#Transitioning to college living guide

[sarathehousewife]

Navigating the Transition: A Guide on How to Prepare Your Teen for College

Embarking on the journey to college is a monumental step in a teenager's life. It's a time filled with excitement, anticipation, and a bit of nervousness. As a parent, you play a crucial role in ensuring that your teen is well-prepared for this transition. In this guide, we'll address key questions that often arise during this preparation phase.

1. When should I start preparing my child for college?

The journey to college readiness begins long before the acceptance letters arrive. Ideally, the preparation process should start in the early years of high school. Encourage your teen to explore various interests, engage in extracurricular activities, and maintain a solid academic record. This not only broadens their horizons but also lays the groundwork for a well-rounded college application.

2. How do I emotionally prepare my child for college?

Emotional preparation is just as important as academic readiness. Initiate open conversations about the upcoming changes, addressing any fears or concerns your teen may have. Encourage independence by allowing them to make decisions and learn from their experiences. Additionally, fostering resilience and coping skills will equip them to handle the emotional challenges that may arise during their college journey.

3. What does your child need to know before going to college?

Before stepping onto campus, your teen should have a solid understanding of essential life skills. This includes basic financial literacy, time management, and effective communication. Ensure they are aware of how to handle common situations, such as doing laundry and managing a budget.

4. What to do when your kids go to college?

As your child prepares to leave for college, provide them with a support system. Discuss expectations, establish communication routines, and assure them that it's normal to feel a mix of emotions. Encourage them to reach out to campus resources, such as counseling services or academic support, if needed.

5. What do I need starting college?

The transition to college living requires careful planning. Consider practical items that can make the adjustment smoother. For instance, the Mojoo Portable Washer Dryer can be a game-changer, allowing your teen to conveniently manage laundry in a dormitory setting.

6. What supplies do I bring to college?

Packing for college involves more than just clothes and books. It's about creating a home away from home. A Plug In Vent can be a valuable addition, ensuring proper ventilation in confined spaces and contributing to a comfortable living environment.

7. What do students need the first year of college?

The first year is a period of adjustment and self-discovery. Encourage your teen to explore their interests, join clubs, and connect with peers. Balancing academics with social engagement is crucial for a well-rounded college experience.

8. What should I pack for my freshman year of college?

Help your teen create a comprehensive packing list that includes the essentials like bedding, toiletries, and school supplies. Don't forget personal items that hold sentimental value or contribute to a comforting atmosphere. A mix of practicality and personal touches can turn a dorm room into a comfortable living space.

In conclusion, preparing your teen for college is a holistic process that involves academic, emotional, and practical readiness. By addressing these key questions and incorporating useful products, you can ensure that your teen enters this new chapter with confidence and enthusiasm.

[halfmoonaria]

when she lied

pairing: g!p sam carpenter & female reader

summary: your relationship with sam takes a turn when it’s supposed to be perfect.

word count: 4.5k

author’s note: based on the scene from the last kiss. my posts are flopping so bad its ridicilous, so if this does i wont be surprised.

Dating a professor was never in your plans growing up, let alone one tangled in rumors of being a serial killer.

But despite the unsettling rumors about Sam, you found yourself getting pulled in; as if she was a magnetic force.

You first met Sam at a local bookshop's author event, a quaint spot filled with the scent of old books and freshly brewed coffee.

The moment she walked in, you immediately thought she was the most breathtaking woman you'd ever seen. Her presence commanded the room, and you couldn't take your eyes off her.

It was no different for Sam. She thought you were straight-up gorgeous from the moment she saw you.

However, with her troubled past and a promise to only trust Tara and the twins, it was hard to break through her defenses. But your persistence and genuine care slowly chipped away at her walls.

You showed her kindness and understanding, proving that love and trust were still possible.

Over time, she began to let you in, sharing parts of herself that she had kept hidden for so long. Your patience and love helped her believe in a future where she could trust someone new.

Sam allowed you to take her out on dates, cautiously at first. You spent evenings at cozy restaurants, weekends exploring the city, and quiet nights at home, gradually building a bond that felt unbreakable. Each date brought you closer, and before long, you couldn't imagine life without each other.

It wasn't until Sam had built a solid trust in you that she felt comfortable introducing you to Tara. She was an important person in Sam's life, and she wanted to be sure you were someone who could truly be part of their family.

Tara was skeptical, her protective nature making it difficult for her to warm up to you.

However, as she observed your genuine care for Sam and saw how well you fit into their lives, her perspective softened. Tara eventually grew to appreciate you and welcomed you into the family with open arms.

Eventually, you both had decided on taking the next step and move in together. It was a big decision, but it felt right. You found a charming apartment that was perfect for starting your life together.

During this time, Sam transitioned from being a high school teacher to a college professor. She was passionate about her work and excelled in her new role, gaining respect from colleagues and students alike.

Her career move not only marked a professional milestone but also brought a sense of stability and accomplishment to your shared life.

In your own professional life, you worked as a child psychologist, helping kids navigate their emotions and overcome challenges.

And even though both of your busy occupations demanded a lot of your time, you both cherished the moments you could steal away together, whether it was meeting up after work or spending hours of love making past midnight; not caring if you had work the next day.

And you always made an effort to prioritize each other. Often, Sam would come to meet you after work, witnessing your interactions with the children.

She admired the ease with which you connected with them, the patience you showed, and the gentle way you guided them through their struggles. Seeing you in your element, she felt herself  being moved by your compassion and dedication.

It was in these moments that she became even more eager to start a family with you, convinced that together, with your nurturing nature, you could offer a child a truly loving and supportive environment.

She never said or mentioned it to you, afraid you'd find it too soon and leave her because of her sounding too pushy or desperate.

However, when you showed Sam a positive pregnancy test, beaming with joy and excitement. She failed to keep the thoughts inside her.

She couldn't wait to have kids with you. It was all she ever wanted, it was going to make everything even more perfect.

It was all perfect.

You had everything. Everything you could've asked for.

A wonderful girlfriend, a job you enjoyed and cherished, and now; a growing life inside of you.

You were going to be a mother, alongside the love of your life.

In your mind you had it all. And Sam had not yet to disagree.

Until you started to question everything you have.

Cracks began to appear as reality set in. With your pregnancy, you knew that your stomach would soon begin to grow, and you would have to make significant changes.

As your pregnancy progressed, you faced the undeniable truth that you would need to quit working soon. The physical demands of carrying a child meant that your ability to balance work and personal life was diminishing.

More troubling was the fact that the time you once spent with Sam seemed to evaporate.

She had begun to claim she was "working late" or "staying at the office," but these excuses were becoming increasingly frequent.

You started to notice that instead of spending evenings together, Sam was often absent, and it became clear she was spending her time elsewhere.

You had never had second thoughts or hesitation about you and Sam, but as the dinners alone and nights that was spent waiting for her to come home increased, you were starting to.

The life you had envisioned seemed to be disintegrating, replaced by an unsettling uncertainty about your future together.

It was a damp and dreary Thursday, the kind that soaked through your shoes and lingered in your bones.

The clock was nearing midnight, and Sam had yet to come home.

You sat alone in the couch of the living room, remnants of a cold dinner in the kitchen waiting for her just as much as you were.

The clock ticked louder with each passing minute, amplifying your growing concern as Sam continued to miss your text messages and calls. Your anxiety was palpable.

Finally, the front door finally creaked open, and Sam walked in, her face looking weary and her clothes slightly disheveled. You rose from the couch, feeling the weight of your pregnancy more acutely with each movement. Though your belly was still modest, the curve was noticeable.

You walked over to her, standing firmly in front of her, trying to meet her gaze. "Where have you been?" you asked, struggling to keep your voice steady and calm.

Sam seemed momentarily taken aback before she quickly tried to mask her discomfort. "I was at work," she said, though her eyes avoided yours.

You shook your head, hurt seeping into your tone. "You weren't at work until eleven o'clock at night." Taking a deep breath, you added, "Please, don't lie to me."

Sam's shoulders slumped, and her gaze fell to the floor. The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken truths, and you could sense the growing distance between you. The warmth and closeness you once shared seemed to be slipping away, replaced by a cold uncertainty that left you questioning everything you had believed to be true.

You watched her closely, noticing the disheveled state of her clothes—her shirt slightly untucked, her hair a mess. Something about her appearance didn't sit right with you. The scent of an unfamiliar perfume lingered faintly in the air, a detail that only heightened your unease.

"Who were you with?" you asked, your voice tinged with a mix of fear and suspicion. The late hours, the unanswered messages, and now this—everything pointed to something being terribly wrong.

"I was at work," Sam insisted, avoiding your gaze. "There was no one else. I was the only one who had work and essays left to correct."

You stepped closer, your heart pounding, your voice trembling. "Who were you with, Sam?" Tears threatened to spill over as you thought about all the nights she'd been late recently, all the missed dinners, and the growing distance between you.

You needed to hear her say it, to confirm the gnawing doubt that had been eating at you.

Her eyes flickered with panic, her facade starting to crack. The room fell into a heavy silence, the tension thick and suffocating.

She looked down, unable to meet your eyes.

"This girl I met it was nothing," she blurted out, her words rushed and desperate.

Your heart sank, the weight of her betrayal crashing over you. And without thinking, you raised your hand and slapped her across the face.

The slap wasn't hard, it didn't physically hurt her. She just felt the contact, her reaction one of pure shock. Her eyes widened more stunned by the act than the impact.

You were shaking so badly that the force behind the slap was minimal, driven more by your emotional turmoil than any physical strength.

Sam's expression shifted from shock to a mixture of guilt and sorrow, her shoulders slumping. She knew she deserved it.

Trying to calm yourself down, you took a deep breath, but your voice still quivered with anger. "Did you fuck her?"

You didn't care about the specifics—who the girl was or how Sam had met her. "Tell me, did you cheat on me?"

Sam's face was a mask of regret, her eyes pleading for understanding that you couldn't give. She took a deep breath, as if trying to find the right words, but there was nothing that could make this right.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. The silence stretched between you, heavy and oppressive.

Her shoulders slumped further, her body language betraying the truth before she even spoke. She took a deep breath, as if trying to find the right words, but there was nothing that could make this right.

She nodded slowly, whispering, "Yes."

The single word struck you like a physical blow, knocking the breath out of your lungs. It was as if the ground had been pulled out from under you, and you were falling into a bottomless pit of despair. The room blurred as your eyes filled with tears.

A searing pain tore through your chest, unlike anything you had ever felt before. It wasn't just the pain of betrayal; it was the shattering of dreams, the destruction of trust, and the end of the future you had envisioned together. Your heart, which had once beat with love and joy, now felt like it was being ripped apart.

You turned around, walking away, your hands in your hair as you struggled to contain the flood of emotions. "Oh god, you make me sick," you almost screamed, the pain and anger tearing through your voice. The tears flowed freely now, blurring your vision as you tried to make sense of the reality that had been thrust upon you.

