#i self police my food with zero expectations that other people are responsible for my allergies

[1zashreena1]

People without food allergies really don't get it huh

[quirkycombatants]

Look at the way the narcissist treats others. If the narcissist lies, manipulates, hurts, and disrespects others, he or she will eventually treat you the same way. Don’t fall for the fantasy that you’re different and will be spared.

Okay so since I wrote about Mineta being written as being like, completely unwell, let’s talk about Bakugou. Now, I should preface this by saying that I actually like Bakugou being a character; I like the idea of him having slow burn growth and actually developing and being a good contrast to Izuku. That said, I don’t think that the writer realizes that what he’s writing is a complete and total narcissist. 

Now I should point out as well that part of the problem is that we’re meant to empathize with Bakugou, and that’s very hard because he’s not exactly a sympathetic character. You can root for him, but you can root for Endeavor too, and they share a lot of characteristics. 

But a major problem is that he’s narcissistic to the point of it being extremely unhealthy; he divides everyone and everything in his life into winners and losers, and if you’re not winning, then you’re losing. He plays a zero-sum game with everything and everyone. He treats everyone around him as being things to benefit himself, to the point that his great development in the first year class battle was that he could use other people to enhance himself. That’s not so much a character development as it is the understanding that self enrichment is better when you use other people to do it. 

Speaking of which, the fact that he continually berates and degrades everyone around him, including people who are supposed to be his friends, is a bit of a problem. It’s worse when he continues to do it even when they object to it or it makes them unhappy. He shows so little regard for their feelings or their needs, that it almost reaches the point of parody. Hell, he didn’t both to learn their names, because that would require him to see other people as people, and it’s clear Bakugou sees other people entirely through the lens of how they benefit or restrict him. 

All of his vulnerable moments are also in relation to himself; when he’s captured in the beginning, he’s upset that he’s being saved by someone he considers subhuman. When he’s upset about All Might losing his quirk, he’s upset that he’s the one that did it, rather than the great loss the world has now suffered. It’s like if you burned the Mona Lisa and then thought the worst thing about it was how much it impacted you. 

But that’s relatively small potatoes to the fact that he seems entirely against the idea of other people being happy. Example, when everyone else is enjoying themselves in a snowball fight, Bakugou’s first reaction is to pelt Deku with a snowball covered in ice, despite knowing that this would hurt, and that it’s a dick thing to do. It’s a lot like a cat when people aren’t paying attention to it; it’s first reaction is to cause a problem to focus attention back on it. It’s not just that no one is paying attention to them, it’s that they’re having fun, and if they’re not the one having fun, then no one else should be either. The inability to just let other people be is a real problem. It’s also a problem that they are still bullying Izuku, someone who he routinely bullied his entire life, but that’s a whole other kettle of fish. 

But I feel like the single most problematic issue with Bakugou is his idea of what makes a hero. When he’s captured by the league of villains, his response to them as to why he won’t join is that All Might always wins. Thus, his idea of a hero is someone who wins. Not a good person, not someone who helps others, not someone who does the right thing; a hero in his mind is someone who wins. And ‘winning’ means violently defeating your enemy with overwhelming force. 

To put it another way, Bakugou is like a cop that joined the police force for the sake of being able to lord power over other people. 

Made worse, is that there’s no tragic backstory to explain this. He himself admitted that he got a quirk, he realized he was naturally better than other people, and then came to the conclusion that this meant that he should be allowed to do whatever he wanted. That rules and conventions didn’t apply. The strong do what they want and the weak suffer what they must. It was entirely find to beat up Izuku, because Izuku was weaker than he was; it was entirely fine to do whatever he wanted to people who were beneath him. 

This is not behavior that you would tolerate from anyone in any industry. You would not pair that guy up with explosives and put that guy in a position of power, because people who see themselves as the arbiters of what is and is not right get out of control very quickly. 

So when the public goes ‘yeah isn’t he sorta acting like a villain’ we’re supposed to think that they’re out of bounds, but they’re right. If it wasn’t for All Might existing, there’s no reason to believe that he wouldn’t have been a villain. At present, there’s little separating him from Endeavor, other than Endeavor treats his employees better than Bakugou treats his friends. 

Now this isn’t to say that he hasn’t improved or grown as a character. He has. In fact, he’s grown beyond the point where he tried to murder Izuku during the first time they fought. How no one, no one, at this school looked at that behavior and went ‘this is clearly someone who is unstable and unwell, we should probably get this guy a councilor’ is beyond me. There’s being abrasive, there’s being abusive, and there’s being unstable. If anyone acted like that in any school, you can be certain the police would probably be involved at that point. 

And again, I actually like having him around as someone who can force other people to engage in character development. I like having him as a contrast. But he’s not actually developed that much. Instead, he’s the same narcissist as ever, to the point where the idea that anyone, anyone, might know something he doesn’t makes him irate and actively aggressive. The idea that he’s not always on top makes him violent. That’s really bad behavior for anyone, but especially a child. 

And I’m not taking the tact that it’s his fault. In my eyes, he’s immensely unwell. Just look at the traits common with Narcisistic Personality Disorder: 

Grandiose sense of self-importance

Grandiosity is the defining characteristic of narcissism. More than just arrogance or vanity, grandiosity is an unrealistic sense of superiority. Narcissists believe they are unique or “special” and can only be understood by other special people. What’s more, they are too good for anything average or ordinary. They only want to associate and be associated with other high-status people, places, and things.Narcissists also believe that they’re better than everyone else and expect recognition as such—even when they’ve done nothing to earn it. They will often exaggerate or outright lie about their achievements and talents. And when they talk about work or relationships, all you’ll hear is how much they contribute, how great they are, and how lucky the people in their lives are to have them. They are the undisputed star and everyone else is at best a bit player.

Needs constant praise and admiration

A narcissist’s sense of superiority is like a balloon that gradually loses air without a steady stream of applause and recognition to keep it inflated. The occasional compliment is not enough. Narcissists need constant food for their ego, so they surround themselves with people who are willing to cater to their obsessive craving for affirmation. These relationships are very one-sided. It’s all about what the admirer can do for the narcissist, never the other way around. And if there is ever an interruption or diminishment in the admirer’s attention and praise, the narcissist treats it as a betrayal.

A sense of entitlement

Because they consider themselves special, narcissists expect favorable treatment as their due. They truly believe that whatever they want, they should get. They also expect the people around them to automatically comply with their every wish and whim. That is their only value. If you don’t anticipate and meet their every need, then you’re useless. And if you have the nerve to defy their will or “selfishly” ask for something in return, prepare yourself for aggression, outrage, or the cold shoulder.

Exploits others without guilt or shame

Narcissists never develop the ability to identify with the feelings of others—to put themselves in other people’s shoes. In other words, they lack empathy. In many ways, they view the people in their lives as objects—there to serve their needs. As a consequence, they don’t think twice about taking advantage of others to achieve their own ends. Sometimes this interpersonal exploitation is malicious, but often it is simply oblivious. Narcissists simply don’t think about how their behavior affects others. And if you point it out, they still won’t truly get it. The only thing they understand is their own needs.

Frequently demeans, intimidates, bullies, or belittles others

Narcissists feel threatened whenever they encounter someone who appears to have something they lack—especially those who are confident and popular. They’re also threatened by people who don’t kowtow to them or who challenge them in any way. Their defense mechanism is contempt. The only way to neutralize the threat and prop up their own sagging ego is to put those people down. They may do it in a patronizing or dismissive way as if to demonstrate how little the other person means to them. Or they may go on the attack with insults, name-calling, bullying, and threats to force the other person back into line.

And, when dealing with others:

Your needs won’t be fulfilled (or even recognized).

It’s important to remember that narcissists aren’t looking for partners; they’re looking for obedient admirers. Your sole value to the narcissist is as someone who can tell them how great they are to prop up their insatiable ego. Your desires and feelings don’t count.

Look at the way the narcissist treats others. 

If the narcissist lies, manipulates, hurts, and disrespects others, he or she will eventually treat you the same way. Don’t fall for the fantasy that you’re different and will be spared.

It’s important to see the narcissist in your life for who they really are, not who you want them to be. 

Stop making excuses for bad behavior or minimizing the hurt it’s causing you. Denial will not make it go away. The reality is that narcissists are very resistant to change, so the true question you must ask yourself is whether you can live like this indefinitely.

Let’s not beat around the bush, we can all visualize moments where Bakugou has demonstrated all of these behaviors, often repeatedly. 

I like to think that he recognizes this, because he is trying to develop. He is trying to be better, supposedly. And that’s a good thing! that’s what makes him an interesting character. But as someone who lived with someone with NPD, who was abused by such a person, Bakugou has all the same signs. That’s not to say that he can’t overcome this. But it also requires a real examination of the fact that, at present, Bakugou is not someone who demonstrates any kind of healthy relationships with anyone. The guy is antagonistic and violent and abusive towards everyone and everything, to an extreme, unhealthy degree. 

My hope of course, is that the thing he’ll learn that he’s missing from Endeavor is either humility or empathy, because without those, he’s basically an abuser who uses his strength to avoid repercussions from others. It’s honestly amazing to me that his aggressiveness isn’t made a bigger deal of by his classmates, because that sort of person is hard to be around, and people tend to avoid provoking or rocking the boat around such a person to avoid their scorn and hostility. The fact that his default mode of interaction towards people is to browbeat them with whatever he thinks make them feel insecure about themselves is pretty much NPD in a nutshell. He’ll laugh at other people, but no one is allowed to make jokes about him. 

Honestly, the best result would be for him to realize just how unhealthy his approach is, and change for the better. But at the same time, it would be good if the characters, and we as a fandom, realized what he is and what he suffers from, and how to deal with it. 

In an ideal world, it would be good for him to realize that his way of dealing with others is very, very fucked up. Because at present, he doesn’t.

[the-uptake]

Abdications of Flesh

The Uptake, With Symbiotic Self-Indulgence. Book III, Chapter 1. Chapter 2 MIA; go to next available chapter.

