#so I read what books I could find in my elementary school library and they didn't say anything about it

[buckets-of-dirt]

I love my little dog so much but man in retrospect there's so much I wish my family had known about dog care 14 years ago. I know some of his health problems are just parts of getting old and would've happened regardless, but there are things we could've easily incorporated into our routine from puppyhood to prevent certain problems (or at least reduce their severity). And I know we were doing our best with the resources at our disposal, especially since as my dog he was kind of my project (a bit of a big task for a 10 year old whose research capabilities were basically just the school library but 🤷‍♂️), but watching him deteriorate before my eyes and knowing it's partially because of something I didn't do makes it all the more painful.

And I feel like a lot of the information we didn't have, some of it essential to long-term health (like brushing their teeth daily), is stuff that your average dog owner doesn't seem to know either. It's almost like there's this popular Image of how to care for a dog that's reinforced by our society at large, and then there's the things that only the Heavily Invested™️ (aka the people who get mocked for being "dog parents") do. And a lot of times there are things everyone really should be doing for their dogs, but they never know because they work off that popular image and add anything their vet specifically tells them to do as they go along. Except, at least in Milo's case, the vet really only gives advice once there's an Obvious Problem.

Anyway the point I was trying to make somewhere in all that waffle is that if you have a young dog start toothbrush training RIGHT NOW. You do not want them to get gingivitis someday, and nobody told us how to prevent it until it was already too late.

[seoltzuki]

Field Trip

sana x fem reader

fluff, suggestive 2.5K words

Teacher Sana, librarian reader, and the crew chaperone a year-end trip for the kids graduating elementary school. It’s exciting, it’s changing, we’re arguing, ugh!

a/n: sequel to Sunshine :) also chae, momo, tzu, mina and nayeon are in sixth grade now so you know… they change

You wrinkle your forehead, pondering which books would be perfect for story time on the upcoming trip. It’s the kids’ final year at this school—should you choose something about the teenage years, high school drama? Or keep their imaginations alive with something more whimsical? They’ve grown so moody and sharp-tongued, you wonder if they’ll even sit still long enough for a story.

The soft creak of the library door catches your attention, and you don’t need to turn around to know who it is. Her scent pulls you in as she draws closer. Hands slide around your waist from behind, and you can’t help but smile. “My sunshine,” Sana murmurs, planting a gentle kiss on your jaw.

You hum softly, half-lost in thought, as Sana’s lips brush against the back of your neck. Her hands glide up, fingers tracing your sides, slow and teasing. “What’s got you thinking so hard?” she whispers, her lips close to your ear, voice low and playful. You try to focus, but her touch is persistent, her fingers pressing into your waist just enough to make your breath hitch.

“I’m just… trying to figure out the right books for the kids,” you manage, though your voice wavers when Sana’s hands slip to your hips, pulling you back gently against her.

“Mmm, always working. My baby’s so good and perfect,” she purrs, letting her lips trail down your neck. “Need me? There’s a few ways I can help.” Her hands wander, and the warmth of her body presses into you as she sways you both, ever so slightly.

You bite your lip, trying to keep your thoughts straight, but she’s relentless, her touch making it hard to think about anything except her. “Sana,” you say, though it’s more of a breath than a warning.

“Hmm?” she replies, her voice full of mischief as her hands drift higher. “Let me help.”

You sigh, fighting to stay focused. “I’m serious, Sana,” you manage to say, though your voice is unsteady with the way her lips linger on your neck, her touch making it hard to concentrate.

“I’m serious too,” she whispers, her fingers slipping beneath the hem of your shirt, grazing your skin and sending a shiver through you. Her lips press a soft kiss just behind your ear, and your breath catches. “The kids love a bit of adventure, some magic…” she murmurs, her voice like silk, while her fingers trace slow, teasing patterns on your waist.

Your heart skips a beat as she nuzzles closer, lips brushing behind your ear again. “We could always read them a horror story,” she says, her tone playful. “Better than scaring them with teenage high school doom. They’ll get enough of that next fall.”

Sana’s hands glide up your sides before she gently turns you around to face her, her eyes soft and warm. She smiles, so sweetly, so full of love that your chest tightens. “I know you’ll find the best books,” she whispers, her voice full of affection. “You’re always so great at that.”

The tenderness in her words makes you lean in, closing the distance between you. Your lips meet hers, and you feel the soft, surprised moan escape from her as your kiss deepens. She melts against you, a giggle bubbling up as she pulls back slightly, eyes gleaming.

“Didn’t expect that, huh?” you murmur, brushing your thumb across her cheek as she beams up at you.

Sana’s grin turns sly as her fingers trace slow circles on your hips. “Nope, but I’m definitely not complaining,” she murmurs, leaning in, her lips inches from yours. “Kiss me again?”

Her hands slide down past your hips, and you can feel the way her chest presses into yours during each breath. “Sana…” you begin, but she just giggles, her lips brushing yours.

“Sunshine…” she whispers, as she tilts her head to give you puppy eyes. Her hands roam higher, her breath warm against your lips. “Please?”

You laugh softly. “You’re impossible.”

“And you love it,” she teases, before you lean in to give her another kiss.

I do love you.

~~~

The bus buzzes with excitement as everyone settles in for the trip. Jeongyeon stands at the front, clipboard in hand, doing a final headcount. “Is everyone here?”

Up by the driver, Jihyo is confirming last-minute details, her phone in one hand as she gestures to the route on her screen. She catches your eye, giving you a quick nod before returning to her conversation.

A few rows back, Sana and Dahyun are busy sorting snacks. “Granola bars or apples?” Dahyun asks, while Sana grins, already handing out gummy bears to the nearby kids.

You unfold the itinerary Jihyo gave you earlier, scanning the plans for the next three days—hiking, a museum visit, and a campfire night. The schedule is packed, but it looks fun. The bus engine rumbles and you glance out the window, watching the school fade away.

“Miss Sunshine, are you excited?” Nayeon’s voice breaks your focus. She pops her head over the seat in front of you, her bunny smile wide and playful.

You grin back at her, her bangs now gone, showing off more of her face. “Yeah, I’m excited! It’s going to be great!”

Nayeon rests her chin on the seatback, her eyes twinkling. “Yay! Just checking if these plans are fun enough,” she teases, nodding toward the itinerary in your lap.

Before you can answer, Mina shyly peeks over the seat beside her, her chubby cheeks almost gone but her smile still soft and sweet. “Are you excited too?” she asks quietly.

You nod, returning her gentle smile. “Yeah, definitely. What about you, sweetheart?”

“A little nervous,” Mina admits with a shy laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “But I think it’ll be fun.”

Nayeon playfully pokes Mina’s nose. “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you have a blast!”

Just as you’re about to respond, a loud groan comes from the back of the bus. You turn around to see Chaeyoung glaring at Momo, who’s casually chewing something.

“What’s going on back there?” you ask.

“Stupid Momo ate my gummies!” Chaeyoung exclaims, slapping Momo’s arm.

Momo shrugs, still chewing, her eyes fixed on the window. “You can’t even eat them with those ugly braces of yours,” she says, totally unfazed.

You gasp, ready to step in, but Sana’s already on it. She steps forward, arms crossed, her tone firm. “Apologize. Both of you. Now.”

Chaeyoung and Momo mumble half-hearted apologies. Before Jeongyeon can jump in to scold them, Dahyun calls out urgently, “Tzuyu’s getting car sick!”

The bus is quickly descending into chaos, and you sigh, glancing back at the itinerary. It’s only the beginning of the trip, and things are already getting ugh!

~~~

The museum is cool and quiet, the soft echo of footsteps and hushed voices filling the space as you stand in front of a large exhibit on historical archives. The kids gather around you, their curious eyes wide as they listen.

Tzuyu raises her hand and you can’t help but notice how much she’s grown. She’s nearly your height now, standing out from the group of students, and you smile at the memory of her being one of the shortest in the group not too long ago.

“But how do people even know what’s important to keep?” She asks, her wide eyes full of genuine wonder. “Like… how do you choose what goes into an archive?”

You smile, glad to see her so engaged. “That’s a great question, Tzuyu. Archivists look at what’s relevant to people’s lives, cultures, and history. We collect things that tell stories about how people lived, what they valued, what they struggled with. Sometimes, it’s big events or, it’s something small—like letters, or old photos. It’s about piecing together the whole story.”

Tzuyu nods thoughtfully, clearly thinking it over, and beside her, Momo speaks up next. “So, like… even regular people’s stuff gets kept? Not just famous people?”

“Exactly,” you say, nodding. “Everyone’s story matters, not just the famous ones. That’s why personal archives are so important.”

You glance at Sana for a brief moment. She’s leaning against the wall in the back, her eyes never leaving you. There’s a glow in her expression, like she’s seeing you in a new light, utterly in awe of how effortlessly you share your passion with the kids. Her gaze makes you feel warm inside, and you can’t help but stand a little taller.

Before you can continue, Nayeon adds, “Wait, so do you think in a hundred years, people are going to be looking at our old texts and selfies in an archive?”

The group breaks into giggles, but you nod. “It’s possible! Digital archives are a huge part of the future. What we share online, what we document today, might be what future generations use to understand our world. So yeah, even your selfies could be a part of history.”

