#Cancer Research for high school students | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

littlecrittereli · 4 months

Text

Random WK Headcanon dump

Here's a silly list of headcanons I have about team Wild Kratts, in no particular order other than what comes into my head first:

Heights:

Martin and Chris are based off their real heights and I filled everyone else in based off how they look standing next to each other. I exaggerated Aviva and Koki's height a little bit, just for some variety.

Koki is the tallest at 6' (182.9 cm)

Martin is 5'10 (177.8 cm)

Jimmy is 5'9 (175.3 cm)

Chris is 5'8 (172.7 cm)

and Aviva is the shortest at 5'3 (160 cm)

Reference:

Ages:

Martin is definitely the oldest at 25

Aviva is 24

Jimmy and Koki are both 23, Jimmy being a few months older

And Chris is runner up at 21

The reason for the small age gap is because Martin was ultimately the person that put together the Tortuga team when he graduated college, and he picked students that were also close to graduation at the time. Chris would have just been starting college, but would join them upon graduation because of his connection through Martin. Other freshmen at the time would not have qualified for the research grant.

Birthdays!!!

Martin: Dec 23rd (he's a capricorn)

Aviva: Nov 4th (She's a scorpio)

Jimmy: April 20th (He's a taurus)

Koki: August 27th (She's a virgo)

Chris: July 19th (He's a cancer)

Identities:

(Disclaimer this is referring to the fictional Wild Kratts animated characters ONLY. Not the actual people they are based on.)

Martin: he/him, bisexual. But his preference is women.

He's probably had a handful of girlfriends and a couple of boyfriends throughout high school and college, but unfortunately had too big of ambitions to settle down with anyone.

Aviva: she/her, bisexual. She doesn't have a preference.

She has probably been on like... 2 dates max. She has always been much more focused on her education and bettering her inventions than dating. Her only standard for a partnership is someone who can keep up with her intelligence. Or at least someone she can learn from and grow with.

Jimmy: he/him, straight.

He literally does not care, but he would probably kiss a man if the opportunity arose. Had a girlfriend in kindergarten and they spoke twice, but since she moved schools and they never officially broke up, he's still technically off the market.

Koki: she/they lesbian. SHE LIKES WOMEN

tried to date a man. regretted it. Has probably been in a couple semi-serious relationships, but didn't work out for various reasons. She's content to focus on her career for now but someday would love to be a mom.

Chris: he/they aroace

only proclaimed to have a crush on a girl in high school because everyone else was talking about crushes and he didn't want to feel left out. Doesn't really like to be touched in general. Would rather cut off his hand than be forced to hold someone else's in a non platonic way. When someone has a crush on him, he does not know how to respond so he literally just ignores them.

Silly Stuff:

-As a zoologist, Martin knows more about animal behaviors, classification, and identification. Meanwhile, Chris as a biologist knows more about the anatomy and general science of animals. For example, Martin would be able to explain the reasoning behind a firefly's glow while Chris would be able to explain the chemical reaction that makes the glow possible. And they are constantly sharing and learning from each other as well.

-Chris has glasses, he just doesn't really use them very often. They would get in the way of creature adventuring so he only wears them if he's reading or something. They aren't super crucial, it just helps with small words.

-Game nights are VERY serious on the Tortuga. Jimmy is suspiciously good at card/board games. He pretty much always wins. It's to the point where everyone else is on a team against him. Sometimes he lets them win and it has sent the entire team into a fight. Sorry has been banned in the Tortuga because of this.

-Koki's a huge theatre nerd. She participated in plays recreationally throughout high school, and will often hum or sing while she's doing a task.

-Martin plays the guitar and has a mediocre singing voice. It's nothing spectacular but he can carry a tune. Sometimes when the Tortuga is parked somewhere remote for the night, they will make a campfire and sing a few songs.

-Aviva has roller skates built into her shoes (SIDE NOTE: This is something we see very often in season 1 but they seemed to have forgotten about it??? or retconned it??? BUT I HATE IT BECAUSE THEY WERE SO COOL PLEASE BRING BACK THE ROLLER SKATES)

-Martin is a terrible driver. (The oldest sibling curse) He knows he's a terrible driver, but pretends he's not. Chris will usually try to take the driver's seat to prevent Martin from driving, but sometimes Martin beats him there. Will deflect any evidence of him being a bad driver. "That curb shouldn't have been there" Someone please revoke his license, he's a danger to society.

-Jimmy is definitely the best cook out of all of them. He makes food for the team most of the time, unless they are on a longer flight and he has to pilot. Koki and Chris are pretty competent chefs "Just read the recipe it's not that hard". Martin's basically limited to ramen noodles and microwave mac and cheese. Aviva, try as she might, can NOT cook. She will BURN water. (she always overcomplicates the recipes by trying to utilize an invention or something)

-Koki likes to crochet. She likes to keep her hands busy so whenever she's doing a rather boring task, like monitoring for bad weather/villains while the bros are out, she crochets.

-Jimmy gets insane jet lag, and since they are bouncing from different time zones all the time, he can never really catch up. Not to mention he has to stay up for irregular hours to fly the Tortuga. This is why he's always napping, and why the others usually leave him alone to sleep unless it's important.

#wild kratts #chris kratt #martin kratt #aviva corcovado #wild kratts koki #jimmy z #wild kratts headcanon #littlecrittereli #These are so random but they are just thoughts that have been stuck in my head for a while #also its just for fun and how I personally view their dynamic :)#found family Tortuga Team

165 notes · View notes

postitforward · 1 year

Text

Mental Health Spotlight: Jasmine Marie, Founder of black girls breathing®

Jasmine Marie is a speaker, breathwork practitioner, and the founder of black girls breathing®. Her work is innovating the wellness, healthcare, and research industry by making mental health services accessible to Black women while filling in the gaps of data and research available on this underserved and underrepresented demographic. Marie plans to impact one million Black women and girls with her work by 2025. She is a serial founder with a past life in global haircare brand marketing and an alum of NYU Stern. The impact and range of her work to date is expansive—ranging from underserved minority communities to stressed-out college students and executives. She’s brought her expertise to elite colleges such as Harvard Business School, Columbia University, and Cornell University, and her client list includes corporations such as Estée Lauder Companies, Under Armour, Capital One, Ford Motor Company, Facebook, and Twitter. Marie has been featured in Oprah Magazine, Good Morning America, VOGUE, Forbes, Harper’s Baazar, Marie Claire, Glamour, Nylon Mag, Wall Street Journal, and Black Enterprise, to name a few.

What is black girls breathing®? And why was it created? black girls breathing® is a safe space for Black women to manage their mental and emotional health and heal trauma in their bodies with breathwork and community.

I created black girls breathing® after finishing my breathwork training and seeing so few facilitators that looked like me yet knowing how much chronic stress and trauma (generational, societal, etc.) and decided to create it. I used my background in business to help me develop a model where we could provide this work accessibly.

Do you have any secret hobbies, skills, or interests?

I don’t think I have any secret hobbies but for a while, I would always feel embarrassed whenever anyone asked that question, as a lot of my hobbies can maybe seem boring to others lol. But I love to read. Reading is one of my favorite hobbies. I love having quiet time…any activity that allows me to feel refreshed, sit with my own thoughts and enjoy my solitude. I think because I deal with so many people’s energy that in my spare time, I just like to spend time with self. I love to cook though…it’s a very meditative activity for me that allows me to unwind from my day.

How did you get started in this work? And why is it important to you?

As mentioned above, after my breathwork training, I realized there were so few Black breathworkers. But before that, I found breathwork while being stressed out after graduating from business school at NYU and working in beauty in NYC. My nervous system was so fried I began having physical symptoms…rashes and an inability to sleep. The doctor would see me and always say, “This is stress. How can you reduce your stress?” Fast forward to me finding my first breathwork class and falling in love with the way it allowed me to just feel more space in my mind and body.

WOW — ONE MILLION Black women and girls breathing by 2025 what an ambitious goal! What impact do you see this having?

It is an ambitious goal, but in 2020, we fundraised $55k to make our work accessible for one year. After the year was done, it was so clear that we couldn’t stop there. So many Black women needed this work, and we would hear that over and over again. So I decided if I was going to do this work, I was only interested in creating real impact and a goal that would signify that. Imagining 1 Million Black women using breathwork as a tool to regulate their nervous systems, heal from compounded trauma and reduce the effect that chronic stress has in our community (health challenges linked to chronic stress: heart disease, high blood pressure, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, fertility issues, and the list goes on) will not only affect them but our community as a whole. Ending the passing down of generational trauma and normalizing healing.

What would you suggest to people who feel like they cannot find the time to breathe or practice mindfulness?

I would first affirm that it’s okay they feel that way. Western society has done a great job of making us feel that anything outside of productivity is not only a waste of time but the least important thing we should make space for. Making time for yourself for any mindful activity can be eased into and it can start with being more aware of the present moment and practicing that action on a daily. Maybe you create a routine where every morning for 3 minutes right when you get up, you take a moment to be still, notice your breathing pattern and focus on each and every inhale and exhale.

Why is Black representation important in this industry?

