#an keep track of who show up where and my own opinions on why these ppl r facing their specific brand of 'haunting' and how it ties to fell

[deacf-coffee-is-a-sin]

yall i know im late to the party but u HAVE to read 13 storeys by jonathan sims. holy fucking shit this book was so fucking good

[7ndipity]

Every Little Thing

Yoongi x Reader

Summary: When you overhear Yoongi talking about how clingy you’ve been lately, you decide to take a step back from your friendship to give him space. But your sudden absence goes far from unnoticed by him.

Word Count: 2k(wtf?!)

Warnings: angst, swearing, only partially proofread

A/N: Thanks so much to the lovely anon who requested this! This story, I... I don’t know what happened, I went from struggling to get it to work at all to getting waayy too carried away. I kinda had to stop myself at the end before it shifted into something else, but maybe if y’all want a part two, we can pick up from there?

Masterlist

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As you got off the elevator, you couldn’t help the faint bounce in your step as you made your way to Yoongi’s studio, your bag slung over one shoulder, a grocery bag of snacks and drinks for the two of you to share.

Ever since you and Yoongi(and in turn, the rest of the members) had become friends, The Genius Lab had become a hideaway of sorts for you. Whenever you were feeling stressed or overwhelmed, you knew you could call Yoongi, and he would tell you to come over, letting you camp out on his couch while he worked, occasionally asking for your thoughts or opinions on a specific song or line.

As you neared his studio door, you noticed it was slightly ajar, allowing the voices from inside to slip out into the hall, quickly recognizing them as Yoongi’s and Namjoon’s.

“You wanna come to lunch with me and Hoseok?” Namjoon asked.

“Agh, I can’t, I told Y/n’s we could hang out today.” You heard Yoongi’s chair creak as he stretched, letting out a groan.

“Again? That’s like the third time this week, people are gonna start thinking you’re a couple or something at this rate.” Joon joked, making your cheeks flush lightly.

“Nah, it’s nothing like that,” Yoongi replied, sounding tired. “They’re just being clingier than usual, you know what they’re like.”

You frowned at his words. What did he mean by that?

“I know it’s just cause they’ve been stressed lately,” Yoongi continued. “But honestly, it’s gotten to the point where it’s weirder for them to not be here.”

Joon chuckled. “I’m surprised you don’t find that annoying.”

“I didn’t say that I don’t,” Yoongi said. “But it’s Y/n, so I let it slide. Anyway, on that track you showed me-”

You stepped back from the door, the sudden tightness in your chest making it slightly difficult to breathe as you quietly made your back down the hall to the elevators. As the metal doors closed, you replayed what you had overheard in your head.

Yoongi had always told you that he didn’t mind you hanging around, but maybe you had started to abuse that privilege, grown too dependent on him. Was that how he really felt about you? Had you become a nuisance? And if so, why hadn’t he said anything?

Pulling your phone out of your pocket, you quickly found his number and hit the call icon, trying to swallow down the lump in your throat before he picked up on the second ring.

“Hey, are you almost here?” He answered, sounding much brighter than a few minutes ago.

“Uh, actually, I don’t think I can make it today.” You said, trying to keep your voice steady.

“Is everything okay?” He asked, concerned.

No, one of my best friends hates me. “Yeah, everything’s fine, something just came up, sorry.” You bit your lip, managing to slip out of the building without running into any of the other members and making your way down the street to the bus stop.

“Okay.” He sounded unconvinced. “Is it anything I can help with, or-?”

“No, no it’s-, it’s a work thing.” You said, the words falling flat on your own ears. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Alright.” He said reluctantly. “Bye.”

“Bye.” You hung up, letting out a deep breath.

You could tell he hadn’t believed you, but you didn’t really care at the moment. If he wasn’t going to be honest with you, why should you be any different?

Suddenly presented with the afternoon to yourself, you decided to head to the park, wandering along the river as you thought over everything.

You and Yoongi had come here together not long after you had moved to the city, the last few blooms of the cherry blossom season clinging on stubbornly to their branches. He’d promised to bring you back the next year, so you could see them in their full glory at peak bloom.

Of course, life and work had gotten in the way, as they often did, and before either of you had realized, the season had nearly passed again before he could keep his word. You’d told him at the time that it didn’t matter, you’d just been happy to spend time with him, a recurring theme for you apparently…

Had you been a bother to him back then as well? You didn’t believe so, but the earlier sting of his words had left you questioning everything, even if you knew it might be an over-reaction.

It was dark by the time you made it home, flopping down on the sofa with a tired sigh as you contemplated your options.

So you’d been bugging him lately, that was an easily fixable problem, right? Just leave him alone for a bit, it was as simple as that, wasn’t it?

You weren’t so sure as your phone suddenly buzzed on the cushion next to you, drawing your attention to Yoongi’s name illuminated on the screen. You’d forgotten you said you’d call him.

‘Hadn’t heard from you, just wanted to make sure you’re okay?’ The text read.

Now who’s the clingy one? Was your immediate first thought.

‘I’m fine, just tired. Talk to you tomorrow.’ You typed shortly before turning off your phone and going to bed, with no intention of texting him the next day unless he did so first.

For the next week, you tried to keep up with your new normal; you didn’t go by the studio, you avoided texting him unless he did first, and generally avoided his invites to hangout with vague excuses.

One place you couldn’t avoid him though was dinner with the other members. It was a monthly tradition that you usually looked forward to, but as you stepped through the door of the restaurant, you only felt a wave of nervousness, for what though exactly you didn’t know.

“Y/n!” Tae quickly hopped to his feet to give you a hug, the others all greeting you enthusiastically. You noticed Yoongi didn’t speak, only nodding to you politely, but his eyes never left you for a second, seeming to study your every move.

“Y/n, do you want my seat? I know you usually prefer to sit by Yoongi-hyung.” Jungkook asked, starting to get to his feet, but you quickly waved him to sit.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to move for me, I’m fine over here.” You said, settling in the free seat next to Jimin, which happened to be directly across the table from Yoongi.

Everyone quickly settled into their usual routines and conversations, the mix of voices blurring into an almost comforting buzz, allowing you to zone out for a moment and relax, but a single low voice managed to snap you back to attention.

“I haven’t seen you all week.” Yoongi said quietly, a noticeable heaviness in his voice.

“Yeah, things have just been kinda busy.” You tried to say convincingly, but it was hard to pull off under his gaze. Luckily, Jin asked you about something from the show you’d been watching and gave you an easy out of the conversation.

You managed to get through the evening well enough, talking with the others, even making plans with Jimin for him to help you pick out some new furniture for your apartment. You’d felt Yoongi’s eyes on you all evening, but hadn’t said anything.

It was later that night when you were pulled from sleep by the sound of someone knocking persistently on your front door.

Cautiously, you climbed out of bed and padded to the door.

Who’s there?” You called anxiously, trying to remember where you’d put your old baseball bat, in case you needed to defend yourself.

“It’s Yoongi.”

You froze, staring at the door in surprise for a second before going over and peering out the peephole.

Sure enough, he was standing on your doorstep, causing a brief sense of relief that was quickly replaced with confusion and the same nervousness from earlier.

Not quite knowing what else to do, you cracked the door open slowly, taking in his slightly disheveled state; hair mussed and faint bags under his eyes. He looked the same way as when he would pull all-nighters at the studio.

“What are you doing here?” You asked.

“Why’ve you been avoiding me?” He responded with his own question, staring you down.

“I-, I haven’t-”

“Don’t lie.” He stopped you.

Glancing around quickly, you pulled him inside, not wanting to have this discussion in the hall.

“You’ve been dodging my texts and calls, you wouldn’t sit with me at dinner, you asked Jimin for help with furniture shopping, which you know he’s terrible at.” He continued as you closed the door. “So, tell me please, what has happened to make you start ditching me?”

“Why didn’t you tell me that I was annoying you?” You snapped.

He stopped, staring at you in confusion. “What?”

“I heard you and Joon talking last week,” You said, his face falling as the memory came flooding back. “About how clingy I’ve been, and how I’ve been annoying you by hanging around so much.”

“You haven’t been-”

“Don’t.” It was your turn to cut him off. “Don’t try to tell me that it’s not true or you didn’t mean it. What I want to know is why you weren’t just honest with me?” You hated the way your voice started to shake as you spoke. “Why didn’t you just tell me to fuck off or something? Why do you put up with me if I'm such an annoyance?!”

“Because I fucking love you!” He blurted out.

You froze, staring at him in shock. “What?!”

“I-, I love you.” He said quietly.

“You love me?” You repeated, hurt and frustration still churning in your stomach, not letting you take his words to heart. “You love me, but you think I’m annoying?”

“I think everyone’s annoying!” He tossed his hands up in frustration. “The difference is that I like your annoyance!

“I like that you’re loud and weird and make terrible jokes, I like that you nag me to take better care of myself.” He said. “I like that you’re happy holed up in my studio with me. I like that you sing along to every song that you recognize, even without realizing that you’re doing it.”

He took a cautious step closer, pleading with his eyes as he spoke.

“I like every little annoying thing that you do, because they’re what make you you. I’m so sorry that I made you think anything otherwise.”

