#to be clear: i do support more computer classes in schools

[iluvmattsbeard]

older (m.s)

master list

student! matt sturniolo x professor! reader

warnings: HEAVY smut/oral (female receiving)/fingering/p in v/creampie/swearing

preview: 18 year old student Matt is a freshman in college. you are his professor who is 28 years old. Matt is a phenomenal student. but during lectures, he can’t help but check out his professor, fantasizing about you. you tell him it’s unprofessional for you to pay more attention to him than any other student. you also tells him you're too old for him which, he tries to prove to you you're wrong.

*not proof read*

a/n: i’m doing a collab with @mwahsturns ! go check out her version of Matt being the professor, click here ,this is my version of the reader being professor! i’m so glad I had the opportunity of working with her. she is lovely and absolutely amazing overall. i hope to do this again. if anyone would also like to collab with me in the future, let me know!

even though Matt was pursuing his YouTube career with his brothers, Matt wanted to do something on his own. in videos, he is known to spread light on mental health and anxiety. as he did some research, he found a community college that fit his standards. he wanted to major in psychology and hopefully see where it takes him. his brothers supported his decision and he couldn't be anymore excited. he enrolled himself and got in immediately. today was his first day and he was currently packing his back pack. "are you sure you'll be able to handle all of this?" his brother Nick asks. Matt was in the middle of shoving his books in his bag, "yes Nick. i'll be okay. i'm just going to see if this is right for me. if it's not, then i'll stick to YouTube." he responds while zipping up the bag in front of him.

"okay I was just making sure." Nick says getting up from the bar stool in the kitchen. "alright, i'm all set. i'll see you guys later." Matt says putting on the back pack and picking up his car keys. Chris and Nick both say good bye to him and he walks out, heading to his car. as soon as he put the address in his navigation, he noticed the estimated arrival time and muttered under his breath, "fuck." it was not going to be a good first impression he thought. when he finally got on campus, he headed straight to his class. he got to the door and opened it, walking inside to see all the students turn and look at him. "you're late." he hears a woman say. he turns to look at you. you had your back facing towards the class as you wrote something on the whiteboard.

you turn around and he locks eyes with yours. "what's your name?" you ask walking over to your desk. "Matthew." he says eyeing you. "okay Matthew, you may take a seat. I'll let it slide since it's your first day." you respond looking up from your computer to catch his stare. Matt nods and walks to an empty seat. he didn't expect his professor to look the way you did. he looked at the board to see your name. "miss L/n..." he whispers to himself. Matt kept his eyes on you as you spoke, "Matthew, you can ask the person next to you to copy their notes that I previously had up. go over it and try to catch up okay?" Matt nods and does as you say. as he took notes, he couldn't help but get distracted by the professor. your white button up shirt with your hair both placed in front of your shoulders, your long black pencil skirt, stockings, and black heels. he couldn't keep his eyes off you.

as time went by, Matt was always on top of his work. his focus was always there in lectures. he didn't really find the subject of the class all that interesting but, his professor was all he cared about. he wanted to stand out and to do so, he needed to focus on what you were teaching about so he could stay on top. Matt was never good in school but, this was different. after one of the lectures, he decided to stick around as other students left. "is there something you need Matthew?" you ask looking up at him. he was still sat in his seat as he clears his throat, "i'm having a little trouble accessing some material at home." he says lying. "let me take a look." you suggest to him. he gets up and walks over to you with his laptop. "you can call me Matt by the way." he adds on as he places the laptop in front of you. you smile a bit, "good to know." you respond and looks at his screen.

you began to open up the material that he claimed wasn't working. you look at him, "are you sure it wasn't working at home?" you ask. "it wasn't last night. I guess you have the magic touch." he says causing you to laugh, "I guess so. anything else you need help with?" you ask. he shakes his head, "not that I know of." he says taking his laptop off the desk. he starts to walk away but you call out to him, "wait Matt." he turns around and looks at you, "yes?" he asks. you stand up from your chair and smile, "I just want to tell you i'm highly impressed by your work. every single assignment you turn in, is beyond what I ask for." you complimented him. Matt grins before speaking, "I am being taught well." you laugh, "thank you. that just means i'm doing my job." you say clasping your hands together in front of you.

as more lectures go by, he couldn't help but start to fantasize about you. he started to imagine how he would look impressing you with something else he's good at beyond his assignments. the way you spoke, he could just imagine the way you would whisper in his ear. Matt would eye your buttoned shirt and imagine how he would undo it. his thoughts were soon interrupted by the professor clearing your throat, "Matt?" you call out. he gulps and looks up at your eyes instead of your blouse, "make sure you're paying attention." you say tapping on his desk before walking away. after class, you ask him to stick around. "are you okay?" you question him. he was sat across from you, "yes i'm fine. why?" he asks. you laugh a bit, "I could tell your mind was wondering off somewhere else. I just wanted to know if something was bothering you." you say as he stares at you. "oh yeah, i'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to." he responds.

"that's okay, just let me know what's on your mind next time." she suggests. Matt nods and it stays quiet for a bit. "how'd you get into teaching?" he asks breaking the silence. "it's a long story." you say laughing a bit. he has this blank face as he speaks, "I have time." your smile fades a bit as you let out a little breath, "well, it wasn't my first choice. I wanted to pursue in something more creative but to my parents it was more of a dream than a reality. I decided to get into education and well here I am." you continued to ramble but he catches you off guard with his next question, "what's your name?" you look at him, "that's a sudden question. my name is Y/n but don't get use to that." you say. "how old are you, Y/n?" he asks curiously and boldly. "none of your business." you respond as he grins, "i'm just trying to get to know you." you hesitate but eventually tell him, "i'm 28." you mutter out.

"are you married?" he asks making your eyes widen a bit, "no but, that's a very personal question. this is starting to get inappropriate." you say getting up from your chair. Matt gets up as well, "it's inappropriate to try to get to know you?" he asks. you turn to look at him, "it's inappropriate because i'm your teacher. i'm not somebody you need to know better." you respond. he puts on his back pack and smiles, "only innocent." he says walking out the classroom leaving you standing there alone.

a few days later, you were at your desk grading assignments as you notice Matt's work getting sloppy. you ask him to stay after class and he does so. it was all apart of his plan. "Matt, your recent assignments have been painfully hard to grade. you were doing good not too long ago, why are you being lazy with your work?" you ask in a serious tone. "i'm not quite sure. why don't you want me to get to know you?" he asks catching you off guard. "Matthew, we're talking about your work here." you say wanting to stick to the serious conversation. "are you scared Y/n?" he asks making you fix your posture, "it's miss L/n to you." you remind him. "answer my question. are you scared you might enjoy talking to me?" he says. "it's inappropriate." you say repeating yourself from last time. "is it inappropriate to ask what you like to drink?" he asks tilting his head a bit with a small smile.

"mainly iced coffee." you answer hoping to move on from the conversation, "now can we talk about your work?" you ask hoping he would cooperate but, he gets up and puts on his back pack, "i'll fix it." he says before walking out leaving you once again, in shock. you sat there wondering why he was acting the way he was.

the next day, you had your back facing the class as you wrote a check list on the board. as soon as you turned around, you do a double take of the iced coffee that was placed on your desk. you look up from it, eyeing Matt as he just grins and looks away to unzip his bag. unbelievable you thought. after the lecture, you ask him stick around as everyone else leaves. "Matt, don't start this." you say sternly. "what? I can't get you coffee for being a good teacher?" he says with a sly smile. you sigh, "that's nice of you but I know what you're doing." you say with your arms crossed. "what am I doing?" he asks not taking his eyes off of you. "you're trying to flatter me." you mutter out. he laughs and puts on his back pack. he looks at you up and down and greets you good bye as he walks out. "what are you up to..." you whisper to yourself.

when Matt arrived home, he began to do his assignments. "how has school been?" Chris asks before taking a sip of his Pepsi. Matt's eyes stayed on his computer, "not much to talk about." he says. Chris rolls his eyes a bit, "nice talking to you." he says. "there is this girl." Matt lets out. "who?" Chris asks now very interested. Matt looks at him, "none of your business." he laughs to himself as he remembers you telling him that. "then why bring it up?" Chris says with a blank face. Matt just laughs again and shakes his head.

the next few days, you start to notice Matt's work going back to being astounding. how is that possible? how did he do it so quickly? Matt continued to get you iced coffee every day. other students were starting to notice. as you sat there, you continue to look at Matt's work and you started to put the pieces together. the coffee, the inappropriate behavior, and he was purposely being sloppy before. you shut your computer as you look at him already staring at you. you felt a sort of shiver go down your spine as this look was different. his eyes were captivating in a way that made you feel disappointed in yourself for even thinking that. you look away and begin your lecture. after, you ask Matt to stick around once more.

"were you being sloppy on purpose?" you ask standing in front of his desk. "maybe." he responds with the same sly smile like always. you let out a sigh, "Matt, why are you doing this?" you ask. "doing what?" he asks trying to be innocent. you turn around and pick up the iced coffee on your desk, "the coffee every day, you wanting to get to know me, asking personal questions, and now I realize you were purposely trying to stay after class." you let out making him lean back in his seat. "and the question you asked the other day. if I was scared that i'll enjoy talking to you? seriously?" you add on.

he looks down and shakes his head with a smile. "what is so funny?" you question with your arms crossed. he looks back up at you, "do you really want to know?" he says. "yes I do." you respond waiting for him to explain. he sits up a bit as he places his arms on the desk, "I think about you constantly." he pauses for a bit, "do you think I wanted to fantasize about my professor?" he asks. you uncross your arms and gulp, "no one asked you to." you say. he laughs a bit, "yeah well I do. you make it hard for me to focus." he says making you look away, "then maybe you should transfer into a different class Matt." you suggest.

