#i wasn't feeling super horrible but academics are just

[darlingofdots]

Hello as someone who did half of a thesis on trans romance novels before realising academia wasn't entirely compatible with my health, I am still VERY excited by romance academia and romance academics. Would you like to talk more about your PhD?

Academia is barely compatible with life, I feel you xD

Basically I'm very interested in interrogating and dismantling the standard hero/heroine language because I don't think that it serves us anymore. The genre has evolved so much that it feels really reductive to say 'this is the hero because it's a man' and vice versa, and that's even before you start considering queer and same sex romance novels. I do believe that the protagonists of a romance novel have different narrative roles! They're just not rooted in gender, or at least not just. For example, it used to be that heroines were always young women who were sexually naive and heroes were older, sexually experienced and aggressive men, and that is demonstrably not true anymore. I'm investigating the functions of the romance protagonists in the romance narrative with the goal of proposing a different classification, so we can finally talk about different relationship constellations within romances with accurate language and understand the actual roles they play better. Figuring out how stories work is one of my favourite things to do both as a writer and an academic, because I love finding the patterns and traditions inherent in storytelling--what does this building block do and where does it come from? Why does it look like that? What happens if you take it away?

Romance scholarship is super fun because there's so much material to discuss and not that many people who are discussing it, but it's also difficult because a lot of the discussion has been trying to defend the genre and scholarship thereof against stereotypes and misogynist dismissals from other fields, so there's not as much foundational material as you often hope. There are so many exciting things happening in the community though! I recently attended the 2023 conference by the International Association for the Scholarship of Popular Romance and had an absolute blast both because the presentations were fascinating and because everybody there was just so bloody lovely. It was so wonderful to be in a room full of people very seriously discussing possessiveness in sports romance or the folkloric themes in KJ Charles novels and never have to justify your interests or preferences.

Popular romance is such a staggeringly wide field and yet so many people have absolutely no idea about how the genre works. Mainstream media and scholarship are so outrightly dismissive of it that the majority of people, even voracious readers!, have such a skewed idea of it that they refuse to interrogate because the image of the white, straight, cis bodice ripper is so ingrained in their head and it never occurs to them that that might be an incomplete picture. It's especially egregious to hear this stuff repeated by fanfiction readers because the line that separates shippy fanfic from romance novels is so thin it's practically imaginary. If somebody only read Game of Thrones and then went on a rant that all fantasy books are horrible and stupid and anyone who reads them must be intellectually inferior, they'd rightfully be called a dick, but people say these things about romance novels all the damn time. Get off your high horse! Acknowledge that women are people and things enjoyed by women have merit! Broaden your horizons! Ask a romance reader for some recommendations and maybe you'll even end up enjoying yourself!

#dottie rambles #romance on main #dottie replies #romance novels #academia #romance scholarship #sorry about the rant (i am not sorry) #very abridged summary of my project but i'm still in the exploratory stage

[dulcibella-dreams]

It’s exam time and SO is super serious about her exams. Studies, late nights, the anxiety is crazy. It was during one intense group study date were Minato tries to lighten up the situation by tickles and holding hands.

P3 protag and academically stressed S.O.!

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔 A/N: (SO SORRY THIS TOOK 90 BILLION YEARS) I got such a cuteness aggression reading this request that was so embarrassing.....This sounds very much like a story type beat! There is just one more thing I think I misunderstood. When you said 'group date' I wasn't sure if you meant everyone or just you and Minato. Given the intimacy of the request, I opted for just you two. Hope that was the right call 😭Either way, I hope you enjoy anon!!!

Its been on your mind for weeks now. 'I can't fail. I'm going to fail. No, I can't fail.' It cycled remorselessly, invading your peace. You couldn't relax without guilt spearing through you. Your nights were study filled, falling asleep at your desk. Not to mention the stress headaches, breaks used only for studying, and being very restrictive with your leisure time. You were serious about these exams, but to a fault.

About 3 days before the exam, you came home to the dorm and had the intention to immediately retreat to your room, only to be stopped by your boyfriend. You felt a little guilty- you hadn't made much time for him. He tucked back a strand of dark blue hair, before retreating his hands into his pockets. "Do you want to study together?" You thought about it for a moment. His being there could either horribly distract you or completely motivate you to get everything done. You weren't about to pass up time with him though. "Sure. My room?" He gave you a small smile and a nod, and you both made your way up to your room. You looked at your small, crowded desk. While the floor was a somewhat...unorthodox place to study, it would have to do. Immediately, you set up your books and got started. So immersed in your work, you wouldn't have noticed that while Minato definitely was studying, the subject wasn't the upcoming exams. It was your furrowed brow, your nervous fidgeting, and your chapped lips. You were being absolutely ruthless to yourself. The air was almost viscous, not unlike honey. Heavy and muffling, it didn't feel like a study session- it felt like detention. As you took a deep breath, Minato reached for your hands. You were caught off guard, having retreated into your own stress induced world. "Take a break." Your rebuttal was instantly bubbling out of your lips, but he interrupted you. "You won't actually get anything from studying like this, you know." You just looked forlornly at the floor. You knew he was right, but allowing yourself this break felt like the key to your downfall. Your gaze laid on Minato's hands as he shut your workbook. "Come on, cheer up." You crossed your arms. "Minato, I can't afford to fail. I don't want to waste the time I have." Your tone wasn't harsh- but you were more than anything looking for a way to express your dismay. Minato shuffled over to you. Before you had enough time to look up his his way, he had playfully pushed you over. As he quickly straddled you, you yelped. He waggled his fingers, and you immediately laughed, crossing your arms around your waist. "Not an all out attack!!" His eyes sparkled with laughter. "I'm sorry, it's the only way." A smile played on your boyfriends lips as he trapped both of your wrists over your head with one hand. "Don't you dare!!! I swear to god-" You shrieked as he burrowed his free hand into your waist, begging for him to stop. Your yelps and laughs resounded through the dorm, and when he finally granted you mercy, your eyes were glazed with tears. "What was that even for!!" You playfully yell at him, bolting upright and grinning. Ever so gently, his index finger traced your upturned lips. "For this." His hands fall to yours, gently holding them as he set them in his lap. "For you."

