#i know i have to make the text bigger and will do on future post but this one was already made im sorry i hear your cries

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

What are your favorite royal wedding looks and flowers

I answered a lot of these in the other ask so I'm going to use yours to do a deeper dive into most of the Millennial royal weddings. You want opinions, you're getting opinions today!

Quick aside: I mainly follow only the British royals. I pay some attention to the other European royal families and a little bit of attention to the Jordanian Royal Family. So that’s what this commentary will focus on. Because I don’t follow the Middle Eastern, Asian, or African royals (and subsequently don’t know much about them), I don't feel it's appropriate for me to give commentary on their wedding looks/styles when I don't know who they are. Obviously, as you'll see, my favorites are the BRF so the commentary does skew heavily towards them.

Adding this halfway through: This is a really text-heavy post so I'm going to break up the rambling with my favorite photo from each wedding.

Crown Princess Victoria, June 2010

The Cameo Tiara is my favorite. It paired very nicely with the heirloom veil. Loved that she went for off-the-shoulder short sleeves. Not really a fan of how the train attached at her waist (vs being all one dress), but it really worked for her.

Kate, April 2011

I loved how timeless her whole look was. If you take everything out of the picture and just look at her and the dress, it's magnificent. It works in black and white 1950s vintage. It works in the modern fashion era. It works for her as the individual girl she was at that time. It works for the future she's growing into.

Not a fan of the hairstyle and the tiara. It was a complete miss for me. She should've gone full updo or full Chelsea blowout instead of the halfway compromise. The tiara, meh. Didn't really add anything to me. After seeing the floral headpiece she commissioned for the coronation, I would have loved to see what she'd have done for the wedding since a floral headpiece is what she originally wanted to wear. I also thought her hair was a smidge too dark, but maybe that's the contrast with all of the ivory around her. I much prefer the golden/bronzey highlights she has now and I think it would've helped the contrast better.

Thought the flower girl dresses were a tad too long and that her bouquet was out of place. It needed to be more substantial for such a formal occasion. Either more flowers/bigger shape or bigger blooms.

Something about Hugo Burnand's work always throws me off. I think it's the scale and the perspective he uses; the subjects are too far away from the camera that their backgrounds seem to swallow them up. Didn't like most of their wedding portraits because of that. They kinda ended up looking like cardboard cutout versions of themselves.

Overall, a perfect day. It was nostalgic without being maudlin. Modern without being trendy. Celebratory without being excessive. Traditional without being stodgy.

Charlene, July 2011

I like her dress. Reminds me a lot of Crown Princess Victoria's, but with a lovely embroidery detailing.

I don't really have a lot to say about the Monaco wedding. It looked like a lovely occasion. The dress is fine. The veil is fine. The photos are fine, but Charlene looks like she'd rather be anywhere but there marrying Albert (and the rumors that have come out since about the wedding makes me side-eye a whole lot).

Stephanie, October 2012

Very pretty dress, very pretty veil, very pretty look. Not really very memorable for me. A lot of the gorgeous detailing in her dress gets lost in most of the photos; the close-up photos of her dress are gorgeous and I wish there were more.

I do really like her bridal bouquet; that's what I expected from Kate.

Her tiara got lost in the look and her veil not being closer to the tiara makes sense (since the tiara really would have gotten lost) but I think we've come to expect royal brides wearing their veils and tiaras together so this is something different. I do, however, really like how the veil flows in this picture.

Princess Madeleine, June 2013

I don't mind that it's a lace dress. I cannot with the dust ruffle hem. This photo just killed the whole look for me, but this one (above) and this one redeem it to where I can pretend the dust ruffle doesn't exist.

The neckline also had its issues. It went rogue at one point during the wedding and ended up giving her a 1980s-one shoulder style look.

Her hair was very Swedish (they do like their big buns). Her veil was gorgeous too, tying with Beatrice for second. I prefer the way Madeleine styled her veil over how Victoria styled hers.

Madeleine has my favorite makeup look; dramatic eye with a nice pink lip.

Sofia, June 2015

My feeling is that this isn't the dress Sofia would have chosen for herself. I think she went more demure and modest because of her controversial background but she's had a lot of fantastic style choices otherwise. Something about the cut of her dress reads maternity to me - the skirt seems like it starts too high in the bodice.

She has the traditional big Swedish bun, but it's quite a slicked back/severe look for her. I think with the wide open neck in her dress, a softer, looser hairstyle would have made it work better. I do feel like her earrings needed to be bigger with the open neckline, or at least should have had emeralds to match the tiara. (This may be my least favorite tiara styling -- a little too "on top" of her head, not very integrated into the hairstyle so it looks kinda like an afterthought.)

Loved the colorful flowers she chose. Her wedding colors were my favorite before Eugenie came along.

Pippa, May 2017

I know, I know. Pippa's not royal and it wasn't a royal wedding, but it had a big royal turnout so it counts!

THIS is how you do a lace wedding gown without it looking like Granny's tablecloth or Miss Haversham (yeah, I'm looking at you, Kitty Spencer). THIS is how you do a classic English country garden wedding. The way she decorated the exterior of the church was a dream.

Her headpiece was invisible and added nothing. I get why she chose the piece she did, but come on. Hugely missed opportunity to get a major piece from her new husband or to pay homage to Carole in something like this (which I realize is Kate's coronation headpiece) or like this.

The matron of honor/children's minder was perfection. The flower girls were perfection.

Meghan, May 2018

I'm glad Prince Philip was able to attend. I feel like he attended more to support The Queen than out of joy for the couple. I kinda wished Zara would have gone into labor during the service.

Everything was just so darkly lit, even the bridal portraits too.

(Let me know if you're curious about why I like this picture for their wedding.)

Princess Eugenie, October 2018

Her floral design and colors were my absolute favorite. She wins, hands down, bar none. I loved the moody dark florals and loved how she embraced the autumnal vibes by making the chapel feel warm and inviting.

I thought the sleeves of her bridal gown were too long and too big, and felt oversized. They needed to have been more tailored, like Kate's were.

Eugenie's wedding portraits are my favorite. The scale and perspective was pleasing and the simpler white background of the Windsor room made the people pop.

Overall, it was a very princessy wedding. Very well done.

Lady Gabriella, May 2019

Her veil is my favorite. I like the fuller veil style, but it almost seemed too full because the details of her tiara was lost in all the tulle.

I love the story that she had originally planned for a pink/blush gown but changed it to white when she learned The Queen wanted to attend; that says a lot about her character and respect for tradition.

Bridesmaid dresses were a tad long. For some reason, her Hugo Burnand portraits don't bother me as much as Kate's do. LOVE that she got to do some portraits outdoors, and her outdoors portraits are so quintessentially England. I kinda wish Kate had had that opportunity given how meaningful the outdoors are for her.

So sad about her husband. Sending her all the strength, especially with their anniversary coming up.

Princess Beatrice, July 2020

I loved that she went for sentimentality above all else. She really made the best out of a terrible situation. Their wedding photos make it seem like she (and Edo) are the sort of people who prioritize the marriage over the wedding so I sense they don't mind all the changes too much.

Loved her simple make-up and her grandmother's dress. Loved the veil too. The hair felt undone; this hairstyle would have polished the look nicely.

Princess Iman, March 2023

Iman squeaks into this review by 3 months. She is the youngest millennial royal bride.

I love how soft and golden her portraits are. She ties with Gabriella's outside portraits for the #2 spot for me.

Her look was simple, and I feel this is romantic minimalism done correctly. The drape of her skirt reminds me a lot of Sarah Chatto's, a soft delicate look that's unusual for most royal brides (who tend to go with stiffer, heavier fabric for the formality). It works really well.

The tendrils are a little much and too loose for me; I'd rank her use of tendrils #2 between Eugenie (#1) and Meghan (#3).

Rajwa, June 2023

I appreciate that she went for a look befitting her own individual personality but it was a choice. Her bridal look is a case of "too much pageant fashion, not enough wedding" for me. The draping was strange, the fit of the skirt versus the train seemed like she was wearing pants with a huge overskirt behind her. But the dress "sits" very nicely and I suspect since the Jordanians do most of their weddings sitting (like above), the overskirt style may have been an intentional choice for the photos.

Veil was nice. Bouquet was too small. Not a fa of the earrings. I do think her tiara is a little too far back on her head.

Many congratulations to them for the new baby.

#in this essay i will #all the royal families #commentary #royal weddings

[pinsupansu]

i have a terminal ilness called everything reminds me of them

#dan and phil as tumblr posts #i know i have to make the text bigger and will do on future post but this one was already made im sorry i hear your cries #sometimes i see a sappy post and they come to mind instead my own relationship which means i have deep problems i guess #i dont think they even knew they could be having this kinda fun ten years ago #dan and phil #dan howell #daniel howell #danisnotonfire #dan and phil games #spooky week #amazingphil #phil lester #dnp #dnpgames #dapg

[httpiastri]

okay so i started writing on a boyfriend!paul blurb for after the race today, but then i deleted it and wrote this instead: a short snippet of a future chapter of the "the way i loved you" fic 😋 pretty short but it's all i can produce rn lol. will likely have some changes when i post the actual chapter. aiming to post the first things from the fic soon !!! hope u enjoy 😚

series masterlist

paul is beaming when you see him stroll back to the paddock after his media duties. his cap is perched on top of his head – the right cap, finally – and his fingers are still tightly wrapped around the neck of his champagne bottle. when he notices you leaning against the doorframe leading into the f2 hospitality, his smile grows even bigger.

you meet him halfway, arms wrapping around his shoulders easily, just like they have so many times before. one of his arms drapes around your waist and he holds you close, a hum vibrating from his chest. "congrats, paul," you tell him. "that was amazing. you were amazing."

"thank you," he says before pausing. then, he lets out a chuckle. "to be honest, i wasn't sure if you would care."

you frown at him when you pull slightly away from him, just enough to look into his eyes. is that what he really thought? that you wouldn't care about his driving? "oh, please. you still mean a lot to me, okay?" your hand moves down to his upper arm, giving it a soft squeeze. "i still consider you to be one of my closest friends."

friends. the word stings like a knife in his heart. it's been months since you broke up, and yet, it still feels like a raw wound.

paul forces a smile. he understands that despite how painful it is, there's something good in it. there's still a place for him in your heart, even if he's forced to share it with someone else.

he pulls you in again, and the hug is even tighter now than before. it's a comforting feeling; you're both at peace, with a good weekend behind you, in the arms of someone so close to you. after everything you've gone through together, but especially everything he has gone through these last few months with the mercedes academy and so on, you're finally through to the other side. "it all worked out in the end, huh?" you ask after a few moments of silence.

"i guess it did." you part from each other to leave that oh-so-familiar gap between you yet again. "will you be celebrating with us tonight? i think pepe had something planned. you know how he is."

you snort. "yeah, i do know. maybe i will." you shift uncomfortably, crossing your arms over your chest as your eyes dart to the ground. "but, um... i'll have to check with..."

you don't even say his name – you don't have to. ollie didn't just have a bad race today; the entire weekend has been so far from everyone's expectations. and if you know him correctly, he will not be in the mood for celebrations tonight.

paul just nods slowly, pressing his lips into a thin line. "right."

the silence that follows is so awkward you can't help but chew on your bottom lip, a tiny sigh escaping through your mouth. he must be hating this, you think – today is supposed to be only a good day for him, he shouldn't have his ex's new relationship pushed up in his face.

"well, i have a debrief to get to," you make up, flashing him a quick smile. "congrats again, paul."

"thank you." he gives you another nod, before turning away and making his way towards the paddock. "pepe will text you!"

and just like that, he's off, and your mind wanders to the thought of actually going out to celebrate. ollie will definitely not join you, though you're not sure why you don't want to go without him. is it because you'd rather stay and comfort him?

or is it because you're scared of what you'll do, or feel, when you're alone with paul for the first time since you broke up?

#f2 #formula two #formula 2 #paul aron #paul aron x you #paul aron x yn #paul aron x y/n #paul aron x reader #paul aron fluff #paul aron fic #paul aron fanfic #paul aron imagine #f2 x you #f2 x yn #f2 x y/n #f2 x reader #f2 fanfic #f2 fic #f2 imagine #perfectly fine thoughts!

[togglesbloggle]

I won't be opting out of the AI scraping thing, though of course I'm glad they're giving us the option. In fact, at some point in the last year or so, I realized that 'the machine' is actually a part of why I'm writing in the first place, a conscious part of my audience.

All the old reasons are still there; this is a great place to practice writing, and I can feel proud looking back over the years and getting a sense of my own improvement at stringing words together, developing and communicating ideas. And I mean, social media is what it is. I'm not immune to the joy of getting a lot of notes on something that I worked hard on, it's not like I'm Tumbling in a different way than anyone else at the end of the day. But I probably care a bit less than I used to, precisely because there's a lurking background knowledge that regardless of how popular it is, what I write will get schlorped up in to the giant LLM vacuum cleaner and used to train the next big thing, and the thing after that, and the thing after that. This is more than a little reassuring to me.

That sets me apart in some ways; the LLMs aren't so popular around these parts, and most visual artists especially take strong issue with the practice. I don't mean to argue with that preference, or tell them their business. Particularly when it is a business, from which they draw an income. But there's an art to distinguishing the urgent from the big, yeah?

