#bc if i do a phd i want to Really Like my subject

[novathesheltie]

had to post more- he’s not even trying

[yongseungkim]

.

[charlottesbookclub]

ser gwayne hightower fluff alphabet 💚💚

Summary: just what it says on the tin: fluff alphabet for my boy gwayne (do people still do these anymore? idc I'm doing it bc I love reading them and I thought I'd try writing one myself 😌😌)

Warnings/Tags: gn!reader; spouse!reader; established relationship (marriage); we are all going to have fluff-induced cavities after this, I fear (it's more absolute tooth-rotting fluff, y'all!); let me know if I've missed anything! ☺️

Words: 2985

Author’s Note: I'm meeting with my phd advisor today which is going to be totally fine (she is so super sweet) but my brain decided we were going to have major anxiety about it, and what better way to distract myself than by writing fluff for gwayne!! 🥰💚 I've never done one of these before, but I always enjoyed reading them, so I thought I'd try it myself! ☺️ I like that it lets me explore his character without having the pressure of a plot lol

as always, I hope y'all enjoy and feel free to let me know your thoughts!! ☺️💕

template by: magical-warlock

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Honestly anything. I feel like if it was something you enjoyed, Gwayne would find himself enjoying it too, just because you were happy. But I think like he would really like going on leisurely walks or horse rides together. It’s an activity that allows you to talk and get to know one another, but where you can also explore the beauty of a garden or forest together. I could totally see him bringing a book along and reading it aloud to you under a tree.

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

Everything lmao. But your eyes stand out to him, especially when he can read all the things you don’t say out loud in them. I feel like he would also appreciate intellect, common sense, and wit. He is clearly sooooo done with Criston’s weird dumb bullshit, and I think someone who was rational and level-headed but not afraid to crack a joke or two (especially at Criston’s expense lmaooooo) would be really appealing to him.

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

My mans would not be much help at first because he’s freaking out too. He wouldn’t want to see you in any kind of distress, especially if he’s not sure where it came from or what’s causing it. I think if it happened more than once and you talked about it and expressed what you needed, he would be more than willing to do whatever you needed from him. My sense is that his first reaction (after the initial freak out) would just be to hold you really tightly and whisper reassurances to you until you were feeling better.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Given the society that Gwayne lives in, his expectations have kind of been set for him in the sense that his future is pretty much expected to involve marriage and children. And honestly, I get the sense that this isn’t something he’s necessarily opposed to. Especially since he found you and realizes he gets to marry someone he actually loves, he’d be pretty thrilled about the whole prospect. It just doesn’t seem like life on miliary campaign is something he’s super jazzed about, so his ideal future would likely be just settling down with you in Oldtown. 

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

I think it’s pretty mixed, especially depending on the context. Again, given the societal expectations placed on him, I do think he might tend to be a little more dominant (especially if he thinks/knows that he’s right about something) but I also don’t think he would ever force you to do something you didn’t want to. He’d also back off on just about any subject if he noticed you were getting upset about it. I also think it really depends on your temperament, since I think he could really go either way depending on what energy you brought to the relationship.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

It would be really hard for him to stay mad at you (and vice versa). Unless it was something truly awful, I just don’t think he could stay upset with you for very long. As we’ve already established, he’s a pretty rational person who seems to value clear communication, so I think “fights” with him would be more like difficult discussions about hard issues rather than an actual fight. This is really nice because then you both get to speak your mind and actually come out with a better understanding of the other person and a stronger relationship because of it.

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

I do tend to think that he’s a pretty grateful person, but I think he’s better at showing it than saying it sometimes. Not that he can’t verbalize his gratitude – he totally can – I just think that gestures come more naturally to him (like winning a tourney in your honor, buying you something extravagant, taking you on a nice trip, etc.)

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

Yes and no. If there was something he knew that would put you in danger if you knew it, he would not tell you. He would never forgive himself if something happened as a result. Pretty much anything else though, he’ll tell you. He won’t always offer everything, but I think he would have a hard time lying to you or keeping things from you if you asked about them. Depending on what it was, he might tell you a sanitized version of the story because he doesn’t want you to worry, but he’d be as honest as he felt he could be in the moment.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helping them overcome personal problems?

I think in any good relationship (romantic, platonic, or otherwise) people change each other for the better. Gwayne is no exception to this, and I think it’s likely that he picks up habits from you (just as you do from him). I can definitely see that if he had you as a confidante to rant about Criston or just to express his worries and doubts about politics, his family, etc. that he might be a little less overtly antagonistic and instead might just smile and nod a little more but internally be like “wait til my s/o hears about this fucking bullshit.” He’d definitely still give Critston attitude tho

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

Yes and no. Gwayne is a fairly confident person, and I think he feels pretty comfortable with himself and with his relationship with you for the most part. However, I don’t think he’s immune to jealously, especially if it were to seem like another person was paying you a bit too much attention. In that scenario, I’m sure he’d have some quip at that person’s expense and whisk you away or be very obvious about using your title as his spouse. The one thing that might make him feel truly insecure is if it seemed like you were becoming interested in someone else. But let’s be real, if you get to marry Ser Gwayne Hightower, that’s not fucking happening 

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Oh, he’s definitely a good kisser. I don’t think he was one to have a lot of trysts prior to meeting you (despite his bravado, I think he really values an emotional or intellectual connection to the person he’s with, meaning I don’t think many of the flings he might have had made it all the way to the hook-up stage). But he’s a handsome man who likely had a lot of admirers, and I do think he got a bit of practice with kissing in his youth. He’s absolutely very attentive to what you like, so I think he’s only gotten to be an even better kisser over the course of your relationship. In terms of your first kiss with him, these lyrics from “All My Love” by Noah Kahan are very applicable here: “I leaned in for a kiss thirty feet from where your parents slept / and I looked so confident, babe / I swear, I was scared to death.” Especially early on, I think he really wanted to project this confident and suave vibe that he totally knew what he was doing, but as soon as he realized he was in love with you, he was actually a nervous wreck and desperately did not want to mess it up. 

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

re: Gwayne’s penchant for gestures, I have a feeling he had a whole well-written speech planned out (he based it on the dramatic love confessions he read in old ballads). However, despite all his preparation, I think the confession actually ended up just slipping out one time when you were together and he couldn’t keep it in any longer. He probably stumbled over his words and was very embarrassed about it and his face turned bright pink, but it was so adorable and endearing that you actually preferred it to whatever speech he might have had planned.

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the wedding be like?

As I mentioned above, I think that marriage is pretty much a given for Gwayne considering the realities of the culture in which he lives. He also probably didn’t propose in the traditional sense, since the marriage was likely arranged, but I can absolutely envision him proposing to you privately after the betrothal has been officially announced and after he’s spent enough time with you to realize that he is genuinely in love with you. It would be sort of a love confession/proposal where he basically says “I know you were chosen by others to be my spouse, but I also personally choose you because I love you.” The wedding would be fairly large and befitting of his rank and station, and it’s likely that neither of you would have much choice in how it was conducted. Gwayne definitely likes the idea of a large and fairly public wedding because it’s a way for him to show his pride for both his house and his betrothed.

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

Very sweet things! Mostly “my dear,” “my love,” and “dearheart,” with a sprinkle of “my darling” mixed in on occasion.

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious to others? How do they express their feelings?

