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rileyslibrary · 5 months

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Ghost is forced to dress up as Santa for the day and talk to kids.

You’re ordered to tag along as his Elf and do some damage control if necessary.

———————————————————————

You lean against his armchair, watching the chaos in front of you. Children are crying, tugging at their parents’ clothes, shouting both in excitement and fear, all while looking at you. A young boy keeps waving at your lieutenant, desperate to get his attention, but Ghost is too preoccupied with coming to terms with his new reality to notice.

You return his wave with a smile.

“Try to stay still, Santa,” you remind Ghost as you nod towards the boy. “Kids are watching.”

He snaps back into focus and redirects his attention to the queue. He stretches one last time, pushing on the armrests, before settling into the chair.

“Try not to tell me what to do,” he murmurs and waves back at the child.

You straighten up and tweak your green hat, triggering the bell at its tip to jiggle in your ear. You feel for him; you really do. He’s not supposed to be here; he’s not built for this. Unfortunately—for him or the kids, you haven’t decided yet—the “real” Santa broke his hip at the last minute, and your military base stepped in to provide a new Santa for the local community.

And what better replacement than Ghost, you may ask? Well, literally anybody else.

Dressed in a red costume with white faux fur trim, the lieutenant looks nothing like the man you experienced on the battlefield. His shoulders threaten to rip through the rented outfit, and the seams at the back hold onto each other for dear life. Since his belly wasn’t big enough to simulate Santa’s, you asked him to stuff a pillow under his uniform. Surprisingly, Ghost complied almost instantly, leaving you to wonder if he was using the pillow as Kevlar, a barrier between him and the kids or if he was secretly enjoying this.

You also convinced him to ditch the balaclava for the time being since he would now have plenty of props to conceal his face—a wig, a long beard, glasses, and a red hat with a white pom-pom, to be exact. Additionally, you attempted to trick him into applying some blush on his cheeks, but he side-eyed you and told you to ‘be careful now’—ironic for a man who paints his face daily.

You rub your temples, trying to keep calm amid the chaos of the mall as you prepare for what’s about to happen during the next few hours. You have no idea why Price chose him to be Santa, but you didn’t question it either. Ghost seems to be the least qualified for the job out of everyone in the base. It feels like a last resort, so to speak—a ‘that’s all we have left in the store’ solution.

On the other hand, you know precisely why the captain chose you to accompany him. “To monitor the situation,” he said—“To make sure we don’t get sued,” you heard. And, under normal circumstances, you’d be happy to tag along with Ghost—be it on patrol, on missions, or even transporting confidential documents. But in this situation? Acting as a troubleshooter rather than a teammate? You’d rather be anywhere else than here, with anybody else than him.

You take another look at him while he sits on the chair. He’s tugging at the uniform, scratching his head, and instinctively pulling the beard to his nose.

“Stop doing that,” you whisper. “It’s a beard, not a balaclava.”

“Price would have been perfect for the job, for fucks sake,” he spits. “He has the fucking moustache for starters.”

“Stop with the ‘fucks’ and the ‘fucking’ Ghost; you’re about to talk to kids! And, as for the captain, he said he couldn’t do it.”

“Oh yeah?” He asks, lifting his hands from the armrests. “And what makes him think that I can?”

“I wish I knew, to be honest, but we don’t have time to go through this again,” you murmur, looking at your watch one last time. You approach the barrier, unclip the rope from the stanchion, and turn over your shoulder.

“Operation ‘Santa’ begins now,” you declare. “Ready?”

“Do I have a choice?” He replies, shrugging, and gestures for you to proceed.

And so it begins. Your first ‘customer’ arrives, and many more follow. You guide one family at a time into the enclosure and escort them to Ghost, who handles the rest. Some children are hesitant, peeking out from behind their parents’ legs, while others are much more direct with their intentions as they scream in horror at the sight of him.

On the other hand, Ghost is neither your typical jolly Santa nor the irritated lieutenant you’d expect. He appears to be... understanding. He reassures parents that it’s okay and there’s no need to force their children onto his lap if they feel uncomfortable. He initiates conversations with the kids from a respectful distance. He smiles with his eyes and hunches his shoulders to appear less imposing. Sometimes, he lures the shy ones into a handshake, a fist pump, or a high five by lowering his gloved hand to their level.

And then there are those other types of kids: the curious ones, the social butterflies. The ones who look forward to sitting on Ghost’s lap, diving into full-blown conversations with him. That’s when you stiffen up and switch into damage-control mode to ensure he won’t lash out at them. You begin hovering above them, listening, jumping into their conversations and sometimes interrupting Ghost and replying to the kids instead of him.

You would have thought he’d be grateful to have you managing the situation. Ghost, however, seems more irritated by you than by the little girl who’s currently playing with the pom-pom on his hat.

“Oi, Elf!” he says calmly, yet visibly annoyed. “Emma and I are chatting about how she spilt tomato juice on her Elsa costume and wants a new one for Christmas. Could you please falala off and go wrap some presents?”

“B-but I need to know because I’ll be sewing it for her,” you reply, smiling at the little girl. “Isn’t that right, Emma?”

And, although Emma nods her head, more out of necessity than agreement, you get his point. He’s doing surprisingly well with those kids, even without you. Actually, he’s doing remarkably well, especially without you.

More kids come and go, and Ghost slowly adapts to his new persona. He starts making bets with you, predicting which kids in the queue might ask for a PlayStation or an iPad and even speculating who might wipe snot on his costume. You, in response, adopt a more laid-back approach and let him do his thing. After each child’s visit, Ghost turns towards you, whispering in your ear about their Christmas wishes, as if he’s indeed Santa, and keeps logs.

“My man wants a full-sized car wheel,” Ghost murmurs as the young boy leaps off his lap, “can you believe him?”

“What did you say to him?” You ask, stifling a laugh.

“I told him I’ll get it for him,” he shrugs. “What else should I do?”

“Alright, but what did you really want to tell him?”

“That his dad already has four of them screwed in his car.”

As the day winds down, and the final announcement for the day echoes through the speakers, parents and children walk past you and towards the exit. They wave at Ghost and occasionally at you. The parking lot empties, the stores shut their doors until tomorrow, and the holiday lights that decorate the inside of the mall switch off one by one.

You stretch your back and tap on his shoulder, signalling that both of you should pack up and return to the base.

“Nuh-uh,” he says, grasping your wrist with one hand and tapping his thigh with the other. “You didn’t tell me what you want for Christmas.”

You’re exhausted but still manage to smile as you comply with his request. You sit on his lap, and he leans back to take a better look at you.

“Let’s think about it another way,” you say. “What would you, as Santa, give me for Christmas?”

“Coal,” he replies. “And a muzzle, so you don’t interrupt me while I’m talking. What was that all about?”

“Was afraid you’d say something bad,” you explain. “But you were pretty good with those kids.”

He shakes his head and plays with the fur trim on his sleeve. “Nah,” he murmurs. “I’d never say something bad to a kid.”

“Speaking of bad and coal,” you say, combing his fake beard, “you never asked the typical ‘have you been a good kid’ to any of them.”

“There’s no bad kid in the world, love,” he whispers. “All kids are good, even the naughty ones.”

You smile at him, but he doesn’t look back at you. He’s examining his uniform as if trying to find something else to discuss. He finds some crumbs a kid left on his suit and brushes them off.

“Ready to head back to the base, Lieutenant?” You ask, tapping his thigh before standing up. You extend your hand to him, and he gladly accepts it, helping him rise from the chair he’s been sitting in all day. You begin walking towards the exit, and he wraps his arm around your shoulder. You reciprocate by hugging his waist.

You walk up to the parked military vehicle that brought you here earlier, still discussing the day. He opens the door but pauses and turns to look at you.

“Resilience,” he declares. “That’s what I would gift you for Christmas.”

“Why?” You ask, turning to look at him. “You think I need it?”

“We all do,” he replies softly, just like when he used to talk to those kids. “Since I can’t protect you from every obstacle life throws your way, I might as well give you the ability to recover from them.”

“That would make me very happy, Lieutenant.” You say, smiling.

He smiles back at you and reaches for your hat to fix it better on your head. His hand moves to your forehead, and he tucks a stray hair behind your ear.

“It’s Santa to you.” He replies.

———————————————————————

A/N: Bruh, I was so tempted to make the reader pull off a Mariah Carey and say, “All I want for Christmas is you,” when Ghost asked what they wanted, but my gag reflexes kicked in every time, and I was cringing galore.

So, there you go: resilience. That’s what I would like to gift you as well. I wish I could shield you from whatever has troubled you in the past or is currently doing so. To protect you from future worries and make everything ‘falala off’. Unfortunately, I can’t do that, neither for you nor for myself.

But this is why comfort characters and stories exist—so we can imagine, when no one is there for us, that someone actually is.

Just like Santa. Just like Ghost.

#simon ghost riley x reader #simon ghost riley x gn!reader #simon ghost riley x you #simon ghost riley x y/n #simon ghost riley #simon riley x gn!reader #simon riley x reader #simon riley x you #simon riley x y/n #simon riley #cod ghost #call of duty #modern warfare 2 #cod mwii #ghost call of duty #ghost cod #simon ghost riley fanfiction #simon ghost riley fic #cod mw ghost

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delicatelyherdreams · 6 years

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Separation Anxiety

Paring: Natasha Romanoff x fem!Reader

Summary: When Natasha has to leave for a lengthy mission, you feel her absence deeply. Some might say you even have a little bit of separation anxiety.

Warnings: language; drinking; Tony’s a bit of an ass

Word Count: 2193

“Naatttt,” you whined hanging upside down on the couch with your legs against the backrest and your head dangling above the ground. “Pay attention to meeee.”

She didn’t even look up from the papers sitting on the table in front of her.

You frowned. “Natasha!”

Nothing.

A low growl emitted from your throat as you pulled yourself up onto the couch. You reached over to the arm rest and grabbed the pillow sitting on the cushion. You looked between your girlfriend and the cushion before making a calculation and chucking the pillow at her head.

Without glancing up, her hand shot up and caught the pillow. She sighed and turned to face you. “I’m working, Princessa,” she said in a pleading voice.

You pouted. “You were supposed to be off today. We were gonna go mini golfing!”

“I know, but this came up last minute and it’s really important.” Her smile turned sympathetic.

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?”

She sighed. “It’s only two weeks, Princessa.”

Your eyes widened. “Two weeks?” you demanded, your voice growing in volume. “You mean you’re leaving me here with these people for two weeks.”

“I have to. It’s an important mission and I’m the only one who can do it.” She stood up and padded her way over to the couch. “But don’t worry. I’ll be back as soon as I can and when I’m home...” She sat down next to you and wrapped her arm around your waist, “You can have me all to yourself.”

You looked up at her with your puppy dog eyes. “Promise?”

She chuckled and leaned over, pressing a loving kiss to the side of your head. “I promise.”

You hummed and closed your eyes, leaning into her. “You’re the best, Nat.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but she was interrupted by a loud and boisterous voice.

“Well!” Tony exclaimed as he walked into the room. He smirked at you and Nat. “If it isn’t our two favorite lovebirds.”

“Well, if it isn’t the most annoying billionaire,” you said, exasperation filling your voice to the brim.

He grinned as he sat down at the table Natasha had just been at. “And how are you, our little toddler?”

Your eyes narrowed. “I’m not a toddler,” you corrected. “I’m twenty years old.”

“Todd-ler,” he said in a singsong voice.

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Lay off, Stark,” she said coldly. “She’s an adult, she’s legal, it’s okay.”

“But she acts like a child, Nat,” he argued. “Honestly, she’s so clingy that, if I didn’t know any better, I would guess you’re her mother.”

