#until the other timezone people arrive | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

maireadralph · 1 year ago

Text

Entrapdak Zine 6 - Festive. Submissions OPEN!

Apologies for the delay in getting this open Please feel free to check out the Entrapdak Secret Santa event I’m also running at the moment (links are in my pinned post)

Anyway this is the post for Entrapdak Zine 6 - Festive!

The deadline for this will be Friday DEC 1st 2021 at 9AM GMT. What’s that in your timezone? Click here for a Handy Dandy Countdown:

I am flexible on this Deadline so anything that arrives on this date or by my 9am the next day is allowed (I’m in the GMT timezone BTW)

I am LESS flexible on the Extension Deadline

The Zine will be out before Christmas. The actual date is flexible and dependant on when all the Submissions come in and my own personal work schedule.

So most of this is the same as the last few - really if it ain’t broke don’t fit it! Also a polite reminder I am only one person running this and I am a part time Barista. It may take me a little time to reply to emails/comments especially after the deadline time (when I have the most amount of work to do on this project) so please be patient with me.

Our basic guidelines are the same as before, with just a few minor updates:

This will be:

A Digital Zine containing content created by the fans for the fans

A 100% Free Zine

Preferred Language is English

SFW content suitable for a Y7-PG13 age range (same as the show’s age rating)

You may notice I run this different to other zines as there is no sign up period, just submit work before the deadline - I’d rather people have more time to work on their pieces

Anyone can submit regardless of age or skill level - this is not a job application - just follow the guidelines and email in your work

Submission can be Fan Writing (poems, fan fiction, character analysis, eassys etc), Fan Art, or even photos of your Entrapdak IRL content (cosplays, fancrafts etc)! You can submit an older work that you have published online previously if you wish - or even update a work you submitted to the last Zine! Just have fun!

Guidelines applicable to all work:

Content Age Rating:

Like the show this Zine will contain content rated Y7 and PG13 rated - so please no swearing

There WILL BE NO NSFW or 18+ content - where possible let’s keep this suitable for all ages please

Sub note on character minimum clothing requirements:

for male presenting characters to be speedos/underpants

for female presenting characters to be a bikini/bra and underpants

if not sure please use the female presenting criteria

Theme:

This issue’s theme if you wish to use it is:

“Festive”

This theme is a suggestion and if you’d rather make an Entrapdak piece without this theme please feel free to do so. I want you to have fun!

Allowed Characters:

As long as both Entrapta and Hordak are the main focus and the piece follows Age Rating it will be allowed.

Other allowed characters in the Entrapdak family include Emily, Imp and the Clones (also known as Spacebats)…yes weirdly this also includes Horde Prime.

Other She-Ra characters will be allowed but Entrapdak is to be the core element.

Phew that’s a lotta text sorry about that - now on to the fun stuff! What sort of stuff is allowed?

Sex Swap AU, Species Swap AU, Furry AU, Toony AU, Anime AU, Fankid AU, Coffee Shop AU, married AU, Spacebat AU, just besties AU just to name the few that pop into my head! Oh yeah Canon Lab Partners Entrapdak too…hehe nearly forgot about that one XD. Make something Entrapdak related that’s PG13 rated and have fun!!

Fan Writing guidelines:

This includes fan fiction, analysis eassys, poetry or whatever else you’d like to write about. I would ask this content to be between 1k-10k words in length, it’s not a big deal if the writing is over 10k or even if it’s 20k - write whatever your story needs. If you’d like to write Chapters then please do!

Written work can be emailed in the body of text, sent as pdf attachment or as a link to a Google Doc - I can work with any of those.

Please include you name/username somewhere as it helps. If there’s no name on the piece I’ll add one at the start with the title.

Fan Art guidelines:

Fan art can include rough sketches, screencap redraws, comics (appox 1-10 pages length), coloured sketches or full colour pieces.

Fan art can be in the digital or traditional medium.

Traditional fan art can either be submitted as a photo or scanned, which ever you prefer.

Preferred sizing for Digital art is as follows, my aim to to have everything on International (UK) A4 paper sizing where possible*

2480px x 3508pm DPI 132

Portrait layout is preferred**

PNG is preferred but I will understand if you only wish to send a workable JPEG

The aspect ratio (width:height) of A4 paper is 1:1.4142 (1:√2)

If you need a template here’s one -> Here’s a prepared A4 Canvas PSD File (2480pm x 3508px 300DPI) if you’d like to download it and use it <- Template

Notes:

*Images outside these sizings are still okay but may end up with a white border on the edges due to the PDF publishing settings.

**Images in the landscape layout will get boarders when posted on a portrait page due to the PDF publishing settings, however if I receive landscape art I will make some extra pages at the end of the Zine and attempt to turn landscape art into a two page spread (which does look awesome!).

How to Apply:

Make your content and email it to entrapdakzineisluvd[at]gmail.com by JULY 1st 2023

Please make sure to include your Social Media contacts and which name or username you wish to be identified by. If you forget to include social media details and have been a part of a previous Zine I’ll use the details I have on file

I will reply to confirm I have received the content and that’s it I take care of the rest!

Please note I DO NOT KEEP any records of anyone’s email addresses. When the Zine is out I batch delete all emails sent to the email address (this is usually done a week after the Zine is out) and I keep no further records of these address. I respect your email privacy at all times.

The only records I keep on Zine applications is a private Google Sheet that has the following details: Submitter’s name, rough description of the item submitted and their social media contacts. I’m the only person with access to this Google Sheet as I use this as a Master List reference when compiling the Zine

FAQs:

Why no Application form?

I don’t want anyone to feel like they are applying for a job here, this is supposed to be fun.

Will there be Guest Artists or Guest Writers?

If they apply sure, I’m not advertising who applies to be a part of this Zine until it’s ready to be published. I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated just because a certain person has chosen to participate.

Can I submit more than one piece?

If you’d like to certainly! If you’d like to submit up to three pieces of art and 3 fan writings, sure go for it! I’m certainly not going to stop anyone having a good time

May I post a preview of my work to my Followers?

Sure! Bonus points if you link them to this post so that they can take part if they wish

May I post my work online?

I would ask if you could please wait until the issue featuring your work is published. Of course this does not apply if you are chosen to submit and older work - in this case may I ask that you edit or add to said post to mention the work was also used in the Zine?

Is this only for people with a [insert certain social media account here]?

Nope, this is for anyone who wants to take part. I only ask for a social media contact so that others who like you work for the Zine may follow you on your preferred social media platform.

Can I send an update to a piece?

Of course! Just let me know which piece you want to use and I’ll update on my end

Can I send another piece on later?

Of course that’s not a problem!

Ah I can’t get this done before the deadline - it’s almost ready!!! I need another day!!!!

Contact me, either through the submitting email over via my Tumblr or Twitter DMs or just emailing the email address. There is extra time allowed for an extension for anyone who needs it with no questions asked to why it is needed. Just get in contact, I'll put you name on the Extension List and that extra time is yours. Once all names come in (or the deadline is reached) I will finish up my work and get the zine out. I will not be sending out a further reminder (because I’ll forget sorry 😅).