Sam's eyes followed your every movement, filled with regret but devoid of tears.

She had felt a gnawing disgust with herself both before and after sleeping with her. The guilt had been a constant companion, whispering in the back of her mind and tarnishing her thoughts.

But seeing the raw pain and heartbreak in your eyes now, the depth of your betrayal laid bare, was a torment far beyond anything she had imagined.

The reality of what she had done, the gravity of her actions, hit her with an overwhelming force. Her own self-loathing was nothing compared to the devastation she had caused you, and the weight of that realization made her feel truly sick to her core.

Yet she seemed unable to cry, as if knowing her tears would do nothing to soothe the hurt she had caused.

The tears continued to fall, each one a silent cry of your broken heart. You had given Sam everything, your love, your trust, your future; and she had thrown it all away. The realization was almost too much to bear, the pain so intense that it felt like you were being torn apart from the inside.

As you moved through the house, Sam followed, a sense of desperation in her steps. She knew she had to say something, anything, to try and fix the situation.

"Wait, please," Sam pleaded, her voice breaking. She reached out but didn't touch you, afraid her touch would only make things worse.

You walked into the living room, your mind racing, needing space to think, to breathe. Sam's presence was suffocating.

You began to pace, your movements erratic, tears streaming down your cheeks.

Sam stood a few feet away, wringing her hands. "It was one time," she began, her voice trembling. "And it meant absolutely nothing."

You stopped pacing but didn't turn to face her, your eyes filled with hurt and disbelief. The reality of her words only made the pain sharper, cutting deeper.

"It was a stupid thing, baby" she continued, her tone pleading for understanding. "Just a stupid thing." She repeated shortly after.

"I'm so sorry." Sam tried.

Her attempt at an apology only left a more bitter taste in your mouth.

How can she apologize when she had been keeping this hidden from you for weeks, months even?

Just then, Sam's phone buzzed, the sound cutting through the heavy silence like a knife. You glanced at the phone in her hand, a sudden, cold suspicion gripping you.

Without thinking, you reached out and snatched the phone from her. Sam's eyes widened in shock, but she didn't stop you. She knew she couldn't.

You looked at the screen, and there it was; a name you didn't recognize, but the message was clear: "Had a great time tonight. Can't wait to see you again." You read the message aloud, your voice dripping with disgust.

Sam's face crumpled, the regret etched deeply in her features. She stood there, the weight of her actions crashing down on her, unable to do anything but watch as the person she loved crumbled before her eyes.

Your heart sank, the final piece of evidence falling into place. You turned the phone towards her, your voice trembling with a mix of anger and heartbreak. "Who is she?"

Sam's face paled, her eyes filled with a mixture of guilt and fear. "Her name is Lily," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Lily." You repeated.

"How old is she?" you demanded, your voice barely holding back the fury and disgust. The interest of who was worth ruining your whole future together growing.

Sam hesitated, avoiding your gaze. "Is she your colleague? Boss? Student? You've always liked them younger."

"Stop," Sam pleaded, her voice barely audible.

"How old is she, Sam?" you pushed, your desperation breaking through.

"Nineteen," Sam blurted out. "She's nineteen, alright?" The moment the words left her mouth, she seemed to regret it, her shoulders slumping further under the weight of her confession.

You felt a wave of nausea wash over you, threatening to make you sick. "She's nineteen, Sam? You slept with a fucking nineteen-year-old?" you screamed, the reality of her betrayal hitting you with full force.

She didn't answer, her silence only deepening the wound. She stood there, her eyes filled with a mixture of guilt and self-loathing, knowing that nothing she could say would make this right.

Sam had always been the most confident and strongest woman you had ever known. She had faced down her own demons and the judgment of the world, standing tall when people whispered about her being the daughter of a serial killer.

She had protected Tara fiercely, fought off threats both physical and emotional, and had always seemed unbreakable.

You remembered the times she had confronted dangers head-on, her bravery almost intimidating. The way she took charge during crises, her unwavering resolve, and the sheer force of her willpower. Sam had always been a rock, someone who never showed fear or doubt.

But now, as she stood before you, she looked scared. Her eyes, usually so steely and determined, were now wide and pleading. She seemed small, fragile, a stark contrast to the woman who had faced down killers and public scorn without flinching.

As you looked at her, you saw something you had never seen before—pity. Pity for herself, and maybe for you too. Her gaze was filled with it, and it made your heart ache even more. Sam had never felt pity for anyone before, not in the way you had seen.

She had always been the strong one, the protector. But now, she looked at you with eyes that seemed to say she was sorry for everything, for every ounce of pain she had caused.

Although her puppy eyes and guilty stare didn't help. In fact, it made you even more furious. And the rage was starting to boil over.

Your head felt like it was pounding, and you felt sick of the thought that Sam had let somebody else touch her. And you wanted to know why.

"What's so wrong with me then?" you technically shouted, your voice breaking. "Am I too old for you now?"

Sam flinched at your tone of voice, her eyes filling with tears, threatening to fall when she shook her head as soon as the question left your lips.

"No, it's not like that" she whispered.

"Does she have a better body?" You continued, voice breaking.

"No, Y/n please, it's not about that." Sam pleaded, but you were relentless.

"Did I not fuck you good enough?" you demanded, the hurt and anger making your voice tremble. "Is that it?"

Sam's face crumbled, and she shook her head desperately. "It wasn't about you. It was never about you"

"Then what is it, Samantha? What's so fucking special about her? Is she prettier than me?"

"No!" she replied as soon as the words left your lips, the answer immediate and forceful. Sam's eyes locked onto yours, filled with a raw honesty.

Your looks had always captivated Sam, from the way your eyes sparkled with emotion to the way your hair framed your face perfectly. She loved the way your smile could brighten a room, the way your presence brought her comfort.

You were everything she had ever dreamed of having in a partner when she was little, and she hoped you knew that.

She used to tell you all the time, to remind you how much you meant to her. But she had stopped when Lily started showing interest.

She wished more than anything that you could see yourself through her eyes, to understand the depth of her admiration and love for you. But now, as she stood there, seeing the heartbreak in your eyes, she realized she had ruined everything. Her betrayal had shattered the trust and love you had built together, and she feared she had lost any chance of you ever believing in her again.

"Liar!" you screamed, the fury in your voice reverberating through the room.

You knew something had pulled her to Sam, some inexplicable attraction that drew them together, but it only made the betrayal sting more. The knowledge that she had chosen someone else, even for a fleeting moment, was unbearable.

You pushed Sam, your hands hitting her shoulders with desperate force. She stumbled back, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and regret. Her back hit the lamp on the drawer, the shade tilting precariously before falling to the side.

"What am I supposed to do now?" you demanded, pushing her again. "What the fuck am I supposed to do now?" Each shove punctuated your words, your voice breaking with anguish. "You've ruined everything!"

Sam flinched with each push, her hands raised slightly as if to steady herself, but she didn't try to stop you. She knew she deserved every bit of your anger, every word of your pain. Her eyes filled with tears she refused to shed, her heart aching at the sight of your devastation.

"Will you listen to me, Y/n? It meant absolutely nothing!" Sam pleaded, her voice breaking as she tried to reach out to you.

You stopped pushing her, your hands trembling with a mix of rage and sorrow. The room seemed to close in around you, the weight of her words and the betrayal pressing down on you.

"Nothing?" you echoed, your voice filled with disbelief. "You slept with her. You were out with another woman all night. I'm pregnant, is that fucking nothing to you?"

"Yes! I mean, no," Sam stammered, her voice cracking under the pressure.

"How many times did you fuck her?" you demanded, your voice icy and resolute. "And don't you dare lie to me."

Sam's face went pale, her eyes pleading as if begging you to retract the question. She hesitated, her gaze flickering between you and the floor, clearly struggling with the weight of her confession. Each second felt like an eternity as she fought to keep her composure.

You remained silent, staring at her with a mixture of anger and heartbreak, your eyes unyielding. The room seemed to grow colder with the intensity of the moment, the air thick with tension.

Finally, with a deep, shuddering breath, Sam looked up at you, her voice barely a whisper. "Three times," she said, her tone cracking with guilt.

You turned away, unable to bear the weight of her confession. Your heart felt like it was being crushed under a mountain of stress, shock, and disgust. "I think I'm going to throw up," you said, your voice barely a whisper as you walked toward the kitchen.

You needed to get away from Sam, to escape the suffocating reality of her betrayal. The sight of her was too much, her presence a painful reminder of the lies and broken trust.

But of course, she followed you, her footsteps echoing in the silence that hung heavy between you.

"But it didn't mean anything, baby," she rambled, her voice trembling with desperation.

"She made me realize I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know that now." Her words tumbled out, as if saying them repeatedly would somehow make everything right.

You stopped just short of the kitchen entrance, turning to face her with a look of fierce anger and hurt.

"I'm five months pregnant, and you're already out trying to fuck other women!" you screamed, your voice breaking with the force of your emotions.

The words hung in the air.

Sam stood there in silence, the weight of her actions pressing down on her like a ton of bricks. She knew there was no justification, no excuse that could make this right.

The realization of what she had done washed over her, leaving her feeling hollow and regretful. She had always prided herself on being strong and confident, but now, faced with the consequences of her betrayal, she felt weak and powerless.

The sight of you, the person she loved and admired most, looking at her with such hurt and anger, made her stomach churn. She wanted to speak, to beg for your forgiveness, but the words caught in her throat, tangled in her guilt.

You stared at her, waiting for something—anything—that could make this less painful. But her silence only deepened the wound. "Fuck you, Sam. It's over."

You turned away from her, walking into the kitchen with a sense of finality. Sam followed, her voice trembling as she called your name. "Y/n..." she started, her tone almost pleading as if she couldn't believe this was happening. You walked further, needing to put distance between you and her.

"Get out right now," you commanded, turning around to face her, your voice filled with a quiet threat. "I'll tell you when you can come and get your shit. Maybe Lily can help you pack." You spat the girl's name like a curse, the mere sound of it making your skin crawl.

Your head was pounding, the pain intense and unrelenting, threatening to explode. The pressure of trying to hold back sobs was almost unbearable, and the anger in your voice was the only thing keeping you from breaking down completely. You stood there, trembling, every muscle in your body taut with the effort of keeping it together.

Sam took a hesitant step forward, her voice trembling but attempting to remain calm. "Y/n, we're having a baby together," she reasoned, her tone a poor mask for the panic bubbling beneath the surface.

She knew deep down that her words wouldn't reach you, that her calm facade was crumbling. Her mind was spiraling, grasping at any hope to salvage what was left.

You turned around sharply, your eyes blazing with anger. "No," you snapped, your voice cutting through the air like a knife. "I'm the one having this baby. I'm the pregnant one. Not you."

Sam opened her mouth to say something, but you cut her off, your voice rising with each word.

"Get the fuck out, Sam, or I swear I'll call the police," you threatened, your voice shaking with a mix of anger and desperation. Sam's eyes widened with shock, and she took a step back, realizing the gravity of your words.

