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michael-langdon-appreciation · 5 years

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You’re with me - Oneshot

Duncan Shepherd x fem!reader

Words: 4K

Summary: Duncan and I used to be something, something that just worked. It’s been months since our break-up and it’s time to face him once again armed with my new job and my new date. But that’s not going to stop Duncan from trying to win me back.

Warning: SMUT, elevator!sex, mention of squirting, swearing, softdom!Duncan, could be considering cheating I GUESS?!

A/N: My first Duncan fic as promised! Our Duncan is one determined boy in this one, some may argue a little too pushy even so this is just a reminder that you DO NOT have to put up with a situation like this or feel like you have to do anything similar to the reader. They have history in this fic, but even so! Couldn’t resist going a little soft with Duncan in this one too.

(Gif by @codyfernsource)

I was aware of what I was letting myself into. This event was being hosted by the Shepherd Foundation and by attending I am willingly plunging myself back into my past. This is Duncan’s empire, a world I used to be so familiar with. I knew how it worked, how I operated within it and most importantly how to keep my head above the surface, but now I’m an outsider. I don’t know the faces in the crowd, the only familiar people are the Shepherds themselves making it painfully awkward as Annette kisses me on both cheeks, ‘We don’t get to see enough of you anymore.’ She laments, ‘There’s no need to be a stranger, Y/N.’

‘My new job is taking up a lot of my time.’ I reply, offering her my best smile though we both know it’s fake.

‘Yes, Duncan has told us all about that.’ Annette’s eyes gleam, ‘Working under our new Madam President must be very exciting, quite the promotion wasn’t it?’

‘Claire remembered some of the favours I did her.’ I admit, but Annette is making me sound dishonest, as if I got my job underhandedly and it sends a note of suspicion through me. I know the President has her suspicions about the Shepherds, but I’ll keep that to myself for now.

‘Are you here alone?’ Annette asks, ‘Duncan is yet to arrive if you are looking for-’

I’m quick to cut in, ‘That ended a while ago, actually.’

I can see Annette’s intrigued, ‘Really?’ She breathes, ‘Duncan has kept quiet about that.’

‘Quiet about what?’

I would have cursed under my breath if I could, instead I’m forced to suck it up as Duncan swaggers towards us. As our eyes meet he swipes a second glass of champagne and hands it to me, ‘I had no idea you were on the guest list tonight Y/N and I should know, I planned it myself.’

It’s a warning, a barb that tells me I don’t belong here without his approval. ‘I’m here with my date, Nathan Pendlehouse.’ I reply, ‘You did allow plus ones.’

I take great joy in watching Duncan’s expression sour, ‘Pendlehouse,’ He mutters before plastering on a smile of his own, ‘So I did.’

Annette has sensed the awkward atmosphere, ‘I’ve heard of him, the Editor of the New Yorker, no? How long have you been dating?’

‘It’s relatively new.’ I reveal, watching for any action that will give Duncan away. ‘But it’s going well so far.’

Duncan finishes his champagne, plucks mine and starts on that too. Annette gives him a disdainful glance, ‘Well I must do the rounds,’ She announces. ‘I’ll be sure to congratulate Nathan on landing our dear Y/N if I see him.’

We both wait till Annette is out of earshot before rounding on each other, ‘Leave.’ Duncan orders.

‘This is a hotel for starters and I have a room here.’ I fire back, ‘Plus I am a guest at your Uncle’s benefit so it will take a lot more than you to get me out of here.’

‘I have a room too.’

It takes you a moment to process his intonation, ‘You’re disgusting.’

‘You wouldn’t still be talking to me if you weren’t interested.’

‘You’re vile.’ He’s steps closer to me, finishes my champagne and passes me back the empty glass, ‘I was going to drink that.’

‘I’ll buy you a whole bottle,’ Duncan pushes.

I walk away, Duncan’s advances are just too much and I’m more than happy with Nathan. I have no intention of ending the night in Duncan Shepherd’s bed…again.

Nathan is over by the ice sculpture, sampling the buffet. He kisses my cheek and I feel nothing as I rub my hand over his back, just in case Duncan has followed me.

‘Mingling, darling?’ Nathan asks and I just nod, trying to engage in the nearest conversation around me. Nathan does a better job at socialising than I and for a while I’m happy losing myself in the small talk. The only thrill I have is throwing in my own disparaging remarks about the Shepherd chemical leak, but soon Nathan blabs about who I am and who I work for.

The tone of conversation shifts to me and suddenly I’m the centre of attention. Of course I am, everyone wants to know Claire Underwood’s secrets and I’m one of the few who knows a handful. I wind up with a crowd circling me, most are respectful but there are a few who cast disparaging remarks towards my decision to back the first female President. I catch Duncan loitering in the back of the group next to his step-mother, a fresh glass of champagne in his hands. He offers me a toast when we lock eyes and Annette has had enough. She breezes forwards, ‘If you keep crowding dear Y/N you’re going to suffocate her.’ She jokes, though there’s no warmth in her eyes. Her hand cups my lower back, ‘Let’s get you some fresh air, my dear.’

I let her lead the way just so I can take the escape she’s offering me. Nathan is already chatting up another group of people and I feel a wave of distaste slither through me, did he not worry where his date was going?

‘You always knew how to steal the spotlight.’ Annette says and the warning is all too clear.

I put some distance between us both, ‘Perhaps you should do a better job of hanging onto it then.’ I say, ‘Tell your son to stop perving on me too, I’m not his plaything anymore.’

I haven’t been here long, but I’ve already had more than enough of the Shepherds for one night. I tap Nathan on the shoulder, ‘I’m feeling a little dizzy,’ I lie. ‘I think I’m going to call it quits if that’s alright.’

My date excuses himself and pulls me over to the chocolate fountain, ‘We’ve been here less than an hour.’

‘I know.’ I whine, ‘It’s just been a bit too much. Annette’s already harassing me and Duncan-’

‘Why did I know this would be about your ex.’

‘Duncan was six months ago.’ I reply, ‘We are ancient buried history.’

Nathan plucks a strawberry and dips it in the fountain, ‘Doesn’t look that way to me.’

‘Meaning?’

Nathan offers me the chocolate covered strawberry and I take it, ‘It means he’s been watching us from behind that pillar ever since we started this conversation.’ There’s a burning urge to look where Nathan is referring to, but I resist. ‘Seems he isn’t over you.’

Pride surges through me. I bring the strawberry to my lips and suckle all the chocolate off, nice and slow keeping my eyes on Nathan. ‘All the more reason for me to head back to my room now.’ I persuade, ‘Unless you like the idea of another man staring at me,’ I tilt my head and inch a little closer to him, ‘Wanting me the way you do.’

Nathan smirks, ‘Perhaps you’re right.’ He glances from his social circle and then back to me, ‘I won’t be too long, wait up for me?’

I flash him my best smile only a little disappointed by his decision to remain here, I kiss him on the cheek and wave goodnight to his ‘friends’. As I’m heading out of the ballroom I catch sight of Duncan following me and I quicken my pace, not wanting another altercation. He’s certainly trying hard to win me over and I feel my veins jump to life at the thrill of the chase.

I seize a bottle of Cava from an ice bucket on my way out, ready for it to keep me company till Nathan returns. I head for the elevator, glancing back over my shoulder as Duncan rounds the corner. The elevator doors ping open, I get inside as quickly as possible and press the button for my floor along with the close door button at the same time. Duncan’s broken into a run, trying to beat the doors and just as he reaches them they slide shut. I offer him a cheeky wave as he disappears from my view and once I’m alone I let out the breath I was holding.

I beat him, I won.

For some reason I’m always on the highest floor whenever I stay at a hotel and the doors open twice on my way to floor thirteen. My heart races every time we stop, I’m expecting to see Duncan standing on the other side, but so far there has been no sight of him. My companions get out at floor eleven and I’m alone again for the last two floors, I check twitter on my phone as the doors open and nearly walk right into someone as I step out.

Hands grasp my shoulders, pushing me back inside the elevator, seizing the bottle of Cava and my phone drops out of my hand, landing on the carpeted floor just outside the elevator. I try to bend down for it, but my captor is having none of that, ‘You can get it after.’

Duncan.

He’s panting heavily, his suit crinkled and his tie loosened. Duncan’s dark hair is mussed as he eyes me up and down. I shove against him, ‘The fuck? Did you run up-’

‘All thirteen flights of stairs?’ He asks, ‘You bet your sweet ass I did.’

My mouth drops open, ‘Why?’

A faint chuckle leaves his plump lips as he presses me into the back of the elevator. Duncan places the champagne bottle on the floor as the elevator doors slide shut, with them my chance of escaping. He returns to me quickly, his eyes hungry and predatorial. Duncan’s hand skims my collarbone and then lifts my chin up to meet his eyes, ‘Oh my Y/N,’ He purrs, ‘Because you wanted me to.’

