#to the ethical (ew plastics)

[gay-ppl-real]

People who make formalwear out of natural fibres I love you. People who make fancy clothes out of natural fibres I love you. People who make unique and interesting styles out of natural fibres I love you. People who find a way to make creative shapes and textures and looks out of natural fibres I love you. Natural fibres I love you.

[mizzskelter]

Friendly Competition [Robin & Kylar + PC | 1420 Words]

Partner to this fanart I did

Maybe it was curiosity, maybe it was the sheer desperation in those moments that caused you to blurt both a challenge and reward. And unfortunately as owner to those in retrospect careless promises meant entangling yourself deep into their shit.

An incoming mess to dread if the faces of Kylar and, well, namely just Kylar doing what he does best, and a clueless yet eager Robin were anything to go by.

Earlier under the clear midday glow you dragged Robin by the arm towards glassy arcade doors rather than your usual haunts at the cinema or forest. “Something different could be fun,” you said smiling, with the arcade’s name alone having Robin perk up like a puppy to a treat.

And so there you were leading him past funky neon patterns, tokens rattling down slots and already manned machines to find one of your own. On the view of your arm he clutched, Robin pointed out titles he recognized and ooo’ed at the ones he didn't, yet each were games he didn’t have the time nor money to spend on.

What you didn’t expect on your quest to rectify that fact was to run into a familiar mop of dark hair and owlish eyes. They lit up in an instant at you. Then they shift over to Robin and you watched in real-time a tendril of suspicion snake and twist round within.

Kylar wasn’t supposed to be here. Fuck.

But for everyone’s sake you didn’t let your surprise slip. What came out of your mouth rather was a slew of pleasant bullshitery not at all aided by Robin’s attempt at small talk. A noble if in vain task when Kylar seemed deadset on cutting him off. You felt his palpable disdain pile on in layers from being near him as if tainting the two of you. 

Trying to save bad from dropping into hell, you pressed against an unoccupied cabinet. A small piece of you hoped suggesting a little friendly competition would sow some seeds of friendship or better yet awkward tolerance. They like games! There! Done. A bonding point already! It made sense!

The delusional ravings of someone in deep shit is what you'd call that piece of you.

Still met with uncertain faces you switched tactics and struck a coy smile, grabbing for both their hands. You leaned in close and let your reward of a kiss brush their ears. They shared a glance, Robin shrugging.

Soon a screen flares with the select stage—their arenas for all intents and purposes—of the fighting game of your choice as they reach for the controls. It'll be brutal and bitter, yet in regards to Kylar, a knife-free, ethical rarity considering the other ways he’s proven his love for you in the past. And thank god for at least that.

Where your participation as pseudo-host leads, you find as the first matches drag on to the next it’s going to be a slower, more real death than the ones meeting their pixelated campy ends on screen. You rest on the side of the nearest machine, and realize shortly after you’re not their lone spectator. 

Stray players wandering the arcade rows start crowding around, albeit at a distance after noticing Kylar if not outright leaving punctuated by an “Ew.” Their whispers and the plastic clacks of button mashing become your background noise as you wait, watching.

(1) Next

Dayglow bleeds to dusk. The crowd thins one by one with their attention drawn elsewhere–to other friends and games, while you’re still here as, unlike the crowd, neither of the two show signs of stopping. They are for better or worse your pair of hellbent, lovesick boys and that makes you responsible for the path of whatever the hell this was you just sent them on.

Embodied best by Kylar, with his lifeline now a cable hooked to the cabinet, taking to the versus matches as if everything hinges on one upping your childhood friend. You’re not sure the last time he blinked.

Robin, though, doesn’t seem to be one so easily outdone. His tongue pokes out as his character ducks, stuns, and pulls combos closer to victory or loss. A matter of pride you figure, but there’s a smile you can read shining through his eyes. He’s enjoying the challenge.

In round one Kylar took victory. Round four, Robin, with a last minute grab combo and far too much sportsmanship for his own good at the resulting glare. At round six, Kylar again who by then quit his gloating as a means to spit the fire in his system to burn Robin. Words weren’t needed when saving it as fuel for the seventh match sufficed. 

He darts the joystick towards “Rematch” before you herd them over to another fighting game altogether. The second they take their spots you resist sighing at them falling back to the same old rotation between smugness and scowls of completely and utterly different severities.

Godfuck you wish they at least talked.

As though to fill that void, the announcer whether starting a match or doling fanfare ingrained itself into your head, keeping the score you long since lost track of as much as the coin you spent on this silly tournament. And if you need enough reminding of their cock off competition you roped yourself into, the game’s voice lines and sound effects insist on following closely your drift into sleep.

Boredom may be the one fuzzing your mind, but you can’t deny the view of their backs also stirs a sense of security and fondness that lulls you in deeper and deeper, and further far away from the arcade's buzz. You can count on them at the very least as your eyes close to dare not leave you behind…

…

(1) Next

…At some unpinnable point in your limbo between wakefulness and dreaming, “I won!” pierces through the haze than the usual “Winner” and one-liner blend.

“Did you forget the last one was my win?” Kylar’s grumbling peters out as you nod off further. “…Getting late…are they okay?”

You’re shaken out your stupor by a pair of hands that are hastily swatted away by another. “So?” you yawn, reading on a nearby clock it’s 18:00. The arcade's din sounds emptier.

Robin rubs the back of his neck. “It was, well, we ended up in a draw.”

Looking over to Kylar he keeps his eyes to the floor while rocking on his heels.

(1) Kiss them both on the cheek | + Robin’s Love | + Kylar’s Love | + Jealousy | - Robin’s Confidence

You step forward and plant a kiss on Robin’s cheek. In the next beat you move past his now grinning face to give Kylar the same treatment before his pout grows too sour. Despite what it took to get these, you soak in the satisfaction of your handiwork: Kylar rubbing his blushing cheeks, stuttering his thanks, while the other has nothing but bright joy and admiration gleaming in his eyes.

“Best out of ten next time? If that’s okay with you?” Robin asks Kylar outside the arcade. He manages a half-smile, more than what Kylar deserves from him if you're honest.

Kylar regards him with a deep frown one would afford a particularly ugly stain on white before glancing at you, contemplation hardening his face further.

Just as you expect he’ll ignore him, he curtly nods. “Sure. You’re on,” he answers in arguably the friendliest tone—or least hostile, but little steps are little victories with him you suppose— directed at Robin all day. Or maybe since he started wedging himself between the two of you at school all that time ago.

Still his gaze though is fixated on you, and only you. “Goodbye. Today was…different.” An odd hint of conflict laces his voice, and he too seems surprised. 

He turns away without further explanation, leaving you stuck wondering why or before you act on a chance to pry. His walk is dotted by occasional glances thrown over his shoulder at you and Robin lingering by the arcade’s doors.

”You know, he’s not so bad to hang out with. Just…er, please make sure you’re in there with me again.” Robin laugh is genuine if nervous. “Ready to go home?”

You’d comment but you get the sense neither of you should move until the last sliver of him has disappeared completely behind that alley corner. But being unseen doesn't mean he won't be nearby of that you're sure.

Hell knowing him, you wonder who will sneak into your room first after today. To the true victor then goes the spoils.

[ms-demeanor]

You know what’s funny is whenever I make a tech post I get people going “this is blatantly untrue” and I get people going “this is really good information and everyone needs to know it” and the dividing line is how much time you spend with people who are tech literate.

Yep, I would tell my computer savvy friends where they could get keycaps and fix their keyboards; I don’t even have to bother telling my computer savvy friends how to run a fifteen year old laptop because we’re all pretty good at it.

But GODDAMN I just read a response to my “cheap computer season” post that claimed that it was totally reasonable to run a macbook from 2010 and

Look.

That’s not a reasonable thing to tell a student who needs a functional computer to do research and write papers. (have fun trying to find installation discs from when the OS was still named after cats and have fun trying to get a browser to get along with that OS)

You know why most people bring me laptops with missing keys? Because the key got ripped off by their two-year-old and damaged the soldering in the keyboard and I have no idea it’s going to be “oh, yeah, that’s a ten dollar fix” or “sorry, that’s going to be an hour and a half to disassemble and reassemble and we’ll have to order you a new keyboard specific to that model out of new old stock” and the thing is the second one is much, much, much more common in my experience than the first.

Do I think you need to replace a laptop when the bezel is cracked? No. I also don’t carry my laptop powered on in the bag with a flashdrive sticking out of the USB port. Customers do weird things that I don’t understand and when a customer tells me they want me to fix the bezel they think it’s a twenty-dollar snap-on repair because they have no idea how this works and then they get mad at me when I explain “no, you’ve gotta have this specific piece of plastic, these haven’t been made in five years, and you might be better off buying a used model online than trying to track down a new bezel.”

So here’s the thing: Can Macs get viruses?

There are three answers here.

“No, of course not, Macs are made to be virus-proof”

“Macs need antivirus protection because, while it is less common than infections for PCs, there are types of malware that can infect macs and it’s worthwhile to guard against that”

“tEcHnIcAlLy a virus has to be self-replicating and IOS’s file management system [or some other bullshit] prevents that so TECHNICALLY Macs can’t get viruses and what you need is anti-malware software if you need anything because you’re fairly likely to have security through obscurity”

I’m aware of the third position and voicing the second position to people who believe the first position.