#makoto yuki x reader #minato arisato x reader #persona 3 #persona 3 reload #p3 x reader #dulcis asks

[mixelation]

NOTES ON THE WEIRD AU.

The Weird AU: Kakashi and Sakura from a different AU transmigrate into an AU where Minato lives.

AU PRIME

Kizashi dies saving Kakashi's life and asks him to look after Sakura.

This spirals in a way where Sakura ends up Kakashi's apprentice at age 8. She also lives with him.

Sakura calls Kakashi "Dog Man" as an affectionate nickname. Her assigned name from the dogs is "beans" (like pink toe beans), so Kakashi calls her that as a pet name when he wants to annoy her. This is the explanation for the tag.

Just wake up in a new AU one day.

THE AU OF THE AU (WEIRD AU)

Minato lives. Kushina does not. Naruto is still the jinchuriki.

The Uchiha Massacre still happens. It is drive and carried out by Obito and Zetsu this time aaround, because Minato is Hokage so the political situation is very different but Obito still wants his/Madara's revenge. Itachi and Sasuke survive. (Still ironing out details.)

Sakura is an orphan. She and Kakashi should not know each other exist, so them suddenly being close one day is.... confusing.

NARUTO

Grew up with plenty of positive attention from a parent. Has a good relationship with Minato.

Feels a lot of pressure from other people to be a mini-Minato. Got a lot of shit from teachers/peers when he got to school and wasn't particularly academically gifted.

Minato frequently tells Naruto he takes after his mother. Naruto likes reminding people he's Uzumaki Naruto, not another Namikaze. He wants to be a ninja more like Kushina than Minato. Minato approves.

(Naruto keeps his mom's name because it's a clan name and Namikaze is not.)

Started pranking not for attention, but as a way to make himself stand out as his own person.

Overall has had a lot more direction and support, leading to better foundations in most ninja skills than in canon.

Knows who Kakashi because Kakashi hangs around at their house sometimes. Does not know him that well because Kakashi is awkward around him and spends too much time in ANBU.

Still has a crush on Sakura, which makes him treat her with kid gloves. Is the most suspicious of Sakura's sudden personality change post-transmigration.

Doe not want to be Hokage.

SASUKE

Still deeply traumatized by the massacre, but very confident that Itachi has his back. Wants to get even stronger than Itachi because feeling weak terrifies him.

Still fairly anti-social.

There's some conflict with Itachi but I'm still ironing out details in my brain. Will stem from a combination of feelings surrounding the massacre (like survivor's guilt or blaming Itachi for not being there, etc) and how their relationship played out after the massacre (more in the Itachi section).

Still top of his class. Got to train with Itachi sometimes while at the Academy, but not super often.

Does not really notice a huge change in Sakura. Goes, "Huh, guess she was always better than I thought."

SAKURA

Hates being late. Is constantly made late by Kakashi.

Still has a lot of self-esteem issues and mad imposter syndrome.

Will fight you if you underestimate her.

Finding herself in a new body SUCKS because she suffered so much to be faster and stronger and more fit in her original AU.

Also? Her new wardrobe? Horrible. Ugly. WHERE are all her cute clothes???

Has her own puppies, Anmitsu and Azuki, in original AU. Debating how the dogs work in this AU.

Decent tracker. Knows a couple genjutsu. Doesn't know any elemental ninjutsu (yet!) but can do more with the basic academy three than many ninja. Learning kenjutsu but Kakashi won't let her swing a real sword at another genin yet.

Declared herself rivals with Ino after she decided she was going to stand out on her own. Decided to seduce Sasuke after Ino announced she had a crush on him, just to take away something Ino likes. (It's not working.)

Knows Team Gai through Kakashi and is friends with Tenten.

Feels like the transmigration event really screwed her over, since it undid a lot of her conditioning and killed some of her social contacts. Tenten, recognize me.......!

Has been told not to tell anyone she's Sakura-from-another-timeline and that it's unlikely anyone will notice since the original Sakura didn't really have any friends. Is offended on original Sakura's behalf.

Starts off terrified of Itachi but gets over it quickly. He's worse than she could ever imagine but in, like, a really annoying way, not a "kill you in your sleep" way.

KAKASHI

Mixed feelings on the transmigration event. His social connections weren't fucked up like Sakura's were, but original Kakashi is still in ANBU and now his knees hurt?? Having Minato back is a plus.

Every morning Sakura wakes up and attempts to get to training on time. Every morning Kakashi has a new evil plan to stop her. (At some point, Sakura's ability to pre-empt weird shit happening to her is going to make her seem clairvoyant.)

Learned to braid hair to have a bonding activity with Sakura.

Also very slowly learning to cook. It is...... a process.

This are the only notes I have for him so I guess I should figure out some things for him to do LMAO

ITACHI

Stayed in ANBU after massacre because he didn't know what else to do with himself.

Tried to be Sasuke's guardian and then it became very apparent to everyone that the traumatized thirteen year old murder machine shouldn't be in charge of a child. (They let him stay in charge of the murder machine squad, though!)

Sasuke and him ended up living separately as a result, although Itachi still visited regularly.

Itachi gives Sasuke the offer to move in with him when he graduates, since he'll be an adult allowed to make his own decisions. Sasuke declines.

Itachi requests Sasuje's genin team as a way to spend more time with him. Minato is on the fence about it for a while, but eventually decides Itachi IS best suited to lead a team with one of the last sharingan users and their jinchuriki.

Minato, months later: Wait, you only requested that to force Sasuke to be with you all day after he told you he didn't want to live with you? Itachi: Yes.....? Minato: Minato: Okay you DO recognize this is why you weren't allowed to raise him, right?

Definitely recognizes Sasuke will always be his absolute favorite on Team 7 but valiantly attempts to not indulge in favoritism. If you forced his hand, he'd leave both Naruto and Sakura for dead, but also good fucking luck forcing his hand to begin with.

Knows about the Sakura-Kakashi situation. Is not impressed.

