#unvolunteers

[kyown]

Fuck meeeee first weekend back and I won’t get to watch fp1 😩

[b0njourbeach]

Okay, this might be an absolute asshole take but hear me out!

Cater meeting Ace for the first time went normal until Cater started unvolunteering to sing "Baby, you light up my body like nobody else" because Ace just reminded him of that song. He didn't do it intentional, it was more of a reflex. Not many noticed it and even less remember it.

Every now and then, when Cater is chilling on his phone and Ace walks past, he starts to hum the melody again and makes unintentionally everyone around him (if they remember the moment) laugh.

(This is based on the fact that I heard the song just now in a video and it reminded me of Ace and then a singing Cater popped up next to it.)

[ok555ficideas]

Neil planing fake dates for Kevaaron

“So,” A loud voice took him out of his dangerous thoughts. “The first day you both have off in the evening is wednesday.” Neil said with a firm voice. 

Aaron knew that he shouldn’t have brought this side of Neil to life. He knew how dangerous this was, but despite Neil being an absolut menace to society more so than usual in this state, that was the Neil that made them finally become friends. 

In Aaron’s last year of college, Neil took it upon himself to repair their relationship. He had already made everyone else socialize and his efficient system made it easier to bring the freshman smoothly into the team, so he had nothing left to do. 

At least that was what Aaron thought at first. Neil said that it was because of Andrew. Supposedly Andrew’s goal was to get into a team that was closest to where Aaron was going to go to med school. Aaron didn’t want to believe that. Andrew and him had a better relationship than before, but his brother had chosen Neil over him after all, why wouldn’t he do it again?

Neil had to practically drill it into his brain that Andrew actually cared about him and therefore Neil would try to be civil as well. 

He was far from civil. He had barged into Aaron’s dorm unannounced time and time again and dragged him to stupid events that he knew Aaron would like and did everything to get to know Aaron better. 

Over time it turned out that the redhead wasn’t that bad and that Aaron actually liked talking to him. It also turned out that he was right. No matter where Aaron was going, Andrew was close behind. Finally they both settled down in Seattle and Neil soon joined them. 

“Are you even listening to me?” Neil asked, looking at Aaron annoyed. “You asked me to help yet, you pay no attention.” He added while crossing his arms and leveling Aaron with a pointed look. 

“Technically I didn’t ask for your help, you volunteered it.” Aaron said and Neil rolled his eyes.

“I can unvolunteer it and leave you with this alone.” Neil gestured to the whiteboard. 

Aaron looked at it terrified. Truth be told he had not done many of the planning so far and he was glad for Neil’s help. 

“Nah, you won’t. You’re in your element” he said, crossing his fingers that he was right. 

“Whatever.”

Part of Saving the Day

[manateia-seriallove]

Almost a year ago I came back on tumblr because I thought I could find something I needed... and I did.

And I lately i also remember why I love so much this platform : It makes me discover new beautiful stories. So throught followers of followers of followers, i discover OFMD few months ago and (very) lately a little taïwanese show : The On1y 0ne.

I'm usually not a fan of asian show (my daughter was a fan, so I watched few episodes with her), especially BL, it's full of lingering looks and... that's all (yeah i know that's cliché, i am cliché sometimes).

Like i said I discover 'The Only One" lately, and I thought, well let's give it a try and literaly start watching season 1 on Monday.

I know i'm clearly not the target for that kind of show, but after watching the season finale here's a some of my thoughts (sorry if maybe i missed cultural reference, it's really unvolunteer from me).

There we go :

-----

They're 17, every little bump on the road is the end of the world when you're 17.

(Some would even threaten to destroy monarchy because their ex is on a date with someone else *cough* marcus *cough* 😉).

Joke aside, they've just been physicaly separate during the day, but before that sheng has been avoiding tian (well avoiding talking to him) when only few days before they were able to joke together and sleep in the same bed.

Tian can feel, since Sheng went back to his bed, that sheng is hidding something from him (don't dare talk to him about something), but can't identify exactly what it is because he is himself stuck in his childhood trauma and think it would be a horrible idea to gave in to the feeling he know he has for Sheng (poor tian need to deal with that trauma, and maybe talk with his father, before anything can happen between him and sheng).

Sheng is on a "full on gay crisis" (i had to use this one, there's way too many possible parallel with heartstopper in this show), so he think being far from tian will "fix him" (i really like the parallel with the mint to talk about how he want to fix things, it's very poetic), but like with the mint in the pot "you've got to snap off the bent part (the socialy construct idea that you can't crush on a guy) then new buds sprout and fresh, beautiful leaves grow back" (you're still you, even if you start liking guys and want to kiss the one that's your new step brother).

