#i need to study his mannerisms and speech patterns and the ways he interacts with the world

[orcelito]

Also remembering that I get to write wolfwood next chapter and I'm a widdle nervous bc this is a Big Moment and I only wrote him a little bit with Sentido and it's been 8 months since then

But im also REALLY excited bc I get to finally (FINALLY) start executing the vashwood concepts I'd thought up at the damned START of this fic

So much relationship development to get to. So much Wolfwood to get to. Very exciting things.

[outoftheframework]

characterization cheat sheet: the batfamily boys

Hey everyone! I had the idea to compile a comprehensive list of different traits and attributes for each member of the batfamily based off of both canon and fanon interpretations. I think this could be useful for new members to the fandom, or those looking to write and/or draw for these characters. Remember that these will have a slight bias considering I, a fanon creator, am creating the lists. But I’ll try to make them as accurate as possible.

Appearances vary from artist to artist, so I’ll try to stray away from general details and add more little things you can consider in your art.

Bruce Wayne:

Age: 35-45

Appearance: Extremely physically fit, but signs of aging and prolonged exertion can slip through. Has a collection of scattered scars varying from fresh to fully healed. Strong, dark features. Conventionally attractive, but can easily switch to be foreboding/intimidating. Well kept in public appearances, but can look like death incarnate when in private.

Personality: Dual personas: “Bruce” (at home, but not as batman) and “Brucie” (public appearances like galas, news interviews). Bruce is stoic, well-read and educated, well-mannered, and occasionally can be witty and laid-back. Smirks rather than smiles. Brucie is loud, spontaneous, charming, and sometimes oblivious. He is the womanizer and scandal-maker. Often the actions of Brucie are motivated by Batman’s interests.

Speech: Bruce was mainly raised by as English butler, so his speech patterns are proper and smooth. Rarely uses speech fillers such as “uh” and “um,” except when interrupted while concentrating. Despite living in Gotham his entire life, he has not picked up the accent. His voice is newscaster American, almost impossible to pinpoint to a certain region. His speech as Brucie changes to relate more to the audience he is addressing. Speeches to Gotham high society will sound different than those aimed to the general public.

Additional Attributes: Bruce Wayne in all of his personalities is fiercely protective, and can easily slip into a deeper voice to intimidate. Bruce can be extremely empathetic and slightly impulsive when it comes to children who have lost their parents. As learned through his training to become Batman, Bruce is disciplined and can work for hours straight.

Dick Grayson:

Age: 23-29

Appearance: Dick Grayson mirrors a young Bruce Wayne despite their not being blood related. This could be a subconscious action by Dick to absorb traits of his father figure. His lean acrobatic body starts to set him apart from Bruce’s image. Dick manages to be well-built but still limber and flexible. His feet and hands are rough and calloused. His hair can get long but usually stays at a length in between Bruce’s and Tim’s. His eyes are bright blue without even a hint of green or brown. 

Personality: In one comic I believe it was Superman who said that Dick Grayson is a universal constant, meaning that on every alternate earth or timeline, you can always rely on him to be good and pure. I think this really sums up who Dick should be. He is kind to a fault, and can sometimes be naive and not think things through. He loves to love, be that in his family, in his romantic relationships, in his friendships, and even in strangers. He is a chronic hero who only wants to see the world as a better place. But it’s important to note that Dick can get angry when pushed, and holds grudges.

Speech: Dick is an extremely interesting study in speech patterns. As a child he traveled with the circus, until he lived with clear-spoken Bruce Wayne and a proper English butler. So influences to his speech and accent come both internationally and locally to Gotham and Bludhaven. As a child living at Wayne Manor, Dick picks up a slight Gotham tinge to his accent with some British flourish in his vowel sounds. He regularly speaks in slang. As Nightwing he is able to suppress his unique speech to sound more evenly American.

Additional Attributes: Dick acts differently around each of his family members as to be what they need in a big brother. For example, he is more fatherly to Damian while to Tim he is more an equal. Dick can fidget and has less of an attention span than Bruce. He can use jokes as a coping mechanism.

Jason Todd: 

Age: 22-26

Appearance: Hair is often long on top and shorter on the sides, sometimes with a white streak as a side effect from the Lazarus Pit. Tallest and heaviest of all the kids, very physically intimidating. Has a lot of scars and burns, and in some fan works he has a “Y” shaped scar the length of his chest from his autopsy. Never skips leg day. Green/blue eyes.

Personality: Jason goes through a lot of character development, but for this list I’m going off a timeline of post-Under the Red Hood, where Jason is on okay, yet still a little shaky, terms with the rest of the family. Jason has a hard time separating vigilante life and civilian life; his death as Robin ended his life as Jason Todd, blurring the lines between the two. Jason is legally dead, so he is basically building an identity back up. He holds some attributes from childhood: brave, impulsive, loud-mouthed, and street-smart. But his experiences post-Robin have made him a hardened loner. He lives modestly and with some semblance of order. He’s hard to foster a relationship with, but can be a passionate friend/family member when he opens up.

Speech: Jason probably has the least influence from Bruce and Alfred’s speech patterns, seeing as though he spent a lot more time with his biological family/on the streets than he did as a preteen in the manor. He is the definition of Gotham vernacular, with a rough edge. So much so that as a child, the high society gala attenders sometimes had a hard time understanding him. Often talks in curt, short sentences.

Additional Attributes: He has trouble expressing his emotions, more specifically anger and/or grief. Can both love or hate furiously. Inherently good, but sometimes does “bad” things. Protective over children, especially those living on the street. Very much a believer in “the ends justify the means.”

Tim Drake:

Age: 17-20

Appearance: Pale skin, dark hair. Sharp cheek bones and jawline, mostly from how skinny he is. His body isn’t technically “built” to be extremely athletic, but he’s forced a nice lean build from stringently working out. Easily loses and gains weight as a direct result of his work, causing fluctuations in his build. Five foot something, will eventually be out-grown by Damian. Long hair that can still be styled to look professional.

Personality: Tim Drake is very passionate in pretty much everything he sets his mind to. He feels as though he imposed himself onto Batman to become Robin, so he works twice as hard to prove his worth. He can be self conscious and deprecating. Tim as Robin or Red Robin is very different than civilian Tim; his hero personas can be bolder and more confident. Despite dropping out of high school, he values education.

Speech: Tim grew up rich, and his speech reflects an intelligence gained from private tutors. Despite this, he knows how to interact with those his age in using less formal language and slang. Often quotes books and movies. Can be awkward and stumble over his words when teased by his friends/family. He can manipulate people easily in business settings by talking fast and confidently while explaining complex topics.

Additional Attributes: Tim’s demeanor is directly tied to his varying levels of confidence and anxiety. Tim is has above-average intelligence and is diligent in detective work, but can still act like a teenager. He can be stubborn to extremes and will patiently play the long con. He does not cope well with loss.

Duke Thomas:

Age: 17-19

Appearance: Short dark hair, shaved on the sides and/or the back. Often wears the colors yellow and black. Around the same height as Tim, but a little taller. Stronger and heavier build more alike to Jason than Dick, but he’s still light on his feet. Expressive face that can give away his feelings easily. Still a bit of a baby face, but he’s still well-proportioned and conventionally handsome.

Personality: In my works, I’ve often described Duke as having a “sun-shiny” personality. He is one to not even think twice about putting others before himself. Duke uses his own personal experiences to guide him as a hero rather than suppress his emotions. Duke went from being an only child to having a large family, so he can sometimes feel overwhelmed. He is on friendly terms with every member of the batfamily, as well as many other heroes. Duke is self-sacrificial and is still learning how to effectively work as a detective.

Speech: Duke grew up in a middle class Gotham family, so his speech is influenced by his parents as well as his city environment. Duke has a mild Gotham accent and speaks a lot in modern slang. He hasn’t had much influence from Bruce and Alfred, considering he hasn’t lived with them for long. It’s possible that as he grows he will pick up some influences from Bruce and Tim’s way of speaking, but will most likely hold onto the accent of his childhood.

Additional Attributes: Duke is a metahuman vigilante in a city where Batman typically bans them, which causes a bit of an insecurity and a perfectionist drive. These are exasperated by the long line of history preceding him, as well as the fact that he involved himself in the Robin movement rather than being handpicked by Batman. He and Tim can relate in that way. Duke is an ardent student of Batman and is dedicated to the cause.

Damian Wayne:

Age: 10-14

Appearance: Looks similar to Bruce when he was the same age, yet stronger and with tanner skin. His hair is expertly cut and styled, but still age-appropriate. He is the shortest of the batkids, but still has a lot of time and potential to grow. He pretty much won the genetics lottery with Bruce and Talia as his biological parents, and is made for athletics. He has some scars that stand out with their pale coloring against his tan skin. 

Personality: Damian is slowly becoming less of a brat, to put it bluntly. He admires his family and tries to mimic them, but will never confess it. Damian is quick to judge and will voice his opinion no matter how scathing it may be, both as civilian and hero. Damian is slowly realizing he may not want the Batman mantle as quickly as he planned. Jon is a perfect foil to Damian, and often makes him a better person when they’re together. 

Speech: His speech is proper and formal. Prefers formal titles: ex. “father” over “dad” and last names over first. Damian is at least bilingual (Arabic and English), and can switch between languages easily. Most of his speech patterns developed from his tutors in the League, and more recently, Alfred. Influences like Jon and Dick have introduced him to a more modern, laid-back way of speaking, which he sometimes utilizes when relaxed.

Additional Attributes: Damian has problems with authority, especially those that he doesn’t respect like his teachers at school. He can be arrogant and childish ever though he often acts like he knows everything. Damian is still a child and has much to learn from batman and family as well as unlearn from his time at the League. Dami was forged to be a ruthless warrior, but now has to find a balance between the hero Robin and the child Damian Wayne.

Hope this helps someone! Feel free to add on if you think I missed anything. Just please remember to be civil and respect different interpretations of these characters. Let me know if you want another one of these posts outlining the girls or other characters.

[ouyangzizhensdad]

Correct me if I'm wrong but do we see in the novel during the archery competition in Qishan that LWJ is close with several members of his sect even if they remain unnamed? WwX pulls off LWJ's forehead ribbon and both LXV and several other Lans go over to comfort him before he leaves the competition. I just feel like some of the events are emphasized in CQL that show that LWJ wasn't a loner who only had LXC and WWX.

Hi Anon, 

I’m going to assume this is an out-of-the-blue ask because I can’t seem to figure out which post of mine you were responding to otherwise. 

I am not certain I can recall which events in CQL that you are referring to, but if necessary you can always specify later.

As for what is in the novel, it is indeed suggested that LWJ leads a lonesome life as a youth. He’s Lan Qiren’s proudest discipline, a prodigy of peerless beauty and manners, already far along in his cultivation studies and tasked with responsibilities that demonstrate his position within his sect (in charge of discipline, on top of doing night patrol) He’s revered, respected and feared by disciples of his generation, within and outside of his sect. 

Nie Huaisang spoke, “Wei-xiong, listen to a sincere advice of mine. [...] On this trip to Gusu, remember that there’s one person whom you shouldn’t provoke.”

“Who? Lan Qiren?”

“Not that old man,” replied Nie Huaisang. “The one you need to be careful of is his proudest disciple; Lan Zhan.”

Wei Wuxian spoke, “Gusu Shuangbi’s (姑苏双璧) Lan Zhan? Lan Wangji?”

The respectable title of Gusu Shuangbi had been bestowed upon the two sons of GusuLanShi’s current sect leader—Lan Huan and Lan Zhan. From the time they were barely out of childhood, they had been deemed by the elders of every sect as exemplary models against which to compare their own disciples. They were exceptionally famous among the juniors, it was as such only natural that anybody would recognize their names. 

“What other Lan Zhan is there?” spoke Nie Huaisang. “Yes, the one. My, he’s the same age as you and I, but he has none of the energy of a teen. He’s stiff and strict, even worse than his uncle.”

[...]

“You’re gonna die, Wei-xiong! Lan Zhan has never been at such a loss before. He’s probably after you. You should be careful. Lan Zhan will not be attending classes with us, but he’s in charge of punishments!”

Wei Wuxian was not frightened at all, waving his hand.

“What’s there to be scared of? Doesn’t everyone say that Lan Zhan is a prodigy? If he’s been accomplished from an early age, he’s probably done learning under his shufu and busy doing secluded meditation all the time.  How would he ever have time to come after me? I…”

From a characterisation standpoint, LWJ’s speech patterns also offer an interesting insight. While it makes him seem distinguished and well-learned, his erudite way of speaking frames him as someone who’s spent more time in the company of books, not of his peers. LWJ is reserved and dedicated to his cultivation, to his clan/sect and to the common good (”going where the chaos is”). He has known loss at a young age, and he is not inclined to volunteering or expressing his needs and desires. Based on all of this, we get a sense that even if other disciples of his generation did not act differently around him out of fear or deferrence or jealousy, young LWJ would have had his attention focused elsewhere than on fostering amicable relationships with kids his age. 

Still during the Cloud Recesses arc, the dynamics set up by LWJ being a prodigy/respected figure amongst his generation is further illustrated through Su She and the water ghouls incident. Su She clearly idealises LWJ and aims to emulate him, but LWJ does not appear to have a close or personal relationship with him or any of the other Lan Sect disciples who came in support. 

WWX is, seemingly, the first person to treat and try to get close to LWJ as his equal, as a friend of the same generation. The fact that they stop using their courtesy names so early into their relationship, considering how formal LWJ manners are, is not insignificant. This does not preclude that LWJ has no interactions with other disciplines of his sect as a teenager, but these interactions are formal and seemingly impersonal. Actually, the disciples seem to have more of a parasocial relationship with LWJ than an actual relationship, which explains their scandalized expressions when WWX takes LWJ’s ribbon during the Archery competition and the way they are protective of him without being seemingly close to him. If we look closer at how the archery competition scene is written, while there are other disciples around, LWJ is not standing with or alongside them. He’s just focused on doing what he came to the competition to do (until WWX distracts/angers him too much). 

Wei Wuxian let go the moment he snatched it. The rest of the Lan Sect’s disciples ceased with their attacks as well, and everyone came over. Arm around his younger brother, Lan Xichen talked to the unspeaking Lan Wangji in a low voice. All of the others seemed similarly serious, as though they were facing a powerful enemy. They shook their heads as they spoke, glancing at Wei Wuxian with odd, indescribable looks on their faces.  Wei Wuxian only heard a few vague terms, such as “accident”, “calm down”, “no need to worry”, “a man”, “the sect rules”, and so on. He felt even more confused. After glowering at him one last time, Lan Wangji turned around and walked alone toward the outside of the range.

Aside from disciples of his general, we can infer that LWJ was a valued and cherished member of the clan and the sect by his Sect Elders, particularly those who went to retrieve him from the cave after Buyetian. It is not surprising that this is how the audio drama has chosen to represent the scene when they wrote a flashback for it (which does not appear in the novel). 

This does not mean LWJ is a loner who only has relationships with his direct family and his spouse for the rest of his life. LWJ seems to find himself more comfortable establishing relationships as a senior toward the junior disciples (from his sect or otherwise) and more generally as a teacher. He is formal, but he is kind and supportive in his own way. LWJ finds his footing quite easily as a brother-father figure to LSZ. LWJ adores and cares for his bunnies. He has clearly kept a semblance of companionship with MianMian and, when he is not drunk 😉, he gets along well enough with Wen Ning. 

The question I would send back to the fandom is however the following: why is a portion of fandom so uncomfortable with the idea of LWJ being more of a “loner” or of WWX being his first friend, considering how he is positioned in the narrative as this unparalleled prodigy dedicated to his duty who did not stand easily and comfortably alongside his peers? Why do so many people claim that “LWJ needs a Friend”? I think part of the answer may be that many people still function with a “cookie-cutter” approach to media analysis: some people seem to have learned that a romance where the love interest has seemingly no life outside of his romantic partner is problematique or at least bad, particularly if that love interest is especially devoted to the main character. And while this critique comes from a good place, it needs to be applied with a consideration for the nuances and the context of each piece of fiction. MDZS is a romance, so it is contrived to a degree like all romance books, but LWJ is not a character that exists solely to love and be devoted toward WWX. LWJ has meaningful relationships (although it is true they tend not to be friendships with people of his generation), he has his own arc and his own life outside of WWX--heck, he’s lived 13 years while mourning him and built a life that has touched both those close to him and complete strangers. 

Also, while WWX was shown to get along very well with kids his age, and to have other meaningful relationships, if we think about it, he’s only ever opened his heart and allowed himself to be vulnerable with two people: his Shijie and LWJ. Is it then so different from LWJ’s situation, when we strip it down to its emotional core?

[mochirimi]

Now or Never [Gloria x Hop]

Feb 13 | Day Five: Applin Confession

All Hop needs is courage and the right opportunity to confess his feelings. His pokemon believe there's no time like the present.

Read Here at A03

Hop sighs as he rolls the pink Pokeball back and forth across the wooden tabletop. It’s obvious but would this choice make it too obvious? The message the pokemon inside sends is clear-- I want to be with you forever. And just to make it even more clear Hop planned to give a whole speech with the gift too, just so there would no misunderstanding whatsoever. 

If he was going to confess, he planned on making it absolutely and irrevocably clear that he loves her,  is in love with her. And he wanted to be by her side, not just as a rival, not just as a friend, but as hers, as… her boyfriend. The single word, the idea of being her “boyfriend” causes his cheeks to flare up in crimson red, the color barely discernable on his umber skin tones, but felt decided and present all the same. 

Now all he needed was courage and the right opportunity. 

The heart-patterned ball stops its roll and a bright bolt of lightning strikes with its opening, revealing its shape, its pokemon inside. Blinking up at him, the Applin wobbles and rolls, dizzy from its tops and turns in the Pokeball. When it gains its composure, the small pokemon blinks up at him, indignant as it wiggles across the table. 

“Sorry,” He apologizes to the Applin and sighs.

It took a lot to capture the small pokemon, specifically the one in front of him. Its color is robust, an emerald green, rare in comparison to the rest of its species. The process took time, effort, and a lot of luck. He’d spent every waking moment camping in their natural habitat, studying their mannerisms, interacting with ones that drew close. 

And then came this one. The pokemon was shyer than its crimson counterparts, far less trustworthy of his intentions and more likely to run away each day. But it still kept coming back, each day coming closer and closer to his campsite until one day he turned around to serve curry to his awaiting pokemon and found it there, resting on top of Dubwool’s head. 

Its special color was a bonus, but it was the personality, the way the pokemon hummed with energy and personality to match its recipient. The way it ran away and came back, its own stubborn refusal to be like the rest, it reminded him of her, of Gloria, the one he’d always known. 

The Applin paces in front of him, turns and inches to the window and the view of the evening outside. When it spots something in the sky, the pokemon calls out, alerting him to the presence of a landing Corviknight taxi into the sleepy town of Postwick. 

It seemed she was coming in late, again.  

From his window, Hop watches his childhood friend stretch, her arms reaching towards the sky. She is later than he’d expected her to be, probably caught up in the responsibilities of Champion back in Wyndon. Tossing her tangled mass of hair over her shoulder, the figure in the distance shrugs, squares her shoulders and prepares to walk into the cottage. 

The Applin in front of his calls out, pointing its body in the direction of Gloria’s disappearing figure. It was almost like the pokemon was saying, “Do it now, there’s no time like the present!” Or something. The pokemon is insistent, pushing against the windowpane. 

Hop laughs, grabbing the pokemon’s Love Ball. “Okay, maybe it’s time you go back into your ball.”

The bright light shoots out from the balls surrounding the pokemon, taking it in. And almost immediately the pokemon is back out, escaping its ball in a stubborn refusal to be quieted. Indignant, the Applin glares at him, rolling towards the edge of the table, ready to leave for Hop’s confession, whether he is there or not. 

As it rolls off the edge of the table, Hop catches the pokemon mid-air, shaking his head sighing. “Okay, okay, I get the point.” It seemed there would be no avoiding it. It would be now or never. 