#the adventures of beans and dog man and also itachi

[maxe-murderer]

Saw your tags on the post about kids not being computer literate and you saying that kids just don't know how to do something new and I'm a high school music teacher and that is so unbelievably true.

I'll have 30+ kids in a room and each will wait until I'm standing next to them to do anything. They get bored easily and don't know how to just play around, they need their hand held constantly. It makes it so so difficult to teach when I'm constantly running around and each kid wants me to only pay attention to them!

I've tried to show them how to compose and give them instructions and they're still so lost all the time. They all just seem kind of dead inside, not really caring what happens around them.

I don't mean to insult these kids, more just say that I totally understand what you're saying. Everyone is seeing it now. Most kids were never taught to care it seems, they just passively move through their own lives. And then they tell me that they're bored and I'm pointing to all the options they have of things to explore and learn and they just never want to try any of it. It's so so frustrating.

its absolutely insane how much kids seemingly just cant care. ill stand by the statement that last years high school seniors were the last class where the vast majority made it out of covid online school mostly ok. high school seniors rn missed freshman year and the rest missed a year of middle school which we're seeing very obviously affecting everything abt them rn. a lot of kids straight up don't know what a passing period is, social skills have been super stunted cause they were spending middle school isolated and on tiktok, and yeah, no one knows how to care.

cause theyve not rlly been given a reason to, you know? they were thrown into what easily felt like to end of the world when they were too young to do anything abt it and too young to properly understand it. all while they don't get the routine of going to school, they cant do the extracurriculars they like, they're not allowed to hang out with their friends. Some of the most important years for a lot of development were spent being told nothing but all the horrible things going on in the world. "if everything is this awful and there's nothing (I'm able) to do about it why does any of this matter" sorta thing.

and they dont have the skills needed to deal with that. then they also don't have a lot of the skills needed to be a functional student so they're struggling there too - not necessarily with their grades, but I think you know what I mean. freshman year is when you learn to be a high schooler in both the academic/going between classes sense and in the social sense and middle school is when you learn to be like, a person. without that you get a bunch of high schoolers acting like middle or even elementary schoolers with a high schooler's knowledge of everything that's awful and they still don't have the ability to do anything abt it.

they dont see a reason to care and they don't know how to just try things cause they didn't have the space to just try things for a while. online they were given their assignments and that was it. extracurriculars that continued online didn't help either - like, online theater was so focused on "can we get this done" that there wasn't a whole lot of space for the actors to try and properly act beyond say the words and putting a little bit of something into it - and a lot of those extracurriculars that did continue online couldn't always include all of the kids who would be a part of them normally - again, theater, you couldn't have any kids doing tech beyond maybe an AD and/or SM. like shit dude, if I was in their position id feel fucked!

and its definitely easier to notice with younger kids. they have a worse version of the stunted social skills. the only way I can describe it is that these kids are spoiled. not necessarily spoiled in the traditional sense but for a while their world consisted of online school, most likely being put in front of an iPad cause their parents had to work or take care of the house or were just too tired themselves (and some were just bad parents, and oh boy can you tell when a kid is an iPad iPad kid), and then being the only or one of the only things for their parents to pay attention to. If they have siblings its still only a few ppl to split attention between and if the sibling(s) is older then they could have still gotten the majority of the attention, and if they're an only child then they were seemingly the center of the world for a while to them.

so a lot of them dont know how to share attention and they don't know how to not be told exactly what to do. they don't know how to have fun if they're not told how to (unless its like, roblox, not even Minecraft a lot of them don't know how to play Minecraft!) working summer camp, I had so much trouble getting kids to be engaged in stuff that they liked. the kids who signed up for theater classes cause they like theater barely wanted to do theater. the only classes I didn't struggle to get them engaged with was the art classes that everyone wanted to sign up for, photography (it was mostly older kids and more importantly I think, using ipads), and oddly enough the asl class (I think because that one was so specific compared to the other classes that it rlly was only kids who were interested, and I think kids find sign language cool in general. like "wow I can talk with my hands!" or "oh cool we heard abt this in that one book we read!" sorta thing).

im sure you know this, and idk how coherent this ramble is. ive just been thinking abt this for a while cause of just how insane it is to me. cause from what I've seen these kids arent rlly learning all those skills they missed out on. they're just gone.

#max rambles

[strawbebyjam]

was gonna cry before my next class but then my cousin showed up on the balcony (that i did not know existed outside our room's window) and said hi (did not know people could see inside...) so that's cancelled

#anyways hello !!! hi !!!!! i have been so behind on assignments and i got food poisoning and i'm constantly nauseous and i hate myself!!!! #i wasn't feeling super horrible but academics are just #catching up to me #i can't do it dfklgh i can't do it at all #not here #i get tired at like. 4:30pm. my classes start at 7:00pm and end at 2:30am. so yea #things are going wonderfully #there's also random wasps in this room lol #it's just #a lot #not fun dflkgjh #not right now #everyone is being really nice #everyone is wonderful #but i don't belong here #or . anywhere but #especially not here #i can't. do it dflkgjh #i can't be any of what they want. #not 1% of the kid they want or need me to be #i need to. go do . an internship. far away. and. and. hide #from. everyone #just disappear #i'm so ashamed of myself dflkgjh #like... this is what i'm turning out to be huh? oh god #19!! woohoo!!!! i hate myself even more and on a deeper level!!!! i try to be kind to myself and fail because i cannot convince myself i de #and that is ! no one's fault but my own #i have so much and so many people have given me love and validation #and i'm just. ungrateful. lazy. stupid. ill-mannered. #just

