#she's great. she's a great person and a great teacher and everyone should appreciate her. the psychonauts don't deserve her

[2hoothoots]

been chatting with a friend who's playing through PN2 again and i want it to be known i will not hear anyone say a WORD about Hollis giving Raz a hard time at the beginning of the game. if anything she is OUTSTANDINGLY accommodating to this random ten-year-old who wandered in unattended off the plane in the middle of an extremely tense situation

[fuckyeahisawthat]

One of the most interesting things about the Atreides characters to me is the constant tension between formal and informal power dynamics going on in that House.

Leto and Jessica seem to have a fairly equitable relationship where they genuinely love and respect each other. This rests entirely on the fact that Leto is generally a Good Dude on an interpersonal level, who like, sees Jessica as a person and recognizes and appreciates her intelligence, skills and political acumen. While concubine to the head of a Great House seems to be a fairly high-status role in their world, we know it is not equal in social standing to the role of a wife, and certainly not equal to the male head of the House. Leto does treat Jessica as his equal informally, but by the social rules of their world he certainly doesn't have to.

Similarly, Leto treats Gurney, Duncan and Thufir like trusted colleagues and confidantes, and while they formally treat him with a certain amount of deference (addressing him as Sire or my Lord and accepting that he will be the final authority on things), it's also clear that informally, none of them are hesitant to speak their minds in front of him, offer suggestions or contradict him on something.

Paul's relationships with Duncan and Gurney are similarly complex. They're both older than him and serve as his mentors/teachers. Neither of them are afraid to tease him, challenge him, or reprimand him when they think he's doing something risky. They love him in an almost-familial way and would protect him with their lives. It seems like Paul would like to be friends with them on equal terms. But formally they are both his servants. Or, more precisely, while Leto is alive they are his father's servants and know they have Leto to answer to if anything should happen to his son.

The moments when the formal power dynamics assert themselves are always fascinating. When Paul and Gurney are first reunited, I would say Gurney is still treating Paul like a Duke's son and not a Duke. He's loyal and he is overjoyed to know Paul is still alive, but he still calls Paul by his first name and talks to him like he's giving advice to someone who's still learning. But then there is that moment when Paul pulls rank and gives Gurney a direct order to go to the south and Gurney's demeanor immediately shifts. He only ever addresses Paul as my Lord after that, and he treats him with a deference that makes it clear they are lord and vassal, not friends or family members.

(And like, technically once Leto is dead, Paul is the Duke and everyone in House Atreides is Paul's vassal--including Jessica. Practically when it comes to Paul giving Jessica an order she does not want to follow...well I would like to see him fucking try.)

Leto's leadership style with those close to him seems very much based on creating a familial, mutually protective vibe that wins him intense loyalty. (It is really interesting to see him try this on Stilgar who doesn't buy it for a second.) We see Paul try to emulate that, possibly with an even more intense longing for relationships of genuine equality that's born out of growing up with no peers of his same age and status around him.

But there is still always a little bit of power imbalance, because the chill vibes rely entirely on the continued benevolence of the Atreides men, and that benevolence can be withdrawn at any time.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

🎈emoji so I’ll see it:

AITA FOR NOT HUGGING AN AUTISTIC KID? (Long read ahead)

ok so I’m a middle schooler (M), yes I’m 14 (old enough to be on the site) and today we were doing some end of year activities (eg. signing yearbooks, playing games, etc etc). And I was talking to a friend of mine we’ll call her V. Suddenly I was approached by a teacher who said that a kid (let’s say Jessica) wanted to talk to me. I was like “oh ok sure.” Jesica approached me and brought me a card. Now some background on Jessica:

So Jessica is autistic and in all different classes than me. I’ve interacted with her a few times, she seems to have some friends? I don’t really know. In the past I tried to be her friend not knowing she was autistic (this is the possibly asshole part) but her behavior was really strange as she would often say odd things that made me uncomfortable (not perverted or anything but just really awkward) and would really kinda creep me out so once my class with her was over I never spoke to her unless she initiated it which only happened once or twice. Another thing that really bothers me is that I co-lead our showchoir group with V and another student and it’s a difficult job that requires a lot of participation and effort from all the members. Yet Jessica hardly ever does anything, she just sits in a chair half the time while everyone else is working hard. I know that it’s a spectrum and not all autistic ppl are the same but there’s two other autistic dudes who both work super hard and help out a ton!

Anyway she insisted that it had to be a surprise and told me to close my eyes and put out my hands. I absolutely hate closing my eyes in public due to the worry that someone will touch me while my eyes are closed but I didn’t wanna upset her so I did it anyway. When I opened my eyes she’d placed a folded over piece of paper in my hands. She’d written a card in pink magic marker, it was almost illegible so all I could make out was “my full name and grade, the date, summer (have a good summer?), and school. She asked me to read it out loud so I mumbled a bunch of sounds together to make it seem like I was reading it even though I couldn’t tell what it said on account of the handwriting. She seemed satisfied so I thanked her telling her how much I appreciated and moved to leave when she said “and what do we say?” Confused I said “thank you”. I think that was the right answer? She then put out a hand toward me which is a pretty normal gesture in our school meaning you want the other person to dap you up. So I did, to which she seemed confused and tried to shake my hand. She then said “don’t I get a hug? You have to hug me right?” I HATE hugs. It brings back traumatic memories and I really really could not bring myself to hug her epesecially since I didn’t know her well. “I told her I’m sorry but I don’t do hugs. I just really don’t like them.” She looked disappointed at that and then said “that was really sweet of me right, writing you a letter?” I didn’t know how to reply to that so I said “yeah it’s great.” She replied saying I had to right her back and that I should “write it at home and give it to her the next day”. Knowing I’d forget, I just grabbed a piece of paper and wrote it to her right there. It was a simple paragraph on a different sheet of paper with the usual stuff, “have a good summer, you’re really cool, good luck in hs” the kind of stuff you write in someone’s yearbook. she seemed satisfied and she put her hand out again so I dapped her up again. She then shook my hand vigorously and walked away saying she’d see my tommorow.

I hated everything about this encounter but I still feel like I did a good job being nice and stuff even though I have a hard time being patient with people that pressure me to do things (eg. Writing her another letter, hugging, affirming her over and over, the handshake thing). Idk V said it was a strange situation and I handled it fine but again was not hugging her bad of me? Or like did I mess up in some other way? I have no beef with autistic people at all and I’m friends with a few of them but is it wrong of me to just not like her?

Also thanks for reading all that but if it was too long:

TLDR: autistic girl wanted me to hug her as thanks for her writing me a letter and I declined, aita?

[nobrashfestivity]

I always appreciate the space you give to marginalised artists on your blog, in particular marking certain dates like yesterday's World AIDS Day with select individuals. It's a small thing, but it means very much.

That's a very kind thing to say, thank you.

There's really so much great art in the world, from everywhere, I wish i had more time to delve into and understand it.

Personal story:

When I was young teenager, I used to hang around a lot of artists and teachers. When you're a certain age, just being around people who live their life in a particular way is fascinating. These people did acting and sculpture and dance and they put on plays and painted murals and, most importantly, welcomed anyone who was interested to learn or participate in their whole world. These are people who would play you Miles Davis, introduce you to their favorite southern Indian restaurant, or take you to a Fellini movie. I almost could not conceive of the freedom these people displayed. The joyfulness of making art seemed like a whole world that had been hidden from the more mainstream part of society I grew up in.

Because I wanted to be an artist, I got so much encouragement from a whole community of older artists. It would be hard to calculate how important that was to someone trying to figure out if they could do these things as an adult. One teacher of mine at school was a mentor and a friend who gave me a book by Heidegger when I was 15. It was a small personal gesture of confidence that I could get something out of it. And that confidence made me feel responsibility, I think. Like, if someone you admire thinks you can do something maybe you should investigate it.

Another friend lent me her apt when she was travelling for 6 months. I was 16 and I never had my own place. This was a lively part of the city, you could look out your window all night and see the goings on, yelling, laughing, music, conversations. If you were bold you could by weed on the street but half the time it was oregano. One night I saw a cop car on fire sitting in the middle of the street. It remains maybe the most surreal image of my life.

A few years later, I watched many of these people waste away from AIDS. No medical person knew what to do. The government ignored it. Everyone joked about it. When you went to funerals, the parents of same sex couples often would deny the existence of these partners and shut them completely out of the grieving process. The stigma was so bad and society was so fearful. You would ask about someone you had no seen in a while and it would turn out they were gone. People were decimated and no one would even hug them when they were dying.

We lost a whole generation of artists. And the fear and hatred of anyone who was different continues now, just in different clothing. So, I never forget about AIDS because there are so many people I wish I could go visit now and talk to about life or art, but they have been erased along with many of their friends.

I know social causes can be annoying. Celebrities take them up and there's always some crisis jarring you to take action. But i think it's good to remember those people you loved long ago. It keeps them from becoming ghosts.

[roosterforme]

I'm So Hot For You | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley makes you some homemade hot sauce to show his love and appreciation for you being his sexy nurse.

Warnings: Fluff

Length: 1600 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

This was written to accompany my series Is It Working For You? along with a bunch of my one-shots! (But it can be read on its own) Check my masterlist in my profile for the reading order!

After spending weeks and countless hours helping Bradley heal after he had been injured, you really deserved something special. 

And now that you were going to be his wife, Bradley thought you deserved everything. But the one thing he knew you would love that he thought he could give you, was your very own homemade hot sauce. 

"Why are we here?" Jake asked him for the tenth time as he and Bradley donned matching aprons that said San Diego Community College across the front. 

"To make hot sauce, dumbass."

"Yes, I understand that much, but why are we here? I don't see why you didn't just bring Angel with you."

"It's supposed to be a surprise. You do know what a surprise is, correct?" Bradley asked him, like he was talking to a very small child. "Now put your gloves on so you don't burn your eyes later."

Jake scoffed at him as the instructor introduced herself to the class, and both Bradley and Jake settled onto the stools behind their workstation. 

"Hi everyone! My name is Miss Mabel, and I will be your teacher for today," said a very kind looking older woman. Bradley sat up straight on his stool, ready to make a treat that you would love. "It's so nice to see so many couples here. This is a great relationship building exercise."

Jake turned and glared at Bradley. "Couples? Relationship? What did you bring me to, Bradshaw?!" 

