#but the good thing about that school was it was incredibly diverse

[muirneach]

they really shouldn’tve given me a gifted program test when an autism diagnosis test would’ve done the trick

[mourning-again-in-america]

wonder how many times i'm going to see the phrase "mediocre white" in the next week

[bratzforchris]

Sunflowers

Summary: Chris gets distracted easily. Like really, really easily. When he gets separated from Matt and Nick in the mall, he meets a lovely soul who understands just a little bit more than anyone else.

Pairing: ADHD!Chris x autistic!feminine reader

Warnings: Neurodivergent overstimulation, getting lost, crying, brief mentions of ableism

Word Count: 2.1k

A/N: The sunflower lanyard (pictured above) signifies that someone has a hidden or invisible disability and may need extra assistance/patience/kindness. I am not saying or assuming Chris actually has ADHD. If he doesn't, cool, if he does, also cool! This is all for fun and for diversity in the fandom<3 Enjoy!!

ADHD was a difficult thing to live with. It was more than just the stereotype of “Oh look! Squirrel!”. It was a constant condition that caused a lot of impact on one’s day-to-day life and happiness. Chris knew this better than just about anyone. Having been diagnosed in middle school, he found himself on a constant pendulum between spaced out with his head all over the place and extra hyper. Though he was medicated for it, there were still days where his body and mind were consumed with extra hyperactivity and energy, meaning he could be easily distracted, rambunctious, and fidgety. 

Both Matt and Nick were aware of their younger brother’s diagnosis and were extremely supportive of it, letting Chris run wild when he needed to and gently reminding him to take his meds and do his other daily tasks now that they no longer lived with their parents. The youngest really couldn’t have asked for a better support system, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t days where his brain betrayed him for quite literally no reason. 

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

“Do you want your lanyard, Chris?” Matt asked as he grabbed his car keys off the hook near the garage door. 

The key rack held all of the boy’s keys and things they would need when they left the house, but it also held Chris’ green and yellow sunflower lanyard. These lanyards were a universal symbol that someone had a hidden or invisible disability and might need some extra kindness and assistance when they left their house. Chris had fought the idea at first, claiming that he didn’t need that; he rarely struggled in public. However, the change after he had agreed to try one due to Nick’s pleading to give it a shot had been immense. Strangers no longer looked at him like he was rude when he couldn’t help to butt in or play with his fidget toys as an adult, nor did shop owners hastily bat his hands away when he just wanted to touch things in stores. Of course, there were still bigots, but the improvement was more than he could have asked for. 

Now, Chris possessed his own sunflower lanyard, complete with a small card attached that read “I have ADHD. I can act restless and tend to fidget. I may act on impulse and have trouble concentrating. Please be patient and understanding.” and had both Matt and Nick’s names and phone numbers on it in case of an emergency. His lanyard also had a few pins, buttons, and pop-its on it so that the boy would always have something to fidget with. 

“It’s probably a good idea,” Nick added, coming down the stairs and typing out something on his phone. “Christmas is next week. The mall is going to be busy.”

Being triplets, Matt and Nick were incredibly in-tune with Chris and each other, and both boys could tell that today was going to be a more hyper, easily distracted day for their younger brother. Normally, they would’ve postponed busy, crowded spaces and must-do errands for a day where Chris was feeling more mellowed out, but they flew back home to Boston in just a few short days and had yet to buy Christmas presents for, well, anyone. 

Slowly thinking over the situation at hand, Chris grabbed his lanyard off the hook and placed it over his neck, but it wasn’t long until he had moved on to something else. “Do you guys think that there are triplets just like us?” he asked as Matt corralled him out the door. “But like, in China or something?”

The drive to the mall had been much longer than anticipated with all the holiday traffic, which allowed Chris more time to let his mind wander, blurting out every random thought he had as he played with the shark pop-it on his lanyard. Luckily, Nick quickly engaged the youngest in all his conversations so that Matt could focus, his own head spinning as he tried to keep up with Chris’ mile-a-minute chatter. 

“We should go people watching,” Chris announced as Matt parked their car inside of the heavily filled parking garage. “We could probably see some crazy shit. Speaking of which, did you guys see that episode of Live PD last night?”

Matt and Nick shared a glance over Chris’ head as they walked into the mall. The more Chris talked, the more he began to fidget, earning stares from onlookers, despite his lanyard. The mall was insanely crowded, which could either help or hurt. Somedays, Chris absolutely thrived in chaos, able to hyperfocus and get tasks done in record time. On others, his brain became so stimulated by chaos and change that he would shut down, often losing his ability to executive function in the process. Today was an absolute toss up. 

“Let the games begin.” Nick mumbled, grabbing his brothers’ hands and sliding through the crowds. 

As ‘cringy’ as it was, the triplets still held hands with each other in public, especially after Chris had received his ADHD diagnosis. Matt and Nick felt an almost protective sense over their younger brother, opting to help keep him safe when his brain didn’t always remind him to do that himself. 

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

Things had been going fine for well over an hour now, but it was starting to become too much for Chris. They had already gotten presents for their dad and Justin, and were now on the hunt for a gift for their mother. As much as they loved and adored MaryLou, shopping for a woman as 20 year old men in a mall this crowded was a task. 

The youngest triplet was beginning to become overstimulated. His own thoughts had already been so loud and so chaotic this morning, and to add hoards of people, blaring Christmas music, screaming kids, and overwhelming smells from the food court wasn’t helping. He hadn’t meant to get separated from Nick and Chris; the boys had been poring over the jewelry counter in Macy’s when Chris dropped Nick’s hand, opting to pull his Airpods out of his pocket. Maybe if he could listen to the music he liked and that calmed him down, he could manage the rest of this trip without a meltdown. 

Chris had just slipped his earbuds in and pressed play on Life of a Dark Rose when he realized that neither Matt nor Nick was standing next to him. Not yet panicked, he looked around the floor of the department store, searching for Matt’s Red Sox hat or Nick’s blond hair above the crowd. When that didn’t work, he simply shot a quick text in their sibling group chat that read where are you guys??. Much to his discomfort, the text quickly came back with a ‘cannot be delivered’ message, making the brunette curse when he realized that the signal in the store was awful. 

“Excuse me, ma’am. Did you see where my brothers went? They have tattoos. One’s blond and has a nose ring, the other was wearing a hat?” Chris asked the lady at the jewelry counter hopefully. 

Either not noticing his lanyard or not caring, the employee turned her back to Chris, leaving him desperate. He didn’t know his way around this mall at all, his phone wasn’t working, and it was beyond crowded. How was he supposed to find Matt and Nick? What if they left without him? He couldn’t drive and he had left his wallet with Nick. How would he get home? This was just a glimpse into the anxiety that circulated through Chris’ mind whenever he became overstimulated. 

The brunette felt his eyes beginning to grow wet, cursing himself under his breath. He wouldn’t, he couldn’t cry. Not here. Chris wiped a few stray tears that were running down his cheeks and began to retreat to a quiet area of the store to contemplate his next move. The last thing he needed was for a ‘fan’ to snap a photo of him crying and overstimulated and post it online. 

The children’s toy area proved to be the perfect place for him to hide. With all the stock having been bought out for the day in the holiday rush, the department was completely empty. Chris sat down on one of the leather benches, running his hands through his hair as a stim and anxiously checking his phone in hopes of regaining signal. He was so caught up in his anxious stimming and trying not to have a meltdown, that he hadn’t even noticed someone appear beside him. 

“Are you okay? I saw your lanyard,” You offered kindly. “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.”

