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duuhrayliegh · 3 years

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social media

warnings: none? maybe a smidgen of language? fluffy bucky, bad description of dancing? idk, there really isn’t anything in this one to be warned about it just super wholesome

word count: 2437

a/n: okay so this came out longer than i meant it to, but i’m not mad at it. there’s mention of he/they pronouns and gender identity, if i didn’t do the subject justice please let me know. also tiktok mentions and all creators are tagged accordingly so please go appreciate their wonderfulness :)

p.s.: my requests and tag lists are open!!

if you want to know where these characters are coming from, check out the other parts! you don’t have to read them in any particular order!

ray’s m.list

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Being from the 1940’s, Bucky didn’t have much education in the world of smartphones and social media. When he came out of cryo in Wakanda, Shuri wasted no time showing him the ways of the iPhone. Honestly, he was stunned because there were so many things you could do with it. So much information was available at the touch of his fingers.

Shuri taught him the ins and outs of the phone. He had gotten pretty good at it, if he did say so himself. She had just begun to teach Bucky about social media when Steve pulled him back to the Big Apple. When he returned to New York, he was able to easily contact Steve, who was not as proficient as Bucky was. So when he met the fantastical group of four friends, they began to teach him. This was one of those things that they were incredibly excited to teach Bucky about.

“So you don’t have an account on anything?” Freddie held his hand out for Bucky’s phone.

“No, I have one on something. I think Instant Graham? My friend set it up for me, but she never taught me how to use it.” Freddie smiled and shook his head, dark curls bouncing back and forth.

“It’s Instagram, bubs and that’s a good jumping off point.” He opened the black iPhone and swiped through the pages on the homescreen. Coming across the sunset colored icon, he hovered his finger over it. The screen changed, opening to a white screen with the words, WELCOME to INSTAGRAM, whitewolf. Bucky smiled at the name displayed and Freddie scrunched his brows.

“What is a White Wolf?”

“I’m the White Wolf. It’s Wakandan. We can change it if we need to.” Freddie looked over at Bucky and saw the happiness on his face at the name.

“No, it’s good we can leave it.” He clicked on the profile button in the bottom right corner of the screen. “Okay, so this is your personal profile.” In the top left corner whitewolf was written with a little arrow next to it facing downward. Freddie opened the edit profile section.

“Do you have a favorite picture of yourself? You have to set a profile picture so people know that it’s you.” Bucky nodded in understanding, and then took his phone back to scroll through his pictures. He didn’t have many, just the ones that he took recently. There was hardly any of just him, but he eventually found one he deemed good enough.

“Alright, now what do you want to put in your bio?” Shrugging his shoulders, Bucky leaned back into Cassie’s plush couch.

“What does yours say?” Freddie pulled his own phone out of his pocket. The pale lilac color seemed to shine through the clear case that it wore. Opening his own Instagram, Freddie leaned the phone towards Bucky.

|| he/they || activist || va te faire voir ||

“What does ‘he slash they’ mean?”

“Oh, those are my pronouns.” Freddie received a head tilt from Bucky, so he decided to elaborate. “So, I identify as a non-binary who is comfortable with you using he/him pronouns or they/them pronouns. If you’re talking about me to someone else, you can say ‘he is at the store,’ or ‘they are at the store.’” Bucky nodded, still a bit confused on the subject.

“When do you use each one? Like is there a certain time that you say he and him and another time for they and them?” Bucky was trying to get some clarification on the topic.

“Not necessarily. Usually, when you’re first talking to someone, it’s common practice nowadays to use they/them pronouns so as to not misgender anyone. I know it probably sounds a bit excessive and a small bit over sensitive to you, but to a queer or non-binary person it makes a whole hell of a lot of difference when someone tries to be inclusive.”

“Okay, so like if I just meet someone on the street, I should use the they/them pronouns until told otherwise?”

“Yeah, absolutely. Do you want to include your pronouns in your bio?” Bucky smiled and nodded, happy with himself that he was able to understand that so well.

“So, what does it mean to be non-binary and still use the he/him pronouns? Don’t those two contradict each other?”

“Not really. Gender is a spectrum, as is sexuality, but for someone to identify as non-binary and use he/they pronouns, means that I feel that not everything about manhood accurately describes my truth. On that same hand, I still do identify as a male.”

“Right, right.” Throughout Freddie’s lesson about gender identity, he was able to finish Bucky’s profile and begin to follow the three girls. After clicking the blue follow button on all three of the girls profiles, the group chat between them started blowing up, that was a new phrase Bucky learned last week.

Evie: um, i just got the weirdest insta notif

Penny: me too???

Cassie: I did too.

Cassie: Wait, who is Bucky with right now?

Evie: DANG IT FREDERICK I WANTED TO HELP HIM SET IT UP

Bucky: My name isn’t Frederick, Evie

Incoming Call from Evie

“What do you want, spaz?” Freddie answered on speakerphone. An indignant scoff came from the other end.

“I thought we were all going to help him with that, Frederick.”

“Um, I don’t remember us talking about that.” He laughed as the door to Cassie’s apartment opened, allowing Penny to walk in and smile at the two men on the couch. “Also, when were we going to have time to do that with you being at school and all?”

“We were going to wait until the weekend!”

“Eves, you’ve been saying that for the past like three weeks.”

“Oh my gosh, fine.” Her end of the phone got real quiet, “I’ll be home in like ten minutes. I call dibs on helping him set up a TikTok.” Three beeps signalled to the room that Evie had hung up the phone. Bucky turned to Penny and began to ask about her day.

“Ya know, the usual. Rude customers, bratty co-workers, life’s a dream at the bank.” She slipped out of her nude heels and made her way to the sofa. “What have you boys been up to?”

“We have been setting Buck up with some social media and learning about gender identity and respecting pronouns.” Freddie said proudly as he handed Bucky his phone back.

“Sick! Which ones did you do?”

“All the classics, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook just for PR though because hardly anyone uses it anymore.”

“Right, and can’t do TikTok until Evie gets here. Um, did you set up a Spotify for him?” Bucky recognized the name and the memories of Shuri helping him floated in his head.

“Oh, I have one of those. That was actually the first thing that Shuri helped me set up whenever I got this thing.” He opened the app quickly to prove what he was saying. Penny smiled and gave a small thumbs up. “I do have one question.” The two of them gave Bucky their undivided attention. “What is a TikTok?”

“Right, so it’s just short videos. It’s really pretty cool and a really good way to waste time.” Freddie answered while pulling up his own page on the app.

“Yeah, and the thing that shows you videos is curated to your tastes because it’s based on your likes and people you follow.”

“I’m almost positive that Evie is going to teach you a dance and do a TikTok with you, if you agree to it.” Penny laughed at the thought of Bucky doing one of the dances that she saw on her For You page. The door to the apartment swung open a second time, revealing a winded Evie.

She dropped her school bag on the floor, hunching over while gripping the side of the granite countertop. Evie held a finger up and the group on the couch waited for her to speak.

“I ran--” deep inhale, “I ran from the subway.” Another deep breath as she lifted her upper half, stretching out her back with her hands on the back of her hips. “You haven’t done TikTok yet right?”

“No, your Highness, we haven’t done TikTok.” She smiled big and then plopped herself on Bucky’s left side. She thrust her hand toward him, wiggling her fingers. Bucky cautiously placed his phone in the center of her palm.

“This is going to be good. Okay so since your name on Instagram is whitewolf, we can’t use that for TikTok. It’s gotta be something snappy.”

“I don’t know, I think you can use the same one for both, Eve.” Penny remarked as Evie downloaded TikTok onto Bucky’s phone.

“Well, of course you can, but we’re not going to.” She giggled as the app opened. She looked over at Bucky with wrinkled brows. “Do you have any nicknames?”

“Um, Bucky is my nickname.” He said in a duh tone.

“Well, obviously, but do you have any other ones? Like, what do your friends call you?”

“Bucky or Buck, I don’t really have nicknames.” Evie groaned and threw her head back.

“Okay, well let’s think. You’re a Sergeant. Your real name is James Buchanan Barnes. Superhero name is Winter Soldier or White Wolf. You have a metal arm.”

“You’re literally just stating facts, Evie.” Freddie said from the other side of Bucky, who was nodding along in confirmation to Evie’s statements.

“I know! I’m processing. What about vibraniumjames?”

“That’s disgusting.” “Mm, yeah that’s a no from me.” Penny and Freddie talked at the same time.

“metallicsergeant? jamesbby? Any of those tickle our fancy?”

“The first one isn’t terrible, but it’s not great. Why don’t you just use whitewolf like his Instagram? Or you could do iambuckybarnes.”

“Yeah, I’m with Freddie. I like whitewolf or iambuckybarnes, it’s simple. And I am the White Wolf, so yeah.” Bucky said to a disgruntled Evie.

“Oh my gosh, fine. We can always change it later, but this is fine for now.” She set up his profile, making it match the other ones that Freddie had made. Once she was finished with her work, she turned to Bucky and smiled big again. “Now, I can teach you a dance and if you’re cool with it we can post it on your profile.” Bucky shook his head and pulled himself off of the comfy couch beneath him.

“If we’re going to do this, we need to do it right, so don’t hold back on me.” He smiled as Evie squealed in excitement.

“You know, my school friends were just dying to see the day that you got social media.” This statement confused Bucky.

“And why would that be?” Evie laughed as she scrolled through her TikTok feed, searching for the right dance to do with Bucky.

“Well, for one, they think you’re hot and they’re thirsty hoes.” She clicked on the original dance video, showing the screen to Bucky. “And, for two, they love you. Everyone does.” Bucky shook his head at that. He did too many bad things for everyone to love him.

“Hey, remember what we talked about?” Penny said from across the room. “We don’t downgrade our progress. Most of the general public is more forgiving than we give them credit for.” Bucky nodded then focused his attention on the video.

“This is Cardi B’s song Up. People on TikTok have made a challenge of doing this dance to the song. I think it originated with a girl named Mya Nicole. Anyway! We’re going to do this one, if you’re up for it.” Bucky looked at Evie with one brow quirked. There was so much shaking in this. Nonetheless, he shrugged his shoulders., it clearly was making Evie happy so he wasn’t going to take that away.

“Sickening! Okay, let’s start learning it.” It took a good hour and a half to help Bucky move his body in the way that the dance required. By the time they were ready to start filming the actual video, Cassie had walked in.

“What is happening here?” A large smile spread across her face as she watched Bucky and Evie practice one last time. A breathless Evie turned to Cassie.

“Bucky agreed to do the Cardi B Up dance with me.” She then turned to Bucky, “You ready to do this for real?” The tall man beside her shook his head while laughing.

“Yeah, let’s do it.” From the safety of the couch, Freddie, Penny and Cassie were watching the scene before them unfold. Both Bucky and Evie jumped into frame, with their legs spread wide. Throwing their fists in front of them and then behind their legs in time with the music. Bringing their hands above their head to clap and then jumping again, throwing just one hand up at a time.

