#bc it says In Writing that if you quit with no notice we withhold the right to bump you down to min wage lol

[orcelito]

Ok flare of violent rage is canceled. Working supervisor says she's gonna b fine bc delivery is turned off & it's slow rn. So I won't have to ruin my day's plans. But MAN I'm still so fucking done with the employees who quit with no notice. Like come on man. We're not a giant mega store that can just make that up no problem. There's only like 15 of us Total so u quitting no notice can kinda b a Big fucking hassle lmao

[hephaestuscrew]

Hi! im relistening to Wolf359 again and upon listening to Pan-Pan(ep29) ive come to notice a bit of a parallel (?) to Need to Know (ep35). Minkowshi not telling the crew about the cracks on the fixtures and how in less than 100 DAYS that the whole station could go down no matter how many repairs they make due to not wanting to add more weight and hopelessness to an already high stressed situation vs Kepler not telling anyone shit bc he doesn't see that as none of their business (I may be overlooking something tho, i have to relisten to that ep once i get off work)

I'm trying to see if there's an actual connection there or am i on my tin foil hat biases again.

Thanks for the ask! I ended up writing far more than I expected about this, so I'll put my response below a cut.

TLDR: Minkowski and Kepler make a similar choice to withhold information, but for very different reasons. Minkowski is motivated by her responsibility to protect her crew. Kepler is motivated by his desire to maintain his own power. This relates to their different ideas about leadership.

I think there's an interesting comparison to the extent that these are both cases in which people in authority positions have to make decisions about who to share critical information with. Minkowski and Kepler both withhold information from their respective crews that is very relevant to their future survival. They both use the phrase "need to know" in their justification for doing this. When Hilbert asks why Minkowski hasn't told them about the cracks, Minkowski's first response is "Because… you didn't need to know." Kepler talks about the idea of 'need to know' quite a bit, but perhaps the most notable instance for this comparison is when he tells Jacobi "That mission parameter [about the potential for alien duplicates] was marked for black archive clearance. Need to know. And you didn't need to know."

But I think the similarities between Minkowski and Kepler's approaches to withholding information pretty much end there. I believe that Minkowski is telling the truth when she says she didn't tell Hilbert and Lovelace about the cracks because they'd "suffered enough". She doesn't tell them because she doesn't want them to lose hope. She doesn't tell them even though, as Hera says, doing so might make wrangling them easier.

For Minkowski, knowing something that she doesn't tell the rest of the crew is something that weighs on her. I think you can hear it in her voice when she tells Hera that she won't tell Hilbert and Lovelace about the cracks "not today". I think you can hear it when she breaks down towards the end of Pan-pan ("Just like the cracks, and the station just keeps falling apart. And there's nothing I can do, and I am sorry.")

In contrast, I don't think we are given any reason to believe that Kepler feels a sense of regret or conflict about the knowledge he doesn't share with the rest of the crew. Of course, he regrets the consequences of losing Jacobi's loyalty and his control of the station. But Kepler's reaction to Jacobi challenging him on his secrecy is focused on standing by his decision and justifying it. Unlike Minkowski, Kepler refers to Goddard rules when defending his decision not to share information. He didn't tell his crew that Lovelace was probably an alien duplicate because he believed that doing so wouldn't have supported his objectives. That's sufficient reason for him.

I think this is actually a good illustration of a key difference between Minkowski and Kepler's attitudes towards leadership. For Minkowski, leadership is first and foremost about responsibility - the responsibility to be a good Commander and keep her crew safe. (Other leadership priorities are more prominent for her early on, but by season 2 I believe that's her primary motivation and I think it's always been a key part of her concept of leadership.) In contrast, for Kepler, leadership is first and foremost about power - the power to push mission progress forward, the power to order and manipulate and threaten in service of the bigger picture. And information is power, so why would he share it if he doesn't have to?

