#btw her work is being a social worker

[experincingtheworld]

“Surprise!” Jason said as soon as Faith got home. He’d set up some flowers, one of those dark chocolate heart things and a little present on the table nearest to the entrance to their home. It wasn’t much. But he wanted to do at least a little something special for the occasion. “Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Faith jumped a little not expecting to hear anyone the moment she walked in the door. She looked around and smiled," you're the sweetest!" She told him as she gave him a kiss," Happy Valentines Day, love. "

@intheshadowsofthenight

[bossbutch]

halfway thru chapter 1 of umineko. idk how meaningful it is to speculate this early, The Real Umineko hasnt even properly started. these arent fully thought out and organized it's just scattered thoughts

battler's gender politics are entertainingly weird. he's like "when i meet a woman, even if she's my cousin or my servant, i NEED to make a big show of grabbing her tits so that she can hit me and everyone will laugh at the Classic Gag and it'll lighten the mood" which is just ridiculous enough to be something a rich teenager in the 80s could convince himself is okay. and then he sees the dinner seating and he's like "damn my family's so patriarchal. thought gained: inexplicable feminist agenda". i'm assuming this is a genre deconstruction thing. also lol that he is right next to maria in grandpa's tier list

maria is awesome btw i hope she gets to infodump about magic a lot more. some goon in the SA thread said the umineko author was once a social worker, so like. even if they don't use the word because it's japan in the 80s she's gotta be Intended as autistic

kinzo's room is so telegraphed to be a locked room mystery. he's entertaining too but i kinda zone out when he's talking about how his magic system works. i get the basic of more risk = more magic power but i worry it's the kind of thing that has Important Clues that my brain autofills with [arcane rambling]

battler constantly gasses up how good george is with kids and then george sees a family member repeatedly hitting their 9 year old disabled child and says, out loud, "not my problem"

assuming the epitaph is a puzzle intended to be solved and not the kind of puzzle that frames all the other puzzles and isn't solvable til the end: until the first butterfly i thought all the death and traveling was metaphorical. it still could be. like the six chosen by the key could be objects. the hands of a clock may be involved because that's in all the promo stuff and chapter start art. kinzo acted like the riddle was totally solvable by the doc or kanon or any of his kids. but if it was unsolvable until People Started Dying, it seems kinda pointless to have put the painting up years ago? but beatrice is a Dramatic Bitch.

Who Took The Rose?! no idea, but i'm sure it's important. if there's a 19th person, definitely them. totally possible the wrapper fell off but they'd still recognize the withered rose i reckon

Who Gave Maria The Umbrella?! again, if there's a 19th person, it's them. if not, natsuhi was my prime suspect because her alibi didn't have any witnesses but everyone else's did (if you really count grandpa and the doctor, like doc could easily say "i was with kinzo" and no one would verify that with kinzo). but then there was a scene right after from natsuhi's pov (migraine and can't sleep without meds, literally me) where she speculates who did it. so either the narrative is heavily fucking with me, it's gramps or the doctor, or it's someone with an accomplice

the narration is from battler's pov except when it's not and it's strange. it even isn't from his pov in some scenes that he's in, like the letter reading scene. this is the type of thing that could Mean Something way later but is just a little confusing sometimes right now

kyrie saying there's a contradiction in beatrice showing herself to maria but hiding from everyone else, failing to consider beatrice may be a Dramatic Bitch. i think there's probably a 19th person even if they are not necessarily a witch with magic powers

the furniture being totally able to break promises but can't disobey orders is the kind of exact words semantic sillies that umineko memes made me expect

goes w/o saying that the way the servants are treated is supremely fucked up. going to servant school and then working in the mansion at age six... george proposing to a girl that he has so much power over is lol. it's nice that umineko cares who the servants are and why they're there, and other logistical human things like how kinzo made his money and what they're all doing with it

at midnight, where was the doctor?

they drop some hints that the non-shannon, non-krauss bodies have their faces disfigured and Could be other people but that is pretty ridiculous and there's no reasons to consider that yet

i wish the LP used the doughy original art but that's the price i pay for convenience

[vashtijoy]

"in a relationship": akechi's mother and shido

So the phrase Akechi uses to describe his mother's relationship with Shido, 愛人関係 aijin kankei, has been localised as "in a relationship", which makes me want to spit tacks.

What is an aijin?

Jisho tells us it means "lover; mistress", and that aijin kankei means "being lovers". However, Weblio tells us it is "mainly used to mean someone in a sexual relationship, especially an adulterous one with a member of the opposite sex."

Wikipedia tells us:

It was after the war that the meaning of "[aijin]" changed to "adultery partner". [aijin] in Modern Japanese: There is no formal marital relationship;... In some cases, the asymmetry of the relationship is implied, such as exerting some control over the other party or providing a large amount of financial assistance;... From the perspective of a third party, it may have a derogatory connotation.

So aijin used to mean lover, but these days it means something very much more like a mistress. The next line, which has not Google translated well, says: for example, a male student introducing his girlfriend to his parents will say "we are koibito (going out)", but not "we are aijin".

Several articles describe exactly what an aijin is. This one describes it at length. An aijin is not a partner. An aijin is financially compensated. An aijin relationship is not about the other person; it's transactional. An aijin relationship differs from ordinary sex work in that it's a medium- to long-term relationship—but the financial element is the same. Being an aijin is "a socially unacceptable existence".

Now, we could validly get into the politics of sex work here, and the stigma aimed at sex workers, but when it comes to what Akechi is saying about his mother's relationship with Shido? "in a relationship" is a misleading translation.

BTW, the last warning that article gives is that "an [aijin kankei] has the potential to destroy one's life." And, well.

how does p5 otherwise use aijin?

Some students talk about how Shiho will be Kamoshida's next aijin after Ann;

Shadow Okumura tells Cognitive Sugimura that he can take Haru as his aijin "or whatever you like", rather than marry her—to Haru's incredulity;

The trial Sae prosecutes in November is about a politician who "took his aijin to some fancy hot springs";

Some women on Harmony Alley laugh about becoming the aijin of politicians so they can live the high life;

In Akechi's deleted Mementos mission, Morozumi's mistress who commits suicide is his aijin. This is translated as "mistress";

The lawyers in Shinjuku have an exposition sequence here, explaining that the former prime minister's daughter was also Morozumi's aijin—and also committed suicide;

A couple of the Persona descriptions use aijin, sometimes translating it as "mistress", and sometimes as "lover"—but aijin did mean something like "lover" in the past, so that tracks.

So this gives us a pretty clear picture. An aijin is looked down on. They get spoiled, but also tend to come to bad ends. Aijin are disposable.

conclusion??

There's room for speculation here, but it seems pretty clear to me that Akechi's mother is not "in a relationship" with Shido—or at least, not as we'd recognise it. They have a transactional relationship, which resembles sex work more than a love affair before Akechi's even born.

This is very much more in theme, IMO, with the picture we get of how Shido treats women than the idea that they had some kind of dating relationship which only broke down when she got pregnant. aijin relationships will differ based on the people involved, but it seems like there will always be a power asymmetry—and we know Shido.

[locusfandomtime]

okay I saw a post around with the Mounders as ants and stuff and since I have Bug Autism I have thoughts about it. (this is not critique btw that person is a very cool artist and can do whatever they want. I am just insane about bugs and want an excuse to talk)

Bdubs - I genuinely think the best fit for him is a male velvet ant (not actually an ant). Probably red velvet ant (Dasymutilla occidentalis). Male velvet ants, unlike females, have wings and also don’t possess the iconic sting. I feel like this fits Bdubs well, he is a good player but often underestimated and feels like he has something to prove. If you want an actual ant, a mimi worker leafcutter ant fits well. Mimi workers are VERY tiny (so work with short Bdubs) and leafcutter ants whole thing of transforming plants and building up a fungus (imagine: replace fungus with moss) garden… it all feels very Bdubs. (Just ignore that mimi workers tend to mainly do nest stuff)

Mumbo - as in original post, common black ant. No additions. He is just a guy who is a bit scared. Black colour scheme works well too.

Pearl - if we’re going by any insect, a moth species for sure. However, this is about ants. For her, there are a variety of options depending on what you most admire about Pearl. If you are thinking of her DL era, a female red velvet ant works nicely (solitary + scarlet colours + extremely powerful sting), though once again, whilst closely related, velvet ants aren’t ants. If you admire her technical skill as a builder, a weaver ant could work well, as they construct impressive nests using silk from larvae. A termite (not an ant, they’re cockroaches, but very similar social structure) could also work, as termite nests are massive and incredibly well constructed - and to an extent, look like Pearl’s tower mound thing.