Chris looked up at you, taking in your appearance. You were absolutely beautiful, dressed in a soft, sensory friendly outfit with a purple cow Squishmallow clutched to your side. That wasn’t what caught his attention, though. What truly caught his attention was the sunflower lanyard hanging around your own neck. Glancing briefly at the card, Chris noticed it read “I’m autistic”. 

“Can I sit?” You asked, gesturing to the empty spot next to the boy. 

Chris nodded, wiping his eyes and clearing his throat. “I can’t find my brothers.” he admitted tearfully. 

“Is that who’s with you?” You asked knowingly, having been in similar situations yourself. “Do you want to call them?”

“I can’t. My phone won’t send the fucking text and they were just with me and I can’t find them. What if they left me?” the more Chris talked, the upset he became, anxiously chewing on his nails. 

“Hey hey hey, it’s okay. They wouldn’t leave you. Would you like a fidget?” You pulled a tangle from your purse, holding it out for the boy to take.

Chris stared at you for a moment before tentatively taking the toy from you, instantly focusing on the colors and movement of the plastic. “...thank you.” he whispered. 

“Would it be okay if I touched you?” You asked gently. From your own experience, you knew that it was important in situations like these to ask for consent to touch someone who was overstimulated. “My lanyard has my emergency contact on it. Does yours? Maybe we can work together to find your brothers.”

Chris nodded softly, allowing you to softly look at his lanyard and identify both Matt and Nick’s phone numbers and names. By some miracle, your phone had much better service than Chris’ did, allowing you to let both brothers know where you were and that Chris was looking for them. 

“So, tell me about yourself if you want to.” You tried to make easy conversation to take the brunette’s mind off his current overstimulation and panic. 

“‘M a YouTuber,” Chris muttered softly, highly subdued. “And I like rap music and y’know, I have ADHD.” when he saw your soft, blushy smile and attentive listening, Chris became more animated. 

“I’ve always thought YouTube would be a cool job. I’m a pet sitter. I love animals so much. They’re one of my special interests.” You nodded to your cow stuffed animal. 

Chris remembered reading about the term when he was doing some self reflecting on being neurodivergent. Although he didn’t experience them himself, he knew that they were an enormous part of being autistic, and he felt grateful that you were willing to share something like that with him. 

“How did you, um, find me?” Chris asked shyly. 

“Well, I came to see if they had any stuffed animals because I love them, but instead I found you.” You smiled, fiddling with your own fidget toy. 

You and Chris continued to chat as you waited for his brothers. The difference in his personality when you first found him to now was like night and day. He had become more animated over the course of your conversation, talking with his hands, eyes aglow. You looked up when you noticed two men who looked eerily similar to Chris walk up next to you. In your head, you connected the dots that the boys must have been triplets. The blond who approached you had a hard look on his face as he noticed his brother talking to a stranger, but when his eyes caught your lanyard, he visibly relaxed. 

“Matt! Nick!” Chris squealed, leaping off the bench and pulling his brothers into a hug. 

You watched with a soft smile, thinking the sibling’s embrace was cute until the brother in the Red Sox hat turned to you. 

“Thank you,” he told you sincerely. “Thank you for helping him.”

“It’s really not a problem.” You were becoming shy under the attention, but Chris came up and wrapped his arm around you. 

“I love her,” Chris said, before blushing as he realized what he had said. “Not like that! I…I mean…” he stuttered. 

“I’ll give you my number,” You chuckled, standing on your tiptoes and kissing Chris on the cheek. “For being such a sweetheart.”

tags ♡:  @jake-and-johnnies-slut @chrissfavwh3re @suyqa @chrissturnswife @mbsbaby @herxysc-blog @lovingchrissposts @caffeinatedscorpio @spencereidenthusiast @crazychrisl0v3r @sturnioloxlver @whicked-hazlatwhore @blahbel668 @sturncakez @junnniiieee07 @biggesthat3r @sturniolowhore @patscorner @julesgrl @0strawberrysorbet0 @strombolilovr @matt444nixi @remussbitch @devthepoet1221 @mattyblover07 @loisnotaa @mollyquinnxoxo @graysturns @pepsicolapussy333 @ginswife @emmagirouard @athaliahxoxo @bitchydragonparadise @ilydeaky @soggyslugg169 @m00n-0n-paws @books0fever @stingerayyy2 @sunsetsturniolos @mimi-luvzyu @raysmayhem-72 @faygo-frog @oobleoob @billsslutt @aemrsy

note ♡: if you'd like to bed added to my taglist, click here <3

[yandere-kokeshi]

Yandere spider verse your pick villain x Deaf reader

Warnings: yandere behavior and talks about people getting beat up.

A/N: I love that you decided to let me pick. I'm not really good at deciding and it picked Miles Morales from Earth-1610.

When he first met you, he was annoyed. Not only did you ignore him, but you constantly pointed at your ears when he did catch your attention - of course, he thought you were making fun of him. But later did he realize that you couldn’t hear, hence the pointing and not hearing him when he approached.

At first, he was rather careless about your deafness. He wasn’t mean or rude, just rather indifferent; you were just something else.

But for some reason, you’d caught his eye. Possibly it was the way you stood up for yourself, not allowing anyone to walk over you, regardless of your condition.

Or how you were incredibly gentle and nice, always saying hello to him. At this point, he starts to get closer to you and ends up falling for you.

He’s a huge help with reminding things and keeping track of time. If you get distracted and forget to look at the time, Miles will tell you what’s up and help you in which way he can.

With reminding, he’s always on top of that - if you have a doctor’s appointment, a quiz needed for school, or even need to get up early to meet with a family member, he always makes sure to get up earlier than you, helping you get ready.

Being deaf can be challenging. Things can overwhelm you quickly, and having problems with society can be mentally and emotionally draining. This said, Miles will often remind you to take it easy and allow him to handle the grocery shopping, the need of getting supplies, and resources that you might want.

Miles has learned to get your attention by using other forms of ‘sounds’ and actions - stomping on the ground, letting you feel the vibrations, or simply using lights as a way to diverse your attention towards him.

It’s possible he already knows sign language as he’s pretty observant. But he’s more than happy to spend time with you, watching how you teach him or fix his mistakes when signing.

God help anyone who dares to disrespect you. Even if they look at you weirdly, the next day, they’re on the news murdered. He’s pretty protective, especially with how you can’t hear and all. With this, he always pesters about coming with you whenever you’re gonna go somewhere.

Uncle Aaron respects you quite a lot, seeing how you treat Miles and how he acts a bit differently near you. He’ll treat you like a family member.

Sure, he’s a bit cold and distant, but the minute you’re in danger, he’ll make sure you’re put into safety as quickly as possible.

—

Masterlist || Please consider reblogging and commenting instead of liking, it helps me as a creator!! Stay well!!

© yandere-kokeshi 2023 — Do not copy, modify, edit, repost, or use my works for ASMR readings, tiktoks, or other content.

[ladyloveandjustice]

This isn't really a poll thing, but something that can kinda bother me about tumblr culture in general.

there are so many "who even are these" tags for ships that aren't two white men or "<white guys from popular but disgraced tv show> are so iconic they can't lose" and idk I would be kind of ashamed of admitting I was so ignorant of fiction involving women, nonbinary folks or people of color

I don't really understand the desire not to move on from the quintessential queerbaiting skinny white dude ships in shows we are all aware were pretty bad at this point and act like they're somehow more special or iconic just because they're widely known and many people on tumblr are fixated on them. "obsessed with superwholock" was never a thing I was part of, and it was not my tumblr culture, nobody on my dash did the mishapocalypse, and I was happy with it being that way.

