#my kids' principal seems to know every child in school

[ainawgsd]

When I was a kid, I just sort of assumed all teachers had some kind of teacher magic that let them remember a mind boggling amount of people. They always seemed to know every student on sight.

Now as an adult, watching my coworkers consistently recognize 50-80% of repeat customers vs my dozen or so, if you count the ones I recognize but consistently conflate with another customer, I think maybe my face blindness should have been more apparent to me sooner

[actuallyfallen]

Archetropy and Personal Choice

I had heard the word "archetrope" around the alterhuman community before the OtherCon (the biggest convention for alterhumans) 2023. Although in vague terms, I had heard of it. I sort of got the vibe from the word, so I never felt the need to look into it. A vague sort of, "Identifying with an archetype, or a trope from media," vibe. What came to mind for me was tropes like the knight, the prince, the rogue. Classic roles. The stuff you'd see on tarot cards or such. The alterhuman community is known to look down on "newer" sources of identity, after all (see the long-standing hesitancy to accept fictionkin).

So, when I joined the panel being hosted by someone named Vyt (who can be found on tumblr, as @thelightfluxtastic) all about archetropy, I thought I knew what to expect.

Vyt described their archetype as "the right-hand man".

Well, Vyt mostly talked about "the paladin" as their main tropetype. But that was the sort of archetype I expected. "The right-hand man" may not be considered a "modern" archetype, but the specific phrase of "right-hand man" for it feels rather new in comparison to how I viewed archetropy before.

My mom was a pastor.

She was in charge of a very large building, which acted as a place for church services on Sundays, and as a kindergarten during the day. I remember watching my mom being up on the church's stage. I didn't learn until I was an adult that she actually had stage fright. I remember stalling whenever I went to the principal's office, because, of course I went to my mom's school for kindergarten. And going to the principal's office when your mom is the principal is certainly… a time, of sorts.

I was a good little Christian kid, though. I was a trouble child due to my undiagnosed autism making me seem "rude" to everyone around me, but I followed what my parents taught me to believe. One could hardly say I was doing so on purpose, though. I didn't even know there was any other option, after all.

Vyt went on to define archetropy as looking at an archetype or trope or such, and saying either, "I am that," "That's want I want to be," or both. Though Vyt also makes a point to say that "archetropy", as a term, was coined specifically to be both linguistically flexible and very broad in definition. It can be involuntary, voluntary, intrinsic, extrinsic, 'identify-as', 'identify-with'…

Vyt also discussed connections to kintypes for archetropal reasons. For example, being dragonkin because one identifies with how the trope of dragons are shown in media.

I can trace multiple kintypes of mine straight down to the same root. This Christian upbringing of mine. Surrounded by it. Suffocated by it.

My mom would often work late, so, as she locked herself in her office, I would be left alone in this huge building. I often stayed in the auditorium during those times. I didn't like the big, open area, so I'd often hunker down in one of the two more closed-off areas. Those two areas were surrounded by walls, but were very small and had no doors, thus, considered a part of the auditorium. One was decorated in green and black. It had beanbags, a step to sit on, and a chalkboard that covered the entirety of one of the walls. The other was pink. It had two chairs and a whiteboard. Covered with sparkly materials, it was hard to leave without some of it sticking to you.

I hated the pink room. Specifically, I hated the texture of everything. Almost everything had this god-awful fuzzy texture that was almost feather-like. The chairs, the rug, the walls. Even the pens there had a grip made of this texture. I couldn't stand it.

But every time the church children my age were there, the boys would go to the green area, and the girls to the pink. The teachers and other officials would call them "the girl room" and "the boy room". The boys and girls would often have one person standing guard near, or in, the door, just to make sure nobody of the opposite gender even got close to their room.

Even when I was alone, in that huge auditorium, I couldn't bear to enter the boy's room. It was wrong. But the first time I did, and I layed down on the beanbag, I exclaimed to my little brother, "It's no fair that you guys get these!" I was so much more comfortable there.

But, still, I rarely came in, even after the barrier was breached. I stayed away on purpose. I made my brother promise to not tell anyone I was there.

I was supposed to be a good girl. Never mind my intersex condition – a good GIRL. One who likes pink, who likes my church dress, and who likes the fuzzy, feathery textures with a smile, for the sake of how others see her. For the sake of fulfilling my God-given role.

As Vyt talked more and more about archetropy, it became clearer to me that modern tropes and archetypes were absolutely included. "The mad scientist" was named as an example. TV Tropes was named as a place to find a list of tropes and archetypes in media.

The TV Tropes page for "The Pastor's Queer Kid", describes the trope like this: "[The pastor's] kids seem to be every bit as perfect as they are, and have the perfect relationship with them. Well, except for one. You see, this one has a secret they're not sure about admitting to their parent. The secret being… Well, this kid isn't heterosexual (and/or cisgender, etc., as the case may be)."

I remember finding the page for this trope and lighting up. Scrolling right down to the "media" section, to see if there were any pieces of media with this trope that I would be interested in. Seeing one of my already-present kintypes there and giggling a little bit to myself. Oh, I'm so predictable! Of course I'd already have a character like this as a kintype.

I realized I was queer very young. Too naive to think better of it, I came out to my parents too soon. Not even a teenager yet, I had to comfort my mother as she cried over me being queer. One of the biggest God-fearers around, I was struck silent when my mom expressed that she feared me going to Hell, and her going to Heaven.

She phrased it as, "What will I do without my child in Heaven? You have scared me so much. I have given you a role to fulfill, and you have failed. Now, I must watch the one I love be punished."

She told her child that they would go to Hell, and be separated from everyone they love for eternity. Poor her.

(Pay no attention to the child, parentified and afraid. Do not look at the way its breath hitches when she says this. The look of disbelief on its face. She really thinks I'm going to Hell…?)

(Look at her, now. She is the victim. This is her spotlight.)

It took me years of purposeful work to undo the toxic mentality that I was taught. About purity, about martyrdom, about the flames of Hell licking every queer's feet. And I still get nightmares sometimes, but I'm proud of how far I've come. When I feel a surge of queer joy, when I see a queer person's smile, when I experience gender euphoria, I know this is it. This is what I've been fighting for. And I know that it's worth it.

I searched TV Tropes for other tropes that fit me, halfheartedly picking up a few more. I wanted an excuse to list "my tropes" on my website's 'about' page, just to add "The Pastor's Queer Kid" on it. I didn't care about the other ones I listed – I just wanted them to be there so I could feel like I had a reason to put that one in particular.

When the archetrope panel was coming to a close, and taking questions, I typed into the chat, "If people are certain archetypes or tropes in real life, would someone like that be able to identify as an archetype? Even if they technically just are it?"

I am my mom's child. I am queer. I struggled against the religion I was suffocated by, and came out the other side damaged, but alive. I try to let people know the sort of harm this upbringing can cause. I am purposefully open about this aspect of myself.

Vyt answered my question. "My default answer is gonna be, ‘Sure.' Like… I think there's something powerful in embracing something, on purpose."

On purpose, I am The Pastor's Queer Kid.

[tanith-rhea]

Hi!! Can I request a Larissa x teacher!reader where reader has younger siblings so they understand the references, jokes, and slang that the students use so they get along well with them. Larissa hears reader talking to the students one day and is confused, but reader finds it adorable and tease Larissa a little (in the lighthearted way). Thanks!!

From Newark to Burlington #2

Hey, anon! I won't lie, I was sneaky with this one. I loved your request and thought the liveliness would go just perfect with my From Newark to Burlington reader, so I hope you don't mind I incorporated that in the part 2. It is just a tiny bit more steamy and angsty than I think you envisioned, but there is almost nothing there but lighthearted teasing and fun, so don't worry! I hope you enjoy it and thank you so much! Also, can you tell I don't know half a thing about slangs?

Word count: 2.6k

Larissa Weems is your new boss. Who knew that your crush could get any weirder and more complicated? Congratulations, Universe! Good one!

Being a normie teacher in a school for outcasts was too fun to be allowed. You never thought your students could give you such a good time but when a vampire kid explained the entire Russian Vampire Affair from the early 1920s in vivid detail because their "parents were there" was a treat; or when another described the burning of the meeting house in Jericho itself because they saw it in a vision, chef's kiss.

You were thrilled. Teaching those kids was the most fun you've had for a while in an academic setting. But that was not the only thing keeping your high spirits. Larissa Weems was your new boss.

Could the Universe come up with a bigger joke? How would it surprise you now? Or worst: how could it fuck you over harder than this?

It was unprofessional to fantasize about your employer, but you're sure it was also unprofessional to look that good when stopping by "just to check how things are going."

Your students thought you were afraid of the principal because every time she appeared you looked sickly pale or lost all semblance of coherence while talking. Larissa Weems made you a lusty mess, and you were not having it!

You: Can I take you up on the hot chocolate offer?

You waited a bit for a reply, but Weems was probably busy overworking herself to answer. Her contact name was still "Larissa" from when she typed it into your phone; she wasn't Larissa anymore. Now she was boss, or principal, or headmistress. It was only three weeks, but you missed the flight where she was just the stranger who ruined your jacket and slept on your shoulder.

Larissa: Please do. When would you like to meet? Is 4 p.m. ok?

Wow, replying under ten minutes! Principal Weems was wild today!

You: Perfect. I'll meet you there...

You typed and erased and typed and erased. At the end you sent:

You: Perfect. I'll meet you there, gorgeous x

Was flirting with your boss okay? It was when you didn't know each other, but now it seemed illicit and even more exciting.

She was already there when you arrived, but hadn't ordered. You slipped into the booth with a half-smile, looking up at her beautiful blue eyes.

"Hello there," she had a charming warm smile on her face, looking almost like a proud mother when their child did something kind.

I wouldn't object to calling you mommy. You thought and had to cough to hide your heating face from her.

"I took the liberty of asking for them to keep our drinks warm, they'll bring it over anytime soon," she rested her hand on top of each other on the table "So, how have you been acclimatizing? Are the students warming up to you?" she could not stop being the principal of Nevermore even while on a date. Was it a date? You counted it as one.

"They are soo much fun. I love them all," you beamed at her and a young barista came if two cups of hot chocolate with extra cream "Thank you!-"

"I must say that I was worried they'd be a bit weary of having another normie teacher after the incident of last year. We accidentally employed a radical with plans of destroying the school." she said carefully, her eyes trained on yours.

