#and then I find out it was adopted during Covid

[warriorsatthedisco]

A lot of people got dogs during Covid without researching anything, and it shows

[earl-grey-teacake]

Hey! Just wanted to say I've been loving re-reading all the asks on Ao3 and I've gone back through the tags on here as well and I had a question - you've previously said that Oscar and Logan were adopted and I'm curious did Carlos and Lando and George and Alex know the mother before had? Like was it an arranged adoption or did they go through an agency? Because the idea of Carlos and Lando meeting a few babies and not getting the right vibe and then seeing Oscar and just going 'ah perfect' is quite cute.

Hello! Thank you so much!

Oscar was adopted in Australia during the week leading up to the GP. A baby left in a carrier just on the other side of the fence surrounding the track with a partially filled out form reading OSCAR and DOB: O4/06/2***. A McLaren employee heard crying and happened upon the abandoned child. Shocked, they quickly rushed the child back to McLaren hospitality before leaving to find a doctor and police. Oscar, however, did not stop crying- wailing his poor little lungs out, feeling alone and scared and utterly abandoned by the world.

Lando couldn’t stand the crying, and took the baby out of the carrier to soothe him. The infant quickly clung to Lando, having stopped crying and opted to quietly rest his head against Lando’s chest. This attachment became even more obvious when the doctor and police arrived, with Oscar refusing to go with anyone else, forcing Lando to hold him while he got a check up. The police checked to see if there was a missing person’s report or anything that could lead information on the parent, but there was nothing. This was simply an unwanted child left by the race tracks.

Lando couldn’t help but feel his heart break. This was an innocent baby that had done no wrong, he didn’t deserve this. The longer Lando held him, the more determined he was to adopt him. He loved kids, had always wanted kids, but with his work there was no time to put too much thought into it. There was also the fact that his fiancé was also a driver. Lando had never talked in-depth about kids with Carlos and there was a strong possibility he would refuse for the sake of his career. But Lando couldn’t stand not keeping Oscar, he had to adopt him, he knew that and if Carlos wasn’t supportive than Lando could be a single father. Thankfully, he didn’t have to think about that since Carlos had walked in to see Lando holding the sleeping infant and asked if Lando wanted to adopt Oscar so Carlos could have the lawyers get started on the paper work. They stayed an extra couple weeks to get the paper work filed before they flew back home to Monaco with a 1-month old baby.

**************

Alex and George went the adoption agency route. They had gotten secretly married when the entered F1 and when Alex was dropped off RedBull, they entertained the idea of adopting a child. However, with Covid, George moving up to Mercedes, and Alex moving to Williams, the plan to adopt a child was put on the back-burner. The idea was brought up again when Lando and Carlos adopted Oscar. Alex loved how George looked holding a baby, and George adored how Alex smiled when Oscar smiled back at him.

They gots lawyers, went through an agency and prayed that they would be approved. After 3 months of waiting, they received their approval notice in the mail stating they were to attend a panel and meet some children to see who would be a good fit. Within an hour, they were packed and on their way to London.

They met a couple babies, some were newborn, some could walk, and others were just learning how to talk. A person from the agency oversaw the whole thing, taking notes of interactions, how receptive the kids were to them, and how the baby’s temperaments would fit into their lives. The last baby brought out had tuft of blonde hair, light blue eyes, and a little name tag that read “LOGAN”.

He was shy and quiet, squirming in the arms of the caretaker until they placed him down as a cushion. He kept to himself but continued to stare at the couple. Alex smiled and scooted over, gently poking him and eliciting a giggle. Even though Logan couldn’t understand, Alex still spoke to him and Logan slowly responded in his own babbling before holding out his arms to be picked up. Alex quickly relented and picked up the child, holding his close to his chest as Logan played with the buttons on his shirt. George had come closer as well, poking his cheek and tickling his stomach. Logan let out a laugh and grabbed onto George’s finger and looked at him with those large, blue eyes, cementing in George’s head that this baby would be their baby.

George had looked through Logan’s file, looking to see what led to this adorable child being abandoned. There he saw the note “Born in Florida-> adopted in UK-> adoption terminated 1.5 weeks after arrival.” There was no extra information on why it was terminated and George was not keen as to the reason. Adoptions, especially foreign adoptions were difficult to obtain and the circumstances that must have led to the poor baby being here must not have been pleasant. But that didn’t matter, Logan had a new home now and it was with them. After a month of paperwork and home inspections, there were allowed to take their baby home to Monaco.

**************

Oscar is found at the race track as foreshadowing his successful future in F1.

Logan’s brief past is a nod at Logan being born in Florida, moving to Europe young, and being dropped by Williams after 1.5 years in F1.

[impishtubist]

you said "matilda au" and my brain short circuited please say more!!!

YEAH!

So I made this post a few days ago while suffering the worst side effects from the new COVID vaccine (sidenote: if it's available to you in your country, go get it! now! immediately!), and @greyeyedmonster-18 kindly messaged me and was like ummm did you just reinvent Matilda??? And I was like oh! Shit! I did!

But I can't stop thinking about it. I love the idea of Sirius and Harry finding each other even in universes where Sirius never knew James.

Some more random tidbits:

Professor Black taking all the scared firsties under his wing.

Mr. Lupin walking up from Hogsmeade once in a while to bring his husband lunch or dinner. He hangs out during Professor Black's office hours and delights all the students, and sometimes bowtruckles hitch rides in his pocket.

Harry spending time with Professor Black at Hogwarts over the winter holidays.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione spending more and more time in Sirius's office during the year, doing homework and hanging out with him.

Remus going to do surveillance on the Dursleys and gathering evidence.

Harry spending a week with Sirius and Remus the summer after his first year and making friends with ALL the terrifying and strange magical creatures Remus has adopted over the years.

Harry also making friends with the snakes that live in Professor Black's garden.

In my headcanon for this AU, Sirius and Remus don't make a move for custody until near the end of Harry's second year, so they don't actually have him move in until after the basilisk business.

Sirius trying to gather information about Harry's parents so he has something more than names and a handful of photographs. He finds the detention slips with James's name on them and spends an evening going through them, thinking he'd have really liked that guy if they had known each other in life.

