#I am trying not to advertise the inside of where I live but also I am very lazy

[whywontvulcanseatreplicatormeat]

Gideon the Ninth, feat. the minimum one (1) dick joke.

[sparkysxi]

Alien Stage Predictions

so ROUND 6 dropped. As an Ivan fan I am DEVASTATED. but we must move on (have copium he and sua are secretly ok) (this is VIVINOS we’re talking about those bitches are dead) so I decided to have a little speculation about future content in order to strengthen myself against the inevitable heartbreak I will feel

ROUND 6 is the official halfway point of the series, so here are a few things I think could happen/future videos likely to drop:

An IVANTILL video like MIZISUA explaining their backstory (the lab/adoption center) 

A solo Luka video and a solo Mizi video 

perhaps a video for Isaac and Dewey. I just think they deserve a duet but I am not as confident in this prediction 

A video about the human rebellion (perhaps rescuing Till?) 

A video in the style of TOP 3, as an in-universe advertisement for the Finals/ROUND 7 

Speaking of the finals, that’s literally going to be a self-harm-off. 

Till has lost two of the most important people in his life and was already Not There during ROUND 6 he is not doing well, and I think Luka only really feels “alive” on the Alien Stage, so he may be trying to kill himself through entering the competition multiple times 

Or Luka is fucking insane and wants a mountain of bodies behind him to prove his worth to the aliens

maybe because of his laundry list of physical illnesses-perhaps Luka is scared he will be abandoned or killed for being a burden to his owner?

I think I will go INSANE if Mizi manages to rescue Till, like they get out of the arena, but Till’s crazy ass goes BACK INSIDE, like how he did for Mizi all those years ago, because he’s not leaving without Ivan’s body to at least bury him properly 

like the cinematic parallels that could be achieved here UGH *chefs kiss*

also I think it would be really cool if Till’s character became an exploration of heteronormativity-he’s been pining after Mizi after all this time, but he realizes that the admiration he has for her is not the same as the love she shared with Sua or the love/obsession Ivan had for him 

maybe Till is gay/bisexual-or on the ace/aro spectrum 

regardless of what he is the societal expectations are likely that girl humans like boy humans and boy humans like girl humans 

Till enters his queer rebellion era how DARE these aliens expect him to do ANYTHING

alien historians will call MiziSua and IvanTill “just really good friends”

anyway I also expect more Sua and Ivan hallucinations 

perhaps they’ll act as “guiding spirits” from here on out??

wouldn’t it be cool if we got a post-death Ivan and Sua duet? maybe they’re singing to Till and Mizi from the afterlife 

I’m less confident about that one as well but I think it would be neat 

a video of saving the children from Anakt Garden-with Till at the helm using skills Ivan taught him-less confident here again but would be fun nonetheless

I think it’s pretty likely BOTH Hyuna and Luka will die by the end of the series-Hyuna’s already injured and Luka has death flags (wearing all white and having feelings of love/affection/obsession towards another who does not reciprocate it equally) 

The non reciprocated love appears to be a common thread between our male contestants, doesn’t it?

However Hyuna may survive-half the cast lives, half the cast dies kinda thing 

They all end up missing their counterparts

I think ultimately the final scene of the series will be very melancholy-they’ve won, but at what cost 

And a lot of choking 

Also: one very emotional scene where the characters actually talk to one another. Not singing: talking to one another

[snootsrottmntcollection]

HC for Donnie Helping Reader Out with Astronomy Stuff (platonic)

Author’s Note: An indulgent little snippet. I’m rather interested in astronomy, and over the break I was given the privilege of taking the school telescope home with me to try out. I have no clue what I was thinking, since I’ve never operated a telescope before and I’m a total amateur. Last night, I spent hours trying to figure the thing out with a friend, however the instructions were worthless, and the Internet wasn’t helpful either. So, instead of wallowing in my terrible mood, I shall write!

Keep in mind that I live in the middle of nowhere, and seeing the stars is easy where I am because there is so little light pollution. I’ve also lived right next to a big city before, and the stars were essentially non-existent. If you want to look at the stars through a telescope, do your research! And because it’s very important, NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN THROUGH A TELESCOPE. Permanent eye damage will ensue.

Before he arrived, you already set everything up the way you thought it was supposed to be. The instructions told you to let the telescope cool down to the outside temperature, so you did.

It wasn’t just cold though; you were shivering from head to toe. Hot beverages have been made. And coffee, especially coffee. Stargazing is best done in the early hours of the morning after all.

The instruction manuals were all unorganized and open on the table. Preparation was a nightmare within a nightmare. Reading through everything was difficult, to say the least.

The filters and other attachments were still packed in their boxes. You have no idea when or how to use them, since nothing about color filters had been mentioned before.

The only thing keeping you away from a crime is your music taste.

He begged you to let him try out the telescope. Saying yes was the obviously correct choice.

Bouncing off the walls, absolutely insane, buzzing with excitement-

You had to pull yourself together and hush up about his bad boy image. So, so much self-control.

Donnie is so happy that he doesn’t have to wait for the telescope to cool down. He’s very appreciative of the drinks as well.

However,…

“I should have brought my heat lamp with me…”

“That would’ve defeated the whole idea of me putting it outside to cool off.”

“Dramatic sigh. Correct.”

This dude entirely disregards the manuals.

Walks away like they mean nothing to him. Which they don’t.

“Are you sure you don’t want to look through those?”

“Trash! It’s more like advertisement than instruction anyways.”

“Amen to that. I spent three hours looking up the terms they used.”

“That’s just a skill issue, and one that I do not have!”

Despite your apparent skill issue, he’s surprisingly patient when it comes to explaining what each little piece does and why it’s built in. His expertise was sadly not enough, as few pieces made him scrunch up his face in confusion.

The look of disappointment on his face as you finally convince him to look at the instruction manuals is comedy gold. It took you several minutes to stop laughing.

He didn’t want to look at the manuals anymore.

Donnie was quick to find decent explanations online, hidden in some wacky corner of the web that you were mildly suspicious of.

Whatever he read apparently did the trick.

You can actually see things now. And the filters are used for something important! You honestly just played around with them a bit, and took pictures on your phone. A totally violet Donnie wasn’t something you thought you needed, yet here you were.

You can confidently say you’ve seen Venus and Mars through a telescope.

Donnie even helped you find some constellations in the vast night sky. In a very meticulous and mathematical way, but hey, at least Gemini was fun to find.

You get to talking about the Andromeda galaxy for so long that your drinks partially froze over.

Taking everything back inside was so much easier with a helping hand.

Donnie decided to stay the night, meaning musicals and intense debates over miniscule junk.

You appreciate his company, even if astronomy wasn’t involved.

The two of you start getting ready for bed after the neighbors complained about your karaoke session.

“Regrets are for the weak.”

“I’m so weak dude, I can’t even.”

“Then cower.”

Best goodnight words in the history of goodnight words.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate it!

[alwayslovingharry]

Rolling In The Deep

A/N: Here comes the second chapter of When the music finally starts, part 1. The second part will be posted next week also on Saturday, I'm going to advance that it's called True Love. I think I'm going to start posting things on Saturdays, but no promises.

previous part

PAIRING: Harry Styles x Hailey Foster (1Dmember!reader)

WORD COUNT: 4.3k

WARNING: Not an english native speaker.

SUMMARY: Hayley gets ready for her Valentine's Day.

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14/03/2017

A relaxing shower listening to Adele was just what I needed. Since New Year's I've had almost no days off, and I can assure you that I've travelled more this month than during my first world tour with the band. If it wasn't a modelling show in London, it was an ad campaign in New York and if not a meeting in Los Angeles. 

Since the boys and I decided to take a break from the band I've been trying to start a modelling career or at least trying to start making a fashion image of myself. I've always loved design and the fashion world so, to get away from the music world for a bit, I thought modelling or starting to collaborate with brands would be the best option. 

That's why I've been so busy having meetings and attending events to get the attention of brands. Now my management is in meetings to start collaborating with Dior and Versace, whether they want me as a model or as an advertising image. 

"If you don’t get out of the shower right now, I'm going inside to take you, I don't care if you're totally naked," I hear my best friend shout from outside the bathroom, snapping me out of my thoughts, it seems my relaxing time is over. 

I step out of the shower through the mist that has been created in the bathroom and roll my hair up in a towel before I start drying myself off with another towel and put on my pyjamas. Olive has come to my house to help me get ready for my Valentine's date with Jack, he had insisted that we were going to one of the best restaurants in London as I was going to be here for a week without any events. 

