#possible thesis topics

[academix-nightmare]

I have thoughts about the new pope and I want to remind myself to write them down.

I wonder how much the search traffic for Rarum Novarum has increased since Leo was elected?

[gateofparadise]

I think I finally figured out the topic for my undergraduate thesis… gonna write about marginalization & monstrosity in gothic literature 🫣🤭 specifically in Dracula, Wuthering Heights & Carmilla. I’m so excited woooooo🥳

[rpfisfine]

I hateee when people are so fucking nosy about my business and question everything I do i told my friend the like general outline of my research proposal for my bachelor thesis and she was like Hmmmmmmmm are you sure there’s gonna be enough appropriate secondary literature you might want to completely reconsider what you want to write about 🤓 like dude there is a girl a year above me rn whose thesis has the title and I quote “The Narrative of Dream SMP: A group of people living life in a video game?” like some poor professor actually gave a green light to a thesis like that. Why don’t you go bother her about secondary literature

[widevibratobitch]

face of a girl who after months of going welllllllll idk ://// finally bought the battersby biography and is about to be really fucking annoying about it

[lastofthe20thcenturygirls]

so i passed 🤭

[transmutationisms]

one problem with writing in that really defensive internet-aimed style where you try to preemptively rebut any objections and clear up all possible bad faith readings is if you want to talk about any topic past a beginner level you either have to write a 20k word thesis every single time or you're just hosed. imo this phenomenon accounts for a sizeable portion of the truly useless and boring writing posted online like some of those people probably do actually know more than that. but when you know you are going to immediately have 10 assholes sealioning you, you write ⬆️ like that very understandably

[mayajadeart]

Fucking, thank god for grad students. Grad students are truly the GOAT of science. A lot of scientific research is limited by what kinds of research can produce results that might be profitable for businesses, including the journals that publish that research in the first place. But grad students? They're not trying to make money for anyone, they're trying to prove themselves as scientists before entering the professional world. The only thing a master's or doctorate thesis is supposed to do is prove to your university that you have mastered your craft and are capable of producing research that meets the standards of the scientific community. The only job that a graduate student has when producing that thesis is to do good research that has never been done before. They're just about the only scientists whose sole prerogative is to look where no one else has looked to answer questions that no one else has, possibly because no one else has even asked them yet, and to compile their results, whatever they are, for the pure sake of knowledge itself.

I'm not a scientist, I'm just someone who does scientific research in my free time because I'm deranged enough to think it's genuinely fun, and because a lot of the art I do is scientifically informed. But because I'm doing this research for art rather than a more "practical" application, a lot of the times the reasons why I want to know something are completely different from the reasons why these topics are actually studied. I don't want to know how to create synthetic equivalents of Feline Facial Pheromone F3, whose function we already know, in order to reduce stress and prevent undesirable behavior in pet cats in new homes and vet clinics, I want an analysis of the components that make up Feline Facial Pheromones F1 and F5, whose functions we don't know, in order to start building hypotheses about what those functions might be, so that I can figure out how catgirls would perceive these pheromones and theorize how they might talk about them in their native languages. But nobody's gonna pay me to do that, are they?

And let me tell you, sometimes the only people who seem interested in the kinds of bizarre and esoteric questions that an artist like me will have are grad students publishing theses. I still haven't found anyone trying to figure out what FFP F1 or F5 are used for, but I have found:

A full, comprehensive description of the complete phonology and grammar of the Lushootseed language and its dialects, spoken by several Coast Salish tribes of the Puget Sound region, published by Ted Kye in 2023 for his doctoral thesis at the University of Washington. Lushootseed is the source of many words from the region, including hugely important place names like Snoqualmie, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, Snohomish, Sammamish, Duwamish, Mukilteo, Shilshole, and of course, Seattle, but the language itself is extinct, with its last native speaker, Vi Hilbert, dying in 2008. There are, however, efforts to revive the language, and that would be significantly more difficult without Ted Kye's work. I think we can all see why this kind of thing is valuable.

And, this second one is a bit more esoteric but hear me out:

The discovery that a popular ornamental aquarium fish might actually have been sequentially hermaphroditic this whole time, which was practically a footnote in a 2016 thesis by Lia Gomes and Silva Henriques from the University of Porto, in Portugal. The fish in question is the red-tailed shark, Epalzeorhynchos bicolor, which is not an actual shark, but a member of the carp family that just happens to look like a shark, and two very important things to note about it are that it is critically endangered in the wild, and in fact was thought to be totally extinct in the wild until one was found in 2014, and that they are also practically impossible to breed in captivity. The primary threat to the species is considered to be habitat destruction. The quite substantial supply of this species in the pet trade today all come from fish farms in Southeast Asia, which use hormones to induce reproduction in the species, through processes that are kept as trade secrets and are essentially unknown to the scientific community. So, we have literally no idea how this fish breeds, which means that hobbyists can't breed it themselves, and scientists don't know what conditions they even need in order to breed in the wild. This one paper, written by students in Portugal who attempted to induce gonadal maturation in the species using hormone injections, is perhaps one of the only clues we have on the path to saving this species, and it hints at a conclusion that could have HUGE implications for the husbandry, captive breeding, and survival in the wild of the red-tailed shark: all of the individuals that were dissected without having undergone hormone injections were immature females, and immature males only started appearing in groups that had been injected, suggesting that all individuals of the species might start out as females, and then at some point in their development, certain individuals, for unknown reasons, may develop into males instead, making them sequential hermaphrodites. This isn't unknown in fish (clownfish do something similar, except they all start out as males and become female when they achieve dominance in their social group), but it was completely unexpected in this species, and could go a long way in starting to explain the difficulties with breeding them and potentially be a step on the path to learning how to breed them in captivity, as well as saving them in the wild.

Unfortunately, in the latter case, I wasn't able to find any other published work by either of the listed authors, and no one else seems to have repeated the experiment. This is a real shame, because the results of the experiments, while very intriguing, weren't conclusive; they had a fairly low sample size, and would need to be confirmed by further research. But there's no indication of that research being done, and I might be the only one other than the university's board of reviewers who's even read the thing.

All this is to say, fish testicles are interesting and I'm begging someone to do more research on them, please.

[nebulousmoon3990]

GHOSTS OF THE PAST (Batfam x neglected hero reader)

II𓂃› POISON

Warning: Negligence (unintentional), Damian being Damian, violence, swearing, sensitive topics,bad things, spelling mistakes (English is not my first language) and reader has black hair and blue eyes (sorry), Fem reader!, use of (M/n) for his mother's name, I accept criticism but please don't be rude, everything is fictional!

Two weeks.It had been two weeks since you disappeared, two weeks in which Bruce did and still does everything he can to find you (as the millionaire Bruce Wayne or as Batman), two weeks in which he and possibly no one in the mansion slept properly, two weeks in which guilt gnawed at him in the worst possible way. But even so, Bruce is ashamed to say that in these two weeks he has only been going to his room now.

Could you blame him? Bruce didn't want to go to his room because that would be a way of saying that you died. He refuses to think that way, you are alive, he is sure of it, and he will find you.

However, Bruce's thesis was shattered by his anxiety.

That's why he goes to your room for the first time.

Bruce remembers going there only once, you must have been seven years old, what saddens him the most is that he only went there because there was a problem with the ceiling and that's why you had to change rooms. Your room was on the second floor, a little further away from the others, possibly the room closest to yours was Tim's.