The wellness industry isn’t unlike other industries where Black representation is lacking. I think it’s important to see other Black women caring for themselves because, historically, we’ve been taught to do the opposite for oh so long.

Where do you find joy?

I find joy with my family and my loved ones, in intimate moments with friends, in good food and conversation, and in being able to create something and see it grow, shift, and evolve.

Want to learn more about black girls @blackgirlsbreathing?

Check out their website!

Breathe with us on March 27th @12pm EDT during their Mindful Monday Breathwork for Anxiety session on Tumblr Live

Ask black girls breathing all the questions on your mind for IssueTime on Navigating Anxiety in an increasingly digital, lonely world

Take the pledge with black girls breathing®

#meditation #mindful monday #mindfulness #mental health #well being #tumblr live #black girls breathing x tumblr #black girls breathing #self care #healing #take the pledge #mental health matters #menhealthmatters

820 notes · View notes

trans-corvo · 16 days

Text

Youtube Video Essayists part 2

I made one of these lists years ago, so if you're wondering why big names like hbomberguy and Kat Blaque aren't here, that's why.

Science and Tech

Miniminuteman - Archaeologist and science educator whose content focuses on archaeological mysteries and debunking pseduoarcheaology. Videos average about 20 minutes to an hour and a half.

Adam Something - Most of his videos focus on urbanism and transport (it's more interesting than it sounds, I promise), but he also occasionally covers politics and culture. His bread and butter is tearing apart impractical billionaire passion projects (hyperloop, the cybertruck, Munger Hall). Big fan of trains. Average video playtime is 10 to 20 minutes.

Petal Palmer - A pre-med student and cancer patient who covers true stories of medical oddities and malpractice. Some of my favourites are on the Tylenol murders, the woman who froze alive (and survived unscathed), and fraudulent cancer awareness orgs. Videos run from 10 minutes to an hour and a half.

Politics and Culture

Caelan Conrad - Their channel mainly covers gay and trans rights, with a focus on debunking right-wing narratives and commentators. Videos average 30 minutes to an hour and a half.

Fundie Fridays - Started as a channel where Jen did her makeup and talked about various figures and sects of Christian fundamentalism, has since grown to include her husband and to cover politics. Very respectful in her tone, and very funny. I'd recommend their videos on the Miracle Mineral Solution (bleach), Eugene Scott, Duck Dynasty, and Gwen Shamblin Lara. Their early videos are only around 10 to 20 minutes, but these days they run as long as an hour and a half.

Khadija Mbowe - Honestly, her channel could fit under any of these categories. Her content varies wildly, but is always engaging and thought provoking. I'd recommend her videos on meritocracy in health and weightloss, Poor Things and engaging with 'problematic' material, and Barbie and white feminism. Videos average 20 to 40 minutes

F.D Signifier - Very well researched and presented commentary on politics, media, and black manhood. I'd recommend his videos on Eminem and white rappers, what makes men desirable, white men and edge lord movies, and how black athletes are exploited. Videos average 40 minutes to an hour and a half.

Foreign Man in a Foreign Land - Commentary on race and Caribbean culture. I'd recommend his videos on racism in gaming, tourism as the new slavery, and Elizabeth II and english colonialism. Videos average 20 minutes to an hour.

Arts and Entertainment

Broey Deschanel - Channel focuses on film and film criticism. I'd highly recommend her videos on the problems with method acting, feeling cynical about Barbie, and the 'death' of cinema. Videos average about 20 to 50 minutes and have a high production value.

Jane Mulcahy - Film and tv analysis, with a focus on media aimed towards female audiences. Lighthearted but thoughtful. I'd recommend her videos on the Red White and Royal Blue movie, Lifetime 'Daddy' movies, and the 'psycho biddy' genre. Videos average 20 minutes to an hour.

Verily Bitchie - Examining movies and tv through a queer and feminist lense, along with occasional videos on culture on politics. I'd recommend her feminist critique of Doctor Who, a look at bisexual representation on TV, and her video on trial by tiktok. Videos average 10 minutes to an hour and a half.

Coldcrashpictures - Pretty standard long-form film analysis. I'd recommend his videos on the current state of Hollywood, Freaks (1932) and old school horror, the 2020 dumpster fire watchlist, and cinematic masculinity. Videos average 20 minutes to an hour.

Internet Culture

WURLD - Commentary on internet trends and culture. More lighthearted and off the cuff in her presentation. Best videos include Is Booktok Ruining Reading?, the obsession with reusable cups, and hustle culture is a nightmare. Videos run from 15 to 45 minutes.

Gabi Bell - A lot of variation in her content, ranging from internet culture, to (bad) movies, to (bad) tv. I'd recommend her videos on tiktok drama and fake verification. Videos average 10 to 50 minutes.

Tiffany Ferg - Content focused on internet analysis. I'd recommend her videos on concert culture, learned helplessness and tech illiteracy, and 'body trends' and plastic surgery. Videos average from 20 to 40 minutes.

Salem Tovar - Nuanced commentary on internet culture. I'd recommend her videos on gen Z's aesthetic obsession, millennial parenting problems, and filming strangers in public. Videos average from 30 minutes to an hour and a half.

Ro Ramdin - Probably the funniest person on this list, I can't recommend her enough. Videos are thoughtful well edited. I'd recommend her videos on Hogwarts Legacy and financially supporting JK Rowling, the NFT island, the metaverse, and XQC. Videos average 20 to 40 minutes.

Also, misc. video essays: 2010s Pop Feminism: A Painful Look Back, We Need to Talk about TikTok's Obsession with Face Reading and its Dark History, Transphobia: The Far Right and Liberalism, You're Wrong about Modern Art, Who is Killing Cinema? - A Murder Mystery, Transition Regret & the Fascism of Endings, I Debunked Every "Body Language Expert" on Youtube, These Stupid Trucks are Literally Killing Us, How Conservatives Created (and Cancelled) Gender.

#video essays #basically my background noise when I'm drawing

20 notes · View notes

mysicklove · 7 months

Note

is there a specific, or multiple medical fields / specialities you’re interested in?

I LOVE THIS QUESTION !!!!

thinking dermatology, pediatrics, oncology, or psychiatry (ranked in order of how interested i am in them)

dermatology: pros-best work/life ratio out of all of these fields. one of the highest paid doctors. i would do beauty dermotology most likely which is huge in california (where i live lol) and my dream is to open my own clinic!! supposedly one the happiest doctors. plus i like pimple popping lolol. i have wanted to be this since i was like 11 years old. cons-so so so so so so competetive. like i heard it is super hard to match into derm. its supposedly rlly hard residency too.

pediatrics: pros-kids!! i love kids!!!, noncompetetive residency match, decent work balance life. cons-one of the least paying doctors, parents are INSANE about their kids, i wont be able to hyperfocus on a organ to treat, i would just have broad info unless i complete a fellowship

oncology: pros-cancer is SOOOO interesting to me. like i would want to be a researcher more than a doctor tbh. lots of connectiions with patients cons-death. lots n lots of death and idk if i can deal with that. also could be out of a job if the cure for cancer does exist

psychiatry: pros-psychology is super interesting to me. i love the patient aspect of it all too. i have been told that i am a really good with working with ppl, and its high in face to face conversations. if i did go into this field, i would want to do research on the effects of psilocybin mushrooms on the brain and how microdosing actually helps with depression! there is very little research on it, but my aunt got perscribed this when she was depressed from canada and it helped. so thats intruiging to me. cons-lowest paid like i think out of all fields. i think i may crave working with my hands after awile. just not as interesting to me, i think i may do psilocybin reasearch as an undergrad to get into medical school

if anyone is a doctor or in medschool n sees any mistakes/misconceptins in this list, please please please let me know!! i have no connections to any doctors so this is all from online research. oh n any doctors/medschool students want to share experiences/anything with me i will litterally eat it up

ok sorry im rambling u did not ask for this LOL i just got exicted

#💌 - love letters #secret admirer

19 notes · View notes

mightyflamethrower · 4 months

Text

Jan312024

Now Harvard DEI Chief Accused of Plagiarism

In case anyone thought plagiarist, former Harvard President, and ludicrous moonbat Claudine Gay was an exception to the rule, it appears Harvard’s chief diversity and inclusion officer is also a plagiarist:

Sherri Ann Charleston, appears to have plagiarized extensively in her academic work, lifting large portions of text without quotation marks and even taking credit for a study done by another scholar—her own husband—according to a complaint filed with the university on Monday and a Washington Free Beacon analysis. The complaint makes 40 allegations of plagiarism that span the entirety of Charleston’s thin publication record.

You can’t expect better than Claudine Gay with Affirmative Action hires in charge of hiring:

Charleston was the chief affirmative action officer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison before she joined Harvard in August 2020 as its first-ever chief diversity officer. In that capacity, Charleston served on the staff advisory committee that helped guide the university’s presidential search process that resulted in the selection of former Harvard president Claudine Gay in December 2022, according to the Harvard Crimson.

Head of the National Association of Scholars Peter Wood characterizes Charleston’s scholarship as “research fraud pure and simple.” But you can’t say she hasn’t been doing her job, which is to institutionalize hatred of whites:

Since 2020, her office has pumped out a stream of materials that bemoan the “weaponization of whiteness,” discuss the ins and outs of “white fragility,” and urge students to “call out” their peers for “harmful words.”