Why don’t you make the Extension time public?

Because I can’t finish up the Zine if extra stuff comes in at the last second - I get jittery enough with final deadlines so this is how I manage my stress

More Entrapdak Zines??

Sure why not? If the community still wants them I’ll keep compiling them ever three or so months. I’ve seen what us nerds can do!

Where can I find the finished Zine?

All finished Zines are all hosted on a shared Google Drive folder https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1My_hDY8NmOWV7v6z0sYi0TSvxv07WowX Please share it with your other Entrapdak friends when it is ready.

Thank you for making it all the way to the end of this WALL of TEXT. It’s pretty much exactly the same as the Zine 4 and 5’s but with a few minor changes.

#hordak #entrapta #entrapdak #spop #fanzine #fandom #fandom event #entrapdak zine #upcoming events

43 notes · View notes

monkeythefander · 7 months ago

Text

Analogince Headcannons💜💙❤️

Am I participating in my own event/ship week? Yes, I am 😁. Am I also posting this a little bit early? Yes, because I’m too excited to wait until it’s officially the 29th in my timezone. I wanted to eventually make headcannons for this ship, so I thought I’d make some based on some of the prompts for Analogince Week 2024. I didn’t write for every single prompt because I didn’t have ideas for some of them. These headcannons all take place in a human au.

@analoginceweek

The prompts I chose to write for were the following:

Day 1 (April 29th): Library / Theater

Day 2 (April 30th): Nightmare

Day 3 (May 1st): Disney / Adventure

Day 4 (May 2nd): “Are you okay?”

Day 5 (May 3rd): “Here is where we shall stay.”

Extra ideas: Tea, and Companionable Silence.

Content warnings: mention of lunch (nothing specific, just getting lunch together), mention of nightmares (also nothing specific), mention of tea, let me know if I missed anything else.

Click below the cut to read the headcannons

——————————————————————

- Virgil wanted to contribute to the local theater’s upcoming musical. Acting wasn’t one of his best skills, so he decided to contribute using the skill he’s mostly confident in, which is his illustration abilities. The theater was looking for people to help sketch out designs for and paint parts of the set, so Virgil decided to help. While working at the theater, he met Roman, who was acting in the play. Virgil was busy painting when Roman approached him and started a conversation about the play. The two men quickly fell into a nice conversation about whatever came to mind, and from that day on, they continued to talk to each other whenever they had free time at the theater.

- Besides helping out at the theater, Virgil also worked at the local, public library. He mostly was in charge of organizing the books. He wasn’t put at the front desk often. One day, when Virgil was organizing some of the book shelves, a man approached him. This man was Logan, and he was asking Virgil if the library had a specific book about the solar system. Virgil led Logan to the book he was looking for and the two ended up having a nice conversation about outer space. Logan also mentioned that he needed the book to reference for a lesson he had planned for his students; he’s a teacher. After that conversation, Virgil didn’t think he’d see Logan again. But Logan ended up returning to the library a lot to look for more space themed books and to talk to Virgil about the books. The emo man enjoyed the conversations; it made his job more interesting.

- One day, Virgil decides to introduce Roman and Logan to each other. The emo man hopes the two will get along, since he thinks they’d be good friends too. The three men decide to get lunch together and Logan and Roman are able to bond over their interest in poetry and Greek mythology. Seeing his two friends getting along makes Virgil smile, but he tries to hide his smile behind his hand. At this moment, he also realizes that he might just love these two, wonderful men. Virgil doesn’t plan on saying anything about his feelings yet though.

- Virgil didn’t end up being the first one to confess his feelings. That title went to Roman. It was several months after Roman and Logan were introduced to each other that Roman realized he had feelings for the emo and the nerd. So like the romantic he is, Roman decided to create a fun way to confess. He was a bit nervous that they wouldn’t feel the same way, but he couldn’t hide his feelings forever. So Roman set up an adventure for his crushes to go on; it was a scavenger hunt. He set up clues for them all over town in spots the three of them liked to hang out, and then made the final destination the diner where they all hung out for the first time. Once Virgil and Logan arrived at the diner, Roman confessed his feelings and the emo and nerd said they liked him back. So they became boyfriends that day.

- After dating for a year, the three men decided to move in with each other. They did a lot of searching online until eventually Roman said “Here is where we shall stay” as he pointed at the photo of a nice house on the laptop screen. Logan and Virgil agreed with Roman’s statement. This house would be perfect for them. Roman had wanted a house with a front porch he could put a nice, rocking chair on. Logan wanted a house with three bedrooms so if any of them needed some personal space at night, they could have their own beds instead of sharing one all the time. Virgil wanted a house with a nice backyard where he could just sit and draw. The house they found online met all these needs, so the three boyfriends were definitely buying it.

- Before moving in together, the three men never really saw each other when they were feeling super upset or stressed. So now that they lived together, the boyfriends saw every aspect of each other’s lives, and got into a routine of making sure everyone was feeling okay. If anyone seemed like something was bothering them, they’d be asked “Are you okay?” If Virgil woke up from a nightmare and couldn’t fall back asleep for the rest of the night, Logan would make some tea to help calm Virgil down and Roman would gently hug the emo man and whisper comforting words to him.

- If Roman was feeling worried about an upcoming play, Virgil will remind him of how great he is at acting and offer to practice reading whatever script Roman had to memorize at the moment. Logan would also offer to read through lines with Roman, and provide advice whenever Roman requested feedback.

- If Logan stayed up too late grading papers for his students, Roman and Virgil would remind him it’s time for bed. Virgil would offer to help Logan finish up grading after they all got some sleep. After they get Logan to lay down in bed, Roman will quietly sing to help Logan relax more and fall asleep.

- The three boyfriends like to sit in companionable silence with each other when they all just want a quiet and relaxing day. Logan will sit on the couch with a book. Roman will plop down on the couch, rest his head on Logan’s shoulder, and just watch random videos on his phone with headphones on. Virgil will sit on the floor in front of the couch and sketch whatever comes to mind. Most of the time the emo finds himself drawing his boyfriends sitting on the couch, like they are in that moment.

——————————————————————

End Notes: Thanks for reading! As always, if you like any of these headcannons and want to make a fanfic or fanart based on them you can. You just need to ask me first, and then tag and credit me in the post so I can see it.

-Monkey💜

AO3 Link to these headcannons: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55441837

#sanders sides #sanders sides headcannons #sanders sides human au #analogince #analoginceweek2024 #virgil x logan x roman #virgil sanders #roman sanders #logan sanders #virgil x logan #virgil x roman #logan x roman

12 notes · View notes

car-lozsigns · 2 years ago

Text

A few minutes more (Pt16)

Synopsis: You and Carlos had crossed paths more than you thought was possible over a short weekend but time was not on your side. A love story that’s about the slow burn and companionship built connection, and how sometimes right place wrong time is the best of the available options

Author Note: Same as the previous part, there is the mention of covid in the early stages, story part in March 2020.

