#and next week we're going to be doing a lab in our science class. and physics and algebra both take an incredible toll on me

[electricfied-wolf]

Would you guys be mad at me if I like. Dropped the current version of Life of a Steam Train and replaced it with a different new version with different lore? Because I feel like I want to change it. It won't be immediate bc I'm still debating and I likely won't delete the current version....heck I might still update the current version even if I do go forward with making a new one...I'll just alter the tags and make it clear that odds are the og will be dropped. I've just been thinking a lot about the way I portray the trains and their world and I think I could do something leagues more intricate and exciting if given the chance, though it would axe a lot of the concepts in the current version.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for asking my gf's son not to call me dad?

I (22M) have been dating my gf (24F) for 4 years now. She has a 7 year old whose dad isn't in the picture anymore - he hasn't been since the kid was born. My gf says he was abusive and I think there are some charges against him but as far as I know, nothing was proven. He has other kids too who he does have a relationship with but he doesn't have custody rights with my gf's son so they hasn't been allowed to have a relationship.

My gf and I live together and are both in college. I am going to be a surgeon and she wants to study science but she hasn't decided what to do with it yet. Because we're both busy with that, her son doesn't live with us full time. He stays with her parents during the week. This means that we have to dedicate our weekends to looking after the kid. I didn't really mind this at first but her parents are really pushing for her to look after him during the week now too, which we don't have time for. I hear how that doesn't sound great but the plan has always been that her parents will take care of the kid until she finishes with school. She has classes for 4+ hours from Mon-Thurs, plus she needs to spend a few hours studying every day, then she has labs on Friday for most of the day. I have classes all week for fewer hours each day but next semester I'll probably be doing an internship so I'll have more work to do. Then we pick up her kid on Friday evenings and spend the whole weekend with him. There's hardly any time for us to spend time alone together. I like her son and he's usually fun to have around but both of us are obviously stressed from having no down time so most weekends my gf and her son get into an argument or something and things escalate. I try not to get involved when that happens. Sometimes my gf and I are the ones who end up arguing and in that case, I usually go to my parents house.

Basically, I'm not super involved with the kid. Her parents want us to spend all of our free time on parenting despite originally agreeing that it was better if my gf focused on school. He has a dad who could probably be more involved but my gf and her family don't want him around. I've suggested that maybe it would be a better solution for her son to live with his dad full time, that way she can focus on school and then her career and still have time for herself and for us. I love her but she doesn't really have maternal instincts and she doesn't actually want kids, she has said a lot that she regrets not giving him up for adoption.

Recently, we were out for dinner with my gf's sister and kid, and the kid called me his dad. He's done this a lot and usually I just kind of ignore it, but no one else corrected him this time and I felt like the kid deserved the truth. I asked him then and there not to call me dad because he has a real dad who probably wouldn't like it. He didn't seem upset by it but my gf's sister lost it. She thinks I don't want the kid around and that I'm the reason my gf doesn't spend more time with him. She also thinks this was the first time my gf's son heard about his bio dad. Total conjecture, but she won't hear my side of it. The kid knows I havent been around since he was born so he obviously knows someone else must be his dad. I told my gf I don't think it's fair to let the kid call me dad when he has a real dad out there and she sort of agrees. She told her son not to call me dad anymore and they had a long talk about it. She still doesn't want the real dad involved but that's a whole other battle.

Here's why I think I might be the asshole: I said this to the kid in a moment of annoyance, which probably wasn't the way to bring it up. Like I said, he didn't seem upset by it but I wasn't there for the longer conversation so I don't know exactly. I think he's old enough to be allowed to know about his real dad in a more serious way. It's kind of messed up that he could run into his dad in the street (we live in a pretty small town) and wouldn't know it. I'm not his dad and for the foreseeable future, I won't be responsible for him as a parent because he still lives with his grandparents. I think it's reasonable to say that he shouldn't call me dad. So, AITA?

[universeofmuses]

//forgot to post the next chapter last night. Here you go :)

A/N: I do not own the characters, concepts, and so on, this is my first try so please play nice kids. Enjoy.