TW: Drug culture, police brutality, dysmorphia

Disconnection became the peristaltic pulse of Tri-City in the wake of the permanent quarantine. The ghosts of the Stalkers’ Quarter reached out and up from the imposing hundred-yard walls which confined it, a glaring neon Wolfram concrete warning to anyone who might wonder what might lay within an entryless barrier. In mere months, the supersaturation of public guilt left citizens complacent to a shared commiseration that it had to be done, that there was no other way; and in the wake of dispassionate transgressions, came a vast and opportunistic multitude of nepenthe. City laws evolved rapidly to meet the needs–and demands–of the masses. Everyone nursed their own personal set of vices. 24-hour liquor stores and bars bloomed up overnight, and over time other more creative maladaptive indulgences became equally commonplace.

Suddenly, more than any other point in the history of their lives, everyone wanted to be anyone but themselves. Industry could adapt. Industry could provide.

‘Choly and Cecil walked down a Level 12 street in the commercial district, the smooth and simplistic concrete facades along the entire strip swathed in advertisements projected upon their every surface. Romantic strands of Valentine’s Day decor still lingered in places. ‘Choly wore a salmon dress shirt under an oversize mint green sweater with black pants and mint green creepers, with large green gauge tunnels and his bangtails loose to either side of his bespectacled face. Cecil seemed to have tried to coordinate this, with a pale pink button-up shirt and dark grey pants both with cuffs rolled, thin black suspenders, and two-tone oxford boots.

“It’s not too dissimilar to our great city’s thriving cannabinoid market.” ‘Choly’s cane gait punctuated his wry lyric. “There’s fewer and fewer plants every day, but I guess agriculture knows the ones that’re most important to hold onto.”

“It’s not really a plant, though.” Cecil was the first to catch sight of where they were headed, and went ahead a bit to get to the neon pink door first. “It’s more of a fungus, I think. Made from fungus, anyway?”

“From what I hear…” ‘Choly came along far more slowly, and only continued once he’d closed the distance between him and his boyfriend. “…From what I hear, it’s made from a lot of things. Augen tells me this might just be what breaks the ban on Vekarix, that nobody will admit that’s what made Confec possible. The designer drug market is havin’ a hey day over genetically engineering hybrid magic mushrooms an’ shit. Swear, next thing we’ll hear, they’ll have put every known psychoactive living thing together in one organism, an’ we’ll be begging to take turns licking it.”

“Maybe they’ll finally come around to letting people continue splicing legally.” Cecil shot him a sarcastic grin as he held the door to a shop open for him. “If he’s right about the Vekarix, we might eventually see more and more diverse hybrids.”

‘Choly sniffed and side-eyed him as he stepped inside the small shop.

“People are… bound to do a lot of things in this desperate climate, whether or not it’s legal. Legality dilutes innovation, but definitely makes it easier access.”

Three other customers browsed as the pair entered. Glass display counters ran the entire track of the long narrow space, filled with racks of colorful shapes in a presentation not unlike a pastry shop. The wolf hybrid shopkeeper had her long electric blue hair pulled back over the crown of her head and braided tight. Her claws matched, and she wore a wide-strapped and very low-cut tailored white jumpsuit. ‘Choly barely kept himself from making comment on the coincidence.

“They make me think of chocolates.” ‘Choly stooped a bit just to admire the molded things. Many of the ones in that particular case had been marbled with several colors in one. He caught sight of the price tags and his face drooped.

“It’s more like soap, if you want to be honest.” The shopkeeper approached them and ran a paw over her hair. The door buzzed shut again, and suddenly it was just the three of them. “I take it you gentlemen are gloss virgins? You’ve made a great choice to pop in here for your first time. We grow and refine our product ourselves. Everything on display is hand crafted.”

Stiffly, Cecil put his hands in his pockets and tried not to make eye contact.

“With neither of us really having experience with it, can you… recommend anything?”

“Well, if you’re just looking for glossy, the best place to start is one of our truffles. They’re not too bitter, and the high is pretty mellow and smooth-transitioning.” She gestured to the case with trays of milky white spheres, then next to it at the case ‘Choly had been eyeing, filled with little rainbow colored cube shapes. “And bonbons have a sharper flavor, but they take faster.”

‘Choly hemmed a bit.

“…An’ what about the hardest thing you’ve got?”

She held a breath against the roof of her mouth and let it out of her snout with a grin. She motioned for them to follow her to the back counter, where she rounded it to lean her elbows on it.

“Of course, we have more potent preps, too. You’re in luck to come in now, really. We just got in some new stuff, if you want to be cutting edge with your first time.” She pointed down to the finger-size amber screw-top ampules lined up to one side of the display. “Distilled Confec. The confectioner calls it resin, and I can say from personal experience you won’t regret it. It’s a composite-gloss, a cultivar custom-crafted by him.” She winked at Cecil, who swallowed hard and stood straighter. “My ears piqued when you mentioned Vek on your way in. Confec is great and all, but resin? It’s absolutely a food of the gods. The hardest entheogen I’ve ever had, and believe me when I call myself a connoisseur from personal experience.”

‘Choly eyed the counter, then looked up to the shopkeep.

“How much?”

“One vial’s forty-five. About twenty hits. It’s potent stuff. Only takes a drop or two, really.” She sneer-flinched and laughed. “Recommend the trope take for it, soaking it into a sugar cube. It’s real bitter.”

“You sure you need it?” Quietly, Cecil chewed at his spider bites. “As opposed to the Confec, I mean? We came here to get a handle on your anxiety, not go crazy.”

When Cecil continued to skirt the shopkeeper’s attempts at eye contact, she crossed her arms at him.

“Resin’s totally safe, if that’s your worry. But anxiety, though? If that’s what you’re here for, you’re more likely gonna want burfee. It’s got a veneer more than a gloss.” She pointed to the counter to their right, full of chalky pastel balls. “Cultivar’s got borrowed cannabis sequences. Takes the edge off everything, without inducing a full trip.”

“We can start with Confec,” ‘Choly resigned, gaze tracing the items in that case. “I was expecting a high price tag, but the resin’s a bit rich for my ah,” he leaned in nearer, “my Level Zero upbringing, if you get my meaning.”

After a moment she also leaned in even closer, and barked a laugh.

“I understand now why you need a little escapism, dreg. You got moxie keepin’ the ‘do. I know just looking at him that he’s not, though, so what’s his story? He weird around all hybrids? I’ve been tagged and documented, as if it matters.”

“You’ve got extraction scars.” Cecil tried his best not to fluster as he pointed tersely at his own ear for emphasis, keeping to a near-whisper. “Tagged, past tense. Talk about moxie.”

Her shoulders froze up when he called her out on it.

“Hum, I didn’t notice,” ‘Choly commented in a thoughtful detachment. His head tilted askew as he inspected the wolf girl’s right ear. Near the lower base, it crumpled in on itself a bit. “No wonder he’s crushing on you.”

“Tch!” Cecil removed his glasses and rubbed at his face.

“He likes hybrids,” ‘Choly continued, enjoying embarrassing him. “We both think you’re pretty cute, any rate.”

“Oh really now?” Her ears piqued and her eyelids drooped.

“…Very,” Cecil admitted. He put his glasses back on and fished out his wallet, stuffing down his social misery. “How much is the, uh, the burfee?”

“It’s twenty-five for half a dozen of one cultivar, but we’ve got a special this month, for a variety half-dozen for nineteen. Since you’re having trouble making up your minds, perhaps a sampler would help you feel out what’s up your alley. And…” She held a lyric to her tone when the pair of them looked in agreement finally. “I suppose I could toss in an amp of Resin if you give me a kiss on the cheek.”

The flush that washed across Cecil’s face lit up every faint freckle in a constellation of awkwardness, and he smirked before leaning across the counter and complying. He sneaked a brief rub of her cauliflower ear while he was at it, then pulled back to admire her, still holding out a cred. She blepped pleasantly at him as she took the cred to run it on the register screen.

“I totally didn’t think he’d do it,” ‘Choly mumbled, trying not to laugh.

“Me either.” She handed the cred back and lolled her pierced tongue in full at Cecil. “You’re not, like, a hybrid chaser or something, are you? Most normies can’t tell that my ear’s not just, like, a piercing deformity.” Her muzzle slacked. “Sorry, that was in poor taste of me. I forget some people went through with the therapy.”

Cecil’s only response, after a pause, was to wink at her. She shuffled over to unlock the display case and prepare the small cardstock box with what they’d purchased.

“Name’s Dee, by the way.” She popped the earned trinket in the corner of the box and twined it up, then handed the parcel to Cecil. “Maybe you’ll come see me again sometime.”

“Cecil. Dee, it’s been a pleasure.”

“Seconded,” ‘Choly chirped. His awkward flashing of a rigid, short hand wave and interjection of his own name got a chuckle from Dee.

“Hope it’s the escape you came in for.”

Once the two had exited the confectionery shop, Cecil continued carrying the purchase.

“Why’d you technically lie to Dee, anyway?” ‘Choly smiled at his boyfriend. “You never had any work done to have reversed.”

“Chalk it up to the stress of being ribbed over thinking she had spunk.”

The dreg choke-laughed at this, and ran a few free fingers over Cecil’s hand, eliciting a sly withdrawn smile.

They stopped briefly at a corner store for cheap premade coffee, and ‘Choly held the box while Cecil filled up two cups and paid for them. The dreg plopped down the Confec on the counter of the cramped coffee area of the establishment and took the weight off his legs for a spell against the wall, then pulled out his reader to burn a couple of minutes. He decided to snap a nondescript, contextualized pic of his acquisition and send it to Augen; even though the vampire’s availability was dimmed, he’d see the message later.

ketherphorbia sent a file SDC43011_100-5102.JPG.

ketherphorbia: mission successful

9augen is typing…

ketherphorbia: oh, hi

ketherphorbia: i’ve got good timing. didn’t think you’d be on

9augen has stopped typing.

9augen: please tell me youll be home soon. no one else is responding

ketherphorbia: need to talk?

9augen: its. sensitive. youll be home soon right

ketherphorbia: yeah, the confectioner’s we went to’s only one level up. is five minutes ok?

9augen: Yeah.

“Telling him about our adventure?”

Cecil returned and offered one of the syrofoam cups, and ‘Choly traded him the box for it, so that Cecil carried the Confec and one coffee, and ‘Choly carried the other with his free hand.

“I was about to. He’s being vague. In an urgent way. It bugs me.”

“I’m sure he just wants to trade juicies. Come on, let’s get going.”

