#and she forgets that most other people her age don’t have the kind of free reign she does

[thisismeracing]

Paddock Pass (Taylor's version) | CL16

⸺ there are many perks to being Charles Leclerc's girlfriend. You get free paddock passes, you're able to watch him chase his dreams while you work on yours from the garage, and of course, you get Charles. What you didn't know is that he would add a new thing to this list: your favorite singer in the garage (based on this request). ✓ mentions of food; friends to lovers; not proofread; fem!reader (she/her). 0.8k words

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Life has a funny way of making things happen. You knew it from an early age, and it was kind of funny looking back at it now, as Charles' girlfriend.

As a shy kid from Monaco, your childhood wasn't exactly the most social one - you were shy, wore glasses, and liked to keep things to yourself. That's how you ended up discovering Taylor's music and became friends with Charles at the early age of 7.

During the summer holidays, with not many friends to enjoy the time except for one girl from school who happened to be traveling, you ended up going with your mom to the hairdresser. The owner saw how uncomfortable you were with all the noise and people and showed you to the waiting area, a room with a big TV and a few toys. You were the only one there, and the echo of the TV caught your attention. It was playing a song you had never heard before, a blonde singer wearing glasses and pajamas sang with all her strength. You were entranced by the image, so much so that the door opening didn't catch your attention until someone poked at your shoulder. "Hi, I'm Charles," and just like Taylor was singing, he belonged with you.

Eighteen years later, you were in the Ferrari garage working on your computer while Charles got ready for quali. Since it was the Vegas GP, and you didn't like the rush and lights that much, you chose to stay in the deepest area of the home motor curled on a blanket waiting until it was time for the race to begin.

"Cherie, Kika is looking for you at the Alpine garage," Charles knocked on the door, and peeked his head inside, smiling fondly at you.

You adjusted your glasses, "Tell her to come here."

"She's having lunch there, told me she got your favorite snacks for dessert," he explained, and you bit your lips. "There are not as many people out there since it's qualy," Charles tried to reassure you and you nodded, grabbing your cardigan and lacing your fingers with his.

"I told her to wait for you. Hopefully, she did," he had this funny smile on his face, and if you weren't so tired from the flight the other day, you would nag him about it.

You walked hand in hand to the Alpine garage, Charles stopping here and there to take a few pictures, but nothing as crazy as Sundays usually are.

When you finally reached the pink and blue facility, things seemed different. You didn't know how to pinpoint what exactly it was, but you felt like the usual rush was slightly blessed, and from previous experience, you bet someone important was inside.

"I've been waiting forever to do this for you, I couldn't have done it sooner because of the whole world tour thing and you know how hectic it was for her, right?"

You furrowed your eyebrows, feeling your glass frames move in your face, "What are you talking about, Char?"

He shook his head, kissed your forehead, and entered the garage. The first thing you saw was a mass of a man, huge. Then you heard his laugh, and it sounded familiar. The second he turned around with a big smile on his face, you felt your knees weakened, not because of him but because of someone likely there along with him.

"THE Travis Kelce?" You whispered to Charles still holding his hand, and he beamed.

"Hey, Yn! Nice to meet you! Your boyfriend was just talking about you minutes ago," he took a few steps in your direction, offering you a handshake, and you took it.

"He said you were the biggest fan," you heard her voice before seeing her, and when she stepped around Travis, you almost fainted.

"Oh, sweet Jesus-," you screeched, and everyone laughed.

"Taylor! Oh my God! I've been listening to you since I was a kid," you whispered, trying to hold back the tears and the laughter of happiness bubbling inside.

"Careful now, or you'll make me feel old," she joked and opened her arms, motioning for you to get inside the hug. You glanced at Charles, silently thanking him, and crashed into your idol's arms. Her hug was warm and tight, and you felt like you could stay there for hours. Her hands caressed your back up and down feeling how emotional you got and trying to comfort you.

When you took a step back, you saw how her gaze softened, looking at the T pendant Charles got you when you were still little kids. She pointed to a nearby bench, "Everyone's trying to explain how this works, but I still don't get it. Can you enlighten me on the F1 world as someone who's been in it since childhood?" Your brows furrowed in a second, but you smiled brightly at her. She seemed to get your confusion, explaining, "Charles was updating us on how you were the biggest Swiftie since you were a kid."

"Yeah, I met him when I first listened to your song too," you observed, sitting down, and turning to her.

"What? Now you gotta tell me this! This paddock pass was so worth it. F1 rules can wait, I'm a sucker for a love story."

"That I know," you giggled looking from her to Travis who seemed to be in a deep conversation with Charles.

────── ⋆🪩 VOICEMAIL: Hi! I tried to follow all the details in the request, hope it's good enough <3 I hope you guys liked this! Make sure to like and reblog if you did *mwah*

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[satansapostle6]

Love The Sinner | Dexter Morgan

Dexter Morgan, a vigilante serial killer hiding in plain sight, loses sleep for the first time in his life when he’s met with the very last thing he expected: a kindred spirit.

Warnings: Violence. Mature language and themes. Sexual content.

Part One. Eyes of Darkness.

Most people, when they’re getting arrested, shit their pants with fear. Some scream, some cry. Some rage, and some try to run, and some just freeze. That’s what you usually see, when you’re in your parents’ living room, and your dad can’t wait to turn on the TV to the channel dickety-six news, of all things. But sometimes, people have other reactions when being handcuffed and shoved in the back of a squad car. Sometimes people enjoy it, for one reason or another. I smiled when Miami Metro put me in cuffs on the news. Laughed, even. You see my story is many things, but boring certainly isn’t one of them.

Let’s start simple. My name is Nicole Carvalho, and as of today, America knows me as ‘Murderous MILF’. You really can’t make these things up; I love this country. I keep reminding myself, if I ever go free, I need to clip that out of the newspapers. But see, right now, at this very moment, I’m sitting alone in an almost blindingly white interrogation room at the precinct, waiting for a cop to question me while they study me on the surveillance footage. I can’t lie, I’m sitting back right now in my chair, smirking. You see, I killed the men who violated and later took my baby girl’s life, and I’m currently very pleased with myself.

I don't think my grandfather pictured this when he left Brazil. This truly is the American dream; committing a crime and letting your own peers decide whether or not it was justified. In all honesty, a jury will be much kinder to me than ‘God’ has been. So, I figured I’d let myself have this one thing. I think I waited about a half an hour before they sent someone in; a female detective. They must’ve figured a matching vagina couldn’t hurt. The first thing I noticed about this detective was that she was strikingly young; close to my age. I’m thirty-six, so I would estimate her to be maybe a little younger.

But apart from her age, the next thing I noticed about this detective was that she was very robotic in how she interacted with me; she didn’t necessarily look like she wanted to be there. She barely looked up at me when she came in, holding my files and looking down at them like a teenager doing a presentation in high school.

“So. Nicole Carvalho. I’m Detective Morgan.”

She sits down across from me less like I’m a murder suspect and more like she’s interviewing me for a secretary job. I look at her, sitting forward as I join her in the conversation, still smug as ever. I think she was secretly hoping I’d say it, the four words that usually drove most cops insane that, for some reason, no one ever thinks to say in the movies.

“I want my lawyer.”

I smile as I say it. Detective Morgan also smiles, looking down at the table before getting up. I’ll never forget how pleased she sounded.

“Guess that means I can’t ask you anymore questions.”

She gets up and walks out, and that’s the end of it. In all honesty, I don’t think she was looking forward to questioning a woman about the murder of her daughter’s rapist. After the detective left me alone, I was allowed to call myself the lawyer that I had in mind. This, of course, was a friend of a friend, a perfectly shady guy named Johnny Bertelli, who was, in the nicest way possible, a fucking scum bag. You see, I work as a project manager at a marketing firm, so I’ve met my fair share of good lawyers, but Johnny was the fucking best.

He made Johnnie Cochran look like an idiot. He was the kind of lawyer who laughed at the prosecution in court, and I needed him. So there i was, in the Miami Metro precinct punching a number I’d gotten off Google into a wall phone. I looked around the precinct as I waited for someone to pick up, and suddenly it was like I felt a pair of eyes on me. I turned around, and I saw a pretty timid, mild-mannered looking guy who seemed as if he’d been standing there trying to figure out how to get my attention.

But the strange thing was, he didn’t seem to want my attention, at all, actually. If anything, he seemed perturbed by the fact that I was looking his way. I looked over at him, not knowing what the fuck his story could’ve been. Miami’s a weird place, because in this moment, I realized the guy wandering the precinct in a Polo and khakis could very well be an employee. I looked at the guy, not knowing what he could’ve wanted with me as I struggled with the phone. Funny enough, he actually just wanted to be helpful.

“You gotta press pound,” he says quietly, “For the call to go through,” and I almost laugh.

I appreciate the odd moment, just thanking him.“Thank you.”

He just nods, and says nothing as he quietly retreats to wherever it was he came from. I took his advice, and sure enough, the phone worked and patched me through to Johnny’s office. I wasn’t quite sure at the time, seeing as I was obviously a bit preoccupied, but I felt that strange man’s eyes linger on me for a moment. Even as I turned around, I could sense his surreal sort of presence that he had. Sure, I was used to having men’s leering eyes on me out in public; it was hardly unusual. But this was different.

Like he was less looking at my body and flesh, but more so imagining what was underneath it.

*****

The next couple years of my life were eventful, to say the fucking least. Johnny of course advised me to take my case to trial instead of taking a plea, for obvious reasons; there was no way any jury was going to give me the maximum sentence, or God forbid, the death penalty. I was a single mother who stabbed her twelve year-old daughter’s rapist seventeen times. In the eyes of the public, I was practically a fucking hero. Johnny’s confident that any jury would feel sympathetic to me, despite the brutality of what I’d done. As he says, the facts are still there.

My neighbor, a weasley little creep named George Randall got me, and my Isabelle, to trust him, and took advantage of her in the worst way. Then she killed herself, because of what he did, and I had to find out through a note left on her desk for me to find. So, I went to George’s with an empty baking dish of his, and once he let me in, I whipped out the knife I’d borrowed from him, the same knife I used to use to cook for my little girl, and I made his stomach burst like a water balloon. At this point, I’d already chosen to show little remorse for the crime I’d committed, feeling perfectly at peace with the possibility of prison, or the death penalty.

