#Political science class 9

[yuri-alexseygaybitch]

I'm 27 so I've basically spent my entire adult life watching the US political system and ruling class implode on itself at an exponential rate. Like, even if I didn't believe in the immortal and correct science of Marxism-Leninism, there's no way in fucking hell this country would have an ounce of credibility left in my mind. It's gone. It's done. I'm watching a convicted felon and twice impeached blowhard go up against an actual zombie and in all likelihood win. I've seen countless mass popular movements come and go without making a dent in the "democratic" political system. The highest decision making authority is a council of 9 unelected law wizards split along the most obvious partisan lines while claiming to be impartial and apolitical.

This is what we mean when we say liberalism has become utterly irrelevant. There is no room left for "everything is basically fine and will continue to get better." The only people of any serious political will left are those who have been stripped of this final delusion and recognize politics as the arena of naked power struggle between class interests it has always been. Respect, legitimacy, balance of powers, "fundamental rights", liberal "democracy" - it's all so fucking extinct that at this point we might as well be studying their fossils.

[detentiontrack]

hi there, hope you're doing well! do you have any survival tips for freshmen starting their first semester at college? thanks!

Hello! Yes I do! Up until this Tuesday, all of my experience has been at a community college, but I have some universal advice!

Sage's supercool freshman survival guide:

You don't need expensive and a wide variety of school supplies. Here is a list of what you need:

A notebook for each class

A good pack of pens (i like gel pens)

A pack of pencils (+ sharpener) or mechanical pencils

Either colored pens, thin tip markers, or highlighters for notes

Ruler and calculator if you are taking math/science classes

A binder or folder for loose papers

GRAPH PAPER. Even just a pack of loose graph paper. It sucks when you need it and don't have it

2. it's better to take notes on paper vs on a computer unless you have some sort of reason (like dyslexia, visual impairment, or other physical disability etc) Taking paper notes forces your brain to pay attention better, and you can reference them easier than if you take them on a computer. (plus a lot of professors don't allow laptops in lectures unless you have an accommodation with the school)

3. GET A PLANNER! A PHYSICAL ONE!!!! Online calendars and planners are okay, but it is MUCH easier to forget assignments if they're out of sight. Get a paper planner, fill it out each week so you know what you're doing, and keep it opened on the current week somewhere you can see it. I personally like the planners intended for teachers because it divides the days up with individual subjects! This is the one I got for this school year

4. Get a giant ass water bottle. If you are going from class to class, you most likely won't have time to refill your water bottle. Get a huge one, fill it up at home or at your dorm or whatever, and carry it with you. I promise you it is worth adding an extra thing to carry (mine is a 1/2 gallon)

5. No one at college cares about stuff like in high school. No one cares what you're wearing or how you're doing your hair. In fact, individuality is ENCOURAGED. Wear bright colorful makeup or weird earrings. Do what makes you happy.

6. Pack yourself lunches and snacks that you can easily stuff in your face while walking to your next class. I'm a big fan of protein shakes and granola bars.

7. Ask questions! No one will think you're annoying for asking "too many" questions. It's better to over ask than under ask and not understand the topic. Chances are, at least one other person in the room has the same question as you.

8. Similar to number 7, most professors will gladly go back and explain a topic again or in a different way! Just politely and respectfully ask for them to briefly go over it again, or define a word you don't understand.

9. Unlike high school, most professors don't care, and will actually get annoyed if you interrupt their lesson to ask to go to the bathroom or take a phone call or even leave class early. Unless they explicitly say you can't leave (like during a test) you can just walk out, no questions asked.

10. Do every extra credit assignment you can. Even if you have a good grade in the class. You never know when you'll forget an assignment or lose points for something small. It's good to have backup.

11. Just like in a good relationship, communication with professors is everything.

12. Make connections with people in your classes. You don't have to be besties, but introduce yourself to a few people in class, make small talk, and get their phone numbers. That way you can discuss assignments or get notes if you miss a class.

13. DO NOT slack on first week assignments. Most professors WILL drop you if you A. Don't attend the first week of classes and/or B. Don't turn in the first few assignments.

14. Register for classes as soon as you possibly can. Like if your group is able to register at 9am, be in front of your computer with the registration site open at 8:55am, just to be ready.

15. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS CHECK RATEMYPROFESSOR BEFORE REGISTERING FOR CLASSES!!! NEVER IN YOUR LIFE REGISTER WITHOUT CHECKING. IF YOU ARE LATE TO REGISTER AND A GENERAL EDUCATION CLASS AT THE PERFECT TIME SLOT IS COMPLETLEY OPEN, IT IS FOR A FUCKING REASON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rate my professor is really accurate because people are able to submit honest reviews anonymously after the class is over. If someone says the teacher is a hard ass who is flakey and assigns a lot of reading, BELIEVE IT. Ideally you want a professor that has above a 3.5/5 rating.

16. There is no shame in needing accommodations for a disability, and getting accommodations in college is a lot easier than in k-12 school. You just need to make a request and submit proof of disability, and you'll meet with someone to give you accommodations.

17. DO NOT buy textbooks until the first week of class is over. This is for 2 reasons. 1. you might need to drop the class and 2. most professors will just give you a link to the textbook for free or post individual chapters every week. There is no point in spending $200 for a textbook you might not even use.

18. I think at every college, you can drop a class with no consequences or anything on your record as long as you drop it within the first week or so (the exact time differs depending on the college, but it's always on their website)

19. Colleges very often have events with free food or free merch. Even if you have no interest in the event, a free hot dog is a free hot dog yk?

20. If you're a freshman, literally no one knows each other and everyone is worrying about making new friends. Literally everyone. Find someone who seems cool, compliment their outfit or say something about the class/the college, and boom. New friend.

21. If you have time, join a club! Colleges have clubs for EVERYTHING and it's an easy way to connect with people who have the same interests.

22. Before your first day of class, if you're neurotic like me, take time to think of a few things: 2 truths and a lie, 3 fun facts about yourself, your favorite __, etc. Just so you can be ready for icebreakers (I actually don't know if other people are as scared of first day icebreakers as me.... Every semester I prepare 2 truths and a lie and fun facts about me so I'm ready. Just in case. This just might be my specific flavor of autism though...)

23. Colleges are big, even community colleges. Make yourself a playlist and bring headphones for walking from class to class

24. Jumping off 23, when you're choosing your classes, pull up a map of your campus. Learn how long of a walk it is from building to building, so you can make sure you have enough time to walk to your next class. This goes double if you have a physical disability. I personally need some extra time so I can drink water and walk slowly.

25. Prioritize comfort over style. Most people by the third week will just be wearing tshirts/sweaters with jeans/sweatpants. There also usually isn't a super strict dress code at college. I had a girl in my astronomy class that exclusively wore bikini tops and booty shorts, and she never had any problems.

26. It's easy to tunnel vision and schedule your classes back to back, but try to give yourself at least one gap for lunch, to stretch, or to just hang out. I have 3 on campus classes this semester and my morning class ends at 11:45am and my second class doesn't start until 1:00pm. You're (most likely) an adult, close to an adult, or have adult responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is to take initiative to take care of yourself.

27. College professors, unless they're abnormally strict, literally don't care about anything, as long as your ass is in the chair and you're not being disruptive to others. Drinking water in class? Fine. Doodling on your notes? Fine. Doing homework for another class? Fine, as long as you look up like you're paying attention occasionally. I wrote amphibia fanfiction in my classes, and I had a girl in my public speaking class who literally brought yarn and a crochet hook and crocheted stuff in class.

28. OH that's another thing! Literally no one cares about your public speaking skills. In college, it is inevitable that you'll have to take one class with speeches. People aren't waiting for you to slip up to mock you. Most people are too focused on their own speeches. I took a public speaking class last year, and I genuinely could not tell you the topic of even ONE other student's speech. It is very likely that 90% of the people won't even be paying attention to your presentation because they're worrying about if they're next.

29. In group projects, be a bitch. I'm serious. DO NOT do all the work. If people in your group aren't moving, assign them their share of work. If they still don't participate, threaten to leave. If they still don't, ask the teacher to work alone. You NEED to stand up for yourself.

