#deleting all my text in a post is not nice tumblr

[seaofreverie]

I listened to a new Sparks album and it was all I could think about for two weeks straight afterwards, a.k.a. My Hello Young Lovers Review

Okay, so here's my fabled review (I mentioned having written it once about three months ago, so I guess there's a chance that someone still remembers that). It's hecking long (seriously, it's long.) and consists mostly of me pointing out specific sections of the songs and raving about which specific elements of the songs I particularly like. And also attempting to make some sort of general statement on the style / atmosphere / themes etc. of the whole thing. I wrote this back in november, after 5 full listens of the album, over the course of about a week, and I didn't update it with any new opinions that I have formed since, to keep it true to that original form, besides some side notes where I thought they'd be useful to add. I hope you enjoy my yapping, however unprofessional and all over the place this whole thing probably is.

How to start album reviews? Well, I could sum up the general vibe / thing / feel / theme with the album but that seems much more fitting for the conclusion of the whole thing.

So let's kick this off with the first thing we see instead!! The album cover, the sleeve! (note: I got this album on vinyl for that first listening experience, the 2022? reissue) Ohh so pretty and cute, isn't it? Even inside, so much pink, even over-the-toply-so (for real though, I didn't even really think about what to expect from the inner cover, besides some photos that I knew would be there, but it was certainly not THIS. level of pink and cute), it looks so pleasant and sweet, doesn't it? And the band photos too, fun times all around!

Oh wow, ok, let's get back to reality here, I knew what I was in for (knowing just one track and excerpts of other two + reading misc comments on the album before already, as it is inevitable, you know. And frankly, that was actually the exact right amount of info from that commentary for a peak enjoyment here. Not going in totally blind but still encountering many surprises). This is a prime and, imo, very well executed example of mood dissonance. In a way where, idk, maybe it comes from me still having this even small amount of info beforehand, but it's the kind of situation that you can actually tell that something is off.

So yeah, the visual aspect of the album does fit it and I'd even say it does so VERY well, but as to how and why, maybe I should start exploring the atmosphere and themes and elements of individual songs first so we can make more general conclusions from that! So yes, I think it's time to dive in!

1) Dick Around ▪︎

Shortly put, amazing, showstopping and life changing song. And one of the earliest ones for me too! As a part of the extremely important and memorable playlist (note: my first time hearing a bunch of random popular sparks songs), it appeared somewhere in the latter half on the mix and oooh boy, was hearing this song for the first time, on the road in the dark evening too, an experience. I certainly found it intriguing to say the least, maybe I wasn't yet completely SOLD you know, and let's not forget that the second time I heard it (july) it actually kind of freaked me out in a way, but still, it certainly made an impression immediately. There's a reason this is one of the more well known / popular / important songs of theirs overall. This song is truly a journey and it messes with you in so many ways, oooohhh so many ways. I was super looking forward to hearing it again properly after being teased with some parts of it in the more recent weeks, so ok, maybe this is where I get to the individual parts I want to talk about.

Actually wait, first let's maybe say something about the placement. Of course it's the first song as I was pretty much certain it would be (and maybe already had kind of possibly spoiled..?), and it does work incredibly well as a mood-setter for the rest of the album, so it truly couldn't work any other way in my view. So yes, speaking of parts, there are so many different ones! Hearing this again was extra fun also because I would remember the main "point" / mantra of the song ("all I do now... is dick around") but not much else, then be reminded of another notable but very different part, then listen after this whole time properly on pretty much repeat now and be aware of those other little touches and bits that bring it all together...

So, let's start with the pleasant vocals & piano break near the beginning, it's, well... I just really like it (I hope I'll be able to say more specific things about other elements in these songs that I think need to be mentioned as I go on LOL), and right after that we have some very nice strings, then, suspenseful strings!! Idk why but I really really like it when those come in, they really set the unnerving classical tone that follows and returns throughout the album, then the same "calm" / bouncy vocal melody and a more "all over the place" piano returns (at least from what I remember, the notes are sort of more expansive in range in this part I think...). And soon enough... we reach the real moment of the song when it gets, well, real. And very intense. And this is almost jumpscare-like, ohhhh it's so good, even when you know you can expect it it still hits the spot amazingly.

So this is the rocking part that's honestly pure distilled joy and amazement to hear for me each time, the repeated echoey "hey hey"s for a second there are just the icing on the cake, so so so good. And, in fact, it doesn't get more rocking than this for the rest of the album. Dissappointing? Maybe it WOULD be, if there weren't other things still going on later, which were also in their own ways showstopping, so I think that yeah, those can make up for all that follows not really coming close to this level of unhinged. And this is the right word here I think, unhinged!! Damn, this freaking song. Like for a second there I remembered that in one of my early-ish hearings I just found it almost uhhh, unbearably raw? Idk if it's the right word but yeah, it gets... ugly for a second (I need to stop cringing at every more unusual / to the point word I use or I won't be able to write any genuine reviews in my life). Before going back to the main mantra of course! And then it goes on in a circle a bit more again, with more changes and some progression of the story and all that. And end on the mantra again. I don't know if I'm leaving out any super important bits here, I might be... Well, it comes back to full on rocking near the end too, with some variation too, so that's awesome! And very suspenseful and unnerving strings too for a moment!

So, should I talk about the lyrics / the story just a bit now? Ok, I won't go super deep into these or any of the following ones, I'll try to focus more on specific bits and the feelings that come with them and a general "theme" if anything. So, I think this song and its story is very engaging and I like it a lot and it certainly provokes further thoughts and ponderings, those 6 and a half minutes fly by super fast (guess that's just the power with sparks and their long songs, it's kind of incredible how maybe this goes ESPECIALLY for songs that rely a LOT on repetition, because those might work this trend the best), lots of variation, while still keeping some prominently repetitive / reoccurring parts balances it very well. You're really just thrown from one part to the next with this song. Ok, I wrote a lot about just one song and I feel like there's still more I could say if I thought about it hard, but let's move on now, we don't have all day (night)...

2) Perfume ▪︎

This is a favourite. An instant favourite. Right away this song grabbed me with its subdued, brooding and honestly pretty dark tone and sound. Low vocals, kind of ragged but driving guitar sound, and the DRUMS. They do SO much for this track, something about this specific drum pattern / style is very pleasant to me, very atmospheric. It's like a specific pattern that works to deliver some kind of effect (ok, I think through that, in a way, I just described the whole thing with repetition in sparks' music, especially in this era, nice, I guess that's how I view it and why it works so well) there's still a lot of interesting stuff going on there, plus it just sounds nice, idk. Once again, maybe "driving" is a good word for it. But now I need to mention that there is this one odd-one-out part that sounds much more cheerful, or maybe hopeful (and it returns again near the end). Because it has this specific thing, the different intonation of the SAME lyrics than the rest of the song ("and that's why...") feels strangely emotional. It certainly hit ME in the feels once I noticed it, so, yeah!!

So I think this is one of the darkest songs in mood and sound, while it also has something extremely COOL about its sound that I can't really categorize, I think I'm gonna feel like repeating this for every other song on the album but it just feels so CLASSIC, it's that typical song that always existed type of feel, yeah. But here it's less so due the melody necessarily, and more due to the whole picture. With some others it's also the song as a whole of course but they don't necessarily feel as much as a representation of a whole THING / genre / type of song / feeling in music of sorts (I'm really bad at articulating my exact views on these, am I not...) rather than those specific special moments that just bring it all to the next level. But OHHH I can't believe I almost forgot this, but the piano lines (I mean the post-chorus ones specifically) in this song, oh my goddddd!!!!!!! They're truly THE thing that sold me on this song completely, they're just so... something. So I guess this song also has that special "it" moment after all, doesn't it? Well, still possibly not quite as prominently as the next one, because...

3) The Very Next Fight ▪︎

Well, this is the kind of song that's completely made up of those specific parts making a very special whole. Starting with, of course, that melody line during the chorus "it's always the same. It's always the same". But maybe, just to be fair, I should actually start with where the song actually starts so, well, hmmm, the beginning. The very solemn piano and overall kind of heavy atmopshere here kind of slows down the momentum after the first two songs, and it delivers something quite different instead. So yeah, well, that chorus melody!! Oh wow!!! Isn't it so simple though? But it works so well!! It's simply beautiful honestly. It absolutely is! And later the electric guitar comes in for more effect and oh wow, it feels so incredible, yeah. And then some more solemnity with the... I think harpsichord?

This track feels very empty (as in the atmosphere, I'm not actually calling it empty as a bad thing or something like that, no no no!!) in some parts, then it has those emotionally charged bits, and let's not forget that it has some more really amazing guitarwork near the end. That kind of guitar "wailing" sounds beautiful in its own right too, it also kind of reminds me of some other rock-adjacent genre(s), I can't tell what exactly though...

4) (Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country ▪︎

In all honesty, after my first listen I decided that this was probably the song I was the least impressed by? Kinda strange, yeah, because I no longer think that, and yeah, it was another one that I was only slightly familiar with already. Very slightly. It's a very interesting song once again, I think it's really unique after some thought actually (as are most all of the songs on this record tbh, obviously). It's unique, but it once again has this special classic quality to it that just feels like it represents a very specific type of sound.

I wanna say that the chord progression in the chorus might be some variation of one of the "usual" progressions although OF COURSE I might be very wrong here, it's just the feeling I get because maybe it's worth mentioning that 1) a while ago I started noticing this one type of progression in songs that made them sound very similar to Kiss Me, Son of God (They Might Be Giants song), so I figured it must mean that KMSOG is just in some kind of typical progression that is used a lot, especially in country-sounding songs from my experience 2) there was also an element of some classic rock / rock&roll (?) / punk (??) songs that also made them sound very alike after a while when I started listening to this one internet radio station recently, idk if it's the same progression or its variation or if all those songs use different variations mostly but are still based on a very similar thing at the end of the day, but yeah. I might still not understand chords or be able to catch them while listening, but there's now at least a little part of that whole section of music theory that I might be able to recognise in music just by myself, so that's some major music literacy development on my part I think... Anyway, maybe the progression in this song didn't even remind me of that usual pattern specifically, but it just made me think of that thing nevertheless, maybe it's similar, maybe it's not... So this was kind of an irrelevant tangent on my part, oops.

So ok, let's get to the jist of this... What exactly I like about this song and such, or just what I wanna mention. Well, I wanna mention that this is probably one of the more repetitive songs, also one of the longest I think, maybe the third longest, I wouldn't be surprised by that (the opener and closer are both pretty tough competition in the length department) but it doesn't feel monotonous, it flies by super fast, once again.

I think it's also possibly the brightest sounding song on the record, the word that immediately sprung to mind here is "triumphant". Certainly fitting with all those awesome horns!! They're truly what really sets this song apart. I'm especially a fan of the horns in the bridge part, I think it's the bridge. Sooo so cool sounding, kind of "descending". I also really like the layering of the different vocals and their melodies and such, the acoustic guitar also brings it all soooo nicely together, it's so pleasant sounding, especially in the quieter "baby, let's invade" part.

Idk what else to say, very awesome song though and I definitely don't mind listening to it twice (with the repeat as a bonus track, which I'll also get to briefly at the end) at all, in fact this might be the least "intrusive" song in a sense, so that makes the best choice for a repeat, if I had to choose, I could see myself going with this one, it's just very pleasant all around.

5) Rock, Rock, Rock ▪︎

So things get real once again, huh. This is one of the songs that I count in the category of kind of sick and twisted but in a way where I only respect them more for making it, so that puts it right next to, hmmmm, sherlock holmes for sure, maybe some others I can't think of right now. Big part of that factor is surely played by the repetition which just works, well, very well. Specifically the choruses.