It's something I can indulge and understand-- the supernatural memes are incredibly funny, as was Superhell night, but I think there should be a desire to move forward, not cling to the past. We've got a greater range of fiction dominating the site now instead of three mainstream shows and Homestuck, we've finally got some hugely beloved wlw couples and more diverse perspectives and I think that's good. The audience of this site has grown up in a lot of ways. I kind of want to see that celebrated, not lamented, and the weird assumption superwholock was part of everyone's old school tumblr experience is always a weird one to me.

[astrojulia]

Navigation:   ੈ♡˳Masterlist    ੈ♡˳Template

       ੈ♡˳Askbox    ੈ♡˳Arts Credit

9th house through the signs

ARIES: You have a natural curiosity and prefer to learn through hands-on experiences rather than traditional academic settings. However, you are always open to educational opportunities that challenge and engage you. Your adventurous spirit drives you to seek out unique and exciting experiences, especially in new and foreign cultures. Traveling is a passion of yours, and you eagerly embrace new opportunities to explore. You hold your philosophical and religious beliefs with conviction, but you are open to hearing different perspectives and engaging in discussions with those who have opposing views. You value diverse perspectives and are always seeking to expand your understanding of the world. Your positive outlook and determination make you believe that you can achieve anything you set your mind to. You are independent and self-sufficient, which has given you a strong sense of direction and the drive to pursue your goals. You approach challenges with a warrior mentality, ready to overcome any obstacle in your path.

TAURUS: You have a practical and down-to-earth approach to life's challenges, which helps you to be successful in your endeavors. You often travel with a clear purpose in mind, and your practicality shines through in your approach. Your dedication to your studies has resulted in academic success, and you have developed patience and persistence from your experiences in the world. Even though you may take a bit longer to reach your goals, you are committed to your own pace and find satisfaction in the progress you make. You have a steadfastness that helps you push through any obstacles that come your way. Although it may take some time to figure out your exact path, you know that you will eventually find a practical solution that works for you. While you may be hesitant to try new things, once you get out of your comfort zone, you know how to have a good time in a straightforward manner. You are the friend that can be relied on to approach situations with a level head and practical solutions.

GEMINI: After gaining your independence, you found yourself seeking out new and exciting experiences. During your college or post-secondary years, you were incredibly active and involved in countless activities, always eager to broaden your horizons. Your diverse range of experiences has given you a unique approach to life, which others find fascinating. While some may criticize your tendency to explore every opportunity, you firmly believe that life should be kept interesting. You are constantly shifting directions, always looking for the next exciting adventure. Your motto is to always keep moving forward and try something new. The more you explore, the more motivated you become, keeping you alert and active. However, you can lose interest quickly, so your travel companions have learned to jump on new ideas and implement them immediately. You prefer to be on the move, always seeking out new places and cultures to experience. Air travel is your preferred mode of transportation, but you also appreciate the scenic route that rail travel can offer.

CANCER: You have a great appreciation for the idea of taking a nostalgic trip, but you're worried about being away from your loved ones and home. It might be helpful to bring photos of home with you on your travels. If possible, you would love to complete your education from the comfort of your own home. After graduating from high school, you felt like you had found your place in the world, and you hope to continue feeling that way throughout your college experience. Being away from the hustle and bustle of the world gave you the confidence to express your true thoughts and feelings. You possess an incredibly intuitive and emotional sense of direction. Your inner compass guides you towards what feels right, even if others might not understand it. Trusting your inner voice has served you well, and you've learned to rely on your intuition when making decisions. Feeling lost can be draining, but your natural compass allows you to assess any situation and figure out where you need to go. It's important to you to not always have to be logical and practical. You enjoy a night out, but you can feel a little needy at times. If you're not doing something exciting, you can start to feel down. However, you love making others happy by taking them on trips and creating memories together.

LEO: This aspect brings many benefits for long journeys and connecting with people from different cultures and nations, whether it be through commerce or other arrangements. You have a natural curiosity and desire to understand and bond with people from all walks of life, which is a valuable skill. You hold your principles and values firmly, and you never compromise on them. Attending church services is something that you find acceptable and important to both yourself and your family. Learning and traveling are two of your favorite things. You feel happiest when you're discovering new places and ideas. Traveling allows you to broaden your horizons and gain a new perspective on the world. On the other hand, researching and debating philosophical viewpoints also excites you and provides mental stimulation. As you progressed through your education, you discovered more about who you are as a person. You became more confident and self-assured in your identity, which is a great feeling.

VIRGO: You're a natural organizer, and you prefer to travel with a well-packed bag and a carefully planned schedule. While you may be self-critical, your drive for perfection will serve you well in pursuing higher education. Your love for traveling is strong, and you should always take advantage of any opportunity to do so. Exploring new places, whether for business or pleasure, is a fantastic way to broaden your horizons and connect with people who could have a significant impact on your future. Because you have a keen interest in intellectual pursuits, you'll find great satisfaction in exploring metaphysical or theological beliefs through reading and discussion with friends and colleagues. You're open-minded and enjoy a variety of perspectives, making it easy for you to shift from one idea to the next. While others may have more simple and straightforward religious ideas with less emphasis on ritual and ceremony, you have a sensible approach and enjoy learning about different cultures and beliefs. Your college and global experiences have taught you the value of paying attention to the small things. You've become more sensible and clear-minded after high school, and you now have a wealth of knowledge about various subjects. Keep exploring and expanding your horizons, and you'll continue to learn and grow in ways you never thought possible.

LIBRA: When it comes to long-distance trips or going abroad, your options might be a bit limited. But here's the thing, you're gonna want a caring companion to join you on those adventures, and most of the time, it'll be your spouse who gets to decide if you're hitting the road or not. But hey, maybe deep down, you're not that crazy about traveling the whole world anyway. It's not like you wouldn't do it if the circumstances were right, though. You've got this philosophical outlook on life, and you're pretty adaptable to whatever changes come your way without losing your cool. Now, when it comes to your beliefs, you tend to stick with the religion you were raised in, but hey, change is always possible, especially if you end up marrying someone from a different background. You're all about fairness and equality, man, and you want everyone to be treated right. Learning is your jam, and you always strive to be your best self. You've got mad respect for people from different faiths and cultures, and it's like they're just naturally drawn to you, or maybe it's the other way around. In a partner, you're attracted to someone who's got a sense of adventure, man. You don't want them to be possessive or suffocate you. You dig a certain level of independence in a relationship.

SCORPIO: You're the type of person who loves exploring new and exciting places. Like, you're always down for an adventure. And you're super into higher education and doing research. You're also pretty deep and contemplative, especially in high school. You've probably been through some crazy stuff that's made you more aware of danger and threat. And yeah, some people might think you're a bit paranoid or controlling, but you just have this feeling that something big is gonna happen. But here's the thing, you have this incredible power to understand things that other people can't. It's like you have this inner compass that always points you in the right direction. And even though it can be scary, it's also kind of awesome. You're not really into superficial stuff, so if you're gonna go on an adventure, it's gotta be something meaningful. And hey, you might even find yourself traveling for a specific purpose or mission.

SAGITTARIUS: Long-distance travel and exploring new places often lead to significant events or experiences for you. Building connections, whether in business or personally, especially with influential individuals, can bring you advantages. This might involve living abroad, working as a representative for a company or even the government in another country. You have a high tolerance for different viewpoints and a strong curiosity to learn about other people and cultures that are similar to your own. If you're actively involved in church activities, you might feel drawn to travel in a leadership role or engage in missionary work. You have a thirst for expanding your perspective on life and discovering what the world has to offer. You're a positive person who strives to live up to high standards. The freedom you always yearned for brought you great joy when you finally attained it. Your college or worldly experiences were liberating, enlightening, and perhaps a little wild. Now, your sense of direction relies on the feeling of being limitless and capable of achieving anything.

