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tavina-writes · 2 years ago

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MDZS Society! aka: there's a lot less killing than you'd expect

This follows from this post and also the recent translations of MXTX’s most recent interview (which I can now no longer bother to find bc this has been sitting in drafts for like, siiiix months? More? Oh god anyway.) which reminded me about my feelings regarding MDZS society and how different it is from the martial societies we see depicted in typical modern wuxia. (Small disclaimer, I am a wuxia genre fiend and I love like, thinking about fictional societies so this is like, “AHA! You’ve unlocked my trap card!”)

For the purposes of this, I’m going to be looking at MDZS/CQL’s depiction of the jianghu (which I think is fairly similar! I don’t actually think the show writers made CQL’s jianghu/martial society more genre typical than it was in the book) and comparing that with modern classic wuxia (mostly Jin Yong and Gu Long works.) For this comparison, I’ll be looking at a Jin Yong book — Legend of the Condor Heroes (which is widely considered the starting point of modern wuxia as a genre) — and one Gu Long book — Dagger Li/Sentimental Swordsman, Ruthless Sword (widely considered his most popular work) — and seeing how their societies differ from MDZS society.

This will likely come in two parts because this one was already getting long, and I don’t think we can fit “how often does nobility exist in a typical jianghu and what do bloodline sects look like normally versus what they look like in MDZS” in this post along with the main topic of “is MDZS society a particularly physically violent place?”

This post discusses how often cultivators are socially expected to kill people. Like, actual living human beings instead of, say, monsters or ghosts which have been categorized differently than like, human beings.

EDIT: I forgot to talk about Dagger Li but this was already much too long sorry. Feel free to hmu for more thoughts though.

Now, it might be easy to think that cultivators killing actual people is a really common thing in MDZS/CQL universe! After all, they do have martial arts training and one of the prominent things about the first life is just how many people die both in the Sunshot Campaign and the fallout afterwards. However, I would argue that a lot of the traumas and related issues and reactions that happen in MDZS happen because cultivators are, by training and education, not actually prepared for killing actual living breathing human beings! (And also that the morality of this world prevents it for the most part)

Now, we do actually get a pretty good window into what the typical training is like for young cultivators in MDZS, because we get a fairly well defined schoolhouse scene where LQR is asking them questions about "how do you tell the difference between various different problems we have to solve?" and "how do you go about fixing this problem?" and none of those include the moral quandary of "if I, a young cultivator out in the Jianghu, see a guy who is doing something I morally disagree with, under what circumstances do I beat him up and/or kill him." This does not appear to enter the curriculum at any point, leading me to believe that the morally correct number of people not like, ghosts or ghouls or fierce corpses, a regular average MDZS cultivator is supposed to have killed is approximately 0.

Which. Is a thing you get in a normal martial arts wuxia jianghu. There is generally the threat of "oh yeah this that or the other faction will be doing shitty things and thereby try to murder you." Instead, in MDZS/CQL most of the heirs of sects are...attending school together. Doing teenage things like partying and gossiping and attending classes.

And sure yes, there was a case of WWX and JZX trying to beat each other up. But the sects did sure let their kids stay at Lan summer camp for months on end (sometimes repeatedly, see NHS) without fearing for their lives or that anyone would steal another sect's techniques or otherwise causing real havoc or intersect warfare etc.

Which is infeasible in any other sort of Jianghu situation. For example, contrast this scenario with this scene from LOCH where Guo Jing's shifus are giving him advice since he is newly 17 and about to set out by himself into the great big world:

Guo Jing therefore bid farewell to his teachers. They had witnessed his battle against the Four Demons of the Yellow River, and were not too greatly worried. The young man had proved that he knew how to use the skills that they taught him. Therefore they let him leave alone. On one hand, the meeting of outlaws in Yanjing worried them greatly, so that they could not ignore it; and on the other hand, a youngster always had to travel the jianghu alone, in order to learn lessons that no teacher could pass on. At the moment of parting, each made their last recommendations. As usual when the Six spoke after one another, Nan Xiren was the last one to express himself. "If you cannot defeat the enemy," he said. "Flee!" He knew that given Guo Jing's dogged character, he would prefer to die rather than to surrender, if he met a master, he would certainly fight to the bitter end, even at the risk of death. That was the reason Nan Xiren gave him this common sense warning. " Martial arts have no limits," added Zhu Cong. " As the proverb says, 'For every peak there is one yet higher', so for every man there is one stronger. Whatever your power, you will always one day meet a foe stronger than you. A true man knows to retreat when necessary, when facing grave danger, it is necessary to contain one's impatience and anger. This what is meant by the adage, « If one preserves the earth and its forests, one does not fear to lack firewood ». It is not therefore not cowardly to take good advice! When the enemy is too numerous and that you cannot face them there, it is especially necessary to avoid being too reckless. Keep in mind Fourth Shifu's advice!"

Does this seem like the sort of advice that any Young MDZS Cultivator would get? "You're a good kid, but when you go out into the world, there will be people who straight up want you dead even though they met you 15 minutes ago, you cannot persist in fighting with these people because they will want you dead and you are a baby cultivator who needs to learn to run away when shit gets rough or you will be dead."

And again I come back to how MDZS cultivators are more like occupational ghostbusters because this really does inform how their society functions and runs and how everyone reacts so badly to the Sunshot Campaign beginning and its aftermaths and possibly explains how JGS could get his way after Sunshot.

Because what happens when you get a society that does train heavily in martial arts and have Able To Kill Real People Weapons who spends most of their time solving very black and white situations of "okay is this ghost whose eating people's livers good or bad? y/n?" and a clear hierarchy of "how do we get rid of the ghost eating people's livers in town x" instead of say "is it morally correct to kill this group of bandits who's been threatening the town" or "is it morally correct to kill this shitty businessman who's been holding people hostage and threatening to hack off their limbs" you have a reduced level of philosophical musing on like, "what is the purpose of martial arts, which is designed to kill people and what do I use martial arts for?" and "under what circumstances and situations would I personally find it morally correct to kill a man?" Which are all questions that Wuxia coming of age stories typically have, and I think MDZS does have, but expressed differently.

Again, it appears that the number of Real Live Human Beings that it is morally acceptable to have stabbed in your life is approximately 0 in this universe, and the expectation that you, personally, might have to fend off people trying to stab you over brunch is also approximately 0.

This also leads to a situation where like, questions of vengeance have very difficult escape hatches! If your parents are murdered on the job by an evil rampaging ghost, this is very sad and tragic and now you're an orphan and of course that's not good, but this is a occupational job hazard, not like, "Yeah Joe Bob from the sect down the street murdered my dad because #Reasons~, and now it's my legacy to grow up to murder Job Bob from the sect down the street to avenge my dad."

(I have a whole essay about how this pertains to both of the Nie Brothers, and how it pertains to JGY and also Jin Ling, and how this seems to routinely fuck people up in MDZS in a very specific way we don't typically see in other wuxias, but this is getting SO long as it is).

But yeah "the socially acceptable number of real living people (instead of ghosts or demons or fierce corpses or whatever) to have killed in your lifetime as a cultivator is approximately 0" means that the Sunshot Generation gets really really fucked up by all of this "killing real people" they did.

Which! might be why JFM was so slow to move on "yeah the Wen are threatening to kill your heirs." <- socially inconceivable behavior. Why society in general is so shocked by Xue Yang and the murder of the Chang <- which would be bad normally but not quite like this. And why no one did anything specific about JGS even if they felt he wasn't entirely correct. What are they going to threaten him with? Death???? A trial of his peers? Social Shunning??? Public shame???

"But Tav how does this relate to CQL!Su She's morality?" I hear you ask. Well you see, the question of "he should've been ready to die for his sect!" is utterly baffling in a society where nobody is expected to be ready to die for their sect on a regular basis because the idea that you should be ready for someone trying to stab you before brunch is utterly nonsensical in a world where most people expect that the baseline number of murders a cultivator does in their lifetimes is 0. That's the world he lives in.

On this regard CQL!Su She is utterly blameless. Nobody handed him a rulebook or expectations sheet for "the sect down the street will try to kill you" nor SHOULD they expect he'd be ready to die at a drop of a hat when no part of the education or social expectations include "ready to die for your sect because it's routine for people to try to kill you."

If you don't even expect to be stabbed and possibly die at a discussion conference where there are lots of cultivators from many sects why on EARTH would you expect to be facing down death in your own home when there's. cultivators here to kill you, this situation is so out of left field?

#modao zushi #mdzs #meta #my meta #su she #this is not a society *without* violence to be clear #but it's not the sort of place where it'll have been acceptable to murder and maim before breakfast #and that's why traumas happen as they do #I've been sitting on this for ages #please don't discourse in my notes about if 'murder' is a good thing or a bad thing #this is just an observation on like #'is it societally common for cultivators to run around killing people?'#the answer to this question is no

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myheadsgonenumb · 4 months ago

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Brit picking tip (I think) #7 for those trying to write Hogwarts authentically (links to other tips here) - this is about ways the British system differs from the American one (as I understand it).

First up - you don't graduate from high school in Britain. You just leave. Percy and Oliver are the only named characters we see actually finish their seventh year at Hogwarts. They take their NEWTS, exams finish, and a while later they get on the train and go home. This is true in real life as well -students go on something called "study leave" when their exams start (exam season is May-June), which means they only have to be in school when they are actually sitting an exam and the rest of the time they can be at home studying. After their final exam, they don't return to school . Exams finish in June and schools break up for the summer in July, so fifth and seventh years just get extra long summer holidays.

Students don't even find out how they have done in their exams until a couple of months later. "Results day" is in August.

There are no big graduation ceremonies (not least because we don't know who has actually passed and who hasn't), no gowns, no guest speakers and no valedictorians.

Hogwarts reflects real life closely, in this respect - with the external exams being fifth and seventh year, with them just going home as normal afterwards and with Harry not getting his OWL results until he is at the Weasley's in HBP, and so fanfics that want to portray Hogwarts as accurately as possible should do the same. A big graduation ceremony is as obvious and misplaced an Americanism as waffles for breakfast.

Secondly, circling back to the no valedictorian thing, students are not measured against each other and there is no GPA. The grades a student is getting in one subject has no bearing on their grade in another class and they are not combined.

Because our qualification system is based on two sets of external exams (GCSE and A Level in England Wales and NI, the OWL and NEWT muggle equivalent) the work done during lessons, and tests taken throughout the year don't count towards a final grade. It all rests on the exam in the summer.

Therefore, although the grades you receive throughout school gives you an indication of how well you can expect to do in your exams, they don't actually count towards anything. Therefore there isn't a system of having "top of the class" and ranking everyone against each other. In a test someone can get the highest mark, but that isn't meaningful and is subject to change with the very next test.

And, as I said, each subject is kept totally separate from the other. Failing in history doesn't prevent you from getting the highest score possible in maths, and it won't pull your maths grade down. It is possible (perhaps even normal) to pass some subjects and fail others - just like Harry got an O in DADA but flunked Divination and History of Magic.

Harry sat 9 OWLs and passed 7 of them. That means he has 7 OWLs. The score in one does not impact on his score in another in any way.

And, because we don't have a GPA system, we also don't have a system where you have to maintain certain grades in order to be able to play on school teams or participate in other extra curricular aspects of school life.

Which leads me to my third difference: sports in schools. I know there are Americans who are shocked by the way Quidditch is so casually cancelled in second and fourth year, because High School sports are a big deal in the US and a lot of the athletes are relying on sports scholarships to go to college. Cancelling football or basketball for the year would impact their entire future.

This is not the case in the UK. High school sports are not a big deal (in fact they are a far bigger deal in HP than they are in reality) and athletes don't get sports scholarships to college. Being on a school team is a pretty minor extra curricular activity, no one but the team would notice fixtures getting cancelled (and even the team wouldn't be that bothered) and cancellation would not prevent anyone from getting scouted and going to university.

Therefore, contrary to what Oliver Wood claims, you can in fact cancel Quidditch pretty easily and with no repercussions.

Cancelling the exams at the end of CoS, though... that would have ruined the prospects of all fifth and seventh years in that academic year. So don't do a Dumbledore and cancel exams on a whim unless you specify you just mean the internal ones.

Hope this helps ❤ 🇬🇧

#Harry Potter #Hogwarts #fanfic writing #brit picking

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illiterateaffairs · 2 years ago

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behind the scenes chapter one | i enjoyed our meet cute

masterlist | next

pairing: jamie tartt x actress!reader (ted lasso)

rating: T

word count: 4,722

summary: you’ve been in richmond one day and you’re already having chance encounters with famous british football players, what are the odds?

a/n: welcome to the first chapter of my new jamie series, behind the scenes! fake dating is a god tier trope and i’ve always wanted to write something for it. it will also be very rom-com-y, just like ted would like. i really hope you enjoy the first chapter, i’m so excited to kick off this new story and can’t wait to hear your thoughts. also wanted to shout out @buckychristwrites who wrote an incredible fake dating jamie series called could this be and you should totally check it out if you haven’t already ♡

Your alarm goes off at 8AM on the dot but you’re already wide awake. You’ve been in London for 48 hours and instead of taking in the sights, you’ve been trying to reset your sleep schedule. After landing at 10AM Friday morning, you pretty much passed right out as soon as you arrived at your rented, two story brownstone.

See, London was eight hours ahead of Los Angeles - your home base. While you were used to traveling for work, you’d never had a job in another country before. And jet lag was a bitch.