I don't think that end is stupid, they're both going through a lot, sheng discover he's most definitely bi (damn that shot of him with the bi flag color in ep 11 was absolutely beautiful), Tian is trying to overcome is trauma and that separation even if just for the moment they are in classroom is just the last straw.

Now all they need is self acceptance, self love, and communication.

I do hope things will be better between them in season 2 (there will be a season 2, right?).

[thenationaltreasuregazette]

Interpersonal Aftermath: Riley and Patrick Edition

Ben and Patrick | Ben and Abigail | Ben and Riley | Riley and Abigail | Abigail and Patrick |

We continue our relationship aftermath series with Riley and Patrick, and with me once again underestimating how much I had to learn (and to write) from this investigation.

Now, these two have even less interaction then our other low-interaction duos, but let’s work with what we’ve got.

Patrick meets both Riley and Abigail when they show up to his house with Ben after the gala. Initially I thought Patrick would instantly dislike Abigail, but @emmi-kat convinced me that he’d take to her immediately. She also argues that a little bit of that compassion would extend to Riley as well.

I’m inclined to agree, but while I don’t think Patrick dislikes Riley on first meeting, I don’t think he particularly likes him much either.

To review, their first real interaction goes like this:

PATRICK And he dragged you two into this nonsense? ABIGAIL Literally. RILEY I volunteered. PATRICK Well unvolunteer, before you waste your life.

The main difference between Ben’s companions is that Abigail was roped into this nonsense, where Riley is here voluntarily. He joined Ben in the futile quest for treasure, and I imagine Patrick holds that against him, at least a little.

Can’t these guys see how they’re wasting their lives away? he must think. Patrick at least knows why Ben feels compelled to do this. Riley doesn't have generations of family history compelling him to be here. He could, as Patrick puts it, unvolunteer at any time.

That doesn’t mean Patrick doesn’t think Riley is smart. After all, he knows that Ben is smart, but that was never the problem. It didn’t help that Ben had the patience and the mind to study deeply and try to unravel the clues, but it’s his bullheaded dedication to the cause that has Patrick most concerned.

It’s an interesting question how much of this same determination he senses in Riley. After all, Riley just helped Ben steal the Declaration of Independence. He’s as all-in as you can be. And yet he’s in more because he wasn’t going to let Ben do this alone, not only because he has a blind belief in the treasure.

The fact that Riley doesn’t recognize the Ottendorf cypher might give Patrick a little hope for Riley. I think Patrick would find it reassuring that Riley isn’t a die-hard treasure hunter, at least not in the same way that Ben is.

And of course, there’s this gem, which is one of my favorite lines of the movie:

Patrick isn’t exactly impressed with Riley either. But then again, this isn’t a situation where Riley can show off his skill sets. In this scene, he’s fulfilling his everyman function with no tech in sight. He really is just “some guy” who Ben has tagging along.

I would expect most of Patrick’s frustrations to remain on Ben, but he doesn’t have a lot of reason to like Riley yet either. In the tension of the evening, I doubt Riley’s signature sense of humor isn’t even registering for Patrick.

They don’t meet again until it’s time to go down into Trinity Church, and even then they don’t interact directly until after the stairs collapse.

However, when they do, it’s Patrick patting Riley reassuringly on the shoulder and saying

PATRICK It's OK, kiddo.

after Ian leaves them in the pit.

That’s a pretty big shift from “What do you have, him?” So what changed? Well directly, as we’ve seen, almost nothing—Riley and Patrick haven’t interacted since. However, their circumstances have changed a lot.

I would argue that this fatherly instinct from Patrick is a result of three factors. One, everybody almost died a minute ago, particularly Ben, who was in peril for the longest. Patrick is probably feeling a lot of feelings about his son and the years they lost being estranged from each other. Some of this fatherly affection transfers over to Riley.

Second, the thrill/peril of the treasure hunt has awakened something in Patrick that he thought died a long time ago. In his worldview, this staircase should not be real. Hiding some artifacts is one thing, but secretly excavating a five story pit in the middle of Manhattan is a long way to go to prank the British. He must be starting to feel some of his long-extinguished hope that the treasure is real. This puts him in a good mood, hence “Kiddo.”

And third, even though their direct interactions have been limited, Patrick has spent enough time with Riley at this point to get a sense of Riley’s personality. And who wouldn’t love Riley Poole?

He might not realize it yet, but Patrick is bringing Ben back into his life, and taking everyone Ben cares about with him.

And what does Riley think of Patrick?