CAPRICORN: You have a desire to pursue higher education and obtain a degree. When it comes to global events, you approach them responsibly. Your travel plans are well-organized, and you're adept at traveling for work purposes. Long-distance trips are often related to conducting business or fulfilling obligations on behalf of a company, particularly when there's publicity or prestige involved. Personal travels, such as vacations, might experience delays or scheduling conflicts. It's important to take the necessary steps to ensure personal comfort before embarking on any journey. You have various options for transportation, including air, sea, train, and road, but traveling by land tends to be the most beneficial for you. Religion may not hold significant importance for you, and you might have a skeptical outlook on ideas that seem far-fetched. You prefer to rely on facts and data before believing something. Traveling may not be your favorite thing, and you typically only do it when it's necessary for work or fulfilling responsibilities. After graduating from high school, you became more aware of life's pressures and realized that you can't be as carefree or irresponsible as your friends, whether in college or in general.

AQUARIUS: You're all about embracing the strangest aspects of the world. Your journey in life is gonna be filled with unexpected twists and turns. When it comes to higher education, you might find yourself drawn to some quirky, technical, or scientific fields. And get this, your adventures to foreign lands might happen in the most unique and unexpected ways. How and where you plan and embark on a long journey could be influenced by your own ambitions and desires. You're likely to make long-lasting friendships with people from other countries, especially those who are fascinated by different cultures. Air travel is definitely your thing, while long ocean voyages won't be much of an issue. Now, let's talk about your philosophical beliefs—they're far from ordinary. You're not the type to stick to any specific religious allegiance, and under extreme circumstances, you might even be drawn to the radical fringe. Your beliefs are unusual, and you're open to a wide range of viewpoints. You're a progressive soul who enjoys surrounding yourself with people who challenge your opinions. So, how about going on some adventures and shaking things up in your life? Sounds like your kind of thing!

PISCES: In your dreams, you venture into the world, but you might struggle with the practical aspects of traveling and studying. However, you have the opportunity to pursue studying or traveling for creative purposes. This house represents long journeys and visits to foreign lands. If you're planning to travel, it's best to consider water transportation as there's a preference for the open seas. Make sure to plan your travel itinerary thoroughly, as there may be unforeseen restrictions or unexpected factors that need to be addressed. Your religious beliefs hold great importance to you, and you may be willing to make sacrifices in accordance with them. You're drawn to the mystical aspects of religion and may engage in rituals or ceremonies. Your psychic senses are highly sensitive, often leading to profound religious experiences or conversions. Your convictions shape your daily life and you may have a deep spiritual or religious inclination, finding solace and resolution in your faith. You may not be a frequent traveler and prefer to stay close to water. After high school, you became more adaptable and learned to go with the flow. College and other experiences helped you develop a sense of flexibility and adaptability. However, it also left you with a sense of direction that can sometimes be easily confused.

(CC) AstroJulia Some Rights Reserved

[pixelmensupremacy]

Connor with a short s/o would include

A/N: Here goes my 100th post! I haven't posted in a while, school is getting quite stressful, so keep in mind this is not proof read and it's very short.

Your whole life you were used to be shorter than most

Though when Cyberlife began launching a diversity of androids that came in all different sizes, you were intimidated by how tall some of them were

And Connor was no different

You were a tad bit uncomfortable with the hight difference, especially when you two first met in DPD

Not only was he the most advanced android in the world that exceeded humans in intelligence and physical strength, but he also surpassed you in hight

Soon you got used to the high difference, due to his angelic face and warm demeanour

It wasn't hard for you to grow attached to him and his kind nature (which totally evaporated when he's on duty both pre and post deviancy)

As much as it was shocking to you how quick the warmth in his features disappeared at an instant, there was something exciting about seeing him playing bad cop when necessary

Especially when he interogated suspects

You whenever you witnessed Connor interogating a suspect

He would be utterly fascinated with how tiny you are compared to him

The shorter you are the more likely he'll carry you around and nuzzle into you like you're a teddy bear

"For a person of authority, your size is incredibly unconventional."

If it wasn't for Hank, he would've had to repair his synthetic kneecaps

The more time he spends with you, the more he gets attached to you

He may or may not grow excessively protective of you, due to your height

He would and will do anything to get you out of harm's way

───── 🐝;; - - - - - - - - - -

Entering a suspiciously looking building, you held your gun in the air, ready to fire at anyone that may jump out from the shadowy corners. Behind, Connor followed, practically sticking to your back- cautious, considering the convictions of the suspect the two of you were currently after. The bright beam of your flashlight pirced through the darkness that engulfed the entire room, making it much harder for you to secure the space.

Silence was all that could be heard; you let out a sigh of relief, tricked into thinking the place was clear. A yelp suddenly escaped your lungs as a force brought you to the ground. You gasped as the air in your lungs forcefully escaped.

Immediately, Connor was alerted by the commotion and even before you could realize what was going on, he got a hold of your attacker, disarming him in the matter of seconds.

"That was close." You sighed; getting up and brushing the dust off your uniform, you looked at Connor, who handcuffed the suspect.

Burning red light caught your attention- Connor's LED. Even in the darkness, you could see his piercing gaze boring into poor man, locked in his grip. Shivers ran down your spine.

"You caught him. Good job, Connor!" Only then he softened.

"Are you alright? I should've found him sooner."

───── 🐝;; - - - - - - - - - -

In established relationship he would be quite affectionate

When he hugs you, you literally disappear in his embrace

At first, he would be extra careful with hugs, especially shortly after his deviancy until he's sure he won't crush you

Once he's used to the concept of physical affection, he wouldn't be able to get enough of hugs

He's literally a giant walking teddy bear

You didn't mind his cuddly side, but at times it was excessive

Like when he would cling to you in public

───── 🐝;; - - - - - - - - - -

"Connor, I have to do my paperwork."

"Go ahead." He replied nonchalantly, his grip around your shoulders only tightened. You sighed in defeat and typed away at your keyboard. Despite your best of efforts, you couldn't concentrate on your work with your partner planted on your shoulder, though things took turn for the worse once he began whispering in your ear.

"Hey! You two get a room!"

───── 🐝;; - - - - - - - - - -

He can lift you effortlessly

He would hold you for hours on end and he would refuse to let go

Oftentimes, he uses his strength to his advantage

Randomly, he would pick you up only to throw you on the bed and cuddle you

Unless he doesn't

You all know what I mean

In conclusion, I'm in need to have Connor in my life.