We start to descend, ‘I want to go to my room.’ I say, ‘Let me go.’

‘But you don’t want me to.’ Duncan’s voice is as light as a breeze, ‘Not really. That cute little wave you sent me just now, sucking that strawberry dry when you knew I was watching, you want me just as badly as I want you.’

His lips crash into mine, stealing my breath away. My hands shove against his chest, but I can’t deny the moan of approval that hums in my throat.

I’m finally tasting him again.

The flavour of champagne and luxury meets my tongue, it’s so familiar and so Duncan I pull him closer. An ache settles deep in my bones at finally having it in my mouth again as my tongue curls around Duncan’s.

My senses return to me and I break away. There’s a crack as my hand connects with his face and Duncan staggers wildly, falling into the side of the elevator. I pelt over and smash the button for the next floor, willing the elevator to arrive before Duncan recovers.

Luck is not on my side, Duncan’s right behind me and his hand slams against the Emergency Stop button. The elevator screeches to a halt as he presses himself against my back, hands running up my curves and cupping my breasts. Duncan’s lips are at my ear, ‘I can play dirty too.’

‘Well you’ve fucked it now.’ I hiss, ‘Who knows how long it’ll be till we get help?’

‘Exactly how I planned it.’

I turn back round to face him, his cheek is blooming red blotches and I’m proud of my handy work. Duncan’s finger traces down my cheek, ‘You’re gonna pay for hitting me.’ He promises, ‘And you’re gonna beg for more when I’m done with you.’

‘You stay away from me.’

Duncan slides a finger under one of my dress straps, ‘Still putting up a fight?’

‘I mean it,’ But I don’t remove his hand as my strap falls down.

‘Do you?’

‘I am with someone.’

‘Yes you are.’ Duncan’s lips descend onto mine again, his kiss passionate as he tugs me close our lips popping as he disconnects us and I’ve leaned into him without realising. Duncan is pure magnetism and I’ve always struggled to resist him, one of the things I fell in love with was his tenacity. He never gives up on the people he considers close. His lips dance over mine as he finishes his sentence, ‘You’re with me.’

We both wait for the other to make a move, our breath mingling together. His tongue darts out and swipes at my lip, my hands fist the front of his blazer and I’m about to do it, I’m about to throw caution to the wind when the elevator alarm breaks out.

Duncan keeps leaning in but his spell has been broken. The alarm is deafening inside the elevator and I slope as far away from him as I can get, which isn’t that far at all. I slide down the wall and start taking off my heels, ‘Looks like we’re be here a while.’

Duncan slams his fist against the set of buttons and the alarm dies, ‘Huh.’ He looks pleased with himself.

‘How are they gonna know we’re stuck now?’

‘I guess they won’t.’ He sits opposite me, picks up the champagne and reads the label while I prize off my shoes, ‘Cava?’ He asks, ‘Really, we were serving Bollinger at the Benefit.’

‘Good for you.’ Duncan scowls, his legs spread wide so I can see his full package. My eyes keep sneaking to it when he’s not looking. Duncan pops the bottle open without spilling a drop and takes a good swig, ‘Thought it was too cheap for you?’

He wipes his mouth on his sleeve, ‘Better than nothing. Gotta get my rocks off somehow.’

‘You are the worst kind of person.’

‘You were the one with your tongue in my mouth.’

I don’t answer, finally unstrapping my shoes and letting my feet breathe. It feels wonderful and I lean my head back, grateful that at least with Duncan I can do what I want. His hand takes hold of my foot and I throw him a warning look, ‘Let me.’ His thumbs press into the ball of my foot and I gasp at the wonderful feeling as Duncan massages my foot. We don’t speak for a while, Duncan consumed in his task while the champagne sits next to him, I reach out for the bottle and scoot a little closer so he has better access to my foot. I’m not about to stop him any time soon.

‘Remember when I used to do this?’

‘No my brain has a big black hole where our relationship used to be’

Duncan pinches my foot and I yank it away from him. He chuckles, taking the other one in his lap, ‘Still a bitch.’

‘Still an arrogant ass.’

‘I never pretended I wasn’t.’

My retort dies. I take a big drink of champagne and some spills down the front of my dress, ‘Shit.’

Duncan doesn’t comment on it, he just gestures for the bottle and I hand it back to him. ‘Wonder where your boyfriend is.’

‘It’s just a date.’

‘Are you changing your tune?’ He asks, smacking his lips and inching closer to me. ‘I must say that kiss had me doubting your loyalty to him.’

‘I shouldn’t have kissed you.’ I admit, ‘It was a mistake.’

Duncan pushes his tongue against his cheek, ‘It’s never a mistake Y/N, let’s not kid ourselves.’

I meet his eyes and all I want in that moment is to jump him. Duncan looks like the definition of a pop-star, his shirt unbuttoned so I can just see his muscles underneath, his hair dishevelled, his lips wet from the champagne we’ve been sharing.

He’s right, isn’t he?

‘You still love me.’

My realisation has Duncan backtracking at once, ‘What the hell gives you that delusion?’

‘You chased me down and trapped me in an elevator.’ I say, ‘And you massaged my feet which let’s admit is something you’d only do for someone you love.’

‘So?’

‘So?’ I’m becoming indignant now, pushing up the strap he slid down earlier and kneeling before him, ‘You never could admit your feelings, that’s why we broke up.’

‘We broke up because of our family’s.’ Duncan snorts, drinking once more. ‘They hated each other, real Romeo and Juliet shit.’

‘And you wouldn’t tell me those three words.’

He bites his lip, ‘Well I’m not gonna say them now.’

‘Have you ever?’

‘No.’

You reach out and brush some of his hair back behind his ear, ‘I feel sorry for you then.’

There’s a crack in his façade, a quiver of his lips as he blinks quickly. ‘I don’t know what love is.’ He admits, ‘I’m adopted. I still don’t really know who my Mom is…’

I don’t fully know what he means, but I can tell Duncan is hurting. I creep closer, kneeling right in front of him and take his face in my hands, ‘I loved you.’

His hand strokes down my arm, ‘You still do.’

‘Duncan-’

‘You can be in denial all you want but we both know the truth.’

I look deep into his eyes, trying to reach the boy inside. The Duncan I fell in love with, the one only I could find is still here, ‘If you say it back now, then maybe there’s a chance for us to rekindle what we had.’

He blows out his breath slowly, ‘I guess I haven’t been subtle.’ I wait for him, running my fingers through his hair, tracing a finger down his nose as Duncan summons all his courage. ‘I love you, Y/N.’ He admits, ‘Or you’re the closest I’ve ever been to love, so it must be right?’ He gives me a smile full of insecurity, ‘I loved you and I lost you and I couldn’t stand to see you again because I knew I wouldn’t be able to switch these feelings off because I’ve never cared about anyone else before. Seeing you with that fop guy today just proved it, I was so worked up I-’

I kiss him, letting my lips fall gently against his.

‘He doesn’t deserve you.’ I press my lips once again to Duncan’s a little firmer this time to quieten him but he seems determined to keep speaking, ‘Neither do I.’

‘Just shut up.’

This time he lets me kiss him, Duncan’s hands cupping either side of my face. He pushes himself onto his knees so ours are just brushing against each other’s. Duncan’s tongue slides inside my mouth and curls around my own, he sucks at my tongue and I feel myself tingling at the erotic feeling. We move closer together both of us in a vertical kneel, Duncan’s arms winding around me and pulling me tight. My hands palms his cock through his suit trousers and Duncan releases my lips with a groan, ‘Tell me again.’

‘What?’

His hands grip my ass through my dress, ‘You know what.’

‘I love you.’

His lips go straight for my collarbone, shoving the straps of my dress down. His movements are wild and unrestrained, as if I’ve unlocked the cage to the beast inside. My hands slip into his trousers, cupping Duncan’s hot flesh while he makes do with branding my skin as his own. He feels heavy and hard in my fingers, I remove a hand to unzip his fly and take out Duncan’s cock right as he kisses me again. I feel his hands run into my hair and then Duncan gives one firm tug, fingers locking into my roots and I whine from the pain, ‘I’m gonna fuck you.’ He murmurs, ‘I’m gonna fuck you right here in this elevator.’

‘Shit.’ I groan, still working his cock with one hand while the other braces myself on his thigh.

Duncan pulls me to my feet along with him, ‘Get up.’

‘What happened to the I love yous? I ask as he backs me against the wall and pushes my dress up round my waist.

‘Well once you’re pretty slit is full of my cum I’m gonna take you to my room and I’m gonna make love to you until the wake-up call comes.’

‘Sounds like an ideal night to me.’

He pushes my underwear aside and my only warning comes when Duncan pulls my leg around him giving his cock the perfect access point to push into me. I jump when the head of his large cock pushes its way in and Duncan smothers me in another heady kiss.