The kids laugh again as Sana catches your eye again from the back, mouthing the words, “you’re amazing. I love you.” You can feel the pride swelling in her chest. It’s as if she’s soaking up every bit of who you are in this moment, her eyes filled with deep affection. You smile softly at her before turning back to the kids.

"Should we go for lunch, class?"

"Yes!"

~~~

The food court is busy as you settle into your seat with the staff, Sana comfortably by your side. You take a bite of your sandwich, feeling her hand resting gently on your thigh under the table, her thumb tracing soft circles that bring a smile to your lips.

As your gaze drifts to the students�� table, you spot Momo happily sharing her food with Chaeyoung, who clutches her “prehistoric” bone—something she bought at the souvenir shop. "You wouldn’t get it Miss, it’s Tim Burton aesthetic," she explained, eyes sparkling. A little odd, but you can’t help but chuckle at the sight.

Jeongyeon leans in with a playful grin. “They grow up so fast, don’t they?”

You nod, the bittersweet reality sinking in. “Yeah... bummer this is my last year with them.”

Before you can dwell on it, Jihyo chimes in from across the table, a mischievous glint in her eye as she winks at Sana. “Well, not for everyone. Some of us will still be following them.”

The comment catches you off guard, leaving you momentarily confused, but before you can respond, Dahyun cuts in with a flourish. “I’m sending all my energy to the high school nurse. They’re going to need it when this bunch shows up!”

Laughter fills the air, and the lighthearted teasing continues. Sana’s hand remains on your thigh, her fingers shifting to rub gentle circles on your lower back.

She leans a little closer, “I can’t wait for summer break,” she says, glancing at you with a soft smile. “Finally, we’ll have time to rest, recharge, and—” she pauses, her tone dripping with affection, “I’ll finally get to spend time with my girl.”

The second she finishes, a chorus of groans erupts from around the table.

“Oh, here we go again,” Jihyo sighs, rolling her eyes dramatically.

“Seriously?” Jeongyeon adds, shaking her head with an amused smirk. “Can’t we get through one meal without you two being all lovey-dovey?”

Even Dahyun joins in, mock-fanning herself. “So sweet it’s giving me cavities.”

Sana simply scrunches her nose and nudges you lightly, her eyes sparkling with love.

My sunshine that I love so much.

~~~

The campfire crackles as you get ready to set up for story time. Just as you arrange the last few details, the kids come bustling into the cabin, their faces alight with mischief.

Mina steps forward, holding something carefully in her hands. She gives you a shy smile before presenting a handmade card, decorated with bits of books, photos, and “Thank You” written in neat, colorful letters. Your heart swells at the sight of it.

You chuckle, shaking your head, when Nayeon speaks up next. “We’re gonna miss you so much! Our favourite librarian!” she says, leaning in, her bunny smile on full display. “We’ll make sure to ask Miss. Minatozaki for updates on you.”

You pause, confused. “Oh?”

Before Nayeon can answer, Momo chimes in, smirking. “Sana told us she’s coming with us to high school. She’ll be our teacher there!”

The room stills for a moment as you process the words. Sana, in high school? She never mentioned that.

“Yeah!” Tzuyu bounces excitedly. “She said she’ll follow us!”

A weight settles in your chest, but you push it aside for now. Smiling, you pull the kids in for a hug. “Thank you for the beautiful gift,” you say softly, holding them close.

The door opens, and Sana walks in, her eyes lighting up as soon as she sees you with the kids. “My sunshine and my favorite students,” she says warmly, her smile bright. The kids giggle, but you remain quiet, your mind stuck on what they just said.

“High school, huh?” you ask, your tone a little sharper than you intended.

Sana’s smile falters, sensing the shift. She quickly turns to the kids. “Why don’t you go help with the marshmallows outside?”

The kids rush out, arguing playfully about who will get to roast the first one, and you’re left standing with Sana.

Sensing the weight of your silence, she steps closer, reaching out to take your hand gently. You hesitate for a moment, but eventually let her hold it, feeling the familiar comfort in her touch. She gives your hand a soft squeeze, searching your face, and for a brief second, you squeeze back.

“Sana...” you start, trying to find the right words.

Before you can continue, she says quietly, “I wasn’t trying to keep it from you. I thought—”

You take a breath, whispering as you finally respond, “Look, I’m happy for you. It’s a big step in your career, a new chapter. Go for it.”

Sana’s eyes drop to your hand in hers, and though she’s still holding on, you can feel the tension growing. You offer a small smile, trying to reassure her.

“I just... need to go finish setting up for story time,” you say softly, pulling your hand from hers and stepping toward the door.

“y/n, wait!”

~~~

Story time had been a complete success. The kids were captivated (and petrified, thanks to Jeongyeon) by every word, huddled around the campfire as the horror story unfolded. Now, the cabin is quiet, save for the soft sounds of their peaceful breaths. You step inside to check on them one last time. Tzuyu is curled up in Nayeon’s arms, Mina’s head rests on Chaeyoung’s legs, and Momo is sprawled out in her usual starfish position, taking up an unnecessary amount of space on the bed.

You smile tenderly, a yawn creeping up on you as exhaustion from the long day finally settles in. Jeongyeon and Dahyun bid their goodnights, leaving for their own cabins while you stay behind to help Jihyo with the cleanup.

“Thanks for sticking around to help,” Jihyo whispers with a tired smile, stacking the last of the blankets.

“No problem. Just a bit more to go,” you reply, picking up a bucket of water to extinguish the dying fire outside.

As you step out into the cool night air, the stars twinkling above, you feel a gentle tug on your arm. Turning, you find Sana standing there, her eyes filled uncertainty.

“Can we talk?” she asks quietly, her voice barely louder than the soft rustling of the trees.

You set the bucket down, your heart heavy with everything left unsaid between you. Nodding, you let her pull you to the campfire.

Sana leads you to the glow of the campfire, where the night feels even quieter. She stops, turning to face you, her fingers still gently wrapped around your wrist.

She sighs, eyes searching yours. “I didn’t mean to keep you in the dark about... high school,” she says softly. Her voice wavers slightly, but she holds your gaze, her brow furrowed with concern.

You look at her, feeling the weight of her words settle in. “I just wish you would’ve told me,” you admit. “I mean, I’m happy for you, really. It’s a huge step. But... that’s something I needed to hear from you.”

Sana winces slightly at your words, her thumb absentmindedly tracing circles on your wrist. “I didn’t want to upset you. I just... I thought this was something we could figure out together later.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Later? Sana, they all knew before I did.”

Her lips part to respond, but she stops herself, dropping her gaze to the ground. She takes a breath before speaking again. “I didn’t realize how much it would hurt you. I just... I thought you’d be proud, and we’d find a way to make it work.”

Your heart softens at her words, but there’s still a dull ache in your chest. “It’s not that I’m not proud of you. You’re amazing. But we’ve always worked through things together. This feels like... you’re moving on without me.”

Sana’s eyes widen, and she quickly steps closer, her hands now cupping your face. “No, no, I’m not moving on without you. I could never do that. I was going to tell you, I promise, but everything happened so fast with the kids, and I thought... I thought I had time.”

You let out a quiet breath, leaning into her touch as she speaks. The sincerity in her voice is enough to make your frustration melt away just a little.

“I don’t want to lose us,” she whispers, her eyes searching yours again, filled with worry. “I want us to be okay.”

You nod, your hand coming up to rest on hers, squeezing gently. “We will be. We just... need to communicate better. No more surprises like this.”

Sana bites her lip, then nods quickly. “No more surprises.” She pulls you closer, resting her forehead against yours for a long moment.

“I love you,” she murmurs. “And I’ll figure out how to make this work for both of us.”

You close your eyes, taking in the moment, feeling the tension between you ease slightly. “I love you too,” you whisper back.

Sana’s hands slide from your cheeks to your nape. She leans in, her lips pressing against yours in a soft, lingering kiss. When she pulls back, her gaze is filled with nothing but love and sincerity.

"I love you," she whispers, her voice barely audible as she kisses you again. Another kiss follows, each one a little more insistent, like she’s trying to convey everything she feels through the tender brush of her lips.

"I love you," she repeats, her voice growing softer with every kiss. She peppers your face with them—your lips, your cheeks, the corner of your mouth—each one carrying the same words. "I love you... I love you."

You can’t help but smile between her kisses, your heart swelling as her warmth surrounds you. The tension from before dissolves completely, replaced by the reassurance of her love and the depth of her affection.

Sana finally pulls back just a fraction, her nose pressing against your cheek as she breathes out, “I love you,” one last time, her voice barely a whisper.

You close your eyes, soaking in the moment, feeling the world fade around you, leaving just the two of you standing there in the cool night air.

After a few heartbeats, you pull away slightly, your smile mirroring hers. “We’re going to be okay,” you say softly.

Sana nods, her hands still cradling your face as she smiles, eyes glistening. “Together,” she whispers.

~~~

Sana’s hands roam your back as she pulls you closer, her lips warm and insistent against yours. The soft hum of your office fades as you melt into the kiss, her familiar, teasing energy filling the space between you. Sana breaks away for a second, her breath tickling your skin as she whispers, "You know, we could just stay here... a little longer."

Her lips find your neck, and you let out a soft laugh, half-heartedly trying to push her away. "Sana, you’re terrible."

"Terribly in love," she murmurs, her hands slipping beneath the hem of your shirt as her lips brush against your collarbone. You tilt your head back, losing yourself in the moment until—

The phone rings.