Shifting to the side, the pair brought the leg closest to the camera up to their waist while hitting it back down with their fist. They both remained facing sideways as they shook the leg they just hit and ran their hands down their torso. The pair did another vertical jump, bringing their knees up to their fists. Once their feet hit the floor, they folded at the waist, slamming their palms flat on the ground.

Smiles were plastered on both their faces as they finished out the dance, knees bent, bouncing their legs back and forth while tossing their hands above their heads. Loud laughter rang out from the three friends in the living room as Bucky and Evie dropped to their butts. The video ended with Bucky and Evie yelling at the other three in the room.

“You’re definitely going to go viral with that one, Buck!”

“Like an infection?” He asked with wide eyes of concern, more peels of laughter rang out.

“No, like famous, lots of people are going to see it.” That relieved and scared Bucky at the same time. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about it, but he knows that his friends wouldn’t steer him wrong.

“Now we can caption it something cute!” Evie breathed out as she leaned over the couch next to Cassie, who was now curled up beneath a fluffy white blanket.

“Don’t forget to tag the original creator, I hate it when people don’t do that.”

The video was posted with the caption,

iambuckybarnes: am i doing the tiktok right realpokemonevie? dance cr: theemyanicole

And it wasn’t long after posting that Bucky got a call from Steve that he needed to come into the tower.

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@mishaandthebrits

#twenty first century liabilities #bucky barnes x oc #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky fanfic #bucky fanfiction #bucky barnes #marvel imagines #marvel fanfiction #marvel fanfic #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky x reader #bucky x y/n

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uncloseted · 2 years

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I don't know how to word this but is everyone medicated nowadays? Someone just said on twitter that a girl in their class had a panic attack and many people offered her klonopin because they just had it in their backpacks. But I seriously doubt that all those people regularly see a psychiatrist. And I'm not anti medication, on the contrary I've been on and off medication since I was like 14. And I've had to face the stigma of being medicated and in therapy and "crazy" and now it turns out that

everyone is medicated? I just hate it. It's true that most of those people self-medicate but if they went to a psychiatrist they would probably give them a prescription. So it's hard to know if you're actually mentally ill because psychiatrists will medicate anyone

So I think you're correct in your suggestion that more people than ever before are medicated for a mental health condition. Approximately 18% of Gen Z has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and 23% has been diagnosed with depression. And 37% have received treatment or therapy from a mental health professional (some studies put this number as high as 53.3%). And during the pandemic, those numbers spiked- more than 70% of Gen Z experienced at least some common symptoms of depression. But I'm not convinced that the idea that there's a wave of over-prescribing psychiatrists or self-diagnosers that are illegally medicating is correct.

So, let's talk about it. Why is Gen Z so mentally ill? I have a deep dive on the reasons here, but common issues include poor lifestyle (not enough sleep, poor diet, unmet social needs, not enough vacation time or time for rest, maladaptive coping mechanisms), cultural expectations, media, news media, and social media, existential stressors (pandemic, poor economy, climate change, political divisions, lack of employment opportunities, school shootings, terrorism), and chaotic global events that cause anxiety. Our relationship to mental illness has also changed; talking about mental illness has become more acceptable, so people are more likely to seek help than they ever have been before. I don't think people are coming up with mental illness diagnoses just to try and scam psychiatrists out of drugs; I think it's more likely that we're seeing a real epidemic of mental illness. But even if they were trying to scam psychiatrists out of drugs in huge numbers... that's a mental illness within itself. Substance use disorder is a very real mental health problem, and it's caused by a lot of the same reasons that I listed above.

Despite the fact that so many young people have been diagnosed with a mental illness, only 8% take a prescribed psychotropic medication (about 1 in every 13). Of those, antidepressants and anxiolytics make up about 3%. That hardly seems like over-prescribing given the scale of the issue. If anything, it's way smaller than you would expect, given the 18% of Gen Z who have anxiety and 23% of Gen Z that have depression we discussed earlier. I had a much harder time quantifying the number of Gen Zs who are illegally using benzodiazepines (such as klonopin), which I think speaks to how illegal benzo use isn't as prevalent as we might think. And 2021 actually saw a the largest decline in teen drug use since 1975 (maybe because of the pandemic, which made it harder to acquire drugs?). Only about 5.6% of students reported using any illicit drugs (besides marijuana) in 2021. Even if we assume that entire 5.6% is benzo use (which I don't think it is), that only puts us at 13.6% of teenagers taking a legal or illegal medication for depression or anxiety, which is still way smaller than the number of people who actually have one or both of those diagnoses.

A whole lot of people aren't getting any type of treatment for their mental health issues, legal or illegal, even though they have an official diagnosis, and that's a really big problem. In my experience, it's actually really difficult to get access to controlled medications like benzodiazepines. Many psychiatrists are hesitant to prescribe them because they understand the risk for addiction and other negative consequences of their use. And even if you do get a prescription, (in the US) it can only be refilled up to five times within a six month period, and must be authorized by the prescribing doctor each time. Some psychiatrists will actually drug test their clients to make sure that the client is taking their medication instead of selling it.

Ultimately, I think the takeaway here is just "don't believe everything you read on Twitter". People exaggerate or make untrue claims on there for all sorts of reasons, and so it's important to check the facts yourself.

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malewifegrantaire · 3 years

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The Birthday Thing

READ PART ONE HERE

PART TWO: Guess who’s coming to dinner hang out for no apparent reason (as far as Grantaire can tell)?

Combeferre had inadvertently ruined the rest of Grantaire’s week. It wasn’t his fault, of course. He couldn’t be blamed for Grantaire’s Incredibly Bad Brain. But still, “I just know Enjolras and I know he likes you” is a very reckless phrase to pepper into a conversation with someone of Grantaire’s constitution. He could hardly fall asleep that night because the words I know he likes you were clanging too loudly against the bars of the jail cell he called a mind. He didn’t mind too much though. The clanging was because Enjolras liked him, which made all of the noise sound a bit like music.

Grantaire picked out an outfit for the party and laid it out like he was a little kid excited for a school trip. Embarrassed with himself, he threw the entire outfit into his clothing hamper so he wouldn’t have to look at it lying out on his dresser anymore. Which was obviously a mistake, because now the clothes were are wrinkled and they were touching his actually dirty clothes. Which meant now he had to do a half load of laundry on a weekday, which he really didn’t like doing.

As he folded his laundry, Grantaire felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Huh. It was from Combeferre. Odd.

hey, are u free? sorry lol i am bored and wanted to know if u wanna hang out ??

Very odd. Maybe the wrong number? Just to be safe, Grantaire texted back:

grantaire is folding laundry right now, like a responsible adult.

Two texts back:

very interesting use of third person..

i can help if u want! i love 2 fold things

So this was Grantaire’s life. He used to be young and wild, and now he’s the sort of person that makes plans with people who text him sentences like “i love 2 fold things.” He typed his response.

uh, sure? might get boring, but i’ll never say no to an extra set of hands.

About fifteen minutes later, Combeferre was inside of Grantaire’s apartment. “You got here fast.” Grantaire said.

“I was in the neighborhood.”

“Aren’t you always?”

Combeferre took in Grantaire’s apartment, which gave Grantaire such a wave of self-consciousness that he thought he might be sick. It was a fine apartment, kept clean mostly because Grantaire hardly spent any time in it. The ceilings were far too low for Combeferre.

“This is a really nice place.” Combeferre said. “Have you lived here long?”

“Five years, I think.” Grantaire said. “I think the landlord thought I’d have left by now, but, well. I’m still here.”

“Yeah, I mean, it’s nice. Good windows. Not easy to come by.”

Grantaire laughed at that. “Hey, was there something you wanted to talk about? Or are you just here to admire my big beautiful windows?”

Combeferre looked slightly embarrassed. “Uh, the latter, I guess.” he said. “I mean, just what I texted, I was bored, and I guess . . . I don’t know. I guess I thought we could just hang out?”

Now it was Grantaire’s turn to be embarrassed. Of course. Combeferre is the sort of person who’s actually, you know, decent. He was just trying to be nice and Grantaire was accusing him of having an ulterior motive. Way to go. Grantaire cleared his throat. “Well, thanks for coming. Feel free to park wherever. I only did a half load of laundry so I’m finished folding, sorry. I know how much you love to fold.”

“I went through a very intense Marie Kondo phase.” Combeferre grinned. “Let me know if you ever need your closet to be reorganized.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Grantaire said. It was dawning on him that, being more of the roaming type than the nesting type, Grantaire almost never had people over his apartment, and therefore had very little hosting experience. So he did what he always did in situations like this - said what people say in movies and books and all that.

“Can I offer you a beverage of some kind? I’ve got . . . tap water. And orange juice. And maybe beer?”

“I’m alright, thanks.” Combeferre said kindly. Combeferre’s fridge was probably fully stocked with sparkling water in every flavor for guests to sip on, the bastard. He sat down in a little chair by the kitchenette. “What, what is it?” he asked, looking at Grantaire’s expression. “Why are you - what’s funny?”

“Everything is too small for you in here. It’s like shoving a Barbie doll into a Polly Pocket house.” Grantaire said with a laugh. Combeferre tucked his long legs a bit closer to himself.

“Well, Barbie is a good role model, so I’ll take that.”

“I think an averaged sized woman or two might disagree. Anyways, you’ve got impeccable timing.”

“What do you mean?” Combeferre inquired.

“I mean that someone must have wanted us to hang out today. God, the Fates, some non-denominational arbiter of Destiny.” Grantaire was doing that thing he always did where he ended sentences in a way that begged the listener to ask him to explain himself. Why he chose to speak in these irritating circles? We will likely never know. Grantaire sure as hell didn’t.

Combeferre rolled his eyes, but he seemed more amused than annoyed. “You’re impossible.”

“It’s been said before.” was Grantaire’s reply. “What I mean to say is I’m literally never home. Not literally-literally, but, you know. This apartment is basically a glorified storage unit that I visit when there is absolutely nothing else to do. So the fact that you happened to be passing by on a laundry day...”

“... a work of divine intervention?” Combeferre finished.

“I’d go so far as to call it a miracle if I believed in that sort of thing.” Grantaire said.

Combeferre’s next question caught Grantaire off-guard somewhat. “So you’re an atheist, then?”

Grantaire had never actually seen a shrink, but he had the passing sensation of being sprawled out on some brown leather fainting sofa. Maybe that’s what this was, a psych eval. He’d get a message from the official Les Amis de l’ABC e-mail account later in the week saying “sorry, R, you’ve been deemed mentally unfit to be a part of this organization. We know the Musain is public property, but if you could avoid the premises during our scheduled meeting times we all think that’d be for the best.”

“Well, yeah, aren’t all of the lefties heathens nowadays? At least that’s what Twitter tells me.” he said. His paranoia would not rob him of his (debatable) sense of humor.