30. Most colleges have a lot of services for free (or included in tuition) you should use. The library is a great resource, I'm typing this on the laptop I rented for free from my school, and I believe my college has completely free STD checks and birth control options available through their health services.

31. Expand your horizons! In college, you get a LOT of options for electives and classes. Take the fun classes or a topic you've never heard of! I'm taking a philosophy of disability class this semester for my extra humanities credit.

32. Build a good relationship with your professors. It never hurts to go up to them before or after the first class and introduce yourself.

33. DO NOT leave things for the last minute. I like to write down all my assignments for the week in my planner, sorted by due date, color coded, and plan which assignments I'm going to do on what days.

34. Take advantage of professor's office hours, especially if it's a subject you're not strong in. Personally, I'm not the best at math, and the summer I took statistics for psych, I was at my professor's office hours every single Tuesday. Even if you think you understand the subject perfectly, you never know when you're making a mistake without realizing it. It can just be a less than 5 minute zoom visit of like "hey, this is my answer to question 5 and here's my work/process. Is this correct? Yes? Okay thanks see you in class"

35. Summer classes, especially in community colleges, are a great way to get extra credits and make it so you don't have such a heavy load during the regular school year. A lot of summer classes are online, so it's really easy to do at home. But.....

36. ...NEVER IN YOUR LIFE TAKE A SUBJECT YOU ARE NOT STRONG IN OR A SUBJECT WITH A LOT OF WORK IN A CONDENSED SUMMER CLASS. Summer classes are always more work per week because you have less time to go through the curriculum, so be sure it's a light class. I took my world religions class as an 8 week summer class and oh my god.... I am being 100% serious and not exaggerating when I say I had to read 500-750+ pages a week......... be careful

37. Make time for other things! Even if you're full time school and work, let yourself watch an episode of your favorite show after homework or during a break. Rest and recreation is important too.

38. Treat yourself! When I was a kid, my mom would let me and my brother pick out a little candy at the grocery store for a "friday treat" during the school year. I still do that. It can be as simple as buying a $2 chocolate bar or finally trying that bath bomb you got as a gift.

39. You are inevitably going to get a low grade on something. You're going to struggle with a subject or misunderstand an instruction. Not one single person has made it through all of college without getting anything less than a 100%. Ask for feedback from your professors. Don't beat yourself up.

40. You don't have to have a backpack. I use a green messenger bag with embroidered mushrooms on it :3

Hope this helps!

[strawberrywinter4]

May 9 | Prompt: Intimidation

Warning: Depictions of violence and drug use.

“You’re just too much sometimes, that’s all I’m saying,” his mother comments as she troubles herself with the dishes.

Mycroft rolls his eyes. He knew it would be a poor idea to come visit. He should have just settled for a call.

“You almost scared John away,” she says, scrubbing a class clean. “Your comments and glares at dinner are not helpful, you know. Sherlock almost had your head.”

“John is anything but frightened by me, Mummy. He made that perfectly clear when we first met.”

“Sherlock told me about that first meeting.” She sighs, turning toward him with a scolding expression. “Mycroft, why did you do that?”

Mycroft wills his cheeks not to flush crimson in embarrassment. “It was merely for precaution.”

“Sherlock is a grown man. He can take care of himself.”

Mycroft’s hands clench the kitchen counter. She doesn’t know. She hasn’t seen the extent of Sherlock’s pain like Mycroft has.

“All I’m saying is that I think you should be more considerate to the people who seem to actually want to be around him,” she says. “And John…well, he’s a very polite man. I think he’s good for Sherlock. Very good.”

Mycroft doesn’t answer her. Realizing she’s not going to get a response out of Mycroft, she leaves the kitchen with a tut under her breath.

Mycroft’s eyes are trained to the sink.

——

The front door opens and shuts loudly, Mycroft wondering if the force of it broke any vases. Ignoring his brother in the lounge, Sherlock runs up the steps, his little feet going as fast as they can. Mycroft hears his bedroom door shut.

Mycroft sighs, getting up and leaving his science project. Heading upstairs, he turns the corner and knocks on Sherlock’s door.

“Go away, Mycroft!”

Mycroft is silent for a moment, then tries for the door handle lightly. Locked, of course. He rests his head on the door.

“If you open the door, I’ll make Ginger Nuts.”

A few seconds pass and the lock clicks, the door creaking open. One of Sherlock’s blue eyes peak through the crack. “Do you promise?”

“Yes.”

Satisfied with the reply, the door fully opens. Mycroft holds his grimace successfully, but it isn’t a simple task.

Sherlock’s eye that wasn’t peaking through the door is a mixture of purple and black, a few bruises gracing his jaw. His lip is cracked and blood is oozing down his chin.

Mycroft attempts to keep his voice leveled. “Sit on the bed, I’ll grab the first aid kit.”

Returning with the kit, Mycroft is pleased to see Sherlock took his advice for once, sitting on the sheets, eyes focused on his legs as they swing back and forth over the edge.

Without comment, Mycroft sits beside him. “Up,” he instructs, tilting Sherlock’s face to the correct position. He applies alcohol to a cotton and begins dabbing the application to his brother’s lip.

They sit in silence, Sherlock hiding his winces and Mycroft cleaning the blood and bruises.

“When are they coming back?” asks Sherlock.

“I’m not sure. Probably not for another few days.” Mycroft is used to their parents being gone for business trips, but Sherlock is still wrapping his mind around it.

Silence falls again. Then Sherlock speaks up:

“Are you really making Ginger Nuts?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t believe you.”

It takes everything in Mycroft not to crack a smile. “Why is that?”

“You don’t like Ginger Nuts and you only do things that benefit yourself,” he says bluntly.

Mycroft hums. “You really think so little of me?”

“Yes.”

They both share a grin.

Mycroft’s face hardens as he wipes another trail of blood on Sherlock’s cheek. “Did you decide to make another quip?”

Something changes in Sherlock’s expression. Something akin to…embarrassment? Shame? Mycroft’s not sure, but he’s never seen his brother acquire such a look.

“I didn’t,” Sherlock replies.

“Then what happened?” Mycroft demands, though his voice is quiet.

Sherlock shrugs. “I don’t know.”

And it truly seems like he doesn’t know. “Then tell me what could have possible occurred.”

Sherlock looks down, his finger trailing the design of the solar system on his bed sheet. “I thought I made a friend.”

Mycroft blinks. “A friend?”

Sherlock nods. “He said he wanted to be my friend. At break, he offered me to join him at the back of the building to play, and I said yes because…well, I told you about the pond that’s back there.”

Sherlock enjoys observing the frogs that live around there.

“I thought I’d show him the pond,” Sherlock says, this time more quietly. “But then we got there and he pushed me in the mud. His apparent friends came around the corner and…”

“Did that,” Mycroft finishes, nodding to Sherlock’s face.

Sherlock nods in answer.

Mycroft will never understand it. Out of all things, he will never understand this. Yes, Sherlock is odd. He has required rudeness over the past year, but Mycroft fully believes that Sherlock has just been taking after him.

Then there are the admittedly good things about him. Sherlock enjoys rambling about scientific discoveries, he likes to play in ponds and rain, he likes to help Mummy bake, he likes to play Pirates (which is actually quite fun), and he is a swift and independent learner. Mycroft admires these qualities. And though he’s never been good at showing his affection (and possibly never will be), he and Sherlock know how to make their relationship work.

“I will take care of them,” Mycroft says as Sherlock wipes tears from his eyes.

“They’re big,” Sherlock says. “And scary.”

Mycroft snorts. “Bigger than you. Not me.”

Hesitantly, he puts a hand on Sherlock’s shoulder. This seems to give a sign to Sherlock that he’s been waiting for, and he hugs Mycroft tightly. Stunned, Mycroft settles for patting his curls awkwardly, but this doesn’t will Sherlock away. Sherlock continues to hug him and cry, and Mycroft wants to make it all go away.

After a while, Sherlock releases him and sniffles stubbornly, wiping more tears. “Can I have Ginger Nuts now?”

Mycroft stands, nodding to signal Sherlock to come along. “You’re assisting me. I know you know how to make these in your sleep.”

