#written by a homeschool graduate

[pageslearntothink]

hey it's beth greene :)

this a joke?

no!

I'm sorry

I've seen you around and amy got your number for me

I thought it might be nice to get to know you better

really?

you sure you have the right number?

kinda surprised you texted me tbh

guess im up for talking

[wandasaura]

𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓂𝓎 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝒸𝑒

;༊ wanda maximoff x natasha romanoff x carol danvers x maria hill

summary — you spend your nights wrapped up in four different sets of sheets, but graduations approaching, and what you have won’t last forever

warning(s) — heavy dom/sub dynamics, mommy kink, daddy kink, captain kink, sir kink, impact play, orgasm delay/denial, practically every kink you can think of tbh, heavy emphasis on emo wanda

au — four college seniors corrupt the innocent and unsuspecting freshman

PARTS — will be added as written

(i) ballad of a homeschool girl

(ii) logical

(iii) lacy

(iv) pretty isn't pretty

(v) all american bitch

HEADCANONS — will be added as written

(a) what did i say [ 3.6k ]

[heyftinally]

April 30th is the Day of the Homeschooled Child

I was one of the 1.7 million children homeschooled in the USA.

I am also one of Homeschool's Invisible Children.

I was heavily restricted at home - I was barred from nearly everything that my peers were connecting with. I had incredibly limited access to movies and TV, even more restricted internet access, and was even barred from many of the same toys my peers played with. This on top of my academic isolation made socializing very hard.

I didn't relate to my peers socially.

Children younger than me were more academically advanced than me.

I was socially unaware, and frequently missed jokes or made faux pas comments because I didn't understand how to interact with peers.

My ADHD went untreated my entire childhood.

And the issues were not only social. Despite living in a state that boasted some of the most rigorous checks for homeschooled students, I was missed. My portfolios every year were falsified - much of what they claimed I had learned I had little to no understanding of.

By the time I graduated high school "with honors" (that I did not earn and were entirely false), this is a brief list of some of my academic failings:

I had never written an essay, and did not know how

I did not know how to do a critical analysis of a piece of text or media

I was incapable of math above a 4th/5th grade level

I could not tell time on an analog clock

I could not identify more than ~5 states on a map of the United States

I could not identify more than ~5 countries on a map of the world/globe

I could not spell above a ~6th grade level

I did not know that there was proof of life on earth prior to dinosaurs

I did not know that the lymphatic system was real

And so much more.

I entered college woefully unequipped for both the academic and socal demands that were placed on me. At 18, I was closer to as 14 year old, social/emotionally. Academically I was much worse.

I had to work three times as hard as my peers to achieve the same results, battled my still-undiagnosed ADHD as well as my academic and social neglect.

I didn't fully know who I even was as a person, due to spending so many years being expected to fit a specific ideal that was enforced upon me 24/7 through the isolation of homeschooling.

This April 30th, I'm wearing green for Homeschool's Invisible Children - for children like me.

If you are a child experiencing homeschool neglect, please know that you are not alone. There are resources available to you, and your future is not doomed just because your guardians failed to educate you. I'm listing some resources below that may be of help to you.

Homeschool alumni/survivors who resonate with this story: we deserved better. We deserved education. We deserved freedom. It's okay if you're angry at your past. It's okay if you're grieving the life you might have had without homeschooling. It's okay if you're conflicted. I hope you're able to find closure and healing in whatever form that means for you.

And, because I know it unfortunately needs to be said, if you're an ex-homeschooler or a homeschool parent who feels the need to jump on this post and defend yourself, I need you to step back, sit down, delete your comment, and sit with why you feel so attacked by our truth.

This is not a personal attack on you - this is abuse survivors speaking up to prevent further abuse. It is not your place to tell us we should be silent.

"But homeschoolers test better and are more successful!" I'm sure you're dying to say. To wave your statistics at me.

And you would be wrong. Because here's the problem with those statistics.

Let's pretend we have ten homeschooled children and ten public schooled children.

All ten of the public schooled children take a school assessment. Because some excel at different things than others, the public school students average out to an 85.

Only four of the homeschooled children take the assessment. Of the other six, one is traveling with their family during the assessment, two are not permitted because their parents know they aren't up to grade level and fear backlash or judgement, two are mentally or physically disabled and so their parents don't feel the test will adequately display their knowledge, and the last hasn't received any kind of education in years because their parents keep them at home either doing chores, working a job, caring for siblings, or they are simply neglected and spend all day hungry and scared.

Of the four homeschooled children that do take the assessment, they do quite well, as their parents knew/suspected they would. Their average score is a 98.

A 98 is better than an 85, yes. But just because 4 out of 6 homeschooled children were above the public school average does not mean homeschooling is automatically better. If you tested the top four public school students, they might very well score a 98 as well.

However, if you included those other six homeschooled students, the average homeschool score would very likely be something closer to a 45.

So when we talk about Homeschool's Invisible Children, we're talking about those six that never got the chance to take an assessment. Those six who never had a chance to tell a teacher "I'm ten and I don't know how to read". Those six who may not even realize how far behind their peers they are. Those six who deserved to have access to supports so that they could learn in ways that actually met their needs.

So while your statistics look good on paper, they are not honest. They do not present the full picture of homeschooling. Listen to the homeschool survivors who were one of those six kids who never got to make their voices heard. We have a voice now - don't try and take it from us.

Resources for current homeschool students and alumni:

Khan Academy - basically free online self paced K-12 classes. They have fantastic explanation videos for the lessons, you can review them whenever you want, and you don't have to stay in the same grade level for every subject - great if you're trying to catch up and you're in 6th grad for English but 2nd for math. They have courses besides just core classes (math/english/science/etc), too! They run on donations, but it's completely free to use. Also, this site is used in my local public school system to supplement the existing curriculum, so it's not just for homeschoolers!

Coalition for Responsible Home Education - actively fighting for more oversight and restrictions on homeschooling in the USA. They mostly do awareness and advocacy, but they also have resources on their site for things like what to do if you don't have a high school transcript. They run on donations, but the information is freely available.

Probably the most famous resource on this list. Videos that give you a "crash course" (aka a condensed overview) of a wide variety of topics. These are best used as supplement to more structured lessons like Khan Academy, but they have a lot of merit on their own if they're all you can manage. Knowing a bit about something is better than knowing nothing about it!