But Johnny said there was probably no need to be too fearful of either. He’d even told me there was a possibility I’d just get a few years, and then parole, or something, and I wasn’t sure that wasn’t bullshit, but I also liked his confidence. The reality of it was, Johnny had made much worse people look way better. To him, my case was already closed. All I had to do was play the part of the grieving mother, which took no effort on my part. I had to wait almost a year for my case to go to trial, which I of course did outside of a cell.

This gave me enough time to get all my affairs in order, or so to speak. My job was okay for the time being, and I knew I’d probably still have it so long as I wasn’t convicted of murder, given my ‘years of dedicated service’. Things were going to be relatively fine, eventually, but for now, I was stuck being paraded around like a jester on some twisted apology tour for avenging my daughter’s death. I’m a pretty good actor, but even my patience has its limits. And maybe wearing my white So Kate’s to court wasn’t necessarily the best judgement call.

But Johnny, being more than worth the money I pay him, made it work. I walked into the courtroom with him, humble and graceful, and didn’t let my eyes linger so as not to appear guilty. But even then, I caught a glimpse of him in the room. The guy who helped me with the phone. He was watching my trial, probably just as a police department employee. Probably.

“Will the defendant please rise?”

I complied with Judge Willis’s request, with my trusty guard dog by my side. I remained dignified, my head held high, but not too high, of course, as the proceedings began.

“Miss Carvalho. How do you plead?”

“Not guilty, your honor,” I told him.

The damage was done. My fate rested entirely in the hands of twelve strangers, and for some reason, there was a thirteenth who seemed oddly invested in the outcome.

-

Part Two.

[crazilust]

astrology observations pt. 5 (i believe)

remember, if this doesn’t resonate, leave it, scroll away and forget it. i wanted a summer theme, so i’ll do it on this post why not 💛

🐬🍋🌊🌅 🐬🍋🌊🌅 🐬🍋🌊🌅 🐬🍋🌊🌅

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🐬 I wish I could look a Sag sun in the eyes and tell them that no matter how little or big they achieve, they’re worth something. That they don’t have to chase the next big shiny thing, that they don’t have to be a millionaire by age 30, that they don’t have to « be someone » because they’re already someone.

🍋 We’re always talking about how lucky Jupiter natives are and how free spirited they are, but the truth is, Jupiter is also about expansion and sometimes I feel like that expansion translates in a pressure to be exceptional. And in this society, in this world, being exceptional is only valued at a material level. The number of Sag suns that I’ve met that felt like complete failures at like 20 years old is not normal. They’re so harsh on themselves. I wish I could give them all a big hug

🌊 The power of pisces mercury lies in their intuition. As virgo’s sister sign, it makes sense that Pisces mercuries don’t find their answers through logic and evidence-based facts but rather intuition and feelings. It can be hard for them to trust that gut feeling or to feel intelligent cause if someone asks them « well how do you know? » their answers most likely will be « Eh, just a hunch » But trust it, it’s one of your many gifts

🌅 I used to be so fascinated with people with Aries and Gemini in their birth chart cause I found them so comfortable with people, the life of a party type of people and so damn charming. As I grow older though and begin to see life in nuances of grey instead of straight black and white, I’m able to realize that those people often suffer from people-pleasing tendencies, a sense of self that is either broken or fragile and codependent behaviors. It’s like their sense of worth is tied to how much people like them.

🐬 Cancers are very loyal, I know it’s not a popular sign on mainstream medias and people love to shit on them, but the truth is, Cancers will have your back, no matter the placements. If you’re ever loved by a Cancer, make sure to treat them right !

🍋 People who are not that much into astrology will meet a Leo and be like “omg, you don’t act like a Leo at all, you’re not arrogant or an attention whore” When we look at Leos celebrities, it’s easier to see that arrogant, flashy, extra side. But irl, we rarely meet that “kind “of Leos, right? (Except at bars lol) The reason for it, I found, is that Leos, for the most part, have personas. First of all, they’re a lot more private than you’d think. I believe that most Leos loooove attention, but they also know when it’s appropriate to show it or not. Depending on their other placements, they’ll decide when to grab that spotlight and when to leave it to others.

🌊 I had this girl that I knew that was a Leo sun (and I’m sure a bunch of virgo placements) and everybody was shocked of her sun sign because she was introverted, quiet and observant. But she was still a theater girl, wanted to be the main character (preferred the villain), veryyyy assertive when it came to her boundaries or what she liked and didn’t liked, and very extra and colourful in her outfits. The reason why I don’t like mainstream astrology is because it’s a bit childish in the way it describes a sign. You can love attention but show it in a way other than screaming and dancing on tables. This girl, for example. To me, she was a Leo sun to a T.

🌅 Aquarius placements 🤝🏽 their desires to connect with someone through intellectual stimulation, but refusing to show and acknowledge their deep rooted fear of intimacy and vulnerability

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and that’s it from me, folks.

-B.

[angelcake10023]

Spy x Family Read-Along [Mission 001]

Oh boy this is mostly me yapping about things as I read it, talking about my thoughts as I go. I should probably stop myself from doing this much in future chapters- but this one is special because it's the first one! Feel free to add your own thoughts about this chapter in the replies, reblogs, or your own post! Make sure to use the tag #sxfra2025 if you do. Now on with the YAPS

The Manga throws you right in out the gate with the constant conflict between the east and west. Which usually boils down to extremists wanting to instigate another war through any controversy they can dig up about either side screwing over the other. I also love how it shows Wise’s goal is to stop these kinds of things, and keep peace afloat between the nations despite being primarily rooted in Westalis. I’m not usually great at utilizing in-depth political conflicts in stories, so I want to really take note of them in my reread because I think Spy Family does it really well.  I would also like to really understand the world building, and take note of anything I might have glazed over previously. 

The conflict in this case being “The Minister of Foreign Affairs” wears a wig being what they planned to use as blackmail is in one part kind of hilarious- while at the same time being an interesting look into how fragile their politics really are and how easily they’re swayed. There’s a reason Wise has to step in to deal with these things, peace is VERY fragile and can be influenced easily by even simple things like this

The first Twilight disguise reveal is so good, I love him so much kaljdkafdjs it’s such a great first showing of his skills as Wise’s best operative. He’s the textbook spy, the man of a thousand faces. You immediately know how competent he is just from his demeanor and I love it. It makes his next assignment all the more humorous. Also love his little Wise dagger pin I want it 

I must’ve been really distracted by Twilight the first few times because I just realized she’s the daughter of the Head of Foreign Affairs. You know that makes a lot more sense. I don't know why I didn’t catch that I’m blind LMAO. Also the Robert look is really funny, the slicked hair, side-part bangs, glasses, it’s so unlike the Loid look despite only being a change in his hairstyle. The Loid look feels the most natural for Twilight in terms of appearance. Also Also cough cough Agent-I Don’t Get Attached- Twilight is about to meet his match. 

I’m curious if the Ciphers stay consistent, I’m marking down “Cipher C” as the Newspaper Cipher 

Skipping forward a bit but kakldjfakldj why is he so PRETTY  I want to put him in a jar and shake him around. 

I feel so terrible for all the kids at this orphanage. It’s the fact that places like this exist that paints the political scene in such a sorry light. More people are obsessed with starting another war between nations than helping kids in situations like this who were probably orphaned by said war. 

Anya lying about her age is something that’s easy to forget, but I hope gets brought up again at some point. Because she IS incredibly smart for her age, and a 1-2 year age difference is a LOT when it comes to mental development in kids. So despite not seeming “smart” for a six-year-old she is doing exceptionally well for a 4-5 year-old. Plus it’s also a great first look into her mind-reading powers, and an excellent subversion into “fantasy” that you probably wouldn’t expect in a historical-political-drama of sorts. 

I desperately need to know more about Anya’s backstory. Like- how did she escape? Is the organization (Project Apple) still after her? We still know so little I feel and I want more. 

God they’re so silly I adore them. The Father-Daughter duo of all time. Also Loid you can’t just leave children home alone you idiot, you literally just adopted her an hour ago. 

I love his straight-ass responses to the childish nonsense Anya spews. It comes off very dad in a way I don’t think he means it to LMAO 

Them. Yes that is all

In a world where Anya can read minds and Yor has super-human strength, somehow the fact that he reads like this still is beyong my comprehension 

Loid can’t catch a hint even before Anya decides to actively hide her mind-reading abilities. My guy it was never subtle you’re just feeding off each other’s autism  

Franky Franklin my beloved <3333 he’s really grown on me. Also Loid oh my god what is wrong with you you’re terrible at this 

This is so cute oh my god 

Forcing myself to skip a bit- It’s crazy that if these guys were able to connect the dots a little more it would completely destroy Twilight’s cover, I wonder if they’ll ever come back 

I love this part so much, it’s such the perfect final piece for his character. Yes he’s a competent spy, focused on his mission before anything else, who acts burdened by having to work alone. But above all else- the reason he does it all to begin with- is to protect people like Anya. It’s to keep them from ever having to experience the tragedies of war as he has. Despite all his grievances, he can’t ever keep himself from doing everything he can to keep that a reality. God it’s so good 

This always gives me chills, man can both Twilight and Yor be SCARY when they want to be 

Then THIS- GOD akdjlkadj They are perfect. He’s already attached to her and he won’t ever admit it. They’re both each others chosen family, and it makes me WEAK. 

Again- so dad. Love them.

SOBBING. WEEPING. AAAAAAA. I think about this every day and how genuinely happy he was that she passed because they both worked so hard for it. And the fact that he relaxed without meaning to just shows how genuine it really was. I miss moments like this with the two of them I want more. 

And of course- now I shall explode into a bajillion, screaming pieces. Sorry this is my last post on this site. 

And OHOHOHO guess who’s time it is NOWWWW you’ll never guess who 

In Conclusion: I yapped way too much, but this first chapter is stock full of so much to talk about. From the beginnings of world building, to spy shenanigans, and found family fluffy nonsense. It’s perfect and probably one of best openings to a Manga. I’m biased though of course. Hopefully I can reign myself in from yapping too much in later chapters cause I don’t think I’d be able to keep this up for all of them lol. 

