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la-imp · 1 year

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AVATAR RECOM HEADCANONS - INTRO

Recoms!Deja Blu Unit - Science"Puke"! Reader

This is my first headcanon series and I am incredibly nervous because there are so many good ones out there already. I have read quite a few amazing headcanon series by various blogs who practically carry the whole Avatar Fanfic scene, which I am really grateful for! I know these sorts of scenarios have been done a lot by now, but I wanted to get one out and put my own spin on it. I hope to write more and update this series as well as take in requests, one-shots, etc, expanding on the characters as much as I can. I hope you enjoy! Avatar has consumed my life, lol...

Disclaimer: I do not own AVATAR, nor do I own its creative properties and original characters. I do, however, own the 'reader' character as well as other created figures that do not appear in the Avatar films, video games, or comic books. Characters involved: Miles Quaritch, Lyle Wainfleet, Alexander Ja, Mansk, Zdindarsk aka Z-Dog, Zhang, Lopez, Fike, Warren, Walker, Prager, Brown - mentions of Jake Sully

Plot Summary: The story takes place during the events of TWOW, right before the great reef battle. I won't spoil any crucial plot details (for those who haven't watched the movie yet), so I'll end it there. The reader is a militant medic with a biochemistry background, now assigned special care to ensure Project Phoenix's success. As their body chemistry is quite different and unique from that of humans, they require some help getting used to their new vessel. This is where you come in... and boy... you were not prepared for this. A bunch of Na'vi Human hybrids at the peak of their prime, fuelled by hormonal rage, primal instincts, and a knack for vengeance, they sure as hell turned your daily life topsy turvy. To them, you were nothing more than another science puke here to bore them out of their minds, even though you had some military training as well. It is up to you to show them otherwise. To earn a place in their ranks.

Will (y/n) be able to handle this task or eventually fold like the others?

Warning(s): Cursing - Mild bullying - Negging - Foul language - Playful flirting

Content: SFW (Minors DNI) The reader is human and female. I plan to write specific headcanons for each individual character, but this was just a very long and detailed starter in order to get the ball rolling. Also this is not proof-read, so take this with a grain of salt. Happy reading! (also English is not my first language, so please bear with me) ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hailing from a gentle background of academics and artists, you've decided to take a completely different route from what your family had destined for you. Going against their wishes and dissapointing a few members here and there was a price you were willing to pay in order to fulfill a lifelong dream. The prize of independence. Or perhaps you were tired of people telling you what you could and couldn't do. The idea of an adventure, exploring new worlds and galaxies, far far away from home was far more attractive than spending your years trying to fix a dying planet. But you also had a knack for helping and aiding those in need. Being a healer with a vast background of medicine and herbs only came natural to you. And as you graduated top of your class, you sought a new challenge. So you joined the space force. Military training was hard but you managed adquedately. And as you finally becamea full-fledged medic, you signed a contract with the RDA to be shipped off to Pandora.

Save to say, the six years of light-year travel did take a toll on your body. It was often emphasized that dreams do not occur during cryo sleep. Yet, your case was the opposite. Over and over you saw visions of a lush, prehistoric forest that almost looked magical and foreign. Due to overpopulation and pollution, nature seized to exist altogether back on earth, so thinking of what this mythical Pandora may look like, sparked a fire in the pits of your stomach. You began to wonder if these dreams held any meaning to them... or if it was just your brain chemistry running haywire during the cryogenic sleep. The closer you got, the giddier you grew - excited and electrified at the idea of setting foot on one of the most precious planet known to man. Perhaps in the entire universe.

After your space shuttle finally docked at the RDA's space station, you were quickly briefed on your assignment by the announcers, guiding you to the nearest secretary. The secretary looked over her glasses and tossed you an illegible glare before sighing with a shake of her head, handing you your paperwork. "May God have mercy on you," she mumbled before calling for the next candidate. You took the papers hesitantly, brows furrowing in confusion before your eyes cast down on on these said documents. Your eyes widened as your heart nearly sank. You were assigned to assist military Avatar personnel? You looked back up at the lady who was now grinning at you, a glint playing in her gaze. "Fresh meat for the grinder. It's a bit crass they decided to assign a small girl such as yourself to help these beasts," You slowly nodded, an awkward semi-smile forming on your lips, "I guess I like a challenge," you said, tone matching her sarcastic one. You have studied them for three years now, after all. You were prepared.

A few labcoats accompanied by a good portion of cleanroom suits were helping you find your way before passing you your exopack mask. It was the first time you'd ever seen one of those from up close. The concept of not being able to breathe the atmosphere was somewhat daunting. But it was something you had to get used to if you wanted to survive Pandora's 'Adapt or Die' rules. Wasting no time, you quickly strapped them on and secured the clasps, allowing the small piece of machinery to flood your nostrils with fresh oxygen. Impressed, you found it was much clearer and cleaner than that of Earth's... sadly enough. You then remembered the comment from the secretary earlier on, echoing in your mind over and over again until it festered in the back of your subconscious. Anxiety began to take a hold of you, shaking your confidence ever so slightly.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, you then issued a curt nod to your superiors who lastly gave you a clipboard, detailing all of your duties and rank among the Recom unit members. "Ready, greenhorn?" Dr. Vasquez piped up, drawing you from your trance. You blinked at him with a wide-eyed deer-caught-in-headlights look, lips parting, "Y-yeah." he chuckled in response to your nervousness before slapping a hand on your shoulder in confidence. "Don' worry, they may look very scary at first glance, but you will soon realize they are professionals just like us, alright?" You nodded, swallowing the lump down your throat before clamping the board beneath your armpit. "Alright then kiddo, let's rock'n'roll," he said with a smirk before punching in a security code to unlock the doors to the decompressors.

The air was filtered to fit the atmosphere of the recoms. Which was in turn, extremely toxic to humans. Unconscious in twenty seconds - dead in four minutes. The prospect didn't sound like very glamorous death. As the door opened, a hiss emitted from the pressure, giving way to the bright light of the sun peaking through the glass windows. Vasquez marched forward before beckoning you to join him. Upon entering, the energy of the room immediately shifted. It was almost palpable to the touch.

A good part of your confidence was chipped away once you laid your eyes on your future teammates. Breath nearly caught in your throat. To say they were tall was a big understatement. They were huge - as a matter of fact - larger than life! Nothing could've prepared you for this. Most of them stood at around ten feet and nearly scraped the ceilings if they hadn't been adjusted to meet their physiology. You continued to saunter forward, one tentative step at a time, eyes still glued to their physiques without so blinking an eye. Their bodies were even more strange, striking you with awe. Slender, graceful, svelte, yet powerful. The complexion was a deep cyan or darker powder blue, decorated in interesting patterns and luminescent dots, all accompanied by a long prehensile tail that idly swung from side to side, giving them a more animalistic edge. They were all broad-shouldered, even the women, as you scanned the room with all the blue-skinned individuals lurking about, their poise signifying a certain strength and fortitude that of a warrior. They could easily toss a person across the room and break every single bone in their body with one blow if they wished.

Eyes were striking like molten gold peering from the shadows, intensely following your every move. Their previous chatter immediately died down as their eyes glued to you and the other scientists. Vasquez took his position next to someone who seemed much more commanding and authoritive compared to the rest. He stood slightly taller and wore a khaki tanktop, exhibiting a set of toned, muscular arms placated on his hips. You caught a glimpse of his tattoo on his left arm. A black eagle. A remnant of his previous life? Or something to distinguish himself from the others, perhaps?

The way he walked with a certain swagger, taking a stance next to Vasquez, sharp yellow eyes peering into the hall, had you nearly choke on your own saliva. He was an intimidating man, "As you all know, we are sent here to accomplish a mission that we couldn't last time. To hunt down and terminate the leader of the Na'vi insurgency, Jake Sully. And in order to ensure our success, we have been assigned our personal medical officers who specialize in Na'vi physiology. They make sure none of us step out of line and patch us up during missions. Treat 'em with respect, ya hear? They are as much our responsbilities as we are theirs," his tone was a low, commanding drawl, hinting at his possible origin back from Earth. He also sounded a tad older than his bio stats suggested.

"Wait, we're going to have these science pukes tag along?" Someone groaned in the background.

Doctor Vasquez nudged you with his elbow before whispering something into your ear. So he was the colonel. Colonel Miles Quaritch. The leader of the first recombinant unit Deja Blu, the first Avatar squad produced by Project Phoenix. Vasquez then nodded and brought you and another male medical officer. Thankfully you weren't alone. And as you peeked into the crowd, practically feeling their eyes rake over your forms in a very scrutinizing manner, you wished there were more human scientists to accompany you. "Listen up Recoms," Vasquez announced, matching Quaritch's energy. Which you had noticed, was now glancing at you over his shoulder with a lazed stare. You quickly turned away, hating that all of their attention was on you now. Just great. "Those are your new medical officers," he gestured to both you and your counterpart, earning him a few whispers and hushed conversations between the Na'vi hybrids. The heavily tattooed individual grunted loudly, expressing a clear distaste at the fact.

You watched as the one with the camo cap began to chuckle before leaning over to the tattooed female with the mohawk, gossiping something into her ear. Your eyes narrowed at her, hoping to God they weren't talking shit about you. The male medic next to you semed quite nervous himself, almost glistening with a faint sheen of sweat whenever the light hit his complexion. Oh man... what a great start. "This here is Mr. Ryan," Vasquez said confidently and clamped a hand on his shoulder before pulling you to his side with a toothy grin, "And this is Miss (y/n). They're going to do a quick checkup on your vitals before we make land on Pandora. Their status reports will affect your mission. If you have any further questions regarding any of that, feel free to ask them. Good luck and have fun," he said before departing, giving you a two-finger salute before vanishing out the door.