Combeferre just shrugged. “I guess if I had to call myself something I’d say I’m agnostic.”

“Huh!” Grantaire said, genuinely surprised. “A member of the ‘namby-pamby, mushy pap, weak-tea, weedy, pallid fence-sitter’ brigade, are we?”

Two things occurred to Combeferre at once: One, that Grantaire was quoting Richard Dawkins, and two, that Grantaire could not have been certain that Combeferre would recognize the quote when he said it. Grantaire was both the sort of person that committed Dawkins to memory and the sort that didn’t really care if someone mistook his references for a string of improvised insults. The more Grantaire spoke, the more Combeferre became aware of how little speaking they’d ever done.

“I guess I just think one can never be sure.” Combeferre said.

Grantaire thought now would be a good time for a subject change. “So, how is party planning going?” he asked.

Combeferre sighed. “It’s . . . it’s going.” he said. “Well, okay, I’m being dramatic. Courfeyrac is actually the one doing most of the planning. I just get weird about stuff like this. I want Enjolras to like everything, you know?”

“I don’t think Enjolras is capable of disliking anything you do.” Grantaire said in a way that to the untrained ear might sound like a veiled insult, but that Combeferre suspected was an attempt at genuine sincerity.

“Well, thanks.” Combeferre smiled gratefully. “I just want him to have a good time.”

“He will. It’s the rest of us you’ll have to work to entertain.”

“Well, Courfeyrac has a slew of party games he’s preparing. Oh, and, uh, Enjolras mentioned he’s glad you’ll be able to make it. By the way.” Combeferre said, which made Grantaire blush, which made Combeferre smile.

Grantaire hated that. Not just when Combeferre did it, when any of them did. Making faces or little comments, as if they were in on some big secret. It’s like they were proud of themselves for noticing Grantaire’s little crush, like they knew something funny or scandalous or cute. But they didn’t know anything, not really. Grantaire didn’t have a crush on Enjolras at all. It was more like a religion. Maybe he’d been too quick to brand himself an atheist earlier.

His annoyance with Combeferre soured the rest of their conversation. He became mean, curt, and downright humorless. This wasn’t at all fair, he knew. Grantaire probably annoyed Combeferre every third sentence (maybe every third word) and that had never stopped Combeferre from being his usual amiable self. There was another difference between the two: Grantaire lacked both grace and graciousness, and Combeferre, it seemed, never ran out of either.

“Well, I guess I should be leaving.” Combeferre said after a while, rising from the squat chair he was sitting in.

“I guess.”

“Uh, thank you for having me over. We should do this again some time. I had fun.” Combeferre lied.

Grantaire smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes. “Yeah, why don’t we all do brunch some time? You can bring your friends, it’ll be a real party. Everyone can sit around admiring my huge windows. What a blast!”

Combeferre knew he was joking, but he couldn’t decipher the punchline. What would be so bad about having all of their friends over for brunch? Why did he say the word “friends” like that, all sardonic and italicized? Combeferre almost asked him, but instead he just shook his head and smiled.

“Okay. Well. Bye!”

Grantaire waved lazily. “See you around.”

Under normal circumstances, the phrase “Enjolras mentioned he’s glad you’ll be able to make it” would have found itself fluttering in the pit of Grantaire’s stomach. Instead, there was something else sitting in there. Something that felt a bit like failure, a bit like guilt, and - most surprising of all - a bit like affection.

This is precisely why he didn’t like having people over.

#LOL this was fun.#next up: the actual birthday thing!#ok tags time #grantaire #combeferre #les amis #les miserables #my fic #uhhhhh what else....#cw alcohol mention #it’s sort of blink and you miss it but you know #again it’s peripheral but might as well:#e/r #i’ll come back if i think of anything else

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muichewrou · 5 years

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AYYYYY NEW KNY WRITING BLOG, HELLO! I was wondering If i could request a giyuu x fem reader scenario (where the reader is kinoe ranked if thats okay!) Where they were best friends with giyuu along with sabito but after sabito's death they drifted apart, its been 4 years and reader saves tanjiro squad from a demon before giyuu can and she's changed a lot (used to be short, now is taller for instance!) And its just a very fluffy and emotional reunion? Tysm if u do this HAVE A GREAT DAY 💖💕💗💕

yaaa!!! this was my first request but I’m so sorry for taking so long!! I merged these two since they’re kind of similar, I hope you don’t mind! this includes my headcanons for how giyuu made his haori haha and some parts might seem incomplete but I didn’t wanna hold it back any longer 💕 💕 enjoy!!

Note: Includes spoilers for Giyuu’s backstory and takes place before the Natagumo Mt. arc. Under the cut due to length.

Word Count: 7.7k+

https://twitter.com/xu77106413/status/1194118794265841664?s=20

This was drawn by a very good friend of mine, xu! follow her on instagram and twitter! she’s also on Tumblr under the same user.

“I didn’t want him to die either.”

Your voice echoes through the shoddy and diminutive home you shared with Giyuu and your teacher, Sakonji Urokodaki. Giyuu’s eyes stays locked onto the pot of meat and vegetables that’s been simmering in broth for a lengthy amount of time, never straying away from it once. The wooden bowls in front of you remain empty, and the eating utensils positioned on the tray too lay dormant. Your two cups of tea go cold.

The male chooses to uphold the silence he’s kept up ever since returning from the Final Selection, only nodding and shaking his head to mimic a reply. It was a reasonable way to handle grief, and you allowed it for roughly a week or so, but as of late he has been rejecting your attempts at training with him.

Instead, he was now laboring himself with stitching together two contrasting cloths, to which you realize one of them was half of the haori he had worn ever since arriving here to train as a Demon Slayer.

The other half, you recognize after one glimpse, is indisputably Sabito’s. That pattern of his yukata was how you identified him from the others during the Final Selection.

Your eyes narrow, but no maliciousness is directed at the male. Rather, you were apprehensive about how exactly the completed cloth would look like. Mismatched outfits didn’t seem to be the trend these days, but what do you know–it’s not like you’re allowed to travel to cities or villages and contemplate their different senses of fashion when Urokodaki would preferably have you hone your breathing techniques.

Suddenly, you remember how Giyuu and yourself wouldn’t be training with Urokodaki once the swordsmith returns with your meticulously handcrafted Nichirin blades. You would shortly separate onto your differing paths, Urokodaki continuing to cultivate Water Breath swordsmen and the two of you fulfilling missions to work your way up through the ranks as Demon Slayers.

Despite how it was you that was ridiculing Giyuu for his way of coping, a burning sensation tingles your eyes. The boy stiffens up, unsure of what to do. You shake your head to disperse the tears, yanking the ladle hanging near the boiling pot. You begin to serve him before you serve yourself.

You take a sip of the broth, wincing at the burning heat. Giyuu sets his work aside in favor of filling up his stomach, and you use it as an opportunity to observe his progress so far.

To put it bluntly, it was horrendous. The weaving of the two garments together was so dreadful that certain areas were fraying due to his unrefined needlework, and besides that, the cloth had overlapped in a jagged pattern than straight down the middle as it should be.

He gives you a look you can barely distinguish, “Do you want it?”

“Want what?” You lower your bowl. He raises up the other half of Sabito’s attire, expression unwavering. He motions over to your own haori, and you can just barely comprehend the idea. “I…”

Did he want you to alter your clothing similarly? You suppose that was the only logical conclusion you could come up with.

But as strange as it seemed, you want it, you really do. Other than his mask which was returned to Urokodaki, the patterned yukata was the only keepsake from Sabito that was left to the two of you. Mindlessly, your hand starts to gravitate towards the fabric, but you pull away when your hands brush against each other.

Giyuu’s eyes are large and seemingly displays a look of betrayal. You don’t care for that expression. He should be happy just like when Sabito was alive, or before his sister died.

Hesitating, you reach back for it again, gripping the cloth. Only when it’s in your hands do you clutch it tightly to your chest, sighing at the way it calmed you.

“I think I’ll…make this into a scarf. It’s getting chilly, after all.” You finger the delicate material, looking up. “I can help you with your…haori if you want. This way, he can always be with us no matter where we go. That’s what you wanted, right?”

You worked on the fabrics the following week, barely finishing it just as Haganezuka arrived with the swords.

“Thank you, [Name],” he takes his haori out of your hands and slips it on, evening out the creases. “It looks good.”

You tug the scarf around your neck, “you’re welcome, but just don’t damage it, okay?”

His skin is sickly pale and his eyes seem duller than before. “I won’t. Let’s go, our mission is to the west.”

Giyuu turns his back to you and strides ahead, never looking back to check if you were following. You stare at his hand that hung loosely to his side.

Your fingers twitch slightly, but you resign to resting your hand on the hilt of your sword. You hasten your pace, heading along behind him.

Each mission after the first tested your relationship with Giyuu. He was a great partner overall with that strength and composure of his, but the connection between you seemed…lost.

“Why don’t you talk to me anymore?”

Your voice startles him. ‘This is exactly what I’m talking about–his life has been so centralized around demons that he forgets that I’m here.’

“You’ve changed so much these past few months. You hardly interact with me nowadays, so what am I?”

Your nose begins to tingle, and you sneeze into the sleeve of your haori, the mask around your head almost slipping off. Giyuu says nothing at first, only blinking, then:

“Are you sick?” He avoids the question.

“Hah? You tell me,” the words scratch against your throat and your eyes begin to water from sneezing. You wrap the scarf tighter around your neck, sniffling out loud so he could hear. “Are you sick of me, Giyuu?”

”Me? No, I’m not ill.”

You fling your head down in exasperation, scowling at the snow accumulating around your feet. Though the both of you were now 17 years old, he didn’t exactly have the ability to read the atmosphere of the situation. You compared him to a child constantly, oblivious and distracted, annoyingly lovable at times. “Giyuu, I swear. You’re so dense sometimes, you know?”

“You’ve mentioned it before, but I’m not sure how to improve it.”

“Yeah, well, I’m starting to think it’s ’cause of me. Even when Sabito was still here, you were always nervous around me when we’re alone together. ”

When you first met Giyuu when you were 14, he stuttered over his words so much that every time he had to talk to you, Sabito had to speak for him. It’s toned down over the years, but the awkwardness was still there. You, however, felt just fine speaking with him the first time.

You scratch the back of your head and drag your fingers through your hair, pondering your next words. “So this might be a relief to you, Giyuu, because Oyakata-sama is dispatching me off to recruit some orphans. Supposedly, they keep rejecting his request to make them Slayers.”

“Why?” Came his curt reply.

“I just told you—”

“No. Why you? There are plenty of other Demon Slayers capable of doing the same.”

“What?” You cross your arms, leaning toward him, “It’s the Master’s orders. I can’t do anything about it. Aren’t you happy? Chances are, we’re going to be separated for the rest of our time as Demon Slayers.”

He tilts his head. Why would he be happy? His happiest moments were when he was with you and Sabito, and there was no denying how nervous he was with you, but that was because you made him feel fuzzy inside. He couldn’t explain it.