‘Forgot how big you are.’ I whine, feeling my walls expanding to take him in once more.

‘Biggest you’ve had.’ He smirks and I find myself nodding along, ‘No one can fuck you like I can.’ Duncan grunts, slapping his hips into mine and starting our pace off nice and fast.

My head falls back against the elevator wall, only just able to keep myself standing by tensing the leg I have hoisted around him as Duncan fucks me good and deep, ‘Feels so good.’

‘You like feeling my cock inside you again?’ My hands push his trousers down, running over the smooth cheeks of his ass as Duncan thrusts in deeply and I feel myself gush over him. ‘Was that a little orgasm?’ He checks and I nod, guilty of having already cum. Duncan comes to life, his chest puffing out and he begins to fuck me with renewed vigour. ‘I love that feeling of your cum covering my cock.’ He confesses, ‘How I’m coated with you, how I glisten with your sweet arousal. I’ve dreamed about having you cream for me again.’

My cheeks flash scarlet remembering that one time, I can tell by the manic gleam in Duncan’s eyes that he is too. He takes my earlobe between his teeth, gently nipping at me, ‘Do you think you’re going to squirt this time for me?’

My gasp hitches as Duncan plunges in deeper than his other thrusts, his cock brushing against my sweet spot. I arch my back, pushing my breasts against his chest, my arms wrapping round his neck so we are the same person. One of Duncan’s hands supports my back while his other braces against the wall, grunts falling from his lips, ‘It was the most beautiful fucking sight.’ He continues, ‘Watching you come so undone for me, you orgasm just leaking out of you while that pretty pussy squirted everywhere.’

I’m falling apart in his arms, Duncan keeps hitting me in just the right spot and I shudder in his grasp stars popping into my vision as my second orgasm rocks over me.

‘DUNCAN!’ I cry and he lets out a cry of approval, losing his rhythm and thrusting messily till he too cums. Duncan’s load is warm and thick and he makes sure to fuck it all inside me as deep as he can before slowly, torturously pulling out.

We catch our breaths and Duncan twangs my underwear back in place. There’s a little burn where the fabric was rubbing against my skin which sings in relief when he moves away.

There’s a knock from the other side of the elevator, ‘Uhhh are you two done now? Can we open the doors?’

Duncan stuffs his softening cock back inside his trousers while I tug my dress back down into place and try to make myself look presentable for the public again. When I’ve finished I catch Duncan picking up the Cava, my heels danging from his hand. ‘I’m celebrating.’ He quips as the elevator doors ping open and there stands Nathan along with a hotel maintenance man.

Shame runs through me as I step out. Nathan is no fool, he knows what we were doing and there’s no way to hide it. I have no words and it doesn’t seem he does either at first. We two aren’t official, it’s only been a couple of dates and he looks as if his suspicions have been proven correct and I have to admit, they have. ‘I mean you could have tried to be a little less obvious.’ Nathan says, looking from Duncan to me. ‘The leaving quickly, the heated arguments. The power of exes I guess?’

I can’t believe how well he’s taking it. Nathan seems almost nonchalant as if hearing his date fucking her ex in an elevator was an everyday occurrence. Nor do I believe it when Duncan puts his hand on my lower back and pushes in gently to encourage me to move. He pats Nathan on the shoulder, a swagger in his step. ‘Sorry buddy, but I’ve learned you can’t fight fate, or love.’ He says, offering Nathan the champagne bottle. ‘I think you’re gonna need this more than us.’

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georgepinkre-blog · 5 years

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House Marketing Dos And Don'ts You Need To Know

Don’t: Depending On Just One Traditional Marketing Method Just like many of our elders there are still people who just want to continue to use the old, traditional methods of doing something like when it comes to home marketing there are many old realtors who just stick to posting their ads in magazines and newspaper because that’s how it’s done since past 20 years or so. Well, the world around us is changing and we are supposed to change with it so get out of your comfort zone and make sure you start using the new mediums of marketing like social media marketing and e-marketing and telephone marketing alongside with traditional means because remember even the traditional means are important. Also the more the merrier right? If you don’t want to do all this effort, you can easily sell your house with the help of cash house buyers. As cash house buyers close deals with cash, the whole process is easy and fast. Do: Use Multiple Mediums Use a combination of digital media marketing and traditional marketing to get your message across all types of customers. Don’t: Be Pushy Being pushy means that pushing your house a bit too much and giving the buyer an impression that you’re desperate to make a sale and this might even make them get annoyed and irritated. So ensure that you don’t focus on pushing your listings, I know that’s your bread and butter but trust me no one out there is interested in buying a house or even if they are, then at least not the one you’re selling. So in order to make them want to buy a house or make them buy the house you’re selling, you need to build a relationship with them and you need to gain their trust. Then only they will pay attention to your offerings and actually buy them. Do: Focus on Building Relationships Engage with your customers on social media like post polls very often and understand their likings, their choices, their preferences and most importantly understand them. Post attractive quizzes and campaigns that require their feedback so that they feel valued and then use that feedback and incorporate it in your upcoming offerings so that they feel their voice have been heard. This way the customers will not only trust you but will also buy from you and refer you to their friends and family. Remember word of mouth has a huge impact? Don’t: Do Everything Yourself Please do not try to be the jack of all trades and start doing everything on your own. Hire a photographer to photograph your offerings because you definitely don’t have an idea about how that white light panel can affect the lighting or the perfect angles to photograph each room. Delegate this to a photographer. Do: Hire a Photographer Photographs are the magnet that will attract the metal that is the customers so make sure you get the perfect snaps captured by a professional. Don’t: Hide Obvious Issues of Your House What do you think that if you don’t mention about the broken sink or leaking roof in your advert, the customers won’t notice it when they come over for a tour around? Trust me they’ll be more disappointed if they find it out on the venue. If there are issues in your house, you can still sell it to cash house buyers. They buy house without repairs. Do: Highlight Latest Renovations Made It’s always better to mention the flaws and attach a note that for instance you will be paying $500 when the deal is closed for the sink replacement or you will replace the sink before closing the deal. Plus do mention any latest renovations you made like painted the house or got a new waterline installed and etc. Don’t: Turn Down House Showings House showings are your ticket to a sale so if you continuously turn down your customers for it just because they disturbs your personal time, then do not expect to close a deal any time soon. No one puts their years savings into something they haven’t take a good and careful look at. Do: Be Flexible and Accommodating Welcome home tours and be warm. --- References: https://www.localagentfinder.com.au/blog/marketing-dos-and-donts-when-selling-a-house/ http://blog.rismedia.com/2018/real-estate-social-media/ http://www.secondproperty.co.uk/the-dos-and-donts-of-marketing-a-property/ https://www.homelight.com/blog/how-to-market-your-house/ As always, if you need any assistance, buying or selling your next home, contact us at Blue Eyes Properties, LLC, (315)288-3737 and we'll help you any way we can. You can also email us at [email protected] Blueeyesproperties.com #buying homes #selling homes #Rehab houses #closing process #we buy houses #sell us your house #Blue Eyes Properties #Home buyers Lee county #home buyers Collier county #Home buyers Charlotte county #real estate #SW Fl real estate #renovate houses #SW Fla real estate Read the full article

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swanson25rosenkilde-blog · 6 years

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tree-choose-pot · 3 years

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Farm Reflections, day 20

I am adding to the list of animals on the farm: a million flies, and an imperial moth that just emerged from a pupa (ground cocoon) we found and kept. Oh, and also her hundred yellow caterpillar eggs, and the donkeys, goats, and cows (and calves) right beyond the fence of this property.

Roosters like to mate a lot, and I’m getting a little tired of watching it. I did google chicken anatomy, because I really just wanted to know what exactly was happening in that 5-second circus act. It turns out, male chickens are one of the only animals without a protruding sex organ. Now I have you wondering, right? Anina has named the two roosters Mater and Big Shot, ha!

Mowing about an acre of grass with a push mower took us a combined 3-4 hours, stretched out over the whole day. Bill and I actually remember how to mow lawn, and kind of had fun.

The kids’ excitement of feeding and holding animals hasn’t really worn off at all. They have a lot of creativity when it comes to torturing the indoor cat, Anina has figured out how to catch these fast chickens (and turned a few into dear friends), and Benji is even grabbing gerbils totally on his own. I’ve also found Anina a couple of times locked inside the duck pen with a cat or a chicken (on purpose, of course). The kids even fight (like, real tears) over who gets to retrieve the one duck egg laid reliably in the corner of their pen each morning. For some reason that’s more fun than the dozens of chicken eggs.

We have a broody hen who steals other hens’ eggs, so I have to push her around and steal them back so my breakfast isn’t old incubated eggs. And I had no idea what a broody hen was 3 weeks ago.