YES TECHNICALLY YOU CAN KEEP A COMPUTER RUNNING INDEFINITELY AND YES IT’S TOTALLY POSSIBLE YOUR LAPTOP WILL LAST TEN YEARS.

“Well if you treat it right and run it well it’ll be in great shape for a long time”

YES THAT IS CORRECT DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY PEOPLE WHO DON’T WORK ON THEIR OWN CARS DRIVE AROUND WITH THE OIL CHANGE LIGHT ON FOR MONTHS?!?

Tons of people in the world today use computers. They use computers every day, they use computers at home and at school and at work.

Tons of people drive every day. They use cars for fun and for commuting and for their jobs.

That doesn’t mean that all (or even most, or even half) of the people using these things is any good at keeping them running, or even has the barest idea of how to start tracking down a problem.

Someone in the notes of that post described a green line on their screen and thought that was a symptom of hard drive problems. I don’t have the hours in the day to catch this person up to speed on why a display issue on a laptop isn’t indicative of hard drive issues.

Do you know how much people think it’s going to cost to get data off of a broken drive? Not “won’t power up” not “won’t spin” but “I dropped this and part fell off and now it won’t power up or spin and also the platter is chipped”? I’m going to have to send that shit to a clean room and the customer is *staggered* that it might cost more than a hundred dollars to get their data. “Outrageous, what kind of blackmail operation are you trying to run here, just plug it in and get my pictures.”

A year or so ago I was at Jiffy Lube (ew). I’d been shooting the shit with the mechanic when a parent and child rolled in in a panic. And they should have been panicking! They’d thrown a fucking rod because they’d been driving with no oil in the car for god knows how long because neither of them had had the oil changed in the two years they’d owned the vehicle.

*I* can keep a 30-year-old car running. I can put a belt back on an engine in a dark parking lot with a wrench and a headlamp. I can drop a gas tank and replace my fuel filter and thumb my nose at the mechanics who tried to upsell me on “replacing your old, worn-out air filter” the day after I’d popped a new one into my truck.

These folks couldn’t keep a new car running with three alarms telling them what was wrong.

*I* can power up my 2005 macbook running Leopard and use garage band to record a song or do some design work on my copy of Adobe CS3; I can kludge its FF3.5 browser into playing nice with the internet and accept that it’s going to be a slow piece of shit.

The lady who called me confused by the fact that the password to her email was different than the login information for her grocery store rewards account will not be able to function if she gets a pop-up that says she’s using an outdated browser and will think it’s a virus if her bank won’t let her log in on that browser.

And you know what, I’m kind of sick of this attitude.

I would *fucking adore it* if computers were actually easy to repair; I’d love it if you could run new OSs on old hardware (especially on macs because I think apple are kind of shitheads about planned obsolescence).

But you know what, no, most people *CAN’T* reasonably expect to use a ten-year-old computer and have pleasant experience of it. It’s going to run slow. It’s going to shut down when they don’t want it to. The battery is going to swell slightly with the heat and your touchpad is going to go nuts. Your USB ports will stop working. Standard wear and tear that most people don’t know how to protect against and don’t know how to repair is going to make it harder to use AND software requirements will outstrip the hardware capabilities of the computer.

If your old computer sucks it’s not your fault. If you can’t happily use a 10-year-old laptop to do your homework that’s okay, it wasn’t designed for you to use it that way and YOU SHOULDN’T FEEL GUILTY ABOUT IT.

Because that’s kind of what a lot of these “well anybody should realistically be able to run a laptop from 2010″ responses comes down to: if you need new hardware you’re just not doing it right. If you have to replace your computer you didn’t make good choices when you bought it. If your battery dies it’s because you didn’t take care of it.

No. No. No. No.

This shit is A) designed to fail and B) actually really hard to keep running (hey how many blown capacitors do you think someone has to have on their motherboard before you say it’s not their fault for wanting to replace the laptop)

ALSO SOMEONE IN THE RESPONSES OF THAT POST LITERALLY SAID THAT IF YOUR BATTERY DIED AT THREE YEARS IT WAS BECAUSE YOU WEREN’T DOING THE DRAIN CHARGE CYCLE RIGHT AND FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU FUCK YOU. It’s discharge cycles and heat, motherfucker; they are going to fail at some point and people shouldn’t feel bad if their batteries stop working after a couple years.

UGH.

You shouldn’t have to be a mechanic. You shouldn’t have to be a computer technician. Yeah, your shit will last longer if you know how to take care of it but, fuck. Imagine you were still using internet speeds from 2010. Imagine all your devices still had USB 2.0. Imagine you couldn’t log onto your online bank because your hardware won’t run he software that your bank recognizes because the hardware manufacturer decided it won’t support the older hardware.

What I was trying to get across in that initial post was “computers fail, and they fail pretty frequently; your life will be better and you will save money if you plan on replacing them at a regular interval and have reasonable expectations in terms of cost and failure. So buy a cheap computer now because you’re probably going to need one at some point”

And now I’ve got to Do A Yell about how there’s no ethical consumption under capitalism and it’s unreasonable to expect tired, overworked, broke people to become experts in computer repair in order to do their homework or play the goose game.

FUCK THAT.

IT’S CHEAP COMPUTER SEASON MOTHERFUCKERS. LAPTOP FAILURE RATES INCREASE AT THREE TO FIVE YEARS AND DESKTOP FAILURE RATES INCREASE AT FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS. RIGHT NOW THERE ARE DISCOUNTS ON NEW COMPUTERS AND IT’S CHEAP TO GET AN EXTENDED WARRANTY.

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER AND WORK ON COMPUTERS IF YOU WANNA AND PLAN TO REPLACE REGULARLY IF YOU DON’T WANT TO WORK ON COMPUTERS.

ALSO CHANGE YOUR FUCKING OIL YOU’RE PROBABLY DUE.

[imdrowninginocs]

Tsutsutaka Agoyamato Bio (long)

=the character and name are canon, but this info is by me=

MASTERLIST

Gender: amab, Male – he/him

Age: 16

Birthday: December 12th (Sagittarius)

Birthplace: Northern Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture

Orientation: Heteromantic/Heterosexual

Appearance: long, black hair, kept in a pompadour; Caucasian skin with warm undertones; inverted triangle body type/mesomorph body type; large chin; large, gray-blue eyes

Height: 5’8” (current) 5’9” (adult)

Blood Type: B+

Notable Likes/Pastimes: building and modifying gunpla models, sometimes for money; making small clay dioramas for money; the punk aesthetic; trying different types of tea; ichi-go ichi-e; tea ceremonies

Notable Dislikes: people who make fun of others’ interests; being honked at when he’s on his bike; people gatekeeping hobbies/interests; fake wasabi

Pet Peeves: when he snips a piece off the spruce and it flies away; when the main weapon for his gunpla is too heavy; sanding tiny pieces; seam lines; stressed plastic; details not being correct , in anything, really; cyclists who use both earbuds to listen to music

Notable Quirks: does that anime nose/upper lip rub thing when embarrassed

Hobbies: cycling – usually with Hitoshi; creating models and dioramas; learning about and trying different teas

Nickname(s): Tsu, Tsutsu

Quirk: Calculator: can look at/think of a math equation and immediately know the answer; however this doesn’t mean he understands math any better bc of his quirk. Using his quirk too much causes headaches and/or migraines

  Questions

1. Do they have siblings? If not, do they want any?: No sibling, but he wouldn’t mind having one.

2. Parents’ Names:

Father: Hirotaka; quirk: same as Tsutsutaka’s; job: owner of a bank

Mother: (DECEASED) Toyoko; quirk: can mentally set alarm clocks for herself; job: NA, stay at home mom

3. What Is Their Family’s Income Class?: Middle class

4. Are they religious?: Tsutsutaka and his dad practice Shintoism; Tsutsutaka more-so than his father

5. Who is their role model(s)?: His father, for his work ethic and passion for models; all engineers in the world; gunpla and other model makers; hero support (basically engineers)

6. What did they want to be as a little kid?: A robot; a gundam pilot; a person who builds giant, maybe even sentient, robots; captain of a spaceship that can turn into a robot; person who grew the best tea ever in the world

7. Were they considered popular in school?: He was average; not popular, but not considered unpopular. When he decided to dress more punk-like, his popularity dipped because people grew more intimidated by his appearance, but he still did well. He has no regrets about changing up his wardrobe.

8. Were they bullied in school?: Possibly? I’m not sure if “bullied” is the correct term. Kids would make fun of his interests, but they didn’t do it with the intent to be mean, they thought they were being funny. Of course, Tsutsutaka still internalized some stuff.

9. Have they ever kissed before?: Yes, it happened when he was a little kid. His parents had thrown a party, and a friend of the family brought her daughter along. Tsutsutaka and the girl hung out often because their families were close, and she had a not-so-secret crush on him, which he was oblivious to. That night, she kissed him by surprise in an attempt to finally get the point across that she liked him, but he did not reciprocate. In fact, he said “Ew” after she kissed him, and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. She cried.