“Harmful words” can be presumed to mean speech that does not comply with leftist doctrine grounded in DEI and Critical Race Theory.

Harvard’s commitment to this toxic dogma at the expense of integrity and competence is producing consequences:

The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of Harvard Medical School’s three teaching hospitals, announced in January that it would retract six papers and correct dozens more after some of its top executives were accused of data manipulation. That news came on the heels of a viral essay in which Carole Hooven, a Harvard biologist, described how she had been hounded out of a teaching role by her department’s diversity committee after she said in an interview that there are only two sexes.

Serious medical research cannot be conducted where facts are forbidden in the name of politics.

The school is also facing an ongoing congressional probe over its handling of anti-Semitism and its response to the plagiarism allegations against Gay, which Harvard initially sought to suppress with legal saber-rattling.

Harvard has an endowment of $51 billion, but its most valuable asset has been its reputation for excellence. This reputation has been exchanged for laughing stock status in the name of moonbattery.

On tips from Ed McAninch, Steve D, and Mr. Freemarket.

At 60 years old I decided to get a degree. I never finished high school and getting a formal education was always on my bucket list. After helping all four of my kids get their BAs it seemed only fair that I get one of my own.

I was surprised to find that African Americans had their own separate degree plan within the UT university structure. They had separate study areas, separate dining rooms, separate fraternal organizations and degree requirements custom made to insure they passed all their core requirements with a 3.7 average. there was a list of professors guaranteed to pass them with a 3.7 average for doing virtually no written course work. All they had to do was show up for 50 percent of the lecture. If you check "Rate My Professor" on the internet you will see that there are buzz words used to let a potential student know how little would get them a passing grade.

In the case of these professors simply ask yourself how they would have been treated had they been white or Asian? They would have been relieved of their duties and sent packing. No doubt about it. There were of course exceptions but the system was designed to grease the skids for minority students.

4 notes · View notes

religion-is-a-mental-illness · 9 months

Text

By: John Sailer

Published: Sep 9, 2023

What happens in California usually doesn’t stay in California — and that’s bad news for higher education.

In his latest piece for the New York Times, Michael Powell catalogs just how extensively the Golden State’s universities have embraced mandatory diversity statements when hiring faculty. From junior college to prestigious research university, scientists and scholars throughout the state must demonstrate their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to remain in good standing.

By now, this should come as no surprise, but it is striking to see some of the most egregious ways the policy plays out. In 2016, the piece notes, at least five University of California (UC) campuses decided to initially screen faculty job applicants based only on diversity statements. For one large hiring initiative at UC Berkeley — the Life Sciences Initiative — the faculty search committee eliminated three-fourths of the applicant pool on the basis of diversity statements alone. Berkeley’s rubric for assessing diversity statements, moreover, dictates a low score for candidates who speak positively about diversity but in vague terms. Even more remarkably, it gives a low score to candidates who say they prefer to “treat everyone the same.”

All of this is especially notable because of what California represents to American public higher education. Out of any state, California best embodies the American vision of universal higher education — its promises and perils.

In 1960, UC System President Clark Kerr spearheaded the “California Master Plan for Higher Education,” an attempt to modernise the state’s system of higher education. The Master Plan institutionalised a rigidly tiered system for California’s colleges and universities, reserving the UC system for the top 12.5% of the state’s graduating high school students, the California State system for the top 33.3%, and the California Community Colleges system for everyone else.

The plan captured the country’s strong faith in higher education, its aspiration to send virtually every young person to college. Kerr once jokingly quipped that the mission of the university is “to provide sex for the students, sports for the alumni, and parking for the faculty” — an amusing, and functionally accurate, description.

No doubt, California set the example. Today, it remains a powerhouse; according to the U.S. News and World Report rankings, the UC system includes six out of the top 10 American public universities.

California still sets the tone for American higher education. And for that reason, we might add one more item to Kerr’s tongue-in-cheek summary of the university’s mission: “DEI initiatives for the administrators.” The trend Powell describes — whereby enthusiasm for DEI, whatever that might mean in practice, has become a virtual job requirement for scientists and scholars —has trickled down.

Berkeley’s Life Sciences Initiative, for example, was designed to test whether universities could use a method known as “cluster hiring” to advance the goal of diversity. Basically, the approach involves hiring multiple faculty at once with a heavy emphasis on DEI. In a forthcoming National Association of Scholars report, I describe how DEI-focused cluster hiring has boomed since Berkeley undertook its Life Sciences Initiative.

In 2020, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center carried out a cluster hire — hiring researchers in cancer, infectious disease, and basic biology — which heavily weighed DEI contributions. In 2021, Vanderbilt University’s Department of Psychology undertook a cluster hire; it eliminated approximately 85% of its candidates based solely on diversity statements. And the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has allocated $241 million in grant money for cluster hires at universities around the country — with the condition that every search committee must require and heavily weigh diversity statements.

Berkeley’s rubric — the one that gives a low score to anyone who espouses race-neutrality — is likewise ubiquitous. Two of the universities receiving NIH money for cluster hires are the University of New Mexico and the University of South Carolina. Through a public records request, I acquired both universities’ rubric for assessing diversity statements, which was published earlier this year. Both universities use the Berkeley rubric verbatim.

As a consequence of these measures, trust in higher education will likely continue to fall, owing in part to a sense that some views are simply not tolerated. But DEI litmus tests do not merely diminish the public’s trust in higher education. They degrade higher education itself. Clark Kerr knew that the mission of the university isn’t sex, sports, or parking. It isn’t social justice, either. It’s the pursuit of truth, which, following California’s example, all too many universities seem to forget.

There are still some people who say stupid things like, "how can you be against equality and diversity?" Except, we all know at this point that these are ideologically-charged words. The rubrics themselves tell you that liberal principles of equality are unacceptable; rather, contested and ideological notions about the world. This makes "DIE statements" ideological loyalty oaths.

It would be like saying something stupid like, "what, are you not against people being bad and doing bad things?" when people object to making commitments and oaths against "sin."

#John Sailer #diversity equity and inclusion #diversity statements #loyalty oath #DEI statement #DIE statement #wokeness #woke #wokeism #wokeness as religion #cult of woke #ideological corruption #DEI rubric #DIE rubric #religion is a mental illness

9 notes · View notes

calciumcryptid · 5 months

Text

Haikyuu | Akabane Malaika

Akabane Malaika was a third year student at Nekoma High School, as well as the manager for the Nekoma boy's volleyball team.

As of 2021, she is married to Kai Nobuyuki and changed her name to Kai Malaika. She works as a park ranger and entomologist.

HISTORY

Akabane Malaika played volleyball in her elementary to lower secondary school years, but a ball hit an unknown tumor in her leg cracking it in half. While the cancer was removed, her leg did not heal correctly which ended her athletic career. During her first year at Nekoma, she started to manage the boy's team and still retains her athletic prowess.

RELATIONSHIPS

Kai Nobuyuki: During their first year, the two became quick friends over their mutual love for nature and started to develop romantic feelings for one another in their second semester. At the end of the second semester, they confessed and officially started dating. The two got engaged a year after graduation.

Kuroo Tetsurou: Kuroo was the one who convinced her to give management a try after her injury. The two became close friends due to their mutual interest in science.

Yaku Morisuke: As third years, Yaku and Akabane became fast friends. She was one of the people to encourage him to go to Russia.

Nekoma High: She has a good relationship with the team and gets along with everyone, though she tends to get annoyed at some of her underclassmen's exuberance. At her graduation, the underclassman gave her a Nekoma themed walking stick.

TRIVIA

Favorite Food: Ndizi Na Nyama

Current Concern: She saw a bug she couldn't identify, and she won't be able to research it until after practice.

Current Concern (Post-Timeskip): The trail signs need repainting.

Nomenclature: Malaika (angel) Akabane (red feather)

She is an on-and-off cane user.