We also have a pushy sheep that has decided she can boss me around. She pushed her way into the barn while I was trying to latch it, and then it was ME versus a 300-pound sheep who lives and breathes to mischievously eat chicken feed and alfalfa pellets. She was harder to get out than the whole group of sheep that came in last week. I stayed calm and used rearranging and trickery (and yelling, which didn’t work at all) to get that girl out. Phew, I was sweatin’!

Chickens will eat their own eggs, and cooked chicken legs. I did my research and it is OK to give them chicken legs (raw eggs not so much, that was a mistake, as it can cause them to develop a desire to eat their eggs when they lay them). When you accidentally Google “chicken scraps for kitchens” it knows what you mean. I really enjoy bringing the chickens ‘kitchen scraps’ and watching them peck and choose. These chickens haven’t liked a few things that a random chicken blogger said they love… applesauce, celery, lettuce. I’m not sure any of this is recommended. We met someone on the beach who said she crushes and bakes her egg shells before feeding them back to the chickens as a source of calcium. I guess her chickens are royal cannibals.

Chickens are fascinating at night. I did not know that, at sunset, they all climb into the top of the coop where there are 3 long perches at varying heights. After being little bundles of running and eating and pooping all day, they nicely (I’ve heard a little pushing and shoving) squeeze themselves in, apparently in an organized “pecking order,” and just… go to sleep. What? It’s so weird. Why don’t human children do this? Life would be so different.

I’ve heard “sheep have such small poop” and “ew, there’s poop in the water dish” and lots of other poop talk. The worst poop is a toss-up between duck and dog. The chicken poop is no party either, especially because there are 30 chickens. We’ve actually been counting 27. Did we lose a few? And the fly-poop combo is bad too.

The gross factor of the farm has been multiplied by the fact that we have had no washing machine. Pretty much the two main reasons we agreed to farm-sit (exaggeration) were to have a month of good internet and our own washer and dryer. Well… it turns out there’s no internet service 1 mile outside of Milton, FL, and the washing machine broke (on the real farm family the very day we arrived)! Twenty days later, Lowes has made two failed delivery attempts. So while my farm kids have gotten baths every day, our farm clothes have piled up. And did I just read that the CDC issued a new public health recommendation to NOT HOLD AND KISS BACKYARD CHICKENS?! Oh boy, we’ve been doing it all wrong... walking barefoot in the coop probably isn’t a good idea either. That said, the kids have gone through an entire bottle of antibacterial soap (which I don’t normally buy) in 3 weeks, and I know they’re washing their hands WAY less than they should be washing their hands. The CDC should request all the retired pandemic hand sanitizer stations be donated to chicken owners! I’m really just praying we get through one more week without salmonella.

I’m really fascinated to know how sheep (and other herbivores), who eat nothing but grass, maintain their bodies of protein, fat, and specialized body systems requiring vitamins and minerals, etc. Just as I write this, I’m remembering they do have a bowl of salt and some other mineral thingy they lick. I majored in biology, but I cannot think how they turn grass into the muscle protein that we eat. When I have time to google that one, I will.

Today, Bill and I realized we like the ducks better than the chickens. Maybe one day you’ll enjoy a farm fresh duck egg at our house, and we can all thank this Florida farm experience.

#florida #farm #chickens

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victimofthemusic · 7 years

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Five Times Tony Stark Was a Good Dad (And One Time He Wasn’t)

So, I’m obsessed with the whole idea that Peter is Tony’s unofficial son and it’s only supported by Tony’s appearance in Spider-Man Homecoming, so I came up with this series, which is in the works and also posted on my AO3 account. If you like it or have any suggestions as to where I should take this, please don’t hesitate to let me know! Also, forgive any spelling errors or mistakes, I finished this at three in the morning one night and I was too lazy to go back and fix them. Enjoy!

Read Part 2 here

~~~~~~

Tony swore when he was twelve years old that he would never be a father. He remembered that moment clearly, like it had just happened a day ago, not well over thirty years ago. He was in his room, his father still screaming in a drunken rage at his mother over something Tony did, his anger and disappointment following Tony down the hallway of their New York penthouse apartment. He remembered sitting on the cold tile floor of his room, head rest against the heavy wooden door that was doing nothing to muffle his father’s harsh words.

His father was angry, Tony had gotten kicked out of his third private school on the East Coast, the letter expulsion still clutched in his father’s harsh grasp. He wasn't sure if he had ever seen his father this furious before and Tony knew that the only thing that saved him from taking a glass full of scotch to the face was his mother’s presence in the room. Maria Stark might’ve been docile about a lot of things, but Howard taking his rage out on Tony physically, that would never fly in this house hold.

Tears of anger and embarrassment welled in Tony’s eyes and he wiped them away furiously, refusing to waste anymore energy on that man that he was forced to acknowledge as his father. No matter what Tony did, it was never enough to please Howard Stark. He made his first prototype of an arch reactor at the age of six, Howard wanted it by age five. Tony skipped three grades, Howard wanted him to skip four. Tony, despite his age, was offered a spot at MIT and if Howard had it his way? He would've been there a year ago. No matter how much Tony achieved, how many goals he surpassed, he always came up short in Howard’s eyes. Being the constant source of Howard’s disappointment and ire made Tony wonder if he would ever succeed in his father’s eyes, if his dad would ever clap him on the back and say “I’m proud of you, son.”

He wondered, some nights, when he’d lie awake in his too big bed in his too big room in his too big house, if his father had ever wanted children, had wanted Tony.

The thought crossed his mid countless of times, until it latched onto his cerebral cortex and sat there, like the worst form of cancer that had no possible cure.

And while Tony sat there, head resting tiredly against the warm wood, Howard’s voice still echoing down the long hallway, that cancer spread until it proved fatal.

He never wanted his children to feel like this.

Unwanted

Worthless

A complete and utter failure.

Tony was self-aware enough to know that the apple didn’t fall far from the tree, that human nature was a pattern and patterns were destined to repeat themselves, without fail. Anger and rage and disappointment were the only form of affection Tony was used to getting to his father. His father was a cold man, always keeping Tony at a distance that no matter how hard he tried, Tony could never quite breach.

And Tony knew, no matter how hard he tried, he would always end up like his father.

~~~~~~~

Peter Parker came into his life unexpectedly and despite popular opinion, unplanned. He’d been keep tabs on the Spider-Kid since the kid popped up on his radar a few months ago, clad in that god awful homemade leotard/hoodie contraption and flying around Queens on his webs with all the grace of a child learning to walk for the first time. Tony never planned to actually meet the kid behind the mask or reaching out to the flying kid in his homemade costume, but when the Avengers disbanded and the only family Tony had ever known was decreasing in numbers, he needed back up.

Looking back, his intentions were purely selfish and it shamed him to admit, when he dropped the kid back off in his sketchy neighborhood in Queens with the new suit he’d made him, he never had any intention of keeping in contact with the kid.

To absolve himself from the guilt, he appointed Happy as his chaperone and threw himself into creating new legs for Rhodey, another way to attempting to soothe ache of guilt that had settled along with the shrapnel, in his battered heart.

He underestimated Peter, who was pushy and persistent and finally, after three months, Happy threw his phone at Tony and told him to call the kid. That night, Tony, with a glass of scotch in hand, filtered through the hundreds of voicemails Peter had left Happy—anecdotes of his daily patrols, everything from helping old ladies cross the street, stopping bike thieves to getting cats out of trees. Each story was told with excruciating detail, in that excited ramble the kid got whenever he was particularly enthused about something and warmth settled around Tony’s heart, fond amusement making his lips curl into his first genuine smile in months.

It took Tony another week to reach out to the kid, but he did and that’s how he found himself, in one of his more flashier cars, sitting outside of Peter’s school. He ignored the gawking, the stunned stares and the whispers of the students filtering out of the school, his eyes scanning the crowd before they landed on a familiar head of messy hair.

Peter was talking excitedly to the chubby, dark haired Asian kid by his side, who was nodding along to everything Peter said with a look of pure wonder on his face and Tony wondered briefly if his little friend knew that his BFF moonlighted as a super-hero in spandex at night.

Another kid appeared by Peter’s side and Tony watched as Peter visibly tensed and tried to skirt around the kid, but the kid threw a hand out and stopped Peter in his tracks.

The cocky grin that appeared on the kid’s face was all too familiar to Tony and before he could even second guess himself, he was out of his car and walking towards the three boys, ignoring the murmurs coming from the crowd.

“—when are you gonna stop lying about your internship with Tony Stark, Penis Parker? There’s no way someone like Tony Stark would ever take on a charity case like you—“

Peter looked up when he heard the murmuring crowd fall to a hush and his gaze landed on Tony. The amount of surprise in the kid’s features made Tony’s gut clench that in no way had to do with the greasy cheeseburger he ate on the way over here.

“M-Mr. Stark, what, uh, what are you doing here?” Peter stammered, flicking his gaze back to would be bully in front of him.