You pouted at him. “I have my own mother and she’s not Natasha. Natasha is better.”

“I am, aren’t I?” she asked with a grin.

“You are,” you said pecking her on the cheek.

Tony gagged. “Ugh, you two are so sweet you’re going to make me sick.” He rolled his eyes. “Natasha, your flight leaves in T-minus-three hours.”

She shot him a dirty look but you had heard enough. Your head shot up and you stared at her. “You’re leaving when?”

Natasha sighed. “Three hours from now. I was going to tell you here soon but somebody had to spoil that.”

“Sor-ry!” He laughed nervously before exiting the room.

She rolled her eyes and turned to face you. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, but I thought it’d be easier this way.”

You scoffed. “Yeah. It’s easier just to leave me with no warning?”

“Okay, maybe it wasn’t my brightest idea,” she admitted with a frown.

“No joke,” you mumbled as you buried your face in her side. “I can’t believe you’re leaving so soon.”

“But the sooner I leave, the sooner I’ll be back,” she said as a reminder.

You bit your lip. “Fine... Just don’t take too long.”

“I’ll try not to.”

———

The first week without her was absolute hell. You missed waking up next to her each morning to the feeling of her arms tightening around your waist. You missed her laugh and the way she would smile at you when you told a stupid joke. This was greatly reflected in your mood.

You began to sulk around, going through the daily tasks with such a melancholy attitude that even FRIDAY was starting to worry about you. Every day you were in a poor and sour mood, the only remedy being to have your beloved Natasha back in your arms.

Finally, half way into the second week, Tony had had enough of the sulking and suggested that everyone have a few drinks to loosen up.

“Come on,” he goaded. “Drinks are on me!”

It took a little bit of convincing, but eventually everyone agreed.

Tony broke into his liquor cabinet and began to serve out drinks. Soon, every Avenger had a glass of alcohol in their hands... Everyone except you, that is.

After all the heroes had a glass in hand filled with their preferred drink, they all slowly downed the liquor, falling under the influence.

Tony was the first to succumb, his eyes drooping and his words becoming slurred. He turned to look at you from his spot on the long couch. “Hey…” he started, a lazy smile on his face. “(y/n), why don’t you have a drink? Oh, right, you aren’t old enough to have adult drinks.”

You kept a straight face, your sobriety allowing you to try to keep a level head. “I’m almost twenty-one,” you reminded him with no emotion.

Tony snickered. “Twenty… You’re practically a baby!”

You clenched your fist. Why couldn’t he just leave you be about your age? It’s not like you could help being years younger than everybody else there.

His smile widened as if he had just gotten a brilliant idea. “Or maybe, not a baby, but like a toddler.”

You let your head tilt back as you bit your tongue. “It’s just the alcohol, (y/n),” you told yourself. “Just let it go.”

Tony’s head lolled to the side as he grinned. “You’re such a toddler, so young and tiny. What are you doing here with the big boys?”

“Lay off her, Tony,” Steve chided from across the room. “She’s plenty old enough.”

Tony groaned. “You’re sounding like Romanoff.” He shook his head and turned his attention back to you with a shit-eating smirk. “You’re so young. Don’t you have a bedtime?”

You were starting to get fed up with him. “Stop it, Stark,” you threatened.

Tony laughed, the alcohol reaching his head. “Oh chill out, Princessa.”

That was your breaking point. No one called you that but Natasha. You looked at the man, your eyes ablaze. “Don’t. Call me. Princessa,” you hissed in a low and threatening voice that would make even the bravest man shake in his boots.

Steve looked at you warily. “(y/n)...”

Your head snapped up and you glared at him. “No! you snapped.

He jumped at your sudden outburst.

So did most everybody in the room.

Your glare didn’t lessen. “You all just keep picking on me, and I’m done. Just because I’m younger than all of you does not mean you can treat me like a child! I am a goddamn adult for god’s sake, and I ought to be treated like one!” You rose to your feet and shot the Avengers a dirty look. “But whatever. You all are going to treat me like a child anyways, and it doesn’t matter what I do. Nat is the only one who will treat me like I am...” You shook your head. “Thanks for trying, but I’m just going to my room. Call me when Natasha gets back.”

And with that, you turned your back on them and left the little soiree.

You found yourself in yours and Nat’s bedroom suite moments later seated on the bed, your phone in hand with Natasha’s contact pulled up and calling her.

The phone rang on and on until she finally picked up on the last tone.

Nat’s crackly voice answered on the other end of the line. “Princessa?” she called, her voice thick with strain.

You sighed in relief at hearing her voice. “Nat...” you said, a small smile crossing your lips.

“What is it, (y/n)?” she asked before grunting immediately after.

You bit your lip. “I don’t know. I just needed to hear your voice. I miss you.”

There was a scream in the back round and Natasha mused, “Aw, baby I miss you too, but now is not really a good time. Can I call you back a little later? I’ve got to finish with this guy.” Queue another panicked scream.

You chuckled. “Sure.”

True to her word your phone was ringing several minutes later. Her face, which was contorted into a silly expression, was flashing on the screen.

“What’s going on, Princessa?” she asked after you picked up.

You laid back onto the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. “I miss you, Nat. And Tony’s mocking me again and making me feel bad.”

She hummed on the phone. Even without seeing her you could tell she was frowning. “He’s just being an ass. Do I need to smack some sense into him when I get back?”

“Yes,” you mumbled as you turned onto your side. “When are you coming home?”

“Hopefully tomorrow, Princessa. We've finished a little earlier than expected and are on our way back to base to be shipped out tomorrow morning,” she said. “I can’t wait to see your beautiful face again.”

You smiled softly. “I can’t wait to see you too...”

“I’ll tell you what,” she started, a smile present in her voice. “When I get home tomorrow, we can just stay in. We’ll order pizza from that place you like and spend all day in bed watching movies. Sound like a plan?”

You could just imagine it. All bundled up in your favorite pajamas with your favorite girl at your side... It sounded like paradise. “Yeah,” you finally said. “Just don’t keep me waiting.”

She breathed a laugh. “I’ll try not too. You can yell at my pilot to get us off the ground here.”

“Oh don’t tempt me, Nat,” you said, warning heavy in your voice. “I might actually ask you to put me on speaker so I can scream at him.”

“I’m sure you would,” she responded.

Your lips were tugged up by a small smile. “Nat?”

“Yes, Princessa?”

“I’m going to go to bed now, but would you stay on the line? You know, just to talk to me while I fall asleep?”

She breathed a sigh. “Of course.”

And she did. You put the phone on speaker and set it down on the pillow next to yours as you got comfortable. You continued to lie down on your side as you stared at it’s dark screen. “Tell me a story?” you requested in a childlike voice.

She chuckled. “Which one?”

“Any one will do.”

You could imagine her pondering your request. “Hmm. Once upon a time, there was a girl who lived in a house with her wicked stepmother and evil stepsisters.”

You cracked a smile. “Is this Cinderella?”

“Yes. You wanted a story so you’ve got one. Now shut up.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “Fine.”

She chuckled in return. “Now this girl, Cinderella, was very beautiful and...”

———

The next twenty-four hours were quite possibly the slowest ones you had ever experienced. The wait for Natasha was so mind numbing that you swear your brain was leaking out your ears.

But finally, that night, after the sun had set, the elevator dinged signalling an arrival. The doors slid open, revealing a certain redhead.

You practically threw yourself at her when you saw her. “Natashaaaaa!” you wailed as you wrapped your arms around her torso in a tight hug. “Don’t ever leave me like that again, you here! I can’t do it again! Everyone here is mean without you and I miss you too much!”

She chuckled as you rested your head on her chest. “Aw, did you have a little bit of separation anxiety?”

You nodded, your lips pulled downwards in a pout. “Don’t leave me again.”

She bowed her head down to press a kiss to your head. “I won’t.”

———

Bonus

A few days later you sat in the lounge, a book propped open in your hand while your eyes scanned the page. It was a nice and calm evening of reading, but it was interrupted by a loud and sickening thwack of a human hitting another human followed by an unmanly scream of a Tony Stark.

“Hey!” Tony shouted. “What the hell was that for?”

Natasha’s voice followed his saying, “That’s for picking on my girlfriend. Now, leave her be.”

You couldn’t contain your smug grin as she sauntered into the room seconds later.

She took one look at your face before breaking into a smile of her own. “What? I told you I’d smack him for you.”

“Oh I love you,” you said scooting over to make room for her on the couch.

She sat down next to you and pressed a careful kiss to your lips. “I love you too, (y/n).”

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Requested by: Anonymous

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all-the-love-harold · 6 years

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The Daily Anna - Chapter 8

I struggled a little to get this one on paper but it’s here and I’m actually quite proud of it. Once again, it wouldn’t have happened without @lovesmelikebrandnewstarlight to talk me through things and work out where things are going. Without giving anything away, things are going to start getting emotional from this point on wards, so prepare yourselves.

Let me know what you’re thinking so far

Master Post

23 shows, 38 days, countless kisses and memories that Anna could hold onto for the rest of her life. The tour was over and Anna was about to fly back to London, back to her normal life, as if the last few weeks hadn’t changed everything. Nothing could be the same now, not for her or her blog. It was strange to think that it was only a few months ago that she was sitting at her desk, with her head in her hands trying her best to get her essay written, only to decide to drop out a few hours later. That seemed like a lifetime ago, Ronnie was speaking to her back then, her blog was simply a hobby and Harry was Harry Styles the popstar, not Harry Styles her boyfriend.

“How do you do it H?” Anna asked Harry in the back of the car on the way to LAX.

“Do what?” he said

“Go back to your normal life after all this?”

He turned his head and looked out the window at the passing trees that lined the streets.

“This is my normal” he sighed “For the better part of the last 8 years I’ve been on the road, all of this is normal to me, my life is here in LA just as much as it is in London, I almost hate that I’m leaving so soon.”

“That’s kinda what I mean, how do you go back to London and just live after all this?”

“It’s weird at first, but I’ll have you to keep me busy, plus I have an album to write so instead of playing these songs to thousands everyday, I’ll be in the studio writing new ones”

“Obviously all about me” she giggled

“How could they not be” he smiled, wrapping his arm around her and bringing her into his chest “you’re incredible An, changed my life”

Anna’s heart fluttered, she wanted nothing more than to say those three little words, but she wasn’t sure that he was ready to hear it.

“I think I’m the one whose life has been changed” she opted out, this wasn’t the time, she wasn’t sure there would ever be a perfect time to say it, but this was an ending, and those words were meant for a beginning.

He kissed her on the forehead “Both of us”

In the background of their conversation the car pulled up and the driver switched it off.

“LAX” he said bringing them back to reality.

Anna looked out the window at the hundreds of people going about their day, going on holiday, or on business trips, going home or going away and she gulped at how many of them would know who Harry is. She was still hesitant about being seen with him, especially in public places like airports, it wasn’t that she was embarrassed or anything, it was just that she hated people staring at her and she hated even more the articles that would no doubt be out by the time they arrive in London. “Anna Elliot uses Harry Styles to get more followers”

“You know what this reminds me of?” Harry said, pulling Anna back into the conversation

“What’s that?”

“Our first date” he smiled “but this time we’re both getting out of the car”

And so they did. Harry jumped out first and loaded their bags onto a trolley and took Anna’s hand in his.

Airports made Anna nervous, this was only the second time she’d ever been on an international flight, the first on the way over here, but there were some perks to being Harry Styles and one of them was skipping the queues. They went straight through security, and onto the first class lounge, where they were brought two glasses of champagne and some fresh fruit to munch on while they waited to board.

“Thank you Harry” Anna said when there was a lul in the conversation.