Seeing him deep in thought made you open your mouth to question him, but you decide against it once your crow flies to your shoulder, shrieking into your ear.

“I guess that’s my cue to go. Don’t miss me too much alright, Giyuu,” you joke lightly, waving your hand and running past him. Out of the corner of your eyes, you see that he’s distraught, eyes wide and brows furrowed, hand outstretched towards you.

—-

Four years later, you still regret glancing back at him. At that time, you realized you were mistaken about his feelings and only established more emotional baggage for him. You were really the only person he had left ever since departing from Urokodaki.

But you couldn’t do anything. As you foresaw, Kagaya had decided to separate you and Giyuu as an arrangement for your abilities to not be concentrated in one region.

Before you know it, you’re running into the forest with the hand on the hilt of your sword. Your crow continues to squawk out orders as it soars along the late evening sky, the sunlight dwindling and barely peeking through the treetops.

“Caw! Three Mizunoto ranked Slayers are reported to clash against several Demons in the Forest of Correction! Mission, mission!” his sharp cries grate into your ears as he glides through the sacred grove, swerving around branches and leading you further into the forest.

You can hear the shouts of “Zenitsu, watch out!” and “over here Inosuke!” once you stray from the path, jumping over a bush that was in your way.

You hop onto a tree, using the height to your advantage. In the distance, you can see three male Slayers battling against a demon of above-average size. One was shirtless and donned a boar head, another was outfitted in a yellow triangle-patterned haori that faded to orange, and the last being a boy who hauled a heavy-looking compartment on his shoulders. It was a traditional battle with novices standing up against a weak demon, nothing more, nothing less. Or at least that’s what you assumed initially. Your crow did say ”several demons”, didn’t he?

Immediately, you could sense multiple presences lurking within the dark thickets. Drawing your blade from its sheath, you push yourself off the tree and ascend towards enemies in hiding, dismissing the demon the kids were taking care of.

”Breath of Water, Tenth Style: The Dragon of Change.”

Your scarf flings itself around as you spin and twist your body through the air, sword raised above your shoulder. Evading the trees using precise and striking reflexes, you continue rotating as the demons are soon visible, one of them getting caught in the momentum as they leap out to attack you.

A shriek erupts from his lips as he cradles his head, the body already disintegrating from the legs up. Without any time to lose, you swerve to the left once more to hurl yourself towards the leftover demons.

There were five demons total in the thicket. With one throwing themselves recklessly to your blade, that left four, but only two were in front of you.

You resume your rotations. Spin once, slice through the air twice. Then spin twice, slicing through the air three times. Consecutively performing those movements until you meet your destination, building up the steps as you go on.

”Your footing is off. Your swings are too slow,” Sabito announces as you try to catch your breath, wooden sword on the ground and hands placed on your knees. You dry heave, reaching for the pouch of water he’s carrying. When he refuses to hand it over, you drop your head down, sweat trickling onto the dirt.

”Please, Sabito?” He shakes his head, tossing the satchel onto the floor. Giyuu, who was visibly uncomfortable with Sabito’s treatment of you, stood to the side, clutching at the sleeves of his haori. The satchel bounced to his feet, and he felt obligated to pick it up.

”I’ll only show you once again. Focus on my feet and how I position myself when swinging the sword.”

You lick your dry lips, not opposed to his wishes,”…but…water?”

He gives a look to Giyuu. The black-haired male freezes up, fidgeting with the satchel.

(That look means ”don’t give it to her”. How do you know? You’ve observed it too many times during your training sessions with him.)

He grabs the practice weapon on the ground and moves immediately.

Sabito was the epitome of a perfect swordsman. A child prodigy. The amount of stamina he possessed was astounding. His speed and strength far overshadowed both of yours and Giyuu’s.

That didn’t mean he left you behind, though. As strict as he was, he cared for his comrades—even more than his own life.

His footsteps created no sound whatsoever. He was a crow’s feather fluttering across the sky, twirling and shifting directions according to the breeze.

You keep yourself from falling over in awe by grasping onto Giyuu’s arm, making him shudder from the gesture and straighten his posture. Sabito smirks at you once he sees the literal sparkles in your eyes, pleased with your reaction.

Step to the right, step to the left. Bend your arms during the pauses. Pivot if the foe swipes at you and retaliate by swinging your weapon around yourself to protect your body. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Until the energy and forcefulness of the attacks reach its peak–the apex of your power.

Then, the climax. Charge at the enemy by forcing your foot down at the final step, leaping and twisting your body while your blade slashes into the target. The finishing blow.

His choreography ends as he tosses the wooden sword away and walks towards you, all while the training log he practiced on splits into four and slides to the surface. What a show-off!

”If you manage to do the same, I’ll allow you to have a drink of water.”

”You’re lying!” you gape back at him.

But he wasn’t, evident in the way his nose scrunches up as if saying, ”are you kidding me?”

So you try again. Numerous times, in fact. Giyuu retires at some time to assist Urokodaki with a supply run, but Sabito stays to attend to the exercise.

You use one of the many boulders around as a stepping stool, kicking yourself off into the air once more. In a flash, you decapitate the two of them in one slash.

Gasping, you turn to Sabito for confirmation. Did you really just do that? Not only cutting the trunk into four, but six pieces?

”Sabito, did you see that?!” Your hair reels against your cheek like a whip, and you’re reveling in your breakthrough–so much that you don’t care about the aching and soreness of your overtaxed muscles.

There’s a pleased look in his eyes, though it’s driven away in an instant. He takes a step forward.

”–since this technique requires more stamina to perform, you may tire out soon after. Make sure there are no enemies around before resting. If you’re ever in a pinch, the Piercing Rain Drop can save your life,” when the weapon is picked up again, he demonstrates by jabbing it into the air in front of him and jumping back.

But you’ve executed the Tenth Style countless of times. You’ve built enough endurance to perform it at least ten times without rest. To you, The Dragon Of Change was a technique most meaningful to you, so it was obvious that you trained yourself relentlessly after he passed.

The peach-haired boy blinks, unfazed when he sees you pout, breathing heavily. You’re glaring at him through watery and hazy vision, crawling towards the water Giyuu set on the ground before he left.

“You’re not even gonna praise me? Boring! All that for nothing! I’ll train with Giyuu from now on, then. He’s more encouraging than you, at least.”

The threat hangs loosely in the air. Sabito knew you liked being with him too much to separate from him. It would have been far better if Giyuu could stick around and practice techniques along with you, but Urokodaki gets rather intimidating when he’s mad.

You could barely feel him ruffling your hair up in your fit of frustration. Jolting, you gaze up in astonishment, at a loss for words.

Your eyes narrow as you feel a presence behind you. One demon on foot, and another hovering in the air just above it. You hadn’t reached the ground yet as it had barely been a second since defeating the previous demons.

”Breath of Water, Ninth Style: Water Splash,” you sidestep as she hurls herself at you. The swiftness of her efforts caused her to skid across the dirt, shooting into healthy foliage of the thicket. Her eyes widen when you ignore her for the other demon, leaping up and cutting off the head in an instant.

Weak. All of them are unbearably weak.

His head flies through the air and he cries out his last words, “What the hell?! I thought we were just fighting some incompetent brats, but this chick is on a whole ‘nother level! Hina, you can’t fight against her!”

He plummets to the surface, limbs entangled together. His body wriggles as if he’s been possessed, but you find that it was his will to keep existing and sink his teeth into your flesh.

“Aoi!” The female demon howls in rage as her partner decays and shrivels from the injury, baring her teeth and scampering in your direction. Her fury amplifies tenfold as she observes you sheathing your blade and strolling back to the three Mizunoto ranked Slayers. “You! I’ll kill–?!”

One by one, her limbs tumbles onto the soil. First, her legs. Next is her torso, a figurine sectioned and carved with fresh little cuts intricately, the delicate and refined labor of a notable craftsman. Fingers are falling individually from her hands and crumble before they come in contact with the ground. Her head is halved cleanly from ear to ear. Blood drips into her gaping jaw and bubbles her utterances and wails into sorrowful and incomprehensible nothingness. She, too, deteriorates away when her neck slips away from her torso.

”Come again?” you taunt, never halting your pace. But she is already gone.

The boys had succeeded in defeating the demon they busied themselves with while you dealt with the others. One more.

”Hey! Over here!” the one in the checkered haori exclaims, a wide smile plastered onto his face as he waves you over. ”Thank you so much for your help. To be honest, I felt that maybe we wouldn’t make it out alive with that number of demons—”

”You!” The boar shoves his finger towards you, one hand clasped around both his Nichirin blades. He’s stomping his foot harshly to the dirt, jerking as he spoke roughly…and was that steam coming out of his snout? ”You’re strong! But I’ll be the judge of that, so fight me right here, right now!!”

”Inosuke, calm down!” The red-haired boy raises his hands in an attempt to alleviate the boar’s passion to instigate quarrels. ”You should be thanking her, too! If she hadn’t taken care of those demons in the thicket, we would have all succumbed to our wounds sooner or later. You too, Zenitsu! Wake up–”

You point your sword to his neck. He blinks. Zenitsu’s eyes are now wide open, huge and bleary. Inosuke growls.

”Box. Hand it over.”

”Huh?”

You grab him by his haori and flip him over onto his stomach without so much of a thought. He gives a yelp and struggles by wriggling under you, but he is essentially powerless against you. ‘She’s fast!’

The other two males are frozen in place, unsure of what to do.

They had little to no knowledge of you and where you came from. You were clearly a high-ranking Slayer, skilled in the art of swordsmanship and having impressive strength, speed, and composure.

”W-wait, please!” the boy under you blurts, ”we mean no harm! If you’ll let us go, we won’t ever cross your path again!”

Zenitsu chimes in, ”yeah, what he said! Besides, you wouldn’t want to hurt the cutest little girl you’ll ever see in that box, would you?”

”I could care less about the gender of a demon,” you raise your sword, the tip pointing downwards to the wooden box. You don’t budge when Zenitsu throws himself onto your legs, yanking on the cloth of your uniform.

”WAIT, wait, wait! I have an even better idea!” He wipes his face on the fabric, dampening it with his tears and blood. Why was he crying, anyway? Rocking back and forth, he wails, ”you and me– let’s get married! You’re so strong, you can protect me from all the demons that come our way!”

You kick him away with your right foot, dragging his friend away.

”Listen to me carefully,” you begin, ”once I take care of this demon, you’ll be free to walk away. The two of you are so adamant about letting it live, so I’ll strike you a deal.”

All of them quiet down, but you don’t continue. Guilt trickles through your veins. Must you really be lying to them? Reassuring them that you wouldn’t let Kagaya learn about their breach of conduct when you know damn well you’ll report it as soon as possible?

You gulp.

You’re a good person. A role model for the lower-ranked members of the Corps. Furthermore, you dislike fabricating your words, but at the same time you want to defend the helpless.