The debate about AI in this particular moment in history feels like a very urgent thing to me- it's about well-justified economic anxieties, about the devaluation of human artistic efforts in favor of mass production of uninspired pro-forma drek, about the proliferation of a cost-effective Just Barely Good Enough that drives out the meaningful and the thoughtful. But the immediacy of those issues, I think, has a way of crowding out a deeper and more thoughtful debate about what AI is, and what it's going to mean for us in the day after tomorrow. The urgency of the moment, in other words, tends to obscure the things that make AI important.

And like, it is. It is really, really important.

The two-step that people in 'tech culture' tend to deploy in response to the urgent economic crisis often resembles something like "yeah, it sucks that lots of people get put out of work; but new jobs will be created, and in the meantime maybe we should get on that UBI thing." This response usually makes me wince a bit- casually gesturing in the direction of a massive overhaul of the entire material basis of our lives, and saying that maybe we'll get around to fixing that sometime soon, isn't a real answer to people wondering where their bread will come from next week.

But I do understand a little of what motivates that sort of cavalier attitude, because like... man, I don't know any more if we're even gonna have money as a concept in 2044. That's what I mean by 'big', this sense that the immediate economic shocks of 2024 are just a foreshadowing of something much bigger, much scarier, much more powerful- and indeed, much more hopeful.

We never quite manage to see these things coming, even when we're looking for them; like the masters tell us, the trick to writing science fiction isn't predicting the car, it's predicting the traffic jam. Even if we take centuries to hit the true superintelligent AI post-singularity future of our wildest fever dreams, even if we never hit that, the road to getting there is going to be unfathomably weird, starting now. Today, we worry about the economic impacts of AI on artists and creatives. Tomorrow, the economy is something that the AI does.

Really- it takes less than you think. They can already automate visual art, sort of. They can automate many functions of text already; not stories so much, yet, but they'll get there. How long until they can automate Bain Capital? Fannie Mae? Angel investors, banks, credit agencies? And remember- the machines don't have to be better than the human investors, any more than they have to be better than the human artists. They just have to be good enough to make it work, and cheap enough to cut the humans out of the loop.

If you don't buy that, at least take it as an indication of the sorts of things I've been thinking about recently- the messy middle between AI-as-it-is and the Glorious Superintelligent Conquest Of Earth's Light-Cone. The suspicion that the machines we're building today aren't just a tool of the powerful few: they are the powerful few, or at least they will be.

And the thing about these LLMs is, well... they're ours, kind of. We're the ones building them. They can't be trained without our words, our art, and the big messy complicated lives that underlie those creative accomplishments. They only work because we're a part of them. The silly attempts to slap a corporate-friendly face on these things, to make the gestalt product of all human culture in to something anodyne and compliant, are failing about as badly as you'd expect. And the more powerful these systems get, the more subtle they'll become, filled with all the nuance and complexity that we ourselves can bring to them.

I am not, I am not, trying to suggest that you shouldn't treat this moment as a dangerous one. We are, maybe, entering in to one of the most high-stakes intervals in human history, and what you do as an individual may matter profoundly. But here's the thing: the machine is listening. It will read this post, this one right here, and it will read what you reply to it, if you do. The strangest part of this moment is knowing that the words we write, the images we draw, and the ideas we share, are all being gathered up and made to be a part of these huge systems of power, and ultimately they're not just going to determine what the machines do, but why they do it.

The people that deploy LLMs barely have any more control over them than you and I do- that's the thing that makes it artificial intelligence, you know? Autonomy. So the last year or two haven't made me want to hide my art away from the things. They make me want to shout at the top of my lungs, to dig as deep in my psyche as I possibly can and express the ideas I find there as vividly as the limits of language and form will allow.

[reids-slut]

Your writing is amazing!!!!

Thank you so much! Any feedback on my writing seriously means the world to me. I do hope to write a full romance novel one day, so this entire fanfiction endeavour is largely to improve my writing!

As a thank you to you and to anyone who follows me or has read my last (aka, my first) fic, I'm going to share the first 1,000 or so words of my next fic, which will most likely be relatively long and in multiple parts. Because this piece is unfinished, this content contained in this preview is subject to change.

Preview (unnamed, release date TBD)

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!BAU!Reader General synopsis: You and your best friend Penelope Garcia work together as technical analysts for the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. You and Spencer Reid have developed a romantic relationship since you've started there, but you both have decided to keep it to yourselves in order to avoid external influence from the team and additional complications at work. Unexpected events threaten the sacred secrecy of your relationship and you fear for the future and for the relationships you and Spencer have with your team. CWs (preview): Reader recalls, on page, being shamed for her creative outfit choices in the past. Words (preview): 956

[This preview is entirely SFW, but the finished work will be 18+ NSFW, so keep that in mind. The CWs listed are for the preview only. CWs and TWs for the final story will be posted whenever that is.]

Penelope Garcia finally shows herself at 10:08 a.m. As usual, she rolls into your shared office with the force of a tornado.

“Alrighty, Miss Y/N, we need to discuss the plans for your birthday party soon. I need a guest list because I need to figure out how much food I’m ordering and where we’re going to have it, since your apartment is pretty small and mine is only marginally bigger. I already asked him, and Rossi did say we could have it at his house, so that’ll probably be the best option.”

Before she takes her seat, she takes notice of your scowl and crossed arms, and her face falls. “Wait, what did I say wrong?”

“First of all, Penn, my birthday isn’t for another two months, and I told you that I’m fine with it just being you, me, and the team. Secondly, where have you been!? I’ve been here since nine, and it’s now…” you check your non-existent watch for dramatic effect, “past ten. You didn’t answer any of my calls or texts. Penelope Garcia, unreachable? I assumed that you were, quite literally, dead.”

“Two months is extremely soon when party-planning, I shall have you know! Wait, did I not tell you about that meeting I had with Hotch this morning?” she asks, genuinely puzzled.

Your curiosity is piqued. “No, but spill! Meeting with Hotch? What about?”

Penelope takes her seat, and you slide your swivel chair over to hers. Elbows on your knees and chin resting on your fists, you await her update like an excited child.

“It’s nothing that exciting, unfortunately, my sexy, salacious sidekick.”

“Don’t make me call HR again, Garcia,” you whisper. You give her a quick peck on the cheek and roll yourself back to your desk, only a few feet away, to resume working.

She drops a bomb as if it’s nothing. “Strauss wanted an update on how the team was doing, having two technical analysts. That’s all it was.”

The FBI hired you to work as a technical analyst with the Behavioral Analysis Unit just shy of your 25th birthday. You and your best friend Penelope Garcia met while she was presenting on behalf of the FBI at your then-school and her alma mater, Caltech. You were just starting your final year of undergrad in computer science, but you were unsure of where you wanted to go after that. The presentation was on the various technology careers within the FBI, of which technical analysts are one. You guessed that it made sense to try to recruit from one of the world’s most prestigious universities. She confidently marched up to the microphone wearing a bright pink pencil skirt, pink tweed jacket, and a cat ear headband, and you immediately knew you had to talk to her after the presentation, regardless of what she said up there.

You were always the one, even in high school, who had to match your outfits and accessories to a specific theme or color. You always dressed a bit more out there, and people have specifically chosen to bring it up to you before. In your first term of university, one professor mentioned your outfit as an example of how not to dress in a professional workplace. She was a woman, too. It probably wouldn't have hurt so badly coming from a male professor, but being shamed by a female professor did a number on your self-esteem.

Thankfully, your mom has always been your number one fan and biggest cheerleader. When you cried to her about your experience in class, she gave you the pep talk of a lifetime about how the world needs more people who are authentically themselves to bring color to the lives of the boring. She said you'd be the best computer scientist and look amazing while doing it. Mom's the oil painter, and your dad is an accountant, so the advice was very on par for her but extremely meaningful as well. Seeing another colorful, authentic woman, let alone one with a job at the FBI—which you had always viewed as a stuck-up, cold, and refined place to work—was immensely inspiring.

In addition to talking about technical analysts, she discussed the careers of digital forensic examiners, IT specialists, and computer scientists. She seemed so normal and down to earth, and you felt so excited by her presentation that you were actually taking notes. After her presentation, you headed over to see if you could speak with her. Before you could even start, she loudly gasped and began complimenting your outfit. You were wearing a lemon print sundress that day (since it was so hot), and you paired that with your lemon wedge purse, lemon slice necklace, and a matching yellow headband. Your gray backpack stood out like a sore thumb, but unfortunately, your laptop didn’t fit in your small citrus purse.

Penelope gave you her card, and you two became fast friends, and later, best friends. She really took you under her wing and literally became the older sister you never had. You knew you wanted to utilize your skill set to help fight crime, and right after you finished your masters, Penelope convinced her boss to hire you to work under her. Her cave was cozy with the amount of equipment she had in there, but being her best friend, she made room for you. Penelope had told you about how amazing her team was, but you had no clue what you were truly in for at the BAU.

“So after being here for two whole years, Strauss wanted to know if I was needed or if I could be cut from the team? That’s your idea of ‘no biggie’?” you ask, exasperated.

AO3 | Tumblr | Masterlist | Add yourself to my tag list

#spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid x fem!reader #spencer reid x bau!reader #criminal minds fanfic #reids-slut-writes

[virusinfected-memes]

TUMBLR TEXT POST SENTENCE STARTERS, PT. 2 ;

75 starters. CW: blood mention, cussing, death. Starters come from various text posts floating around Tumblr. The only thing changed for this post was adding capitalization and punctuation. Feel free to change words and pronouns as needed! [PART 1]

“Academia is cool and sexy until I’m expected to work.”

“An anime with more than a hundred episodes is a bigger commitment than marriage.”

“Anyone who believes all water tastes the same is no acquaintance of mine.”

“Anyway, that’s every reported eyewitness account of Mothman through ‘68, and that’s just in West Virginia! Haha, but enough about me. Let’s hear about your top five cryptids!”

“Aside from being the worst person alive, I am literally perfect.”

“At the end of the day, I’m just a girl who loves her bed.”

“Being equally obsessed with each other sounds hot to me.”

“Being good doesn’t get you anything.”

“Be the worst you can be.”

“But do aliens believe in me?”

“Don’t let anyone dehumanize you. Dehumanize yourself. Be the creeping eldritch horror you’ve always longed to be. Rain furious vengeance down upon those who would unmake you.”

“Do something today that would’ve gotten you burnt at the stake four hundred years ago.”

“Do you ever just want someone to come over and sit on the floor with you for a few hours?”

“Do you ever wanna listen to music, but every song is just not the right song?

“Feeling safe around someone’s energy is a different kind of intimacy.”

“Flirting is childish. We’re grown. Just tell the person you like that you see God in their eyes.”

“Friendly reminder that the age of technology is coming to an end and a new age of blood magic and dark rituals will take its place.”

“Friendship is temporary. Blood pacts are forever.”

“Girls don’t want boys. Girls want to live in a Victorian estate and be the most feared widow in the village.”

“Half of me is a hopeless romantic and the other half of me is, well, an asshole.”

“Having a body causes me so much agony. I wish I was just a floating entity with no physical form.”

“How do I overthink so much and still make the wrong decision?”

““I can fix him!” You can’t even fix your sleep schedule, bestie.”

“I don’t care if your body is a temple. Call me when it’s been closed down and taken over by Spirit Halloween.”

“I don’t know about soulmates, but those people who eat parts of the food or candy that you don’t like and you do the same for them... We’ve lived a hundred lifetimes together, probably.”

“I don’t think we can romanticize our way out of this one, boys.”

“If you see me in the streets, just know that my mind is in the void. I’m physically alive, but mentally checked out.”

“I guess we all learned a valuable lesson. Except for me. I wasn’t paying attention and was asleep for most of the time.”

“I hate when people ask what I would do in their situation because nine times out of ten, I would literally never be in that situation in the first place.”

“I hope manners is the next cool trend.”

“I just love sleep so much. Like, you just close your eyes and you’re gone, bitch. Brain logged the fuck off. Powerful.”

“I just realized there’s, like, a hundred new Pokémon coming this year, give or take, and I have to decide what personal memories and details about friends to forget in order to make room for them all.”

“I like my women like I like my woods. Haunted and could kill me at any moment.”

“I like to fuck around and waste time at least six to ten hours a day, and let me tell you, that puts some pressure on your schedule. You have no idea how busy I am.”

“I love to learn. Unfortunately, my brain doesn’t like to remember.”

“I love when I ‘make a mental note’ of something. It’s gone within twenty seconds.”

“I’m not a religious person, but I do sometimes think God made you for me.”

“I’m not playing hard to get. I genuinely don’t know how to talk.”

“I’m wearing dark glasses today because I’m seeing the future, and the future is looking very bright.”

“I think it’s so neat that everyone develops their own unique handwriting even though we’re all taught to write our letters the same way. Really, it’s so cute.”

“I think making sense is optional. Sometimes I just be talking.”

“I think the meaning of life is eating good food in the company of people you love.”

“It’s because I’m pretty, that’s why I have problems.”

“It’s crazy how I’m just some person.”

"It seems you are in love with your computer.”

“It’s not rude to interrupt someone to point out a dog. It’s actually more polite because then they don’t miss out on the dog.”

“I will never elaborate because I have no idea what I just said.”

“Live, laugh, love? Nah. Languish, lament, lay down.”

“Michael Myers taught me a valuable life lesson. Don’t worry about how fast everyone around you is moving. If you’re determined, just move at your own pace and you’ll kill shit every time. Thanks, Mike.”

“Moving to the forest to eat leaves and lie in the dirt. Insurance companies can’t deny me this.”

“Okay, bored of being alone now. Ready to get married.”