Sunday was a pretty uneventful day as the four teens were physically dragging trough the day because of the lack of sleep, trying to study for the quiz that their teacher was preparing for them. Even Dr. O was having a hard time concentrating on writing the quiz as his attention was very clearly divided between his work, his dream, and the clear fatigue that has been with him since he heard 'the voice' and began working on the main computer in his basement/command center.

As the day wore on it became clear to Dr. O that there was no disturbance in the morphing grid nor anywhere else, so with the information that was generated from the computer he let out a sigh of relief and chalked up the dream and unshakeable feeling like a large battle was coming to just working too hard at school and being a ranger teammate/mentor to his students. Having felt at ease Dr. O finished up on the quiz he was going to give to his class tomorrow and decided to go to bed early, meanwhile his four ranger teammates where busy cramming worried about the impending quiz thanks to Kira's playful mood with Dr. O as she helped him out the previous day.

(Monday Morning, Reefside High)

As the students of Reefside high where in class chatting away unknowingly that their teacher was about to surprise them with a quiz, while the four rangers furiously flipped through pages of their science book for the quiz,

"Ok everyone lets take our seats, we're going to start out this week with a pop quiz." Dr. O announced as the whole class let out an anxious groan,

"So lets clear off the desks and get started." Dr. O commanded,

As the students complied Dr. O started to hand out the quizzes, Conner was clearly struggling to get through the quiz but Ethan, Trent, and Kira were getting though a little bit better than Conner was. Ten minuets later Dr. O called for the quiz, as he picked up the last stack of quizzes he began his lecture.

"Ok, who can tell me when the Triassic period started?"

The rest of the class went routinely enough until the bell rang signaling the end of class,

"Ok class that enough for today but don't forget to read chapter 9 and answer the questions on page 91 for next class." Dr. O said as the students gathered up their things to leave. The rest of the day went pretty uneventful until after school,

"Dr. Oliver, I need to have a word with you." Said principal Randall,

"Uh, sure what on your mind principal Randall?" came Dr. O's replied as he stopped gathering up his things to call it a day.

"I've heard that you have quite the collection of artifacts, could I see them?" Randall asked with a hopeful tone to her voice,

"Um, I don't know-"Dr. O started,

"Please Dr. Oliver, I would love to know what you have hidden away in your private collection." She said,

"Well, ok you can follow me to my house." Dr. O finally said giving in to his boss' request,

"Great I cant wait" she said with a mischievous grin on her face as they walked out of the room and turned the corner, at the moment they turned the corner the woman from the gym had turned the opposite corner looking very nervous about meeting Dr. Oliver. When she reached the science lab and tried to turn the handle, she couldn't because it was locked, she then look around though the window in the door and noticed that it was empty meaning that she had just missed him.

"Damm it, looks like I just missed him I'll have to try his house." She said out loud.

(Dr. Oliver's residence, outskirts of Reefside)

"And this piece I found on my doctoral internship with Anton Mercer." Dr. O said as he held up a little rock with a tiny fossilized fish in it,

"What's in here?" Randall asked as she lifted the lid of a miniature Ark of the Convent to reveal the thought lost Dragon Power Coin,

"Don't lift it." Dr. O said as he slammed the lid back down on the box,

"Whoa, what did I do?" she asked backing away with her hands up,

"Nothing it's just some of these artifacts are sensitive to the air." Dr. O said as a cover as to why he had freaked out when Randall opened the box that contained his old power coin.

"Oh sorry, I didn't know." Randall apologized,

"Its ok, you couldn't have known." He said, when all of a sudden he noticed a Tyrano-drone lurking outside though the window,

"Oh my god" Dr. O said as he tried to sound surprised,

"What? What's wrong?" she asked as she noticed the worried expression on Dr. O's face,

"Its those things that have been attacking the city." Dr. O explained,

"We got to get away." Randall said worried,

"Yeah I'll hold them off while you get to safety." He said as his strength returned,

"Are you going to be ok?" she asked,

"Yeah when I was younger I use to compete in marshal arts competitions all the time, it's like riding a bike." He said,

"Even so, you're not a young teenager anymore." Randall said, he then looked at her with a look of anger and thought,

"Why is my age such a big deal to everyone, I mean I'm not that old."