For a moment, you wished he hadn't abandoned you so soon, but as you stood there, again with the hundred yard stare, you instantly began pulling out your clipboard, training your eyes on the papers rather than the giant soldiers around you. Quaritch cleared his throat before stepping forward, closing in on your proximity. The heat practically rolled off of him. Almost radioactive in a sense. "Right. Welcome to the crew," he said as a deep rumble of chuckles resonated within the hall. You flicked your attention back on them, seeing as their expressions turned from scrutiny to amusement. The one with the hat flicked his chin toward Ryan, "So you get to touch us all around?" Ryan nodded cautiously, "Yes, in a sense. We need to do some physical checkups to make sure your bodies haven't mutated or caught any diseases on the way here and-"

"So you're gonna be cupping my big blue balls, too?" he said, making an obscene gesture as the team burst out in synchronized laughter. Mr Ryan pursed his lips in frustration. You felt his pain, it was nearly palpable.

You were so not ready for this... "Shut your horny mouth, Ja!" one of the female recoms hollered, smacking him on the back of his head.

Judging by the 'joke', you came to the conclusion that they were full-blooded jarheads. You sighed before ticking something off your clipboard. "And what about her? Is she good with her small hands?" At this your eyebrows twitched before you began searching for the miscreant of this statement. Seeing as the one with the bandana had crooked a finger at you. "Man, she does look cute tho... tiny lil thing. What's good, mama?" their banter continued, slapping and fist bumping each other, having the time of their lives. What a fucking farce - you thought to yourself begrudgingly. The behavior reminded you of teenagers experiencing the surge of hormones for the first time. You couldn't believe Vasquez had vouched for their professionalism. Perhaps he was in on the joke as well. "Shut your pie holes. They're here to help, not entertain you, you fucking lowlifes. Treat'em with respect or I'll have your ass handed back to the infirmary, you get me?!" Quaritch's voice boomed, immediately silencing the lively chatter among his subordinates.

Looking over at the colonel, you saw his hardened, chiseled features directed toward you with an unreadable expression. His pointed ears were tucked back against his head as he issued you a small nod. You repaid him with the same respect and inclined your head in acknowledgment before moving on to your first patient. "Brown?" you said, louder than originally intended before you flicked your gaze around the room, searching for any response. "Steven Brown?" you repeated with a bit more clarity. The mohawk lady merely snorted with arms folded, watching you as you searched for your first victim. Suddenly a blue hand lifted, alerting you of your designated recom, seeing that he looked a little less grim and intimidating. Although equally large, he seemed a bit more approachable, in your eyes at least. With that being said, it wasn't exactly a joyride pushing and squeezing yourself through, as some of them actively made an effort of staying rooted to the spot, entertained at your slight struggle. You could have sworn hearing someone wolf whistle at you but you pushed those thoughts aside when you reached your destination.

He was slightly shorter than the rest, not that you could tell right away as he was seated on one of the benches slightly hunched over, his posture overly lax. Much like the others, he sported that classical short military haircut and fade. "Alright doc, whaddya got for me?" he drawled with a certain bite. You decided not to overanalyze everything, as you were already extremely nervous. You meanwhile scribbled down all of the data before setting the clipboard down, looking him in the eye. He remained there, sitting there in silence, monitoring you with a peculiar glint playing in his topaz irises. "Alright, Mr. Brown, could you please stretch out your right arm? I need to take some samples and check your haemogram if that is alright with you," you explained as you flashed him a polite smile while the convos in the background resumed.

Brown simply nodded and muttered a small 'sure thing' before complying with your wishes. Once he extended his appendage, you got a chance to examine it closely - realizing just how large and sinewy his arm was. The texture was interesting too, differing not much from human skin, save for the lack of arm hair. "Finding a vein shouldn't be a problem," you jest before pulling out a small device for blood sampling. It was not a syringe, but a highly advanced gadget that locked down on the skin cell before drawing a bit of blood. "Alright, just let me disinfect this real quick..." you continued before wiping the spot with a small disinfectant wipe, clearing it from any bacteria. The feeling of his skin was curious, smooth yet somehow rougher to the touch compared to human flesh. Pandora's rough climates had evolved them to become perfect survivors as even their skin was harder to penetrate. Brown tilted his head to the side, ears swiveling curiously when you placed the blood-letting machinery against the crook of his arm. A small pinch broke through his flesh, extracting only a few tiny droplets. "There we go, that's about it-" Before you could continue, however, you caught Brown sending you a mischievous wink. "Didn't hurt at all, doc."

"Got what ya need, Miss (y/n) or... did I get that right?" you felt blood rush to your cheeks, heating your face altogether. They were trying to rile you up on purpose now... "(Y/N) right, but just call me by my first name. No need for being formal," hoping it would somewhat diffuse the awkward tension between you and the recoms. However, things did not go as planned when Brown's brows lifted for a short moment before his ears rotated in your direction, more attentive than before. "Well good to know, (y/n), looking forward to working with ya," your breathing became heavy to his deliberate teasing as he allowed himself to lean forward. You nearly jumped at his sudden intrusion "So (y/n), what does my blood test say?" just then the analysis was completed, giving you a clear stats report on his bloodwork.

"So far so good... bloodwork looks normal. Cholesterol is in the green and.... well..." His face faltered a bit, "What?" "be sure to consume fewer sugary drinks or sweets but other than that, you're fine. Wouldn't want you to be the first adipose soldier on Pandora," his features continued to crack "You calling me fat, doc?" he said before warming up to a smirk. You leaned away from him to avoid his sudden boldness. "Nah, just reminding you to be on your best behavior if you want to keep up with the rest, alright?" Brown scoffed with a shake of his head as you took your clipboard with you, writing down all of the info as well as checking a few boxes. "I'll get back to you later, just need to do the same with.... uh.. Wainfleet?" you asked, squinting your eyes to spot someone a bit taller and a tad bit more athletic looking. He lacked hair, like some of the others as he wiggled his fingers at you flirtatiously, a crooked smile plastered on his lips. "The one and only," you grunted in affirmation, feeling some of the dread returning before you headed over.

A sudden ticklish sensation and force tugged at the crook of your knee, having you to stumble and nearly fall flat on your face. Walker clicked her tongue with a roll of her eyes, "Come on Kevin, leave the poor girl alone already!" Quaritch's nostrils flared when he caught Brown fucking with you. A move of his tail that hooked around your leg in order to trip you. "You better secure that shit, Brown before I clip that thing off, capiche?" He growled, causing Brown to stiffen immediately. Eventually, he lowered his head and ears ".... yes sir... sorry,"

You managed to calm your thundering heart as you eyeballed Brown with a mix of irritation and embarrassment. What an asshole. Is that how it was going to be all the time? Good lord... how much you began to regret signing up for this particular unit. "Mr. Wainfleet?" you said softly, approaching the man cautiously as he eyed you up and down with that same grin on his face.

"Call me Lyle, sweetums. Only my mother calls me Mr. Wainfleet. So.... here to check the goods? Or maybe even get a feel?" Lyle chuckled before flexing his built physique, making you watch his biceps bulge and swell. The action made your throat dry out like the Sahara desert. Just what in the world have you gotten yourself into...

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titanrpg · 9 months

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NO GOOD DEED: Bleed 10,000 Hit Points devlog v0.1

since a lot of people were excited about the intro snippet i posted for NGD, i thought maybe i'd record some game design thoughts as i continue working on it

going gmless

as i play and design more ttrpgs over the years, i've become less interested in games that require a lot of prep for the gm. or a gm at all. when i design a ttrpg, my default is gmless unless the game requires a gm to function properly.

going diceless

i'm also going diceless because the main mechanic is everyone's shared pool of 10,000 hp that takes 1 damage every second of real play time. i want that to shine, so i've made a ton of choices toward that goal. the mechanics heavily revolve around using and replenishing hit points. dice would just distract from that. plus, every game i've ever written is influenced by wanderhome so honestly it's been a long time coming, my writing a diceless, gmless ttrpg hah.

central gameplay mechanic (lack thereof)

NGD was born out of my own values and growth and discovery of Black anarchist theory. writing this game is a way for ME to see how these ideas play out in a 'micro-community' (shout out to jay dragon for the term) of a few friends at a table. obviously, a gm is thematically irrelevant to this idea. and as i explored a central game mechanic, i realized there couldn't be one. not for this idea.

instead, each playbook contains its own "mini game." (shout out to SLAYERS by gila rpgs for its cool asymmetric class system where i saw this first.) the setting itself will have mechanics to interact with, but each playbook has its own resolution mechanics and toys (one uses a rubik's cube to predict the future, another uses a toy top to pause the timer from ticking down, another uses a deck of playing cards, you get the idea). will this work? i'll find out in playtests haha.

an emerging theory of written narrative art forms

i'm finding that writing a ttrpg can be similar to writing a novel if you have an argument you're trying to make. mechanics communicate values and philosophy, and you can explore so many variations on a theme.

the big difference between a ttrpg and a novel (in my view, in this context) is that when you write a ttrpg, you're outsourcing the character creation/development process to the readers. it's unsurprising to me that i enjoy this, since my main "Thing" in ttrpgs is SRDs (systems that help people make their own games). caltrop core, emerge8, etc. i find the architecture/value exchange that underlies games really fulfilling to work with.

based on my experience with ttrpgs lately and novels in my undergrad degree, here is a theoretical relationship between them all, where reader involvement starts high and declines from left to right and author involvement starts low and increases from left to right:

srds -> ttrpgs -> novels

which is all just to say, writing NGD has felt like all the good parts of writing a novel and none of the parts that take me forever

final thoughts

hey, if you're still reading this, thank you. i'm enjoying this project more than p much any other ttrpg proj this whole year. i've also been in varying intensities of depressive episodes all year. it's more like i have episodes of good mental health sprinkled in with a depressive baseline. i recently increased my meds dosage so hopefully that helps.

i'll be back with another update soon. playbooks are up next.

follow me to stay updated!

