#so i have plenty of time to drop the class if necessary

[boycritter]

if i dont get into [college redacted] im straight up dropping physics. that school is the only reason im taking this secret layer of hell disguised as a class. i am not gonna put myself through another semester of this bullshit if i dont have to.

[kirietown]

Charmless Morning | Ch. II

Pairing: mark grayson x f!reader

Summary: before there was the hive, there was only you.— or perhaps before there was you, there was the hive? it hurt your head to think about it, but all you knew for certain was that now you were one in the same, and if the hive wanted mark grayson, then so did you.

Content: mind hive control, college move in!, the hive shenanigans, minor body horror

18+

[chapter one] [chapter two] — ongoing series

Word count: 2.1K

a/n: i promise we will have mark appear in the next chap <3

College meant a lot of things; change was the most major thing. Luckily, you hadn’t gone through many throughout your first week. Though it was difficult to part with your bees; your backyard had grown into a large sanctuary over the course of your adolescence and housed thousands of bees of various breeds. You promised them you’d see them on the weekends because thankfully it was only a half hour drive from your college. 

Upstate was promising, but you had no interest in socializing— and had heard plenty of roommate horror stories on Reddit that caused you to implant a bee as soon as you saw your roommate come in with a scowl on her face and more luggage than necessary. Her name was Darla-May, a second year, (not Darla, not May, but Darla-May), and she grew up in the city but had some questionable tradwife views. Had you not planted the bee in her brain, you would have never found out about the fact she was planning to have her group of friends harass you to force you to drop out so she could have the room to herself. 

Luckily, campus was buzzing with bees and you managed to find one for each of them! They lived life the same, though now you made sure they wouldn’t be hurting any more girls on campus. The Hive was truly a blessing. You now had your very own friend group, something most university students struggle with for months. They made it easier to seek out the one you were looking for, Mark Grayson, who apparently was a friend to William who had been dating Rick, who unfortunately was MIA— or possibly dead? You didn’t bother with the details, and The Hive was able to handle the rest. 

You’d learnt a few things about Mark Grayson since your stay on campus; 1. He has a girlfriend named Amber,— this, the hive was displeased by for some reason. 2. He was the superhero Invincible, son of Omniman,— though it seemed the hive already knew this. 3. Mark Grayson was not on Earth at the moment, and although The Hive knew most things, it appeared that outer space was its hard boundary. 

“How can I get close to him if he’s not even on the planet?” 

You sighed as you laid in bed and pondered over your situation. Darla-May was fast asleep in her own bed across from you, and you didn’t have to worry about potentially waking her up because her bee ensured a strict sleep schedule (she used to have a bad TikTok addiction and it was what led her down the tradwife pipeline). It wouldn’t wake her unless you wanted her to wake, or if it felt as though she were in danger. 

We wait. In the meantime, we have to prepare. 

“Prepare?” 

We’ve been tailing Amber and William. Their discussions imply that Mark has a habit of putting his hero duties over his personal life. We won’t get anywhere by trying to get through to him through there. 

“But how will we be able to do that?” You furrowed your brows in confusion,— just how could you infiltrate his superhero life? 

Is it not obvious? 

“No…” You knew where this was going, but you didn’t like the thought of it. College was supposed to be your biggest worry, but it seemed like The Hive had a different agenda for you.

Becoming a superhero was easier said than done— even with the help of The Hive. Outside of class time, The Hive had you on a strict regimen when it came to exercise and concentration. You’d learnt that if you focused your attention enough, you could connect to any bee in the country if you had to. The Hive was convinced you could link to every single one on the planet if you continued to strengthen your link. 

By the end of your second week of training, you were already stopping petty burglaries amongst other smaller crimes. You were pleased, but The Hive was convinced you could do more. 

We have to get the GDA’s attention. Go after something major, and then we’re in. 

“I don’t get why you can’t just plant a bee in one of their top agents or something…” You sighed. You walked casually on the sidewalk until you came across the tailor shop you had been looking for. You needed a proper costume now that some time had passed, as The Hive believed a baggy sweater and a scarf wasn’t heroic enough. The shop you chose was old fashioned, but it was the closest one to campus that seemed low key. You needed something that didn’t seem like it attracted a lot of visitors.

They’re incredibly thorough when it comes to access. We can’t risk them believing we’re some type of foreign invasion nor would they understand us regardless. We’d have to get their director, Cecil Stedman,— but we don’t want him to join our hive. 

The Hive was picky sometimes when it came to allowing certain individuals into its domain. Planting bees into your parents, and most regular people was fine. But it drew hard boundaries during other occasions and you weren’t sure why. 

We find him icky. 

“Hello?” You called into the tailor shop, stopping by the counter until a man emerged from a back door. 

“Hello to you as well,” he replied in a chipper tone. “My apologies, I’m the only person who works here and so it’s hard for me to manage the desk and work on suits at the same time. It feels like a back and forth between the back and the front. But it’s why I have the bell here,” he explained with a sigh, and ended his ramble by pressing his hand against the bell on his counter. 

“Anyway,” he continued. “So what can I do for you?” 

“Well,” you said. “I’m trying to get my own suit too, but something of a more niche nature. Actually, I’m glad you mentioned you’re here alone because it makes this so much easier.” He furrowed his thick brows in confusion at your words, and you only smiled tenderly. 

“Sorry,” you said. “The little guy I picked out for you is a little shy.” You sighed dramatically before you reached into your jacket pocket and pulled out a mellow bumble bee. “C’mon,” you said softly. “I know you’re young but I promise you it’ll be fine.”

”Look girl,” he said as he backed away in worry. “I don’t know what you’re on about but—“ his words were cut abruptly as the bee in your hand quickly flew off and went straight into his ear. He choked for a moment, stunned, before his expression changed to one of familiar neutrality. You sighed in relief, glad that your little friend finally got over his confidence issues. It wasn’t that the bees didn’t want to work, some were afraid of disappointing The Hive as it was a great honour to work directly for you both.

You shut your eyes, suddenly in tune with the memories of the tailor. “Okay Derek,” you said, though you didn’t need to speak physically, but you had begun to prefer it over the years due to the history of silence between yourself and your parents. “You know what to do.” 

You turned to take a seat on the couch, and watched him bring out various yellow fabrics and immediately started to work at a quickness that was beyond human. No, it was a quickness only made possible by The Hive, and its little friend.

The entire process of making your superhero costume, which would normally take any tailor several weeks, only took an hour. He needed no measurements as The Hive knew all there was to know about you and your preferences and thus your suit had been made. 

You stepped around the mannequin Derek had assembled it on and noted the fairy like appearance of the top and skirt. You pursed your lips at the sight, noting the wide open back— you weren’t opposed to a backless look but you didn’t realize the hive would select something so… revealing. 

The back is open for a reason. But unrelatedly, we want to catch Mark’s attention. 

You stepped back in shock at the words that rang in your head. “I thought you just wanted to get close to him— did you mean seduce him?” You paused for a few moments and waited for The Hive’s reply but it didn’t come. “Are you there?”

Yes. Are our intentions not obvious? 

“He has a girlfriend, which you’re aware of…” You paced around, feeling your cheeks heat up at the thought of The Hive trying to set you up with a guy you never even met. 

She doesn’t seem very happy with him.

”Whoa,” you said with a snort. “I’ve never heard you sound so snappy before, you’re usually so monotone. Why do you need this guy so bad?” You halted your walking and found yourself in front of the costume again, admiring the bright and sparkly fabric. It ideally fit the criteria of both cute and sexy. You could see Derek at the corner of your eye standing stiffly, if he had been paying attention to your conversation he didn’t show it. The Hive had said his implant would be temporary anyway, you only needed him for his skill, and now that the bee had been in his brain long enough, anyone connected both now and in the future to The Hive could duplicate his skillset. 

Everything was shared once you were a part of The Hive; in fact, everyone with a bee in their head currently knew exactly where you were right now and what you were feeling. 

Awkward. 

We think he’s an ideal candidate for us. 

“Because he’s some B-tier superhero?”

No, because he’s part extraterrestrial. It is the link we have been ready for. 

“I see,” and you really didn’t. You just hated to question The Hive too much; if The Hive got too agitated, your head would start to hurt. It wasn’t a normal pain either— it was punishment. You knew better than to question The Hive’s choices or authority. You weren’t sure why you bothered to now. 