"Now go." He said as he ran out the door to take out the Tyrano-drones in his front yard, but there was a lot more there then he had though. He thought about morphing but decided he couldn't risk Randall finding out about his 'extracurricular activities' so he had no choice but fight them with out his powers. For every one drone he took town two more would take its place, it was becoming too much for him as the large group was beginning to surround him. Then he saw something that reassured him that it was not as bad as it looked, a white and black streak ran through the drones and cased sparks to fly as it ran by them, when the streak was no longer visible the white dino-thunder ranger was visible kneeling down with the phased Tyrano-drones behind him as the drones slowly fell down around Dr. O,

"Wow, that was amazing thank you helping me White Ranger." Dr. O said as he quickly approached the ranger to make sure he wouldn't spill the beans on their secret,

"What are you talking about-" Trent asked,

"Principal Randall was here when they attacked and I don't know if she is still here." Dr. O explained in a hushed volume so only Trent could hear,

"What are you talking about, no one is here besides you, me, and the scraps of the drones." Trent responded,

"Oh, then she must have gotten to safety then." Dr. O said,

"POWER DOWN!" Trent called out to demorph just as a pink Pontiac Firebird drove up and the one person that Dr. Oliver never expected to see got out of the car.

(Conner's car)

Conner sat in his car on his way home from a long day at school, but he couldn't shake the image of Kira laying lifeless in a dark room with a blue tube in front of her. It was a feeling of helplessness, like something big was about to go down and there was nothing that anyone could do to stop it; like the events in his dream was inevitable. When he got home he got out of his car and went inside and went straight for his room to continue his line of thought until, he stepped on a small bag of half eaten cheetos. As he sat down at his desk with his backpack and got out his math book to start on his homework when he looked up and saw a picture of him and the others on the team, he himself was behind Kira hugging her waist as they both smiled with a warm glow. At that he felt something inside of him grow,

"I have to make sure that dream never comes to pass, I need to fight harder to make sure that no one on this team get hurt; even if it means that I have to make the ultimate sacrifice." Conner said sounding like a true blue red ranger, but deep down inside he had to admit to himself that he was crazy for Kira.

(Kira's room)

Kira was working to keep her concentration on her book report for her English class, when she suddenly stopped and threw her pencil down on the paper and leaned back in her chair to try and clear her head. The dream she had about Conner dieing at the hands of some freaky monkey was too much for her to bear, she was going crazy trying to figure out what her dream meant but then she had an idea of who to ask,

"Hey mom, I'm going to Hayley's for a while" Kira called out to her mother,

"Ok honey just be back in time for dinner, its taco night." Mrs. Ford replied,

Kira needed to talk to someone knowledgeable to get their take on her dream, and make sure she wasn't losing it.

(Mysterious Island Lair)

Elsa returned to the lab on the hidden fortress through an invisa-portal with a rather triumphant grin on her face,

"What are you so happy about?" asked Zeltrax with a clearly jealous tone in his voice,

"Well I so happy because I got the power source that we need for the plan." Elsa replied very smugly as she held up the Dragon Power Coin!

"Elsa, good work recovering the power source needed to power the weapon of the rangers final destruction." Mesogog hissed in approval,

"Thank you my lord, just allow me to make the following changes to the machine to allow it to draw power from the power coin." Elsa replied,

"How long do you need Elsa?" Mesogog asked,

"It should be ready by this time tomorrow." Elsa replied with a look of fear that her answer would set off her master,

"Please proceed, Elsa and alert me when you are done. Oh and Zeltrax help Elsa with anything she may need." Mesogog commanded as his henchmen scurried of to their respective tasks.

(Outside Dr. O's house)

"Hey Tommy, I guess you just cant leave this behind huh?" asked the woman,

"Dr. O, you ok? Who is she?" asked Trent trying to snap his mentor out of his haze,

"Yeah . . . I guess I cant. Trent this is Kimberly Hart the first Pink Ranger and my First Love." Dr. O replied as he fainted.

[banananamuahjumma]

Sorry this is so long...

But like I need to put all of this down in writing somewhere to process my feelings about it all.