You hadn’t moved as he spoke, fighting the tremble in your lip as your eyes had misted over with tears.

“Y/n?” He asked anxiously.

You didn’t speak, choosing instead to lunge forward, wrapping your arms tightly around him in a bruising hug. He staggering back slightly at the force of the collision, arms immediately coming up to hold you in an equally tight embrace.

“I missed you.” You sniffled, burying your face in his chest.

“I missed you too.” He replied, holding you tighter, pressing a soft kiss to your head. “I’m also sorry for telling you I loved you in a shitty way.”

“Eh, it’s kinda on brand for us, honestly.” You teased, making him let out a huff of laughter.

“I guess you’re right, fuck.” He shook his head.

“You wanna try again?” You offered.

He pulled back to look at you. “Really?”

You nodded. “If you want to.”

He nodded, pulling away enough to take your hand, running his thumb over your knuckles as he pressed his lips together nervously, eyes shaking slightly as he met your gaze.

“I love you, Y/n.”

He’d barely gotten the last word out before your lips were on his, effectively shutting you both up for the next several minutes.

When you finally pulled back, his eyes were blown wide, lips swollen and red from your assault, his breaths coming out in shaky puffs.

“I love you too, by the way.” You said, grinning at his slightly dazed expression.

“Cool, c’mere.” He said, pulling you back in, making you giggle as he eagerly reconnected your mouths.

Taglist: @sopebubbles-replies @btsw1fe @this-must-be-my-tardis @whitefoxgirl @bethanysnow @coffeedepressionsoup @main-bangtansmauyeondan @captainorangegoose @k4ngelz

[wosoimagines]

Tall Tales - Alyssa Naeher/Reader

part one | part two

prompt: part two to Our Own Litle Book Club where Alyssa helps open up a book store.

warnings: none.

words: 1562

i hope you guys like this cause i'm hoping to get back into writing and maybe even setting a schedule for it to help keep me on track since i'm working two jobs and can get pretty busy these days cause i've really missed writing.

Y/N POV

“So, I have a surprise.”

Alyssa furrowed her brow as I pushed the box across the table toward her. I kept a close eye on her reaction as she opened the box.

Alyssa blinked once. Then twice. And then a third time before she reached into the box.

“Are you asking me to move in?”

I chuckled a little as Alyssa held the key up in between us.

“Not yet,” I shook my head. “I bought the place next door with the money I made from my book. Which reminds me, I really do need to do something for Rose the next time she’s in town since she recommended it to all of your teammates and on her Instagram.”

“Why did you buy the place next door?”

I looked down at the table as I fiddled with the mug that had my latte in it. I had wanted Alyssa’s opinion, but she had been so busy preparing for the World Cup and the last thing I wanted was for her to feel like she had to help me with it.

“I want to open a bookstore. Is it a bad idea?”

Alyssa stayed quiet as she put the key back into the box that was sitting on the table. We had only been together for a couple of months, but her opinion on this meant a lot to me. I held my breath until Alyssa reached across the table to grab ahold of my hand.

“I think it’s a great idea. Do you have a name for it?”

“That’s a work in progress,” I said as I grinned at her. “I was hoping that you’d help me with that. And maybe help me fix it up? I’m not in a rush and Arthur said he’d keep me on the schedule until 11 so that I could work on it in the afternoon until it’s ready to open and then we’ll come up with a plan for my schedule here too.”

“How much work needs to be done?”

“I could show you around when you finish that coffee.”

Alyssa shook her head as she turned back to her coffee that was only half gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I grinned as I stepped back once we had moved the bookshelf into place. Alyssa wiped the sweat off her brow as she joined my side.

“Now we just have to put the books on the shelves.” Alyssa let out a small groan as I waved her off. “I can do it tomorrow with the others.”

“You sure you want the others to put the books up with you?”

I rolled my eyes at that before I tossed the water bottle over to her. Alyssa had met most of the people I had hired but she had insisted that the two of us do the work ourselves to make it our little project.

“You have practice tomorrow and I have the day off from the coffee shop. Besides, it would help if the others know where everything is at so that they can help people find what they’re looking for when we open next week,” I said. I had been training everyone who was hired how to use our system, but it had been easy since a couple of the people coming to work at the bookstore also work at the coffee shop with me. “Besides, you have your national team camp to worry about.”

“I can always tell them that I have personal stuff going on. I want to be here for opening day.”

“Alyssa, you know you can’t do that,” I swatted at her shoulder. We had arguments over the topic that past few days now that I had set the date for my grand opening, and it happened to be while Alyssa was going to be at camp. She’d ultimately be in town as their national team camp was taking place in Chicago, but Alyssa was worried that she wouldn’t be able to stop by for opening day. “I won’t let you put your own career on hold because of me.”

“I want to.”

“And I don’t want you to. What if they refuse to call you up later because you took time away from the team?”

“Let me worry about that.”

“Absolutely not, Alyssa. I’m your partner, it’s part of my job to worry about you. I could never forgive myself if they refused to call you up because you took time for me.”

“So, you can support me as my partner, but I’m not allowed to support you.”

I sighed as I pinched the bridge of my nose. Alyssa didn’t even have a schedule for her camp days yet so there wasn’t any telling if she would have to miss opening day or not.

“Look, the team is coming for the soft launch. It was supposed to be a surprise in case you’re going to be busy on opening day,” I explained. I had reached out to Becky to help me set up the surprise. “You guys will be the first customers that we have. I wanted to make sure that you could still be a part of the opening, but I won’t let you put your own life on hold for me. And we’ll have the first book club meeting when you get done with camp. Okay?”

Alyssa stayed silent as she nodded her head. I was a little upset that I had to ruin the surprise, but if it helped to quell Alyssa’s nerves about possibly missing the opening day then I guess it wasn’t too bad to ruin the surprise.

“We’ll be the first customers?”

“Pinky promise.”

I held my pinky up so she could lock her own around mine. After all, pinky promises were the most important promises ever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I grinned as I rocked on my hills as the girls made their way toward me. I wrapped Alyssa up in a hug when she got close enough. We had been on the phone just this morning, but nothing compared to being able to see her in person.

“You ready to see how it turned out?” I softly asked her.

“You know I am.”

I pulled away from her before turning to unlock the door. I waited for the girls to pile into the store before I turned on the lights. Most of the girls gasped or squealed when they could finally see how the store turned out. I didn’t mind as they started to go about the store.

I did step up next to Alyssa though as I grabbed ahold of her hand. My eyes were drawn to the display that she was looking at. There were quite a few displays about the store. We had mystery book dates scattered throughout the store, along with a banned book display and even one for our employee favorites.

“In the beginning,” Alyssa read out loud. She looked down at me. “Are those the books we’ve recommended to each other?”

“I couldn’t have opened this place without you. I wanted to do something a little extra special for the two of us,” I admitted. I had even gone as far as to make sure that all the books were in order of how we had each recommended them to each other as just another way to tell our own story. “Do you like it?”

“I love it.”

“Good, because you guys are also working opening day as well.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah, you guys are going to come and work opening day. More press for the store and you get to come to opening day.”

Alyssa grinned before she pulled me closer to give me a kiss. I couldn’t help but melt in her arms. I was getting to live my own little story and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

“Hey, (Y/N)!” Sonny called out, causing Alyssa and I to pull away from each other. Neither of us being comfortable with showing too much PDA around Alyssa’s teammates. “How did you get ‘Tall Tales’ for the name?”

“You don’t have to tell her,” Alyssa said to me, but I was already shaking my head at her.

“Alyssa loves telling me all of the national team tales you guys get up to and she’s tall, so it kind of just worked out perfectly.”

“I knew you loved all the shenanigans that we get up to, Uncle!”

Alyssa groaned at that.

“Is ‘shenanigans’ your word of the day, Sonnett?” Alyssa asked. I immediately brought my hand up to cover my mouth to keep the laughter from spilling out. “I’m so proud of you for being able to use such a big word in a sentence.”

“Don’t be mean,” I said as I pushed Alyssa away from me.

“Let’s be realistic,” Alyssa said. She caught sight of the book in Sonny’s hands. “Are you sure you should let her read your book? She might have trouble with some of the words and subtext and all the hidden meanings in it.”

“Hey!”

“It’s okay, Sonny. You can ask me all the questions about it,” I said to the blonde defender before turning to Alyssa. “And you are getting no more kisses until you can be nice to Sonny.”

Alyssa groaned at that as I moved closer to Sonny to talk to her about some of the themes that she would find in my book.

[mossy123302]

This is going more pissa (romantic, correct?) and might have some...implied nsfw....?

My thoughts is very scrambled, and I have so much to say.

I always think about Origins!Smp Philza meeting Q! Missa...

Missa who probably got lost during his way back in his travels of finding Q! Philza a gift! Missa is determined to find the right one, to show how much Philza means to him and that he deserves something better....

But, uh, Missa wasn't currently sure where he was and now he's upset, not angry, but upset... How is he supposed to find the greatest gift, a treasure when he cannot even find his way back home! How?! He was on the right trail and still got horribly lost...He should have just brought a map and compass with him, but he didn't because he was confident with himself that he would find his way back. He always found his way back one way or another, even if it took much longer...but while he tries to find his way back, he'll just keep looking for a good gift for Philza

....