[dragon-queen21]

Agere Tier list

I asked for people to send me in characters and then I would rank them. This was open fandom so half of the characters I didn't know and simply went off of vibes. If you agree, awesome! Disagree or have something to add, feel free to reblog and ramble. Just please don't get angry at me is anything is super off

Characters and short explanations below: (If I had one, I kinda gave up half way on some so forgive me if these aren't my best)

Stardew Valley~

-Harvey: Caregiver! Tired dad vibes for real, who always drinking too much coffee. Little one giving him puppy dog eyes is just like ‘oh, you want some too?’ <- terrible idea, he’ll never learn /lh

Pokemon~

-Prof. Sycamore: Caregiver or babysitter, just because I feel like he would be quite forgetful. Like unless his little one has obvious tells that they are regressed (ie. Using a pacifier, slurred speech, different comfy clothes, etc.) He’s going to just forget, or just overlook it. Ah I don’t know how to put that. Like he’s still sweet and caring just… a bit silly me thinks

-Kaiwe: Flip, big brother regressor/caregiver

Animal Crossing~

-Bones (animal crossing): Toss up between being a babysitter known for spoiling the littles he looks after with treat and cuddles, or a regressor… I’m leaning more towards babysitter personally. Also I think he would help his little one in the making of putting on a puppet show;

-Isabell: Flip, regressor leaning

-Tom Nook: Babysitter. In the sense that he is very aware of those who regress on the island and gives them little tasks to in exchange for stickers or treats

Star Trek~

-Bones/ Leonard McCoy: Well maybe I am biased but caregiver coded. He just ahs a very dad vibe about him you know? Plus being a doctor and with a knowledge of psychology I just know he’d be familiar with what age regression is

Lego Ninjago~

-Lloyd: Regressor/ pet regressor He would be a little dragon. I think I remember Cole being scared of dragons in the pilot episodes, so umm he definitely sneaks up on the other, roaring and trying to scare him

-Kai: Flip, caregiver leaning. Super sweet. The kind of caregiver who thinks that most problems can be solved with ice cream and cuddles

-Nya: Flip caregiver leaning. I feel like she's regressed with her brother before either because he wanted a playmate, or just to be like there's nothing to feel bad about. So maybe that would put her more as an age dreamer... hmmm welp, too late to redo the list now XD

-Cole: caregiver, going off of the wiki here but the fact that he seems to be very parental to those younger than him. Hates letting his little one down, so even over the smallest detail he's going to make sure everything goes smoothly to the best of his ability

Genshin~

-Ayato: I was going to say caregiver, but upon further consideration, puppy regressor. Wants to be little with his sister around but also, no talking, he’s delt enough with people all day if he wants interaction then he’ll initiate it himself. And being in puppy space no need to talk, just woofs. Also because of his role the idea of ‘age regressing’ in the typical sense leaves a bad taste in his mouth

-Ayaka: Caregiver coded. Looks after her brother a lot but also just enjoys being able to still take care of someone but just with less pressure to do everything perfect. Healing in it’s own way. I think maybe she would age dream from time to time, but never fully regress

-Aether: To no ones shock at all, regressor. I want to say that back with his sister he was a flip and they would take care of each other but without his other half and way to much put on his shoulders he’s solely just a little one now

-Wriothesley: Puppy regressor, specifically a german shepherd or Doberman, or any other dog breed with ‘scary dog privileges. Thinks he’s the scariest little guy. His caregiver’s see him as their adorable pup.

-Venti: Caregiver who's the best with baby regressor's. They're his little wisp and he plays lullaby's for them and is just the best at settling down fussy little ones.

-Kaeya: Caregiver. He has the best stories to tell his little ones and he definitely spoils them rotten. Regressor so much as looks at something twice and he'll get it for them

-Diluc: Flip caregiver leaning + pet regressor. Something something being a wolf regressor. He would probably chomp on his brother's arm just to annoy him, but also love noms. Also like I have said waaaay too many times on my blog, he would just have a soft spot for little ones trust me.

-Albedo: Regressor & pet regressor. Never really had a real childhood so age and pet regression kinda blur within one another. Snow leopard regressor or a husky regressor. He can spend an abnormal amount of time out in the cold and is quite content in doing so.

Overwatch~

-Mercy: Caregiver Oooh big sister caregiver. Going purely off of vibes but I mean. She just feels like she would be great with baby regressors. Just to be swaddled in soft blankets and fluffy wings to protect you. Also adding wanting to look after her little ones in a way that she was never taken care if as a child

Ace Attorny~

-Maya: Pet regressor. She’s has a kitten space that’s always getting her into mischief.

AOT~ We are going off of vibes here purely because I don’t know the first thing about this series

-Armin Arlert: Toddler regressor or baby space regressor, I can't quite come to a decision. Curious kiddo who is so easily distracted by everything

-Eren Jaeger: Middle regressor, usually older than Armin, though I could also see him being a toddler in his terrible twos. Lot of temper tantrums/meltdowns when little because of having so many emotions just bubbling over the surface.

-Mikasa Ackerman: Oh yeah 100% caregiver coded. I was going to label all three as littles, but I just think she needs to look after someone just to heal from her own childhood. Also because her friends are all she has left she wants to make sure they're as happy and comfortable as possible

[asouefanworkevent]

another fall is upon us! another woevember is coming!!

what is it?

woevember is an asoue fanwork event week, that will take place from november 10th through november 16th, 2024. every day of the week is dedicated to a different part of a series of unfortunate events or all the wrong questions for you to create something about! this year's theme is objects!

what do i do?

the prompts will be revealed now, so everyone has time to make something. between now and the week of november 10th, you’ll create fanworks about the prompts, and then post it on the corresponding day during november 10th - 16th! there will be the occasional countdown post between then and now too, so we all know how many days are left until posting begins.

don’t forget to tag this tumblr (asouefanworkevent) in the post so i can find it and reblog it, and tag the post with #woevember !

what do you mean by fanwork?

everything! fanfic and fanart are of course allowed, but woevember has always been meant to be an event that is as big or as little effort as you want! fanwork also means edits, gifs, analysis posts, headcanons!! your cosplay!! your photography!! your photosets!! your web weaving!! your moodboards!! your super short fics!! your sketchiest drawings!! your most ramble-y half-fic idea posts!! your wip scenes!! you merely saying ‘lemony snicket, though. am i right?????’ (and you are. you’re so right.) your loving macaroni art!! your embroidery!! your sculpture!! whatever you are moved to make from the prompts! i want people to be encouraged to and be able to create even something small that didn’t exist before for the snicketverse, and share it with other people!

are there any rules?

to keep the event open and comfortable for everyone, no explicit content. also, as always, sibling romance and age gaps will not be tolerated.

do i have to make something for every day?

only if you want to! feel free to just make something for one day if you want :) the point of having a different theme for each day is so some part of canon that you like comes up eventually, and you can at least make something for one of the days. or you get struck by an idea you might not have considered before! i want to get people thinking about all the intriguing things in asoue and atwq and the exciting, different ways we can interpret and create from the same idea.

what are the prompts?

the description under each prompt is just some ideas to get your brain going – feel free to take them in another direction too! whatever you want to come up with!!

november 10th - violet's inventions

the grappling hook! the toaster in the clock! the rock retrieval device! the bobblehead train stopper! even just lockpicking, and violet's ribbon, too! what else do you think violet has made, pre-canon or during canon? what does she make now? post-canon, does she have a job that relates to inventing? does she still invent in her spare time?

november 11th - the sugar bowl

the mysterious sugar bowl! lives have been lost in the quest to find it and it's important to both the snickets and the baudelaires, so says esme. where is it now? what was its importance? what was inside it? where was it during canon, before canon? who has had it before? did anyone have it before esme? what does it look like? how does it keep its contents safe? when was it first used? did it make it to the hotel denouement? is anyone still searching for it? what if it wasn't stolen?

november 12th - disguises

both the firestarters and the firefighters have used disguises --the same disguises, supplied by vfd. what other kinds of disguises have each side used, and for what ends? was a disguise ever seen through at the wrong time, or the right time? was a disguise ever NOT seen through when it should have been? even the disguises beatrice wore when she acted on stage, or the cow disguise worn by jacques snicket, or the denouement triplets pretending to be each other, what does it mean to wear a disguise and what do you do when you wear one? do the baudelaires, or the quagmires, ever wear disguises again? do frank and ernest ever pretend to be each other post-canon?

november 13th - the bombinating beast

our beloved statue the size of a milk bottle, valued upwards of a great deal of money! where do you think it is now? what did lemony do with it when he left stain'd-by-the-sea? who used it before canon? do the baudelaires ever encounter it? does it make its way back to stain'd-by-the-sea? and where is the bombinating beast itself now?

november 14th - books

lemony's a series of unfortunate events books do, after all, exist in asoue canon itself! what does vfd think of the books? who's read them? or books like the unauthorized autobiography, and the beatrice letters, and lemony's childrens books, what place might they have in canon? for all the wrong questions, who's read them? they were filed at vfd headquarters, after all. how many members of vfd know what lemony did during his apprenticeship? or books like caviar: salty jewel of the tasty sea, or stain'd myths, or lemony's pamphlets on the accordion, or even the classic children's lit books, like the ramona series by beverly cleary, and their place inside canon and especially vfd? or even beatrice and bertrand's a series of unfortunate events, the journal they contribute to on the island. who else has written in that journal?

november 15th - the duchess of winnipeg's ring

the ring that went from the duchess, to lemony, to beatrice, to back to lemony, to kit, to bertrand, to beatrice, to the box she kept it in, to widdershins as he searched the ruins of the baudelaire mansion, to ishmael when it washed up on the island, to violet, and to the second beatrice, who traded it to a shepherd for a yak ride. what other adventures has it been on? does the duchess ever get it back again? why did beatrice keep it in a box -- a box that kit's grandfather made the code for? what has the rest of the duchess' family done with it? what does it mean to them?

november 16th - free space!

do you have another object in mind? the spyglass, one of klaus's books, or sunny's meals, or the harpoon gun, or ellington's record player, or cleo's chemistry equipment, or something like the medusoid mycelium? the laudanum? all the things esme says are in or out? the baudelaire fortune? the quagmire sapphires? the fabled tito puente records? the ruins of the baudelaire mansion and what else might be there? all those objects mrs. bass had her students measure? jake hix's meals? cleo's car, or the bellerophon taxi? the vfd taxi? gustav's films, or the sebald code? violet's bread knife? kit's book raft? commonplace books? do you want to combine any of these objects with one of the previous days and create something with two objects for one of the previous days? so many options!! or do you care not for objects! use the free space to write about the item or character or relationship or thought or whatever of your choosing! feel free to pick a theme from a previous woevember event for the free space, if you'd like!

if you have any questions about anything, feel free to drop me an ask or a message!

happy creating, and i hope to see lots of you november 10th-16th!! ✨

[camillasgirl]

Queen Camilla's speech to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, 23.01.2025

Survivors of the Holocaust, Survivors of Genocide, Ladies and Gentlemen. As Patron of the Anne Frank Trust UK, it is an honour and a privilege to join you to remember the victims of the Shoah and of genocides since the end of the Second World War. It is also an opportunity to renew our commitment to two simple, but powerful, words: “Never Forget”.