#oc: akabane malaika

2 notes · View notes

winderlylandchime · 8 months

Note

(Lets all say a silent thank you to my cousin who suggested that I record him at major moments last week) 2/3And Brian said there’s nothing noble about being poor. (And my brother lost his mind. Im glad you gave me a heads up that you guys were wondering about this scene so i could film him) ‘Wait!!!!! hold up!!! Pause it! I’ve had thoughts about brian and money and *waves his hands while fast walking* stuff but I need my laptop! (he has over 20 google tabs opened with research about colleges in Pittsburgh that could do marketing degrees, how much it would cost and shit like that. One tab was also ‘how to learn to play violin in less than a week’ he said he wanted to see if its really that hard) Okay so! I’ve been thinking A LOT about this. So Mike said they were in the same school, remember? But Mike dropped out or something like that from college which to be fair, so did I and I think I’m doing fantastic, haters that go by the name mom and dad may disagree but I’m here for a fun time not to cure cancer, anyway back to Brian. Brian has this big fancy wearing suit type of job and he’s a partner remember? So that unfortunately demands a resume with big words on it like “college”. So Brian definitely went to college and he obviously worked his ass off since clearly him and Mike are nowhere near each other cash wise. I mean a loft like that? That he probably owns? At 30? Plus the suit wearing job? Yeah, he did a lot of work and probably even had straight As. Probably even in high school so he could get into college AND like how he keeps going at Justin for school? Remember him being impressed by his SATs and how he would make him study like crazy. Shit I wouldn’t be surprised if he even quizzed him during sex. Poor Justin for sure got a boner while taking a test. Wait im getting distracted! Anyway his *gags* dad also took money for him AND HE HAD IT FUCKING READY! He went to see him and he already had it ready! And just before his nephew said Brians sister says he doesnt give them any money which clearly not true to some level but clearly they saw him make money and they took it. And we both know that house was on fire! It was burning every day! This dude made it out alive but he most definitely got 3rd degree burns. So he for sure knew the only way out was to turn 18 and get into college far away and then never come back unless it’s for a funeral to make 100% sure that they are in in that box. So him saying there’s nothing noble about being poor is coming from a different place than what Justin is dealing with with that fucker. That dude is just a broke college student who got offered a deal that kinda sucks BUT he said it himself to Jen, his parents payed for shit, they supported him. Meanwhile Brian? Every single thing he has down to his drugs was bought by him. And i doubt he’d ever take anything from anyone because you know how shitty abusive parents are? They buy you a box of cereal once and then throw it in your face for 3 years straight. So he probably never got anything from his parents and if he did it came with a price *looks at paused Brian on tv and takes a deep breath* and probably some bruises too. So him saying and thinking that, is coming from a place of survival and “look what i did for myself” when everyone probably told him he’s never gonna be anything except maybe dead. And sure he clearly loves money and power since he’s even willing to work with that fucker but in some way can you blame him? He was powerless all his life. But if that would be Ethan who would say that? Now that’s different. It’s not exactly survival in the same sense *looks at me in worry* i fear, i lost the plot of the point..i will make it back but i need to think. *plays the episode again* ‘WHY WOULD THEY MAKE HIM JERK OFF TO RAGE?! No matter what he’s always gonna be obsessed with Brian. HE IS RUNNING WITH SPERM IN HIS CUP! RUN FORREST RUN. Is that really how this was done?’

WOW the character analysis from your brother… I personally think he’s spot on (I’ve given a lot of thought to Brian’s SES background and where he is financially and professionally at the start of the show… too much thought? Nah.) (Btw tell your brother some day that the fandom thinks Brian went to Carnegie Mellon - I love all his open tabs) And this is happening in parallel to Stockwell - Brian is clearly a take the money and who tf cares where it’s from because he had to be, he didn’t have any alternative. His advice makes perfect sense for him to have survived.

Cosign your brother’s analysis.

#ask winderlylandchime #dear sweet anon #queer as folk #a straight man watches qaf us 2000 in the year of our lord 2023

3 notes · View notes

cactidu · 4 months

Text

Summer Programs for High School Students: What You Need to Know

As summer approaches, many high school students and their families begin to consider how to effectively spend the months away from the prototypical school routine. The sun-soaked days provide an ideal environment for growth, learning, and discovery. Summer programs, in particular, may be a great learning experience that sharpens students' talents and broadens their academic profiles. Read More !!

#research skills development #best high school research programs #cancer research for high school students #research paper publication for high schoolers #list of extracurricular activities for students #online research programs for high school students #profile building for university admissions #research opportunities for high school students #research programs for high school students #journals for high school student research #summer programs for high school students

0 notes

direwolfrules · 9 months

Text

Ooohh I’m pissed. I’m so fucking pissed.

My mom is a brilliant teacher. I’m not just saying that because she’s my mom, I’m saying that because in every single metric, including student response, she’s amazing. She’s one of those teachers that loves her subject and loves teaching about her subject.

So why, please dear Lord tell me why, she keeps getting screwed over for the most subpar teacher in her department? My mom got promised two honors classes, after years of taking the kids with behavioral difficulties (literally last year half of one of her classes routinely skipped and the other half showed up high as a fucking kite). It’s within her rights to ask for this, seniority wise. They told her that they’d replace her Smartboard’s remote, cause one of the potheads stole it last year.

Instead, our Lady of Inadequacy got all honors classes while my mom got a class that can only be described as “a fucking shitshow”. Five easily identifiable troublemakers on day 1! Our Lady of Incompetence got a brand new fucking Smartboard (hers was in perfect working condition btw), and my mom came back to find they hadn’t even ordered the replacement remote for her board.

My mom busts her ass for that school. She translates for IEP meetings, runs clubs, does research before curriculum meetings. Her kids show constant improvement year after year. She tutors other teachers and gives them her lesson plans. My mom had cancer, she developed severe psoriatic arthritis, and she still went in the second she was cleared to because she loves her job.

So why does she get skipped over for this moron? There was a special bilingual Spanish program the school was piloting for the district. Instead of handing it to the experienced teacher who is fluent in Spanish, they hand it (and the subsequent pay bump) to one who can’t even fucking speak it beyond “hola” and “adios”. Guess what? The program dissolved because it turns out if you can’t speak their language, you can’t engage the kids! Who would have thought?

Procession opportunities, things that are typically governed by building seniority, praise for her work (its easy to have highly scoring students when they started out that way), she gets all these before my mom does. She gets considered for things relating to the English department before the people with the English specialist licenses (she’s only got a generalist license). She even gets a free pass for showing up 45 minutes late to department meetings on the regular.

I just, my mom had to teach this dumbass what a fucking pronoun is. A pronoun. You know, the things you learn about in third grade at the latest? And yet the admins praise her like she’s education Jesus. What the fuck!

You want to know how good teachers get burned out? This is how.

#irl stuff #rant #vent post #long post #teacher drama #angry vent #ignore this I’m just pissed

4 notes · View notes

gold-onthe-inside · 7 months

Note

❓ - what can u tell us about Piper’s non-BAU friends? Like what’s Chris up to? What’s Theo up to? 👀 Will we meet more of her friends?

as the series goes on, there will probably be other side characters and colleagues. for context, chris was based on conrad hawkins from the resident. he's an er doctor who becomes chief resident and eventually head of internal medicine at george washington university hospital. he's a very outdoorsy guy, spends weekends biking and hiking. he always wanted to join the army but didn't because his mom had cancer and he didn't wanna leave her. as a doctor, he's the complete opposite of dr house, he loves people and he loves stories and he loves community and i think that's why he and piper get along so well. i think she is a *little* wary that his girlfriend might not be the biggest fan of her, even if everything's completely platonic, so their interactions are really only reserved for work. you'll probably see him anytime piper needs help with something medical related. as for what he's up to, i think he likes working with the CDC if and when they need him.

theo pretty much disappears after arthur dies which i think was the straw on the back of a strained relationship. not that they're not good friends, but he is extremely aware of how much piper depends on him, so when arthur dies on the table from one of his inventions, theo feels like he failed her. i think he goes back to where he started in boston. it takes him a while to go back to surgery, i think he sticks to research for a year or two. he's not as much of a people person as piper is. to be fair, they didn't have a toxic relationship. when they first met in college, no-one really wanted to work with theo and he was an exchange student too so it was pretty rough on him. when they meet, piper's the first person who's eager to work with him, probably cause they have a kindred spirit. they're both ambitious, usually the youngest people in any office. i wrote theo to be asexual, even though he never really says it in the series. but to be fair, he's not really close enough to the BAU to come out to them, and growing up with two queer siblings, piper's not in the habit of outing people, she leaves that to them. as for what he's up to in terms of where i am in the series, like i said, i think he's going back into research. he's in a bit of a slump, scared of going back into surgery and i think when piper's ready, she's gonna go down to boston and help him get back where he needs to be.

i think an important distinction to make is that piper doesn't have a lot of non-work friends. there's enid who's very mrs hudson coded. then there's james charles from the small town she was living in. he'll generally make small cameos whenever they're in texas. any episode where they're in san francisco is an opportunity for more piper lore -- so characters from her father's precinct. true genius really digs deep into piper's high school life and her old friends. it's funny, i was just thinking that john blackwolf and piper would have been really good friends so in an alternate universe, i think piper and her mom would've lived on the same reservation for a few weeks and john would have been like a big brother to her and before they left, he gave her a tribal knife to protect her. she's friends with a lot of activists so if there's an episode centred on that, i do wanna sprinkle that in there. i don't think andrew makes another cameo, he's learned his lesson now. oh, piper was in a band growing up, sort of like a political punk group, so it'd be fun to revisit that, see where they are.

and then there's the spinoff characters from suspect behaviour and beyond borders that i'd love to bring back when relevant. and of course there's piper's brother and sister. at some point danny moves to DC and lucy gets a job with an orchestra and composes music on the side.