When I come out of the bathroom, Liv is lying on her back on my bed staring at her mobile. 

"It's about time! We're short on time and I have to do all your make-up and hair," she says as she locks her phone and throws it on the bed before jumping to her feet. 

"There's still 3 hours before he comes. "I walk over to my dressing table, where all my make-up and everything else Liv will need is, and sit in the chair, looking at myself in the mirror. 

"Yeah, but we need to dry your hair, do your make-up and make sure the shoes I've picked out look good with the dress Jack gave you, we don't have as much time as you think we do." 

"I'm sure you'll make me perfect, Liv."

"We'll see..." she replies as she towels the excess water out of my hair. "Although I'd rather leave you with an EMO style, see if I can't scare off that stiff boyfriend of yours. "

"Olive..."

"What!? We all think the same, it makes you boring and it’s like you've got a stick up your arse, also you can't say he's not a compulsive control freak."

I try to answer but she turns on the dryer, preventing me from being able to say anything because I can't even hear myself. 

Jack may be uptight and his lifestyle may influence my character and my own way of living life. But managers have always said that it is good publicity that two childhood friends have fallen in love after meeting again years later. Besides the fact that the companies that belong to Jack's family are very influential and it also gives them a good image that the future director has a serious and stable relationship, like ours. 

And yes, Jack knows that my contracts with my managers allow them to decide about my life, although I'm sure he knows very little about the clauses in the contracts and what I am or am not obliged to do. The only people who know exactly what my contracts prevent me from doing are Louis and Olive, my best friends, who I told what they were because I needed to share with someone why I can't do what really makes me happy most of the time. 

"He's not a compulsive control freak," I reply as she finishes blow-drying my hair and is picking up the irons to curl my hair. 

"Hailey, where are you? Hailey I don't think you should be wearing that to that interview. Hailey I think you should stop making music for a while." she tries to mimic Jack."If he could I'm sure he'd put a tracking chip in you so he'd know where you are at all times." 

"He's just worried about me, it's nothing to worry about..."

"It's nothing to worry about? You donated your hair over a year ago and you still keep your hair above your shoulders because he says short hair is more businesslike."

"I like it short like that, I barely have to style it."

"Hails, I cut your hair when you donated it and your literal words when I was done were "I can't wait for it to grow out so I can go back to doing a high ponytail"."

"I said that because of the change, I went from a mile-long mane to shoulder-length hair." I make it up trying to sound convincing. 

"If you say so...I like your short hair, any haircut would look good on you, but you had such a well-cared for and beautiful mane...I loved all the braids and hairstyles you did. "

You're not the only one who loved it.

I look in the mirror, noticing how short my hair looks now that Liv has curled it a bit. Having short hair is very comfortable, but I always liked having long hair. I used to love being able to do all sorts of different hairstyles and I really miss it. 

"You know, I think I'm going to let it grow back, it's time to go back to my star look," I smile at my best friend through the mirror, and she does too as she finishes curling my hair. "I'm going to cancel my haircut appointment this week. "

Olive finishes and picks up some of the front strands to make two braids and pin them together at the back of my head with a small clip. She has always been good at doing my hair and I love being her test model. 

Just as she is about to start the make-up, the doorbell rings. 

"It can't be Jack, it's over two hours away," I say standing up and walking out of the room with Liv following me. 

"Maybe he sent you flowers or some of his usual crap to make him look like the perfect gentleman," Liv replies as we walk down the stairs to the door. 

"I don't think so, he's not the flower type."

I open the door to find a delivery man with a tablet on my little porch. 

"Hailey Foster?" the delivery guy asks looking up, he's a middle aged gentleman and doesn't seem to recognise me from having been in the best known English band of the decade. 

"It's me."

"Sign here, please." he hands me his tablet with a stylus pen so I can sign. 

Once I've signed and handed him back his tablet, the delivery man bends down and picks up a small box from the floor with a bunch of sunflowers on top. 

"This is for you," he replies as I take the flowers and pass them to Liv so I can take the box from his hands.

"Thank you. Do you know who sent it?" I ask. 

"No. Have a nice day."

I stand in disbelief as the delivery man walks down the stairs and out of my small garden and into his van before I go back inside and close the door, turning to look at Liv. 

"Did you see how rude he was?" I ask Olive. 

"A man of few words," she replies with a shrug, "Did Jack send it?"

"I don't think so, sunflowers and sending me something like this doesn't seem like his style. "

"Well open it, maybe it's some fan, they've finally found your lair."

"Ha. Ha. Ha. How funny you are Liv, but no, I moved out when the band broke up so they wouldn't bother me and I don't think they've found me yet." I start walking up the stairs looking at the box in my hands, it looks like a normal package. 

It must be a coincidence that a delivery arrived today, maybe the flowers were sent to me by Jack, maybe he has finally learnt which is my favourite flower.

I get to my room and sit back in my dressing table chair, leaving the box in a recess on the table. Liv enters my room with the bouquet still in her hands and sets it carefully on the bed before she sits down next to it as well. 

"What are you waiting for, open it!" 

"Maybe it's some Amazon order I didn't remember, Liv, maybe it's nothing. "

"An Amazon order that isn't packaged with an Amazon box and comes with flowers included on Valentine's Day, you are not buying that yourself."

I watch as Olive looks at me in the mirror, waiting for me to react and open the box. We both know she's right. I don't usually order things, I prefer to buy them in person and if I had ordered something it would be very strange if I didn't remember ordering it. 

"Open it, it'll be something Jack wants you to wear on your date. "

"Surely." I reply as I take the box back into my hands, turn in the chair so I'm facing Liv and carefully remove the ribbon that closes it." Maybe it's another Valentine's Day present. "

I open the box to find an envelope, another smaller box and two notebooks along with a small bag of Love hearts.

It doesn't look like something Jack would give me. 

"Hails, there was a card in the flowers." says Liv, I look up from the box to see the small envelope in my friend's hand and take it, as Liv takes her first look at the contents of the box." I don't think it was Jack. "

The small envelope now in my hands is completely white. I look up from the small envelope, meeting my friend's blue eyes staring back at me.

"What are you waiting for, open it!"

"I'm doing it, no need to yell," I reply as I dig my fingernail into the envelope and peel back the tab, only seeing a white card with something written on it before tossing the envelope to my best friend." I don't think...I'm not going to read it now. "

"But do you know who sent you all this?" she asks without looking at what's on the note yet. "Because if you don't want to know right now, I'm going to read it." 

"I don't want to think it's who I think it is...he's given me things like this before, it wouldn't be the first time. "

"All right..." Liv replies as she takes the little card out of the envelope and reads it to herself. "You can tell Mr. Styles that he can also give me gifts like this for Valentine's Day, I would really appreciate his thoughtfulness. "

"I thought after he didn't send anything last year, he'd never do it again."

Ever since we'd met, Harry had always given me something for Valentine's Day. Flowers, a necklace, a book...every year he'd given me something that meant something to us. Except last year. When I didn't get anything last year...I thought it meant he would have accepted that we could never be anything, but that doesn't seem to be the case. 

"Well, it looks like he hasn't lost faith in you guys...that he sent you this means he doesn't think all is lost."

"But he can't do anything, he doesn't know about the contracts." 

"The truth is that he doesn't have a contract that explicitly obliges him not to go out or have anything to do with you..."

"But my contract directly affects him if I break it."

"But he doesn't even know that! I always thought those contracts you signed must not be legal at all. It must not be legal for your managers to decide who you can and can't have a relationship with!"

"They're the ones who help us get to the top, they must have something to reassure them that all their efforts are worth it."

"Fucking managers with their stupid contracts..." Liv dramatically throws herself back on the bed, making me laugh." You're not going to want to read the card? Or open anything he sent you?"

"I don't think it's a good idea to look at presents from a guy who has a crush on me just before I go out with my boyfriend to our Valentine's Day dinner," she smiles sadly as I take the card from her hand and slip it into the box all the presents came in, closing it without looking inside again.

"You've been in love with him since the moment you saw where your smoothie ended up when I threw it at you in the queue for your audition.

"You and I both know that with our situation it never could be and never will be, a miracle would have to happen for Harry and I to have any chance."

"A miracle or you stop accepting other people deciding about your life."

"Those people have helped me achieve everything I have and without them I wouldn't be where I am."

"But at what cost?"