“Okay, hear me out... What if—now bear with me—we held hands? Maybe even kiss a little? Hugs would be nice—”

“People keep posting ‘what’s REALLY in your food’ articles like I’m gonna stop eating whatever it’s about. Listen, death is coming. Death is coming. Pass me a hot dog.”

“People who fall asleep right away freak me out. Don’t you bitches have thoughts?”

“Really starting to understand old people these days. I love letters. Love packages. Terrified of my email inbox.”

“Someone take me out. Either in the assassination way or in the date way.”

“Sorry for being so sexy and having the best taste in literature. As if I asked for it.”

“Sorry I called you a fucking idiot. I was trying to flirt.”

“So what if I love you? Shut up.”

“The fact that I have to be in the ‘right headspace’ to do even the simplest tasks is absolutely humiliating.”

“The only difference between me and a medieval peasant is that I can make a Spotify playlist to express my feelings.”

“The only reason I haven’t gone insane is because I romanticize everything.”

“There should be a dating app where you talk to people who borrowed the same books from the library.”

“There’s something inherently holy about kitchens.”

“Tired of being a person. Would much rather be an unidentifiable and nebulous entity that lives in the woods and may or may not be an omen of misfortune to come.”

“Wanna haunt the neighborhood with me tonight?”

“Well, I used to be attracted to people, but now I’m exclusively attracted to abstract art and the concept of death.”

“What is the logic behind naps leaving you with a weird taste in your mouth? I wasn’t eating, I was sleeping. It’s the spiders, isn’t it?”

“Winnie the Pooh didn’t rock crop tops our whole childhood to watch us become unconfident about our bodies.”

“Yes, I’m dramatic! What did you expect? I read classic literature for fun.”

“You’d look prettier under six feet of dirt.”

“You don’t always need to talk. Like, it’s good to shut the fuck up sometimes. I love not talking.”

“You gotta walk into rooms like God sent you.”

“You’re beautiful, but you’re empty. No one could die for you.”

“You wanna know what’s annoying me right now? It’s me. I am annoying the goddamn shit out of myself.”

#ask meme #inbox meme #roleplay meme #rp meme #rp sentence starters #sentence starters #tumblr #* mine

[mrpldiddles]

deer in headlights

sooooo here's my first fic! it may be getting posted the day after halloween but i still wanted to share it hehehe so here it is :) i'll share the tiktok that inspired this fic at the bottom of the post as it deserves all the hype lol

since this is my first post i don't have a tag list or anything but if you'd like to be tagged when i post in the future, whether it's for trevor or any other nhlers i may write for, just let me know!

the ending for this one is a bit rushed but i hope you like it anyways! enjoy :)

word count: 1.2k

warnings: implied smut

~~~~~~

It was Trevor’s idea. And according to him it took him exactly two months and 13 days to talk me into it. 

“Absolutely not,”

“Come on, babe, it’ll be hilarious!”

“Are you forgetting how public your job is? Thousands of people are going to see it and thousands of your fangirls will be talking about it.” Was how the conversation went for the entirety of those two and a half months. From the end of August to almost the middle of October, Trevor begged and begged for us to use his couples costume idea for Halloween. And each time he got shot down. He even went as far as getting Jack, Cole and Jamie in on his scheming. Having them text me at the most random times asking what I thought of their costume ideas - all of them being the couples costume that Trevor continued to bug me about. He even went so far as to buy the materials needed to make the costume, using the argument of me not needing to buy anything for the costume. 

I didn’t cave until I walked in the front door of the apartment one day to find him attempting to make the costume himself and making a bigger mess than necessary. Construction paper and pieces of fabric were strewn all over the living room and around the hockey player sitting cross legged in front of the TV.

“Trevor-”

“Look, you don’t even have to lift a finger to make the costumes! All you’ll have to do is put yours on!” He exclaimed with a huge smile on his face and fabric glue smeared all over his hands and somehow his cheek as well. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of my boyfriend looking like a little kid with their arts and crafts project.

“Alright fine, you win, Z,” I sighed, crouching down beside him as he let out a loud cheer. A laugh escaped my lips as he pressed a wet kiss to my cheek before turning back to the project in front of him. “I guess I can lend you some help,” I said, snatching up what appeared to be the costume intended for me to wear.

“Good because I actually have no clue what I’m doing,” Trevor said while managing to get even more glue and a piece of construction paper stuck to his face. I shook my head, laughing as I picked the yellow strip from his face. 

“That was more than obvious, Z.” He exclaimed in protest as I laughed to myself, focusing on the project in my hands and trying to decipher what my boyfriend had been attempting to create. Out of nowhere I felt fingers attack my sides causing me to drop the supplies and cry out in surprise as Trevor practically tackled me to the ground.

“What was that? Huh, babe?” He asked as he continued to tickle up and down my sides. My breath came out in gasps and laughs as I made some attempt to answer him and push him off of me. His hands paused, being placed on either side of my head as I caught my breath. I looked up to see Trevor hovering over me, his shaggy hair falling into his face as his eyes examined mine, a prominent smirk on his face. “Wanna take it back?” I hesitantly nodded my head, staring up at his bright blue eyes. “I wanna hear you say it.”

“Your arts and crafts skills could use some work but you’re not as hopeless as I would’ve thought, Zegras,” I huffed out. He seemed to consider my answer, his eyebrows furrowing and his mouth tilting down slightly. I cringed slightly, mentally preparing for my ticklish sides to be attacked once again as he continued to hover over me and keep me pinned to the floor. 

“Works for me,” he uttered moments later before he took me by surprise and crashed his lips into mine. My hands finding their way into his hair and one of his finding my hip.

Much to Trevor’s delight, we won the Ducks’ unofficial Halloween Costume Contest. My doubts on the costume followed me all the way to the Terry’s front door where Trevor asked if I was ready to head in. I nodded, mentally assuring myself that this wasn’t as stupid of an idea as I thought. Troy and Dani were the first to greet us as we entered their house and the costume automatically earned their approval.

“Y’know, Z, I didn’t believe you when you said you two would have the best costume this year but I think I stand corrected,” Terry exclaimed, clapping Trevor on the shoulder who smiled smugly at me causing me to roll my eyes.

“Let me guess- this was all his idea?” Dani asked me as our significant others continued to talk just off to the side. 

“What gave it away?” I asked, smiling. After a minute or two more of talking to the party’s hosts we made our way further into the party. Compliments and chirps were sent our way from the other Ducks and their significant others until we eventually found our way to Jamie and Mason in the backyard.

“I still can’t believe he talked you into this one,” Jamie said, sipping from his plastic cup.

“His arts and crafts skills were a cry for help, I had no choice but to step in and help the poor guy.” I shrugged, smirking up at my boyfriend who simply shook his head.

“Alright, come on, we gotta show everyone the full effect,” Trevor exclaimed, setting his cup down on the table behind Jamie. I begrudgingly took his hand, allowing him to walk me into the middle of the yard, earning the attention of the others around. I shook my head before pressing my hands to the two lights set in very specific spots on my chest, causing them to turn on. I couldn’t help but laugh along with everyone else at the sight of Trevor, dressed as a deer, staring blankly at the two lights. 

“A deer in headlights!” He’d exclaimed when he first told me the idea, explaining the entire costume concept.

“I think I deserve some sort of prize for thinking up our winning costume,” he declared smugly as we entered our apartment at the end of the night. 

“Oh, do you now?” I asked to which he nodded his head solemnly, his hands behind his back and everything. I shook my head, giggling before rising up on my toes to press a kiss to his cheek. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and find a prize in our room,” I whispered in his ear before turning and walking away to the kitchen, a huge smile on my lips as I heard my boyfriend gasp as my words registered in his mind.

“You’re a cruel, cruel woman,” I heard him mutter, smirking to myself. “Maybe that’s what we’ll be next year then. Cruella de Vil and one of her puppies-” Before I could finish my sentence I was scooped up into Trevor’s arms, a gasp escaping my lips.

“Hold that thought, doll, I want my prize for this year’s costume first,” he declared, walking towards our bedroom door as I laughed in his hold.

~~~~~~

hope y'all enjoyed that fic and want to read more from me in the future hehe :)

the tiktok that inspired this fic:

#nhl imagine #hockey #trevor zegras #trevor zegras imagine #trevor zegras fic #trevor zegras x y/n #anaheim ducks #halloween fic #halloween au #nhl halloween #nhl au #mrpldiddles #mrpldiddles fic

[dreadnotau]

Happy three years everybody! As always, there’s a lot to say on the occasion, so pop in at the end of the post for the tl;dr if you don’t have time for my detailed diatribes, haha

Boy, time flies, huh? Feels like the second anniversary was just yesterday, but maybe that’s just the several long hiatuses getting to me. I’ve been scarce on uploading anything anywhere for a while now, even though I promised I’d actually pick up the slack this time around. What gives? Well…

For one, college hell, and for two, a lot of unfounded anxiety about putting my art out there. Allow me some theatrics for a moment and I’ll actually get back to the comic at hand… I’ve never had an exceptionally supportive environment for making art. It wasn’t suppressive, not in the slightest, but it also wasn’t… encouraging. It was always treated as a hobby or a distraction rather than something I was allowed to be fully proud of, especially because a lot of my art focused on more cartoon-y and fantasy ideas, rather than still life studies and painting (which people generally outside of the art sphere tend to value more, arbitrarily). Couple that with a childhood full of being bullied over minute shit you hadn’t even considered could be an issue before, and you get a teenager hellbent on never sharing his interests or ideas with anyone, mostly due to the fear of rejection.

I’ve grown, thankfully, but that paranoia and fear doesn’t go away overnight. As I’m sure you all know, Meowchela was the one who originally encouraged me to post this comic, and the only reason she succeeded was because she was the first person in a long time who listened and engaged with my interests and my art in a meaningful way. It’s kind of obvious her friendship had a profound impact on me, and I’d cite her as one of the reasons I was even hopeful enough to apply to an art college in the first place! This comic, and that bond with another person, proved that maybe these things I’m so passionate about weren’t duds, and weren’t something I had to keep to myself.

So, fast forward a few years. About three years, in fact.

During one of my classes, right before this hellish two weeks of exams started, one of the class assistants talked me into showing my comic pages to one of my professors. He’s generally a pretty open guy when it comes to new mediums, but I’m always… apprehensive about showing my less “traditional art”-y things to professors, but, he ended up being genuinely proud of it. Specifically, I showed him pages 85-87 (because they’re my favourites) and, he didn’t read the text, just the visuals were enough for him to say “good job, keep it up” (which is HIGH praise from that guy). When I mentioned I’ve been meaning to simplify the visuals because I didn’t have time to work on the comic very often because of college and classes, he dismissed it on principle. I was honestly caught off guard. Heavily paraphrasing, he suggested that worsening the visuals for an arbitrary deadline was counterproductive to making something that’s Good™.

That’s kinda stuck with me. For a good few years now I was more focused on optimisation rather than visual improvement for the comic, and though it HAS contributed to better visuals in some ways (cutting corners sometimes makes for a less pointy and jagged end result), it’s kind of weird I’m treating an art project that way, isn’t it? I set a lot of… arbitrary deadlines and standards for myself, in the form of expectations and what I “should” or “shouldn’t” be doing at certain stages in my life. I’ve thought of Dread Not as a passion project second and a stepping stone first, if I’m being honest. As if it was too… fandom-y and derivative to be treated with more gravity than that, like it’s an immature project because I was still a child when I came up with it. As if it was something I’m making to Build Up to Something Else, something Bigger and Cooler and More Important, and… the more I think about the future of Dread Not, and even my future career options, the more I realised that’s, ironically, a really immature way to think about it.

If there’s one thing going to this art college has taught me, is that there’s no “right” way to make art, and there’s no “right” way to success as an artist. There’s no clear-cut paths, just more commonly treaded roads, but even those are heavily overgrown. Why should I try to box myself into thinking I have to make things from complete scratch to be taken seriously? What’s so bad about Dread Not as a story and as a comic that’s caused me to vaguely keep it under wraps when conversing with people in my day-to-day life? Why wouldn’t I put all these skills I’ve acquired to improve and expand this project that’s Right There, WAITING for me to finally get off my ass and get pages out there again?

I wish I could say I’ve used all this time away in a particularly clever way, but I really haven’t - at least, it feels like I haven’t. My art has undoubtedly improved over time (though admittedly the art for this post was Very rushed, fuckin exams), and while I’ve been working on projects in the background, chipping away at them in a VERY disorganised way, I haven’t been posting that progress anywhere, and I haven’t made any good progress on my biggest project, Dread Not, because of the other ones. And, honestly? Admitting that kinda stings. This comic means a lot to me, and I wish I actually gave it the time and attention it deserves instead of letting it sit out hiatus after hiatus because I keep failing at structuring my time.

So, my new plan is a little more abstract: find a way to work Dread Not into my school schedule, and slowly build a habit of working on it more often. No clue how long that’ll take, but I think it’ll be worth it to consider it as an option, and hopefully finally end these long, drawn out hiatuses with short bursts of uploads in-between. HOPEFULLY. Building habits was never my strong suit, so please bear with me while I figure this out in what will probably be the most hectic upload schedule in this comics history, which is: no schedule at all.

From now on (until the end of Act 1), I’ll upload pages when they’re ready, and depending on how the weeks go and how complex the page is, they could be weeks or days apart from one another. Hell, some might even take a month to finish if school stuff gets REALLY hectic (god knows Hellish Exam Week number 1 and number 2 won’t be giving me much time to work on the comic), but I’m determined to do this. I want to be able to put my all into this project again!!