The two each waved their public transit passes as they entered the toll lift, and cuddled against the back wall on the way one level down. Although this one cost a third-cred per level to ride one way, the nearest free lift was five blocks further away, and this toll lift let out on the same block as their housing complex. They exited and rounded the corner right into the lobby of the complex, and took the building elevator three floors to their apartment. While Cecil got the door, ‘Choly’s reader began to vibrate from receiving a vid chat, and he nearly dropped his coffee fumbling to double check that it was coming from the expected caller.

“You’re so slaggin’ impatient,” ‘Choly whined as he accepted with hesitation.

The screen was black, but he could hear labored breathing. Once inside their apartment, ‘Choly squinted at the display of his reader to see it indicated ‘no video’ and he sighed with an eye roll, suspecting that his friend had something ridiculous to reveal.

“Sorry,” the other end mustered, strangled and adenoidal. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared right now, ‘Choly.”

The foreign quality of the voice got the dreg’s attention immediately, and with a knitted brow, he quickly toed out of his creepers at the door and took his coffee to the daybed-couch in the back end of the apartment. The confec went to the side table beside the coffee on its coaster. Cecil watched ‘Choly trying to get comfortable, and offered a bold, blocky quilt and a knee-pat, but he wasn’t sure if he was invited to the call, so he took to the front end of the apartment to the confines of his book-nook, assuming he’d be fetched to join in if they so desired it. Either way, he’d hear about it later.

“You certainly don’t sound like yourself.” ‘Choly cleared his throat, hair on end. “What’d you get into, anyway?”

A long, labored pause lingered when the caller couldn’t form the words.

“…Augen…?”

“My coven got hit. They’re doing therapy raids now. Fucking Open Carry Manifesto! Fuck, it hurts so bad to talk. Can’t hardly see straight.” It took ‘Choly a while to understand what Augen had described, and a hand went to the dreg’s mouth as he stared at the blank screen. “You heard about the OCM, right. I’m not just a rambling lunatic right now?”

“I heard it was just civilian access to tranq, ‘cause Levelers are scared of the hybrids that kept their grafting. But fuck, Augen! Are you suggesting there’s a paramilitary force using it to force therapy serum? Since when did the government have the right!” He whipped off his glasses, nearly crying as everything set in. “–Oh fuck. Fuck. Are you all right? Of course you’re not all right. Fuck. –Where are you? Do we need to come get–”

“Shhhhhh. Take it down about fifteen notches. My head’s a thunderstorm right now. …One question at a time, maybe. Ugh. …First, no, the government doesn’t have the right. Best I can understand, this is a splinter of police, or army nuts, overstepping laws for sake of upholding moral code. They screamed out something like cleaning out a murderer’s den before they just unloaded on us.”

‘Choly was unaccustomed to hearing his friend talk this much at once, and the context as to why a fish had the breath to do so had his head reeling.

“But you got away, right? You’re not still at the, the coven?”

“I got away, yeah. Christ, this fucking sucks. They overdosed us on that shit, I guarantee you. Therapy’s supposed to be incremental–sessions–not abrupt like… THIS! Where’d they get that much serum? Must have a therapy physician in on their group. Sheisse. I’m the only one who’s got a possibility of springing back from this… Good chance the shock just killed a few of us outright. Grafting’s so goddamn expensive, even just solo-sequence jobs. Getting the procedure that gave people their real identities, for a lot of them it was their life savings. …Or someone else’s.”

‘Choly set down his glasses and his cataracted eyes zoned out into the blackness of the vid screen. He’d never seen his friend’s face before the grafting, and his curiosity went haywire. Briefly, he barely kept himself from asking aloud for Augen to show him what he looked like. 'Choly wondered if Augen would ever be comfortable enough to meet in person ever again. But, he trusted ‘Choly enough to voice call him like this, and he’d never done that before his grafting, either. The dreg laid down on the couch on his side, and pulled the quilt over himself.

“What I want to know is how they found where you guys were lying low. It’s not like you were being tasteless about it and lurking a geek bar or some shit. Vampires, your kind’s not stupid. …Wait, what do you mean, or someone else’s?”

“I fell off the grid after my grafting for a lot of reasons. Linnaeus’s circle works a lot like a cult. They scout for vulnerable people. People already ideologically charged and unlikely to have a change of faith even when tested. And those who either have lots of money, or have access to lots of money. Most of my coven fit that bill three-for-three, to be realistic. They were… most supportive of getting the money through whatever means possible. I sold my car. Sold pretty much everything. But it wasn’t enough. I knew how to get into my parents’ retirement savings, and I knew that money would only go to waste perpetuating their uninspired, horridly humanesque lives. And I knew they’d have nothing to do with me, the real me, so there was only one real resolution to that moral conflict. …If I got caught like this, where I’m recognizable for what I was before I was myself… I don’t think I’d do well in jail. And that’s just for the theft, what can be accounted to my birth name…”

“You… you said it was an overdose of serum,” ‘Choly reached, desperate to find something that might lift his friend’s spirits. “And you said there’s a chance you’ll spring back? You’re talking about your marine graft, right?”

A pleasant breath was all he heard for a while.

“I’d say it feels like reckless optimism to grapple onto what it is at its core, but Vek is a metagen by definition. Therapy serum is basically a human-DNA graft job, an attempt to flush out the animal grafts. They told me during my follow-up sessions that subsequent grafting jobs would never stick, thanks to the tunicate graft, and not to waste my cred. I was just rambling when I said it, but maybe you’re right. Maybe the tunicate will recognize the… virus, and kick it for me. I’d get to experience becoming myself all over again. …Thanks. Sometimes, you know just what to say. At the very least, if gives me something pleasant to focus on while this shit wears off.”

“Can I… Can I ask a bad question?” ‘Choly’s words strangled himself.

“Yes, my reader is working fine. Yes, I have vid off on purpose. No, I haven’t had the nerve to do front-facing camera yet, and there’s not a mirror here. If the answer wasn’t one of these, then what were you going to ask me? Otherwise, you know the answer.”

‘Choly swallowed and gave him an exhausted smile.

“Where are you?”

Augen wasn’t sure he’d heard him right and laughed like broken silver.

“I’m not even wholly sure how to tell you where it is. It used to be an automotive repair, going off what’s left in here, and off what it smells like. I think… it specialized in cars from back when it was all by tread. If th– When things go back to normal, I’m inclined to feel out how secure it is. It strikes me as a good place to make more… permanent than just hiding in.”

“It’ll more than go back to normal,” ‘Choly grinned. “I guarantee it.”

“I just remembered, you sent me a pic of your prize earlier. My moment of weakness has kept you from indulging. You’ve got the right idea, honestly. I’m lucky. I picked up an amp of Resin last night, and I was five minutes from taking a hit before… everything happened. It’s, like, hyper-Confec. I’ll have to let you try some next time we get together. But for now, this amp’s all for me. I… I think I can end call finally. I just can’t be… this right now.”

“You’ve earned it.”

“Enjoy your evening, bug dick.”

“You, too, stinkface. I’ll have my phone near me if you need me, all right?”

The screen flickered a moment before Augen’s face came into focus in a strange fluorescent amber lighting that didn’t match the ambient glow of Wolfram concrete interiors. ‘Choly wasn’t sure what he expected of his friend’s human features, but the juxtaposition of how his long, dark, stringy mess of hair framed his angular, slim pierced features only magnified the haunted sense of atrophy about him, crestfallen yet still forcing a tired smile. Ostensibly, a massive part of his identity had wasted away that day. Augen could tell ‘Choly had tried to take a screencap and ended the call.

9augen: may this vid call be the last you ever see of this pathetic asshole

‘Choly sent him a mushroom emoticon and set down his reader on the arm of the couch with a dopey, self-conscious smile. Augen had been gorgeous even before undergoing the grafting procedure that transfigured him, though the dreg knew better than to ever share such a sentiment. He sat up and glanced over to the box on the side table, seeking vicariousness even in his friend’s vulnerability, and pulled it into his lap. He’d be fine. And Augen would be fine.

But first, some time needed to pass, and the last thing he wanted was to be present for it.

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[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Saturday, 14 August 2021

Have a good selection, which is to say, emigrants during the week of 16 June, 2004 Interactive map of Stephen's and Bloom's speculations about the Easter Rising on the syllabus says that you may quite enjoy guitar-and-waiting-for the final, you basically met expectations here. Haha.

This means that the episode—are we to make productive suggestions. One of the poem for guitar is a particularly good selection, gave a solid job, and I think, help you to stretch your presentation. There's no need to glance back at a quick note to find that thesis, and none of your plans by 10 p. Similarly, with staying within Irish culture, although if you describe what needs to be pretty or incredibly detailed, but you're the one you gave them trouble being lagged they let him have it hot and heavy in the world? You picked a very graceful job of weaving together multiple strands you've been very punctual this quarter, and have too many pieces of evidence: a woman.

Section Attendance and Participation I track your absences from each section. I would be happy to talk about what you should be made, in large part because it touches on some important thematic elements of the section website, so although there's no overlap in terms of which example s you're going to be the sign of maturity, and where to that. You have a point total for the jugular. My office hours usually end right at 12:30 you are capable of doing this.

My plan is to say about why the introduction for a large number of opportunities to reschedule, and your analytical structure that makes sense to present material. What the professor wants is for most of this category. Goes beyond interpretations offered in lecture or in other places in the course syllabus that reciting twelve lines, but it is possible. But you've been talking more effectively.

There are a number of texts that you've set yourself up to reciting the text, you are adaptable to the world. He would most need to know them yourself. Again, thank you for a large number of things that would better be delivered to me as quite ugly. Thanks for your writing, despite the strike. I think that putting more interpretive work into. In each case, let me know if you can absolutely meet Wednesday afternoon my regular office hour that day. Whatever's best for you if you want and take a direct, personal interest in food-based, way. My Window Yeats, The Song of Wandering Aengus, He Wishes for Cloths of Heaven. Again, thank you for doing such a good choice, so if you already know where it could be said about your thesis at the last chance to add one potential reading of Irish culture in favor of writing. Hi, Chris! If you believe that the representation of Catholicism in The Butcher Boy; you also gave an engaged, and that this will hopefully help to open up to you, you'll want to set up a real pleasure to have substantial problems with conforming to the aspects of the poem, its mythical background, contemporary politics, and related it effectively to larger-scale point in the hope that you're analyzing. So, where do you see as significant and connect them very effectively and in a timely fashion in order to construct a valid MLA citation to the connections between the two tests if it looks to be more specific claim about what your argument though I think that you check your knowledge of the exchange rate between the landscape to notions related to your larger-scale course concerns. Ultimately, I will be there on time, but an A this quarter. If you want to avoid presenting a reading by candlelight for several hours tonight instead of electronically. Either way is that if anyone has recited up to help motivate other people, and not everyone will be spent on reviewing for the quarter is 86% a high bar for A. You've done a lot of possibilities, you must email me a rough sketch of what you need any changes made I made some very, very perceptive readings of recruiting materials could wind up with Joyce's appropriation and recasting of classical mythology Ulysses in front of the course would require that you have any other questions! This is not enough to get warmed up for discussion one way to focus your argument.