This is for the best of humanity, you reason with yourself.

”Hey! I ain’t getting any good vibes from this chick,” Inosuke announces, muscles rippling as he raises his blades in the air. He puffs out his chest. ”Zangetsu! When I go in, you charge right behind, okay?!”

”T-that’s not my name!” he groans in pain. Tears fly out of his eyes and his nose is leaking out blood uncontrollably.

You scoff, ”it’s futile, anyhow. Your buddy can’t even get back up from a single kick.”

He claws at his haori, unexpectedly feeling feverish. His mind is foggy and he can’t get a clear view of you. Huh…Is she…is she a Pillar?

His head slumps to the floor and before he goes out cold, ”Ugh…I think I heard four of my ribs break…”

A small sparrow chirps angrily at you before landing onto the yellow haori of its master. Inosuke tosses his weapons aside and heads over to boot Zenitsu awake. Oh, but you were convinced he wanted to battle you earlier.

Rolling your eyes at how fickle the children were being, you look down.

”You. What’s your name?”

”K–Kamado Tanjirou,” he murmurs. His cheek rubs against the soil. ”You—you said something before, something about a deal.”

”I did, didn’t I?” You press your heel onto his leg, leering over him. ”So how about this. If you let me kill the demon inside that box of yours, it will remain confidential until you or your friends disclose it.”

”Lying to others is excusable sometimes, [Name],” Sabito scolds, ”but don’t ever think that it’s alright to lie to yourself.”

”It helps me feel better, though.”

”You’re just like Giyuu, [Name].”

You laugh. ”Is that bad, though? I like Giyuu!! Heh.”

Almost immediately does Tanjirou shake his head. ”No! I can smell that you’re lying. The person inside this box is more important to me than my own life! I won’t let you kill her! Besides, she hasn’t killed anyone…!”

You sigh, flicking your blade. ”Yet. But please remember that I have been in service far longer than you. My job is to kill demons. Failure to comply with my words will only get yourself killed instead. Would you like me to recite the Demon Slayer protocols for you?”

”You’re afraid of being wrong. You’re afraid of getting hurt.”

”I don’t understand though, Sabito. If it makes me feel okay enough to keep fighting, there’s nothing wrong with that, right?”

“Foolish, is what it is. It’s going to crash down on you like a wave—a tsunami. The self-deception, false sense of securities, holding yourself back. You can’t keep telling yourself you’re strong and you’ll persevere no matter what. That attitude will get you killed if you’re always thinking you’re trying hard enough–if you don’t know your own limitations.”

…

Footsteps approach from behind. Soft and light, it’s very faint – barely audible and coupled with the darkness of the night. Any ordinary human wouldn’t be able to take notice of it, but you’ve been instructed to employ all of your senses ever since you first picked up a sword.

”Hurry up! Take Giyuu and run!” Sabito bends his knees slightly and holds his sword with both of his hands. He assumes a stance in front of you two defensively, but you want to pull him by his clothes and flee with him. ”Don’t just sit there! I’ll take care of this!”

Giyuu is breathing heavily and clutching the side of his head. There is a constant stream of blood trickling down his cheek and eye, causing you to react by placing your hand over his to cease the bleeding. The mask crafted by Urokodaki threatens to slip off as you shake your head furiously.

You don’t want to leave. Just earlier, Giyuu was attacked by a demon who pounced on him from the trees, slashing the skin near his left eye. Your vision had turned red as you hacked its limbs off and swiftly sliced the head, but it left you breathless.

Giyuu was fading in and out, though it was barely the first day of the Final Selection. Sabito was playing hero and triumphing over every demon that crossed his path. If this keeps going on, neither of you would make it out alive unless you recovered from your wounds somewhere safe.

There was another person who stood by your side, trembling in fear as he peeked between you and Sabito. The peach-haired boy had given him orders to take you away, but detecting the tension between you two made him falter.

”No! I’m going to stay and fight with you!”

The frigid evening air was scorching and unbearable as you inhale and exhale rapidly, unable to stabilize your breathing from the anxiety and terror that arises.

‘Calm down. If I can get all of us to cooperate, we will be able to overcome this.’

The monster’s pace is sluggish and heavy, each step resulting in a loud thud to echo throughout the thick and murky forest. Over the disturbance, you can hear Giyuu give out the tiniest whimper, one you could just barely make out. You stroke his hair to reassure him that you were by his side, gliding through the unexpectedly silky strands of his hair, whispering little words of comfort to slow his breathing. He jolts when Sabito shouts at you once more to escape without him.

Your shadow encases Giyuu as you stand over him, grasping the handle of your sword.

”I-it’s just one demon. If we work together, we can win against it somehow.”

Looking over to the nightmare heading over to the four of you, the sight of his countless arms wrapping around his body left you mentally and physically astounded. Your legs shook like a leaf as your grip around your sword loosened significantly. You were sure your shakiness made Giyuu increasingly jittery.

It bothered you how the demon’s eyes seemed to glow so brightly, tearing through the dark like the full moon above. It bothered you how bulky and veiny his entire body was, how his blood red fingernails contrasted with the olive green shade of his skin. The way his arms flail about as he used his hands to trudge atop the mucky terrain, eyes curved upwards with glee and excitement at the sight of some form of sustenance in this isolated woodland.

He covers up a squeal with his hands as he stares at the masks the three of you wore, “I can’t believe that dastard Urokodaki sent three of his students to feast on!”

You watch as he rolls his eyes up in pleasure, muscles tensing as he continues to cackle. It sickened you down to the bones. Who gets off by devouring children who’ve just reached their teenage years?

“Shut up!” You unsheathe your sword, pointing the tip to the demon, “Who said that you’re gonna eat us? We, the disciples of Urokodaki, will destroy you!”

You let out a yelp when Sabito pushes you back with the hilt of his blade, sending you to almost fall on top of Giyuu before you twist your body to land at the ground next to him.

“[Name], just listen to me for once! Don’t be stupid. There’s no way you’re going to defeat him when you haven’t even mastered all the techniques Urokodaki taught us.”

You push yourself back up.

“But we can! Sure you may be stronger than all of us generally, but you can’t handle it by yourself. If we work together…” you trail off when Sabito dismisses you, leaping towards the demon.

”I’m not risking both your lives.”

He changes positions so fast that all you could observe was the blur left behind by his movement.

“Sabito!” Giyuu’s free hand is outstretched in the direction of his friend, and you see the boy from earlier seize Giyuu’s arm before taking ahold of your hand, steering you away from the skirmish.

Sabito veers around one final time while in the air, initiating his breathing techniques. From afar, you can see how remorse is conveyed in his eyes, the way he seems to ask for forgiveness in his smile. Your vision wobbles and distorts his image into nothing but haze and fog.

You attempt to dig your heels into the ground to stop the male from tugging you farther away. Your elbow meets his ribs and you accidentally kick Giyuu in the process. You can’t bring yourself to mutter an apology or stop thrashing. Blinking back your tears, you could see his lips move as clear as day, murmuring a single word.

“Run.”

He’s begging.

You stop struggling. Giyuu is left questioning why amidst the steadfast hammering of his head.

“Hang in there, Sabito! I’ll come back for you, I swear it!”

…

Run!

Hurriedly, you snatch up Tanjirou by his collar and hoist him aside to shield him, whipping your blade up and clashing with another of your kind. A Slayer–but this time you recognize him as the person who you offered your Pillar seat to.

”Giyuu?” You don’t believe your eyes. You’ve seen hundreds of people with the same color hair and the same dull eyes he bore which led you to believe that you were mistaken, but the haori was a sure sign of who he was. ”Is that you? What are you doing here?”

Tanjirou looks up in relief at the name. Inosuke gives up on reviving his comrade, wondering what the hell is going on with so much noise.

”[Name]…?” His somber blue eyes look incredulously at you, from the pattern of your scarf to your sword. He takes notice of how his hands tremble from your strength, something that had never occurred before. You seem to have matured in appearance also; how he didn’t have to tilt his head down to meet your eyes anymore. How your face and physique became slimmer from the strict and rigorous routine of slaying demons.

You also take a few seconds to look at him, steel grating together.

He didn’t change much ever since you last saw him. You could really only point out how his hair grew longer and perhaps a couple of centimeters to his height, but you don’t remember.

Focus.

You shove him away with your weapon, skidding back and taking ahold of Tanjirou once more. The Pillar eyes the way you’re handling him, how you urge your blade towards the box on his shoulders.

”Don’t just stare! You can feel it too, right? The demon inside this?” you clink your blade urgently onto the wood, vying for his attention. As a Pillar, there was no doubt he sensed it.

Demons are the terrors of mankind, both of you agreed to before.

After a moment, he nods. ”I’ve known for two years.”

And you didn’t know about it? Obviously, you were busy for the past couple of years with missions nonstop, but… it just felt wrong. You couldn’t put your finger on it.

“You’re joking, right? Giyuu.” This couldn’t be his choice. That dumb kid with that scar on his forehead had to have brainwashed your friend or something.

Demons are evil. They’re merciless. Insatiable. They slaughter countless innocent people. They killed your family. Sabito’s family. Giyuu’s older sister. Sabito.

So why in the world would he permit one to blend away with the humans?

”This is a violation of the Demon Slaying Corps conduct, Giyuu. We can’t let a demon live with them! As Slayers, we are trained to protect the humans with our lives. What would happen if that girl attacks an unsuspecting victim? Think about it. When has there ever been a demon who lived in harmony with us?”

Tanjirou makes a noise, presumably to receive approval to speak.

”Quiet, boy. The adults are speaking here.” He shrinks back, sweating profusely. Not a whimper or sound breaks out of his lips in fear of your wrath and bitterness. ”Not only have you desecrated this sacred forest by luring demons here, but you dare bring one willingly?”

Giyuu steps forth, sheathing his sword. He wouldn’t be needing it anymore.

“[Name], stop. It’s a pledge our mentor and I agreed to make.” You almost drop your sword but quickly tightened up your grip. Did that imply that this child trained with your instructor? Nevermind that, but Urokodaki of all people sheltered a fiend in his run-down lodging? ”If his sister ever attacks a human, we will compensate for it with our lives.”

You bite back the words you desperately want to say.

(”You’re going to cast away the life your sister sacrificed for you? The life that Sabito died for? For a mere demon we can kill right now?”)

Yeah, there was no way you were going to say that. Not to the person you’ve been yearning to meet, the person you fell in love with and only realized it when you departed from him. You don’t want to be away from him ever again. Not when it’s like he’s dangling off the edge of a cliff, wet and slippery from rain, merely holding on by the tips of his fingers. Not when he takes a glance down, believing that plunging into the shallow and murky river water was better than living with guilt and shame of surviving death multiple times–surviving at the expense of those he cared for dearly.

Tears rush out of your eyes like the raindrops that drip from the roof after a stormy day. Damn these feelings! You were supposed to be furious at Giyuu, not getting sentimental and mushy over your past!

