#A lot of the people in my family work in corporate and what I’ve seen is TERRIFYING

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

Maybe I could switch careers and train to become a firefighter after… five years to a decade in education?

[yxngbxkkie]

street racing series masterlist

hello! so, i’ve seen the idea of min as a street racer on tik tok. and, recently, i had the idea to make mood boards of skz as street racers. which you can find that post here! i’ve now decided to write a mini series for this idea. i’m super excited about the ideas that i have, and i hope that you enjoy it as well <3

~

Secrets - Bang Chan

Lately, over the past month and a half, your best friend has been blowing you off. You know Chan isn’t normally like that, and being in love with him didn’t help the fact either. You tried asking his friends about it, but they wouldn’t tell you anything. The only thing they’d say is, “It’s not my secret to tell.” You decide to distance yourself from him, even though he’s already kind of doing that himself. After a month of not seeing or talking to Chan, he randomly shows up at your apartment one night. You try to get him to go home, telling him that you didn’t want to see him, but he wasn’t having any of it. He dragged you out of your apartment, reassuring you that he’ll explain why he kept blowing you off. And that’s how you end up in the passenger seat of Chan’s car, participating in a street race.

Rivals - Lee Know

Lee Minho, a rival of your boyfriend. The guy you’re dating warned you about him multiple times. From how he puts it, Minho is an asshole. And from what you’ve seen, you can agree. Unfortunately, your boyfriend has lost more races against him than won, and Minho’s not afraid to rub it in both of your faces when everything’s done for the night. The rivalry between your boyfriend and Minho becomes too toxic for you that you end up going to Minho to try and mend it. You slip into his vehicle before the race starts, not your best idea but it was the only idea you had at that moment in time, and it quickly turns into a bad idea when your boyfriend catches you in his car.

Change of Heart - Seo Changbin

You met Seo Changbin in a coffee shop. He’s loud, cocky, and sometimes he’s kind of a dick. You dread it every time he comes into the cozy place. Sometimes you wish you could quit your job there and work somewhere else, just to get away from him. After going out with a man you met through your job, you end up at an illegal street race. You quickly find yourself uncomfortable with this guy and when you ask him to bring you home, he ditches you. One thing you didn’t expect… Seo Changbin coming to your rescue.

Off Limits - Hwang Hyunjin

You’re the daughter of a big corporate boss. Your father despises the street races that go on almost every night near his company building. He’s warned you his whole life to stay away from those kinds of people. Sometimes street racers can be hard to spot. Who would’ve thought that the handsome man you met at an art exhibit would be one of the best street racers in the city?

Childhood Friends - Han Jisung

You moved away from Seoul when you were a teenager. You hated leaving. You didn’t want to leave. Especially after meeting Han Jisung. He and his family lived next door to yours since you were toddlers. After being away for ten years, you finally find yourself living in Seoul again. The first thing you attempt to do is get in contact with Jisung. The two of you kept in contact for a few years after you moved but as time went on, the messages slowly stopped coming. One night, you stumble upon a street race. You heard that they happen a lot but you’ve never seen them. And you never would’ve thought that your childhood friend would be a part of it. 

My Favorite Boy - Lee Felix

You meet Lee Felix through your best friend. She’s dating one of his friends and one night she asked you to go for a drive with her. With how busy you’ve been with work, you accepted her offer. Your whole night did a 180 when the two of you show up at a street race that her boyfriend is participating in. You’ve only seen street races in movies. Before the race starts, you find yourself aimlessly walking around the parked cars. That’s when you meet a beautiful man with cheeks littered with freckles and a personality that shines as bright as the sun.

Anything For You - Kim Seungmin

You knew that Seungmin was a street racer. He kept it a secret from you for half of your relationship. You understood why he did it. He wanted to keep you safe and he didn’t want you to worry about him. Recently, you’ve been hearing about how dangerous street racing has become. A few people have been holding grudges against the people they lost to. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t worried about Seungmin, even though the two of you broke up months beforehand.

Racing Gone Wrong - Yang Jeongin

Your roommate has been sneaking out of the apartment almost every night. You, being a curious person, decide to follow him one night and found out his biggest secret. Street racing. Never in a million years, you would think that your roommate, who’s an absolute angel, would be a street racer. You planned to tell him that you knew but a part of you thought he’d get angry, so you kept it to yourself. It didn’t stop you from going every night he went, disguising yourself with a hoodie he’s never seen you wear before. You did well to keep yourself hidden until one night when Jeongin gets into a big accident.

~

tagging: @thewxntersoldier @reddesert-healourblues @luckieleaf @stayconnecteed @tiaxa @yoonrimin @sunny-future @daysofskz-ateez @spacegirlstuff @foxinnie8 @moon0fthenight

[hyumjim]

Oh yeah I have been thinking about this for a while re: overzealous callouts typically targeting trans women. Basically I shudder to think what any of you people would do with even an ounce of institutional power. I have one of those jobs where I’m a mandated reporter of child abuse. And for my job I spend time in people’s homes. And I’ve been doing this job for seven years. If I have good reason to suspect that a child is being abused then I need to call child protective services. You know how many times I have done this over seven years? Twice. And both times it was because a child asked me directly to do it. And I sat with both kids and we called CPS together. In one case this resulted in the cops coming to their house and in the other case, nothing happened. In both cases I stayed with them for as long as I could.

Now, over the years of course I’ve heard a number of questionable things. I’ve thought, yeah, this person is probably hitting their kid. I mean, it happens a lot, and some degree of corporal punishment is still normalized in many homes. I don’t condone that, and I’ve had a lot of conversations with parents about it and suggested many alternatives. But the bottom line is that I cannot be trigger-happy when it comes to calling CPS. CPS is a deeply flawed system. Many of the people I work with are extremely used to having CPS called on them. Truancy from school on its own is enough to open a CPS case and criminalize parents. Abuse absolutely happens and needs to be addressed when it does, but so often, police involvement, system involvement is not the answer. Kids get removed from homes and placed with foster families who can be more abusive, less closely monitored, and don’t even have the relational bond that acts as a protective factor. Parents receive the message that they are unfit to care for their children, which makes them worse as parents, and the cycle continues, etc.

So whenever something that’s questionable comes up, I always speak to my supervisor about it and we discuss whether or not I need to take it to CPS. But the answer is almost always ‘no.’ It’s a last resort, only to be used when absolutely necessary. And even in cases where it’s absolutely a necessity, like the one I mentioned where the cops came? That call resulted in me being cut off from the young person entirely. Because his abusive mother knew that I made the report, and forbade me from ever speaking with him again. Which she can do, because he’s her child. For all I know, nothing came of the investigation and his parents retaliated against him more harshly than before. So do you think I made the right call?

Mind you, I’ve seen all sorts of really fucked-up family dynamics, all kind of patterns of emotional turmoil between families, a lot of parents saying terrible things that I think nobody should say to a child, and vice versa. It’s my job to sit with these things and try to help. Not to call someone to come and take away the problematic person.

The point is that I’ve had to sit and think deeply about when to report abuse, as part of my job, for years and years of my life now. And I see the ease and eagerness with which people on here will smear a trans woman as a pedophile with the flimsiest of evidence (i.e. agreed with another user who turned out to be an abuser; has kinks that are triggering to me personally; has innocuous sfw art on her blog of a teen anime character). And I think wow, if you guys had a job like mine you would be ruining people’s lives frequently. Just something to think about.

[blowflyfag]

Pro Wrestling Illustrated: December 1994

press conference…

Every issue, reporters from PRO WRESTLING ILLUSTRATED will participate in an incisive press conference with a top wrestling star. The questions will be demanding. And the answers will reveal the innermost thoughts of the giants of the sport.

[Ted DiBiase and Irwin R. Schyster were WWF World tag team champions on three different occasions, but a neck injury is now limiting the “Million-Dollar Man” to broadcasting and managing. He says Schyster, who handles his financial affairs, is still a good friend.]

TED DiBIASE

WHEN TED DiBIASE suffered a neck injury in Japan last November, many fans probably thought they’d seen the last of the “Million-Dollar Man” for a while. But the three-time former WWF World tag team champion wasn’t about to drop out of the spotlight.

He returned to the WWF as a broadcaster in January 1994, but it became oblivious within a few months that he wouldn’t be content to remain in that relatively powerless role. If he couldn’t wrestle, the next best thing as to assemble a stable of wrestlers who could serve as an extension of his personal philosophy.

The first man he signed to his corporation” was Nikolai Volkoff, whom he claims to “own.” Nikolai had started appearing in the audience of every WWF TV taping, always wearing the same suit. When DiBiase found out Volkoff was nearly penniless, he hired him as a wrestler, but said he would only pay him if he followed his orders and wrestled more aggressively. So far, he is complying.

Next, DiBiase signed Bam Bam Bigelow and continues to aggressively pursue Lex Luger, a man with a well-documented rulebreaking past.

Senior Editor Bill Apter recently had a chance to speak with DiBiase. As usual, DiBiase was very willing to offer his opinions on his stable and other subjects. “DiBiase is a man with a plan,” reported Apter. “His corporation is already extremely powerful and he’s still looking to expand it. You might not like the way he treats people, but he is driven to succeed. I respect that.”

APTER: Why are you so intent on humiliating Nikolai Volkoff?