Those contrasting ideas of leadership underlie their choices when they withhold information from their crews. Minkowski doesn't tell her crew everything because she wants to protect them from losing hope. Kepler doesn't tell his crew everything because he wants to be the one holding all the cards - he'll only reveal information to others when doing so supports his aims.

To come back to your original question, I think there's a connection here, but it's less that the writers are deliberately encouraging these comparisons, and more that Minkowski and Kepler are both people in leadership positions in a life-threatening environment, and that inevitably necessitates decisions about who to share information with. And very different leadership priorities can motivate similar choices in not telling people things they would want to know.

[gardenerian]

Okay, Melania, you don't have to answer this but I read tags about people withholding rants about Ian and my brain just goes, "MUST KNOW!" So if you're okay with doing so, rant about Ian drinking and his meds, please?

PS I hate when you can't start/cancel services online and need to call the company. What is this, the 1980s?!

straight up, you having a lil nickname for my nickname is the cutest thing in the world to me, like when you call me that my whole brain goes 🥰

hiding Mel's Mental Illness Thoughts under the cut:

i guess it's not really a rant - and it's certainly not directed at anyone in particular. it's just stuff i notice. skjfdhsd it's just - the way ian is with his meds in s5 is not how it's gonna stay. as they balance out, he probably can drink a couple of beers without getting absolutely shitfaced. in 5x10, he's just on the meds. and he's still unstable. so yeah - he's gonna get fucking hammered.

but by now.... he needs to be careful, of course, and not risk destabilizing, but he knows his limits. his tolerance is surely lessened, but it's not zero. i don't know what meds ian is on by the end of series, but everyone is different. everyone has their own habits/stressors/triggers to look out for. i'd say there are things ian needs to limit/focus on beyond a drink or two. idk it sometimes feels like s5 is the only basis for understanding bipolar disorder for some - when it takes many, many forms... even in the same person!

but holy shit, that said - shameless just forgets about ian managing his disorder. we see him pop his meds like once a season and we're all like 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳 okay cool guess he's maintaining? it's just a balance ya know? it does take everyday work. i think ian can have a beer or two bc he's doing well - shameless thinks he can have a beer or two bc they forget about his brain 😅 like i saw him knocking back liquor in the finale - that's different the beers he hangs out with.

and because shameless really only shows us the bigger, scarier end of the spectrum, we don't quite have a grasp on how ian does day to day. as fic writers/headcanon imaginers, we kinda fill in those gaps ourselves.

whoops, this kinda turned in to a rant. i could go on, but i'll Shut Up. one day i'm gonna write a whole ass guide: "so, you wanna write about bipolar?" i have lots of quirks about things i read askfhaj

friendly reminder these are just my thoughts, i don't speak for every bipolar person, etc!

[inspired-by-the-music]

Romantic: Junmyeon x Reader

Genre: fluff and happy endings; two literature teachers with feelings

Word Count: 2.5k

Note: y’all Suho has me feeling some kind of way & i just had this idea for this drabble (is it really a drabble? i went overboard lol) because i have been reading SO MUCH bc such is the life of an English major. so like... brace yourself for some total nerd talk? writing this was so much fun 

"Why aren't we together?" Junmyeon's gentle whisper draws your attention away from the novel you have been annotating in preparation for your Gothic Literature lecture.

How long has he been standing there? You wonder, looking up to find him sitting in the chair on the other side of your desk. A cup of coffee stands tall to the right of your mug that has long gone cold. He brought you coffee from that cafe down the street again. Raising his eyebrows, he takes a long sip of his drink-- probably green tea-- and you notice that his glass is half empty. 

Oh. He's been here for a while. 

"I'm sorry." You smile, embarrassed, while closing the book. As if they threaten to distract you from Junmyeon, you turn over your notebook to free yourself from the gaze of your scribbled handwriting. "I didn't know you came in. You should have said something sooner."