You turned and allowed Derek to pack up the suit and associated mask. You thanked him and paid him generously for his services before you summoned his bee back into your palm. You watched his expression shift from contentment to confusion within seconds before you thanked him again and exited the store. You knew he wouldn’t remember anything that had just happened, and thankfully you didn’t have to fix any cameras as the store didn’t have any. 

That night you slept pleasantly until you awoke from immense pain searing across your back. You flailed in bed for a few seconds before you tumbled out and ripped your shirt off and threw it across the room. It hit Darla-May straight in the face but she didn’t stir whatsoever much to your annoyance. Wasn’t she supposed to sense your pain? 

We can’t see but she’s crying in her sleep, The Hive said solemnly. They all are. That’s why we waited to do this in the middle of the night. 

“W— what are you doing to me?” You cried out. You curled your back and pressed your clammy forehead to the floor, feeling the cool hard wood against your skin. The pain of your back was so intense you felt as though you’d pass out at any second if it didn’t stop. You could feel your skin splitting, as if to make room for something, though it felt less so of an invasion and more so like an intrusion— if that even made sense. You had never felt the terms were so different until now. 

Don’t worry. Just sleep. 

Instantly you relaxed, your eyes shut tightly, and despite the pain, your body and your mind listened. 

In the morning you woke up sweaty despite having been pressed top naked against the cold floor all night. Slowly, you arose twitching slightly due to the sensation of fluttering against your back. 

“What is it? What’s on my back?” You asked Darla-May who seemingly awoke a few minutes before you as she had been in the middle of grabbing her towel and other toiletry from her closet. You stared at her with anxiety written all over you. Yet, if she noticed, she didn’t show it. Generally, she was clearly unbothered by the situation. 

“Wings,” she said happily. “You have wings,— just like a bee. Isn’t The Hive so generous?” 

What a blessing, you thought bitterly. You ignored the pain suddenly digging in your skull. What a blessing to have been chosen by The Hive. 

[chronicallycouchbound]

Intelligence Doesn't Equal Morality

Intellect is rooted in ableist systems and stupidity and intelligence are pointless social constructs that don't relate to morals or character.

I try to be a pretty good person, I fight for human rights, I regularly engage in mutual aid, and I care for my community. I try to do the right thing and support causes I care about and make positive changes in the world.

But I also am not very smart. I have several neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as cognitive disabilities. I can’t do simple, basic math, it’s hard for me to remember facts or algorithms, I rely entirely on spellcheck and speech-to-text to write, I failed many classes in high school and I barely passed with a low GPA, I had low pSAT scores and I never took the SATs. I moved around a lot all through school starting in third grade, and I missed a lot of basic fundamentals in learning (like how to do division and multiplication) so when I went to a different school they had already passed it and expected me to know. After my TBI, I could barely read AFTER I was cleared from my “concussion” symptoms because letters and words would flip around and I’d get headaches. Which still happens sometimes.

A lot of people see me as smart because I've learned a lot of academic language and can formulate thoughts into cohesive posts. But I lack a lot of necessary skills and rely on my caretakers to assist me. Things like budgeting and planning are extremely difficult for me. If I need to do simple addition or subtraction, even with a calculator, I quickly get confused and struggle. I forget basic information about myself all the time, let alone other subjects. I'm talking, has to check my ID for my birthday type confused. Doesn't know my name or address or what year it is confused. It happens daily, sometimes multiple times a day. Being able to type out posts like this often takes weeks and many adaptive tools to get there. Focusing is extremely difficult on many fronts, severe chronic pain, ADHD, dissociation, fatigue, migraines, and TBI, are just some of the contributing factors. I struggle daily with many things because of my lack of intellect.

I’m also privileged in the fact that I had some access to education as a homeless youth, that I had some supports in place to help me (towards the end of school), that I was somewhat able-bodied at the time and could walk or bike to and from school when the school system didn’t provide transportation. I was fortunate to have a chance to succeed, and I’m proud that I graduated high school because it was a difficult task for me, and others often aren’t offered that chance or get accommodations. I almost didn’t and I dropped out many times before graduation. I passed on sheer luck and what little privileges I had. 

That all being said, me being stupid (reclaiming it here) doesn't make me a bad person. I don't hurt people because I can't do math. I may mess up things or get confused but it doesn't make me want to harm others.

We often (wrongfully) equate morals with intellect. Being ‘stupid’, ‘dumb’, or an ‘idiot’ doesn’t automatically make someone a bad person. Plenty of evil, awful, and abusive people are extremely intelligent. 

I see this most notably with people advocating for IQ tests to be able to vote. Often from left-leaning people, in hopes it'll make the right (that they view as unintelligent), unable to vote. The reality is, it just hurts some of our most vulnerable members of the community while not actively doing anything to restrict some of the most dangerous members of our community-- those who know what they're doing to harm others and deliberately doing so. My voice matters, and I speak up against injustice and participate in dismantling oppressive systems. Taking away my right to vote won't make the right stop oppressing minorities (which also puts a lot of faith into the two-party voting system, which is a post for another day).

Additionally, legislative measures that discriminate against intellectually disabled people such as IQ tests for voting are also rooted in racism and classism. 

Yes, education can be a vital tool when it comes to addressing discrimination and creating safer communities. But the kind of education that is measured with an IQ test (or any test) isn't the same. Building compassion and caring for others can (and should) happen at any IQ level. We can all practice this, we can all participate.

It harms our communities and stagnates our progress when we equate intelligence with high morals.

[lilyrachelcassidy]

'Amity' (Felix Catton x Reader)

A/N: Hiya, y'all. Welcome back after this what-seems-like-forever hiatus. Coming back with a fully-fluffy fluff, so if you are feeling mushy today, go for it.

Warnings: As much as I love exploiting TGs, today is not the day.

Summary: Some fluffy encounter with Felix.

Word Count: 0.6k

"Y/N, yeah?" asked a voice behind you.

You turned around, clearly startled to see no other than Felix Catton right in front of you. It was unforeseen, seeing as he had never engaged in nothing beyond a quick gaze exchange with you. You always wondered who would be the one to give in and finally initiate a conversation, should that ever happen in the first place.

"What's up?" you asked, innocently, bestowing him with a friendly grin on your part. Instinctively, he reciprocated the gesture.

"Uhm.. yeah. So I have seen you around the campus. Plenty of time, actually. We never really had a chance to talk... And I... you know..." He began toying with his fingers, momentarily losing your gaze.

Was he stressed? It seemed so... A bizarre sight it was, seeing a flustered man of two meters stumbling upon his words and blushing like a girl. Upon his downcast smile, your grin ever so widened at the cuteness of this scene.

But gosh, was he bewitching. These doe brown eyes and slightly too-long-hair played the tricks on your mind as he stood there, dwarfing over your figure with his lofty posture.

"You know, if you want to ask me out..." A taunting smirk pained on your lips. "I would be more than pleased to say 'yes.'"

He instantaneously, somehow with too much animation, looked at you from the ground. His eyes held a state of avidity and relief in them. After ogling you for a few seconds, frozen, he probably realized that he was gaping and so he smiled at you keenly with his gaze momentarily dropping to your lips. It was a hasty action, almost imperceptible if you weren't scrutinizing his face. But you noticed.

"Really?" he more sighed than asked. Even so, your eyes lit up and you nodded, trying to pull off the most composed version of yourself, yet failing miserably. "So that's cool."

You both laughed at that. You studied each other's expressions for longer than necessary, the two of you somehow locked in the moment and not able to draw away. Somewhere in the background, someone called out your name and it finally clicked that you should probably get going at this point.

"Listen, as much as I love talking to you... I have to go," you said with a pout which was actually genuine. You detested the fact that you couldn't stay out any longer, delve into the chat with Felix; but your teacher probably had already begun the lecture and it didn't deem ideal for you to lose another one of disquisitions after a day of a hangover break. Or a series of such breaks.

Felix pursed his lips, disappointment imparting on his features. With a mere nod of acknowledgment, he forced on a smile, making some nugatory movement with his arms as if suddenly not knowing what to do with them. "So see you after classes, yeah?"

"Mhm..." you hummed, casually smiling at him in response. Once he started to walk away, his long legs taking the strides that quickly carried him away from you, you determined to ask him one last question before departing: "Don't you want my phone number or something?"