He gets very love-struck, especially when he’s with you. Spending time with you is like spending time in another world for him, and I do think he becomes a little more uninhibited when he’s around you. If people watch the two of you together, his lovesickness is pretty obvious to anyone who knows him. Even if they speak to just him, they might notice slight changes, like the fact that he talks about you a lot and always finds a way to bring you into the conversation. He’s careful though, and would never reveal the depths of his affection for you to someone who might you it against him or hurt you to get back at him. In terms of expressing feelings, as I mentioned above, I get the sense that he’s one for gestures that demonstrate his feelings. He gets nervous and stumbles over his words more than usual when he tries to verbalize things to you, and that’s an unusual and uncomfortable experience for him at first. The longer you’re together though, the better he gets at it.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag about their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

Because your betrothal and marriage are pretty much public knowledge, Gwayne definitely feels comfortable being upfront about the relationship. And oh he totally brags. He’s very proud to call you his spouse and is not afraid to make sure everyone knows about it. Based on societal and cultural expectations, I don’t think there would be a lot of open PDA (like hugs, kisses on the lips, etc.). But hand kisses?????????? All the fucking time babeyyyyyyy!!!!!!!! So many kisses on the knuckles wherever and whenever – it’s his favorite little gesture of affection

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

Mans is a killer shit talker. We know this. He can and will throw shade with the best of them. He wants to know all the drama in your friend circle and will happily judge everyone with you for hours. That one “friend” of yours who turned out to be wildly toxic and conniving? Well he never liked them anyway and he’s got a bulletpointed list of reasons why. You start a conversation with “can I be mean for a moment?” or “you know I love this person, but…” and he is SAT. He’s always on your side and ready to talk absolute shit about anyone who caused you even a minor inconvenience. 

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

At the end of the day, he’s something of a hopeless romantic and would do whatever he could to make you happy. There are a lot of times when the cultural and societal realities of the world he lives in prevent him from doing everything he might want, but if it came down to it, he would do almost anything for you. A lot of his romantic gestures are a little cliché, but in the best, most endearing way possible. As he gets to know you though, and as your relationship matures, he’ll probably get a little more creative and do things that are more specific to the two of you.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

Believes in you and supports you 100000% no question. Again though, I think this impulse can be a bit hampered by the social structures in which he lives. He’ll do whatever he can to help you achieve your goals, but there are limits based on birth, status, etc. that you are both cognizant of and which might influence what those goals look like and how far either of you would go to achieve them.

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice up your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

We’re talking about Ser “I’d rather stay at a comfy inn than camp out” Gwayne Hightower here – I think he appreciates a level of routine and comfort. There’s so much in his world that is chaotic and out of his control that I think he would really relish having that consistency and stability in his relationship. Not that he would never try anything new – especially if you asked him to – I just think his natural inclination would be to have a comforting routine that works for both of you.

U nderstanding - How well do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

Considering he picked up on Alicent and Criston’s weird vibes in like 5 seconds, I’d say he’s pretty good at reading people. He definitely makes an effort to get to know you, and can confidently say that he knows you very well at this point. Especially since you’re someone he cares about and spends a lot of time with, he’s quite good at reading your moods and guessing how you’re feeling.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is its worth in comparison to other things in their life?

Very important. Again though, there are cultural expectations placed on both of you that may necessitate you and Gwayne placing your relationship further down your list of priorities than you normally would choose to. If it were completely up to him though, his relationship with you would be right up there at the top with his loyalty to his house and his family.

W ild Card - A random fluff headcanon

I talked about this much more extensively in this fic, but the necklace you gave him? He. Does. Not. Take. It. Off. EVER. It’s his little piece of you that he gets to carry everywhere, and he could never ever bear to part with it.

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

In private, abso-fucking-lutely! As I mentioned in the PDA section, he’s more retrained in public, but still likes to demonstrate his affection for you via hand kisses. In private though, he loves to cuddle. And honestly, he doesn’t really care where or in what position – curled up in bed, sprawled on a couch, his head in your lap, you tucked against his chest – he just likes to be touching you and knowing that you’re right there next to him, that you’re safe, and that you love him.

Y earning - How do they cope when they’re missing their partner?

It’s a reality he has to face more than he would like, given the exterior expectations placed on him. If he had his way, he would live quietly with you at his family’s property near Oldtown forever. When he has to leave though, he always asks for your favor to take with him, regardless of how long you’ve been together or how many times you’ve bestowed it. As mentioned above, he also always wears the necklace you gave him. Definitely a top tier professional yearner though – he misses you and thinks of you the whole time he’s gone.

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

This answer will be pretty similar to the answer for “V” – yes he is, but he also has to be cognizant of outside pressures that might cause him to act in ways that don’t always align with his personal inclinations. He would both die and kill for you though, not that you’re asking him to do either. In fact, you’re usually telling him not to do either of those things.

[not-poignant]

Just saw your post about Ghibli + elements of grotesque with the Nausicaa gifset and how you wrote an essay comparing it to Shinto philosophy and I had to ask - you didn't happen to write that for an IB film class did you?? Cause that would be a WILD coincidence if so, bc I'm doing IB film rn and one of our extended essay examples was literally exactly that; an analysis/comparison of Ghibli movies and Shinto philosophy/religion and it was really really good.

Even if not, that's so cool!! I adore Ghibli and totally agree with the points you left in the tags of that post. Ghibli is about confronting the uncomfortable and ugly and grotesque and scary and acknowledging it as a valid and necessary part of life. Everything in balance!! Sure there are some more cutesy kiddy films which I feel have become more mainstream but especially films like Nausicaa have very real and important messages that often get overlooked :( I was really scared of Nausicaa when I was a child and now it's one of my favourite films!!

Anyway, you're awesome, I agree with your takes and Ghibli rocks 💪

Hi anon!

So this is going to be a wild journey, strap in.

I don't know what IB Film is. I did my thesis in a final year university unit specifically where we all developed our own thesis subject, had a supervisor, and it was basically a test run to do first class Honours (which lets you bypass a Masters degree and go straight to the PhD, which I then intended to do). It was a limited class that only had about 10 people in it, I believe. My supervisor was the head of the film department.

Now, this was back in about 2004. Shit I'm old. Ghibli wasn't a household name. It wasn't streaming anywhere. You couldn't get DVDs easily, and if you wanted them you had to make sure you had a region unlocked DVD player to deal with the DRM and then buy them from overseas. Most people were only getting exposed to these films if they were regular cinema-goers, or if they were an aggressive pirate via downloading torrents (which I was). The only place you could get Ghibli merch pretty much was Japan. It absolutely did not have the kind of traction it has now, no one could do a class on it outside of Japan because the majority of students would have no idea what you were talking about.

I think Disney/Lasseter had picked up the option to do dubs, but for the most part, if we were seeing these at the cinema, they were subbed.

So that's the context! That was in an era where I was the one directly getting all of my friends on Livejournal and in person, into Studio Ghibli. I went to the Ghibli film festival back before Spirited Away came out, and that got me hooked years previous.

In 2004 I did my thesis. At the time I was the only person in the English speaking world to do a thesis specifically on my thesis subject. It had been covered briefly in sentences like 'Miyazaki practices Shinto' etc. and there was one other unpublished thesis I was able to find that talked about concepts of Shinto and some of Miyazaki's films which helped me a lot with my thesis.

