#if they come to the conclusion that the science is wrong that's fair

[aevarswall]

Christians who see scientific consensus and actually try to make it fit in their biblical worldview instead of decrying all science as satanic my beloved

[co-mixed]

Why I hate Reed 

Fantastic Four has a long history of disaster after disaster. Most of the disasters in question were caused by Reed. Bet you didn’t expect me to jump right into it. 

Okay, fine, let’s do an introduction first.

Fantastic Four has been a Reed-centric story since the day he broke ground on Marvel-1 (known at the time as just a rocket) and took his bff, girlfriend, and her tag-along brother on a ride, to the day his arch-enemy took over the world (that was last week). It’s all about Reed and everyone else just happened to get stuck with him. 

I hate Reed. Maybe not as much as Doom does, but it’s close. 

I have my reasons.

If you know Reed well, chances are, you also hate him. If you don’t know him, you’re lucky. If you don’t hate him… keep reading. 

Reed has always been always the intended protagonist of the Fantastic Four. They might have called it a family book but really, you tuned in every month to find out who is bugging Reed and whether he manages to fix everything this time. That’s who he is, he fixes everything. Mostly through the power of science, occasionally by stretching in the most ridiculous way. 

Reed is recognized by CB writers as a hero, not just a hero in a cape and mask sense (he doesn’t even wear those) but the cool-headed, smart guy, the focal point of the team and the narrative. You are supposed to see yourself in him and imitate his approach. 

Everybody cares about him, everybody talks about him, and in those rare moments when he’s presumed dead, everybody mourns him. 

But Reed just isn’t a good person. There are things about him that don’t just fail to align with heroism, they’re plain vile.

He’s a liar

Reed is a liar. It’s not just that he omits relevant details like, say, forgetting to inform the whole team that they are slowly dying, or warning them that he’s keeping a dangerous gate in the basement. This is absolutely a pattern with Reed and instead of getting mad at him, people just accept it as a part of his character. Even if they do get pissed off, they eventually forgive him. Then all of that repeats. To be fair, I probably should be more mad at the dysfunctional family that enables his behavior. 

But it’s still him. The logical path he loves so much to take inevitably leads him to the conclusion that it’s time for yet another lie. He’s not above covering one lie with another, and it comes off almost childish (not in the adorable sense). What I mean is, he is afraid of being judged because he knows what he’s doing is wrong but he simultaneously believes that he is right because he knows better. Again, this comes down to him claiming to be the smartest man on Earth. Which is ridiculous. The smartest man in physics is still the stupidest when it comes to art or magic. And he admits both things himself yet refuses to accept the fact that he knows almost nothing. 

Besides, both his daughter and Lunella are easily smarter than he is. 

He’s a hypocrite 

Reed is a terrible hypocrite. We don’t talk about that often, because the stories that allow you to notice that lie far apart. During the Civil War, he was all happy to serve the government. It is a big part of his life, he’s always been ‘public’ and ‘legitimate’. In the eyes of the law anyway. So when the question of whether or not to register appeared, he made a call for everyone. Happily so, and he went along with punishing everyone who opposed it. Except for his family, of course. It smells awfully similar to the way dictators operate so I guess we should be thankful Reed doesn’t have those ambitions. 

But when the tables turn and Reed has to answer for all he’s done, he believes that he is judged harshly. Of course, it turns out to be a villain’s plot but he never really stops to think how his actions were questionable at best. And he isn’t prepared to take responsibility the same way he expected others to. He thinks it’s unfair. 

He’s a garbage person 

Essentially, the problem is Reed not knowing when to stop. Reed is stubborn, we already know that. He is convinced that he knows what is best for everyone. He believes that his view of the world and how things should be is the correct one. The mathematically correct one, I mean, he did write all those equations on all those walls. This is what eventually led to the Civil War, and this is what eventually led to the Secret Wars. The two most notable events on 616. Reed’s math allegedly allowed him to predict the future, and in that future, he saw Doom. JK but he did see that superheroes will destroy the world if they keep on unchecked. And he did see the possibility of incursions. So he built 42 and threw his friends there. He experimented on Speedball to the point of torture because the government said it was ok. He got together with the Illuminati pre-Secret Wars convinced that they could definitely stop the incursions and they failed. They would’ve gotten everyone killed and, big shocker, the only ones he ended up saving were himself and his family (although Justice finally said “Hell no!’ and his family perished.)

But Reed sure knew what was right.

With that same attitude of knowing what’s best, he stomps around Latveria, trying to liberate it. He returns there every time and every time acts surprised when he discovers that Latverian people don’t want his liberty. They don’t want him, they like Doom. 

I feel like deep down Reed believes that his unique intellect allows him to see things more clearly than any of us mortals. And because of that, everyone should sleep well, putting their trust in him. Whether he invents another doomsday device (and promises not to use it), keeps Ultimate Nullifier in his nightstand, or stores a gate to anywhere in his basement. Everyone is supposed to trust him until turns out that his 3-year-old accidentally opened it. That’s happened a few times and if anything, we should know by now that Reed is anything but trustworthy. 

He never stops to think “Should I?” Because the answer is pretty much always “No.”

He’s an awful husband 

Back in the day, Sue often ended up on the other side of Reed’s outbursts. His smug attitude toward her was always uncomfortable, to say the least. He diminished her and everything she did because he deemed it irrelevant. It barely changed until the writers elevated her almost to his level by making her a doctor of Archaeology. While I appreciate them giving her some interests other than making sandwiches for everyone who resides in the BB, does it mean that they agree with Reed? That everything she did, whether she wanted to be an actress, ran their company, charities, or simply stayed at home with the kids, is not good enough? It makes sense in terms of their shared interests, but the only thing it gives me is doubts about him even loving Sue. Unfortunately, it seems like he sees her as a trophy wife he never could’ve gotten. When he talks about Sue, he often says that he studied her, like she’s an object that fascinates him. This kind of explains why he can’t relate to her, refuses to trust her, and doesn’t always care how his actions would affect her. 

When Sue was Malice, everything she told him was pretty genuine. There is a trope where heroes say the worst things under the influence, yet these things are rooted in reality. And that’s what happened here. 

There was another piece of truth Reed got when Johnny had a fight with Sue (about keeping from him the fact that the whole team’s powers were deteriorating, and their bodies too), he told her “You’re treating me like he treats you!” Reed didn’t react and that was never addressed again. Too bad, we all know that’s true. Reed has no respect for Sue. Even Reed knows that, I just don’t think he gets it. 

Let’s not forget that Sue served him divorce papers. What a time that was.

He’s a terrible father 

He starts out as an oblivious parent who doesn’t really care. As long as the kid can’t speak it’s not his problem, right? Hence multiple babysitters and Franklin spending half of his childhood with Agatha,  in Attilan, and at Alicia’s place. Franklin is a creator, not a scientific one either and that’s something Reed can’t understand. That’s why he’s been having a hard time even connecting to his son. Okay, he might not be the easiest kid to connect to but with the constant neglect he’s experienced, no wonder he feels like a disappointment to everyone. 

Val has a good father, Doom. He’s actually more of a parent to her than Reed, even if she’s the child Reed actually likes. Unless that’s just him being possessive. Just like with Sue (whenever she had her Namor eras) Reed is jealous of Val’s bond with Doom and as soon as he feels like he’s losing her, he gets mildly irritated. That’s exactly it, he’s not even properly furious – he just gets upset and focuses on work. 

Even all the family adventures they went on, or that time after Secret Wars when Reed decided that Ben and Johnny should believe their family is dead (including the kids), couldn’t make up for that. After all, Reed probably spent more time in his mobile lab than with kids. And when he got bored he happily ditched everyone except Frank and Val. So much for calling them all “their kids”. They are better off anyway because Reed doesn’t consider their feelings. At least he treats them like adults, since he doesn’t consider them either. 

He’s unkind and a trash friend

There is no genuine kindness in Reed. It’s almost like he pretends to be a loving husband, parent, and friend. 

Reed has no respect for his family or friends. If he had, he would’ve considered them whenever he made a decision. Again, it comes back to him believing he can’t make a mistake (check how long he’d been agonizing over the first space mission). Yet the vast majority of Reed’s actions vary from mean to straight-up creepy. 

Even the seemingly selfless gesture of turning his team into celebrities was his pathetic plea out of guilt. He never asked any of them whether they even wanted to be famous or heroes. He felt guilty (that’s something, I guess) for turning Ben into The Thing, and complicating things for Sue and Johnny (although, they probably would’ve been fine). 

But that’s a pattern that follows Reed everywhere and everybody ends up getting hurt.

Despite claiming to love his wife and kids, care about his friend, and tolerate Johnny, he is unkind to them. He views and moves them as pawns to where he wants them to be, all the while faking the perfect family man and good friend facade. And that’s the new Reed, the old one barely pretended. 

Let’s face it, Reed and Ben don’t have much in common except the collective trauma of getting powers and fighting Doom. The funny part is, Reed wants to be friends with Doom but Doom sees through his BS (okay, I might be giving props to the dictator here but ain’t he right?)

He’s way too full of himself

The self-proclaimed smartest man on Earth, Reed lives in the world of science. He is obsessed with math and he believes that math will solve everything. Spoiler: it won’t. He knows that, too. When Doom kidnaps his family and locks baby Franklin in Hell, Reed wastes so much time arguing with Strange over his aptitude for magic, that the kid ends up traumatized. For a while Franklin couldn’t tell the difference between Hell and Reality, all because his father couldn’t accept that he doesn’t know everything. 