Joel - not a Joel viewer but from what I know he’s very aggressive and sporadic. I think a bull ant (maybe Myrmecia pilosula or Myrmecia pyriformis) could be fun, with the tendency to sting and the massive mandibles and eyes. They’re one of the most “dangerous” ant species (in quotes because most deaths are due to allergies as opposed to the ant being lethally toxic itself). If you want to focus on him being Lizzie’s loving husband, perhaps they would work as a termite king and queen. If you want a Boat Boys joke, fire ants can gather as a colony and form a raft to survive flooding, so he would literally be a boat boy as a fire ant.

Side note: all worker ants are females. So, unless specified otherwise, all the men here would be trans! :)

[moonlight-tmd]

Being a single parent is not an easy task. [Part 2]

During Bee's sparklinghood, Optimus had to endure quite much troubles. Bee wasn't a spoiled kid and didn't throw any angry tantrums... but what he did instead was surely worse than dealing with tantrums. Whenever Bee was upset at Optimus he would go into his work room and hide important things, he would also change the order they were put for more confusion. Bee was a smart kid, he knew ways to get what he wants more effectively than begging or screaming.

While the time he spend at home was bearable, once the time came for him to go to the pre-academy (kindergarden) it was a nightmare.

Bee never wanted to go play with other kids when they were at the playgrounds, now that he was being forced to go interact with them and spend an entire day somewhere that closely resembled the Carequarters... of course he didn't wanna go at all. He tried arguing with his Sire but to no use. He was told it will be okay and Optimus dropped him off to go to work...

Not even 2 joors later he received a call to come pick up Bee.

Turns out, one kid tried to play with him and took his stuffed seeker toy (he named it Thunder btw) and wouldn't give it back. Bee, already on high alert, tackled and hurt the kid and then ran away from the caretakers. They couldn't catch him at all, the little one was fast and nimble, everytime they found him he ran off into some other hiding spot. When Optimus arrived Bee dodged every single worker and latched onto him while sobbing uncontrollably. In the end, Optimus hired a babysitter to watch over Bee when he's at work. Sometimes when the 'sitter couldn't make it, Sentinel got put in charge... that didn't work out very well. Bee already didn't like him, moreso when he tried telling him that he's his 'uncle'. He did everything he could to make Sentinel's time with him real Pits. Optimus wasn't very impressed but he was proud of some of the stunts Bee managed to pull while Sentinel babysat him. After the incident, Sentinel wasn't really a friend of his anymore but the mech still kept showing up and acting like he was. Optimus wasn't happy when he came to him after every cycle he babysat Bee and told him how much of a nightmare spawn his bitlet is.

So, Bee's babysitter ended up being Arcee. Later on when Bee was supposed to go the the academy (school) Optimus hired her to homeschool Bee. He didn't need a repeat of the pre-academy situation...

Optimus taught Bee how to cook, he wasn't very good at it per se... he almost burned the kitchen while baking. Basic fuel stew was okay on his behalf along with few other easy recipes tho. Bee also didn't seem to ever clean his room. Optimus had to pick up every toy and thing and put them back on its place, only to find it on the floor again a joor later. Bee didn't seem to have a problem with it tho, he knew where everything was at all times.

Then Bee finished the academy course and was supposed to find a job. That also wasn't an easy task... He wasn't social much and never really tried to make any friends. Optimus tried to help him as much as he could, Bee got into few places but didn't stay there for too long before getting fired for mistakes. At one point Bee tried to go on his own to spare his Sire trouble, he ended up landing a job at one of the bars downtown. He was only supposed to come up to the customers at the tables and get orders, one time the bartender wasn't at the bar for the longest time and the customers were getting annoyed. He decided to take the matters into his own servos and jumped into the spot. He saw the bartender mixing the drinks multiple times and read the recipes, how hard could it really be?

The drinks turned out decent and once the bartender came back he was impressed Bee handled it so well. Bumblebee covered as the bartender more often, he was actually doing good. He dared to change up the recipe a tiny bit one time and it was a bullseye. Then the management had to fire the original bartender due to reasons unknown, that cycle Bee went back home oddly cheerful.

"Did something happen at work?" Optimus asked when Bee came home. Bee was just smiling for a nanoklik before proudly declaring. "Guess who got promoted to bartender!?" Bee actually brought some high grade mix he improved to celebrate, Optimus was unsure because Bee was a little young to be drinking but got convinced because it wasn't that much.

Being the bartender was the longest Bee ever had the job. He liked it and learned a lot of social skills while doing it. He was funny and could pull few tricks to entertain the clients. He even came up with few of his own recipes(much like Optimus with baking) that the local ended up using in the menu. One day though Bee came back from his shift sad, he didn't even say anything when he entered the quarters and went straight to his room. Optimus found him laying face-down on the berth. Turns out the bar was closed down without a warning. The management gave the workers the overdue payment but that still left the issue of Bee not having a job.

Bee tried few more times to get a job at a bar or some other restaurant but to no avail. Then Optimus got the news of Bee trying to get into the military. Of course, he wasn't happy but Bee seemed to wanna try and become Elite Guard- if he did he would also help Optimus with his job. Speaking of Optimus' job- things got complicated and he was once again thrown around the various departments doing things for bare minimum worth of credits. It was a tough time for them..

So Bee got signed into boot camp and surprise surprise, Sentinel was one of the teaching officers. And if it wasn't fun already, some big green weirdo constantly bothered him. But it wasn't as nearly as bad compared to the other green bot, Wasp. This one... Bee felt like he was facing the evil carequarters manager again. This menace of a bot constantly made his time there a nightmare. Bee tried to hold himself together, he tried telling Sentinel about what Wasp was doing but he ignored the issue completely and washed him off with "You need to toughen up. This ain't a playground.".

With that in mind, Bee never told Optimus about it when they had calls. He never told Optimus how much he suffered. Or that he was failing. He lied about everything being okay and things going well for him. Then one cycle, Wasp took it too far and Bee felt like he couldn't do it anymore. He went to the spot he knew almost no one visited and cried. But to his surprise, the big green weirdo, whose name was Bulkhead he learned, came and talked to him. Bulkhead was nothing like other bots, he was kind and gentle. He comforted Bee, much like his Sire would back when he was still a tiny Sparkling. The first time Bulkhead saw the little yellow bot standing alone he made it his goal to make him his friend. And he succeeded.

Optimus was very happy to hear when Bee told him he made a friend. He never heard bee call anyone a friend, that was great!

And so, Bee tried his best to pass while also being a jerk to Sentinel and pulling pranks on him. That, as you may guess, didn't work out. He got kicked out both because of the inability to get good scores and the "horrible behavior" by Sentinel's words. He didn't tell Optimus about that one either... Bulkhead was kind enough to hide him within the campus until he gets the degree to be the Spacebridge Technician. (don't ask me why there's education degrees in military, the council probably thought it was a good idea to mix the two for "efficiency") He even managed to pull some strings and get Bee a place in the same department as him as a helper repair bot.

In the meantime, Optimus was also having trouble with his job- he ended up being deemed a Space Birdge Captain thanks to his experience out in the field. He didn't tell Bee about it yet, and turns out he didn't have to. Right when he was supposed to meet his new team he saw his Sparkling standing there with the other crew members. Well, that was a surprise...

Ratchet was apparently also there cuz the Council being the Council, fucked him over by idioticly declaring he was too old for being a medic. Bulkhead was so confused cuz everyone knew each other except him. He was happy to meet Bee's Sire, Optimus was also happy to meet his Sparkling's first friend. He wasn't so happy to hear Bee got kicked out and lied about doing good. Bulkhead later told him in private about the Wasp bot that bullied Bee. Bee did tell him he and his other friend caught a spy and his name was Wasp earlier. The bot deserved it, in his opinion.

So things were normal for stellar cycles, they came from one place to another, fixing Space Bridge Gates. Bee's passion for tinkering was blooming and everything was going fine. Then they caught an SOS signal from one of the small planets and tadah! They found Prowl.

The two-wheeled minibot claiming to be a ninja. He wasn't very friendly towards them, but he didn't have much choice cuz his ship was wrecked and there was no way it was gonna fly again. So the team took him and he was there for the ride, they had 2 more stops before going back on Cybertron, Prowl was kind of forced to help them so they'll be over with it quicker. In the meantime, Bee tried to get to know the mysterious new bot, but his attempts were only pissing Prowl off. One time Prowl went to the team leader to make a complaint. He was surprised when Optimus didn't listen to him at all and instead scolded him. He only knew what he did when he told Ratchet about it and the medic laughed and told him Bumblebee and Optimus were family. Yeah, Prowl was much less commenting on Bee's behavior from then on.

Then they got a mysterious signal and went to check it out, they found both Decepticons and the legendary Allspark. Optimus tried to evacuate but something happened and they ended up being blasted by some strong energy and having to go into emergency stasis.

Then they woke up crashed on Earth.

Now i don't know what really happened, i haven't watched the show, so you got what you got. Do send ask about the new and improved AU, i'll be happy to answer!

[kaddyssammlung]

Doggo and I got totally rained on.

I'm in a weird mood anyway so let's type a little.