Returning the Applin to its ball once again, Hop pulls out his rotom and shoots Gloria a quick text, holding his breath and waiting for an answer.

Hey Glo, you busy?

Seconds feel like hours while he waits for her answer. 

A breath is released with her answer.

No, what’s up?

Okay. Now or never. Placing the pink ball into his pocket, Hop shoots her one last text and runs out the door. 

__________________________________________________

At the bridge that parks the halfway point between his house and hers, Hop waits for Gloria to arrive. Spring nights are crisp in Postwick and this one is no different. Surrounding trees are on the verge of blossoming, the grass pokemon ready to come up from their borrows for warmer weather. 

Everywhere, everything is on the verge, of something.

“Hey!” Running breathlessly to him with a smile is Gloria. Tangled locks of hair en mass on every side of her flushed face. 

Laughing, he reaches out to place one strand behind her ear. For a second, he swears her face flushes darker, a brighter red, but at his touch, she straightens, clears her throat and her smile falters for the briefest moment.

“So what did you want to talk to me about?” The hand in her pocket seems to fidget as she speaks. 

Right to the point. He smiles a bit, runs his hands through his hair, calculating, attempting to craft the speech in his head he was sure would just come to him at this opportune moment. Instead, his mind is blank, full of jumbled phrases of “I love you” and “I always have” and other words that have no place at the beginning of his confession unless they were in some dramatic comic or tv show. 

But what comes out first is not a single word, but the pokeball. The Love Ball in his pocket twitches, rolls out, and as he fumbles for the catch, its bright light strikes out and the Applin appears between them instead. 

 The next moment lasts an eternity and a heartbeat as Hop stands frozen, Love Ball in hand, Applin at their feet. This isn’t how he imagined any of it would go. No part of him can bear to look at the girl on from of him, to see what expression awaits on her face. 

“Hop, I--” His name is slow and quiet on her lips, and he winces, prepared for the rejection. Cutting her off to say what he needed to before she could. 

“Wait, Glo.” He takes a deep breath. “Let me say my part, please.”

 His eyes train on the Pokemon between them, the way it delights and rolls up to Gloria in greeting. “We’ve been friends-- No, wait.” 

He tries again, taking in a larger breath for his next words, finally making eye contact with the object of his affections. Her eyes are wide, full of an emotion he couldn’t quite name. Carefully, he takes her hand, and she lets him. 

“Glo, we’ve known each other forever, and I don’t know how it began, how things shifted so slowly without my notice, but somewhere along the way, I think, no, I know, I fell in love with you.” 

Slowly, Hop intertwines her pale fingers with his, giving enough time and space for her to pull away if she wants. “But, by the time I figured it out, you were miles and mile ahead of me, running fast. I was afraid you’d never slow down, wait for me to catch you, like this.”

He gives her hand a small squeeze, takes one steady breath. “So, now that I’ve caught you, I want to tell you my feelings, completely and absolutely. “Glo, I love you, not as my rival, not as my friend, but as so much more than that.”

The Applin between them bounces, sways from side to side. The pokemon seems to revel in the confession, and he sighs. At least one of them feels comfortable in all this.

“So there, I’ve said my peace. I just wanted you to know.” 

Instead of answering, of saying anything at all, Gloria releases her hand from his and takes a step back. From her pocket, she pulls out her own pink Pokeball and releases the pokemon inside. And one Applin becomes two, as a second sleepier Applin joins the first in front of them. 

Looking up at him, Gloria smiles ruefully. “You know it’s funny… I’ve been meaning to do this, but as usual… you beat me to the punch. I feel the same. Now, the next question is, and we don’t have to do this now, but” from her other pocket, Gloria pulls out two apples, “Tart or Sweet?

[ridell-crimea]

I enjoy hearing what's in your brain (oof that sounds weird sorry) so who if anyone do you think Leanne would pick up bad words from? I think it would be tibarn he seems like he has a aggressive pattern of speech

hmm good question ..... Its probably up to debate but here are my Takes :

- tibarn is definitely on the blunter side of things, but- I think his experience with reyson was enough to teach him that herons can and WILL pick up your mannerism, so whenever Leanne is around he'll suddenly drop his tone and be a lot more gentle and polite. In the end i don't think she'd pick up any bad words from him (maybe one or two if she stepped in at the wrong time and place), but I can totally see her using vocabulary, sentence structures and maybe a bit of slang that are usually only used by people from phoenecis.

- i like to think that nailah, tormod, muarim and stefan all have speech patterns that slightly differ from those from other people in the army, since they all lived in autonomous territories that don't necessarily interact with the rest of the continent. Differences include idioms, minor differences in grammar and maybe some little differences in their pronunciation, and Leanne gets lost really easily when talking to them because she struggles telling apart standard and regional languages and tends to mix them up. Now, I don't think nailah or muarim would teach her bad words because they're both very distinguished. Stefan... might use bad words in Leanne's presence, but probably not enough for her to remember them, since they'd be a bit specific and she wouldn't hear them much outside of that. Tormod? I think hanging out with sothe completly desensitized him to bad words as a concept so, YEAH, he's probably responsible for some bad habits of hers

- After interacting with Nephenee for a bit, Leanne also picks up EXTREMELY specific slang from the countryside. She never explicitly asked what it means and only vaguely knows with the context, so she tends to use it incorrectly and it makes it even more confusing for everyone

- i can see elincia being a bit too spontaneous and accidentally slipping a few times, especially in PoR when she is a bit awkward and isn't completly used to speaking with nobility.... Nothing too shocking, but just enough that she'd feel bad for teaching her that 😔

- mist. mist is a teenager and hangs out with Ike and Boyd and Soren so what exactly would you expect? She's nice but i think she may have done the most damage in this group. at some point reyson dropped the f word with her, she repeated it to ike who casually dropped it during an important and official meeting, and that's the story of how soren showed up to threaten reyson because he's a "bad influence for everyone". (well the thing is, mist is the one who taught reyson the word in the first place. shes known it since she was 8 and doesn't use it too liberally but will gladly educates anyone who might need it). Anyways, I'm still a sucker for Mist showing interest in ancient language so I think it'd be nice if Leanne and her studied together.... Leanne explains how to be mean in her language and Mist teaches her the f word it's called equivalent exchange !

- Reyson... Contributes? He doesn't completly approve of this, but he's glad to see his sister making progress, and since he's the most proficient in both languages he became some sort of walking dictionary. He won't teach Leanne bad things, but if she comes up to him and asks what that awful word tormod just said means, who is he to get in the way of knowledge 😔

- Oh it drives naesala completly crazy btw. At first he's genuinely upset because ever since they've been kids he's ALWAYS been watching his language around Leanne so she would be a distinguished lady or whatever. But after hearing her saying shitty stuff with her gentle voice he decided it was funny and may have changed his mind

But yeah, ultimately this is all about modern language - in my heart i know Leanne could and would say whatever is the ancient language equivalent of the f word at any given moment✌️

[mermaid-of-the-valley]

Canopic Soul Jar

If you don’t mind spoilers as to where I’m going with this first bit. Click Here. I have officially lost patience with concepting so I guess we die like authors. So, without any further ado and the force of social distancing behind me, let’s begin this tragedy the way all the best tragedies start…

                                             Once Upon A Time

In a glimmering kingdom called Mekone, the crown prince found True Love.

Not an uncommon occurrence really, for this land, like all others, was subject to the magic of soulmates. At the age of 21 everyone received a mark on their forearm that would encapsulate their future partner’s nature. For good or ill, their traits were reflected for all the world to see, and this mark glows with warmth when the soulmates meet.

Yes, citizens of every class are subject to the magic of the soulmates mark, even the royal family. Though their love never appeared beyond the edges of nobility, divinely seeking out only the best for the rulers and heirs of the kingdom.

On his twenty first birthday, Roman the Fifth, Crown Prince of Mekone, long may he thrive, quite literally leapt from his bed to inspect every inch of his arms. Unfortunately, he’d forgotten that he wasn’t born until much later in the day and as such would be ‘cursed to languish’ a few more hours.

The sound he made upon this realization could be generously described as a whine. It carried well into the hall and so his dear friend and servant Patton was not the slightest bit surprised to find him planked across his rug. “Good morning, your Highness!” Another bout of groaning answered him. “Yes, I know.”

Roman pried his head up. “No, you don’t!” Back down.

Patton, unbothered, stepped over the prince to get to the wardrobe. “You’re going to mess up your hair laying like that.”

At that, Roman was at least motivated to sit up and take in his friend as he sorted through Roman’s daily wear. If anyone in his inner circle could be considered a ‘fashion icon’, it was Patton, dressed as he was in his pastel blue vest, white shirt and delightfully puffy, tan trousers. It was one of many reasons Roman used to convince his mother to add Patton to the palace staff.

“M’kay, kiddo. Got a special day, so you need a special outfit! You want the reds or the blues?” He asked, revealing his options with a flourish.

Roman rolled his eyes. “Reds of course!”

“Well, hue never know until you ask!” And that was one of the other reasons he’d asked for Patton as his dresser, more of a personal one though. The man was a like a living ray of sunshine and several years back Roman was convinced that they were made for each other.

His parents were certain that wasn’t the case. And as much as it hurt, they were right. When Patton’s soul mark appeared, it couldn’t be more different from the royal crest, void of any form that could connect to Roman. But that morning, when Roman was late to rise, Patton sat next to him and let him mourn what couldn’t be.

He was snapped out of his reverie when Patton pushed him behind his dressing screen. “I’ll hand you your things as you go and be quick or you’ll be late for breakfast!”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The prince was beaming as he strode down the hall. Dressed in his hunting greys and a red sash, he waved at passing servants and the paintings of his predecessors alike.

At the end of the passageway he paused, staring up at a piece of discolored wall, but the guards clamored loudly and the grand doors swung open, giving him no time to linger. The dining hall was wide and elegant as always. His parents stationed at the table’s head, like the united front they were. Their majesties King Roman the Fourth of Mekone and Queen Llorna of Lystair smiled at him as he entered.

“My word, I had been wondering if you were even in the palace at all.” His mother said with a wry tone, folding her hands with the king’s.

His father echoed her teasing. “What held you up, son? Fierce battles or perhaps a damsel in distress?”

Roman dropped into his seat and replied without a beat. “No such luck I’m afraid. Appears my best boots went missing and Patton took exception to that.” Specifically, he’d taken is-shoe, but he rather doubted his parents would catch the pun.

“Well, I’m glad that someone is focused on the right things.” Llorna joked. “It is important to maintain an appearance of strength at all times. It gives our subjects comfort.”

“Yes, mother.” Roman huffed, used to this sort of talk by now. He tucks in to his breakfast quickly when the kitchen staff lay it out. He had plans anyway. Speaking of which…

“It’s today.” The king says between sips of tea, a solemn expression on his face.

“Mm.” The queen hums in agreement, “I suppose we’ll have to call for partners soon. Perhaps a ball?” Her tone musing.

Roman swallowed hard around his oatmeal. He’d never doubted that whoever his parents picked would somehow be his soulmate, but now that the prospect was so close? “Uhm, I was hoping to spend the day hunting! If that pleases your majesties?” He asked with exaggerated sweetness.

His parents paused, derailed for the moment. “That depends.” The king starts.

“Where would you be?” The queen finishes.

“I was going to try the mountain basin today. Been reports of a pronghorn herd moving through there.”

Another pause, this time with a shared look. “Perhaps, if you make an effort to be back before evening.” Llorna consented. “But only if you bring a contingent of guards.”

“What?! Mother, please! I’d never catch anything with a mass of armor clanging behind me, to say nothing of the smell!”

The queen met him evenly. “It would be dangerous for you to go alone, who knows what ruffians are in those woods?”

Roman sighed deeply. “Mother, really?”

His father sought to intervene, one hand up to halt conversation the other loosely cupping the queen’s. “Roman has a point,” The prince lit up visibly. “However, you should at least bring the captain.”

Oh, Gods No…

His mother did seem satisfied though, her smile and his fathers returned. That was probably the best he was going to get, so Roman resigned himself to his fate. Even if it meant traipsing around the countryside with that infuriating, stuffy, overbearing-

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Logan!” He cheered, walking up to the captain with wide arms and a grin that looked more like a grimace if he was being honest.

Guard Captain Logan was a stern man that never seemed content with anything. His hair was always swept back and even his daily wear was immaculate to a ‘T’. His posture, his expression, his manner of speech, all of it was militant, even now as he stood in the stables with his and Roman’s horses. If pressed to describe Logan in one word it would almost certainly be: Stiff.

Roman wasn’t very fond of him, nor his henpecking behavior every time Logan was assigned as his solo guard. The captain bowed at the waist. “Your highness.” He gestured to a cream-colored mare that had been bathed and harnessed for their hunt.

And Roman immediately beamed at her, striding over and carefully hugging her long face. She chewed at his shoulder fabric contently. Froufrou was a beautiful horse, not very fast, but careful and soft in her gait, perfect for their trek through the mountain brush. He hopped up onto her back and pat her neck fondly.

Logan walked out, gently tugging the reins of his speckled-grey stallion, Archimedes. His own horse was unsaddled, an attempt to make it look like an average farm steed. The sleeve on his right arm slipped back and a bit of curling, light blue pattern peeked out. Logan was quick to re-cover it for many reasons.

And wasn’t that the crux of their issues with each other? Logan was not one to believe in fate. He scraped and fought and studied for his position, but even so his soul mark was extensively scrutinized before he could enter the palace staff. It was something he often hid beneath his uniform since as it screamed what he was quick to deny and Patton was thrilled to discover.

Logan questioned everything, and he was a bearer of many theories that soul marks were relics of the old times and should not be given as much weight as they were. When the tailor and the captain were formally introduced, Logan was indifferent to the buzzing warmth on his arm. He apologized to Patton in private later, informing him that romantic attraction was simply not something he could or was inclined to feel.

Even so Patton never stopped bouncing after the man, accepting their relationship for what it was. Roman, for his part, was jealous and confused by their every interaction. He was raised to look forward to this moment in his life, when at long last proof of everlasting love would stamp his skin and he could be certain that someone special was waiting out there just for him.

Two sharp snaps startled Roman from his stupor. Logan levelling him with a bland stare from Archimedes’ back. The prince turned red, reminded that the guard had essentially been forced to spend his day off keeping Roman from injuring himself.

Seriously, you run into a tree one time and suddenly everyone fears for the future of the kingdom.

It wasn’t his fault that crow stole his hairpins!

Logan sighed, nudging Archimedes into motion and trusting Roman to follow. “We’ll need to exit from the Eastern Gate, it will be the least congested at this time of day. Please try to mitigate your interactions with the public.” Just like the man to stifle Roman’s radiance. “Stay back a few feet, but keep me in sight.”

And they were off, trotting into the roadways of the city, the quieter ones of course. Froufrou was a bit conspicuous, but aside from a brief spook from a hooded man in The Corridor, they slipped through the streets unnoticed.

The moment they saw the gates Logan shocked him by flicking his reins and sending Archimedes racing across the threshold with barely a moment’s shift in stride. Logan tucked himself low, reducing drag and leaning into the horse’s gait. The stallion was loving it! His head raising back in a triumphant scream then following Logan’s lead in leaning forward.

Roman had to push Froufrou just to keep up, the mare almost as shocked as her rider and equally incensed once she was made to sprint after their companions. “What was that?!” The prince bellowed. “You were ordered to stay close, not bolt off into the ether!”

The captain didn’t slow for nearly half their journey and was far too smug when he finally did. “I said keep me in sight. Archimedes so rarely gets to run without practicing drills, would you really deny him?” The horse whickered in agreement. Froufrou nipped at him, scolding.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Roman released a deep breath into the air around him. The basin was barely a stone’s throw from where they’d settled in the brush. The sun dappling through the trees and the wind in their faces. Roman could probably write a sonnet befitting the place if he’d only remembered a quill and paper.

But alas, today his pursuits were more sporting in nature. Froufrou stood behind him, still as a statue, just as she was trained to do. Logan had gone ahead, again, to “keep tabs on the herd” he’d said. They’d seen scattered groups bouncing along the rocky hills and Roman had a sneaking suspicion the captain was making himself just enough of a visible threat to scare them in his direction.

Which was stupid. He was fine by himself.

“Obviously.” He chided himself quietly. A snap of twigs made him start and he had to tense hard to avoid falling from his half crouch. His quarry appeared at a slow canter, shortly followed by another two. These he let pass without incident. As he expected, a tall, male pronghorn trailed after the does with a sound not unlike a short, chirping cough.

Roman held his bow steady, pulled back on the string…

It spooked. Just as Roman realized and tried to correct, it burst off into the woods away from him. The arrow scraped the beast’s flank and imbed in the soil instead of making a clean kill. Roman cursed, jumping from his shelter and giving chase.

The beast’s calls tapered off and the trail became spotty as he stumbled through the flora. A rookie mistake, Roman noted with frustration, he should have just let it slip away and waited for a surer target. It wasn’t like stomping around like a drunken elephant would get it to come back anytime soon. He kicked the dirt. It didn’t make him feel any batter.

Where was he?

“Shit.” The prince spun around, trying to make heads or tails of his position. He whistled sharply. No sign of his horse, Froufrou was too far away. Roman rubbed his hands hard down his face with a groan. “Fiery fits of Fortuna, today is cursed!”

“Hey!”

That wasn’t Logan’s voice. Thoughts of his mother’s frequent worries flying into his head, Roman shot up, scanning the area.

“Up here, Robin Hood!”

His eyes trailed up a white barked tree with narrow branches. Upon one of which sat a barefoot, willowy young man with a canvas bag slung across his shoulders and hair that flopped in front of an exhausted expression. He suddenly seemed unsure what to say now that Roman stared at him. “Um, Are you… good?”

Now the royal was taken aback, for several reasons, not least of which was how he could have so completely missed a stranger in a tea tree. “I-, Yes?”

Once upon a time, in a forest separate from his realm, the crown prince found True Love. Not that he realized it at the time.

Next

[pendragonfics]

(the man) across the hall

Paring: Markus/Reader

Tags: gender-neutral reader, gender-neutral pronouns, alternate universe - modern setting, Markus’s last name is Manfred, Leo Manfred is a racist, domestic fluff, slow build, angst and hurt/comfort, threats of violence, gun violence, angst with a happy ending

Summary: The apartment opposite was always a home to someone. The fact that nobody ever stayed long made for a tradition of regular baking, practicing the welcome speech, looking forward to who was coming afterward even before the newcomers had settled in.

Word Count: 3,265

Current Date: 2019-10-14

Tagged: @angelwrote 

The apartment opposite was always a home to someone. The fact that nobody ever stayed long made for a tradition of regular baking, practicing the welcome speech, looking forward to who was coming afterward even before the newcomers had settled in. Not that you’d been in your apartment long; two years in your little nook just outside of the city centre of Detroit was one area of stability that kept your routine in check. Waking at dawn, drinking coffee darker than pitch, and working eleven-hour days down at a convenience store on the main street. And in the other thirteen hours of the day, that was for night school, and sleep.

You’re coming home after the long day of chasing shoplifters and deflecting strangers’ advances and stranger conversations, to find a newcomer in the apartment opposite. The door is wedged open with two textbooks on psychology, both thicker than your head, and there’s muffled music playing from the squeaky sound system of what you assume is an old phone. You’ve been awake too long, and your head is as heavy as a fire truck, but still, as you fumble for your keys, you spare a glance inside.

There’s the same furniture as the last tenant, but instead of a ratty throw over the couch, a cliché phrase cross-stitch framed on the wall, there are nice pillows and a calendar with art of American monuments. The month of October is somewhere in New England with autumn leaves and Halloween-esq art.

A man walks from the other room, and spies you as you manage to slot the right key in. He looks to be the same age as you and wears his locs with a patterned bandana, his hair cascading just above his shoulders. His eyes are two colours, but both light up as they meet your own.

