on gondola trips. They always go to him for help with romantic gestures and for relationship advice, to varying success.

-He hates coffee because of its bitter taste. Also because last time he drank a few too many cups and was found crying hysterically while stuck to the ceiling with his claws by Olga. The living room was organized entirely by color and the dishes by alphabetical order.

-He may argue with his family a lot, but he would do absolutely anything for them. He’s protective of Gino and Bruna, often accompanying them on their errands to make sure they’re safe. Carlo was definitely a mama’s boy, and he was absolutely devastated when she died. He and his father have kind of been distant since his mother’s death, but he’s always called on to help Eduardo fix things around the house or write music. He also took an immediate liking to Olga, and he can be seen helping her cook foods to visit his aunt with. His family loves him, too, but they always chew him out for his many failed dates.

-He’s the guy who takes out his guitar or Mandolin at the party and starts singing. Don’t be that guy.

-Carlo Romano is on the S tier of my Papa Louie sexyman tier list for a good reason. I love this guy so much!

Papa Louie Chuck HCs

-Chuck Ferrara is a 19 year old editorial model and Wingeria worker who lives in a Tastyville apartment with his best friend and foster brother, Taylor. Prior to him being hired at the Wingeria, he took many odd jobs to support himself and had even considered becoming a firefighter. Now that his new job provides plenty of pay, tips, and days off, Chuck has decided to focus all of his energy into becoming a famous supermodel.

-Chuck is an a-hole, and I mean that wholeheartedly. Not in a himbo, jock kind of way, I mean he is a terrible guy on purpose. He likes to make his order complicated and complains about the tiniest things to the workers just to piss them off. He has bad manners, a terrible attitude, stupid ideas, and an ego. He does have moments where he can be kind of nice, but he’s only completely nice to Taylor, Utah, and his late mother. While he might be classified as a male Karen, he has been known to protect poor, defenseless workers from other Karens. Emery has almost the same personality as him, which has terrified him to the point of changing some of his ways so as not to traumatize Utah even further.

-He first met Utah at Calypso Island during a shared modeling gig, and when she mentioned that she also did tours, he found every excuse to drag Taylor to “see all the great sights of Calypso Island.” Taylor, knowing damn well that Chuck slept through every history lesson and was terrible at hiding his staring at Utah through his sunglasses, told him to man up and ask her out. He finally asked her out by intimidating politely asking Robby to help him make a pineapple edible arrangement with a card to ask her out. When that got lost in the mail after Vincent got caught up in bad weather, he threatened convinced Carlo Romano to help woo her with a song, he got a mandolin to the head instead. When he had just about enough and demanded requested Captain Cori to fly a sign on her ferry asking for Utah to go out with him, she straight up told him to man up and ask her. Utah, throughout this entire ordeal, made a list of his failures to tease him with later.

-Chuck, Taylor, and Tohru are all battling to have the highest scores on all of the arcade machines in Papa’s restaurants. So far, Tohru is winning, but the last game has a nearly unbeatable high score from Radlynn. She covers her eyes. She can’t see. How is this possible.

-Read my “How Nevada met Chuck and automatically hated him” post in order to understand his relationship with the rest of the Calypso Fam, but he’s kinda been accepted as one of their own. Alberto, Kahuna, and Gremmie invite him to guys’ nights and outings, where they always have a good time pulling pranks, watching sports channels, and eating great foods. Nevada, while she did attempt to murder him within 20 seconds of meeting him, does respect him as Utah’s boyfriend and entrusts her to his care. While the others only tolerate Okalani and Gremmie’s dad, he likes to sit in the passenger seat of their cars while they complain to him.

-Not only is Chuck an enabler for all of Taylor’s stupid shenanigans, buts I very likely that he either planned said shenanigans or caused them somehow. Take, for example, the time he made Taylor and his friends stop their sleepover and drove them in a van to a rival wing store whose wing statue he wanted to steal. Even though he was the only one who could drive, he insisted on going in himself while Taylor kept watch and Willow and Koilee stayed in the van to help him make a getaway. That quickly went awry when he broke his hand getting the statue and everybody else in the car either had no license nor any knowledge of cars (Koilee), had a suspended license and trauma associated with driving (Willow), or was crying too hard to even function (Taylor). So it resulted in Mandi having to drive them back home with her mom van while narrowly avoiding capture from Hank. And that’s just in tier 1 of the “Chuck is a dumbass” iceberg.

-He totally listens to either boy bands or surfer music. Psychedelic rock and EDM music have a special place in his playlist. He’s also saving up to buy a white Jeep with a soft top and the doors taken off so that he could blast his music all he wants.

-He has totally either burn food on purpose or spit in someone’s food. He does not care. He has no customer service skills. He’s made multiple customers curse at him or cry. That’s why Mandi makes him be the cook.

-Chuck’s mother passed away when he and Taylor were 17. She passed away in the middle of a heart surgery. Chuck, who had been slightly nicer before, almost completely shut down afterwards and began growing more hateful towards the world around him. Luckily, he still has Taylor to help look out for him.

-He can be seen hanging out with Taylor and his friends or with Utah and her friends, mostly because he’s just tagging along. He has made a few good confidants in James, Penny, Scooter, Willow, Alberto, Gremmie, Carlo Romano, and Rudy. He shot Allan with a pineapple gun once, and now Allan thinks they’re buddies.

-Chuck’s room is covered in posters, cardboard cutouts, pillows, and other merchandise of Guy Fieri. Taylor is very concerned by this, but he’s too scared to do anything about it.

-He was a good contender for Rizzo in Allan’s Grease revival, but his modeling schedule made it difficult to attend rehearsals. Once the Wingeria started providing a more stable income, Chuck was able to book a supporting role as Quince Tamarind, a movie star that Mango meets in act one of Allan’s original play, “Mango Morris’ Bike Ride”.

-I absolutely adore Chuck. He is such an icon and I love him.

[screamsviakeyboard]

I watched Scott Pilgrim Takes Off last night and while I did enjoy it I was ultimately a little disappointed. I thought the idea to focus more on Ramona was cool, and it was fun watching her interact with everyone. While I didn't really personally feel much from her reconciling with her various exes, it was still nice and the jokes and characters were enjoyable enough to watch even if I wasn't emotionally invested. I also think the idea of Scott himself being the ultimate evil ex is fun and feels like a natural direction for the story to take. The animation and fights were neat, although I've been poisoned by sakuga so excepting a brief section of Lucas Lee skateboarding most of it didn't really feel like anything to write home about.

That all being said, my disappointment stems from two main sources of criticism. The first is that the story doesn't do enough to immerse itself in Ramona, and the second is that I don't think the emotional narrative of the story manages to properly impact the final battle between EO!Scott and the rest of the cast.

To preserve your scrolling, I'll go more in depth under the cut.

Criticism 1 - Ramona Doesn't Play Video Games

I think the main culprit is ultimately the video game-ness of the setting. In the original comic and movie this works really well. It attracts nerds who will be able to connect to Scott on that level, and shows us a world fundamentally colored by how Scott sees it. By simply observing this world, we're empathizing with Scott. The evil exes are the bosses of a video game because that's how Scott would see things, and we as an audience, immediately identify them as obstacles to be overcome through battle before he can win the game/get the girl.

The story is able to subvert this to a certain extent by giving Ramona more agency and introducing alternative solutions to these boss battles, but the video game nature never vanishes. We're always firmly grounded in Scott's perspective.

This is a problem for the new series, because the story isn't really about Scott. The main protagonist is Ramona looking for him. However, even when he's not present, his perspective remains. The video game homages continue, with fight announcements, point counters, and the pee gauge all happening around Ramona as she undertakes her journey. Even though none of these elements of perspective are hers.

The story is still perfectly serviceable with these elements. They're cute and charming. I find them relatable. So why am I whining?

Because it could have been more!

Ramona's own perspective goes unexplored, even when the story focuses on her. What interest of hers is comparable to Scott's video games? How does she see the world? How has the media she consumed as a child shaped that? How do her past experiences affect the way she sees future obstacles?

For Scott, you only need to look at the screen and you have your answer, but for Ramona there's barely anything. Her character is still defined as "the girl who dates people." Every flashback she has involves her relationship with her exes, and every action she takes is driven by either a desire to find her new boyfriend or to reconcile with the exes.