-Lex

Titanomachy RPG

#indie ttrpg #ttrpg #ngd rpg #ngd:b10khp #no good deed: bleed 10000 hit points

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whentherewerebicycles · 5 months

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I can’t stop thinking about that class I visited a couple days ago and about the basic classroom management issues that the prof leading the class seemed wholly unable to address. the class is a cohort program that has met together for three quarters and in the intro game they played it was clear that they have a moderately positive rapport with each other (they don’t seem super close but they got along and were willing to get into the game). but the second we went back to the tables it was like… the girls all sat together in the front of the room and were super focused/engaged in the activity, and then the boys (plus one girl) clustered in the back of the classroom, immediately got out their laptops even though I asked them to keep them shut, and started just talking through the entire presentation. like at one point I was standing right next to their desks, clearly listening in, and they just ignored me completely and kept loudly discussing a project they were working on for some other class during our class time lol. and the whole time the prof just sat in the back, clearly seeing this happen but seemingly totally unable or unwilling to intervene, which of course just signals to kids that they can do whatever because no one cares.

I’m not like mad about it or anything, more like I’m fascinated by it as a teaching challenge!! I think if this were my program, I would:

use a learning communities model where I put them in mixed-gender learning groups from the outset and keep those groups stable for 3-4 weeks before switching to new groups

build lots of small rapport-building exercises into group activities… like just little things where they’re actively naming and praising each other’s contributions, or exercises that teach them how to actively take responsibility for their fellow group members’ participation (inviting each other in, asking follow-up questions, deliberately connecting back new ideas to something someone brought up in the previous discussion, etc etc). like really commit the time to helping them build relationships with each other! and put the boys in situations where they feel less peer pressure to disengage to look cool and can instead participate fully because their participation is expected and recognized/valued by their group members.

no tech in the classroom period

more meta work where the groups are reflecting aloud on like, what makes class fun and engaging for me? what makes the time fly? what makes it seriously drag? and then developing like… not codes of conduct exactly but more like collective group norms for how they want to be and act

the prof kept downplaying the amount of work required for the homework and emphasizing how easy/low-stakes it was going to be to complete I was like ooh man that is BAD signaling. it presumably means that kids often don’t do the work and you’re trying to talk them into it by lowering standards or emphasizing how easy it is. but all kids hear is, this assignment is totally pointless, my prof doesn’t care about it, why on earth would I invest my limited time and energy in something that’s basically just busy work. you gotta have real, substantive assignments kids have to work reasonably hard to complete (and that they’ll find reasonably rewarding to complete bc the assignment is well-constructed and they can feel they’re doing something worthwhile!). and you have to be CONSISTENTLY clear and direct about why the assignment matters to their learning in the class and to you.

perhaps MOST importantly though… I don’t think this program involves 1:1 mentoring with the prof outside of the class. like they meet with the prof maybe once a quarter outside of class. it’s just not enough time to build relationships!!!! I’ve visited this class twice now and both times the prof sat apart from the students and didn’t really interact with them much. and I feel like her not intervening with the behavioral issues was probably because she’s tried/failed in the past or because she’s afraid she would fail and lose face in front of them and the guest instructor. I just feel like kids will generally (not always! but generally!) give you back the amount of respect and emotional investment you offer to them. and if you don’t really bother to spend the time getting to know them and their personalities you can’t really expect to have any influence over them in classroom management type situations. like when I sat down with the off-task group it was obvious within five minutes who was the popular charismatic kid who maybe felt like the activity was a little too easy for him, who was the kid who seemed to feel a little out of his depth and was acting out/goofing off to cover that up, who was the kid who kinda wanted to be on task but was trying to fit in by following his peers, who was the loner kid who had just attached to this group because he didn’t want to sit with the all-girl table, etc etc. and maybe my assessments were wrong but if I were their teacher I would use that initial info to guide relationship-building and to try to build trust with the kid! like maybe the kid who felt out of his depth needed some 1:1 time with an adult who affirmed his ideas and drew them out a little further so he could make more connections, and eventually as you built trust you could start working with him on some of the underlying feelings causing him to disengage in group settings, and then when you were facilitating in group settings you could make sure to name his good contributions or ask questions that set him up to look thoughtful/smart in front of his peers. or with the charismatic popular kid I feel like you can do SO much with those kids over time to get them to really feel like leaders in the class and to feel a sense of positive responsibility towards the kids who are having a harder time getting engaged. plus if a kid feels like the work is too easy you can really work with them to find ways to make it more challenging and rewarding, which in turn makes them feel like you respect their intelligence/abilities and really care about them getting something meaningful out of the class. instead of it becoming a popularity contest of teacher vs. visibly disengaged popular kid/ringleader you can work to make it more of a team thing, like we’re working together to make this experience a good one for everyone and I trust you to be a partner in that because you have influence over the group and others look to you as a model. idk but you just can’t do any of that work if you are afraid of the kids or are telegraphing to them that you don’t feel up to the challenge of dealing with them or if you just seem checked out!!!!! and this is not to blame the teacher I have no idea what’s going on in this situation or in her own life, but also just like I think often teachers become overwhelmed and think the class or some group of students have turned against them and can’t be brought back, or they feel like they have to ‘manage’ the class but aren’t confident they can do so and so withdraw from the task and try to ignore disruptive behavior, but like… it’s almost never a lost cause!!! but you have to do the relationship building work and you have to be there among the students talking and laughing with them and cajoling when necessary and pressing a little to get more out of them and communicating to them that you are invested instead of doing the isolated sage-on-the-stage thing or hiding out in the back of the room on your laptop. idk!!!

#teaching

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solsticevanfleet · 1 year

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strawberry vines; s.f.k.

chapter one

Pairing: Sam & female!Reader

Word Count: 2.2k

Summary: You had always been passionate about music and marketing, so when your final capstone university project is to create an exhibit with a specific muse, your chance encounter with a small local band leads you to an epiphany for the showcase. You never meant to mix work with play.

WARNINGS: Mild swearing, alcohol mention.

Notes: Hi guys! This is my first time posting fanfic for this fandom and I’m kinda nervous lol. This is an intro chapter to what will become a series. I hope y’all enjoy this plot layout, please let me know what you think! My asks are always open to comments, concerns, and suggestions!

It had always been cold in Clark, but never like it was today. You always brought an extra sweatshirt (sometimes a blanket) in the winter, but today it was nice outside, so you didn’t think too hard about it when you showed up in a flannel. The wind outside was warm, a nice 76 degrees that felt like a Californian beach-side haven compared to the 59-degree library. Courses had begun a week ago and being a senior, graduation could not come faster, though you were pleasantly surprised when the senior advisor offered a new capstone course. Opting for what felt like the ‘easier’ option, you decided to capstone in “American Magazines” rather than write a 25-page paper in some nondescript writing seminar. All magazines are is journalism of some sort… and it fits almost too perfectly considering your little hobby blog kickstarted pretty well this concert season.

It started as a way to get your writing out, a way to combine your love of music with your dream of working in music management and social media. Snippets of concert reviews and novice photos taken on your cheap Nikon camera were littered throughout the blog, as well as album reviews and interviews with amateur bands and musicians. A blog is basically an online magazine, right? You sat down in the surprisingly comfy library chair and skimmed the class’ syllabus, “END OF YEAR EXHIBIT” was displayed in bold caps and seemed to be the assignment of the year: an exhibit dedicated to the subject of your choice, paired with a homemade zine to be handed out to spectators at the show.

Subject of your choice… you wracked your mind, flipping through the mental trading card binders of the musicians you’d worked with in the past, you were sure one of them would be up to the idea of being this semester’s muse.

•

Lecture hall never got better, no matter the course or the people around you. But why would it? It was a lecture hall, but at least your professor seemed nice. Dr. Richards was an older eccentric man who wore his gray hair in a slicked back ponytail. He looked as if he was meant to teach in the fashion department and not in communications, but it made sense as he explained his requirements for the class. After going over the bulk of the syllabus, he went over the end-of-year exhibit in finer detail. It was meant to be a multimedia project where students needed to tie in their overall career goals with, something that reflected what the student had learned in the course as well as their own personality and aspirations. You smiled slightly to yourself, excited about the creative liberties you were being given for the project, and the prospect of being able to design your own exhibit for the public. You hadn’t realized that class ended, and you quickly gathered your things as you rushed to get out, not noticing the tall figure gazing toward you. You looked up and came face to face with your TA for the class.

“Hey, I’m Danny, I noticed you were kinda zoned out for a moment there and wanted to check in,” he chuckled lightheartedly. His hair was done up in what looked like a turquoise claw clip, his curly bangs and front pieces tousled and frizzy. He radiated what could only be described as pure joy, as if he wanted to help in whatever way he could.

“Oh my god, sorry, I do that sometimes, you know, lost in the mind of an artist or whatever, I’m just wracking my brain trying to think about what to do my exhibit on…” You cringed at yourself, “You know what, just ignore me. I’ve seen you around before, actually.” Danny looked surprised, and you could see the wheels in his head turning until his eyes lit up.

“Wait, yeah! I think we have a few mutual friends, small world UMich is. About your exhibit, do you have any ideas so far?”

“Well, I review local musicians and write about their gigs, usually free ones at bars or restaurants. I was thinking about possibly setting something up with maybe a band of students but I don’t really know where to search for one.” You saw Danny’s eyes light up for the second time.

“It’s funny you say that, I have a band and we perform quite a few times a week at The Garage Bar on Church Street, you know the one right?” You nodded as he spoke, a silent yes to his question. “We’re called ‘Greta Van Fleet’. I don’t think my bandmates would mind you coming in for a few practices or gigs, to be honest, I think Josh would love that. Why don’t I give you my number and we can talk about it more later, I’m running late for practice, actually.”