Although they had never met, I think that Riley has expectations of Patrick that trend toward the negative. In the 2003 script Riley explicitly knows about Ben’s tense relationship with his father before we meet Patrick on screen.

Outside the Archives he says

RILEY All right. I’m sorry. I know I'm not supposed to talk about your dad.

Now, Riley’s a slightly different character in the older script, and he has a slightly different relationship with Ben—Riley actually takes on more of a mastermind role—so it’s not a guarantee that any related details would be the same. We know, at the very least, that Riley knows enough to know that Ben is thinking about going to his dad’s when they’re in the park.

RILEY Ben, you know what you have to do.

It’s possible Riley knows any amount of detail about Ben and Patrick’s relationship between “My dad and I don’t see eye to eye about the treasure” to full details of their falling out, Patrick’s perpetual disappointment with his son, etc.

So when he goes to the door with Ben and Abigail, Riley knows he’s about to walk into something but he might not know exactly what. Then Patrick insults Abigail (Is she pregnant?), Ben a bunch of times, and Riley himself (What do you have, him?) and Riley can’t be having a great impression of Patrick.

So I imagine the “Kiddo” moment marks a "oh, this guy's actually alright" on both sides.

Going forward, I don’t know that they’d get particularly close—Patrick has much more in common with Abigail, after all—but I imagine that Riley and Patrick get along just fine. Patrick will always think Riley is a bit hapless, and Riley will always think Patrick is a bit uptight, but Patrick respects the lengths Riley will go for Ben, and Riley is glad for both of them that Ben and Patrick are on a better footing now.

“He’s a weird, goofy little man, but he’s my son’s weird, goofy little man” 🤝 “I just wanna impress my treasure hunt father-in-law/new adopted history dad”

[nyx22-blogs]

Imagine Being Ben's Little Sister And Having A Huge Crush On Riley Poole But He Thinks He's Too Old/Nerdy For You So He Never Made A Move And Always Tried To Keep Distance Between You Two

A/N: Yes yes I've thought and dreamt of this ok leave me alone 😭

Warnings: Angstiness but barely, shy Riley bc that is a warning, like the tiniest bit of swearing

Another A/N: Sorry lol I read somewhere (probably not a trustable site-) that Riley was born in the 1970's and since National Treasure was made in 2004 I'm just gonna assume he was born in 1976 and he's 28. Reader would be 20 in this case. 😬

Italicized sentences represent past events/conversations. •°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

When your older brother Ben has called wou while you were at work and asked you for help, you were surprised to say the least. I mean you knew where he was and knew what he did but you never thought you'd be treasure hunting as well.

When you did get there you got along really well with everyone else. You always thought it was a shame Ian had gone rogue. He was a good friend to you.

But your favorite part of the entire process was getting to know Riley Poole.

He was so amazing, and a huge asset to the team. And maybe you harbored a gigantic small crush on him. I mean who could blame you? He was so smart, sarcastic, funny, and just so adorable.

Early on Ben had figured out your crush on Riley, he was your big brother after all. He knew you best.

"Wait wait wait, if you like Riley just tell-"

"BEN! SHHH- he might hear you, you ding dong!"

You were quite obvious when it came to having a crush on Riley, even though it wasn't intentional. Abigail knew, Ben knew, unfortunately your dad knew, but you weren't quite sure if Riley knew.

"Dad." Ben said

Where's the party?

Uh, well, uh...

I'm in a little trouble.

Is she pregnant?

Well, if she is are you gonna leave the woman carrying your grandchild standing out in the cold?

You all walked in your dad's house and Riley found his way on the couch while Ben and Abigail headed to the kitchen. Your dad had pulled you to a corner to ask a question.

"What the hell are you, Ben and your boyfriend doing here? And who's that girl?"

"I- he's not my boyfriend dad he's Riley. And that girl is Abigail."

He looked at you as if you were lying, sighed and went back to the living room.

Pointing at Ben your dad had said, "And he dragged you two into this?"

"Literally."

"I volunteered." You smiled widely at that, how dare he sound so cute saying something so basic.

"Well, unvolunteer, before you waste your life."

"Knock it off, Dad." You and Ben said at the same time.

"Sure, sure, I know, I'm the family kook. I have a job, a house, health insurance. At least I had your mother, for however brief a time. At least I had you. What do you have? Him?"

"Dad!" You said, starting to get annoyed. You could see why he was mad, and he had a reason to be. That didn't mean he needed to talk to Riley like that.

You remembered that same night you guys had taken your dad's car and drove off. You felt bad for taking him to the chair but at least he agreed to it..

Ben and Abigail were in the front of the car and you and Riley were in the back.

It took a lot of convincing on your part to assure him that it was ok that the both of you guys laid down together in the back.