Alfred had to show him where his room was, which made Bruce feel even worse. He didn't know where his own room was! Was he so negligent to that point?

Your room was at the end of the hallway, the only thing that identified it was a guitar sticker on the door, it was faded and dented, possibly having been there for years, wood splinters were visible on the door and the metals on it were very rusty.

Grabbing the doorknob, Bruce hesitated to open it, the logical part of his brain warning that you might feel uncomfortable with him invading your room like that, but his desire spoke louder, gathering courage Bruce opened the door slowly and faced the environment. He was greeted with a sweet smell that reminded him of artificial strawberries, coming from the entire room and Bruce thought that maybe this was the smell you had passed many times.

The first thing he noticed was the appearance of your room, it was smaller than most of the rooms in the mansion. Your bed was next to the window, giving you a view of the mansion's garden, next to the small bed was a nearly empty study table, on it papers and colored pencils were in the corner organized so as not to have a mess, a small swivel chair was there, there were tears and poorly washed stains, but it seemed like you used it a lot. Above the table on the wall were posters of bands and other things, but what caught Bruce's attention was not that, no, it wasn't.

There were trophies, certificates and awards on top of his shelves.

There were so many, so many, that Bruce thought it was his mind playing tricks on him, but it soon proved to be true when he approached the said shelves. There were trophies for gymnastics, literature, computing, swimming, there were awards for drawing, music, and even jiu-jitsu.

Each one was accompanied by a photo of you, photos that were supposed to be taken with your family but most of them were with your instructors, it was possible to see that with each photo that there was your face changed from false joy to not even bothering to smile.

The sight of you in the photos made Bruce's heart break, the worst one of all was one that looked like you were from gymnastics, but in this one you were really exhausted. Sweat was all over your forehead, making your hair stick to it, your eyes were a little red and there was a bruise on your arm, you tried to smile but it was noticeable that the smile was fake and to top it off, to break Bruce's heart? You were holding back tears, tears shining in the corners of your eyes so intensely, but you held it tight, so as not to cry in front of the camera.

Bruce felt horrible, really awful in fact.

He carefully picked up the photo and sat down on the chair, watching you. You must have been eight or nine years old? He didn't know, but you looked so young, so helpless, but you already looked so... broken. As if you knew the weight of the world, the weight that life brought.

He straightened up in the chair and looked at the room again, seeing the back of his room where the wardrobe was. Bruce noticed that next to the large piece of furniture there was a box, almost as worn as the sticker on the door, he got up from the chair leaving the photo on the table next to him, walking over to the box and picking it up with ease. Preferring to sit on the bed instead of the chair he opened the cardboard box to find a computer and a pen drive.

Bruce, so immersed in his thoughts, barely noticed that while he was turning on the old device, someone else was entering the room.

“Bruce?” The aforementioned looked up to see Dick. Looking at his son, he realized how worn out Dick was, whether it was the deep bags under his eyes or the messy hair from so much grabbing and pulling. “What are you doing here?”

“I…” came to see my daughter’s room? Came to try to feel less guilty? Came to try to comfort myself in my pain of not having protected my own daughter? Bruce didn’t know what to answer, fortunately, Dick understood this and decided to see for himself. Carefully, Grayson entered the room and observed with interest, his gaze stopping at the same shelves of trophies that Bruce was interested in, the small smile on Grayson’s face disappeared when he discovered the real reason for the trophies being there.

“W-wait, is that from gymnastics?” Dick looked closer, seeing on the table the same photo Bruce had taken, his anxious eyes roaming the entire shelf, observing his every victory in detail. ���Is that all of…(name)?”

“Yeah, and all of hers, all the effort we never saw.” Bruce turned his focus back to the computer, the anguish in his words reminding him of his mistake, while Dick sank in guilt as Bruce himself decided to look at the computer’s contents.

It looked like it hadn't been used for a while, there was dust on the computer and the screen was broken, putting the pen drive in the device a folder appeared on the screen, Bruce clicked and the loading screen appeared on the screen, while it was loading Bruce felt his oldest son sitting next to him, watching the computer next to him and as soon as the loading was finished the two men came across photos.

Very, very old photos of you.

Photos of you as a baby at various points in your childhood outside the mansion, there was a photo of you walking while smiling at the camera, a photo of you sleeping on the couch drooling all over it, a photo of you drinking while wrapped in a blanket like a burrito, and many others.

Bruce heard Dick sigh when he saw you, he had to hold himself back from melting right there, you looked so cute with your chubby cheeks and bright eyes. He wished he could be there at that moment, seeing you so cute, taking care of you, being the father he never was.

But time has passed, you've grown up and are gone now.

Bruce shook off his thoughts when he saw a different photo, in it you had the corners of your mouth covered in what he assumed was chocolate, your hands were covered in the same candy, but what caught Bruce's attention wasn't that, but the woman behind you holding you while laughing at your lameness.

your mother

(M/n) (Last name)

He remembers the woman, kind and caring, a writer from outside Gotham, and although it is strange that she preferred Gotham to live in (with so many other cities more protected than it is), she reached her peak of fame, which made them meet. Just one night with her, nothing more, an affair that didn't go ahead and in which he thought he would forget about her, only for a year later she sends him a letter, talking about you, his daughter.

She didn't ask for anything, not even alimony for herself, she just asked him not to interfere in her daughter's life, although Bruce found the request strange he accepted, being too busy with work to care, he didn't give it due importance at the time.

That was until (M/n) died, her sudden death made him bring you to his house, he fought for custody of you with your aunt, but since he was the one best able to raise you, your custody was given to him.

That was many years ago, he doesn't remember you bringing this computer.

Oh.

Do you keep the computer to remember your mother?

The articles were old, wouldn't it be better to transfer the photos to your cell phone? Or didn't you want to? Maybe you would prefer to keep the computer to remember your memories.

Dick shifted beside him, looking again at the immense trophies on his shelf. “We had her here, and we just ignored her.”

“Dick—”

“We had a diamond in the rough, shining brightly for us, and we just ignored it, and now that she’s gone…” Bruce said nothing, there was nothing to say.

Dick was right.

They had lost a precious stone.

And there was no way to get her back.

Three months.

Nothing about you, no clues, no trails, nothing made it even more difficult because the bus you were on was burned, even if it was left there were no fingerprints, DNA or anything else that would lead them to you.

Dick had to go back to Blüdhaven, continuing his own investigation there. Bruce, knowing that he couldn't do it alone (not this time), put his pride aside and warned the members of the league about your disappearance.

Clark, in an effort to find you, published an article in the Daily Planet about your disappearance, but not even that helped in his search.

The members of the League were alert in each of their cities, looking for clues about you, but nothing came to them, not the organization that kidnapped you or your possible whereabouts.

It was as if you had disappeared from the earth.

Six months.

The police were getting sloppy, probably already giving up on the case. Bruce was still investigating, but how was he going to get deeper into the case if the clues that led to you had disappeared into the wind like dust on the ground?

All he had were your desperate calls for help, your messages, but they led nowhere, your device destroyed without its location.

The family had become more depressed, as if something was missing for everyone present, the immense loneliness in the mansion showing who was missing.

You.

One year.

The case was closed, with nothing to investigate, the Gotham police had more problems to deal with than a missing and possibly dead teenager.