You didn't know what you would say to the police, or if you'd even call them to begin with, but you saw how she looked at you as if you were ready to do whatever it took to get her out of there, so she believed you would actually do it.

"Y/n, please..." she started, but the look in your eyes silenced her.

"Leave," you commanded, your voice steadier now, but no less fierce. "I can't stand the sight of you right now."

But when Sam didn't move, you realized you no longer had the strength to scream at her.

You took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. You needed her to understand, to listen to you just one last time. "Will you just get out, please?" you said, your tone softer now, almost pleading.

The exhaustion was overwhelming, making your limbs feel heavy and your vision blur at the edges.

You felt like you might faint from the sheer emotional toll of the confrontation. Sam hesitated for a moment longer, her eyes searching yours for any sign of forgiveness, but finding none.

With a resigned nod, she turned and walked out, leaving you standing there, the silence of the room pressing in on you, suffocating.

Your thoughts swirled in a chaotic mix of anger, sadness, and disbelief. The betrayal felt like a raw, open wound, each memory of Sam's deceit a fresh stab to your heart.

The room seemed to close in around you, the walls pressing in as if to suffocate the last remnants of your strength. You reached out for something to hold onto, trying to anchor yourself in a reality that felt increasingly surreal.

The silence now felt deafening, a stark contrast to the heated exchange that had just occurred. It was a silence that spoke of a fractured future, of dreams and trust irrevocably shattered.

When you two first met, Sam was the one who struggled to trust strangers or new people.

Now, you were the one left with the painful understanding that even those you've loved for years could betray you.

[anthonys237thfreckle]

Do you have any Javi headcanons? (Just about him as a character)

Javier ‘Javi’ Rivera - Headcanons

TW: mentions of death and mild bullying

🌪- Javi def grew up being called ‘Javier’ a lot in elementary school. He only transitioned to the nickname ‘Javi’ in late middle school/ high school.

🌪- Speaking of growing up, his freckles were made fun of, so he grew up being insecure about them. He doesn’t give a shit now, though, since the ladies liked it in college

🌪- He was always a fun kid to be around - very smiley when he was a young boy. In his teen years, he started discovering himself more, and in high school hooked up with both guys and girls.

🌪- He probably had his bi awakening through watching a movie and finding a male character hot, then being jealous of the female love interest.

🌪- Of course he was a little anxious about coming out, but he didn’t really care as much what people thought of him. If they asked, he’d tell them but he wouldn’t go around announcing to the school he’s bi or whatever.

🌪- He never really found an interest in subjects like art or music in school. He was really good in science, obviously. In elementary, his favourite topic was the water cycle.

🌪- In college, he was surprisingly good at what he did. He put a lot of effort into coursework AND balanced his hookups.

🌪- He found his group of friends: Jeb, Kate, Addy and Praveen - and he fit right in. The perfect balance of nerdy, ambitious and troublemaking.

🌪- His best assets in college were his holy trinity - hair, freckles and body. He did work out a lot in high school and maintained his figure in college, so that made him attractive. Those god-damned freckles made him eye catching and unforgettable, and his hair - a brown mop of curls, shoulder length and he rarely ever had a bad hair day (and as someone with curls myself, i need his routine.)

🌪- Javi’s lively personality was mostly squandered by two major events in his life. The EF5 accompanied by the loss of his friends and joining the military.

🌪- He still holds onto the grief of not being able to guide them through the storm, of being picked by the universe to live when three of his best friends died.

🌪- Part of him died too that day.

🌪- The military gave him a tough skin. Lots of physical training and whatnot - he still got to pursue and use his knowledge in meteorology, but more professional and safe this time.

🌪- To him it doesn’t feel the same.

🌪- Once he was done with the military, he started dating Scott mostly because he just wanted to feel something, and Scott made him feel things. However, the two of them didn’t mix and split up.

🌪- He’s a logical thinker, but under the influence of emotions, he’ll say whatever’s on his mind, no matter how hurtful it can be.

🌪- That’s why he’s a little afraid to get too riled up or to let his emotions free because he’s afraid of losing someone from saying something shitty.

🌪- However, after Kate talked some sense into him, he found a new purpose in life - to help people in danger. To save lives and communities, and he’s determined not to let anyone suffer the same fate as his friends on his watch.

[leonw4nter]

Don't Go To Sleep, Don't Rest Your Head

Dad!RE6!Leon x F!Reader

This is a sequel to Holding Our Dreams As You Lie To Rest. Use of D/N for Daughter's Name.

Oh, how tiny his beloved daughter was; when all 7 pounds of her could fit snugly in the nook of his arm; when she could still sit on his broad shoulders and feel the sky beneath her tiny fingers, the only weight he proudly bore on shoulders that usually held humanity’s suffering; when she would be carried home in his arms whenever she grew tired from walking. He missed being able to hold the world in his arms, push her stroller, and help her with the laces of her shoes but she’s a big girl now, ready to take on life outside of the comforts of her home, beyond her father’s reach.

“Honey, call me if you need anything okay?” Leon repeats for the nth time that day, arms crossed as he looks over her things again.

“Yes dad, I will. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” she reiterates. Her smile boasts confidence, sure of herself that she can do this away from her comfort zone.

Leon’s heart squeezes a bit, the transition from “daddy” to simply “dad” making him feel a bit more sentimental though he swears it’s just him missing his little miracle before she’s even really left.

“Remember: no boys and no excessive drinking. Got it?” he sternly adds as he gently strokes her hair. Hair that reminded him of her mother in every way possible.

“Yes, dad. No boys and no drinking–”

“And no caving in to reckless behavior. Also, careful with sororities; they can do more harm than good. Find friends who are up to the standards you set for yourself,” Leon adds.

His daughter groans slightly before nodding, promising she won’t do any of the things Leon doesn’t want her to do.

“Dad, I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do, okay? I’ll be fine. Besides, I’m grown now. I’m perfectly capable of making sound decisions, I’m not a little girl anymore.”

“Nonsense, you’ll always be my little girl no matter what,” Leon retorts with a teasing grin as he practically fights the tears threatening to spill from his waterline, bringing her in for one last papa bear hug before sending her off to college. Though she won’t admit it, she knew that deep down she’ll always be his little girl; he would always be there for her– for every victory and for every frustration. Just yesterday Leon was guiding her hand in writing her name for the first time; life is certainly a fickle little thing.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Not less than a few months later, Leon and his team are deployed for a mission. Leon’s faced plenty of outbreaks, always expecting the same outcome: mass casualty and the loss of members on his team but this mission unsettles him the most; the outbreak parameter encompasses where his daughter studies and currently lives in and judging from the intel provided by his superiors and news outlets, things are looking very grim for the inhabitants of that city. He’s tried phoning her multiple times and her signs of activity are short bursts, her responses being quick and short; many times she’s messaged that a call wouldn’t be safe because there’s “creatures” that react to even the faintest sound. The first time she sent that message, Leon immediately got up to pack his things and head to the headquarters to deploy himself into that mission, breaking his daughter’s rule on not letting him go on far missions. He swore to her mother that he would not let anything get to their daughter and he is bent on keeping this promise up, at the cost of his own life if this is how the situation plays out. Finally, their choppers arrive at the area and once again, everything is reminiscent of Raccoon City and Tall Oaks; cars littering the streets, burning fires scattered on the damp road, closed shops, and bloodied roads. Not a single noise can be heard and not a single sign of life can be detected; it doesn’t take dying to see Hell when you are standing right in the middle of the decay of a city, once bustling with life. Leon recognizes the place, spotting a signage with chipping paint nearby, displaying all the top locations in that city like malls, zoos, hospitals, and colleges. “Fuck, I’m only 15 minutes away from D/N.” he thinks. He contemplates moving to where her dorm is but he knows she’s smarter than that; she’s moved somewhere safer. He taught her after all, she learned from one of the best agents in the D.S.O. Mumbling a quick prayer, he reaches into his phone and tries to contact her number and prays that her ringtone doesn’t go off mid-escape. After waiting for a few minutes, she doesn’t pick up. Once more, his worry grows as he notices that she was last active 2 days ago. Their team is given instruction to start moving so they move, keeping their footfalls light and as muted as possible to avoid drawing attention to them.

Night fell and the sun rose, a warm glow cast over the shell of a city’s former glory. All night, Leon and his partner had walked around the place but not seeing any survivors, only more of the infected. Though they had wandered around the city almost all night long, there was a spot that they hadn’t gone to yet. Walking over to an abandoned apartment complex, Leon hears faint taps against a wall. The taps were rhythmic, an intentional beat created with each tap; soon, a hoarse voice calling for help could be heard, his heart lodging itself in his throat. Him and his partner split up, inspecting different floors before meeting up once again. He climbs the stairs, his heart feeling more like a ticking time bomb than an actual organ. He inspects each room, a keen eye not missing a single detail until he reaches an empty apartment with doors broken down.

“Dad!” He hears her, he hears his girl. His feet take him where he hears her voice, nothing else in the world mattering besides coming to her rescue and getting her out of that hellhole. He finally sees her and pulls her in for a hug, a hand coming up to cradle the back of her head as he presses kisses to the crown of her head. A part of him feels relieved to have found her still breathing but another part of him feels like a failure for exposing her to the world’s ugly side, a side he never dreamt of ever showing to her.

“Honey, a-are you alright?” he worriedly asks as he scans her up and down. Her clothes are torn and there's a bloody spot somewhere in her knee then he sees it: a fresh bite.

“D/N, we have to move now. There’s a vaccine that’s on trials right now and so far it’s doing good on tests so I’m going to have you vaccinated, okay? We’ll get out alive, you’ll be fine. Keep that bite covered for me, sweetie.”

He presses one more kiss against her forehead, not missing how cold she’s gotten and almost all color from her face disappearing. She looks at him through glossy eyes, nodding before wrapping her arm around his neck as he helps her out of the spot.

“I’ve located my daughter. She’s a survivor, send medical help.” he radioes.

“I’ve got you, sweetie. Stay strong, we got this right?” he softly asks with a weak grin.

“Y-yeah. W-we… do…” she mumbles, her response almost coming out in a whisper.

She doesn’t have much time left before the infection progresses; her temperature is dropping fast, her eyes are turning pinker with each moment, and her pulse is absolutely speeding so he does his best to urge her to hurry. Finally, they’re out of the building and near the extraction point.

He turns to face D/N to tell her that they’re almost there but is instead met with a low groan. A groan similar to that of the infected. One look at the greenish tinge to her skin is enough to tell him about his daughter’s current situation. D/N lifts her head up, cloudy irises zeroing in on Leon’s neck as the smell of death emanates from her bloodied mouth.