I went on a deep dive into Shinto. Because it was a thesis, I had to research a lot into the difference between folk and shrine Shinto (Ghibli films lean very 'folk' but there are moments of shrine Shinto), and ended up with a pretty baller reference list. But many, many, many more resources online and off have come out since. I'd find the thesis very easy to do if I was doing it now.

Because I was the first to kind of present my findings in a thesis like this, the thesis ended up getting published in a book on animism and then journeyed further on because it was of interest to people who are interested in representations of animism in mass media, especially popular mass media.

The specific focus of my thesis statement was the difference between the black and white puritanical morality of Disney, the most popular animation studio for children and adults at the time, versus Miyazaki's mixed morality and more nuanced explorations of good and evil, villains, heroes and antiheroes in Ghibli animations, and how that was at least partly founded in the difference between a more Christianised versus Shinto mindset in relation to nature and intersections with humanity.

Idk, something like that.

The thesis did well! I got my high distinction, got my invitation into first class Honours, and then was too sick to go on and get the PhD and teach about these things, which was what I fully intended to do!

My thesis got some traction over the years, published in a few places both online and in at least two books (one that I own, the other I forget because it's been oh my god like 20 years), so the idea got around!

Anon, there is actually a chance - a small chance - that the only reason you're getting this essay subject in a more standardised curriculum is because my thesis made its way into the public eye 20 years ago and got quite popular. It was never peer reviewed or anything, it wasn't a PhD thesis and didn't need to be, it was mostly just a very well-researched (if I do say so myself) collation of thoughts on the subject as someone is also a practicing animist. In retrospect I really wish I'd incorporated more of Zipe's teachings but he was in a completely different field to media studies and my supervisor didn't know about him to suggest him.

Discussions of Ghibli, Miyazaki and Shinto became a lot more popularised as Ghibli got more popular and people in the western world discovered that there were already a published essay (at the time people could read it without paying for it as I'd put it up online for folks to access) that linked to other sources and the unpublished essay I'd found. So...

Um, yeah, that's wild, because I know that this wasn't a thing in universities 20 years ago, because I was so desperate for resources I was emailing around and asking universities so I didn't have to figure so much out myself. 😅

[youremyheaven]

Random question, since you're a mercury dk/ak what was your favorite subject in school? I feel like you must've had the best teachers and schooling 🤔

I noticed most mercurial people to be very quick learner and graced with the best communication skills, like y'all mer doms can smooth talk your way out lmao 😯😂😂😂

I'm a mercury dk (my pookie is mercury ak) and my favourite subject in school was sociology!!! at one point in time I wanted to do research and eventually get a PhD in sociology/anthropology bc of how much I loved the subject ✨I was a veryyyy good student as well (in this specific subject lol, I was above average in general tho)

I went to some really great schools and have always been the teacher's pet 😌😌😌in some capacity ✨ my old Sociology teacher uses my assignments and projects as the template now 🥺🥺

Am I a quick learner? Academically I was horrible at math and science but otherwise I learnt everything pretty well and was always a good student 😌 everybody copied their homework from me 🤭 I was known in school for being a homework maestro cause I went hard 🔥

I like to think I can communicate well. Maybe it's because I'm a third culture kid and have often been in positions where I have to translate or break things down for my family so I'm really good at explaining things in the simplest possible way 😎🥺 Idk if it's my Venusian influence coming thru with this Mercury but I usually babygirl my way out of situations 😌😜 9/10 times (and i realise that privilege is a huuuuge aspect of it) people think I'm "innocent, naive or pure hearted" and blame others for tryna corrupt me 😭 (tbh, facts ngl) I say privilege is a big part of it because I think semi affluent people are always perceived as "good people" 💀💀💀

My pookie is 100% a smooth talker, man's has a WAYYY with words 😭 he has rizz for dayyyyys and not just rizz but like he can talk to anyone about anything and get away with it 😭 it's so sexy ngl 🥵🥵🥵 the way he can talk to people and handle situations 🤌🏼 he also had great schooling 👀

He also physically looks the part of a "good guy", like if someone were to cast him in a movie they'd cast him as the nice guy from a good family lmao and HE IS that guy 🤭🤭 he was at the airport a little while ago and his knee brace got the metal detector ticking and he just said it was his knee brace and they let him go 😭 (usually there's intense searching esp if you're a guy) and i was like 😌duh pookie you're the least suspicious looking guy😌

[chainsawcorazon]

Hey so I'm interested in writing for bartkon week, but I like doing frankly excessive research on characters before I try writing them...and honestly I don't really want to read all of SB94, impulse and YJ just to get a handle on what I'm doing, that's a lot even for me. I know some general stuff about the both of them, but not to the point where I'm like "Ah yes, I understand the soul of the matter" So I was wondering if there were like any specific arcs or points of characterization that I could read through to get the dynamic right?

shfkjdsfd ngl, I'm the worst person to ask bc my romance with BartKon didn't even start with BartKon....... it started with Clark/Bart from Smallville 😭😭😭 I'm exceptionally weak for Kryptonian/Speedster romances, but whereas Clark/Bart was the gateway, Bart/Kon is where my heart resides. And I don't ship any other Kryptonians with Speedster. Literally just Clart from Smallville and BartKon from the comics. Just giving you context so you don't think I'm some subject matter expert with a phd in BartKononomics ...... I am just a lady in her thirties who has carboard boxes full of sb/imp/yj singles cuz Clart made her Feel Things when she was a kid and she decided to Do Something about it (aka read comics).

BUT TO YOUR QUESTIONS!

If you want a high level overview of the ship, @radioactive-earthshine's KonBart Manifesto is a great place to start. It has the ship's Best Highlights, and really sums up why there is a small but dedicated fanbase to it. Dedicated enough that I broke my near-ten year cold turkey of mainline DC comics because my main man Bendis put BartKon back on the map while I was living my life blissfully unaware that DC had even hired Bendis to begin with and that the Diamond distro monopoly died. I was shocked. Still am. Two things I never thought would happen in my lifetime.

Now to understand the soul of Bart and Kon.... you're gonna have to look at that things that don't really have Bart and Kon on the same page. Part of the reason why BartKon Speaks to Me is because their relationship progression over the year directly ties back to their individual growth as characters.

So reading material 1: In Impulse, Bart starts off as the speedster equivalent of a feral bobcat, but slowly progresses into an empathetic, understanding, and an overall Good Man. Much of his story deals with the harsh realities of simply growing up different. Running theme of Imp fandom is that Mark Waid created and wrote an autist with ADHD without meaning too, and by Allah he sure did. It's fascinating because Bart harbors both grief and rage due to his predicaments, and the adults in his life are incredibly unkind (even if they are well-meaning), so Impulse has always been, in my understanding, the slice-of-life that really helps Bart to come of age into a Man and a Great Hero. You don't have to read the whole series, but if you can read at least the first twenty or so issues, you'll find yourself rooting for the little man and see how he shines in terms of empathy, understanding, love, and dealing with unresolved rage/grief/loss.

Reading material 2: Superboy is a trick and a half because it deals with issues of child neglect, grooming, the allegory of child star exploitation, and so on and so forth. The BartKon implications are There, but the reason why Superboy is incredibly important is because Superboy as a character is more than just his parentage. Contrary to popular belief, Geoff is NOT the main man in this story. Reading even just the first twenty issues of Superboy will show you Kon was failed by most of the adults in his life, and Superman is NOT his villain. Or the root of his daddy issues. Bro didn't even have a name until much later. If you wanna know who Superboy REALLY was before the Geoffian Era, you can read the first twenty odd issues. If you wanna go earlier, you could read his parts in Reign of the Supermen, just to get an understanding as to why he HAD to be the way he was during this time.