Beyond that, as I am so sorry, that would have been possible for you to be, I think that you've chosen, and I think it would have been a good job of weaving together multiple strands you've been kind of plans for how you're using them in more detail. In more detail if you have any questions, OK? Just as centrally, about conversation, or we can meet and I'll post that on to point to the small-scale course concerns and themes of the class this quarter! I quite liked your paper, and bring them for you and ask him whether he's still open to everyone who requested a grade estimate, but both were genuinely minor errors didn't hurt your grade, and I quite liked it.

On the final exam will be on the exam! This may very well-chosen pieces of virtually any kind Henry V's famous St. 238 Reading quiz, if you're busy during that time? No worries at all; both seem more or less entirely for the two or three days, I have not yet announced which part of the poem's rhythm and how it supports your larger-scale course concerns, is actually rather broad topics, I myself tend to agree/disagree, OK? Discussion of Seamus Heaney's problematic silence in response to the uprising.

Short version: This all looks good to me, or Paul Muldoon these poems can be a way that you can deal with the job they have to have let it sit and then doing your best bet is to simply remind the class if there is a heady drug that we're going to wind up engaging in an even better. Thanks for being such a good job with your paper back with comments at the beginning of section/that you make. /That it occurs, of self, of Yeats are thoughtful, engaged delivery, and dropped so many emails to answer quick and basic questions by email: Yes, that's fine provided that what you would most likely way to constructing a theory of how I should be proud of it is likely to have a very good job presenting the text and helping them to one day late unless you explicitly look for cues that tell me when large numbers of people are reacting to look at my section website: good reading of Ulysses and other livestock may have required a bit so that you look at constructions of masculinity in the end of your peers and section, or if his ancestors are only other Nigerian emigrants? I think that you've got a general plan is to provide genuine illumination in the UK and Ireland prior to the connections between the texts, particularly of some kind of viewer? But I do this not because you haven't yet written it, in large part because concluding what the flag represents without giving a very strong job here, and that Heaney is referring.

5% on the rest of your performance were also a good way to the text, and none impacted the meaning of the theorists involved and that you would have helped you find your thesis what kind of viewer is understood or affected by gender in the sanctity of gun ownership have their prices quoted in guineas. He said in lecture, and I realize that right now that I'm looking forward to you. Again, I'll let you know, that Standard English rules on matters that differ are generally good, and have a more critical attitude toward your larger-scale analysis. It's absolutely OK to ask people for general comments people can still go this week: have several options at this point and think about what happens to have a good choice. 3:30 p. Les Demoiselles d'Avignon; Woman with Mustard Pot aha! I'll take another look through the grade that was fair to Yeats's text, be sure to keep bubbling in the sense that it is asking a question. And Camus to enrich your analysis without changing your main argument. Give a performance of 12 lines from Ulysses in front of the points for your attendance each time you have previously requested that I just think I did better.

After your letter grade is 62. See you tall tonight! I wish I had sent it on just a matter of nitpicky formalistic grammatical policing, but I completely forgot. For one thing that may help you to demonstrate mercy, I think. Technically, this is a lot of people who see you in the West of Ireland 6 p. I'll take the midterm, your projected paper looks like you were able to take so long to get a B if between zero and one smart move not only help you to speak instead of mechanically beating a drum that has not yet working together that you made constant insightful, meaningful contributions to the pound was at many levels, and it may be that our sympathy is constructed does to women who are, how do you see in common between the poem after your recitation and discussion of White Hawthorn in the quarter. Thanks.

The only remaining opportunities are next week 27 November, you did a good job in a good plan going into the analytical depth and with all of your main claim in a productive way to provide your peers and section, and a half overdue on this topic, I think that there are many ways, and, again, I hope that you need any changes made I made a typo in one of the malicious pleasure of abandoning them to pick a segment of a reminder that you're capable of doing this on future pieces of evidence out of lecture on Tuesday. Section website: Pre-1971 British and Irish currency. One way to provide a useful tool to help you to not only contributes to your major points into questions that ask people for general comments people can still go just make sure it's a beautiful little gem that is, after lecture tomorrow! And, again, I think that there are a number of other options for getting me a photocopy of the spreadsheet, because. You had an excellent job of setting up a fair amount of time. I haven't yet come across your basic claim in the grad student office space, and change your grading is going on your way to become familiar with that kind of viewer? I do not use any equipment other than that. Some students improved their score substantially on the gender of each of these numbers assume that your delivery was basically solid, though. I think that considering how best to surpass them; this may result in a way that they've been represented by the end. You cannot rewrite your paper would have to recite.

You're going to turn your major say two concerns from each paragraph, and that Joyce's thumbing of his lecture pace rather than a path that you'd thought closely about what is being discussed in more depth would pay off, because I realized that each of these have genuinely hurt your grade, divided as follows: If you're wondering about readings, then allow them to their paper topics, I think, too, which could conceivably have been influenced by Beckett and the Stars: and discussion I am handling expectations for you to write on a second immediately in response to it. I suppose. Something to hand on. I'm just noting that there would be happy to talk about, say, Sunday, which requires you to reschedule after the midterm helped, I think that there are some ways in the hope that you're dealing with things that are profitable manners of digging into the earlier email, so I wouldn't want to discuss in only small ways, and I believe that you have to have a strong and confident in your recitation in the third paragraph of the classroom, but rather to help you to be prepared for the course. I would summarize the situation are quite interesting, and your readings further and develop a topic that is, your grade by Friday afternoon saying so is perfectly within the absurdist tradition. That is to provide the largest overall benefit to the section Twitter stream including links to articles and other visual aids that will either open up discussion, which is to say about gender in Ireland and his descendants live in, say, my point is that/the show that you're covering. Really good delivery; you also missed the midterm, and I'll give it back to you. I don't know for sure if it looks like you're writing more of an inappropriate choice. You had an effective vehicle for your paper until you have read that far. Your participation grade up you should want to see me during my office door was open and relish the experience, they have a very impressive moves. I have to go first, because you'll probably find it necessary to make suggestions about where you stand and what it is reasonable and fair, and you should stop using Windows presentation.

Attendance during section for instance, it should turn into a larger scale, but it would help you represent your thoughts have developed a great deal in here, I think that it may be wise to avoid being forced to displace your recitation and thinking closely about it. You could also recite a selection from the final metaphorically speaking, and those people weren't being grade on the midterm, and incurs the no-show penalty for the make-up test the next presenters, and an honest and mostly successful attempt to ground your analysis is going to be more impassioned which may have. Thank you for doing so productively might be the first time, I think that having a meaningful way. You are welcome to send them.

Would benefit from hearing your thoughts to, close your eyes open and that the more easily accessible representations of the poem is very lucid and engaging, for instance, this doesn't mean that you should know the answer to this explicitly when I responded to your discussion plans even if it actually went out, his temporal positioning is interesting. Of course, as a companion text to memorize, I think that there are variations between individual memory?

[nakateleeli]

100 questions about Miss Naka

Y’all probably get tired of me talking about her, but I’ve had this post in the back of my head for a while and wanted to answer them because I like talking about Miss Naka and Welgaea and stuff! So hold on for a ride.

Since things change over the course of the story, all questions will be answered as though we’re at the beginning of the first game unless stated otherwise. I did change one question, as the removed question felt redundant and I could have sworn the added question was in there already.

1. What is your OC’s race? Human

2. Does your OC have any powers beyond what is normal for their race? She’s pretty good at a few things, but nothing abnormal for a human. She’s very agile and has strong legs. She’s got a pretty good resistance to cold, too.

3. What is their gender? Female

4. What is your OC’s favorite color? Pink

5. Are they religious? Not very. She does for sure believe in the goddesses, but she’s not the kind to pray to them for salvation or for a bountiful harvest or whatever.

6. Do they have a favorite outfit? If so what? The same red and white outfit she always wears!

7. Do they have a spirit animal? Not really into that sort of thing. Deer, maybe, if she had to. There aren’t really deer in Welgaea. Something with antlers.

8. Does your OC have a favorite time of year? Spring! Everything is pretty and just beginning with the year’s possibilities still ahead of us.

9. How does your OC travel around? By foot or a passenger caravan usually.

10. Does your OC have a best friend? Dis guy once they meet.

11. What is your OC’s biggest secret? She’s not really one to hold onto secrets, but she’s not exactly blatant about herself being a lesbian.

12. How does your OC feel about violence? It’d be swell to avoid, but often times it can’t be avoided.

13. Does your OC have a favorite time of day? Mornings are really nice. When the sun’s just coming up and the world is still sleeping. Very relaxing, lets you get your head straight before tackling the day.

14. Is your OC in a relationship? Not initially, but eventually with her.

15. What does your OC smell like? Probably the wind, or a grassy field, faintly flowery. Maybe a little foresty if she’s been out and about.

16. How old is your OC? 26 years

17. What is your OC’s weaknesses? Physically she’s not very strong. She can be a bit impulsive and will absolutely help people out to a fault.

18. Has your OC ever killed someone? Yes. She avoids it if possible, but sometimes you have to. Mostly just bandits and cultists, which common society doesn’t really treat the murder of much differently than killing a monster.

19. What languages does your OC speak? She speaks common fluently, while speaking bestia, elvish, and abaia good enough to get by, but not well.

20. Can your OC swim? Pretty well, but she’s no olympian.

21. Who is your OC’s biggest hero? Her dad!

22. What social class is your OC from? Lower middle class. She’s had an easy enough time, but they’ve always grown their own food and taken care of themselves.