“D/N, please, hold on just a little longer– we’re almost there–” Leon persuaded her. He looked into her eyes again and saw a tiny flicker of his little girl flash on irises that grew even cloudier with each moment– scared and confused. She’s holding on, for his and her sake. She’s hanging by a thin thread but she knows she has her dad to pull her back up and deliver her from this hell; he’ll always protect her. Leon is not a man to break promises.

Despite being a few steps away from the extraction point, there isn’t a chopper or armored car in sight. D/N emits another low groan, this time much louder than earlier. With each movement of her mouth, he can hear the audible clicking of her jaw. She pulls away from him hastily, keeping her head away from his vision so he wouldn’t see the state of utter decay and decomposition her face is morphing into. The face, where her dearly departed mother lived through, is now morphing into a mass of bloody growths and putrid boils; it’s as if she’s defacing the face who carried her for a long nine months, a mockery of the love her father and mother shared. She felt immense guilt for failing to keep herself safe, putting her father into a state of more turmoil but she can’t stop it; no longer can she continue to keep the urge to dive in to a nice, warm neck at bay. Before she can get a chance to hold herself back and try to grapple with her humanity, a switch is turned. Gone is the sweet, loving, and saintly girl there was days ago.

“D/N? D/N, listen to me. Listen to my voice–” Leon says but his words are cut off when she pounces at him, teeth bared to try and yank out his innards.

Tears spill from his face, blurring his vision. How cruel must fate be that out of all the possibilities his little girl could make her exit from this world, this undignified death is what is set for her. His gun is right by his side and with a simple pull of a trigger, another infected is gone but this is not another infected, she’s his daughter. She’s his flesh and blood, the personification of two souls who loved in one. She is the parting gift of his Y/N, the maker of all his dreams. He can’t bring himself to take her out, though it’s the most merciful thing he can give her rather than have her linger for long in this form. He manages to push her away, sending her stumbling back. He reaches for his gun and keeps his finger trained on the trigger but he doesn’t pull; he can’t and doesn’t want to.

“Y/N, I’m so sorry.” is all he can say.

He knows that her mother is probably missing her, only having seen her grow from her place above and never actually having the chance to embrace her yet he couldn't help but grow a little selfish. Was it wrong for him to want her to stay alive? Was it wrong for him to have more time with the last thing keeping him going?

“I know you want to see our daughter but must you see her this soon? I want her around for just a little longer, honey. Can’t you do that? Can I be selfish for a bit?”, he silently pleads to her.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

“This letter for my precious flower D/N from her dear dad (and mom). Only read when moving out of our home to start your life away from me :) To my dear daughter, you were anticipated and cherished before we even saw you on a monitor. Ever since I held and raised you, these sensations only seemed to have grown a thousandfold. You are my precious D/N and before you grow before my eyes (as well as your mom in heaven), there’s things I want you to know: I love your mother very much. I am not a very prayerful man but I sincerely pray with all that I have that you will find someone who will treat you the way I treated you and your mother. It won’t matter if me and whoever you will love don’t get along in terms of interests but as long as they look at you with the twinkle of love in their eyes even when you’re doing something weird, I find comfort that I can entrust your heart to them. You never have to be alone and although there’s going to be times where I won’t get this “being a dad” thing right, I’m always doing my best for you.”

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

D/N lunges towards him again and narrowly avoids her, moving out of her way as his mind grapples with one idea that seems most desirable in that moment.. D/N advances towards his direction again but he doesn’t move, craning his neck to expose more skin, in order to get a better bite. He shuts his eyes, sadly chuckling to himself. A family reunion doesn’t sound so bad. Somewhere nice, somewhere warm…

A rancid whiff of decay hits his nostril sharply, causing him to gag slightly but he keeps his neck still free for her to feast on. She bellows an ear-splitting screech but a gunshot follows after that. D/N’s zombified body falls limp against Leon but she’s still moving, shrieking. He sees his partner with his gun trained on his daughter’s head, the first shot of his being on her leg.

“This is my little girl! Don’t shoot! Don’t–”

A shot rings through the air, a ringing that will haunt him for the rest of his cursed life.

D/N finally falls limp, blood staining his gear as she lays motionless against his body. He sinks down, cradling her in his arms as he rocks her back and forth. Her body is curled up against him, just like when she was but a tiny baby. To Leon, she still is. Always was.

“My baby,” he mutters as he lets choked sobs free. He cries the hardest he’s ever done; he cries for himself, his daughter, his wife, his broken promises, for all the parents that have seen their child die in their arms. For the life his daughter never got to fully live out.

“My little D/N. Daddy’s here, daddy’s got you. It’s okay. You’re okay. You’re safe now. You can rest my beautiful angel.”

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

“You’re going to see a whole lot of interesting places and by now, you’ve figured that you and I are tiny things in a grand scheme of things; life is interesting not because of the comforts but because of the challenges, the experiences you get from these things. I’ve always hated being away from your mother when she was still pregnant with you but when I was out there, I thought about her and the beautiful little girl she’s carrying in her belly and suddenly I had a reason to live, to keep fighting. I had to do what I did so that the future you live in will be peaceful; you won’t have to be afraid of monsters under your bed or monsters in your closet. Know that even when you’re a big girl, it’s still okay to cry and it’s definitely okay to ask for help. Don’t push your emotions away and feel them; don’t resort to alcohol, trust me– you’re going to harm yourself and the people who care about you. Indulge in some fun, it won’t hurt to be happy but don’t indulge too much– too much of something is bad (just as too little of something).

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

9 years ago.

D/N’s team was losing by 5 points, her team rattled and tense from all the pressure dawning in on them. It was kind of funny, seeing all these nine-year-olds faces go from smiles and giggles to knitted eyebrows and deep frowns. Everyone’s uniforms were dirty, dark soil staining every kid’s formerly white knee-socks, much to the dismay of some mothers on the benches tasked with laundry in their respective homes– not that Leon cared, he can always get his sweet daughter a new pair; all that matters is that she isn’t afraid to get a little sweaty and play rough.

By now, every parent invested in this game is standing up with their hands on their hips and heads tilted towards the scoreboard. The air feels electric, cheering and chanting from both sides growing louder with each passing moment. Then, a kid from the opposing team hits a home run and scores for her team which triggers the parents of the opposing team to express their joy at the success. D/N doesn’t look too disappointed but she doesn’t look too happy either, just very tired. Her eyes scan the crowd, looking for her dad. Chris had to send her to the game since Leon was still on a mission earlier on that day but luckily, he managed to get it done fast and zipped for the stadium. Finally she spots him, her dad waving at her from the benches and quickly making his way down the stairs and towards her with his arms opened wide.

“Daddy!” she beams. “You’re here!”

She drops her glove and rushes to him, her own little arms opened. He catches up to her, bending down to scoop her into a bone-crushingly, breath-stealing hug. Mud and bits of grass will probably stick on his navy blue polo, the mud drying up and causing a stubborn stain but he could not careless; what’s there to worry about when D/N is all smiles and pure happiness?

“Yeah, I’m here honey. I can’t miss your big game, just couldn’t do it,” he responds while still hugging her. He pulls away before taking out a towel from a bag he brought, wiping her sweaty forehead. Flyaways are everywhere in her braided hair, other smaller strands sticking to her forehead; some dust is also sticking to her flushed face but she looks ecstatic nevertheless.

“Daddy I lost!” she exclaims. Not a single trace of defeat is on her face– she doesn’t even look the least bit exhausted from all that running and catching.

“It’s okay, sweetpea. It’s alright, we’re all still very proud of you,” the “we” in question being her uncles, aunts, Leon, and Y/N.

“You did great out there, champ! You were absolutely speeding back there, you looked really cool!” he comments as he throws her two thumbs up. D/N’s eyes sparkle, chest puffing with confidence upon hearing from Leon about how well she performed in that game.

“Thanks, dad! But I’m really tired, my legs feel like jelly. Ice cream?” she suggests as she throws him the most soft-looking, puppy-dog eyes she can muster. The thing is, she didn’t need to do puppy eyes when he already planned to take her out for some celebratory sweets.

“Of course! Anything for my pro baseball player,” he responds. Standing back up, he puts the towel back in his bag and puts some alcohol in her hands. Taking her tinier ones in his, they make their way out of the field and into the car, where she’ll enjoy her sweet treat.

The loss of her team doesn’t matter when to Leon’s eyes, she will always be his big winner.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

“My hands are getting a little sore (sorry honey, I’m not the biggest fan of writing) and I’m running out of the most flowery words to say but basically, the main takeaways of this entire letter are simple: I love you, I’d do anything for you, and that I wish you would choose me to be your dad in every universe. In every twisted reality, in the next life and the lives after those, you would give me the highest honor of having you call me ‘dad’. Well, if I’m not going to be your dad then I guess the most I can contribute for you is that hopefully, you will have the most patient, kind, and understanding dad ever. He’ll be able to provide for you and your mother’s needs and will be willing to let down his life for the two of you, at any cost. Don’t worry though, I might watch over you as a tiny little firefly. That’s all and don’t you ever, ever, ever forget that you always have me and your mother and you’re always welcome home. All my love, your dad (and mom).”

NOTE - I finally finished this after 2 days of working!!!!!! It ended up a little longer than I intended it to so I'm a lil sorry for that... I'm not sure if you guys prefer medium-length fics to longer fics so just feel free to put your preferences in the comments :) Also this is my first RE6!Leon fic so yeah there's that!!!!!!! Gallagher from HSR kinda badd... like... he kinda hot... I don't play HSR but bro he looks so hot, they better make this man 46 like PLEASE. Anyways, that's it and thanks for reading my fics!!!!!! I <333 YOUUU

The chain dividers are from @cafekitsune , the images are made by me (sourced from Pinterest).

[literaryvein-reblogs]

May i have some advice on writing a trans-masc character? Like internal and external conflict and how to tackle them properly?

Writing Notes: Transmasculine

Transmasculine

A term used to describe people who were assigned female at birth but identify with a masculine gender identity more than a feminine gender identity.

This term is not interchangeable with trans man, although trans men may identify as transmasculine.

Can also be used to describe gender expression or as a gender identity in its own right.

“This term includes non-binary people, gender fluid people, genderqueer people—anyone assigned female at birth whose gender falls in the more masculine range,” Jo Eckler, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist based in Texas and author of I Can’t Fix You—Because You’re Not Broken, said in a 2020 interview with Health.

“The term transgender is often used as an umbrella term that encompasses anyone who does not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. So trans men and transmasculine people are both transgender.”

Transmasculine is an adjective sometimes used to describe transmen, as in “transmasculine activist.”

Matthew Heinz (2016) uses the term ‘transmasculine’ to: "loosely describe people who were assigned to the female sex at birth, who do not perceive this sex designation to be an appropriate representation of their gender or sex, and who may identify as AFAB (assigned female at birth), affirmed male, bi-gender, boi, boy, FAAB (female assigned at birth), f2m, F2M, female-bodied man, female-to-male (FTM), guy, M2M, male, male-identified, male of centre, man, man of transgendered experience, man with transsexual history, new man, non-binary guy, trannyboi, transboy, transfag, transguy, transmale, transman, transmasculine, or transmasculine-leaning."

