#the fact this is the middle school curriculum too

[coquettejohnny]

the true most untalked about scene in the outsiders ever

[reloaderror]

“there’s a reason english is a universal language; it’s fairly simple and has very little nuance to it” please say sike

[walkerrenee]

.

[fuckitupfelix]

ANON. LET ME COOK WITH THIS ANON.

third time's the charm !?

miya atsumu x male reader

word count: 1.8k

atsumu's self proclaimed "flirting" doesn't get him very far when the guy he's crushing on is absolutely clueless.

FEM ALIGNED DNI

atsumu miya is a fairly popular student. he’s quite well known among his classmates, and generally well liked. as a result, he’s grown a bit cocky. he considered himself a chick magnet— osamu jokes that he’s actually just a manwhore, to atsumu’s dismay— but the fact remains that he was attractive and he knew it, even if he never really acted on it. sure, he liked the attention, but when it came down to it, and osamu or suna ever prodded on why he didn’t get with any of the countless people leaving love letters in his locker, he would simply say they were ‘distractions’. his main focus was volleyball! he’d mess around here and there, but he would never take any of his little flings seriously. that’s what he’s been telling himself. he knows he could get with anyone, and he prides himself on that. it gives him a sense of power; a sense of control— until a certain (name) (surname) joined his class.

the teen had transferred into inarizaki in the middle of second year, and while he knew of the ‘wonder twins’ (he so aptly nicknamed them in his head) through friends and bits he’d seen online, he didn’t care much for them. as far as he was concerned, they were just teenagers. athletes with admirable skill, sure, but teenagers nonetheless. just the same as he was.

atsumu’s been pulling his hair out over the past few weeks because of (name)— his previous logic going straight out the window with the new transfer student. any and all attempts that the setter made to drop hints were futile. the guy was, to put it simply, far too dense.

ATTEMPT ONE: HOMEROOM.

upon (name’s) initial arrival, atsumu’s hooked immediately. it’s not like his introduction was anything crazy; the teacher called him in, he introduced himself, and sat down in the free seat next to suna and behind atsumu. but there’s something so appealing about the teen that draws atsumu in. the setter turns around in his seat, his usual lazy grin sprawled across his face.

“hey there. name’s miya atsumu,” he hums, before jutting a thumb towards the seat to (name’s) left. “that there’s suna rintaro.”

the expected reaction, if you know who he is— and he’s offended at the notion someone at his school potentially wouldn’t— would be absolute joy and surprise. instead, the new student responds with a, “oh. you’re the volleyball guys, right? nice to meet you two.”

suna has to bite back a snort at atsumu’s expression— his jaw dropped, his eye twitching. that’s it? “ya know who i am, yeah?” he asks, regaining his composure immediately. “ain’t i impressive?” he drawls.

“i guess? yeah. you’ve got impressive skill.” (name) responds, seemingly missing the way atsumu bristles at the lack of praise. he decides to flirt a little, wanting to throw this guy off his game.

“since ya missed some of the curriculum already, i can help ya study. get ya caught up.” atsumu says. he catches the way (name’s) face lights up and feels the pride bubbling in his chest. “really? that’d be such a big help! where should we meet up?”

“i was thinkin’ we could study at my place,” atsumu hums, voice a bit lower.

“. . . wouldn’t it be more productive if we went to a library or cafe? i also don’t wanna disturb your parents at all.” (name) replies. suna barks out a laugh, and atsumu shoves his shoulder. “shut it, suna!” he sputters.

“i’m definitely tellin’ ‘samu this later,” the teen snickers, leaning back in his chair. “‘n turn around, ‘tsumu, the lesson’s startin’.”

with a grumble, atsumu turns back to face the front, his arms crossed. there’s no way he just got blown off like that . .

ATTEMPT TWO: VENDING MACHINE.

atsumu refused to give up, even after the relentless nagging from suna to ‘quit being a pussy’ lasted for weeks on end. the two of them sat together with osamu and ginjima on their lunch, a figure slumped over the table, groaning dramatically; the person being atsumu, of course.

“could ya whine a lil quieter? i’ve gotta finish my history assignment and yer bein’ distractin’,” suna says, prodding at atsumu’s crunchy hair— which only prompted another, longer, louder groan.

“i don’t get it! how oblivious is this guy gonna be?!” atsumu whines, his cheek pressed against the cool table. his teammates were going to comment on how none of his attempts were straightforward in the slightest, but decided to let him wallow a bit longer. with a sigh, atsumu stands from his seat, shoving his hands into his pockets. he just needs to clear his head.

“d’you guys want anything from the vending machine?” he asks. they tell him their respective requests, and he exits the cafeteria to find a free vending machine. as he’s wandering about, mind filled with thoughts and plans to get (name) to give in to his ‘flirting’, lo and behold, he’s right there, crouched in front of the vending machine. a pretty face contorted into a hardened expression, eyebrows furrowed as he scans the contents, before letting out a sigh and standing. he turns in the direction of atsumu, and he jumps a little.

“oh! miya-san, hey.” he hums. atsumu scoffs lightly at that, walking closer and leaning an arm against the edge of the vending machine. at this angle, he can see (name’s) face perfectly, the light from the window on the other wall shining beautifully against his skin. it makes him feel giddy.

“i told ya, you can jus’ call me atsumu. drop the honorifics already, (name),” he drawls, his signature smirk on his face. “ya grabbin’ a drink?” (name) nods. he frowns slightly, turning back to look at the vending machine. “i can’t decide what to get, though. any suggestions?”

it’s almost like a lightbulb sparks above atsumu’s head. he has a perfect idea. leaning over (name), he comes closer to the glass dividing them and the drinks, purposefully drawing his face inches away from (name).

“hm,” he narrows his eyes, pretending to think about it, before pointing to a peach tea can, letting that same arm loosely wrap above the other teen’s shoulder. “this peach tea’s pretty good. it’s sweet, just like you,” he says, adding that last part a little quieter.

this has to be it. (name) has to hear that and take the hint, atsumu thinks to himself. so when (name) turns, his face lighting up with joy, and he responds with, “that sounds perfect, man! thank you!” he gawks at the teen's obliviousness as he punches in ‘D-3’ on the keypad, sliding the coins in. the can falls down with a thud, and he takes it, walking off as he cracks it open and takes a sip.

atsumu really cannot catch a break.