[kuiinncedes]

sdlkghsjf

#not me being horrible and adding two classes to my schedule like a week before i move out lmaooooo #BUT good thing is i feel good about this schedule (maybe just right now in the moment lskdhgdf) #and the classes are open so it's fine XD #i am such a fucking mess oh my goddddd why do i not know anything #anyway i'm also figuring shit out internship wise like with what i'm working on rn #bc i'm also almost fucking done with this dklshgaldfj i have to present next monday :''))) #ALSO today my high school district is doing like a class of 2020 free lunch and cake thing lmao so i get to go to that #and see some people maybe lol #lmao i met with an academic advisor and he was 100% like #the fuck are you doing so close to starting classes #and i'm just like haha idk man #i don't know what the fuck i'm doinggggg #but he was super helpful so yay #and i like my new schedule #ughhhhh ok i think we're good i just that was a social interaction that i'm gonna replay 2395869345 times today lmao #jeanne talks #WHY didn't i meet with an academic advisor last semester when i was fucking signing up for fall classes #what was i DOINGGGGGGG #i wasn't even on tumblr bc i was taking a break to finish the semester so literally #WHY #like i'm still not on top of anything rn but WHY DIDN'T I DO THAT #anyway lkhgdsf

[itsclydebitches]

I kinda wonder, what could bakugou do (hori write bakugou to do) to make him less popular with the "anti" crowd. Like He was a horrid child no doubt and people who try to put blame on Deku or lessen the terrible shit bakugou did aren't great. But as we don't rly see it, we have to assume bakugous behaviour wasn't stopped, we only ever saw his mum "punishing" him when he was being rude after getting kiddnapped. Nothing will excuse what bakugou did, but he has stopped? He's overall a harsh person but he's not harrassing and bullying people anymore, specifically not deku, he's trying to attone for what he did to deku and has now apologised for it. His behaviour was never viewed as justified or good in the series, he's a scary figure in middle school, we're not meant to like his behaviour, so the series itself hasn't justified his actions.

As someone who relate to both bakugou and deku more than I'd like to admit (never told someone to jump tho, that's fucked lol) so I can 100% understand not liking or even hating bakugou but as someone who's not 15 anymore, looking back I also made a lot of really shitty decisions and like bakugou have tried to make up for it, and like deku I was 'friends' with people who hurt me.

Is there anything he can do for the "antis" to just dislike him rather that be "anti"?

(I'm very sorry if you've talked about this somewhere, you can just tell me to look for it if you have, I'll continue to look for your posts on the subject)

Hey there, anon! I think I’ve spoken about this only tangentially and/or in my main Bakugo meta, which is too big for anyone sane to read. So yeah, let’s chat here!

For me personally—and that’s all I can ever do: speak personally. I think it’s important to keep in mind that there is no single solution to please the “anti” crowd. Each fan will be looking for something slightly different in Bakugo’s character, much of which might contradict what a “stan” is currently enjoying. Given how charged a character he is, I'm not sure it's possible to get the entire fandom to like him—what I’m looking for hinges on having a different reading of the story than you seem to. Meaning, I think the series does justify his behavior. Not in any overt, super obvious way like having all the characters go, “Wow, Bakugo! I sure do love how you threaten people all the time. That’s super cool and heroic!” Things are rarely that straightforward. Rather, it’s in a more subtle, but consistent manner that paints a rather conclusive picture across hundreds of chapters.

Simply put, Bakugo is continually rewarded for his actions. Or, if not outright rewarded, his actions are ignored in a way that implies silent acceptance. Characters may not always like what he does... but they're willing to let it slide because Bakugo's heroism was always treated as a given, not something he had to earn and prove.

With the ever necessary disclaimer that I’m not fully caught up yet, here’s a list of some of the things that stood out to me in the first half of the series:

Bakugo’s bullying made him the most popular kid in school.

Bakugo’s bullying was ignored by/outright supported by the teachers.

Bakugo’s bullying did not hinder him from getting into U.A., one of the most prestigious hero schools around.

Despite acting horribly throughout his time at U.A. too, this behavior was continually ignored by the teachers and other authority figures around him.

Bakugo’s struggle to realize that other people aren’t “trash” doesn’t hurt his achievements in any way. He still gets top scores, still wins the tournament, etc.

Bakugo’s behavior gets him special attention from All Might, the greatest hero and Bakugo’s personal idol.

His behavior doesn’t make others dislike him in any manner that’s taken seriously. Everybody is still willing to not just put up with Bakugo, but—in time—start treating his behavior as a quirk (no pun intended lol) that they’re secretly fond of, rather than something he should legitimately be striving to change. Kirishima is the most overt example of this.

This is compounded by his behavior constantly being framed as humorous. Much like with Mineta’s perverted actions, characters might superficially go, “No, that’s bad!” but the story never demands any significant development because then we’d lose the “joke” of Bakugo screaming in rage at the slightest inconvenience, threatening to murder someone over nothing, constantly belittling everyone around him in a “funny” manner, etc. When fans talk about development of a manga character as archetypal and extreme as Bakugo, most don’t really want to see significant change to his base personality. Because then that would result in someone who doesn’t look like the “real” Bakugo: someone nicer, more even-tempered, more mature, etc. But for those of us who were never drawn to that personality in the first place, the continued acceptance of his rude, egotistical, and violent behavior is discomforting. The easiest comparison I can draw is between this and Bakugo’s mother slapping him. That slap is meant to be another “joke”—we see it constantly in shonen anime, something "humorous" you shouldn’t take too seriously because haha, it's just an overprotective mother—but many fans do take it seriously, using it as the basis for a whole “Bakugo was abused and this explains his behavior” reading. Well, I take the “joke” of Bakugo’s threats and insults seriously, especially in a story that starts with something like telling Izuku to jump off the roof. In the same way that many fans want others to treat Bakugo’s mother as a serious topic that has had a negative influence on his development, I want the series to take Bakugo’s everyday actions seriously as a negative influence on… well, everyone around him. But it doesn’t. His base personality is grudgingly adored.

The above two points are seen most overtly in Izuku, who never wavers in his respect for Bakugo despite how Bakugo treats him. Not just prior to U.A., but during their training too. Izuku, as the protagonist, is the emotional heart of this tale, so when he talks about how inspiring Bakugo is, it encourages the reader to see his behavior as inspiring too. Rather than, as said, something that needs to change. Izuku's continued friendship with Bakugo, his adoration of him, and his acceptance of the way he's treated has severely warped how the entire story sees Bakugo's actions. After all, if #pure Izuku can see the good in Bakugo, why can't everyone else? He must not be that bad after all.