10. What is their typical clothing style?: Anything that pairs well with his black leather jackets. So, typically boots, sunglasses, and roughed-up-looking jeans that are stylized with chains.

11. Do they have any scars?: A couple of faded scars on his finger from cutting himself while making models, and another faded scar on his forehead. –mentioned in #12

12. What Is Their Worst Injury?: Tsutsutaka has REM Parasomnia, in which he moves around a lot and makes noises when he’s in the REM stage of sleep. More specifically, he tends to fall out of bed a lot. When he was younger, Tsu fell and hit his head against the corner of his nightstand; he had to get several stitches, and now has a faded scar.

13. Do they have any friends not in UA?: He has 3 friends that he met first on an online forum about gunpla, and then decided to meet in real life.

Nam-Sun; male – he/they; Japanese-Korean; quirk: water-repel – he can’t get wet, all liquids bead off of his skin

Mikuni; male – he/him; quirk: fleshsuit – he can shift his skin layer to be anywhere on his body

Shimako; female & nb – she/they/xe; quirk: smokebomb – she can emit large clouds of smoke

14. Earliest memory: Making a “secret lair” underneath his bed.

15. How was their childhood overall?:

            It wasn’t bad, but it could’ve been better.

            The worst part of Tsutsutaka’s childhood was when his mom passed away. Hirotaka struggled to adjust to raising his son on his own, while also running a business, and mourning the death of his wife. It was difficult for the Tsu, too, especially since his father was never the type to be emotionally vulnerable.

            Social-wise, he did decently well. Not many people understood his interest in modeling and gundam, and poked fun at it, but eventually he just sucked it up, deciding to grin and bear it. He would still half-heartedly defend it, though. It wasn’t until he was 12 that he met his friends on online forums.

16. What is currently their biggest achievement?: Personally, he thinks its him starting his own side business of making models and dioramas for money, even though it’s really tiny.

17. What is currently their biggest regret?: Not spending more time with his mom, and telling her he loved her.

18. What is 1 thing they would change about their past?: Looking at gunpla forums earlier. The ones he’s on is filled with cool people, and it’s just nice to talk with others who have similar interests.

19. What is the worst thing they’ve done?: When he was 13 he got into a heated argument with his dad in one of his banks. In hindsight, he feels bad about not waiting for a more private area.

20. When were they the most frightened?: When his mom’s health started to spiral during her chemotherapy treatment. (she had AML – acute myeloid leukemia)

21. What was their most embarrassing moment so far?: In 3rd grade, he used and clogged one of the toilets in the boy’s bathroom. One of the other boys in his class thought it was hilarious and told the rest of his classmates that he was the one who did it, to which Tsutsutaka denied fervently.

22. What is their best memory?: Entering into an unofficial gunpla tournament and winning 4th place.

23. What is their worst memory?: The day his mother passed away.

24. What is their proudest moment?: #1 is being accepted into UA

25. What moment are they most ashamed of?: During his mother’s downspiral, there was a time when he was with his friends and just broke down, saying, “I wish she would just die already”, and would continue to think it at times, up until her death. Yes, things like this are very stressful for everyone, and his reaction is completely understandable, but he still feels like a pos for saying and thinking that.

26. Are they more optimistic or pessimistic?: Optimistic

27. Are they more of a leader or follower?: Follower at the moment, but with enough time, he would be a good leader.

28. What is their greatest fear?: His dad’s or friends’ health declining, and not being able to do anything about it.

29. Do they believe in true love?: Yes.

30. What does success mean to them? Being able to do what you enjoy for a living, and/or making decent money. If the two can be combined, it’s the best scenario!

31. Are they usually honest with themselves about their emotions?: Yes, despite his upbringing, he’s surprisingly insightful about his own emotions.

32. Are they usually honest with others about their emotions?: For the most part, yes. But, he tries to avoid talking about his negative emotions too much. At the most, he’ll give surface-level information.

33. What do they feel the most passionate about?: As typical as it sounds, his gunpla, models, but, also tea! Just not as much as gunplay.

34. Who do they respect the most and why?: A side character I’m making up just at this moment – A youtuber who makes modeling videos and vlogs. Tsutsutaka respects him (parasocial much?), and his work ethic, and how seriously he takes modeling, and his creativity. Overall, he’s just a cool, caring person.

35. Have they ever been in love?: No

36. Are they currently dating someone?: No

37. What is their idea of a perfect date?:

            Tsutsutaka likes cliché romance, and tries to go all out.

            So, Tsutsutaka wants to make a whole day out of this date, it starts in the morning and ends after the sun goes down (unless his partner wants otherwise). The preferences of his partner play a major role in his planning, as the date revolves around them. Really, the only thing he’ll ask is that he can drive you to any places you want to go on his (future) motorcycle – though currently you’d be taking public transit.

            Since there are so many variables that would stem from his significant other, I can’t give a 100% detailed plan of what Tsutsutaka’s ideal date is, but I can give some basic info: First things first, when he comes over, he brings a lovely bouquet that incorporates your favorite flower(s), and gives you a loving kiss. Then he makes you a fancy breakfast; you can even choose to stay in bed if you want! After that, maybe some cuddle time, then you’re both out the door to do whatever your heart desires! At dinnertime, he takes you to a fancy restaurant, because “you deserve it”.

            I know that sounds kinda lackluster, but let me also add, that Tsutsutaka tries to plan everything perfectly down to the last detail! He does his research about everything you like, and want to do. He checks the forecast every day the same week you’re both due to go out, secretly stashing away an umbrella if there’s even a slim chance of rain. He calls the restaurants/cafés to make they have your favorite food in stock, if there’s inside/outside heating, etc. And of course, if he can, he’s making a reservation. He just wants you to be happy and have the best date ever!

38. Do they consider anyone outside their family tree to be family?: His friends Nam-Sun, Mikuni, and Shimano.

39. How close are they to their family?:

            Tsutsutaka is not as close to his father as he’d like. Hirotaka is introverted, strict, and isn’t good at opening up, or being emotionally available. Despite this, he does genuinely care for his son. The most they talk is whenever the subject of modeling/dioramas comes up.

            However, because of this, Tsutsutaka seldom tries to engage his dad in conversation, or at least anything that comes to emotions. He genuinely believes that his father doesn’t care, and that he’ll be scolded if he’s “too emotional”, or “unmanly”.

40. Who do they turn to in desperate times?: His friends. If it’s a very desperate situation, he’ll turn to his father.

41. Who do they trust to protect them?: Heroes and police, I suppose? He knows his friends would gladly try to protect him from harm, but they aren’t trained to fight, and he doesn’t want them to get hurt.

42. Who do they dislike the most?: NA. no one atm

43. Do they tend to argue or avoid conflicts?: He usually avoids conflicts unless something really rustles him the wrong way. Unless, the conflict is about someone’s interests. If somebody makes fun of his hobbies, he’ll politely defend himself, but if he sees someone else’s being made fun of, he’ll be more aggressive.

44. Do they tend to care about what people think of them?: I’d say he’s just below average. But still, he’s only human.

45. What is there most prized possession?: He has an old bottle of perfume that his mother used to wear. He brought it with him to the dorms.

46. Do they have a favorite color?: Black and red

47. Do they have a favorite food?: Savory: seafood, preferably kaisendon, raw shirasu (whitebait), and shizuoka-style oden kuro hanpen (black fishcake)// Sweet: castella cake and baumkuchen (tree/log cake)

48. Do they have a favorite movie/tv show genre?: Anything with robots; sci-fi; slice-of-life; whatever genre shows like “How It’s Made” or “Dirty Jobs” are

49. Do they have a favorite book genre?: Anything with robots; sci-fi

50. Do they have a favorite type of music?: Rock and hip-hop

51. What is a usual lazy day for them like?: Listening to music and working on models/dioramas. Maybe his friends would come over and they’d hang out. On lazy days, he wouldn’t be in the mood to bike unless his friends wanted to.

52. Rain or Sun?: Sun

53. Day or Night?: Day

54. How do they deal with stress?: Listening to music, complaining to his friends, and going biking. Sometimes doing modeling helps, but he tries not to, because he’s prone to make more mistakes or hurt himself.

55. Are they more spontaneous or need to plan?: He’s more spontaneous when he’s alone, unless there’s something specific he wants to do, like go to a convention for example. Besides this, he likes planning, and getting the fine details just right. He sometimes struggles with this if he and his friends decide to just “go out and walk around”. There could be a lot of fun stuff they could be doing! Just give him like…2 hours to plan something.

56. Best and Worst School Subject: Math I and English I

57. Are they more of a Spender or Saver with their Money?: Saver.

58. What is their Greatest Strength?: Detail-oriented

59. What is their Greatest Weakness?: Wanting things to be done his way

60. What is the #1 thing they would change about themself?: He wants to stop caring what others think of him. Yes, he knows that others’ opinions matter to an extent, but the anxiety he has about it sucks. (I know, this sounds like he needs to get rid of his anxiety instead, but he doesn’t see it that way)

61. Overall, do they like themself?: Yes

62. How Do They Comfort People?: Asks if they want to talk, he’s a good listener. If someone was mean to his friend, he’ll trash talk the other person and hype his friend up. Asks if they want something to eat and drink. He’s completely at your service.

