#what other sports does Mexico play?

[sunnys-out]

Alexia, mi reinita, mi amor, mi todo | Alexia Putellas x Reader

A/N: Not me wanting to get this out still on Alexia's birthday like I'm turning an essay in at midnight. Ok honestly I would write a part two of this but that's only if people are interested. Again requests are closed for now.

So it's a little angsty, has a little hurt/comfort (I know this woman gives the best hugs let's be real), and some Alexia fluff.

Based on this prompt list: #4, #20

Warnings: Anxiety/panic attack symptoms

WC: 1860

Alexia had resolved it in herself that she would use whatever leverage she had to have you stay at Barcelona. She was not the type to use that card…she was not that kind of player…the type to threaten to leave to get what she wanted, but the thing she wanted was you. She had tried to speak with some of the staff about it but they were “conveniently busy”. With no success, she texts you “Voy a casa, te veo pronto, amor” (I’m going home, I’ll see you soon, love)  before driving over to your shared home.

Barcelona was dragging their feet with regards to your contract of whether you would be renewed or be traded to some other club, some other league, some other country. You had spent 4 years dedicated to Barcelona and had earned your spot in the midfield. The statistics you pulled throughout your career there were phenomenal, the kind that made your girlfriend proud to see because she was there from the beginning. So why was Barcelona playing a cat and mouse game with your livelihood?

______________________________________________________________

“Alexia, mi Reinita, mi amor, mi todo (my little queen, my love, my everything),

You know that I am better with my words written on paper than spoken to you. You still make me nervous when I look at you; I still blush as quickly as I did when we first met. I write this to you because I’m going to America to Bay FC…the deal has been done and the announcements will be out in a couple of weeks, but I wanted you to be the first to know. 

______________________________________________________________

The amount of times that Alexia had found you at that kitchen table with your head covered by your arms crying out your frustrations at another deal that went nowhere. She would never say a word and just quietly wrapped her arms around you and kissed the back of your head before laying hers on it. Once the crying stopped her hand would gently rub your back until eventually you began to move and pulled her into a hug with your head at her abdomen with a quick whisper of “let’s go to sleep”. Her only words would be “of course, cariño (dear)”.

______________________________________________________________

I know how you are mi amor (my love) but fighting the club is not worth it. It is hard to swallow the reality that the club that I grew up watching, grew up to play in, does not carry the same love and dedication I had for them…for me. You were one of the first people I met 4 years ago when I transferred from my club team in Mexico. It was a big move and you were there to just welcome me in, you knew immediately that I did not take change very well and was uncomfortable with everything. 

______________________________________________________________

Alexia, at some point, blocked some sports news outlets on your social media because of how overwhelming the “(y/n) Transfer Rumor” posts were getting for you. You did not want to leave Barcelona, you had made a home there with Alexia and the thought of leaving all of what you had terrified you. 

You could already hear the comments from the “fans” questioning your loyalty, why you couldn’t just confirm that you would be staying at Barça or leaving the team all together, why you were silent on the rumors? Alexia would be there with her head on your shoulder quietly holding you in the kitchen quieting the noises in your head with a simple kiss to the temple.

“Mi princesa, go sit down.. I’ll make dinner” she’d whisper into your hair as she led you to the table and made dinner while you watched with warmth at the woman before you. 

______________________________________________________________

I remember you would tease me about my accent when I spoke Spanish and said you would give me lessons if I made you a bag after you saw me crocheting mine on the bus to my first away game. I know that the Spanish lessons were just a way to spend time with me. You could have asked me to be with you at any point and I would have said yes. I remember you teaching me how to dance in our kitchen one night after saying that I was worried about making a fool out of myself at my brother’s wedding. I’m going to miss our 3 am dances we would do when I was pacing the kitchen stressed out of my mind on this transfer.

As you said, “Here I don’t want you to walk back and forth alone, just dance with me instead…I'm here”. I still remember the feeling of you under my palms; every curve, every line as I would take the lead of the dance and you would look at me calmly guiding my hands like how you did when you first taught me…yeah I’ll miss those quiet moments the most. 

______________________________________________________________

You had not gone to practice that morning due to stomach issues and you had to basically push Alexia out of the door so that she went to practice. 

“I’ll get some rest do not worry, mi Reinita” You say as she answers with a quick kiss.

She grabs her bags and gives another kiss pulling you in,“I’ll be home as soon as I'm done ok?”.

Alexia entered through the doorway of the shared home and saw several moving boxes littered on the floor. Confused, she looks for you as there is not the usual soft music that you play when you are doing chores and finds you wrapped in a blanket sound asleep on the couch.

Her bag is gently put to the ground as she rounds the corner of the couch. She sees the coffee table littered with papers and your phone with an unread message from her.

She quietly looms over the papers, seeing a copy of your original Barcelona contract, the proposal, the rejection to the proposal, another club offer and, finally, the letter to confirm intention to transfer. Your phone lights up with another notification; getting the attention of Alexia who notices the handwritten letter that remained unfinished under your phone. 

You were a semi - heavy sleeper so she picked up the letter and began to read as her soft smile appeared, fell and then reappeared.  The boxes made sense now, you were organizing your things ahead of time to leave. Seems that you received the news that morning, explaining why the staff were busy when Alexia tried her best to speak with them.

She looked down at your handwriting again…she’s so familiar with it as you have always littered her spaces with sticky notes of encouragement, love and everything in between. You always thought she had thrown them away but on your 2nd year anniversary she showed you the box where she had kept every single note that you had written to her. 

It didn’t matter to her; she kept all the ones that said “Hi Ale, can you get some milk?”, “Reinita, there is dinner in the fridge”, “I’m too lazy, I ordered pizza oh and I guess Patri is coming over?’ 

This letter no matter how long she will keep especially close to her.

Alexia sat at the other end of the couch and began to read the last bit of the letter.

______________________________________________________________

I know that I will be so far from you and that you will miss the things that I do. You were always a romantic like that mi amor (my love). That’s why I am going to leave you my favorite book, the one that I always read way too many times and have cried over just as much. The only thing that I ask is that you don’t open it until I am gone and you are missing me. Just saying not to is going to make you want to open the book even more but please listen to me on this one. :)

I don’t know what the fixtures of the NWSL are yet but I know that you will want to -

______________________________________________________________

You stir and stretch out your legs pushing Alexia in the process. The resistance pulled you from your sleep.

Alexia laughs softly as she pats your leg, “Sleep well, cariño (dear)?” 

You only nod as you rub the sleep from your eyes. Without a word, you sit up and look at Alexia who fiddles with the note that you had written. 

“I wish I was at least awake when you found out, amor (love)” you start as you shift over to be closer to her.

“Are you mad at me?” your head now lying on her shoulder.

Alexia looks, almost, offended at the comment as she turns to you.