[gen4grl]

timeskip zero crew + written bios below !

with the sv cycle coming to an end, i’d thought i’d share my timeskip zero crew designs! friendship and the impact it can have on an individual has always been a key feature of pokemon - with sv easily executing that theme the best. zero crew has an extremely special place in my heart and think i speak for everyone when i say i'm gonna miss this group a lot ♥︎

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

JULIANA

♡ Originally from a small island in the North Paldean Sea. Homeschooled until her family moved to mainland Paldea where she started her public education at Uva Academy.

♡ Socially awkward, clumsy and struggles with organisation. Not the best with words but a fantasic listener. Booksmart and tends to be a people pleaser to a fault.

♡ Despite her awkwardness, is obliviously confident. Confessed her feelings and asked Arven to be her boyfriend after Area Zero, believing it was just a one way crush. Definitely was not and have been dating since.

♡ Was extremely overwhelmed starting school with no clue what direction she wanted her live to go in. After the events of Area Zero and collecting Herba Mystica, realised she wanted to become a pharmaceutical scientist with the goal of making Herba Mystica more wildly available in a medicinal format for people and their pokémon. Cites Director Clavell and Jacq as her biggest inspirations.

♡ Still considers Carmine, Kieran and the former BB League members some of her closest friends. The groups enjoy traveling together between Paldea, Kitakami and Unova together.

♡ Enjoys beers, fried food, karaoke & visiting the night markets in Porto Marinada.

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

NEMONA

♡ Graduated with distinctions in all classes but dreams of making a name for herself outside her wealthy family. Currently works fulltime at Uva Acadmeny as a battle studies teacher with the end goal of becoming Champion.

♡ Lives in a high rise apartment in the center of Mesagoza overlooking the battle court. Absolutely loves the lively and fast paced energy of the city.

♡ Despite being extremely outgoing, struggles with making and maintaining friendships. Holds Juliana extremely close to her heart as she believes she was the first person to ever really 'get her'. First came out to Juliana after the groups adventure to Area Zero. Currently crushing on Carmine.

♡ Often mistaken for being a 'tomboy' but has quite alot of interest in typically 'feminine' things but has trouble connecting and expressing this part of her. Particularly likes plushies, collecting perfume and playing piano in which she is extremely gifted.

♡ Detail oriented and enjoys organisation. Wakes up at 5:30 every morning and runs from Mesagoza to Levincia no matter what she did the previous night.

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

ARVEN

♡ Only child of the late Professor Turo. Originally withdrawn and standoffish; after learning of his fathers passing, became extremely family & friend focused. Would love to have his own family in the future. Considers Clavell a second father.

♡ Originally specialised in traditional savoury Paldean dishes but developed a love for baking after making Juliana macarons for their first Valentines Day together.

♡ After graduation, worked as a dish hand in a small bar in Porto Marinada. Worked his way up to line cook while occasionally doing pokémon walking and sitting on the side. Currently the manager of the new Mesagoza Patisserie Soapberry location. Spends his income on renovating the lighthouse where he lives with Juliana, Mabosstiff and Miraidon.

♡ Prized possessions include his fathers old lab coat and journals recovered from the Zero Lab. Gifted an oddly familar version of the presumably lost Violet Book by Juliana after her return from stuyding at Blueberry Academy which he keeps in his nightstand.

♡ Due to his unique upbringing and feelings of isolation; is very protective and easily jealous in both platonic and romantic relationships.

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

PENNY

♡ Originally from Hulbury, Galar. Daughter of former Galar champion, Peony. Currently lives in an old industrial loft with Atticus and Giacamo in downtown Mesagoza. Loves city life but misses the small beachtown vibes of her hometown. While developing a closer relationship with her dad after gradution, has no intentions of moving back home to Galar.

♡ Prefers to keep her circle small but cares deeply for her friends to a point of getting herself in bad situations to help them. Still learning how to put herself first in certain sitations with help and advice from Arven.

♡ Works full time for the Pokémon League doing admin work. Does occasional hairdressing on the side mostly for friends and mutuals. Specialises in bleaching and alternative cuts and colours. Originally a brunette - wouldn’t be caught dead with grown out roots.

♡ Has a terrible diet consisting mostly of cup ramen, sushi and whatever the cheapest energy drink is. Sleeps around 4 hours each night after spending her after work hours gaming online with Kieran; excluding Wednesdays where she plays Magic the Gathering with Team Star.

♡ Homebody who loves reading + collecting manga and crafts; particularly sewing and knitting after being taught by Attitcus.

⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂ ⠂⠄⠄⠂☆

[sixty-silver-wishes]

everyone shut up this is ACTUALLY what fans of different composers are like

Mahlerians are PROUD TO BE ABSOLUTELY INSUFFERABLE DRAMA QUEENS, THE LIKES OF WHICH EVEN THE WAGNER CULT COULD NEVER SO MUCH AS ASPIRE TO BE. WE ARE ONE WITH THE UNYIELDING EBB AND FLOW OF THE BOUNDLESS UNIVERSE, DAMN IT ALL!

Shostakovich fans are like Mahler fans except they actually understand what sarcasm is. We also all really like the Muppets for some reason. Most of us own cats and likely have at least one mental illness.

Liszt fans are either tweenagers who love anime or salty old pianists who know a disturbing amount about music theory. These two factions are constantly at war.

Copland fans are either very, very far right or very, very far left. Either way, neither side actually listens to all of Copland's repertoire.

Tchaikovsky fans are either Russian grandmas or LGBT orchestra kids on Tiktok. Either those or the one noob who heard there were cannons once.

Wagner fans. Yes, there are the cringey neo-Nazi Wagnerians, but anti-Nazi Wagnerians are a whole new level of chaotic good. They spend their time dreaming up the most disastrous, chaotic Ring productions possible, with the sole purpose of making Richard Wagner's entire family simultaneously spin in their graves. They take "death of the author" to a whole new level and constantly run on nothing but 100% pure spite. You want a Wagnerian who would beat up Wagner in a Denny's parking lot on your side.

Prokofiev fans will unironically say "ackshually...". That's it.

Dvorak fans are homeschool kids. They're either soul-crushingly innocent or devastatingly horny.

Sousa fans are just high school band directors who try to convince themselves they like Sousa to get through the semester.

Joplin fans constantly argue over whether Joplin's music should be played twice as quickly or twice as slowly than it's actually written. Also sick of hearing about Janis.