#thanks nonnie #oc: dr piper bishop

2 notes · View notes

argyrocratie · 2 years

Text

“In December 2011, global private security firm Stratfor was hacked. Stratfor maintains high level relations with intelligence, political, and military officials from the US to Israel and provides consulting and intelligence services to private companies and governments around the world to aid in public relations, counterinsurgency, disruption, and regime change efforts. They have described themselves as a “shadow CIA.” 148

The resulting data dumps revealed widespread surveillance and illegal actions by government and private entities. We only have access to this information thanks to the hack carried out by Anonymous. The anarchist hacker Jeremy Hammond was sentenced to ten years in prison for the action. Similarly, we only know about the FBI’s bloody COINTELPRO program—which resulted in the aforementioned lethal campaign against AIM as well as the assassination of Fred Hampton and several other Black Panthers—because a group of revolutionaries broke into an FBI field office and stole the documents. In other words, the only way we ever know what our governments are actually doing is thanks to illegal direct action, leaving any discussion of government accountability rather hollow.

In the Statfor leaks, we learned how governments view social movements, and how they try to neutralize us. What is important to emphasize is that Stratfor, like governments all over the world, use the lens of counterinsurgency when dealing with the dissent of their subjects. With one exception, they do not make a distinction between the middle-class high school student going on strike on Fridays to raise awareness about climate change, the journalist researching the cancerous effects of widely used pesticides, the anarchist setting fire to construction equipment to save a forest from being bulldozed, and a Native elder leading a ceremony in an encampment seeking to regain treaty lands from a settler state. They view all these people as enemies. The only distinction they make is how to turn different kinds of dissidents against one another in order to buy out some and marginalize the rest. Remember that at the heart of counterinsurgency is the belief that all of a government’s subjects are potential enemies.

According to a framework used by Stratfor and other security consultants, there are four types of dissidents and a three-step method to neutralizing them. There are the radicals, who “want to change the system; have underlying socio/political motives; and see multinational corporations as ‘inherently evil.’”149

These organizations do not trust the … federal, state and local governments to protect them and to safeguard the environment. They believe, rather, that individuals and local groups should have direct power over industry … I would categorize their principal aims … as social justice and political empowerment.150

There are the idealists who “want a perfect world” but because of their “intrinsic altruism” can be made to sympathize with the interests of industry and shy away from conflictive positions, there are opportunists who will seize “the opportunity to side with the powerful for career gain” and there are the realists who are “willing to work within the system” and are “pragmatic. The realists should always receive the highest priority in any strategy dealing with a public policy issue.”

The three steps are rather simple:

First, isolate the radicals. Second, “cultivate” the idealists and “educate” them into becoming realists. And finally, co-opt the realists into agreeing with industry. “If your industry can successfully bring about these relationships, the credibility of the radicals will be lost and opportunists can be counted on to share in the final policy solution.”151

It is more than a little ironic that those who consider themselves realists are considered the easiest to manipulate.

This is why it is neither sectarianism nor an excess of zeal when we declare that NGOs and humanitarian activists are part of the state’s counterinsurgency campaign. We can see this when we look back at resistance to the oil industry in Nigeria. When Ken Saro-Wiwa was led up to a scaffold and executed, his death was counted. He was a poet and a nonviolent protest leader, after all.

But what happened to his peers who learned the lesson, who valued their own lives, who took up arms or gave shelter to those who did, and who actually hurt the profits and cut off the production of the oil industry? When they were murdered by British or US munitions fired from helicopters dispatched by the Nigerian government or Shell Oil, those very well-meaning NGOs did not include them in their list of murdered land defenders. Their lives are neither counted nor valued.”

- Peter Gelderloos, “ The Solutions are Already Here”

#peter gelderloos #climate change #counterinsurgency

34 notes · View notes

deathleadsarc · 11 months

Text

here's a massive compile of JJK info that I wanted all in one place.

NAME: Qistina Quina Leota RACE: Qistina is a German born woman of Arabic descent APPEARANCE: Roughly unchanged. Conservative blouses and skirts, carefully pulled back hair. OCCUPATION: Bio-Chemist. Previously a surgeon. Transferred to a lab in Japan to study cursed objects and spirits. Visited the School many times before settling in Japan until the Culling Game. BIRTHDATE: Oct. 31st 1985. ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil GRADE: ??? ( this is one of the only details I’m on the fence with. So I’ll say for her abilities potential, she’s a GRADE 1 ) AFFILIATION: none. technically, Jujutsu High and it’s students. She is not formally involved, but will help on occasion, for a very specific price. Her weakness for children plays a part in that. I could also see a verse where she went along with Geto's cult/plans.

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Creation and Destruction : Alchemy.

Along with being able to perform menial tasks one could think of when creating and destroying is involved ( fixing things, getting the dirt off of things, making things dry or repairing dents, etc ) She can also increase the amount of metals in the body to cause toxicity of varying types, turn the air into carbon monoxide, rust and decay metals outside the body, etc. It can melt the skin, the bones, the eyes - boil the blood and rot the insides. She mostly uses her Alchemy and knowledge of the human body to further her research into organically transmuted human parts, organs, and cursed injuries. Initially beginning her research to replace several failing organs of her own, continuing when she became a little too fond of what her own Alchemy could do.

RULES:

She must know what her target’s components are, or at least have an extended guesstimate, in order to transmute it.

Requires the joining of array’s on her Hands.

There must be Equivalent Exchange involved, but not necessarily from only her.

Each dive into the more intense Alchemy requires a significant toll. for her, it is her mind that suffers.

Examples. Clouds of radiation from the soil and rock in the ground - as all soil and rock contain radioactive material ( like uranium, thorium, and radium ). Meaning, she can also cause Ionizing RADIATION . Which is the kind that minerals, atom bombs and nuclear reactors emit. The main thing it does to the HUMAN BODY is that it weakens and breaks up DNA , either damaging cells enough to kill them or causing them to mutate in ways that may eventually lead to cancer. With alchemy, she could speed up the process.

OUTSIDE OF A BATTLE SETTING , she can uses her alchemy to just do the exact opposite. After her duty in battle she spends her time in the medicinal field, to help remove certain radiations, toxicity, and ruin in not just the surrounding areas of their enemies but around the country too. When understanding the components of that cursed energy, she is able to steadily deconstruct it - though she tends to get intense headaches after each transmutation.

WEAKNESSES: Close Combat. Her intensity in her work. Technology. Having to fight against children or teenagers.

Qistina's JJK verse is her at her most modern and probably the most modern version of her you will ever be seeing. She's 'most human' here, but not really. she encourages students to be at their best. doesn't help them even when they beg and cheers them on while they're getting their ass beat by some low level curse like "I know you were taught better than that!!"

she wants to see people at their best. Despite the desire to maim and kill and bleed dry her opposition and even thinking of doing such things to people in that world, she still has the desire to see the true heart and soul of the world around her! no secrets or holding back, no mollycoddling, she's just.

she's just her.

[ If Bell has a room a JJTech, would she make it feel like home, or treat it more like a temporary workspace? ]

that.... is not something I had ever thought of before! She’s a bit fickle with her workspaces and home, as she considers her ‘work’/’alchemy’ to be something that makes her feel as if she’s at home. Her Sanctuary, as she always calls it. If she knows she’ll be staying somewhere and will be using her alchemy extendedly, she’ll be making that space a very comfortable one. Over time, it’ll look more like a home for her. potted plants, countless books, beds for Basker, ruffled feathers and torn paper corners from Poe, etc. She’s quite meticulous when it comes to curating a space for herself to be comfortable! So even just stepping into a room of hers, it’ll look as if she’s lived there for ages.

JJTech applies to this of course! When it comes to her work, she doesn’t ever want to feel like things are missing in that space. Just a regular table or even a hotel table, she has a hard time concentrating because she.... requires the addition of her pencils, tools, bookshelves, scrawled notes, literal space where she can stand and walk about in thought - you get the idea.

She’ll probably playfully refer to it as a Sanctuary but even in this more modern verse of JJK, she takes that term very seriously. and especially treats the room very seriously as well.

[ Pieces of her Yakuza verse fit rather nicely with her JJK verse so I’m reposting these bits into that tag! ]

In this verse, Qistina will have her two lovely little yellow canaries Sol and Luna. She brings them downstairs to the clinic ( living in the above loft to keep Qistina herself close by ) considering that these small birds are very attached to her and very greatly need her around throughout the day. They really require company from her.

There is also a rather large Raven that has been following her around since she arrived in Japan, having fed it a few times. She’s taken to calling him ‘Poe’, and he’ll usually hang out around the windows for her to come outside during her lunch breaks ( and yes, she still gives him food )

During these breaks, she will go through her stock of medicines at that moment during the day, place orders through her laptop if need be, make calls, etc. But every other day, you’ll spot her practicing her Japanese and handwriting. HINT: it is very meticulously written, in fact, it looks more like typing than handwriting. She frets whether or not her kanji/katakana/hiragana is legible. At the moment, she’s at a N3.

N3 is the INTERMEDIATE LEVEL: The ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations to a certain degree. Reading. One is able to read and understand written materials with specific contents concerning everyday topics. One is also able to grasp summary information such as newspaper headlines.

I’d say she really beats herself up over not knowing kanji, despite even native-born Japanese people constantly learning Kanji in schools all throughout their life. However, though her Hiragana and Katakana are perfectly memorized and never mistaken, she’ll do the same thing if she forgets even the simplest of words or phrases.

Everything she does must be perfect, just like in all her verses. Her note-taking is something you’d see in some pinterest board ; highlights, straight lines, descriptions, lots of pretty writing, sometimes even diagrams, etc.