Missa, who, stops in his track when he sees two large familiar wings. Oh, ohhhh, oh lady death spare him, because apparently he was never lost at all?? Philza is here??? RIGHT HERE AND HE DOESN'T HAVE A GIFT- DIOS MIO

Missa was just ready to cry right there and decided he was just gonna have to make up whatever lie and present he has in his backpack, he lost his backpack

Missa was too distracted, muttering and quietly sobbing to himself that he wasn't aware that Philza already noticed his presence.

Well... O! Philza, to be more exact, who immediately noticed a new presence in his territory..his home.... He was curious to see what this new person was, and what bravery they had to be so willing to enter and well.... He wasn't sure what to make of this strange fella who wore a skeleton mask, and dressed in purple and blue with a few chains that seemed to be connected around his neck to his armor shoulder, with another skeleton over it as decoration...

O! Philza is a little disappointed, but he doesn't think this new stranger would have anything good for him...he looks... pitiful and pathetic like some wet cat.

O! Philza was about to leave until suddenly Missa called out for him and he almost tripped over his own feet, because how does this stranger know his name—

Annndd why is he crying— Oh Lady Death help him-

Missa tried to be brave, help him, he tried but he immediately broke down crying because he honestly didn't know what to say or offer as an apology gift, so all he could do was give a sorry lame apology to Philza for not being around and letting him take care of their two beautiful eggs/children all by himself

It took a minute for O! Philza to process and awkwardly stop Missa that he genuinely has no idea who he is or why he is here and that they don't have no kids and if he's gone insane— (O! Philza has standards, thank you very much- While Missa is very cute in his opinion, he doesn't plan on having anymore children nor does he recall ever adopting. Who the heck is Chayanne and Tallulah)

After some awkward conversation, O! Philza did finally offer Missa to stay at a nearby village until he can figure out how to...get him back to Quesadilla Island, back to his Philza and his kids. Missa is forever grateful to this weird other version of his platonic husband, and decided he'd lighten up the village as a thank you!

....How does one lighten up a village anyways?

..Missa will figure it out.

Missa itches every little instinct in O! Philza, and it's such a curse and blessing. The way Missa screams, and immediately clings to O! Philza without any hesitance, crying for him to save him.

The way Missa found some bravery in him to finally ask if he could preen his wings, because gods, he knows how important wings are to them and he wasn't gonna let O! Philza walk around, with dirty wings, like that any longer. He was so gentle as he tended to every feather and even as an extra bonus, he gave a massage to O! Philza and his wings as well!

Missa, in O! Philza opinion, is a god send...

Missa is super attentive, makes delicious meals that he's never heard of before and most of all, despite being weak, he still tries and is willing to put himself out there if it means his family and friends were safe. O! Philza may have...purposely stopped searching for a way to send Missa back and instead send Missa further and deeper into the forest...deeper where no one can find him.

Further away from civilization. O! Philza wanted to be the one to save him each time, to be the only one he speaks with... But Missa already has a home, his own Philza and kids.

That burned deep in O! Philza brain. Missa wasn't mated, as far as he can tell, there's no bite mark, no scent or anything (Though it could be because Missa has been traveling so the scent must have worn off), and yet he has kids! Literal actual children they take care of and takes after those two...

Now O! Philza loves kids, don't get him wrong, but even he doesn't know where Missa came from and as far as he can tell, someone must have purposely dropped Missa here without telling anyone and now he's just stuck here, so oh well.

But Missa never stops talking about them....He doesn't stop. He talks and talks about them, and O! Philza wonders how red Missa's face will get if he kisses him to shut him up.

Will Missa quiet down if he gave Missa kids?

O! Philza isn't quite sure of what anatomy Missa has, but he knows Missa isn't human at all to some degree, so it's possible...he could....

The idea of Missa being— He's getting distracted. He could just fetch some other fledglings from another nest, but...he knows it won't quiet Missa for long. It's not his biological ones, not the real ones but...

...Hm.

Mm.

O! Philza might not be so against the idea after all of Missa entering his nest. It has been awfully quiet and empty anyways...

[charles-leclerc-official]

Hi!! I hope you’re having a good day, just wanted to let you know I really love your race analysis!! I was wondering if you have any tips for newbies for analyzing races? I’m just getting into f1 but I really want to be able to understand the races and you always have such great insights! 🫶

Ah thank you so much! It means so much to hear that <3

So here are some easy first steps(I have listed all links and resources at the bottom)

Re-watch races/take notes: It can be very easy to get caught up in the emotion of a race if you are watching live. Re-watching after you've had your emotional reaction helps you see what actually happened from a less clouded lens. This may sound silly but seriously it makes a big difference(and you can tell so many analysts do not do this)

Watch free practice and qualifying: Not everyone does and as we've seen a lot about a race can be determined in free practice. Especially take note of what the drivers are telling their team as feedback on the feel of the car over the radio. This is really valuable information.

Play around on F1 Tempo - this is one of my favorite websites, lets you see the telemetry from races and also qualifying and free practice. Just mess around comparing laps and understanding how the site works. It may look scary but you get the hang of it pretty quickly. It's really fun!

Don't expect to be an expert on everything: I'm obviously way more dialed into everything going on at Ferrari with their car development and drivers than say Haas. So focus on the teams and drivers you care about, don't think you need to do it all at once.

I know this doesn't sound like much but it seriously will get you started, most people(who claim to be analysts) don't even do this much, they watch the race and call it good(and that is totally valid by the way, this post is if you really want to dig into analysis).

These next few tips are if you want to get even more involved ↓

5. Learn some of the basic parts of an F1 car: You don't need to learn all 20,000 that Williams has on their spreadsheet, but familiarize yourself with the major components of an F1 car and their general function.

6. Research track characteristics: Every track is different and that always plays a role in analysis. The Formula 1 website has a tab on the race schedule where you can learn about a track, it's a good overview of what a track is like and gives some helpful stats.

7. Learn tyres: knowing tyre compounds, their functions, and how track conditions affect them makes a big difference. When I started watching F1 at first I was always confused by why cars were behaving a certain way, then I learned about tyres and a lot of things started to make sense. It's a really important part of in depth race analysis in my opinion.

8. F1 race visualizer: helps you look at positioning so you can see lap by lap replay for the ordering of the track. This is really helpful to see overall track shifts, and also to see who was behind or ahead of who and for how long.

9. Watch onboards: obviously during the broadcast we are only ever shown a fraction of what happens in any given race. I always watch Charles' onboards. And if there is a moment I really want to see I can go check onboards. So if for example I want to see what happened with Logan's race, they don't show most of that, but I can see everything through his onboards if I need.

10. Follow sources reporting on current developments in your team of interest: these will keep you up to date with what is going on with the car on the technical side. You can see what the team is saying about the development direction etc. What to follow really depends on your team.

I'd say these are good first steps to take to feel more informed about a race and what's going on at a particular team. This is probably "beginner" and "intermediate" tips, and I advise starting slow if you are brand new. Practice forming your own opinions and making your own observations. It can take a little bit to get the hang of so remember to be kind to yourself and don't expect everything to make sense overnight.

If anyone wants I can also make advanced analysis tips for those interested.

The important thing is that you are learning what you want and having fun with it!

Also obviously I am here if anyone has any questions <3

Resources F1 tempo - for race telemetry data Formula 1 race visualizer - for field placement lap by lap Formula 1 track info - Info and data on any given track in the F1 calendar (Monaco for example)

[the-badger-mole]

Hi! Been loving your blog and writing!

I really like your characterization and opinions of A.ang. It’s nice to read fan fic and blogs that just gets it. Down the road and back again was just *chef’s kiss*. (Also uncharted waters I’m loving! I never know what to expect and each chapter is so good)

Anyways I was wondering if you have any head cannon’s of what a K.ataang marriage would look like? For me I imagine it being it being extremely passive aggressive, also A.ang is really selfish so that definitely would hurt their marriage. It’s kind of like the opposite side of the toxic coin with M.aiko being a screaming match and in your face constantly breaking up, K.ataang would be toxic but it’s quite and they would try to save face in public. I don’t know What do you think?

I kind of touched on it in Choices and Consequences, but I picture it being a lot of Katara swallowing her feelings and being a single mother to four children. I don't believe she was ever actually in love with Aang. She may have tried to tell herself she was, but I think the only reason she ended up with Aang is because she felt like she owed him. Kataang was unhealthy on both their parts, and while I do tend to focus on Aang (because he's awful, and I will not ever stop pointing that out), I think Katara was guilty of putting him on a pedestal. She knew the Avatar would save the world, and I think that's why she ignored Aang's flaws. Everyone wanted to end the war, but for her, it was a deeply intense and personal desire, and the Avatar would be the one to deliver that. It's a lot of pressure to put on a 12 year old who grew up slow in a world without war, and she knew that. On some level, Katara was aware of how much pressure Aang was under, which is why I think she was so insistent on everyone being gentle with him, even though they didn't have that kind of time. Then when he actually did end the war (he didn't, at least not alone, but the show refused to give credit where it was due) Katara felt some sort of obligation towards him and called it love.