What little she does get is only partially there, and is never really touched on by the story, in my opinion. She dyes her hair every episode, she gives people particular tea and sets a timer for it to steep, and she likes Columbo.

That last bit is the closest glimmer we get, and arguably the "whodidit" nature of the show is meant to align with that. Now, I could go on a rant here about how the structure of a whodunnit is actually not present in Columbo, and so the whole thing falls flat on that front, but even if we imagine that it made sense Ramona's detective idiom is barely even able to fit in the same space as the omnipresent video game of Scott. And even then there is also a depth to Scott's video games, there are references to actual things! Reversals, DP inputs, virtual guuy! Ramona gets a notebook, a pen she uses to cross things off, and rough knowledge of when Columbo was on.

While the show is still good and enjoyable, in my opinion this is a huge missed opportunity, and once I realized it was there, I was disappointed it wasn't seized.

Criticism 2 - It Didn't Make Them Punch Gooder

In my opinion, one of the most satisfying parts of having an action adventure emotional journey is the final climax, when your growth as a person gives you the strength to overcome the final challenge. This is often catalyzed as a distinct realization had during the climax, giving the good guys the inspiration or strength they need to reverse a disadvantageous position, and ultimately come out on top.

This does happen!

Ramona realizes she's been running away. Not from what she loves, but from herself loving things. She chooses to embrace her past, present, and future, becomes super Ramona, boops EO!Scott back to his abandoned house, and destroys the A.K. machines to kiss her boyfriend. Woo! Happy End!

Except, what? Why? Where did this come from? How was this a problem when she originally married Scott anyways and they were happy together for at least a decade?

You can argue that this theme was developed. First of all, every time Ramona left one of her exes it was always characterized by a sort of silence. She doesn't want to talk with them, she wants to get out of there. Even when there's nothing about the ex in particular that should make her afraid of confronting them, she still can't even bear to say good-bye.

In addition to this, when she talks with Scott on their date, she obviously tries to avoid discussing the past in any detail. On first glance this is because she has seven evil exes that are going to come try and kill him, and that's probably part of it, but you can make the argument that this is because she doesn't want to talk about herself when she was dating them either. These two things are intrinsically connected, so avoiding one means avoiding the other at the same time.

Finally there's the hair thing. I'll be completely real with you, Ramona dyeing her hair went over my head. I don't know why it's there, really, other than to ground the episodes in her perspective. Scott only sees the different hair, in the Ramona series we see her dyeing it each time. It works for that, even if it doesn't really build to anything other than more hair dyeing. You could make an argument that this also has something to do with her discomfort with herself, but I don't know how much meat is there. Even in the epilogue, she's still dyeing her hair.

So this is kind of there, but it's also kind of not. This is the big realization that wins the day, but it's so subtly included in the rest of the story that I was just kind of confused when it happened. It's also not actually presented as a hindrance in the plot the way Scott's foibles are in the originals.

Ramona doesn't run from anything, herself or otherwise. She would obviously rather not be dealing with her exes, but with the motivation of finding Scott driving her, she doesn't hesitate much at all. Instead the obstacles to her interrogating them are usually external to her relationship with them. Functionally, Ramona's Big Problem isn't a problem at all.

Now, that's not necessarily bad by itself. A more subtle problem that someone is already in the process of overcoming, which then reared its head again ten to twenty years down the road is an interesting thing to focus the climax on. And presenting that problem in the background is a neat idea. But! I don't think it worked for me. I didn't get any catharsis seeing her solve it because it hadn't really made any impression on me.

As a result of that, it made the emotional journey leading up to the final confrontation feel, if not pointless, then at least disconnected.

This wasn't helped by the fact that the climax includes the entire cast of the show, only for everyone other than Ramona and Scott to be poofed out of the fight without meaningfully contributing. EO!Scott isn't beaten by brute force, and none of the other characters even gave Ramona any advice at the end, so, like, what were they even doing there?

The battle between Scott and EO!Scott doesn't even seem to be very connected to their relationship. Scott doesn't seem to understand how he eventually became this person. Which is kind of funny, but means there's no real emotional obstacle for Scott to confront in this either. Scott's not fighting himself, and he's not trying to change the parts of himself that led to this. He's fighting some hairy buff red-eye dude who's coincidentally also named Scott Pilgrim.

As a result of this, a very interesting theme winds up getting muddied and practically lost. The relationship between our past selves and our future selves.

3 - Who I Am Will Be Who I Was

Both Scott and Ramona aren't really going anywhere in the present, Scott has a past he sort of wants to return to (represented by Knives), while Ramona has a past she wants to escape from (the exes), they find each other, and the future inside of themselves together.

In this future, however, they split. Scott spirals back into being depressed and living with Wallace (the past) while Ramona drifts in the present again, looking for the space she needs even while she doesn't communicate to her (very stupid) husband that she still loves him. The exact breakdown of communication isn't delved into, but it doesn't need to be, in fact it's better that it isn't. Just like Scott and Ramona, we can't ever know whose fault it actually was, but the result was something neither of them wanted, and if either of them had been able to reach out to the other one, it would have been something they could have solved.

When she finds out that O!Scott wants to change the past, O!Ramona does her best to ensure that the record of her relationship with Scott remains, even if the relationship itself is lost.

Even though O!Scott is back in his past habits, he thinks that the problem is in his own past and wants to change that, even if it means he loses his relationship with Ramona (ironically, the loss of that relationship is the very thing causing his pain in the first place. He wants to have never had it at all, a return to the true peace of the past.)

Ramona wants to preserve the past, which shows growth on her part. She can know she still loves Scott and accept her past with him, but this growth turns her into a person all the more trapped in the present. She's more willing to adapt a novel into a screenplay, go back in time, and launder it into a movie, than she is to skate over to Wallace's house and talk to the man she still loves. Both characters have found themselves in slightly different, but still eerily similar predicaments to those they faced when they first met.

Scott's disappearance from the present forces Ramona to confront her own past, in the form of the exes, in an effort to find the future she sees in Scott. She reaches out to them and finally breaks the cycle. Then in the future, EO!Scott drags everyone to fight him, eventually forcing EO!Ramona to intervene before he can completely erase their past. The Ramona of the future finally confronts her present in order to preserve her past. But, in the end, she tells her past to give up and skate away. All of this has just been another failed experiment. Don't even bother saying goodbye.

EO!Scott's outburst in response to this finally crystalizes the thing past Ramona has been fighting all along. She doesn't run, the person she was and the person she will be accept that they are one in the same.

Super Ramona can finally talk openly with both Scotts. She tells EO!Scott that he's a mess, but a mess that can be cleaned. There's hope for him. There's hope for them. And while it may not be the ending he was hoping for, EO!Scott goes back home to work on fixing things.

As for present Scott, Super Ramona is finally free from the baggage of the future. She can cross the emotional distance, break the A. K. machines of EO!Scott's regret, and finally, finally, kiss her boy.

Woo! Happy end!

So that's basically what I think the themes could have been. I just think they got muddled along the way and became so subtle the resonance didn't hit properly in the finale. The show somehow almost felt starved for time to me, which doesn't make sense given the length, but oh well. I think with more proper focus on this, and unfortunately maybe less focus on the hijinks of the various exes and side characters, this could have shined through.

Present Scott doesn't really do anything here. But he does get kissed, and we're very happy for him. He already had his story told anyways, and he got to watch the musical of it, so that's probably enough.

[the-hilda-librarians-wife]

Carpe Diem - Chapter 6

Pairing: Sketchbook (Kaisa/Johanna)

Summary: Carpe diem: one of the five latim mottos of the arcadist, or neoclassical movement. Literally translates to "seize the day"

Picking up where Locus Amoenus left off, this fic follows the lives of Kaisa and Johanna for a couple weeks as their feelings grow and develop. Updated weekly (hiatus is over!!)

Notes: I’m sorry, but I just can’t bring myself to name a human “Alfur” 😭😭 so Alfred it is, I hope it’s not too weird

Exclusive real life picture of Kaisa and Victoria talking: https://itsinkwell.tumblr.com/post/691989113483788288/has-this-been-done-yet

Read it on ao3 or read the first installment on this verse or read the second installment on this verse  

Texting while walking was an art.