You’re an actor. You have been since you were 15, when you got a recurring role on a kids show after an opening casting call. Some called it luck, but you called it busting your ass in theater classes as soon as your mom could afford them. You’d been a “drama queen” since you were in diapers and you begged her to sign you up for every class, camp and play in your small town and she did everything she could to support your dream. She’s your biggest fan.

By the time you were 20, you’d had a sitcom and several supporting roles in films that made you an underrated fan favorite. Your biggest break came, though, when you were 22 and were given the opportunity to star opposite A-list actors in the superhero film of the summer. After that you blew up, you did a few more action movies and a couple other dramas.

Now, freshly 25, with a lot of credits filling your IMDb page, there was one genre you still hadn’t tackled: romance. And that’s what brought you to London. You were filming your first romantic comedy in the beautiful town of Richmond. Usually when your job brought you to a new place, the first thing you wanted to do was explore it. However, spending the last couple days in and out of sleep was preventing you from doing so. Today was Sunday, your last day before production kicked off tomorrow, and you’d be damned if you didn’t get the chance to get out and do something before you were swamped with work.

You get ready quickly, eager to not waste another second inside. However, just as you swing your front door open, you come face to face with your assistant, who’s hand is poised to knock.

“Oh, good, you’re already up,” she chirps, brushing past you and into your temporary home as she taps away on her iPhone.

“Margot, I thought we agreed on no work this weekend,” you sigh, reluctantly following her into your living room.

“I agreed and you agreed, but Harry on the other hand,” she frowns holding up her phone, “He didn’t agree.”

You groan. Harry was your publicist. You’ve worked with him since getting the role in one of the Spiderman movies. He always had some crazy idea how to boost your public image, most of which you’ve shot down, but his most recent pitch he hasn’t been able to let go of.

“He’s still bugging you about that shit?” you question, flopping down in an armchair.

Margot perches on the arm of the sofa, “He’s only bugging me because you keep ignoring him. He still thinks it's a good idea.”

The good idea in question was agreeing to a fake relationship with another celebrity - or anyone really. Usually the goal of a PR relationship was to gain attention for one or both parties, or their upcoming projects. While that wouldn’t hurt, your publicist thought the benefit of having a fake boyfriend was that you’d appear more desirable.

In your previous roles, you’d been typecast as the funny best friend or snarky sidekick. Not only was this movie you were about to film your first as the leading lady, it was the first where you were playing a romantic lead. You also haven’t been known to be seen with many suitors in your personal life as well. Not that you hadn’t had any significant others since entering the spotlight, but they’d been short lived and you tried to keep those relationships under the radar, not necessarily wanting the public’s opinion on your dating life.

Of course, that didn’t stop journalists and people with Twitter accounts from speaking on it anyway. Since you got cast in this Rom-Com - Hopeless Romantics was the working title - you’d been subjected to criticism over how you couldn’t possibly be seen as a realistic love interest when you’ve yet to be painted as such both on and off the screen. Though, you’d love to point out that just because you hadn’t played a romantically driven character before didn’t mean you couldn’t now. You’ve learned to just ignore trolls like that.

That didn’t mean from time to time the odd comment didn’t get under your skin.

Still, you didn’t see the point in faking a relationship just to get these people off your back. You had the best fans in the world, who’d watch you do anything no matter the genre. And your co-star was Charlie Knox, who’d been pegged as this generation's Hugh Grant, so plenty of people would be buying tickets regardless. You could hardly argue, feeling flushed after your chemistry reed with the actor even though he was doing just that; acting. Harry had even previously suggested faking a relationship with him, which would be the perfect scenario according to him, but Charlie was of course already taken.

“He’s going to have to give up eventually,” you shake your head, “Because I’m not doing it.” Margot makes a weird face and you tilt your head, “Don’t tell me you think I should do it.”

“No, of course not. You should have the autonomy to make your own decisions about your love life, real or fake,” she insists, “I just wish Harry didn’t make such a big deal about it.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry he’s bugging you about it. I can talk to him again.”

“No, don’t worry about it,” Margot sighs, “You should be enjoying your day off. Were you on your way out before? What were you thinking of doing?”

You shrug, not really having had a game plan, “I was thinking breakfast or something to start, and then seeing where the day takes me.”

She nods, once again tapping on her phone, “That sounds nice. Don’t be out too late, though. A car will be here to get you at 6AM for the read through.” As she stands up and starts walking to your door, she glances at you, “And wear a hat please. Last thing we need is you to be stampeded by fans like in The Lion King.”

“Margot, I love you, but there is no need to bring Mufasa into this,” you tease, “I promise I will be discreet, but only if you promise me you will also take time for yourself today.”

“I promise,” she says with a small smile, but before you know it, she's already back on the phone and out your door.

You can’t be too hard on her. You were also known to prioritize your work over everything else most days. But she was not only the best assistant you could ask for, she was also one of your closest friends, and she deserved some time off. You’d have to talk to Harry at some point tomorrow to get him off her back. And yours.

But first, food.

It had been one month - one fucking month - since Keeley had gotten back together with Roy. And it was the worst month of Jamie’s life.

Yes, he still has feelings for Keeley. Yes, it hurt him to see her choose Roy, even if it had nothing to do with him. And it was twice as bad that Roy and him had finally started becoming actual friends after all these years. But that wasn’t really the problem.

It was the way everyone has been looking at him since it happened.

It started with the apologetic look on Keeley’s face that greeted him when he answered the door one summer morning. Before she could get a word out, he knew what she was going to say. In fact, he’d seen it coming. Despite Keeley insisting she wasn’t choosing between him and the grumpy old fart who was now his head coach, the two had been spending more and more time together. Keeley was around the club more and Roy was less grumpy. That morning, Keeley told him she wanted him to hear it from her that they were thinking of starting things again. His stomach twisted, disappointed that he’d practically lost her for the second time. But, God, the look of sympathy she was giving him felt even worse.

That was nothing compared to the way Roy looked at him when he walked into the locker room later that day. Roy wasn’t one to talk about or express his feelings, but he still managed to somehow convey his guilt and apology through a single look. Jamie just shook his head, eager to not speak a single word about the topic and move on. For the first time he wished Roy would just yell at him like he usually did.

Then a week later, Roy and Keeley were publicly a couple again. The rest of the team and staff were elated, but the few who’d known Jamie had been pining for the bubbly blonde again looked on at him sympathetically, patting him on the back and muttering affirmations on the way to training. In the grand scheme of things, they were just being nice, but he fucking hated it.

He was Jamie Fucking Tartt. He could be with anyone he wanted. Sure, the only girl who’s liked him for him and the only one he’s truly loved would rather be with someone else; someone else who was one of his best friends now. So what? The last thing he wanted was everyone around him treating him like a wounded puppy. He was fine.

It didn’t help that he saw Keeley and Roy all the time. At work. At team celebrations. At friendly gatherings. They were everywhere. In fact, they went the extra mile to include him in things to make him feel better, though it had the opposite effect. He felt like a charity case. He didn’t need them babysitting him, like he couldn’t spend a single night alone without collapsing into a full mental breakdown.

To be fair, the last time he’d had a night to himself, he’d made the mistake of turning on The Notebook for the first time out of morbid curiosity and he wept for an hour. But it was The Notebook for fuck’s sake, what else was he going to do?

Things improved little by little as the weeks had gone by. Sam and Colin stopped giving him glances everytime Keeley visited the locker room to drop something off for Roy. Keeley stopped looking at him with guilt riddled eyes, but there was still a weird energy between them when they hung out. And with Roy things felt mostly normal.

At least he thought so, but this morning Jamie’s been wandering around his house aimlessly waiting for Roy to show up for their regular early morning training. He’d been ready at promptly 4AM but there was no sign of his coach. He waited thirty minutes before calling but no answer. So, he plopped on the couch and watched some cooking show for another hour or so before trying again. It wasn’t until 8AM - four hours later - he got a call back from Roy.

“Hey, I thought old people were usually up early,” Jamie teased upon answering, “Did you oversleep, grandad?”

Instead of Roy’s gravelly voice responding, he hears another familiar voice in the background, “Is that Jamie? Tell him I’m sorry.”

Keeley.

Jamie’s stomach twists. Of course.

“Uh, yeah,” Roy’s voice eventually says, “Keeley was here and I forgot to set an alarm. We were going to get breakfast but then we can meet at the park if you still want?”

Roy grunts as Keeley speaks up again, voice distant, “Oi, ask if he wants to join us.”

Roy sighs into the phone, “Yeah, unless you want to come to breakfast with us?”

Jamie closes his eyes. Another pity invite. “Um, thanks mate. That’s alright, though. Think I’ll get some running in on my own and maybe we can meet up later tonight.”

“Yeah, that works…” Roy says before tacking on, “Sorry, Jamie.”

Jamie chuckles humorlessly, “Not a problem. Talk to ya later.”

He hangs up and tosses his phone across the couch. Not only did Jamie not like feeling like a third wheel, he didn’t like being one because the other two felt guilty. Especially when he was still getting over his feelings for one of them. He groans, forcing himself off the couch, eager to stay true to his word. He needed to run off these feelings.

You’d been leisurely walking through the streets of Richmond for a little while, enjoying the early fall breeze and the sights as the leaves started to change color. You’ve been trying to keep an eye out for a place to grab breakfast or a snack, but you’ve been distracted by the shops and the people walking around you. For your part, you were donned in sunglasses with a ball cap tilted low on your head. So far no one has stopped you, which was nice. Not that you minded meeting the occasional fan. Most were sweet and you adored connecting with people face to face, but there was always the risk of someone just in search of an autograph or selfie despite not caring about you or your work, not to mention nosy paparazzi who pop out of nowhere to get a photo. So, you’re enjoying the semblance of normalcy while you can. You sense that once filming starts, those in the area will be eager to catch a glimpse of you and your costars any chance they get.

You’re a little too comfortable with flying under the radar, when as you’re turning a street corner someone runs right smack into you. You both fall to the ground, your sunglasses flying clear off your face. Your heart hammers in your chest, wondering if someone had done this on purpose, but the stranger next to you also appears to be scrambling.

“Fuck, sorry,” they mutter, grabbing your discarded sunglasses for you before pulling you both up. As he places the glasses back in your hands, his eyes meet yours for the first time, “Oh shit, are you…”

You smile sheepishly, his eyes alight with recognition. You’re still a little anxious from the encounter, as you try to get your breathing to return to normal. You vaguely wonder if this guy is going to ask for a picture or something, when you actually hear the familiar click of a camera and your blood runs cold.

“Hey Jamie Tartt!” an accented man calls, “Who’s the girl, Jamie?

The man in front of you looks back at you with wide eyes and grabs your hand, “Shit, come with me.”

You can barely process what he’d said as he pulled you down the street, “What? Where are we going?”

“Somewhere private,” he explains as you continue jogging alongside him, “Where there’s one paparazzi, ten will follow. But I’m sure you know that.”

You can’t argue with him. But you do wonder who the hell this guy is that he’s so familiar with paparazzi. You also briefly consider if following a guy you’ve never met through alleyways is a smart decision, but you hardly have the time to dwell on it.

After a few minutes, this mystery guy, who you can only presume is named Jamie if the paparazzi was right, leads you through an unassuming storefront that ends up being a charming and quaint little café. You look around curiously. It’s not completely vacant, but the patrons don’t bat an eye when the two of you enter. The middle aged barista behind the counter looks at your companion with a warm smile and greets him, once again, by Jamie.

After your heart rate returns to normal, you turn to the man beside you. He gives you a tiny shrug, “I come here when I don’t want to be bothered. Not many people know about this place but it has the best scones in Richmond.”

You squint at him in curiosity, “So, I’m guessing you’re…someone of note then, too? If that paparazzi was taking your picture and you have a secret hideout.”

He chuckles, looking a little bashful, which you have a feeling is out of character for this guy, “Uh, yeah, I’m Jamie Tartt? Premier League footballer for AFC Richmond?”

Your cheeks heat up, “Oh, uh, sorry, I’m not really familiar with…”

He cuts you off, “No need to apologize. Wouldn’t expect an actress from the states to know anything about English football.”

You chuckle, despite yourself, “Well, if it helps I don’t know much about American football either. Or any sport for that matter.”

Jamie’s lips quirk up again, “I know you, though. From that thing.”

You snort, “Well, I’ve done a couple of things.”

He shakes his head, “No, no, no, you’re in that one movie, what’s it called,” he snaps his fingers, “Meet Me in Melrose, that's the one!”

“Wow, that’s a deep cut,” you comment, the film being an indie you worked on years ago; one of your first bigger roles despite the lower budget project.

“Yeah, my old coach? It was one of his favorites, so the whole team became obsessed. We’ve watched a bunch of your stuff,” he explains.

“That’s cool,” you nod with a small smile.

He nods along with you before suddenly becoming very aware of his situation, “Uh, can I order you something? Or, shit, you probably had somewhere to be. I usually try to wait things out for a while here, but if you have to go…”

You once again consider the oddity of casually hanging out in a cafe with a man you just met, but he seems trustworthy enough. And even a bit intriguing.

So you respond, “No, I don’t. I was just out exploring before. I was actually looking for a place to eat so this is perfect. I’m happy to hang out here for a bit.”

“Okay, cool,” Jamie nods again, still feeling a bit unsure of what to do when a Hollywood movie star is suddenly in your midst, “Uh, do you like coffee? Tea?”

You shake your head, “You don’t have to buy anything for me.”

