#also why so much salad???

[bairdthereader]

Heartstopper Elders: Coach Singh

One thing I admire about a lot of Alice's work is that for every cruel, bigoted, neglectful, or just bewildered parent, there is often a contrasting adult figure to fill in the gaps.

Many of the teens in Heartstopper are wise beyond their years, keenly observant, and maturely even-tempered in a way that some critics say is unrealistic. (I'd argue that all of them have been through life experiences that made them that way, but that's a post for another day.) Despite this, they still sometimes need guidance and a safe place to land. Alice is brilliant in the changes they made to the show to bring minor comic characters to the fore who provide that counsel and safety. I'll start with Coach Singh for this post.

---

Priya Singh occupies a pivotal role in Nick's life. She's a uniquely placed outside observer who watches as the part of Nick’s life that (until Charlie) made up a lot of his identity and supplied the bulk of his friend group transforms into a space where Nick has to walk the knife’s edge between his old, false self and his emerging and evolving true self. Though she doesn't completely understand the impetus behind it at first, she sees Nick's relationship with his teammates deteriorate and knows that something has changed for Nick. And she has to have noticed that that change happened simultaneously with Charlie’s joining the team. 

When Nick enters Coach Singh's office after she walks in on him and Charlie, he's prepared to be chastised, and possibly assumes he'll be stripped of his captaincy. You can see it in his defensive, protective, and even resigned posture and facial expressions.

It’s interesting that in the comic Coach Singh makes Nick the captain during this conversation, whereas in the show Nick has already been rugby captain for a while at this point. This is a clever change, because it establishes that Nick and Coach Singh have a closer relationship than average, built on mutual respect (as would be necessitated by Nick's holding that position on the team) and it adds a layer of complexity to the strained relationship he now has with the rest of the team. He's responsible, in some ways, for the morale and cohesion of the team and yet now he can't see eye to eye with them. Knowing Nick, this conflict of loyalties would cause him a lot of guilt, especially because--no matter how many jokes are made about his status as rugby king--Nick is actually very good at rugby, works very hard at it, and clearly cares about the sport itself. (In the comic Coach Singh tells Nick she thinks he could pursue rugby after school.) So when this conversation starts, Nick is worried about the status of his captaincy, his relationship with Coach Singh, his relationship with Charlie, and his role in his team's struggles, not to mention his repeated attempts to come out to the few teammates he's starting to feel he can trust again. That's an awful lot for one person to carry.

Coach Singh handles the whole situation beautifully. She starts by reminding Nick, clearly and forcefully, why she made him captain in the first place. Though her delivery is brusque and could be interpreted as corrective, I think by starting the conversation here she's telling Nick that she knows Nick's positive qualities, especially the ability to bring people together, are still part of him, no matter what else is going on at the moment. She's communicating that she understands that the problems that have come up this term aren't, ultimately, his fault. Nick feels such a sense of responsibility that, though he knows he's in the right in this situation, he still feels guilty for the way things are going with the team, so Coach Singh's reassurance at this point is critical.

Then she quickly proceeds to emphatically put herself in his corner: "If any of the lads say anything out of line, you tell me immediately." Nick is very obviously surprised by this show of support and relieved that he's receiving it at all.

Coach Singh reinforces this support by sharing her own coming out story with Nick--making herself vulnerable so that he might feel more comfortable being vulnerable as well--and showing him that she really does understand what he's going through. She reassures him that he is under no obligation to come out, a reminder that Nick needs to hear often because he puts so much pressure on himself to tell people. She's also carefully signaling that Nick can trust her not to out him to the team.

So now, not only does Nick have someone he deeply respects and who is already a fierce, experienced fighter in this particular arena standing by him, supporting him, protecting him (and, by extension, Charlie), but he has a safe base at school, something he desperately needs. His relief at the end of this conversation is palpable. Nick received safety in a part of his life where he has not felt safe for quite a while.

It's worth noting that Charlie has a lot of important moments with Coach Singh as well. Knowing Charlie already from phys ed and his running accomplishments, and likely also as a past victim of bullying, her watchful gaze is naturally going to be on him as he ventures onto the rugby team. She knows that sport can be a rough place for queer people and clearly feels some concern. Her frown here isn't so much about Charlie's trouble getting the hang of a rugby play--she knows he can do it--but about the other boys' teasing reaction to his struggle.