“Hi, sorry, I’ll turn down the - I’m Markus Manfred,” he introduces. By the time he gets to his doorway, hand outstretched to shake, you’ve opened your door. But it’s then he realises you truly don’t have any hands free “Can I lend you a hand? Your hands look a little bit full.”

Your mind is empty, no words cued for the newcomer. You felt a rush of heat pool upon your face, neck and lower stomach, astonished at the politeness of your neighbour.

“I -,” you offer a bag of shopping to Markus, a small smile gracing your face, “yes, thank you so much.”

He helps you in and flicking the lights on, both of you move to kitchenette. It wasn’t a studio per se; the bathroom was small adjoining your room, and apart from that, there was room for your couch, and a bookshelf full of knickknacks.

“You know, you tell Markus. “I’m usually the one who welcomes people to their homes, not the other way around,”

“You know what they say, see a need…” he re-joined. “I’d hate to come off as an asshole.”

You take Markus in, head to toe. The only thing that screams “asshole!” about this man is the fact that he’s wearing a plain white tee tucked into his blue jeans, but other than that he looks every part as nice as the words that are coming from his mouth.

“Something tells you that you can’t be one of those,��� you reply, and with your hands now free you place your hand in his. Not only is his demeanour warm, but slender fingers, too. “I’m _________. Welcome to the building.”

Markus beams, releasing your hand from his. His handshake had a good grip, and you swear as your mind lingers on his surname that it is vaguely familiar. You can’t place a finger on it. Perhaps you read it in one of the newspapers at the store or heard it in the news. At the moment you hesitate, Markus moves to help unload your bags, and you watch him, somewhat flabbergasted, somewhat ashamed of being aided.

“I can do that, please,” you shoo him from the bench, but the majority of the first bag is emptied. Markus watches you, his green and blue eyes following your own. “You’ve got your apartment to unpack, and besides, I’m making potato bake for you.”

“I can’t possibly -,” he begins.

“I always make food for neighbours on their first day…consider it repayment for helping me in.”

He goes to protest again but thinks twice. A hand in his pocket, he gives you a little smile, and it widens, crinkling the corners of his eyes. “Thank you, _________. Really.” He places his spare hand on your bench, and as he turns to return to his apartment.

“Are you allergic to anything?” you ask.

Over his shoulder, Markus calls out, “Just soy!” and closes the door behind him.

Though you’re tired as hell and quite frankly are behind on an assessment, you start at the potato bake, glad that you’ve met the newcomer. As you turn the oven on to preheat, you bite your lip, studying your reflection in the window. You have a good feeling about Markus Manfred; something tells you that that won’t be the last you hear from him.

---

It’s two weeks later, and your boss has finally hired another person at the shop. Her name is North (and she hates that Kimye made her name a thing) and though her uni schedule clashes with the store hours, it means you’re working shorter hours, more frequently. It feels weird to sleep in until nine, get ready, and then take over at twelve, to finish at six. While it’s costing your boss more to keep the convenience store open another hour, the sales more than compensate for the loss, and you’re coming home with more pep in your step.

It also means you have more time around the apartment for the first time since moving to Detroit; and more time for incidental meetings with Markus in the hallway.

You find out that he’s a social worker who got reassigned from New York City, that he painted most of the art that hangs in his apartment, and that his dad is Carl Manfred, i.e. the American painter of the century. You learn all this over various coffees shared on his, or your couch, spread over the weeks that passed since you first met. It’s amazing how much you’ve hit it off with him; last time you were somewhat this friendly with a neighbour was a year ago, with old Mr Kamski who had too many Persian cats - all named Chloe after his daughter who lived in Scandinavia - to count.

“So, you’re a social worker, saving kids’ lives, making a difference one day at a time,” you overstate, waving a hand in a general manner, the other cradling a cup of tea, “and make time for your passion, family, and mental health? Sounds fake, but okay.”

Markus laughs into his mug. “I suppose I’m the lucky few,” he says. “But what about you? You’re at the -,”

“Mini Mart, down on the main street.” You supply.

“- and when you’re not working, you’re here?” He motions around your apartment. Since the first night when you met Markus, you’ve had more time to tidy around the place and keep it that way. “I mean, it’s nice, but I refuse to believe that’s all there is to you.”

“I’m studying, actually,” you tell him. You place your mug on the coffee table, and add, leaning back into the couch, “Night school. I’m going to make something of myself.”

“Nurse?” he guesses.

“Doctor,” you correct, feeling a little bit proud. “I’ve always wanted to work in triage. It’s hard, but…”

“You know, _________, I can see you in that,” Markus remarks.

There’s a warmth in his eyes, and since you’ve gotten to know him, you’ve come to see it more often in his face. He goes to say something else, but you’re interrupted by the sound of someone pounding at the door. More specifically, not at your door.

He and you share a glance, confused, and as you unlock the door, you find a young man standing at Markus’ door. He’s shorter than you, with dusty brown hair, a hoodie and jeans with holes, and from what you can see, his skin is kind of pale that makes you wonder if he’s anaemic rather than descended from the Irish. He continues at bashing at the door, the side of his fist connecting with the door rather than knuckles.

“Leo?” Markus approached your side, incredulous.

The man turned around. He looked tired in the blue eyes beneath the black one, which was an ugly shade of puce. His lip was cracked, with recently dried blood smeared across his chin. He bared his teeth in imitation of a smile, locking eyes with Markus.

“It’s been a long time, brother,” He barked. It wasn’t his tone; his voice sounded dry, just as chapped as the skin around his lips. “What, no welcome? Who’s your friend?”

“They’re none of your concern,” Markus replies.

His eyes narrowed, and you watch as he stalks across the hallway to Leo, the man who called Markus his brother. You keep yourself in your arms, staying half-hidden in your own doorway, observing them both. Back when you first met Markus, you had skimmed a Wikipedia page for Carl Manfred as a sort of homework. Right now, watching the two men interact, you vaguely remembered reading about another son of his.

“Are you okay?” you ask, feeling a little hollow.

Even though you face people like Leo every day at work, it feels different, alien, to have an encounter - for Markus to have an encounter - at your home, your safe space.

He nods, but it doesn’t put you at ease. He lets Leo into his apartment, and as he closes his door, you do the same, and slide down it, sitting with your knees tucked in tight to your chest, heartbeat hammering in your ears. While the thoughts ran through your head, you felt your stomach drop, a fear that you hadn’t felt for a while taking root.

You hadn’t felt this way for anyone in a long time.

Later that night, you’re on the cusp of sleep after the evening worrying when your phone buzzes. Fast, you grasp at it, reading a preview of a text from Markus’ number on screen, and in a ballet of texting, you type back, until you stare at the last message he sends, your fingers lingering over the screen, and as you reply, feeling something you’re not used to.

---

It’s about a week later, and you haven’t really heard from Markus. To be fair, you’ve been bogged down in the coursework of your classes and being bumped up to supervisor by your boss. It’s one way that he’s fair but cruel; the pay isn’t that much different, and it means you’re around to either lock up or open when he’s not around.

You saw Markus for five minutes in the hallway, as he was returning from work, you off to it, and apart from the fact that he looked quite handsome in his grey hoodie, you barely shared words. From what you overheard through the walls was that Leo was still around.

It didn’t make you feel any better. You sure didn’t sleep well at night.

But that could just be because of your shitty mattress, you thought, massaging your back idly. It’s a slow night, with customers few and far between. It might be because of the weather, or the night; it’s bucketing down on an idle Tuesday evening, the sunset to leave the post-daylight hour left to the imagination, or consultation of a clock. Usually, customers come in to escape the rain, but seeing it’s well after rush hour, you’re just as tired as the last patron - fifteen minutes ago, in such a rush they didn’t say please and thank you or look you in the eye - and want to close up.

Alas, there’s half an hour to go.

There’s only so many times you can clean a cleaned bench, face up the snacks when they haven’t been touched, tidy up the change in the register until it looks immaculate. You give one of the security cameras in the corner of the room a half-hearted smile, knowing that the boring night wouldn’t be glanced at on tape.

That was when it happened.

You heard a bang, and turning to the noise, you saw, almost too late, the window shatter, and a car plough through the front doors of the store. You dove below the register, but it was a reaction, and you felt the sting of flying glass. But the car kept going, and defiant of structures, the roaring engine forced its way further into the store, ramming into the bench you hid behind.

You’d seen enough movies to know what was going to happen next, but still, it shocked you when a single hand pulled you upwards by the back of your shirt. Manhandled, you stared at a poorly made balaclava and handgun.

Your hands were slow, the side of your arm staring to bleed from where it caught glass, but you didn’t feel it. You trembled, feeling the gun pressed against your head, heart racing so fast that you felt like a piñata that would break all by itself. You passed the bills to the robber holding you, fearful, afraid. The gun was still pressed, albeit not as hard, but no matter what, there was a gun, and it was at you. You’d never liked them and weren’t about to start liking them now.

“A-are you going t-to kill me?” you stammered.

The man behind the balaclava smirked, that much you could see. He let go of the back of your shirt, stuffing the money into a bag a cartoon villain or the Monopoly Man and looked you in the eye. They were blue and wild, and you caught your breath as soon as you recognised the voice of the guy holding you, and the store at gunpoint.

“I could,” Leo taunted.

Even if he did, there was a button under the counter. Your boss had installed it in hopes of it not being used because he was the kind of man who’d do the bare minimum to save his ass. You managed to snag it; fingers pressed in as soon as you started talking. It was against the training, stalling a theft, because it meant you were at stake as opposed to the items being thieved, but in your fear, in your anguish of realising it was Markus’ brother behind the mask, all of that made you do it.

The whines of police arriving made Leo freeze, and he hesitated, caught between fight or flight. The car he had bludgeoned the storefront with was totalled, and his finger hovered over the trigger, one spasm away from your certain doom. But that didn’t come. The last you saw was the butt of the gun come down on your head.

You came to on the back of an ambulance.

The paramedic had wrapped you in a shock blanket, fussing over your superficial wounds. You’re not sure if it’s the alcohol wipe that brought you to, or that you heard your name. But when you look, there’s nobody you know. It’s a haze but you see your boss has been dragged out at the late hour, and there are so many flashing lights and people talking around you, at you, to you that you’re not sure if it is your head wound or an oncoming migraine.

They let you go after you stop shaking.  

---

When you get home, you can’t hear any ambient noise. It’s eerie, almost, but then again, before Markus moved in, it was the norm. Even as you follow the usual rituals for the evening, turning the TV on in the background, you can’t help but feel like you’ve walked in a cold spot, and can’t shake off the shiver.

That night, you fall into a restless sleep. In fact, in all the next fortnight, it’s the same. You ache every day, some from the ghost of pain that followed, but most for Markus. It’s hard, because you had started to fall for him, slowly and surely, and now, following the incident, you heard not a word. The fear creeps in, and you feel like he’s left you. Sided with the brother who left you with a concussion, and therapy sessions you can’t afford.

Left you to your lonely heart. That longed…for him.

It’s almost a month since the incident when you open your door to music at eight one morning. Markus’ door is wedged open with an unopened sack of rice, and your heart flutters. You pause at the threshold, caught - but at that moment you are seen. You catch Markus’ eye, and you turn to leave.

“Wait,” he called out.

Despite yourself, you did. Markus looked good, but then, he always did. His shirt is a patterned button-down, and his jeans are cuffed, feet bare upon his floorboards. There’s no hairband around his hair, and it hangs loose, the locs long, long enough to brush against his collar.

“You -,” the words die on your lips.

“I know you’ll never forgive me,” Markus stalls at his doorway, biting his lip, upset. “but I let him in, and he - fuck,” he wipes a hand over his face. “If you don’t want to speak -,”

“I missed - I miss you,” the words tumble out.

The emotions you wear on your sleeve are wiped across your face so plain to see. Oh, if you were a hero in a novel, doomed to be plagued by feelings and things that darkened the skies, it would be worth it only if Markus was there, and here he was, he was here, and you felt almost sickeningly happy, afraid of the joy inside you.

“I’ve been in New York, helping Dad with the case against - I would’ve never left but it was the last straw. I -,” you blink, unsure of what you’re witnessing. Markus is stammering over his words too, almost nervous. He’s never been, in front of you; he was a saviour to the lost in the foster system, a pillar of strength and example of handsomeness, but never unconfident. And yet, here he was. “I’ll cook dinner for you tonight, if you -,”

“I’d love that,” you reply, too quick.

But too quick is not quick enough, and Markus smiles. “Are you allergic to anything?” he asks.

“No,” you reply. “But I think I’m into you.”

He crosses the hallway, and you meet him halfway. It’s almost clumsy, the way you fall into each other’s arms; it’s not like a Hallmark movie or something where Margot Robbie and some piece of eye candy look so dashing upon a movie poster. They don’t hold a torch against Markus.

“That’s strange,” he says, his mouth close to your face, breath hot in your hair, “I feel the same way.”

Life isn’t a movie, it’s real life, and Markus and you are just people. Ordinary people who managed to find each other in the chaos of life. If anything, Markus is a corner piece, and you are the spot beside which slots right in. The puzzle is complete now. The picture is clear, with answers, dinner, and sweeter things than each other’s touch on the horizon, between you, and the man who moved into the apartment across the hall.

[yesvac]

hi heres an essay i wrote on why amy santiago and tina belcher are autistic peace out

“Look at her. She’s so... awkward” (“Sheesh!”): An Analysis of Autistic-Coded Characters in Modern Television

Increasingly through the past few years, there has been a rise in quirky, knowledgeable, awkward and lovable characters in modern television. Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory fails to recognize social contracts, which consistently earns a laugh from the laugh reel from the studio audience. House of House MD is known as one of the most brilliant physicians in his cinematic universe, while also being one of the least empathetic. Sam of Atypical, one of the only explicitly autistic main characters of any show, is kind and loving, but social cues do not come naturally to him, and he finds penguins easier to read than humans. All of these characters share a common coding as characters in television who fit under the autism spectrum (Bethune).

Very rarely do television shows explicitly state that their characters are autistic, which is a problem in and of itself. However, we may analyze the behaviors, speech patterns, repetitions and actions of characters to read their behavior as neurodiverse. Additionally, the fact that there are very little expressly stated autistic characters in mainstream television makes the analysis all the more needed because autistic people deserve to be represented, and characters that display autistic traits should be confirmed as autistic by the programs that they appear on.

Some have initiated analysis of autistic characters in media and have come to the conclusion that the current representation is not sufficient. Brian Bethune believes that the current representation of autistic characters is too often the “autistic savant”, characterized by having intense knowledge about one subject, relating to the concept of autistic special interests (Bethune). Bethune argues that not all autistic people are savants, and that this trend of savant-autistic characters such as House from House MD and Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory create unrealistic representations of autism that most autistic people do not fit. Because I wish to understand whether or not the representations of autism in television are accurate, in my analysis, I will read what scholars have observed about traits of autistic people, and compare it to the behaviors of the autistic-coded characters I am analyzing.

Additionally, in 2009, Douwe Draaisma wrote on a similar topic, attempting to gather information on representations of autism in media, including tv shows, newspapers, movies, and otherwise (Draaisma). Her study analyzes many famous portrayals of autism, and agrees with Bethune that the savant portrayal of autism is not effectively in that not all autistic people are savants. Draaisma criticizes that “there are two options for an autistic person: either he is mentally handicapped, an egghead reading geek magazines, or he is a savant with mental powers exceeding those of two Cray supercomputers spinning numbers 24 hours a day.” She feels, however, that since the mid-1900s when representations of autism first began in big media, that the representations have been more accurate and happen more often as time goes on.

Scholars seem to agree that the current representation of autism in media is not sufficient and often problematic, but autistic people deserve to have positive representations of themselves in characters. In order to facilitate a greater understanding of how autistic characters can appear in media, I analyzed two shows that I believe possess autistic-coded characters: Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Bob’s Burgers. The characters I will analyze are Tina Belcher, the pre-teen eldest daughter of the Belcher family, and Amy Santiago, an awkward but brilliant young woman with a passion for detective work in the 99th precinct of Brooklyn’s police force. By analyzing these characters, we can decide the best way to represent autistic traits through popular culture. Preliminary analysis suggests that programs portray autistic-coded characters to be awkward, lacking social skills, possessing special interests, and having unique physical repetitions.

Analyzing Content

The foundation for analyzing Amy Santiago from Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Tina Belcher from Bob’s Burgers is because each show portrays these characters with qualities, mannerisms and quirks that allude to neurodiversity. Because there is a lack of direct representation of characters on the autism spectrum, it is important to analyze codification of characters who display autistic qualities and explore the benefits and disadvantages of these characters as contributing to the overall view of autism in media.

These programs were selected mostly because of their similarity in genre (comedy) and audience size and makeup. Both programs are directed towards roughly the same audience of young adults. Both Bob’s Burgers and Brooklyn Nine-Nine ride the line between television for children and television for adults, as Bob’s Burgers often touches on morbid issues and Brooklyn Nine-Nine jokes about serious crime, but both avoid becoming vulgar nighttime Adult Swim television (like Family Guy, Archer, or Big Mouth). Both programs got their start on Fox television, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine is now on NBC.

Bob’s Burgers has been running since 2011 and is now airing its eighth season on Fox. It has been nominated for the Emmy for Best Animated Series seven times consecutively, and has won twice. TV Guide placed it in the top 60 animated shows of all time (Sands). Brooklyn Nine-Nine also has received commendation, racking up several Emmy nominations and winning several Golden Globes for best comedy television series and best actor in a comedy television series (“Golden”). Both shoes are recognized as masterful pieces of comedic media.

I analyzed “Sheesh! Cab, Bob?”, which is episode 6 of season 1 of Bob’s Burgers, as well as “Tina-Rannosaurus Wrecks,” which is episode 7 of season 3 of Bob’s Burgers. I also analyzed “Thanksgiving”, which is episode 13 of season 1 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and “Chasing Amy,” which is the episode 18 of season 4 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I choose these episodes because they each display important parts of the character’s personalities, and the plot of each episode revolves around Tina or Amy respectively.

Awkward Behavior/Lack of Social Skills

Scholars who study autistic individuals have found that autistic people often struggle with social cues. Additionally, it has been proven that those with autism may find it harder to make friends, and when they do, it is often based off a shared similar interest. For example, “friendships of.. higher functioning children and adolescents with autism... often focused on common and circumscribed interests with little social interaction involved” (Orsmond). Therefore, those on the spectrum often come off as awkward and lacking in terms of social situations, because the focus is more on special interests than regard for social interaction.

Throughout each show, both Tina and Amy display a clear lack of understanding on how to function well in social situations. Both characters stand out in their programs as the most ‘awkward’ character. Additionally, both characters often avoid eye contact with peers whilst speaking with them, and often make conversation that most would find not socially acceptable.

TINA

Tina stands out as the character in Bob’s Burgers that has the least social skills, as she often appears awkward and unsure of herself. She says odd things to her friends and family and is known to be “weird” by her peers in school. However, she does not feel self-conscious about her weirdness.

In “Sheesh! Cab, Bob?”, Linda wants Tina to know that the family is allowing her to have an “extra-special” birthday party this year, and that Tina can take some time to think about what she wants. Seemingly already prepared, Tina begins to list off what she wants in a rapid, monotone speaking voice:

I’d like it to be a boy-girl party. With mingling. I want to close the restaurant and invite my whole class over. And I want there to be a DJ and dancing and a smoke machine. And about two hours into the party, I want there to be a moment where I see Jimmy Junior across the room. And we’re pulled towards each other. We meet under the disco ball. And we kiss, until our bodies and souls become one. And it’s my first kiss. And it’s perfect, and I remember it forever.