"I..... oh, shit," Bradley muttered, but Miss Mabel was already talking about different kinds of hot peppers, and Bradley really wanted to take good notes. He started scribbling down everything she was telling them. 

After Miss Mabel got everyone started on instructions, she started to walk around the room and help each pair individually. 

"You should have brought your future wife to couples cooking class, Bradshaw," Jake said, sorting the peppers by scoville heat units. 

"Can you just cooperate and help me, please?" Bradley begged, getting out a set of knives and cutting boards. "You know I can't do this right by myself."

Jake sighed deeply. "It amazes me that you manage to get through the day. Fine, I'll help," he agreed, handing Bradley the peppers in order of hotness to cut up. 

"Gentlemen, how are we making out over here?" Miss Mabel asked when she stopped at their table. 

Jake just shook his head. "Not sure, Miss Mabel. He's kind of a lost cause in the kitchen, but he's demanding that he takes the lead on this one." Jake held his hands up in surrender.

"I just wanted it to be special," Bradley grunted, dicing up a habanero pepper. "Can't I try to make something special for the person I love?" 

Miss Mabel just smiled at them. "Cooking for your significant other is always a gift from the heart."

"Yeah, well... he's being so grouchy about this. He keeps saying he just needs it to be perfect," Jake told her. Then in a hushed voice, he added, "But between you and me, Miss Mabel, his creativity outweighs his ability. And then he gets very snarky when things don't go as planned."

"If I get grouchy, it's usually always your fault," Bradley told Jake as he added an array of peppers to the blender. 

"You two seem like polar opposites! How long have you known each other?"

"Too long," Bradley grunted at the same time as Jake said, "Twelve years, Ma'am."

Bradley watched Jake measure out some vinegar and add it to the blender as he chattered along with Miss Mabel. 

"That's a long time," Miss Mabel noted. "You two seem to need to work on your communication with each other. I would definitely recommend more of my classes as a fun way to help you with that."

"Thanks. We'll definitely consider it," Jake told her with a wink before she moved to the next table. 

Bradley glared at him. "Will you stop fucking around?"

Jake just started cracking up. "She thinks we're in a relationship. With each other."

"Yeah. I caught that," Bradley said, shaking his head. "Now how much vinegar did you add? A teaspoon or a tablespoon?"

"Could you imagine a world in which I would slum it with you, Bradshaw? Hilarious," Jake drawled, settling back onto his stool.

Bradley rolled his eyes. "I would never date you. You are insufferable and irritating. That's probably why my fiancée turned you down. Now, did you add a teaspoon or a tablespoon?"

"Um, the little one," Jake replied, looking unsure of himself. 

Bradley tipped his head back and counted to five before looking at Jake again. "Bringing you here was a terrible idea."

"Yeah, mainly because it's for couples, but also because I am no better in the kitchen than you are."

When it was time to sample the sauces, Miss Mabel deemed Bradley and Jake's batch 'nearly inedible' and told them they should 'work on communicating and listening to one another'.

When they left the classroom, Jake checked his phone, completely unfazed by the epic failure. "Wanna stop at the Hard Deck?"

Bradley scowled. "No, I don't want to stop at the Hard Deck! I'm taking my jar of nasty hot sauce home and telling her you ruined it."

Jake just shrugged. "She's going to think it's funny."

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

When Bradley got home, you were just walking up the sidewalk with Tramp on his leash. 

"Look! It's Daddy!" you told Tramp as he pulled you along to get to Bradley faster. "Did you have fun with Jake?" you asked Bradley as he scooped Tramp into his arms. 

"No," he told you, placing a soft kiss on your lips.

"Where did you guys go, anyway?"

Bradley followed you and Tramp into the house, smiling as the sunlight hit your engagement ring. 

"Baby Girl, I just wanted to do something nice for you, but I made this for you instead," he said, holding out the jar of hot sauce to you. 

"What is it?" you asked, eyeing it skeptically. Even Bradley found the shade of orangish-green to be off putting, and he would eat pretty much anything. 

"Hot sauce."

"Hot sauce?! You made me hot sauce?" you asked, your eyes filled with love as you flung your arms around him. "I love it!"

"Well...." Bradley said while cringing. "Maybe you should taste it before you say that...."

He watched you dip a spoon into the jar, and the look of pure delight on your face turned to one of panic as the sauce touched your tongue. "What the fuck is in this?" you asked, coughing and gagging. Bradley watched you head for the sink, and he tried to suppress a laugh, but he couldn't. "It tastes like sour, evil vinegar."

"I'm so sorry, Sweetheart. I know it's disgusting. I tried my best. But the teacher thought Jake and I were a couple, and it was a disaster." He poured you a glass of milk and wiped the tears from your eyes with his thumbs. 

"Wait, what?" you asked, and Bradley told you the entire story. By the end of it, you were cracking up. "Oh, that's hilarious, Roo. I've got to text Jake."

"He said you would think the whole thing was funny. And I guess that's just one reason why I'm marrying you. Because you don't think I'm a complete disaster even when I am."

You looked up from your phone. "Bradley. You're never a disaster."

He shrugged and you wrapped your arms around him again. "I just wanted to surprise you with something you would like, Sweetheart. You were so good to me when I was healing, always making me food and taking care of everything around here."

You looked up at him and smiled. "I think going with Jake was probably your first mistake. We can try to make a hot sauce here. Together. If you want to."

"I took notes. Miss Mabel was actually very thorough."

Bradley watched you skim through his notebook before you grabbed your car keys. "Let's go to the farmer's market before it closes and buy peppers."

You seemed to know what you were doing, so Bradley held your hand and carried everything for you. 

"These are the little green peppers in my favorite hot sauce. Should we add them to ours?" you asked, pointing out some kind of pepper Bradley never heard of. 

"Definitely, Sweetheart." He watched as you picked out a few more. When you got back home to your kitchen, he felt perfectly at ease as you read Miss Mabel's instructions out loud and put him to work. 

Being around you was easy for Bradley in a way he had never experienced before. You laughed as he cut up the peppers and told you more about Miss Mabel's class. 

"We should go to a Miss Mabel class together," you told him. "Jake can just fuck off, he's not allowed to be in a relationship with you."

Bradley laughed and agreed, and while you blended everything together, he signed the two of you up for a salsa making class at the college. 

"Want to try the first bite?" you asked, offering the spoon to Bradley. He took a small taste, and it was good. Great, even. 

"Incredible," he said, and you grinned when you tried it. 

"It's perfect," you agreed, and Bradley played with your hair and kissed your neck as you made them eggs covered in homemade hot sauce for dinner. 

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

Just a fluffy little moment between these two (and Jake)! One more one-shot and then we dig into another series with these two if you can believe it....

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[yxlnst]

A formula of love

idol!Vernon X reader!Y/n

🎀 Summary 🎀 : In a high school chemistry class, you're assigned a science project with Vernon, Hoshi, and Woozi. Vernon takes a subtle interest in you, leading to teamwork and growing chemistry between you two. The project earns an A+, and Vernon asks you out for coffee, hinting at a potential romance.

🧸 Word count 🧸 : 1,018

Fluff

🧸 - - - - - - - - - - - - 🎀 - - - - - - - - - - - -🧸

It was a typical Tuesday in your high school chemistry class. The teacher had just announced a major science project, and you were mentally preparing for the work ahead when you heard her call your name. "You'll be working with Vernon, Hoshi, and Woozi," she said, handing you a sheet with the project details. You looked over to where the boys were sitting, each of them with a unique expression—Hoshi was excited, Woozi was focused, and Vernon was leaning back in his chair, looking as relaxed as ever.

Your teacher instructed you to meet with your group to discuss the project, and you gathered your things, heading over to their table. Hoshi greeted you with a big smile. "Hey! This is going to be awesome!" he said, his energy infectious. Woozi nodded in agreement, though he was already scanning the project requirements with intense focus.

Vernon, however, just gave you a lazy grin. "Hey," he said, his voice smooth. "Looks like we're going to be spending a lot of time together." Something about the way he said it made your heart skip a beat. He had this laid-back charm that made it hard to look away.

The project was about creating a simple chemical reaction and explaining its scientific principles. It seemed straightforward enough, but with three very different personalities in the group, you knew it could get interesting. You decided to meet after school in the library to start planning.

Hoshi was all about big ideas. "Let's make it colorful! We could use different dyes and make it like a rainbow!" he suggested, his enthusiasm palpable.

Woozi, on the other hand, was more concerned with accuracy. "We need to make sure the reaction is stable and safe," he said, his voice serious. "No point in making it colorful if it blows up in our faces."

Vernon was somewhere in between. He leaned back in his chair, watching the back-and-forth between Hoshi and Woozi with an amused expression. "I think we should keep it simple," he said, glancing at you. "Maybe we focus on a single color or reaction and make it really strong. What do you think?"

You appreciated his balanced approach. "I agree," you said, nodding. "We can make it simple but effective. That way, we can focus on the explanation and make sure it makes sense."

The planning session went smoothly, with Hoshi and Woozi finding common ground, and Vernon occasionally chiming in with a joke or witty comment. But what you noticed most was how often Vernon glanced your way. It was subtle at first, just a quick look when you spoke, but as the session went on, his gaze lingered longer. You felt a flutter in your chest, wondering if it was just your imagination or if there was something more.

Over the next few days, the group met regularly to work on the project. You were in charge of gathering materials, Hoshi handled the creative aspects, Woozi focused on the technical details, and Vernon helped with the overall presentation. He was a natural speaker, and his relaxed attitude made everyone feel at ease.

One afternoon, as you and Vernon were working on the presentation, he suddenly turned to you with a serious expression. "Hey, can I ask you something?" he said, his usual laid-back demeanor replaced with a hint of uncertainty.

"Sure," you replied, curious about the shift in his tone.

"Do you... do you think we're a good team?" he asked, his eyes searching yours. "I mean, do you like working with us? With me?"

His question caught you off guard. "Yeah, I think we're a great team," you said, smiling. "Everyone brings something unique to the table. And you're a great presenter."

Vernon seemed relieved by your response, but he didn't drop the subject. "Would you want to work on another project with me? Like, outside of school?" he asked, his voice slightly hesitant.

You raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his question. "What kind of project?"

"I don't know," he replied, shrugging. "Just something fun. Like a music project, or maybe a video for the school's YouTube channel. I think we'd make a good team, that's all."

You couldn't help but smile at his suggestion. "That sounds interesting," you said. "I'd be up for it."