She's always happy to see him, always encouraging him without condescending to him, and vocally praises him in front of his classmates (important!). She shows the other boys that Charlie is someone to be admired, even emulated.

Coach Singh shows Charlie repeatedly that she knows he's capable of anything he sets his mind to. She even manages to correct some of his negative self-talk that is rooted in his unconscious internalization of damaging gay stereotypes, a brilliant mini teaching moment that I think often gets missed.

She's clearly very disturbed and upset by his decision to leave the team, knowing on some level that his reasons for doing so must be very distressing but that he's unwilling to discuss it.

Then she welcomes him back with open arms (literally) when he asks to rejoin the team, knowing that this means Charlie is back in a place where he feels at least some of the confidence he needs to face this challenge again.

I mean, look at her face ⬆️ She may not be loud about it, but Coach Singh is a Charlie champion.

Bonus: Coach Singh will call. you. out.

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

Hey, I had a thought for the fantasy au! So on one of the previous versions of the WH website, there was a rhyme for the show that went:

A house is a place with four walls and a floor,

with a ceiling above and a lovely front door.

There's a bed to cradle you safely at night,

and windows to bring in the morning sunlight.

Your house is a mirror of just who you are,

A reflection that tells you to never stray far.

Which I thought might make a good incantation for when Wally properly summons Home (I can't remember if that's ever required for Warlocks but hey, it's still a fun poem regardless).

ohhhh this. i like this...

bonus og sketch! big ol eyes...

& no capalet because uhhhh eh nah and also i wanted Home's pendant to be on full display!

[bipunkharrington]

There's something that infuriates me so much about people mocking characters that fall into the "not like other girls" trap, because the reasons girls take on that stance is because they exist in a society that tries to put womanhood and femininity in a restrictive box that tells them who and how they should be.

They're generally mocked and derided for not wishing to conform to stereotypical femininity, but when they lash out in entirely predictable but ultimately unhelpful ways (by being dismissive and rude about other women and femininity in general) instead of understanding that it's a product of growing up in a society that's restricting them and punishing them for not conforming (either by choice or inability) so many people who claim to be feminists choose to mock them or make them out to be the cause of the problem rather than a symptom. Whether its being mocked in real life, or watching people deride the fictional characters they relate to, this behaviour just alienates those girls even further into thinking that the issue is other women, and confirms their belief that women who are typically feminine will only ever be derisive toward them and that they're somehow fundamentally different from other women.

If you know someone who thinks along those "I'm not like other girls" lines instead of mocking them try directing them towards resources that can help them understand where that harmful rhetoric comes from, and when you're critiquing characters that fit that mold try to consider why they behave that way, and what girls who see themselves in those characters take from your commentary.

[tennessoui]

girl your hanahaki au is absolutely wrecking my shit i--- I don't ever read ongoing fics and this is why. I just cannot wait?!? But the waiting somehow makes it better too?!? I'm literally dead bro I can't I love it so much

hahah omg thank you !! I’m really happy to hear you took a chance on this wip and that you like it so much!

not to get on my soapbox or anything but you have given me a great corner to shout from

as a disclaimer I totally understand why people will choose not to read wips and I truly think you know your mental health and what you can stand to wonder about/think about/obsess over/NEED to know a conclusion for better than anyone else

BUT as a writer who almost exclusively posts in wips, people reading them before they’re finished is my life blood and I am so grateful and it makes the writing process so much more fun for me because I know at least someone else is invested in my brainworm of a story?? someone else is enjoying it and thinking about it and I’m putting a small amount of good into the world??

the best analogy I’ve been able to come up with is like:

when you read a finished fic you’re eating a whole meal and that’s great that’s so amazing (especially if you tell the cook you liked it after you’re done). and you’re literally always welcome to eat that meal whenever you want. finished fics are like standing dinner invitations: I am always happy to have you and I mean that very genuinely

but if you read a wip, you’re keeping me company in the kitchen while I cook. and that’s sort of priceless. in some instances, you can even tell me the food needs more spice and I’ll think about it and listen!!! you’re sitting on my kitchen counter as I bustle around my space and we’re talking about what I’m doing and also how I’m feeling and maybe how you’re feeling and it just feels like community more than anything else I’ve experienced in any fandom. like you’re with me in my space as I’m creating food I hope you like. we’re both invested and it’s amazing

and I think in general that’s why wips are a lot of fun and also maybe why the waiting between chapters is fun for you - you’ve suggested that I add paprika to the pot and you’re waiting and wondering if I will, and I’m laughing and hoping you like the soup either way but also wondering if paprika will work with the recipe, and if I can add a bit to it just for you while staying true to the dish I envisioned at the get go.