Remus tracking down some of the Potters' old school friends so they can tell Harry about James and Lily.

Just, Professor Black and Harry becoming a family no matter what!!!!

[hummerhouse]

Update

My writing has slowed down considerably in the last couple of years, as those of you who follow my stories know. One of the reasons is that I've been adopting cats who have been dumped out here in the country by people who no longer want them. I take them to my vet to be spayed/neutered, tested and then given a battery of shots including the rabies vaccine.

Then I integrate the cats into the household. We've built a large catio where they spend a lot of time. These cats get the best care I can give them and have the forever home they should have had with the person who first adopted them. Plus, by birds (especially my hummers), have a safe environment from the feline hunters who would have killed them for the sport of it.

The cats now number in the double digits. Feeding, keeping water bowls and potties clean, vacuuming up cat hair, etc. eats up time. I am fortunate to have a partner who is as committed to this cause as I am. We both work. The money for this endeavor comes out of our pockets.

This post is not a "look at me and what I've done". This is 1) to explain why updates on my stories are slow. I'm not abandoning the stories. 2) to plead with people to PLEASE think hard about the pet you're considering adopting. A lot of my cats were dumped by folks who adopted during the Covid shutdown just so they could have company and now these people find it too hard to care for a pet. A cat/dog/parrot/guinea etc. is a lifelong commitment, not a cute object to be tossed aside when they become inconvenient. They are living things with souls and feelings.

Dumping them in the country because "they can fend for themselves" is wrong. They can't. I have seen too many cats eaten by coyotes or run over by cars. I have seen dogs hit by cars, bitten by rattlesnakes, or shot by ranchers for chasing their cattle. Predators abound in the country and domestic pets are their food.

Certainly things happen that 'cause people to be unable to care for a pet. The right thing to do is spend a little time trying to find them a good home. Sorry for the long winded PSA.

[umi-adxhira]

𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒 | 𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐘

𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒: ᴡɪʟʟɪᴀᴍ ʀᴇx, ʜᴀʀʀɪꜱᴏɴ ɢʀᴀʏ, ʟɪᴀᴍ ᴇᴠᴀɴꜱ, ᴇʟʙᴇʀᴛ ɢʀᴇᴇᴛɪᴀ, ᴀʟꜰᴏɴꜱᴇ ꜱʏʟᴠᴀᴛɪᴄᴀ, ʀᴏɢᴇʀ ʙᴀʀᴇʟ, ᴊᴜᴅᴇ ᴊᴀᴢᴢᴀ, ᴇʟʟɪꜱ ᴛᴡɪʟɪɢʜᴛ, ᴠɪᴄᴛᴏʀ

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: I've always wanted to do this and they're English so yippee 😍. Some of these (most of these) are based on experience I had in my secondary school so yeah

𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐀 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐊

#𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐗

Year 11

That kid that did the absolute bare minimum but somehow got decent grades

The Year 7s and 8s all had a crush on him, and it genuinely made him feel uncomfortable 💀

The teachers fucking love him idk what to say he's a good boy ig

The typa guy to adopt future roadmen Year 7s and hang with them during lunch to make them seem cool

#𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐘

Year 11

The annoying-ass kid that would cheat off you in every test yet somehow got better grades than you

Flopped Year 9 and decided he needed to get his shit together (he did the same thing in Year 10 and 11 but git better grades)

Snaps random girls in different schools, especially ones that went to his friend's primary schools to piss them off

Would ask you if he can borrow a pen but never give it back

#𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐌 𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐒

Year 10

Got adopted by William in Year 7 but never became a roadman

He did all the non-exam based options for GCSE's (Music, Drama, PE, Art, Photography)

He was obnoxiously loud during class until one time he was alone, so he had no one to talk to, and a group of girls were being loud as fuck and he realised how annoying he was so he stopped

Joined Year 7 thinking Food Tech was gonna be sick, then ended up finding out that it's shit and anyone who did that for an option deserved to jump off a cliff

#𝐄𝐋𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐓 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐀

Year 10

Literally only hangs out with Alfonse in the library because he hates the outdoors (same)

Got all 9s in Year 9 and somehow is hoping for a 10 in Year 10 (no one told him a Grade 9 was the maximum)

Genuinely pissed during Covid so many people got high because the grade boundaries were low even though they bat shit dumb (his words not mine)

Stares daggers into the loud girls because they cannot shut up

#𝐀𝐋𝐅𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐄 𝐒𝐘𝐋𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐀

Year 11

Got 4s and 5s in Year 9 but somehow got 9s in Year 10

Hangs out with Elbert because he thinks he makes him cool, hanging out with an older person

School senior, doesn't contribute at all unless it's an opportunity to skip lesson (me)

Always got picked on to read in class because he reads well and fast so that the slow-ass people don't read

#𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐋

Year 10

Got good grades in the mock exams and flopped the real exams (blamed it on the grade boundaries) (same)

Always raises his hand to answer and gets pissed if he isn't picked on

Only good at Chemistry and Biology so he wants to do Triple Science in Year 11

Helps out in school holing for extra credit (he didn't realise this ain't the US so there's no such thing here)

#𝐉𝐔𝐃𝐄 𝐉𝐀𝐙𝐙𝐀

(GOD I HAVE A LOT SO SAY ABOUT THIS MAN I CAN LITERALLY MAKE A WHOLE POST ABOUT HIM IF ALL WANT IT LEMMIE KNOW) (OMG I WANT TO MAKE A JUDE X READER SECONDARY SCHOOL POST AAAAAHHHH I LOVE THIS)

Year 11

Roadman

Sells vapes to Year 7s at a stupidly expensive price but since they're Year 7 they think this is the normal price

Only one in the group that got good grades and not ending up working in their dad's haircut shop

Talkes in class then when the teacher moves him he's like "Miss I wasn't even talking" 💀

#𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

Year 11

Everyone had a crush on him. Jude often tutors him in private and threatens to spread rumours about him if he ever told anyone

Did Art in Year 10 for funsies and Economics because he wanted that one teacher who is physically impossible to help you get a 9 (no one got a Grade 9 in his class) just to prove everyone wrong (he did)

Buys food for his friends if he finds out they don't eat during lunch because the lines are so fucking long

