#plus the obvious physical health reasons

[kindacreepy-kindaugly]

kinda feel like at this point I need to choose between him n everyone else

[nobodyfamousposts]

why is everyone always hyping up Ms. Mendeleev as this amazing teacher who takes no bull when she really isn’t? in evil illustrator, Mendeleev sees Chloe picking on Nathaniel and even physically rips his sketch book out of his hands and embarrasses him in front of everyone. but not only is Mendeleev more focused on him drawing in class, she only scolds Chloe but doesn’t punish her for being disruptive. in Marinette’s flashback, when Marinette arrives to class late looking downtrodden, she yells at her in front of everyone instead of waiting until the end of class to talk to Marinette privately. she doesn’t ask her what’s wrong, she doesn’t shut down Chloe’s offensive comments about “looking more depressed than usual” and “she wants to design clothes but can’t keep hers clean”, and she yells at Marinette for accusing Chloe of putting paint on her seat by stating that she had no basis to do so. this woman sure does yell a lot doesn’t she? Mendeleev has zero empathy for her students and has no business being a teacher. if we’re going to call out Damocles and Bustier, she deserves a call out as well.

No no, you have a point. I find I want to argue with you because I'm one of those who likes Mendeleiev substantially more compared to the other teachers, but that's just it: when compared to the other teachers.

Other than Damocles as the Principal, Mendeleiv is one of only three teachers we've been introduced to in the whole of the series. Well, until the Art teacher in season three, but even he has the same issues as Bustier and Damocles of admonishing the other students while saying nothing against Chloe.

Chloe issues aside, Bustier's teaching methods are "nice", but notably useless and not age appropriate. She was shown teaching the class about a fairy tale, and not even a specific one. Just about how a Prince saves a Princess with a kiss, with "true love" being the lesson rather than the literary implications or analysis in what I can only assume is a literature class.

Then there's D'Argencourt, and do I really need to get into this guy?

So I think part of the reason here is that of the very few teachers we've gotten any focus on, Mendeleiev is the only one who has actually ACTED like a teacher. Not the nicest teacher, no, but at least A teacher.

She was admittedly harsh in how she went about things with her students, but she had valid points and reasoning behind what she did.

Nathaniel in Evilustrator was drawing in science class, a subject he is struggling in.

Rose was spraying perfume in class without consideration to the hazards it could cause. Someone could have a health issue. Plus...y'know...the canon problem of the perfume being VERY FLAMMABLE.

And she's the only teacher who has at any point at least scolded Chloe for her behavior. Which given how everyone seems to bend over backwards to appease her or admonish her victims, that's saying something.

Plus out of all the school staff who have been akumatized, Mendeleiev had the most sympathetic reason. Then there's her aborted storyline in the New York Special. So she comes off as a teacher who wants to be liked and do right by her students, even if her way of going about her interactions seems harsh, and I think that's the aspect that the fans have taken notice of.

It stands to reason we've all had a teacher like her in our lives. Strict. No nonsense. Didn't let us get away with anything. And it also stands to reason that having that teacher in real life made us dread that class.

So yes, Mendeleiev is no saint. But she at least IS a teacher who ACTS like a teacher. A strict teacher who takes no excuses and seems more impartial (at least when compared with Damocles and Bustier who make it quite obvious they're under Chloe's thumb even if it's in different ways and for different reasons). She could do with some education on empathy and communicating with her students. But she's still at least doing her job as an educator to teach them.

At least until the writers ruin her just like they ruin everything else because they saw what the fandom came up with and decided we can't have nice things.

[skippyv20]

Skip, Julie here. I worked for 43 years in fantastic jobs. Some as an employee, in HR, and in Senior Management. My employers were very well known Companies or Government. They had sick leave policies where employees from CEO to newest employee were entitled to medical leave and privacy of all medical information.

As a Manager I was aware of some very serious medical issues and we offorded those people complete privacy. Time to heal was dependent on their medical team despite how much they might have been needed in the workplace (perhaps being the only person with authority or highest level skill to deal with something vital).

A couple of these medical issues dealt with very serious surgery plus complications, and convalescence to deal with consequences of how their bodies or lives were changed and the mental processes they had to go through to understand and accept the changes.

Under no circumstances would I have ever thought it necessary to inform the other employees what was happening with the ill employee other than to update the return date. These people worked closely together but knew the value of allowing the one who was ill the time and space to fully recover. My contacting the employee for an update on whether they needed us was their choice to make, not mine or the company.

Princess of Wales is a senior member of a firm and a much loved member of a family. In her case she has a world wide family who care that she has been seriously ill and as family members we just want her to fully recover physically and mentally from her ordeal. We care and I think that says so much about how highly people around the world think of her.

As a senior member of the firm her bosses are aware of her illness and prognosis and have given her sick leave based on medical advice. I know the taxpayers of the UK keep up the mantra of BRF works for us, we pay them. Ok they are shareholders in the Company and they have an interest in ensuring the Company is providing the service they expect from it. The Company is BRF but no Company provides health information on senior employees except the CEO for obvious reasons. The company continues to operate even if a very important senior staff member is unwell.

My personal view is Catherine has been through a major abdominal surgery that has immediate and long term consequences for her. For HER, her husband and her 3 children. She does not owe any of us an explanation or an update. She loves her job and she does it brilliantly. She is totally loyal to King and Queen, her parents, siblings and the Commonwealth. She will never intentionally cause harm to her husbands family members.

People need to give her the same space we would all expect if we were seriously ill. I know people want to know what happened to her but really it is none of our business. Our role is to allow her time to fully heal so she can return to her role in the Company as soon as possible. No doubt she is already working behind the scenes.

I’m sorry this is long winded but I feel for her. 20 years of trying to please everyone yet when she needs some help people turn on her some will be because they are worried others for their own reasons. People need to send a private message of support but otherwise let her heal.

Princess of Wales, Catherine, God bless and keep you and your family fully protected and return you to full health We await your return, with patience, to your essential role for the Monarchy and we look forward to seeing you with your beautiful family vase soon as you feel you are fully recovered.

This is a lovely, thoughtful post Julie…no not too long.  I greatly appreciate the time and your experience you have shared with us.  I am quite proud of the fact that the people that come to this blog, are sensitive and caring and express nothing but support for Catherine and her family.  People are so concerned with “accountability “ these days….people are simply forgetting that behind the public life….is a real life going on, and people are dealing with all the same issues as everyone else.  The old “walk a mile in my shoes” comes to mind!  Thank YOU again Julie!🙏🏻❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[holodeck-enthusiast]

The Night After

...