With a groan, you reach for the receiver, catching Sana’s pout out of the corner of your eye. You press it to your ear, trying to steady your breath.

"Hello?"

"Y/N, stop kissing Sana in your office and get back to your library," Jihyo’s voice comes through, sharp but teasing.

You freeze, your face heating up. "W-What? I’m not—"

"You are," Jihyo cuts you off, a hint of amusement in her tone. "The entire high school is waiting for you to unlock the doors. Get moving!"

You glance at Sana, who’s biting her lip to keep from laughing. She leans in, mouthing, busted.

You roll your eyes, a grin tugging at your lips. "Right, right. I’ll be there in a minute," you say, before hanging up the phone.

Sana giggles, slipping her arms around your waist again. "Looks like we’ve been caught."

"Yeah, thanks to you," you laugh, giving her a playful shove. "Come on, we’ve got a school waiting."

Sana sighs dramatically, pressing a quick kiss to your lips before stepping back. "Fine, fine. But tonight," she says, winking as she heads for the door, "I’m not letting you escape."

You shake your head with a smile, grabbing your keys and following her out.

~~~

Extra

The group sits sprawled across their usual corner in the cafeteria, as if they own the place. Nayeon, perched in the center, knows she’s the it girl and doesn’t even try to hide it. She leans back in her chair, twirling a strand of hair around her finger as she flips through her phone. Her lips curve in a satisfied smile whenever someone from another table glances their way.

"Honestly," Nayeon says, voice dripping with dramatic flair, "I can’t help it if people want to be me."

Chaeyoung, who’s been doodling something vaguely surreal and definitely weird on a napkin, looks up with a snort. "Yeah, well, try being original for once." She holds up her drawing—a mishmash of creatures and odd geometric shapes. "Now this is what people should be looking at."

Nayeon squints at it and tilts her head. "Is that… a lizard playing guitar with a tree trunk?"

Chaeyoung beams proudly. "Close. It’s a frog shredding on an electric cactus."

Momo, sitting beside them, can barely keep her eyes open. Her head is resting in her arms on the table, and she groans sleepily. "Why are we talking so loud… Can’t we just take a nap? Lunch break is for resting, not arguing over frogs."

Tzuyu, towering over everyone, stifles a laugh as she listens to the banter. Even though she’s practically taller than half the faculty, to the others, she’s still the baby of the group. She reaches over to pat Momo’s head, as if soothing a child. "You’re always sleepy. Maybe if you didn’t stay up binge-watching food documentaries, you’d be awake enough to hear Chaeyoung’s masterpiece."

Momo grumbles, not lifting her head. "They’re calming. And educational. Unlike your jokes, Tzuyu."

Tzuyu, with her trademark deadpan expression, shrugs. "I make excellent jokes. You’re just too tired to appreciate them."

Chaeyoung leans back, grinning. "I’ll give you that. Tzuyu’s funnier than people give her credit for."

"But she’s still our baby," Nayeon teases, reaching over to pinch Tzuyu’s cheek. "Our little giant baby."

Tzuyu sighs dramatically, gently swatting Nayeon’s hand away. "I’m literally the tallest one here. And I’m not a baby."

"Aw, don’t worry," Momo mumbles sleepily, barely raising her head. "You’ll always be the group’s baby, no matter how tall you get."

Tzuyu rolls her eyes but doesn’t argue, knowing she’ll never win this battle. Instead, she reaches over to take a sip of her drink, pretending not to care.

Mina, who’s been quietly fiddling with her handheld gaming console throughout the entire conversation, finally chimes in. "I think we should all just get into gaming and forget about all this."

Chaeyoung leans over to peek at Mina’s screen. "What are you playing now? Is it that alien spaceship game again?"

Mina nods enthusiastically. "It’s the latest version. Way more levels, better graphics… It’s amazing."

Nayeon rolls her eyes affectionately. "You’re such a nerd, Mina. If you spent half as much time on your social life as you do on video games…"

Mina looks up, flashing a rare but dazzling smile. "But where’s the fun in that?"

Chaeyoung cackles, clearly on Mina’s side. "You tell her, Mina."

Momo, eyes still half-closed, raises a finger in the air. "I support Mina."

Tzuyu gives an approving nod. "I can get behind that too."

Nayeon sighs in mock defeat, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Fine. I guess gaming is kind of cool. But you all better still bow down to your queen." She flashes her infamous bunny smile, knowing full well they never would—but it doesn’t matter. She’s the Nayeon, after all.

The group dissolves into laughter. Even with their quirks and differences, they’re a family. They’ve watched each other grow, change, and yet somehow, they’re still the same.

[inhuman-onhuman]

[*] Applicable to all nonhumans/alterhumans- otherkith, systems, voidpunk, etc.!

[**] Not when you found out about the terms. But when you first started to relate to things other than humans

My own experience (feel free to share your own in the comments/reblogs! id love to see it!):

Ever since I was young, I almost only consumed content about inhuman things. Robots, zombies, animals, nature… you name it. Warriors Cats, Transformers, My Little Pony, basically anything David Attenborough was in.

When I watched Pokemon as a kid; I didn’t want to be a trainer, I wanted to be a Pokemon. When I read about animals from the books in the library; I mimicked what they did, imagining myself as a cardinal flying through the trees or a serval stalking through the grasslands. A sundew curling around its prey, a werewolf’s painful transformation.

And well, I always had an active imagination. When I was in elementary school and preschool, you weren’t allowed to go back inside during recess if you were cold. So I just sorta taught myself how to perceive things differently! I could make my body warmer just by thinking of it. Then, later I could manifest the feeling of wings, animalistic legs, sharper teeth, horns… yeah.

This definitely led to where I am now. A both spiritual and psychological connection to who I am deep down. I am human, yes. But over a lifetime of being unable to relate to others led me to find kinship in unlikely places.

[hazelfoureyes]

What made you want to live in Japan?

I hadn’t wanted to live here.

Okay just trust me this is going somewhere.

When I was in elementary school I was going to various churches looking for religion. Everyone had one it seemed but me. I didn’t find one. In middle school I read every mythology book in our library and found creation myths to be the most interesting. I remember reading about Izanagi and Izanami creating Japan and thought it was the most beautiful story and one of the most unique.

So I went online and found KidsWebJapan which had illustrated Japanese myths and fell in love with learning all of the classic myths.

I started learning hiragana and katakana from that website because I found Japanese so beautiful to the ear.

I decided then, in the 7th grade (2003?), I wanted to visit Japan, because that’s where the kappa and tengu lived. That’s where Momotaro fought the oni and Kaguyahime was found. That’s the place born of primordial sea dripped from the spear.

I had just wanted to visit but when I moved here for work in 2017 I found the culture suited me well and didn’t want to leave. I spent 14 years telling myself I wouldn’t fit in and it’d be hard and I’d struggle but that it’d be worth it to just be in this country I’d read so much about.

I tell you, I got off that fucking plane and never felt more at home and more at peace in my entire fucking life. I never knew comfort so deep until moving here. Even lonely, even broke and sleeping on a pile of my clothes as a bed, even with little practical Japanese, I immediately just felt so deeply deeply content.

I’d spent half my life waiting and wanting to visit and when I got here it felt like I could finally just… chill. I’d done it. The 24/7 subconscious desire calmed and I’ve been happy here ever since :3

[marvel-ous-m]

Been thinking about modern AU Elementary School Librarian!Eddie and Substitute Teacher!Steve.

Eddie, who doesn’t really know how he ended up working at the school. A series of events that made him luck out, he supposed. He had always loved books, and practically lived at the public library in between working at the shop and sleeping. He had gotten to know the librarians there over time, had familiarized himself with the Dewey Decimal System from browsing the aisles, and had begun to explore different genres of books after finishing his sci-fi/fantasy bucket list. One evening, while he was curled up on one of the couches in the corner, re-reading The Hobbit for the hundredth time, a little girl with fire-red hair and her front two teeth missing ran up to him and begged him to read to her. He had glanced around the room for a moment, searching for the girl’s parent, but came up with nothing. At a loss, he decided he might as well read to her.

They got through three books that the girl- Max, she had said her name was- had picked out. By the end of his time reading to her, a small group of kids had crowded around him, and a couple of parents were on the outskirts of the makeshift circle smiling at him, clearly pleased that their kids were enjoying “story time”. One of the librarians noticed too, apparently. As Eddie was leaving to walk back to his apartment that night, he was slid a printed-out job posting for the librarian at the elementary school. Eddie never really saw himself as a ‘kids’ guy, but reading to them had been the highlight of his day, and they had all said he’d done the voices well… maybe this would be a good thing. Certainly better than the muscle strain he had almost daily from fixing cars.

So he submitted a resume. He got a letter of recommendation from the librarian who slid him the job posting, and somehow, even without having any certification past his High School Diploma, he landed an interview. They had been desperate, apparently. It was a tiny school in their tiny town and they needed someone to fill in. After only fifteen minutes, he got offered the job- pending results of a four week job shadow with the retiring librarian they were trying to replace and background checks. Two months later and he had become a well-established faculty member at the school, ‘Mr. M’, who did the best monster voices (according to the kids), decorated the library to make it look like it was out of a fairytale (with the help of the art teacher and his now-best-friend Robin Buckley), and even filled in for the music teacher on occasion. It was the best thing to ever happen to him.

Roughly three years after he was hired, he finds one of his lunch breaks being interrupted by Mrs. Harrington’s 3rd grade class. She had always been a bit of a bitch, but she never operated off-schedule. Eddie put his lunch away and observed as the kids flooded into the library and ran around, all finding a book to read or an activity to quietly play with. Will Byers (one of his favorite kids- not that he had favorites, but he totally did) ran up to him, holding watercolor markers and giving him puppy dog eyes. Eddie sighed and rolled up his sleeve, then helped Will sit on his desk so he could reach Eddie’s arm better. Will had asked about Eddie’s tattoos at the beginning of the year, wondering why there wasn’t any color on some of them, and then had been determined to color them in. And Eddie? Well, he couldn’t say no to the kid. Plus it was pretty adorable to have his ‘metal’ tattoos covered in washable marker.