Danny scribbled his number down on a piece of paper and ripped it out of his notebook, handing it to you with a smile and a nod as he rushed out of the hall. You were alone as you gazed down at his hurried scrawl, who the hell is Josh?

•

Thursday night rolled around and you found yourself staring at the mirror, for the millionth time it seemed, deliberating over your outfit. You didn’t care what you wore, really, but you couldn’t help but feel self-conscious all of a sudden, they wouldn’t scrutinize you, right? They’re just a group of young guys- possibly young? Who were you to know if it wasn’t just your TA and a bunch of grandpas? Or maybe dilfs? Who knows, though you semi-wished for dilfs.

You finally settled on a black mini skirt and a plain orange tee with a jacket thrown on top, something safe but still giving the illusion that you might have gave a fuck about your appearance. As you walked out into the brisk autumn air, you shivered and pulled the jacket closer to you, berating yourself for not dressing warmer. It wasn’t too long before you showed up at the address Danny had sent to you a couple of hours prior, accompanied by a few dancing emojis – he was a frequent user of emojis, you had discovered, with the few texts you two had exchanged. You weren’t expecting google maps to take you to a house, maybe a bar or a practice hall of some sort, but it looked like your typical college-aged boys home. Fairy lights which were strung haphazardly over the porch, lawn chairs on the patio, and a turned-over welcome mat greeted you as you rang the doorbell. You could hear the plucking of off-key guitar strings and chatter coming from behind the door, which only heightened your anxiety about this whole evening. You brought along your laptop and camera, hoping maybe to get some off-the-clock practice shots if the band agreed to work with you on the project.

The door suddenly opened and jarred you from your thoughts, a flash of warm light came from inside the house and a curly mop now stood in front of you. Attached to the mess of curls was a bright white smile belonging to a handsome young guy; he couldn’t have been much older than you, 3 years at most.

“Welcome, welcome! You don’t have to stand outside, come in and make yourself at home. We have beer and seltzer in the fridge if you want, or apple juice,” The guy blabbed, ushering you inside the foyer leading into the kitchen and living room.

“Don’t be a dick, she doesn’t want apple juice.” The voice came from beyond the door frame, yelling almost as it berated the man in front of you. As you opened your mouth to speak, almost the exact same motherfucker walked out of the kitchen, “Sorry about Josh, he can be a bit overbearing.”

They had the same look, though this one had long wavy locks and his presence was not as bold, yet he shined as he entered the room. “I’m Jake, and this one is Josh, obviously, I assume youre the girl Danny’s mentioned.” You instantly felt at home, with the yin and yang nature of their contrasting personalities, and you nodded as you looked between the twins.

Josh knocked the back of his hand into Jake’s shoulder, “Lighten up, will ya?”, he turned back to face you. “Let’s go, Danny and Sam are downstairs tuning. Did you need a drink or anything ‘fore we go?”

“Honestly I’m okay, thank you for asking though. Do you have anywhere I could plug in my charger, though?”

“Yeah, just follow me.”

You made your way down the narrow staircase into what felt like a make-shift man cave of sorts, traffic signs, and rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia coated the walls as you entered the dimly lit basement. It smelled of incense, alcohol, and a hint of cologne as the boys ahead of you went straight for their bandmates. There sat Danny, and who you could only assume was Sam. He was hunched over what you thought was a guitar, only it was a light blue, almost green color, something you didn’t usually see. He had long brown hair, brushing his shoulders and wrapped like a halo around his face as his eyes were focused on the strings and his plush lips were mumbling something quietly, too quiet to hear. He seemed to be closest to your age, maybe a bit older, but nothing too crazy. Jake gestured you to the couch, where the outlet was sat directly next to, and you took a seat next to him.

“Nice guitar, I love the color,” you uttered loudly, loud enough to get his attention. He was the only one who hadn’t immediately perked up at your presence, even Danny had greeted you so welcomingly, now occupied with the brothers. This one was seemingly too entranced by the sounds coming out of his instrument as he tuned the strings. At the sound of your voice, he slowly looked up, and you could see he had large, downturned chocolate-colored eyes. He smirked gently, one side of his mouth lifting as he scoffed.

“Thanks, but this is a bass. I understand the confusion though, especially since it is customized. Though, it does look almost brown to me... You don’t get much of those out in the wild.” His eyes quickly scanned your appearance, looking for a comment of his own. “Nice… leaves?”

You glanced down confused by his comment on the color but noticed your tattoo peeking out from under your skirt, “Oh, thank you, they’re berry vines, strawberries actually. You don’t get much of those out in the wild, either.” He chuckled as you smiled to yourself, pleased with your quick wit.

“Well, Berry, it’s nice to meet you. Daniel over here has been talking about you coming over for a week now and I think we’re all a little interested in hearing about this little project of yours.”

“Nicknames already?” Danny chimed in, Sam’s head turning to meet the sound of his voice. “We can talk about logistics later, I have class in the morning so let’s get this shit started.”

The boys all made sounds of agreement and got into position as you looked around and decided to sit on a large purple bean bag chair on the floor, near where Jake was messing around with the pedals next to his feet. It was then that Danny counted them in and Josh’s vocals came in, loud, raw, and powerful, something you didn’t expect to come out of such a small man. The combination of Jake’s electric riffs, Danny’s pounding beat, the smooth and sexy bass lines, and Josh’s voice, you were quite frankly surprised and pleased. When Danny had mentioned a band, you had expected an amateur bunch of musicians trying to mesh their different sounds together, but this band was amazing, sounding as if they had been practicing for years and years together; their chemistry was addicting. As they finished off the song, Josh looked over at you for approval, grinning widely with a sparkle in his eyes really only seen in people who were truly passionate and into their craft. Your only reaction was a dropped jaw.

“That was… insane. Like, I’m blown away to be quite honest, you all work so harmoniously together- how? I mean, you’re all so cohesive.”

“I mean, we’ve been playing together since high school, we got a small following back home because of it but there’s always room to practice.” Jake was so genuine with his responses, probably the most level-headed out of the bunch. You nodded, urging them to tell more. He continued, “It’s been a rollercoaster but we’re looking to reach outside of just local bars and lounges.”

Sam chimed in, “Yeah, I’m kind of sick of college.” he flashed you a smirk, which made your cheeks heat, but you ignored the urge to keep eye contact with him. “Well, I would love to work with you guys this semester… I’ve got good social media skills too if you’d like this to branch outside of academics…,” Even asking the question felt embarrassing to ask, but something inside told you to stick around.

The boys looked around at each other, communicating with their eyes, silently agreeing with nods of approval and shrugs before Josh spoke up, “I think we could swing that.”

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bbsourchef · 2 months

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intro!!!

hihi! :D i am chef mio (it/itself or she! but mostly it!!)!! of class 3-2!! it is!! so very nice to meet you all!! on this little screen. it must be oh so cramped in there :(

but hi! hihi!! uh. what can i say about myself?? hum. well! i like pincurchin! they are!! friend shaped!! my partner pushpin is the one i am closest to. :) but they are not the only ones i like! it is!! good!! to have varying taste in pokemon. it improves team percentage, or something?? but i want to have the highest percentage in pokemon friendship :D

it requires being smart though!! so i'm a part of a few different clubs!! the biome club is where i usually am though! i am overseeing a project now! it's very cool! but i'm also a member of the cooking club!! because i want to improve!! my cooking skills for people and pokemon!! even if i mostly just want to make all of the world's best sour foods :D

hum. i think that is enough for now! but i want to make lots of friends!! with people too!! so i hope to be able to talk to lots of them! i'm good with food and biome research! but i will try to answer anything asked of me! :) byebye for now!

((ooc info below the cut!!))

Another character in the Sable's Pokemon IRL Cinematic universe, apparently people really liked her, so! I have made a blog for Mio! Basically, she was supposed to just be an NPC for Ren's Orthworm project and my hand proceeded to slip and make a whole ass design. Whoops.

Anyway, Mio is a minor! For the love of god no NSFW or I will block you on sight.

Pelipper Mail/Malice are on, Musharna Mail/Malice are off. The Pelipper one may change, but the Musharna will not.

If you want your character to have history with Mio, please, feel free. Her blog is probably gonna be updated the least out of my four (yes i have a fourth in progress don't you DARE at me), but she is a background NPC for the people okay.

To basically sum her up: she's a girl who worked at the Sinnoh Battle Factory and learned a lot about utilizing Pokemon from a young age, serving as one of it's trainers up until she started attending Blueberry Academy. She basically got there on a scholarship, lmao.

Mio is a very silly lil chef who's basically to sour food as Crispin is to spicy, but she's genuinely a good cook! Like with Pokemon battles, a meal must be well balanced.

She's also a member of the Biome Club! I will probably have to google-fu any answers to advanced questions but Mio knows a hell of a lot about Pokemon adaptation and environmental effects of invasive species and the like. She's just below the Club's leader in terms of intelligence, pretty much.

Mio. Absolutely comes off as a dumbass with a weird typing style, but she basically makes up for it in competence in what she does best, and the work ethic of a god. This is a girl who multitasks her way into straight B+s and nobody knows how.

Feel free to throw some silly shit this way, this blog is very unlikely to dip into the high stakes waters at any point. This is a firm Silly Only zone. (maybe with some minor drama/angst but we're mostly gonna be silly here)

Any long absences are going to be explained by her phone breaking. She's a walking techbane but literally only for phones.

#pokemon irl #pkmn irl #pokeblogging #rotomblr #mio talks

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superlinguo · 2 years

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Linguistics Jobs: Interview with a Language Engineer

This month’s linguistics jobs interview is with Brent Woo, a Language Engineer for a voice assistant. Brent has an MA from Eastern Michigan University and a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Washington. In this interview, Brent describes how his career provides him with work-life balance and how his linguistics training ties into his work developing technology we use every day, but might not realize requires language data to run smoothly.

You can find Brent online on LinkedIn.