"Gee, that sound horrible. Was everyone ok?" she seemed to approve of your reaction. Was she testing you?

"One student, unfortunately, died, along with several normies hitchhiking in the proximities, but the teacher and her accomplice were emprisioned."

"I'm so sorry," you reached for her hands, caressing them in a way you hoped was comforting "I swear I don't want to kill anyone. At least while they're all behaving." you joked and immediately regretted it thinking it was too soon to make fun on something so serious, but to your delight and absolute relief, Larissa burst into a fit of laughter, breathtakingly full.

After that, it was much easier to talk. She seemed to drift to other topics instead of school, even sharing that she was almost sure you were the new teacher when you discussed your class plans on the airplane. You joked and attempted flirting a bit, feeling almost frustrated that it was so easy with everyone else but with her, it seemed like you were stepping on a bed of nails, scared she might reject you.

In the end, it was a lot of fun. You were almost sure she wanted you, even if she tried to conceal it, and your hopes were up.

It was the last class of the day and everyone was choosing their seats at the rearranged tables to form four big groups. Today your little hell-sents would recreate historical moments when outcasts advanced in their fight for acceptance in society by building dioramas. They seemed excited enough when you told them and started working as soon as each got their prompt.

About ten minutes into the class, someone politely knocked at the door. How could a knock sound polite you didn't know, but you very much knew who could be the only person to achieve that.

Larissa greeted you with a warm smile, saying she just wanted to pass by to see how everyone was acclimatising to you. Luckily, your students seemed to like you well enough, and when Principal Weems asked what they thought of you so far Enid said, "Professor l/n slays, principal"

Some other students also contributed, complimenting you on how your classes were banging compared to last year's. You didn't like to be compared but couldn't contain the smugness from being the "cool teacher"; maybe having your pest younger siblings was not so bad if you could relate to teenagers more easily.

After hearing the praises, Larissa seemed half-satisfied half-confused. You didn't realize why that was, but quickly forgot about it when she said:

"Also, I meant to ask you after our lovely outing yesterday but ended up forgetting it," she explained "Would you like to visit me later for wine? After dinner, maybe?" she seemed perfectly innocent, but her accentuated Ts and low voice made your stomach lurch nonetheless.

"Of course-" you stopped abruptly, your voice too high and certainly perking up a few students' ears "I would love too. I'll see you at dinner?"

Larissa only nodded, amused, and left you to continue the class.

The class ran smoothly after that. The dioramas were not completely finished but you allowed everyone to pick up on their work the next week, they were having fun while learning and that was all that mattered.

While your students were leaving you started packing up your own things; you would grade in your rooms since they had a more comfortable sitting arrangement. When you were finished and ready to go, you noticed four students still in the room, whispering amongst themselves by the door.

"Hey, guys. Can I help you with anything?" you smiled at the girls, Wednesday, Enid, Bianca and Yoko. Curious how they would be friends, being all so very different from each other.

Enid eyed her companions unsurely before taking a step forward, "We were just wondering... we heard you and Principal Weems talking earlier, and after you seemed very..." she fumbled for words, and Wednesday provided an end to her sentence:

"Out of sorts, in a way. Have you done anything to upset the headmistress?" she arched a brow, very to the point, that girl.

"No, why would you guys think that?"

"You just seemed very bothered, pale and breathing fast. We thought you were in trouble," Yoko provided.

While you discussed, Larissa passed by your class, assuming it was ended and no one would be there beside you, but stopped at the sound of multiple people talking about... was it her name she was hearing?

"Girls, I am not in trouble. Don't worry."

"Then why did you look upset?" Bianca jumped in, in a demanding tone you couldn't blame a siren from sporting. It was rather becoming on her, really.

You debated with yourself what to tell them. Maybe it was that you missed the twins, or maybe the madness you felt for repressing your lust for the principal, but you decided to confide in them.

"Do you really want to know?" you asked in an almost desperate tone, they seemed to thrive by the prospect of gossip and nodded vehemently "I'm just... I'm just... simpingsofuckingmuchforthatwoman" you finished in a rush.

They were quiet for a moment, you didn't know if it was shock, disgust, or just plain simple confusion.

"Called it," Wednesday said.

"What?!" you squeaked.

"I mean it was obvious..." Yoko drawled.

Were they having you on all this time? Just to get the information out of you?

"I completely understand, I mean she's so boujee with her clothes and that air about her"

While you were slowly melting to the ground, Larissa was at levels upon levels of confusion on the other side of the door. What were you talking about? Simping? Boujee? What in heaven was all that?

"How did you know?" you asked in a disbelieving voice.

"The way you look at her? How your face looses all colour? Kinda sus," Enid chirped in. Jesus, you were so obvious, weren't you? Weems probably was just having some fun with you, watching all the different expressions your panicked lusty mind painted on your face.

"Your reaction is fully understandable and supported by us," Wednesday said in her monotone, was she saying they ship you?

"Absolutely, I'm a total stan" Enid agreed.

"Yes girl, she's totally sliving it and you deserve something good, you're the coolest teacher in this school but your awkward-ass baby vibes demand a good mommy," Yoko finished.

At the end of it, you were laughing and joking about how much of a mommy she would be, and Larissa could only gather that maybe you felt intimidated by her and the girls thought you deserved someone better, softer and that didn't make you feel so nervous. She left in a haze of thoughts, thinking about how had she managed to make you uncomfortable when she had only ever tried to flirt and be approachable. Maybe her appearance was too much for you, maybe you two were never going to work because you felt you had no choice but to be responsive and flirt back. She was so very confused, she thought you had a connection but maybe she interpreted it all wrong. Well, she had certainly dealt with disappointment before, you would only add to a long list. She wasn't necessarily sad, it was almost funny actually, she'd just have to deal with the embarrassment of it.

Dinner felt charged. When you waved to the principal, she gave you a curt nod and a smile. You sat beside her to talk, maybe flirt a bit, but she only seemed dismissive of your attempts. It was as if electricity filled your veins and tensed your spine, but not in a fun way. Larissa was weirdly relaxed, almost like you hadn't gone on a date and she had invited you for drinks. She was civil enough, talking with Vlad and Persephone, but the jovial remarks and amused smirk didn't include you.

Later, when you were getting ready to go to her office, you realized your shoulders were still tense. Maybe her behaviour at dinner was she trying to tell you she thought better of it and didn't want you to come. You were almost giving up going when the girl's voices came to your mind, about how they thought your energy balanced so well and your tentative banter was the cutest (according to Enid and very much not Wednesday). If she didn't want you she might as well say it to your face, you decided and marched confidently down the corridor.

"Oh, you came," Larissa greeted you surprised after three curt knocks "I thought you wouldn't want to after all." she seemed eerily calm and polite.

"Why wouldn't I want to come?" you asked genuinely curious while following her inside.

She filled two glasses of red wine, sweet but earthy you realized, and sat on one of the chairs by the fire.

"I'm not prone to dancing around a subject," she said matter-of-factly, looking into the fire "I may have been in the past but I learned it only causes unnecessary discomfort."

You had no idea where this was going, but hey, being direct was a great trait, right?

"I heard you talking to some girls after your last class. I was going to stop by for a chat but ended up listening in."

You felt your face heating up. Had she heard you nonsensically thirsting over her to your students? Jesus Christ, that was so embarrassing. Wait, would she scold you for talking about the principal with them? It would only be fair but you thought the mortification of knowing she heard it was punishment enough, honestly.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" you felt laughter slowly rise from the nervousness "They forced me to tell them, I swear!" now you were laughing, so embarrassed you could only laugh more and by the confused and almost amused expression on Larissa's face it was not helping your case.

She wasn't taking your regret seriously, and thinking it funny wouldn't alleviate any reprimand she might give you.

"I just..." you wheezed "I just had to tell someone" you coughed, cleaning tears from your eyes. You were so desperate.

"I'm upset about it," Larissa said calmly, and that made your laughter slowly subside "But I do agree that it is a bit humorous, if not to me. It is completely fine, really, I just wish you had told me you didn't think about me that way."

She was so put together. What the fuck was she talking about, though?

"What do you mean 'didn't think about me that way'?" you frowned, tilting your head.

She seemed equally confused, "You were discussing how intimidating I was? I believe someone mentioned I was 'boujee'? and 'sliving it'?"

It didn't make any sense to you. What was she talking about? You literally confessed simping for her... unless she didn't know... what it meant?

"And what do you think it means to be those things?" you asked carefully, picking up your wine glass and sipping with an arched brow.

She frowned and accompanied the movement of your hands with her eyes when you put the glass back down.

"Because I remember saying I am a simp for you, which means I would do whatever the hell you asked me and say thank you," her eyes went wide at that, and you smirked, continuing in a lower tone "and boujee means you are so fucking stylish and screams classy mommy all over,"

"And what does sliving mean...?" Larissa replied in a whisper, taking you in with a tight swallow, her hand dropping her own glass of wine on the floor.

"It means," you started, getting up from your chair to walk toward her, silently asking for permission to come close "that you are a glamourous and powerful woman in complete control of your life and consequentially the reason I drink three liters of water a day because I'm always so fucking thursty," you finished sitting in her lap, her hands around your waist.

"How was I supposed to understand that from all the gibberish you were talking?" if ".exe stopped working" was a facial expression, that would be her at that moment and you could not keep from laughing again.

"You weren't," you chuckled, that woman was adorable "Because as I and the girls agree, you are such a mommy" you finished before kissing her with the biggest smile.

I know this was a long time coming, guys, sorry!

@mayfair-fleur, @clairebear1251, @poorwritingandstalecoffee, @readingtheentrails, @flightlexsbird, @witchesmortuary

[foressfaction]

:Ticci Toby:{A Rewrite}

WARNING:: This story contains EXTREMELY triggering topics such as Domestic/Child/Substance abuse, Death, harsh language, GORE and dissociation triggers.

This story mentions mental illnesses and disorders such as Depression, PTSD, ADHD, and Tourette's Syndrome.

!!TICS MAY BE TRIGGERING!!