63. How Do They Handle Being Complimented?: He smiles a little and tries to play it off, as if it didn’t affect him, but thanks the person for it. If people compliment his modeling skills, he’ll also blush some.

64. Are they easily embarrassed?: I’d say it’s average.

65. What does embarrass them?: People complimenting his modeling skills, people seeing him with his hair unmade, people seeing him wearing his glasses, people first discovering that he likes gundam

66. How Do They Handle Criticism?:

For gunpla, he likes it when he receives compliments along with constructive criticism, aka: the sandwich method. He understands that the person is just giving them advice to help, but hearing about his mistakes one after the other makes him feel insecure in his abilities. But he thanks the person, and remembers the information for next time.

If it’s unwarranted, and for something in a more gray-area, like his appearance, he’ll be huffy, and probably keep doing what he wants. Ex: a stranger passing by him says he needs to change his appearance because he looks scary. If it comes from someone he knows, he’ll give it more thought.

67. Do They Tend To Be More Forgiving Or Hold Grudges?: He’s more forgiving, but he does stew for a little bit.

68. Are They A Good Liar?: He’s decent.

69. What Is Their Dream Job?: Being a popular youtuber (or whatever the bnha equivalent is) who does dioramas and models and whatnot. Basically, doing what he enjoys, while living a relatively cushy lifestyle. At least, that’s what he thinks being a youtuber is like.

70. What Is Their Job Probably Going To Be?: He’s going to keep doing his models as a side hobby, but professionally, he’s gonna be an architect!

71. Does He Worry About His Place In Society?: A little bit. He doesn’t really want to take over his father’s position, but he doesn’t know what else to do. He’s more worried about what his financial situation would be.

72. Are They Usually Trustworthy?: Yes

73. Can They Fight?: No. He’ll try his best, but no, he’s not good at fighting. The most he can do is throw a punch.

74. Would They Purposely Hurt Someone?: Yes, if he thought he needed to defend himself or someone else… Or just if he thinks some jerk deserved it.

  Uncommon Questions

1. What do they do if they have a hard time sleeping?: screw around on the internet, walk around the house, and/or drink some non-caffeinated tea. If he’s feeling really awake, he’ll work on a model

2. What triggers nostalgia for them?: Castella cake and stovetop made baumkuchen (tree/log cake), because his mom used to make them. Looking at his first gunpla model, because it was a gift from his parents. The smell of his mother’s perfume.

3. What were they scolded for most as a child?: Touching his dad’s model stuff

4. Do they swear often?: No, only occasionally, and only around people who are okay with swearing.

5. Have they tried alcohol?: Yes, because he was curious how it tasted, not because he actually wanted to drink. He didn’t like it.

6. What thoughts/things make them nauseous?: really squishy sounds, the strong fish smell at fish markets; hearing someone else throw-up; certain smells of hair-products; smell of strong disinfectant

7. How do they express jealousy?:

In a relationship, if he’s jealous that his partner is talking to someone (*cough* that makes him feel insecure *cough*), he becomes quiet and broody, hoping they notice and understand his change in disposition. -- I suppose that basically, if the jealousy stems from feeling inadequate, he becomes broody.

If he’s jealous of a person’s physical characteristics, he tries his best to hide it from others, but in private brainstorms of ways to change himself. He wouldn’t be afraid to express his jealousy around his friends, though.

8. Is it easy for them to shake guilt?: If the guilt stems from someone getting hurt, especially physically, it would be difficult to shake the guilt. Otherwise, it’s not that hard.

9. How do they react to something their friend is interested in, but they’re not?: Tsutsutaka is respectful and pays attention, asking questions here and there. He’ll even ask if the other person wouldn’t mind educating him more on the subject, since sometimes being uninterested in something is because you don’t understand it. Tsutsutaka will even do his own research on the subject, even if it’s just the basics.

10. Do they actively seek out romance, or do they wait for it to come to them?: Tsutsutaka is shy when it comes to romance. He’s one of those guys that sneaks glances and secretly pines after someone. If you want to romance him, you’ll more than likely have to make the first move.

11. How easy is it for them to ignore other peoples flaws?: Depends on the flaw. If it’s something simple, like being forgetful, he can easily overlook it, even try to help. But, if it’s something more dangerous/mean-spirited, he’ll point it out to the person, trying to persuade them to be more careful/more empathetic, etc. The worst case scenario is that he avoids the other person unless he has to be around them.

12. How do they feel about kids?: He likes kids a lot! But, he doesn’t know how to interact with them. Uuh, you want candy? Play a game? Take a nap? What do kids like? And, how do you deal with them when they start crying?!

  Misc. Questions

1. What’s their shoe size?: Usually, men’s size 10

2. What is their favorite sleeping position?: On his back with arms folded on his chest, like a dead person.

3. What’s their favorite dish to make?: Potato, Shirasu, & Natto Oyaki , and Shio-konbu and Shirasu Rice Balls. The oyaki recipe is mainly for infants, but he still likes it.

4. Do they have any allergies?: No

5. Can they dance?: HA no

6. What smell(s) do they hate the most?: paint remover, gasoline, and strong disinfectant

7. What sound(s) do they hate the most?: squeaky machinery, the squeak that styrofoam makes, his father’s “disappointed” sigh, and the sick/sad noises his mother made when she was sick

8. Do/Would they wear makeup?: He doesn’t wear makeup, but would with some convincing.

9. Right or left handed?: Left

10. How do others usually see him?: Based purely on physical appearance, others see Tsutsutaka as a delinquent of some kind. Once you get to know him, you discover that he’s really just a chill nerd that likes leather.

11. Do they make good first impressions?: No. Because of his punk aesthetic, and preference for wearing sunglasses, Tsutsutaka looks rather intimidating. His face also naturally rests into a scowl.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #222

“hold your breath, my dear, we’re going under.”