Katara is a smart, passionate girl, and she would've wanted a partner who would appreciate that and respect her thoughts, feelings and opinions. The glimpses of her relationship with Aang in the early comics show me that she didn't have that with him. Aang didn't respect her feelings over those of his fangirls. He ignored her discomfort, and even thanked her for understanding why he needed to connect with those girls who were being horribly disrespectful because "sharing his culture"🤮. It wasn't their treatment of her that upset him. It was them doing something that offended him personally.

Meanwhile, Katara had to swallow her own feelings and smile through it all. That's how I see their relationship going. I think Katara might have convinced herself that he respected her thoughts and opinions because he relied on her as a caregiver and he took her everywhere, but I think as he grew into his own, he would've expected her to step back and be contented to be a homemaker/broodmare while he did the important Avatar work, which is why I think Katara wasn't present in that scene in LoK where bloodbending was banned, even though she was ostensibly the only other bloodbender in the world, but Aang was front and center. It's also my theory on why when Aang was about to go all in on pushing for anti-miscegenation, instead of her telling him that it would be a bad idea because of the effects it would have on the families and communities Aang would be separating, she appealed to how it would affect him.

I don't think their marriage would be passive aggressive. I think Katara would just make herself as small as possible and do her best to keep the Avatar happy and on track because that's what she owed him. She'd have moments of acknowledging her deep unhappiness and regret, but she wouldn't dwell on it. And she would convince herself she was content to be a devoted wife and mother, and nothing else.

[true-blue-sonic]

Curious to know the difference between Espilver & Silvaze for you (personally I definitely entirely disagree that Espilver is Silvaze but gay 😭)

I must say I've never heard of that statement before myself, though my gut feeling is also that they are not just "the exact same ship with a different person", so to say. It is mostly because Espio and Blaze have quite some differences in personality that affect their interactions with Silver, but I feel like the fact Silver's personality has notable differences between his '06 and Rivals 2 appearances also has an influence on it. And as I wrote this post, I also noted some things about Blaze's personality in '06.

So let's unpack all that, haha! I can understand why at first glance, it's easy to see Blaze and Espio as characters who are mostly just "the same". For example, they're both portrayed as the straight men of the bunch: for Blaze clearly seen in Rush Adventure, where she starts out rather irritable, dismissive, and unamused of Marine, and for Espio with his focused and strength-obsessed attitude compared to Vector and Charmy's goofing around and bickering. Both of them are driven and heavily disciplined, are notably stoic amidst the more zany other members of the cast, work swiftly towards goals, seem more introverted and alright with doing things solitarily, have the occasional moment of wit and snark, can certainly get flustered, and possess a strong desire for justice, among other traits.

But there's also differences between them. Blaze's withdrawal from others came from the pressure she put on herself and 'always having been alone' because of her pyrokinesis, whereas Espio's solitary attitude seems more like an informed attribute to me. Wherever he goes, the Chaotix usually are not far behind, and when he does go solo it's apparently either to go train and hone his skills or because Vector sent him out for a mission. Espio thus doesn't at all seem to have any of the self-loathing Blaze used to have in her pressuring herself: I would say that for him it seems more like a self-imposed desire to become more powerful, which he seems to tackle masterfully and with a level attitude. Blaze also has much more of a temper on her, which makes her easily riled up; Espio meanwhile has a burning desire to snuff out evil, but keeps a calm head throughout. None of these are really traits that affect Silver, but I find it noteworthy to point them out.

But.... to be quite honest, what makes this ask rather difficult for me is that Blaze in '06 doesn't have much to do, which I believe is a common fandom complaint. Silver is the only one to ever acknowledge her, and her role mostly just is to be a satellite around him who keeps him on-track and gives him encouragement and tips. There's very little of her Rush personality (hot-headed, awkward about making friends but getting better at it, not good at accepting help which carries on a bit still in Rush Adventure, etc.) that shows in '06, in my opinion. For example, a noteworthy trait of her in Rush is the fact that she was teased for her pyrokinesis and had high expectations of protecting the Sol Emeralds on top, which caused her to shut others out and put everything on her own shoulders. That is not an experience I would say can be skipped in Blaze's personality: it really heavily influences how she acted in Rush, and affects her to this day even after her growth. But afaik there's no mention in '06 at all of Silver positively impacting her with his apparent acceptance of her and her powers: the trait is merely informed at best, not shown. Basically all development is centered around Silver instead, where Blaze is there to help but does not develop in turn, if that makes sense? And thus, she's more of a blank slate who's very supportive of Silver and who clearly loves and appreciates him as her companion, but whose personality as we'd seen it one year prior is not really there for me. And that makes it difficult for me to objectively compare the differences between the two ships, to be quite honest.

I will readily concede that Espilver and Silvaze could have many things in common: I would say both Espio and Blaze serve as Silver's support in their respective games, where they keep him on track and help him keep up his hopeful attitude. They seem to be well-synced with him, and Silver clearly respects them both. But the main difference for me is that Silver generally is the one making the plans and handing out the orders in Rivals 2, that Espio also follows. Espio only steps in when Silver cannot do so anymore, such as when his powers are almost depleted in the canyon. Silver does not need him for any emotional support or to get advice: he already knows with certainty what he is doing. Meanwhile, though '06!Silver also feels like 'the leader' between him and Blaze for me, he seems much more dependent on Blaze for said emotional support and guidance. He turns to her when he gets stuck about the morality of hurting one person to help many, and she calms him down when he expresses frustration about being unable to defeat Iblis for good, for example. I'd say it is in such things that those little details lie for me: '06!Silver has a lot more focus on morality and world-saving, whereas Rivals!Silver's quality that stands out most is kiiiiiind of being a jerk at most times. He's got his sweet moments, also with Espio, but his temper is very noteworthy in that game; much more than it was in '06, in my opinion.

And to add to that, I feel like the '06 personalities are not carried over so much in later games. In Colours DS, Silver and Blaze start one-upping each other for a bit about how they each could have defeated Orbot and Cubot solo, which I would say fits better with Blaze's withdrawn and occasionally-awkward-and-overly-serious demeanour as seen in Rush. Silver's self-confidence and competitive attitude meanwhile is present in most of his portrayals, and thus also here... but gone are the questions about morals or him needing emotional guidance, which makes a strong part of his personality in '06 for me. Also in one Sonic Channel story, Blaze and Silver get off on the wrong foot at first, and it takes some time for them to see the value in the other being there as their actions sync. I'd say such a story and development fits the two of them better with their non-'06 personalities: Blaze is self-reliant and doesn't accept help easily still, whereas Silver has more of a temper against her at first. It's quite different from '06, where they apparently already are the best of companions and Blaze's role kind of is to give Silver support. But the main source of Silvaze content simply is that game, and there Blaze's personality is rather lacking to me compared to what we learned of her before, and Silver's personality carries more focus on his softer, younger, naive sides. Meanwhile, in the Rivals 2 games Espio offers him his help in the game proper and you can see how they affect each other afterwards, but Silver does not need Espio for emotional guidance or to answer questions about how far you can acceptably go to save a world. For me, that makes both ships just a bit different!

[chibrary]

title: leclerc vs verstappen: the true story of the first clash at the time of karting

source: tkart author: yanek sterzel format: editorial (english & italian) season: 2012, karting

Translation courtesy of Auto Motorsport on Youtube.

Excerpt:

Why – you will ask me – did you decide to go and do this interview that day after an ordinary heat? The answer is simple: Jos Verstappen. [...] At some point we see that Verstappen and Leclerc start with a good clash on the track. A bit rough, perhaps, but exciting. Verstappen has the upper hand. After driving through the finish line, however, Leclerc who had lost ground in the scuffle, recovered and in returning to the pit he came up beside and surpasses Verstappen in quite a hard way, so much so that Verstappen ends up going off the track into the marsh which had formed due to the rain. A real insult. I said to myself, “Max ended up off the track. In my opinion, Jos is flying into rage and probably slaps are flying in the closed park. Let us go and film everything”. Ronnie and I started running like crazy towards the closed park which, in Val d’Argenton is exactly on the opposite side of the stands. You should know that Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, is quite well-known for making “fireworks” on some occasions, let us say because of particular stresses, and we absolutely did not want to miss them. Instead, as you can see from the video, Jos is visibly angry, yet he does not utter a single word. Max, on the other hand, lets off steam with us while Charles, with his good “angel face” that he had and still has today, underplays what happened despite knowing that he had played a spiteful trick to his opponent just before. For the record, both will be excluded from the heat. Keep in mind that they had won basically all the heats they had respectively taken part in. Therefore, due to the only direct clash between them, they managed to get disqualified!

There is a video interview – which went viral on YouTube – which is the real historical testimony of the first clash (and it is appropriate to say it…) between the two young F1 drivers. Find out what really happened that time from the words of those who saw that episode with their own eyes.

The video is this and it is what today is called a “viral” content video. The word horrifies me because it is used and abused, yet “technically” correct, in the sense that, spreading like a virus, this video has largely exceeded the audience limits it was originally supposed to reach (now it is over 700,000 views) given the content it shows, that is an interview with two kart drivers (the young Leclerc and Verstappen) who are bickering at a distance over some disagreements on the track.