“What for love?” he asked curiously

“Inviting me on tour with you, I know I’ve told you that I’m glad I came, but I don’t know if I’ve thanked you for everything”

“You don’t need to thank me An, I should be thanking you, for dropping everything for a month and a half to spend some more time with me”

“It’s going to be weird not waking up next to you everyday”

“We can have sleepovers” he smiled.

“Flight 237 to London is now boarding” a voice came over the loudspeaker alerting them to their impending flight.

“That’s us” Harry said, standing up and picking up their bags. “You going to finish that?” he pointed to Anna’s almost full glass of champagne

“No” she shook her head “still feeling a bit funny” Those stomach aches had only gotten worse over the last few weeks of the tour, to the point where they no longer went away, they weren’t always crippling, but they were there, lingering, reminding Anna something wasn’t right. She’d promised Harry that as soon as they got home she’d make an appointment with her G.P, just to make sure everything was ok.

He gave her a concerned look, but still reached down and grabbed the glass, downing the whole thing in one go and shrugging when he put it down.

“I’m still a nervous flyer” he admitted “and if you don’t make that appointment the minute we get home, I’ll be doing it for you”

“I promised I’d do it Styles” she smiled and started walking towards their gate.

The flight wasn’t packed by any stretch of the imagination, in fact, Anna and Harry were the only one’s in first class and Anna was glad to have their privacy. Home was so close and it wasn’t until now that Anna realised how much she’d missed it.

The seatbelt light flashed red and the flight attendant gave the safety demonstration to which both Anna and Harry paid very close attention and once it was over and the plane was happily soaring through the sky, Anna took out her laptop and started typing. Her holiday was over now but that wasn’t official until there was a blog post about it.

The End of an Era

Ok, I admit the title of this post sounds a little dramatic but hear me out. On April 7th 2017, Harry released his first solo single which now holds a lot of meaning for a lot of people, myself included and yesterday, on July 14th 2018, he performed the final show of the world tour for that album.

Now, for those of you that have been around so nice before H and I started dating you’ll know that I was fan, and I, like many of you, remember listening to “Sign of the Times” for the first time and thinking that this song was going to make a difference to my life in some small way.

Flash forward to a year later and I was at Harry’s London show and that song that should have only made a small difference to my life had suddenly made a huge difference.

These last few months have been a whirlwind but I wouldn’t change any of it for the world. I’m writing this post as I sit on the plane on my way back to London and I’m filled with all sorts of feelings about it all being over. On the one hand, I’m happy to be going home and seeing my friends and family again but on the other, I’ve had the time of my life on tour and I’ll be missing everyone that I’ve met along the way. No matter what happens with Harry and I, I will forever be grateful for all of the fun that I’ve had on this tour for all of the memories I’ve made and all of the chances I’ve had to meet you guys. Every night at every show I watched thousands of people sing along to Harry’s lyrics and some nights, some people would see me singing along and come and join me and those are some of the happiest memories that I have.

Harry and I would arrive at each venue around 5pm every night, and when we got there, all 83 members of the crew would have everything all set up and ready for soundcheck. I know Harry thanked them every night, but their work was truly tireless and I’m pretty sure most of them only slept a few hours a night, so I thought I’d take this opportunity to thank them as well, because without them the tour wouldn’t have happened and I wouldn’t have had all the fun that I did.

Before I go, I have a story to tell, for Clare Uchima, who told me to write about Ping Pong, back before you all knew about me and Harry and I decided not to incase you put it all together, which I’m sure many of you did anyway. I have never been one known for her sporting abilities, but backstage on this tour, there was a ping pong tournament. Now, Harry ended up winning and you can decide for yourselves whether it was rigged or not, but that’s not the point of this story. The tournament was organised by yours truly and it gave me the chance to get to know everyone on the crew. It all came to an end at Madison Square Garden, and everyone gathered around to watch the final match and that’s how I’d characterise the tour, supportive, friendly and above all kind. Treat People with Kindness was more than a slogan on a t-shirt, it was everything that mattered on the Harry Styles world tour and it’s a big part of why Harry and I are an item.

As for an update on my plans for this blog now that I’ll be home, I’ll go back to posting daily again, and there’s lots of new content to come your way too.

I’m off to have a nanna nap now, thanks for sticking by me through this wonderful journey, I can’t wait for our next adventures.

Anna. x

Anna’s Mum had promised to meet them at the airport and she was excited, but Harry was nervous. This would be their first meeting, and it would be at heathrow airport. He knew they wouldn’t be there long and that most of their conversation would happen in the car and back at Anna’s flat but that initial introduction would in front of onlookers, something he should be comfortable with by now and if this didn’t mean so much to him, it would be different, but he needed to make a good impression.

“You alright H?” Anna asked, watching Harry fidget in his seat just before they were about to land.

“I just realised that I’m meeting your mum as soon as we get off this plane”

“She’s a lovely woman” Anna yawned

“I don’t doubt that” he smiled “she raised you”

“That she did” Anna rested her head on his shoulder “so her name is Debbie, but let her introduce herself first, she hates when people know her name without her telling them first”

“That seems fair” he said, running his fingers through her hair

“And don’t be too intense with the eye contact, she hates that”

“Like mother, like daughter” he sighed “anything else?”

“Not really, we’re essentially the same person, so if you won me over you’ll be able to win her over pretty easily”

“I can’t kiss her though” he giggled. The plane was landing and they were trying to keep themselves distracted but as the wheels hit the runway, less than smoothly, they both flinched.

“I hate planes” Harry sighed

“You really should consider a less international career then” she laughed.

Now that the plane was safely on the ground, Harry was feeling more nervous than ever. He may be able to get on stage in front of thousands of people every night with ease, but meeting Anna’s mother was absolutely terrifying. Especially when he was tired and dry from the flight.

Being in first class they were the first to leave the plane and once again, because he was Harry Styles and he spent a lot of time at heathrow airport, they were fast tracked straight to customs and onto baggage claim. Their bags rolled in and both picked them up.

“No no no” Harry said, taking Anna’s bag from her “Can’t have your mum thinking I’m not a gentleman”

“You’ll make her think you’re a mad man if you’re trying to wheel two suitcases behind you, it’s on wheels, I’ll manage”

“Fine” he sighed “You feeling alright?”

“I’m feeling like I want to go home” she snapped playfully “and please don’t say anything to mum about me not being well this whole time, it’ll will just worry her”

“It worries me” he admitted, putting his arm over her shoulder “come on Elliot, let’s get you home”

“Mum’s at the arrivals gate” she rested her head against his shoulder as they walked and ignored everyone that stared at them along the way. It was reasonably quiet for an airport this big and they didn’t have to weave their way through hundreds of people to get to Anna’s mum.

As soon as Debbie was in sight, Anna pulled away from Harry and left her bag with him so that she could hug her mum.

“It’s been so long my love, I’ve missed you” Debbie said into Anna’s shoulder without breaking the hug “How was it? What’s he like?”

“He’s amazing, but you already know that, I told you over the phone just about everyday”

“Well I have to see it to believe it” she laughed wiping a tear from her eyes with an old handkerchief that Anna had gotten her for mother's day when she was about 5. Harry waltzed over to them with all the bags and held his hand out to introduce himself.

“It’s lovely to meet you Mrs. Elliot, I’m Harry”

Anna cringed at the formal introduction, knowing that her mum would hate it, but what else was he supposed to call her if Anna had already told him not to call her Debbie.

She covered his hand with both of hers and smiled up at him “The pleasure is all mine Harry but please, call me Debbie”

He smiled and flashed his dimples at her but he didn’t know what to say next, like all of his charisma had been left on that plane.

“Well Debbie, your daughter has changed my life, so I should thank you”

“You two didn’t elope did you?” she laughed nervously, half convinced that they had

“No Mum” Anna shook her head

“We weren’t even in vegas” Harry said proudly.

“Good because if my daughter is going to marry a pop star I want to be at that wedding”

“Ok mum, let’s not to get too ahead of ourselves here” Anna tried to steer the conversation away from marriage, she didn’t want to freak Harry out, it had only been three weeks of officially dating after all and there were three little words that were yet to be said. “

“Alright then kids” Debbie broke the silence “you’ve been on the go for months, let’s get you home”

***

Since being home Anna had been busier than ever, between setting up brand deals and revamping her blog so that it was easier to navigate and maintaining her daily posting schedule, she barely had time to breathe. But today she’d promised that she would put it all down and spend the day with Ronnie. Things with them had gone back to normal since she landed back on british soil which Anna was thankful for, she had her best friend back, but they hadn’t spoken about it. About why when she said she was going away with Harry, he started ignoring her, why he didn’t say goodbye at the airport, or why, for the last 6 weeks he hadn’t even bothered to send her a text to check in.

It was such a nice day out that instead of spending the day locked up in Anna’s flat they decided to go to peggy’s, get a coffee sit outside and catch up on everything they’d missed. So Anna threw on a sundress, put her hair up in a messy bun, slipped on her favourite sandals and made sure she had a cardigan in her bag incase it got cold later. She would usually ride her bike to Peggy’s but she wasn’t feeling up to it today and she certainly wasn't dressed for it, so instead she opted to take it slow and walk there at her own pace. The building was beautiful in summer, covered in lovely pink flowers, with tiny garden tables sitting out the front, where Anna saw Ronnie sitting, talking to the waitress who she was sure he had a crush on.

“Hiya stranger” she said as she approached the table and the waitress smiled at her and walked away. Ronnie stood and opened his arms, bringing her in for a hug.

“It’s good to have you home” he sighed, breaking the hug and sitting back down again.

“Have you ordered?” she asked, sitting down and draping her handbag over the chair

“Yeah, Bella knows our order” he said

“Bella?!” Anna said, raising her eyebrows

“No” he said bluntly, “You know I don’t date”

She rolled her eyes “You should”

“Oh yeah” he laughed “now you’re happy and in love you think everyone else should be too”

“I just think you should put yourself out there more, you’re 24, live a little”

“Says the girl who flew halfway across the world with a stranger just so she could get to know him better, that’s living a little too much don’t you think?”

“It worked out though didn’t it?” she wasn’t going to give him the chance to tread on her relationship with Harry when in reality he didn’t know anything about it.

Bella, the waitress, walked out the door towards their table, carrying a tray with their drinks on it wide smile plastered on her face as soon she made made eye contact with Ronnie. She put the drinks down in front of them, without saying anything and brushed her hand over Ronnie’s shoulder as she walked away. Anna looked at him curiously and he just shrugged his shoulders, blowing her off before she could ask about it again.

“So when do I get to meet him then?”

“When you decide that you don’t hate me for making it work” Anna said bitterly, refusing to make eye contact with him. She looked down at the steaming coffee that was sitting in front of her, and the ill feeling that was now a constant suddenly got worse at the thought of drinking it.

“I don’t hate you Anna, I could never hate you”

“Then why are you so bitter?” she said, still looking down

“You never tried to make it work with me” he said softly

It always came back to this. To that night that they promised each other they wouldn’t speak about again. It was years ago, they’d only just moved to London, they didn’t know anyone else in the city and they were drunk. It never meant anything to Anna, but it did to Ronnie and it came up everytime Anna started dating someone new, and even more so when it ended.

“We’ve been through this Ron, we’re friends, I couldn’t live without you, but friendship is where it ends”

“I know” he shook his head “I’m sorry, I know I’m not supposed to bring it up”

“It was four years ago Ron, this is why you need to get out there”

“Let’s just pretend I never said anything yeah?” he sighed and took a sip from his drink. “How was the tour?”

“I had the time of my life” she smiled “You remember the london shows and how happy everyone in that room was?”

Ronnie nodded

“Well it was like that every night, and Harry is incredible, everything about it was amazing” Anna could talk about for hours if she wanted to, but she knew that Ronnie didn’t want to hear it

“Was New York as good as you’d hoped?”