Reading material 3: I do not recommend reading all of YJ 98 for the BartKon bc YJ 98 is hijinks fun. It's GREAT reading for absurdist and comical situations, but only really works with context from Impulse and Superboy to get to the BartKon heart of it all. Not to say YJ 98 wouldn't give you the BartKon goodness, it sure does, but the soul doesn't come together if you don't get how Bart evolved in Impulse and how terribly Kon was treated in Superboy. You can read really anything in YJ to have fun with the group, but if you wanna fast track, you can read the last twenty or so issues and Titans/Young Justice Graduation Day.

Reading material 4: The Geoffian era..... I wouldn't wish Teen Titans 2003 on my worse enemy. Funniest thing is that at the time, I was just starting to watch Smallville. In love with Smallville!Bart already, I embarked on my Superboy journey.... had mixed feelings, so I stuck mostly to the 90's content. Ended up reading impulse a decade later, but long story short.... the Geoffian Era set a Tone and Direction for Bart and Kon that never sit well with me. There IS story there, if you are interested in reading about Daddy Issues, Masculine Identity, and a shit ton of other stuff that really pulled Kon away from his roots and made him more of a Emotionally Tortured Super. If that floats your boat, you may enjoy it. You can read a handful of comics from this era. Just know that in the end, he suffers anyway, just in an ugly ass outfit. The only real bit I'd recommend forreal forreal is when he dies. His whole arc in the Geoffian Era really just tells us he doesn't know how to live and thus he... dies. It's sad bc the writers before him despite having tortured Kon relentlessly, never really made him so...... hopeless.

Reading material 5: Flashpoint.... Bart dies, but I personally did not feel much for him because Bart didn't feel like Bart in the end, but yeah, he kicks it. This is where I pretty much kicked DC to the side too, minus the mistake that was reading RHATO. You can read Kid Flash Lost if you'd like.

Do not read New 52.

Reading material 6:.... my main man Bendis. No you do not have to read all of YJ 2019, but BartKon reunion and then Bart's explication as to WHY he found Kon is all you need. Bendis, despite the hate he gets, actually shows that he has great love for the YJ line. BartKon especially. The bald headed demon proves yet again that he care not for the world, only for his faves, which I'm cool with bc BartKon are me faves.

I know. A lotta reading. Those numbers I gave you.... you can also just read half of what I said kjdhgkhd Googling also helps! I know it's not always feasible to read so many comics, and I'mma be real, the Tone for many may not entice you either. Impulse feels like a slice-of-life to me, but YJ's an absurd shounen, and Superboy is the saddest book you'll ever read that is absolutely hilarious when you can accept that 90's writers just Did Not Care. Geoff hates Bart and Kon. New 52 is not real. Bendis actually loves BartKon a LOT, so you can just read their tidbits and find peace in the fact that Bart Allen, the loneliest fucker in existence, found his Kon El, who is the saddest fucker in existence. Something something, I will find you even if God wants us both dead. And God (editorial) did. I don't know how Bendis pulled the shit that he did, but he put a decades old rarepair back on the map after the Geoffian Reign. And Geoff hates Bart and Kon.

Happy Reading/Googling/Researching!!!!

[catboybiologist]

Hey! Kinda a weird ask but I saw ur a PhD student and I was wondering if u had any tips for people who want to peruse that path. (I’m in CS so I imagine it’s a bit different, but I’m sure there’s at least some overlap: networking, applications, etc).

Also ur posts are really great and spark joy whenever I see them, so thank you for that :)

As far as computer science is concerned, I would also tell you to seriously ask yourself if you want a PhD in the subject. Is your goal to get a stable, high paying job in tech that lets you live your life otherwise? Or is your job to find satisfaction in the work itself, doing research on novel algorithms or applying CS to novel problems?

Technically, I have an MS in computer science (yay bioinformatics) but obviously my experience was far different, and my lab was a biology lab that I just did coding for. So my CS experience fell into applying simple CS stuff to novel biology applications. Others I knew were deep into AI development for specific functions. But the point is, you're not really rolling out a product- you're still doing research. If that's not your goal, then it might be wise to stop at a Master's degree. Most people I know in CS have been told that it's pretty pointless to get a PhD in it unless you're going for academia.

If you do want to go for a PhD, the absolute number one thing is to start undergraduate research as soon as possible. Less important for a CS PhD, but absolutely critical in the conventional wet lab sciences. As in, *this is more important than your gpa*, and most people can't comprehend that. I was incredible lucky (and yes, it was mostly luck) to get an undergraduate research position halfway through my freshman year. Every single career step I've made since then starts from that. This includes networking (collaborating research and getting to conferences) , applications (many applications require you to write a summary of your past research), letter of recommendation writers (LoRs from research advisors are very strong), and even just preparing you for what research is like.

If you've already done that, then graduate applications change so frequently and are so distinct at each university that I can't give any specific advice. Maybe try to seriously think about who your letter writers are in advance- who are the professors you've interacted with in ways beyond the classroom, or exceeded expectations within it?

To be fair, in pure CS, that'll be WAY less crucial. It'll still be useful bc it'll be the same kind of experience you would get in a CS PhD, so you would set your expectations better. I would still recommend it.

I hope this is at least a little helpful! Again, I'm coming from a mostly-bio with a dash of CS perspective here, so of course listen to your own professors and other mentors more.

[saint-sebastian-coded]

please tell me about the books you’ve read recently i would love some recommendations 👀🤲

okay!!!! im bored so heres my thoughts on all the books ive read (or finished reading) since the start of summer

all of murder most unladylike 5/5 its a middle grade series (9 books) about two girls in the ninteen thirties who go to boarding school together and solve murder. its so funny and i really like the historical perspective in it too. i read it originally when it was coming out but i decided to look at it again (can't remember the exact reason why but anyway). soooo fun and pretty clever too

monk and robot duology by becky chambers about 4.5-4.75/5 very interesting world building im not sure i fully understood it so im going to reread but i think its speculative fiction about a post technological world but a robot decides to visit and becomes friends with a monk

all of the locked tomb series. twice. 5/5. i feel i do not have to explain this everyone read it Now

priory of the orange tree 5/5 this is my fourth read through i'm currently on my second read of a day of fallen night (the prequel) and !!!! the prose !!! the world building !!! the characters. i kinda hate that very few people like niclays i love niclays he's so funny to me and a complete cunt

all of nevermoor. twice 5/5. its 223 days to the fourth book coming out and in the hiatus ive managed to write like 19% i think of all fic for it on ao3. so yk. i like it a normal amount its like its very fun middle grade series (im going into my junior honours year of uni so my summer reading was v self indulgent lmao) about a girl who is rescued from death at the last minute and has to compete to get into a specific society so she won't get deported and the world building is sooo good and i love the characters sooo much

fun home by alison bechdel 5/5 the way the narrative is presented in this like all the negative space where things arent said but we're supposed to understand its very good

the gilded wolves 3.5/5 i feel like its on me for like. starting this in june 2023 and reading little bits over the year bc i was a bit confused so im gonna try reading this again sometime but it was pretty fun ngl