"I'm hungry. This car smells weird." He whined sleepily.

You giggled and shushed him. Since he was pretty much laying on top of you, you stroked his nose gently until you saw him fall asleep. As you started to fall asleep yourself you felt his arms tighten slightly around your waist and he nuzzled into you a bit more.

"Hmm, g'night love." He said so quietly you barely even heard it. Those three words were your last thoughts before you fell asleep with Riley in your arms.

This happened two days ago, and currently you, your brother, Abby as she now allowed you to call her, and Riley were taking a break in a pretty field Abby had spotted.

You so desperately wanted to talk to Riley about everything but you were afraid he'd dismiss you. You didn't want to make your friendship with him weird.

You watched as Ben and Abigail walked up to a farther end of the field. Just before they were out of sight you got a text message from Ben.

Tell him now before I kick you. Love you. You got this.

You rolled your eyes affectionately and answered back.

You think he'll say yes?

How the hell would I know? Ask him and you'll find out.

Wow so supportive big bro.

Hey now, he cares for you we all know that. It'll be fine, do it now.

Ok. Love you too.

"Hey.. Riley?"

"Yeah?" He said while typing on his laptop.

"Can I talk to you about something?"

"Uh- yeah sure." He set his laptop aside and turned to face you. Blue eyes attentive and making you more nervous by the second.

"I uhm- well I wanted to ask- well no I just uhm. I wanted to know if you remembered what you told me when you fell asleep on me in my dad's car."

"Uhm..I was hungry and the car smelled weird? Which it did by the way."

"Well yeah but after..you were telling me goodnight and..."

"And...?"

"And..you called me something.."

"I don't uhm- know what you're talking about."

"RileyIlikeyou." You blurted out.

"I- god I know..I know you like me y/n.."

"So then why didn't you ever-"

"Because y/n look at you. You have your whole life ahead of you ok? You're young and smart and so incredibly beautiful it's ridiculous and I really really like you but you and I don't make sense. Ok you're 20 and I'm pushing 30's right now."

"Riley..I don't care about that."

"Well- I do. What would everyone say?"

"Nobody would say anything Riley."

"I- I want this to work..but I'm scared of what'll happen if it doesn't. I care about you y/n..I don't want to lose you.

"Riley you won't lose me." You scooted closer to him and he wrapped an arm around your waist.

"So..are we- you know." He said

"Well yeah, I guess we should probably everyone know before someone gets a heart attack at possible nicknames or PDA." You said chuckling at that thought.

Riley laughed at that.

"Alright then sweetheart who should we start with?" He said dragging out the new nickname.

"My dad?" You said with a teasing smirk, wiggling your eyebrows at him.

"Y/n no, your dad terrifies me."

"Fine. How about my mom?"

"No-"

"Ben and Abby?"

"Yes, yes let's do that." He said and you smiled.

Your phone buzzed again and you checked it while sitting next to Riley.

See, told you it'd work out. Ding dong.

Shut up Ben.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

Was it bad? Maybe. Do I care? Yes. Lol let me know.

@sierraaf11

@captainannamerica

@where-dreamers-go

@howitcanbe

@ashlaieblobfish

@executethyself35

@aceaoki1316

@mackenziestewart2

@why-must-i-be-like-this

@beetears

@donut-rambles

@naturalswifty89

@riley-poole27

@ash-theart-witch

[anumacy]

Horrible indeed, the hard truth and reality isn't pretty sometimes and people often forget that. I think your answer is rather interesting, has a nice depth, even if it's darker than what many ppl would like to hear, not many would admit having these qualities either. I think it's lovely you said Annabel, she's a complex one. A shame she gets sm hate tho :c

I can't choose between Annabel and Lenore. For many years I would have said Annabel, mostly in keeping only one person close, and not having genuine friends other than my love interest. I used to categorize people, what are they good for in my life, I used to manipulate and use them, but not anymore. I would have given up everyone for my special one, and expected the same in return, until I realized my ways are wrong and I started to heal. I still like the attention and sometimes have the attitude tho. I love games too, gaymer here hehe. Oh and I'm the same height as her! ^^

Now I'd say Lenore, I have a genuine friend group, I'm protective of them, also stubborn, I always find a solution if I want smthing, I go great lengths for ppl I care about, I'm an unvolunteered leader of said group (tho that would go for Annabel too, since they call me queen as an inside joke), more secure and more outgoing too. And sometimes I make friends out of my enemies. xD

Im also a gaymer! I like to have multiple people close, and love my friends, but a gf.... idk.. depends on circumstances. I grew up pretty emotionally neglected and tend to love attention and need it badly to function. I friend anyone I feel doesn't go against my moral compass. Im protective and care about everyone, but sometimes I cant help but pick favourites and dedicate my whole existence and get very mad when not reciprocated. I like feeling special and taken care of.