At the conclusion of her monologue, Gene says “scary,” Louise says “freak!” and Linda says “wow! You really put some thought into it!” Bob’s Burgers ensures that the audience understands Tina’s awkwardness in proximity to the rest of her family. If the show displayed just Tina’s monologue without her family’s reactions, then it could be written off as a behavior the writers intended to be comedic. However, inserting the fact that Tina’s little siblings are comfortable calling her both “scary” and a “freak” lets the audience know that Tina’s behavior and speech patterns are perceived within the Bob’s Burgers universe as slightly absurd. While most characters in Bob’s Burgers are unique, Tina’s sometimes overwhelming passioning personality is seen as freakish and scary by her siblings and those around her. Additionally, even without familial context, the audience can understand that Tina’s form of speaking is not exactly normal; her list of birthday party demands is long and sudden, as if Tina is unleashing a wave upon her family. She has clearly thought about it extensively, and it is not what the audience expects.

Additionally, Tina has trouble with some social aspects that seem normal for other characters and people in general. She seems to harbor a lot of anxiety about lying to others.  In the episode “Tina-Rannosaurus Wrecks,” Bob lets Tina drive around a nearly-empty parking lot for the first time, despite being 13 years old. Tina is obviously nervous, and panics behind the wheel. She turns the wheel slightly back and forth, groaning out loud as Bob yells and panics, and she hits the only other parked car in the parking lot.

In this instance, Tina has to lie, according to Bob. But this is no easy feat for her, and it changes her demeanor to one that is awkward and painful both for her and for the others around her. Bob tells her, “so we just have to say I was driving, okay?” Tina, a odd, pained look on her face, replies quickly: “but that’s lying! That’s not right!” Bob replies, “that’s true, Tina. Lying is wrong and you should never do it. Unless [the person you hit] makes you go through insurance, which he is. So we have to lie this one time.” Tina is not having it. She is extremely averse to lying. She compares lying with several other crimes: “What’s next? Perjury? Human trafficking?”

Several studies have been done by scholars on the cognitive abilities of developing autistic young adults and children. The findings often cite the fact that autistic individuals have difficulty perceiving what is a lie and what is not, and also have more trouble telling lies (Li). Tina’s ability to lie is extremely limited, and she has trouble throughout the episode when asked to lie by her father. She groans, blurts out obvious fibs, and makes strained faces.

Figure 1. “Tina-Rannosaurus Rex,” Bob’s Burgers. Bob says to Tina, “Let’s see your ‘everything is okay’ face,” but her aversion to lying makes it extremely difficult for her.

AMY

Amy is also a standout character in Brooklyn Nine-Nine for her awkwardness and lack of understanding of social cues. Gina, another character who works in the building with Amy, often comments on Amy’s similarity to a grandma or a toddler in her interests and social abilities.

There are countless episodes in which Amy is shown to have lacking conversational skills. For example, in “Thanksgiving,” the police squad is sitting in Amy’s apartment before Thanksgiving dinner starts, making fun of Amy’s grandmother-esque decorations and waiting for Captain Holt to arrive. The doorbell rings, and Amy answers it with a smile. Captain Holt greets her with his usual work-friendly attitude, saying, “Happy Thanksgiving. Your apartment was very easy to locate.” Amy, physically showing her happiness with a wide smile and open body language, thanks him, saying, “thank you so much. You look beautiful.” Her eyes dart down and to the side, indicating that she recognized that telling Holt he looked beautiful was not an appropriate comment for Holt’s gender or his position of power in their employment.

To ensure that the audience understands the weirdness of Amy’s speech, Jake Peralta, the main protagonist of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Amy’s love interest, then butts into the conversation: “weirdest conversation ever! Nice work, you two.” Brooklyn Nine-Nine adds in Jake’s perception of Amy’s personality and words to contextualize her conversational skills in proximity to her peers. Both Bob’s Burgers and Brooklyn Nine-Nine include the reaction of other main characters to Tina and Amy’s lacking social skills in order to put the dialogue in perspective.

Obsessions and Special Interests

Scholars studying autistic individuals have established that it is common for those on the spectrum to have a special interest. These special interests are often regarded as “obsessions” from neurotypicals who may not know better. Autism allows those on the spectrum to hyperfocus on a topic or thing, and often, this means that the autistic individual can learn extensively about this topic or thing and become knowledgeable and passionate about it. For example, Rachel Grove studied a group of over 600 autistic adults in the Netherlands, noted whether they had a special interest, and also noted what their special interest was. Sixty-three percent of the sampled autistic adults reported at least one special interest (Grove). Below is a bar graph showing the distribution of the most common special interests by sex.

Figure 2. Special interest topics by sex, observed by Rachel Grove.

By analyzing whether or not Amy Santiago and Tina Belcher display an affinity for special interests, we can decide whether their representation in television as autistic-coded characters is a positive or negative one.

TINA

While Tina is most unique for her awkward personality, she is also recognized for her “obsession” with boys and writing. She writes in her journal extensively, and also writes what she calls “Friend-Fiction” -- a play on “fanfiction” -- stories about her friends, often starring zombies and emphasizes romance.

In “Sheesh!”, Tina sits alone at a table at the back of the restaurant, furiously writing in her diary. Linda engages Bob in conversation about their eldest daughter.

Linda: Tina’s birthday is coming up, and I think we should do something special, since she’s turning 13. This is the year she becomes a woman… Bob, she deserves a special party this year.

Louise: If what it says in her diary is true, then I’d say she needs it. A lot.

Bob: Wait, you read her diary?

Linda: Yeah.

Louise: What I can stomach.

Bob: Why is everyone reading Tina’s diary?

Gene: It’s well written!

Louise: Yeah! She’s better on the page than in person.

There is a lot to unpack from this singular conversation, mostly involving the speech of Tina’s family. For context, both Gene and Louise are younger than Tina. Tina is turning 13, Gene is 11, and Louise is 9 years old. Her siblings are younger than her, yet they feel extremely comfortable invading Tina’s personal spaces and reading her diary. This little detail shows that Tina’s behavior is different than most teenage or pre-teen girls, as she is more open and unashamed of her obsessions. Additionally, Louise’s final line, jabbing at Tina’s social skills establishes her as an awkward person to talk to, which is demonstrated many times throughout the series.

However, Tina possesses special skills and interests, such as skills in writing, that are beyond most kids her age. She spends her spare time, in which her siblings use to have humorous conversation with her parents, to write in her journal. Although the show does not tell us if she’s writing friend-fiction or about her own life, it is important that instead of being a part of the conversation, Tina prefers to write. It is one of her special interests that she pursues actively. Additionally, according to Louise’s speech, she is “better on the page than in person,” which is, face-value just an insult to her sister’s social skills, but in context, we can understand that Tina probably likes writing because it gives her a space where she is in control of the environment and dialogue, and she is not perceived as awkward by her peers.

AMY

Amy is skilled in police work and organization. She is well-known throughout Brooklyn Nine-Nine for being the most meticulous person in terms of bureaucracy. Unfortunately, she is not always this skilled in other realms of life, like cooking.

For example, there are times that Brooklyn Nine-Nine demonstrates how Amy’s unbalanced priorities affect her life negatively. Amy is established by Brooklyn Nine-Nine as an extremely thorough, intelligent and prepared individual, but extremely lacking in some skills, such as cooking, social skills, and dancing -- all of which she is oblivious to. In “Thanksgiving,” Amy is attempting to serve a Thanksgiving to her colleagues, and to impress her Captain. To Amy, hosting Thanksgiving dinner has almost nothing to do with the preparation of the food. Amy’s goal in this party is to bond with Captain Holt, and whether the mashed potatoes are edible or not does not seem to affect that in her mind. Sergeant Jeffords bites into the mashed potatoes sitting on Amy’s table from her Thanksgiving spread. He then immediately shows an expression of disgust, exclaiming, “what’s in these?” Amy, seeming indifferent, lists: “potatoes, butter, a little milk. Oh, and I ran out of salt, so I used baking soda.” Terry, angered that the potatoes are inedible, sarcastically yells, “why wouldn’t you? They’re both white powders! Of course they’re interchangeable!” Amy seems oblivious to his sarcasm and his criticism of her cooking skills. She says, “yeah.” This scene is important because it displays Amy’s dynamic with her peers according to her priorities. Throughout the episode, including in this scene, Amy is shown to be absent-minded and lax in things that her peers feel that she should prioritize, such as cooking dinner. However, the show emphasizes that Amy is not just lazy or dumb-- she is putting all of her effort towards one thing: impressing her superior officer.

Sometimes Amy’s affinity for work (and negligence of non-work activities) is highlighted in a negative way, as it is in “Thanksgiving,” but sometimes Brooklyn Nine-Nine displays her meticulous habits and ambition as an overall positive attribute. In “Chasing Amy,” Amy prepares to take the Sergeant’s exam, a test that will decide her qualification to upgrade from being a detective to being a uniformed Sergeant. She is coping with the stress in an extreme way, and Jake, her significant other, explains why: “it’s always been her plan to be the youngest captain in the history of the NYPD, but if she doesn’t pass this exam, she’s gonna have to wait another three years to take it again and that’ll disrupt her entire life calendar. [That’s a real thing.] It hangs over our bed.” Again, the show emphasizes Amy’s extreme affinity for success and ambition. She works harder and obsesses more emphatically than any other character on the show. Her passion for police work and leadership is so intense that it is better explained as a special interest, something she easily hyper-focuses on.

Physical Repetitions/Stimming

Scholars in autistic behavior report that it is common for those with autism to have urges for physical movements that may be different than neurotypical people. This results in the physical phenomenon known as “stimming.” “Stimming” is when a person on the spectrum releases energy through a certain movement, action or noise (Simpson). It is involuntary and a clear indicator of autism. Although some examples of stimming, such as echolalia (repeated speech), vocal stimming through elevated speech, or using physical stim toys, can be percieved as uncomfortable or unnecessary in the viewpoint of non-autistic individuals, stimming is not necessarily negative, and is often enjoyable and necessary for autistic individuals (Simpson).

Additionally, those with autism may also have physical repetitive behavior that seems odd but is for the specific purpose of calming down or feeling comfortable. These would include things like being in a small, comfortable space or laying on the floor.

TINA

Throughout Bob’s Burgers, Tina displays several physical behaviors that may seem odd from an outside point of view, but are indicators of autism when examined clearly.

For example, Tina likes certain sounds or repetitions that are seemingly random and do not affect the people around her. In “Sheesh! Cab, Bob?” Bob is transitioning from his day job working at Bob’s Burgers to his now night job, driving a taxi around the city. Linda and the kids are bidding him goodbye with advice on how to make money. Tina suggests, “stay away from Route One. It’s bumper-to-bumper all the way to the Interstate.” Bob, raising his eyebrows, questions Tina on how she might know that. Tina explains, “I like traffic updates. I like it when they say ‘bumper-to-bumper.’” Bob presses further, asking “‘bumper-to-bumper?’”, to which Tina throws her head back and sighs.

It’s a silly moment that shows Tina’s awkwardness and affinity for vaguely sensual topics, but also shows her visible and tangible reaction to certain words or phrases. Those with autism often enjoy one word or phrase repeated again and again for comfort reasons as a form of stimming. Just by this moment, we could assume that Tina is experiencing a form of echolalia, and enjoying repeating and hearing one phrase consistently.

Additionally and notably, several times during “Sheesh! Cab, Bob?” Tina either lays down on the floor or hides under a table with her knees close to her chest. This behavior, finding a space that is physically small and comforting, is typical in those with autism (“Sensory”).

AMY

While Amy’s physical behaviors do not exactly align with Tina’s, she holds her own version of involuntary physical reactions. Amy often celebrates by stimming with her entire body, jumping up and down and moving unnaturally. She also often dances in a funny way by herself after completing an achievement.

In “Thanksgiving,” Captain Holt seems to be happy as he accepts Amy’s invitation to her dinner party. Because the audience already knows of Amy’s overwhelming respect for Captain Holt, Amy’s immediate excitement at his acceptance of the invitation is obvious. However, she attempts to hide her excitement with a badly acted blase attitude, saying “cool! Whatever. Yeah, don’t worry about it either way. It’s not a big deal.” However, when she walks out of view of the Captain’s office, she celebrates this victory with a full-bodied and physical celebration, waving her arms in the air and quietly shouting: “yes!” Additionally, towards the end of the episode, Amy celebrates that Captain Holt gave her criticism on her Thanksgiving toast. She yells, “he’s mentoring me! Yes!” She then physically celebrates with jumps, arm movements, and full-bodied excitement. Her arms completely extend, her body contorts with pride and involuntary happiness and movement. She is unable or unwilling to celebrate quietly, as she possesses her unique physical way of expressing overwhelming emotions, as is common in those on the spectrum.

Additionally, Brooklyn Nine-Nine shows that Amy stims with physical repetitions, such as braiding her own hair. At the beginning of “Chasing Amy,” Amy stands rigidly with an expression of determination and anger on her face, her hair braided into dozens of tiny braids all over her head in a messy fashion. She holds a stack of notecards she appears to be studying. Charles questions Jake about why Amy’s hair is looking so weird. “Oh, she obsessively braids her hair when she’s nervous. And she’s super nervous ‘cause she’s taking the Sergeant’s exam today,” Jake states simply. As previously stated, stimming is a habitual release of energy through a certain repeated action, noise or movement; Amy’s hair-braiding is a good example of a movement-based stim, most likely used for comforting herself.

To explain Amy’s condition further, Jake explains that “we’ve also jumped up to a two: creepily singing songs from the Great American Songbook,” and the scene cuts to Jake and Amy’s bed, with Amy sitting up with a reading light over a huge textbook. She is softly singing, “you’re a grand old flag, you’re a high-flying flag…” Then, the camera pans to Jake, who pulls a pillow over his head. For people with autism, stimming can often relieve stress or discomfort. Stimming can be different for each person, but stimming can be physical, vocal, tactile, auditory, and more. Amy’s behavior here could easily be categorized as a vocal stimulation to relieve stress. Throughout the series, Amy is shown to have coping mechanisms that are more tactile and outward than most characters, and her calming habits fit neatly into the category of autistic stimming.

The Question of Representation

It is no question that there are barely any blatantly autistic characters represented on daytime television. This can be detrimental to the development of those with autism simply because of the inferiority complex created when a person never sees someone who is similar to them. While Amy from Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Tina from Bob’s Burgers both display mannerisms that align with those on the spectrum and are heavily coded as being autistic individuals, it would be monumental for Fox and NBC to outright establish them as autistic characters. Tina is a strong willed, confident and realistic portrayal of an autistic teenager, and it would help many adolescents on the spectrum to see themselves on screen as a main character beloved by many. Additionally, Amy being established as autistic would be just as incredible, seeing as there is a severe lack of representation for autistic adults (Prochnow). Because there is a prevalent stereotype for autistic people that they are unable to function independently and need guidance, or have a different “mental age” than their true age, there is a common misconception that autistic people can never be successful, independent and live life to its fullest extent. However, if Amy Santiago was established as a blatantly autistic character, it would show any autistic and neurotypical audience member that autistic people can be successful in their careers and respected for their brilliance.

Additionally, there is a disparity of representation of autistic women in media. While men and boys are often represented, there is little discussion of the fact that women and girls are affected by autism as well, and there is no lack of girls on the spectrum. For autistic girls to see an autistic woman like Amy Santiago who is skilled in her career and married would be an incredibly opportunity to inspire those on the spectrum (Kamal). Additionally, Tina’s self-confidence and ambition would be monumental for young autistic girls who lack a character to relate to on-screen.

While the representation of Tina and Amy’s characters are in no way negative as they stand now, there is much to gain going forward. As previously noted, the representation of characters with autism is often two dimensional and flat, and there is a lack of female characters with autism in popular media. If Fox and NBC have the best interest of their audience in mind, it would be beneficial to canonically and explicitly establish the neurodiversity of Tina Belcher and Amy Santiago in Bob’s Burgers and Brooklyn Nine-Nine respectively.

Works Cited

Bethune, Brian. “Autistic Licence.” Macleans.ca, 13 July 2009, www.macleans.ca/culture/autistic-licence/.

"Chasing Amy." Brooklyn Nine-Nine, written by Matt Lawton, directed by Luke Del Tredici, Fox, 2017.

Draaisma, Douwe. “Stereotypes of Autism.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 27 May 2009, royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rstb.2008.0324.

“Golden Globes 2014: The Winners List.” Cable News Network, 13 Jan. 2014, www.cnn.com/2014/01/12/showbiz/celebrity-news-gossip/2014-golden-globes-winners/index.html.

Grove, Rachel, et al. "Special Interests and Subjective Wellbeing in Autistic Adults." Autism Research, vol. 11, no. 5, 2018, pp. 766-775. ProQuest, http://ezproxy.msu.edu.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/docview/2047340419?accountid=12598, doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/10.1002/aur.1931.

Kamal, Sauleha. “The Character Who Made Me Love 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 12 June 2018, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/06/brooklyn-nine-nine-amy-santiago/562436/.

Li, Annie S et al. “Exploring the ability to deceive in children with autism spectrum disorders” Journal of autism and developmental disorders vol. 41, 2 (2011): 185-95.

Orsmond, Gael I., Marty W. Krauss, and Mailick S. Marsha. "Peer Relationships and Social and Recreational Activities among Adolescents and Adults with Autism." Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, vol. 34, no. 3, 2004, pp. 245-56. ProQuest, http://ezproxy.msu.edu.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/docview/205303236?accountid=12598, doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/10.1023/B:JADD.0000029547.96610.df.

Prochnow, Alexandria. "AN ANALYSIS OF AUTISM THROUGH MEDIA REPRESENTATION." Et Cetera, vol. 71, no. 2, 2014, pp. 133-149. ProQuest, http://ezproxy.msu.edu.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/docview/1620847574?accountid=12598.

Sands, Rich. “The Definitive Ranking of The Simpsons, Peanuts, and More Old Cartoons From Your Childhood.” TV Guide, 9 Oct. 2018, www.tvguide.com/news/definitive-ranking-old-cartoons/.

“Sensory Issues: Seeking and Avoiding.” Sensory Issues: Seeking and Avoiding | Interactive Autism Network, 30 Oct. 2008, iancommunity.org/cs/challenging_behavior/sensory_issues.

Simpson, Hannah. "Tics in the Theatre: The Quiet Audience, the Relaxed Performance, and the Neurodivergent Spectator." Theatre Topics, vol. 28, no. 3, 2018, pp. 227-238. ProQuest, http://ezproxy.msu.edu.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/docview/2162522850?accountid=12598, doi:http://dx.doi.org.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/10.1353/tt.2018.0046.

"Sheesh! Cab, Bob?" Bob’s Burgers, written by Loren Bouchard, directed by Jennifer Coyle, Fox, 2011.

"Tina-Rannosaurus Wrecks." Bob’s Burgers, written by Jon Schroeder, directed by Wesley Archer, Fox, 2012.

"Thanksgiving." Brooklyn Nine-Nine, written by Luke Del Tredici, directed by Jorma Taccone, Fox, 2013.

[ironbellies-blog]

Newt Scamander’s mannerisms and autistic behaviors. Okay, breathes out. Let me be honest this is going to end up feeling deeply personal to me. Two years ago when I was doing really badly emotionally I saw a therapist we talked about a lot of things and when I eventually revealed I was asexual she suggested to my mother that we test me for autism (specifically aspergers). At the time when I was really accepting that it was okay I was ace I vehemently refused to do it. Because it felt like she was trying to find a “problem” with me being asexual and I was... deeply uncomfortable with it. 

I’ve since realized that she was likely right and I should be tested... So this essay feels, in some way, a reflection of my own mannerisms that I see we share. I by no means can say I have a full understanding given I haven’t been fully tested, but like with all of my headcanons I’m keeping papers up and trying to do proper research. So this headcanon is as equally as a trepedition for me (personally) and something I want to carefully word with respect to everything else.

Let’s begin then.

I’ve stated it a fair few times how I feel in certain regards: Newt’s speech patterns, his awareness, behavior, and sexuality. This is going on a much more fuller spectrum that hopefully covers everything to understand in complete how I write him. This is something I have difficulty with putting into a singular sentence so expect several paragraphs on each matter. 