One part of this song I was pleasantly reminded of on my first few listens were the short strings interludes, they really give it some of that pleasant classical feel (a separate thing from what i describe as classic feel here!) that I could say kind of contrast with the song and its atmosphere in general. Or maybe spruce it up, idk, we do have very dramatic strings during the verses too... The very deep drum sound is also pretty prominent in this track I think, pretty great.

As to some more notable parts in the vocals department... Let's just say that the way Russell says some words is very, uhhhhhh, effective (i think this sounds more cursed than it should, but i mean exactly that, the delivery just really hits you... and other times it's kind of silly instead). And also, with that repetition and it creating something great in mind, there's the repeated "and since you put-" part near the end that's also really great. The repeated "I"s in the bridge I think also need a mention. It's like they know exactly what word / phrase to repeat, what amount of times, and in which part of the song for it to work the best, like the perfect placement and number.

I think this song also has a bit of a fake ending, so that's also something of note, especially when it's supposed to sound as dramatic as possible (at least that's the idea I get from it). And actually, oh, so does the previous song! I forgot that part even though it's even more noticeable / memorable in that song than it is here imo.

6) Metaphor •

Second half of the album starts off with something that's very elegant and all the while very pleasant and melodic, all of which makes it a very nice track, even in a more usual pop song sense. Some very cool piano to start things off, and the electric guitar accompaniment, which also enters pretty early on. And then we have that slightly more strange part, kind of like an early bridge, that honestly has a bit of a comical effect imo (with no disrespect intended!!)? As in, I find it kind of funny and silly personally. Yeah, the "who's up for a metaphor" part, especially when we get the repeated "don't don't"s and "we we"s, and, well, what follows is what's definitely the greatest part(s) of the song, when Russell enters his falsetto mode and we get the "aaaaa-ªªªªª..." etc. backup vocals in choruses. Those are the moments of the song that are just, well, ONCE again that classic factor that makes the melody & everything else super special. But more specifically, I think those parts are just kind of beautiful. Yeah, I'd say this song is the prettiest in sound that this album gets overall. Truly wonderful and gets you excited for the remaining songs.

Meanwhile, the spellings of dig as d-i-g might feel kind of random I guess? But it works. Adds variety or whatever (note: it's also a very good moment of a rhythm change I believe, I think now that's what makes it sound as cool and satisfying as it does). So yeah, kind of a heavenly song I think, in a sense, also one of my top faves just for that factor (note: this song is now probably my favourite on HYL, and also among my top fav Sparks songs overall. It wasn't instant, but it grew on me quickly and oh man, I truly love this song so much now)

7) Waterproof •

I think this is kind of an odd-one-out actually? And why? I think it's probably the closest on the album to being sort of a fully, or at least MOSTLY, "normal" song. It doesn't have so many parts that are just downright weird and unexpected I'd say, it's just kind of friendly instead compared to the other ones (note: it took me perhaps too long to realize that this song just doesn't have quite as much repetition, which most other songs here rely on heavily, so that's definitely what makes it stand out the most). Not that it's an entirely bad thing! Sometimes you gotta slow down and relax a bit I guess...

I do appreciate the kind of sudden switch with the "the sky is starting to cloud up" part, and the little orchestral bit right after the first time the aforementioned switch happens (the second? or generally some later time it happens again there are also some very awesome horns! Really starts feeling like a quaint rainy street in some french town or something...) when, well, I was going to say that the vocals and the strings do the same melody, but they actually don't, at least not fully, still though, I did have that illusion before I made sure it wasn't the case with another relisten, either way, when it DOES happen, and Sparks do that a whole lot I feel like, it's always quite awesome, I mean, syncing the vocal melody with some other prominent intrument's melody...

The I think harpsichord also makes a return, yay! And then there's the guitar part, that does have some real surprise factor when it comes in, but this time for sort of the opposite reason - it sounds bright and nice this time around, and also it reminds me of Sparks' later style tbh, specifically in their following more rock-centric songs of course. And I think that's very nice, we see the always progressing evolution of their sound here I think. That guitar bit also has some album closer vibes, that kind of fake closer (or nearly-closer) situation kind of reminds me of a similar thing I experienced with Bon Voyage on Propaganda for example (note: I have since learned that Bon Voyage IS the closer on Propaganda, and the following two songs on streaming are just b-sides. So it makes sense that it would sound like an album closer because it IS one).

Annnddd the last thing that I just can't forget about here is Russell's another epic falsetto moment (waterwatereverywherebutnotadroponme!~) that part actually makes me smile. Yeah. Legit. I paid attention and I did smile on that part during my relisten today. ... Ok, let's go on.

8) Here Kitty •

When this song came on the first time during my vinyl listening I of course instantly knew exactly which song it was (bcs I've heard the title before, and a few words on it too) and had this little amused "oh no" moment. And, well, turns out this song is actually very awesome and veeeery interesting! It adds something really unique to the album. I saw someone call it quite impressive in the vocals / vocal lines layering department recently (in the last week, so already after hearing it myself I'm pretty sure) and I absolutely agree.

First off, let's settle that - this is a very strange song. But that's exactly what makes it so good of course. The strangeness keeps you so distracted from this fact, that when we reach the bridge of the song you suddenly realize that beneath all the "tatata"s, meows and unsettling rising piano notes we have the very much usual song structure with verses and choruses. Yeah, I think I actually sort of figured it out, what might be the verse, and what might be the chorus... Speaking of which, the parts that I identified as choruses have this, well, it's the same thing all over again (but each time the specialness comes from a different place and is totally different of course), but that very classic feel, indicative of maybe even some specific genre but idk what exactly...

Besides that, well, maybe let's go back to my oh no moment for a minute, and let me say that I either am very illiterate in that sense (and yeah I am tbh) or the lyrics aren't as overtly, let's say, innuendo-filled? as I expected. They actually have a semblance of a story you know... I mean, NO, not even a semblance, it IS a story! Let me also say that this is a very interesting song to have stuck in your head a lot over the course of pretty much an entire week. Yes, it got to the point where it could be annoying. One last bit of the song I really like is at the very end, when one vocal line starts to sound kind of echoey / distant, nice touch.

9) There's No Such Thing as Aliens •

The song that first cemented itself as being by far the shortest song on the album, sort of an interlude before the incoming epicness of the last one (that was quite literally my very first impression before I even heard either, looking at the vinyl this one was visibly much shorter than the last, and of course I expected the last one to be fittingly grand, and so it was obviously, but we'll get to that in a minute). The funny thing is, it's not even that short, as I figured even before eventually making sure how long it was in fact, and that's almost 3 minutes, which, well, of course that's still something around well over two times shorter than the last song.

But enough about its length, this song actually does kind of work as an interlude thematically too, which it is? it sort of even feels like it doesn't quite fit with the themes of the other ones, I mean, maybe not that it doesn't fit but just that it's defintely the furthest removed from the much more similar topics of the other ones (more about that also later!). Plus it's pretty sparse lyrically, once again, there's less you can fit in under 3 minutes anyway. Which supports the interlude argument also I believe.

Anyway, the music. First of all, waltz time!! Always a treat in sparksland to have that rare spooky 3/4 time track. The feeling I get from this track is: grand, very orchestral, anddd, hmmmm, elegant. But is it more elegant than the rest of the album... Idk, I wanted to use 3 different descriptors. I honestly don't think there's much more to say about this one, it's great, the melody is really great, the grandiosity of the choruses, the even more notable waltz time during verses. I think that yeah, I could pick this track as the most orchestral / classical inspired of the album. One cool moment I'll mention though would be the very ending, with the repeated "no"s going for longer than you'd expect them to maybe, and the deep drum accompanying all that. Very grand ending.

10) As I Sit Down to Play the Organ at the Notre Dame Cathedral •

Well, how do I even start on this one. I think I can say that with literally each single listen I become more and more in awe of this song. Could I even call it even more of a journey than the opener? In a sense, yeah. There's so much going on here. So much that I almost feel like breaking it down into individual parts and giving all of them their due because they all work for the amazingness of the whole. In fact, I might even already have this track roughly memorized (all... 7 minutes of this track) so it could be done. But ok, I'll just go with each part as I remember it, we'll see if I in fact do go over nearly all or all of them.

So. Echoey synth (?) intro, then the first melody part, with the individual words repeated, kind of "urgent" vocals part, very nice rhythm and something I just find very cool. As it progresses we get another part of just the synth / electric guitar-like synth / guitar or whatever this thing is, then a mix of both + this clicky instrument and / OR is it the harpsichord again? Giving it all more urgency and a nice constant rhythm. I also really like when the "byebyebye" vocal gets looped before the synth reenters. Overall, this part of the song has a very electronic, drony feel that I greatly enjoy and find very atmospheric and immersive already.

But, well, it doesn't end here. Because later, everything else stops and we hear a church organ. Even the melody it enters with is very much like something you'd hear in a cathedral, indeed! Good environmental storytelling, isn't it? But then... the organ transitions into this very very cool frantic melody (and by very very cool I mean that it's probably the #1 thing that stood out to me about this song right from the start) which returns consistently throughout the song and is just oh so very awesome.

So we enter the next part, what could probably be called the central part "as I sit down to play the organ...", tension is rising, the organ is doing its thing in the back, then some "hallelujah"s and BOOM! The chorus? The "I've got faith" part of course. And with it some epic strings, and I don't think I can really say what exactly it is about this part that makes it SO FREAKING GOOD & ABSOLUTELY SHOWSTOPPING but it's easily in my top 3 moments on the album at least. Then it's followed by the slightly considerably calmer "she's here..." section and we go mostly full circle for now, more variations on the same parts. Some grandiose "lalala"s & epic drum action too. And then, the "I believe" sections which I cannot let myself neglect, mostly just on the basis of them being kind of sickening to me. You know, in the "why did they do this (said respectfully)" way.

Ok, did I really just talk about all of the individual parts, I guess so. But before I move on I have to mention the moment when the very first major part, the "bye-bye-bye my baby" part, makes a sudden comeback. It's honestly just so good and satisfying, when completely different sections switch and make unexpected (or maybe you actually DO expect them on some subconscious level, and that's what makes them work so well??) returns like this, if a song has that it's very likely it will become a top top favourite or at least have a very big effect on me. Or even HUGE effect, like here.

So yeah, the song does eventually end (I mean technically unbelievable somewhat, since it's so long, but have I actually mentioned yet that this track goes by about just as fast as the first one, because it sure does, you do not notice the time passing WHATSOEVER) on some more "hallelujah"s. And the album's over. Wooo boy.

Bonus tracks

Well, it's not really over yet if it's not the vinyl but the streaming version. We still have just two more bonus tracks, technically just one? So I'll go over both quickly now for completion's sake.

First we have "We Are the Clash" which is a pleasant song for sure, can work as kind of a denouement after the crazy journey of the previous track, so you're left on a little less of a mood unresolution and can become a little less unsettled after all of this going down... Idk.

But yeah, I actually have this impression veering on pretty strong conviction that this song is a cover actually. It could even be a cover of the band whose name is mentioned in the song, which would put this version in a extremely funny area of how far stylistically it might be from the hypothetical original, if it exists (what's up with all these bands and their "we are the [band name]" songs, there's so many). Of course I could also be very wrong about this so all I just wrote could turn out to be absolutely hilariously off target, still, a fun little attempt at guessing things and connecting ideas on my part, whatever the truth turns out to be (I will learn the truth... in due time. My experience tells me that when I'm still fully in initial unwell mode over an album it's difficult for me to read and retain any outside information / commentary on it. So no need to rush it, heh) (note: yeah I was right for once. I meannnn I guess it was obvious anyway but still, let me have this, I've been fooled by assuming that a cover was someone's original song way too many times so I'm happy to not be fooled for once).