“This is your decision, cariño, you know that I will support in whatever you do and wherever you go…I’m sad, yes, but seeing you living out your dreams has been a honor for me…so no I’m not mad solamente bien orgullosa de ti (only very proud of you)”.

She pulls you closer, her hand softly rubbing your arm as she hears the small sniffles coming from you.

“Promise me you’ll watch at least one game” you say softly.

Alexia laughs and kisses the top of your head, “Amor, I’ll watch every one”.

______________________________________________________________

The announcement came and went and so did you. You found yourself preparing for the inaugural season for Bay FC. The fans had taken a liking to you immediately and the management welcomed you with open arms. 

Alexia, remained in your shared home that now was quieter without your presence. The spaces that normally were filled with little posts were bare, the days for chores weren’t filled with your questionable music, and Alexia no longer needed to dance in the kitchen at 3 am.

After a particularly hard practice, Alexia returned home missing you more than usual. As she plopped down on the couch her eyes fell on your book that you left behind for her.

She remembered that you had asked her to not open it until you were gone to your new club.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg, it was the book that you read every year during the summer without fail. No matter how many times you read it, Alexia would see you tear up and close the book to compose yourself before continuing. 

She got the book and opened to the first page and seeing a small, sticky note,

“I miss you, mi reinita”.

Alexia flipped the page and found another one,

“You can text my mom for her soup recipe, she’d only give it to you”

A laugh escapes her as she continues through the book finding more and more of your notes that you had written out. She skips to the end and finds an older looking note.

“I love you, Alexia Putellas…” with the date of your 1st anniversary with Alexia.

And below with newer ink and dated the day that you had left.

“And I… I still love you, even after all of this time”.

[sleepyverstappens]

Race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase about bond with Max Verstappen: 'Never again with anyone else'

Although Gianpiero Lambiase is a nice person to be around and also an easy talker, he rarely or never gives interviews. But the down-to-earth Brit is also a man of his word and honors the agreement made at the beginning of this year. The delay makes it extra clear that he does not necessarily have to come to the fore and his extensive range of tasks during a racing weekend logically takes priority. Now that both championships have been won, Lambiase joins me. Who is behind that voice that can be heard so often during Grand Prix? The man who always sounds so calm. Except for that one time, after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021. So much so that many people still think that it is not Lambiase who is blaring on the radio, but the then reserve driver Alex Albon. Which is not the case.

Not a partygoer

The calm he so often radiates is one of his great qualities. “I think it is very important to be able to keep a driver calm in the heat of the moment,” said Lambiase. “That's just how I am, that's my character. What also plays a role is that – and I don't want to sound arrogant – I set the bar and my own expectations extremely high. Maybe too high. I want everything to go perfectly and I know full well that that's not possible. But it allows me to quickly rationalize and learn from disappointments. While maybe I don't celebrate the highlights as I could or should. Colleagues here will say that I am not a party goer, but that is just how I am.”

An example of this is the celebration, just hours after Verstappen won his third world title in Qatar. While he (Max) is once again lifted on the shoulders by his mechanics in the Red Bull garage, Lambiase walks with his hands in his pockets and casually walking to the start of the pit lane for the team's next photo opportunity. Another moment, last week in Mexico: when a fan has his picture taken with Lambiase, the local asks the engineer if everything is okay between him and Verstappen. It won't be the first and won't be the last time he hears that. Things sometimes get heated between the two, for example recently in Austin.

“But we never argue. Sometimes it takes more than one or two hours after a race to come together again. We both have adrenaline in our bodies, sometimes you need to have some time for yourself before you say things you will regret. And there are also moments when I think: I could have conveyed that better. Max will have that too. We may have different opinions, but in the evening or the next day it is always okay.”

Honesty underestimated Lambiase has been working at Red Bull since 2015 and has been active as a race engineer for fourteen years, so he knows better than anyone how good the mutual bond should be. “You know what is hugely underestimated? How important a part honesty plays in the relationship between a racing engineer and driver. Being yourself is crucial to working productively and efficiently. The moment you start thinking 'I don't know if I should say that, because he might get angry', you are on a lost cause."

So he is not afraid to push back from the pit wall. “I don't think Max would want it any other way either. He's not someone who wants to walk all over you. He is clear, to the point. That's how he was raised. His father Jos trained him wonderfully. I take over that task to a very small extent on the circuit, through my responsibilities as an engineer. That dynamic seems to work well. I'm not an expert in sports psychology at all, but you have to feel the character of a driver to achieve the optimal. That is something fundamental in my work: being able to trust each other blindly, but also having an eye for the emotional side. Especially nowadays, the mental aspect is increasingly important. It's not just about talent or the car, but how someone can deal with that talent and their emotions.”

In that respect, Verstappen seems to be doing well. And the Limburger has also been working with Lambiase to his full satisfaction since his first day at Red Bull's flagship. In fact, after winning his first world title, he even said that he would quit immediately if his race engineer gave up.

“But I can see through that. First of all, no one is irreplaceable. And secondly: there is no way that when I walk out that door tomorrow, Max's Formula 1 career will be over. It is nice that he says that and it shows how well we treat each other,” says GP, who now also reveals that there is an exclusive collaboration. “The day that Max and I no longer work together in this setting will be the day that I would like to take on a different challenge. I don't think it's fair to any other driver if we try to emulate what I've done with Max since May 2016. I see this as something incredibly special and don't think anything like this will happen again. So I hope that we will continue in this way until 2028 ( Verstappen's current contract runs til 2028, ed.). Unless he or the team decides otherwise of course…”

Important sensor At the pit wall, Lambiase is overloaded with information and data, but he emphasizes how crucial the input from the driver himself is. A regular occurrence during a race, for example, is the Englishman asking his Dutch companion whether he would like a different adjustment of the front wing during the next pit stop.

“We indeed receive a lot of information about the balance of the car and the condition of the tires. But the most important sensor is Max himself. We can make all kinds of assumptions, but these are such small margins. The feedback from a driver is very important.”

Since last year, Lambiase has also been the Head of Race Engineering at Red Bull Racing. As a race engineer, he has previously worked with Vitantonio Liuzzi, Paul di Resta, Verstappen's current teammate Sergio Pérez and his predecessor Daniil Kvyat. But what makes Verstappen so good? Hardly anyone can estimate this better than Lambiase. “In my opinion, he has learned a lot from the difficult moments that occurred in 2017 and 2018. He has developed a racing style that not many drivers have. In recent years he has also proven to be very skilled in risk management. In 2021 he understood that he had to finish every race and could not afford DNFs. That year was so incredibly important for his growth. With that title in his pocket and a competitive car in recent years, he can estimate very well how much risk he has to take on Sunday. And also during the qualifying sessions he knows that he does not always have to show his balls or be the 105 percent version of Max Verstappen.”

"I see this as something incredibly special and don't think anything like this will happen again."