Length:~4.6k

Warnings: covid mention

Previous parts: Link to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15

Part 16

Carlos’ racing schedule and commitments picked up as Melbourne approached, him being distracted in calls but still putting the effort to be present. The remarks of ‘so many days to go’ and ‘can’t wait to see you’ picked up in frequency the closer you got to March. But with it also increased the anxiety. You were lucky you never really had to worry about it but the world affairs were bleeding into your mental resolve for the first time you could remember. You tried the push the news from your mind not allowing yourself to read the breaking story and choosing instead to remain ignorant to protect your own mental health. Was this a long term solution, no, but you just wanted to make it to March and you’ll worry about the virus that keeps coming up in conversation afterwards.

Carlos and you had planned on a call the week prior that you would fly into his hometown on the Thursday after work, then spend two days with you before a family Saturday night dinner introducing you to his parents where you and him were to stay the night and Sunday night, you and Carlos flying out Monday morning, you back to the UK and him to Melbourne.

The Wednesday before your weekend in Spain the mood was exceptionally uneasy across the office, many people opting to stay away from work with the news of this new respiratory illness making its way across Europe. Your work was encouraging people to only work in the office if required, with many already working a hybrid model to account for the cross timezone projects your team often were engaged with.

Your boss was hesitant to approve your leave to Spain with the news of everything picking up, it seeming worse than a regular flu that emerged every winter. You appeased them however, letting them know that you were bringing your laptop with you in case the worse was to happen and you had to stay a few extra days, you could always work from your hotel. You checked in with your team Wednesday morning but in seeing everyone was working from home you decided to pull a sick day to get your flight changed a day early to surprise Carlos.

You had expected changing your flight would have been difficult last minute but there were plenty of spare seats, people in the UK weary of the news coming out of Spain and Italy, with many apparently cancelling their trips. Arriving at the airport for your flight on Wednesday night you noticed how much everything had changed in a few short months; everyone was wearing face masks, some even with gloves. The nerves were heightened from the regular type you see at the terminal, people trying to keep their distance from each other. Maybe ignoring the news hadn’t been the best idea you told yourself as you stepped in to purchase a face mask and bottle of hand sanitiser before waiting at your gate.

Carlos had finalised your plans and schedule, you had messaged him saying you had the ok to travel, him sending through the itinerary he had meticulously prepared. you. You checked it one more time before boarding to see if he had made any last minute changes to the google doc and seeing it all the same, switched your phone to flight mode and tried to calm yourself for the flight.

You had timed your flight with him so that you wouldn’t miss your regular call with him. So when Carlos answered he wouldn’t expect or notice anything different until you showed him the surprise.

When Carlos’ phone rang on Wednesday night he was playing his dad in a game of chess. Normally the family rules of no phones during play was strictly enforced but as your name lit up the screen showing you were calling exactly at 7pm like normal , Carlos senior resigned that his son would be lost to him for the next hour, allowing him to look up potential moves to win the session.

“Hi Carlos, how was your day?” You tried to sound calm but you noticed the excitement seeping out in your voice.

“Hello, my day was good” Carlos started him launching into his activities as he walked out of the living room to the veranda. Carlos continued talking for a while him not allowing you to get a word in. You had intended on telling him straight out but Carlos was on a role, you decided to move the phone away from your face standing in front of the baggage carousel holding the phone out just wide enough so that your screen showed the “arrivals” sign in the background. You checked the time and waited to see how long it would take Carlos to notice you weren’t at home like you were meant to be.

He talked for another 6 minutes before he noticed, he was pacing around the backyard not focusing on the phone but where he was walking.

You saw his face scrunch slightly as you saw him take in where you were standing.

He had organised you to fly in Thursday after work, a reminder set on his phone to pick you up as soon as you had landed but he saw you standing at an arrivals today.

“YN is today Thursday? Did I miss your flight I thought I had set alarms?”

You laughed at this

“Nope, it’s Wednesday and guess who changed their flight to Wednesday?” You smiled the cheesiest grin when you saw the pieces click into place on Carlos’ face.

“Are you telling me you’re in Madrid, you’ve been here this entire call?”

Carlos was shocked but surprised in a good way

“I was going to but then I didn’t wasn’t to interrupt”

“YN come on you could be in my arms already, what terminal are you at I’m getting you now”

You replied with where you were sending him a pin of your location to help.

Carlos didn’t bother getting changed he swiped keys from the front door and called out to his parents he will be back soon, before driving much too fast to the airport.

The airport was quieter than Carlos expected it to be. Normally he’d have to queue to get into the pick up bays but there were only a few taxis and shuttle buses. Carlos like you had an uneasy feeling about what was happening and traffic is usually the sign something was amiss. Both he and his family had been checking the news everyday, with all of their career’s dependent upon travel they all wanted to know as much as they could, then finding information helped quell stress instead of induce it like the news did for you.

News coming in was influx with contradicting messages. It was safe to travel one day, the next it wasn’t, the next it was ok to travel as long as you hadn’t been in Asia. What was constant though was that in checking the restrictions and government guidance both of your plans were still allowed for now. So Carlos, entering the airport arrivals and seeing you with your suitcase confirmed it was safe enough for you to be here and that was all he cared about.

He pulled into the 15 minute bay, car still running, handbrake on, threw the door open and scooped you up in his arms. His hug was tight and lifted your feet a good foot off of the floor spinning you around quickly. You went to bend you head down to kiss him but he whispered to you.

“Not here” Letting you go and picking up your suitcase and hoisting it into the boot of his car.

When you were back on the road it was then Carlos unstoppered his excitement.

“You’re here early! Why didn’t you tell me!”

“Surprise” was all you said laughing at Carlos. He had surprised you and now you had returned the favour, seeing him that happy was worth it and you were glad you had changed his meticulous plans

“I haven’t called the hotel to change the booking but I was hoping that I could just stay with you tonight?” you said trying to sound casual.

“Of course YN plus with all the news going about I know I’d feel more comfortable with you in our home instead of in town”

“About that, I haven’t really read too much into things, how bad are they? I didn’t want to psyche myself out of the trip so I haven’t really caught up on everything” Caught up on anything you should have said.

Carlos knew travelling made you nervous, so he started at the beginning, the trip wasn’t too long back to his house and he tried to catch you up on the important details before he arrived home. The news Carlos conveyed across was not good, you maybe should have listened to your boss and seen the warning signs in his hesitancy when you brought up your trip, too late now, you were here.

Carlos lived outside the city centre, tucked away in what you would have called the suburbs, roads lined with leafy trees that looked like they had been there for decades , houses tucked behind greenery and the road front. The neighbourhood was starkly different to the built up area where your apartment was, it was closer in resemblance to suburbs back home but you couldn’t think of any of your childhood friends houses that had this much space between them and their neighbours.

“Welcome home” Carlos said quietly as he turned into a narrow driveway that was hidden behind an unkempt hedge with a large automatic wrought iron gate. As the gate pulled to the side, Carlos drove slowly up a dimly lit driveway, leading downhill. His family home was midway along a hillside, a sprawling and surprisingly modern home, a little out of place with the ancient overgrown trees and gardens. You weren’t expecting something so new and something so large, you understood that Carlos was well off but for some reason that hasn’t registered that his family was well off too. Carlos had stopped the car outside a closed garage and made to remove your bags, you standing up hesitantly taken aback by his home.