Prologue

So it begins. The boy tugged on the skirt of a middle aged woman. She was his mom. Her hair was short, cut into a nice layered bob, though it had grown over time, it at one point was a pixie cut. She had diamond shaped ruby earrings on, in an attempt to look formal. Her name, it rolled off the tongue very smoothly, Connie Rogers.

"Why are there so many old people here?" The brunette boy asked. Connie's son, who's name also seemed pretty vague. Tobias Rogers.

The woman was quick to correct him, shushing him loudly while murmuring under her breath with a hint of embarrassment on her face. "Toby! Haha, I'm so sorry about him," she yearned off the stares she got from her son's odd choice of a question. And a rather rude one too. Toby had always been quite the weird kid. He said what was on his mind, whatever it was, and when he wanted to say it. Maybe the question would've been better at a funeral, or a grandma's birthday party. Do grandma's have birthday parties? Toby wouldn't know honestly. He never did meet his mom's mom. That's a funny way to put it.

The two were currently at a 'meet the teacher' day. Y'know, the day about a week before the first day of school. For Toby, he will be starting the 6th grade. To him, school has always been a joke. He barely passed 5th grade and was one point away from having to be stuck doing summer school. He had never been a people person either, especially with other kids his age.

"Are any of these people actually going to be important?" Toby asked, earning a glance from his mom. Her dark circles are more visible than ever.

"I'm sure they will be, look, that's your principal, you should probably go say hi, or....something. I have a lot of paperwork to fill out. Go have a look around, stretch your legs, we've been walking all day."

Toby made a spitting noise as if he thought that was one of the most boring things she could've said. He bared his braced teeth. Meet his principal? He didn't realize going to a different school would be so tiring. Toby eventually left her side, wandering out into the empty halls. Oh so that's why there was a big sign on the door that read 'staff only.' Not like that mattered to him, no one saw, no one had to know. Despite it being a day for his entire grade to be here, it was almost like the halls were abandoned. His mind was always a little trickster, it would make him believe something when that 'something' isn't in existence. Toby took some steps forward, then found himself walking further away from the chattering of the people from the room he was just in. His entire body felt cold, chills running up and down his broken nerves.

It was kind of eerie, not gonna lie. The only thing Toby could hear was the pitter patter on his own shoes, the same old shoes he's had for years. Honestly surprised the souls haven't torn off yet. The boy found himself turning multiple corners and met with endless hallways of lockers. He's never seen a locker before. There were thousands of them, atleast, that's what his mind was showing him. 'Did I take my medicine?' was the first thing he thought to himself as he continued down these narrow halls. He was over thinking the reason why his mom shooed him away, probably because he was a distraction, or knew he needed one. As uncanny as this felt, Toby found himself quite occupied. He had started counting the lockers, every one of them, and remembered the exact number of lockers on the 8th hallway.

That's suddenly when he saw that one part of the hallway's lights were off. It was right smack in the middle of the hallway, so why did those lights not work? Toby grew curious so he started to inch towards the area. That's when he noticed they weren't just off, but flickering a little.

He knew this feeling a little too well. That feeling of being watched, judged. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. He felt the air grow thick around him, as if gross, slimy water had just been poured onto him, soaking him to the heavy weight of being drenched. This of course actually didn't happen, but it felt like it did.

Toby turned around quickly, hearing something behind him, then again in front of him. He thought he was going to give himself whiplash from all of the darting of his head. Nothing was there though, nothing of sight, atleast. When Toby looked back to the hallway where the lights were supposedly off, he noticed they were working now. This caught him a little off guard, but as he looked closer, he could see that even further down than before, lights were off.

It was leading him further down the hallway?

Toby shook his head. "No that's not real." He whispered. "That's not r-real," he once again whispered with a little more voice. He felt that if the longer he looked, the more that feeling of tightness would increase.

Toby turned his back to the suffering lights, inching his way back to the room he was in not too long ago, with his mom. He turned the corner, only to nearly run into the frantic woman. "There you are, goodness, I thought you left this building." She spoke in a rather worried tone, taking his hand into hers, her rings were cold against his fingers. "You're really warm, are you okay? Are you sweating?"

Toby looked at her quickly, confusion sweeping him. "Am i?" He asked out while taking his free arm and wiping his forehead. Behold, bits of what felt like condensation rubbed off his skin. "Well we can forget meeting your teachers, I have your schedule here. I don't want you overheating again in all those layers, you know you can't feel temperatures to an extreme, you know this." She slightly scolded. Toby was just confused. He didn't feel too hot, he didn't know he was sweating. He does struggle with a certain disorder where he could technically place his hand on a lit stove and not feel a thing, despite his flesh melting off and severely damaging his hand. If anything it would just feel warm.

It was sad to be reminded he wasn't like the other normal kids in his grade, and certainly wasn't looking forward to another year of the constant reminders either. "I will be more aware next time." He stated, tone sounding a bit degraded.

It wasn't long before the two brunettes were on their way home. Toby was gazing out of the window, sitting in the backseat with his legs pulled up into a hug. The ride was silent, but his mom had never been too talkative after the last few months. Things weren't too good at home. Though he was going to go to a different school, they still lived in this dump of a house. Denver was a nice city, but in winters it was hard to stay warm, and in summers it was hard to stay cool. The house overall just about had it.

And the family knew that.

Toby finally broke the silence as the car hit a few road bumps. "There's exactly 286 lockers in the school." There was a moment of silence, but when he expected an answer there was nothing. "Mom?" He called out, not moving from his position but did lean his head over to try to peek into the rear view mirror that hung on the roof of the car.

He could see makeup running down her face, hands clenched onto the steering wheel tightly. If he listened closely, he could hear sniffling.

Toby knew better than to barge into questions but this time he knew the answer. He would have the same reason to cry, but lately he hadn't been able to feel much emotion at all. He, again, only saw life as a joke, nothing was real, no matter how hard he pushed away the reality. A 20 minute drive full of sniffles and awkward silence finally ended as the brown Subaru pulled into the cracked driveway to an old two story house.

The thing looked as if it was gonna fall in at any given moment. On the inside it was pretty big, still had carpet though it was old and stained, very stained.

A couple of whistles left Toby, followed by a few uncomfortable popping sounds from his neck. He had something called Tourette's Syndrome which caused the boy to jerk and tic uncontrollably. It was very uncomfortable for both him and those having to witness it. If he wasn't careful, he could accidentally hit someone, or himself. Which he does occasionally. Toby stepped out of the car to see the man standing on the porch, cigarette in hand. Seemed like he didn't see them pull into the driveway. Toby knew he did.

Toby noticed his mom left the folder of his school rules and other stuff in the car on the dashboard. He opened the door to reach in and grab it, his hand slipping with a slight tic, accidentally honking the horn, making the woman jump.

"Fuck- sorry, fuck! Sorry!" The boy jumped to coo out as he held the folder up. "Got it-"

Toby quickly closed the door to head inside, hearing the man spur something up. "Fuckin' boy." He muttered in a southern accent.

Toby paid no mind as it was something he was used to, rushing into the house and sitting the folder onto the counter, opening it and looking at all the papers. "Oh there were 287 lockers..I was off by one." He had his finger on where it stated the fact. He didn't understand why he was so fixated on the locker count. Gave him a distraction probably.

Toby moved the papers just enough to peer at his schedule, something he didn't have at his old school. "Wait mom? Why did you sign me up for public classes?"

The folder was snagged away from his hands, probably giving him a paper cut. "Stop complainin' and suck it up, it's about time you learn with other kids." The man scolded. Toby could see the vein popping from his forehead. The same shaggy blond buzz cut blanketed the man's head. His dad; he carried a name that would make anyone grimace just hearing it, Jacob Rogers. "Dad!" Toby tried to take the folder back but that only earned him a smack on the hand with the rather hard plastic outsides of the yellow folder.

Toby glared slightly as he took a deep breath.

The brunette woman strolled in, setting her bag down on the small island counter as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Look, Toby, I tried to suggest special education, but they said that it was time for you to get to know your grade better, plus wouldn't it be great to hang around people who...Actually respond when you talk to them?" She spoke out, slightly raising her voice.

"But they were nice to me," Toby added, narrowing his eyebrows, taking glances at the folder in his dad's hands. "Can i atleast see it closer? Again?" He eyed the man after asking.

"Your sister takes public classes, so can you. It's time we stop babying you, you're 13 years old for fucks sake. Act like it."

"Jacob!" Connie shouted with an offended tone. She knew the man was an asshole but she usually tried to defend her kid's opinions. Their marriage hadn't been the best lately, especially after her husband started to waste their money and abuse alcoholic substances. Speaking of which, the blonde man held a dark green bottle in his hand that wasn't clinging to Toby's school information.

The second Toby noticed that his mom saw the bottle, he knew they were about to bicker.

He just didn't want to be in the middle of that, excusing himself from where he took a seat.

Toby disappeared upstairs to one of the rooms he called his own. It wasn't much, just a carpeted floor, a dark blue rug with matching bed sheets. Completely unintentional. His shelves consisted of vintage toys he never touched, books, a lamp, and other nick nacks. He only ever kept one thing out, a stuffed cow. Why? He honestly grew an attachment to it. The poor thing was ripped up in many places, had patches on the stomach and left side of the head. It looked derpy as hell but he loved it to death.

Sometimes though when he holds it, he can't help but remember the time he 'played tug-o-war' with his dad who eventually ripped the head completely off while trying to take it from him. His only reason was because 'he was too old.' No one is too old for a comfort item.

Toby crawled onto the bed and took the cow plush into his hands and stared down at it. He gently gnawed at the inside of his cheek, a habit he developed a while ago. "Today isn't the best day, Mr. Cowbells, will you make it better? At least until Lyra gets home.." He hugged the stuffie to his chest and stared down at his sheets. It wasn't long before what he assumed would happen started up. He heard their loud voices downstairs. He knew it wasn't going to be too long until he heard thrashes and door slams.

It was like this all day, everyday.

All day, everyday.

••••••I

[watanabes-cum-dump]

PGR characters as people you meet in high school

Lucia - The quiet kid who’s also really popular for some reason. She doesn’t seem talk to people that much but for some reason everyone seems to know and like her somehow. I don’t even think she knows most of their names

Lee - The robotics/gamer kid who somehow has an unreasonable amount of rizz Also one of the quiet ones. Ngl I feel like Gray Raven is just that quiet friend group who always does their own thing and eats lunch in the art room together or smth. Lee by all means seems like he’s be sort of a loser, but no, he’s got EVERYONE trying to tap his non existent ass. I have this type of friend, I have no idea why but they (yeah there are two of em) always pull the baddest bitches. It’s insane.