Have you ever kicked a vending machine? No. Have you ever stayed online for a long time waiting for someone? Ha ha, yeah... I did that for Mini a lot when I was younger. Would you survive in prison? I can almost guarantee I'd find a way to kill myself, no. What is your favorite condiment to go with french fries? Probably ketchup. What do you have a habit of doing when engaging in a conversation with someone? Obsess over if I'm making eye contact correctly. Like the WHOLE time I will be thinking about it. Have you ever lost a pet in a tragic way? How did you cope? I had a lot of childhood cats run over, and that was always hard to see. As for coping, I just... did. What else do you do. Do you have a favorite classical composer? No. Mini skirts, slutty or stylish? Um, what you wear doesn't determine whether or not you're "slutty." They don't bother me. Do you like a partner who is clean cut or rugged? A mix. Pale or tan, which would you rather be? I like pale skin, I just don't like the texture of mine. The negative of pale skin is the fact you can see flaws more clearly. Is walking cats strange? (like walking dogs) No. What about kids on leashes? What do you think about that? That shit is wild. Teach your children better, or keep them in your sights at all times if they have some kind of condition that makes it challenging to teach them properly. How many piercings have you had, BESIDES ears, no one cares. Two. New tats in your near future? Whenever I myself have the money, my next tattoo appointment will be to enhance my Mark tribute one to better the galaxy texture. I love the guy who's done my tats so far, but there are better out there, and I don't feel he achieved my vision. This tattoo is WILD important to me; it has to be perfect. After that, a "new" tattoo probably won't happen until I have a job or I'm gifted money. How about piercings or re-piercings? "In the near future" is the criteria I'm guessing is still relevant? It depends on how quickly I lose enough weight for my collarbones to be clearly prominent to get dermals. I've been fucking stagnated for a year, though, so I don't know when the hell that's happening... Who would you like to hang out with? There's a lot of old friends and acquaintances that fit this. Next new thing you are wanting to try! Idk. Some sort of job I can actually accomplish. Would you ever visit a psychic medium? Definitely not; I don't believe they're legit. Are some days a waste of makeup? Um so idk if you know, author, but people wear makeup for their own satisfaction. If it makes you feel beautiful, then hell no it's not a waste. Do you watch any beauty gurus on YouTube? Okay I fucking adore Jeffree Star y'all. He's a goddamn Mood and inspirational as ALL hell in terms of his determination, work ethic, and open-mindedness. I watch everything he uploads ever, even though I'm not really interested in makeup. It's cool to watch though; it's an art to me. Do you have a PillowPet? No, but omfg. One of my favorite Christmas memories ever is the night my niece, when she was around two or so, was given one (or something like it?) the night before, we turned the lights out, and lit it up so the colorful stars were all over the room. She was absolutely marveling over it. That was the same night my sister revealed she was pregnant with my nephew, actually. That was a great night. Actually felt like a family. Do you have sleep paralysis? Thank FUCK no. Have you ever wanted an ex back, but found out they were dating someone? I've talked about Jason and Ashley before. God that was a bad. Bad. Fuck-ing. Time. Do you like Placebo? I don't listen to them. Has anyone ever carried you to bed? I mean as a kid, yeah. Idr as a teenager or adult. Would you rather have a wiener dog or an Italian greyhound? The greyhound. Dachshunds are precious, but as of semi-recently, I'm personally against breeding pets with damaging/unhealthy traits, and dachshunds are very susceptible to spine issues. Idk if greyhounds have any issues like that. Do your parents buy you most anything you want? Bitch we poor, no. What is the next craft you are going to make? Probably something for Sara for some special event. I don't think that's much of a spoiler, so I don't mind sharing it. Do you learn choreography easily? I was decent when I was a dance student, but no, I can promise you no. My memory is laughable. If you had to choose, would you rather be taller or shorter? Taller, I guess? Idk. Do you believe that Jesus will come back in your lifetime? No, I don't believe he ever will. What color is your winter coat? ... Shit dude, idr. Idk if I even have one, actually. What’s your favorite candy to receive on Halloween? Gimme all ur Reese's cups. Have you ever spent your birthday alone? No. Have you ever had a themed b-day party? I'm sure I did as a kid. Were you afraid of heights as a child? No. I am now tho. Which dollar store is your favorite? Here, Dollar Generals are everywhere and generally the preferred one, I believe. What food gives you diarrhea? Totally serious, most exceptionally "fancy" foods; by that, I assume things with lots of intricate spices and other ingredients. At least severe gas pains are almost guaranteed when I eat out somewhere. Have you ever had a lead role in a play? No. Ha ha man, I remember as an elementary school student though, we had a play where I SO wanted to be Snow White. What is the most fascinating part of nature? Evolution. I don't know how I once didn't believe in it. Would you ever go vegetarian? I am serious about returning to vegetarianism when/if I get to a weight I'm satisfied with (losing weight w/o meat is more difficult than with, particularly for an extremely picky eater). I wish I could be a total vegan, but I know I'm not capable of that. Once you actually learn about slaughterhouses and farm life... no. What berry is your favorite? STRAW!!!!!!!BERRIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What is your dream house? Something in the woods with a nice yard/outdoor decor, flowers, wildlife... What was the reason in you crying last? PTSD. Are there any movies in the theater that you’d like to see? The new IT and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. What do you think of Coca Cola? It's my third-fave soda. What about polar bears? Gorgeous animals. I will R I O T if they go extinct. My best friend(s) are/is... Sara. When do you want to have your first kid? Never. I am faaar from cut out to be a mother. Which stovetop burner do you use the most? I don't cook, so. The times I've made eggs, uh... I think I use the bottom right? Do you use a dishwasher or wash dishes by hand? Ugh, we don't have one. What year did you graduate high school? 2014. Do you carry pepper spray? No, but I should with how paranoid I am. What is your favorite gas station? Sheetz is the way to go down here. What have been some of your best garage sale finds? *shrugs* Idr the last time I went to one. Ever worked two jobs or more at once? Hell no. I wouldn't survive. How often do you check your email? Every day, mainly for school. What would you do if your ex came to you crying? It would depend on who. "The" ex, I don't give a fuck how I feel about him, he's getting a tight-ass hug because seeing him cry is awful, and I will always care about him to a certain degree. Well actually, I'd ask him before hugging; I don't know if he'd be fine with me touching him. Girt would get a big 'ole hug for sure. Juan, Tyler, and Aaron I'd ask if they wanted a hug. I'd definitely ask any of them if they wanted to talk/vent to me about whatever is wrong; I can't stand seeing people cry. What school do you go to, what grade? I'm a super late freshman in college. How do you feel about school? It's been a drastic change in my daily life and thus has caused stress, but nevertheless I'm ecstatic to be back because I'm actually making progress towards going somewhere. Are you still a virgin? So I know it sounds like it makes NO sense w/o details, but seriously, I don't know. We had "cheaty" ways to just barely skirt around it because at the time I was abstinent, but pretty sure at some point it became sex. Do you eat chips or crackers more? Man, I haven't had chips in a loooong time... though I love them, man. We have crackers at the house usually, and I snack on them occasionally. Is your bed next to a wall? Who doesn't have their bed against at least one?? Is your bed next to a window? There's one beside me against the wall. Do you have neat handwriting? I think so. The only thing I don't like is I write SOOOOOOOOOO slow. Would you rather be a singer or a dancer? Dancer. Would you rather be a musician or a painter? Painter. What did your hair look like in high school? Long and normally brown, but sometimes I dyed it black with colored highlights. Favorite flavor of hot chocolate? Normal?? What is your top priority in life? My happiness, probably. Have you ever made a gingerbread house? Yeah. Sucky ones, but they were gingerbread houses, lol. Do you prefer candy corn or conversation hearts? EW both are gross. Skeletons or scarecrows? I'll see you in the Skeleton War, fuckers. Who was the last non-relative woman you spoke to in person? My Writing teacher. What’s a topic you’ve drastically changed your opinion on? I did a TOTAL 180 on LGBT rights, and my former, intense pro-life stance has altered quite a lot to mostly pro-choice. What’s an achievement you hope to see humanity accomplish in your lifetime? Man, a lot... A total ban from plastic and finding an alternative for it would be great, as well as the cure of cancer and H.I.V. Make gay marriage legal worldwide. Make great progress on cleaning the oceans. I could go on and on. Do you know anyone who has a PhD? As far as personally, possibly. Like, obviously my doctors do. How do you feel when you’re the center of attention? *buys that red button that says "no" in various fashions solely for this occasion* Are you and your S/O Facebook official? She doesn't have a FB, but mine does say "in a relationship." Do you know anyone who works as a lawyer? Not that I know well anymore; a former best friend is in the process of becoming one, though. So proud of her. Which would bother you more: being told you’re not likable or being told you’re not sensible? Being told I'm not likable would really hurt. How many bedrooms does your house have? Two. Have you ever had a dream in which you died? Yeah. Does the thought of having wrinkles when you’re older upset you? Not really. Everyone gets them. Do you use Snapchat? No. Do you know anyone who’s struggling with addiction? Yes. What was your first job? And how long did you work there? I was a sales associate at GameStop. I was employed for like two months, but I worked very few days before I crumbled. Where is the last place you were other then where you are right now? School. How do you feel about the last person you kissed? I adore her. Lol, Lawl, Rotfl, Lmao, or Lmfao? (Which you use most) Lmao or lol. Have you/Do you know anyone that grows weed? Not knowingly to me. Do you really care about name brands? Not just for the sake of being a certain name; I do, however, care about the quality of brands, of course, such as taste for foods or being comfortable in clothes. Describe your favorite pair of jeans to me please. I don't have any. When I was actually slim though, I had a pair of maroon skinny jeans with a black dappling texture, and there were holes in them where the fabric was just black, and I loooooved them. Those and my leather boots was A Look. To wash in the shower, do you use a loofa? That's not the technical name for what I use according to Mom when I've called them that, but rather a body sponge or something like that, but it's like the same thing. Have you ever ridden on a horse? Yes, though not at a gallop or anything "real." Just at things like school fairs. Are you polite? I think I'm very polite, honestly. Do you prefer bright or muted colors? Bright, usually. Can you roll your tongue? I used to be able to after practicing all day once with a friend ha ha, but I haven't been able to for a long time. Definitely can't now with snake eyes. Are you a light weight when it comes to alcohol? No, apparently. Which accents can you emulate pretty well? British and country. How loud do you listen to music? Too loud, I know. Are you more awkward talking to people in real life or online? JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, real life. I don't think I'm half bad online. Do you bruise easily? So easily that I was tested for anemia or whatever it's called where you bleed easily (the test was negative, thankfully). Despite feeling bruised, though, I usually don't have an actual mark. Have you ever bought pre-ripped jeans? All my jeans were. I hate plain, boring jeans. What are you most likely to spend money on? Tattoos, lol... I genuinely think I'm good with money, I feel because of the financial position I've grown up and lived in, although I have never had a stable source of income, so it's hard to really determine that yet. I'm quite sure I'll be fine, but I really do hope I handle my money well when I do and don't invest all my spendable (as in, not money that I'm saving for emergencies) money into just tats. Have you ever been a complete fangirl/fanboy over anything? Welcome to my life, lol. I'm at an age where it's starting to get embarrassing, but. Idk how to change it. What’s the weirdest way you’ve ever heard somebody die of? *shrug* When was the last time you (dis)liked someone without really knowing them? I dunno. I try to not do that. When was the last time you wore a mask? What did it look like? Hell if I remember. I don't even remember wearing any on Halloween as a child. What comes up on your recommended list on YouTube? Mainly let's plays or music. Have you ever had a controlling boyfriend/girlfriend? Hell no, that wouldn't last long. How many true heart breaks have you had in your lifetime? One. Do you have any gay family members? My mom has a gay cousin. Who was the last person to sleep over at your house? Sara. Would you ever get a boob job? No; I don't care enough about them too. I wish they were smaller. I liked mine when I was a healthy weight, so, let's get back to that size, please. What would you think if you found out your ex was gay? Aaron, I think he actually is. Juan, trust me, he's not. Jason couldn't convince me he was gay even if he tried. I very highly doubt he'd be bi/pan, either. Girt, I would be surprised, but not like, immensely. I don't have a clue about Tyler and if he has any gay tendencies/history. Would you ever take someone back if you found out they cheated on you? NO SIR-REE. Do people ever compliment your eyes? Yeah. Would you be upset if you caught your boyfriend looking at porn? I don't know. I used to feel REALLY strongly about porn just being a big 'ole fucking nope, but whatever man, we're sexual animals. Better you take care of urges yourself rather than, you know, raping someone or something. If I personally caught my s/o doing it, idk how I'd feel, but knowing me and my self-esteem, I'd feel I'd probably jump to the whole (if we were serious) "um hi I'm your fckng gf what am I not enough" thought path. I don't think I'd be livid, though. Ask the old Britt, and we would've broken up there, probably. Who’s the last person that hung up on you? *shrug* Do you have a common first name? Yeah. Have you ever been engaged? No. Do you have any tattoos on your arms? Four, currently. They're gonna be covered one day. Have you ever seriously vandalized someone else’s property? No. Have you ever been punched? No. What do you usually order from Olive Garden? I will, without fail, get the spicy shrimp fritas and be the happiest human being on Earth. How do you feel about bats? I absolutely adore them. Do you get excited when you learn you have to dress up? Quite the opposite, actually. What brand of hair spray do you use? I don't use it. Do you like it when guys wear hats? I have zero opinion on this. Burger King, McDonald's, or Wendy's? I prefer Wendy's. If you type for awhile, do your fingers start to hurt? No. Are you the type of person who would study for a test for hours? No, I'm not. I generally don't even have to like, intensely study; I tend to learn upon reading things, or in like math, performing the actions just a couple times. "Studying" doesn't tend to work for me; if it gets to that point, it probably won't stick, regardless of how many times I try. Are you a lazy person? I hate admitting just how lazy I am. But I mean again, it also depends on what is at stakes. Does your house have a doorbell? Yes, though I actually don't know if the doorbell works... Favorite album? Ozzy Osbourne's Black Rain. Favorite farm animal? PIGS! Has your Facebook ever been hacked? No. Do you spell gray with an A or an E? I use the American spelling ("gray"). Would you rather get money or gift cards for your birthday? I would be perfectly and entirely happy with purely money for my birthday, because that equals tattoos, lmao. Have you ever spoken to a detective before? No. Have you ever played laser tag? Once on a double-date with Jason and our old roommates/friends. Do you ever share things on Facebook? Almost all I do are share things I support, find funny, find as inspirational or cute, stuff like that. I can confidently say the majority of people I even have as "friends" on there do not care that much about my personal life. Is anyone you’re close to in the hospital right now? I mean, define "close." My grandmother's going through chemo, but we're not like... my definition of particularly "close," though she's close-ish family, so idk. Is your Wifi protected? Of course. What did you have for lunch today? I didn't eat lunch. How often do people write on your Facebook wall? On my birthday, lmao. Does your phone have a cover on it? No. I'd say I want one, but way more than that, I want a new phone. Mine is godawful. What color was your swim suit this year? I mean my most recently-worn is black, but I think it'd probably be too big for me now. I haven't swam in a long time. Do ladders scare you? Yes. Do you have any pictures of you and your friends in your bedroom? No. How do you eat Oreos? I'm one of those people that breaks the cookie to eat the cream first. Who or what sleeps with you? My cat Roman. Do you know anyone with the same name as you? Yes, but spelled differently. Are you pro-life or pro-choice? Honestly, it's become almost embarrassing to say I was ever pro-life. I'm vehemently pro-choice now. What color LED is the display in your car? Okay so Mom's has a rainbow of options, but I think it's currently stuck on... purple? I think? How am I unsure???? I'm in it every day?????????? Who was your first kiss with? Jason, my first "real" boyfriend. What kind of milk do you drink? I'll drink anywhere between skim to whole milk, but I'm not really a fan of skim despite having grown up with it. What aren’t you afraid to stand up for? I'd stand up for gay rights if it killed me. Do you know anybody in the military? Loosely. What was the last hotel you stayed at? I don't have the slightest clue. Do you have any STDs? No. What’s your preferred salad dressing? YO the Olive Garden dressing is b o m b. Do you have a favorite NASCAR driver? No. Who’s your celebrity crush? I'm almost 24 years old ha ha ha hahaha I'm too old for a celebrity crush aha hahaa haa aahha ah hahaaaaaaaaaaaaa- What color is your fridge? Black. Do you know the metric system well enough to live in Canada? No, admittedly. What was the biggest bruise you’ve ever had? Tell me the place (on your body) and the story of it! Idr. If you have Etsy account - show the very last item you added to the favorites. If not - either skip or just visit Etsy and find one thing you like: I think I have one, but I don't use it. I don't feel like looking. What would you do if you knew that you will be single to your very death (even if you’re in a relationship now)? Nothing would change...? My relationship status doesn't alter my goals and such. Are there any exchange students at your school? We have a LOT of foreign students at my school, so I'd assume so. Have you got any half or step siblings? I have three (actually four, but I don't know one tho) half-siblings and technically a step-brother, but I don't see him as a "brother," really. What cars do your siblings drive, if they do drive? My older sister has a red car, and my younger has a... black Kia, I think? It's dark is all I know for sure, and I only know the brand because it's new. I don't live with either or see their cars frequently elsewhere, so idk. What about your parents? Idk what kind my dad drives, but BOY do I know my mom's car, lmao. It's an older white Kia (I think?) with the bumper fuckin zip-tied onto the car bc it was given to us after a dance friend hit a poor deer, lmao. Look, we don't complain, shit was free. Do you like kid’s movies? Yo I do NOT trust you if you claim you like NO "kids' movie." Describe your handbag. I'm actually gonna look it up. (https://sourpussclothingwholesale.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/night-owl-bag.jpg?w=584&h=364) When was the last time you had to take someone home? ME, never. I don't have my license because I'm terrified of driving. Who was it, and where did you take them home from? N/A Have you ever known someone online and then met them in person? Sara Jaaaaaane!!! :'> There are other friends I'd like to meet, too. If so, which website did you meet on? Sara and I met via YouTube when it was actually community-oriented. Have you ever been to the beach? Yeah, multiple times. Have you ever been kicked out of somewhere? Yeah, I guess. She didn't actually like, force me outside, but I had to call my mother to pick me up. Have you ever intentionally trolled? No. Did you get swine flu? No. What is your favorite type of cat? Aesthetically, I find Persians to be way too cute, though I don't support their continued breeding. It's literally abuse to breed animals that deformed. Do you support the LGBTQ community? I'm bisexual, so like- Have you ever eaten a veggie burger? Yeah, the Morningstar brand from Burger King (not the Impossible Burger one). It's genuinely not bad. If you could meet any major political figure, who would it be? I'm not educated enough on like, any, to properly answer this question. If you drink Monster, what is your favorite flavor? N/A Do you own any Webkinz stuffed animals? I was that Bad Bitch(tm) with like,,,, almost all of them back in the day. If so, do you have a Webkinz online account? It exists, but idr the password sobs. If you had/have a Club Penguin account, how old were you when you got it? I would have a character for like two days, not go back on for years, repeat a couple times... but idk how old I was. Do you own any Nintendo video game consoles/handhelds? GameBoys and a DS Lite, yes. What religion were you raised in? Roman Catholicism. Are you still that religion, if you had one? Far from it. What religion/spiritual path intrigues you the most, if any? Buddhism and Wicca. What ancient culture intrigues you the most, if any? Idk. Were/are you a teacher’s pet? Not like, the kind that sucked up to the teacher for their personal benefit, but if you mean just as in the teacher's favorite, yeah. Do you like pink lemonade? Hell yeah man. What’s your favorite U2 song, if you have one? I don't listen to them. Were your parents born in the United States? Yeah. Do women breastfeeding in public make you feel uncomfortable? I want it to be perfectly and violently clear that I fucking despise you if a child being fed fucking offends you. Why or why not? Because women's bodies aren't sexual fucking objects designed for your viewing pleasure. Write an unpopular/offensive opinion of yours here. I’m interested. Buckle up, lads. Seatbelts fastened? Ass properly in the seat? Airbags in place? There are two genders.