There was… nothing. 

Nothing to say, nothing to do, nothing to look for.You were gone.

A long time ago.

What they didn't know was that you weren't gone, but you were there.

“Alright, alright, I think we’re done for today, right?”

The iron-tasting liquid once again rose up in her bile, making the blood in her throat gush out of her mouth, choking her.

The room they were in, previously white, was now stained crimson, clinging deep into the walls as it reflected the light from the lamp.

In the corner of the room stood you, chained up like a beast (which technically wasn’t a lie now). You lay still as the toxic green liquid entered your veins, the acidity still biting your skin.

Doctor Magnus was the one in front of you, the man with long black hair and golden eyes was watching you dangerously, the loving attitude that many could see as a father educating his son was nothing more than a facade of sadistic malice from the man.

He disgusted you.

They all did.

All of them, all of them, all of them, ALL OF THEM-

Magnus watched as the syringe that connected the tube in your neck finished injecting the toxin into your veins, with the process finished, Magnus approached you and pulled it from your neck.

With the brutality with which he pulled the syringe, you hissed in pain, your abnormally large fangs showing themselves to the doctor, the protective instinct emerging in your brain. Despite the offense, Magnus just smiled at you.

Stepping away from you, he lowered your restraints making you feel a little comfortable. With his fingerprint, the doctor opened the automatic door, before leaving he stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder, his gaze meeting yours.

“Get plenty of rest (Name)…” the man’s smirk widened, the evil coursing through him making her stomach churn with fear.

"Tomorrow your experiments will intensify.”

Okay, I'm a little disappointed (I was hoping to write one more, but I couldn't add anything without it affecting the next chapter), well I'll make up for it in the next chapter.

Here's the tag list \(•◡•)/:

@daiyanomochi - @amber-content - @wizzerreblogs - @foggyv-oid - @kore-of-the-underworld - @theunknowntravel3r - @space1crow - @shortnsweetsposts - @popursocks - @sugasweettea - @salfishers - @itachisank - @jsprien213 - @infirebaby - @yhin-gg -@h-ib

@bunbunboysworld - @h-ib - @sheep-from-rad - @tatsuri-zomushiki - @the-holy-pigeon - @geminis93

sorry for any mistakes.

Bye

[pargolettasworld]

So, because I am incurably, morbidly curious, I watched Jessie Gender's four-hour-and-seventeen-minute-long video on . . . well, the title suggests "Zionism, Antisemitism, and the Left." To her credit, Gender does touch on all three of these topics, though not with the same degree of skill, graciousness, or understanding of the topics at hand. I've just had a very nice dinner, and I'm feeling generous, so let's see how this video stacks up. Strap in. This is going to get long.

I should admit right off the bat that I'm only a casual, occasional watcher of Jessie Gender. I'm not a deep fan, and I'm sure there is Jessie Gender Lore™ out there that I'm not aware of, but I think I've seen enough of her videos to get a general sense of her house style. This video hits a lot of the hallmarks of her style. She speaks very fast and very passionately, occasionally trips over her own words (something that I've done many a time, so I really do feel that), and is inordinately fond of nominalizations. She's especially fond of the word "ostracization," for some reason, which drives me nuts because "ostracism" is right there. So, in style, it appears to hew to the Jessie Gender House Style pretty well.

On to the video itself. The first thing I will observe about it is that it is in every possible way a meeting that could have been an email. There was no need for this to be the same length as the Extended Edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). There's a lot of padding, significant digressions, and a certain degree of repetition. It's easy to forget the beginning of the video by the time you're an hour into the thing.

The major question that hangs over this opus is: Why, and for whom, was it made? I'm honestly not sure who the intended audience for this thing is, nor why Gender felt that she had to make it. She alludes in the first half hour to feeling like she's lost the trust and support of some of her Jewish fans/friends/acquaintances/Patreon patrons, and she chalks it up to a previous video that she made (which I have not seen, and which I am not inclined to seek out). But neither the structure nor the thesis nor the conclusion of the video seem like they would win back any of these folks.

I don't think that Jewish viewers are her intended audience -- certainly not with the way she talks about Jews throughout the video. I'm also having a hard time believing that really committed leftists are her audience, either, since I don't think she's really saying much that leftists haven't already heard, or offering new perspectives on her topic(s). And anyone who has made it this far into the year of 5784 and is still undecided about the contemporary iteration of The Jewish Question is probably not going to be interested in sitting through nearly four and a half hours of relentless lecture. So I'm still left wondering why, and for whom, did Jessie Gender make this video?

Gender assures us, her viewers, of several things that are meant to be reassuring. She's done lots and lots of research, for one thing. And she's asked some-of-her-best-friends-who-are-Jewish to be sensitivity readers. We're given to understand that we are hearing the nitpicked, edited, and polished version of the script. I'd hate to see what the first draft looked like . . .

She also tells us that there are going to be lots of Foreign Words And Names, and that she and her mouth-hole have A Hard Time pronouncing Foreign Words And Names. Her loyal staff have made her a pronunciation guide -- which appears to have been used perhaps as a drinks coaster, since there are some howlers here. The Jews originating from the MENA regions are the "Misrai" (Mizrahi) Jews, the first Prime Minister of Israel was "David Ben-Gron" (David Ben-Gurion), the Revisionist Zionist leader was "Zeeeeeeeeev Zarbinsky" (Ze'ev Jabotinsky), and the Palestinian uprisings of 1987 - 1993 and 2000 - 2005 go by the name "Infitada" (Intifada).

You know that phrase "If white people can learn to say Tchaikovsky and Schwarzenegger, they can learn to say [your name from an African or Asian language]?" I agree completely with the conclusion, but I question the premise. Jessie Gender makes me question the premise harder. If she had any real interest in the topic, she would have practiced those names, but I don't think she does, so she didn't.

Moving on to the actual content of the video. It's . . . weird. Jessie Gender begins the video believing that Zionism is an evil force for colonialism, White supremacy, oppression, and genocide. She ends the video believing that Zionism is an evil force for colonialism, White supremacy, oppression, and genocide. But along the way, she's confronted with quite a lot of inconvenient facts that threaten to complicate this perspective.

Gender devotes roughly two hours and fifteen minutes of her video, a smidge over half of the runtime, on three segments that offer a history of Zionism, the iterations of Zionism as a political ideology, and what she calls "Zionism as emotion," which is a condescending way to refer to the importance of Zionism to Jews. I'd guess that her research for these segments might have surprised her. It turns out, per Jessie Gender, that there is both a reason behind and a context for nineteenth-century Zionism, quite a lot of logic behind why the Jews wanted to go to Israel, and ample evidence that a majority of Jews have some kind of stake in both Israel and some variation of Zionism.

The reason I think that this research might have surprised her is that she ends each of these segments with a small diatribe about the evil colonialist, capitalist, oppressive, genocidal force that is Zionism, even as the segments suggest nuance, logic, and reason behind the philosophy. We can't have that on a good lefty video, though, can we? The more Gender confronts evidence that there is more to Zionism than meets her eyes, the more she doubles down, digs in her heels, and refuses to accept even the barest shreds of non-negativity about Zionism. Every now and then, she comes up with a lovely sentence or two that shows some understanding of a Jewish perspective on the world, but then furiously backpedals -- we mustn't forget that this Jewish perspective of oppression, mass murder, and international blame has only led to the Evil Of Zionism, after all.