Vernon grinned, his usual charm returning. "Cool. Let's make it happen," he said, his eyes twinkling. "But first, let's ace this project."

As the project deadline approached, you and Vernon spent more time together, often staying after school to finalize the presentation. The more you worked with him, the more you noticed his subtle gestures—like how he'd lean in when you spoke, or how he'd find excuses to be near you. It was clear that he was interested in you, and you couldn't deny that you felt the same.

On the day of the presentation, your group delivered a flawless performance. Hoshi's creative touch, Woozi's precision, and Vernon's confident delivery made it one of the best presentations in the class. Afterward, your teacher praised your teamwork and gave you an A+ for your effort.

As you packed up your things, Vernon approached you, a soft smile on his lips. "We did it," he said, his voice warm. "Thanks for being such a great partner."

"Thanks for keeping us on track," you replied, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Vernon hesitated for a moment, then leaned in closer. "Hey, do you want to grab a coffee or something? We could celebrate our A+," he suggested, his eyes holding a hint of mischief.

You couldn't help but smile. "I'd like that," you said, feeling the flutter in your chest return.

As you walked out of the classroom together, you knew this was just the beginning. The science project had brought you and Vernon together, and you couldn't wait to see where the next adventure would take you.

[weirdlyomniscient]

The Art of Being Mediocre - pt 2

Part two of my Naruto fix-it AU! Link to my masterpost here, where this concept is explained.

In pt 1, linked here, Kakashi had a mental breakdown in during the absolute horror show that'd been the Wave Mission, and resolved himself to find new teachers for his students. Teachers who, for one, could actually teach, and could also appreciate the three Genin for who they were (and not just ghosts of a past long dead) and allow them to achieve their full potential.

Now, that's all well and good, but not very helpful on its own.

Because... teachers? For his students? His standards were were so high it would be a wonder to find anyone amongst the Five Great Nations, not even mentioning someone he trusted enough to hand them over to!

The Chuunin exams were in three months; the clock was ticking.

He settles for playing into their strengths during this time: Sakura would work on her alreads outstanding Chakra control, Sasuke on his Ninjutsu and Naruto on his Stamina and passable brawler Taijutsu style.

During the evenings, he would search, desperately, for someone, anyone, to teach them.

In the last two weeks in Wave, while the village is being rebuilt, he introduces them to a basic course in shuriken and kunai handling. Sasuke, to no one's surprise and everyone's anyway turns out to be outstanding at it, but Naruto, they find out, has absurdly good aim, and Sakura came bafflingly close to stabbing Kakashi between the ribs in hand-to-hand when he didn't expect it.

(He can't believe he didn't do it before. What had he been thinking?!) (He hadn't been, was the problem.)

In Konoha, they reclaim ownership of training ground 3, where Sakura learns to spar a Kakashi clone on water, all the while keeping leaves stuck to her skin, Naruto does the same on land, minus the leaves (twentyfold, of course) while being pelted by fireballs by Sasuke, who has to run through the trees, trying to escape the waterbullets the third Kakashi clone throws at him every second he remains too still.

Every Naruto clone Sasuke pops with a fire jutsu is a minute-long break, every ten minutes Sakura manages to stay above water is one, every hit or good combo Naruto scores is one as well.

They get very few breaks. It's harsh training. It's more training they'd done in the entire time before ave combined!

They don't hate it as much as they thought they would.

(That's a lie, but they are very deeply in denial.)

Kakashi all the while stays in a tree, reading Icha Icha, and remains as aggravating as ever. He doesn't arrive as late anymore; that doesn't mean he doesn't keep doing his very best to annoy his cute little Genin into an early grave.

----

But as much as the days seem to be enjoyable, the evenings end up being torturous for Kakashi. He looks through longs lists of all Konoha Jounin, tokubetsu Jounin, hell, he looks through the secret ANBU registries to find someone, anyone, fit to his students.

There's no one.

Sure, Sasuke could just go to one of the many Jounin who would want to teach the Last Uchiha, but they could never appreciate him as a person (Kakashi barely could, and he spent most of his time around the kid) and they would never be enough to make Sasuke stay. Stay interested, stay strong, stay in Konoha. They could never make him to what he could be, what Kakashi saw buzzing under his skin.

Sure, Naruto could go to one of the few people who appreciated him, to his old teacher, Umi-something, to one of the rare people Kakashi would trust with the Jinchuuriki. But, again, there were so many problems. They weren't good enough for Naruto, not powerful enough. They didn't know about him. They didn't know him. They could never use Naruto's ambitions, his person, who he was, to get him to where he should be. At the top.

Sure, he could hand of Sakura to whomever. Hell, he could give her to practicaly anyone and no higher-ups would complain; she was a nobody. But that felt disgusting even as a fleeting thought. He had seen her potential in Wave, her inner strength. He needed someone who would not be blind to it. Everyone was blind to it. Even he had been, and he was one of the best! No one had ever bothered to look at the civilian girl and think, 'this one. She will achieve anything'. But Kakashi would make sure she would. Because she would stand right besides her teammates if it killed Kakashi.

They would be the strongest.

Now, just how to get them there...

He poured himself back over his notes on the three Genin, an ominous feeling of desperation looming over him.

[chaotic-archaeologist]

Hey Reid, really random question, but what do you discuss in office hours generally?

For context, I'm a new undergrad student (on a joint English, drama, and creative studies course, I know this isnt your department but it's not too relevant) and we've been sent forms to fill in about what we want to discuss with our personal tutor in our first meeting with them. I have no idea what you're supposed to talk about in these sessions and as the semester's only just started we're not yet doing assessments, coursework or big projects at all. Plus, as a joint honours student I don't know whether I can talk about my other subject well with her or not as she's only from one subject's department.

The only thing I was thinking I could talk about would be the fact that it's become clear already that my passion in the subjects is completely different to everyone else's on my course (there's only about a dozen of us in the classes for one of my departments) and I guess that leaves me a little directionless so maybe something about careers to do with that but I feel like it's such early doors to start discussing careers.

Anyway yeah, as someone who has already been there and who I believe is now doing it too (if wrong, sorry!) do you have any general recommendations of what students can talk about in office hours with their personal tutors or other teachers? Thank you!

Psst, I'm going to tell you a secret: the vast majority of students do not actually come to office hours. Even though they should! It literally cannot hurt! And coming to office hours is a great opportunity to build rapport with your instructor/TA and get academic help! But out of the approximately 300 student's I've had, I've met with maybe 10 of them.

I say this not to be cynical, but to drive home the point that you are winning by just showing up. You don't have to come with a list of perfectly prepared questions—you're a student, and you are, by definition, learning! Do the readings and assignments, and engage with your instructor.

Now, I'm not sure how your program works, and you say tutor rather than TA, so the etiquette might be a little different. A tutor is there to help you academically, while a TA is there to answer some questions, but by and large you are expected to be in charge of your own learning experience.

As a TA, I'm generally happy to meet with students by appointment, but I also really appreciate it when students are able to understand that I am 1) a human being with a finite amount of time and energy, and 2) my job is to support you but not hold your hand. Your section may not be the only one your TA is responsible for, and they also have their own studies to attend to.

Here are some things that are appropriate to ask from your TA:

To look over a paper draft and offer feedback (provided this is something they have offered to do as part of their job)

Request feedback on an assignment after your grade to know what you could do better next time

Schedule a meeting to discuss topics you are struggling with

And some things that are not appropriate to ask your TA:

Questions where the answers can be found on the syllabus (due dates, percentage of grades for certain assignments, the readings for a given week)

When will I get my grade? (See my above point about being only human. If assignments have been turned in, assume your TA is working on getting them back to you, and that they cannot do so immediately. Give it at least two weeks before checking in)

Asking for a particular grade on an assignment

As for your first meeting with your tutor/instructor/TA, I'll reiterate: just show up! Introduce yourself, say hi, and don't feel too much pressure to hit the ground running.

Here are some posts I've made that you might find relevant:

Tips to make your professors love you

Student conduct

Citation how-to

Thank your professors

Take a deep breath. I sense that you might be someone who puts a lot of pressure on themselves to be perfect. Nobody else is expecting that from you. You're learning, and it's okay to be unsure and make mistakes! Trust in yourself to do your best in the moment; that's all you can do.

-Reid

[holdonletmegetthisout]

For God’s sake start a journal already.

Somewhere along the way I was told I wasn’t great at writing. Maybe by a peer… or maybe it was a conclusion I’d drawn on my own? I distinctly remember sitting in creative writing, struggling to conjure up a story from the one sentence prompt on the screen. I’d stare at the lines on my paper for a few minutes, write down a sentence, find it lack luster, erase it, repeat. The timer would go off and we’d sit around reading our stories aloud. I’d sit in awe listening to the unique plots everyone had written. The teacher would call my name, and I’d go red in the face as I read my story that typically started with: “One day _____”. The class would clap like they did for everyone else, and the teacher would ask if anyone had questions (as if my tired writing could’ve left anyone wondering?? Honestly a sick joke on her end). No one would raise their hand, and we’d move on to the next person. Although now that I think about it, I’m not sure if I ever moved on. It seemed I checked off the box labeled “not a writer” in my head and never looked back.

I’ve always loved to read. Fascinated by beautiful pieces of literature, and the brain that thought to write it down. It was as if they had an endless bank of words waiting around in their mind, effortlessly turning to poetry the second their pen touched paper. That was such a foreign idea to me. I would sit for what felt like hours, trying to scrounge up ideas whenever I was faced with the task of writing. It always felt like such an impossible chore to me. For similar reasons, I’ve always loved music. It’s gotten me through every point in my life, both good and bad. I can make a playlist for any occasion, any person, any season. I’ll sit for hours listening to my favorite songs, dissecting the lyrics, relating them to my life. Easily finding hidden meanings to the words echoing in my headphones. My favorite songs touch places so deep in my soul that it brings me to tears. All this admiration for words… but no urge to write. It never made sense to me, and I never dug deeper.