“Yeah, Parker, like I’m gonna fall for that—“

“Is there a problem here, gentlemen?” Tony interrupted, smirking in satisfaction when the kid that was giving Peter a hard time, froze, turning his disbelieving eyes on to Tony.

“Y-You-You’re Tony Stark.” He said faintly, his voice shaking.

Tony smirked, “Astute observation and you are?”

The kid gulped, his adams apple bobbing harshly, “F-Flash Thompson.”

“Makes sense,” Tony said with a nod of his head, looking the kid up and down, “I’d bully someone too, if my parents named me after the lamest superhero to ever grace the pages of a comic book, overcompensation and all that,” Tony said thoughtfully, “especially with your perceived fixation on the male genitalia. Tell me, did it take you a while to come up with something that juvenile or did you have someone equally as childish think it up for you? Because I would think someone with—and I’m assuming here, so correct me if my deductive reasoning skills are off—a high level of intelligence would come up with something a little bit more creative than ‘Penis Parker’.”

By the time Tony was done, the crowd around him was snickering and the kid in front of him looked like he wanted nothing more than the ground to open up and swallow him whole, if such things were possible.

Tony smiled, but there was nothing nice about, “Now, if I ever catch wind of you so much as looking in Peter’s direction again and trust me, kid, I’ve got my ways, I have no issue siccing my AI on all your school records and wreaking havoc on your future plans for any Ivy League schools, you reading me kid?”

Flash nodded so vigorously he resembled a bobble head, “Y-Yes, Sir.”

Tony smiled, this one much more kind than the last, “Good, I’m glad we could reach an understanding, now running along so I can talk to my intern here without your sorry excuse for cologne clouding my senses, seriously kid less is more.”

Flash tucked his proverbial tail between his legs and pushed through the crowd of people that were now openly laughing, losing interest in Tony in favor of chasing after Flash to mock him.

Tony shouldn't feel as proud as he did, but he knew what it was like to be bullied and he’d be damned if his kid—ahem, someone like Peter had to deal with someone as childish as Flash Thompson every day and it was within his power to do something about it. Like kid didn’t already have enough to deal with as it was.

He turned back to see a dumbfounded Peter and his equally as flabbergasted friend.

“That was—” Peter began, but seemed to be at a loss for words, shaking his head in disbelief.

His friend, however, didn’t seem to have that particular problem.

“—AWESOME!” His friend said excitedly, “oh man did you see Flash’s face? Dude, this is greatest thing to ever happen to me. Tony Stark just verbally assaulted Flash, Jesus dude, how is this your life? If you ever want to trade, even if it’s just for a day, I’m totally down—“

“Ned.” Peter muttered, elbowing him roughly, giving a rough jerk of his head in Tony’s direction. He flicked his apologetic gaze over to Tony, who simply rolled his eyes, but he couldn't deny the amused smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

Ned followed his gaze and flushed, “Right, sorry.”

Peter closed his eyes for a moment and Tony could see the kid physically trying to fight off his embarrassment and couldn't help but chuckle.

Peter’s eyes snapped open at the sound and the surprise and confusion from earlier was back, “Mr. Stark, what are you doing here? At my school? Is everything okay? Is there a—“ Peter glanced around in a sad attempt at nonchalance and lowered his voice to an equally as sad attempt at a whisper, “—mission?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows in a manner that was making Tony wonder if the kid had a weird twitch he’d never noticed before.

Tony glanced over at Ned quickly, going back to his original curiosity of how much the kid actually knew about his arachnid friend here, but Ned seemed to catch on to Tony’s unasked question.

“Don’t worry Mr. Stark, sir, I’m Peter’s Guy In The Chair.” Ned answered helpfully, giving him a bright smile.

Tony glanced back over at Peter with a raised eyebrow, who simply muttered “dude” in an exasperated tone, shaking his head before returning his attention to Tony, “Ned knows.”

“Oh, well, in that case, no, there is no…mission,” Tony said in a mock whisper, making Peter flush, “I’m working on a new Iron Man suit and I need to pick your brain for some ideas on upgrades, figured I’d swing by and pick you up from school today.”

Peter’s eyes widened and Ned seemed torn between fainting or peeing himself from excitement.

“You get to touch the Iron Man suit?!” He squeaked, turning his wide-eyed gaze over to Peter, who only gave Ned a look, who bit his lip sheepishly, but looked like he was ready to explode from the level of his enthusiasm.

Peter ignored him, “I was supposed to help Ned finish the lego Death Star today, we were supposed to do it yesterday, but I uh, kinda got caught up on patrol.” Peter gave Tony a guilty shrug of his shoulders.

“So let me get this straight,” Tony said slowly, “you’re turning down quality time in my personal lab to build a lego Death Star with Ned over here?”

Peter’s eyes had lit up at the mentions of Tony’s lab, but with quick glance at a wide eyed Ned, who seemed to be stuck on the fact that Tony Stark said his name, his excitement dimmed. But Peter was loyal, almost to a fault, and nodded resolutely.

Tony, seemingly at a loss for words, just stood there, shellshocked at being told no, by a fifteen year old kid at that. A small part of Tony, the one that was actually looking forward to hanging out with the kid, was slightly hurt at the rejection.

Ned, who’d been watching the entire scene with wide eyes, was more observant than he looked and seemed to sense Peter’s indecision and Tony’s disappointment, because he gave his friend a bright smile, “Dude, we can finish the Death Star anytime and besides, my mom wanted me home tonight to help her with something, so I’m booked, raincheck?” He offered.

Peter glanced at Ned then at Tony and then back to Ned, “Um, sure Ned, no problem.”

Ned gave him a smile and then turning his attention back to Tony, his friendly smiled turned a bit more to the manic grin that most people wore in Tony’s presence, “It was really nice to meet you Mr. Stark.”

He offered Peter a fist bump, who returned it, before he started walking down the side walk, towards, what Tony assumed, was home.

Turning his attention back to the kid, he gave him a smile, “Good good, now we should probably be on our way if we want to avoid traffic. Now, as far as suit upgrades go, I was thinking of up-ing the suit’s repulsers a bit—hey, kid, you coming?” Tony asked from his position on the driver’s side, raising an eyebrow at Peter, who was still standing on the side walk. Tony followed his gaze and saw Ned still making his way down the sidewalk and chancing a glance back at Peter, who was still watching him with big, guilty eyes, he sighed.

The things I do for you, kid, Tony thought to himself.

“Hey, Ned,” Tony shouted, making the kid pause and turn around, looking to Peter, who was watching Tony with the beginnings of a smile, then back to Tony curiously, “would you like to join us? There’s plenty of room in the lab for three people.”

Even from a few yards away, Tony could see the kid’s eyes widen in surprise before he hustled his way back to an equally excited Peter, who shot him a grateful look.

“Thank you, Mr. Stark.” He said quietly, giving him a bright smile.

And Tony couldn’t help but smile back, “You’re welcome, kiddo,” eyeing a panting Ned warily, “make sure he doesn't do anything…weird, okay? I don’t mind opening my lab to him but there was something in his eyes when I was talking about the Iron Man suit that made me decidedly uncomfortable.”

Peter gave a breathy laugh, “Don’t worry, Mr. Stark, Ned’s cool.”

Ned, who had come to a slightly sweaty stop in from them, looked up at Tony with wide eyes, “Can I try on the Iron Man helmet?”

