#i was scrolling through the reels and saving them for s and then i came across a young teacher with one eye if i may add

[rosecoloredknight]

I get so weak seeing women in sleeveless blouses; button down ones especially. they just look so good on them. they got me like 🥴😍🥴😍🔥💓😍🥴... oof

#just ignore me #i was scrolling through the reels and saving them for s and then i came across a young teacher with one eye if i may add #anyways she was wearing this beautiful navy or blueish sleeveless blouse and i just SIGH.. so pretty #okay #got that out of my system #didn't want to ramble to this extent to someone else in case i sounded like a creep #i still do sound like one which i apologize #i guess i have a type for women in sleeveless blouses/tanks 🤷 #shutting up now #personal

[gabbasposts]

Firstly I’d like to start this off with I’ve been on a break from writing because I have been so busy. Between school and work, I’ve been doing as much as I can to be prepared to move out and stuff but I still have writing I plan to post (how many times have I said I was going to post and haven’t 💀💀 I’m sorry y’all 😭)

BUT…

I’ve been revisiting fandoms as one does when they’ve completely depleted their current interest of all lore and information, and Devil May Cry is one of those fandoms I use to and STILL (because I’m not going to let a bunch of racist fucks ruin shit for me 💀 spoiler for what I’m about about to get into) fucking love ❤️💙

And all was fun for a minute as I was reading fanfics, replaying the DmC games on my ancient ass Xbox 360, and in general revisiting one of my favorite franchises, until I decided to visit YouTube.

I had been watching old DmC clips, specifically for DmC 5 because out of all the games in the franchise, I put it in second place for being one of my favorites. And while I had been initially watching the info reels on the game, (you know the ones where it’s like “Here’s Five Things You Didn’t Know or Missed about DMC 😁” yeah those.) It wasn’t long before I came across this account…

And yeah, trigger warning for racial discrimination, racial undertones or one of my favorite newly discovered terms for it, subliminal racism. 😬

Because while they’re clearly being racist, they’re doing it in that “”””joking”””” way where they aren’t directly saying slurs or directly targeting someone when they say the shit, but it’s fairly obvious.

Well, it’s nice to know the DmC fandom on YouTube is r@cist af. 🤨

Like, look at the comments the creator is liking and shit. I’m not surprised considering they’re the ones posting this shit but it’s like damn. What a way to ruin the fandom for people who are just quietly trying to enjoy the content and interact.

My only question is why… like I know there aren’t many PoC within DmC, if you don’t count Morrison who yes, they did change his race in DmC 5 but there wasn’t anything it added or took away from the general plot and game. So to randomly make characters (because it’s not just Vergil this has been done to) racist is just… why??

And it doesn’t matter that this shit was made two years ago. Two years isn’t a long ass time, and the whole BLM movement was at an all time high just a year prior. This comment was from a year ago, and look at this fucking person who felt,

✨I n s p i r e d ✨

To make more racist ass shit like this. And the person who made the video two years ago took the time to comment and support them for the decision.

The reason I wanted to post this was to one, let anybody who’s now just hopping into the fandom know about the racist ass following within it. And two, to simply say not everybody who’s part of the fandom is this way at all.

I was fucking shocked by the initial reel when I saw it and I thought the comments would be a bit different and… well, save your braincells and don’t scroll through them if this sort of shit makes you angry. It should because again, it’s fucking blatant racism, and it sucks because the few comments I managed to find where people were like “wtf is this 😕” I had to scroll for a long ass time to find them.

Which makes it apparent that any comments that were probably calling the creator out with people liking it and giving it enough numbers to be seen, were probably all deleted because I was only able to find a literal hand full and that was only after scrolling for like 3-5 minutes after filtering them to the newest comments left.

I find it very hard to believe no one since this video was dropped, called this motherfucker out and there was more of a majority that didn’t agree with it. Again, just blatant racism. And theres a lot blm and Alm jokes in the comment section so they definitely knew what they were doing. 😐

It’s disheartening, and it leaves an ill taste in your mouth. It makes you wonder do you even want to be or interact with the fandom anymore because as a poc myself, specifically Latino what happens if I were to want to go to a con or something? I mean if you go to that persons channel, they’re a fuck load of people who agree and keep making comments like that. Do you really want to be standing near someone who’s probably calling you a slur online or when you turn your back? Fuck no. The comments were being more racist towards black poc, but still. Racism’s is racism, and as a minority myself the shit needs to be called out.

Regardless, don’t let this shit taint your view of the actual content. DmC is good and doesn’t even revolve or mention people’s races at all, and again not everyone is like this. I’m actually glad I stumbled across it before I could start hunting for more DmC mutuals because they would’ve gotten cursed the fuck out if I later found out they’re like this after befriending them.

#gabbasdumbthoughts #devil may cry #subliminal racism #racisim #i hate humans

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

One Night🌙6

Warnings: noncon sexual acts (to be warned later in series), nocturnal playtime, unwanted touching.

This is dark!Andy Barber and explicit. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: One night changes your entire life.

for @kittykatlow​‘s 200 Follower Celebration

Note: I’m working on more drabbles and Eye of the Storm! But for now, enjoy some Andy.

Hope you enjoy it. Thank you. Love you guys!

Please leave some feedback, like and reblog <3

Your appointment went as well as it could have. The doctor ran bloodwork and several other tests as Andy nodded knowingly as if to say ‘I told you so’, which he also did aloud several times after. The drive home was a reiteration of what you should, and more enthusiastically, what you shouldn’t do. 

It was really starting to feel like he believed you were an actual child. Your own father had never talked to you in such a way. You couldn’t say the same for your mother but even she could reel it in long enough that you didn’t feel like a complete moron. Andy just seemed to latch onto every mistake you made and sink his teeth in until he tasted blood.

And like the teenager he treated you as, when you got back to his house, you stormed up to the guest room and slammed the door. You fell onto the bed and screamed into the pillow. Oh yeah, that long lost adolescent rage returned. Then it all drained from every inch of you and you rolled over to stare at the ceiling.

You could hear Andy below. You listened to him moving around, the decisive click of his polished leather shoes. He climbed the stairs and you heard him stop outside your door. He sighed and retreated to his own room. Your day off an you’d spend it like this; raging at your new warden.

The knock on your door made you flinch. 

“Hey,” Andy’s voice sounded decisively through the door. “I’m going into the office for the rest of the day. I’ll be in around six.” He paused and the handle jiggled but didn’t turn. “You know where everything is.”

You didn’t answer him. You waited until he left, the footsteps on the staircase, the front door, the soft rollover of his car engine. You sat up and pulled out your phone. A single voicemail; your parents’ number.

“Hey, kiddo,” Your dad’s voice rose from the speaker. “Your mom wants to know when you’re getting the rest of your stuff.” A slight pause and a cough. “You know I don’t care and you take your time but if she asks, I told ya to come get it… Love you.” The line buzzed. “And your mom loves you too but she’s just as stubborn as you, you know? Well, anyway, uh, bye.” Another glaring silence. “Oh, and it’s still my house. I’ll be happy to see ya, kiddo.”

You saved the message and dropped your phone to bounce on the mattress. You put your head in your hands as you tried to resist the overhwelming swell of sadness that overcame you. You didn’t care about your stuff and you couldn’t bring it here. You wouldn’t. Sell it, toss it, you didn’t care.

You sat up and dropped your hands to the bed in defeat. You were such a fuck up.

🌙

You avoided Andy for a few days. You found excuses to stay in your room when you weren’t working and even spent a good deal of time in the backyard, weeding the overgrown garden. It didn’t matter. Autumn was close and most of the plants were dead. It must have been her job, or maybe a cherished hobby.

Aside from Andy’s prickly nature, she made it harder. That stranger; Laurie. You were an imposter in her place; usurping her as she laid in a hospital entirely unaware. You only knew what the press put out. He never said much about it. Did you really expect him to? All he ever spoke about was you, the baby, and everything you did wrong.

After a rather long day at work, made longer by your suddenly returned appetite and the smell of cinnamon and coffee, you returned to the house and found yourself back in the yard. You sat at the patio table and scrolled through your phone. 

Felicia wanted to meet up the next night. You hadn’t told her yet. If she took you for drinks, as she always did, she’d figure it out pretty quickly. Well, why were you hiding it? You wouldn’t be able to for much longer. You already felt a little bigger, wider at least. Would it be so bad to tell? To not be alone?

You swiped away her text and bit your thumbnail. You’d think about it and send your answer before you went to bed.

The screen door clattered and you sat up straight. You looked up as Andy emerged and strode across the deck. He had a beer in hand and placed it on the glass table as he neared the other side of the table. His tie was gone, his top button undone, and his sleeves were rolled to his elbows.

“Here you are,” He said as he pulled out a chair and sat. “How was work?”

You shrugged and turned over your phone. “It was work,” You sat back and crossed your arms. “Do I ask you? Is that the right thing to do?”

He chuckled and popped the cap of the beer and took a swig. “Well, it was an exciting day. Had a defendant attack the judge. Didn’t get very close but a they took him out,” He turned the bottle on the table. “He got me good on his way out, even if he missed my face.”

You let your arms fall to rest over your stomach. You didn’t know what to say. Did he want pity? Surely you couldn’t relate to his courthouse crusades.

“Well, that sounds… scary.” You offered.

“It happens. Not a lot but you can never predict people,” He took another gulp of beer. “What are you doing out here? It’s gonna rain soon.”

“Yeah?” You looked up at the grey clouds. “I never minded the rain much.”

He was quiet as he picked at the label of his bottle. His toe tapped and he pushed his shoulders back.

“Your mother came to see me,” He said gently. “Said something about tossing your stuff out on the lawn.”

“Shit,” You winced. “She shouldn’t have--”

“You haven’t talked to her?”

“And say what, exactly? She made her feelings about me pretty clear.” You played with the case of your phone as you turned it over. “My dad called me but… I don’t care about all that shit.”

“We can go get it. It’s not--”

You laughed and shook your head. “Why? You’re so eager to erase my former life, why would you care?” You threw your hand up and planted your elbow on the table. “It’s just books. A few stuffed animals. I never really could afford much of value. The poor pauper girl.”

“I never--”

You stood and slid your phone into your pocket. You still wore the plain black shirt and matching pants from work. Your fly was half undone to relieved the pressure and your shirt had caught in your waistband. You pulled the hem down and pushed in your chair.

“I’m hungry. I’m going to get changed and make something to eat.” You said.

You left him there and went inside. After slipping into some leggings and a loose tee, you swept into the kitchen and surveyed your options. Some linguine with chicken and spinach. That didn’t sound too bad.

You pulled out a chicken breast and the cutting board. You put the water on boil and heated the frying pan. You started to chop up the chicken into chunks as you heard the back door. Andy appeared and set his bottle down across from you as he stood on the other side of the island. It gave a hollow clink; empty, already.

“So, what are you making?” He leaned on the marble.

“Pasta,” You answered curtly. “You have any hot peppers? Hot sauce?” You opened the fridge. “I wouldn’t mind something spicy.”

“Check the door,” He said. “You must be past the nausea. You know, I always heard the cravings were the worst part. I never really considered pickles anything to drool over but---”

“Stop, please,” You interjected as you turned back with a jar of banana peppers. You could dice them up and mix them into the sauce. “It’s miserable. All of it.”

He sighed and stood straight. He rounded the counter and opened the cupboard. He added oil to the pan and it crackled. He put it back and turned to grab the spinach and rinsed it in the colander. He set it on the counter and turned back to watch you slice the chicken.

“You gonna keep this up?” He asked.

“What?” You set the knife down and dumped the chicken into the pan and washed your hands..

“You gotta try to meet me halfway,” He turned.

“Meet you halfway? Andy, christ,” You spat as you stirred the chicken and seared it. “How much more can I give you?”

“Bit of courtesy, maybe,” He said. “I’m trying here but you won’t even--”

“There you go again, speaking to me like a child. I am not a child. Let’s start there,” You pointed at him with the spatula. “You should know that.”