On this day 2014 I entered psychiatry. Let me see if I still remember some stuff. The first thing was just pretty basic stuff....opening a file. Your name, where you life, your birthday blalbla...insurance stuff.

(I'm hiding the rest...just TW for mental health stuff)

Then I was told to go over the house number five because that's where the alcoholics are being treated.

I went in there and waited again and it was more or less the same thing. It took some time until I they showed my “room”. Everything in there just looked like hospital basically. Even the beds but it is more or less just a different form of a hospital.

Of course they made all sorts of exams. Took my blood and I had to visit a doctor. One of those “normal doctors”. Nothing special. She checked if my reflexes were okay for example. When you are a severe alcoholic then this impacts your body a lot. They checked that. She also saw my sh scars but only the ones on my arm. She did not even ask about them.

The psychologist was not in that day...funny isn't it. I was given assessment sheets. I hate that. Stuff like “how often do you think about drinking?” and then you can answer from 0 to 5 usually. Zero meaning never to five meaning constantly. So many questions.....I got one that had drinking as topic and also one that had depression as topic.

The social worker was in that day so I talked to her also.

She wanted to know my social background. Schools that I went to, what I worked as, and all of that. At that time I was enrolled at Uni btw. Yes I have a degree but only a BA but at least something, right?!

She also wanted to know quite personal stuff. Are you in a relationship? When was your first relationship? When did you first have sex? The last question I would not answer anymore. If someone, even in that position that I was in, was to ask me that again, I would not answer it. I think this is too personal and should not be anybodies business.

It did not take long and the first few hours just flew by.

Lunchtime was...well...the food in there was good. Really, really, really good. That was a relief. And also you could choose between vegetarian food or normal stuff. So great!

I think that's pretty much it.

What surprises me to this day: no one ever asked about my self-harm scars and also no ever noticed that I barely ate in there. I lost six kilos in there.....whatever. I did not bring up these topics...maybe I should have but at that time it was the drinking that kept my busy and ruled everything....who knows what it was good for.

[maochira]

I've posted about this months ago, but I feel like it's time for me to open up a bit again.

This blog mainly consists of dad and big brother fics and headcanons, thanks to my massive father and big brother complexes. Writing these fics and headcanons has helped my mental health A LOT because they brought (and still bring) me a lot of comfort and I put my own life experiences in some fics. They gave me a chance to at least imagine experiencing a normal childhood.

There's people who read what I write who told me they don't have a good relationship with their family members, and that my writings bring them a lot of comfort. I'm so happy I can help some people, because I've been through so much myself.

Writing these family fics was like taking back control. Writing my own scenarios and having control over them. Especially whenever I write dad!Ego because he's not really the type of character most people would expect to be a good father. And writing him as a good father helped me a lot.

TW: talks about emotional and physical abuse, child neglect and trauma

I grew up in an abusive household. I mainly went through emotional abuse, but also physical. I was manipulated, controlled and neglected. I escaped that household when I was kicked out of it when I was 13, and even after that my abusers still found ways to damage me.

One abuser was my ex-stepfather, who is completely out of my life now. He abused me the most and even though he was supposed to be a second father figure, he made me go through hell. My mother divorced him shortly before I turned 16 and her new boyfriend is SO MUCH better

But oh well, my mother was my other abuser. But I was more neglected than abused by her because she was at work so much I saw her 1 or 2 days a week despite living at her place. I always visited my father on weekends and during holidays but not being allowed to visit him was used as a threat to make me "behave correctly."

By now my mother has acknowledged her mistakes and apologized. Doesn't make what she did okay but she doesn't behave like she did anymore. My mother and I have a better relationship nowadays.

I've been living with my father since I got kicked out of my previous home at 13. But I still had to go through awful stuff even after escaping my abusers. (My dad is great btw he never did anything to hurt me, he always wanted the best for me and tried to help)

When I was 14 I spent 3 months in a mental hospital. I was diagnosed with multiple things, PTSD was one of them. That therapist assigned the wrong event to my PTSD, though. That mental hospital wasn't the best experience in general.

I tried looking for help ever since I was 11. Teachers, a social worker, CPS and a psychologist literally watched me being in misery and I never got proper help until late 2019 when I was 15 and finally got a good therapist.

On top of that comes the fact that I've shown signs of being autistic, or at least neurodivergent in general, ever since I was a kid so I barely understood the way the world is anyways. (I have no autism diagnosis but an okay from a therapist to say I'm autistic. I usually call myself neurodivergent because having PTSD makes me neurodivergent anyways. I still want to dig deeper and talk to my dad about how exactly I was as a child especially before the abuse happened.)

Trauma rewires your brain. The brain can't develop properly if it's constantly in survival mode.

But I survived. I have the damage, but I survived.

And I'm in control over myself now.

[destinygoldenstar]

I Despise How Dhar Mann Treats Autism

This is coming from an autistic individual. And this is not really targeted towards one video but nearly ALL autistic videos Dhar Mann has produced.

They’re all the exact same message.

This tells me that the guy has not learned a thing, does no research, rejects any and all feedback, and refuses to change at all, AND does not care about the health and safety of his audience. And his workers in case anyone forgot THAT controversy.

I’ve put off talking about his videos often because I learned this man was just flat out a bad person who didn’t deserve support. But this is something I need to get off my chest.

I am on the autism spectrum. I’ve been a victim of bullying for my autism. I’ve struggled significantly with my autism and it’s gotten me in trouble. And I’ve been a witness to intense bullying on autistic people. So yes, I KNOW what I’m talking about.

And yes, while this isn’t targeted specifically at the new Jayden episode, this is what sparked me to make this.

You’d think I’d talk about the Mikey videos due to my track record, but really my only response to those is: “What more do you want me to say?”

The mom genuinely thinks Dhar Mann is more important than her own son. Sounds about right honestly.

I didn’t associate Jayden as autistic in the past, because any episode that uses the actor (who IS autistic btw) is playing a different character.

But this is the episode that confirms that Jayden is on the spectrum. And he acts like this was obvious and always there.

And I will say, if I, an autistic person, saw NO indications of such beforehand, then that probably means the average viewer who knows nothing on the subject probably can’t either.

It’s almost like Dhar Manns autistic characters have NO autistic traits whatsoever.

Special interest on a certain subject. The lack of ability to process things outside of that subject. Sensory overload on stuff that doesn’t bother the average person. The poor social skill and communication. Stimming, like fiddling or pacing. Easily being emotionally overwhelmed.

These are just a few of the many obstacles autistic people go through on a daily basis. It’s why we are very easy bully targets. These are detriments to functioning right in the world.

Yeah no, all autistic people are perfectly fine and capable and don’t need to stim or sit back to clear their minds from sensory overload whatsoever. They also don’t struggle with anything ever aside from jerks.

Implication that you’re perfect the way you are and it’s the rest of the world that needs to change.

Great message. Let’s apply it to our real lives!

…doesn’t work out, does it?

By portraying it like this, the message doesn’t become ‘you are good enough even with your autism’, it’s ‘just be born perfect’

Which, I don’t think I need to tell you that this message, no matter the situation, is harmful to people.

I’m certainly not perfect. I’m a good writer, sure, but that’s because it’s my special interest. If you put me behind an electrical panel, I won’t know Jack s**t.

The only time I’ve ever seen Dhar Mann portray a character as imperfect is in this recent video, where they DO address Jayden struggling in certain classes. (Which is bulls**t if you’ve seen any other video with Jayden in it. But whatever.)

Here’s the problem: We never SEE that. We are TOLD that. What we are SHOWN is Jayden succeeding at everything, and the thing that gets him expelled isn’t through any fault of his own, it’s the sabotage of the bully character. Yes they say he’s bad at writing, but he’s perfectly capable of programming, which is a lot of writing, so… yeah. That’s not a defense. I need to SEE the struggle for this point to matter. Cause otherwise I’ll be convinced you’re lying.

The claim in these videos is that ‘Autism is not a disability, it’s a different ability’ is insulting for all these reasons.

Yes, this is a REAL line he uses over and over again.

It’s insulting, as it tells us that our setbacks are purely our fault, and they do not matter or need to be taken care of at all. ‘Your autism isn’t the setback. YOU are the setback. Get better.’

You need to address the faults in order to teach how to help autistic people succeed. Which, THATS the message I THINK they’re trying to portray. ‘You can be capable despite your autism’

Saying autism is a genius superpower is like saying a deaf person is a master listener.

I wouldn’t mind this if ALL of his autistic characters weren’t geniuses. Smarter than everyone else, can understand things that even professionals can’t levels of smart.

One or two of them, sure, people are unique, but ALL OF THEM?

That’s stereotyping. Dhar Mann is stereotyping autism to the public.

Reminds me of some other harmful movies and websites with autism as it’s main focus.

Also, ‘Your son is mentally deficient.’

Just, that one ticks me off and speaks for itself.

I understand it’s written by an antagonist, it’s still insulting.