“Dude.”

~~~~~~~~~

Tony spent the majority of their time in lab just watching Peter and Ned run around like kids in a candy store—picking things up, playing with the robots—DUM-E taking a special liking to Peter, who, Tony was pleased to see, treated him like a human, thanking him when he brought them water from the stocked fridge and smiling when DUM-E beeped happily in return—and played with all the gadgets laying around.

Tony, albeit wearily, let them try on one of the Iron Man helmets from one of his earlier models and explained to them how the suit worked, both of them hanging on to his every word. He showed them the blue prints for his newest model, listening to their suggestions and even writing a few them down to look into later.

Ned, Tony found out, was rather intelligent with computers. He gave him one of his old security systems and watched with genuine interest as the kid hacked into the the files with ease and recoded the entire system in a matter of minutes.

When Tony looked it over, he let out a grunt of an approval, “Nice work, kid.”

Ned all but fainted at Tony’s praise.

The hours slipped by and F.R.I.D.A.Y. being the helpful AI that she is, had ordered pizzas without Tony even having to ask and had them sent to the kitchen, alerting them when they had arrived. Tony led them up to the kitchen, watching with thinly veiled amusement as they both took in every new surrounding with the same amount of interest they had shown in the lab.

Tony continued to observe them as they tore into the pizza like they hadn't eaten in days and taking a quick glance at the clock, he realized with a flash of guilt, that they had been down in the lab for over four hours and the last time they had probably eaten something would've been well over seven or eight hours ago.

It was nice, Tony deiced, listening to their mindless chatter and what was especially nice, was seeing how at ease Peter was with his friend, looking like a true fifteen year old with his friend over to his house on a school night, like he didn’t have super powers, like he didn’t dress up in tight spandex and web his way through Queens and fight crime at night while trying to balance a normal life.

The thought nagged at Tony for the rest of dinner and as he rode silently with them in the backseat while Happy drove them all to Ned’s apartment first, who still looked like he couldn't believe today was real, thanking Tony breathlessly for the best day of his life and telling Peter he’d see him tomorrow at school.

Peter watched his friend with a small, amused smile and when they got to Peter’s apartment building, Tony glanced over at the kid, the smile still had yet to leave his face.

“Alright kid, this is your stop,” Tony said, making a move to undo his seatbelt, but the kid’s hesitant voice made him pause.

“Mr. Stark?” Peter said softly, clearing his throat, “I uh, just wanted to thank you, you know for well, everything,” the kid breathed, smiling up at him so sincerely that it made Tony’s chest ache in the best sort of way, “today was amazing and I really appreciate you inviting Ned along with us, he really looks up to you, you know? And I haven't really been able to spend much time with him since, y’know, the whole Spider-Man thing.”

The kid paused before continuing on in a softer voice, “And about Flash, I really, really don’t know how to thank you for that,” he rubbed the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed, “it’s kind of funny, in a way, I’m a sort of super-hero and I can’t even stand up to a bully—“

Tony’s heart squeezed painfully in his chest at the kid’s self-deprecation, “Look, kid, I’m no stranger to bullies,” he began, sighing heavily, “I had my fair share of them when I was in school and even in college. I learned that while you may no be able to physically fight someone, you can always fight them with words and sometimes, words can hurt more than your fists. All I did was give that Flash kid a taste of his own medicine and hopefully, got him off your case.”

Peter was silent for a moment, considering Tony’s words before giving him another appreciative smile, “I don’t think Flash will be messing with me anytime soon, but still, thank you,” Peter’s smile turned shy, “you’re the first adult, other than May, to stand up for me and I really appreciate it, so thank you, Mr. Stark.”

“Call me Tony,” Tony offered after a beat of silence, unsure of how to respond to such a statement.

Whatever he was trying to say, the kid got, because he smiled brightly and Tony, suddenly feeling awkward at the unusual sentimental moment, busied himself with unbuckling his seatbelt, ignoring the warmth in his chest.

He reached around the kid to open the door for him and Peter, rather than getting out, just like last time, he reached up and wrapped his arms around Tony, thinking he was hugging him

“This um, wasn't a hug,” Tony began awkwardly, “I’m just getting the door for you.”

However, before the kid could pull away, Tony wrapped his arms around him and gave him a quick, but firm squeeze.

Peter gave him another smile before wishing Tony and Happy a goodnight, getting out of the car and making his way up towards his apartment. Tony debated on his next move, mulling it over quickly and before the kid could get too far, he found himself making a snap decision and rolling down he window.

“Hey, Underoos,” Tony started, slightly unsure when the kid turned around and looked at Tony with hopeful eyes.

“Same time, same place tomorrow?” He said after a moment of silence, the kid’s answering grin melting away any self doubt before it could begin.

“Sure Mr.Stark—Tony,” Peter stuttered excitedly, “sounds great!”

Tony watched the kid go with a satisfied smiled, so caught up in his happy little pseudo-family moment that he almost didn’t hear his phone ring.

Not even bothering to glance at the caller I.D., he answered it with a smooth, “Stark.”

“Tony?! What the hell we’re you thinking going to a school and threatening a minor, A MINOR—“

Shit.

~~~~~

Should I continue? Please let me know :)

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dangermousie · 3 years

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Yay you're watching Miss Crow with Mr. Lizard! I'm not too sure about how you'll feel about this drama though because based on the trailer there isn't too much angst but for me just from me watching the trailer I think I'll love it. I'm not sure how many episodes you watched but can you tell me if there is a love triangle? I hate those so hoping that trope is dead in this drama lol

There is enough angst for me! Dude has a mechanical heart that is about to fail AND he can’t feel strong emotion or he’d be in danger. Oh, and she’s the only one who can touch him without being electrocuted when his pulse rate goes up.

I mean, it’s a romcom and so it doesn’t have the same level of angst I desire from e.g., my xianxia romance. But it has a good amount of angst for a romcom - think old school kdrama which this reminds me of.

There is some love triangle stuff with one of his employees liking ML and childhood friend liking FL but neither is at all interested and those secondaries are not particularly pushy. Tbh, I ff through most not ship stuff so I am not even sure what is going on with them :)

I watched ten eps out of 36 so far and it’s all quite enjoyable.

#asks

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checkyourpower-blog · 5 years

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Kathleen’s Story

Whatever scares you, controls you. I'm releasing my fear in this letter to the movement here in Central Florida.

For those who don't know me well, my name is Kathleen Melendez. I have been part of the activism community since 2017 and I’m coming forward to share the story of my experience with David Caicedo.

I meet David Caicedo, near the end of December 2016. At that time I was introduced to his organization, FL Student Power Network. I hadn't at the time worked on anything related to social justice or organizing but, I knew that I was passionate about being involved in this type of work.

I had just started college in Spring 2017 and Voices of Solidarity was officially launched in April 2017 which is how I got more in contact with David. This campaign was standing in solidarity against hate speech and protecting the students on campus after receiving flyers and events promoting white supremacy. David presented himself as someone who could support our campaign. At first, he seemed excited about the event and the work we were doing. However, it became slowly clear that his intentions were to have the event run and programmed by FL Student Power Network. Being new to this organizing, at certain times he was pushy and forced his way into decisions and conversations. I began to see a lack of autonomy in the work we were doing when he got involved. He might have allowed the students to run the event, however I remember him speaking to me about how we should've done the conversation this way or the students running the event were not thinking about it that way. At a meeting with students talking about David's involvement we took note of the way he was speaking and discussing issues around the event with students. I brought up my concern about how I didn't feel David was working with us and how it seemed that he would take resources from the event if we didn't agree.

Soon after, David was let go from direct involvement from the campaign. Around April David asked me if I would like to join the Summer Fellow interns. He made the promise that I would be able to work on a variety of issues around my campus and work with other students on campaigns with the backing of FLSPN. Considering this was my first internship, I felt appreciated and excited by the idea that I could work on things I cared about. The rosy sunglasses quickly disappeared after I was initiated into FL Student Power.

I use "initiated" but, that wasn't really what I received. I was given a short summary of the work FLSPN did by David. Yet there wasn't a formal contract signed, until much later into my fellowship. And, I never received training or a booklet on what exactly the organization did.

It was stated that I would get $1000 for 3 months for the summer fellowship. I would work 10 hours a week and would come into the Organize FL office to do work/meet with David. At 18 years old, I was naive and full of energy to get into organizing. I couldn't be happier, it was my first extra income, and I had this idea I would solely work on campaigns with the official support of FLSPN. I came in weekly and that’s when I begin to witness behavior that I saw as unacceptable. Whenever I meet with him, he would be late, forget what time we were meeting or, not focused on the meetings, even setting other meetings during our time. He then asked if I would like to work on Communications for FLSPN. Agreeing, he tasked me with working on revamping their social media, and any other things I saw needed work on the communication front. At first, I thought this would be easy however, that wasn't the case at all. Most of the communication pages weren't updated, and we only had a FB and IG to update the public about our organizational work. I saw this as a major problem because I realized that I couldn’t direct people to see what was being done. I told David this but was initially disregarded. He didn’t think we needed a website if we had a facebook page. It wasn’t till later that we got in contact with a website developer due to another fellow's persistent emphasis on the need of a website if we were going to be a professional nonprofit and to follow best practices.

Along with communication David also tasked me and another fellow with working on the structure of the organization. Astonishing to me, the organization wasn’t set up to a full running capacity. What I saw was an unorganized, unclear picture, and lack of transparency of what FL Student Power Network’s main function was supposed to be. The organization barely had a couple of pages about the fellowship program, mission, vision, structure, long term goals, and short term goals. The task was a formidable one because we barely understood how the organization was supposed to be set up. When asked, David wasn't clear. For me, it was worrisome because the structure only showed one individuals that he was accountable to name, Billy, and a Board that was made up of the Statewide Alignment Group (SWAG). I didn’t know at the time who and what was SWAG and how they could hold our organization accountable. But, it seemed to me that David was annoyed with my questions and why it mattered that there was a top-down approach to the organization.

This is also at the same time I started getting uncomfortable with the pressure he was extending and how he was introducing me to people. I understood his motivation but, he never went as far as to consider my comfortability. I was in a standstill to do what I was "needed" of me and not feel pressured into situations with talking to people and inserting myself into spaces. On multiple occasions, I had to communicate to David to slow down into bringing me into meetings, events, and conversations where I didn't feel comfortable being in. Another point I brought up to him was him asking me to take notes in meetings and continuously putting me in places to make phone calls and play the secretarial role commonly considered a women’s position. He mentioned to me, that it was because I was really good at taking notes. Which I didn’t take that as a compliment.