The moment in which the video in question goes viral is a precise date in the calendar, June 30th, 2019. During the competition of the Austrian F1 Grand Prix, those who were at that moment two of the most talented young F1 drivers that the highest series can offer, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) get involved into a contact while fighting for the victory, as shown in the video of the YouTube Formula 1 channel. Then someone notices that this was not the first time that there was a disagreement between Leclerc and Verstappen. So, the TKART interview with the two drivers, after a kart race 7 years earlier pops out. Since the story that is repeated sometimes is tragic but sometimes it can be funny, in a short time the video, unknown until that moment, is taken up by international TV and shared non-stop on social networks. Yet not many people know what actually happened on that day by now May 5th, 2012 in a remote French karting track where the 2nd round of the WSK Euro Series was competed. First of all, everything refers not to an actual race, not to a final, so to speak, but to a certain race. One of the approximate 15 heats that the KF2 (the category in which Leclerc and Verstappen competed) raced that weekend with the sole purpose of defining the starting grid of the prefinals which in turn sanctioned, with its order of arrival, the starting grid of the actual finals, the race which really counts in a karting event. In a race, there are about 10 -15 heats, as the number varies according to the number of participants. In a year, people like us who follow all the international karting races, will see a few hundred of them once all the events and all the categories are added together. To be honest, we do not write a report for each one of these heats or get an interview at the end of each one.

LECLERC & VERSTAPPEN Both born in 1997, Charles Leclerc (Principality of Monaco) and Max Verstappen (The Netherlands) started to get to know each other since the time of international karting races. After racing on their respective national territories, they arrived at the circuit of the competitions that count, the important WSK and FIA races and in a few seasons, they showed the whole world that they had what it takes to continue their path towards F1.

At the time of karting…

… And today!

Then why – you will ask me – did you decide to go and do this interview that day after an ordinary heat? The answer is simple, Jos Verstappen. Let me explain myself better. Me and Ronnie (Ghezzi, my colleague with whom I founded TKART) were in the indoor stands as it was raining  buckets, watching the Saturday heats of this race on a track where we would never come back too, the International Circuit du Val d’Argenton (France). At some point we see that Verstappen and Leclerc start with a good clash on the track. A bit rough, perhaps, but exciting. Verstappen has the upper hand. After driving through the finish line, however, Leclerc who had lost ground in the scuffle, recovered and in returning to the pit he came up beside and surpasses Verstappen in quite a hard way, so much so that Verstappen ends up going off the track into the marsh which had formed due to the rain. A real insult. I said to myself “Max ended up off the track. In my opinion, Jos is flying into rage and probably slaps are flying in the closed park. Let us go and film everything”. Ronnie and I started running like crazy towards the closed park which, in Val d’Argenton is exactly on the opposite side of the stands. You should know that Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, is quite well-known for making “fireworks” on some occasions, let us say because of particular stresses, and we absolutely did not want to miss them. Instead, as you can see from the video, Jos is visibly angry, yet he does not utter a single word. Max, on the other hand, lets off steam with us while Charles, with his good “angel face” that he had and still has today, underplays what happened despite knowing that he had played a spiteful trick to his opponent just before. For the record, both will be excluded from the heat. Keep in mind that they had won basically all the heats they had respectively taken part in. Therefore, due to the only direct clash between them, they managed to get disqualified! Despite this, they will take part in the finals (here is the “artisan” video made by Ronnie and me) with Max Verstappen (Intrepid - TM Racing) forced to retire in the first lap because of a contact he had due to a start from the very back of the pack, and Charles Leclerc (Art Grand Prix – Parilla) who will instead finish fourth at the foot of the podium after starting from the pole position, behind a certain Antonio Giovinazzi (Tony Kart – Vortex). On top of the podium we find Felice Tiene (CRG – BMB), second Flavio Camponeschi (Tony Kart – Vortex), while Anthoine Hubert (Formula K – TM Racing) will unfortunately end up in the tenth position. What an amazing race, especially in the last lap with Tom Joyner (LH – BMB), Giovinazzi and Leclerc providing a great show.

The rankings of the heat which was the scene of the clash between the two drivers. Max and Charles are part of the “excluded” group.

The overall rankings after the conclusion of all the heats. As you can see from the string of results in correspondence with the names of Max and Charles, the two drivers had started the weekend with the pole position and a fifth spot respectively in qualifying. Then, in the heats, they only had victories (except in one case for Max), until the contact between the two which forced the motorsport marshals to exclude them from the heat with the consequence of 26 penalties each.

The final classification speaks for itself and confirms the old saying “While two dispute, the third enjoys”. Between the two weekend performers (Max and Charles), in the end the third, Felice Tiene prevailed! Presently, Felice does not race any longer. He is a coach of promising young kart drivers and is happily married as well as a new father.

The map, taken from Google Maps, of the Val d’Argenton track. Just to show the distance between the grandstand (red circle) and the closed park (yellow circle) to those funny guys who in the YouTube video commented on Yanek Sterzel’s [Editor-in-chief of TKART – Editor’s note] shortness of breath. Try flying from one end of the track to the other in a few seconds! Just kidding, of course!

Sterzel, Yanek. "LECLERC VS VERSTAPPEN: THE TRUE STORY OF THE FIRST CLASH AT THE TIME OF KARTING." TKart Magazine. July 23, 2020. https://tkart.it/en/magazine/editorial/kart-leclerc-vs-verstappen-their-clash-at-the-time-of-karting-in-the-2019-austrian-f1-grand-prix/#1.

[dark-ambition]

((Ok, watched episode 5 and I have some thoughts on some broader theory stuff I’ve seen across the dash that I just have to voice my own opinion on. This is not me trying to debunk anyone’s theories, merely voicing my own two cents.

I’ve seen the fandom trying to vaguely theorize that Alastor has somehow made it in romantically with Lilith and that’s particularly why Alastor suddenly tries to make himself look like a father figure to Charlie while Lucifer is there, out of some spite toward a perceived ex, and also why he showed up to the Hotel, in an effort to keep an eye on Charlie, Lilith’s daughter. To be frank, I don’t think Alastor and Lilith are in a romantic relationship. I think the notion that he’s gotten in with Lilith and in some sort of romance with her while it’s heavily implied that Lilith is the one who has Alastor’s soul on a leash is….very unlikely, to say the least.

My main proof being this scene with Alastor and Husk.

Husk says the words “big talk coming from someone who’s also on a leash” and Alastor IMMEDIATELY stops dead in his tracks. His eyes turn into dials, which the only times we’ve ever seen him do is when he is LIVID, like “I’m close to tearing someone to pieces and I am giving you one more chance to BACK OFF” level of mad. He asks Husk to repeat himself, with it obviously not being an actual question and more of a warning to not actually repeat himself. It’s rhetorical, and it is dangerous.

Husk, recognizing this, despite all the times we’ve seen him talk back to Alastor and not even so much as receive a warning, DESPERATELY tries to take his words back as he is suddenly chained by the neck and YANKED to the floor, so hard that he starts to CHOKE. His ears are pinned back, he is stuttering, he is PANICKING, he is recognizing how much of a HORRIBLE mistake he just made, and rapidly realizing how much danger he is in.

Alastor approaches Husk slowly, literally winding the very chains binding Husk’s neck around the cane of his staff so each and every loop makes the chain tighten until he finally pulls it as taut as he can make. Holding it tight in his hands like he’s about to rip Husk’s soul right out of him at any second. The threat he is making to Husk could not be anymore crystal clear here. He is NOT fucking around.

It shows on Husk’s face, he is TERRIFIED, scared absolutely beyond words, to the point where he is cowering on the ground, not moving an inch as Alastor towers over him, green chains still wrapped tight like a vice around his cane, until they finally dissipate as he bends down to prop Husk’s chin up with his microphone. He is beyond furious, he is livid, and he is giving Husk the clearest most transparent warning a man like him can give: Say that again and I will fucking kill you.

And it’s only when Husk makes it clear that he understands does Alastor finally relax, his posture relaxing, the tension leaving his body, the icy cold glare leaving his eyes, replaced with an almost smug grin. He knows Husk gets the picture now. He knows Husk won’t ever jab at him with those words again, or else he’ll face the consequences.

Then what does he do? He snaps right back into classy jazz and happy smiles like nothing fucking happened while Husk is left shaking and trembling on the ground.

Clearly, someone also happens to have Alastor on his own leash. Clearly, someone, somehow, has claimed ownership over Alastor’s soul, much in the same way Husk’s soul is owned by Alastor. And clearly, if the mere MENTION of it is able to set Alastor off SO much that he threatens to KILL Husk and subject his soul to unending torment and misery at the drop of a hat when EVERY OTHER TIME Husk has mouthed off to him being something that Alastor just shrugs off like it’s nothing?

It is something that Alastor is FAR FROM HAPPY about.

It is clearly something he HATES. He DESPISES the fact that someone is owning him, controlling him, it makes him so beyond angry that he drops EVERYTHING he is doing to threaten Husk who dared to use it as a means of getting back at him for his behavior. And if Lilith is the one to own his soul like so many people are speculating, if Lilith is the one that is pulling the strings on him from behind the scenes to have him stick around the Hotel and watch over her daughter, clearly this scene highlights that he loathes the fact that she has any modicum of control over him, has any way of being able to order him around.