This is more than just saying ‘you’ll go nowhere in life’ being so triggering to any person who’s felt that way and developed self loathing problems. (Example: me)

This is more than the unrealism of a child taking over the job of an electrical professional.

This is the very thing and one of the many reasons why Dhar Manns messages are harmful.

He uses a real person as a reference at the end. As though that excuses anything. ‘This one person has this experience. ALL people like them must have this experience too.’

No. No we don’t. I didn’t get expelled for autism discrimination.

And then there’s the mom. In case you needed any more reason to prove my point she’s an awful parent.

They say early in the video that the mom told Jayden he was smart despite his struggles, and the bully claims the mom lies.

This is the bully, the antagonist, we’re not supposed to like him or agree with him.

So why then, is he proven RIGHT?

The mom LIES to her son just to make him feel better.

Jayden is upset, wants to know the truth on what the principal thinks of him, and what does the mom do? LIE ABOUT WHAT HE SAID.

Because it’s not like we want to teach our kids that some people suck and don’t understand you, but you don’t need their support to see the value in yourself! (I love Ninjago Dragons Rising for this)

NOPE. LIE TO YOUR CHILDREN.

You will face no consequences at all.

10/10 parent, this woman is.

For any autistic person that reads this, don’t listen to Dhar Mann. You don’t need to be a genius to be worth it. You don’t need to be talented at anything to be worth it. There’s people who love you, and people willing to help you find your place in the world.

[maria-eve-falcon]

THINGS I know about joe alwyn

birthday is 21 feb 1991 (international mother language day )

is a pisces

mom (elizabeth meakins )is a psychotherapist (she is a specialist in eating disorder)

dad (richard alwyn) is a director and was a lecturer in France for some years

height is 6'1 (controversial)

upbringing was upper middle class (they were posh posh)

he went to the same school as Dan Redcliff (city of london) but he was a year older/ younger

he had so long hair that his teach used to tell him to cut it

tom was born in 1989 , 24 aug (1 and some months apart from joe) tom works in as a social worker (tho he originally wanted to be a sports reporter ) he studied from Cambridge

pat in 22 feb , 2003 (literally 12 years apart from joe ) (not confirmed date of birth) (pat is 6'4 btw) (went to a public school unlike joe and tom whom both went to city of london (a more private school)

he is a very caring older brother

they had a family dog named flint (dunno about him now hence the past tense)

liz meakins used to write about them in her the independent column

liz has a book (she dedicated it to her fam) called what will you do with my story

great-grandson of william alwyn (3rd gen neppo but their dynamic with him is weird considering they are the great-grandchildren of olive pull (william's first wife , whom he left for his pupil (doreen) god knows when but william didn't have any children with doreen so..... still 3rd gen neppo)

his great uncle (paternal) nick alwyn was a cricketer

his great uncle (maternal) was bruce kent

his maternal family is part welsh

More dates here!

he was quite active during black lives matter and the george floyd murder and police brutality (the george floyd one is from 27 may 2020, the hashtag with the blackout pick is from june 2 , 2020) he also posted a donation link but I lost the receipts for it.

he was friends / (was together with) shared a dorm with lindsey russell from blue peter who alwyn once commented under his pic during billy lynn season . also there is an infamous article about themfrom a fellow friend of joe's (won't rule it out no nah)

his friends call themselves the frosty crew (they are a group of 6)

niceboy ed is one of his best friends

his best besties are jesse and elenor

one of his ex gf's first insta pic was joe (sorry won't name names)

unconfirmed sources say joe had a gf for 4 years from 15 to 19 years old (who btw was his first gf) . they broke up cause he went to Bristol (they were long term for a year before breaking up)

he's known as the party guy (when he is in the mood ob. like he's also a bit of an introvert)

he loves drinking and eating

he can play guitar

he can do hula hoops

he learnt fencing after watching the zorro movie

he had a fish named rainbow starr whom he found tragically after Christmas in their fridge when he was little

he had a turtle whom he'd call his best friend when he was little

he had platinum blonde hair as a child

he had clown training

his fav place is Cornwall where he's family'd go for vacations

He used to play rugby as a child but dislocated one of his shoulders during a game. Since then he played football mostly.

if zoomed and observed correctly , one can see Joe has a slightly crooked nose. A story is to come ig!

this was his cv:

more on joe from : @rarejoealwyn @joealwyndaily @joealwynspain

most of my source and an additional thanks to @bisluthq and @youareinlovees for being here at the greatest times and giving amazing contents

please feel free to share if you know more!

(i swear there are very important things I'm missing but I dunno why I'm having a brain lag and I'm super lazy soooo)

also ! pics!

rick alwyn

elizabeth meakins , tom alwyn, joe alwyn, pat alwyn :

rosemary meakins (his grandma, maternal), Bruce kent and George kent

[tailsbeth-writes]

Thanks for tagging me @duchessdepolignaca03! So this is my first one of these actually, thanks to timezones it wasn't Wednesday when I got tagged but nonetheless here we go.

So I don't have WIP excerpts right now, I'm a 'gonna write a fic to post straight after' kind of gal (this will change with a long project next year though) so instead I thought I'd post some bits from my fanfic idea dump plus some og fiction WIPs.

-The Prince & He (Working Title - coming 2024)

The Prince & Me AU for Red White & Royal Blue. Alex is at UT and Henry decides to study in America, he tells his family it's to find himself but really it's so he can get away from his overbearing royal responsibilities. (Looking for betas for this btw!)

Potential RWRB fic ideas:

-it's Alex & Bea who have cakegate and after damage control, the queen thinks they should start a courtship... Alex & Henry have other ideas though (want to explore gendered differences, the damage control would be so different with Bea and I think I'd like to make her asexual & explore that within a structure of tradition)

-5+1: times that Alex was clearly being hit on by a dude but was completely oblivious & Henry is obviously the one (🥹)

- Potential song fic - Wasia Project: U Deserve - Nothing But Thieves: Do You Love Me Yet? - Liz Lawrence: I'd Rather

Original Fiction: Decompose

Near future London has been segregated by means of a new medical test, each sector representing a level of productivity. After going through the kitted out MRI machine, twin Harry Thorpe is wrongly moved from his comfortable life in the highly skilled sector where technology rules and excellence is expected, to the unskilled sector which seems stuck in the past but with much more variety.

Between alien customs and new romances with classmates, he discovers his own power hungry mum is trying to bring in the One Child Policy and that is only the beginning of her plans. Harry and a group of rebel social workers and civil servants might be the only thing that can stop her.

This is my first novel, it's young adult sci-fi, focuses on equality, chronic illness & disabilities, diversity, government corruption, found family, rebellion. It's got a diverse cast led by Harry, who is a soft pansexual bookworm with a sweet tooth. I'm currently editing & looking for beta readers for the next draft.

When You Get The Chance

My next book project is still very early days but it's a very queer holiday romance.

Coral 'Corey' Henderson is on holiday in Majorca for 2 weeks, her sister missed the start of the holiday leaving her alone. Enter Alice Ortiz, a member of an Abba tribute act performing at the hotel.

All of Abba Nice Day are queer, Corey is a ginger plus size Scottish lesbian event planner, Alice is a bisexual Geordie (half Spanish) who loves singing but also wants to go to uni to study politics. This book will explore family dynamics, dementia, biphobia, body image, protesting & finding your purpose. I'll do a call out for betas when we get to it!

Congrats if you made it through all this! I'm tagging @cl4r3m0nt @heybuddy-drabbles @candyspandemonium @firenati0n @nontoxic-writes & whoever else wants to do this! Tag me, I'm always looking for writer pals 🥰

(20/12/2023)

[geodetojoy]

ALRIGHTY i am no longer busy so heres my full thoughts on Newsies :DDD

tagging @royallygray and @mysteriouswolf if yall wanna read :D

ok this shit got LONG so the rest is under the cut

GOD where do I even start its beautiful its wonderful its emotional i love it so much

Ill try not to copy my intermission thoughts too much (if you havent seen those here they are)

Ok lets talk about the history of it. A quick google search says its based on a strike in 1899, and Roosevelt ran for presidency in 1901, so we'll just say the musical takes place in 1899 too (correct me if theres a different confirmed time).

During this time, work conditions are absolute shit, monopolies and trusts are on the rise, and the concept of a union has recently emerged. I really didnt need to say much of this bc its apparent in the musical, but i love historically accurate stuff so deal with it /lh

And in the musical we see the beginnings of Roosevelt's trust-busting and ideas of social equality that he acts on during his presidency (it also kinda ties into his environmentalism stuff a bit too!)