So ok, the last last track. Baby baby can i invade your country is baaaaaack, not much to say but it's pretty much the same other than the lyrics, since well, it is the "alternate lyrics" version, not "alternate" version. I do think that it might be slightly longer than the final version though but it's also likely I'm misremembering.

Anyway, lyrics, all I can or feel the need to say is that they seem to be definitely way more to the point on what this song's actual topic is (not... invading... countries . I don't need to explain it here do I) so subtlety win for the final one I guess. Just so it is known, I have not read these two songs' lyrics unlike all the main album tracks'. But I think I caught enough to get the main idea from both, you know. I do think also that the final version's lyrics just kind of sound better, idk if it's the rhythm of the words or what but they do just have a nicer flow. So, improvement, probably, still very nice to know this version anyway of course. (note: yeah i have learned since that most of the final lyrics are the US national anthem. Makes sense that if any song were to have alternate lyrics it would be this one)

To round it all up...

I think there's still a lot that can be said about this album as a whole but how do I go about that. Well, I did mention earlier that I'd come back to a) the overall feel / atmosphere here b) the themes / stories and how they connect. So those shall work as a guide to my conclusions part of this whole review.

First off, I could even say a bit about the main vibe / sound here in reference to Lil' Beethoven! Since it really does work as a sequel, at least in sound, by all means. I described LB with stuff like... cold, distant, cathedral-like, what else was there.... Ok, I have more, lifted directly from my LB write-up. (note: finally listening to LB a month prior to this was enough of a big deal for me that I wrote down my live reactions to hearing the songs) Impersonal / detached. Alien. Spacious.

Do those apply here too? I think so, yeah! Pretty much all of these words also feel like pretty good descriptors here. But honestly, the more I think about it.... Maybe it's just that the distance / the detachedness and alienated feeling is a bit lower here? Or at least in some songs more than the others. It's hard to explain honestly.... That similar atmosphere continues here but it's just..... not as pronounced maybe. Idk, maybe it will become clearer with this next point I wanna make which is that LB actually is less, uhhh friendly in sound. Less accessible! Yeah, I do think that this album could be seen as: LB started the experiment, HYL perfected it by taking it in a slightly more accessible direction. Or is perfected a wrong word here, who can say which was, or should be considered the better outcome here.... I think I actually have a problem putting concepts into the right words today. But maybe at least some of my feelings about this can still come across here...

So yeah, I don't think it's possible to tell if HYL is better or LB, it also depends on how you look at it! As it kind of always does when judging stuff per good / better. One thing that I can say sort of for sure though is that LB certainly started ideas / techniques that HYL expanded on and toyed with further, so in that sense, it could be considered an improvement. And so it is clear, I don't think I can say 100% that I like one more than the other. It's not that simple. I guess you could however say that HYL was more of an instant hitter and LB really just grows and grows more in power overtime....

So yeah, they kind of did take the LB concept and all of the avant-garde, experimentation factors that come with it, and made it more accessible, which is a form of art and an achievement and a testament of skill in itself. I think the somewhat friendlier, more palatable approach of this album also lifts off the coldness aspect a bit, but it's still there, especially on tracks 1, 3, 5, 10, off the top of my head.....

But maybe I should talk more about the album and its sound as it stands on its own before I move on though. Maybe we could jump from the words I already used: classic, orchestral, brooding, dramatic, dark, aggressive (yes, I somehow see it as friendlier than its predecessor despite also being much more aggresive in all senses. Raw even. How does that work? I can't tell you today. And idk if I'll ever figure it out. And also personal, YES, that's the word, this album feels soooo very personal and emotive. Not in the sense that I'm trying to say that it must be personal to them, more like it just shows some very personal feelings and struggles), triumphant (but that goes only for that one song really), driving, ELEGANT. I think the word elegant is the key here. In all of its subtler or less subtle tone shifts it keeps that very elegant, kind of graceful feel, all throughout. Even when it seems to be touching subjects that wouldn't necessarily bring that kind of atmosphere to mind, it kind of elevates them and gives them, idk, a new meaning?

So is this a good segue into the topic of themes? I guess the album name sits well with what I think is going on here, because my main impression of the whole thing was something like.... stories of fucked-up guys with self-image problems / feelings of inadequacy, which they try to go around fully convinced that they're right (and their messy love-lives too ofc). Or are they just, normal, regular guys actually. Who can tell. It certainly gives you an idea / a whole concept to work with and ponder here and to connect and visualize kinda.

I think that yeah, out of what I've heard so far this has to be the most thematically-consistent sparks album there is. It comes to a point where all the songs give this little impression of a whole universe where all of this takes place, and while I've had these kind of impressions from albums that are way more all-over-the-place conceptually with their lyrics (I mean like.... pretty much every They Might Be Giants album. You can create this sort of illusion with more than words, the music and its atmosphere and often also its stylistic consistency might be even more important actually), this comes, in my mind, almost close to concept album levels in that regard.

The definition of a concept album probably calls for something more specific than all the tracks being in sort of a similar theme but you know.... I don't think it really happens most of the time in music in general, that the whole album has this sort of a familiar idea / spirit throughout that makes a unique whole. (note: apparently wikipedia calls this album a concept album. Another win for me in that case, lol). You could probably try to connect different songs' themes and work with that in some way.... Which is something I already did in all honesty, but actually it's a between albums thing here, because I do believe that the dick around guy could be the same guy that the narrator from ugly guys with beautiful girls talks about. Similar ideas you can connect! That's what I'm talking about. I love it when songs tell overarching stories.... Make me think about characters from songs or little universes and vibes created by even the vaguest of lyrics and the ideas those create and the imaginings they bring, any day.

Ok, what else can I say. I think I mostly covered everything I could actually. Should I say something more about the cover with the added context now. I already said that it gives off a "something's wrong" feeling, but I think it's also compelling in how it conveys that elegant, non-threatening and polished image, sterile kinda. Well, I think only one of those four words I just chose doesn't really apply to most of this album's songs. I mean non-threatening ofc. Hmmm, maybe sterile doesn't really work here either, besides those prominent examples of the coldness of sound on this album, it would actually go more with LB, which also has a fittingly minimalist, all-white cover. Collected and orderly to a distressing degree. Just like here, it also gives off some.... distressing vibe. As I already said with the "this isn't right" feel.

What else can I say. In reviews you usually give your opinions, which I very much did throughout this thing here, everything like this is always somewhat subjective I think, but even then, a final verdict could also be said here. I think it's pretty damn clear by now what my opinion on this album is. I wouldn't spend several days writing a review and analysing every little detail if I didn't have a very strong (positive) opinion on this album (I guess I technically can imagine writing a very throughout review of something that just annoys you so much that you simply have to go through everything wrong with it and have some relief and closure through that. I can't see myself doing that kinda thing however, I'm not that kind of hater (or really a hater at all lol, i hope), I'd rather devote my time to things that I find actually cool and awesome and stand-outs in a positive sense, and worthy of attention and that dedication).

So this comment I fittingly found on tumblr over the last few days feels pretty relevant towards my opinion of writing "reviews" of stuff (this was more of a, very detailed analysis I know, but review just kind of fits, especially with how people call their recaps / commentary / writeups of concerts "reviews" a lot of the time):

(note: yeah I think I should come clean here that despite my very recent start of actual social media participation I've already been a serial lurker in various places for years now, lol, I mean, that's probably a normal thing to do though, I hope. I mean, probably lots of people do or did that at some point, but still. And I don't know whose post this is anymore sadly. But I thought I'd keep it here because it's a good summary)

And also, just for the record, this is my opinion on HYL pretty much. Yaaaayyy i loved it i had so much fun!! For real. i'm glad they're creating something!!!! Absolutely. One of a kind album that I will cherish as yet another great and unforgettable entry on the list of albums that changed me (TM) and brought me lots of fun and great memories / associations, even in such a short time. And the actual FIRST on the new list of albums that I'm happy to have brough the utmost attention to and dissected like that. It's out of love.

Thank you for reading this far! Here's a little bunny as a prize!

Whoa whoops this gif was supposed to be small! Have a huge bunny in that case, you deserve it! 🐇

[dravidious]

Typing Tips That I Stumbled Upon Randomly:

The Ctrl key lets you jump between words really quickly. If you hold Ctrl and press the left or right arrow keys, instead of moving your cursor 1 character you'll move it a whole word; if you want to edit that word that's 3 words back, you can just hold Ctrl and left-left-left, and you're there.

Even more useful in my opinion, if you hold Ctrl and press Backspace you'll delete the entire word you're on. That's just really nifty because a lot of the time when you're deleting you want to delete the whole word, so this is much faster.

Also, idk how well-known this is but holding Shift and moving your cursor will make you highlight any characters you move over. That's useful on its own, but combining that with Ctrl lets you quickly highlight whole words or sentences, so you can easily copy+paste them. You can also hold Shift to edit any selections you made with your mouse or something.

Also it took me too long to realize that the Home and End keys are actually really nice sometimes. Home takes you to the start of the line you're on, and End takes you to the end. Hold Shift while doing that and you can highlight the whole line. Very nice for programming. Also holding Ctrl and pressing Home or End takes you to the top or bottom of the page, but I barely use that.

A similarly useful key that I also overlooked is the Delete key. It's like the Backspace key, but it deletes the character in front of your cursor instead of behind it. Just like with Backspace Ctrl+Delete lets you delete a whole word in front of your cursor.

Also Ctrl+A lets you highlight the whole page.

Also even when you're not typing and instead just browsing a web page or something, you still technically have a cursor; if you click a piece of text, then hold Shift and press the arrow keys, you'll start highlighting text.

Practice Exercise: Click on the t in this word, then hold Shift and press left and right on the arrow keys! Now try holding Ctrl+Shift while you press the arrow keys! Hold Shift and press Home or End! Hold Shift and use your mouse to left-click on different spots in the paragraph and see how your selection changes!

[aussied]

What's up heckers, I'm in my Voltron: Legendary Defender era, and that comes with me being a Klance shipper, so if you don't want to see that stuff on your dash, block the tag now haha

(I don't actually have anything regarding it queued right now because I'm lazy, but it'll get queued eventually, so this is just your fair warning)

[shirtshawaiian]

in my past slightly over a month of binging jrwi i love the noticeable

amount of times that bizly describes chip by mentioning theres a  spongebob grossup like. ok. gross man.

[deepmochi]

SYNASTRY: Venus in the houses (7th-12th) part 2

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Note: Honestly, I had a draft for the 2nd part, but probably I deleted by mistake, or tumblr did it (idk). Maybe, That's why I thought I already posted the 2nd part, but I was wrong.