Chopin fans are exactly like Liszt fans, except there are 20% more "uwu softboi flowercrown" edits of Chopin than Liszt floating around on Instagram and Tumblr.

Holst fans will drag you into an alleyway and beat you up with their bare hands if you so much as mention The Planets.

Bernstein fans are either horny theatre kids or communists, but it's more likely they're both at once. They are very opinionated about recordings, and express their approval of the ones they like by gyrating excessively to them. If you put a Bernstein fan, a Mahler fan, and a Shostakovich fan in one room, they will either topple a national government or have a threesome.

Ravel fans are inherently Wes Anderson fans. You can be friends with one for years without knowing a single thing about their personality.

Schoenberg fans are like Mahlerians but with worse memes.

Brahms fans are... I have never met a Brahms fan. I'm sure they exist, but I'm pretty sure my own taste in music scares them off.

Paganini fans are almost always TwoSet kids, particularly the ones who try to convince people that "classical music isn't boring because it's basically metal." If you tell them Paganini played viola, they will spontaneously combust.

Rachmaninov fans are ultimately really chill, but are often socially awkward. If you ask a Rachmaninov fan "how are you?", they will most likely respond with "you too."

Schumann fans are Mahlerians on medication.

Stravinsky fans think they're chaotic and unhinged and listen to the most obscure underground shit, but in all actuality they just decided to enter their edgy phase after a lifetime of being sheltered and forced to listen to nothing but Handel by their parents. Possibly homeschooled.

Ysaye fans are like Paganini fans, except they're depressed graduate music students with permanent calluses on their fingers.

Debussy fans go to art school, decide they don't like art school, but have been doing art school too long to turn back, so they can't get out of art school. They may be high on weed at any given moment.

Satie fans are just possessed vessels of Erik Satie. Death cannot hinder Erik Satie. Erik Satie will return to this mortal plane. Search your feelings. You are already Erik Satie.

[fundielicious-simblr]

Narrator: Claire also loves a good family round up, with the year she's had she must tell everyone all about it. The lady has finally married off her on-the-shelf daughter AND has 5 grandbabies about to join the family in the coming new year - the world must know.

Text under the cut!

Hi all, Claire here!

This past year has been full of examples of the Lord’s everlasting goodness, and we are so undeserving but nevertheless grateful! The Lord has seen it fit to bless us in so many ways! If I sit here and start writing them down this might be hundreds of pages long, so I’m going to tell you about a few.

This year has been filled with homeschooling, homemaking, and music - lots and lots of music. Conner and Jarrett graduate high school this spring, bringing an end to 27 years of homeschooling for me. How time has flown! They’ve grown into such wonderful young men and it makes this mama’s heart proud to see the men they’re going to continue to grow into! 27 years ago little Carter was my only student, with the rest of the kids following suit as they grew. At it’s peak I had 8/10 kids actively being taught, that season of life was organised chaos, but leaning on the Lord brought us all out the other side to praise him for his goodness.

This year has also been full of babies! This summer Kristyn gave birth to her second child, a boy she and Gregory named Wyatt. Wyatt joins older sister Kayla (2) and the happy parents at their home in Oasis Springs where they all joyfully serve the Lord as a family.

On the heels of her sister’s birth announcement, Sabrina and Tucker announced to to us that they’re expecting another blessing next spring! This baby shall join older brother Campbell (1) and is already so loved!

Almost a few weeks after the above announcement, Alan and his wife Tessa announced that they’re expecting and that its twins! These babies will be joining the family in the spring, soon after their cousin.

Not to be outdone by his siblings, Jarrod and Madison also announced that they’re expecting twins! I could’ve fainted right then and there! This makes 5 new grandbabies on the way in the new year!

The Lord has blessed the music ministry at Newcrest Baptist, we’ve had the pleasure to host music camps yearly where we’ve helped many to learn how to use music to praise the Lord. Our church choir has a travelling sector that will be invited to sing at various revivals, camp meetings, and hymn sings, so it’s been such an enriching time travelling with them and getting to sing the Lord’s praises.

Our family has been growing in more ways than one! Earlier this year Celeste met a young man named Reid Robbins. Reid comes from a Godly family in Northbury that we’ve had the pleasure of getting to know. Their relationship has been written by the Lord from the very beginning, they grew their friendship by challenging each other in their individual walks with the Lord, where soon after they started praying about each other. Soon after Reid was at our door asking to court our daughter! They’ve been such wonderful examples of respecting your parents and glorifying the Lord. Parents, let this be an example to show that raising your children in the way of the Lord is always the right way! We closed out the year celebrating their union in marriage with the Lord’s blessings, how great it is to see our children be joined in holy matrimony with the one that the Lord has for them! As we enter this new year, my the Lord bless and keep you all in his eternal memory!

Love,

Claire for the Paulsons

[lumiellle]

Haikavember Day 4: Inspiration

“Say, Alhaitham, do you ever feel inspired?”

Kaveh asks him this question unprompted. Their conversation had just lapsed into comfortable silence, the previous topic done. He blinks at Alhaitham, then his eyes flick back to his glass, red wine swirling around it as he twirls it between his fingers.

“Inspired?” Alhaitham asks. Kaveh’s question is too open, leaving too much room for interpretation.

Kaveh seems to dislike receiving answers that deviate from the intended meaning of his questions, though he hasn’t learned to phrase them accordingly, so Alhaitham struggles to find fault within his own way of interpreting these questions.

“You know, like when you read a really nicely worded paper and it makes you want to add to the discussion,” Kaveh says.

So it’s that kind of question.

Alhaitham supposes that he does feel inspired sometimes. A lot of times, actually. It started, if he remembers correctly, right around the time he and Kaveh met on that fateful day in the House of Daena. Up until that point he’d preferred to keep to himself, taking little interest in what other students had to contribute to class discussions. Even most of the professors failed to pique his interest, which was one of the reasons he stayed homeschooled and self-taught for the better part of his youth. He never felt inclined to engage in prolonged debates with his peers. They seemed to be living a different reality, and the resulting disconnect was too great for Alhaitham to want to bridge that invisible gap.

Kaveh crashed into his life full force—he was loud, passionate and intelligent. He still is, even though life has been unkind to him. Alhaitham knew immediately that Kaveh was different. He was like him in ways the other students his age weren’t.