"Ah, I know better than to distract you from reading," he begins as though he hadn't done just that moments ago. Setting his cup down at his feet, he leans across your desk, takes your book into his careful hands, and grins. "Frankenstein. Again." 

Reddening at his quiet teasing, you explain, "It's for the class I'm teaching this afternoon."

He returns the book and, tapping on the title, he points out, "You didn't need to reread this. It is definitely one of your most frequent reads, so you know it like the back of your hand."

Just a few years your senior, Junmyeon is the youngest Associate Professor in the university's Literature Department. While your other superiors have taken a polite interest in your potential as the newest Assistant Professor, none are quite as interesting to talk to as Junmyeon. He is intelligent, well-spoken, and-- quite frankly-- charming. 

His charms have little to do with his handsome face, perfectly styled black hair, or impeccable wardrobe (he looked like a literature professor in an almost fictional sense); they are more like personality traits that are expressed when he brings you coffee, when his knuckles knock on your door to ask if you will proofread the draft of his dissertation as if you are an intellectual equal, when hie tilts his head and thoughtfully furrows his brow after asking your opinion on the Drama Department Productions he insists on watching at your side. 

And now-- now he expresses his charm by winking, thus wordlessly reigniting a feud that was born soon into your first meeting. While your studies focus on Gothic Literature, his are dedicated to Romantic Poetry-- the poetry that boasts about individualism, idealizes nature, and details spiritual, emotional, and physical passions. Although your thesis explored Gothic themes as an extension of those Romantic ideals, you and Junmyeon have fallen into a habit of playfully arguing as if your fields are at odds. 

"I won't apologize for having good taste. I'll stick to my Gothic horror stories." You reach to pull the book out of his reach. Holding the book safely in your lap, you bite back a mocking grin. "And you can stick to your Romantic--"

"Ah, there it is," he jabs an accusatory finger at you. "There's your air of superiority. I hate to remind you--" his smirk assures that he is all too happy to say-- "that your idol Mary Shelly and mine, Mr. Percy Bysshe Shelley, experienced the most passionate of loves. That means our areas of expertise must be somehow compatible."

Calling Mary Shelley your idol is perhaps an exaggeration, although you do admire her for writing Frankenstein, but you don't argue with Junmyeon about that. Instead, sounding very much like the youngest person in the room, you say, "I wouldn't really say that I ship Mary and Percy--" Junmyeon gasps, flattening his hand over his chest, over his beige vest. "I mean, their union was kind of scandalous. Mary was only, like, 16, and Percy's wife was pregnant--"

"It was true love!" Junmyeon claims. 

You disagree, but you don't want to dissuade him from such a harmless conviction.  You opt to joke, "Well, that's very Romantic of you." 

Junmyeon often gripes about his students' tendency to confuse romantic (themes related to love) and Romantic (a particular movement in Literature), so you expect him to glare at you. He tries to, but he quickly succumbs to the desire to laugh at your pun. 

"Okay. That was a good one."

No, you think, it wasn't. But Junmyeon has a particular interest in what you would call 'dad jokes,' so it is only fitting that he should wipe amused tears from his eyes as he recovers from his laughter. 

As you set to drinking the coffee he had been kind enough to bring for you, he asks, "Did you actually hear what I asked you earlier? Were you just stirred from your studies by the sound of my voice? Or are you just politely withholding your answer?"

"Hm?" 

He asked something? 

A faint blush dusts over the bride of his nose as his gaze flickers to your bookshelf that is overflowing with textbooks, novels, and film adaptations of select works. He studies the shelves-- wheeling his chair closer to them so he can trace his fingers along the titles-- although he already knows their contents. From the shelf, he plucks a small artificial skull, a reference to a scene from Hamlet, and he turns it over in his hands.

He is uncomfortable. Not enough to leave your office, but enough to fix his eyes on the skull to avoid your curious stare. 

It is clear that you shouldn't ask him to repeat the question, so you close your eyes and will the memory to the surface of your mind. What did he say to catch your attention? 