Carlos sensing your apprehension, tried to loosen one shoulder with a squeeze of his hand “It looks bigger than it is” with a wink led towards the wide wooden front door.

Carlos was a liar. What greeted you was large open space with walls made out of smooth polished concrete, walls laid out in subtle parque. You could hear noise coming from further inside the depths and Carlos let go of your bags by the front door and made to lift your handbag from your shoulder to leave it out if the way.

He took your hand and led the way. You knew that in surprising him it would mean a sooner than planned meeting his parents but the risk and anxiety attached with that did not outweigh how much you missed Carlos. So you swallowed, and took a deep breathe ready to put on a brave face in front of two people Carlos cared about deeply.

Carlos senior had seen pictures of you before. Carlos junior, when he had the chance had shown his dad the pictures of your trip away and any updates you sent through, so he was not surprised but the person standing by his son’s side. Carlos’ mother however did not know what to expect of his son’s source of happiness. She had been trying for months to get a morsel of information out of her husband and son but neither had slipped up.

**********

Carlos senior looked up from the chessboard at the sound of the pair of footsteps stopping. But instead of looking at his son and partner, directed his attention to his wife. Reyes took in a shallow breathe at the woman standing by her son’s side. She was stunning, in a way that was wholly complimentary to Carlos. Where he was calm and reserved this woman was confident and self-assured , strong in her posture conveying her attempt at standing up to this power play instead of hiding behind Carlos like his other girlfriends had. This woman unlike her son, had her emotions open to everyone, Reyes could see the love pouring out of her in the very way she was holding her son’s hand to the way that she had slightly angled in her body to him not straight on. These mannerisms reminded Reyes of a younger her when she had fallen in love with Carlos senior. In those days there weren’t many pictures of them together but she would have bet that if she someone had taken a picture when she first met her parent in-laws and compared it to the image in front of her they would have almost been identical.

Although this young lady in front of her reminded her of a younger self, she physically looked nothing like Carlos’ mother. Where Reyes and her daughters were angular with long lines and delicate features, the woman in Carlos’ arms was soft and supple hiding the strength Reyes had captured in your stance. Finally Reyes thought, someone who cares about who Carlos for who he is not who Carlos shows himself as. In the few short seconds that had passed, Reyes had decided regardless of what happened tonight, this woman was perfect for her son and she would do everything in her power to help Carlos hold onto her.

Carlos senior was not surprised by the intake of his wife’s breathe but the flicker of emotion that she had let slip was tucked away as quickly as it flashed across her stoic features, if he hadn’t been looking he would have missed it but the slip in her mask was all he needed to see. His role for the night would be supportive father, he didn’t need to be concerned or the convincing husband, his wife had already decided on her own.

As close as Carlos was with his father, he was his mother’s son. The two men may be spitting images of each other but Carlos junior and Reyes were one in the same. Both stubborn as they come but their stubbornness and conviction was very early misplaced.

Carlos senior stood up from his chess game, “You must be YN, welcome to Spain, we are very lucky to have you here with us” ending his greeting with a warm smile as he made his way to his wife placing an arm around her back. “I’m Carlos and this is my wife Reyes” Reyes moved her head to the side and broke into a smile that crinkled her eyes in the same way as her sons.

“Welcome to our home, Carlos show her around I’m sure she wants to freshen up before we talk some more”.

At his mother’s direction he started to lead you both back to the long corridor behind you before you had a chance to introduce yourself. Twisting back to Carlos’ parents you called back “Lovely to meet you!”

In a family full of travellers there was nothing worse than keeping the plane on you so there was an easy understanding when the young couple walked away from the older one.

Carlos guided you with his hand loosely against the small of your back pointing out along the way various rooms and their purposes before he stopped at the end of a passage hand hovering above the handle. You didn’t need Carlos to say that this was his room, the belongings inside told you what you needed to know. Everything was neatly laid out, bed made with a nondescript off white bed spread, helmets and trophies covering the shelves that were floor to ceiling along all the walls, bar the bay window that showed an amber lit patio.

All the things were Carlos’ but you got the distinct feeling that he didn’t use this room very much. Carlos had hovered by the door, waiting to follow you in to add commentary to your inspection of his childhood bedroom. He only stayed here when he had dinner at his parents’ house. Most of his time he stayed at his apartment in the town centre, with his work schedule so busy, when he was signed to McLaren he purchased a small home for himself to save on the commute time. That and all of his siblings had moved out with their partners, he didn’t want to be the sole focus of his parent’s attention, staying amongst his teen trophies that he was still their little boy and not an adult.

Your suspicions were confirmed with all awards and trophies dated prior to 2015. The pictures of Carlos smiling back to you was maybe 10 years younger than the one who stood at your back. Youthfulness evident with his toothy smiles and crinkled eyes on podiums and in the arms of his cousins and friends. The harshness of the world hadn’t touched him yet. The Carlos in the photos you had seen in your search had a clipped smile never touching his soul. You saw just how much your companion had changed over the years, and it sadden you how quickly he had to grow a tough exterior.

You had circled through the room before Carlos spoke up.

“I don’t stay here very often but when I do it’s as I left it” He wasn’t embarrassed by saying it, Carlos was proud of his upbringing, why would he be ashamed of his childhood even if it was a shell to what you would have experienced.

“Will you be staying here tonight?” You tenderly raised. As much as this room was nostalgia, staying in Carlos’ childhood bed at his parent’s house was not what you felt comfortable with.

Carlos saw the question you had hidden in the one you asked. “I will be yes, I’ve set up the guest room for you already”. Carlos in his anticipation had set up your room well ahead of time, his anxiety not letting his mind rest until he had done so the prior weekend.

He took your hand and directed you back the way you both had come, sliding open a glass door leading you out onto the patio towards a smooth path that mirrored the one at the houses entrance.

What you had thought was a backyard shed was actually a granny flat, and one much larger than you had initially sized up. It was more akin to a small townhouse, two stories with large worn stone bricks only broken by a few narrow windows. An old creeper plant of sorts had crawled up one of the walls with sparse leaves smattering the searching vines.

Carlos twisted a narrow door knob, lightly pushing the door open. Inside it was like stepping back in time, a worn paved floor stretched in front with a small wooden table covered in a transparent plastic cover with two chair pushed in the centre of the room, the left had an L shaped kitchen with a seventies narrow metal sink and sun worn scalloped lace curtains. The right of the room was a sitting area with dark brown fabric couches with laced doilies placed at the head rest area of each. The chairs were facing a stone fireplace with a narrow charred looking iron grate placed on the hearth.

“My parents bought the house when they were married this was where they lived until they built the main house. They lived here until I was born as there is only one bedroom they finally decided they needed more space.”

Carlos had fond memories of this small home, many a summer his grandparents had stayed here, memories tied to helping his grandmother cook with him standing on a chair by the sink, playing cards with his grandfather at the table , or trying to play toy cars with the grout patterns between the tiles on the floor.