——

In a random building, in a random place. That’s usually where he is.

Mycroft hears either miserable sounds or nothing at all. He sees stranger’s eyes rolling to the back of their head while taking sedatives or pills.

The curls are unmistakable. Sherlock is huddled up in a corner, a blue hoodie wrapped around him loosely. Mycroft nudges him. He then turns him and is not startled to see his pale skin, his unhealthily sharpened cheekbones or his dull eyes.

Mycroft sighs.

He helps Sherlock up and practically drags him to the vehicle parked thankfully close outside.

Carefully putting him in the passenger’s seat, Mycroft gets behind the steering wheel.

Mycroft glances at him, and is overcome with what his brother has turned into.

“Brother mine. Why do you hurt yourself so?”

He knows Sherlock doesn’t hear him, doesn’t understand his whispers.

Maybe that’s for the best.

——

“I worry about him…constantly.”

John stares at him. “That’s nice of you,” he murmurs.

“But I would prefer for various reasons that my concern go unmentioned. We have what you call a difficult relationship.” Mycroft keeps his voice impassive. His heart aches.

John’s phone pings. It’s obviously from Sherlock.

They continue with comments back and forth. Mycroft feigns an impression that he’s only wanting Sherlock’s whereabouts for personal gain. John seems to believe it wholeheartedly.

Mycroft can’t decide if John is worth Sherlock’s time.

Probably not.

Mycroft analyzes him to get a rise out of him.

“Are we done?” John asks, attempting to keep his frustration to a minimum.

Anger issues. Of course.

The rest of the meeting goes not so smoothly. John leaves obviously bothered and Mycroft doesn’t know, he doesn’t know if he can trust this man to even come close to deserving Sherlock’s friendship.

No one does. It’s the truth.

Mycroft has been called overprotective. He’s been called annoying. Unfair. Unethical.

Mostly by Sherlock.

But what are big brothers for?

——

You can read it here on ao3 as well.

I hope you all enjoyed! Love me some Sherlock and Mycroft lore.

Prompt by @calaisreno Thank you!

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[songmingisthighs]

Oddeleny

introduction pt. i | pt. ii | pt. iii

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ch. xxx - peeking

ghost!yeosang × reader

genre : ghost!au

wc : 1.6 k

rating, warning : mature; crude jokes and filthy language, depiction of an accident; electrocution, head injury

buy me coffee ?

a connection once had, broken with the expectation that the ending is final. but life has an odd proclivity of making attachments from detachments. in the end, we don't know what we lost until we look at what we have

For a moment the room was quiet and cold.

Mingi had come in with cake and coffee and you both had been silently taking a bite, waiting for the other person to talk. Well, the people who could talk at least. You didn't realize it but you kept glancing at your phone, worried that Yeosang might accidentally make a noise as you had put him on a call.

"Waiting for someone?" Mingi asked after taking a sip of his latte.

You shook your head and offered him a polite smile, "Nope, just don't want anyone to disturb us while we talk," and you cleared your throat, deciding that you should be the one who directed the conversation, "And I guess we should start talking now." Agreeing, Mingi straightened up and nod, "If you don't mind, I would like for you to explain your side first. Not because of anything, but I would like to get all of the information so I can process my feelings accordingly with the information I will reveal." He sounded so stocky and it made you crack a grin because he didn't sound like his usual self while simultaneously being his absolute genuine self, someone who is just curious.

"Fair enough," you agreed, taking a moment to think where you should start your story.

"So you know that I grew up with Wooyoung and I befriended Yeosang in middle school. It was safe to say I was one of the less popular crowd because I was trying to excel in school in hopes that my parents would give a shit about me if I had an achievement of my own. I didn't realize then that no matter how many prizes I won for math, science, art, debate, English, and more, they would simply not care because I'm not Wooyoung, the child they actually want and the child who's actually theirs. They didn't want me so much that they just pawned me off to my grandma and took Wooyoung to wherever he wanted so it became GLARINGLY obvious they didn't care about my existence at all. So I was bullied and while Wooyoung was a bystander, at age 9, he suddenly turned on me and joined in on the bullying, even giving ammunition, leading the bullying, and sending people at me. I don't know what changed but I do know that when we got to middle school, he became more vicious because I got close to Yeosang. See, Wooyoung wanted to befriend Yeosang because everyone likes Yeosang. I befriended Yeosang because we're the top 2 in the high-achieving class and this pissed Wooyoung off because he couldn't get to the same class because all of his work, all of his tests were copies of mine. So he became resentful of me and my parents allowed it. One day, sometimes during gym class, Yeosang came up to me and asked for my water because he had finished his and couldn't bear the walk to refill his water so I did, I gave him my water bottle and he downed it in one go. I didn't think much of it but not even 15 minutes later, while we were resting by the court, Yeosang fell to the ground looking pale and clammy, he was shivering and he was crying saying that his stomach was hurting so he was rushed to the hospital and I went with him. While he was being treated, I was suddenly called out and brought back to school, to the principal's office where I was informed that Yeosang had gotten alcohol poisoning from my water bottle. Long story short, I was told that Yeosang no longer felt safe with having me around the school and I was expelled within a day."

Mingi didn't even try to hide the surprised look on his face. His jaw was practically on the ground by the time you told him how you got expelled so easily. "Wait, they can't just expel you like that without any evidence," he was getting emotionally involved. Mingi didn't like hearing injustice in general and hearing what happened to you made his blood boil. You shrugged, a little too casually for someone who was retelling her shitty past, but at that point, you had to shield yourself from feeling the negativities all over again. "There were eyewitnesses around, everyone saw me handing him my water bottle before he dropped to the ground so it seemed like the case was clear. To them at least. I tried pleading my case, I tried telling them that I knew nothing but they wouldn't hear. Not even my parents. In fact, My dad dragged me to the hospital to face the Kangs, well Yeosang's parents at least because apparently Yeosang was terrified of me, and forced me to bow and apologize. Then that evening he kicked me out of his house without saying anything else and I cried in front of the gate for a solid two hours before giving up and leaving to go to my grandma's by myself."

You didn't realize how it happened but Mingi pulled you into an immediate hug, his body shaking from anger because he couldn't help but think of the younger version of you being treated worse than trash by the adults in your life.

"Thank God you're okay now," he said in a whispered tone. It surprised you because you had imagined that Mingi would be siding with Yeosang and Wooyoung despite saying that he trusted that each story has two versions. You absolutely thought that he would simply accept that there was your side that he could hear if he wanted to but not to this extent, not him taking your pain personally. It didn't even occurred to you that you shed a tear or two, or five until Mingi pulled back and frantically trying to reach the tissue on your desk.

"Yeosang's situation was odd even to the police," Mingi started, knowing that it was his turn to talk without having to be urged by you.

After wiping your tears, you cleared your throat and prepare yourself to listen to what Mingi had to say.

"They were suspicious of the circumstances because Yeosang was admitted due to electrocution but they couldn't figure out the head injury he sustained. The doctors analyzed him and declared that Yeosang sustained the injury before he was electrocuted, so it wasn't like he banged his head due to being electrocuted. Heck, they even found where Yeosang injured his head and it wasn't the ground, it was the wall. They theorized that Yeosang must not have completely lost his consciousness and was trying to get up only to electrocute himself on the open wires dangling by the electricity pole."

Your head was trying to make sense of things but instead of getting answers, it generated more questions. "Couldn't he have fallen or slipped or something?" you questioned and Mingi nodded firmly, "That's what they think. Based on the height of the area where they found the trace of impact, it seemed possible that Yeosang had slipped and hit his head. But it still doesn't answer a crucial question, why was Yeosang in the alley in the first place? His car was on the left side of the building and the alley was on the right side, logically speaking, Yeosang had no business being there unless maybe he was urinating in public or something but we all know Yeosang would never do that. He wouldn't even chew gum in public places." You may no longer know Yeosang, but you knew him enough to agree with Mingi.