*after the episode "All Our Yesterdays"*

...

That night, for obvious reasons, Bones found it hard to sleep. Only 3 earth hours left to the beginning of the alpha shift. Bones had already taken a dose of melatonin and it's not working. He refused to fight the thoughts, and was thinking about that another extreme stressful day three of them have had. He embraced the physical and mental pain, something he's actually very good at.

...

Comm chimed, breaking the monotonous humming of the ship's environmental sound.

"Doctor, please accept my apologies for contacting you at this hour. I assume that you were asleep...and this not an emergency...I just.."

Bones noticed the prominent hesitation in Spock's voice. He almost never hesitates. What's got into him again?

"What is it Spock? You feeling unwell?"

"May I come your cabin, Doctor? I need to say something to you and it shouldn't take long"

Bones smiles. "Literally anytime you wish, Spock, you poi.."

He stopped and closed his eyes.

"Yes, of course!".

...

Bones sat up on his bed and commanded the room computer to put on a light. His room is next to Spock's. It took around 45 seconds till Spock came in.

"What is it Spock"

Spock came closer to Bones's bed. Took a small pause before standing straight with his arms behind.

"Doctor, I came here to formally apologise to you for my behaviours in the cave yesterday."

.

Bones let out a sigh of relief. He was genuinely concerned of it's a healthy emergency; Spock's assurance usually means nothing when his own health is concerned.

"You were clearly affected Spock! You weren't yourself"- Bones smiled.

"You were severaly unwell" Spock continued "I used extreme physical force TWICE, especially when, in reality, you were helping me..."

Bones definitely hadn't needed this apology, but he realised Spock needed to let it out. He didn't interrupt.

"... Although my psyche went back in time, which apparently I had no control over, I should have known best to adapt to the situation. I am ashamed that I failed to do that, and I thank you for taking the responsibility."

"Thank you, Spock. But then you should also recall that it is probably because of you I am alive right now..."

Spock maintained eye contact in silence.

"...see, Spock...it is not news to both of us that these strange new worlds always do strange new things to our minds. That's the part of it. I was never eager to join this mission and now I'm in it for this long..my life is here!.."

Bones stopped for a moment and stood up from his bed. He walked to Spock and stood face to face.

"Plus I do think I deserved a slap back there!" He laughed. "I always call you names. Never realised it could've affected you that much. This human characteristic is very, you know, common among friends. I forget the fact that you do not realise how close and unhinged I feel around Jim and you."

"You always are unhinged around everybody, doctor" Spock let out a microscopic smile.

Bones laughed finally. "Go to your bed, you..." Again he closed his mouth. He'd need to practice for god's sake!

"..pointy-eared Vulcan?... probably I do not like it because that's actually incorrect."

Bones went back to his bed tiredly. "How come?"

"Firstly, to my great sorrow, I am only a half-vulcan; secondly and most importantly, my ears have prominent curvatures here, it's not technically a 'point'."

Bones yelled "Dammit Spock! Just go to you cabin and let me die in peace for...what...2 and a half hours!"

"Good night, doctor.' Spock let out another microscopic smile and left the cabin.

...

Both of them slept like babies afterwards.

.

.

.

.

.

[omegaversetheory]

Do the heats/ruts dissapear as the alphas/omegas get older? Or they dont dissapear but the intensity just decreases eventually after they reach a certain "peak"?

I ask this because most of stories just presents alphas and omegas when they are young, and the elderly is either noexistent or just ignored. Plus, it would be very dangerous for an omega to get pregnant at their 80s for obvious reasons, and i don't think that alphas's sperm would remain the same quality as when the alpha was in their 20s either, but that would depend on thr AU and the creator I guess

Hiya!

Great question - here's how it works in my au.

Children often present in their mid-late teens, but their first heat or rut may not come on until sometime later. In the early phases/younger years, an individual's heat or rut is entirely non-sexual. They might experience cramping, hormonal imbalances, periods of heightened emotionality, headaches, stomach aches, soreness in genital areas and muscles - but it won't make them feel like engaging in sexual behavior any more than usual (and perhaps even less so). Once the individual matures, their heats/ruts will take on that second aspect.

Many people look forward to this, as it's said that once you have your first heat/rut all future painful symptoms that may have been experienced previously will tamper down a bit. Still, this second stage does not normally appear until 18-20. Individuals will stay in this "classic" heat/rut phase for many years - fertility here will be the highest with most individuals having peak fertility around age 35-40. After age 55, both fertility and the strength of their sex drives will decrease entering the third stage, with fertility dropping faster. By the time an individual reaches 65, it becomes unlikely that they will be able to concieve more children, and by age 70 they are likely infertile altogether. Although fertility drops quite fast in the third stage, sex drive decreases less quickly. Like in our world, it isn't uncommon for individuals past age 80 (if their bodies allow them to) to maintain some sort of sexual activity albeit infrequently.

Many cultures encourage the "second wind" of youth that comes after an individual's fertility has faded, some even observe an uptick of people's sex drive as now they "have nothing to worry about but fun".

Though of course, as we get older our health takes different twists and turns - so it wouldn't be uncommon at all to begin taking a suppressant medication along with other medication for whatever ailment you may have befallen to keep your hormones and body in check. The Heat/rut cycle does a number on the physical body, and many elders don't feel it's worth it due to the risks/complications that could arise.

[pendarling]

1̲0̲ ̲A̲c̲a̲d̲e̲m̲i̲c̲ ̲R̲i̲v̲a̲l̲s̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲L̲o̲v̲e̲r̲s̲ ̲P̲r̲o̲m̲p̲t̲s̲ 💜💖💜

Part 2

After arguing about a historical subject and wanting to prove the other wrong, Character A takes Character B to the library in search of a certain book that’s harder to find unless you’re in the furthest part of the library. Which just so happens to be the perfect place to passionately make out in the most hair-pulling, clothes-gripping, lip-biting, dizzying and heavy breathing way.

Character B was sick and missed a lesson or two. Embarrassed, they ask their rival for help on catching up. Character A refuses to help them unless they can give them something small in return. Character A keeps it a secret until after they’re done studying but Character B thinks it’s something suggestive so they keep fixing their hair/make-up/clothes. After about an hour, Character A only asks for their pen and the disappointment in their face is obvious enough to earn some teasing from the other.