'Why aren't we together?'

You must have dismissed it because you didn't understand its meaning. Together? In this moment, you are. You sit together in the same space talking about things that (although matter little to the rest of the world) are important to each of you. What other togetherness could Junmyeon want? 

"I'm not trying to avoid answering," you say when the silence has endured far too long. "I just don't quite understand what you asked." 

Gingerly placing the skull back on the shelf, he turns to face you. "I asked you why we aren't together." When you blink at him, confused, his discomfort dissolves into amusement. Laughter crinkles his eyes, and he exclaims, "You really know nothing about Romance!"

You are too grateful that his moody spell has passed to take genuine offense at his remark. "I know plenty! You're just not very good at explaining what you mean." 

"I wasn't aware that I need to spell it out." His eyes glitter as they always do when he is ahead; he usually is ahead. "We understand each other. We share the same passions, the same interests, the same hobbies. Yet we aren't so similar that it's boring to spend time together; otherwise, we wouldn't have these long chats, and we wouldn't attend plays together, and we wouldn't be going to that art exhibit after classes today."

Anybody else might be unnerved by Junmyeon's habit of speaking in essays, but you embrace the challenge of following his point. Nodding him along, you quietly wait for his monologue's conclusion. You do not try to predict where his thoughts will lead. 

"We spend a lot of time together, and we enjoy that, or at least I enjoy it." 

If he would break to breathe, you would assure him that you do enjoy his company. He keeps speaking, though. 

"Often-- more often than not-- we are together. And when I went home alone last night after we left the bookstore, I wondered why we aren't together. Afraid that I might make you uncomfortable, that I might ruin our relationship as it is, I decided that I should keep that question to myself. When I saw you sitting there, so deep in thought, and beautiful, I couldn't do it, though. I couldn't bury the question. I wondered aloud why you are not my girlfriend."

As if he hasn't ended his speech by dropping a bomb, Junmyeon's eyebrows shoot up, anticipating a response. Your replies are usually swift. Most of your time is spent quietly reflecting on a variety of questions. Usually, Junmyeon's questions are mere verbalizations of matters you have already considered. Usually, your answers are mere verbalizations of previously reached conclusions. Usually, his questions do not stun you into silence. 

"Well," you stutter, and Junmyeon gawks at witnessing you jumble words for the first time. "I-- you know-- first of all-- I never imagined that someone like you would want someone like me." 

Expecting that there must be more to your perspective, Junmyeon limits his reaction to a downward jerk in the corner of his mouth. However, as he realizes that you aren't prepared to say anything else, he leans forward in his seat, lowers his eyebrows, and his typically calm voice jaggedly confesses, "I don't know what you mean. What is the difference between 'someone like you' and 'someone like me?'"

"Just look at you!" You cover your face as soon as the words have blurted out of your mouth. Keeping your hand over your eyes so you don't have to see his reaction to your outburst, you continue, "Aside from the fact that you're much more beautiful than I--"

Uncharacteristically, Junmyeon interrupts. "I disagree." 

"Wait your turn." You drop your hand to shoot him a warning glare. "You'll derail my train of thought." 

"Some trains should be derailed." He crosses his arms over his chest. "I am not more beautiful than you. Even if I were-- and I am not-- that is no reason why we shouldn't be together. Appearances shouldn't matter."

It's impossible to decide if you're blushing more because of Junmyeon's insistence that you are beautiful or because you have said something so shallow. Reaching again for his drink, he gestures for you to continue your response. 

"Um, appearances aside, you are older than me. You're smarter--"

"I disagree," he repeats shortly. A line deepens between his eyebrows. "I'll concede that I am more educated, but that does not mean that I am more intelligent."

You allow, "be that as it may, you are technically my superior. I am an Assistant Professor, and you are an Associate Professor."

Junmyeon replies, obviously disheartened by your response so far judging by the slumping of his shoulders, "There is no dating ban among faculty." 