DiBIASE: Because the opportunity was there. Everybody knows Volkoff was a great superstar in the WWF years ago. He was also known for pinching pennies and saving money, but he didn’t have the mental capabilities to make the right investments. The bottom line is, he lost it all. He lost it all and there he is sitting in the front row of an arena, in the same old suit every week, because he’s got nothing else, nowhere else to go. It’s a very familiar story for these musclehead wrestlers who don’t know how to save their money, don’t make proper investments. Look, everybody says I’m a jerk, that I’m humiliating Nikolai Volkoff. I did the guy a favor.

APTER: What about the pair of tights you make him wear with a cents emblem on it. Isn’t that demeaning to him?

DiBIASE: Everything has a price. If he wants to work for me, if he wants to feed his family, his mother and father back in Russia, he’s just gonna have to bite the bullet. (Laughs hysterically.)

APTER: To stay in your good graces, what will Volkoff have to do that Virgil didn’t?

DiBIASE: He’ll have to do everything I tell him to do. If you’ll notice, he’s decided it’s not so bad to cut corners, break a few rules, and do whatever it takes to get the job done. I’m giving this guy an education

APTER: A Lot of people say you’re afraid to get into the ring and this is why you have hired Volkoff and also Bam Bam Bigelow and The Undertaker to do your dirty work for you.

DiBIASE: I have had some problems as far as my physical condition goes. I have a neck problem that may or may not keep me out of the ring forever. That’s neither here nor there. I don’t have to get back in the ring. I love to wrestle. I proved everything I had to prove. I held every major title there was to hold. Bottom line is I’ve made all this money. Other guys are out there busting their can every night because they need the money. I don’t need money.

APTER: You’ve been wrestling all these years only for money? DiBIASE: No, I wrestled because I had something to prove back then. But what else could I want now?

APTER: Bret Hart has the WWF title.

DiBIASE: So what? I had the WWF title, too.

APTER: Sort of.

DiBIASE: Did I have it?

APTER: Yes.

DiBIASE: Case closed. I had it.

APTER: You never beat anyone for it. You bought it from Andre the Giant. Andre had the belt for less than two minutes and you were stripped almost immediately after he gave it to you.

DiBIASE: You know, Apter, you can be replaced. Move on to another subject or I’m out of here. 

APTER: You used to team with Irwin R. Schyster as Money Inc. Do you two stay in touch as he wrestles as a solo competitor now?

DiBIASE: Irwin R. handles all my financial affairs. 

[“I have a neck problem that may or may not keep me out of the ring forever. I don’t have to get back into the ring… I proved everything I had to prove. Bottom line is I’ve made all this money. “]

APTER: Are  the two of you going to team against and go after The Headshrinkers’ WWF tag team belts?

DiBIASE: Irwin knows I have no desire to climb back into the ring. He is also a wealthy man–like I am–so he’s not going to rock the boat by asking me to go after tag team belts. We have nothing to prove, as I said before. 

APTER: Your buddy has called Tatanka a “Native American embarrassment.” Do you concur with Schyster’s feelings?

DiBIASE: Irwin’s gripe with Tatanka was very simple. He levied a tax for that ridiculous set of turkey feathers Tatanka wore to the ring. 

APTER: It’s a sacred headdress!

DiBiIASE: Feathers are feathers. I have the same feathers in my pillow at home. 

[DiBiase’s corporation now includes Nikolai Volkoff (above) and struggling super heavyweight Bam Bam Bigelow (right, battling Tatanka). He hired Volkoff, who at one point was so poor that he had to bring his own food to arenas with him, and delights in humiliating him.]

APTER: What about Lex Luger’s feud with Tatanka?

DiBIASE: Lex Luger is obviously helping his good friend Irwin. I can’t blame him for doing that.

APTER: You’ve said Luger is one of your new corporation’s assets.

DiBIASE: That will become obvious to you and everyone else very soon, my boy. Next  subject.

APTER: you’ve added Bam Bam Bigelow and an Undertaker to your corporation. Are you pleased with their performances?

DiBIASE: Now that they’re with me, yes. Bigelow was wasting his time wrestling Doink the Clown and Dink. Bam Bam is one of the best technical wrestlers in the world. He’s also one of the toughest and meanest. If you think that Luna Vachon was intimidating to Bigelow’s opponents, wait till they have me standing next to Bam Bam. Regarding The Undertaker, he had to get rid of Paul Bearer to get mean and back into contention again. That’s where I came into the picture.

APTER: Is he the real Undertaker?

DiBIASE: I brought The Undertaker to the WWF the first time. He went on to win the WWF title. Why? Because of the big break I allotted him. He owes me. He is one of a kind, the original. Don’t ask me stupid questions. 

APTER: Why are these two Undertakers set to battle at SummerSlam?

DiBIASE: Because Paul Bearer is bringing in a bogus one. It’s that simple. I have assured my Undertaker that Bearer’s guy is an easy win. He won’t have any trouble with him. How dare Bearer hire an imposter! It makes me sick to discuss what Bearer has done. Why don’t you ask questions like, what’s a typical day in the life of the “Million-Dollar Man”?

[The “Million-Dollar Man” started a huge controversy in February 1988 when he purchased the WWF World title from Andre the Giant. That didn’t sit well with WWF President Jack Tunney, who stripped him of the belt. 

APTER: Okay, what’s it like?

DiBIASE: I can’t think of anything more pleasurable than sitting in the vault, surrounded by the smell of money. I love to watch the little bank peon with his little spectacles on and his funny little hat, sitting in this corner and painstakingly trying to count it all (Again, laughs hysterically.)

APTER: What about your career as a broadcaster? DO you feel you are better than Vince McMahon and Randy Savage?

DiBIASE: Yes. No doubt in my mind. I never doubt myself. You don’t spit in the wind. You don’t pull on Superman’s cape. You don’t doubt that wealth and obvious broadcasting talents of the “Million-Dollar Man.”

APTER: Anything you’d like to add before we end this interview? 

DiBIASE: Peons like you, Bill Apter, have their price for the “Million-Dollar Man.” If I want to hire you to do whatever I choose, you have your price. (Laughs hysterically and leaves the interview area.)

[heartlandians]

Exclusive Interview: Spencer Lord Discusses the Mystery Around His Character in Heartland, Teases Family Law Season 3, and More

Spencer Lord is one of the industry’s most exciting new voices. After leaving a career in the corporate world behind, Spencer dove headfirst into acting and has gone on to land coveted roles in projects, including Riverdale, The Good Doctor, and Family Law. It’s his vulnerability, subtlety, and emotional depth that have captured the hearts of audiences around the world.

Currently, Spencer can be seen starring in the latest installment of Heartland. In Season 17, Amy (Amber Marshall) and the rest of the Heartland family know better than most that while dreams can sometimes come true, more often life takes us in unexpected directions. Spencer shines as Nathan Pryce Jr., a mysterious character who rolls back into town and holds a special place in Amy’s heart.

Pop Culturalist was fortunate enough to speak with Spencer about Heartland, bringing the many facets of Nathan to life, the upcoming season of Family Law, and more.

PC: You graduated with a mechanical engineering degree and worked as a project manager. What ultimately led to the transition to your work as an actor? How challenging was that pivot? Spencer: I went to university because it was the next “logical step” and pursued a technical degree because I was always praised for my aptitude in science. When I entered the workforce, I think I started to be more honest with myself. I was unhappy, sometimes severely depressed, and eventually realized I needed a huge change if I was going to feel whole. That’s what I know now. At the time, it was just, “I hate this job, I want to love what I do.” So, I started going to scene study classes, got some work at a restaurant, and quit my desk job.

In some moments, I thought I might be an idiot, giving up a steady gig for something as fickle as a career in acting, but I never once second-guessed myself. And I immediately fell in love with it. I love venturing out and trying new things, not knowing what’s next—like wading through water in the dark. And I get bored easily, so the irregularity of this industry ironically soothes some of my deepest anxieties. In a lot of ways, the pivot from desk job to struggling actor was the easiest decision I’ve ever made.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career? Spencer: I could bore the hell out of anyone reading this and write a ten-page essay about the people, places, and things that have influenced me along the way. But I think I can boil it down simply to community.

My sense of community has grown and flowered into one of the most beautiful aspects of my life. I’m so, so lucky to find myself among a group of friends who care deeply for one another and inspire each other in myriad ways.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out? Spencer: The first class, signing with the first agent, being dumped by the first agent, signing with the agent I should have been with all along, the first booking, being on set for the first time (and every time), working with some truly lovely people along the way… I could go on, but it’s all been a sort of fantastic magical mystery ride, and I’m always just doing my best to appreciate every moment of it all.

Most recently, I got to work in the foothills of the Rockies, riding horses around on vast swathes of ranch land in Alberta. That was pretty damn cool.

PC: You recently joined the cast of Heartland. What can fans expect from Nathan? What was it about this particular character and series that resonated with you? Spencer: Mystery is starting to become a theme here because that’s one word that I would use to describe Nathan. But the mystery is really born from a damaged sense of belonging that he feels coming back to a community he was forced to leave after his parents separated.