What's really fascinating is how hard she works to avoid blaming actual Jews for all of this evil. I think she's doing this with the best of intentions. A for effort. C for effect. She wants to make a distinction between "Zionism" and "Judaism," in the sense of "Zionism does not equate to Judaism, so being antisemitic to Judaism because you hate Zionism is bad." She tries so hard that she loses sight of the actual people involved. There are a lot of places where she talks about "Judaism" where what she actually means is "the Jews." Or, as she calls us, "Jewish people." Which isn't bad, and it isn't really wrong, but it doesn't quite communicate the sense of Am Yisrael that is at the heart of Zionism.

In fact, she's so desperate to separate Zionism from Jewish people that she starts to talk about it almost as an individual character in the story, with agency, desires, wishes, and goals of its own, totally disconnected from the people who created it. Zionism demands the genocide of Palestinians, Zionism needs colonialism, Zionism has a nice lunch date with neoliberalism and spends the afternoon browsing department stores with capitalism. In effect, Zionism becomes the dragon, and Gender really wishes that the passive, easily-led Jewish people would unite behind some White Knight and slay the dragon so everyone could be happy and free and leftist. Despite the two hours she spent on her deep dive into the history and meaning of Zionism, she cannot fathom why the Jewish people don't just do this.

I said earlier that quite a lot of this video consists of padding. Gender identifies herself as a lefty anarchist, opposed to nation-states, capitalism, neoliberalism, the United States, the British Empire, Israel, Joe Biden, "Ka-MAH-la" Harris, transphobia in Western societies . . . the usual suspects. Frequently, especially in the back half of the video, she'll wander off into long fantasias about the crimes against liberty perpetrated by the West at large, as well as their character Capitalism, and then remember that this is supposed to be a video about Zionism, and then finish with the equivalent of "Peter Rabbit did sort of that kind of thing, too."

One of the alleged purposes of this video is to discuss Antisemitism On The Left, but Gender . . . pretty much elides doing that. She gets close a couple of times, and she does grudgingly admit that some leftists coming from some branches of leftism might sometimes say things that might be antisemitic, and that's Bad, and it makes Jewish people feel Unsafe and Not Inclined To Agree With Leftists that The Dragon Known As Zionism Must Be Slain Heroically. But don't stress about it. The important thing is that Israel Must Stop Its Genocide and Palestinians Should Have Self-Determination (which is only withheld from them by Israel -- excuse me, by Zionism -- and certainly not by those eminently-justified-if-a-little-uncouth plucky fighters, Hamas.

There are quite a lot of lengthy quotes from Sources, read by guest stars, which is a nice touch to break up the video. The vast majority of these Sources -- especially the ones in the "history of Zionism" segment -- are not actually written by Zionists. You get a lot of academic pontificating about the failures, shortcomings, and nefarious activities of Zionism, but you hear almost nothing from actual Zionists, especially contemporary Zionists. This does not look nearly as good or as well-researched as it's meant to look.

So what do we get in the end, after four hours and seventeen minutes of watching this? Honestly . . . not much. Gender gives enough background on the history of Zionism, antisemitism, and Jewish attitudes toward Israel that hardcore leftists watching will be more annoyed than convinced. She condescends to both Jews and Arabs, mentioning repeatedly that she, as a White Gentile, really doesn't have any business butting in on these complex questions -- but that's not going to stop her from butting in like the lefty shiksa she is! She's too mealy-mouthed to come right out and say anything blatantly antisemitic, but disdain for Jewish concepts of homeland, belonging, origin, and self-determination pervade the whole thing.

I don't think that Jessie Gender is an idiot -- she seems to be pretty smart, and has both a firm sense of her own political philosophy and the stick-to-it-ive-ness to do far more research into things like the development of Zionism and the history of antisemitism than one might expect. But the video really is, to bring up a playwright from the hated West, "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: The Research Process

Research is an essential process to keep yourself informed on any topic with reliable sources of information.

Research - the process by which you gather reliable information on a specific topic, typically to answer a particular question, form an opinion, or make a decision.

Academics often separate research into 2 distinct types:

primary research (in which the researcher acquires firsthand experience with the topic) and

secondary research (in which the researcher looks at research others have done on the topic).

There are many different research methods, including:

internet research (using search engines, webpages, and other online resources),

scientific research (using the scientific method to test hypotheses),

local and university library research (using books, encyclopedias, newspaper articles, peer-reviewed journal articles, catalogs, and academic databases and directories), and

interviews (using questionnaires and discussions with subjects).

How to Research

The research process can apply to everything from a scientific research paper to a personal question; each type of research has different expectations and processes. In general, here’s a step-by-step tutorial:

Start with a question. The first step of the research process is to have a question. In the case of academic research, your research question might be on a broad conversation in your field. For example, in humanities, a research question might be: “How did feminism affect American literature in the 1970s?” In the case of personal research, your question might be smaller and more specific: “How do I wake up feeling more rested?” If your research is for a high school or college paper, you might need to brainstorm to come up with a question or move on to the research phase to see what kinds of questions and broad topics interest you.

Search broadly. Your preliminary research on a topic is likely to be general—this search strategy enables you to gather as much general information surrounding the topic as possible. This helps you develop a clearer sense of the scope of your question. In the case of academic research, you might read widely (in topics like feminism, the 1970s, and American literature). In the case of personal research, you might conduct general internet searches for secondary sources that discuss related topics (like alarm clocks, pillows, and meditation techniques).

Narrow your focus. As you conduct research, pay attention to the moments that pique your interest—use them to determine where to conduct more in-depth research. Perhaps a specific novelist seems especially interesting, or you find yourself more drawn to alarm clocks than memory-foam pillows. It is at this stage you should also take time to evaluate the information sources you’ve found to make sure they’re reliable and unbiased.

Conduct specific research. Once your question begins to narrow, you might need to do additional research to hone in on your particular topic. Look around to see if other researchers have had similar questions and published or posted their findings. Alternatively, you might do some primary research and begin testing particular hypotheses. For an academic research paper, it is at this stage you likely have enough information to begin crafting your thesis statement or central claim.

Complete the project. The final stage of the research process is to complete your research project—this might mean writing a final paper, forming a particular opinion, or purchasing a specific solution for your problem. For research that involves writing and publishing a paper, the researcher must also abide by rules of plagiarism, citation information and formats—such as the Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), Chicago, and so forth. Even though this is the final step of the research process, it doesn’t mean the project is closed forever—you might find later you need or want to do follow-up research as the topic or your interests change.

Research is a vital process that increases your knowledge and understanding around a topic, rather than forcing you to rely on simply your own background information. Good research allows you to become more informed before you answer a question, to consider all angles before you form an opinion, and to use the experience of others before you make a decision.

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[sixflame438]

What Is Love?

Synopsis - You are a renowned author known for writing great pieces but youve never written romance because you dont know what it feels like. Until one day you visit a bookstore and you meet a cute girl who makes you feel things.

Pairing - Huh Yunjin x Reader

Tags - Fluff, Artist!Yunjin, Writer!Reader, possible errors

A/N - Originally written on and for Yunjins bday (over a month ago). Was longer but this was finished already so ive cut it. Part 2 one day

Word Count - 3300

You couldnt write romance for shit. It was a well known fact in your fanbase and you were always victim to their teasing. As an author you were renowned for your talented abilities when it came to writing, always creating amazing pieces of work whether it was simple screenplay in hallmark movies or your own books that you drafted and published.