“Well, I was the one who crashed into you and abducted you here so it’s the least I can do.”

You giggle, “Okay fine, I’ll take a hot chocolate. Coffee makes me anxious and tea tastes like a worse version of water. No offense.”

Jamie laughs to himself before walking up to the counter to order for you both. He returns moments later with a hot chocolate for you and coffee for him, as well as two of those scones he mentioned, before leading you over to a small booth in the back of the cafe.

“So, uh, you must come here often if the staff knows your name,” you say as you blow on your drink for it to cool, “Unless they’re all soccer - sorry - football fans?”

“Actually, Olive, the owner of the café doesn’t know shit about football. It's part of the appeal,” he tells you, “I manage to avoid photographers most of the time, but even if they’re not hounding me, I still like to come here to get away from things.”

“That makes sense. I feel like it's hard to do that in LA. Even the small businesses are overrun with influencers trying to find the trendiest spot nowadays,” you muse.

“Is that where you live? LA?” he asks.

“Mhm. Have you been?”

“Nah. Been to New York before, but spent most of my time in some clubs,” he tells you, “Have you been to London before?”

“No, actually,” you admit, “I’ve always wanted to come but never got around to it. I’m actually here for a film.”

“Oh, yeah, a Rom-Com, right?” he asks and you nod, “It’s all anyone can talk about around the club these days. We’ve never had a big movie shoot in Richmond before.”

“Hmm, wait til everyone hears how you kidnapped one of the stars,” you joke, finally braving a sip of your drink.

Jamie laughs, “I think I’ll keep that one to myself. Plus, I don’t think they’d even believe me.”

You laugh along with him, thoroughly enjoying his company as well as the delicious cocoa. You also finally try the scone Jamie placed in front of you. Your eyes light up after the first bite.

“Is that blueberry?”

Jamie’s eyes widened, “Sorry, I should have asked…”

You furiously shake your head, “No, no, don’t apologize. I love blueberry.”

Jamie’s lips quirk up, “Me, too. It’s my favorite.”

You smile back, but it drops when you feel your phone buzzing in your pocket. Pulling it out, you see that you had a missed call from Harry along with a few text messages. Instead of responding, you roll your eyes and put it away, eager to forget that the man exists until tomorrow.

“Uh, everything okay?” Jamie asks tentatively.

“Oh, yeah,” you reassure, plastering another smile on your face. Then you find a part of yourself that desperately wants to vent about your situation to an unbiased party, “Actually, uh, I’m not sure how much pressure football players are under for their image, but have you ever been asked or been in a fake relationship for PR?”

Jamie leans back, processing the question, “Uh, no. I haven’t really had a problem finding my own girlfriends.”

You snort, “Of course.”

“But I’ve heard of it happening with other footballers,” Jamie adds, “And there was this whole reality dating show I did and none of that was real.”

You gasp, “You were on a dating show?”

Jamie nods reluctantly, “Yeah. It was called Lust Conquers All. It was a low point.”

You can’t help but laugh, “Wow, I’ll have to check it out.”

“Please don’t,” Jamie groans, rubbing a hand over his face, wondering what possessed him to even bring it up.

After your laughter quells, Jamie eyes you curiously, “Why do you ask? About PR relationships, I mean.”

You sigh, looking down at your hands in your lap as you answer, “My publicist wants me to do the whole fake relationship thing.”

Jamie’s eyebrows furrow, “Why?”

You shrug, not eager to admit but still wanting to know his take nonetheless, “Apparently, I don’t seem like a romantic person, because I haven’t done a romantic role or publicly dated someone before.”

Jamie continues to look confused, “So? Isn’t that what actors do? Play new roles even if they haven’t done it before?”

“Yes, thank you,” you agree, nodding furiously, “But since I’ve only played cynical or sarcastic characters, that’s how people see me. Apparently, I don’t seem like a good choice for a movie called Hopeless Romantics.”

“But you’re not like your other characters in real life right?” he asks, “You’re not completely cynical about romance.”

You falter, your eyes flitting away from his. Jamie scoffs.

“Oh, come on, don’t tell me you’re anti-romance.”

“I’m not,” you sputter, “I just think dating is a little more complicated than the movies make it seem.”

Jamie doesn’t listen, “Wow, I can see why your publicist thinks you need a fake boyfriend for this to be a little more realistic. You can’t be against love and in a movie about love.”

You gasp, lightly shoving him, “Hey! I’ll have you know I’m not against love. It’s just…hard to come by for me.” You sigh, trying to figure out what exactly you’re willing to admit, “The last few guys I’ve dated weren't so great. They either only wanted to date me for the exposure or connections or money.”

Jamie’s expression sobers, “Oh.”

“Yeah,” you nod, “My last relationship, if you could even call it that, was so short lived. It ended because he stole this fancy vase thing from my house.”

“Wow,” Jamie whispers.

“And jokes on him, it was from pottery barn,” you huff, “But yeah, basically its not love I don’t believe in. It’s other people. So I’ve been pretty content to be on my own these days.”

“I get that,” Jamie says softly after a beat, “I’ve dated plenty of girls who only wanted me cause I’m a footballer. Or cause I’m great at sex,” you snort, shaking your head, but he continues, “Not that I really wanted a real relationship, but it still hurts when someone doesn’t want you for you.”

“Exactly,” you nod, picking off pieces of your scone, “I’ve never been with someone who felt genuine. Have you?”

Jamie sighs and you sense there’s a story there, “Once, but I fucked it up. Didn’t realize what I had until it was gone. Classic right?”

You huff lightly.

“The worst part is she was kind enough to stay my friend even after the way I treated her,” he continues, “So not only does she treat me with kindness that I definitely don’t deserve, but I have to sit by and watch her be with someone else.”

You frown, “That must make it hard to move on.”

“You have no idea,” he chuckles humorlessly.

“And you haven’t been with anyone else since?”

“A couple girls, but nothing serious. And no one recently. Haven’t really seen the point.”

“So I guess I’m not the only one who might be a little cynical then, huh?” you ask with a teasing smile.

He gives you a half smile. “Yeah, I guess I can’t be one to judge.”

You study him for a few more moments. After your introductions, you would have guessed Jamie Tartt was another classic playboy athlete, and after conversing with him that seemed to be his reputation. But now you weren’t so sure. He was…peculiar.

You continue chatting for a while longer. He tells you more about his football team and you tell him a few spoiler-free details about the movie you’re shooting. Before you know it, you’d been camped out in this cafe with Jamie for a full hour. Time flies when you’re enjoying yourself. You had to imagine the paparazzi had to have left the area by now. And while you weren’t in a hurry to cut your conversation short, your hot chocolate was no longer hot and your scone was long gone.

“Hey, this place is really nice by the way,” you comment, as you gather your trash, “I might have to come back here. That is, if you don’t mind sharing your secret hide away with me for the next three months?”

Jamie chuckles, following you back to the front of the café. “Feel free.”

You smile at him softly, as you walk out the door, “Maybe, I’ll uh, see you around?”

He shrugs his shoulder, “Yeah, I’ll be around. Maybe you could catch a football match while you’re in town.”

“I’ll definitely keep that in mind,” you nod, “Well, thank you again for the rescue. I owe you one.”

“Nah, it was nothing. Get home safe, yeah?”

“You, too. Bye Jamie.”

He bids you farewell, before you two reluctantly turn and head in different directions. You wrinkle your nose, recapping your encounter in your head. What a random coincidence to run into an apparent famed football star on your first day in town. You wonder if you ever will run into him again, but you assume the odds of that are low.

Meanwhile, on his walk home, Jamie is questioning whether or not he should have asked for your number. In a strictly platonic sense, just to keep in touch or to be available in case you needed a friend while you were in town. But he brushes the thought away. Like a famous actress would want to willingly hang out with him if she wasn’t hiding from paparazzi. Yeah right. Odds are this was all a dream and the boys would laugh in his face if he brought it up tomorrow.

Real or not real, he’d remember your morning together fondly.

a/n: please let me know any and all those! again, so excited for this story and brand new journey for jamie x reader. also! i will be starting a fresh taglist for this story, so let me know if you’d like to be tagged. the distractions taglist will stay the same for any one shots i may continue to post in that universe. <3

taglist: @respondingtoshowerthoughts-blog @royalestrellas

#jamie tartt x reader #jamie tartt fanfiction #jamie tartt imagine #jamie tartt x f!reader #jamie tartt x female reader #ted lasso fanfiction #ted lasso fanfic #mine #behind the scenes series

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ecargmura · 6 months ago

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A Terrified Teacher At Ghoul School Episode 13 Review - Summer Reading

I find it funny how it’s super cold where I live yet Haruaki and co are enjoying the time of their lives basking in the summer heat. Because of that, it made me feel warm and not focus on how cold it was outside, so thanks for that, Yohaji! Anyways, the second half of the show starts and I’m surprised with how many things they spoiled in the opening and ending as a manga reader. I won’t get into too much detail as it’ll probably shown throughout the season.

While the episode as a whole was a fun watch, I won’t deny that the anime did remove some details that anime-only watchers might not realize. Not only that, but there’s also how this episode is formatted. The first fourth of the episode is mainly seeing what some of Class 2-3 are doing during their summer break while the rest of the episode is mainly Haruaki causing chaos in a secondhand book shop where Sano and Tenmaru from the Tengu Troupe works.

Sano spends his holiday with the Abe family. Here’s one instance of the anime omitting minor details. If you think this is a little weird how the principal just gave him Haruaki’s address and a map and told him to go to the Abe house, they actually removed some important detail from the manga in that Sano used to spend his holidays at the principal’s house due to circumstances and that it’s the first time the principal is not looking after him. This may be a minor detail, but it’s important information about Sano, who’s one of the main characters in this story.

Anyways, it’s nice to see the Tengu Troupe again; though, it’s mainly just Tenmaru and Bonmaru. It’s nice to learn a lot about Ten like how he’s a closet otaku who’s into fictional girls and how his cool facade breaks when he sees an anime girl figurine. Sano didn’t know Ten was one of the kidnappers as he only saw and confronted Bon at the time as Ten was in a different area. Too bad we don’t really know much about Bon as he just popped up in the middle of the episode as they needed an extra person. Two additional details the anime omitted from this portion of this episode were the fact that Ten and Bon are brothers in their forged family documents, so the Karasuma Troupe are all adopted brothers. Another omitted detail was Ten revealing that he has been a virgin for 800 years as he became immortal so he wouldn’t die young.

The whole cursed book thing was chaotic with Haruaki accidentally making Sano and Ten a part of the story and getting them into wild situations likes Ten dying and having Sano and Ten almost doing the do. Haruaki shows off his intelligence by reversing the effects of Ten’s death and having the situations in the story happen to characters outside of the bookshop. Some of my favorite scenes were Rintaro preventing truck-kun from isekai-ing someone and Akira enjoying his alien abduction situation. The reason why Haruaki read the cursed book in the first place was because a weird man with blue hair and wearing a monocle recommended it to him—he turned out to be the ghost of the late author.

Also, the anime did jump ahead a few chapters after the Haruaki search arc which was the previous episode. There was a chapter that took place after Haruaki was rescued from the fire where he was hospitalized, but it’s only mentioned in this episode. The scene with Mama-aki and Haruaki was actually from that chapter, but they added it here. Though, it’s nice to see Mama-aki gently scolding her son. She’s super sweet.

The anime also had some anime original scenes as they did cut out a few scenes from the chapters about the cursed book. The scene with Hatanaka and his three kids are anime original—the kids actually appear much earlier in the story, but the anime pushed them to making their debut in the second cour. The entire scene with the locusts is anime original too, I believe.

Also, speaking of the Hatanaka kids, I can’t believe they gave two of them high quality voice actors. His daughter Saki is voiced by the one and only Megumi Han whom you might know as Nokotan and Kana Arima from Oshi no Ko. The son, Kamae, is voiced by Mutsumi Tamura, who you might know as young Kakashi from Naruto Shippuden and Hiro from Digimon Ghost Game. These kids only appeared for a few seconds and you’re already giving them S-tier voice actresses? The Yohaji production staff are crazy.

I guess my only gripe would be that the animation quality looked a little derpy in some parts of the episode, but that’s it. I think this is a great way to start the second half of the show and I can’t wait to see what they will show next. What are your thoughts on this episode?

#a terrified teacher at ghoul school #youkai gakkou no sensei hajimemashita #yohaji #Haruaki abe #Mikoto sano #Tenmaru Karasuma #Bonmaru Karasuma #Kotoba Honda #Rintarou Miki #Akira Takahashi #Izuna Hatanaka #Saki Hatanaka #Kamae Hatanaka #mama-aki #review #anime #anime review #ecargmura #arum journal

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aprillikesthings · 8 months ago

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youtube

I only ever watched the first twenty minutes of this a couple of years ago so I'm watching this today (yes, for my fic ahaha) and will note my thoughts:

"they're AGAINST so many things but are they FOR anything?" I mean, ....some of them were

The opening scene where he's walking down the street and a bunch of hippies start walking with him and grinning is hilarious

There's a shot of a young woman who is supposedly having "a freak out" (a bad trip) being dragged into the hospital by cops, and she sounds somewhat lucid to me ("do my friends know where I am? where are you taking me??? where am I??") but also, I don't think putting her in a cop car and dragging her to the hospital was likely to improve her mental state. (All they can do is give you a bed, keep an eye on you, and maybe sedate you; tho I suspect they also just restrained people sometimes.)

they interview a doctor who says "there's no way to predict who will have a bad trip [on LSD]" but we sorta did know how to prevent them?? Set and setting was talked about for years already. That said: a lot of people of that era did in fact use it very irresponsibly, or did stupidly high doses, and even gave it to people without their consent.