Just as Lambiase says he learned a lot in his twenties during his early years in the world, with teams such as Jordan, Midland and Spyker. “I opened myself up to learning things from the smart people around me. Since then I have gained a lot of experience, also through all the technical and sporting changes in the regulations that have occurred. When Max was promoted to Red Bull in 2016, the days leading up to that first race in Barcelona were very hectic and tense. The expectations were sky-high and as a driver you have the feeling after such an intervention that you cannot disappoint the bosses. Of course, he already had a reputation and we quickly saw that he was an exceptional talent. I knew I was in it for the long haul with Max. That has also proven to be the case.”

Despite the many races and the associated travel, Lambiase is far from tired of his work. “This industry is so dynamic. The goalposts never stand still and we always strive for perfection. The excitement that comes with it is what challenges me. It may seem that way to people, but it is not easy to win even one Formula 1 race. Everything has to be right. You've seen this year in Singapore that when you do it wrong, you have a problem. The fact that Max has now won sixteen of the nineteen races is not just because the car is good. That is mainly because of him, and because we make the right decisions as a team.”

What does a race engineer do?

Four minutes. That's how long it takes Gianpiero Lambiase to briefly and concisely describe his many tasks as a race engineer. This goes much further than just talking to the driver during sessions on the asphalt. “Sometimes I wish that were the case,” he says, smiling. “As a race engineer at Red Bull, I am actually responsible for the entire operation of the car on the track. And I work together with all our specialists in the field of aerodynamics, simulations, the engine, you name it. Everything to try to have the best and efficient package on the track as possible.”

It doesn't stop there. “As is known, most of the development of the car takes place in the factory in England. But we as engineers at the circuit itself have the task of testing these new parts and thus drawing the right conclusions. Sometimes this is for the short term, to benefit from it during the race weekend. But sometimes also for the long term for the design of the car, for example for the following year.”

Of course, the car's setup often involves a lot of tinkering during the weekend itself. “Then it is important that the set-up and balance of the car are to Max's liking. That it doesn't have too much understeer or oversteer. There are hundreds of things we can change mechanically or aerodynamically, based on simulations, but also what we invented ourselves on the track during training. I also think I have an important voice in the strategy. As a race engineer you have a fairly large overview and you are in fact the person between the driver and the team. The driver's feeling is evident. In addition, our feedback to the factory must be good, for example what are the things that Max encounters. That in turn helps them to further develop the car.”

​

[transmutationisms]

what do you make of connor roy’s fixation on napoleon? (his new mexico ranch being named austerlitz, trying to buy his severed penis). there’s the obvious comparison to be made that they’re both exiled individuals — there may not be enough details in the show to analyse, but it is somewhat intriguing.

the penis gag is p straightforwardly psychosexual imo—he's literally trying to buy a phallus, like the way middlge-aged men stereotypically will buy like a sports car when they're feeling insecure in their masculinity. this is continuous with how the other characters perceive him 'buying love' and with the way that connor is the only one besides maybe logan who's clear-sighted about how libidinal economies collapse into financial ones. usury and onanism are both "the spilling of good seed" = a singular economy and hence the signification of virility and masculinity being entirely reducible to monetary transaction. logan finds this crass and his other children lie to themselves that it's not what's going on because they prefer to buy into the myth of other social values being 'higher' or untainted by money. so connor is the only one of the bunch who would 1. buy an imperialist penis and 2. brag about it.

more generally the napoleon fixation telegraphs connor's very simplistic understanding of power and politics as games played on the whims of a few great men of genius, and of imperial power-mongering as a means to personal gratification, amuseument, and actualisation. the napoleonic years were characterised by a surge in veneration for a fabricated sort of franco-roman politico-ethnic identity, which appeals to connor as well because it's congruent with his own idealisation of 'ancient masculinity' and appeals to classicism. napoleonica is popular in certain forms of very shallow cultural engagement with historical study, where the glorification of conquest and an abstract notion of strength are more the point than any sort of analysis or problematisation of events. connor does probably also identify with the exile aspect of the napoleon narrative, but this may be just as much about his sense that waystar is in cultural decline as it is about his exclusion from the family and from the succession battle.

[didalexiabreakupwitholgayet]

Maybe I got confused with your blog name but I thought you were a Jenni hater but… you're not! Usually Barcelona's big accounts all hate her so I took it for granted that you hated her too and from what I've read in recent months you've never spoken badly about her, in fact, the opposite. I wanted to ask you if you think that Jenni can still give something to the national team or should be left at home to make room for someone younger (who?) because I have this feeling that she will no longer be called up after the Olympic Games and in my opinion she can still give a lot to this national team but if Montse sees her only as a reserve in midfield then I think she won't call her up again. We must take into account that Pina will also return and Vicky will certainly be part of the team while in attack we still don't have a striker but I don't understand why she doesn't use her there. I was wondering if you think she can do like Marta and maybe aim for something more than playing a European Championship, in my opinion age should have no limits as long as you play well. And last thing: does anyone know if Jenni will stay in Mexico? I would really like to see her again in Spain, there is now an exodus of players who are leaving and it would be important to have someone like her. I know she is very good friends with the sporting director of Atletico Madrid but she doesn't seem like they are interested (even though she said it was her dream to end her career there)

anon - welcome to my blog! you'll quickly learn that i love jenni! 🥰

and yes, i think jenni has a lot to give to the national team. look at how she brought energy to the match against colombia and helped the remontada. and vicky and pina have so much potential, and can't wait to see what they do. there are certainly other players i would cut from the forward line before jenni.

and jenni should be with tigres through the next apertura/clausura cycle. honestly, atletí is in a rebuild right now. they have lost a lot of their key players to other clubs, so if i were jenni, i would wait and see how it plays out. but yes, ultimately, i see jenni returning to spain to play before she retires. i just don't think that's going to be anytime soon!

jenni has been one of the best false 9s in the history of barça and the spanish women's team. montse has no clue what she is doing with jenni and jenni is not a like for like substitution with alexia in the midfield.

yes, definitely do not want to equate the two situations as being equal. thanks for the clarification! 🙏

[luvhughes43]

soccer royalty | trevor zegras x reader

luvhughes43 masterlist🌷

request: Trevor Zegras x Latina!reader where she’s the daughter, sister, and granddaughter of three famous soccer players from Mexico but when her dad retired they moved to the states to raise their family. Maybe shes very private with her life due to how famous her last name is in the Latino community, and when Trevor announces that they’re dating everyones freaking out because he’s dating soccer royalty and he’s just like “huh?” Because she never brought up who her family is. 

note: i know nothing about how soccer works

word count: 0.8k

soccer was in your blood. your father, grandfather, and brother were all accomplished and famous players. when your dad finally retired from the mexico national team, after helping mexico secure their first world cup win, your family name became cemented into the latino community. 

you grew up playing soccer in california, which came to no surprise to anyone. however, after an injury in your freshman year playing for the california golden bears, you were forced to quit the sport. after your injury, you sort of dropped of the face of the earth. you had felt so much pressure from your family, and families fans to be good at soccer, that now that it was all over for you, you were glad to just take a step back.