Part 1 🩷

♡ Venus in the 7th house ♡

These couple usually views commitment as all or nothing, are you in or not? They have strong values about true love, and they will follow them. Love is viewed as a contract by their souls or hearts. If they break any aspect proposed, they know it's the end. They can be reflections of themselves either the good or the bad. When the contract is done, it's over. The Venusian sees the house person as a very stable being. They feel safe and prepared for them. These two may live together before the year of knowing each other romantically. The pair just feel ready when it's about commitment. The house natives perceive the Venusian as very "wife/husband" material for them. With this overlay, their personalities blend well and work together. It feels natural for both of you to be close and intimate together. For others is moving too fast, and for them is easy to become intimate with each other. The seventh house person fits well for the planet native. These two feel like it's a soulmate connection, very easy. You’re both drawn to please each other. It's a very strong connection for long-term relationships. It takes time for them to move on if they ever break up. If Venus has bad aspects, it can be a toxic relationship. The reason for this, it's that they prefer to stay together instead of being alone or start something new. Intimate gesture like hugs and someone hand guiding the other. Cooking dates and going out at night the most. "Here, I bought this?";morning texts: " how are you today? My day...." "Can I call you, I miss your voice"; " My mom ask if we can go to her party?" ; "we should go to that restaurant"; Formal clothes; "hey, look me, they don't know how worthy you are". They like to spend time with people they love. Balance. If Venus cooks today, the house will do it tomorrow. Wearing nice clothes and a good perfume to impress the other. Compliments and physical touches, especially kisses in the cheek. Cheesy things like love letters. Having "the song" or the place.

♡ Venus in the 8th house ♡

These two have a different kind of love. The Venusian feels like the house person bring something in them that they can explain. Sometimes, these people have taboos to share. Death has impact their lives. The house person may become obssess with the planet person. Sex isn't a way emerger together. Usually, they possess the same interest in taboo topics. In the beginning, Venus feels attracted to the house, but it's also scared of them. Their sexual energy is intense. The 8th house person wants to know the Venusian's secrets and fears. Both are possessive, but the house win the round. They detest when their partner don't respect them. Their relationship status will remain a secret for the public eye (in the beginning). They would share many things even traumas (if hardly aspected). The house native will protect the Planet from the world. Sex can be very intimate or aggressive (bsdm stuff). These people will not be the same they were when they met. For them, love is intense and transformational. The house feels that the Venus native is trustworthy, but they need to see their actions. Holding hands during intimate times. During sex they will talk and have intense stares. "I don't like that person, be aware of them", "Here, use this for yourself"; "if you need money, just let me know"; "don't lie to me, I know you are sad"; his/her hand on your thing while eyes are on the road; taking notes of your gestures. They have weird hobbies together and enjoy dark humor too. Moonlight sex and long sessions.

♡ Venus in the 9th house♡

These individuals perceive love as a new adventure and try to go with the flow. If they're mature, they prefer to maintain a very healthy relationship. Both prefer to travel and know about new places and cultures. Love is not as other say. They may prefer to do things their way. Venusian isn't instantly involve, but they see the house as interesting. For the house native, the planet is nice an attractive, but they will not force things. The house native could be older than the Venusian. The house person likes the planet manners and life vision the most. They see the commitment as an experience. Sometimes, marriage isn't obligatory requirement. They may enjoy walks, museum, and play board games. One could be from another country or have a different culture. Their relationship presents a new chapter in their lives and their families. Besides, they like to engage in intellectual debates, maybe they are into philosophy. If they broke up, they will try to be professional or move on. They can meet later in life after maturing. It's likely that you will work together or in the same environment. Having a child or more is possible, so use protection. "Look at here, we can travel here"; "aww, baby, you were right they declare that"; ["I really want to buy that book" / "baby, you have that book already"]; Saving for vacations; buying each other souvenirs or antique objects as gifts; reading books and doing small debates about it; *knowing each other during trips, universities, conferences, cultural events, and religious activities" Buying new book editions. They love to try new foods or learn about new places together. They could meet while traveling or in college.

♡ Venus in the 10th house♡

Coworkers to lover vibes. They are comfy with being mature. Similarly to the previous combo, the house partner is the older one or has more experience. This partner also has more dominant energy. They could meet in different levels. The negative aspect is that they could be very nitpicking and too logical when it comes to love. The planet individual sees the house person as straightforward and mature. Partnership is very important; it's like a contract. If one of the part broke a part of the deal, it's done. They can work together or met during college (last year), conference or work related things. They are straightforward and mature when approaching the other. If badly aspect it, they have an issue with power imbalance (not good at all). Big egos over emotions, this is the start of arguments. They plan their dates. The planet person accepts that the house individual cares for their image and professional life. The Venusian isn't afraid of being a home stayed wife. Here the Venusian knows and appreciates the house efforts to balance their stability. Nonetheless, the house person must value the venusian support. Doing plans after they leave the work; caring for the other in profesional settings; making food or leaving notes in the stuff *you can do it* in their computer. Making each other feel valuable "Here, i make you favorite food"; let's celebrate your new position"; *making time to luch together*; naming the other whenever they can "I'm grateful for my wife meals and support"; giving gifts and showing their s/o in public. Even thought people think they aren't super romantic, they will try to match things. It could be rings, watches or wearing the same brand. Looking good.

♡ Venus in the 11th house♡

Love depicts a friend to lover storyline where both care for dreams and humanity. It's very possible that they met when they were helping other people. The Venusian fits the house's ideal type. They seem more friendlier than other couples. You wouldn't think they were dating at first. They prefer to joke around, but they love each other. The Venusian share the dreams the house native have for life. It's also likely that they like each other in the future, even if they met since birth. They prefer to have experience with love before settling down. Its common to see them as "I thought they were only friends". The Venusian sees the house person as humanitarian, reliable and interesting. Stay protected because big family can be a thing. Moreover, the must clarify about what is a family. The house perceives the planet native as beautiful and too much to some people. Together, they will form a very unique pair and family. Regardless Venusian feel the planet as hopeful person. The eleventh house person sees a future with the venusian because they feel understood. Love for the house is independent, and the venusian can see this as as a relief. Making fun of the other in a non hurtful way. "I can't deal with you right now *kiss them*"; "Alexa plays titanic's song" *grabs the venusian and starts dancing*; *hugs their s/o when they're cooking*; being romantic when they're alone; sending spicy texts "come home, I'm ready"; talking about the future; matching devices or wallpapers; a lot of trust, they share passwords. Having the same or similar friends. They like to help other people. Donating for other people as a hobby or helping to people who need. Dates in the nature. Cleaning beaches, rivers or places.

♡ Venus in the 12th house♡

Love is simple but blurry. They can't get confused in how they love. The house sees the Venusian see them as the real deal. The planet perceive the house native as too good for them. There are some blurry aspects that they don't understand. When this synastry happens, it can feel too blurry for outsiders. Sometimes, they feel as friends and others as partners. At times, they hide their feelings without realizing or because they don't want to hurt the other. The house may hide their crush for the planet (too well). The Venus feel like the house person hides things for them. The house native don't want to bother the venusian. The house wants to give all they have to the venusian without having a concrete reason (maybe they are friends, but they are their #1 friend). This connection feel very special even divinely guided. The house is very observant with the Venusian Different backgrounds, it's possible that the house person has faith or not. One (usually the venusian) is more intuitive. Venus comes to open the house's eyes to other knowledge. The house will do all they can, so the venusian is happy. They can be soulmates (even non platonic). On the negative side, they don't have good communication because they avoid confronting each other. Both have experience paranormal activity, but only one believes more. The Venus person will try to invite the house to their home (pure opening of their soul). The Venusian can be quite delulu, but the house see it as funny or special. They met when something is ending for the Venusian. Romantic times, home dates, asking the other about things or traumas carefully, a special vibe around them. *Big smiles and shiny eyes*, "I buy you this; you tell me two months ago around 9pm" "aww thank you", "are you sleeping well?" - "yes" , *astrology or tarot talks* "can you give your birth time?" - "12:34 am" " it was bad?" "No, we match". Talk about paranormal activities like any other topic, special dates, random celebrations, secret spots, discreet dates, spirtual conection, they may understand the other, but can't explain it.

Take what resonates only. 💚

[lokisprettygirl]

Fix You Fix me (Bill Skarsgård! Eric Draven x Female Reader) (Au)

Read chapter 2 here

Chapter 3

Summary : After online bullying you decided to not continue but Eric won't let you quit.

Warning: Fat shaming, body shaming, manipulation, reader lacks bit of a spine, emotional abuse, reader's weight will be mentioned because the fic demands it

You turned around immediately and called Jake but he didn't pick up. It was 5:50 am. You felt the panic building up and it was as if you'd collapse if you won't sit down right then. So you ran back home as fast as you could, you didn't want to go there anymore, didn't want to face any of those people who may have seen her post and read the comments.

You didn't want to face Eric.

For some reason you couldn't stop imagining the worst. Eric and Regina, cozying up together and laughing at all the comments.

As you reached back to your apartment you dumped your duffel bag on the floor before you crawled into the bed, your arm wrapped around Jake's back and that's when you broke down in tears again.

A few seconds later he shifted in his sleep.

“Are you back already?” He immediately sat up, grabbing his phone to check the time..it was barely six.

“Thank god” he murmured as he turned to face you “What's going on?” He asked as he found you sniffling

“Can you just hold me?” You asked him so he sighed and wrapped his arm around you.

A cry baby. That's what he called you. You cried at the drop of a hat. Somebody raised their voice, you cried, someone was rude, you cried, a minor inconvenience and you cried so this was really a big deal for you. You had never felt so humiliated before. You knew that picture would go around, being shared on reddit and tumblr and whatnot as a joke. You didn't want to tell Jake but he'd eventually find out.

“What happened? I asked you a question..” he asked again so you pulled away from him..

“I texted you yesterday that I met Regina Blanc at the gym right?” You said to him as you wiped your tears so he hummed, you could tell he just wanted to go back to sleep as he'd have to be at the hospital soon.

“She was really nice to me..we got to talking and she clicked a selfie with me” tears welled up in your eyes again, he almost rolled his eyes.

“Continue, honeybear?”

“She posted it on her instagram last night..you know she has like 2 million followers.. and they just..they were so mean” you broke down in tears again, scooting closer to feel his warmth but he pulled you away from him.

“What picture? Show me?” He asked you so you grabbed your phone from the nightstand and gave it to him.

As soon as he saw the picture he grimaced visibly.

“Why would you let her post this?” He asked you as he opened the comment section.

“I didn't..she said she wanted to post..I just..-”

“You just what hmm?” He asked as he sat up and began to pull his pants up. “Are you blind or something? Have you seen the picture? What were you expecting really? Like look at yourself and look at her” he said as she shoved your phone in your face before he stormed into the bathroom.

He was embarrassed. As he should be but it still hurt. You didn’t move. You couldn’t.

The phone slipped from your hands and landed somewhere on the mattress, the screen still glowing faintly in the early morning light. Jake’s words kept echoing in your ears

“Look at yourself and look at her.”

Like you weren’t even in the same species as her.

You laid there, frozen, each breath shaky and shallow, trying not to cry again because you knew how much he hated that. But the tears came anyway. Quietly. Shamefully. You pressed your hand against your mouth to muffle the sound as he came out of the bathroom.

“Ask your new bestie to delete it before my colleagues or god forbid my family members get a grip of it alright?” He said as he dressed up.

“Where are you going?” You asked him, voice still broken from the crying.

“Well my sleep is ruined now ..I'm going to the hospital”

“No stay..I'll make breakfast” you sat up immediately but he glared at you.

“I don't think you're in a position to make me anything right now”

You flinched like he had slapped you.

He slipped his watch on with that same cold detachment, grabbed his bag, and walked toward the door.

You heard the sound of the door thudding loudly as he left.

Your phone kept buzzing with new notifications so you picked it up. There was a message from Eric

Eric : You're late

You sniffled before you typed out your response

You : I'm sorry i wasted your time. I won't be able to continue

You sent the message, a part of you wanted to delete it but he had already seen it. Another thing you couldn't keep up with. Jake was right, you didn't take it seriously, no wonder he wasn't too keen on taking you to see his parents.