This year we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the death of Anne Frank in Bergen Belsen, at the age of 15. Had she lived, she would be 95. Miraculously, her father, Otto, survived. He had been one of the 7,000 people freed on 27th January 1945, when the Soviet Army marched under the gates of Auschwitz that bore the sign, “Arbeit macht frei”, “Work makes one free”.

Words, as I said just now, have power. Those over the gates of Auschwitz represent one of history’s greatest, and most evil, lies. But Anne knew that they were always there to offer truth, comfort and hope. A year before she died, she wrote a promise in her diary: “I’ll make my voice heard, I’ll go out into the world and work for mankind!”. She was never to do so in person. However, over subsequent decades, and thanks to Otto’s tireless efforts, Anne’s diary has become the enduring embodiment of that promise. We can only guess at what she would have made of her legacy. Yet her story demonstrates that even the quietest, loneliest voice in the wilderness can change the world. That is the true power of words.

Anne’s life and death continue to inspire an anti-prejudice movement across the globe, including the Anne Frank Trust here in Britain. Last year, you reached 126,000 young people in this country alone, with your distinctive combination of Holocaust history, education about discrimination and youth empowerment. I am proud to be your Patron and grateful to all of you who support the Trust in its vital work – thank you.

Five years ago, I heard another survivor, Marian Turski, a Polish Jew, speak at a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. During his testimony, Marian said this:

I shall not be telling you about the very worst experience, the tragedy of being separated from my nearest loved ones and sensing what awaited them after the selection. I want to talk with the generation of my daughter and the generation of my grandchildren about themselves…. Don’t be complacent, whenever you see the past being misused for current political purposes. Don’t be complacent, whenever any kind of minority is discriminated against. Democracy itself lies in the fact that the rights of minorities must be protected. Don’t be complacent… Because if you become complacent, before you know it, some kind of Auschwitz will suddenly appear from nowhere and befall you and your descendants.'

Today, more than ever, with levels of antisemitism at their highest level for a generation; and disturbing rises in Islamophobia and other forms of racism and prejudice, we must heed this warning. The deadly seeds of the Holocaust were sown at first in small acts of exclusion, of aggression and of discrimination towards those who had previously been neighbours and friends. Over a terrifying short period of time, those seeds took root through the complacency of which we can all be guilty: of turning away from injustice, of ignoring that which we know to be wrong, of thinking that someone else will do what’s needed – and of remaining silent.

Let’s unite in our commitment to take action, to speak up and to ensure that the words “Never Forget” are a guiding light that charts a path towards a better, brighter, and more tolerant future for us all.

As Anne wrote in her diary on 7th May 1944:

"What is done cannot be undone, but at least one can prevent it from happening again."

Thank you.

[thesubtlethiefofyouth]

some disorganised shalom analysis that i wanted to dump somewhere. most of this stuff is really old

if there are cases where a human life can’t be fully rehabilitated, shalom is one of them. she, unlike any hush before her, has the strength (and luck) to free herself, but she is also, like every hush before her, unimaginably damaged. the first rendition of her personhood was obliterated. the person she would have become if she’d been left alone is lost forever. we don’t even know her real name. shes kinda like if a murder victim were forced to continue to walk the earth and interact with people (while pretending to be alive) and work for their murderers for 10 straight years.

it’s pretty grim, but i like to read her with a tool mentality that can never be fully cured even once she is completely free from paradeisos. i like to imagine her struggling a little with having trivial personal preferences (preferences that aren’t just “i would like to survive at all costs”) and placing heavy emphasis on utility (of herself and others). i like to think parts of her psyche are beyond repair. paradeisos promotes a cult of radical utilitarianism through really frightening means that i can’t see any easy way out of once you’ve been groomed into it. you have to remember that shalom was roughly 16 when she underwent the emotion separation process and before that she was constantly being experimented on, so she hardly had the chance to grow into a person. like she didn’t even have a name she was “subject 17”. from the moment her emotions were separated from her conscious mind, all emotional development/maturing had to have been halted. her emotions only gradually began to return like 8 years later when she met chief. like genuinely what is a person supposed to do with that? there is no “picking up where you left off” and even if there were it would still be deeply tragic because shes like 25 and where she left off is like age 16 lmaoooooo. it’s a stunting procedure. i also think a lot of people forget that the hushes spend the majority of their time unconscious/in the observatorium and are only roused for special tasks, so shalom, for all her worldly affectations, really hasn’t seen that much of the world. she’s worn out, but she’s an eternal kid.

you’ll notice that she likes movies and music indiscriminately and has no favourite genres. i think this is largely just due to her open mind and eagerness to learn, but also at literally no point in her life would her personal preferences have mattered to anyone, so i can’t see her actively and automatically forming opinions like that (like a normal person who was raised normally). as the hush, paradeisos valued her strategic input insofar as the greater good was concerned, but wasting energy on any other kind of input would have raised alarm bells and also just probably didn’t come to mind. as subject 17, no one would have given a rat’s ass about anything she wanted. the only time she uses the word “favorite” in game is when she’s talking to/about chief in her undawning nighttide skin, which makes sense because chief is pretty much the driving force behind her development and undawning nighttide is the newest content she has. ingrained in her, possibly, is the belief that her opinions need to have objective value and advance something. it’s kind of a little miracle that she can like things at all: movies, music, flowers, photography, people. i think she would benefit a lot from someone constantly (and very patiently) asking her what she thinks of silly, unimportant things. but i have a lot more to say on what i think she would need in relationships that i dont think i can fit in here...

obviously shalom uses people (rahu, chris, coquelic) for her own gain because that’s all she knows. she has never in her life had any real degree of autonomy; all her life people have been dictating her circumstances, using her, objectifying her, subjecting her to things… before she “woke up” and took fragile control of her trajectory, she had no real control over anything. she creates illusions of control with her words, but, while i don’t deny that she’s one of the most intelligent and cunning characters in the game (she is the puppet master of ptn for a reason), almost everything she says to chief can double as a really depressing confession. (remember that chief is the most important person where shalom’s development is concerned.) like even early on. in her interro she tells chief “i grant you permission to do whatever you desire” not because she has ever had any real power to grant any authority permission to do anything but because no resistance on her part has ever worked for her, so permission is kind of a given. “you have the prerogative” she says, but that’s also pretty pointless, because when has any authority who has ever handled her (researchers and paradeisos) not had the prerogative to do whatever they wanted to her? shalom talks SO MUCH but a lot of it is just flowery and redundant because words mean so little to her (see: undawning nighttide ordinary contact 4 “oaths and promises are mere whispers in the wind”).

you can still get a lot out of the flowery things she says; even though she seems impenetrable sometimes, she is really easy to read because she has one single, very human motive (survival). “if you keep resisting, it’s hard on me too – you’ll end up hurting both of us…” is one of my favourite lines because it shows that she equates resistance with mutual pain. it’s not a stretch to think the researchers/paradeisos had similar beliefs about her resistance (remember that she was an extremely aggressive, hostile child) and issued the same guilt-trippy warning. the mutual part of mutual pain is important because her resistance also hurt the researchers, who feared she’d jeopardise their experiments. another line i really like is “i’m neither a good fighter, nor do i have any special powers. the only thing that protects me from harm is my schorl.” she is pretty (physically) weak and not particularly dexterous (e.g., peeling apple for chris scene), but the second sentence is obviously untrue, since she is the one actively working to prolong her life while the schorl waits around to kill her if she steps out of line, and besides she literally does have special powers (mark and healing). i think she says things like that primarily to lower people’s guards. what also inevitably comes to mind is how much of a fighter subject 17 was. with that in mind: possibly the removal of her emotions (and everything else that came with being subjected to human experimentation) weakened her (in spirit and/or flesh) and she wishes she had her strength back (read: wants to regain what she has lost); or possibly she thinks that because her strength didn’t save her when she was younger, she must be a weak fighter who can’t protect herself (and must have been weak all along - this is her typical brand of self-loathing). it’s so scary and deeply sad, even if it’s a lie, to say that the only thing that can protect you is the tool that your crazy abusers use to spy on you 24/7. 

one of the saddest things she’s ever said, though, was in chapter 13: “was it a gamble? you surrendered yourself to fate by choice... sigh, i wouldn’t have had the courage to make that choice.” this is literally insane coming from someone as unfathomably brave as shalom, but she’s telling the truth. she’s taken gambles before - she said at the end of her interro that the odds of pulling off her plan were less than 1% - but they were all, at least in her mind, mostly reliant on her own performance. whether or not everything worked out depended on how strong her mark was and how quick she was, how careful, how skilled at manipulation and evasion. fate, on the other hand, has absolutely nothing to do with her. she can’t put her trust in anything that requires blind faith because she can’t trust anyone but herself - she is awed by chief’s ability to trust other people in ch13 - and her own calculations, because not a single person in her life (except chief) has ever wanted the best for her without ulterior motive (rahu initially) or without having been groomed by her anyway (chris). she can’t afford to leave everything to fate, no matter how much she actually values and believes in it (and is literally always talking about it). she has been impossibly brave and optimistic right up until the end, but she has also always been 100% alone and literally one mistake away from death. we get a glimpse into her stream of consciousness at the end of her interro:

it’s urgent, breathless, paranoid, calculating, calculating, calculating. like she has genuinely never been relaxed a day in her life. she has crazy trust issues and abandonment issues (city never sleeps idle). the circumstances of her life are the worst possible. because of what’s been done to her, she will never have the chance to uncover the person she should have become.

even when all or as much as possible of her emotions have returned (she’s still undergoing metamorphosis and can’t be truly free as long as she’s comatose/in paradeisos), she’s not going to be able to go back to being the person she was before. she’s not going to become the person she would have grown into naturally. she’ll be someone new entirely - which is beautiful too, but bittersweet. at the end of the day, even the bravest, strongest, smartest, most optimistic hush in history was still the hush. the heart is rejuvenated, but the wound is forever. she says it herself: “what we’ve lost can’t be reclaimed, but we’re destined for renewal.”