He only twisted his head over his shoulder to get a better view of you. Then he beamed at you. "Already got it."

And he winked. A cocky, playful wink that made your insides flip.

A minute or two later, your phone screen lit up with the unknown number sending over a text: "So a picnic, next weekend?"

xoxoxooxooxoxoox

A/N: I feel like everyone at some point of their lives has to have a crush on Jacob Elordi. Imo the best version of him is the one in Saltburn, like *a girly scream of thirst.* As always, constructive criticism and whatever feedback highly appreciated.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Hey! I really love your recommendations— I’m just now getting into Ironsworn as a solo game from one of your posts. I was wondering, and I know this is a difficult and maybe weird ask, but do you know any solo rpgs that have good tactical combat? I enjoy narrative systems a lot, but my biggest passion is getting deep into tactics and strategy. I can’t even imagine how a solo game could get much more tactical than Ironsworn is, but if there are any out there I’d really love to try them out.

THEME: Solo Tactical Games

Hello, thank you so much for the lovely compliment! Let’s see if I can find anything for you.

EZCARGOT, by Garlickatsu.

"The surface has been lost. What remains is a gray, featureless and foggy wasteland. Dangerous, unidentifiable Entities roam free. Humanity lives in Rifts that keep them safe from Entites. These Rifts are kept open using a highly volatile resource called Anomaly. You pilot an EZ.CARGO.Trailer to transport one chunk of stable Anomaly between Rifts. Scan for the route ahead. Protect the Anomaly. Make it to your next destination alive."

EZCARGOT is more of an exploration game than it is a combat game, but the fact that you’re protecting an Anomaly makes combat feel necessary, even if it’s just a necessary part. That being said, the building and maintenance of your EZCARGOT vehicle is definitely at the centre of this game. This vehicle has compartments for various purposes; generating energy, firing weapons, carrying the Anomaly, and more.

On top of maintaining the EZCARGOT and protecting your precious cargo, there is the hazard of the land you must travel to get from rift to rift. If you want a game that’s weird, futuristic and dangerous, you might like EZCARGOT.

Delve to Earn Dimes, by flumpledev.

The surface world became uninhabitable for most people long ago. Not due to any cataclysm or war, but due to low wages.

In this solo journaling TTRPG you play as a crew of career dungeon delvers who are able to afford to live on the surface- as long as you spend most of your time surviving inside the dungeon. With a blackjack resolution mechanic you will need to weigh risk and reward, survival and honor in The Undercity.

A deck-of-cards dungeon delve, this game gives you a crew of characters to manage, rather than just one. Each member has different skills, attached to the four suits of your deck of cards. These cards also double as encounter generators, creating obstacles and enemies as you move down each floor of your dungeon.

Each day of in-game time, you will have an encounter. I suspect many of these encounters will be combat focused, since in most case you’ll have to decide whether you press on and deal with the encounter, or flee. You’ll also have a boss to defeat on each floor in order to keep moving onward - and a juicy reward after each boss fight that gives you the feeling of levelling up.

Hollow Hike, by RollForThings.

Hollow Hike is a short��Dark Souls-inspired RPG about travelling a blighted land as a deathless Hollow, repeatedly dying and reviving against difficult foes, discovering the secrets of a lost kingdom, and slaying the Ashen Lords along the way. Hollow Hike is designed for a one-player experience, but can optionally be played with a GM for a duet game.

If you like gritty combat, you’ll probably like Hollow Hike. Similar to plenty of traditional fantasy games, you have a level and a class, and similar to Dark Souls, you need to collect souls to level up. If you die, you drop all of the souls you’ve collected up until then, and you’ll have to reach the same point in order to pick them back up - if you’ve played Bloodborne, this is probably familiar to you!

One of the ways the game is challenging is in the single-use nature of your items. You can use them to give yourself slight advantages in combat, but once you use them, they’re gone. However, I think the highlight of this game is the bosses on each level. They’re the doors to a new realm when they are defeated, and if they are an Ashen Lord, they’re extra special - they bring you one step closer to a true escape.

Factory of the Machine God, by Anthony Hobday.

A solo pen-and-paper tactical mech combat game.

An AI virus has uploaded itself to Mech Factory 12 [North Sea]. It has named itself “The Machine God.” We cannot send autonomous mechs against it. You will be airlifted to the factory. Go to the 5th floor and shut down the server. Clean-up crews will land on your all-clear.

This feels very much like an old-school rpg, with levels of the factory to work through, 6 skills, and various module spaces with which you can build your mech. Because you’re building your ideal war-machine, I think character creation alone can make this game tactical, but of course you’ll also have to battle various enemies as you try to get closer and closer to the final boss. The game also comes with an order of operations for enemies to act, which makes it easier for you to plan ahead and try and make the most of what you have.

Factory of the Machine God is rather minimalist in presentation, but I think it has a really strong concept as its base conceit, and I think it’s worth checking out all the same.

My Spoons are Stabby!, by Caramel Sugarevil.

Welcome to My Spoons are Stabby, a solo roguelike game where you’re dungeon crawling through your mind and dealing with the monsters you find there. The best weapon in the Monster Hunter’s arsenal is their mind, so we developed The Chaos Machine, the holodeck that mentally links to the Hunt Team. Through that, they can work through their issues individually or as a team. 

My Spoons are Stabby uses a deck of cards for task resolution, and your character has four stats that correspond to each card suit. You play by drawing cards from a draw pile and placing them into a daily spread of 6.

Your primary resource is called “Spoons”, which are required to do most things. If you run out of spoons too soon, you can take a wound or use up resources, but both are limited - and if you get 5 wounds, you lose the game.

The genre of the game feels a bit like urban fantasy. Each card you draw introduces various complications and monsters, many of which have special rules about how to deal with that day’s specific problem.

If you want a game that’s a strong metaphor and feels a little bit like a pick-your-own adventure with a few extra pieces to manage, you might like My Spoons are Stabby.

Welcome to the Dungeon, by wym_lawson.

You are the overseer of the realm of darkness, the supreme ruler of all monsters, known to the humans as The-Tainted-One. Despite these grand titles and immense responsibilities, you just want to live a quiet, peaceful life with your skeleton friends and pet slimes. But why do the humans find the need to invade your domain, seeking to destroy you and disrupt your peace?

Fine. If they insist on war, you will give them just that. In Welcome to the Dungeon, you play as the Dark Lord. Your goal is to build a dungeon filled with traps and monsters to thwart these pesky Heroes. Each victory against these intruders earns you resources, enabling you to enhance and expand your dungeon. Hopefully, you will be prepared to face the ultimate adventuring party led by the Chosen One.

I think Welcome to the Dungeon is kind of a tactical combat, but most of the tactics happen before any of the combat starts You create a dungeon with a certain number of points; the more points used, the higher the level of the dungeon. Apart from rooms, you’ll also need to create traps and Monsters - if you’re familiar with Boss Monster the boardgame, I think it feels slightly like that.

You’re also going to building the Heroes, which are the foes that you pit your dungeon against. These heroes have levels, just like your dungeon, but they also have classes, special reactions, and traits that will make defeating them difficult. If you defeat them, you get more points! Perhaps you can use those to make your dungeons even deadlier on your second play!

First Monarch, by Mundos Infinitos.

After THE FALL, We conceive the perfect MONARCHS And they, released their CRIMSON MIST. Many became SPECTERS, cities crumbled. Some survived, underground. The GUARDIAN has found her CHOSEN, With the duty of defeating the… FIRST MONARCH

The creator behind Mundos Infinitos is very good at packaging a whole experience in just a few pages. One page of First Monarch is full of oracles, generators that make your adventure unpredictable. Another page is dedicated to character details and special abilities; including a Bloodlust track that fills every time you turn a failure into a victory.

You play two characters in First Monarch, rather than one: a Chosen and a Guardian. The Chosen is the character with special abilities, but the Guardian has a special dice that can be used to lend you her aid in certain circumstances. She can also give you her blood to reduce your Bloodlust.

All in all, a lot of flavour in a very small package.

Other Posts To Look At

Not all of the games in these posts will be tactical, but these are the recommendation posts that I think are most likely to have tactical games.