Probably in a long—term relationship with a girl (me) and everyone is jealous of them

#𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑

Year 11

Like William adopted the Year 7s but a significantly more amount (like half the damn school)

Everyone knows who he is. Every lunch time he goes to this one Year 9 girl who sits on the bench lonely and lets her do his hair

She's like his favourite child he buys her food so she doesn't feel lonely and stands up for her when the annoying popular kids talk to her (she gets uncomfortable)

He tutors her as well, even if she's good in class he does this because he wants her to be successful and have a good future (I love this sm)

©️umi-adxhira [17/09/2023]

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 | @nightghoul381 , @serynhe , @kookie-my-little-sunshine , @cy-inky, @aquagirl1978 , @abundance-pathchooser, @lapis-da-lazuli , @ellisgivesmelife013 @surviving-off-ellis-crumbs, @yuan134

[tayshifts]

Extra things I scripted into my MHA DR

Some are safety related and some are for my convenience as i was worried about them

Mosquitoes, lice, ticks, fleas, cockroaches, silverfish, and bed bugs don’t exist.

There is no rape in my DR.

There is no racism or racial prejudice.

There is no homophobia and no transphobia. There are no surgical requirements for transgender people to be able to change their gender legally. No ban on same sex marriage or same sex adoption. Equal fucking rights. LOVE IS LOVE BITCH

I take Mineta’s place in Class 1-A. Mineta is not in my DR.

UA has always had the dorms.

I have enough money to always live comfortably. UA provides all students with stipends

No one in my Class or Class B will die.

Midnight will not die

Present Mic will not die

All Might will not die

Eraserhead will not die

There is no hero licensing exam. We are given our licenses at the discretion of our teachers at our school, based on when they think we are ready for them. Class 1-A and 1-B all receive hero licenses after the events at the Training Camp and Kamino.

TikTok exists in my DR, younger heroes often have their own TikTok accounts to gain popularity.

Current music exists in my DR

We speak English at school but everyone is fluent in both english and japanese

I cannot be expelled

The Hero Support course develops a fabric for Hagakure so that she can wear something during hero work and still retain her invisibility. AKA used her hair as a base like they did for Mirio

Hagakure can also control when she is invisible and since her hero quirk will be similar to Mirio’s in concept, it will turn invisible with her

I do not know the plot as it will play out beyond where I enter my DR. For example, I will not know about the attack on the Camp prior to the attack starting

There is no Covid-19 in my DR

We have the same homeroom teacher for all three years at UA.

UA has professional therapists to help hero students cope with stress and emotions that come with hero training. These therapists can make sure students in need of mental health counseling and medication receive the proper care. (Amajiki)

UA is a college and all students are 20 upon entering their first year at UA, no matter the program.

Eri is not aged up, despite all other characters being aged up. She is still a child.

I will always remember my classmates and their hero names

Spotify Premium is just how spotify works in my DR, for free

UA gives students access to all streaming platforms. Netflix, Disney, HBO, Hulu, etc

Squishmallows has ProHero squishmallows

Sir Nighteye doesn’t die. He is injured but he and All Might will reconcile and All Might will finally explain why he couldn’t give the quirk to Mirio

The War Arc doesn’t happen, there is a better solution

Instead of the Licensing Exam, we do interschool training exercises to promote working together in the future and being exposed to other future heroes, not just our class or school’s.

I have the right adaptors/chargers/etc for outlets used in Japan

The zombie ova doesn’t happen

I understand the metric system

I understand the yen to US dollar conversion and my banking is set up when I arrive, so I don’t need to worry about it

We have the same dorm building all three years, they just change the signage to signify what year we’re in

Each dorm room has its own private bathroom. There are still the communal baths

Fatphobia is a no <3

Hidden cameras in public and nonpublic spaces aren't a thing.

The toilets are like the ones in America

ADHD/stimulant drugs are legal. I have no issues getting any of my needed medications in Japan and can get them easily from local pharmacies

Stronger Western deodorants are available in Japan, easy to find

[howelljenkins]

hi this is so random but i need to wax poetic. you have no obligation to reply to this. also i do not mean this in a parasocial way at ALL lmao i recognize that idk you trust. i first found ur blog in 2020 as a eighth grader in lockdown that was completely lost. i had lost my uncle to covid during that time and went from being a stellar student to receding into my shell and watching my grades tank. my shit home situation and undiagnosed depression led to me sinking into any form of escapism possible, mainly thru the form of books. i was super obsessed with perry johnson LMAO at the time and had all the time in the world to look into the fandom. this was around the time the unnamed author was just, like, violently and belligerently racist and scathing to any fans that questioned otherwise. being a tumblrina, i went to this site to see people comment on this, only to find you and ur mutuals were the only people openly discussing how he was just plain vile. i remember how sickened i felt seeing how you and other people of color were getting doxxed and threatened for pointing out what i thought was incredibly obvious. as a rlly sheltered person of color, this was the first time it struck me that the world was lying about how much they were actually willing to stick up for us, as before that i was just stupidly optimistic. anyways bc of that i started checking ur blog like EVERYDAY because of how much your words resonated with me. i was in complete awe of just how witty you were, and how you took no shit from people. granted this was a defense mechanism from crazy ass white fandom bitches but it was still weirdly inspiring. i still remember seeing u pull out the yale trap card so often and being like, oh shit this girl is something else lol thats hysterical. for the rest of high school i would keep up to date with u and specifically ur writing and poetry on promethes. kal i need you to realize your words actually rearranged my brain. the poems about your great grandfather, your mother, your pos friend, of being a horror, to love and to be loved is rest, everything EVERYTHING is etched into my memory. i really feel like i stumbled onto the modern fucking plato or something. anyways my critical thinking skills and love of poetry both are strongly influenced by you. i used to be the kind of person that hated everything and couldnt bear the thought of tolerating this world for another second. but your unyielding positivity and optimism, and insistence that kindness being the more difficult choice is inherently more radical really changed me. ik u didnt invent that or yadda yadda but u really made it seem real. im still learning to take each day slower, to breathe in a little deeper, but the beauty of so many things i previously dismissed is so obvious to me now. that post you made about you and ur mutuals educating a whole generation is so true lol. so just thank you. honestly thank u thank u thank you from the bottom of my heart. im a senior now who just submitted my yale application tonight and thought of you and im a little drunk right now so i think thats why i wrote this whole ass essay but just. like idk. u changed me and idek know you. i made my friend who got into princeton a trap card bc urs was so inspiring lol. anyways i truly hope you have a peaceful happy life and a good night. your soul is really such a beautiful thing and you deserve the world pls never settle for anything less

idc if it’s parasocial i love u and want the best for u and know u will go far and i almost doxxed myself by telling u the city i live in so u could look me up if you’re ever here lol. ik im a stranger or whatever but im proud of u idc ur like my adopted little sibling now. also @taumoeba yale card inspiring generations