"You're dramatising it too much, Liv," I reply as I get up from my chair and put the box with what Harry has given me under my bed, "It's not like I've sold my soul to the devil, I have a boyfriend I can have a future with and I can't say I'm not happy, all my dreams since I was a little girl have come true."

"You have a boyfriend who loves you for your image and for all the publicity your relationship gives his company. You can't say you're fully happy either because you're not." Olive gets up to the vanity and grabs one of the makeup brushes, I sit back down on the vanity chair and she starts to apply my makeup. 

"You don't know anything about my relationship, you think you do but you don't. "

“You can try lying to yourself, but not to me. I'm the one who listens to all your complaints, in case you forget. "

"Look, Jack wants to have a future and that's something I'm happy about, to know that someone wants me in his life. "

"And Harry? Do you know what Harry wants? Because he does too many things for you, like sending you a present like this, he does too much to be someone he doesn't care about being in his life."

"But Harry...Harry has to succeed, that's what he's always wanted. "

"But he loves you too. "

"I doubt that, let alone if he found out the truth, he'd never risk losing everything he's worked for all these years. "

"You'll never know without talking to him, avoiding him isn't the best solution, it's hurting him more and it's hurting you too." 

"It's not my fault he's obsessed with me."

"He's in love with you and you're in love with him! Do you really know what you really want in your life? Do you want this?"

"I just want to be happy...and be successful, to reach the whole world with my music and the things I do."

"Well, thanks to Jack you stopped making your music, because he told you that maybe you should take advantage of the band's hiatus and take your time without composing or performing. You like the fashion world but everyone knows that your life is music. "

I remain silent as she searches through her bags for what she needs. I know she's right, but it's not as easy as just throwing it all away and running off to tell everything to Harry so we can have a happily ever after. 

"Do you want me to tell you what I see from my outside point of view of all this?," she asks as she puts a bit of makeup on my eyelids and I just nod, "I think Jack might want to marry you but you want to be with Harry and Harry wants to be with you...and I think you should say 'fuck Jack and all the contracts' and give Harry the chance he deserves. You can make it to the top together, you and Harry.

"It's not that easy, Liv, I'm not even sure I want to risk it all to prove it. I can't just throw it all away without Harry telling me if he wants to risk it or not, I can't just fuck up his career because I want to." 

"Well you should ask him, shouldn't you? That's why you need to talk about all this. Although if he told you all that the last time you met and he's given you something again on Valentine's Day...I think he's willing to risk it all for you, Hails," Liv continues to finish my make-up but I decide not to answer again.

I know Olive is right, Harry has never refused anything to be together and he has proved it to me several times. But I don't know if I want to risk everything we have both fought and worked for.

Olive finishes my make-up shortly after and I get dressed right away. We both avoid going back to the same subject and she stays until she's sure I'm perfect for my date, she may not like my boyfriend but she wants to make sure "her best friend is a hottie" on Valentine's Day. 

It's been almost a quarter of an hour since Olive left and it's more than half an hour before Jack comes to pick me up, my mobile rings above my bed. So I finish putting Harry's flowers in the vase on my dresser and turn to get my phone. Figuring it's Liv saying she's forgotten something, I pick it up without looking at the name as I sit on my bed.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Haileybear."

"Lou! I thought you were Liv" I laugh, Louis likes to give me absurd nicknames from time to time.

"You make my heart ache by insinuating that I look like your crazy friend," Louis jokes, Liv has always gotten along great with all the boys but with him she has a very very weird brotherly love-hate relationship." And you haven't even congratulated me on Valentine's Day, I thought you really loved your soul mate enough to be able to congratulate him on Valentine's Day.

Happy Valentine's Day, soul mate," I reply getting a laugh from Louis on the other end of the phone, "Are you in London or Doncaster? I need to see you. "

"Neither, I'm in LA recording a couple of things and I was on Late Late with Steve yesterday. But I'm sorry, I don't think I'll be back in England for more than a few hours for almost three weeks. "

"Why?! I need to see you Louis, I'm only going to be in London until the end of the week and then I'll be back and forth again until the end of the month or early March..."

"Harry is in Jamaica with his crew recording his album and has offered me to go with him to relax and enjoy the Caribbean."

I knew Louis and Harry were as good friends as Lou and I were, but that didn't mean I wasn't jealous to hear that Harry had convinced Louis to go to Jamaica.

I didn't convince him to come on any part of my trip to Europe but Harry offers him to go to Jamaica and he goes straight for it. 

"That's great...I'm glad."

"My flight is on the 25th and I fly back on the 4th of March to London and I'll be staying for a long time, maybe we could plan something just for when I come back or you come back, after Jamaica I'll be back in England until the end of April unless there's a change of plans" proposed Louis, knowing that I didn't like not being able to see him.

"Sure, we can try.

"Great!" exclaims Louis. We'll have to talk about it later, and by the way, I haven't asked you, how was your Valentine's Day? Jack?"

"He should be here soon, we're going to dinner at the Ritz restaurant."

"The idea doesn't seem to excite you..."

"It's just, I'd rather it wasn't so formal, I'd rather have a pizza and movie night at home and spend the whole night talking about anything...I'd prefer it simpler."

"And then you say you don't like clichés..." 

"It's not that I don't want a cliché, what I mean is that I'd prefer something more personal, just the two of us, but..."

"With Jack nothing is like that," Louis finished with a sigh, "Hails, you know you can tell me everything, what's up?"

I took a deep breath and got ready to blurt it all out.

"Harry sent me his usual Valentine's Day presents again and... I couldn't help comparing him to Jack. My boyfriend may have given me an expensive, stupid black dress from Channel, a dress he probably had one of his assistants buy for me without even seeing it. And Harry has given me my favourite flowers with a card and a box with things that I don't want to look at because I'm sure I'll end up crying, because I'm sure that everything he sent me is something that he has prepared and that he knows I'll like," I say without taking a breath until I finish, I know that with Louis I can be completely honest about all my problems without him judging me like Olive usually does, he understands what it's like to have contracts that limit your life and he knows that we have a limit. 

"Harry is one of the cheesiest, most romantic and thoughtful people I've ever met, don't ever compare his gifts to anyone else because he'll always win."

"I didn't expect him to send anything this year, last year he didn't send anything."

"Well...last year he did want to get you something but...he didn't know your new address," Louis hesitates and I can imagine why.

"And how did he know it this year, Louis?"

-Okay, I can't fool you, it was me. But I told him on X Factor because you left him devastated and he looked like an abandoned puppy, I couldn't say no when we started talking. " explains Louis. "He's my friend too. "

"I know, Lou, it's okay." 

Louis doesn't answer, I know he's waiting for me to continue talking.

"Just...do you think...should I tell Harry everything or should I just leave everything as it is?"

"I know you're in a very difficult situation and I wouldn't know quite what to do either but...I think you should have talked it over with Harry from the beginning. You may have had problems but at least you could support each other at this time and you wouldn't be suffering separately. Maybe you could have hidden your relationship or something. He cares about you a lot more than you think he does. "

" And what about Jack?" 

"I'm not too worried about that asshole either, honey," Louis replies clearly making me laugh." I know he's your boyfriend and all, but you deserve someone much better who appreciates and values you like you deserve." 

" Lou, you're going to make me cry and Liv will kill me for ruining her makeup." 

"Harry has always shown you that he loves you, he values you as it should be. Not like the attempted boyfriend who only uses you for marketing. "

"So should I tell him? Should I tell him that I've been lying to him all these years? "

"I'm not saying hang up and call him right now but you could try talking to him about it when it's time and you feel really ready. "

"I don't want to fuck up anymore, Lou," I sigh, I'm tired of all this trouble. "What if Harry gets mad at me like forever?"

"Harry has never really been mad at you and I can assure you that everything will be fine, you'll see."

Just as I'm about to answer Louis the doorbell rings and I look at the clock on my bedside table. For once Jack seems to be on time for one of our appointments. 

"Lou, I've got to go, Jack just got here.

"You know, if you need anything call me, no matter the time difference." 

"I love you Lou, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I love you too Hails, take care of yourself." he replies before hanging up. 

I get out of bed and take one last look at myself in the mirror in my room to make sure everything is okay, I love the make up Liv has done and the braids she has pulled up from the front of my hair are beautiful. 

Before I leave my room I pick up the jacket and bag I'm going to take with me and head downstairs. I open the door to find my boyfriend looking up from his mobile to look at me with a smile. 

"Happy Valentine's Day," he says before coming up to me and giving me a quick kiss on the lips. 

"Happy Valentine's Day to you too."