This is absolutely a pattern with Reed — he doesn’t believe in ghosts, vampires, probably even werewolves. Meanwhile, he knows actual gods and had a witch for a nanny. If anything, this is a sign of stubbornness and that’s one of the worst barriers for wisdom. So good at math he might be, a genius — I don’t think so. That’s not all there is to it, because there are absolutely people smarter than Reed with a more flexible mind. I have to give points to him for recognizing that eventually and forming Future Foundation but he still has ways to go. So far, math has been a source of trouble more often than not. His inventions and his equations that predict the end of everything force him to take the most ridiculous approach in trying to solve problems before they arrive. And if that’s how we see Reed, imagine how irritating it is to Doom. 

And while we’re at it, they might have changed the origin so that Reed’s original calculations weren’t incorrect but that was wrong. The poetic justice of math, the only thing he truly trusted, betraying him, that was beautiful. If only Reed could understand art. 

He’s dull 

Let’s face it, they can rewrite Reed’s history, they can try to make him fun, they can even hire a really good actor to play him, but Reed is incredibly dull. He’s boring and even his family doesn’t pretend he isn’t. He is not charming, has zero charisma, not funny, and really he’s extremely lucky he managed to get Sue to marry him (because with his other bad qualities and lack of charm idk what that was, unfortunate chemistry?) He’s even more lucky Ben was out of other options friend-wise, and Johnny was just around. Otherwise, Reed would’ve died alone which is frankly, what he very much deserves. 

That’s not even half of his misdeeds, just the ones that were on the top of my mind. But trust me, if you spend almost a year reading about this guy, you will likely hate him just as much. 

[themarsmaiden]

Accolade

Yuri x Gn!Reader

alternate universe

Summary: [Name] and Yuri have known each other since they were kids. Always competing, and now they prepare for their final year in high school. For their colleges of choice, the science fair, and in love.

Case Study 1: Isami Yuri

August, the start of a new school year.

They’ve never liked Isami Yuri. He was conceited, condescending, and most of all he was bitch. Yuri was a self centered, full grown, 17 year old bitch.

[Name] had known him since the first grade, and nothing about him has changed.

Take exhibit a: the first grade spelling bee

“[Name] spell extraordinary”

“E-x-t-r-a-o-r-d-i-n-a-r-y” they smile, proud of themselves, then hear a whisper from their right, “a baby could’ve spelt that.” A small boy stood there, smug and tall.

“Yuri, spell tenacious.”

“t-e-n-a-c-i-o-u-s” he smiled proudly.

This went back and forth for several more rounds until only those two stood. In the end Yuri was the one to win.

[Name] did not hold a grudge over this anymore, that would be childish. However they would hold a grudge over exhibit b: science fair, junior year.

“Second place?! Who won first??” They look down at their computer in bewilderment. How could they not have won this year? They had made a working liver!

Granted it only worked on pigs so far, but it worked it really did work!

They opened and scrolled through the excel spread of names attached to their ‘congratulations’ email.

Lying right above their name was written, “Yuri Sami: Frankenstein’s Monster”

They gawked silently, appalled. Did he really..?

“No. I did not reanimate dead. That would be stupid.”

The man in question appeared behind them, unpleasantly surprising them. “I did a year long study into the care and treatment of a boy named Jiro, successfully waking him from his coma.”

He bragged then left, leaving [Name] stunned alone in their school’s library.

[Name] could not forgive him for the embarrassment they felt after the librarian came to ask them what was wrong, and then after finding out what happened, insinuated that they might actually like him!

They are unsure how anyone could come to the conclusion. How could anyone enjoy his presence to begin with?

Yet here they find themself, studying him from afar.

First period, the first day of their senior year.

August 13th, a Tuesday.

He was alone in the back of the class, his nose stuck in a book that read “Care for the fragile” upon its cover. Class was soon about to start but he displayed no worry.

Soon after, students filled the seats around him. His demeanor did not change.

Only when the bell rang did he close the book and put his attention towards the class at hand.

English Literature

It was not a subject that either of them had paid particular mind to since elementary school, when they both decided to head down a doctoral path.

The rest of the day created a pattern in his behavior:

Get to class early, read, pay attention. (Of course the two did not share every class, so this observation could have its faults.)

The moment when this changed was eighth period Advanced Biology.

This was a freshman topic, however the advanced version of the course was only available to upperclassmen. This makes it a prime choice for two nerds interested in this exact subject.

Yuri gets to class early, the pattern continues, however contrary to his previous behaviors, he does not take out the text book. Instead, he waits attentively.

“With the way you’ve been staring all day someone might mistake your attention as affection.” Someone sits in front of [Name] blocking their view.

The person was none other than Rui Mizuki. “If I knew any better I’d be wishing for your gaze to be on me instead.”

He snapped them out of it, making them roll their eyes. “Can it, Rui.” He laughs at their reaction. “But no seriously, you’ve been staring at him all day.”

“It’s a case study Rui. I’m trying to get into the inner mind of one Isami Yuri to make sure I ensure a victory this year.”

He sighs, “The science fair? Again?” The student in front of him nods in response. “Can’t you let it go? You take these losses too seriously! You should focus on your victories! The second grade spelling bee, middle school valedictorian, and let’s not forget sophomore science fair.” He lists their victories, which seem to go in one ear at out the other.

“You don’t get it do you? It’s not about the victories, it's about the lack of victories! They should all be victories. Losing to him is embarrassing.”

“Your obsession with this is embarrassing.”

“Just because you’re my best friend does not mean you get to say something that insulting Mizuki Rui!”

Best friend: Rui Mizuki

Relation to the case: an outside spector with less than appropriate comments.

This is best understood in exhibit c: middle school.

To save the redundant amount of details, a brief example explains all the accounts.

Yuri and [Name] compete, yuri wins? [Name] complains to Rui and he comforts them. [Name] wins, Rui listens to them brag for a week straight.

It was straightforward, and simple. Of course there was also the added details of Rui practically saving [Name] every time another student thought they were bigger and tougher and threatened them for ‘being nerdy.’ (Cartoony but middle schoolers will be middle schoolers)

They truly owed him big time, but that does not forgive his stupidity. No matter how smart he truly was underneath all his casanova flirting.

The blond was about to retort, when the teacher walked in from the hall closing the door behind him.

It was a teacher they had before, Professor Dante. He was a presumably tall man, who’s height was visually limited by the wheelchair he found himself attached to.

No one knew what happened to the professor, but rumors had circulated about him being injured by a student. Though his condition could very easily as well be from birth.

This was unimportant, as what he was about to say was much more important.

The science fair.

A mandatory part of every advanced science class. Much to half of the class’ dismay, [Name] was thoroughly interested in this topic.

Unfortunately it was skimmed over, along with a mention of a year long project to start next month.

It was no worries, both of these things were to come in due time. And in due time, [Name] would beat Yuri Isami once and for all, and then never have to deal with him ever again.

Dante discussed the syllabus for the class a little longer before dismissing the class to do a simple back to school project.

“Seriously though, [Name], you need to start focusing on other things for once. Like for example homecoming, and who you’re gonna take, and how it’s going to be me.” Rui started talking again, as he picked up his pen to start writing on the small papers that the teacher was passing out.

They rolled their eyes in response, “I’m not going to homecoming, and I certainly wouldn’t take you.”

“You hate me and you want me to die.”

[Name] does not reply to Rui, simply rolling their eyes and getting to work. “Well if you had to take someone to homecoming, who would you take?” He asks, pointing his pen in their direction as he does so.

The student frowns, “You know the answer to that.”

Rui sighs, “Lucas Errant?” he asks, putting his pencil down. “Ding, finally something logical out of your mouth this period.”

Rui finally starts writing on his paper, they were simple ‘about me’s’, an annoying yet necessary part to the start of every class. “You’ve had a crush on him since freshman year.”

“Can you blame me? He is the perfect man, by all logical reasoning he is the only choice.” They finish up the small ‘about me’, and slide it towards the edge of the lab table they shared with Rui. “You’re done?”

“I was actually doing it, instead of gossiping. Which proves all prior points about my priorities.”

Rui rolls his eyes and finishes up his paper, “It does not, but to each their own, my love.” He slides his paper to be where [Name]’s was.

“Of course vermin like you would spend all the allotted time with drab chatter.” Yuri comes around and grabs the papers on the tall table.

“At least I have friends.” [Name] retorts back.

“I have friends!” He stutters out.

“Jiro doesn’t count, he's a patient.” They refute.

“Well-” Just as Yuri was about to speak, Professor Dante comes around and grabs the papers from his student and interrupts his voice. “It’s the same every year with you two. Would it kill you to just get along?”

Without missing a beat they both respond “Yes.”

He sighs, “You two are seniors now, it’s time you start acting more mature. At least start acting cordially with one another during this period.” They both stay silent. “For me? Or else I’ll force you to work together until you can.”

The two seniors glared at each other, and then the bell rang.

“Let’s go Rui.” [Name] picks up their bag and walks out the class, Rui rushes to join them.

It seems a new challenge approached Case Study: Isami Yuri, acting cordial with him.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

“Dante has no idea what he’s talking about!”

It had been a week, and nothing has changed in Dante’s favor. [Name] and Yuri were still bickering and competing as always.

Just today, the two competed over who could finish a lab the fastest. A group assignment that was supposed to take a while.

“I’m sure he does.” replied a voice from above the couch that [Name] had slumped themselves upon.

It was a maroon velvet couch with elaborate detailing dyed into it, classic decor of the voice who was speaking to them.

Edward Hart, a stay at home shut in who spends his time doing online school and watching twitch. The entire concept brings a tear to [Name]’s eye, they might keel over if that were them.