I was raised by my mother as well after my parents separated and my dad moved away. As a boy, I idolized my father. Later on, as a man, I realized that I hadn’t really discovered who I was because I had modeled myself after someone who simply wasn’t me. I think Nathan is experiencing something similar. Having to step into his father’s shoes with regard to the ranching business while retaining his unique personality and autonomy is his challenge, all while bearing his father’s name.

Shirking the expectations of our parents ain’t always easy, and Nathan feels that.

PC: Your character finds himself returning to a town that he left several years prior, and it isn’t well-received by all, a situation you’re bringing much depth and nuance to. As an actor, how did you create the space for yourself to tackle the journey that Nathan finds himself on and shedding those walls? Spencer: What a compliment. Thank you. I must say, I found the writing did most of the work over the course of the season. Mark Haroun, the showrunner, really wanted Nathan to have a real rawness to him. He did a beautiful job slowly revealing Nathan’s character in a way that felt natural. All I had to do was, as you say, create space and say the words.

That’s always our job as actors. We’re blessed with words on a page which, if we’re open to receiving them, inspire us to action. I’m always trying to be more open and create space for spontaneity, in my work and in my life. As for how I do that, I’m not sure. Self-discovery for sure. Curiosity. A lil’ dash of yearning for adventure. In the end, it’s all a big… you guessed it. Mystery.

PC: This series is built on the relationships among the characters. Which was your favorite to explore this season and why? Spencer: This might be the obvious answer, but Amy and Nathan’s interplay pulled me right in. I appreciated the chance to explore a friendship that grows through adversity, has highs and lows, and isn’t just a simple “I like you, you like me, let’s be best buds.”

Nathan is emotionally stunted by a tumultuous upbringing, reintegrating into a community he was forced to leave behind and taking control of his dad’s ranch. Amy’s family runs a competing ranch, and her father and grandfather don’t care for Nathan’s business tactics, but she shows Nathan kindness in spite of her family’s jaded opinions of him. To me, these are very interesting circumstances.

These are the nuances and complexities that bring the characters closer to life, and that is my jam.

PC: Season 3 of Family Law will be released on the CW on January 17, 2024. Congratulations, by the way! What are you most excited for fans to see with regard to Aiden? Spencer: Thank you! I think the fans will get to see a softer side of Aiden, and a little more of an idea about why he’s so attracted to Abby.

PC: Playing Aiden is the longest you’ve lived with a character. Has anything about the experience surprised you? What has been the biggest takeaway thus far? Spencer: I take things as they come, and so far with Aiden, that’s been a pretty great experience. I think the biggest takeaway so far has been to allow that to happen, taking things as they come. The world of TV can change so fast, and when you sometimes have very little time to digest the material, the most you can hope for is a story that is exciting and dynamic, and that flows through you with ease. Susin Nielsen, our showrunner, and her team of writers, thread that needle so wonderfully. I’m very grateful to work with them to bring Aiden to life.

To keep up with Spencer, follow him on Instagram.

Source

[argisthebulwark]

i want to share this with you, maybe you like it, maybe you dont but in my heart i’ve never stopped wanting to become a princess in the future, yknow? like fuck corporate jobs, i wanna be a princess. but im also like addicted to the whole princess becomes somewhat rogue outlaw?

okay so, bryn breaking in some rich peoples home (or maybe a castle) only to find the lass of his dreams. im picturing something like tangled, except this motherfucker would definitely kidnap someone. for shits n giggles

listen i haven't seen tangled in like a decade but the vibes are immaculate. i do not want to have a 'job' or 'responsibilities' i simply want to chill. and i DO like it so much im sorry this took forever lmao

Just imagine Brynjolf hearing that some wealthy family has bought land in the Rift and getting giddy with excitement. They've made it obvious that their intention is to clear away the crumbling remnants of an old castle and rebuild. He keeps an eye on the construction, impressed with the sheer magnitude of the structure they're building. He rarely sees the owners, only workers.

When the construction ends and they begin work on the interior his interest wanes. He knows that it takes months for wealthy people to decorate their homes. Besides, he'll see it soon enough. He merely needs to wait for them to fill it with enough valuables to keep the Guild afloat.

(nothing nsft - i just write a lot)

Every once in a while Brynjolf checks in. He watches workers laying floorboards and hanging chandeliers. Furniture and appliances are carted in. He has no clue how many people will live in the castle or why they need so much stuff. When the paintings and bookshelves are finally hung he knows that it must be almost complete.

Despite the completion of the castle he notices that it remains dark. Whispered rumors around Riften hint that the family is traveling from far away, possibly even making the long journey from Solstheim. Others claim that the family built it only to sell to another wealthy family. Brynjolf doesn't care enough for the lives of rich folk to investigate their personal lives.

Returning from an unpleasant job in Dawnstar, Brynjolf is exhausted. His feet dragging and pack too light he's dreading the hopeful eyes of those waiting in the Cistern. Just as he's formulating the speech to explain the situation something catches his eye - there, flickering in the distance. The castle's curtains are thrown open and candles cast shadows upon the manicured lawn below.

Before he realizes what he's doing Brynjolf is crouched in the shadows of the castle's hedges. He's eyeing the broad windows and watching overdressed bodies squeeze in and out of view. The owners must be celebrating their arrival with every member of Skyrim's upper class.

They hardly hired any guards around the place. Brynjolf spots a few well-dressed employees that seem more focused on checking invitations than watching for thieves. His heart's in his throat when he scoots into the silence of the back garden.

The castle is large and spindly but one tower stands a few feet above the rest. It has to be their vault. The windows on this tower are thrown open but the lights are low, as if not wanting to draw attention. Brynjolf is grateful to the sharp new stones as he clambers his way up the side of the tower.

Sweat beading on his brow, Brynjolf grasps one last ledge. Voices float up from the garden but he doesn't waste his time - if they'd spotted him their tone wouldn't be so relaxed. A balcony at the tower's peak blocks the pesky moonlight from illuminating his hurried hop into the tower.

The staircase winds upward into the darkness. Sconces along the walkway are unlit and his footsteps are silent on the polished steps. His heart races with every step and Brynjolf finds himself envisioning what awaits at the top - chests full of gems and coin, jewelry if he's lucky. He's calculating how much space is left in his pack when he comes across the final door.

It's firmly shut. No visible locks but it doesn't budge - must be locked from the inside. Had he missed another entrance? The staircase winding up to the peak makes it impossible for a ladder to be hidden somewhere and he doubts that any of the nobles laughing and eating in the main hall are able to scale the walls.

The rational part of his mind urges him to return to the Cistern emptyhanded and create a viable plan but morbid curiosity leads to a quiet knock on the door. He waits, shocked to hear locks sliding open one by one.

"I already told you, I'm not interested in your pathetic suitors!"

When the door is wrenched open, Brynjolf is stunned. The most beautiful woman he's ever seen is glaring at him with enough venom to kill. Her fingers tap impatiently on the door as if waiting for his explanation.

"Well?" She prompts, voice sharp. "Which one sent you?"

"What?" Did she think he was from the Dark Brotherhood?

"Was it my mother or father?"

"No one." He answers curtly, ignoring the way his heart races. Surely it's from the panic of getting caught and has nothing to do with the woman glowering at him. Brynjolf pointedly ignores the way her face softens when she eyes him, noticing his attire.

"I heard the Thieves Guild was based in the Rift." Her head tilts and Brynjolf's heart skips at her words. "I didn't think you'd be so quick considering the state of your group."

"You're wrong, lass." Brynjolf lies through his teeth, surprised when she finally smiles at him.

"Oh good." She steps aside as if welcoming him. "I think we could help one another."

"How?" Brynjolf is careful, never looking away from her in case she's a threat. It has absolutely nothing to do with the alluring way she spoke or her nimble fingers braiding hair out of her face.

"I've been trapped with my family for ages." She mutters, tossing her robe aside to reveal basic clothing unlike those downstairs. "Not literally, of course, but socially. I'm chaperoned and shown off to every unmarried man on the continent with enough coin to his name. If I hadn't locked myself up here they'd be parading me around to whoever owns land in the Rift."

A nasty, jealous feeling leaves Brynjolf unsettled. He doesn't even know her name but dislikes the thought of her being treated like some animal to be sold off. He already knows he's going to agree to whatever she proposes when she faces him again, eyes full of hope.

"How can we help each other?" His voice remains neutral despite the excited fluttering in his chest.

"My parents are terrified of the Thieves Guild. Scared enough that if their eldest daughter were kidnapped I'm sure they'd pay a handsome fee to get her back."

"Sounds more like the Brotherhood or even some of the bandits." His attraction to her battles against the instinct to protect the Guild's failing image. "Thieves don't generally kidnap, lass."

"Then teach me to be a thief." She grins at him and Brynjolf knows she's won. "I can't stay here and rot in this tower or be married off to someone I hardly know."

"I'll keep you around if you're helpful." Brynjolf grumbles and savors the way her arms fling around his neck, treating her kidnapper like a savior.

"Okay!" She bounces to her desk, digging around until she finds some parchment. "Would you like to write the ransom note or shall I?"

[unfortunate17]

Ooo so what fics have you been imagining exactly??