My Newt is on the autism spectrum, specifically, he has Asperger's syndrome. The first time I’d like to note is that at the time he was born and --worse-- in a wizarding community which lacks some areas autism wasn’t something that was studied and most children with the condition... Wouldn’t have led very great life. Like Theseus gestures to Newt they’re just “me” in a way that no one else is. This isn’t a bad thing, but it would have created an even greater feeling of otherness and people wouldn’t begin to understand it (hopefully I’ve said this in the right way).

Let’s begin with a CoG fact (minor spoiler): Newt and Leta seemed to become friends in their third year. At the time Newt was hung up in a corner of Hogwarts, surrounded by tanks filled with creatures, specifically caring for a wounded animal. He is not interested in Leta’s immediate appearance until she approaches and he’s able to connect Leta with the creature (a baby raven). This is increasingly furthered by his attempt at helping her by taking her somewhere else in their sixth year and discussing something he enjoyed.

There are a few things we see in young Newt: A detachment from social events (preferring the company of creatures, for hours at times). A focus on said creatures to note “intricate social patterns”. And a reliance on speaking metaphorically or relying on facts that only he would otherwise care about. He also remembers minor details about people he meets even without associating them when others might not (remembering Leta’s family crest is a raven). We also, of course, have an aversion to looking people in the eye-- but not an incapability of it.

These are the major details that we can gather from his younger self, so we’ll move on to some details from Fantastic Beasts (please note these details are not necessarily autistic traits, but what he shows): He walks with a specific gait to impersonate an animal. This is not necessarily a sign of autism, but peculiar movements are considered a sign (in this case, however, Newt takes in his “inward walking” intentionally for his line of work). He is awkward in intimate, joyful social settings.

 He can occasionally talk off topic and interjects when he realizes he knows what the other is talking about. He has difficulty expressing himself emotionally and chooses again to relate to what he knows or going around it. He has an aversion to touch-- He is not against it, but prefers to initiate it himself. He acts against “societal norms” and is unafraid to act with his senses. And the final mention I’ll go to is that Newt becomes intensely focused on the situation he’s in-- He still sees the bigger picture, but he gets tunnel vision.

Now that we got some of his ‘big” behaviors noted let’s go further in and dissect this information. We’ll start with two quotes: “Watching Newt walk, we see in him an unselfconscious Keatonesque quality, a sense of a different rhythm to those around him.” “Newt slows down and watches Mary Lou as he would observe a foreign species: no judgement, simply interest.” These are two quotes I look at when thinking about Newt and I’d like to add a line in from the recent movie where Theseus gestures to him and is like “be less yourself” and Newt calls him on it and seems very uninclined to do so. This is a trait I think is important: Newt is aware he is not like other people. It’s part of his awkwardness, he knows that he sees the world differently, embraces it and doesn’t let it hold him back. If he did he wouldn’t do things like a mating dance in front of people or licking the ground-- Newt knows others find him odd, annoying even, and simply accepts it for what it is because he isn’t going to change it.

More importantly, Newt is hyper-aware of his surroundings even in a setting filled with people. “Newt sensing the need to change...”, “Newt studies the characters in the room...” One of the things that personally make me frustrated is seeing people act like Newt is unaware of the people around him. He is constantly watching his environment, assessing it, and going by it.

 The difference is that he’s so busy looking at interactions around him that unless he’s intentionally focusing on the conversation at hand, unless it matters to him, he’s not aware of the conversation. He has to have an interest at the conversation at hand to be paying attention to it, otherwise his attention goes to the other details around him-- Both a tick and something he gained from his travels (remember, he spent time in the wilds-- he’d have to pay attention to everything to survive there). So Newt has too modes: Either extremely attentive to a singular person or attentive to everything else surrounding them and not a conversation at hand.

In the same, he is hyper-aware of what he’s interested in he’s also aware of his own thoughts. What I mean by this is, Newt understands who he is and why he does things. He knows he will always act when something is in need, knows that his own opinions aren’t going to be swayed, and knows what he means to say. Let me better put this to words: Newt is unselconsious of who he is and will not change it for anyone. So he speaks with brutal honesty and frankness that can be as disarming and hurtful as it is charming-- People are charmed by him because Newt wears his heart on his sleeve: emotionally, honestly, and physically. He’s not held back by the social structures others are.

And the reasons for this are multiple: It is a part of his autism, yes, but it’s also not the only reason. Newt’s seen many cultures studied the people he’s been around and learned about them. He is GENUINELY interested in all beings creatures and humans. This means that he’s visited all types of people-- tribes in Africa where gender roles are reversed, places where sexual identities are freer, and places where family dynamics are different.

 He’s learned and accepted all of them (this is why I’ve written that, for Newt, human nature isn’t new to him and he’s not disgusted by these acts-- he is disgusted by human violence, unwillingness to see others as beings, etc). Likewise when it comes to the creature this also is a thing: We see him act as these creatures would down to their mating dances. Like humans, he’d see some species have reversed roles on sex and gender identities are ultimately a human concept. Human-based societal and sexual concepts are not things that Newt looks at, though he’s aware they exist and matter they are not things he recognizes when confronted with them.

Connecting with this is another trait I’ve mentioned time and again-- largely in my defense of how I write Newt when it comes to physicality. Simple put: Newt is a man who is more comfortable with instinct and action. This is not to say that he is not aware of something or cannot use words. We see in FB Newt making the “first move” by brushing Tina’s hair back. He firmly tells her in the Death Chamber to trust him, making eye contact. In CoG he spends the entire time trying to find Tina and sort out what to say (and resulting in him going back to the aforementioned “relating to a topic he knows”/”metaphor” ways he did before). 

Newt is actually aware in all of those situations the necessity of the situation, the way he feels, everything but he also knows that there’s a certain expectation of him to “answer properly”. It’s why he has difficulty putting what he wants to say into words, why he goes to a tender movement. He knows what he means, knows what he wants to say, but has spent a longer time studying creatures and around them to learn their movements then he has human intricacies.

Because of this Newt is not touch repulsed but prefers to be the one to initiate it and would rather know it’s coming. Remember, Newt initiated the contact with Tina on both occasions (he told her to jump and that he’d catch her, he reached for her hair). It’s likely that with touch he is over-sensitive meaning that while he accepts it when he’s not expecting it he doesn’t know what to do and by the time he’s processed it he moves on (CoG screenplay says he accidentally brushes hands with Tina and they both jump).

When it comes to speaking, however, it’s not that it’s impossible for him. He can speak and short of interjections-- repeating the same word, “oh” “um-- he does get what he means across. He just is brutally honest and frank about it and doesn’t necessarily realize what he’s said is offensive to other people (and even if it is, he won’t take back what he feels). But he also relies on metaphors that others don’t use and are confused by because they make sense to him-- Usually about creatures. Newt doesn’t necessarily realize what he says is offensive because he’s. to him, just being honest and (often) times means nothing personal...

Except, Newt truly does actually find humans dangerous. He recognizes that most are capable of bad things and we’re not actually ever told why. Likely because humans hurt others out of pleasure and a misguided idea of “I don’t understand it, it can be dangerous, kill it”. It takes a lot for Newt to trust people and he’ll be quick to call them out on their shit-- He shows this with multiple characters in CoG. He’s unabashedly unafraid to say what he thinks and feels. At the same time, however, he’s distinctly aware of how other he is to people. His own family thinks him odd and out of place, rather or not they love him. So he finds it better to simply keep to himself, and he prefers it. Newt likes the company of his creatures, he likes the rhythm of his day-to-day life (we know he was extensive schedules listing day-to-day activities of when to feed certain creatures, of what days to do certain things, etc, etc). Newt has a sense of adventure and thrives in situations of the moment, but in his own space he does prefer having things in order and knowing that tasks are completed.

Newt holds a great deal of empathy for people and creatures who are mistreated. More so creatures, but he does see those that are abused, “the outsider” and wants to help them when it comes to human company. He’s not sure how to handle it, but Newt as a person is one who recognizes wrongs being done to others and innately wants to make things right. If he has the power to do something to help, Newt will do everything he can to help them.. And the interesting and most important thing is: Newt does not allow himself to be held down by human structure to do so.

This is a man who uses everything at his disposal to survive in dangerous terrain, “fighting them all over with my traveling kettle”. A man who acts animalistically in his day-to-day life and relies on their behaviors to “get things done”. He’s a man who’s awkward and brutally honest and has difficulty expressing himself in an “acceptable away”. But even more importantly than that is he doesn’t find his thoughts weird or odd or wrong: They are him and he embraces them and has decided if others can’t accept it than he’s none-the-worse for it.

[anewhope4change-blog]

Be The Change

The sound of the media and the news droning on is not an unfamiliar one. With it constantly feeling as though these issues are mounting each day, it can be tempting to want to ignore it entirely. However, a real problem arises when these calls to action only end up falling upon deaf ears. The fact that there is such an abundance of issues piling up is indicative of a growing apathetic environment of those in charge. As such, Ted Chiang and Greta Thunberg emphasize the importance of effectively being heard.

Ted Chiang begins with this idea by narrating through the eyes of a concerned parrot in “The Great Silence.” While the bird demonstrates the ability of his kind to exhibit communication, he laments how humans repeatedly disregard the species instead. In doing so, the narrator points out that humanity is not only ignoring the subsequent intelligence of his species, but also “our language, our rituals, our traditions” (Chiang). Despite the behavior and ignorance that he faces, the narrator further acknowledges that “[humans] didn’t do it maliciously” and “they just weren’t paying attention” (Chiang). The narrator exemplifies the enthusiasm and empathy that society needs to rekindle. The parrot’s call to action reflects this.

Although this is from a fictional story, the overall message continues to ring true today. For example, the issue of climate change not only affects humans but also the other animals that live on earth. Even though there are individuals in power who can enforce a change, there seems to be a constant attitude of assuming it will just get fixed eventually. Then, when the issue is deemed not important enough anymore to the general population, it is forgotten about a week later. This is not always done purposely in a cruel manner; life just continues moving on. However, it is important for society to recognize the pattern it continues to follow so it can work toward a change.

Today, it can be easy to be swept away in the media. A majority of the reports come off as bleak. Various individuals might assume that anything they do to help would only be insignificant against such sizeable problems. Chiang argues that humans instead focus too much on situations that ultimately are inconsequential. The parrot in “The Great Silence” openly wonders why humans would rather expend their resources studying something far from their personal reach when they could focus on something right before them. Ultimately, this type of attitude is indicative of the bystander effect. Under the bystander effect, studies show that there is a “reduction in helping behavior in the presence of other people” (Hortensious and Gelder). Although individuals claim that they would go out of their way to assist others, research suggests that “many people refrain from helping in real life, especially when we are aware that other people are present at the scene” (Hortensious and Gelder). This attitude can be seen in countless of the disputes seen today. Even though there are issues begging to be solved today, attention seems to shift elsewhere time and time again because they assume someone else will fix what is in front of them. This type of mindset needs to change. As such, there are activists today like Greta Thunberg who work to break this mold.

Each year, climate change increasingly becomes more of a dilemma. Only 16 years old, a Swedish activist by the name of Greta Thunberg has already been “nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize” in February 2019 and received numerous other honorary distinctions (Kühne). Although she has these recognitions for her achievements in fighting for the environment, there are still multitudes of individuals that completely discredit her. In her speech given at the Houses of Parliament, she brazenly states, “I know many of you don’t want to listen to us – you say we are just children” (Thunberg). Thunberg does all that she can to elicit a response against the mounting concern for climate change, but several world leaders and citizens fail to listen just because she is younger than them. However, she is actually echoing the parrot from Chiang’s work. Both individuals are addressing an audience that struggles to understand the gravity of their respective actions. She asserts, “I’m sure that the moment we start behaving as if we were in an emergency, we can avoid climate and ecological catastrophe” (Thunberg). This idea further solidifies the point of individuals needing to recognize the changes they need to make. Only then will they be able to work toward a better world.

Although the political and societal climate can appear to be a downward slope, it is crucial to recognize that this is not truly the case. While instances of the bystander effect may pop up here and there, this just means that society needs to learn how to step up again as it has done before. It is not asking for the impossible. In fact, many individuals are currently doing this. People like Greta Thunberg, anyone working to create a change or someone who does what he can to benefit the overall community, are shining examples of hope in the world. There are even studies done on the evolution of human cooperation in which the author expresses how there are “altruistic social preferences supporting cooperation, [which] outcompeted unmitigated and amoral self-interest” (Gintis 174). The media often forces a pessimistic view on what is happening in the world but understanding that virtuous changes are being made is crucial in motivating people to move forward. Thunberg rightfully states that “the moment we decide to fulfill something, we can do anything” (Thunberg). This is the type of mindset to admire and follow.

Overall, making a change is a mutual interaction among the citizens of the nation. There are several steps in this process, but it can be done. Chiang and Thunberg all but argue this in their works. It is only impossible if the society slips too much into a closed mindset of apathy. Thus, it is important to resist the temptation to ignore problems. Instead, people need to listen and learn how to make the changes that the world is begging for.

 Works Cited

Chiang, Ted. “The Great Silence.” Electric Literature, 6 May 2019, https://electricliterature.com/the-great-silence-by-ted-chiang/.

Gintis, Herbert. “The Evolution of Human Cooperation.” Cliodynamics: The Journal of Theoretical & Mathematical History, vol. 3, no. 1, Jan. 2012, pp. 172–190. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=90506773&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Hortensius, Ruud, and Beatrice de Gelder. “From Empathy to Apathy: The Bystander Effect Revisited.” Current directions in psychological science vol. 27,4 (2018): 249-256. doi:10.1177/0963721417749653

Kühne, Rainer W. “Climate Change: The Science Behind Greta Thunberg and Fridays for Future.” OSF Preprints, 2 Sept. 2019. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/2n6kj.

Thunberg, Greta. “You Did Not Act in Time.” Vital Speeches of the Day, vol. 85, no. 6, June 2019, pp. 174–175. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=136738333&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

[laceyspencer]

Concept of Masculinity in Men

Authored by  Shagufta Jabeen

Introduction

The following study seeks to explain to what extent men role orientation influences by male perceptions of masculine imagery and their attitude towards women are according to culture and family environment. Usually meanings of masculinity are created, modified and put into action by individuals during the process of social interaction. Attributes such as being a provider for the family (the bread winner), a hard worker, good leader (decisive), a problem solver, being knowledgeable correspond to this category of masculinity. Men are often influenced by their religion and opinions gained from their parents’ roles, especially the father’s role [1]

Some male follows accept the concept of traditional masculinity for example; traditionally masculine men should be strong, aggressive, confident, etc. They hesitate to share their problem with others because they think others will consider them weak and it’s costly for them to admit that they are emotionally upset. Men follow the concept of masculinity as they think they are powerful in the light of Holy Qur’an just as and women have rights like the rights of men in a just manner, and the men have a degree (of advantage) over them...” (2:228) [2].    

But some others accept the concept of nontraditional masculinity and they feel it true for example, nontraditionally masculine men might be nurturing, perhaps passive, and expressive. But reality is that masculinity consists of those behaviors, languages and practices, existing in specific cultural and organizational locations, which are commonly associated with males and thus culturally defined as not feminine because some how they feel women inferior to them. A key assumption here is that masculinity is not a fixed entity, there being no singular standard for this concept. The social construction of gender is actually a system of power that not only divides men and women as masculine and feminine but typically also assign roles to men and women according to their own strength like that men can do laboring work but women cannot do that easily if they do, male raise so many difficulties in front of them because they think that is against the natures and womankind. They also think it is ridiculous for women to run a locomotive and for men to doing the laundry.

Some men agree only for limited freedom of women, they do not understand a woman’s pride and needs to join politics, forces and engineering or medical fields only some men are agreeing to equality of both. Masculine men are courageous, able to resist the pressure of events around them. They have capabilities to fulfill all own and other’s needs. They are allowing others to be feel safe with them and do not permit anyone to overstep their boundaries. Early years of the twentieth century, woman walking alone on the streets was not considered safe or appropriate. At that time males think that Women should be confined with their duties of childbearing and house tending only. Now still some men want women must obey them without any question. They never care about the right of women and they want to confine them only in the house and want to make dependent of them by this way they make their supremacy on them [3].

While others facilitate them because they think their own responsibility and enhancing change to share both public and private space to lead prosperous life because it is an urgent need of modernization. They believe that empowerment of women cannot be achieved in a vacuum, men must support along in the process of change, like when women try to gain power and control over their own lives. Nontraditional men honor women and treat them with respect. Nontraditional men strongly act upon the Holy Prophet PBUH saying as he himself said: “He who has a daughter and who teaches her good manners and improves her education and then manumits and marries her will get a double reward.” Men try to maintain their masculinity by solving their problems alone without talking about those. Men take decisions without emotional affects. Some men think women should avoid the conflicts and ever try to spend a peaceful life. According to them, Women should not be allowed to raise voice for divorce. While nontraditional men are accepting this, both husband and wife should be allowed to have same grounds for divorce.   

Literature Review

In 1987 Connell stated that concept of masculinity is developed by society and this concept dependent on that historical time, culture. He further described in 2000 as the culturally lofty form of masculinity which gives assurance to the dominant position of men. According to him construction of masculinity is often setup the men according to their nature of work, organization policies. Floge and Merril, in 1989 said that Men get benefits in career through the assumption of society that men have more leadership qualities and skilled over the females. In 1993Williams stated Men have a position of power, and they rewarded for their difference from women in terms of higher pay and other benefits as all consider men are stronger than women. Hochschild in 1983 described that in teaching, nursing and social work, women are superseding as these fields are required emotional attachment [4].

Levant& Richmond, in 2007 discussed masculinity ideology. Their ideology gives guidance to males how they should act to certain socially sanctioned masculine behaviors and this also provide guideline to men to avoid denounce behaviors. In 2000 Lupton found that men be afraid to work in female dominated occupations working in female dominated occupations as the other people will think that their power of masculinity is less than other men, or they are having less skills. In 1998 Alvesson viewed that men are engaged to get dominating position through compensatory gendered practices for maintain their masculinity. Learning theory discussed when child’s gender identity becomes established, then child try to display gender congruent attitudes and behaviors. Through direct and indirect instruction child learn appropriate gender roles, both genders lead their lives according to assign gender role. Just as Direct rewards or punishments are often given for outward appearance as in what to wear (girls in dresses and boys in pants) and behavior (passivity and dependence in girls and aggressiveness and independence in boys). Indirect learning of gender roles emerges from modeling same-sex parents, teachers, peers, or same-sex models in the media [5].

Kohlberg identifies two stages of gender identity development: 1) acquiring a fixed gender identity, 2) establishing gender identity constancy. Child’s identify their roles related to gender when hearing the labels “boy” or “girl” and applied these roles in their life. By about age 4, the child can apply these gender labels are appropriately to others. Within two or three years, the child reaches the critical phase of gender constancy. In 1985 Spence viewed that the important underlying construct is gender identity or one’s sense of being masculine or feminine. Culturally defined personality traits, physical attributes, attitudes, occupational preference and behaviors all are contribute in gender identification. Men choose those characteristics that are compatible for themselves and demanding from women for which they are responsible just as child bearing, maintaining relationship and house holding .

James and Clarke in 1993 conducted research on conversational behavior as they reported that males are more likely to use more assertive and dominant speech patterns in interaction than females but a recent review of the many empirical studies on interruptions and time spent talking show that men think women are more talkative and create interruption in conversation than men. Stets & Burke in 1996 stated that men maintain masculine gender identity by expressing negative, dominant and oppositional behavior, such as complaining, criticizing women to pull down them. Pleck and Sonenstein in 1973 defined Masculinity ideology as men accept culture’s definition of masculinity and they beliefs and act on culturally defined standards of male behavior [6].

