#economics is such a sad science

[n0thingiscool]

Stop calling capitalists "scholars". A scholar should be known as someone who learns in depth to benefit everyone. Half the pro anti- trust twats in this journal are hardly scholastic. All they are, are vultures attempting to legitimize vulture tactics. None of these people have any reasonable pretense to better society. They only work to serve their capitalist masters at the misfortune of society. Fuck the Chicago School. Fuck Robert Bork. And fuck price theory. All any of this shit is, is the same bitch ass concept of libertarianism in the markets. And any person who isn't a douche understands libertarian theory has no place in a public market.

#the yale law journal #Amazon’s Antitrust Paradox #lina khan #robert bork #Chicago school anything is generally mediocrity wrapped up in fancy paper #Chicago school #price theory #economics is such a sad science #capitalists #crony capitalism

[hwavsg4ch4n]

Awkward|| L.M

Note: hi guys, this is actually a music series (more info linked) bonus. I usually write multiple versions of a smut per song and choose which one fits the vibe the most. this one was actually supposed to be for SYNERGY (linked), but I reworked it and made it better for "Awkward". I haven't been here for a while and decided that I'm the kind of writer that likes to pop in randomly lol. I'm thinking about turning this into a mini-series separate from the music series. After you read this, please follow the link at the end and vote on the pole if you think this would be a good mini-series! ps. word count of 4,783... get a snack.

Disclaimer: I have decided not to no longer put any tags in my works to avoid unneeded spoilers. I will only warn when there are extremely triggering aspects in my work. Read at your own discretion.

Synopsis: You've been single for years, it's sad really. coming up with excuse after excuse as to why you should be okay. Then society introduced the appearance of 'soulmates', and somehow everything got worse. But then there's your boss, what should you do with him...

this is a mature work of fiction (18+), this does not represent any real-life figures, this is just for entertainment.

Music series bonus <masterlist>

You tilted your head back, gulping down the rich red wine as the brisk night air glided across your naked arms.

What was love? It was stupid, at least that’s what you always told yourself. Love is dumb, for the weak; and you weren’t weak. You wished you believed your thoughts, but you couldn’t help but crave love. What it felt like, sounded like, what it smelled like, what it tasted like. 

Jealousy was a disease and you hated to admit that you were practically hospitalized and in a coma from said disease. 

However, solidarity was alright sometimes. It was rewarding, no arguments, no having to worry what your partner was up to if they were taking care of themselves properly. You only had to worry about yourself… is it bad that was your biggest con to single life? Only having to worry about yourself.

You told yourself this for years. That was until early last year, when the CDC came out with a new phenomenon. They called it, soulmates. You thought it was corny. You watched as scientists explained the symptoms, and how it starts. How it feels, how you can differentiate your feelings blah blah blah, it was bullshit in your eyes. But not many felt the same. 

The day after the news of soulmates reached the public, your office became littered with pairings. Mia from accounting and Felix in your branding apartment paired up instantly. Everyone saw that one coming. They were frauds, had to be, the CDC said their research is still new, meaning they’ll need long-term volunteers that they’ll compensate. That's when fake soulmates started appearing. You called bullshit when the news stated authentic soulmates are now being deemed rare. The CDC just wanted to cover its tracks, hiding another economic decline. Soulmates weren’t real.

Your loneliness grew worse because of your slight rebellion. You didn’t put yourself out there, scared someone would falsely claim you as a soulmate. It’s nights like this where you want to let yourself fall in line. Here you are, alone at the Valentine’s Day company party for another year, this time due to self-sabotage. You already hated this holiday, but of course, science had to make it worse. On the balcony sipping expensive wine your boss bought for everyone, you tried your best to drown out the jazz music and giggles as coworkers showed off their engagement rings.

Minho watched you through the glass door of the balcony with hesitancy. He tuned out the conversation he was dragged into. “Mr. Lee, what are your opinions on soulmates.” He looked at the second department secretary, taking in her inquiry, “I’m not quite sure.” He was telling the truth, he didn’t think much of it, if it was true great, if it wasn’t, it didn’t really affect him in any way, probably just another pity thing. The marriage statistic was getting low, he read it in a paper. Minho took one more sip from his whiskey glass before setting it down and excusing himself.

Everyone in the office knew that Minho, the COO of this company, took a liking to you; everyone was jealous in fact. The kind, extroverted, unmarried, painfully attractive man… liked you. The seemingly cold, work-a-holic, introvert of a woman. He’s liked you since before the news came forth with their studies, yet you were oblivious. Your self-esteem is so low that you wouldn’t dare to even think a man like Minho would see you in such a way, not when people are trying to claim the bachelor every day. 

You looked over your shoulder as the balcony door opened. You smiled politely, “Mr. Lee, how are you?” You asked gently. He couldn’t help but smile at the sound of your voice, not even trying to hide the shivers that trailed down his spine at your tempt voice. “I’m doing well, but I couldn’t help but feel bothered when I saw you out here alone. Are you not cold, Ms. L/n?” You watched as he made his way next to you, leaning against the metal railing. He gazed at the city skyline, awaiting your answer.

You took another sip of wine. “It’s a bit chilly, but I can manage.” Short and simple, polite. That’s all Minho got from you. He's never wanted a person to rant to him for hours so badly, but that would be seen as unprofessional. He clears his throat, standing up straight. “Are you not having fun?” He asked. Maybe it was the wine that compelled you to answer him differently than you normally would. “To be honest, Mr. Lee,” He raised his brows, turning to you fully. “What is it?” You let yourself answer. “I don’t really favor office parties.” You chuckled before downing the last bit of your wine.

Minho frowned before biting his lip. “I hope it’s okay that I call you by your name,” He started, “Sure.” He gulped dryly before giving you an offer. “Would you like to get out of here, y/n?” You finally faced him, brows furrowed as your eyes lingered across his figure, taking him in.

White button-up, sleeves rolled to his elbows, black slacks, dark auburn hair fallen into his eyes, the eyes that were surveying you softly. It would be strange, to ride off into the night with your boss on the night the company is rumored to rename the festive party ‘soulmates night'. But you’ve had about 3 full glasses of wine, and you’re bored plus inquisitive.

“Where would we be going?”, he smiles.

After bidding an awkward goodbye to your coworkers, and avoiding questioning looks about the two of you leaving together; you finally made it to Minho’s car.  

“Wanna catch a late movie?” Your head tilted in question, he drove out of the parking lot the humming of the engine fills the silence. Smirking to yourself in disbelief, you agreed. 

The ride was filled with conversation, the longest non-work related conversation you’ve had with this man. He spoke of everything you didn’t think he’d speak of. How he missed home, how living in a bustling city was fun, but the sound of waves beat the sound of honking horns. You couldn’t help but ask him questions, you didn’t care if they were the right questions. You were comfortable, too comfortable. Was it the wine you downed? Maybe the grand looking air freshener in his car. It hurts your pride to admit that it might just be him. He smelled nice and spoke to you gently in that voice he would use to remind you of your lunch hour. 

You took in a breath as his hands on the steering wheel came into view, “Oh sweet jesus”. You pressed yourself into the black leather seat. It’s the wine, it has to be the wine. Minho turned to you as he finished parking, “You ready?” 

-

No one was there in the theater, no one but the two of you. You couldn’t focus on the movie, all you could focus on was how you were alone with Minho, completely alone with him. 

You were zoned out until you were pulled back to reality. “Are you enjoying the movie?” He whispered, not looking in your direction, his eyes glued to the projected screen. You couldn’t help but ask bluntly, “What are we doing?” 

Minho looked at you, you felt his gaze so you looked back. “Mr. Lee, it’s soulmates night.” He frowned, chewing on his popcorn. His heartbeat quickened, were you implying something?

 It was dark, but you could see him like there was the light of a halo above him. “What do you wish we were doing, Y/n?” Why did he ask you that? Why did he ask like he wanted to fulfill a wish?

You looked away, parted lips and furrowed eyebrows. He couldn’t see your face properly, he took your silence as rejection, and maybe he read you wrong. “I don’t mean to upset you, I apologize. Let’s finish the movie, then I’ll take you home?” You didn’t want to finish the movie, you weren’t even watching the boring movie.

Your heart was pounding, was this what proper desire felt like? It felt different from your crush on the Grey’s Anatomy guy. Was this what being wanted felt like? But he’s your boss… You felt a surge of warmth, a shallow buzzing feeling accumulated in your fingertips, must be excitement. Your conscious almost coming alive, fuck it, give in. You did just that.

Biting your lip you breathed in deep, “I don’t want to continue the movie.” You stated in a whisper. You couldn’t see it clearly, but Minho grew worried, worried he scared you off completely.

“Oh- would you like to, would you like for me to take you home now, Miss. L/n?” He didn’t want to use your first name, afraid of abusing his power. It made you flinch, “I thought you said… you were gonna use my name from now on?” You whispered. Finding his eyes in the slim light provided by the screen.

He licked his lips, although it was out of his nervousness, the action made you gulp. “My apologies, Y/n.” you weren’t aware of it yet, but you held all the power at this given moment. He’d do anything you told him to with no question.

“I do want to get out of here, but I don’t want to go home Mr. Lee.” You said, standing up, and grabbing your purse. Minho stood up as well, eyes never leaving your form as he studied you for unspoken answers.

“I would like to see where my boss lives, I’ve always been curious.” your lashes fluttering, as you peered up at him with a quick pulse and sweaty palms. What if you read him wrong, what if he dismissed you and fired you on the spot? What if this whole ordeal was just because he pitied you for being single for every Valentine’s Day party?

“Well, I should let you overcome your curiosity, shouldn’t I Y/n?” He said with amusement. “After you.” He moved out of the way, letting you lead the way out of the theater.

You continuously asked yourself what you were doing on the drive to his house. Well, you knew what you were doing. You were lonely, and tired of it, taking up a messy offer that could end up in you getting scammed by this man. You’ll apologize in the mirror later. Hitting rock bottom was something you would worry about tomorrow. Your hazy mind only lets you think about his veiny hand gripping the gear shift.

What would happen if you took it upon yourself to place him where you wanted him? 

Working up the courage, you sucked in a breath before allowing your fingers to trace his cufflinks, trailing your fingers around his wrist. His fastened pulse boosted your ego, looking to see his reaction. Minho remained focused on the road, with no intention of stopping you as he blinked and took more deep breaths than a calm human would.

You couldn’t help but lick your lips as you brought his hand to the warm flesh of your warm thigh, just under the hem of your black tweed skirt. Your blood pumped at the thought of how he’s letting you have your way. He wanted this too, to touch you. His hand was warm, and comforting. You liked how pretty it was on your skin, admiring the visual as your nails traced his veins.

Minho didn’t mean to squeeze, he did it subconsciously. He didn’t realize he did it until you gasped shallowly, clenching your thighs around his hand and looking up at him with the lowest gaze he’s ever seen from you.

“Sorry.” He muttered, rubbing his hand along the inside of your thigh in an attempt to soothe, not wanting to get you too worked up just yet. But his touch had the opposite effect. You didn’t want to wait anymore. It was known that Minho’s house was in the rich part of the city, all the way across town. Even Though it was a mere 30 minute drive, the distance felt like an eternity. 

“Minho,” Minho gulped dryly. Your deep tone sent shock waves through his body, he enjoyed how his name dripped off your tongue. “Yes, Y/n?” His voice remained steady, not wanting to ruin something that could get so good. “I want you to pull into the park, I wanna watch the sky with you.” You whispered. Minho’s heart grew soft as you continued to trance his veins. He nodded silently, ready to take every command you asked of him.

You watched as he parked, the view of the city was beautiful, but that wasn’t your focus as of now. 

There was a silence, loud, swallowing the city sounds in the distance. Your body shifted, rotating towards him. Minho turned to you, his grip on your thigh tightening slightly as he took in the view of you. “Kiss me,” Yes you were being blunt, and bold, but you didn’t care. Who cares?

You grinned as Minho pulled you on his lap, his strength not surprising you; considering how his arms looked way too confined in every dress shirt he owned. Your eyes shut as his lips collide with yours. Soft, buttery, warm, so so warm, and buzzing… your lips were buzzing. The feeling of him was clouding your judgment. Minho’s hands gripped your waist, pulling you closer. He tilted his head, kissing you deeper. Pulling back slightly, he watched as you followed him. Minho smiled, softly chuckling. You opened your heavy lids, growing shy to see his gaze. Your lips parted as he pushed you even closer, rubbing against the growing tent in his slacks, you jolted as your core began to buzz as well. Your lips molded with his once more, and the sounds of what you presumed to be fireworks sounded in the distance.

 His breathing was heavy as you disconnected to catch your breath. Minho’s hands tilted your head to the side slightly, breathing you in softly, lips grazing your skin as you shuttered, your fingers gripping his sleeve. He licked his lips before kissing your collarbone, traveling up your neck, absorbing every gasp you let out. 