This is not meant to be an exclusive list of the identity labels transmasculine individuals may create or select to describe themselves, which vary greatly in meaning and usage (Bhanji 2012; Diamond & Butterworth 2008; Norwood 2012; Spencer 2014).

The Transgender Emergence Model

Created by counselor and social worker Arlene Istar Lev in response to the lack of a theoretical framework to guide work with transgender clients in therapy (Lev, 2004).

The framework is comprised of 6 stages and is linear in structure, but allows for fluidity or movement between stages.

This model was one of the first attempts to create a model to describe the transgender identity development process.

Stage 1: Awareness

This stage is often marked by distress as the person comes to terms with a range of emotions and thoughts

Stage 2: Seeking Info/Reaching Out

Outreach for support and knowledge regarding gender identity

Connections are made to other transgender people to learn about their process and to discover additional supports

Stage 3: Disclosure to Significant Others

Disclosing one’s transgender identity to significant people—partners, family, friends, etc.

Developing additional support networks and navigating the challenges and responses of disclosure

Stage 4: Exploration: Identity and Self-Labeling

Exploring the numerous iterations of gender and becoming comfortable and owning the gender identity that is right for the individual

Stage 5: Exploration: Transition Issues / Possible Body Modification

Exploration of gender confirming interventions such as hormones, top or bottom surgery, and exploring specific expression of gender

Self-advocating and the ability to navigate gender identity and expression as one, while also challenging the world to acknowledge and respect one’s identity

Stage 6: Integration: Acceptance and Post-Transition Issues

Transitions begin and may be ongoing—hormones, hair removal, etc.

Acceptance has been acknowledged and the individual is living life having integrated and synthesized their gender identity

An example of a transgender person who has reached stage 6 might be a transmasculine college student (assigned female at birth) who begins taking testosterone and undertakes chest reduction (top) surgery in order to live full time as a man.

LIMITATIONS OF THIS MODEL

It focuses solely on gender identity development.

It does not offer a unified theory of sexual and gender identity development, even though these two aspects of identity are often intertwined and students may experience development of both simultaneously.

Stage Model on Transgender Identity Development

One of the first developmental models for transgender identities posited by Devor (2004). Within his model, Devor describes 14 linear stages in which the individual can progress through in order to develop a sense of identity pride.

Stage 1: Abiding Anxiety

Stage 2: Identity Confusion Regarding Originally Assigned Gender and Sex

Stage 3: Identity Comparison of Originally Assigned Gender and Sex

Stage 4: Discovery of Transgenderism

Stage 5: Identity Confusion Regarding Transgenderism

Stage 6: Identity Comparison of Transgenderism

Stage 7: Tolerance of Transgender Identity

Stage 8: Delay Before Acceptance of Transgender Identity

Stage 9: Acceptance of Transgender Identity

Stage 10: Delay Before Transition

Stage 11: Transition

Stage 12: Acceptance of Post-Transition Gender and Sex Identities

Stage 13: Integration

Stage 14: Pride

Broadly, this model posits that individuals begin the developmental process by experiencing anxiety and confusion over their gendered behaviours and compares them to others with the same assigned sex.

Similar to other models, the individual attempts to seek out greater belonging within the transgender community to affirm and accept their identity, however prior to doing this they may wish to make adjustments within their interpersonal environment so that they’re surrounded by individuals who are also accepting of a transgender identity (disclosure of identity may also follow from here).

The last stages of Devor’s model explore the notions of transitioning from one gender to another, and end in pride of identity.

That is, in order to re-affirm an individual’s identity with their gender, they may seek to transition from one gender to another, in either (or both) a social or physical sense, in order to fully accept and feel pride with their gender identity.

LIMITATIONS OF THIS MODEL

Although Devor’s (2004) model posits a comprehensive approach to transgender identity development, he clarifies that there could be multiple pathways within the model that transgender individuals can progress through.

Moreover, he notes that this model will not fit every transgender person or other gender-diverse individuals, such as those whose gender identity falls outside of the binary of male and female (for a discussion on other TGD development models, see Diamond et al., 2011).

Some aspects of Devor’s model might be applicable to these individuals, such as initial confusion and comparison of identity, whereas other stages (such as the transition stages), might be only applicable to the binary concepts of male/female gender-diversity.

However, an adaption of these transition stages within this model for gender non-binary individuals might be acceptable (e.g. these individuals might still transition from a binary gender identity to a non-binary gender identity from a social and cultural perspective).

Given the scarcity of research on the identity development of gender non-binary identities, future researchers should consider how models, such as Devor’s (2004), are adaptable to other gender-diverse individuals.

On Media Representation & Portrayals

Media rely on stereotypes to tell stories, especially when the topics deal with novel representations. At issue is the limited number of transmasculine characters, along with outdated tropes.

According to Dry (2019), Hollywood is still “figuring out what to do with trans male characters.”

Billard (2016) credited the invisibility of transgender men to the lack of shock or intrigue given to transgender women.

In its depictions, television teaches that young transmasculine characters are less scandalous than transfeminine characters, which is understandable given the more acceptable “tomboy” over the “sissy.”

New Amsterdam (2018) does a significantly more thorough job of explaining the transition of a transmasculine character than other medical dramas, which often focus on the surgical aspect. In the episode, transgender youth Shay’s parents describe how depressed he had been and how after he socially transitioned, he started smiling and making friends.

Heinz (2016) explained traditional transmasculine narratives in the following stages:

emergence of trans consciousness,

severe distress,

treatment of the condition, and

resolution of the distress and “integration into normative society” (p. 104).

The severe distress aspect is likely presented in 2 forms: others’ judgments and one’s own perception that they need to be “fixed.”

The “wrong body” trope, according to Halberstam (1998), describes an error of nature “whereby gender identity and biological sex are not only discontinuous but catastrophically at odds.”

Heinz (2016) added, “If one is trapped in the ‘wrong’ body, then one’s condition needs to be ‘righted’” (p. 89), which then leads to the third stage of altering the body through surgery and hormones.

This “wrong body” trope is mainly found in older series, such as The L Word, Degrassi, and The Fosters.

It no longer appears after 2015.

Instead of “wrong body,” Ian Harvie jokes in his comedy special, “I just feel like this was the right body. I just made some modifications to it.”

Interdisciplinary artist and film-maker Jules Rosskam (2010), ponders whether the system of representation itself precludes an ‘ideal’ trans representation in the media:

"Perhaps we can agree that we will not expect one person, one film, one story to represent the vastly different, extremely complex and beautiful variety of our lives. And, that no matter how much we disagree or dis-identify with the version of trans being represented, we must not engage in practices that attempt to silence certain voices, in order that ours be heard."

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References

If drawing from personal experience isn't possible, more important than all of this research is to speak with and listen to transmasculine people in our lives. Hope this helps with your writing!

[celestialtarot11]

What is Your Soul Up to in the Spirit Realm? 🤍☁️

Hi friends! ⭐️💗 welcome back to another reading. We’re looking at what your soul is up to in the 5D or the spirit realm! In terms of healing, upcoming plans, manifestations, and any messages! Please like, comment and reblog to support 💌❤️

Pile 1: 4 of wands • 3 of wands

Hi there pile 1’s! 💗🤗 Welcome! I see your soul is up to some new and fun stuff 👀 out here partying! There’s a celebration coming up in your physical space, with a job, college acceptance, graduation, wedding, or a party of some kind that’ll help you connect with others better. I feel this event will help open your eyes to your future and whats possible for you. It’ll help renew your faith in your plans especially if you felt down recently! There’s so much incoming abundance in terms of relationships, family, friends, and any future goals are prospering soon! For some of ya’ll who are close to spirit guides, maybe you picked up a new spirit guide will be joining your team for this part of life, they are not staying forever, just to help you with transitioning and growing into this new you 💗🤗 so beautiful! I feel this spirit guide is celebratory and will be a guiding force in helping you make empowered decisions. On a personal level you’ll feel like you’re winning, you’ll feel alive, and open to hearing your souls truth moving forward 🤍⭐️ I also feel there is a lot of luck associated with this time of your life, so if you look at your solar return chart maybe Jupiter is prominent, or making a big aspect to your personal planets. Maybe its sitting in an angular house (1st, 7th, and 10th house) in your SR return chart. If you are not very spiritual its possible you could explore the 5D and the beautiful connections that are there for you in terms of spirit guides! If you work with deities you could be expanding to work with more! I also lots of travel! This will help you a lot to foster an open mind and have new opportunities come your way 🫶 thank you so much pile 1! Please like, comment and reblog to share the love ❤️💗🤍 have a great one!

Pile 2: 10 of pentacles • Page of wands

Hi there pile 2’s! Welcome to your reading 💗⭐️🤗 For you I see your soul is gathering long term opportunities to build a better future! This could mean a better job, bonus, higher position, or a career path is becoming clear to you! Your soul is wanting you to master something here as well in regard to your physical and material world. Finances especially, and matters of the home. But more so the emotional aspects of home life. Its possible ya’ll have been saving up to move out into your own place and now the opportunity is here! Your soul is wanting to help you gain your footing physically, and start a legacy of some kind 💗🤗🤍 this could even be your own solo business! Or continuing a family business, but in your own way. So maybe you’re changing some rules to the game, adding your own, and taking away when needed 💌 we love that! Independence 💅🏻 More so, your soul is wanting you to have a beautiful chance at a stable home life and stable position in a job, where you feel you are thriving and not living paycheck to paycheck. Your soul is also going to present this opportunity to gather stability soon! Its coming in real hot. And it may take some time to make a decision, or to think of the long term investment when it does arrive, but thats okay! Its all part of the process because your soul wants you to start thinking long term now 💗🤗 how can you be successful in your future? This can also be in regards to your health, wanting to build a better connection with your body if it was injured or hurt in some kind of way. Healing and nurturing yourself! Thank you pile 2’s! Please like, comment and reblog to share the love ☁️🤍 have a great day/night!