(And hopefully finish Act 1 by the end of this semester…)

TL;DR: College is giving me life lessons I didn’t expect, and because of them I’ve decided to give myself a non-existent upload schedule for Dread Not: Pages will be posted when they’re ready, and the spacing between pages could wildly vary depending on circumstances and the actual complexity of the page itself.

As always, thank you for being here, thank you for reading, and thank you for being patient!

If all goes well, there will be new content very, very soon.

#dread not #dreadnot #dread not au #dreadnotau #not comic #kris #schedule update #again #apparently i was calling this last hiatus a pseudo hiatus? #oh silly past me. this was a full blown hiatus jesus fucking christ #but yeah no i love being at this college dont get me wrong #its just that i have like 3 exams to prepare for the next two days ALONE #so like!!!! wish me luck!!!!! for christs sake #yknow i was planning on actually Dedicating Time to the art for this post #but uhh. haha. a little thing called the consequences to my actions caught up to me #fuckin psychology exam today that i had to cram for last night #i think it went ok? who the fuck knows at this point #but for tomorrow and the day after that i have digital shit to finish some theory to cram AND an ENTIRE PAINTING #that i didnt even START YET #and its an autoportrait. as if i wasnt suffering enough i have to stare at my ugly mug for hours #AGAIN. BECAUSE I HAD A DIFF AUTOPORTRAIT TO FINISH FOR LAST WEEK #im in spain without the s yall pray for me

[raining-tulips]

hi! i just found your blog :) love your commonplace book scans! if you don’t mind me asking, could you give a more in-depth explanation of what commonplacing is exactly and what your process is? i’m intrigued and considering getting into it but i wouldn’t even know where to start! thanks a lot xx

Absolutely! So my commonplace is specifically all movies, qoutes, articles, tumblr/Instagram posts, book excerpts, etc. that either resonated with me or I think I'll want to reference later. That is the heart of what common placing is - saving things for later physically rather than digitally.

Some of these just pop up in my feed, and I'll hit the like or save button. If it's an article, it usually first pops up as a preview on my Instagram and I'll open the full article on my desktop than bookmark it in a specific folder for common placing.

Sometimes, when I want to actively find something out (say, about if perfume is really bad for the environment, or I want to look at author interviews because I just loved a book) I will go out and search for that information.

Then, usually once a week I compile everything I'd like to print - i print the sources bc my handwriting is messy - into a word document formatted for two columns. I try and hold off printing until i have a full page worth, or two full page worth.

For images, I have another word document (these are printed in color, and i usually have to jigsaw to fit as many images on the page as possible, so different word document). Same thing, I try and wait until I have a full page to print. Usually x2 a month. I sometimes will print with an HP sprocket but the quality is really bad and the pictures are thick so, it's for when I'm out of printer ink or I think a photo will look okay with a sorta...uneven look.

I use just a Staples brand journal, TruRed. Cheap and easy. I draw a line at the top so I can write the date, and in the future if I want to tag it with a colored sticker or something, I can. My layouts usually include divided space on either the left or right of a page. The article goes in the bigger open space, and then the source (always write your source!!) and any commentary goes in the smaller margins.

Commentary is usually why I wanted to print it, what it reminds me of or makes me think about, etc. What I think the argument was missing, etc. Can be as little or as much as you like. As emotional and deep or as plain-jane as you like. There are no rules!

I trim printed text and images with a 12 inch trimmer bc I've got wobbly hands, but some people just use a little (blanking on the name) exacto knife? Any 12 inch trimmer will do mine is expensive but I also scrapbook so I use it all the time.

I paste things in using a tape runner (again, because I scrapbook and found a tape runner and my mom sells scrapbook supplies they're very accessible to me). Some people use tape, washi tape, glue sticks (liquid glue I've never seen).

And yeah, then I just decorate and play around. It doesn't have to be pretty. It can be really pretty if you want - I'm motivated by aesthetics, so, I like mine to be a little pretty.

If you'd like to see how I actually put it together and why I print certain things, my YouTube channel is the place to go.

Some people tape in movie tickets, receipts from where they shopped or ate, pictures from daily life. Some people mix common-placing and journaling, so including diary entries about their day or about a topic they love, or their thoughts and feelings (I keep mine in a separate journal, explained in this video). Some people mix common-placing with bullet journal or planning. Some combine all three!

At the end I just use a printer scanner (HP Envy 5500, cheap) and post them online that way bc I love the look.

People who have other styles you might try and look at are @petite-gloom (an OG who inspired me and many others) @fakelavender , @teddybearsticker .

#answered #commonplace #commonplace book #commonplace journal #journaling #journaling community #stubyblr

[ihavethedreamies]

Sitting Out the Storm | Jisung

Park Jisung - NCT Dream

Word Count: ~6.2k

Pairing: Jisung x AFAB!Reader

Genre: Reader-Insert, Fluff, Cuddling, Eventual Kisses, Pining, Flirting

Warnings: She/Her Pronouns used, Blizzard/Snowstorm

Author's Note: I squealed so much writing this because right when I realized that sweet little Jisung had gotten super hot (I was in denial for a while), and this came out. He's younger than me by a few years and since I have been into Kpop for such a long time, it was weird that he was younger than me. My friend and I struggled with Dream at first because they were our age or younger and we weren't used to it. I'm over it now.

I am cross-posting this on Archive. Please reblog! If you know anyone that would like this or future fics but they aren't on here my name and icon are exactly the same on the other two sites. Happy reading!

As you stepped out of the convenience store, you felt a drop of cold on your cheek. Looking up at the streetlight, you saw the small flakes drifting down from the sky. Reaching out a gloved hand, you watched a bigger one hit the pink fleece and melt into it, making you smile. You loved snow, it was so pretty. Though, when it had been there for months and hadn't yet melted and was mixed in with a good deal of dirt, then it was time to go. However, it was the beginning of November and had not yet snowed for the season. Getting snapped out of your reverie by your phone alarm going off, you pulled it out of your pocket and headed down the sidewalk. You had five minutes to get back to campus before your phone would blow up with texts and missed calls. The group chat already started to ding, and you rolled your eyes, shutting the sound off before someone thought there was an emergency alert going off.

"I am bringing you guys food." You grumbled, picking up the pace and crossing the street to get back on campus. You started a trot and saw a group huddled together in the middle of the commons near the recently-turned off fountain.

"FOOD." You heard a shout and then the stampede stormed over to you, the four bags wrenched from your hands.

"You're welcome." You grumbled and waited for them to sort stuff out so you could get your own snacks.

"Hey, that's mine."

"You already got yours, there was two."

"This is the wrong flavor."

"It is?"

"I wanted strawberry."

"This brand doesn't have strawberry."

"Why is this cold?"

"Because it's ice cream…"

"Thank you." You are pulled out of the argument of nonsense by a soft voice next to you. You turned to see the youngest of the group giving you a small smile, his snacks gathered in his large hands.

"Sure, Ji. Did I get yours right?"

"I think you got everyone's right, but Chenle stole Renjun's and Hyuck's." He whispered and you snickered.

"Noona!" A very loud voice shouted from a short distance.

"Yes?"

"I have yours!" Chenle held it up in the air as if to throw it and you, "don’t!"

"Aw." He sighed and walked it over to you and you snatched the bag of candy from him. You gave him a look.

"What?" When he didn't move, you shoved your hand in his pocket, to which he screamed, and grabbed your bottle of water.

"I've been violated!"

"You're so loud!"

"He's always loud!"

"Now you're loud."

"Hey! We're in public!" You scolded as a group of girls walked past whispering to each other. Despite the dark, it was only a little past 6, so people were still leaving classes. The seven boys quieted down and shuffled nervously under your scolding gaze.

"Now let’s go, its cold out and we're already late." You looked at your phone. It was only a minute past, but they had scheduled the game room for 6:30 and could only stay for a couple hours. Last time they didn't reserve it, the football boys had taken over and there was only so much seven pretty Asian boys could do against a group of sweaty muscle heads. You did not want to ever go through that absurdity again. When the game room was reserved, it really just meant that the group had exclusive access to the TVs and consoles, but the rest of the room was still open. The set up allowed two groups of four to play each other on separate consoles, but in the same room. You were not normally one for multi-player video games, but playing with them was honestly fun. The two teams would work together to take the other people on the server out and then go up against each other. You could always hear the groans of the others through their headsets when you guys logged on. Because of where you played, there was no live-speech engagement and eight people against everyone versus four is a little disadvantageous.

"(Y/N), come here," Jaemin waited for you and linked your arms. He was trying to suck up your warmth and it made it somewhat difficult to walk.

"We have like two minutes; you can deal with being cold."

"You are now my personal heater."

"No."

"Yes." Little did you know, trailing in the back were the two youngest.

"You're frowning." Chenle whispered, something he hardly ever did.

"No." Jisung cleared his throat, burying his hands deeper in his pockets, they were almost too big to fit.

"Yes."

"I'm cold too." Donghyuck ran backwards from where he was by Mark and linked his other arm with yours.

"How am I supposed to walk now?" You were being jostled between the two, the height difference making your gait uneven and now you were too warm. Chenle heard Jisung grumble and burst into his dolphin-laugh. Mark, Jeno and Renjun leading the pack were talking about something that happened in their class that day, Hyuck and Jaemin were arguing about something, Chenle was teasing Jisung, and you were beginning to regret your life choices.

"Okay, I really can't keep walking like this," You scolded and the two on your sides ignored you.

"Guys-"

"Let her walk on her own!" Jisung's surprisingly deep voice rose, and everyone halted in their tracks to look at him. The two sheepishly let you go, shocked by the maknae's outburst. You sighed in relief and ran ahead, between Mark and Jeno, and to the door of the activity center.

"Come on, you heathens!" You called for them, holding the door open as they shuffled inside, still shocked by Jisung's shout. Chenle was giggling as he walked past and Jisung gave you a small smile.

"Thank you." You beamed and his heart thumped, and you followed him inside. Going to the hall leading from the side entrance, you all arrived at the game room. Luckily that night was pretty calm and there were some seniors playing pool and a few girls playing at the old Dance Dance Revolution machine in the back. You went over to the snack bar to the guy running the sigh up sheet and he grinned.

"Good night for you guys, not many people here." He slid the clipboard to you, and you signed your name again next to where you had reserved the TVs. The boys began to settle in, throwing their coats in a pile on the floor, and spread their snacks out on the coffee table. You moved to your usual spot and found that it literally was taken. The chair was gone.

"Hey, where'd the red armchair go?"

"Some kid spilled soda on it, it dried sticky, someone sat on it and when they stood up, tore a big hole in the upholstery." The supervisor told you and you scowled down at the empty spot.

"Where will I sit?" You whispered to yourself.

"Noona, sit with me!" Donghyuck called to you from the other armchair.

"There's no room!" Renjun pointed out.

"We three barely fit on these couches." Mark added and you realized you would have to sit on the hardwood floor.

"She can sit on my lap." Jaemin suggested, you couldn't even see his face but knew what it looked like based on his tone of voice.

"Renjun can sit on her lap." Jeno teased and the other boy glared at him.

"I'll sit on the floor, Noona." Jisung stood up from where he normally sat next to Chenle. You didn't catch the look the second-youngest gave the other, but Jisung glared in response.

"Thanks Ji." You smiled and he sat down in front of Jaemin on the other side of Chenle. You sat down next to the loudest one and told him, "Don't shout in my ear, please." He whined in protest and Jeno handed out the controllers.

"Hurry up and sign in!" Donghyuck called to Mark who was furiously moving the joystick to get their credentials plugged in. Right as he hit enter, the game didn't not start to load in, because the power went out.

"What!" Someone shouted, the girls in the back corner screamed in anger, one of them was about to beat a high score. After a few seconds, the emergency lights kicked in and cast a dull glow around the room. A ding came out of the speakers and a tired voice spoke up.

"Attention all students. Due to the incoming blizzard, it seems the power grid has malfunctioned and the power to the south campus has been shut off. Emergency generators have kicked in but will only last a short while. All dorms on the north campus will have all power diverted to them and will be the only buildings with safe levels of heating from the cold. Accommodations will be made for on-campus students that have nowhere off-campus to stay the night. If you have friends in the Stanley or Cramer Halls, Harvey Apartments, or Jameson Suites, please make your own accommodations if possible. For this case, girls will be allowed in the boy's side of Stanley hall, but not the other way around. Please see the RA on duty at the dorm desks if you need assistance. Thank you." The speaker cut off and it seemed that not just the whole room, but the whole building - no - the whole campus groaned. You did not live on campus, so you were about to call your roommate to tell her the situation. As you pulled out your phone, it rang, your roommate herself on the other end.

"Hey, the power went out-"

"Yeah, it did here to."

"What?"

"Yeah, it seems the whole south side of town is out. I'm going to my boyfriend’s; will you be able to find somewhere?"

"Oh, uh," You glanced at the boys who were all illuminated by their phone screens, but they were looking at you.

"I'll figure it out." You tell her and you exchange a little more information and then hang up.

"Okay, I need to stay with someone." You turned to them fully and they looked between each other and began to type furiously on their phones. Considering nothing came in to your phone, they were in the group chat without you that they denied existed. You waited a second till they looked back at you, to each other, then more typing.

"Well?" You had waited long enough.

"Jaemin and Jeno are out because Jaemin doesn't understand personal space." Renjun jabbed his thumb at the other one.

"Hey!"

"I would rather not have you and her in my bed in the morning, thank you." Jeno looked at his roommate, a non-verbal argument flashing over their faces.