[ohmygodtheywereparabatai]

i wanted to invite a conversation about this because it’s genuinely been bothering me for a long time. and i in fact wasn’t immune to it either and am just now realizing this is the power of cinematic brainwashing.

but like, tgm is so many bad things. sexist, racist, ageist, to scratch the tip of the iceberg. token characters that meet the bare minimum for diversity, and sidelined women - i’d even say exploited women. a narrative that is so egocentric that it’s miraculous that some characters manage to hold their own instead of being swept under the charismatic magnetism of the reckless bad boy character who can get away with murder because deep down, he’s regretful, and he has a good heart.

what a shallow representation of the military, and what a disservice to those who were inspired to join because they thought the real life experience would mirror even a fraction of what is presented on screen. the reality is that there was never a competition to win a top gun trophy, and in fact today you have to pay 5$ at the top gun school if you even mention the film. that speaks for itself.

tom cruise being a huge part of the production process has made it impossible for me not to hold him responsible for the choices that have been made. to even subtitle the sequel movie with “Maverick”, the same protagonist as in the first one, comes across as insanely egotistical - and honestly a testament to how mav’s story manages to drown out the autonomy and validity of other characters. i’ll explain this terms of ice, penny, carole, and charlie. you’ll notice how i’m gonna be bringing up three women.

ice-

i don’t care that val kilmer gave the okay on using his cancer as a plot point. i care that cancer was not only used as a plot point, but treated like this ^

“i’m dying. you have bigger problems.”

the original script seems to peel back the layers of tgm’s intended messaging, so i’m using several examples. this is what is being communicated. i honestly don’t know what else to add. in or out of context, this is incredibly disturbing - and that it’s played as a self-aware quip from ice, even more so. the bond of wingmen goes both ways, and i just didn’t see that… if anything, that aspect leaned so heavily on the first film (the photo of them smiling at each other) that it just proves my point. it took ice’s death for mav to get up off his ass and do something to keep his career afloat besides get a cop-out from the compacflt. ice in the first movie was a compelling antagonist and voice of reason - now he’s mostly relegated to the role of babysitter, denying mav’s character the growth of accountability by simply erasing his poor choices with a phone call.

it’s why the darkstar scene pisses me off. to stop at mach 10 would have been fine, but to push it just for the sake of it is ridiculous. the fact that earlier mav states “i know what happens to everyone else if i don’t” in regards to his decision only makes this screw-up more laughable, because to me it’s the very contradiction of maverick: his intentions do not balance with his actions. costing the military millions of dollars in a few seconds somehow balances with his heartfelt desire to protect the interests of its workforce.

penny-

shortly before, during, and after this screenshot, i counted a total of 6 times that penny made it clear she would not appreciate mav’s advances. regardless, mav goes on to say “you look good”. this flirtation happens before mav is even aware of her marital status, as he asks amelia “where’s your dad?” in a later scene… which… dear god.

penny also says “it always ends the same with us, so let’s not start this time”, indicating this is a repeated pattern in which her boundaries weren’t respected and moreover, the relationship ended up failing. yet this is framed as the main romance of tgm, a wonderful and nostalgic callback to the original that ends as stereotypically as possible.

i love penny. she’s witty, caring, independent, and of course stunning. so i find her treatment in tgm a disservice to what started out as a rich and compelling character. she later ends up mav’s shoulder to cry on, more or less, comforting him after losing his wingman and his position as instructor. the song “hold my hand” is thematically suited for penny, playing in the background at the bar and in the notes of the score during her scenes - even musically, she is turned into a source of consolation first, and her own woman second. she’s his prize at the end of the film, falling for the promise “i’m never gonna leave you again”, which i don’t buy for a second. they fly into the sunset, presumably signifying a new horizon for their relationship - but i feel so dissatisfied with this arc for her and think she deserved much better.

that mav gets away with this behavior is something i’d like to see more people reflect on. it seems to be a pattern with male protagonists, in which case the function of male and protagonist in hollywood cinema needs an examination.

carole-

top gun (1986):

this is an especially crude exploitation to me. not only is carole the one consoling a young maverick (if a full-fledged 24 year old can be called young, in light of the tendency people have to dismiss his choices in ‘86) after his mistake costs her own husband his life… but her stance, even following a tragedy of that magnitude, didn’t change. goose would have flown anyway, and she knows that well enough - on top of that, it’s easy to see she would have supported him.

it came as a surprise to me that she wouldn’t in turn support her own son, who is clearly committed to a career as a pilot. in the end, i see a cheap narrative device that contradicts carole’s character, undermines her strength as a wife and mother, both in order to serve the interests of the plot. maverick in tgm needs a viable reason to hide a secret, to be tortured by his own consequences, to put further strain on his tension with bradley. there were plenty of other ways to do it, but the fact that it was this leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

charlie-

it’s my understanding that tom cruise’s personal reason (his excuse) for not bringing back charlie was that he didn’t like how their relationship ended. if there’s any source confirming or denying this, i’d appreciate a link.

anyways. yeah. this is… a huge problem with hollywood at large, which kelly mcgillis understands, but i’ll break it down. there’s a simpler reason this pisses me off more than anything. tgm’s entire subject matter is about repairing relationships. penny benjamin was dredged out of obscurity to do it. maverick and rooster’s grudge of 30+ years was used to do it. iceman’s character, as warped as he feels, is another way the film made this its theme. but charlie is out of the question?

that val kilmer could be asked to return, and make an insane amount of money for each second he’s on screen, but such an opportunity is never given to kelly mcgillis, who herself centers on the 1986 poster, speaks volumes to me. tom cruise even planted his foot when it came to reprising iceman, saying he wouldn’t do this movie without val in it.

it’s worth mentioning that viper and slider were also present at ice’s funeral, but this scene was cut out. for a film that’s quite heavy-handed with its nostalgic callbacks, this was an odd decision. until realizing, as my friend put it, that even ice’s death couldn’t be about him, whether it had brought in his own teacher or his rio - his goose. it had to revolve around mav, to catalyze a turning point for him in the plot.

also… a shoutout to the erasure of sarah kazansky, pretty much everywhere. that also tells me a lot.

…

this was just a dissection of the various character portrayals (or absences) in tgm that have bothered me since forever. this isn’t even going into how tgm accomplishes everything that propaganda sets out to do. combinations of stunning visuals, soaring music composed by masters like hans zimmer, the charismatic power of a cast packed with stars… all play a role in the blinding awesomeness of tgm, which has taken me this long to break away from.

consider the white/poc duos in the film: maverick and hondo, hangman and coyote, cyclone and warlock. who has more lines? who plays a greater role? why is that?

i don’t see this as real diversity. it masquerades as inclusion, which i find worse. and to cast an actor of asian descent, and give him the callsign yale? … wow.

framing is powerful. its influence in cinematography is unmatched. a story is being constructed and told not only through dialogue, but sound, visuals, editing… really, nothing can be dismissed as insignificant. i’m not asking for a scholarly interrogation of all media you consume, though, that would be so excellent, and so healthy… but i am trying to raise these questions in the community, of what gets lost when a main character is so overwhelmingly main. when someone like tc has so much control over the decision-making process, since it’s sort of a running joke that maverick is a tc self-insert. my focus isn’t the inclusions, but the exclusions.

and finally, since i’ve unfortunately spent a lot of life writing this post… it’s interesting to me that many viewers in hindsight seem to see top gun 1986 so differently. as kids, they sided with mav over the antagonist. an older audience returning to the first film now seem to side with iceman, seeing him as the rational one attempting to raise important points. i wonder if this will be the case with top gun: maverick in the future. in which case, i’m excited to see more cyclone fans. he’s my favorite character… unsurprisingly.

oh. one last thing.

“the man, the myth, the legend” … the word myth has two meanings:

…

happy reading.

[visenyaism]

please king i’m so bored can i get some quick read book recs

i am so bad at book recs it is UNREAL on account of i have only started to read for fun again in the past like. year and a half? before then i didn’t have time because i had to read so much for school. here’s a list of things i’ve read and would recommend since suddenly having free time circa april.

1. read dune with me. it’s not quick or maybe even fun but do it

2. the fifth season by NK Jemisin. it’s a bit longer, but it only took me about four hours so I think you’d be fine. It’s a really good sci-fi dystopian book about a woman trying to find her daughter during the apocalypse, made me cry multiple times.  I love second person so much. 