No matter the genre you wrote in, you were always praised and respected for what you wrote. Action, angst, fiction, science fiction, fantasy, fluff, horror. Just name the genre and you had probably written something in it before. All except for romance.

Youve had multiple questions from readers and critics alike grilling you to write romantic fluff for a change but you always evaded the questions to the best of your ability. It wasnt that you didnt want to write romance, in fact youd love to write some happy centric stories for a change but the problem was that you simply didnt know how to.

What was love? You didnt know the answer to that. Obviously you were well versed in platonic and parental love but not romantic love. Youve never been in a proper relationship, hell you dont think youve ever even had a crush before.

And sure youve had kissed a few times with other people but you never felt anything different afterwards. The fireworks when you kiss, the feelings of butterflies, the nervous stuttering of speech, the lingering burn when you brushed your hand against theirs. These were all just urban legends in your mind, always spoken about but never found.

You were convinced people were making it up, how could someone affect you so much by just existing? How was the mere thought of a crush enough to turn someone red? Why red? Is that why its the colour of love? You really couldnt wrap your head around the whole concept.

As a normal person would when writing, you would spend time researching your topic at hand to ensure youd write about it accurately and make sure the things you wrote were described correctly.

But no matter how long you spent studying articles and scientific thesis’s you just couldn’t understand anything. There were too many unknown variables and it seemed each relationship was different. Too many factors for you to bother with and the lack of experience really affected your take on the idea of love.

Of course you tried to put yourself out there, love was always a topic that required field research and experiencing first hand rather than second hand through papers and books, but that didnt mean it ever lead to anything.

There was a situation you were in once where to others it may seem you guys were totally going to get together and become official but it was completely one sided. The girl was obsessed with you, always trying to impress you the best she could in attempts to win you over but you never felt anything for her. If anything you felt a little confused and very sorry for her.

It was valiant dedication from her part you could acknowledge that but you just didnt understand why. Why did she want you to like her so much? Why didnt you feel anything romantic for her? And its not like you didnt want to not feel those feelings for her you just couldnt for some reason. She was cute, loyal and extremely friendly and caring. Textbook green flag. Would make for a perfect girlfriend, but apparently not for you. Maybe love just wasnt for you.

==============

As you step into the bookstore you feel at ease, a wave of calm exuded from the atmosphere within. You walk between aisles of wooden shelves, each stocked to the brim with every type of book you could ask for. The newest and latest, the old but classic, super specific and niche gaming guides, you name it the store probably had it.

Having already known what you were coming for you swiftly made your way to the section that displayed the newest releases of the month. [insert a book title] was the name of the book, written by yours truly as shown at the bottom with a nice little font that worked well with the cover page.

You weren’t an artist, didnt know any either so the covers were always a little plain but the material inside was good enough to negate that. Well you hope anyway because otherwise no one would buy your stuff and you’d just be another tired broke writer with a dream.

Was it a little conceited to be buying your own books? Maybe. But you had to boost sales somehow and its not like anyone else was gonna find out.

While you were gathering your items you noticed how quiet it actually was in the store, nothing but soft music could be heard in the background, it was the type with no lyrics, just pure instrumental talent. Was that a trumpet just now? You wouldn’t know you weren’t well versed in music.

It was weird though seeing no one else around you. Usually thered be a few people wondering around browsing whether that be alone or with their friends and there was always someone who would stand at the register and greet people who came in.

Was the store closed? Couldn’t be the lights were on and the door wasnt locked so there must be someone in here. Maybe theyre in the back you wonder to yourself as you bring your books to the register counter. Just as you were about to ring the bell you notice a small figure hunched over the counter behind the register.

The person had long straight light brown hair and with the way they were hovered over the counter it looked like they were taking a nap.

“Hello?”

Clearly started by your presence, the person looked up at you shocked, immediately pausing what they were doing. It was a girl that looked about your age and damn was she pretty. As the mystery girl stands up you notice she isnt as small as you originally thought she was, in fact if you had to guess you’d say shes about 12 centimetres taller than you give or take.

You watch on stunned by her beauty as she uses one hand to push her glasses up to their correct position on the bridge of her nose and the other waving around animatedly as she tried to explain herself.

“Oh im so sorry I didnt see or hear you come in, must’ve had my music on too loud again” She explains sheepishly while gesturing to the airpod in her left ear. When she doesnt get a reply from you she just stares back at you with a confused tilt of her head.

“Uh hello?” The girl says with a light wave in front of your face trying to get your attention, “are you there?”

“Oh right sorry” you finally reply, shaking your head slightly embarrassed as you realise you just zoned out staring at the girls face. “just wanted to get these please”

“Of course! Let me help you with that it wont be a minute” the girl says cheerfully

As your stack of books were getting processed you took the moment to fully take in the girl in front if you again. Hazel eyes, black frames, white and black lined shirt, wooden pencil, blue krabby patty bun?

“What were you drawing?”

“Oh im drawing a jellyfish” the girl replies proudly, picking up her sketchbook to show you her half finished drawing.

“Oh haha woops” you chuckle nervously as you scratch the back of your neck. “I thought it looked like a krabby patty”

“A krabby patty?!? Ill have you know this unfinished blob is NOT a krabby patty but a beautiful to be blue jellyfish” scoffs the employee who just finished packing up your books.

“Hey now its literally just a blue weirdly shaped circle what else was i supposed to think it was??”

“A jellyfish?”

“Nothing about that says jellyfish”

“Ugh i dont know im just offended you thought it was a krabby patty of all things”

“Does it not look like the shape of a top bun on a burger? And you drew it with a blue colouring pencil, there are no blue burgers that ive seen other than those weirdly coloured krabby patties from spongebob so of course thats what i thought, can you blame me?? It doesnt even have legs yet how am i supposed to know that it was meant to be a jellyfish??”

“So you think im a bad artist?” She says with pouted lips. You didnt understand how but your resolve weakened at the sight of that.

“Now hold on i never said that” you hurriedly rush out in a panic, trying to come up with a way to make the girl feel better.

“Hahaha no im just messing with you”

“Phew you had me worried” you sigh pretending to wipe of sweat of your forehead

“No but i promise im not actually a bad artist, here look through the book ive got better sketches in there which are done and so much better than the so called “krabby patty””

As you carefully flipped each page you took in all the doodles and drawings she had drawn, ranging from realistic environment sketches of mountains and rivers to drawings of people and animals. You also noticed the many many jellyfish scattered throughout the sketchbook.

“You have a thing for jellyfish or?”

“Oh i love jellyfish theyre my favorite animal”

“Thats seems pretty obvious”

“Yea i like drawing them, theyre easy and simple to sketch too! Just a blob for a head and some stringy legs. They also look so cute as well just floating along in the water”

Youre so cute is what you hear a little voice say in the back of your head.

“Whats this?” You ask showing its originator loose pages that you slipped out from the back of the sketchbook. They looked like they had been scrunched up in frustration due to the creases and tear marks on the page and possibly almost discarded.

“Oh uh dont worry about those theyre just some random ideas and concepts i had”

“Well theyre really cool” you comment as you bring attention to a page with a highly detailed sketch of a character you hadnt seen before.