One day (hehehhahah) I got a journal. I had seen a video of a girl who had been keeping a journal since she was 13. She was in her mid twenties and had years and years of her life documented. I thought about how wonderful it would be to read my 15 year old thoughts. They’d be immature and uneducated, and not all that great I’m sure. But just being able to know exactly what I thought, on a random Tuesday in my 15 year old life, that would be wonderful. I thought about how my 50 year old self might appreciate my 20 year old thoughts in that same capacity. I started writing as often as I’d let myself. I struggled to write when my handwriting was too messy, when I felt I had nothing to write about; nothing that important to say. Every small insecurity I had subconsciously tacked onto my writing abilities now glaringly obvious in the pages of my journal. Finishing off my entries with “P.S. my handwriting looks horrible today…and I know this was kind of a boring entry! Sorry!” Apologizing to myself?? For my own abilities?? For my own thoughts and ideas?? That’s when it clicked. I didn’t hate writing; I wasn’t bad at writing; I was scared of being judged. Writing in any format showcases your inner thoughts…your original ideas. I didn’t want anyone, myself included apparently, to be able to judge my mind. Is there anything more personal than ones own thoughts? More specifically a journal? Theres no form of writing more intimate than writing in your own journal. I had written for months with so much anxiety and restraint before I realized just how much I was holding myself back. I wrote about love; thinking I had found it, and the harsh reality of finding out I hadn’t. I wrote about friendships, work, good days, and bad ones. All with such apprehension. Holding back from pouring out anything I deemed “too dramatic” or “ too deep”, as if this wasn’t the exact place I should feel safe doing so. It’s sad really. Looking back at the problems I was going through, and realizing how much quicker I would’ve been able to get through them, if I had given myself the grace to write freely. You can heal a lot of pain by writing it down on paper. But not if you leave out all the terrible parts.

I don’t consider myself an incredible writer now by any means. I don’t consider myself a writer at all. But I know now that I actually do like to write. I still struggle to find the right words, and I know for certain my journal is full of grammatical errors. But I’ve decided my thoughts mean more than any mistakes made while I express them. That’s progress for me. My new goal is to find beauty in my own writing. I’m really not asking for much from myself this early on in my writing journey. Something as small as the gratification I feel when using a favorite word (some examples: drat, superfluous, somber, ennui, rats! (Yes, used as an exclamation)) Is enough. It just feels good to let my thoughts be free, I’ve got far too many of them to let them fester inside for too long.

[apocalypticavolition]

Let's (re)Read The Great Hunt! Chapter 39: Flight from the White Tower

Yeah, we spent a book and a half getting here, but it's already time to get going again. That's the problem with fantasy novels. You never get a chance to appreciate the scenery of anything. The best lodgings you can hope for are the same inns that all the other tourists (most of them in ominous black cloaks that hide their features) are staying at. You never get a chance to find the little restaurants the locals go to or find the attractions no one's even heard about. You don't even get a chance to avoid spoilers like I'm giving you here by saying this post spoils the whole damn Wheel of Time series. Don't keep reading if you don't want that.

We have the Ogier symbol again, because now it's the girls' turn to go through the Waygates.

Even a few men had come with petitions, standing by themselves, looking unsure about being in the White Tower, and eyeing everyone else uneasily.

Not gonna lie, if I ever had to visit the White Tower I'd spend the whole time worrying that I was a male channeler who just didn't know it yet and that at any minute the Amyrlin and the whole of the Red Ajah would descend upon me like locusts.

“This would do better for a turn in some lord’s park than a ride to Toman Head,” Nynaeve had said dryly as Egwene helped her with the buttons of a gray silk with thread-of-gold work and pearled flowers across the bosom and down the sleeves, “but it may allow us to leave unnoticed.”

People joke about Jordan's fashion obsession, but note here that these details are only important as part of the jarring contrast to the uniforms the girls were wearing previously.

Min had kept her breeches and baggy man’s shirt under a boy’s brown cloak and coat, with an old, wide-brimmed hat pulled down over her short hair. “One of us has to be the servant,” she had said, laughing.

That's not a convenient excuse at all, Min. You clearly just like men's clothes. It's a shame you forget that later because even if we just assume it's a personal preference as opposed to anything genderqueer, it's still a hell of a standout trait.

The Aes Sedai had not seen them yet, but Egwene recognized her; Takima, of the Brown Ajah, who taught the history of the White Tower and Aes Sedai, and who could recognize one of her pupils at a hundred paces.

The in-universe stereotype of the Browns as too wrapped up in their reading to notice the world is demonstrated to be false yet again. It's almost a surprise it catches on at all, with Takima likely being so many women's first introduction to the Ajah.

Also note how decayed the White Tower is that a Sitter, who by all rights should be quite busy with her job, is also a teacher, which should be another full-time job.

She found it hard to think that there had been a time when she had been eager to have an adventure, to do something dangerous and exciting like the people in stories. Now she thought the exciting part was what you remembered when you looked back, and the stories left out a good deal of unpleasantness.

Remember when Rand was convinced until Shadar Logoth that Egwene was having a great time and didn't have a care in the world? Remember when Perrin was grumbling about how she was obsessed with dancing with Aram? Those POVs sure are unreliable, aren't they

The man blinked at Nynaeve’s ring, then at her. “I was told two,” he said at last, sounding unimpressed.

Plan B failing to work here, it naturally graduates to Plan A for all three of these ladies going forward.

As they were riding out, Elayne tossed him a coin and murmured, “For your trouble, goodman. You have done well.” Outside, she caught Egwene’s eye and smiled. “Mother says a stick and honey always work better than a stick alone.”

I think Machiavelli said something like that too, though he also said the stick alone was better than the honey alone and I'm not convinced. Nynaeve of course is much too used to having to fight her way to get anything to remember that honey is an option.

By the outer side of the wall, carriages, carts, and people bustled along a street, while inside lay a wilderness of sorts. The grove had neither the tame look of a park nor the complete haphazardness of the forest depths. Rather, it seemed to be the ideal of nature, as if this were the perfect woods, the most beautiful forest that could be.

No doubt the Ogier laid it all out for the optimal growth of everything inside, a pattern that nature tries to use but is always forced away from by terrain and weather.

“Forgive us, Liandrin Sedai. They did not tell us; we overheard. We did not mean to listen to anything we should not have, but we did overhear. And we want to help Rand al’Thor, too. And the other boys, of course,” she added quickly.

"I think their names are Map and Terrin?"

Do you not think there are those who would question you when they are found to be gone? Do you believe the Black Ajah would be gentle with you just because you are heir to a throne? Had you remained in the White Tower, you might not have lived the night.

Note that at no point does Liandrin say that she did anything to stop such a thing, which would have been false but a lot more reassuring.

“You do not have to come,” Liandrin said. “You can wait here for me, safely enclosed by the fence until I come for you. Or perhaps the Black Ajah will find you before anyone else.” Her smile was not pleasant.

Then Liandrin started cackling and after she recovered began to mutter to herself about how she'd show "them", she'd show them all!

And none of the girls were the least bit suspicious. I can get Elayne (too used to Elaida) and Egwene (too eager to be the best) not getting it but Nynaeve and Min should be ashamed.

Time seemed to stretch out, as if the cold crept over her by the width of one hair at a time, and every hair took minutes.

Really it's a miracle any person or animal can cross this kind of threshold at all. It must do terrible things to your blood pressure. (Have I already said that? I should look back but I'm not going to! Suck it, readers!)

“As long as you know you deserved to,” she murmured, “then you didn’t deserve to.” Suddenly she chuckled. “Sometimes I think it was sayings like that more than anything else that created the title of Wisdom. Well, here’s another. You break your neck, and I’ll see it mended just so I can break it again.”

1. Yeah, Egwene definitely has humility at times. Haters forget that.

2. Nynaeve absolutely would. I imagine she never finds out about Rand's post-series situation because if she did she'd kill him and raise him again just for leaving everyone in the lurch like that.

“Elaida taught me a little about the Ways. She would not say much. Not enough,” she added glumly. “Or maybe too much.”

You know, considering that pre-series Elaida isn't a powermad fool corrupted by a source of evil so foul it violently reacts with actual evil, I don't think we give her enough credit for how miserable it must have been being Elayne's tutor. "What are the Ways? What's a sa'angreal? How many people can I link with? What if I did X to a ter'angreal instead of Y? Is there a weave to cure all of the injured animals I found in the last three months?"

“Elaida says the rules of nature do not hold in the Ways. At least, not the way they do outside.”

I feel like we had this infodump before. Frankly, I actually find it kinda realistic that Egwene has absolutely no memory of it now though (Ha! Now my poor memory has a point! Suck it again, readers!).

Somehow, she had thought the Shadow’s taint on the Ways would hide it from her. She could sense that taint, after a fashion. It was faint and had nothing to do with saidar, but she was sure that reaching for the True Source here would be like baring her arm to foul, greasy smoke in order to reach a clean cup.

I feel like this was probably meant to hint at some aspect of the metaphysics that came to play when cleansing the taint or maybe using Callandor, but it never quite went anywhere. It is good confirmation at least that what's gone wrong with saidin isn't something unique to men.

“Moiraine does not know so much as she thinks.” She popped the cheese into her mouth with a smile.

Liandrin isn't as right as she thinks, I suspect, but I do enjoy the smugness. What tools might she have to deal with the Black Wind herself? I doubt very much that the Forsaken have any expertise or tools for this kind of scenario, so if she does have a method, it's something the Third Age Aes Sedai came up with.

Egwene, what if, after all you are going through for him, Rand doesn’t marry you? What if he marries some woman you’ve never seen before, or Elayne, or me? What then?

Min is using the inclusive or, naturally.

Egwene made herself go along with it, saying if she did become a Green she would have ten Warders.

Well, she's one-seventh Green and one seventh of ten is one and some, which is basically the total number of Warders Egwene takes. Completely accidental non-foreshadowing arrived at through dumb math tricks and either acknowledging that Egeanin isn't much of a Warder or, more popularly with the fandom, suggesting that Gawyn is a fraction of a person - and a smaller fraction at that.

She would not let anyone glimpse the parchment she compared to the Guidings, stuffing it away with a curt, “It is nothing you would understand,” when Nynaeve asked.

Considering Liandrin's track record, we must assume that she's actually being at least Aes Sedai honest here and that Nynaeve wouldn't understand what she's seeing. So either it's very esoteric or it's at least a subtle affirmation of Liandrin's being evil and not a glaring sign of one.

“We are here,” Liandrin said, smiling. “I have brought you at last to where you must go.”

Speaking of glaring signs...

Oh wait, we're at the end of the chapter. I'm not going to talk about anything now. Next time: Damane.

[everythingsinred]

Let's Talk About NatsuMikan: Mikan (pt. 6)

Part 5 was posted very late and it took me so long to do and tired me out, so I was debating whether or not I should post today or leave it for tomorrow until I remembered that it's VALENTINE'S DAY! I'd be writing about them today anyway, so why not just post? Y'all just have more reading material for later.