"They try to live without money but still beg" I mean. yeah the problem is that you can't live without money. But some of them were trying to make money obsolete to some extent (like the Diggers).

Watching a scene recorded at the offices of the San Francisco Oracle, I can't help thinking "man those would be worth money now" (I checked ebay just now--actual print copies of original issues are in the $100 range)(I have scans on DVD, which is by far the cheapest way to own/read it)

They interview a guy working there and he says "life should be a joy, and it's a drag!" and he talks about the "absurdity" of people driving to work every day in metal boxes by themselves, and like, he's not wrong. He also mentions the "alienation of middle-class life" which again: not wrong, especially at the time. Suburban life was just so much more stifling.

"They want a group of mutual support and affection to belong to" Well yeah that's. a normal human desire?? Does Harry Reasoner think that's a bad thing?

Oh hey they cover the Diggers feeding people in the Panhandle once a day: "This feeding typifies the hippie ideal of standing apart from society by means of mutual help and love. It contains its own ironies, for the daily feed is itself dependent on the food being offered by the very society that is being rejected" jfc so much of this just has big "And yet you participate in society!! Curious. I am very intelligent" energy lol

Okay so a doctor dude calls out how hippies say they love everyone in a very general sense but are incapable of loving another specific person that "might make demands of them," and tbh I think that was sometimes true. He also talks about how many of them seem to be using LSD because they struggle with managing negative feelings (especially anger), and again: not entirely wrong. (It's worth noting that in interviews with people who'd been teenagers during the Summer of Love, there were a LOT of stories of people escaping abusive homes, including numerous accounts of CSA, which imho puts the "they do LSD bc they can't deal with negative emotions" in a very different light)

A couple of hippies point out: Y'know we do drugs in part just to increase our sensory experience, right?? Like it's great listening to music on it. You know that, right????

"LSD will damage your chromosomes!!" Thankfully, that one was disproven.

So they interview a young guy in a psych ward about his experiences with LSD, and this poor kid describes what was obviously severe social anxiety, and that taking LSD a few times cured it--he was no longer anxious that other people would reject him, because LSD gave him that (very common on LSD) effect of feeling "at one" with all people/living things/the universe, and instilled in him the concept that all humans are beautiful. "I'm not afraid of people anymore, because even if they reject me, they're still beautiful." Harry Reasoner is like "but it's fake" my dude shut up. oh my god. Harry: "but what about dangerous people?" Kid: "yeah, there's dangerous people, but they're still beautiful." Harry' just like "okay but you SHOULD be afraid of other people" and the kid's just like. Nah.

Like, they're researching using hallucinogens for treating things like anxiety NOW. Because it sometimes works!

Tbh this kid seems pretty lucid and smart. And the reason he's in there is that he "talked about God too much" so his mother had him committed.

Harry: "So tell me what God's like." Kid: "First of all God is everything, so he's like everything. He is everything. There's nothing that he isn't." This kid doesn't seem crazy to me. He's saying shit tons and tons of people have said!! Someone give him a copy of Julian of Norwich's "shewings." He's not alone.

Holy shit they interviewed this kid's mom and wow. Yeah she's just. Refusing to actually validate anything her son has said to her. "I can't describe to you the feeling that it gives you when your son says to you, 'Can't you feel it, God is everywhere...' But I told him, 'You don't see God until you die!'" Your son is saying the same shit mystics have said throughout history, lady; and he's expressing himself very clearly for a teenager. I'm not going to quote all the bullshit she says but she clearly just has a very sensitive son who had anxiety, and LSD gave him a sense of wonder at the universe, and she thinks that means he's crazy. (She does mention that drug use should be a medical issue and not a criminal one, so points to her for that; but based on what they showed, her son shouldn't have been locked up.)

They also interview a teenage girl who is there after multiple suicide attempts. She was on LSD when the people she was with sexually assaulted her, and shortly after she first attempted suicide. And again they interview the mom...who describes a textbook case of major depression after a traumatic event: "She lost interest in herself, she was very lethargic. She didn't want to do anything, even things she used to do." The girl attempted suicide two more times. Mom is trying to do the right thing, here. But again, this wasn't the fault of LSD?? It's the fault of the people who assaulted her?

God, this is heartbreaking: "When I found out, I didn't know what to say. And she asked me, 'Are you angry at me?' and I said, 'Why would I be angry [at you]?' I just didn't think this would happen. I wanted something better for her." ;_;

They bring on some doctor of neuropsychiatry who says absolute word vomit ("This is really a very serious malignant form of modern civilization which means that we no longer have the stamina to really hassle with our youngsters in a purposeful way of learning," and he keeps going! Sir, are you DRUNK?)

They go to a crash house run by the Diggers and act like giving homeless kids a place to sleep and food to eat is harming them. But you see this even NOW in cities with high homeless populations--the idea that housing/feeding them is only enabling them. (Don't even get me started that shit it makes me furious.)

They admit the hippie movement sounds real attractive to young people and openly list the reasons: "The way they dress, the way they advocate love as opposed to hate, peace as opposed to war, self expression as opposed to inhibition. All these things put them in the role of courageous and warm-hearted rebels against cold stiff square old-fashioned authority." I mean. Yeah????? I know people hate on boomers a lot, but for real, they were rebelling against pretty hardcore "conform or die" messaging from the 50's, plus the Vietnam War.

"Doctors see a universal danger in use of LSD: they feel that normally rebellious young people may be turned into emotional cripples. At a time when they should be meeting and solving problems of sexuality and personal identity, they deaden their drives with a magic pill which solves nothing. They may never grow up." This is at least half "suffering is good for you" rhetoric. Also by "sexuality" they don't mean "figure out if I'm gay" lol they mean "realize you might want sex, and therefore get married and have children."

The talk to a few people at one of the Digger crash houses. One of them is like, "I like it here. I have my own room and I cook food for everyone." She literally just....found a sense of meaning by helping people out and being around people with the same ideals as her. This is not a bad thing.

BAAAHAHAHAHA THEY GO TO THE GRATEFUL DEAD HOUSE

They admit plenty of the hippies are hard workers trying to create a better world--but because that better world is at least partially inspired by their experiences on LSD, those ideas are completely dismissed.

Look at this BABY-FACED JERRY GARCIA

Anyway the members of the Grateful Dead talk about how they do want a more peaceful world and a simple life (hahhhhh) and that, yes, most people decide to be hippies after doing LSD, but that plenty of people do it a few times and stop, because they've learned what LSD had to teach them.

They show people at a rock show, dunno where, but there's a liquid light show projected onto the stage and people are dancing, and ironically this is SUPER useful for my gd fic because I couldn't find any CROWD SHOTS from the original Fillmore or Avalon! Anyway apparently said theaters didn't sell alcohol, useful to know.

More scare-mongering about bad trips--which they admit could be brought on by being hungry and sleeping outside. (but giving them a warm place to sleep and food to eat is bad??)

OH HEY they talk about the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic. (I looked it up and TIL: They didn't close until 2019.)

Some discussion of how other drugs were starting to come onto the scene--and they show a guy slumped over on the couch at the clinic. (On a related note: for real, heroin is bad. Like the anti-drug people are actually right on that one. Don't do heroin.)

The guy who started the clinic said that a lot of the older doctors who volunteer there, themselves have kids who are hippies. So there's this need to understand their kids better and a drive to help people like their own children. "The attitude [towards hippies who need healthcare] of 'let them die' changes when it's their own kid." Yeah I bet it does.

More from the guy who started the clinic: "One thing that people don't realize is that the Haight-Ashbury is a symptom, not a cause. And that the kids are attracted to the Haight-Ashbury because of some deprivation, primarily intellectual deprivation, in their former mode of life. And I think this is why [kids from] the middle class are so intensely involved in the Haight-Ashbury: because it is a product of the middle class. It's not a peripheral movement, it is a direct reaction against the forces that control the United States. And it's not an anarchist movement*, the hippies aren't interested in any philosophy, including communism! They just want to live their own life."

(*Some of the Diggers might disagree on that one lol)

Back to Harry Reasoner: "The way the hippies want to live seems in the end to consist of childish postures. They claim they want to be left alone, but they are masters at setting up public occasions which are bound to draw attention if not interference. Just as an unruly child will act up in a way that attracts adult intervention, and then complain about it." LOLOL this is literally just "they're having fun in public and it's not to my tastes, so I don't like it." Like their example is a band playing on a fire escape and people on the street dancing. That's Wholesome, my dude; you just don't like the music or the kind of dancing. But they BLOCKED TRAFFIC OH NOES. The cops show up, the band stops, the crowd starts singing "God Bless America" at the cops, lolol. Oh and then the Grateful Dead announce they're gonna play in the Panhandle, so the crowd wanders off. The Dead then play Dancing in the Street, which even Harry Reasoner admits is funny.

"They object to the ills which beset society: social hatreds, money-grubbing, spiritual waste. But their remedy is to withdraw into private satisfactions." ....okay he's not entirely wrong there. Like, it's difficult to talk about hippies as this monolithic group that all want one thing, because that absolutely was not true. But for plenty of them, the goal was just to have a good time.

Finally, he lays out his theses:

"You can say three things about them. They, at their best, are trying for a kind of group sainthood. And saints running in groups are likely to be ludicrous. They depend on hallucination for their philosophy. This is not a new idea and it has never worked. And finally they offer a spurious attraction of the young: a corruption of the idea of innocence. Nothing in the world is as appealing as real innocence. But it is by definition a quality of childhood. People who can grow beards and make love are supposed to move from innocence to wisdom."

I.....what does that mean. Why are saints in groups "ludicrious." When was it tried before that didn't work. How the fuck does this guy define innocence and wisdom and why are they mutually incompatible??

And boy oh boy would he hate to find out that a very common idea among these people's kids/grandkids is going to be "I'm allowed childish pleasures and whimsy, as long as I pay my bills etc., if they make me happy and I'm not hurting anyone." Like, I watched this thing because I'm writing fanfiction about a cartoon (theoretically) aimed at children. Daci is downstairs playing a video game. This house has dozens of stuffed animals in it. We go to comic conventions.

Harry Reasoner would be so mad at us for doing all that stuff, instead of doing the marriage/kids/house in the suburbs thing ahahahhaaaaa

In this case, sir, the hippies won. Sorry.

#the hippie temptation #1960's #haight ashbury #my posts #april writes #<-bc it's for my fic #Youtube

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bucky-fricking-barnes · 2 years ago

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Setting Up

Title: Setting Up

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Music Teacher!Reader

Word Count: 4.2k

Warnings: Stress about a school year starting, low-self esteem (connected with job as a teacher), mentions of teachers doing unpaid labor to get their classrooms ready

Summary: School is starting up again and Y/N is frazzled about setting up her classroom. Luckily, Steve is ready to jump in and help in any way he can.

A/N: I wrote this for myself, but I hope you enjoy it too. It’s technically a music teacher AU, but I feel it could easily apply to a lot of different kinds of teachers. For the sake of this AU, “rep” is a shortened version of “repertoire”, which are the songs that you learn and perform for concerts. As always, thank you for all your support when it comes to reading, liking, reblogging, commenting, and supporting me on Patreon and ko-fi! Dividers are by @firefly-graphics

June comes and goes in a haze of post-lunch naps, binge watching, and long evening walks with Steve. July moves even quicker with its rolling storms and deceitful promises of endless summer. By the time the countdown to the start of school reaches the single digits, you’ve done almost nothing to prepare for the school year and though you wouldn’t change anything about how you’ve spent your summer, you still loathe yourself for it.

A week from the first of your back-to-school teacher meetings, Steve comes home from the compound to find you sitting in the living room with your current show playing on TV and stacks of sheet music splayed across the couch cushions, coffee table, and floor. The papers form a semi-circle around you, completely preventing you from moving out of your spot in the center of the couch.

“What are you working on?” he asks as he shuts and locks the door.

You look up with tired eyes and a sigh. “I’m trying to pick rep,” you tell him. “I’ve got it narrowed down but I’m not sure.”

“Do you need to pick concert music now? Isn’t it easier to wait until you know what kids you have in class?”

As he asks, Steve carefully tucks the bag containing his shield underneath the skinny table you bought a few weeks ago, then leans it against the wall. You’d purposefully got one wide enough so his bag would fit underneath, and he dutifully follows your instructions to the tee, knowing that having order at home is important when your life at school gets chaotic. Plus, he tries to leave work at work. He’s always promised to be fully present with you whenever he’s home, no matter what’s going on outside the four walls of your little ranch house. He isn’t perfect—there are days when you spend most of dinner listening to him explain his frustrations and worries over the current group of trainees or an upcoming mission—but the fact that he tries means more than anything.

“Not really, but it’s helpful if I do. I don’t want to waste time. I don’t want to waste their time. Kids can tell if you’re not prepared, and I want to make this year better than last year. I want to be better than last year.”

“You’ll be prepared,” he reassures you. “You don’t need to be better, you’re already exactly what those kids need.”

You huff, not even pretending to entertain that thought as you shuffle the music around. After flipping through one of the pieces, you decide it isn’t a good fit for the students you hope are enrolled again, then set it aside. Steve’s watching you—you can feel his curious gaze without even turning around—and so you continue to work as he processes.

Finally, he asks, “What can I do to help?”