therefore, when you started dating pro athlete Trevor Zegras, you didn’t rush to tell him who your family was. he knew about your injury, and that your brother was on the mexico national team, but he didn’t know how famous your family was in the soccer world. 

trevorzegras

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trevorzegras night out🌃🔥

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fan1 BRO IS DATING YN LN???

ynuser ❤️❤️

trevorzegras ❤️❤️

fan2 does he even know who she is…

jackhughes congrats man🔥🔥

trevorzegras thanks jacky wacky

fan3 jacky wacky??😭😭

jamie.drysdale where was my invite??

ynuser you’re coming next time

jamie.drysdale next time where ditching trevy and going out on our own liked by ynuser

trevorzegras jamie.drysdale 🤔

fan4 hard launching yn ln is crazyy😭😭

Trevor sat next to you on his couch scrolling through his insta comments. he read through all the comments talking about your family and how famous you were in the soccer/latino community. 

“hey … yn” Trevor started, tilting his phone so you could read his comments. you froze, completely unaware of how Trevor was going to react now that he knows the truth about your family. “why didn’t you tell me about your family?” he asked, switching over to google so he could search your family name. 

“I was going to tell you I just… i dont know” you trailed off which made Trevor snap his head in your direction and drop his phone on the couch.

“oh baby i'm not upset!” he announced, grabbing onto one of your hands. 

“i just, my whole life i’ve been attached to my familys name and i just… i don’t know. after my injury and everything i’ve just wanted privacy away from it all” you explained, and Trevor nodded along to your every word. 

now that he knew, you explained everything to him. the pressure you felt, the injury, your family's fame. he listened and understood, holding onto your hand the whole time you were talking to him. you weren’t ashamed of your family by no means, you loved them and you loved your community, it was just nice to have privacy. 

a few days later you walked into Trevors room for your weekly movie night. 

“what are you watching?” you asked as you laid down next to him.

Trevor set his phone down but you still heard the audio. 

“are you watching my dads soccer highlights?” you laughed, succeeding in grabbing Trevor's phone from him. on the screen was a twenty minute compilation of your dads “best moments”. 

you laughed again and Trevor huffed, grabbing his phone back from you. “what? he’s good?” Trevor said as he lightly gripped your waist and pulled you in to cuddle with him. 

“you’re cute” you smiled, pulling away to place a kiss on Trevors nose. Trevors smile lit up his face and you felt butterflies rising in your stomach.

“You’re cuter” he replied, pulling you down to place a kiss on your lips, his hands trailing down your sides. 

“mhmm, and by the way my family wants to meet you” you pulled away from Trevor who looked at you with wide eyes.

“they what?” he asked a little frantically which made you giggle.

you hummed in response, “yeah my brother is playing a game in a few weeks and since it’s off season for you…” 

“oh my god i'm going to meet your family,” Trevor said, pulling away from you and sitting up. “AND we’re going to a soccer game? what do i wear to a soccer game? do you think they’ll like me? where’s the game at? okay but what if-” Trevor went off on one of his tangents, nonstop asking you questions about your family, and how meeting them would be like. you answered his questions once he slowed down, happy that he was excited to meet your family.

ynuser just posted !

ynuser

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ynuser trevors first pro football (soccer) game🫡⚽️

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yourbrother trevorzegras so cool to finally meet you!

ynuser yourbrother you have to come up for a hockey game now!

yourbrother ynuser i’m down

trevorzegras yourbrother it was cool to meet you too! loved the game⚽️💯

fan1 trevor meeting the family🔥

jamie.drysdale looking good trevorzegras

trevorzegras had the best time! thank you so much for bringing me! I love your family❤️

ynuser i love you😭❤️

trevorzegras i love you more❤️

[miracles-and-butterflies]

Modern grandkid headcanons for the college/university AU

Isabela:

Finished college

She studied biology (specifically plant science) and horticulture

While in college, she worked as a hairdresser in one of the local salons - which also gave her a bit of business-savvy knowledge

Post-college, she has moved out and has her own flat

She and Dolores planned to share a place but that didn’t happen due to Lola deciding to stay on at university

She now has her own flower and plant shop

Pretty much runs it solo, but is very popular and extremely busy during holidays

Lili is one of her frequent customers and she gets extremely bashful around her

Dolores:

In her postgraduate year at university

She is studying literature and linguistics

She has moved out of student accommodation, having not enjoyed it in her undergrad years

During term-time, she now stays with Mariano and his grandmother, Claudia, as they live much closer to campus than the Madrigals do

She and Mariano have started dating at this point, but they have known each other for years as he has been in the same class as her and Isabela in school

Even though she didn’t study it, she is still is very passionate and knowledgable about music and plays many instruments

Luisa:

In her final undergraduate year at university

She is studying architecture

She is in student accommodation

Previously, she had always shared a dorm but this year decided not to

Is trying to convince Mirabel to spend a night at her apartment, to try help her sister get over her fear of being away from home

She is also part of several of the university’s sport competitive teams and non-competitive clubs

She has a very busy calendar

And yet, she still found enough time to apply and now work as a coffee barista because ✨free coffee✨

Camilo:

Currently having a second gap year, following him leaving high school

He isn’t too sure what he wants to do

He does want to go into acting but doesn’t want to go back into a school setting like college - he didn’t enjoy school

Alongside his friend group, they are currently travelling around the world

Some of his favourite countries they’ve visited have been so far (in no particular order) are: Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, Singapore and Japan

He always sends Abuela, his parents and Dolores postcards (but don’t tell anyone that) and brings back souvenirs for Antonio

Mirabel:

In her first undergraduate year at university

She is studying history and philosophy

Because, for some strange reason, you can’t get a degree in embroidery???

And no, fashion design doesn’t count, Isabela, you stupid bitch

She is not in student accommodation and has no desire to be after hearing Dolores’ nightmare experiences, she’s perfectly happy commuting from home (even if it is long and exhausting)

Though she is studying history, you can bet she’ll find a way to talk about needlepoint in an essay and somehow make it insightful and relevant to the question

Her lecturers think she’s a bit odd subsequently but they aren’t complaining with her good grades

Antonio:

Currently still in school

He isn’t at an age where he can pick his subjects yet, so he does everything on the school curriculum

His favourite subject is science

Like Isabela was, he is really interested in biology though his the more zoology side of things

He FaceTimes Dolores and Camilo regularly, he misses them a lot

He, Camilo and Luisa all play Animal Crossing and/or Among Us together every Friday evening - regardless of where they are

[samantitheos]

Weekly Tag Wednesday

Thanks for the tags @deedala and @jrooc. 🖤

Name: Sam.

Age: Older than Cam, younger than Noel.

First Pet? Buck, a black, long-haired cat who lived to be 23. 🐈‍⬛

First Word? I just tried to ask my parents...