Anyway, we just went over the Reo Arc! We know from Natsume's essay that his feelings have done a complete 180 and he's now very into her, but she's not privy to that information. Instead, we'll focus on her side of things and her newfound fondness for him.

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Chapter Seventeen

This last arc was a major turning point for both Natsume and Mikan. The difference is that Natsume has caught feelings (intensely romantic in nature), and Mikan has just started to think of him as a new friend. Just like Natsume doesn’t realize that Mikan has started to understand him better, Mikan is and will continue to be entirely oblivious to his romantic feelings for her. 

Mikan begins her day in a great mood: she’s a single star now and has an immediate promotion in accommodations. She’s made a few more friends and she’s helped rescue somebody. She’s proud of herself. It’s not hard to make Mikan happy. She’s only a single star now, but her increased allowance, nicer room, and tastier food are all a huge step up from her no-star status, so she’s over the moon. By the time she finally gets to class for the first time in a week since the incident, everybody has heard rumors about what happened and is demanding details. Mikan, always eager to be liked and bask under the scope of positive attention, is happy to comply. She and Sumire fight under the spotlight for just a moment until Ruka and Natsume enter the classroom.

Sumire is Mikan’s friend now. She will always be difficult in some ways, but Mikan gets her now. Mikan doesn’t need people to be perfect to like them. She just needs to see that side of goodness, to understand how they work, in order to properly appreciate them. This is why I don’t think she’s a masochist. She’s just more patient than a normal person might be. She is willing to tolerate a certain level of bad behavior if she can see the goodness now and then. She’s always felt that way about Hotaru, and now she can feel that way about Natsume and Sumire. She was able to figure Sumire out, so now they can be friends, in their own special way, even if she isn’t as nice or sweet as one might expect. 

NatsuMikan is able to function solely because Mikan is willing to put in effort. Natsume might love her now but her persistence is what allows them to have any kind of relationship.

Mikan wants that to be the case with Natsume. After all, she learned so much about him during that kidnapping incident. She sees him in an increasingly better light. That must mean she gets him now, that she’s figured him out the same way she’s figured Sumire out. So she smiles at him. That’s what friends do--smile at each other! “Good morning,” she begins to say, but he’s already turned around, intent on ignoring her.

The thing is, Mikan hasn’t figured Natsume out. She’s only gotten more clues to unlocking the bigger picture, but she still has a while to go before she can finally understand him. She might want to be friends with him now, but he’s giving off no indication that he feels the same. 

But Ruka is. He smiles at her and greets her. 

That’s good enough for now. After all, Mikan understands Natsume well enough now to accept that he won’t all of a sudden act like a best friend. She understands Sumire, and she’s starting to figure out Natsume. That’s a good start, and she’s still pleased with it. 

These days everyone is working on the culture fest. Mikan gets little previews of what the other classes are working on, but one by one, all her classmates are summoned away by their ability class teachers. And although Mikan is excited to continue her work on the special ability class’s event, she can’t help but be jealous that her class doesn’t seem to have a teacher. 

She's so insecure she's even jealous of the DA Class for having a teacher. Ridiculous. Trust me, Mikan--you don't want him.

She again feels like a reject, like a loser. Mikan compares herself to others often, creating expectations for herself and her circumstances that wouldn’t exist otherwise. She loves the SA class. It’s a place where she can feel accepted and at home. But other classes work a certain way, so she feels like her class lacking those particular features means that there’s somehow something wrong with her. 

Lucky for her, the SA class does have a teacher, a time-tripper named Nodacchi who is frequently absent because of his chaotic alice. Mikan is very happy with her new teacher. He is just what she wanted from an ability teacher. He’s also intent on helping her train her alice. After all, her alice will be central in making sure their festival event goes smoothly.

Before they begin their training, he gives a tutorial on alice shapes. There are four shapes, and Nodacchi tells her that figuring out which shape her alice has will be important in the future (yes, it will). Mikan is struck with the new realization that an alice can disappear, that her classmates could leave, that she might have to leave. After all, each alice has its own unique lifespan.

Except, as Misaki points out, the fourth type is a little different. With the fourth type, the alice use (which is limitless--to an extent) affects the user’s lifespan. It’s not a matter of leaving the school earlier than planned; it’s a matter of life or death.

Mikan instantly thinks of Natsume.

She figures this out so fast. Don't be fooled by her trying to dispel the "bad thoughts"--she'll always keep this concept in mind.

A genius Alice with an enormous amount of power, who sometimes becomes so weak and exhausted he’s hospitalized? Natsume fits the bill pretty well…

But Mikan is horrified that she randomly thought of Natsume for no good reason and shakes herself.

Mikan is incredibly intuitive. She gets feelings about things and is quick to connect dots. She knows very little about Natsume but is already on the verge of figuring out his alice shape. The thing is that Mikan is ten years old, a little stupid, and her relationship with Natsume is complicated. She’s not consciously evaluating and investigating Natsume. He’s just a bothersome classmate who is a little less bothersome than he was before. If he comes to mind during a lecture, her first instinct isn’t to look closer at why that might be--it’s to shake herself free of those weird unwelcome thoughts and move on. So instead of wondering why she thought of Natsume in relation to conversation about the fourth alice shape, she’s wondering why she thought of Natsume at all. And so she moves it from her mind.

(It’s also worth noting that Mikan has this lesson with Noda after the Reo incident in the manga, whereas in the anime, she has it before. In the anime, it seems more random, thinking of Natsume like that. She has no real reason to assume he’s sickly, but as the anime continues she sees more evidence proving which shape he has. In the manga, she has already seen that he can get ill, and she’ll only see further evidence in the future. Additionally, her refusal to think about it will cease to be about her being naive and begin to be about the fact that she doesn’t want it to be true so she refuses to think about it.)

Now it’s time to start training Mikan’s alice. She’s going to stop Nodacchi from time-tripping, a much more straight-forward approach than she had been anticipating. But she has no time to linger on it, because he’s already starting to disappear. Freaked out and overwhelmed, she tackles him, her alice successfully keeping him grounded. 

Nodacchi is repentant that he used such a scary tactic, but he was sure it would work to unleash her potential. He tells her there was once a person who had the same nullification alice as her. That person used their alice best when they were protecting people. And like father, like daughter, that’s the way it works for Mikan as well. Yes, she can use her alice to protect herself from time to time, but for the most part, her alice is at its best when she’s protecting somebody. 

Another connection to her parents!

We can see yet another connection between Mikan and a mysterious other person. First that woman and now her dad; Mikan only gets little references and suggestions of people who have things in common with her. It’s easy to assume that just because Mikan doesn’t linger on this that she dismisses the information, but we know that’s not true. Mikan feels a connection with her father, as evidenced by the omake we discussed at the beginning of this essay. This does not go above her head, as we’ll see in a chapter or two after the Christmas Ball. I’ll discuss it more later, but it’s still worth it to keep it in mind as we read ahead.

Mikan has already demonstrated that her alice works best protecting others a few times, particularly just now in the Reo Arc, when she was able to stop Natsume from killing himself with her alice. Again, the protective potential of her alice is so incredible that it’s sad she constantly feels insecure about it. As I said, Mikan compares herself with others too much, and when she sees what other alices can do, she starts feeling like there’s something wrong with her when she can’t do the same thing. 

But she is happy to hear that her alice can protect others. She has been concerned since she first discovered her alice that it might be a selfish power. Hearing Nodacchi tell her that somebody with the very same alice focused his power on protecting others and not just himself makes her feel a lot better about her nullification. She can protect people because someone like her was able to do it.

So she excitedly gets ready to continue the training--only for the nullification not to work the next time.

Chapter Eighteen

It’s time for the Alice Culture Festival! 

Mikan is running late for the opening ceremony because she accidentally went to the wrong place on account of being very tired. She’s been doing a lot of alice training, so it’s exhausting for her.

Especially because her alice training is with Natsume.

Because Nodacchi disappeared, Mikan is low on options. She has to train with someone who has an offensive alice, something she can counter, so Hotaru and most of her SA classmates are out of the question. She nullifies pheromones without any effort, so asking Narumi would be no good. Asking Koko would probably be a good idea because she continues to be weak to his alice throughout the manga, but instead she approaches Natsume, who certainly has an offensive alice. He’s her partner too, so he might have extra reason to help her, maybe?

"This is bullying!" "This is humor!" Blah blah. Sure, but it's also an act of love.

I think it’s telling that she approached him. Whether or not he’s nice to her yet is irrelevant. She fully contemplates this later during the Z Arc (and me mentioning this arc so often is maybe foreshadowing that there will be lots to read when those chapters come around) but for now it might be a less conscious thought: so far in the story, her big uses of her alice have involved Natsume’s alice. She’s been most successful with him, so asking him is only natural.

She pleads with him, desperate to train her alice, and is surprised when he easily agrees. But he’s a sadist, and obviously only agreed so that he could torture her! It was a hard few days, she recalls, but ultimately her alice did get better. 

So Mikan and Natsume spent time together. Seeing as Nodacchi gave her the primary goal of refining her alice, Mikan must have spent most of the time she was meant to be working on the culture fest with Natsume. He’s not doing anything anyway, so she can practice with him--and suffer--for most of the time leading up to the beginning of the festival. The details of all this time spent together isn’t shown, but it’s fun to imagine how it went.

(Again you must forgive me for only offering Mikan’s perspective here. This is her essay after all. If you still haven’t read Natsume’s part, feel free to read his parts as they’re more outwardly romantic and for longer.)

As she’s musing on this moment, she trips and falls, leading her to meet the Principal students. They are elegant and kind and Mikan is impressed by them, so much so that she immediately spills about it to Hotaru and Yuu when she finally meets up with them again. Since Sakurano is on stage at that very moment, Yuu gives her a little introduction and tells her that there are Principal students and trainees (like him and Hotaru), and that each ability class has a representative (where is the SA class rep? We shall see). 

That boy is just everywhere. Truly unavoidable.

He goes through the line-up and points them out on stage until he reaches Natsume--presumably the dangerous ability class representative. But not even Yuu knows much about Natsume’s situation or why exactly he’s on stage. Natsume is a mystery to all, and yet everyone seems to know him. The Principal students, just like everyone else, immediately recognize her as Natsume’s partner. According to the school gossip, Mikan cannot be brought up without her relation to Natsume. Natsume, being a special star in addition to the prize of the DA class, being paired up with a random new student is still bizarre, and Narumi caused quite a stir with that decision. Now everybody assumes that there’s something special about Mikan too, and there is, though she doesn’t quite understand it yet.