What did you study at university?

Linguistics and more linguistics! I entered undergrad not really knowing what I wanted to do. I took some finance and economics with the vague idea of becoming an accountant, but I didn’t have an interest in the material. I took some political science and cultural studies classes with some interest in “international affairs” but it still wasn’t quite right for me. I took an intro linguistics class and knew immediately this was it. This was the mix between analytical thinking and interesting human issues that I was looking for. I went on to finish BAs in Linguistics and Russian Studies, and then an MA and PhD in Linguistics. What is your job?

Language Engineers work on the language designs for voice assistants. When you say something funny like “let’s raise the roof” and the voice assistant can interpret that to raise its volume to the maximum level, that was likely due to an LE language design. LE look into common variations on requests, understand the failures in human-machine communication, and adjust recognition coverage for them. We work on the scale of millions of utterances a day, so this process also has to be automated to some degree. How does your linguistics training help you in your job?

I’m lucky to be considered a subject matter expert in language, and can usually make compelling arguments for utterance coverage based on language and human arguments alone. A common scenario is product or business stakeholders will request to have utterance X go to feature Y, and an LE will know from their expertise that no sane human customer would utter X to trigger Y. The LE has to present the case why that wouldn’t be a good design, and propose alternatives, and overall help the feature get better language coverage. This involves classic syntax for figuring out sentence structures and variations, and semantics for the annotation schema. Sometimes phonetics comes up when there are speech recognition conflicts or misfires! What was the transition from university to work like for you?

Graduate school was great preparation for moving into this position. I already had experience running quantitative experiments and analyzing the results, managing different stakeholders (advisor, students, lab, external collaborators), and—most importantly—dealing with difficult customers. Two things were new to me at the beginning: having conversations at the business and product level, and the pace of work. I wasn’t familiar how to navigate conversations about project budget and headcount, but I had a good friend as a mentor who helped me out with these early on. The pace of work differs from grad school: work comes and goes with the product release cycles, there are periods of crunch time and periods of relative calm and catch-up. Do you have any advice you wish someone had given to you about linguistics/careers/university? If you’re interested in exploring a non-academic path, talk to linguists in those paths, watch the panels and webinars we’ve run on these topics, ask for mock interviews, and read Superlinguo! You’ll get a sense of what background you need and what projects you should be working on.

Any other thoughts or comments?

The most important thing for me when finding a job after graduate school was to find a work-life balance. While I’m happy and lucky to have an interesting job related to language, I was really thrilled to discover that it was very flexible and I can live a rich life outside of work responsibilities. There were other jobs that may have been a better fit, but were more demanding on my lifestyle or diplomatic capacity (for example, managing people). I have many colleagues at this and other companies who have taken on more intense positions and end up burning out or quitting due to the stress. I find the work-life balance in this position almost ideal and I am very happy.

Related interviews:

Interview with a Natural Language Annotation Lead

Interview with a Software Engineer

Interview with a Data Scientist

Interview with a User Experience (UX) Researcher

Interview with a Computational Linguist

Recent interviews:

Interview with a Data Manager & Digital Archivist

Interview with a Natural Language Annotation Lead

Interview with an EMLS/Linguistics instructor & mother of four

Interview with a Performing Artiste and Freelance Editor

Interview with a Hawaiian and Tahitian language Instructor, Translator & Radio Host

Resources:

The full Linguist Jobs Interview List

The Linguist Jobs tag for the most recent interviews

The Linguistics Jobs slide deck (overview, resources and activities)

The Linguistics Jobs Interview series is edited by Martha Tsutsui Billins. Martha is a linguist whose research focuses on the Ryukyuan language Amami Oshima, specifically honourifics and politeness strategies in the context of language endangerment. Martha runs Field Notes, a podcast about linguistic fieldwork.

#linguistics jobs #linguist jobs #linguistics #careers #language engineer #language tech #language technology #jobs #work #AI #language AI

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sounds-of-some-day · 2 years

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Someone of Quora asked what courses Tony would have taken at MIT, and then someone at Quora gave an extremely in depth answer. So here is that answer for those of you looking to write MIT-Tony based fic, specifically taking place during the 80s (as classes on these topics have obviously changed somewhat over the decades). Short answer followed by longer more in depth answer under the cut:

Summary of his coursework:

Definites:

8.01 Physics I: Classical Physics

8.02 Physics II: E&M

18.01 Calculus I: Single Variable

18.02 Calculus II: Multi-variable

18.03 Differential Equations

18.06 Linear Algebra

3.091 (more likely) Introduction to Solid State Chemistry or 5.11 Principles of Chemical Science or 5.40 General Chemistry or 5.41 Introduction to Structure, Bonding and Mechanism [the modern equivalent is 5.111]

Economics? concentration or minor (or STS or TCD)

6.001 Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs

6.002 Circuits and Electronics

6.003 Signals and Systems

6.004 Computational Structures

EE lab (probably 6.115)

6.012 Microelectronic Devices

6.013 EM and Applications

6.014 Electrodynamics

Some Intro to Quantum

6.041 or 18.313 or 18.440 Probability

18.04 Complex Variables with Applications

8.321, 8.322 (graduate-level) Quantum Theory I, II (A)

8.511 (graduate-level) Solid State Physics/Theory of Solids I

8.613J (graduate-level) Intro to Plasma Physics I (A)

8.333 (graduate-level) Statistical Mechanics I (A)

2.70 Introduction to Design [nowadays known as 2.007]

Probables:

2.01 Mechanics of Solids

2.02 Introduction to Systems Dynamics

2.03J Dynamics

2.06J Mechanical Vibration

2.20 Fluid Mechanics

2.31/2.32 Mechanical Behavior of Materials I+II

2.40 Thermodynamics

2.51 Heat and Mass Transfer

~.~.~

From Marvel’s link (Iron Man (Anthony Stark)) — Tony Stark would have been a Course 6–1 (Electrical Engineering). Given that he was a graduate in the late 1980’s [Class of 1987?] according to the movie (or in the 1940’s or 50’s according to the comic books). Let’s stick with the movie version, as I wouldn’t know the EE program in the 1940’s/50’s (I can see the course catalog or catalogue, I just don’t know what topics would be taught).

Key reference: Browsing MIT Course Catalogues by Issue Date (the 1983–1987 course catalogs) — this is the MIT Institute Archives by MIT Libraries

In the 1980’s, Tony Stark would have done his 17 GIR’s or more likely gotten Advanced Standing Exams on a number of them (back then, 18.01, 18.02, 8.01, 8.02, 3.091/5.40/5.41/5.11 i.e., the old 5.111 or 5.60 or 7.01). He probably did his humanities concentration or minor in Economics as there was no Management option (I can’t think of any other concentration that would fit his personality and interests better, although he may have done Science, Technology, and Society or Technology, Culture, and Development as his humanities concentration). Tony Stark would have also done 18.03 (Differential Equations) and 18.06 (Linear Algebra) (requirements for the 6–1 program) as well as 6.041 Probabilistic Systems Analysis and Applied Probability. I have no idea what Tony Stark would have taken as other humanities courses (back then, one would have had to take 3 humanities distribution subjects).

Stark would have taken the 6.001–6.004 series (6.001 Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs is no longer offered in the current curriculum and has been replaced by 6.01). 6.002 = Circuits and Electronics; 6.003 = Signals, and Systems; 6.004 = Computational Structures.

Stark would have had to take at least one EECS lab (6.111 Intro to Digital Systems Laboratory or 6.101 Intro Electronics Laboratory or 6.115 — Microcomputer Project Laboratory or 6.114 or 6.141 or 6.142 or 6.151 etc.). I think Stark would have also done the rest of the EE program requirements at the time (6.012 Microelectronic Devices and Circuits, 6.013 Electromagnetics and Applications, 6.014: Electrodynamics, 6.017 or 8.211 Introduction to Quantum Physics)

Given that Tony Stark was highly mechanically oriented and very competitive, I’d imagine that he probably took a lot of the Mechanical Engineering core that didn’t have a Course 6 equivalent (2.01 Mechanics of Solids, 2.02 Introduction to Systems Dynamics, 2.03J Dynamics, 2.06J Mechanical Vibration, 2.20 Fluid Mechanics, 2.31/2.32 Mechanical Behavior of Materials I+II, 2.40 Thermodynamics, 2.51 Heat and Mass Transfer, 2.70 Introduction to Design [nowadays known as 2.007]). Actually, As Tony Stark (film) (on the Iron Man Wikia) indicates that Tony Stark won a robotics competition at MIT — the main one would have been 2.70 (which is now 2.007).

The two Master’s or SM degrees (graduate work) according to Sanderson, Peter (w), Candelario, Harry (p), Cheung, Jim (i). Iron Man: The Legend 1 (September 1996) were in Physics and Electrical Engineering.

For his graduate work in EE, there are way too many classes that would have interested him (i.e., EECS AAGS | MIT EECS [AAGS = Approved Advanced Graduate Subjects]). Like at least half of those classes …

On the Physics side, Tony Stark would have been most interested in the Solid State, Laser, Plasma, and Atomic Physics research area. He would have likely taken graduate Quantum Mechanics (8.321, 8.322), Solid State Physics (8.511), Plasma Physics (8.613J), Statistical Mechanics (8.333) — I believe these would have been the first-year SM requirements for Physics.

He would have written three theses: one undergraduate for EE, then one for each of his Master’s degrees (Physics, Electrical Engineering). Anne Hunter (the undergraduate course administrator for Course 6) has mentioned to me that the first person to graduate with the M.Eng. was in 1994, so this would have been after the time that Tony Stark would have graduated from MIT.

Additionally, Stark would have also passed his swim test and boat test, and probably taken martial arts Physical Education classes for the PE requirement (e.g., aikido, shotokan karate). He probably took sailing as well (didn’t he have a yacht in one of the comic books?)