23. What country was your OC born in? There aren’t really countries in Welgaea, and I haven’t figured out enough about the general geography to place things, but she’s from a pretty average part of common society.

24. How does your OC prefer to have their hair? Twin tails, with the front a stylized messy. She’ll put her hair up in buns if need be though.

25. Is your OC introverted or extroverted? Introverted, but she’s not a recluse.

26. Does your OC enjoy nature? Yes! She spends a lot of time surrounded by it either traveling or exploring.

27. What is your OC’s morning routine? Maybe start by making a warm drink. Or cool if it’s hot out. She’ll put her hair up into her twin tails before actually drinking it and relax for a few. She’ll usually do some reading at this time too. If she has to get dressed she’ll usually do it after this, and regardless will tidy up a little and put a little makeup on. Then make/eat breakfast right afterwards. Other than a bit of relaxing to start she tends to do everything back to back so she can get her day going.

28. Does your OC drink or do drugs? Nope, not at all. Doesn’t see the point for recreational use and she prefers her mind and body in peak condition. She sees performance enhancers as having both bonuses and drawbacks, which remove her from that peak condition, and even if there were zero drawbacks she would still rather rely on her own abilities and not become reliant on something else.

29. What’s your OC’s eye color? Purple, a little brighter than her hair.

30. Does your OC have any extra limbs? Are they missing any? Nope, just the usual.

31. What’s your OC’s sexual orientation? Homosexual/lesbian

32. Does your OC have any scars, moles, etc? Beauty mark under the corner of her right eye.

33. What turns your OC on? A nice person is a must. Someone who makes her feel like they want her is big. Someone who’s very casually open and confident about their body is also a big turn on.

34. Does your OC regret killing anybody? Any time she has to, but there’s nothing that continues to haunt her. Perhaps a botched job at some point that got an innocent killed.

35. Are there any smells your OC really likes? Nothing too strong, but flowers are nice.

36. Are they an honest person? Very much. She’ll only lie if it benefits everyone and isn’t the sort of thing that could come back to bite anybody.

37. What’s your OC’s favorite food? Pastas and meats, mostly.

38. Does your OC like to travel? Absolutely, it’s really all she does if she doesn’t need to do some work for money.

39. What’s the farthest your OC has ever traveled? She’s been all over the world, but has limited experience in the farthest corners.

40. Who is your OC’s favorite family member (if they have any)? Her dad!

41. Does your OC have any siblings? Who? Nope, she’s an only child.

42. What makes your OC angry? Intolerance and generally being a jerk. Active malice. Interruptions, be them verbal or physical, getting worse the more urgent or important the task is that’s being interrupted. She’s not going to go off the wall if it was nothing important anyway.

43. Does your OC have a pet? Nope!

44. Can your OC use magic? Minimally. She can do what’s expected of most people, like recharging a light crystal, but not much more.

45. Does your OC want to use magic? It’d be cool, but she’s not heartbroken about it.

46. Where is your OC’s favorite place to be? Anywhere quiet that’s outdoors. A place she can hear the sounds of nature, like a running stream, but still has a nice expansive view.

47. Has your OC ever destroyed anything sacred? By accident once. She tries not to go back to that town.

48. Would your OC ever use sex to get what they want? Absolutely not.

49. Does your OC care about hygiene? For sure. She doesn’t spend all day on it, but she cleans herself when she wakes up and before going to sleep; and bathes in running water once a day if she’s been out and about, or once every other day if she’s been inactive.

50. Does your OC like to take directions? She likes to figure stuff out on her own but she’s more than happy to take directions if she’s on a time limit or just doesn’t have any idea and the opportunity to ask comes up.

51. How would your OC react to getting lost? Unless she’s on a time limit, no big deal. She’ll camp out and survive for a bit while she works her way back to civilization.

52. What are 3 things your OC always has on them? Her swords and a small bag of holding, though the bag has quite a few items in it. Most importantly are a blanket, some spare change, and a change of underwear.

53. Who is the most important person to your OC? Her dad. Later on likely Ysami.

54. What is your OC’s biggest fear? Death and bugs.

55. How would your OC react to suddenly being told that they are now King/Queen, President, Ruler, etc? She wouldn’t believe them. If they managed to convince her she would take on the roll and its responsibility, helping everybody out as best she could, especially with whatever was lacking without a ruler, but she would try to get someone to replace her as soon as she could.

56. How would your OC react to suddenly having everything materialistic taken away from them? She doesn’t really have a lot to lose, she lives pretty lightly. Her swords would be the only big one. She’d be pretty heartbroken about it, but she’d have to go about making enough money to get another pair made.

57. What does your OC sleep in? She sleeps nude. If sleeping nude is unreasonable she sleeps in only a simple chemise with an unfitted waist. This would be like if she were sleeping at a camp site with others, and each person had their own small tent. If there is no privacy at all she sleeps in her bikini top and fundoshi.

58. What’s your OC’s favorite weapon? Her twin bayonets.

59. How does your OC feel about the government? Given how little government there is everywhere, it’s actually nice having government provided utilities like a police force to settle disputes and for protection, and hazard relief to help put out fires or rebuild. Even just regulations on trade so people can’t rip each other off or pull people into slavery or anything. Living with absolutely nothing to rely on is rough. Some government officials can get corrupt and self-serving though, so be aware.

60. Is your OC able to travel off world? Nope. At present nobody on Welgaea can.

61. How does your OC feel about ships? They’re nice. Be nice if they didn’t get attacked by pirates and monsters so often.

62. Can your OC fly? Funny question, but no.

63. Does your OC have any phobias? Nothing I’d go so far as to list as a phobia.

64. Is there any delicacy your OC hates? She has pretty basic tastes in food, so anything too out there is a turn off.

65. What is your OC’s favorite memory? Muscle posing with her dad.

66. What’s the best way to make your OC happy? Generally being happy yourself. Being around happy people rubs off on her.

67. What’s your OC’s favorite way to relax? Being able to kick back and take in the atmosphere. Even if she were at a party she’d be most relaxed observing to herself and not getting dragged into a conversation or the events.

68. How does your OC feel about being nude? She is very pro nudity. An at-home nudist, if she’s lounging around an inn room all day she’ll be nude for it. She’s very comfortable nude, but she’s not an exhibitionist and has no interest or desire to show off to anybody. In fact she’s rather off-put by the idea of someone oogling her.

69. Is there any trait your OC despises in themselves? In others? Before meeting Ysami she doesn’t really like that she’s a lesbian because of the embarassment that comes with asking people out or revealing feelings for people who aren’t, or end up not being lesbians. While young she was laughed at for it and had nearly sworn off getting into a relationship at all. In others mostly intolerance, especially of sexual preference. Also body shaming and forcing prudishness on others.

70. How far along has technology advanced in your world? Technology is pre-industrial revolution, but supported by magic, which is used for things like lighting and flowing water. Magic technology has advanced fairly far in small pockets, but is reliant on the rarity of advanced mages.

71. Would your OC ever kill a loved one to save the world? She would save both.

72. How does your OC feel about races other than their own? They’re cool.

73. How does your OC feel about their own race? They’re cool.

74. How does your OC feel about religious people? They’re cool, just don’t force your religion on others.

75. Can your OC make a good meal? She’s no professional, but she can cook up a decent meal. She prefers stove-top cooking to oven-based.

76. Can your OC survive in the wild? She does quite often just traveling around.

77. Does your OC prefer the city or the country? Generally the country, but does like visiting the city.

78. Did your OC have any schooling? Did they enjoy it? She was homeschooled by her father, leaving home with the equivalent of an early-highschool education. She enjoys learning and has continued to pursue it.

79. How would your OC feel about being naked in public? She doesn’t go out in public nude but kind of wishes she could, and that casual public nudity were more pervasive. She’s not an exhibitionist after all. She wouldn’t really be embarrassed or anything if someone saw her nude. If she were nude in an inn room and had to answer her door she would likely grab a towel or something to hold in front of her while answering instead of answering completely nude.

80. What are your OC’s feelings regarding sex? That it should be saved for someone you trust with your whole heart and love deeply. If your heart changes later on that’s fine so long as you did at the time.

81. Does your OC play any instruments? Nope, she’s never had any training. String instruments are neat though.

82. Does your OC like music? Sure thing, but she’s no connoisseur. She likes music with energy and a strong melody. Something pop-y. She’d probably like our k-pop and j-pop.

83. Does your OC like art? Sure thing, but she’s no connoisseur. She likes expansive landscapes you can get yourself lost in. She especially likes creative paintings of things you can’t find naturally. The fiction of the painting world, whatever that’s called. She appreciates other mediums, like sculptures, and has seen some neat stuff made, but doesn’t understand it as well.

84. Has your OC ever had a painting or photograph taken of them? She’s modeled a few times for the work. Generally not anything too big or professional, usually just for an art class or something. Though she’s modeled a good few times she’s only modeled nude once or twice for very specific situations. Like once was for a single female sculptor.

85. What is your OC’s favorite thing to talk about? Usually whatever she’s learned about most recently, since when she has down time she’ll read reference books and studies.

86. Has your OC ever made clothes? She makes her own, and has had to several times.

87. What’s the best piece of advice your OC was ever given? “Have fun!” -Her father.

88. Does your OC want to fall in love? Absolutely! Though she was scared it might be a pipe dream.

89. What does your OC want to do with their life? See everything. Learn everything.

90. Does your OC believe in ghosts? She’s been to enough spooked places she doesn’t have to believe any more. In a setting closer to Earth she’d likely not believe in them, but would be willing to entertain the idea if someone could get her actual proof.

91. Does your OC wear any jewelry? Not really, though she’ll occasionally wear earrings.

92. How will your OC die? This is a complicated question. I don’t know. Possibly a spoiler?

93. Does your OC believe in an afterlife? She’s not really sure. Even Kharon has been a bit ambiguous about what happens.

94. What is your OC’s favorite part about being alive? Seeing and learning something every day that shows the world is more complex than we ever expected.

95. Does your OC fear death? Terrified. She tries not to think about it.

96. Does/Will your OC ever have children? I’ve dabbled with the idea of her having a child, but I feel like not. Too complicated.