Luckily, it wasn’t. Though they couldn’t fault the man either, it was hard to go out due to his condition. They could get on him for slacking off though, but that was a topic for case study: Hart Edward. (a document that has already been made)

“What do you mean by that?” They look up at him as he moves to sit next to them. “Just that, perhaps, it was time you started acting more mature. In the real world you’ll have to work with people you don’t like all the time. I think he wants you two to know that.”

[Name] sighs, “I can work with people I don’t like! It’s just Yuri that I can’t tolerate.” Edward shakes his head, “There’s also the fact that as a teacher, having two intellectuals constantly fighting like children might not be the best thing in the world.”

“You talk like you have experience Ed, may I remind you you have none??” They point this out to the dark haired man next to them.

“I may not have experience, but YouTube does.” His rebuttal wasn’t a strong one, but [Name] wasn’t about to argue with him today on something this trivial when they can turn their attention to Rui who was walking into the living room with a plate of freshly baked pastries.

“You know I think Dante is onto something as well, it’d be nice to hear less about Yuri and more about myself for once.” He jokes, setting the plate down on the dark oak coffee table that sat in front of the couch.

“I don’t talk about Yuri that much!” [Name] raises their voice slightly, shocked and appalled that their friend would say such a thing.

The other two gave them an unconvinced look, “You literally only talk about beating him at science fair.” Rui says, picking up a sweet and popping it into his mouth.

“Do not! I also talk about my grades, and maybe video games, and yeah maybe the science fair but! Not always.” They complain back to him, grabbing a sweet for their own and tasting it.

“Exhibit A: Today, at lunch, I could not talk about my homecoming plans without you mentioning how homecoming was unimportant because you had to start on the science fair, so you can beat Yuri.” Rui retorts, mocking them a little by doing so.

“Or how about exhibit b? Last week’s rant about him from the first day of school.” Added Edward, who had previously been too busy eating a pastry to talk.

“Fine! But can you blame me?” They got a similar uninterested look, “Ok whatever, but you’ll see this will all pay off when I’m accepted into an Ivy League and he isn’t.”

“Whatever you wish to tell yourself, I will not stop you.” Edward dismisses them, to which Rui sighs. “Same here, I know there’s no stopping you when you’re already committed to something. But I do still think you should be a teenager some more! We don’t have long left.”

“I know, I know, I’ll take your suggestions into consideration. But only because it’s you.”

The conversation dropped and the 3 teens began talking about less important things, like what to watch. They ended up putting on Alpharad, by suggestion of Edward until the night got dark.

Edward and Rui lived together with another roommate named Lyca, who had been busy at the moment. This leads to [Name] often staying the night when they needed some space from home, or it got too late when hanging out.

It also helps that they live walking distance, which is how [Name] met Rui to begin with. (Of course when they met, his parents were still living with him and not out traveling the world.)

The rest of the month passed in a flash. School was slow and easy as everyone was getting back into the pace of things. Homecoming came and went. (Which [Name] did not go to, much to Rui’s dismay.) And Case Study: Isami Yuri saw no improvements.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

A/N: first chapter :3 this will go on ao3 soon!!! I hope you enjoyed this one!! Updates will probably 3-5 days depending on how inspired I am ^^

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[aerinmoriarty]

In addition to being a Gaylor and a Performance Artlor, I have a handful of other theories and perspectives about Taylor's work that i keep in mind when analyzing her work.

I call this collected perspective "Swiftcraft," as it is designed to honor and recognize both the art and the science Taylor puts into her work and to compensate for one of the biggest challenges theorists analyzing Taylor's work encounter: Swifties whose blind adherence to to media narrative prevents them from actually appreciating Taylor's art. And wildly, these people often cannot just leave people with different opinions alone, but rather often resort to harassment, doxxing, threats, etc.

As a result, It can be difficult to propose new theories about Taylor's work, because if you discuss them on any public forum, you're liable to get significantly more people asserting that you're wrong than agreeing with you. Admittedly, Tumblr does tend to be less plagued by this problem than other platforms, thankfully. But I've seen creator after creator get harassed off platforms or choose more surface level interpreting of Taylor's work... hell, I used to be one of them. And much worse than that, I've had so many people tell me they would love to share their theories, but don't, either because of concerns about their physical safety or their mental health.

But surface level interpretations make me sad because I believe (among other things) TTPD-- and more broadly Taylor's work as a whole-- is designed as a giant puzzle of a group project, aimed at bringing us together and teaching us as many lessons about ourselves as it does about Taylor.

Swiftcraft is designed as a kind of framework of 20+ interconnected theories about Taylor, her purposes, and her art that allows for recontexualizing and community analysis of Taylor's work. More than trying to come to a conclusion about what the "truth" of Taylor's life, it's about understanding that especially because many things can be true at the same time, and because Taylor is known to fib and leave red herrings, we may never know what her truth truly is.

But rather than seeing that as a reason not to try, I instead see that as room for further theoristic potential. Especially because at this juncture of her career, I wager most of her songs aren't JUST about one circumstance or relationship or person: trying to search for a single definitive "meaning" prevents recognition of such.

And look: it's not going to fix the root issues of people whose opinion of Taylor is so integral to their being that they'd harm others over it, but maybe if we start to normalize the idea that we don't actually know the truth about Taylor, that they'll find some other pursuit to care too much about? Hell, maybe they'll realize what her work is actually way better when you give her more than an ounce of credit for her own success.

Idk, I can't fix it all, but i can do what I can do... which is: promote an attitude of, "Yes, it actually IS that deep!"

Anyhow, it's all a fair bit to get into, so I've hesitated to bring the concept to Tumblr but I decided to toss a link to the video i did about it up here for people who are curious.

[meta-squash]

@brighhton tumblr won't let me dm you for some reason, but it lets me @ you so here are all my Owen fics for you! (Plus a few of the gen fics I'm really proud of.) A few are Owen/Ianto idk if you're into that. Also the ones further down the list are literally over a decade old so fair warning I'm sure the writing is not as good as my newer ones.

The Subject Of Mourning Gwen had said Those poor girls. But both were dead, victims of Torchwood, of circumstance, of the most destructive kind of loyalty and love. Owen could only think Poor Ianto. The dead were dead. The living had to keep living with the pain. He sighed. "Fucking fuck this." Owen and Ianto in the immediate aftermath of Cyberwoman.

Risk Factors Who are you, Owen Harper? Torchwood? A doctor? A wanker? A broken heart? He really could do with being someone else right now. He really, really could.

Grief Procedure What's worse than betrayal? How do you fix it when there's nothing left to fix? There is no imagination in an autopsy. Dead is dead and guilt is guilt. Owen doesn't know what to do. Because Jack was his second chance, Torchwood was his second chance, and now it's all stained with blame and regret and death.

Temporary Reprieve “Don't you want to just let someone else be in charge for a minute?” Ianto murmurs. “Not make any decisions? Let someone else do it all for you?” Jack's gone, Tosh is injured, and everything is overwhelming. Owen's struggling with the responsibilities and stress of leadership, and Ianto knows how to help him shake off the need to do everything all at once. (Owen/Ianto)

Ex Utero Intrapartum Ad Torchwood Gwen Cooper was born into the world of Torchwood by caesarean section. (Gen fic about the whole team)

Hang On To The Thought Of Me Ianto informs Maggie Hopley of Owen's death.

In Between Days Now that he's trapped in this numb, half-dead body, Owen exists less as a person than as a series of interim moments connecting his body to this sort of odd, liminal existence of a life. Sometimes, though, Ianto is there to make it, if not better, at least a little more interesting.

Aftermath Sometimes, when the dust has settled, you need a little support. Owen and Ianto manage to hold each other up in their own ways in the aftermath of various cases.

Running To Conclusions The rest of them have managed to grow into some form of confidence and stability since Jack returned, but Owen is still all anxiety and precarious emotions under the false bravado. Ianto knew that when he started this relationship, but he had hoped something might change because of his presence in Owen's life. Clearly he'd been wrong. This is his square. The text blinks the labeled message again, reassuring him. You can find him with this. (Owen/Ianto)

My Knees Bleed From Praying This Isn't My Life's Theme Owen Harper, from beginnings to beginnings. Owen Harper, who had a brilliant mind and nothing but furious frustration, who found science and became a doctor, who found Katie Russell and fell in love, who lost his fiancee and found Torchwood. Owen Harper, who had a brilliant mind and a drive to help, who never learned how to deal with loss.

We Slept Before The Storm Had Died Down He's managed to get a boat back to Europe, but the waters are unlucky and there is no defence against the Toclofane.

Jagged Little Pieces Ianto wonders if this is his brain’s new version of fucked up, falling in love with the people he’s supposed to hate. (Owen/Ianto)

All These Nights Of Fucking Things Up Won't Leave You Clean Jack wonders belatedly if maybe he should have come later, when the pain isn't so raw. (gen)

Untwist My Knotted Mind He looks at the frightened woman beside him and can see no trace of the strength and ferocity he fell in love with. Now it’s his turn to help fix her.

Sooner Or Later You'll Stop Searching For Me Katie survived the surgery, but the results are drastic and cause her and Owen even more pain. They're breaking down together, separately, and neither can do a thing about it.

All That's Left After he dies, Jack offers Owen a gift of the past. Whether it's good or bad, Owen can't decide.

Bridges Burning In Reverse “We’re not friends at Torchwood, Ianto. You can’t have friends at Torchwood. No one trusts anyone else enough for that.” (Owen/Ianto)

Tall Is The Mountain That Bullies The Stream Owen has met his father once. He hasn't seen him again.

So Different Now From What It Seemed She feels like her life has been ruined. This little boy has poisoned whatever innocent happiness she may have had.