And after reading up a bit on the strike the musical was based on, a lot of the effects of the strike in the musical were historically accurate too! the newsboys could sell back papers they werent able to sell on the streets, but the price was unfortunately not yet lowered. (also, the names of the publishers in the show are historically accurate as well!!! makes my little history brain happy :DDD )

SO whats the point of all of my rambling here?

people make historical art all of the time. we see it in musicals like Annie, Hamilton, and so so many more. obviously this goes beyond musicals here, but since newsies is a musical ill try to stay with that topic.

anyway, we learn about history to learn from it. we see these past issues that our previous generations struggled with, in these art forms as to be easily digestible, and we discover their solutions. we get to see the humanity behind the issues and the conflicts they faced to overcome them. and ofc its not the only reason, but one reason these stories are told with art is to bring attention to them. people are way more likely to listen to music than study a historical textbook. so, they make it entertaining. they make relatable and lovable characters. they make people care about the show and subsequently the issue itself. all of this is to explain how and why things that happened in history are bad as to never repeat them again.

We see these topics of worker mistreatment, corrupt businesses, child labor, gender/sex inequality, and the class separation all brought to the spotlight in this show, and it does a damn good job of showing the pain and suffering they cause. the story of this show is incredible and so very important to learn about.

OK now onto the actual musical itself im done nerding out

ive done a lot of charater analysis already in that intermission post bUT WHO SAYS I CANT DO MORE HAHA

im saving jack for last bc theres so much to unpack there

KATHERINE MY LOVE <3333

Everything about her being a girlboss absolutely remains the same shes INCREDIBLE

and holy shit PULITZER'S HER DAD???? i love her even more. she directly ran away from an easy life to follow her own dreams and pursue her own passion from scratch. incredible. inspiring. mwah

i also just love her personality. shes so bubbly and happy and passionate and bright and optomistic shes the best <3

oh god crutchie. hes absolutely my favorite btw im sorry everyone else i adore him <33333

GOD his prison song actually killed me. im fully dead. deceased.

THE NEWSIES ARE SUCH A FAMILY GAHHH THEY LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH RAHHHH

the sheer ecstasy i felt when he came back and hit Snyder with his cane i could not stop stimming MY BOYYYY

the absolute definition of sunshine character. he sees everything as glass half full and wants just the brightest future he deserves the absolute world

and ik i talked about it earlier but i adore how they take such a neutral opinion about his leg. people give him shit for it, and his brother beat them to a pulp. its just a part of him and they love his whole being, so why would they not love that about him too?

Les only got better as the show went on. i thought he was a smartass before LMAOO

AND THE DATE BIT??? WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM???? AND IT JUST NEVER GETS BROUGHT UP AGAIN LMAO WHAT

i think the biggest change i felt towards a character was Davey

he grew on me soooooo much his character growth is everything to me

he went from trying to stay out of their business to teaching them what a union was to helping them start it to running it himself when jack ran off to convincing jack to come back when times got tough he is sooo important to the story

and to me. hes important to me <3

OH AND RACE

i saw people mention the name before but i didnt know which he was until they addressed him directly I LOVE THAT GUYYY

especially in king of new york hes got such a big personality what a silly guy

OK now for the guy the silly the mc jack

At the beginning he is entirely driven by both his love for his family and ofc his dream of living in Santa Fe, but atm hes just trying to get by so hes more focused on the newsies. but a boy can dream

then he gets all caught up in the strike business and only focuses on that for a while bc he wants to protect his boys

then shit goes south. they get essentially jumped, and crutchie gets hurt and arrested.

and he thinks, what was it all for? if he couldnt protect his brother (never living that down btw), whats the point of even trying to strike anymore

so he changes his focus back to santa fe. the one thing hes still got going for him.

and he gets confronted by katherine, les, and davey, and they knock some sense into him. stopping the strike isnt going to take away any of the harm done. the danger is expected, theres no way any of this could go down without some form of a casualty. so why not try to do something about it. the only way to make this situation better is to get back in the game and keep pushing for change.

and ofc the thing with katherine which ill talk abt a bit more later

in all of this, something in him changes. he dreamed of santa fe, a simpler life, one where he didnt have to worry about having to afford food and clothing for the next day.

but what he never considered was the loneliness. sure, he offered to bring crutchie and katherine with him, but hed be leaving behind so many more. and thats when he realized he never needed to get out, he just needed things to change a bit. and they did! because of the strike, living became so much more affordable. no it wasnt perfect, but it was enough to be safe and secure, just like he wanted. and he had his family beside him the whole time.

ill admit that before i sat and thought about it for a while, this ending was really unsatisfactory to me. i mean we got how many santa fe reprises? all for naught?

but in reality, santa fe would never be enough for him. hes just so used to this life surrounded by the people he cares most about and doing everything in his power to protect him, hed just be so bored, so understimulated, and hed just continue to yearn for more. that path of wanting would never come to a conclusion and hed live his life never truly being happy. so i really do thing he made the right choice in staying, because new york became his santa fe. he didnt need to seek it out, it came to him.

Ok now with him and katherine

ill start by saying i do really adore them. i feel like a lot of what im about to say might seem like i think otherwise, but i truly do think theyre very sweet

ok so every interaction of theirs in act one was. very uncomfortable to say the least. he honestly seemed really predatory at times and it just really felt like an old-timey romance where the girl doesnt know her worth so she flocks to any guy that shows interest in hr bc she thinks its her only purpose

now obviously that is NOT the truth, those were just my first impressions. Katherine is extremely capable of taking care of herself and deciding what is and isnt right for her, she likes jack purely because she can and does. she knows her worth and just likes him bc she likes him, no strings attached

i will say the first kiss kinda caught me off guard lmao. like i knew they were gonna be a thing but that is NOT how i expected that to go down. its likely just bc of my aroace-ness but i saw no sign of them actually getting together prior to that, aside from them being the main man and leading lady in the show so ofc they have to be together. i mean ig her reaction to him drawing her was a bit of a hint but still. ok maybe its just bc im demi. hadnt thought abt that until now. damn. is this a normal thing? maybe it is. maybe im being too harsh. idk lmao

anyway ill admit the kiss was successful in getting his attention and getting him to listen to her so ill give it that lmaoo but tbh i did tune a bit of their song out bc it started to make me a bit uncomfy but i did liste back to it later on. they really seem to have a healthy relationship where they both care about the other and know the other is strong enough on their own, they just both want to be a part of the other's life. its really sweet! theyre so supportive of each other!!! green flags all around!!!

the bit with him learning shes pulitzers daughter was really interesting to me. at first she tries to talk to him but he kinda brushes her off, but from then on he just kinda has full faith in her? i mean yeah he gets upset about it bc he thinks she lied to him, but i dont think he thought she had any ill intentions. that was a complicated sentence lmaoo damn. i think he really understood that she wanted to help, he was just caught up in a lot of Feelings and was afraid that she wasnt trustworthy despite him still trusting her. and then he let her explain and from then on they fully support the other and trust each other immensely

so yeah first impressions were a bit iffy but i think theyre very sweet <333

OK GOD CAN I GUSH ABOUT THE STAGE DESIGN FOR A BIT???? GAHHH

i mean the moving stairs and scaffolding arent new. i know this. but just the way they frame scenes with the scaffolding is stunning. the chase scenes??? dude. enthralling. the bits where theyre in the city and they have people just up their acting like civilians? SO cool. makes it incredibly more realistic and believable. and the way they projected images onto the curtain-like things they pulled down was extremely creative!!! like in theory its such a simple design. it was literally nothing more than the scaffolding and stairs, and a few tables and wagons and such in certain areas. but they did SO much with it it was hard to believe it took place on a stage. ofc the filming helps with that but still. the start felt like it was on the roof of the building bc of a combination of the lighting and the use of just one of the scaffolding pieces. and when theyre in buildings, the wall of scaffolding works really well as a backdrop!!! and i already talked about the city street scenes, it fits perfectly. god its so inspiring id love to be behind something like that one day

OK AND THE CHOREO??? the sheer ENDURANCE of these people HOLY I COULD NEVER. THE FLEXIBILITY? THEYRE ALL LITERAL GYMNASTS WTF ARE THESE FLIPS AND HANDSTANDS IM SORRY???? holy shit its all SOSOSO impressive

oh my god i havent even talked about the MUSIC yet

if i had to choose a favorite song, a, i would punch whoever told me that in the face, and b, i would simply combust bc i cant choose just one

my top three tho would have to be between king of new york, carrying the banner, and crutchies prison song (idk the name its not on spotify :'((((( ) in no particular order

i havent had them on repeat enough to have any memorized, but i did remember santa fe, carrying the banner, and the world will know from the last time i watched it and i belted along to all the parts i knew this music is so good at hyping me up I WANNA START A UNION

and oh my god katherines voice???? stunning. her song is sooooo good. her part in king of new york is incredible. i love her <3

jesus christ this post got out of control. im still not done lmaooo

ok one thing that really has nothing to do with the musical itself is just the fact that it reminded me of so many other musicals ive seen at specific parts, even some of the songs sound like others i know.