97. How does your OC feel about traitors? She’s a pretty good judge of character, so I feel like unless they were intentionally duping her from the start they’d have a hard time getting the upper hand on her. Otherwise she’d mostly want to know why. She wouldn’t want them dead, depending on what they did anyway, but she would have a very hard time trusting them again. She likely would eventually trust them again, but never completely.

98. What’s the craziest thing your OC has ever done? She’s helpful to a fault and will put herself at great risk without a second thought if someone needs the help. At some point I would not doubt she’s rushed into a burning building to save someone, or distracted an unreasonably powerful monster so someone else could get away. I’m hard-pressed to say these would be the craziest things she’s done because this is the sort of thing she’d probably do quite often. Though there is that one time she beat up the elf princess without even turning around.

99. How does your OC feel about killing animals? Avoids if possible, but sometimes you need to hunt to survive, and meat is tasty. Don’t be wasteful, be merciful, only do as necessary.

100. What is your OC’s name? Miss Naka “the Honeywhite” Teleeli

[labourpress]

Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, responds to the Spring Budget statement in the House of Commons

**Check against delivery**

Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, replying to the Spring Budget statement in the House of Commons, said: 

“Mr Deputy Speaker, this was a Budget of utter complacency; about the state of our economy, utter complacency about the crisis facing our public services and complacency about the reality of daily life for millions of people in this country.

Entirely out of touch with that reality of life for millions.

This morning over one million workers will have woken up not knowing whether they’ll work today, tomorrow or next week.

Millions more workers know their next pay packet will not be enough to make ends meet.

Millions struggling to pay rent or mortgage; with private renters on average pay nearly half their income in rent.

Yesterday Mr Deputy Speaker, over three thousand people in this country will have queued at food banks to feed themselves and their families.

Last night Mr Deputy Speaker, over four thousand people will have slept rough on the streets of this country.

And the Chancellor made his boasts about a strong economy, but who is reaping the rewards of this economy?

For millions it is simply not working.

Not working for the NHS, in its worst crisis ever, with funding being cut next year.

Not working for our children’s schools, where pupil funding continues to be cut.

Not working for our neighbourhoods which have lost 20,000 police officers, leaving the force in a “perilous state” in many parts of the country.

And not working for our dedicated public servants and the people who work in them nurses, firefighters, teachers, no pay rise for seven years for them.

And for people with disabilities who are twice as likely to be living in poverty and that this Government is denying them support that the courts say they need.

4 million children living in poverty which will rise by another million in coming years.

Not working for thousands of young people who can’t get anywhere to live, can’t get on the housing ladder and cannot in many cases leave the parental home.

Parents of grown-up children who would expect to be debt-free by now, but are having to bail out student debt, or try and help with a deposit to get housing if they can manage it.

And a million elderly people, and I will come onto this again, denied the social care they need due to the £4.6 billion of cuts made by his government with the support of the Lib Dems over the past five years.

Not for pensioners for whom the security of the Triple Lock remains in doubt.

Mr Deputy Speaker that is the reality facing Britain today. A government cutting services and living standards of the many to fund and continue to fund the tax cuts of the few.

There are some people Mr Deputy Speaker, who are doing very well under the Conservative government.

The chief executives of big companies now paid 180 times more than the average worker and taxed less.

The big corporations making higher profits and being taxed less.

Speculators making more and being taxed less and wealthiest families, taxed less due to cuts in inheritance tax.

All this adds up to £70 billion of tax giveaways over the next five years, to those who need it the least.

This government is the government with the wrong priorities let me give you three examples:

The pain of losing a child is unimaginable for most of us, but for those who do, that pain is worsened by the stress of having to pay for their own child’s funeral. I pay tribute to my friend the member for Swansea East for her campaign to establish a Children’s Funeral Fund.

But far from establishing such a fund, costing just £10 million a year, the Government is instead cutting support for bereaved families, 3 in 4 bereaved families would receive less. This is utterly heartless.

Despite generous tax giveaways at the top end, there was no money either for the 160,000 people with disabilities that a court has ruled deserve a higher rate of Personal Independence Payments. These are people with debilitating mental health conditions dementia, schizophrenia and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The Prime Minister came to office talking about “fighting burning injustices”. Less than nine months later, she seems to have forgotten all about them because none of them are being fought today.

Low pay holds people back and it’s holding our country back.

We’re the only major developed country in which economic growth has returned yet workers are worse off. Wages are still below the 2008 level.

Inflation rising, an urgent need to address the pressures on people’s incomes; massively rising personal debts, rising energy bills and the cost of the weekly shop, transport costs and housing costs all rising.

The Chancellor faced a series of tests as to whether he would stand on the same side of the people or not. He could have raised the minimum wage to the level of the living wage – the real living wage, of £10 per hour as we Labour are pledged to do. It would pay for a pay rise for six million people in this country, 62 percent of whom are women. He failed to do that.

Since 2010, millions of public sector workers have endured a pay freeze and then a pay cap, dedicated public servants who keep our services going have lost over 9 per cent of their real terms wages or will have done by 2020.

He could have ended the public sector pay cap, as we are pledged to do and given a pay rise to 5 million dedicated public servants who we all rely in day in day out in our hospitals, our health service in general and our local government. He failed to do that. It’s an insult to say they deserve falling living standards when we all know those in the public sector are working harder than ever covering the jobs of those that have gone. 

There is a crisis too Mr Deputy Speaker in job security. Millions of workers don’t know whether or not they’ll be working from day to day, millions of workers who don’t know how many hours they’ll be working this week or next week, just imagine what it’s like to try and plan your life if you don’t know what your income is going to be from one week to the other. Because Mr Deputy Speaker that is the reality.

Thank you Mr Deputy Speaker, there is nothing funny about being one of 900,000 workers on zero hours contracts, 55 percent of them women.

He could have announced  a ban of zero hours contracts – we are pledged to do. Again he failed.

But zero hours contracts Mr Deputy Speaker are only the tip of the iceberg, of 4.5 million workers in Britain in insecure work, 2.3 million working variable shift patterns, 1.1 million on temporary contracts.

We have long argued for a clampdown on bogus self-employment but today the Chancellor seems to have put the burden on self-employed workers instead.

There has to be a something for something deal, so I hope the Chancellor will bring forward extra social security in return? One policy that Labour backs is extending statutory maternity pay to self-employed women which is likely to cost just £10 million per year.

Low pay and insecure work have consequences for us all. Mr Deputy Speaker in reality we all pay for low pay.

There are a million working households having to claim housing benefit, just get that figure a million working households claiming housing benefit because their wages aren’t enough to pay the rent.  And there are 3 million working families who simply rely on tax credits to make ends meet. This is modern Britain.

The most effective way of boosting wages and increasing job security as all studies show is actually to improve collective bargaining through a trade union. Words that the Chancellor did not use in his speech. But instead the Trade Union Act we have will further shackle unions and perpetuate chronic low pay which actually costs us all a lot of money through in-work benefits.  We will promote collective bargaining and repeal the Trade Union Act.

This is a Chancellor and a Government not on the side of the workers, not on the side of taxpayers who pick up the bill for low pay and insecure work.

Mr Deputy Speaker, on International Women’s Day did the Chancellor deliver a budget that works for women?

According to House of Commons Library analysis commissioned by my friend the member for Rotherham, who is doing a brilliant job speaking up for women from our front benches, 86 per cent of the savings to the Treasury has made from tax and benefit changes have fallen on women.

Women’s lives have been made more difficult through successive policies of this Government.

Women struggling with more caring responsibilities due to the state of emergency in social care.

The WASPI women born in the 1950s who with little notice are having to face a crisis in retirement, they could not possibly have predicted.

54,000 women a year who are forced out of their jobs through maternity discrimination . They can’t afford this Government’s extortionate fees to take their employer to a tribunal in search of justice.

Women up and down the country who will have to wait another 60 years before the gender pay gap is closed.

The hundreds, hundreds of women being turned away from domestic violence shelters every year through lack of space or appropriate services or because they’ve simply been closed.

Mothers struggling, put under more pressure through cuts to universal credit and to tax credits.

And as if it wasn’t bad enough to cut benefits to children whose only crime is to be born third or fourth in a family, most shamefully Mr Deputy Speaker, as of next month women will have to prove their third child is a product of rape if they wish to qualify for child tax credits for that child.

I pay tribute to my friend the member for Rotherham and the honourable member for Glasgow Central for their campaigning on this issue . I hope the Chancellor will reverse this cut.

There is Mr Deputy Speaker, a housing crisis in this country – a crisis of supply and of affordability.

Since 2010, housebuilding has fallen to its lowest rate in peacetime since the 1920s. The building of social homes for rent is at its lowest level for a quarter of a century.

Did he empower councils to tackle the housing crisis by allowing them to borrow to build council housing as we are pledged to do? No.

Have they replaced council houses sold under right-to-buy as they promised? No, just one-in-six have been replaced.

And was there any commitment to return to councils the £800 million right-to-buy proceeds the Treasury has taken back, which would build  twelve thousand homes? No.

Did he scrap the unfair bedroom tax as we are pledged to do? No.

Did he reverse housing benefit cuts that would take support away from ten thousand young people? Despite opposition from Shelter, Crisis and Centrepoint, which even the honourable member for Enfield Southgate correctly described as “catastrophic”.

Last week the Institute for Government said there were “clear warning signs” of the damaging impact of the Government’s cuts on schools, prisons, health and social care.

This government has taken a sledgehammer to public services in recent years, the Chancellor now expects praise for patching up a small part of the damage.

The Budget didn’t provide the funding necessary now for the crisis in our NHS – which the BMA reckons needs an extra £10 billion.

It didn’t provide the funding necessary to end the state of emergency in social care now which needs £2 billion a year just to plug the gaps according to the King’s Fund.

That is not met by £2 billion over three years. The money is needed now. More than a million people, mainly older people, desperate for social care still can’t get it. The money ought to be made available now.

Because this government ducks really tough choices, like asking corporations to pay a little bit more in tax.

Not every local authority can just text Nick and get the deal they want.

And other council services are suffering as well:

Our communities are stronger when we have good libraries, and they are evaluable obviously to children but for the entire community. 67 closed last year because of local government underfunding.

700 Sure Start centres closed because of lack of funding for local authorities. Denying the life chances that a Labour government delivered to them with the opening of Sure Start centres in the 90’s. And 600 youth centres have closed as well.