[bestworstcase]

What do you think is Salem's reasoning behind the creation of the Hound/Grimm-SEW hybrids? Is it simply a matter of creating an effective counter to SEWs or is there a grander plan in place for them?

couple of old posts:

on his anonymity

salem's experimenting

possible lovecraft allusion

the fox and the hound

always worth reiterating that the conclusion ruby leaps to upon seeing the hound's silver eye is incorrect; cinder has never seen anything like the hound before (but recognizes him as something strange on sight) and salem indicates that he is an experiment. he's unique; the first of his kind. i also tend to think his silver eye is, if not an complete red herring, at least secondary to him being a faunus. (see this post for a review of all the thematic lines connecting faunus to the grimm through salem.)

salem herself is also indifferent to power and mocks ozpin's dependence on symbolic "guardians" and "monuments" because that is, in fact, his fatal flaw. "there will be no victory in strength" is not only a central theme of the story; it's also salem's guiding philosophy. so while she has orchestrated attacks on notable silver-eyed warriors* like maria it is unclear to what extent she considers them to be innately a problem to counter. especially given that her general has silver eyes.

(*as always, this is a specific subset of silver-eyed people; the narrative uses the 'silver-eyed warrior' conceit to interrogate the idea of the 'chosen one' and the coercive and dehumanizing pressure that comes along with a perception of preordained fate. it does this with the maidens too.)

the most plausible explanation to my mind is that her experimentation with the hound was incited by what happened to cinder at beacon: the second linked post goes over this in greater depth but broadly, V4 opens with the question of "why did ruby's silver eyes harm cinder?"; salem suggests "because of the maiden's power" as the answer and then a little bit less than a year later, turns up in atlas with an experimental silver-eyed grimm. i think the answer she gave in V4 was part of a hypothesis that she is testing.

i also think the guy in the hound matters in his own right, and that insofar as he's a proxy for summer rose he's a red herring: if ruby is right about "that's what happened to mom" it will be in the unexpected sense that both he and summer chose to join salem, and he either died and salem used his corpse for science or he chose to do this for whatever reason. if ruby is wrong, i think there is a fair chance it'll turn out that he didn't have silver eyes until salem resurrected him, or else she went in reverse order and grew a new person inside a grimm. in any case i think she's prodding at the boundary between life/death and dark/light for the sake of deepening her understanding thereof moreso than she's interested in creating grimm immune to silver eyes.

[idealistings]

𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛 , 𝙞𝙛 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 ?

ALUNE LULU KIM has registered to be a guest speaker at new horizon's high ! we ask you to take this opportunity to ask this alumni about her pursuit of higher education , and rumour has it ... she even brought some free swag from the university of chicago !

death , car accidents , cancer , neglect tw !

basics:

name: alune kim nicknames: only responds to lulu age: 27 , 04/20/1997 pronouns: she/they sexuality: pansexual physicalities: at 5'0" with a slightly athletic build , lulu seems to not have grown much since high school . her hair flips between being brunette and blonde , and while her instagram has both , she's currently a brunette , with her hair looking healthy despite how many times it's been dyed . she has scars from the car accident as a teenager on her body , completely healed , but jagged edges and raised lines on her legs where they had been near crushed in the accident . face claim: lee ji eun personality : bright , intelligent lulu , falls victim to a bit of social awkwardness and validation from others --- always trying to make sure everyone is happy , even at her own expense . with a penchant for adrenaline rush , lulu found herself doing dares that often teetered the line of dangerous --- if only to herself . a bit childish and needy , lulu is a bit dense when it comes to other's emotions to her , and groups : science club ( president ) , track ( 100 & 200 m )

why is lulu back ?

lulu's been in therapy since what she's dubbed the 'chris incident' , and while she likes to think she's grown up since then , she still wants to believe that the people she loved and grew up with are innocent , and good people --- that no one could have done anything wrong . sure , they were hooligans , but they were all kids ! who wasn't a troublemaker at that age? she knows that if something happened , that it had to have been a mistake . a part of her returns to regain some kind of closure , some kind of insight as to what happened , because she knew her classmates , her friends . they were sometimes mean , sometimes jerks , but not … not that mean . not KILLERS . she wants to talk to the people in her class , try and see if they're willing to be a little more open than they were ten years ago , to see if maybe they can come to a conclusion --- maybe they can be friends again . & it's always been in her nature to try and give back to the people that helped her --- she couldn't have fell in love with astronomy and physics without her beloved science club , and she wouldn't have started pursuing her astrophysics pHD if it weren't for that silly little club and a lost boy who probably didn't even remember her name the last time they interacted .

background: death , neglect , cancer , car accident tw

alune was adopted by her parents at a young age ( from what she remembers her mother telling her , her college roommate had a kid she didn't want --- ) ; a wealthy couple that was struggling to have their own children , and despite this all , she found herself growing up in a very lonely , very empty house . her mother paid her very little mind and her father was out on business almost constantly , leaving her to her own devices quite often . they did love her , in their own way , she'll insist , and speak of the times where her parents took her to the carnival and different fairs that were held --- but she won't remember all the arguing and fighting they did while she was on the ride . her mother passed away in her freshman year of high school , and her father barely paid attention to her after that --- and so all the things she did in school was to try and get some kind of validation from him , to prove that she's not just some deadweight daughter . perfect gpa , perfect scores , perfect school --- but he barely blinked at her . at school , lulu was kind of a drifter . a wallflower , maybe girl next door type . kind to everyone , if not a bit naive and sensitive . she's often the girl people would go to if they needed help in class , or needed to copy down homework before class that day --- and she'd happily accept , if only after teasing them beforehand . she ran the science club , where she had most of her older friends that graduated and left the club to her --- and track . she didn't really have a solid friend group though , often described as a social blender --- good wherever you stick her , but not actual group of friends to call home . lulu , in her own spur of rebellion , often found herself going towns or cities over , enamored with the street racing scene --- admittedly , an upperclassmen from science club had introduced her to it in high school , and it became a heavy source of found family for her . with little to no attention at home , and not a solid friend group at school , the kids from other schools welcomed her ( and her family's money … ) , where she got dangerously addicted to the high of going fast and being one of the best as a newcomer . expensive cars , going fast , ruining her tires , a FAMILY … she couldn't ask for more . the one time lulu's dad paid her any mind was when she had ended in the hospital after one of the boy's she was riding with ended with their car wrapped around the pole , severely injuring lulu and the driver having died , one of her closest friends in the group . thinking that her father had come to see that she was alive and okay --- only to be met with a grounding and scolding for her to be "wasting her life away committing crimes" "this'll ruin any chance at ivy league schools" "you're ruining the family name" and she was angry . so angry that this one moment is the thing her dad decides to fixate on , not any of her achievements , not anything , just her one failure --- the one that caused her to lose her friend . she seemed to shrink back from everyone , becoming a little more quiet . "fuck your dad. do what you want," she remembers chris uttering over the waterbottle he waterfalled from --- having forgotten his after the meet . she watched her drink the last of her water , but didn't say anything . "you're way too smart to be held back by anyone, let alone your dad." and she took that to heart . although her and chris were nothing more than after school acquaintences, sharing some stories during track , talking about things and people the other party were never going to be friends with , venting and listening until practice was over. never really friends inside of school ; never sat together at lunch , but she'd make it a point to wave to him from her table , and he'd occasionally wave or smile back. it's always nice to know you have a friend on the otherside of the wall , you know ?

lulu dipped as soon as she could after graduation , attending uchicago's astrophysics program , where she's currently attending their pHD astrophysics program. her father passed away a few years ago when she was 24 , but she was able to air some grievances and speak with him . while they had a strained relationship , at the end of his battle with cancer , she was the one with him and signed his DNR . everything in terms of money had been left to her , leaving her to inherit the house as well as his money , as well as the house near her old school . a large hollow house she grew up hating, and yet she still struggles to sell it , even now . lulu still street races . god . she loves it . it's the one way to get her mind off of everything , even though her therapist will constantly tell her not to do it . it's not odd to see her hanging out with faces the class won't recognize --- kids from other schools she grew up with when street racing and finding family with them . while she doesn't really keep in contact with a lot of people from her class , she's been in contact with them over the years , coming back to visit them , and only them . she has a two published papers with a few others which is probably one of the reasons they reached out to her / requested her as a guest speaker . after all , everyone loves a child prodigy.

wanted plots:

anything . please dear god message me i'm such a weenie. jk ill update this more when i have an idea but >< ....... i have a wanted plot tag HERE , but if u have any ideas just slam them in2 my messages bc tbh .... im down for anything

[valeriefauxnom]

Phares: How Possessed Was He?

Ah, Phares. He's admittedly something of a bias of mine in the royal family despite his overall very small screen presence. I just like the science man, I guess! But the big revelation in the later chapters had me wondering for a long time the title of this post: how much agency did Phares have with the Progenitor? This probably won't lead to much of a definite conclusion or smoking gun answer, but hey, I'll try to observe things as I go and let you judge my words' quality.

As always with me it seems, very long post ahead...There's, uh, lot to cover and moments to cite in this one for me to properly build my case here!

Phares is first mentioned in chapter 2, where he is remarked by Euden indirectly to be 'good' and an 'incredible person' who works as Court Alchemist in the castle, researching all kinds of things. Now, Euden is something of a biased narrator when it comes to his siblings, but when it comes to describing basic traits of Phares, this is what he has to say in chapter 7, even after some of the 'perfect sibling' worship magic has worn off:

"He's a gentle man, and a lover of science." I personally feel this is a fair assessment that isn't too stained by bias. This is how Euden knows Phares in his limited encounters: kind, loves science. Heck, this seems to be corroborated by Gala Leif when he reminisces on serving the royal family and recalls Phares apologizing for turning Leif into a servant boy when fetching things for him.