Liv - The shy and kind kid Liv is the kid that nobody makes fun of because if you did, you would have the entire school on your ass. She is that nice, and absolute angel. Though I feel like she’s also the quiet kid you should be scared of, most people are smart enough not to fuck with her but a few weren’t.

Chrome - The golden child/overachiever This man. He’s on the principal’s list, he’s got a bunch of scholarships lined up for him, multiple extracurriculars, plus he’s rich, nice, and hot. This is the kid that has EVERYTHING it’s insane. But he definitely deserves it, and he’s always willing to help with homework. Suffers from bad taste in men (Vonnegut) because from my experience, all the kids of this kind do. Like that is the only thing wrong with them, their romantic preferences.

Kamui - The class clown and gamer kid Ngl I think he would be made fun of, but he’s just such a nice guy honestly. Another member of the disciples of rizz, somehow always pulls some bad bitches. I feel like he would wear blatant anime merch and maybe those wolf hoodies tho. Also big ass headphones all the time. Sorry Kamui stans.

Camu - Gamer boy part 2 + gets in trouble a lot He also vapes in the washroom when skipping class. Really good at one subject, barely average in the rest. I want to say that he’s the hot Wattpad delinquent bad boy, but he’s a hardcore gamer so he doesn’t get that luxury. Skips school quite a bit, gets into a lot of fights. Yeah.

Wanshi - The kid who never shows up for class We all have that one friend who never shows up to school right? Yeah, that’s Wanshi. Except he probably shows up on test days or for big projects. He still passes tho. Textbook definition of really smart, just lazy.

Karenina - The loud girl that’s always got beef I don’t like her. She seems like that basic ass bitch who is actually always mad at everything and really mean to the guy she likes. But not in a cute way, just annoying. Decent grades, probably argues with the teacher tho. Yeah, we all know this kid right?

Bianca - The Christian white girl who has a rebellious phase later I don’t like Bianca either, but I feel like every textbook Lulu Lemon/Aritzia Christian white girl eventually goes through a rebellious phase or abandons religion completely. Source? I go to a Catholic private school. I know what I’m talking about.

Watanabe - The actual hot delinquent Sorry Camu, Watanabe gets to be the Wattpad boy. He’s just so cold around anyone that isn’t Gray Raven/Kamui that I think he’s just that kid. He’s not an asshole though, minds his own business most of the time but gets into a lot of fights. He’s also something like a big brother to everyone. Teachers hate him though. Also skips fairly often, but he’s always at parties. Mostly as the designated driver. To everyone’s surprise, he wants to be a teacher and that is what he goes and does after high school.

Luna - The popular girl with all the tea I just know Luna hears absolutely everything and uses it as black mail. She’s pretty chill and likeable most of the time though, hence why she’s so popular. Probably on the student council methinks. Pretty good grades too.

Alpha - The popular athletic kid She doesn’t strike me as a tomboy necessarily, just athletic. And gay as fuck. I don’t know what it is guys, I think it might be the Doc Martens. I feel like when she’s not doing sports she’s the cool alt girl everyone wishes they were. Gets into fights and always wins them. Surprisingly, she’s well likes by teachers because she’s pretty quiet in class.

Roland - The theatre/show choir kid You all saw this one coming from a mile away. I said show choir kid too because show choir kids are actually an entirely different breed of crazy. Like we nutty as fuck. (yes, I am a show choir kid, point and laugh guys) Super flamboyant and shows off a lot- worst part is it’s actually always really impressive. Doc Martens wearer number 2, probably made a shrine to Lin Manuel Miranda in the washroom as a joke once, or a Pedro Pascal one. Either or.

Might make a part two and a bonus round for my OCs, idk hope you liked these

[ask--reiji--sakamaki]

{ @the-coincidence-child } { LONG BUT I LOVE THEM SM SORRY }

★ꕀ༒︎ꕀ★

The clock ticked, and ticked, and ticked. The minutes going by slow as Aslan waiting in the office with the principal waiting for Reiji to show up, per usual Reiji was on time coming in the room Aslan didn't even need to turn around to know it was him. Aslan was like that, he memorized foot steps-breathing-smells-tone and so on. Because his vampirac powers weren't exactly fully there/controlled he struggled a lot unlike the other kids who seemed to be better at it.

Of course, Aslan being a half breed made him a easy target for bullying. At the start of school Aslan has always faced hate. People either, hurt him-babied him and again SO ON. The whole so on thing pissed him off. He had to learn to how to defend himself and prove he was way stronger, this meant he ended up fighting a lot in school. Beating Subaru and even LAITO in getting the most suspensions and near expulsions. Once again Aslan is sitting in the office for the third time this week for fighting with another student, however injuring this kid more ways then one.

'Mr. Sakamaki how grateful we are to see you. It seems little Aslan got into another fight again..' Said Aslan's counselor. Yes his quietness and other issues made the school give him a counselor to stay in the classroom at all times watching him and to eat lunch with. He's such a loner that the school gave him someone to eat lunch with. Sad isn't it. 'His behaviour is getting worse, he broke both of the child's arms including his ribs. if he gets into another fight at all this year he's going to need to have to expelled from school, he's already at 39 suspensions—'

'And if it wasn't for you or your father we would unenroll him immediately..! 40 suspensions is almost near this is the last straw I am done with this child. Honestly where did he come from..' The principal shouted, putting her hands pinching her nasal. 'His high scores in class and you begging are the only thing keeping him at ryutei high. He's once again suspended for the remaining week, if he fights-talks back-breaks any other rule in this school he's out. Now get out of my sight.' She said sternly.

"Bitch..." He murmured. 'Don't make it two weeks Aslan.!.' His counselor loudly whispered. Aslan looks to Reiji for a minute, his eyes filled with much feeling. It was easy to tell that yes lately he's been more out of it, more snappy to. He lets himself be dragged away rolling his eyes as he sticks his tongue out to the principal. Every slam of each door Reiji and him walked through was loud, he as well blocked out every word Reiji said to him. However every step the two took with hand in hand was quiet so quiet in fact he didn't realize the two where in the house together. What room he was dragged to, not making eye contact with Reiji his expression completely blank seeming unfazed, rolling his eyes.. This kid was such a struggle wasn't he?. He didn't snap out of it until——

★ꕀ༒︎ꕀ★

Reiji simply couldn't believe this was happening, he could have sworn that he had already had a very frank conversation with Aslan about his behavior at school, but apparently it wasn't enough.

Hearing from the principal and the counselor about the child's attitudes made him totally uncomfortable, but there was also something that intrigued him, did the school administration do nothing about the intimidation that Aslan suffered from classmates?

— I apologize for the foolish behavior and my nephew, I will talk to him at home. However, I wonder what actions were taken regarding the bullying that my nephew has been receiving for a while, maybe the situation had not reached such a deplorable point.

— Again I apologize for his behavior, and I will be much stricter with that child, however I ask that you do not speak in that tone, after all, you are talking to me, not to him.

He squints a little irritated at that director, but soon leaves the room pulling Aslan with him, he was holding back from slapping that child right there. As soon as they finally arrived home, Reiji grabbed the child's ear and pulled him up, lifting him off the ground a little.

— Frankly, what do I do with you? I will send all support to that boy you hurt. I'll also keep an eye out for any bullying you're getting, but for now, don't get into any trouble, you hear me?

[t0kidal]

Baby Babiru?

(Independent one shot of other works, you're just another normal student, this is the first time you're meeting the big three (chaos trio, the dog, the cat, and the bird) of Babyls, inspired by Gakugen Babysitters.

btw, apparently the honorific 'kun' can be used strictly for young males but females can be called 'kun' as well by their 'superiors')

Here in the netherworld, life was precious. But very rarely did demons come together to reaffirm that, preferring the phrase “to each their own” as a principle.

As an effort to change that, for the sake of his grandson no doubt, the principal forcefully recruited some of the strongest students.

And you were there too, I guess.

Ok, you just needed some extra pocket money, living independently is hard and a little bit of income for a slightly larger lunch would be amazing.

But what exactly were you recruited for? You'll find out soon enough.

"006... 006... Ah, here we go."

Living alone wasn't too bad, at least your folks set you up with a roof over your head and a plot of poorly managed land (you couldn't help being at school almost the whole day). Now that you've sort of got the hang of it, you can afford to get a part time job!

Yay...

As you open the room door to 006, you see the top dog of Babyls, who you know goes by Opera.

The real question is though, Why do they have a kid?

Your gawking is put to an end when they clear their throat.

"Ah, you must be the other Kouhai. Welcome."

"Other...? I'm sorry, I'm not really sure what's going on..?"

That blue baby is just so stinking cute!

Would it be too much to just... squish his cheeks... just a bit?

"Sullivan-sama hired you for a project of his, in order to change demon society we, as well as fulfill a crucial desire."

'Oh no we're gonna be his gophers aren't we this is gonna suck so mu-'

"Having his grandson close to work."

"... huh?"

With that he releases a rope and a banner unfurls in your face.

'BABYLS' BABY DAYCARE.'

"Oh..."

'OH NOOOOO'

Demon children, extremely young ones to boot, were hellish creatures.

How did they expect you to survive!?

As if sensing your internal panic..

"Not to worry, uh..."

"Y/n..."

"Not to worry, Y/n-kun. My underlings will be joining us on this task."

'Underlings!?'

Just as you thought that, a voice behind you rings out.

"Ghg... Opera-Senpai!?"

You turn, startled, and find yourself almost nose to nose with Naberius Kalego, the guard dog of Babyls.

Your face goes pale and you step back into the daycare room.

"S-sorry!"

"Tch."

By his side was an avian demon, a little on the short side but you instantly recognize him from the rumors as the insanely strong human fanatic.

He seemed normal enough though...?

He eyes glance at you in acknowledgment before returning to read the banner overhead.

"Senpai... Are we... babysitters?"

"For the time being, Shichiro-kun, Yes."

It's silent... nothing but your internal screaming, and the chair demon's grandson's giggles could be heard.