“That was when we got found out, so no, but it had nothing to do with the city”

“I don’t know why you went out in Central Park if you wanted to keep it quiet”

“It was Harry’s idea” she said “Hang on, how do you know about that, I never told you”

“It was all over the news” he said casually, “I kept up, even if we weren’t talking”

“Thanks”

Anna’s phone that was sitting on the table in front of her buzzed and drew her away from the conversation.

“Styles 🕺 Did you make that appointment yet?”

“Is that the knight in shining armor?” Ronnie chuckled

“Yeah” she grinned “He’s just checking in.”

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the-colony-roleplay · 5 years

Photo

COLONY 22′S 2ND ANNUAL APPRECIATION AWARDS

Oh, how much could change in a year.

Alex Donovan remembered last year, as disinclined as he’d been to agree to be one of the three hosts for the night, how he’d watched the frantic decorating committee’ and thought: well at least I’m not one of those unfortunate fools.

And this year, well—he was very nearly one of those unfortunate fools. He wouldn’t go so far as to say he was one of a ‘committee’, but he’d been helping bring out boxes to the decorating team all ever-loving day, and several hours ago they’d begun asking his opinion on things and he’d declined to answer at first. But somehow, come 4pm, he’d found himself up to his neck in garlands and twinkle lights and about to be late for his afternoon training session.

When he walked into the auditorium after dinner (sporting black trousers, a white T-shirt and a deep blue blazer) he had to admit he was impressed. And maybe just a little proud. Because looking around, the room had truly been transformed. A lot of hard work and love had gone into it, clearly, and if nothing else, it would surely make Mitch beam. And Heaven bless that ever-optimistic, selfless man—he deserved at least that this season. It made any suffering on Alex’s part worth it, knowing the event was that much more likely to be the success that the original Calyset Head of House dreamed it would be.

What set this year apart from the last—aside from the Reformist-shaped elephant in the room—is that they’d gone full out traditional Christmas this year. Not wintery blues and silvers (a good thing, too, because it may have just been a throw back to the Modius’ Brink Tower reopening—not a failure by any means, but just a sore spot on the roof of the mouths of too many here), but instead, warm and boasting golds and reds and forest greens. Rich colours hung from the walls and pillars in thick tapestries and glowing lights. Ribbons and wreaths and candles sprinkled the room with a bursting festiveness, and not one, but three Christmas trees brightened up the room—even the damaged areas, rubble and broken seats simply became the contrasting foundation of effervescent decorations.

There was even mistletoe. In one or two surreptitious places, waiting patiently for unsuspecting victims.

Okay... so it did look a little like Christmas had thrown up all over the old theatre. But hell—if that was its worst flaw, they had nothing to complain about in their post-apocalyptic today.

People filtered in slowly, chatting and laughing and mingling about, making comments about their outfits, the decor... and Alex supposed that even those who thought the night a waste of time, at the very least, it couldn’t be said that it hadn’t already brought a certain atmosphere of light-hearted relief over the modest, island Colony. Even if just for a night.

At about a quarter after seven, the house lights faded in and out three times, a voice coming over the loud speaker to ask that people take their seats, as the ceremonies were about to start. Taking that as his queue (and Christ, he still couldn’t believe Mitch had asked him to do the opening speech this year—though somehow the fact that Alex had been convinced was less of a surprise, considering his track record with being unable to tell that man no, for just about anything) Alex politely excused himself from his conversation with Cambie, and threw Caelan a grin and a wink when he spotted him striding by with Isha and Clay. Left a smile and a light touch on Clayton’s elbow as they crossed each other’s paths.

And then he was trotting up stage steps, with people still settling into their seats. The lights dimmed, a spotlight panned over to him, and applause grew from the crowd. Chuckling, eyes cast down as he shook his head, he found his place at the podium:

“Good evening, Colony 22. I’d like to start off by saying thank you, to everyone who worked so hard to make this night happen—and that includes all of you who have participated just by being in attendance tonight. Truly, we appreciate it. Because it’s not just about the decorations or the preparation, the drinks or the snacks—though I’m sure the food and drink is the main reason most of you even bothered to show up,” he paused, grinning. “But it’s impossible to nurture a sense of community without all of you—the community. So thank you.” Another pause, and he pointed a wagging finger at Mitch in the second row. “And if nothing else, you can all go home knowing that you’ve put a shit-eating grin on that man’s face—which is apparently how I got suckered into opening tonight’s ceremonies. So while we’re at it, if any of you figure out how to say no to Mr. Douglas, please be sure to come by my office later and loop me in. Preferably before he asks me about doing this again next year.”

A warm, light chuckle from the audience, and with a smile, Alex continued. “Now, as you’re all aware, I’m not Mitch. I have no poetic to weave you about the trials and tribulations we face on a daily basis and how they bring us together in strength and unity. But that isn’t to say what he has said, and what this night now represents is not of value. In fact, I very much believe it to be true. In times such as these, in the face of change and conflict and rebellion, now more than ever it’s important to remember how we got this far. How we have survived, and how we continue to survive. Because we have not done it through selfishness, or greed. We have not accomplished as much as we have by functioning only as every person for themselves. We have gotten this far through cooperation and support. Through contribution and sacrifice, comfort and strength.

“I have been here next to three years now, and I have watched so many of you grow, and I am so proud of each and every one of you. What I think is too easy to forget in all of this, is that after what we’ve all faced, every day done is an accomplishment. Every day, we could choose to give up, to turn back, or throw in the towel. Rebuilding is hard. Starting over in the face of loss can feel impossible. So remember to take the time to recognize that.” He paused, threw a grin at the audience. “Well, look at that, I guess I did have some poetic to weave. Kindly blame Douglas for that too, would you?”

As the audience laughed again, Alex straightened, his tone lightening. “Alright, I’m not going to tell you too much about the awards themselves—I’ll leave that to our lovely hosts, whom I’m very excited to call to the stage and not just because then I can get the hell out of here. But before I do that, I’ll remind you that after the ceremonies there is a reception down at Catch 22, where they’ll be serving food and drinks, and I believe I heard a rumour or two about dancing and karaoke. For which I plan on making myself very scarce. But nevertheless, have an excellent time tonight, happy holidays, and congratulations on wrapping up another fantastic year.

“And now without further adieu—may I present your hosts for this evening: Orson Hurst, Elsa Copland and Mouse Quinley.”

A/N: AND SO IT BEGINS!!!

Well folks... Welcome to the last event of 2018! It has not just been a good year at Colony 22, but a spectacular one. I feel like we too, (much like our characters in verse,) have special cause for celebration—not only do we have our fifth year anniversary coming up, but this year has gifted us so many excellent, long-term members joining the family and exciting new plots, characters and development.

This event will punctuate the year with a bit of light hearted fun that we hope will lead nicely into an exciting 2019 at the Colony, which Lottie and I already have big plans for. We thank you all for being here, for your commitment, enthusiasm and love, and we hope you all stay with us here and continue to write and grow with us for a long time to come!

Now, most of the information you need about the Event Rules themselves I have already posted in detail and you can find here. Make sure you are familiar with them before starting, if you are new to events at the Colony. And if you’re not new, well, it never hurts to have a refresher!

A friendly reminder to send any questions you have about the event to the main blog ASK as we’d prefer to answer them publicly so the knowledge can be shared with everyone, as it’s likely that if you have a question, someone else may be wondering the same thing!

Remember too that this post marks the beginning of the first part of the evening: The Ceremonies only. You are welcome to RP anything that is leading up to the ceremonies, or during, but nothing past into the reception, until you see a post on the mod blog indicated the shift to the second part of the night, which won’t be until after (our real time) Christmas!

Over the next few days, you will see nomination and award reveals on the main blog, and as mentioned in the info post already posted (and linked above), you may continue old threads, or start new ones that are event related (self paras or graphics work too! Just remember that if you make any graphics in photoshop or anything send them to the graphics blog to be posted!)

Keep in mind that activity will still be monitored over Christmas. I still expect you to meet activity, and I still expect you to contact the main if you need an extension before I have to go chasing you down. The holidays are stressful enough—please do not send me on a wild goose chase. That said, I obviously get it: Holidays can be stressful and busy! So just let us know if you need an extension or hiatus!

I will do everything in my power to make sure all the awards are queued and posted promptly and when they’ve been promised—but if something comes up, things may shift a little here and there—nothing that should have too much of an effect though. The Reception will hopefully be triggered sometime between the 27th and 29th, depending on schedules.

Alright, I believe thats all I got for now! But happy holidays everyone, and enjoy! The first awards post will likely roll out here in a few hours!

Much love,

xxPapa!Mod

#col22awards2 #col22admin #literate rp #original rp #mature rp

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leiyahime · 6 years

Text

Fanfic - The gamer and the journalist

Yes, I’m productive lately. I had this idea a while back and it wanted to be written.

Hotsuma is a passionate gamer who has moved to the USA as a kid and Shuusei studies journalism and stayed in Japan. And now they can meet after twelve long years on a gaming convention.

The Gamer and the Journalist

Shuusei looked at his cell phone and typed something into a chat window. Perhaps he would get an answer some time in the near future. Preferably before he fell asleep.

-God, this meeting is so boring. Are you online or still at university? - He looked at the phone’s clock: half past nine in the morning, so it was half past four in the afternoon the previous day where his chat partner lived. And thank god the little lamp in the top left corner of his phone announced an answer after a few minutes.

-Just booted my PC. Had to stay longer because of a test tomorrow {>-<}-

Shuusei inwardly shook his head. He could almost see how his chat partner disliked spending more time than necessary at his university than necessary.

-Do you feel prepared?-

-*shrugs* It will be enough to pass. What’s the meeting about?-

Shuusei decided to ignore the other’s lack of interest in his studies. They had discussed it often enough and he didn’t want another discussion right about this topic right now. They had argued about it much too often and he would not provoke another one.

-The upcoming issue of our student’s newspaper. They think about sending someone to the big game convention next weekend and write about it.-

-Cool! Will you go?-

-Me? Hotsuma, you are aware that I only know the difference between a PC and a console because I work with a PC but never on a console. I belong to a game convention as much as a plane to a boat exhibition.-

“Usui!”

“What?” He looked up just as his phone announced the other’s reply as he heard his name.

The young woman who led the university’s newspaper’s redaction, Suzuki Hiromi by name, wore a stern expression. “Stop playing on your phone and pay attention. You will go to the con as well and write an article as someone who doesn’t know much about gaming.”

“What?” Shusei repeated. Had he heard it correctly?

“You brag about being a non gamer. So you will go there on Saturday and write about your experience. Here’s your ticket.” She handed him a piece of paper which was indeed a press-ticket for the con.

Shuusei sighed. “Really?” He had just told Hotsuma why he didn’t mean to attend and now he had a ticket and a job to do. Great. He sighed.

“Do you have important plans on Saturday? Like grandma’s 90th birthday? A wedding? Funeral?”

Shuusei shook his head.

“So it’s settled. You will have a look around and write about it. It would be much more interesting than a gamer’s report about it.”

“I’ll come with you, so you will not get lost in those many people,” another girl said. She was called Wakabayashi and everyone knew she loved games.

Shuusei sighed. So he didn’t have another choice but to go and write an article about an event he didn’t care about. “Okay… I guess I don’t have a choice, have I?”

Now he had to spend the rest of the meeting paying attention. Wakabayashi told him what he should pay attention to like cosplayers or the upcoming finals of an international championship of a famous game. Shuusei only knew the name because Hotsuma played it and was very good at it and also played in international competitions. If he would be there?