I could get into detailed analyses of all the above—like how Bakugo was the one comforted after attacking Izuku outside the dorms at night and how the messed up relationship he has with Izuku is upheld as something to nurture; how the remedial courses he had to take were made to be rather silly, thereby undermining their supposed importance to his development; how Bakugo’s kidnapping had nothing to do with his flaws, but much of the fandom uses it as a way to dismiss any appropriate consequences because, “Hasn’t he suffered enough?” etc.—but in the interest of keeping this within a readable length, I’ll leave it at that. The point is that Bakugo has always been privileged when it comes to his behavior, resulting in others either outright praising it, ignoring it, or demanding that he change a miniscule bit, which always keeps him far below the standards of both his peers and the expectations of a hero. Everyone in 1-A must learn to be even better than the good people they already are... Bakugo needs to learn that other people aren't dirt at the bottom of his shoes. It's never been a particularly impressive development when pit against the rest of the class. All of which can make something like an apology feel pretty hollow. Yes, he’s apologized and I say with all seriousness that that’s great! But how does that apology stack up against 300+ chapters of content? As Bakugo’s words highlight, he's been a really awful person up "until now": he was consumed by Izuku being “miles ahead of [him],” he “looked down on [him]” because he didn’t have a quirk, he “didn’t want to recognize that,” he “hated that,” “grew distant,” “tried to beat you down,” “opposed you and tried to show my superiority over you,” and ends it all with, “it probably doesn’t mean anything telling you all this” before finally getting to the “I’m sorry.” This is basically a laundry list of how horrible a person Bakugo has been for the entire series, with an acknowledgement that this apology is coming really, really late. This is the moment where I could START to like Bakugo, depending on how he acts form here on out, but that pivotal moment arrived after six years of content and in the final arc of the story. It’s too late. Bakugo needed this kind of self-reflection and positive action 250+ chapters ago so he could (hopefully) grow into a better person across the story, not at the story's end. What we got instead is 322 chapters of him being a really horrible person, but the story going out of its way to excuse or even praise that behavior the majority of the time.

As a quick comparison to end on, I think what Bakugo needed was what Soo Jin got in True Beauty. You don’t need to have seen the drama to follow along. The tl;dr is that she has a lot of the core qualities of Bakugo: an all-consuming drive to win that was created due to abusive parents with high expectations, resulting in her bullying a peer to a pretty horrific extent. The difference between them is how the story frames their actions. When Soo Jin becomes the bully she loses everything. Rather than succeeding academically, her grades plummet, making it clear that this anxiety and self-doubt (things the fandom keeps insisting Bakugo is struggling with, but that rarely ever show up in the text) is actually impacting her day-to-day life. Her best friend drops her because she’s not going to support her choices. The boy she likes rejects her. She’s eventually forced to start over somewhere new - which importantly separates her from the girl she was bullying - and get some distance from her parents, resulting in the growth needed to become a healthier, happier, good person again. So when Soo Jin apologizes to the girl she hurt, it feels earned. The story continually recognized how horrific her actions were and put her into a place where she either had to change, or continue losing at everything else that was important to her. Bakugo? Bakugo doesn’t lose. Oh, he claims he does because he’s comparing himself to Izuku constantly, but that’s just him thinking in extremes. He still wins academically. Still wins many battles. Still wins at having friends. Still wins by maintaining the prestige of being a U.A. student. Still wins by getting All Might’s attention. Still wins by receiving Izuku’s respect and an agreement to maintain this rivalry that Bakugo is so obsessed with. Bakugo comes out well 99% of the time, he just thinks he's "lost" because he can't stand not being the absolute best.

For me, the story needed to have Bakugo face consequences for his behavior, not receive rewards and/or have others ignore it, and that revelation/apology needed to come way, way sooner. For me the issue is not a specific action that Horikoshi can have Bakugo do in the next chapter and them bam, I like him now. The problem is Bakugo’s entire concept, how he’s received by the entire cast, and his run across this entire series. "Entire" is the key word there. Which is why the “But he’s apologized. What more do you antis want?” reactions don’t sit well. What we wanted is a better written redemption arc across those 300+ chapters, not a single scene that’s meant to have us forget all the other problems inherent in the story. At this point it’s a far more complicated situation than, “Bakugo just needs to do X, Y, and Z and then we’re golden.” At the end of the day, Horikoshi failed to make me like him as a person and I’m pretty sure he isn’t going to change Bakugo enough to make him likable to me. Bakugo was never the sort of character I’d be inclined towards without a serious, nuanced redemption arc, but sadly, a core, crucial part of that redemption arc took six years to arrive. At this point there’s no way to change the problems in Bakugo’s writing for that huge chunk of the series and not enough time left in the series, it seems, to do the work we should have seen across the entire run. Honestly, idk if the Bakugo we'll get going forward is someone I can just dislike as opposed to being really uncomfortable with, but my money is on there being too little story left and too much investment in upholding Bakugo's base personality for that to happen. I could absolutely be proven wrong! But I think the problems are structural and needed to be better dealt with from page one, not hastily patched over in the final hour.

#BNHA #My Hero Academia #anti bakugo

[fkevin073]

let's do gilmore girls since i had it playing in the background the other day, so question 2, 6 and 7!

and number 4 for favorite book ♡

okay so for fandom asks, here we go. this will have spoilers for Gilmore girls, so be warned! :)

2. Favorite episode/ chapter/ etc from [IF]

oh wow my favourite episode... that's a tough one. I think one of my favourite ones was the 24 hour dance marathon episode where Rory and Lorelei participate. I just love all the angst and humour.

Another one would be the season finale of season 2! I think it set up things super well. Also Milo Ventimiglia looks so good in that episode holy shit. I definitely prefer the episodes from season 1-4 tbh.

4. Favorite show/ book/ fandom/ etc?

I'm assuming you mean in general and not just the books talked about on the show?

That's a tough one too! I really loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Daisy Jones & the Six. But one of my all time favourites is "All the Light We cannot See" by Anthony Doerr. For classic novels I'd probably say Persuasion by Jane Austen or Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy.