"Are you ready?"

"Sure" I smile as I walk through the door and close it, Jack smiles at me and offers me his hand to walk to the car, where a driver is waiting for us. 

to continue...

next part

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Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it, please leave any comments or leave a like it if you enjoyed it.

See you soon :)

[lovesick-yanderes]

Sabrael Character Bio | 2090 words

TWs: Stalking, kidnapping, manipulation/gaslighting

Note: I used prompts from a now deleted blog titled drink-it-write-it multiple times in this story. I would link the blog as well as the posts I used, but I am unable to do so.

-

You’ve felt off lately.

Well, not you. The atmosphere. Something has been making your skin crawl and your body shiver for the past few weeks, and you’ve been wracking your brain to figure out what it might be.

You’re by yourself most of the time. You work from home, where you live alone, with not even an animal companion to keep you company. The houses next door, bought up cheap for rentals, remain empty after months of advertisements. Across the street is a highway, leaving you with no neighbors and only a small amount of pedestrian traffic to cast your suspicion onto.

To address the paranoia, you start keeping all of your blinds shut. It evolves into ordering curtains to fully cover the windows, and then hanging blankets to block any and all gaps you might have missed. It doesn’t help.

You stop taking phone calls at home and keep all of your communication contained to emails and text messages; while this seems to make you feel more secure for a day or so, the paranoia comes back in full force yet again, leaving you jumpy.

One day, you head out of the house to do your biweekly grocery shopping trip. A 10 minute drive to the grocery store offers you a chance at socialization and a feeling of safety. Grateful to be out of the house, you take your time shopping. You browse the aisles slowly, making sure you’re getting the best deal on your items and even substituting a few things for cheaper versions on sale. While crossing through the automotive section to get to the home goods, a particular sale sign catches your eye.

On an otherwise empty rack sits a black pepper spray canister. The sale sign labels them at 40% off, a complete steal. Your heart skips a beat as you remember how paranoid you’ve been. Without thinking, you throw the last package into your cart and continue on to the home goods.

After finishing your shopping, you check out, pay, and load your bags into the trunk of your car. Before pulling out of your parking space, you rip open the pepper spray and secure it to your keychain, giving you instant, immediate access to your only form of defense. You clutch it tightly in your hand, familiarizing yourself with the weapon and its trigger, before letting it go slack on the keychain and then driving back home.

Pulling into the driveway sends a wave of nausea throughout your entire body, causing you to groan. You put the car into park and step out, heading to your trunk to start the process of bringing your things inside. You reach for the heaviest items first- laundry detergent, milk, and vinegar- and then proceed to drop them all when you turn your body and see a stranger smiling in front of you. You scream and stumble back, nearly falling but saving yourself by grabbing onto the car.

“Need some help?” The stranger asks, remaining cool and calm.

“Fuck off,” you stutter, taking a few more steps back.

They smile. “Your groceries look heavy. Let me help you with them.”

“No,” you firmly tell them, reaching up to shut the trunk, nearly crushing their hand. “Fuck off.”

They frown and turn their sights on you, walking slowly to close the gap between your bodies. You gasp and turn to run, trying to get back into the driver’s seat so you can get away from them. You fumble for your keys, which are currently absent from your pocket- a short glance into the car reveals them sitting in the seat. You also notice that your doors have been locked. God damn it. You circle the car again, trying to keep space between you and your unwelcome guest, keeping your eyes on them while your hands fumble between your bag and pockets. You grip onto the pepper spray you’d just purchased and hold it up, parallel to your chest, facing the stranger and standing your ground. They stop.

“How long have you been stalking me?” You spit out, your grip on the pepper spray shaky.

“I prefer the phrase “watching over you,” my love,” they say, continuing their slow approach of you, unphased by the black cylinder being aimed at them. Your heart, already beating erratically, shifts into overdrive as they get closer and closer. The confirmation that you have been being watched this entire time makes you want to curl up and sob right on the spot, but you hold strong to keep yourself safe.

“I’m warning you one last time,” you cry, your finger on the canister’s trigger. You’re starting to hyperventilate. The lack of oxygen and the adrenaline high leaves you feeling lightheaded and dizzy.

“I wouldn’t do that, darling,” they gently instruct you.

Darling? That’s it. You press the trigger and immediately reel back in pain as pepper spray goes into your eyes, nose, and mouth, sending burning pain all throughout your body. You scream and fall back, dropping your one form of self defense as you bring your hands to your face, desperate to wipe the spray from your eyes and nose. Your attempts at clearing it from your skin make its effects worse.

As you wheeze and sob, you hear the stranger quietly chuckle at your state. “I warned you, you know.”

Suddenly, everything stops. There is no more pain; no more noise, either. The constant drone of cars speeding on the highway is completely absent. You’re swimming in a black void, completely detached from reality. When you’re finally able to open your eyes, you’re sitting in a plush armchair in a room that is disturbingly beige. You leap to your feet, holding a tense position as you scan the room. You’re alone.

The room is small, about the size of a college dorm, with what appears to be a full-sized bed, a tall dresser, and two sets of doors on opposite sides of the room. A small TV sits on top of the dresser and a white yoga mat is rolled and leaning against the bed frame. You walk to the doors and try opening each of them; the one closest to your bed leads to an equally beige bathroom, stocked with self care supplies like a brush, soap, and toothpaste. Much to your dismay, the other door is locked. You sink down to the floor next to the yoga mat, trying to piece together where you are and what exactly happened to you.You’re alone with your own thoughts for about ten minutes before the door knob begins to rattle. You jump at the sudden appearance of noise and then clench your fists together, trying to keep a facade of braveness. The stranger from earlier slowly pops open the door and smiles down at you before entering and shutting the door behind them.

“I see you’re awake. You seem much more calm now… I’m glad.”

You waste no time with pleasantries. “Who are you?”

They smile down at you. “My name is Sabrael. I’m your guardian angel,” they say, sitting down on the floor with you to stay on your level. You watch as they descend, fixated on their eyes, which glow brightly, the color of solid gold. “I noticed you were having a hard time taking care of yourself… I figured it was about time someone stepped in.”

You scowl at them. “I’ve been taking care of myself for as long as I can remember. I don’t need help from anyone, especially someone who’s been stalking me and who just kidnapped me.”

They hum in acknowledgement of your words, but don’t directly respond to them. “What would you like to eat today? I know that humans crave variety in their diet, so I decided against making you something you might not be in the mood for.”

“I’m not hungry. Let me go.”

They ignore you again. “Perhaps you’d like to exercise, then. The yoga mat you’re sitting next to is one of many options I have available for you to choose from.”

You feel your anger rising. “I’m not working out,” you spit. “Let me go.”

“I see… Perhaps you’re a little overwhelmed from your sudden change in environment… Would you like to watch a movie to relax? The TV is set up with-”

“I want to go home, God damn it!” You shout at them. Sobs wrack your body after the outburst. Sabrael reaches to caress your face, trying to calm you, but you roughly slap their hand away, aggressively shouting at them for trying to touch you.

The atmosphere of the room changes instantly. Through your bleary eyes, you watch as Sabrael’s expression morphs from kind and caring to cold and angry.

“This is how you treat me after everything I’ve done for you?” They ask, venom dripping from every word. They stand up and loom over you, looking down at your frightened figure. You hug yourself tight for security, a new set of tears quickly streaming down your face. You sit in silence for a moment before they speak again. “I’ve spent months learning about you and humans in general… I created this nice little home just for you, fit with everything you need to live a happy and enriched life… I tried to comfort you during an emotional outburst and you attacked me.” They shake their head at you, sending a message of dissatisfaction and disappointment. “If this is how you treat others, it’s no wonder you’ve been so alone in the human realm.”

Anger boils over, ridding the fear from your body. “You kidnapped me,” you choke out, your words hoarse from the wailing. “You fucking kidnapped me, and you expect me to be nice to you?”

“I did that because I was trying to help you,” they reply, glaring down at you. “I see now that you’re not open to logic.” They reach down and grip your head, covering your eyes with their hand. “We’ll try something else.” Before you can react and try to slap them away, you’re sent back to the same black void you were swimming in before.

You come back to reality again in your own bed, in your own home. You sit up abruptly, scanning your surroundings… You’re alone. At home. It all must have been a dream. A fucked up, horrible nightmare of a dream, but nevertheless fabricated. You get out of bed and take a long, hot shower, dedicated to decompressing after such a stressful dream. After getting out and changing into lounge wear, you head to the kitchen to find something to eat.