And he largely lives up to this in chapter 7. He's the only one of the elder siblings to really try to step in and shield Emile from consequences out of affection, as Leo and Chelle have pretty much given up on him, but he does so because of familial fondness, 'because he's my brother.' (Emile almost seems to latch onto him through chapter 10 and even into the Blood that Binds as a sibling that would protect him without immediate mockery, as an aside) He largely is also very polite and...kind?

-He immediately notes he's pleased Euden is well

-Immediately clarifies that he is technically aligned with Dyrenell as a general instead of stringing along Euden's initial belief that he wouldn't join forces with it to gain something/manipulate

-"Heh heh. Dauntless in the face of unknown danger, eh? That's the little brother I know and love."

In general, his actions, -while wrong, -he converses with fond, polite speech to everyone, complimenting Mym's wisdom before eventually praying that 'next time they would not meet as foes'. It's at odds with his overall demeanor that suggests he previously wouldn't be one to endanger others, but not to the extent it's immediately strikingly out of character seeing as it is his introduction. It more reads that Euden might have overestimated his bro's kindness level and underestimated the 'mad scientist' level.

But then comes chapter 13. Largely, he's still the same, 'polite even when attempting murder' Phares, greeting them warmly and introducing Beren. Then comes this exchange, where Euden confronts Phares on this sudden change in willingness to attempt harm to him and other bystanders in the path to science:

There's...a lot to say here, and this is a big part of the larger claim I'll be making. Again, he leads with his kindness, "I am grateful". Then a claim Phares makes no distinguishment between good and evil and finds moralizing inherently useless. Keep that in mind.

I'll also note that about this point, Phares is doing a lot in the background, and knows quite a bit more. He releases Beren, holds meetings with his similarly-aged siblings...he also establishes that he does know Euden is fake, and is aware Nedrick is head of the Agito and is the 'real' 7th Scion. When exactly he learned this, I dunno. But still interesting if he has known it for some time.

Then comes chapters 21-23, where the Progenitor makes their official debut as Phares. First, the Progenitor seems to be in complete control of Phares, painting him as dead and gone in soul and mocking Audric with it all the while. Notably, to me, it almost reads like there's a bit of a 'dropping of the mask' in the Progenitor's wording in the scene "Father and Child". He starts polite, even addressing Nedrick as 'sir', and complimenting Audric's blow, but suddenly shifts into cold mockery of what used to be there, who he used to be. This continues to the next scene, wherein he makes remarks like, "And here I thought simpering over ideals was part of the Euden special" that would be very out of place for Phares, who, even when sending things to possibly kill him, more took on a cheerleader 'yaaay bro, you can do it, don't let my monsters kill you!' encouragement style.

But Beren has been noticing this, too. Beren actually seemed to be developing something of actual brotherly love for Phares, and Phares seemed to return it all the while. So after the Progenitor dropped the mask, he notes it.

Also notable is the sudden confusion into Phares' reference of self, as evidenced by the ? in his name. He starts interchangeably referring to himself as both from Phares' perspective and the Progenitor (ex: 'I will free the Progenitor vs. 'I am almost freed'), sometimes even confused in the same sentence!

(Honestly please go read "The puppet and the door", "Vessels of the Mark", and "Family" again to play a game of 'who's speaking that?' with Phares...) Ahem. Anyways, Phares is quite a bit colder to Beren as well, expressing that he needs only move according to his will and is effectively a tool even as he serves as Phares' right hand. This seems to cause some hesitation in Beren.

But then, as we know, Phares reasserts control for a moment, stating that 'it's been some time' to Euden, and otherwise imploring the family to kill him. Of course, we also now know Phares survives and lives past the chapter, now completely free of the Progenitor. And oh boy, more material here yet to uncover. First, a return to his kind sibling behavior, immediately trying to stop Euden from pushing himself, to promising to see Alberia and its people safe before exiting the main campaign, stage left.

But there's more, as evidenced by The Blood that Binds and Phares' own adventurer story. Again, he acts more consistently with his chapter 7 self than not, yadda yadda, but there's this interesting tidbit in his lines...

Hm. Here's where I get to the actual thesis of this post. This is a subtle but big shift from even his chapter 13 thoughts. Previously he held that 'there is no good or evil. period', but now he's almost making a more morally demanding (philosophically, anyways) 'there is good and evil, but they are dependent on the situation' claim. It's not exactly a unique stance to acknowledge the gray areas in morality, but to nonetheless have a moral sense with this claim means a great deal of thinking and consideration when trying to determine whether something is 'good' or 'bad' if one guides one's self not through moral absolutes but by the situation.

Now, we know the Progenitor's big talent when it comes to possessions is taking the same person, and warping them. Corrupting them, not so they make a huge shift in personality, but one two steps to the left, then one more, and another...Take Au!Euden, who seemed to possess the same drives of saving everyone and stopping suffering, but the Progenitor exploited and turned into 'when there is no free will, there will be no more suffering'. He's acting on the same principles Euden did, but in a darker way.

This is what I think Phares is going through in the campaign, through time: a slow corruption of himself. Xenos expresses it himself, that his chosen tools are more under his influence the closer he is to actually returning. And I think, after looking at a truckload of Phares material we got (well, relative to Phares' presence), I can finally say I agree and can add the extra 'and when Phares is still Phares, in control, his personality is still shifted' tack-on to the end there.

I'd also like to harken back to his statements when freeing Beren and the fam: "I, however, believe he is not a secret, but a POSSIBILITY", "Revolution. Progress. Perhaps you might even call it 'creation'."

Hm. The Progenitor isn't exactly much for 'possibility' in any sense, nor is he one for 'creation' of new things or progress. This leads me to think Phares is still mostly in control at that stage, working for his own aims (and trying to shuck the Progenitor entirely, if this is about the time when he starts messing with an Alberius REPLICAAA- ahem, to offset his burden). But then comes Chapter 13, where the Progenitor, now emboldened by Beren's return, starts asserting more control.

I'm going to reinterpret this exchange under this idea, despite the fact the writers 99% likely were not setting up the Phares possession line this soon given the scattered writing in Dragalia (ex: I think I recall reading there were 3 writers that each did entirely different arcs on their own, then piecemealed dragalia's story together, explaining a lot of its randomness and shifts). Phares starts warm, thankful Euden is enduring. Then, when Euden calls Phares' personality shift, Phares pauses abruptly and awkwardly, then starts speaking in colder, more distant tones.

Could this have been the Progenitor going 'oh, darn, I guess this isn't what this body would do normally, huh? Gotta step in and start asserting my personality more, then, to start establishing a new character trend so this doesn't look too odd'. It may not be intended, but if it was, it's brilliant foreshadowing something's increasingly not right with the dude. I'm expressing myself poorly, but I think you get what I mean. Phares starts this conversation, Xenos ends it (or otherwise heavily influences Phares' point of view here). After all, Xenos doesn't seem to particularly care about 'good, evil' or any other philosophical concept like free will and all that, so it also would align with his personality. From there, it's a slow creep to the Sacred Tree, when the Progenitor's playing most of the time even though he's trying to keep up some of the Phares act, incorporating niceties and maintaining some fondness for Beren. Or maybe that's just shreds of Phares peeking through, I don't know.

I also look to Phares' adventurer story and quotes, wherein he seems very tied and strongly devoted to keeping his family alive and happy. He wants to be a good big brother, and it shows, in yet another reversal of his previous claim 'he' cares not for the well-being of the royal family.

Whatever the case, I think you're starting to get the overall idea I'm suggesting. Phares remarks that 'it's been a while' to Euden when he reasserts control. A while, not the years and years that it would have been if Phares truly was not himself for about a decade and a half as the Progenitor pretended. He could be referring to chapter 13, or even chapter 7, but either way, I think those are the last times we can largely pinpoint Phares moving on Phares' will, even if it is a corrupted one. After that, I think it starts shifting more and more to the Progenitor. In short: Chapters 7-13 are a 'Phares, but to the left' shift of himself as Au!Euden is in chapter 25, and largely after that increasingly the Progenitor.

I should cut it off here, though, since this is waaaaay too long to begin with, even though I could talk about it for ages.

What do you make of this entire essay, though? This all could just be some bias of my own peeking out, or do you think I might be onto something here? Please let me know, and thank you for reading this whopper of a post!

Fun fact, if you made it this far: Phares taught Chelle archeology (and also is skilled in ancient languages), and thus indirectly contributed to her rapid development bringing back manacasters! I just find the idea of Phares teaching Chelle how to dig about gravesites of ancient battle zones on a fun sibling trip while the rest of the guards just kinda stand there and shuffling nervously kinda funny!

[lifestagemanagement]

Should I Take Career Counselling After 12th?

Deciding on a career path after 12th grade is a pivotal moment in every student’s life. It’s a time filled with excitement, uncertainty, and often, a fair share of confusion. With countless options like Science, Commerce, Arts, or even vocational courses, how do you know which path is right for you? This is where career counselling for students after 12th comes in. Let’s explore why taking career counselling after 12th can be a game-changer.

Why Consider Career Counselling?

1. Clarity in Decision-Making

After 12th, students often face pressure from family, peers, or society to choose a "safe" or "prestigious" career like engineering or medicine. However, these fields may not align with your interests or strengths. Career counselling helps you gain clarity by assessing your skills, personality, and passions. Through aptitude tests and one-on-one sessions, counsellors guide you toward a path that suits you best.