[therealmaag]

Here’s Snorky’s info! The last info dump until I make the other characters main charts + wrote their lore down and set it in stone 😅

General info!

Full name: Snorky Bennet Reggins

Age: 27

DoB: November 8th (Scorpio)

Snorky is the youngest split and the last recruited, being 6 when him and the other splits met. Snorky is autistic and likes being in quiet areas but also likes to be out performing. Snorky is aroace and genderfluid, going by all pronouns and wearing all kinds of clothing

Unlike the other splits, Snorky isn’t technically missing any parents since both are alive. Just because they were alive, doesn’t mean they were the best though. His mother and father were pretty neglectful, often forgetting Snorky existed and leaving her to fend for themselves.

Snorky likes to do things like bake and draw in her free time, using it to channel inner anger when upset. While she looks cute and innocent, don’t let that fool you because he can be really violent when provoked

Fun facts!

- Until the age of 12, Snorky still held onto her pacifier and used it since it brought them comfort. In the present, they keep a pin on him to fidget with to bring her comfort

- She’s an only child! Unlike the other splits, Snorky has both of his parents alive/around but they were neglectful, often leaving Snorky to raise himself or have the other splits raise her

- Snorky is non-verbal autistic; only normally communicating through honking her horn. While they can say a few words, he doesn’t normally do so due to their poor social skills

- Snorky is genderfluid (going by all pronouns) and aroace

- Snorky has naturally thick fur, VERY VERY thick! In high school, he tried growing it out (sorta resembling her season 1 appearance) but she had Fleegle shave it after graduation

- While not naturally violent, Snorky is the most aggressive when provoked

- Snorky likes to wear dresses, especially on special occasions. People often mistake her for a girl (and only a girl) when in a dress but he likes it

- Snorky is the only split to have never joined the Boy Scouts at any point in their life, mostly due to the stress she’d possibly endure

- Snorky likes to bake and is the only split Fleegle trusts around anything for baking besides himself (especially since Fleegle taught Snorky himself)

- Snorky loves to draw, being the one to make the art to promote the band/ the art for their posters

- Snorky’s family is actually Jewish! As an adult, the splits mixed both Christmas and Hanukkah traditions like doing the dreidel and menorah as well as the Christmas tree and Santa

- despite how she looks, Snorky loves horror films but hates how he and his friends were depicted in their horror adaptation

How they met!

Fleegle: the splits had to do a task of baby sitting for the Boy Scouts and ended up at Snorky’s house. They all ended up seeing Snorky as a little brother and basically adopted him into the group. In the present; Snorky absolutely LOVES Fleegle in a platonic way, seeing him as a mentor/father figure. Both Snorky and Fleegs are autistic so they understand each other’s struggles and help each other out. Fleegle is the only person Snorky trusts enough to lay on when tired, often leaning on his shoulder or wherever she can reach

Bingo: the splits had to do a task of baby sitting for the Boy Scouts and ended up at Snorky’s house. They all ended up seeing Snorky as a little brother and basically adopted him into the group. In the present; Snorky sees Bingo as an older brother, liking to do things like make him snacks even though they doesn’t appreciate Bingo’s pranks (with Bingo throwing flour onto Snorky in the shower once and getting flour stuck in Snorky’s fur for a week.) They generally get along though, practicing percussion in their free time since both were percussionists in high school band

Drooper: the splits had to do a task of baby sitting for the Boy Scouts and ended up at Snorky’s house. They all ended up seeing Snorky as a little brother and basically adopted him into the group. In the present; Snorky is ok with Drooper but does end up getting upset at him the most due to their conflicting personalities and interests. Snorky does like to play video games with Drooper as well as bake with him, though she has Drooper get ingredients because Drooper would burn down the club house because of his horrible eye sight

Family!

Mother: unknown

Father: unknown

Siblings: none

Image order: main chart, high school w/ height comparisons, body chart and info chart

[traumarecordings]

I’m collecting audio stories about trauma for use in an album, and I want to hear your story. (TRIGGER WARNING: TRAUMA/SA)

I am 30 years old, and over the last 6 months I've had a bunch of repressed CSA memories come up and I've been diagnosed with DID. Here are the cliffnotes of my story (CSA TRIGGER WARNING!!!):

From age 3-6, I was repeatedly raped by my great-grandparents, who were my primary caregivers at the time. Along with my own memories, I have memories of being pulled away by my great-grandmother while my great-grandfather was about to take his turn with my sister. In 6th grade, I tried to process some of these memories with the mother of my childhood best friend (because she was like a second mother to me). This led to me being raped by her for 3ish years.

When my memories came up, I was afraid I would forget them so I made audio recordings. As a way to cope and process my story and what happened to me, I've been writing music, and I've been using bits of those recordings in the music.

But I'm not the only person who has experiences like this, and I think it would be meaningful to have audio from other people's stories. If you are willing to, I would love to hear your story and use pieces of it in the music. I can't promise the music will be good, that I'll ever finish it, or that I'll use your story. The album is about trauma, hope, and the beauty of life.

Here is a list of questions. Feel free to answer all of them, or 1 of them. Feel free to talk for 2 minutes, or for an hour. Feel free to talk about stuff that isn't in the questions. If something makes you too uncomfortable or is too hard, I'm not asking you to push it. I know how hard talking about this is. It's okay if it's raw, it's okay if you yell, scream, cry, ramble, pause, or stay entirely emotionless. I want this to feel honest, not polished. Every person's way of dealing with this is unique to them, which is why I want to hear from you. Email the recording to traumarecordings@gmail.com (I'm amazed this email address was available lol). Thank you for the help with the project.

Questions:

Before it happened

Think about your life before this happened to you, what stands out?

What did you love, or look forward to, before whatever happened, happened?

Your Trauma

What happened?

When did it start? When did it stop?

What do you remember clearly? What do you still question?

Have you always known about your trauma, if not, what was the process like of getting those memories back?

Do you remember any details that feel stupid or shameful, but won't go away?

When you think about your trauma broadly, what emotions are most present?

Do you ever doubt what happened to you?

Is there anything you want to share and let go of?

The Results of the Trauma

How does your trauma most affect you?

What lies did you start believing?

What are the hardest parts of your life because of what happened to you?

What are ways that you have coped that are negative?

Have you ever contemplated suicide?

What are ways that you have coped that are positive?

Do you feel like it was your fault?

Have you ever hurt people because of what you went through? (emotionally, physically, etc.)

Have you ever felt like you don’t deserve to be okay?

Other People

Was anyone there for you?

How do people react when you talk about what happened to you?

Did anyone ignore it, or make it worse?

Are there people you wish you could tell, but can’t?

Hope

What helps you feel better now?

What gives you hope?

What still makes you want to be here?

What do you wish someone had told you back then?

What do you want other people to understand about this kind of trauma?

What keeps you connected to yourself or the world?

What kinds of moments still feel real and worth holding onto?

What are your favorite things in life, and why?

Do you have a message for other people who are going through this same thing?

[starlingsrps]

just forget the world.

alex has very easily become a part of manon’s life in a way that makes her realize exactly how lonely she was. adrien is gone nearly every night now, closing the store and taking off, usually only returning again when it’s time to fire the ovens. naturally, these activities are not for her to know of. as much as she would like to argue and pester because she is a resistance member too, the finality and firmness with his denials makes her think that it’s for a damn good reason. 

so she spends her nights with alex. he’s good at staying quiet and away from windows during the day and she’s not entirely sure what he does do all day, to be perfectly honest. but he’s someone to talk to and play cards with at the end of the day. it’s been so long since she was around people her own age that she’d forgotten what it was like to not be the child in the room. he can make her laugh, however rusty the sound. if it seems like he never stops talking, he at least has interesting things to say. they probably talk too much. like the other downed pilots they’ve harbored, he’ll be gone soon and she won’t know what happens to him next. getting attached is a terrible idea but she seems to have done it anyway without realizing.

“what do you miss most?” she asks one evening, trying to distract him while she checks his arm. he doesn’t have much of a pain tolerance and distracting him seems to help. frankly, he’s kind of a baby about it.

he shrugs his free shoulder. “i don’t know.” he pauses to think. “home or the base?”

“either, i suppose,” she says, probing the bone. it’s healing nicely, if she does say so herself.

“let me think about it.” he winces as she checks for signs of infection. “what do you miss? from before.”

she goes quiet, trying to think of anything. she was barely eighteen when the occupation started and anything before that feels like it belongs to a different person. the things that did bring her any joy were so slowly taken away from her that she never had a chance to replace them. she misses school of all things, feeling pretty without worrying about it catching the wrong eye. she used to like dressing up and fussing with her hair and makeup but the wolf whistles and predatory looks had taken any pleasure out of it. she dresses simply now, braiding her hair and keeping her eyes down.

she misses susanne like a limb but doesn’t know how to say it without it sounding dramatic. it’s the truth but it doesn’t feel like something she’s supposed to say. he doesn’t know what happened to her and she doesn’t feel able to explain it tonight.

“i don’t know either,” she says with a shake of her head, sweeping the rest away. “movies, i guess. we haven’t had anything new in ages.”

“we always got them,” he says. “back at base.”

she rolls her eyes and he seems to catch that she’s kidding because he laughs. “flyboys.”

“could die tomorrow: what if i missed the new gary cooper?”

 “perish the thought. i know you don’t miss new movies.”

“going outside,” he says promptly. “don’t get me wrong; you’ve both been great but…”

“you’re a little penned up.”

“and on my birthday.”

he says it like a little kid and it makes her laugh as she rewraps his bandage. “it is not.”

“it’s august twenty sixth, right?” she nods

and he looks triumphant. “it’s my birthday.”

“well , how old are you then?”

“twenty one. you want to see my papers?”

"you don't have them." she gives him a skeptical look but his face is as serious as she’s ever seen it so she supposes he’s not pulling her leg. she sighs, unfortunately sounding exactly like her mother, and he laughs under his breath. “fine. put on your shoes and follow me. if you tell adrien about this, i’ll kill you.”

he does as she says and they wind down the narrow stairs out of the flat and down to the alley. it’s dim and a little damp but at least doesn’t smell. there’s some light from the street lamp at one end and her bicycle propped against the wall. as a slice of paris, it’s far from the best she could offer but it’s not the same four walls he’s been seeing.