"are you sure you want that?" he says making you look at him. it stays quiet for bit as you both locked eyes. you look away quickly and turn around, "I can't do this." you say walking up to your desk. Matt gets up and walks behind you. you stop in front of your desk, placing your hands onto it. Matt gets closer behind you as he presses up against you slightly. you look ahead of you as you felt his presence. Matt moves your hair away by tucking it behind your ear as he gets closer to your ear. you gulp as you stand still, "are you sure you want me gone from your class Miss L/n?" he whispers in your ear. you felt a shiver roll down your spine, "i'm too old for you Matt." you whisper still looking ahead of you. "I'm of age you know." he lets out. "i'm still 10 years older than you..." you reply but he just continues, "just because I'm young, doesn't mean I don't know how to handle you." you let out a breath as he starts to run his hands on your waist, down to your hips.

"i'm your professor Matt..." you whisper. he smirks, "I know. but I can also teach you things." he says turning you around. he steps closer as you lean a bit against the desk, "like what?" you ask looking into his eyes. he picks you up by your waist as he places you on the desk. he was now standing in between your legs as he looks down at you, "I can teach you what it's like to feel good." he whispers. you gulp without breaking eye contact, "Matt..." you whisper back. he places his hands on your face as he pulls you in slowly, closer to his face. your lips were nearly touching, "tell me, do you want that?" he asks. you were filled with mixed emotions. the way you two were, if someone walked in, it would've been obvious what's about to happen. Matt rubs your cheek softly, "use your words." he says in a low tone. his words became more demanding as his eyes grew dark. "teach me then..." you whisper out. he immediately presses his hungry lips onto yours as he kept his hands on your face. your hands were placed on the desk as you leaned into the kiss.

you knew this was wrong but, it felt so right. Matt moves his hands down to your thighs as he places a good grip on them. he pulls you closer, making his grown erection touch your core. you moan out quietly from the sudden action as he then starts to unbutton your shirt slowly as he continues to kiss you with the same eagerness. you buck your hips a bit against his clothed cock as he finally got your shirt to come undone. he then pulls it open, moving it behind your shoulders. now you were mostly revealed at top as your blouse was low on your elbows.

he moves his lips to your neck as he places wet kisses, he begins to suck your skin as he finds your sweet spot, causing you to throw your head back a bit as your eyes went shut. Matt then moves away and looks down at your skirt. he pulls it up slowly, revealing your black lace panties. he begins to kneel down as he pulls them down. you look down at him as he makes eye contact with your wetness. "already so wet for me." he says before moving his head closer in between your legs. he spreads your legs apart slightly as he started to work his way to lick your folds.

your breathing started to go uneven as you let out a breath. he began to tongue the inside of your entrance as you kept your eyes on him. you ran your hand through his hair as you moan quietly. you don't remember the last time someone pleased you. he starts to run his tongue up and down your entrance as your eyebrows furrowed, making your mouth open slightly. the mixture of the wetness of his tongue and your natural wetness was driving you crazy. his tongue worked like magic. he then began to flick his tongue onto your clit as he stuck two digits into your core. you moan from the stimulation as your thighs started to close in. Matt looks up at you as he watches your face change from the way he was moving. his fingers started to go in and out of you as he then started to swirl his tongue around your throbbing clit.

you grip his hair even more as you kept eye contact with him. he was loving the view he had. the way your mouth kept letting out beautiful noises, he knew he was living up to his words. you buck your hips, wanting more from him. he removes his fingers from inside of you and pulls away. he stands back up and licks his lips. "you seemed to enjoy that." he says. "you're looking like you don't mind anymore miss L/n." he lets out as he starts to unbutton his pants. you look at his crotch as he pulls down his pants with his boxers. you felt yourself in between your legs ache. you needed him badly. he strokes his cock as he makes you look at him in the eyes, "do you still think you're too old for me?" he asks, "look how hard you made me." he adds on.

he then grabs you under your thighs, pulling you closer to him as he rubs his tip at your entrance. "M-Matt..." you whine out. "if only you could look at yourself right now. not so inappropriate now huh?" he says with a grin. he then pushes himself into you as you throw your head back from the way he began to stretch you out, "fuck." Matt moans out lowly. you moan at the way he started to thrust slowly. you didn't know if you could take all of him but, he made sure you did. he starts to thrust harder into you as he pushes himself deeper into you. you wrap your legs around him as you pull him into a kiss. he kisses back as he now starts to pound into you. this made you moan in between kisses. your one hand rested around his neck as the other gripped behind his hair.

"keep it down." he says while going back to kiss you, muffling your moans. you shut your eyes as you melt under him. he loved the way he was stuffing you right now. he was finally fulfilling his imagination. you started to push against his thrusts as he gripped your thighs. his thrusts were deep, making your eyes fog up. you didn't know it was possible to feel this good. especially, from your student. he pulls away from the kiss, biting your lip softly. he pushes you down onto the desk, causing some stuff to fall off. he puts your legs together as he continues to thrust at a fast pace. you cover your mouth as you moan into your hands. the position he had you in hurt so good. "fuck i'm going to cum." he groans. "m-me too." you moan out. he spreads your legs and places his thumb on your clit as he started to rub in circles. you were a moaning mess as you gripped onto the edge of the desk.

Matt then releases in you after one last hard thrust. you both cum at the same time. he thrusts out his high as he pulls out of you slowly, watching his cum drip out of you. he grins feeling accomplished. you sat up on the desk as you caught up with your breathing. Matt pulls up his boxers and pants, buttoning it back up. he grabs his back pack and puts it on. he looks at you still on the desk as he smiles, "i'll keep this a secret." he says before walking out.

a/n: turned myself on 💀 LIKES, COMMENTS, REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED!

[schemmentisimpasours]

Daddy? Daughter Dance

*Get ya head out the gutters y'all. Not the daddy you thinking just some cute Mom Melissa Fluff*

Original Request:Hi, I have a Mel x reader prompt:Reader has a daughter (her and Mel can be or not in a relationship) and Mel shows up in the daughter’s dance class, and in a parents night. Then the reader realizes Melissa is the one

Summary:You are terrified for the upcoming Daddy Daughter dance until Melissa offers to step in and you realize your love may run deeper than you thought

Next Chapter

Masterlist

-

You dreaded the day you picked your daughter up from dance practice and a little pink slip was clutched tightly in her hand. It was that time of year Daddy Daughter Dance. Last year your daughter had begged to sign up with her dad and he promised that he would. Yet a week before practices began, he canceled citing something to do with his girlfriend and suddenly you were out $80 and had a heartbroken five-year-old who only wanted her Daddy. This year the dance studio opened it to more than just dads trying to make it more inclusive to the families that had two moms, single moms, and some non-binary parents. Your heart had overjoyed at this new inclusion that made your daughter a little more relaxed about having two women figure in her life caring for her but you also knew you couldn’t do it. 

Working overnight was exhausting but it was the only thing that paid you enough to support Amari in dance, have a decent house with a small backyard, and keep your older beater Subaru running. You were able to get your daughter to dance and back barely in time to sign onto your computer. There was no way you could commit to even more practices at a later start time. It would break your heart to tell Amari that yet another parent dance would pass her by until she climbed in the car and said the most unexpected thing.

“Can I ask Melissa to dance with me Mommy?” She asked before buckling her seat belt. 

You and Melissa had been dating for over six months having met at Kindergarten round-up when you had started making jokes about the other parents under hushed breaths. Melissa had heard you and had immediately taken to your sarcasm and wit. It was quick and easy with the red head like falling in love with someone you had known your whole life. Amari had been overjoyed to have the “weally nice Ms. Schemmi” that her teacher Ms. Howard talked so highly of over at her house every day. 

Melissa had taken to your daughter easily, as you expected she would. Reading her bedtime stories when work got out of hand for you. Making easy heat-up meals to add some variety to her diet of chicken nuggets and ramen noodles that she had been addicted to since she was four. Playing Barbie dolls with her and allowing Amari to practice her very very subpar makeup skills on her. Melissa loved your daughter like her own it was clear but Amari had always been hard to read. One moment she was so excited the be living with you and other days she was screaming to go to her dad who maybe called her once a month. She had never taken to any of your other partners in the past claiming that “you two timing Daddy” when in all actuality it was your ex who did the two timing during your time together. 

As you regained your composure from her question you stared at her through the rearview mirror, “You really want Melissa to dance with you, honey?”

“Yeah, she is my Mamma,” Your heart melted at your daughter's words, “You still Mommy though. Can't get rid of you.”

You laughed because you couldn't tell if the last statement was a disappointment to her or a compliment and in that moment Amari reminded you so much of Melissa. You promised your daughter you would ask her in the morning when they got to school. You had practiced what you were going to say all night. However, the plan went right out the window when Amari ran right up to Melissa pink paper in hand.

“Mama! Mama!” Amari yelled running right to the redhead.

At the sound of her voice, Melissa turned looking for you and Amari. However, she froze when she realized Amari was calling her Mama. She was pulled from her daze tears etching the corner of her eyes as Amari explained what was happening. 

“Will you do the Daddy-Daughter dance with me, Mama? They are letting Moms do it this year and I think we should do it. Pleaseeee.”

“Of course my lil cannoli. Anything for you. Hand me the paper and I'll sign us up at lunch,” Melissa smiled pushing a beaded braid behind Amari’s ear.