First Celebrity Crush? So JTT seems like a common denominator among a bunch of us... Also Devon Sawa (I basically wore out the VHS of Wild America at my grandparents' house) and AJ from the Backstreet Boys.

First IRL Crush? Calin, my grade 4 "boyfriend." Also still randomly have dreams about him once in a while despite not having seen him in like 20+ years. What does it meeeean???

First kiss? This is so sad, but I actually don't remember. Probably one of my friends during Truth or Dare.

First Car? I spent my hard-earned cash working at A&W on this monstrosity my friends nicknamed "Hot Thunder." Smh. All I know is shame.

First apartment/house/dorm/whatever away from your parents? This tiny little house we rented that had bright orange 70s-era flower power wallpaper in one of the rooms. I'll spare you the picture, but nightmare inducing.

First time on a plane? Going to Cancun with my parents when I was 3.

First cellphone? Nokia 3310, I think. I just remember playing the snake game. 🐍

First concert? Rod Stewart. Thanks, mom. Lol.

First Foreign country you visited? Probably the US, but definitely Mexico when I was 3.

First sport you ever played? First team sport was softball, but I did a bunch of other shit even before that (ballet, swimming, figure skating). I was so athletic, I have no idea what happened lol.

First career aspiration? I went through a weird marine biology phase before I probably even understood what a biologist was.

And finally… tell me about the first time you wrote/drew/created/whatever something that made you think "wow": Feeling pride in my own work? Ew. But I guess my MA dissertation if only because it was 5 times as long as anything I had ever written before, and I didn't think I could do that.

Giving a little boopity boop to some homies. @gallapiech @lingy910y @krysmiss @mickittotheman @energievie @whaticameherefor @wehangout @callivich @camnoelgallavich @depressedstressedlemonzest @sam-loves-seb @sluttymickey

EDIT: My mom just texted to say she thinks "Buck" was my first word. 🥺🥺 But also that I couldn't always pronounce it right, so maybe my dad wasn't too far off with "fuck." 🤣

[leclercarchive]

F1: Fan of Senna and Interlagos, Leclerc seeks to change writing in Brazil

At first glance, Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc and Brazil don't have much in common. But not quite. The Ferrari driver may not have very impressive results in São Paulo - perhaps his best weekend was the first, when he was seventh in Alfa Romeo - and he comes from a very different country. But he is one of the drivers who most enjoy coming to the country.

The reasons are several. Starting with the circuit. "It's something I can't explain why, but when I was young, I always chose to race at Interlagos on the PlayStation when I played with my brothers. I love the curbs and the fluidity of the circuit."

Leclerc also always said he was a fan of Ayrton Senna.He was born almost three and a half years after the three-time champion passed away, but he watched recordings of his races encouraged by his father, a big fan of the driver who to this day holds the record for victories in Monaco

"There are several reasons why I'm a fan of his. His pace, his overtaking, how brave he was. There was something very special about him. Of course he was special in the car, it's obvious to see. But there was also something very special about him outside the car, a kind of aura."

And the third reason, but no less important, is the fans. Everyone around Leclerc says they are impressed by the joy with which he responds to everyone who asks for a photo or an autograph. When he arrived at Ferrari in 2019, many in the paddock believed he would change. But that didn't happen.

And, in Brazil, he already realized from the crowd that welcomed him at Guarulhos Airport on Tuesday, that the affection for him is great. "I have a lot of support in Brazil and it's incredible to feel that when you arrive because it encourages me a lot. I know what it's like to be on the other side, admiring a driver. I remember when I was in karting and I was admiring the F1 guys. A gesture The smallest thing can change a lot for this or that young woman. I know that whatever I give, even if it's small, has a big impact on people. It doesn't cost me anything to make someone smile and it's worth it."

Leclerc's fans are treated very well, but they have also suffered a lot in recent years. Lack of luck, missed chances, a car that gives hope for being stronger in the classifications, allowing him to take pole positions, but which drops in production in the race have been common ingredients in the Monegasque's career

"It's true that we've had ups and downs in recent years, and it's difficult to return to a high level after a difficult weekend. But it's like that in life too. The fact is that I love what I do so much that, Even after a difficult race, I still have a smile on my face because I'm very lucky to make a living from the sport I love."

But Leclerc knows that you can't stay there almost forever. At Interlagos, for example, he never even got on the podium. His best result was fourth place last year. And that's something he wants to change. "I had races in Brazil where I wasn't very lucky. Other times, the car's performance wasn't as competitive as we expected, but I hope this will be the year"

Leclerc comes from two pole positions, in the United States and in Mexico City. In Formula 1 simulations , Ferrari appears as the second fastest car, behind Red Bull. That, in itself, would be a surprise, since Mercedes usually does well at Interlagos. And it would increase Leclerc's chances of reaching the podium in São Paulo in real life too, instead of just in the video game.

The São Paulo GP will be held this weekend, in a sprint format. As a result, there will only be one free practice session this Friday before qualifying for the GP, which starts at 3pm.

[favoriteblogonthecitadel]

15 questions for 15 friends

Thank you @pigeontheoneandonly for tagging me! :)

ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?: My mom apparently read through a few baby name books to find my first name, but my middle name was picked after my grandma.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?: A week or two ago. I was feeling particularly sensitive (thank you, hormones) and I was curious whether my dog, who expresses love by licking, has figured out by now that my weird human kissy sounds are my equivalent of affection. So I started Googling "does my dog know--" and came across so many searches along the lines of "does my dog know I love them?" that I started crying about how much people love their pets and how much they want to make sure the pets are aware of this.

DO YOU HAVE KIDS?: Nope.

WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY/HAVE YOU PLAYED?: I rotated through a bunch of sports as a kid (roller skating, swimming, basketball, flag football). In my adult years, I'm more of a "go jogging or do a YouTube workout routine once a month" kind of person.

DO YOU USE SARCASM?: Yes, but I tend to accidentally make it very deadpan, so people who don't know me well are often confused because they think I'm serious lmao. I do love using sarcasm around those who know me, especially my partner. Good-humored sarcastic/silly banter is a love language and the way to my heart.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?: The look in their eyes. I get a feeling for someone's attitude and intentions pretty intuitively from this, and decide how genuinely myself I want to be around them.

WHAT'S YOUR EYE COLOUR?: Brown-eyed gang unite!

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?: Well-earned happy endings and well-justified scary movies (not a fan of watching people suffer for the sake of suffering, but some themes in scary movies are fascinating).