A little surprised at the question, you shift in your spot to look back at him. Your knee presses into a stack of possible Christmas pieces but you ignore the crumpling noise the papers make as you push them into the couch.

“What?” you ask.

“What can I do to help? I don’t like it when you’re stressed out and I want you to be able to enjoy the rest of your summer, and the weekends once school actually starts,” adds Steve.

You frown, looking down at the music all around you, though you keep your arm braced on the back of the couch. It’s a generous offer and one you’ve secretly been hoping for, but Steve doesn’t know the first thing about teaching in a school. He also doesn’t know anything about music; he can barely hold a tune to save his life. That severely limits the things he can help you with, and you’ll feel bad if you have to redo something he does for you out of genuine kindness. Plus, no one has ever offered to help you before. Even your family has left you to your own devices at the start of every school year.

“As much as I’d love your help,” you carefully start, hoping you won’t offend him by declining his offer, “There’s not a lot you can do. A lot of it you won’t know how to do and a lot of it isn’t really a two-person job. I mean, I’ve got to pick rep, print out rosters, make copies, make seating charts, organize and decorate my rooms—“

“I could help with decorating.”

“Steve—“

“I can,” he insists. He continues before you can protest any further, “I know how much stuff you need to bring back to your rooms and I remember you complaining about not being able to make the bulletin boards as nice as you wanted them by yourself. I don’t know anything about music, but I’m pretty handy with scissors and a stapler, Y/N. Let me at least help with that. I can do the boards while you do other stuff, and I don’t mind carrying in boxes from your car and then keeping you company if that’s all I can help with.”

He’s so genuine it makes your heart ache. There’s no way you can say no to him, so you nod. Steve’s responding smile lights up the whole room and you laugh, leaning back against the couch cushions to accept the kiss he bends down to give you.

“Tomorrow?” he asks, and you nod again. “I’ll let Pepper know I won’t be around. She’ll remember more than Tony will. What school do you want to work at first?”

“Um… Let’s start at the elementary. How was work today? Are you hungry? I can make something.” You start to get up, but Steve places a gentle hand on your shoulder to slow your ascent.

“You don’t need to cook for me, Y/N. We can just order something.”

You frown. “But it’s summer, and I—”

“And you’re working unpaid time to prepare for the school year,” Steve finishes.

You let him push you back down to sit on the couch, knowing he’s right. You’ve been at war with yourself all day—should you work on school stuff when school’s not in session, even though you’re not paid for it, or should you hold off on your preparations because working unpaid overtime is unfair?

Steve seems to sense this internal debate because he leans down to kiss you again, then pulls out his phone. “What do you want tonight? Pizza? Chinese? Greek? We had Italian last night, so I’d rather not have that again.”

“Greek sounds good,” you answer, smiling up at him. “Thanks.”

He hums in acknowledgement and heads towards the bedroom, no doubt on his way to shower the day away. You listen to him move around, relaxing against the back of the couch as the TV drones on. In the other room, Steve’s phone chimes when the confirmation email for the phone order comes through, then again when he puts it on the charger. He turns the shower on and it squeals a little—something he’s promised to fix once his load at work lightens up, even though you both know it never will.

You get back to work as the shower door slides open, then closes, and you’re three-quarters of the way through your big stack of potential concert songs when the doorbell rings for your food. Before you can even adjust the dozens of tiny paper stacks around you to answer it, Steve is at the door, fully dressed but with hair dripping onto his shoulders.

While he tips the delivery driver and unloads the food onto your kitchen counters, you tidy up the living room, compiling your music into one larger, precarious stack that you balance on the floor against the TV stand.

“How much tzatziki do you want?” Steve calls.

You stand from your crouch and stretch, groaning when your back cracks. After hours of sitting on the couch and floor today, your whole body is stiff. Steve sticks his head around the corner of the kitchen when you don’t reply and you look over at him with a grimace.

“You okay, sweetheart?”

Reaching out with both arms, you wiggle your fingers at him until he knowingly chuckles and comes closer, then pulls you into a hug. Steve squeezes you against him, using only what you know to be a modicum of his strength, and you sigh in relief when your back pops.

“Thank you,” you murmur, leaning your head against his shoulder. Steve kisses the top of your head and loosens his grip to hold you in a gentle embrace. “How was your day?”

“It was okay,” he answers. “Mostly just meetings and paperworks. I’d much prefer spending the day with you while you’re home all day.”

You hum in response and close your eyes. Being in his arms is one of your favorite ways to recover after a long day at school, and now that you’re getting back into the swing of things, you’re relishing it even more than normal.

“Tzatziki?”

Snorting, you pull away to look up at him. “Are you hungry?”

Steve grins. “What gave it away?”

With a pat to his chest, you release him completely and head to the kitchen. The food is spread out across all the open counters and the stove top, and you can’t help but chuckle at the pure amount of containers Steve has ordered. It’s more than usual, which means he’s either anticipating that you’ll be stealing his food, that you won’t be able to decide, or that he’s monumentally more hungry than normal.

“All this for me? You shouldn’t have,” you tease, glancing over your shoulder as Steve follows you.

He laughs and runs his hand over the small of your back as he strides past you to pull plates down from the top cabinet. You take the one he holds out to you, and the two of you get to work dishing up your dinners. He makes sure to heap your favorite foods onto your plate before he takes his own serving, and you do the same.

Finally, you and Steve settle side-by-side on the couch. Your show has long since finished playing, and the screen asking if you were still watching stares back at you as he reaches for the remote on the coffee table.

“Let’s find something new,” you say. Balancing your plate, utensils, and napkin in one hand, you shift on the couch until your thighs are pressed against his. He smiles and as soon as he’s put on a show neither of you have seen before, Steve props his feet up on the coffee table, places his plate on his lap, and puts his free hand on your leg. The familiarity is soothing, and within a few minutes you’ve forgotten all of your worries about the school year starting.

The next morning, Steve is up before you, and by the time you finally drag yourself out of bed after snoozing the alarm several times—a bad habit you’ll have to break before the school year begins—he has breakfast ready and all your school stuff already loaded in the car.

“You didn’t have to do that,” you tell him as he hands you a plate piled high with your favorites. You’re honestly surprised you didn’t wake up while he was cooking, considering how good the house smells right now. “I’m not even sure if I’ll want to use it all. We’ll just have to bring it all back in if we don’t use it.”

He shrugs. “Then I’ll bring it in when we get home. I’d rather you have everything you need and then some than have you worry about not having enough,” he says.

Steve’s dedication to helping you prepare for the school year runs deeper than you’d originally realized and you have to look away before all of your emotions about it shine through. You aren’t quite awake enough to keep your composure every time he does something sweet.

“Sweetheart?”

“I’m okay,” you reassure him. Smiling a little, you force away the overwhelming gratitude and settle for a kiss on his cheek instead. “Thank you. I already don’t know how I did this without you for so many years. You’ve already saved me at least an hour of time, maybe two, depending on how much stuff is leftover when I’m done.”

“Good, then you’ve got plenty of time to sit down and eat,” he replies. He guides you over to the table and pulls out a chair. “I’m gonna do a coffee run and check in with Pepper to make sure everything’s all good, and I’ll be back in a half hour. Is that enough time for you to eat and get ready?”

You nod and smile, then settle down at the table to eat. Steve grabs a foil-wrapped burrito that’s no doubt his second breakfast before heading out the front door, leaving you to eat alone.

Once finished, you quickly rinse the dishes and put them in the dishwasher, then change into comfortable work clothes and get yourself ready for the day. You’re just zipping up your bag when Steve walks back in the door with a drink tray in hand. The wide-open door lets a flood of summer sunshine into the living room, and Steve looks like an angel as the golden rays peek out from behind him.

“I got your favorite,” he announces, and you smile wide when he hands you your drink. You take a long sip, then nod in approval. He laughs. “Everything’s right?”

You take another sip just for good measure, humming in contentment. “It’s perfect, Steve. You ready to go?”

When he nods, you grab your bag and the stacks of music that didn't fit inside, then follow him out to the car. Sure enough, all of the boxes and bags of stuff you’d brought home with you in May and the purchases that accumulated over the summer are neatly packed in the back of his Stark-issued SUV, and he already has one of your favorite high-energy playlists on. The AC is blasting, ensuring that the car isn’t hot when you climb in, and the wave of cold air that hits you is accompanied by another wave of utter love for him. You try to tell him every day how much you love him, but as you buckle up, you push away thoughts of your classroom in an attempt to brainstorm ways to show him your love even more profoundly.

Steve immediately starts unloading things after you arrive at the school. As you gather your belongings from around your seat, you glance in the side mirror. Steve’s arms are piled high with boxes and there are multiple bags swinging from each arm. It’s almost comical.

You’re barely out of the passenger side door when he closes the trunk and turns in the director of the building’s entrance.

“Ready?” he asks.

You nod as you dig your ID and keys out of your bag. With Steve following behind, you head inside to your classroom. You hold the doors for him, and though you offer to take the elevator to your room, he shakes his head and turns toward the stairs to the second floor. He’s been to your classroom a few times before, but never to help you set up. It has a different feel to it.

There’s something intimate about letting someone you love see your classroom for the first time. You spend so much time in that room and you spend so much of your energy making it feel like a second home for you and the students at your school. The first time Steve ever came to visit you at work, your stomach was in knots over what he’d think of your room. Deep down, you knew he wouldn’t care if it was perfectly tidy or if the decor all matched, but his opinion is important to you and you desperately wanted him to love the space as much as you did. Now, even though he’s seen already been here a handful of times, it’s a whole new level of vulnerability. He’s seeing it without all the decor and frills that you add throughout the school year, and if you’re being honest, you’re a little nervous about what he’ll think once he sees the bare bones of your room. Will he think you’re fulfilling all its possible potential? Will he think that you’re doing enough?

The halls are empty except the two of you, but you know that there’s other teachers and staff members tucked away somewhere. The last few weeks of summer are usually filled with plenty of projects, decorating, and preparation for the upcoming open house and the first day of school. It’s almost as exhausting as teaching itself. As you walk, you decide to leave your door closed so that you can play your music as loud as you want without seriously disturbing anyone else who’s trying to work.

Steve carefully sets down the things he’d brought in as soon as you have the door open, making sure that they’re out of your way.

“I’m gonna head down and get the rest,” he says, and you hand off your keys and ID so that he can get in. “Do you need anything unpacked right away?” He glances down at the pile on the floor, then at you for confirmation.

You shake your head and watch him go, then dig out your phone and the speaker you’d purposefully packed into your personal bag. After a little bit of searching, you find the perfect playlist, and you set both things aside so that you’re free to work.

Getting your room ready is a little bit daunting, and you don’t quite feel prepared to tackle any of it. There are bulletin boards to arrange and set up, including plenty of lamination you need to cut out, and you want to make sure that your reward center is ready for the family open house on Friday. Plus, you still need to plan out the lessons you’ll teach the first few days, rearrange your furniture, and get instruments and supplies out of storage. Even your desk is barren; you’d had to tuck everything away so that all the surfaces could be cleaned.

Sighing, you close your eyes for a second and take a deep breath, just like you tell your students to do whenever they’re getting overwhelmed. Steve walks in as you’re doing this, and when you open your eyes, he’s watching you. His eyebrows furrow together and the corners of his lips are turned down in a slight frown. He knows something’s wrong, even if he doesn’t know what, and you catch him taking a quick survey of your room to make sure it’s not something he can easily fix or remove.

“What’s going on?” he asks. His voice is gentle; you know he won’t judge you if you tell him how you’re feeling about this, and so you give him a weak smile in an attempt to make yourself seem less stressed than you actually are.

“I don’t know, to be honest. I’m just really overwhelmed. I don’t think I’m quite ready to let go of summer yet. There��s six million things I have to get done, and I don’t really want to do any of them, which makes me feel like a horrible teacher. I didn’t do anything I should’ve over the summer, which makes me feel even worse. Don’t get me wrong, I like my job, but I’m so stressed out all year and I wanted a break. Plus, it’s hard to jump right back in like this, especially since I know I’m not getting paid to be here and to work all day in my classroom,” you admit. You perch against the edge of your desk and sip your drink to give yourself a moment. With your other hand, you turn down the music a few notches. The song is upbeat, and it’s just a little too much right now. “There’s so much to do before Friday, and I don’t feel like I’m going to be ready even if I manage to get everything done on time. And on top of that, I feel bad because you took the day off to help, which you didn’t need to do, and I know that you want to help and that you want me to be less stressed, but it’s not like this is the funnest thing in the world to be doing during the summer.” You gesture around the room with your cup.

Steve sets down the second load he’s carried up from the car, then shuts the door to your room. He stands by the pile he’s made for a moment, staring down at it with his hands on his hips, before he lifts his head and crosses the room to sit beside you on the desk. You’re honestly surprised it holds both your weights combined.

“You don’t need to be perfect,” he says, taking your free hand in his. He rests them on his thigh and you focus on the way his fingers intertwine with yours as he continues, “Your kids don’t need perfection. They don’t need you to get every single thing done before they come to class. They need you to show them how to be kind and how to make mistakes, and how to be respectful when they disagree. They need you to show them how to solve problems and be creative and how to have fun, and you’re amazing at all those things, Y/N.”

You smile a little and try not to get weepy-eyed at his praise. “Steve…”

“I mean it,” he insists. Gently, he lifts your chin with one crooked finger. When you meet his eyes, he holds your gaze intently. “You are the exact teacher that they need. You’re here for a reason, Y/N, and we’re gonna get you ready together, you and me, okay?”