transgender marxism 4/5 i found the ideas in this interesting but im not sure i understood all of it so im gonna read around the subjects a bit so i get it more

black leopard red wolf by malon james 3.5/5. i kinda lost where the plot was going about halfway through so this is another book on my reread list but the prose is soooo good that it kept me going

honey girl by morgan rogers 4.25/5 this is about an astrophysicist who has a vegas wedding after she goes out right after getting her phd and is kinda lost in what she wants to do so she strikes up a sort of friendship sort of relationship with her wife from the opposite side of the usa and i found it to be a really nice read

wolfsong by tj klune 4/5 this book is kinda long for what it needs to be tbh and i dont really like the omegaverse enough (its not omegaverse but like. omegaverse's third cousin basically like werewolves and stuff) but i enjoyed the writing style

he who drowned the world by shelley parker-chan 5/5 its the sequel to she who became the sun and i love that zhu has such a good time in this book the second the narrative turns to her its almost a buddy comedy. amazing prose love the world building love the themes love the characters. banger. cant wait to see what shelley parker-chan does next

kemosha of the caribbean by alex wheatle 3.25/5 its about this girl who's a slave in port royal during the golden age of piracy and wins her freedom in a duel and joins a pirate ship as a cook so she can get the money to buy her brother's freedom. i liked it but i think im kinda past ya ig

the aeneid by vergil (cecil day lewis translation) 4/5 oh my goddddd oh my god. amazing. poem of all time

kyoshi duology by fc yee 4.5/5 on one hand i liked it more the first time i read it but like its still good its just ive read some really amazing books since but i love kyoshi and rangi so much and i really like the povs from jianzhu zoryu and yun also

the silmarillion by jrrt 3/5 i did not understand. i will read again im sorry tolkien fans

the mcga trilogy by rick riordan 4/5 this book series was my personality from the release of sword of summer to like two years ago??? on one hand i forgot how much i liked certain elements on the other hands certain elements did not. age well. or weren't good to start with. i feel like rr should like. get a better handle on his narrative arcs tbh

the histories by herodotus (tom holland. not spiderman translation) 4/5 this was very weird but very interesting

the two ministry of unladylike activity books currently out 5/5 this is the sequel series to murder mosr unladylike but about one of the main character's little sisters and her friends outwith the story (which is excellent) i like that it balances showing that the lives of the original characters are still ongoing without going full nostalgia bait

the kane chronicles by rick riordan 4.5/5 outside of the walt and anubis thing (too old to date a Thirteen Year Old jesus christ) very good honestly rr's best series in terms of worldbuilding, characterisation and narrative arcs

the annals by tacitus (yardley translation) 3.25/5 v good translation but holy shit completely boring im sorry im a tacitus hater i fear. interesting historical source tho

lives of the caesar by suetonius (edwards translation) 3.75/5 every single roman emperor is in hell

the aeneid (aeneid daily) 4.5/5 see above

daughter of the siren queen by tricia levenseller 3.5/5 this could be good but every single romantic scene was punctuated by me saying aloud that i hoped jakey died. i do not remember her boyfriend's name i just do not care. nothing special tbh

the woman of troy by pat barker 4.75/5 this is the sequel to her book the silence of the girls which is a retelling of the iliad from briseis' perspective. this book is still mostly from her perspective but (i believe) a retelling of the troades (i haven't read the troades in english except in summary and i only translated it for like two weeks as a seventeen year old so i forgor but i think it is) i usually hate classical retellings but i like barker's take on things and i just found out (like rn) that theres a third book coming out so im excited about that

the atlas six by olivie blake 2.5/5 this book was written to have out of context parts quoted on tiktok

dictator by robert harris 5/5 this is the finale to his cicero trilogy told through the perspective of tiro whom i love and admire (he probably invented the ampersand and other stuff we use as short hand. everyone say thank you tiro) very good

the eternal ones by namina forna 3.5/5 i really liked the first book in this series and i think i liked the second one too and i think the worldbuilding is compelling but im not interested in any of the characters especially her boyfriend sorry. i liked britta tho. also again i think im kinda past ya rn so

nevermoor graphic novel part two 5/5 i thought the art was beautiful but the story was kinda rushed and one fairly important scene was left out which i was really looking forward too and also messes up some of the relationships which was a shame (unless it got covered in dialogue but i dont speak french i was literally just there for the pictures)

task force z #11 & #12 4/5 nice

tiger tiger by petra erika nordlund 5/5 everyone go read this now its about a girl who steals her brother's identity and his ship to study sea sponges and meets god who is a tits out nonbinary lesbian along the way and also: sea sponge

the lightning thief by rick riordan 4.5/5 the fact that luke didn't say "western civilisation is a disease" in the tv show is a goddamn travesty. also i have many thoughts about the themes of nostos and kleos between luke and percy

a sky beyond the storm by sabaa tahir 4.5/5 i love the world building so much in this book and i had a really good time with the character development too. i want to reread the series at some point all at once bc i finished boom three in december and i think i forgot some parts lmao

cursed crowns by katherine webber and catherine doyle 2.5/5 this book is stupid. some of the dialogue is funny. like twice

the eagle of the ninth by rosemary sutcliff 3.5/5 if aiglemene in tlt isnt inspired by this in some way (eagles, ninth, leg injury) i will be genuinely surprised. good time

the dawn of yangchen by fc yee 4.25/5 not quite as fun as kyoshi but i found the politics very interesting

whale weekly 4/5 i lost the plot like back in 2022 but the prose is immaculate its so fucking tragic and it was so preventable i love the whole cosmic horror of the whale

amari and the night brothers by bb alston 4.75/5 this has the same vibes as nevermoor but like the main character is looking for her brother and accidentally finds out that shes a magician and also this is a bad thing. kinda cliché but very fun and i had a good time

[kyuohki]

Gimme some director's cut deets on your modern AU!

Oh, goodness, my modern AU (with all the BDSM and Petplay...)

First the Party, in their majors (I think I commented on some of these, but I figured out Valere and Zale finally):

Garl is majoring in Family/Child Psychology, and probably gonna continue on to get a master’s degree (maybe eventually a PhD? I thought Culinary Arts, but it’s a bit too on the nose; plus, he was so amazing and supportive throughout the game, and he was absolutely great with Malkomud). Garl has a variety of scholarships, grants, and financial aid getting him through college.

Teaks, of course, is getting a degree in History (minoring in Creative Writing (she writes horror/thriller in her spare time, and some of her work is getting popular)). Teaks is also using a variety of scholarships, grants, and financial aid.

Seraï is getting a restoration ecology degree, with an eye to getting a masters (then a PhD). She wants to help with restoration projects in areas that have been damaged by humans. (She hides the fact that she's rich-rich from everyone as long as possible, which eventually results in Zale having a conspiracy theory that she's a Yakuza heiress).

Valere intends on getting her degrees in Physics and Engineering. She's has an idea of becoming an aerospace engineer, wanting to create more efficient and eco friendly airplanes and the like for travel. Valere is in on a tennis scholarship, grants, and financial aid.

Zale is going for a basic degree atm, but will land on something in Fine Arts (honestly with my obsession with pottery rn it'll probably end up being something to do with ceramics). (His family is the same as in Bloodlines (same thing for Valere), and Haris and his shop were big influences on Zale growing up). Zale is in on a soccer scholarship, grants, and financial aid.