“I love you Mama!” Amari said giving her a tight squeeze before coming to kiss you goodbye.

She slipped into Ms. Howard's classroom as you stepped up to Melissa. A single tear was rolling down her cheek. You wiped it away with your thumb.

“Mel if you don't want to…”

“No I want to do it. I absolutely want to do it,” Melissa said looking at the space Amari had just vacated, “Just never thought I would get the chance to be a Mama.”

“Well you are one now,” You smiled kissing her cheek, “I think she might be putting a hit out on me so you can be her only mom. Still can’t tell.”

“That is my girl. I totally have a guy for that too,” she said and you both laughed.

Melissa kept her word signing up for the dance on her lunch break. She pulled out her calendar scrawling all the dates for practice and rehearsal down. One the first day of practice you were pacing in the living room your nerves getting the best of you. Melissa had never once let you down on her promises but your ex had lied so much when it came to Amari that you had learned to expect the worse. But Melissa pulled up to the door with plenty of time to spare. 

You smiled at her pulled up into a high bun with a Philadelphia Eagles shirt on paired with simple black leggings. She kissed your cheek as you studied her outfit.

“Had to buy new damn leggings for this dance class. Didn’t want the little cannoli commenting on how shabby my other ones are,” Melissa said holding you in her arms as you both waited for Amari.

“She thinks that all of clothes are shabby,” You laughed, “Be safe my love.”

“Always,” She responded before Amari launched into her legs. 

Melissa took Amari to every dance practice from then on out allowing for you to have some calm moments to get ready for work. They came home every day smiling and full of laughter. You knew that you loved Melissa but every time she walked through the door holding Amari’s hand you fell a little bit more. 

Weeks went by till it was finally time for the dance. Melissa had already taken Amari out to get her outfit for the dance however all of it had been kept secret from you. As you sat in the second row of the auditorium you fidgeting nervously waiting for your two girls to come out. You swore your heart stopped as they came onto the stage with the other families. 

Melissa was one of the only females in this group but she stood out for different reasons. Her red curls pooled around her three-piece emerald green suit. The pants clung to her every curve giving away a black vest that showed off just enough cleavage to barely past children dancing appropriately. On top of the vest was a matching emerald green suit jacket that hung open and loose around her.Amari stood next her smiling the biggest smile you had ever seen. Bun pulled up into the requirement for the dance recital Melissa had bought her a black bow with silver sparks to go with it. The emerald green dress your daughter wore had silver jewels across the top with a big princess tool skirt that you knew Amari was dying over. 

You cried during the whole performance as you watched Melissa twirl, spin, and lift your daughter high in the air. They looked so happy together and in that moment you knew that you were going to love Melissa forever. When the dance was over Melissa placed a kiss on your daughter’s head and after their bow Amari rushed of for her next performance. A couple of moments later Melissa joined you among the crowd wrapping her suit jacket over your shoulders. 

As soon as she leaned in to kiss your lips you blurted, “Marry me.”

“Finally,” Melissa smiled cupping your face gently, “I thought you would never ask.”

[thatsastepladder]

Lately I've been thinking about how Charlie Kirk says that the successful demographic groups in any nation (but especially America) are those who don't have a perpetual victim mentality as a culture but those who strive to rise above their circumstances and make something of themselves. More specifically, I've been thinking about how that applies to X-Men comics and the mutant metaphor presented therein.

Even more specifically, I want to examine how it's in dialogue with the last several years of X-Men stories, where they've really ramped up the "hated and feared" parts of "fighting for a world that hates and fears them". Mutants are continuously under oppression to a degree that would make the most ardent Jim Crow supporters blush - a reflection, I'm sure, of the critical theory that most of Marvel's writing talent buys into.

(In case you've been hiding under a rock, critical theory is the culturally Marxist idea that oppression is a function of the combination of prejudice and power. Under this framework, some groups are inherently more oppressed than others, and the so-called "oppressor" groups must be torn down to elevate the "oppressed". The "oppressor" groups just so happen to be anything and everything that makes Western civilization flourish.)

The Krakoa era and the current From the Ashes relaunch are especially guilty of demonizing all 7 billion non-mutant humans on Marvel Earth. The improbable existence of Orchis as this monolithic anti-mutant group, the idea that it's okay to treat "flatscans" as second-class individuals, the idea that now, after Krakoa, mutants are "more oppressed than ever" - it's all hogwash.

The X-Men line has been in a spiral of repeating the same stories over and over for twenty years now - Krakoa being the extremely misguided exception - and I think they need a change. A big change. A return to first things, to paraphrase the Book of Revelation.

What if - and bear with me here - what if the X-Men take a big swing at Xavier's dream of assimilation? Rather than hiding away in a school or a bunker or whatever, what if we got stories of Bobby Drake, CPA who's also a superhero? Or Kitty Pryde, running a computer repair shop in Chicago? Cecilia Reyes starting her own private practice for those with nonstandard biology? Beak, Angel, and their brood at a cookout with the neighbors? Mutants scattered - but not broken. Thriving as they find out that the world is just full of... people, living their lives?

What if they step into the world and find that they've been lied to? That Magneto and Exodus and their ilk have so successfully propagandized them into believing that humans are bogeymen around every corner that they've forgotten that they themselves are human?

Yes, bigots exist, but just like in real life, they're few and far between. It just so happens that the most opinionated groups also have the loudest voices - the Friends of Humanity, the Right, the Purifiers. But they're not representative of the whole of humanity, who by and large have their lives to live.

And I know - it's a superhero franchise, we can't just make everyone have WFA-style slice of life stories. We can't dissolve the X-Men entirely and have them scattered across the globe living mundane lives without superhero action, that goes against what the franchise is at its core.

So we keep the X-Men. But we make it clear: being an X-Man is one possible career path and not remotely the only one. Some people - Wolverine and Kwannon and such? They're going to keep fighting because that's all they know to do, and that's what they want to do. But for others? Being a chef or a small business owner or an actuary might be a better career path for them.

And more crucially, they'd be integrating into society - changing hearts and minds by showing people they're not some bugaboo to be feared, but that they're people just like them albeit with unique mutations.

It's time for the X-Men to stop running, to stop painting themselves as victims (despite the giant robots) and to try to make something of mutantkind.

[writing-by-lunalight]

A/N: So for months I've been reading lots and lots of Yuri manga, probably more than I've ever read before in my life too…So I decided to try my hand at writing my own. Though it’s more of a novel, since I don’t draw, and I’ve attempted to be as faithful to the media as I can. LoveHarmful is my own take on the Yuri genre while playing to a specific kink, you’ll have to read on to find out which one though hehe. At the time of posting this I’m working on chapter 8 and my goal is get this to 20 chapters without dropping it or losing interest…so STAY TUNED!!

Chapter: (1)/2/3/4/Coming Soon!

!!Trigger Warnings!!

Consensual: Smoking, Burning(w/ cigarette)

Non-Consensual: None

—————————————————

[I understand this is a lot to ask of you but, I’m hoping you can work your magic here. ]

[Work my…magic? ]

[Don’t be so modest, not only are you class president, but you’ve managed to turn around all the troublemakers in your class. If anyone can get through to Shigure-San I’m certain it’s you, I want to be able to resolve this amicably, I’m worried about her. At any rate, you shouldn’t believe the rumors, she’s far more bark than bite.]

I agreed to this despite my reservations, but what was I thinking? Work my magic? All I did was talk to my classmates and help them vent their troubles from home, support their studying, then they improved on their own. But this?

Seiko Shigure is beyond being a troubled student…they say she’s insane! Always wearing this dark makeup, skipping class, showing up late, and that's not even half of it! I even heard she wears costume horns everywhere, does she think she’s a fantasy creature? UGH! Hard to believe she’s a 3rd year…I wish I could REALLY teach her a lesson. But talking it out and a slap on the wrist is what everyone wants me to do - what they expect, so I have to.

Still, just once, I’d love to really let loose on somebody.

From a young age, I always tore my toys apart, I wanted to see what was inside them and whats more I enjoyed it so so much. Yet my parents would get upset with me, and eventually convinced me to stop breaking things, it’s not normal they’d tell me. Though it pained me to stop, I didn’t want to hurt or upset anyone, not that much anyways. When I gained access to a computer of my own, I learned there was a name for people like me, a sadist. It made me feel relieved I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, but what hope could I have for an outlet? I have to be nice, I have to be good, I have to keep. It. In.

I said to myself, though at the same time I became aware of my nails digging into the back of my notebook I clutched in my arms. I sighed and released my grip, the small access stairwell looking back at me, I took my first step upwards. In the silence of the third floor hallway, each step echoed down the empty halls until I reached the roof door. With a sigh, I opened the door, only to be hit with an unfamiliar smell as the wind drifted past me into the building. Quickly I discovered the source, smoke coming from the tip of Shigure-Senpai’s cigarette, she failed to notice my entrance onto the roof. 

I approached quietly, not wanting to startle her for fear of reprisal. Shigure-Senpai sat with her back against the fence, one leg outstretched and her other tucked in with her knee up, supporting her arm and hand which held the cigarette burning away. On her wrists spiked bracelets hung loosely, made of shiny leather or perhaps plastic. As I neared I spoke up, clearing my throat first to call attention to myself.

[You’re Shigure-Senpai, correct?]

I tilted my head when she did not answer, only to notice the faint sound of snoring coming from her slumped down head. Really? As though it wasn’t bad enough to wear things besides the uniform, skip class, AND smoke on school grounds??