Pile 3: 6 of pentacles • Judgement

Alright hi pile 3’s! ❤️💗⭐️ I do want to say I love this card combo we got for you 😂 chefs kiss! Your soul is working through past karma related to giving/receiving. Maybe there was an imbalance in your relationship where you over gave and people did not meet the bare minimum. So your soul is learning from that and implementing changes! Your soul is wanting to bring forward to you the awareness of change, and inner security. You may have to release these people who hurt you and could not give you more than the bare minimum, but it’s important for your growth. I also heard all in due time, so it seems that maybe you knew you’d have to let them go soon. Or maybe you got the feeling these types of people couldn’t linger anymore, they’d have to go. But it’s been hard for you to let them go, which is why your soul is wanting you to realize these kinds of experiences can end. You have the power to end holding onto these patterns and people. This is a major point in growth for you and important to your souls missions. Its part of your soul to move towards stability, calm and balance. Let go of what imbalances you. I also heard your soul is not afraid to rock boats so it can do what it needs to do, especially what it set out to do from the beginning. Powerful message! ⭐️💌 I feel like your soul is a bad bitch and came here to slay 💅🏻🚨 but truthfully, your soul knows these types of patterns and people are only limiting you and your potential to create. If you’ve been in jobs where its been unfair, tumultuous, chaotic, your soul is arranging opportunities in which you receive better but only when you realize you are worthy of that! 🤗💗 thank you pile 3’s! Please like, comment and reblog to share the love ☮️💗☁️

Pile 4: Ace of pentacles • 10 of cups

Hi there pile 4’s! 💗🤗 last but not least ☮️⭐️ I see your soul is arranging a soul family meeting 👀🫶 you’ll be meeting people who are closest to your heart and those who understand you greatly! Soul twins 😂💗 you’ll be shocked at how much these people value you especially if you’ve been in past relationships where people breadcrumbed you. Your soul wants shiny, better, and luxurious partnerships 😍💗 no playing around! Your soul wants you to have the best of the best. And here it is! I feel its been a long time coming and now you’re ready to receive this opportunity. Its possible you could meet them in the form of co-workers! Someone may be of high status here as well, and share that with you. If you’re desiring a partner, they will be of high status and position, and share their finances with you 💗☁️ they also want this commitment just as much as you do. Brighter days are ahead! Your soul definitely wants to feel comfortable on its own in a community, not where it has to abandon itself to keep others happy. This is the kind of community where you’ll be satisfied and at peace. If you’ve been wanting to provide or have a family of your own, your soul is also taking that into account and arranging opportunities where you receive help to make this come true 💗🤗☁️ better job opportunities, bonuses, your partner may have a stable financial income, you’ll be having another stream of income as well this year! Your soul is definitely wanting to thrive 🫶😍 if anyone is wanting kids here your soul is also supporting your dreams and aspirations 🤗💗 if anyone is wanting a home too, this year and moving forward is time to start saving up! Thank you pile 4’s! Please like, comment and reblog to share the love ☮️🤍💌 have a great one!

Thank you everyone for all of the support 💗🤗☮️ I hope this resonated!

Paid readings ☮️💗

[copperbadge]

Radio Free Monday

Good morning everyone, and welcome to Radio Free Monday!

Ways to Give:

dancing-thru-clouds was recently hit with a surprise tax bill (she didn't realize her town had local income tax, and didn't receive the previous year's notice); she's adjusted her withholding to account for this, but still owes the balance from the past two years and is fundraising to cover the balance. You can give via paypal here.

stemmonade is a disabled Black trans person who relies on crowdfunding for survival since they can't work and their wife is currently unemployed; they are raising a little over $700 to cover rent and essentials in the meantime. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

themerrymutants is a disabled queer man currently living on social security aid; he has recently had to travel to the emergency room several times for possible complications from a recent surgery, and is now short on rent because of the cost of transit. You can read more, reblog, and find giving information here.

Anon linked to a fundraiser for prototrans, a disabled artist who needs help with rent money; he is also offering commissions. You can read more, reblog, and find giving and commission information here.

Recurring Needs:

Anon linked to a fundraiser for a friend whose family has not had a working furnace since November; they've been using space heaters to keep warm but January in Chicago has been brutal and the space heaters aren't sufficient. With vulnerable family members including elderly relatives and children in the home, they need to raise $6K to get the furnace replaced. You can read more and support the fundraiser here.

thelastpyler is raising funds for food and to purchase medication for their family; you can read more and find giving information here.

Eli is a disabled Michigander who cares for their elderly grandmother; they are applying for SSDI, but their car was damaged recently and is undrivable, with estimated $8K-$12K in repairs to make it drivable. They need transportation for doctor's visits and legal consultations for their SSDI appeal, and have no way to get around without the car. You can read more and reblog here or give at the gofundme here.

loversdoom is a college student from the Philippines, studying away from her family, and her parents are unexpectedly unable to support her education; she is in mounting debt and facing eviction from her dorm in her last semester of college. She's raising funds to repair her laptop so she can do her schoolwork and find a remote job that will help her pay rent, and to fund the remainder of her schooling. You can read more and reblog here and support the fundraiser here.

Anon linked to karla-hoshi or Hoshi on TikTok, who is raising funds for cancer treatment for her cat Naku; they caught the cancer early and hope that he can survive it, but can't continue treatment without funding. You can read more and support the fundraiser here, as well as find links to her updates on tiktok.

chingaderita's partner recently lost their job due to a house fire that also destroyed the house; they're raising funds to keep food on the table, to try and get a supply of water to keep clean and do laundry, and for various bills until they can find new work. You can read more, reblog, and support the fundraiser here.

And this has been Radio Free Monday! Thank you for your time. You can post items for my attention at the Radio Free Monday submissions form. If you're new to fundraising, you may want to check out my guide to fundraising here.

[whereserpentswalk]

Your mind has been taken somewhere very dangerous and very far from earth while you were sleeping. Select a guide to take place you in a body on their home plane, so you can try to get back to earth and your original form.

Which guide/plane will you choose?

The plane of Dredd: A Semi apocalyptic world where the sky shifts between yellow, red and black, yet no sun nore stars ever show. Nobody knows what ended the world, but the ruins of an old one can be seen among the wasteland, even if those with warm bodies can't remember it. Undead are more common here, from animalistic ghouls, to powerful vampyrs and liches. Your guide is a revenant gunslinger whose used to putting souls from other planes in still living bodies.

The plane of Outlend: a world of deep forests, shining deserts, and high mountains. No humans exist here, with the dominant races being the orcs, the goblins and hobgoblins, the lizard folk, and the dark elves. Sentient beings here seem to be born from strange mystical pits, with no child or female members existing in any known race (though some dark elf gods are portrayed as feminine). Your guide is a young hobgoblin whose been studying magic in college, and has become enamored with the possibility of other planes.

The plane of Computera: A plane that exists entirely digitally, with no actual physical space existing here. Some places here are vast virtual spaces, though others resemble a static screen more so. Though some places here are ruled by strange factions, or by eldritch beings that have mutated into corporations, there are still safe zones. You won't need as much of a guide as bodies don't really exist here, but there's an old helper program who can help you get through this place.

The plane of Abiss: a dark and firey place where demons of all sorts, fallen angels, and humans who have lost their humanity dwell. This place can be quite fun if you're in the right part, and find the right kind of hedonist, but there are certainly some places you don't want to end up here. Your guide is a faerie who ended up their due to a contract between Abiss and Archadiya, she doesn't want to be here either but she's learned to adjust.

The plane of Nemon: a massive plane of mostly empty space. Planets exist here but humans have no way of settling them, and live entirely on massive space stations and space ships. Humans here are born artificially, and lack biological sex. It's also really common for humans here to combine themselves with technology, becoming strange cyborgs. It's said there are ships and stations controlled by things much stranger then humans, and much more ancient, in uncharted space. Your guide will be an artist whose been studying the occult recently, and is as caught off guard by this as you.

The plane of Archadiya: an endless forest, larger than all of your earth, inhabited by a strange all female race of semi immortal beings known as faeries. Some faeries are quite humanoid, even beautiful in an otherworldly way, though some take on much more alien appearances, resembling fungi or insects. Regardless of appearance though, all faeries have minds alien to us. In the outer edge of this plane there are things older than even faeries here, though those things are too mysterious and deadly to speak of now. Your guide is a moth like faerie whose been waiting at a silver lake for something like this to happen.

Like to prevent the Aeaoiioauei from taking notice of you while in transit. Reblog to get to your new body safely.

[rauthschild]

Communist History Of V. P. Kamala Harris

 This is a really revealing history of of this nation's Vice President and presidential candidate. It is a long article but is necessary because it is so very important for you to know. This editorial is by Major General Higginbotham U.S. Marines (Ret)

This timely editorial that exposes the hidden background of Kamala Harris is from the Combat Veterans for Congress Political Action Committee. It is posted here with permission of the author. CVFC PAC supports the election of US military combat veterans to the US Senate and House of Representatives.

The editorial begins:

Kamala Harris' father was an avowed Marxist professor in the Economics Department at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. Both of Harris' parents were active in the Berkeley based Afro-American Association; Fidel Castro and Che Guevara were the heroes of the Afro-American Association. The group's leader, Donald Warden (aka Khalid al-Mansour), mentored two young Afro-American Association members, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale; they created the Maoist inspired Black Panther Party which gained strong support from Communist China; the Black Panther Party served as the model for creation of the Black Lives Matter Marxist organization Khalid al-Mansour subsequently went on to arrange financing and facilitated for Barack Hussein Obama to be accepted as a student to matriculate at Harvard Law School.

Following her graduation from college, Harris returned to California and subsequently became the mistress of the 60-year-old married Speaker of the California Assembly, Willie Brown, Jr. Brown's political campaigns were supported and funded by Dr. Carlton Goodlett, the owner of The Sun Reporter and several other pro-Communist newspapers. Brown was elected as Mayor of San Francisco, and strongly endorsed Harris' Marxist political philosophy; he guided Harris' political rise in California politics, leading to her election as California's Attorney General. Willie Brown, Jr. is a well-known long-time Communist sympathizer.

Willie Brown, Jr. was initially elected to public office with substantial help of the Communist Party USA. Today, Willie Brown is widely regarded as one of the Chinese Communist Party's best friends in the San Francisco Bay Area. While serving as San Francisco District Attorney, Kamala Harris mentored a young San Francisco Radical Maoist activist, Lateefah Simon, who was a member of the STORM Revolutionary Movement; Simon currently chairs the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Board. Simon has always been close friends with the founder of Black Lives Matter Marxist Domestic Terrorists, Alicia Garza, as well as STORM member and avowed Communist, Van Jones. Harris has been openly and aggressively supporting Black Lives Matter Marxists; Kamala Harris is still closely associated with Maoist Lateefah Simon and Marxist Alicia Garza.

 Kamala Harris's sister Maya Harris was a student activist at Stanford University. She was a closely associated with Steve Phillips, one of the leading Marxist-Leninists on campus and a long-time affiliate with the League of Revolutionary Struggle, a pro-Chinese Communist group. Phillips came out of the Left, and in college he studied Marx, Mao, and Lenin, and maintained close associations with fellow Communists. Phillips married into the multi billion dollar Sandler family of the Golden West Savings and Loan Fortune. He funded many leftist political campaigns, and the voter registration drives in the Southern and South Western states in order to help his friend, Barack Hussein Obama, defeat Hillary Clinton.

Phillips has been a major financial sponsor for Kamala Harris's political campaigns for various California elective offices. Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff works for the law firm DLA Piper, which "boasts nearly 30 years of experience in Communist China with over 140 lawyers dedicated to its 'Communist China investment Services' branch. He was just appointed to Professor at Yale to school future lawyers in the fine points of Communism. When she was elected to the US Senate,Kamala Harris appointed a Pro-Communist Senate Chief of Staff, Karine Jean-Pierre. Jean-Pierre was active with the New York-based Haiti Support Network. The organization worked closely with the pro-Communist China/Communist North Korea Workers World Party and supported Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the far-left Communist former president of Haiti and the radical Lavalas movement.