Right now, I’ve gone down the Wilmon/Young Royals hole when it comes to fics so that’s what I’ll talk about here. There are SO MANY things I want to write/read in this fandom, but some of the headcanons have been stronger than others and there’s too many for them all to be written. Anyway, without further ado:

1. I want to explore how Wilmon’s sexual dynamic changes after the video gets published. This fic would be canon compliant and take place after a lot of the events of the series have shaken out and Wilmon finally have the chance to just be. Except now they have so much time and sometimes, when you have a lot of time, things Simon’s been ignoring start to come out of the woodwork. Namely - everyone on the internet has seen him have sex. When the video first came out, while Wilhelm totally shut out the world, I want Simon to have watched it back over and over and over again, picking himself apart and drowning in the embarrassment and regret of it all. I want it so that he feels exposed now whenever he’s intimate, doesn’t want Wilhelm to get him off, doesn't want Wilhelm to even look at him, wants to be in control, and is deeply, deeply unhappy. I have this vision of the ending where Simon would finally relax again, allow himself to be vulnerable, and Wilhelm would take over with a kind of there you are, I’ve got you kind of vibe.

2. Another exploration of Simon’s arc as Wilhelm grows out of his anxiety with the support of therapy and age and friends/family. I have this line rattling around in my brain: Simon has always held a fundamental belief that Wilhelm’s hurt runs deeper than his own, that his pain is somehow more important than his own. Throughout the series, Simon takes great pride in being able to take care of or protect people, often to his own detriment. He likes being needed. And I don’t think he truly understands the difference between being needed and being wanted. As Wilhelm starts to stand on his own feet and rely less and less on Simon for emotional stability, I want Simon to feel the conflicted horror of realizing that he doesn’t want Wilhelm to get better - because what if he doesn’t need Simon anymore then? What purpose would he have in Wilhelm’s life? What if he is unwanted?

3. (I think I’m going to write this next maybe): Wilhelm is a student at Hillerska, a secretive, expensive boarding school for mutant teenagers, loosely based off of the X-Men comics. I want him to have Storm’s powers of controlling the weather/having the weather reflect his mood. While he’s at Hillerska, he meets Simon, who has seemingly no powers. Mutants are a secret to the rest of the world, and Simon says he’s basically only there because his sister is a mutant (she can talk to animals) and it would be safer for the sake of the secret and if they both boarded at Hillerska. Wille has never seen such an exception made, but he’s not about to question it because he fucking adores having Simon around. They fall for eachother slowly but surely, but Simon keeps pulling away, like he’s afraid. Long story short, Simon does have a power - a very rare one - hint hint, Rogue is my favorite character.

4. (Or maybe I’ll finish this one first instead of the super hero one) I want a fic mainly just for the dynamic of Simon getting a whiplash of Wille’s personality HAHA and I’ve never written an office romance before sooo. Wilhelm would be in some position of corporate power, a senior partner at some firm, a director somewhere etc. And he definitely only got this position because of his family connections. While he’s good at his job, he’s a little too young and a little too inexperienced to have actually worked his way up there. Simon joins in an entry-level position and he’s shocked to learn that his skip level leader is his age but when the CEO says that Wille is her son, it all starts to come together. It also doesn’t help that Wilhelm is a bit detached and uncaring as a people leader but Simon doesn’t have room to complain, he really needs to keep this job so he shuts his mouth and puts his head down. His manager, August, might potentially be worse than Simon - he keeps taking credit for other people’s work and while Simon often takes no shit, again he really needs this fucking job. Eventually, one day, Wilhelm comes over to speak to him and to Simon’s shock, he asks him out. All of Simon’s friends tell Simon not to go, that Wille is likely just using him, but Simon is too fucking curious for his own good and Wille’s easy on the eyes so he does - and it turns out that Wilhelm is actually the nicest person ever? LOL

5. (this is not going to be like, irl accurate but idc) A really angsty/melo-dramatic fic that’s summed up with: If this is their happily ever after, why aren’t they happy? I want Wilmon to be married, but for Wilhelm to remain Crown Prince. Simon absolutely loathes royal life, but he loves Wilhelm. And Wilhelm still feels a strong sense of guilt induced duty, especially now that he’s been allowed to keep Simon at his side. Still, some days he feels as though he can barely bear it. One day, they have a blow-up argument about something trivially silly and Simon goes back to his mom’s house for a few weeks to cool off. He tells Wille that he needs to reevaluate their relationship and their priorities and Wilhelm doesn’t think he’s ever been as cold as he is at that moment. The main problem is that the things that Simon hates about their life cannot be fixed - whether or not Wilhelm abdicates, he will be hounded for the rest of his life, he will never be allowed to live in a normal apartment, he will always need to have security, and the press will only become more invasive. Simon had once said that Wilhelm was worth it, but now Wilhelm’s not so sure that Simon means it anymore. Security follows Simon back to Bjarstad, where unbeknownst to Simon, they keep sending Wilhelm updates on his whereabouts and doings. Wilhelm wants them to stop, but he also misses Simon like a missing limb, so he doesn’t say anything even if he knows it's wrong. Pretty soon, Wille is looking at pictures of Simon laughing in restaurants and playing soccer out on the old field and volunteering at the local church. And despite all the benefits of Wilhelm’s wealth and power and privilege that they both have enjoyed over the years, the sentiment that Wilhelm has ruined Simon’s life has never felt more real.

[astrolaurical]

Hey

It's the same girl who asked about your opinion on my 10 year old cousin thinking Jungkook will marry her

I just wanted to ask

Is it normal that Every ARMY(some non-ARMYs too) around me thinks that someone from BTS gonna marry them? Or is it just people around me???

Everyone are delulu omg😭

I have too many stories about these girls

I (forcefully) checked what they were talking about and checked your Tumblr and I was so thankful someone was normal. I almost thought Everyone were like that

And Yes I told her to stay in School

I think everyone has a secret fantasy about marrying their favorite celebrity. That’s why celebrities and idols exist and why boy bands are so successful. I’m really showing my age but omg the frenzy in the 90s and early 2000s around NYSNC and The Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears?? Unparalleled. Then in the late 2000s we saw it again with Justin Bieber and One Direction. The Josie and Pussycats film (SLAY) makes fun of the entertainment industry the entire movie by even parodying boyband obsession, product placements, and the trend cycles. The movie went over so many peoples’ heads when it was released so it bombed at the box office but it’s a cult classic for a reason. Highly recommend to watch!!! Also aging myself again by admitting I had both the dvd AND soundtrack as kid bc the songs are bangers. Honestly the 90s-2000s in general just rocked. This is the only meme I have of the film but see the product placement and the mockery of boy bands? Genius.

The 1D documentary is a perfect example of the boy band frenzy that JATP film was mocking bc they even had a small scene where they had a neuroscientist or someone similar in that profession (I haven’t seen the movie in a few years so I’m not 100% sure but I was a hardcore 1d stan and have the dvd bc their live vocals honestly slap. Their concert cover of teenage dirtbag in the movie?? Still waiting for the actual recording bc chefs kiss). Anyway the neuroscientist was saying that corporations/ music companies have these formulas to create the perfect idol down to a t after studying the phenomenons of rabid Beatles and Elvis fans in the 50/60s. It has to do with the happiness chemicals in the brain. Combine those with good looks and music? You can’t help but fall in love. The entertainment industry then purposely directs their carefully molded artists to vulnerable audiences (preteens, teens, women) because they will buy more products. Casey Aonso (another fellow 1d stan wassup girl) YouTube video describes their XFactor era HILARIOUSLY. War flashbacks. The clips about HOW BAD each individual one direction members auditions were but you could see the $$$ in the judges eyes bc the boys were good looking and you could tel the judges were plotting how to sell the boys good looks. And they did.

And boy do we know that formula works. Hybe overprices bts products on Weverse shop and y’all eat it up and sell it out every time. $200 for a REPACKAGED cd. Weren’t they selling like a $1000 product recently? But even Jin had to be like “nah for my Astronaut comeback yall not gonna be selling hella expensive pajama pants like last time tho. We don’t price gouge in this house”. All hail jin.

I’ve talked a lot about parasocial relationships and media training, etc. While I think it’s fine to have a secret fantasy about marrying *insert celebrity crush name here*, I think it’s important to realize it’s a FANTASY. Fun to think about and daydream to, but NOT REALISTIC when trying to plan a future around or with. Go play the childhood game of MASH or make a SIMS family with Jungkook as your husband. That’s fine and normal. But don’t be going around telling people he’s your boyfriend. That’s delusion. I’ve included a perfect real life example of healthy young fangirling in the tags.

EDIT JUNE 11 2023:

I happened to come across this tik tok video yesterday that also explains delusion and obsession. I think it applies to “fangirling” especially well. TW for trauma.

[anchanted-one]

“Father”

This is a part of my new ‘Book of Heroes’ series, but I wanted to post it right away

It’s a story of Jace Malcom receiving an unexpected guest. It takes place days after SWTOR: Annihilation, and is a variant of the first scene I dreamed up for my OC Jasme

Jace was home at 1800 sharp today.  He had been giving himself some time lately, perhaps due to the recent revelation which had shaken his life. For over twenty-four years, he had been a workaholic. Satele had been the last person he had given his heart to. After her sudden radio silence, he had dived into his work with a near all-consuming abandon. The Supreme Commander Malcom would not have taken the risk of defending Duro a few months ago; but with the knowledge that he had a son, had been willing to gamble. To hope.