“voila,” she says with a flamboyant gesture. “paris.”

he takes a few steps forward and manon lunges forward to grab him by the collar. he stops, looks over his shoulder at her and grins. “not even on my birthday?”

“not even on your birthday,” she says gravely. adrien would kill her if he found out he was even in the alley and frankly she’s not sure if his smile or the fear or being caught that has her stomach in a knot. “get back to the step.”

he gives her a sharp salute with his free arm and edges around her to get back to the step. “yes ma’am.”

she glances at her watch and leans against the brick wall of the shoe shop next door. “five minutes of paris, only because it’s your birthday.”

“five whole minutes of paris,” he says, his voice a little dry. “incredible.”

“i could make it one.”

he laughs. “fine. so where are we?”

“in the city? the seventh arrondisment. the tower is that way, les invalides is that.” he cranes his neck at her words like he might be able to see over the buildings. “i’d take you to see them if i could.”

it’s quiet here at night once all of the shops close and people lock themselves indoors, quiet enough that the sound of approaching boot heels has them both freezing. immediately, manon feels like she should shove them both inside and never ever do anything this stupid again but knows that sudden movement is an easy way to get unwanted attention from a german on patrol. 

there’s nothing else for it but blind, foolish action. she grabs him by his shirt front and pulls him down to kiss him. he’s stiff with surprise for a split second but quickly turns enthusiastic. his hand brushes along her hip and her waist to rest at the back of her neck to hold her in place to kiss her deeply and thoroughly. she’s dimly aware of a flashlight beaming down the alley and something muttered in german before boot heels click in the opposite direction but a bomb could drop in the street and she wouldn’t be able to tear herself away.

alex breaks away first and manon realizes her fingers are still clutching his shirt. he nuzzles her neck, making her sigh. her heart is pounding and for once, not due to fear. she’d forgotten how that felt. he smiles against her neck and lifts his head. “god i wish i had two hands right now.”

manon laughs and relaxes her fingers. “you managed.”

that smile again, the only thing she can see, before he kisses her again. this time, it feels real. not a distraction, not a disguise: this belongs to them. it’s slower, easier. his hand slips to her waist, pulling her flush against him and she stretches up to wrap her arms around his neck. she notices things, tucks them away so she can remember the first good thing to happen to her in years when he’s gone - the sound he makes into her mouth when her fingers tug at the hair at the back of his neck to get him closer because it doesn’t feel like it will ever be enough, the safety she feels in his hand curled around her waist. his heart pounds against hers. she could stay like this forever but the church bells down the block start to chime the hour and it startles them both out of the reverie.

“i think it’s been more than five minutes,” he murmurs finally.

through heavily lidded eyes, she glances at her watch over his shoulder - it’s been more like twenty. immediately, the wariness that has been her companion since the occupation returns and she supposes she should be thankful that another patrol didn’t pass and hear them speaking english or adrien decided to call it an early night for once. “we should go inside.”

they do and once inside, she feels as awkward as she ever has in her entire life. she wants to kiss him again and he’s looking at her like he wants to kiss her again. she could. he could. 

she darts into her bedroom instead

[xlatrina]

Lemme see…

IMO, starting with Sen(? I forget her name 😅 EDIT: Indeed, her name is Sen! 😌), I would say:

1) Sen(?) -> Fierce, Determined.

Based on her gaze, I think she’s the kind of person who knows what she wants. She’s probably the “I know what I want, and I know what I get” kinda gal (props to anyone who recognizes that saying!). If she wants something from you, she’ll get it — I think she’s that kind of gal. It’s like she always knows how to twist someone’s arm just right (yes, even in the painful way if necessary!).

Persuasive as hell. A little too good at the art of persuasion… like, she’s not a conwoman or anything but… shit, she might as well be, lol.

I feel like she’s a tough cookie. Maybe even the “no nonsense” kind. You think you’re running circles around her, but nah, she’s running circles around YOU my guy lol. Nothing gets past her, can’t NOBODY get over on her!

I feel like a part of her’s kinda strait-laced, though, idky. From what little I recall of her story, this is likely not true because she’s trying to free herself of immortality no matter what, so… yeah, heheh. But I feel like other than her issues with immortality, maybe she’s very strait-laced in most any other situation. Idk.

Like the type who’d probably tell you to stop walking in the road when there’s a sidewalk available… and you’re just like: “but it’s nighttime, and people don’t drive in Eridia like that,” and she’s all, “Ok, go get hit then, see if I care.” Lol, yeah. Something like that maybe, idk. Just a headcanon.

I don’t know if she’d be a perfume girlie but like… I feel like she’s a perfume girlie. I mean she’s already so pretty, so she must care about maintaining her aesthetic to some degree (or maybe she just wakes up like that, idk 🤷🏾‍♀️). I feel like she’d either smell like something very sweet and floral since she makes me think of a pale rose, OR she’d wear something deep and resinous. Idk. I think the perfume thing could make sense if (as morbid as it would be) she’s immortal, sure, but still aging. Cause like… think about it. As we age, our bodies stop working like they used to. Cells don’t multiply as quickly and our bones continue to wear.

… What if she’s… rotting?

Shit, I’d be desperate to formally die too, if that were the case!

Anywho, I feel like she’s a tough love kind of woman. Like, she scolds you, but then she gives you a little pat on the back or something when you do really well. Maybe a bit like a mom —not motherly by any means, but sometimes does things like that, which can kind of feel like a mom-ish thing to do.

I feel like she’s a great fighter too, lol, her gaze is too fierce and warrior-like to not be.

2) Leander -> Calculating

—there’s more going on in his mind than swaying the MC’s heart!! Leander is a sweet guy (or so we think), but sweet don’t mean stupid!

But I also feel like there’s something admiring or just generally adoring in his gaze. It’s almost like soft, but I feel like the sketchiness of the art here might have something to do with that.

The tilt of his head makes the gaze feel almost longing. I feel like he’s the kind of guy who makes you feel so special when he looks at you lol.

But green can also be associated with envy, jealousy, and/or sickness or bad health. Idk man… I don’t think he’s gonna beat the yandere allegations any time soon, haha.

3) Mhin -> Perceptive

—sees through you. Intense; they’re staring too deeply into your soul to be simply looking at you 😭 Analytic. They’re taking notes about you and will probably be able to tell you things about yourself even YOU didn’t recognize.

Kinda like: (Sighs) “You have a terrible habit of glancing around a room like you’ve never seen four walls before. You’re too obvious!”

And you’d look (down) at them like:

“Huh? Do I??” And for some of us, we may not be able to keep ourselves from insisting, “Nuh-uh, I don’t do that! W-what are you talking about, what do you mean?? When have I ever done that??”

And Mhin will roll their eyes, or depending on your affection level (I’m assuming TS will use a point-based system since it’s a game with worse/best endings), Mhin will smirk at you and say, “You’ve done that multiple times.”

Depending on how much of a nerd they turn out to be, they’ll probably even tell you exactly how many times you’ve done it!

4) Vere -> Deceptive.

They have beautiful, sparkly eyes that make you wanna stare into them till you fall in, but you and Vere both know very well that should you give in, you’ll regret it. Then again… maybe you won’t??

Refusing to look you in the eye like that, Vere very much gives you the impression right off the bat that he’s not one to trust. Hell, he looks like he’s plotting a scheme (Swiper no Swiping!! Headass…)

He’s intriguing. Pink eyes are rare —beautiful! —but so, so rare. Where is he from, why is he here?? What does he want from you, what does he really want?? Does he even know what he wants?? Hell!

5) … Elyon -> Seductive.

Like Sen, I don’t know much about this character or anything, so I can only make little assumptions. But his eyes seem very enticing —like Vere’s, they draw you in, but unlike Vere, he (probably happily) stares deep into your soul.

Almost like Mhin, you can tell he’s picking you apart and putting you back together. But unlike Mhin, he’s not looking through you, per se. He’s looking at you, right at you. It’s the kind of gaze you can’t escape —if you were looking or walking away, I feel like his gaze would never waver, and you’d know it —cuz you’d just feel eyeballs on the side of your face or the back of your head, lol.

Idky but I lowkey feel like he’s the kind of person who probably likes eye contact. I don’t remember much about his character and background and stuff, but I think he’s someone with a prestigious background?? Idk I just remember his flower being associated with royalty, I believe. And so, if that’s correct, I feel like he has these mannerisms that people who come from a background of power usually have (at least where I’m from!).

As such, he probably really values eye contact and will literally follow your gaze. Every time your head and gaze starts to shift over to the side, he will literally tilt his own head just to maintain eye contact. If you’re bent over or looking down when he’s talking to you, he’ll probably bend over, too, or crouch a little to see your face and catch your eyes, haha.

(As an introvert, I kinda hate ppl like this, ngl 😂😅)

I feel like he’s also the kind of person to give really firm handshakes. The kind of man who, for better or worse, tends to show power over others —even if that’s not really his intention—because… yk… he’s from a posh background! He’s probably from Hightown!! So… yeah!

Kuras -> Comforting.

With his eye shape and golden gaze, it’s like staring into a pot of honey. His eyes being light, it makes me think of sunshine. I feel like Kuras is staring at us with an air of warmth, like a kind doctor, which is quite fitting of his character, actually!

Kuras’ eyes are expressive. I feel like he has a gaze where you can’t help staring into them to try and gauge his feelings. Like, he’s pretty stone-faced —he doesn’t always make himself easy to read —but his eyes… idk, I feel like his eyes can give you a good idea as to what’s going on in his mind. Not always, but I feel like once you get to know Kuras more, you’ll find yourself looking into his eyes, and you’ll begin to notice every little thing in his gaze.

He’ll stare at you as he explains the prescription he wrote, and when he casually slips a joke in between his explanation, you’ll see his eyes squint ever so slightly as his cheeks press up into his lower lids. Or when you and Kuras take a little walk together and see something quirky, he might look (down) at you and almost like… smize.

In fact, I feel like he does that a lot! Like, he may not smile per se, but whether he does or not, I feel like he’s the kind of person where most of his smile is in his eyes. He just tends to look at you and just… smize! He’s a smizer!

(I think that’s really cute tho, lol).

Ais -> Intimidating.