Then another question popped into your head, "Well were there CCTV around? They must've seen something," "They're still trying to get the footage from the establishments around but the thing is, the police are not even investigating this properly, Yeosang's situation is not a priority so they've just been passively looking things over." Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion and disbelief, "That makes no sense, they agreed that the circumstances were suspicious so why wouldn't they do anything?" "According to them, while it is suspicious, there were no evidence of foul play so they can't really do anything because, and i quote this directly from them, "there are more pressing cases they need to pursue", whatever the hell that means," Mingi huffed annoyedly.

Sure, you wanted to be as objective and as detached as you could towards the issue as this involved Yeosang, the same person who was part of the worst pain you've ever felt in your life. But you couldn't help but feel frustrated over the situation. You'd like to believe that it must have been because it would probably mean that you would be involved for longer than necessary. But you knew yourself well enough to acknowledge that the human side of you was trying to protest the unfairness.

"Hey," Mingi called out after a long pause, catching your attention. "I... This might mean nothing but I want you to know that I believe your side, I trust you," he looked abashed saying that and to be fair, Mingi didn't even know why he said that. What he knew was that you had been hurt by enough people, even people who were supposed to be your family. He didn't realize how much his consideration meant to you. Though you barely knew him, he had proven himself to be a trustworthy person who is capable of finding his own truth. So you gave him a small smile and reached forward to pat the back of his hand gently, "It means a lot to me, Mingi. Thank you," and Mingi, in return, broke out into a big smile.

Truly if life had taught you anything even after the worst of rain came down, completely drenching you and ruining your whole day, the sun will come out. It might take some time, and it might be infuriatingly slow, but it will. So with a glance at your strategically placed phone, you could only hope that your faith would not be shaken because boy oh boy it's going to be one heck of a rain.

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[icyg4l]

Pick-A-Meme: How Can I Choose The Right Career Path for Me?

Choose the image that resonates the most with you. In this reading, I will give you details that you can use to get closer to accomplishing to your career goals. I will also give those clarity to those who are confused on where to go from here with the help of the True Heart tarot deck.

Left-to-Right (1-3): Raven Baxter, Brenda Meeks, Kim Parker.

Cards Used: 10 of Cups. The World (RX). Judgment. Knight of Cups. Wheel of Fortune. The Hierophant. 4 of Pents.

Pile 1A: I feel like this is for those who are thinking of going into the traditional career paths like being a nurse, a teacher, a lawyer or doctor. You are very determined when it comes to breaking into this career path. I feel like this is a dream that you’ve had for a long time, since you were a child. But you’ve grown up and you see just how practical this career path is or how much time it would take from all other aspects. Don’t let the money or the amount of time it takes to pursue this career stop you! There will be opportunities that come up for you as you pursue this path that will financially support you. I also see that you’ll receive some recognition early on in your career, for your contributions to this field.

Cards Used: The Moon. 3 of Pents (RX). Strength. Queen of Cups. Ace of Cups. The Hanged Man. Ace of Wands (RX). Queen of Pents. Ace of Swords.

Pile 1B: For those of you that are confused about what career path you should pursue, I say that you should consider some “niche” career paths; something that sticks out to YOU. This will ensure that you’re using your energy towards things that you love. I get the feeling that you’re tired of what you’re being presented with. These are the people that are tired of receiving rejection emails from employers or being ghosted by interviewers. I feel like you’re kind of nosy… perhaps you should consider a career as a private investigator. You have a sharp mind and you call bullshit when you see it. I also think that you should consider something to do with childcare, maybe take up the jobs that nobody wants to take up? If you’re into pets, you should take up the pet care. I feel like this is also the pile that should consider going to trade school to become an electrician or plumber. You would actually benefit from it & would meet some excellent people along the way. Everyone isn’t be a tech geek, a rapper or an aspiring designer and that’s absolutely fine! You got this!

extras: annalise keating. bedtime stories. human design. timestamp. first wives club. worker bees. social justice reform. politics. class action lawsuit. science geek.

Cards Used: The Emperor. 6 of Cups (RX). 2 of Pents. Ace of Wands. The Hierophant. 7 of Pents (RX).

Pile 2A: The people who chose this pile are currently fed up with their career path. I think that you have dedicated so much time to this career path that it has you burnt out. You may be considering switching career paths or adding a new element to your career path. You should! I thought of the storyline from ‘This is Us’ where Beth takes the risk to open up a dance studio after being fired from her job. Her original passion was ballet but her mother forced her into a practical career. She became an urban planner. She had the job for twelve years and loved it but she unfortunately got laid off. I feel like this collective has some resentment towards their career because it’s not what you want to do. What do you really want to do? Examine what really makes you light up. If you decide that you want to have a side gig doing what it is you really want to do, then have at it! But if you decide to start fresh in a “new” (but not really new to you) career path, then also have at it! The ball is in your corner.

Cards Used: 10 of Cups. 3 of Cups. 9 of Cups. Justice. 6 of Swords. The Hermit. The Fool. Prince of Cups.

Pile 2B: If you’ve been considering going into a business with a friend, you should absolutely do it! I saw the banner of a restaurant opening. I feel like this pile is really into the traditionally ‘girly’ things like doing your nails or hair. If this resonates then you should definitely take up cosmetology school. If that’s not what you’re into, consider going to school to become a masseuse or get into holistic medicine! You have a calming aura and people probably open up to you easily. But I get the feeling that you guys don’t always like to talk to people. You enjoy your solitude/quiet time & that’s okay. For those of you that are into poetry, you should consider posting your poems for monetary gain for extra money! In due time, you’ll figure it out. Be patient with yourself, you’ll know what sticks!

extras: aching feet. balloons. graveyard. black jeans. venus in the 11th house. aquarius venus. gemini venus. losing hair ties. the color purple. spoken word. friendship breakup.

Cards Used: King of Swords. 2 of Pents. The Hierophant (RX). Queen of Pents. The High Priestess. The Emperor. 5 of Cups.

Pile 3A: You guys are the people who long to be the boss. You guys strive for greatness & hold yourself to a certain standard. But I think that you’re doing a lot. You’re trying to do everything by yourself and you need some help. This could be a pile full of freelancers, psychics, therapists or entrepreneurs. Perhaps you’ve opened up a new business and everything just feels like it’s falling on top of you. You need an assistant to keep this business running! Hire someone that will keep you on top of your stuff. I think that you should try a new method of organization as well. Maybe you’re a model? If so, take some new headshots. Get some help with your portfolio. Update your resume. Create some new material because you’ve come so far. You really just need to be more proactive when it comes to your career; get on top of things quicker.

Cards Used: The Lovers. 3 of Swords. 5 of Swords. Queen of Swords. 3 of Cups. 9 of Cups (RX). 7 of Cups.

Pile 3B: This is the pile for those that are “inexperienced” but know that they’re going to be in their career field. I don’t think that you are clueless as to what you want to do. You know exactly what you want to do, you just don’t think you fit the criteria. When in reality, you’re rejecting yourself before someone else rejects you. Stop counting yourself out man. I think you want to pursue a career as a model, a baker, an influencer perhaps? I think you have some childhood wounds surrounding your social circle. You were viewed as an outcast and this is why you feel stuck. You know you’re going to be somebody but you need to start acting like it. I think that the route you want to take requires you to be in the spotlight. There is an audience for you but you refuse to put yourself out there. I think the best way for you to get over this is to challenge yourself. Create small tasks that will help you get out of your comfort zone. Therapists would call this rejection therapy. Try it!

extra: ANTM theme song. ADHD meds. kendrick lamar. “simultaneously”. influence. impostor syndrome. what was i made for? gymnast. athlete. being the only non-white person in the room. fitness model. green grass walls.

[heeseungismymanz]

PLAY WITH ME AND ILL PLAY WITH YOU

Fuck off

Mentioning: Both act like children while bullying,Masturbations,Unprotected Sex,Sex toys,Pet names(Princess and babygirl,slut,etc.),Fingering,Throat Fucking,Spanking,I dont really remember what else :/ MDNI

Pairing: Bully!Heeseung x Bully!Reader

"-Walks in on you fingerings yourself- Want me to play with you?"

Taglist: @nikiswifiee @rayofsunshineeee @satosugumyfuckingbeloveds @starl0ver4 @yohanabanana @sushimilks @jakeswifez @qpoopi3

Comment tg for taglist!