You feel his hand slide to the back of your head, angling your face down so his eyes can meet yours as he lays his forehead on yours. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted you, y/n.” Your heart panged, searching his eyes for truth. He wanted you, Minho, your boss, wanted you. 

Your hands traced his bottom lip, and you blinked softly, “Take care of me then, yeah?” You whispered. He smiled gently, gripping your jaw and pulling you back. 

The both of you suck in a breath as Minho presses his lips to yours once more, his hand pushing your head impossibly closer. He wanted to feel you, meet with you in ways he’d only imagined. You were letting him give you what he thought was impossible for him. Truthfully, he would’ve liked to ask you out on a proper date. But this would suffice if it was what you wanted from him.

The two of you kissed for a while, gradually feeling and touching each other. Feeling what was never seen. Your body grew warmer, the buzzing centered to your stomach as you bunched up his shirt, wanting to feel his skin bare against yours. “Minho,” It didn’t mean to sound like a plea, “What is it? What do you want me to do?” His voice was breathy, low, needy, and ready to please. You couldn’t get enough. “Off.” You tugged at his collar. Barely even a second later, he began to unbutton his shirt. You wasted no time placing your hands on his sculpted chest once exposed, gulping as you stared at his skin. Absentmindedly gliding your manicured fingers across him.

Minho watched your every move, whimpering as your fingertips flicked his nipples. Your nails left gentle scratches, he licked his lips at the sight. He can’t recall ever wanting someone so badly, to the point he was painfully hard, closing his eyes and throwing his head back at the slightest touches you granted him. 

You wanted his reaction intensively, feeling his twitching member under you as you pinched and rubbed his nipples. His chest rose and fell at a somewhat hurried pace, the tips of his ears grew red, and so did his lips as he couldn’t stop licking and biting at them. It’s not like the action helped keep him quiet. His heavy breathing began to get mixed in with soft whimpers.

You smiled, “Who knew you’d be so sensitive.” You mumbled. “Sorry… uhm. I’m not usually like this.” You grinned at his hushed awkwardness. “Trust me, I don’t mind.” You whispered back, your hands continued tracing the outline of him. One by one you left open kisses on his neck, traveling up behind his ear. You sucked at his warm skin, “I hope the secretary doesn’t see what I’m leaving on you Mr. Lee, I think she might have a crush on you.” You said playfully, smiling against his clammy skin, sucking another bruise. Minho’s hands travel to the bottom of your skirt in response, pulling the fabric to bunch at your waist. He squeezes at your thighs as you find the spot that meets his shoulder and neck, his breath shallows. His hips bucking as you suck and nip at the skin. You were hot to the touch, it heightened the feeling of you on him. 

Minho isn’t sure how you got the one up on him, but he lets your hands wander to the buckle of his belt. He looks up at your face, your eyes full of determination as you swiftly take off his belt, unbuttoning his pants. He can’t help but smirk as he feels heat center in his stomach, “You’ve got me right where you want me y/n,” Your movements slow as you start to push his pants down to his ankles, “You’re the only one who’s ever gotten me like this.” Minho watches you bite your lip as he feeds into your ego. His eyes shoot down as you grasp his erection through his boxers. “Haven’t been this hard in so,” his voice shakes as your grip tightens “So long, fuck baby.” Your lips part at his words, looking up to see his head thrown back at the seat. You tap at his tip, the fabric starting to stick to his precum as you admire the bites you left on his skin. 

“Minho,” You call out softly, he opens his eyes to see you staring at his member. The look in your eyes almost makes him ask if you want him to take over. Your eyes were glazed over, your lips pouty as you tug at his boxers, he smirks slightly. “I’ll get these out your way, sorry baby.” Your pussy clenched around nothing at the use of the pet name again, it feels so good to be called that, the buzzing shoots to your core before centering again. It almost felt like a boost of arousal, you were too enraptured by the man in front of you to care.

Your hands returned to his stiffened member as soon as it sprang free, you felt Minho tense at your touch. You looked up at him as you began to stroke him lightly. His eyes were hooded, he watched your hand quickly become slick with his arousal as you pumped at a careful pace. Minho licked his lips, noticing through his foggy mind how you still remained fully dressed. Your thighs only exposed because he decided to tease just once. Yes, his words earlier were to edge on your performance, but they were true. Minho has never been on the receiving end, he loved giving, if you told him to take over he’d do it gladly. More importantly, his need to please was strong, if pleasing you meant stepping back a bit he’s happy too. However, he didn’t anticipate his sensitivity to your touch. He hears himself whimper as your pumping speeds up, the rising heat traveling down to his member. He jolts as the pleasure intensifies. A hand hovers over your pumping one before holding himself back and placing it back on your thigh.

He’s starting to lose a battle, don’t cum, not yet, she’ll get bored soon and touch you somewhere else, don’t fucking cum. He chanted to himself, one of his hands moved to your ass, gripping as his other kept shelter on your thigh. You watched as he shut his eyes tight, his lips parting as he huffed out puffs of air. You smiled in triumph as he began to shake his head side to side, starting to lose his internal war, “B-baby… y/n, I’m gonna c-cum baby,” His voice was hoarse.

You tilted your head, sliding your pumping up to only his tip. His thighs jolted, his eyes opening as he started to look at you for pity. He only saw you looking at his dick dreamily, the heat in his stomach pulses. He swallows down his need to overcome you, opting to let himself relax.

Minho cursed, he groaned deeply, throwing his head back. His brain started to become unmanageably fuzzy. 

“Y/n.” He whispered, licking his lips.

His smooth thighs flexed.“You’re so good baby,” Your lips parted at his soft whimper.

You grin, slowing down your pumping, giggling as he whimpered trying to fuck your palm the heat causing his tip to pulse. “You like me huh, Minho?” Your words were teasing. You were met with an eager nod. Cooing, you slipped off your underwear. You looked into his brown eyes, just when you thought he let himself surrender fully, he had some fight left in him. 

He gripped your waist, biting his lip as he guided you over his throbbing member. You let him sink you down onto his warmth. You whimpered, Minho watched carefully, looking for signs of you needing him to take over. Only for him to get knocked down again, his brows furrowed as you brace a hand on his blushed chest, beginning to ride him. He stared at your clothed chest, your nipples hard enough for the outline to push past your bra and blouse. With heavy breaths his eyes traveled up your littered neck, finally landing on your blissed face. “Pretty,” He whispered, so soft you barely acknowledged it. His brain was swirling with only the image of you, the smell of you reminding him of a warm cabin.

You looked down at him, giggling at his starry eyes and beads of sweat, you were unaware of the state his mind was in. You were enthralled by the thought of him being so pliant. Never in a million years did you think your boss would be under you with a flushed face and a throbbing dick. You feel his dick pulse as he squeezes his eyes shut. Your hands make their way to his jaw, “Are you holding your cum from me, Mr. Lee?” His member throbs again. Your voice and playful words have him shaking his head, gripping your ass so hard you're sure there will be a mark, it stirs you on. “Want you to... To cu-cum first.” He whispered. Your walls flutter and tighten around him, Minho’s eyes snap open, lifting you off him, and you forget about his strength for just a moment.

You peered down to see his jumping member and quivering thighs, precum leaking and he tried to catch his breath. You didn’t let him, you swatted his hold away, ignoring his groan as you seethed him back into your warm hole. “Ah, fuck I can’t hold it, baby.” He rasped out, listening to how wet you were. You didn’t answer him, tuning out his winning, starting to chase your own high that's been building up while watching him. The buzzing started to spread. You gripped his shoulders, pushing yourself closer to him. Minho’s hand placed itself on your sweaty back, bracing himself. His other hand slid down to your thigh, grazing where he was buried into you. His grip tightened, spreading your slick puffy lips slightly. “Min, that's so good.” You whimpered. He hummed, burying his head into your neck. He shifted, widening his legs the best he could, and started to meet your thrusts. 

Your mouth formed an O, tears forming in your eyes as he hit the gummy spot you never reached on your own. Before you knew it your body began to go numb from the pleasure, the buzzing reached every inch of you in what felt like a millisecond. Minho felt your muscles detense, he whimpered as he wrapped his arms around your waist. He chuckled tiredly at the sound of your babbling. You finally needed him, you were close and god knows he is too. He fucked into you like you’ve unlocked a different part of him. 

“Gonna c-cum min.” You whimpered, “I know baby, I Know.” He pressed a kiss to your shoulder, feeling his self control finally coming to an end. He grunts, taking a hand and reaching between your radiating bodies. You moan so loud you're sure any late night hikers would be able to hear you. Your thighs shake as if it feels you’re physically experiencing the color red, the buzzing now being heard in your ears, distracting you from your release covering his thighs as yours shake. Minho grunts before he bites down on your shoulder, seeing sparks of deep green as he squeezes his eyes shut, spilling himself into you as he starts to hear crackles of fire. 

When you close your eyes you're met with the visions of the man that’s under you. Images of his life, his milestones,  you feel what he felt all in the blink of an eye. The images seize, and you’re yanked out of the dreamy state, catching your breath. You gulp, slowly facing him. His eyes meet yours, “Did you see that?” he whispered. You nodded, your fingertips still buzzing. “I-is this that soulmate thing?” his voice slightly above a murmur. Your body tensed, “What?” He looked into your eyes, he could almost feel your fear, “U-uh nothing.” He lifted you off him gently, ignoring what the sight of his release dripping from you did to him. Minho watched as you straightened yourself out in the passenger seat of his car. His eyes glanced at the foggy windows before returning to your now tense form.

Were you his… soulmate? He thought it was just a speculation that scientists made up to give the single population hope. He cleared his throat, putting his softening member back into his boxers, and lifting his pants up. “I’ll, uhm… I’ll drive you home.” Minho licks his lips nervously as he puts on his wrinkled button down. He looked at the time on his watch, 12:57am. He moves to turn on the engine. 

“You believe them?” Minho glanced your way, taking in your question. “Do you believe what they say on the news?” He blinked, thinking of a proper answer as he started to drive out of the parking lot. “I mean,” He turned to enter the freeway. “If it’s on the news, there has to be some truth.” You took in his words, rolling down the window. “Y/n, the… symptoms that they described, that’s what just happened.” You frowned, looking out the window taking in his words. “I saw you, your middle school graduation,” you glower at him, his eyes were on the road, only glancing at you briefly. “I saw your first, and only relationship…” He paused, seeing your hands clasp together nervously out of the corner of his eye. He changed the topic, “When I… finished, I saw green, a forest green. And I heard fire, like a campfire.” 

You gazed at his side profile. Without a word, you looked forward. You gave him the directions to your apartment.

As he pulled into your driveway, you grabbed your purse putting it on your shoulder. Minho said nothing when you opened the door as soon as he came to a stop, not even giving him a chance to put the car in park. You stepped out, your heels clacking on the pavement. You took in a deep breath before bending down, coming into his view again. You looked at his longing eyes, waiting for you to say anything to grant him peace of mind. “I’ll see you on Monday Mr. Lee.” With that, you closed his door. Gulping down anxiety as you steadily walk to the entrance of your apartment.

-

Link to vote for this to become a series [click on me]!

#skz smut #stray kids #stray kids smut #skz x reader #stray kids x reader #lee know x reader #lee minho x reader #lee know #Spotify

[dropout-if]

Dropout Customization

Due to some questions about MC customization, I have decided to compile all the physical and personality aspects that are selectable about the Dropout.

A reminder that this is all subject to change and that new things may be added (or deleted). Feedback and ideas to further develop MC are encouraged.

Main Ideas

Name Surname Nickname

Sex, Gender, Pronouns (it's possible to customise them), Breast/Pecs, Penis/Vagina (If MC is transgender, their transition takes place while they're away) Title (Ms. / Mr. / Mx.)

Virginity or lack thereof.

If MC is trans (when they realized about it [high school, middle school, college] and if they told their family // the ROs already know, as MC told Uma and J, and word spread).

Birthday which establishes the Dropout's age as either 21 or 22 depending on the season (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter)

Major (Engineering, Biology, Chemistry, Computer science, Law, Economics, Education (in relation to science/maths/etc), Mathematics, Physics, Psychology). The Dropout's Major affects flavor text. These options are the ones approved by the Dropout's parents, though it's possible for MC to express interest in other degrees/topics (music, art, English, anthropology, archeology, classical studies, history).

Reason behind dropping out (MC got kicked out (they were caught cheating) MC didn't get a high enough GPA and dropped out / MC never even wanted to go to college and ultimately decided they wanted out / MC didn't fit in (they were discriminated, lonely, etc) though they really liked college / MC originally liked their degree and college but gradually lost interest in the entire thing / MC never liked their degree and decided to drop out / Something specifically related to mental health (mainly anxiety) / Impostor's syndrome.) This affects flavor text.

2 Coping Mechanisms (Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs, Sleeping around, Avoidance, Overspending, Humor, *Hobby (overworking self) [Anger, Fake/forced happiness, Sadness, Indifference].) Each coping mechanism opens a variable and a storyline. You can choose two, though choosing one related to emotional responses [between brackets] automatically blocks out the others.