[samkat10423]

Sunset-died

Lately I've been following @tiaamorosa's Sunset-died story. If You haven't seen it, be sure to check it out. Anyway, I've played this world before. Mostly during a sim world-hop challenge we had over at the old Sims Daily forum, with my all-time favorite sim, Theo Kaplinski. Who was created using my good friend @franglishetchocolat's self-sim that she created and shared on that site. Anyway, it was while Theo visited this world, that she adopted her cat, Marley, and the rest - as we say - is history.

This world was created pre-Seasons, which was fine. But once Seasons came out, sims could actually die from exposure. No so good. When Theo landed on shore, she found a roofless, partially wall-less structure to live in. Again, pre-Seasons it didn't matter. But now - since I have all the EPs and stuff crap - it presents a bit of a problem. So, I'm lending my current sims a hand by upgrading their shelters. In my game, the destruction of SV was due to an alien attack. I used a crash site lot from Into the Future for the downed craft in my town. Several months have gone by and sims are slowly beginning to get their lives together.

One of the first community lots they built was a medical clinic. I ousted VJ Alvi from the Monotone house that he had squatted in and converted it into a small clinic.

The local scientists have provided some solar panels for electricity, since the main power lines are still down. BTW, I haven't placed the rabbithole rug yet, but it will be accessible via those stairs on the side of the building that lead to a basement.

There's a tiny waiting area, furnished with dumpster finds and a general exam area with a chemistry thingie. The other room is the surgical suite. There is also a room where x-rays can be done and a small space for consults. In my town history, most of the equipment was looted from the spacecraft that crashed, since sims wouldn't have had time to get it from the hospital that was nuked - nor would they have anyplace to store it. So, I figure they stole it from the spacecraft. Some of it is pretty advanced for these sims - they are nothing if not backward - so, they are still learning how to use it. Have only killed 3 sims in the process. Anyway, most of these items came from Sandy @aroundthesims3. If you're wondering, those 2 aqua-colored items outside the back door, are porta-potties. There wasn't enough room inside, so this is their work-around.

These are the Wolffs down on what was once their lot. There isn't much left other than a tent and those boxes. I took both of them into CAS and gave them make-overs. Both will be moving elsewhere. Since their marriage was already on the rocks, they decided to call it quits. Actually, Thornton just upped and abandoned Morgana.

And this is who he dumped her for - the ever-lovable Jaime Jolina. They now live in that trailer next door to Erin Kennedy's lot. Jaime is currently jobless, since the clinic hasn't officially opened yet. Thornton has joined the criminal track since that building survived the attack. Because she is in the medical field and considered a necessary worker - a lot like I was at the height of Covid - Jaime's housing was given priority status and was one of the houses renovated first. (I'll share some pics of it in my next post).

Anyway, for now, I plan on only having essential careers in this town - political, medical, police, and science. Then military. And criminal, since whenever disasters strike, it always seems to bring out both the best and worse in people.

[mariacallous]

Squander enough time on TikTok these days and the signs of creative deceleration are everywhere.

“Try-hard” slang is spreading. Competitive aging is a thing. Classic episodes of The Sopranos are fed to you in polished 25-second bites. Last October, the 2004 cult teen comedy Mean Girls was portioned into 23 parts to unanimous celebration. (Did I mention pirated content is on the rise?) Everyone, it seems, wants to revisit the world as it was two decades ago, of all places, on the so-called app of the future.

Relics of the New Millennium are again in vogue, and especially on TikTok, where you get the sense that everyone is chasing the fantasy of youth. Except, it’s just that—a fantasy.

“I keep getting served TikToks on [high-yield savings accounts] and 401ks,” one of my colleagues commented in Slack recently. “I believe the olds are in charge now.”

She’s right, of course. Millennials are currently outpacing Gen Z in the adoption of TikTok in the US, according to Pew Research Center data, which shows that the app's 30-49-year-old demographic is growing faster than its 18-29-year-old user base.

Such is the way on the social internet; still, the enshittification of TikTok continues.

One tell-tale sign of late-stage social media is the endless vomit of nostalgia regifted in pretty packaging. Tastes have aged, and the user experience is no longer one of giddy revelation—at one point, the only reaction the app seemed to generate among new users—but one of odd comfort.

It was inevitable, of course. Seasons change, apps pivot, and users learn to chase the adrenaline of the future through new and exotic machines of possibility.

When TikTok gained mass popularity in 2020 during the first outbreak of Covid-19, it signaled a reorientation of where we place value. Tastes were being reengineered. The app’s offerings were as robust as they were confounding: dance challenges, beauty recommendations, racial appropriation, expert sleuthing, and more fed its algorithmic churn. It wasn’t just endless but entertainingly so, earning a reputation for setting trends and establishing itself as an unofficial headquarters for Gen Z influencers—and, because the internet is a repeated comedy of errors, later platforming de-influencers.

Today, TikTok operates as the ideal precursor to AI and what the next digital revolution is ushering in—a blurring of realities, a blotting out. Ownership over “the sense organs of the public,” as Nicholas Carr phrased it, is the endpoint, the very future that companies like Meta and Apple want to build. And so TikTok persuades as the perfect tonic: a world of cyclical multimedia that lets you create, live in, or simply spectate at will. A 60-second harbinger of all that is coming, delivered on demand.

For many people, the sensations of digital life feel most alive on such an app. With art, suggests Jackson Arn, extreme sensation is a fraught strategy because of what it pulls off: As the artwork seduces, it also disgusts.