“Did you come up with this yourself?”

“Yea those are my original designs. Ive always wanted to illustrate for books and things alike but i dont know any writers and im not good with words so its hard to come up with my own story” the girl shares and you dont miss the disappointed hopeless tone of her voice.

For some reason the ache in ur heart is back and you absolutely hate the feeling. Without even thinking you blurt out “I can help”. This causes aspiring artist to snap her head towards you, a hopeful yes tentative sparkle in her eyes.

“You can? How?”

As you finally register your words you quickly come up with an explanation, worthy of your previous statement. Mentally slapping yourself in the process for even offering your help. Why did you even agree? There wasnt much else you wanted to do other than buy the books and get out of the store.

“Well im an author myself and i could help you with the storyline of whatever your book would be about. I would just need some pointers on what you want it to be about and what the characters are like etc. Or we could work together and collaborate on something”

“WAIT YOU WOULD DO THAT FOR ME?”

“Mhm”

“OMG I LITERALLY LOVE YOU YOUR SO COOL FOR THAT THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU”

Hearing the phrase of endearment had your heart racing a little. To her it was just a throwaway term and you didnt even know this girl so what was this feeling? You watched a little amused as the girl dropped to her knees literally for you

“Ok calm down its not that big of a deal” You say turning your head away to hide the blush and how much that stupid action had affected you.

“Right sorry that was probably a bit much, but are you serious? Im not even that good it might turn into nothing”

“Yea im sure, and if nothing proper comes out of this well im sure ill still have a nice time getting to know you” You say beaming with confidence you didnt know you even had. Were you okay? Were you still in your own body? Since when were you so social / happy and straight forward?

“EEEEEEEEEKKK” the girl shrieked with pure unfiltered happiness, it was cute how excited she was and how her entire being seemed to be radiating with nothing but positivity. The hopeful look in her eyes that screamed gratitude and how one single phrase was enough to seemingly brighten her up like that, you never wanted that light to dim.

The girl recovers her composure and clears her throat.

“Im Yunjin” Your cashier says with an outstretched arm

“Yn, pleasure to meet your acquaintance” You say as you shake her hand, trying to keep professional.

Naturally your eyes travel down to your interlocked hands, it felt nice having it in yunjins. Hers were much bigger than yours and you could feel how soft and gentle her grip was, the warmth sending chills up your arm. Yunjin clears her throat again when she sees you zone out again and not letting go of her hand.

Embarrassed again you drop your grip and mentally curse yourself for being a fool and for holding her hand for the longer than acceptable time.

“Can I have your phone number?”

You dont know why but hearing that statement scared you a little, a prickly feeling that felt unsettling. Sensing your hesitance she quickly adds

“To contact you about you helping me with writing”

“Ah of course” You reply as nonchalantly as possible, trying to mask the embarrassment from almost misinterpreting her words. Theres a light blush over your face as you hand your phone over, hands slightly trembling when you brush against Yunjins.

It doesnt take long for her to make a new contact and when youre handed your phone back you notice ‘Yunjin 💕’ is what she saves herself as. Its almost like she knows the effect shes having on you and shes purposely playing with you.

Other than the foreign feelings you were feeling there was also a different kind of nervousness you were experiencing . 

You had never worked with anyone else before. Its not that you didnt get offers but more that you didnt ever want to work with anyone. Many many talented people (artists and fellow writers alike) had come approaching you in the hopes of a collaboration piece but no matter how much experience or how famous they were you always turned the offers down, preferring your own silence and way of thinking.

It was weird, you were this amazing writer yet there was this indescribable feeling you couldn’t put into words that made you want to gravitate towards the girl. Maybe it was the comforting aura or her goofy personality you had started to see. Whatever it was it had to be big if it was leading you to make this kind of decision.

“So Ms Author what do you write? Do you even have published books?”

“I write childrens books” You say proudly

“Well i assumed thats the type of book you were referring too since your sketches look like they belong in some.” You comment causally with a shrug as if you didnt just diss her.

Wait that wasnt very nice you’ve hardly met this girl and yet youre already making backhanded jokes. Were you just that comfortable with her already to even say that or were you really just a bitch?

Yunjin sends you a glare and an angry pout as she turns her back to you with her arms crossed. You would’ve assumed you’d properly upset her if she didn’t break out into a fit of giggles a second later, wiping tears from her eyes as she turns back around.

“Damn you’re funny, I like you” She says while still laughing.

Then as if her emotions just turned off she pins you with a serious expression, her light tone replaced with a horrible attempt to sound grave

“Youre not serious though right cause you cant just come in here and insult my work”

“Yea im just fucking with you. You see those books?” You ask pointing towards the stack that you just purchased which were now neatly packed into a bag, ready for you to take. “Yea thats me” you finish, trying not to sound arrogant.

Yunjin looked at you in disbelief “You wrote that??!? So many people have come to get this ever since it dropped theres no way thats you, now youre really playing with me”

Not knowing what to say you just give her a small nod trying to remain unaffected as if it was information everyone knew but you couldnt help the little smile that creeps its way onto your face after hearing the praise.

“Shit so youre like famous famous….” Yunjin trails off as you can physically see the gears in her head turning, each furrow and blink signifying a new thought.

“Wait so people actually buy their own books? Can you not just get a free copy from the printing company or something? Why would you go out and buy one thats a waste of effort.”

“I do get a copy, I just like the feeling of buying something I actually made, its a nice feeling of satisfaction. Plus it boosts book sales”

“……is that not like cheating? Its smart, but it sounds wrong”

“Well im pretty sure im not the only one who does this” You say dismissively with a shrug.

“Huh guess you learn something new everyday” Yunjin replies as she slowly grasps the concept.

“Right here are your books you probably dont wanna be stuck here any longer, thatll be $57.94”

“Who says i wouldnt wanna be stuck here with someone as pretty and talented as you?” You reply cheekily as you lean on the counter to get closer to Yunjin.

Its funny seeing the blush rise from her face and you chuckle to yourself as you pull back from the counter to pay with your card.

Yunjin shakes her head lightly, getting out of her starstruck gaze and pushes the bag towards you. “Well here you go, thanks for shopping with us today and on a personal note thank you for offering your help. I really do appreciate it”

“Hey no worries Yunjin, itll be my first collab though so dont come at me if I disagree or do things weirdly”

“Haha dont worry, im quite excited either way”

“Oh me too. Im gonna go now but it was nice meeting you.”

“Yeah definitely” Yunjin says with a bright smile.

Youre waving as you leave and as your hand reaches for the door handle youre stopped by your cashier calling your name, turning to face her direction once again.

“Oh and yn?” Damn her saying your name felt nice. “Call me” she says with a wink and smirk.

You cant stop the butterflies fluttering around in your stomach but you turn back anyway and walk out as if you felt nothing.

Cruising down the street towards where your car was parked, you couldn’t help but be invigorated with this new feeling. It was hopeful, exciting and you couldn’t help thinking that this was going to be the start of something new.

[rmstitanics]

* GENERAL OBSERVATIONS, PART THREE.

ASTEROIDS & CELESTIAL BODIES

ASTEROID ORPHEUS (3361) CONJUNCT CHIRON may represent one who looks to their past for creative inspiration. They’ll often use their preferred form of art in an attempt to understand traumatizing events or process any emotions that may still linger.