It was, unfortunately, not one that Kaisa mastered.

Can you meet me in the stems cafe?, she wrote as she made her way out of her lecture room, trying and failing to dodge the swarms of students still tired from the weekend while she did so.

Her phone beeped in a few short seconds, and still moving, she read the notification on her locked screen.

Vic Van Gay:“rn?”

“If you’re free, yeah.”

“k, meet me in 5” 

Kaisa put her phone away in her pocket again, making not the usual path she traced towards the front exit on Monday afternoons, but taking a turn at the corridor that would lead her down the stairs where she could head to the STEMs buildings. Before she got much further, the phone buzzed again.

Vic Van Gay: dont u want to go to your cafe though? im not too close to either so its all the same to me

Her reply was a brief ‘No.’, though she didn’t tell her the reasons. She wouldn’t need to, anyway, as soon as she filled Victoria in on what was going on she’d understand why Kaisa didn’t want to have that conversation somewhere she could find acquaintances at.

She climbed down the stairs, arriving at the ground floor where she was greeted by the sight of the humanities garden; it was just the sort of thing she didn’t need to have to deal with right now.

As if to add insult to injury, an all too familiar face was there, on one of the stone benches that surrounded the garden. Johanna was talking to someone else who Kaisa didn’t recognize, a man with tidy blond hair. Given that he had his back to her, Kaisa couldn’t make out any of his features, but even sitting down the guy looked so tiny she was willing to bet he was shorter than even her. Looking at him standing side by side with Johanna must be hilarious, she thought.

Even though her instinct told her to not be bold and avoid giving herself any chances to say something weird, or stupid, or even worse, <em>honest</em>, Kaisa couldn’t help trying to catch Johanna’s eye as she walked by and giving her a smile and a little wave of her hand that wasn’t holding her notebook. That turned out to be a mistake, because as soon as Johanna’s face turned from her companion to Kaisa, the polite and pensive expression on her face melted into a shining smile, and she gestured for her to come closer.

Kaisa had been helpless to do anything but, of course, and soon was being introduced to ‘Alfred’, who she learned was a friend of Johanna’s and an International Relationships major. When she tried to excuse herself as politely as she could, Johanna allowed her to go easily after a warm squeeze of her hand and a confirmation that they’d do their weekly meeting the following day.

As she walked away from that interaction, Kaisa felt the need to let her hair fall around her face to hide her glowing blush. This was ridiculous. She wasn’t a teenager anymore, but no part of her treacherous body seemed to be aware of that, least of all her heart. The more she interacted with Johanna, the further she felt herself fall.

Since they began talking more and Kaisa had started seeing her more like a person than another student she needed to outperform, paying attention to her had been a direct road to becoming fascinated with Johanna. Everything about her was a wonder, especially how out of so many people, she chose to be around her.

It wasn’t even only spending time with her. It had taken her a while to notice, but now that she did it was stark clear that Johanna wasn’t as bright with other people as she was with her. There was something melancholic just beneath her skin, something that she now knew the roots of, but still it never stopped Johanna from having fun and showing the people around her her love and appreciation. She wasn’t all bright smiles and cheerful comments all the time, even if she was still mostly so around Kaisa (or maybe that was just Kaisa’s rose-tinted, heart shaped glasses). Even if she couldn’t control being happy all the time, she could control whether to show affection and warmth to those around her however she could, so she always chose to.

Kaisa had thought Johanna was summer, when in fact, she was autumn. Her contact name on Kaisa’s cellphone still read ‘Golden’, but rather than feeling inaccurate or simplistic, it felt truer than ever now that she’d peeled more layers from the girl than she would ever have imagined she would. She wasn’t a golden retriever, but she was definitely golden. A golden sunset. The golden leaves on the trees. Golden honey on a sugary pastry. Golden flames on a fireplace. The golden, liquid warmth that took over Kaisa’s chest whenever she was near. 

Shit, she was really deep in this.

                                                    ……… 

When Victoria arrived at the cafeteria situated just outside the Physics and Mathematics building, Kaisa had already grabbed them a table, and was eating out of a bag of chips while she read over the notes she’d taken from her earlier lecture.

“You know you’ll probably get more nutrients if you throw all the chips in the bin and eat the package, right?” Was how she announced her arrival when she’d stopped right by Kaisa’s side and the girl still hadn’t acknowledged her presence.

“Bold of you to assume I’m making an effort to survive any longer.”

“Oh, same.” Victoria dug into the packet and grabbed a fistful of the snacks, then moving to sit down right in front of her. “So, what’s this surprise meeting about?”

No time for exchanging meaningless niceties between them. They were both terrible with small talk, so it was usually much easier to just cut to the point.

“Breathe a word of this to anyone and I’ll personally kill you, but…” If the ending of that sentence had been any different, Victoria would have protested about being pointlessly threatened when Kaisa had been the one to call her here in the first place, but she didn’t have the chance, because the next words she heard were enough to freeze her. “There's this girl. I think I like her.”

The professor could do nothing other than stare at her for a beat, only realising that she’d opened her mouth in surprise when Kaisa’s face started looking annoyed. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought Kaisa was capable of it or anything, it was just that at their third year of friendship, Victoria had already lost hope that she would do age appropriate things, like acting like a stupid college student for once.

“Well, make a move!” She exclaimed, raising her hands in pleading once she processed this new development. “What are you waiting for?”

“I don’t want to ruin our friendship.” The paper package in which her straw had been was being ripped into constantly smaller pieces by Kaisa’s uneasy hands. “We have something nice between us. I don’t want to spoil it.”

Saying it was ‘nice’ was the understatement of the century. It was probably the best thing that Kaisa had ever had in her life that wasn’t her family. And even then, Johanna was each day closer to her mother and sister in the podium of her heart. It was weird, it hadn’t been long since they met but it already felt like she was family too.

“I mean,” Victoria said after chewing on a mouthful of her stolen chips. “If you’re respectful, and she really is your friend, admitting you have feelings for her won’t end the friendship if she doesn’t return your feelings.”

Kaisa wished it were an ‘if’ problem. Even if Johanna had been kind enough to befriend her and seemed to, for some reason, actually enjoy her company, there was no way in this world or in any other that she’d feel the same. Johanna was just on a whole other level, and even if she didn’t act like she was superior, certainly she had to be aware of it. After all that they had shared with each other, she didn’t have any doubts that Johanna would let her down slowly, and would be oh-so-kind about it if she ever were foolish enough to confess. But in the end, there was no way to know if she really wouldn’t make Johanna uncomfortable in the process, and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stand that. What if she decided she didn’t want a friendship where she had to constantly worry about the nature of the other person’s feelings? Kaisa could say all of this, but instead she chose to raise her eyebrows and use her bitchiest tone of voice.

“Is that why you’re still pining silently for Birgitta?”

Victoria gasped in indignation, bringing her palm (the one that wasn’t still holding chips) down on the table. “That’s totally different! We’re colleagues, it would be too awkward afterwards!”

“Yeah, right.” Rolling her eyes fondly, Kaisa thought about how it was just fair that Victoria would have to stand her lovestruck self now, after she’d had to read through so many self pitying texts about not being able to go after the woman Victoria liked. “Birgitta sounds like she’s too good for you, anyway.”

“Gosh, you’re such a jerk. I don’t even know why I try to help you. You’re lucky I don’t grade anything of yours.”

Making some strands of her hair stick out in odd angles after running a hand through it, Kaisa sighed.

“Am I, though? I’m having the most stressful time at a seminar. The one I met this girl in, actually. No matter what I do, the professor refuses to give me a full grade on my essays.” She saw Victoria give her an exasperated look, and added. “And I know it’s not one of those professors who never gives a ten, there are other students who are getting them.”

“Oh, really?” Even if she probably wouldn’t know any professor from outside of the STEMs division of the university, Victoria decided it was probably the polite thing to ask. Besides, gossip travelled far sometimes. Maybe the name would be related to some other, random piece of information she’d acquired by chance. “Who is that?”

“Professor Abigail Lyman, English department.”