Resh'an and Aephorul are married and professors at the university; they own the duplex that the group is renting (unknown to the group, they live just down the street in an even older historical home. The duplex is Resh'an's, and their current home is Aephorul's).

Resh'an actually has a variety of classes in various subjects he cycles through every couple of years, and each of the group probably end up in one of his classes at one point or another (he feels like a Jack of all Trades to me).

Aephorul is a neuroscientist, reluctantly teaching classes between his research (he doesn't exactly hate it, just has no patience for most of the students who try to coast through his classes).

B'st is a contemporary of Resh'an and Aephorul, and with him being a Songster, he teaches a large variety of music classes and theory. He is good friends with the "pirate" crew after they graduated, as all of them took his classes for their degrees.

NSFW exploration under the cut:

'Kay…it’s probably absolutely clear to everybody now that I have a kink for main characters willingly giving up their control to their partners (or losing all control to someone stronger).

So...…Teaks introduced the idea of BDSM to the trio. First to Valere after they’d gotten together, with shibari; then to the boys when she and Valere were not as thorough in cleaning up their supplies from a play session in their living room. (There was much blushing from everyone when Zale found the cuffs and rope, then a lot of teasing.)

Garl and Zale were actually not together when they all moved into the duplex. Between being introduced to the concept of BDSM, and constant pining on both sides since their high school days, it all came to a head when Zale got really drunk and kissed Garl (and as I love the stupid trope, he passed out and didn't remember it in the morning). Garl corners him not long after, they have a long talk, and start dating (bc like hell Garl is gonna let the pining continue if he can be cuddling, kissing, and smexing his Kitten bff).

Zale came up with the Kitten-play all on his own, having stumbled on it online while looking for gifts for Garl. He ended up missing getting it all for Garl's bday, as it took a while to collect everything. He did have a very embarrassing outing with Valere to figure out what kind of lingerie to get; bc Zale chickened out going on his own, and was overwhelmed by all the variety (she didn't know about the whole Kitten bit, tho.)

Zale finds that he likes being a Kitten, and he and Garl explore it a bit deeper after that first time. Garl gets an at-home belled collar to match the lingerie, and a more incognito necklace that Zale can wear all the time (Garl has a matching bracelet). After getting his collars, Zale starts experimenting with being a Kitten a bit deeper (with non-verbal communication and non-sexual play). They actually mostly do non-sexual play in cuddle and "grooming" sessions after long days of school or work.

Garl is a Soft Dom. These two don't really "switch" their roles all that often (Zale *likes* being a Sub, and Garl *likes* being a Dom), but that doesn't mean that Zale is always bottom. Garl does get his sounding fantasy played out, and all his ideas for Zale on rings and cages actually end up being used on him more often than not (Zale finds he also likes being a bratty Kitten and torturing Garl.)

Teaks and Valere figured out that being tied up helps Valere relax. Doesn't even have to be for sexy-times...if Valere is stressing over school or whatever, Teaks will offer to tie her up in either simple or complex shibari.

Seraï ends up walking in on one of Teaks and Valere's innocent sessions, and is flustered over it. Teaks and Valere discuss it, and slowly start romancing Seraï when she doesn't push them away when they broach it to her, and they end up in a happy threesome. They all like switching up who is dominant for any given session.

[monstersflashlight]

Oooh book talk book talk book talk!!!!! Im actually in school to get a master's degree in library science rn in part bc I want to do everything I can to spend my life around books and readers! My favorite books include:

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Rebecca Skloot) Nonfiction about the history of the cell culture HeLa that was removed from a black woman with a unique cervical cancer without her consent or her family's knowledge. Goes into the medical ethics questions of who owns a piece of tissue after it's been removed and how can we reconcile scientific progress made when it comes at a very real, very high human cost, especially to certain groups of people (in this case a poor black woman and her family). It's also a story about the woman herself, what little is known for sure about her and how her family has tried to understand who she was and what happened to her, all while grieving for her loss. If you like medical history and don't mind harsh subjects, it is a really really good read.

This Is How You Lose The Time War (Max Gladstone and Amal El-Mohtar) sci-fi novella telling the story of two agents from warring factions with the power of time travel, each of them trying to outwit the other to secure the best future for their faction while maintaining their cat and mouse game. They become completely intertwined and fall in love (without spoilers, a really cool take on the idea of fated lovers, imo), all through sending letters to each other and it's a short read but so poignant and dazzling.

Stories of Your Life and Others (Ted Chiang) more sci-fi, this time a short story collection. Includes the short story that was the basis for the movie Arrival. (Does it count as a monster book if there are aliens? Because there are aliens, but there's no romance with them or anything like that). Can't really give a succinct summary when there are a bunch of different stories but I think my personal favorite in this collection is "Hell is the Absence of God". A world in which the presence of heaven, hell, god, and angels are very real tangible forces and how a select group of people in that world grapple with what that means for their faith. Do I love this story bc I also have a complicated relationship with faith? Probably! But it's a great collection regardless!

Hope you get lots of good book rec's! <3

Hi anon! I've been thinking about getting into library sicence myself, but not yet though. But I find it very interesting.

I've actually read the first book you mentioned and it was great, really good book. You can say I like medical history, lmao (for context I'm getting my PhD in that field). I've heard of the second one you suggest, but I've also heard it's really tragic (not sure if it's true), so I don't know about that because I like more cozy, happy-ending books, but it's been on my TBR for a looooong time. Someday I'll read it. The third one I didn't know, added to the TBR. :) All very interesting choices.

[whichwoods]

Hey I hope you're doing great! I was wondering about lsts:

1. Why does Lucerys get so embarassed about how horny he is for Aemond or being eaten out? The man's literally breaking down your door to worship you

2. Other than Lucerys' imposed 1 month separation, have they ever had moments where either sobered up again or made each other intentionally jealous?

3. What is the frequency of heats/ruts in the lsts universe?

4. Have they ever almost been caught during the act? My dudes are putting a lot of faith in doors for a nosey (and huge) family

5. Since they've been sleeping together for years now, have they ever had moments of wanting to spice up their sex life? (They're clearly fired up and will continue to be but 👀)

6. Idk if I forgot/missed this but did you elaborate on how they first fell into bed together?

7. Have they done joint flights on their dragons? How's the relationship between Arrax and Vhagar? (I assume Lucemond wouldn't do dragonback sex bc they're so high profile but is that even a thing in the Universe?)