As for grades, MIT does not award “valedictorian” or Latin honors of summa/magna cum laude, but inferring that Marvel says that Tony Stark was “summa cum laude,” I would assume he was a 5.0 GPA (straight A’s).

Source

#character: tony stark

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temperedgods · 4 months

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Tempered Gods Chapter 1 Part 1

This is a project I have had in the back of my brain for quite a while and everytime I have written it I ended hating it. This one I like so I will share a chapter every week or so.

Mornings were always ushered in by Riley waking up Morgan and Jordan as he jumped on the bed ready for his morning walk. It was also the time they would put together the errands before Morgan had to go to campus in North Harzenburg. They lived in the south of the trading hub of Talmin but recent expansions in transit made it less of an upheaval for Morgan to get to his mid afternoon Arcana 1205 class.

Jordan was the more talkative for this morning's walk, Morgan had listened intently while making sure Riley wouldn’t run too far chasing pigeons. Jordan had noticed he hadn’t said much when he finally said something.

“Professor Allegro is going to ask me to be on the staff after I graduate.”

“Are you going to take the position?” Jordan quickly responded, holding back their excitement.

“I’m not sure. He’d probably have me running the summoning courses.” He replied coarsely. Morgan despised the classes, yet he always excelled in each of the ones required to take before he could take his oath.

“You could make them more enjoyable for everyone else.” Jordan suggested.

“I could but I’m not sure how to.” The conversation paused for a moment, then Morgan clicked his tongue to rouse Riley to come back from harassing pigeons. He would walk beside the two until he found something else to chase down.

“Could always talk about how you have used a summon to help out, like with Riverton.” Jordan suggested.

Morgan considered the instance.

“That may get my students hopes up that they could summon an ether dragon after taking just one class.” Jordan snickered

“I doubt they would expect that after a semester of intro summoning, especially if you tell them you passed out shortly after the summon. Might put expert summoning into the big picture.”

“Hmm, I’ll think about it.” Morgan gave a big smile and looked forward to their halfway point at the morning bazaar.

They’d grab a few fruits and browse, and then head home. Many of the vendors knew Riley and knew the faces of Morgan and Jordan.

“Hello there big guy!” Said the old woman who ran the fabrics stall, and then rubbed between Riley’s ears.

Riley was an Anthu, a magical creature resembling a fox if it stood on their hind legs and was 1.5 meters tall. But they would always stick out in a crowd even if being shorter than most of the crowd from their upbeat nature and love of companionship.

Riley had been with Morgan for 6 years now since choosing him in combat after a pilgrimage to their ancestral lands on the ridge between the Druid Coast and the Talmin kingdom, a hotly contested area even 6 years ago. Riley had also taken a liking to Jordan when first meeting her, making him obedient to the couple. Jordan wouldn’t give Riley commands often, but would do so in a heartbeat.

Morgan asked the old woman running the fabrics about a special order of sheep’s wool sourced from any farm in the Thousand Lakes.

“The water they drink there gives their wool this slightly softer feeling than ones from the Copper Forest or the farms outside Cherryville. Y’know what I mean?” “Oh yes! The wool there is very popular these days! If you fill out the form I can get it to you in about a week. If you put your number there I can give you a call when it’s ready too!”

She ripped a form off a pack of special orders. Morgan diligently filled out his information and handed it back to her.

“Thank you!” He said while handing it back “Thank you as well! Bye bye Riley!” She waved to the spry Anthu.

The trio continued their trek through the bazaar, grabbing a few fruits for their breakfast back home. Riley had kept himself close to Morgan and Jordan most of the way back, having spent most of his energy startling the pigeons the way there.

Those pigeons watched idly by on various rooftops and power lines as they entered into their little rowhouse.

Enjoying their meal, they were interrupted by the phone ringing. It sat right behind Jordan so they answered.

“Hello? Oh hi Dr Allegro! I can take a message for Morgan, he’s in the shower right now.”

Jordan grinned as they looked at Morgan’s relieved face, being saved from talking to the college professor.

“Okay, I’ll make sure to send him on his way when he gets out. Thank you Henry! Bye bye!”

Hanging up the phone Jordan relayed the message.

“You have a quiz to proctor in Mana Holding before your Arcana class today.”

“Wonderful.” Morgan scoffed. “I assume he wants me to grade them in between as well?”

Jordan shrugged.

“He never said when he wanted them done.”

Morgan sighed.

“That means he’ll want them done before Arcana then. When do you need to leave?” “20 minutes after you do. Need to make sure that the incantation is up so Riley won’t knock anything over.”

“Actually, I can get that for you.”

Morgan stretched behind him and grabbed a pouch off the counter behind him. He took a small piece of quartz and a rubber band out. Stretching the band over his right thumb and pointer finger he tightened and loosened the band and with his left hand he dropped the quartz through as he whispered a few words, Jordan hearing the faint sounds of incantations followed by various household objects.

“That should do it for a while. I wasn’t sure when you’d be back so I did a bit of guesswork on when it should go down. Worst case is we can’t read some books until like 9.”

Jordan gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before getting up to get ready and Morgan doing the same.

He placed his notes into a satchel and donned a ruby and iron pendant along with a scarf over his light sweatshirt. He had put on one of his slightly longer pairs of khakis and was careful to pull the bottom of the pants out of his shoes before walking to the door.

Riley was first to say goodbye, getting a pat between his ears. Jordan walked over and they shared a quick kiss before he was out the door and on the way to the tram.

The tram ride was pretty quick to take Morgan to the Northern part of town. If he couldn’t use the tram then either some sort of magic like flying or even planes walking would be the fattest route unless the two wanted to shell out 10,000 silver marks for a vehicle that served no other use than to take him to school.

The tram was also very quiet at this time of the morning so Morgan could either catch some more sleep or go over some student papers or work on his own. He looked over some of his own final project today. It was a tome bound by demonhide but covered over with cow leather so as to be more inconspicuous. Inside the tome were a variety of spells a paladin would find useful during battle or during triage of any wounded before a cleric or combat medic would arrive. Many of these Morgan had tested himself and left notes on how and why certain spells should be used to stop anyone to succumb to their injuries or in the other direction, to make sure an enemy succumbs to fate.

The tram rang for his stop, the main campus of Altonia School of Magic, and he hopped up to depart.

“Excuse me sir, is this yours?” The man sitting beside Morgan said as he was about to step out. “I think it fell out of your pocket.”

Morgan turned around and saw the man in a simple cloth overall, some oil stains showing he worked with automobiles. The man was holding an envelope in front of Morgan’s sternum as he turned.

“I- I’m not sure.” Morgan said quizzically.

“I think you better take it, looks important.”

Morgan hesitated but realized he’d be late if he didn’t leave now. He snatched the note and awkwardly stepped off the tram and across the street from campus.

The school’s main campus was in the former castle grounds of the former Duke of Harzenberg. The Duke “donated” the campus to the university in exchange for clemency during a crisis of the crown a few centuries back. However there is no more Duke of Harzenburg anymore, just a mayor and council.

Being a royal’s former house it is located in one of the more scenic areas of towns, settled by the Harzenburg river that flows right into the Cobalt Sea. Rows and rows of roses surround the original castle walls, heavy in vines and thorns that was meant to be a beautiful and effective way to slow down invaders. This castle had not seen a single pikeman run towards its walls in almost a thousand years, the only ones now simply walking around the campus as guards, though pikeman is a grandfathered term as they now either use pistols, magic, or both to act as defense.

Morgan nodded to a pikeman as he walked in through the front gate, the original 5 meter tall door bolted shut and two sets of double doors act as the entrance and exit on this side of the campus.

Many extensions had been made to the school as a castle and its walls simply could not hold a large body of students for every single class. Most of the castle had staff offices and the main library of the college, which Morgan passed through as a shortcut to Professor Allegro’s class Mana Holding 104.

“Good morning Henry.” Morgan announced as he entered through the back door of the lecture hall.

“Ah just in time Morgan! Someone came in looking for you today asking about your thesis. I’m not sure if it was a drinking friend or someone else but it was no one I recognized from any of the classes or around campus.”

Morgan looked puzzled.

“I don’t really go out to drink, sir.”

“Oh, okay then. He said he would come back later when you were in anyways so maybe then you can figure out who it is then. But for now we need to set up the quizzes!”

Morgan nodded and went to the front to grab a half stack of today’s quizzes. They were simple if you had been following along in class or at the very least skimming the book. Being near the start of the semester Allegro wanted to run a check to see if his students were following along and taking mana holding seriously.

It took maybe 3-4 seconds of Morgan looking at the paper to know the exact answers Henry was looking for on the quiz.

But Morgan was more interested in who had asked for him earlier, it may have been the same person who managed to get a note to him on the tram. He wasn’t sure what to make of it but the students began filing in before he could think of what to do, other than to read the note. He filed to the back of the lecture hall and opened the note while glancing over at the slow stream of freshman magicians and their faces of displeasure of the surprise quiz.

It was uncouth for spellcasters to keep a weapon other than a staff, wand, or other means to cast a spell that doesn’t also act as a head buster. So instead Morgan opted to cast a bound letter opener, a quaint spell that a mail carrier had developed a few decades before. Morgan tore the letter open and read what it said inside:

meet at the midtown pier stop at 6:30, come alone -l

The midtown pier stop had been shuttered for a year now due to structural concerns and an above ground stop was built to replace it.

“This is a trap.” He muttered to himself.

Henry started to give the morning pleasantries to his students and Morgan snapped back to the moment and the impending quiz. Not much else phased him, he absorbed the lecture he had heard many times in the past for Mana Holding, graded the quizzes shortly after, and blazed through his Arcane class.

Morgan had a small office adjoined by Allegro’s office but spent little time there. He slipped in for a moment and dropped his satchel filled with his notes and final project.