At least im honest I got that going for me haha

I love Annabel, and my thats because I relate and feel sympathy, even though I hate myself. Seeing those comments makes me feel bad about myself haha.

[afterthegreatunknown]

thoughts of kit and hector’s relationship:

their relationship was cordial and close. close to where hector felt the the need to call out lemony about his decision and how it will affect kit in atwq. close to where kit snapped at gregor who was in a rare case of acting insensitivity towards hector and got gregor to apologize. two were close to they go to another for advice in engineering related things they know the other has more knowledge of. they were close to where they wouldn’t wish for worst for one another.

their relationship slowly unravels, when hector starts becoming nervous on missions. hector starts acting ‘unvolunteer-like’ like which messes up assignments, to where kit starts to understand why others are calling hector to be ‘unfit’ for a volunteer. hector is becoming a load to the organization, when the few superiors still around agreed to relocate hector to the village of fowl devotee, kit quietly agrees with their decision, because she felt it’s for the best for the organization.

their relationship is almost non-existent, after hector lives in the village and enters ‘retirement’. no one visits anymore, and he sparingly gets letters from from ike and josephine. one letter has hector learning of the rumor of kit’s indirect involvement in the anwhistle aquatic fire.

(hector thinks to the day before a certain opera night, of how kit had in her possession poison darts that vanished after said particular night. hector wonders why he’s shock by the rumor, considering kit had no qualms in indirectly help cause the death of two people she liked.)

their ‘relationship’ is truly no more, after kit learns of jacques’ fate at the village. learning of jacques’ death has her thinking of his possible last moments in that village, accuse and guilty of crimes that weren’t his, trying to proclaim his innocent to everyone, but fail to do so.

(kit thinks back to a certain letter she wrote, as well as a certain favor she checked in that she never regret doing. kit wonders maybe there’s a possibility hector after all these years, finally lived up to being as vile as the village he calls home by ‘repaying’ the favor done years ago.)

the reunion between kit and hector goes as well as it can be with mental preparation on a rather short notice. kit is quick to be polite whenever talking to hector, but is also rather cold to him. hector is quick to be friendly around kit, yet also keeps a distance from her.

in the end, with kit and inky on the vaporetto of favorite detritus out on stormy waters, and with hector staying put with everyone to take the risk with a beast of legends, the two hoped that the other will survive the worst that did came to be.

[bookwyrminspiration]

and ALSO- okay i might have sent that other ask preemptively lmao where was the conclusion. but something funny is both of these books a manol vane has to explain to the book's main character their past lives and then the main character is like WHAT THE FUCK. but then you also see the different layers to their characters which is SO FUNNY. kihrin going (to doc) "i literally don't care if you were a king but you were THAT GUY??? THE FAMOUS SWORDSMAN FROM MY DAD'S SONGS???" and then janel going to teraeth "THAT IS SO FUCKED UP. WAIT. HOLD ON. THAT IS SO FUCKED UP OF THAENA FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. MOST DRAMATIC IRONY EVER." and teraeth sighing and being like i know ah i love characters and the ways they are Shaped

Putting every single brain cell together to figure out which events and explanations you're talking about because so much happens always I'm not sure which one's are being referenced here.

But! I adore how important past lives are in this book. At first i thought it was just a funny little worldbuilding quirk, like yes reincarnation and resurrection are real and possible. That's just background knowledge. But nope! It's is actually front seat knowledge, could not be MORE relevant to everything happening if you tried. And each of the characters are trying to be relatively normal people living without knowledge of memory of their past lives, but everyone around them is like Hey. And then they tell them the most random, confusing bit of information about who they used to be and expect them to just? Know things about that?

Khaemezra's explaining to Kihrin who he used to be and how he volunteered for this is a past live, meanwhile he's like "i'm living in this life I don't care what past me said I'd like to unvolunteer". Alas. He is the one person who cannot unvolunteer.

I love these characters so so much. Words cannot explain how I adore the shape of them. They're so distinct and formed and engaging. they both take everything seriously and have their fun when they can. Well. Most of them. Some of them are serious always, but that's part of the distinction I was talking about! Not everyone needs to be funny, humor is nice but some characters are distinct and interesting for their lack of it!