When he looked at his phone an hour later, he froze:

-I thought we could meet? I’ll play there!-

That was… big news. They had been childhood friends but Hotsuma had moved to Los Angeles twelve years ago. At least they had the internet to stay in contact for which Shuusei was very thankful. And if he could meet his old friend again it would be worth spending a whole day at a place which didn’t interest him at all and was too full of people. They were still very close with each other and meeting again after so many years would be fantastic.

-I’m going to work there. Do you have time for an interview with a complete noob who is supposed to write about it from his view?”

Then he put his phone back into his pocket. He didn’t expect a quick answer. Hotsuma was too dedicated to his games, so he would not have patiently waited for him to find the time to reply. But he supposed getting an interview with one of the best Warcraft players in the world who above that preferred to avoid publicity would make sure they could meet and he would totally surprise Suzuki. He liked that idea.

~~~

“Ahh Shuusei! I’m so looking forward to see you for real on Saturday!”

Shuusei grinned into his webcam. It was Wednesday and Hotsuma would have to depart for Japan tomorrow. “Have you already packed your things?” he asked. He had just returned from university and Hotsuma had had the whole evening to pack his things. Now it was half past eleven at night over there

“Naah, not yet. But I’ve started.”

Shuusei sighed deeply. “Then finish it. I won’t start watching the next episode unless you have finished packing.”

“Really? I’ve waited sooo long for you to come home!”

“You could have used that time to get everything ready.” Shuusei shook his head.

“I have everything ready. I just need to click on play.” Hotsuma protested. “I have to leave after lunch so I have enough time to pack the rest tomorrow.”

“And I know you well enough that you will oversleep and then forget half your things.” Shuusei said while he opened the streaming service where the newest episode of Game of Thrones was already online so that they could watch it together. Shortly after the start of the first season Hotsuma had come to him and proposed to watch it together since Shuusei had once told him he had read the books. And now it had become a nice ritual between them to spend one evening the week together to watch something. Shuusei liked it. He was no big fan of mainstream TV series but he liked this one and it was something that could get Hotsuma away from his games so that they had a bit more time together. Time which they both seemed to value very much.

He had now found the newest episode but instead to telling Hotsuma he took a book from his desk and opened it.

“Do you have underwear?” he asked without looking up from his book. “Socks? Trousers? T-Shirts? Your gaming outfit? Sleepwear?”

“You sound like my mom!” Hotsuma protested.

“You would have forgotten you sleepwear then.” Shuusei stated and when he looked at his monitor he found Hotsuma packing a bit more into his suitcase.

“Toothbrush?” he asked and Hotsuma got said article together with toothpaste and his hairbrush. “Anything else for your daily hygiene?”

“In here.” Hotsuma grumbled and held a smaller bag up.

“Good. Shoes?”

“Already packed.”

And so it went on until Shuusei was satisfied and Hotsuma really had anything he needed. They were disturbed once by one of Hotsuma’s flatmates who wanted to know if it was okay for him to still take a bath at this hour but Hotsuma just nodded and sent him away. He would stay awake for more than an hour. By then the bathroom would be free again. Shuusei was already used to Hotsuma’s two flatmates coming in once in a while and wanting something from him.

And then they could finally start to watch the next episode so Shuusei put his book away and turned his full attention to his old laptop. They clicked the play button at the same time and both had a small window of their video chat in the top corner of the monitor so that they could still watch each other and comfortably talk about what they saw.

Only once Hotsuma had to interrupt the episode to open another messenger Shuusei didn’t know to tell one of his gaming buddies he didn’t have time to play with them today because of quality time with his oldest friend. And somehow this made Shuusei feel warm. That he really was important enough to Hotsuma that he didn’t rush over to his games because someone wanted to play with him.

~~~

The moment Shuusei saw the queue in front of the halls he wanted to turn around and go home again. But of course Wakabayashi didn’t let him and he had to remind himself that he would meet Hotsuma after the tournament.

Despite their press tickets it took them almost an hour to get into the large halls. Almost every gaming company had an own stand where people could play the demo of an upcoming game. Besides that there was a cosplay area and of course the area where the tournaments would be held.

Shuusei first wanted to take a look at the cosplayers. He took notes and asked some a few questions about their hobby. They didn’t have an allowance to take pictures here though so when Shuusei’s curiosity – if you could call it like this – was satisfied they left for the main part of the event and took a look at different game developers. Everywhere were many people who wanted to have a look at the new games and try them out. At one company Wakabayashi said she desperately wanted to try a game so he was supposed to look around by himself for a while.

“Okay. But remember I have an interview when the Warcraft tournament ends.” He reminded the girl.

“Oh right. But I want to watch it as well so we can meet there. You still haven’t told me with whom.”

Shuusei winked at her and kept quiet about it. “I think you have heard his name,” was all he said.

Then he went off. He didn’t want to wait with her until it was her turn to play the game. So he strolled through the halls and looked at what the smaller companies had to offer. At a barely crowded stand he even tried a game which looked quite interesting. It was a kind of Adventure puzzle game. He didn’t despise it but since he didn’t want to invest into a console and his laptop was quite old he doubted he would ever be able to purchase the game. He talked to the people at the stand and asked them questions and they quickly noticed he barely knew anything. But they were friendly and explained him everything to detail. When he looked on his watch afterwards he noticed time has rushed by and he left to look for the tournament place. And on the way he noticed a well-known figure: Asian features, blond hair, upright posture, clad in a black Warcraft shirt, black jeans, sunglasses and – his trademark, Shuusei never understood the purpose of that – a long, black, floating coat with an applied flame and the Japanese character for flame which identified him as the famous gamer “Firegod”. A smile crept onto Shuusei’s face and he cleft a way through the crowd to that person.

“Hey.” He said when he fell in step next to that person, knowing he wouldn’t like him to call him by his real name here.

“Shuusei!” The young man looked at him at first surprised then overjoyed and hugged him. “God, it’s so good to see you again!”

Shuusei was a bit overwhelmed but then he returned the hug. It had been so long that they had met in person.

“How are you? Nervous?” Shuusei asked.

“A bit. But I’ll rock it.”

Shuusei laughed. “Of course you will. You’re on your way there?”

“Yup. Care to join me?”

Shuusei nodded and they continued their way.

“And how are you?” Hotsuma asked.

“Overwhelmed. Too loud, too many impressions and way too many people. I guess I’ll leave as soon as I have the interview done with you and cut the world off as soon as I’m home.”

Hotsuma nodded. He knew Shuusei well enough and these events were nothing for his friend. “As long as you don’t forget the interview.”

“Never.” Shuusei chuckled. “That’s the only thing I’m looking forward to today.”

Hotsuma laughed. “I’m curious what kinds of questions you have prepared.”

“Don’t expect too much. You know how much of a noob I am.”

“But at least you know the meaning of the word ‘noob’.”

“Thanks to you.”

Hotsuma grinned. But then they reached the tournament area. “So. I have to leave you here… Or wait… I think I can provide you a seat.”

Shuusei hesitated shortly. “I wanted to meet with Wakabayashi-san here… I guess you can’t wait.”

Hotsuma shook his head. “But… look down there… the first row which is empty? These are the seats I mean. I’ll reserve you two seats there.”

“Usui!”

Shuusei turned around and Shuusei smiled. “I guess you can take us down by yourself. This is Wakabayashi-san. She’s also in the newspaper club with me.”

Hotsuma nodded at the young woman who seemed shocked. “Y-yo-yo-you’re Firegod!” she stuttered.

“He’s an old friend of mine and the one we’re going to interview after the tournament.” Shuusei introduced his friend without mentioning his real name.

“What? Your… friend?”

“We played together in the mud as kids.” Hotsuma explained and bumped Shuusei’s shoulder in a playful way.

“Come now, I don’t have much time left or the tournament will be delayed or I’m disqualified for not showing up and I could need a bit of price money if I don’t wanna starve.” Hotsuma said and with a flattering coat he led the two down to the first row seats and after shortly talking to one of the officials Shuusei and Wakabayashi could sit down at two seats at the side of the row.

“You… I can’t believe you know HIM! I am a big fan!” Wakabayashi whispered excitedly. “Why didn’t you ever tell anyone you know him? You know he’s famous!”

“Yes, but for me he is my closest childhood friend and that’s what I’m seeing in him. I don’t care about games so yes, I know what he’s doing and everything I know about video games is the stuff he has told me, but that’s not important to me. I don’t care much about ‘Firegod’ but about the person behind this name. And we haven’t met in more than a decade,” Shuusei explained and shrugged. Really he didn’t have to tell everyone, that one of his closest friends happened to be a bit famous.

“Wow… So that’s how you got the interview in the first place. He’s not known to giving many.”

Shuusei nodded. He knew Hotsuma was very active at gaming but there wasn’t much known about him.

They had to wait a while and then the tournament started. When Shuusei watched the people it seemed to be an exciting game. He didn’t understand enough of games like this to understand the thrill of it. But he watched it until the end no matter how bored he felt. Sometimes he noticed his eyes wandering off to Hotsuma. His friend was a bit more interesting to watch. He was so focused on his game. He barely knew him being able to sit down quietly. Whenever they had skyped Hotsuma always needed something to occupy his hands with. But now he was sitting totally still while he played his game and was 100% focused, and by watching him he knew why Hotsuma was so invested in his hobby.

The tournament dragged out. It was quite late when it ended and Shuusei was glad when he could get up again and walk a few steps. Hotsuma had made it to the second place which also would provide him a nice price money so he wouldn’t have to starve in the near future.

“You didn’t fall asleep.” Wakabayashi teased him. She was very excited.

“But I was close.” Shuusei yawned and they went to the place Hotsuma had left them and where they wanted to meet him again. They had to wait another ten minutes until he showed up.

“So I’m done. Let’s grab something to eat and then I’m ready to answer your questions.” He said when they had both congratulated him.

And so it happened. Hotsuma had bought a very big portion of fries and some other fast food things with which he led the two to a more quiet room which had been used for a workshop in the morning and was now empty.

“Feel free to take some fries.” Hotsuma offered and shoved two bottles of water over to them.

“Thank you!” Wakabayashi said and took her bottle.

Shuusei was not interested in eating much but he as well was thirsty.

Hotsuma took off his sunglasses and relaxed after he had shoved a burger into his mouth in record time.

“So, I guess I’m ready now for your questions.” He grinned.

“There’s a sesame seed between your teeth.” Shuusei winked and watched while Hotsuma tried to get it away. Then he started the voice recorder of his phone and started the interview. He tried to keep a bit of distance so that it was kept professional but a few childhood memories slipped in nevertheless. And Wakabayashi also had a few questions she wanted to ask her idol.

Shuusei couldn’t deny that this was really the best part of today. No matter how advanced today’s communication devices got, nothing could replace meeting face to face and at one point Wakabayashi was completely out of the window for them. She just didn’t have a place in the conversation of two old friends.

It took about two hours until a man looked inside the room. “The con is closing soon. And you’re supposed to have dinner with the other gamers, Firegod.”

Hotsuma nodded. So the interview had to end. Shuusei had a final question but then they had to leave.

“How long are you still in Japan?” Shuusei asked when the three of them got up.

“Until Wednesday. Are you free on Tuesday?”

Shuusei smiled. So Hotsuma had understood why he had asked and he nodded. “I am always free for you. We can meet at the usual place at 11 o’clock?” he asked and Hotsuma grinned.

“I’d love to.”

He stretched out his hand to Wakabayashi and then he hugged Shuusei again who this time had expected it and returned it instantly. And when they distanced each other again he could feel Hotsumas lips brushing against his very softly. Shuusei smiled at him when he let go of him.

“See you on Tuesday.” He said and left the room after Hotsuma.

“Has… have I seen it wrongly or has he really kissed you?” Wakabayashi asked in shock on their way out.