He considered you, his blue eyes drifted then returned to you. He gave a small smile. “I definitely know you’re not a child.”

“I’m serious.”

He nodded and exhaled. “Alright, I’ll try to ease off.”

You squinted at him. “I really wanna believe you will.”

He scoffed and brushed past you. He went to the fridge and grabbed another beer. He flipped the cap off and leaned against the door.

“I’m a lawyer. I can’t help it.” He shrugged. “But for the sake… of the baby, I’ll take my foot off the pedal. A little.”

“Cool,” You set the spatula down. “So you won’t mind if I go out tomorrow night. My friend Felicia wants to have dinner.”

“Dinner?” He repeated. You raised a brow. “Yeah, fine. That sounds like fun.”

“Great,” You smiled and grabbed the linguine noodles. “And you know, you’ll get a night to yourself. Win-win.”

🌙

You texted Felicia after dinner and for the first time in a while, you felt excited about something. So excited you found it hard to settle down. A bigger problem because you had an opening shift the next morning and you were already constantly exhausted.

You laid in bed and tossed and turned. You stared at the ceiling, then rolled over and stared at the window, then tried laying on your stomach until your leg fell asleep. It was at least an hour of endless turmoil, trying to force yourself to doze, before you just resigned to blinking into the dark.

You listened to the gentle spatter of rain. As always, Andy was right. It was really annoying. You sighed and peeked out the window as the rivulets streamed down the glass. The moonlight shone through the droplets in silver orbs. You turned onto your side and counted them, hoping it would coax you to sleep.

Then you heard it. At first, you were certain it was nothing. The wind, maybe. But it continued, steady, slowly mounting. The heavy breaths coated with sultry groans. You froze and craned your head to look over your shoulder as you listened. You’d left your bathroom door open without thinking and could hear a little too much through the one at the other end.

You dropped your head back to the pillow as the voice continued; deep and drawn out. It wasn’t hard to guess what was going on; what the only other person in the house was doing. Andy was only human after all. Well, you’d fucked him almost on sight. You were no saint. Yet it felt so wrong, hearing him like that. Worse that as you closed your eyes, you could only imagine him in the other room with his hand…

You pulled the duvet over your ear and pressed your head to the pillow. You felt a tickle between your thighs and squeezed them together. Ignore it, just listen to the rain. But his voice only got louder and louder until it finally peaked in a sharp grunt. Your lips parted and you shuddered. He was done, thank god.

It was silent for a few minutes, all but the gentle patter of rain. Then the bed groaned through the wall and soft footsteps. You were tense as you listened, moreso as you heard him near the other side of the bathroom door. 

Shit, he had to clean himself up and… 

The door opened and you heard his feet on the tile. He let out a growled and cranked the sink on. Your door was still wide open. It sounded as if he was right beside you as the water flowed and his breathing evened out. He turned off the faucet but lingered in the bathroom.

Then he stood in the door to your room. You could feel him there, looking at you. You were thankful your back was to him. Slowly, he crept closer and you felt him looming over you, just at the side of your bed. Your nerves were on fire, every hair on your body was on end.

The blanket moved just a little as he tugged at it. You made yourself stay still as he paused, waiting for you to react. He let out a long breath and yanked harder to dislodge the duvet from under you. You squeezed your eyes shut, terrified. You should say something, do something, tell him to fuck off!

He bared your leg and the cool air raised goosebumps along your skin. Your shorts offered little coverage and had ridden up your ass. He let the blanket rest on the other side of your leg and his fingertips grazed your calf and thigh. He touched your ass and pressed more firmly against it.

Then suddenly he recoiled. You heard him swallow and he pulled the blanket back over you. He turned and retreated into the bathroom, your door clicking closed behind him, the second which led into his own room. The silence was pierced by his muffled voice.

“Shit.”

#andy barber #dark andy barber #dark!andy barber #andy barber x reader #dark!andy barber x reader #dark andy barber x reader #fic #series #defending jacob #dark fic #dark!fic #one night

[found-family-au]

Do we get to see any interactions between wee Logan and his babysitter? bc they sound precious together!

After about an hour or so of scrolling through his phone, Remy had admittedly got a bit bored. Logan still hadn’t come back down from his room to say or do anything and the house remained uncomfortably quiet.

His eyes scanned the living room, as pristine and clean as it was. Completely different from other families he had babysat for.

Usually there would be toys scattered across the floor and the mess was so big you could hardly walk. The floor would just never be seen again. Here, there were no toys in sight. Not even a chest dedicated to playthings. This really was an odd family. Not so much for the fact that they were un-ordinarily clean, but for the fact that there was nothing around that even showed they had a kid, especially not a kid Logan’s age.

Brushing the thought off briefly, he went to do a quick search around the house. It was more to snoop around the place for possible gossip material, but the other part of it was how he actually wanted to get somewhat familiar with the house’s layout. Digging through drawers, looking through cabinets and cupboards, innocently of course; all of which were actually interesting in the least.

A bag of bags, drawers full of pencils and pens, paper and such else, silverware, etc, etc. 

The Prices really were boring people. 

The only thing that had even caused a little bit of interest was the pencils and papers. Taking out a wad of blank paper and a pencil, Remy retreated back to his previous spot and pulled his knees up to give himself a bit more a stable make-shift desktop.

It was about 7:15, only fifteen minutes into doodling idly—since he really had nothing better to do—when he heard the door upstairs open for the first time in two hours. The soft padding of feet coming down the stairs was the next thing he registered. Remy’s attention turned for a second, noting where Logan was before turning back to his drawings.

The quiet held for a moment as the kid walked past him while trying to be as quiet as possible, but from the corner of his eye he saw how Logan had paused, watching curiously as the pencil moved smoothly across the paper.

Remy wasn’t creating anything intricate or astounding—it was really only to pass the time.

Again, that rock came and sat heavily in the pit of his stomach. After a minute or two of letting Logan watch, he finally turned to face the little boy himself. This action nearly startled Logan enough to reel back.

“S-sorry,” he stammered out after a minute, ducking his head down and keeping his eyes on the floor. “I‌— didn’t mean to make you stop.”

“It’s okay, Logan,”‌ Remy assured him. He tilted his head to the side, considering an idea. “Do you want to draw something?”

Logan shook his head immediately. Then he paused. His face crumpled in a conflicted expression.

“I’m not any good at drawing,”‌ he said instead, taking a step back and getting ready to head back on his mission to go to the kitchen when Remy held a new piece of paper and his pencil out to him.

Logan hesitated, wide brown eyes blinking in surprise at the supportive intensity in the teenager’s motions.

For the first time that night, Remy watched as Logan turned his big hazel eyes up to his own. A confused innocence fluttered behind the gaze and Remy smiled encouragingly. “Well, you’ll never know if you’re good at drawing if you don’t try, right?”

“…I guess,”‌ Logan allowed and after a heartbeat passed between them, he reached forward and grabbed the writing utensil and paper and looked at it. As if he was trying to decipher a secret message written in invisible ink.

Remy’s smile fell slightly, seeing the expression. Kids were almost always super excited to create, Logan looked as if that had been wiped out of him. Uncomfortable with that idea, he patted the chesterfield beside him and nodded him over. Logan took his invitation and clambered up onto the sofa as well, crossing his legs as he studied the blank paper.

“So,”‌ Remy said, two minutes had passed in contemplative silence. “What are you gonna make?”

“I dunno,”‌ Logan’s answer was so down-pat. As if it was a reflex to say it. His brown eyes than moved back up to Remy’s, a soft pleading look in them as if to ask permission. “What about a knight?”

Logan was tense, as if he was getting ready for his ideas to be shot down. Instead, Remy tapped his chin in an over-exaggerated movement. “And a dragon?”

When his ideas weren’t stamped out, a tentative smile slowly broke across the five (and a half) year-old’s features. “Yeah.” Logan drew a couple lines on the page, trying to figure out how he wanted to fix the knight and the dragon. He then scrunched his nose in thought. “They don’t have to be enemies, do they?”

Remy shook his head, leaning further back on the couch as Logan began to scribble more onto the page. “Of course not,” he grinned, watching the smile from before grow into something more glowing. “They could be friends or they could be partners that work in tandem to save the princess.”

“The prince,”‌ Logan corrected absently, more focused on his task, beginning to work on the knight and his armour. “Princesses always get saved, but what happens if the prince gets captured instead?‌ Can’t the knight and dragon save him too?”

Something warm bloomed in the babysitter’s chest and he nodded, if a bit eagerly, with a wider grin. “You know Logan, you’re right. Who else would save the prince? I didn’t think of it like that.”

The excited light that flickered behind those thick glasses was incredible.

Remy didn’t usually bond with the kids he babysat. He didn’t get to know them that well, either. But little Logan Price—chatting at him happily about how the knight and the dragon duo rescued the prince from the evil kingdom—was something completely different.

He was a kid that needed a more nurturing touch and while that wasn’t Remy’s area of expertise, he did know how to listen to the little tyke ramble and he did know how to make him feel listened to.

“What if the dragons’s fire doesn’t come from the lungs,” Logan said, looking up to the babysitter with that passionate creative glint in his eyes, “it could come from a gland in the back of it’s throat instead.”

“Fascinating,” Remy agreed, sliding closer to Logan, his arm going to wrap around the back of the couch. He leaned forward a bit more to see the picture better.

Truth be told, Remy didn’t care about dragons or knights or princes or fairy tales but listening to the excitement Logan had for them after being gently prodded made him care a hell of a lot more.

#plot #backstory #Logan #Remy #Written Snippets

[thoms-sins-blog]

Dark!Peter x Tony

the fic you didn’t know you needed

“i cant do it, mr. stark. i can’t let her have you. i can’t let anyone…anyone have you. do you understand that? if i can’t have you, no one can.”

“kid…pete, please think this through–”

“oh, i have. you’re gonna come away with me for a very long time, mr. stark…’cause i want to keep thinking about what im going to do with you, and what you’re gonna do to me…i’ve been wanting it so long…”

From @snowydisco ‘s moodboard here, I loved it soo much, wanted to try this out :^P

I don’t really write but I did my best, treat me kindly!! i just wrote this out on a whim, no real smut yet but please let me know if anyone wants more!

[Just a bit of Pepper and Tony for backstory (I knoww it bores me too but it makes it so much more painful >:) ) I SWEAR TONY DOES LIKE PETER he just feels bad and its gonna take a lot for him to admit it, if smut comes he will def be into it, a manipulative and very jealous peter, also a little bit of venom mentioned for the hell of it?]

Dark!Peter x Tony! (Right may be a tad more dark than expected....)

________________________________________________________________

Peter’ masked hands were ruffling the golden locks of an unconscious Pepper, slowly stroking it and admiring his work. He slipped off his mask, detaching from the seam around his neck and over his head, letting out a sigh. His dark eyes were glittering in fascination and he had a smirk on his face, knowing he was fully in control now that he’s got them secure. He did enough to shake up Tony. Spider-man was not a killer. She was only drugged...a lot, but not enough to kill her. No, why would he do such a thing? 

Not little Peter Parker. Not the weird math club kid that was easy to pick at school, the one who couldn’t keep his crushes around, his celebrity genius mentor, even looked down on him, as if he had no power at all.

Didn’t anyone know the power he possessed? The strength? Being humble started to get old for Peter, it started driving him into a rage, thinking about how he could tear this whole city down to shreds. Little Peter Parker.

The expression of Tony Stark’s disappointed face when all he did was what was right for the safety of innocent people, that moment on the top of the building after the boat incident, where his self-esteem was utterly crumbled. Mr. Tony Stark just couldn’t hold back, did everything he could to tear down Peter for his own amusement. Tony just knew he was so much better than Peter. Not anymore. Peter’s the one in control now.

Peter always looked up to Tony. He was this genius inventor, the brains of Stark Industries, the things he created that fast forwarded tech across the globe. He was so attractive, strong, smart, smooth, he could get anyone he wanted. Everything Peter wanted to be. 