"That damn chair demon..."

"Kalego-kun."

The temperature easily dropped ten degrees, as a terrifying look crosses Opera's face. Without looking, he hands off the blue child to you, disregarding the surprise on your face and the curious coo of said child, as he approaches Kalego.

"Need I remind you of what'll happen if you don't comply like a good dog?"

"Ghg... F-fine... Whatever."

Shichiro, noticing your confusion, steps closer and clarifies.

"Opera-senpai threatened to shadow Kalego-kun."

"Hmm?" That... you had to say it, "that doesn't seem so bad...?"

But as you listen to Shichiro explain you realize, oh... yeah... having waves of delinquent demons pester you every ten minutes has got to be the most draining thing you've ever heard. You could only look at the man in question sympathetically before your attention is snatched by a small coo.

".. Hello, little... uh.."

"Iruma" called Opera as he dragged Kalego away.

"Uh- Um, Ok, Hello Iruma, let's ignore that for now... I guess we'll be working together for a bit. Please take care of us." And then you shake his little hand all business like, marveling at how soft it is.

You gotta tell everyone, starting with 'Shichiro'.

"Uh... Shichiro... kun... huh. Nice name." Today isn't such a bad day, you heard a nice sounding name, shook hands with an adorable baby.

"Yes, That's me?"

"Ah Sorry! I just... well," It'd be weird to say you're amazed at how soft Iruma's hands are... right? "It's nice to meet you." You settle on that for now.

"Good to meet you too Y/n...?"

"Ah, you can just call me, Y/n. I hope that doesn't make you uncomfortable?"

"N-no... Not at all."

Shichiro couldn't help but smile behind his mask, you weren't too loud and you were polite. That's a win win.

Eventually, you all settle down in a little circle, Opera provided aprons for all of you to wear and you're now entertaining Iruma.

"I would've thought more parents would send their kids here..." You muse. "If only to try and connect with the Principal."

"Hmph, most noble children are tutored till they reach the age their clans see fit to send them to school." Responded Kalego. "I myself spent a great amount of time preparing myself for my future."

"I suppose..." You didn't really want to say anything else, while Shichiro was quite friendly, and Opera was... well meaning, Kalego was still a prickly sort you didn't want to cross.

And an awkward silence fell over the circle. You... against your better judgement, decide to break it.

"Opera-senpai, what class are you in?"

"Me? I'm in class 2-B on the issue of attendance."

Shichiro leans over to whisper to you, "It's cause he keeps leaving class to beat up the gangs that loiter in the halls."

"O-oh... is that so? I'm in... 1-C, it's not so bad there but it's a little..."

Iffy, you were going to say iffy because lots of your classmates, remember that Babyls is a mess during this time, liked to misbehave.

"Tsk. Shichiro and I are in class 1-A. But to be honest it's full of delinquents just like the rest of the school."

"'Tis a shame" agreed Opera.

"Don't give me that, you're literally one of them."

From how much he gets bullied by Opera... you don't blame him for that statement.

[oc-aita]

AITA for wanting social reform?

Alright, so I (F, 20) have (had? I'm dead and a ghost) a condition called Michelle's Disorder or Songkindism. I was the first person to show symptoms of it, it's a genetic condition caused by the nuclear bomb exploded in the ocean I think? Anyways the symptoms of this condition are called "defects", which acts (usually) like magic powers, though it also can be physical. It's weird. These defects are based off songs, hence the name Songkindism. (People with this disorder are Songkind or Songbound). Anyways my defect is that I have to feed a necklace around my neck with people's life force. It killed me first and now whenever someone puts on the necklace I drain their energy to feed it. Once I died, my necklace with me haunting it was brought to a facility the other Songbound were being held in. Right, I need to explain those too. Once I died the politicians used that to fuel their hate campaign against Songbound, since apparently all of our defects are "dangerous" which they are not. So anyways now every child has to be tested for Songkindism at eleven (that's when defects manifest, it is literally an overnight thing). Some people with physical defects are just brought in right away since that is easy to see, but "magical" defects are harder to pin down unless it manifests itself in a clear way, like telling stories that literally come to life around you (actually thing that someone can do) so yeah. All over the world these kids are rounded up and shipped off to facilities or just killed. I am in North America, so I don't know what's going on in other places, but what I see here makes me mad. I couldn't do much as a necklace, so I enticed a young girl, let's call her J (F, 13), to put on my necklace. I possessed her (she still could use her body, I just controlled her thoughts mostly). Anyways with my help J seduce and kill several guards (her defect was that she could use her anger to fuel an odd power where she could manipulate how much air could enter someone's lungs, how fast their heart could beat, ect.) Still, it wasn't enough. No one seemed to care and the guards were replaced. Since J was no longer useful, I drained her of her energy, hence killing her. I laid in wait until someone else came along, another young girl, let's call her M (F, 13). M could make people directly feel the consequences of their actions, like feel the fear and pain and anger that they caused. M did well, causing some higher ups to go literally insane, but then the teaching staff (actually all the staff but the guards) were replaced by adult Songbound, so it didn't work anymore, so I drained her energy and killed her as well. I laid in wait again, looking for someone who could push everyone to get out of the facility for good. It took years, but another young girl named G (GF, 13) put on the necklace. She was perfect! She could literally create life (up to ten other beings with as much free will as she wanted to give them), which was perfect as I could make whoever I needed! She even had some perfect creations. The most important on I used was Miss J (F, 35ish) who could make people's defects "overload", just meaning the part of their brain that keeps the defect in check doesn't work anymore due to a chemical imbalance (Miss J can change people's brain chemistry). A few people died, but those were fine casualties. The people who survived and had a defect change (I don't know how it works exactly but it is a very delicate surgery procedure) all collapsed into a pile of goo but now everyone was getting antsy! They were mad and scared and wanted to get out! The new principal of the facility "school" was starting to realize that all of them have worth! Once they realized that they just walked out. Most of them were God adjacent anyways!

Anyways, G started to yell at me saying that I ruined her creations and mutilated them and make everyone's lives worse and that I was a murderer! So, is she right? Am I horrible person?

[jemgirl86]

I genuinely cannot believe how many people seem to not only be alright with, but seem absolutely giddy about, a grown woman, a substitute teacher no less, fighting a child. Not subduing. Not restraining. Not disarming. Not even grabbing long enough to just remove the kid the from the room. No, honest to God fighting, like they’d fight a man on the street. It’s actually depressing. Nobody finds anything weird about this. I’m not some new age out of touch living on a commune weirdo, but I thought we all agreed that grown ups fighting kids was crazy. You can’t just fight a kid because they’re disrespectful. I’m sorry, I can’t stop thinking about this. It’s insane to me. She went to work and fought a kid who is a third her size, when she could’ve just left the room. Who does that?

You know, at the school I went to for kindergarten, the principal paddled kids. You weren’t getting suspended or detention unless you did something crazy. For a run of the mill rule violation, you got paddled. I never did lol, but other kids did regularly. Sometimes parents or grandparents would come whoop their kids in front of the class. I don’t agree with it. I don’t personally believe in spanking or corporal punishment, but I’m just saying, I went to a school where it happened regularly. My point is: that’s not even what this was. Corporal punishment is bad enough. This was worse. This was a sub losing their mind. I just cannot wrap my head around it.

ETA: Made the mistake of commenting a condensed version of this on a Tiktok that was literally just a news clips saying that both the student and teacher had been charged, and now every Tom, Dick, and Harry, is replying to me trying to debate me about why they should, checks notes, be able to fight children who disrespect them.

I feel like I’m in the fucking twilight zone 🤪

[twilightmalachite]

PORTRAIT - Ah, still delay—thou art so ■■■ 6

Author: Akira

Characters: Akiomi, Izumi

Translator: Mika Enstars

"Yuu-kun is all I need."

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: Reception Room

Present day. The interview with Kunugi Akiomi continues…

Akiomi: —Well, it was like that.

I won’t say anything bad that’d cause offense, but… Each of the kids had their own issues, so they gave me quite a hard time.

To be honest, it was more than I could handle as a middle school student at the time.

👤: [—I can imagine. The child, C-kun, and his parents seem particularly troublesome.]

Akiomi: Well, I am exaggerating things to a degree, so don’t take everything at face value.

And C-kun and his parents seem to have both calmed down quite a bit since then, too.

I’d like to clarify that I do understand the parent's feelings a little as well.

He had been a "good kid" who had been raised and cherished with great care and would listen to everything his parents would tell him to do—

Their cute son had been changing more and more without them even knowing. And it was due to the influence of B-kun, of whom C-kun was very close to.

This seems to have caused C-kun’s parents quite a lot of anxiety, as they had a strong attachment to their child.

And so, it appears their excessive affection, and perhaps jealousy as well, had manifested as a strong over-involvement over their son’s life.

However, as an adult, you should be able to at least control your emotions.

At the very least, be more respectable and put your son’s feelings before your own—I still think that.

Both over-involvement and over-protection are violence too when brought that far.

👤: [……]

Akiomi: Oops. Excuse me. What had meant to be a clarification has turned into badmouthing. Shall I change the subject?

To help us arrive at the principal department store story, let me turn the clock forward a bit.

You might also be interested as to why such an “incident” occurred… It was some time after C-kun had transferred to our agency.

Location: Modeling Office

Izumi: Hey, Kunugi.

Akiomi: Call me “Kunugi-senpai”. I’ve been in the industry longer than you, and I’m older than you, you know.

Izumi: Feeder Cricket-senpai.[1]

Akiomi: What aspect of me did you get “crickets” from?! Isn’t that reaching too much to be a play on my name?

Izumi: Shut up. You’re sooo~ annoying.

Akiomi: Please stop skipping to calling me annoying or creepy. Gosh, young people these days…

Akiomi: (…Well, he’s talking to me more normally compared to when he had first transferred to the agency, so I’m glad about that.)

(Hehe, Although I’m mild-mannered, I’d be losing my temper if I were being given that attitude from a grown adult. But since he’s such a cute child I can’t be angry.)

Izumi: …Why are you grinning? You’re too creepy.

Akiomi: Are you unable to speak without making every person you talk to uncomfortable at every turn? If you don’t learn to be more considerate, nobody will want to be your friend, you know.

Izumi: Yuu-kun is all I need.