[thelazyenvironmentalist]

So Now I’m Back, From Outer Space

(Kidding, but I did go to The Kennedy Space Centre and I’m obsessed.)

I stopped writing this blog over a year ago. The last two posts here weren’t even originally written for this page, but were op-eds for the school paper that I’d written, once I’d returned to university to finish my undergrad. You see, I’d left school for two years -- largely as a result of being able to reckon with what it meant to study at an institution that cared so little for my future, and that of my fellow students. 

(For a backstory you can control+F “Divestment” and skim any number of pieces I’d vomited forth whilst desperate/angry/disillusioned with the lack of action said institution was taking on climate change.)

There are a myriad of reasons (is this the correct way to use “myriad”?) why I stopped writing as “The Lazy Environmentalist”. Not least among them was that, for a while, I wasn’t sure if I should be speaking up at all -- even if it was just to an audience of a casual dozen. As douchey and self-righteous as it sounds (is) I refer to myself as a climate justice activist or organizer, and a couple years back, I realized I was showing up to climate justice spaces in a pretty shitty way. I figured because I wanted to be there that I should be there. I thought that because I wanted to speak up that I should speak up-- somehow not realizing that my being there meant that I was taking the place of someone else, or that in speaking up I was speaking over other voices. I needed to learn to be quiet. Not silent necessarily, not absent by any means, but simply more aware of my surroundings-- who was missing because I was taking their space, who wasn’t being heard, because I’m so fucking noisy. 