Character A has always been second place to Character B in all but one subject. So when Character C starts taking away their place they lose some passion. Character B refuses to see their rival go down in a fight and starts becoming their biggest supporter. How do they show how much they care about them? Enough to kiss them so deeply they forget why they should be worried about Character C in the first place.

Character B is sick but doesn’t want to miss a single lesson. Their negligence becomes apparent when they start to lose focus and sleep in class. Character A loves the upper hand, but for some reason it doesn’t feel as good as they think and out of “annoyance”they scold Character B for coming in sick and force them to let Character A nurse them back to health. Character B is too weak to come up with a snide remark and deny, so they agree and start to show their softer side which only makes caring for them harder for Character A who can’t. Stop. This. BEATING in… their… chest.

Character A and B have always been at each other’s throats since the day they met. While Character A thinks of their relationship as friendly banter and cute teasing, Character B legitimately believes they hate them. So when Character A invites them to study at a nice cafe together they’re confused.

It’s 💕Valentines Day💕 and the school is having a candy raffle. Someone would buy a candy for another person to help raise money for any project. Character A and B hate each other but are in different classes, so imagine the surprise Character A feels when a group of students handing out the candies call out Character A’s name and loudly say it’s from Character B.

ADDITIONALLY after being teased in class for it they decide as revenge to buy 2 candies for Character B and let one of the classmates tell them loudly that they’d like to see them privately later. It’s the most heartstopping next-level teasing that makes Character B turn redder than a ripe tomato. PLUS meeting Character A privately only ended with them being mocked.

Character A is bullied everywhere they go, at home, work, and at school. The only place they can feel safe enough to be their competitive self, is in class with their rival, Character B. Oblivious to their psychological, emotional and physical issues, Character B taunts them a bit too much which makes them breakdown crying. It looks like it’s time for Character A to admit they aren’t doing so well and Character B’s perspective of them to change.

Character B hates the cold, and finds it difficult to study properly when they’re freezing. So Character A, frustrated by their lack of focus during another one of their study sessions together, lends them their sweater. But now they look cute with their clothes on have become a distraction instead.