Right, I need your help so I can be with Yuu-kun.

Akiomi: ? What do you mean? Yuu-kun is Yuuki-kun, right? He seems to have been becoming increasingly popular as of late…

Izumi: Of course, it’s Yuu-kun after all.

Anyways… …Mm.

Akiomi: Mm?

Izumi: Mm…!

Akiomi: I don’t understand what you mean by “mm”. Umm, do you mean the poster?

Whoah, please don’t shove me!

Izumi: Yuu-kun, I think’s gonna be in… this movie, or something?

Akiomi: Really… He’s gonna try his hand at acting, huh?

Must be hard to have so much on his plate even though he’s so little.

Will he be okay, though? He seemed like such a shy boy to me, will he be able to act in front of others?

Izumi: I’ll be in this movie, too.

Akiomi: Huh, really? I didn’t hear anything about that, but, congratulations…?

Hehe, I’m really glad you’re able to co-star with your friend Yuuki-kun.

Izumi: …Yuuki-kun would be useless without me. So, umm, I have to be in the movie too.

So, Kunugi…-senpai, please show me what I gotta do to make that happen.

Akiomi: …?

[ ☆ ]

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1. “Cricket” in Japanese is コオロ�� (koorogi).

[jellyjays]

aziraphale as a jazz band director and crowley as a marching band instructor

- aziraphale fell in love with jazz the moment it started to develop as a genre. 

- he was friends with some of the very first jazz musicians- louis armstrong was one of his closest mortal friends. 

- aziraphale himself plays all the instruments, but his one true love is the saxophone. he can make a saxophone sing, and he loves the sound with every non-mortal bone in his corporeal body. 

- he finds the sound of jazz a welcome break from the classical wroteness of heaven’s usual music. 

- he came across the position by chance when a desperate principal had approached him at a jazz gig, asking if he taught. when aziraphale asked why, the principal admitted that aziraphale’s immediate impression on the man was “wise, retired teacher” and he was in desperate need of a jazz band director because their current band teacher refused to do jazz, and the current students demanded a jazz band program. several wanted to pursue musical careers, and the current band teacher, surprise, surprise, won’t teach them jazz techniques. aziraphale was horrified to learn about this horrible man, and these poor students, unable to learn jazz like they dreamed. he supposed that a mortal job wouldn’t be too bad, especially if it was to help this school and these students. the principal sagged visibly in relief when aziraphale said yes. 

- he meets the jazz band students on freshman orientation, when all of them conspired to “investigate” him as he recruited freshmen for their jazz band. somehow, they were spotted and sniffed out immediately by Mr. Fell, who seemed delighted to meet them and rambled on about how amazing it was that there were new minds and talents interested in jazz. then he started rambling on about the importance of jazz as an art and it staying alive with artists as diverse as it’s always been, and then another freshman approached the jazz band table and he shooed them off. 

- on the first day of rehearsals, aziraphale introduced himself like this: “hello, dears. i am your new jazz instructor. you may call me mr. fell or aziraphale, i don’t mind either way. the first few things you should know about me are these: firstly, i have a tendency to ramble. if i get off on too much of a tangent, do not hesitate to correct me. secondly, i am never annoyed by questions unless they are intended to be belligerent. always ask any questions you have. thirdly and finally, any bigotry in my classroom will be swiftly and firmly dealt with. if you have anything to tell me- preferred name and pronouns, accomodations, do not hesitate in the least to reach out to me about it. i will be as accommodating as possible to everyone who wishes to learn the art of jazz”. 

-  the students very quickly grow attached to mr fell, and many see him as a very close parental/mentorial figure. aziraphale, of course, loves these kids more than anything. mr fell is the teacher they go to to deal with bullies, bigots, and assholes. 

- mr. fell is, also, an unexplainable weirdo. he keeps talking about jazz greats like they were his best friends along with other historical figures. his office looks more lived in after 6 months than some kids’ bedrooms. he sometimes just... appears i the classroom where he wasn’t seconds earlier, spooking several well-meaning students. he’s never been seen walking into the school, except for on the days that he’s dropped off in a ‘33 bentley (which is in impeccable condition) by who he claims is his husband. nobody has seen the guy. one guy swears he saw mr. fell expel feathers on a particularly violent sneeze. there’s also a child’s drawing on his office door of a biblically accurate angel next to some creature who looks similarly freakish, but the latter is clearly some kind of snakey creature. the kids learn to live with and appreciate mr. fell’s quirks. 

- then, two years into mr. fell’s teaching, a new marching band instructor is hired: one anthony j crowley. 

- no one even knows until marching band camp. their usual asshole band director is nowhere to be found, only a trail of written instructions. then, a man in all black, long sleeves and pants, with sunglasses, struts onto the field. “my name is anthony j crowley, and i am your new marching band instructor. don’t bother with any mr. shit, and don’t call me anthony either. it’s crowley. or, if you really feel the need to be formal, dr. crowley. things are gonna be a lot different around here, now.” 

- he then goes on to say that he and his husband wrote the show they were going to be doing this year. his husband wrote the music, he wrote the drill. it was the music of will wood, including the songs love me normally, i/me/myself, laplace’s angel, and 2econd 2ight 2eer. several students cheered at this news, though more looked lost. 

- throughout the week, crowley established himself as a force to be reckoned with. he wasn’t afraid to call people out, but he also wasn’t cruel in his criticisms. he was a wonderful teacher and a better conductor. (he also had a habit of yelling at people to get water). when first contest came, the band crushed it. they had no color guard, but they made up for it with energetic drill and choreography. their musicianship was by far the best of the bands there. needless to say, crowley was very quickly respected. 

- that isn’t to say he wasn’t just as weird as mr. fell. crowley drove a bentley that played queen nonstop, and curiously, any cars in a nearby vicinity also started playing queen. he had a speech impediment where he occasionally dragged out his S’s, and he always, always wore sunglasses, no matter what. he also used “bless” in place of the word “damn”, “satan” in place of “god”, “heaven” in place of “hell”, and everything along that theme. additionally, he had the same odd habit as mr. fell of speaking of the past as if he’d been there.

- by the third week of crowley’s first year teaching, it became clear that crowley was the husband mr. fell spoke about, and vice versa. they were husbands, and very cute ones at that. many people fawned over their relationship, and many lgbt kids were ecstatic to have queer role models to look up to. their wedding rings were odd, crowley’s was a golden ring with eyes chiseled in, and aziraphale’s was a silver snake wrapped around his finger. crowley called mr. fell “angel”, mr. fell called crowley “dear, darling, my love”, and other endearments. they would banter frequently, often referencing “your side” or “my side”, and just as frequently, “our side”. worryingly, “armageddon” was also in their list of frequently used words. crowley offered “temptations” (a habit he, in a different context, practised with students), and mr. fell would call him a wiley serpent, smile on his face. 

- they were frequently found together when not teaching, crowley inexplicably taking up residence in mr. fell’s office. it became their joint office, where you could find either if you needed to. the students always had their Suspicions about the two teachers, but it didn’t bother them in the slightest 

(if i ever wrote this as a fic, it would be from an outside pov, following several groups of students over the years, and the ever-shifting and changing bet pools, rumors, and speculations. this is probably my favorite idea Ever.) 

[itsjustagoober]

Ya know what?

Through the shit posts, the memes, the current events, the heritage posts, the inbox prompts, the drawing prompts, the character prompts and everything else, I want to thank all of you for supporting me day in and day out.

I know it seems like an easy and small thing to thank you guys for, but lemme at least try to let you know where I'm coming from with this. I'm gonna put this under a read more so I don't clog your dashes, but also for those who want to personally read it out too. I am going to be a bit vulnerable here, so I appreciate my own psuedo-privacy this way too. I may lose track of what I'm trying to say too, but that's how it usually goes anyway.

Before I became better acquainted with the internet or met almost all of you here or before, I was just a little guy getting through elementary school like most kids. However, there was one stark difference between me and my classmates: I was a gifted child.

It wasn't until much later in life that I realized what that label had properly fucked up for me and my undiagnosed ADHD and possible autism, but at the time it meant nothing but praise from adults around me and scorn from my fellow classmates.

I was always the weird kid and other kids used to outright avoid me and exclude me from everything, if they could. It usually took teachers and other staff alike to force other kids to partner up with me, even if I never picked up on that in the moment back then.

Other kids I used to consider close friends would simply tease and bully me every day. I was extremely shy and unable to be confrontational, so I would simply let them and take it. I took so much and couldn't tell a single adult because I thought being a Gifted kid meant nothing was supposed to get to you.

One day, though, it finally did get to me. I said something that I couldn't take back and I don't even remember what happened after I said it. I blacked out and when I was aware again, I was in the principal's office with my dad. The one person I absolutely didn't want to involve in any of this and there he was, sitting next to me. So concerned for me, but also disappointed that I couldn't have told him anything about this until I did something that would be on my record forever.

After that, talks were in motion, unbeknownst to me at the time, for us to move in with my grandparents and go to an entirely different school district. For me. All for me because of what I did. Soon enough, that next summer, we moved.

Now I was alone in a new home, a new school and a new neighborhood. The first few weeks of school that year were rough, to say the least. Nobody wanted anything to do with me because I was the new kid and most of the rest of them had all been friends or acquaintances since earlier schooling. The teachers, at least, saw my hidden potential for wanting to be good at what I could, whatever they put in front of me to work on.

However, I was no longer the only gifted kid around. There were dozens, actually, so I thought I could make new friends that way. Once again, peers were just weirded out by me. They knew something was off about me, even if we all didn't know why back then. Once again, I was mostly left floundering for myself.

This time, however, I decided that I was tired of being careful and shy anymore. I just wanted to be myself and had fun. So I started acting out and just being myself. The perfect student was there, but now he had sass and humor and shenanigans on his side. Much to the worries of teachers, but less hostility from his peers.

Fast forward a bit and these same peers are with me through middle school, junior high and high school. However, society has been changing around us as a whole during those developmental and influential years. iPods came to exist, the Internet got more mainstream, Facebook just started and wasn't an absolute shit show yet. It was genuinely meant to help you connect to people you couldn't see everyday.