Ais’ eyes make you feel like you’re a burglar caught with your hand in his pocket. Like he’s sizing you up almost, tryna figure out if he’ll let you go because you seem so freakin’ weak or if he’ll beat your ass because like… bruh, come on 😭 you’re trying to rob AIS of all people bruh??! Like maybe Leander (… MAYBE) cause he’s sort of nice enough to probably just loan you a dollar or something —but AIS??

Anywho, his eyes give me… inquisitive vibes. If he’s not staring you down like prey, he’s definitely the type to stare at you just for your reaction. That’s what I feel like, at least, lol. His eyes just tell you that he’s annoying asf.

And he is… lmao

Based on his gaze, I feel like he lowkey has a bit of a staring problem lol. He’s the type who just… stares at you. And you might get uncomfortable or agitated, and you’ll look at him and just be like: “What are you staring at me for?” And his annoying ass would probably be all like: (shrugs) “Didn’t think I needed a reason.” Like… BRUH.

Sometimes he stares as if he’s paying close attention, like, way too close attention. Like he’s just waiting for any sudden wrong move. That, or I feel like he’d stare at you and then begin to space off a little. Idk, he’s kinda giving… space cadet, lol.

Just a little, just a little.

——————

ANYWHO I GUESS I ACCIDENTALLY TURNED THIS INTO A HEADCANON POST SO… YEAH. Hope somebody enjoyed out there lol

Can’t wait til the game itself comes out and then I get to look back on this and laugh at how OOC it is 😭😅

What do you think each character’s eye design says about them? 👁️

[themidnightgoth]

May 8 | The Casa | Downpour

I started a new job today on a snorkel tour boat. We take our guests and serve them rum punch. We go to two different beaches and then bring them back to shore. It’ll be a little time for me to get my footing, but I am excited for when I do. The new challenge of navigating in a place I am unfamiliar with will prove to be good for me once more.

I currently am working three jobs, the newest one not even included, and making ok money but learning and seeing the world in new ways.

A couple days ago a women (older, 50s?, likely an alcoholic) flashed her tits at me unprovoked at the coffeeshop&bar I work at. I wasn’t even working I was just hanging out at the counter like a customer and she wrangled me and this other group of people on an adventure to a swim gear store. I only went because she kept asking and I really didn’t have much going on that day up until that point. She did buy me a bikini and then vanished. Turns out the other people she brought were all crew on a yacht together. We went and got margs together and they ended up inviting me to hang out on the yacht!

Blah blah whatever I just want to talk about how it felt to be out on a dingy under the stars with a boy that was cute and wants to live deep in the African bush on a farm. He reminded me of Steve Irwin and that made him attractive to me. Tall too. Didn’t try to make any moves on me either which I liked. Though I was high enough that touch would have felt good. I haven’t been with anyone since October. It’s actually been so nice but from time to time I get horny and miss having someone to be intimate with. That said, I am in no rush. I have been thankful for the time I have been spending with myself and friends. I have made so many friends! It’s freeing. I don’t feel so alone and small anymore. I still get shy and bit nervous over myself, especially around guys. I really want to gain more confidence and feel more secure when I am around them. I just get kinda bumbly or quiet. I guess it’s mainly because I don’t like most of them. I’m not in a place where there are an abundance of strapping young bachelors mind you. I have just found out how few the good ones are and that’s why you’ve got to hold onto them.

All good things come with time. I’ll find my flirtatious footing and also meet a sweet guy who makes me feel safe. Lindsay’s old friend Max was in town last week. He’s a park ranger in the Everglades and an awesome artist. He’s got a big smile and a lot of kind things to say. He taught me about so many of the plants around our house too! Being around him made me realize just how important it is to feel safe around someone and thankful to be able to hang out with someone so cool!

A lot of days I’m not sure of myself but I do know I like the people who are around me, and I think that means I am doing something correct.

My age has been coming up in my head a lot. It’s strange because I go through my day to day life feeling like an absolute baby. What am I supposed to be like at 23? Am I doing it right? Yet I have also had a new thing happen where sometimes I think am 25 just for a moment in my mind. It’s all mixed up in there. Is that how age will always be? I think I should just forget about the numbers and see what happens.

I probably do need to find an outlet for my boy desires though because it’s getting a little embarrassing. I feel like a total nun. Is everyone in the world getting it but me?

My life has been so busy and full. Friends staying in our tiny apartment making it feel full. Rituals where our days start with coffee at the local nonprofit we have made ourselves regulars at and ends with a joint on our stoop, a 3ft by 12in concrete slab in front our door that sits on the city street. It’s scary sometimes. Last week was a giant festival and we were just a couple blocks away from all the parades and parties. 2 nights in a row someone got shot in the village, a 5 min walk from our home. We had been there multiple nights with our friends. It goes without saying, violence and death are an undercurrent of life here that goes unspoken. The employee I was hired to replace was murdered and it was never solved.

Yet in the chaos of it all, I feel stronger in myself than I maybe ever have. I am stable. Mentally healthier than I’ve ever seen myself.

Okay I have to get off, I’m about to get dropped off for my second job of the day!

[cleverhottubmiracle]

Over the past few years, Gen Z has earned a reputation as “Generation Stay-at-Home”, “Generation Boring”, or “Generation Sensible”. There’s no smoke without fire, and the number of young people who regularly meet up to socialise really has dropped sharply, with young men now spending more of their free time alone than any other age group. Further research published in 2023 found that people between the ages of 15 and 24 now spend 70 per cent less time in person with friends than those of the same age did in 2003. Relatedly, people in the 16 to 24 age group are three times more likely to say they feel lonely than those in the 65 to 74 age group. This decline in face-to-face socialising is palpably reflected in our culture. Social media is brimming with content which glamourises staying home in the name of self-care: one ‘6pm to 9pm evening routine’ video sees a young woman going home after work to light some candles and watch YouTube videos on her own. Perhaps it’s telling that Molly-Mae Hague is the UK’s most successful influencer, having built a wildly successful brand centred around an aspirational (yet relatable) kind of domesticity. “I’m not bothered about a social life, it’s not something I have been really interested in,” she told Steven Bartlett on the Diary of a CEO podcast back in 2021. More recently, in a vlog posted to her YouTube channel in December 2024, she put it more bluntly: “I don’t like having fun.” On the one hand, it’s cheering to see young people attempt to look after their mental and physical wellbeing by prioritising downtime. Nearly half of young people no longer drink alcohol, with many citing health concerns as their principal motivation for quitting. Given that excessive alcohol consumption can pose myriad health risks, we should be glad that young people are eschewing the binge drinking culture of the late 90s and early 00s. It’s also undoubtedly encouraging to see society become a little more tolerant of introversion – thank God it’s become socially acceptable to say no to plans simply because you need an evening to recharge your social battery.  Labour market economists have been obsessed with the question of whether technology will replace market demand for human labour.But my question is different: What if tech replaces NON-MARKET DEMAND.And that’s precisely what we see: surging solitude. pic.twitter.com/ipdShBZGQj— Alice Evans (@_alice_evans) January 28, 2025 But it seems increasingly likely that we’re in danger of forgetting it’s possible to take ‘protecting your peace’ too far. An introvert myself, I entirely understand the urge to spend a Friday night watching Netflix and mainlining herbal tea. But being an introvert simply means you expend energy in social situations – it doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you to forgo social situations entirely (the opposite is true: loneliness can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day). And although many people who spend lots of time alone claim to love embracing ‘JOMO’, it’s worth pausing to ask whether we’re glamourising isolation and playing up to being introverted as a response to feeling unable to have a fulfilling social life in the first place. Because there are a number of barriers preventing people in their 20s and 30s from socialising as much as they’d like to. There’s the cost: the average price of a pint is currently £4.79, an increase of nearly 30 per cent since before the pandemic. Even if you don’t drink, a cup of coffee purchased in March 2024 is 19 per cent more expensive than two years previously, with some cafés in the capital charging upwards of £5 for a large flat white. There’s also a rapidly diminishing number of places to go: venues across the country are shuttering at an alarming rate, with the UK losing 37 per cent of its clubs over the last four years alone. Many also report lacking the time or energy to socialise. These are all real, valid reasons why young people – especially those in precarious work – might be socialising less. But we can’t just throw our hands up in the face of these statistics and give up. been thinking a lot lately about this sort of performative uncoolness and I think part of it is cope that ur life just isnt that interesting and the other part is a brag that youre so ~fulfilled~ bc u dont "need" those other things ppl need (like having fun w/ friends) https://t.co/ZCCYjzYwRC— rebecca jennings (@rebexxxxa) January 2, 2025 Being reluctant to socialise is not only detrimental to yourself, but also to those in your orbit. Even if you’re sceptical that going out less could be harming your own mental wellbeing, there’s no guarantee your friends feel the same. You might feel relieved to turn down your housemate’s suggestion of an impromptu pub trip, but they might be desperate to leave the house. You might think of yourself as ‘so over’ clubbing at the ripe old age of 25, but your newly single friend might be dying for one night of fun. None of this is to say that you should always put others’ needs before your own; but part of being a good friend is making an effort, showing up, and being there – physically! – even when you’re not in the mood. In our fast-paced world, I can see how so many people have been led to believe that carving out great big wedges of ‘me time’ is freeing or ‘empowering’ – but having a sense of obligation towards others isn’t a trap. If anything, having other people make demands on your time is liberating. Jemima Kirke was being flippant when she said “I think you guys might be thinking about yourselves too much,” but she hit on a very real tendency among young people to lean into solipsism.  We should strive for balance, and it’s likely ‘balance’ will look a little different for everyone (some of us might need just one or two nights a week of ‘alone time’, while others may need a little more). But if spending time with your nearest and dearest has inched closer and closer to the bottom of your priorities, eclipsed by gym sessions and ‘self-care evenings’, it’s likely time for you to reassess whether your current lifestyle is truly making you – or your friends – happy. !function (f, b, e, v, n, t, s) if (f.fbq) return; n = f.fbq = function () n.callMethod ? n.callMethod.apply(n, arguments) : n.queue.push(arguments) ; if (!f._fbq) f._fbq = n; n.push = n; n.loaded = !0; n.version = '2.0'; n.queue = []; t = b.createElement(e); t.async = !0; t.src = v; s = b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t, s) (window, document, 'script', ' fbq('init', '357833301087547'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link

[norajworld]