“My grandparents used to stay here until recently but now we take them to their home after they visit as they aren’t as young as they used to be. They prefer the comfort.”

You could picture a little Carlos running around the place stirring up trouble , a cheeky boyish smile greeting anyone who could him red handed.

You hadn’t noticed that tucked behind the main door was a smaller sliding wooden door which housed a narrow winding iron staircase, a concrete trough and narrow worn wooden bench with rain boots tucked in pairs neatly beneath. Carlos had switched on a hanging lamp and started to make his way upstairs. Two rooms were up here , a bedroom and a bathroom with of which matched the theme of downstairs save a new looking bed and renovated bathroom. Not quite as the seventies as the main area but more 90s but still a pleasant reminder that although Carlos and his family were well off, much more than you at this point could comprehend, were still appreciative of where they had come from, knowing that it was through hard work and sacrifice the reason for their current comforts.

Carlos was nervous that you wouldn’t like staying here, if you had protested or he had picked up on discomfort he would have offered for you to stay at his apartment, but he hoped that you would stay here, forming new memories alongside to the backdrop of his cherished ones from when he was little.

Carlos sat next to where you had placed yourself on the bed, “Just wait until you see the sun rose over those hills, you’ll love it”. You agreed with him, already In love with how candid Carlos was, knowing that what he said would solidify the fairy tale.

Dinner was an easy affair, Carlos parents were very similar to your own, fiercely protective of their son proving to be a united front in assessing you. Their facade although welcoming and kind staying in place for the evening, never slipping regardless of how much charm Carlos and yourself plied on.

You made a note to try again on the morning to see if they liked you tomorrow knowing that gaining their approval meant more to Carlos than you. His parents not liking you would crush Carlos so for his sake you would try again. But also told yourself that with the charm you wouldn’t bend over backwards and change yourself for them. You would for Carlos to make him happy as he would for you but it was the two of you together, not you dating his parents.

Carlos could see you becoming disheartened as dinner progressed to coffee. You had graciously helped clean up and prepare the hot drinks trying to see if Carlos’ mother would soften. But the warm parents who greeted you were still tucked away. So you had quieted as the night went, teaming it with yawns and hazy eyes trying to get them to see that it was time to call it for the night at which Carlos finally caught on close to one in the morning . Carlos excused the two of you collecting your bags front the front door and carrying them out to where you were staying. He ran through only how to run the hot water system before a final kiss goodnight. You didn’t hesitate turning for a warm shower and the night, wishing sleep bring you better luck tomorrow with getting his parents approval.

Unlike what you had assumed that Carlos’ parents disliked you, what had actually happened was a poorly executed plan in protective parents farce. While the two of you were touring the Sainz home, Reyes and Carlos senior had discussed tactics of how to approach the new lady in their sons life.

Reyes saw herself so clearly in you and whispered to her husband to follow her lead for the night. Carlos senior though apprehensive, did as his wife said, switching from his warm personality to one of protective father. It hurt him seeing his son slowly get confused as the night progressed. Questioning where were the parents on all of the arranged dinner dates and who had they replaced them with. Carlos senior however saw that as his son grew disappointed , you did too but still kept trying. It was the determination Reyes had been trying to seek out, and with you preparing coffee had been a crucial piece of the puzzle. For Reyes it was about familial respect as well as love. Her son could live whoever he wanted but if they were rude and improper she would try to get Carlos to see and to sway her son from his decision.

As Reyes had hoped, you had offered to help, never stepping on her toes a check in Reyes box. Tomorrow would be the second part of the puzzle, if her son could respect their wishes for the night. It didn’t matter to Carlos senior where the two of you stayed, you were both adults and educated not to be rash, but Reyes had only a few rules, one of which no sex while staying with the parents. She hoped Carlos could remember when they had could his older sister with her now fiancée and the verbal telling off Blanca had received. If Carlos could remember that for tonight then she was happy for the two of you with her blessing, time would tell in the morning.

Reyes excused herself for the night as her son re-entered the living room, clicking the back door shut from the encroaching chill.

Carlos, still confused nodded to his mother good night before taking a seat next to his father. They sat in silence waiting until the sound of water through the pipes started from the front end of the house signalling that their conversation wouldn’t be interrupted.

“I’m going to say this only once” Carlos senior was not acknowledging his son but maintained his stare into the dark gardens, his voice soft as if aware that if his wife caught him he’d be in serious trouble.

“You have both mine and your mother’s approval , she is all we want for you. You look at her like I looked at your mother when we first met.”

Carlos felt himself exhale a breath he hadn’t been conscious of holding.

“Your mother loves you very much but you know how she can be, she’ll let in YN, be patient son , the hard part is done.”

Carlos went to interject but his father continued “Your mother knows that if she missteps she will lose you, she will not do so , history will not repeat”

His father was alluding to his parents relationship with his maternal grandmother and the pain of that lost relationship that happened when Reyes introduced Carlos senior all those years ago, the catalyst for them living in the countryside away from her family to show that her decision which Carlos senior was lifelong and serious

Carlos senior glanced at his son and saw the confusion still there, they hadn’t spoken about his grandmother before so he didn’t know the story but he picked up the pieces enough to know that even though his mother looked like she wasn’t making an effort, she was actually doing as much as she could.

Carlos junior didn’t know it but as his parents were tucked in for the night, his mother whispered to his father “He’s finally found his person.” Before turning over and dozing. Carlos senior couldn’t help but agree happy at last that his family was now whole.

Link to Part 17

#f1 imagine #carlos sainz imagine #carlos sainz jr imagine #carlos sainz jr x reader #carlos sainz jr x you #carlos sainz x reader

80 notes · View notes

lulu2992 · 2 years ago

Note

I just want to share something really quick, and I'd love to hear your two cents on this.

One of the best things about Collapse (despite its flaws) for me was the Voice not being as benevolent of an entity as Joseph initially thought. That reveal actually gave me a lot of vindication on my own personal headcanons surrounding the Voice before Collapse had been released. And it's something I don't really see talked much about, often times its brushed over really.

The Voice is manipulative, especially on Joseph, and I actually believe that the only reason Joseph was given the visions of his family alive in New Eden was so it could a) ensure Joseph stayed devoted and b) just to give Joseph a false sense of hope and ultimately laugh at Joseph's desperate attempts to keep his family (such as John) alive and for his eventual breakdown over their deaths (I headcanon that the Voice had never intended for Joseph's siblings to survive). It uses its cunningness, omnipresence and ever knowing knowledge to create and execute plans accordingly, and with just how arrogant it is, you just know it expects things to happen according to how it wants and must have a kick in watching Joseph and many others suffer, helpless to its power. It clearly knew what it was doing when it chose to speak Joseph right after his wife's death. I have no doubt that the Voice anticipated/expected Joseph to sacrifice his infant daughter, despite how the situation was presented as a test or choice to Joseph.