It had made him reflect on a lot of things that he had done over the years. The many hard decisions which Satele would have condemned as actions of the Dark Side. He wondered now, this late in his life, if they had been truly necessary.

The idea that he had family… softened him, somehow. Made him more alive than he had been in years; pulled him out of the hard, ruthless soldier he had decided he was.

He entered his apartment, returning his sentries’ salute, and immediately hit the shower.

He groaned as the hot stream began loosening his muscles, and cleansing his mind. When he got out, he saw that someone had been trying to reach him. Despite the mess of emotions he felt after the past month, he decided to call back, just in case it was something urgent.

“Good evening, Grand Master.”

Her eyes did not linger on his body, but she gave him the soft smile that had once driven him crazy. “Good evening, Supreme Commander. I hope I’m not interrupting?”

“No, not interrupting, but I need to ask if this is urgent.”

She tilted her head at the question, and Jace felt a little weary.

“Not ‘urgent’, exactly, but one of the Order’s brightest Archivists has asked to meet you. I was hoping you’d accept her request.”

“Didn’t think the Grand Master would have time to petition on behalf of a lowly Archivist.”

“Unfortunately, time is a luxury these days. But Jasme’s a special case.”

“Well, I’ll see what she has to say,” Jace grunted. “But I can’t promise her more than twenty minutes of my time.”

That more than merely amused her; he’d never seen her toss her head back and laugh so hard before. “I’d wager five hundred credits—and a date in the Grande—that you’ll give her more time than that. Have a good evening, Jace. Be nice to her.”

Jace felt disconcerted but sighed. He threw a standard physical training uniform, the sort he wore casually around the house, as well as the more casual of gatherings for soldiers. He was just about to notify his security about a guest, when he got another call, this one from Theron.

“What is it, Theron? I’m sorry to keep this brief, but I’m about to receive a guest.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was calling about,” His son gave him a rather happy smile. “I heard Jasme’s coming over.”

“You know her?”

“Quite well. I thought I’d give you the head’s-up. She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met; kind, thoughtful, and honest. In fact, the Jedi often say this about her; she’s the happiest drop of sunshine in the Galaxy. You don’t have to feel like this is some big news interview.”

“Got it. I’ll try not to make her cry.”

And now he was treated to a roar of laughter from his son. “That’s like, the last thing I’ll ever worry about! No one hurts Jasme. Enjoy the evening, Commander.”

Jace was really feeling stumped now. What the blazes was going on? Was he having some strange dream?

Corporal Gibson called in before he could recover. “Sir, you have a visitor from the Jedi Archives. One ‘Jasme’.”

“Send her in.”

He headed over to his bar and began pulling out glasses and plates. He heard the main door open, and spied the young woman as she entered the room.

“Come in,” he said politely. “Please, have a seat. Is there anything I can get you?”

“Whatever you prefer, Sir,” she gave a very gracious bow that he only half-caught. “I’m sorry to intrude on your personal time, but…”

“It’s alright. I have the greatest of respect for scholars and researchers,” he assured her. While it was not entirely true, he did respect the need for such people. They were the ones who would tell past generations how to do better; by telling them what mistakes to avoid, or what paths to follow in difficult situations. He himself had used knowledge presented from the Jedi Archives to plan particularly interesting but obscure manoeuvres. “I take it you’ve come to talk about the Battle of Duro?”

“Erm… only tangentially, Sir. There’s a more important matter I need to discuss with you. Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Jasme.” She paused as he put the bottles of Chandrillan blue and Corellian Nectar on the counter. “Jasme Shan.”

He wheeled around in surprise, looking at her head on for the first time. She gave him a sunny smile, then bowed again. “I am Jasme Shan, and I am Theron’s twin sister. Your daughter. You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this.” She frowned slightly. “I can’t believe Theron found out before I did. I thought I had the advantage, being around Mom all the time! And I heard he wasn’t even looking!”

“Please, slow—slow down.” He staggered to a chair

“I’m sorry, Sir,” she apologized. “Bad habit. I ramble.”

“No, no! Don’t be!” His befuddled brain finally made sense of what Satele had said. There was no way he would be throwing this woman out. “Don’t be!”

He didn’t need proof, he could see it. Unlike his son, this girl was not a halfway between each parent. She had Satele’s figure and face, the same shape of her eyes, and nose. Her eye color though… it was the same brown as his. Her complexion was the same as well.

And she had his height too, she was one of the few human women he had met, who could look him straight in the eye.

“Here! I’ll get those drinks! Please, just sit down. I know it’s a lot to process.” She moved behind the bar and began mixing the drinks. He watched her as she poured them out, the daze fading at last.

She was wearing a form-fitting, long scarlet gown made of a bright scarlet fabric, and intricate golden embroidery. There was a holdout blaster belted to her slim waist, and knee-length black boots on her feet. She wore a bracelet on her wrist which had a lovely yellow crystal embedded in it, a crystal Jace was certain was used in Lightsabers.

She sat down beside him, carefully placing the drink in front of them. “So… has it started to sink in yet?”

“A little… why didn’t Theron…?”

“He was too stunned to mention it the first time you met him. And after… well, he called me as soon as he got his wits back. And I asked him if I could break the news myself, once the Ascendant Spear crisis had ended.”

“I see. Makes sense, I suppose.” He frowned at a sudden realization. “Wait! You knew about the Ascendant Spear? That was supposed to be top secret!”

“I helped Master Gnost prepare.”

“Ah, of course. He’s an archivist too.”

“The Master of the archives!” she smiled. “My boss.”

Jace chuckled, and took a sip of the cocktail. “So…”

She tilted her head. “Well… honestly, I’m at a loss too. I’ve dreamed of finding you for so long, but…”

“You said you had the upper hand over Theron, because you were with Satele all the time...”

“It wasn’t easy, but I wormed my way back into her life. By the time I appeared on her doorway, she had found her balance as a Jedi—there was no more a fear of Falling to the Dark Side. She accepted me back in, though she never stopped saying she didn’t deserve it. For what she did to us. But I forgave her, for my part.”

“I see…”

“She… hurts a lot behind her mask,” Jasme confided. “Always sad, always melancholy. I try to help where I can.”

“That’s… good. It’s good for people to have someone looking out for them.”

“But she—” Jasme shook her head. “I’m sorry, Sir. I came here to talk about you. And about us. If I may, I’d like to talk about her later.”

Jace felt his hope rise. “Does that mean…?”

She took a few deep breaths. “I want your permission to be your daughter,” she said firmly. “I’d like to meet you as often as I can. If you’re able to hear me call you ‘Dad’, that would be fantastic, but I can see how that would feel weird right off the bat.”

Jace swallowed a lump in his throat, but for the first time in years, he couldn’t contain his emotions. He wiped away moisture from his eyes that Jasme did not comment on, but when he opened his eyes, he saw her looking delighted.

“I… I would love that,” he informed her.

“Yes!!!” she did a charming little victory dance before looking at him again. “Um. Also if you don’t mind, I’m something of a hugger…”

“It’s not my style, but…” he laughed his first genuine laugh in years. “I’ll get used to it!”

He felt her arms lock around him the second he got the words out. He inhaled in shock as he returned the hug. This was really happening!

She held on tightly for a few seconds before chuckling. “You reacted exactly the way Mom and Theron did before they got used to this. Guess I’m the standout in this family! Not that that’s a bad thing.”

“Would you be okay if I let people know that you’re my daughter?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “That would be great! I don’t like sneaking around, giving people the wrong impression…”

“I take it the Jedi don’t know about your relationship to Satele.”

She chuckled ruefully. “We haven’t told many people about it. Not that that means much. I’m rather like her in some ways. And a lot of people know my connection to one ‘Theron Shan’. That should be enough to set tongues wagging.”

“I wanted to ask him why he kept her name,” Jace said. “He clearly… has issues with Satele.”

“He’d say it’s an act of defiance,” Jasme’s eyes shone with mirth. “I think it’s love. He tried so hard to get into the Academy, to be close to her. To understand her motives better. When he was denied… he was heartbroken.” Her humor vanished at that. “He cried for weeks before he disappeared. He’d send me messages every now and then, but it wasn���t until recently that I met him again. He can’t let go of her. Of his family. I’m certain Mister ‘I don’t talk about my feelings’ didn’t tell you this, but he was pleased when you found him. He'd given up on being a son, but soon after your talk…”

“Everything changed,” Jace finished. “I know the feeling.”

“He feels… more secure in the galaxy now. Calmer.”

“He thinks about more than just his job?”

She snorted. “Yeah. He came to meet me for the first time in years. He’s starting to feel wanted again, by more than just me. I’m glad.”

“Why aren’t you enough?”

“I… I’ve thought about it for years, and I still don’t have an answer. Maybe he wanted the right to feel angry? Maybe he found me annoying? I can be needy sometimes. Maybe he was ashamed. Maybe he needed someone who made him feel special; since I try to be everyone’s friend.”

“I don’t think it’s a ‘you’ problem. He… he called me before you came. He said you were the nicest person in the galaxy. Said no one hurts you.”

She laughed. “Not to my face, anyway. But I was a little hurt when he walked out on me. And a couple of other times in my life. We’ll get to those later.”

“Of course. I’d like to know everything there is about you.”

She thought for a moment, then gave him a slightly mischievous grin. “Are you absolutely sure you want to publicly accept me as your daughter?”