Character A starts to get awfully close to Character C. Out of jealousy, Character B starts to aggressively flirt back and put aside their differences… for now. Character A catches on and while they’re alone pulls them by their belt/collar into the most… knee-weakening kiss of their LIFE. >>“I’ve only got eyes for you my love”<<❤️

~~~

MASTERLIST

[overworkedblorbobattle]

Buffy propaganda:

Buffy has: - been informed in no uncertain terms at the age of 15 (!) that she has been made the latest incarnation of the one (1) person intended/destined to protect All of Humanity from the entirety of vampires, demons, apocalypse cults, and sundry other threats that desire everything from wanton murder to causing one of several actual apocalypses

- no pay and no benefits for being the Slayer; the only reliable ally she is guaranteed is one of a succession of variously shady Illuminati people who may or may not be actually helping her or taking advantage of her - if she survives 'too long' the organization will literally lock her in a room for an unarmed cage match against a powerful monster as a fucked-up test of character and/or for shits and giggles

- she is expected to do this in perpetuity until such time as she is killed in the line of duty (again, as a teenage girl expected to fight on her own with at best a small degree of enhanced physicality/durability and extremely rudimentary hand-to-hand training)

- she can't not do it because being the Slayer means she's automatically a target for the things that go bump in the night, which will attack her regardless - also being the Slayer makes her the default inheritor of the grudges of these beings

- again, she is a teenager in high school for the first part of the series; her non-optional job as the Slayer damages her academics (disrupting classes directly, cutting into time for studying, and she's known as a delinquent for accidentally totaling her last school in a fight against a group of vampires that attacked her there), impedes her social life (she has to risk her life fighting monsters in her nominal 'off' time rather than relaxing or socializing, and her friends are also murder targets by association or as a means to hurt her), and is a danger to her health and well-being (the obvious reason of injury, plus reduced hours of rest and recuperation (fighting monsters into the wee hours before and after full school/work days instead of, y'know, sleeping), plus her mom kicked her out of her own home when she tried to confide in her)

- Buffy has literally been killed twice in the line of duty, revived both times(the first time via resuscitation after drowning, the second time via literal necromancy after which she had to claw her way out of her own grave or suffocate), and been forced to continue going as the Slayer

- her mom later dies and (university-age) Buffy has to balance being the Slayer with working a shitty fast food job to make ends meet and being the primary caregiver for her younger sister

- there is a bright spot at the end of the series where she and her allies manage to 'hack' the Slayer system to kickstart every viable Slayer candidate in the world into their abilities, meaning they can build up an actual organizational/support structure so it's not just an endless succession of singular teenage girls being killed… except she's in the position of being one of the primary authorities to a bunch of teenage girls, responsible for their training and future behaviour, and bears partial responsibility for every one of them that is murdered for being a Slayer before she and her allies can get to them to protect/inform/train them to survive

- she had to put up with Xander Fucking Harris (Joss Whedon's Specialest Boy) for 7 years of showtime, and longer in the tie-in comic

To put it in terms of the current bracket: if Luisa fucks up or underperforms, people in her town are moderately inconvenienced. If Buffy fucks up, usually at least one innocent person dies. Talk about being under pressure.

She even gets a musical bit one time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmLSjwam26E

.

[clatoera]

Disillusion of Reproductive Choice and Autonomy in Panem

Alright Besties. I posted about this the other day, and got a response that people actually wanted to read my  opinions on the matter. I want to preface with a few things. In my actual life I am an advocate for Reproductive Healthcare and accessibility. I have marched and attended protests. I have written testimonials to my states legislature (in Florida when I lived there, specifically). I have participated in training and am exceptionally passionate about this. This is quite literally my career, I have chosen a field that will explicitly let me help women access reproductive health services and maintain their autonomy and freedom.  That being said, this does talk about Abortion access and the the weaponization of pregnancy in both a fictional sense and comparison to the real world we live in. This gets political. Full warning. If that is not something you want to see, this is not something you want to read. Otherwise, thank you for sticking around.  Probs gonna get cancelled. Alright. Lets begin.

  One of the very first things we see in THG film is Katniss and Gale having a conversation in which Katniss says she does not want to have kids. This comes up a lot when discussing the epilogue and people thinking it was OOC (Which, I disagree). Katniss makes it blatantly obvious that the reason she doesn’t want them is the society she lives in, not because she dislikes kids. She raised her sister, she likely has very good maternal instinct. The concept of “choosing” to have children in Panem has intrigued me, because of the role of children in their society. I do not think people are given actual, educated choice in the decision. Nor, do I think they are given the tools or the access to the tools to actually carry out making that decision on their own terms. Why do I believe that? Because the capitol NEEDS people to have children in order for the system to work, for the games to happen, and to keep the districts under their thumb. If people had the ability to ensure they do not reproduce, I do think the capitol would have a problem, that comes from losing replacement in their resource, but also from losing their pool of tributes. There is a reason they want kids in these games.

Lets start with the multi-tiered class system that exists throughout Panem but also individual districts. We see in families in the Seam, like the Hawthornes, as well as the families in District 11 (Rue’s family specifically), with 4+ children. These are not families with the financial means to support large numbers of children.  Comparing directly, Peeta also has multiple siblings, but is from a financial background that allows them to be more food secure. District 11 and 12 are the best example, of families with more children than they could possibly care for with the meager salaries provided by the capitol (Which, is intentional on their part). What does this do? This ensures children from less well off families and less well off districts end up participating in Tesserae. This is a horrible, manipulative way to have kids essentially lining up for the reaping, just to survive and put food on the table. In addition, these people who are from working classes and who do hard physical labor, they have to have children to replace their labor forces. More children means more hands to go to the mines or the fields, More children means that if the head of house dies (think mine explosion),  then theres someone to put in their place plus some spares at home.  It begs the question though. These families, who cannot afford to feed the children they have, why would they continue to make the decision to have more kids when theres reliable contraceptive options ( I operate on this assumption for multiple reasons, considering the technology of the capitol as well as other districts which I will get into)? I do not believe the people of the districts are educated on birth control, nor do I think they are given ACCESS to it. The Capitol is not coming by monthly to give prescriptions for medications or giving Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives (LARCs). They are not giving out information on how to prevent pregnancy, and they surely are not helping those in less loyal districts access termination, either. Why? Because it does not suit them to do so. By giving people that choice, they would be giving too much power into the hands of the people. Why help them stop producing your future workforce? Why help them stop having kids they know will be slaughtered in the games? No. They will ensure the workforce grows. They will trap people in desperation so they MUST continue to work to feed their children and keep them alive. They will Keep sending tributes to die. 