Anyway, same peers get used to my same shit, so they start to get bored and annoyed with me. I didn't care, though, because I had really good friends and shitty grades while having the time of my life. One thing did change for me, though. I discovered I could make friends over the internet, too.

dA (deviantART) is where I got my start with my daily doodles I did in highschool, instead of doing schoolwork. Got to post, people got to see and interact with my art and me and it was good. Found some friends, found some interests I didn't know I had and continued on.

Sometime in the end of 2011 and the start of 2012, one of my favorite artists on dA announced they had started a Tumblr blog. This was the first time I had heard of the site and had no idea what it was like. Outside looking in, I thought it was another dA with even more fandom stuff. Then I actually got in and settled. It was so much more.

The fandoms, the dashboard layout, the accessibility to a newbie like me, the creativity and the absolute banger posts back then too. Something about it just felt like home. Like, more home than home even.

Years have gone by since that day and I have met most of you here, albeit this is a reboot since the first time around. I've met and re-met friends for life on here and I've also gotten a little bit of a following for myself. It is good!

All good things spoil, though. The first runaround, if I recall, there was a smear campaign or two put out on me. I'd say the one was valid, but then the person involved in that ended up just... dropping everything when it turned out they were right in the argument. That one always baffled me. I was misinformed, so you decided to do a call out on me because I didn't know something correctly?? Can't remember the second one anymore, but it was absolute bullshit anyway that ended up being false to everyone involved aside the person who started it.

Sorry, lemme get back to the point. I don't say this enough, or I don't think I do, but I really appreciate what a lot of you do for me. People used to be annoyed at me for spam-liking and reblogging their stuff on my dash to where I'd get banned and I never quite understood that. It was my way of showing my love and support, which I can now gladly say I see all of yours when you guys like and reblog stuff that I do! I see it and it feels me with joy, honestly!

There may be days where I am not around for days or weeks or months at a time, but I always see when you guys are giving likes and reblogs and mentions and I just want to say, from the bottom of my big heart: Thank you so very, very much~! I love y'all and I can't always put into words what it means for me, but yeah! It's nice to feel wanted and loved and cared about and, dare I say, feel missed.

It's weird to say that too, given what I had known all my life before the reboot of Tumblr even, but yes. It was always a home away from home and I'm glad I get to share it all with you. Ya know, like popping in and seeing how you're all doing or a wave as we pass by on the street. It means so much to me, it does.

It's why I often find myself in a rut when I disappear for awhile and leave people hanging on replies or plots or character stuff. I don't mean to clam up, I just sometimes get busy and get so tired that I can't keep up. I'm usually too afraid to say anything about it, too.

Even before COVID, I didn't have much of a sense of time and my 'relationship meter' is busted. If we have every talked and we're good friends? Well, to me, we still are and have been, even if we don't talk much~! There is no lowering of the meter, just up and steady, ya know?

But yes. I love you all and I deeply appreciate you all supporting me all these years and day in and day out. I hope this is a sliver of the start to show what all you guys mean to me.

Now I'm gonna go take a nap because I exhausted myself writing this and have been on and off crying the whole time I've been typing this.

Have a great day, y'all. I'll see ya again soon enough~!

[jaythelay]

Imagine an entire community that doesn't know classes used to not hold 30-40 kids at a time, but only when it's convenient for them to blame the kids for not being interested in sitting still in a room for an hour listening to a bored loser give a boring presentation to everyone also bored and uninterested.

Like shit ya'll, the problem isn't the youth, it's the shitty systems we have in place, but by all means, blame the kids for operating in the same system as you. Blame these children that were born before these policy changes, for these policy changes. Thank you for reinforcing my genuine distrust and hate for teachers with that one simple trick.

They were just not dumb enough to make this their job. They fail school, and they're on the same level as everyone else, including your dumbass, a GED is useless, a diploma more so. Tell me why they should bother? When you entrap them in this pointless location, not being taught anything, just told in as dry a manner as possible, the basic facts that will be reworded on a quiz just to make it frustrating for kid's memories.

Just sayin', too many in this same community seem kind've giddy about their students getting shot up or failing in life. Hey, guess what, that student you really like? They die of a meth overdose after being homeless for 8 years when their parents kick them out at 17. Congrats on preparing them for that future by handing them the answer sheet.

It's really a good thing to switch your kid to online so they can get out sooner. I graduated at 16 in online schooling, despite being held back twice because I completely stopped doing any work, you'll never guess what abuse set that event off 2 years straight. That's right the vice principal stalking me and taking a job at the highschool I was gonna go to!

Y'see how, maybe, just maybe, it isn't that this generation of humanity is just so wildly different to every other, it's the simple fact the world is on fire, there is no future for 30yos, let alone a 15yo, no one is gonna have a family or stable income, most of us will be homeless, and your school was known for Kidz4Kash, you really think it's kids fault they fucking hate this place for wasting their One Short Life on Pointless Shit?

How many of you can seriously name a single thing school taught you. No seriously, tell me, and then tell me how your life is going, if it's going well, honest to god congrats, if it's not, that was the only expectation anyone has for everything. Youth included.

Hey, teachers, ask your students if they're doing okay, what fears they have, actually, no, that's too personal and meaningful, be Vile and Evil and ask them what they want to be when they grow up. Watch as your expecation of "astronaught!" Divebombs into "I'm hoping I can have a career online" because There's Nothing Outside Anymore. Nothing free either. No, the only hope anyone has is someone giving it to them on the internet. That's what they want to be. A positive, creative force that can make a difference socially, because Not One Student in your classrooms will Ever Be In Politics. They'll never have the necessary capital.

"It's so depressing, all my students want to be streamers!" yeah because your glorious teaching job where you hand them the answer packet and get paid less than a streamer, with less job security, looks so appetizing to a disenfranchized youth.

Behind all that bravado and grativous is a frightened, suicidal child. Eventually, someone other than their friends, and me, will get that.

I really think teachers think all their kids are school shooter stereotypes, and like, yeah, the stereotype was indeed based on the disenfranchised, depressed youth with no future or genuine compassion in their lives, alright. But now the stereotype is a white supremecist, your favorite student aka. Get with the times, old fucks.

Fuck me man. I seriously saw, back to back, comment after comment after comment, where teachers were pissed at students for failing their class, despite being given the answers to COPY PASTE BY HAND to another paper.

Ya'll... Retire without pension. Do not mention this was your career, become a bartender, move on with your life, you're not a teacher, you're a fool taking a poor paying position and being mad that you can't manipulate and control people that Do Not Have Any Reason To Care about your job.

It's like having to explain the extent of pedophilia in religion to your catholic grandmother, you're just better off not going to their thanksgiving dinners anymore for your own mental health, because jesus christ, I'd rather try and make a soccer mom let their child swear than teach a teacher...so...so much intrinsically known shit. And what do they do? Literally not their job. Not their job at all.

In fact, they're actively the worst of disenfranchisement in this country right now. Not politicians, the news, the rich, nah, top of that long list is Teachers harrassing their students and being upset that those same students make their job harder. Hey, idea, don't abuse kids, and drop the quirky redditor teacher act, you eventually mask off like a karen in the returns building anyways, or turn out to be a pedo, always one or the other.

[atlanticcanada]

Influenza combined with other viruses create a dire situation in New Brunswick

As influenza, RSV and COVID-19 continue to sweep through the region, Tuesday is the first day in three weeks that Cathleen MacKenzie doesn’t have at least one child home sick from school.

“It seems like we have a brand new virus every 10 to14 days,” said MacKenzie. “So, some of the kids are getting over the previous virus, some are going into a new one.” 

MacKenzie has five children in school, one of which also attends daycare and her spouse is also in school. In general, she says her family is pretty healthy, but these last two-and-a-half months have been something she’s never seen before.

“It’s the very, very first time,” she said. “I’ve always chuckled at parents who say their kids are sick this often, I’m not sure I believed them. So, maybe it’s karma, I don’t know, but we typically have a very strong immune system.”

Right now, MacKenzie says she can’t send her kids to school until they’ve been fever free for 24 hours and it’s directly impacting their grades. However, she doesn’t know what else to do as she doesn’t want to risk passing a virus onto someone else.

The Anglophone East School District released data on its student absences for the month of October. On average, kids in Kindergarten to Grade 8 missed 1.8 days of school and grades nine to 12 missed 2.3 days.

However, sickness and absenteeism isn’t just affecting the students.

“It’s really kind of been a hidden reality and it is not business as usual in our schools,” said the president of the New Brunswick Teachers Association, Connie Keating. 

Keating says right now there has been an average of four unfilled absences a day, but some days, it can climb into the double digits. With no supply teachers available, she says guidance counsellors and principals are stepping up to fill the daily gaps.

“Currently our school leaders are doing the best they can, they’ve become more like crisis managers as opposed to educational leaders and we need to have actions in place across the board,” said Keating.

She adds that there are many layers to the current crisis, but studies done before the COVID-19 pandemic had pointed out that schools were already under resourced.

“We’ve identified a need for a provincial task force to identify immediate actions to address the current crisis in schools and so, we need to bring together our leaders in school districts, we need to be able to sit down with EECD, our department of education, and we need to problem solve this together,” said Keating. 

For MacKenzie, concern around grades and absenteeism at school is growing and with sick season just getting underway, it’s worrisome to think about what’s to come.

“My spouse is high risk for influenza and COVID,” she said. “COVID is always a concern, but this year, influenza has actually been a concern for the first time.”

“With our immune system already being low and the fact that there’s already so many hospitalizations in the area, and we both know how the staffing issue is at the hospitals with extremely long wait times. So, if it does become serious with influenza season here, I’m not looking forward to what that would look like for us,” she added.

Meantime, the province of New Brunswick has released new influenza numbers this week from the end of November.

“Physicians around the province are concerned,” said Dr. Michele Michaud with the New Brunswick Society. “We’re seeing more ER visits, we are already crowded in the ERs, hospitalization rates are higher."

Since the beginning of the season, 975 influenza cases have been reported, 218 ended up in hospital and 14 people have already died from the flu this year.

“I think it’s more sad than surprising,” Michaud said, in reaction to the recent numbers. “I think we need to think of all of those families and wonder if we’re responsible in some ways and what we can do to avoid those things.”