Over time, he had quite the collection of snippets of Tony Stark from the papers, magazines, screenshots from paparazzi online. He kept them in books under his bed, saved folders, hundreds of pictures of him arranged by time taken. He would scroll and stare at them for hours, brushing his thumb against the jaw of an ultra HD picture of Tony. He imagined the roughness of stubble, then the hairs of the longer pieces of beard he kept trimmed so nicely, the aged and no less beautiful skin around his dark chocolate eyes. It made him dizzy just by looking.

For a while, his obsession with Tony Stark kept him from the thin line between lashing out, and keeping up Peter Parker’s weak image, as well as the release of stress he got when kicking the shit out of goons on bad streets in the Bronx as Spider-Man. Being Spider-Man always made him feel confident. 

On his way back home, he’d always stop on a tall bank building across from Stark tower, watching Tony, with his blonde and freckled girlfriend Pepper, dancing around with disgustingly sweet hands held. They swayed to the slow stream of music that even Peter could hear so far away. They sipped wine and talked on end, lounging. Every time she even got a peck of a kiss from Tony, Peter winced, tugging his bottom lip with a jealousy that even he denied early on. 

When he was taken into the Avengers slash ‘Stark internship’, it was like his dreams came true.

It was like Peter Parker from high school didn’t exist anymore. Suddenly he was surrounded by important people, surrounded by people who needed him by their side, as allies. He was spoiled to the brim by the venture, especially the new decked out Spidey suit that he adored.

He got to see such cool things, was brought in by Mr. Stark, to check out the amazing lab he had, and understand secrets of how he brought his insane ideas to life that blew Peter’s mind. He even let him use his labs whenever he liked, having a blast at tinkering with his web shooters.

Every now and then Tony gave Peter a look when he did something right, or praising him for an idea while they worked. Peter naturally took that as a possible attraction to him. The wonder quickly spiraled Peter into violent masturbating sprees. Having sensitive spidey senses and unstable hormones tended to make everything that much more intense and hard to deal with. 

It didn’t help that the expensive bathrooms at Stark tower had huge mirrors that were unavoidable, so he was stuck looking at himself when he did so. Moaning “Mr. Stark,” quietly, his eyes rolling into the back of his head as he rode out into orgasm to the end of his toes. 

As those times came more often and his adoration escalated, his only attraction from that point on was Tony. His vision was only him, all the time.

All the attention made him drunk with adoration for Mr. Stark. His favorite looks from him were in his garage, covered in oil and dirt, his arms and face glistening with sweat, collarbone peeking from his wife beater. It was like porn to him.

He was shaken from his staring contest with Tony when the pencil skirted and playfully formal Pepper came in, giving Tony a rundown of CEO type things that Peter didn’t really know about. She offered a soft smile and wave at Peter when she came in. He knew how much Tony loved her, and he knew what she was doing. Peter waved back, shooting a humble smile and nod at her.You fucking slut.

Over time, they started to drift apart, and that made Peter very, very happy. Peter purposefully ended her phone calls to Tony sometimes, even made it so Tony’s messages to her didn’t send.

Still, Peter kept up the persona that he supported Mr. Stark, half mentioning he hasn’t seen her around much, a wave of disappointment washing over Tony’s face. When Peter reminded him that he was here to simply keep him company, he knew that he was reeling Tony in.

Still, though, she somehow always made her way back in. Once at a company party, they were seen casually talking, then getting closer as they sipped more of their martinis, Tony whispering sweet nothings against her neck. Peter closed his fists so hard his palms bled. Karen reminded him that he was hurting himself.

Pepper just kept coming back and luring Tony in, making Peter shake with intense envy, he seemed to be knocking out bad guys faster than usual those nights. He ignored conversation with the citizens he saved, because he was just ready for the next gig.

One night, he finally snapped. This was that night.

He couldn’t even remember what happened towards this moment, he only saw red and flashes of white, and now he had Pepper webbed up to the floor of the living room in Tony Stark’s home. The same room he’d been looking in from outside all this time. She would stay unconscious for a long while.

“Peter. Peter,” Tony breathed out, his heart was feeling a bit wrong, he had difficulty breathing after witnessing what Peter just did.

Peter licked his bottom lip, giving a kiss to Pepper’s cheek as Tony would, he knew it would mess with him. He stood up, moving his hand up the stalk of a curved metal pillar with his back still turned to Tony, looking out the large window down at the city.

“Peter, kid...”

“Don’t ‘kid’ me. I’m so tired of that shit.” Peter snapped.

Tony gulped, worry racking his eyes and beads of sweat collecting at his temples. He was hard bound by webs around a chair, Peter was just too strong for him, especially now that his emotions aren’t easily swayed. He was real smart about it too, he had all the electricity cut off in the tower, the AI’s weren't able to cooperate, most likely because of Peter’s adept hands with tech. He knew he wouldn't be able to call on them. God, he was such a bright kid. He just didn’t understand how it ended up like this.

At some point, Peter changed. he wasn't always this moody, he used to be kind, humble, looked up to Tony and he knew it. He couldn't put his finger on what it was. He also didn’t understand why Pepper was brought into this.

“I just don’t get it,” Peter starts, he turns his head, down at Peppers sleeping face, dragging a padded foot down her side, arms crossed. 

“I’m so much better than her,” he whispers. He whips up at Tony with dark and focused eyes, low browed and jaw set.

Tony blinks a couple of times, trying to keep up, he’s still a bit lightheaded from all the action, but locks eyes with Peter when he looks at him.

“Kid, I really don’t understand what you’re trying to get at here, but you seriously need to get your act together. What’s gotten into you?” Tony shakes his head, speaking direct but in a hurt tone. He rotates his arms a bit, trying to ignore the oncoming burns from the tightness of the bounds.

Peter shivers at his tone, sending prickles of electricity all over him. This was just a taste of how having Tony all to himself would be. 

He felt full of vim and vigor, feeling a smirk coming on but he pushes it down, making his way slowly over to Tony, his hands finding each other behind his back.

“Mr. Stark...I’m sorry...” Peter says weakly, his deeper voice cracks at the top in a small whine, he pulls his eyes from the floor up in a doe-like shy attitude that completely opposed the dark one from earlier, planting one foot in front of another.

Tony’s eyes scrunch in disbelief, noticing a string of black veins lining the side of Peter’s neck, pulsating like a virus. What is that?

“Mr. Stark,” he says again.

Tony inhales at the sound of it, his mouth twitches knowing its just a mask hiding something awful.

Peter bites the inside of his cheek, trying not to smile. He knows it’s getting to him.

“Mr. Stark, I just...” Peter lets out a sigh, planting himself on one of Tony’s thighs, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, knowing he can’t do anything about it. 

He can’t resist rubbing his splayed hands around the bulk of him, his neck and chest, not able to hold back the heat that rattles his body straight down to his cock. All from simply touching him. He’s waited to be able to do this for so long.

“I just, I can’t do it, Mr. Stark.” That again. Tony turns away, looking down at Pepper with a pained expression. 

Tony’s starting to get it now, he knows he’s not going anywhere. Really, he’s in such shock it’s hard to find words. Peter leans closer into his neck, inhaling the sharp scent of his cologne and sweat, drawing a webbed finger around his other ear. 

“I can’t let her have you, I cant let anyone...anyone, have you. You understand that, don’t you? Yeah?” He can feel Tony shivering, silent. He can’t take this.

Peter brushes his lips against his ear, slapping a strong hold around the back of his neck.

 If I can’t have you...no one can.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Again, please let me know if you want more! i could make this into a chapter like thing! I just wanted to try it out >:P

-Thom

#This was soooo fun #starker #starker fic #starker drabble #dark!peter x tony #dark!peter parker x tony stark #tony stark x peter parker #tony stark/peter parker

[yvaquietdays]

unfriending my phone

So the leaves are finally starting to drop off the trees around here, giving me all the autumnal/winter pinterest-your-way-to-Halloween vibrations. Nature has a canny way of living and dying and getting rid of what it doesn’t need, taking time out, taking a rest and putting its feet up while the cold weather sets in. It doesn’t need to tweet about it, or update an instagram story with the caption “Branches are dying off lolz.” Autumn marks the beginning of death and decay, it won’t be long until we start posting pictures of our favourite streets coated in leaves (I’m into it). It’s amazing; so many of us love the colours of the fall but in essence, it is the death of living things that we celebrate, so that everything can start anew next year. That’s reality, and I think that’s beautiful. 

Here’s my point. I wish social media would take a break; I wish it would curl up in front of the fire, maybe die off and come back better for everyone next year. I know so many people who now log out of their apps, only to be sent emails from the apps themselves trying to help them “get back online.” This happened to me two weeks ago. 

I don’t know whether I was suffering from PMS, or if I’d been sitting around too long, but my anxiety came on through flood gates I’d obviously forgotten to shut, so it took me a little while to realise the frequency had returned and was buzzing underneath everything before I tried to counteract its presence. I’ve realised I find it quite difficult trying to relive just how my anxiety feels in those moments, because everything seems like a big grey, squishy worm that bleeds into each passing minute, floating midair, making the atmosphere dreadful and vehr wormy. So there are no definitive emotions. Just worry, dread, pressure around my brain and the existential worry that I am not enough.  What I can recall, though, is that I was on social media so often I must have feared it was going to miss me. I have noticed that in times of my quarter life existentialism, the less I have going on around me, the more I automatically, without thought or intention, find myself immersed balls deep in social media. It takes around an hour of surfing absolute dink before I even realise how deep my balls are in the first place. I scrolled mindlessly, and through that open window of my phone, that little ignorant bitch named anxiety flew in as easily as a mother-fucking pidgeon, and I felt just as bad as that time I accidentally pronounced Pinot Grigio as Pee-not-Gri-guy-O. But alas! What did I do, but continue to swipe my poor little finger, as if it would find some answer, some pick-me-up that would relieve the overwhelming feeling of I-HAVE-FAILED (and believe me, when I ordered a Pee-not-Gri-guy-O to that waitress in the restaraunt I did feel that same sense of existential failure). I couldn’t explain to you or myself what I was looking for, and yet the more I found myself looking the worse I felt.

Let me tell you, that shit is as dangerous and addictive as gambling. 

Did you know, Twitter was the first application to develop the pull-to-refresh feature, which was essentially mimicry of a slot machine? It wasn’t long before all the others followed suit (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat et al); ever wonder why you keep refreshing your pages? Do you hope to see something new? Something more beautiful? Something you’ve been tagged in? What’s the difference between you and the fella in Aspers, feeding in twenty after twenty into the machine, in the hopes that this time, this time, he’ll be rewarded? What about the woman who keeps getting four fifties changed at a time, laying all her chips on the roulette table, and losing it all, only to change more money, because this time, this time, she might win? 

It’s not about the money any more. It’s about seeking the reward, the win, the fulfilment, and in social media’s world, validation.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/may/08/social-media-copies-gambling-methods-to-create-psychological-cravings

So I’ve known for a while the power the internet and social media apps have had over me; all the articles I read in research for my novel really opened my eyes. Sometimes, though, I’m just as good as all the other people on the bus; neck craned, eyes cast downwards, quickly researching Ariana Grande’s insta feed to salivate over her aesthetic, or to see why everyone thought she was responsible for Mac Millers death (hint: she wasn’t). It’s because, just like everyone else, I’m totally addicted to my phone.

Aside: I’m not blaming my bout of anxiety on social media, I’m just noting that it is a huge factor in how I perceive my life.