2 Hobbies (Singing, playing an instrument, songwriting, creative writing, drawing, sketching, sculpting, acting, photography, soccer, football, swimming, basketball, gymnastics, boxing, judo, karate, taekwondo, kickboxing, going to the gym, cooking/baking, dancing [ballet, contemporary dance, modern], yoga.) This affects flavor text and scenes.

Job (Bartender [Wanda, Statler is also around often], Cashier [Statler], Columnist [J (+Kai if poly)], Caregiver [Kai], Waiter/Waitress [Uma (+Travis if poly)], Tutor [Travis]) Each job gives you more time with a certain RO, as well as unlocking a storyline.

Personality Stats

Playful/Serious Honest/Dishonest Friendly/Rude Introverted/Extroverted Laid-back/Uptight Cynical/Idealistic Flirty/Reserved Family oriented/Individualistic

Others: Insomnia, Migraines

Physical Appearance

*It's possible to choose MC's appearance as a high schooler as well. This affects flavor text.

Height (very tall, talk, average, short, very short)

Skin tone (ebony, dark brown, light brown, russet, golden, olive, honey, tawny, tanned, fair, rosy, ivory.) Choosing any skin tone gives you the possibility of choosing to be a poc (idea I stole from Mila, @beyondthegame)

*Build (scrawny, skinny, lithe, lean, muscular, chubby, curvy, hourglass).

*Hair color (max 3 tones, 1 base and other 2) (possible to return home with a mess of dye for Maude to fix. NATURAL (Ashen blonde, Sunflower blonde, Strawberry blonde, Caramel, Honey brown, Chocolate brown, Copper, Auburn, Ruby red, Midnight brown, Jet black, Ebony black) NON-NATURAL (Pink, Violet, Lilac, Blue jade, Vermilion red, Snowy white, Silver, Emerald green, Canary yellow, Bleached).

Hair texture (kinky, very coiled, coiled, curly, wavy, slightly wavy, straight)

*Hair length (ear-length, chin-length, shoulder-length, below shoulder-length, chest-length, waist-length)

*Hair style (SHORT/MEDIUM: natural, side-parted, mullet, layered, bob, ponytail, twin ponytails, buzz fade, slick back, messy, wolf cut, bun. LONG: natural, high/low ponytail, messy, shaggy, California waves, a half updo, side-swept, bun, braid, twin braids, twin ponytails).

*Eye color (albino red, dark blue, light blue, dark green, light green, hazel, amber, chestnut brown, chocolate brown, black, grey).

Others

*It's possible to choose MC's appearance as a high schooler as well. This affects flavor text.

*Glasses (yes, no, contacts)

*Facial hair (No/shaved. Stubble, full beard, goatee, ducktail,van dyke, garibaldi, mustache, soul patch, light beard).

Scars, can choose as many as possible (Back, chest, abdomen, upper and lower arm, thigh, knees, calf, mouth area, neck, cheek, hands, eye area, shoulder)

*Tattoos (One big in X body area, patch-like bodysuit, bodysuit, one/two sleeves, just legs, a few tattoos all over, a small in X place).

*Piercings (Ears [helix, lobe, industrial], navel, tongue, nose ring and septum, eyebrow, lips, smiley, nipples, genital)

Dimples

Braces

Freckles (face, body, both)

Beauty mark, multiple (under eye, over lip, neck, body)

*Outfit/Style (streetwear, alternative, cute, preppy, casual, formal, business casual, dark academia, messy, boho/eclectic, comfortable)

*Bedroom, at family home and at new apartment (messy, colorful, emo, basic, boho, modern, industrial, vintage, minimalist, cute)

*Diet (vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, keto, meat-eater, lactose intolerant)

Family pet (small/large dog, cat, fish tank, hamster/rabbit/guinea pig, cockatiel/parrot/canaries)

Characters

Closeness to all family members (tight-knit, close, so-so, cold, barely any relationship)

Same with the friend group

Crush on Statler during high school (yes/no)

'Popularity' during high school and college (popular, social butterfly [got along with many people but wasn't part of the popular groups], normal, loner, outcast [somewhat antagonistic in a way/rebel].)

#dropout if #dropout #cog wip #cog #choice script #hosted games #interactive fiction wip #interactive fiction #mc #gameplay

[koishiro]

Pussy power | 방탄소년단

↳ SUMMARY: having to teach the lowest and failing class in school, you have to find a way to keep their attention and their grades up but it won’t be easy

↳ PAIRING: students!min yoongi, jung hoseok, park jimin, kim taehyung, jeon jungkook x teacher!reader

↳ GENRE: smut with plot (smut is shown in part 2)

↳ CW/S: reader fingers herself, mentions of porn, age gap

Part 1 | 2

main masterlist | kpop masterlist | upcoming anon asks

It had been another awkward and difficult day for me at school and teaching the class I had been allocated this year was positively heart-breaking. There were 5 boys and 6 girls, all of them 18 years old. The boys ranged from Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook. Every one of them an under achiever and apparently not interested in anything I had to teach them. Only government regulations, designed to keep them out of unemployment statistics, had kept them in educational systems for so long. Due to these new rules they had been made to repeat their final year, but, at the end of the current school year they would have to leave. Every one of them would undoubtedly flounder in the tough world of the jobs market.

And the bottom line was - they weren't interested. They were, in fact, the left - overs after all vacancies in the other classes had been filled. I remember the head - teacher gently patting me on the back and asking me to do my best.

"They’re a lost cause, Y/n, but, we still have to go through the motions. Meanwhile, because of staffing problems, apart from Science and Art, I'm afraid you have to cover most if not all of their subjects yourself”

I remember groaning at this news. I suppose it was because I had been the last teacher to join his staff. I had gotten the short straw.

And so I tried. Day after day, week after week. Surely, they couldn't be as bad as they’d been portrayed, I told myself. But, the sad looks and sympathy I got for my lack of progress from the Headmaster and fellow teachers told me otherwise.

It was frustrating and painstaking work every day. I was lucky to be heard, such was the noise and disruption in that classroom. It was an unending struggle and my pupils and I were going nowhere, achieving nothing. I was at my wits end in trying to get through to them. It was so exhausting and depressing. They were the most unruly and inattentive group of young people I had ever come across since I had started in the teaching profession some 5 years ago.

The trouble was that, previously, I had worked in private girls schools in London, where discipline and attitudes were vastly different. But, when I was transferred to Korea, I had limited choices. Apgujeong High School was where I had ended up. It was different to London and the South East. In this part of Korea the economic situation was tougher and job opportunities more difficult to find. It would have been an exaggeration to say the school was in a deprived area. But it was getting that way. The school catered for all pupils in the area of secondary school age. Some of them, same age as my lot were doing their CSAT’s. But obviously there was a big difference in abilities.

Ideally, my target as a teacher was to bring these youngsters up to a basic and acceptable standard, so they could leave school with at least some qualifications, but, up to now I was failing miserably, even with a relatively small class like this. I couldn't think of any one of them succeeding. They would be leaving school with not a single school exam success between them. What chance did they have at obtaining decent employment. As things were going, I was heading for a clean sheet of failure for my efforts. But, I didn't like failure. I had come into the teaching profession to succeed.

"Don't you have any ambition; don't you want to do something with your lives?" I cried out in despair one day. They looked at me in amused silence. I might as well have been talking in a foreign language. All they wanted to do, seemingly, was to quit school and go onto unemployment benefits. Most of them lived in run down areas and were from broken homes etc. In fact, I knew very little about their personal lives. There had to be some real communication between us to do that. And so far, there hadn't been any.

Talking to colleagues in the staff room - more specifically Namjoon, one of many biology teachers - , I was warned that my pathetic efforts to make some progress were being monitored by the powers that be. "Don't blame the old headmaster; he said he's under a lot of pressure from the higher-ups. Also, he thinks we are due for an OFSTED inspection soon.”

"Do you think I'll be sacked?" I asked, worried. "Could be" Namjoon said. "They have the power to do it and they like to make an example of somebody every now and then. It makes them look good" And, at the very least, I knew that bad reports on my abilities would blight my career.

When I went back to the classroom, I was starting to panic. As usual there was mayhem in the room. If anything, this lot were getting worse.

Jungkook was trying to aim a paper airplane into Taehyung mouth, Hoseok had launched Jimin onto his shoulders - now spinning in circles and Yoongi, well, he was dead asleep at the back of the classroom.

What was I going to do? I had tried everything my teacher training had taught me and was getting nowhere. It was beginning to be a nightmare and I knew that in this case there was no light at the end of the tunnel.

One frustrating week later, I had an idea; funnily enough from watching a silly little porn film. I liked to watch them every now and again, especially after an extricating day of handling those brats. Anything to calm the pent up aggression I had.

In one of them, a young and attractive brunette teacher started to strip. Funnily enough, I thought she looked a lot like me. And, of course, she got the immediate attention of the young males in her class. After that, inevitably, she got fucked across her desk by all and sundry. It was to be expected, I suppose. After all it was a porn movie.

Normally, I would have gone out of the room or made a coffee while I wait for the plot to actually get somewhere but, there was something about her being in a classroom that got through to me. Unlike other films of that nature, the acting was good, it seemed very realistic. I watched it again and again when I had the chance, watching her getting it from the boys. Sometimes, I stripped at the same time she did, and then compared my naked body to hers. I was pleased to see I matched her in all respects, because, I too had long shapely legs, decent size tits and curves in all the right places. Could I do that? Strip in a classroom? I started to seriously think about it.

Then, later, after watching it several more times, I was convinced that it was the perfect answer to my problems at this school: An unconventional and risky solution, yes; but why not? I could challenge the boys in my class to work hard and pass exams on the promise that I would strip for them. It seemed like a really good idea.

Of course, I knew that none of them were bothered enough to make it, but, (and this was the important thing) they would at least make an effort to study and learn. My working life would be tolerable again. It was the old carrot and stick routine. The carrot being the prospect of seeing my naked body, the stick being the work they would have to do to make it happen. I reckoned it was worth a shot. It was my last hope really. Of course, I didn't tell my friend and colleague Namjoon about my bright idea. In fact the fewer people who knew about it the better and I had to keep that firmly in mind.

I picked a time, purposely; when the girls were absent, to make my pitch. Two or three times a week they had netball or cookery sessions and that suited me just fine. The only female left in the class on those occasions was me. The guys as usual were inattentive and noisy, talking among themselves, telling dirty jokes and trying to outdo each other in being the biggest nuisance in the class.

I was well and truly fed up with this sort of thing. I left my desk and went to stand in front of the class. I was wearing one of my shortest skirts that day, deliberately so.

"WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DO A STRIPTEASE?" I shouted.

Immediately, there was a complete and deathly silence. It had got their attention alright.

"What was that, Miss," Yoongi, who I had noted as the oldest amongst the group and the local slacker who’d usually sleep through class, said back.

"I said... how would you like me to do a striptease for you."

It took a moment for what I said to register in the silence of the room.

"YES MISS," was the loud response seconds later.

I could tell they were astounded by my announcement.

"Will you show your pussy, Miss," Another - Jimin, the known ‘fuckboy’ of the school - sniggered and then everyone laughed. Dirty laughs. They were onto a subject they liked and discussing the teacher's pussy was a real turn-on.

"Of course I will," I said.

That shocked them. There was stony silence again. In fact, you could have heard a pin drop. Now I was getting their full attention. Something that was very rare indeed.

I continued, gaining more confidence by the second.

"When I say naked, I mean naked, you all know what that means don't you?"

"Yeah" Jimin said brazenly, "it means we get to see tits, legs, pussy, everything!”

"Are you shaved, Miss?" Taehyung, the loudest of the group, asked. More like sniggers.

"Well, you'll have to wait to find out, won't you?" I said huskily.

There were shouts of "WHEN, WHEN" before Hoseok spoke up. He was sort of an unofficial spokesman for the class.

"Is that a definite promise then, Miss? Can we hold you to it?" He must have thought I'd gone out of my mind.

"Yes," I said. "It can actually happen. It's up to you." There was more shouting and talking as the boys got excited. They hadn't expected a topic like this for their afternoon in class.

Just then my voice began to falter. For some reason I was nervous. I suppose I was imagining standing there before these 5 youths without a stitch of clothing. Could it actually happen? I went weak at the knees.

Pull yourself together, woman, before you lose control, I told myself.

They were talking in whispers now, dirty talk, talking about me; discussing my physical attributes; she's got great legs, big tits, I had heard similar things before, enough to realise that the boys rated me, quite high as a sex symbol in their eyes. My throat went dry. I grabbed my glass of water and swallowed. Somehow, I managed to talk again.

"Yes, I know you would like that," I said..."but, and there is a big but."

"Oh," went a disappointed moan from my audience.

"I knew there would be a catch Miss," said Jeon Jungkook, the usual boisterous teen - almost as bad as Taehyung. Almost.