When you enter, Sabrael is sitting at the table, smiling at you as two plates of breakfast sit idly, as if they’ve been waiting for you to join them all morning. They motion to the chair across from them. Without a fight, you numbly walk to it, plopping down and staring at the meal. Thousands of thoughts race through your brain. You’d just spent so long convincing yourself that it wasn’t real, that you weren’t being stalked and that you hadn’t been kidnapped, that it was all just a nightmare induced by the paranoia you’ve been experiencing for weeks on end…

“The stress you experienced last night was not anticipated,” Sabrael says, catching your attention from your anxious thoughts. “I now know that humans need time to adjust to new circumstances. We’ll begin this relationship in your home, and move on when you’re more adjusted.”

“Relationship?” You question, raising your brows in complete confusion.

“I’m your guardian angel,” they reiterate. “I exist to take care of you. I am yours, and by extension, you are mine.” They pause to smile, a giddy expression overtaking their face. “We’ll stay in your home for now, so you can learn how our dynamic will function in a place where you feel secure. When the proper time comes, we will depart back to the home I created for you.”

You sit in shock, bile rising in your throat as you process what they’re telling you. When it finally clicks that this isn’t something you’re going to be able to get out of, you set your head on the table and begin to cry. You don’t have the energy or the fortitude to continue to scream and fight. You’ve accepted that you’re stuck, and that nothing you or anyone else can do will save you from this creature. Fuck. You feel Sabrael’s hand gently rubbing your back. They quietly hush you as you continue to sob, completely defeated.

[demonslayedher]

KnY "A Job in Kyoto" Collab - The Third

This is the third time Ufotable has teamed up with the Toei Movie Studio Park and Randen Railway for a Kimetsu no Yaiba collab event. Like it many events, we get some art produced for the Kamaboko Group and who ever is being their chaperone that time around. As in many recent events around Japan, Uzui-san is playing babysitter for this "Job in Kyoto" event! Sadly I was not yet a KnY fan when the first collab took place, though I was actively getting curious about KnY and recall seeing the fliers on the bus. I do have posts about the somewhat more extensive second collab, which was when Rengoku-san was playing chaperone and the Railway Museum was involved. Anyway, lots of photos put together into long compilations to get around the 10 image limit. The movie studio park had lots and lots and lots of displays, especially since they already have a functional Yoshiwara set.

But first, we still have some trains, including special cars running on the Randen Line.

I got lucky riding the car with Tanjiro & Nezuko on the outside and the Wisteria Crest inside, as well as a few random sprigs of fake wisteria and butterflies. The Randen Line already uses a royal purple theme what with Kyoto long since having been the home of royalty, so it takes to a Wisteria theme pretty well. Much more exciting, of course, was the brown retro-looking Rengoku tram, with a "Mugen" label on the outside, and all the usual train advertisements replaced with Mugen Ressha screenshots. Also, Rengoku stands on that train with you for your whole ride to keep you safe.

So there there were some small events at the Arashiyama Randen station (like last time) as well as some small stuff at one of the other Randen stops, Katabiranotsuji, which is nearby the Toei Movie Studio Park in a neighborhood that retains a lot of the old movie making culture. That's why Uzui is posed by a very Showa-looking set, and you know what? By the Showa era, maybe he and his wives lived in a place like that. Anyway, besides the themed cafe drinks (I got the "I can't move around in these clothes" Inoko one) and a small display on the roof among the Arashiyama scenery, the usual lukewarm platform ashiyu (foot bath) was decked out as a medical thing with wisteria, butterflies, and a couple of our favorite girls and their favorite thing to blow to smithereens.

Ah, and that is some Uzui Genmaicha up there as a souvenir. I got Urokodaki tea last time they did a Kyoto collab. I wound up getting more tea today, a Gyokuro packet with Tanjiro on it. That's a nice touch, since that's the tea he demands of Kotetsu when he's finally allowed to drink something again in his training against Yoriichi Type Zero. That's something I love about these events; so many of the people going to them aren't casual fans, I love seeing other people at these events appreciate all those subtle details. I love seeing what they're wearing, too!! Since cosplay isn't allowed, there's a bunch of people who do their own spins on Closet Play. My favorite was a girl in fishnets and other gothy details who had decked herself out in Zenko & Uzui accessories. I wound up doing to Arashiyama after work one day and therefore didn't do anything special, but for the movie studio park, I went with a slight Shinazugawa Brother theme, with my nice and jagged tamahagane earrings, ufufu.

You'll see more of me later, for I am more than a nerd, I am a dork.

So anyway, on to the Toei Movie Studio park! They do actually shoot period dramas here, so a big section of the park was closed for that, but there's always lots to see. For lunch I originally wanted to eat the "Don't Throw That!!" udon which was meant for Makio, but my friend wanted to try the soba which Rengoku so lovingly ate while getting details about his upcoming train mission, so I picked the riceball set loving made by Sumiko (certainly love is the only secret ingredient). It was good, the slightly grilled edges were a nice touch. This happened to be the same spot where I ate at the last collab; I had simmered salmon and daikon that time.

This is a good time to mention one of the little games set up to go around the park looking for hints and keywords to get a prize. You chose one of four courses and get a paper with a crow giving you your first instruction, like finding a fan or an obi, and then you follow the stickers of Tanjiro finding Pillars and asking them about these objects. My friend found Himejima with no idea what he was doing holding an oiran's obi which someone handed him, so "oiran" was her keyword, and my last stop was back at this restaurant, where Giyuu had already taken care of the fan and had stopped in for a bite to eat, only to find there was no longer any simmered salmon and daikon on the menu. That was my keyword.

So anyway! The main events where in two sections. The indoor series of displays recreated many iconic scenes, and you could interact with a bunch of them, including crawling through a tunnel like Inosuke (well, not quite like Inosuke) to enter a cave full of Daki's obi. I especially loved all the detail they put into recreating Shinobu's office (look! She has disinfectant at the entrance, hahaha! This shouldn't be funny...) as well as the train bentou sold by the bentou vendors. In the walk-through of Season 1 settings, there was a voiceover by Tanjiro reflecting on what he and Nezuko have been through and the people they've met.

The usual Yoshiwara movie set has a voice recording of Uzui-san recapping what the pleasure quarters were, and wondering what sorts of reports the boysgirls will bring back for him. They named three of the brothels the Ogimoto-ya, Kyogoku-ya, and Tokito-ya (and on that note, some other regular fixtures around the park were decked out like Tanjiro's haori, because why not). Some of the interactive bits were carrying things like Sumiko and posing with a shamisen, but here's a Taisho Secret--that shamisen has been broken, many, many times throughout the course of this collab event. We had good luck being there on a day where it was more or less still in shape.

Oh, and they randomly give you a rank sticker. My friend was a Hinoto (7th out of 10), and I was right below her as a Tsumonoe (6th).

So anyway. Since you could interact with so many of the displays, I shall now subject you to my reenactments of the anime thus far.

[atom-bomb-baby]

Show me on the doll where a shirt hurt you. If you’re losing your shit over an ad, best not ever leave your house. Someone hurt your feelings by giving you the finger. I’d much rather punch queers like you in the face but that’s just me. I used to be pretty neutral to your kind, everyone can do what they want but those days are over after Nashville.

I was just going to ignore you because you're Petty and sad inside, but then you wrote that last line; you fucked with the wrong person. This is how you spend your free time by sending shit like this. You could have just ignored my post so many others but no no you decided to go on to my blog hit Anonymous & type this garbage & send it. I pity you. You have a sad and pathetic life. Honestly it was less the gun shirt that bothered me and more of the "I didn't serve for this country to protect pussies" or "two people died to protect you Jesus and veteran" nonsense.

I live in fucking Idaho. I shot my first gun at 4. No that's not an exaggeration or hyperbole. I own five guns. Try Me Bitch. This is not a queer that is afraid of guns. I just don't think you should get them as easily, let's make 10x harder than it is right now minimum. Also the fact that there's no concealed carry laws in my state that means anyone can be packing it anytime. Let's not advertise gun T-shirts shortly after mass shooting you know. Maybe we should be able to at least be like 'I don't want to see that shit' on this site.

Please go and touch grass and leave me the fuck alone. Next time I am simply ignoring & blocking you because there's no point. I'm going to continue existing as queer and you're going to continue existing alone and sad and wrong.