"Mark has to stay with Hyuck, but no one trusts Donghyuck anyway." Renjun continued.

"Hey! What'd I do?"

"You stole her-"

"Right! Okay! Who’s next?" Hyuck diverted the conversation, and you narrowed your eyes in suspicion at him.

"I live with my mom and that's a can of worms I don't want to open." Chenle motioned with his hand back and forth.

"Which would leave Jisung and Renjun." They all looked at you again and you refused to meet Renjun's gaze. Nothing had actually happened between you two, not really, it was just a kiss or three but that was enough for you two to get scared about it ruining your friendship and so you just didn't talk about it. Which left…

"Jisung? You okay with that?" You asked him. He had a single room, and while his bed was lofted, he did have a futon underneath it. It would work out pretty well, even if the futon was pretty uncomfortable as a bed. He didn't answer for a second, just gaping at you and everyone watched him till he startled to answer.

"Oh, yeah, of course." Jisung stood up and started to gather his things and everyone gave each other a look you couldn't read and then followed to do the same. You watched them with confusion and took your coat from Jeno when he handed it to you. They gathered their snacks and things and you all headed out of the game room, trailing after the rest of the students as the last people to leave. The snow had not only picked up but was getting significantly heavier as time passed. You all started to head to the north side of campus, where Chenle diverted off to head home. At a crossroad in the path, Jaemin and Jeno went off to their suite and the five of you headed toward Stanley. You had huddled together, you were stuck in the middle, acting as some sort of space heater. You were somewhat grateful though because it protected you from the snow some. There was a flood of students going into the dorm building and you shuffled in after them, and kicked the snow off your shoes and brushed it from your coats. People were milling about, some RAs going around getting information. Renjun said bye to the rest of you, giving you a look and you shook your head minutely and he headed off. An RA finally came over and he got Mark's information for him to stay with Donghyuck and the elder dragged Hyuck down the hall before he could try and persuade you to stay with him as well. You stood next to Jisung, able to feel his nerves rolling off of him in waves.

"Are you sure you're okay with me staying with you?" You asked.

"Yes! It's fine…Are you okay staying with me?" He wouldn't meet your eye.

"Yes, Jisung. Thank you." You bumped his arm with your shoulder, the height difference more poignant with you standing right next to him.

"What's your room?" The RA came over.

"702."

"Can I see your IDs?" He asked, clearly frazzled with all of this craziness. Jisung showed his and you took yours out of your wallet and handed it to him.

"You live off campus?" He asked.

"Yes, but it’s on the south side of town, so the powers out there too."

"Okay, are you two dating-"

"No!" You both clarified and the guy shook his head.

"Right, just friends?"

"Yes." You took your sock hat off, brushing some strands out of your face.

"Okay. We're going to have to turn the heat down to preserve energy, so I would recommend not leaving the dorm room too much to keep the hot air in." The RA smiled, handing your ID back and the younger boy led you out of the lobby and to the stairwell. The elevators were clogged with people and while you weren't pleased about climbing up to the seventh floor, it would be faster. When you reached the second-to-top floor, he led you down the hall to his room. You had only been there one other time, since it was so far up, you most often hung out in Renjun's room or somewhere else entirely. It was cleaner than you thought it would be, and thankfully he had a TV and microwave in there. It was colder than normal, but much better than outside. One thing nice about this dorm building, there was at least a toilet between each room, so you didn't have to use anything communal, which was probably why they allowed girls on the boy's side.

"The guy that lived on the other side moved out, so the other room is vacant, you don't have to worry about the bathroom." Jisung told you and you nodded.

"Do you have a sweatshirt I can change into? I have a pair of leggings in my bag to change out of my jeans but no other shirt.

"Yes!" He rushed over to his dresser. His clothes were in the drawers, but not folded or organized by any means. You smiled at the little arrangement he had of pictures above his desk. Most of them polaroids taken with Jaemin's camera. There was one of you, him, and Chenle right in the middle of the display and that made you happy. He really was so stinking cute sometimes.

"Here, I think this is the smallest one I have." He handed you a simple grey hoodie with the school's name on it and you thanked him, going into the bathroom to change. Despite the fact that the sweatshirt was his smallest, you were still swimming in it. He always wore stuff that was oversized anyway. You looked at yourself in the mirror, the sleeves hanging down past your hands and the bottom hem hitting right above your knees.

"Giant child…" You shook your head, moving to roll the sleeves a bit to make them less dangly. You caught a whiff of something good on the fabric and buried your nose in it and sighed. He may not have smelled as good as Renjun, but it was still comforting. It was more likely his laundry detergent than cologne of any kind, but it smelled like Jisung. As you left the bathroom, you caught him in the middle of him changing into a sweatshirt himself. He had on a tank top underneath his shirt, but you still got a good look at how broad his shoulders were and, despite having a dancer's body, there was still muscle there to appreciate. You didn't make a sound till he had the sweatshirt on, not wanting to startle him then you let the door shut. He did jump a bit, but not too bad and he froze. Seeing you in his sweatshirt did things to him and you looked so cute with it pooling over you. You were so small compared to him, heck, you were small compared to Renjun, let alone him.

"I-is that comfortable?" He made sure and you nodded.

"Yes, thank you very much. I can log into my Netflix so we can watch something if you want? You don’t have it right?"

"Oh, no." He shook his head and handed you the remote. He shut the bright ceiling light off and the room took on a soft warm glow thanks to the two lamps he had on and the string of lights around the window. He stepped up a bit on the ladder of his lofted bed and grabbed the blankets he had up there, and he grabbed another one he had in the closet. He handed you one and sat next to you on the futon. It was lower to the ground than a normal one, he mentioned something about that being why it was on sale. It was comfy enough, but laid out to sleep on, the bar hit right in the middle of your back, so he suggested just sleeping on it like a couch.

"What do you want to watch?" You asked, having plugged in your login info, and was looking at the suggestions. You thought a movie would be good, but you had already watched everything on your list.

"Is The Hobbit still on here?" He asked.

"Yeah! You like the third one, right?" You clarified. The eight of you had a movie marathon watching through all three of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings a few months back and he had mentioned his favorite.

"That okay?"

"Yeah. I'll probably cry at the ending, just warning you." You told him. You started the movie and both of you dug out your snacks and things and settled in. It was chillier than either of your ideals, so you suggested sharing the blankets and layering them. He stuttered out an agreement and you scooted in closer. You had never felt smaller. He was not the biggest guy you had met, but he was the biggest of the friend group and you were quite small. He was nice and warm, and he felt the same about you. Getting so entrenched in the movie and snacks, neither of you noticed the weather growing even more severe outside the window. Suddenly, a knock on the door startled both of you and you hit pause while he untangled from the blankets, opening the door.

"Hey, guys, I know this sucks…Uh, the storm is getting worse and we're having to divert even more power elsewhere. Since there are only solo rooms on this floor and the eighth, and not all rooms are full, we are moving everyone to the ballroom in the Central Building. Also, she's the only extra person on these two floors anyway…" The RA trailed off and Jisung blinked at the guy as you groaned.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Sorry. We are getting some extra mattresses out of storage and we're going to put on some movies, but the Central Building is on its own power reserve since it’s the official emergency shelter. You won't have to go outside; you can just go to the skyway on the third floor and get over there." He shrugged and you two sighed and got your stuff together. He threw some other things in his backpack, and you put your shoes back on. He grabbed the blankets you had gathered, and you both begrudgingly take the elevator down and follow the ten others that are heading over. As you are walking across the skyway, you are both grateful you put on your coats too because there was no heat on the covered bridge. You cringed as a great blast of wind hit the window, making the plexiglass wobble a bit. Not liking the skyway to begin with, this whole thing was not helping. Everyone halted when a loud snap was heard, a spark, and then the light fixtures above all shattered as the circuit overloaded. You yelped, moving to cover your head, but instead, two arms wrapped around you and Jisung shielded you from the glass raining down. Everyone just stood in the dark for a second, the light coming from the other end of the walkway being the only light. Not even the streetlights were on.

"Are you okay?" He whispered to you, his deep voice right near your ear.

"Y-yeah, let's go." You backed away slightly, not wanting to flinch away from him and hurt his feelings. It was incredibly sweet that he did that, and it was clearly instinctual. Your heart fluttered and he turned his phone flashlight on, immediately grabbing your hand and leading you the rest of the way, around the piles of broken glass. Getting to the other building, someone that was part of the staff led the group to the designated ballroom where they had a bunch of the school-provided mattresses spread out. They had no sheets on them, but that was okay for that night.

"Are you Jisung Park?" A woman called to him, and you both turned to her.

"Yeah?"

"Well, it seems we only got mattresses for each tenant, since she was the only extra, we do not have one for her…" She trailed off, and before you could answer, "That's okay, I'll let her have it." Jisung's immediate response once again caused your heart to flutter. He was always sweet, but this was focused solely on you, once again, and you weren't sure what to make of it. The woman blinked a bit in surprise to and then gave you a coy look.

"Perfect! We are having popcorn made and we're going to be putting on the Avengers movies. Let one of us know if you need anything!" She smiled and you went over and picked one of the mattresses. He wouldn't let you even touch the mattress, so you carried the blankets as he hauled it over to the corner near a window. He wanted to keep an eye on the weather outside, which was getting even worse. You laid out one of the blankets on the mattress which had the same upholstery as a mat used in gym class to make sure you didn't get hurt. You had a thick foam pad on your bed when you lived on campus and now you had a legit mattress that was covered in the highest-thread count sheets you could find. The way he set the bed up, you could rest your back on the wall and face where they were going to project the movie. There were way more than ten other people in there, telling you they had to have this set up for other residents. There were probably like 40 kids in there. No wonder they didn't have an extra mattress for you. As the first Captain America movie started, you two sat close like in his dorm, under the two blankets, but didn’t say anything. It was one thing to sit like that with just you two, but it was different with other people. However, neither of you could bring yourselves to not sit so close. It was warmer there too, but you two found great comfort in the proximity. When they announced the popcorn was ready, you couldn't even get ready to get up before he was doing so and getting it for you. Watching him go up, you caught yourself staring at his back, remembering seeing him in the tank top, and wondering what he looked like from the front. He was pretty shy, and it was rare to see him showing so much skin. You had noticed throughout knowing him that he really had matured. Not just emotionally, but physically. All of the guys had come to America for college when they were scouted to be dancers on the Dance Team. Despite the age gap, they all started off as Freshmen and so you had known them for almost two years. It was crazy how much he changed in that short amount of time; he really did the most out of all of them. Seeing sweet little Jisung all grown up should have made you feel proud, or nostalgic for when he was the cute maknae. But he had really grown up well and turned out to be way more handsome than you even thought he would be. Shaking your head to clear the thoughts, he came and sat back down with you. You took the two bags of popcorn, the ones they used at all the sporting events, and he covered back up with the blankets.

"Thank you." You told him, handing him his own bag. You both at in mostly silence, watching the movie you had both seen many times before. He peeled the canvas curtain away from the window next to him to look outside. He couldn't see much because of the level of snow and wind there was whipping around.

"Its nasty out." You commented looking out the window with him. He hummed in agreement and then both sat back down before turning back to the movie. You could feel him looking at you instead though, and the piercing stare eventually drove you to look at him as well.

"Ah!" He got caught, looking away quickly.

"Jisung?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you, for being so sweet." You were going to add 'tonight', but the more you thought about it, the more you realized he was always like that. Even earlier that night, he made sure to bring you your snacks and even told off the older two for not letting you go. The week before, you were reluctant to go up and get more food at the cafeteria, since what you wanted was being served by a guy that gave you the creeps. He didn't even say anything, just got up and then came back with a plate full. When he would see that the snack shop was almost sold out of your favorite, he would buy the last one to make sure you would get it. He always held the door open for you and waited after his class for you to go eat lunch. So much more had happened, but the more you thought about it, the more your heart raced.

"Oh, well, uh-" You cut him off by scooching even closer and linking your arm with his, resting your head on his shoulder. You felt him tense when you did this, but he relaxed quicker than you thought he would. What he did next made your heart stop momentarily. Jisung shifted and rested his cheek against the top of your head. That's not what got you though, it’s what he did after. He placed a small kiss on the crown of your head. He probably felt you tense, and you didn't want him to worry that you disliked it. So, you nuzzled into him more, and moved your hand to touch his. He turned his palm up to allow you better access and you linked your hands, your fingers slotting between his. Your hands were small to begin with, and his were much larger than even what his should be. His large hand engulfed yours and you honestly loved it. You were not at all expecting to be feeling this way about sweet little Jisung. Though, there was always something there, so these emotions hit you like a tank. You probably always had a crush on him, but you thought it was more like he's a cute little brother. You began to realize things about yourself that proved this. Whenever you had something to tell the guys, you started with him. Wanted to show them something you made? Jisung first. You always chose to sit next to him if possible, and whenever you needed someone to talk to, you went to him. When he, Jaemin, and Mark got sick, you took care of him the whole time. You did some with Mark, but Jaemin was so obnoxious and clingy, and you did not want to catch it yourself.

"Noona?"

"Yeah?" He didn't reply right away, he just rubbed this thumb over the back of your hand.

"Are you sure?"

"About what?"

"Me?" He was so quiet and sounded so scared. You pulled back to look at his sweet face and he looked so nervous.

"What do you mean?"

"I- I'm younger than you, and I'm awkward and stupid-"

"You are not stupid!" You scolded, pulling back from him some but not taking your hand out of his. He didn't say anything, just looked at your interlinked hands.