Solo Showdowns Recommendation Post

Chrono Trigger / FFVI Solo Games

Solo Knights

Also Consider…

Godspark, by M.Allen Hall.

The Void series from ParaMyth Games.

[dailycharacteroption]

Pop Culture Builds 14: Hiccup (How to Train Your Dragon)

We’re back with another pop culture special, and we got some really nice ones this time. It was hard to narrow it down to 5. Apologies if you don’t see your suggestion. If only I could do all of them.

In any case, today we’re focusing on the protagonist of a popular recent animated series (and a less popular upcoming remake), none other than Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, of the Hooligans of Berk.

Growing up a rather frail young man after his mother was seemingly abducted and slain by a dragon, Hiccup struggled to live up to the example of his overprotective father. In his desperation to do so, he went out to slay a dragon, common but dangerous beasts that the clan had learned to slay to protect their homes and livestock from over the centuries.

However, what he found was a Night Fury, a black dragon so elusive and agile that no Berkian had ever clearly seen one, let alone slay. However… He couldn’t do it. The beast was at his mercy, entangled in the ropes of the contraption he had used to ensnare it, but he could only see himself in it’s plight, so he let it go, though for a moment it seems like the dragon would repay his kindness with death.

After that, he found the dragon again, and managed to befriend it, giving it the name Toothless (based on the erroneous initial belief that it had none).

From there, Hiccup had many adventures with the dragon, convincing his father that dragons need not be their enemies, losing his leg in a fight against a deadly and powerful dragon, and facing foes seeking to exploit dragon-kind either as poachers, dragon-lords, and even as fellow dragons of immense dominant power. The frail young man who had previously been a disappointment as a viking had become a clever and courageous hero that all could look up to.

Hiccup is human, but that’s not super necessary for the build, though a small race will actually get to the “riding a dragon” part much faster. He should definitely have a decent intelligence even though that’s normally not something especially useful to a martial class though.

For this build, my first thought was the drake warden archetype for ranger, but then I realized that particular archetype only lets you get your drake up to small size, which is not contusive to the build. Silver Champion for Paladin was also a thought but that offers divine powers that do not mesh well with Hiccup as a concept. So instead, I went with the drakerider archetype for cavalier! A good mix of no magic plus a dragon that actually grows in power enough to actually be ridden on.

Now, there are a few choices to be made with this class, and the first is the order. The drakerider archetype normally limits your possible orders based on the personality of the drake, but honestly even though it’s one of the drakerider “generic” options, the order of the dragon fits Hiccup’s personality the best, and helps make up for the fact the archetype loses the tactician ability in terms of giving guidance to his allies.

And then there’s Toothless himself as represented by the drake companion. For this build, we will assume that a Night Fury is a fire-aligned dragon (thereby getting it the fire breath early), and focus the chosen drake abilities on getting glide, flight, improved flight, mount, and improved mount. You might consider dropping improved mount or improved flight if you want the breath weapon to be a bit more powerful, or asking for a homebrew feat that lets you take an additional drake power.

As for feats, Hiccup likely has a few that improve his intimidation and leadership, including possibly the leadership feat itself, as well as Craft Magical Arms and Armor and Craft Wondrous Items to represent his skill at inventing useful tools. Obviously, he should also have plenty of feats associated with mounted combat as well.

Aside from the necessities of riding a dragon into battle, Hiccup does have some special equipment to use, including his “dragon blade” he calls Inferno. This weapon uses the various secretions used by the series’ dragons as part of their breath attacks to ignite the sword in flames or even cause explosions. This is probably best represented by a sword with the flaming burst enchantment, as well as perhaps a unique enchantment that can replicate the effects of burning hands or even fireball. Meanwhile, his shield might have a unique transformation enchantment akin to the many functions of a rod of lordly might, while his flightsuit is more mundane but offers maneuverability in the air. Beyond that, a magic item that grants invisibility can also be useful for replicating a Night Fury’s natural stealth capabilities.

If you’re willing to change things up, you could try altering the drake powers or the subtype you give Toothless to focus on flight or on their breath weapon if that is what you prefer. Silver Champion can also be a good alternative to drakerider if you don’t mind the divine flavor. (Especially since it grants the mount power for free, freeing up some space). Alternatively, you could play Hiccup without those archetypes and just… have a drake or dragon mount for story reasons (likely a high-power campaign), though there is a 3rd party class called Dragonrider by Rogue Genius Games (shoutout to Owen K.C. Stephens) if you prefer a more beefy dragon. If you’re playing a class without an inherent draconic mount, Investigator might be a good fit for the character thanks to his smarts.

A Second Edition would also be quite easy as taking any class or archetype that grants an eidolon with a draconic shape.

Dragon mounts are perhaps one of the most desired things in fantasy gaming. (Right up there with the fantasy creature love interest of any gender) So nobody is going to think twice if you bring this Hiccup-proxy to a table, and certainly not if you modify it to represent your own character. That will do for today though. Look forward to more characters throughout the week though!

[being-addie]

How to Glow Up for School

Got an ask for tips to glow up, thought I'd make a separate post for it too.

⭐Workout⭐:

There's no rule that the gym is the only place to workout.

Youtube videos: There are tons and tons of great workout videos from people with a large following. My favourites are Caroline Girvan, growingannanas, Pamela Reif and Madfit. Go get sweaty!

Makeshift weights: You can water bottles filled with water/sand as weights or buy ankle weights to put around your wrists as you get stronger.

Run: This is an amazing source of cardio. I gave up a while back on this because I detest running, but it really does work. Plug in your headphones and go for a run in nature.

Dance: Dancing is a really fun way to workout. Try Zumba, hip-hop or K-pop routines. Hell, even Just Dance has some good ones. Join a class if you want to stay accountable.

Let me know if you want me to drop my workout routine too

⭐Diet⭐:

Honestly, I can't give much advice here, because I'm not qualified enough. Go to a nutritionist to see if there's anything you can do. If not, eat plenty of protein and fibre, limit your junk food intake and drink lots of water. Make lots of salads and fruit bowls. Overnight oats are healthy, filling and delicious.

What I like to do, is eat everything in moderation. Say I've had a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner. I won't deny myself a nice bowl of ice cream (again, not a sundae, the key is moderation). But if I've had greasy food for lunch and takeout for dinner, I'll probably settle for fruit instead. Know that you can eat without punishing yourself, but remember not to go overboard. Food is fuel, remember.

⭐Other tips⭐:

Skincare: Don't make it too fancy. I know influencers and the like have those weird 15-step skincare routines, but it isn't necessary. I use the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and the most basic Cetaphil face lotion I could find along with an organic lip balm my mom buys. It works like a charm and its not too fancy. I also take an ABC smoothie (Apple, Beetroot, Carrot + some water.) This is such a game-changer.

Abundance mindset: I like to think of the universe constantly working in my favour. It's always looking out for me, and I'm the luckiest girl in the world. What you think is what you attract. If you think negatively, you will begin to see only bad things around you. Stay positive.

Wardrobe: Go thrifting, or DIY some old clothes. Pinterest has tons of amazing ideas. Paint your T-shirts, dye your skirts, make cute jewellery at home. There are no limits.

Makeup: I don't recommend it honestly. I'm more or less anti makeup to the point where I only own two pieces of makeup(eyeliner and lip gloss) and even those are used sparingly. Don't get used to your painted face. Your natural beauty is beautiful; and should not be hidden. There's something so amazing in someone who is confident in their own skin. Own yourself, and people will love you more for it.