[apocalypse-eyes]

Disappearances

Dark rain to cold. To darkness. Cycling on uneven streets. Murderer asphalt downhill with wet eyes with blackness. I need to keep my head down. Headlights like white knives twisting in night. And sirens to relapse, to shrill call suicide. I'm riding between the heavy machines and can only trust my legs and stomach. Necessity is irrelevant to gunshots. I'm also huddled in a ravine, clutching my tools together. My rifle to my IFAK with gasping. I'm cashiering, I'm running. I don't know where I am but my body remembers strain. Rain in my eyes, it's usual. With sweat or my legs' ache. I don't remember my spine the way it pinches when I bend. A car alarm, a couple of shouts that combine into murmurs. I missed a pothole with my wheel. Another neglected wound in the city. You can't see these when you're walking or driving. They could kill me any second to throw this body under a car. Like the smokes of these past few years that descended yellow/black and thick suddenly. You could ignore them better in your home but I had to ride where I was going. I bought masks from a hardware store in 2017 to keep from choking in the streets. It's happening more and more that you can't see from where you are.

Skies the color of tainted urine I bought a gun in ignorance. Whatever research I do the future remains inscrutable. Inevitable. Illness and character defects are leading me deaf. Once in the week I see a mirror and I'm markedly different. I'm sinking through the abyss that I know well but do not understand. My anarchism is a living body sewed inside a corpse. I turn a corner and my wheel skids on wet. It could be my death but I re-correct. The meaning to any of this is useless. My headlight flickers and evaporates as I didn't charge it recently. I know I didn't. I can't keep pace with the system that surrounds me. I'm base reactions to reptilian chemistry every day. It'll overwhelm me and sometimes I'll find a break. I steal a watch out of Walmart. I put a bruise in their bodyguard and am anonymous. I'm overtaken with dreams while Earth whirs. This engine is horribly misshapen. Not attended to. There's no need on Earth to be aware of life. The laws of dynamics exact equations, exact austerity into a street of oil and slogans.

I could kick out your taillights. I could jump into your passenger window to finger out your eyes. This life is built of possibilities. Love is a continuum like the motions of downtown run to the bleak water of ocean. We don't mean anything when we wake in the morning, only a suspicious drone calls the night. The passage of time is our Britannia. The sink in a slick of doubt. My lips are full of flies riding between the bus and a redbrown truck. The voices in my head are a collectivization of those advertisement personalities I meet in my personal life. It makes sense to be inscrutable. My bag is full of a flashlight, a steel baton, pens and spray paint, my writing and reading, my other clothes and miscellaneous tools. It's 4:30pm in the same way that it is 7:30am. A little difference in the quality of sun but there's no midnight here. No cold quiet or drunkenness. I try to define myself and the chunks out of my bones reply. My late nights that are carved out of future say truth about my marrow. We're all together sinking deep behind economy.

Pull aside I'm at the door. Tires throw mud and slick around. Machine sounds howling, micro-howling inside funnels of sound. The wind is a system itself, like underwater with sub-bass and whales. Micro-patterns. Micro-constellations in the pores of a skin system. Skrying refractions in gasoline on the streetside. Infinitesimal patterns run through every moment in the mouth of a city. The window leaks pus. I think she still lives here. I think his name is Melvin lets me in and then I'm down the stairs, around the corner past the laundry room. A shut down with powder packed under it. A blue light bulb shows constantly. Her name is Ethel, or it's Judith. Her name before we became disappearances. I don't remember well. My bike is wet and cramped in here. It's hard to remember where I am sometimes when the rooms fit together I've been through hallways enough and the smell is always the same. Above the ground is one, below is another. Birds or insect smells, dead skin electricity or wet in the corners and cupboards.

I knock. It's easy like a dream like my hand moves to its own meaning. I've been here before. I've done all of this before but I forget how the vision ends. A moth against the light. The air tastes like mildew here. She pulls the door open and her voice is there. Desolate immediate heat. I leave my bike in the hall.

***

"Andrew. You said something about Andrew."

We talked on the phone earlier. We sometimes do when the air is dry and quiet. Some times there is space to talk and others I curl into absence. Her room is full of machines and it feels like sweat. Skeletons of projects on the table, an archaeological strata and graveyard of murdered thoughts. Midi talks to herself and touches the knife inside her clothes. She points at a chair and kicks it slightly for me to sit down. The quality of light is weird like it's being filtered through multiple substances. Like we're deep under water talking amid a different atmosphere.

"Yeah... Andrew he's going to Montell this weekend with Bruce and her sister."

"Going to the pit?"

"Not the pit this time it's just a midpoint. Did you know anyone called Pisky?"

"Know where?"

At least six fans are perched around the room, heaving out dusty air from between collapsed accumulation. It feels rancid here. I'm inside of a body that's been allowed to die. So that it could be reanimated into something else. Midi patrols the room in twitchy patterns, looking into spiderwebs and her various objects and screens.

"From Osten. I don't know the person but I guess they fucked up and their pictures are going around."

Midi gets very slow and still the way I've seen her do. Picks up a jar of batteries and I see her imagine it shatter to the floor. She breathes with her eyes closed, thirty seconds before setting it back.

"Goddammit yeah I know Pisky. What did she do?"

"No idea. No one told me and I don't really care. She'll be dead though if she doesn't get across the border soon."

"When are you leaving? What time?"

Her nervous energy is dissipated, her usual self. Midi sits in her work chair and leans back, breathing. Her eyes are mostly closed.

"Early. Early-early, before the bars close."

She's doing math in her head, moving her lips. One of her spiders is gathering its web together in the corner, patiently consuming the threads to reset them. Her rooms are an ecosystem. One layer consumes another, all so she doesn't keep track of it. One of her fingers is missing, she told me before. Missing like a person, she doesn't remember what happens. She said it hurts to type, to manipulate her tools. She snaps to attention in her seat. Mouth tight, eyes dark.

"So we're leaving from Bruce's place at one thirty. Probably drop our shit off the morning before. I'll need to get in my storage unit, get the key back from Parsons... You didn't give me much time to work this out."

"I didn't know if you'd want to go."

"Pisky's a fucking idiot but I'm not gonna let them have her. And any of you... You're not crossing the border but why would you get that close without expecting me?"

"You keep saying we should keep more narrow near home. I just didn't think you'd support it."

"I... usually I don't, but not like this. It's not careless..."

She walks out of the room. I haven't seen Parsons for three or four months. I didn't realize she was still talking to him. His face was covered in blood when we were arguing. It looked like a small gash on his forehead but I couldn't tell in the dark of the alley. It wasn't a surprise that he left, but nobody was happy about it. Especially Rox. That was hard to explain when they got back in town. Parsons offline and Mandy was hiding out somewhere, barely talking to us. Midi comes back with her go-bag and a bundle of papers, drops them beside the door.

"You're asking me last aren't you, or are we gonna borrow Helen's car? That's five of us, plus Pisky. Is it just Pisky or anyone coming with her?"

"Just Pisky that I know. There wasn't a lot of chatter though. Just time, date, place mostly."

Midi nods and goes around the room, pulling little tools and objects from their remembered places in the mess.

[letsberealgenz]

Are you living your purpose?

Have you ever reach to a certain point in your life where you’ve achieved your goals that were once on a piece of paper yet you still feel like there’s something more for you to achieve? You still feel like you need to achieve something but you do not know what it is?

We humans are living actors, in fact we all should get paid because we are so good in putting up this mask that we’ve created for ourselves through our job, the clubs we join, charities we do, dream car, dream house, dream relationships, family, the list goes on and on.

In simple word, I’ve come to a realization we live a life that is based on other people’s dream, expectation, goal, vision, thoughts that were once unfulfilled. What does this mean?

Let’s backtrack to your childhood. How was your personality? What did you love doing the most? What was your first ambition? How did you project your future to be? What was running in your mind?

If today you would ask your inner child, “Hey, are you living the life that you dream of living?” It is more likely for most of us to receive a disappointing feedback. But why is that so?

It all comes back to a life that we’ve gotten used to living to fulfill the unfulfilled dreams of probably your parents, your grandparents, your society, your community, or anybody whom you associate the most during your childhood.

We had this childhood that were once filled with exciting big dreams that would move mountains, create a better world but as we started growing up, we were then more likely forced to fit into a society that had dreams of their own being imposed on us. “Realistic” dreams they would say.

Following this trail, we then get into higher education, job, relationships that we believe it’s our purpose. That we believe it’s our calling which we then finally believed it’s our life.

But there comes a turning point where your inner child had enough of you. This turning point definitely would arrive in all of our lives, we can’t escape from this for sure because it’s from within.