Shuusei looked at her and shrugged with a small sheepish smile on his lips. “Perhaps?” He had enjoyed that fleeting kiss very much but he didn’t expect anything to drastically change between him and Hotsuma. He lived in Tokyo after all and his friend in Los Angeles. Something serious between them would be difficult to manage no matter how much he might like Hotsuma.

~~~

On Tuesday Shuusei had to attend to the usual meeting of the student’s newspaper and delivered his article to Suzuki who looked over it.

“How did you manage to get this interview? I hope you didn’t spend any money on it. I can’t give it back!” she asked.

“He’s a good friend of mine.” Shuusei shrugged. “And he was happy to grant it to me so there was no money involved.”

“Wow. I knew it would be good to send you there. This issue will sell great!” Suzuki grinned.

But after the meeting ended Shuusei left. He had a course but he had decided to skip it. He wanted to have as much time as possible with Hotsuma.

When he reached their old meeting point, a tree in a near park, he found Hotsuma already standing there. Shuusei had never moved too far away from their old neighbourhood. He smiled and went over to him. “Hey.” He greeted him.

“Shuusei!” Hotsuma was obviously very happy to see him and greeted him again with a warm hug. “How was your meeting?”

“Quite okay. Suzuki-san was surprised about the interview.” Shuusei smiled.

“You didn’t tell her?”

Shuusei shook his head. “No. I wanted to surprise her that even I can get an interview with someone from the gaming scene.”

Hotsuma laughed. “I’d have loved to see her face.”

“It was quite a sight.” Shuusei smiled.

“I can imaging. Nee Shuusei?”

“Hn?”

“Does the crêpe stand still exist where we used to go as kids? I’d love to have a good old Japanese crêpe with mango and chocolate! I sometimes really miss the good Japanese sweets!”

Shuusei chuckled.

“No our old stand doesn’t exist anymore but I know another one which makes delicious crêpes. Let’s go there.”

“Okay.” Hotsuma agreed and took Shuusei’s elbow.

A bit surprised about Hotsumas proximity Shuusei looked at him.

“Sorry.” Hotsuma let go of his arm again. “It’s just… I’m so happy to spend some time with you again. Y’know… I have friends over there and all but… you are still my best friend and I… I’m so glad to be able to see you in person again.”

Shuusei smiled and now it was him who took Hotsuma’s arm. Should the people think what they wanted. “I’m also happy to see you again” he agreed. Shortly he thought back to Saturday and the short kiss, but he didn’t want to think too much of it. He just wanted to be close to his friend.

When they arrived at the crêpe stand he had to let go of Hotsuma’s arm again. They both got a different crêpe. While Hotsuma indeed got his mango-chocolate filled one, Shuusei ordered one with strawberries and cherries.

“Is there anything else you want to do? Need a new game? Want to see anything?” Shuusei asked after he stole a bite from Hotsuma’s crêpe.

“No. I have everything. And we had a big sightseeing tour yesterday.” Hotsuma said and accepted Shuusei’s offer of trying from his crêpe as well.

“Then let’s go home and watch the new episode?” Shuusei proposed. He didn’t have another idea what he could do with Hotsuma.

“That sounds like a great plan!” Hotsuma grinned. “Do you have any snacks?”

Shuusei didn’t so they stopped at a supermarket to buy a few things before they returned to the dorms where Shuusei lived.

“How are your parents by the way?” Hotsuma asked when they entered the buildng.

“As always, very stuck up. But when we last phoned they were fine. And yours? Have you heard of them lately?”

Hotsuma shook his head. “Nothing. But I guess that means they’re fine. They just drop a note when they want money. I stopped caring.”

Shuusei sighed and put a hand on Hotsuma’s shoulder. His relationship with his parents had always been difficult and since he started earning money with playing video games they had stopped caring about him. “I’m here for you, you know?” he said.

“I know. And I am here for you.” Shuusei smiled and pulled his hand back to get his keys out of his pocket to let them into his small apartment.

“Cozy.” Hotsuma stated when he looked at the room for the first time. He usually didn’t see too much of it through the webcam. It was one room with tatami mats at the floor so they of course pulled their shoes off. At one wall was a small kitchen and at the window was a desk with Shuusei’s laptop and some books for his studies. On the windowsill stood a few plants. One wall was empty but Hotsuma supposed behind it was the wardrobe. A small door indicated that the apartment even had an own bathroom. It wasn’t big at all but tidy.

“I guess an apartment for one person alone is not very cheap.” He mused and Shuusei nodded.

“Yup. But I can get by.” Shuusei smiled and started to boil some water. “Tea?” he asked.

Hotsuma nodded and took a look at Shuusei’s laptop. “Wow how old is it? And how does it still work?” he asked.

Shuusei chuckled. “It’s good enough for me. Don’t forget I don’t play games so I don’t need a high end PC. As long as it can still run a video stream and a video chat with you at the same time I don’t need a new one.”

Hotsuma chuckled. “I guess I would curse this thing if I had to work with it for only one day.”

“You don’t have to. I have to deal with it.” Shuusei smiled and looked at his friend mockingly.

“I know. Just wanted to say… As long as you are happy with it.”

“I am.” Shuusei boxed Hotsuma into the stomach which led to them playfully fighting each other like they used to do often when they were still kids. Only the water kettle separated them and grinning Shuusei gave up in favour of preparing their tea.

“You can already plug the laptop in and put it there into the corner.” He said and motioned to the corner next to the writing desk.

While Hotsuma did as he was told Shuusei went to the wardrobe and pulled his futon out to spread it behind his friend so that they could watch their episode comfortably.

“Ah this is the view I usually have when we watch GoT.” Hotsuma said when he turned around.

“Exactly,” Shuusei said and threw their snacks over to his friend. “Shall we order some real food later?” he asked. “I don’t want to spend much time cooking.”

“Aw But I wanted to eat something made by you…” Hotsuma pouted. And Shuusei could hear Hotsuma typing something on the keyboard and looked over sceptically. He had locked his laptop with a password but…

“Oh god, you really use THIS as your password?” Hotsuma asked when he managed to unlock the computer at the third try. “You’re too obvious, Shuusei!”

“Why? You’re the only one who knows that this place is important to me.” Shuusei replied. His password was the place he and Hotsuma had spent much time as kids. “And my passwords in the internet are much more secure.”

“I hope so. Or I have to give you a lesson in password security.”

“I know the basic rules for creating good passwords thank you.” Shuusei replied. “So back to the food topic: I have prepared a dessert for you. Can you live with this?” Shuusei said and when two cups of tea were done Shuusei put them and the teapot on a tablet and carried it over to the futon.

“Well... then I guess I can.” Hotsuma sighed. “We can order something to eat later. But first I wanna watch this episode!!” he sounded almost like an impatient child. Shuusei snipped his fingers against Hotsuma’s forehead and sat down next to him so they could find a comfortable position to watch the episode.

In the end they lay next to each other on their stomachs and looked at the monitor of the laptop. The futon was not very broad so their shoulders touched. Shuusei enjoyed being so close to his friend even more when Hotsuma took his hand. He shortly looked at him but soon turned his attention back to the monitor and squeezed the hand he was holding. It was really sad that Hotsuma had to return to America tomorrow. It was so nice to have him back here in person.

They watched the episode and shared their impressions just as they always did and slowly their snacks vanished into their stomachs. Okay Hotsuma ate more than Shuusei but that was okay. Shuusei was no big fan of sweets after all.

When the episode ended Hotsuma let go of Shuusei’s hand and stretched. Lying so long on the stomach was not the most comfortable position. “Ahh that was interesting. I wanna know what happens next!!” he said.

“You want me to tell you?” Shuusei asked grinning and turned around to stretch as well. He needed to change the position, but he didn’t want to get up and give this closeness up.

“Nope. Keep it for yourself. In the end they change it as they so often do and then we’re both disappointed.”

Shuusei chuckled and turned to his side. “As you wish but the way of storytelling doesn’t indicate they change that detail.” He shrugged and looked over to Hotsuma and notciced he was watched.

“Am I this interesting?” he asked amusedly.

“Yup.” Hotsuma said and smiled.

In the end none of them knew who had started the kiss. One was probably as guilty as the other. Shuusei had closed his eyes and slowly tested how it felt to have Hotsuma’s lips moving against his while he returned the kiss. And he couldn’t deny he liked it.

“Wow!” he stated when they separated after a while.

He noticed how Hotsuma brushed his fingers through his hair. “Damn. I didn’t intent to go this far…” he said. “I didn’t even want that on Saturday

Shuusei smiled and took Hotsuma’s hand. “It didn’t even surprise me… on Saturday I mean. And I liked it.”

Hotsuma struggled for words. “But… what now? I have to leave tomorrow. Shuusei… I didn’t want you to know what I feel for you…”

“But now I do.” Shuusei replied. “I don’t like he thought of ignoring what happened and go on like before.” That had been possible until ten minutes ago. But now… Hotsuma had just admitted that he had feelings for him and if Shuusei was honest he didn’t mind it at all.

“But… I don’t know when we can meet again…” Hotsuma looked at Shuusei and seemed a bit despaired.

“We will find a way.” Shuusei said and squeezed Hotsuma’s hand which he still held. “I will think of something. Perhaps an exchange year would be good if I really want to make use of my journalist’s degree…”

“Are… you sure? Shuusei… I don’t want to urge you into something you don’t want to! I can deal with my feelings!”

Shuusei sighed and moved over so he could put an arm around Hotsuma – for which he had to let go of his hand. “Hotsuma… If I didn’t want to be with you in this way, I’d make that clear. I know our friendship is strong enough to survive. But I want to be at your side.”

Hotsuma stayed quiet for a few seconds before he put his arms around Shuusei and pulled him close to him. “I love you,” He said quietly. “I don’t know how long.”

Shuusei smiled and moved his hand over Hotsuma’s back. They would find a way to spend more time together. He didn’t know exactly how, but there would be a way. “I love you, too,” he admitted and closed his eyes to feel more of Hotsuma’s warmth.

#uraboku #My writing #hotsuma x shuusei #Gamer Hotsu

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hwatermelons · 7 months

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soooooooo Link Click has made me cry at least 15 times and it's only episode 5....

#like how am i supposed to survive 7 more eps??#my eyes are actually tearing up. like water is almost falling from them. and that NEVER happens from a show #also the ost is so beautiful #it makes every scene even more emotionally intense than it alr is from the AMAZING plots; storytelling; and characters #ok this is not about the ost but uk that main theme in interstellar and how it can definitely be cryable when put with a cryable scene?#as in participating in the waterworks becomes a mandatory event?#THAT'S what episode 5 feels like.#link click #vega has thoughts #a LOT of thoughts about this anime #daily reminder that you are one big queue-t!

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theladythecla · 4 years

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Rant: LN Whales Encouraging Spending Need to Quit Doing That

I’ve seen this attitude for a while now and decided now, at 1:32 AM, is the right time to rant about it. LN players who pay a monthly amount for diamonds or whatnot are fully in their rights to do so, but when they encourage others to spend money those players might not have, that’s where my problem lies. We know that all game developers use microtransactions to prey upon gamers’ sense of insecurity. Unsurprisingly, this nonsense has the impact of dragging gambling addicts back into the throes of their addictions. I don’t have the research on this, but the awesome Jim Sterling is always calling this crap out, and he’s right.

LN does the same thing other, predatory game developers do: make us fear missing out by making the suits seem exclusive (many times they are, if they’re collabs, and if they’re not exclusive, often we don’t know when/if we’ll get a given event back), make it seem like a particular pack is a good deal when it’s really not, baiting us in by telling us what an item is worth in the premium currency (diamonds). Now, I’ve spent some money on the game (a very large amount once that was close to $200, and yes, it’s money I didn’t have and money I fully regret spending even though I love the suits I got with it). I still think that regret is a good thing as it encouraged me to better budget and it’s a good wake-up call because this is a game, not a tailor-made commission from an artist I adore or a craftswoman on Etsy. In other words, I spent money on things that are not tangible. They are things I can keep as wallpapers and avatars long after the game is done, but I could also have just googled them for that purpose later on. The joy of those images is temporary and the utility of them is absolutely tied to the game (competitions and rankings in the arena).