Anyway. I love you a chorus of dragons I love you acod characters I love you acod past lives I love you I love you I love you

[lgceunwoo]

EVENT: HALLOWEEN 2024 REQUIREMENT: ET TU, ALICE?

the news about hell week being canceled this year disappointed some people. eunwoo isn't one of them. the aspiring actor is all about freedom of choice without judgement. people could have fun the way they want to and if that means pranking people, that's none of his business. so long as he isn't an unvolunteered and unwilling victim of said pranks. which, unfortunately is the whole point of hell week. no, eunwoo doesn't feel an ounce of regret or disappointment over this. finally being able to go about his days at the company without worrying at every turn or sound the week of his birthday is godsent. perhaps the fact that this event always happens around his birthday adds to his dislike of the whole thing.

fortunately (and finally), this year is different. from monday to friday, the young man shows up with a pep in his walk that's usually not there. he even comes in early to hit the gym before work (mostly run on the treadmill, but it's a nice way to start the day). actually, he even goes as far as greeting people using his voice rather than just a quick head bow! indeed, a great week, one where everything goes right (he could've done without the legacy halloween party, but seeing it as part of the job makes it passable).

yes, all week long, eunwoo had missed the signs and whispers. didn't notice people roaming around the company, looking for something. as the true introvert that he is, he had been minding his own business, as usual. reality comes as he picks up his bag to leave for the weekend. removing the bag from the locker seems to dislodge something that fall on the floor. "what…?" curiously, he picks up what turns out to be a card (?). turning it around, the letters 'DRINK ME' hit him in the face, and his heart drops as the truth dawns upon him. are those shivers running down his spine? is he about to break in cold sweat? he should've known better than believing the company would let them be in peace.

"well, shit"

[grrraves]

I unvolunteer, to much ADHD to even remember to drink water everyday let alone do chores. 1 million apologies

I didn’t say it had to be you

[sardarfarooqkarim]

United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme’s photostream

[pooma-today]

Happy Birthday, Ms. Teena Machaiah!

On this special day, we want to celebrate not only your birthday but also the incredible person you are. Your dedication as a Teacher with UN Volunteers-India is truly inspiring, and we're lucky to have you on our team.

May this year be filled with happiness, success, and new opportunities. May God bless you abundantly and grant you all the desires of your heart.

With warm wishes,

Team: The National UN Volunteers-India 🌟🎈 #HappyBirthday #TeamLove #UNVolunteers

[pooma-education]

"Unearthing Hidden Brilliance: A Transformative Student Interaction in Rural Education"

• Dr. Sekar Srinivasan, The UN Educationist

31 May 2023, Monday

Dear friends, today I wish to share a remarkable and rare experience I had with a group of students. One of my students is a government school headmaster in a rural village near Tiruchirappalli, TN. He had arranged an interactive session by the students and for the students, with 102 girls and 112 boys participating. He had invited myself, another college professor, and my PhD student to navigate the session.

The program started around 10 AM, and the students were so involved that we had to arrange lunch for them through a village headman. About 50 parents, both men and women, along with some teachers, participated as well.

Initially, the program began in a very formal way, with some students talking about academic challenges and coaching difficulties they experience due to a shortage of staff, resources, and the geographical isolation of the rural area from the town. After an hour, I noticed the momentum gaining within the students, and they started to interact more freely and with decorum.

With the permission of the headmaster and other parents, I encouraged the children to be frank and share their inhibitions. They took the opportunity to discuss challenges and chart possible solutions. To my astonishment, nearly 40 girl children from 10th to 12th standard volunteered to point out many issues clearly and in simple expressions.

The parents were moved to tears, unable to believe the rich potential and clear-cut observations these children had. Their communication ability and team spirit were remarkable. When we offered lunch at 12.30 noon, they unanimously said they wanted to continue discussing solutions, considering this golden opportunity of interaction as a life-changing eye-opener for them.

We continued eagerly. I was deeply touched by the remarkable suggestions. One girl named Manimozhi aptly lived up to the meaning of her name and pointed out how our curriculum in high school and higher secondary school should be modified for real-time situations. Her maturity was awe-inspiring.

She suggested that education at this level should be oriented towards real-life situations with moral values, especially considering that many rural girls only complete their education with schools. She elaborated on how families should be run with natural and harmonious ways, fostering love and affection between children, relatives, and each family's responsibility towards society. She emphasized life skills development, entrepreneurship details based on demographics, basic banking, investment formalities, small trade sequences, and legalities.

Other students then talked about health hygiene, habit formation, and the values of good friendship. At one stage, all the elders assembled were spellbound and spontaneously stood, continuously clapping for more than two minutes. Many were in tears and started hugging the children in appreciation.