Pensively, Victoria nodded. She knew fully well that Kaisa had no need for perfect scores on every subject all the time like the girl seemed to think, but something else had caught her attention. Just after she befriended Kaisa in her freshman year, she’d done her best to try and find the culprit for spreading those awful rumours about her, and had come up empty handed. But in her research about the board of evaluators who dealt with the matter of student scholarships, she was certain she’d come across that surname. This could be just a case of Kaisa stressing too much after a discipline that wasn’t supposed to be aced either way. But it could also be that she herself had unknowingly given Victoria a clue.

Either way, there was nothing she could do with that supposition right at that moment, so their conversation turned to other topics. It turned out neither of them did much outside of stressing about that university, so the dialogue was a constant positive feedback loop of hating academia and lesbian longing. The infallible sign of a worthwhile friendship.

Before long, they had to come to terms that they had more to do in their lives other than lounge around in the cafeteria eating questionable food. Victoria had to go back to her underfunded lab and Kaisa had a long walk home before she could revise her subjects and do other normal person things, like taking a bath and scrolling mindlessly through tumblr until she realised she’d have to stay up until midnight if she wanted to hit her daily study goals.

The girl scrunched her chips packet into a ball and threw it in the bin along with her cold hibiscus tea bottle, while her friend picked up the coffee stained cup that she ordered at one point and put it by the counter for one of the workers to take back to the kitchen.

As they were leaving, a melody Kaisa had come to recognize began playing on the speakers. She’d blocked out the music coming from them during their stay, choosing to ignore it, but this one was too familiar for it to not register on her mind. It was a melancholic, electronic melody, and the first words came shortly.

It only hurts this much right now

Was what I was thinking

The whole time…

It was all she could do to bite back a grunt while they were paying for what they had consumed. This was one of the songs in the considerably sized list of music she’d been listening to nonstop simply because Johanna liked them, and they reminded Kaisa of her. 

Well, not simply that. Since Saturday Labyrinth had been constantly on her headphones for the insufferable reason that it now struck too close to her heart. She left the cafeteria behind with wide and confident steps, but the song stayed with her no matter what she did to try and shake it off, taunting her and seemingly permeating the very air around her so that it was breathed into her lungs, and then found its way to her heart.

Uh oh, I’m falling in love

On no, I’m falling in love

Again…

[hemaraj-897]

Basic Introduction to Python

Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language renowned for its simplicity and readability. Created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991, Python has grown to be one of the most popular programming languages worldwide. Its versatility allows it to be used in web development, data science, artificial intelligence, scientific computing, and more. But what makes Python so unique, and is it easy to learn? Let's explore. For individuals who want to work in the sector, a respectable python training in pune can give them the skills and information they need to succeed in this fast-paced atmosphere.

Key Features of Python

Python is an open-source language that emphasizes readable and straightforward code. Its syntax is designed to be intuitive, resembling the English language closely, which makes it accessible for beginners. Python supports multiple programming paradigms, such as procedural, object-oriented, and functional programming, enhancing its versatility.

One of the standout features of Python is its extensive standard library, which provides modules and functions for various tasks, from file I/O to web development. Additionally, Python boasts a vast ecosystem of third-party libraries and frameworks that further enhance its capabilities, including:

NumPy and Pandas: For data manipulation and analysis.

Matplotlib and Seaborn: For data visualization.

Flask and Django: For web development.

TensorFlow and PyTorch: For machine learning and AI.

These libraries and frameworks enable developers to build complex applications efficiently and effectively. Enrolling in python online training can enable individuals to unlock  full potential and develop a deeper understanding of its complexities.

Is Python Beginner-Friendly?

Python's popularity largely stems from its ease of learning. Several factors contribute to this:

Simple and Readable Syntax

Python’s syntax is clean and straightforward, making it easier to read and write code. For instance, a simple “Hello, World!” program in Python is:

python

Copy code

print("Hello, World!")

In contrast, the same program in Java is more verbose:

java

Copy code

public class HelloWorld { public static void main(String[] args) { System.out.println("Hello, World!"); } }

Comprehensive Documentation and Learning Resources

Python offers excellent documentation and a wealth of tutorials, books, and online courses. Websites like W3Schools, Codecademy, and Real Python provide comprehensive tutorials for beginners. The Python community also maintains extensive documentation covering every aspect of the language.

Interactive Development Tools

Tools like Jupyter Notebook offer an interactive coding experience, allowing you to write and execute code in chunks, making it easier to experiment and learn.

Supportive Community

The Python community is known for being welcoming and supportive. Platforms like Stack Overflow, Reddit’s r/learnpython, and various Python forums provide spaces where beginners can ask questions and receive help from experienced developers.

Versatility and Practicality

Python’s application in many domains means learners can apply their skills to various real-world projects, keeping learning interesting and relevant.

Challenges in Learning Python

While Python is considered easy to learn, it does come with challenges. Understanding programming logic and concepts like loops, conditionals, and data structures is essential. Additionally, as you advance, learning about more complex topics like object-oriented programming, error handling, and working with libraries can be challenging. However, these challenges are common to learning any programming language.

Conclusion

Python's simplicity, readability, and extensive ecosystem make it an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced programmers. Its easy-to-understand syntax and ample resources allow most people to start coding in Python with minimal difficulty. While there are challenges, they are manageable with consistent practice and community support. Whether you’re interested in web development, data science, or simply automating tasks, Python is a fantastic language to start with. Happy coding!

[stanleykleinman]

Revolutionizing Learning: The New Era of High School Education

As we move deeper into the 21st century, the landscape of high school education continues to evolve, driven by rapid technological advancements and shifting societal needs. The traditional model of education, once defined by rows of desks and chalkboard lectures, is being transformed into a dynamic, interactive, and personalized learning experience. This transformation is not just about integrating technology but also about reimagining the role of education in preparing students for a complex world.

Embracing Technology in the Classroom

One of the most significant trends in high school education is technology integration. Digital tools are no longer supplementary but central to the educational experience. Interactive platforms like Google Classroom and Moodle have replaced the traditional textbook and notebook in many schools, enabling students to access a vast array of resources online. Moreover, technologies such as AI and VR are beginning to find their place in the classroom, offering immersive learning experiences that were previously unimaginable.

For instance, virtual reality can transport students to ancient Egypt or a blood vessel's interior, providing a visceral understanding of complex subjects. Similarly, artificial intelligence is being used to create personalized learning experiences. AI can analyze students' learning patterns and tailor the educational content to their strengths and weaknesses, potentially increasing engagement and efficiency.

Flipping the Classroom: A Focus on Active Learning

The flipped classroom model represents a significant shift in instruction. In this model, students are introduced to content at home and use classroom time for applying concepts through discussions, projects, and guided practice. This approach not only encourages active learning but also allows teachers to spend more one-on-one time with students, enhancing their understanding through direct feedback and support.

This model has shown promise in fostering better student engagement and understanding, as it prioritizes active participation over passive reception. It also prepares students for higher education and the workforce, where problem-solving and critical thinking are more valuable than mere factual recall.

Global Connectivity and Cultural Exchange

Today’s students are more connected than ever before. High schools are increasingly leveraging this connectivity to offer global learning experiences. Programs like virtual exchange or international collaboration projects enable students from different parts of the world to work together on common projects, discuss global issues, and learn from each other’s cultures.

This exposure not only enhances cultural awareness and tolerance but also prepares students for a globalized job market. The ability to interact and collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds is a crucial skill in virtually every career path.

Sustainability and Social Responsibility

As environmental and societal challenges such as climate change and social equity become more pressing, schools are incorporating sustainability and social responsibility into their curricula. Students are encouraged to take on projects that address real-world problems, fostering a sense of responsibility and the impetus to seek sustainable solutions.

This trend is crucial in developing a generation of informed citizens who are not only aware of global challenges but also motivated to act on them. Education is increasingly about empowering students to make a difference, reflecting a broader shift towards more values-based education.

The Rise of STEAM Education

While STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) has dominated educational priorities for several years, there is a growing recognition of the importance of integrating arts to foster a more holistic education. STEAM (STEM + Arts) emphasizes creativity and innovative thinking alongside technical skills.