3. South to America by Imani Perry. This is nonfiction, it’s a travelogue really about What’s Going On in the American South, the diversity of cultures and experiences, and how its complicated and ugly racial history manifests itself in different ways i various regions. I don’t think I’m selling this book well enough it is INCREDIBLY written, it’s the one I made all my family read whenever they asked me what I was researching, i really liked it.

4. everyone is telling me to read this is how you lose the time war because it’s a quick read. it’s next on my list so I haven’t gotten to it but worth checking out i think.

5. rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead. this one is a play set within hamlet about the two least important characters and how they’re trapped in the narrative, and are only vaguely aware of this at any given time. i LOVE this one i am constantly talking about it plays within plays SWEEP

6. hey have you heard of gideon the ninth

[indigosabyss]

Part 2 of my DCST Time Travel Snippets

"Lemme get this straight. To stop this impending doom, you want us to build a spaceship that will take a small crew just past the Moon. Where they will then negotiate with parasitic alien robots and convince them that humanity is stupid and not worth being frozen into stone." Markus, one of the oldest scientists at NASA, surmised. He sounded incredibly tired.

Everything the people from the future told them was tiring.

"Pretty much." Dr Xeno from the future said, "It's a big ask, I realize. And a lot of lives depend on it."

"Who would we trust with such a mission, though?" Another NASA scientist asked, "There's a lot of factors to take into account. Personality, and training, and there's not enough time to conduct proper astronaut qualification exams for the wider public."

"Good point." Dr Xeno allowed.

"Ah, how about you get your version of the Five Wise Generals to go?" Brody, the future's top mechanic laughed, "They'll all be little babies now, so we'll knock off a couple hundred kilograms from the weight limit."

"I don't think we can have infants piloting a rocket and saving humanity." One of their current day scientists sighed. It was weird to think that a group of people called the Five Wise Generals were currently babies.

"No, no, you misunderstand. They should be fifteen at the youngest. Twenty four at the oldest." Xeno clarified, "And one of them won't exist until thirty seven hundred years, so right now, it's more like the Four Wise Generals. But I agree with Dr. Brody, except for my Stan, there's no one I'd recommend more. Byakuya Ishigami's an option, but I also don't trust him enough to not launch into a passionate speech about all the good humanity has done."

Byakuya Ishigami. He was a newbie astronaut, just inducted into the program. Normally, such love for humankind was admirable but...

"Brief us on these Generals." He decided. Just to have that option.

----

First was Senku Ishigami, the man who had made the first phonecall to the past. The son of Byakuya Ishigami. So far, they had avoided looking up the kid in the modern world.

Currently, he was fifteen years old, and a high school student. With a criminal record of setting off bombs in public parks.

"Oh, yeah. He likes making rockets." Xeno from current day confirmed blandly, "I had no idea he was setting them off in parks."

He was definitely lying.

"But you'll let me go to space without me having to build my own rocket, right?" A high-pitched voice asked. A boy with the wildest hair was suddenly standing in the control room.

"How'd you get in here?!"

"Xeno and my dad kept me updated on the situation here." He picked at his ear, "I couldn't care a millimeter less about the situation here now that we've figured out the secret behind the stone swallows. I just want to go to space. As soon as possible."

He vibrated slightly as he spoke, clearly excited, but hiding it well.

---

Second on the list, Asagiri Gen.

Nineteen years old, and a... moderately famous stage magician.

"Doesn't look like he has the muscle for a space trip."

"What good's a mentalist? We can drill anyone into saying things."

And so, Asagiri Gen was overlooked.

Somewhere in the world, a magician with two-toned hair was very offended.

---

Next was Ryusui Nanami, one of the Nanami Conglomerate's CEO's brood. A bit of a disgraced one, because of a dramatic love affair, but given the same allowance that any of the others got.

At 20 years of age, he had the biggest and most diverse collection of sailboats in the world. The kid was a dedicated adventurer, with all the health that came from it.

They could use that.

"Ryusui Nanami." An escort of suited officials approached him on a beach.

He looked up over the frame of his sunglasses, taking them in. He grinned, "Aw, man, they're really going to assassinate me this time, huh?"

"No, we're from NASA. How would you like to visit the final frontier?"

He snapped his fingers, laughing, "Name your price!"

-----

And lastly...

"Saionji Ukyo, you've been transferred last minute."

"Eh???" He looked at his CO in confusion.

"It's a matter of international security."

Did they think he'd overheard something? Oh God, he'd known his crazy hearing would get him killed one day.

"You'll be working with an American strike team. Full debriefing back at the base. For now, prepare yourself to meet Commander Stanley Snyder."

What was going on???

[put together an avengers intiative recruitment scene lol. i love gen i swear, they just dont understand him yettt TTATT]

[fazedlight]

THE MARVELS WAS AWESOME I HAVE GONE INSANE

Spoilers under the cut. Warning, this post ran away with me.

First off, obviously, this movie is a strong woman-led cast with men in supporting roles. I feel like, in order to move a society, you both need to make an active point about representation - which Captain Marvel did - but also need to start making a passive point about representation - which The Marvels did.

Because in a truly equal world, we'd see a thorough mix of movies, and it wouldn't occur to us that some movies had more men or more women or more white people or more latinos or more straight people or more gay people. Equal representation means that sort of thinking disappears. (As an example... do you have a sense of blue eye vs. green eye representation? Without oppression, it's just not a thought that occurs.)

So in a way, I felt like The Marvels was showing us what the world could be? Women as the focus, but that's not inherently noteworthy. Women of color as leads, but that's not inherently noteworthy. To see full diversity across movies and have that not be noteworthy. No single movie can give us everything - but The Marvels moved us in the right direction, and I want that momentum to keep going.

And gosh, the balance of the movie was incredible. The humor, the depth. I love how they wove something complex with Carol - that she had tried to do a good thing, caused genuine harm, and she didn't try to hold an entire people accountable. She took accountability and tried to fix it the best she could.

I also loved seeing her grow a little out of her stoicism. Brie Larson plays stoic very well, and she had a fuckton of emotional baggage in her history. This movie sees a slightly lighter side of her - she's had a little bit of distance from those harms. She's still working through that pain. But she is clearly on the road to healing. But healing is complicated (see above).

I absolutely love Monica. She's tough and clever and so stupidly curious. I've never gotten magic powers from my curiosity, but I have blown up a wall before, so I couldn't help but laugh when she reached out to touch the broken portal point because that resonated so much. I can't wait to see what adventures she ends up in in the other universe.

(Not gonna lie, I feel like there might be some queer vibes between her and Carol. I don't know if that will develop further... but if it does, god I hope they don't waste it.)

I need to see Ms. Marvel now, obviously. I actually intended to watch it this week, but life got away from me. Kamala is such a great character - Iman Vellani nails infectious excitement, and some of her family dynamics resonated strongly with my own. I don't usually watch stuff set for high school aged kids, but I gotta make an exception here.

I loved that the villain had some complexity (Zawe Ashton's performance blew me away), and that her people were ultimately helped in the end. The world is a complicated, messy place. But you can't hold an entire people accountable for the crimes of a few, and you have to understand how people get where they are (Dar-Benn wasn't a flat born-evil villain), and you have to try to help where you can even if the world is messy and you may make mistakes. (Granted, for most of us, helping means protesting or donating money or whatever, rather than reigniting a sun. But the less glamorous things are no less meaningful.)

And man, they just nailed the balance of the depth with the humor. I lost my fucking mind on the musical planet, and was laugh-crying when Memory started playing. All the little things like Fury's relief that Carol slammed into the ground just caught me off guard. Watching the initial chaos of their quantum entanglement and the ensuing montage was great. 10/10 experience overall.