[ioannemos]

spent my whole shift on the line and Not Liking It At All. this is why i only wanted to work in the back. my fingertips hurt from hot food and my hands got So Dry from washing my hands a million times and there were tons of little things that annoy me. like. we have three kinds of bowls and three kinds of large plates. WHY

[anxietybumblebee]

I'm fucking SCREAMING wdym I've worked in this kitchen for seven months and my first cut is from a BAG OF HARD-BOILED EGGS.

[mechahero]

@asurastro asked- I think a Fanon Lambda just gets traits added on every other week/month or something. Not even in a multiverse way just the same mainverse Lambda getting heaped with details that aren't accurate. Fandom infighting results because they're confident Lambda would cheat on a partner vs grant pardons to everyone who's ever committed wrongdoing against Motor City. Tell me what the “fanon” interpretation of my OC if they were a canon character would be (accepting!)

//Oh too true. People adding traits to a character and then treating those traits as if they are canon and getting into fights because someone else points out that that's not something a character does/would do happens a lot in fandoms. So for Lambda to get hit with the random roulette so frequently... I can only imagine massive, insult laden fights and people shouting down other people rightfully pointing out that he wouldn't do (insert trait/thing that is way way out of his wheelhouse).

A lot of it would probably also stem from the fandom outright ignoring how he would hate, to use your example here, cheating. Or, tied in with that, ignoring something pre-established for something that likely won't make complete sense with him. Which yes, it's having fun and what not but there comes a point where it would better off being made an AU or a different verse instead of tacking it onto a main verse and getting pissed at people when they don't go along with it.

Tl;dr it would be a mess lmao.

[i-can-even-burn-salad]

Chapter 10 done \o/

[fingertipsmp3]

I wish all food service workers who are weird about regulars always ordering the same specific thing and tease them for it a very “please don’t do that”

[winepresswrath]

please tell me there is going to be fic set in the universe where Rhaenyra hits up Alicent instead of Crispin for a backup fuck.

[freak60000]

idk if we can say apex mobile images confirm anything but i KNEW the legends had a holiday potluck. IIIIII knew it . infodump —vvv

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

some hasty Laughingstock ft. butterfly!Howdy for your mild enjoyment...

[caswellseyes]

Hiiii! 12 from the autumn prompts for whatever found family group you want?

hi!! tysm for this one, it was so fun to write! i went with sunset curve + willie cause i thought they'd be both cute and chaotic, which is my favourite thing hehe. also i'm very european and don't celebrate thanksgiving so all the dishes etc are based on one google search and one google search only lmao. anyway this is set in some sort of modern day au wherein sunset curve rehearses in bobby’s garage and the molina’s don’t own that house. enjoy!

12. All of us have shitty families so we’re doing Friendsgiving instead

“Bobby, can we make cranberry sauce?”

Bobby turns around, bringing the shopping cart he’s pushing to a halt. Reggie stands in front of him, crouched near a few boxes of cranberries.

They’re in the supermarket, doing some last-minute Thanksgiving shopping. Honestly, Bobby hadn’t planned on celebrating this year - his parents are absent, as usual, so it’s not like he could’ve celebrated with them - but when all three of his best friends mentioned crashing in the garage over the holiday, those plans had changed.

“I don’t know,” Bobby says, frowning. “Are you supposed to make that or buy it in a can or something?”

Reggie shrugs his shoulders, already digging out his phone to look it up. Bobby takes a moment to check his own. He has three more texts from Luke requesting extra dinner rolls - he sends a picture of the two packs in the cart and immediately receives a bunch of exclamation points - and a voice message from Alex.

“Hey, Bobbers,” Alex says when Bobby presses play. “So, uh, I just took the turkey out of the oven to rub the spicy butter stuff on it, which was gross, and it was still kind of cold? But it’s been in there for ages, so I don’t think it should be cold anymore? And then I asked Luke and he said the oven might be broken but it doesn’t look broken so I just put the turkey back in there and turned the temperature up just in case. Don’t worry, I put the fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case anything goes wrong.”

Alex pauses for a second, listening to someone in the room. There’s a muffled conversation before Alex continues the recording.