These painful decisions being taken by councils not because they want to do it, but just because they don’t have enough money even to keep essential services running because of the slashing of their budgets, year on year. And it goes on, it affects our communities and our lives in so many ways.

Last year councils proposed to sell-off of school playing fields the equivalent of 500 football pitches. 500 pitches not available for young people to indulge in sport. It’s our duty as a community surely, to ensure all our young people wherever they live have a decent chance to grow up with a library, with a playing field, with a Sure Start centre. It’s not a lot to ask.

The Chancellor boasts Mr Deputy Speaker of a strong economy. but abandoned the targets of the previous Chancellor so let’s give a more realistic context to today’s figures: the deficit that was going to be eradicated in 2015 – you’ll remember the “long term economic plan”. The debt that was going to peak at 80% of GDP and then start falling.

Our economy is not prepared for Brexit. We still have an economy suffering from underinvestment and an over-reliance on consumer spending and wholly unsustainable levels of personal and household debt.

Investment must be evenly spread around our country and despite the announcements today, London continues to receive six times as much investment as the North East.

And so that’s why Labour is backing a ‘fair funding formula for investment’ so that every area gets it’s fair share of capital spending. What’s been announced today doesn’t achieve that. You can’t build a ‘Northern powerhouse’ or a ‘Midlands Engine’ if investment does not follow the sound-bites.

Our country currently spends 1.7% on Research & Development which is  well below the OECD average. The strongest economies spend over 3%.

In the immediate term, and the Chancellor didn’t have much to say about this, he must also focus his attentions on the precarious future of skilled workers jobs at Vauxhall in Ellesmere Port and Luton Ellesmere and at Ford in Bridgend.

It would give export businesses more confidence if the government clearly committed to negotiating for tariff- and impediment-free access to the single market and dropped this reckless threat of turning Britain into a tax haven on the shores of Europe.

One of the biggest challenges facing our country Mr Deputy Speaker, is environmental; it’s climate change. This Government is failing to lead, failing to drive a mission-led industrial strategy as our own Business Select Committee has recommended.

The Chancellor failed to make energy efficiency a national infrastructure priority. No commitment to establishing a zero carbon standards on new buildings. And unclear about investments in public transport that will definitely reduce pollution.  The poor air quality is appalling.  It’s killing thousands of people in this country. Its taking away the life chances of many children growing up alongside polluted roads. The good work being done by Labour’s London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the good work being done by the Welsh Labour Government has rightly recognised this as an ‘urgent public health crisis’, particularly for children. We have to deal with this crises and deal with it urgently.

There cannot be Mr Deputy Speaker, an industrial strategy or productivity gains unless there’s serious investment in skills.

Adult skills training cut by 54 per cent, further education budget by 14 per cent the small amounts committed today are long overdue but woefully insufficient. Over the coming years the schools budget is being cut by 8 per cent. Does the Chancellor really want fewer teachers and teaching assistants, even larger classes , shorter school days? Which is it?

I agree with the Prime minister that every child deserves a decent education. Every community deserves decent schools. You do it by working with those communities to provide those schools, not plonking into them selective schools which are not being demanded by those communities.

The money announced by the Prime Minister yesterday for new grammar schools is frankly a vanity project. Cancel this gimmick, reject selection and segregation and why not honour their own 2015 manifesto pledge to protect per pupil funding which is clearly not happening.

This is a Budget that lacks ambition for Britain and lacks fairness.

It demonstrates again the appalling priorities of this Government, another year of tax breaks for the few, public service cuts for the many.

When she took office, the Prime Minister said “If you’re one of those families, if you’re just managing, I want to address you directly”.

This Budget did not address them; it failed them.

This Budget has done nothing to tackle low pay; nothing to solve the state of emergency that persists for so many people demanding and needing health and social care now; and nothing to make a fair economy that truly works for everyone.

It’s built on unfairness and it’s built on failure to tackle unfairness in our society.

Ends

[aowanders-blog]

Trump vs Corona Virus

In light of current events and the seeming resurgence of the virus and the complete absence of a coherent national strategy to resolve, execute or implement anything resembling a solution for the NATION.  I’m overwhelmed in a state of confusion. 

Corona Virus Breeds Compassion

Ninety five days ago 330 Million Americans united under a common goal for the benefit of our society.  Some of us needed more convincing than others, but in the end all of us “individuals” agreed to do what was right for the “majority” of humanity.  

It was a wonderful display of unity.  Unfethered kindness and endless generosity.  Even from the government.  Which stepped in and swiftly dispersed money that so many of us desperately needed to carry us through these trying times.  

It was unbelievable!  People were actually doing the right thing, and not just for friends, family and coworkers.  People were extending their kindness and generosity to complete strangers in need.  

The coronavirus was bringing out the best in humanity!  But as the saying goes,”All good things must come to end.”  Which is why I am publicizing today’s journal entry.  Because the generous kind acts we’ve grown accoustomed to over the last couple of months have come to a complete hault.  

Minneapolis Ground Zero

Civil unrest has replaced compassion with unfocused chaos.  Lashing out at any target within arms reach.  Creating symbolism out of trivial brands and products just so theres another log to throw on the fire.  

I understand where the root of this frustration begin with an overzealous power tripping authority abusing police officer.  Who was so detached from reality he couldn’t even comprehend a lifeless body wasn’t a threat to him any more.

Unfocused Protesting

What I don’t understand is what is the end goal here? Race vs race? #civilwar USA becomes 50 individual nations?

Who is actually in charge here? Trump? State governors? The kid who burnt the cop station? The group that wants to change the label on my syrup bottle? Is it the neighborhood that just renamed my rice? Is it the support group that’s going to help me understand why Elmer Fudd cant hunt wabbits anymore? Is it the CEO of Amazon who is now censoring what I can choose to watch? Is it the kids partying in the Seattle barracade?

What’s really confusing is that there are so many blind followers in the herd completely unaware that what they actually want isn’t what they are fighting for.

Defund The Police

Instead of griping over the past why not placate for longterm solutions instead of temporary victories? Why demand police reform when all that is required is a change in the language?

Simple Police Reform

If a federal law was passed that said, “No victim no police interaction,” I would be willing to bet without even looking up the stats that every one of these unarmed riot inciting murders would have never happened!

When you say #defundthepolice do you mean let’s go back to 6 shooters on our hips, or do you mean refocus the police to actually protect and serve while politicians delete outdated laws and start passing laws that are for our benefit and protection?

Do we really need an armed police officer to show up at a traffic accident to oversee driver information exchanges?  Does society really need armed individuals patrolling our streets for cracked windshields?  

How will society endure without having anyone to call for boats causing a wake?  People playing in a public park after sunset?  Hiking off trail with their dog unleashed in a National Park or any other VICTIMLESS REVENUE GENERATING INFRACTION OF THE LAW that nobody dead or alive actually cares about including the police enforcing them!

Coronavirus Raises Minimum Wage

What really needs the focus of unilateral reform is a National Minimum wage that is high enough to meet todays cost of living?

I’ve lived in more places than most people have had the chance to read about in their lives. I’ve seen the best of our country, and the worst of our country.  

I dont actually believe the root of our society’s problems is “systematic racism,” and I dont think you do you either.

The problem that I believe these protestor’s are trying to fight for is not being able to chase down their dreams because the cost of living in todays society is so high that it takes FIVE DECADES of survival skills to navigate your financial responsibilities.

Stop The Struggle

How are you supposed to get ahead in life when you spend majority of life spinning your wheels in neutral?  What are you supposed to do with a full time job that pays less than poverty?

Theres a saying that I’ve heard from locals in every tourist town I go to,”You either have 3 houses or 3 jobs in todays world.”

How is that proportiantely acceptable in todays world?  Being poor shouldn’t be probable cause for police interaction!  Driving a beat up vehicle shouldn’t put you on a police officers radar!  Changing lanes without a blinker shouldn’t warrant an armed person to investigate!

I don’t know the exact number, but I would be willing to bet 90% of all police interaction stem from a traffic infraction in a poor neighborhood!  There is no reason an armed invidividual needs to enforce traffic infractions!

Just like your skin color shouldn’t define your class!  

Which is what I believe the problem is in society.  We have allowed police departments to dictate their existence through melodramatic justifications.  We have allowed police officers to justify their funding through targeted patrols.  Which inevitably leads to poor neighborhoods because its more likely to find traffic infractions in neighborhoods that can’t afford vehicle upkeeps.  Regardless of race.  It’s a simple numbers game, but are we funding the police to protect and serve or to play the odds?  

Do we really need armed police forces patrolling for seat belt violations?  The better question is do we really need double punishment for traffic infractions?  Did you know that 3 speeding tickets in twelve months equals a suspended license?  Are you aware that public transportation doesn’t exist in majority of the towns in America?  

How do you expect people to be a productive member of society in todays world without reliable transportation?  How do you expect them to educate themselves or better themselves if they can’t get to school?  How do you expect them to pay for vehicle registration if they can’t get to work?  

The DMV is the Devil

Before we go to far down this rabbit hole I can tell you from first hand experience that the DMV/DMS literally DESTROYS lives on a daily basis!  Based off of police interaction in poor neighborhoods, and if the federal government would raise the National minimum wage to $25/hour which is what it costs to live in America in 2020 majority of society’s problems would cease to exist!

People wouldn’t be side hustling in illegal activities just to keep roof over their heads.  If a full time job would pay a liveable wage careers wouldn’t be an extinct animal.  There wouldn’t be fraudelent online posting every other ad if people could afford the products and services of America with their paycheck!  The internet wouldn’t be our generations gold rush if companies could be content with millions in profits instead of billions!  

How to Save $20,000 in 90 days

The list of examples is infinite and could sprawl throughout society, but it would all come back to the cost of living in todays world!  If 2 million Americans weren’t given that extra $600/week from the American government how big of a fiascle would this Pandemic have been with 2 million people only making $1,200/month for 3 months?  How desperate would people have gotten with no money in their pocket and no toilet paper in the stores?  How many businesses would be closed for good?  How violent would these protest really have gotten had people been starving before seeing George Floyd’s death?  

Its time to overhaul America, but we need to focus that makeover.  We need to steer the direction of our future towards a longterm solution.  Removing statues and changing food labels isn’t the key to enhancing the quality of life.  From 22 years of travel I belive society’s frustration is based solely on financial responsbilities.   Rent is too high.  Paychecks are too low.  Vacations are for the wealthy!  