Yes, through his leadership, he afforded me opportunities to travel to DC and participate in different actions and conferences, however, I felt that at times there was a hidden price that came with coming along on these trips. He would come and "ask" for me to involve myself in conversations or meet this person or another and I felt like I was trying to fill in the blanks on why he wanted me to interact in these conversations, again with no prior conversation that had occurred. I constantly felt as though I was being steamrolled by his decisions. It worried me that his interactions with individuals felt transactional. What could he do for them? Where could FLSPN network fit into this? How should I be placed?

I remember this was one of the major points of contention I had with him. Even though he explained that it’s the way he understood organizing, he promised he would get better at making sure he wasn’t doing this.

I still felt though that fellows and I were always working on several different events without a real set of guidance to why, even though we tried to get clarification. In the end, it felt like we were constantly left in the dark about what we were supposed to be doing. There was also the fact that when events occurred and FLSPN failed to show up or meet the high expectations that David set beforehand. It felt like I had to explain David’s negligence when events didn’t pan out. It left no room to feel accomplished in the work we were doing. It was just easier to run with the chaos. In those moments I started to feel empty in what I was doing with the organization.

In the fall of 2017, the payment got lowered to $500 for the Fall Fellowships.

It was more than just about the money but feeling like my work wasn't valued. A lot of my self-worth was put into this work I was doing because I felt like it was serving a higher purpose for myself and the ones close to me. I didn’t allow myself to validate my anger, frustration, or hurt because I kept telling myself this was helping people who were stuck and felt helpless by corruption, and the systems we face daily. It was at that point, near the end of the fellowship, I began to feel an overwhelming weight of disappointing in myself. It grew into this discontent and in the times I could barely voice where it started and where it ended. It left me incredibly burnt out. I was disillusioned by the promises of work geared to what I wanted to focus on and instead worked primarily on the re-structuring the organization for 2017-18 because it was falling apart at the seams. We were overextending our resources, with no way to keep account of the fellow's work from other regions. On repeated occasions, I spoke up to David on figuring out how to improve this system. But, David ignored the request for fewer fellows and a clearer understanding of the mission this organization should have been following.

Mentally, at this point, I couldn't handle this feeling of working towards an unattainable goal with a leader who rarely asked if I was okay with the work we were doing. I was at a loss, 19 years old and trying to figure out how I would have to have a courageous conversation with an executive director who didn’t seem to listen to those working under him. Time, and time again I felt like I had to be warning David that his tone with people wasn’t right and that he should be more caring towards the fellows because what I witnessed was a leader who became easily annoyed and disregarded others. I felt like I shouldn’t have had to be saying this to a leader, but he would outwardly express his frustration with others never considering the boundaries that these crossed. That feeling stuck with me because I felt like I should have said something and didn’t. It took me a while to have enough confidence to even bring up those thoughts to him.

By the end of my fellowship, I was extremely tired of his behavior and tone of speaking with fellows. I didn't know what else to do than speak with another leadership from another office to ask for help in dealing with my issues with David's behavior. Their advice, in hindsight, was wrong. They said I should have a conversation with the 4 I’s (Incident, Intention, Impact, Invention) to air my grievances with David in the hope that he would listen and change. Yet the power dynamics alone was enough to see that accountability wouldn’t take place.

Despite him being apologetic and promising change, I didn't get to witness any change occur because I wasn't asked to be a fellow after 2017.

It came back full circle however when I was doing work with them in July. They were hosting another organization and David asked if I would like to participate in being a trainer for the weekend. He let me know a week prior to their arrival and I wasn’t given the materials until a day before they came. I wasn’t paid for my work and I was quickly reminded of the many issues that had continued even after I left. The weekend was ill-prepared and David was not focused nor did he have a set agenda for the weekend. The folxs in the organization were outwardly frustrated and confused about what was supposed to be planned. I was asked directly, “Why don’t we have an agenda if you all knew 3 months before that we were coming?” I hadn’t but, David did. The tipping point for me, however, was when a staff member was yelled at for asking a question about a mishap in the schedule. The tone, her response, her physical reaction left me hollowed out. It reminded me exactly of the type of treatment I was told he would work on. I asked her about what had happened and if he spoke to her like that often. Her answer didn’t surprise me. It was so similar to my story-- the same type of behavior still hadn’t changed. I had spent so many months working on improving myself and trying to find a semblance of closure. However what I witnessed in July reminded me of how I went on my way to ignore so many issues that happened with David, but enough was enough.

I couldn’t stand back and allow this to happen, letting time pass, and letting people get hurt. This is why I’m sharing my truth because I sought out fellows, staff, and heard stories that reflected mine in so many ways it scared me. Young people were left and hurt because they had a vision that this work would create change, that they would be able to leave their imprint in someone’s life for the better. What came out, was exploitation, manipulation, and fear that has left many rejecting the work and so-called community/family of the nonprofit sphere.

What I'm witnessing is a deliberate display of performative activism paired with a lack of empathy. For those who are reading this and have set aside ego and power to listen to those who have been pushed out of this movement I thank you. If it wasn’t for you all, I wouldn’t be able to be here, writing this letter. You have allowed me to grow, to reflect, to not just hold myself up, but, be able to help other people along the way.

Unfortunately, there are still many people in this movement unwilling to set aside unchecked power and ego. I have been told that we must do what’s best for the “collective.” Another way to that say we aren’t willing to listen right now or spark the much-needed change. It truly saddens me to see the incredible talent and passion that has left this movement and instead what stays are individuals who can’t be touched by growth or accountability. It has left me, even more, disillusioned and bitter over the movement we call a family. I have lost so much respect for people I thought I could admire. Where does that leave us? If the "best" people can't be judged and pushed to change. That we must struggle with people in order to make our movement strong? We forget that you are hurting people in the process. We have to stop assuming that this is the best course of action and erase the hurt that real people must go through. We are telling people that if you aren’t a martyr in this movement you don’t belong here.

WE have left people. And we have allowed them to get hurt. No matter what your subjective opinion is about the situation people have been hurt.

Not one person I talked to hasn't expressed to me of being hurt in one way or another by David. They may have handled it differently, may affected them in a different extent but, hurt is hurt. And for me a pattern of hurt is harm. There is an open wound and we have allowed harm to fester and continue to leave people to get wounded and for what? To protect the community? Or is it to protect a system of unchecked power?

A community is nothing without the people in it. Anyone who has sat sideline and not addressed the issue has been complicit. I don't want to be in a community who props these organizers up, and at the same time watch as they fight against these oppressive systems of harm. How could we ever move forward? How could that ever be sustainable?

I’ve learned that this isn’t going to heal me or leave me with a resolution of peace. I’m putting myself out on the line because despite people supporting a restorative process with David, and his agreement I don’t think we will ever get the “presence” of his full cooperation. We called him into this restorative justice process because we recognize we need to first confront the harm that has been done and honor the ones that have been harmed by his actions. What I asked was to have a process, with a facilitator at the beginning of January. I was ready to have this process in November when we agreed to going forward with this path. Now we are here almost 5 months later waiting to begin. He has dishonored the process from the beginning even though we have opened this up and allowed this chance to go through what has happened and communicate our hurts face to face. I can no longer afford more disrespect and this emotional roller coaster when I have seen from him a lack of prioritization to address these issues. It’s time to #checkourpower.

#checkyourpower

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jodybouchard9 · 6 years

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Gary Sheffield and Wife’s New Game Plan: Real Estate Reality TV Stardom

Jaime Yandolino / FYI

Take baseball legend Gary Sheffield and his wife, Grammy-nominated singer DeLeon, mix in some dreamy-looking homes, and what do you get? “Sheffield Real Estate,” a new reality TV show that premieres on the FYI Network this Thursday detailing the couple’s adventures brokering deals on luxury homes in Tampa, FL.

So how did this power couple end up in the real estate biz? Gary, who retired from Major League Baseball in 2009, is currently a sports agent. Meanwhile, DeLeon—a gospel singer who, at age 8, became the youngest artist ever nominated for a Grammy—has found her second act by opening her own real estate brokerage.

From there, the couple have teamed up to turn their past talents into real estate gold. Here’s what our sneak peek at the premiere episode of “Sheffield Real Estate” taught us about how real estate works.

Real estate agents can flourish off referrals

Tampa is gaga over sports. It’s home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL), the Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL), and the Tampa Bay Rays (MLB). And it’s also home to six MLB team spring training camps, plus a number of minor-league franchises. As such, there are plenty of coaches, players, and staff coming and going who need to find homes, or sell them when they leave—and it behooves Gary, who’s naturally plugged into the pro sports scene, to see that his clients can quickly surmount these hurdles. And who better to refer these clients to than his hard-working real estate agent wife?