Nodding, you sniffle and let him guide your head forward so he can kiss you on the forehead.

“Thank you. I needed that,” you murmur.

Steve squeezes your hand, then brings it up so he can press a kiss to your knuckles. “There’s no place I’d rather be today than here with my girl. Alright?” When you nod, he smiles. “You want me to start unpacking stuff so you can see it all laid out?”

You survey the daunting pile, still truly unsure of where to begin, before standing on your feet again and releasing his hand. “No, I think I want to unpack one thing at a time, but maybe you could start putting the new paper up on the boards? There’s scissors, uh…” You turn in a circle, trying to remember where you’d stashed your scissors and stapler at the end of the last school year, but Steve puts a hand on your arm to stop you.

“I’ll find them, Y/N, don’t worry. You get working on unpacking and getting your instruments out.”

Ever grateful once again, you give him a smile and head to the pile to get to work. He turns the music up before beginning to rifle through your desk drawers to find what he’ll need to help you decorate.

With you and Steve working together, you get more work done in a handful of hours than you typically would get done in an entire day. He makes it fun, too. Steve sings along to all your playlists, pulls you aside for dance breaks when he can tell you’re getting frustrated or overwhelmed, helps you move the bulkier instruments exactly where you want them, and he even goes out to bring back lunch from your favorite restaurant in town. Of course, he gets stuck in conversation with the principal and the gym teacher on his way back in, but he goes out, all the same. You simply pull him away with a smile, linking your arm with his as Steve makes half-hearted promises to visit the two men to discuss their latest golf game. You have to hold back a snicker at the idea of Steve playing golf.

You have a picnic on the floor of your room, and Steve changes the music to one of his own playlists. It’s film scores—he may not be able to carry a tune, but he appreciates the music that accompanies the hundreds of thousands of movies he’s still catching up on. One of your favorite memories of him is the first time you watched a movie in theaters together. You hadn’t known it was his first time in a 21st century theater, and he’d been utterly mesmerized by everything you encountered, from the digital ticketing system and concessions to the reclining seats and the enormous screens. Altogether, you’d seen five movies that day, back to back to back. He’d loved every single of them.

Steve leans over and kisses you when you recount this memory to him over your lunch. It makes your heart soar when you realize that for the first time in a long time, you’ll have happy memories of your time setting up, rather than stressful ones. As he kisses you, the orchestra swells over the speaker, and Steve is so loving that you feel for a moment that you could actually be a movie of your very own.

Thank you for reading! If you liked this, please consider reblogging my work so that others can enjoy it too.

I do not consent to have my work posted, translated, or published to any third party site or app. If anyone sees my work anywhere other than my personal tumblr, Patreon, or ao3 accounts, it has been reposted without my permission.

If you want to support me further, consider buying me a ko-fi! My ko-fi is also under my SPN fanfiction blog, but I promise it’s me.

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Forever: @aya-fay

Steve Rogers: @lipstickandvibranium @delicatecapnerd

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intcritus · 8 months ago

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“It’s nothing… don’t worry about it. Just been studying a lot.” The excuse passes lips easily with a shrug of shoulders, but it is one that Natsuo will not be able to hold onto much longer. The bruise-rimmed eyes will not be explained by a poor night’s sleep when the stain remains embedded in skin and the summer stops him hiding the state of his body, bruise and pockmarked from his choices to remain at his brother’s side that are yet to be revealed to the public. Trigger is the foulest of concoctions, and while he can mitigate a lot of the damage with his medical knowledge for now, soon he will be beyond the help prevention and support can offer. It will be worth it though, just to see the whole farce burn. “Tell me more about you though… how’s the teaching going?” He transitions from the topic of himself with ease, a friendly smile and a hand at his nape in the manner of a caught out younger brother, a practiced art that he clings to for cover. He does not care for much that is left of the rotting carcass of their family, but she and Shoto care the two he can actively offer what little he holds onto. “Got any new stories to share?” As he speaks, he nods towards the tea, indicating that he will pour it if she desires a cup, content to do so while she fills the space between them with tales of her week. If only they were capable of tearing him from the dark path he has traversed down. (for vigilante fuyu & villain natsu )

❝ ━ If you’re studying that hard, Nat, then you need to start investing in some breaks. It looks like you’ve done a whole week of allnighters. It’s not healthy, you’ll get sick like that. ❞ Fuyumi liked to think her reasoning and ability to observe had gotten a little strong during her vigilante work. She started noticing things, more so to keep herself safe but also to react in time should she or someone she was rescuing be in the thick of danger. During the thick of night, after being a teacher all day to her class, she wasn’t Fuyumi, she was Polaris, and though she hadn’t exactly chosen the name on purpose, it’s the first that coated her tongue when someone asked. It could be confusing when only Polar even hinted at her quirk.

Regardless of all this, her observation is the reason why she begins to worry about her brother. A couple of sleepless nights could explain the dark circles, maybe but there was something about that was truly bothering her. And like any big sister ( there’s nothing usual about this family ) Fuyumi relents, simply because she doesn’t want to push. ❝ ━ Ny class is starting to think about their future, some want to be heroes, others want to dive into traveling abroad, being writers. They’re still small, but they have big dreams, ❞ She chuckles softly, settling down and reaching for her mug as he fills it.

Idly, Fuyumi considers her brothers, not just Natsuo and Shoto, but Toya as well – where they would be and what they’d be like if they weren’t born into this family. Would fate have them walking down darker paths ? Would they even be siblings ? Fuyumi wasn’t naive to think they wouldn’t be, but perhaps the concept of a childhood wouldn’t make her feel dread upon its remembrance. Natsuo’s anger wouldn’t be a palpable thing. Shoto wouldn’t feel guilty just for being born. Toya would still be here, perhaps with a whole future ahead of him.

❝ ━ We’re taking a field trip soon, they opted on the aquarium and I couldn’t tell them no. It’s always so fun to think about their excited faces even when seeing something like fish. They’re able to enjoy the simple things with such vigor. ❞ She smiles gently, drawing her fingers along her mug, bringing it to chapped lips and taking a long sip, letting the warmth sink into her palms. She continues to tell her little brother about how the kids banded together for a chance to use instruments, or them arguing over something silly, and how good they’ve been with the little quizzes she’d given them. A proud teacher for having such brilliant students.

Fuyumi knows there’s danger in the path she’s taking now, coming home in the dark of the night with bruises and cuts she has to stitch herself. It’s not a hardship but in the mornings after, she’s sore and stiff. There’s not an ounce of regret though. So as she watches Natsuo from beneath the fringe of her lashes, Fuyumi has to wonder, even if he’s staying up late studying, why she gets such an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Maybe she should watch him a little more closely, just to make sure ? Assuage her big sister instincts ?

her big sister instincts are flaring. | @resolutepath

#resolutepath #❄️. ◦ ✧ ✩ ( dutiful sister ic. ) ˢᵗᵘᵈᵉᶰᵗˢ ᵒᵖᵉᶰ ʸᵒᵘʳ ᵇᵒᵒᵏˢ ᵎ #me writing this knowing this whole situation is gonna get dicey and im looking forward to it

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ofenvs3000semester · 9 months ago

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Blog post 3

Privilege isn’t something I considered when looking into nature interpretation, but it’s something I am no stranger to. My working definition for privilege defines it as an advantage given to an individual or group by efforts beyond their own or by circumstances. I liked the description of it from the unit outline, so I included aspects of that in it.

My privilege? I am white and a Canadian middle class citizen, with a very good education. While my ability to attend at university is due in part to my hard work at school, paying for my tuition was primarily done by my parents, who had saved money since I was younger. I speak English, which as the unit discussed puts me in a very good place academically (not to mention I’m privileged enough to be able to borrow my parents car to drive to school every day). Likewise, I have a very stable part-time job in the form of a Lifeguard, and although this took me lots of time and training, I was privileged enough to be signed up for this at a young age and driven to training.

But how does this influence nature interpretation? Another privilege I hadn’t mentioned was my accessibility to the outdoors. Living in the suburban neighborhood of Milton and later Georgetown, I was still surrounded by plenty of greenery, and not far from any of these towns were plenty of green space- Rattlesnake Point, Hungry Hollow, and many more. I was privileged enough to not only have access to these wonderful locations, but to be taken there by my parents. Likewise, I was privileged enough to have had many other getaways into nature, such as at a cottage off of lake huron and at numerous different summer camps in the Muskoka region.

What I am getting at with all this is that even exposure to nature can be considered a privilege. As an interpreter, I cannot allow MY familiarity with nature to lead me to assume everyone I interpret for is at the same level- I need to interpret at a level that’s welcoming to all. That said, as mentioned in the example on the units page, I also cannot assume that everyone is immediately comfortable in the outdoors not perfectly equipped to face any challenge it might throw at us. Part of being an interpreter may include preparing those we interpret for with the skills and equipment necessary to find their sense of place, safely.

I believe the purpose of the “risks” section of the unit 3 page was, in part, to stress exactly this- we can’t assume that everyone has the same abilities and strengths as the rest of us, due to our own strengths and, most importantly, privilege. Preparing for the worst, just in case, is a sure way to prevent tragedies from occurring.

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umichenginabroad · 1 year ago

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The Great Barrier Reef (Week 5)

After a very memorable trip to Singapore and Bali, it was time to visit the Great Barrier Reef with my summer class. But first, Lauren and I had to take a train from Brisbane to Hervey Bay where we would meet up with our class and fly out to Lady Elliot Island (LEI). The day we had in the 3rd largest Australian city consisted of a lot of walking through the city streets, spotting spiders in the Botanical Garden, and philosophizing about human nature as usual.

We were eager to get on our first Australian train that would take us to Hervey Bay, but after reaching the first stop and halting for the next 3 hours, we had started to lose hope. Apparently a tree had fallen down onto power lines which fell onto the tracks up north, preventing our train from moving forward. Southeast Queensland is notorious for having bad thunderstorms and flooding. With the canceled train and nowhere to stay, all we could do was wait patiently and hope that the train company would coordinate accommodation for us and secure us a train ride for the following day. Luckily, the train company followed through and we got to spend an extra day in Brisbane which we used to walk around some more and then watch Mean Girls in theater (I highly recommend giving it a watch). Seeing how patient and cooperative all the Australians were during all the train chaos was very inspiring and a testament to the lax culture Aussies embrace. Isolated from the rest of the world, people here seem to prioritize self-care and community instead of work and politics. When the weather is this nice all the time, I sure can’t blame them. Soon enough, we found ourselves in Hervey Bay, and then on one of the smallest planes I have ever laid my eyes on for just 12 passengers to get to LEI.

Just like that, I found myself standing on a tiny island that would take only 45 minutes to walk around.

A picture of LEI from the plane.

LEI is the southernmost point of the Great Barrier Reef and it’s known to be a breeding ground for almost 100 different species of birds, 3 species of turtle, as well as countless fish, rays, sharks, and so much more. It’s also home to an eco-resort dedicated to educating visitors about the surrounding coral reefs and wildlife while being fully self-sustainable. Through my class, we got behind-the-scenes tours from staff to learn about the sustainable practices used on the island including solar panels for energy, a water desalination and filtration system, and even a composting machine that could take any thrown out food from the buffet and turn it into fertilizer. In our spare time, students were free to snorkel, scuba dive, and explore as much as we wanted. Within the first 2 minutes of my first snorkeling adventure, I watched a small shark swim right below me, saw countless fish, and witnessed the beauty of an underwater world I never could have imagined. I had no idea that coral reefs came in every color from yellow to green to purple and that sea turtles use their flippers to itch their faces just like my dog, Roni, uses his paw when he has something in his eye. I watched a line of baby squid float side-by-side without a care in the world and a baby turtle poop as if performing for us eager snorkelers. I was introduced to over a dozen different turtles over the days and learned that my favorite part about turtle-watching was seeing them come up for air and poke their little heads up out of the water while they’re massive shells floated at the surface. Each shark I saw (all about the size of a dolphin or smaller) reminded me of their beauty and surprisingly calm nature, but impressive speed and agility. I also laid eyes on barracuda as well as a stingray in their natural habitat and I overcame my fear of scuba diving as I made my first dive down 12 meters! The experience was thrilling, but showed me that I could see the same beauty while floating at the water’s surface – a more comfortable location for a mild claustrophobe.

A screenshot from a video where a shark swims under a turtle we were watching!

All in all, the quick 5-day trip was one I will never forget and one that I will never fail to recommend to any future Australia-travelers (just don't forget to bring a hat to protect you from the bird poop!).

Cheers!

David Bayer

Biomedical Engineering

University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia

#umichenginabroad #ipeunsw #ipewinter24 #australia #davidbayer

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xiazats-mind · 2 years ago

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Rating the 2023 Summer Cosmetics Cause Why Not

Previous rating (Also if your interested in me doing older crates let me know and I’ll get around to it eventually)

The scale

0 Absolute Garbage 5 Average 10 Must Have

Brimmed Bootlegger

Fairly generic slot filler, which isn't a bad thing. Don't have much else to say.