I now wonder if that was the point of socially-oriented technologies all along. They make you feel a little more alive. Again and again, they unlock dormant sensations: excitement, awe, satisfaction. Even disgust has the capacity to captivate. Because even in disgust there is a need to share, comment on, or understand the nature of spectacle, and how it functions. Only, the seduction of TikTok captivates a little too well, and as you age, carrying the experience of life on your shoulders while trying not to be crushed by it, you find yourself craving those sensations all the time.

That seems especially true for millennials, who were guaranteed a future that never arrived. They were dealt a bad hand—several bad hands—and saddled with the failures of those who came before them without a blueprint for a path forward. In February, I received a text from a family member. He'd applied for the SAVE Plan, and we exchanged mutual angst over our financial misfortunes, how so many friends are in the same bind, bonding over the recognition of unnatural loss, of another future we’ll never know.

Last week at the barbershop, I watched as a young man in his early thirties thumbed from video to video, his neck craned into his iPhone, blitzing through TikTok. He sat in the chair for about 40 minutes, and as the barber worked around him, not once did he glance away from his screen, except, to exclaim, “Look! You gotta see this one.”

So when I hear that millennials are usurping Gen Z as TikTok's leading demographic, I'm not shocked. The organs of our digital existence, like the body, are connected, flowing as they should even when complete comprehension evades reasoning. All of it is intertwined. The increasing thirst for mixed reality. Gen Z abandoning the rituals of digital life altogether for a more analog experience. The decline of TikTok as millennials eclipse the platform. The previous world is ending. So is social media as we knew it. And we again want to feel something—even if, and only for a little while, that something is 2004.

[landinrris]

This is gonna get super long so sorry in advance but I wanted to put it out there that I would pay real good money to know what Lando and Martin's friends think of the whole thing.

Like on Lando's side you have his lifelong friends who are his safety bubble who he spends all his time with, he always tends toward his close known circle rather than throwing himself into a ton of new friendships (Carlos being an exception but the teammate bond plus the covid bubble was a big accelerator there and of the group only Sasha really seemed to embrace that friendship, the others even mock it at times). And since he's been in F1, they've watched Lando gradually start to be more outgoing and lose some of his shyness but its first half of 2022 and he still clings to their bubble, even now he has a serious gf. Also he lets them tag along on nights out with people like Max Verstappen so they're all happy with that. Then come Summer 2022 there they all are on their traditional yacht vacation this time in Ibiza, and Lando takes them to meet a famous DJ that Danny Ric has helped Lando to get them backstage at his gig. They know Lando's getting into DJ'ing so they likely don't think much of it beyond cool, we get to meet Martin Garrix.

And then pretty much from that moment on they would have watched Lando throw himself headfirst into a new friendship with this DJ, going to stay in his hometown after just a few weeks, they see this dude buy Lando a DJ'ing set up even tho he barely knows him, then Lando checks out early from their annual winter Dubai trip to go on vacation with the DJ taking only Martin K with him, he starts hanging backstage at this DJs shows and before his buddies know it they find they've been more or less ditched during any F1 breaks except for the odd bone of a week of attention here and there thrown their way. I remember Fewtrell in early summer 23 on a stream bemoaning with Connor about how their yacht trips no longer happened and Fewtrell was like it will again, I've had words, and I've never heard anything that made me think "ha you'll be lucky" quite so fast. I also remember Fewtrell trying to bring Martin up on stream once when Lando was staying at his, must have been like Feb/March time, Lando mentioned learning to produce and Fewtrell made a comment like 'oh is Garrix teaching you' a little sarcastically and Lando just went 'yes' and shut the conversation down in an instant, like he was saying no, you don't get to go there and Fewtrell's face was a picture, he looked like a kicked puppy for a second before remembering there was a camera on him. They also see Lando getting adopted by Martin's close circle of friends and him adopting them in return. And then having been ditched most of the year, Lando's group find an about turn this winter when Martin actually goes on vacation with them for once and they're permitted to get to know him, before they then watch Lando head off to be glued to Martin's hip for more or less the entire rest of the winter break.

And then on Martin's side you have his lifelong friends who yes have become friendly with some other people around him who Martin's good friends with, they know Danny Ric from when Danny goes to Ibiza and they've gotten to know Max over the years, but here Martin is in late 2022 suddenly parachuting this young F1 driver he's only known a handful of weeks right into their Amsterdam world, not even Ibiza but their hometown. They got to know him in that time I guess, and then just as suddenly Martin is going on vacation with this dude, making an effort to fit spending time with him into his hyper-busy schedule. Lando even makes another visit to their hometown mid-summer. And then come end of Summer 2023 they are all on vacation together in Ibiza, Lando is staying with them in a villa there and they have adopted him to the point he's part of their core group celebrating their birthdays. (As an aside, I can't help but think they must have spent much more time with Lando than we know prior to Ibiza 2023 for him to be staying in a villa with them and them calling him family at that stage and for Lando to look so comfortable and at home around them. There has to have been time they have spent with Lando when he has been with Martin that we have no idea about for them to consider him part of their group that way).

Then this winter they've not only watched Martin be essentially glued to Lando's side for a vast majority of his free time and going on vacation with Lando's close circle but have also been witness to their entire carryon, things like the matching clothing, the vacation couple postcard pics etc all of which seems quite out of character even for someone as affectionate as Martin is. Like I've only followed Martin since he became friendly with Lando but I don't see him doing this kinda thing with anyone else. Thinking about it, his friends have likely been witness to their carryon for a while if those loud shirt & shorts combos from Ibiza were anything to go by.

I'll end this now as it's got out of hand (Sorry!) but I really truly would love to know what both sets of friends thoughts are on it all. Like I wonder if they all just realized gradually over time the way things were going or if they've actually had moments of sitting back and going wtf??!!

While I love the idea of an outsider's pov on the insanity of the trajectory of Lando and Martin's relationship, I hesitate to make it sound like Lando's older friends are leaches or that he's abandoned them, and that's something they feel spite for.