According to Thompson (1986) men’s according to their needs follow norm of masculinity only for achieving status, position and other respect in 2006 Hammond stated that men follow the concept of masculinity by controlling their own emotions as other people may think about them they are emotionally weak. He also stated that men are compact in one’s emotions as a factor associated their emotional restriction, they always less willing to forgive racially discriminatory experiences. Gregory in 2011 pointed out that men define and redefine masculinity in the social context of their experiences throughout their life.

Goldberg argued that in his paper titled, Feminism against Science, on the base of physiologies, and that society, psyche and gender, men and women are different from each other with respect to the cognition and behavior, attitude and emotions.

Peterson contend that the social construction of gender is a system of power that not only divides men and women as masculine and feminine but also places masculinity above femininity and operates to value more highly those institutions and practices that are male dominated and representative of masculine traits and styles. According to the French feminist philosopher, Beauvoir, men pursue masculinity according to them develop image of gender identity, they think they are donor, liberator, redeemer of women. Men still desires the subjugation of women. Desai said that breadwinners accustomed to the idea that women are responsible to fulfill a domestic role whereas men are uniquely qualified to work.  

Method

Objective

i. To study normative understanding of masculine identity in men related to professional and personal life.

ii. To study the relationship between concept of masculinity in men and their attitude towards women

iii. Hypothesis

iv. There will be a negative relationship between concept of masculinity in men and attitude towards women

Research Design

Survey based quantitative research design was used. For survey I used a predetermined likert type scale of Helmrich and snell to assess opinion, thoughts of population of interest.

i. Operational definition

ii. Concept of masculinity

The term concept of masculinity can be defined as stereotypical masculine behavior traits as measured by the Masculine Role Inventory, Snell, W. E.

Attitudes Toward Women

Attitudes toward Women can be defined as attitudes about the rights and roles of women relative to men in occupational, educational, and relational domains. As an attitude measure focusing on gender roles, it is measured by the AWS assesses opinions about the behavioral patterns deemed appropriate for men and women in society, Spence, Helmrich & Stapp (1978).   

Instrument

Two scales have been used in the present study which is as follows

The Masculine Role Inventory

The Masculine Role Inventory (MRI) use to access the concept of masculinity in men, scale was developed by Snell, W. E in 2013. There were 30 statement with five response catgories. The five response categories were included agree, slightly agree, uncertain, disagree and slightly disagree. In this scale item 30 was negative item. Each item was coded like that: Agree = +2, Slightly Agree = +1, uncertain = 0, Slightly Disagree = -1, and Disagree = -2. The Masculine Role Inventory (MRI) consists of three subscales, success preoccupation subscale, inhibited affection subscale and restrictive emotionality subscale. Restrictive emotionality was defined as the restricted expression of privately felt emotions. Inhibited affection refers to the inhibition of feelings of affection and tenderness toward others. Success preoccupation was defined as a persistent preoccupation with success and career development to the exclusion of interpersonal pursuits and devotion [7-9].

Attitudes Towards Women Scale

This questionnaire assesses the men attitude towards women it’s a likert type scale. This scale was developed by Spence, Helmrich & Stapp in1978. The categories used were agree strongly, agree mildly, disagree mildly and disagree strongly. Each item was coded like that Strongly agree=0, mildly agree=1, mildly disagree=2, and strongly disagree=3 except for the items 2,3,6,7,8,9,11,12,18,21,24,25 in the scale were reversed. A high score indicates a pro feminist, egalitarian attitude while a low score indicates a traditional, conservative attitude.   

Sample

The sample consist of (N=40) men. Accidental sampling was used to study men concept about masculinity and attitude towards women. The age of sample ranges from 20-50years. Demographic data sheet included instruction, age, occupation, education and marital status.   

Procedure

The data was collected through convenience sampling from Wah Cantt. Participants were informed about the purpose of research. Questionnaires were administered to only men to study the concept about masculinity in men and their attitude towards women. The participants were personally reached. The participants voluntarily participated, and the participants were asked to read each statement and to indicate the response by selecting the appropriate response category which they consider in their opinion appropriate and applicable about their own self. They were eager to answer it. Informed consent was done. Consent was taken from every individual and it was briefed that their information will not be misused, and it will only be included in research work. The survey was generally completed within 25 minutes. Once participants completed the survey they were thanked for the participation   

Results

Demographic information sought from the sample, included information like age, and marital status. Statistical description demographic variable statistical descriptions of the demographic variable of study are as follows in (Tables 1-4).

Table 5 shows that in subscales of masculine inventory statistically significant positive correlation is present among, success preoccupation, inhibited affection and restrictive emotionality are Correlated significantly at the 0.01 level, but inhibited affection and restrictive emotionality Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level. And statistically significant negative correlation is present between subscale of success preoccupation, inhibited affection, restrictive emotionality and attitude towards women at 0.01 levels.   

Discussion

The basic purpose of the study is to find relationship between concept of masculinity in men and their attitude towards women. In our society, gender roles develop on the base of cultural pattern, in which men and masculinity place above the women and feminist, a woman’s value measure in her ability to bear children and raising children. Men are powerfully affected by the experiences of life and develop concept of masculinity on the base of how people respond to them what they do as male and what is expecting behavior of others as male from him. A traditional man never cares about the rights of women, they want women remain dependent on them. As I expected and discovered the high correlation between subscale of masculinity and negative attitude towards women which indicates they are traditional men because highly masculine men have negative attitude towards women role. Highly masculine men are hesitant to consider themselves as feminist. A possible explanation why Men reject the feminist label is that the connotation of this label is coded as female because they consider women are emotionally and physically weak than them

My hypothesis is partially supported when find correlation between masculine identity in men and their attitude towards women.

As seen in table 5 statistically significant negative correlation were found between success preoccupation in men and attitude towards women r=.21, p< .01.it represent a successful career means more to men but they are not consider importance of a successful career for women and belief women are less capable for contributing to economic production and they should be concerned with their duties of child bearing and house tending rather than desire for professional career. A statistically significant negative correlation was also found between inhibited affection of men and their attitude towards women r= .36. p<.01. as they control the expression of feelings of love, affection, and for others but wants from women not being active outside the home, should worry less about their rights and more about becoming good wives and mother, care provide every member of family. But non-significant positive correlation found between men restrictive emotionality scale and attitude towards women [8].

The present research is also concerned with the construction of a self-report instrument designed to assess several components of the traditional male experience. The MRI was developed to measure three aspects of the masculine role:

i. success preoccupation, the tendency to be so obsessed with the development of a highly successful career that interpersonal growth and involvement are constrained

ii. Inhibited affection, the tendency to control and check the expression of feelings of love, affection, and tenderness for others; and

iii. restrictive emotionality, the tendency to limit and temper the public expression and communication of one’s privately felt emotions and sentiments. The inter correlations of the three masculine role subscales within samples 40 were also examined.

The success preoccupation subscale was significantly correlated with the inhibited affection scale r = .40 p< .01, and with the restrictive emotionality subscale r= 0.44, p < .01. Inhibited affection scale correlated significantly with the restrictive emotionality scale r = 0.312, p < .05. Although the correlations are all statistically significant, they are modest in size but instead assess different aspects of the masculine role.

As Brannon & David reported in their research that traditional masculinity gender role showed that men should avoid famine behavior, strive for success and achievement, show no weakness and seek adventure by putting down women [7].

In 1999 Gilbert research study indicated that women should focus on relationship, remain silent for rights, must participate in nurturance of others, submissive and domestic. Traditional Men think they are superior over women, in professional opportunities men must be given priority for selection over women. By this woman are second citizen of society for them only specific opportunities in career in 1985 Spence viewed that the important underlying construct is gender identity or one’s sense of being masculine or feminine. Culturally defined personality traits, physical attributes, attitudes, occupational preference and behaviors all are contribute in gender identification. Men choose those characteristics that are compatible for themselves and demanding from women for which they are responsible just as child bearing, maintaining relationship and house holding.

Further Stets & Burke in 1996 stated that men maintain masculine gender identity by expressing negative, dominant and oppositional behavior, such as complaining, criticizing women to pull down them.

Men pursue masculinity according to them develop image of gender identity, they think they are donor, liberator, redeemer of women. Men still desires the subjugation of women [9].   

Conclusion

Usually meanings of masculinity and attitude towards women are created, modified and put into action by individuals during the process of social interaction. My study represents the traditional concept of masculinity in men and their negative attitude towards women. Traditional men have a totally opposite concept about themselves and towards women. They are agreeing only for limited freedom of women, they do not understand a woman’s pride and want from women, they should have to obey them and should concerned with their duties of house tending but nontraditional men are agreeing to equality of both in career and daily life rotines.   

Limitation

Every scientific research study is new step toward understanding and solution of problem but there are always certain obstacles and limitations that every researcher must face to accomplish his/her task. Sample size in the study is not larger enough and is collected from Wah can’t only. My finding contributes to the previous literature of gender studies. Although magnitude of the correlation low is than the gender role studies. In Future research work can be done on how gender role can be modified.

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[kunalkarankapoor]

The character study of Mohan Bhatnagar.

This is the final part of the character study of Mohan Bhatnagar. Thank you to everyone who read and/or commented on the study. I appreciate it.

18) The Becoming of Vasu

Video Link: The Introduction

The proof of Kunal’s brilliance as an actor lies not only in his portrayal of Mohan, but in his personification of Vasu. There was no time for him to ponder about the character between the “death” of Mohan and his resurrection. Kunal practically created Vasu in flesh and blood, moulding him from scene to scene. There was no doubt about the popularity of Vasu, how he gained a brand new fan following independent of the show pre-leap, and that he held immeasurable untapped potential (which Kunal was quick to tap into — though he could only do so much in such a short time frame). It must have been both an exciting and unnerving experience, experimenting with an underdeveloped character, slipping into the skin of one that was his to form. Of course, he did a mind-blasting job.

Post-leap it became more of Vasu’s show. Megha was still around, but Vasu as a male character with his own story was in focus for a while. I do not have an issue with female-oriented shows (hello, female here), but I do have an issue with male characters designed as accessories rather than actual people with actual stories to tell. Kunal’s character was still oppressed, but it seemed as if it had become more of a male-oriented show post-leap, and I enjoyed that.

Kunal’s embodiment of Vasu struck a chord in me from the very second that he was shown standing on the hood of his car, stretching like an awakening panther. He was a raw character. There was nothing polished or idealistic about him. There was nothing warm and soft. There was nothing safe. Watching him break a man’s arm in cold blood, shoving his uncle around, and stalking around the chawl with a possessiveness and unpredictability about him that basically instilled fear in people, I thought of him as a dangerous man that no one should cross paths with. You would want to stay offhis radar.

There was something untouchable about him; something hard and cold. There was ice in his eyes, and a recklessness. You did not want to push him too far. In fact, he seemed a bit psychotic, especially once I met his mother. But Kunal has a way of performing that never leaves you with just one impression of his character. When I saw Vasu with his mother and Bala, I realised that underneath his unfeeling shell there was a soundly pounding heart. Even around his people in the chawl, it showed every now and then. There was a short scene in which he bought an apple from a stand, handing the man a couple of bucks for it. However, the man refused to accept his money out of respect for him. Vasu insisted. And it was the way that he insisted by roughly telling him to keep it, and then tossing the money in his bowl that revealed his fairness while at the same time staying true to Vasu’s rough characterisation.

Yes, he was most definitely a bit twisted. Sometimes the look in his eyes could creep me out, e.g. during the mud-fight when Rukku stroked his face and he stared back at her. That was scary. But Kunal’s attention to details showed nuances in his character, e.g. it might appear as if he was incredibly dispassionate, but there was always a focus in his eyes, sharpness, revealing that he was, in fact, listening — aware of people around him. In the end, to those that really knew him, he was not someone to fear – on the contrary.

There was a drastic change in settings and characters post-leap. I enjoyed being in the busy streets of Indore with the warm houses (e.g. in the second season, Mohan lived in a house with a staircase that would have made a Disney princess squeal), corner-street chaiwala, and more or less modern cafés here and there. But I loved being dumped in the middle of a dusty chawl where everyone knew everyone and where bhau-politics dominated. It could have been a fresh show with a new title. There was no need to connect Vasu to Mohan, or NBT, as Vasu was a power-packed character with a completely distinctive story to tell and completely distinctive relationships.

The cast was dynamic. There was Aayi with her frightening and twisted personality that radiated incredible warmth when around her son; Bala with his energetic and loyal personality, following Vasu around like a protective brother; Rukku with her fearless personality, challenging Vasu as well as swooning over him. There were peaceful characters such as Sridhar, a quiet and observant human mind that saw past disguises. There were deceptive characters such as Aayi’s brother, a serpent that hissed in people’s ears, spreading venom. There were even the occasional stereotypes such as Rukku’s mother that provided their own form of entertainment.

Returning to Vasu, he was a character that had his very own behavioural pattern. It was a pleasure to observe him. His mannerisms; the way that he would sit, pulling up one leg and resting his elbow on his knee; the way that he would walk (with swag); the way that he would cock his head to the side, or turn it oh-so-slowly. There was also his speech pattern; his Marathi dialect and slang and choppy sentences; his imperative speech form (“bol na”); and how his voice was always a notch lower (in the throat), adding another drop of masculinity and intensity to it; it could be incredibly lazy or suddenly forceful. I actually wanted Kunal to speak in Marathi more often. It held a different charm when he spoke it.

Furthermore, Vasu always had a heavy-lidded look that chilled my bones one moment, promising trouble, and put a stupid grin on my face the next. He would look at his mother and the edges would soften. He would stare at Rukku in a way that basically made his eyes seem like molten lava. Another distinctive trait about Vasu was his facial expressions. Usually, he carried a dispassionate look on his face that betrayed no emotion but boredom. But then he would frown, or his mouth would twitch at Bala’s humour, or he would cock his eyebrows (and head) in question. Every one of his movements were calculated and composed. He could seem entirely calm, and then suddenly reach for someone, e.g. when he suddenly got up and shoved food into his uncle’s mouth, or when he grabbed hold of Bala to embrace him (or to punch him).

It was also interesting how Vasu loved differently than Mohan, e.g. in relation to Rimjhim. Mohan was usually gentle with her, although he could grab her at times and pull her to him. But Vasu was much more of a tough love kind of a guy. He would pull her, lift her, and show his affection in a more forceful manner, perhaps not as aware of his own strength. However, Rimjhim was never bothered with it, and it was incredibly heartwarming to see her accept her father as Vasu without any complaints over his changed behaviour. Kunal and Reem’s scenes held the exact same chemistry as pre-leap, but their interaction was surprisingly refreshing. There was a scene that really cracked me up because of Kunal’s splendid performance and Reem’s complementing reaction. Vasu and Rimjhim were at the warehouse and some of Vasu’s guys were beating up a man. When Rimjhim turned her head to stare, Vasu cupped the top of her head and swivelled it the other way, shouting at the guys to “take it easy” because there was “a child here”, as if their beating the shit out of the man more quietly might avoid traumatising Rimjhim.

Kunal’s emotional performances as Vasu were vastly distinctive as well. It was most evident in one of his confrontations with Megha when he dared her to put words on his confusion and doubt, even though he was not prepared for the truth. Walking away from her, he shed a few tears, and there was surprise on his face; bemusement and fright at what was happening to him. It was wonderfully portrayed by Kunal. The entire scene was intense because of how frustrated Vasu was. There was a part of him that questioned the very foundation of his own existence and his relation to the people that he loved. And in that scene, he was vulnerable.

There was another emotional scene in which Vasu did not actually shed any tears, but his eyes were simply glassy orbs that reflected his inner turmoil; his pain and helplessness. It was when he realised that he was, in fact, Megha’s husband and stopped one of Aayi’s men from running her over with a car. There was a beautiful moment of him shoving his hand through his hair, kneading his head, as he processed everything. Kunal’s expression was dynamic – rippling emotions, everything in motion; his eyes, his facial muscles, his mouth, and even his tongue. I was grateful to the director for allowing him to play it out without being interrupted.

Vasu had a good heart. But he was a hardcore character. There were very few similarities between him and Mohan. Vasu still helped people (the needy) and still selflessly cared for his loved ones. But he was not as self-sacrificing as Mohan. He was not as kind and considerate. He did not chase people for their recognition, acceptance, or adoration. People chased him. People followed him. People loved him. It seemed so ironic that he would be loved and respected now when he was a criminal, while his own family used to disown him when he was a crime reporter. In the end, I personally felt that Mohan was given the place and love and family that he deserved as Vasu.

You know, if I pondered about Vasu in relation to Mohan, I could easily find a link. I could say that Vasu was a suppressed side of Mohan; a part of him that he kept locked down because he wanted to be what the Vyas clan (including Megha, Nanhi, and Addu) wanted him to be. I could say that Vasu was Mohan’s darker side, or that he was a side of him that expressed freedom; a part that did not have to hunt for love and acceptance. People loved him as he was. Bala and Rukku adored him, following him to the end of the world, if necessary. Aayi loved him to the point that if anyone touched a hair on his head, she saw red. Vasu – unlike Mohan – did not have to make self-sacrifices in order for people to value him. In fact, he lived like a king despite being a criminal.

Because Vasu was another character entirely – inside out – it did not make sense for him to fall in love with Megha so quickly and so deeply that it turned him into Romeo overnight. Furthermore, it was irksome to watch him chase her (again) when it should have been Megha’s turn to fight for her love. Her character should have been brought down from its untouchable pedestal and grounded. Considering the fact that she believed that she lost Mohan; that they never found his body, and that she saw his exact lookalike in the chawl – she did not make much of an effort to investigate, nor did she react very strongly to his presence, e.g. she could have been shown taking hold of his arm when he shoved past her rather than just stand and stare – only to return to her rented room and cry over his picture.

For once, they could have shown her passionate; passionate about finding out the truth, regardless of what it would take; passionate about testing Vasu to see if he was Mohan; passionate about being near him, talking to him – only to be pushed away by a freaked out Vasu because, in his eyes, some crazy woman was stalking him. Regardless of whether he was or was not Mohan, if she had loved Mohan half as much as she claimed to, then she would have wanted him to be Mohan and tried to convince herself of it rather than out of it. It should not have mattered that his mannerisms were not similar to Mohan’s. She should have been hell-bound on proving that he was Mohan.

Instead, she was cool as a cucumber. It was Vasu that chased her. It was Vasu that wanted her. It was Vasu that tried to change for her – and she never once indicated that he was perfect as he was; that she did not care for his changes; that she only cared for him. There was one scene that really frustrated me. It was when she dressed him up as Mohan. First, he put on clothes, put on a face that he was not comfortable in (for her). Second, it was even worse when he tried to sustain some part of himself by rolling his sleeves up (as Vasu) – only to have Megha roll them back down, basically telling him that she wanted him that way. When did she ever learn her lesson? That she should have valued Mohan for Mohan. That she should value him now simply because he existed, survived, and not attempt to change him. When did she ever accept him? I would have respected her more if Vasu had seen Mohan’s clothes and wanted to try them on, but Megha had told him that it did not matter to her; only the fact that he was alive, and with her, mattered.

Instead, (like Mohan) Vasu tried to be what Megha wanted him to be. That change in his character was uncalled for and not realistic, because Vasu was not Mohan anymore. He was Vasu now. Megha trying to erase Vasu was no different from Aayi trying to erase Mohan. In the end, both Mohan and Vasu were real. His love for Aayi, his friendship with Bala, his memories from the past two years, it was all all real, not a fabrication of his imagination. That should have been honoured. Not measured and condemned. That is what I felt it was when Vasu left the chawl for Megha, even though Indore was no longer his home. Why did Megha not make a sacrifice and stay in the chawl with him and his new family?

Part of living is adapting to changes. When Mohan fell, everything changed. He changed. There was no turning back now. There was only moving forward in his new life which included Bala and Rukku and the chawl’s people — especially because he did not remember Mohan, his past as Mohan, nor the people that Megha called his family.