“Yes,” Jace smiled.

“Then you should know, I’m going to abuse that privilege,” her eyes sparkled again. “I’m going to introduce myself to some of your co-workers, and make them my collaborators.”

“Collaborators?”

“Yes. They’re going to be accessories in my plot to get you to live a healthier lifestyle. Get you to leave work at 1800, eat your meals on time, and so forth. Maybe even get their help fitting me into your schedule.”

“Ah,” he felt a mix of consternation and satisfaction. “You are making me nervous!”

“Good. I’d like to create a new comfort zone for you, one which allows me to drop in more often.”

“You will be welcome anytime,” Jace smiled.

She laughed again, and he realised that he felt a deep happiness whenever he heard that sound. A type of joy he’d long hoped to feel as a young adult, but had abandoned as time had passed.

He was… pleased. He had a son. And a daughter who already loved him, not half an hour after meeting him. Someone who made it clear she was going to fuss about his well-being in a way few did anymore.

The thought shattered some dam which had been standing in his chest for nearly thirty years, and a tidal wave of emotion burst forth which he had suppressed.

But Jasme held him as he wept, and for the first time in his life, he felt like he was home.

 *

[ooihcnoiwlerh]

Okay, so I wait tables and bartend for a living, and worked New Year’s Eve dinner for the second year at my first real non-corporate, independent neighborhood restaurant and bar.  The holiday season both last year and this year had shitshow experiences with things that we couldn’t control.  Last year, in mid-December, our coffee machine/hot water dispenser broke, meaning we couldn’t make our own coffee or iced tea and whenever people ordered hot tea, which was often, especially for hot toddies, whoever was bartending would have to heat up the water on a Bunsen burner.

This year, I come in at three.  It’s not too bad, except I don’t really know what the game plan is, when we switch to dinner.  We have a lot of covers considering that we’re, again, a pretty small restaurant and can only accommodate so many people at once.  We also have at most four servers on at a time and only one bartender to both take care of the bar guests and do service bartending, and at most one host.  So we have some disgruntled guests angry that we can’t accommodate them as much, especially given that for dinner we have a prix-fixe menu and can make exceptions only for a couple of dishes and for kid’s menu items.  The amount of covers increase to sixty-five as more people start panicking and making last-minute plans, and we start chanting “Four more!  Four more!  Four more!” and then a party of seven makes a reservation over the phone and we have to start playing Tetris with the three restaurant sections.  We correctly assume that the patio won’t be as popular.  I take the front section of the front room, fully prepared to be the closing server.  I will be.

The energy feels almost uncomfortable.  People are seething that we have too many reservations to have walk-ins, bar gets crowded, but it feels more uncomfortable than hectic.  But then it happens.  The shitshow.

Our water line breaks, which completely floods the bar with three inches of water, and floods the front room.  Our host has to abandon post to help clean it up, and the water keeps coming so I take over hosting duties in addition to looking after my section.  Our bar manager is MOD tonight, and he has a high threshold for bullshit but is the most stressed I’ve ever seen him.  He bought a nice new pair of shoes that are now ruined.  Our bartender nearly gets hurt a couple of times.  We have an on-call repairman named Bruce who comes in and stops the water, but clearly something’s wrong with how much water is on the floor.  I’m still waiting on and seating people, who are noticing the issue.  Our bar manager’s girlfriend and her family are one of my tables, and they’re thankfully pretty unfazed/sympathetic.  

My neighbors across the street come in and they probably notice how tense I am and that something’s wrong, and I admit that “there has been a minor technical issue” and I end up waiting on them.  By this point, no more water is seeping in and our host and repair guy, not to mention our bar manager, have helped soak up a fair amount of the flooding.  Our bartender, of course, has been a bit busy making a shit ton of drinks both for the bar and a fully packed restaurant.

It’s a nightmare but we get through it, because in the service industry the only way out of it is through it.  I can kind of see the humor in how we ended the year doing our best managing a crisis.  It’s a little cathartic, honestly.  We’re closed tomorrow and Monday, and on Monday I’m turning thirty, so this is not only our last shift of the year but my last shift there in my twenties.  My co-workers who are in their thirties assure me that things get better in your thirties, and I hope so.  Twenty-nine sucked.  I got a few creative things done but I also know eight people who died this year.  Our kitchen make us a nice family meal out of the extra items on our prix-fixe menu that included prime rib, porchetta, mashed potatoes, stewed cannellini beans, rapini, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and au jus and we all, back and front of house, toast to a difficult shift we managed to get through and to a new year.  I’ve never had porchetta or prime rib before this, and both are great--I’ve worked at a lot of restaurants where the food is either overrated or just kind of mediocre, but where I work takes pride in their food and as shitty as the evening has been, it’s been a good bonding experience.  As we clean up and close down we all have prosecco and/or tequila and/or Jameson and talk for a bit before we lock up and head home, feeling palpable relief that we were able to get through the night and feeling tougher for it.

[greylockkey]

It’s also horrifying that sometimes this person is an intern and sometimes that intern is me.

I worked for a production company for 3 consecutive summers while doing school during the rest of the year. And over those 3 summers the entire Quality department crumbled and rebuilt around me.

First summer, I was hired as a lab assistant for product testing to do the daily grunt work of testing so that the actual full time lab tech (J) could work on some other things. This is all well and good until at the end of my FIRST WEEK the Quality manager puts in her 2 weeks and the entire department (of like 5 people, it’s not a large operation lol) has to get restructured to compensate. By the end of my first 3 weeks at the company, J is the new Quality manager despite not wanting the position at all, and I am now the sole lab tech. I’m told to just focus on getting the daily testing done and not to worry about anything else because I’m still New(tm). Well, I was generally able to get the daily testing done by like 2pm depending on how many lots we did that day, so I started working on those side projects that J was supposed to be doing. This requires me to learn a whole lot about the production side of things really quickly so I absorb a whole bunch of information on how the place runs. They eventually hire a new full time lab tech (C) who won’t be leaving for school in 1.5 months and I train him up to be able to do everything required of the lab. Then I go back to school.

Second summer, I am hired back in the lab primarily to do the side projects, but it’s decided when I get there that I’ll split the projects and daily work 50/50 with C so that he is at least somewhat involved with more than the bare minimum of his job requirements. I get intimately familiar with the production, quality, and purchasing procedures because some of these side projects involve reviewing and updating Standard Operating Procedures where necessary, and I end up asking a whole lot of people a whole lot of questions about what it is exactly that they do. The summer passes mostly uneventfully and I leave with the knowledge that they are looking for a new Quality manager to replace J because he never wanted the position in the first place and really just wants to get back to being a lab tech. The regulatory requirements of dealing with government agencies really just doesn’t suit him. Then I leave for school.

Third summer there and shit has hit the fan. The new Quality manager (K) was hired in November, and by midway through April she has hired a new lab tech (A), fired both J and C, and hired a second new lab tech (R). Also during this time, the purchasing manager (V) has switched departments so he’s in Production instead of Quality. So the entire institutional knowledge of How Things Work in the lab dates back about 5 months when I come back with my 8 months worth of actually working there, and 2 years of process development knowledge (since I’ve seen the company grow between the summers I was there). This summer, however, I was not hired back into the lab, but as a general quality assistant, and my primary focus was supposed to be migrating our systems from a local server to a cloud server.

Note how I said SUPPOSED TO because this was not in fact my primary focus. K would like to believe it was, but really I was fielding questions from every department (production, quality, logistics, finance, warehouse) because people learned very early on that K was a raging bitch who was trying to run this very blue collar family owned production facility like it was a corporate white collar office. K liked to use all of the corporate buzzwords that made the CEO, COO, and CFO very happy, but really just didn’t actually tell people what was going on. Case in point, she hadn’t told anyone that I was going to be migrating the servers and deleting things off the local drives. I got a lot of angry emails about people wondering where the hell core documents had been going and how to access them on the new servers because K hadn’t actually told anyone we were doing this or how the new system even worked.

I also spent all summer trying to train the new lab techs because while they were able to do the daily testing, it was taking them both all day to do it so they didn’t have time to do literally anything else. Again note the key word of TRYING, because K wouldn’t let me train them unless I trained her beforehand and she was never available to be trained. She had a very bad habit of disappearing into the aether the second someone needed her. And outside of training people, she had banned me from the lab, so I couldn’t even step in to help on high production days, and the lab just got further and further behind.

Then K fired A, the lab tech who had technically been there the longest, because A had been asking too many questions about the legality of some of the things going on, though K just told us that she “wasn’t a good fit for the team”. (I had access to K’s email to field the aforementioned angry questions from the other departments, and to deal with customer complaints and I saw the email chain about her reasons for firing A with the COO). So we were back down to a single lab tech and I was still mostly banned from the lab. Some of the equipment in that lab is older than me and required some very finicky, very regular calibrations in order to operate somewhat accurately, and K wasn’t allowing me to go in and teach R how to do those calibrations so the numbers were just slowly drifting from what they were supposed to be reading.

I was also the one collecting all of the documentation for the federal and international audits we were having that year to re-certify the fact that we are allowed to sell product, as well as all of the documentation necessary to switch to a new standardization program. I’m genuinely not sure what the hell K did the entire time I was there beyond fire the last remaining old Quality member (who had been there for 7 ish years) as well as all of our maintenance staff all at once, and hiring people who were entirely unfamiliar with our old as shit production systems that required constant fixing and leaving no way to train them because all 3 previous maintenance guys were gone within a week of each other.