I use social media as a drug for my restlessness, and I receive sweet fuck all from it. Every time I look, it’s a reminder of how little I’m working, because I’m spending all my time thinking about working and looking at other people succeeding. It integrates this sense of failure, the smallness of my successes look in comparison, to be puney and frail. My lovely living room, amidst the quaint backdrop of my London suburb, looks boring against other artists hanging out in studios and lounging against LA backdrops online. What a failure I am; I’m eating into my savings to pay rent and afford food, I can’t buy that nice contouring set they’re selling to look the part, I’m flogging my clothes on Depop for spare change, I can’t afford flights there, I can’t afford any of this and I’m still chasing this pathetic goal of making money from my art. Every time I leave my parents house, my Dad hugs me and says, “Keep your head up, it’ll happen,” even if I haven’t spent the last two days complaining, even if I’m content, even if I run a bloody half marathon. Everyone’s still aware that she’s still trying, she’s not there yet. It’s really quite easy to lose yourself in those thoughts, it’s easy for me to reel all this off for the sake of a blogpost, but in the end I have to remind myself of the reality.

And that is, I’m fine. I’ve been doing better than I have for a long time. I’m excited, I’m getting motivated, I’m trying, I’m earning, I’m positive about the future. I’m looking after myself.It’s uncertain at times, but life is uncertain. I’m not stepping forward to play the victim in the play of me life. But that’s the kind of outlook I have in hindsight when I haven’t been on my phone all day, because social media does not help my anxiety, or hinder its progress at all. It encourages it. Instagram feeds off of my insecurity and isolation, Twitter feeds off my desire to be all knowing, Facebook creates the illusion that I’m connected when in reality I’m more separated from everyone on there than I’ve ever been.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/may/19/popular-social-media-sites-harm-young-peoples-mental-health

As a generation, we’re so very disenfranchised but we’re all part of this huge market. It feels as though we’re connecting, and don’t get me wrong, social media is great for self expression and identity and openness. But at the end of the day, it’s a business, and we’re it’s blind, salivating customers. It’s a marketplace for everyone to sell themselves, even when they have no goods to offer. We’re advertised products that an algorithm predicted we’d like, we’re told to post daily to reach more followers, but most of them are bots or strangers who won’t look at your page more than once. Everyone follows each other but we don’t support or give like we used to. I get the odd comment on Instagram complimenting me on my “content,” but that “content” is just my life, I don’t plan it, I don’t create it, it just is. When did our lives become fictional?! I’m all about real action, not figurative or hopeful. I’m about judging my relationships on how they are outside of an app, not what’s said inside of it. It’s too easy to lose ourselves in the virtual version of reality, where we can create how we’re seen. That’s the side of social media that I see, in terms of how it reflects back to me; it’s dark and foreboding, it’s void of meaning. And that is why I’ve been logging out. I want to enjoy it when I’m on there, not reminded of every flaw in my makeup. I rarely login in to Facebook now. I allow myself, twice a day, to look at Instagram (my main vice and source of all my first world anguish), and now I’ve been off-line, my desire to browse the app has diminished dramatically. I notice my boredom better than before; It doesn’t hold my attention. I caught myself scrolling half loaded pictures (bad wifi connection) this morning, and realised fifteen seconds in that I wasn’t actually looking at anything, I was swiping, endlessly, but the pictures were blurry and it was only the subconscious idea that something would appear that kept me going. So I put my phone down and finished my poop.

Has anyone else found themselves doing something similar? Has anyone else tried logging out? What kind of an effect did it have on you, on your mental health? What kind of an effect does your active participation on social media have, as a whole, on your mind? Do you feel less connected to the world, or more connected to those around you? Perhaps you have a better relationship with your phone than I do. *shrug*

I know I sound like a real doomsayer with my dark cloak (I’m not really wearing a cloak, but damn I think I’d like to) and and my seemingly pessimistic outlook. It’s not my intention to negate social media’s power to instigate positive change; just look at iWeigh, Help Refugees, Political Jules or Coppafeel. All good people using a Instagram to better spread their message of good health, equality and better body image across all platforms. I also believe the people who have really nailed social media are the heroes, the mums and dads of Facebook and Instagram, using Facebook to share with friends and family. That’s the whole point, and I personally think that we’re missing it as a younger generation. It’s so easy to lose ourselves in a business who’s main priority is traffic across all its apps. It doesn’t care what the traffic is, whether its bad or good, friend or foe, wizard or troll (I’ve been re-reading the Harry Potter books again), only that we’re there and we’re active. 

I reckon I really am an old woman at heart; so shoot me. I love my plants and painting, and I dream of living in some log cabin with an art studio, with a huge allotment, my main man and a couple of dergs, Bob Ross style. I love making music and getting on stage and performing, I love acting and I love media and I love galleries, I adore bookshops, beaches, forests. The whole, soppy whack. So what? I’m a romantic.

(That’s the only cool old lady gif I could find)^^^

I’m tired of stalling real conversations because either they or I have been sucked into apps, emails or jigsaw puzzles (it me). I want to live in this real world and create in this real world, but the discontent and conflict I feel is sometimes really, really irritating; I don’t want to use social media for my art, but it seems the only way you’re to be judged by labels and music makers. How much of a following do you have? How many likes do you pull in? How often do you post? It’s not about your art any more, it’s how good you are at selling it. I have enough trouble dealing with all the cogs turning in my brainbox without thinking about all this bullshit. And it goes beyond all that, it’s really irrelevant what career I choose, social media is addictive regardless of what we do. 

So fuck that. I play the game when I have to, but I’m not bending over backwards for it. 

#mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #mentalhealthwarrior #mentalhealthblogger #mentalhealthblog #mentalhealthandtechnology #mentalhealthandsocialmedia #socialmedia #instagramandmentalhealth #anxietyissues #livingwithanxiety #lifestyleblog #oldlady #pulldowntorefresh #worldwidewhat

[nightmareonfilmstreet]

IT Movie Review: Pennywise Lives Up To The Hype (Now with Less Spoilers!)

New Post has been published on https://nofspodcast.com/movie-review-pennywise-lives-hype-now-less-spoilers/

IT Movie Review: Pennywise Lives Up To The Hype (Now with Less Spoilers!)

The It movie delivers on all of it’s lofty promises with a terrorizing new take on a classic Stephen King Legend of Pennywise the clown. Andy Muschietti delivers a nostalgic thriller with a lot of heart. The core lead by a stellar Losers’ Club.

A note: This mini-review is Spoiler Free! The podcast we will be releasing later this weekend however, will not be. if you haven’t seen the movie, you can read this review. But do go see the film before you listen to our Bonus Episode.

As a Horror fan, hype is not really something we have to deal with as a community all too much. We see hype, we can recognize it. Wonder Woman had Hype. Deadpool had hype. Batman vs. Superman may have had hype.. before preview audiences got to the internet. But it’s not often that a Horror release gets to experience that anticipation of a Blockbuster. One that’s just waiting and ready to burst through the theatre doors.

I believe part of the reason is that Horror is a genre with so many facets, nooks, and crannies. When discussing Horror among the community, one can simply argue away a dislike without much of a debate ‘Oh, I’m not into found footage‘, ‘Creature Features aren’t really my bag‘. Horror itself is a niche, and it’s audience get s to pick and choose the branches of the weird tree where they like to hang out most. It’s hard to appease a tree full of weirdos, it really is. And somehow, the It movie may have done it.

So, how did It reach Looming Blockbuster status? Well it’s hard to pinpoint, exactly. First off, I think this film landed at an extremely opportune time. Horror Movies have been dominating the Box office in 2017. Jordan Peele‘s Get Out is reigning as the most profitable movie of 2017. Annabelle: Creation‘s impressive run at the box office pushed The Conjuring series into the elite $1 Billion franchise club. Audiences seem to be receptive to horror this year. And, it’s no surprised we latched onto Pennywise the Clown after 2016’s breakout 80’s thriller Stranger Things. It was the sleeper hit of the year, captivating viewers across genres and typical viewing audiences, to become one of Netflix’s Top 3 most watched series. Fans seem primed and ready for a retro tale of kids in paranormal peril.

But with all the things working for It‘s release – the film also faced some pretty high barriers. Not only are they trying to re-imagine an already successful property, but two. Stephen King is the single most iconic author in Horror. His works have been adapted countless times; from Carrie (1976), Christine (1982), The Shining (1980).. I could literally rhyme off adaptations for another 3 paragraphs if I found myself needing to hit a word count. And with such an extensive and beloved body of work, comes a passionate fan base. Stephen King’s readers can be a tough crowd to please when it comes to interpreting his work. The recently adapted Dark Tower Series has been pretty much panned by audiences and critics, despite being one of the highly anticipated releases of the summer. On top of impressing Stephen King‘s audience of avid readers, this film had the lofty task of impressing fans of the Original 1990 TV mini-series. (spoiler: I’m one of them) Tim Curry’s portrayal of Pennywise was the nightmare fuel that likely steered the majority of macabre Millenials towards the Horror genre.

This is where the film’s marketing really intervened. To battle the potential skeptics and nay-sayers, It movie played extremely coy with their marketing campaign. They hid Pennywise from us as long as they possibly could. They teased us with yellow slickers and red balloons, giving us a promise of something scary, but showing no cards. Horror fans were desperate for behind-the-scenes glimpses, stills, and sneak-peaks, but we had to sit tight. When the Trailer was finally released in the Spring, it received 197 million views globally within 24 hours. The film set and holds a new record for the most watches in a single day.  It wasn’t until mid-August that the more traditional and revealing marketing was unleashed; The It Float VR Experience, the Neibolt House haunted house installation in L.A.

By the time opening weekend had rolled around, I don’t think fans could have scrambled faster to their seats. Even myself, someone who tries very very hard to not get my hopes up with Blockbuster releases (lest we have another The Mummy meltdown), found myself front-row-center at Thursday night’s preview screening (which also broke records, btw).

So, did IT movie live up to the hype? I’m sure you read my title. If you didn’t, scroll up. I’ll wait.

It did. 

Now, know that we normally don’t write our reviews of big Blockbusters here at Nightmare on Film Street. We typically record them. Our podcast hosts many a live discussion of films immediately upon seeing them, in a segment we call Drive Home From The Drive-In. And, we’ve done the same for It movie. We’ve compiled all of our jumbled thoughts for you, and are editing them as we speak. Or.. as I type from the past. I’m going to be saving a lot of my thoughts for that bonus episode of Nightmare on Film Street. It’ll hit the internet either late tonight or first thing tomorrow morning. Oh, stop booing. I’m going to talk about the movie right now..

Pennywise the Dancing Clown, portrayed in this film by Bill Skarsgård, is an effective villain. Audiences are familiar with his rules; the parameters of his mythology. Because of such a rich back catalog and viewers’ familiarity of the character, Andy Muschietti’s vision got to be free to twistedly dance across the screen. Terrify us from scene, never repeating a gimmick. What we were served in this film was an erratic, mischievous character. One that can play as both deadly and whimsical. Moments you laugh- a slip of a lazy eye, a strange dance or giggle, and then you are catapulted into a world of terrifying imagery, left reeling from rows upon rows of exposed teeth.

The Losers’ Club are an equally effective counterpart. The kids really shine as a team. Their dialogue is effective and realistic. Ther can be crude and hilarious, as kids are – and then switch to something poignant and thoughtful. Their growing friendship, and the hurdles it faces in this film, is the glue that holds this entire story together. Without a successful Losers’ Club to empathise with and root for, our Pennywise would just be one cool clown short of a circus.

It movie succeeded in all it set out to do. They re-imagined an iconic character with it’s own rules, quirks, and mannerisms. They took us back in time, to a fictional small town (that I live pretty darn close to, actually) and made us fall in love with a new Losers’ Club. (Free of the perspective of their damaged adult counterparts. Sorry, novel and 1990 version. I still love you!) And they took all of those elements to deliver a story that is ultimately about friendship. It isn’t about a creepy clown terrorizing a bunch of kids (though there is a lot of that). It’s about sticking up for the little guy, defeating the bully, and vanquishing ancient evil clowns back from whence they came.

It movie is now playing in theatres. Our Bonus Episode and full, spoiler-filled thoughts will be available soon.