2. Exploring Diverse Opportunities

Many students are unaware of the vast array of career options available today. Beyond traditional paths, there are fields like data science, graphic design, environmental studies, and more. A career counsellor can introduce you to these opportunities, helping you explore professions you might not have considered.

3. Understanding Market Trends

The job market is constantly evolving. Career counsellors stay updated on industry trends, in-demand skills, and future job prospects. They can provide insights into which fields are growing—like artificial intelligence or renewable energy—and which might be oversaturated, ensuring you make an informed choice.

4. Reducing Stress and Anxiety

The pressure to choose the "right" course or college can be overwhelming. Career counselling offers a structured approach to decision-making, reducing stress. Knowing you’re on a path that aligns with your strengths and interests can boost your confidence as you step into the next phase of life.

What Does Career Counselling Involve?

Career counselling typically includes:

Aptitude and Personality Tests: These assess your strengths, weaknesses, and inclinations.

One-on-One Sessions: A counsellor discusses your goals, interests, and concerns.

Course and College Guidance: They help you shortlist programs and institutions that match your aspirations.

Career Roadmaps: Counsellors provide a step-by-step plan, including entrance exams, application processes, and skill-building tips.

Is It Worth the Investment?

Some might wonder if career counselling is necessary, especially if it involves a cost. However, the benefits far outweigh the expense. A wrong career choice can lead to years of dissatisfaction, wasted time, and even financial loss if you decide to switch paths later. Investing in career counselling early can save you from these challenges by setting you on the right track from the start.

When Should You Opt for Career Counselling?

The ideal time is for career counselling for students after 12th . This gives you enough time to explore options, prepare for entrance exams, and apply to colleges or programs. However, it’s never too late—counselling can be beneficial even if you’ve already started a course but feel uncertain about your choice.

Real-Life Impact

Consider the story of Priya, a 12th-grade student torn between pursuing engineering (due to family expectations) and her love for literature. After career counselling, she discovered her aptitude for creative writing and opted for a degree in English Literature. Today, she’s a successful content writer, thriving in a career she loves. Without counselling, she might have spent years in a field that didn’t suit her.

Conclusion

Taking career counselling after 12th is a smart move for any student feeling unsure about their future. It provides clarity, opens up new possibilities, and ensures you’re on a path that aligns with your strengths and passions. If you’re standing at this crossroads, don’t hesitate—seek professional guidance and take the first step toward a fulfilling career. Your future self will thank you!

[marta-bee]

News of the Day 4/15/25: Assuming Good Faith

Original source.

The way FEMA works, it starts covering 100% of the clean-up and reconstruction work after major natural disasters for a set period of time, then does less after I think three months unless you get an extension. NC just applied for a second one and got denied. FEMA will still cover some costs, actually a lot, but not 100%. A second extension would have been rare, but so was the damage caused and the fact it affected the mountains where construction's much more difficult in the winter. I do think it would have been warranted, but if we were operating under a standard old-style Republican president I can see them coming to a different conclusion.

Still. In normal times it's the kind of thing you could maybe disagree with the govt on but also understood things usually played out along similar lines.

Which is precisely the problem: Trump & Co. are trying to eliminate FEMA. And it's not at all clear if they just mean the bureaucracy (cut a check to the states affected and let them run it themselves), or if he just wants to throw states to the wolves and not be responsible for people unlucky enough to have a hurricane land on them. (You can guess my position, but I'm not being objective.) The point being, in the past you could assume the government had been fair and reasonable, maybe wrong but at least not looking for a reason to deny you emergency funding you needed. Now, you'd be naive to assume they were acting in good faith.

Which, to be clear, isn't just about FEMA, and that's a big problem, too.

More discussion about FEMA, extreme weather, and disaster and humanitarian relief both here and abroad (think USAID), below the cut.

The Fight Against FEMA

Trump Wants to Shutter FEMA. Can States Fill Its Shoes? (X)

FEMA denies disaster relief for bomb cyclone; WA to appeal (X)

Musk Targeted FEMA. Storm-Battered Communities Are Paying a Price. (X)

Trump administration ends key grant program that helps communities prepare for disasters

FEMA set for elimination, Noem says, amid bipartisan House reform proposal. The disaster response and recovery agency has been repeatedly criticized by President Donald Trump. (X)

Pushbacks Against NOAA and other drives to predict and address extreme weather

Layoffs at NOAA suggest Trump may want to eliminate the agency.

AP details hollowed-out National Weather Service offices that experts say risk lives

President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking to end nearly all of the climate research conducted by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), one of the country’s premier climate science agencies, according to an internal budget document seen by Science.

In an order dated April 8, the president directed Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi to identify and “stop the enforcement of” state laws that address climate change and other environmental initiatives. (X)

National Weather Service no longer translating products for non-English speakers (X)

Trump's Cuts to Weather Agency Stoke Farmer, Insurance Worries (X)

Glacier meltdown risks food and water supply of 2 billion people, says UN

Almost 40 percent of Americans report facing extreme weather: Survey

Other Stories of Not Helping Fellow Americans in the name of cost-cutting

“Too Stupid for Words”: Trump pulls back 20 semi trucks of food from Cleveland’s food bank (X)

Veterans respond to VA budget cuts.

How DOGE-linked cutbacks at the VA are impacting its ability to provide mental health treatment for veterans. (X)

Entire Staff Is Fired at Office That Helps Poorer Americans Pay for Heating. The move threatens to paralyze the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps to offset high utility bills for roughly 6.2 million people nationwide. (X)

Trump administration eviscerates maternal and child health programs. Alarm over ‘the health of the nation’s children’ follows federal workforce cuts by health secretary RFK Jr

Finally, Chris Hayes discusses a project I didn't even know about but sure wish was still funded because it sounds adorable and like such a good experience for those kids. Also because the amounts required for it really do seem like small potatoes. Surely we're not all this broke?

USAID and Not Helping Not-Americans

After months of cuts, State Department says it's officially shuttering USAID (X)

USAID Cuts: New Estimates at the Country Level (X)

White House proposes drastic cuts to State Department and funding for UN, NATO and other groups. USAID is newly moved to the state department and would likely be heavily affected.

I Am A USAID Worker Who Lost My Job. Here's What Trump And Musk Aren't Telling You About The Cuts. "By eviscerating USAID, Trump and Elon Musk are redefining what it means to be American." (X)

Federal judge rules Musk's role in USAID closure was likely unconstitutional. (X)

Trump Official Who Oversaw Closure of USAID Has Left State Department (X)

America’s Absence in Myanmar’s Early Earthquake Response: A Moral and Strategic Failure (X)

Global AIDS program teetering after Trump admin’s shock-and-awe (X)

‘It’s back to drug rationing’: the end of HIV was in sight. Then came the cuts

The US ends lifesaving food aid for millions. The World Food Program calls it a ‘death sentence’

Trump appointee Pete Marocco hands control of USAID to DOGE official (X)

Why Gutting USAID Will Hurt America (VIDEO)

And just in case you're wondering if it's all worthwhile:

Musk admits that DOGE may only cut 15 percent of its stated $1 trillion goal - and even that figure may be high (X)

[best-international-schools-2025]

Is Value Education Necessary in Schools?

When you think about school, what comes to mind? Most likely, it's maths, science, and other academic subjects. In fact, in recent times, more people have also been questioning why art is important in school. But what about the values and life skills that shape a child’s character and prepare them for the real world? 

This is where value education steps in. Alongside teaching academics, schools must also help students develop qualities like empathy, integrity, and respect. After all, education is not just about securing marks but also about becoming a good human being.

What is Value Education?

Value education is the process of teaching children moral values, ethics, and skills that help them make better decisions and lead a fulfilling life. It’s not just about lessons in honesty or kindness—it’s about cultivating a mindset where students understand the importance of respecting others, resolving conflicts peacefully, and contributing to society.

Value education is like a moral compass that guides children to differentiate between right and wrong. It helps them become responsible adults who can thrive in personal and professional relationships.

Why is Value Education Necessary?

The question, "Is value education necessary in schools?" often comes up in debates about modern education. The answer is a resounding yes! In today’s fast-paced and competitive world, children face pressures from all sides: academic expectations, social media, and peer influences. Value education provides a foundation that helps them navigate these challenges with confidence and clarity.

Here’s why it’s essential:

Building Strong Character

Schools are the first social institutions where children learn to interact with others. Value education shapes their character by promoting empathy, teamwork, and kindness. These values stay with them throughout life and influence their relationships and actions.

Promoting Mental Well-Being

In a world where stress and anxiety among children are rising, value education teaches them the importance of gratitude, self-awareness, and resilience. It encourages them to reflect on their emotions and seek help when needed.

Encouraging Ethical Leadership

Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders. By instilling values like honesty, responsibility, and fairness, schools can nurture leaders who prioritise the greater good over personal gain.

How Can Schools Teach Values?

Integrating value education doesn’t require an overhaul of the school curriculum. It can be woven into everyday activities:

Storytelling: Stories of courage, kindness, and honesty resonate deeply with children and help them connect with these values on a personal level.

Group Projects: Teamwork teaches students about cooperation and respecting others’ perspectives.

Role-Playing: Simulating real-life situations helps children practice problem-solving and decision-making.

Class Discussions: Open conversations about current events or moral dilemmas encourage critical thinking and empathy.

Conclusion

Ultimately, value education isn’t just an addition to the school curriculum—it’s a necessity. It ensures that children grow into compassionate individuals who respect others and contribute positively to society. Coupled with the arts, it helps create a well-rounded educational experience that addresses not just the mind but also the heart.

When schools focus on instilling values alongside academics, they truly prepare students for life’s challenges and opportunities. So let’s prioritise value education and answer the question “Is value education necessary in schools?” with action, not just words.