"Well here's the thing," I said, "all you have to do to get me to perform for you is work at your studies and pass some exams. It's as simple as that; because, believe it or not, I actually WANT you to succeed. So much so, that I am prepared to do this for you. I am prepared to shame and humiliate myself by sexily stripping and exposing my naked body to you guys at the end of term”

"Yeah, we get the bit about the stripping, Teach, but what exactly would we have to achieve in order for you to do this?"

It was Min Yoongi again and it was a very good question. Unfortunately, he had caught me out as I hadn't thought it through enough.

"Well that could be the subject of negotiation between us" was what I said. I had to say something or they would have switched off.

In the end, I agreed that I would do it for any boy who achieved a grade C level. (That was generally accepted as a decent grade and one that that employers recognised)

My heart started to pound as I wondered whether I had set the bar high enough.

"Is that in any subject," asked Kim Taehyung. One pass in any subject? They were all very interested now. I could tell.

"Okay then," I agreed, “We can go with that”

My heart started pounding again...

"What about a sample Miss, to see if it would be worthwhile"

"What do you mean?"

"Show us a bit of leg like”

"Alright," I said, "I can do that”

So, I looked at them sexily and lifted my skirt up my thigh. Every single one of them was leaning forward, focusing hard on my legs. Some of them even got out of their seats to get a closer look. Very slowly I eased my skirt further up to let them see more; You could have cut the atmosphere with a knife. Strangely enough, I was beginning to enjoy myself. And for once, I had these guys in the palm of my hand. I had found a magic formula; the power of sex.

"That's just a taster," I said as I let my skirt drop "And it's all you're going to get until the main event”

"What about the girls?" asked Jimin, "are they going to be in on it?"

"No" I said emphatically, "this is just between me and all of you guys here. I am the only female involved and I want you all to myself. It will be our secret. Nobody outside of this room gets to know, because, if it gets out, I will be prevented from doing my striptease act for you. And I would be so disappointed if that happens"

I was making it up as I went along now. But, for the first time I wondered if I could actually go through with what I was promising.

Yoongi spoke up. His sheer no-bullshit attitude demanded attention and respect from the other boys.

"Anybody snitches and they'll end up in hospital," he said, showing off his clenched fist accompanied with a glare.

"Yeah, I'll back that" said Jungkook, making me suppress a smile. He was cute but he wouldn't frighten anybody.

"Yeah, me too!" Another shouted.

That spread and within seconds all the guys had vowed themselves to secrecy under pain of death.

"Will it just be a quick strip then Miss, cos that'll be over in a minute or two, won't it?"

Yoongi had caught me off guard again. Just as it was all going so well.

I had hesitated and he was in like a flash. Maybe, I had underestimated his intelligence.

"Well what more do you want me to do?" I offered.

I suddenly had an image of the naked Miss Lushbody - the pornstar - and felt an erotic shimmer pass through me.

"I dunno," replied Yoongi, "maybe a kiss or a dance; something like that"

I was so grateful that nothing crude or suggestive had been shouted out that I readily agreed to Yoongi’s suggestion.

"We should write it down," he said wisely, "work something out”

The class were with him. "Yeah that sounds fair and reasonable," Hoseok agreed.

Down to the last man they voted that in: A committee of five. They had never agreed on anything before in my recollection. At least it was progress.

"You agree, Miss?"

I gulped, as I remembered Miss Lushbody getting ravaged by a group of males over her desk. I went weak at the knees again. "Alright," I heard myself say in a squeaky kind of voice that sounded dangerously like female submission. But, what the hell was I agreeing to?

"I'll draw something up," said Yoongi taking control.

I opened my mouth to say something, but, nothing came out. I had lost the initiative and others were taking control. So, I found myself standing there, prettily, like a dumb Miss Lushbody.

My heart was beating so hard I started to get dizzy. And, how I managed to finish the lesson and get out of that classroom I will never know. But, essentially, I had pulled it off. Things were in motion.

.☆.

From Day one, after our arrangement, everything changed. It was as though I had built a fire under them. All noise and chatter suddenly ceased; it became a thing of the past. Disruption was a no-no. Now they listened to every word I said. I couldn't believe the change. I was on cloud nine as homework was dutifully handed in, discussion and debate was intelligent and generally to the point.

But, if I had been under any illusions as the reason for this change, Yoongi put me right on that, one day after class. "It's lust what's done it Miss. They all want to see you strip naked”

"Oh" I said." Well ...we're all looking forward to it then" (What else could I say?)

Weeks went by and the progress was nothing short of amazing. Even the half dozen lazy girls were caught up in it. They didn't know anything, about what had been agreed of course, but, the atmosphere in the class was conducive to learning and that had benefited them. The boys were shushing them every time they started to talk.

Then Yoongi gave me the written paper. He said all the guys had agreed on it.

I started to read it on my lunch break in the staffroom, but, quickly decided to disappear into the ladies. I didn't want anyone else to see me with it. In a cubicle, I took off my skirt and started to read. I was shocked; it was a boy's charter for sexually exploiting their nieve teacher. No wonder they were all working like demented beavers.

I was to strip, yes, that was still in there, but now, I had to remain naked until they gave me permission to put my clothes back on. They wanted a real good look at my naked body.

My imagination ran riot, and, before I knew it, my hand was reaching inside my panties seeking out my pussy. Whose fingers would get me there first, I wondered, Yoongi, Taehyung, Jungkook? It could be a gang-bang.

Ironically, it was the best piece of written work they had ever produced. Proof that they could actually write. And, some intelligence there if I was not mistaken.

My conclusion was that if enough of these boys achieved academic success, they would definitely be trying to take liberties with me. That seemed to be the bottom line. But, maybe I was worrying unnecessarily. Academic geniuses they were not and passing exams for them was a tall order, given their school records.

Not wanting to think about it anymore, I put the document down. "Why don't you just let the boys sort it out," a little voice in my head seemed to say.

And, this particular dizzy teacher continued to masturbate, instead, now concentrating on her sensitive clit. I couldn't remember the last time I had done this at work. It must have been the subject matter I had been reading about that was making me hot.

I sighed happily and leaned back on the toilet seat, my panties were off by then and my fingers busy...I was thinking of Jungkook...so cute and also of Yoongi, yes Yoongi, my favourite...oh, oh. My pussy was so wet...

Time slipped by...

I looked at my watch, Jesus! How long had I been in here? Jumping up, I thrust their paper into my bag and put my skirt back on. My panties were on the floor and sopping and I just threw them into the waste basket as I ran out. Goodness, what would my friends and colleagues think of me, if they knew about this deal with my students.

When I got back to my class, they were all watching me. I knew what they were waiting for. They wanted my agreement to what they had written.

They waited until the girls went to cookery. That was my cue. Was it a green light or what? They wanted to know. If I didn't agree to what they had drawn up I knew that the deal was dead. We would be back to the dark days of mayhem, disruption and frustration. I couldn't face that, but, on the other hand, I was risking well...what was I risking? It didn't bear thinking about...

"Well Miss, what's it to be?" Enquired young Kim Taehyung, impatiently. I felt five pairs of eyes on me. Then my heart was pounding again, my throat dry as dust. I tried to speak but nothing came, I was feeling the pressure. Then, I heard that squeaky little girl voice again, coming from my own throat. Despite myself, It was the clear, but, unmistakeable, sound of female submission. "Okay, we can do this" my voice confirmed. My silliness in the toilet had all but destroyed my reasoning power. I hadn't even read the damn thing properly.

They all roared. It was a sound that had resonated through the ages: A mix of male triumph and lust over the female species. It made me go weak at the knees.

Of course, they made me sign it; I wasn't going to be left with any escape route. They wanted to pin me down; their own signatures were already on it: Participants in lust and desire. I read each name of my possible masters and visualised what they might do to me, I closed my eyes and felt an erotic shudder shiver through my body :-

Min Yoongi, Park Jimin, Jung Hoseok, Jeon Jungkook and Kim Taehyung.

They were all hoping to get a piece of me. First the full strip and then, well, there would be kissing and such, and, no doubt, anything that horny adolescents had in mind. And, I couldn't complain because initially it had all been my idea. That was until they had taken it over and ran with it. At the time, it had seemed like a bit of harmless fun, something to get them going. I was sure it would never actually happen. But the guys were in control now, and had adapted it to suit them. It seemed much darker and sinister now. I should have objected and refused to go along with it. But it was too late.

My fate was now in their hands.

Part 1 | 2

Date posted: 17/08/23

𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵

#min yoongi #jung hoseok #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook #bts suga #bts jhope #bts jimin #bts v #bts jungkook #bts #bts smut #bts ot7 #bangtan smut #bangtan #kpop smut

[phoenixyfriend]

This is a bit of a silly question, but you honestly seem to know a lot about political, business, and economics, so I thought I would ask.

So I’m seventeen, soon to be applying to universities, but I’m already so disillusioned with the world. Like, don’t get me wrong, I still have hope in collective action and volunteering and voting and all that, it just makes me sad that the entire world has kind of gone to hell. I like english literature and I like history and I like studying them, so I used to hop to study both at uni. I wanted to get a job as a teacher, because I want to make a difference in the world and have more variety than a typical desk job.

However. Being on Tumblr since the age of thirteen has taught me that no matter how kind or good or hardworking one person is, or even a lot of people are, one politician can still screw things up for entire groups of people. I mean… a few politicians overturned Roe Vs Wade and that sort of thing. The disability benefits bank account thing. Politicians have an enormous amount of sway over the world, and that area seems to be where someone could make the most difference.

From what I’ve seen of a political science degree, I genuinely don’t think I would enjoy it much, but I could get through it. I want to make a difference in the world very badly — it’s the only sort of legacy I care about leaving behind. And I thought being a teacher could do that for me, but the scale of being a teacher and a politician are on entirely different levels, and Tumblr has really shown me that.

So I guess I’m just asking, since you seem to be passionate making the world better too. Do you think I should study politics, so that I can try and change things on a large scale? Or study what I love and make a much smaller impact.

I honestly don't think I'm the best person to ask this question. A lot of how I ended up where I am was a matter of luck, including the luck of having parents who let me live with them rent free while I put together some savings (and even while I was unemployed).

I don't know a whole lot about polisci. I was a business major and, honestly, that major did not come in useful when hunting for a job after college... partly because all the jobs it was a foot in the door for were uhhhhhh let's go with Not The Right Fit. Most polisci majors are... I guess probably pre-law and intending to become lawyers, and lawyers do in fact often become politicians, so there's that.

My first instinct is actually 'learn a trade and join a union.' The last few years have been pretty evidential of the impact that unions can still have on both the business world and politics in general: see the impact that UAW is having, at least in the media, on the presidential election. Unions are also a pretty solid option for local networking, which is pretty key when it comes to having an impact on local or regional politics. A trade job is also something that is in high demand, stable, and pays reasonably well in most places, including paid apprenticeships, so it would give you the financial stability to focus your free time on what you want instead of on stretching to pay the bills, or having to worry about student loans. It also gives you an expertise or specialty that you can then leverage as 'evidence' of understanding the working class as a unit when engaging in something like a town hall.

Being in a union or other local organization will also give you a more hands-on understanding of how politics and things like that work, as you'll have things like contract negotiations, union votes, and policy debates going on regularly.

If you aren't the kind of person who thinks they're a fit for trade work (I'm definitely not), then college might be the right fit! But I'd definitely consider going into it with a plan for how you want to impact the world. Look up some charities or impact organizations and see what it is that they need. A lot of places are looking for grants writers or financial coordinators, or just someone who can do the accounting. It's not glamorous, and it's not like you'll be held up as a hero the way a doctor in a warzone is, but keeping track of funds or writing letters requesting funding from the government, for something like Doctors Without Borders or Planned Parenthood or Coalition for the Homeless is still an important part of the process.

Local volunteer work is also often a lot more personally satisfying and requires less overhead, so more of the money goes directly into the community you want to help, e.g. the grant writers and accountants do need a salary in a huge organization, but a local soup kitchen can probably just hire someone from the local tax office once every few months and call it good. Doing volunteer work once a month, for a soup kitchen or a homeless shelter or summer childcare program, can make way more of an impact than maybe getting a position as a staffer for a politician you may not even like that much.

That said, if you think you're good at polisci, that you'd be good at law, or that you can get a different degree with polisci as a minor that would then help you enter politics directly... maybe college for polisci is the right choice for you. Maybe you have the finances to not worry about loans, you have parents that would be supportive, and you can find an effective position after you graduate.

I can't make that decision for you. If you have a guidance counselor and they're any good--not a guarantee, but let's hope--talk to them. If you don't have a guidance counselor, maybe find a trusted teacher, or a local librarian, something like that. I don't really know you or your situation well enough to tell you what to do, but hopefully I've given you something to think about.

#Anonymous #phoenix answers asks #economics #adulthood #college #unions #vocational training

[married2myphone]

Chapter Two: Sewing Circle

Life As The Avengers' House Keeper

Pairings: Platonic! Avengers x Female Reader

Tags & Warnings: humour, fluff, found family

Chapter Summary: The Avengers walk in on Y/n teaching Peter how to embroider for his Home Economics project, and they decide to spend the day with each other embroidering. Because why not?