“Will! Did he say you could do that?” Eddie looked up at the exclamation, surprised to come face-to-face with somebody who was definitely not Mrs. Harrington.

“Wait- who are you? Do I need to get the security guard?”

“What? No- no, I’m Mrs. Harrington’s substitute. They sent an email out about me I think? I’m- her son, actually. But you can just call me Steve. Or- probably Mr. Steve in front of the kids? I’m still kind of new at this- my mom called me last week and said she needed to stop teaching for a while because she needed to go on my dad’s business trips with him, she’s always been a bit suspicious of what he really does on the trip, and since I just got my teaching certification she figured it would be best for me too be her substitute- and shi-oot, shoot, I’m totally over sharing right now- it’s just the kids begged me to come here and they weren’t doing our math activity so I kinda panicked-“

“Whoa, alright, slow down big boy.” Eddie chuckled under his breath, then grabbed a sticky note and a pen with his free hand and scrawled out his number. Once he was done he handed it to Steve with a smirk. “I’m absolutely terrible at checking my email. So there ya go- the first number is for my cell- teaching these rascals can be a handful, especially with Henderson and Mayfield in your class, so feel free to text me anytime. We can talk about school or… other things.” Eddie let his eyes take in the man in front of him- and damn, this guy was hot.

Steve blushed, stuttering as he spoke. “A-and the second?” Oh shit, he wasn’t just hot, he was cute too. Eddie suddenly wanted to make Steve this flustered all the time.

“Second number is my extension for the phones here, if the kids get to be too much I can come down the hall for a visit and get them focused while you take a break. They have library time on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1pm to 2:30pm.” Eddie smiled at him, softer this time. “I’m sure you’re doing a great job. They’re just antsy because of the change- but I think they’d like anybody more than your mom- um, no offense.”

“None taken, she’s a bitc- um, a not super nice lady.” Steve coughed, smiling nervously. “Still getting used to kid-friendly language.”

Eddie shook his head fondly. This was certainly the start of something very interesting.

[rodricksfilipinagf]

Academia AU Pt.1 (Eris Vanserra x Reader)

After another successful, though exhausting class taught, I clutch my Stanley cup and take it off my desk, eager to make it to the English department meeting. I hoped the meeting would be over soon so that I could make it back to my apartment to read my latest romance novel I checked out from the library. 

As an English professor at Prythian University, my personal interests tend to creep into my curriculum, and I like it that way! I want my students to love reading, and the best way to do that is to get them to read something they’ll be interested in. Something they’ll relate to. Something they’d read already without me getting involved. 

I recently included manga in my curriculum after my brief stint working with kids. My all-time favorite student absolutely loved Naruto. Like, devoured the mangas because he loved the anime. Little kids and university students aren’t that different- intrinsic motivation is the key to reaching them. 

As I reach closer to the room the meeting will be held in, I unscrew my Stanley cup and take a sip. 

“Well, well, well,” a familiar voice drawls, and I almost spit out my water. On him. Although…I might really love that, it might actually make him unfairly hotter. With his bright red hair, amber eyes, and the gorgeous planes of his face, he didn’t need me splashing water onto his white button down, revealing probably ripped abs. Eris Vanserra, the worst English professor at this university. 

It’s not that he’s bad at teaching, although that would be an enormous plus and give me another reason to hate him. He’s actually a huge hardass when it comes to assignments and grading. What’s most infuriating about him is his inability to recognize that what I do matters just as much as what he does. 

“Drag yourself away from lecturing about childrens’ books?” he asks. “You are aware that this is a university, not an elementary school.” Fuck him. Fuck him, fuck him, fuck him. 

“As if children’s literature isn’t a recognized genre,” I say.

“Just admit it. You just want to go easy on your students. Coddle them and give them easy A’s so they’ll like you,” he says. 

My mouth drops open at that insulting remark. How dare he? “What would you have me do? Assign them stuff I know they hate so they won’t read it at all?”

He rolls his eyes. “Ever heard of giving them a poor grade? It’s how they learn not to do that.”

“I’m surprised you still have enough students to fill a class,” I retort. 

“Because my students take their education seriously, unlike yours. Yours wouldn’t last a week in mine.” With that, he breezes into the room, not bothering to talk to anyone else. Why would he? With his father being the Chair of the English Department, he has no reason to schmooze. 

Speaking of, his father, Beron, takes the podium. I quickly find a seat near the front, far, far away from Eris. 

“Welcome, Prythian University English Department. It is with the utmost despondency that I announce my upcoming retirement. Next semester, I will no longer be Chair of the English Department. I’m growing old, and I want to spend my next years away from academia after my many years serving this university. That being said, one of you will be replacing me. I hope the next generation will continue the legacy of this great university,” Beron says. 

I think it over. This is a leadership position, which all my life I’ve always craved. I’d love to get this job. I would still teach my students but also get to impact the curriculum that gets taught here. I have my Romance Novels, Children’s Literature, and my one class dedicated to manga and graphic novels, as well as Creative Writing classes in Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction. I could make sure that these classes stay at the university, and that there’s more like them in the future. Not only that, I could make sure that we get advanced playwriting and screenwriting classes, as well as more funding for the more fun and creative classes. 

After Beron goes over all the requirements for the position, the meeting disperses. I gather up my stuff and leave. Unfortunately as soon as I leave the room I run smack into Eris.

“Don’t even think about it, bunny,” he says, tweaking one of my ears. “The position’s mine.”

“Fuck off,” I say. “I deserve this way more than you do.”

“And why’s that?” he raises an eyebrow. 

“Cause you’re tired. Boring. And stale. Oh sorry, I meant what you teach,” I say, suppressing a smile. 

“And in thousands of years, no one will care what you teach,” he says. “Even now what you’re doing’s a waste of time. So why don’t you throw in the towel now so you don’t get hurt.”

“The only one who will get hurt is you when you don’t get the chair position,” I say.

“Oh,” he breathes. “Is that so, bunny?” Before I could react, he backs me into the wall. “You really think what I teach holds no value?”

“I didn’t say no value,” I protest.

“Uh-uh, don’t go back on it,” he wheedles, pressing me into the wall. “You said tired. Boring, and stale, was it? And what do you think is so much better? Those romance novels you teach?”

I let out a breath. “I didn’t know you kept such tabs on my curriculum.”

He chuckles. “How can I not keep track of everything that’s wasting university money that should go to me?”

The sheer arrogance of him. “Sounds like you’re obsessed with me.”

He smirks. “As if you’re not obsessed with me, darling.”

“Fuck. You.”

“Don’t you wish you would,” he whispers. “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.” He runs a thumb over my cheek. “It’s not from one of your romance novels, but you look pretty flustered to me,” he comments. 

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from blushing further. “Fuck off,” I say. Even I’m not immune to a fucking Shakespeare quote, but did he seriously think I was dumb enough not to recognize it?  “I have to plan what I’m going to say to the English department heads to convince them to choose me to be the next chair.”

His eyes darken. “Including my father.”

I snort. “So? I’m not going to give up just because your father might give it to you out of nepotism.”

“You really don’t know my father, do you?” he asks. 

“No,” I admit. “But I know my stuff. So watch out.”

“Oh I will, bunny,” he assures me, his eyes running the length of my body. “I will.”

[writer168]

I've read your "the lemonade stand" and i'm really curious how the events that happened in "Hoshigaki" and "Eight" trasfer to it, so if you had perhaps an outline of it and don't mind sharing, please share, i'm wracking my brain for how it could work.

Have a wonderful whatever-time-is-it-where-you-are!

hi!

so the barebones ideas i have for team eight's lore in the lemonade stand goes something like this:

the akatsuki have based themselves in north america, but kisame leaves sakura in tokyo with an old relative on his wife's side and doesn't keep in contact, hoping for the best and living with the guilt the second he drops her off. unbeknownst to him, that relative passes a few weeks later and sakura is promptly shuttled into an orphanage

the years sakura spends there helps her grow into the calm, smart, calculating version we all know and love in the original hoshigaki-verse. naruto is a part of the same orphanage but they don't really interact. she sees him cause trouble, get chastised by the works, watches the cycle spin over and over. but it's none of her business and he's never really talked to her, so she keeps her head down and spends her free time finishing homework that's too easy for her and sticking her nose in library books until curfew hits

she meets kiba sometime in the middle of elementary school and her free time splits to spend some time at the circuit of shelters and veterinary clinics the inuzuka family owns

by junior high, sakura and kiba are thick as thieves. the first day of their first year, they meet shino and immediately get him in trouble with them. they spend that day's detention under kurenai yuuhi, their homeroom teacher. from that day on, shino's sucked into their group and they gain a reputation for themselves by racking up more absences than attendances and most teachers couldn't care less about what they do with their time. they still turn in their assignments, still keep up their grades, and if they keep their 'delinquent tendencies' out of their sight, it's not their problem

kurenai disagrees. they're good kids, she knows it, and she'll try to help steer them on the right path no matter how many detentions she has to host for them. now if only they could take it seriously and stop bringing her cheap snacks to bribe her into letting them leave early

it's also in junior high that naruto starts hanging around sakura and her friends. they both had growing up in the orphanage in common, and both had that troublemaking gene, and it was both of them that went out of the orphanage together to make a deal with a landlord who didn't mind renting out some rooms to a couple punk kids who were tired of the group home. the kids were scrappy and clever and knew their way around the streets so he offered them this: a unit for each of them if they ran odd jobs for him whenever he needed them to. when they made deliveries, they'd never look into a package. when he sent them to check up on people, they wouldn't get caught - if they did, he wasn't doing anything to get them out of it