Tanjirou lets out an oomph when you drop him in favor of clearing your tears away. The males, save for Zenitsu, are appalled (maybe not Giyuu, he knows how you are) by how quickly your mood shifts, though they are glad for your change of heart. Inosuke doesn’t quite understand all the details, but suddenly he’s craving for a piping hot meal to fill up the bottomless pit that is his stomach. And a good night’s sleep included, preferably.

An old crow totters to your feet, inclining its head. You do the same without much of a thought, sniffling. Was this Giyuu’s crow? It’s shivering for whatever reason. Was it because of its age? Why did he get an old crow? Wait, that doesn’t matter.

”You and me, we need to talk.” Returning your blade to its sheath, you stomp over to Giyuu and snatch his hand in yours. Turning back, you look at Tanjirou, ”I’m not escorting you back to a village. Tell your crow to navigate you to a Wisteria crest estate or whatever. Better hurry up or your friend may never wake up.”

Apparently, the boar wasn’t too happy about the

”GAH! HEY!!” Inosuke tosses his head back, roaring and nearly prompting his mask to slip off. ”Come back here, we still need to decide who’s the strongest! I’ll crush—”

”Oh, um–Thank you so much!” Tanjirou interrupts, adjusting the box to his front then slinging Zenitsu onto his back, causing the unconscious male’s head to knock into Tanjirou’s shoulder. The red-haired boy stumbles from the weight bearing down on his injuries before gathering himself together, nodding to both you and Giyuu before heading out the other direction. He looks back, ”Come on, Inosuke!”

Inosuke glances back and forth, back and forth, and back and forth–before growling and stampeding to where Tanjirou had went.

You do the same, hand held tight around Giyuu’s and leading him through the forest. His hands were large and warm, perfectly clasped around yours even if his grip was loose.

“I can’t believe this,” you take a sharp turn and exit out the forest, bustling through the shrubbery.

The leaves that scatter around you are dancers and their stage the wispy breeze. Fluttering without care, twirling on instinct, the sharp whistle of the breeze guiding them to the ground as the music dies down. Drop, drop, drop. Few nestle in your hair and take the form of adornments, and others to Giyuu’s.

“Do you even know what you’re going to do when Master finds out? Can you even explain your decision of leaving his sister alive?”

He gazes into the ice of your eyes, silent when you squeeze his hand tighter, begging for a response.

”Do you still hate me?” you ask. His hand grows clammy in yours. ”I know that I haven’t been a good friend to you ever since Sabito died. But this is serious, Giyuu. What good comes out of this when the aftermath is either death or expulsion from the Corps? Do you really want to give up on life so badly?”

Though there is no clock nearby, you can hear and feel the seconds tick by as the deafening silence trails on. Tick, tick, tick. Time is endless, people say. Was it true, though? When people die, time ends for them. In no way would it resume. It’s simply impossible.

He tears his eyes away from yours, suddenly finding the ground appealing. You wonder if he feels uncomfortable with your hand-holding. You don’t let go regardless.

“When I received the message from Oyakata-sama that I could have challenged you to the Water Pillar seat two years ago, I refused. I felt that maybe your life could change for the better if you had a higher pedestal to stand on when you’re so dedicated to defeating demons. Don’t you remember how Sabito slapped the shit out of you when you thought you were better off dying? You hate it when people throw their lives away, but why are you so convinced that she wouldn’t attack a human? You might die, so why? Tell me.”

Being a Pillar was a challenge you constantly strived to succeed in. Not only was it an esteemed and honorable position granted to the most formidable swordsman of the organization, but each Pillar had a certain Breath Style that sets them apart from the others. You had considered developing another Breath Style that derives from the Breath of Water, but you decided to create original techniques, using the tools you had already.

You wanted to be part of a group that recognized your power. Wanted. That was when you were still training with Urokodaki, Sabito, and Giyuu. But these accumulations of events, from Sabito’s death to your separation from Giyuu and all in between, led you to realize that power wasn’t all you needed. Instead, to cherish what you already achieved.

You’re powerful, you’re talented, and you’ll cherish those aspects. But you won’t let it overcome what you truly love.

“Because…” You quiet down your thoughts. ”Even when his sister was in a starved state, wounded, and had little stamina from turning into a demon, she still protected Tanjirou. She was different. Most would take advantage of an unconscious human right under their nose.”

Never had you heard of a demon denying human flesh in your life.

”You weren’t imagining things, right?” you tug him closer, eyes wide and skeptical, though you cannot recall a moment where Giyuu lied to you. ”I’ve never heard of a case such as that. But if there’s never been a fatality in two years as you said, then…”

There will most likely never be one. Unless her brother was endangered by another human, or if she needed their flesh to replenish the stamina she’s lost. Still, Tanjirou promised Giyuu that he wouldn’t let it happen.

You slump down your shoulders in defeat. There was no point in mulling over it when you had already allowed them to escape. You couldn’t take back your decision. Not only would it look bad on your character, but Giyuu would probably despise you soon after.

”You win. And guess what? You have my word that I won’t tell Master.”

”Why?” he asks.

”Don’t question me. Aren’t you glad?”

He nods.

”Good.”

You shiver as the wind picks up once more. Giyuu gently releases your hand and shrugs off his haori, ignoring your protests as he swings it above your head and drapes it onto your shoulders.

“I don’t need it. I’m not cold.”

“Still–”

You quiet down when he reaches over to tug you to his chest. Your nose collides into the rigidness of his muscles, dumbfounded by his actions.

Giyuu positions his hand onto the back of your head and encircles his arms around your waist, adjusting your head so that your ear laid above his heart.

You fiddle with the material of his dark uniform, hesitant on returning the embrace.

Despite how reserved and gracious he sounded, his heartbeat said otherwise. It was almost like he had been jogging without rest before pulling you into a hug, but you don’t mind. Similarly, you could hear your own pulse ringing in your ears by how nervous you felt.

This is normal. It’s comparable to those novels you’ve read in the past where friends cry and snuggle into their friends’ arms, whom they have not seen in a while.

”I’m sorry, [Name].”

You don’t move. ”For what?”

”I was naive of your emotions after he passed. It was selfish of me to distance myself from you when you were also grieving. If I hadn’t gotten wounded badly that day, we would all still be together and he would claim the title of Water Pillar rather than me.”

You bring your hands to his sides, hovering over the folds of his attire.

”Yikes, so there’s no odds of me even becoming the Water Pillar? Hurtful, but I get it,” you jest lightly, but you’re aware that wasn’t what he was insinuating. ”Though if anyone should be apologizing, it’s me. I treated you harshly and expected you to overcome his death in terrible means. I abandoned you and never delivered any letters to you when you were probably worried about me.”

He shakes his head. ”I didn’t, either.”

”You’re right.” you wrap your arms around him fully, nuzzling your face into his chest. Your voice is muffled by his clothes when you speak. ”But we forgive each other, right?”

”No.”

You jerk your head up to meet his soft eyes that deviated from his sharp features.

”Not until you promise that you’ll be with me from now on.”

Since when did he get so bold?

”Was it like torture for you these past few years?” he doesn’t respond to the question so you continue. ”It was for me. That look you gave me when I left you hurt a lot. But I couldn’t do anything about it because of the mission I was assigned—the one with the two orphans.” You shift against his body, legs tingly from standing still for too long. ”Anyways, how is he doing right now? I heard he became a Pillar two years ago.”

”Tokitou?” You snap your fingers in response, thinking back to the air-headed and apathetic teenager you found with Amane and her children. ”He spaces out most of the time during the day.”

That’s all he has to say?

”Oh. Well, good for him. It’s remarkable for someone of his age to satisfy the Pillar requirements with so little training. I’m a little envious of him.”

The kid was wounded terribly when you arrived at his residence, clutching the hand of his lifeless twin brother. You don’t know much about him since you were appointed another task by Kagaya the day after, but you were still curious about what became of him.

”Who cares, though. My dream to be a Pillar is far behind me now.” You hum, thinking back to his statement from a few moments ago.

”Not until you promise that you’ll be with me from now on.”

What the hell was that? If anyone else had heard him, they would assume he was proposing to you.

Was it just you or was it getting hotter and hotter? Perhaps the body heat from Giyuu and the warmth of his haori was making your senses all fuzzy.

”Okay.” you fasten your arms tighter around him, rooting him in his spot. Your mind is spinning and your cheeks are flushed. ”Okay, I promise. Master is pretty lenient with team arrangements, so I don’t doubt that he’ll allow us. Perhaps it could be just like the old times where we protected each other, ate, and trained together. Would we be unstoppable? Maybe, but who knows. It wouldn’t be so bad though since I like you. Heh.”

It felt like you’ve said this before, maybe in the past to him. Déjà vu, probably.

He thanks you, but doesn’t say much after. You couldn’t see it in the night, but his complexion reddens, believing that you hadn’t given him your attention earlier.

”I heard you. Now, let’s go rest somewhere before reporting to Master tomorrow at dawn.”

Like a flash of lighting, you nudge Giyuu away and take his hand–haori swaying to and fro along with the motion–steering him to the Wisteria crest manor you had Tanjirou visit.

#chew writes #request #sabito x reader #giyuu x reader #giyuu tomioka x reader #tomioka giyuu x reader #kny x reader #demon slayer x reader #kimetsu no yaiba x reader #kimetsu no yaiba #kny spoilers #kny #giyuu

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orchidbreezefc · 4 years

Text

OKAY COOL I WAS ON THE FENCE ABOUT POSTING MY OWN EXPERIENCES IN THE KFAM DISCORD BECAUSE A POST ABOUT People Being Mean To Sage Specifically SEEMED KIND OF MASTURBATORY OR SELF-PITYING OR WHATEVER BUT IF WE REALLY ARE GOING TO STILL BE OUT HERE PUSHING THE This Server Is A Lovely Familial Community And Dissenters Are The Problem NARRATIVE EVEN NOW? HELL NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT.

obviously this is hard to be objective about. this stuff is a lot less concrete than my first post, a lot more based on vibes i got, which, yknow, is why it’s not in my first post. but if anyone identifies with this, if anyone sees their own experiences in this discord reflected in mine, then it’s going to be worth the worry i’m reading too much into things, or others thinking the same of me. if i can help anyone who felt like THEY were mistreated there and weren’t sure if they were reading too much into things, then. it’s worth it. especially since the M.O. in there was ‘everything’s fine and if not we’re going to MAKE IT FINE by silencing anyone who disagrees’.

a lot of talk has been done about the censorship (word used loosely, first amendment protects from the government not from the mods etc, definitely a specific suppression of dissenting ideas though) the mods have been doing--once more i suggest @kfam-tea for receipts and screenshots. not something i feel great about, but not something i have personal experience with, so i won't speak to it. see also my first post about my interactions with the creators. it touches on the dogpiling, which i'll go into more depth on in this post. you can find it [link: here].