[kspp]

Time to be “Significant”

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”– Dr. Jane Goodall, Scientist & Activist

Christened the “World Environment Day,” June 5th, this year marks half a century since the inception and foundation of the moral principles to encourage and direct countries and people to preserve and enhance the human environment in Stockholm, also known as the 1972 Stockholm Conference. This indeed was the cornerstone for it heralded the admission of “Environment” as a sprouting and salient issue of global importance. It led to the marriage of science and society that gave birth to environmental laws and established institutions bearing environmental impacts. It set the ball rolling for international environmental diplomacy and, through these years, also prophecised the goliath we are now confronted with – climate change. We have come a long way since then, where stakeholders now convene to tackle the Earth’s triple planetary crisis – climate, nature, and pollution and facilitate the fulfilment of SDGs, the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, and support the adoption of green post-COVID-19 recovery plans at Stockholm+50. What will be interesting to witness is the outcome of the Stockholm+50 meeting for which my fingers are crossed.

At this juncture, it is too bold of me to comment on what other counties are doing or have committed to tackling the planetary crisis and hence will restrict myself to India. The honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi advanced India’s formula of ‘Panchamrits‘ at the COP 26, where India will,

increase its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 gigawatts by 2030

meet 50% of its energy requirements through renewable energy by 2030

reduce its forecasted carbon emission by one billion tonnes by 2030

reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by 45% by 2030

achieve net-zero by 2070

This is a testament to India’s bold vision and dedication to the collective global battle against the aforementioned crisis. It is, in fact, one of the very few nations on course to meet its Paris Agreement targets , and hence, it is fair to state that it is on its path to being successful.

Nevertheless, having said that, I believe it is important for India not to focus on being successful. Yes, you read that correct; I do not want India to be focused on being successful. Don’t get me wrong; every country ought to be successful, and I hope India does too. There is no harm or nothing wrong with being successful. But, success is just about oneself. I instead want India to be “Significant.” because significance is about others. And I want India to be significant both domestically and Internationally.

Domestically, it is paramount that India does not abandon the development needs of the most vulnerable communities. And hence, this planetary crisis must prioritize equity, exchange, and access; and have a human rights-based approach where development, along with mitigation and adaptation measures, fortifies the resilience of such vulnerable constituents.

Internationally, it is paramount that India puts its best foot forward, contributes to the international stage, and extends a helping hand to the most vulnerable nations and communities. To quote Dr. Shashi Tharoor, when countries, especially the developing ones, “Look at India, they say, there is a mess just like us. They have the same sort of problems; they have poverty, they have the divisions. We may have clans; they may have castes. If they can triumph over these problems, we can learn from them.” This is an opportune time for India to strike while the iron is hot, make an impact in the global arena, and also concurrently further its foreign policy through its environmental and climate change diplomacy.

In conclusion, even as we mark one more “World Environment Day,” I hope we all are reminded as individuals and as a nation – “महत्वपूर्ण भारत “( Significant India) that it’s about ‘progression’ and ‘not perfection.’ It is about getting into an ‘active relationship’ with this planetary crisis of climate, nature, and pollution, facing it head-on, one pebble at a time.

Credit Suisse Global Megatrends Conference. “Martin Jacques and Shashi Tharoor discuss China and India.” YouTube. 2016.

MEA. “National Statement by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at COP26 Summit in Glasgow.” Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Last modified November 2021.

NRDC. “The Road From Paris: India’s Progress Towards Its Climate Pledge.” Natural Resources Defense Council. Last modified October 2021.

Sohn, L. B. “The Stockholm Declaration on the human environment.” UN Environment Document Repository Home. Last modified 1973.

UNEP. “About.” Stockholm+50. Last modified June 2022.

[divorce-fiction]

The Seven Day Switch by Kelly Harms

Opening Tally

Marriages: 2 Divorces: 0

I hope we can all admit: Hatred is compelling. The Seven Day Switch thrives on this passion-in-negative, pitting Working Mom Wendy and Stay-At-Home Superhero Celeste against each other, but this not-so-cold war is only the beginning of a surprisingly non-ficitional take on a fictional bodyswap. Yes, the cliche of "I couldn't put this down!" but truly I didn't want to. This is no Morality Fiction, where the women end on a corny cryfest of how they were ~Both Wrong~ and the power of friendship makes them switch back. This is an examination of their shortcomings and justifications and public personas. This is a book that has heart AND brains.

There's also an introspective touch to the writing. Piling words high to the point of collapse, ambling setting descriptions without intent is the common technique for showing passage of time in a novel. Harms, in welcome contrast, runs the first-person film reel of Wendy and Celeste's entire thought process, with all of its rambling jumps and loose connections on full display. This makes you actually want to read through it to avoid missing out on the rich, internal world of these women.

The plot is this: After an uncommonly heavy night of drinking at a school fundraiser, Wendy and Celeste wake up the next morning in each other's bodies. There's the expected shock and stumbling, and they decide that a special, single-batch vodka Celeste ordered is to blame. They won't be able to get their hands on more until the next bottle is delivered in a week (title drop!) and, until then, entrepreneur Wendy intends to relax and homemaker Celeste plans to overhaul her neighbor's family.

I was anxious in the back of my head the entire time I was devouring this book. I expected that all of the lovely character development would result in a boring, Disney-style conclusion: Wendy would give up her productivity consulting business to make time for what was really important: Family. And Celeste would realize she was being too strict on her family and let her kids eat McDonald's once a week. Hooray!

Neither of these bland outcomes come true.

Or, perhaps that's burying the lede. Celeste's strictness is one of her greatest assets in the story, whipping Wendy's children into shape to help around the house, empowering them with responsibility, where Wendy, convinced she was the only one who could do everything correctly, had never delegated. It's shown as a true strength of her style of mothering, the militant care she puts into things like baking cupcakes for entrants to a science fair. The curse comes less as a blanket declaration about homemakers but about Celeste in specific: her husband makes all the money, and she has been pursuing absolute perfection to make up for only being a SAHM. Those science fair cupcakes might not NEED perfectly crafted DNA sugar helices made from scratch. She put herself second to everything in her life, never taking time to rest or take care of herself, to the point of ignoring a serious post-partum abdomen injury. Celeste isn't wrong in personality, she's just low in self-esteem. Her Mom of the Year act was never designed to shame the rest of the parents, but to justify her own existence.

Wendy, in contrast, is Working Mom of the Year: supporting her artist husband and over-achieving children, making feminist waves in the world of business-ownership, and still making time each day to be around her family for a whole hour. This balancing act belies an obvious truth: she isn't happy. But the solution isn't abandoning her ideals, and that's what's so comforting about this book. Neither of these women are in the wrong for how they want to live their lives, but how they've gone about it. They have mirror struggles, of never taking time for one's self. And Wendy's justification that her Excel-spreadsheet level scrambling makes her the best is undercut by the late reveal that her kids are a shameful compromise: in exchange for their birth, she agreed that her husband, Seth, would never have to lift a finger to help with them or her business or her life.

Shameful for Seth, that is. This man sucks so incredibly I don't even want to devote words to it. He's hot, yes, but also secretive and lazy and dismissive and unhelpful and resentful without intent to improve. Imagine the worst partner whose behavior you condone with "At least he's not abusive." That's Seth.

And Celeste's husband, Hugh?

“Of course,” [Hugh] says, without so much as a pause. “Whatever you need. Celeste, I don’t know what’s been going on this week, but I do know I love you, no matter what. When you’re ready to talk, I hope it’s me you talk to. Got that?” (pg. 240)

Hugh. Is. Amazing. I teared up at his devotion, his love for his wife. Taking on what most fathers would consider 'babysitting' when his wife seems to be in the midst of a mental breakdown, running interference on snobs at a gala dinner so his wife can enjoy her night out, oozing with attraction towards a woman who sees herself as 'over the hill'. I know men/husbands/fathers like this exist, but they’re so few and far between it’s often easier to pretend they don’t. He's a high-powered corporate executive who loves his wife, his kids, and his life. He's perfect. I want to run him through a cloning machine. No notes.

One last note: it’s the tiniest mention, something you’d normally blaze right past in your rush to finish a story: there’s a non-binary character in this book. Nameless, faceless, descriptionless. But with specified they/them pronouns that the characters respect. A hospital receptionist that exists for a paragraph and is intensely normalized. I like it. More of this, please.

Celeste and Hugh stay married and perfect forever.

Wendy and Seth get divorced after Seth's infidelity is discovered.

Closing Tally

Marriages: 1 Divorces: 1

Rating: ★★★★✮ (4.5/5)

[andtheghost]

01/16/24 - You’re made of contradictions

First off, I believe in astrology. I also know that it goes way, way beyond star signs. Really I think if most people looked into it with an open mind and allowed themselves to be honest, it would be hard NOT to believe in it. But also I’ve seen enough things line up too well to not believe it.

And we’re not talking prophets from centuries in the past making vague enough predictions that they could be plugged into any number of situations that have actually come to pass. In 2019, people predicted that there was going to be a pandemic the following year. Used the word pandemic. One of the videos I watched, the guy kept waffling around the word pandemic, because he didn’t want to scare people, but also he couldn’t deny that’s what it looked like. Some predicted a world war, because what they were seeing was death everywhere.

The problem with astrology is that it’s not a science. It requires some assumption, some conjecture, some guesswork. And there’s no test to run to see if your predictions are accurate. You make the predictions, then you wait and see how close you are, then you take notes on where you went wrong so hopefully you’ll do better next time. Or you look at what happened the last couple times this planet was in this house, and try to figure out how that relates to the world today.