ANY TALENTS?: Words. Writing is part of it, but I've also been told I have a way of saying things that just clicks or expresses things thoughtfully, which I take as a huge compliment. I also make really good brownies and recently learned I'm a great teacher.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN?: The Yucatán Peninsula.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES?: Reading, gaming, writing, teaching my cryptid dog how to behave in polite society.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?: See above! Yali is a xoloitzcuintle, but has also been described by myself and my friends as part cat, part jackal, part deer. Yali picture under the cut :)

HOW TALL ARE YOU?: 5'4"

FAVOURITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL?: I love learning in general, but I think my favorite subject was languages; which, growing up in Mexico, mostly entailed learning English. Once I tested out of that, I switched to French, which was also fun.

DREAM JOB?: I plan to be the clinician that people go see when they need to check in about their brain's health. I also want to be a leader in the field to help make sure that Spanish speakers, low-income/uninsured, and other marginalized folks have access to those services.

Tagging @isayashai, @daggertongue, @miniature-space-hamster, @metzlishepard, @creaking-skull, @dandenbo, @hungerofhadarr, @whimsyswastry, @rowanisawriter, @greenteabtch, @galpalaven, @neonbutchery, @laelior, @tiny-banana-time, and @vlwl! Plus anyone else who feels like joining! Edit: adding @aphoticfairy because I missed it!!<333

[canitalkaboutsomething]

F1 in America is and always will be cringy and thats just part of the experience.

Many of us were sitting down or standing up on an exciting Sunday afternoon when we F1 fans collectively saw the cringe-fest that was Will. I. Am and LL Cool J's star-studded introductions of twenty of the best drivers in the world.

And as we were watching and cringing and closing our eyes and opening them because we were getting some serious secondhand embarrassment (at least I was,) we collectively all asked ourselves why this was happening and was the Fanfare necessary. 

Among with backlash from Twitter, and even some drivers speaking up about how unnecessary and distracting it was to do these introductions, many people wondered why the promoters and event organizers would choose to do something like that, especially on race day. 

So, why did that happen, and why was it so cringy?

The simple answer is money. I think to those who know and may not already know that any sport in America is highly commercialized and starts not with the teams or the sport itself but the idolization of those who operate in it. It has always been this way, even with sports outside the united states.

For instance, I bet most people could care less about the stats for the Kansas City Chiefs or The Cleveland Browns. Still, they know who Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Joe Burrow are, or they could tell you that Lebron James plays for the Lakers and Stephen Curry plays for the Golden state warriors. Still, they don't know their positions or stats, but they could tell you their jersey number, what kind of shoes they prefer, their latest Instagram post, and who they are currently seeing. It happens often.

So why does this happen?

In sports, especially in American sports, it is not enough to be good at the sport. You have to be the best, and you have to be likable. That starts with your online presence, how the fan base perceives you, and how others perceive the sport. It is simply not enough to attend a sporting event and be entertained. It is a performance from the time you, the paying attendee, walk into that sporting event until you leave.

That's why they have halftime shows at basketball and football games; they have professional cheerleaders, crowd participation events, and mini-games on the sidelines of Major and Minor league baseball Innings. These entertainment tactics ensure that people have a good time and want to return.

So why does this happen in F1 when it comes to America?

Fanfare and Fanservice. Events in America, as I've stated before, are highly commercialized. That's how it is. And, because America is so big and the interest is so varied, organizations and promoters are left with having to find a way to appeal to bigger audiences. But, in addition to that, interest in things peaks and then declines drastically. And because of this, one of their highly effective tactics is to induce this feeling of FOMO.

" If you're not in Miami this weekend, where are you? Oh, you weren't in Austin this weekend, then where were you? Oh, you're not going to the race in Vegas? I'm sad for you."

Fanfare and the Fear of Missing out is an effective way to sell tickets, and because the United States only experiences three races as of this year, and the continent of North America in total experiences five races, if you're willing and have money to travel to Mexico and Canada, there are not a lot of opportunities to see these races in person, granted if they even have a passport (which is a conversation for another day.)

In addition, you have Drive to Survive on Netflix, which has gotten more people into the sport, especially in America, and in my opinion, has helped pave the way to getting Miami and Las Vegas on the schedule. In addition, the show has given newer fans a glimpse into the fast-moving world of F1, even on an overly dramatic scale. And to some extent, they expect that type of drama and scale when they go to these races. So, therefore, the Fanfare has to be bigger and better than the last to ensure that the sport can continue to become popular in America. 

So the organizers use big names like LLCoolJ and Will.I.Am, and they invite celebrities like Tom Cruise, Vin Diesel, and the cast of Fast and Furious; they have had companies that invite influencers who have nothing to do with the sport, trying to get as much publicity on the event so that the rest of America has this feeling of wanting to be where the action is taking place.

For comparison, This is the same reason why Beyonce or Taylor Swift can sell their concert tickets at astronomically high prices because you are not paying to go to a concert, but rather the experience of seeing them in the flesh in real-time, even if your tickets are not great, and you were in the nose bleeds the entire time, you were there and got to see it. Which is the same logic promoters are operating off of for these races.

Now back to the obvious,

Was the Fanfare with the introductions, at that moment, necessary? No. Honestly, it was just poor planning. The time to do something like that would have been at the drivers' parade or any other time other than race day, but it is interesting because so many people want the Fanfare to be around the race, big Sunday race day, which in America is more on par with NASCAR. Not saying that the race isn't one to have Fanfare over, but the race weekend technically starts on Thursday with the press, so there were potentially other opportunities to engage in Fanfare all weekend. 

Now, will this backlash affect how other American races will go this year? Probably not. But I hope that in any event that it's just a lesson in what not to do on a race day, and hopefully, next year, we will get a different format.

[twopoppies]

adding to the latin conversation 🫶 it is completely true. i think latin americans do have a culture of being passionate about the things we love, such as music and sports. but what this person said is so so true about every concert here being potentially the last. harry has done so many shows across the us and europe, i have no idea when he will tour here again, and i totally understand because it must be so tiring. but, you know, by the end he will have toured both the us and europe twice in the last two or so years. we don’t really have that. and aside from the fact that international artists only come to brazil, argentina and mexico, when they do, it’s not like they tour the country. here in brazil, for example, 98% of the time they only come to são paulo and rio, which is so incredibly frustrating, because brazil is huge. i know europeans would say “but they usually only come to one or two cities here as well”, but the fact of the matter is that traveling to different cities/countries is a lot easier for them. they can literally do it by train, whereas in brazil people like me, who aren’t from the southeast (são paulo and rio) have to pay expensive plane tickets. i don’t know if anyone here knows this, but if you don’t count the state of alaska, brazil is bigger than the USA. and we don’t get half of the amount of shows they have over there. also, every single country in europe fits in the territory of brazil – like, every single one of them, together. of course, not counting russia. and harry usually plays more shows in new york alone than he does in the entirety of our continent. plus, it is expensive to bring those concerts here, so we don’t get stuff like the kitchen, the different stage. that would make it even more expensive. we pay more to receive “less” and a lot less often.

so yeah, i don’t think people from europe/the us get how different it is for us. i’m still quite shocked harry added so many extra dates in são paulo and this time he is even coming to a different city, curitiba. but it is still frustrating, you know? and not his fault at all. it has everything to do with capitalism and the industry, and nothing to do with harry or any other artist, but it’s still not nice, you know.