It was a wonderful experience in my life of teaching since 1975. The interaction unearthed the treasure of our students, who are capable in many ways with innovative ideas and methods. I couldn't sleep for two days as the observations and suggestions were so significant in making school education much more worthy.

Regards,

Dr. S. Sekar

#poomaunv #uno #UnitedNations #unitednationsglobalcompact #UNVolunteers #uneducation

[starjimo]

#earthhour can one hour help, yes it does! Participate it's simple: - Turn off the light🕯️ - Read a book 📚 - Socialize with family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 - Practice some sports 🚵‍♂️ - Mediate and pray 🤲 Wishing you success! بالتوفيق والنجاح 👌ok نسعد لخدمتكم بإحسان 💞 Your service request is our privilege ☺️ ✍️ Happy to read from you🤳 نفرح بتواصلكم 👉 Linktr.ee/e3nnovation ✅ استخدم الرابط المباشر 🤝 🇺🇳 👫 Together toward a progressive excellence 🏞️ 👥 Tag and share with friends 💡 🔔 Turn on post notifications 😃 📸 @UNvolunteers 🕊️ @e3nnovation mindset 👨‍💻 Ennovmy.blogspot.com 🏫 @e3plus.dz #e3plusdesign #e3nnovation_mindset #OneHumanity #OneUmmah #OneUnitedAfrica #socialentrepreneurship #coaching #Mindfulness #businessdevelopment #internationalrelations #globaltrade #UmmahforEarth #sustainability #renewableenergy #architecture #GreenPeace #environment #globalpeaceambassador #motivation #success #innovation #leadership #digital #blockchain #collaboration #generationofhope #youthpower https://www.instagram.com/p/CqOCtOetaWo/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[autumnalwalker]

I think this is one of my favourite pieces that I’ve read so far for this challenge.  So many small, impactful details and unusual-yet-fitting phrasings.  Sacrifices being “unvolunteered and unwilling.”    The triple repetition of “red, red, red that makes her sick.”  Describing Lillette’s voice as “broken” even though she’s not the one marked for sacrifice.  Describing the tearful embrace as “the salt of Lilette’s joy.”  I could go on, but then this reblog would wind up as long as the story itself.

And that’s not even getting into the worldbuilding.

And while at the end, the escape is almost anticlimactic compared to the rollercoaster of emotions leading up to it, it’s fitting.  The climax isn’t the escape, it’s the decision to do so.  And why should they be punished with further narrative challenge?  It is no sin to want to live and love, even when unjust law and tradition says otherwise.  “The red sun receives no sacrifice and yet it travels the sky all the same.”

You mentioned in your tags that you loved these characters, and it shows.

Once again, I find myself glad I took part in this challenge.  Not only am I reading quality writing I would not have otherwise, I am learning from it.  Now I just need to work on applying these lessons.

Crimson Daybreak

This is for @flashfictionfridayofficial's 100th prompt! This sits at a little hefty 1332 words. Apologies for going over, but I do not control the story as much as it controls me.

Prompts involved were: A New Dawn, The Sweetest Blood, Dying Fire, Hidden Path and Stay With Me. All prompts were incorporated, if a little ambiguously.

Hope you guys enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

*****

Gianna expects to spend her last night as living woman alone. It is law, after all, that her last hours are spent as chaste and pure as is able. It is proper that she rests, but her eyes have been hooked on the candle burning down to her end. When the wick is gone, so too will her life be. When the sun marks day, so will the Head Mage mark her dead. Sacrificed.

She never thought the tales she heard as a child held any truth. When the sun rises red every fifth cycle, it is a time of celebration. Feasts and colored cloths and games in the streets. When the sun rises red, it is time to exchange yellow strips of ribbon for them to write a regret upon, something they wish to leave behind to the sun and wear it until the sun is half-gone, until the sky reflects the color and they burn their mistakes in the center of town.

When the sun rises red, it is fed the blood of a girl.

Gianna takes the silk sheets (red, like the wax of the candle has been dyed, like her blood is, like the sun will soon be) in her hands and squeezing with all the regrets she cannot write on yellow ribbon and leave behind.

It is probably an unspoken custom, that sacrifices to the blood sun -- those with blood that sings and heralds magic, blood that flows into a sigil when spilled on a slab of crystallized dragon blood -- sacrifices who are unvolunteered and unwilling spend their last hours in regret, moaning their woes like the great beasts who have long perished, leaving the sun stained red with their tragedy and leaving their blood as way to find sacrifice.

Is this what the beasts meant to happen, when the last of them perished and stained the sun?

Gianna smooths out the silk and finds no comfort in the touch. Is this the same sheets the last girl laid upon? Did she too watch the candle with held breath and a crushed heart?