6. If you could be friends with one (1) character from [IF] who would it be?

ouuu probably Paris. She's an absolute boss and I think she'd encourage me to be the best possible version of myself. she's also just so funny and so unapologetically herself. I love her work ethic (also, I will die on this hill but Paris should have gotten into Harvard instead of Rory. I said what I said). Also Lane.

And Jess as well. He has a pretty crazy taste in books, so I love that. also I could probably borrow some and he wouldn't be able to notice.

7. Least favorite character from [IF]

okay this may be unpopular but right now I'd say Rory. I really loved her in seasons 1-4 but afterwards like... damn. Idk how to explain it because I sympathize her with a lot of ways - she was idealized way too much as a kid and pampered a lot. She also had a lot of pressure on her shoulders to be perfect all the time and the town was WAY too involved in her private life. And also academic burnout. I get that! I get not having your shit together.

But like she cheated on all of her boyfriends except Jess and engaged in at least two affairs. Don't get me wrong, in those situations I believe the blame majorly goes on the person in the relationship, especially with the whole Dean situation (that whole blame the other woman thing is super toxic and gross). but like!! she never learns. she cheats on people and doesn't even seem to feel guilty about it. She also treated her boyfriend horribly in the revival for no reason.

I also found that she became really entitled and blind to her own privilege in later seasons. Like I remember she had an argument with Logan about how they weren't the same because she wasn't a trust fund kid and I was like your grandparents pay for all your schooling and accommodation and they're super rich. like?? your mom paid for all her own stuff, not you. But yeah, Rory kind of went downhill for me...

thanks for the ask :)

#Gilmore girls #answered asks #asks

[alatismeni-theitsa]

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't there a huge displacement of Greek-born-Turks and Turk-born-Greeks during and following WWII, muddying even more the concept of Mediterranean nations being some sort of homogenous ethnicity of color? I doubt a Cappadocian Greek would consider themselves white or brown/black by American standards. (1/2)

I'm so tired of Americans thinking every continent should adhere to their way of categorizing ethnicity and race, and to stop thinking that West Europeans (I'm French-British, but my aunt's husband and family are from Cyprus) are the default "white demons" and East Europeans and Mediterraneans, as a result of being oppressed and colonized, even by each other might I add, makes them some sort of Schrödinger's POC like you said, only minorities when it helps their narrative.

________________________________________________________________

Yes, there were many forced displacements even before WW2. The Balkans and the Mediterranean are big melting pots when it comes to “race”. “I doubt a Cappadocian Greek would consider themselves white or brown/black by American standards.” Exactly. But at the same time the American standards would seem wrong to them. Greeks call people “white” by only looking at their skin color but they also call “white” people from ethnicities which are considered “brown” by Americans. Go figure xD

So, the solution, as you understand, is that we don’t have to follow the American standards at all outside of the US. Even inside the US I don’t see how that is helping them. Suddenly they don’t categorize Asians as poc because they have accumulated wealth and they are doing super well academically! Actually, Asians (yes, even the very dark skinned) are doing so well that they are required to perform better than Black and White people in order to enter university (because of affirmative action).

Also, can we stop blaming all light skinned people on the planet for the actions of the rich, influential European colonizers? White people have been slaves till the beginning of human race and were still slaves during the European colonization era. I don’t see anyone condemning all Arabs for the Arab slavetrade and colonization, nor the Chinese for wiping out whole tribes and “savages” as they called them. 

Plus, can you notice the irony? TODAY the US is meddling with other nations, causing tensions, war and thousands of deaths every year. American corporations are corrupt and mistreat people who work for them worldwide - treating them like slaves even! But does the average American blame themeselves for that mild imperialism? No. They say “It’s the politicians and wealthy Americans who do that! I am a simple citizen, I don’t have such power! I cannot change anything so I have to see other people suffer from the actions of my country”. Notice that they don’t extend the same courtecy to the white people whose ancestors where just farmers in the era of European colonization.  

“But those people, even if they were poor, benefited from the horrible actions of their country!” So are you, Becky. So are you. So either you name yourself an imperialist devil, or you understand that what your country does is not your fault. And you barely have any power to stop it. (But you certainly have more power than the average low class English/French/Dutch person of the European colonial era).

________________________________________________________________

Disclaimer: I don’t feel uncomfortable using “race” as a definition for humans. In Greece this is pretty racist. We see color but we don’t categorize humans like that. That’s why I put it in quotation marks.

#answered

[battlestar-royco]

Someone might have already said this, but I think one of the reasons AC0TAR/T0G is so popular is because it's fan base is built of people who have outgrown YA but are not ready to try out adult yet. I'm 18 and love middle grade, ya, and adult, but I haven't started reading adult until this year because I didn't know it like I know YA. I didn't know what authors are good, what I liked in adult books, etc. It wasn't until recently I got a good list of adult built up. 1/?

Before, if I just picked an adult book at random 99% of the time I would hate it. Plus, YA has a certain feel to it that I love that isn’t replicated much in adult books. I think AC0TAR fans want to read about someone their own age, but, like me, can’t find what books they enjoy with adult characters. Then comes SJ/M with a super adult book in the YA category they finally have a book series about someone around their age doing more adult things with more adult subject matters. 2/? That may also be why they look over the horrible writing, this is one of the few books they can relate to that’s still in the YA category, which they’ve grown up in and know the best. There aren’t many YA book centered around college kids, and SJ/M was able to fill that hole for that audience. 3/3

That’s definitely a reason. I think there are a lot of reasons why SJ/M’s work succeeds the way it does. As for her fanbase being people who aged out of YA, I think this is a dilemma that’s been going on for a few years now, and I feel like I’m going through that too. A lot of readers who grew up with Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games, etc don’t really know where to turn because YA is targeted at mid-late teens and adult is usually early twenties to fifties without a focus on coming of age.And to your point, if you grew up keeping track of YA releases and authors, it’s hard to know where to start in the adult section. NA failed, and adult is more plot than character-driven. I personally find a lot more entertainment value in YA than adult for this reason among others. Plus adult fandoms can be really different from YA fandoms–the fans are probably older, they might post more mature stuff, they might have academic degrees, etc. So it’s just weird. I really hope to see more 18-22ish year-old protagonists dealing with that adulthood transition soon, because you’re right: that gap is certainly there. The teens from five years ago, the current teens in five years, and so on, want to/will want to see their protags go through that transition with them. It seems that no one knows what to do to make that happen at the moment.