No Response came from Eric for a few minutes. Why would he care, you thought? You were just a client, another client that stepped into his gym for a day and then never returned.

You weren't really expecting any response from him but then your phone buzzed again. You began making excuses in your head already as to why you didn't want to continue.

Eric : Is it about the picture?

You sat up as you read the message. You weren't expecting that. Not from him. Did he feel bad for you? Probably not. He just wanted to keep a paying client.

You : No

You responded, not wanting him to see how much it has affected but then he surprised you again.

Eric : You don't have to lie

You sighed before you typed again.

You : Well then yes. It's my fault, i looked a mess and i should have told her I wasn't comfortable with it being posted publicly.

*Buzz buzz*

You read the response and he took you by storm again, you were expecting a pitiful response but not this.

Eric : You looked happy

You didn't know why but those three words made your eyes well up again. There was no over exaggeration. He just put it plainly.

You : For a minute i was

You : But then it all came crashing down

You stared at the screen, the conversation unfolding in a direction you hadn't expected. You didn't expect him to care at all. You had already paid for six sessions, he wasn't the one who had anything to lose here.

Eric : Why? Because a bunch of faceless trolls with miserable lives typed out their frustration?

You couldn't help but snicker at the response.

You : Easy for you to say

What would he know? He was Regina's boyfriend, people loved him and then as a couple. He was 6 '4, well built, handsome man with one of the most unique looking faces you had ever seen.

Eric : Might be. Doesn't make it any less true. You showed up to a place even though you didn't feel as if you belonged here. That's courage. Don't stop because some jealous, jobless freaks want to pull you down.

You took a deep breath as you read the message.

Courage. No one had ever used that word for you before, not without the intended mockery. You felt the tears sting your eyes again, but this time it wasn’t shame dragging them out. It was something warmer, something you weren’t used to. You typed the message as you wiped your tears.

You : I just feel like everyone would laugh at me

He responded immediately

Eric : Nobody would. The real world is not instagram, you'd be surprised how many people can only grow a spine behind a screen.

Eric : Besides. I don't tolerate bullying here, it's a safe space for everyone. If you feel like you're being mocked, you come to me. I'll handle it

His answer brought a sudden surge of encouragement in your veins.

His message shouldn’t have made you feel better—but it did. There was something oddly grounding about the way he phrased it. Not soft, not pitying, just matter-of-fact. Like you did belong there.

You : Why are you being so nice?

Eric : I'm not being nice. I'm your personal trainer. It's part of my job to keep you motivated.

You : It's 6:30.. should I come tomorrow then?

You couldn't see it but on the other side Eric's mouth had curved into a genuine smile. That was rare for him.

Eric : Come now if you want to. I'm free till 8

You peeled yourself out of the bed and the self pity to quickly wash your face, then you grabbed the bag and ran out of your apartment.

You reached the gym just before 6:47. The lights were already on inside. You hesitated at the door, pulse thudding a little too fast but then you entered.

As he looked at you he didn’t smile, not fully. But his face softened, and he gave you the smallest nod, like you had passed some kind of silent test just by showing up.

“Twelve minutes,” he said, glancing at the clock. “Not bad”

“I ran all the way” You gave a small shrug, trying to steady your voice.

“Good. That counts as your warm-up.”

You rolled your eyes, but something in your chest loosened.

You’d made it. You were here. And somehow, that felt like a win. You weren't going to give up.

“Ummm I'm still sorry about it” you said as you followed him into the gym area. The black gym t-shirt he had on hugged his ripped physique tightly. If you had any knowledge of anatomy you would have been able to name every muscle.

“About what?” He asked nonchalantly, shoving aside the whole mess as if you hadn't wasted his last hour.

And you were grateful for it .

For the first time in your life you touched the weights, but Jake always told you that he wasn't into the whole muscle barbie movement women were on these days so you were worried about it.

“Ummm i don't want to get too muscular” he rolled his eyes as you said that.

“You think you'll start to look like the incredible hulk after pumping 5 lbs?” he asked. He had a lot to teach you about anatomy it seems.

“No?”

Chest press. Shoulder press. Lat pulldown down. 3 sets of each had your shoulders and arms burning. But he wasn't done with you. You did six more exercises, all of it involving your upper body in some capacity. Much to your surprise you did enjoy exercising with weights much more than the hell that was burpees and jumping jacks.

“Come to the gym tomorrow in the evening or anytime you want” he said to you as you were signing your exit on the register.

“I'm just so clueless without your help” you let out a small chuckle.

“I'll help”

He said to you, you looked at him to be sure he wasn't joking.

“I'm only paying for alternate sessions”

“I know..i said I'll help” Eric said again.

You nodded before you turned to step out of the gym. You were half an hour late for work but you figured you'd make an excuse. On the way to work you called Regina, you felt nervous but you really needed that picture deleted before Jake would get even more upset or god forbid his colleagues find it.

She didn't pick up your call so you texted her.

You : Hey Regina. It's y/n..can you please delete the picture you posted of us? I just don't feel good about myself

You texted her, it was delivered but she hadn't seen it yet.

At the library you kept checking your phone, around 2 in the afternoon you finally got the response.

Regina : Sure

That's all she sent. You didn't know why but it sounded off, you checked the instagram but it was still there. When another hour passed you messaged her again.

You : Ummm it's still up”

She was quick to respond this time.

Regina : Girllllll I am busy :) ? I'll do it soon..i asked you and you seemed fine with it yesterday.

You : Yeah but ..I just..it makes me uncomfortable.

She saw the message but didn't respond afterwards.

You understood that she was busy but it takes a second to delete a post. Why didn't she just delete it?

**********

In the evening Regina entered The Crow at her usual time. Not one single strand of hair was amiss.

“Hey can you sign?” Chance asked her so she rolled her eyes.

“No?”

She entered the gym area and as she spotted Eric she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

“Can we make a video today?” She asked him, he brought his fingers up to tuck her hair behind her ear.

“I have clients until 8.. tomorrow?” She sighed before she nodded. Her phone buzzed so she took it out of her wallet.

“God why can't she just let it be?” She said in frustration, Eric's brow quirked up in curiosity, usually he preferred to keep himself far away from her Social Media drama until or unless she was being bothered or hurt by someone.

“What happened?”

“It's that girl y/n.. she wants me to delete the picture”

She said, as if it was a huge inconvenience to her.

“Do it then” she looked up at him to match his eyes as he said that.

“Did you see how many likes it has?” she chuckled.

“Did you read the comments?” He retorted immediately as he pulled her away from him.

“Those are just trolls..they have never bothered you when I post our pictures”

She chuckled again.

“It's not about me though. It's about y/n. She feels humiliated by it so just delete it” he said to her, his voice firm “Besides she's a client here. She's paying to get better..not for online bullying..it's bad for the business” he added as he realised he sounded a bit too agitated.

“Fine..I'll do it.. I thought this was cute..she looked fine to me” she huffed as she went to her profile and deleted the picture.

He almost responded with She did but caught his lips at time. Regina wasn't outright mean, she just loved attention and sometimes at the expense of others.

“Done..happy?” She asked as she wrapped her arms around him again.

“It's not about me”

“I know I know.. listen, do you have five minutes?”

She asked as she bit on her lips. He knew that look very well so he smirked.

“I might”

She squealed as she grabbed his arm and took him to the small room in the back where he often rested in between the clients.

********

That day when you reached home and opened the instagram you let out a breath of relief as the picture was now gone from her profile and so were those horrible comments.

“Thank you”

You texted Regina and then you texted Jake to let him know that the picture was deleted.

That night your mom called you, she was chronically online and she followed Regina so she must have seen the photo. You already had a paragraph of text sitting in your inbox from her but you didn't want to open it

“Look I got it deleted so it's all good” you said to her because she was getting hyper.

“Dear God y/n, do you ever think about Jake when you do these things? He's a prestigious doctor for god's sake”

You hummed as she said that before you made an excuse and hung up on her.

Next day at the gym you saw Regina running on the treadmill so you took the one next to her. You couldn't help but stare at her figure, how come she looked like that? You couldn't find a flaw in her.

“Hey..I'm sorry if I was rude yesterday” you said to her, hoping she wasn't upset.

She didn't respond to you but then she slowed down the elevator and took her airpods out.

“You said something?’ she asked you so you repeated.

“Oh nevermind. I was just busy or I'd have done it sooner, I don't get time to breathe-” she groaned as she wiped the sweat from her face with her towel. “You know how it is..brand deals, promotions, events and I gotta post daily vlogs for my fans ..it gets so hectic” she smiled so you nodded

“I get it”

Regina smiled, satisfied with your acceptance of her situation, and popped her AirPods back in without another word. You tried to focus on your treadmill, but all you could think about was how casual and dismissive she seemed as compared to yesterday.. maybe you had pissed her off.

You finished your run and stepped off the machine, muscles still sore from yesterday’s session. As you reached for your water bottle, you felt a presence beside you.

As you turned it was Eric.

“Come with me,” he said to you so you nodded.

You followed him through the gym, past the weights and machines, until you reached a quiet corner with a heavy punching bag suspended from the ceiling. The room smelled like rubber mats and lavender. It was oddly comforting.

“Have you ever boxed before?” he asked, pulling two pairs of gloves from the shelf, you couldn't help but chuckle.

“This one time I wanted to punch this kid in my class but that's as close i have gotten to punching something or someone”

“Good,” he said as he tossed you a pair of wraps first. “These go under the gloves. Protect your hands, knuckles, and wrists”

You fumbled with them until Eric stepped in front of you.

“Here” he said before he started to wrap your hands with practiced precision. His touch was careful. Respectful. His fingers brushed your skin only when necessary.

He then helped you put the gloves on, tightening the straps for you. His hands were firm but gentle. You didn’t realize how tense you were until you felt your shoulders start to relax under his intense stare.

He then asked you whether you were right handed or left even though he already knew.

“Alright” he said, stepping back. “First things first..stance”

He guided you into a fighter’s stance, shifting your feet shoulder-width apart, dominant foot behind, knees slightly bent.

“Keep your hands up here” he said, lifting your gloved fists near your face. “Elbows tucked in. Protect your face and ribs. Always.”

You did as he said, mimicking the motion awkwardly. This was something new for you.

“Now the jab. It’s your dominant hand..quick, direct” He stood across from you, one hand raised as a target “Aim for my palm.”

“You won't get hurt?” You asked him so he shook his head, you reached for his palm but you were still conscious.

“Again” he said, calmly “Turn your hips a little. You punch from the ground up..use your whole body, not just your arm”

You tried again. This time, your glove smacked into his hand with more force and made a loud sound.

“Better.”

Over the next few minutes, he drilled you on the jab, the cross, the hook, you learned the names as he went along. You felt like you should be writing it down because you didn't think you'd remember it.. Each time you got frustrated, he corrected you gently. You were still holding back on those punches so he suddenly grabbed both of your wrists and made you look at him.

“Stop thinking about it so much,” he said, his nose flaring in anger. “Feel it. Let the force come from whatever it is that is bothering you” he said firmly so you nodded.

You thought about it. You thought about all the comments you had read yesterday's, your mother's disapproval, the way Jake was so disappointed in you.

And eventually you felt your anger rising up.. When he finally led you to the punching bag, you weren’t swinging blindly, you were hitting with intent.

“You feel that?” he asked, as the bag shuddered under your fist.

You nodded, breathless, a strange satisfaction thrumming through your arms and chest.