"That's not the issue." Your face burns. "I'm just-- I'm trying to explain that we aren't together because I have never considered that you were interested in anything other than a professional acquaintanceship."

Laughing, he repeats, "Acquaintanceship." He smiles fondly while joking, "I've heard of friend-zoned, but never acquaintance-zoned." Once he is no longer amused, he admits, "I do want more than a professional acquaintanceship, and I want more than a friendship." 

As your blush deepens, he leans back into his seat, flustered. "I understand if you don't feel the same way. Take all the time you need to explore your feelings, but if you decide that you don't want me, don't let it be because of something silly like thinking you're not pretty enough or smart enough or--"

"I didn't say that I don't want you." Your argument is brief but stable. Now it is Junmyeon's turn to sit back and blink at you. "I said I don't understand why you want me. That is not the same as saying that I don't want you." You bite your tongue just short of professing, 'I have every reason to want you.' 

Understanding at last, Junmyeon closes his agape mouth. Moments pass in silence as you try to decide whose turn it is to speak. 

Junmyeon claims it is his. "I don't think I can explain it well with words, but I think-- I think I can show you over time. I think it will make more sense once I am your boyfriend." 

You are not sure what he means, and you are too struck by his stutter to press him for an elaboration. 

If you are honest, you will admit that it doesn't matter why Junmyeon wants to be together. It doesn't matter if he changes his mind first thing in the morning with the rising of the sun. This moment of being on the same page at the same time, of sharing the same gaze, is infinite. 

"I'm not expected to dress up for our date tonight, am I?" You rise to your feet, clutching your notebook in one hand and Frankenstein in the other. "I don't think I'll have time to change between class and the art exhibit."

Junmyeon beams as he stands. While sipping his green tea, he carries your coffee and walks with you to your classroom. "I think you look lovely as you are." 

He sets your drink down on your desk. Content that there are no students or other professors nearby-- cautious not because he cares who sees but because he respects your modesty-- he brushes a gentle kiss against your cheek while you are busy troubleshooting the testy projector. 

Gasping, you reach to trace your fingers against your cheek, and he laughs at your reaction to his first act of affection. "There's one reason why I am falling in love with you." He points at your growing smile, careful not to discuss intimate matters too loudly now that you aren't tucked away in your office. "I have never known anybody so expressive."

As much as you enjoy the fluttering of your heart, you are eager for Junmyeon to leave so you can finish preparing for class. Stealing a glance at your watch, you ask, "Don't you teach that Wordsworth class right about now?"

He dreamily props his head up on your desk, gushing, "How romantic-- you already know my schedule!" His playfulness quickly fades, and he strains to catch the time displayed on your wrist. "What time is it?"

"3:30."

He gasps, "I'm late!" And darts out of the room. 

Just as you are catching your breath, just as you are realizing that you are Junmyeon's girlfriend, that this otherwise boring Tuesday now marks the start of something new and exciting, his head pokes back through the doorway. "Hey, let's drive to that exhibit together, okay?"

You are about to scold him for keeping his students waiting and for distracting you from your work, but you falter at the sight of his sparkling smile. Besides, if you argue, he will stay longer; although that is exactly what you want, that is not the responsible option. You nod, "Okay. I'll see you after class."

"See ya!" He waves and sets off to his classroom two doors down, where you hear him announce to his students, "Sorry I'm late! I had romantic matters to tend to."

You can vividly imagine his clever grin as his students are split between guttural groans and pity-laughter. As you smile, you wonder when you started to fall in love with Junmyeon.