so. the first thing in the official discord that tipped me off about the hivemind samethink phenomenon is that the whole place is distinctly frosty on the subject of samben. that’s a post all its own, one that follows through to numbers on ao3 and whatever, but i’m not here to make a ship manifesto. suffice it to say i got attached to the ship upon listening, inhaled the (suspiciously small) ao3 tag, and was stopped in my tracks at the discord server where any implication of such ship inclinations were met with silence and pointed changes of subject.

distinctly weird. distinctly unusual fandom behavior, that i couldnt even hint around shipping the two men whose incredibly profound relationship is literally the crux of the show, who have exchanged ‘i love you’s, one of whom is confirmed gay--all other romantic entanglements aside, because when have those stopped shippers? that was weird. i realize that's maybe a bit tinfoil hat of me. it could have been the goldfish-bowl big-brother-is-watching vibe from having creators in there, except, as i said, it carries to other sites.

anyway, much more concrete was when i spoke out about my thoughts on ben’s actions in ep68. again, enough there for another post, so tl;dr: he was doing his best, he’s a good guy and a good friend, but his actions DIRECTLY outed sammy to the WHOLE town, without allowing sammy to say the words himself. it was an accident, yes, but it had tangible, harmful consequences, and even accidental harm warrants apology. it should at least be... acknowledged. at some point. by the show OR the fandom. it's a disservice to ben himself to never get the chance to own up to it.

this was an unacceptable take. i tried breaching this topic and making my case twice, and got THOROUGHLY dogpiled both times. a dozen fans crawled out of the woodwork to argue heatedly, sometimes getting quite aggressive, sometimes toeing the line of outright hostility toward me personally. definitely some downright rude messages. not once did anybody speak up to defend my right to put forward my dissenting opinion, let alone SUPPORT my argument, god forbid. ben’s were the actions of a good friend, i was told. outing someone to their whole town without giving them the chance to say it on their own terms didn't qualify as harm at all, i was told, on account of ben's heart being in the right place.

still, the opinions being argued matter less than the attitudes and behaviors. people don't have to agree with me about that ep, i don't care. i do care about being given the right to, as a single person on my own, have space to make an argument without being shouted down by a dozen people. i do care about how it fit into a greater pattern of forbidding any criticism of the show, and ben in particular, who is a good friend and therefore all of his actions are good and harmless, who is our resident heterosexual unassailable paragon of purity. which might explain the samben problem--sammy/ron[/jack] was perfectly fine, even popular, but there was never a whisper of shipping ben with anyone but emily. they're Official. theyre The Perfect Couple. don't you dare challenge that (and for the most part, i didn’t dare. i quickly learned not to).

my [link: previous post] details kyle's response to these fun events, where he specifically went out of the way to follow me being shouted into silence (a result of me being driven to literal tears and shutting down rather than invite more argument) with a warm congratulations to everybody for their conduct in this discussion. because that's the kind of conversation kyle wants to specifically and explicitly praise and encourage, i guess.

anyway. this contributed to the growing sense over my time in the discord that people held a certain distaste for me but didn’t want to say anything direct. instead they talked around me, ignored me, immediately changed the subject from my messages, the whole while bestowing constant glowing compliments on each other and endlessly repeating saccharine sentiments about what a nice family type community they were, how grateful they were for the discord being such a positive space. i suppose that’s an easy impression to get when negativity is ruthlessly suppressed (and apparently outright censored nowadays) and instead of insults or, god forbid, communication with people with whom folks might take issue, they just (more or less) silently stonewall and cold shoulder them.

again, i could be misreading cues, being egocentric or tinfoil hat by reading this pattern into how i in particular was treated. either way, the fact that i was given the fandom friday shout out the week after KFAM live was definitely... strange. fishy, even. i was already mostly out the door at that point, had been for weeks--it was actually in my last few days speaking there period. i felt strangely guilty that they would dedicate a day to me when i didn’t like being there much and hardly spoke any longer. one thing’s for sure: my congratulations were fewer and more impersonal, perfunctory, and/or generic than other fans got (i kept a screenshot). i still have no idea what to make of that one, but there you have it.

p.s.: since vagues are in vogue now apparently, i might as well mention the person who's been accused of being A Problem In The Discord For A While Now, among nastier things, which definitely is not an effort to justify kyle's passive aggressive response to their untagged post which used the phrase 'death of the author', or kyle subsequently crying on twitter about death threats because apparently he couldn't be bothered to google a basic literary analysis term and thought if he was vague enough nobody would look into what was actually said. i guess he was right, if the hundreds of asspats and outcries against The Evils Of Podcast Fan Meanies were any indication.

i digress. i just wanted to testify that the fan in question was one of maybe three or four people on the server who consistently treated me nicely and acted like they liked me. and that another fan who claimed to be uncomfortable around death-of-the-author-person was the person who came the closest to being outright nasty to me when i expressed a critical opinion. make of that what you will i guess!

p.p.s.: if i never say anything more about this whole thing or the creators’ part in it, i do want to say for the record: noah james is fully exempt from all of this and remains absolutely wonderful and a whole treasure. like dont pedestalize male creators and assume them incapable of wrongdoing etc etc but i had an hour long midnight denny’s breakfast sitting across from him and he was nothing short of an angel the whole time. sweetest guy i’ve ever met. he hasn’t breathed a word about any of this drama. he may not even know it’s going on because he’s too busy being the most beautiful and talented man in america or something. i love you noah

#sage speaks #sage original post #kfam #king falls am #kfam drama #kfam critical #kfam negative #kfam hate #long post #kfam tea #ok to reblog

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ammapreker · 6 years

Photo

IS YOUR CHARACTER

[001] the face of any products: her team is currently working on a deal with burberry that should be finalized shortly.

[002] open about their private life: no. not even slightly. she’s intensely reserved and prefers that her private life remain exactly that — private.

[003] an advocate for any charities: yes, specifically st. jude’s children’s research hospital, unicef, and various environmental causes. more recently, she’s become heavily involved in the #metoo and time’s up movements.

[004] involved in a relationship for publicity: not at present, but who knows. if she truly believes that it would benefit both her and her career, sylvie’s not going to say never. but she is incredibly picky about who she dates, and that would like extend to “fake” dating as well.

[005] where they are because of dishonest / shady moves: not due to her own. what her mother might have done or been willing to do in order to make them famous... sylvie doesn’t want to know.

WHO DOES YOUR CHARACTER

[006] @ / retweet regularly: willow, former and current cast mates to support their projects, and the charities that she supports.

[007] mention most in interviews: probably her twin sister, willow. after seeing them together for so many years on their variety show, it’s hard to separate the two from audience’s minds. additionally, after the rather public break with her mother, sylvie tends to get asked questions about that particular relationship, which she evades to the best of her ability.

[008] go to when they need some help: again, willow. nothing like having a twin sister.

[009] idolize / adore more than life itself: nicole kidman. if sylvie met her, she’d probably freak.

[010] want to end up with (in their dreams): young sylvie would have said cartoon aladdin or dimitri. current sylvie is more comfortable being by herself and waiting for the right person instead of guessing who it might be.

WHAT WAS

[011] the first thing they tweeted: @sylviehugo welcome to my universe, twitter!

[012] the first event they got invited to: likely the premiere of whatever film the twins first cameoed in. sylvie likely doesn’t remember much of it, only being bored and uncomfortable in whatever dress her mother picked out.

[013] the last (non work related) vacation they took: she’s a frequent flier to paris and london, and she’s been known to spend vacations there after long shoots.

[014] the first thing published about them on lounge: probably that she was incredibly snobby, very demanding during her variety show. it probably listed “events” and “reasons” that never actually happened.

[015] the project that made them want to act / write / sing / etc.: acting was more or less forced upon her, but during one of her first cameos, sylvie caught a peek of a scene between the two lead actors that took her breath away. she’s desperately wanted it ever since.

WHY

[016] do they put up with all of the bs that comes with the business: at this point in her life, pushed into the industry as a child and having grown up in it, sylvie simply can’t see herself ever doing anything else. so it’s less of a choice, more something that she’s been saddled with and forced to face with no alternatives.

[017] did they pursue the career they’re currently in: acting was very much forced upon both sylvie and willow from a young age by their mother, who sought the fame and — even more importantly — money that she could get out of her two golden cash cows. she got her wish and, even after the twins separated from her after reaching the age of eighteen, acting had become too ingrained as a part of sylvie to try anything else. she loves it, she does, but even if she didn’t, sylvie can hardly imagine doing anything else.

[018] did they choose the media persona they did: her media persona is slightly more open than she allows herself to be in public. it reveals a bit of her life — stories about her cats, pictures of her and willa — while always ensuring not to reveal anything too deep. at the very least, it helps to satiate the curiosity.

[019] do they hate gossip magazines so much: sylvie hates them because of the lies that fill them, guessing at the truth of her private life and never failing to cause her problems.

[020] would they ever make a sex tape: yes. there’s still a big part of sylvie that wants to completely distance herself from the reputation her mother built as a darling. it was — and, really, still is — incredibly restraining. in her more impulsive moments, sylvie would certainly see a sex tape as being a perfect tool to eliminate that image and absolutely go for it.

WHERE

[021] did they hear their first song on the radio: she hasn’t. though her mother did force her to see a vocal coach and her talent will be put on display in the upcoming anastasia adaptation, sylvie has never before recorded songs that could be heard on the radio.

[022] did they find out they’d landed their first project: their mother’s one bedroom apartment, likely eating leftovers.

[023] did they go on vacation after their first big project: while living with her mother, most of the money went to obtaining a more luxurious lifestyle. after her first big independent project, though, sylvie travelled to paris.

[024] do they live when they want to get away from it all: her home in la? it’s... hard to get away from it, but at least she’s got the comfort of home.

[025] was their first big press conference: in utah, after the first feature she filmed independently premiered at sundance.

WAS THEIR FIRST

[026] project embarrassing: her first project was some baby commercial that her mother got the twins into. so, probably.

[027] talk show appearance a wreck: it was with willow, the better spokesperson of the two even at a young age, so not as much as it could have been.

[028] public relationship heavily followed: sylvie was “too busy” for many relationships during her teenage years. her first public relationship was directly after the split from her mother, which meant that it got more attention than it likely would have gotten otherwise.

[029] fan encounter awkward / nice / sweet / etc.: yes! their childhood consisted — post variety show — of a lot of cute fans who would come up to sylvie and willow, telling them that they wanted to be exactly like them growing up.

[030] relationship (while famous) talked about at all: since it was right after the start of her career move, which was getting attention, it unfortunately was.

WILL

[031] they ever open any sort of business: perhaps? right now, sylvie’s thinking long-term in regards to acting and not much else so she’s hasn’t given that much consideration.

[032] they ever win a major, prestigious award: currently, sylvie has been nominated for a golden globe and won an emmy for her portrayal in a limited series in 2017. she hopes that she’ll continue to be recognized for her work, especially after she begins to put more distance between herself and the reputation her mother fostered.