In any case, the festival has finally started. All preparation has paid off because everything looks wonderful--the sets, the costumes, and all the kinks are worked out. The only problem is that despite their initial enthusiasm, nobody’s coming. The SA attraction is out of the way compared to everybody else, and even if it wasn’t, they still have a reputation for being lame. When they finally find some people walking by, they rush to greet them, only to have their class and attraction torn apart before it’s even tried out. 

Mikan is crushed by this encounter. They don’t need to see it to know that it's bad. The SA class is full of misfits, and while being in the class itself is a blast, not worrying about what others think, the fact of the matter is that other people judge them and look down on them. In a school-wide festival, that kind of prejudice is felt. It feels like all of her insecurities are being laid out--the class is full of useless leftovers, not even worth checking out.

I was always so jealous of Mikan for having an older brother-figure who looked after her like this. They have such a wholesome dynamic.

But Tsubasa cheers her up instantly, reminding her that they’re at the bottom, so they can only go up. If people are prejudiced, then they need to change their minds. They expect garbage, so they’ll be easy to impress. Mikan is instantly back in high spirits, because it’s usually not hard to cheer her up for those who put in the effort.

Just like I talked about Natsume’s weird bond with Tsubasa in his essay, I’ll touch on Mikan’s relationship with him in this one. Tsubasa is like an older brother to Mikan. They’re obviously much closer than just classmates. Though she loves everyone in the SA class, Tsubasa is special to her and their bond is deeper than the ones she shares with the other students. Tsubasa is the first person in the school who understood her and comforted her. He’s just like her in a lot of ways, looked down on and treated like trash for not being a star student. They’re labeled as troublemakers and rejects, but Tsubasa was the first person who didn’t argue with that label, and instead embraced it. It was his words that finally gave Mikan a place to feel like she belonged. Now, he’s able to see when something bothers her and is quickly able to remedy it. Tsubasa is one of Mikan’s healthiest relationships because he looks out for her without creating unfair demands. He wants to cheer her up, but instead of just telling her to smile, he gives her a reason to. 

Sumire, Ruka, and Narumi stop by just in time to see the SA class excited again. Though Sumire insists that they’re only there because they have nothing else to do, they are clearly there to give some support and to be the first customers to try the SA attraction. Mikan compliments their cute Alice in Wonderland themed outfits, and then requests reciprocity, asking if they like her outfit too. She is still the shallow girl she was in the beginning, and seeing as she’s in a cool new outfit of her own for the festival, she wants to be complimented (very cute of her). Narumi is quick to flatter, Sumire is quick to insult, and Ruka doesn’t say much of anything, which is super weird to Mikan.

They start playing and all of them are crushed by the game in a different way. It’s a tough game, and Mikan is the hardest level, the big boss at the end. It’s a clever and engaging game, and in no time at all, it’s a big hit.

Chapter Nineteen

The second Mikan hears word that Natsume of all people has stopped by at her attraction, she abandons her post to go see him.

I can only imagine how that went down--that Mikan heard Natsume was there and then jumped down from her carpet, reasoning that most people don’t reach the end anyway. She doesn’t wait to see him, in any case. Natsume is here! 

She's so excited to see him! He's given her no reason to be excited to see him but she still is!

She’s excited to share her accomplishments with him now, whether it’s the SA event or getting a star rank upgrade. Though she wants validation from everyone, it seems so specific to want attention from somebody so unlikely to give any.

She is very excited to see him, her partner, her new friend, the guy helping her train her alice. He wasn’t aware of it, but he also helped her get pumped for the festival which allowed her to come up with the idea. Mikan is proud of the RPG. She wants to show it off to as many people as she can, and that includes Natsume. Mikan is insecure about a lot of things and she requires a feeling of validation. Having her friends come see her attraction makes her feel proud of herself. Natsume is a tough critic, but he’s here, and she’s so excited to impress him with the game she helped come up with that she wastes no time before she goes to see him. 

Just like with the somatic class visitors, Mikan asks his opinion on her outfit, but for some reason Natsume can’t allow a moment to be nice. He has to ruin everything by being a jerk, and so he pulls her top out and then comments on her flat chest. Mikan’s mood is instantly ruined. That’s just what happens when she gives him a chance to be nice. 

But Tsubasa shows up--reliable and kind Tsubasa--so she has someone to rush to for comfort. 

Natsume is rubbing salt in the wound--insulting the RPG and everyone who is playing it, wondering why anyone would get addicted to such a lame game. 

What Mikan wants is validation and positive attention, like anybody else would want when they’ve created something they’re proud of. For some reason, whenever Natsume is around, he’s just rude, and for seemingly no reason. She wants to think that they could get along, or be friends, but he only ever manages to be unpleasant. And right now, especially hurtful, because this RPG was something she and her class worked on for a long time.

Somehow, Tsubasa manages to convince Natsume to participate.

Mikan is located at the very end of the maze. Most people don’t get that far, and definitely not very quickly. She figures Natsume, despite his rude arrogance, is no exception. So she bides her time and eats a banana, unconcerned.

He must have cheated somehow.

Until Natsume does show up, and rather quickly too. He just wants to get the last test over with, and Mikan doesn’t mind that either, explaining curtly that he has to get her off her carpet in thirty seconds without touching her. She is very proud of the fact that all their training means that she can nullify his alice easily, so he shouldn’t even bother. 

Nobody has managed to pass Mikan. Her task is nearly impossible. She is certain Natsume won’t pass either. She is unmoved by his cockroach attempt and even seems annoyed when he slowly slumps down the wall. He’s been nothing but rude all day so she won’t give him the satisfaction of winning the game, no matter how quickly he got to her level. She’s not going to waste her time worrying about a jerk like that. She tells him flat out that acting sick won’t work, but he’s sweating and breathing heavily, not responding to her. It all feels a little too real, and she calls to him, concerned. Then, she remembers Nodacchi’s lecture and his description of the fourth alice shape. She’d thought of Natsume then, and she thinks of him now. What if he is ill? 

Because she was there during the kidnapping. She saw how weak and sick he was, how much he was struggling. What if this is just like that? What if he’s really sick and he needs help? Mikan thought of Natsume before but quickly dismissed it. We can see now that maybe her dismissal wasn’t entirely due to naivete. She just didn’t want to think about somebody she considers a friend having a shape like that (I’ll talk about this more during the--you guessed it--Z Arc).

Bizarre that he wins this maze purely because she cares about him.

Mikan is so distracted by her worry that she forgets about the RPG for a second (another example of her prioritizing others so much that she can't consider or ponder any other action). Helping Natsume is most important, so she calls out to him again and then jumps off the carpet so she can help him--

Just to be yanked down and pulled into a mocking embrace. And then, to seal the deal: he calls her a moron. 

Mikan has been tricked. Bamboozled. Made a fool of. 

Natsume is the first person to pass the game and Mikan is ashamed of herself for falling for his dirty tricks. He took advantage of her worry and concern and then called her an idiot for caring. Such a jerk. Her anger over being tricked quickly overrides her concern about the fourth alice shape. It's important to note that while this never fully vacates her thoughts, it's something she's more than willing to push aside and not linger on. Any excuse will do and Natsume does a great job in providing them.

She’s upset yet again, clinging to Tsubasa, her only solace in a world of shame and anger, as Natsume picks his prize: one of the SA class members’ lamps. 

Natsume is so lucky that she's not paying attention to Koko.

But instead of picking Tsubasa’s, he picks hers! Koko says something about reading Natsume’s mind to see which one to pick, but Mikan isn’t really listening. All she cares about is that Natsume has ruined her day and is now about to ruin her whole week! How is she supposed to have a fun festival if she has to spend it granting Natsume’s stupid wishes? There’s no way they would be kind or fun wishes, either--probably just another excuse to tease or torment her.

Conclusion

Mikan is put in the unbearable situation of liking Natsume for reasons that are very easy to forget once he opens his mouth. He seems to relish being a jerk, in fact, almost as if to spite her for daring to want to be friends with him. He will continue to challenge her for the rest of the arc.

We have just begun the culture fest! It will maybe take me another two posts to wrap it up, so please bear with me. Tumblr recently raised their image limit so it's way more than ten (I believe it's 30 now) and I thought that meant my Mikan essays could afford to be longer when I post them, that I could include more chapters per post. But no. Absolutely not. Yesterday's entire Reo Arc post took a LOT out of me. Formatting them is very tiresome and exhausting so even though these posts are fun, I don't like spending 3-4 hours on editing each post when my Natsume ones took half that amount. So it'll be more pictures, same amount of text. Probably. Thank you for your patience :)

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[measuringbliss]

Glee Rewatch 1x09, Becky's here!

Hey, things are going fine between Finn and Quinn! They both have an open top. Well, they aren't downright fighting. I think Quinn's a bit harsh in this scene but I also understand her point of view. She's a pregnant teenager who's trying to maintain her reputation, and her boyfriend doesn't seem to grasp the difficulty of the situation. Naturally, she's also lying to said boyfriend about him being the father (and Puck seems much more used to making money) and she can't do cheerleading anymore. She's stressed af! But Finn didn't exactly ask for all of that either.

(Are you confused? Here's an explanation!)

Mercedes's pendant is intriguing. I love the hot pink, and it fits fine with the black and the white, but does anyone have an idea of what it means?

I think it may be the first instance of Brittany saying something and everyone else instantly judging her (Matt should stick with her though, they're both part of the "I have very few lines" team... at least until Brittany slowly becomes part of the main cast).

I'll admit it: I'm not fond of Artie. His character has nice (or at least, well-meaning) moments but he never really evolves, or is given much to do aside from specific times. I'm also not fond of his voice but that's obviously incredibly subjective--and I do like it in some songs, like for example in Let's Stay a While. However I do appreciate his underlying anger at the world, it's something that I recognize in myself.

Also wow the Artina vibes are there pretty early. Still not a fan.

Kurt what is this. What is this? At least Matt's there to talk (!!!) and comfort him.

That's Jesse Heiman! He's an extra who's in a lot of things. I know him from Chuck where he appeared quite regularly but he's basically the most prolific extra ever. I was delighted to see him in Glee. Once you start recognizing the guy, you'll see him everywhere!