It didn’t take long before he found himself scribbling away furiously in an attempt to refute a claim Kaveh had made in one of his homework assignments. He had written critiques of published authors’ works many times before that, but this time his heart was in it. There was something happening inside of him, a flame of need flickering incessantly where muted nothingness had been before, his pen sliding across parchment without care for all the smudged ink on his hand or the balance of his lettering. He needed to write. Nothing else mattered.

Kaveh had brought out a side of him Alhaitham hadn’t been aware of himself. His desire to interact with Kaveh’s thoughts, both in person and on paper, only grew over time. Where he was apathetic at best during most of his classes, he raised his hand eagerly in classes he shared with his favorite senior, and if only to nitpick tiny details in his presentations or statements.

After things went downhill between the two of them, Alhaitham found himself bereaved of all drive. Freshly graduated, he should have been actively seeking employment, but he barely managed to get himself out of bed some days. Even though he hadn’t felt like anything was amiss before he met Kaveh, it seemed that the spark of life, the curiosity Kaveh had inspired in him had left him in the same way Kaveh had left his life.

It wasn’t until he started noticing several postings across the notice boards around the city on his infrequent trips to the market to restock on groceries that the flame that had lain dormant inside of him was rekindled. The postings were anonymous and eclectic in terms of content, but Alhaitham knew who was leaving them. He could tell from the way their author phrased certain ideas, and he would recognize that looping handwriting anywhere.

Before he knew it, Alhaitham had pulled a pen out of his belt pouch and started scribbling his answer to Kaveh’s posting. 

When he returned the next day to find a disgruntled reply, he couldn’t help the smile creeping onto his lips. He felt like, in a way, Kaveh had allowed him to step back into his life, even if it was unclear whether Kaveh had realized it was him or not. 

If he were to be entirely honest, he would have to admit that Kaveh was indirectly responsible for a good chunk of Alhaitham’s early scholarly work. If he were to be honest, he’d tell him that he inspires him every day, just by being himself—even though Alhaitham doesn’t share his ideals, he respects the way he never strays from them. But Kaveh doesn’t take kindly to Alhaitham’s honesty; he has an uncanny knack for interpreting ill intent into his actions, or maybe a learned inability to take words of affection for what they are, specifically when they come from Alhaitham.

So, looking back at Kaveh over the rim of his own glass, Alhaitham says, “Funny you should ask. I suppose that recently, I’ve been feeling more inspired than I have in a long time.”

[fiddleturnips]

Backupsmore University

Okay, so. The following is not very well written and has been heavily edited in my actual draft - the chapter it was in has been broken up and spread between like three different chapters. However, I realized that the context for Why Fiddleford Is Like That is sort of important for my other snippets to make sense.

Content warning for depression, but this section does not contain graphic detail. Further content warning for the American Public School System in the Nineteen-Seventies. (Specifically: the school system's relative inability to absorb non-average children.)

"Ah. Right." Stanford sat back down. The broken mug scraped across the tiles and clattered as Fiddleford swept. "Well, we were in high school. It was close to graduation. We'd been fighting anyway. Big time for me, because it was around the Science Fair-"

"Scholarship season."

"Yes."

"Your family weren't that well off, am I rembering right? I seem to recall you were seeking a full ride and couldn't get it."

"I was going to go to Westmore. If I could afford it, I would have anyway. But Backupsmore was a lot more manageable."

Fiddleford laughed. "Ain't that the truth."

"Wait, you were full ride. And you were, what, seventeen Freshman year? What were you doing there?"

"They weren't that strict on school transcripts," Fiddleford said. "A lot more welcoming of science and engineering portfolios. And I needed full ride, I wasn't getting a dime after a bug came by and wiped out my school stock."

"Your… your what?"

"Oh, you wouldn't have this sort of thing. Some of us livestock breeders, when a kid's young, we'll start to set some animals aside for them. You invest in a couple of pigs, add to the herd when you can, teach the kid to care for 'em, and when it comes time for high school graduation you can get a sturdy few grand even if it's just a small herd, then if you invest it right and keep an eye on the price of pork, you can pay a kid through college with a bit to spare. Only mine all got sick and died out."

"That is fascinating and tragic. You never talked about this."

"Yeah, I never talked to the Yankee kids about the fact that I was going to a bum school because my papa couldn't afford a better one because my pigs died and I didn't have school transcripts 'cause I didn't go to school. How do you think that woulda gone over?"

Stanford did know about Fiddleford's school history. At this moment, he was significantly exaggerating. He had gone to school, and he had excelled at school - for about two thirds as long as any other kid, if you combined all of the months.

Pines and McGucket were close college friends, in a lot of the same classes and clubs, spending study hours together in the tucked-away rooms that let them get as loud and melodramatic as they wanted. At first, Fiddleford had joked that he'd done a lot of special programs for county fairs as a kid. Then, he'd joked that nobody taught him per se as he'd just up and swallowed a library one summer and they all figured that was probably that. Then he'd joked that he was a dropout, and when pressed on that he'd grudgingly admit that no, he was homeschooled.

Then eventually the two boys got close enough and he got tipsy enough for it all to come out. The whole story was that the older he got, the more he skipped grades and got shifted to advanced classes and eventually got stuck in the school's Special Education department because as it was they had no idea what the hell else to do with him, the more he'd get bored and start stealing books from older kids and building things out of school supplies and on one memorable occasion stuck a fork in the electrical outlet - he'd been found with third-degree burns on his hand and a paper beside him calculating the exact voltage available from the wall outlet in comparison to the shock a human being could survive - anyway, the more all of that happened, the earlier in the year his Ma and Pa would have the hard conversation that the trouble he could cause at home was nothing like the trouble he was already causing in the classroom.

By high school, his Ma had sat him down and said: Look. You need an education. Every single word of what they teach you in those there classrooms matters, even the stuff you think is dumb and silly. So you're gonna stay home this year, we're getting permission to let you do experiments in the local tech college's labs for Chemistry and such and the rest you're figuring out on your own. And at the end of the year, you are submitting reports about what you learned to every single teacher in the school, and we'll see if they find fault in your methods.

She'd meant for him to get through Freshman core curriculum. He'd gotten through that most of the electives. The next year, he did the rest of the core curriculum and they rented out some textbooks from the local tech college, plus a special weekly tutoring session with the Language Arts teacher because his critical thinking was a bit underdeveloped and another with the AP Maths guy to whip his self-correction into shape. The year after that, they had a sit-down with a representative of the County and a recruitment man from a university and the principal of the high school he'd dropped out of. He couldn't legally leave the public system until he was at the legal age, but they all agreed that he was doing just fine on his own until then.