I don't even think it ever actually cared if 3000 souls were saved in the bunkers from the Collapse. The Voice definitely doesn't cry a river about it. It just wanted to string Joseph along and play him like a fiddle until it eventually gets bored with him. And just thinking about it makes my heart ache for Joseph even more. There was no happy ending for him from the beginning. The Voice played Joseph from start to finish, giving him moments of hope and peace (finding his family again, being right about the Collapse, New Eden, the Captain of Security's arrival) before taking it away (the Deputy killing his siblings, the post-Collapse world not being as peaceful or fulfilling as he expected, New Eden burned to the ground, and Ethan's bitterness and envy growing to corrupt and eventually kill him) because the Voice is just that cruel.

The Voice is the greater-scope villain. It planned, and inflicted pain and suffering and misery on Joseph (a devoted instrument) and everyone else around him just because it could and wanted to do it.

Collapse wasn't a DLC I enjoyed very much, but the Voice will always be a highlight for me. It's now one of my favourite "love to hate" antagonists. And it gives me a real rush of serotonin thinking about the Far Cry 5 fics I want to write that are heavily dipped in a "screw destiny" plotline just to wipe the Voice's smugness.

Yeah, that's all I wanted to get off my chest. Happy second day of 2023 (or first depending on your timezone).

I like what they chose to do with the Voice in Collapse too! Even though it’s also played by Greg Bryk, the fact that it shows Joseph his future as we’ve seen it in New Dawn indicates that the Voice is clearly not a figment of his imagination. In the DLC, Joseph had no idea what New Eden would look like, that the Deputy would become his Judge, and even that he had a son, but he saw all of that because the Voice is real and omniscient, not just “in his head”. I’ve been saying that “God” was the true villain of Far Cry 5 all along and, even if I don’t consider the Far Cry 6 Season Pass canon for many reasons, I was glad the new writing team agreed with that!

Ironically, the Voice being malevolent, choosing the highly devoted, well-meaning Joseph Seed as a punching ball for its own enjoyment, ruining his life, and never intending to keep its promises (except the Apocalypse, so the death of millions of people) can also explain several of New Dawn’s inconsistencies and why that game’s ending felt pointless. I don’t know if it was intentional and the DLC’s writers thought that “the Voice never cared about anything or anyone and did things just because it felt like it” was the best solution to make everything sort of make sense but, honestly, they’re not really wrong…

I’m not sure the Voice was supposed to be 100% evil and manipulative in the minds of the original Far Cry 5 writers, but I think Collapse was right for showing that Joseph was telling the truth, merely following orders, and that, because of his unwavering faith, had to suffer the loss of everyone he loved. I’m obviously not saying he didn’t do bad things, but it’s important to remember why he did them. Making the Voice Joseph’s guide and villain in the DLC was a great idea.

And, yes, it was the second day of 2023 for me when you sent this, so thank you very much, and happy 6th(?) day of 2023 to you :D

#also I hope you write your fanfics and give joseph his happy ending!#let us all ‘ffxv dawn of the future’ the fc5 universe!#obscure reference if you haven’t read it but in the book #(spoilers)#heroes and villains team up to destroy the ‘main god’ because he’s like how you described the voice #reading the book felt great because I always knew that this god was awful #I wish collapse had been more like that #it looks like they wanted to do it but didn’t because then there’s fcnd and joseph is still devoted in that game #far cry 5 #joseph seed #still sad the way they made him treat his siblings in the dlc unnecessarily demonized him though #they wanted more people to feel bad for him but achieved the opposite #far cry 6 season pass #far cry 6 become the villain #far cry 6 collapse #joseph collapse #far cry 5 spoilers #far cry new dawn spoilers #far cry 6 collapse spoilers #joseph collapse spoilers

29 notes · View notes

cloneficgiftexchange · 1 year ago

Text

clone fic gift exchange: frequently asked questions

this will be linked on the pinned post of the blog, and it is more general, as it’s intended to be used for all clone exchanges i run here in the future, as well as the one that's currently being organized as i’m posting this. if you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out and ask :)

why do i need an email to sign up?

i use a secret santa generator to randomly assign matches, as it's way easier for me and has been very successful in the past, and that requires an email address. i have an email account that i use specifically for fandom things (exchanges, zines, etc), and i highly recommend it for anyone who wants to keep themselves more organized (or doesn't want to give out their personal email!)

can i still join if i only read or write a few clones?

yes!! as long as the common denominator character is on your list, you can absolutely participate! i ensure that everyone has at least one character (usually it's rex) on the list of clones they are okay to receive, so this way if you see who you have and you're like "i don't know/don't like any of the other names here," you can just write for the common denominator. there are several protections i put into place for each exchange in order to ensure the comfort of the participants, and this is one of them.

is there a limit on clones we can put down as ones we'd want to receive?

technically no, but i would advise you to choose no more than six or seven of them. for some people a giant list of potential clones may be great, but for others it may be way too overwhelming. there also may be certain exchanges where the options are limited to a certain number, such as the bad batch.

should i be writing my person's favorite clone?

you can write any of the clones on your person's list. i do not ask for a favorite clone at sign up because i see it as another protection on behalf of the participants. If someone's favorite clone is one that the person who has them isn't really into, i wouldn't want to make anyone feel pressured to write them or bad if they don't choose them. in order to further remove this bias, i place all the clones names in alphabetical order on the prompt document.

what happens if the person who is writing for me breaks one of the rules with their fic (uses ai to write, adds a clone/clone background ship, etc)?

in the event that something like that happens, you are under no responsibility to respond to the fic if you don't want to, and please reach out to me to make sure i'm aware, if i haven't caught it already. at that point, i will reach out for an emergency pinch hitter to take over your prompt, and that fic will be the one put on the masterlist and reblogged, not the one that had broken the rules.

i don't write smut, can i still join?

absolutely!! i myself don't read or write it either, and i make sure to ask about the comfort level of participants regarding smut on the sign up. you can find a whole post i did about that here.

what's the posting situation like?

when the exchange day finally arrives, you'll post your fic on your blog and tag me so i can reblog it here! if you're done with your fic early, i ask that you hang onto it so we can all post together.

other than the exchange day, is there a specific time to post?

since we're all in different timezones, the only requirement i have about timing is that you post at some point during the 24 hour window in which it is exchange day for you. that will be different for someone in australia vs someone in new york, and that's totally fine. i usually don't start tracking people down who haven't posted until the monday after the exchange, and if you're really worried you'll miss it, you can schedule a post to go up at a certain time too. deadlines for sign ups are always in eastern standard time though, simply because that's the time zone i'm in.

#cfge.faq

6 notes · View notes

kismetharborapps · 1 month ago

Text

application

ooc information

name: n

preferred pronouns: she / her

age: 31

timezone: GMT

activity level: 8

triggers: no triggers.

anything else?: no.

character information

name: briar rose dahl

faceclaim: margot robbie

gender & pronouns: she, her

age: 30

birthday: 31/12/1994

place of birth: reykjavik, iceland.

occupation: heiress, actress, model and influencer

neighborhood: EMERALD MIST

time since arriving in kismet harbor: how long have they been here? since september 2024’

filling a wanted connection?: no.

biography: please provide four decent sized paragraphs or ten decent sized bullet points giving us information on your character. please make sure this is more of a detailed look into their life rather than short notes.