Hope this helps you become the best version of yourself. Baby steps to your goal, okay? This takes time and with consistency, you WILL get there. Stay lovely. xoxo

<3

[selfmythologize]

hey y'all! this is denver [sh/th, cst, also the mun of do jihan & noh saetbyeol] with remedy's lead dancer + vocal + maknae, seo daon. you can find his career info here, his stats here, a pinterest board for him here & everything you need to know about him under the cut!

i.

tw for some intermittent mentions of bipolar disorder. no particularly heavy/detailed material.

born november 18, 1998 as the first (and only) child to an accountant (father) & a freelance translator (mother). upper-middle class.

his parents were not in love, nor were they even close to being happy. for some reason, they thought having a baby might fix that... uh, spoiler, it didn't! however, they both liked daon *okay* and overall wanted to give him a decent life, so they tried and tried and tried to make it work and kept failing.

tl;dr on his parents is that his mother struggles with (unmedicated) bipolar disorder and his father comes from a family that doesn't exactly *believe* in mental illness. he tried to be better, but ultimately views it like this: if his wife loves him and loves her son, she'll overcome whatever she's going through without having to take pills. so she doesn't take pills, and she won't overcome it because it's a real thing. they both resent each other for reasons that are probably obvious to the reader, but by the time they realized this they were already married and neither of their families exactly believe in divorce.

so daon was exposed to all of their problems in his childhood and kind of believed that he was the reason they weren't happy. they realized their problems were affecting him and decided to just keep him out of the house more so that he wouldn't be exposed to it as much, he thought this was them trying to get more time away from him, so it goes...

anyway. they had plenty of money to spend, so they spent it on him and trying to find something for him to do. after a period of trying things out, this ended up being mostly dance classes. neither parent was particularly interested in hearing about it or seeing it, but they were happy that he seemed happy. and when he got into a performing arts high school, they were glad to sign all necessary paperwork and pay the tuition. anything for daon.

ended up only completing his first year of high school because he was scouted by kevin yoon at a year-end performance. hadn't considered being an idol before, but was drawn to the idea and, again, his parents were cool with whatever would make him happy (and get him away from them). finished out the academic year and then dropped out to focus 100% on training. during this period, he pretty much severed all ties with his parents. not that he was really trying to—it's just that he didn't reach out, and they didn't either, and things have been pretty distant between them ever since. also during this period, he started to struggle with his mental health & was diagnosed with bipolar disorder (go figure!) and kind of put two and two together that with it possibly being genetic, and his mom's erratic behavior, she probably has it too. tried to have that conversation with her, she wouldn't. regardless, having her as an example scared him into being medicated, so he’s mostly stable nowadays.

remedy debuted and they flopped. which was a shocker for daon & kind of pissed him off because wdym he dropped out of school for this? … anyways patience pays off. they eventually clawed their way up, and with their rise in popularity came daon’s rise in popularity. he had a bunch of people calling him their bias, calling him a happy virus, talking about how appealing his personality is—at the time, it just felt nice. didn’t really see the thing that was beginning to set itself up.

went through his first depressive episode as a public figure a little bit after remedy *really* started to get attention. it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been considering he is medicated but his energy was significantly lower, he was hardly talking, seemed disinterested, etc etc and his fans started to turn their backs on him a little. was hit with the “where’s the daon we fell in love with?” shit versus keyboard warriors talking about how nice it was for the “annoying one” to finally shut up. and at this point he realized a lot of his fans didn’t like him as a person but as a concept. all of a sudden, all of the nice shit they had to say about him didn’t feel as good anymore.

still, he had learned what the people wanted from him, and he wanted them to keep loving him, so he’s been on that shit ever since! has starred on multiple variety shows (great escape, mari and me, currently a set cast member on amazing saturday) and is widely known for his “stupid optimism” and slapstick humor.

had his solo debut in july 2024. most of his solo stans didn’t give much of a shit about it because it didn’t exactly fit the narrative they’d built for him, and consequently he’s never talked about it much following promotions. has also never talked much about the producing, writing or choreographing he’s done because that stuff doesn’t really matter either. what matters is the aforementioned stupid optimism and slapstick humor. life’s great. :)

ii.

publicly, seo daon is hardly more than a court jester. is the “happy virus”/“mood maker” of remedy. didn’t exactly vie for the spot, but it fell into his lap due to his tendency to turn most things into a joke & his knack for breaking the ice/making quick recoveries from tense or awkward moments. he’s a very kind & considerate person who wants to keep everyone around him happy. in seo daon’s world, other people *always* come first. though he is super playful, he knows when he needs to be serious & is happy to act as a pillar of support and voice of reason if that’s what’s needed. has a very strong solo fanbase because of his approachable and “comforting” personality. is known to remember fans who frequent fansigns/fancalls and admittedly enables them to have parasocial relationships with him a little *too* much.

is really intelligent, but for whatever reason there’s been a widespread belief pretty much throughout his entire career thus far that he’s some idiot—probably because it’s public info that he didn’t finish high school 😔 reads a lot, loves learning new things, etc etc but publicly leans into the “sweet idiot” thing because that’s what the fans evidently want. and also how they’ll see him regardless. used to talk about his niche areas of interest a lot but has since stopped because everything he said was met with doubt, like he was just talking out his ass 😔 doesn’t fight the rumors anymore 😔

^^^ admittedly, he uh… does talk out his ass a lot. to him, his jokes are always obvious—to others, not so much. if he’s asked a question in an interview that he doesn’t have an interesting answer to, he’ll just make some shit up and act like it’s fact. again, thinks everyone just *knows* these filler answers aren’t actually true, so there are a lot of stories floating around about him that fans like to debate the authenticity of. also likes to commit to “long bits”, such as when post malone went country. he started talking all kinds of shit about how post introduced him to the wonders of country music, would go live and have country music playing in the bg, started going out of his way to speak english and would speak it with a well-practiced twang in his voice, would call the paps on himself just to be seen in his cowboy fits, etc etc and then dropped the shtick all at once. no one knows why he does things like this. he doesn’t know why he does things like this. so… it kind of makes sense why people never know if he’s doing a bit or not 😞

is sort of… difficult… to reach. has these high walls built up around him that *most* people probably don’t realize because he doesn’t seem cold or distant. there’s also this idea about him that he’s down to earth and unfiltered, which just… isn’t true. he makes it his purpose to provide for/at the very least entertain others so he won’t say/share anything that doesn’t fit into that purpose. ends up feeling isolated and like he doesn’t truly have anyone despite having an abundance of surface-level friends and acquaintances, and also feels like if he tries to become closer to people & be more honest they’ll slip away from him. thinks everything is conditional and he’s one step away from being left.

^^^ and due to this, can be particularly clingy towards people he feels the closest to… or even people he thinks are beginning to slip away. has probably sabotaged a number of connections by smothering. he’s the “are you mad at me?” 10x a day friend.

^^^ also due to this, i hc that he's been single forever. has had some situationships that ultimately never progressed into anything more because of his belief that everything is conditional and the consequent fear that everything ends and he will always be the one being left behind. he has a lot of love to give, but is scared to death of having his heart broken; so he breaks his own heart, again and again, by turning away from what/who he wants.

overall, he's a pleasant person to be around. he's very much the type of guy who's always on the go - he loves to go out and do things, whether it's alone or with others. very outdoorsy, very adventurous, very open to trying new things.

[thoughsofthemastermind]

Senior High School

They said that high school years are the most memorable years of being a student, and it is indeed. Due to the pandemic, two years have been wasted in online classes, and as a result, I never really enjoyed the last two years of junior high school. Yet, senior high came onto the scene and made the two years of isolation in an online class into enjoyable and unforgettable moments in my life. I didn't realize how difficult it would be for me to make the gradual switch from being online to in-person since the pandemic caused my self-esteem to drop significantly. Since my social anxiety developed and I was finding it harder to engage with others, I honestly believed that I would not be able to make friends during my senior year of high school. Nonetheless, I was fortunate enough to meet some incredible people with whom I will sail through my final year of high school.

Peer pressure is real, which is why it's crucial to choose your friends carefully. You will spend nearly two years of senior high school together, so you must pick friends carefully. It makes a great difference for you to surround yourself with genuine people who will support you and never throw you off. Even though I've never been selective about who I hang out with, I always make sure that I won't let them negatively impact me. In the end, it truly lies within you. Whether or not you let them affect you is entirely up to you.

I've always been conscious of my grades, but as I approached my senior year, I started to pay more attention to them. I began to put pressure on myself because I was eager to do well in school and not just pass, but to get excellent scores that would be a shred of evidence of my effort. Furthermore, I believe it is for the best because I have very high standards for myself. Even though I could still handle the first semester of grade 11, the constant whining and crying over homework was unbearable. Since crying and whining are some of my coping mechanisms for pressure and annoyance. After a few minutes, I'll start the process over again and consider what awaits me if I continue to work toward my goals. After discussing the lectures, some professors give us some time to relax and do whatever we like, but we still have to respect them because they are still inside the room.