And I for the life of me cannot see any situation where that somehow turns into a romance. Let alone one where Alastor is infatuated with Lilith and despises Lucifer purely on the basis of him being Lilith’s old husband. I just can’t.

[grahamcarmen]

What in your opinion are the best RC scenes.

DON'T LET GO HAS A THROUGH LINE LITERALLY A BACKBONE AND DRAMATICALLY DONE EACH TIME!

so yes the fall through the sky and the kiwi and the final hold

-the last time she thinks she can trust him she trust him with her life

-and then she asks for the trust back and omg its! hard! for gray! but he does it and she looks so...happy for that second before they fall, -and then he ASKS HER TO COME BACK IN THE QUIETESTSOFTEST VOICE FOR SUCH A VIOLENT SCENARIO I CRY.

like what the push and pull and together is how they can survive to the next step of their story

carmen admitting that the reason he tracked her down at all was because it was him and she wanted to see him. its such a show off way to do it [oh you think you can bait me PSYCH I'M 3 STEPS AHEAD] but the real emotion that she wanted to see him one last time literally !!!! shines thru still imo. and basically makes me go...omg you let him track you cause its him as the story keeps going

the way that the maybe date has matching faces frames of them looking at the other from across the street

i think that the fight at the jail scene is underrated angst because once again the framing is that gray is disappearing from her sight and SHE CAN'T STAND IT. THE FADE FROM THE CLEANERS! THE ROBOT GRABBED HIM AND TOOK HIM AWAY! HE SHOUTED HER NAME!

i honestly love how in opera actually that gray can't help slipping out that he doesn't have a good memory and she follows up on that and he answers sincerely, like their conversations have this earnest tinge to them even at their weirdest points. grays openess is met with her compassion and her sadness gives way to their light jokes and his reaching out

and carmen obviously doesn't like that he's forgotten his year with her

and then in kiwi where they flirt "you're late, fashionably i hope" and it leads into a sincere apology that she couldn't be there

him recognizing she needs help in kiwi and going for it

the forest scene where she decides the safest place to be if she's worried about his sticky fingered ways is with either hands next to his sides

every single time that carmen interrupts at the himalayas [kiwi memory/ the psychological test/the window breaking]

GRAY PUTTING DOWN THE CRACKLE ROD. [she's in ur head boy let the light win let-]

Gray explaining that he knows carmen is good and true and needs their help and no strings attached they can lock him up if needs be just. PLEASE.

SO BASICALLY

1] don't let go scenes never miss and not just because of the repetition [please come back is haunting me tho especially because gray went from separating her into a league of her own into someone who needs to BE BACK and he's gonna be the one to help do it .]

1.5 the hug is my header for a reason omg she looks so ! happy going to hold him.

2] carmen admitting gray on the train is there because she wants him there (and basically anytime its from carmens pov that yes gray actually does have enough real estate in her heart to deserve this) it has the added bonus of a gray so grumpy he "lost "

3] gray's himalaya episode chipping him down to his truest regret is so visually pleasing to me and the way it ends with the current carmen breaking the window...yes...

[tied with explaining to ACME why carmen deserves mercy and they can deny it to him if that helps]

4] the forest pic. you know.

5] gonna placeholder the opera convo in particular here but

the earnest streak that is in their conversations that happens all the time even when something is a bit off. even tense as enemies they talk about the past and have investment in it, the casual opera date set up is light but also sad at what was lost while hoping for new, the flirtation of kiwi has a real apology in there, carmens open worries are met with him fighting his prickly nature to be there on that mission, carmen answering his questions/concern as dark!carmen with smiles, like...they're always so fond of each other and it breaks thru all the time and creates a softness in the atmosphere because someone ...bends

6] the framing of the date spot and that it never gets dropped really. gray looks at her and she looks at him in the frames. looking forward to each other even when not directly at each other...nice

7] lol yeah i'm gonna add anytime player tries to go :/ but he - I KNOW PLAYER I WAS THERE

8] i just. needed to know she was alright.... i wanna cry.

angst edition

1] the petty spagetti nature of them throwing their codenames in each others faces omg

2]gray not letting carmen get away with rose colored vile endorsed dreams so she has to confront that...she just cares for an imperfect person. thats all. thats true. [and the way he does it is pretty blunt but ends with him offering her his own truth back i wanna-

2.5] and him denying again that he cares is the worst thing he could ever do so he puts the rod down [even if he's still not in a place to pick something else up and still needs more internal work]

3] carmen always getting the big oof and saying his name sosososo sadly [and he say carmen ? so :( is she safe?]

4] THE JAIL SCENE SHE WENT FOR HIM AND IT WAS SO RUDE D;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

[beautifulpersonpeach]

I'm not a kpop fan. I found your blog through your anime suggestions in the tag and liked them all. So I looked at your blog. I've spent the last 2 days going through it and can I just say, you've made me rethink everything I thought I knew about kpop. Not trying to jump the gun here but now I want to dig more into this group. I want to get into BTS. Can you suggest some of their music for BTS beginners? I'm a 33 yr old enbie and my music taste is classic rock like Bowie, The Strokes, Pearl Jam, Pink Floyd, Nirvana. Your masterlist has critical opinions of the music industry and BTS but can you suggest where to read about this comprehensively of their personal views? How can I learn about BTS is a fully comprehensive way? I don't know where to start but I'll keep following your blog for more.

**

Hi Anon,

Now, this is a pleasant surprise. Less the curious about BTS part and more the music taste part - it's very similar to mine though I also listen to a fair bit of hiphop and folk - so this will certainly be fun.

I haven't done something like this in a long while and since you're a complete k-pop noob Anon, I'll start with terminology of two things:

I'm a fan of BTS therefore I'm an ARMY (plural: ARMYs). The fandom is comprised of millions of people who voluntarily organize and curate a lot of content about the group. Most of the resources I'll link to will be fan-made as this is media that synthesizes what BTS is about in an easily accessible and digestible way.

BTS is an acronym for Bangtan Sonyeondan which roughly translates to Bulletproof Boy Scouts, and since 2017, BTS has also meant Beyond The Scene.

*

Some resources starting out with the group to get a comprehensive idea:

A Guide to BTS Members by Taylor

(I think this is the most up-to-date guide video)

*

To understand the history that has shaped both the group and fandom, check out: BTS Hardships by xCeleste

*

To understand the songwriting styles and influences of the members in the group, check out: The Writing Styles of BTS by Mera

*

A fellow Namjoon-biased ARMY, @leepacey has compiled a nearly exhaustive list of everything good and bad BTS has ever done. Every controversy, scandal, etc. It's not updated for the last couple of years I think but still shows the evolution of the group in terms of their personal actions since debut till their more recent iteration as BTS. Linked here.

(I have my own opinions about BTS and many of these events (and events that have happened since) but the beauty of a fandom as big as ARMY is that there's variety of thought)

*

BTS has been around for a decade and the group is one of the most extensively documented groups in history going by filmed footage by the members themselves, the company, and other media sources, as well as in written resources. It can be daunting to get through it all. The Rise of Bangtan series on youtube helps compile it into a chronological timeline for 'BTS beginners' as you put it, follow along.

*

Now for song recommendations, I'll list three songs.

You got to know my blog through my anime recommendations so I assume you're an anime fan. I'll start with a Japanese song by BTS - it follows a chord progression similar to that typical of many Japanese tracks (IV - V - III- VI) so it will be familiar to you, and because this song showcases some of BTS's best choreography. One thing that sets BTS leagues above many groups in k-pop, is their performances. So the song I'm starting with is Let Go.

(Lyrics translation linked here)

*

The second track I'll suggest checking out is Dionysus. It's rock and grunge-heavy, and as is typical for BTS, filled with interesting and complex metaphors (lyrics translation linked here). I'll link the dance practice to the performance (done in 2019 and hasn't been topped by anyone in any genre since), because it hits different seeing them perform it while hearing the track for the first time.

(The dance break towards the end of the video includes callbacks to their earlier tracks like N.O. and BTS does such callbacks very often)

*

The third track I suggest checking out is Dis-ease. It's my favourite track off their BE album (2020) for many reasons: the lyrics, the old school hiphop influence reminiscent of BTS's earlier sound, the bridge written in 3 minutes by Jimin - my favourite vocalist in the group, the production and songwriting by Hoseok, Namjoon, and Yoongi - my favourite members in BTS.

*

One more song that I think best showcases the current era of BTS, dubbed Chapter 2. Since June 14, 2022, BTS is in a stage where after a decade of prioritizing group expressions of their music, they've switched to exploring their own individual art and music, and to make room for other obligations as they mature. They've not slowed down but switched gears, and no song best shows this than RUN BTS.

*

A complete guide to BTS's entire discography linked here.

I'll be here if you have questions. :) 💜

[saveraedae]

WHY THE TMS MERCH STORE HAS BEEN ON HIATUS FOR SO LONG + WHEN TO EXPECT ITS RELAUNCH

Wanted to be transparent with people since I know some are out there who've been waiting for the TMS merch store to come back for awhile. This will be a long post, so look at the red text for the key points in case you wanted to know something specific.