My face twisted into a pout, and I looked at her fake horns in anger, such a whimsical accessory for such a joke of a girl. Still, as I crouched down to see her face, I could see she was rather pretty. Her eyes had dark rings below them which I guess people mistook for makeup alone, but it’s clear up close she’s only tried to make it look that way. Her brow furled in frustration, perhaps due to a bad dream or some such, a frown falling across her pursed lips.

I held my cheeks in my hands and allowed myself to ponder how Shigure-Senpai’s face would look under real life duress instead of a nightmare. How would her screams sound? Would she lower herself to begging if it got to be too much? Or would she tough it out, and put on a brave face till she REALLY broke? I felt my face blush and my smile crawl across it as I thought about it in excruciating detail.

Just then, the ash fell off Shigure-Senpai’s cigarette and onto her thigh just below the hem of her skirt, causing her to jolt awake with a shrill cry and. . .a moan?? Her heavy breathing afterwards confirmed my suspicions, Shigure-Senpai collected herself and rubbed her eyes before looking up to see me in shock. Her brilliant sapphire eyes, shimmering against the sunlight and contrasting the blushed skin of her face looked up at me with embarrassment, yet her gaze quickly shifted to one of confusion. 

[Odd way to react to a burn.] 

I chided her, my desire to poke fun at her overwhelming my sense of reason.

[Odd way to stare at someone who’s sleeping.]

I looked away suddenly in a panic realizing I was still blushing, I-i hadn’t still been smiling at her though had I?

[Hey wait, you’re Meisa Enya-Sama aren’t you? What are you doing up here?]

[Sama? I’m only a 2nd year you know and student like you, San is more appropriate.]]

[Well still-]

Shigure-Senpai lit a new cigarette and got to her feet, taking a quick drag of it before exhaling away from me, which I found surprising given her reputation. She turned back to me and smiled, though I was still viewing her from a side glance as I calmed down.

[You’re a real go-getter from what I hear, the most impressive girl in school they say, and you certainly have better grades than I do. So Sama seems just fine given your status, don’t you think?]

Just as I’d managed to relax, I felt my cheeks blushing again,  even though it’s all true why was she praising me so much anyways?

[So, Enya-Sama, whats a girl like you doing up here, skipping class?]

[I…just wanted to talk.]

[To talk?]

[Mhm.]

[So, which of my senseis put you up to this?]

I didn’t reply, I instead flicked my gaze in the opposite direction, trying to think of where to steer the conversation. Maybe become more familiar first? Just try to play off what she asked and change the subject?

[You’re uncomfortable, I get it, even if someone asked you to speak with me it could still do a number on your reputation to see us together. But hey, let me ask you something else instead?]

[...alright?]

[It must be insufferable right? Dealing with that kind of pressure from everyone, having to be so perfect all the time, it must really suck huh?]

What is this? I’m supposed to be the one helping her, not the other way around, and how can she be so relaxed - friendly even? She takes another drag of her cigarette, then exhaled with a frown before taking a step closer, I turned to face her.

[You don’t have to tell me, I’ve dealt with it before, but much happier now though.]

[It…can be a bit much sometimes.]

Shigure-Senpai smiled again, yet all it did was annoy me. She’s a failure, a ridiculous joke of a student, how dare she pity me.

[I bet you don’t even get a chance to let loose, do you? Are your parents at least good to you?]

[They are, they’re not the ones who force me to try so hard, if that’s what you’re implying.]

[Oh? I’m glad then.]

[And you?]

[What about me? Tell ya anything you want to know, Enya-Sama.]

[Don’t you hate the way everyone looks down on you? And what do your parents think?]

She closed her eyes and chuckled to herself, it felt like she wasn’t taking me seriously at all, I felt my foot begin to tap involuntarily.

[I ran away from home a few years ago, couldn’t take their oppressive attitude anymore, so I live alone. As for being looked down on, well, it’s not always a bad thing to be looked down on huh? Especially not when being looked down upon by one’s gorgeous classmate.]

[You’re looking down on me?]

[Only in the literal sense - I was actually referring to you though, I liked feeling you look down on me Enya-Sama.]

[What is that supposed to mean?]

[Forgive me for saying so, but I think you know exactly what I mean.]

I blushed and she took another drag of her cigarette, reddening a bit herself. She couldn’t…possibly be referring to the look I gave her after she got burned, could she? Even if I was blushing and smiling, that doesn’t mean anything, she couldn’t have guessed I was a sadist from just that. Furthermore what was with that compliment, was…she saying she was into me? Into girls??

I turned around and shook my head, slapping my cheeks a few times for good measure, I had to get a hold of myself. I came here as a request from Sensei, I can’t let myself get distracted, besides even if she likes me it’s irrelevant. I’d never be caught dead with someone like her, it’d ruin everything I’ve spent my whole life to achieve.

[SO, why the class skipping, being late, and sleeping during school?]

Shigure-Senpai froze and looked at me in bewilderment, and it was no wonder why, I just blurted out everything I was going to talk to her about. She’d shaken me up so much, and I hated her for it, my foot began tapping again.

[Well alright, I did say anything I guess…let’s see. It’s all a little bit related, I mentioned that I live alone, well I pay for it by working part time at a cafe kind of late into the night. Then I sometimes end up oversleeping, thus the being late, annnnd taking naps during the day thus the skipping class and sleeping. But I mean it’s fine, I test well and never miss the more important classes, so I won’t fail or anything. I’m not planning on attending university, so the bare minimum is fine.]

[I see. And the horns?]

[Oh! I think they’re cute, don’t you?]

She beamed a bright smile at me, then took another drag, her cigarette starting to reach it’s end. They were cute, ridiculous as they made her seem, and everything else seemed to add up too. Could it really be just a string of coincidences that made her out to be a delinquent? One the things I hear most often is she’s intimidating and scary, I guess she’s tall but, I don’t feel any animosity from her.

[I like you, Enya-Sama, I can see why everyone does too.]

[You’re…you’re not as bad as everyone says either.]

[Oh? Well you can just call me Seiko-San then, if you want to.]

[Isn’t that too familiar? Especially when you keep calling me Sama?]

[I don’t mind, like I said I like you, and huh you don’t like being called Sama, Enya-Sama?]

[Ugh you’re a pain, fine - Seiko-San. It’s not that I mind it, but it feels like you have an alternative reason for calling me that.]

[Well…you prefer to be on top, don’t you Enya-Sama?]

[W-what did you say?]

[To be in control? To cause pain? Isn’t that what you like?]

I’d had it, she doesn’t know me, she doesn’t know anything - how dare she try to throw that in my face. Even if it’s true, even if she’s right, what gives her the right to say that so casually? 

I reached up and took her cigarette from her mouth, she looked at me in confusion, she had no idea what I was about to do. No, what she made me do. Turning the cigarette around in my fingers, I pressed it into her exposed arm, causing her to recoil and moan before falling to one knee. I barely saw her face twisted with pain as she slumped her head back down, and I laughed, unable to contain myself anymore. Then I slapped my hands over my mouth as the reality of what I’d just done set in, I hurt someone, like I told myself I never would, no matter how much I’d wanted to. I couldn’t even find the words to speak, and so I ran, leaving Seiko-San alone on the roof with a severe burn I had caused.

[Damn, Enya-Sama, I really like you.♥]

[bisexualbard-writes]

For that trope kimchay challenge. My favourite trope is role reversal au (like for example Chay being mafia and Kim being ordinary person). My least favourite au is college au. I think it is mostly to do with me being no longer in school so I don't find this trope that appealing. Especially when it all revolves around being in school and dorms etc. Thank you for writing it. You are great writer and I like this challenge too.

OKAY so I've been thinking a lot about a college AU and how to make a kimchay college AU appealing to the post-college reader. I think college AUs usually focus on the things you've mentioned - classes, dorms, young adult social life and sex, etc.

But. That's not technically the purpose of college. The purpose of college is to figure out and get trained in whatever you want to do with your life.

From what I can tell from BL, universities there make you choose what you're majoring in when you first apply. In my world Chay chooses to go somewhere where he can take care of his generals first and then declare his major at the end of his second year.

When Kim first asked why Chay was studying music, he said he wanted to do it because it seemed fun. But by the end of Kinnporsche, I think Chay realizes he can't live on fun anymore.

Honestly he never could, which is why he said in ep. 1 something along the lines of "I don't think school can help us anymore" about trying to clear the impossible debt. I think he doesn't see a future in which they can keep dodging the loan sharks until he graduates, so why does it matter what he actually studies. There's a reason he shoots his shot with Kim, and it's because to an extent he's living like he's doesn't know how much time he has left.

Post show they've made it out from under the loan sharks... now they're just living under the thumb of the mafia. We know Chay is opposed to the dangers of the mafia, I think he'd probably resent the money he now has access to. But it does change the timeline for him. He knows he'll be able to afford tuition for all his years of college now, and that puts college back on the table as something valuable.

If he ever wants to completely separate himself from the mafia, that's going to mean being able to support himself independently. He knows what it is to be poor, and need to take out loans. He and Porsche were happy together when they didn't have money, of course, but he thinks they would have been even happier and less stressed if they hadn't had to worry about loan sharks at their door.

All that to say, he might still love music, but he might want to choose a field of study with more financial stability than music.

So after a year of being miserable in the compound he goes back to college, just doing his generals since he doesn't know yet what he wants to do with his life. And maybe somewhere in that first year he and Kim make up, and continue making music together. They grow to be so happy together

But when it comes time for Chay to declare a major, he and Kim end up fighting about it.

Kim thinks Chay should study music, because it's what he always wanted to study, and he's so good at it. But Chay thinks that maybe he should choose something "practical" instead. Business, or engineering, or computer science.