Santa Fe really reminds me of Maybe from Annie, both music-wise and lyric wise. i mean theyre both "i want" songs so it makes sense but i feel like they sound kinda similar too. honestly a lot of the music sounds like Annie, but maybe its just the types of instruments used and thats just how musicals sounded when they were made. i think they were made about the same time. *checks spotify* ok well the newsies i listen to was produced like 40 years after Annie so maybe that just a stylistic choice-

idk why but the beginning of watch what happens sounds like the intro to reginas speaking part in meet the plastics lmao-

oh and brooklyn's here has the same beat as the military from Seussical but thats just bc its a marching song lmao. its also the same beat as the spanish alphabet song my spanish teacher used to use!

ok and this one really doesnt make sense but something to believe in reminds me of the power in me from Twisted lmao- kinda similar message ig? and sound vaguely similar? but idk it really doesnt make too much sense

i should. i should sum it up. this is getting out of hand.

okay i love this musical sm. clearly. do you see how long this post is. i was missing out when i refused to listen to it previously. oh my god.

and for some reason it really makes me wanna go watch my favorite musical so im ending this here TO YOUTUBE I GOOOOO TY FOR READING IF YOU DID AND TY TO ROYAL FOR UNINTENTIONALLY PUSHING ME TO WATCH THIS HAVE A GREAT DAYYYY

[egg-yolks-n-sugar]

Ooooh, can you talk about the relationship between Chiharu and her coworkers? She's SO CUTE btw, amazing design :]

YES!! + just general bakery info dump...

I'll start off with chiharus part. And sort of about the bakery...

She owns the bakery! It's been in her family for years and goes down generation to generation..so she took it after her parents got abit too old to run it :)

Ofc her being the owner and there for boss means hiring workers.

She bakes, and runs the place..so the big stuff :D

Hideki: is fresh out of highschool and desperately needed a job....collage wasn't in his budget.. chiharu is incredibly empathetic and refuses to see anyone struggle so she gave him a job :) he's the cashier and struggles abit with socializing...which is why she put him front and center in the first place, to try and get him out of his shell she treats him like he's her little siblings...sorta has a tendency to baby him... she means well!

Karina: is a friend from highschool! She's familiar with the bakery because she's been around so long, chiharu and Karina always kinda talked about taking it over when they got the chance so they did:) Karina bakes and takes care of stock and supplies....she also does alot of work with customers...!, chiharu and her are lowkey besties, and will pick at each other alot on the job, they balance each other out with Karina being super loud and straight forward, chiharu is lowkey abit of a push over... they need each other lolol

The bakery/Cafe is Like a little sit or pick up place, and it's called honey bees! :) its local around the boys and jyushimatsu was the first to wanna go in,

if I had any skill drawing buildings I'd make a lay out for it...maybe some day raahh

I suck at writing ...this is kinda all over the place but teehee :3!

(Chi and her silly lil uniform)

[kivaember]

woe, ftm walter be upon ye (yes this is actually canon to apv btw)

Somedays, Carla had to laugh at how far she'd fallen.

Well-respected Institute scientist, lauded for her efforts in the C-weapon project and incorporating Coral into AI neural networks... reduced to a penniless scrapper in the underbelly of one of Ganymede's colonies, barely making ends meet because of the UEG's broken form of capitalism.

It was intentional to an extent, though. If it had just been her, riding the massive wave of Rubiconian refugees after the Fires had slagged their planet to smouldering ash, she would've thrust her hand up high and declared her credentials at the immigration office. The UEG had hoovered up every single scientist or technician it could get its greedy little paws on in the aftermath, and from what Carla had seen they were living it large right now. A luxurious little corporate cage as they regurgitated all of Rubicon's little technological miracles for the UEG to warp and manipulate.

She hoped they choked on their feed, honestly, but she was self-aware enough to know that would've been her too, if she'd been alone. But she wasn't.

"Hey, Walter! It's time to close up shop!"

Her voice rang across their large, open garage, cluttered with broken down machinery and mechs alike, a literal maze of trip hazards and health violations that would've gotten her shutdown if this was on the surface. But it wasn't. No one gave a shit what anyone did down here in the slums, so long as their little worker bees kept on working, kept on producing... and didn't, gasp, form unions.

Carla was a one-man show, though- okay, technically three, if you counted Walter and Chatty, but she was wisely keeping away from that business. All power to the people and all that, fuck the bourgeois, eat the rich, etc, etc, but Carla had a purpose she was gunning for, and social liberation didn't come under that. So, for now, it was just her and Walter, working in a deathtrap of a scrapper garage, with Chatty sitting quietly in the background pretending to be dumb security system rather than a fully fledged AI (that can and has ran circles around the security AIs on Ganymede - lots of dirty laundry in many people's drawers on this moon).

A groaning, screeching rattle echoed through the garage, signifying the shutter doors being closed. Carla pushed herself up from where she'd been squatting over a dismembered construction mech arm, trying to extract the intact gyroscopes inside. These things sold pretty sell second hand... or third... or fourth... well, you got the idea.

"Oof, all this bending over is ruining my back..." she grumbled, pressing her oil-stained hands against her lower back and applying pressure, feeling how tight and knotted it was. "I feel old as shit."

"You are old as shit."

Carla scoffed and turned to see Walter lurking in the shadows like the anti-social freak that he was. His brown hair was a little flyaway than usual, darkened from where he'd accidentally rubbed oil into it from his hands, and his mechanic jumpsuit was partially unzipped, his pale skin faintly flushed from exertion and damp with sweat.

He was a lot more modest about the unzipping, though. Carla had whacked hers down all the way to the midriff, because this shitty garage got hot no matter how much she tried finangling some kind of air conditioning down here. The air was too full of smog and other pollutants that trapped heat and discouraged the human way of cooling down via sweat evaporation. It was a torturous existence... and made Carla and Walter walk around like they were auditioning for some kind of "Mechanics Gone Wild!" calendar.

"Hey, you shouldn't be backtalking your boss like that!" Carla mock-scolded, planting her hands on her hips. "What if I decided to dock your pay?"

"Well, you'd have to pay me first," Walter said flatly, pinching the front of his jumpsuit and flapping it slightly to cool himself down. "I'm working here for free, remember?"

"Oh yeah. That's true," Carla hummed, cupping her jaw thoughtfully. "Well! Carry on, then! Can't control you if I'm not in charge of your pay, haha!"

Walter rolled his eyes, forever unimpressed with her cavalier attitude and jokes, despite her best attempts. He was too much like his father sometimes, though Carla knew better than to say that. Walter had more daddy issues than an entire soap opera cast combined, and the one time she'd made a comment about how Walter was looking more like his father now that he was a little older and.... brrrrr! The dark side of the moon had been tropical in comparison!

this kid, she thought exasperatedly, he needs to loosen up...

"Got any plans tonight?" she asked as they made their way to the rear of the garage, where they both lived out of. It wasn't anything impressive compared to their immaculate lodgings on the Xylem in another lifetime, but compared to the rest of the gutter rats around here, they were living it up large. Two bedrooms for privacy and their own kitchen and bathroom with functioning plumbing? They were like royalty! Royal rats, the pair of them, hah.

"None," Walter replied. "Why, do you need me for something?"

"Yeah, as a chaperone," Carla teased, nudging him with her elbow. "We should hit up the bars. You're an adult now, you should be living it large before we've gotta focus on the job."

Walter's expression said he'd rather belly crawl over barbed wire.

"I'd rather belly crawl over barbed wire," he said.

"Aw, c'mon! Stop being a Debbie Downer." Carla nudged him with her elbow, and weaved out of the way when he tried to nudge her back. "You're really going to leave me hanging? Leave your old as shit guardian to wander the bars alone... defenceless... helpless against any ne'er-do-wells-"

Walter snorted. "You're anything but helpless. If anything I should be protecting the local population from you, cougar."

"Cougar! Well, you're right. I do like my men young and cute," Carla teased with a wink, just to see his reaction. Which was....!!! Nothing. Guy didn't even flinch.

"Right. So, I'd just cramp your cougar style," Walter said simply. "Being a cute young man and all. They'd all think you're taken... or asking for a threesome. I wouldn't want to ruin your night like that."

"Hm." Carla was reluctantly amused. "You've gotten very sassy, Walter."

"That's your fault."

Yup, and she was proud of it. Walter had been such a humourless little thing as a child - through no fault of his own, admittedly. Growing up in the Xylem had been a lonely, neglectful existence, and being uprooted from that to flee to a colony that viewed him as nothing but an unwanted mouth to feed just compounded whatever fucked up issues that childhood of neglect had lain the foundations for. It made sense that whatever sense of humour Carla tried to impart in him turned all warped and twisted and a little mean.

But! Humour was humour! When things got bad, all you had to do was laugh! Walter wasn't the laughing type, but she'd take this! Better than nothing!

"Well, you're coming out anyway," she said. "No ifs or buts! You've just been rotting away in your room, brooding about pointless crap. Just come out and have a few drinks. Unwind a little."

"No."