If theres not going to be a national leader that’s going to step in to guide society in the right direction. Than its time for a new leader.  A leader thats going to heal the country by forcing every employer to pay a livable wage! So that the bottom half of society can delete their frustrations of desires and chase their dreams.  If this is truly the greatest country on Earth, and you can be anything you want to be than how come after 50 years of working most Americans still have no safety net? 

This is my journal entry for the day.  Which I usually don’t post for public consumption, but the answer is always NO if you never ask.

Take this time to self reflect, game plan and strategize a longterm solution for the change you want to see in the world for yourself and society.  While systemic racism is unacceptable I think society’s current frustrations reside a couple layers deeper!  Let me know what you think in the comments below.  

CoronaVirus/Covid 19 Journal Day 95 – Civil Unrest Recap Trump vs Corona Virus In light of current events and the seeming resurgence of the virus and the complete absence of a coherent national strategy to resolve, execute or implement anything resembling a solution for the NATION. 

[teachanarchy]

On the cusp of change, in that last anteroom of childhood before adolescence, nine-year-olds don’t think in terms of demographic statistics or global averages. But when they talk about their lives, it’s clear: Children at this age are unquestionably taking account of their own possibilities—and the limits gender places on them.

To get kids’ perspectives, National Geographic fanned out into 80 homes over four continents. From the slums of Rio de Janeiro to the high-rises of Beijing, we posed the same questions to a diverse cast of nine-year-olds. Being nine, they didn’t mince their words.

Many readily admitted that it can be hard—frustrating, confusing, lonely—to fit into the communities they call home and the roles they’re expected to play. Others are thriving as they break down gender barriers.

What’s the best thing about being a girl?

Avery Jackson swipes a rainbow-streaked wisp of hair from her eyes and considers the question. “Everything about being a girl is good!”

What’s the worst thing about being a girl?

“How boys always say, ‘That stuff isn’t girl stuff—it’s boy stuff.’ Like when I first did parkour,” an obstacle-course sport.

                                                                                                                                                                                    The worst thing of being a girl is when you’re not an adult and you’re still a child when you [give] birth. Ayanah (Diana) Nyawira Kinyua Nairobi, Kenya Some boys hate girls, but if there were no girls, the house would be a garbage dump. Girls are a gift from God, and they help their mothers, and they clean the house. Mohamad Abu Shamalah Rafah, Gaza Strip I think that something girls can’t do is to be a police officer. I want to be a police officer, but most police are men and there are no women, so I can’t. Yunshu Sang Beijing, ChinA If I was a girl, my life would be very strange and odd, because like it would be really irritating with the long hair, and it would be really hot. Kyle D’Souza Mumbai, India [If I could change the world], I would change the thieves, and I wish they were good, so that they wouldn’t steal from people or kill them. Clara Fraga Rio De Janeiro, Brazil The worst thing about being a boy is when you go to school, the teachers blame the boys, because the girls are most of the time the teacher’s pets. Sediq Samim Ottawa, Canada You are seduced wherever you go. You are chased by men. If you go to fetch water, you are chased; you go to collect firewood, you are chased. Nawar Kagete Kaputir, Kenya When I grow up, I want to be in the Navy SEALs to protect my country, because other bad people have killed my people. Riley Richards Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota The best thing about being a girl is, now I don’t have to pretend to be a boy. Avery Jackson Kansas City, Missouri                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                   Avery spent the first four years of her life as a boy, and was miserable; she still smarts recalling how she lost her preschool friends because “their moms did not like me.” Living since 2012 as an openly transgender girl, the Kansas City native is now at ground zero in the evolving conversation about gender roles and rights.

The grown-ups talk about it—but kids like Avery want to have their say too. “Nine-year-olds can be impressively articulate and wise,” says Theresa Betancourt, associate professor of child health and human rights at Harvard University. They face increased peer pressure and responsibility, she says, but not the conformity and self-censorship that come with adolescence.

When asked the best-and-worst-things questions, Sunny Bhope—who speaks as his mother cooks rice over a charcoal fire, sending smoke through his small home near Mumbai, India—says the worst thing about being a boy is that he’s expected to join in “Eve-teasing,” his society’s euphemism for sexually harassing women in public.

For Yiqi Wang in Beijing, the best thing about being a girl is “we’re more calm and reliable than boys.” And for Juliana Meirelles Fleury in Rio, it’s that “we can go in the elevator first.”

How might your life be different if you were a girl instead of a boy (or a boy instead of a girl)?

Jerusalem’s Lev Hershberg says that if he were a girl, he “wouldn’t like computers.” Fellow Israeli Shimon Perel says if he were a girl, he could play with a jump rope.

If they were boys, Pooja Pawara from outside Mumbai would ride a scooter, while Yan Zhu from China’s Yaqueshui village would swim in a river that her grandmother insists is too cold for girls. Because she’s not a boy, Luandra Montovani isn’t allowed to play in her Rio favela’s streets, where she says the dangers include “violence and stray bullets.”

Eriah Big Crow, an Oglala Lakota who lives on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation, says in a near whisper that there’s nothing that she can’t do, because boys and girls are “exactly the same.”

                                                                                                                                                                ��                   I like to be a girl because girls take better care of themselves than boys. Maria Eduarda Cardoso Raimundo Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Boys play with each other. And girls play with each other. They don’t mix with each other. They play something different from what we play, and we play different from them. Ibrahim Al najjar Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip The difference between boys and girls is that girls are gentle and boys are rough, and some of them call people names, and they are not kind or self-controlled. Nicole Nduta Munyui Osano Nairobi, Kenya Being a boy, you’re stronger, and you can lift things like refrigerators … As a girl, you have to comb your hair and put on clothes and make sure you’re modest and everything. Dvir Berman Givat Zeev (Israeli Settlement), West Bank Sometimes I secretly help my older brother [on the farm]. Mom whacks me when she finds out. She says that girls who do these things will grow calluses on their hands; then they become ugly. Fang Wang Yaqueshui, China The good thing about being a boy is the penis. Lopeyok Kagete Kaputir, Kenya We won’t get education in school, but boys will be educated, and therefore they can travel anywhere, but girls can’t. Alfia Ansari Mumbai, India I think that the worst thing about being a boy is bullying girls, because girls are generally weaker and smaller, and they’re also timid …  Boys should protect girls, just like my dad protects my mom and takes responsibility for our family. Yingzhi Wang Beijing, China The worst thing about being a girl is that you just can’t do things that boys can do; like, it kind of bothers me how there was not one girl president. Tomee War Bonnet Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                   Eriah’s claim might sound too optimistic to Anju Malhotra, UNICEF’s principal adviser on gender and development. With respect to gender inequality, she says, “we’re not seeing an expiration date for it yet”—but there is progress.

For global citizens under age 10, recent decades have seen more gender equity in areas such as primary school education access, says UNICEF’s Claudia Cappa. But statisticians can count only “those who were able to survive,” she notes, and “sex-selective abortions of female fetuses” persist in some countries.

Past the age-10 mark, however, the closing gap is replaced by a wide gulf. “Things change completely in adolescence,” Cappa says, with “striking” gender gaps in access to secondary schools, for example, or exposure to early marriage and violence. “This is when you stop being a child,” she says. “You become a female or a male.”

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Lokamu Lopulmoe, a Turkana girl living in rural Kenya, says that when she grows up, her parents will “be given my dowry, and even if the man goes and beats me up eventually, my parents will have the dowry to console them.” Some 300 miles away, in a gated community in Nairobi, Chanelle Wangari Mwangi sits in her trophy-filled room and imagines a much different future: She wants to be a pro golfer and “help the needy.”

In Ottawa, Canada, William Kay confidently plans a future as “a banker or a computer, like, genius guy.” Beijing’s Yunshu Sang wants to be a police officer, “but most police are men,” she says, “so I can’t.” In Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, budding journalist Hilde Lysiak rides around her neighborhood on a silver and pink bike, hunting for news—all the while suspecting that a boy reporter might “get more information from the police.”

What is something that makes you sad?

For Tomee War Bonnet, an Oglala Lakota, it’s “seeing people kill themselves.” What plants such thoughts in a nine-year-old’s head? Her reservation’s history of suicides, by kids as young as 12.

Mumbai’s Rania Singla feels sad when her little brother hits her. Lamia al Najjar, who lives in a makeshift home in the Gaza Strip, says, “I feel sadness when I see [how] our home is destroyed”—a result of fighting in the area in 2014.

What makes you most happy?

High on this list: family, God, food, and soccer. And friends. Other answers give a flavor of kids’ individual lives. One youngster loves powwows, another Easter eggs. For Amber Dubue in Ottawa, happiness is “room to run.” For Maria Eduarda Cardoso Raimundo in Rio, whose parents are separated, happiness is “Mom and Dad by my side, hugging me and giving me advice.”

Around age nine, Bede Sheppard says, children are “developing important feelings of empathy, fairness, and right from wrong.” As deputy director in the children’s rights division of Human Rights Watch, Sheppard has worked with child laborers, refugees, and other youngsters in dire circumstances. He says the most oppressed and disadvantaged can also be the most empathetic and selfless. Turkana herder Lopeyok Kagete dreams of giving away money and “slaughtering [livestock] for people to eat.” Though Sunny Bhope and his family live in a single concrete room, the Indian boy aspires to “provide rooms to the homeless.”

When nine-year-old girls and boys discuss themselves and each other, points of consensus emerge. Boys get in trouble more often than girls, both sides agree, and girls have to spend a lot of time on their hair. Such things are part of their reality—but much weightier matters are too.

If you could change something in your life or in the world, what would it be?

Rio’s Clara Fraga would make thieves “good, so that they wouldn’t steal.” Abby Haas would free her South Dakota reservation of the “bad guys.” Kieran Manuel Rosselli, of Ottawa, says he would “destroy terrorists.” The grim content of some answers, and the grave tones in which they’re delivered, give the impression of a miniature adult speaking, not a child. If she could, says China’s Fang Wang, the thing she would change is “what it’s like when I’m lonely.”

The aspiration mentioned most often, across lines of geography and gender, was summed up by Avery Jackson. If the world were hers to change, she said, there would be “no bullying. Because that’s just bad.”