This senior year of high school has never really been about our academic standing; rather, it has always been about our minds and how they function in general, critically, and creatively. It also featured numerous events that we appreciated, such as the university's or presidential week, sportfest or intramurals, subjects month, the annual Christmas party in December, and plenty of other events that support the development of our conscious and unconscious abilities. I still vividly the day we joined "Palarong Maynila" to represent our university in the game of table tennis. Our team's chance to play with the other elite universities was just incredible. By attending these activities, I will get the chance to socialize with people outside of my group of friends. These activities teach us the fundamentals of effective teamwork, which is necessary to win the group you're in. As a result, we were more competitive and gave the team our best.

I remember the time when I met my crush in grade 11 due to an event that occurred during that year, which serves as my daily inspiration until this day. Adoration for someone never goes away in a senior high year. It will always be a part of our existence, particularly our experiences. Adoration, or appreciation for a particular individual, is not one bad thing. We are unable to stop ourselves from getting captivated by someone because we are still human, and we still have feelings.

My favorite year was in grade 11 since we were dismissed at lunchtime, which allowed us to spend more time together and go out with friends. However, as of right now in grade 12, we were dismissed at 6:30 in the evening. Since we have to go home early because we are exhausted and just want to sleep, we don't spend as much time together. Occasionally, though, we take half an hour before heading home to catch up and simply stroll around under the moonlight, savoring each other's company.

Overall, my senior year of high school was one of the most incredible years of my life, partly because of the various events that not only helped me grow as a person but also strengthened and developed my abilities. In addition to teaching us how to be responsible learners and maintain academic excellence, it also teaches us how to apply teamwork and social skills to enhance ourselves. The reason that the senior high school was so significant was that it served as our training ground for college. It's acceptable to feel worn out and uninspired, but don't forget to keep going and try again until you reach your objectives. Even if reaching our goals could be difficult, if we are driven to do so, the obstacles we face along the way won't tire us out.

🖤🖤

[rogue-nebula]

Vengeance of the All-Devourer: Goldenrod City Attack

//ooc: Transcript of a Discord RP with the mun of @annieblast.

Annie Robo

At Goldenrod Radio Tower, a commotion is heard. The entire sky has turned an evil purple color, with fast-moving red clouds - wait, those aren't clouds... those are body segments. The concern of the citizens swiftly turns to panic, as black and purple monsters drop from the sky and begin attacking the city mercilessly, going after person and pokemon alike Looks like it's gonna be one of those days. If one certain Dynamite Annie had a nickel for every time something like this happened, she would have two nickels. Which honestly isn't a lot, but once was more than enough for one lifetime. At least they're not moles this time. After grabbing her mace from God knows where (hammerspace (er... macespace???), she does what she does best: go fast and break things. And boy is there stuff to break. The biggest guy in her space is a dragon-headed thing with artillery mortars on each arm laying waste to the buildings around the tower.

Oh, sweet! Another gun enemy!! And it's a dragon too!! Always did want more of those. There's only two and they're both Freako so that's technically only one and- OKAY STOP THINKING. YOU'VE GOT ASS TO KICK!!!!

The head is an obvious weak point, so a good vault is probably enough to whack it...

Aight, fuck it, let's goooooooo-

Annie's got her eyes on the mortars when a massive beam of fire launches from its chest, nearly scorching her as she gets close

NEVERMIND. ABORT ABORT ABORT. HOLY FUCK THAT THING HAS HANDS.

Actually it doesn't have hands. It has cannon arms. Either way, it kicks ass. Probably gonna have to take a different approach then. Maybe if she attacks from above... But also maybe it has a long cooldown??? Nah. That was terrifying. Attack from above it is! She starts looking around (while hopefully dodging any future attacks) for a place to "climb" (parkour) up. Well they are next to a rather large tower, so there is that. THe Dracomortar begins blasting at her again, with the mortars this time. Annie very much regrets skipping the rope climb in gym class. That would've been VERY USEFUL HERE. Anyways. Yes. She is climbing up the tower. Not high enough, not high enough, okay too high back bAAAACK- Okay perfect.

HAMMER VAULT TAKE TWO!!!

From above was the right answer it would seem, as the shots seem to be less effective when fired up. From her vantage, she can easily hit this thing's head. YEAAHHH SHES SO SMART!!!!! LET'S GOOOOO. Easier does not mean easy. The Dracomortar's still a tough take down. Eventually Annie does, but it takes longer than she would've liked. What a pain. And it was just one of many other Shadowglass (fortunately not many as strong as that one). Great. okay this is uh. taking a while. Can someone press the down button. I mean what who said that. On second thought maybe an AntonAnniemic Blast would've been more effective. Eh. Too late to go back now. As a group of hand-like Shadowglass approach, they are destroyed by... a robot? with lasers?!

Are you intact?

FINALLY. That was Not Fun. Zero of ten, would not recommend. Hey wait what was that??? Another robot???? Fucking hell. At least this one isn't trying to blast her into teeny tiny little peices. Speaking of peices. That question. pat. pat. all limbs intact. good nuff.

Uhhh. Yeah looks like it. Good. I would recommend you to relocate to a secure location. The Unseen Shield are attempting to create evacuation zones in the event of the worst case scenario. I can guide you to one, if you-

Robo's cut offf by a Shadowglass ambush from behind that trips him, little one with axes

Uh huh. Okay. Cool. Lemme just.

She (attempts to) give(s) the Shadowglass a good ol whack. fuck your life, bing bong.

I see you are combat capable. This may be necessary to reach the extraction point. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you That's fine. This ain't my first rodeo! Anyways yes. I've done plenty of whacking. Probably going to do more. Woooooo. Yeaahhhh.

A massive spike suddenly lands right in the middle of the road, blocking their path. Powerful Shadowglass start spawning from it

We must reroute! Aight cool. Uhhhhhhhh. Should we try heading the other way, orrrrr...

No sooner had he pointed out another way around, then another massive spike fell next to the first one, with the landing shadow of a third appearing, both in between the first spike and the road Robo pointed out

You've gotta be shitting me.

Welp. Guess this means violence? Could also try and find another-another way but with the way things are looking it's probably Violence Time. Violence time it is, as not only are the spikes (and more that fall) blocking off the area, but they're spawning Shadowglass too.

holy shit. greature.

Correct! That is a creature ✅ Looks kinda fucked up. They could probably outrun it. Might want to try not doing that first, though? Eh. Robot guy's here. Should ask him for his opinion too. Social etiquette or whatever.

Soooo........ D'ya think we should run, or- Scan complete. This kind of Shadowglass is easiest dispatched all at once, and is very difficult otherwise. I suggest you stand back

She's doing that. Watching the robot guy like

> ELECTROCUTE

All the Shadowglass around them are blasted with powerful lightning. This destroys a good number of them, which would've been nice except that another spike fell and blocked the route they were gonna take anyway

YEAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! How did you do th-

Fucking spikes. Always falling when you don't want them to, and somehow not when you need them to so you have to burn your ass on lava. Fuck em. And these ones have the weird shadow guys. Another negative for the pile.

... Well! This is! Certainly! Inconvenient!! All paths of egress are blocked, and spikes seem to be falling at an alarming rate. I suggest we prepare for whatever may happen when the spike ring is complete

She nods and pulls her mace back out. Violence time >:] THe spike ring completes, trapping everyone who hadn't already escaped in the area. A purple glow then starts to fill the area... Blink. Blonk. That probably isn't good.

We might be cooked

a tremendous cracking is heard, and the tower lifts into the air, ground it's on and all. Annie's considering jumping off to see if her momentum would carry her over the spikes, but that is also an incredibly stupid idea.

Okay yeah we're gonna die. Pleasure knowing ya, I guess.

Up, up, and up the tower goes. Into the sky, into orbit, into space, up to a massive hole that opened in the Worm's mass. The Tower is taken into it as it closes, eventually coming to rest in a dark, cavernous space that fluctuates ominously, slowly moving toward a dark mote at the far (and I mean FAR) end - which they hope against hope isn't some kind of crusher, black hole, or other harmful apparatus of digestion. Well I guess that's why they call it the All-Devourer then huh. /silly Holy Fuck it's dark in here. And wet. And empty. Might as well try and start a conversation or something.