19) Vasu and Bala

Vasu’s relationship with Bala was incredibly entertaining. The chemistry between Kunal and Jatin was so fierce — it made the camaraderie between Vasu and Bala stand out. Bala was not a caretaker. No, he was Vasu’s wingman and his brother. Their interaction between them was a pleasure to watch because of their camaraderie conveying years of friendship, even though they had supposedly only known each other for about two years. Bala’s loyalty toward Vasu was awe-inspiring. He would follow him around like his shadow, and even when Vasu was marrying Rukku and it hurt him, Bala was more concerned about Vasu’s future than his own.

Furthermore, I loved how they had a couple of moments where they shared a joke that they found hilarious. They would laugh privately, as if there was an underlying meaning that I – as a viewer – was not let in on. There was so much potential in this relationship; so much that could have been explored, but the time and cancellation of the show did not allow it – not to mention that Megha’s love story with Mohan as Vasu occupied most of the content. The funniest part about Vasu and Bala’s interaction would often be the smirk on Bala’s face when he pushed Vasu’s buttons, and Vasu’s stoic expression that further emphasised his unpredictability, making my heart jump when he suddenly lashed out with a smack at the back of Bala’s head or a gun to his forehead.

Their interaction was so powerful purely in performance, e.g. when Bala found out that Vasu was marrying Rukku and confronted him about it. Vasu knew that there was something between Bala and Rukku. And he also knew how badly it would hurt Bala to lose her. There had always been an unspoken promise between them of Vasu not taking Rukku because Bala loved her – even if Rukku followed Vasu around and even if he flirted with her (because he had some kind of feelings for her), Vasu kept his distance for Bala. Thus he knew exactly what he had done and could not look Bala in the eyes for the briefest moment. However, Bala went on and on about Vasu destroying his own future, and he worried for both Vasu and Rukku. The following scene in which Bala went after Vasu and they started shouting at each other in the middle of the chawl – it had me doubling over in laughter. Basically, a large portion of their conversations happened at the top of their lungs, as if screaming would make their point clearer to the other person.

20) Vasu and Rukku

Video Link: Vasu/Rukku Relationship Study

Meanwhile Rukku was full of spunk and dares. There was a friendship between her and Vasu that was most evident post-Aayi confrontation when Vasu was in his room, brooding. She understood him. And he talked to her. That friendship could have been explored on a deeper level as well. There was passion in Rukku and she would speak her mind, regardless of the consequences. She dared challenging Vasu, not fearing him, or his wrath. She would push his boundaries until he cracked, and even then she would not flinch. It seemed almost as if she knew him too well; knew that he would be pissed, but he would never cross a line.

Rukku obviously had a crush on Vasu. Even Vasu had some kind of more-than-just-friendly feelings for her, in the start (until Megha became his obsession again). He enjoyed having her follow him around; he enjoyed provoking her and teasing her; he enjoyed their flirtatious encounters and banters – and even seemed to admire Rukku’s fierceness, her guts, e.g. the scene in Rukku’s room when he pulled her close, and she reacted in equal force by taking hold of his collar, pulling him even closer. Their chemistry was sparkling mad. There was another scene right after the mud-fight when Rukku cleaned her face in his clothes and tried to run off. Vasu seized her hand for a moment, released her, and then he watched her leave. That long and pensive look could have meant anything. Furthermore, I absolutely loved how (during their mud-fight) Rukku touched his face, asking him if he felt anything to which he answered no. The slow and provocative way that Kunal said it was infuriating – and frigging awesome.

Kunal and Aasiya had surprisingly refreshing chemistry; it was bold, intense, fierce, and still pure. Balanced. Perhaps it also had something to do with the fact that Aasiya was a head shorter than Kunal. Whenever he would lean down and speak to her, it put a ridiculous grin on my face.

21) Vasu and Aayi

Video Link: Vasu/Aayi Relationship Study

This was one relationship that I frigging loved. Thus when the channel/writers ruined it (toward the end), I simply despised them for it. Let us set the record straight: Aayi did not pretend to love Vasu, nor did she do it because she wanted his wealth. Aayi only wanted Vasu and her love for him was real. I do not care what they tried to sell us at the end of the show – I did not buy it. The relationship between Vasu and Aayi had been built by Kunal and Bharti. Their interaction showed years of history, of love and affection, of respect and trust. However twisted, their relationship was not a fabrication of any sort – not from Aayi’s side and not from Vasu’s side. Aayi would literally feed him, wash him, wake him, dress him – and then the channel/writers wanted the viewers to believe that it was all a charade? Why did they find it necessary to butcher Aayi’s character in order to end the show? Bharti did a brilliant job of layering her character, making it seem twisted rather than sheer evil – and yet in the end, they destroyed Aayi in the blink of an eye. Aayi would never have pulled a gun on Vasu. And Vasu would never have called the cops on his mother. Though Kunal’s performance was flawless, even he did not seem convinced of the confrontation between Vasu and Aayi. There are some scripted sequences that even the most talented actors cannot salvage.

Returning to the characterisation of Aayi and her relationship to Vasu, it was clear from her behaviour that she was not entirely stabile. Not only could she be incredibly manipulative, but she had sudden changes in her mood that made her extremely unpredictable and dangerous. She was overprotective of Vasu. She had a hold over him that he found natural simply because he associated her possessiveness with love. Actually, Aayi’s whole world revolved around Vasu. She wanted him to rule as a king. She wanted him to be loved, to be feared by everyone. But she wanted to be the only woman that he placed on a pedestal. She wanted that special place in his eyes. Their relationship reminded me a lot of Kala’s relationship to Dutta in Laagi Tujhse Lagan. Dutta and Kala were siblings (cousins, to be exact), but she had a hold over him, too. When she spoke, he listened. Even when he knew that she was manipulating him, her words festered in his mind and he remembered them. Furthermore, she had an obsession with being respected and worshipped by him – not because she was in love with him, but because she loved him, and she wanted to be loved by him, equally or more. It was a twisted bond and I sensed the same bond between Vasu and Aayi.

Sometimes Aayi would cup his face in a way that was entirely manipulative, e.g. when he returned from the slap-incident with Megha. Kala would do something along the same lines with Dutta. She would place one hand on his cheek and speak sweetly while her words were poisonous, infecting his mind. Even as Vasu had confidence when he sauntered around, seemingly owning it all, it sometimes appeared as if Aayi was pulling his strings, e.g. when she exercised her manipulative hold over him in his most vulnerable moments. There was a scene in which he could not sleep. Aayi sat down to teach him one or two things about how to throttle snakes (figuratively). There was another scene in which they all teased him about falling for Megha and Aayi cleverly asked “mirchi khayega?”. Interestingly, he tried to prove that he had no feelings whatsoever for Megha in the wake of her words.

Aayi did not “create” Vasu because she wanted power. It was about possessing his love and adoration. There was so much that they could have shown in relation to Vasu’s past and his relationship to his Aayi. However, the channel/writers spoiled it all toward the end. For a show that set out not to stereotype stepfathers, it sure did end up stereotyping stepmothers.

Personally, I was a bit surprised (in a negative sense) when the characters (especially Vasu) met a great deal of resistance from some viewers that were, in fact, fans of the show. I realised that it was not NBT anymore and that the characters had been altered entirely, but it did not make sense to me that people who usually supported Kunal in his work now criticised the character of Vasu – refusing to give him a chance at all. NBT ended with Mohan’s fall. If one took away Megha and Rimjhim from the show, then there would have been nothing to tie Vasu’s story to Mohan’s. I never understood why the channel/writers did not give the show an actual chance, launching it independently afterthoroughly scripting everything. I doubt that the makers even realised what kind of kick-ass content they had, or what the actors were capable of doing with it.

There was so much to show and tell about Vasu. There was so much untapped potential and it could have been a completely fresh (for once) male-oriented show on Indian TV, drawing in younger and male viewers and depicting an entirely different story of a man raised by a psychopathic woman to become a crime king, and the relationships in his life.

22) Finally

The character study of Mohan Bhatnagar (and Vasu) has come to an end. This was the closure that I needed in order to put Mohan and Vasu in my treasure box and leave him behind with the rest of my most favourite and beloved characters. I am not sad, but content. It is a painfully beautiful experience to love and live characters. I loved and lived Mohan/Vasu because Kunal personified him. Thus I know that it is not over. That when Kunal returns in the skin of a new character, I will love and live it again. And there is comfort in that.

Every page that I turned of Mohan’s story was an experience. And though I am nobody, Kunal took me on a journey, letting me inside Mohan’s head and heart, and allowing me to be a part of that journey. That is what the actor has given me as a viewer; what I have taken from him.

So I wanted to give something back.

[seenashwrite]

“Sweetheart,” Dean said, looking right into her eyes, “I think you should...”

Careful! How you finish that line is gonna make-or-break how well you’ve captured Dean Winchester in that fic you’re working on. Why, you may ask? Keep reading. And to you who are familiar with this topic... 

NOTE: Any subsequent “add-ons” via others sharing their thoughts on the topic which resulted in other posts will be linked at the bottom!

Abstract

Persistent usage in fandom writings ascribing one Dean Winchester a mannerism that relates to interactions with those he is romantically involved - specifically, the substitution of their name with “sweetheart” - is shown via evidence-based research to be in conflict with this fictional character’s established persona and speech patterns thus far.

Data

For your quick ref convenience, “sweethearts” meant in the traditional sense of the word have a ❤️ by the episode title. Let us begin. The facts are these:

SEASON ONE

1.02 Wendigo

[TO FEMALE CHARACTER] Well, sweetheart, I don’t do shorts.

1.16 Shadow

[DEAN looks at MEG, who smiles at him] Oh, sweetheart—you’re dumber than you look…

Later–>

MEG: You know, that shotgun’s not gonna do much good. DEAN: Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart. The shotgun’s not for the demon.

SEASON TWO

2.06 No Exit

[TO JO] Sweetheart, this ain’t gender studies. Women can do the job fine. Amateurs can’t.

SEASON THREE

(The writers’ room got a real hard-on for it this season)

3.04 Sin City

[TO FEMALE CHARACTER] You know, you’re piling it pretty high there, sweetheart. I’m not sure I’m buying.

3.06 Red Sky at Morning

[TO BELA] Well, sweetheart, I don’t need your kind of help.

3.07 Fresh Blood

[TO FEMALE CHARACTER] Well, I hate to tell you this, sweetheart, but your blood’s never pumping again.

3.11 Mystery Spot

[TO FEMALE SERVER] ‘Scuse me, sweetheart? Can I get sausage instead of bacon?

3.12 Jus in Bello

[TO BELA] Oh, I’ll find you, sweetheart. You know why? Because I have absolutely nothing better to do than to track…

3.15 Time Is on My Side

[TO BELA] Sweetheart, we are weeks past help.

SEASON FOUR

4.01 Lazarus Rising ❤️

[DEAN approaches the IMPALA, runs a hand along it] Hey, sweetheart, did you miss me?

SEASON FIVE

5.09 The Real Ghostbusters

[FEMALE CHARACTER walks into the room nervously] I don’t wanna do this.

[DEAN leans around the corner] I’m right here sweetheart, I’ve got your back. Trust me, this is going to work. [he then pulls back so he can’t be seen grimacing]

5.11 Sam, Interrupted

[FEMALE CHARACTER walks in their direction]

[DEAN spots her] Oh, no, no, no. Not today, sweetheart. Come on, keep walking…

5.12 Swap Meat

FEMALE SERVER: Here you go, guys.

DEAN: You know, do me a favor, sweetheart. Would you bring me a cheeseburger with extra bacon? And fry an egg on top of it, would you?

SEASON SEVEN  

7.17 The Born-Again Identity

MEG: That hurts my feelings. I’ve been good to you, Dean.

DEAN: No, you’ve been good to you, sweetheart.

SEASON EIGHT

8.08 Hunteri Heroici

FEMALE CAREGIVER: You’re not supposed to be here.

DEAN: Well, trust me, sweetheart, you got bigger fish.

SEASON TEN

10.02 Reichenbach

[FEMALE DANCER is disgusted; she moves to leave]  And we’re done.

[DEAN grabs at her] Hey, hey, hey. Song’s not over, sweetheart.

SEASON TWELVE

12.17 The British Invasion ❤️

[DEAN looks down sight of newly-returned Colt] Welcome back, sweetheart.

SEASON THIRTEEN

13.16 - Scoobynatural ❤️

[DEAN prepares to swing sledgehammer at enchanted TV] Sorry, sweetheart.

.

SEASON FIFTEEN

15.10 - The Heroes' Journey ❤️

[DEAN grabs the grenade launcher] Hey, sweetheart.

Analysis

Of 15 seasons and 320 total episodes aired as of this writing, "sweetheart" appears in [*adult] Dean's dialogue 20 times in 19 episodes. So, 19 is 5.9375% of 320. That's not even one quarter.

He just doesn’t use the word often, folks.

[Note: to get a precise percentage of its appearance in his actual dialogue, you’d need to count every single word the man has spoken - I’d think taking out “a”, “and”, “the”, and “I” would be acceptable - and good luck, there. I ain’t your girl. Another possibility would be to compare “sweetheart” to other nicknames he’s given people - again, knock yourself out. This is just to illustrate its appearances across seasons. A tangential comparison? Take your number of fics involving Dean - i.e., your # of episodes - count the “sweethearts”, and do your percentage.]

Of the 20 usages, 4 are of a clearly affectionate nature: once to Baby the Impala, once to the Colt, once to the enchanted television, once to the grenade launcher.

The remaining uses - all directed at female characters - are of a false comfort, patronizing, and/or manipulative nature, because a portion of Dean’s persona is that of an irredeemable asshole. The character is greater than the sum of his parts, true - but that is an undeniable part.

Thus, this does not seem to be a substitute name Dean Winchester bestows upon persons of a beloved nature. It is scantly, possibly endearing - albeit patronizing - when he’s used it as a substitute name for waitresses.

Visual Aids

[Note: Someone jokingly asked for a pie chart last time - ‘cause hello, what’s a Dean topic without PIE! - and I did them and they were silly. Here’s the replacement, which IMO is an improvement and completely scientifically accurate, I’m sure you’ll agree]

Wrap Up

Could there be any exceptions?

Sure. If he's Demon!Dean and it's not romantic and is a pure smutty hate f*ck - in that instance, the data would most assuredly support the author’s choice.

Also supportable would be complete off-the-rails AU fics [as in: Dean's not a hunter, he's a mechanic from Regular Town, USA] because in those cases, no one expects him to be canon-friendly.

Here, have a cheat sheet:

.

And what’s my personal opinion?

Dean doesn’t call people of significance by that endearment in a heartfelt manner, reserving it solely for inanimate objects (Baby, the Colt, the TV, and the grenade launcher), because they pose no threat of rejecting him. So... maybe it actually does mean something loving and sentimental to him. Maybe that’s why he hasn’t used it on someone he’s crazy about.... has he met that person yet? Again, maybe. Are the writers doing this purposefully? Is Jensen maybe slipping a handful of ‘em in, as well? Ya got me.

In any event, there’s the obvious: They’re all objects to him, useful for specific tasks regarding things he needs/wants - food, beer, sex, baiting a ghost, mindless entertainment - or they’re an adversary who is standing between him and something he needs/wants. Either way, all ultimately disposable. That ain’t sweet, nor does it have heart.

Bottom line

If you are professing that your story is canon?

Stop. Having. Dean. Call. You. Sweetheart.

You, your O.C., the friend you're writing into a fic so they can get boned by Dean, any other character you're having Dean bang-a-rang... if they don't go VROOOOM or go BOOM or go ZOOM, it's an inappropriate nickname.

Hypothesis on overall reception by SPN fanfiction authors, specifically those writing Dean in sexual/romantic encounters?

Utter rejection.

* Final Note: there is Teenage Dean usage of a snot-faced “sweetheart” that further supports the hypothesis, however it has been excluded due to age - as the topic is Dean in romantic/sexual fanfics - and due to the fact this was already a slam-dunk case. 

Astute data-crunching followers have also pointed out the use of “sweetheart” by one John Winchester in a patronizing manner towards a female vampire. 

The original data crunch - linked at top - also noted the use of an affectionate “sweetheart” by one Mary Winchester, which was directed towards Baby. 

Sam is not covered here because I don’t care about him.

I’m kidding. To not care would be something, and I nothing Sam.

I’m kidding. 

See? He gets me. 

(Sources: Available SPN Wiki transcripts)

ETA: More sweetheart talk via “Dear Nash” HERE and HERE

ETA #2 [Feb. 2018]: Nash’s breakdown of how to assess & choose a NON-sweetheart endearment specifically for “Dean In Love” situations is HERE  

.

* Up to date as of July 2020 *

[fyeahtaskmaster]

Taskmaster: The Aspie Coded mercenary

There is little autism representation in media, the representation that does exist generally is the form of the young pre-teen white boy who is (selective-)mute which has been the image people think of when they hear the word autism. However like many things autism isn't that clear cut, it exists on a spectrum, it has no age where it disappears, it exists in people of all genders and all races. Many typical autistic behavioral characteristics are considered interesting character traits for stories, it's when a character ticks a lot of the boxes that you can really say a character is autism coded. Now often when people headcanon characters they recognized themselves in as autistic it gets backlash. So if you refuse to see Taskmaster as anything other than a gifted neurotypical this is your right of course, but if you are open to look a little deeper keep on reading.

The Chameleon

Anyone who has seen anything Taskmaster related knows he copies moves, the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon appropriately dubbed him a combat chameleon. However few media shows he copies much more than that, the smallest details of mannerisms,  the voice, and indeed the techniques.

Observing and analyzing

Whenever Taskmaster gets introduced he is mostly seen observing from a distance; often through a sniper rifle scope, sometimes observing (live or stock) footage, watching from the sidelines. In short he mostly doesn't engage a character he has no info on. The data he gathered from observing then gets analyzed, broken down in formal rules, guidelines for patterns to be used to predict certain course of actions or to teach them.

Sure, it is in part about his powers, but canon states Tony does it for more than just that, when we look at the behavior in Autistic spectrum people who try to stay off the radar they put much effort in “being normal”, playing a part they studied in through observing people, watching fiction and nonfiction on TV, and reading books about the subject so they can link words to the feelings and such they are trying to understand. Many people with Asperger syndrome (aspies) end up studying psychology, religion and/or philosophy as a hobby or career because they want to understand how people work, trying to find logic in human behavior. Aspies (most commonly the female ones) who want to stay under the radar tend to stay on the sidelines at first observing and analyzing, learning body language and what is “popular” what will make them friends and they will often link certain gestures to what they want to convey, but when observed for a while it can stand out that the gesture often stays identically the same no matter the setting, it lacks the organic feel it would have with a neurotypical person. Tony does this as well for social interactions. For example he states he watched a ton of Romcoms to try and understand relationships.

Some Aspies are extremely successful in mimicking the social interactions and setting guidelines and rules to follow in situations, that it makes their social issues go unnoticed unless there are severe conflicts due to unpredictability. Coming into contact with an illogical or completely different or unexpected scenario can for some Aspies lead to an overload, which can be recognized by turning inside or lashing out. In one instance it is trying to withdraw from the unpredictable impulses the lashing out is due to anger being a secondary emotion, meaning it's a mask for fear, confusion or even other emotions.

It is also worth noting that Tony’s masks canon have lenses that not only help him by analyzing and recording stuff, but that all his masks offer him a filter between sound, light and smells (his stylized mask canon has a gas mask built in), on top of this Tony always tends to wear a hood that throws a shadow over his face, again limiting the sensory input. 

Mimicking 

Of course analysing and observing on their own means nothing if not used in practise as well. Everything Taskmaster sees done he can do. Above that he can even improve on it due to analysing and combining things he has learned. This applies to languages, voices, movements, mannerisms, speech patterns, etc… Something that happens for a lot of Aspies is that for example no matter where in the world they are from will speak english with an American accent because they learn by hearing english through television/games/radio. A lot of Aspies also are very talented at doing voices and imitating people. Tony is canon able to not only copy voices so well that they fool voice recognition software, he’s also known to speak most commonly used languages and dialects, being able to fake his accents and voice tones to a point where he can pass as a native.