Over the past few years, Gen Z has earned a reputation as “Generation Stay-at-Home”, “Generation Boring”, or “Generation Sensible”. There’s no smoke without fire, and the number of young people who regularly meet up to socialise really has dropped sharply, with young men now spending more of their free time alone than any other age group. Further research published in 2023 found that people between the ages of 15 and 24 now spend 70 per cent less time in person with friends than those of the same age did in 2003. Relatedly, people in the 16 to 24 age group are three times more likely to say they feel lonely than those in the 65 to 74 age group. This decline in face-to-face socialising is palpably reflected in our culture. Social media is brimming with content which glamourises staying home in the name of self-care: one ‘6pm to 9pm evening routine’ video sees a young woman going home after work to light some candles and watch YouTube videos on her own. Perhaps it’s telling that Molly-Mae Hague is the UK’s most successful influencer, having built a wildly successful brand centred around an aspirational (yet relatable) kind of domesticity. “I’m not bothered about a social life, it’s not something I have been really interested in,” she told Steven Bartlett on the Diary of a CEO podcast back in 2021. More recently, in a vlog posted to her YouTube channel in December 2024, she put it more bluntly: “I don’t like having fun.” On the one hand, it’s cheering to see young people attempt to look after their mental and physical wellbeing by prioritising downtime. Nearly half of young people no longer drink alcohol, with many citing health concerns as their principal motivation for quitting. Given that excessive alcohol consumption can pose myriad health risks, we should be glad that young people are eschewing the binge drinking culture of the late 90s and early 00s. It’s also undoubtedly encouraging to see society become a little more tolerant of introversion – thank God it’s become socially acceptable to say no to plans simply because you need an evening to recharge your social battery.  Labour market economists have been obsessed with the question of whether technology will replace market demand for human labour.But my question is different: What if tech replaces NON-MARKET DEMAND.And that’s precisely what we see: surging solitude. pic.twitter.com/ipdShBZGQj— Alice Evans (@_alice_evans) January 28, 2025 But it seems increasingly likely that we’re in danger of forgetting it’s possible to take ‘protecting your peace’ too far. An introvert myself, I entirely understand the urge to spend a Friday night watching Netflix and mainlining herbal tea. But being an introvert simply means you expend energy in social situations – it doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you to forgo social situations entirely (the opposite is true: loneliness can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day). And although many people who spend lots of time alone claim to love embracing ‘JOMO’, it’s worth pausing to ask whether we’re glamourising isolation and playing up to being introverted as a response to feeling unable to have a fulfilling social life in the first place. Because there are a number of barriers preventing people in their 20s and 30s from socialising as much as they’d like to. There’s the cost: the average price of a pint is currently £4.79, an increase of nearly 30 per cent since before the pandemic. Even if you don’t drink, a cup of coffee purchased in March 2024 is 19 per cent more expensive than two years previously, with some cafés in the capital charging upwards of £5 for a large flat white. There’s also a rapidly diminishing number of places to go: venues across the country are shuttering at an alarming rate, with the UK losing 37 per cent of its clubs over the last four years alone. Many also report lacking the time or energy to socialise. These are all real, valid reasons why young people – especially those in precarious work – might be socialising less. But we can’t just throw our hands up in the face of these statistics and give up. been thinking a lot lately about this sort of performative uncoolness and I think part of it is cope that ur life just isnt that interesting and the other part is a brag that youre so ~fulfilled~ bc u dont "need" those other things ppl need (like having fun w/ friends) https://t.co/ZCCYjzYwRC— rebecca jennings (@rebexxxxa) January 2, 2025 Being reluctant to socialise is not only detrimental to yourself, but also to those in your orbit. Even if you’re sceptical that going out less could be harming your own mental wellbeing, there’s no guarantee your friends feel the same. You might feel relieved to turn down your housemate’s suggestion of an impromptu pub trip, but they might be desperate to leave the house. You might think of yourself as ‘so over’ clubbing at the ripe old age of 25, but your newly single friend might be dying for one night of fun. None of this is to say that you should always put others’ needs before your own; but part of being a good friend is making an effort, showing up, and being there – physically! – even when you’re not in the mood. In our fast-paced world, I can see how so many people have been led to believe that carving out great big wedges of ‘me time’ is freeing or ‘empowering’ – but having a sense of obligation towards others isn’t a trap. If anything, having other people make demands on your time is liberating. Jemima Kirke was being flippant when she said “I think you guys might be thinking about yourselves too much,” but she hit on a very real tendency among young people to lean into solipsism.  We should strive for balance, and it’s likely ‘balance’ will look a little different for everyone (some of us might need just one or two nights a week of ‘alone time’, while others may need a little more). But if spending time with your nearest and dearest has inched closer and closer to the bottom of your priorities, eclipsed by gym sessions and ‘self-care evenings’, it’s likely time for you to reassess whether your current lifestyle is truly making you – or your friends – happy. !function (f, b, e, v, n, t, s) if (f.fbq) return; n = f.fbq = function () n.callMethod ? n.callMethod.apply(n, arguments) : n.queue.push(arguments) ; if (!f._fbq) f._fbq = n; n.push = n; n.loaded = !0; n.version = '2.0'; n.queue = []; t = b.createElement(e); t.async = !0; t.src = v; s = b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t, s) (window, document, 'script', ' fbq('init', '357833301087547'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link

[chilimili212]

Over the past few years, Gen Z has earned a reputation as “Generation Stay-at-Home”, “Generation Boring”, or “Generation Sensible”. There’s no smoke without fire, and the number of young people who regularly meet up to socialise really has dropped sharply, with young men now spending more of their free time alone than any other age group. Further research published in 2023 found that people between the ages of 15 and 24 now spend 70 per cent less time in person with friends than those of the same age did in 2003. Relatedly, people in the 16 to 24 age group are three times more likely to say they feel lonely than those in the 65 to 74 age group. This decline in face-to-face socialising is palpably reflected in our culture. Social media is brimming with content which glamourises staying home in the name of self-care: one ‘6pm to 9pm evening routine’ video sees a young woman going home after work to light some candles and watch YouTube videos on her own. Perhaps it’s telling that Molly-Mae Hague is the UK’s most successful influencer, having built a wildly successful brand centred around an aspirational (yet relatable) kind of domesticity. “I’m not bothered about a social life, it’s not something I have been really interested in,” she told Steven Bartlett on the Diary of a CEO podcast back in 2021. More recently, in a vlog posted to her YouTube channel in December 2024, she put it more bluntly: “I don’t like having fun.” On the one hand, it’s cheering to see young people attempt to look after their mental and physical wellbeing by prioritising downtime. Nearly half of young people no longer drink alcohol, with many citing health concerns as their principal motivation for quitting. Given that excessive alcohol consumption can pose myriad health risks, we should be glad that young people are eschewing the binge drinking culture of the late 90s and early 00s. It’s also undoubtedly encouraging to see society become a little more tolerant of introversion – thank God it’s become socially acceptable to say no to plans simply because you need an evening to recharge your social battery.  Labour market economists have been obsessed with the question of whether technology will replace market demand for human labour.But my question is different: What if tech replaces NON-MARKET DEMAND.And that’s precisely what we see: surging solitude. pic.twitter.com/ipdShBZGQj— Alice Evans (@_alice_evans) January 28, 2025 But it seems increasingly likely that we’re in danger of forgetting it’s possible to take ‘protecting your peace’ too far. An introvert myself, I entirely understand the urge to spend a Friday night watching Netflix and mainlining herbal tea. But being an introvert simply means you expend energy in social situations – it doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you to forgo social situations entirely (the opposite is true: loneliness can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day). And although many people who spend lots of time alone claim to love embracing ‘JOMO’, it’s worth pausing to ask whether we’re glamourising isolation and playing up to being introverted as a response to feeling unable to have a fulfilling social life in the first place. Because there are a number of barriers preventing people in their 20s and 30s from socialising as much as they’d like to. There’s the cost: the average price of a pint is currently £4.79, an increase of nearly 30 per cent since before the pandemic. Even if you don’t drink, a cup of coffee purchased in March 2024 is 19 per cent more expensive than two years previously, with some cafés in the capital charging upwards of £5 for a large flat white. There’s also a rapidly diminishing number of places to go: venues across the country are shuttering at an alarming rate, with the UK losing 37 per cent of its clubs over the last four years alone. Many also report lacking the time or energy to socialise. These are all real, valid reasons why young people – especially those in precarious work – might be socialising less. But we can’t just throw our hands up in the face of these statistics and give up. been thinking a lot lately about this sort of performative uncoolness and I think part of it is cope that ur life just isnt that interesting and the other part is a brag that youre so ~fulfilled~ bc u dont "need" those other things ppl need (like having fun w/ friends) https://t.co/ZCCYjzYwRC— rebecca jennings (@rebexxxxa) January 2, 2025 Being reluctant to socialise is not only detrimental to yourself, but also to those in your orbit. Even if you’re sceptical that going out less could be harming your own mental wellbeing, there’s no guarantee your friends feel the same. You might feel relieved to turn down your housemate’s suggestion of an impromptu pub trip, but they might be desperate to leave the house. You might think of yourself as ‘so over’ clubbing at the ripe old age of 25, but your newly single friend might be dying for one night of fun. None of this is to say that you should always put others’ needs before your own; but part of being a good friend is making an effort, showing up, and being there – physically! – even when you’re not in the mood. In our fast-paced world, I can see how so many people have been led to believe that carving out great big wedges of ‘me time’ is freeing or ‘empowering’ – but having a sense of obligation towards others isn’t a trap. If anything, having other people make demands on your time is liberating. Jemima Kirke was being flippant when she said “I think you guys might be thinking about yourselves too much,” but she hit on a very real tendency among young people to lean into solipsism.  We should strive for balance, and it’s likely ‘balance’ will look a little different for everyone (some of us might need just one or two nights a week of ‘alone time’, while others may need a little more). But if spending time with your nearest and dearest has inched closer and closer to the bottom of your priorities, eclipsed by gym sessions and ‘self-care evenings’, it’s likely time for you to reassess whether your current lifestyle is truly making you – or your friends – happy. !function (f, b, e, v, n, t, s) if (f.fbq) return; n = f.fbq = function () n.callMethod ? n.callMethod.apply(n, arguments) : n.queue.push(arguments) ; if (!f._fbq) f._fbq = n; n.push = n; n.loaded = !0; n.version = '2.0'; n.queue = []; t = b.createElement(e); t.async = !0; t.src = v; s = b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t, s) (window, document, 'script', ' fbq('init', '357833301087547'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link