Eric stepped beside you, hands on his hips, watching you with something unreadable in his expression.

“Should I go harder?”

“Yeah. However hard you need to.”

You kept swinging. Your arms ached. Your breath came in short bursts. But the more you hit the bag, the lighter you felt, like the weight you’d been carrying since yesterday or maybe even before that was finally off your chest.

Eventually, you slowed down, sweat dripping down your temples, heart pounding like a drum in your chest. Eric handed you a towel, his gaze steady.

“Take an epsom salt bath when you go home today,” he said as he unwrapped your hands so you nodded. That sounded heavenly.

As you reached the front desk Chance smiled at you so you returned it.

“You had a great workout it seems” he commented as he looked at your sweaty palm so you nodded.

“He's a good trainer..”

“Couldn't ask for anyone better” you nodded as he said that. How he had handled you yesterday, you were starting to believe it too.

“Did Regina leave?” you asked as you didn't see her name in the register, entry or exit. He nodded in confirmation before he leaned back into his chair.

Later that night after your bath as you laid down in bed and opened Instagram. Regina never followed you back even though she posted that picture and tagged you. You couldn't help but open Eric's instagram profile. It was very professional, all he posted was about the gym and his services. He had a few pictures on his grid with Regina but they were all from the gym, nothing personal.

You clicked on a picture he had updated a month ago, he had his arm around Regina as they posed for a picture, she smiled enough for both of them.

And then you opened the comment section, there were few gushing about them as a couple, some thirsting after him, but then you saw some comments that you didn't expect to see on his profile.

Mean comments.

“Regina’s literally carrying this couple. Why does he always look like he just crawled out of a coffin 😭?”

Then there was another one, right under it.

“Our queen could do so much better. He looks like he hasn’t slept in years”

And then more..

“This is what she’s dating? Yikes. He looks like a villain from a horror movie”

Your stomach twisted. You glanced back at the photo. Eric wasn’t smiling, but he never really did, not even in real life but you'd have to be feature blind to think he was ugly in any shape or form. You couldn't stop yourself from scrolling further.

“I don’t care how many abs he has or how tall he is.. that face is tragic.”

What was Reginasbeautifulangel on about? He had such a beautiful face.

“Right out of a tim burton film but not in a good way 😂”

You quickly exited the comments, suddenly feeling sick of these people. You didn’t understand how people could be so casually cruel. You wondered if he had read them. If they had ever gotten to him.

You thought about how motivating he was with you today. How he listened, how he saw you without judgment.

He carried himself with such confidence. Never showed even a flicker of insecurity. But maybe that’s what made it worse. That even someone like Eric..someone who looked like that also had to endure the kind of judgment you thought only people like you received.

You were about to close the app and go to sleep but then a notification popped up

EricDraven92 requested to follow you.

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

Taglist @loushaw131460 @wiseyouthinfluencer @purplerainx1 @bloodykisserr @muchwita @mariaenchanted

[paxerle]

saw your oc and not surprised that it’s a child. no wonder aoex fandom has so much pedos in it that have child characters. go and delete yourself

okay normally I don’t answer on those hate messages but this one is personal so I try my best to explain what happened to me somehow idk my English is not the best and I’m not used to talk about personal stuff online.

🌼

Hi! My name is Pax and I’m receiving hate messages since I started posting art of my favorite character from Blue Exorcist.

At first it was only on twitter. I started posting around a year ago and then people sent me messages like how they hate Arthur. I wasn’t used to be part of a fandom so I thought it was kinda normal. I just blocked the people and yes it became calmer after that. Then it started on tumblr too. I love to get questions where I can draw something in return but I also got anon questions that are just rude or weird. Luckily you can block anons too but somehow they always come back to me after a small amount of time and tbh idk what I do wrong.

I am ignoring, deleting and blocking those all the time. Don’t get me wrong I really don’t care much but saying stuff like I’m a pedo is WRONG just because I have a child OC. I’ve never drawn him in any romantic way and I’ll never do. I don’t even think about that. Why should I? OCs are often like own children and my oc Kingo is like my own son. He was originally created for a roleplay where Arthur decided to adopt him after a lot of things happened to him. They are only father and son and they love each other because Arthur is trying to be a really good dad like he always trying to do his best with no matter what he do. The point is Kingo became my OC after I got the diagnosis that I’d never be able to get own children after trying it for 4 years. It was my dream even if a lot of people couldn’t imagine how important it can be for a woman who really wants this. I build a house where everything should be safe for my future child. Getting this result of all my tests and my health conditions was a shock I’ll never get fully over it even if I pretend. My relationship broke after 8 years and I never felt so useless.

This is the reason why I created my OC Kingo. Not because I am a pedo or something wtf. It was because I found consolation in having a fictional son and that he has a family that cares about him. Thats why Kingo will always be a very special OC and I get very emotional when it comes to him.

I know I don’t need to explain myself and who the fuck is gonna read that text hmm but yes. Stop hating me I just wanna do art. Nothing more. You’re annoying go out and do something nice instead of hating each other ✨

[forsaken-huntershunted]

"..."

"..."

".. something is here."

"..someONE is here."

-+-+- -

"If you're gonna mess around, feel free to take your leave." <[ no NSFW or hateful asks, if I find something weird I'm just straight up gonna delete it ]>

"We've got enough things to worry about, keep your reality warping to a minimum..." <[ magic anons are permitted to an extent. you can gift small items but not big things like medkits*, guns, subspace tripmines... you get the idea ]>

*if it's really needed and I see enough people asking for it, then yes. I will let people collectively gift a medkit.

"We're not just sitting around all day. supply runs take a bit, yknow.." <[ please don't expect your ask to be instantly answered, I cannot dedicate my entire life to a tumblr blog ]>

"play nice, please?" <[ people or anons can interact physically with survivors... or killers? have fun not getting killed with that- but insta killing or torturing is not permitted. medium amounts of mental warfare is, though. ]>

-> actions look like this

dialogue will be marked with initials for each character (I don't have enough colors to customize them all)

Survivors::

Jason: Fri13

1x1x1x1: 1-4

John Doe: J.D

c00lk1dd: c00l

Guest 666: 6

(keep in mind guest 666 doesn't talk much as it doesn't speak overworld very well- pay more attention to its actions)

Azure: Az

Mafioso: Mafi

-+-+- -

Killers::

Noob: OffBrand

Elliot: Ell

007n7: 7n7 (obviously man idk)

Guest 1337: 1337

Chance: XVII

Two-Time: T-T

Builderman: B.D

Shedletsky: WWCD!! (WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!!)

-+-+- -

Misc::

Jane Doe: JN

2x2: ███

//ooc stuff below

This is a swap au blog for the game Forsaken :)

not to be confused with any other forsaken blog, ofc.

tags go as followed::

misc post:: "a break from it all."

ask:: "A sudden visitor."

Anon ask:: "mysterious... help?"

text post:: "Audio-only.."

Art post:: "Oh-! we can see you..!"

RP:: "The story trudged on..."

Plot hint:: "Calm before the storm.."

Fanart:: "Oh look..a gift...!"

Sent ask:: "is anybody there..?"

Teaser:: "something changes in the night air..."

Update:: “return from the depths.”

OOC:: "man who is this mf?"

ok that's it for now

[amalthea-13]

i am so sick of seeing stolas hate all over this stupid fandom.

yes, characters are worthy of criticism. yes, helluva boss is worthy of criticism. no, you don’t have to like every character in a show. but that’s not the issue here.

the issue is that the people who shit on stolas are media illiterate and give dumbass reasons like he’s classist or xenophobic towards imps or a shitty dad.

as a writer it completely melts my brain that people are THAT stupid that they watch a show zonked out of their mind and ignore any fucking subtlety thrown their way. i’ve had people read my writing who are the same way—they ask me questions and point out ‘errors’ that are super fucking obvious in the text but they don’t gaf except to criticize me.

i’m like…… why do u watch the show if u hate the deuteragonist THAT much? he’s not going away, he’s not getting punished anymore than he has. seeing people like “i hope their stupid sadboi owl suffers in s3 and gets a taste of his own medicine” is like damn bro u watched a character u hate get the worst punishment he possibly could besides death and ur still mad? ur mad that the show has sympathy for him? the second most important character in the show? do you even like this show???

these assholes can’t possibly comprehend anything that doesn’t fit into their black and white worldview. it’s the same problem with all those fucking idiots saying cheating is wrong no matter what.

as someone who also has a background associated with religious trauma, the people spewing that cheating is wrong no matter what just remind me of those sorts of religious people who will make very grand and wide sweeping statements without any exception. cheating is bad. abortion is bad. queerness is bad. etc etc

they sound like the very religion this show is criticizing. they sound like an old man unable to comprehend shows more complex than big bang theory.

sorry for rant you don’t even have to respond to this ask i am just sooooo sick of seeing a huge lack of media literacy both in and out of this fandom. finding ur blog was super fuckign refreshing im so fr

The Conception of This Blog and My Aggressive Approach

Truly it is funny to me how this blog came to be. Initially I wanted it to be my blog to interact with my Wattpad followers, but none of them came to join lol. Many of them have long since moved on from my fics about Radiodust lol. As have I so I made a post regarding Stolas and how people lacked nuance in regards to him simply because he is not a woman.

People had their fair share of opinions but the feedback was positive and therefore I went on to make the "Blitz Post". I aggressively went in on Blitz purely to get every ounce of anger and frustration due to my conversations with Tiktok Stolas Antis put in a singular post. Initially the post got some good reblogs and some nice comments- and then I interacted with a Tumblr Stolas Anti and had to SWIFTLY delete several comments or just got myself blocked.

This ensued my sequel post which dictated my style of writing for this blog. I decided if I was going to "die on this hill alone", I may as well commit. So I renamed myself to "The Aggressive Stolas Stan and Kin" to swiftly deter any antis who thought they could take me on, and swiftly but surely they funneled in.

Many came in with their baseless takes and poorly put together arguments and one by one I docked off each arguments with proof. The singular thing you will note on this blog is I always have receipts. Whether it be screenshots or GIFs.

Last night the only reason 1 of my replies didn't have GIFS or anything was purely because I was running low on energy because I had been writing for roughly 3-4 hours straight for an essay due as of this morning. I was arguing while sleep deprived and on top of that while writing.

Trust me, my wrists are on fire, but my point was made very clear yesterday, but I'll restate it here.

"Your homophobic, victim blaming rhetoric holds no power here."

The only reason I am stepping back from interacting with antis is for the sake of my mental health and for my audience. They have expressed to me that it seems distressing and concerning to my health. Therefore, I am stepping back to recover from 2 days of no sleep(essay related), and to recoup the braincells I've lost arguing with people who had the brain to body ratio of a dime on a fuckin' pool table.

My Aggressive Approach

All of my aggression comes from Stolas, but I argue this way because Blitz D!ckriders argue JUST LIKE HIM LOL! They think cussing or poorly put together arguments will deter a Stolas Stan from fighting back or that they can just be aggressive/stubborn and no one will fight back.

Hence why I cuss the way I do in my posts. For fucks sakes, I say the word fuck more times in a post than in all of S1 of Hazbin Hotel. Usually this style of writing feels beneath me just because it is "improper", but FUCK is it so much fun lol.

I just go off the handle and let myself express myself how I please. Truly, the aggressive approach was initially a joke, but it also reflects my speech patterns.

However, in my natural and calm habitat when discussing Stolas I cuss alot less in actuality. I just love talking about my sweet bird man. Love him so much.