If you can spend, life’s great and the sky is the limit for you on events. The rest of us aren’t that fortunate. My plea is simple: quit encouraging people to spend. The game does enough of that. To get an automatic completion button (”done 10″/”done 3″) on Maiden and Princess stages, you have to at least spend to a V4 status, which is around 260 diamonds, and as of this writing, that is $5.00. Most people would wonder what the big deal is about $5.00. If you’re making $12 an hour at two jobs, $5.00 is often a meal, and LN wants you to spend that money on fictional gems so you can buy nonexistent outfits for your avatar on a mobile game. Moreover, that’s not all they want you to spend. LN’s latest update put a recharge thing up at the top of your daily sign-in screen so that people without a V status are sure to be reminded that they should be spending by misclicking that “recharge now” button on the way through their dailies.

“But the poor corporation must earn money.”

The poor corporation makes more than enough money from the debutantes with cash to burn. I seriously can’t stress this enough: you, the individual and occasional $5.00 recharger is a drop in their vast bucket of money. They just want to milk more from you (i.e., they want you to be a whale). Their company will not go bankrupt from you not spending.

“It’s your choice.”

I hate this logic. I understand it, of course, as this is how the world works, but it’s… patently untrue when in this situation. You have to pay to complete sets, and often you never have enough of a free currency during a free event for a suit (the recent brushwork suit comes to mind with its ridiculously difficult selections between outfits and themes). Moreover, LN knows this and they know how people work (ad execs are paid to figure out how to milk money from us to keep us enthralled). They are counting on you not wanting to leave a suit unfinished until or if it ever returns for crafting. They are relying on your impatience in crafting the last item in that lifetime suit or whatever else you have in your queue. And yes, that’s why they always have those “recharge now” or “user boutique” popups in the lull between events. They want your money and then some more.

“What about shareholders?”

Corporate boards must be more realistic about returns. Seriously, that’s the problem with this whole model: shareholders are given unrealistic expectations, which leads to them demanding more as money rolls in, and the corporation then has to try wringing pennies from the rest of us consumers.

“Would you rather the game be a PAID game?”

Yes? It’s a product, not a service. Or, it should be a product and not a service for many reasons. It should be a product because shit like this just shows how badly things go when a game tries to be a service (it’s not like legal advice or a doctor’s appointment, after all… it’s a game and other games, such as tabletops, are permanently yours once you buy them). The way we used to do things was you bought a license for the game and it was yours through the accompanying hard disk. I think mobile games should follow this model… but that would require having a finished product as opposed to something barebones they are constantly updating (and charging us all money for in the process, essentially making this a paid game anyhow but worse as it’s potentially a subscription).

“Haven’t you spent money?”

Yes, and the $5.00 I spent recently to get Royce and Neva’s suit in the present event was well spent. However, even if I hadn’t gotten that suit, I would’ve been able to quit because I don’t have a gambling addiction. (I reigned myself in after that shockingly large purchase a year or so back... and that was just about $100-$200, not the thousands some people spend on this game.) An addiction means that the choice is literally not yours to make as addiction is a disease that you should be treated for, rather than encouraged in. That’s my problem here: people with money are basically encouraging anyone to spend money on this game (including the addicts and people who don’t have that money to spend). It’s such a selfish, naïve worldview that we really need to staunch.

“Should whales be ashamed?”

Yeah. No one should spend a $100 on this game or $200 or, as I know is the case, far more than that. It’s a mobile dress-up game. Let that sink in. It doesn’t mean I’m going to shame you personally if you are a whale, but objectively, someone who spends loads of money on this game should be personally ashamed. I was ashamed and I haven’t spent half what some people have on this game.

“Isn’t it just like the opera or Broadway?”

Are you comparing a mobile game to a work of musical theater? A show is an experience. A bunch of pixels in a game is a bunch of pixels in a game that you will, likely, store and forget about until/if this game goes offline.

“But... quarantine means I’m bored.”

I am too, but I’m also broke and scared shitless for my future. Don’t make your financial situation worse by burning money on this. I’d say, take this time to indulge in a hobby you already had (and/or one less expensive than LN… knitting or macramé or hand-sewing a quilt out of old t-shirts) or pick up a language on Duolingo (Spanish, French, German, anything but Klingon and High Valyrian, unless you’re after nerd cred and even then I’m going to side-eye you). Now’s a good time to network too, since people are actually answering emails. Phone your buddies… text them… Zoom/Skype them. Don’t just spend money because you’re bored. That is the worst decision to make now.

“Any tips?”

Delete your card/Paypal from Google or Apple. Laugh at people who are spending $100 on that ridiculous recharge (our only recharge suit, I might add)… just not on the Reddit since you can’t shame people for making bad decisions there (or for relentlessly bragging about their purchases [it’s not an investment, that’s something different, JFC]). Never feel bad for not being able to spend or being unwilling to spend or both. It is what it is, and frankly, you should be proud that you have a low/no V-level.

I am sorry if this is incoherent. It’s 1:30 AM. If you disagree and have cash to burn, good for you, go ham. This post isn’t for you; it’s for the rest of us who are normal people. My main message to people with money to burn is to quit encouraging others to spend money on this game as that’s not healthy and often is more harmful than helpful.

#microtransactions and mobile games #LN rants and diamonds and universe tide

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mylinlondon · 5 years

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One year later: London Recommendations

I’ve had a number of friends ask me for recommendations for a few days in London. It feels strange to be writing this almost one year after leaving, but I have time at the moment and it was lovely remembering it. I genuinely loved living there.

This list is purely for people who are visiting, whereas I probably would have a completely separate post for those who are staying long term (i.e., fave brunch/coffee shops, the bermondsey beer mile, pubs/watering holes, east end vs west end, parks, etc.)

Without further ado....

Things to do:

The best way to see London is by foot, and if you have to take public transit, take a bus (which are much cleaner and reliable than the ones in the States). I used to live in Shad Thames, near Tower Bridge on the east end, so our usual walking loop included...

Starting at our flat in Shad Thames (its rich in history and architecture, see post here), walk on the Queen’s Walk along the south bank of the Thames west all the way down to Westminster Bridge. Along here, you’ll see Tower Bridge, Tower of London (across the river), City Hall, London Bridge, Borough Market, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, the Tate, the Millennium Bridge, the National Theater, Waterloo Bridge, and the London Eye.

Suggested stops: Borough Market, and take at least 30 minutes to walk through and sample all of the food. Alex's favorites were the lamb box or salt beef bagel, and mine was the Ethiopian food or the paella/Malay curry combo. You can also drink publicly in Europe, so stop by the beer shop or get a wine spritzer from the spot next to it for your walk.

If you want to grab a pint at a pretty authentic pub, The Anchor is a sneeze away from the Globe Theater and you can also grab a fish and chips there too.

Cross Westminster bridge and pass Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament, then head right to go north on Whitehall Road to pass 10 Downing Street, the Churchill War Rooms and Trafalgar Square

Suggested stops: Big Ben is under construction for a few more years, so unfortunately you won't be able to hear it ring (albeit out of tune anyways, there's a massive crack in it. Same bellmaker as the American Liberty Bell, which also had a massive crack in it. Seriously, they had one job.)

Churchill War Rooms: WWII is a lot more tangible and explicit in Europe for obvious reasons. The US likes to magnify its role in it, but in many places across Europe, there is still shrapnel on the buildings and political regimes that are the remnants/ripples from the war. If you have an extra 1.5 hrs, the War Rooms are the perfectly preserved headquarters of the British head offices, from the dormitories to the actual war room where the pencils/notebooks are exactly as they were on Victory Day. They built this enormous bunker to hide Churchill and protect him from the daily blitzkrieg, but the maniac liked to stand on the roof and watch the bombs get dropped. If you like history, this is a great spot. Make reservations, as they have timed entries.

Make a left at Trafalgar Square through the “Mall”, stroll through St James Park to Buckingham Palace. Once you’re done there, head straight north through Green Park, and once you hit the main road (Picadilly) make a right until you hit Piccadilly Circus.

Suggested stops: If you're lucky enough to come in August, this is the only month that the Queen leaves London for her summer palaces (as one does) and Buckingham Palace is open for visitors. It's beautiful and worth a visit if you again have a spare 1.5 hrs and time it perfectly with your reservations.

Trafalgar Square is the heart of London. Its where all public gatherings, protests and festivals end. If you google London, the pin drops you here. The National Gallery bookends it on the north side, and its a free and excellent art museum.

Also, watch out for the swans in St James Park. They're beautiful but aggressive. I think just last month, a swan attacked and killed a little dog. If you go through behind the war rooms and skip Trafalgar Square, look out for the gamekeeper's hut, which is adorable and reminds me of Hagrid.

Once you're on the main road towards Piccadilly Circus, you can keep an eye out for Fortnum and Mason. Its where supposedly the queen gets her groceries. I never had an interest in going in, but to each their own. They sell their teas and biscuits at the airport dutyfree if you want to get gifts for friends, they won't be able to tell where you bought it.

End at Oxford Circus - I like to schedule lunch at Carnaby Street Dishoom so I’m properly hungry and the timing is usually about right.

This whole walking route will take a few hours, if you’re not stopping at any of the suggested spots. See here for the route on google maps.

OTHER SUGGESTIONS:

Harrods is always good for a stop. I usually go right past the makeup/accessories on the ground floor to the Food Hall, which is my favorite part. Take the Egyptian Staircase up to the furntiure/tech rooms too, which are fun to check out. Otherwise the apparel assortment is not dissimilar to a Bergdorfs. They’re famous for catering to the whims of the ultra rich; available on request are exotic animals and helicopters. The previous owner’s son Dodi is famous for being Princess Diana’s last lover and partner.

Almost ALL museums in London are FREE. It's a beautiful thing and a great way to spend a rainy day. There are a few right across from Harrods. The only one I didn't get to visit (with regret) is the V&A, which is NOT free but very much worth it from what I've heard. The Natural History Museum in London swaps their giant dinosaur/whale skeletons entry hall with its cousin in New York on occasion.

Sky Garden is the rooftop public garden on top of the "walkie talkie" building on Fenchurch street. It's def worth a visit, and its free (part of the negotiations for the property owners when they built it, since it was buying out public space). You do need a reservation which opens up 2 weeks prior.

Aquashard/Hu Tong at the Shard. Pay 15 quid to go to the top of the Shard, or pay 15 quid for a cocktail with similar views just a few floors down? I know I have my answer. Entry is towards the southern entrance of the Shard, you'll see a separate revolving door to the right with an awning that says AQUA. Go to the bathroom for fun views while you use the lavatories.

Markets are fun and everywhere in Europe. Here are some good ones in London, in order of personal preference;

Borough Market, as mentioned above. You can't come to London and not visit. Also lots of famous films have taken place here, including Harry Potter.

Maltby Street market. A lot smaller and more local, I'm biased because I used to come here with a 10 mins walk from my flat. St Johns bakery is here, you should definitely get a donut. But honestly its quite tiny compared to the bigger name brand markets mentioned in this list, so go if you have spare time.

Notting Hill/Portobello Road. Even though it takes a little while to get there, its adorable and you get to see a more residential side of London. Go any day but Sunday. Check out the shopfronts too. The Churchill Arms pub is nearby, and known for its explosion of greenery.

Spitalfields/Brick Lane Sunday market. Spitalfields is a permanent market, and a great central location. If it happens to be Sunday, you can hop over to the divier and more eclectic Brick Lane to check out vintage and consignment shops. Ignore the hecklers trying to get you to go in for a curry. Keep an eye out for the incredible street art, this area is known to be a tagging haven.