Q: Why did you take it down in the first place?

A: I was using Teespring (Which I'll refer to as Spring as that's what they rebranded to,) and it's quality, in my opinion, was BAD. I did not do research before choosing them as a POD service. I've had people who have ordered who told me their apparel DISINTEGRATED after barely any washes. I own a sample from them, and I can confirm. While their shirt and print quality is decent at first glance, after washing your apparel, the print will soon begin to disintegrate. I'm not sure a better way to illustrate this with text, but it reminds me of those Thanos Snap "I don't feel so good" memes from a couple years ago. Yeah, it looks like THAT after washing. Not to mention, their payment process is shady. I know 100% that some people placed orders, as they had shown proof, and it did not show up in the dashboard. I wasn't worried about making money off of it at the time, because I just wanted to provide people with merch of their favorite characters, but there was no excuse for this.

Q: Why don't you use a service like Redbubble or something else?

A: While it is true that there's lots of other options available for POD merch creation with built-in storefronts, I took the hiatus to do research, as well as included past experiences I've had with other services to support my decision— (which I'll state further down below—) and Redbubble's quality is also not good in my opinion. I've owned shirts from them before and they have a weird sticky feeling to the print that I don't like, it's not very appealing in my opinion. But this isn't only about Redbubble, other merch services I've come across don't have the quality as the issue, they have the PRICE as the issue. I am not about to make ANYONE pay $40 for a damn T-shirt even if it lasts longer than the other services. TLDR for this: It's always a mix of services having bad quality, too little options, or being way too pricy.

Q: So what are you going to do now? It looks like they all aren't for you.

A: I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to have to run my own store. No, I won't have all of the stock on me. There will be a few items that I'm responsible for packaging on my own, but the majority will not be shipped by me. I have to use POD services that do not have built in store fronts, which means that I have to import your order to them before they create it. This is unlike POD services with built-in storefronts, which handle everything themselves and (are supposed to) pay me after you receive your order. So this means going forward it will be more hands on for me. I've been working on building my own store for a few months now, and the pieces are finally falling into place, so I'm excited for what's to come. :)

However, there has been a bit of a roadblock.

I was really close to being able to do a soft-launch of the new TMS merch store, but unfortunately I'm unable to do so. Why? Because I went to create a Paypal business account specifically for TMS funding (to better keep track of funds that will get put back into the production and seperate everything from my personal expenses,) and when I created the account I got flagged as 'being under 18' when I'm 20 years old and my ID clearly indicated such. After repetitively getting put on hold by Paypal customer service I was told "It is just a generic email, YOU actually need to be 21 because you live in Mississippi." ...Which is ridiculous in all honesty. Through this Paypal adventure I learned that there are only 3 US states where the age of majority is not 18, and I just so happen to live in the state with the highest age of majority. ...Great. At the very least, I turn 21 in a few months, only then will I be able to link the account to the store.

As for a launch date, I do not have an exact date, but I have a rough, definitive one...

Expect the TMS merch store to re-launch sometime early 2024!

(Plushes will also move from Ko-Fi to the new site when it launches.)

:)

[brawltogethernow]

Scissors and heart for the fic ask meme for the one where J Jonah Jameson Goes Off about mutant rights

^^

drop the title of a fic i wrote + a symbol in my ask and i’ll tell you…

✄: something i deleted before the final draft

I am SO dedicated to mulching and reusing absolutely everything I possibly can from my first drafts I wasn't sure I had anything for this, but I did cut like 25 words and I will now write 500 about why. I cut an extension of the joke where Betty's asked why she's happy their boss is screaming with rage because Jonah would have to kick the assholes out offscreen for it to work, and they'd skip straight to article planning without a confrontation. Like:

“…Why is that a good thing, Miss Brant.” Betty smiled up at him so her eyes squinched. “He isn’t mad at us!” "WHERE ARE MY CRACK TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS?" Betty beamed. "See?"

That's much weaker scene arrangement obviously so I wasn't able to work the whole of the planned gag in.

Also culled in favor of the bit where Jonah remixes his memetic line and demands PICTURES! PICTURES OF X-MEN! was a variant that goes like "PARKER / Yessir / GET ME YOUR BEST MUTANT PHOTOS / Yessir- What, sir?" which is kind of Vimesian in a way I enjoy, but the core point of "it's weird to hear Jonah demanding a different thing in this specific way" isn't really clear unless you do the full iconic line, which is too long to have a yes sir-what sir joke around it. Like it has to be something short enough you can zone out through it and then replay it in your head an instant later, and the PICTURES line has a big pause in the middle. ...You can put the first yes sir in the pause, but then the whole thing still has to go early enough that it's plausible to have not guessed what Jonah is going to ask for.... So instead it got a lampshade where the Bugle staff get to lean on the fourth wall slightly harder.

There's also a bit, assassinated for being too implausible, where someone asks Peter "Isn't that Cyclops' name?" when he's texting contact name Scotty Boy and he goes "NO." I hate him.

Also not making it out of the starter notes was I'm pretty sure the first words I jotted down when I got the ask - I thought the snip at the end where MJ makes fun of Peter might be like, a more ongoing montage of post-publishing reactions? So on autopilot I hypothesized a fragment of spideytorch banter wherein Peter shows Johnny the article, Johnny goes "What is this?" and Peter says "It's a newspaper. They're very useful once you learn how to read." And then Johnny throws the paper at his face. This was written because it's closer to my wheelhouse than the actual premise and deleted because it contributes absolutely nothing. There is no reason for more people that many degrees of separation away from the core concept of the prompt to be there.

Generally if I have come up with a tangent with any redeeming value that isn't actively contradicted by something more important I will add it in, but this fic came with a point it actually mattered to lose track of, which directly contributed to it being, in my opinion, noticeably higher quality than my average output - less meandering and simultaneously longer. A lot of the writing process on the Jonah fic was me going "can I stop now?", mentally substituting in some real world minority in place of mutants, and then if the result made me want to go lean over the washing machine and slam the door repeatedly on my own head, that meant it wasn't done. Who Knew Being Forced (at prompt point) To Stand For Something Improves Your Work.

♡: my favorite part

I think I nailed keeping the pacing up by cutting between interconnected scenes, if that counts. I really like how the flow of the first bit reads, and it was really satisfying to put together. It was also just a lot of fun to juggle a modern-flavored conflict and my preferred vintage comic aesthetic and cast, and to sneak in a bunch of continuity nods and cameos and tidbits of concepts. I just had a blast writing and publishing the whole thing, honestly. It was a great ask, and I'm really glad people like it.

The fic.

[bluebudgie]

So I have this long-standing tradition where, after I finish a video game, I sit down and listen to the soundtrack outside of the game's context.

It serves as a sort of "conclusion" to the experience and simultaneously helps me evaluate the game as a whole a little better... After all the soundtrack is often what sticks with us long after we're done actively playing a game. It preserves the memories we've made along the way.

That means: I have finally found the FF Sixteen OST online in its entirety and could finally follow through with this tradition. (Debatable how much it applies considering I didn't actually play the game myself, but it felt necessary.)

The final missing piece to the pissbaby gamer rage essay. Significantly less raging this time, though.

It's okay. I don't love it. There's worse.

I had very unfavourable opinions of the OST during the game itself which might have been due to the overall pacing issues, where large stretches were filled with the same hub music and then everything bombastic all happened at once and either side of the coin was exhausting in its own way.

I still can't believe there are over 200 songs in the OST when I could have sworn I heard like. Maybe 10 or so during gameplay. A lot of it is very same-y. A large part of the OST can be split into "loud choir explosion" or "sad piano". There isn't a whole lot in between. Good for people who like it, not so much for me.

Which means my biggest issue is the very subjective "I just don't like the style". It's not a bad soundtrack, but I'm just really not a fan of the direction the music took. The battle themes are over the top (fair for the equally over the top DBZ kaijū battles, annoying with 3 wolves that show up on the side of the road). The calmer songs don't really hit right for me. No chord progressions or melodies that hook me. Unfortunate. I did however appreciate the electronic influences in the music when the alien baddies were on screen. (in this fantasy game that is based on medieval reality and that's why people of colour cant exi-)

I have also since learned that there isn't one acoustic guitar song that plays for 20 hours straight. There are like 6 or so that all sound the same. I don't know if that makes it better or worse. I hate them all. (I don't hate acoustic guitars. It's these songs in particular.)

That said - I was curious about which ones are people's favourite tracks of the OST and went checking those out in particular. Consistently in people's tops was Ascension and I can't deny that one's been plagueing (semi-endearing) my memory a bunch the past days. Probably the theme that stuck out the most to me while watching the game. If not the entire theme, then at the very least That Violin Part. If you know, you know.

You know what. If you don't know, here:

(footage stolen from here)

Like damn. Good rhythm going on there with the off beats. Also fits the relevant character nicely in terms of mood. And I like that the battle phase before this one has a more low-key version of this song playing before it goes into this full ham version.

I just kinda wish more of the battle music had been a bit more... this. A bit more... subtle. Like yes it slaps hard but this song legitimately feels calm in comparison to the other battle tracks. This drives me nuts.