Her speech is incredibly polite and highly formal, but sometimes she’ll slip into the same dialect depending on who she speaks to. Picking up certain shortened phrases and really sounding like a native speaker... buuuut you’ll still hear that incredibly over-polite speech.

[DOMAIN]

The Realm of Truth. Killing and mutating the DNA and cells. A pure white area. A single, massive door behind her. The Eye of the One pulling and dragging you in as if each touch is breaking down the body, molecule by molecule, until you are consumed fully by the door. A slow, agonizing death as ionizing RADIATION courses through the body. Dying a thousand deaths in an instant, leaving you alive and well with the pain of that death still ever shivering up and down the spine.

At least until you start breathing again, touched by the oxygen of earth, there comes the chain reaction of the body. Cells broken down little by little until the agony of dying again and again finally destroys you on the molecular level. Returned to Nothing. a pure blast of radiation none can survive.

#🜃 | o’ cursed heart. o’ crumbling belladonna | jujutsu kaisen

2 notes · View notes

calciseptinefic · 1 year

Text

then out of nowhere, somebody comes and hits you with an ooh la la la, ooh la la la, ooh la la la, ooh

Marvel || Wade Wilson/Peter Parker || Part 9 notes: Title from 'Mad Sounds' by Arctic Monkeys. Many thanks to babygato for her beta on this chapter. this fic is also available on ao3 warnings: none

← previous: Part 8

The clock in the right hand corner of Wade's laptop reads 2:53 AM as he pulls the files Weasel emailed him. Compared to some dossiers Wade's read in the past—both for the government and for private contracts—there isn't much. A small digital stack of records that boil Peter's entire existence down to its skeleton, devoid of the details that flesh it out into a life:

A birth certificate, a government-issued ID, a marriage license. Medical records. Multiple education transcripts, scholarships, and science-related awards and accolades, as well as various research papers and a Ph.D. dissertation. Bank and credit card statements. A 401(k) retirement plan and several years' worth of tax returns. A lease agreement.

Sitting atop his unmade bed, legs crossed and hunched over the computer, Wade cracks his knuckles and begins. The first thing he does is pull up Peter's ID. It was issued several years ago and the picture of him isn't great, as most identification pictures are; yet despite the grainy quality and the bad lighting, the man depicted looks the same as the man sleeping on Wade's couch. Brown hair, brown eyes, button nose. The only difference is that his curls are a little longer in the photo, hanging messily past his ears.

Kinda mad scientist looking, Wade thinks fondly.

Wade goes through every document meticulously. He learns that Peter was born on August 10th to Richard and Mary Parker. He doesn't drive—unsurprising, considering he was born and raised in New York City—and he grew up in Bayside. During middle school and high school, he won first place eight separate times in various science fairs and—as an undergrad—he was an honors student who graduated with a 3.8 GPA. He has a prescription for an MDI to treat mild asthma; a generic prescription for generalized anxiety; and prescription glasses for moderate myopia.  

And according to the date on the marriage license, he and MJ have been married for nearly five years.

Five fucking years, Wade thinks. Peter would have been twenty-one, married in the brief pause between finishing his bachelor's and starting his doctorate.

When Wade was twenty-one, he was in Indonesia. He spent his time picking up Malay, developing a tolerance for spicy food, and trailing various members of an extremist group who sold dirty bombs on the black market. Marriage had been the last thing on his mind. Hell, marriage hadn't even occurred to Wade until he was dying of cancer. For months he wondered if it would be kinder to leave Vanessa as a dead boyfriend or a dead husband; when he finally proposed, Wade could barely hold his arm up, and Vanessa had just cried, and cried, and cried.

He guessed that meant no.

Inhaling deeply through the nose, Wade sets Peter's marital status aside and delves into the other documents, focusing mostly on his academic accomplishments instead of personal information. Interestingly, the scientific papers Peter has co-authored are focused on spider silk: the elucidated molecular structure of various species, mechanical properties, and potential benefits of a bioengineered polymer combined with inorganic nanoparticles.

I synthesize it in a lab, Peter had said. It's definitely not... organic.

Peter's dissertation is a variation on this theme, and the company he works for develops unique polymers for 'sustainable and long-term use'. Wade wonders if that's where Peter creates the web-fluid he used the night before to immobilize Wade's hand and gun. Personally, Wade can't think of any way such a thing could be used commercially. He can think of ten different ways it might be weaponized, but he's also an ex-soldier turned man-for-hire, and he sees the world differently than a scientist invested in renewable resources.

Maybe the military saw it differently, too.

Yet despite Wade's hunch—that Peter's powers came from top secret government hijinks—nothing Weasel sent him indicates that Peter's tied up in anything of the sort. There isn't even a hint of suspiciousness. If there is a larger power at work behind everything, then they've done an incredible job of hiding their involvement.

Pulling up Peter's bank and credit card statements, Wade does not see anything unusual either. Rent payments, student loan payments, various subscriptions, and other random purchases. Most of the extraneous charges hover around $10 to $15. Lunch, Wade guesses, or take out. The most recent statement ended over a week ago, however, so if there was any disruption to Peter's normal card usage, Wade can't confirm it.

Wade sighs. As Weasel said earlier, Peter is a dead end.

The last thing Wade opens is Peter's lease agreement. It's a decent apartment in Astoria—one bedroom, one bath—with a monthly payment that's neither cheap nor exorbitant for its location and size. Both Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson are listed as legal occupants. They've had it for three years, and the address listed is different from the one on Peter's ID card. Technically Peter should have gotten a new ID when he moved but—

Wait.

Wade's eyes crawl back up to the address listed.

It's familiar. Not in the 'I've lived in New York City for seven years and I know my way around' kind of way but the 'I know this place well enough to start ignoring the street signs' kind of way. A strange feeling comes over Wade as he pulls up Google Maps and types Peter's address in, hitting the 'enter' key with more force than necessary.

The page loads.

Peter's apartment is a mile away. One point two miles to be exact. An easy fifteen minute walk. Wade knows because he's made it many, many times since moving into his current apartment, at least once every two weeks. Sometimes more.

That's by my favorite Thai place. Wade runs a hand over his buzzed hair, stopping at the nape of his neck and squeezing the tense muscle. I could have walked past him a hundred times.

And maybe... Maybe Wade has.

Staring at the tiny red pin on the map, Wade feels the sharp scratch of realization inside his skull. One of the biggest mysteries Wade has not been able to solve was why Peter latched onto Wade. If Peter was indeed from this universe, as Wade mostly believed, why him?

At first Wade thought it was purely coincidence. Maybe Peter had scuttled into Wade's apartment at random and imprinted on him, his trauma-riddled brain constructing an entire backstory in the five seconds they stared at each other. Unlikely, Wade knew, but so was super strength and sticking to the ceiling.

A smaller part of Wade—a part he had been actively ignoring until now—wondered if it went back even further. Wade enlisted on his eighteenth birthday and had been an active soldier until his dishonorable discharge at twenty-six. He's been all over the world. Done a lot of things. Met a lot of people. It's doubtful that Wade met a barely legal Peter during his last year of service, as most of it was spent being a grunt protecting capitalism's investments in the Middle East, yet there was no way to be sure. Wade really doesn't want to think that he was in any way involved, even unknowingly, but...

Again.

There is nothing probable about Wade's current situation. In fact, Wade would say that his situation lands firmly outside the visible portion of the bell curve, in one of those tail ends that stretches out infinitely towards 'not gonna fucking happen'. Except it is fucking happening and Wade has to figure out how to navigate the impossibilities.

This, though. The fact that Peter's listed address is right next to one of Wade's favorite and most frequented restaurants. Maybe Peter saw him, time and again for years while Wade remained oblivious. Maybe Peter's break from reality was a long time coming and the resulting delusion had been crafted from slowly collected details. Wade is loud and he often overshares in the form of a bad joke; it wouldn't have been hard for Peter to learn things about him, especially the cancer.

And all that stuff he asked you? It was specific, but what did he really know about you? whispers the forever rational and unforgiving corner of Wade's brain. He acts like he knows you, trusts you, but he doesn't actually know anything. You just wanted to believe it and so you did.

This new insight explains why Peter might have latched onto Wade instead of one of the other eight point five million people living in New York City. Sure, it would still be a coincidence that Peter constructed a false reality with Wade as one of the major players, but the coincidence has firm roots in Wade's routines and—most importantly—it makes sense.

"Still doesn't tell me jack shit," Wade mutters. He is no closer to finding out the truth than he was an hour ago. All he has are mundane details attached to an exceptional person, and that leaves him with two options:

Option #1: Let Weasel and Peter do their respective research and go from there, or Option #2: Be proactive.

Wade quickly considers the pros and cons of both before deciding on the latter. He's never been the kind of person to sit around and wait; inaction makes him antsy, and the more antsy he gets, the more... inventive his responses become. It is truly in everyone's best interest that Wade tackles this mystery immediately instead of making him mull over more possibilities while he rigs increasingly dangerous C4 explosives in the spare bedroom.