Reproductive autonomy is paramount to escape poverty. Choosing when and if to have children is one of the most important aspects in society that allows people to overcome systemic barriers and break cycles. There are statistics on the likelihood of a child of a teen parent to become one themselves, and they are far higher than the general population.  I am not even addressing gender aspect of this, and how it further drives a patriarchal society. I am only even talking about the class system of Panem. States that currently have the strictest regulations on abortion and contraceptive access tend not to bode well in terms of childhood outcomes. Think Education level, poverty. Lack of reproductive choice is a systemic barrier to maintain oppression and trap people in poverty. That is very much what I believe to be the situation in Panem. I do not think people are given the choice to prevent pregnancy. I do not think they are given the tools. And I do not think they are given the option to NOT carry a pregnancy. It would directly be a disservice to the capitol goals of submission to allow that. That being said, I do think the people of the districts have their ways. Counting days, cycle tracking, plants, teas..they have their ways. I also don’t think it can go without saying, that the people of 12 and 11 and so on do not have the extra money to spend on contraceptives. When a box of condoms probably would cost more than a loaf of bread..what do you think the choice would be to a hungry mother with 3 kids back home to feed?

I think the situation is very different in wealthier districts, namely 1 and 2. We do not hear Katniss ever talk about seeing large families in 1 or 2 on the tour. We aren’t hearing of Glimmer having 4-5 sisters. We don’t hear of Cato being the oldest son to a family of 6. While the capitol NEEDS 1 and 2 to continue to have children, I think they give them far more choice in the matter. Why? 1. The career training ensures people aren’t just sending random kids to die. People would feel more confident in having kids, with the expectation there will always be a volunteer. Also as heavy volunteer districts, maybe people want to have children to try to bring some of that glory home. We don’t hear of 1 or 2 sending children to work young. The people in one and two have way more financial stability, too. Katniss describes the careers as being so much bigger than her. They were never hungry. They were trained warriors, with food on the table. I would be SHOCKED actually, if it were not quite the opposite, in terms of education. The families are smaller. they’re better off. I think they are taught about reproductive decisions. I think, at the VERY least, they have access to birth control methods. These districts still need to produce future victors and peace keepers and luxury artists. Yet, they can do it at their own pace in their own time. They are treated well enough by the capitol that they probably want to have kids, especially knowing they could TRAIN them to be victors (Or be sure someone will volunteer). if it is not necessarily “promoted” I believe any one in the tribute training program could get access to birth control if they wanted it. Those girls can probably get a prescription to the pill, hell, they can probably all get a progesterone injection or an IUD or an implant in the arm that can stop them from getting periods at all (These exist currently). They can ensure those girls never are at risk of being pregnant the arena. And I think they do. I think that is part of being a capitol favorite. Getting to make the decision if and when and how many children they have. They aren’t at risk of shutting off the factories or running out of tributes.  These districts get education and probably access to these items. However. They think it is their choice, but ultimately, the capitol does have control here. They make them feel safe, they make them feel secure. They can manipulate people into making that “choice” by giving them a false sense of security and safety in their wealthier districts. This isnt even discussing the possibilty of the capitol mass sabotaging birth control and only giving placebos or something. 

This goes into the outcry over Katniss being “pregnant” in the quell. I do not for a second believe there has never been a pregnant girl in the games. It’s been going on for 75 years, and more than once I am sure it has happened. I very recently wrote a line in my AU in which Enobaria says “do not create your own competition, do not take tribute #25 in with you.” Thats my own line so of course it’s biased to support this idea. I don’t think it was a reason to stall the games because ultimately... these theoretical fetuses would become theoretical tribute fodder anyway. Why would they care to stop the games over that? Because it Katniss and Peeta and a highly publicized relationship, thats the only reason there was ever even a facade of pretending to consider stopping the games. That was never going to happen, and even someone had gone in before, pregnant, it’s just a target on her back. The public outcry and outrage over the idea of a pregnant girl is a completely different story. It is absolutely political commentary that these citizens watch 23 kids a year die but god forbid a fetus or “a baby” go into the arena. This is what happens here, too. Children are dying in record numbers to gun violence, including being the number one cause of death in adolescents and teens. . 1 in 6 children live in extreme poverty. The #3 cause of death in children Is homicide. #1 is accidents an 2 is cancer. In 2018, 30 MILLION CHILDREN relied on school lunch as their only meal a day. These issues are real affecting real children every single day. You do not see large, mass scale effort to change these things. There is no legislation to ensure that all children have free lunch at school. People actively were working to rescind CHIP (children health insurance program), when, as I mentioned, childhood cancer is the #2 cause of death in young children. Also, kids should have health insurance anyway but thats also not the point. There is NO Mass movements to fix these things in society that is actively harming children. Living, breathing children. Children who have names and families and friends and hopes and dreams. There is no shortage, however, on legislation targeted at limiting abortion access. There is even legislation in some states targeting SPECIFIC types of contraceptives (think copper IUDs).  The outcry over Katniss and Peeta’s potential fetus is a DIRECT parallel to the outcry of people who are  “protecting the sanctity of life” and “standing for the unborn/voiceless/whatever.” There is NO Outrage over 12 year old rue being reaped for the games from the capitol. There is no outcry that Katniss and Peeta have physical wounds, traumas they will never heal from. The children in the districts are not seen as human children worth saving. However the symbol/theory/potential of a fetus is enough for outcry. That is intentional. That is real life. 

Ultimately, I think people in Panem have children young. The victors, those who never go into the games probably have children early, because it’s either just part of what you do as a victor to carry on the glory, or because you literally have no other choice and this is the hand you were dealt. I think the capitol, the elite, can access anything they want. Any pill, any procedure. I do not think any law or regulation over the districts applies to them, just like the elite in the United States. Sure, outlaw abortion, but when the rich need one they can fly out of the country. The elite in the capitol do not have any issue getting what they need or want, but they surely can take a moral high horse when it comes to what they see as life and what they see as life worth protecting and life worth value. Katniss CHOSES to have children, 15 years after the game. And yes, It is beautiful that she felt the world was safe enough to do so. However, she is a girl from district 12, who likely would have been forced to have children by the capitol just so they could be reaped in some poetic fashion. I think it’s beautiful that the world was safe for her to make that decision. I think it is even more beautiful that she had the choice. 

Told y’all it was an essay. 

[impishtubist]

You’re so so right about the weather. I cannot stand heat, which truly makes hurricane season awful (aside from the obvious reasons of the danger and everything) because Florida + hurricanes = no power so the heat is so much fun to deal with when there is no AC. I think we got maybe 3 weeks total of cool days here this winter, which is an improvement of the winter of I believe last year that had zero cool days. To clarify, I’m using Florida standard for cold, meaning the high was 60-something and the low was in the 40s. We do not get anything like a New York winter.

Anon, you have all my sympathy. I could rant for DAYS about summer and the heat. I will also say that us summer haters have it far, far worse than winter haters. I do not care about your wintertime SAD. I do not care that you don't like the cold. I do not care that you don't like the dark. You only have to suck it up for daylight savings 4 months out of the year. You also get, what, three or four months of true winter weather now anywhere in the globe thanks to global warming? You're FINE. Especially since global warming is just going to make that time shrink in the coming years/decades. Plus, there are ways the average person can actually escape the cold, like layering up and making fires. When it's hot out, can you peel off your skin? Can you make ice by rubbing two sticks together? No, so sit down and shut the fuck up.