He wasn't seventeen when he enrolled at Backupsmore. He was sixteen. And he'd already tested out of Freshman and Sophmore classes, and the only other one there who'd done that was Stanford. The two were friends because up to that point, neither one had ever had a peer.

Stanford Pines was a by-the-book scientist. He'd completed every year of school the way it was intended, on time, and with very high marks. He'd also completed science fair projects and extracurriculars. Once he reached university, he kept a full schedule, his days planned to the minute, with an exercise routine and designated journaling time. His accelerated schooling happened because he did things to the letter, bull-rushed through the political game, took every advantage he could get, and was so damn good at his job that nobody could find a reason to keep him from going at it.

Fiddleford McGucket was a free thinking engineer. He couldn't keep his head on straight enough to follow orders, but he was "such a delight to have in class" and "unfailingly diligent with his homework" and "not afraid to do the hard, boring work that needs doing for a project's success," so he kept getting special treatment anyway.

For Stanford Pines, his combined arrogance with his peers, aggressively growth-minded attitude, relentless self-paced work schedule, and unfailing results put him through twelve doctorates and a self-guided grant program.

For Fiddleford McGucket, the combined inexperience working with others, habit of taking on all the work that was available to him so he could prove he was worthwhile, commitment to doing everything perfectly right the first time no matter how loaded his schedule was, and desperate, desperate need to fit in for once left him plastered to the floor of a bathroom stall trying not to cry out loud while he psyched himself up to get back to the lab every spring and autumn night for a year.

Pines and McGucket had both set astronomical standards for themselves that no normal human could possibly hope to achieve. Difference was, Doctor Stanford Pines had somehow done it.

[instantpansies]

In 1964, arguably the height of their career, the Beatles performed "Pyramus and Thisbe", the play-within-a-play from A Midsummer Night's Dream, for a television appearance. Having been obsessed with the Beatles for my entire life, I was ecstatic when at age 12 the recording appeared in my YouTube recommendations.

Around the same time, I was becoming obsessed with Shakespeare as well. Starting with Much Ado about Nothing, I had read most of the comedies and a good number of tragedies by the time I stumbled across "The Beatles Perform Shakespeare, in colour". Naturally, it immediately became my dream to perform in that play. I wasn't an actor yet, and while I was an okay public speaker I hadn't yet gone through the debate classes and persuasive essay presentations that would force me to get comfortable in front of a crowd. I watched the blurry footage of John and Paul mumbling through archaic lines in yarn wigs, and set my sights on memorizing the monologues.

In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Pyramus and Thisbe is a play put on by the group of fools, who spend most of the story rehearsing before performing it in the final scenes of Midsummer's. It's poorly written, intentionally so, with the actors flubbing lines, speaking out of turn, and generally doing a bad job of presenting the story. Shakespeare means it to be a moment of comedy to wrap up the romantic drama of the rest of the story. Pyramus and Thisbe is also the myth that inspired Romeo and Juliet, with the plot following very similar beats.

I started acting in high school and it quickly became part of my identity. This isn't a unique experience by any means, but the freedom of being someone else was pretty meaningful for a queer kid who'd grown up in the only liberal family in our conservative christian homeschool co-op. I'd only acted for two years when the de facto leader of our troupe, my best friend, graduated, leaving me to fill the gap. Suddenly I'd become one of the most experienced actors in a group of freshman homeschoolers, most of whom had never stepped onstage.

Our director also ran a co-op of sorts of her own - not the one where I'd spent most of my primary educational career, but a sort of conglomerate of teachers and classes - and she wanted us to present a short play for the elementary classes' fall celebration. She asked for recommendations and I saw my chance, practically shining in the air before me.

Obviously I shouted out "Pyramus and Thisbe!" I gave my elevator pitch. Killed it. We got scripts the next week. Me and that little group of freshmen pulled ourselves together in about a month, and managed to present the archaic language comedically. If I do say so myself. We practiced just once a week, and my actors weren't quite sure what to do with their rather eccentric characters, and our lines weren't fully memorized until the week before, but we made it. We made it, and it was great.

I played Pyramus. I got to die dramatically in front of fifty kids I'd been working with for over a year, flounce around onstage with a plastic sword, and immerse myself in a scene I'd loved for years. It was, honestly, a high point of my high school career. I still have those lines memorized, I still go back to the photos and videos from that fall evening. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

I don't really know what the point of this story is. I think it's funny, I guess, how Pyramus and Thisbe keeps popping up in my life. It connects to acting and classic literature and the Beatles and the summers of staying with my grandparents, holed up in their extra room, writing research papers and surfing the Internet. I don't know what it is about Pyramus and Thisbe, but it's important for one reason or another. I hope it shows up in my life again someday, but in the meantime, I'm done. And being done, thus Wall away doth go.

[final-girl96]

Stolen Hearts

Eddie Munson x Reader

NO UPSIDE DOWN!

THIS WILL NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SHOW!

Disclaimer: I DON'T NOT own Eddie Munson or any of the other Stranger Things characters.

Q- When will it be posted?

A- I have no clue. I'm just pitching an idea I have. I haven't even written anything for it. It will be on my wattpad and Ao3 when I do decide to start writing it.

Ideas So Far:

Starts in 1984 senior year of high school

Eddie gets discovered in 1986 at the hideout

YN Hexley is the quiet girl, smart, doesn't have friends, her dad is a rock star, but nobody knows that. Moved from L.A. California to Hawkins Indiana 1980 her freshman year, was homeschooled up until then

Eddie is kind of mean, popular with the girls but they won't admit it because he's "the freak" of Hawkins. Will be out of character

Eddie is a little OOC he can be cruel, self-centered at times, a player never sticking with one girl

Jax Hexley - lead singer, front man of Blood Red Viper, YN dad, from Hawkins originally, had yn at eighteen shortly after being discovered at The Hideout.

Description:

Eddie Munson was only a few credits away from graduating. The problem, though, was that he was horrible at math. In order for him to pass, he needs a tutor so he can graduate and get the hell out of Hakins, Indiana.

Yn Hexley is the perfect person to help, according to her teacher. She's smart and has straight A's. And seeing as she didn't have much going on in her life...she agreed to help Eddie.