It was uncouth for spellcasters to keep a weapon other than a staff, wand, or other means to cast a spell that doesn’t also act as a head buster. But that didn’t stop Morgan. Inside one of the drawers of his office desk was the hilt of a sword, the grip was a soft sheepskin. You could begin to see the outline of Morgan’s grip in the wear and tear. The guard was a blued steel with vines engraved wrapping the entire circumference. The pommel was a spring loaded copper bauble, if you tapped the bottom the enchanted blade would emerge out of the guard. He was given this as a thank you for his aid in the Riverton Portal Invasions some 2 years ago.

Morgan preferred casting for a mace he had enclosed in a storage plane along with many other supplies he would need in combat. But he feared that magic may need to go to save himself from a trap. He slipped the hilt under his sweatshirt and the waistband of his pants and left for the tram.

It was a tense ride for him. It was around the time children were let off from grade school so a few were with their parents returning home, full of energy and running up and down the cabin. Morgan paid no mind to it and waited for the midtown pier stop.

Most cities you would come across, midtown would possibly be north or west of town. That was true for Midtown Harzenburg as it was more southeast of town but it split the city into two with Cannon’s Run River that cut the city in half on its two banks. The river led right out to the ocean and were the original piers set up by the Northwin trading company 200 years ago when it first began in the crown’s conquests of Atrocostas. If a package needed to be sent out of the town you had two options: pay Northwin’s fee or try your luck with pirates.

Morgan quickly slipped out of the tram and snaked his way through the crowd moving towards the pier, longshoreman, sailors, and bureaucrats ready for the evening shift.

The entrance for the underground station was cordoned off by keep out and falling hazard signs situated on top of tall traffic cones. No one was looking so Morgan easily slipped inside the dingy train stop.

The half burnt out lights were on at the stop. If someone did want to jump Morgan they forfeited that advantage. He walked between the back wall and a partially cracked support column when he heard a squelch and liquid dripping onto concrete. Then a single footstep behind him and he drew his sword and swung behind, rotating his entire body to gain momentum. The figure that had snuck up behind him grabbed the sword without any problem and a voice called out.

“William! Don’t scare him like that!”

It was a familiar voice to Morgan, one he had heard a lot but not for a few years.

“Lawrence?” He called out while pulling the sword out of the figure’s grasp. That figure was another old friend, William, one of the few people he would expect to catch a sword slashing right at him.

There was a gurgled cry followed by more liquid spilling out on concrete, Morgan looked past Will and saw Lawrence digging a knife deep into a man’s throat who was fruitlessly waving a dagger at Lawrence’s chest.

“Who the fuck is that?” Morgan yelled to Lawrence.

“This spy was gonna do the same to you what I’m doing to him right now.”

Lawrence pulled the knife out of the man’s throat as his body went lifeless and limp. He let go of the corpse’s shirt and cleaned off his knife on the poor soul’s pants and slipped the knife back under his coat.

Most would assume Lawrence's as the epitome of a spy, if it weren’t for the armory of weapons he hid under his heavy coat and the scar that went up his left cheek halfway through his nose. William looked like an average socialite, possibly even a young professor Morgan would proctor for. However the half crescents that glittered in his eyes showed he wouldn’t be teaching a lesson on a chalkboard but one taught by combat.

“Why didn’t you guys call or something?” Morgan asked, still reeling from the scare William had given him.

“Well, these geniuses have your house under surveillance. If they knew I was calling it would be too late to do anything to save you 3. They’ve been keeping an eye on us too but doing a bad job at it.”

“No kidding, who are these guys?”

“Not sure, I have some ideas but I’m not ready to point a finger and run off half cocked. We’ll need to get Jordan and Riley to safety first. Where are they?”

“Riley is still at home and Jordan is going to be heading home soon, on foot.” “Then they’ll try to jump her that way. Will would you-”

William had already scrambled down the platform and through the train lines.“Will’s on his way. We can go make sure Riley is safe so let’s go.” “Right. Riley is gonna be very excited to see both of you y'know. It’s been what? Two years since the crisis?”

#wizards #creative writing

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dreammelter · 5 months

Text

Speedrun Workshop Postmortem

I wanted to make a more detailed postmortem as I cleaned the project files up but I'll keep it simple today… If I take any longer, I'm sure to give up on it. (The year is ending so there's a lot of prep/wrap-up going on in other areas I'm responsible for. 🙃)

What I'll cover:

What was the project about? It's goals? It's products?

How did I approach it?

How did things change and why?

What did I like most of what I completed?

What did I wish I could complete?

What did I learn? (A LOT. But maybe make a more definitive list.)

What would be my tips/advice for next time?

(Project deliverables are up on GitHub.)

The One Day Workshop

I only vaguely remember what spurred the project and apparently don't have any journal entries for it either… so here's the gist of it!

My sister worked with City of Las Vegas/Strong Future to help teach some Office 365 basics. In July, she decided to start a small tech biz (now defunct) that offered more technical training. If I remember correctly, she asked if there was anything I'd like to offer, so I figured I could cover programming, 3D art, and game development. (I really just wanted an excuse to play with the things I liked lol.) The team at Strong Future took an interest in hosting the game development class, but they only had a small budget for it at the time. So we decided to host a workshop for middle and high school students on Nevada Day.

The idea was to introduce students to the process of game development as well as some careers and resources. Since the workshop would only last 5 hours, the students would follow along with the recreation of an arcade-like game. I originally wanted to require students have some experience with code since we'd be jumping right into a project. We decided to leave it open to those without it, though. I figured I could do a quick intro to scripting and wouldn't sweat it too much since students could either type-along or drag-and-drop the files.

The workshop had an additional constraint: the computers in the lab wouldn't be able to install any additional software, so I'd have to use a portable or web-based game engine. I've long held onto a list of game engines and dev resources, so finding one wasn't an issue. What was interesting, though, was seeing how some of them have changed over the years… Godot Engine was the first one that came to mind and the one I was sure I was going to go with, but I took a look at my old list anyway. Cocos2D was my second choice since I'd be able to use JavaScript and I was considering it for a future web project, but it required more setup and research than I was interested in bothering with. (The modern Cocos editor requires an install.) Defold, like Godot, doesn't require an install but I didn't want to write in Lua. (Read: I didn't want to relearn how to write Lua. I only have three months.) Game Maker, Construct, GameSalad, and GDevelop were some others I considered for their web versions and/or visual programming features, but I didn't want to force the students to sign up for anything.

So Godot it was. 😎 Long Live Open-Source.

We also named the workshop "Speedrun" some weeks later.

Expectation

The workshop needed three things: a prototype to remake, some slides, and a collection of resources the students could use and refer to later. I was also advised to create a printed handout students could follow along with.

There would also be 20 students at most.

I wanted to break down the five hours as such:

1 hour talking about the industry, careers, and development concepts

3 hours walking through the prototype

1 hour letting the students tinker and build their own levels

(I wrote a couple of different outlines with timestamps closer to the end of the project, too.)

I wanted to teach the students game dev was all about problem solving (and IID.) I'd pose a question or scenario, then walk them through the implementation. Once we built the base game, the students could use the extra resources to add to it however they pleased.

I also split up the 3 months of development time of this project:

1 month to get up to speed with Godot 4 and create a game prototype

1 month to polish the prototype and write up the written materials

1 month to polish the materials, practice the presentation, and prepare for the workshop day

Reality

So I ended taking two months trying to prototype. I briefly talked about it in the "mini postmortem" I included in the class handbook… In short: I tried out different game ideas to see what I could actually implement by the end of the first month. The second month rolled around so I started moving the desired game mechanics to a clean file… just for them to start falling apart. That's when I settled on just making a simple platformer. I used all of September and half of October putting the platformer prototype together, leaving two weeks to put the remaining documents together. Ended up skipping the handout, since I couldn't decide what to put on it… I had a couple different versions of the to-do lists I used to track progress of the game that I could use, but I wasn't sure just how much detail should be included for each task to actually be useful. I didn't complete the handbook in time for class either, so I spent an extra two-three days writing that up…

Dragging and dropping the scripts and resource files from the prototype came in super handy. Because, contrary to my expectation, 4 hours was not enough time to even get past the setup of the player character and tile map. I did not account for students who might not have had any experience with editors of any sort (and forgot to give them an actual tour of the engine. OTL) It wasn't the perfect presentation of "game dev as problem-solving" I hoped for… it was a scramble of remembering what to click and do next. I think the problem-solving sentiment still floats around in the docs and presentation… somewhat. But if there's anything I regret, it's that failure to effectively lead the students through the recreation of the prototype game. We were all pretty exhausted by the end. They said they learned a lot but I hope it didn't crush their interests in building games. 😭

I did spend about an hour and a half covering the industry and such (to my surprise. I wasn't sure I was going to have enough to say, but alas… we did. And it was just a debrief of the topics themselves.) I was also lucky that the students who came in later showed up at opportune times, when it was easy to get them up to speed.

I didn't complete the prototype, but we didn't get very far with the game in-class, either. Guess there's a bit of grace there… I was so worried I end up with a class full of students who were already so comfortable building games in the virtual worlds they hang out in. (But I only had one student who was actually enrolled in a game development program and he was just starting out. All of the students were.)

Reflections

All of that said… I think seeing the reality of how this went down was enlightening. When I get ideas they tend to be overly idyllic and lofty, so it was good to see the gritty, incomplete, and even a little ugly side of this. It was a nice reminder of how much effort goes into creating something that's really good. I mean… the burnout I got after rushing to get this together was 0/10… but the respect I gained for the craft went up 1000%. And seeing how much is available online: from support groups to free tools, the future of game dev will always be bright and exciting.

Part of my screw-up with the approach to teach the development part could have been alleviated if I knew we'd only tackle such a small scope in that time… I obviously couldn't have known how much we'd get through, but a back-up plan beyond "use the premade resources to speed things up" might have been useful in this case. Maybe I could have an alternate "lesson route" where I scaled back most of our goal.