anything beat going back to the orphanage. so they agreed

back at school the other teachers keep telling kurenai it isn't worth the effort, especially when police officer tenzo keeps hauling them back to the school if he can catch them out during school hours. but what they don't care to notice is how police sergeant tenzo is half trying to keep himself from laughing along with these kids and half trying not to worry himself gray when he find that they've thrown themselves into another fight with another group at another school. it doesn't matter if they keep winning, and it's certainly not funny when kiba's cheek is so swollen that it makes him talk weird for a week

but what tenzo's really worried about isn't the fights or the truancy or how scary smart these kids can really be. it's that because they're scary smart that they'll get in trouble with the worst sort of people one day, and him and kurenai won't be enough to save them

his fears are realized in the kids' second year of junior high when one day, they disappear

kurenai is distraught. her and tenzo are the only ones outside of the inuzuka and aburame families that actually care that the kids are gone, and along with it comes some gutting realizations. her the kids never stirred up any real trouble, per se, but they never made many friends at school or got in any other teacher's good graces or care enough to actually address the reputations they've built up for themselves

for a year and a half, she mourns them. she watches inuzuka tsume demand the police to find her son and why the hell aren't you doing anything he's out there and he's thirteen and if you don't do something he'll be dead. she watches aburame shibi, the quiet and polite managing partner of the renowned Aburame Law Offices, blame his son's friends for turning him into another bad kid when he has such a bright future ahead of him. she watches as tenzo tries his best to keep their case open because he's so sure they're still out there despite it growing cold around the edges; he'll never give up on them, he says, even when everyone up to the superintendent general of the tokyo metropolitan police department - second in rank only to the chief of japan's national police agency - thinks he's chasing shadows. she watches as naruto never loses hope of sakura and kiba and shino coming home and... and that one has a particular sting to it. especially when it's only recently that an explosive altercation between him and his best rival landed naruto a couple month's stay in the hospital and had sasuke whisked off somewhere out of japan without leaving so much as a phone number behind

kurenai never loses hope, and it's that same hope that kills her a little bit every day

everything changes when naruto starts his first year of senior high school. because three kids stroll onto the same school grounds like they hadn't ever gone missing in the first place. sakura, taller and stronger and indifferent and with a shock of pink hair. kiba, louder and angrier and sharper and a hearing aid in one ear. shino, more brazen and colder and more blunt and never taking off the dark sunglasses he's taken to wearing on his face

they're back, and it's like the warmth has found its way back into kurenai's blood

(it's later when the kids and kurenai and tenzo flee to north america for a charge of a murder they didn't commit that the latter two find out what really happened. one day when the kids were skipping school like usual, they see police officers dumping the body of a missing child. back then they hadn't been quick enough or strong enough or wise enough to react accordingly and get sucked into a dark conspiracy that they never wanted to be a part of in the first place. superintendent general shimura danzo is kidnapping kids, he had once sold some of them to disgraced scientist orochimaru to supplement illegal experimentation, and prime minister sarutobi hiruzen was covering it all up.)

((then, superintendent shimura finds out there are witnesses. he figures them out, packs up three teenagers into a shipping crate and loads them up on a ship, and sends them off to their deaths. when their bodies are inevitably found, it won't be hard to spin it: "three juvenile deliquents up to no good. something like this was bound to happen. what a shame, what a tragedy. may their souls end up in a better place than their bodies did."))

the conspiracies end up coming to light by the time the kids are sixteen, exposing a rotten and corrupt system that the new prime minister, senju tsunade, is quickly and aggressively working to root (ha) out. but even as names clear and charges drop and japan is ready to welcome three misjudged teenagers back with open arms, they decide to stay in north america.

kiba's intrigued with the goings-on in technology department at RAIN Securities and would probably go to college for something in the field. he's a whizz with tech anyway, and he knows they're probably going to pay for his degree in exchange for his employment

shino knows he's going to put himself on track for medical school. kiba and sakura are always getting hurt and he wants nothing more than to devote himself to the little family they've made for themselves. keeping them safe and healthy will always be in his top priorities, and he's already had exposure helping the medical team at catatumbo sanctuary in south africa. sure it was all veterinary medicine, but at least he knows he's interested in that sort of science

and sakura, well, isn't sure what to do with herself. she's content with floating through high school and taking general courses in college until she finds something worth doing. maybe she'll find something in physics; the subject makes kiba gag, and that's as good a reason as any to study it

it's not like the north american high schools are much different than the ones in japan when it comes down to what matters, anyway. she doesn't make any other friends in the school, she doesn't endear herself to the staff, she submits her assignments and takes her tests and thinks that they school should be lucky they don't have to deal with her and the boys' truancy habits this time around. the days go by and she spends her time after school in a rotation of places: her dad's gym, konan's company, sasori's tattoo shop, kakuzu's car customs shop. it's more of a variety than japan, but it's still routine. she doesn't expect any change

then one fateful day, she gets a project partner in the form of the the football team's pretty boy. and the timeline of the lemonade stand begins :)

this... really got away from me lmao. the outline turned out to be both way more information than i thought i'd get down and not enough detail to fully explain how the world is molded by the events of the hoshigaki-verse, but i hope it's a good structure to give you some idea of how things went down! i could definitely make a prequel fic to elaborate on the world, but we all know i'm already struggling to update my current fics lmaooooo

but if you have any specific questions, i'd be happy to answer them! thank you for your wonderful ask! <3

[jackie-gremlin-ghost]

Today marks 7 years since the reawakening of my Captain Underpants hyperfixation, which had been asleep for a very, very long time.

I had first discovered the books much like any kid in the late 90s/early 2000s; at the Scholastic Book Fair. If I remember correctly, the first one I had found was the second book, Attack of the Talking Toilets. I remember thinking how silly the cover looked, and it drew my little elementary school self in like a moth to flame.

I had quickly read it and absolutely loved it, and like discovering a new favorite treat for the first time, I immediately wanted more.

I was able to find the first book in my school’s library so I was able to get the full story on the two best friends who pulled the ultimate prank by hypnotizing their grouch of a school principal, and how it immediately became the worst decision they ever made.

And I loved every second of it.

As the years went on, I eagerly anticipated the Book Fair’s arrival at my school and would beg my mom for a few dollars extra, just so I get my hands on the newest adventure.

I devoured every single story I could find and bought as soon as I could, and each one was more entertaining than the last. From alien lunch ladies and zombie nerds, to a megalomaniac professor with an incredibly silly name in a giant robot with charts that you could use to give yourself a silly name (mine is “Poopsie Bananachunks” BTW), to an insane hypnotized woman with Medusa hair that gave atomic wedgies.

The more I read and reread these stories, the more I couldn’t help but think that it would make a pretty fun movie, or at least a tv show.

These stories had been with me through a lot of ups and downs in my life, the biggest being my parents’ divorce. They were there to remind me that even when times could be tough, you can make it through and still be able to laugh at even the silliest of things, no matter how old you got.

By the time I was 10, I got my hands on the latest book in the series, The Big Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy Part 1. I loved it as always, but was shocked to see it ended on a cliffhanger. This had never happened before. I was anxious to see what would happen and how George and Harold would get out of this mess.

But… it would be some time before I got those answers.

Time went on, and my attention went to other things. I found new hyperfixations over the years, and while I didn’t have the 7th book at the time, I was eventually able to get answers thanks to the internet.

Eventually I entered middle school, and I found myself drawn to new book series that I grew to love, but Captain Underpants remained a big part of my childhood and some of its happiest memories. And for a while, I thought that was all it would be; memories to just fondly look back on.

But that all changed the winter of 2016.

It was the halfway point between Christmas and New Year’s, and I was gonna be 24 in less than a month. I was spending my downtime between holidays like any other bored 20-something year old; scrolling through Tumblr, of course. It was during that time that I stumbled across this post by @mondentertainment. It was photos of posters from a Licensing Expo, showcasing upcoming animated projects, be it films or series.

Among them were a few that sounded promising, others not so much.

But what caught my eye was this.

A poster from DreamWorks with a very familiar face on it.

I could barely believe what I was seeing, and from the comments and reblogs on the post, neither could a lot of other people.

It was like a door that had been long locked in the back of my brain finally burst open, and all those memories came flooding back, particularly of a reoccurring thought that ran through my young mind whenever I would look at those illustrations every time I turned the page.

Could it really be true? Was one of my favorite childhood books finally getting a chance to truly come to life on the big screen?

It had already happened once before after I read Coraline in middle school, so there might be a chance.

As you could probably imagine, I poured my thoughts of hope and excitement into the tags as I reblogged the post.

And when the trailer finally dropped three months later, it was like meeting that one childhood friend you never truly forgot all over again.

So much happened after seeing the movie on opening night, including meeting Dav Pilkey himself!