"I'll have Chatty recite all the poetry I wrote since we left-"

"Okay, just a few drinks," Walter immediately u-turned.

Hah. Gottem.

-

If growing up with Carla taught Walter one thing, it was learning how to pick his battles.

He wasn't a drinker, and the bars down in the slums were as seedy as you'd expected: the alcohol was moonshine or contrabrand, drugs were commonly traded in the background, and there was always a risk of the Ganymede Guards crashing the party to arrest a few people for encouraging socialist gatherings. Walter just didn't see the point in getting involved in that crap, but Carla always was seduced by dangerous or ill-advised things.

She also had a short attention span. As they stood at the bar, knocking back the probably toxic swill being sold, Carla eventually got pulled away by some people she knew in the scrapping business, her obnoxiously loud laughter audible even over the ambient chatter.

Walter took that as his cue to finish his drink and leave.

Broken glass crunched under his boots as he stepped out into the street, burying his hands into the pockets of his mechanic jumpsuit. The air was smoggy and thick with a wet, unpleasant smell, making him feel like he was in a rancid sauna, and he unzipped his jumpsuit that little bit more, fanning himself.

He couldn't wait to leave this place.

From the moment he had stepped foot on this damned moon, he had despised every inch of it. The Xylem had been cold and loveless, yes, but the air hadn't stank of exhaust, it wasn't constantly hot and humid, with changing seasons and weather, he could see the sky and watch the birds fly, his hands would only have the callouses from holding a pen, rather than being rough and worn like leather from constant handling of scrapping tools and sticky oil. Walter's life would be very different, if his father hadn't ruined everything.

He stopped in front of the door to his and Carla's living quarters in the garage, digging out the key from his pocket and slotting it in. When he stepped inside, he was greeted with Chatty saying: "Welcome back, kid. Is the Chief still out?"

"Yeah." Walter kicked the door shut behind him. "Talking shop with some people."

"Understood."

And that was that. Despite the name Chatty was pretty quiet, which was why he and Walter got along well. He headed up the narrow staircase to his room, which was sandwiched between Carla's room and the bathroom, and just wide enough to slot a single-man bed in there with enough room for him to actually get in and out of it.

Walter felt grimy as hell, so he shed his boots and jumpsuit entirely, tossing the soiled clothing onto the floor before walking, completely naked, to the bathroom, yanking the cord to turn the light on. As he shut the door behind him, he looked at the cracked mirror Carla had broken when bolting onto the wall. She'd laughed that her luck was already so bad that this should cancel it out.

His reflection was uncomfortably familiar.

As a child, he'd been told often that he looked a lot like his mother. Standard biases, of course: for a considerable chunk of his childhood, he'd stayed as his assigned sex, a quiet little daughter that was easily forgotten about by most people. The moment he'd stepped out of that easily assigned box, became a son hungry for attention instead of the quiet daughter, people immediately switched to well, he's looking a lot like his father nowadays, isn't he?

Truth was, Walter had looked like both of them. He had his mother's bone structure, but his father's eyes, and his hair was a combination of them both: slightly wavy where his mother's was curly and his father's completely straight. He hadn't really put much stock into his appearance back then, anyways. He'd been ten. He just wanted people to call him Walter. What did it matter who he looked more like at the time?

Now, though, he looked in the mirror and saw his father.

What lingering remnants of his mother were easily overlooked by the sharp line of his jaw and the shape of his eyes, his hair cropped short enough that it was hard to see the slight waviness. He lowered his gaze, to his body which was well-toned with muscle from years of hauling heavy machinery and scrap, his shoulders broad and his trunk solid enough that it partially hid the slight curve of his hips. Didn't do anything to hide his breasts, but he already had a plan for those, if this Furlong Dynamics pilot recruitment programme worked out.

It was strange, though. The more he carved away the parts that were like his mother, the more his father shone through, and the more complicated Walter felt about the whole thing. He hated his father, despised him from the very depths of his soul, regretted every day his failed attempt to kill him before everything went completely pear-shaped... and now he was even tainting this, having Walter's stomach clench and his face tighten at his reflection, at the ghost of his father hidden in there.

He wasn't the same as him, though... he was going to put to rights what Dr Kohler had done wrong. He'd make it so he could look himself at the mirror without wanting to flinch... either because he'd succeed in destroying the Coral for good, or because he'd die in the process. Either or.

"Kid. You've been staring at the mirror for five minutes."

"I'm fine," Walter said, anticipating Chatty's follow up question. He turned away and turned on the shower, watching as the metallic smelling water spluttered out of the showerhead sluggishly. "Just thinking."

"Hm."

Chatty left it there, and Walter neatly compartmentalised his complicated feelings and stuffed them under the figurative bed. It was a pointless thing to brood about, didn't contribute at all towards his mission. Being Walter was a selfish self-indulgence anyways, the one thing he allowed himself, despite the looming pressure of the trials to come.

What did it matter who he looked liked? That legacy was going to be buried, one way or another.

[mbti-enemies]

hey there guys, I wanna ask for advice on something if you're cool with it

I've always found the ships between INFPs and ENTJs so intriguing, they make such good dynamic tropes in theory and I wondered if it'd actually work well in real life

So I've got a new job recently and there is this girl there who's an ENTJ, she's got sharp cheekbones and dimples, tanned skin, long black hair, the prettiest shaped dark eyes I've ever seen, and she's so damn funny, wit, intelligent, bold, confident...

and GOSH, I'm just so very gay

She's so out of my league I didn't even consider anything actually working out, besides I've always been more inclined towards XNFXs, I just have the best past experiences and connections with them, but this girl's got me on my knees.

My colleagues are always hanging out together and they call me to tag along with them, I'm usually introspective and prefer small groups or one-to-one hangouts, but I don't wanna seem rude or antisocial, so I go, specially because I was/am new there and I'm not against making friends.

This girl - we'll call her Nell - came up to me and asked for my Instagram on my first day there and we had this conversation

Nell, scrolling through my acc: you don't post pictures of yourself?

Me: no, I'm not photogenic

Nell: oh please, spare me the BS, I look at you and my mind goes "she looks just like a dream, the prettiest girl I've ever seen" (yes she fucking sang that)

My reaction was basically the personification of a keyboard smash.

From there we became friends and she kept boldly flirting with me, leaving no space for doubts that she was flirting. But me, being the oblivious insecure dingus that I am, thought it was all a joke, like a friendly flirting, I don't know, I'm socially awkward, give me a break

I think she's only around me because she thinks I look cute, and I feel like if she actually gets to know me she won't like me anymore and that terrifies me, she's so WOW, and I'm so no big deal.

Anyways, yesterday we were preparing a birthday party for a co-worker when she came from behind me and turned my face to her as though she was gonna kiss me, she did it before but she never actually went for it, so I leaned in myself and pulled back before actually touching her lips, she widened her eyes and her jaw dropped slightly

Everyone was like "oh my god, were you actually gonna do it?", "I can't believe you missed the opportunity, she was literally right there", "were you about to make out?" and she replied with "not in front of everyone, give a girl some privacy" then she looked at me, "I wouldn't mind a kiss rn tho" pulled me by the waist, LEANED IN AND KISSED ME, it was just a quick peck, but still. then she pulled back and went "is this ok?" and I replied by kissing her back.

I don't know where I took that confidence from, but that's not the point

I HEKEHSKDGWKHSJDEH guys, I'm not good with this socialising thing, I've never dated anyone before, I never give people opening to actually get to know me or get closer, I've always been lonely (partially by choice), I have abandonment/trust issues, and yes, I go to therapy. Been recently diagnosed with ASD and ADHD, which fucks everything else that much more, I have no idea what I'm doing, but I really like this girl

It's just, I don't know, help me, please, what do I do? what's the way for an ENTJs heart? :D

...... soooo anon

you already have the entjs heart im pretty sure. i think what you need is a self confidence and self love boost so here is *boosts you (you sounds SWEET and AMAZING and LOVELY and you like her so beautifully and what more could she ask for)

anyways, i understand that you're scared. but you respect entj, as well as crush on her, so respect her decision to like you ;)

respect her liking you and let her decide whether you're good enough for her (you so are btw shut up already), open up, and just ask this girl out. if you like her, that's enough, it really is.

literally just go ask her out do it shoo everyone is rooting for you and the girl already kissed you infp what more of a sign could you POSSIBLY ask for. give us an update after <3

[kquil]

every time i find a new blog by sifting through the x reader categories i find the prettiest blogs known to mankind istg ♡ congrats on 1000 btw!!! im new here but love, love, LOVE your writing already.

for your celebration, could i get a 🧁 by chance?

im 5'4, brown hair with dark blue eyes. im an introvert, infp, and a slytherin [ mainly cause im ambitious as hell ]. i love, love the color pink!!! it's my favorite color of all fucking time. like, i see something i like, ill be looking for it in the color pink. i like to think im a very giving and generous person. just today one of my new co-workers said they liked my bracelet and my instant reaction was to give it to her. plus, i like to see other humans happy. i truly believe in the kindness is free sort of deal.