ATTEMPT THREE: NATIONALS.

atsumu's been going at it in the gym for the entirety of his lunch break, practicing his serves, sending ball after ball over the net.

“i’m done!” atsumu sputters, his shoes squeaking as he jumps up, arms stretched out as he slams another volleyball across the court. it lands out, and he grits his teeth. “he's impossible! he keeps actin' all buddy-buddy with me!”

osamu snorts at his brother's pouting. “so you'd rather (name) hate yer guts?” “that's not what i meant!” he huffs childishly, kicking at the floor. “fuck it. i’m tellin’ ‘im! ‘samu,” he whirls around to face his twin, jostling him by the shoulders.

“where would (name) be right now?” “why would i know that? it's lunch, check the classrooms.” osamu says dryly, shoving atsumu off of himself.

atsumu just nods, ignoring the action. like his life depends on it, he sprints out of the gym and towards the main building. through the side doors, past the lockers, up the stairs, to the very end of the hall, until he reaches their classroom.

“(name)!” he all but yells, sliding the door open with too much force. students whisper and murmur around the room, girls huddled up in the corners, eyes wide and hands cupped over their cheeks as they practically marvel at the sight of atsumu. (name), however, looks a bit concerned. placing his lunchbox onto his desk, his fork laid gently beside it, he stands and walks over to the door, not noticing the stares from all over the classroom. as he steps out, he shuts the door behind him.

“atsumu? are you alright?” he asks, eyebrows furrowed. “you look like you just ran a marathon—”

“we're goin’ to nationals tomorrow,” atsumu pants. (name) knew that— he's heard him and the others on the team talk about it in the halls, or when they have lunch at atsumu's desk.

“right, yeah. goodluck with that. you guys are gonna do amazing, obviously,” (name) chuckles. god, the sound makes atsumu's heart ache. he needs to get it out already, he's wasted far too much time dawdling.

“right, yeah. words don't mean much, though,” atsumu leans an arm against the wall, right next to (name). “a goodluck kiss would work wonders, though.” he says smoothly. this was his final attempt for (name).

the teen stiffens up at that. “what?” he laughs, wondering if he even heard atsumu correctly. “ya heard me. it’d be pretty motivatin’ if the pretty boy i’ve been likin’ gave me a lil goodluck kiss. just a lil peck.”

what?

“. . . you like me?” (name) asks. “since when?” atsumu huffs at that. “since forever! yer just too dense, i’ve been tryna hint at it for months now!” at that, the realization dawns on him. oh. “i thought you were just being nice!” (name) sputters, clearly trying to defend himself. atsumu lets out a choked noise.

“am i that bad at flirting?” he asks weakly. “no! i don't think so? i didn't realize you liked me at all! you should have said something!”

yes. he should have. he knows that, god knows osamu does as well. he just leans in a little closer. “so, how about that goodluck kiss, hm?” he asks after a beat of silence.

with a light scoff, (name) plants his hands on atsumu's shoulders, gripping at the fabric of his uniform shirt. it’s crumpled and smells slightly like sweat, but he decides to overlook that detail. he leans in, capturing atsumu's lips with his own. the kiss was brief, but atsumu's hands had already flown to cup the back of (name's) neck, gently tugging him forward. (name) lets out a startled noise, but doesn't move back until a few seconds later.

“so. you'll be watchin’ me at nationals, yeah?” atsumu drawls, his fingers carding through (name's) hair, idly twisting a strand.

“of course i will.”

this was so fun to write omg!!! also my reqs are open if you wanna drop any ideas for any fics !!

divider by @/plutism !!

[susagnon]

To have: Jammingwhey’s social intelligence

"...whaddaya doin', dunce-face?"

Horikoshi referred to Kirishima and Kaminari as class 1-A’s emotional cores. Out of the two of them, Kaminari flies more under the radar, due to lesser screentime.

How does Kaminari function as one of 1-A’s emotional cores?

Let’s start with a perhaps more unconventional example:

“Flaming crap mixed with garbage” is still one of the more creative insults that appeared in MHA. Alongside Asui, Kaminari took over the quite important job of making the shifting power dynamics between Deku and Bakugou visible:

Bakugou's unrestrained violence against Deku during 1-A's first team assignment, was enough to make the class lose respect for him.

While Bakugou is undoubtedly talented and powerful, he was also blind to the fact, that he was only a big fish in a small pond.

At UA, everyone used to be in the top of their middle schools. Some, e.g., Iida, came from much better schools than Bakugou himself.

Meaning, Bakugou had no reason to prance around the way he did - and it was at UA, where he got served his first humble pie ever: Firstly, Deku fighting back. Secondly, a show of Todoroki's power. Lastly, a very sober but cutting assessment of himself by Yaoyorozu.

In contrast to the kids at his old school - and aside from a traumatized Deku - neither Kaminari nor the rest of 1-A are afraid of Bakugou. Kaminari snarking at Bakugou is him letting Bakugou know that.

To repeat: At UA, everyone used to be in the top of their former schools.

I just feel taken back a bit, whenever fanon depicts Kaminari and Ashido as being dumber than bricks. The two of them are the academically lowest ranking students in class 1-A, of UA. Characterizing them as being overall stupid, is like saying the academically lowest ranking freshman at Harvard University is generally stupid.

Don’t get me wrong: At elite schools, there are many intelligent people - and plenty more dumb people, just like anywhere else.

But everyone who gets into the school, must've been smart and talented enough, in order to beat out the dozens of other applicants for one of the coveted spots.

Considering how real-life schools in Japan work, Kaminari too, was most likely in the top of his middle school: He casually references Hemingway, like he reads his stuff for fun... Which actually might be the case, because I don’t think that American author is commonly part of the curriculum in Japanese highschools.

Furthermore, Bakugou (ranked 3rd in the midterms) and Monoma (rated with a 5/5 in intelligence in the official data book) have canonically failed exams before.

In short: Just by themselves, academic scores don't mean jack shit, if you want to have an accurate picture of someone's intelligence and capabilities - not to mention, potential.

Whiny wannabe edge-lord Shinsou should be grateful that there are generously kind people like Kaminari. I wouldn't have the ducking patience.

Aside from letting a peer know that their crappy behaviour is unwelcomed, and next to the example above, Kaminari’s social intelligence also shines in other moments.

The light novels lampshade that trait at least twice:

When he makes sure to include Kouda, making room for the latter to voice his thoughts if he wishes too.  