[ambitionsource]

S1 Rewatch/read - Maddi's Take [1.08]

apologies if this is late! i think it is about two days late by new zealand time but oh well, everyone kept interrupting me when i was trying to read it so i didn’t even listen to the last three songs. OOPS :(

Favourite SCENE the longer the episodes get, the more difficult it is to choose favourites ALSO the more rl scenes there are in an episode, the more difficul… you get the idea! i have a funny feeling a lot of us are going to be choosing the lighting booth scene with rl and the literal ALMOST KISS. I MEAN!?!?!? that is the stuff right there friends. oh wait, i wrote a list of things i was going to say as i went i need to get okay here we go

Favourite PERFORMANCE Maggie please don’t disown me for not choosing Dancing Queen bc yes it is a classic but I couldn’t even see past 9 to 5. Pure charm, fun and mother-daughter love went into that and it cannot be denied! ABBA who? I only know Maya and Katy Hart ty

Favourite CHARACTER (within context of ep) i think i’m being a bit snarky today? anyway maybe it is bc of the one and only LUCAS J FRIAR. in all honesty this is what most of my notes were about as I read the ep. Please allow me to go off: Lucas is shown in this ep as being unwilling to do the performance part of the assignment. He maintains this stance until two things happen: Dasher reveal that they and the other techies see him as a leader and influencer in the techies, and then Riley teaches him to loosen up and dance. Now, not to discount our gal Isa, but it is clear that these two relationships have a huge influence on Lucas. Dasher admitting that they turned Lucas in bc they see him as a leader that needs to show better attitude (was brave of them) made Lucas remember that his actions and words can affect the mood of the group. This is a big realisation bc even after last episode Lucas didn’t really believe this (and last ep Riley was the one to suggest this to him hmm). The thing is Lucas doesn’t necessarily WANT to influence people but then when he realises that he does, he steps up. and we have to stan. Lucas and Riley! Riley seems to constantly be on Lucas’ mind. When he sat close next to her a t lunch!!!!! i just about died. he did that on PURPOSE. Last ep Lucas: hmm touching?… This ep Lucas: yes i enjoy physical affection quite thoroughly. ANYWAY idek what i’m saying anymore but LJF found every. single. excuse. to touch his crush this ep and that just about does it for me. i could live off this (i mean i basically have had to for months now as we know)

Favourite LINE twas Asher: He’s onto us! He knows! Look, you can see it on his beautiful, withholding face!  ty Ash! we know! also thanks to Riley for “just look at me” to Lucas 

Underrated Moment Dylan and Asher taking turns to write on the whiteboard - imagine one side is messy and one is neat. This would be very cute! The amazing montage of the culture swap where Riley made Lucas laugh and also Charlie almost died of thirst for Zay byE Shaawn and Angela being CUTE the entire time

Something I missed the first time OKAY i know this is an essay at this poinnt but I’m not done! start off by saying Zarlie - kings of positivity, power, popularity and PANICKING! also Zay protected and stood up for Charlie and then took him to the LOFT but this was right after Angela sang Over and Over to Shawn, which in my opinion is not a coincidence! Finally, I want to write an actual essay on the comparison of Lucas and Farkle in this ep. Farkle mirrors Lucas’ unwillingness to do the assignment, but he also tries pretty hard and keeps failing. Its so hypocritical when Farkle will make fun of Lucas the entire series up to this exercise and yet he is actually terrible at things too. I noticed Farkle’s mental illness peeking out so much more this time and i think its interesting how there is a juxtaposition of Lucas learning to open up and loosen up while Farkle becomes more and more tightly wound hmm i’m not sorry this got crazy, cheers

--

helllllllll YEAH MADDI MA’AM!!! your analysis of ljf... i am well fed. thank you for this. i loved your point of how lucas doesn’t want to be a leader but steps up if he has to, because that feels so quintessential to him as a character in just about every universe (as cotu also comes to mind as the pinnacle of that trait). and then yes rl... love to obsess over small things like hand touches and sitting close at lunch and dance lessons... did they kill me? i believe so! and the little thought about dylan and asher’s differences on the whiteboard... that is so cute lmao. ugh. love them!! love them all!! and nice thought about how the order of things in episodes is not a coincidence... dare i say you’d be right on that front luv,,,