I'm so glad you all are sharing this information because, while I know artists don't come to your countries as often as they do Europe and the US, I hadn't known all the details of what makes it such a big deal when they come to LatAm. And all of that is so helpful when it comes to recognizing what a huge amount of privilege we have here (and in Europe). I'm so glad to hear Harry added more shows in more places. And I know Louis went to a ton of places artists don't always travel to. I hope you get to see them both!

[darkeningmoonlight]

The Axel

Name: Cassandra "Casey" Nahsor Dominguez

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Age: 43

Race: Mexican

Primary weapon: Labrys Axe [ it's bigger than you think]

Secondary weapon: Service Pistol

Melee weapon: Chemical and Flash Grenades

born and raised in Mexico

would have your ass to the ground if you tried to be funny with her [ especially if it's Scout ]

will fucking yell at you in Spanish or speak it generally,

Anger issues, she took Biotech and Honors Alegbra, she played the snare drum in 6th grade to her Marching band season and she was really good at it. And she was that good that she actually intended to become the co drum captain, she was also in the bagpipes except she decided to not use the snare drum instead she wanted to use the actual bagpipe, has a bunch of marks on her neck from her alcoholic husband she gets a little upset about it but then for the next couple of minutes she'll just forget about it because she will just do the same to him, wears cargo shorts and knee pads, works with medic since she's technically a doctor,

Currently in a relationship with Demo

Has very many pet names for him such as

Mi amor, cariño, corazón, guapo. Sometimes she will get drunk with him, that is only if she feels like it.

What's wrong with her???: not that much she's just angry sometimes but also sad.

The worst things she has ever done is explode 19 gas stations when she was 17 - 20 and almost died in 8 of them,She accidentally bodyslamed someone at her high school and put them in a coma. She committed vehicular manslaughter and was charged with all of the damages that had happened. She doxxed a little kid their ACTUAL FUCKING ADDRESS ONCE and never did it again.

The class she hates is scouts.

That's it.

Her favorite class is the pyro because she thinks he's adorable and she also likes demo too because of his silliness.

The best thing she has ever done was save 8 people from her high school from drowning. And she also had also convinced someone she knew to not kill themselves and helped them have the best life ever. [That person is now a therapist!!]

The sports that she played were Golf, Wrestling, Swimming and Marching band.

She placed masters in wrestling during her sophomore year and made it to championships in golf,swimming and Marching band in her freshman to senior year.

She did want to do varsity football or varsity track but then she didn't want to them because she does enough.

Lazy Days

On most lazy days Casey usually doesn't relax most of the time instead she is downstairs in her lab doing biology vit other times she mostly hangs out with her silly husband.

I made this oc in 2022 and I decided to show it to all of you!!!

I’ll make a full reference in a bit but enjoy this

[goldenboots1]

I’m so sorry guys but i need to address this and I don’t know who to talk about it too. I don’t want to be that person. But oh boy... If you don’t want to read my two pennies of thoughts just scroll past this.

This night I got a alert from IG that RB postet a reel, so i pressed on it and watched it. It wasn’t postet today or this night it actually was postet on Saturday last week and it was a cute video of Christian on the pit wall. The comments on this post where bad, so disgustingly bad that i was shocked and I really hope RB takes consequences from this because this is just so wrong. “The car changed over night to this? This is sabotaged! I have never seen this happened before.” I’m sorry. But tell me you know nothing about F1 without telling me you know nothing about F1. This happens all the time! To every Team! To every driver! Just because it was your driver and its the first time you witnessed this dosen’t mean it never happened before?! It quite literally happens every race weekend. The car feels okay on Friday so the engineers and strategist’s at the factory working in overdrive to make the car feel great! And on Saturday they are testing if they worked in the right direction. Looks like someones feedback wasn’t precisely enough. But yes the team who is aiming for the constructors title again just starts to sabotage one car because the other driver can’t win on his own. I’m sorry to break it to you. But he can. He always did. He carried the team for ages. Just look and the point differences between him and his teammates! If you can’t deal with this, F1 might not be the right sport for you. Please watch football that fanbase is as toxic as you are.

The problem is that this one driver starts to blame the team for his mistakes and this is just so wrong! He starts to play the victimcard all the time its so annoying! I don’t want ihm in this team anymore. Because if you talk shit over your team, blame the team for mistakes you made!!! RedBull said it more than ones no mistakes where found in his fucking car! None! But he blamed the car! On live television?! WHAT A TEAMPLAYER IS THAT?! NONE! Its just a dick move! To blame the team and fire up the conspiracy terrorists just because you are to ‘stupid’ to drive?! I’m so fucking angry! Max gets slandered for month now because of Brazil and because hes such a bad teammate but this stupid person is even worse! He slandered the whole team for a fucking mistake he made!! What teamplayer does that?! An no one is talking about it! But RedBull and Max and Christian getting hate on every post. Its so bad! They are threatening to hurt Max in Mexico, Miami and other races its fucking vile. and I hate that everyone just says Max fans are the worst. BUT I NEVER TALKED TO A MAX FAN THIS TOXIC! And if Max fans to the same as his fans they are the racist and bad ones again. I hate it here. I might need to log out of F1 for the next few weeks and hope it gets better after. But I highly doubt that.

Also hello to all the Daniel and Maxiel fans out there who only like Max for the ship. Max always has been funny even without Daniel. He dosen’t need Daniel to exist and be funny. The only thing Daniel does is help Max be a bit relaxed during the interviews. Because sitting next to a person whos fans want to kill you can be quite bad! So stop acting like Max is a different person now that Daniel is back. Its not true, you just haven’t watched any interview he did for the last 4 years!

[cartelheir]

🚗 CAR — does your oc have a driver's license? can they drive/operate any automobiles/machinery besides cars? ✈️ AIRPLANE — does your oc like traveling, or do they consider themselves a more homey person? 🎮 VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER — what are three of your oc's favorite hobbies?

oc details, always accepting!

🚗 CAR — does your oc have a driver's license? can they drive/operate any automobiles/machinery besides cars?

pat does have a driver's license, but i wouldn't trust her behind the wheel. she's prone to speeding (she's a busy woman who's got places to be) and to terrible road rage. the kind that might end up in a gun fight at some point. in most verses, she prefers to just be chauffeured around everywhere or to get a ride, but that's not to say she won't drive if necessary. in short, can pat drive? yes. should she? probably not.

she also knows the basics of how an airplane works due to her position as the owner of an airline company. but it's mostly surface-level knowledge and she doesn't believe she'd ever have the guts to actually fly a plane.