Identity, emotions and attitude

The Ego

Tony himself is seen often as cocky, yet careful. He is extremely aware of the many uses of his powers and his intellect and prides himself and being able to do pretty much anything short of super powers, showing in the smug claim “Anything you can do, I can do better.”  Thus he clearly thinks himself superior to many others. He radiates confidence and power in most his appearances, he tends to lead and only follow when the act is a means to his personal ends; be it money, intelligence, or simply getting his record cleared. Tony is also seen adjusting his identity based on what he believes others want, be it losing his Bronx accent that was him holding onto his roots, disguised appearances that are considered professional, or the masks he refuses to take of (exclude Siren and the Taskmaster vol 2 retcon comics for this). A lot of Aspies create an ego around other people, for Tony this ego is Taskmaster, often they will hate who they really are (due to considering themselves broken for example) and will try and function as the ego until they can't handle it anymore and they crack. Or they will simply lose sight of their own identity and feel lost.

Tony is canon rather paranoid, shows in his refusal to unmask for pretty much anything and anyone (Wade Wilson canon the only one confirmed to have knowingly seen his real face and lived). He doesn't trust anyone or anything, he always has at least one or two back-up plans or get-aways.

He refuses to walk in a job he doesn’t have all the details about, a job where he can’t be properly prepared. It is rare for him to take a job from someone he hasn’t worked with before or hasn’t been sent to him by a client he trusts, because he wants to make sure he doesn’t get set-up.

Disclaimer around the unmasking: The only canon shows of Tony’s face was Siren from the attempt to unite Malibu comics with Marvel when Marvel bought them up and The Taskmaster Volume 2 retcon from 2010, but since only the amnesia part of the retcon seems to have made it in the 616 canon and the Siren series ends with Taskmaster getting stuck in an inter-dimensional portal before magically reappearing without any info on how he got back home only to state later that he was in the DC verse for the crossover that happens seven years later. Every other time we see Tony “unmasked” like in the Udon collaboration comics Taskmaster Volume 1 and Agent X, every unmasked view of him was a hologram mask while genuinely unmasked Tony always appears seen from the back without his head in the frame or only a dark shadowed outline.

Emotional and mental health

If we look at emotional health we often also need to consider the support network, what is common with Aspies as that they put all their focus on a limited group of people, usually family, younger or older people, but rarely peers. Due to their problems with social interaction they often don’t make friends easily, keeping made friends proves to be extremely challenging as well. A very common consequence of this is the following; “Most persons with AS want to be social, but fail to socialize successfully, which can lead to later withdrawal and asocial behavior, especially in adolescence.” - Attwood, Tony (2007). The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome. Taskmaster canon has one recurring “friend”, this being Deadpool, their friendship seems to exist of them hiring each other for jobs, occasionally offering to help the other out for free, and trusting each other with some secrets (Wade went to Tony for help in working without his healing factor, Tony has unmasked around Wade). Outside of this Outlaw, Constrictor, Agent X, and Sandi have referred to Tony as a friend in some way or another, but these contacts are usually brief, and they tend to fall out of view. Tony has also been seen with Bullseye in bar cameos and such in several occasions. One thing all these have in common is that all these friendships are work related. Tony finds being a mercenary trilling, fulfilling and more rewarding than family or friends. He sees relationships as a liability a weakness they can use against him.

Tony does have short contacts of romantic nature with people from time to time and he often seems to befriend outcasts and weaker people. Even though he is a mercenary, a killer, and thus a criminal he does display a strong sense of justice. His only canon free jobs (or offers) were; taking out an abusive boyfriend, offering to help Wade with dealing with Black Swan to give him a shot to survive. On Top of that he purposely let a young hero reject beat him to give him a confidence boost after he noticed how depressed the kid got due to his rejection and he made sure Wade didn’t plan to get rid of a woman and her kids when he approached the bound people with a knife after having used them as a distraction to spring Tony from captivity.

Outside of lacking a decent support network Tony has been seen to struggle with emotions, usually not really showing much to any emotion, but when he does show emotion it was extreme burst, one example there is for example the first meeting with Wade and the breakdown that followed after the unpredictable defeat, an other example is his anger outbursts towards Agent X due to not knowing how to deal with the amnesiac new comer and the anger outbursts whenever he saw Sandi who was a love interest with other men. These short but intense outbursts of emotions are often referred to as Catastrophizing emotions, these emotional reactions are often of a short duration due to it burning out quickly.

Tony is paranoid, pretty much constantly worrying and calculating for everything that might possibly go wrong, trying to anticipate and avoid surprises, trying to avoid breaking away from the routine they have set for themselves, the rituals they keep. This once again is a pretty common thing among Aspies, anxiety and depression are very often seen here, the anxiety due to constantly trying to think of every possible outcome and usually ending up with often rather impossible worst case scenarios and the depression due to the feeling broken and outcast-ed due to the issues with social interaction. A big support and hold on that people with ASD tend to have is their special interest, some special interests are from short duration but can be very obsessive, for example getting into a certain band and getting all their stuff.

Others can be for a very long duration, being a support or a life long obsession that might fade in the background and resurface later. One of Tony’s mentioned briefly, but clearly specified as surprisingly thorough was the Spice Girls. However, Taskmaster’s very first appearance already pointed out a Special interest Tony had from a very young age, starting with watching documentaries and shows on TV of the inspiration to pretty much any hero in the marvel verse: Captain America. This had quickly broadened to all heroes and anti-heroes. This obviously shows in how he fights in the issues, many displaying it by overlaying the appearances of the heroes he is copying at that point for example, but it also shows in the fact that Tony has shirts for a lot of heroes and anti-heroes to wear when he’s teaching or using their style against someone. 

TL:DR Taskmaster ticks of a butt load of Asperger Syndrome traits, pretty much all of the obvious ones that most specialists look for. Worrying, obsessions, mimicking, people watching, troubles with social contact and a high level of intellect.

Autism related sources

Wikipedia: Sociological and cultural aspects of autism Wikipedia: Asperger Syndrome Doctor Tony Attwood

and others I am too lazy to look back up

[thepreschooltips]

Tips to make your toddler preschool ready?

Preschoolers learn “pre-skills,” which lay the groundwork for the future. Through their playing, singing and learning, preschoolers gain skills that ultimately help them learn to read, write, build their math and science skills, and become successful students. Preschoolers also learn “school readiness” skills, which help them understand the routines of school, how to work in groups, and how to be students.

Preschool classrooms are often organized by centers or areas that are divided by different subjects and types of play. For example, a typical preschool classroom may have the following centers: reading, arts and crafts, water/sand table, building and math toys, and an area for pretend play. The school day is structured with both time for free play, during which children can choose which centers to play in, as well as structured scheduled devoted to each subject.

Though it may seem like it, preschool is not all fun and games. In fact, preschoolers learn through the fun and games! Research has shown that the development of early literacy and math skills in preschool is associated with future school achievement in both mathematics and literacy. Preschoolers are very enthusiastic about exploring the math and science concepts described below and these positive attitudes can also greatly contribute to their future success in school. In addition, as preschoolers move through their classrooms and manipulate toys, puzzles and shapes, they develop important cognitive skills.

Dinosaur Activities For Preschoolers Science http://www.preschoolalley.com/top-5-dinosaur-activities-for-preschoolers-science

Reading in Preschool

Preschoolers develop their literacy skills throughout the day, not only during the scheduled “reading” time. Teachers use read-alouds as well as poems, songs, and rhymes to teach topics across all subjects, and classrooms are filled with signs and labeled objects which help kids make connections between objects and words, and words and letters.

In order to build reading skills, your preschooler:

• Recites rhymes, songs, and poems. • Is surrounded by words and labeled objects in his classroom. • Begins to recognize letters and their sounds. • Reads, listens to, and talks about books. Reading Activities • Make Character Puppets: Create sock or brown paper bag puppets of your child’s favorite characters in books you read together. Use the puppets to act out the stories with your child. • Make Up Stories: Tell your child stories about your childhood and make up stories together. • Use a Computer: Identify and type out letters, names, and words. • Make Letter Cookies: Roll out cookie dough into letters. You can also spell out your child’s name (and other words) with it. • Rhyme Time: Play a game in which you take turns saying words (both real and silly), thinking of as many rhymes for a set as possible.

toddler speech delay exercises http://www.preschoolalley.com/toddler-speech-delay-exercises-tried-and-tested-tips-for-late-talkers

Writing in Preschool

Many of preschoolers’ early writing skills are developed through the various arts and crafts projects they do throughout the day.  As preschoolers paint, draw, cut, stick, and glue, they build strength in their hands and develop their fine motor skills, gaining the strength and skills required to hold and use pens and pencils. And, of course, the reading that your preschooler does is directly connected to developing her writing and literacy skills.

In order to build writing skills, your preschooler:

• Draws, paints, cuts, and glues, developing fine motor skills. • Practices writing letters and names. Writing Activities • Practice Writing Your Child’s Name in Creative Ways: Use sidewalk chalk, paints, a stick in the dirt, or write on a steamy window. • Arts and Crafts: The more your child draws, glues and paints, the stronger his hands will be. Preschoolers love to glue and cut anything from googly eyes and shapes to pictures from magazines. • Write Letters and Cards: Your child can help you write a letter or card to someone. She can decorate it and help you decide what to write. She can even hold your hand as you write some of the words (particularly, her name) or add her own “note” or picture to a card you write. • Cut things!: Guide your child in cutting out different shapes from paper, felt or another materiel. He can also cut objects such as plastic straws or lines on wrapping paper. The cutting doesn’t have to be perfect — it’s just exercise for his hand!

Math in Preschool

Daily preschool math activities include learning numbers, practicing counting, creating and learning shapes, and working with calendars. In addition, playing with puzzles, building toys, blocks, and games helps preschoolers practice and build math skills as they count, manipulate objects, and work with different shapes, spaces, and sizes.

In order to build math skills, your preschooler: • Counts. • Learns what a number is. • Learns about, finds, and forms shapes and patterns. • Measures. • Sorts, categorizes and compares objects. Math Activities • Count in a Fun and Active Way: Count steps as you climb them, count as your child jumps, or count objects as you buy them in a store. • Play with Shapes and Patterns: Use blocks, straws, sticks, and other objects to make shapes and create patterns. • Sorting Races: Ask kids to sort different shapes and colors as fast as they can. • I Spy:  Play “I Spy” with shapes and colors. For example say “I spy a circle,” or “I spy something red.” • Shape Collages: Make collages or books of objects that are different shapes and colors. • Number Books: Make your own counting book. Each page can have a number and that quantity of objects. Use drawings, photographs, magazine clippings, or actual objects (buttons, small toys, etc.). • Play with Your Food!: Make different shapes out of food such as sandwiches, cut up vegetables, noodles, and pizza dough. Alternatively, cut pizza dough or tortillas into different shapes of pizza.

Engineering Toys for 3 Year Olds http://www.preschoolalley.com/how-to-choose-engineering-toys-for-3-year-olds

Science in Preschool

Very often, teachers will teach specific science lessons once to a few a times a week. During this time, the class will learn about a certain topic (for example, water, weather, animals, plants, and nature) through the use of books, demonstrations with actual objects, explorations outside, or interactive activities. In addition, preschoolers are natural scientists as they play and explore the world around them with their curious minds. They constantly experiment and learn as they play outside, explore natural objects, and play with toys such as clay, sand boxes, and water tables.

In order to build science skills, your preschooler: • Is a natural born scientist, constantly exploring, observing, questioning and experimenting as she plays and interacts with her surroundings. • Sorts and organizes. • Interacts with and learns about nature. Science Activities • Go Outside: Draw, write about or take pictures of plants, insects, animals and nature. • Cook: Mixing, measuring, and cooking all introduce your preschooler to scientific concepts and skills. Talk about what happens when things get hot, cold, or mix together and which measurements are more or less. • Garden: Growing plants teaches preschoolers the basics of how plants grow and what they need to thrive. • “Study” Your Pets: Talk to your preschooler about the scientific part of your pet — its body, how it grows, its habitat, and what it needs to live.

STEM Toys For 2 Year Olds http://www.preschoolalley.com/choosing-the-best-stem-toys-for-2-year-olds

Social Studies in Preschool

Social studies learning in a preschool classroom occurs throughout the day, beginning with a class meeting (often called "morning meeting" or "circle time") at the start of the day. During this time, many classes review the calendar and the weather as well as any other “class news” for the day. Students may also share their own news during this time. Social studies continues throughout the day as preschoolers interact with each other, learning to share, take turns, and how to work together, Through these interactions they build their social skills and learn how to be successful students.

In order to build social studies, skills your preschooler: • Works in groups, sharing and taking turns. • Cleans up and helps organize the classroom. • Practices manners during meal and snack time. • Develops conflict resolution skills. • Develops communication and conversation skills. • Learns about the community and the calendar. Social Studies Activities • Explore Your Community: Visit and explain what happens and who works at local businesses. Let your child help pay in a store or take out a book from the library. Visit special places like the police and fire stations. Take pictures of these visits and write about them together. • Mind Your Manners: Practice manners such as saying “thank you” and “please” during meal times. • Talk about Your Day: Share moments from your day with your child and ask her to do the same. When something very interesting or exciting happens, take a picture of the moment or ask your child to draw a picture of it, then decide together what you can write to describe it. • Clean Up Toys Together: Make clean-up time fun, asking kids to find like objects, put back toys as quickly as possible, or put away toys that are a certain color or shape.

[go-redgirl]

Comey's book tour is a colossal mistake By James Gagliano, opinion contributor — 04/01/18 09:00 AM EDT 2,511 The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill

Announcements of scheduled appearances for the widely anticipated $850-to-attend book tour by fired FBI Director James ComeyJames Brien ComeyPassing law to prevent Trump from firing Mueller would be terrible ideaFBI report used in McCabe firing shows discrepancy with public statements: CNNConservatives fume after Sessions declines to appoint new special counselMORE foreshadow a much-ballyhooed return to the public square. Media outlets eagerly booked the former director, and his opus, “A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership,” briefly jumped to No. 1 on Amazon’s best-seller list.

But should Comey — a central witness in special counsel Robert MuellerRobert Swan MuellerSasse: US should applaud choice of Mueller to lead Russia probeMORE probe — be making public his version of events which will certainly differ significantly with what President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump dined with Hannity at Mar-a-Lago: reportFEC filings show Trump campaign regularly used Amazon for suppliesUS, South Korea kick off joint military exercises after hiatusMORE, the central target in the special prosecutor’s probe, has repeatedly stated?

Comey was humiliatingly removed by the president last May and enjoyed a brief period of bipartisan sympathy for the disgraceful manner in which he was dispatched. The FBI’s seventh director learned of his termination via televised news reports while appearing before an FBI audience in Los Angeles. This is not the manner with which career public servants should ever be separated from service. Yet, with the current president, it has become de rigueur.

Initially taking the high road, remaining silent, professional and above the fray, Comey has now resorted to directly confronting the president at his own game. He shed his original anonymous Twitter nom de plume, “Reinhold Niebuhr,” and directly waded in to criticize and taunt his tormentor. In the immediate wake of FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabeAndrew George McCabeTrump, Sessions relationship takes new turn with special counsel decisionFBI report used in McCabe firing shows discrepancy with public statements: CNNConservatives fume after Sessions declines to appoint new special counselMORE’s firing and Trump’s Twitter gloating, Comey ominously warned, “Mr. President, the American people will hear my story very soon. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not.”

And, just like that, Comey conceded the tiny sliver of moral high ground he precariously clung to and reduced his position as an advocate of the pursuit of facts into a narcissistic quest to sell books. He unwittingly joined Trump in the pig-wallow that currently serves as civil discourse.

He continues to diminish himself and the cherished office he once held.

It didn’t have to be this way.

Comey was appointed to be FBI director by former President Obama in September 2013. He was quite unlike his predecessors; he enjoyed a cult of personality that resulted in numerous FBI professional support employees — even some agents — donning “Comey is my Homie” T-shirts after his humiliating firing by Trump last May. The tears shed following his public scourging were real. I was one of the forlorn, feeling in the immediate aftermath that a good man had been done wrong.

Yet, recent revelations of his questionable decisionmaking and lack of courage in failing to stand up to Loretta Lynch, Obama’s politicized attorney general, and the current president, have changed the views of many of us who carry (or once carried) the shield and credentials of FBI special agents.

We base this assessment on a number of impossible-to-defend actions and inactions by Comey.

Former U.S. Attorney Joseph diGenova, laid out a strong case that Comey contributed to the disgraceful politicization of the FBI — which, in part, led to his dismissal — via stupefying decisions in the Clinton emails and Trump-Russia collusion cases. The former chief prosecutor’s adapted remarks, delivered in a speech in January at Hillsdale College’s Allan P. Kirby Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship, can be found in the February 28 edition of Imprimis in a piece titled, "The Politicization of the FBI."

Comey is certainly viewed as a polarizing figure by many Americans. Part of what makes him such an enigma to those of us who served under him was that he could appear so courageous and, yet, so self-admittedly cowardly.

His speech at Georgetown University in February 2015, “Hard Truths: Law Enforcement and Race,” was an unprecedented acknowledgement by an FBI director that, at times, people of color don’t receive equal treatment under the law. It was a seminal moment in the lagging effort to achieve a police partnership with inner-city communities by honestly engaging and speaking truth to power. It was a brave speech — in my estimation, the high-water mark of his directorship.

But the sober, courageous director who gave those remarks exited the stage long ago, replaced by a character on Twitter. Emboldened by the left’s new adoption of him as a victim/messiah, he has shed any pretense of professional stoicism and seemingly cares little that self-indulgently discussing his interactions with the president now, before the probe concludes, may deleteriously alter the outcome.

Then again, recall his less-than-honorable leaking of his memos, through a surrogate, to The New York Times. His explanation, that he hoped it would trigger the appointment of a special prosecutor, was a clear abdication of responsibility. His nine encounters with the president left him admittedly “uneasy.” And, as he shamefully recounted to Sen. Dianne FeinsteinDianne Emiel Feinstein Biden endorses Feinstein's reelection bid: 'She’s tenacious. She’s accomplished'Senate panel requests info on Trump aides for Russia probeDems to top DOJ officials: Publicly promise not to interfere in Mueller's probeMORE (D-Calif.) during a Senate Intelligence Committee Hearing last June, “maybe other people would be stronger in that circumstance but that — that was — that’s how I conducted myself.”

In failing to challenge the president, one only needs to recall Comey’s failure to also push back on the aforementioned Lynch, in order to establish a sad pattern of behavior. Lynch added to the undeniable politicization of the Department of Justice by outrageously suggesting that the FBI refer to the Clinton investigation as a “matter.” This was language repeatedly utilized by the Clinton campaign to dismiss a federal investigation as “much ado about nothing.” Comey testified that Lynch’s directive left him feeling “queasy.” But, instead of appropriately pushing back on the attorney general, he somehow felt the issue wasn’t “a hill worth dying on.” 

Many inside and outside of the FBI disagree.

While these revelations are supremely disappointing, it is his current vainglorious effort to “set the record straight” amid the hugely consequential Russia probe that seems so reckless, foolhardy and self-serving. It appears to add credence to the president’s charge that Comey is, first and foremost, a grandstander.

Comey’s book tour may indeed settle an old score. But it will undoubtedly diminish what’s left of his once-bulletproof reputation and expose to further, irreparable harm the agency he once professed to so deeply love.

James A. Gagliano is a CNN law enforcement analyst and retired FBI supervisory special agent. He also serves as an adjunct assistant professor at St. John's University and is a leadership consultant at the Thayer Leader Development Group (TLDG) at his alma mater, the United States Military Academy at West Point. Follow him on Twitter @JamesAGagliano.

Tags Dianne Feinstein Robert Mueller Andrew McCabe Donald Trump James Comey FBI United States federal executive departments United States Dismissal of United States Attorneys controversy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Federal Bureau Off Investigation