And all the great memories and friends I’ve made since rediscovering the fandom all lead back to that one moment on December 28th, 2016.

And I couldn’t be more grateful for that.

[tableintheteacherslounge]

Abbott Elementary S03E07 thoughts

Melissa having a spare room baring in mind we’ve seen her house feels fake sorry - How will she have a room mate but noone look at her pictures and keep control of her kitchen. I get its gonna be for plot but i don’t buy it

I’m w ava that’s a woman who just found out she’s not pregnant - that’s a woman who’s been successfully slutting it up (how’s she gonna slut it up with a roommate)

Omg protective barb 🥺 (ALSO BARBS RIGHT BC MEL WOULDNT GIVE OUT HER ADDRESS WILLINGLY)

AS SOON AS SHE SAID NERD I THOUGHT JACOB

“I know its gods will but hes gotten awfully creative” 😭😭😭😭😭

I love it when Mr johnson lore gets unlocked

Manny and the beard whew 😮‍💨 I was literally wondering where he was so I’m glad they’re using him again

Janine ur SO SMART this is such a good idea and not like a janine unnecessarily fixing a problem like an actual good idea- good job babygirl

Not ava spilling the tea to the whole room

Ponytail melissa at home is so personal to me, I love that this continues from s2, this is just who she is, she throws her hair up when she’s at home. I like that she’s wearing the eagles hoodie we’ve seen before too. Love the hair, makeup & costume details on this show

“I only know how to cook for 12” 😭

Finally mel talking about her breakup! Damn maybe it really was “im not bringing this to school” this whole time

Also Gary being a dead ringer for her dad?? I’m not saying my headcanons are more correct than the show but I disagree with this statement. Gary is not schemmenti coded.

Omg the jacob melissa work momming work sonning ive been dreaming of

“And dont forget theres a 3 booked limit 😒” barb is PISSED and i LOVE IT

“Oh i know what a google doctor is 😤”

Barb really is the best character on tv im sorry noone can do it like sheryl lee ralph like they just cant Shes everything

Janine forgetting the key term (pottery wheel) in her analogy she is so me

“Jacob if u dont like my ziti just say so and i will heave myself out that window” 😭😭

“I went to find mr johnson but he was still crying” NO 😭💔 hes just a sensitive guy 😔

“Mrs howard i blew down the house” 🥺🤏🏻 I love the kids being so central in this ep, I’ve missed that recently, and the kindergarteners are soooo cute

“🐷 I am a pig 🐺 i am a wolf 😄 and im a librarian who thinks she can just change everything around here 👋” IJBOL no please give sheryl another emmy I beg

“This programme is more of a distraction than an improvement” that’s teaaa actually. Thats so often what councils etc do, distract with new flashy things rather than fix the real problems. Even though in this case it’s well meaning it does make u think how big a priority should the library actually be? But actually children reading is super important and what did they say last season? The librarian was an alexa in glasses? 🤣

“You okay? You look like raven having a vision” 😭 you don’t understand how often i say this

I have thoughts on Barbara’s intentions and my instinct is gregory needs to keep her name out his mouth. I do think it’s really important that Janine stood up to Barbara, just maybe gregory made barbara seem worse than she was

“It’s been a rough week I could use the pick me up” i just love mr johnson

My immediate reaction was this one of my favourite episodes of the season - lots of excellent Barb moments, the kids, more mr johnson, story arcs I enjoyed and felt completed.

Janine standing up to Barbara was a really big deal for her considering her hatred of conflict and worship of barbara as a mother figure. It made me really proud to see how far janine has come.

But the longer since watching the less I like it. And it’s two main things:

- the jacob melissa room mate situation feels like jumping the shark for plots sake and not something realistic for those characters. So as much as I enjoy them and their dynamic and their growth it just feels fake.

- I dont care about the librarian. The set up feels like she could stick around and I just don’t care for new characters, I like my main people. (But then the same apprehension was had w the district people and they’ve not seemed to be around much).

I do still really like this ep and it definitely ranks highly in the season, just idk, some eps I enjoy more over time but this has made me feel more confused as to what will happen next I guess.

[sigridstumb]

Hindsight is... interesting.

At one point in my childhood I announced to a librarian that I had read all 14 L. Frank Baum Oz books over 25 times each. I read them in order, over and over again, from The Wizard of Oz to Glinda of Oz.

At age nine I memorized the AD&D first edition Dungeon Master's Guide and Players Handbook.

I was younger than seven years old when the husband of one of my mother's friends asked me why I talked like a damn encyclopedia.

I do not recall making a friend until I was 31 years old and started making friends online. Prior to that I have absolutely NO idea why other people decided to be friends with me or how they went about doing it. I definitely HAD friends, and had romantic and sexual relationships as an adult. But I don't know how or why it happened. Likeadeuce, you are the first person I deliberately tried to make friends with.

I was Gifted. From kindergarten all through elementary school, teachers kept asking my parents to move me up one or two grades. My parents said no because they thought it would be difficult for me socially. In seventh and eighth grade I took the bus to the high school in the mornings, took math and science class there, then the school district paid for a taxi to pick me up at the high school and bring me back to the junior high, where I finished the rest of my day. I ended up skipping ninth grade and attended a gifted and talented boarding school which invited kids from the entire state to attend. I never learned how to study, never learned to do homework, never learned how to memorize things. I had to derive them, very quickly, by watching my peers study in their dorm rooms in tenth grade.

In middle school I read all of the available books on Norse mythology during classes while the teacher was talking. He kept calling on me in class and I could always answer correctly. My parents were called in because I was being so disruptive. I was in tears. I had no idea what was wrong. The purpose of school was to learn, and I already knew everything the teacher was saying, so I was trying to learn other things in the time. I was trying to comply with the rules as I understood them. After the meeting my dad explained that adults do not like it when kids make them feel stupid by knowing everything. I learned that I had to pretend to not know things.

At some point I read all the books I could find about what life in medieval castles would be like, read them, used them to create a medieval castle with all the costs and materials and labor, then used what I had done to double-check the newly released 2nd ed. AD&D Castles Handbook to see if the game designers had been accurate. (They had, it was lovely.)

From age ten random strangers would yell insults at me when I was walking to and from school or bus stops. Mostly they called me a dyke.

Over one J-Term in college I read all the Arthuriana books in the college library and available via interlibrary loan. I read two translations of The Mabinogian. I read Parzival in translation. I read the archaeology summaries. This was not for a class, I just did it instead of class.

Hindsight is interesting.

[panic-at-the-waffle-house]

I don’t like BookTok :)

I know the is isn’t the “hottest take” but I just don’t like it for a lot of reasons, one big one is that it spreads the idea of “you can’t read that book”.

Growing up, I always lived by the idea that you should read what you enjoy/makes you happy. Reading in general does wonders for the brain and creativity. This is coming from not only an avid reader, but someone whose mom was a reading teacher, albeit for elementary school. The growth of all of the students was amazing and they weren’t English speakers at all. She had students who could fluently speak it/read it to kids who knew nothing. I grew up in a VERY diverse town in the Midwest. Like white people were the MINORITY. So that also meant we had a lot of different cultures and different books/entertainment that was specific to that culture.

Anyway back to books lol.

The biggest critique I have with BookTok is that if there’s a book or series you like, someone is bound to nitpick it for some reason. I love criticism of a book, I think it’s great and being able to point out flaws leads to deep discussion. But a lot of the time, people like these books simply because THEY LIKE IT. You don’t have to like it, but they like it. Main examples are books by Colleen Hoover (I have my gripes with her, I can’t stand her books), but the people who read her books enjoy them so I’m not going to harass or bully them for something they enjoy. SJ Mass is another author who gets a lot of flame, again for reasonable reasons, but even I have enjoyed her books.

I really got into YA fantasy like early high school and late middle school. One of the first series I read was the Throne of Glass series which I picked up since my mom had the first book. I actually really enjoyed it and I was in like 7th grade at the time so some of the simplicity and common tropes were well worth it for me. But as I got older and tried to re-read the series, I couldn’t. I fell in love with the side characters more than the main ones. (Dorian was my number one boy and he still is. I was so excited whenever he appeared. Still my fav character.) I didn’t care for Aelin, Rowan, or some others simply because I just didn’t really care for them. They’re fine, just not my favs and I know some people love them which is valid.

I couldn’t even finish ACOTAR. I got halfway through and DNF’d it. I don’t care for first person point of view in general and I didn’t like her characters or the plot. Roman e was never my thing—I love it as a side plot but if the entire book is about romance I find it boring. I barely made it through The Selection.

Before fantasy YA, I was big into dystopian. THG was my first real YA book and I loved it, with the Maze Runner after it. It’s my favorite YA fictional series to this day even though it has its flaws. The move from dystopian to fantasy was very much in a certain span of my life and now I see it being so popular in media which is great. Except for the people who don’t know how to respect OPINIONS. Not only that, but gatekeeping makes me mad.

All through my life I liked reading classics, classics of every region. My mom always had classic books lying around so I would pick them up and the ones from the different ethnic groups and cultures were always at the public library for me to read. That’s how I got books like

Crime and Punishment- Russian Literature

No Longer Human- Japanese Literature

The Iliad- Greek Literature

Dracula-Irish Literature

Journey to The West-Chinese Literature

The Idiot- Japanese Literature

Don Quixote-Spanish Literature

And so many others at an early age. Some of them are well known and some aren’t—which is normal. But when some people who read classics look down on others or say “you can’t read that because you’re doing it to be quirky”, it bothers me. I always wanted to talk to others about these books and damn it I was STRUGGLING to find people to talk to about The Great Gatsby who actually liked it in seventh grade. This is PROMINENT in the BSD fandom since the characters are named after famous classical authors and some people are stuck up, not wanting these books to be read.