Another of the stories, narrates something along the lines of, ~he [Bakugou] had the feeling, that as long as Kaminari existed, Bakugou would never be alone.~

Kouda is one of the minor 1-A students. As such, he's often forgotten by the audience. But in-universe? They may not be close, but Kaminari Denki will never let anyone feel left out.

Even 1-A's snappy Pomeranian ends up appreciating him.

I mean, it starts with Kaminari running after Kirishima, who was following Bakugou. After a while, Kirishima and Kaminari trailed after Bakugou together. Since then, Bakugou has dragged Kaminari with him, and told the latter to "leave the rescue to the extras!" Thus, explicitly excluding Kaminari from 'those extras.'

And why wouldn’t you keep a good grip on such an awesome friend?

[princess-of-the-corner]

I like the idea of Max being the kid's main magic teacher as a call back to Jerry Russo being magicless but also the most knowledgeable. Like obviously Alex and Justin are amazing magicians and Justin is literally a school headmaster. But Alex has chaotic teaching methods and Justin sticks to the school curriculum when teaches. Max on the other hand is more loose but also more street smart. Think right in the middle of Justin and Alex teaching style. He teaches the kids practical magic, workarounds for magic problems, and most importantly to Max. What to do when you can't rely on magic to solve everything.

In fact this would be a good way to lead people away from Max sabotaging the games. He advocates so much for teaching magicless solutions, why would he sabotage the games for everyone to keep their magic. Because to Max it isn't about him or the fact he lost his magic. He quite literally doesn't care, I don't think he would want his magic back. What matters is the people he cares about losing their magic.

Yeah like!

Justin is probably too busy for one on one lessons. Like ofc he spends time with his kids, but not enough to take over their Wizard Education.

I could see Alex being busy too. Or maybe just a bit more nervous about it due to her overall persona/history. Like when it comes to kids she's still kinda very 'oh god I'm a disaster how can I be responsible for a child???' and while it calmed a bit considering she does have a kid of her own and went through All That™ when the kid was first born, it does pop up from time to time so teaching the kids how to be Wizards is A Big Thing that gets the worry going.

And then yeah Max is. Might be mortal now but he did still learn all the things to be a full Wizard even he didn't win. He's a touch out of practice ofc but still good and less worried about his ability to teach.

And yeah he'd. It's not about him losing his own Magic. He honestly doesn't care either way. It's about the principal of the thing. The unfairness of the system. The way families can get torn apart and some people /do/ mourn the loss of their Magic.

[taintedpompom]

Your New Forever

"Is that your girl?" Colonel Redglare said, adjusting her ruby glasses as she watched the gothic couple huddle past the flowery fields of the courtyard. Up in the seventh floor of the hall was the perfect place to overlook all the new students dimly making their way to their first days in the school, gawking at the prestigious upperclassmen, whispering nervously to each other.... It was tradition to watch over their first days, appreciate the new futures the school now were wards over... And last minute bickering of course. The military woman stared at the scowling goth glaring at the very window she was staring at her in. "She's cute."

"Course she's fucking cute." Meenah said, too distracted with one of the seniors sitting on her lap to watch the freshman. "She's a Shape girl isn't she." She grinned, lifting the chin of a buxom pigtailed tart Redglare assumed was in Cheerleading. Redglare didnt bother to remember all the names of Meenah's girls, she doubted Meenah did either. "Just like you."

The cheerleader swooned, draping herself against the coaches muscular body. Redglare tapped her cane on the floor. Coughing with irritation.

"Miss Meenah Peixes, I understand your profession warrants a certain... physical appreciation, but must you slake your thirsts in the middle of our CONFIDENTIAL Meetings?"

"What?" Meenah kissed her prey. "She won't talk, will you... Mary?"

Mary, who's name was Chasity up until 20 seconds ago, nodded eagerly, grabbing Meenah's head before diving in for a deeper kiss. Chasity was a stupid name anyway, Mary thought as her tongue dueled the Coach's, and lost of course.

Mary quivered in Meenah's arms, feeling a lump in Meenah's sweat pants fill and fatten. The bulge pressed against her hips and she ground herself against it, her body heating in anticipation for the inevitable. To be pierced, to be split, to be broken like a wave upon the rocks of her goddess. Mary came soley in anticipation and she heard Meenahs snickers down her throat at her shameless behavior.

So she came again. After all, it pleased her Coach. She wanted to please her coach. Thats why she was here. Thats why she was born.

A polite cough cut through the squealing. "Really dear I understand your excitement," Mrs Egbert said, the wheel chair boundhome ec teacher said smiling warmly. "But please, manners."

Meenah let go of Mary and she slumped over her mountain, the senior silent except a few shuddering tremors as she swelled and dreamed, her panties drenched with the odd orgasm from her fantasies. Mrs. Egbert nodded, "Thank you darling." The Home ec teacher smiled, leaning back into her wheelchair.

Redglare scoffed, "Now that Miss Peixes has had her fun." The woman stiffly ignored the naked, throbbing, thoroughly unsatisfied cock jutting from Meenah's crotch. Next too Meenah, Mary moaned, her hips rolling in unconscious jerks that were mirrored by each twitch of Meenah's shaft. Bounce and bob, twitch and throb, Redglare clicked her tongue, how brutish, Meenah barely touched her and now could barely resist finishing her.

Honestly, Redglare's cock stiffened, tenting her own skirt, Meenah was hardly presenting the proper image of a teacher. And what was worse was how rewarded she was for it... granted she wasn't OFFICIALLY being rewarded, or even unofficially. In fact last she recalled the Headmistresses last confiscated Meenah's precious car collection, the Coach being forced to pedal to work on a bicycle for the last 2 months.

The issue was that Meenah kept DOING it... and her students! Apparrently rearranging the insides of their well reared slut-to-bes was its own reward, a ride far more valuable then any 4 wheeler. And she flaunted it, honestly it made her head ache... both of them!

Though speaking of the students. "Now that Miss Peixes had her FUN." Redglare repeated, as if she could order the celeb-stud's libido into submission. "We have curriculums to draft out. Including your future junior trying to burn a hole into my window."

There was a cough from the corner, several books shutting closed as Mindglare looked up from her reading material. "Yes about that. Meenah interrupted my protests last meeting, is she REALLY cheerleader material. She wants to be a psychologist and a guitarist. Both of these things are MY curriculum."