Finally, gosh, the little Cessna at the end had me so nostalgic. My initial flight training and first solo were in a very similar aircraft, a Cessna 152. It looks like N5017B might've formerly been assigned to a similar aircraft, a Cessna F150L. (That tail number is now assigned to a Beechcraft.)

Let me tell you, cramming into a small plane like that on a hot Los Angeles day isn't always a pleasant experience, but it is a magical one.

(Carol, if you're reading this, you should know better than to leave a plane tied down for long! The poor baby needs flight time and regular maintenance!)

tl;dr - Go watch The Marvels.

[transinatrade]

Another One *Vine Boom*

I am not the only trans man in my class anymore. It is a little comforting. He's been offering me rides home since sometimes my partner is in an appointment or something similar and can't pick me up when we get out of class. For the sake of his anonymity I won"t go into a ton of detail. It is good to see however.

Our instructor was telling us about how the industry has been changing, and how much more diverse companies are trying to be now. I just hope he's right, and that what he said applies to me.

The biggest issue I'm having at the moment is I need to change my name, but I have the misfortune of living in a state where it is incredibly expensive. It's about $400 when everything is combined, and that's if the judge approves of the name change. If I get unlucky and get a judge that won't approve it, that will cost more. Thing is, that's a third of my rent. I don't have that sort of money. I was thinking of doing a gofundme or making art for people to raise the funds. I'm hoping having a legally changed name will save some awkward conversations and some headaches for whatever IT people would have to scratch their heads trying to change my name in a ticket system.

I found a company that has the early morning shifts I would want to work. I'm a morning person and like to get out mid afternoon. I'm also not trying to work a majority of my shift in the heat of the day. I'm going to apply but for the reasons I've listed above I'm hesitant. I'm also not sure how I'm going to manage two jobs and school. I'm sure I'll figure it out when I get to it.

[elysiansparadise]

Hii

Do you have post about jupiter in the 3rd house

In scorpio??

I would love to write about this aspect, however I will limit myself to just planet placement, since as I have mentioned previously, I don’t do planet and sign interpretations.

Jupiter in the 3rd house

As expected, these people stand out a lot for their intelligence and intellectual abilities, they are people with a lot of knowledge, even others can see them as highly educated people, especially if Jupiter is placed in an Air sign (Gemini, Libra or Aquarius). They have very diverse interests, love to explore a bit of everything, and it can be hard for them to stick to one specific thing. They are blessed with incredible communication skills, giving us the most powerful speakers or the most talented writers. They can spend a lot of their time reading, drawing or writing, because there is something in them that guides them to keep busy so as not to waste time.They are open-minded, so no idea very different from theirs will seem unpleasant to them, rather they will be very curious about it. Since I mentioned it, curiosity is something to highlight from them, because their mind seems to be thirsty for new knowledge and experiences. Something happens with the way they communicate, and it is that even when they are very young, they give the impression of being very mature, they seem to speak from the experience of someone who has seen and lived all kinds of experiences, however this maturity with which open up to others is not rigid, but rather warm and positive. They have that facility to provide others with new perspectives. 

This placement expands curiosity for countries other than their own, including knowledge or fascination for places other than their places of origin. Likewise, these natives can find it easy and entertaining to learn other languages, this position of Jupiter increases the chances of being a polyglot. It is worth mentioning that many trips can also be given, both short and long, some of these trips can be given through school programs such as scholarships or things like that. As students they are likely to stand out a lot and easily (unless you are accompanied by Saturn, you may feel it to a lesser extent, but even if that is the case, it can lead to prestige and success at the end of the day). Even if they had a small circle of friends or they did not consider themselves popular, they could be known for their intellect and/or abilities. The relationship with their siblings could have been good and fluid, although if Mars or Saturn are making squares/oppositions, it is very likely that they had very marked differences that could lead to fights or disputes. These natives can find luck when they open up to have more knowledge, when they learn to relate to others regardless of differences and when they have trips, this last point is very important, because it augurs them much success and joy to travel, from visiting the state of other side of the country, even wandering to other continents. They have the ability to connect in unique ways with people of all kinds, if Jupiter has lots of positive aspects (especially with Sun, Saturn or the MC ruler), it can make the native have many connections that can benefit them when they need it most.

As I mentioned previously, talking with these natives gives you many perspectives, they are incredible when it comes to having a chat, because their topics of conversation are varied and they will seek not to bore others, much less get bored. Talking to them opens your mind to issues you've never questioned or considered, a feeling of eureka or fulfillment. They are incredible at solving problems and giving advice of all kinds, as they try and seek to remain objective. Even if they know how to do small talk, they don't usually like it very much, because trivial and empty conversations bore them. One way to get their attention is if you think outside the box, because they are people who seek to have a more complete and profound vision of the world that they like. surrounds. Topics such as self-knowledge, development, theories of the universe, philosophy or psychology may seem very interesting to you, but beyond giving them a mystical touch, they give you a more realistic and analytical touch. If Jupiter is in a water sign, the creative abilities of the native are expanded and the facility to understand others, their emotions and points of view. If it is in a fire sign, the native's mental energy multiplies to the point of making them restless and very dedicated to the idea of ​​continuing to learn new things over time. In the event that Jupiter is in an earth sign, the native will have the facility to translate their ideas into reality more easily, they will not procrastinate so much and they can work on a job that has to do with imparting knowledge or facilitating connections between different people.

-> Go back to the masterlist

[elodieunderglass]

Elodie, is there an amount I can pay you to persuade you to translate all of Moby Dick like that during Whale Weekly? It's incredible and I desperately want to read the whole thing. I am serious about the money.

(In reference to this “line by line translation of the first chapter of Moby Dick into insufferable modern idiom” I wrote:)

For those who don’t know, Moby Dick is getting a Dracula Daily treatment starting November 21, which will be called “Whale Weekly.” Rumor has it that it will take ~2 years to complete. I’ve seen a blog called @whaleweekly which is collecting an initial book club, and I believe there’s a discord, etc, so there should be a small community of people to read it with.

People HAVE been deliciously split between “reading this post has been strangely educational, and has made Moby Dick easier to understand in its original form” and “OP this is an active and violent warcrime and feels like acid on my skin,” which are exactly the two emotions I like to evoke in my writing.

And I AM about to go on maternity leave for about a year, so it’s tempting! I get demonstrably weird when my intellectual life is supposed to revolve around babies too much. Based on prior experience I write strange posts like “why are dogs dogs” and get way too invested in correcting people on the internet who are wrong. This strongly suggests, in fact, that I (being mentally healthy ofc) need to be more mature about things and simply go to sea. Or simply have a clear project. And part of mat leave, even with good benefits, is always unpaid and therefore terrifying, so it seems charming and hilarious to counter that by “graduate level analysis of Moby Dick.” CAN YOU IMAGINE. What a conversation starter.

“What are you doing after rhyme time?”

“Oh, putting this thing down for a nap and translating Moby Dick for tips.”

“Translating? Like, into another language?”

“You could say that yeah”

But I’ve never taken money on the internet, so I’d have to think about it. Especially the pressure I would feel was implied to produce something worth paying for. Like, in the first chapter of Moby Dick there’s a whole entire joke to unpack about Pythagoras, beans, winds, and farting. It’s an elaborate fart joke that I just didn’t sit down to unpack because I wrote it on a lunch break: I would feel more compelled to unpack every joke and reference and modernise them, and that would literally become a graduate-school-level course of study.