Word Count: 3.3k

Tag List: @olsensnpm, @natasha-belova, @caroldanvers2

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

—

“Ow.” Peter muttered and Y/n rolled her eyes at the boy, leaning back on the couch and continuing with her embroidery.

“Ouch.” Y/n dropped her embroidery hoop with an exasperated sigh as she turned to Peter who was completely focusing on his own hoop.

“Peter, I told you that you could use the thimbles. There’s no shame.” Y/n said and Peter dropped his own hoop onto his lap and sent the older woman a sad look.

“But it looks stupid and they mess with my grip, so I keep dropping it.” Peter said and Y/n let out a sigh, shaking her head as she reached into the sewing kit (which really was just a cookie tin) and pulled out the small case of thimbles.

“It’s either that or you keep bleeding from your fingers cause you can’t aim the needle for shit. Now go on, pick whatever color you want.” Y/n said, shaking the box and handing it to Peter who let out a sigh but reluctantly got the red and blue thimbles, putting them on his fingers before continuing.

“Well, hello, grandmas. Do you guys want some tea and biscuits? Maybe some hard candy while you’re at it.” Tony said when he walked into the living room to see Peter and Y/n doing embroidery.

“Ha, ha, get some original jokes, why don’t you?” Y/n muttered, not looking up from her hoop.

“Mr. Stark, look! I’m making the Avengers logo.” Peter said, raising his embroidery hoop towards Tony with a proud look on his face.

He was still in the process of filling out his sketch and a lot of the stitching was very messy, some thread being loose, but it was a work in progress. Besides, it was Peter’s first attempt.

“Wow, looks just like it.” Tony said, barely even glancing at the embroidery, but Peter grinned anyway and went back to work.

“Look what I’m making.” Y/n said, raising her own hoop to show Tony with a proud smile on her face. It was a very flowery and pink middle finger.

“You have such talent.” Tony said with a roll of his eyes as he took his jacket that was laying on a chair.

“Thank you, I agree.” Y/n said as she went back to her own work. 

“Another home ecs project, Peter?” Natasha asked as she walked into the room, going over to a bookshelf and skimming through all the covers.

“Yep! I’m planning to make a few more after this so I can give some to Ned and MJ.” Peter said, poking his finger once more but was happy to see that the thimble he put on protected him.

“I don’t understand why a science school is teaching it's students how to embroider. Shouldn’t you be learning robotics or something?” Tony asked as he put his jacket on before looking for his keys. 

“Well, I think it’s great they’re giving you kids the chance to learn other skills. Hobbies are good so you don’t always put all your energy into work.” Y/n said and Peter looked up and smiled at the woman.

“Hey, speaking of hobbies! You should join me and Ned! We got this new lego set, and I was thinking-”

“Absolutely not. Get back to stitching.” Y/n said with a smile and Peter nodded.

“Yes, ma’am.” He said and the two continued with their work. 

“How do you even have the patience to make all that? Isn’t it tedious?” Natasha asked after finally picking a book and sitting down on the couch as she watched the two continue their work.

“Most things are, but depending on the person, it can be relaxing.” Y/n said with a shrug and Peter nodded in agreement.

“I like it. It’s nice making pretty things and being able to say you made it.” Peter said and Natasha let out a hum, continuing to watch the two.

“Do you want to give it a shot, Nat?” Y/n asked after a few minutes of silence with Natasha just watching them.

“Sure, why not.” Natasha said with a shrug, setting down the book she didn’t end up reading. 

“I mean, how hard can it be?” Natasha said and Y/n smiled, grabbing the bag on the table and rummaging through it before taking out another embroidery hoop.

“What design do you want to make?” Y/n asked and Natasha furrowed her eyebrows in thought.

“I don’t know? Anything, I guess.” Natasha said and Y/n smiled and reached into the bag once more.

“I have some stencils. Pick one, sketch it out on the cloth, then tell me when you’re done. I’ll teach you how to thread a needle and some basic stitches.” Y/n said, handing all the materials to Natasha who let out a huff.

“I know how to thread a needle.” She mumbled as she looked through the stencils, picking out a design.

“Oh, god. Don’t tell me you’re becoming old like them.” Tony said in a disappointed tone when he walked back in to see that Natasha had joined in after finding his keys.

“Shush. Don’t listen to him, Nat. This will be a fun experience.” Y/n said, encouraging Nat who raised an eyebrow at her.

“It’ll be an experience, alright.”

“Well, while you grandmas waste your day creating pictures with thread, I’m going out socializing. You know, like a normal adult.” Tony said and the three gave lazy goodbyes as Tony left.

Y/n developed a hobby for embroidery during that time when she was on the run. She was in a park sitting next to an old woman who was crocheting something. Y/n hadn’t paid her any mind until the woman made conversation, saying she could tell that Y/n needed a distraction.

She offered to teach her how to crochet, and Y/n accepted. Though it seemed like crochet was a bit too advanced, because Y/n’s frustrations got the better of her. Y/n thought she had driven the poor old woman away, but the next day, she found her on the same bench with an embroidery kit. 

She taught Y/n and gave it to her as a gift, and Y/n has been embroidering to pass the time and keep her calm ever since. When Peter came up to her and asked her if she knew anything about embroidery, she was absolutely delighted and couldn’t wait to teach the boy everything she knew.

Leading to now.

“Brucey, join us!” Y/n called out happily when she saw Bruce walk in carrying a box of a bunch of things she didn’t care about. 

“Oh, are you guys embroidering? That looks fun, but I’m a bit busy right now.” Bruce said, emphasizing the box in his hands.

“Come on, you’ve been working all day. Take a break, you can continue whatever you’re doing later. Maybe this time you’ll finish your last piece.” Y/n said, her words grabbing the attention of Natasha and Peter.

“Last piece?” Natasha asked in confusion.

“Dr. Banner, do you embroider too?” Peter asked in excitement and the scientist smiled sheepishly.

“Just recently. Y/n taught me, told me it was a good stress reliever.” Bruce said and Y/n grinned at him.

“And it works, right?” Y/n asked and Bruce laughed as he nodded his head.

“You know what? Sure, I’ll join you guys. Let me just put this away, I’ll be back in a sec.” Bruce said as he walked back and Y/n smiled happily. 

A few minutes passed and Bruce came back with these cartoonishly large glasses on his face that magnified his eyes to make it look incredibly large.

“What?” Bruce asked, furrowing his eyebrows when Peter was shaking, trying desperately to hold his laugh while Natasha was looking away, hand covering her mouth to hide the smile and potential laugh bubbling up. 

“What in the hell are you wearing?” Bruce jumped when a voice appeared behind him. He turned to see Bucky who was looking at him in confusion while Sam was next to him, laughing his ass off as he held onto the wall to keep himself up.

“Oh my god, that is the best thing I’ve ever seen. Smile!” Sam said, taking his phone out and wrapping his arm around Bruce’s shoulder and taking a selfie with him, giving a thumbs up with his tongue sticking out before taking the photo.

“Give him a break. Bruce, I think you look great and you’re very practical.” Y/n said and Bruce smiled happily at the girl.

“Thank you, Y/n.” He said, walking over to the three on the couch and setting himself down, taking out his unfinished embroidery and grabbing a hoop from the bag on the table. 

“Ooh, is this a knitting circle or something?” Sam asked, situating himself behind the couch and looking at whatever the four were doing. 

“Embroidering, actually. See, knitting is really different from embroidery, but they have similarities like-”

“Okay, kid. A simple no would have been fine.” Sam cut off Peter from rambling.

“Would you two gentlemen like to join us?” Y/n asked, looking at the two who glanced at each other.

“I’ll pass. I don’t think I’d be any good at it.” Bucky said and Y/n waved her hand dismissively in response.

“Of course you can’t see yourself being good at it now, you don’t know anything about it at all. But if you try, you could surprise yourself.” Y/n said and Bucky shifted uncomfortably where he stood.

“It just seems like such a… Delicate thing. And I’m not.” Bucky said and Y/n pouted at the statement. 

“Nonsense, man. Come on, get your sewing pants on, we’re gonna do some stitching.” Sam said, grabbing Bucky’s shoulders and leading the reluctant man over to the couch.

“Really?” Natasha raised an eyebrow at Sam’s willingness.

“Yeah, why not? Besides, I want to make what Y/n’s making.” Sam said, pointing to Y/n’s embroidery which caused the girl to grin and sit up, high fiving the man who laughed.

“What do you say, Bucky?” Y/n asked, turning to the man who still looked hesitant. But seeing the encouraging looks on everyone’s face that was directed towards him made him sigh. 

“Fine. But it’s not gonna be good.” He said reluctantly as he sat down next to Sam.

“We’ll just have to wait and see. Now, pick a stencil.” Y/n said, taking a bunch of stencils and spreading them out on the table. 

They were all silently embroidering, occasionally making comments and asking Y/n for help, but it was mostly peaceful. Y/n glanced over at Nat who had been continuously huffing the past fifteen minutes.

When she looked over, she saw that Nat was actually blowing her hair out of her face. Every time she tried though, it kept falling back, and it was irritating her to no end. When Nat realized that someone was staring at her, she raised her head and furrowed her eyebrows at Y/n who was smiling at her.

“What?” She asked and Y/n simply reached back into the bag on the table and took out a black headband.

She got up from where she was sitting and kneeled in front of Natasha, about to put the headband on her when the woman flinched and grabbed her wrists to stop her.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She asked with a raised eyebrow and Y/n rolled her eyes.

“Helping you. Your hair is obviously bothering you, and this will help keep it out of your face. Just look at me and Bruce.” Y/n said.

It was then that Natasha finally took notice of both of their appearances. Y/n’s hair was in a bun with a garter used as a headband keeping her hair back while Bruce had one of those large toothy hair clips holding his hair. She hadn’t noticed that because the huge goggles were distracting.

“Come on. It’ll help you work better, and you’ll look pretty while doing it.” Y/n said and Natasha stared at the girl for a moment before sighing and taking the headband and putting on.

“Better?” Y/n asked with a teasing smile on herself. Nat looked away and nodded in embarrassment. Y/n didn’t want to push it, so she just patted Nat’s shoulder and went back to her seat.

“We had headbands this whole time? I’ve been trying to push my hair away for the past few hours.” Peter said when he saw the headband on Natasha’s head.

“Don’t worry, Peter. I have more.” Y/n said, reaching into the bag again and taking out a soft cotton headband that had bunny ears on them.

“Oh, nice!” Peter said, catching the headband when Y/n threw it and eagerly putting it on.

“How do I look?” Peter asked, raising his arms out and Y/n smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

“You look great, buddy.” Y/n said and Peter smiled once more. 

“Hey, that’s not fair. I want a headband that makes me look pretty too.” Sam said when he noticed almost everyone had something to keep their hair in order.

“As pretty as you already are, Sam, I’m afraid a headband won’t do that much for you.” Y/n said, patting Sam’s head and the man rolled his eyes.

“How bout you, Bucky? Want to feel pretty?” Sam asked, nudging the man with his elbow which caused him to grunt because it made him poke himself with the needle.

“I’m good. My hair’s short enough that it isn’t distracting.” He said and Y/n nodded and they all went back to what they were doing.

“Is there a meeting we weren’t told about or something?” Everyone looked up to see the twins walk into the room with both a confused and amused look on their faces.

“It’s rare to see everyone in the same room like this. Especially with everyone… Embroidering?” Wanda asked, not sure how to feel about the sight before her.

“You guys formed a little club and didn’t even think to inform us about it?” Pietro asked with an offended gasp, placing a hand on his chest with a dramatic hurt look on his face.

“You’re very much welcome to join us if you guys want to. There’s plenty of room for everyone.” Y/n said with a smile and the twins glanced at each other before looking back at them.

“Eh, sure.” Wanda said with a shrug, going over to join them.

“I have no plans.” Pietro said, following after his sister.

“Here.” Y/n said, reaching into the bag and pulling out two hair ties which she handed to the siblings.

“You guys might need it.” The two looked around to see that everyone else had their hair up and before taking the hair ties without another thought.

Wanda tied her hair into a tight ponytail while Pietro pulled back the top part of his hair and tied it off before sitting down.

“What else do you have in that bag, Y/n?” Bruce asked, finally taking note of how much Y/n pulled out from that bag in the span of such a short time.

“It’s never ending. There’s a black hole inside; I reach in, and it gives me whatever I need.” Y/n said, wiggling her arms mysteriously at Bruce who chuckled and shook his head.

A few more minutes passed by with everyone doing their embroidery. They didn’t realize it yet, but they were all very much enjoying this time just embroidering with everyone even though they weren’t speaking. But Y/n noticed, and she couldn’t stop the constant smile on her face because of it.

“Pietro, give me the red thread. You’ve been hogging it this whole time.” Wanda said in an annoyed tone, slapping her brother’s arm.