5/10

Prohibition Opposition

I like the name, and the button up shirt plus suspenders look makes this one of the fancier outfits for scout

6.5/10

Close Quarters Cover

This one has four very versatile styles: paint bandanna, paint hair, bandanna only and hair only. A great slot filler

8.5/10

Stealth Bomber

I don't believe solider has many other camo cosmetics, which you would think he would be over saturated with them. Regardless, this is other good outfit for everyone's nutty patriot

8/10

Firestalker

This is...okay. There's just so many good hats/head morphs that its a bit of a tough market, at least for me. (Then again, that could apply to literally any class)

4/10

Flame Warrior

Now THIS is more like it! Comes with our without the pauldrons, this is a helmet to strike fear in the hearts of spies everywhere (assuming your a competent pyro of course)

8/10

Soho Sleuth

This coat goes with the firestalker hat, and I must say its a pretty nice suit. I realize, looking back at previous ratings, I might be biased towards plaid

7.5/10

Blast Bowl

Giving demo a helmet based on a sticky bomb could easily look low effort, but this just works for me.

8/10

Shrapnel Shell

This is what I was referring to when I said low effort, this does not work for me

3.5/10

Brother Mann

Another versatile piece of headwear, with two extra styles removing the elements you don't what. Also, its just a nice looking ensemble

8.5/10

Heavy Metal

The emblem on the back is what elevates this from "meh" to "alright"

6/10

Hog Heels

Ehh...

4/10

Cargo Constructor

This construction worker garb works so well with engi's default helmet, I feel like this should have been added years ago

9/10

Cranium Cooler

Dont have a lot to say about this one; its a neat hat that fits engi character

5.5/10

Hazard Handler

Finally, engi is wearing two gloves. I don't know why, but that's so satisfying to me.

8.5/10

Medical Emergency

The modeler has confirmed that this a reference to the Half-Life medkits, which, despite me not playing a lot of Half-Life, my first thought was "Is that a the Half-Life medkit?" I'm pleased my intuition was correct. Oh and cosmetic is nice too

7.5/10

Über-Wear

Meh

4/10

Bushman

This is the 'sexy' cosmetic for sniper mains. Unfortunately for this outfit, I'm straight, which will definitely impact the score.

5/10

Cranium Cover

This sniper helm gives me military operative vibes; neat

5.5/10

Glorious Gambeson

Best used in conjunction with the huntsmen, although using a sniper rifle could add some anachronistic comedy

5/10

Preventative Measure

Same vibes as the cranium cover

5.5/10

Cleaner's Cap

Its a neat little hat, and the option to remove the shades is a nice bonus

6/10

Le Professionnel

'nother coat for spy, but it comes in two flavors: turtleneck and t-shirt; I prefer the turtleneck

5/10

Brothers in Blues

This feels like soldier's detective hat from a few crates ago, but made into an all class hat; That's not a bad thing, as I do like that hat.

5/10

Full Metal Helmet

This is actually the soldier's original hat-Soldier's stash-made into an all class cosmetic, complete with unique designs for each class. Since I can no longer get the original hats anymore (thanks Valve) I will be scoring this one a bit more favorably than if I could; It also helps that its a great slot filler

7/10

#tf2 #team fortress 2 #tf2 cosmetics rating #a thought(tm) from xiazat's mind

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idiot-trashpanda · 11 months ago

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some of the people in these reblogs are priveleged af. "read more books. no phone after a certain time. take walks. take baths." like stfu please. these are things i am doing to try and slow my life down, and as much as they make me feel good temporarily, they are not solutions to burnout. you have a job where you have accounts and you can like hand off some work and some accounts to take some load off so you can rest more. im a manager at a movie theater. during summer you people never stop coming in and giving us hell. we work 40 hours a week, no exceptions maybe a day off here or there when we have enough pto. my cat just died. i got to take 1 day off to grieve this little baby that had been my companion for 15 years.

"do anything you can to prevent burnout" bitch we live under global capitalism and we have bills to pay. the only thing that would have ever prevented my burnout is having a different system where i wasnt pushed to go to college so i could get a job and work forever. i burnt out in college and every job has burnt me out more and more but i cant ever stop working for even a week or i will be homeless. understand? most of the working class is operating in perpetual burn out that we will never be able to recover from because we cant ever stop to rest because everything in this hellhole of a country only exists as long as you can work and once you cant anymore, whether from burn out, disability, getting old, etc. you are fucking dead. you can no longer produce capital for the bourgeoisie so you are useless and you are dumped into the street or some nursing home to be forgotten about until you die. in this country there is no recovering or preventing burnout unless you have access to a lot of money

#death to america #burnout #destroy global capitalism #anarchism #anarchy #fuck the usa #fuck america #mental health

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capitaldieseltruckrepair · 6 days ago

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wernher-von-brawny · 6 months ago

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First, yeah, the DNC have spent the last few decades chasing after people who will never like them, while taking for granted or outright abandoning the folks who need them.

It’s hard to argue against the perception that the Democrats exist to prevent progressive energy from disrupting business as usual.

So I get your rage, my comrade, but I think you’re missing the point of what the dude in the quote was saying.

He’s saying he trusted that Trump was speaking his mind, and that Harris seemed to be reading from a script.

He didn’t say that he thought Trump was speaking 'The Truth', or that he agreed with his policies, but that he believed that Trump’s words and ideas were his, and not those of a committee of marketing creeps.

I think what’s most instructive about that article is another quote: “Democrats, another said, are 'not a friend of the working class anymore.'”

I have to agree with that.

Biden walked a picket line, but it turns out he’s not gonna follow through fully on student loan forgiveness.

Pelosi got her congressional chorus to cosplay and take the knee for George Floyd, but what meaningful police reform have they championed since that photo op?

Obama was elected on 'Hope and Change', and then put Geitner and Summers in charge of fixing a problem that they themselves created during the Clinton admin, and their solution was to bail out their friends and let the defrauded masses fall into bankruptcy and foreclosure.

Yeah, “Thanks, Obama” was a racist ( -ish ) dog whistle, but it lingered a bit because it kinda had a point.

And do I even need to detail how the DNC fucked us out of President Bernie Sanders — TWICE!?

So of course a candidate who speaks nothing but DNC talking points is gonna trigger folks 'stranger danger'.

I spent most of my life as a knee-jerk, 'don’t think just vote' Chicago Democrat, until I finally saw that the DNC didn’t actually mean what it said, or follow up on promises made to the 99%.

And if a former party loyalist like me can come to this conclusion, then there are probably a lot of other folks who’ve noticed it as well.

So many of us have lost faith in politics to solve our problems, and a lot of folks — at least enough to sway this last election — have decided that throwing a wrench in the works is the only way they can express any influence over this broken system.

Trump is that monkey wrench. When he promises to smash the system, people believe him. Conservatives believe him. Liberals believe him. Progressives believe him. The rich believe him. The poor believe him.

And Glob help us, in The Year of Our Lord ( Mammon ) 2024, that passes for integrity.

It reminds me of the sound bite that old Slick Willy Clinton his-self gave the media when he threw Al Gore under the bus during the 2000 election ( something he also kinda did to Harris in Detroit this time around; Clinton really doesn’t like V.P.s, does he? ): “People will choose a strong leader who is wrong over a weak leader who is right.”

Harris didn’t convince the dude in the quote that she was speaking with the courage of her “joyful warrior” convictions, and I think that’s a fair point. I don’t think she was either.

I felt she came off very Vice-Presidential, very safe and corporate and triangulating. And in this time of spiraling crises, her safe and corporate and triangulating approach didn’t inspire the nation as much as Trump’s bold, disruptive, batshit-crazy promise to tear down the pig system.

I see the appeal: “You and I are fucked no matter what, but maybe Trump can take down some of piggies at the top.” I don’t believe this strategy will work out in our favor, but I grok spite.

Shit, man, “…from hell’s heart I stab at thee; for hate’s sake I spit my last breath at thee” may as well have been Trump’s campaign slogan.

Anyways, I’m well past my 500 allotted words here, so I’ll wrap this up by saying that if the Democrat wing of the neoliberal party wants to win elections post-Trump, they need to sell authenticity as well as Clinton or Obama — or Trump — did.

Personally, I think Pete Buttigieg has that vibe, but we shall see.

“An Arizona man, citing the time Harris said, “you better thank a union member,” during a speech in Detroit, said “that was very disingenuous to me because I didn’t see an honest person that could be president.” “It seemed like a lot of what she came out and said wasn’t really off-the-cuff, wasn’t coming from her,” said another man who voted for Biden in 2020 and Trump in 2024. “Seemed like every interview, every time she came out and talked about something, it was planned out and never her thoughts, didn’t seem genuine to her thoughts, whereas, Trump, even though you never really knew what he was going to say, when he was going to say it, it was always him and genuine to what he thought, so that’s what swayed me.””

—

New research shows the massive hole Dems are in

I mean … I don’t know how anyone worth electing is going to reach someone like this guy who basically says he’d rather vote for someone who rambles incoherently, with a clear track record of violence and corruption, because he didn’t like the way the scary Black lady talked.

Why is this guy even in this article? This guy is a lost cause. This guy is not the Democrats’ fault. This guy is a stupid fucking idiot who shouldn’t be allowed to be alone in any room with a sharp object.

And this is the guy the Democrats are going to throw the trans community under the bus for, the guy who says he didn’t like how prepared and articulate Kamala Harris was when she expressed her positions, when what we all know is that he didn’t like that she was a Black woman.

THAT is the real disgrace and failure of the party: chasing this guy at the expense of ten people who want to vote for them, because they listen to dipshit consultants who have lost all but two consequential elections for the last twenty years.

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enigmeyyy-writes · 4 months ago

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The Olive Branch {Zuko x F!OC}

Chapter 1 - The Summer Proposition

Given the task of accompanying the Earth Prince and her dear friend, Giren, to the Fire Nation over the summer when she was only 14, Sana Beifong didn’t expect to become a bargaining chip to help prevent further invasion into her homeland.

Or: Giren only wanted his dear childhood friend Zuko to be happy after the disappearance of Fire Lady Ursa. After meeting Sana in school in the Upper Ring, Giren decides to come up with the brilliant idea to play matchmaker in the middle of a war between their two nations.

Masterlist | Next Chapter

Word Count: 3589

Author's Note: Hi guys and welcome to the first chapter of The Olive Branch! It's taken a few days between work and classes, but I finally am happy with how it turned out :) this is part 1 of 30, so if you enjoyed this first chapter please follow my account or join the taglist (via masterlist)!

Being invited to tea at the royal palace in Ba Sing Se was a normal occurrence at this point. Of course, the travel from Gaoling could be quite a hassle when she wasn’t staying at her apartment in the Upper Ring, but Sana made do. Having a natural talent for persuading others from a young age, a scholar and professor visiting the Beifong estate had convinced her parents it would be best to educate her at the Earth Kingdom Royal Academy. Being from such a wealthy family, young Sana thought this path was an odd one at first, but soon enough, she realized it was a perfect fit.

Now fourteen and a political prodigy, Sana has thrived during her past few years at EKR. She had made good friends with other noble heirs and heiresses in Ba Sing Se, some of the few people who also had contact with life outside of the walls. Namely, Sana had the privilege of becoming good friends with the Earth King’s eldest son, Prince Giren.

Giren is quite the character, and Sana learned that quickly. Despite his princely disposition and current responsibilities as the Earth Kingdom's primary ambassador in charge of diplomacy, he’s loud and easily excited by even something as small as a Sparrowkeet. Sure, the prince had a heart of gold and was honestly as childish as his father, but he was a great mentor and had the kind of wisdom you may only find in generals and peacemakers. He often dragged Sana and their other friend Shihe to the palace when they were all in the city, so it was a bit odd for Sana to be receiving an invitation right after returning home at the end of term.

“What the fuck, Giren?”

“Well I don’t want to go alone so I convinced my dad to give you an official position! No biggie!”

Sana rolls her eyes in frustration as she lifts her teacup to take another sip. It’s perfectly sweet, just like how she prefers it. “Giren, you can’t just have the literal Earth King appoint me junior ambassador for the entire nation just because you didn’t want to visit the Fire Nation alone.”

“I haven’t visited the royal family since I was twelve, Sannie! It’s been three whole years since I’ve seen my friends there outside of sending letters once a month, so of course I’m nervous!” Giren is exasperated, lounging dramatically across a plush couch as he begins to recount his childhood memories to his dear friend. “We’ve only been friends since you came to the city for–ugh–school two years ago, but Sana you probably know by now that the Fire Nation just went through some crazy political upheaval last year. Things are a lot different now and I don’t know how well the meeting this summer will go…”

It is concerning, what Giren has recounted to her from his letters with the now crown Prince Zuko. After the death of his cousin Lu Ten during the siege on Ba Sing Se last year, General Iroh abdicated the throne to his younger brother and Zuko’s father, Ozai. Within days Fire Lord Azulon had died and the newly appointed Fire Lady Ursa had disappeared. On the other side of this, Giren hadn’t been able to visit Zuko and their other friend Soru in years. Sana, attempting to emphasize, thought what it would be like returning to Ba Sing Se if King Kuei suddenly thrust Giren onto the throne on such short notice. “I see…” A sigh escapes her pink-painted lips. “I suppose it would be more beneficial to have a closer companion in addition to your guards with you considering the shift in political climate the Fire Nation is facing. But why not invite Shihe and introduce him to your friends? You’ve known him much longer and honestly, I’d like to spend more time with my sister before we grow apart too much…”

“You know I can’t. Not in the way I want to.” Giren places his head in his hands. “Besides, you and Toph are polar opposites anyway. She may only be ten years old and behave for your parents when they’re around, but you’ve mentioned she manages to sneak off a lot and I know you’d never,” he jests a bit knowing her well.