"Play with me and ill play with you" Part 1

"Ew, imagine needing makeup!" Heeseung said watching you apply your blush at your locker. "Shut the fuck up asshole! And get out my way." You said while shoving him THE FUCK out of your way. "Damnnnn Y/N you good?" Yunjin said. "Just hoeseung being a bitch again" you said while rolling your eyes. "Whatever let's get to class before we're late." Yunjin said while grabbing you and started walking.

"And while I asign your part-" "Sorry I'm late miss" Heeseung said while rushing in. You and yunjin tried not to laugh but still ended up laughing as you were watching funny and stupid reels on your phone. "Hey you two! Yunjin and Y/N what are you doing?!" "Ohh uhm....." you said nervously while looking at Yunjin. "Detention both of you!" She said shouting even tho she was only 10 foot away from you. "As I was saying here's the pairs yunjin and keeho, beomgyu and yunjin, hyein and jungwon, jake and niki, jay and wonhee, yunah and sunghoon, sunoo and wonyoung and lastly heeseung and Y/N." You roll your eyes and side eye yunjin without making another noise before you get another detention.

*Time skip*

"Hey Y/N" You somehow didn't hear him. "Y/N!" Heeseung yells before pulling your hair. "What the fuck heeseung!What's your problem?" "I'm trying to do the fucking science project now meet me at my house at 9 I'll text you my location" he says while handing you his phone so you can write your number in it. "Fine" you say while typing it in then shoving him out the way so you can then go to your next period.

Heeseung and YN text:

805 xxx xxx: Y/N?

Y/N: yeah Heeseung?

805 xxx xxx: here's the address for the project 1009 Riverside St.

Y/N: thanks.

You kind of wished for him to say something more but he didn't so you just saved his number as "hoeseung"

*Timeskip end of school*You nervously get in the taxi as your realized your going to THE LEE HEESEUNGS house. As you arrived you saw a MASSIVE garden and a HUGE mansion. You got out of the taxi and texted him that you were waiting.*opens the door* "Finally I was fucking waiting!" He says while rolling his eyes.

"Do you want anything to drink?" He says tapping his legs. Clearly more polite and nervous then at school.You reply with a small shake to indicate a no. He then gets up and says "okay well I'm gonna make Ramen for us so you can't stay in my room" he says while pointing to a door, which you assume is his room.

And it's LUXORIOUS. Simple but big. A little bit tired you lay on the bed.You get bored and start scrolling on the internet. You see a recommended app. Pornhub??? You heard of it but never used it. Out of curiosity you clicked it. You played one video and started getting horny. You remember your sex toys in your bag and bring out a vibrator. You set it to the highest mode with a flick. You insert it into your pussy and start fingering your clit. You start humping his black sheeted pillow. And that's when you start cumming on the pillow staining it. You hear a voice say "Want me to play with you?" and look up to see Lee Heeseung staring at you.

PART 2???

☆Previous☆ °•Masterlist•° <<Next>>

☆ Made by @heeseungismymanz please do not steal or plagarize any of my work!! ☆

[darkmaga-retard]

Here are the top 10 tenets of Kamala’s Communism Plan for wrecking the United States of America

#1. U.S. taxpayers foot the bill for $150 billion per year to support illegal immigrants in America, including losses due to crime and theft, free healthcare, free housing, free education, loss of jobs and government handouts.

#2. Print $1 trillion per quarter to support other countries' wars and to fund illegal immigrants coming to America (plus launder and embezzle billions of it for themselves through the military industrial complex).

#3. Mass censorship of opposing views, truth that exposes ruling government’s lies and anything good the other political party celebrates.

#4. Persecute, prosecute and jail political opponents (rebels) to silence them and as a scare tactic for any and all dissidents who might try the same.

#5. Label everyone who opposes communism as fascists, enemies of the state, domestic terrorists, anti-science, anti-vaccine, climate deniers, election deniers, homophobes, etc.

#6. Keep the borders wide open for illegal immigrants, criminals and terrorists who can kill and replace Americans who won’t vote for more tyranny.

#7. Strengthen corporations while weakening and eliminating private businesses until the middle class is wiped out.

#8. Keep the nation divided through hate and disdain with media propaganda campaigns, so everyone is distracted from the fact that they’re losing all their rights, privileges, health and safety.

#9. Keep wars going around the globe to fuel money laundering, human trafficking, gun running and drug dealing at the highest levels possible.

#10. Keep the main platform as “Never Trump” so the Democrat voting base stays loyal.

Tune your apocalypse dial to Preparedness.news for updates on real news about surviving and thriving through the Democrat-led government aggression that comes at us every day now.

[whatthehellami]

Academic Rivals

Side character: "The sexual tension between you guys...." "Huh? Me and that sewer rat? I'd rather die!"

"Better level up for the next test, I almost caught up with you this time." "Yes, almost."

"You compete with another person in your political science class?!" "You don't even take politic-" "I always knew you were a two-timing, cheating bastard! You have another rival other than ME!"

"I seriously did not study this time. You don't have to worry. Just take it easy." "That's what you said for the previous test and the one before that. You got the highest marks both times. Not falling for that again."

"Do you know when I started hating you? I started despising you when you did not let me answer the name of the first Prime Minister of India in the quiz in second grade" "There were 10 questions, 9 of them we-" "That's irrelevant. I did not get the perfect score because of you."

"Harry Potter is the best." "No, Percy Jackson is the best. Period." "Harry Potter" "Percy Jackson" "HARRY POTTER" "PERC-" "Oh shut up muggle"

"Seems like the only thing you're good at is studies" "The only thing you're good at is running your mouth"

*text messages "Your dumb" "*You're dumb is the correct term and if you don't lack basic grammar skills, what about my dumb?"

[michealsbiggestfan]

🄶🅁🄴🄶🄾🅁🅈 🄱🄴🄻🄻🄰🅁🄾🅂🄴 ⚔️ 🅇 🅁🄴🄰🄳🄴🅁 🄷🄴🄰🄳🄲🄰🄽🄽🄾🄽🅂

genre: fluff + lemon

gender: female

warnings ⚠️

nsfw + vulgarity

ᡣ𐭩

when gregory first met you, honestly, he wasnt interested.

you were around 9-10, and he had a crush on wendy around that time.

well, that was until she pulled the “fuck him in the ear!” card, which left him speechless.

he had always thought of wendy as a sweet, innocent girl. he was incredibly wrong in that assumption, and regretted ever being there for her during the war once she said that.

which… kinda raised his annoyance with stan. but he wasnt about to ditch christophe just because he didn’t like this town.

so he stayed, and a couple of years went by without either of you ever knowing of eachothers existence. that was until the day that your science teacher paired you both up for a project, considering you and him were on the highest level in the class.

he was still better than you, though 😛

you both decided to meet at your house, and when gregory turned up and met your parents OH they loved him.

at first he kinda annoyed you since he charmed your parents and had a pretty big ego that weighed the same as an elephant on the back of another elephant, but by the time you finished the project, you started to like him as a friend.

you slowly but surely became friends and he would walk you to your locker and classes everyday, checking in on you, greeting you politely, and letting you sit with him and christophe.

he even shielded you from the smoke coming from delorne’s cigs, preventing you from getting second-hand smoke 🙂👍

after a few months, it started getting more romantic.

hand kisses, forehead kisses, buying you your lunch, visiting you and your parents daily, calling you things like “dear” and “love”, holding your hand and even holding you by your hips.

“No, we’re just friends.”

“Mhm, just friends.”

and then you both politely smile at the group of confused girls from your classes.

one day, your parents weren’t home so you invited him over for a movie night, which went both good and unexpected.

since there was a TV in your bedroom, you were on your bed. about 20 minutes into the romance movie when he suddenly started to rub your thigh gently.

“.. Greg, what are you doing?”

your hand would slowly go over his in an attempt to shift it away, but he instead moved his hand off of your thigh to hold yours.

“Showing my platonic love.”

“Platonic love? Love and platonic are opposites.”