Fortunately for Harris, but potentially disastrous for the Republic, elected office holders are not subject to the security clearance process. If the FBI did a Background Investigation on Kamala Harris, she never would have passed, because of her 40-year close ties with Marxists, Communists, Maoists, and Communist China. Harris would never have been approved for acceptance to any of the 5 Military Service Academies, been appointed to a U.S. Government Sub-Cabinet position, or would have been approved to fill a sensitive position for a high security defense contractor. Yet, since Joe Biden was elected, Harris could be a heartbeat away from being President. The U.S. constitutional Republic is being threatened by the People's Republic of Communist China (PPC) externally, and by their very active espionage operations within the United States. The People's Republic of Communist China (PPC), with 1.4 billion people, is governed by the 90 million member Chinese Communist Party (CCP), that has been working with Russia to destroy the U.S. Constitutional Republic for over 70 years.

 If the American voters read the background information (in Trevor Loudon's article) on Kamala Harris, they would never support her election as Vice President of the United States. Joe Biden is suffering from the early onset of dementia and will continue to decline in cerebral awareness; he will never be able to fill out a four-year term of office. Since Biden was elected, the Socialists, Marxists, and Communist who control Kamala Harris, are planning to enact provisions of the 25th Amendment, in order to remove Joe Biden from office, so Harris can become the first Communist President of the United States. Since Biden was elected, because Biden would not be up to it,

Kamala Harris would lead the effort to appoint very dangerous anti-American Leftist, Communist, Socialists, and Marxists to fill highly sensitive positions in the Washington Deep State Bureaucracy. She would fill all appointive positions in the US Intelligence Agencies, in the Department of Homeland Security, in the Department of Defense, in The Justice Department, the Department of State, the FBI, the CIA, most cabinet positions, the National Security Council, and in the White House Staff. American voters must alert their fellow Americans that Kamala Harris is a very serious National Security threat to the very survival of the US Constitutional Republic; she has been a fellow traveler of Marxists, Communists, Maoists, Socialists, Progressives, and Chinese Communists for over 35 years.

President Trump had much more background information on Kamala Harris than we presented here, and he was correct, when he accused Kamala Harris of being a Communist subverter.

Geoffrey B. Higginbotham Major General, USMC (Ret).

Ernest Rauthschild's Response

Further, Geoffrey B. Higginbotham is standing in front of the foreign corporate British Territorial United States and Vatican Municipal United States BANNER; and not our Autochthonous Preamble Posterity General Government Flag enacted by the General Congress Assembled July 14th, 1777.

None of the "presidents of the United States" in my lifetime have been elected either in accord with Art. 2, Section 1 or Amendment 12 of the United States Constitution. There is no Constitutional provision that allows the Winners of the partisan conventions, who somehow become a candidate the Electoral College Select from, to choose or pick the candidate for Vice' President.

Since Congress has never declared war during Higginbotham tenure and lifetime, his resume is merely that of a foreign corporate Indentured 13th and 14th Amendment White Negro Slave in a foreign corporate Mercenary uniform.

[l-na]

another poor guide for you

other things to fudge in general for resources: if you need to move out of your abusive household, or need to leave a place youre financially dependent on, or are about to be evicted, or some other very precarious situation that requires you live somewhere cheap....

find a peer resource center near you. you might need insurance for this, but you can ask them for resources on how to get on medicaid. look into transitional age youth if youre under 24.

ask for homelessness verification. youre going to need to HARDCORE bullshit about being homeless. make it realistic, say youre out on the streets three times a week. usually they have an application that will automatically be sent to some sort of service that will then get back to you with resources.

DO NOT CLAIM TO BE IN COLLEGE IN ANY WAY. LIE. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH.

frame it like you cannot survive in shelters. you want to implore you need independent living. if you have a disability, exaggerate it.

hide income. you do not have a job. you do not have money.

ask for resources for finding low income/no income apartments. if the apartments require a certain amount of income, oh look, you just got a job, isnt that great!

????

success?

its highly dependent on where you live and whats available, but you might be able to squeeze into a studio, one, two, or three bedroom apartment thats low income. and believe it or not, low income apartments are usually in well connected metro areas and look decent. i live in one right now.

oh yeah step zero is do not feel a single ounce of guilt for using these resources.

they will only help you at your lowest if you are in the most desperate situation a human could possibly be in. they still find ways to reject people who are in much worse situations than you, because these systems are built on hate. if this is life or death, lie. lie all day long. as a peer specialist ive advised my clients to lie before, and ive even been given advice on how to lie by my peer specialists back before my training. everyone knows the systems rigged. be confident. i live with three other people who are all low income and poor and we were in danger of being homeless and we STILL had to lie about things to get our apartment. fuck the system. do what must be done.

[no-stupid-questions-official]

how do I find Linux people to help guide my transition? Linux is probably my best option for once my current computer dies, but all I have is vague knowledge from fifteen years ago. getting advice over the internet about it wouldn't work for me, so it would have to be in person. I live in a college town and I think there's a computers department, but it's the end of the school year so most students are gone, plus I don't want to set foot on that campus ever again.

-

[moonlghtmoments]

Sobriety over Nights Out

I’ve noticed a bias against sobriety among my friends. When I tell them I no longer drink, they often respond with skeptical looks. They can’t imagine that the party-loving girl from the city would ever slow down—but I have. “Slow down” isn’t quite the right term; I feel like I’ve finally come to my senses. I’ve moved out of the city, gotten married, and settled in the suburbs—a classic story.

So, do I regret those nights of drinking? Only the hangovers, sometimes. The nights themselves were filled with friends, laughter, and a vibrant energy that connected us all. Drinking helped me shed my insecurities, allowing me to temporarily escape the challenges of my home life, including past abuses. I won’t delve into that here, as it deserves a more thoughtful exploration.

Now, at 27 and grappling with my own insecurities, I’ve made the choice to stop drinking. To understand why, consider the physical and mental benefits of sobriety. Alcohol can change your appearance—causing bloating and affecting your skin. Aging is hard enough without adding heartburn and nausea to the mix. And after 24, the hangovers became brutal—headaches and a whole day wasted, often followed by brain fog that lingered for days after just one drink. This isn’t how I wanted to live my life.

While cultural moments often revolve around drinking, I realized I had become dependent on alcohol to guide me through all of those important moments. As someone with bipolar disorder, I knew that drinking only aggravated my situation. That’s when I decided to make a change: cut out alcohol completely.

Thankfully, my husband has been my biggest supporter from the very beginning. We started as a couple who enjoyed a few beers after work, but we soon realized how alcohol had seeped into our relationship, undermining our foundation. It had become my number one enemy, fostering distrust in everything—including myself.

When I stopped drinking, life didn’t magically transform overnight, nor was it an easy transition. I had to find new ways to spend my evenings, rediscovering activities I loved before I got swept up in the party scene. It required deep reflection on why I wanted to quit and who I truly was. It might sound dramatic, but after drinking every weekend since I turned 18, redefining my identity felt monumental.

I won’t pretend there hasn’t been a shift in my personality. I find myself taking fewer risks and feeling my emotions more fully, without being overwhelmed by them. This newfound liberation has opened doors to interests I had neglected for years. I’ve picked up hobbies like drawing, painting, and writing—activities I’d pushed aside during college. Now, I feel whole again, and who knew that all it took was subbing nights in over alcohol.

[dollarbin]

Shakey Sundays #33:

Silver and Gold

I've periodically lost interest in Neil Young.

A teenage summer spent living in a trailer next to a tepee that contained a poor dude going through an alcoholic spiral with Young's rambling, late 90's Crazy Horse record Broken Arrow as his soundtrack turned me off Shakey for a spell. So did Neil's seemingly endless run-in with Promise of the Real Pancakes.

But I always get lured back in, and Silver and Gold, Young's even later 90's bookend to the decade-opening Harvest Moon, has often served as powerful bait.

It was 1999 and my buddy Matt told me he'd build my wife and I a desk. We spent a weekend in his almost beach-front office, drinking beer and molding plywood together, Neil's fairly jubilant Buffalo Springfield Again swelling with encouragement.

And it was 2006 and I had my very first IPod, a hand-me-down chrome job from my hipstress sister-in-law, and only a few things were loaded into it for an overnight drive to Las Vegas and beyond while my wife and two young kids slept the drive away in our old Volvo. The dawn funneled through spiraling canyons of adobe and sandstone; it was good to hear Neil Young again.

And it was a year ago now and the brooding remnants of a Pacific hurricane were hurling down all around us in an altogether different car as we cautiously approached the airport: my daughter was heading back to her last year of college and, apparently, flights had not been cancelled. It looked and felt a bit like the apocalypse outside but my daughter played us a new Adrianne Lenker song and wanted me to explain the Neil Young reference within it.

And so that led to hearing Razor Love, Neil's under-the-radar epic, as we worked with care through floods and wind.

And it was just this morning, and I was standing in the street at 4:50am, looking up at surprising stars and an overhead moon while I waited for my son to emerge from our house. We were on our way to the airport once again, this time for his sophomore year. I felt sad; I felt anxious; I felt at peace; I felt the planet rotating with me on it.

And I remembered my best friend dying when we were just 26 years old. I got to his hospital room just moments after his passing and found his body where he'd left it, flat on the bed. But he was gone; he had up and left. Right then, in one of the saddest moments of my life, I was filled with conviction. I was filled with awe.

Like Neil says,

This I can't deny I know that you can fly 'Cause I'm here on the ground without you.

Like visitors from space, it's hard to find a place, to blend in and go unrecognized. But we do, don't we?

And a year, or three, or ten, from now I'll be in some record store and I'll stumble upon a used vinyl copy of Silver and Gold for the first time in my life. Something will be wrong with it - Daddy Went Walkin' might skip or maybe it won't even have a cover - but I'll grin and claim it all the same, eager to drop the needle into its shakey grooves whenever a transition is coming and I want Neil to help guide my way.

Because that guy in the tepee? He made it through. And my wife and I mapped out our shared future on that desk. And we saw Yellowstone in that Volvo, surviving a baseball-sized hail storm along the way. And the plane pulled easily through those hurricane skies and took my daughter safely back for her senior year, just like another plane is doing for my son as I write.