It never made sense to me. Maybe I’m the stupid one.

Overall, there are very few people on BookTok who I enjoy watching or listening to. Each series has its highlights and its flaws, like humans do, so just let people enjoy a book damnit. And if people want to vent or explain why they DONT like a book let them damnit.

Anyway what’s a book that scarred you for like???? I read Where The Red Feen Grows at like 10 years old and am still traumatized by it. :D

[daveysjackie]

for the ask game!!

the things we become (the selves we leave behind)

- @we-are-inevitable ✨

@we-are-inevitable i took that sentence and RAN with it

Davey and Jack have known each other since before they could even talk. Their mothers are friends, united by the fact that they’re foreigners in New York with very young sons.

The boys are the best of friends and rarely spend time away from each other.

Jack has the same world view as his mother. He sees beauty in everything. She inspires his love for painting, immortalising the beauty with whatever he can. By the time he’s six, he’s dabbled in about ten different types of artistry, even photography. Even though they live almost hand to mouth, his mother never lets him feel that squeeze, buying him whatever he wants for his next artistic endeavour.

Davey is more like his father. He tells a damn good story, even though he’s young and his language is limited. He sees beauty in words, fascinated by how stories used to be told from person to person, long before books were common. He would write his own fairy tales and read them to his parents at night instead of them reading to him.

They always encouraged each other.

When Jack has the opportunity to design a welcome poster for their elementary school, Davey encourages him to do it. And whenever he passes it in the hall, for years, no matter who he’s with, he makes sure to mention that his best friend designed it.

Similarly, when there’s a young writers competition in their first year of middle school, Jack encourages Davey to submit a story. When he wins, Jack gets it printed into an actual book for Davey (with a cover designed by him of course)

Then Jack’s dad gets a job opportunity in Santa Fe.

They promise to keep in touch, write letters, try to call but they’re still heartbroken because they’ve never been so far from each other.

And to their credit, they do try.

But then Jack’s dad is arrested because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and is killed in prison. And then it’s just him and his mom and Davey falls by the wayside because he’s all his mom has now. He spends less time drawing and more time studying, doing whatever menial jobs he can so the two of them can keep the roof over their head and put food in their stomachs. It’s a struggle but they just about make it work. 

Until Jack’s mother is diagnosed with cancer.

He drops out of school at 14 to earn money, lying about his age (I’m short for my age) so people will actually give him a job because he lost his dad, he can’t lose his mother as well.

His efforts give his mother nearly three more years with her son before she passes.

Meanwhile, Davey is upset that he barely speaks to his best friend and does his best to move forward.

Everything changes when his dad is injured.

Yes, they get money because it happened while he was on the job but there’s another baby on the way and they're forced to move to a not so pleasant neighbourhood. His parents assure them that they’ll be fine and everything will be okay but Davey sees the injustice for what it is and why should the family suffer for growing just because their primary breadwinner can’t work?

He abandons his fictions and throws himself into the facts, researching old political movements and legal precedents set by people who just wanted to be treated fairly.

When they meet again, they don’t even recognise each other.

Davey is at the local library, doing some research for his next case. He asks someone stacking books on the shelves for help to find a specific text. The person seems vaguely familiar but Davey dismisses it as his stressed mind  playing tricks on him.

He doesn’t realise it was Jack until he glances at the picture of him and Jack, aged 7, that sits beside his bed.

He goes back to the library the next day but can’t find him. He almost believes that the stress has finally gotten to him and he’s lost the plot and leaves, only to crash right into Jack who’s just coming into work.

It takes a minute for Jack to recognise Davey as well but they’re both overjoyed at being reunited.

Jack has to rush into work but they exchange numbers and make plans to meet up that weekend.

Both spend the rest of the week idolising the other. Jack is convinced that Davey is one draft away from becoming a literary sensation and Davey believes that Jack was so close to opening his own art gallery.

When they meet up and the truth is revealed, the rose tinted glasses they thought of each other through are shattered.

Jack reveals that his main job is as a mechanic but he’s also working to finally get his high school diploma and then maybe even give college a try but he’s not quite sure what degree he’d pursue if he did.

Davey tells Jack that he’s a lawyer for civil cases, primarily for compensation and workers rights after what happened to his dad.

They leave that reunion, disillusioned. Neither is anything like the other remembers.

And the part of them that realised they were in love with the other realises they were in love with who they used to be.

They meet again the next weekend, both believing it’ll be the last time.

Then Davey pulls out a book. Its cover is worn and the spine is destroyed but Jack recognises it instantly. It’s Davey’s story that he had printed all those years ago. Davey admit there’s never been a day that he hasn’t sat and admired the cover.

Then Jack bashfully admits that the reason he also works in the library is because he believed it would be the best way to find out if Davey ever released a book like he always wanted to when they were younger.

They’re both very different people to who they fell in love with all those years ago. And their first love will always be that boy in their memory. But maybe they could learn to love the new people each other has become.

[byericacameron]

Hi! I figure you have a ton of asks so I’ll try to keep this brief but I read Island of Exiles in fifth grade (a little young? maybe. but I had free rein of the library and inhaled books faster than my parents could keep track of), and it absolutely changed my life. Not only did I love it (and find out just how much I could ship a ship, that is, as much as a fifth grader can), but the existence of a third gender in your fictional society started the wheels turning in my own mind of just how much I wanted that, and honestly, I don’t think I would have figured out I was nonbinary if not for your book. It was a long and hard journey of identity and it would have been so much harder if my sheltered self hadn’t had anything or anyone to relate to at all. Not to mention how me and my twin incorporated your magic system and world into the stories we’d dream up for hours every night. A few years later, I went looking for the other books and ultimately gave up on reading the rest of the series because the third had been out of print at the time and I didn’t think I’d be able to handle another cliffhanger ending of the second if it was like the first, but this time, unresolved forever. But recently I started thinking about it again, did some googling, and saw they were re-released— and let’s just say that my day and maybe my year is made. I’m so unbelievably excited to fall in love with this universe and these characters all over again. From the bottom of both my heart and that of my eleven year old self, thank you for sharing your writing and, by extension, your soul with us all.

Okay, first off...

And possibly all of my 2023. Many readers assume that authors receive hundreds of emails and messages, but for a lot of authors who aren't New York Times bestsellers, that's not true. Messages like this are incredibly rare, and I deeply appreciate you taking the time to send this to me.

It means more than I can say that you identified so strongly with the way I described gender and society in The Ryogan Chronicles. A huge part of why I included a standard third gender and made bisexuality a more standard norm is that I wanted people to see how easily we could shape our society to be just as equal and inclusive. For readers who had never heard of intersex, trans, bi, or ace people, this was a chance to see them portrayed in a story where they could go on adventures and live in a world where they weren't judged for who they were but for what they did. I hoped this might help some readers understand those who were different from them. It's even better if the story somehow helped you figure something out about yourself.

Writing and reading have helped me figure things out about myself before, too, so I know a little bit of what you're feeling. For me, it was a lot later in my life that these realizations came because representation like I now include in my books didn't exist in any of the stories I read growing up. Maybe if stories had been more inclusive when I was in elementary and middle school, I would have walked a very different path in my teens and twenties.

Honestly, it's the rare messages like yours that kept me working toward re-publishing the Ryogan Chronicles series even after my original publisher pulled them from print. I knew it was unlikely that the series would suddenly explode in popularity or anything like that, but it was worth the work for the few people I knew would care about being able to finally reach the end of Khya's journey.

As a bonus, because I had complete control over everything that went into the new versions, I was able to include multiple maps and other special features to make the books even more special.

The whole series is finally available again on Amazon. I hope you enjoy the final book even half as much as you enjoyed the beginning of the series, and maybe one day you'll come up with your own wonderful world that can help the next generation figure something out about themselves. Keep reading and keep writing, even if it's just for yourself and your friends/family, and thank you again for letting me know you were out there. Readers like you are exactly why I wrote this series, and you're also why I made sure I eventually got these books back out into the world.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I hope you have a wonderful New Years full of new stories and wonderful new experiences!

[deadboyfriendd]

I'm the one who asked about the letters a few days ago. Thank you for answering 😊 I can't wait for the weekend because I plan on staying in and reading all of Cochise. I'm so excited!

I hope this isn't a weird thing to say but I'm so blown away that you're only 23 and you can write like this. I am so amazed. I'm pushing 30 myself and I can't imagine writing anything that comes close to some of the blurbs and ficlets you've written. How long have you been writing for if you don't mind me asking? and how did you get into it?

Hi again anon!

Thank you so much! I pride myself on my writing and especially since I immerse myself so much in this. I've been writing stories for as long as I can remember, and a lot of that spawned from my love for reading.