“But I need it!” Pietro complained and Wanda rolled her eyes.

“Then take what you need, but don’t hog it! I need to use it too.” Wanda said and Pietro gestured over to the amount of thread on the table.

“There are so many red over there, take one of those and get off my ass about it.” Pietro said, shoving his sister’s head away.

“I need that specific shade!” Wanda said, shoving her brother back.

“Y/n, is this okay?” Bucky asked, ignoring the rowdiness of the twins as he showed Y/n his work. The girl looked up from her hoop and gasped when she saw Bucky’s.

“Bucky, this is so pretty! I didn’t even teach you how to outline, but you did so good! See, if you never tried this out, you would’ve never found out you had this talent in you. You’re a natural.” Y/n complimented with a proud smile and Bucky sent the girl a small smile of his own before going back to finish his flower.

“What about mine, Y/n? You think it’s cool?” Sam asked, showing Y/n the pizza he was making on his.

“Oh, did you think of that on your own? I don’t think I have that stencil. Good job, I love creativity!” Y/n said, patting Sam on the shoulder and giving him a grin which made the man smile happily.

“Hear that? I’m creative.” Sam said to Nat who let out a light chuckle in response.

When the front door creaked open, everyone stopped what they were doing and their eyes fell on their team leader who walked in with a tired look on his face, hanging his keys on the rack and taking off his jacket.

Realizing the silence, Steve turned to the living room, shocked to see that everyone was gathered together… With their hairs tied up and embroidering? They all stared at each other and Steve simply shook his head and approached everyone. 

They watched as the man sat down with a huff and reached to grab the bag on the table, looking inside and ruffling through it before taking out two blue and red hair clips with sequences and butterflies on them. They watched as the man put them in his hair in wonder before he grabbed some cloth and an embroidery hoop of his own.

“Pass the blue thread, please.” He said and just like that, everyone went back to what they were doing. Y/n passed the thread that Steve needed and gave the man a smile which he thankfully returned.

“Long day?” She asked and a small laugh left Steve’s mouth.

“You could say that.” Steve said and Y/n gave him a supportive smile, patting his leg before leaning back into the couch. 

“No. No. No.” Everyone looked up when Tony walked into the compound, disappointed that Y/n had managed to convince everyone to join her little sewing circle.

“God, how old are you people? It’s a Friday night, the world is quiet, and instead of drinking and having fun, you’re all embroidering.” Tony said and they all stared at him for a moment before swiftly ignoring him.

“Steve, knock some sense into these people for me, would you?.” Tony said, trying his best to ignore the shiny hair clips in Steve’s hair.

“If you can’t beat them, join them, Tony. Try it, you might like it.” Steve said with a shrug, continuing his work and showing it to Natasha who nodded in approval before showing Steve her own work. 

Tony let out a scoff in disbelief, watching as everyone continued to do their embroidery. They were a team of the most dangerous people on Earth, meant to be protectors of the world. Yet here they were, wasting time and-

“Oh, whatever.” Tony said with a roll of his eyes as he went over to sit on the floor because the couch was full, grabbing an embroidery hoop of his own and starting with his own work.

Y/n hid the smile on her face as she looked around her, watching everyone be too focused in their embroidery to notice she was staring. This was nice. Y/n wished they had more moments like these. But instead of wishing for more, she’ll just enjoy what she already has.

#avengers fanfiction #avengers x reader #mcu x reader #tony stark x reader #steve rogers x reader #bruce banner x reader #natasha romanoff x reader #peter parker x reader #sam wilson x reader #pietro maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x reader #bucky barnes x reader

[libbee]

About air lovers

Air men (moon in gemini/libra/aquarius//moon in 3rd/7th/11th house)

1. Racing thoughts, if I think it I will speak it, I need to speak, no I cannot think internally I need to speak, tell, blurt it out to someone.

2. See, unless you stimulate me, please dont try to befriend me. I am volatile and versatile. If you are not a quick thinker, chatty, conversationalist, how will we connect and bond? How will we stay friends? What do we talk about-you ask? We talk about history, universe, biology, business, science, news, cinema, TV shows, your pet, my pet? No, we dont talk about how I feel, we dont talk magic, we talk concepts and ideas. Emotions are magical, you see. How those witch babes manipulate energy for spells, I am a "how to make friends and influence people/rich dad poor dad" kind of person. Please dont tell me about your healing powers, I am a metacognition/neuroscience kind of person.

3. You are either fun or boring. Sorry, I cannot see anything else that makes a person worthy of my friendship or relationship. My partner is my best friend, we talk, share our thoughts with each other, laugh out loud, we are constantly texting. I only date people who are mentally stimulating. Though I am not too romantic and I dont offer emotional intimacy, but I can offer you a fun time and belly full of laughter. Sorry sir, we dont do inner work here, we dont do self reflection here, we are not that deep. We are all about ideas, thoughts and reasoning. Emotions make things messy and complicated. Y'know I dont have that stability to sit down and get in touch with my feelings. I can be meeting new people in that time, that's just who I am. So if you are someone who's looking for emotional vulnerability, emotional sharing of insecurities and complexes or trying to make me spiritual then I cannot do that, please find someone who is compatible with you. I am not spiritual, I am logical. Sorry, I dont understand what you mean when you say that you are feeling shame/fear/anger, I just dont let feelings trap me, I just move on to the next thing. I dont understand what healing means, I am just not meant for these things. I dont understand what you mean when you say soul or spirit or divine or energy, are these not just words? Where is the proof they exist? You're intuitive? Hmmm, I am more of a thinker type. You're into astrology and tarot? Oh, I am an economics nerd, there is so much to learn and understand in the real world, why are you lost in virtual, spiritual, magical world?

4. I need variety. You can be the most mentally stimulating person in the world but I still need variety. I just need variety. It is not about you, it is about me. Conversations, connections and chatting give me validation, they are fuel to my engine. When I am with you, I wonder what am I missing out on? Please dont feel sad about it, see that's why I dont like feelings. Life is supposed to be fun not serious. I need to try out new things and meet new people. More I try, more I learn. I like mental and emotional freedom. I like playfulness and joy of living. Let's hangout for lunch tomorrow? That's how I like to bond and connect with you. I am not shallow, the right people will understand that I am a very fun and smart friend. You have emotional needs, I have mental needs. We are different. "Let's hangout for lunch tomorrow":

5. LMAO, that's my new joke. My mom was like... and my dad was like.... lmao, seriously that was so funny. You dont like jokes? You're offended, triggered, taking it personally? What even.. How can someone not like jokes? Laughter is the best medicine, my friend. I self actualize with jokes, I roast myself, I twist events to make them funny. I want people to have a fun time with me. I dont know how people can sit in silence and paint or draw or meditate for hours or enjoy their own company. I would rather play video games, watch TV, write some essay or shoot some video for YouTube or tiktok or Instagram-I need motion, movement, to do something. Next task ✅ Next task ✅ Next task ✅ I get bored if I stay at one place for too long.

Air men (sun in gemini/libra/aquarius//sun in 3rd/7th/11th house)

1. If you want to torture me, keep me isolated in a room. Social groups are where I thrive. I cannot stand solitude, simply because being solitary means to sit with my emotions, thoughts, insecurities, complexes and face them. I cannot do that, I just cannot.

2. Fortunately, my life theme attracts many opportunities to make friends/socialize/meet a lot of people on daily basis. Astrology not only tells personality traits but also life event patterns. 3rd, 7th, 11th houses deal with other people, networking, public interactions, connections and relationships, you see the association? Some are born lone wolf, we are not. I can never be a monk, I dont have the emotional discipline for that, though I can be your travel partner to Thailand when you visit a monastery, I love to explore new places.

3. I need you to like me, I am really good at studying others. I like to keep a lot of connections, I like to network with people, people are assets, friends for life, there is nothing much in life. Hanging out with friends, being around people, socializing makes me feel alive, rejuvenated and meaningful. I am a bit of chameleon, yeah so what, you are too. People are not one dimensional, what is this obsession with authenticity? Do you even know who you really are, duh!!

4. When I meet someone, I notice their desirable qualities, what makes them attractive, what is their best quality and I internalize that, make it my own, morph myself into a desirable person. More similar we are, stronger our bond will be. I know I am not authentic but it is simply not my nature to be so. Please appreciate me for what I am capable of offering you. I can be a really nice actor though, I have the charisma and versatility for it.

5. They call me charming. Because my personality shines. I am the person people approach when they are at the cashier. I am the person people approach when I am just minding my own business. I appear desirable, friendly and safe to people. You wouldn't approach an intimidating, stiff, serious person, will you? Let's see it this way, water man and I enter a bar. Bartender greets both of us. Water man emits vibes that provoke uncomfortable emotions, insecurities and traumatic memories in the bartender. But I emit vibes that are comfortable, friendly and safe to feel. I am more approachable. This is because I dont spend my time exploring my depths, complexes, psyche. I am the person who runs the community, I run the entertainment business, I run the economy. If everyone sat down to do self introspection and inner work then who will take care of the material world? See-leave it to me, I can handle that. 

6. Though I make a loyal partner when I am mature. I am loyal because cheating is too much of mess for me for too little return. I am not really obsessed with power, I am the sigma not the alpha, we are equals, I dont want to be superior to you-I dont want power over you. I want to be your friend. I make love with my friend. You are my friend and you are my lover. I dont like power games. Though if I have fire/water placements too then I can be power centric otherwise I am just the equal dynamic type. I am a very balanced type of person.

#astrology observations #astro community #astro notes #astro observations #astro tumblr #astrology #astroblr #astro placements #astrology blog #astrology community #astrology notes #astronotes #vedic astrology #vedic astro notes #Moon in 3rd house #Moon in 7th house #Moon in gemini #Sun in gemini #Sun in libra #Moon in libra #moon in aquarius #Sun in aquarius

[curiousb]

The DBU Alumni Newsletter: Volume I

Welcome to the first edition of the De Bourgh University alumni newsletter, where we catch up with all our recent graduates, as they take their first steps in the world beyond academia!

Engaged couple Martha and James have moved back to Merybury, to take up residence at the Knightley family home.

~ Scorpio  8 / 7 / 5 / 2 / 7

~ Animal Lover / Bookworm / Coward / Absent-minded / Vegetarian

~ OTH: Nature

~ Favourite colour(s): Turquoise / Orange

~ Aspiration: Knowledge / Family

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Animal Lover / +Mechanical / -Rebellious

~ Major: Mathematics (3.6)

~ LTW: Have 6 Grandchildren

Almost as soon as the young couple move in, there's a sad loss to endure - of family pet Tiger.

But this animal-loving family have since opened their home to former stray Sake.

~ Scorpio 6 / 3 / 7 / 6 / 7

~ Athletic / Brave / Loner / Night Owl / Frugal

~ OTH: Tinkering

~ Favourite Colour(s): Blue

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Knowledge

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Adventurous / +Reserved / -Daydreamer

~ Major: Economics (4.0)

~ LTW: Have $100,000 Mansion

Marmaduke has moved in with his older brother Ambrose, to share a rented apartment in Merybury, while he looks for the right opportunity to exercise his business acumen.

He's already winning new friends and influencing people.

~ Gemini 4 / 7 / 9 / 1 / 3

~ Genius / No Sense of Humour / Dog Person / Diva / Ambitious

~ OTH: Sport

~ Favourite Colour(s): Primaries

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Romance

~ Turn-ons / -offs: +Athletic / +Serious / -Rebellious

~ Major: Biology (3.7)

~ LTW: Own a Top Business

Also returning to the family home is William. Although he's a Literature graduate, he's decided that he would really like to follow in the footsteps of his mother Fanny, by pursuing a career in Natural Science, which will mean dedicating himself to many years of further study. He's also still considering what the future might hold for his relationship with fiancée Keziah.

~ Cancer 7 / 3 / 6 / 4 / 9

~ Coward / Shy / Natural Cook / Eco-friendly / Avant Garde

~ OTH: Cuisine

~ Favourite Colour(s): Mauve

~ Aspiration: Family / Knowledge

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Reserved / +Tidy / -Infamous

~ Major: Literature (3.1)

~ LTW: Become Ecological Guru (Literature is going to be a big help with that 🙄 - yet another example of the Maxis criteria for rolling a Want to study a particular Major making no sense!)

Former family pet Boo puts in regular appearances, to remind them that nothing is really gone forever - not in this world anyway.

Over in Sanditon, Keziah is dismayed by the light fixtures in her rented studio apartment, and I'm dismayed by her postgraduate attire.

With her signature look re-established, she too is reflecting on the current status of her relationship with William, and hoping that they can move beyond a certain unfortunate misunderstanding.

~ Pisces 3 / 4 / 5 / 4 / 6

~ Absent-minded / Rebellious / Eco-friendly / Brooding / Avant Garde

~ OTH: Film & Literature

~ Favourite Colour(s): Orange / Blue

~ Aspiration: Knowledge / Pleasure

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Reserved / +Unique / -Fitness

~ Major: Mathematics (3.7)

LTW: Job Hopper

And finally, for this edition, we catch up with Marmaduke and Ambrose's sister Olivia. Although the Military has decided that it's not a good match for her unique talents...