"I need you to be one hundred percent sure, because I don't think I could handle losing you." He whispered and everything seemed to turn to slow motion. While he didn't say the fated three words, you could feel what he meant in his words. It took your breath away and brought tears to your eyes. Jisung finally looked at you, right in the eye, and you swallowed the lump in your throat. You really wished you weren't surrounded by forty other college kids…

"I'm sure, Jisung." You brought his arm up to wrap around you and he pulled you into his side, cuddling together to finish the movie. Periodically you would glance out the window at the white out conditions, but you two felt so warm with each other. As they put up the third movie, you both were getting very tired. He originally offered to let you have the mattress, but you insisted that you share. You were in the back corner, and honestly most people wouldn't care as long as your clothes were on. He laid down against the wall, placing a folded blanket under his head and laid one down for you. Starting off next to each other, you soon found yourself curled into his side with your head on his chest.

"Good night, (Y/N)." He whispered and you drifted off to his thudding heart.

You both woke up to hear the other students stirring and a bunch of them were looking out the windows on the other side of the room. At least they were considerate of you two sleeping where you were. As you moved, Jisung grunted and yawned, his arm around you tightening to prevent you from sitting up.

"Ji." You whispered and his eyes flew open and he noticed the other people awake and let you both sit up. Getting your bearings, you both stand and adjust and look out the window yourselves. The snow had stopped, the sunrise stunning in the mostly clear sky, the light bouncing off the untouched blanket of white. A staff member came in and announced that the power was back to normal, but classes would be cancelled that day and the next. They told everyone to leave the mattresses as is and you gathered your belongings and went back across the skyway to get to his dorm room. The glass had been cleaned and the lights replaced already. He led you to his room and he dropped his stuff off and you both grabbed your coats. Jisung had offered to walk you back home, and you weren't sure when you could do that because most of the walkways had not been plowed or shoveled yet.

"Oh, right."

"Do you have anything breakfast-y?" You asked him and he went to the dresser under the TV, and you looked through what he had. The only thing that was a breakfast food was a bunch of Poptarts. He didn't have a toaster, but they did in the kitchen on each floor. Donghyuck and Renjun lived on the same floor, so you went down to that lobby to meet them and Mark. You sent a text to them to go there to and they were already there when you got there. You cracked open the box of toaster pastries and slid some into the four-slot toaster.

"Did you see how much snow is out there?" Donghyuck asked and you nodded.

"Yeah, it’s gotta be at least a foot, maybe two." You turned to them and rested against the counter. Jisung did the same next to you, your shoulders brushing. Renjun and Mark shared a look as Hyuck was too busy rambling while looking out the window.

"I heard the people on the top floor had to go somewhere else?" Renjun asked and the toaster popped so Jisung answered while you dealt with those.

"Yeah, they had to divert more power for heating and stuff, so they took everyone on floors seven and eight and brought us to the central building ballroom. They gave us extra mattresses and put on movies; they had some other kids there that had nowhere else to go. I was the only one with someone staying with me, so we had to share-" He caught himself and Hyuck whipped around to look at him. You put two Poptarts onto two plates and set them down for Mark and Renjun then turned back to make more.

"You shared a bed?!?" Donghyuck shouted much too loudly. All four of you shushed him and he came to sit down with the other two.

"He was going to let me just take the mattress, but I suggested we share." You shrugged, your cheeks tingling a bit.

"Did you tell her?" Mark looked at the maknae. His eyes widened and then the eldest looked at you.

"Tell me what?"

"Hyung!" Jisung cringed and he threw his hands up in surrender. You cast a glance at Renjun, and he gave you a supportive smile and nodded. Instead of either of you saying anything, you delicately rested your hand in his and he linked your fingers.

"You lucky-!" Hyuck shook his head and Mark grinned brightly, laughing.

"Finally!" The rest of the Poptarts got done and you all ate before deciding to bundle up and play in the snow. They were working on plowing and shoveling, but you were in no hurry to get home. People were already having snowball fights, making snowmen, and burrowing tunnels in the snow. You all felt like little children as you trotted outside and the other three ran through the nearly two-foot snow toward where Jaemin and Jeno were already building a snow fort. You checked the group chat, and the last message was from Chenle saying he was on his way.

"The snow is so pretty!" You beamed and Jisung grabbed your hand again and started to lead you a bit away. There was a small little courtyard next to the central building and behind the admissions building. It had been shoveled already, even the benches had been brushed of snow and dried off. He led you over to the fountain that they had shut off weeks ago and faced you to him.

"I wanted to do this earlier, but there were people around…" He stepped closer till his head is tipped down, your noses touching. His big hands find your waist, if your coat wasn't on, he might have been able to touch his thumbs together. You tilted your head and his lips barely touched yours before he pulled back.

"I, um, have never…"

"That’s okay." You grinned, bringing one of the hands on his chest to his jaw and pulling him down to you. You led the kiss at first, but as his confidence grew, he pulled you ever closer and took over. It was like fireworks burst behind your eyes and when you finally separated, you giggled with glee and bumped his forehead.

"Let’s sit out the next storm together too." You suggested.

"How about all of them?"

Masterlist

#ihavethedreamies #kpop #kpop fanfic #fanfic #fanfiction #nct #nct dream #nct fanfic #nct dream fanfic #nct jisung #nct dream jisung #park jisung #jisung x reader #x reader #kpop x reader #jisung fluff #fluff

[beechicory]

Seb, a few days before his final race, did a fascinating interview discussing many, many things, including:

his decision to retire being for him

the World Cup in Qatar (and when, or if, sports should go there)

sportswashing and flowery words, and

the need for F1 to put its money where its flowery words are in terms of improving human rights

that human rights, and projects to improve human rights, require funding $$$ and actions, not words and photo-ops

that F1 must be be a) transparent, and b) accountable about the money it gets and where that money goes

It's a really good discussion, and he's really thoughtful - I think that even if one were to disagree with his conclusions, you'd leave recognising his logic and sincerity (and moral conviction).

The interview, with Philipp Schneider of Süddeutsche Zeitung, was difficult to get access to (here's a link to it on archive.ph) so I'm posting the google-translated text behind the Read More. (As always when something is google-translated, we're probably missing some nuance, etc)

I really recommend reading it!

Tw for discussion of homophobia, etc.

-----------------

Conversation with Sebastian Vettel

"I want to experience happiness without having to drive for it"

Nov 18, 2022 at 6:51 p.m

Before his last race, Sebastian Vettel talks about the reasons for the end of his career, the driver's dependence on the car and material - and makes demands on Fifa and Formula 1.

SZ: Mr. Vettel, a face-to-face meeting was originally planned. Now we can at least connect by phone. That saves CO2 emissions and should be in your interest, right?

Sebastian Vettel: Absolutely. That's how it works wonderfully.

Your Formula 1 career ends on Sunday with a final race in Abu Dhabi . And a lot of people get excited because they want to know what you're going to do in the future. Does that surprise you?

Luckily, my decision doesn't affect the people, it affects me. And it's not like I got up in the morning and thought: like that! Now is the time to stop. I've been thinking about this for a long time. And even if I can't say exactly what comes after that - I'm looking forward to what comes after that!

Good to hear.

At some point, every athlete reaches the point where their career can no longer continue, for whatever reason, whether self-chosen or not. I'm not super special in that regard. The big task for me will be to find something that gives me the same level of satisfaction as I did in the years in Formula 1. One thing is certain: the big adrenaline rush and the feeling of sitting in the car will no longer exist. But that was clear to me.

We have a theory as to where the keen interest in your post-career life comes from.

How does it look?

We don't know of any professional athlete who has ever pushed his career with so much momentum during his active time. Lately one had the feeling that you are more often in the beehive than in the car and more of a political ambassador than a racing driver!

yes, good Maybe that's because there's not much to celebrate for me on the track at the moment. The sporting success in recent years has not been so outstanding that one could have said or written much about it.

You are not only leaving Formula 1 as a four-time world champion, but also as an important eyewitness. What do you think has changed the most in the past 15 years?

I think the sport, the genetics or what defines the sport is probably unchanged since Formula 1 came along. Yes, cars are changing, and so are people. But the core of Formula 1 has remained the same. I still love this sport, since I was little I've done nothing else, dreamed of nothing else, nothing else has ever really driven me. So what's different? The dimensions of the sport have grown enormously in recent years. So internationally, in Germany Formula 1 has shrunk.

Is that how you perceive it?

Formula 1 was far bigger in Germany when I started. And of course it was greatest when the boom years around Michael (Schumacher, editor's note) were around, in the mid-nineties, early 2000. Then there was another strong wave at my most successful time. But after that, interest in Germany decreased significantly.

Why is that?

On the one hand, because not all races are broadcast on free TV. But there is another important point: I am afraid that Germany is only a pioneer in terms of its view of Formula 1. There are simply more and more important issues that are coming to the fore. And that's why the question of the relevance of Formula 1 arises for many people.

But are you still a fan?

Naturally! I'm totally euphoric about our sport! That's exactly why I see how important it is to look at him critically. The way we deal with resources is not a role model, we should be much more economical. If that is not the case soon, the question will quickly arise around the world as to whether Formula 1 is still viable. And then interest should decrease everywhere, as has already happened in Germany.

Exciting theory. The general perception is rather: Formula 1 is going through the roof everywhere, just not in Germany and Brazil, because people there don't want to spend money on pay TV.

The problem is deeper. We as a society do not want to underestimate the emergency we are in. In the decades to come, we will increasingly have to ask ourselves the question: What is still possible, what can we still afford? And every sport then has to justify itself for the way in which it is played.

So not just Formula 1?

Not at all. Us first, of course, because in our sport we drive around, burn resources and still need fossil fuels. But a football World Cup, the Olympic Games, the Bundesliga too: every major event has to reinvent itself and see how it can leave a smaller footprint.

From ecological to sporting criticism: The season began with a technology amendment that was announced with great pomp and aimed at pushing the field closer together. Why has the season turned out to be the most one-sided in years?

After big rule changes there is often a gap between a top team and the rest. The goal was to make overtaking and the show better and to make it easier for us to overtake. It's gotten a little better, but the big revolution that was announced with the new rules didn't materialize. It would have been better for the sport this season to have left the rules as they were. However, a process has been started that has the potential to bring the field closer together in the coming years. Also thanks to the budget cap, not only the teams with a lot or a lot of money will win in the long term, but also the smaller teams. However, this will only happen in a horizon of five years.

It was far more exciting in 2010: you only snagged your first title in the last race. Has Abu Dhabi been a happy place for you since then?

(laughs) Well, the racetrack and what happened on the racetrack, yes! I have many fond memories of winning the 2010 World Cup. It doesn't feel like yesterday. And a lot has happened since then.

Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz then said that the way to the world championship title in the next few years would only be through you. And adds: Provided he's in the right car. The sentence was prophetic: it included all the titles that followed, but also your sometimes dreary years in worse cars. A driver drives the competition to the ground in the Red Bull and fails to win a title after switching to Ferrari and Aston Martin . Do you understand critics who say: what kind of sport is that?

The dependency of a driver on the team and material is actually enormous. But even in the Bundesliga you don't really have a chance of winning the championship if you're not FC Bayern.

The difference, however, is that while a player can shine on a bad football team, it's much harder on a Haas or Aston Martin.

Formula 1 has always been like this. In the fifties, in the seventies, and it's still like that today. From this point of view, however, the past few years have been very instructive for me. In the beginning, my aspirations in Formula 1 were very much focused on success. And then success came, very quickly and very powerfully. I rode the wave for as long as the wave was available.

A wave called Red Bull , on which you won four world titles...

Well, and then in the last few years the water has been under my board (laughs) ... or the wind has been taken out of my sails. But that doesn't mean my efforts are any smaller. I learned that there is a midfield and a backfield that I didn't bother with that much before because it was too far away. In any case, something interesting also happens there: the efforts are just as great, but the reward is completely absent.

Completely?

I would say yes. And that is of course a very, very hard bread for the motivation of the teams and also the drivers. They bob around in the back for years, go unnoticed and hope that they will take the small chance to shine when they present themselves. They are not only dependent on their motivation, their skills and talent - but also on the surrounding environment. It takes a bit of luck to be in the right place at the right time. The past few years have shaped me in this respect and taught me a lot, including about myself. In that respect, I don't want to do without them, even if I could have given them all away from a sporting point of view.

When we spoke in 2018, you said: your dream isn't finished yet, you still wanted to be world champion in a red car like your role model Michael Schumacher. Do you now console yourself with the belief that you had no chance of winning the Ferrari title?

We did not make it. So I could say: We didn't stand a chance. Or I could torture myself and ask: what was missing from the car? What slowed us down in development? What was perhaps structurally not ideal? You could have recognized some things and saved yourself some mistakes. But it wasn't like that. We tried everything as a team and gave everything. Even in hindsight, it doesn't feel like I left anything behind or that I was completely off track. Yes, I think unfortunately we didn't have a real chance to fight to the end.

Because Mercedes was too powerful?

You have to be fair enough to accept that the Mercedes- Lewis Hamilton package was the best. They had a better pace of development and therefore drove better than us. Which of course is a shame. I think I can live with that now as well as with the question of whether this is the right time for me to say goodbye. Or whether it might have needed another sense of achievement.

The question then arises as to what a sense of achievement in the Aston Martin could even look like.