TW: pregnancy, death, toxic relationship mention, grief, car crash

Briar has been a very observant kind of person since a child, very quiet. Almost didn't talk to people. On the day she was born, there were famous northern lights (aurora borealis) in the sky, and her family said the sky was blessed with her presence.

Her family wanted to expand their business in NYC, despite the things were doing well in Europe, and more specifically, Iceland. She studied in a boarding school in UK and another part of her life homeschooled. Briar was the youngest of three men, during her time in school she was a quick learner and her grades were always the highest it was one of her strategies to draw her parent's attention and for being the only 'woman' her father didn't think she'd be as good as her brothers.

Adapting to a new country wasn't very difficult for her, she never had an issue with the language, to begin with, in fact, she was often mistaken as a native. She had a bit of difficulty with social interaction due to her time homeschooled.

Everything in her life she always had to work twice to excel in anything. And yet, she was never appreciated for her efforts. Briar didn't let it defeat her. In a way, not being as appreciated as the rest of her brothers, stimulated her to battle to get all the things she wanted. It doesn't mean she always got what she wanted.

She started her acting and modeling career by accident, one of her brother's friends could not attend their own show, and she had helped them to memorize the lines, and she replaced the actress. This happened when she was still a teenager, before graduation, and had the luck to get an agent and auditions.

She graduated in entrepreneurship and archeology. During her graduation, she met that she quickly felt smitten with him. It was something that she always broke up, made up with, and broke up again, this was their cycle until this got tiring to her, and she put an end to their relationship.

In the whirling of ups and downs with her ex, she back to him again. This time they married. That relationship resulted in a pregnancy. On June, 2nd she had a son named Lars.

Unfortunately, her husband died F1 accident, a week before their son was born. Her agent talked about Kismet which is a good place with an infant. She purchased a home there and moved with her son alone.

Despite being a public figure, she is very shy. She was nominated to Oscars five times but still hasn't won. 3 times as best actress and 2 as best supporting actress. But had other awards like Golden Globes, BAFTA's, EMMY's, etc.

At the moment she is on maternity leave, enjoying the time with her son, and exploring the city. Learning how she chills, since she is a very workaholic person.

other: please provide a link to a previous account so we can check out your writing style. you can also provide a pinterest board, musing posts or anything else that might give us more insight on your character

You can check this profile.

pets: A cat named Luke Skywalker. < --- the picture is there.

town activities: please include any town activities your character may be involved with. maximum of five.

adhd, equine emporium, aqua avengers.

draw of luck: yes.

#submission

0 notes

withleeknow · 5 months ago

Note

I was multitasking livestreaming the final (I told my dad before leaving “it's gonna be 3:1 to spain” anywhomst) and trying to contain all my excitement because: we.tl/t-hd0DmMYY3P

1. I brought my mimo pc out of the first time ˙ᵕ˙

2. we vibed tgt to maisie who - can I just say - I've fallen in love with, her set was incredible 🥹🎀

3. I'm laughing at my video of us freaking out over glimpses of skz's foreheads compared to actual fancams from their set- 😭😭 oh but hearing them live for the first time was still so surreal + it's lowkey given me motivation to fight for tour tickets 🫡

the iconic (greek) mythology phase- have you read the song of achilles? it's been a year and I still haven't quite recovered 🤧

and here, have our usual chaotic gyu on a rampage: tinyurl.com/2ym3hvft - I cried laughing at this edit what's wrong with his neck

lastly my ♡ ranking: moonstruck - brought the heat back - highway 1009 - royalty - your eyes only - xo - hundred broken hearts - paranormal. v similar with a little reshuffling w/ bthb bc I cannot get the song (or specifically, jay from their preview) out of my head 🤗 also did I ever mention that I preordered the weverse and engene (jay) ver. of this album (ᵕ—ᴗ—)

omg i am loving this for you, maisie is amazing !! maisie is so special to me bc we're the same age (she's like 10 days older than me lol) and i started listening to her not long after she released official music and it really feels like we've just kinda grown up together. now she gets to open for major artists and put out albums of her own and i'm just so proud :') i'm kinda bummed that i likely won't ever get to hear her sing one of my fav songs of hers (it's called the band and i) if i'm only seeing her open for other artists bc the lyrics are "we are the best damn band that's ever played right here" and she probably can't do that at other people's concerts lmao

mimo in the wild !! i love that heheheh. for rock-star i didn't pull any mimo pc but i got his mini poster 🥹 anywhomst it's wonderful that you got to experience skz in any capacity at all! i feel like that would be more my vibe bc i absolutely cannot do festivals (or floors at concerts) at all bc i am 156cm and i Will be trampled lol. but it really is surreal that you were that close to them. every time anyone is even in my timezone i flip tf out (skz in milan at the same time as seokjin is paris, double kill) !!

gosh the tour. i lowkey freak out on a daily basis thinking about the tour bc i've never bought kpop concert tickets before i know it'll just be a bloodbath. last week my friend convinced me that when the european dates drop and tickets go on sale, i should get vip bc who knows when they'll come back to europe and i might as well splurge @.@ and i am actually considering it akshfksjaf

song of achilles is a priority on my to-read list! i've heard so many good things about it, but tbh i have been absolutely shit at reading books ever since i got back into reading/writing fanfic lollll

he is crazy like he is actually insane. i would love to live in his head for a day lol. i can't wait until you get to To Do ep.72 bc gyu really was the mvp 🤣

i didn't really pay attention to brought the heat back at first but after a few listens, it really shot up my list purely bc of jay's voice in it lol. exciting that you got the albums!! do share what they look like when they arrive 🥹 there's a kpop store (that also sells boba!) here that i sometimes go to and i think they're having an enhypen event all month this month, so i might stop by if i have time hehehhehe i think you can also get a pc if you get a boba :o

#🍙 anon #answered

0 notes

gooperts-gunk · 10 months ago

Text

the PST timezone is so fucked for me as a bbh watcher who watches his streams and then vodwatches moments from others (sleeping at THREE AM lately x_x) however i am willing to take the fall even though it's my most anticipated arrival of the south koreans. but omg 12:30am in south korea, i thought they'd do like the complete opposite for them, but i know they want as much people as possible there EST-ERS YOU WIN THIS TIME. normally with kst pst-ers are winning, they can stay longer to watch their fave group perform on a show even if it's until 1am pst, because it's 4am for the other, but this time YOU WIN. i will accept this loss and vodwatch it later

#goopert talks qsmp #i hope they're USED to 12:30am because there may be delays O_O #it's ok only once then they can do early mornings with bbh when it's late night for him (hoping)#btw there's sooo many south koreans who love bbh (and also skeppy) so im so happy for them this one's for u welcome 2 the qsmp for realzies

0 notes

dykepuffs · 7 months ago

Text

The extra financial burden of being a night owl too: Even beyond that you're likely going to either be self-employed or to always work in the night economy (which, on the one hand, you will get antisocial hours pay in many jurisdictions, but on the other hand nobody in the night economy is getting the pay of a doctor or lawyer, they're all basically minimum-allowable-wage jobs with no progression) you're likely to have to pay extra for things.