Religious Trauma and Physical Illness

When it came to last night, a common thing I say is "this makes me physically ill", and that is never an exaggeration. The rhetoric thrown around regarding Stolas made me so sick I nearly wanted to puke. I was taking breaks between typing because of how bad it got.

Genuinely it is another reason I am stepping back from interacting with Antis. It does take a physical toll.

The rhetoric thrown around last night was petrifying because it all sounded like the same shit said to me in fucking church and I was the odd one out because guess what fuckers I'm trans and abrosexual. Talk about a fuckin' abomination!

Last night I was reeling with a lot of my trauma hitting me at once because of what I have seen and been through. Therefore, it did take a lot out of me. This is my 2nd day waking up with a headache, but I kept replying out of a sense of duty.

I invited it all since well I was reblogging and arguing with people, but everything I said was factual and therefore I didn't expect pushback.

That was my first mistake.

Therefore, it is why reblogs will just be me sharing art.

My Audience

From now on, I plan to keep this place as peaceful as possible. I am already planning my Symbolism Essay on Height in Helluva Boss. For now, I will be keeping things as light hearted as possible. A note for antis I will not always reply to asks anymore. While you may find it amusing, my mental health is far more important.

If anything I'll just reply with a GIF and leave ya as a lamb to the slaughter and let my audience tear ya a new one.

I have quite a few great minds in there.

To you anon, I do apologize for using your ask as a place to express myself, but your ask allowed me to reflect and breathe after a rough night. I do appreciate your sentiments and understand you fully. This blog is a place to Stolas Fans to breathe and was made for ya'll so please do enjoy yourselves.

However, I have exhausted myself enough.

Toodles! Amalthea Out!

[akawifeyy]

hi hi!! i saw your song smau driver post haha

could you do an SMAU of lewis hamilton or lando norris based on real man please? ofc it’s okay if not

maybe with an age gape and the face claim as beadadoobea if possible (sorry for any splling mistakes i’m dyslexic haha)

real man | smau (LN4)

description: it's two years into your relationship with lando norris, and you're starting to wonder what life would be like without him.

tropes: rocky relationship, age gap, girlfriend!fem!reader

face claim: beabadoobee

trigger warnings: love bombing, inattentive boyfriend, suggestive content, swearing

| note: sorry for my inactivity! i've been so caught up with uni, but i promise i'm alive and working on these stories. this is the first one out of fifteen, and they are all standalones! 💕 also, i apologize for the screwed-up formatting (if you see it on your device). i wanted to respond directly to the ask but it looks like tumblr's bugging out on me

@ yourusername: belgium has more than just chocolate apparently

tagged: @ f1, @ landonorris

comments (6674):

@ user1: omg she's so pretty 😭

@ yourbffusername: How was the Grand Prix?!

-> @ yourusername: had a blast!!

@ user2: lando's absent from the comments... hmm 😕

@ user3: awesome pics! looks super fun!

Instagram Private Story from @ yourusername:

comments (23):

@ yourbffusername: Time flies omg 😫

@ yourbrotherusername: Can't believe it. Shocking he's dealt with you for so long

-> @ yourusername: wowww 🙄

@ landonorris: 🥰

-> @ yourusername: love you so much

@ f1: Just 2 days left until the Hungarian Grand Prix! Will current champion Lando Norris keep his lead? Or will seasoned veteran Max Verstappen edge him out of the competition?

tagged: @ landonorris, @ maxverstappen

comments (38466):

@ user4: DU DU DU DU MAX VERSTAPPEN

@ user5: I love my papaya boy 🧡

@ user6: i believe in lando 💪

@ yourusername: lando norris supremacy

-> @ user5: real shit!!!!!!!

-> @ user7: Lwk spitting facts with that one! 🤭

Text Messages Between Lando Norris and Y/N (2025):

@ yourusername: it's ok, i'm ok

tagged: @ landonorris, @ yourbffusername

comments (3385):

@ user3: cutie!

@ user6: love youuu 💞

@ yourusername: Had a great time hanging out with you!

@ landonorris: Don't be a drama queen.

deleted by @ landonorris

@ yourusername: forgot about all these love letters

tagged: @ landonorris

comments (4859):

@ user6: omggg my heart can't take how cute this is 🥺

@ yourbffusername: ADORABLE 😍💌

Private DM from @ landonorris:

You're acting so ungrateful. I bought you those flowers so you'd shut up about me not treating you well. You know that I don't have to buy you anything.

Your Instagram Story:

@ landonorris: 1st place in Hungary! What a dream!

tagged: @ mclaren, @ f1

comments (58963):

@ user7: Where's Y/N? Helloooo 👀👀

@ user8: is he forgetting his girlfriend also went to the grand prix? 🤔

-> @ user6: she always includes him in her posts. i'm very concerned.

-> @ user8: i've heard theories that they're not together anymore but i don't know

comments (2354):

@ user9: He deleted it so quick but I have screenshots of proof

-> @ user10: it's all over the f1 gossip pages 😶

@ user11: "Don't be a drama queen" is INSANEEEE

@ user12: she literally did absolutely nothing wrong.

@ user13: i've been saying since day 1 that something's off about lando. he's too cheery and nice to everyone

-> @ user11: I agree. It's a mask

Text Messages Between Y/N and Your Best Friend:

@ yourusername: i guess no one ever taught you how to be a real man

tagged: @ landonorris

comments (4385):

@ yourbffusername: Sorry babe. You deserve much better

-> @ yourusername: thank you 🤕

@ user12: NO WAY LANDO'S TAGGED

-> @ user8: this is INSANE 😱

@ user13: my world is crashing and burning right now

@ user14: FREAKING TF OUT

Text Messages Between Lando Norris and Y/N:

─── ୨୧ ─── THE END ─── ୨୧ ───

[ghoooooooooooooooost]

my re-review(?)/opinion rewrite of bsky now that it's been a lil while since i got on it

basically: still has a long way to go b4 i like it :l

(edit - some functions i complained abt not having are slowly being changed ie: the video length is now 3mins instead of the original 60secs)

for negatives:

still missing basic twitter features like gif support n bookmarks (unless you do some work arounds), saving drafts, privs, n vids longer than 60 seconds.

blocking someone does not remove them from your follower count n you cannot softblock or remove them yourself either! why!!

most of the artists i follow on twitter barely use or straight up don't use bsky even if they set up accts.

staff there continues to suck. not banning jesse singal despite him breaking tos + they're still censoring posts of ppl in need of donations by slapping vague no context "content warnings" on them. recently i heard they're mass deleting those accts as well. someone got mass reported for doing daily mutual aid threads too.

you can get your posts auto hit w a content warning if anything that a bot can interpret as sexual is in there (it's not consistent either???)

i never use blocklists anymore bc malicious n false lists made for harassing ppl keep popping up, some of which i've been added to before. i also keep getting added to "fandom fascists" n "bad vibes" ones right next to terfs n rightwingers bc pr*sh*ppers don't like me. you technically can just never check what lists you're on so you don't have to know, but for me personally, not knowing adds a whole can of paranoia bc i'm aware other ppl still praise + use these lists...

^ blocks are public which can lead to the people you block finding out n adding you to bad faith lists out of spite too. plus there's list spam (adding the same person to tons of them at once)

there's follow farmers: ppl/bots who spam follow thousands to 100k+ random users just to get them to follow back (bc theres also a weird thing where some ppl just instantly follow back everyone no matter what - n call u weird for not doing the same thing).

fake accts (not sex bots) follow often just in general; i got spam followed by "sa offender awareness" accts once.

lots of bsky users constantly complain abt having to see politics. any kind of world news at all. which ig it has in common w tumblr

^ my drawing of harry got autoflagged as sexually suggestive; you can see the caption/text but the image is completely hidden until you click 'show'.

*later edit: i eventually found out that "sexually suggestive (cartoon)" is on a separate page from "sexually suggestive" so i could change how the post appears to me; making part of what i said b4 wrong... but then it leads to 2 different problems (other than being annoying):

you currently can't use the (cartoon) label yourself - only 4 labels are available to users rn n they don't include the ones only in advanced settings. meaning you can still get forcefully labeled by the mod bot, which could make ppl think you were "too lazy" to do it yourself n then block you

having your moderation settings on "show" instead of "warn" will make the labels on ppl's posts entirely invisible to you all together. the only reason that i could still see the ones on my self-labeled posts w "show" was bc they were my own ig? which can lead to ppl seeing you unknowingly rting unlabeled posts n blocking you

^ a whole profile that has been flagged with just "content warning". entire posts are completely hidden. this was someone asking for donations

for remaining positives:

hashtags work; links don't suppress

you can get rid of the discover tab

you can add warning labels to your posts (though there's not enough options)

muting words is still pretty nice

ig it'll cut down your socmed time?

some ppl like the fact that there's no algo

there's no elon or grok

all in all i feel like ppl who praise this site a lot just miss twitter but don't wanna stay there. which is totally fair? though some of them will call anyone who still has twitter a n*zi now. also, i think more users who crosspost between both sites would be willing to make a complete move if bsky had privs

its a lil funny that i've been facing way more bullying attempts on bsky than twit oh well

[jadeharleyinc]

You sent me an ask with a quote that I never made (hyperlinks are a thing so the blog “quote” was odd) and think people are subjected to internet abuse via… lying so. Be careful out there. Good luck

hello!

first of all: when you tell someone "please stop talking about me, thanks" and block them, that's generally the end of the conversation. we got some parting-shot vagueblogs at each other and that was the end of it.

needless to say, i think you should've deleted that ask. i don't think you should be thinking about it and unblocking me just to trash-talk me a whole 20 days after the fact.

but here you are. i don't appreciate your accusations and i appreciate your passive-aggressive tone even less. you can call me a shithead, but you don't get to call me a liar.

you didn't publish my ask, so a normal person would have no way to verify your accusation. luckily, i save drafts of basically all long asks i send to people. here is the text from my final draft of the ask i've sent you:

"The balance between luxury in ignorance, I’ve found, is a very thin line. I am extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to travel around the world in a relatively safe and comfortable level. I can easily be out of touch with the reality of those who struggle to simply find enough to eat every day. I constantly catch myself saying something that may or may not be “politically correct”- and rightfully so. My temporary discomfort should never infringe upon a person’s sense of safety. Rights are given just as easily as they can be taken away and we all need to respect and understand that." you wrote this yourself on your other blog.

after you sent my friend hatemail, i wanted to understand where you were coming from (this is why i sent you a nice ask and not a string of insults). i checked out your linktree and went to see where the big mysterious "???" button went. as far as i understand, this is an old blog of yours.

i skimmed a few posts (there's not a lot in total), found that quote, and thought it was touching. it seemed like a strong principle you tried to live by at the time. now here you are trying to tell struggling queer people online to "stop existing" because they run image software you don't like. i thought maybe you would recognize your old writing and take a moment to reflect.

personally, when i link my social media profiles to my old blogs, that means i know what's in these blogs and i still stand by my old writing. if you no longer remember or you no longer agree with posts from this personal blog you made earlier in your life, that's fine. but you probably shouldn't be linking that blog publicly, then.

hyperlinks are a thing so the blog “quote” was odd

as for why i didn't include hyperlinks in my ask: your old blog prominently displays your real life name and the city you live in, or at least what these were at the time. i don't know if you realize this. i figured that if you published my ask, i would reblog it with my answer. i generally don't want to directly link my followers to a website that includes someone's name and location.

anyway. apparently this is what you're up to these days:

between this and the fact you're (again!) beefing with me 20 days after you told me to stop talking about you, i don't think using tumblr is doing you any good.

as you say: be careful out there, and good luck.