Meenah scoffed. "Since when have we ever let the students decide their OWN curriculums. Who cares what Rose wants, we want for them. They don't have a future anymore Aranea, you took care of that when they signed up." Meenah pulled off her sunglasses, placing them on Mary's head, gently. "What you forgot your own score."

Mindfang huffed, adjusting her glasses with one hand as two more arms crossed themselves. "Well if we are just advocating selfishness now, I want her, and its a good deal easier for me to be happy then you are. You take the choosiest girls every year and then flaunt them in front of us. I want this one."

Meenah grabbed the table, preparing to lift herself up. "Gurl, MY job is to train the choosiest ones, I ain't hoarding shit. Sports are where the shine is, people dont show up to art expos, they dont show up to science fairs, and I ain't saying that shit aint important, but they dont show up to them. They show up to watch hot people perform to the peak of their ability, and they show up for the pros, and the would be pros. And this school does its best work in the spotlight, so they give me all the showmodels. I ain't saying the nerds and prudes and actresses ain't shit, but it ain't fast like my shit. If the top gals were your bitches I'd still be fuckin em, and I wouldn't care a lick about having ta wait till afterschool for it. But Rose is different, that one is mine. Not just my territory, not my next fuck, just mine. " Meenah flashed her teeth. "I'd trade any one of my girls for her."

Mindfang leaned back, crossing her arms. "Feferi."

The other teachers, Redglare excluded of course, glanced at each other nervously. Feferi was Meenah's own daughter, the eldest no less, and while there was no RULE about messing with each others family... the stakes were too high for anyone to roll those dice. Anyone it seemed, except Mindfang.

Redglare expeced the hotheaded celebrity coach to splutter, to take it back, even to hit Mindfang. Instead Meenah... shrugged? Dismissed without narey a tremor, just a few pleasent jiggles from the motion, and even that was entirely located in Meenah's softer, friendlier parts of her anatomy... well if such a beastly cock could be called friendly. "Done, my sis never really had much of a killer instinct anyway, she'd probably prefer your classes." Meenah sighed. "We done?"

Redglare sighed, leaning against the wall, staring at Rose through the window, the future student moaning in despair at the class list she was assigned. It was heavy, even for the school, and a masterclass of human resources. Not only her curriculum, but the students within the classes, the location of her dorm, and especially her club activities, all were planned out. It was meticulous, even for Meenah. "You must have big things planned for her." Redglare said, glancing at the woman out the window.

Meenah smiled. "Redglare, by the time she graduates, she's going to be bigger then all of us." She smirked, pulling Mary back onto her lap. "Now then, next on the schedule."

Redglare sighed. "We have the opening ceremony in a week to induct the freshmen into school."

Mindglare flipped a page of her second book. "We can always enter the auditorium skirtless. Start the semester with a bang, then bury it in enough noise they won't know what they are yearning for. It won't give much time for anything high minded, but it'll speed the work along."

"And the sex is just a bonus isn't it." Meenah said leering at Mindfang who nodded as if the coach was actually asking.

"A nice bonus to be sure." Mindfang said. "I have, students I want to more personally know before things start off."

Redglare thought about it, that DID sound like fun.

[my-castles-crumbling]

hi cas! so I'm in my freshman year of high school and I'm in the middle of my midterms (I have four left) and its fine honestly but recently I've been more concerned about meeting all criterias for college.

so I've always been really into psychology and maybe want to get into criminal psychology in the future? and I come from a country where, while there are a few well known universities but I don't really want to stay in this country? i mean i'm fine with the country but I definitely don't want to stay in my state because well the political party that leads our state is a bit corrupt to be frank. but I don't really want to stay in the country? I come from a country which has a HUGE diverse culture and i'm not that into the culture? im into the culture of the place I come from but not of the whole country iykwim? I don't really watch movies that are the country's generalized genre although I plan to soon. we don't have A SINGULAR official language, due to the country's diversity but we do have a national language. but according to people I sound very white washed when I speak that language (my state speaks a different language) so yeah i'm worried I wont fit in at a college in my country? but I know I will fit into colleges in like the USA or the UK because I'm into western culture more so yeah.

so I kind of want to go to NYU? but i'd be an international student right. and I'm just recently kind of stressing out about meeting their criteria, the grades, the ecs and because I study the national curriculum I have no idea how I'm gonna calculate my GPA or something and whether my accomplishments in this country are even gonna be relevant in the US or the UK.

I know I could go to a college here and then do a masters degree in USA or something but i've always imagined going away to the USA immediately after I graduate school and having the time of my life there like prime time acc to me is 18 to 22 which is the time of my undergrad course. I just wanna live there and do all the things I cant do in my country while I'm still close to being a teenager. I think a masters course along with the fact I'll be 22+ means I wont really want to do the things and accomplish the dreams I had as a kid? things I could do at 18 - 22 while I'm still relatively close to being a teenager? I don't know if I make sense but it feels like 22+ just gets a bit too old and I'm scared I wont find people who want to do those things with me.

so yeah. any tips on how I can improve myself so I get to accomplish my dreams?

Oooooo watch yourself on saying 22 is old 😜

But as far as accomplishing those dreams, I honestly think the best thing to do is to research! Most universities (at least in the US) are very transparent about their requirements online and if they aren’t you could call or email and ask them what you would need to do to get in. I’m guessing you’re not the first person to want to go to NYU from your country, so there’s probably a system in place.

Remember though, you shouldn’t change yourself to fit in. There’s a difference between meeting requirements and like..changing yourself. Please be yourself!

Naming you NYU anon!

[lewis-winters]

The whole Web-Nix-Buck thing is very "Recognition Through The Other (Derogatory)" and its great. Also they're all from different schools so that rivalry plays into it, which is funny considering a) Nix couldn't give less of a shit about Stanford, b) Buck's the only one who cares about college football, and c) nobody else watching this can tell the difference anyway. - Nathan

ONCE AGAIN MY FAVORITE RED HEAD YOU ARE SO CORRECT!! it's recognition!! it's self-loathing!! it's competition!!!! it's a study in shame!! not to speculate, but i have a feeling a part of them feels that particular middle class guilt at their upbringing, especially when surrounded by enlisted men who have had to fight tooth and nail for everything that they have!! and these 3 all have it, it's just each one disagreed with how the others managed it or grappled with it in order to either fit in or blend in.

and like. you are ALSO so correct about the schools thing-- it's so funny because they went to college for WILDLY different things and different reasons, and so their contempt for each other being fueled by simple rivalry of ivy leagues (which is largely borne in football and sports-- of which neither web nor nix care about, but buck's whole life is built around) is simply SO FUCKING FUNNY.