ASTEROID APOLLO (1862) in the 8H could signify an individual who enjoys creating or consuming media about controversial and dark topics.

When I see ASTEROID PANDORA (55) in the 10H, I immediately wonder whether the individual with this placement has experienced some sort of chaos or crises regarding their public image. Maybe they’ve had traumatic experiences with their main circle of friends, or maybe they’ve even received some level of backlash on social media for a flawed interaction. Whatever these natives have endured, they probably yearn to control public perception of their character in an attempt to prevent misunderstandings.

Check which house ASTEROID ARISTOTELES (6123) is located in within your natal chart to find where you crave the most knowledge and wisdom! As an example, I have my Aristoteles asteroid in the 8H of transformative experiences, death, and “taboo” topics — and I’m now a practicing divination witch who enjoys paranormal investigation.

Due to difficulty with turning intuitive ideas into real achievements, 9H CHIRON individuals might find the process of outlining an essay or project to be particularly challenging. They’re the types of students who change their thesis a bunch of times before a paper’s due date.

PLANETS IN SIGNS & HOUSES

SATURN 1H placements might have people pleasing tendencies at some point in their lives due to a fear of never meeting others’ expectations.

SAGITTARIUS SATURNS likely grew up in households where one or both parents was strict and / or religious. The challenge awaiting these folks in life is to pursue exploration of knowledge outside of what was taught to them in their youth. They probably enjoy philosophy or history, and could possibly grow up to be spiritual but not religious.

LEO MERCURY placements, was your writing style ever described as “flowery” by your teachers or fellow students before? Because this placement TOTALLY gives me the vibes of a flowery and dramatic writing style.

One could theoretically use their JUPITER placement to discover two things: 1) The field of study where they have experienced the most growth throughout their academic career and / or 2) their best academic subject. To do this, look at Jupiter’s degrees and house. I have CANCER JUPITER placed in the 9TH HOUSE in my chart, and I absolutely adore law, history, and philosophy! However, I’ve had to undergo the most growth in Cancerian concepts such as life skills in the home and actively listening to others.

CAPRICORN JUPITERS are prone to having a “the end justifies the means” philosophy when it comes to achieving their goals. They also might struggle with perspective taking / putting themselves in others’ shoes, particularly when they perceive the individual in question as someone outside of what they consider “normal”.

6H MOONS strike me as the type who love being around animals MUCH more than they love being around people, especially if the majority of their personal planets are in a water sign.

ASPECTS

SUN SQUARE URANUS indicates memorable students whose teachers / professors will remember them for many years to come.

Hard MERCURY-PLUTO aspects could struggle with maintaining a consistent routine for studying, especially if Mercury is in retrograde in the chart.

MERCURY TRINE JUPITER placements LOVE yapping in class, but it’ll either be with their peers while the teacher is talking or by frequent class participation. If you’re the class participation type, you’ve probably had a teacher say “does anyone OTHER than (your name) know the answer?” before 😭

Although this placement does make for great activists who are not afraid to call out injustice when they see it, LILITH CONJUNCT MERCURY folks NEED to prioritize being tactful due to a natural tendency to bluntly say whatever’s on their mind with no filter.

SATURN-NEPTUNE aspects need to practice intense discernment when it comes to politics — fact check everything and don’t just believe everything you see / hear on the internet or news without taking the time to research it for yourself!

Hard ASCENDANT-SUN aspects tend to be noticeably different people in public versus private spaces. Your first impression of them will likely be VERY different from the truth of the person that they are behind closed doors.

MIDHEAVEN OPPOSITE VENUS placements are amazingly creative individuals whose art may play a major role in their own identity, but they simultaneously might have a major fear of sharing that art with others. Peer review in class is an absolute NIGHTMARE for them.

[angrybubbles]

This has been said by many many people here before but-

We all know Daniel is not the Good Heroic Character, right?

A lot of those traits that could lead to us assigning him that are are because he's the closest to an audience insert and says things we agree with (confirmation bias), rather than because he's a good guy.

He's the Byronic Hero but that doesn't necessarily mean he's "good." It's a Gothic Fiction character role, which means morals are going to sit at a solid grey.

Him pointing out the racism of Louis and Lestat's relationship isn't done to help Louis. He says it belligerently. The tone is off. He's saying it for the audience as much as just... pointing it out in the worst way possible. He's being a dick, even if he's right.

That's the thesis of his character, really. The truth isn't good, it isn't nice, and it can be spat at you like an insult just as easily as a lie can soothe the pain (thematic mirroring with Armand and Daniel here. Delicious).

And there's also the journalism aspect. Journalism isn't a force for good, and it regularly is used for evil. Daniel knows this, and doesn't really give a shit. Once he puts the narrative out there, it's in the readers hands. There's no "good" he's doing here, past sitting on a couch and asking questions to help clarify why Louis wants to tell him all this.The ethics of journalism is a well-worn topic, and Daniel has the career to show he doesn't really care to fit the mold or be "correct" about it.

Daniel is a tool, he's a wedge used to get to the heart of the matter. When he criticizes Louis' idealism, he's not doing it to help Louis find the truth as a friend (not saying they're not friends, but it's not his motivator). He understands this is Louis' narrative, but he has his parallel narrative as well, the "truth" of the matter isn't about truth so much as it's about comparing realities and supporting it with evidence. Daniel being worldly, experienced, and a journalist isn't him saving Louis. He doesn't even want to do that until Armand pisses him off personally, and even then it's not in the "saving" sense as much as the "proving" sense.

As a Leftist reporter who speaks about things people are likely to hide, he's doing it to expose bullshit. To expose lives that no one looks to think about (the Vietnam Vet with his disabled Vietnamese boyfriend, and the single mom working at the titty bar. Even as a kid, he listened to those no one else would think to listen to.) The help is there, but it's a side-effect, not a goal. He's not a white-knight, he's a white guy with a need to stick it to the man (being the "traditional" narrative).

So keep him an asshole. The truth hurts, especially when you dig at it as voraciously as Daniel does.

Also please don't misconstrue this as me saying he's the most truthful character. Again, Gothic character, he's just a force that includes pushing and idealizing truth.

[cryptotheism]

If it isn’t too big of a question, what is your research process? Where do you find your sources offline and online? What do you consider to be “enough” research, if any? How do you store your sources? How do you pick what to look at first? How many things do you typically read “at once”?

I start with reference texts and sourcebooks. I generally cross-reference them to see what they consider important. If several academic sources cover the same thing, it's probably something I should focus on.

Then I look for specific sources. Primary if possible. For example, I've recently been writing about Ibn Hayyan on Patreon. I can't read medieval Arabic, but several sourcebooks pointed to a book by a scholar named Syed Nomanul Haq. If a text is prohibitively expensive, or exclusive to university databases that I don't have access to, I'll pirate a copy. I have strong convictions about the accessibility of scholarship. 80% of my research library is digital, a single external drive.

I try to do two reads of every source. A quick skim, and then a deep cut on the things I need to check up on. Generally I know I'm up to speed when I can make jokes about the topic.

I don't really like reading several things at once. I like to finish one topic and then move on to the next. My editor @livesouls has been a massive help there. Tbh I never feel like I know enough about anything, but he constantly reminds me that I am writing an introductory pop history, not a PHD thesis.