Something that has not been fulfilled within would eventually arrive to the surface. Isn’t this a universal scientific law? But the only unknown is the point when this feeling arrives.

You are lucky if you have this phase of awakening when you’re young because then you have time to create a fulfilling life. The dreadful part happens when you only come to this realization when you’re older.

It works like this, as if you’ve been neglecting your inner child whom was constantly shouting out your purpose, trying to guide you, but you were constantly avoiding, neglecting, ignoring the voice within.

Instead you went on a chasing, running, rushing, listening to seminars, workshops journey to achieve a dream life that you think would satisfy you in the long run.

But you’ve never stop for a second to listen to your soul and ask, “What is my purpose? Is this my purpose? Am I living my purpose?”

Now ladies and gentleman, if there’s one wisdom I’d pass down is this:

Instead of searching for everything externally, instead of achieving materialistic goals, instead of chasing illusion achievements, instead of achieving the ultimate materialistic dream life that is being advertised constantly in the social media and also the physical world. I’m here to remind you, let’s not get into that rabbit hole.

Instead listen to your soul’s inner wisdom, inner guidance that is highly aligned with your purpose. It’s time for you to discover and make a living out of your purpose. Everything that you’ve been searching for was here all this while waiting for you. All you had to do was look for it.

With a burning hope and desire that my writing today would leave a lasting impression on each one of you to keep asking yourself from time to time, “Am I living my purpose? Am I taking actions that align with my purpose on a daily basis?”

It’s time for you to unleash those dreams that has been buried hidden inside of you. It’s time for you to listen to your inner child and create your ultimate reality through your purpose. It’s never too late. The time is now!

Yours, @letsberealgenz

[just-here-for-the-art-shit]

If you can, save the papers and schoolwork you do as a child, because reading them almost two decades later is hilarious and priceless- some of my personal favorite works (originally all in half cursive, half print because I was weird like that):

"A Good Carrer

I want to be a zoo keeper, I will take care of the cheetah and the sea lions. The cheetah's are carnivores and eat meat. You have to keep there exhibit clean and give them lots of toys to play with. Some cheetah's have pet dogs because the cheetahs are shy and they can get exercise with dogs, which is why I hate it when people say Cats VS. Dogs. Sea lions eat meat and like to swim. You must keep there water partially clean and you can throw some toys that float on the water. If the water is to clean it is not good for the sea lions because they don't swim in Chorline like we do. Sometimes they get fish frozen in ice blocks as toys."

~

"ZOO favorites

My favorite animal is the cheetah it has black spots on it's body and 2 black stripes going from it's eyes to it's nose. The spots are different from jaguars and leopards. My dad called a cheetah a leopard because he says he is stupid. They are the fastest mamal in the world. They can go 70 mph. They also have week jaws, so if they see lions and fight, the lion would probably win. But they are definitely a cool animal."

~

"Just the Place

Hey folks you should go to hawie. They got warm weather all year long. You can go to the beaches and lounge on the sunny beach all day with sunblock. You can swim in the water. You can try different foods and how to hula-hoop. This is definitely a good place to go."

[They should've paid me - I was doing free advertisement as a kid for a place I've never been 😂]

-

"SNakes are good

Dear friend I no you don't like snake but I am going to try and convince you to like by telling you three good things about snakes.

1. Snake's venom poison can be turned into medicin to give to people that were bitten by a snake.

2. They eat peskey rare and mice that we don't want in our house.

3. They control the population of there prey.

Also snakes are not slimy. I found a dead one and it was smooth like fingernails."

~

"Holiday Vacation

Over the holidays I went to this really fun children's museum. I pretended to work on a farm. Me and the other kids pretended that these green balls were grain. First we put them in this tiny called the screw carrier. The grown up then dropped in this thing that they fall in but you have to turn some levers. Then you put them in a bucket and put them in these three tubes. The one that I was putting the brain into led to a giant holder. When I was done I went over to these giant cow statues and opened the hatch to put the brain down. Then water came out of their udders."

~

"Describe a tepee

It is a mobile home for the native American indians. It has symbols on the outside and a flap. On the inside it has fur for carpets and beds and a bone backrest. It is made with many tall sticks that stick through the smoke hole at the top and buckskin with the fur shaved off the walls. An tepee usually has a fire inside it and that is why there is a smoke hole. That is how I like to describe a teppee.

P. S I wanted to tell that the native americans used a buffalo bladder for a water bottle.

P. PS These are for West native americans. I lived in New York and they had a thing called wigwam to live in and a long house of wood called a long house.