[selfportrait27]

Ween fans of Tumblr. Come over to ween.wiki and help us build a new knowledge base for future fans.

I didn't start the wiki, I just got pissed off a couple of months ago and posted this on r/ween. To my surprise, people actually listened. We now have a few regular contributors, but it's time to start reaching out to the rest of the Ween web, and I'm starting here on Tumblr for a reason.

The fuck-you spirit of Ween and punk rock seems to have actually survived on this platform. Despite Tumblr's best efforts, this has mercifully not become a Nice Normal Place for Nice Normal People. There's a beautifully unhinged quality to all Ween fans that still circulates in the air supply here, that when you see it on reddit for example, you know that it's being allowed to happen.

Anyway, check out my original post on Reddit, or you can read the text below. Then saunter back to the Ween Wiki house and take a look around. If you see anything you think you can help with, go for it. You can find my user page here.

Full text of my post from r/ween:

If you didn't know, there is a Ween wiki just sitting there waiting for us to fill it in.

I know it isn’t very well maintained or reliable. That’s because we’re not using it. It’s a community database, not someone’s personal website. It’s supposed to be maintained by the fan base, that’s the point of a knowledge commons.

Let’s say, for example, if 50 of us make one quick, low-effort change to the wiki in the next month or so. That would already be a big improvement. If it’s the first and last time for you, you will have made a contribution.

Here are some little things you can do anonymously, without an account or a username: 

~Add lyrics to a song.~ 

Change lyrics that someone else added. (It updates instantly, this isn’t genius.com.)

Add a page that you think should be there - you can leave it blank for others to fill in if you don’t want to do it.

Delete something if you think it’s wrong -  you don’t need to have something to replace it with in order to do this. Removing something counts as a contribution. If it turns out to be right after all, it can be put back.

Ditto if you see a citation that you don’t trust - you can just remove the source. Now it’s a ‘citation needed’ situation, which gives others an opportunity to do something.

Correct a minor spelling error, it can literally be that small.

Don’t share private material without permission, but other than that, it can be just about anything at this point, as long as it keeps the ~recent changes page~ ~active.~ Even if you’re new and you don’t know much about Ween, you almost certainly know something that isn’t there yet. Remember you can edit anonymously, so nobody can give you shit if you get it wrong. What they can do is change it.

A few notes:

Why do we need this, when we can just ask someone more reliable? Because it’s too much pressure to expect any person to be reliable all of the time*.* It might sound counter-intuitive, but having a community database that “just anyone” can edit actually creates more accountability, because we’re all responsible for its content, rather than expecting a few people to do all the work and get everything right. This is an opportunity to make a contribution to the legacy of Ween and their fan base, one that’s at least a little better than the stew of info and misinfo that’s out there now. It’s also a chance to help ensure that the good work people are doing on projects like Ween Archived doesn’t just end up getting mixed in with all the bullshit~.~

You don’t need to know what you’re doing. I’m a tech-moron - seriously, my 80-year-old father probably knows how to use Media Wiki better than I do. Even I figured out how to make a few basic edits. We’re going for minimal effort here, so even if you think it won’t make a difference, it will only have cost you a minute of your life.  Do a sloppy, half-assed job. Make a tiny improvement to someone else’s sloppy, half-assed job. Do it now or later - a community database is a long term, ongoing project and there’s no deadline for anything.

But people will just use it to troll? Yeah, they might. They can already do that now. If that’s what you want to use it for, you’re going to anyway. Here’s a couple of things worth remembering:

Nobody needs to put in a ton of work only to risk having it spoiled. There’s enough of us that your individual contribution can be as tiny as you want, and it still counts.

Again, anybody can delete information, so dealing with troll entries doesn’t just fall to one person or a few people. It’s unlikely that we’re gonna have a troll problem that’s too big for the rest of us to handle.

Sorry to be cheesy, but if we’re too scared to do anything, then my friends, the trolls have already won.

One last thing. You can do this and still hate everybody and complain as much as you want, nobody can take that away from you. You can even feel better about complaining, knowing that at least you did something. And if you want to tell me to shut up, who the fuck do I think I am etc, then you’ll still have plenty of time to do that too.

Come on, people. Two children who couldn’t play their guitars yet started a band without a drummer, and we can’t build a better community wiki than this, with all the tools in front of us? Of course we fucking can.

[uncleasad]

How to modify the “link preview” text

I told @evilpenguinrika how to do this in broad strokes a while ago, but I thought I’d take some screenshots tonight to illustrate things in more detail.

I will show how to perform two different types of edits, removing an element of the link preview altogether, and editing the text of an element of the preview.

First, I pasted in my link (and then added some text below it, “Chapter 2 is up!” for illustrative purposes).

2. Then I switched to from the Rich Text editor to the HTML editor (using the gear icon in the upper right corner of the post); this is tumblr’s HTML for the above:

3. In this step, I’ll remove an element of the preview altogether. Here I’m going to get rid of the “An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works” line, which is the entire "description":"blah blah", block of code (technically, JSON embedded in HTML 🤯). I select it as shown, making sure to get all four double-quotes and the trailing comma, and then hit delete.

Poof, that line is gone!

4. In this step, I’m going to edit the text of an element of the preview. Here I’ll edit the text of the title to make it less verbose…in this case, I’m going to change what’s inside the double-quotes that follow the "title": part:

I got rid of everything after “Chapter 2” (I also got rid of the first \n and leading space because I’m particular, but that’s not necessary). Remember to confine your editing to what’s inside the pair of double-quotes that follows the "title": part.

Voilà!

A nice clean preview, without any “duplicated” info (e.g., this is my blog, so I don’t need my username in the link preview title, and I left the "site_name": bit to display archiveofourown.org, so I don’t need “[Archive of Our Own]” in the link preview title, and so on).

[olderthannetfic]

People going to you to say they didn't like a book instead of just posting that in their own blog and blocking the rabid fans is so fucking sad to me. Is this where we're at? Instead of blocking the sea of lost teens and 20-somethings in the dark academia tag who try to use "dark academia" as a substitute for having to develop their own interests and hobbies, we're now going to whisper on anon, "I don't like this one book"? That's how scared of negative interaction people are? It's the dark academia fandom. They're morons. They don't even argue with you that The Secret History is good, they reply with your post quoted and emojis inserted inbetween every sentence and think they're big smarty smart-smarts who showed you, or they say you didn't get it. "The fandom is absolutely insane" by what metric? Speaking as someone who's been sent suicide bait, death threats, rape threats, pictures of dead animals, Holocaust pics and actual CSEM by other fandoms, if you're too afraid of someone replying, "wow lmao ur not smart like us u no get it" or spamming your original post's text with emojis, maybe you're not old enough to be on tumblr or be reading a book aimed at adults.

The fact that people are now so afraid of pushback that they won't even say they dislike something off anon is honestly really pathetic. This is like people on Reddit who say, "I wouldn't say this if I weren't deleting my account later today, but I don't like MCU movies." It's the same vibe and I have the same question: you know you can just block people if they cry about shit you say, right? I got sent a dead rat once by a Yandere Simulator fan and the police + a restraining order is basically blocking but for RL, but most people in the fandom for The Secret History aren't going to actually interact with another person. They don't even usually bother to write fic or make art for it, they just repost quotes from it with some pics they swiped off of Pinterest for it.

Those are the people who you're so afraid of that you can't even say, "I don't like a book" lest they hurt you. You're afraid of Pinterest moodboard makers who ask things like, "what religion is the most dark academia? I want to convert to that" with a straight face who think wearing a white button-down shirt and brown pants makes them the embodiment of wealth and class and quiet luxury.

As someone who's actually had interactions with crazy fans IRL - especially Star Wars fans, as they're almost all frothing at the mouth to rant about how much they hate Star Wars - I am happy to report that this is a survivable thing and not one you need to be so afraid of that you don't dare mention it for fear of backlash.

Speak freely. Block people. Move on. Their tears are embarrassing for them, not you.

--

I spent some time in anon spaces, and it felt like a nice break at the time... but I have to say, I really notice the difference now that I'm findable again. For all the shit that comes my way, a hell of a lot of people have tried to befriend me over the last few years. I wouldn't have met any of them if I hadn't been visible.

[orchidbreezefc]

some notes on tumblr tagging for tiktok refugees (i know the ban was short lived but we hope you consider staying here instead!!)

tags are different from terms. tags are the things at the bottom of a post with a #hashtag, terms are just... words anywhere in a post. tags are the thing you deliberately put on a post to categorize it.

like on tiktok, tumblr tags are used for optimizing searchability on a post--you can look up a tag on tumblr and see every post someone has made with it.

tags are also organization tools on one's own blog--i tag all my cheerful/positive posts with '#smiles' so i can go through the tag if i have a bad day, or see every post ive tagged with '#cats'.

tag trigger warnings and do not censor them. using "glitter" as a stand-in trigger, you NEED to tag as "#glitter", not '#gl1tt3r'. you dont have to worry about an algorithm blocking your triggering glitterposts, but individual people will blacklist "#glitter", and that won't work if you spell it differently!

when setting up a blacklist you can use asterisks before and/or after a term to broaden it. blocking "#*glitter*" should (if tumblr does its job) cover tags like '#glitter cw' and '#cw glitter', which someone might use so that their post doesnt get categorized in the '#glitter' tag for others to look up.

there's also a field for blacklisting terms rather than tags, which will block every post with "glitter" anywhere in the text, including usernames!

when you use the tumblr search function the 'search' tab will show you every post that contains that term somewhere--the 'tagged' tab shows you posts deliberately tagged with that term!

both types of searches are pretty busted tbh--desktop url searches are a bit more reliable but not perfect. you can search individual blogs with tumblr.com/[blogname]/tagged/glitter to look through a tag. adding /chrono sorts them oldest to newest.

the original post is the only one that shows up in the main tumblr tag. you can tag "#glitter" on your reblog of a post not originally tagged as such, and that post won't show up in the "#glitter" tag.

blacklists will pick up the tags on the original post even if a reblog doesn't have them! this is useful for blocking e.g. stuff with terfy origins that the person reblogging it didn't know about. if you blacklist "#radfems please interact" and OP tagged the post with that, you won't see it even if the person you saw reblog it tagged it with nothing at all.

it's considered rude to tag an original post with something the post speaks of negatively. that's why one might tag an original post as "#glitter cw" rather than just "#glitter"--if the post shit-talks glitter, don't put it in the "#glitter" tag where glitter fans go to see glitter content!

fandoms at least will usually have a "#[fandom] negative", '#[fandom] neg', or "#[fandom] critical" tag for this. put it there instead.

tags are also used for plain ol' yapping. tag chatter is the low intensity version of a comment or reply. it doesn't prompt a response, it's mostly just for you and your followers. only the OP and the person you reblogged from will see your tags in their notifications.

HOWEVER people can find your tags by looking through the notes, and it's not uncommon to drag tags into the main post by quoting or screenshotting them. they might say "how dare you leave this in the tags" or 'these tags passed peer review' if they really liked them and wanted to share what you said. or they may properly respond!

if you go for a screenshot please put the text in the alt or as an ID below for screenreaders!

it's also nice to link to the person whose tags you're showing off or addressing, but if you reblog from them directly you can indicate this by calling them "prev".

tags can be edited on desktop but on mobile you have to delete them and start again.

there's a 280 character limit per tag and a limit of i think 20 tags per post?

the most important rule of tagging is to have fun and be yourself! <3 and also to provide trigger warnings, because seriously.