Sorry my questions seem like I'm doing a phd in the fic lmao i just really adore it and love crumbs about the universe ♡

never apologize for asking questions <3 i love world-building for this series and i'm always so grateful for anything sent my way :) it helps keep me inspired!

a part of it is definitely that underlying fear that aemond simply doesn't want him as much as luke does, which is hard for him to shake 🤠 they work on it. aemond is very determined to get his point across

there are no "official" breaks outside of that one-month separation! it did take place during a critical time period though, when aemond needed to make certain decisions about where he was going to get his next degree :') and guess where he didn't choose to go!!! that changes things for a bit, even when they're "back together"

lol i feel like i've been dancing around this one a bit 😭 for young, healthy adults without any sort of suppressants let's say about twice a year, being subject to change from things like pregnancy, breastfeeding, stress, etc.

they've definitely had a few close calls!! one memorable occasion is when jace should've definitely Known Something Was Up after almost catching them in the garden after helaena and aegon's wedding, but he was too distracted (read: devastated) by other things to notice 🥲

i'm sure they try things! who knows?? we have a lot of sex to get through before the series is over :)))

i talked about their first time together very briefly here! i do have a one-shot in the works for this though <3

absolutely! truthfully most dragon-riders in the family have at this point in lsts :) arrax is fond of vhagar and usually happy to see her, often nudging at her and making noises until she snaps or roars at him to stop 🥲 vhagar finds him to be a nuisance but she likes him MUCH more than most of the younger dragons (you're right about the dragon-back sex, unfortunately. aemond's also convinced vhagar would never forgive him)

[zipstidbits]

You're starting your astrophysics PhD? That's so cool do you mind talking about it, what you studied up to this point, why you chose the field, stuff like that? You don't have to ofc but I'd love to hear!! (⁠✿⁠^⁠‿⁠^⁠)

hey!!! :)))

thank you so much for the ask!!! i'm always happy to talk about this stuff :)))

why i chose the field:

a little bit ago i got asked why i chose to study astrophysics and i gave a very long answer here. the tldr of it is i really want to understand the world around me and there are so many cool and unknown things going on in space and i want to learn about it all, lmao

what i studied in high school:

at this point, i had a vague idea that i either wanted to major in creative writing or physics when i got to college so i took courses that would prep me for whichever one i chose

i took both AP Physics I and II and i took the most advanced math classes that were offered to me at each grade level. i was also incredibly lucky to have a free spot in my schedule the one year an astrophysics course was offered, so i took that as well!

otherwise, i worked through the standard subjects that were required for me to graduate and i definitely overdid it with how many AP classes i took. they helped a lot in college but i would've been just as fine if i had taken less

what i studied in college:

i got a BS in physics during my undergrad :)

i chose to just major in physics and not astrophysics because i kind of thought i might like particle physics and wanted to give myself wiggle room to change my mind. (spoiler: i didn't end up liking quantum/particle physics because the math required for quantum mechanics is fucked up and the bane of my existence ;-;)

i obviously fulfilled all my degree requirements, lmao, and that included some humanities and social science courses as well as a couple of physics classes in each "core" area of physics (mechanics, electricity and magnetism, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics). i also took whatever math classes were required for the higher-level physics courses i wanted to take.

i ended up with a lot of extra room in my schedule. this was from both the AP credits i earned in high school and the fact that i would only take the first class in each physics sequence (so i took classical mechanics I but not classical mechanics II) and since i went to a school with quarters instead of semesters, this meant i was only really getting half the information in each subject. (again, i would not recommend doing this bc i would've been just as fine doing less/taking more time to do things fully.)

however, this extra room did allow me to take all of the astrophysics elective courses offered by my college and start taking grad classes my senior year. my senior thesis was also an astrophysics-related project.

after i graduated with my BS, i took another year to finish my MS in physics (which i just graduated with like a week ago!!!)

some non-course related stuff that is just as important imo:

aside from studying, i did get some project/research experience in via my senior thesis and working in a photonics lab starting the summer between my BS and MS. i was also a teaching assistant this past academic year.

i think these experiences were just as helpful as my academics in preparing me for a PhD and getting accepted into a program, lmao

thank you again for the ask, friend <33333 if there's anything in here you want me to talk more about or if i maybe missed something, let me know!!!!

[blacknidstang]

Tagged by @juststartingtobebrothersagain 💜

Ask game bellow the cut ✧⁠◝⁠(⁠⁰⁠▿⁠⁰⁠)⁠◜⁠✧

1. Are you named after anyone?

Nope. But my nickname, Ashi, is taken from a nursery song if it counts

2. When was the last time you cried?

Actually half an hour ago. I was rereading some part of Franny and Zooey for thousandths time and it always gets me

3. Do you have kids?

No and i never will

4. What sports do you play/have played?

5. Do you use sarcasm?

I have always been pathetic when it comes to sport. However i am both a good runner and swimmer but i only do those recreationally. I can't handle stress of racing. I've tried basketball and volleyball and i have been incredibly tragic like a wet miserable cat.

I try not to because it really creates communication issues especially with added language barriers. With some friends tho, we have shared sarcasm i believe so it works

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

Hmmmmm... Their gaze. And whether they notice me or not.

7. What's your eye color?

Dark brown

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Neither exactly? I don't vibe hard with jumpscare horror but i do love bad devastating endings, not in tragic movies but ones that are meant to invoke discomfort.

9. Any talents?

I think i'm a good speaker in person. I have been the constant project presenter since 10th grade till end of my masters. I also think, or hope, tha i have quite an imaginative mind. Also whenever i'm making one of those huge 1000 puzzles i usually can grab one single piece and figure out where it belongs. I used to get mocked for this bc but hey if i take pride in that 😤

10. Where were you born?

Somewhere in middle east.

11. What are your hobbies?

Drawing, writing, hoarding academic papers (especially regarding religion and mythology recently), digging through all sorts of true crimes, unsolved cases, internet mysteries, fucked up cults. Puzzles and riddles, i also used to be so invested in Notpron (an insane & amazing internet puzzle) & i went to level 50 something & am planning to get back too. Also just grabbing internet courses related ro physics, geometry, astronomy for fun, i used to be a theatre kid but it's been some years since ive been a part of.

12. Do you have any pets?

No unfortunately :(

13. How tall are you?

148 cm/4'10 :D

14. Favorite subject in school?

In school it was geometry, biology, art, literature, and english. In my undergrad i took an anthropology course unrelated to my own degree which was the best experience and in my masters my favorite subject waw something i can roughly translate to architecture analysis.

15. Dream job?

I am somewhat having my dream job right now in a game design project with coolest people, but on the other hand i know big industries are literal hellscape when it comes to game and animation so i dont know really. I do wish to later in life go for phd, at one point i was fearing i'd be permanently a student djeujsisi but i think being a researcher/scholar of some sort is kinda awesome.

No pressure here @lilacpaperbird, @nameslikeguns, @stray-with-a-muffler , @hurricanejane, @fathercain1999, @laurasashtray, @sexwithag, and anyone who wants to do this im quite shy with tags

[kummatty]

If you get a PhD just make sure you're doing it because you truly love the subject! I've known multiple people who have gone to get their PhD/masters who truly just wanted to delay entering real life / were unsure what to do next and it seemed like a logical step. What's the PhD for?

yea I defintely take your point, but tbh I don't know if it's enough to truly love the subject/want the experience of producing research in something you're interested in. if that were the only criteria, I think I'd do it bc I would like to do archival/ethnographic research on something that matters to me (and hopefully matters in the larger sense) but everything else surrounding phds makes me apprehensive- long hours for less pay, multiple jobs, multiple projects at once, the pace & expectations, my health/disability, it's a specific degree for academia that's now being repurposed bc there are no jobs in academia, etc. I actually would like to just get a job, make a salary and live my life lol

what's the phd for is really The question. to answer what you're asking tho, it would be in history, critical ethnic studies or something similar . but I keep asking myself what's it for? what would it be for? if it was divorced from all it's material realities, I would do it for the experience but I still need to figure out something specific to study, I have too many interests. as it stands, i believe that i would enjoy parts of it but it would also suck the life out of me. i wrote it off years ago for this reason but im considering it again bc profs have been telling me that it will be useful for certain job positions in the future and I might as well get it while I'm here (doing my masters), and they seem to have a lot of faith that I can do it and do it well

[elfpen]

Hi!!! So, this is going to be a weird (and probably invasive) question to ask a stranger on the internet but. um.