#Andy Muschietti #horror #horror movie #horror movie review #horror review #it movie #it movie review #it movie stephen king #it review #new horror #pennywise the clown #pennywise the dancing clown #stephen king's it

[sturlsons]

do you have any content that you regularly keep up with? like fics/comics/shows/blogs? i want to start consuming more content and be more knowledgeable/wellread in general but i don't really know where to start :(

i saw this ask like an hour ago and promptly got distracted catching up on my youtube subscriptions so thank u for the reminder but apologies for the delay,,

LONG reply coming up, discussions of depression.

(if u’d rather skip my sob story just scroll down to the picture of the upset dude with the cigarette)

before i get to your specific question, just a little something, because you’ve unknowingly shed light on one of my B I G G E S T struggles: i’m actually real shit at consuming content myself. i have a horrible concentration span and focus issues in general, and i tend to have tunnel vision for academia and hence spend nine months of the year memorising vocab blindly and watching like three episodes of anime. i regularly try to get myself out of this habit but It’s Hard™, so instead i try to make academic choices which will automatically bring new content to the table. choosing essay topics that i’m not familiar with, using the mandatory individual reading requirements to check out books i’ve been meaning to read, trying to do more than the required reading while i’m at it, etc etc. i also try to make lists of things to watch/read every summer, but usually end up being distracted with my writing projects. 

however, kinda good AND bad news. i only started getting stuck re: content consumption after moving to france and starting uni. in india my consumption was OFF THE CHARTS. eating through books and shows, doing research about all sorts of things, you name it. the good aspect of this is that as a child/teenager i already took in a way-above-average amount of information that still keeps me Smart and Cool™ in conversations to this day, but the bad aspect is that most of this was a form of escapism, a way to feed my insomnia back in the day, and then a horrible tangle with my depression which all ended in a huge mess. result: i was a pretentious fuckwit with an enormous amount of trivia in my head, but i was a manically depressed pretentious fuckwit with an enormous amount of trivia in my head, and what’s more-- the most hilarious-- i was actually terrified of moving out of my comfort zone in certain aspects. i used to read new things all the time, sure, watch new shows. but i’d also watch the same shows over and over until i memorised them, read the same books and poems out loud to myself, write the same kinds of fics, listen to the same artists. yeah, that one was weird as shit-- i couldn’t listen to new music, i just didn’t have the courage. the FIRST ever thing my therapist told me to do was check out a new artist by the time we had our second session. that’s when i discovered the national, one of the two most important bands of my life, and since that day i’ve made it a point to listen to at least one new artist a month.

anyway.

so then i moved to france, which was the best thing that could happen to me ever. however, as i quickly discovered (and sometimes still reel from), whether i like perpetuating this mindset or not (i don’t) the truth is at least for me, it seemed for a while that it was my very depression that kept me so Creative and Hungry For Knowledge and Pretentious Fuckwit. the happier i got, the “lazier” i got. i stopped writing for a year straight because i didn’t feel the urge to create anymore, i stopped consuming content because Who Cares I’m Living In The Moment I’m Finally Happy I Don’t Need To Hide Behind A Book. etcetera. most importantly: i was INSANELY focused on learning french and getting into the university of my choice, and since i kept seeing results in that department, i was happy with what my brain was doing.

then this dude broke my heart. if you’re from the jaywalkers readership, that’s when i started writing jaywalkers. you see how that doesn’t help the whole “no no, i’m only intelligent when i’m SAAAD” thing. i wrote jaywalkers, i wrote other fics, i wrote poetry, i sang songs and watched anime and read books and i used my brain more than i’d used it in the entirety of the year before this happened, and i was like, this is it. if i want to be great, i’ve got to be miserable. 

two years later, i’m here to tell you that it’s bullshit. bullshit, you’ve gotta be sad to learn things. it’s the best thing for being sad is to learn something, NOT the best thing for learning something is to be sad. i let my habit of seeking comfort by reading/writing make me believe that i could only do that when i was heartbroken. it took me two years to understand that i was wrong. i could’ve been doing all sorts of bullshit in those two years. i could’ve watched all the james bond films! i haven’t watched all the james bond films!

does that mean i’m magically feeding myself knowledge again? nope. because it’s not all about feelings. it’s also about how much time i have, how much energy (physical and mental) i have. i still have a shitty concentration span and can barely make it through a movie without getting the creepy-crawlies over my skin. i still have to do three different things simultaneously or i’ll never get any of them done. i gotta skype someone while doing the dishes. i gotta skype someone while eating. i can’t just eat. i can’t JUST read. i SURE as hell can’t just watch something. but you know what? the only reason i figured (am still figuring) all of this out is because i got rid of the initial block that said i don’t want to. i had to realise that it was up to me whether i consumed content or not, and once i did, THEN i could get to solving the practical problems that came with it.

it’s still a work in progress. a very, VERY fresh work in progress, because i’ve only started implementing big changes this spring/summer. it’s a lot of trial and error, but there’s a lot of solutions. turns out i’m better at keeping up with shows if i make it a regular date night thing with my boyfriend. i’m better at reading things on my kindle since it throws me back to my bookworm days when i had physical books. i’m actually better at listening to content sometimes, which was a huge surprise since i’ve always staunchly believed that my auditory comprehension is utter shit. but i’m still working it out u know? i’ll make it. i don’t want to stagnate anymore.

NOW. ONTO YOUR ACTUAL QUESTION.

here’s the thing, i’m REALLY shitty at keeping up with ongoing content. my preferred m.o. is waiting for whatever ongoing thing interested me to not be ongoing anymore, and then i binge. it’s a concentration/stamina/fucks thing. hence what i do is subscribe to anything i like and save it for later.

like i like knowing what my favourite authors are up to, so i subscribe to them. if an ongoing fic’s summary seems interesting i subscribe to the writer, that way if they write something shorter/complete i can check out their writing style, and i’ll still get updates if the main fic is completed. then i save those update notifs until a time that i can get to them, so that they’re little reminders in my inbox:

i also keep lists of everything that i want to check out at some point. i try not to give myself deadlines (anymore) because i literally never stick to them when it comes to consuming content and i end up feeling like shit. i used to have like, “SUMMER 2016″ lists and shit with like seven movies and three shows and i’d never do any of it completely and that sad little list would just lie there. so instead now i try to just make lists, period. it’s like a humongous queue of things that i want to check out, and whenever i have the time/willingness for it, i refer to it. 

 and then i keep a list where i keep track of what i checked out.

i find that it’s less pressurising to make a separate list of what i accomplished as opposed to having a to-do list where you check things off. because like, get this. so you have a to-do that isn’t urgent, right? not like, groceries, dinner, dishes. for those it’s totally important to have a reminder right in front of you, like do your dishes brah. but for things like this, especially for someone like me who’s a flake and will say “i’m gonna watch this movie tonight” and then will literally stare in your face without a word the entire evening and not watch the movie, it’s really shit to have a “TO DO: THINGS TO READ” which just lies untouched for a month straight.

instead, i keep a reference list. and then, when i do something, i note it down. that way i satisfy my inner list monster like “i did a thing today!” and at the same time avoid the disappointment of staring at a pileup of titles that don’t have a strikethrough. this helps with everything that isn’t urgent tbh. if you can afford it practically, don’t make a “what i have to do” list. make a “what i did today” list. it actually helps you to stay positive.

NEXT. i also always, always, always invite recs from my friends. this part involves having exceptionally patient friends, because i always ask for recs. and then i never check them out. literally me checking out a rec is a once in a blue moon thing, so my friends ( @fyolette in particular, may the lord bless her) really have a calm mind because they still always send me things they think i’ll like. i’m eternally grateful for this, ETERNALLY. 

so then i make a list of those. recs most commonly involve fics and music. i try to check out music recs within the day/week, and fic recs get tabbed on my favourite chrome extension ever: onetab.

boom. beautiful.

NEXT. how to retain all that Good Content™ that you binge? there’s no easy way, you have to figure it out on your own. before my depression hit i had an incredible memory and grasping power, basically reading through something once was enough to memorise it. this ability took a major hit in high school (which i nearly failed by the way, despite being one of the TOP students of my school), and i’ve never really come back to my full form. most days i fear that i never will, but i still have faith. it’s a long life. and hey, even if i don’t, i don’t shy from hard work. i’m willing to replace what was once natural intelligence with hours of manual labour if i have to. that’s a choice i’ll make. 

personally, saying things out loud helps me lots. making flashcards for everything too. i like anki, it’s pretty clean and friendly, but i also struggle with screens when it comes to learning. for me the best way to learn something is to write it out by hand. there’s something about the motion of writing that permanently inks things in my head, so i try to do it whenever i can. i’m trying to shift to digital methods more, though, to save time/money/resources. i like having a split-view. i’ll open whatever i’m reading on one half of the screen, and a notepad on the other, and constantly paraphrase. paraphrasing really helps me. another fantastic thing is to highlight anything unfamiliar (technical jargon, unfamiliar names, cited works, even pop culture references that you don’t get) and make it a rule to google all of it at the end of your reading session. not immediately-- you’ll get sucked into the black hole that is wikipedia and leave your novel aside. do the reading first unless your highlighted term is essential to understanding, and then check out whatever you set aside. that way you understand your current content better, and also branch out into related topics. 

i can go on about these tips for ages so if you have any specific questions/would like me to elaborate, hmu.

NEXT. your...actual...question...what content i keep up with...

so firstly, fic, because fic is life. i’m subscribed to: gentlestars, mindheist, porridgemilk, potter, retox, and rix. i’m also subscribed to a bunch of fics/series but would prefer to keep them private, so hmu off-anon if u’d like to know which ones!

i also kept up with OMGCP for an astonishingly long amount of time (for me) and then dropped off, but i do hope to catch up this summer. i adore OMGCP. i also started on WTNV the moment i realised that i’m good with audio stuff now, but i deliberately don’t binge it because its episodic narrative allows me to be sporadic, and WTNV is not something u binge. it’s something u feel in ur heart.

for music, i’m a mainstream hoe so spotify’s global top 50 is always great, i also love their daily mixes. spotify in general is fantastic, sometimes i like setting up a song radio and listening to similar music, it’s great. my cousin/best friend abhi always hits me up with fantastic music recs, he really knows my taste and knows when to insist that i listen to something. always ends up in my library.

the only thing i do on youtube is watch cooking videos and vine compilations honestly (btw nathan/ayitspnayo is the prince of my heart so i’m very much subscribed to him on snapchat, along with vice magazine and lemonde) but my favourites are sortedfood and peaceful cuisine. apart from those two the only channel i really keep up with on youtube is med school insiders. i love this dude. this dude is like my clip art older brother. 

for shows i’m currently crawling through weightlifting fairy kim bokjoo, and waiting for narcos S3 and GOT S7. i want to binge either brooklyn 99 or it’s always sunny in philadelphia, or parks and recreation. i don’t know, something funny, u know. we’ll see. 

of course it’s incomplete without a tumblr shoutout. i love lolmythesis, wizzard890,  pyrrhiccomedy, fyolette, saintjoan and some others that i don’t follow but keep bookmarked to check regularly. also, pretty random, but reddit is fantastic for trivia and more-than-trivia. the todayilearned sub is gold.

so there u go! i’m sure i’ve missed out on some stuff (it’s 4 AM how did this happen i started answering this at 2) and maybe none of this is useful as opposed to half of it being useful, but i sincerely hope that there’s a miracle and ALL of it is useful to u. it’s never too late to start learning things, and i know that it’s overwhelming when u feel like u don’t have any kind of base so u don’t know where to start. like where does one start learning the history of everything. what does one do to get to the point where u know some obscure detail about nikola tesla’s life? i feel u! i feel u! but u gotta start somewhere. pick something that interests u and branch out from it. u can’t know Everything about Everything Ever anyway, so why not accept that from the get-go and spend ur time wisely learning about what u really want to learn about! 

and it’s such a big world. i’m sure there’s so much you want to learn about. 