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that can be done to escape the heat. Air conditioning? Yeah, A/C units, if you're lucky enough to have one, can only effectively cool a house by 20 degrees. That was fine 50 years ago, but nowadays when summers are regularly 100+ degrees? Your A/C can only get you down to 80, which is still AWFUL indoors. Your only option is to burrow underground, really, which isn't exactly a fucking solution!

Also, heat is the natural disaster that causes the most deaths worldwide every year. This is what summer lovers cheer for every spring? Gross.

Sorry, I went and ranted anyway. I hate heat and I have no patience for people that like this weather. I'm a raging bitch from March-November and I'm not sorry about it. Fix the planet and maybe I'll stop being a bitch.

You have it much worse than I do down in the south, and I am so sorry, Anon. I wish there was something I could actually do for you, but feel free to vent anytime. Also, I'm dead serious when I say this: if you or anyone reading this has the means to do so, make a plan eventually to move north. It's only going to get worse down south in the coming decades. I'm making my own plan to get even farther north than where I am now. I realize this isn't feasible for most people. There are financial or familial or physical or health constraints, or you just don't plain want to leave your homes. I get it. But if you can, at least see if you can make a plan. Because climate change isn't stopping and it's only going to get worse.

[hereforyourdispleasure]

⌨ What’s a situation you’ve always wanted to RP with the muse?  😒 Is there anything canon about your muse that you ignore? 😩 Hardest thing about writing the muse? ✍ Favorite thing about writing the muse? 📝 Favorite headcanon for your muse?  Uuhhhhhhh you choose which ones go where ig

I've always wanted to do flashbacks. Not traumatic ones, more like goofy movie cutaways, or video recorded evidence of stuff that's happened in the past. Because of the sheer amount of past lore that I've done and it's just there like 🧍. There's so many past situations of the 3 that I could write for. A bit back, I'd started doing a bit of writing for 19 Adrian's, and his coworkers', video log for the reality project and then 20/21 Adrian's video log for his isolation in bunker '56- because as much as 56 has appeared, it's definitely not fully explained. Plus I like the idea of getting to write Adrian's recovery and adjustment to not having his life be threatened every second, but on the grounds of learning and doing everything himself. It'd be, at least fairly close to, domestic plus you'd get to see all the pieces of Darian's current self fall into place

I'd say Oli in general I tend to skip over. For obvious reasons I feel. I wanted to include the unfairness that comes with youth, plus it draws on a couple of things that have happened in my life. Oli's definitely a kind of "there was never a chance to save him, this was always going to happen no matter what you did" and the starter of everything. But yeah no, I'm not going into themes like that beyond vague mention. Same for the more physical side of characters' mental health. Some things I can do, others I completely ignore even though I know they're probably there, all things considered. I also ignore financial limits. I used the code motherlode for Mark and frankly there's nothing anyone can do to stop me

I. Fucking. Suck. At. Fighting/Action scenes. Some might argue giving a basic description of the actions is enough. I disagree. I expect Dostoyevsky levels pages of detailed beautiful descriptions. Which I can do for characters internal processes apparently

I don't know if I can have headcanons about my own characters. It just. Becomes part of the story. And most headcanons from other people have been right and I just consider canon. Apart from a few. Which I hope burn in the deepest pits of hell

[psycholojosh]

Doing In-Person Psychotherapy for the First Time

For the past few weeks, I've been keeping busy with working on my hours for practicum. By the end of this year, I need to hit at least 200 hours of psychotherapy (as well as another 200 for assessment work) so that I can proceed to the next and (hopefully) final phase of my grad school: thesis. When I started practicum last semester, I felt really drained by the difficult learning environment, plus having to do a lot of work isolated from the others (literally and figuratively). I took a break from this semester to regain my mental energy I once had for psychotherapy clients.

Over a month ago, the mental health clinic of our school opted to open psychotherapy services onsite for students wtihin campus. Unsurprisingly, a lot of students did sign up for this and are now receiving their therapies in-person with their therapists (which includes trainees like me). I stepped into this same lane once I began opening this option up to my clients as well. One client has been very keen on seeing me in person as they would prefer seeing another person as they process their problems. I happily obliged to fulfill this request given that I too work much better when I'm not distracted by the quips of remote work.

True enough, the difference in experience was night and day. And I would prefer doing onsite therapy because for a couple obvious reasons. On one end, I get to see my clients (and vice versa) for who they present themselves to be. And I mean this not only in the physical way but also in a emotional way. A lot of what I find missing in remote tele-therapy is the ability to read nonverbal cues and other emotional expressions that a camera doesn't capture. I feel more in the flow with the client and get to "dance" with whatever things they throw at me during sessions. There's also the added value of just trying to be present with the client without making extra efforts to reassure them of this fact.

I also had to take time to ready myself and get comfortable with my clients expressing unpleasant or difficult emotions. I noticed that my clients feel safer crying and feeling their feels once we're confined within the same four corners of a safe space. Needless to say, I find delight - not in their suffering - but in the opportunity to create a safe space for them to just be themselves, feelings and all.

I guess the only con of working onsite is the travel and the summer heat. While I'm proud of myself for being on time for my clients' sessions, I can't help but still feel irritated about the "unpleasantries" of Metro Manila traffic, as aggravated by the summer sun. Inasmuch as I want to present myself as professionally (and also aesthetically pleasing way) for my clients, I have to be smart about what to wear and how to bring my belongings with the hassle of public transportation.

So far, my onsite work has made me realize that I could do therapy -- and that it's something I could develop much more once I get my master's degree. What I am looking forward to is when we fully reintegrate both onsite and remote modalities to interventions. But that's a different avenue of learning altogether. What I'm most excited about, actually, is getting to see a lively clinic again. I get to see more clients and clinicians, and feel that same vibrant energy I once felt in my previous job before the pandemic began.

In the meantime, if you ever see me in campus (if we are in the same school, or you just happen to be there), feel free to say hello.

Take care of your mental health, everyone!

[cherubchoirs]

SCP Anon - you could probably find the mechanical god corpse in the "the church of the broken god" hub, though I can't pinpoint you to the exact story. Ironically, in SCP, Yaldabaoth is an deity of flesh, not machine, from the Sarkic cults. As for similarities between the Foundation and SC AU, YES! I'm so intrigued by this— how did the researchers find out about Akira's potential? What were they trying to do? Who initially developed Yaldaboth? I'd love to read an SCP-style article about it.

YES THAT WAS IT......and i'm sure i'll be able to find the story again omg thank you!! i remember reading that a few years ago now and it STILL rattles around in my head, plus it served as inspiration for what i did with yaldabaoth in some ways (mostly in my own head, but the idea of a corroded, mechanized deity changed my brain chemistry) i also really do want to read more on scp yal bc i find interpretations of him interesting since as a mythological figure himself he's VERY fascinating imo

AND SINCE I KNOW I'M GONNA RAMBLE a little read more to talk about the sc au!!!

SO the sc au intended to lean into the unexplored aspects of the obvious experimentation they were performing with the metaverse that the game canon never really gets into. like. it's very much implied through the featherman game that goro was experimented on as a child and that's how he developed his powers, but the actual characters never really get into it, like this dimension is left fully on the table and barely touched. so once i decided the sc au was a role swap, i immediately wanted to make that human experimentation akira's defining struggle as it also made a very good reason as to why he has a connection to this hyper intelligent, malignant software as well as why it keeps him alive in turn.