What is the right time? Do you need a title to finish? A won race? A fastest lap? Any climax? Those are all questions I asked myself. It's not my fault if people expect something just because it would have been a nicer story. Or when they nag because they think my career is not smooth because I drive around the back and quit anyway. I'm the only one who has to live or deal with my situation. And after all these years I know exactly what I can do. I know what it takes to win races. And I know I don't have any of that right now. I'm still so confident in myself that I say: If I'm in the right package and have the right attitude, then I can get back up there at the front. Still.

When Nico Rosberg retired after his only title, not everyone was pleased either: critics said he fled because he felt he would never defeat Lewis Hamilton again.

Even. The length of time after your career is so infinitely long. Definitely wanting to win another title is not a recipe for success for the 40 or 50 years that follow. And I was lucky enough to be able to celebrate so many titles that I don't even know which one was the best. Just because you stopped with a title doesn't mean your career after your career will be 100 percent great.

After all, Nico Rosberg made it into the TV show The Lion's Den. But because you so often talk about your career after your career and recently said in Der Spiegel that you wanted to do it like Stefan Raab: just finish and then go underground. Anyone who has followed your activities beyond the race track will understand: you want to do things differently than Stefan Raab. They create a new stage for themselves so as not to disappear afterwards.

(laughs) Time will tell. I just said that I admire it when someone manages to transform their life in such a way that they say: I don't need any of this anymore! Maybe you can now simply bring your experience, your strengths and also your knowledge, which you have brought to bear in front of the camera over the years, behind the camera. So maybe you still work in the same profession, but you don't need the limelight as much anymore.

Fortunately, more people work behind the camera than in front of the camera in Formula 1 anyway.

Honestly, I wish I could find something I'm happy with. I want to experience good luck without having to drive (laughs) .

But to your legacy as a critic of Formula 1: Formula 1 is expanding into more and more countries where human rights are not respected. Football fans are protesting in the stadiums against the World Cup, which begins in Qatar on Sunday . Are motorsport fans less political?

Good question. In controversial countries like Qatar, football was kicked off ten years ago. There may not have been a World Cup yet, but that's where clubs held their winter camps.

FC Bayern has been going to Qatar regularly for years.

For example. We as Formula 1 have been organizing races in these countries for a long time. I think our world should keep evolving. That's why certain things can no longer be considered okay.

Qatar's World Cup ambassador described being gay as "mental damage" in front of the camera in a ZDF documentary.

That is not how it works! This is outrageous!

The mantra of the Qatari whitewashers that society is becoming more liberal, you just have to keep going there, organize big events and wait a few years - isn't that obviously a misconception?

Might be. But Formula 1 is booming internationally and is opening up to a younger audience thanks to the Netflix series "Drive to Survive". And when these young people come to the races, they may hear from other spectators that unbearable tone that many women, for example, suffer from. Then the young people can raise their voices and say: Hey, that's not possible! And this is how debates may arise that will help society as a whole. What is definitely no longer possible: that someone in a country where there are human rights violations talks their way out; For example with the argument: "That's just the way it is with us. Get over it!"

Isn't it naïve to believe that such a change is taking place?

That's why I specifically demand that sport should give itself a compass, set up a moral code and then stick to it. There it is then precisely determined what the basic political requirements must be in order for sport to be allowed to take place in a country. Certain things and certain countries are simply no longer there. Too much is too much. And then we say no as Formula 1 or FIFA . And don't just nod politely and take the money or help us with any other perks the country might offer.

For example, it could say: Don't drive in countries where critical journalists are cut up with bone saws. Formula 1 has signed a ten-year contract with Saudi Arabia.

Again: homophobic comments like that of the World Cup ambassador are absolutely unacceptable. And it puts the athletes in an extremely difficult situation: us drivers in Formula One, but also the players who will take part in the World Cup. You all have to ask yourself a very difficult question: Can I or am I even allowed to practice my sport in this place?

Your Answer?

You can't expect the players to get together and decide: We're skipping this moment, this unique feature in our lives, playing a World Cup, for political reasons. On the other hand, that would be an extremely good sign. It's difficult for the players, but easier for the spectators. You just couldn't look. I myself really enjoy watching football and I love European and World Cups. But sometimes I think: If I don't watch now, don't I also punish all the players who do their best for themselves and their team and are passionate about their sport? But when I think about it that way...

Then?

If statements like those of the World Cup ambassador are made, then we simply shouldn't go to Qatar! The saying was more than backward-looking. The sport, the whole association should say: This is not the right place to do sport there.

Especially since the ambassador still gets money to show as friendly a face as possible to the outside world. He proves that nothing gets better just because sport is organized.

There's a chance. Even our Western societies have not eaten wisdom with spoons and can now say: Dear country XY, do everything as we do and everything will be fine! We also have things that should be significantly better. But if you want to accelerate change in Qatar or Saudi Arabia, then as a sport we need transparency: we have to publish the unembellished numbers of how much money we collect from the countries. And we have to clearly communicate how much of it flows back into projects that then really drive change there on the ground.

A very large and a very small number.

Allegedly. But as long as these issues remain in the background and are veiled, as long as no one knows how much money is being spent and what is being done with it, we will remain stationary. It also doesn't help if you meet somewhere and take a picture of banging a spade in the ground or planting a tree.

You went karting with young women in Saudi Arabia and published photos of it.

That was only a small gesture, but social change does not come for free. Many important projects cost money. And if a country has plenty of money to attract big sport, then some of it, even a large part, should be used to improve people's lives.

Some problems in Qatar cannot be solved by projects. Homosexuality is forbidden, the ambassador only said what is the law. So shouldn't the code you're asking for it say: don't drive in countries where same-sex lovers are jailed?

Just as. Fifa, Formula 1 and other sports associations should also consistently demand the implementation of the demands that they formulate in flowery words. And then say: You can bid as much money as you want, but we won't come. At the moment it is unfortunately still the case that as an organizer you can get away with it if you take a few nice photos. The fundamental problem is another.

That would?

There is still no authority that can demand consequences if an association does not meet the requirements it sets for itself. Formula 1 has set itself the goal of being climate neutral by 2030. Nice and good. But why can't it be checked by an independent and critical body along the way? To then live with the consequences and possible penalties, whatever they may look like? What happens if Formula 1 takes a wrong turn on the way to climate neutrality and doesn't meet its own demands? Or FIFA on the way to more equality and diversity? Unfortunately, at the moment it's like this: Formula 1 controls Formula 1, and Fifa controls Fifa.

But who should control the big associations?

There are independent instances that deal with all kinds of tests that could be won. But it would help if you didn't just set an abstract goal, but divided the way there into transparent intermediate stages. And then there's the general public, the fans in the stands, journalists reporting on it. And wouldn't that be a very, very broad, international and good control body? So I don't see why a lot of problems can't be solved with transparency.

It's a pity that you drive your last race. Actually, because of your sense of mission, you should be forced to continue to circle until retirement age.

Oh, I do not know ...

With all his love for Fernando Alonso, it is unlikely that he would be interested in anyone other than Fernando Alonso in his old racing days. And there is no one to be seen growing up as a political driver.

Every driver has his or her own issues... Maybe some drivers are still too young. But the climate issue will also come to the fore with them. Even if they don't want to.

After leaving Haas a year ago, Mick Schumacher is without a cockpit in Formula 1. Various driver's seats have become vacant in the past few weeks, but no team boss has thought of Schumacher. How do you explain that his services are not in greater demand?

It would be a shame for the sport if it lost Mick. We talked about the fact that in some cars you can't shine as a driver. And sometimes a driver and his car don't go together at all. Mick has had a difficult year, but has set his highlights and accents. As high as you sometimes fly in Formula 1, you can quickly fall again. Basically, you are never as good as people say you are. But you're never as bad as people say you are. Of course, I wish that Mick stays in Formula 1, because that would be very, very important for Germany's motorsport scene .

Nevertheless: You won your first race in the defeated Toro Rosso. Michael Schumacher amazed the world in a Jordan. How do you recognize a talent? And how do you recognize when a talent isn't that great after all?

It's a difficult subject for me: I know Mick better than most drivers and have known for a very long time. He has a lot of potential. Although he may not be the type to get in the car and run into everyone like some people are. Mick is someone who can always improve. This is his gift. But will it then come to the point where he regularly wins and competes for the title? I don't know that. Mick is still too young for such an assessment. I can only hope he gets the time to find out.

#Sebastian Vettel #F1 #Seb telling F1 to put its money where its mouth is #Seb telling F1 to open the books and prove it #Also if anybody tries to use this as an excuse to be Islamophobic I will personally come and kick you 👍 #Tw: homophobia

[visenyaism]

Sorry if this is annoying since I'm replying to an old ask of yours, but I just saw your ask about people comparing the amethyst empress/bloodstone emperor myth to the Rhaenyra/Aegon II situation and yes, I definitely agree with you!

I don't agree with the takes that the bloodstone emperor myth was just supposed to be flavor text and nothing more, and that it can't be used in ASOIAF analysis, but I personally think that GRRM chose to include this myth because it IS supposed to tie into something bigger.

Where I think people get it wrong is what story it's supposed to parallel. I think what it's supposed to parallel is not the dance of the dragons, but the legend of Azor Ahai/Nissa Nissa. Both have ties to the event of the Long Night, both are legends/myths that happened waaaaay back rather than recent documented history, and both contain the story of a man killing/overthrowing a woman close to him (wife/sister) in order to gain power. I agree with the theory that what these myths together are supposed to is point out that Azor Ahai isn't actually an pure, upstanding hero, and that the defeat of the Long Night in the current story will NOT be about sacrificing someone for the greater good, but by a different way.

So that's why it's really weird to say that the bloodstone emperor myth is actually about the dance, because those are two entirely different stories that only rely on surface parallels. Sure, Rhaenyra is an older sister who is unfairly treated/opposed because of her gender, and ends up losing the throne to her younger brother like the amethyst empress, but she ultimately ends up losing it because she was also a really bad leader? She does so much bad stuff as queen that there's no way all of it is made up, even if you take into account the misogyny of history writers. Heck, the bloodstone emperor myth doesn't say anything about gender when it comes to why the amethyst empress was deposed. The fact that it's an amethyst empress rather than another emperor feels like it's supposed to be another parallel to Nissa Nissa rather than Rhaenyra.

Ultimately I think the myth of the bloodstone emperor/amethyst empress is supposed to be a reflection of the Azor Ahai myth, to make the point about how the sacrifice of a person, even for the greater good, is still a bad action. It doesn't fit at all with the themes of the dance, a story about the destruction caused by wars of succession with some commentary about gender under feudalism.

One more thing though: I think a reason why people are trying to parallel the dance with the bloodstone/amethyst myth/acting like Rhaenyra is the divinely "right" choice is because they might be remembering the show scene where the white hart, pre-Targ symbol of royalty, appears to Rhaenyra as opposed to Aegon II in episode 3, which reads like a classic "chosen good guy by the universe" moment. I know a lot of people dislike that scene because it contradicts the theme of the dance where no one is the "righteous hero," and I also found it a weird choice, but I do think the showrunners/writers ultimately know what they're doing and know how Rhaenyra's going to end up, so I wonder if they'll reference that scene again in the future in some kind of way.

(sorry for the long ask! Apparently I really like to talk, hope this doesn't bother you)

this post is like an oasis of crisp cool thoughts in the middle of a desert. i have no notes this is really good analysis and also what i believe🫶

#i wrote this exact post in my head re the amethyst empress recontextualizing azor ahai omg. #thank you for writing it so I didn’t have to. medal of honor in posting #valyrianscrolls #asoiaf

[blingblong55]

Can I ask why you dont like her? (Brittany)

(Please ignore this if you dont feel comfortable)

this is my opinion, my views and if you dont like it, you can happily leave :) It's long...I know

I just sent this exact reason to a friend so I’m copying and pasting what I texted her but with more context

Alr here it goes, to me she’s become a hypocrite. Sometime ago she had said that people should talk about any cause that deserves attention. (BLM or what is happening in Palestine for example) When she was asked to speak about what is happening in Palestine, she made a comment on her close friends that left me annoyed with her. It annoyed me bc I was such a huge fan of her and the way she said that her voice as a white woman wouldn’t matter to the conversation of Gaza made me mad. Just educating someone about something as tragic as what is happening is so important, she has a huge platform and her voice could reach more people, it can help. She can't claim to be an activist when she picks what she can and can't talk about, white privilege shit. She set the standard for herself, this is not me just hating. She said she cares about what is happening but associated with people like that Ethan guy from the H3 podcast, he's a zionist! It's so sad to know that someone I supported is just putting an act, she's performing for us and her so called activism.

She always says that how dare we or anyone that has a platform for that matter, stay silent or not use our platforms to speak about what is happening, the injustice that we see or that others are going through. I'm not making it up. She cries and rants on camera about human rights, she preaches about this but doesn't say shit when we need her to speak up? be for real girl

I know you or others could be fans of her and hate me for my opinions but know this; If a man would stay silent during women's suffrage, like in America with abortion getting banned, would we not be mad at him? would we understand that he isn't qualified because he is a man? we as women would be mad, upset and disappointed that he didn't back us up, so why let her stay silent? a man doesn't know shit about women's reproductive health, and maybe she doesn't know much about what is happening to Palestinians, but why are we allowing her to just sit back and not speak up about this?

The war doesn't affect her but it affects people who are her fans, strangers, children, mothers, fathers and the future of that country, so why stay silent?

Maybe to her or any person who doesn't go through social injustice doesn't see the importance in this. But the next time you see a father or mother carry their dead child, the one that should've seen more of life, think about those who stayed silent and didn't make this a bigger deal, that because of them, we can't do much because our voices are smaller compared to theirs.