In this way, it was good that I took a break from writing for a little while, because it helped me to see that sometimes (most of the time) my voice isn’t the one that needs to be heard-- especially when it comes to discussions regarding climate change and climate justice. 

I also need to acknowledge that because this whole exercise is largely self-indulgent, when I stopped writing I was really just letting myself off the hook. This blog, like it says in that gross yellow font at the top of the page, exists so I can hold myself to account, and that still rings true. Did I pull out my laptop in a frenzy tonight because I’ve decided that I once again need to stuff my trash in a mason jar and make my mom feel bad for taking me to restaurants that send home leftovers in styrofoam? No-- behaving like that was pointless at best, and harmful otherwise. Me toting around my trash in an instagrammable jar does nothing to reduce the amount of plastic choking a baby Laysan Albatross, and my saint of a mother doesn’t need to carry the guilt of the lack of plastic materials regulation around on her shoulders simply because I don’t feel like finishing my zimarika at our favourite Greek restaurant. 

No. When I say this blog exists to hold me to account I mean that the act of writing is one of the best things I can do when it comes to working against the forces driving climate change. Not because anyone reads this-- we’ve already established no one save my big sister (hey, Kayla) does-- but because its through writing that I force myself to sit with my thoughts and digest the literal constant deluge of terrible news about human-inflicted damage on the planet and all of its inhabitants. When I stopped writing I gave myself permission to be intellectually lazy (not cute, contrary to my chosen moniker). When I say I’ve been in a cognitive fog the last few years I’m not even being that obnoxiously hyperbolic-- I honestly feel like I’ve retreated into a world of podcasts and quickly skimmed news articles-- I’ve eschewed my own ideas and feelings because when things are as desperately, existentially terrifying as they are in the year of our lord (lol, there is no God) 2019, its easier to let someone else, someone smarter, tell you what to feel, what to worry about, and how to think. I think when I opened my laptop 21 minutes ago it was on a whim that maybe thats not what’s best for me anymore. I think if I want to devote my time, my brain, my heart to saving what I can of my home that I need to push myself to dig a little deeper into the recesses of the ole’ lobes (ew?) and try to figure out why I’m here, doing this fucking work in the first place, and also what I fucking mean when I say “this work”. “This work” sounds vague and self-aggrandizing and I’m in a time of my life where I think I need specifics and tangibilities. 

Finally, I stopped writing as “The Lazy Environmentalist” because I wasn’t sure . if that’s who I was anymore. I’m definitely a fucking lazy individual-- even at this moment I’m lying in bed at a somewhat cramped and awkward angle because I can’t be bothered to shift myself into a seated position (lol @ the misfortune of my neck). However, I don’t like the idea of letting myself take the easy way out because I’ve accepted that I am fundamentally a lazy person. Is my aversion to accepting my habitual sluggishness perhaps rooted in questionable puritanical christian societal values? Like, ya probably. Does that mean that it’s a good thing to watch 6 hours of Criminal Minds and tell myself that its okay to buy that dress from Zara because there’s no such thing as ethical consumption under capitalism, so fuck it? No. Obviously. Criminal Minds is gross (though Reid is still hella cute) and fast fashion is terrible for both people and planet (so props to me for actually putting that dress back on the rack last week even though I didn’t look terrible in it and honestly I could use another shapeless sack in my wardrobe).  

As for the “Environmentalist” part of “The Lazy Environmentalist”I also feel more than a little weird about that too. The term is fucking loaded, and carries a lot of terrible history with it. The environmental movement has and still does a really god-awful job of caring about people (despite people being animals - woah who’s really eschewing anthropocentrism now, Tim*?!) But for real, forgetting the fact that from the purely cold, calculating, strategic reality that we can’t save the planet unless we have more people on board with the concept, and that we can’t do that effectively if we don’t speak to those in marginalized communities (those always most at risk to climate catastrophe) environmentalism has been not only ineffective and alienating for a fuck-ton of people over the decades-- environmentalists have been intensely harmful to people -- there are still environmentalists who think the best use of our time is to devastate Northern Communities by rallying against the seal hunt, and pushing veganism in communities that it simply doesn’t make sense for from a cultural/historical/geographic standpoint. Old school preservationist environmentalism is based in super gross settler ideas of manifest destiny, and protecting an “untouched” wilderness, ignoring the fact that Inuit, Anishnaabe, Mi’kmaq, Tsleil-Waututh, Cree, and hundreds of other Indigenous Nations lived QUITE HARMONIOUSLY on this land for EONS (and still do) before we settlers got here, thought of ourselves as separate from the land, parcelled it up, sold it off, decided to ~protect~ a fraction because God said so or whatever, and generally started fucking shit up. 

So yeah, the term Environmentalist kind of makes me feel uneasy, as it should,  because it carries with it a history of violence-- a history that is still being perpetuated today. 

That being said, the term environmentalist also makes me think of my Grandma (cute, right?) I don’t necessarily think she would have considered herself an environmentalist, but she was the single most compassionate, loving person I’ve ever known, and yes I idolize her and hold her to a standard that no one else will ever meet but that’s okay, because she was my Grandma and I’m supposed to think she was perfect and magic. I mention my Grandma (her name was Lecetta) because she’s who made my into a little lazy environmentalist. She took me on trips to see Manatee rehab centres in Florida, walks through the Carolinian forest near her house, and swimming in Lake Huron. On the days we were inside we watched PBS nature documentaries and read books about wildlife in North America and on Saturday mornings she’d sit with me as I sobbed during WWF infomercials in what I realize now was a pretty weird weekly self-flagellation ritual. What I’m trying to say with this bizarre tangent is that the term “environmentalist” still holds some pretty earnest intention for me, and I’m remiss to entirely abandon the roots of what compels me to defend our home. 

So, circling back to what I’d initially tried to start saying with this post- I think I’m going to start writing here again. I think I’m going to see if this helps me be the sort of person I want to be: the still sometimes lazy, but still earnest environmentalist- trying to figure out what my place is- in the movement, in my community, on the planet, and simply within myself. 

*There’s no one named Tim

[ammg-old]

A team of Israeli scientists announced the mother of all inventions last week. Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science revealed in the journal Nature that they had successfully gestated hundreds of mice inside an artificial womb. They placed newly fertilised eggs inside glass vials rotating in a ventilated incubator, and grew the embryos for 11 days – the mid-point of a mouse pregnancy – outside their mothers’ bodies. The embryos developed normally; their hearts, visible through the glass vials, pounded steadily at 170 beats per minute.

The mice were no bigger than sunflower seeds, but what they represent is enormous: the breakthrough brings us one step closer to reproduction without pregnancy. The division of labour in gestation is the most intractable imbalance between the sexes. Men only have to contribute a single cell to make a baby, whereas women carry their children for nine months and give birth, sometimes risking their bodies and often risking their careers, in a world of work built largely by men. An artificial womb would mean complete reproductive parity between the sexes: all anyone needs to do is throw in their gametes and the rest is taken care of. But this equality could come at great cost to women. This is radically disruptive technology, and with every new development we are sleepwalking into a world of tough ethical choices.

The idea of babies grown in jars may conjure up images of the hatchery of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World or the foetus fields of The Matrix, but scientists have been trying to make it happen for decades. In 1992, Japanese researchers had some success growing goats inside rubber sacs. In 2017, researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) revealed they had grown lamb foetuses in plastic bags from the equivalent of around halfway through a typical ewe pregnancy to full term. In 2019, Dutch researchers received a €2.9m (£2.6m) grant from the EU to develop an artificial womb that would use replicas of human babies dotted with sensors before being deployed in hospitals.

The scientists behind these innovations are motivated by noble intentions: they want to save the most vulnerable human beings on the planet by improving outcomes for super-premature babies, or to understand early gestation, and why so many pregnancies end in miscarriage. Artificial wombs offer a window on to the closed world of embryonic development, so the reasons it might go wrong can be studied in real time. They allow the process of gestation to continue outside the body, so that babies born too soon no longer have to face the high risk of disability and chronic illness associated with extreme prematurity. It is hard to argue that something with such potential to save lives shouldn’t exist.

But artificial wombs could also undermine the basis of women’s reproductive rights and freedoms. In England, Scotland and Wales, the abortion limit is pegged to the viability of foetuses outside the human body; it’s currently set at 24 weeks’ gestation because foetuses at an earlier stage of development aren’t expected to be able to survive outside the womb. What if all foetuses, and even embryos, are potentially viable because they could be gestated inside an artificial womb? Any unborn child could be considered to have a right to life.

In countries where abortion is legal, access to it derives from a woman’s right to choose what happens to her body. But if unwanted babies could be “rescued” by technology – gestated inside an artificial womb and then given up for adoption – then abortion could be simultaneously pro-choice and “pro-life”. Why should a mother be able to decide to terminate an unwanted baby if an artificial womb can save its life?