Besides, Wade's approach is unique from Weasel and Peter's. They approach situations from more cerebral angles, and nerds like them tend to forget that most people are dumb, basic animals. Sometimes the best intel can't be gathered digitally. It needs to be found under a not so metaphorical squeaky floorboard or stuffed in a not so metaphorical mattress.

Or, in this case, from a not so metaphorical apartment in Astoria.

Tomorrow—or today, considering the late hour—is Thursday, which is a good day to break into someone's apartment. Most people tend to be at work during the day on weekdays and, in an apartment complex, this means there are less people around to potentially catch you when you jimmy open a door. Obviously, Peter won't be there, but MJ? Wade knows nothing about her other than she's married to Peter, including if she has a job that will remove her from the premises so Wade can snoop safely and uninterrupted.

Opening a new tab on his browser, Wade searches for 'Mary Jane Watson'. He knows that it isn't the most effective way to search for people, but he's hoping that he'll get lucky and—

Whoa.

The images that show up under the search bar feature a red-headed bombshell with beautiful green eyes, a femme-fatale smile, and old Hollywood glamor. She's wearing full make-up and gorgeous dresses in every photo, posed against varying sponsored backdrops. Below the small collage of pictures are links to several social media accounts and a Wikipedia page. Wade skims the small 'ABOUT' section that automatically populates on the right-hand side of the page. She's an up-and-coming actress that's played various small television roles, was born the same year as Peter, and... is married to Peter Parker.

"Holy shit," Wade says because, honestly, holy shit.

Wade doesn't know what he expected from Peter's spouse. Held at gunpoint, he would probably describe Peter but in lady form: someone good-looking but not immediately arresting, until the details and personality came out like a sucker punch. Wade isn't downplaying Peter's physical attractiveness—far, far from it—but MJ is Jessica Rabbit levels of hot, the kind of hot that gets wolf-whistles and double-takes.

Wade hadn't been that hot even before his face was permanently disfigured.

Not that it matters, Wade berates himself. It's not a competition. He's already married her.

Scrubbing a hand over the lower half of his scar, the thick line of keratin smooth beneath his touch, Wade ignores the re-emerged jealousy bubbling acridly in his gut and thinks about what MJ's career means for his plan. As an actress, her hours are less predictable than the average salaried schmuck. Of course, this won't stop Wade; there's no fun in a little B&E without the element of uncertainty. He'll just have to compensate for potentially barging in on Peter's starlet wife.

Having decided on his course of action, Wade exits out of everything on his laptop, closes it, then sets it underneath the bed frame. He makes sure he has an alarm set, checks that his gun is underneath the opposite pillow, then turns off the bedside lamp. He lays back down and spreads his limbs wide, the cotton sheets pleasantly cool against his bare feet and naked forearms. None of the deep shadows on the ceiling or in the corners of his bedroom move. Yet unlike the night before, when Wade had passed out almost immediately after making Peter pancakes, sleep will not come to him. His thoughts keep turning in an effort to make connections that aren't there and, in the end, he keeps asking himself one question:

What do an ex-soldier, a quantum information scientist, a monk in Nepal, a vintage car mechanic, and an actress all have in common?

Wade wakes. His hand is under the pillow, gripping the handle of his gun—but it was the familiar blare of his alarm that woke him, not panic, and his fingers slide away easily. It takes more effort to roll to the side and grab his phone off the bedside table, hit snooze and drop it on the mattress next to him.

He falls asleep again.

Wakes.

Snooze.

Half an hour after his original alarm, Wade sits up. 9:37. He yawns, mouth opening so wide it hurts the hinge of his jaw. Untangles his legs from the sheets and shuffles across the room. Opens the door, looks at Peter still asleep on the couch, and shuffles into the bathroom. Brushes his teeth. Hops in the shower and pees down the drain. His dumb, traitorous dick grows hot as he scrubs his body down; his hand is nice and slippery with soap, and this is usually when he starts to jack it.

"Not today, buddy," Wade tells his pitifully hopeful half-chub, the head poking out tentatively from the foreskin like a question. "Letting you drive the car yesterday was a mistake."

Wade gets out of the shower, skin pink, and wipes the condensation off the mirror to look at the rough stubble of his face. A few white hairs are growing on his chin to match the ones on his temples, but he once again postpones shaving. He rubs on some moisturizer—he isn't a heathen—and some deodorant. No cologne though, because cologne is a bad idea for both stealth missions and inappropriate wooing.

Wrapping his towel around his waist, Wade exits the bathroom. Glances over into the living room. Peter is barely cognizant, sitting up with his hair a fluffy halo around his face. Seeing him awake surprises Wade somehow, and he stops halfway between his bathroom and bedroom, dripping on the floor.

"Morning," Wade says reflexively.

Peter groans, the barest approximation of human speech.

"Bathroom's free, if you want." The combination of his lack of mental coherency from having just woken up and his almost nakedness make Wade feel wrong-footed. "I was gonna get dressed and start breakfast. Sound good?"

"Coffee too?" Peter garbles.

"Like either of us can function without it."

Peter turns his head to look at Wade, eyes flickering down the length of him: skin still damp, thighs barely contained by the towel, nipples tight in the cool air.

"Mmm," Peter hums, eyes half-lidded. "Okay."

Wade all but retreats into his room and tries to tell himself that there is no way—absolutely no fucking way—that Peter was checking him out. People just did that sometimes. Looked at other people. Especially when said other people were mostly naked and wet and standing like a fool in the hallway. And Peter's eyes were glazed because he was still sleepy and not because he liked what he saw and wanted to get all up on that—

Wade's dick gives another valiant twitch.

"No," Wade hisses at the little eager bump beneath the towel. "Down boy."

Once again ignoring his dick, Wade dresses in briefs, socks, and black joggers, and layers a black crewneck over a long sleeve shirt. He also picks out new clothes for Peter. Peter can wear the jeans from yesterday again, but Wade grabs a fresh pair of socks, a plain white tee, and a sturdy flannel.

After that, Wade opens the bottom drawer of his dresser and pulls out a pair of gloves and a balaclava, a lock-pick set, a camera detector, and two tactical daggers in clip-on sheaths. All of these go into one trusty fanny pack, which he takes out of the bedroom with him and hangs next to his jacket by the front door. He also brings the clean clothes with him; Peter has already ensconced himself in the bathroom, so Wade sets them on the floor.

"Pete!" Wade half-yells, knocking on the bathroom door. "Clothes!"

"Thanks!" Peter shouts back.

While Peter showers, Wade brews coffee, toasts the leftover bagels from yesterday, fries up four sunny-side up eggs, and heats the pre-made sausage patties in the microwave. The bagels, eggs, and sausage patties are assembled into breakfast sandwiches, one for Wade and three for Peter. Peter emerges as Wade is pouring the coffee out into clean mugs.

"Looks good." Peter sits on the barstool, wet hair sticking to his forehead and neck.

"Hot sauce?" Wade asks as he sets a mug in front of Peter. "I have Cholula or fiery habanero."

"I do not have your spice tolerance, Wade. Do you have ketchup?"

"Firstly, fuck you, you vile blasphemer," Wade says even as he moves towards the refrigerator to get Peter his bland condiment. "And secondly, get out of my house."

Peter merely smiles sweetly, shakes up the bottle after Wade hands it to him, and squeezes a huge dollop onto the plate. Wade slathers his own breakfast sandwich with the fiery habanero hot sauce as though proving a point.

They are quiet as they eat. Neither one of them mentions the night before. It was too emotionally raw and—if Peter is like Wade—he'll need a few days to process before he can talk about it with minimal deflection. By the time Wade has finished his singular breakfast sandwich, sucking the grease and traces of hot sauce off his fingers, Peter is already starting on his third.

"I have never seen anyone eat as fast as you do," Wade says. "Can I just say how impressed I am by your ability to unhinge your jaw like a snake? Or is that a secret spider power too?"

"Sometimes, if you don't eat fast while on patrol, you don't eat at all. Do you know how many times I've left a half-finished sub on a rooftop only to find it gone when I came back? Too many."

"What the hell was taking it?"

"It's New York," Peter answers with a shrug. "A rat? A cockroach? A particularly tenacious pigeon? I don't know and I don't wanna know."

"Crazy," Wade mutters because, yeah, he doesn't want to know either. He takes a swig of his coffee and changes the subject. "Anyway, I'm gonna head out soon. Got a new job from Weasel yesterday."

"The boring stuff?"

"A dead end," Wade answers truthfully. "I'm gonna see if I can't dig up a little more. Shouldn't take me too long, and I can pick something up for lunch after. Do you like Thai?"

Peter hums in affirmation. Nothing about his expression or body language changes. Not that Wade was expecting it to, but people could be odd about their triggers; if Peter associates Wade with Thai food at all, he doesn't show it.

Putting their plates and his mug into the sink—the dirty dishes starting to build into a precarious mountain—Wade retrieves his laptop and charger and sets it up in the living room so Peter has something to do while he's gone. Peter smiles at Wade and thanks him as he grabs his boots and laces them snug.

"Try not to get arrested," Peter says.

"No promises," Wade answers as he clips on his fanny pack. Then—with a cheeky salute—Wade is out the door, down the stairs, and on his way to commit a class A misdemeanor.