She knows who Eddie is, everyone knows who he is. Yn on the other hand; she was invisible. Nobody knew who she was. She moved from L.A. California to Hawkins, Indiana, the place her father grew up. She's been homeschooled her whole life, with being on tour and what not with her father Jax Hexley, lead singer of the rock band Blood Red Vipers.

But he wanted her to have a normal high school experience and make friends her own age. And what better way to do that than to enroll her in his old High School, Hawkins High. He and the band wanted to take a break from touring for a little while as well, write new music for a new album, so it was perfect.

Until she falls for the boy she tutors, Eddie Munson, the leading man of Corroded Coffin. How could she not be attracted to a musician when that's the world she grew up in. Music is her life, and Eddie Munson was the definition of music. Maybe she should have listened to everyone when they told her he would break her heart.

Warnings:

☆ Strong Language

☆ Drugs & Alcohol (Rockstar Life)

☆ Adult Themes

☆ Virginity Loss

☆ Spanking

☆ Choking

☆ Edging

☆ Rough Sex

☆ Unprotected Sex (she'll get on BC later)

☆ Small Amount of BDSM

☆ Oral (both)

☆ Dub-Con

☆ Public Sex

☆ Degrading (slut & whore mostly)

☆ Cock Warming

☆ Hair Pulling

☆ Breeding Kink

☆ Daddy Kink

☆ Dom Eddie

☆ Mead Eddie

☆ Eddie is OOC

☆ Angst

☆ Fluff (much later)

☆ Possessive (he doesn't want to be tied down but also doesn't want her to be with anyone else)

☆ Manipulation

☆ Slight Abuse (verbal & mental)

☆ Cheating?

[settledthingsstrange]

My middle son taught himself to read at age four and is now beginning the fourth grade. He just turned eight. He is a walking encyclopedia of facts about American history, US and world geography, and ancient Egyptian mummification practices. The only subjects for which we use a traditional curriculum with him are math and ancient Greek. For all other subjects, we allow him to pursue his own interests. Why? Because the most important thing he can learn right now is a love of learning, and the skills for pursuing it himself. I have written about my family’s homeschooling experiences last academic year and about my plans for this new upcoming year. In a nutshell, the two learning outcomes for our homeschool are to pursue the joy of learning and to cultivate human flourishing. When is the last time you saw these goals listed as learning outcomes in your local public school? There is more. Until recently walking away from academia, I worked as a professor of History and Classics for fifteen years, teaching undergraduate and graduate students. Repeatedly, some of the best students I have taught have been homeschooled. What set them apart was precisely the spirit of bold curiosity that I see in my own kids: that bright light in their eyes, an interest in asking questions and in pursuing rabbit trails independently. Public school curricula, with their strictly set state standards and increased emphasis on standardized testing, simply cannot allow this sort of flexibility. As a result, no matter how amazing the teachers are (and, believe me, many are truly amazing!), students do not get the opportunity to cultivate curiosity, wonder, and a genuine love of learning. More control and oversight is not helping American public schools, and it certainly would not help homeschoolers.

[goldenxtattoo]

ballad of a homeschool girl was written for me (a homeschool graduate with a gay ex boyfriend)

[snorpdawg]

i am very curious about your triffany and wambus high school sweethearts headcanon 👀 tell me more

I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED

Triffany is really starting to come out of her shell at this time, but her conflict avoidance is still a pretty big problem. She's the kind of classmate who doesn't dare ask for a new pencil when it breaks, but at the same time gets written up for talking too much.

Around the same time, if not a few years earlier before she and Wambus met, Bronica disappeared, so she's going through a pretty severe depression. It begins to really take a toll on her motivation regarding her schoolwork, so it only really adds insult to injury.

To distract herself, I imagine she takes up rollerblading! I got this idea from a piece of art done by an artist named @/anonymouspuzzler. She finds out she's actually pretty good at it, and decides to keep doing it until she's in college because she just can't find the time.

These days, Triffany looks back on her roller derby days with nostalgia, but also some sadness, considering her mental state at the time.

Wambus, on the other hand, came from a rather small town and had only moved to New Grump City because his family hoped to expand the family farm. Up until that point, Wambus had been mostly homeschooled by his parents and generally grew up sheltered.

Falling behind his classmates in both grades and social skills, Wambus kept mostly to himself and very rarely left his comfort zone unless pushed to do so.

In his high school days, he was also something of a troublemaker. His temper became more and more of a problem, so he was a frequenter of detention. At that point, he didn't care. As long as he made it to graduation, that was all he cared about.

How the two met was a very classic "Breakfast Club" scenario: during detention. Wambus for getting into a fight with a student, Triffany for talking back to a teacher. The two realized they got along well, so one thing led to another and they hit it off and became the big couple at school.

That’s all for now, haha. I definitely want to expand more on this idea in the future so keep your eyes peeled

[hmbryants]

ellie bamber & she/her & cis female watch out , holland bryant has crash-landed into roswell !! they look - years old and celebrate their birthday on june 10th. they are from london, england, reside in greystone complex and are currently working as a cashier at feel good records. one thing you should know about them is despite being from england, she tells people she’s from vermont and masks her english accent. 

trigger warnings for child neglect, child abuse (mental), gaslighting, cult note: the triggers are pretty engrained in the bio, but not written explicitly. read with caution. for those who would prefer to not read, the tldr is above the cut and the last paragraph does contain some relevant information on how she ended up in roswell as well as the general perception of her.

tldr; a girl just trying to find her way after being isolated from society by her parents until she turned eighteen and ran away after finding their "doomsday" plan.

BIOGRAPHY: 

Daniel Bright and Morgan Lee met in college where Daniel was studying to be a geneticist and Morgan was studying biology. The two only met because they both had a work ethic that was better than most of the other students at the college. They quickly found that they both liked to be in the labs at the same time and started hanging out outside of working on their own projects. Though they had few friends, it was no surprise to anyone that the two of them started dating and got married. Both of them landed jobs in their respective fields after graduating with PhDs. Not long after Cassidy was born and the family moved to a comfortable home in Salt Lake City, Utah. Three years after Cassidy came their son, Henry. Holland was a bit of an accident when both Cassidy was sixteen and Henry was just about to turn thirteen, but none the less an excitement to the family.