It's the classic passion or practicality conundrum everyone not born rich wrestles with at least a little bit.

Kim does not understand, they have the privilege of being rich why don't take advantage of it and follow their passions. He knows Chay doesn't like the maifa, but he sees Chay trying to pick something "practical" and a rejection of Kim himself. Because it's not practical to love and be with him if Chay is trying to break away from the family long term.

I don't know exactly how they'd resolve it. I think I'd like to see Chay take the practical studying. I'm always seeing media telling you to follow your dreams and it'll all work out alright - but the shows, movies, and books that proclaim that are all made by people who were capable of succeeding in following their dreams, and so are able to glorify and say that if you just want it hard enough and work yourself hard enough that it'll happen.

I want to focus on the joy and comfort of a quiet, stable life. I think Chay and Kim would like that too, eventually. But I think they'd have to work to get to a place where they realize that's an okay thing to want.

Anyway, this is less of an outline for a fic and more of a vibe, but I think it could be an interesting character study!

(send me a trope, maybe one you hate, and I'll attempt to kimchay it)

[antheraea]

Flash Was Killed Because It Was Objectively Dangerous

I get it, I get the Flash nostalgia and the fondness for old Flash games. I was big on Neopets before they decided to ruin the art and make all the pets samey paper dolls to play dressup with (completely ruining the point of the far more expensive "redraw" colors like Mutant and Faerie and Desert). I have fond memories of Newgrounds games and I even managed to take a class for a semester in high school where I could learn flash.

But I also remember how terrible it was. And you should too.

Leaving aside all of the issues involving performance and inaccessibility (such as being easily broken by bog-standard browser actions like the back button, and its ability to modify web code AND OS code in real time likely broke a lot of accessibility tech too), Flash was legitimately one of the most dangerous web technologies for the end user. An end-user is you, or more specifically back then, child-you.

According to Wikipedia and its sources, Flash Player has over a thousand vulnerabilities known and listed and over 800 of these lead to arbitrary code execution.

What is arbitrary code execution? That's when someone can just run any commands they want on a machine or program that didn't intend it. A fun way to see this is in this infamous Pokemon tool-assisted speedrun where they manage to get an SNES to show the host's twitch chat in real time. It's not so fun though when it's someone stealing all the files on your computer, grabbing your credentials so they could clean out your Neopets account (yes, really, it was a pretty common concern at the time), and other nefarious works. Also, there was a time where it allowed people to spy on you with your webcam and microphone.

Oh and on top of all of this, Flash had its own "flash cookies", which could not be cleared by ordinary means and thus could be used to track users indefinitely, at least until Adobe slapped a bandaid over it by introducing yet another screen an ordinary person wouldn't know to use. (I assume this is how the infamous neopets "cookie grabbers" worked, so they could get into your account. This is mainly what I remember about using Flash back in the early 2000s lol) So it not only was a "stranger taking over your machine" concern, but a bog-standard privacy concern too, arguably a precursor to our current panopticon internet landscape, where greedy websites would track you because they could and maybe get some money out of it, facilitated by this technology.

When Apple decided to block it, it wasn't out of greed; Steve Jobs cited its abysmal performance and security record, among other issues such as an inherent lack of touchscreen support, and Apple cited specific vulnerability use-cases when blocking specific versions before they nuked it entirely. When Mozilla, who makes Firefox, decided to block it, it's not like they would've gotten money out of doing so, or by offering an alternative; they did so because it is fucking dangerous.

Your ire and nostalgia is misplaced. Flash was not killed by our current shitty web practices that ruin unique spaces and fun games. Flash was killed because both Macromedia (its original developers) and Adobe were incapable of making it safe, if that was even possible, and it was killed after third-parties, in an unprecedented gesture, collectively threw their hands up and said enough.

Well, that and HTML5 being developed and becoming more widespread, being able to do everything Flash can do without being a pox on technology. One could argue that you should bemoan the lack of Flash-to-HTML5 conversion efforts, but that requires asking a lot of effort of people who would have to do that shit for free...and if they have to run Flash to do so, opening themselves up to some of the nastiest exploits on the internet.

Nostalgia is a fucking liar. The games themselves I think are worth having nostalgia over (look, I still find myself pining for that one bullet hell Neopets made and Hannah and the Pirate Caves), but Flash itself deserves none of that, and absolutely deserved to be put in the fucking ground. You're blaming the wrong causes. It was terrible.

(specifics and sources found via its wikipedia page, which has a lot more than is mentioned here. and also my own opinions and experiences back then. lol)

[applestorms]

ok, the results of that best/worse grades homestuck kids poll are actually kinda driving me up the wall. “jake would be worst!!” “rose would be best!!1” fellas,

actual real order (best to worst):

JAKE: effortless. absolutely perfect grades. 4.0 unweighted, even higher if accounting for AP/honors. absolutely nobody knows this other than dirk, and maybe jane (from snooping his computer one time) or roxy (from hacking the system trying to change her own grades). this only becomes widespread knowledge literally on the day of their graduation when he’s announced as one of the valedictorians and the entire class collectively goes What

JANE: perfect grades, but only through LOTS of effort. strict ass studying schedule + plans/starts essays weeks or even months in advance + careful planning about the best looking extracurriculars to put on her college apps. the fact that she’s still second Does drive her up the wall, yes. literally none of this is necessary considering she’s gonna inherit the company no matter what, but She cares, and that’s what really matters here.

JADE: also a genius, but slightly more scatterbrained alongside the fact that she doesn’t actually care all that much. flourishes in the sciences, ofc. i like to think she’d also be on some kind of robotics team (maybe with dirk?) and they’d win nationals or something too. art teachers adore her.

DIRK: does his best and his best is pretty good. maybe cheating ever so slightly since he studies with jake & jade sometimes. he likes history. gets flustered in english since he doesn’t like not having One clear answer.

JOHN: oh my darling average boy <3 he does pretty well but only because jane gets on his ass about studying when he’d prefer to just hang out with dave and play video games instead. he really Does Not invest much in grades since he’s got that unconditional fatherly love already supporting him. probably struggles a lot more in college once he’s away from that familial support system.

ROXY: definitely NOT stupid, she does pretty well when she puts in the effort… however. alcoholism. also, depression. i think she starts off high school doing really well but ends up at a low point and then everything starts adding up and she starts skipping class to get away from the stress/shame and it’s like a terrible positive feedback loop of horror that drags her grades way the fuck down. at some point she breaks and asks dirk + jane for help, and together they help her manage to lock in and just barely graduate with her shit together. (and also she maybe hacks the system to make her numbers look a teensy bit better.) she’d do a lot better in college, and especially in grad school.

ROSE: teenage rebelliousness + too busy reading freud and writing wizard fic to give a shit about something as asinine as grades. she Does write some really long-winded, purple prose-drenched, trauma dumping-adjacent essay responses to hand over to her english teachers though. typical gay teen canon event. she simply cannot be assed to give a fuck about anything even slightly STEM related, though, unless it’s related to research for her writing. she likes outdated, conspiracy-adjacent theories just a little too much for most of her knowledge base and understanding of the world to be relevant in a typical classroom.

DAVE: gets taken out of class for like 80% of the year by bro to go through his Alpha Male Apocalypse Hero Training. never stood a chance, really. asks his friends for help but john is a terrible teacher, jade is always too busy, and rose spends the entire time either making fun of him through thinly veiled references to his oedipus complex or rambling about gay wizard sex lore or something. at some point jane tries to tutor him but then bro immediately takes him away for a three week vacation to the mountains so they can stand under ice-cold waterfalls and fight bears with their fists. eventually roxy takes pity on him and ups his grades along with her own so he can still graduate on time w/ everyone else.

[d3l3t3d-deactivated]

I told myself i wanted to list out all of my major accomplishments this year to build some confidence in myself and drown out that little voice that always tells me i’m not good enough— It’s been a hard fucking year with a bitter end, but I have hope that after I move & recover from top surgery, my life will be better than ever. I dedicated this entire year to setting myself up for success, and I intend to reap the rewards, and continue to grow and change for the better in the new year. Without further adieu, this year I—

Performed at Full Spin (twice!!)

Headlined alongside a RPDR queen on tour (on my birthday!!)

Got to perform during halftime at a wrestling show

Performed at a sold out show at Paradise Rock Club, one of my favorite venues (on my drag birthday!)

Performed at House of Blues for another sold out show

Performed at my first brunch (and made the most money I’ve ever made in drag)

Was the special guest at the open stage I started out on

Debuted in a new city for the first time, and did my makeup ON THE TRAIN for it!

Hosted and produced my last college drag show

Survived my first pride as a drag performer

Learned some Taylor Swift & had a blast going out of my comfort zone and performing at a Speak Now show

Performed at a total of 19 different shows this year, and served cunt at every fucking one!!!

Had work accepted into a VHS-themed gallery, and got to put some of my digital drag on tape!! (i've always wanted to do that!!)

Made dozens of new friends, and grew so much closer with old ones. I’ve seriously felt so supported and surrounded by love from my friends this year.

Opened up to my mom about my gender identity and life as a drag performer, to an incredibly warm & supportive response

Got to have my brother see me perform in drag, & met his girlfriend!!