...she and boyfriend Elliot have a much happier event to report. We're sure that this dynamic young couple are set to take Merybury by storm!

Olivia's adult stats:

~ Scorpio 4 / 5 / 7 / 5 / 1

~ Ambitious / Vehicle Enthusiast / Handy / Mean-spirited / Workaholic

~ OTH: Tinkering

~ Favourite Colour(s): Burgundy

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Knowledge

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Occult / +Serious / -Daydreamer

~ Major: Biology (3.9)

~ LTW: Earn $100,000

Elliot's adult stats:

~ Pisces 8 / 5 / 10 / 6 / 3

~ Grumpy / Virtuoso / Born Performer / Workaholic / Anxious

~ OTH: Music & Dance

~ Favourite Colour(s): Black

~ Aspiration: Fortune / Knowledge

~ Turn-ons / -off: +Cultured / +Serious / -Daydreamer

~ Major: Economics (3.7)

~ LTW: Become Criminal Mastermind

#sims 2 #gameplay #merybury #martha knightley #james morland #tiger knightley #sake knightley #marmaduke elton #william bertram #boo bertram #keziah dashwood #olivia elton #elliot wentworth #knightley family #elton family #bertram family #dashwood family #wentworth family #dbu alumni

[fazedlight]

something something organelles something chloroplasts…. sulfates…

*nodding along* yes talk science to me damn

It was so hard to write that chapter of Even Though You're Kryptonian, and try to figure out what the audience would need to know (assuming that most of the audience didn't have biology fresh on their minds). I ended up summing it to "okay, the audience needs to know that blood is important, and that the trait is maternally passed" and also "the audience needs to know this comes down to quantum information, which can't be cloned". When Nia says "skip the science", that is because I took out full paragraph explanations that were originally written there when I went back to editing 🤣 Buuuut this is tumblr, so I'll summarize here!

Quantum cloning is actually impossible (and would break the universe if it were possible), which Lena notes. On the TV show, they say they need Kara's DNA, and then get really sad when it's destroyed... but Lena is a scientist, replicating DNA is super easy, she definitely would've done that before loading the device!! So in my fic, we're going with quantum signatures, because the sadness around needing to reset the device to fight the phantoms makes sense.

The stable marriage problem (also called the "stable matching problem") is an actual thing in algorithms, with applications in economics. It's not specific to marriage - you can use similar algorithms to optimize which schools students attend, for instance. And it's always solvable, given certain conditions, with one of those conditions being that the two groups are distinct (like colleges are group 1, students are group 2 - a college can't attend a college & a student can't attend a student). If you don't have distinct groups, it turns into the stable roommate problem, which is not guaranteed to be solvable.

So basically my headcanon is that Krypton would look at algorithms and say "We can't have gay marriage, that's not algorithmically efficient!" because Krypton is the type of screwed up society that thinks everything should be done by algorithm.

Chloroplasts are organelles in plants. (Organelles are just organs for cells - instead of hearts and livers and kidneys, cells have things like mitochondria and nuclei and endoplasmic reticula.) Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell? Well, so are chloroplasts (in plants!).

Lena at some point on the TV show tells the group that Reign's cells are more like plant cells, which Kara confirms as how kryptonians convert sunlight to energy (which is what a chloroplast does). But I say they're not quite chloroplasts because they have to use a different dye - kryptonians aren't green. Lutein is a yellow dye in plants (think fall leaves) that could probably be masked by the natural melanin in human skin. So that's what I made as the thing that causes kryptonians to give off a quantum signature - the conversion of sunlight to power.

Organelles really are passed from the mother (egg) to the child. Sperm doesn't have room for much besides DNA. (Though for reasons not yet explained, kryptonian biology is going to work a little differently than Lena expects.)

As for sulfates, that's just a category of salt, and they're plentiful in the ocean. I needed something that killed libido... unfortunately, most of the real stuff that would kill libido are things like alcohol or opioids, and I didn't want kryptonian kids running around stoned all the time. But salt can contribute to high blood pressure, which can lower libido - sooooo let's just pretend that kryptonians are particularly likely to experience this side effect, while not being killed by blood pressure. Their biology is different anyway!

#“endoplasmic reticulum” is a fun thing to say #i've done some algorithmic work as a software engineer before and my spouse's job is basically graph theory #I've also worked in a lab and done a PCR and know that replicating DNA is super easy first hand #mitochondria+chloroplasts also have their own DNA separate from the nucleus DNA for hilarious reasons #which allows us to trace maternity really easily because that DNA changes much more slowly than the human/nucleus DNA #THIS IS PROBABLY WAY MORE THAN YOU WANTED TO KNOW I AM SO SORRY #in this essay I will- #asks #katiemcgrathisdaddyaf #headcanon

[apas-95]

Your assertion that Marxism=science and science is inherently relativistic (the desertification analogy) to excuse many of the more brutal aspects of the supposedly communist system Chinese workers live under is lacking. Unless there is a plan in action to collectivize, let's say the massive factory export economy, allowing their continued existence doesn't seem like "doing Marxism" it seems like making concessions to an overall neoliberal and capitalist world, given as these factories do not serve any peoples state apparatus in most cases but rather domestic and foreign billionaire business owner. no government is perfect but looking to China for a shining example of successful communism is ignoring their present day reality of the same class divisions and toil you'd see anywhere. I'd love to see the Chinese project grow into something more worth ascribing Marxist success to.

To start off with, seemingly as always: China's system isn't 'supposedly communist' - nobody claims China is a communist society. It's a socialist state. Socialism is the transitional stage between capitalism and communism, wherein, among other things, classes still remain.

"Unless there is a plan in action to collectivize [the CPC is not] doing Marxism" - isn't this exactly the kind of dogmatic assertion I just spent a whole post refuting? I'm not going to bother doing it again - feel free to reread my original post, but with a slightly more exasperated tone.

And, oh no! Concessions! The worst possible thing, I'm sure. Why, exactly, are concessions bad? Aren't they necessary, in the real world? Isn't the existence of concessions precisely what separates building scientific socialism in reality from utopian fantasies of overnight instant communism? What, exactly is the alternative to these concessions? If the CPC decided, tonight, to just Ban Capitalism, what would happen? Would it be better, or worse, for the people of China? Or, are they just making these dreaded Concessions for no reason?

You seem quite sure that an economy of over a billion people is a fairly simple thing - wherein, say, a factory serves one purpose, creates one benefit for one person, one group, and nothing else. The policy of technology transfer, for a nation that was ruled by feudal warlords within living memory, is surely a minor thing. The urban-rural divide, too, surely no significant relation to opening up. There are a myriad of policies maintained that all are affected by, and affect in turn, every aspect of economic and political decision-making - "doesn't seem like" simply isn't good enough.

On the topic of worth - I'm sure the CPC isn't very sad you don't see worth in their project. The 800 million people lifted out of abject poverty and starvation, the billion people not raised illiterate, not born into semifeudal, semicolonial oppression - not subject to the past genocide of invading imperialists, not subject to foreign rule and ownership - I'm sure they provide just enough admiration.

Please, go ahead and show us the better alternative. If building socialism without concessions is so simple, if the challenges of reality are no real impediment to a strong Will who can carry out the precise ten-step program of Marxism, starting by collectivising all industry, then please, go ahead and build it. Before you scoff, saying it's unfair - think, for a second, why it's an unfair, stupid thing to ask of you. Then, maybe, consider for a second that Chinese people are human beings just like you, and that they face the same impediments you do in fighting global capitalism.

#china

[pia-writes-things]

15 Questions, 15 Mutuals

I was tagged by @viciousland, tysm (and sorry for answering so late)

Are you named after anyone? My first given name, no, but the second and third one are my great-grand-mothers' <3

When was the last time you cried? Crying as in sobbing and having tears going down my cheeks, it's been forever (like almost a year I think?). Crying as in tearing up and having one tear dropping down, it's been 2 days, during my mini 11pm breakdown because I'm sad that my year in Medellín is over and I miss my friends from there

Do you have kids? Nope, and I'm not sure I want some tbh

Do you use sarcasm a lot? I don't think so ? I use it sometimes, especially with my parents and sisters, but I'm clearly not the most sarcastic person

What sports do you play/have played? Oh ! I have done a lot of different sports in my life ! Never been good at it but, well, it was just for fun. I danced, ran, climbed, played futsal and handball. Lately I've been a potato couch but I hope I'll be able to find a climbing room in September to start climbing again because I miss it SO MUCH

What's the first thing you notice about people? Uh... No idea tbh ? When thinking about it, I have eyes, smile and height that pop into my head, but I guess it's just their general vibe really? Like, do they seem nice?

What's your eye color? Brown

Scary movies or happy endings? I mean, a scary movie can have a happy ending ? So, like, it's not really a A or B situation here. But I don't really like scary movies, so I guess happy endings

Any special talents? Uh, I don't know ? I know I cook pretty well, but I've been trained by my parents and my grand-mothers so it's more of a family thing. And I know I write well (according to my philosophy teacher and my friends) but again, I've been trained by school and fandoms on this one, we all write well 🧡

Where were you born? In Lyon's region ! Best city in my (very) biased opinion <3

What are your hobbies? Uh, lots of things or nothing depending how you look at it: watching TV series, reading, writing, cooking, baking, going to the cinema, ...

Do you have pets? I do (or, it's my family's, rather but still)! She's a grey and white cat named Tartine <3

How tall are you? 1,58m

Favorite subject in school? French (Literature), History and Economic and Social Sciences

Dream job? Publisher in a publishing house focused on Social Sciences books (Les Editions du Seuil ou La Martnière pour être très précise) or on kids and Young Adult books (Gallimard Jeunesse ou Rageot)

Thank you so much for the tag, that was so fun !

I'm tagging : @earanie, @hemerae-ramblings, @moon-arts02, @ehalatp, @sapphictea, @a-very-fluffy-luce, @cria-do-118, @riiversndroads, @maikanna, @elwenn-dreaming, @blatterpussbunnyfromhell, @sloubs, @dark-manticore, @theydoctor, @cecret-with-a-c

No pressure of course, you're just all people I'd like to know (even) better <3

#tag game #pia's oversharing #viciousland

[valenshawke]

Considering your favourites: Claymore and Arcane, which characters do you think would fit in the other’s universe. Also, who are most alike?

This very much depends on how they end up in each others’ place or universe. 

And I have to put this under “Read More” cause this is far longer than I had planned. 

Resurrecting my old idea that three of my favorite fandoms taking place on the same planet is interesting with Arcane. Could Ambessa Medarda be convinced to join whichever side of the war raging on the mainland continent of the unknown and unnamed planet Claymore takes place? That's an interesting idea, but given the technological and… magical advancements in Arcane, that require a lot of explanation. Also, as someone that knows virtually nothing about actual League lore… Are there dragons? Would a government go all-in on human experimentation? We're not talking about whatever it is Singed does. We're talking about trying to create supersoldiers with xenotransplantation. 

Now, the easier way would be Jinx/Viktor/Jayce messed around and found out with Hextech by managing to rip a hole into the multiverse. 

Arcane going to Claymore. 

I'm assuming this takes place post-finale for Claymore and I'm drawing slightly on my post-canon storyline. 

My first thought is Vi would be both incredibly sad and incredibly angry. While the warriors are now treated as humans and equals, the Yoma are still around as are some Awakened Beings. She would sympathize with the oppression everyone suffered under the Organization and be horrified learning about how the warriors became warriors. 

Caitlyn… I think back to a couple of scenes where she shows her naivety. On an abstract level, she knows evil exists and horrible things happen. But, for good or for bad, her parents tried to protect her. Her time with Vi opened her up to the realization that evil exists and horrible things are, sometimes, hiding in plain sight. I also think back to the scene where Caitlyn asks about Vi having parents and not realizing the possibility that Vi is an orphan (twice). Again, in a purely textbook and factual way, she knows orphans exist. Practically? She's now faced with all the trauma that comes with it. 

Now apply that to her ending up on the island/continent. I think the first question she'd ask is where WERE the parents and being told that some were sold, some were abducted, some being orphans, and some being abducted. The look of horror on her face would be something. And Vi would explain to her, alone perhaps, as to why (economically) it'd make sense to sell the girls, no matter how evil it is. 

She'd also have to question her sense of justice and how to fix things. In Piltover, she believed in the institutions and going through channels, why wouldn't she? Until that last meeting with the council. Here, there are no institutions except maybe a Church and whatever this newly freed society comes up with. But she'd struggle with the whole notion that the Organization and their overlords would never be punished. She'd probably look at Vi and understand why Vi goes straight for fists. But even here, fists are useless. 