“Are they?”

he clearly wasnt paying much attention considering the fact he just let go of your hand to use his curled pointy finger to stroke some hair away from your cheek.

“.. Greg..”

“Mm.”

he would slowly move closer to you and glance down at your lips before back at your eyes, using his thumb and previous finger to lift your chin up.

“May I platonically kiss you?”

nsfw warning ⚠️

one kiss became a makeout session and a makeout session eventually became a “let’s take our clothes off” session.

you were still trying to convince yourself you were just “making platonic love” but clearly you both loved eachother.

the look on his face as he straddled you and thrusted with such soft groans escaping his throat proved his love for you.

and the way you gazed up at him as he pleasured you so well also proved your love for him.

your moans and his groans kept being cut off by you both kissing, the main sound in the room just being the sound of skin slapping against skin.

his usually-slicked-back hair was messy and down now, stray strands hanging down, and you were just a moaning mess.

the feeling of his big cock moving in and out of you was just intoxicating to your sensitive little pussy, but honestly, after this, you would spread your legs and let him rail you anytime he wants.

he felt guilty, considering he was a catholic, and catholics shouldn’t have sex before marriage, but this was too tempting and too sweet of a feeling for him to deny.

“.. o-oh my.. oh.. l-lords please f-forgive me.. a-aaah.. o-oh dear..”

his whimpers honestly just made it 10x more pleasurable for you.

but overall, he’s a sweetheart to you. always take you on dates, which he pays for, and will never let anything harm you.

he even squished a bee in between his pointy finger and thumb because you got scared.

isn’t he lovely? ☺️

[sashkapi]

Kindall headcanons?

Oh, you want me to become an unskipable cutscene? /j

Kskfkksf ok, I put some of them before they would start dating

1. Already said that but Kick does likes getting Kendall's attention, so he sometimes messes with her on purpose and then denies it as "well, I mess with her because I don't like her"

2. Kendall, who usually comes first to the school, opens windows in some classes. She tells teachers it's because she wants some fresh air, but also there's a certain someone who doesn't respect doors as an entrance point and she kinda doesn't like seeing him hurt.

3. Their bickering sometimes goes into such a ridiculous territories. Why on earth someone like them would get into a heated argument about koalas?

They want to talk to each other and are used to doing so that way, that's why.

4. Speaking of which, their bickering is also their way of flirting. If you don't pay attention you won't notice, but it is somewhat obvious.

5. While Kendall does get scary when she's angry, she also hates when in that state she is not taken seriously. Kick started pretending that he likes when she's mad to piss her off even more.

And then he actually started liking it.

6. Kendall once mentioned that a lot of science related problems could be used as stunt prep and Kick now has no problems with math/physics/geometry. She teases him about the fact that she is so good at academics that she basically tutored him without tutoring him at all.

7. Gunther and Mouth are the only two people that know that Kick and Kendall are crushing on each other. Gunther doesn't interviene because he respects Kick as his friend and is wary of Kendall. Mouth on the other hand? That prick enjoys the drama and Kendall kinda has a lot of incriminating info on his shady deals so he has to keep his mouth shut.

8. There are some detentions Kick got that were unexpectedly cut short. Guess who's doing is this.

9. Some of Rock Callahan's films are based on books. Whenever there's a trailer for a movie based on a book she red, Kendall would tease Kick about spoiling it (she does that to Gunther sometimes too)

10. Whenever Kick has a grandiose stunt to do that attracts a crowd, he (unconsciously) would look for Kendall in that crowd. Boy is in a denial, but he still wants to impress her the best way he knows how.

11. After some time Kick started calling Kendall "Kends" occasionally, which gets on her nerves. If she refuses to call him by his nickname - he will give her one.

12. Kick and Gunther have a "Stunt book" - a journal they use to write ideas that they can't execute right here and now or use it for calculating speed, angles, sizes for ramps ect. Both of them doodle in that journal too. Of course among Kick's doodles there's drawings of a certain bratty rule-loving girl. He erases them most of the time but Gunther already knows so Kick mostly does it to keep lying to himself about his growing fondness of said brat.

13. Since they do fight verbally a lot, they also do seriously hurt each other feelings sometimes. Whenever Kick is hurt he becomes cold and bitterly direct towards Kendall and doesn't engage in their fights if Kendall tries to initiate them. When Kendall is hurt she straight up ignores his existence and if she has to talk to him out of necessity - she becomes so overly polite that it's creepy.

14. Adding onto previous, the ways they "apologize": Kendall would genuinely ask Kick if he's ok/hurt physically even if it isn't obvious that he was doing anything dangerous and "somewhat" compliment him like "You have to think about your safety too, even if your stunts are breathtaking I guess", while Kick would ask her to help him a bit with academics even if he doesn't need it, like asking her how to memorize history dates and names quicker or what was the themes of the novel that they had to read for literature and genuinely thanking her when she (while being creepily polite) helps him. It's not the best way, but at this point they are just not ready to communicate properly.

15. Based on my "Kendall writes adventure/romance novels in secret" hc: she unconsciously tends to make male leads in her stories danger-loving and stoic-y. She herself actually haven't noticed.

16. Kick thinks Kendall is beautiful. The thing is: he doesn't realize that it's just him. He really thinks that she IS beautiful when in reality others think that she is just "okay" by beauty standards. This can lead to an exchanges like

Kick: Of course that bratty teacher's pet has pretty privilege >:(

Gunther: She does?

Kick: What do you mean? Look at her! She does!

Gunther:... no she doesn't?

Ok. I have to stop myself or I'll be here the whole day, but yeah

I have an ask in my inbox that will be sorta like part 2 for this ehehehehehe

[depressedraisin]

Parklife (1994) and Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino (2018): What does it mean to be an album of the times?

At face value Blur’s third studio album Parklife, released in 1994, and Arctic Monkeys’ 2018 release Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino, their sixth, are very very very different albums. One the Britpop classic, the other a widely divisive experimentation -- they don’t even seem like they could hang out in the same sentence together. Then what the fuck am I on about?

Both albums are individually iconic in the respective band’s discographies -- with Parklife Blur conquered the heights of the Britpop war and firmly cemented its place in British music history while TBH&C marked a pivotal turn in style for the Monkeys, which in my very humble non-musician opinion, will make it historic sometime in the future. If you have spent as much time as I have overthinking the lyrics and pondering over interviews of another British rock band you are hyperfixating on though, you might see something more connecting these two albums. Written about 20 years away from each other, in wildly different times,  the two weirdly enough, have these faint threads tying in their themes and subject matters. 

Damon Albarn, the principal author of Parklife, described the album to NME as, “a loosely linked concept album involving all these different stories. It's the travels of the mystical lager-eater, seeing what's going on in the world and commenting on it."  Rings a bell? That’s extremely TBH&C coded! That one has often been called a concept album based on a luxury hotel and casino on the moon with various eccentric characters and their stories, wryly commenting on issues plaguing life in the 2010s. 

Parklife was a kind of a study of middle class English life of the mid-90s. With an extremely catchy pop soundscape and cheeky-cockney-laced lyrics about London parks and bank holidays, it became a quintessential symbol of Cool Britannia. They say the album never took off in the States because it was so British. In the years since, however, the band has described it more as sarcastic critique rather than a celebration of Britishness. Going through the lyrics with a fine toothed comb  with that in mind then, you can feel the impatience a bunch of 20s somethings were feeling with the ideal 9-to-5 picket fence lifestyle as well as exhaustion with the hedonistic decadence of youth in the backdrop of an unpopular Conservative-led economy in decline. A similar, if updated for 30 year olds in 2018, sentiment can be sensed in the absurd surrealism of the lyrics of  TBH&C. What do you do when you are fed up with tribulations of life and the ghosts of mistakes you’ve made along the way-- you fuck off and escape into whimsy of science fiction. 

The political context of the time when Parklife and Tranquility Base were released does matter. Opens up another perspective to reading the album.  It’s quite a stretch but bear with me.  