#teesta talks for ts #this is...long #anons #replies

[king---alexander]

BACK TO ME → KINGMAN

TAGGING: Alex King & Phoebe Puckerman

LOCATION: Puckerman/Hawke Residence

TIME FRAME: Tuesday, Dec 13, 2016

GENERAL NOTES: Alex visits Phoebe and the two make up at last, yay!

Alex had sobered up from hanging out with Stacie the night before but was still kind of reeling from everything that had happened. Stacie had opened his eyes up to a lot of things and he'd opened up to her about a lot of stuff that he'd been holding back on for the last year or so. Not to mention their little therapy session had concluded with himself and Zach finally putting everything behind them and making up once and for all. For the first time in a long time, Alex King felt a little more like his old self. There wasn't so many things weighing down on him today. And with that in mind, he knew that there was only one place left to go before it was time to return to reality back in New York, which is what led him to Zach and Phoebe's place. He knew Zach was probably in work, so it was a prime opportunity to really talk to Phoebe, but that also meant there would be no referee around in case she decided to deliver another slap to his recently fixed face. Taking the risk anyway, Alex knocked on the door and took a step back, waiting for an answer.

Phoebe had been lounging on the couch, her legs up on the coffee table in front of her as she tried to decide which Netflix show to binge on next. Rationally she knew that she should be saving this for when she actually had the baby and would be up at all hours of the night, but when you were given a surprise afternoon off what else were you supposed to do with it? Glancing around at random collections of baby clothes she found herself buying every time she went out, Phoebe vowed to at least take it to her room later that night, scrolling through her options once again until she heard a knock on the door. "I'm coming!" she called out, heaving herself off of the couch as she figured it was just another package being delivered. So when she opened the door and saw what, or rather, who, was actually standing there she froze, considering it was literally the last person in the world she would have ever thought it would be. "Zach's not here," she said simply, not making any move to let Alex in as she stood her ground. Her boyfriend had given her a brief rundown of last night's events, but nothing indicating that he was planning on stopping by.

Alex shoved his cold hands into the pockets of his coat as he waited for Phoebe to answer. He was shaking but he wasn't entirely sure that was completely down to the weather. The last exchange between himself had been so volatile. In fact, their last several exchanges had been anything but pleasant. The two of them were both angry for their own reasons; mainly because of each other. If she even decided to answer the door to him, this would be interesting to say the least. As the door swung open to reveal a very pregnant Phoebe, his eyes glanced down to her stomach before moving back to her own. "Yeah, I know," he stated simply. "I'm here to see you."

Phoebe 's hands rested protectively over her stomach, an instinct she barely realized she had adopted sometimes. Sighing a little she argued with herself for just a moment, weighing the pros and cons as best she could. But ultimately the cold won out and she stepped back if only so that she was further in the warmth of the house, tugging her sweater tightly around her. She made a sweeping gesture with her hand as if to usher him in, not waiting for him to follow her as she turned and went back into the living room, her mind racing from one extreme to the other. "Then to what do I owe this pleasure?" she questioned, wondering how he could possibly justify this surprise appearance.

Alex had to wonder what the hell he was thinking just showing up here after the tumultuous year the two of them had, both separately and regarding one another. For a moment he was certain she was about to slam the door in his face, so when she gestured for him to come in, he was a little surprised. Stepping inside after her, he closed the door behind them to keep out the cold and followed her over to the living room; taking a look around the place as he did. It was the first time he'd been in their home, after all. "You're not gonna believe me," he replied, stopping by the living room door. "I'm here to wave the white flag."

Phoebe sat down heavily on the couch, eyeing him as he seemed to stop himself from coming any closer. A cross between a laugh and a scoff escaped her lips, hardly believing what she was hearing. "You're right, I don't believe you." Hearing someone tell you they didn't want you in their life anymore felt like it was irreversible, although maybe she was wrong about that. Crossing one leg over the other Phoebe didn't say anything for a few moments, quiet as she took in Alex's appearance. The last time she saw him had been kind of a mess, to say the least. "I'll hear you out, but I'm not saying I'll agree with you."

Alex stayed put in the spot by the door, knowing she probably didn't want him anywhere near her right now. Phoebe responded exactly how he'd anticipated and a simple smirk crossed over his features as he waited for her to continue. The girl sat there, eyeing him up, surely waiting for him to tell her he was joking or something like that. Then, finally, once she spoke again, Alex nodded his head thankfully. "Well, that's more than I was expecting, so thanks," he paused for a moment, simply look to her. "I had a fight with my girlfriend and instead of dealing with it, I just flew out here to see Stacie, 'cause honestly? She's the only person I trust anymore. We had a few drinks ‒ a few large drinks, and I guess a lot of stuff came up. Some of it to do with you."

Phoebe missed the smirk on Alex's face, although that was more than likely a good thing as it would have only made her mad. Either that he knew her so well or that he seemed to think that this was all incredibly simple, neither one of which was better than the other. Scratching at her forehead her eyebrows pulled together in confusion, wondering why the hell he was bringing his girlfriend into this. "Yeah, I know what you mean," she agreed quietly, knowing Stacie was the most reliable person in her life. "I would assume so, seeing as my boyfriend was there. But I thought you had sworn to never have anything to do with me again." Her eyes glanced up at him as she spoke, still confused as to where he was planning on going.

Alex nodded his head slowly at her response, knowing that if anyone else understood the importance of having Stacie Evans on your side, it was Phoebe. Pursing his lips at her observations, he slipped his hands into his pockets and let out a soft sigh. "Oh, I did. I was pissed at you. Livid, actually. And honestly, I thought you would have appreciated it, considering taking me out the equation /should/ have meant that you and Zach were down one giant problem."

Phoebe "Okay, that's the thing--" Phoebe started, not even giving him a chance to breathe before she started in on him. "/Why/ were you pissed at me? Because I got knocked up?" She knew what he was going to say, that it was too hard for them to be just friends. And honestly? She didn't have an answer for that. Fingers rubbing at her forehead she couldn't help but sigh. "That's the thing, Alex. I never wanted you out of the equation in the first place."

Alex 's eyebrows pushed together as Phoebe jumped right into the conversation at last and shook his head at what she had to say. "No, because -- and not to beat a dead horse here -- I almost died and you didn't acknowledge it. It was like you didn't give a rat's ass and after everything with us, it was kinda like a kick to the gut." Alex admitted. "Obviously, seeing you all knocked up and living happy families with Zach didn't help, either."

Phoebe felt like she should have known that this was where things were going, considering it was what had started everything in the first place. Pressing her lips together tightly she intertwined her hands in her lap, knowing she had already said all that she could to him about the situation. It was just...imagining him like that? Even thinking that there was a remote possibility that he wouldn't be around to cause relationship drama in her life? The girl had never been good with emotions, and this was too big for any of that. "I'm sorry," she admitted softly, not looking back up at him as she muttered the words. "It was a shitty thing to do and I just did what I tend to do best and that's run away from it all. Like if I pretended it hadn't happened, then it really hadn't." It didn't make sense, she knew that, but if they were really going to lay everything out on the table, here it was.

Alex couldn't tell by her face what her reaction would be but that was often the case when it came to Phoebe Puckerman; he never knew what was coming next. However, he could honestly say that he wasn't expecting an apology and a genuine one at that. Raising his eyebrows slightly, keeping his eyes on hers though she refused to look at him, Alex listened to what she had to say and found himself relating to her instantly; not really having thought about it that way. "You know, I kinda get that. That's why I'm in Chicago right now," he smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "And I accept your apology. I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you, especially while you were pregnant."

Phoebe had braced herself for a rebuttal similar to what she had experienced with Alex in the past, so ready for it that she was left speechless at his words at first. Barely processing the first part she raised her face to look at him as she heard words fall from his lips that she never thought she would: I'm sorry. "You had a right to be. And let's be honest, if the situation were reversed, in some weird way, you know I wouldn't have taken it easy on you for any reason either." The look on his face was one that she hadn't seen in a long time and without thinking, she gestured for him to come join her on the couch. "Friends?" she asked tentatively, still slightly apprehensive of his answer.

Alex felt his smile grow wider just imagining how brutal Phoebe's reaction would have been if the roles were reversed and let out a low whistle. "I don't think I could have handled that." Alex admitted before raising his eyebrows at her gesture. Pursing his lips at Phoebe's question, pretending to think it over, he slowly moved to the couch and sat down beside her. "I think that we can finally settle on that, sure."

Phoebe couldn't help the grin that crossed her face in response to his, feeling like they were genuinely in a good place for the first time in a long time as he sat next to her. "Good, because how awkward would it have been if you were friends with Zach but still refusing to speak to me? Which, by extension, would mean that you couldn't speak to the baby, either." Stretching her legs out to the coffee table in front of them she slouched down just a bit, letting go of a deep breath. "Why /are/ you here, in the first place?"

Alex let out a quiet laugh and playfully shrugged a shoulder. "I could have totally pulled it off," he pointed out. "In fact, I was pulling it off until you straight up slapped me at the wedding, you psycho pregnant woman." Finishing it off with a chuckle to let her know he was simply teasing, Alex watched as Phoebe made herself a little more comfortable. "Well, the short story is, I got in a fight with my girlfriend and decided to escape here rather than deal with it. I got free therapy from Stacie without asking for it, it was pretty helpful."

Phoebe rolled her eyes at his explanation, choosing to punch him lightly to let him know that she didn't believe him for a second. "Huh, that sounds familiar," she mused, raising an eyebrow at him. She didn't need to remind Alex that he was more often than not the one she ran to when things got rough between her and Zach. "She could totally be a therapist, it's true. I just appreciate the fact that she manages to solve most of my problems for me."

Alex smirked as he felt her punch him and rolled his eyes at the words that followed, even though it was completely true. The two of them were more alike than even they knew. "Yeah, you're lucky she's close by," he added. "And you're lucky that she solved our problem right here, otherwise you would have died from a broken heart or something along those lines." With a laugh to let her know he was teasing, Alex checked his watch before glancing back to her. "Looks like my work here is done. I have a plane to catch."

Phoebe "I clearly don't know how I would have gone on." Her lips pressed together in a small smile at his words, nodding her head a few times. Without thinking about it too much she reached over and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly for a few moments. "I'm glad you came over," she said before pulling back, using a bit more effort to push herself off the couch and stand in front of him. "And /I/ am going to go finish the jar of pickles we have in the fridge, because being pregnant is weird and I don't get it at all."

Alex was a little stunned when he felt her arms wrap around his neck and it took him a moment to react before finally, he slipped his own around her waist and smiled softly at her words. "Yeah, me too," he nodded, getting to his feet as she did with a laugh at the mention of pickles. "Well, you can at least take pride in the fact that, although you are extremely pregnant, you're still very much worthy of the title /Hot/ Phoebe," he winked, patting her cheek gently before he made his way over to the door. "You take it easy now. See you when I see you."

#para: btm #para

[eelgibbortech-blog]

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This week’s ‘Skim: why Snapchat’s new algorithm is unique and what it means for users; Facebook preps Messenger Broadcast for business communication; Twitter tests a bookmarking feature; YouTube gets more social with its own version of Snapchat Stories, also faces advertiser exodus because of children’s-content complaints; Tumblr’s CEO is stepping aside after 10 years on job; the top 9 social media trends to watch for in 2018; how Facebook’s using AI to prevent suicides; and more…

Skim to keep your social media strategy in tip-top shape!

1. Snapchat has a new take on the algorithm, rolls out personalized experience for users

Instead of pushing content that’s popular among the entirety of the platform’s users, similar to what Facebook does, or in reverse chronological order, like Snapchat used to, Snap Inc.’s new algorithmic redesign will adjust based on the individual user. That’s right, the app will mold the content it presents based on what a user tunes in for most.

Snapchat is also separating friends from media, with all content from friends going on the “left side” of the app’s home camera screen (sorted by whom you engage with most), and premium publishers and “professional influencers” (celebrities) to the right. Snap Map will live on, but in the Discover section, along with stories from search.

Though, for now, the user interface looks just about as confusing as Snapchat’s always has looked, this new personalized algorithm could pave the path to more time spent in the app, and thus more of the elusive ad dollars the company needs to set it back on the right side of the Wall Street.