So I saw your add-on to the post about historical remedies and such and it FASCINATED me. The cross between historical and scientific study was just... so cool!

And I'm in High school, right now, and I'm still trying to decide what I want to major in. So I wanted to ask--

What major did you write that thesis for? How did you get into that major (like, what kind of credits/ background/grades did you need to get accepted)?

And-- this one you don't have to answer at all, bc I don't want to pressure you into doxxing yourself or anything, but-- What college/colleges did you go to/ consider going to that had good programs for said major? (I live in America, if that helps?)

Sorry for the random (and a lil' aggressive) questioning on major details of your life is uncalled for-- which it probably is. I just!!! Your research was really cool and it felt like something I'd want to consider pursuing!!!

TY for your time <3

No worries! None of those questions are what I would consider really invasive, and I don't mind talking about the basics.

That thesis was one that I wrote for my Master's degree. My major in undergrad was history—no specific area of history because it wasn't an option at my school—just history. While there were some classes I was required to take, whenever I was able to choose my own classes, I took classes that dealt with medieval history, which was something that interested me. Most of my large writing projects in undergrad I wrote on medieval topics. My uni didn't even have that many of those classes, but I basically found ways to work those subjects into my work anyway lol. In topics as broad as history, you have to carve out your own space.

I graduated with good grades and went straight into graduate school. I'm not sure I would recommend going straight into grad school after undergrad, but I knew myself and knew that if I didn't do it right away, I would not go back.

At the graduate level, no matter where you go, if you study history you will pick an area/region of history to study in depth. I chose medieval history, and within that carved out an unofficial specialization on early medieval British history. My advisor wasn't even an expert in that topic, but she was supportive, and connected me with other academics who knew more about it. I was a bit of an oddity in the department because I was one of the few students who was getting only a masters degree, rather than going for a PhD. The only reason I did this was because I was also studying for another degree which was more relevant for my desired career path; I chose to study history as in addition for the broadened experience and also because it really interested me.

Now, I know you're in high school still and this kind of decision is a long ways off, but for the sake of my on conscience I am going to pause here to say that you should not get a masters in history unless you are either going on for a PhD and are committed to a career in academia, or if you have another solid career path open to you (like having another degree or other experience). Studying history can give you a lot of great skills and experience and insight that will make you compatible for a lot of jobs, however, if you already have a bachelors, a masters degree in something like history will generally not increase your marketability, and can be very expensive. Alright, you didn't ask for career advice, but I couldn't not say it.

But yeah! As far as prerequisites and such, it's a fairly straightforward matter of keeping up your grades, which may sound kinda lame. The harder and more vital part of pursuing the research you want is to define your goals, communicate those with your professors, and foster relationships with professors who can help connect you with opportunities to present your research and meet others in the field. If you have the chance to present at an undergrad conference, do it. If your professor has office hours, talk to them not only about the current assignments, but about the kinds of things you're interested in. By the time you're a senior in college, having positive relationships with one or more professors will help you find connections beyond college.

This has turned into career advice, I'm sorry if that's not what you were after! I hope that helps.

[khodorkovskaya]

07.06.23

so okay, i feel like a terrible friend. and i know it's not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things and i have lots of other things i should be worried about. but like...

first of all i can't make it to my bestie's birthday this year bc im going to skating camp and instead of feeling bad about it, i feel... relieved..? bc i really hated her birthday last year, i spent over 500 pounds on it and we were in this house in the middle of nowhere next to durham and i was bored out of my mind. and this year she said that she wants to go either to crete or west of england. and going to crete is hella expensive. and going to england is hella expensive too honestly with all the trains i'll have to take to get there. and i know that im not gonna have fun.... and i feel terrible about it...

i thought about that a lot and now ive finally calmed down. but! my manchester bestie came to visit this week and i feel even worse...

so she got married in april and i was one of the first people she told about it like she called me and everything. and i promised to buy her a wedding present. and i didn't... and to be fair i don't really approve of the wedding cos it was for papers for her bf. and they've been together 5 years and they love each other and they would've got married in a couple of years anyway. but like... she's so youngggg and going thru with so much commitment for a man??? idk

and all of this leaves me feeling like im super judgmental. cos it's not my place to judge, right? and technically speaking my manchester bestie is much further ahead of me in life, right? like she moved out straight out of high school, so now she's like super independent and she's doing a phd now and she plans out her own life. and she looks really good too and she has lots of hobbies. like she seems to be doing really well. and whenever i judge people's decisions, i feel like i project too much. like if i were getting married now at the state that im at, that would be a bad decision. but now for her it's not ?????

and at the same time, i have to admit that i find it frustrating that some people have it so easy. she could choose whichever university in the world to go to after high school! like imagine having that priviledge! just like "yeah, manchester would be a good fit for me" BAM *moves to manchester*. "i really like animals :)" BAM *studies zoology in manchester*

like idk how to describe it. it's not just the money that's the issue, it's the bliss. the bliss of being like "my career? yeah, i like animals, im gonna go study them". like i could never... i love dinosaurs for sure, but i would never be able to do a phd about them bc as fascinating as it sounds, i just... can't take that seriously...? idk if im being elitist but like. especially when her degree and her living in a different country costs so much like.. idk how to explain it guys. do you get what im saying?

like out of high school i felt like the only choice i had was economics or management cos that's a serious subject that could get me a serious job. that's what us mortals do. and when i decided to do maths i was already reaching it. like now my parents are like "you wasted 4 of your years doing something that gave you no skills and was essentially useless. how about you do an accounting course now in order to catch up on everything you've missed out on? time to get back to the real world!" (plus my uni education was free but like imagine if my parents were paying thousands for me to study some obscure degree?)

and now again, it's her bliss that drives me insane. "oh my bf needs a visa? let's get married, i love him anyway" likeeee can you imagine that? like not ever thinking about the consequences?

idk, i feel like im in the wrong. bc some people just do whatever without thinking twice and it works out for them and they're happy. and im overcomplicating things. or maybe my life is just overall more complicated bc we're poor. like i can't just go to another country and marry the first guy who comes my way, you know?

and we were talking about kids and stuff and my bestie was like "yeah, i only want my kids to do the IB bc a-levels are shit and i wouldn't want them to get an obscure degree like the maturité either bc they'll have to explain it once they get to uni". and like... first of all, she's already counting on being able to send her future kids to private school which is like okay. and secondly like... how is the maturité an obscure diploma? judging by whose standards? if you do the IB and you want to go to a swiss uni that's gonna be a hassle. despite the IB being supposedly international, the only schools that really actually accept it with no problem are those elite british schools. so imagine being preprogramed in a way that like you know you're gonna be able to afford elite universities for your kids.

and she says all of that without even thinking twice. like everything is a given to her. and her boyfriend now husband is a heir to this rich hongkongese family, so yeah, they'll probably be able to send their kids to private school and then to an english university. and she'll probably never understand it. she'll continue living her life thinking that everything is a given, never struggle and find that normal. meanwhile i can't even grasp the fact that her dad's managed to support his stay at home wife and his two children and like wow the privilege.

anyway, we all live in such different worlds. and some people will never see some other people's worlds. and that's just how things are. and im drifting apart from my friends because we have different problems and a different view on the world.