when it comes to interpersonal relationships, my usually introverted self becomes much more open. still, i can be pretty reserved even with my friends because my social battery drains so, so quick. however, with those select few, it feels like i don't have a social battery. my hopes for a romantic relationship would definitely include movie nights with a giant pillow fort. if we can't do that, then what's the point. oh, and bookstore dates + picnics afterward. also, my love languages are definitely touch and gift giving. something wonky and weird about me is that im extremely prone to accidents. im constantly discovering random bruises all over myself + getting hurt, and ending up in the emergency room.

i think that's a pretty good description of me!! so yeah (: again, fricken love ur blog!!!! ♡

awwww~ thank you so much for liking my blog aesthetic and calling it pretty and enjoying my writing! that makes me so happy! (≧▽≦) since you’re new here, welcome! and i hope you enjoy what i came up with for you~ 

I ship you with Regulus Black 

i. for a slytherin, you’re quite unique in how you act sometimes. regulus being his usually observant self always sees you in his peripheral with your close group of friends but also often easily making friends with other houses when forced to interact during classes. he can see that they realise how personable you are and how…you’re nothing like a slytherin but regulus can also see those snake-like traits in you. he sees your high ambitions and it isn’t anything like his other slytherin friends’ hopes for their futures. you don’t crave power for yourself, you crave reaching your personal, unfeasible goals. he often hears you muttering to yourself about what achievements you want to get in your academics, he doesn’t believe you’ll make it but keeps his mouth shut and waits for the results… proving him wrong each time, and now, he finds himself secretly hoping that you achieve everything you hope to achieve in life, no matter how formidable. 

ii. you keep surprising him. he’s never seen green be paired with so much pink before. but you make it work somehow, he doesn’t know why it suits you so well when it would look ridiculous on other people. when he glimpses you from across the library and takes in all your pink stationary, he imagines his slytherin friends with the same pink materials and snorts when the image that manifests in his mind becomes too ludicrous for him to imagine further. “What’s got you in such a light mood, Reg?” one of his friends asks suspiciously, missing the way his steel-grey eyes linger on you before answering, “nothing…”

iii. another way that you intrigue regulus is through your interaction with your close friends. he has many who would rather lose their limbs than share their good fortune with others but you don’t even bat an eye when offering your personal valuables. It’s so otherworldly to regulus how you’re passive to power and wealth but still so ambitious and snake-like. you bring a new image about slytherins that’s refreshing and hardly ever antagonistic, creating a warm feeling that blooms in his chest. regulus reasons that it’s hope for future slytherins to follow in your example when he’s too caught up in his family drama to confidently make independent decisions. That’s not the only feeling he’s experiencing, however, and it becomes obvious the more time he spends at Hogwarts with you slowly moving from his peripheral view to his centre of focus.

iv. regulus was subtle in his approach but to his friends, who knew him, he was being too obvious. he first approached you in the library, appearing to look at the books in the shelves next to you as you were preoccupied with reading one you had recently pulled off the shelf. he glances at you over the cover of the book he was pretending to read and you do the same, the two of you actually meet eyes a couple of times but never say a word to each other. it’s become quite a small routine for the two of you to read standing side by side at the shelves. sometimes, regulus would be the one to approach you, other times it would be you approaching him. Sometimes it would be for long periods of time, to the point where you both would end up sitting on the floor together, and other times, it would be for a short few minutes and one of you has to leave. it was a good routine, quickly becoming familiar and comfortable but it was too silent. 

v. eventually, at the same time, you two plucked up the courage to ask the other to sit at a table and read. it was quite a flustering situation; it was the first time he got to hear your voice up close and it was the first time you got a close up look on the famous, younger one of the Black brothers. over time, your relationship and readings together became a semi-cuddle on the common room sofas where you both held a book to read and one of you would eventually find their fingers combing through the other’s hair. many of your house mates saw you two like this and grew curious over how such an odd couple came to be. a unique pairing, indeed. a very true slytherin loving on a slytherin that didn’t really act like one. they grew to accept it eventually. 

vi. the two of you were in denial, however; you two were just good friends. good friends who spent a lot of time together, gifted each other small but meaningful things, who go to the bookstore together while holding hands, who frequently go on picnics by the lake after visiting the kitchens and who cuddle close to each other at every opportunity. It’s all innocent, just like how regulus innocently kisses your temple whenever he greets you and innocently holds your hand on instinct; carrying around a bottle of bruise ointment for your clumsiness. Very innocent indeed, with the way you like to curl up in regulus’s arms for comfort, seeking him out for every little thing, no matter how small, innocent, with how close you like to keep your face close his, how you seem to be the only one to make regulus happy and how he only seems to relax into your arms and nobody else's — he wouldn’t even let others touch him, especially not in the same way you do. 

vii. yes, it’s all very innocent but you two are so perfect together, i can’t see you with anyone else other than our beloved reggie. you two just have to get it together and finally make it official — everyone’s sick and tired of your puppy love, simply because you’re too cute of a couple to even make fun of.

1K MILESTONE EVENT | NAVI.

[krikeymate]

Same anon here Btw! And I much prefer your take on the foster care/estranged older sister story thing Omg

I just thought of it quickly but damn the details on yours are much more intriguing I read it back a couple times.

Also we wouldn’t put Sam as Tara’s mom if Christina made herself more present lmao 😭😭😭

I'm glad you liked it!!

Part 1.

So, in order for Sam to take custody of Tara, she needs to petition the courts. She has to prove she's a suitable guardian! And well, she's not. She's got a criminal record, a history of drug use. She's got a life-altering mental health condition that rears its head in the worst way if she misses even a single dose. She works a shitty minimum-wage job and lives in a one-bedroom apartment. The girls aren't even acquainted. Ordinarily, this would be an open-and-shut no. Except... Sam has come into a lot of money with her parents' deaths, they both owned property, they both had substantial savings. And there's the question of how did this happen? After all, how could a child be born undetected, how did no one notice this child never went to school, how did she end up back with her mother, why was there no one watching the family from the beginning? Tara's social worker gets Sam in touch with a lawyer, and Sam sues a whole lot of people for gross negligence and failure to safeguard.

They give her custody.

Sam can't say her reasons are entirely altruistic, the situation comes with a life-changing amount of money. And a life-changing discovery as she clears out what used to be her home. Turns out her mother really was the absolute worst, all her life. She keeps it to herself.

Sam finds this parenting thing is much easier than she worried it would be. Feed the kid, make sure she's clean and clothed and safe. Take her to doctor's appointments, and social worker check-ups, and refill her inhaler prescription. And, ok, Sam knows there’s more to parenting than this, but it’s also the only thing she can do for the kid. Sam sleeps on the couch while she finds them somewhere new to live, and the kid spends most of her time curled up in a blanket under the bed. She tries not to react to the weird things she does, or the way she flinches if she shuts the door a little too rough. She tries not to wonder if this could have been her if she hadn’t been removed when she was.

The girl isn’t ready to be around others, but they tell her she needs an education, so Sam gets her a tutor, who also functions as a babysitter. It takes 3 months before Tara stops shaking when Sam goes to leave her with the sitter. That very first day had taken her by surprise. In the 5 months she had been with her, the girl had kept to herself, stayed quiet and out of reach. That day, Tara had attached herself to her leg and began to cry and Sam got to hear her speak for the very first time: no nonono no please no. She had to call off work sick that day to calm her down. Things changed after that. Tara became clingy.

Where previously she would watch Sam from afar with furrowed brows and suspicion (and sometimes even anger, she thinks), now she constantly hovers nearby. She’s always watching. She’ll willingly slip her hand into hers when they’re out and about. She crawls into her bed at night and sleeps at the foot, near but not touching. (The first morning after they moved, Sam nearly had a heart attack when she went to check on her sister and found the room empty. The girl was in her favourite place to be, under Sam’s bed.) Sam wonders why she ever sprung for a two-bed in the first place, then remembers, oh yeah, the social workers. Tara can still be taken back from her at any time, and she’s got to admit, she’s gotten used to having her around.

Tara’s a week from 14 when she makes Sam cry for the first time. Sam had been ranting – Tara had been so irritating lately, leaving her possessions where Sam would trip over them, being lazy, refusing to clean up after herself – and Sam couldn’t take it anymore. Mid-lecture, the girl screams at her to shut up and pushes her. It doesn’t hurt, she barely even budges, but the act feels so meaningful. Tara’s anger fades in an instant, apologies flying off her tongue, and Sam just pulls her in and hugs her tight. She’s so happy her sister feels safe enough with her to lash out and not fear the consequences. A week later she presents her with adoption papers for her birthday. It won’t change much for them, but the way Tara throws herself into her arms and says I love you for the first time tells Sam all she needs to know. She wonders how she almost passed on this.