The take-home lesson for the rest of us: Referrals are a large part of a real estate agent’s business, and for good reason: Buying and selling homes can be an intensely emotional transaction that involves trusting those professionals working on your behalf. It can really help to hear someone say, “Hey, I know a great real estate agent you’ll love.” Just be sure to do some research beyond that recommendation to make sure the agent truly is the right fit (more on that point below).

The real estate business has evolved light years (thank you, internet)

Since the age of 5, DeLeon has sung before thousands and toured the world, sharing the stage with the likes of Patti LaBelle, Lou Rawls, Yolanda Adams, and Al Green. Yet during her slightly calmer stints when not on the road, she had a different job: working with her mother, Debbie Richards, who sold real estate in Chicago.

“I remember being her ‘assistant’ as a little girl,” recalls DeLeon, who says she felt she was really helping, since this was before multiple listing services were online and conveniently accessible like they are today.

“We had to do everything by hand,” she recalls. “I remember spending late nights on the floor in her office, doing whatever I could.”

This experience proved invaluable decades later, when DeLeon decided to open her own real estate business.

Not every real estate agent will suit your personality

Given that real estate runs in the family, it may come as no surprise that when opening Sheffield Realty, DeLeon recruited her mom as her partner, persuading her to leave the cold climes of Chicago for sunny Tampa. After all, as DeLeon explains, Richards is “a walking wealth of knowledge, information, and experience.”

That’s all well and good; yet, when DeLeon and her mom try to help a professional poker player find a luxury home, Richards is so pushy, it almost scares the client away. It takes a round of golf with Gary to convince the poker player that mother and daughter are the right team to find him and his fiancée the right home. In the end, they keep the client, but learn a good lesson that Richards’ full-bore approach can rub some people the wrong way.

“Mom has a go-getter attitude, and she’s going to do what it takes to make the deal,” says DeLeon. The other side of that double-edged sword: “She knows how to work every single nerve in my body.”

In short, real estate agents have different styles and strengths, so be sure to find one who jibes with your preferences. Here are some types of real estate agents you’ll meet, and how to tell which one’s right for you.

DeLeon Sheffield and her mother, Debbie Richards, have distinctive styles.

Jaime Yandolino/FYI

Although husband Gary has his hands full with his own business ventures, he is supportive of DeLeon’s endeavors. Even better? He says that it strengthens their marriage and brings them together.

DeLeon and Gary Sheffield work and play in tandem.

FYI

(Check out the show on Thursdays, starting Nov. 30, at 10 p.m. on FYI.)

The post Gary Sheffield and Wife’s New Game Plan: Real Estate Reality TV Stardom appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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virtualstacks-blog · 7 years

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Creating Content that Matters

A content marketing strategy is more than just putting keywords on a page.

Spend any time reading blogs on SEO and content marketing and you will see this phrase repeated over and over again: Content is king. You would be hard pressed to find a marketing agency in charge of creating content to argue against that. Yet, it is clear by the amount of low-quality content, the sentiment needs a bit of clarification.

I propose “Content is king, if the king serves the people.” When developing content, it needs to have intent. That does not mean that every blog post requires Pulitzer Prize-winning commentary. It does, however, need to provide value to the reader.

Poor content can lead to a higher bounce rate and a low search ranking. Not to mention, weak content can create a less-than-positive perception of your business. You know what they say about first impressions, after all.

You may be asking yourself, “Isn’t the whole point just to use the keywords to increase ranking?” or “Wait, people actually read this stuff?!” If you’re sweating, it may be time to take a closer look at your content strategy.

The Keys to Making Content that Matters

1. Create for People, Not Robots

When I have a question that requires expert advice, like most people, I turn to Google first. Imagine that you are looking for an Orlando plumber. You click on a link and instead of finding advice, you find a post full of fluff, with relevant keywords peppered in. You exit out and land on a competitor’s page, where you find the answers you sought. Should you have a plumbing problem, you will likely return to the page that had valuable content. The first post visited is now a distant memory, buried in your search history.

While hypothetical, this is exactly why you need quality content. Strong content provides value to the reader, giving them reason to remember you. Take the blog of local medical weight loss clinic, Solutions Weight Loss for example.

Note that their blog is not loaded with testimonials of inflated promises. It does not aggressively push their services. Instead, it offers valuable tips, ideas and suggestions that deal with weight loss. A future client will remember the site with that great smoothie recipe, over the one that blasts before and after photos.

The Google algorithm is smart. Gone are the days where you can use synonyms for your keywords and see your domain rank soar. You have to put the work in. You have to make the type of content that people will want to share with friends and coworkers. Google knows when you are writing for people, rather than for crawling bots.

2. Stir Emotions

Wikis, online encyclopedias and scientific journals are always at our fingertips. Save the point-by-point, often dry content for these publications. Spice it up! If you are writing for people, you realize that people have emotions. Stir them. Few things replicate the effectiveness of a blog that you are doing something wrong. According to a recent study by Buzzsumo, Facebook headlines that stir these urgent emotions produce a higher click-through rate. But be careful not to fall into the trap of clickbait, which Google is beginning to penalize for.

Certified Leak Detection does this well.

This leak detection company posts content, related to swimming pool maintenance that stir the emotions of the reader. Topics like water preservation and keeping kids safe while swimming pique the interest of the passing reader. Am I doing enough to keep my kids safe? Is my pool wasting water? People care about these things and will value the advice. The content is not only relevant to their services, it reaches people in a way that feels personal.

3. Reach Millennials

Millennials were born into one of the biggest technological shifts in recent history. Because of this, millennials respond differently to content than any other generation. Likely paving the way for the future of marketing, glitz, glam, and polish has given way to the candid, campy, and spontaneous. This can create some frustration for some companies. As a business owner, the last thing you want to do mid-day is stop and take a selfie to please the generation that only gained buying power fairly recently.

While that method may give your social media image a slight boost, there are much more genuine ways to reach the young adult market. (Psst… Millennials loveauthenticity.) Take these blog posts from The Paint Manager.

Millennials value experiences. They enjoy trying new things. Often, they equally concerned with how something looks over how it functions. Why else do you think the internet is packed with DIY tutorials? As an increasing number of millennials work toward purchasing their first homes, DIY design tips might catch their eye. Once that home is a reality, the competitive interior painting rates may catch the eye of the millennial-on-a-budget.

4. Develop Brand Recognition

Your brand is more than your logo. Slapping your logo on every social media post comes off as very pushy. Instead, your brand should be an umbrella under which your content develops. Take Physicians Weight Loss for example:

You see the company’s colors, healthy lifestyle quotes, and visually striking images. Their “brand” is looking good and feeling great. This medical weight loss message is clear throughout every single post.

Take a cue from the ever-growing Instagram influencers. Give the people what they want. If you give your followers great content, they will return wanting more. Social media is a bit different than traditional advertising. Rather than investing money for a quick return, social media is a slower, more subconscious process. A great Instagram feed may not lead to your phone ringing off the hook. But what you may hear instead is: “I’ve followed you guys for a while now. But today, I finally decided to make the call.” You catch people at different parts of the buying cycle. Realize that quality content adds quality to a brand.

5. Rank Higher in Searches

Professionals are considered experts. Allow your content to reflect your expert knowledge, and share this knowledge with the masses. Take this Lake Mary family practice, for instance.

Good content is informative and authoritative. This office shares content that not only promotes a healthy lifestyle, it gives insight into their practice. You get to know your physician before walking into the office. Fittingly, the practice’s website has a strong domain rank. People appreciate the transparency and comprehensive medical information.

Content does not need to be preachy. It does not need to be all that technical. Answer the questions people need answers for.

A strong domain rank is part of a larger SEO strategy, usually headed by an internet marketing company. However, it is one of the most stable foundations for greater visibility. This means increased traffic for your business’s online presence.

6. Inspire Readers to Take Action

There are a lot of intriguing ideas out there for every subject and niche interest. People pin, stumble, upvote, reblog and share concepts by the thousands. Great content, however, inspires the reader to take action. “How-to” posts and tutorials are great in some aspects. You have a relative idea of how a project is going to turn out in the end. Actionable content puts the power into the reader’s hands, providing tips rather than guidelines.

This lawn service Orlando FL company does a great job of sharing this sort of content.

Nowhere will you find a step-by-step guide on how to plant a garden or choose lawn care services. Instead, the Orlando tree serviceprovides landscape design inspiration, and tips for someone interested in improving their lawn. People seek out information like this to learn and improve. Help them do so!

Struggling with creating content for your business? Contact Virtual Stacks Systems to boost your content marketing strategy. From marketing for financial advisors to Orlando SEO services, we can help you make the most of your online content.

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