Web cares about schooling AND was probably talked into like. legacy enrolments and some such-- he's the type to have gone to harvard because, yeah ok it's prestigious and his parents would have LOVED to brag about it to their friends, but also the course work actually has merit and the curriculum makes the most sense and the job opportunities in the end would be a lot and the chances of getting accepted into academe is high--

meanwhile, buck chose to go to UCLA for the football program + his pre-law, and then later took post grad in Loyola Law and became a really successful lawyer so he clearly chose very carefully!!

MEANWHILE, nix chose yale because. well. his granddaddy went to yale, his daddy went to yale, so i guess he should too? nixon legacy, amirite? even if he didn't want it or want to be associated with it or even if he actually chose to go to yale for any substantial reason. the fact that he maybe didn't go back after the war (idk his wiki page says he was just there for 2 years but of course that's not the best resource) just goes to show how little it actually meant to him.

these 3 went to these big ivy league colleges for varying reasons AND YET the idea of them refusing to admit that they find each other annoying bc they are mirrors of each other that they see their worst traits in, and instead hiding behind the idea of rivalrly between differing ivy league schools all but one of them has any business in caring about in makes me laugh so fucking hard. it is the single most 20-something, middle to rich class, white male bullshit i have ever heard it is SO fucking funny i can't. get your shit together, pls. it's embarrassing for the rest of us!!

[llondonfog]

Briar Valley's Education System

"I learned all of this in middle school. Briar Valley is superior even in its educational curriculum."

I haven't been able to get this line from Sebek's Lab SR out of my head for the past day, and now you all get to hear about it.

I. The Students

Sometimes I wonder if the following is a plot hole, a 'lost in translation' effect, or if we're deliberately being fed unreliable information and Ch.7 will finally reveal the missing pieces— but how on earth is there a middle school in Briar Valley if Silver and Sebek were the only two children of their generation?

Perhaps I'm taking the terms 'middle school' and 'generation' too literally, but it doesn't make sense to me when we know that Sebek has siblings, wouldn't they have been considered the same generation as him? (The only other possible explanation I can think of is if his siblings are fae, thus potentially much older, and he was the only child from his mother/human father, but I'm not sure if that's already been disproven— someone correct me if so!)

I guess it's possible that Sebek could have been privately tutored or still attended a 'school'-like setting with a private instructor, but the real point I'm striving towards is that there was a supposed public institution for education, and Lilia deliberately did not send Silver off to attend as we know that Silver was homeschooled— why? Wouldn't he have wanted Silver to engage with children his own age, even if that was only Sebek? Which of course, raises more questions to me in particular about what is the real state of how humans are treated in Briar Valley?

II. 'Superior' Curriculum

This phrasing got a chuckle out of me especially with the current Scalding Sands event. I understand that at every opportunity, Sebek will find a way to extol the virtues of his culture and kingdom, but Briar Valley is actually so far behind in its understanding of the world around them. We know from Malleus' lines in the event and in his card that what he believes to be true about the Scalding Sands is information that is practically decades, if not centuries, old. I'll reiterate from a previous post, but it is astounding to me that Malleus is allowed to represent his country with misinformation that could make him look foolish to other nation representatives— however, that's not his fault, but a byproduct of the fact that Briar Valley is so insular despite having such tensions with their neighboring human nations. One would think that they'd be keeping tabs on what the humans are up to, but it's rather strange that they're not after such bloody history.

So, is their curriculum actually superior if it doesn't even teach the most up to date information about the current events in Twisted Wonderland? I'd hardly say yes, especially when being aware of what's going on around you, particularly for those in leadership positions, is of utmost importance. Again, I just wonder if these views of 'superiority' are ones held mostly by Sebek as he tries to navigate his identity, or are still widely held by the fae population of Briar Valley? Is that why Lilia isolated himself with Silver to educate and train him away from judgmental fae eyes?

There's just a lot of underlying tension I think that can be seen in many of the Diasomnia voice lines that make me wonder what life is truly like in Briar Valley, and if we'll ever get to see it through a human perspective.

[moonysfavoritetoast]

i have to do i fucking presentation on my bad fucking henry ford essay (way too much info i already knew all that shit) and im not doing that shit fuck no because my goddamn voice is too high and people will laugh and fucking not shut up bc why is a girl called evan and and i cant even play my trumpet for a playing quiz what makes you think my fucking voice will work fucks sake im never going to need to know how to speak in front of a bunch of bitchy middle schoolers who will do nothing but laugh at my fucking appearance and voice i fucking hate school this shit is what made me relapse last time im going to fucking skip idc if i fucking fail i already am fuck you if you think im just okay with this dumbass shit

the suicide rates were so high yoiu put the fucking prevention hotline number on the back of every school issued id and you claim to want to help us then maybe make the goddamn curriculum more flexible i mean god fucking damn its like kids dont have fucking anxiety that nobody believes is real fuck off with your bullshit about caring about us you just want good test scores and good sports players shit like this is why i want to fucking kms

oh and god forbid i express these feelings in any way to trusted staff. they'll send me to counselling who will immediately call my parents which will get my phone taken because its obviously the goddamn phone making me feel this way. even if i tell them to not call my parents they will. and then my mom will go through my texts because shes worried about me and she'll cry and make me feel like shit when she was the one who started this. she'll find out everything. she'll take my binders away because i wear them too long and she'll never let me see friends again adn i'll be homeschooled again bc obviously school is too much.

she'll try to make me talk to her then she'll get mad and cry and yell when i try to say nothings wrong. she fucking hates me anyways. her backup child is fucking failing even though she was the firstborn. she knows her first daughter was the only chance she had at having a successful child because the other one has a shitty attention span and cant fucking spell anything. her baby girl is a fucking failure and she cant fucking accept im not her fucking baby girl anymore.

clearly i dont know what tired feels like. i sleep so much, why am i still tired? must be faking it. i dont know what depression is and i dont know what pain is. i dont know what anxiety is because i just want attention. she cant fucking accept the fact i'm clearly not neurotypical because i fucking have to be or she'll lose all goddamn hope she doesnt have for me.

nobody thinks somethings wrong and i fucking hate it. im the liar because "youre always so happy"

why would someone my age want to die?

fuck off.