Was called “son” by both my parents for the first time

Bulked up my wardrobe with new costumes, wigs, shoes, and materials

Upped my personal style game outside of drag, (was told that “i’m giving everything I want to give, in and out of drag”)

Marie Kondo’ed my things, and got rid of anything that no longer served me

Invested in my comfort, bought a new bed, bed frame, and bedding, as well as comfortable shoes and a vanity setup

Legally changed my name, and updated my drivers license, SSC, laptop, bank, and everything else under the sun to reflect that change

Got my own insurance, & got off my dad’s plan

Became financially independent from my family

Started 2 new jobs, after months of living gig to gig

Got on food stamps, after getting denied once before

Graduated college, despite the horrible time college was for me

Helped organize a student union, & attended protests for budget transparency

Gotten so much better at standing up for myself, walked out of jobs, classes, and relationships where I was being mistreated, and advocated for myself in academic, medical, and work settings (even when it was hard and it resulted in lost opportunities, if you treat people like that I don't want what you're selling!!!)

Started therapy (twice)

Fought tooth and nail for top surgery, and am getting it in 3 days!!!

Visited Brooklyn, Portland, & Martha’s Vineyard all for the first time

Went swimming in the ocean a lot this summer B) & saw sand sculptures for the first time!!

Started taking regular baths, drinking more tea, and stretching more often

Started journaling

Have been eating better, (3 meals a day!) and taking my daily vitamins

Have developed a weekly chore schedule that works for me as an ADHD-haver

Celebrated one year on testosterone!

Finally found a skincare routine that’s starting to clear up my tboy acne

Took dance lessons with a jazz instructor

Made a bunch of cool stuff! like a cast plastic mask, a dress, styled wigs, digital collages, mixes, & prints!

backed up my computer after over 1000 days

recovered from the deep burnout school, drag, competition, and an abusive relationship left me with, and am brimming with fresh ideas to bring into the new year!!

I deserve everything I’ve worked so hard for!!! I’m hot, funny, talented, and kind. I’m a highly decorated, iconic, title holding drag performer and multi-disciplinary artist. I’m a sweet, understanding, and generous friend. I’m a romantic, just filled to the brim with love to share, and I deserve somebody who sees me as an equal, takes me out on romantic dates, and makes me feel loved and beautiful. I deserve a family who sees and accepts me for who I am, and isn’t always looking for the worst in me, or more concerned about being right than communicating honestly. I deserve the opportunity to heal from the massive amounts of abuse and trauma I faced in my life. I deserve to get to be the person I needed when I was younger. I’ve been through so much at 22, and I’m only getting started.

In 2024 I’m going to be bolder, louder, and take up more space. I’m going to be sooooo annoying in peoples DM’s, because you don’t get things you don’t ask for or work for. I’m going to move somewhere cheaper, save up, adopt a cat, and finally see the dentist. I’m going to be in my hot slut era because I’ll be newly single and recovered from top surgery. I’m going to update my resume and apply to shit I’m under-qualified for. I am going to make art like a motherfucker, and enjoy every second of it. I am going to do things that scare me, and go places I've never gone before. I am going to be so in love with myself it’s disgusting. I am going to continue spread joy and chase new experiences, because god damn it that is what I was put on this earth to do!!!

[jmtorres]

this seems like an exaggeration of what i've seen people describe in arguments about chatgpt (although perhaps not an exaggeration of the experience itself).

what i've actually seen people say is something to the effect of if you've waited til the last minute because you don't know how to write the essay so you turn to chatgpt, no you don't pull an all-nighter and write some bullshit. --and the thing is, AS a chronic procrastinator with undiagnosed untreated ADHD who kinda had to do that a lot, it was never because my teachers hadn't given me weeks to do an assignment, it was my own brain fuckery. So it's not an inherent part of learning, and it didn't occur to me to think anyone was arguing that.

Could colleges screen students for learning issues like ADHD and support them instead of making people ask for accommodations? would be nice. that would definitely improve the college experience.

But also there's stuff on offer already that most students don't use, like the time I had for assignments but couldn't make myself do them in. If you're not sure how to do an assignment or what your instructor wants: almost every college I've ever heard of requires instructors to have office hours and almost no students take advantage of them. Instructors hate office hours because they have to sit there and wait around and hardly anyone ever shows up. It usually makes their day if a student actually wants to talk. (source: my dad is a bio prof at a state university.)

my brother is about to sign up for college classes and the school he's going to requires incoming students to take a "freshman experience" class which the description says is supposed to help you with things like time management and being aware of what resources the college offers. (at this school this class comes in two flavors: "you're straight out of high school" and "you've been away from school for a while," which seems cool to me because those groups need help with different things!) I am sure if I were signing up for classes myself I'd think "ugh what a waste of time I want to get to the interesting stuff," but on my brother's behalf I'm like "yes you need that. holy crap i needed that back in the day when it wasn't a thing yet."

I can't speak to med school or law school, although I understand they are deliberate wringers and shitty as fuck for disabled people.

And there's certainly ways undergrad could be improved. If it didn't cost so fucking much, for instance, people could more easily choose to focus on study and not work while in college. And wouldn't be under so much pressure to finish quickly so they wouldn't have to pay for more semesters. Lots of countries cover undergraduate education for all, I'd like to see that reform in the US.

And also, students should use university resources that they don't and sometimes don't even know exist.

Honestly my best advice is: talk to a university librarian. If you're having a tough time in a particular subject, chances are they've written a topic guide with a list of relevant books, journal articles and websites. If you have a question about stuff on campus, they either know or can tell you who to ask. If you are struggling to use the library system itself, they know most students come in not knowing how to use a university library to research and they WANT to tell you about it.

I'm listening to myself and I can see how many people would rather go to a computer program than ask another human being, especially one in a position of authority, for help; I'm not sure what to do about that. If resources exist but you have to ask about them and that's the bar people aren't clearing, what is the solution? Thoughts?

i completely understand & agree with the backlash against students using chatgpt to get degrees but some of you are out here saying "getting a degree in xyz means pulling multiple consecutive all-nighters and writing essays through debilitating migraines and having severe back pain from constantly studying at your desk and chugging energy drinks until you get a kidney stone and waking up wishing you were dead every day, and that's just part of the natural process of learning!!!" and like. umm. i don't think that any of us should have had to endure that either. like maybe the solution for stopping students from using anti-learning software depends on college institutions making the process of learning actually sustainable on the human body & mind rather than a grueling health-destroying soul-crushing endeavor

[angeledunext]

CELPIP Speaking Practice Test: Tips, Tasks & Confidence-Boosting Strategies

Let’s face it, speaking into a microphone with a ticking timer can be stressful. But that’s exactly why proper preparation is key. Whether you're practicing at home or enrolled in CELPIP Coaching, developing the right strategy can help you speak clearly, stay focused, and increase your confidence.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through how to approach the CELPIP Speaking Practice Test like a pro—with easy-to-follow tips, sample questions, model answers, and a week-by-week prep plan.

What is the CELPIP Speaking Test?

The CELPIP Speaking section consists of 8 tasks, each designed to evaluate your ability to communicate effectively in real-world English situations. You’ll speak into a microphone, and your answers are recorded and scored by evaluators.

CELPIP Speaking Tasks:

Giving Advice

Talking About a Personal Experience

Describing a Scene

Making Predictions

Comparing and Persuading

Dealing with a Difficult Situation

Expressing Opinions

Describing an Unusual Situation

How CELPIP Coaching Can Help

CELPIP coaching classes offer more than just speaking drills. You’ll benefit from:

Expert feedback on fluency, tone, and pronunciation

Personalized tips to manage nerves and stay on topic

Simulated test practice under real timing conditions

Whether you're shy or simply want a more structured approach, coaching can dramatically boost your performance. But even if you're practicing solo, don’t worry—you can still use effective strategies from the comfort of home.

Smart Tips for CELPIP Speaking Practice

1. Understand the Format

Familiarize yourself with each task type. Don’t try to memorize sample answers—instead, learn to respond naturally using clear structure and relevant vocabulary. Official CELPIP videos and free practice tools are great starting points.

2. Use a Timer

Each task has 30–60 seconds of prep time and 60–90 seconds to speak. Time yourself while practicing to develop fluency, pacing, and time management.

3. Record Yourself

Use your phone or computer to record your responses. Listening to yourself helps you identify:

Overused filler words ("um", "you know")

Unclear pronunciation

Areas where you ramble or go off-topic

Sample CELPIP Speaking Practice Questions & Model Answers

Task 1: Giving Advice

Question: Your friend is considering moving to a new city for work. What advice would you give?

Model Answer: “If I were in your place, I’d definitely consider the opportunity—especially if it supports your long-term career goals. That said, I’d also suggest looking into the cost of living and quality of life in the new city. Talking to locals and visiting beforehand can help you make a confident decision.”

Task 3: Describing a Scene

Question: Describe what’s happening in the picture (a photo is usually provided).

Model Answer: “In the image, there’s a family enjoying a sunny day at the park. Two children are playing catch while the parents are arranging food on a picnic blanket. Everyone looks relaxed and cheerful—it seems like a perfect afternoon outdoors.”

Task 7: Expressing Opinions

Question: Do you think students should wear uniforms at school?

Model Answer: “Yes, I believe school uniforms are a good idea. They promote equality and reduce peer pressure related to clothing. Uniforms can also help students focus more on learning and less on fashion, while creating a sense of identity and discipline.”

Vocabulary Boosters to Sound More Fluent

Using connectors and advanced phrases helps organize your response and makes you sound more fluent:

In my opinion…

I’d recommend…

From my experience…

It seems like…

One possible solution is…

That being said…

As a result…

Week-by-Week Speaking Practice Plan

Here’s a structured 4-week strategy to help you build fluency and confidence:

Week 1:

Learn the test format

Practice 2 tasks daily (focus on content and timing)

Week 2:

Record your answers

Work on fluency and natural speech

Week 3:

Share recordings with a tutor or fluent friend for feedback

Identify and fix your weak points

Week 4:

Take full-length mock speaking tests

Simulate exam conditions (use a timer, no pauses, no retries)

By the end of the month, you’ll notice a major improvement—even if you started out shy or unsure.