2. Facebook preps Messenger Broadcast for businesses

The social network recently introduced its Broadcast API, which enables brands to automate message blasts to Facebook users who have already been in contact with their company via Messenger before, but not all businesses had the development chops or funds to make it a reality.

Cue Messenger Broadcast, a currently unreleased but under-construction equivalent to Facebook Ads Manager; it streamlines the messaging blast process much the way Ads Manager makes it a breeze for social media marketers to promote posts.

This could mean a new, fine-tuned targeting abilities for mass messaging of a sort that’s currently not possible on Facebook. Keep a lookout for this one.

New! Facebook is preparing a “Messenger Broadcast” feature for business Pages

h/t @pwd http://pic.twitter.com/PncLYXDBeX

— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) October 27, 2017

3. Twitter tests save-for-later feature

After an enormous number of requests from users, Twitter’s about to give them their beloved ability to save tweets for later viewing. The new feature, called (uncreatively but understandably) Bookmarks, is reportedly to be released soon, allowing users to privately store away a set of tweets for later reading. Merry Christmas!

4. Snap woos users and prays to the revenue gods with new, immersive ad formats

Snap Inc. missed the mark for investors after the company fell $30 million short of anticipated revenues last quarter, and now the social app is eyeing more immersive ad formats to encourage more ad spend. What do they have to show for it? Two new ad formats.

Promoted Stories sequence together several snaps from a brand to create a slideshow-like ad accessible to all users in a given country from the Stories section of the app. More intriguing are Snapchat’s new Augmented Reality Trial ads, which let users give brands’ products a go via an AR overlay that brings the product into the world around them.

The new ads are particularly appealing for brands keen on reaching those elusive 13-24-year-olds, whom Snapchat can reach more easily than either Facebook or Instagram.

5. YouTube creates its own version of Snapchat Stories

Introducing Reels, YouTube’s answer to Snapchat’s Stories, and its latest effort in a round of updates to make the video platform a more social destination. The new stories format is available in the community tab for creators who have more than 10,000 subscribers, and it gives these YouTubers the ability to share disappearing video clips just like they can on other social platforms.

But YouTube also gives creators the ability to make Reels permanent, and enables new ways for creators to engage with their fanbase through polls, previews of upcoming videos, or content promotion from friends and collaborators. Reels will launch as a beta before expanding.

6. YouTube faces advertiser exodus following controversial content on kids’ videos

The Google-owned video network is facing a new round of backlash and fewer advertising dollars after several major brands, including Adidas, Deutsche Bank, Lidl, and Mars, pulled campaigns from the platform based on reports by the BBC and The Times.

Brands’ ads were reportedly appearing alongside videos of children that had obscene comments tied to them. Buzzfeed in turn uncovered pedophilic autocomplete search suggestion that left YouTube searching for answers.

YouTube has since stated its intention to beef up comments moderation, clarify ad policies, and give brands new controls that would make it easier for them to avoid placing ads alongside “higher-risk content.”

7. Tumblr founder to step down after 10 years following disappointing Yahoo takeover

Yahoo acquired microblogging website Tumblr for $1.3 billion in 2013, and it has since embarked on a series of oversold and underdelivered promises: projected $100 million revenue in 2015 that never came to fruition, and a $712 million write down in 2016.

It’s no surprise, then, that founder and CEO David Karp is stepping out of the limelight so that COO Jeff D’Onofrio can step in.

Tumblr was once a social media success story, vying for brand’s advertising dollars, but Yahoo’s mismanagement of the acquisition has resulted in the social blogging platform’s all but fall of marketers’ radars; it remains to be seen whether it will ever recover.

8. How to (masterfully) advertise your event on Facebook

Long gone are the days that a brand could create a simple static image advertising an event, throw it out on social platforms, and hope the world comes out to play. Garnering engagement with scroll-stopping visuals, and supporting them with a budget, are two keys to increasing attendance, but AdWeek has other top tips as well.

Covered in detail: how Facebook’s relevancy score decides how much you’ll pay for your ad, and how to minimize your cost; what you should include in an event ad to drive interest and ticket presales; how to use retargeting to increase conversion rates; and more.

9. Top 9 social media trends for 2018

Film editing solution provider Filmora hits us with nine top social media trends to watch out for in 2018, and it’s no surprise that video plays a big part in most of them. But what trends will prove to be more than fads, and which ones does your brand need to take seriously?

Check out the full infographic for more, but here are some surprising stats that should spark some thought to prepare your strategy for the new year:

Facebook Live videos are watched three time more than normal videos.

Facebook users spend 68% of their time on the platform on a mobile device, whereas LinkedIn users only spend 26% of their time on LinkedIn on a mobile device.

Influencers increase conversion rates by up to 10 times.

94% of those who’ve used influencer marketing say it’s an effective strategy.

10. We’ll wrap with Facebook’s unique use of AI for suicide prevention

Facebook is looking to use AI to improve the speed and efficiency with which it detects posts and livestreamed videos in which people might be expressing suicidal thoughts, even before they’re reported by other users. The technology will use pattern recognition to understand the context of posts and videos, and thereby improve how it identifies appropriate first responders, case by case.

The social network will use signals such as “Are you OK?” and “Can I help?” to identify and prioritize its proactive detection efforts, and it has already worked with first responders on more than 100 wellness checks in recent month thanks to its efforts.

Join over 600,000 marketing professionals, and gain access to thousands of marketing resources! Don’t worry … it’s FREE!

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The post Social Media News: New Snapchat Algorithm; Facebook Messenger Broadcast appeared first on Ebulkemaimarketing Blogs and updates.

#ebulkemailmarketing #marketing #seo #autoresponder #internet marketing

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Witness : 26

Not Right

new moodboard created by @iheartsebastianstan​ Thanks to them and to anyone who wants to create one of their own or some art, I would be eternally grateful. You all are so amazing!

Character(s): dark!Bucky, dark!Steve, too

Masterlist

Warnings: this is a dark!fic, it contains non/dubious-consent elements. Some violence as well at the beginning. It goes without (and with) that this is 18+.

In this chapter, sex and internal conflict.

Summary: The reader feels her world closing in but it might be too late to save herself.

Notes: Okay, thanks to everyone and their patience with this series. Honestly the response has been overwhelming! I love you all so much and it's really meant a lot considering my recent mental episodes. I hate that I have so many issues and they always pop up at the worst times but this series makes it easier to deal with. I know y'all have come for the story and don't need a whole dump here but I think it's a little obvious that I've poured a lot of myself and my internal struggles into this one and so it just means so much more that it has had such a big response. Again, thank you for listening to me ramble and supporting this series! <3 Now, onto actual business here! This chapter has some juicy little tidbits (and I don't mean sex) just something y'all have been waiting for... I hope you all enjoy :) Tomorrow will be the second chapter of Happy Together so brace for some dark!Steve and Saturday will be another one shot requested for the raffle! (Again dark!Steve) so we have quite the line up. Anyways, as usual, comments mean the world to me. It's nice to have feedback and I just love hearing all your reactions and thoughts. :D You guys are so wonderful.

Please, reblog and or reply with your thoughts!! I’ll see you in the next one. :)

As promised, Bucky and Steve left town at noon. You were relieved to see them go but the looming threat of their presence had distracted you from the dark thoughts which now began to rise in the back of your mind. Vague memories of words exchanged; about you, about others. Gill... you knew nothing about her, only that she used to sit at the very desk you were now behind. And, if you were to guess at it, she had also been involved with the two men who had you caught in their claws, though you couldn’t say how.

 You tapped your fingers on the desk as you scrolled through Pepper’s inbox, weeding out the junk, responding to those which could be generically shrugged off. It was second nature now. Almost fun. You imagined what it would be like to be her. On the arm of one of the most powerful men in the world, protected from others who might wish you harm. You were in almost the complete opposite station in life. You were trapped under the thumb of one who saw you as nothing more than a prop and you had little means of helping yourself.

     “I promise, she won’t be another Gill.” “She’s not another one of your toys…”  

 What had happened to your predecessor? The black text blurred past your vision as you thought, scrolling the wheel as you thought back to your nights spent with both super soldiers. As much as Bucky set your nerves on fire, Steve was utterly terrifying. He was able to flip a switch, turning from the smiling office colleague to sinister masochist. You could feel his hands on your neck then. Had Gill felt the same fingers against her flesh, the same dread mixed with airiness? Is that why she had quit?

 You sat back, looking around the office. There was no one there but you were ever paranoid. You leaned on the chair, glancing just down the hallway as an idea tugged at your mind. You took a deep breath and moved the mouse, hovering over the “sent files” link before clicking. Pepper’s emails, including those written by yourself, appeared before you. You began to scroll down, watching the date revert until well before your first day. And then you found it. An email with a familiar name upon it; ‘Daily Roster’ fwd. Gill Nazar. You stared at the name, another glance around the office.

 You clicked and let the air out of your lungs. Nothing beyond the usual message; a list of names, times, special instructions. It was the same thing you received every morning. You clicked out and opened up the browser, typed in the former secretary’s name and hit enter with a rush of a anxiety. As the little circle reeled beside the cursor, so did your head. The results popped up and your heart dropped. You clicked on the first link; a headline already forgotten.

 ‘MISSING WOMAN: FORMER SECRETARY ON THE RUN?’ It was the most recent story on Gill, declaring that previous reports of her disappearance had been exaggerated and she had in fact merely run away from her boring office life. You explored those which preceded that, every day back in time building the heat along your spine. There were no clues which could have led to her discovery and the last article gave only an account of her wild college days, not far behind her, and a questionable quote from a “friend” to support its thesis. Yet the case had been closed and no one was looking for Gill Nazar any longer.

 It just didn’t add up and you suspected your inevitable disappearance would make even less sense. The thought chilled you to the core and a sudden wave of terror came over you. If you didn’t get out soon, you would be the woman pasted across the articles, but only for a week before you were buried beneath the next week’s headlines. Another would sit in this chair and contend with the super soldiers.

 You were shaking. Your eyes were glued to the screen and you couldn’t stop the panic as it filled your veins like ice. You needed to act soon or be lost forever.

A couple days later, after the revelation that Gill hadn't necessarily quit for a better job or due to a sudden windfall, you were still trying to figure out how to process the information. You couldn't say for sure that she was dead but it wasn't an unlikely conclusion either. The way Steve and Bucky spoke about her as good as confirmed your suspicions. And if her fate was so shrouded in mystery and fatalism, what then would yours be?

 This wasn't just something you could forget but you could try to suppress it, at least distract yourself from it. It all seemed pointless now that your fate was as good as confirmed. Even as you played along you weren't promised any other end but that which you had tried to barter yourself out of.

 Currently you were in the middle of a convenience story, your arms filled with a multi-pack of gummy worms, gummy bears, and sour keys. The endorphins afforded by such an indulgence might be enough to ward off the shadow which loomed over you. A couple chocolate bars were added to your load and you dragged your feet up along the last aisle. Your eyes caught shiny plastic packages, hung on security hooks, and you skidded to a halt. You tapped your toe and looked around.

 You stared at the flip phones. ‘Burners’ they were commonly referred to as by dealers and similar criminals. You chewed your cheek, the wheels slowly beginning to wind on your head. “Excuse me,” You called over to the cashier, bent over the daily crossword in the newspaper. He almost reminded you of yourself and your doldrum work. “Can I get two of these phones please?”

 He pushed himself away from the counter and came out from behind the lottery tickets and gum to shove a round key on the hook. He unlooped two and brought them up to the counter where you met him on the other side. You set the rest of your wares before him and he punched in the items dully. He seemed rather unfazed by your purchase but you gathered a place like this would have shadier types than yourself frequenting the joint.  You accepted a plastic bag and and took your haul out onto the street. Finding your car, you slid inside and started the engine, a plan piecing itself together in your head. Well, nothing substantial but a line of communication. A way to protect yourself and your mom when an escape presented itself.