Lando did spend time with Max F during the first bit of Summer this year, and I believe Tom was in Ibiza at one point. He's had dinner with Max and Pietra and Pietra's family a few times. We've also seen them together (Tom specifically) in Monaco a few times during non-race weeks with a few of Lando's newer friends. As practically lifelong friends who find themselves on different career and relationship paths, it probably takes a bit of adjusting to changes in plans (e.g., Lando and co not going on the yacht this year).

Meeting someone new and involving yourself with their friends to the point where they become your own doesn't necessarily mean you drop your childhood ones. Sometimes friend groups don't mix and you do different things with each one.

I'm sure both parties though recognize how important each of them are to each other, especially when Lando is so firm with his boundaries and not wanting to talk Martin up. Martin bringing Lando into his group and introducing him to everyone in itself seems to be a very pointed and powerful stance on what he thinks in the first place. It is indeed a little crazy to think about when you stop moving for a minute and let your brain run.

[sportsthoughts]

BEER LEAGUE UPDATE!!! Woo! Happy Sunday

I did not skate for 30 minutes this week! …I skated for 60. I subbed in for the game after mine and both teams I played on only had two right wings. Honestly, I thought it would be more exhausting than it was. I was getting pretty gassed going into the third period of the first game, but then I found a second wind and was straight-up vibing throughout the next game.

We lost the first game 2-0, so sadly we are no longer undefeated. However, my adopted team won the next one (2-0 again)! For that game, I was playing AGAINST my goalie friend and that was a blast. I got some shots on her, but every time she stopped them with a very emphatic “no”. Once she said “anyone can score except for you!”. I didn’t get to score on her (though I got some SOG in both games, and even lifted the puck pretty well on one! I’ve been working a ton lately on lifting the puck while moving, so I was really psyched to actually pull it off in a game.), but I did get an assist! Made a play in the neutral zone that set up the first goal.

Highlight: my skating is getting SO MUCH better and people noticed! I got a really nice compliment from one of my teammates about how much I’d improved since last week. I’ve been practicing crossovers for ages but have never really used them in a game cause it’s just not natural for me yet, but I did it a bunch of times tonight and it went really smoothly. I’m also falling a lot less. I’m not actually sure I have a low point this week, aside from the fact that we lost.

Your last response made me laugh because my dad’s parents lived in Bloomington their whole lives! I’ve been there a lot. You randomly picked a city I’m very familiar with. Their arena is known as BIG, both because that’s the acronym and because it’s huge. If you’ve seen the movie Miracle, that’s the arena where that team practiced before the Olympics! I think my dad may actually have been living there at the time. This is the same dad who once met Crosby and Fleury in a hotel on a work trip and while his coworker was freaking out and getting a picture with them, my dad was just like “dude, can we hurry up and go to dinner” because he doesn’t really care about hockey. I will never not laugh picturing that interaction. Imagine being a super famous athlete and encountering a man who was less enthused by you than he was about the Italian place he was on his way to. I’ll leave you with that tidbit until next week!

First of all i'm sorry it took me so long to get to this, anon! In my haze of covid and getting ready to move house this got buried in my ask box and it just occurred to me that I never replied!!

Wow they are working you HARD huh! I'm laughing at the thought of you playing against your goalie friend. I'm picturing sid and flower teasing each other during practice.

And yeahhhh your skating is getting better! That's awesome!! Next stop all stars.

And what do you know?! I must have been drawn to Bloomington for a reason. I'll be real with you, I had to just google a map of America because I have no idea where MN is - I thought it was kinda central and to the right? Turns out it's at the top near Canada! The hockey makes sense!

I also have not seen the movie Miracle - should I? Also wow that your Dad Experienced The Presence. I think if I were in that situation I too would run off to find my dinner because I would feel awkward to see Sid in real life. 100% a fairytale character to me and 0% Real Boy.

I am curious how long your beer league runs for - and the fact that it doesn't run in time with the ordinary hockey season? Is that for a reason? Do all beer leagues run at the same time each year? Or is it a year round thing?

[keelywolfe]

I'd have to take my time to know if sending this was the right option. I was thinking about how much your writing and stories changed my perspective. During the COVID times, your stories helped me a lot and inspired me to write my own.

That was back then; today I'm going to university, and sometimes I read your stories, which takes me back to those times when I read them every day.

I hope you read this message and that it brings you joy.

I recently started reading BAON again because I felt very nostalgic (it's one of my favorite works hehe) and was curious about the marriage of Antwan and Jeff and what's going to happen there.

I hope you have a great day. Goodbye 👋🏼

Those were tough times for everyone and it's lovely to know my stories helped out in some small way. ❤️

and was curious about the marriage of Antwan and Jeff and what's going to happen there.

Oh, that would have started with Jeff meeting Antwan's family. I had one tiny scene written of his mom coming to visit after she heard her baby boy got engaged:

~~*~~

"I’m sorry, baby, I don’t know your pronouns. That one somehow manages to call home every week and still doesn’t say a damn thing.”

“Mama, Stretch and Edge both go by him.”

She slanted an unimpressed glance at her son. "Mmhmm. And you can’t resist a chance to answer for someone, can you, Mister Lawyer?”

Stretch turned to Edge. "i like her. can we keep her?"

She reached out and patted Stretch's cheekbone and for once, Edge didn't stiffen. "Aren't you a sweetheart? Well! Dumplin' tells me that you love cooking, mind showing me your kitchen? I would love to see your setup."

"Of course."

Stretch looked at Antwan slyly. "dumplin'?

"Don't start."