[abbzworld]

Guidance

AN – Here’s the fourth story! Just two notes going in.

First, you could say that this is inspired by Harry Potter, but I’m not actually a fan of that franchise. I was just never able to get into it. However, if you’re a Potterhead and you see that reading this story, that’s fine. :)

Second, the word “vinculum” means “a unifying bond”. I thought it was apt and was unique enough. lol

Anyways, on with the story!

@zelinkcommunity

“Alright, now repeat after me; Rain of Gain!”

Link watched as droplets from the faucet floated over to a small plant and gently “rain” down on it.

“Okay, you’ve seen how to works so try it yourself now.”

Link nodded before saying, “Alright. Rain of… gain.”

Unfortunately, nothing happened.

Zelda narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re not saying it right. You can’t pause in the middle of the spell and you need to say it with conviction.”

“I’m sorry.” Link chuckled. “It’s not your fault. I just can’t take a spell called ‘rain of gain’ seriously.” He rubbed his forehead as he continued to laugh.

Zelda rolled her eyes in exasperation before asking him, “Do you want to move onto something else?”

“Yes, that might work.” He snickered before sighing. “Is there any spell that I’ll be able to say without laughing?”

Zelda paused, thinking back on what she’d learned, before saying, “Well, there’s Sunlight Spike.”

“Oh cool. What’s that?”

Well, that’s a good sign at least. She thought to herself before explaining, “It’s along the lines of rain of gain in which it can help plants grow, which is what we’re learning.”

He nodded, smiling. “Alright. How do I go about casting it then?”

“It’s in much the same way, except you have to use actual sunlight instead of a source of water.”

“That makes sense. Well then, let’s get started!”

One hour later

Link had made some progress on casting sunlight spike, at the very least. Unfortunately, his plant had yet to sprout which wasn’t a good sign.

“Ugh, this is taking too long…” Zelda grumbled to herself, sitting on the floor.

“I agree.” Link sighed, sitting down beside her. “I wish this were easier… then I could move onto the cooler spells!”

“Unfortunately, things like that never come easy. I mean, I still struggle with some of the more advanced spells and I’m a grade ahead of you!”

“Hmm. That’s not promising for my chances…”

They both fell silent and they each could feel the frustration rolling off the other. Eventually, Zelda couldn’t take it anymore and said, “I’m sorry if this isn’t working.”

Surprised, Link looked at her as she continued with, “I’m top of my class yet I can’t even tutor someone…”

“Oh no! No, no, it’s not your fault!” Link quickly interjected. “You’re an incredibly intelligent and motivated witch, which is why you were chosen to teach me!”

He then sighed. “The problem is me. I’m just not smart enough, I guess…”

“That’s crap and you know it.” Zelda immediately said. “The fact that you’ve made it this far in the curriculum and are even at this school in the first place clearly shows that you’re intelligent! No, the problem we’re having is something else…”

“Like what?”

Zelda stopped for a minute, deep in thought, before she lit up and said, “I think it has to do with your motivation!”

“Hm?”

“Think about it! Something either distracts you or leaves you feeling discouraged and it saps your energy, leaving you unmotivated. I’m sure if we figure out a system that would help you move your butt, it would do wonders! You would do wonders!”

Link couldn’t help but smile at her excitement. “You think that’ll work?”

“Yes I do! For starters, we’ll use a reward system.”

“Reward system?”

“Yep! Every time you succeed in doing something, whether that’d be learning a spell, finishing an essay, doing a 10-minute study session or something else, you get a reward.”

“I see. And what would those rewards be?”

“That all depends on how big your accomplishment is. For example, for finishing an essay, you reward yourself with a treat that you like. I know you like Hylian Donuts so maybe use that as your treat. Just don’t go overboard. And for finishing a class, you splurge on something bigger and more significant, like maybe a new wand or piece of furniture since I know you’ve wanted those things. Do you get what I’m saying?”

Link smiled. “Yes, I do. It’s a great idea!”

“Thank you.” Zelda smiled back before she said, “Now, let’s brainstorm ideas for this system.”

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

One week later

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

“…and our final demonstration for the day is Link Vinculum, who is going to be showing us his plant growth spells which he learned under the tutelage of Zelda Harkarian.” Headmaster Impa said.

Link smiled and walked up, feeling nervous but knowing that that was normal.

“Alright, now you’ve learned Rain of Gain, Sunlight Strike and Compost Crumble, correct?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Alright. We have just planted a sunflower seed in this pot and now you have to get it to sprout using the aforementioned spells. Are you ready?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Excellent. Please continue.”

Link took a deep breath before pointing his old wand at a nearby watering can and said, “Rain of Gain!”

And a significant amount of water rose up from the can and he carefully let it drip into the pot.

Once that was done, he said, “Sunlight Strike!” and carefully directed sunlight from a nearby window to shine upon the pot for about a minute. He could begin to see the soil gently shift around, which was a good sign.

Encouraged, he said, “Compost Crumble!”

And using that spell, he carefully maneuvered some fertilizer over to the pot, crumbled it over the soil and once that was done, it only took a few more minutes until a decently sized sprout began to grow before stopping.

Link grinned proudly as the Headmaster measured the sprout and said, “It’s half-an-inch tall! Well done!”

Link chuckled at the applause and said, “Thank you. However, at least half of the credit should go to my tutor, Zelda. It was thanks to her that I learned this much in the first place!”

“Yes, quite right. Well done, Ms. Harkarian!”

Zelda smiled and blushed as more applause rang out.

“That will be all for today. Have a safe journey home!”

Link walked up to Zelda, who grinned and hugged him. “Well done!”

He chuckled as he hugged her back. “Thank you. I meant what I said, though. You were a big help!”

She smiled at him as she pulled away. “Thanks.”

As they began to walk away, she asked him, “Now, when do you want your reward?”

“Soon. I want to relax first for a bit, though.”

“Fair enough. Doing spells can be exhausting.”

“Tell me about it.”

They both laughed as they walked away.

From that point onwards, Link and Zelda grew closer together, both academically and personally.

And by the time the end of the school year came around, he had finished all of his classes, earning top marks in some of them!