Viktor, already an expert on fucking with human transmutation (imagine Viktor and Edward Elric meeting) and modifying one's body, would have a conflicted response. He would see warriors possibly free of any physical ailments, which would interest him, but also being told the process and why the first generation was the only generation of males would leave him questioning and wondering about how science can be perverted. Perhaps he'd think of Heimerdinger. 

Jayce. The god damn himbo wouldn't have a clue what to say or do and just look wide-eyed. 

Jinx… So vorkera_x once drew Jinx as a warrior. I always put Jinx with Rippling Ophelia. But since she’s dead, I don’t know what Jinx would do. Maybe look for Awakened Beings to hang out with them? 

Claymore going to Arcane

Okay, so we’re just going to skip the whole wide-eyed shock and awe of such a technologically advanced society versus what Clare, Miria, et al. live in. I think Miria would be equally as outraged seeing the status of Zaun and possibly more so that there is no unifying force to oppose Piltover. And while I could see her helping organize a rebellion and maybe even trying to restrain Vi’s immediate urge to go to fists (cause Miria’s A LOT of experience with a certain warrior going off and doing shit on her own). Miria and the warriors would also be an interesting counter to Hextech for an organized rebellion. I could also see Miria trying to mentor Caitlyn, since it’s implied Miria went through her own process of disillusionment with the Organization and realizing that, sometimes, institutional means (however loose that was in the on the Island/Continent). But she’d also have a hard time selling this to the citizens at-large. They’ve already failed once under Vander.

Another interesting aspect is what the effect Shimmer would have on the warriors. We know as a result of the procedure, the warriors can metabolize alcohol to have the level of effect they want. Would the same work for Shimmer? Or would they be affected? I kinda lean towards it having the same effect as alcohol. It only affects them as much as they want it to. 

Clare… Clare is the hardest to figure out what she’d think or even do. Likely, she’d be with Miria and perhaps keeping quiet while observing what to do. She’d be sympathetic to the orphans in Zaun, especially those that were killed by Enforcers. 

Anyways, so this kinda got away from me, but in terms of which characters are similar

Caitlyn and Jean are probably most similar and Clare and Vi are definitely similar. Though I think there’s a bit of Miria in Caitlyn.

Out of left field but I think Ekko from Arcane and Deneve from Claymore are rather similar insofar as they both characters that have tremendous insight that the other characters don’t usually see. Ekko to Heimerdinger and Deneve to Miria, Clare, Dietrich, etc. 

#ValensHawke gets asked #ValensHawke answers #meilirima

[robosucka]

Slava Gerovitch, our historian of science, he tells an old Soviet joke about the new cybernetic machines. Like the best Soviet jokes, it’s funny, but it’s also sad.

-> Nikita Khrushchev was skeptical whether computers can help boost history towards communism. Nevertheless, he was willing to give it a try and ordered a super-computer for economical support of soviet socialism. The mostly talented and best trained soviet engineers set up the computer and asked him to test the machine directly after completion. Khrushchev, still not convinced, decided to pose an unimaginably complex question: ‘When will communism be reached?’ The box rattled and clicked until a metallic voice said ‘In seventeen kilometers’. Khrushchev laughed and repeated his question very clearly pronounced. Without any delay, the machine answered ‘In seventeen kilometers’. 

-> Now, the comrade got very mad and called for his engineers so he could complain about the expensive machine’s stupidity. The technicians were surprised because every test they had done before went sufficiently, so they asked the computer kindly to explain its answer. The machine, resting on the table, said fearlessly: ‘The result of seventeen kilometers is based on data from comrade Khrushchev's last speech where he said that with every five-year plan, we will be one step closer to communism.’

#had to cut this from the episode but its so good

[ask-captain-keating]

O Captain, my Captain!

This world is very money-based, unfortunately, and writers, teachers, artists, etc. have a harder time supporting themselves compared to the sciences, medical careers, and law. What are your thoughts on this, and do you have any advice for people who are struggling to decide who they want to be because of it?

Toddandersonsyawp,

(ooc parentheses: sorry dude idk ur name LMAO)

Ah, unfortunately this is a question I am all too familiar with. Without delving too much into my opinions on the economical state of society, I find it quite sad, scary, and dystopian that a majority of people are forced to choose between a passion that makes them happy, and living. The creative industry (as well as the teaching industry) would greatly benefit from those who participate doing so out of passion, rather than the desire to turn a profit.

As for my advice in regards to the matter, unfortunately I don't have a solid answer for you. The best I can offer you is to try and find time to pursue those fields as a hobby/ second source of income if you are in a situation where you need solid ground to stand on financially. If you are able to succeed, and make money doing so, then fantastic! If you are not, then there is nothing wrong with doing something you enjoy simply for the sake of it. However, if you are adamant in your want to have a career in arts/teaching, I would be a fool to turn you away from pursuing what makes you happy. I see no fault in prioritising creative happiness over turning a profit, as long as you know the risks behind it. Please do take this advice with a grain of salt though, as I am not a financial expert, nor do I have any knowledge of your financial situation, or the stakes of what the lack of a potential stable income are for you as an individual.

Best,

John Keating

P.S. Look into mutual aid if need be! You'd be surprised how many members of your community are willing + able to lend a helping hand.

ooc P.S. TAKE THIS WITH ANOTHER SPOONFUL OF SALT BECAUSE I AM NOT EVEN 19 YEARS OLD YET AND AM VERY MIDDLE CLASS. also anti capitalist keating is sooooo very real to me. keating for class solidarity!!

#dead poets society #john keating #ask

[delileaf]

so i fr work in a research building and everytime someone looks me in the eye and tells me they’re working on tuberculosis i gotta try real hard not to fall to my knees and start screaming

#yes it is surprisingly a very active area of research #it shocks me everytime #literally posters i walk past everyday abt tuberculosis and all i can think of is him…..

hi stranger!!! this post came up while i was searching abt TB and i didnt see that you were a red dead redemption(??? that cowboy game that i wish i could play where the main character gets TB) and i was at first very confused that you were like. kind of hostile to the idea of tuberculosis treatment? i saw a post with the name arthur and i was like ohh that makes so much more sense lol

but yeah tuberculosis is still a very big problem, just not one that gets acknowledged much in wealthy or majority white nations. due to several reasons (most notably corporate greed in the pharmaceutical industry), TB treatments are very inaccessible to a lot of people — this has changed very recently, but in some parts global south, just a diagnostic test could cost an entire week’s worth of wages

if you know who john green is, he actually started going in on tuberculosis activism like last year and leveraged his fanbase against johnson & johnson and a biotech company called cepheid in order to get them to reduce the pricing of their treatment & testing equipment in low- and middle-income countries! cepheid & their parent company danaher are still dragging their feet (only the first test for TB is reduced, but if someone tests positive they’re supposed to get a second test that will check what drugs will be effective against their strain. this is a major deal and is still unaffordable to a lot of people).

i’ll restrain myself from infodumping too much about my (very unsettling) special interest, but i have some recommendations in case you’re curious:

phantom plague by vidya krishnan is an incredible resource that is very approachable for someone not familiar with TB history and so full of interesting information. krishnan covers both history and the modern day, and goes into not only some germ science but also the social, political, and financial aspects. this is a massive recommendation to anyone, it’s just really really good

tbfighters . org is a website created by TB activists that’s a great jumping off point for anyone wanting to know what’s up with TB activism right now — includes basic details about TB in the modern day, some very easy calls to action (mostly focused on pressuring cepheid out of their price gouging, with some political information for the US and UK also!), and at the end a bunch of links to learn more!

(also i mentioned john green jumping into the fray earlier, so i have to talk about how he has a bunch of really great youtube videos and tiktoks about TB — history & also the modern day fight against it)

okay sorry this was a lot. please have a good day/night!!! :) <3

wow- this is super interesting !!!! I’ve actually just started my PhD in cell biology and I get so focused on the science I sometimes forget there’s a whole like political and economic landscape to biotech and pharmaceutical companies. doing research, it’s so easy to forget you’re not working in a vacuum!!

honestly as someone from the uk TB is just not on my radar and in my stupid science brain i was like - we can treat it? therefore we solved that problem? very privileged and sheltered of me I know, so I’m so glad you sent me that info!!

it’s crazy to me that i spend so much time getting sad over a fictional cowboy while real people are still going through very real situations with TB and suffering because they can’t afford tests or treatment - something i feel like more people and especially the rdr fandom should keep in mind when making jokes abt a ‘cowboy disease’

so thanks so much for all that!!!! (also …. you should definitely play the cowboy game, it’s amazing but will break you into a million pieces)

have a lovely day!!

#rdr2 #deli speaks? #thank u anon !!!

[madamspeaker]

She arrives, queenlike, in a designer Italian overcoat, high collar, and sunglasses, lipstick smile at once warm and fixed. An aide guides her by the elbow, security detail in tow, to the dining room of Pier 23, an old-school San Francisco tavern in the Embarcadero with a stuffed marlin on the wall and a multistory cruise ship idling outside. Two workmen in dayglow safety coats crane their necks from the bar to see Nancy Pelosi, Madam Speaker, doyenne of San Francisco, bête noire of the right.

Pelosi removes her shades and requests a bowl of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce on top. “A lot of chocolate,” she orders.

I ask her if she’s been briefed on the subject of today’s interview. Her press man told her I was writing “about California,” she says with a knowing twinkle, “and how magnificent it is, and how it is the leader in the world.”

Yes. And no.

Once in a while, an East Coast journalist will come out to California to find out what’s happening in the land of dreams. As Los Angeles goes, so goes the nation; if San Francisco loses its charm, what then? “It’s what’s coming next for you,” Pelosi says, portentously.

Earlier that afternoon, I’d walked through the Tenderloin and seen drug addicts splayed out on street corners and a hundred human tragedies strewn across UN Plaza, City Hall looming helplessly in the background. Dickens meets Dante. “Oh, it’s sad,” Pelosi remarks. “It’s worse now.”

That morning, after a freak snowfall, I’d hiked to the top of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County to survey the preposterous beauty of California and found a snowman with a frown carved into its face. “A couple of days ago was the coldest day in, like, 150 years,” Pelosi notes. “Well, it is what it is,” she shrugs, and tells me how the Spanish missionaries used to follow their livestock to the warmest grazing area with water and then build their settlement, which is how San Francisco got the Mission District. No snowmen down there.

“We consider it heaven on earth,” she says of her kingdom. “Just start at the beginning. The Gold Rush, the movies, agriculture throughout. And now technology. And technology is just—we haven’t seen nothin’ yet. Technology continues to grow. So, economically, for our country, this is where most of it starts.”

Setting aside that California started with the decimation of Indigenous people by those missionaries following their cattle, it’s also the engine room of the modern Democratic Party, soon to be the fourth-largest economy in the world, bigger than Germany’s, and lousy with tech billionaires and Hollywood honchos. And ever since Speaker Pelosi began muscling more seats into Congress decades ago, California has shaped progressive policy, from the environment to gun control to gay and trans rights. “I mean, so many people just flock here to raise money and find kindred souls in terms of the environmental, the LGBTQ, the fairness, health care, you name the subject, saving the planet, whatever it is,” she continues. “It’s not really pragmatic money.”

Governor Gavin Newsom has upped the ante by branding California the “True Freedom State,” a rejoinder to Governor Ron DeSantis’s “Freedom State” slogan, pitching Florida as a kind of anti-woke protectorate. Newsom, perhaps teasing a future White House bid, offers California as the left-wing alternative, a liberal’s shining city on a hill, where diversity and tolerance, science and innovation, money and opportunity form a cutting-edge vision of America. I ask Pelosi what she makes of the motto. “I would like to think of our whole country as a freedom country,” she says. “But we”—California—“certainly lead the way in everything.”

The Golden State has always been as much an idea as a place, a fantasyland for Easterners to pine for and put down. As a model for America, however, it’s giving off decidedly mixed signals: encampments of homeless people, floods and mudslides, drought and wildfires, earthquakes and depleted waterways, home invasions and mass shootings, tech layoffs and entertainment and teacher strikes, drained government coffers and spooky economic shudders. If, as one Democratic consultant told me, California is the “coming attractions for America,” it looks like a trailer for Mad Max: PCH.

People living under bridges and climatological disasters are sobering counterfactuals to the California Dream and also wrenches in the liberal machinery. Increasingly, among Democrats, there is a call for greater toughness. Fear, as Pelosi knows, is contagious. And the “biggest challenge” to California, she says, is “safety.” Democrats, says Pelosi, might have captured the House last year if New York’s governor hadn’t misread the political winds on the issue of crime. “They lost four seats and the governor came within four points,” she notes. “It was terrible on the issue of safety.”

“Whether you want to call it homelessness or drug use or whatever it is,” she says, “safety is the oath we take to protect and defend—yes, the Constitution, but the people. And how do you do that, respectful of people’s rights, but also respectful of their safety?”

Trying to write about the whole of California is akin to the proverbial blind man trying to describe an elephant. But California, by any measure, is undergoing a vibe shift. As a pal of mine in San Francisco put it, “The liberal atom has been split.”

#nancy pelosi #madam speaker