I left at the end of that summer with no intention of going back no matter how much money they offered me because they needed to get their shit together so that a SUMMER STUDENT was not the longest term worker in that department. By the end of it I had full admin rights to absolutely every system and was answering everyone’s questions because K was doing fuck all to actually run the Quality team and communicate with the rest of the company. I have no clue how they’re doing without me, but I’m graduating this year and am going to be looking for a job in my actual field. And you bet your ass that I will be putting every possible spin on my resume to reflect the amount of work and effort I put into that company because I swear to god by the end of that third summer I was the real Quality manager, not K.

I’ve got more stories from that hellish third summer too. This isn’t even half of it.

i think this is probably true of every office, but there's a middle aged woman working in business who doesn't hold any particular place in the chain of command but is Sovereign. i was running support and she has access to more secure network drives than i do. im pretty sure she has an admin account. i was having trouble with my parking pass and my boss just said to talk to kristen- one day later i had parking in any garage on campus. she's not even in charge of parking in our building

[doctorwhonerdadi3]

Ranking Doctor Who Episodes from Series 1

I’ve previously claimed that Christopher Eccleston is my favourite doctor, and most of that is due to nostalgia. But let’s look back at his series and do a bit of a dive into which episodes I like and why.

There are 13 episodes in this series, but for the sake of my rankings I will be counting 2 parters as 1 episode, meaning there are 10 rankings in this video.

That being said, let's begin.

Number 10: The Long game

The Long Game is hated amongst most of the Whovians for a few reasons.

So humans are on a spaceship with no aliens around, even though they're not banned. They broadcast the news from their head and it is all run by the Bad Wolf Corporation.

Despite having Simon Pegg in this episode, it is just kind of low par.

And I really dislike Adam in this episode.

Number 9: Aliens of London/ World War Three

The Slytheen family aren't that bad. They just have a simple sense of humour. They're supposed to be a bit of fun.

These episodes provide us with Jackie slapping the Doctor, and Mickey saving the day. He really proved his worth.

Rose just trusts the Doctor whole heartedly in this episode, but we are reminded that she is just a kid.

Number 8: Rose

Despite being the episode that brought back Doctor Who, it is a bit subpar to the other episodes in this list.

It was nice to see the autons as a villain but some of the special effects in this episode were bad even for the 2000s (Auton Mickey).

Rose saved the day in this episode claiming she's got no A Levels, no future etc. It was a nice speech but in the end all she did was Tarzan swing at the doctor and then he literally had to catch her. At least it worked?

Number 7: The End of the World

This is a series which definately builds and gets better throughout the most part.

The End of the World is sweet. That's pretty much all I can say about it. I liked Jabe, but she died.

A lot of people died in this episode.

Also, Rose really comes across as racist in this episode. Then again I think she is also homophobic (as seen in the Empty Child and the Doctor Dances when Jack goes to flirt with the guard).

Not much to say about this episode. It's sad that no one saw the planet die. And I like Cassandra.

Number 6: The Unquiet Dead

This is the episode which is classed as the Christmas special in this season, even though it came out in March. It's set at Christmas and features Charles Dickens.

I enjoy the characters in this episode and the plot. It's a sweet episode.

It is also the first episode where we see Rose and the Doctor as true companions, holding hands and ready to face death together.

Number 5: Father's Day

This is probably what would happen if you took a 19 year old travelling through time and space. She'd want to save her dad.

I think this episode is rather dark. The Doctor and Rose argue a fair bit, and then the Doctor dies.

It is nice that it's not Rose or the Doctor who saves the day. It's an ordinary man, Pete Tyler, being brave.

Number 4: Bad Wolf/ The Parting of Ways

A great finale.

The Daleks are back.

The Anne Droid.

Jack.

What more can you want? Plus, this being Eccleston's last couple of episodes, it means a lot.

His 'No' speech is amazing. His speech about being Fantastic is brilliant.

My only problem with this is it dated itself a little bit. Yeah Big Brother has come back now, but it's not the same as it was back in 2005.

Number 3: Boom Town

There is one person in this episode that annoys me, and that is Mickey. He asks to spend time with Rose, asks her to get a hotel room and basically hints that he wants to jump on the bed and do the bad thing- and then he tells her he's seeing Trisha Delany and that by being with Rose he's cheating on the girl from the shop.

The scene with the teleport is funny.

Jack brings out a darker side to the Doctor. The Doctor says no to taking Blon (Margret) to dinner, but as soon as Jack says he can electrocute her, he's suddenly down for it.

It's overall, just a really well acted episode, and I enjoy watching it.

Number 2: Dalek

My sister told me that her first memory of Doctor Who was seeing Adam and Rose on the stairs, and Adam is mocking the Dalek for not being able to get up them, just for it to say "Elevate" and start levitating.

This episode is brilliantly written.

And it's the first time we hear "You would make a good Dalek" and it actually means something.

Number 1: The Empty Child/ The Doctor Dances

Are you my mummy?

These episodes are terrifying and wholesome both at the same time.

The winner in this 2 parter is love.

The speech about everyone living is great, and the woman who says her leg has grown back makes for a funny little gag.

We are intoduced to Captain Jack in this episode.

Plus, Colin Baker (the 6th Doctor) claims that these two episodes of Doctor who are his favourite. (He said this on a panel at London Comic Con).

So what do you think of my list? Do you agree? Let me know. As always, remember this list is just opinion based and you are entitled to your own opinion.

Stay wibbly wobbly guys!

[ledenews]

Frangopoulos Accepts General Manager's Position at The Lube at The Highlands

The courtship only took 15 years. Fifteen very long years. The relationship, of course, always has been strong and consistent, but Michelle Izso Frangopoulos refused to take it to the next level. Until this month, that is. Frangopoulos is one of the original employees hired by Quaker Steak & Lube at The Highlands when the eatery opened in 2009, and so was her best friend, Christine McKnickle Thomas. Even though the two did not know each other very well at the time, the service manager and the marketing manager have teamed up to promote and present a number of special events that have placed The Lube on the “local” map. Hope for Hines. Dine to Donate. Feeding first responders on holidays. Name it and it’s likely it’s been done at The Lube. Frangopoulos has teamed up with Christine McKnickle Thomas to host a number of different special events and fundraisers at The Lube. “I believe Christine and I run a very good business, and we have a lot of regular events here that help our community because that’s very important to everyone that works here,” Frangopoulos explained. “I believe that’s what makes us special because we’re a corporate-run establishment, but at the same time, we’re a local place that reaches out to our community without being asked to do so. “Most of that work is all Christine, and then we all follow her lead so we can have the biggest impact possible,” she said. “I know the general manager’s position comes with a lot of hours and I know it involves everything under this roof instead of just one area like I had before, but I know my staff will be there to make this place even better than it’s been in the past.” Family, Frangopoulos has insisted, always has come first. “But now, taking this position, believe it or not, will give me some freedom, too, so I can attend my son’s (Aiden) soccer games in Pittsburgh or wherever they may be, and that’s going to be great because he’s a freshman at Wheeling Park now,” she explained. “So, he has games locally, but a lot of the bigger games are out of town. “Aiden may only be a freshman in high school, but he plays varsity for Park, and he’s been playing soccer since he was four years old,” she explained. “It means something to him, and he loves it, so he has my full support and I’m going to be there every chance I can.” Frangopoulos has been the service manager at The Lube for several years, and during her career, the eatery has employed 11 GMs. People, and More People The Highlands in Ohio County is home to more than 30 retail operations, 25 restaurants, seven hotels, nearly 30 service-oriented offices, two car dealerships, four light industrial outfits, AND The Highlands Sports Complex, so a plethora of people visit each and every week. Plus, the Federal Highways Administration says as many as 53,000 motorists travel along Interstate 70 in West Virginia on a daily basis. So, there are a thousands upon thousands of reasons why The Lube is open every single day of every year. “I accepted the position knowing all of that, but that’s because I’ve been here for 15 years and I think the way we go about it is honestly the best way for this eatery,” Frangopoulos insisted. “So, I decided to step up, take the position, and operate this Quaker Steak & Lube like the community restaurant it’s pretty much been since we opened. Of course, we get a lot of people from Interstate 70 because our food is terrific, but we also have our regulars and we’re known in the area as a restaurant you can count on when the community needs us. as the service manager at The Lube, Frangopoulos has needed to step in to help in all facets of the eatery's operation. “During those 15 years, we’ve seen general managers come and go, and I think we counted 11 GMs that we’ve had here, but this time I said yes because we know how to make this place successful,” she continued. “I’ve been asked to take the position before, but it wasn’t the right time to do it. Now it is, and we’re going to have a great summer.” The restaurant opens daily at 11 a.m. and is open at least 11 hours each day, and in two weeks the Quaker Steak & Lube corporation will celebrate 50 years in food service. The same week, The Lube at The Highlands will stage Biker Appreciation Day with free kickstand pads on Wednesday, May 1, “Thirsty Thursday” the next day with free glasses, a Patio Party on Friday with live entertainment, a special steak night on Saturday, and classic car Cruiser Appreciation Day on Sunday. “It’s going to be a lot of fun because we know we’ll see all of our friends from the community come to The Highlands,” Frangopoulos said. “We have had a few owners since I started here, but we’ve had the same great customers since the beginning. Plus, when we have bigger events like these will be, a lot of the people who have worked here come back to see us and that’s always a blast. “We’ve had a lot of college students here working, and after they’ve graduated, they’ve gone off to do what they went to school for, but they always come back to see us,” the new general manager said. “We have our bad days at work and this place is no different, but overall, we have a good time here and we make it fun for each other. And we’re a close-knit bunch here, and I hope that never changes.” Read the full article

[daisiesforkate]

College is a tool for class consciousness.