“Oh, also,” he says, clearly aiming for casual but not quite succeeding, “uh, Willie might be here? If that’s cool? It’s just that they didn’t have plans either cause Caleb is only doing this super fancy adult dinner and that sounds terrible and also boring so Luke and I thought they could join us, but obviously if you and Reg don’t want that then that’s fine too, but. Yeah. I’m gonna check on the turkey again.”

Bobby smiles to himself as the recording ends. He quickly texts Alex back that yes, of course Willie can stay, and that the oven acts up a little sometimes but if the turkey doesn’t turn out, they’ll have plenty of other food. Then, for good measure, he texts Willie to let them know they’re welcome as well.

“I think we make it ourselves,” Reggie says, dropping the package of cranberries in the cart. “We just need some orange juice and sugar.”

Bobby nods and adds the ingredients to the grocery list on his phone.

“So that’s green beans, corn, pumpkin pie, sugar, and orange juice,” he says. He pushes the cart forward again, Reggie keeping pace next to him. “Also, Willie is joining us.”

“Nice,” Reggie says, beaming widely. “I’ve been meaning to talk to them about that raccoon dream I had so they can interpret it for me.”

Bobby mulls that statement over for a second and then decides he doesn’t need to know. Instead, he steers them toward the green beans and leaves Reggie to pick out some good ones while he gets the corn.

They rush through the rest of the list, both eager to get home. Thankfully, both the store and the streets are fairly empty and they make it back to Bobby’s place in no time.

“Hey, Alex,” Bobby says, dropping a heavy bag of groceries in the kitchen. “How’s the turkey?”

Alex groans from the floor. He’s sitting against the kitchen island, legs stretched out and touching the cabinets underneath the oven. He’s glaring at the oven and the turkey in it intensely.

“I’m pretty sure it’s still frozen,” he tells Bobby. “But the mashed potatoes are pretty good.”

“Nice.” Bobby tosses the green beans onto the counter and puts the orange juice in the fridge. “When’s Willie getting here?”

“In a little bit,” Alex says. He pushes himself upright and takes the corn from Bobby. “They said they had something to do first.”

Reggie barges into the kitchen with the rest of the groceries. The dinner rolls - three packs, since they now had an extra person coming - are balanced on top of the bag he’s carrying.

“Hey, ‘Lex, wanna help me make cranberry sauce?”

Alex turns to Bobby and pulls a face. Bobby shrugs. Clearly, they’re on the same end of the cranberry sauce-hating spectrum, but Bobby is fairly sure they’re also both committed to doing whatever their bandmates want to make this a good Thanksgiving, so he’s not at all surprised when Alex turns back to Reggie and helps him unload the groceries, already talking about the kitchen utensils they need.

Bobby sneaks a bite of mashed potatoes and rushes out of the kitchen before Alex can stop him. 

“These are really good,” he yells, already halfway out the door. Alex’s outraged cry follows him all the way to the garage.

“Bobby!” Luke calls out as soon as Bobby walks in. “Awesome, can you toss me those streamers?”

Luke is standing in the loft. Clearly, he’s trying to hang up streamers between the loft and the wall on the other side, but they keep falling down. 

Bobby obediently picks up the streamers and tosses one end to Luke. It falls down the first time, but the second time, Luke catches them. While he fastens them on the loft railing, Bobby climbs on a chair and ties the other end around a little hook in the wall.

He steps back to examine their work and frowns.

“Luke, these say ‘Happy Birthday’.”

Luke bounces up to him. He shrugs.

“Well, you said to decorate the garage, and we don’t really have any Thanksgiving decorations, so I figured I’d just use a bunch of other stuff.”

Bobby looks around. True to his word, Luke had indeed used a whole lot of decorations. There are Valentine's Day balloons everywhere and an Easter tablecloth covers the table they dragged out here. The centrepiece on the table is a plastic Halloween pumpkin filled with confetti and a snowflake curtain from last Christmas hangs in front of the door.

It’s a mess. Bobby loves it.

He tells Luke as much, clapping him on the shoulder. Luke beams with pride.

Together, they make quick work of setting everything else up. They bring plates and cutlery from the house into the garage and set the table, keeping plenty of space free for the dishes. Then, once Alex and Reggie deem the food ready, they carry those in.

By the time Willie skateboards up to the house, clutching a paper bag, the only thing that isn’t done yet is the turkey. All four members of Sunset Curve are leaning over it, examining it as if it’ll magically be cooked.