The flame on the wick has been steady, flickering in the big room with the dimmest of glows like a misled lightning bug. When the wax started to run down the sides, Gianna wept. There is no hope worth holding for girls like her but each moment that passes crushes hers even more.

There is no escape, she knows, but a part of her is still hoping one is coming.

The breeze that blows at her back, whispering against her hair, is almost unfelt. Her room has no windows, just swaths of red velvet and red satin draped over the walls, red red red that makes her feel sick.

"Gianna?" a familiar, broken voice whispers and she flips over in shock.

Her heart triples its pace as her breath halts. She stares at the girl standing in a doorway in her wall, a square of black in the too-red room.

"Lilette?" she breathes the name with a shaking gentleness, melding her hope in red wax.

Lilette's hand wavers, causing shadows to quiver with it. She sets her candle holder down -- a welcome yellow candle, only a quarter burned -- and rushes to Gianna's side. Her hands find purchase along her jaw easily. It is where she fits best. "Gianna," she grieves, pressing their foreheads together. Her fingers are cold, a bite that is grounding. Gianna places her hands over top.

"You cannot be here," she says, pressing the other woman's hands harder against her face, clutching. "It is improper."

Lilette pulls her head back, eyes wet and glimmering in the candle flame. "I do not care," she says. She runs her thumb over Gianna's cheek, cutting the trails of tears she did not realize had been renewed. "I cannot lose you."

Gianna's breath hiccups. Her nails dig into the back of her lover's hand. "It cannot be stopped." She turns her cheek to kiss her palm, leans into it like the other girl can fold her into a pocket of her robe and carry her away from the duty forced upon her by the misfortune running in her veins.

"It can," Lilette amends, shaking her head. She pulls her hands back and gestures to the square of open wall. "I can get you out of here."

Gianna stares at the tunnel. It is the escape she was desperate for, when all there was to watch was a burning candle. She looks at Lilette now. "I can't."

Lilette grabs her hand, squeezes. "You can. Come with me. Stay with me." Her eyes dart to the door, the red candle, back to Gianna. "The sacrifice is unjust," she demures, like drowned flame, a treason to her religion and her vows and her country. She swallows. "I do not wish to be part of it. I do not wish for it to happen at all. Let me take you. We can live away from the capital, together." An excitement crests over top of the fear, a hope that is almost as fragile as Gianna's wish to escape was before her escape came searching.

"We would be killed," she says.

"You are to be anyways." Her eyes, unwitting, dart to the crimson candle. Gianna had wondered in a moment of agonizing waiting, if they dyed it with some of the blood of the last girl. It is little more now than an inch of wick in a puddle of wax. It will mark the rise of the red sun, when it stops burning. It will mark her moment to die. "And I cannot stay. Not when I learned that this is what is done. Danger will seek me regardless and I wish for it to seek me at your side."

Gianna stares at their twined hands, tan and pale. She considers Lilette's words. "We will always be running," she says, bumping her thumb over the ridges of Lilette's knuckles.

"We will be together. We could flee somewhere far."

Gianna lets the ghost of all the girls who had no rescue lift her lips in a smile. She can live for them, if not herself. This is what they all deserved. "Promise me," she says.

Lilette frowns at her. "Promise what?"

"To stay at my side. A vow you will not break."

Lilette hesitates. "We could wed, one day."

"Later. Vow to me now." Her voice shakes. She does not know, once Lilette does, if she could stand. Her knees feel like liquid wax. She will be unable to go.

Lilette smiles. "I vow," she says, in the same tone she'd once vowed herself to her duty with, "to stay at your side with the steadfastness that the shore stays with the sea. Of every vow, this one I will not break."

Gianna looks at Lilette's eyes, a watering brown. "I vow to stay at your side as the sea stays with shore, always to return. Of every vow, this one I will not break," she completes.

They embrace. Gianna's satin bedclothes get damp, ruined by the salt of Lilette's joy. "This moment," she says, "will never be written on yellow ribbon."

Gianna clutches her tighter before pulling away. "Let us go," she says. "Quick. Before dawn catches us going."

Lilette smiles and grasps her hand and the candle holder. She ushers Gianna into the tunnel, pressing the holder into her hand as she turns to shut the door. "The tunnel to the wall is short," she says. "Daybreak will see us out of the castle grounds."

As the door shuts, more vigorous than it had opened, it blows out the red candle, snuffed by breeze and hope and a selfless love.

And daybreak sees two fleeing girls off castle grounds. The red sun receives no sacrifice and yet it travels the sky all the same. They eventually repeat binding vows with ribbon tied hands, wed and together for as long as the risen sun sees them hand in hand.