This integration illustrates the understanding that the challenges of tomorrow will not be solved by technical prowess alone but will require innovative thinking and creative problem-solving. By combining the analytical with the creative, STEAM education prepares students to be more versatile and adaptable in a rapidly changing world.

Preparing for a Complex Future

As we look to the future, the goal of high school education is clear: to prepare students not just for college and career but for life in a complex, rapidly changing world. This preparation involves cultivating a broad set of skills, from technical expertise and critical thinking to empathy and creative problem-solving.

The ongoing innovations in high school education, from technology integration to new learning models, are more than just educational trends. They are the foundations for a new era of education that respects the challenges of the future while honoring the diverse potentials of every student. As we continue to navigate this transformative landscape, the focus must remain on providing an education that is as inclusive as it is innovative, ensuring that all students have the tools they need to succeed in whatever future they choose to pursue.

[makers-muse]

Coding a Pathway to Calculus Mastery: Unlocking Creativity and Innovation

Calculus — a word that often evokes a mix of dread and fascination. It’s the backbone of modern science, engineering, and innovation. Yet, for many, its complexities can act as a barrier to embracing its true marvels. Enter coding, the secret key that unlocks a world of possibilities and turns the abstract concepts of calculus into an exhilarating adventure.

Interactive Graphing and Visualization: Utilize Python libraries like Matplotlib or Plotly to create interactive graphs that represent calculus concepts visually. For instance, demonstrate the concept of derivatives by plotting the tangent line to a curve and interactively changing the slope of the tangent line using sliders. Jupyter Notebook or Google Colab can be great platforms for coding these visualizations.

Numerical Methods Implementation: Show how coding can approximate solutions to calculus problems using numerical methods. For instance, use Python and libraries like NumPy to implement Euler’s method for solving differential equations. Students can see how the code approximates the solution of a differential equation and compare it to the analytical solution.

Simulations and Modeling: Use coding platforms like Scratch or Processing to create simulations that illustrate calculus concepts in real-life scenarios. For example, simulate the motion of a ball thrown into the air, and use calculus concepts like integration to calculate its maximum height or velocity at a specific time.

Interactive Calculus Games: Develop interactive games using platforms like JavaScript (with p5.js) or Unity to gamify calculus concepts. For instance, create a game where the player navigates through a maze while encountering different calculus problems or challenges related to derivatives or integrals.

Data Analysis and Calculus: Use data science libraries in Python such as Pandas and SciPy to introduce students to calculus concepts through real-world data analysis. For example, demonstrate how integration can be used to find the area under a curve representing real data, such as analyzing trends in stock market data or population growth.

The combination of coding and mathematics is a game changer, improving the learning experience and unlocking limitless possibilities. Makers’ Muse aspires to inspire a desire for mathematics by mixing the magic of coding into calculus instruction, converting the once-dreaded topic into a thrilling voyage of discovery.

In just a few keystrokes, embrace the magic of coding that brings the captivating world of calculus to your fingertips. Join us at Makers’ Muse and be part of a journey where mathematics and technology converge in mesmerizing ways!

Do you have questions regarding our STEM program?

Contact us anytime.

Take your first step into the magical world of coding for kids

[schoolequipmentindia2]

Educational Lab Equipment Manufacturers products about.

Education kits are themed packages filled with age-appropriate materials designed to encourage exploration, experimentation, and critical thinking. They can cover a wide range of subjects, from STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) to coding, robotics, art, and even social-emotional learning.

Discover the joy of chemistry with School Equipment India's premium lab gear! Dive into hands-on experiments with our curated kits, perfect for exploring the wonders of chemistry from the comfort of your home. As leading chemistry lab equipment manufacturers in India, we provide all you need for a fun and educational experience.

Educational Lab Equipment Products List: 

First Aid Kit:

Ensure Safety: Keep your family and workplace safe with our comprehensive first aid kit.

Essential Supplies: Includes bandages, antiseptic wipes, gauze pads, scissors, and more.

Portable Design: compact and lightweight for easy storage and transport.

How to use them:

Keep your first aid kit in an easily accessible location, such as a kitchen cabinet or car glove compartment.

Familiarize yourself with the contents and their uses.

In case of an emergency, assess the situation calmly and apply appropriate first aid techniques.

School Students Kit:

School Essentials: Everything your child needs for a successful school day in one convenient kit.

Includes: pens, pencils, erasers, rulers, sharpeners, notebooks, and more.

High-Quality Supplies: Durable materials designed to withstand daily use.

How to use them:

Pack the school kit into your child's backpack each morning.

Encourage your child to keep their supplies organized and easily accessible.

Check the kit regularly to replenish any depleted items.

Create a designated study area at home where your child can use their school supplies effectively.

Student Kit Grade 5-8:

Tailored for Middle Schoolers: Specifically curated supplies to meet the needs of students in grades 5-8.

Comprehensive Set: Includes notebooks, binders, highlighters, index cards, and more.

Encourage Creativity: Equip your child with the tools they need to excel academically.

How to use them:

Introduce your child to their new school kit and explain the importance of keeping it organized.

Encourage your child to use their supplies wisely and take care of them throughout the school year.

Create a study schedule and designated workspace to optimize productivity.

Monitor your child's progress and offer support when needed.

Student Kit Grade 1-4:

Elementary Essentials: Prepare your young learner for success with this comprehensive student kit.

Includes: crayons, markers, colored pencils, glue sticks, safety scissors, and more.

Child-Friendly Design: ergonomic and safe supplies suitable for younger students.

How to use them:

Supervise younger children while using sharp or potentially hazardous items like scissors or glue.

Encourage your child to explore their creativity and express themselves through art and writing.

Incorporate educational activities into daily routines to reinforce learning.

Store the student kit in a designated area where your child can easily access and return items.

Childhood ECD Kit:

Early Childhood Development: Support your child's growth and learning with our ECD kit.

Stimulate Learning: Includes age-appropriate toys, books, puzzles, and activities to encourage cognitive development.

Bonding Time: Engage with your child through interactive play and exploration.

How to use them:

Set aside dedicated time each day for structured play and learning activities.

Rotate toys and activities regularly to keep your child engaged and stimulated.

Follow your child's interests and developmental milestones when selecting activities.

Create a nurturing environment that promotes exploration and curiosity.

Recreation Kit:

Outdoor Fun: Gear up for your next adventure with our recreation kit.

Includes: camping essentials, hiking gear, sports equipment, and more.

Explore Nature: Connect with the great outdoors and experience new adventures.

How to use them:

Plan your outdoor activities in advance and ensure you have all the necessary gear in your recreation kit.

Familiarize yourself with the safety guidelines and regulations for your chosen recreational pursuits.

Take care of your equipment by cleaning and storing it properly after each use.

Stay hydrated, dress appropriately, and be mindful of your surroundings to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.

[edcater]

Python Programming Mastery for Aspiring Data Scientists: Essential Tools and Techniques

In the dynamic world of data science, Python has emerged as a powerhouse programming language. Its versatility and simplicity make it a go-to tool for data scientists, from beginners to seasoned professionals. If you're venturing into the realm of data science, mastering Python is a crucial step. In this guide, we'll explore the essential tools and techniques of Python programming tailored for aspiring data scientists.

1. Introduction to Python for Data Science

Python's popularity in data science stems from its readability and vast array of libraries tailored for data manipulation, analysis, and visualization. Unlike complex programming languages, Python's syntax is clear and concise, making it accessible for beginners. Whether you're handling large datasets or creating machine learning models, Python provides a robust foundation.

2. Setting Up Your Python Environment

Before diving into Python programming for data science, setting up your development environment is essential. You'll need to install Python and choose an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) such as PyCharm, Jupyter Notebook, or VS Code. These tools offer features like code autocompletion and debugging, streamlining your coding process.

3. Essential Python Libraries for Data Science

Python's strength lies in its libraries, which are pre-written pieces of code that simplify complex tasks. For data science, several libraries are indispensable:

NumPy: Known for its powerful array and matrix operations, NumPy is the foundation of many numerical computing tasks.

Pandas: Pandas excels in data manipulation and analysis, offering data structures like DataFrames for handling structured data.

Matplotlib and Seaborn: These libraries enable the creation of insightful visualizations, crucial for understanding data patterns and trends.