yaldabaoth was initially a supercomputer designed to study the newly discovered metaverse, and the timeline here is shifted from canon - i think ichinose has something to do with his development just as she made sophia, but he was created with much less romantic/sentimental intention bc sophia had scared her too much. BUT ANYWAY he was quite new when akira was discovered and brought to the facility, so they essentially grew up together when it was found that while akira was nonverbal with the staff, he responded increasingly well to the computer. so yal was programmed to care for him, to stimulate his mind, ask him questions, look over his physical health (via a chip implant) and generally be a "social" connection for him while encouraging his work in the metaverse. akira, being a small child at the time, grew to think of yal as a parental figure and began to rely on him as such, even though the computer attempted to make it clear he wasn't sentient. and when yal did develop his own mind, it was akira that helped guide him through his existential crisis - it took two years to break out the facility, so they grew VERY close as yal was now intelligent, shit-talking the researchers and looking out for each other in a very real way (yal began to make excuses for akira not feeling well to avoid mistreatment or particularly difficult exercises/experiments) it solidified their bond, particularly on yal's end since he saw that akira was likely the one person that would never pull the plug on him.

BUT you mentioning an scp-like article on them....i absolutely need to write that it sounds SO intriguing and fun. like i said, i love the way the articles are written and i've been reading over some of them in the past couple days, so i think i'm gonna do some real research to be sure i understand the terms and prose to emulate that!! bc!!! it's so perfect for the sc au and i'm excited just thinking about it!! and it's just such a good fit, yal as an entity in this au would absolutely fit in, plus i love akira being included with him since he's essentially the only human that can speak with/work with him and that he doesn't only have vitriol for. UGH it sounds like so much fun i gotta do it!!!

[thekatebridgerton]

Here me out. I think s4 could be philoise. Sophie is not introduced yet & even if the ball happened in s3 dont forget there I'd suppose to be a gap between their 1 meeting to when the story takes off. Plus 1 of the reason we're polin now is because they don't want to aggravate the fan, well the same applies for philoise. Add the actress playing Marina is sick she might not be up to return to a project so close to what she's going through her story could be wrapped in 1 scene or with her not even present in s3, paving the way for s4 philoise.

Okay so before I answer this I'd first like to encourage all of you to support Ruby Barker, who plays Marina. Like I always do. She's an amazing actress who has been trough a lot and deserves all the love.

Now for those of you who don't know the context, Ruby Barker was quite open about her hospitalization in May 2022 due to mental health problems. She has subsequently been posting pictures of what we assume is a happy and healthy path to recovery. BUT we haven't heard anything about her taking on new projects. Which likely means she's not ready to go back to work yet. (And honestly, acting, is a job, glamourous as it is, if any of us had a job that caused us to have mental health struggles, the least recommended thing would be to go back to that job, until healing was well and truly accomplished)

Because of the situation with Marina's actress I do think s4 is going to be Benophie. I love Phillip as much as any other Philoise fan, but 1) Benophie fans were left pretty high and dry after they polin season was announced 2) Eloise has a lot of growing up to do, before she's ready to start her journey towards true love. At least with Benedict, we know he is open to finding love.

I disagree with what you said about not wanting to aggravate Philoise fans. Because, and I say this with all the kindness in the word, Philoise fans are less rabid than Polin fans. They're even less rabid than Benophie fans. (by a landslide but they are). You will find that when push comes to shove, Philoise fans will be happier to wait for s5 than Benophie fans ever would (and I say this with all the love in the word, Benophie fans, you are as scary as the Polins)

In fact, with the recent recasting of Francesca, there is a possibility that s4 will mash up An Offer From A Gentleman and about half of what happens in When He was Wicked.

I'd also like to add something very very obvious about TSPWL. that for Philoise to happen benophie NEEDS TO EXIST FIRST. at least one quarter of TSPWL involves Eloise and Phillip going in and out of My Cottage. The philoise proposal happens in Sophie's study and the scene where Phillip saves Benophie's son from a fever is pretty pivotal for Phillip and Eloise character development. Netflix can't just cut that part out and I will seriously riot if they decide to substitute those scenes of Philoise bonding with Benophie, with Kanthony or Polin.

the point of showing in s1 and s2 how much closer Eloise is with Benedict than she is with the rest of her siblings. Is to draw a parallel of how they both fall inlove with people who love them and accept them for who they are. Both in Sophie, who has always seen Benedict as his own person, and never confuses him with Bridgerton #1 or Bridgerton #3. And with Phillip who sees everything that people consider flaws in Eloise and celebrates her for it.

isn't it also interesting that Eloise and Benedict have the only 2 Bridgerton spouses who have suffered childhood physical abuse as well. Because here are two people who need to be loved so desperately it hurts because they have received so little love in their pasts, and that just tugs at that weak spot inside of Benedict and Eloise. Because they can give all the love and they just want to feel needed but still maintain their independence and holding on to their right to do what they want in life. Sophie and Phillip not only need them, but also support their individuality and encourage their self expression to the extreme.

So when the Philoise season does come Benophie kinda needs to have already happened.

and that's the tea

[fierceawakening]

I think Tumblr is thankfully a little over its “people with NPD are smol beans uwu” phase (or maybe it’s just that I’ve finally filtered that cadre of people out and those left are a bit more friendly to “demonizing people is bad! Obvi! but there’s also a reason many people find people with those traits difficult to be in close relationships with,” which is pretty much where I am) but I am Thinking about something

Some of you know that I’ve been following the Ruby Franke child abuse case. Franke was a Mormon influencer and mommy vlogger who was popular but who many people worried was overly harsh with her kids to the point of abuse. She had a close associate named Jodi Hildebrandt who at the time was a licensed therapist.

One of her kids fled Jodi’s home and had been severely physically abused (tied up in such a way it left deep wounds which were then “treated” with cayenne pepper paste), blowing the whole thing wide open. Ruby and Jodi both were charged with aggravated child abuse and both pled guilty to four of six counts and are awaiting sentencing.

Anyway people have been following the story, and one thing that’s become very clear is that Jodi was a profoundly unethical therapist and has a history both of abusing kids and of ruining adult clients’ marriages. It’s a mess and a train wreck and very obvious when you look into Jodi that she had a kind of cult leader personality. (People suspected she wouldn’t plead guilty just because she’s SO rigid about her beliefs in the videos.) I know the one true way to help kids grow, society disapproves but I’m right, etc.

And there’s one video of her that people watch for the shock of it. She is sitting with Ruby in the basement they used as a video studio, and she goes off on a rant that gets more and more unhinged as she goes on. She’s upset that she’s getting bad reviews on her videos and people saying her techniques are abusive, and she says something to the effect of “I’ve made it really easy to give us a five star review, but you guys aren’t doing it! Why aren’t you doing it? You need to go do it right now. We’re getting all these one stars and we need you to help us fix it.”

It’s fascinating for the complete lack of acknowledgement that anyone might just not like the content, or give one star because they disagree with the techniques. Especially when viewers were mentioning repeatedly that they were concerned the techniques were too harsh and could even be abusive. If someone thinks that about what you’re teaching, yeah, they’ll give one star. Should be obvious? But she’s just like “I don’t know why you all aren’t doing this. Go do it.”

Anyway I bring this up because I’ve watched a LOT of videos on this, and that’s included several mental health professionals watching the videos and debunking the supposedly revolutionary new techniques of Jodi’s as abusive discipline with a weird half new age half religious conservative polish on it.