 The 90s in the UK began with Thatcher resigning and the Conservative government which dominated the 80s, becoming increasingly unpopular. There was a recession plaguing the early years of the decade. Britpop happened smack dab in the middle of this, and it was all about reacting to grunge and shoegaze and bringing back what is essentially British back to its music scene. Oasis, Suede, Pulp, Elastica (Justine Frischmann is the queen of Britpop btw) -- and ofcourse, Blur, were reviving guitar pop, singing in working class accents and about working class life and bringing back memories of the Swinging Sixties. Though each drawing from a wide variety of influences, these bands were becoming the face of a wider movement in music, art and youth culture.  The political scene took note.

In the mid-90s, the Labour Party led by Tony Blair quickly aligned itself with Britpop and Cool Britannia. Noel Gallagher and Damon Albarn were being courted by politicians , label execs getting party membership invites, headlines went like “What’s the Story? Don’t vote Tory”. Britpop soon acquired nationalist undertones --- never forget Brett Anderson showing off his twinky waist with Union Jack in the background and “Yanks go home!” headline. 

By the end of the 90s, when Britpop had begun crumbling, the economy had recovered and Tony Blair was in Downing Street.

TBH&C and the Monkeys in general, perhaps have less political currency. When they burst onto the scene with their Sheffield accents and garage rock riffs in the generally stable pre-2008 economic climate, the Arctic Monkeys did occupy the space in British pop culture left vacant by Blur and Oasis in the wake of post Britpop, at least for a time. Their debut broke the record of being the fastest selling one, which used to be held by Elastica previously. The Monkeys were indie rock darlings in the UK and with 2013’s AM, became darlings in the US (and Tumblr) as well. Tranquility Base though, came out in a whole different world. 

2018 was a fucking atrocious time, to put it mildly. The world was in total freefall inching rapidly towards disaster, which ultimately culminated in the pandemic of 2020. Trump had been elected in 2016 and 2018 was arguably one of the peaks of his shitshow. Over in the UK, Theresa May and her Conservative Cabinet were deep in the quagmire of Brexit negotiations. (Gotta note that Turner has said he voted against leaving in the referendum. Albarn is of course, a very vocal critic of Brexit.) Right wing governments were coming into power everywhere it seemed like, the climate crisis took on a new sense of alarm among the larger public - and things only spiralled in the years following. I can’t think of another album which could accurately capture the sheer fatigue of seeing outrageous headline after headline, how desensitised we had all become, how disillusioned with life- in a mason jar like TBH&C has.   

That’s what makes an album legendary doesn’t it? You listen to it and immediately remember what living at the time was like. Even if 1994 was 10 years before I was born. 

Now that we have gotten that out of the way, let’s look at the two albums a little more closely. 

Some lyrics which give me very similar vibes: 

sexual hedonism // start treatment (tbh&c) and girls & boys (parklife)

mundanity of relationships // four stars out of five (tbh&c) and end of century (parklife)

the performativeness of middle class activism/social work // tranquility base hotel and casino (tbh&c) and parklife (parklife)

losing friends and losing touch // the ultracheese (tbh&c) and badhead (parklife) - now these aren't really similar, but i feel a connection. in my bones trust me bro. the whole "i'll grin and bear with it" thing about badhead is very reminiscient of the sense of insouciance about life that haunts tbh&c....almost??

the myth of america // the ultracheese (tbh&c), golden trunks (tbh&) and magic america (parklife) - magic america is making fun of reagan era the american dream while a disillusionment with the glitz and glam of life in la is pretty much consistent throughout tbh&c

a pathological dependence on technology as escapism // jubilee (parklife) and start treatment (tbh&c) - digital cameras and the internet and tvs were taking baby steps into invading our daily lives back in 1994, and by 2018 we were all fully under the vice grip of tech addiction. this parallel i find particularly funny so.

astronomical references // far out (parklife) and star treatment (tbh&c) - alex james, the blur bassist wrote and sung far out about his love of space. it's a pretty nice parallel hey.

For the last one, let's talk about Tracy Jacks from parklife. I couldn't really draw a direct parallel with a song from the other album, but that song spiritually fits right in I feel. An average Joe in the throes of a midlife crisis, teethering so so close to the edge and one day just snaps - that's a character one would expect dwells in the lounge of the Tranquility Base Hotel to drown themselves in the decadence and escape from all their shit, when all is said and done.

Now what's the concluding point of all this rambling. I don't know lolz. Y'all just read a thousand words of nothing.

Just kidding. Actually I read somewhere Damon Albarn was inspired by the 1989 novel London Fields, a science-fiction adjacent black comedy set against the backdrop of an impending nuclear crisis, while writing Parklife. That kinda rung a bell. (Yes, I did wonder if Alex has read this)

I just wanted to see if we can find any interesting connections parrallels or references between Parklife and Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino. I dunno if I've been successful in getting any point across, or it's just pointless waffling on. But one thing that did get confirmed to me once again, these two albums are really the Albums of Their Times. Captures the zeitgeist in such a specific but unique in their own ways, it's really wonderful.

And also studying the legacy and impact of AM with reference to other musical outfits is always fun. I think we can all safely say that AM is well on their way to capturing a seat in the pantheon of great British bands, where somewhere in a corner Blur also sits. Damon Albarn is a fucking legend of course -- from the pretty posh boy of Britpop he has gone to becoming one of the most versatile, experimental and prolific songwriter/composer in the contemporary music scene. He is apparently working on the music for an Goethe's fragmented libretto of Magic Flute Part 2. How many rockstars do you know have composed operas - how fucking dope. I wanna hope that we'll get to see Alex exploring crazy paths in music like this, he definitely has the potential. This whole exercise would probably have made more sense with one of Damon's post-Blur works, his first solo record Everyday Robots or even Blur's last album The Magic Whip, but I started this essay so had to finish it.

Maybe another day eh.

[geralds-little-art-corner]

SCHOOL DAY 9 I did a whole page of anatomy studies in science class and the guy seated next to me kept trying to politely ignore me but we kept making eye contact while he looked at it 😭

[simslegacy5083]

NSB (Straud Legacy) Gen 9 Ep 85: Fatherhood, Incoming

Now that Storm and Noemi had been introduced, they all headed over to the fairgrounds to pick their “team” for the evening.

Mischief was a big part of their curriculum as Computer Science majors at Foxbury, so Luigi and Noemi both felt that siding with the pranksters was a no-brainer. Since Storm had never been much of a comedian and Denton really didn’t care, the whole party grabbed dark tea.

The outing started out strong, with Noemi taking to Storm just like Luigi had hoped. It was often hard for her to make new friends, but Storm made it easy with his sincere interest in her studies and easygoing manner. He even turned out to be a pretty good prankster, which helped temporarily distract Noemi from the “little problem” weighing heavily on her mind.

Sadly, as the event began to fill up Storm’s celebrity started to ruin the mood for the sensitive sim.

He was quite used to being recognized in public and took it in stride, smiling politely when sims who had read about his exploits or seen highlight reels of him on the soccer field came up and gushed about how excited they were to meet him.  While he was happy to engage them in conversation Noemi wished they would just go away, her anxiety increasing by the minute as more and more sims inserted themselves into their bubble.

Usually quite good at mischief she began to fumble, her face turning beet red after she tried to spoil a movie Storm had just mentioned seeing.

Luigi, no stranger to Noemi’s social awkwardness, quickly caught on to her distress.

She smiled gratefully as he told the others that they really needed to get home and do some homework to prepare for the next day of classes, before rising and thanking his grandfather one final time for the invite.

Back at the apartment a wave of nausea swept over Noemi as she waited for Luigi to join her in the living room. At that point she wasn’t sure if it was from the baby or the butterflies merrily flying around in her stomach at the knowledge that it was time to tell him about their child.

Noemi had been trying to find a gentle way to break the news to her boyfriend, but in the end, she just cut to the chase.

Pulling the pregnancy test out of her inventory she handed it to him along with the simple statement “we’re going to have a baby, Luigi”.

As her words sank in, Luigi stared at the two lines on the little stick and felt his stomach tie itself into a tight, uncomfortable knot.

Surely, she was joking… they’d been so careful! He knew he had to have a child someday, but he had WAY too much left to prove academically and professionally to even begin to think about fatherhood! He looked up at her, hoping to see that this was one final prank to end their night.