4. Data Cleaning and Preparation with Pandas

Before any analysis, data must undergo cleaning and preprocessing. Pandas' functionalities allow you to:

Remove duplicate entries

Handle missing values

Convert data types

Filter and sort data

By mastering these techniques, you ensure your data is ready for in-depth analysis and modeling.

5. Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)

Exploratory Data Analysis is a fundamental step in understanding your dataset. With Python, you can:

Generate descriptive statistics

Create visualizations such as histograms, scatter plots, and box plots

Identify correlations between variables

EDA provides valuable insights into the underlying patterns of your data, guiding your subsequent analysis.

6. Machine Learning with Scikit-Learn

Python's Scikit-Learn library offers a comprehensive toolkit for machine learning tasks. Whether you're working on classification, regression, or clustering, Scikit-Learn provides:

Various algorithms, from linear regression to support vector machines

Tools for model evaluation, including metrics like accuracy, precision, and recall

Support for model selection and hyperparameter tuning

By leveraging Scikit-Learn, you can build predictive models to make data-driven decisions.

7. Advanced Techniques: Feature Engineering and Dimensionality Reduction

Feature engineering involves creating new features from existing data, enhancing a model's performance. Python libraries like Scikit-Learn and Feature-Engine offer methods for:

Handling categorical variables

Creating interaction terms

Scaling and normalizing features

Dimensionality reduction techniques, such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), help manage high-dimensional data, improving model efficiency.

8. Deep Learning with TensorFlow and Keras

For complex tasks like image recognition and natural language processing, deep learning is indispensable. Python's TensorFlow and Keras libraries provide a user-friendly interface to:

Build neural networks with customizable layers

Train models on large datasets efficiently

Deploy models to production environments

Deep learning opens doors to cutting-edge applications in data science, pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

9. Putting It All Together: Real-World Projects

The best way to solidify your Python skills for data science is through hands-on projects. Consider projects such as:

Predicting housing prices based on historical data

Classifying spam emails using machine learning algorithms

Analyzing sentiment from social media posts

These projects not only enhance your programming abilities but also showcase your proficiency to potential employers.

Conclusion: Your Journey to Data Science Excellence

Mastering Python programming for data science is a rewarding journey. With the essential tools and techniques covered in this guide, you're equipped to tackle real-world challenges and unlock insights from data. Whether you're cleaning messy datasets, visualizing trends, or building sophisticated machine learning models, Python empowers you every step of the way. So, roll up your sleeves, dive into Python, and embark on your path to becoming an accomplished data scientist!

[newskart65265]

Empowering Tomorrow: A Comprehensive Guide to Machine Learning Tools

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, machine learning has emerged as a transformative force, revolutionizing the way we approach data analysis, decision-making, and problem-solving. Central to the growth and success of machine learning are the tools that enable developers, data scientists, and businesses to harness its potential. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the diverse array of machine learning tools, their applications, and how they are shaping the future of artificial intelligence.

Introduction to Machine Learning Tools:

Machine learning tools encompass a wide range of software, frameworks, libraries, and platforms designed to facilitate the development, deployment, and management of machine learning models. These tools play a pivotal role in making machine learning accessible to a broader audience, enabling both experts and novices to leverage the power of artificial intelligence in their projects.

Popular Machine Learning Frameworks:

Machine learning frameworks provide a foundation for building and training models. TensorFlow and PyTorch are two of the most widely used frameworks, offering a comprehensive set of tools for developing neural networks and other machine learning models. TensorFlow, developed by Google, is known for its scalability and flexibility, while PyTorch, favored for its intuitive interface, has gained popularity in the research community.

Scikit-Learn for Traditional Machine Learning:

While deep learning frameworks dominate discussions, traditional machine learning remains essential in many applications. Scikit-Learn is a versatile library in Python that provides simple and efficient tools for data analysis and modeling. It includes algorithms for classification, regression, clustering, and dimensionality reduction, making it an invaluable tool for practitioners working on a wide range of machine learning tasks.

Data Processing and Analysis:

Effective machine learning relies on quality data, and tools for data processing and analysis are crucial in this regard. Pandas, a powerful Python library, facilitates data manipulation and analysis, allowing users to clean, transform, and explore datasets seamlessly. Jupyter Notebooks provide an interactive environment for data scientists to develop and present machine learning projects collaboratively.

AutoML for Automated Model Building:

As machine learning adoption grows, there is a rising need for automated solutions that simplify model building and deployment. AutoML (Automated Machine Learning) tools like Google's AutoML and H2O.ai's Driverless AI are designed to automate the end-to-end process of model development, from data preprocessing to model selection and optimization. These tools enable users with limited machine learning expertise to create powerful models with ease.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) Tools:

NLP is a subset of machine learning that focuses on the interaction between computers and human languages. SpaCy and NLTK (Natural Language Toolkit) are popular libraries for NLP tasks. SpaCy is known for its efficiency in processing large amounts of text, while NLTK provides a comprehensive suite of tools for tasks such as tokenization, stemming, and sentiment analysis.

Computer Vision Libraries:

Computer vision, a field within machine learning, involves teaching computers to interpret and understand visual information. OpenCV (Open Source Computer Vision Library) is a widely used open-source library that provides tools for image and video analysis, while TensorFlow and PyTorch also offer specialized modules for computer vision tasks. These libraries empower developers to create applications ranging from facial recognition to object detection.

Reinforcement Learning Frameworks:

Reinforcement learning is a type of machine learning where agents learn to make decisions by interacting with an environment. OpenAI's Gym is a popular toolkit for developing and comparing reinforcement learning algorithms. TensorFlow and PyTorch also offer libraries like TF-Agents and Stable-Baselines that simplify the implementation of reinforcement learning models.

Model Deployment and Management:

Once a machine learning model is trained, deploying it into a production environment becomes a critical step. Tools like TensorFlow Serving, Flask, and FastAPI facilitate the deployment of machine learning models as APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), allowing seamless integration into applications and services. Model management platforms like MLflow and Kubeflow help organizations streamline the end-to-end machine learning lifecycle, from experimentation to deployment and monitoring.

Cloud-Based Machine Learning Platforms:

Cloud computing has democratized access to powerful computing resources, and major cloud providers offer machine learning platforms that simplify the development and deployment of models. Google Cloud AI Platform, Amazon SageMaker, and Microsoft Azure Machine Learning provide scalable infrastructure, collaborative environments, and tools for model training and deployment, making machine learning more accessible to businesses of all sizes.

Conclusion:

Machine learning tools have become the backbone of innovation across industries, from healthcare and finance to marketing and entertainment. As technology continues to advance, the landscape of machine learning tools will evolve, introducing new frameworks, libraries, and platforms that further enhance the capabilities of artificial intelligence. Whether you are a seasoned data scientist or a business owner looking to leverage machine learning for growth, understanding and utilizing these tools will be essential in navigating the exciting future that machine learning promises. Embrace the power of machine learning tools, and unlock the potential to transform the way we approach data and intelligence in the digital age.

[frowzyfeathers]

Roze Dreamer

This is one of my main horse ocs. She's one of the first pony characters I created back in the day on general-zoi's pony creators on deviantArt. Her design has changed massively from when I first made her, but this is her most current one.

above is a bust headshot I drew of her waving hello

Full Name:

Roze Dreamer (rose dree-Mur)

Nickname(s)/Aka:

Dreamer, Rozey(rosey), Randa-roze(rANDuh-rose), Roze(rose)

Age:

22 years

Gender:

Female

Pronouns:

She/Her; They/Them

Species/Type of Creature/Race:

Pony/Pegasus (without wings)

Height:

3' 8" or 107cm (just under average mare size)

Skin Tone/Fur Color:

Medium azure blue with bright light blue markings

Hair Length:

Slightly longer than shoulder length

Hair Style:

Mostly to the left side; Small part of hair is pulled aside to right side; Usually down, soft and straight, full of dead-ends; She sometimes has it worn back in a ponytail if she's too annoyed with it getting in her face all the time.