Michaud says it's up to the public to help where they can with mask wearing, hand washing and staying home if they are unwell.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/hGN1skF

[strawberrykuma]

the truth = trauma

< september 14, 2022 > 7 days till the dreaded birthday

i've consistently grown up as a happy child. my parents always got me what i wanted, i always had what i needed, i had the perfect childhood. as i grew up i started to feel new emotions as any kid does. i was angry when my parents wouldn't buy me a brand-new iPhone, i was sad as i'd watched the fault in our stars for the first time, and i was depressed when i got bullied in school. i 'd like to think that this was the first time i had ever felt a true feeling of depression. kids at school would pick on me and i'd come home to cry. my mom obviously wanted me to feel better, yet it always felt like my fault. maybe i hadn't gone to the principal fast enough. sometimes i didn't go at all. of course, she took me out of the school.

i had assumed that once i left, i would no longer feel sad. it never truly went away. i was able to mask it with smiles and an outgoing personality. nobody ever thought to question it so i just kept on pushing. it was my little secret. what people didn't know was i had constant anxiety over how i looked. i was black and the other kids in my school were white. i had been bullied about it before so why would it stop as i ventured my way into middle school? why were some kids skinny while i was 30 pounds over the average weight for my age? my mom always just said it was "baby fat." nothing to worry about. but i was worried. i thought it would feel good when i start seventh grade and had shed all 30 of those pounds. i was skinny, but not skinny enough. i still couldn't share clothes with my size 0 friends. my thighs never had a gap. i wasn't pretty enough. not only that but i had discovered something. a new insecurity. my friends had straight hair, yet mine was curly. it wasn't always slicked back and "clean," but it was my hair right? wrong. i hated it. one night i set my flat iron to 450 degrees and i fried every last curl off my head. surely this would do the trick right?

wrong. i entered eighth grade with kids telling me i was too fat for the mom jean trend and i needed to stop zipping up my jackets cause i looked like i was going to bust out of them. eating disorders seemed so appealing at this point. every day was another day i would think, "what if today was the day i shoved my fingers down my throat and continued to throw up till i was 10 pounds skinnier?" it was always 10 pounds. instead, i would shove my face full of food and feel guilty about it right after. but hey, at least i had excepted my curls, right?

at this point, i guess you could say yeah, except i gained 20 more pounds of depression weight over the summer. i can't truly say I've ever been depressed because i have never been diagnosed by a doctor but i can definitely say i have had depressed feelings. high school was the best and worst 4 years of my life. my freshman year, i felt ugly. i hated myself and everything i was until i thought i was so hot, that no one could touch me. i discovered my anxiety that my mother told me i "needed to figure out." so i just dealt with it alone. sophomore year i was untouchable, i had started all these new clubs and done so much around the school. i was on cloud nine. my anxiety "stopped," and i was living in luxury. then, covid hit. i couldn't see my friends, i couldn't see my close family. this is where i started to feel alone. junior year came and online school was a struggle. i could never focus on anything and seeing myself in the mirror made me want to die. the pressure of my grades was hitting too hard. constant fights with my parents, "mom & dad i'm struggling." "HOW CAN YOU HAVE A B IN THIS CLASS?!" everything i did was never good enough. they always want more. my mom would always say she was proud of me but i can't say that I've every truly felt it. senior year was when i started to crack. college applications felt like a job. sometimes i wonder if i would've been happier taking a gap year. not listening to anyone and really doing what i want to do. this is when i start to question, "do i really want to be a doctor?" "do i really want to go to xxxxxx?" the pressure is insane and my head feels like it's going to explode all the time. everything I've done, I've done for my parents. when is it my turn to do something for me?

the more conversations i have with people who have experienced the same things as me, the more i wonder if i'm truly happy where i am. if i only am a good student because my parents forced me to be, not because i want to be. when i think about my career path, I've always wanted to act or dance or be on stage, yet that's not where i'm headed. of course i love stem and this is where i want to be but i also feel like I've never truly had a choice.

i feel like i'm rambling at this point. I've been crying for days. i don't know what i need but i hate feeling like this.

all the best,

strawberry kuma 🍓

[tallmantall]

#JamesDonaldson On #MentalHealth - How To Know If Your #Child Is Being #Bullied

What are the signs of #bullying? When does the teasing become torment? Writer: Jamie Howard, PhD Clinical Expert: Jamie Howard, PhD What You'll Learn - What’s the difference between teasing and #bullying? - What questions should I ask my #child if they say they’re being #bullied? - What should I do if I think my #child is being #bullied? - Quick Read - Full Article - When does teasing or harassment become #bullying? - Before giving #bullying advice, collect the facts - Strategies on how to handle #bullying #Kids can be really mean to each other. Even best friends are mean to each other sometimes. When a kid is teased or left out or someone is mean to them, it doesn’t always mean they’re being #bullied. So how do you know if your #kid is being bullied? Bullies target #kids who are smaller or younger or less popular. They hurt other #kids physically or emotionally on purpose. They do it over and over and sometimes they get other #kids to join in the #bullying. #Bullying can make #kids feel anxious and depressed. It needs to be taken seriously. If your #kid tells you they’re being #bullied, it’s important to let your #child know you’ll help solve the problem. First, get the facts. Try acting like a reporter. You can ask questions like, “Were lots of #kids around when they said that to you?” “Are they a really popular #kid?” “What were the other #kids doing?” This will give you a better idea of what happened. And if it happens two or three times you might need to get involved. This could mean contacting a #teacher or the #school principal. But try to get your kid’s permission before you do that. If they’re really against it, you can hold off but let them know it’s an option if things get worse. Talking about #bullying before it happens can prepare your #child. You can practice having your #child say things like, “Hey, don’t talk to me that way,” and other things that make them feel like they have some power. You can suggest that your #child talk to their #friends and ask them how they’ve handled bullies. #Friends can also agree to stand up for each other. Bullies hate that! We are all aware that being #bullied as a #child is not a trivial thing. It not only causes acute suffering, it has been linked to long-term emotional problems, and #children who lack strong parental support seem to encounter the most lasting damage. But we also know that it’s part of growing up to have painful or embarrassing social experiences, and that learning to rebound from these interactions is an important skill for #kids to learn. If our #kids complain about #bullying, we want to take their complaints very seriously, give them the support and tools to handle it, and intervene on their behalf when needed. But we don’t want to teach them that every negative experience with their peers is a form of #bullying. #Kids I’m working with will say, “I was being #bullied.” And when they describe what happened, sometimes it was really just teasing. Maybe someone was giving them a hard time and it was difficult to deal with. But not every incident of meanness, rejection or hostility is #bullying. When does teasing or harassment become #bullying? - When there’s a power difference: #Bullying is done by someone in a position of power—it might be in the form of physical strength, or popularity—and it is directed at someone who is perceived as less powerful. - When there’s intention to cause harm. #Bullying can take the form of a physical or verbal attack, making threats, spreading rumors, or excluding someone from a group on purpose. It’s not inadvertent. - When it’s repeated: #Bullying #behavior is an ongoing pattern of hostile or abusive actions directed at the #child who is the target. - When it does cause harm: #Behavior becomes #bullying when it impairs the well-being or functioning of the #child who’s targeted. If your #child reports to you that she has been bullied, my advice is to take it very seriously, because, if nothing else, it really hurt her feelings and she’s struggling with it. You want to listen and express empathy without treating her as if she’s fragile. You want to model a confident we-can-solve-this-problem attitude. What you don’t want to do is express shock and anger and vow immediately to go to the #school, or talk to the child’s #parents. Tempering your response encourages your #child to open up. Before giving #bullying advice, collect the facts Your first job is to try to get a detailed picture of what happened. It’s hard when you’re a #parent because your stomach flips, your protective impulses kick in, and you just want to punish the #kid that’s hurt your child’s feelings. But it’s more effective to be like a reporter: “Okay, who was there? What was going on? What was said, exactly? What did you do? How did you feel?” You’re gathering all the data, the evidence of what happened. The details are important, not for the purpose of invalidating your child’s feelings or minimizing what happened—”Well, that doesn’t sound like it was really that bad”—but just so that you can tailor your strategies better. Part of the goal of asking questions is to get a sense of the social hierarchy. You might say, “Was it a big group of #kids? Were lots of #kids surrounding him when he said that to you? Is he a really popular #kid? What were the other #kids doing?” And it also gives you a sense of how embarrassing it might have been. #James Donaldson notes:Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticleOrder your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,#CelebratingYourGiftofLife:From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy http://www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com Strategies on how to handle #bullying Once you’ve asked your #child exactly what happened, here’s some #bullying advice to consider: - Practice assertiveness. That means showing confidence both verbally and nonverbally. Suggest that your #child try standing tall and saying, “Don’t talk to me like that!” It can help to script some things your #child could say and role-play-you do it first, and then let your #child try it out. - Find allies. Suggest that your #child talk to his friends about ways they might handle it and ways they’ve handled stuff that’s similar. They may have some good ideas and it will make him feel less isolated. - Get involved. Activities that your #child is good at, that he enjoys, are very protective. Because if he’s doing something he enjoys, and he’s thriving, he’s not going to care as much. The confidence he feels when he’s in his element will carry over to environments in which he’s less secure. - Enlist #adults. If your #child needs an #adult advocate, consider contacting a #teacher or #school administrator. First, try to get your child’s permission, telling her, “I really want to call the #teacher and ask him to keep an eye on it.” If she’s adamantly against it, I would keep the option open, saying, “I’m not going to now, and I will tell you before I do.” So there’s some perception of control. But you’re also teaching her a lesson: “Listen, yes it might be embarrassing, but you need to stand up for yourself. And self-advocacy is more important.” - Monitor incidents. One incident isn’t necessarily #bullying, but you want to notice if it’s becoming a pattern. Tell your #child to let you know if it happens again. You might say, “I want to stay on top of this and make sure we solve it.” - Be prepared. It’s important to talk about #bullying even if it hasn’t happened, so that if it does your #child is better equipped to recognize it and more comfortable telling you about it. - Form a partnership with the #teacher. Let your child’s #teacher know that you hope she’ll touch base with you whenever there’s something concerning, and that you hope she doesn’t mind if you do the same. This article was last reviewed or updated on September 3, 2021. Jamie Howard, PhD Jamie M. Howard, PhD, is a senior clinical #psychologist in the #AnxietyDisorders Center at the #ChildMindInstitute and … Read Bio Read the full article