I personally don’t make predictions, because I don’t understand it well enough. I do, however, come to my own conclusions on how I feel about other people’s predictions. But I base those ideas on the patterns I’m seeing in the world around me, not the placement of the stars.

But I have noticed this very particular behavior among people who believe in astrology that half amuses me, half confuses me, half irritates me. That’s too many halves, but whatever.

They take every transit, every full moon, every retrograde SO SERIOUSLY. Like dude. These things are happening every day. Why is this one so special? This could be the Taurus in me talking, but chill the fuck out, guys.

To be fair, I’ve seen certain transits have drastic impacts on me personally. And since I tend to be more reactionary when it comes to astrology, I’m rarely expecting it when it happens, and not prepared. I didn’t realize that retrograde was going to uproot my entire life for a month because I didn’t even realize it was going to be happening until it was happening. And even if I had known it was going to be happening, I don’t know enough about astrology to know how it’s going to affect me anyway, so how do you prepare for that?

Right now it’s Pluto moving into Aquarius. Apparently it’s the sign that AI is about to take over. Or governments are going to start falling. Others are still saying war. It’s also interesting how they all KNOW what’s going to happen, but their predictions are all so incredibly different.

In 2019, everyone at least agreed DEATH was absolutely going to be a thing, even if not everyone agreed on how it was going to happen. I suppose one thing being so prevalent on such a large scale, there were only so many options that could cause something like that, right? It almost had to be widespread illness or war.

As much hype as this Pluto in Aquarius thing is getting, no one seems to be able to pinpoint exactly what it’s going to do. Just some kind of drastic change to… something. Something to do with communication maybe? Or technology? Surely it has to do with innovation. But dude. Innovation is happening EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME. Vaguest. Prediction. Ever.

Nostradamus would be so proud.

But if no one can agree on what’s going to happen, maybe it’s not going to be such a huge deal? Or maybe it’s going to change something so integral to the very foundations of society that no one can see something that big hidden in all the little details.

And once again, the dreaded fate thing pops it’s nasty little head up. Because that whole concept has been kind of kicking me in the teeth lately, and it is RELENTLESS. Because if you can look at some stars and planets and asteroids, and multiple people across the globe can accurately predict a pandemic, then there has to be something to it. Or could that have been a coincidence?

And if the future is written in the stars for anyone knowledgeable enough to figure out what they’re saying, then fate has to be real on at least some level. But it doesn’t matter, does it? It still goes back to no one will ever know (?) so it doesn’t matter. And how incredibly boring would life be anyway, if everyone knew everything that was going to happen?

That’s really the thing I like about astrology: it’s interesting. It’s an intricate web of a thousand little puzzles to ponder and pick apart and the more puzzles you figure out, the more puzzles get revealed, and it’s just endless. And there’s no way to “figure it out” because it’s constantly changing. You can learn how the mechanisms work, but the planets are never going to stop moving.

In any other context, the inability to solve the puzzle would drive me absolutely INSANE. But I’m not really interested in solving this one. I like the fact that it’s unsolvable. If you solve the puzzle, that’s it. I like that it’s never going to get boring. And I’m really not sure why.

[scottdamron1]

Scott Damron  A Renowned Expert in Legal Battles

Introduction: Scott Damron, a prominent figure in the legal field, has garnered a reputation as an expert in lawsuits and litigation. With a career spanning over two decades, Damron has successfully represented clients in a wide range of legal matters, earning accolades for his exceptional legal acumen, dedication, and tenacity. This article explores his impressive journey and contributions to the world of law.

Early Life and Education: Scott Damron was born and raised in a family that valued justice and fairness. His passion for law ignited during his formative years, and he pursued this calling with unwavering determination. Damron earned his Bachelor's degree in Political Science from a prestigious institution before attending law school.

Legal Career: Upon graduating from law school, Damron embarked on his legal career with a commitment to serve justice and uphold the rights of his clients. His early years were marked by a series of challenging cases that tested his mettle and honed his legal skills. Damron quickly gained recognition for his ability to dissect complex legal issues and develop innovative strategies to navigate them.

Key Areas of Expertise:

Personal Injury: Damron has built a stellar reputation for representing individuals who have suffered injuries due to negligence or intentional harm. His compassion for his clients and relentless pursuit of justice have resulted in numerous substantial settlements and verdicts in personal injury cases.

Business Litigation: Scott Damron's expertise extends to business disputes, where he has been a trusted advocate for both small businesses and large corporations. His keen understanding of commercial law and negotiation skills make him a formidable force in the courtroom.

Employment Law: Damron is well-versed in employment-related litigation, defending the rights of employees who have faced discrimination, wrongful termination, or workplace harassment. His commitment to workers' rights has earned him respect among labor law advocates.

Real Estate Litigation: In the complex world of real estate, Damron's legal prowess shines. He has successfully represented clients in disputes involving property rights, contracts, and zoning issues, earning favorable outcomes in intricate real estate cases.

Achievements and Recognition: Over the years, Scott Damron's exceptional legal expertise has not gone unnoticed. He has been recognized by peers and legal organizations for his outstanding contributions to the field of law. Some of his notable achievements and awards include:

Membership in prestigious legal associations and bar associations.

Consistent recognition as a Super Lawyer, a testament to his outstanding legal skills.

Positive reviews and testimonials from satisfied clients who have benefited from his representation.

Conclusion: Scott Damron's journey from a young aspiring lawyer to a distinguished expert in lawsuits is a testament to his unwavering commitment to justice and legal excellence. His passion for upholding the rights of his clients, coupled with his formidable legal skills, has made him a sought-after advocate in the world of litigation. As Damron continues to make strides in the legal field, his legacy of championing justice will undoubtedly endure for years to come.

[stories-by-rie]

@daisywords : out of curiosity, how would you define "anithero"? it does seem like the term isn't used in a consistent way

okay, tldr at the end! here is the long version x) so first of all, i'm speaking from my scientific research pov, not as an author/literature pov. (but also understanding some science behind it can be a great tool weeeeee) minor disclaimer: i'm still deep in research so this all might be a little off lol

so. antihero is a super vague word. it's fine if everyone understands it a little bit different; if all it is, is a hero who is broody and wears black or whatever. sometimes, characters who clearly would be heroes are framed as antiheroes by the narrative and that is honestly a bit weird but also perfectly fine for enjoyment and all. if you look at the word more closely, i think you'd end up with what i want though: anti as in against - against hero? a villain? someone who is a hero but works against the concept of a hero? yeah! kinda!

for my research, i need actual antiheroes, which media science calls ~ morally amiguous characters (MACs) ~ and are characters that can be neither heroes nor villains by definition (acting in a consistently morally "good" or "bad" way). MACs may have a noble goal but reach it by evil means or just make bad decisions even if they try to be good. (or have a super evil goal but show great compassion!) THE number one example is walter white from breaking bad. but also zuko from atla would count and i guess plenty of ARCANE characters. i haven't watched a show in years lol.

and now comes some theory, but bear with me, because it's super cool i think :3 trying to explain this super short! Jonathan Haidt and Craig Joseph wrote a paper in 2008 postulating that 5 domains of morality "might be partially innate", and those 5 domains are harm/care, fairness/reciprocity, ingroup/loyalty, authority/respect, purity/sanctity. (basically 5 reoccuring themes in morality that they ~ found across time and space ~)

(now i hear what you're thinking. RIE, IS THIS PURITY CULTURE? no dw. but! there is a very fun part in this paper where they talk about how immoral actions are often described with words linked to dirtiness (across several languages).)

now, the whole idea of that paper is somewhat based in evolution psychology (which i am usually NO fan of) but it's a great base to study characters on! which was done! by Eden et al in 2014, where they found out that we associate the breaking of certain domains with certain character types. (again, very much broken down) but basically it means: heroes cannot break through all the morality domains without losing their hero status. you would not expect a hero to violate the care domain, for example (so hurting others/their peers), but it would be fine for a competent villain. however we would nearly expect heroes to disrespect authority. just think of how noble it is to fight an unjust regime. (the paper rightfully points out that these findings might strongly vary with genre and culture)

so this leads to (my) the following conclusion: antiheroes/MACs must break a domain, a morality, they would usually not be "allowed" to. a character fighting for good, who breaks the care-domain, could be considered a MAC. a villain who shows great care for the care-domain, could be considered a MAC. so just being broody or wearing black leather suits does not suffice here.

framing and narrational cues play a big role too, but in the end, what i am looking for is a character that makes you go "wait wasn't that the wrong thing to do for a hero? is this even a hero?"

tldr; certain character types are (probably) associated with certain moral standards and MACs (antiheroes) are character types that do not conform within those associations.

also, pls don't treat this answer as facts obviously! i just started research and my knowledge will forever be expandable. also it's just teh definition i created from literature but there are many more "official" definitions that differ from this. all this answer is supposed to be is food for fun thoughts and ideas :3

the papers mentioned under the cut cause long citations:

Eden, A., Oliver, M. B., Tamborini, R., Limperos, A., & Woolley, J. (2014). Perceptions of Moral Violations and Personality Traits Among Heroes and Villains. Mass Communication and Society, 18, 140613142702006. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2014.923462

Haidt, J., & Joseph, C. (2008). The Moral Mind: How Five Sets of Innate Intuitions Guide the Development of Many Culture-Specific Virtues, and Perhaps Even Modules. The Innate Mind, Volume 3, Foundations and the Future, 3. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195332834.003.0019

trying to find good antiheroes for my thesis and when i look at "the best antiheroes" lists on the internet, people seem to have come to the conclusion that antiheroes are protagonists who are also assholes