This isn't related to the content of my blog but it's my life and it's my blog so I'm gonna post it anyways lol. Diary time! haha

So a few of months ago I ran into this kid from my program really late at night in the hallway of one of the science buildings at my school. He asked if I was staying late and I was like not really, I'm leaving soon. And he was like okay, be safe! And I was like you too! (?lol).

Then the following week he came to my lab and introduced himself. I was like "yeah, I know who you are! (?again lol, I'm so awkward, but my program is so small that i know everyone in it). He said he wanted to borrow some pipette tips because his lab wasn't getting the ones they ordered because of supply chain issues. So I let him borrow them, thinking that his PI and mine had set it up.

A couple of days later this kid comes back and returns the tips saying that they got their's and he was like "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, could I make it up to you by buying you tea or coffee?" Clueless me who never wants to impose on anyone or be a burden and thinks that no one would ever like me, was like "Oh no! That's okay, you don't have to do that." He was kind of taken aback and then asked me about my research progress and we chatted for a bit about both of our projects.

Then like the next week he came to my lab looking for me twice when I wasn't there and told my labmates that he'd be back the next day and wanted to talk about the department seminar we would both be presenting at. So he came back the following day and asked if we could practice our talks together. So we did and it was helpful but we both research very different topics (cancer and neurodegeneration) so it also wasn't that helpful. At this practice he told me he was surprised that I knew who he was when he first stopped by the lab... and I was like, yeah I know most everyone in the program? (?haha)

On the day of the seminar he ended up walking out of the building with me after the talks were over. It was raining and he offered his umbrella to me but I was like "oh that's okay, I have a rain jacket, I don't need it!" (again major lol, that's such a romcom moment and I live for romcoms, but he didn't have a raincoat and I'm a fierce American who doesn't use umbrellas haha) He was like okay... and then was like "I'm going to Dunkin, do you want to go?" I had to finish up an experiment at the lab so I thanked him but declined and said I couldn't go.

To make this shorter, he keeps coming by the lab every few weeks to ask me about something related to the program and we sometimes chat about things like our future goals after phd, apartment living, and food. (He asked me what I like to cook and I told him I don't eat meat or dairy and he seemed kind of looked disappointed haha and one time he told me he thought the way I dressed on the day of the talks was really nice and professional(?!?!??)). Sometimes when he comes in I can't talk to him right away because I'm busy so I just say "hey what's up?" and keep working because sometimes he also asks one of my labmates about homework for a class they're in together. Instead of just leaving he'll usually wait outside the lab on the chairs for me to finish.

Recently he asked me if I wanted to read some cancer articles and have a sort of journal club discussion with him on the weekends, since I told him I'd like to shift more into cancer research and away from neurodegeneration when I graduate and he wants to understand some cancer pathways better. So we're going to meet to discuss some articles sometime next month. I do believe it's just the two of us discussing these articles even though there are other people in his lab that research cancer. .....

So I guess my question is, does this kid like me? Am I reading too much into this? And should I be responding differently?--am I being too cold or clueless?

I've never been in a relationship in all my 27 years of living on this earth and I'm clearly clueless so I need some help. How do you know if someone likes you and how do you know if you like someone? When I was in middle and high school I had a crush on one of my friends the entire time we were in school together and I remember blushing sometimes when he'd talk to me and my heart racing. So that's what I assumed love was like for everyone all the time.

At first I literally thought this kid was stopping by just for lab stuff but now I'm thinking that might not be the case? After he kept coming by the lab I joked with my labmates about how he kept stopping by each week and each time he stops by when I'm not there they're like "your FriEnD was looking for you." But now he's growing on me. The last time he came to the lab I was talking to my PI when he stopped by and I actually got nervous and started blushing because he was there.

Sometimes I wonder when he's gonna stop by and after he does stop by I end up smiling after talking to him. And the other week I was like I wonder what he does on the weekends cause he's an international student and doesn't have a car, so he can't really be enjoying fall that much can he? And I was like I wish I could bring him around to different places so he could go to haunted houses and go on fall hikes too and just see more of America than our school's little town.

Does that mean I like him? Or do I like the idea that he likes me?