Will is actually a good teacher in this instance. To those kids, he's just a Spanish and a Glee Club teacher, but he's also one of the main educators for those kids. Making them empathize with Artie is a good thing.

Puck actually made Quinn laugh! I can... I can get behind this. I can get behind them being together after the show. I'm surprised they have so much chemistry. (Also props to the French dub in this scene, it's usually good but here's it's great thanks to the use of "Tu fais chier", approximatevely "Fuck you" in a way that people Quinn's age would absolutely say at the time. It feels real. It feels accurate in a way I've rarely seen!)

Actually the French dub is incredible in this episode (and that's something I remember thinking on my first viewing too!). When Kurt says "I'm full of ennui", he says in French "Je suis dans un spleen baudelairien" which is accurate, dramatic af and perfectly adapted because using "ennui" here wouldn't be reflective of that fact that Kurt has fancy expressions... just like me... It's not a surprise that I recognized a lot of myself in Kurt.

You know, season 1 (at least, 1A) really feels like each episode tries to bring something new. You had the Acafellas episode, you had the slushie POV episode, the Single Ladies episode... they each have their own identity and personality, whereas I believe the show became more complex--and thus, more homogenous later on because they no longer had the time to experiment.

As usual I love Rachel's wardrobe.

First appearance of Becky! Another controversial character (but then again, who isn't?). I love her. And I think it's also Lauren Zizes's first episode? I love her too.

Becky and Sue's bond has always been something I loved (and their last scene together in the show is heartwarming!). Is the way people with Down syndrome are used to humanize Sue... not great? Absolutely! I still love Becky and Jean, however. The show isn't perfect, we all know it, so I don't see much point in talking about that kind of stuff in this rewatch since everything has already been said.

Finn and Puck are pretty much boyfriends in this episode (and throughout the show). Why do you, as a man, seek to touch another man this much? Methinks there's something fruity going on here.

The juxtaposition of Kurt hitting the note and Burt answering the phone is also great! And once again, their relationship is very heartwarming.

[nikkicafeina]

Finally got around to my 2022 book recs list. I read 55 books last year, which is fantastic considering grad school and all that stalled my fun reading for a long time. Obviously I read The Locked Tomb series and I think you should too. Other than that, it's almost all manga and romances on this list. That was my escapism vibe last year, but it's also what the readers in my library enjoy so it's what I'm happy to keep up with.

In vaguely the order I read them, last year's faves are:

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories--I read the entire Folk of the Air series over December/January and it's all great but this novella was my favorite. Holly Black continues to be the best at fairies. I loved how the two characters in the central romance are desperately feral in their own way. This one will make little to no sense without the context of the whole series, and so I reccomend the whole series. It's about an angry human girl who grows up in Fairyland, the dilettante fairy prince who hates her, and all the amoral fairy intrigue and violence that being part of a high court entails.

In the Dream House--I don't normally read memoirs but this has such an intriguing cover. I didn't expect to be taken for a ride through deep feelings about queerness, gender, latinidad, trauma, historiography, relationships, and just like, being a person who occupies space. It's about the author's abusive relationship, yes, but also it's poetically and ruthlessly about her as an entire person.

Alexis Hall--not a book but a rather prolific romance author. Mostly mlm romances, but he runs the gamut in terms of genre and content. I particularly enjoyed Pansies, where a guy goes back to his small hometown after recently coming out and ends up falling for and trying to make amends to the kid he bullied a bit in high-school. How to Bang a Billionaire looks like it's meant to be a Fifty Shades ripoff but its actually really good BDSM with a sub who's knowledgeable and just having a fun time, but the dom has some heavy trauma that I don't know everyone would be down for so heads up. He also has a couple novels that have become very popular recently, so I expect we'll be seeing him a lot. Overall, I appreciate that all of his protags have way more going on than just the relationship, but also the relationships do have genuine chemistry.

Boys Run the Riot--a short manga series about a Trans high-schooler who wants to start a streetwear brand with his friends. It brings up different aspects of queerness and queer culture in Japan, which is really cool.

From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler--my husband gifted me a copy because it's one of my favorite childhood books and I'm so happy to say it still holds up even a good sixty years later. A girl convinces her brother to run away to the Met and they become caught up in a mystery surrounding a recent acquisition. The kids are smart as heck but still very much kids and E.L. Konigsburg's writing style has always felt very cozy to me.

Totsukuni no Shoujo/The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil a Rún-- we've established I enjoy fairytales where the fae get to be properly monstrous. This is another manga series, this time about a little girl in a cursed forest who is taken in by a creature she calls "Teacher". He tries to care for her and keep her from becoming cursed herself. Charming, a little spooky, a little sad, and very gorgeous.

Perfect World--a manga series where an able-bodied interior designer reconnects with an architect childhood friend who is now disabled and uses a wheelchair; they fall in love, work together to create accesibly designed buildings, and navigate both his specific disability and being disabled in Japanese society at large. A ton of research obviously went into this series, but more importantly a lot of heart.

Wherever is Your Heart-- novella. Anita Kelly writes some good-ass queer romance of all flavors but this one is particularly noteworthy in being butch4butch and having protagonists in their late forties. It's fairly short and sweet, but you don't need much more than that to enjoy it when June finally works up the courage to ask the bartender at her favorite bar on a date.

And the best book I read in 2022:

House of Leaves-- so this is a book about a guy transcribing an academic work written by different guy about a documentary filmed by another guy about moving into a house with his family. It's also about narratives within narratives, the relationship between reading and the reader, and the relationship between the storyteller and the story. It’s a love letter to academic analysis and a scathing critique of academic analysis. It's actual posmodernism. It's a damn good horror novel. It's an experience. It's a book that 100% could never work as anything other than a book. People will tell you it's a hard read but it's not! You just have to engage with it and think about it a little. Read it! It's great!

[sabineelectricheart]

Challenges in Adapting to a New Life in Enbarr

Summary: Sylvain does not care too much about the Imperial capital. Things are hard to get accustomed to, but none moreso than his former professor.

Rating: T - Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes.

Words: 1500

Notes: I kinda think that FE focus way too much on its own characters. Like, does the people that switch classes not miss anything else, just their high school friends? Not their parents, the weather, the food, anything else?

Enbarr was different from Faerghus in every fathomable way. The good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.

It was mind boggling, as if Sylvain had fallen through a portal into an alternate universe. The accent, currency, weather patterns, customs, clothing, and religion were all foreign to his eyes and ears. Even breakfast was different, the smoked meats and cured cheeses of Faerghus replaced by waffles drowned in syrup and whipped cream, certainly not the hearty feasts he was so accustomed to.

He does not regret leaving the Kingdom behind, nor he has any misgivings about apostasy on the Church of Seiros, but he feels ill-at-ease. Adrestia is covered in fertile lands and crossed by trading routes into Dagda and Morfis; there is a bountiful to everything that surround him. It makes him think about the people he left behind in his territory, about the starvation and death that must be gripping his homeland. He supposes that it is even more reason to end this war as soon as possible.

Besides, he loathes the noble culture of the Empire. If he once found the Western Kingdom lords pouncy, the cabinet families in the capital are a nightmare. It all becomes a great dance, every choice becomes a great declaration of allegiance and it frankly tires him. Perhaps he is too much of a martial person, perhaps he is able to fall back in other attributes much too often to appreciate the art on it, but he could stand retiring from court every so often.

He feels too much like Felix these days. The next time they meet, he should apologise for all these years of torment, to tell him that his skittish behaviour was justified this entire time.

This whole endeavour has been an adaptation, but that is not even the most difficult part of his new life in Enbarr. It was her.

Byleth, the professor, with her stunning understated smiles and deadly knack for sword fighting, made his little frozen heart feel all loopy inside, as if he were soup stewing over a fireplace. When she walked into a room, in the palace and the tavern alike, smiling, waving to friends and avoiding large crowds, every bit of resolve in him melted away.

Sylvain would just sit there, waving dumbly with a love-struck grin on his face. To everyone else in their crew, the hearts practically blooming in the Faerghusi’s eyes were painfully obvious.

Not to her, though. The irony does not elude him.

He had always been… Attentive towards the buxom teacher, as he is wont to do in these situations, but he is actually, truly serious now. He also knows how Ingrid had advised her explicitly to ignore him, something she has taken to heart.

Now that he means what he says and tries to amend his behaviour into a proper contender, somehow, the professor missed it. Entirely. While, again, he became the talk of the company, it was as if she was blind to his now proper flirting. The pulling out of a chair for her, complimenting her new knives, having the cook prepare her favourite breakfast. He had heard a chorus of thanks drop from her lips, but they were friendly, always friendly.

So now here Sylvain stood, lingering along the wall of the seedy tavern they, along with the rest of foreign implants and commoners in the elite of the Imperial Army, frequent often, watching his friends and acquaintances celebrate the transition from fall to winter. He does not quite understand the festivities. To his eyes, winter is something to be feared, not celebrated, and Enbarr always seemed to have this golden sunshine glow that reflected on the terracotta and the murky channels leading to the harbour, no matter the season. The only change was maybe a temperature drop.

He showed up, nevertheless, a drink clutched in his hand and his eyes keen in watching her. Head tossed back, a slight laugh ringing out, she was in her element when in a small friend gathering. It is the one true time she emerged from her shell. Leonie held her hands, twirling their bodies in circles violently until they nearly wiped out, slamming into a stack of chairs.

Silent like a mouse, Dorothea slipped out from the shadows and into the empty spot by his side. Her eyes were trained on Ferdinand’s form, slouched over at the bar. He once would never think to catch this man in such a place, but it seems that infatuation is vexing even to prissy nobles of age-old dynasties.

“Go talk to him,” Sylvain whispered, trying his hardest not to smile like a fool.

The idea of the great scion of the Aegir family and Dorothea hitting it off was delightfully intriguing.

“And why don’t you go talk to the professor, hm?” She bit back in a sharp retort, the corners of her mouth cleverly turning up.

The little rapport he built with the former singer was the most meaningful relationship he managed to acquire in the city, and it was mostly built on their common ill-fate in their affections. Nevertheless, he appreciated her company greatly.

“She…” His words trailed off into thin air as he watched her, becoming entranced by the woman’s dance.

“I hope you know that she does like you.” The brunette provided, breezily.

“You don’t know that.” Sylvain whispered, squeezing the glass in his hand tighter with irritation.