Want to guarantee that your parcel arrives after 2pm so you're awake? You'll have to get priority pick-a-slot shipping rather than economy, which will likely arrive when you're asleep.

You're self-employed or in the night economy: So your car insurance costs twice as much as for a daytime person. You desperately need the car, because public transport stops at 11.30 and you work until 4am.

Because your work is at antisocial hours, it will often be a long way from home: in an industrial estate on the edge of town or in a city-centre bar at best. Thus, you put more miles on your car than many people in similarly-paid work, who often work in their own neighbourhoods or who get the buses put on for people on normal shift patterns to get to the industrial estate. Or, you're a minicab driver and put thousands of miles on your car because of that. Because of this, either you need a more expensive, good quality car, or you are constantly repairing and replacing a shitbox.

Because you need to break your healthy sleep cycle regularly to meet other demands of the daytime world or even just because the loud daytime people wake you up (which also shreds your immune system) you periodically have to miss work - So you're even more skint.

Depending on how far out of synch with "normal" your sleep cycle is, you might even just never be awake when local shops, discounters, charity shops etc are open, so will always have to buy clothes and food at full price from the supermarket. (I earth out at about 6 hours behind the local timezone - So by time I'm waking up and have had breakfast, anything that runs on banking hours is starting to close.

And through it all, the drumbeat of "Well if you REALLY TRY, if you SET AN ALARM and just PUSH YOURSELF!!!!" from people who would never dream of forcing themselves awake at 3am every day for their whole lives, for no reward.

Ok wait let her speak

#end chrononormativity

89K notes · View notes

alexetism-blog · 1 year ago

Text

Stardate: 20230914

Morocco (Rabat & Casablanca)

We arrived at Morocco and changed our timezone once more. As a queer woman who left Latin America trying to avoid infrastructural collapse, this country left conflictive notes in me; feelings of both high and low surrounded me. The richness of the experience and how much contrasting I felt, the ensuing sensory overload makes writing this entry quite difficult.

The first thing, was the slightly stressful part of the preparation, not knowing what to expect. The recommended dress code for women, the weather, and the unfamiliar ways of Africa caused mild anxiety.

As we disembarked, I quickly observed the port was taken over by seagulls, their estelas, and machinery with old chimneys that released serious quantities of smoke and contaminated at levels I’ve only seen in media. I knew this existed, and likely influenced by foreign interests, but to see it firsthand is a completely different story. I also noticed how women’s participation in public life was minimal, and how there was a lot of focus in gender… from the jokes our wonderful tour guide shared, to how people related to each other.

We were transported to Rabat by our guide, and passed by a lot of barrios with no roofs and likely no running water. I observed lots of debris along the way and soil rich in iron, until we reached the royal city of Rabat. 2,000 people live inside the walled area, and work for a dynasty of kings that has been ruling the country since the 17th century. No queens yet. The royal palace and nearby mausoleum were certainly beautiful, but what truly took my breath away was the Udaya Kasbah, which has been standing since the 12th Century. This citadel has been inherited by local residents throughout the centuries, and has turned into a dynasty itself. The amount of cats and beautiful doors and windows make the sight quite picturesque, but the lack of sanitation can certainly kill one’s appetite. In several occasions I witnessed naked bread being handled by bare hands and a constellation of flies that unfortunately made the bread look like raisin bread.

Luckily, our tour included lunch in a more sanitized and heavily guarded restaurant in Casablanca near the port with a great assortment of local cuisine, wines, desserts, and Moroccan tea. The eggplant in particular made me smile, along with just its’ beautiful “palace-like” decor. Even though it was a tourist trap, it was a good way for someone like me to get a taste of the culture. Our experience in general included a lot of people taking care of us in multiple venues, which makes me wonder about how “unescorted” circumstances would feel like. I must say though, between the employees who worked at the visited establishments and our tour guide, I’ve never seen people work harder. This is the inner conflict that, even though Morocco in general felt a little uneasy, the people who shaped our experience felt like they cared and would fight nail and tooth for us. Even if this was part of the “fantasy,” I was really into it lol

Our tour guide Ali was quite the comedian. This older gentleman with a distinctive mustache would say jokes to put us with delicate western sensitivities at ease with the contrasting. His quips even had amusing callbacks. He was talking at some point about women slowly gaining more rights in Morocco. One of these examples was that now husbands need to ask for their wives’ permission in order to get another wife. He then proceeded to make this universal joke: “The problem of course, it doesn’t tend to be with 4 wives, the problem is that man now has 4 mother-in-laws to deal with.” The bus roared in laughter. Later in the afternoon, the tour was interrupted by what appeared to be a frenemy of our tour guide. Ali was in the middle of one of his carefully planned speeches (which he gave in 3 languages), and this random young-ish guy just came to rudely chat with him, not stopping until Ali acknowledged him. After exchanging “pleasantries,” Ali directs himself to our group and annoyedly says: “Ladies and gentlemen, this man is my father-in-law.”

Lastly, the jewel of this visit is the splendor of a multimillion dollar mosque called Hassan II after Morocco’s former king (and the current king’s father). This work of art has no rival as far as I know. This mosque is the second biggest in the world, and it borrows elements from multiple heritages: Muslim, Christian, and Jewish. I personally thought I had walked into a fantasy palace, something out of a dream. I’ve never visited such an evocative and healing building. It is large, hand carved by artisans, with angles that match the heavens, filled with sacred geometry details, imperceptible technology (hidden speakers, rooftops that open to heavens), and a much envied location over the ocean, providing cool breezes that relieve the soul from the heat and from whatever that might trouble you. If you were to only do one thing in Morocco, visiting this mosque should be on top of your list.

Now, a general and more sadder commentary: this “together yet separate” vibe for the genders was hard to watch, although I respect of course that we all have different ways of seeing. I couldn’t help but think that this country would be more beautiful and maybe even cleaner if more feminine energy came in to bring balance to things. This vibe was quite triggering, since it reminded me of the heavy dose of machismo I experienced in Puerto Rico growing up as well. In Morocco, outside of holy places like the mosques, most of the landscape felt like the punch line of the common standup jokes we hear in the US of how bad things turn when “men take shortcuts.” This tension is such a common trope in North American television, and it felt like basically the kens took over the public spaces, reducing the virility of the collective energy.

This is not fact, but a likely unpopular opinion and generalization: At this point in human history, what we’ll call “traditionally-masculine” energy creates public monuments and works to impress the “traditionally-feminine” energy, and this tension shapes a lot of things. While ignoring the complex history of the region, and the foreign oppressive influences at hand here, the amount of unfinished construction, debris, and lack of sanitation makes me think that this world could use more visible women in the public sphere. The balanced tension of all genders likely makes the world better, and advance us into whatever’s next. To learn more, a great book to read is Robert Greeny’s Laws of Human Nature. https://www.amazon.com/Laws-Human-Nature-Robert-Greene/dp/0525428143

0 notes