Conclusion: Speak with Confidence

The CELPIP Speaking Test might seem intimidating at first, but with regular practice, smart strategies, and possibly support from CELPIP coaching, it becomes entirely manageable.

Every time you speak, you're one step closer to your target score. Stay calm, be consistent, and remember: speak like you mean it.

(FAQs)

1. Is the CELPIP Speaking Test hard? It can be, especially if you're nervous or unfamiliar with the format. But with consistent practice and a plan, it becomes much easier.

2. How can I improve my CELPIP speaking score? Focus on fluency, pronunciation, tone, and structure. Record yourself, get feedback, and use real test simulations.

3. Should I memorize sample answers? No. Instead, understand each task type and practice crafting natural, organized responses.

4. What if I run out of things to say during the test? Use personal stories or examples to keep the response going. Don’t stop—keep speaking confidently, even if you repeat or rephrase a little.

5. Can CELPIP Coaching really help? Absolutely. It offers live guidance, targeted feedback, and structured learning, especially helpful if you’re a nervous or first-time speaker.

[newlysteadytrophy]

Best Home Tutor Near Me – Personalized Learning with Saraswati Tutorials

Are you searching for the best home tutor near me to help your child achieve academic excellence? Whether your child is struggling with a specific subject or preparing for board exams, a skilled and dedicated home tutor can provide the focused guidance they need. If you're located in Dehradun or nearby areas, Saraswati Tutorials is your go-to destination for professional, result-oriented home tutors.

Why Choose a Home Tutor Near You?

Classroom learning is often fast-paced and generalized. Many students find it difficult to keep up or ask questions in a crowded environment. A home tutor provides personalized, one-on-one instruction that is tailored to a student’s pace and understanding.

Benefits of Hiring a Home Tutor Near You:

Individual attention and doubt-clearing

Flexible timing based on your schedule

Custom learning plans for specific subjects

Better exam preparation

Comfort and safety of home learning

Improved confidence and academic performance

Saraswati Tutorials – Best Home Tutor Near You in Dehradun

Saraswati Tutorials is one of the most trusted home tuition providers in Dehradun, offering top-quality tutoring for students from Class 1 to 12, across CBSE, ICSE, and State Boards. Whether it’s math, science, English, or commerce, Saraswati Tutorials provides subject experts who come to your home and guide your child step-by-step.

Why Saraswati Tutorials?

Experienced Tutors Qualified and skilled educators with deep subject knowledge and excellent communication.

Tutors for All Classes & Subjects

Primary to Senior Secondary (1–12)

CBSE, ICSE, State Board

Subjects: Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English, SST, Hindi, Sanskrit, Commerce Subjects

Free Demo Class Try before you commit—experience the tutor’s teaching style and compatibility.

Customized Learning Plans Tailored teaching strategies to match your child’s academic needs and pace.

Progress Monitoring Regular assessments and performance updates for parents.

Service Across All Local Areas Tutors available in Ballupur, Rajpur Road, Vasant Vihar, Prem Nagar, Clement Town, and more.

Subjects Covered

Mathematics (All Levels)

Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology)

English (Grammar, Writing, Literature)

Commerce (Accountancy, Economics, Business Studies)

Social Studies, Hindi, Sanskrit

Computer Science (on request)

Who Should Hire a Home Tutor?

Students who need extra support outside school

Students preparing for board exams or competitive tests

Learners who benefit from individual attention

Students who want to improve performance in specific subjects

Parents looking for convenient, safe, and consistent academic help

Student & Parent Testimonials

“We tried a few tutors before, but Saraswati Tutorials sent us the best home tutor near us. My son now enjoys learning and is doing much better in class.” — Mrs. Rawat, Parent of Class 9 Student

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How to Get Started

Call or WhatsApp Saraswati Tutorials

Share your child’s class, subject, and location

Schedule a free demo session

Start regular tutoring at your home

Conclusion

When you search for the best home tutor near me, you’re looking for someone who can truly understand your child’s academic needs and offer focused, professional help. With Saraswati Tutorials, you get qualified tutors, personalized teaching, and visible improvement—all from the comfort of your home.

[angeledunextdigital]

What is the GRE?

If you're considering studying abroad for a master's or PhD program, you may have come across the term GRE. For those looking into graduate studies, particularly in the United States or Canada, it’s important to understand what the GRE is and why it matters. If you're also exploring options like GRE coaching classes in Ahmedabad, understanding the basics of the GRE is an essential first step. In this blog, we’ll break it down in simple terms to help you get started.

Understanding the GRE

The GRE, or Graduate Record Examination, is a standardized test that measures your readiness for graduate-level education. It’s required by many universities across the world, especially in the U.S. and Canada, for students applying to graduate programs. It helps schools assess your academic skills, particularly your ability to handle advanced coursework, and is often a key part of the application process.

Why is the GRE Important?

The GRE plays a significant role in graduate admissions, as it gives universities a standardized way to compare applicants from different educational backgrounds. Your GRE score, along with your academic history, recommendation letters, and other documents, paints a clearer picture of your ability to succeed in a graduate program.

Who Takes the GRE?

The GRE is typically taken by students who plan to apply for:

Master’s degree programs (MS, MA, MEng, and similar degrees)

MBA programs (in some cases, schools accept the GRE instead of the GMAT)

PhD or other doctoral programs

It’s accepted by a wide range of disciplines, including engineering, business, social sciences, humanities, and more.

What Does the GRE Test?

The GRE tests your skills in three main areas:

Verbal Reasoning

This section assesses your reading comprehension, vocabulary usage, and ability to analyze sentences. It also tests your critical thinking skills.

Quantitative Reasoning

The quantitative section tests your basic math skills, including algebra, arithmetic, geometry, and data analysis. It also evaluates your ability to solve problems logically.

Analytical Writing

In this section, you’ll write two essays: one analyzing an issue and another analyzing an argument. The focus is on clear structure, logical reasoning, and well-supported arguments—not on using fancy words.

GRE Test Format

The GRE is typically taken on a computer (though paper-based testing is available in some locations). The entire test lasts about 3 hours and 45 minutes, and it is divided into the following sections:

Verbal Reasoning: Scores range from 130 to 170

Quantitative Reasoning: Scores range from 130 to 170

Analytical Writing: Scores range from 0 to 6

Your total GRE score is the sum of your Verbal and Quantitative scores.

How to Register for the GRE

Visit the official ETS website

Create an account

Select your test date and location (including online options)

Pay the registration fee

Prepare for the test and take it on your scheduled date

Conclusion

The GRE is a key component of your graduate school application process. It helps universities determine your readiness for advanced studies and is accepted by many graduate programs worldwide. If you’re considering applying for graduate programs or exploring GRE coaching classes in Ahmedabad, understanding the GRE is the first step toward achieving your academic and career goals.

FAQs

Is the GRE required for all graduate programs?

No, not all programs require the GRE. Be sure to check the specific admission requirements of the program you’re applying to.

How long are GRE scores valid?

GRE scores are valid for five years from the test date.

Can I retake the GRE?

Yes, you can take the GRE up to five times in a year, but you must wait at least 21 days between each test attempt.

Is the GRE difficult?

The difficulty of the GRE depends on your preparation. With steady practice and focus, it’s entirely manageable.

Do all countries accept the GRE?

Not all countries use the GRE, but many top universities in the U.S., Canada, and parts of Europe do accept it for graduate admissions. Always check with your target school to confirm their specific requirements.

[genxjamerican]

I Am Weary of Dispatches from the "Heartland"

The latest one comes from John Dick (via excerpts from Mark Cuban), founder and CEO of a company called CivicScience who hails from Hyndman, PA. We read that small-town PA doesn’t care about the global economy. We read about population decline, closing of schools, the paucity of jobs, and the shorter life expectancy of its residents compared to residents of nearby Pittsburgh. We read about the people of Hyndman valuing their “way of life” more than money. We read “both sides” condemnation of left elite snobs and right elite pols grasping for power, and justification of their continued support for Trump because there’s a 1% chance he might bring back those high-paying manufacturing jobs. We’ve heard and seen and read many variations of this story. NYT Pitchbot has mocked them with increasingly impressive accuracy for years. But I am sick and tired of these stories.

Unspoken in seemingly every one of these dispatches from the so-called heartland is the overwhelming whiteness of the specific places they come from. The reported demographics of Hyndman as of 2000 are 98% white. But rural and exurban America does not consist solely of white folks. Nearly 25% of rural Americans were non-white, per the 2020 census. They’re living through all the same trends—if not worse, because of racism and xenophobia—as the people of Hyndman, and while Trump’s share of those voters increased, they fall far short of significant majority share of the white vote Trump has always had. These wannabe tribunes of the white working class never have an explanation for why non-white working class people subscribe to Trump’s worldview at such significantly lower rates.

“But the economy is rocking! Why don’t they just go to community college, move to the city, and learn to code?” How are you sneering at community college and accusing others of being morally superior? Community colleges educate and train the vast majority of people who work in hospitals that aren’t MDs? My mother and many of their friends came to the country and went to community college to earn their LPN and then RN. So do people who work as radiology techs, or phlebotomists. Those jobs helped them build middle class lives for their children so we could build better lives for ourselves and our children. One of my best friends has taught computer science at one of our local community colleges for a number of years. People need to know what they’re talking about before they open their mouths to trash-talk community colleges.