[grison-in-space]

Essentially, on the day I met Guiding Eyes Corky #3cc92 the blind part of me was starving. Suddenly there was a dog—a “service dog,” “guide dog,” “seeing-eye dog,” an epic dog, a professional dog, who was entirely my companion. “Yes, it took me a long time to get here,” I thought. But I could see Corky didn’t care about my lengthy delay at all. She was interested in my left eyebrow, my fingers. She scented the history of my clothes. She was interested in me—the present-tense man, the one who was before her wearing sturdy L.L.Bean outdoor gear. In order to meet Corky I’d had to suffer losses, wring my hands, and even sweat. One minute I’d been a professor at a small liberal arts college in upstate New York. The next I was a job seeker whose teaching position had been erased. It’s a routine story and ordinarily it shouldn’t have been devastating but owing to blindness I couldn’t simply switch gears and drive a cab or wait tables. Unemployment had pitched me in a dark wood with no discernible path.

Steven Kuusisto, Have Dog Will Travel (2018). Chapter Two. Bold emphasis mine.

One of the things Kuusisto is really insecure about, in the beginning, is his lack of "blind culture": because he's spent his entire life masking and trying to be perceived as a sighted person, he doesn't have the skills or the life experience he imagines other blind people to have. (He's 39 here, incidentally; not a young man.) He feels behind, adolescent, missing important skills--and he feels terribly stuck.

Corky serves two purposes here: one, she's actually an important aid device for Kuusisto's independence, as we will make clear in future excerpts. But she also serves to make it very clear that Kuusisto is blind and that he is part of a broader category of people for whom vision isn't useful. She claims this part of Kuusisto's identity for him and serves as a very visible cue to what he can and can't do--and in doing so also invokes federal law. This is happening circa 1993, as a reminder: the ADA exists, but it is an extremely new thing.... as we will see in the next quote.

By existing, Corky essentially "outs" Kuusisto as belonging to a community he has spent his entire life hiding from. (Kuusisto is straight--he mentions his wife in the first chapter, as an aside talking about her experience training guide dogs vs riding horses--but the parallels to queer experience are strong and easy to see, especially in the context of self acceptance and shame.) She claims his place in that community by existing. She represents this transition from hiding in shame--"the blind part of me was starving"--to owning his position as a blind man and interacting with other blind people as a form of community. Kuusisto will go on to immerse himself in disability advocacy and blindness advocacy more general over the course of his career, so this is an incredibly significant transition for him--and, powerfully, Corky herself is a strong reassuring presence in a way that other visible markers of identity can't be. The ace flag pin that lives on one of my favorite hats can't sooth me when I'm frightened, for example, but Corky can (and does) habitually lean into Kuusisto and nudge him when he's nervous or ashamed.

Note also the vulnerability of disability: when we have managed to kludge a system into something that works for us, sudden change can be completely life-destroying. Kuusisto notes that he has worked as a lecturer teaching poetry on the same campus he attended college, where his father was the president, for his entire adult life with the exception of a few years of graduate school in Iowa City. Where can he work now that this position is no longer available to him? How will he get around?

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Erec Smith

Published: May 17, 2024

Recently, the University of North Carolina‐​Chapel Hill Board of Trustees voted, unanimously, to divert money from its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives into public safety. This is on the heels of other institutions shuttering diversity offices and laying off or repurposing positions focused on DEI work. Are we starting to see a trend? Is this the beginning of a “Great Diversion”?

Contemporary DEI initiatives have been a point of contention for years now. Anti‐​DEI sentiment, which does not necessarily mean an aversion to the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion per se, grows with every exposition of DEI’s driving ideology, Critical Social Justice, which is inherently divisive, illiberal, and, actually, racist.

However, any opposition to DEI programs is usually seen as a right‐​wing attack on anything that can improve the lives of minoritized groups. That accusation holds more water in response to calls for the eradication of DEI initiatives. But the diversion of DEI funds to another worthwhile endeavor—that is, trading one good for another good—is harder to scrutinize.

Yes, UNC‐​Chapel Hill has chosen to divert DEI’s funding to public safety to prevent disruption of university operations. Whether the good of public safety constitutes a “good for good” trade is understandably debatable. However, DEI funds can also be diverted to initiatives more clearly aligned with diversity, equity, and inclusion in the true sense of those words. Initially, I thought of outreach and immersion programs.

Outreach programs geared toward K‑12 students are created by colleges and universities in collaboration with local high schools to help students understand what is necessary to get into college, what they need to do to prepare, and what to expect when they get there. When I say “immersive,” I refer to outreach programs where students visit campuses and experience what it is to be a college student or a particular major. According to the Compass Education Group’s “Guide to Successful Outreach Programs,” students and colleges benefit from such programs in distinct ways.

According to Compass, outreach programs can achieve the following for students: clarify career goals, assistance with access to resources, assistance with the application process, academic advising, introduction to a college’s academic support services, and, obviously, better prepare students for college‐​level work. This kind of outreach can assuage any “culture shock” that may set in among students from marginalized communities. It can also introduce students to the necessary merits for college success at a younger age, thus demystifying academic merits.

The benefits to participating colleges include greater student readiness, better resource management, and increases in enrollment, retention, and, of course, diversity. Regarding diversity, Compass does not mince words: “Helping these students prepare for and transition to postsecondary education helps colleges meet their diversity goals.” Redistributing money from DEI initiatives to outreach programs that can be geared toward underrepresented students may be a better way to achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion. Perhaps outreach programs are the new—and more effective—DEI initiative.

Several colleges already have outreach programs that, typically, take place in the summer. However, with sufficient funding, these programs can become more robust. In fact, non‐​profit organizations exist to do that. For example, The Hidden Genius Project, started by five black professionals, “trains and mentors Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills to transform their lives and communities.” This project has locations all over the country and offers a variety of programs to introduce students to entrepreneurs, leaders, and technologists through either single or multiday events or deeper and longer immersion into a professional culture. What’s more, this project’s effects align with concepts important to DEI initiatives, like cultural representation.

Hidden Genius alum, Tehillah Hephzibah says,

Growing up, I was never really in a place where a majority of the people looked like me. In the program, I enjoyed being around people who look more like myself and connecting with them. Throughout my life, all of the schools I attended were predominantly white or Hispanic students so joining The Hidden Genius Project was a sigh of relief and comfort for me.

Another program graduate, Brandon Bazile, shares a similar sentiment.

As a Black man who has only ever had at most two other Black boys in my grade, to suddenly having a group of Black males who look like me was eye‐​opening. Being taught and surrounded by excellent Black minds, inspired me to believe that I could always better myself, which was a feeling I had never felt before.

This program is a clear source of agency and empowerment for young black students, a goal DEI proponents claim to have.

MIT’s Introduction to Technology, Engineering and Science (MITES) is an outreach program that has strong partnerships with universities nationwide. The program “provides transformative experiences that bolster confidence, create lifelong community, and build an exciting, challenging foundation in STEM for highly motivated 7th–12th grade students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds.” As with the Hidden Genius Project, representation and confidence building are some of the most salient effects of MITES.

Indigo Davitt‐​Liu, a graduate of the program, stated, “I’ve always loved math, but I always saw STEM kids as a group removed from me, a type of person I could never be. Through this program, I realized the true amount of diversity there is in STEM fields. I now see myself as part of a STEM community.” Also similar to the Hidden Genius Project, MITES immerses students in environments indicative of a given STEM field. This immersion helps students gain merits they would not have otherwise. MITE graduate Moses Stewart says,

MITES connected me with so many other brilliant and passionate people and gave me an avenue to explore a brighter future for myself. It gave me the opportunity to learn about career paths that would have otherwise been inaccessible. And, to apply and assert myself in challenging courses. Most of all, it gave me guidance and helped me grow into someone who is more confident, hard‐​working, and optimistic about the future.

The outcomes of MITES, the Hidden Genius Project, and comparable programs strongly suggest that funding for DEI programs that have proven to be more ineffective than effective could be put to better use elsewhere.

I must be clear, current DEI initiatives are often undergirded by Critical Social Justice, an ideology that frames the world into an oppressor/​oppressed dichotomy and insists that oppressive forces are present in every human interaction. Surely, funds should be diverted to initiatives that don’t promote divisiveness, resentment, and even a kind of racism. However, I believe diverting funds to immersive outreach programs for K‑12 students is so important that even DEI initiatives steeped in classical liberal values cannot be justified. Workshops on the history and nature of discrimination, cultural differences, and policy are important and should take place, but these things need not be expensive or necessarily whole offices.

No matter what ideological foundation a DEI program has, funds are better spent on programs like The Hidden Genius Project and MITES.

A great diversion is in order. DEI programs have proven relatively ineffective at enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, thus proving to be a waste of money. Continuing to spend money on these programs is indefensible, especially when better ways to help our students abound. The day after UNC‐​Chapel Hill diverted funds away from its DEI initiatives, Virginia Commonwealth University and George Mason University did away with required DEI courses for students. The tide is turning when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Let’s make sure it turns in a healthy and generative direction.

[thailandimmigrationn]

Student Visa Application in Thailand

Thailand, with its rich culture, stunning beaches, and world-class educational institutions, beckons international students seeking an enriching academic experience. But before packing your bags, securing the proper visa is crucial. This article delves into the essential information about Thailand's student visa, guiding you through the application process and key considerations.

Who Qualifies for a Student Visa?

Thailand's student visa, categorized as a Non-Immigrant ED visa, is ideal for individuals enrolled in full-time studies at accredited Thai institutions. This includes universities, colleges, and vocational schools offering programs exceeding three months.

What are the Application Requirements?

Obtaining a student visa requires careful preparation. Here's a checklist of essential documents:

Completed visa application form

Valid passport with sufficient remaining validity

Passport photos

Official acceptance letter from your Thai educational institution (ensure it clearly mentions your program duration and full-time enrollment status)

Proof of financial support: This could be bank statements reflecting sufficient funds for your stay (amounts can vary) or a scholarship letter.

Health insurance documentation (coverage for the duration of your stay)

Flight tickets (optional): Demonstrating your entry and exit intentions can strengthen your application.

The Application Process

Applications are typically submitted at a Thai embassy or consulate in your home country. However, in some cases, you may be eligible to apply after arriving in Thailand. It's wise to consult the Thai embassy or a visa consultant for the most up-to-date information on the application process specific to your situation.

Validity and Extension

The student visa itself is typically valid for a single entry and a maximum stay of 90 days. However, this is just the initial stage. Once you enter Thailand, you can apply for extensions at the Bureau of Immigration in Thailand. Extensions are usually granted for one year at a time, allowing you to stay for the duration of your studies. Remember, you'll need to report to the Immigration office every 90 days to maintain your visa status.

Important Considerations

Processing Time: Allow ample time for visa processing, which can take several weeks.

Financial Requirements: The required financial resources vary depending on your program length and living expenses.

Work Restrictions: Student visas generally don't permit full-time employment. However, some exceptions may apply for internships related to your field of study. Consult your educational institution or immigration authorities for details.

Embrace the Journey

With a student visa, you'll be well on your way to pursuing your academic goals in Thailand. By understanding the requirements and following the application process diligently, you can embark on this exciting educational adventure with confidence. Remember, consulting with a visa specialist can further streamline the process and ensure a smooth transition to your studies in Thailand.