Then again… I probably would've known this ahead of time if I actually practiced the full presentation with someone, rather than the dry run I did alone. 🤔 (One of those expectation vs. reality things.)

Favorite Things

I remember making my first digital game in Flash (though I have this sneaking suspicion there was something I used before it?) Godot's scene-structure was very reminiscent of it. I also liked that it meant you could structure you game basically as the way you see it, making it easy for students to conceptualize.

I also love that you can make tools for the engine using the same language you do to write gameplay code. The coin tool is probably my favorite thing, even though it's incomplete.

Wishes

I'd actually like to figure out what's going on with the double jump animation (which was working at first.) The player can double jump, the conditional block holding the animation just doesn't fire. (I think. I'd have to check the code again.)

It'd also be cool to get the coin tool to work properly in-editor.

Lessons Learned

You won't be able to fit absolutely everything into a project and you probably shouldn't try. 😆 Don't let your brain lie and say you can. Dipping into the longer list of "Nice to Haves" after finishing the "Must Haves" feels nicer than having a long list of "These things were supposed to be in the game--"

Conclusion

I'm gonna be 100% honest, I'm not sure I'd try to build a platformer on my own again. Maybe something closer to a visual novel, sure, but anything more than that? I'd probably enlist the help of some friends. (Especially a gameplay programmer. I'll stick to tools…🫠)

It's a stark position from the one I held as a teen building (fragments of) games… maybe it was the rush to get something together and the burnout that followed. Maybe it was the fact I was building something outside of my initial intention, so I didn't have the same "emotional attachment" I would for something more personal. I do primarily think it was the time constraint and the pressure to make something that I thought would be satisfactory for the students to start with. Sure, I can perform under pressure, but I can't say I do better work under it. And frankly, the pressure is only more bearable with a team, which I didn't have lol.

However, the most important thing is that I completed enough of what was required for this endeavor that I could see it as a success. It's not a smashing or career-changing one, but it's just big enough to be a meaningful experience. (For me and for the handful of students who made it.)

#long post #game dev #yee.txt #if there are typos and stuff pls forgive meeeee #i'm dropping this here so i can go finish chores and stuff ;;;;

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orangepterodactyl · 1 year

Video

youtube

so my intro to video class’ first project required us to edit footage we found on the internet so i did what any normal person would do and take advantage of that and just make a ytp

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jesskasb · 7 months

Note

What happened with the Stephen King book reading?

i complained about it in class and a couple of people (a classmate and the professor) agreed that he was a bit of an elitist and definitely an asshole who was projecting the (rightful) hate he gets online onto newer writers. however other people seemed to be inspired by what he had to say? when hes not saying anything new at all and other authors have said it better: the basis for becoming a good writer is reading a lot, writing every day, and finding a good place to do it. it is supposed to be an intro to english studies class (requirement of the college i transferred to) so maybe some of my freshmen classmates havent really been told the "how to be a good writer" speech before but like come on. stephen king was just truly being an asshole abt it

#replies

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encyclopika · 2 years

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Abdhdh hi! I really want to go into marine biology, but it seems like there’s so little information out there about which specific programs or degrees take you in which direction (for ex. many programs I see are more environmentally focused and I’m more interested in sharks and cephalopods etc) do you have any tips on what path(s) to take and college programs/degrees to look into?

Hello! I got a similar question from @fish-themed-shitposter on my other ask, and I figure addressing you both would be the best so I don't miss anything. They're questions was: "It's my dream job, but I've heard the field is pretty competitive. Any advice before I go into highschool? What secondary education should I be aiming for?"

If you're passionate about learning and willing to make the commitment to work hard, that's the first thing you need. I'm not sure which countries you both are from, so I can only speak from my experiences in the USA. And, unfortunately, there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to doing this. If you have a particular subject you're into, ie: sharks, use that as a jumping point and source of willpower to persevere. Honestly, allowing that interest to expand is my advice. For example:

My original dream was to go out and study sharks, but that is *so hard* to do. Everyone wants to focus on the big, charismatic megafauna. Oh you like sharks, and dolphins, and seals, and turtles? Get in line. XD Slowly, I expanded my interests into all fish and marine invertebrates, which eventually lead me into fisheries. Through fisheries work, yeah, I don't get to see and tag and study exclusively sharks - unfortunately, my biggest project right now focuses on the Striped Bass. But! There is always potential to see and deal with sharks, and that is definitely good enough for me. Try to generalize your dream so you have more options and paths that you would be comfortable and happy to do. Be flexible. Maybe instead of cephalopods, you're into their coral reef habitats? Maybe you're passionate about conserving them in associated fisheries? I'd recommend doing some reading in Google Scholar when you have time. Type in your passion animal, and look at what's being done for them in the field. Maybe you'll see something that sparks your interest even more.

If you're going into high school, and you're very sure about your goals to join the marine bio field, then maybe one day during this summer when you've got nothing going on, start searching on Google for colleges/universities that have great biology majors and marine science classes. Go nuts. Look at the University of Hawaii - who gives a damn? Just get a feeling for it. Make a dream list of the ones you would love to apply to, and look at what courses they require you take to complete the degree you'd pick. Then, make sure you take similar classes in high school. For instance!

Any sort of biology coursework is going to include Math, Chemistry, Physics, and Statistics - all things I hated - but they absolutely have been relevant in my career. As were "intro to bio" courses that covered the meat and potatoes of bio - cell bio, ecology, and physiology. Take those introductions in high school so that, when you get into college, you're not starting on the first floor. Use high school like pre-college. College is insanely expensive and I hope they eliminate student debt for you guys, but in the meantime, you don't want to have to pay for the same class twice. Those foundational classes that will feel like a slog and make you question your career decisions, will take up at least the first two years of your undergraduate career, alongside the "classes that make you a well-rounded person hopefully", like history, english, and foreign language courses that may be required (and you can absolutely just take them at your local community college for cheap - check out how transferring credits works). Again, look at what the school wants you to do to get that degree. See if any of those classes overlap with another major or minor (I did this with my Environmental Studies minor - it's worth doing if the only difference is like, one class that might be fun, but irrelevant. I took a class about Primate Conservation, but it ended up giving me a lot of conservation perspective anyway, so they're worth it). And yeah, look for courses that are just plain fun and up your alley - you'll never know how that fits into your life. I took a class about King Arthur, and I LOVED it. The professor was a riot! Maybe it made me a better writer? Being a good writer helped me land my current job, because grant writing is important. Who tf knows?

Then look at the courses that are actually relevant to you - the marine bio, the fish ecology, the invertebrate zoology, whatever - they offer and what they entail and how that fits into your goals. If you're into cephalopods, you probably want to go somewhere that offers courses that focus on invertebrates in whatever capacity. Also keep in mind that you should also pick a type of bio you are into, as well. I was always into ecology (how ecosystems work is fascinating!) and that leads into conservation, which, put together with fish, equals a job in Fisheries Management and research on commercially important species, fishing gear, and the industry. Go down the rabbit hole and see what you come up with.

Look at the faculty of the bio and/or marine bio departments. Each one is not going to just be a teacher, they are also the head Principle Investigator (PI) - the head scientist, if you will - of their own lab, usually. See what they're researching right now. Look at what they have researched already - chances are, they have a passion animal or topic that they have zeroed in on, and if that matches yours, you should bang on their door and ask when you can volunteer to help around the lab when you're accepted at their university/college. Perhaps see if there is undergraduate research credits you can take on and get your feet wet doing real science on an "easy" project the PI has for an undergrad. And remember, just because the PI's interests match yours, doesn't mean other PIs won't be better suited for you. Some of them are actually assholes, and you shouldn't stay in a lab run by an asshole because you're desperate. In undergrad, any experience in a lab is a good thing, even if you're the poor bucket-cleaning shmuck. Someone's gotta clean those buckets! It's important! Oh, and read their scientific journal articles and get a feel for exactly what they do - it's flattering for them and shows your commitment when you've done that homework.

Internship opportunities and organizations that focus on your passions are places you want to apply to and get real job experience, whether that's over the summer, or you work it in between classes. Maybe you're into marine mammals? Volunteer with the local marine mammal and sea turtle rescue/rehab place. Maybe you love talking nonstop about the ocean and everything - look into educational jobs at aquariums, zoos, and other non-profits that do education or kids camps outdoors.

You do not absolutely need to have an even higher degree (master's, phD) in order to be in this field. There are plenty of places looking for technicians with a bachelor's to do grunt field work and there's nothing shameful about being the one doing it if you love it. A master's may open doors for you that include a little more research, you may be able to write grants, or be put in charge of the grunts in the field. A PhD may land you work with a university or big lab doing important research. Who knows? You go as far as you can. Life will get in the way. Do not sacrifice happiness in other spaces in your life because this is your dream. If you keep at it, it should come in whatever capacity. I refused to leave New York, so my job search was extremely limited but...I wanted to be with my now-husband. Life happens!

And my best advice of all? Don't give up. One bad grade isn't going to ruin everything. Pick yourself up and keep trying. When I earned my Master's, I had to get a job at Walgreen's to make money while I waited for opportunities to open up. It was degrading af. But you don't give up. You get on the internet everyday and apply to jobs, programs, state tests - throw as much shit at the wall and something is bound to stick (you'll learn that in your stats classes! XD).

Don't give up. But accept when and if your interests change. It could happen. You could wake up late for Physics again and say "ya know what? Fuck it. Time to switch to the Business major" and that's totally valid. Don't stick with something just because young you thought you loved it. This is really hard to do.

Anyway, if you make strides, I'd love to hear all about it. I am proud of you for even going for it. Feel free to message me anytime. ^__^/

#marine biology #I am sorry this is so long #but I said I didn't wanna leave anything out!#make your dreams a reality #change your goals when they don't suit you anymore #study hard

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