P. PPS I tried to make a tepee in the woods but my mother said I couldn't sleep in it because there are spiders at night."

~~~~

There was also a paper where I had to describe what happened on 9/11 but every time I mentioned terrorists, I spelled it, "therapists" ... So yes, apparently a bunch of therapists attacked on 9/11

[wolint]

FRESH MANNA

SPIRITUAL HYDRATION

John 7:37-39

Dehydration is a normal occurrence in life if we aren’t doing the right thing and it’s usually caused by not drinking enough fluid to replace what we lose.

Dehydration occurs when our bodies lose more water and fluid than enters it. When dehydrated, our bodies do not have as much water as it needs and therefore can’t function properly.

The human body is approximately 75% water. A large percentage of water makes up our organs, bones and skin and is also found inside cells and blood vessels. Humans can’t survive without water.

Jesus’ invitation refers to the Old Testament prophetic passages such as Isaiah 55:1 and Isaiah 12:3. God made us for a relationship, intimate relationship, and so, our deepest needs can’t be satisfied from anywhere else but from and within Jesus who according to John 4:13-14 is the only one can give us water, the living water. And the water He gives us will become a spring of water welling up in us to eternal life, making it impossible for us to be spiritually dehydrated.

Thirsts make us crave fluid, liquid, or water (not necessarily a drink). If we don't drink enough water our bodies can't assimilate food to produce the energy we need.

We need an abundance of the water of the Holy Spirit and the Water of the Word too! If we don’t drink from the living spring, we become spiritually dehydrated.

We must drink everything Godly the living spring has to offer and it’s only the living spring that satisfies and quench every thirst.

To stay spiritually hydrated, we must come to Jesus and drink in him, to enter a trusting, ongoing personal relationship with him.

Our bodies always work to maintain our water levels and keep them balanced. If we don’t drink enough, we may end up sick and in hospital, and may even have to be medically hydrated to be sustained.

Everything in society today is even trying to help us drink more by advertising all sorts of necessary fluids and water carriers (water bottles). We see people around carrying all kinds and sizes of water bottles, making it easy for us to drink water.

Our level of physical thirst is what provokes us to how much fluid we drink.

The implication then, is that there is a level of spiritual thirst that should prompt us to come to the living spring to drink deeply.

Although water is free, universally, there are nations where you can’t even find clean drinking water or free drinking water, but God’s water is completely free. God sends out an urgent and universal invitation in Isaiah 55:1 for any thirsty person without money to come drink from the living spring.

Most people today do not drink enough water and are dehydrated which results in tiredness, premature aging and all kinds of sicknesses and diseases.

We can always drink in more of the Spirit. The more spiritually thirsty we are, the deeper we drink from the spirit of God.

To keep spiritually hydrated, we must obey Ephesians 5:18 and be filled with the Spirit. We all need to be thirsty so we can drink more. We may try to slake our thirst with other things, that may lead to pain and bondage. But true life is believing in Jesus and drinking deeply from the Holy Spirit.

Remember, Matthew 5:6 says those who hunger, and thirst will be blessed and satisfied.

PRAYER: Lord, thank you for inviting me to drink from the living spring, help me to always drink as deeply as thirsty as I am so that I am always satisfied in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Shalom

Women of light international prayer ministries

[rebelwriter99]

As a Star Wars fan that is relatively new to all of this, given that there have been fans around for 40 odd years and I haven’t been alive that long, I have made some *observations*.

We’re not nearly as terrible a fandom as advertised. And especially as experienced online.

Hear me out.

I have never attended any kind of con before. Ever. Too scared. I have a metric ton of traumatic experiences linked to my CPTSD where my special interests (as an autistic person) were mocked to the point I felt physically unwell whenever I looked at them or tried to engage with them. It reached the point I was meticulously secretive about the things I loved. Star Wars being one of them. A few years ago though, I got sick, I now have 7 medical conditions that disable me in differing ways and in differing degrees and Star Wars has kept me alive while I dealt with all of that. Learning to Hope and learning to action Hope are key skills when living as someone like me I feel. I also have an Assistance Dog now, and have to deal with everything the world and the general public throw at me about that.

Two weeks ago I went to Star Wars Celebration. I got on the tube in the Star Wars dress I loved so much I hopped around my flat with joy when the parcel arrived but never had the courage to wear anywhere. My Assistance Dog had his Star Wars patch on. I got there, near shaking because I was no nervous, and I was inside for about 30-45mins before Skye (my dog) put me on the floor to lie down because my HR got too high.

And I have never felt safer doing that anywhere. Ever.

In a venue with that many people, I have never had such a tiny number of people distracting/trying to pet my dog. And the few that did, 90% of the time there was a language barrier so reading his gear wasn’t going to be super helpful to them. And every single time I said “sorry he’s working-he’s my medical equipment!” people instantly just backed off. No shouting at me, no complaining or saying how rude/grumpy/horrible/mean to my dog I am. Hey just two days go I got told on a train mid medical episode whilst Skye was alerting that I didn’t deserve to have a dog because I stopped a man from petting him, twice! But not at Celebration.

If I was sat on the floor or otherwise sorting a medical episode, and people asked ‘are you OK?’ people actually listened to and respected the answer I gave, rather than calling security or staring for ages or refusing to leave me alone. Skye had to do crowd control one day to keep me safe when we got the tube at the end of the day. Everyone just seemed to ‘get it’ and gave him the space. Previously I’ve had people walk straight into him like he’s not there. He’s 35kg of very large Labrador.

And more than anything-people spoke to me and not my dog. Despite seemingly everyone there eventually knowing his name, if people said hello to us or asked for a picture or anything at all-they spoke to me instead of Skye. I was a real human being and not just the thing that happened to be holding the cool dog’s lead.

I wish people knew how rare it was for me to have such an overwhelmingly safe and positive experience in such a large crowd of people. It is genuinely a testament to the kindness and understanding of thousands of people that I was able to spend 4 days there and the worst moment be when I realised I had to leave at the end.

There will always be people, I think, who say they love Star Wars and mean something quite different. But honestly having found my corner of the Star Wars fandom here, and having been to celebration-I don’t think I’ve come across a not nice human as of yet (I do not count comments of YouTube videos I glance over I do not interact with this species). Sure some of us like different things-but I feel that’s rather the point. Some people were at Celebration for the pin collecting, some for Lego or something similar, I was there to listen to people talk about storytelling for hours on end. But we can all agree that Star Wars is wonderful at the end of the day.

I’m not entirely sure how to go about saying it-but please be happy you’re a Star Wars fan. And don’t feel like saying so out loud might make people think you’re “one of the mean ones.” Based on my experience, I think the vast vast majority of this fandom are rather lovely. And since I am unable to say thank you to thousands of people at once for enabling me to exist in a building and be very happy whilst I’m there, or thank everyone individually on here for geeking out about these things with me and making me feel like part of a little community of writers and artists I shall forever be in awe of-I wrote this post.

So. Thank you humans who love Star Wars. I think you’re all rather wonderful. And I shall send you all of the Star Wars joy. Always 🌟

TLDR: in this essay I will explain why Star Wars fans are very lovely actually. No I will not be taking corrective comments at this time. I am having feelings about experiencing happiness in an accommodating space and can’t possibly be interrupted.

[tatianasweeten]

People- I found this incredible app at my Facebook " Tatiana Sweeten" recommend in the advertising. I already joined this. I love this. They offering daypast for 1 day about $ 20 - $ 50 pro day with parking, so you can use the hotel swimming pool and parking. So Las Olas parking is VERY VERY expensive. I am staying on the beach for whole day ( in the moment because of my medical situation I am not allowed to go to the beach by doctor and I am not allowed to swim in the ocean for 1 month), but I was paying for parking from 15 to 35 $ in the car garage pro day on Las Olas. Parking is very expensive at Las Olas. Some of the day passes included parking too - I love it! Maybe I will try this day pass in Kentucky, then I go for 1 week vacation to met my ex husband.. Here is my former hotel Bahia Mar where I worked before. I know the pool. I can buy a one day hotel pass and make a selfies next to the pool - I am rich influencer 😎 🤣 living in hotels like Anna Delvey..🤣 Every day I am staying in different hotels for 2 000 $ pro night..Bahia Mar one daypass is $ 20 with parking. This is really good - 👍 I already sign for the app on my phone 📱 Right now because of my medical problems I am not allowed to swim in the ocean, but in the future I hope I can.. My yacht marina have large pool, hot tub, expensive restaurants and fitness studio and sauna, but I would like to go to different locations to see..Last year I was staying inside my locked secured yacht marina and seeing "no people" - because you need to rent $ 2 500 appartment to be next to the marina. So I just met 5 guys there in hot tub - nobody else to date..Hm, I met one guy from California in the past also in hot tub..I need to go to the place with more people for dating to met guys 👦 Hotel pool is better possibilities for dating guys 🤔 It will be cool to buy a daypass and do different pictures as if I am real Influencer. 😅 (at Fort Lauderdale, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkzfvbmDfr7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[compellingselling]

Here are my favorite advertising podcasts. Well, podcast. Singular.

Tagline, with Tim Nudd of Muse by Clio, is an oral history of some great advertising campaigns. The podcast's description says, "Tim Nudd digs into classic commercials and campaigns by talking to the people who made them." And they mean ALL of the people.

The account handlers, the planners, the creatives, the clients, the directors, the actors, the editors, the composers, the key grips, the caterers. Okay, maybe not the key grips and caterers. All the people who played a role in shaping the campaign's success.

For us old-timers, it's a great reminder of the roller coaster of luck, triumph, and tragedy that is the creative process. For newcomers, it's an accurate peek inside a process that seems mysterious from the outside.

Here are my 5 favorite episodes. I strongly commend them all to you.

5. Motel 6 / We'll leave the light on for you

We know this has a tragic ending, but it's still great to hear the origin story. You also get to hear a bunch of the campaign's best spots as well as that infectious music track on its own without Tom Bodett's voice.

4. Skittles / Blank the Rainbow

This starts with a good reminder that the brand assets this team inherited were centered around the rainbow and twee "magic." So it's especially fascinating to find out that this campaign wasn't trying to be weird, it was trying to be DARK. There are also some fun backstories on now-classic lines of dialogue. 

3. Apple / Get a Mac

Campaign US compiled an oral history of this campaign in 2016. Those articles’ colorful, horrific descriptions of the hell of working on the Apple account must have made it hard for Media Arts Lab to recruit after it came out.

This podcast covers the same ground, but it's easier and more fun to digest. We hear about the germ of an idea that gets alley-ooped by the CD, and we hear how the idea evolved into the campaign we know and love. I was surprised to hear how many they shot that never aired.

2. Bud Light / Real Men of Genius

What a ride! This is SUCH an accurate depiction of the big agency creative process – a stressful jump ball involving a ton of creatives, someone who has a kind of idea rooted in a human insight, a CD who spotted a germ of an idea and improved on it, the account lead who champions it, and the client who killed the idea the moment he first heard it. I'll stop before I rob you of any more cliffhangers and plot twists.

I especially enjoyed hearing how they ended up with the music and voice that were so integral to the campaign.

I also had never noticed how templated it was – for hundreds of spots for 10 years. There's a lesson here about not ruining a good campaign and shouting down any new team members who suggest "we need to mix things up to keep it fresh."

And then of course it's a delight to hear so many of the laugh-out-loud-funny spots in their entirety.

The only thing missing that I heard in an Advertising Week presentation by this team back in the day was that this started as a big flip of the bird at Budweiser's "This Bud's for you" campaign.

1. Dos Equis / The Most Interesting Man in the World

I loved this campaign. I was intrigued how the visuals didn't match the soundtrack, how the vignettes would jump all over the place chronologically, and I loved that wonderfully so-understated-it's-believable line at the end. So it was great to hear how it all came about.

This, too, is an accurate glimpse into agency life. A creative team who didn't like the brief and begrudgingly brought a few lame tries to their first internal review. And a CD who spotted a germ of an idea for a campaign that became a legend. (If you're seeing that I as a CD am drawn to stories where CDs save the day, YOU'RE RIGHT.)

It's great to hear the details of the casting process on this one, too. And while I always assumed this whole schtick was ripped off from Chuck Norris jokes, you'll find out that it was inspired by something from Saturday Night Live.

Listen to them all and fall in love with advertising again.

[sublimegardeninternet]

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