"i would never. Dumplin'"

~~*~~

I'm sure they'd take one look at Jeff and immediately adopt him. And Stretch. And Edge. And all the rest, look, sometimes you find a family and sometimes that family finds you. 😂

[an-enigmatic-mind]

Essay for VMCAS

A team rejoiced that a fractious kitty is back to his old ways, because they know he's feeling better. A Doctor, seeing a family in pain because they couldn't afford treatment, just couldn't stand by and let the terrible come. She chose to pay hundreds out-of-pocket, so the family can love their dog longer. A puppy died; gets brought back to life because a nurse and a doctor wouldn't quit. The week after, on a recheck it is as spry as any puppy could be. A fearful dog listens to my sooth and trusts me to keep her safe as treatments occur. A parent is shocked that a cat licked churu off my finger. "She's never done that before." One of the best things I ever did with my life happened before I ever stepped foot in veterinary medicine, but long after I knew it was what I wanted to do with my life. A friend and I saw a stray kitten, congested, with an eye, glued shut with mucus - what I now know to have likely been a severe URI. We took this kitten to his place, gave it a bath and began searching for someone who could adopt it and afford a Vet. A few weeks later, Fortuna, or “Tuna” for short, was able to keep the eye and was living a happy life. I noticed a mammary mass on a dog 2 years into my first hospital that was missed on the physical; the next week the mass was removed, and from then on no one could stop me checking my patients. During the worst of covid, a pair of kitties came to the hospital to board; Atticus and Romeo; Atticus was my favorite kitty. The carriers were labeled wrong, and I knew Atticus was a kitty with severe heart disease, who needed atenolol and Romeo was a healthy kitty. I insisted on the fact, leading to the parent being called and confirming I was right. I didn’t care about being right, I didn’t want the mistake to cost a life, possibly two.

I do not have one singular defining moment that led me to want to be in veterinary medicine. I have known for a long time that I want to be a Doctor, and I have recurring moments that reassure and reaffirm me through doubt that this is my field. I am simply finding my way to the position where I can do the best for it. I still second guess myself constantly. I wonder if I’m cut out for it, but not once have I been able to picture myself anywhere else. I spent a year in a hospital, full of employees sick with compassion fatigue and I couldn’t give in. I advocated the way I must. It is easy to feel unappreciated in a field where the patients you aim to heal, fear you, and the pet-parents you're trying to help think you're money hungry; and the majority of the employees aren't paid what they should be; and yet, I want to continue doing this. I want to continue helping. I want to continue reminding people why we chose to join this field. I want to give hope to the people who share my dream and are having an arduous path to it the way I am. You, Reader, didn't step into this field for any other reason than animals and/or the good people that help them. We're a lovely bunch, aren't we?

[cpd-55055]

i would like to hear your honest opinion do you think that since a few seasons (seasons 8, 9 and 10 1/2) PD has become boring in terms of story and writing and in general?

Short Answer: Definitely! They have lost their creativity and intensity. In the past seasons, every episode brought us to the edge of our seats. But now, both the cases are boring, and the personal stuff is getting repetitive.

Long Answer:

You probably didn't ask for a rant, but I'm giving it to you anyways. Sorry in Advance! 😊

To be honest, S8, as a whole, wasn't that bad. The Upstead stuff was amazing. Kim's story with Makayla was really sweet and meaningful for the character. I liked Kevin's storyline at the beginning and how the Doyle shooting was wrapped up. But I didn't like how every Kevin episode was about the blue wall and his race. Vanessa's sudden disappearance is something that still bothers me, but I guess we have to blame COVID for that. The cases were interesting and intense at the same time. And although it was a character-centric format, I really think the balance between personal and case was good. And let's not forget the epic finale they had. In my opinion, the best finale PD has ever done.

For S9, you have to evaluate it as two parts, 9a, and 9b. 9a was really good. The continuation of the Roy storylines was perfect, and the end, even though it felt a little anticlimactic with North's character, was a decent wrap to the storyline. The Upstead angst was worth it. The flow was starting to become choppy, but since the content was so good, I ignored it.

9b, on the other hand, was just a disappointment. Anna was introduced in 9a, and I still don't understand why they couldn't wait till 9b. Her character was so confusing. I liked her sassiness and her boldness, but her relationship with both Voight and Jay was all over the place. I also don't understand what the whole point was of having Jay create "a deal" with Voight in 9x09 if he never actually followed through with it. I liked the whole Kim fighting for Makayla during the adoption, but everything after that felt pointless. Like they needed something to give Burzek a storyline. There was no reason to kidnap and traumatize a young girl who was already previously traumatized. Instead of showing Makayla recovering from her kidnapping, they should have taken those episodes to focus more on Kim and her trauma after losing her baby one season and then being shot and left to die the next. Don't get me started on Kevin and his "relationship" with Celeste. I actually thought Celeste and Kevin had great chemistry and potential, but they literally ruined it in the first episode they introduced Celeste. Kevin deserved better than that. Anna's storyline had way too much focus than it needed. It just dragged on for too long, and the finale was just sad. There was no intensity or drama. Compared to its previous finale, this one was boring. Still bitter that we never got Will and Hailey scenes in 9x13 and never got worried Jay in 9x22. Why spend so much money and time on an explosion if there is no drama afterward.

S10 so far... let's see. The Anna stuff of 10x01 felt weird. We never really saw Voight move on from Anna's death. It just felt incomplete. And somehow, all this mess led to Jay crossing lines and deciding to leave 3 episodes later. The biggest disappointment of this season is how Jay was written out. He deserved better than being given 3 episodes to exit. It was rushed, sudden, and truly unnecessary. I'm glad that Hailey is getting a lot of screentime, but I'm not glad that all her screentime is sad Hailey on repeat. The acting is superb, but come on, stop finding more ways to make her sad. I'm not gonna dig into Burzek's situation, and how I feel about that. All I'll say is I just hope they stay like this. Torres is an interesting character, and I like his partnership with Kevin, but I do wish that they did a Torres episode before Jay's departure. Jay was the one that brought Torres to the unit; it would have been nice to see Jay help Torres fit in and slowly shift to Torres and Kevin. And I feel like it's a season too late to bring up Kim's trauma. My guess is they're gonna use this to bring Kim and Adam together, but why didn't they do it last season. I guess the only good that that's come out of S10 so far is how quiet Voight's character is. He has truly been in the background, even during the Sean/Chief stuff.

I think the big difference for me is that during S8, I was actually interested in every character's episodes. But now, I could care less what happens to everyone else. All I care about is Hailey and hoping that there is a happy ending for Upstead.

[scripted-downfall]

I really need to offer my thanks to this entire fandom for helping me to grasp something I never really got before (though I still occasionally struggle with getting it now).