The apartment building is a brick, post-war walk-up with fire escapes crawling down three of the four sides. Unfortunately for Wade, each side is highly exposed to the semi-busy street below and—even if they weren't—he has no idea which one will lead him into the correct apartment. So he goes in the old-fashioned way: through the front door.

Peter's apartment is labeled with vinyl stickers, a black, italicized 4-B printed against a white, rhomboid vinyl. Wade stands there for several minutes, eyes closed, and listens. The fourth floor and apartment 4-B are still and silent. Wade cannot hear anything, not even the murmur of a television or the shuffle of a moving person, so he opens his eyes, unzips his fanny pack, and crouches down onto one knee.

Years of experience guide Wade through the next minute without hesitation or thought. He needs everything he put in the fanny pack, so he takes care of each item as he randomly pulls it out. The tactical daggers get strapped to his boots; the balaclava gets pulled over his head; the camera detector is set down on the ground by his left heel; the lock pick set is placed by his right knee; the half-eaten bag of shark gummies—

Ooh, shark gummies! Wade thinks. He takes one of the gummies out of the bag and pops it into his mouth. Must be from last time. Thank you, past me, for your generosity and forethought.

The shark gummies go next to the camera detector, and his gloves go next to the lock pick set, which he grabs now that his fanny pack is empty. He pulls out two of the picks and—in under ten seconds—has the key pins leveled at the shear line, opening the lock. He gently twists the doorknob and cracks the door, peeking inside.

It's dark.

Empty.

Wade exhales slowly and puts the picks back, then stows the set and the shark gummies. He dons his gloves, then grabs the camera detector with his left hand. Stands. Opens the door and steps inside, using the hem of his crewneck to wipe the doorknob free of prints. Closes the door. There's a security guard bolted to the jamb that Wade uses; if anyone tries to get in while he's there, it will buy him at least a few seconds to exit via the fire escape.

Without turning on the light, Wade gives the apartment a cursory glance. It's a nice place. Renovated recently—within the last few years—and has the neutral walls, white molding, and nice wood veneer flooring that are currently popular. To Wade's left is a small coat closet, which then turns into a small galley kitchen. A decent sized living room. Two doors beyond that, both ajar, identified easily as the entrances to the bedroom and bathroom. Both of those rooms are dark as well, but Wade quietly beelines to the bedroom to make sure the no one is sleeping.

Again, empty.

Wade sighs with relief, shoulders sagging. He has definitely walked into occupied rooms in the past, and the fallout generally involves being shot at.

Turning back, Wade goes back into the living room, flipping on both the overhead lights and his camera detector. He brought it to check for recording devices, in case the military had eyes on the place, and the first thing he does is a methodical sweep of the space. When nothing causes bounce back, he begins to search. Wade doesn't know what he's looking for exactly, but he figures that he'll either know it when he sees it or he'll get lucky and find a USB taped somewhere weird.

Wade really hopes he find a USB. To him, it's the modern equivalent of finding buried treasure.

In the living room, Wade opens every drawer, both of the tv console and the side tables; he checks under the couch, under the couch cushions, and in the couch cushions; and he checks behind the television and on top of the ceiling fan's blades. He finds nothing but dust and crumbs there so—with a put out sigh—Wade moves to the kitchen.

The kitchen is a little messy. Crusty dishes are stacked up in the sink, the counters are cluttered with appliances, and unopened mail is littered about in various piles. There are take out containers and a bag of wilted lettuce in the fridge. The trash can is full of wrappers, empty cans of seltzer, and the boxes of microwave meals. The oven desperately needs to be cleaned, bits of old food charred lumps carbonized to the bottom floor. Wade scours every inch of the kitchen but—once again—he finds nothing.

"If this is another fucking dead end..." Wade mutters as he moves to the bathroom to start the process over again.

The bathroom is where Wade starts to put together the puzzle pieces. It is as vaguely dirty as the rest of the apartment, a swatch of disarray layered over by a thin tinge of neglect, but the lack of cleanliness isn't what makes him suspicious. It's the fact that every single product in the bathroom is geared towards men. The gray bottle of two-in-one shampoo and conditioner. The Irish Spring soap. The razors, the deodorant, the body spray. The dark blue towels and washcloths. The rumpled bathmat and single PEVA shower curtain.

There isn't a single thing in the bathroom that indicates a woman lives here at all: no products, no make-up, not evening a fucking tampon.

Leaving the bathroom, Wade enters the bedroom. Scans for cameras, finds none. Goes to the closet and sees only button downs and slacks and blazers hanging from nice wooden hangers. There's a dresser below that has more clothes in it: folded jeans and colored seersucker shorts, a pair of red swimming trunks, graphic t-shirts, underwear and socks.

No clues.

No trace of MJ, either.

Going to the bed, Wade kneels to check underneath the frame. A lone sock is balled up underneath with the dust bunnies. Nothing else. Wade groans and gets back up. Eyes the large, unmade bed. A mess of blankets and two standard pillows, one more rumpled than the other. Wade imagines Peter sleeping, curls splayed across the sheets, mouth slightly open.

"Eh," Wade says aloud as he eyes the pillow. "Fuck it."

Tugging the balaclava off, Wade flops face down onto the bed, feet hanging off the edge and nose smushed into the pillow. He's being a creep—he knows that—but the action itself is harmless. So he breathes in, and in, and in.

Detergent. Shampoo, soap, and sleep sweat. The faintest traces of musk.

Peter.

Rolling onto his back, Wade reaches into his fanny pack and pulls out the remaining shark gummies. They're a little stale and extra chewy, giving him something to physically gnaw on while he mulls over the reality that Peter's apartment is overwhelming ordinary. There is no surveillance of any kind and there was nothing unusual to be found. Which is weird. Military institutions love to keep close tabs on their pet projects. If Peter isn't being monitored, then no one knows he's missing or...

Or no one knows he has superpowers.

It's an idea that Wade hasn't had before. Perhaps Peter is one of those crazy scientists who believed so firmly in his own research that he injected himself with spider DNA and kept the results a secret. Or maybe that story Peter told Wade two nights ago—in which he was bitten by a radioactive spider—contains a kernel of truth. Either explanation feels too good to be true; in Wade's experience, nothing is ever so simple or easy.

And then there is the fact that MJ does not live here.

It doesn't add up. The lease Weasel pulled says that both Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson rent this apartment. Peter says he's married and wears the ring. But there's no trace of another person in the apartment, despite what the lease says. If MJ ever lived here, she hasn't for at least the past several weeks.

Wade sighs, annoyed.

Another dead end.

Swallowing the last masticated shark gummy, Wade pulls his phone out of his pocket and checks the time. 1:16. He's been combing through Peter's apartment for over two hours. He should leave soon, go get enough Thai to knock a normal man into a tryptophan-induced coma, and head back to his place. After lunch and a nap, he can scroll through some of the social media accounts MJ and see if he can't track her down. Peter wanted to keep distance between himself and his loved ones, but...

The thing is, Wade's been doing shifty stuff since he actively went against orders and was slapped with a dishonorable discharge. Stuff that would have gotten him into trouble with the law if he was caught and stuff that have gotten him into actual trouble with the lawless who hunted him down. He's done some not shifty stuff too, like dog-walking and helping old couples move heavy boxes and threatening people's abusive dirtbag exes. But mostly it's been shitty, because Wade is very, very good at doing the shitty stuff.

Doing recon on the wife?

Well, it's shitty, but it won't be the shittiest thing Wade's ever done. So he gets up, takes one final look at the semi-depressing bachelor pad that is Peter's apartment, and leaves.

The Thai place Wade frequents is down the block and around the corner. It takes about twenty minutes for his order to be finished and he spends that time sitting at one of the small tables, mindlessly scrolling through MJ's public and personal instagram accounts.

There is a lot of content, but all of it is curated: no bad angles, no controversy, no wedding ring. Even the selfies are flawless. Wade cannot begin to imagine how exhausting that must be. Sure, his scar is ugly, and he's violently reminded of its existence every time a stranger looks at him for longer than a glance, but that's just his face. Having every inch of yourself scrutinized by thousands—by millions—must be awful.

"Wade!" the man behind the counter calls. "Order 67! Wade!"

The shout knocks Wade out of his thoughts. He pockets his phone, thanks the worker, and takes the two plastic bags stuffed with styrofoam take-out containers.

Outside, the brisk spring air nips Wade's cheeks and keeps him cool as he walks home. The foot traffic is light but his eyes still flit around, checking buildings and other people out of long habit, before unconsciously settling on the back of a man's head about twenty feet in front of him. The man is shorter than Wade, with brown hair and a lean body. The jeans he's wearing do little to hide his frankly spectacular ass and, when he turns his head to the side, Wade can see that his glasses have slipped down his nose. It's a cute nose, round and upturned, and—

"Peter?" Wade says loudly, abruptly.

The man stops—

Turns around—

And in the space of heartbeat, as Wade stares at the familiar face of Peter Benjamin Parker, a shadow emerges from the adjacent alley to drag him away.

next → : Part 10

#spideypool #spiderman #peter parker #wade wilson #deadpool #pairing: wade wilson/peter parker #rating: m #fandom: marvel

2 notes · View notes