“I don’t get it,” Alex says for the fortieth time, “I followed all of the instructions, and I put the butter stuff on it so often even though it felt really gross, and it’s still cold.”

“Maybe it’s meant to be cold?” Reggie suggests. “I mean, it always looks cold in the movies. I’ve never had Thanksgiving turkey before.”

Luke reaches out and pokes the turkey. 

“No, I think this is just still a little frozen,” he says.

Bobby sighs. The turkey hadn’t defrosted for nearly as long as it should’ve. They’d all agreed initially that that shouldn’t matter too much, but combined with the shitty oven in Bobby’s kitchen, it had turned out to be a bit of an issue.

“I think we just waited too long to take it out of the freezer,” Bobby says. He nudges Alex’s shoulder. “Good thing we have those amazing mashed potatoes. We won’t even need turkey.”

“Oh, the potatoes,” Reggie says dreamily. “‘Lex, is Willie here yet? I really want to eat the potatoes.”

“I’m here,” Willie’s voice says from the doorway. As one, Sunset Curve turns around to face them. 

Willie waves awkwardly, one hand holding the paper bag.

“Hi,” they say. At Alex’s motion, they move into the kitchen, quickly kissing him before turning towards the turkey.

“That does look a little frozen,” they say. “It’s okay, though. I brought chicken nuggets.”

“You brought what?” Bobby asks, not sure if he heard that properly. When Willie puts the bag down and unpacks two large takeout containers, both filled to the brim with chicken nuggets, it turns out that he did.

“Well, Alex called me about the turkey,” Willie explains, “and that everyone was helping get stuff ready, so. This is my stuff. Oh, and the bottom box has veggie nuggets instead, for Bobby.”

“You brought backup poultry?” Alex asks, a little amazed, “and vegetarian stuff?”

“Yep.” Willie says with a grin.

Luke and Reggie eye each other. Slowly, both of their hands glide towards the nuggets. Bobby slaps both of them away.

“Not till we’re sitting down,” he says sternly. Next to him, Alex has drawn Willie into another kiss.

“Dudes,” Luke says, causing Willie and Alex to break apart, “let’s go eat!”

Together, they file into the garage, placing Willie’s chicken nuggets in the middle of the table.

They sit down, pouring drinks for each other and passing dishes around. Bobby fills his plate with a generous helping of mashed potatoes and a bunch of green beans. The first pack of dinner rolls is already empty, so he breaks into the second before pouring gravy onto his plate.

When he’s ready to eat, he looks around at his friends. Luke’s plate is piled high with dinner rolls and Reggie has half the bowl of cranberry sauce on his. Alex has a little bit of everything, while Willie seems focused on the corn. 

It’s not the lonely evening any of them thought this holiday would be. Instead, they’re all together, enjoying a good dinner with friends.

“Bobby, did you want to say something?” Alex asks. 

Bobby shakes his head.

“Nothing. Just - Happy Friendsgiving, everyone.”

Reggie raises his glass, the others quick to follow suit.

“Happy Friendsgiving,” they chorus, clinking their glasses together.

Yeah, Bobby hadn’t planned on celebrating Thanksgiving this year.

He’s really glad he did, though.

[computerpeople]

Do any of your alters have different voices?

no and yes, so the few i can audibly hear and hallucinate the voices of (nero is the only one i can think of) has a specific voice, which is actually why i thought i had DID when i was 15 because thats when i first started hearing that. which then got ruled out as psychosis. he sounds like aloise trancys english dub. but when im hearing them as "inner thinking" no, because i don't think in sound my inner monologue isn't spoken it's. like. words. like i dont see the words but its the same feeling you get when youre reading and you start "hallucinating" to the reading youre doing, like with a book? like its just already there

[ambreiiigns]

brother's top almost-10 slasher-esque movies that i made him watch coming to you live except we feel like we're forgetting something

[trifoliate-undergrowth]

Daily pet peeve: why do people act like salad is a punishment. Salad is crisp and good and can be customized to have any combination of different leaves toppings or dressings. If you simply do not like any salad, just find another type and preparation of vegetable to eat that you enjoy. Salad gets such bad PR it's the boring health weirdo food. Yes you should eat a variety of foods and balance your nutrition but I really don't think that hating on salad and talking about how nobody likes salad is helping with that. If you don't like it just eat something else that you do like. Why is salad a joke