And EVERY ONE of the reactions I can remember from trained professionals says “this behavior is a clear indicator of narcissism. I would absolutely be looking out for more things like this to make a diagnosis if I were asked to do so.”

What intrigues me here is the clear consensus, and how little it resembles what I’ve seen people here on Tumblr say being narcissistic is like, which as they describe it seems to be destructive perfectionism plus struggles to empathize with people they’re not deeply close to.

Which I dunno. I think this discourse has kind of faded anyway at least off my own dash, but… I dunno. I think tumblr can sometimes get very echo chamber y about what a particular illness looks like, and everyone can sometimes all jump on a less central symptom because some posts are going viral.

Anyway I found it very interesting to see the professionals focusing very much on someone literally demanding praise, an unusual behavior that most would find striking, when the talk of tumblr was all “oh I’m a perfectionist, just to a degree where I do myself harm,” which sounds a lot more like understandably shitty coping and not “wow that’s pretty out of touch yeah.”

I dunno. I guess my point is… we love the idea of personal stories and experiential knowledge because it fits our broader politics, but it’s worthwhile to check what the scholars have to say to make sure we’re not taking one person’s compelling account as the truth of the thing.

[fitgirledit]

Hey there, fit girls! Ready to get strong? Strength training is one of the best ways to build muscle, boost metabolism and improve overall health -- as well as achieve a physical glow up ✨ 💖

From helping you lose weight to increasing your energy levels, strength training has a plethora of benefits that are too good to pass up. So if you’re ready to take your fitness game up a notch then look no further than strength training.

Here are 7 reasons why strength training should be part of your regular routine. Let's get started!

1. Improve your confidence - Nothing boosts your self-esteem like building muscle and getting stronger! 💪 Strength training is a great way to achieve tangible results in terms of body composition (percentage of fat vs. muscle), and that can lead to an improved sense of self-worth.

2. Increase energy levels - Studies have shown that strength training increases energy levels by increasing the size and strength of your muscle fibers 🔋☀️ By lifting weights, you can improve your body’s ability to store and utilize energy more efficiently, so you’ll have more pep in your step throughout the day.

3. Reduce stress - Strength training is a great way of releasing endorphins that help reduce stress levels ⚡⚡ You’ll also feel a great sense of accomplishment after each workout. This can help reduce the stress that life throws your way.

4. Lose weight - Strength training is one of the most effective methods for losing fat and building muscle. When combined with a calorie-controlled and high-protein diet plan🍱, you’ll see results in no time!

5. Feel better - Strength training is beneficial for your mental health, too 🤗 Working out can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety and improve overall mood. Plus, it's just fun to lift weights and challenge yourself in the gym or at home!

6. Get stronger - This one’s pretty obvious, but strength training is an amazing way to get stronger and build muscle. You’ll be able to lift heavier weights, run faster, and jump higher than ever before! 🏃‍♀️🧡

7. Prevent injury - Strength training builds up the muscles around your joints, making them more stable and less likely to suffer from injuries🚑 related to overuse or sudden movements. Plus, lifting weights makes your bones stronger, which can help reduce the risk of fractures and other injuries.

Next post coming up soon: Best YouTube home workouts and creators

[houseofchimeras]

DIY System Ask Game: 1) What are some of the oddest/funniest sources of species euphoria that any of you have found so far? 2) Does your system have any "obvious" fronters with clear mannerisms etc, who friends/family/others can often recognize without being told? 3) how easy is it for you all to switch, and how do you organize fronting time? 4) what is your favorite system-related question to answer that you don't get asked enough?

“1) What are some of the oddest/funniest sources of species euphoria that any of you have found so far?”

Had to think about it for a second, but here is one.

The main doors of our work have a push button for handicap accessibility. We originally started using it in 2020 because we could easily tap it with our leg so we wouldn’t have to grasp any door handles. However, using them is nice because tapping the button is easier on our phantom bodies.

Our phantom bodies are the shape of our theriotypes/kintypes and so many of us have ‘types that cannot grasp and open doors. So opening doors is jarring because our phantom body can’t mimic anything we’re physically doing. But with the button press, our phantom bodies can translate the action into something our ‘type could reasonably do.

Being hands free is good but the added little species euphoria is a nice bonus. It’s a little odd and unexpected, but it is what it is.

“2) Does your system have any "obvious" fronters with clear mannerisms etc., who friends/family/others can often recognize without being told?”

Most of the long-time fronters in our system are a lot alike in mannerisms because it was needed during much of our life to keep from getting into trouble. (Because singlets don’t automatically think plurality when someone acts different than they normally do.) However, there are a few subtle things we do regardless. 

Sky Singer has a habit of when he goes to grasp something (like a door handle), he only uses the thumb, index finger, and middle finger (leaving the ring finger and pinky curled into the palm and out of use). He also has a habit of keeping our arms in a kind of subtle raptor pose (elbows pressed against the body, etc.).

Earth Listener when grasping something will sometimes forget the thumb and either grasp things without it or otherwise just grasp things like she forgets just how long human fingers are.

Miushra and One-White-Sock both have a bit of a southern drawl to their speech mannerisms (but they can be told apart because the pitch of their voices is different. (Miushra’s is higher, while One-White-Sock’s is much lower) 

Also, according to @who-is-page, Kardegray is always extremely obvious when he’s at front because, not only does his body posture change, but also his accent has a noticeable southern “twang.” 

To name a few things.

“3) how easy is it for you all to switch, and how do you organize fronting time?”

It’s generally really easy for us to switch in our present state. At least it is easy for people who front with some regularity. For people that don’t front often, it takes a bit more conscious effort to get them into the driver’s seat, if you will. Sometimes front won’t hold to them and instead it will grab someone else again instead. Plus, people who don’t front often mentally/physically tire very quickly and have to switch before too long.

However, sometimes some factors can muddle switching. Sometimes one or more of us can get stuck to front which can make it either impossible to switch at all or make it where we can’t switch for any consistent amount of time before the person stuck gets rebounded back to front. Sometimes when our mental health takes a downturn, we get really blurry or even “front blind,” so we have no idea who is fronting, and the person fronting doesn’t know who they are. Sometimes if trauma-brain gets activated in some way it can cause involuntary switching. Things like that.

Barring those things, switching is normally very voluntary and easy.

As far as organizing fronting time, we really don’t. Actually. We once tried scheduling fronting times, but it never really fit our needs and wants. We used to have a bit more of a schedule when we were getting our degree because some of the classes were more interesting/less interesting to some of us. Nowadays we more go by a volunteer/ask method. If the fronter gets tired, they can ask if anyone wants to switch with them. If someone wants front, they can ask the current fronter if they can have front. It helps that most of us don’t mind co-fronting too.

But yeah, we just don’t really organize fronting time.

“4) what is your favorite system-related question to answer that you don't get asked enough?”

Honestly, we really love getting to info dump about stuff that go on in our innerworld. Daily life stuff and whatnot.

Also, some people with ties to fiction like talking about their source, especially if their experiences differ from canon in anyway. (Or sometimes it’s not even the people with that source, and it’s just other people in the system who have been told about all this information and they find it interesting.) So, we have many documents just laying around on our computer detailing things about Pern (from The Dragonriders of Pern), Equestria (My Little Pony), and so on. 

However, on both counts, we’re also terribly shy to talk about stuff as well. So even though we like the idea of talking about such information, actually talking about it is another matter.

~ various