[quelsentiment]

hi pal!! im sorry it's been a while since you've heard from me - this week got super busy with school & work and i've just been exhausted haha. yay for it being friday now! im bummed that the 2nd message i sent you last time didn't go through but at least i noticed and sent you a summary! how sad would it have been otherwise if you just got the first one sdfsfsdf why is tumblr the worst. I don't have tattoos so honestly im totally unqualified to be writing this au HAHA (1/?)

but i got so excited about the au that i wanted to go for it anyways! and i did watch a lot of tattoo related youtube videos haha. you're spot on about the fic being angsty but im reaching the end now so i'll be writing a lottt of fluff coming up hahaha. i'm so indecisive that im scared of the commitment of getting a tattoo more than the tattoo-getting process itself. but i guess im also sort of a baby when it comes to pain so there's multiple reasons lol! oooh halfway through is GREAT progress on your big bang! thats awesome! you've definitely got this. I have posted some other fics! i had to go check my ao3 to remember haha but ive got 9 works posted :) i've def been around for a while but only really gotten into writing later on. I think i officially joined the fandom in like...2012? wow, that feels like SO long ago now that i'm thinking back on it hahaha. eep! what about you? tbh i think having gotten into fic and writing is one of the main reasons im still around. im a TA too! thats so cool haha! this week is our last week of classes and finals are next week so its been sort of crazy. i taught my last class of the quarter on wed and its so weird to be done. this was my first time ever TAing but i really loved it! how has ur experience TAing been?? im in a phd program in biology/computer science (like sort of combining the two?) so thats what im studying! winter break is coming but i'll still have to work in my research lab, so its not much of a break but i wont have teaching or classes and plus i'll get a real break during christmas & new years! we're locked down again too but our rules for this time's lockdown have been very vague and confusing dsfsdfsd. but officially yes, same here! ive been in the habit of staying in anyways so it hasnt affected me too much hahaha. anyways that was a ton of messages but maybe that helps make up for being gone for a bit too? hope you're doing well & happy friday! any weekend plans? take care! -S xx

hi pal 💕

tumblr is The Worst™ (this time one of your messages came in four times 🤪)

but anyway, it’s nice to hear from you!! and don’t worry if you can’t make it every day, i know it’s a busy time with the end of term and all

oooh angst and fluff, aka the best combo!! it’s gonna be amazing i’m sure! and yeah, i think it’s the same for me, the pain doesn’t scare me that much, but it’s definitely a big commitment, so i don’t know if i’ll ever go through with it... what design(s) do you have in mind?

thanks so much! yeah i feel pretty good about it, i’m writing the majority of it in writing sessions with a friend, and that’s definitely helping with motivation! also i’ll get matched with an artist very soon, and i’m SO excited 😌

oh wow you’re almost an og fan 😳 the things you must have seen jsksjksj but yeah i totally get what you say about writing being the main reason why you’re still here. i only joined at the beginning of the year, but tbh if i hadn’t got into writing and also met a lot of friends here, i don’t know if i’d still be here, or just as a casual fan i guess

oh, what are your all-time favourite fics then? 👀

that’s so cool you’re a ta too, and that’s great you’re liking it so far! i never had to teach, most of what i do is marking and assisting in zoom classes, so it’s pretty laid-back. i’d love to try out teaching though, but it must be nerve-wracking, at least until you get used to it 😅 oh, biology/computer science sounds like a fascinating combo! at what stage of your phd are you? i’m currently finishing up my masters in linguistics. i might do a phd some time in the future, but it also sounds like a crazy amount of work, so idk... plus i have mixed feelings about making a career in academia 😐 did you start your phd right after finishing your previous degree, or did you take a break from studying at some point? oh and a research lab!! i was working at one too until i moved back here, i miss it 😌 idk how yours is, but mine definitely felt like home! it’s still nice you’ll get a break for the holidays though. do you have any plans?

hehe same here, they keep changing the rules about lockdown, but i also tend to stay home anyway, so i can’t say my life has changed that much this year 😬 as long as i’m allowed to take walks outside, i’m good

as for this weekend, my plan is: 1. getting ready for louis’ concert, 2. losing my shit during at louis’ concert, 3. recovering from louis’ concert (with some writing and cleaning and walking in between lmao) what about you? are you gonna be able to attend the concert? 

thanks so much for your messages, it’s really lovely to get to know you 💕 hope you have a good weekend!