So what was the big reward he gave himself? A date with Zelda.

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

AN – I hope you enjoyed and see you tomorrow!

[nearestend]

kate headcanons and whatnot. i have things to say. this may take awhile.

jeb was not the love of her life. she loved him and she cared about him so much, but he was her college sweetheart. chances are, they wouldn't have stayed together, because these things happen. it's no one's fault and it doesn't say anything less about him as a person, but kate is aware of this to a fault and it only adds to her guilt. he died for her, but she doesn't know for sure that they would have stayed together long or ended up married. she thinks of him constantly after he's gone, for better or worse; kate blames herself for a lot of things, including the fact that maybe she didn't love jeb as much as she should have.

she was an exceptionally smart kid, but didn't necessarily do well in school. most likely an advanced reader. but knowing how most public schools are, especially elementary, i don't think her intelligence was always credited to her because of how structured school curriculums tend to be. kate doesn't learn in a conventional manner, she can't always explain herself in ways that make sense to other people, at least not as a kid who hasn't figured out how the rest of the world and neurotypical expectations are. i think she would talk back to teachers if she felt they were wrong. she would ask what was the purpose of doing certain assignments if she didn't feel that they benefited her. (teachers usually do not like this, btw.) i actually have many more thoughts on this, but we'll continue on.

(i also like to think that cathy would leave her in the library for a few hours while she did grocery shopping and ran errands. i may or may not be speaking from personal experience here.)

we're running longer than i anticipated, so there's more under the cut.

quickly going back to kate during her childhood/school years: i don't think she was "the quiet kid", at least not by nature. she's the overeager kid who has so much to say and share, but learned not to speak too much because others can find that off-putting and overwhelming. (she definitely learned this the hard way.) as a reaction to that, she did become the quiet kid for awhile, only because ND kids are typically taught that they need to mask or conform to a certain degree in order to be liked and accepted. that all being said, i think during her quiet kid years, she would have been the girl they sat next to the rowdy classmates in order to teach them to "behave", which probably only resulted in her getting tormented by said rowdy kids.

kate is definitely not a violent person and has no desire to be, but i do sort of think that if any of those rowdy kids picked on her too much ... she might have had a little bit of what i like to call "an i.ndia st.oker moment". (yes, i know that no one understands this reference, so i will explain.) that rude kid is being loud and messing with her too much? i hate to say it, but she's jabbing him with her pencil. (she probably got suspended for this.)

she didn't really socialize much until college. she had friends in middle school and high school, but no one she really clicked with or considered close. kids would hang out with her during school hours because she's nice and not too obnoxious, but no one was inviting her to any sleepovers. being friends with jeb, addy, praveen, and javi was very different for her. she felt comfortable enough to share her thoughts and ideas and didn't water herself down as much to please them. (i have way more thoughts on her particular dynamic with javi, which i will save for a different post. you can also just ask me and i'll go on a tangent about it.)

now take all of this information regarding kate's social dynamics, and we're going to look at tyler and the wranglers. she doesn't have the full story yet, so in her eyes, it looks very much like a group of people monetizing off her special interest. they remind her of frat boys who probably would have made fun of her in college or high school. she doesn't like them because she assumes they wouldn't have liked her, and now they're taking part in something she considers very important and special. obviously, she wasn't right to be so presumptuous, but she is very much a gatekeeper and a hater.

okay this doesn't even cover half of what i really wanted to say, but this is way too long now. i'll make another post at some point. you can also ask me question directly if there's anything you want me to elaborate on.

[georgegraphys]

it bugs me how not even a template to support palestinians most of f1 drivers can’t even post, i wanted to know from what you think from your job experience/pr views if they are not saying nothing because of sponsors (ofc it doens’t justify it but i like your opinions towards that kind of topic)

some footballers are supporting palestine and most of them have zionists sponsors/team owners etc so i don’t understand

Ohh this is interesting. But I honestly can't answer much since I don't know much about work cultures in respectful countries those F1 drivers work nor the sponsors dynamics (contracts, relationship, obligation) but I'll try?

I came from a country that supports Palestine and Palestinian's freedom. We acknowledged Palestine as a country. As I've said before, I'm a Geophysics student before and in our curriculum, the map in our country includes Palestine, not isn'treal. To ME and to my country, a country named isn'treal does not and will NEVER exist. It is just a war criminal state. Palestine will always be the only country that exists. But this stance obviously comes from me who lives in a country that supports Palestine 100%.

I do think some of the F1 drivers are not tied that strictly to sponsors obligations. I'm not gonna name them because I don't know for sure which one. But it could be those from lower teams with lesser sponsors because uhhh technically some sponsors work like "you pay more=you follow these rules more, you pay less=you don't need to follow much". I don't think these sponsors explicitly restrict someone on speaking out regarding the war going on right now as you know how they speak up about Russia-Ukraine war or other atrocities committed around the world. There are indeed possibilities that some might restrict them like probably that zionist HP? But I don't think these sponsors can actually threaten these drivers MESSILY. They're F1 drivers anyway. Only 20 actively exist in this world every year.

I actually thought of this topic as well because you know how some of the teams are funded by the middle east money and how the middle east (by logic) should've supported Palestine (i know they don't really :( in the end and i hope they did one day... like that's our brothers and sisters come on...) and F1 itself is heavily supported by those companies. You'd think they'd support or encourage the drivers to post something but sadly no. It is very disappointing but you have to accept the fact that these corporations and rich countries don't care and they don't bother to encourage something.

I'm very sorry for saying this but I don't think sponsors are the main catalyst as to why they don't AT THE VERY LEAST speak out or put up a post like "no children deserves to get hurt" (like what I see in some of the footballers. no explicit show of support sometimes but they say these words). I do think it's the drivers themselves 😃. Again, I don't come from their country and I have no idea about their stance there. A stance on things like that actually stems from the country's history as well. I came from a country that has supported Palestine since forever that's part of the reason why I've been to get educated on the conflict. But we're talking about F1 drivers whose last education is probably 6th grade primary school. Their lives revolve around a kart and a car. Maybe they are scared to speak out on those things. The fear of saying wrong things. The fear of ruining their image and upsetting one side of the fan. It's a part of a public figure's daily life. But you have to SADLY know that this is part of rich people's ignorance as well. They think being neutral is something. They don't want to 'taint' their name, getting dragged to shits while it's literally standing up for human rights and justice. These are the basic characteristics of rich people.