✈️ AIRPLANE — does your oc like traveling, or do they consider themselves a more homey person?

she loves travelling. again as both the owner of an airline company and a cartel associate, she's often traveling around for business meetings and to supervise important transactions happening overseas. although those trips are for work and not pleasure, pat enjoys them a lot. she has a very strong fondness for mexico, her home country, but she likes the thought of getting to see a lot of new places.

🎮 VIDEO GAME CONTROLLER — what are three of your oc's favorite hobbies?

singing and making music. she plays the guitar and the piano since she was a child. pat is not shy at all and performing comes easily for her, but since this is a hobby she's just recently reconnected with, she's more toned down than her child self, and can be a little hesitant to do it in front of others at first.

competing. pat simply loves to win. whether it's card games, chess, sports; sometimes it's less about the enjoyment she gets out of the thing itself, and more about getting to play/compete with others.

flirting. i don't even know if you can call this a hobby, but it's how pat often treats it: like a challenge, like a game to be won. and, well, it just so happens to be one of her favorite things to do in her free time.

[its-a-swift-kloss]

I get people are upset and everything but Taylor has been loudly telegraphing that this was something that was going to happen since the day after the VMAs with the tabloid articles that Taylor started having Tree push in response to the original rumor. It's not Taylor's fault that everyone stuck their fingers in their ears and refused to listen.

Taylor's finally got Swifties genuinely interested in 1989 TV again for longer than an hour or two by getting this new boy-toy, that's a fantastic thing after how boring and uninteresting everything else she tried to do to keep her mainstream fans interested in it since the announcement was, and as a bonus she might even end up getting sales from people who've never bought her music before.

No matter how anyone on our side of the fandom tries to pretend, this was a great business move from Taylor and could end up being just as useful for promoting her stuff for awhile down the line if she plays her cards with this beard right. And if anyone on this side of the fandom other than me bothered to read the articles about this that Taylor had Tree push, you guys would know that Taylor isn't being a bad role-model for promoting the idea that guys should ignore "No's" from women because if they try enough times they'll eventually get a "Yes", that was literally never part of the narrative for this beard at any time and is just something that some butt-hurt loser completely made up.

If Taylor wants to beard with some macho dude-bro sports guy then that's her right, and the only person who has any right to voice any objection about it is Karlie. If Karlie is fine with it then it sucks to be everyone else, Taylor has the right to live her life the way she wants and if that bothers Gaylors and some Kaylors because it not what they wanted from her then tough fucking titties.

Yes, anon, beards are beneficial. They get attention from ppl outside your fanbase. They increase numbers. They'll boost sales of whatever it is that one's selling. That's a thing, and we've seen it a million little times. We all know how it works and why celebs do it. You're preaching to the choir. I don't think ppl are all that surprised, as they are annoyed - at least as far as I've been seeing. Taylor does whatever she wants, it's her life. You won't hear me saying otherwise.

About his insistence... well, you see, he did say he tried to talk to her at the concert and was told she doesn't talk to anyone, which is a lie bc she does meet ppl and talk to them. From the top of my head, see Jessica Chastain with Taylor backstage in Mexico. So he went somewhere (I think a podcast) and complained about it a little, about how they told him she had to preserve her voice or whatever excuse they made up. Then, he went to say he threw the ball in her court and invited her to his game, implying he did reach out to her somehow after being rejected with a polite "no, sir, you can't speak to her". Honestly? I see the point of people's complaints. I myself didn't post anything about it, but, yeah, it does enforce problematic behavior a little bit. Not the worst thing her PR has ever done, sadly.

[trashyinfernomusic]

The Big Texas Post

Y’know what’s funny? Explaining Texas culture to non-Texans.

People from Dallas: Dallasites. People from Houston: Houstonians. People from Austin: Weird.

Texas has two pro baseball teams, three pro basketball teams, two pro football teams, two pro soccer teams, and one pro hockey team (and tried to get a second in the Houston Aeros but that didn’t work out).

Most sports orgs are based in either Dallas or Houston, and the two cities have a rivalry that when left unchecked causes brawls in restaurants and bars (among other chaotic things). The general rule is that Houstonians hate Dallas, Dallasites hate Houston, everyone hates Austin, and San Antonio and El Paso are just the two kids in the corner trying to stay out of the fighting. However, if you’re from out-of-state and you hate on any of them, you’ll be the one on the receiving end of a beat-down because “no one messes with my little brother but me, damnit!”

Meanwhile, you have all the people who self-identify as being from one of the big cities even though they’re really from a suburb that’s about an hour away. Live in Spring, TX? “Oh, I’m from Houston.” Live in Arlington (which is where the Texas Rangers - largely considered a Dallas sports team - are located)? You’re considered from Dallas or the DFW area. We Texans don’t really care about the accuracy. We care more about whether or not you’re from the coast (Houston), the middle (Dallas/San Antonio), the weird (Keep Austin Weird was supposed to be a slogan that would promote mom-and-pop small businesses in the city. The rest of Texas leapt on the opportunity to make fun of it. Sorry, Austin), the border (El Paso, Texarkana), or somewhere out in the middle of nowhere. The state’s too big to get into the nitty gritty.

And don’t even get me started on college rivalries. You’ve got U of H, UT, A&M, SFA, and even more acronyms and mascots and history and - well, let’s just say it can all get out of hand. Actually, A&M and UT refuse to play each other anymore out of stubbornness - they hate each other that much. (Personally, I land on the Aggie side of things. Anyone who goes so far as to genetically engineer maroon bluebonnets to prank another school has earned my affection. Though UT can give as good as they get.)

Some other weird/fun things about Texas include: - Drive through margarita places - Kolaches (which are a Czech sweet pastry that we bastardized into a savory breakfast option) - The Battle for the Boot (I kid you not, two baseball teams compete against each other for a silver cowboy boot every once in a while. It’s the silliest and yet most Texan thing ever.) - Buck-ees - The second largest port in the US (the amount of people who don’t understand that yes, Houston is on the water, and yes, it has a booming transport industry is alarming) - Really good barbecue (ours is tomato based, which makes the sauce thick and sweet) - Strange laws including one where you’re not allowed to have pliers in the back pocket of your jeans (it’s a holdover from when cattle rustlers would use them to cut barbed-wire fences) - There’s a law where in the US, no state capital is allowed to be taller than the US capital. Texas built theirs on a hill - it’s not taller, it just happens to be... higher. - People argue over this one, but Texas DOES have the right to secede from the union. - Six Flags the theme park was named such because it stands for Six Flags Over Texas. Why? Texas has had six different flags flying over it: France, Spain, Republic of Texas, United States, Confederacy, and Mexico. Yes, you read that right: France. No, we were not acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. - Dry counties are a thing. No alcohol is allowed to be consumed or sold! That being said, a trailer park of 200 came together to create the town Mobile, TX so that they could sell and consume liquor in the 90s - In 1963, Janice Joplin was voted “Ugliest Man on Campus” at the University of Texas - The Houston Grand Opera is considered one of the best opera companies in the world!