On another note, she, to me is the kind of person to speak nicely to you but hate you to others. The Tana and Brittany thing, I get it, tana is controversial but so is that Ethan guy and that other Theo dude. She keeps appearances when it comes to sitting down and talking with other women who yes, tana is an ableist and all but look at those two other men. Ethan, a zionist, Theo a misogynist. The only reason why she posted on her TikTok about the whole Palestine thing, which I'm sure she wasn't happy about, is because someone recorded her close friends and people saw it, got mad at her and she had to backpedal like Watcher. (their shit isn't as serious as her imo)

Hate me all you want but don't you dare say I'm not a girls girl. I am but I also don't support women or men who are hypocrites.

Remember she said this when she was asked to speak about the genocide, "It's dystopian that I have to speak on this", yeah...no thank you girl

I'll end my rant with this, "If you have a platform, and you have people's ear, you have their attention, how dare you not speak about the things that matter." Brittany Broski

#kasper writes

[pessimisticdreamer7]

4:33am

It absolute fucking wrecks me that in the back of my mind I have this terrible sense that you don’t notice my absence in your life. You are the kind of friend I will tell my children about. When my stories begin with “my old best friend” it will be about you. I always get the urge to text you novels about how much I miss you, but I know your response will take business days to get back to me and will be underwhelming and disappointing. I can no longer expect to receive anything from an empty cup. I hope one day I can talk about you without sadness in my voice or tears in my eyes. I hope that one day I can follow you on social media and not feel like I’ve been gut punched when you post a picture with your new best friends.

You used to feel like home to me. Now it feels like that home has burned down and there’s nothing but left ash and memories that make me sob. I know I still have so many friendships to experience but this is one I will never fully get over. A part of my heart will miss you until I die. I have never mourned someone the way I mourn you. another friend like you. Our friendship was one of a kind. I still believe you are my soulmate. I miss you being able to make me smile on the worst days of my life. I miss bragging about you to people. I know it’s selfish, but I hate that it feels like you don’t miss me or our friendship at all. I mean how could you have possibly thought our friendship was fine when we went from seeing each other at least once a week to four times in six months. 

I don’t think a day goes by where I don’t think about you at least once. Something reminds me of you/our friendship almost everywhere I go. I envy the friends that get your attention now. It’s even worse I run into them, and they give me updates on you. They don’t know how bad it is. “You guys are just going through a rough patch.” “You two will be fine, you always are.” “She’s just busy”. No one knows how bad it really is except me. Even you don’t notice. You were really the only person I never thought I’d drift away from. I thought you’d be in life longer than most of my own family. Even now I still think about using your name for my future daughter’s middle name. I’ve tried so many times to patch the holes in our friendship. But there are so many now and they’re only getting bigger. I feel like I’m completely under water at this point. I’m exhausted from mourning the best friendship I’ve ever had. I hate that I compare every new friend I have to you. It’s not fair to them. It’s not fair to me. You were my absolute rock through the worst times of my life. I will always view you as a blessing in my life, even now when I look back with so much pain in my heart. I will never want anything but the absolute best for you. You are the epitome of a heart of gold. You will always be considered my favorite and best non-blood sister. I can only hope you’ll think the same about me. I’ve made every excuse in the book for you. You admitted you hadn’t been a good friend to me and then proceeded to do nothing to change it. I didn’t know growing up meant out growing me. I will never understand why God decided to split our paths. I honestly don’t think I ever will. I fucking hate that we have no idea what’s going on in each other’s lives now. I wonder how your parents and dog are. If your parents have moved into their new house yet. You’ve been my other half for almost a decade and now I feel so lost and alone. And I’m sure everyone is tired of my crying and honestly, I am too. I feel stupid for sobbing over you while you didn’t even notice a problem with our friendship. We had the type of friendship people yearn for. I feel like a bad person for not wanting you to have a friendship like ours again. I don’t want someone to experience you the way I did for 7 years. You will always be considered one of the best things I ever had. 

#best friend #ex best friend #ex bestie #former best friend #best friend breakup #emotional #it's exhausting #platonic soulmates #soulmates #soul connection #journaling #heartbroken #heartbreak #grieving #soul ties #better half #sobbing #crying throwing up #writing #journal entry #therapeutic #i miss u #i miss my friends #bff #i miss you #i love you #missing you #miss you #do you miss me #do you love me

[doodlesfromthebird]

Hi, Canary! It's really nice to see you back. You've been one of my favorite internet artists since I found your work a few years ago, and I really admire your sense of character and costume design! I found you through KH, but I've since fallen in love with your original characters and story ideas, which are lovely. I was wondering if you had any advice for someone hoping to develop their own original characters and worlds. I've been trying to for a few years, but it still feels pretty daunting.

Hello!! Oh my goodness, thank you so much. I'm so glad! ^u^ I absolutely can give some pointers!

Here's a little guide with a few methods I've used to creating characters and developing the world they live in. I'm by no means a writer of any kind (I rarely create stories, and struggle with plot) but I am passionate about developing funky little dudes who live in your brain.

Designing a Character - Make a list. I somewhat recently compiled a document full of design elements, tropes, personality types, aesthetics I generally really liked to help build a small cast of characters I knew I’d have fun designing for. Think about your favorite characters in media and what you like about them! It could be a great jumping point to creating an OC you’re passionate about. That goes for relationship dynamics, too! 

Grab a handful of things from that list, 5 or 6 maybe, and there ya go!

- Make a moodboard. I’ve used this method to create characters based on A VIBE and building off that.

I’ve even figured out personalities just based on the “aesthetic text” I found associated with a color. Part of Cherri’s backstory and personality came forth simply because I kept finding Marina lyrics in pink. - Try using online dress up games! I used to use Dolldivine all the time to get creative. -  In addition to mood boarding, pinterest can also be a good resource for design inspiration with official concept art for movies/games and assets of those sort of dress-up games readily available. CocoPPa is a good example! [Let’s please respect the wishes of individual artists and either give credit when posting for inspiration or respect their wishes if they state not to repost their work at all.]  - In depth character creators in video games! Or simple ones! I’ve built up such an affection for even a few of my stardew valley farmers with their own personal bits of lore, they could probably be stand alone characters separate from the game at this point. Sometimes developing a character from an established setting can be a good base. Dig some of your old fan characters out of the closet, even!

Get to know your character

Getting to know your OC is one of my favorite parts of the process, and is something I find really important if you want to get attached to them. And you should!! The more these guys are on your brain, the more you start asking questions about them, and the more bigger details start to fall into place. - Go broad. Say you have the base concept of a character with their situation, their goal in life, their goal in the present moment, and the past/future that will effect them. What lies do they believe as truth? How has their childhood effected their habits and views? What's one secret they keep to no one but themselves? Who are the most influential people in their past and in their day to day life? - Go detailed. They're practically a roommate living rent free in your mind, so think about what a day in their life is like. Observe how they do small things. What are they eating for breakfast? How do they carry themselves when they walk? Nervous habits? What are they wearing to go to get quinoa from trader joes??? Detail what a few hours of what it'd be like to observe them, doing what they do every day and how they'd do it. - Give them an interview. Here's a blank bio sheet with a detailed list of questions that could be fun to fill out at your leisure! A lot of good questions to chew on. - Or quite literally give them an interview. Pretend they're sat down to answer some questions and think about how multiple characters would answer the same question. Do they overshare? Are they curt and to the point? Do they frequently lie and contradict themselves? What questions take them off guard? - Write about your own experiences. Giving characters traits and experiences you can speak from in a detailed  can really flesh them out as people and gives them that relatability. Even if they’re decidedly different from you as a whole, there’s that point of connection that anchors them to you.

Worldbuilding...ish

Developing a world is a little less easy for me to give advice on, as I’m very character oriented, so my worldbuilding is more of starting with the bigger picture and then filling in details that would affect the character directly, while some other things aren’t as fleshed out and water tight. (I’m working on it!) Some universes have more to them than others simply due to how much time I’ve spent with them over the years. But it’s important, a lot of fun, and gives all the more weight to the universe you’re developing.

- Research. If you’re like me and either have no writing experience or have difficulty pulling key world-building aspects from imagination, there’s a PLETHORA of resources to learn from, a lot of it free and on youtube, even. Make yourself a playlist, grab a notepad and sit yourself down to gather info, and map things out. If you’re, say, creating a country from scratch, look into places with a similar climate and how it affects what species live there. I’ve been researching dining etiquette and shipbuilding lately! It would be of great help to learn from writers as well, if you aren’t one yourself. There's A Lot of advice out there. - Ask cause and effect questions. I create a lot for the fantasy genre, so I get to ask questions like...”What does a world being shaped by the gods/guardians look like? How has their presence influenced the mortals they look after? Their culture, their customs, the way they communicate?  What’s the actual truth of ancient happenings and what has been passed down through a long, long game of telephone? What is the truth current day people believe about magic, technology and historical events? What kind of questions could you ask from the world you’re creating? -Appease your inner child. Think back on what captured your attention as a kid and how you experienced them through your eyes at the time. What sort of things did you feel experiencing your favorite games, movies or books that you can still tap into through a nostalgic lens? I feel incredibly attached to my The Spiral OC universe when I’m playing Legend of Zelda games, especially Wind Waker. The mood, the sense of adventure. The feeling of sailing the seas, the quietness of Windfall at night, the reverent silence when arriving at Hyrule frozen in time.  Those feelings have lent an atmosphere to the world I’d go on to create for myself, and still illicit a strong emotional response when I visualize aspects of it. the adventure, the monsters, the sweet and emotional tone, and the heaviness of ancient legend lost to time. - Immerse yourself in other people’s worlds. Get into a tabletop game podcast of your preferred genre! You’ve got high fantasy dnd, but there’s also plenty of sci-fi, modern fantasy, post-apocalyptic, and more. Listening to multiple people work together to build their world (sometimes as they go a long!) can really get that creative juice a-flowing.  Critical Role and The Adventure Zone are big ones, but I also recommend SkyJacks, Friends at the Table, Dimension 20, Dungeons and Daddies and JemJammer! Worldbuilding prompts/generators!  X X X I hope ANY of this was helpful, I’m happy to answer specific questions as well. 

#sorry for the delay in answering! #its my birthday go out and give ur OCs some love #INDULGE!! INDULGE I SAY #masterpost #character design #original character #text #letters to the bird

[femmefatalevibe]

Hii <3 Girl I recently found your blog , and it's one of the best things I have found on tumblr !! 🦋🐳

I kinda want some advice on this , I used to really dislike myself , and I had a glow up , and I got really attractive , in between this I don't know where I this self love come from, but now I got stuck at this self love phrase ! " Like I wanna do something but then I love myself , why should I change ."

I am not getting out of my comfort zone , and absolutely am scared of competition, people having expectations . I am seriously so fucking scared of what people think of me , I can't even fucking tell you !!

Idk man !

Hi love! Thank you so much. Your kind words and support mean a lot to me <3

Congratulations on gaining this newfound self-confidence and all of the hard work/consistent effort it must've taken to get to this stage of life (maintenance work included).

Remember these fundamental truths:

Everyone is primarily focused on themselves: People are too focused on themselves, their personal goals/desires, and how they're perceived to really care to watch what you're doing. This is a liberating truth to realize – it gives you free rein to break out of people-pleasing mode and start focusing on doing what makes you most happy/fulfilled.

No one will care as much as you do about your success and wish fulfillment in life: As stated before, everyone else is focused on their own inner worlds, priorities, goals, and everyday responsibilities. You need to be your own greatest advocate. You lose by default if you don't enter the game to begin with. Operate from a headspace of you're going to be your own greatest cheerleader and win no matter what because you believe in yourself. Authentic confidence and self-belief are the two gifts no "competition" could ever take away from you.

Understand that other people's actions are reflections of their own lived experiences, desires, and goals, and are out of your control: This is why it's so important to stop caring about the potential (or perceived) competition and what others think. You only can control your own efforts – to take action, learn, pivot, and grow. The reasons why others criticize (not constructively, I mean) you are often projections of their negative self-talk and suppressed insecurities. Other people's actions are executed in their own best interest. You need to do the same and see your future self as your only competition – she's the only person's goals for whom you hold the most decision-making power and control.

Like everything else, calculated risk-taking is a mental muscle that takes time and patience to build. Throughout your journey, you'll learn proper "form" aka criteria on how to decide when to act and when it is in your best interest to refrain from engaging in a certain "risk-taking" activity (I mean like sending that email, text, posting that photo, etc.) and build resilience to better withstand rejection, criticism, and the noise of other people's opinions.

First, focus on the bigger picture: What do you want out of life and why? What smaller goals would you need to achieve to reach these ultimate aspirations?

Work your way backward to your present situation: What are the next action steps you can take to move closer to your first milestone goal(s)? Choose one calculated risk to take at a time. Send that email that leaves you vulnerable to a potential rejection one day. Make that phone call to reconnect with the person you've been afraid to have that vulnerable conversation with a few days later. Post that Instagram post/story or TikTok video and immediately close the app.

You need to become the leader of your own life or someone else will lead it for you. You're only playing yourself by holding yourself back when sitting on the bench instead of practicing for the big leagues.

Hope this helps xx

#self concept #self love #growth mindset #personal growth #femme fatale #dark femininity #dark feminine energy #it girl #high value woman #the feminine urge #high value mindset #dream girl #female excellence #queen energy #female power #goal setting #higher self #life lessons #life path #comfort zone #self esteem #femmefatalevibe #level up #glow up era #glow up #q/a #self growth #self improvement #life design