[neurotica-tales]

Yandere Kaedehara Kazuha Headcanon

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Up Next: Yandere Neuvillette Headcanon, Yandere Kaeya Headcanon

To find my masterlist, click HERE.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Attachment is a cage."

Kaedehara Kazuha was once the wind incarnate -- elusive, gentle and ever-moving.

He walked through the world not as one tied to it, but as one who drifted just above it.

He never stayed in one place for too long. His life was one of wandering—quiet steps across distant lands.

He cared little for possessions, less for titles, and none at all for permanence.

The weight of the Kaedehara name, though once a heavy chain forged in tragedy, had long since been cast aside, buried beneath years of quiet reflection and pilgrimage. In that solitude, he had found peace.

He would smile softly at the horizon and follow it wherever it led.

Kazuha was a poetic vagabond who traversed mountains and plains, slept underneath the stars and spoke softly to nature.

Nothing ever lingered in his life—not pain, not joy, not people. He gave as much of himself as a breeze gives a whisper, and then he would disappear again into the distance, never looking back.

He had grown used to that—used to being temporary.

So when he wandered into your small village nestled near a cliffside, he had no expectations. You were simply another face in a sea of others, another soul he’d pass like a dandelion floating by.

He had come only to purchase supplies. Perhaps write a poem. Perhaps play his flute under the sakura tree by the well.

But then you spoke to him.

You didn’t ask who he was. Didn’t comment on the emblem he wore or the sword strapped to his back. You simply asked, "Have you eaten yet?"

Such simple words. A basic kindness. But to Kazuha, who had been wandering for so long with only his thoughts and the wind for company, those words hit harder than any storm he had weathered.

He smiled and shook his head, perhaps a little too softly. "No, not yet."

And that was how it began, and for the first time in years, the poet stayed.

He stayed for a day. Then a week. Then a month.

At first, he justified it as rest. Even a wind must pause to catch its breath, he reasoned. You offered a quiet presence, and your village was surrounded by nature’s beauty. It made sense.

But deep down, even he knew that wasn’t the truth.

He started frequenting the local market not because he needed supplies, but because he hoped to see you.

He memorized your routine—not in a calculated way, but like a poet mapping a favorite star. He noticed your favorite fruit, the rhythm of your steps, the way you brushed hair from your face when focused.

Of course, he was never overt. Always polite. But every movement was deliberate.

Additionally, his poetry also began to shift. Poems that once spoke of wandering skies and beautiful scenery now echo with longing as he gazes at you from afar.

Kazuha tells himself that it's harmless. Just a momentary crush. He convinced himself that this puppy love he had would end soon enough.

That couldn't be farther than the truth.

Everything changed when someone else began showing an interest in you.

They were a scholar from Sumeru searching for possible thesis topics to write. They were polite, charming, and always maintained a polite distance. It was why Kazuha didn't mind the scholar's presence at first.

But then they started appearing around you often. Far too often for it to be mere 'coincidences'. And the two of you would talk for hours on end, laughing, joking, generally enjoying each other's company.

And one day, they asked to walk you home, and Kazuha’s heart, which used to be so calm, clenched.

Kazuha stared silently as you slowly nodded in agreement and the scholar’s eyes lit up in excitement. He watched the two of you walk away until your figures disappeared into the horizon.

But even then he couldn’t see you anymore, he remained frozen in place for a long while before he found it in himself to move.

That night, as he laid underneath a large pine tree, Kazuha realizes that perhaps this 'puppy' love of his is more intense than he thought. Much, much more intense.

He didn't notice until now because the way in which he fell in love with you was slow, steady, almost imperceptible—like the drift of falling leaves or the silent pull of an undertow.

At least that's what he's convinced himself to believe. Truth be told, he was already a goner the moment he abandoned his wandering ways to stay with you 'just a bit longer'.

He himself knew this. After all, he's no fool. He knew feeling this intensely about someone was dangerous, and Kazuha was already thinking thoughts that shocked him to the core. Thoughts that curled at the edges of his calm exterior like smoke from a wildfire he could no longer contain.

How easy it would be to do away with the scholar...

He pushed that thought away the second it came to his mind.

"No," he breathed, voice barely audible over the wind. "This isn't who I am."

But the thought lingered, like a thorn embedded too deep to remove. And he knew—it was already too late to pretend he hadn’t changed.

The days that followed were nothing short of torment. And there were two reasons why.

Firstly—the wind. That ever-constant companion of his, once a source of solace and serenity, now clawed at him like invisible nails. It no longer whispered calm verses into his ear.

It hissed, it howled, it snapped around him like a restless spirit. What once embraced him with cool fingers now scraped against his skin, whispering of doubts, feeding his jealousy, echoing the name of the scholar over and over and over.

Secondly—he made the decision to leave.

It was the only logical course of action. He was teetering too close to the edge, haunted by thoughts that made his chest tighten and his grip on his sword waver.

He feared what he was becoming. The man who used to be at peace with detachment now clenched his fists with a white-knuckled obsession.

So he told himself: Leave. Now. Before you become the monster.

He packed silently, methodically. Each fold of cloth, each tightened strap, was a painful severing of invisible threads connecting him to you.

And with every step he took toward the path out of the village, he tried to dull the ache in his chest by reciting poetry—like a spell to ward off madness.

But then he saw it.

Underneath the full bloom of the sakura tree—your tree—the one he always sat beneath while playing his flute and watching you from afar, he saw you.

You and the scholar.

Laughing. Smiling. Closer than ever before.

Time slowed to a suffocating crawl as Kazuha stood there, unmoving, shadowed by the canopy of spring. His eyes, once soft and filled with longing, now burned with something sharper—something feral.

He saw the scholar lift the heavy basket of harvest from your shoulders. Their hand grazed your back, casual, easy—tooeasy.

But it was your reaction that shattered him.

You blushed.

The delicate pink dusting your cheeks should have been innocent. But to Kazuha, it might as well have been blood. His breath hitched, his heart thundered, and the wind fell deathly still around him—as if nature itself held its breath.

That singular moment—the basket, the touch, your smile—was a knife driven slowly into the ribs of a man already bleeding.

His vision blurred.

Not with tears, but with a surge of crimson rage that coiled low in his stomach, cold and calculated. His fingers twitched where they rested against his sword hilt, and every part of him screamed to turn away.

But he didn’t.

He stared. Watched. Memorized every detail.

A thousand poems died in his throat.

Because now he understood with sickening clarity: he was never going to forget this. No amount of wandering could erase the sight burned into his memory. No ocean was vast enough to wash it away.

And worse…

He didn’t want to forget.

[dear-ao3]

Hi! Quick question, but I'm wondering if this would even be possible. I'm working on my master's thesis about Fanfiction vs. Traditional Books, and I'm exploring the topic of why some readers gravitate toward fanfiction and generally the idea of creative very often nonprofit writing. My question to cut it short basically is: when I get to my own research and survey part (probably in a couple of months lmfao), would it be possible for me to send my survey link throu here to yall to gather data from people who are actually involved in the fanfic space? (because i think if i drop it only on my other platforms i'll get mainly the traditional bookworms to answer the survey and have them as the main research participants and i really want to give us fanfic lovers a place to show off a bit). It's okay if y'all dont want to do things like that tho!

oh yeah definitely sure. not sure how many people follow me anymore for fanfic purposes lol but ill post it!