All that said, I still believe SJ/M should have been pushed into the adult section after the fall of NA, because it’s unfair to the teens who are just coming into YA or don’t want that kind of content, but I can see where you’re coming from. In my opinion there are plenty of YA books that adeptly toe the line between adult and YA themes–like SOC or The Winner’s Curse. Other people are doing well in this regard, so SJ/M could have definitely approached the topics she did in AC0TAR/T0G, but with a lot more sensitivity and less straight-up porn. I think there’s also more to it than the YA/adult transition. My guesses have always been because SJ/M’s style is super manipulative, and the “feminism” is very in-your-face in a manner that’s accessible to young readers who don’t know much about the topic. I also think that while a few years ago SJ/M’s fandom was going strong, and it still is in a way, a lot of stans have flocked since E0S/AC0WAR because they’re beginning to see through the smoke and mirrors. So most stans who remain are just there out of spite against the people who left and against antis. Soooo, all this to say: SJ/M’s fandom is really layered and a lot of the way it is has to do with her contemporary writers and the state of YA now and over the past few years. It’s super interesting to think about.

#anti sjm #anti tog #anti acotar

[cardioasscular]

Hi Julie! I'm new to tumblr so I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this. I think that I may have autism. I wasn't diagnosed, but I know that some people aren't diagnosed until later in life for a lot of reasons. I'm just curious if you had any advice for figuring out whether I am on the spectrum? I've done some research but it's hard to know where to start. No pressure if you can't/don't want to answer! :) From, Bee

It’s okay! No problem, and feel free to message me any time! I actually don’t know exactly what to tell you in all honesty because I can’t remember what my life was like before I was diagnosed (I was diagnosed at a young age - I think either 3rd or 4th grade). But I can definitely tell you some things that I know about myself/that I’ve experienced that may be able to help you!

-I’ve always had an intense obsession with one specific topic (usually one main one at a time, with others that are still intense, but not AS much), which has varied through the years. Many autistic people call it a “special interest,” mine right now is TGD. The first one I can remember is dogs, which (of course) I still and will always love. 

-Everything used to be way too loud for me. I do remember that I used to wear earplugs and snow earmuffs in the cafeteria in elementary school. Over time, I learned to be able to tolerate loudness more, but it can still get really overwhelming at times, especially if there’s more than one type of noise at the same time (like when I’m at work and the oven and dough presser are both going, along with people talking and phones ringing.)

-I can’t stand certain textures. Mine are greasy things, like liquid butter or bacon (I still eat it, but I have to get almost all of the grease off with paper towels), and those holographic/3D things that people love to scratch (and make THE WORST sound that I can’t stand, either). I have an autistic friend who can’t stand chalk or fleece. It varies - unlike my friend, I love fleece!

-I either talk way too loud when I’m comfortable around people, or if I’m not, I don’t talk much, if at all. I find it hard to look people directly in the eye and tend to look above or below their eyes. 

-Light, like sound, can get intense for me as well. I have to carry sunglasses with me because sometimes, especially if I’m tired because it seems like my sensory overload problems get worse when I’m tired, the sun is just way too bright and I can’t always get inside to avoid it.

-I tend to do some repetitive actions, and they bring me comfort. For example, I run my hands through my hair a lot, and I pick at/bite my nails and the skin around my nails (yeah, I know, it’s not good for me, I’m trying to kick that habit).

-I find “fidget toys” useful. My favorite are these spinner rings that I have: I have one that’s blue and silver and one that’s kind of rainbow-ish and silver - I got them as a set of 2 on Amazon for like $10 if you think you’d enjoy them!

-I love to hold and squeeze things like pillows and stuffed animals. It’s comforting to me, and the pressure feels amazing - I REALLY want one of those weighted blankets, but they’re expensive and I’m not 100% certain that I’d use it as much as I’d want to (I get really hot at night). 

-When I’m overloaded, sometimes I shut down. I don’t talk, I barely move, I space out, and I stare at one specific spot. Sometimes it scares both other people and myself because they don’t know what’s going on, and I feel so overwhelmed that I can’t physically get the words out. 

-Sometimes I feel my own emotions too intensely. If something makes me really excited, some people would say that I get “too excited.” On the other hand, the worst part is when I’m sad or upset because a minor thing that might make someone else stressed or sad (for example, I got confused about when lab met last week and missed it, and ended up having a meltdown because of it. Most people would probably be stressed and/or upset, but wouldn’t be as upset as I got.)

-On the flip side, I have an EXTREMELY hard time feeling for other people, which I hate because it makes me seem like the stereotypical “empathy-less autistic.” It’s hard for me to relate to others’ troubles, and even though I try to be comforting, I always feel like I’m not doing it right, or that I’m making it worse. There actually have been times when I HAVE made it worse, and it made me feel completely shitty. I’m horrible at giving advice (so if none of this helps, I am extremely sorry). 

-I’m horrible at teaching and giving advice. I have difficulty saying exactly what I mean sometimes, which means that sometimes, people get the wrong idea, or they just don’t understand what I’m trying to say. Most of the time, it’s fine and I can just explain more and people eventually know what I mean, but it’s gotten me into some deep shit before. 

-I’m incredibly observant, which is both a blessing and a curse at times given the situation. I notice things that others may not. A good example was when a few weeks ago, my psychology professor was trying to log into the computer, which was projected on the front of the room. It kept giving the “username/password is incorrect” message, and I noticed that she had accidentally hit the spacebar and there was a space before her username, which fixed the problem. A bad example is when there’s a ton of noise, like I mentioned earlier, or multiple people having multiple conversations. 

I could give so many more examples, but I feel like this is already much longer than I wanted in the first place. 

One thing that I would try is to ask some people around you that you love and trust if they notice any typical actions that seem “weird.” If you’re close with your parents, ask about your actions as a child. 