When instead she reached out with gentle concern reality came crashing in and the dinner he’d enjoyed a short time before curdled in his belly.

Choaking out “I think I’m going to be sick” Luigi made a mad dash for the restroom, retching over and over until there was nothing left inside him but an overwhelming feeling of fear and dismay.

Luigi’s unhappiness intensified when he returned to find Noemi curled into a tiny ball on the couch, tears in her eyes and a haunted look on her face.

Luigi mentally kicked himself. Once again, he’d only been thinking of his own feelings and made the woman he loved feel awful and alone. They’d talked about children, and he knew that while she didn’t feel as strongly against the idea as he did, she hadn’t been ready for parenthood yet either.

Determined to make it right Luigi quietly settled down beside Noemi, wrapping her in a tight embrace. After they’d both calmed down, Luigi scooted over slightly so they could face one another, apologizing for his reaction. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to face facts and start coming to terms with this new development.

I’m sure it got overshadowed by the whole pregnancy announcement thing 😄, but for context on Storm and still being recognized so many centuries later I see him as someone like Babe Ruth or Michael Jordan. He maxed the career, becoming an MVP. In my mind he was so good at the game that his fame transcended his era and typical sports fans to capture the imagination of a wider audience.

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[luna-azzurra]

writing prompts / enemies to lovers (School Edition)

1. Write a story about two students who are constantly at odds in a class debate club. As they engage in friendly arguments and witty banter, they discover a mutual admiration that blossoms into a sweet romance.

2. Set in a high school, create a tale where a star athlete and a bookish student clash during a school-wide competition. Through unexpected encounters and shared experiences, their animosity slowly transforms into a cute and unlikely romance.

3. Write a story about two students who are assigned as lab partners in science class. As they navigate experiments and lab reports, their initial dislike turns into a charming friendship and eventually evolves into a heartfelt romance.

4. In a music-focused school, develop a tale where a talented musician and a dedicated dancer clash during auditions for the school's annual talent show. Through shared rehearsals and a mutual love for the arts, their rivalry melts away, and they discover a beautiful harmony in their budding romance.

5. Set in a language class, write a story about two students who compete relentlessly for the top spot in exams and class assignments. As they engage in friendly academic rivalry, they uncover hidden layers of admiration and affection for each other.

6. Create a story about two student council members who hold opposing viewpoints on school policies and events. Through their involvement in planning school activities and spending time together, they discover a connection that goes beyond their political differences, leading to a sweet romance.

7. Write a tale about two members of rival sports teams who are always at odds on the field. As they find themselves working together during a joint training session, their competitive spirits transform into admiration and a charming romance blooms.

8. In a school theater production, develop a story where two aspiring actors clash over the lead role. Through the ups and downs of rehearsals and backstage antics, they find common ground and develop feelings that extend beyond the stage.

9. Set in a school newspaper or journalism club, create a story about two rival writers who constantly compete for the top stories. As they investigate a shared lead, they uncover more than just a scoop and find love amidst their journalistic rivalry.

10. Write a story about two students from different social circles who clash at school events and parties. Through unexpected encounters, they discover a shared sense of humor and a genuine connection that leads to a cute and unexpected romance.

[tobyfoxfacts]

SHOULD TOBY FOX BE PRESIDENT??

Heres the pros and cons

Pros

1. He made a game all about befriending your enemies.

He's a natural at building bridges so he may be able to repair any hard feelings between countries that the US cut off in the past.

2. He's a business man

Toby is self employed and has people who works under him. He started from the bottom. He worked on his first game in someone's basement. He earned his success.

3. He's great at money management and project planning

He made undertale pretty much on his own and organized any assistance he needed. He's great working on teams and had done many collaborations.

4. He likes the girls and the gays!!

Toby would let us all be trans and queer. He has 2 lesbian couples in his games, a non binary main protagonist, and is a total mommas boy. He wouldn't wanna take away her rights.

5. He doesn't hate drag queens

Toby has been seen wearing skirts and dresses as costumes or cosplays. He's worn makeup and dresses for costumes.... so he wouldn't hate someone for doing the same.

6. He supports the environment

Toby has a degree in environmental science. Why would he get a degree in that if he didn't believe in global warming? He would help repair the environment and make our country more echo friendly. As a science major he knows vaccines aren't fake and would be a great role model.

7. He slips under the discrimination radar

This is cynical, but based on Toby's appearance, he has advantages in the political world. "Straight looking," pale skinned, rich, Christian, cisgender man who went to a prestigious college. So, heck... he'd get a chance even if he genuinely sucked because politics are rigged. Even if he thought Hulu was part of Hawaii and they made a streaming service... he would still make it to the finals.

Don't let anyone find out he's a dress wearing autistic furry that makes songs about mpreg.

8. He has a great education

Toby went to a college that focuses on law and business. There's a chance that he took some classes on the side about those subjects.

9. He's a level headed guy and stays out of drama

Toby's never gotten caught up in drama and he's not a trouble starter. He'd never initiate a war.

10. G-n outlaws

We already know that Toby isn't enthusiastic about violence and believes in thinking before hurting. He would totally make more anti g-n proposals

11. He loves animals

He'd totally help prevent animal cruelty and k1ll shelters. Toby literally thinks he's a dog...

12. He hates taxes

He grew up in New Hampshire so moving to Boston must have been a shocker. He might be able to make taxes more reasonable, or do something useful with the money.

13. Japan loves him

His buddies in Japan (zun, sakurai, etc) have said Toby blends right in with the people in Japan. He's very polite. SUPER important.

14. He's young

He's level headed and isn't fucked on dementia medication while making life altering decisions for the next generation. He's involved and up to date with modern culture, and knows what people want.

15. He's a cutie

Must I say more?

16. He's a cultural icon

Gen z would vote for him cause they already know Toby's great. Plus everyone who doesn't care about politics would find it hilarious to see toby in the white house.

Why toby shouldn't be president

1. He's too short to see over the podium

2. He's stage fright

3. He'd eat the declaration of independence

4. He doesn't want to be

5. No more delrarune :(

[stars-inthe-sky]

15 questions for 15 friends

Tagged by: @village-skeptic

Are you named after anyone? My Hebrew name (Ariel B'rucha) is allegedly to do with two Benjamins, which I've never fully understood but remain grateful my parents went with that instead of Benyamina, in general but also because with Jewish day school I ended up getting called Ariel half of every school day for six years.

When was the last time you cried? Probably in November or December. Morning sickness suuuuuuucked.

Do you have kids? One extant, one en route, one dog that I refuse to call a "fur baby" but she definitely thinks she's people

What sports do you play/have you played? I played softball from ages 9 through 18; you'd think I'd've been better at it. I had a brief kindergarten-era stint on a soccer team but was very much the kid who made daisy chains for both teams (including during gameplay). As an adult, I've been much more into solo enterprises like running and skiing; I'm not especially remarkable at any athletic endeavors, but those make me much happier.

Do you use sarcasm? Frequently, although I try to tone it down around Bébé, who is incredibly verbal and soaks up anything you say like a sponge but doesn't quite appreciate the nuances of adult conversations yet.

What’s the first thing you notice about people? Clothes? Hair? I don't know. If I'm just wandering around the neighborhood it's probably whether they have a dog along.

What’s your eye color? Green

Scary movies or happy endings? Happy endings, for sure. I'd even take unhappy endings over anything scary or horror.

Any talents? I've been told reaction gifs are my superpower, but most people don't know that's just being on Tumblr for too long.

Where were you born? Philadelphia

What are your hobbies? Knitting, running/exercise (though less so at the moment because third trimester), this hellsite

Do you have any pets? Phoebe the mini goldendoodle!

How tall are you? 5'5"

Favorite subject in school? English/literature/creative writing, although I majored in political science in college and took enough extra math and science classes in high school that the college counselor thought I wanted to go pre-med.

Tagging: @angstyteenagesam, @ballroompink, @clubgetright, @gallifreyburning, @hondagirll, @iloveyouandilikeyou, @kyrafic, @lulabo, @miabicicletta, @poehlaris, @ryeloza, @sadieb798, @stillscape, @sullenaquarian, and @whimzical