 Back at your apartment, you took out the twin phones and charged them. You activated them with a set of fake names and typed in a message from one to the other. You left it unread so that the notification still showed.

     Mom, text back when you get this. Y/N.  

 You would buy a parcel tomorrow and send it without a return address. That way Bucky couldn't track it. You felt an odd sense of accomplishment, a fragment of your independence secreted away. Even if you were caught out, you had tried.

 You dumped the packaging down the building's chute and hid the phones beneath your kitchen sink, just behind the trash can. Just in case. You never knew when Bucky would return and he always seemed to drop in at the most inconvenient times.  Your suspicion proved prudent as you slept heavily that night. No longer did the sense of doom hang over you so darkly and you dozed quite comfortably in your own bed. The morning after held a simple task and a rare sliver of hope.

 But you were roused to half-slumber by a distant sound. There was a presence in your room thought your mind refused to retreat from its respite, instead you listened as if through a tunnel. A series of rustling, metal clinking, and muted footsteps. The mattress dipped beside you and a warmth snaked around your waist. At last your eyes snapped open and you grabbed the hand tucking itself under your side.

 “It's just me,” Bucky's whisper was not as comforting as he would have hoped. “Go back to sleep.”

 You tensed against him, not expecting such...gentleness? He wasn't forcing your legs apart or holding you down. In fact, he was giving you a new option. You would take sleep if it saved you from his usual tendencies.  The rest of your night was spent in a shallow sleep, the presence beside you kept you from sinking back too far. In the back of your head you wondered why he was there. After days away on a mission he had decided to show up at your place in the middle of the night and slink into your bed like some long-awaited lover.

 Still you resisted consciousness if only to avoid the answers to those questions. You were woken however against your will. Your mind still shrouded in drowsiness you grumbled as a hand pushed its way between your legs, sliding up your thighs, careful circles drawn along your clit. It was almost relaxing, the warm nestled in your pelvis as the fingers carried on. It was only as the grunt rasped in your ear and you felt the prodding along your back that reality slapped you.

 Bucky was spooning you, his hand squeezed between your legs as he teased your clit, your shorts gone. Your own hand shot down to try to stop him but a soft ‘uh uh’ kept your from doing so. Slowly, he shifted away from you, his fingers still tugging at your core, and rolled you flat onto your back. He pushed your legs apart and you let them splay open, wondering if this was actually some twisted nightmare. A most confusing one indeed.

 His beard tickled across your shoulder and along your neck, his lips laying sweet pecks along your skin. Your heart was hammering in your chest. What was he doing? This had to be some trick. To be so gentle with you he must have been planning something awful. His nose brushed across your cheek, his eyelids hooded over his blue eyes as they closed and he leaned closer. His lips were on yours before you could turn away and your eyes were wide open. He was kissing you. He had never done that before.

 His fingers continued to pluck at you and you moaned despite yourself. The heat was pooling just so and you couldn't resist the flames licking along your thighs. You shuddered against him and he removed his lips at last so that you could turn your head and pant at the sunlit bedroom. He pressed his head once more into the crook of your neck, bringing you to a most disconcerting climax.

 As the after waves took you, Bucky climbed on top of you, replacing his fingers with his cock, running his tip along your folds before slowly entering. You gasped. You wanted him to stop because it felt so unfamiliar, so wrong, and yet you wanted him to keep going. The intimacy of his actions was both long-missed and entirely unsettling. You craved it, just not from him. Not in this circumstance. His breath was hot against your neck as he began to move within you, one hand on your hip, the other tangled in your hair, cradling your head.

 You tried to resist the tingling his touch was sending through you but your mind was too tired and your body weak. You gripped his bicep as he moved against you, your nails digging into his flesh as you fought him and yourself. There wasn’t any real strength put into it as you felt like jelly beneath him, every thrust sending a star across your vision. Your eyes rolled back and you let the haze take you, your name ringing in your ears as you met with yet another orgasm.

 Bucky grunted your name low in your ear, bringing you back to the moment. You felt the warmth spill within you, his cum filling you and seeping around his cock. He collapsed atop you, not moving as he breathed heavily, his head just beside yours on the pillow. The glow of your lust began to fade, the oddity of reality like a bucket of cold water poured over you. You could handle him treating you like a toy, tossing you around, manhandling you, calling you a good girl, but you couldn’t do this. Him touching you so softly as if he actually felt anything but pure spite for you, saying your name…

 “Get off of me,” You whispered, “Please, please.” You began to panic, smacking your hands against his shoulders as you begged him. You couldn't breathe. “Please. Get off!”

 He pulled out of you, sitting back with visible shock on his face. You quickly rolled over the edge of the bed, barely getting your feet under you before you met the floor. You tripped over yourself as you scurried out to the washroom, slamming the door and locking it. You felt his cum dripping down your leg and you cringed. You stepped into the tub, turning on the shower head and detaching it as you frantically tried to wash him away. It was all wrong. He hated you and you hated him. That was how it worked.

 You cranked the faucet off and dropped the hose, falling back against the tub as your body shook. Your top was askew and splashed with water, your bottom half chilly from the cooling drops across your skin. You closed your eyes and swore aloud. Your plan had to been to bide your time but how much longer would you have?

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[eelgibbortech-blog]

Social Media News: New Snapchat Algorithm; Facebook Messenger Broadcast

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This week’s ‘Skim: why Snapchat’s new algorithm is unique and what it means for users; Facebook preps Messenger Broadcast for business communication; Twitter tests a bookmarking feature; YouTube gets more social with its own version of Snapchat Stories, also faces advertiser exodus because of children’s-content complaints; Tumblr’s CEO is stepping aside after 10 years on job; the top 9 social media trends to watch for in 2018; how Facebook’s using AI to prevent suicides; and more…

Skim to keep your social media strategy in tip-top shape!

1. Snapchat has a new take on the algorithm, rolls out personalized experience for users

Instead of pushing content that’s popular among the entirety of the platform’s users, similar to what Facebook does, or in reverse chronological order, like Snapchat used to, Snap Inc.’s new algorithmic redesign will adjust based on the individual user. That’s right, the app will mold the content it presents based on what a user tunes in for most.

Snapchat is also separating friends from media, with all content from friends going on the “left side” of the app’s home camera screen (sorted by whom you engage with most), and premium publishers and “professional influencers” (celebrities) to the right. Snap Map will live on, but in the Discover section, along with stories from search.

Though, for now, the user interface looks just about as confusing as Snapchat’s always has looked, this new personalized algorithm could pave the path to more time spent in the app, and thus more of the elusive ad dollars the company needs to set it back on the right side of the Wall Street.

2. Facebook preps Messenger Broadcast for businesses

The social network recently introduced its Broadcast API, which enables brands to automate message blasts to Facebook users who have already been in contact with their company via Messenger before, but not all businesses had the development chops or funds to make it a reality.

Cue Messenger Broadcast, a currently unreleased but under-construction equivalent to Facebook Ads Manager; it streamlines the messaging blast process much the way Ads Manager makes it a breeze for social media marketers to promote posts.

This could mean a new, fine-tuned targeting abilities for mass messaging of a sort that’s currently not possible on Facebook. Keep a lookout for this one.

New! Facebook is preparing a “Messenger Broadcast” feature for business Pages

h/t @pwd http://pic.twitter.com/PncLYXDBeX

— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) October 27, 2017

3. Twitter tests save-for-later feature

After an enormous number of requests from users, Twitter’s about to give them their beloved ability to save tweets for later viewing. The new feature, called (uncreatively but understandably) Bookmarks, is reportedly to be released soon, allowing users to privately store away a set of tweets for later reading. Merry Christmas!

4. Snap woos users and prays to the revenue gods with new, immersive ad formats

Snap Inc. missed the mark for investors after the company fell $30 million short of anticipated revenues last quarter, and now the social app is eyeing more immersive ad formats to encourage more ad spend. What do they have to show for it? Two new ad formats.

Promoted Stories sequence together several snaps from a brand to create a slideshow-like ad accessible to all users in a given country from the Stories section of the app. More intriguing are Snapchat’s new Augmented Reality Trial ads, which let users give brands’ products a go via an AR overlay that brings the product into the world around them.

The new ads are particularly appealing for brands keen on reaching those elusive 13-24-year-olds, whom Snapchat can reach more easily than either Facebook or Instagram.

5. YouTube creates its own version of Snapchat Stories

Introducing Reels, YouTube’s answer to Snapchat’s Stories, and its latest effort in a round of updates to make the video platform a more social destination. The new stories format is available in the community tab for creators who have more than 10,000 subscribers, and it gives these YouTubers the ability to share disappearing video clips just like they can on other social platforms.

But YouTube also gives creators the ability to make Reels permanent, and enables new ways for creators to engage with their fanbase through polls, previews of upcoming videos, or content promotion from friends and collaborators. Reels will launch as a beta before expanding.

6. YouTube faces advertiser exodus following controversial content on kids’ videos

The Google-owned video network is facing a new round of backlash and fewer advertising dollars after several major brands, including Adidas, Deutsche Bank, Lidl, and Mars, pulled campaigns from the platform based on reports by the BBC and The Times.

Brands’ ads were reportedly appearing alongside videos of children that had obscene comments tied to them. Buzzfeed in turn uncovered pedophilic autocomplete search suggestion that left YouTube searching for answers.

YouTube has since stated its intention to beef up comments moderation, clarify ad policies, and give brands new controls that would make it easier for them to avoid placing ads alongside “higher-risk content.”

7. Tumblr founder to step down after 10 years following disappointing Yahoo takeover

Yahoo acquired microblogging website Tumblr for $1.3 billion in 2013, and it has since embarked on a series of oversold and underdelivered promises: projected $100 million revenue in 2015 that never came to fruition, and a $712 million write down in 2016.

It’s no surprise, then, that founder and CEO David Karp is stepping out of the limelight so that COO Jeff D’Onofrio can step in.

Tumblr was once a social media success story, vying for brand’s advertising dollars, but Yahoo’s mismanagement of the acquisition has resulted in the social blogging platform’s all but fall of marketers’ radars; it remains to be seen whether it will ever recover.

8. How to (masterfully) advertise your event on Facebook

Long gone are the days that a brand could create a simple static image advertising an event, throw it out on social platforms, and hope the world comes out to play. Garnering engagement with scroll-stopping visuals, and supporting them with a budget, are two keys to increasing attendance, but AdWeek has other top tips as well.

Covered in detail: how Facebook’s relevancy score decides how much you’ll pay for your ad, and how to minimize your cost; what you should include in an event ad to drive interest and ticket presales; how to use retargeting to increase conversion rates; and more.

9. Top 9 social media trends for 2018

Film editing solution provider Filmora hits us with nine top social media trends to watch out for in 2018, and it’s no surprise that video plays a big part in most of them. But what trends will prove to be more than fads, and which ones does your brand need to take seriously?

Check out the full infographic for more, but here are some surprising stats that should spark some thought to prepare your strategy for the new year:

Facebook Live videos are watched three time more than normal videos.

Facebook users spend 68% of their time on the platform on a mobile device, whereas LinkedIn users only spend 26% of their time on LinkedIn on a mobile device.

Influencers increase conversion rates by up to 10 times.

94% of those who’ve used influencer marketing say it’s an effective strategy.

10. We’ll wrap with Facebook’s unique use of AI for suicide prevention

Facebook is looking to use AI to improve the speed and efficiency with which it detects posts and livestreamed videos in which people might be expressing suicidal thoughts, even before they’re reported by other users. The technology will use pattern recognition to understand the context of posts and videos, and thereby improve how it identifies appropriate first responders, case by case.

The social network will use signals such as “Are you OK?” and “Can I help?” to identify and prioritize its proactive detection efforts, and it has already worked with first responders on more than 100 wellness checks in recent month thanks to its efforts.

Join over 600,000 marketing professionals, and gain access to thousands of marketing resources! Don’t worry … it’s FREE!

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