So uh. How's your day going. Other then all of this. Calculating survival chance... complete. I will not be sharing it as you will not want to hear it Lay it on me, doc. Not like it's gonna change anything. Very well-

Suddenly a bright green light erupts from a distance away, but not toward the black hole, a stark contrast from the dark purple of everywhere else in here. THe mentality of the crowd around the tower is to go to it. REJOICE- wait shit doesn't green usually mean. uh. bomb. Although to be fair one could possibly survive getting exploded. Couldn't say the same for the black hole.

You uh. Wanna go toward the light? This seems logical

[vivplayseverything]

So maybe I’m just unlucky with what posts I see (as I am in all things) but I’ve seen plenty of “this is what you get for not paying attention in ___ class” posts. Sure, plenty of people out there have been given every opportunity to get properly informed about general topics over the course of their lives, but a lot of the responses to “I wasn’t taught this in school” tend to be “You 100% were, you were just stupid and didn’t want to learn” which always struck a nerve with me because, throughout my entire time in the American public education system and several semesters of college, I’ve encountered several bad teachers of varying nature.

Like idk, maybe they WEREN’T taught how to recognize media bias in high school English class. I was only ever taught it for 1 assignment in AP history, and there were no class discussions before or after. Just a list of 3 news sites to read about the same event from, and an offhanded “aren’t the differences interesting” the next day before moving on entirely.

Personally, throughout all four years of the U.S. high school system, plus the three college English classes I enrolled in before dropping out, only one of the college courses was this amazing exploration of how to think deeply about what you’re reading that people seem to think every 16 year-old was provided with and slept through. There was even a college English course I took where the instructor insisted that “insight” wasn’t a word, despite it being clearly present and defined in the prescribed dictionary.

People really need to understand that incompetence can be found in ANY profession, and most kids don’t have the resources to properly address shortcomings in their education, assuming they even have the frame of reference necessary to recognize when it’s appropriate.

Don’t even get me started on trying to learn biology in the Bible Belt

[ishimotorscarrentals]

South Beach Savings Snag a Cheap Car Rental in Miami

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You betcha! Miami has a bunch of toll roads, so make sure you have a plan for paying them. Many rental cars come equipped with SunPass transponders, which make it a breeze to zip through those tolls. Then you can focus on enjoying the ride in your spacious Dodge Durango.

6. What are some must-see spots in Miami besides South Beach?

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Contact Details:

Ishimotors Car Rentals Address: 110 S Dixie Hwy, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009, United States Phone: +1 (786) 254-1865

[saltysirensongss]

Meaningful Childhood Media: a Reflection

The ocean and I have always had a love-hate relationship. From a young age I was obsessed with the water, from swimming classes to lakeside day trips, I simply couldn’t get enough, my fingers in a permanently wrinkled state. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where things went wrong but if I had to guess I would blame the Persian New Year. Every spring I was allowed to choose out a half a dozen live goldfish from the store to bring home and display on our Haft-Sin. As per tradition (which no family member could explain) the goldfish is meant to do a little roll at the beginning of the new year. And roll they did… I witnessed an insurmountable number of goldfish pass in varying degrees of horrific ways from slow fades to suicidal leaps onto the living room floor. Before I knew it I had developed a fear of goldfish which slowly but surely evolved into an irrational fear of all fish. I stopped eating fish, I stopped walking by the fish sections of pet stores and I forced our family to switch to plastic fish for our traditions. What I couldn’t shake however, was my fascination. 

A traditional haft-sin table setup

I remember the day we downloaded netflix. It had become available to stream on the Wii in late 2010 (Nintendo) and I, aged 8, convinced my mom that it was absolutely necessary. I was told we would only have it for a month, meaning as long as it was free to us. I don't remember what options were available to me at this time but being a little water obsessed kid I was drawn to two particular shows which some could argue represent the two ends of the media spectrum: H2O: Just Add Water, and River Monsters, both of which as their names imply were ocean related. 

I consider H2O: Just Add Water one of the most influential shows of my childhood. H2O tells the tale of three Australian teens who unknowingly find themselves cursed with the ability to turn into mermaids. Cleo, Rikki and Emma were forced to navigate their highschool years without ever touching a drop of water which as you can imagine put them in plenty of high stake situations. Situations that I would recreate both alone and with friends. This show provided us with endless hours of imagination fodder both in and out of the pool. This was a show that all my female friends and I watched avidly, but my friends didn’t all have netflix so it became a show that they would come over to watch. My permitted screen time was restricted to two episodes a day so the selection of which episodes we would watch would become colourful debates in themselves where we would discuss the show in depth and advocate for our preferred storylines. 

Just three mermaids hanging out

My minute amount of screen time paired with the fact that we were one of the few families I knew to be subscribed to an SVOD makes me believe my parents were better off than they let on as both are common traits of higher income families (Rideout et al.)  which is probably why they let us keep Netflix after that first month.

On the other hand, my parents have a small friend group of three couples that they’ve had long before me that all together managed to produce a sum total of six children, all roughly the same ages. Within this group I sadly found myself to be the only girl. Growing up with a group of boys at arm's length played a heavy influence on the type of media I was exposed to. While my school friends would come over to watch fairy cartoons and mermaid shows the first thing the boys convinced me to watch on netflix was River Monsters. River Monsters hosted by Jeremy Wade was not nearly as terrifying as the name suggests but still a complete 180 from the content I would have chosen for myself. River Monsters was a docuseries which followed host Jeremy Wade as he travelled around the world to remote locations where legends of river monsters prevailed. He would then interview locals about recent incidents and anecdotal experiences with the supposed monsters and would explain the potential species who could be responsible. As scary as this sounds Jeremy Wade is a lovely man who treated every case gently and worked hard to demystify these “monsters” with a sense of positivity I could only hope to one day achieve. Watching this show on an SVOD again played a huge role in how we consumed the material. The eldest of the boys would get to pick which episode he found most intriguing and we were all made to watch it. 

Jeremy taking a dip in a piranha infested tub to prove their innocence

While this show may have had less impact on me socially, as my school friends were far from interested, it did start me on a path of being very interested in biology. When I tell people that I like this show they often feel the need to blame it for my Ichthyophobia, however I would argue that it serves more as a form of exposure therapy. My mother in particular was adamantly against me watching the show as she considered it “not for kids”. This always confused me because my parents would allow me to consume a great deal of heavier topics so long as it was served in cartoon form, like the movie, Grave of the Fireflies which my mom brought home from the library one day having not checked the rating or synopsis, or Coraline which I was dragged to see against my will. I soon learned that what my parents perceived to be appropriate was based on “their view of childhood, rather than what children would choose themselves" (Steemers) which to them meant I was to be watching animated features. While these shows are clearly marketed to vastly different audiences I enjoyed them equally and consider both to have had great impacts on my life. I do believe that they’re not as opposite as some might believe, afterall, being a teen mermaid is pretty much as scary as swimming with piranhas. I think another interesting thing the two shows have in common is their accents. River Monsters was filmed largely in South America and H2O was filmed in Australia so I got to hear the classic Australian as well as British (Jeremy’s accent) accents on a day to day basis. Both shows gave me a glimpse of what life was like in other parts of the world which in river monsters often looked very different from my own. Television is a great resource for children such as myself to be exposed to other cultures, giving me a chance to reside in what Marshall McLuhan would call a global village (Lemish).

[survey--s]

620.

Do you ever have days where you just don’t do anything? I always do something even if it's just housework, having a shower or walking the dog. I used to have days where I never even got out of bed but looking back that was a symptom of some serious MH issues so I'm glad life is no longer like that. Have you ever been extremely tired but refused to go to sleep? It's not that I've refused to go sleep, it's that my mind has been too active to let me sleep. What is your favorite episode of True Life, if you have one at all? I've never heard of that show. Well, I have on here but I don't know what it's about or anything. Have you ever experienced something paranormal? No. I don't really believe in that kind of thing. What’s the longest amount of time you’ve been stuck in traffic? About 4-5 hours on the motorway once when there was a serious accident. Luckily we'd just stopped for food/drink so we just sat and ate McDonald's lol. Everyone was leaving their cars to go and pee on the hard shoulder hah. Best field trip experience? Going to Paris in sixth form. Have you ever been to New York City? I have not. If so, is it all its cracked up to be? ... What is the most amount of money you’ve spent on a meal before? Personally, around £30 a head but I've attended meals where it cost over £300 per person before. What museums have you visited, if any? Hundreds of them. I honestly couldn't list them all. My childhood holidays were spent traipsing round museums and churches lol. Have you ever had a group project and one of your partners bailed on you? Sure. That's why I much prefer to work alone. What’s your worst traveling experience? Probably flying to Australia and the turbulence being so bad that you could feel the plane drop and all the lights were flickering constantly. It felt like it lasted forever but in reality it was probably only 15 minutes. Sims 1, 2, or 3? Why? I never played the third one, but the 1st and 2nd were both good.