Columbia Road Flower Market. You have to time it perfectly to see it at its best, but its not a far detour if you're in the Shoreditch area (which is kind of the Brooklyn/Lower East Side of London). You can skip it if you're touring around, since you'll likely not be buying any flowers.

Things to Eat:

I cannot emphasize this enough: INDIAN FOOD is the best food in London. And the best/most reliable place to get it is:

Dishoom. There are a few locations; our favorite is Carnaby Street, followed by Covent Garden. Def get the Pau Bhaji and Ruby Chicken. We also love Bhel, Lamb Biryani and Samosas. Other people swear by the black daal. Get a colaba colada or mango lassi to wash it down.

Tayyabs. More on the grill/Middle Eastern range of the food map, but this place is known for kebabs and BYOB. My first company party was here, and it was rowdy and fun. Like korean bbq, expect for your clothes to smell afterwards. It's on the east end near Aldgate, and there's not much near here so its kind of out of the way. Londoners love this spot though.

Padella. On the fringes of Borough Market near the tube station, this place is known for affordable and beautifully handmade pasta. Don't be afraid to order 2 pastas/person. Also, queue at least 25 mins before it opens. By the time 15-to arrives, the queue will have snaked around 3 times.

St Johns. The original and legendary creative mastermind of second-wave British cuisine, this is true farm to table, nose to tail dining by Fergus Henderson. Not for vegetarians.

Ham Yard Hotel is my favorite spot for high tea. Skip the prissy ones where the waitstaff is in tails and you feel like you can't slouch, and come here for super chic, beautifully done tea in a central location. You might spot a celebrity. There's a bowling alley "speakeasy" in the basement. We take all our guests here.

Dinerama in Shoreditch - you may have to pay an entry fee, but this is a bustling market with lots of food and cocktail stands where desk jockeys and the cool kids of shoreditch mingle. We loved coming here for happy hour/nibbles on a friday or saturday before going out in Shoreditch. Get a gin and tonic (they make excellent ones in the G&T stand, which was near the pizza spot if I remember correctly).

Duck and Waffle is gorgeous dining and open 24 hrs (some like to drunkenly come here at 3am for 5-course meals). Beautiful penthouse views of the city, but definitely have to make reservations.

OVERALL TIPS:

Download the citymapper app. This is by far the most reliable and accurate app for public transport in London, gives you down to the position on the train and live arrival times.

If you have contactless credit cards/Apple pay/Samsung pay, don't bother purchasing an Oyster card. Unlike the US, contactless payment is accepted everywhere in Europe, even the bus/tubes/ferries. I still get annoyed when someone forces me to use a chip because they're not sure if the terminal works with contactless payment in NYC, when I can get around with just Apple Pay in Bruges which is literally a town made of stone.

Make reservations. London lives off reservations, and you'll be hard-pressed to find anything if you just walk in. Brits in general are "planners". Unfortunately this doesn't leave much room for spontaneity but you can plan around areas and food resos, and explore the neighborhoods before/after. I like to bookmark all the spots I'm interested in on google maps so I can see at a glance what's nearby.

UBER, don't take a cab. The black taxis are adorable but nauseatingly expensive. Uber will get you there in 1/3 of the price.

When in doubt, Bus over Tube. You'll get to see a lot more of the city this way, its cheaper, and will take close to the same amount of time.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any specific questions!

xx M

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mediacalling · 6 years

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How to Schedule Instagram Posts: The Complete Guide

As Instagram has grown it’s become an integral marketing channel for more than 5 million businesses worldwide1Instagram business blog, September 2017.

But as a busy social media manager, it can be difficult to find the time to consistently post to Instagram.

This is where scheduling comes in.

Learning how to schedule Instagram posts is one of the biggest time savers and productivity hacks for social media managers today. And what’s more, scheduling your Instagram posts has many benefits.

Studies have shown that consistency is key to growth on Instagram, so scheduling your Instagram posts and ensuring regular updates can be a win-win situation—both boosting your reach and engagement as well as saving you valuable time throughout the day.

This guide will explain exactly how to schedule Instagram posts (and how scheduling can benefit your business).

Let’s dive in

Buffer for Instagram now comes with direct scheduling! Schedule single-image posts or set reminders to post videos and multi-image posts at your best times to grow your Instagram following. Learn more today.

Note: We are rolling out this feature to all users throughout the week of March 19 to March 23. Look for it in your Buffer account soon!

3 benefits of scheduling your Instagram posts

1. You can save time

Crafting and posting the perfect Instagram post can be time-consuming — especially if you’re creating your posts on the day you want to publish them.

However, scheduling your posts ahead of time might be a better, productivity-boosting way to create and share your Instagram content. By batching your work, you can avoid the costs associated with multitasking and context switching.

According to research shared by Inc., multitaskers take 50 percent more time to complete a single task and commit 50 percent more errors2Inc., June 2014. By spending an hour or two creating and scheduling your posts for the week ahead, you can save a ton of time and keep a consistent quality across the board.

With Buffer for Instagram, you can now schedule single-image posts directly from desktop or mobile (with a few limitations). For any other scheduled Instagram posts, we’ll send a reminder notification to your mobile device to finish the post when the time is right. This approach can free up so much of your time to focus on the many other tasks social media managers must tackle daily.

2. Ensure you’re posting consistently

Consistency plays a key role in social media success. When you’re consistently and frequently publishing new content, your audience will learn what to expect from your and when it’ll be posted.

For example, every night the NBA shares a round-up of the latest scores from around the league and because I know when to expect this, I open up Instagram to check the results every morning when I start my day:

Keeping a consistent schedule makes sure you maximize engagement without hitting any lulls or stretches without updates.

A few years back, Union Metrics put together data on brands and Instagram and it found that most brands post to Instagram daily — the average was in fact 1.5 posts per day. Another interesting learning from Union Metrics’ study was that there was no correlation between increased frequency and lower engagement, so brands that posted multiple times per day didn’t notice any negative effects.

The lesson here is that consistency is key for Instagram success. By scheduling your posts ahead of time you can ensure your profile is always filled with fresh new content.

3. Create and upload content from your desktop

Smartphones are becoming awesome tools for creating content, but sometimes, especially if you’re a social media manager, it can be easier to prepare and schedule all of your content on a desktop computer. One of the advantages of scheduling your posts in the web app is that you’ll have access to images of videos that might not be on your phone.

Most Instagram scheduler tools, Buffer included, enable you to create your posts on your desktop before publishing on mobile.

With Buffer for Business you can also check exactly how your Instagram profile gallery will look once you’ve published your scheduled posts:

Scheduling direct posts vs scheduling reminders

In some exciting news, you can now schedule certain types of Instagram posts directly from third-party apps like Buffer to Instagram.

For any of your scheduled posts that Buffer can’t share directly, we’ll let you know after you create the post. Once the scheduled posting time comes around, we’ll send a reminder notification to you via the Buffer app on your mobile device. You can then finish the post in the Instagram app, where you can add things like filters and photo tags.

Which posts can be shared directly?

Single images with (or without) a caption shared to business profiles

Which posts will you need to finish in the Instagram app? (We’ll send you a reminder)

Posts scheduled to personal profiles

Single-image posts that are very long (portrait) or very wide (landscape). Technically, third-party apps can only directly post images within the range of 4:5 and 1.91:1 aspect ratios

Multiple-image posts

Video posts

While scheduling Instagram posts directly helps you save a ton of time for basic image posts, one of the great things about reminders are that they allow you to create an image on your desktop, and then use all of Instagram’s handy native features, like image filters, to put a final coat of polish on the post.

How to schedule Instagram posts: Getting set up for both direct scheduling and reminders

Here are a few quick steps to get started with Instagram scheduling:

Step 1: If your Instagram profile is for an organization, switch it to a business profile

If your Instagram profile isn’t a business profile already, switching it will enable Buffer to schedule posts directly to your profile. Here are some handy instructions from Facebook (you’ll need to have a Facebook Page to switch to an Instagram business profile). If your Instagram profile is a personal profile, Buffer will schedule reminders only.

Step 2: Connect your Instagram account

To connect your Instagram account with Buffer from our web dashboard, first, click Connect More on the left-hand side of your Buffer dashboard, below any social accounts you’ve already connected:

From here, click on Connect below Instagram:

Finally, you’ll be asked to log in to your Instagram account and then you’re all set to start scheduling your Instagram posts with Buffer.

Note: If you’re a current Buffer user who has an Instagram profile already connected, you can simply visit that profile in your Buffer dashboard and follow the prompts from the banner on the page. You can also connect Instagram to Buffer through our iOS and Android apps.

Creating and scheduling Instagram content with Buffer

Once you’ve connected your Instagram account with Buffer, it’s time to create the content you want to post to Instagram.

After you’ve sourced the video or image you’d like to post, it’s great to draft your caption, choose any hashtags you’d like to include and any other Instagram accounts you’d like to @-mention in your post.

Caption: Instagram captions are limited to 2,200 characters, and after three lines of text they become truncated with an ellipsis. Try to include any key details at the front of your caption.

Hashtags: Hashtags allow Instagrammers to discover content and accounts to follow. Research from Track Maven found that posts with over 11 hashtags tend to get more engagement.

@-mentions: Is there anyone else featured in your photo? Maybe you could @-mention them in the caption. This will notify them when you put the post live on Instagram.

The below post from Amy Tangerine is a great example of how to effectively use your caption, hashtags, and an @-mention:

(For more on how to craft a great Instagram post, check out our Instagram marketing guide).

Now it’s time to schedule your post for the ideal time. To do this, hop over to your Buffer dashboard and choose your Instagram account by selecting it on the left-hand side of your dashboard.

Under the “Content” tab, you’ll see a section labeled “Queue”. Here you can upload a photo and write your caption (including any hashtags and @-mentions).

If you upload your content and it doesn’t meet the requirements for direct scheduling, we’ll let you know that it will be scheduled as a reminder and that you’ll receive a notification to your mobile device when it’s time to post.

Once you’ve uploaded your content, you can decide whether you want to:

Add the post to your Buffer queue

Schedule the post for a custom date and time (this is especially handy for big events or posts that need to be published on a certain date)

If you’re on a paid Buffer plan, you can also bump the post to the start of your queue using Share Next, or share it immediately by using Share Now.

If the post is scheduled as a reminder

When it’s time for your post to be published, Buffer will send you a notification to whichever devices have been connected to your Buffer account. Here’s how the reminder might look on your device.

Tapping “Open in Instagram” will automatically copy your caption and open Instagram, with the photo or video ready to be customized. Here you can also crop and edit your content as needed.

Now, tap Share and you’re all set! Your post will then be published to Instagram and you’ll be able to see it on your timeline.

Here’s a quick recap of how Buffer for Instagram’s reminders work:

Ready to start scheduling your Instagram posts? Get started with Buffer today

With Buffer for Instagram, we’re excited to be giving you the power to manage your social media marketing from one central location, and we’re eager for you to have the tools you need to plan, track, and amplify your Instagram marketing.

Over to you

Thanks for checking out our guide on how to schedule posts on Instagram. We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments: What are your top tips for scheduling Instagram posts? Which tools do you use to create and share content on Instagram?

Photo credit: Erik Lucatero

How to Schedule Instagram Posts: The Complete Guide posted first on http://getfblikeblog.blogspot.com

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