This is a conversation post. I want to have my mind changed on this.

Recently I’ve heard a lot of discourse about how college is a waste of money and doesn’t even matter and it has me truly baffled.

Personal background:

-My mom was a private school teacher so I was able to attend good boarding schools my whole life at almost no cost.

-I graduated college with a stem degree, which I was able to attend because my great grandmother paid some of my tuition before she died (I still had to take some loans and graduated with debt).

-I grew up in a liberal community that emphasized political activism and education.

-I am politically on the left, definitely the most left-leaning of my family and many of my friends, and consider myself to be pretty good about keeping up with sociopolitical goings-on.

ISSUE:

(I use “they” to refer to both the ruling and working classes here, so if it’s confusing anywhere just lmk)

The main arguments I hear are that A) college is too expensive and B) college is a waste of money because jobs don’t pay better if you have a degree.

A is totally fair, if you can’t afford it you can’t afford it. That’s not your fault and shouldn’t be held against you. I have no problem with this.

B is crazy to me. In a time when a mirror is being held up to society and the unique place that class holds as a socioeconomic marker is under examination, where is this mentality coming from? Like, the ruling class would LOVE for us to not be educated. They would kick their feet and giggle like schoolgirls if the working class decided to say “f school”. Like??? And people don’t want to be college-educated because jobs don’t pay that much more, but isn’t that also playing into the classist structure? Isn’t that the point? Yeah, they don’t pay more bc they don’t think a degree should be *for* you. It’s discouraging because it’s intended to be discouraging for anyone except other rich people. Like aren’t people who say B essentially saying “I have decided to make my life revolve around work and I do not care about furthering myself for anything unless it benefits the corporate world for me to do so”? Because, to me, they’re implying that if their job paid more to be more educated *then* they would go to college. I understand money is a big issue, but if for nothing else then is education for the sake of personal improvement not a good enough thing in the long run?

I wanted to go to the women’s march in DC in 2016, but I couldn’t because of school and my mom told me “education is our rebellion”, and I can’t wrap my head around why education of the working class is no longer seen as a tool for change or this great act of “sticking it to the man” and “getting up when they push you down” and whatnot. ESPECIALLY in a time when social activism is so prevalent and classism is being put under the microscope like this. Wouldn’t this be the exact period in history where we would expect to be seeing *more* education? It feels like we’re giving the ruling class exactly what they want since keeping people uneducated is a tool that they’ve used throughout history as a method of quelling social movements. And so often the same people who say college is a waste are also lamenting how politically/socially illiterate people have become, especially in regard to the news cycle. Higher education is how you combat that, is it not? Like a “using their own system against them” sorta thing. Shouldn’t we be saying “if you can’t afford it then don’t go, but if you **can** afford it then you should”? Shouldn’t there be a whole education-uprising or something?

If I heard more discussion about reorganizing the college structure or solutions that make college not “a waste of money” I would be totally down for those. But all I’m hearing is throwing the baby out with the bath water, it seems, and just giving up on the whole college system? I really don’t understand why.

This issue makes me feel like I’m misunderstanding something about classism and this is when I go and try to find out what it is I’m not getting. I feel like there is a gap in my understanding of the current social situation that I want to fill.

[ihavenothingtodo10220]

100% accurate with the way you said abt the therapist friend or the person whos always the extra earpiece. it feels like people want others in their lives but only for their own benefit bit like how people have kids even tho the world isnt really suitable for them so what do they do? have kids anyway and be like ehhh tell their gremlins to just suck it up as though older generations arent responsible for anything but then again no ones accountable so what does it matter anymore? ~ common sense anon.

Exactly. Like, the amount of times I was the third earpiece or the go between in basically everyone’s lives was exhausting as shit. And again I agree with your statement about having kids when the world isn’t suitable. Like, I get wanting to have a family and settle down and raise a kid, and if your situation means you can have one all the power to you, but people with those particular situations are growing to be less and less. And then I hate when people lord it over their kids heads like “Oh I gave birth to you.” That was a choice you made and something they have no control over. And I love what you said about ‘gremlins’ because honestly that’s what a majority Gen alpha is becoming. Not as if it’s their fault, but parents nowadays are shitty as fuck parents. I’m not saying my parents were perfect or parents in my generation were perfect, but at least the way they raised us was…Raising us, albeit with a lot of spankings which I’m not about to get into. But nowadays people don’t even want to raise their kids or have any punishments for them verbal or not. Like they just give them an iPad and let them walk all over them and do whatever they want. Again, this isn’t the kids fault and I’m not trying to be that person like “Oh kids nowadays are so disrespectful.” Like I have two baby cousins, sweetest kids ever, I love them to bits. Their father is a good dad, (albeit with corporal punishment which…Again we’re not getting into) and working long shifts so they’re with the mom most of the time, but their mom lets them do whatever the hell they want and run wild. Like I’ve seen them do crazy ass shit only for her to laugh it off or try and tell them not to only for them to walk all over her and for her to just let them. Like there’s a difference between gentle parenting and letting your kid run wild as a menace. When he’s around family and she isn’t he’s so sweet and articulate and well-behaved. He even listens well. But when she’s around? He runs wild and tears stuff up and my house and some furniture is STILL damaged from how much of a menace he was, albeit he’s mellowed out. He also tried to throw himself over the banister and she just wasn’t there because she left him unattended with me and the rest of his cousins who didn’t even really know we were supposed to be watching him. Also I just remembered this but he can’t go to daycare and stuff because he’s not potty trained. He’s about to be like six this year. And he still wears diapers. And lies about them being full and his mom just goes along with what he says even though we can smell it and see the sag.

All and all everything’s going to shit.

[m4tinnn]

Question 2

As a person who loves being creative and the world of creativity - This course that I’m in is the right place for me. I’m a person who loves digital to tactile and the various forms of art and design. From branding/marketing works and design communication to the art style of painting, Linocut, Screen print to even video formats and even sewing. I’ve been exposed to all various types of creativity and I have interest in all of them.

I do feel like I’m lucky to have this burning passion for being in the creative world as not many people love this space especially here in Singapore. Currently I'm taking my diploma in Design Communications and I’m left with 1 year and half in this course. I love it as the different modules shape me as a better designer but also someone who loves being creative. 

I would love to be an established designer in the upcoming years - Being in a design firm whether it being a corporate company just to start off to hopefully a design agency or a studio such as Practice.Theory - Foreign Policy Design or even go more of the tactile/illustration studio route such as Knuckles & Knotch any many more! 

Here are some of my current works! From school projects and also personal work!

Health Hub  - Mental Health Campaign 2022

This was a campaign by the Health Promotion Board in 2022. Their campaign was about raising awareness about the rise of Mental Health in Singapore. By having videos, social media ads to posters plastered all over Singapore, they got to raise the stigma of how important Mental Health is in this day and age of life.

The different stories in the posters are inspired by real stories that teenagers and the young generation faced in their lives in the modern age. How the different colours & characters represent the different stories and what they are about.

Personally I’ve seen the video ads and also saw the actual poster’s as seen from the picture I took. I’m glad that the government is finally realising how Mental Health is very important and how it’s a big issue in the modern day that we live in. I would say for the younger generation, this campaign definitely helps us a lot. It helps to be knowledgeable about the topic and what are the things we can do if we have friends/family facing these issues. However…

I do feel like this is still not enough for the older generation. There's still a big stigma about Mental Health and everything about this topic. Other than online & public awareness, There should be brochures around the country or be in the newspaper assuming the older generation still reads them.

Other ways could be organising a real life campaign doing different activities from talks to group counselling and such. Maybe having an annual event on the day of Mental Health day every 10th October making it free for all citizens to attend. Having this stigma more aware for the older generation.

Us as designers can communicate with the people around the basics by just having posters all over the island and raising awareness with the different social issues - Mental Health being one as I’ve shared. There's so many more campaigns held by the government so far such as the kindness campaign but there are also campaigns held by people having their own petition such as abolishing the death penalty any many more. 

580 Words

MLA Reference :

“Practice Theory.” Practice-Theory-2023, practicetheory.com.sg. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.

Policy, Foreign. “Coming Soon | Foreign Policy.” Foreignpolicy.design, foreignpolicy.design.

Knuckles & Notch | Knuckles & Notch Is a Risograph Printing and Publishing Studio. We Provide Riso-Printing Service and Operates as a Retail Shop for Art-Books, Prints and Merchandizes.knucklesandnotch.com. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.

“Seeking-Support.” Www.healthhub.sg, www.healthhub.sg/programmes/mindsg/seeking-support. Accessed 16 Nov. 2023.