When I first heard about the finale and what happened within, I accepted it.  For one thing, I’d expected no different.  Long before I’d even heard about the events of the finale, I’d been unfortunately certain that Sam would get his normal life and Dean would die.  My suspicions — or, perhaps, my fears — were only strengthened during the episode where Sam takes on the first trial, when Dean outright says “I'm gonna die with a gun in my hand. 'Cause that's what I have waiting for me – that's all I have waiting for me. I want you to get out. I want you to have a life – become a man of Letters, whatever. You, with a wife and kids and – and – and grandkids, living till you're fat and bald and chugging Viagra – that is my perfect ending, and it's the only one that I'm gonna get.”  By then, if I’m honest, I hadn’t thought a different ending would happen any more than Dean seemed to.

Additionally, the finale had already happened.  There was no changing it — no point in raging against something that couldn’t be altered, or mourning something that could never have been — and so that was that.  I started watching the show after filming was done — within the last year — so I had no reason to build up theories or hopes; I knew a great many spoilers when I started, and more trickled in as I went.  I made my peace with it because I might as well be content with what I got instead of driving myself mad with what could have been.

But I’ve come to realize — in large part thanks to y’all — that something being expected doesn’t make it good (if that makes sense).  Dean expected the ending he got because he didn’t see a way out of hunting.  Because he couldn’t see a way to a normal life.  Because he couldn’t envision a happy ending that he’d be able to obtain (much less deserve).  He says that’s his perfect ending — and I believe that he views it as such — but only because anything else is, he judges, impossible.  He sees himself dying on a hunt and Sam getting a normal life because he’s the grunt and Sam’s the one to be protected at all costs.  But that doesn’t mean it’s the best ending — the one that would make him happiest — as much as it means that it’s the best he can foresee.

There’s no way that this is the best ending for the Dean Winchester we’ve seen: the one we’ve followed for fifteen seasons, the one who’s been mother and father and brother to Sam and does everything for family, the one who’s one of the preeminent hunters… well, ever.  There’s no way that his best ending would completely wipe out a character — at least a best friend and brother, though quite probably more, in my opinion — from anything but a single line mentioned in passing (Cas).  There’s no way that his best ending would be one that perpetuates the idea that Sam deserves normalcy and happiness, while his brother is relegated to death-by-nail.  There’s no way that his best ending would leave him confined to the Heaven we saw, one too empty for a man as family-oriented as Dean (and yes, I do recognize that COVID seems to be the reason for its emptiness, but, regardless, it is the ending we got, so the point stands); additionally, it’s very notable that he finds out Mary and John aren’t far away, and his immediate response is to get into his car and drive far in the other direction.  

We make jokes about Dean collecting children and “nesting” in the bunker (and they’re accurate and, often, hilarious), but the fact remains that Dean wanted a normal life.  That he’d adopted a dog.  That he had a job application on his desk.  That he’s been shown throughout the show to have this innate desire for something that was ripped away from him with an ill-placed piece of rebar.

And, thanks to the people on this site, I’ve come to realize that it’s okay to be pissed as hell about this.  That I don’t have to settle for what happened simply because it’s the way things shook out.  That the ending being expected or foreshadowed doesn’t make it good; it just makes it expected and foreshadowed.  I’ll admit that I cried the first time I saw some of the scenes of the finale, and I did so because a character I loved had died; now, I’m filled less with sadness at the death itself and more at the futility of it all.  At the way he deserved better than what he got.  At the way we deserved better than what we got.

Anyway, I’m sorry for the very me-centric post — I try to avoid those because it feels… idk, selfish?  Arrogant?  I’m not even sure anyone else feels the same, or if this is completely meaningless to anyone who might happen to read this. — but I’ve only recently come to this realization, so this is my attempt to sort through my thoughts.  It’s also an attempt at expressing gratitude, so… thank you.

[thewardenofwinter]

Hi Morana!

How are you doing? How is the writing going, what are you up to?

Greetings Sam, thank you so much for this ask! I've been meaning to do a little update for a while and this gives me a perfect excuse lol

On life (tw for mentions of illness):

It's still very hectic at the moment which hasn't really allowed me time to pursue any creative avenues. I've been fighting off various illnesses since my younger brother started school because my immune system isn't used to all the germs he's around, including covid and strep, and on top of that there was a West Nile Virus outbreak in my state which my mom ended up catching and had to be hospitalized for a few days but she's doing a lot better now. We still have not found a place to live yet, but we managed to finagle two more months from our landlords to find a place since moving during the summer is damn near impossible when they rack up the prices and everything is being taken. There's also a lot going on in my more personal life that's left me quite stressed and lethargic. A little bright side though is that we also found two itty bitty stray kittens under a house and I had to take care of them for almost 2 weeks, but they ended up getting adopted which is great! They were both very cute gray tabbies like their mom, and they were technically my other cat Ivan's half-siblings. I've also got a queens of the stone age and hozier concert coming up soon which i am SO hyped for, my entire life has been In Times New Roman and Unreal Unearth for the past weeks.

On writing:

In the past few days, I've finally found some peace to write and draw some. I've been mainly focusing on The Resurrectioners and trying to get at least 50k words by the end of October. I've also been outlining The Stray Girls and trying to work on a cover in Photoshop (which i got recently totally legally, but i usually just use Clip Studio). I've sort of put What We Undertake on the backburner for now, it's not that i don't want to work on it or am burnt out, it's just that I'm not nearly as passionate about furthering the plot like I am with The Resurrectioners. I've sort of fallen into a hole of mythology and folktales about necromancy trying to learn more about the history behind its representation.

I've also gotten back into drawing now that I've actually had time to do so lol. Here’s some drawings I’ve gotten done recently!

(in order from left to right: Nazriya from The Resurrectioners, Circe from Give No Quarter, A quick sketch of Zekiah from The Resurrectioners, and a face study of Charlie Hunnam)

I've also put off studying Russian for a month or so and am trying to get back into my one-hour-a-day studying routine I had previously which is taking a toll on me to be honest lol. I bought the Curse of the Pharaohs DLC for AC Origins and I've also started to play Assassins Creed: Liberation for the first time and so far I'm loving both. I can't believe some people say it's the worst installment. I'm working on Aveline fanart as we speak.

But yeah! There's a little update, I'm going to be posting some of my writing soon/doing a few tag games to get back into the groove of things so watch out for those. Thanks again Sam for checking up on me and sending the ask!