It isn’t moral or intellectual superiority to say that at least one reason that places like Hyndman are dying is because of their hostility to immigrants and other forms of change. Plenty of rural places in this country got a new lease on life because immigrants came and took the least attractive jobs, put money into housing and elsewhere in the local economy and helped revive otherwise flagging tax bases and dying main streets.

Resistance to change isn’t about education or culture, it’s about entitlement. You can believe all you want that you are entitled to live the life you want to live without having to make any adjustments or changes, but that’s not the actual world we live in. I was raised with a very clear understanding that the world doesn’t owe me a living, that success would require work, and that even hard work was not a guarantee of success.

Not caring about the way of life of other Americans isn’t a virtue—it’s selfishness. And voting for Trump because he tells the lies that comfort you and hates the same people you blame for how your life has turned out will not improve your life in the slightest. Continuing to support him even as he fails to deliver for Hyndman and every other majority white rural and exurban place in the United States in his second term exactly the way he failed to do in the first—while enriching himself and the same people he did the last time he was in office—makes you just the latest marks in his lifetime of fraud.

[common-man]

Small Story 158.

Small Story

158:The Forty-Five Minute Secret

Shankar was waiting for his friend Murali at Beach Station. After more than half an hour with no communication from Murali, Shankar grew worried. He tried calling Murali’s phone, but it was switched off. He was concerned because Murali was supposed to be coming from his office in Second Line Beach. Every day, they traveled together to Tambaram, where they both lived. They had been close friends since school, but now Shankar couldn’t understand what was happening. Though they worked at different private companies, they always traveled together in the morning and evening.

Just then, Shankar received a call from Murali’s father, Rangan. “Hey, Shankar, Murali's phone is switched off. Do you know what happened to him?”

Shankar replied, “I’m also wondering what’s going on, but don’t worry, sir. He’ll come. I’ll wait and see.”

As Shankar was talking, a lady approached him. “Hello, I’m Radhika. I’ve seen you and your friend traveling together daily. While coming, I saw your friend going with a lady into a nearby hotel. I thought I should inform you.”

Shankar was shocked. Murali had never mentioned having an affair. Why hadn’t he said anything? He was puzzled, trying to make sense of it.

Just then, Murali called. “Hey, sorry I’m late! I’ll be there in five minutes. I’ll explain why I’m late when I see you. I also told my dad.”

Shankar breathed a sigh of relief. The mystery of the last 45 minutes was solved. Murali arrived, and both of them boarded the first-class compartment, as they had quarterly season tickets from Tambaram to Beach.

Murali whispered to Shankar, “I need to tell you a secret, but please keep it between us until I clear things up.” Murali then shared his story:

“While I was on my way, I met my dad's good friend Desikan’s daughter, Kanaka. She invited me to join her for coffee at Krishna Bhavan. She told me that my dad had helped her when she was in college, paying her fees since her father worked as an attendant at a school. Kanaka excelled in her studies, earning a distinction in Computer Science, and was selected by Google. She’s going to the US next month. To show her gratitude, she gave me a cheque for two lakhs, which my dad had helped her with years ago. I was stunned. My dad never expected anything in return for helping her. That’s why I was delayed.”

Shankar was taken aback. He was impressed by how Murali’s dad had helped someone selflessly, without expecting anything in return. Kanaka’s gesture of returning the money was also remarkable, especially considering her success with Google.

The next day, Shankar visited Murali’s father, Rangan, and convinced him to accept the cheque. He suggested, “Since you never expected this money back, you could use it to help deserving students who really need financial support.”

Rangan agreed with the suggestion, and he took the cheque from Shankar. Murali whispered to Shankar, “Buddy, your suggestion is amazing.”

After enjoying some sweets and snacks, Shankar headed home, feeling content about the good deed that had been done.

K.Ragavan

16-2-25

[daviddshiki]

The Adventures of David Dashiki-Story of an African American Hero-Year of the Black Man

I am the leader and we have not started anything yet; we have not done anything yet. Up to now we are just good Sabbath school children; and if acting like good Sabbath school children we create an unrest amongst other folks, what will happen when we start to behave like men? There is no doubt about it that the man who is doing right is never fearful of anything. - Marcus Garvey

What are we? Punk Daddies or African American men with a vision of change for the Future? Here again is the importance of reading highlighted. We have never been weaklings or cowards. We have fought and struggled for our rights in the face of insurmountable odds. guns, dogs, inhumane living conditions, laws which violated our rights, physical attacks, threats to our family and homes, illegal incarcerations, even destruction of our homes by fire by the KKK, Still, we never quit. We supported each other. We sought help and assistance through legal channels, the courts, to no avail. We never stopped appealing to our government for relief. However, to this very day, we are not free. Through these encounters, it was abundantly clear to us that foreign countries in need of aid will find relief from the compassion and generosity of America.

In our battles for relief, we were offered strategies not solutions. Black people in America attend segregated inferior, low performing schools. America has never sought to integrate the whole of the country. The books our children read are outdated and second hand. Our children attend the lowest performing schools in the nation. Yet we have never stopped believing in the American dream. For how long do we accept the fact that what we honor and respect, has not included us in that dream? Therefore , Brothers, it is time to push forward. For our children are our future. We have to develop strategies ourselves so that they are not abandoned or left behind. We have to start building a new mentality in our children. We start with limiting the hours of television. To see the white images n television for hours a day, makes our children absorb the fact that white people and children are the only achievers on the planet. We will replace most of those hours with computer skills acquisition and reading about our history and heroes or men of Big Affairs. If you are not in a private residence at the moment, decide today that your next purchase will be a home. Keeping our children living in ghetto conditions will only produce children with low expectations and aspirations. We encourage all to build a library of black books for our children. We read to them and they read to us If it recommended to anyone of us, we avoid special education as if it was the plague. Honor them when the positive academic results of said placement are clear and visible. We talk to our children about their daily experiences in school. If something is strange, odd or non -educational, we , immediately, get our hips up to and into the school to inquire about it. Ask! Why do our children not have music and art classes, science and physics instruction, technology education, coding, an advancement placement program. In general we want to see a full and complete academic curriculum and a dynamic and motivational enrichment program. We want to know our schools' reading and mathematics scores. If anyone of us is somewhat queasy or shaky about the terms or the intricacies of reading or mathematics, form a group and approach the school for information. Always take some women to accompany you on the visit. Black women know everything and are fearless. They will simply say, " I gave birth to them. I am their first teacher and I need to know.

Black Brothers, We must be brave. We don't need more docile and dormant brothers to lead us, We want men with cojones who will question everything or who has a wife who will.

Black Men ! This is our year. Act like it. Let's get our house in order. We will be macho in our household, tighten up the rules about study, homework and the wholehearted love for learning. The children will have to earn the cell phone, new outfits, sneakers, dresses, computers. What good is the new drip if they are dumb as doorknobs.

We will plan our activities in our home and teach the children about Malcolm X , Shirley Chisholm, Michelle Obama, Barack Obama and Marcus Garvey. We will never allow these histories to go wanting. When we go down south or the west indies. we take our children. They will play in the soil of the seniors and the ancestors. They will listen to the stories. Our responsibility is to help them make the connections and relish in the fact that the seniors are still here.

Your children, our children must be prepared for life. It is our duty, Black Man.! Everyday, they leave the house for school, they must look good, smell good expect good and be ready to do GOOD. We are a great and mighty people. This is evident by the fact that we have survived the attacks of the enemy in our homeland. Those facts have been hidden from us with a purpose. We will retrieve and recapture the essence of our greatness and our zeal for scholarship...All of us working together in 2024, the Year of the Black Man

[a-commas-a-pause]

The pop-science wing of evo-bio is full of deliberate misinformation that drifts towards/actively supports eugenics and actual evolutionary biologists are kind of at our wits end trying to combat it. Sci-comm is a really important field for evolutionary biology.... That I'll probably never go into because I think I'd end up wanting to bite people. Not laymen, to be clear - nazis! - but nonetheless me publicly biting people/getting into fights wouldn't be great for the cause so :/

Also, my favourite thing that I never felt was really made clear to me in school, and that I only really internalised because I did an internship in an actual biochemistry lab: DNA is like. Stuff. It's not just "information" like ones and zeros on the internet (though to be clear: those are also stuff. They're recorded on a physical medium, it's just the physical medium doesn't live on your computer anymore), it's an actual chemical that you can extract from cells, with like physical properties and stuff. It's white and kind of gloopy-looking.

I think we actually did DNA extraction later in my high school, but we had a pretty sweet lab setup (private school money) so idk if that's the norm. And we only did it at A-level i.e. after all the people who weren't planning to be doctors or biologists or whatever had already dropped the subject. But it really felt like an epiphany at the time that this stuff wasn't just like. A theoretical concept or something. It was real. You could touch it.

Anyway, when I try and explain my PhD to non-experts like my uncle or people I've met at a party, the first thing I do is ask the question, "how much do you remember/know about DNA?". Because asking people what they already know and then building out from that is way way WAY easier than trying to guess their particular knowledge base off of context cues. That's in a 1-to-1 situation, to be fair, which does simplify the communication task a bit. But what I've found is that even with people who ostensibly have the same level of science qualifications there's still a very wide range of expertise in any given topic. And someone who might not know anything about how DNA works might also be an absolute world-class expert in e.g. ecosystem biology who knows way more about it than I do, especially if they've had a non-university education.

tbh need to be thinking about scicomm as a career though because i can write and i'm constantly thinking of my list of "very simple scientific facts that would prevent people from falling for dangerous misinformation, if only the experts realized the average person hasn't been told it"

especially in regards to evolutionary biology cause hooooo boy