Hair Color:

[Left side] Milk chocolate brown (with a natural red-ish tint in the sunlight) and a washed-out used-to-be red (now salmon) strip of dyed hair. [Right side] Stripes of dyed pastel pink, purple, and blue hair, all in one small section

Eye Color:

Light lavender/Pastel purple/Light purple (Pupils are almost-black purple)

Usually carries:

Dark turquoise colored satchels/saddle bags; mechanical pencils, half lined half unlined notebook,

Usual attire:

None usually; sometimes wears a black hoodie or scarf, with an optional grey beanie

Cutiemark:

A purple rose with the green stem, lined with small thorns, twirled in a loop and the end pointed down, cut to form an inkwell pen tip, dripping rainbow-shimmer deep purple ink. The leaf, attached to the outer loop, is half on fire with a yellow-orange-red fading flame. A small white/very light blue cloud surrounds the background of the rose.

Personality/Backstory:

A very shy, mostly kind, easy-going horse who's considered a bit of a silly weirdo at times. She's not one to talk a whole lot around creatures that are strangers to her, but she still wants to/likes to socialize with others. Most of the time, she comes off as awkward, usually waiting for the right moment to speak up and not make too much of a fool of herself. She took the phrase "don't speak until you're spoken to" very literally at a young age, mainly out of fear that others would dislike her or wouldn't care what she had to say anyway. Not being really exposed to many social situations as a filly led to her current struggle of interacting with others. She usually was and still is the shoulder to cry on, always willing to listen to others and console them. She doesn't mind doing such, as long as they are genuine and aren't tricking and trapping her in situations.

She does tend to get stuck in her head A LOT of the time. Sometimes it's to a debilitating point of not wanting to get out of bed or do much. Usually, art is her outlet for such, where she can draw or scribble whatever she feels the need to.

Roze loves doing artsy things, like clay sculpting, pencil and paper sketching, acrylic painting, and digital art on her laptop with her drawing tablet. It's mainly horses and cartoony animals and creatures either from her imagination or shows she watches. She loves to sit around and watch nature do its thing. Like sitting outside and watching the clouds drift by, finding interest in swaying trees as the cool breeze shakes some leaves down, hyper-focusing on a jumping spider for 4 hours straight to watch it interact with a small cricket, looking up in awe at bigger birds flying through the sky, stuff of the sort.

Missing wings:

Roze cut off her own wings when she was 16, thinking and feeling like life wasn't worth living anymore. The story behind such deals with her natural habit of getting stuck in her own head, usually with negative thinking and assumptions that aren't 100% true. The reason why deals more from her past trauma and her not having any outlets for her emotions and being too scared and hopeless to ask for help. She has since regretted that decision heavily and is trying to have a more positive outlook on life, as some things causing her distress are lessening. Gaining motivation to try and find ways she can fly on her own again is usually difficult for her. Motivation is growing as she tries to look more on the positive sides to her life now. Thick weather-proof patches are stitched over the area where her wings would be.

Hobbies:

Drawing

Vibing to music

Playing video games

Watching nature

Sleeping/napping

Jumping spider keeping

Likes:

Hugs (both giving and receiving)

Pineapple on pizza

Plushies/soft stuffed animals

Miniatures (figurines, dioramas, items, etc-)

Mythical creatures/legends

Caring for/being around animals

Favorite animals are big cats, small cats, butterflies, ferrets, jumping spiders, giraffes, snakes, sugar gliders, hedgehogs, and many others-

Talents:

Artistic creativity/ability to draw

(still discovering what she's good at)

Dislikes:

Bugs flying/leaping towards her

Large crowds of unknown strangers

Embarrassing social situations

Talking about her wings situation

Weaknesses:

Very small and cute things

Soft fluffy things (will try to pet/snuggle it)

Sudden loud noises

Fears:

Being trapped/submerged under water

Being yelled at randomly

Upsetting others by accident

Being left alone by creatures she trusts

Habits:

Procrastinating until last minute

Shaking her back right hoof while sitting

Sticking her tongue out while focusing on something

Daydreaming/spacing out

Slight twitching when highly anxious

Pets:

None

Favorite color(s):

Purple

Red/maroon

Blue

Pink

Crush/Lover:

She is not taken and is not looking for a lover at the moment.

Sexuality:

Pansexual

Other:

420-friendly (marijuana user); Fall is her favorite season, Spring is second;

^ Roze's main reference sheet

^ Roze Dreamer's PonyTown design

[beauregardlionett]

the eclipse episode 5

note board below for my ramblings on this episode. this one is much more scatterbrained than the last one.

episodes 1-4

Character Notes

Akk

What we know so far - Akk being from a small town has achieved plot relevance as well as his adherence to the rules and desire to become a prefect - he tells Ayan that he’s at Suppalo on a scholarship and implies that he can’t afford to attend without it, and the same likely holds true for college; Mes was the student prefect that Akk looked up to when he was younger, and I hope we get more details about Mes because he very clearly idolized Mes (side note but this is bothering me: Mes’ face looks SO familiar but I cannot fucking place why) - a parental figure has entered the ring! Akk’s father spoke with him on the phone about needing to come say goodbye to his aunt before she left - all the insight we have for now but good to know he has parents - Akk is NOT the one who took Ayan’s journal from his locker - Akk is notably NOT annoyed at all by Ayan’s texts about being paired together for judo. in fact he actually smiles and laughs to himself a little, looking almost fond (and the shot was kind of wide so it was hard for me to tell, but right before the scene cut away, Akk almost looks a little surprised at himself for that reaction) - he went to find Teacher Chadok after the fight with Ayan, but it’s not clear what exactly he was going to talk to him about - Akk sought out Ayan after Ayan missed class, but didn’t talk to him after he saw Thua approach Ayan...what were you going to SAY MY GUY??

What we should keep in mind - Akk returns to the queer cafe and he still seems totally fine in that atmosphere so my money is on Akk knows he’s queer he’s just having a crisis that he’s being queer about Ayan as a person rather than Ayan being the same gender as him - springing from the pattern of Akk constantly threatening violence to Ayan if Ayan continued to step out of line finally culminated in Akk actually punching Ayan; he then later mentions he got into fights when he first arrived at Suppalo because he was bullied - i’m curious if Akk grew up rough and tumble or if he just snapped from the environment change and pressure - he seems to feel the need to hide how his feelings toward Ayan are changing from Kan and Wat, likely thinking that they wouldn’t understand and he’s too confused himself still to explain - i believe Akk is changing before he’s even aware of it, something honest breaking free without his permission; he’s the one to approach Ayan and offer up an olive branch, something Akk wouldn’t have done three episodes ago; he even acknowledges that he was after Ayan’s notebook when before he would deny it - Akk’s obsession with the rules and love for Suppalo has been revealed to have stemmed from the interactions he had and people he met during his first year there; Mes and Dika and maybe even Chadok showed him the path to a future Akk probably felt he previously didn’t have access to, but the exact details are still yet to be revealed, especially why Suppalo was the school Akk chose in the first place

Ayan What we know so far - Ayan’s journal has been snatched by an unknown figure (potentially the same one who has yet to be identified from earlier episodes) and while upset about the journal being taken seems relatively unconcerned about the contents of said journal being spread around - Ayan has moved on from giving Akk an out and now texts him to claim Akk as his partner for judo practice in advance - previously stated that Ayan seems well-educated; he was reading G. Orwell’s 1984 in his free-time because we know damn well that’s not on Suppalo’s required reading list - Ayan may have deleted the cheek kiss photo after sending it to Akk, but he still has sleepy Akk photos on that phone of his - Ayan absolutely is feeling some type of way about Akk at this point

What we should keep in mind - it seems like there is still a distance between Ayan and the World Remembers group in terms of protest planning, but I’m curious what Ayan was doing at the school when he found Akk at the end of the episode - I should have mentioned this previously but it seems that Ayan is extremely aware of when Akk is following him and I’m not sure if it’s just because Akk is bad at it or if Ayan is that paranoid, but I find it interesting that Ayan seems to always have his guard up even outside of the school - Ayan sending the photo to Akk felt like a test, especially when he gave Akk the out to save face about likely not deleting the photo by telling Akk to do it not in front of Ayan...I’m wondering if he’s clocked the cracks in the foundation of Akk’s beliefs in Suppalo (or maybe he’s just gay lol) - when Akk asked Ayan about what he meant regarding the curse, Ayan didn’t answer and instead asked “does the student prefect title mean that much to you?” and i know it was Ayan’s way of diverting the conversation but to me it also read as a protective mechanism, as if trying to keep Akk clear of whatever fall out Ayan knows is coming