There's one other song I keep getting stuck in my head which is one that plays fairly close to the end (in the final... "dungeon" (cutscene? sequence? QTE battle?)). I figured out today that I don't actually really enjoy listening to the song on its own but I like it in-game in combination with the voice perfomance. There's an interesting dissonance in it that blends super nicely with the voice acting. (I'm being held hostage by the game's voice acting. It's unfortunately way too good. Voice actors are once again holding too much power over me.)

Other than that... I have one final criticism. The prelude theme. We must. Leave it. Alone. Enough. It's fine playing once as a gimmick somewhere in the game (I do genuinely like the menu (pause screen?) arrangement) but having it woven into what seems like every 5th song feels like someone is smacking a sign into your face that screams "YOU ARE PLAYING A FINAL FANTASY GAME." Seriously it's unbearable. (Also I did take notice of the FF1 overworld theme being rearranged into a battle theme for the final segment of the game. I don't know why, but fine. Not complaining about that one.)

Overall it's a solid "mh" from me. Not the worst OST we've had in the series (thirteen trilogy exis-COUGHAGFNJKN) but definitely on the lower end for me. Not of bad quality, but not my cup of tea at all. Dark Souls III OST executed the epic orchestra choirs better somehow. More interesting composition. Spaced out better throughout the game. Idk.

Welp. Back to getting haunted by voices and violins now o/

[emerald-notes]

The Astronaut, single by Jin

Note: It’s been a long time and here I am, still stuck in ‘The Astronaut’. Gonna share some personal opinion on this and I swear, I’ll shut up.

Rating - 10/10

“A life, a sparkle in your eyes, Heaven coming through, And I love you.”

Where do I even start? I feel like no matter how much I rant, my love for this song can never be expressed in words. The lyrics, the music and the mv, all of these have their own charms. I just absolutely love it.

Let’s start with its lyrics. I love the references of the cosmos used in this song. If Jin was an asteroid drifting all alone, Army was his heaven, a safe place. When Jin is in darkness, Army shines upon him like the Milky way. “You became my universe” is enough to prove how Jin dedicates his life for us and how we have become everything for him. We all know from the previous solo works of Jin that he is someone who constantly doubts himself and it is the love of the Army that brings him back from despair.

Isn’t it amazing how Jin, and all the BTS members in general, show how grateful they are to us? I am also grateful to them for making us feel loved. This song directly touches the heart. It is, in fact, the best kind of love letter one can ever wish for. It is a song that feels too personal. I feel like it was meant for me, as an individual. That’s one of the best achievements of this masterpiece.

The music video is so cute. Jin, representing an alien crashing on earth, who apparently doesn’t have any emotions. The little girl of his neighborhood plays with him often and he unconsciously grows empathy within himself. On the day his spaceship is finally leaving to go back to space, Jin realizes that it is the earth that is his true home and comes back.

Here are a lot of indications. For a start, the little girl represents Armys. If Jin was someone without dreams, the Armys made him want to dream. Just like the little girl helped him with the development of emotions. Again, though unconsciously, when the alien Jin decided to leave for good, he left his helmet with the girl so that she doesn’t hurt herself riding the bike alone without him around. As our Jin was leaving to join the military, he had left his precious song and along with it, a lot of content for the Armys to enjoy in his absence. Even the morse code for ARMY was literally tattooed on his neck in the mv. Just like the alien Jin realizing that the girl was his true home and coming back to her at the end, our Jin also promises us his coming back after serving his time in the military. Hence, I love the music video so much and I keep coming back to it time after time.

I will forever be grateful to Coldplay for accepting Jin’s request and making this song a reality. They are the sweetest souls ever. It shows how a real artist can recognize and appreciate another great artist. I love the bond between Jin and them, especially with Chris. It makes me immensely proud how far Jin has come. While he considered Coldplay as his idol in his youth, he is now collaborating with them side by side. Both of their styles of music are evident in this track. As if two beautiful melodies came together to become a better version of themselves.

I can’t talk about the Astronaut without bringing up the concert in Argentina. Here’s another reason for me to be grateful to Coldplay. They really understood the significance of this song for the Armys as a goodbye gift from Jin and that’s why they decided to have him at their personal concert. I could see the admiration in their eyes when Jin was performing. I also enjoyed the part where Chris opened his arms for Jin to run and embrace him while he sweetly kissed him on the cheek. This interaction was everything. When, both Chris and Jin were singing together to my favorite part and they couldn’t help but laugh in between, we could see Jin’s sparkling eyes so clearly. It shows how overwhelmed he was with emotion. I won’t lie about crying to that part myself.

Finally, the “I love you” part deserves its own paragraph. Would you think that it wasn’t intentional of Jin to finish his last live performance for the Armys by saying that he loves us? I think not. Jin is a genius and an absolute sweetheart for that. The reactions of the Armys at the concert was genuine. They looked so happy and sad at the same time. And I love you too, my Jinnie.

I am fully absorbed in this piece of art. It has become a part of me and I am totally obsessed with it now. I thank you, Jin, for making me feel this way. This work of yours is going to live in my heart rent free for the rest of my life.

[marbl3-v0rt3x]

❤️ Nina Headcanons ❤️

She is probably my all time favorite Creepypasta characters and I think about her literally all the time, so I thought that I'd write out some of my headcanons to share ^-^

I'd like to just put a little trigger warning here because my depiction of Nina is a bit more realistic/gritty, and there will be frank talk of death, violence, and mental health issues (OCD, psychosis, and delusions). It's not particularly gorey or cruel, but if that makes you uncomfortable than this post isn't for you.

Anyways, these are just my headcanons and you don't have to agree with any of them. I'm just here to have fun and think about my blorbos :)

-I think Nina was raised by a single mother after her father walked out on the family

-Nina’s father left due to his mental illness and his own delusions that he was suffering (schizoaffective disorder and OCD)

-In my opinion, Nina suffers from Delusional disorder. Specifically suffering heavily from erotomania and grandiose symptoms . I think it’s both induced genetically (from her father, she inherited his OCD) and environmentally (the loss of her friends and the bullying she suffered). Her delusions obviously revolved around Jeff, and caused her to obsessively research him constantly. She felt like if she didn’t keep up with every detail about him that he wouldn’t love her anymore.

-Nina usually researched Jeff’s killing online because she didn’t have access to things like police radio. Usually she trolled websites like 4chan, reddit, liveleak, etc. Anywhere that like- gore and/or internet detectives would lie, she was there. She managed to track him across the country by regularly taking part in message boards and things like that. 

-This is all starting at the age of like 13-14. It definitely got worse over the years until she was 16 (which is when her story takes place in my headcanon) when Jeff actually showed up to KILL her because he thought that she was a cop who was close to catching him. When it turned out not to be the case, he decided to pour bleach on her etc as like- a test?

-Of course, this only ended up furthering her delusions and caused her to have a total mental breakdown. Which of course led to her cutting her face and killing her family. 

-After that, she packed a bag, took her laptop and pretty much just ran away into the woods to find a place to hideout/research on where Jeff went next. 

-For a while she essentially followed Jeff to town after town, trying to show him that she had become just like him. At this point she was fully delusional and in a psychotic state. 

-She actually ended up getting a mouth infection because of her cuts, and had to go to a hospital where her psychosis was properly diagnosed. Once the doctors had treated the infection and stitched up her mouth, they called the cops

-However, instead of being sent to jail, she was placed into a psychiatric ward because her attorney made the case for insanity.

-While awaiting a proper trial (she’s 18 at this point in the story) she has a breakthrough and is able to break out of her psychosis. The delusion is harder to break out of, but she does manage to push it down into her mind (which is why she is always conflicted when thinking about Jeff. The delusion is not fully gone, but she keeps trying to push it away and force herself to act “normal”)

-After breaking out of her psychosis, she escapes the mental hospital. Grabbing her shit and literally just bolting, however this time, she wants Jeff’s attention for a different reason. 

-Nina essentially goes from town to town breaking into houses and killing people to try and lure Jeff out to her again in order to kill him. But anytime he gets too close (or really anywhere near her) she freaks out and either skips town or goes quiet for a while. She doesn’t really know what would happen if she actually came face to face with Jeff (if she would fall right back in love or kill him on the spot. She’s kind of scared to find out because that would mean her life’s purpose would be completely gone.)

-She can’t escape her obsession with Jeff, and is constantly reminded of her obsession whenever he comes up. She also feels a compulsion to kill due to OCD, and that if she doesn’t kill people he will forget about her entirely. Her OCD also flares up when stabbing people (if she doesn’t stab someone a certain amount of times it won’t be right or it won’t get Jeff’s attention.)

-She doesn’t really kill out of love anymore, and now more or less kills people as bait.

-She is still a very bubbly and vibrant person, and she is extremely extroverted. She enjoys talking to people, especially when she has good days and doesn’t feel the compulsion to kill.

-I think that Nina is obsessed with scene fashion because It reminds her of her childhood and lets her reclaim the parts of her childhood that she feels like she missed out on.

-I headcanon Nina as being half-mexican on her mom’s side, and that she inherited a lot of her mental health issues from her father (who left due to his own delusions that he was suffering.)