Questions like, “When did I start talking?” “Did I seem unattached to Mom/Dad at first?” “Did I have any ‘odd’ obsessions?” “Did I fit in with other children my age, or did I stand out due to ‘weird’ actions?” may help. 

Observe your actions, and see if you catch yourself doing something that you don’t know exactly “why” you’re doing it, that other people don’t typically seem to do. 

One thing that I think would really help, if you haven’t already, make some in-person friends (online friends are wonderful, don’t get me wrong, but most of the time you can’t see how your online friends act) who are autistic! Observe some of their behavior, maybe ask a few questions like, “why do you do (x)?” and explain that you have some questions about autism, that you’d like to have a better understanding. Although I do feel uncomfortable talking about myself a majority of the time, I am always happy to explain to others who have a good heart and just want to understand, learn, and support. 

Every autistic person is different, so what others may do/feel may not apply to you, and that’s perfectly okay! 

It’s always good to ask questions, and I don’t know about your situation, but many public K-12 schools do some academic testing that can point you in the right direction. If you’re a university student (I’m not 100% sure about it, but the University of Tennessee in Knoxville does this), maybe look into your school’s psychology program. Students (under the direction of their professors, of course) can perform academic testing. I think this does cost, though, and I have no idea what the prices are. My college’s disabilities services program sent me to UT for testing and paid for it so I could have updated information, as my last evaluations were done in elementary school. 

Again, feel free to message me any time! I’m usually available, but sometimes I do get busy, which is why (and I’m so sorry about this) I took a super long time and answered you super late. 

(If you’re autistic as well and have any advice to offer, please feel free to add on!) 

#I hope this all came out okay #sometimes I just kinda throw stuff out and it gets all out of order and stuff and it's hard for people to fully understand #and I started this earlier and had to come back to it because shit came up #...and I didn't proofread. Whoops. #asd #actually autistic #autism

[scpercyjackson]

How much the PJO books mean to me as someone with ADHD

Hi I feel like no one has had a post like this so I'm gonna post one kinda long story and if anyone wants to add on saying what the PJO world means to them please feel free to reblog with your stories or you can message me with your story cuz I'd love to know:

So when I was in the seventh grade I had an english teacher (who was absolutely amazing btw) who assigned the class to all pick a fiction book to read and write a report on. She took us down to the library and I remember looking at all the books not having a single clue what book I wanted to pick. I despised reading. I was extremely slow and I could never comprehend what was on the page. I could read 5 pages of something and not tell you a single thing of what I just read. I walked around the library aimlessly trying to get away with just picking up a short book and getting the hell out of there when I saw the first book of the Percy Jackson series "The Lightning Thief." I remembered I had just seen the movie a couple weeks before and my friend had complained loudly that the movie was horrible compared to the book and she told me to read the books instead. I didn't know what she meant cuz I actually quite liked the movie. I decided to take her word for it and I picked up the book, not knowing what I was getting myself into. In the first few pages Percy had explained how he had ADHD and Dyslexia and how those learning disabilities had affected his academic life and social life. The more I read the book, the more I realized that, other than flipping letters and words around and not being able to read, his personality, traits and behaviors, the way he talked without thinking of consequences, the way he had trouble focusing on reading, the way he realized, as a demigod with ADHD, he saw too much, not too little, and how he was so fidgety and restless, constantly moving all the time just to pay attention, all of those things were basically describing my whole life. I started to recall memories of times my teachers told me to stop wiggling in my seat or to be quiet and pay attention, or how they would look in sympathy at me when they saw that I had trouble understanding and recalling what I read even though I definitely could read. I remembered that I was always frustrated when I couldn't understand something the first time I tried it. My sister excelled at piano when we were little and then I would get frustrated, slam the keys, and cry because I couldn't get it as fast. I remembered always being the "slow reader" and finishing last on readings when everybody had already moved on. My room (and my life tbh) was a disorganized mess. I realized while reading the book that I might have ADHD. I was 99% certain. I ended up doing so much research on it that I was convinced. I was even more convinced when I had basically devoured the first PJO series in two months, quicker than I ever read before and the most books Ive ever read in that amount of time. My parents were shocked at how I was all of sudden reading all the time. Finally in 11th grade when I became so overwhelmed with the amount of reading junior year required, I told my parents I wanted to get fully tested for ADHD. Thankfully they understood and told me they've suspected for a while I might have ADHD. When the psychologist who tested me finally told me I definitely was ADHD I almost cried. Not meaning to sound dramatic, but I felt like my whole life finally made sense. I was able to get accommodations in high school and now college. I finally knew that I wasn't dumber than my peers. In fact, the psychologist actually told me my IQ was slightly higher for someone my age which was actually common among kids with ADHD. This all became possible because I had picked up "The Lightning Thief" in 7th grade because my teacher forced me to. Since then, the PJO world has grown so much with so much representation for so many different kinds of kids from LGBT kids to people of color and to the disabled (I grew up with gay relatives and friends and it was nice for Rick to depict my type of family as normal. I also grew up as a mixed race girl with a physical disability and, unknowingly a mental one too so it was amazing to finally see people like me be main characters in his stories). I found myself relating to Percy, to Annabeth, to Thalia, Nico, Reyna (as a puerto rican who had trouble keeping friends), Leo(who was hispanic and super ADHD and loved cracking jokes to hide pain), Sadie Kane (as a semi white passing colored girl), and so many of his other characters. I finally found a world where I belonged and I'm never gonna give that up. I hope other kids like me have found themselves in these books as I know I definitely have.

Thanks for reading : ) I'd love to hear your stories so please reblog with them or message me or follow me and I'll be posting a lot more about my thoughts and theories on the PJO world.

#percy jackson #percy jackon and the olympians #heroes of olympus #magnus chase #trials of apollo #kane chronicles #annabeth chase #adhd #actually adhd #reyna avila ramirez arellano #reyna #thalia grace #nico di angelo #hazel levesque #sadie kane #carter kane #jason grace #piper mclean #leo valdez #frank zhang #adhd problems #instant folllow back #follow