While Holland’s childhood was particularly boring and not very interesting, she was mostly raised by her siblings. It wasn’t until Holland turned eight that things began to change in her house. Although the Brights did their best to shelter their children from the news, the two older children were able to pick up on what was going on around them. Holland, being too young to understand, had no idea what her parents were scared of, which was fine enough for her parents. Holland’s life mostly didn’t change, but she noticed her parents pulling away from society more and more. Their city home home traded for a house in the country. Then things started disappearing: phones, television, radio. The books she had access to, changed to older book, written before her time with no events from the present. She didn’t know any better, though her siblings did. When she turned thirteen, her brother left home and her parents became unhinged, opening up their home to other like minded people, creating a community behind closed doors, something dangerous.

Instead of going to school like a normal child, the Bright family previously homeschooled their children, then let their community teach them. The people in their community were well vetted individuals. Anything strange or unusual was reported on by other members and then the guilty party was forced to leave, or so Holland was told. If that was actually the case, she wasn’t told otherwise. Since most media was banned from their house, so she learned to draw, learned to entertain herself with whatever her parents did allow in the house. Holland grew up hearing arguments between her older sister and her parents about how they were prisoners in their own home, yet they still had more freedoms to leave than Holland ever had. But it was the only thing she’d ever known, so how could she complain? 

Holland always felt like a bit of an outsider among her family members, though she never knew why. Her life was a constant state of not feeling like she could trust or talk to anyone. She grew into a kid surrounded by money, surrounded by people, but isolated and lonely to a point that she was sure other people didn’t live like this. Years and years of asking her parents why they weren’t allowed to leave the house and go into town and why they had to learn from tutors rather than school like some people. She never got an answer.

By the time she was fifteen, her siblings had moved out by then, it was only Holland and her parents. Cassidy did come home often, as she ended up in school not too far away, but Holland never heard from her brother. Holland was told there were monsters in the world. People capable of harming her with dangerous weapons, angry people that wanted her dead. Holland was told she was safe at home, safe behind closed doors and away from the general public. “We’re doing everything we can to protect you from them,” her mom said, misty eyed. And who was Holland to distrust anything her mom said? “We want to stop these monsters from hurting people,” her dad told her. Holland believed him. Her parents gave her more freedoms then, more books to read and information about the world around her, even if it was all a lie. Misinformation written by members of the community in order to show her what kinds of people there were in the world. 

Holland believed them, until she was eighteen and found a locked door in the mansion and her parents’ Doomsday plan. But what did that mean? How could the world really be that horrible? She didn’t understand how just humans could be that terrible. And yet they had news stories about good things, new stories about their community and what people thought about them. Cult. That’s what this was. Horrified by this information, she stole a bunch of money from her parents, paid someone to forge documents with a new name, and moved out of the country. If she kept a low enough profile, her parents would never find her. After all, they’d never found Henry.

She ended up in Roswell because Holland always loved the small town feel that she got. Holland likes knowing who most of her neighbors are. Ever since leaving home, she got really into music and more into art. Most people that know her, don't know about her past, thinking only that she was probably pretty sheltered. Holland can come off as a bit sarcastic and kind of guarded, but she means well.  

[hollandbryant]

( ELLIE BAMBER, CIS FEMALE, SHE/HER ) — Look who it is! If you take a look at our database, you’ll find that HOLLAND BRIGHT BRYANT is a 22 year old WAITRESS  & MUSIC STORE CLERK that’s been in Chicago for 4 YEARS. According to the file, they’re a mutant on LEVEL TWO with the power of POWER MIMICRY. That must be why they’re QUIET and GUARDED. If you ask me, they remind me of cassette tapes, stacks of old video games, messy red hair, english accents & brightly colored clothing. They are affiliated with NO ONE.

character inspo — adam hayes (the bright sessions), alyce (malice), vivian greywick (wicked academia), grace foster (crave)

trigger warnings for child neglect, child abuse, gaslighting

@forwardintros​

STATISTICS:

Label: tbd

Full Name: Holland May Bright Bryant

Nicknames: Holly

Birthplace: Surrey, UK

Parentage: Daniel and Morgan 

Greek Zodiac: Gemini

Element: Air

Myers Briggs: tbd

Temperament: Melancholic

Seven Roles:  tbd

Alignment: Chaotic Good

BIOGRAPHY: 

Daniel Bright and Morgan Lee met in college where Daniel was studying to be a geneticist and Morgan was studying biology. The two only met because they both had a work ethic that was better than most of the other students at the college. They quickly found that they both liked to be in the labs at the same time and started hanging out outside of working on their own projects. Though they had few friends, it was no surprise to anyone that the two of them started dating and got married. Both of them landed jobs in their respective fields after graduating with PhDs. Not long after Cassidy was born and the family moved to a comfortable home in Surrey. Three years after Cassidy came their son, Henry. Holland was a bit of an accident, but none the less an excitement to the family. By the time Holland was born, both Daniel and Morgan knew about the existence of mutants, given their respective scientific fields and they were both terrified of anything different. So they sheltered their children. 

While Holland’s childhood was particularly boring and not very interesting, she was mostly raised by her siblings. Until 2003 things in her life were relatively normal. Although the Brights did their best to shelter their children from the news, the two older children were able to pick up on what was going on around them. Holland, being too young to understand, had no idea what her parents were involved with, which was fine enough for her parents. Holland’s life mostly didn’t change, but she noticed her parents pulling away from society more and more. Their Surrey home traded for a house up north in the country. Then things started disappearing: phones, television, radio. The books she had access to, changed to older book, written before her time with no events from the present. She didn't know any better, though her siblings did. When she turned thirteen, her brother left home and her parents became unhinged, opening up their home to other like minded people, creating a community behind closed doors. A humans only society, though Holland didn't know this at the time. 

Instead of going to school like a normal child, the Bright family previously homeschooled their children, then let their community teach them. The people in their community were well vetted individuals. Anything strange or unusual was reported on by other members and then the guilty party was forced to leave, or so Holland was told. If that was actually the case, she wasn't told otherwise. Since most media was banned from their house, so she learned to draw, learned to entertain herself with whatever her parents did allow in the house. Holland grew up hearing arguments between her older sister and her parents about how they were prisoners in their own home, yet they still had more freedoms to leave than Holland ever had. But it was the only thing she’d ever known, so how could she complain? 