So anon, I don't think this is too much of a sponsor problem/restriction. Yes it MAY happen but I do think that the main problem lies in the country they live in, the culture, the environment they grow up and themselves. The ignorance. The privilege. Those things made them turn away from speaking out against those 'controversial' things. Sometimes they might view these things as a 'loss' and their mindset is probably "well i can't stop the war as well 🥴 why should i speak out" again... It's a very complex matter.

As to why the footballers have more freedom in expressing things, I do think the fact that football is a bigger and more diverse field comes to play. The fans there are not just a bunch of rich white people. The players are diverse. When being in a diverse environment, sometimes that changes you and forces you to educate yourself as well. And the fact that probably in football, where the people vary and what's important is performance on the field, makes the sponsor not matter really much. In formula one, the sponsors are presented in a more flashy way judging by the PR duties done by the drivers (literally ad filming, modelling, etc 24/7) and the brand coverage, that might also be the reason why F1 sponsors can be more powerful and have that influence more than those sponsors in football because in F1, the PR things are still really strong and also one of the strong points that represents a driver/trams. I doubt footballers do as much PR as F1 drivers. Also look at Formula One! The people of colors there are the 1% and sometimes they even got the worst hate and the fans are a bunch of white traditionalists who are also ignorant to these things. Like fan like sports ig 🤷🏻‍♀️

I feel like this is the best answer i can give? I hope it helps anon and sorry if I don't answer much 🙏

[teaandcrowns]

Hi, I know it's been a long time (almost 4 years now) since you wrote that post and it's likely that you don't even rememeber it, but I wanted to add something to the "is Katara mothering Aang" discussion. The person you were replying said that they didn't know what Pietà is, therefore implying it's not important. Pietà was in my curriculum back in middle school. When I saw it I had to pause and thought "Am I tripping or is it Pietà?". And if I knew it from school, animators should too.

You mean this one? I do remember that ask & discussion!

What's really amusing is that I also didn't know what the Pietà was until I saw someone talk about it in a meta, but the fact that I didn't know what it was when watching the show didn't make it unimportant. It's wild that there are folks out there that think just because they don't get a reference it doesn't mean anything. All it means is that the person didn't get the reference.

I think the animators absolutely knew what it was, and very intentionally used it, so you're spot on imo.

[sometimesraven]

Made For This

Fandom: Quantum Leap (2022) POV: Ian Wright

Summary: In hindsight, Ian's entire life had led up to working for Quantum Leap.

AO3 Link

~~*———————————————*~~  

Coding was always Ian’s solace. Right back to Coding Club in high school, just them and a handful of other kids learning Python instead of spending too much money at the mall, or… whatever kids that age did when they were normal.

Ian didn’t know and didn’t care, because Ian wasn’t normal.

They were diagnosed with ADHD at seven years old. Trying to keep them in one place when there were books at the other end of the room was near-enough impossible and by the time they reached middle school they'd basically taught themself the whole curriculum ahead of time. Genius wasn't a term they liked to use, at least back then. They didn't want to be heralded as some kid prodigy, they just wanted to sit at their computer and figure out how to make it play Minecraft by itself.

Being queer didn't help with that. Attention usually meant trouble, and Ian preferred to stay far, far away from trouble as a kid. So far, in fact, that their first successful coding project involved creating an algorithm that would tell them the safest likely route to and from school every day.

That turned into... a bit of a compulsion. Sooner than later Ian found themself unable to even leave the house if they hadn't checked their algorithm. One morning there was a power cut and they had a full-on meltdown, screaming, crying, smashing things-.. it was ugly.

At first it was just a routine. Mom called it their "little quirks". They'd always been that way, needing a certain order to things; a rightness. Unfortunately the Autism they found out that was down to presented closer to how it did in AFABs (gender affirmed?), so that didn't get caught until they'd already been homeschooled for the rest of High School and were well into college.

Thing is, it didn't stay routine. It became kind of a compulsion. Everything in their life had to have an algorithm; every little possibility had to be accounted for because what if it wasn't? There was a point midway though college that they were consulting statistics and algorithms for basically everything, convinced some kind of disaster would happen if they didn't.

They were skinny, weak and greasy by the time they finished their degree, accepting their PhD with their hair and makeup only done because their friends had wrangled and all but made them accept their help. Then Rachel all but made them go to therapy.

Things had calmed down, since then. Ian had coping strategies that didn't take up all their time, they were able to do things on a whim again, go shopping, go on dates, even get a job. A miserable, boring desk job as a data analyst where they didn't dare tell anyone their real pronouns, but a job was a job, right?

It was there that Magic had found them.

"Dr Wright, correct?"

"Who's asking?" they quipped, spinning on their chair to flash him a smile. This guy didn't belong here -- they could tell that immediately and not just from his visitor's pass. He held himself with a specific kind of professionalism and clean-cut carefulness that people in IT just-.. didn't have.

"Herbert Williams-- but please, call me Magic." His grin was polite, welcoming... Ian knew that grin. They were about to be poached. "I'm putting together a team of talented individuals and I want you to sign up."

"Right to the point, okay, uh-.." Ian blinked at the man's bluntness. "What-.. wahat's the job?"

"You'll be working as head programmer on a government project. The rest is classified."

"That-.. okay." If they couldn't see his credentials right there on his pass, they'd think this was suspicious as all hell. It was suspicious as all hell. They looked around their office, chewing thoughtfully at their lip. God, what they wouldn't give for another algorithm right now, but-.. what did they really have to lose? "Why me?"

Magic raised a brow, "Ian -- can I call you Ian? You graduated with honors in a University course you barely studied for. Before you were fourteen years old you could read and write fluently in a programming language I'd never heard of."

"Python is actually one of the most commonly used--"

"Young man, you have about half a dozen algorithms running right now to predict areas of your life you aren't even living yet, am I right?"

"...How did you-.." Government. Right.

"How would you like to put that talent into something that could change the world?"

For the first time in their life, Ian didn't think twice. In hindsight, maybe this was why they survived their childhood; the reason they could keep going for so long. Their entire life had led up to this.

"Uh-.. Magic? Just one thing," they tried, breathing away the anxiety beating in their chest.

"Anything you want."

"It's-.. young person. My-.. my pronouns are they/them."

Magic smiled and nodded, "Welcome aboard, Dr. Wright."