My great grandmother was the librarian in the childrens section of the basement of our city's historic library, and her husband was an author who wrote westerns! I come from a long line of people who love it, so I've always been a big reader. I think my biggest catalyst was when I was 13 and I discovered wattpad at a way too young an impressionable age. My first fic was for Carl from The Walking Dead!

I didn't pick it back up until I was about 15 or 16, when I wrote a John Murphy fic for the 100 fandom (still my most popular fic to this date. like 150k hits to this date WHAT) after that I never really picked writing back up again. I was super involved in school and my artwork and then I went to college.

It wasn't until one of my professors stopped me with like a year left of nursing school and told me that I was too talented to be wasting my time in medical school and that I needed to turn around and reevaluate. After that, I was rediscovering creativity again and learning how much I had been missing from myself when I suppressed that need to create. So I turned around, went to design school, quit my barista job, and started working as an art teacher and a librarian at a local elementary school. I picked up writing again almost two years ago and I fell in love with it again. I have met some really amazing writers through this platform that have pushed me to find a style and really feel it again.

A big part of my writing style can be attributed to the books and media that I consume, almost everything on my blog is an AU of something, no matter how overt. Once I started reading heavily again, I could really let myself be inspired and get creative and fall in love with the process again.

Thank you for letting me ramble anon!

I hope this half-answered your question!

[graylinesspam]

It's hard to be a kid that asks for help.

When I was in elementary school I was struggling with ADHD and isolation from my peers. It was nearly impossible for me to stay on task. I spent most of my day talking to myself out loud. Of course, my teacher found this disruptive and sent many warnings home to my parents that I was completely unable to stop interrupting class and that I needed to be disciplined. My mother tried many punishments to curb my behavior. I was grounded, screamed at, held in lunch detention, sat out at recess. I spent a year getting spanked every single day when I came home. At her wits end my mother threatened to come into school with me every day until I learned to act right. She had a whole speech about doing her hair up in curlers and dressing in a robe and slippers in order to humiliate me in front of my peers, who she knew I was already ostracized from. She said i would have to sit at a desk with her alone and away from my classmates as if that were a threat. When she asked me if I would like that I agreed immediately. i knew with my mom there she'd be able to help me with the work I struggled with, she'd be able to keep me focused and my teacher would never yell at me in front of the class again if my mom were there.

She did not in fact come to school with me. When I started talking about how excited I was about the idea she only became quiet and didn't speak for the rest of the car ride. Over the next several weeks as I continued to struggle I asked her several times to come to school and help me, she only told me that she didn't have time.

Eventually, I figured out that if I behaved badly enough I would be sent to ISS in the library, where I had access to all the textbooks I needed and I could work at my own pace with fewer distractions. This worked for a year until eventually they figured out that i was getting in trouble on purpose and banned me from ISS.

When I was in the fifth grade I had an A in every class except math, which I was constantly struggling to pass. I had several meetings with the leaders of the gifted and talented program who were trying to figure out why I had such a low grade in only 1 class. They tried all sorts of incentives to get me to bring my grade up, they offered to let me join the program if i could get all As. They offered me access to the higher reading level books in the library. They offered to let me participate in some Academic competitions and the rewards I'd get if we won. They even let me come to a handful of the fun "smart kid" English classes with floor discussions and poetry readings. They did not offer me any tutoring. When my grade did not go up they gradually lost interest in me. I was so disappointed that my parent came up to the school to find out what happened and they were informed that since my grades did not qualify me they would pay tuition instead. I was never admitted to the program.

Because of that incident and the introduction of Division into my math coursework, I had a series of breakdowns that led to me being put in a troubled kid therapy program. part of the program was supposed to be that I could leave class anytime I felt I was on the verge of having a meltdown and go to the counselor's office instead. I was diligent in following the guidelines, I took my work with me down to the office and sat alone to do my work, occasionally asking the counselor for help with the work. I had no more breakdowns after I was given a medium to regulate myself with. And because of that the "privilege" was taken away from me for abusing it. when I "clearly didn't need it."

I spent all of middle school in and out of similar programs all offering to help me deal with my feelings but none of them benefiting me academically. On two separate occasions, I asked to join the tutoring programs or the programs for kids that struggled academically. I was either outright declined or they administered a written test to see if i qualified and I didn't score low enough.

Despite advocating for myself constantly every single person I spoke to was convinced that it was an emotional problem and not an academic problem. Counselors always liked to ask me what they could do to help me help myself and I was adamant about receiving one on one tutoring for math. The ones that didn't immediately shut me down and kick me out spent the whole meeting discussing me taking AP classes in the subjects I was excelling in instead of addressing my problems with math; as if that would make up my grade average. Every meeting was structured as a punishment and when i tried to receive actual support i was iced out.

When I did my own research and realized that I likely had Dyscalculia I was told that i needed to get diagnosed in order to receive any accommodations. supposedly there was a woman who worked at the school that could get me signed up for and administer the test. She had a corner office upstairs, I know it well because i visited so many times. I went everyday for the first month. Then sporadically through out the rest of the year. I received conflicting information about her schedule but no matter when i showed up the office was always locked. I left my information with every councilor, with the teachers in the neighboring rooms, and taped to the office door. To this day i do not believe that woman actually existed.

My last year of highschool I was facing the possibility of not graduating despite the fact that I had Exceptional grades other than math and that I only really needed to take math classes for my last year since i had all other relevant credits. I was finally admitted into the credit recovery course and thankfully met the only math teacher in my life that ever gave a fuck about me. I scored high enough in my classes that year to graduate but i still failed the math portion of the SATs as i did every years. The madness did not stop once i got to college because i was barred from taking any math courses until i could retake and pass the SATs.

I searched high and low for a tutor that would take an adult clients looking for help with SAT prep. because of the area i live in i have found obsoletely no one. all available programs within two hours of where I live are for children. I've been told I should have asked for help sooner.

So if you're a kid that thinks that no one is trying to help you they just want you to stop being a problem...you're probably right.

And anyone who is demoralized now because you think you should have advocated for yourself more instead of wallowing in your own missery through your teenhood. I promise you us overachieving loud annoying know it all kids aren't doing any better. No one was rooting for us either.

[starrysimp]

HUMAN DBH AU (headcanons?)

(Hello! Is my writing okay? Feel free to give me tips!)

Im still going to do Kara, Luther, Connor, Sixty and Nines just a WIP for now (I'm actually considering to make this a full story and it's SiMarkus-ish hope you all don't mind

MARKUS

-starting off with Markus Manfred, he's pretty much an easy guy to start with. He got adopted by Carl Manfred and grew up with Leo together as brothers. He was living the luxurious life and grew up to be an aspiring artist.

-Since Carl was a famous painter and went to a lot of events, he always brought Markus and Leo along. Carl really does his best to keep his sons away from the public eye so it wouldn't be such a bother to deal with people all the time.

-Markus is homeschooled. Yet he's an extroverted person.

-Markus never let money and fame get the best of him because Carl taught him to be more humble and reserved. Leo was the opposite, became a drug addict somewhere in his life.

-Markus felt a little bit guilty now that he was getting older and was still relying on his dear old dad for money so he proposed an idea about making a library/bookstore.

-Carl assured him that they had enough money and Markus didn't need to work but Markus insisted (somewhere in his life, his dream was to own a library/bookstore and read all day)

-Markus really didn't want to use the Manfred name to boost his bookstore business but it seemed so fitting and had to ask permission from his father. Carl thought it was ridiculous to ask for even such a thing and told him to do whatever the hell he wanted.

-So now here he was with 'MANFRED BOOKSTORE'

-Markus hung up some of his father's paintings and his own in the bookstore to make the place look aesthetically pleasing.

-guess what? All his books were sold out on day one haha.

SIMON AND DANIEL

-absolutely love the idea of them being brothers.

-Still cant work out what their last names would be so here I am just calling them by their first name.

-Oh you messed with Simon? Sleep with one eye open tonight.

-Oh damn, you didn't know the blond guy you messed with had a twin? Count your days.

-When they were teenagers, Daniel was somehow in trouble from time to time. The good student Simon, sometimes gets mistaken and could also receive the punishment.

-this caused a lot of arguments.

-One would immediately assume that Simon would never swear, and if one of them did it would always be Daniel. But if you pushed your luck just hard enough you'd hear a swearing Simon with a mouth worse than a sailor's. He will absolutely demolish you with his words.

-For one, Simon of course has friends. North and Josh from his old elementary school who were practically inseparable.

-Simon was such a crybaby when he was in elementary school, North hates him for it but somehow stayed with him throughout his life. You made Simon cry? Wow man, lock your doors.

-Daniel is somehow skilled in picking locks??? He locks himself out of the house very often and he taught himself how to pick locks. He seems shady.

-Simon and Daniel were financially unstable growing up and they eventually dropped out of college and started finding some jobs.

-North and Josh insist the money they give Simon, he politely refuses and doesn't want to seem like a burden.