Holland always felt like a bit of an outsider among her family members, though she never knew why, nor would she get an explanation for years. Her life was a constant state of not feeling like she could trust or talk to anyone. She grew into a kid surrounded by money, surrounded by people, but isolated and lonely to a point that she was sure other people didn’t live like this. Years and years of asking her parents why they weren’t allowed to leave the house and go into town and why they had to learn from tutors rather than school like some people. She never got an answer.

By the time she was fifteen, her siblings had moved out by then, it was only Holland and her parents. Cassidy did come home often, as she ended up in school not too far away, but Holland never heard from her brother. Holland was told there were monsters in the world. People capable of harming her without touching her. Where she lived, the community her parents created was a safe haven from these monster, since some of them looked like regular humans while others were monstrous beings. Holland was told she was safe at home, safe behind closed doors and away from the general public. “We’re doing everything we can to protect you from them,” her mom said, misty eyed. And who was Holland to distrust anything her mom said? “We want to stop these monsters from hurting people,” her dad told her. Holland believed him. Her parents gave her more freedoms then, more books to read and information about the world around her, even if it was all a lie. Misinformation written by members of the community in order to show her what kinds of people there were in the world. 

Holland believed them, until she was eighteen and found a locked door in the mansion and her parents' Doomsday plan. Their plan to rid the world of the monsters she'd been told about. They'd been working with the American government. They had helped to create a drug that neutralized their power. And soon they'd find a way to weaponize those with powers. Holland's blood turned to ice as she read more. Her parents had blood samples of everyone in the community, including her own blood. Clicking on her own file lead to a discovery that she had powers. Beneath her name: neutralized. But what did that mean? Horrified by this information, she stole a bunch of money from her parents, paid someone to forge documents with a new name, and moved out of the country. If she kept a low enough profile, her parents would never find her. After all, they’d never found Henry. 

She settled in Chicago, a bigger city feeling safer as she could blend in with large amounts of people. That was four years ago. Since then, she has not done much progress on figuring out the mutant world, but he’s still trying to figure out who she is. She’s still very scared of mutants and being one herself. However, she’s trying to be better at it. Holland found out what her power was on accident, by running straight into a mutant. There was a fear response to it and she immediately ran away, scared out of her mind. Now Holland works as a waitress and at a music store, trying her best to stay blended in with her surroundings. 

[hollandmbryant]

STATISTICS:

Label: the wanderer

Full Name: Holland May Bright Bryant

Nicknames: Holly

Birthplace: Salt Lake City, Utah

Parentage: Daniel and Morgan Bright

Greek Zodiac: Gemini

Element: Air

Temperament: Melancholic

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Role: Gatherer

Occupation: Cashier at Auntie Em's

character inspo — adam hayes (the bright sessions), alyce (malice), vivian greywick (wicked academia), grace foster (crave)

trigger warnings for child neglect, child abuse, gaslighting

BIOGRAPHY: 

Daniel Bright and Morgan Lee met in college where Daniel was studying to be a geneticist and Morgan was studying biology. The two only met because they both had a work ethic that was better than most of the other students at the college. They quickly found that they both liked to be in the labs at the same time and started hanging out outside of working on their own projects. Though they had few friends, it was no surprise to anyone that the two of them started dating and got married. Both of them landed jobs in their respective fields after graduating with PhDs. Not long after Cassidy was born and the family moved to a comfortable home in Salt Lake City, Utah. Three years after Cassidy came their son, Henry. Holland was a bit of an accident, but none the less an excitement to the family.

While Holland’s childhood was particularly boring and not very interesting, she was mostly raised by her siblings. It wasn't until Holland turned eight that things began to change in her house. Although the Brights did their best to shelter their children from the news, the two older children were able to pick up on what was going on around them. Holland, being too young to understand, had no idea what her parents were scared of, which was fine enough for her parents. Holland’s life mostly didn’t change, but she noticed her parents pulling away from society more and more. Their city home home traded for a house in the country. Then things started disappearing: phones, television, radio. The books she had access to, changed to older book, written before her time with no events from the present. She didn't know any better, though her siblings did. When she turned thirteen, her brother left home and her parents became unhinged, opening up their home to other like minded people, creating a community behind closed doors, something dangerous.

Instead of going to school like a normal child, the Bright family previously homeschooled their children, then let their community teach them. The people in their community were well vetted individuals. Anything strange or unusual was reported on by other members and then the guilty party was forced to leave, or so Holland was told. If that was actually the case, she wasn't told otherwise. Since most media was banned from their house, so she learned to draw, learned to entertain herself with whatever her parents did allow in the house. Holland grew up hearing arguments between her older sister and her parents about how they were prisoners in their own home, yet they still had more freedoms to leave than Holland ever had. But it was the only thing she’d ever known, so how could she complain? 

Holland always felt like a bit of an outsider among her family members, though she never knew why. Her life was a constant state of not feeling like she could trust or talk to anyone. She grew into a kid surrounded by money, surrounded by people, but isolated and lonely to a point that she was sure other people didn’t live like this. Years and years of asking her parents why they weren’t allowed to leave the house and go into town and why they had to learn from tutors rather than school like some people. She never got an answer.

By the time she was fifteen, her siblings had moved out by then, it was only Holland and her parents. Cassidy did come home often, as she ended up in school not too far away, but Holland never heard from her brother. Holland was told there were monsters in the world. People capable of harming her with dangerous weapons, angry people that wanted her dead. Where she lived, the community her parents created was a safe haven from these monsters, since they looked like normal humants. Holland was told she was safe at home, safe behind closed doors and away from the general public. “We’re doing everything we can to protect you from them,” her mom said, misty eyed. And who was Holland to distrust anything her mom said? “We want to stop these monsters from hurting people,” her dad told her. Holland believed him. Her parents gave her more freedoms then, more books to read and information about the world around her, even if it was all a lie. Misinformation written by members of the community in order to show her what kinds of people there were in the world. 

Holland believed them, until she was eighteen and found a locked door in the mansion and her parents' Doomsday plan. But what did that mean? How could the world really be that horrible? She didn't understand how just humans could be that terrible. And yet they had news stories about good things, new stories about their community and what people thought about them. Cult. That's what this was. Horrified by this information, she stole a bunch of money from her parents, paid someone to forge documents with a new name, and moved out of the country. If she kept a low enough profile, her parents would never find her. After all, they’d never found Henry. 

She traveled all over the country, not staying in a place long. Even if she had no idea what to do other than keep running. That's how she ended up in Huntsville. And somehow it felt like both a relief and a curse.