“Ren, I’ll come with you this summer,” Sana says to him as he suddenly jumps up with a childlike glee. “But only after I visit home and tell my parents. We’ll depart at the beginning of next month, yes? That gives me two weeks to get my affairs in order before you whisk me away to the Fire Nation, of all places.”

Giren is ecstatic at this point. “Oh thankyouthankyouthankyouuuu!~” he exclaims, running up and hugging her sitting form. Sana remains composed, but a slight smile reaches her controlled face. “You have no idea how excited but nervous but excited I am to go back! Back in the day when I visited over the summer, Lady Ursa would invite Soru and me on their annual trip to Ember Island since it falls during my birthday. I wonder if we’ll be able to bring back that tradition…”

Sana giggles a bit behind her hand. “Anything for you, you spoiled brat..”

“H-hey!”

*:･✧*:･

Returning home to Gaoling to have dinner with her parents after a week in the city was quite nervewracking for Sana. How could she explain the situation to them without their overprotective nature bubbling up and taking away an amazing opportunity for her? Arriving back at the Beifong estate via their family carriage after several days of travel, Sana is greeted by the sight of her parents.

“Father, mother,” she greets them cordially. Sana had always been a proper young lady fitting of her status, so addressing her family formally had stuck out of habit. Ever the dramatic pair, Lord and Lady Beifong immediately rush over to their eldest daughter.

“Dear how was your trip?”

“Why were you summoned to the palace so soon? You only just returned home from school…”

“Sana you should get dressed in something nicer and put your hair up, we’re having guests over tonight.”

“Why is her hair down in the first place…”

With a sigh and a smile, Sana plays her parents well. “My trip was well. Prince Giren invited me for tea and well…I have something to announce at dinner if you think our guests do not mind?” She thinks for a moment. “Who is visiting anyway?”

Her mother, Poppy, smiles warmly. She’s proud of her daughter, despite Sana being away from home so often. “The Lu family is visiting from Ba Sing Se. They’ve been in the region these past few days meeting with the towns that grow their trade goods. Didn’t your friend Shihe tell you? Or the Prince?”

Sana’s mother had always been the talkative type despite being a lady of class–gossip was difficult when you live in a regional capital town where you are the most prominent family. “No I’m afraid he didn’t write either of us…I’m glad we’re hosting him and his parents, though. It’d be good for him to hear the news now than over a letter.”

Returning to her bedroom and dressing herself in the nicest dress clothes (a pretty olive-jade colored ensemble that compliments her slightly more golden eyes) and twisting her long black hair into a pretty low bun with her favorite ornamental hairpin (a birthday gift from Giren last year). While Sana’s look wasn’t as typical as her mother’s fashion or what her little sister was often forced into, it was one that set her apart in the best way, showcasing her unique beauty perfectly.

Dinner with the arrival of the Lu family to Gaoling was delightful. Sana struck up conversation with Shihe quickly, making ease of the small talk while avoiding topics surrounding school, business, or politics. Their fathers, of course, found themselves engaged in a loud conversation about business and their children that was seemingly unavoidable.

“Lao, I have to ask, why send your daughter so far away from home to be educated when she surely would grow into a perfectly mannered young lady with your wife’s guidance?” Mr. Lu was a stern businessman who his son looked nothing alike. Their values also differed quite a lot as despite technically having new wealth in comparison to the Beifongs, they hold very traditional beliefs about roles in society.

Of course, all four Beifongs and Shihe are taken a bit aback by this sudden question. “W-well you see my good friend who grew up here, Advisor Xi Mao–I’m sure you’re familiar with him, correct? He’s a scholar and professor at the Earth Kingdom Royal Academy our children attend and had been visiting us two years ago. Xi Mao had noticed my eldest Sana’s natural gift and intellect and suggested we enroll her as she had the makings of a political prodigy.” The praise was seemingly endless and repetitive at this point for Sana who had heard her father tell the story a million times before. “Of course, this is evident by the friendship she has gained with your son and Prince Giren. She’s top of her class for those studying political endeavors.”

Sana, with a strained smile that comes across as grateful to the untrained eye, stands up with ladylike grace. “On that note, father, may I make an announcement?” Her voice rings through the room in a delicate and pleasing tone, immediately settling the tension. Lao gives his daughter a permissive hand gesture, allowing her to speak.

“I was visiting with Prince Giren for tea earlier this week and received news that I am the newly appointed junior diplomatic ambassador for the Earth Kingdom.” Congratulations are spoken, her parents' faces lit up with dramatic pride. “However, this means I will be leaving next week to accompany the prince to the Fire Nation on a long overdue summer visit to the royal family.”

Silence fills the room. Toph, still young and naive about the world, innocently speaks up.

“Why is everyone so quiet? Is something wrong?”

The adults in the room immediately rush to speak up to assure the youngest daughter that there is nothing to be concerned about. However, the tension in the room and nervous glances among them say otherwise.

After dinner, the Lu family departs from the estate to reach the next town over for the night. Shihe comfortingly lets Sana know before they leave that he will be in contact with her and Giren all summer. When the home is empty of the joyous chatter and talk of business, Sana’s parents pull her aside, with looks of worry on their faces.

“Sana, what is the meaning of this?” Her father’s tone is confrontational. “Surely this is some kind of mistake…”

Confused, Sana tilts her head, lips slightly parted with a small frown. “The Earth King himself drafted the proclamation document at his son’s request, father. You know you can trust I am responsible enough to handle such a position. Besides, Giren and his company of guards will be traveling with us and he’s visited the Fire Nation many times before…”

This doesn’t shake her parents’ concern. “Dearest, what kinds of…responsibilities will this new position mean for you? For your time?” As typical of Poppy Beifong, she is more concerned about her daughter’s safety and status as a young lady of a noble house than where she may be traveling.

“Most responsibilities will be handled by Ren I suppose, he is the primary diplomatic ambassador and prince of our kingdom after all…He told me himself he truly just wanted a close friend to keep him sane while visiting as it has been years since he’s seen his childhood friends in person.” Recalling the conversation from earlier that week, Sana tries to make sense of her own future agenda for the summer. “Much of our time outside of Giren’s meeting will be with the crown prince and their mutual friend, Soru. I’m sure the princess and her friends will also be around quite frequently as well from what I’ve heard, but they are younger than us and tend to stay distant.”

These details seem to quell her parent’s anxiety, but it’s evident the Beifongs are still hesitant. Sana, in all honesty, is the perfect daughter of nobility. Having such a gem like her in such a dangerous position and environment like traveling to the Fire Nation for political reasons comes with a great risk. Despite these apprehensions, all Lao and Poppy can do is let her go. “Well, then I suppose there is no way to go against the wishes of the royal family…but your mother and I do expect letters at least once a week while you are away. We don’t want to hear news through the vine that you are suddenly in danger,” Sana’s father sternly tells her.

With a gentle and small smile, Sana gratefully gives a bow to her parents before bidding them goodnight. Heading down the hall to her bedroom, however, she is quickly stopped by her little sister grabbing her wrist. “Toph?”

“I heard your footsteps…so you’ll really be gone all summer?” Toph was normally one to wear her masks: the sweet blind daughter in front of their parents, the fierce competitor when she’d sneak away to earth-bending battles, and even the unbothered friend if need be when in company. Her sister knew her best of all, seeing through whatever the ten-year-old would try to do to protect herself. “It’s times like these I wish I wasn’t blind because now I won’t have anyone to confide in, Sana…”

A sigh escapes Sana’s lips with a gentle frown. The girls’ rooms had become their sanctuary, their space to breathe and relax away from the eyes of their overbearing parents and the rest of society. Sana, as the elder of the two sisters, had a room more different from her sisters: books and scrolls from school, expensive gifts of jewelry and trinkets given to her by her friends and family, an ornate vanity, and a hanging scroll Giren had given her depicting a scene of a pond beside a large tree with hanging leaves in a pretty garden (he claimed it didn’t “suit his space”). Toph’s room was much more simple and slightly smaller as not only was she the youngest, she is blind and their parents try to “prevent” her from coming into contact with hazards. Aside from the same set of furniture both girls have, Toph’s room was fairly barren in decor aside from a few dolls Sana had given to her when she was younger. Both rooms were full of memories of simpler times of childhood dreams of future handsome suitors and fighting Fire Nation goons. Toph had always been a fighting spirit, a strong-willed girl who refused to be told something was impossible for her to do. On the other hand, Sana was a near complete opposite: a ladylike girl who thought before she spoke and acted, someone who once had dreams of always living lavishly surrounded by pretty flowers in a peaceful home. Despite their stark differences, the two found comfort in each other–they had freedom in their small rooms that no one else could grant them.

With a heavy sigh as she sits on the silken covers of her little sister’s bed, Sana faces her with solemn pale olive eyes. “I know, Toph…but it's only until the end of August and then I’ll be home again, I promise.”

“But then you go to school!” Toph is still holding Sana’s hand, not wanting to lose her sister in the room.

Flopping back with a bounce, Sana’s breath falters. “I guess I forgot. I’m so sorry I won’t be here. I’m sorry we won’t be able to talk like this for months. You’re still so young and I sometimes forget that I’m still a kid, too.” A choked sob leaves her lips. “Toph, sometimes I wish I was an absolutely naive and insignificant girl who wasn’t involved in all of this…mess!”

“Don’t say that.” Toph gives her a look, one Sana knows all too well. Since when was her baby sister so full of wisdom? “I love that you are my smart, super cool, and I assume very pretty older sister–judging from how many times Mom and Dad have complimented how beautiful you are–so I don’t want anyone else! Definitely not a sister who can’t think for herself.”

“Toph-”

“No! Honestly, I could care less that you’re going away to an enemy country of all places, but I am worried that you’ll be different when you come back…”

“What?” Confused, Sana’s brow furrows. “Toph, I highly doubt meeting the people threatening our nation will change me.”

Toph hums in frustration. “It’s just- Well, the prince is friends with Giren, right?”

“And how does this relate to me changing as a person?”

“I-I don’t know, Sana…”

*:･✧*:･

By the end of the week, Sana had packed her luggage with a variety of fancy dresses, hair ornaments, and necessities for her stay in the Fire Nation. She would be met by Giren later in the day before they traveled to the western coast to board their ship to the Fire Nation. The trip would take a few days on the water before stopping at a port to transfer onto a smaller boat to reach the capital city. Renowned for their navy, Sana had to give the Fire Nation their flowers for being so innovative when it comes to feats of engineering. While Giren had been escorted by the royal navy multiple times before, this would be her first time on a boat–let alone traveling across a body of water as large as the Mo Ce Sea.

“Oh, Sannie!~ Are you excited?” Giren, loud as ever, is ecstatic to be outside the walls after two years. “Sometimes I forget that Gaoling is such a small regional capital…but hey, we’ll be on a naval ship in just a few days!” He had arrived earlier than expected, but surely he must have been exhausted after traveling across the desert for days? Nope.

With a friendly roll of her eyes, Sana looks at her dearly unbelievable friend. “Ren, I expect we’ll be setting off from the ports at Omashu?” He confirms with a nod. “I don’t know much about naval ships so I don’t really know how long we’ll be traveling…”

Much opposed to her original apprehensions, traveling by way of the Fire Nation navy to the island nation went by quicker than expected. After a couple of days by carriage to the city of Omashu, the party consisting of Giren, Sana, and a small entourage of Earth Kingdom guards boarded a minimally manned ship (so as to not create a politically imbalanced tension aboard). Such a large piece of metal somehow traversing one of the largest bodies of water between nations at exceptional speeds was alarming yet intriguing to Sana. Not one for engineering or much to do with how things work, the fourteen-year-old girl gained some genuine respect for the Fire Nation’s push for innovation rather than tradition (in comparison to the more traditional structure of the Earth Kingdom).

After switching to a smaller vessel to reach the capital of the Fire Nation via an island port town, Sana was instantly taken with the energy and warmth of the islands. A series of volcanic islands scattered with vibrant greenery from a rainy spring season, the summer heat permeated the air. However, it wasn’t unpleasant. The humidity was new in comparison to the southern region of the Earth Kingdom in an area surrounded by mountains, desert, and dense woods. It felt nice, dewy, and not unbearably sticky on her skin. Ba Sing Se, the only other place Sana had stayed in for an extended period of time, was much colder and misty in comparison to the warm, orange-skied Fire Nation.

The people were quite lovely, too. There have been stories girls growing up in the Earth Kingdom have been told for the past one hundred years: the Fire Nation is evil, you can’t trust people whose land is covered in ash and consuming heat. Growing up they’re told to stay away from these people just because of where they came from, because of the colors of their eyes. Seeing the lively natives of the nation, however, Sana felt that everything she was taught could not possibly be entirely true: children smiling and running through the streets in the afternoon sun, street vendors selling foods that had scents of spices she definitely didn’t even know existed, young ladies maybe only a few years older than herself dressed in pretty reds and ambers flirtatiously eying the young guards escorting them through town, and sweet old ladies noticing that she was from the Earth Kingdom but not mentioning it as they called her as pretty as a fire lily or the rumored silver wisteria blossoms of the royal palace gardens.

Sana would get to see those blooms herself in just less than a day now. Their party would stay the night in the town before boarding, making their final leg of the trip to the Fire Nation royal palace. It was only a matter of time before Sana would be entering the dragon’s den, facing the Fire Lord. Readying herself for bed that night, the candlelight glimmers across her eyes creating a golden gleam. Contemplative and resigned, a thought crosses her mind: what could go wrong tomorrow, or this summer for that matter?

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