Also, I really don’t have the education and political knowledge to think deeply and helpfully enough about Ishmael’s/Melville’s racial lenses, nor do I have the savvy and experience to interpret them usefully for a diverse audience, that will naturally consist of people at all different levels of learning. It’s fine enough to translate the first chapter, so that people can see how underneath the 19th century styling, this is an unreliable narrator with lots of things wrong with him, and lots of jokes that you’d miss.

But the layers on layers of “how to interpret Ishmael-via-Melville’s chaotic, festering, toxic, educational, revelatory, exoticising, sympathetic, distasteful race relations - which show the underpinnings of American racial construction and other educational things, and are quite useful for humanities majors to study - without referencing Elodie’s own politics? or having Elodie be annoyed by people assuming that interpreting 19th century literature means that Elodie subscribed to Melville’s beliefs?” (Because I have some experience with reading comprehension on the internet, enough to make me look at some chapters of the Big D and say, I am not touching that in public, not even with a very long harpoon). If it was for a graduate-level or lived-experience or otherwise politically savvy/invested audience you could trust everyone a bit more to get to work on critical thinking and unpacking the translation, but if your audience is naturally assembled because you promised to make something accessible, the intention of the project being to make it accessible to more people, then you have to take your lumps and accept that people will take the translated content in bad faith and will go, like, “wait, this is uncomfortable content!!! I take it at face value! I blame YOU for it!” And I’d have to think REALLY proactively about how I managed that. If I was a scholar of English, literature or politics I would consider it my duty to do so; but I minored in English a long time ago and am on the journey of gradual acceptance that my best contributions are basically just jokes.

This is a long-winded answer to a lovely question, and probably shows way too much insight into why I enjoy comprehending Moby Dick.

[spicyicymeloncat]

Okay it’s 4am and I bring you: Ninjago gamer hcs (in order of who plays the most)

Jay is the gamer. That’s what he spends most of his time doing. He prefers older games for the nostalgia and has a massive collection. He also is just really into computers and consoles and knows so many unnecessary things about computing history and what pc has the best performance and what not. Yknow he’s probably a twitch streamer. And he just generally loves all kinds of games, arcade, console, computer, mobile. And he’s played all of them. He’s also probably tried his hand at coding games but he’ll start a project and never finish it (yknow like everyone ever). Jay also probably makes let’s plays and game reviews lol.

Cole is almost as diverse in his game tastes as Jay but he gets rlly into specifically rp games, and will ramble on about the plot of a game to anyone listening. He’s usually Jay’s player 2 in any co op game, and can become quite competitive (there’s like two instances of Cole being someone who beats other people’s high scores - even though one of those times was a prank by Lloyd). He’s actually got better hand eye coordination than Jay but Jay has more knowledge on game mechanics.

Pixal usually plays borg games (because yes of course Cyrus borg makes games). Regardless of what genre it is, she supports her dad. Although her favourites are racing games bc zooom. I think she’d enjoy rpgs as well idk. She got into gaming as a way to have alone time, and isn’t a huge fan of co op with the ninja because they’re really loud lol. But she can be player 3 sometimes.

Lloyd plays whatever is new trendy and “soon to be considered cringe” (not to say they are cringe but just to address the games that other ppl tend to describe as cringe). So he was big into minecraft and Fortnite (or the Ninjago versions of those) when it was popular. I can see him being in to first person shooters just because a lot of people play those. Oh and Nintendo esque games. Like we all know he kinned link from any Zelda ever. I think he’s also a fan of sonic tbh (jay too). Oh but Lloyd scarcely ever plays older games. He only really plays games that have just come out and as soon as a new game comes out he’s abandoned the old one forever.

Zane doesn’t play games all that often (honestly he enjoys board games more) but he does enjoy incredibly hard or thought provoking games. He’s a rhythm game king and is scary good. He’s also a mobile gamer on top of that. Unlike Cole, Zane can’t really get into rpgs especially if the graphics are kinda old school. Also he usually gets high scores so beating him is usually seen as a great triumph. Also everyone on the team is prone get frustrated at losing games but Zane isn’t really a sore loser because he never loses. But on the off chance that he does struggle with a game and loses, he’ll sigh and lie down on the sofa and idk refuse to make dinner. He’ll sulk the longest out of anyone and it’s fair because RHYTHM GAMES ARE SO PERSONAL OKAYYY

Nya doesnt really like video games. But she’ll play them to make jay happy because she likes seeing him game. But mostly she’ll just watch and offer random commentary. However she love love loves the dance game at the arcade because romance and also she likes being active (maybe she’d like a wii sports lol). She’s got a soft spot for the arcade but that’s about it.

Kai only likes a select handful of games and it’s usually brawl streetfighter games that specifically came out when he was a kid, and it’s mostly because he was good at them. He used to like them a lot more but grew out of it. He just doesn’t understand how complicated newer games are, and barely remembers how they work anyways. He’s like and old man who just watches Lloyd gush about the new game he got for his birthday with barely any idea of what’s going on. He’s more of jock so.

Wu does not game it hurts his eyes. I’d say he’d like chess but I think wu would absolutely despise chess (and it’s because both Garmadon and Misako are chess pros and wu doesn’t even remember the names of the pieces)

Bonus: all the ninja love (hate) mariokart and it is chaos. Cole spends 30 minutes picking a character, Lloyd can only be green characters because he relates to them, Kai is screaming because he keeps falling off the map, jay is screaming because he just screams during games, Nya doesn’t even play properly she drives around backwards on the map, Zane will get blue shelled and Pixal will win and Zane’s just holding back tears repeating “I love my gf” over and over. And Wu will unplug the tv because he wants to go to bed.

[covingtons]

transcript under the cut

[MATILDA]: This is so dumb

[MATILDA]: We literally never eat in here! It’s so… medieval looking

[ADELINE]: It’s technically the formal dining space [MATILDA]: And that’s STUPID!

[MATILDA]: Why are we pretending to be some formal happy family when we just aren’t?

[ADELINE]: He’s probably just trying to make a good first impression Tills, and we should too

[ADELINE]: At least he didn’t make us dress formally

[MATILDA]: I’m wearing tights Addie. TIGHTS!

[ADELINE]: Just shut up and sit down, I hear them coming. Stop rolling your eyes and be nice!

[HARRISON]: Oh good, you girls are already here. I would love to introduce you to Elaine Reed; my girlfriend

[ELAINE]: It is such an honor to finally meet you ladies. Your father has had the best things to say about you two

[ADELINE]: It’s nice to meet you too, Elaine. Please, take a seat and tell us a bit more about yourself

[ELAINE]: Of course! I’m an open book. I work for a nonprofit that helps preserve and protect marine life across the world, but I specialize in research surrounding whales and dolphins

[MATILDA]: So you like… fish?

[HARRISON]: Whales and dolphins are cetaceans Matilda, not fish

[ADELINE]: That’s so fitting with Brighton’s marine life being so diverse! I’m sure you’ve had ample opportunity to study while you’re here

[MATILDA]: *under her breath* Why are you talking like that?

[ELAINE]: Your father has been incredibly generous with setting me up with some of Brighton’s finest and brightest in the field and I’ve been able to make some real progress

[MATILDA]: Bash likes turtles

[ADELINE]: Oh yes! You’ll have to tell Bash all about your findings, I’m sure he would love that

[ELAINE]: I have some colleagues who are much more knowledgeable on sea turtles than I am, but I would love to share with him what I do know

[ADELINE]: That's wonderful! Papa, do you mind if I steal you for a moment?

[MATILDA]: *under her breath* Don’t you dare [HARRISON]: Right now?

[ADELINE]: It will only take a moment, I promise

[ELAINE]: So Matilda, do you like school?