Son Boy... Obtained

“What are you DOING!?” the mentor screamed as their estranged student flicked a match/torch into their doused house. “No! NO!”

“Oh, what’s that?” the student asked as they leaned against a rock formation, taking a swig from their bottle. “You don’t like when everything you care about is just taken away from you? Like a puff of smoke?”

“B!” The mentor looked at them incredulously before trying to reach into the house, but it was already too hot. The entire house was ablaze, flames threatening to lick at the mentor’s skin with every breath. They cried out, jumping back, putting their hands to their head. “What have you DONE!?”

The student snorted, rolling their eyes as they stood up and drunkenly wobbled over to the mentor. “All I’m doing, A,” they said with a tired smile, “is letting you live in the world that you said we lived in.”

A stared at B, then a the flames. As they slowly sank to their knees, watching the fire, B snorted. Waving a hand and taking another swig, they turned and began walking away. “Now you know what it’s like to have your entire life blown to smithereens!” they laughed humorlessly, barely heard above the collapsing beams of the house.

Fly agarics

I just saw that my science teacher put 'worked well in science today :)' for a positive acknowledgement. Udhd. One of the best teachers I've had. He's patient with students, lets us have our phones, actually helps students understand things, gives us choices on the extra things we can do once we've done the notes and he lets us handed them in later so we can finish them.

He's tied with one other teacher for Best Teacher At High School

The other is up there mostly for his sense of humour, he can make anyone laugh

Fan service for the furries

Dreamworks, what are you doing?

Dreamworks, what are you doing?

kids remind me, often, of the things i've taught myself out of.

i have a big dog. he looks like a deer. he is taller than most young children. while we were on a trail the other day, a boy coming our direction saw us and froze. he took a step back and said: "i'm feeling nervous. your - your dog is kind of big."

goblin and i both stopped walking immediately. "he is kind of a big dog," i admitted. "he's called a greyhound. they are gentle but they are pretty tall, which is kind of scary, you're right. their legs are so long because they are made for running fast. i am sorry we scared you. would you like us to stand still while you move past us, or would you feel more safe in your body if we move and you stay still?'

"oh. i didn't know that about - greyhounds. i think i ... i want to stay still," he said. at this point, his adult had caught up to us. "i'm nervous about the dog," he told her, "so i'm - i'm gonna stay still." she didn't argue. she didn't make fun of him. she just smiled at him and at me and held his hand while goblin and i, with as wide of a berth as we could make, crept our way through.

behind us, i heard him exhale a deep breath and kind of laugh - "he was really big, huh? she said it's because greyhounds have to go fast."

"he was big," she said. "i understand why that could have made you a little scared."

"yeah. next time i - next time do you think i could maybe ask to touch him? when - i mean, next time, maybe, if i'm not nervous."

later, going to a work event, in the big city, i stood outside, trembling. my social anxiety as a caught bird in my chest. i took a deep breath and turned to my coworker. she's not even really my friend yet. i told her: "i feel nervous about this. i am not used to meeting new people, ever since covid."

she laughed, but not in a mean way. she said she was nervous too. she reached her hand out and held mine, and we both took another deep breath and walked in like that, interlinked. a few people asked us - together? - and i told the truth: i feel nervous, and she's helping. over and over i watched people relax too, admitting i feel really kind of shy lately actually, thank you for saying that.

the next time i go to an event, and i feel a little scared, i ask right away: wanna hold hands? this feels a little dangerous. i hesitate less. i don't hide it as much. i watch for other people who are also nervous and say - it's kinda hard, huh?

i know, logically, i'm not good at asking for help. but i am also not good at noticing when i need help. i've trained myself out of asking completely, but i've also trained myself to never accept my own fears or excuses. i have trained myself to tamp down every anxiety and just-push-through. i don't know what i'm protecting myself from - just that i never think to admit it to anyone.

but every person on earth occasionally needs comfort. every person on earth occasionally needs connection. many of us were taught independence is the same thing as never needing anything.

each of us should have had an adult who heard - i feel nervous and held our hand and asked us how we could be helped to feel safe. no judgement, and no chiding. many of us did not. many of us were punished for the ways that we seemed "weak".

but here is something: i am an adult now. and i get nervous a lot, actually. and if you are an adult and you are feeling a little nervous - come talk to me. we can hold hands and figure out what will help us feel safe in our bodies. and maybe, next time, if we're brave, we can pet the dog that's passing.

Mountain Hare by Nick Hurst

What do you mean disgusting?? It's cute!

disgusting garbage dragon