“Oh, but I do!” Dorothea teased, elbowing him right in the ribs. “Byleth over there may be a bit of an oddity, but not so much so she is completely unrecognizable to her fellow women. Believe me, we have ways of figuring each other out. You would, too, if you weren’t so absorbed in yourself. It went right over your head.”

“But why…?”

“She doesn’t make a move because she thinks you’re just being friendly.” The singer cut him off, providing him with the answer he sook. “Our conditions changed, and it would be expected for your behaviour to change accordingly. The issue is that she is not experienced enough to understand what truly motivates it, and this is why you should be the one to make the move.”

Like she was simply an extension of the shadows, Dorothea slipped back into the darkness easily with a wink. Swirling his glass, Sylvain tipped back the remainder of his drinking, hoping it would act as a sort of liquid luck for him. He certainly needed it.

Steeling himself, standing just a bit taller and drawing in a shaky breath, he stepped out towards her. As if on cue, Leonie gave a mischievous grin and a wink, excusing herself to fetch a drink. He might be owing her the tab this evening.

Byleth sighed happily, running her hands over her face as if the long evening hours were finally catching up to her. He silently stood in place, watching her smile from ear to ear like a blithering idiot.

“Would you honour me with a dance?” He asked, despising the way his voice sounded so meagre and frightened.

Turning on her heel to face him, eyes wide like a startled deer standing before a rattling wagon, her smile softened shyly.

“Oh, hello, Sylvain. Do you want to dance?” She tripped over her words, the syllables tumbling and teetering upon her lips. Whether it is from nerves or alcohol, he could not say.

“If you’ll have me.” He replied, feeling a warm flush creep up his neck and onto his cheeks.

With a nod, Byleth carefully took his hand, her fingers shaking within his large hand. It reminded him starkly of the snow bunnies he had found as a child, little babies freezing in the frigid cold. Of course, he would wrap them up and take them inside, warming them beside the fire before they were free to go on their merry way.

In swaying with her, twirling with her as the others did, he swore he felt a bit of Faerghus itself in her. Her eyes gleamed like the sun reflecting off the ice, burning his eyes in the most delightful way. She was the pure white snowfall, small animal tracks zig zagging in intricate patterns. She was that untamed wild, all the best pieces of it: wildflowers sprouting after the last hard frost, icicles adorning trees, new pups born in the spring.

So, as Sylvain danced, fumbling along in the most gangly way possible, he found himself beginning to laugh. A smile stretched itself across his face mirroring the one she sported as she twirled around him losing herself to the music. There was some part of her, that timid and chilly portion that fell away once she found herself, that seemed so ethereal, so organically her.

Yes, it was just the beginning but somehow Sylvain just knew. He knew this type of love would not be like the seasons, coming and going and changing. It would be finally consistent.

His love for her would be forever.

*_*_*_*_*

Fire Emblem Masterlist

Three Houses Masterlist

[weeducaresblog]

Life as a Student

Building Connection as a Student to Teachers

Monjohn Jarantilla

I can still remember when I was just in my elementary, that during that days, I was totally a very shy person and which, I don’t have confidence at all. My grades were very low not until I’ve met Teacher Daryl. She was my mother’s cousin which I’ve met her when I was just 9 years old. Teacher Daryl was always the one who lift my intellectual capacity to strive in order to be an honor student. She always teach me when I’m in her home, teaching me all the subjects that I need to learn, and the one who treated me like her own sister. Even though I’m far away from and on which I really do miss my family, but still I’m grateful that Teacher Daryl was always by my side, guided me, loved me, and most especially, thought me the right and good manner a student must possess.

As a student, I’ve learned so much from her on which I’ve learned that we need to respect our teachers, classmates, and every individual that surround us. It helps me to realize that building connection to your teachers will make you a better person or student. Having a good manner will lead you to create endless good relationship to everyone. Your teacher appreciates you as for just truly being who you are. Through that great connection and relationship that I’ve created with Teacher Daryl is that, I can now reflect and apply it that I should properly appreciate and value my teachers most of the time. I believe that our teachers where even though you’re not their relatives, are they would never let their students to learn nothing instead, will always pursue to teach their students a productive lessons.

Having a memorable connection to your teachers is like maintaining a strong relationship with your parents. All I thought is that I just only felt that unforgettable valuable connection with my teachers in elementary exactly how I felt with Ma’am Daryl but I was wrong. Because until now, in everyday that I go to school, I always do appreciate the value of teachings that I learn from my teachers in Senior High School. In every minute that I do pay attention, I always do realize the greatness that I avail in their discussed lessons. And right now, I don’t want to waste my last year in SHS just with unnecessary behaviours, but instead I’ll intend to gather fantastic memories of building stronger and undoubtful connections of wonderful relationships with my second parents, my teachers.

[sa7abnews]

You Should Be Able to Live a Good Life Without a College Degree

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/16/you-should-be-able-to-live-a-good-life-without-a-college-degree/

You Should Be Able to Live a Good Life Without a College Degree

Jan moved to my area about 15 years ago to be closer to family but couldn’t find a job as an office manager, though she’d been one for years. She was a bright, articulate, middle-aged woman with glowing references. But times had changed in the decade since she’d last looked for a job. She wasn’t even getting a chance to interview, as one potential employer after another told her: No bachelor’s degree, no interest.

The same has been happening to people across the country seeking middle-management jobs, or those in sales, customer service, and support—jobs that had never required a four-year education before. The work demands hadn’t changed appreciably, but the educational minimums had. Instead of looking for the most skilled and enthusiastic applicants, employers were looking for “pieces of paper”—college degrees. It’s been bad for the economy, bad for diversity in the workplace, and bad for uplifting low-income families and populations. But only now are employers and the public at large realizing that not everyone wants or should need a four-year college education to lead a good life.

What this so-called “degree inflation” means is that smart, skilled, personable people who haven’t followed the conventional college route after high school have been shut out of jobs they could have performed well—which often means that people of color, who are less likely to attend college, are denied an opportunity for social mobility. Meanwhile, people with college degrees are often underemployed, taking on jobs that didn’t make use of their education. A full decade after receiving their bachelor’s degree, 45% of bachelor’s holders are working jobs that don’t require a college grad’s skills.

For decades, teenagers and families heard this refrain: If you want to be someone, you have to get a bachelor’s degree. It’s the only way to make good money. Without it, you’ll be left out of the 21st century global economy. High schools were rated by how many of their graduates went on to four-year schools, and many still are. But for too many college-goers, the results haven’t been great. A third leave college without a degree—but often with plenty of student debt.

Read More: Too Many High School Seniors Are Turning Away from College Altogether

Antonio Santos is one of the more than 100 people I interviewed for my book, Rethinking College: A Guide to Thriving Without a Degree. He attended college to become a video editor but left when he found the instruction too rigid. “I felt like my teachers kept stifling any creative ideas I had,” he told me. When he dropped out, he took with him $70,000 in student debt. Ultimately, he taught himself video editing with the help of mentors he cultivated and now makes six figures doing what he loves.

Meanwhile, a shocking 45% of people with college degrees are underemployed, taking on jobs that don’t need a bachelor’s. The bottom fourth of college grads actually make less money, when adjusted for inflation, than they did two decades ago.

During the Great Recession, employers searching for higher-quality employees turned to college grads, which were in plentiful supply. In essence, they were using a degree as a proxy for smarts—which wasn’t very smart of them. Degree inflation is bad for business, according to a 2017 report by Harvard Business Review. Managers pay more for college grads yet they ultimately find that experienced employees without degrees perform just as well. Meanwhile, college grads, seeing these jobs as beneath them, leave sooner. Rapid staff turnover is expensive and time-consuming.

That doesn’t make a college degree worthless. On average, bachelor’s holders still earn more money than the average high school or community college grad and the number of good new jobs for them is predicted to grow. Usually at least some post-high-school training is needed to earn a good living—with growth in good jobs predicted for this sector as well.

But nearly 30% of people with a two-year associate’s degree actually earn more than the average four-year grad, according to a 2021 Georgetown University report. Just imagine how much income gaps might close if employers opened more good jobs to people with less than a bachelor’s in cases where it really isn’t needed.

That’s how things work in Switzerland. University there is for students who succeed at a very rigorous high-school curriculum and are moving into professions such as doctor, teacher, or engineer. But those interested in the hospitality industry, tech, manufacturing, and other fields typically attend high school half time for the last two years, and work at a paid, part-time apprenticeship in their field of choice. They then might train for an extra year or so before starting careers that in this country would require a bachelor’s or even a master’s degree. One expat in Switzerland told me that her husband, a longtime bank executive, decided to go to university only at the point where he started working with American bankers, because he knew they wouldn’t respect him without a college degree. Hotel managers here generally need a bachelor’s degree; in Switzerland, apprenticeship and some extra training suffices.

The pendulum is starting to swing in the United States, though too slowly. The pandemic created a labor shortage; at the same time, the Black Lives Matter movement made employers get more serious about hiring a diverse workforce.

Prodded by such nonprofits as Opportunity@Work, which lobbies employers to hire based on skills rather than pedigree, more companies are opening previously college-grads-only jobs to people who have built their resumes through other kinds of training. Tech companies have been among the first to drop requirements; in my book there are several programmers who learned via short-term programs or, in one case, a man who self-taught and is now making close to $200,000 a year. The federal government and more than 20 states have removed bachelor’s requirements from public jobs that really don’t need a degree.

In Denver, philanthropist Noel Ginsburg started a white-collar apprenticeship program in tandem with some of the local high schools and businesses. One of the young women in that program had grown up in a household so financially strapped that she relied on free meals at school to eat well; by age 20, she was making six figures and the only debt she had was the mortgage on her new house.

Major companies, especially in the insurance and corporate-support sectors, have started their own apprenticeship programs through community colleges.

There’s legitimate fear that in a skills-over-degrees world, schools will channel Black and Latino students toward non-college careers. Our nation must keep working at making college more affordable and accessible for all students who crave a college education. Forget the “College is a scam” movement. Higher education is worthwhile for many students and should not be reduced in our minds to mere job training. Intellectual pursuit enriches minds and society.

At the same time, college isn’t for everyone, just as it wasn’t for Santos. We can build more financially stable families if states create robust white-collar apprenticeship programs in public high schools and require school counselors to learn about and honor the many paths—not just skilled labor and the military, but the creative fields, entrepreneurialism, tech, management, sales, aviation and even some forms of volunteerism—to a rewarding career and life.