This technology has been developed in order to rescue the world’s most vulnerable babies. It’s not so much of a conceptual leap to imagine that babies gestating inside the wombs of women who drink, smoke, take drugs or engage in risky behaviour during pregnancy could be considered vulnerable and worthy of rescue in an artificial womb. In a culture where pregnant women are constantly scrutinised and judged, and the state has the sometimes contentiously used power to declare mothers unfit and take away their children, the threat of this technology will have enormous potential to coerce and control pregnant women.

Many tech and media companies, including Apple, Google, Facebook, VICE and Buzzfeed, already offer to cover the cost of freezing their employees’ eggs so they don’t have to worry about dwindling fertility during the most productive years for their careers. Gestating a baby in an artificial womb may one day be a choice open to elite women whose companies will pay for it, or who can afford to cover the cost themselves. “Natural” pregnancy could be seen as a sign of poverty, of unplanned pregnancy, or a chaotic lifestyle.

A full replacement for pregnancy may be decades away, but artificial wombs are coming sooner than you think. Right now there are teams of researchers across the globe working on competing systems to replicate the human womb. CHOP is in the process of getting the US Food and Drug Administration to approve trials of its “biobag” device with human babies, and other teams in Australia and Japan, are snapping at their heels.

The obstacles to growing humans outside the human body will be ethical and legal, not technological. We need to be discussing artificial wombs now, and the precautious, contingent basis of women’s reproductive rights, before this technology arrives in our hospitals and fertility clinics.

[saidtheredhead]

maman.

Originally posted June 11, 2017. Today is my mom's fiftieth birthday. 

50 Things About Sophie Chiche

As Best As I Can Remember (but don’t quote me on every single detail being 100% accurate)

At least once a year, Sophie pulled absolutely everything we owned out of absolutely every drawer and shelf to reorganize and declutter. No such thing as a "junk drawer" in our home.

Sophie is a woman of passionate drive--just watch her open a new Shape House, up at 5 am to get the right shaped plumbing joints for her industrial lighting with two little buns in her hair.

Sophie loves to dance, she has some great mom moves, grabbing her belt, kind of like Michael Jackson.

Sophie is not one for rules--I have never seen her follow a recipe or pay attention to the painted lines in the Target parking lot (when the best spot is to the left, not right!)

Sophie is intensely friendly. I’ve never seen anyone else collect immediate best friends like this woman.

Sophie has a rapid-fire tongue for languages, seamlessly switching between chatting with her family on the phone in Français, answering my question in English, and asking someone for directions in Español.

Sophie is an UNO fiend!

Sophie gets into obsessive fads--like that month of eating hamburger patties and fried eggs, or listening to Ben Folds and Regina Spektor sing “You Don’t Know Me” a thousand times.

Sophie finds giraffes everywhere. (After all, she is Sophie la Girafe!)

In the past year or so, she also finds lighthouses everywhere.

Sophie has an impeccable eye for design.

Every house she has decorated (whether personal homes or of the “Shape” variety) is a masterpiece.

I love her fashion style, Sophie sure knows how to layer long necklaces with knee-high boots.

Even though Sophie never follows recipes, she always whips up something delicious.

One of my favorite food fads of Sophie's was the savory oatmeal phase with homemade macadamia nut pesto.

I think I have only seen Sophie with our matching natural curly hair maybe three times in my entire life.

Sophie is the opposite of a hoarder, but over time, she has collected a few gorgeous old pieces that fit perfectly, no matter how many times she moves, like the old telephone box or the long piece of wood that look like a mancala board.

Sophie can whup your ass in Backgammon.

Sophie is an amazingly inventive collage artist. At our old house, she collaged and mod-podged the front of the stairway.

Sophie was a little rebel. On one of our Paris trips when I was very young, she showed me around to all the schools she went to, almost one per year. I asked her if they switched schools every year in France, and she replied, “No, I just got kicked out of all of them.”

Sophie is a collector of skills and jobs. I’ve been around to see her create two amazing businesses, LifeByMe.com and the sweaty adventure Shape House.

Did you know that Sophie went to clowning school? I’ve heard some great stories about that time.

At least once per semester, I have an existential crisis where I doubt my place in academia and convince myself of my failure and Sophie always laughs and tries to remind me how we have the same exact conversation 2-4 times a year and I still manage to get perfect grades at the end of the day.

As a parent, Sophie believed in allowing space for children to have agency and be their own autonomous human.

Sophie once had a casual chat with a friend about how he unschooled his kids, and mentioned it to me with no ulterior motives and two weeks later I was out of school.

If everyone is six degrees from Kevin Bacon, they are four degrees from Sophie Chiche.

Anytime Sophie meets someone, she figures out immediately where they are on their life trajectory and does what she can to move the game along.

Sophie knows what she wants and doesn’t settle for less. I don’t think I have ever seen Sophie order something directly off a menu with no substitutions.

Her most (and only) Mom™ action: every time she sees me, she automatically pulls the filthy glasses off my face and cleans them, even if she is actively driving...

Sophie has the most vague and teasing social media presence, but such an interesting eye for piles of things.

Sophie moved to the United States, got set on a blind date with my francophile dad, dated him, got engaged, got married, got pregnant, had me, and got divorced within 3-ish years (two of which were after I was born).

Sophie got emotionally and physically invested in American democracy before she was a citizen by volunteering during Obama’s first presidential election. (Her first vote as a citizen was for Obama’s second term! She cried.)

Sophie has a great collection of shoes (and we excitedly share the same foot size!)

People used to think my ex-step-sister Sarah was actually her daughter instead of me, because they share the same coloring and hair. But even after the divorce, we are still all family. We call ourselves the “permanent party” and go on adventures, like spending a week in Joshua Tree.

Though my red hair skipped a generation with ma and pa, if you compare baby pics (and current pics) of Sophie and I, we have the same lips and face, just different colors.

I don’t think Sophie has a French accent, but people often think she’s Spanish or Israeli.

I was mean and used to make fun of Sophie for her French idiosyncrasies in English, like saying “shrimps” or never being able to pronounce “ew”. But if I ever made fun of her, she would say back, “uh-huh, and come back to me when you can say it in French!” In fact, when I was a kid, I used to give Sophie little English exams that I would hand-write and grade.

Her most Jewish mom phrase: “May that be the worst thing that ever happens to you!” any time I complained about something.

(Even though I do wish I had learned French--and Spanish!--while my brain was more plastic) I am very grateful that Sophie did not force me into learning it while it was still kind of traumatic for me.

On that note, I am so grateful that Sophie did not force me into any activity. I tried plenty of things, but groped around until I found my passions and developed a severe work ethic in the theatre.

I was a goody-two-shoes uptight nerd, and sometimes I felt like we switched roles. On many an occasion, Sophie would suggest playing hooky for the day and I would reply, “Moooooom, I can’t! I have school!”

But when I did need/want it, Sophie was very supportive of taking mental health days.

As a mom, Sophie struck a great balance between letting me live my life but swooping in whenever I rang the 911 call.

Sophie is an avid TV watcher, and I love her recommendations even if I take years to finally get on board.

Sophie is also into a lot of hokey self-help treatments and food programs and spiritual audio tapes and so on. I give her a lot of shit, but they work for her (and usually me too, whenever I do actually try them.)

No matter how hokey I think her things are, somehow they always magically align for her. If she needs to find a man with duck feet and an umbrella hat, she will randomly strike up a conversation with the person buying candles next to her who will mention his neighbor who happens to have duck feet and an umbrella hat. Every single time, without fail.

As a Parisian, Sophie is a wild driver. I often cling to the armrest in anxiety. I know that she can handle the car impeccably, but I worry about everyone else around her sporadic speed and turns.

Sophie always has a gorgeously stocked arts and crafts room that makes me swoon. She currently has two boxes overflowing with rolls of washi tape. (See where I get it from?)

Sophie takes all of my friends (who she has met) under her wing. Our beloved house on Nichols Canyon was home to all of my friends and many a theatre kid slumber party.  

Sophie is Wonder Woman.

Je t'aime, maman! 

[simsrunway]

Ohh, gotcha. When you said sustainable I thought of Emma Watson. She's become a champion of eco-friendly fair-trade fashion. A few years ago she made an instagram account @the_press_tour to showcase her 100% sustainable wardrobe on the Beauty and the Beast tour. You might find some ideas there! EW only wears eco conscious clothes so might find inspo there. & Dries Van Noten: DVN has championed faux fur as a signature style continuously being inspired by both animal prints and ethical materials.

That’s so cool of Emma Watson! I’ll definitely have to check out her posts.

Faux fur is great in terms of a substitute for animal products use in fashion, but I kinda have this thing against faux fur...

Faux fur is typically made from acrylic, or some blend of acrylic. Acrylic is plastic, so in terms of environmental impact, faux fur isn’t great. Plastic is melted down and then spun (think sort of like fairy floss/cotton candy). And as we all know, plastic takes an incredibly long time to break down if it ever does break down (I think it’s something like 1000 years? But someone pls correct me if I’m wrong)

If anyone is interested, there are environmental substitutes to faux fur! These include denim fur, recycled plastic fur and hemp fur!