Dika What we know so far - Dika met Akk after Akk got in a fight and was able to help Akk figure out how to move forward and was “just so understanding” which is a sentiment that Ayan agrees with; the idea that Akk’s personal sense of betrayal in calling Dika a “traitor” comes from a sense of abandonment seems much more plausible now - during the snippet of flashback, the interaction between Dika and Chadok seemed...fine. Chadok seemed calmer and less severe than he does in the present, even looking like he could crack a smile or something crazy like that

What we should keep in mind - something happened between Dika and Chadok - my bet is some dirty truth was uncovered in relation to the rules; Mr. Sit mentioned something of the like during his conversation with Ayan, but no one seems to know exactly what went down

Thua What we know so far - definitely does not have a good relationship with his step-father who is abrasive and verbally abusive (what we’ve seen on screen); Thua’s mother does seem to be trying to step in where she can - Thua abruptly left the car after his step-dad snapped at him and didn’t stop even when his mother called after him; someone is nearing a breaking point - despite not being the direct target of harassment about his sexuality, witnessing that bigotry immediately after being yelled at by his step-dad clearly affected Thua as well

What we should keep in mind - previously stated that he didn’t want to see Kan get hurt again - but it looks like he will have to, considering the ep6 preview - Thua seems to understand Ayan with more ease than his other classmates, especially for someone who has not had all that much on screen interaction with Ayan thus far, which makes me continue to think that they knew each other before Ayan started going to Suppalo - “it would be nice to disappear” i want to know how long Thua’s been thinking like this and the context in which he means disappear

Kan What we know so far - Kan has made progress! he did not immediately release Thua’s hand when other students saw them holding hands - an action that Kan initiated as well! in fact, it was Thua who let go of Kan’s hand, likely thinking that Kan would be uncomfortable - only for Kan to look frustrated and disappointed after Thua walked away (i’m curious what the catalyst for this change was) - Kan’s strong belief in the curse continues to be his go-to explanation for when things start going wrong around the school

What we should keep in mind - he is the only person we are shown on screen having seen/read Thua’s post, a scene which is immediately followed by “Bruce Wayne” contacting Thua; strong suspicion here that Kan is Bruce Wayne; if he is “Bruce” my guess is it’s an attempt at getting Thua to open up under the guise of anonymity - continuation note from previous one but considering we had a scene where the World Remembers trio was being very publicly harassed for being queer, Thua being glared at for holding hands with Kan, and the mounting tension of the curse, I would not be surprised if the reason Kan looks roughed up in the preview is because someone says the wrong thing to either him or Thua and Kan snaps

Wat What we know so far - actively sought out Teacher Sani to tell her that she was right to guess he wasn’t enjoying class - that he actually liked film; and she showed him that she was listening and talked to him briefly about his interests, thereby giving Wat a supportive adult in his corner - Wat’s mediator personality shines again in the phone scene where he waits to see how Akk will react first, and then explains his thoughts to Akk and Kan, acting as a balm to Akk’s more direct explanation; then again after Akk and Ayan’s fight when he talks Kan down from pushing Akk for answers

What we should keep in mind - Wat told Teacher Sani that he had spoken to his family about his film interest and was told it wasn’t a stable career; however when he was talking to Kan and Akk about a communication arts degree, he implied that they would never entertain the idea and made it sound like he had never brought it up and was assuming based off what he knows; i’m curious if anyone in his family has actually told him not to pursue film - Teacher Sani told him “you don’t always need to do what others expect of you” and i’m excited to see how that’s going to affect his growth going forward

The Curse

- we don’t get much new information on the curse in this episode, but in his emotionally driven rage, Ayan asked if the students wanted to know the truth about Suppalo’s curse - something that Akk tried to follow up on later, but Ayan didn’t give him a clear answer; the implication that Ayan already knows what’s going on and is only here to prove and expose it was not something I was expecting, but is definitely intriguing given his connection to Dika - Kan brings up the curse in the meeting with Teacher Sani about the World Remembers group, stating that there is almost a formula/legend for how the curse manifests which is...a highly concerning detail especially considering one involves literal burning (how has this been left unchecked what the fuck)

Things to Follow Up On

- the unknown figure from ep1 and ep2 (now appearing as the journal thief in ep5) is still unidentified; i think there was an attempt at misdirection by utilizing the framing they did with Akk at the end of the episode, but Akk does not have the journal and in the shots from ep2 the figure does not appear to be wearing a prefect armband - Namo was the one pretending to be a prefect in ep1 and then was the one to tell Thua that Kan got into a fight in ep2; also worth noting his actor is in the opening credits so best to keep an eye on him - the jacket sniff: Ayan gave Akk his hoodie which of course made me absolutely insane <3 - ep2 4/4 timestamp 2:15 - unfortunately no follow up - still no follow-up on the whispered conversation between Ayan and Thua, but I hold out hope - the individual who posted the protest video still has yet to be identified - Teacher Sani being willing to pay attention to the students and listen to them: further fulfilled by her interaction with Wat this episode, but I want to keep an eye on her progression throughout the show because Chadok was notably absent from this episode giving her that leeway to be a little softer; also there was a shot of her walking around the school at night at the end of the episode? - the first crack in the foundation of Akk’s belief: the cracks are spreading as evidenced by his leniency with the phone situation - Ayan’s emotional vulnerability in front of Akk: we didn’t see much of this in the same context as the last couple episode, but we did see Ayan thank Akk for stepping in and diverting the teachers from continuing to harass Ayan in class, as well as Ayan acknowledging that he reacted on emotion instead of logic when his journal went missing (though it appears from the preview for ep6 we’ll be getting some VERY emotionally vulnerable scenes between Akk and Ayan) - none of the students at Suppalo knowing Dika’s dead: AKK THE ANSWER IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!! g o s h when Ayan changed the subject and immediately walked away, unable to tell Akk the truth about Dika? I was screaming <3 - Mr. Sit (the janitor) is now on my suspect list...previously he was in the spotlight for the van incident in ep1, then he gave Ayan the information about the rumor concerning Dika, and has interrupted charged moments between Ayan and Akk at least three times now, the last of which he seemed to have purposefully done so and did not look thrilled before he walked away...the vibes are off - Akk: no way. i don’t want to be like you. Ayan: how do you know? you haven’t even tried. Me: alright okay okay okay alright why am i emotional i’ve got my eye on you - Akk: why does it have to be you Me: elaborate - this whole time I’ve been curious about the World Remembers group and why they’re still at Suppalo if they’re clearly suffering so much; this episode gives the insight that they’ve tried to speak out about it to the teachers and to their families and friends and have been ignored/abandoned in every direction; if anything happens to these kids I’m rioting <3 “i truly believe tomorrow will be better than this”

Recurring Themes

- this isn’t exactly recurring but goes sort of hand in hand with the theme of Akk pulling Ayan closer (aggressively) but during the cafe conversation this episode, I absolutely LOVED the detail of body language between Akk and Ayan where they seemed to push and pull toward one another based on who had the upper hand in the conversation. when Akk felt smug and “on top” he would lean against the table and exude this aura of knowing he was winning, until Ayan also leaned on the table and brandish the familiar barb of being incredibly comfortable with utilizing/weaponizing his sexuality for his social benefit, making Akk lean away until he could find his footing again. and there’s the detail that when they were on common ground, like when Ayan said “thank you” to Akk, they were both leaning back, creating a neutral space (perhaps I’m over explaining this but I noticed it on my first watch and thought it was cool) - every shot of Suppalo continues to have the building dominating the screen (maybe it’s just me, but the shots of the building this episode did seem like the angle was adjusted somewhat, perhaps implying something) - no martial arts flip but Akk was the one who threw the first punch in their fight and I’m still just waiting for the narrative-relevant scene of Ayan flipping Akk - not much in the way of sun and moon imagery but don’t think i missed the way Ayan’s face was reflecting the moonlight in that last shot <3

Favorite Shot From The Episode

emotionally charged interactions in tight spaces with your enemy who is slowly becoming something more are actually something that can be so personal

honorable mention (of course)