Have you ever dealt with noisy neighbors or roommates? How did that go? Yeah, when I lived with Chris out downstairs neighbours were always arguing lol. We mostly just ignored it. Who was (or is) the teacher that gave you the hardest time in school? I have no idea - possibly my tutor in year...9 I think it was? Best muffin you’ve ever had? I love the raspberry and peach ones from Starbucks though I don't even know if they sell them anymore. Otherwise I tend to go for blueberry ones. Have you ever taken a woodshop class? Yeah. If so, was it required? Yeah, it was just part of our Design Technology. How much time do you spend on Facebook, if you have one? I'm logged in pretty much all the time. What area of math are you best at? Worst? I'm not really good at any kind of maths, lol. I mean, I can do basic arithmetic but nothing more complex than that. How do you feel when you meet someone with the same music taste as you? It's great. How often do you “half-ass” things (put little effort in)? Christ, all the time lol. Most people don't care how much effort you put into something as long as it gets done to a decent standard. Do you ever feel self-conscious when you eat around other people? Yeah, with messy foods. Has a teacher ever made you hate yourself/your work? Nope. How reliable is your internet connection? It's been fine since the engineer came out to sort it on Friday. He's moved the connection onto a better wall so hopefully it solves the issue we've been having with damp. Have you ever missed a meeting/event that was required/necessary? Sure. What’s something that makes you incredibly nervous? Driving in new places. What’s the latest you’ve ever stayed up to finish homework/a project? I pulled plenty of all-nighters in university. If you don’t have glasses, how would you feel if you had to get them? .... If you do have glasses, how would you feel if you didn’t need them anymore? My life would be much easier if I didn't need to wear them lol. I've kind of resigned myself to a life with glasses though. My prescription is too complex for surgery and I can't cope with contacts. How many vegetarians do you know? Not very many. I live in farming country and pretty much everyone likes to eat good quality, local meat. Have you ever considered going to art school? Nope. Is there anyone in your life who consistently angers you? Dog owners who let their dogs run up to mine even when they're very clearly fucking terrified. How quickly can you write an essay? It depends on the length and the topic, and how formal it has to be. Have you ever had problems falling asleep in class? No. Have you ever been on the barrier or front row at a concert? Just small local ones. What bug frightens you most? Cockroaches. Are your parents supportive of you? Yes. How often do you take the train to go places? Never. Our local trains are awful - they're always cancelled or delayed and it's just so much more convenient to drive. Do you play with your phone in awkward situations? If I'm alone, sure, but I try not to do it with others. Have you ever participated in a mock trial, or a real trial? No, neither.

[sunnynardelli]

“I am a fucking delight at all times,” Sunny said though truth be told she probably wasn’t. Everyone had moments when they were they fell short of their own expectations for behavior. She definitely didn’t tend to be a bad drunk though. If she was in a mood and drank, she was probably going to do it alone or do it then go be alone to cry or be in her feelings. When she was amongst people though, she was friendly. She dealt with plenty of people who became problematic with even a drop in them at the bar and she was determined to never be that person. She liked to think that people would have the decency to know how to act at someone else’s event though. She knew also knew that class wasn’t something that could be bought and some people lacked it though. “I think that it’s definitely not about anyone’s wants but the people getting married. Plus, I feel like Cordelia and Cage have had a clear vision about this for longer than a lot of people have even lived in town so … they can do whatever they want,” she said simply. She was definitely the kind of person who wouldn’t be afraid to pull someone outside and ask them to leave if they tried some funny business. She knew it wouldn’t be necessary because Lucie would have probably dealt with them first. “I think you’d have to try pretty hard to end up there. I’d laugh too. Didn’t I hear something about shuttles or something?”

"As long as drunk you is still pleasant, that's something to be proud of," she joked. After all, if Sunny was saying that she was just as annoying or just as miserable sober as she was drunk, that would certainly not be a good thing. But she knew Sunny, she didn't think that she had too much to worry about. Elena had never really heard anyone say that they didn't like Sunny, that they didn't find her to be a good, pleasant person. Especially when she was behind the bar at Bonne Merde. "To each their own, right? Everyone's going to have their own tastes when it comes to a wedding. I can see the pros and cons of both," depending on what you wanted the atmosphere to be like, especially. "But you can't cut off the worst of the worst, that's the whole point of a wedding!" You wanted to see someone's drunk uncle dace to something they were clueless about, or a group of buzzed friends stumbling through something they had grooved to back in junior high. "Oh, no, drive people home, sure. But I'll laugh if anyone ends up in jail, sorry!"

[yanderelmk]

Question for redson, nezha, azure, wukong and peng and macaque if youd like

1. If we wanted to have children, how would you react?

2. How would you help your darling with period stuff?

3 . If I asked you to make me immortal so we could love each other forever would you?

🏮💜❤️‍🩹

🔥RED SON🔥: Red Son's face went red and his jaw dropped open. "Ch-children?? You want children?! Do you know how difficult those are to raise? But..." He fidgets, pressing the tips of his index fingers together. "Just how many would you wish to have?" "As for the menstrual predicament, I do not fear the monthly blood ritual. It is just simple biology, only smooth-brained peasants fear the shedding of the uterus." "I have already begun thinking of ways to gift it to you. I presume our marriage would not be enough on its own, though it would grant you demonic nobility status...either I will have to break into Heaven or I will have to find one of the ancient Sages to force the secret from them." 🪷NEZHA🪷:

"I would love children, but I would not be able to care for them as much as I would be able to. I am the protective deity of all children, I would rather not run the risk of favoritism towards my own. But...I do admit the idea appeals to me of having children with the one I love."

"Ah, yes, the process in which a mortal reaches developmental maturity. Fear not, I am experienced in dealing with this sort of thing. In advance I prepared many snacks, especially chocolates, and heating devices. All you need to do is rest up." "Immortality is only gained by Heaven's permission. To do otherwise...well...those who become immortal without Heaven's consent face miserable lives as punishment. Chang'e is the kindest example of what happens when greed for immortality overtakes reason. I will do my best to beg for your appointment as an immortal by my side, but it might take some time. I only ask for your patience." ☀️WUKONG☀️:

"Kids? Like...more than one? Look, I'm gonna be honest with you, I take care of my Flower-Fruit Mountain children okay, but I don't know how good I'd do with a one-on-one infant. I'm willing to try, but I think we should prooobably wait until I've taken some parenting classes first." "Oh! Periods! That's the monthly feminine thing, right? Uhh..." Wukong digs around a bit and tosses a blanket on you. "There you go!" Wukong sighs. "Look, I know I might have become immortal a good few times over, but it's really not that easy. Heaven's not gonna let you become an immortal that easily. I'll do what I can, all you have to do is eat the food of Heaven to become immortal, but it's going to be a really rough process. I'll only do it if you're absolutely certain." 🦅PENG🦅:

"I would be overjoyed to raise fledglings with you! How many are you thinking? I believe six is an appropriate number." "Ah, the matters of the femmes. I remember when I had to deal with that...tell you what, you sit here, I will go and procure the necessary supplies. Then I'll snuggle up with you until you fall asleep." "Immortality? That is easily done! Once we achieve our ambition to overtake Heaven, I will make you my Immortal Consort. No weapon, Celestial, Infernal, or Mortal, will be able to strike you down."

🌑MACAQUE🌑:

"Why would you want kids? Don't those make a lot of noise and stuff? I'll compromise: How about we get a puppy or something, start off small?"

"Periods? Um...I don't really know how those...work. What do you need for that, a bandage? I got plenty of those." He sighs. "Look Y/N, I'll be honest with you, immortality's not all it's cracked up to be. Forever is a long time. If you're adamant and absolutely 100% certain, I'll try to do what I can, but you're gonna have to accept that being immortal means living for a really long time. You'll lose your friends and family, everything will change while you never do. It can be a painful existence."