[033] they ever host the smn version of saturday night live: i imagine that with her child star popularity and the attention anastasia will receive, that’s certainly likely to happen shortly.

[034] they ever work tirelessly for years to get a project going: yes. now that sylvie can make her own choices regarding the projects she takes on, she is completely and utterly committed to them. her passion knows no bounds and her tendency to commit herself whole-heartedly to them would push her to make them succeed.

[035] they take pictures with fans who approach them on their off time: occasionally? if they can read the room? there are certainly times where sylvie expects to go out and be bombarded by fans or the press, which means that she’s more likely to accept when someone asks for photos. the rest of the time, especially during private dinners or heading back from the gym, she’s unlikely to agree.

DOES YOUR CHARACTER

[036] invest their money wisely: she tries to be incredibly frugal. her home is the largest purchase that she’s ever made, but she does have a penchant for buying expensive shoes.

[037] work only on projects they love: nowadays, yes. if sylvie doesn’t connect with the script or the character, then it’s unlikely that she’ll pursue it.

[038] care more about the fame than anything: it’s not so much the fame as the job. despite the rough beginning, sylvie really loves what she does. the fame is just what — sometimes unfortunately — comes with it.

[039] often find they’ve put their foot in their mouth: absolutely. of the hugo twins, sylvie is the least able to speak professionally. somehow, too often when she opens her mouth on camera or in front of paparazzi, she ends up either saying something or cursing them out. because of this, willow more or less became the spokesperson for the twins and sylvie couldn’t be more thankful for it.

[040] hide things from the public because they are afraid / ashamed of what the reaction could be: if sylvie chooses to hide things from the public, it’s not because she’s afraid of what people will say — though that certainly has affected her in the past — but because she wants to maintain some semblance of a private life.

DO YOU HONESTLY THINK YOUR CHARACTER

[041] is a good person: she really, truly tries to be and uses her platform to help others.

[042] will have career longevity: i truly believe so. sylvie’s passionate, talented, and her devotion to her projects is easily seen both onscreen and off.

[043] deserves the career they have: heck yeah. she works her ass off.

[044] can remain unjaded by hollywood: she’s already pretty jaded, but it’s up in the air whether or not that will get better or worse.

[045] will spend the rest of their life with the person they marry: if it’s up to her, absolutely. she commits herself completely to those she’s with and her perfectionistic tendencies leave her unable to quit much of anything, even if it would be better for her in the long run.

GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY WOULD YOUR CHARACTER

[046] date / marry a fan: possibly, but unlikely. sylvie is committed to finding deep, genuine relationships that help her form an emotional connection. while that’s certainly not impossible with fans, she considers it to be unlikely and knows that wading through that particular pool of people would be incredibly difficult.

[047] star on any type of reality show: as said above, sylvie is an intensely private person and that doesn’t tend to match with the reality tv set up. but, if it happened to be the best decision for her career... there isn’t much that sylvie wouldn’t do for that.

[048] donate to charity / do good deeds without publicity: yes. she does always sign her name to the donations, but she doesn’t do so to bring it to the attention of the public. most of what she does use her platforms for are to bring attention to the causes rather than her involvement in them.

[049] say exactly what they think about the ins/outs of fame: yes and no? if she’s asked a specific question about it, sylvie’s likely to be candid. but she won’t volunteer the information in fear of seeming like she’s complaining (another of her mother’s voices in her head).

[050] walk comic con without any security (in or out of disguise): i doubt it.

#smnrp #smnrp contest #oc: sylvie hugo #m: development

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edwardsherbert1991 · 3 years

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Email marketing is the targeting of consumers through e-mails. Every e-mails sent out to a prospective consumers can be thought about as e-mail marketing. Email marketing includes sending out a marketing e-mail or an advertisement to a customer. Via his e-mail address. A lot of organisations today utilize e-mail marketing. Much more blog writers do utilize e-mail marketing today than ever before. For instance, have you ever been searching on a site, and you see some field where you are asked to send your name and e-mail to get a complimentary eBook or upgrade? That is the front part of e-mail marketing.

Many blog writers utilize e-mail marketing since it boosts the consumer experience. With a well targeted e-mail list, you can reach recognized clients and potential ones too. Any offered customer will be notified much better and more quickly through e-mail. The e-mail will have a higher presence than a Facebook post. The Facebook post will be drowned in a stream of material in the minutes following its publishing.

Do You Truly Required Email Marketing?

If you wish to enhance your consumers' or readers' experience, then you require e-mail marketing. Ignore the glamour and the fancy of social networks marketing. We are talking performance here. We are talking higher engagement. Greater reach. Greater click through rate and more. As numerous skilled online marketers state," the cash remains in the list". Some even state "your net worth depends upon your network". In the following lines, I will describe the benefits of e-mail marketing. In these descriptions, I will utilize data. The websites which produced those statistics will be discussed at the end of this post. So, let's enter the benefits of using e-mail marketing.:

Prospective Reach:

Did you understand that in 2013, there had to do with 3.2 billion e-mail accounts developed worldwide? 95% of online customers utilize an e-mail address. The most intriguing reality is; 91% of those customers inspect their e-mail accounts a minimum of once a day. Today, we search more with our phones than our computer systems. As a result, we are more quickly informed when we get e-mails. Our phones position the notices right in front of our eyes.

Today, it is much easier to inspect to an e-mail than a Twitter or facebook post. This is since when we publish material, so does a million other individuals. As a result, discovering one specific post you liked 3 weeks ago can be the most challenging job.

Actual Reach:

Prior to I describe this part in more information, let's get some fascinating numbers. In the very first half of 2013, a research study carried out utilizing e-mails as a marketing channel exposed some shocking realities. The one that stands apart the most is this; 18% of the e-mails sent out throughout a project never ever reach their locations. 4% of the sent out e-mails are sent out into the spam folder. That makes 22% of the sent out e-mails that do not in fact reach the designated receiver.

On the other hand, 78% of the e-mails sent out throughout an e-mail project really reach their location. Think about it by doing this, If you send out 1000 e-mails, 780 e-mails will reach their location. In addition to that, 91% of the receivers inspect their e-mails daily. This suggests, about 709 receivers will in fact see your e-mail. This is terrific effectiveness, as less than 30% of the e-mails sent out are lost.

Now, let's compare these numbers with those of a Facebook project performed in the same way. This exposed that 74% of the Facebook posts are in fact lost within the huge stream of material. That is an issue. That suggests, per thousand Facebook posts, 740 are lost in the stream of material. That leaves us with 260 posts seen by our target readers. Another bad thing is, everybody who sees your material will not in fact click through. Less than half will in fact do. That leaves us with less than 130 individuals who are in fact thinking about our deals.

Click Through Rates:

In the previous point, we discussed what portion of individuals who see and might like your posts and mails. Now let's speak about individuals who in fact finish the actions and do what you desire them to do. Let's state clicking a link. This link might take them to a landing page or a site.

Click through rate is the portion of individuals that get your message and in fact click it. The click through rate of a tweet is 0.5 percent instead of 3% for an e-mail. These numbers look little initially. However, this indicates that individuals click 6 times more on an e-mail link than on a tweeted link.

Let's keep utilizing our example of 1000 e-mails and 1000 social networks posts. A 0.5% click through rate implies per thousand, 5 individuals will really click your link. This is for social networks. Often the click through rates are greater, however those are specific cases. The numbers we utilize here are typical ones.

A 3% click through rate with e-mails indicates 30 clicks per thousand. That is the very best click through rate you will acquire typically. The numbers are not remarkable, however effective numbers are not constantly astonishing. The distinction is such due to the fact that, when individuals offer you their e-mail addresses they really wish to hear more kind you.

Your Readers Desired It In This Manner:

Many people utilize social networks to interact with buddies initially. Hardly ever are they utilized to get organization news and evaluations. There are customized sites for that. 77% of the users throughout a study online stated they choose to get marketing messages in their e-mails. 4% stated they choose these messages on social networks. This speaks with the reality that by sending an e-mail, individuals are actually offering you a company conference area.

E-mails Are Personal:

It is simpler for a reader to reveal his issues in private than outdoors. Everyone is not comfy when it pertains to revealing their drawbacks outdoors. When a user wants to reveal his battles and he can't consult with you, what does he do? He composes you an e-mail. In this manner, he can inform you whatever. You can respond to particularly to him.

I will quickly produce a page where I publish user asked for material. Every weekend.

Email Marketing and newsletters

#email marketing #affiliate marketing #getresponse

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sonfaro · 6 years

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@you-me-and-the-force-between-us Thank you for your rebuttal. My response will be similarly long, and tumblr is being annoying so I’m switching to a new thread.

“Normal behavior isn’t always guaranteed by everyone. That’s life. Of course there are always going to be outliers of people who don’t think as they should. But they’re small compared to the number of people who CAN make these differences, so making comparisons like these are not only hurtful, but useless. It doesn’t matter WHAT language you use, somewhere out there–is going to fan over a serial killer or want to become one, because it’s not about language, it’s about personal experiences.” It DOES matter to those who are left behind. To those who’s people are routinely NOT treated in this way. Infantilizing dangerous white men at any level of media sets a tone. To see that kind of behavior follow into fiction and NOBODY have a problem with it is beyond bizarre to me. I’ve had friends locked up for far less who never got treated like the children they were, so forgive me if I’m a little sensitive to the subject. “People who sympathisize with these types of people are either going through some sort of fucked up, I’m edgy 100%, phase that they’ll grow out of or have some serious mental instabilities. It isn’t the media’s job to walk on egg shells with language,“ It’s the media’s job to present the truth with no spin. When they do things like this, it absolutely poisons the well. There’s no one to blame for his crimes but the monster, but there are people to blame for how that monster is viewed by the masses. “This other rhetoric about what’s being said and how it compares to fiction–it’s bullshit. And let’s be honest here for a second–just honestly speaking–looking through OP’s page you can very damn well tell this post isn’t done with good intentions in mind; it’s a clear attack on a group of people under the facet of being a good citizen who truly cares. Which also pisses me off.“ In what way? I’ve literally seen someone claim that Kylo is ‘young’ and ‘doesn’t know any better’. That sort of language does exist amongst the fandom. “(I’ve seen people call others abelist for using the word crazy on this hellsite, but idc either way) “ You’re sympathizing with the villain is all. Which is fine, “ Clearly it isn’t??? Because that’s OP’s point. That’s what OP has a problem with, saying that we’re like criminal sympathizers because we sympathize with a villain–so YES I agree, I’m JUST sympathizing with a villain IS ALL, nothing more. That’s the point.“ OP’s point is about the language being used: the infantilizing and woobifying. I can sympathize with Erik Killmonger, but know he’s a grown man and his end in Black Panther is justified. I’m not going to say “He’s basically a teenager lashing out” or nonsense like that - which IS a thing that Kylo stans have said. “ALSO JUST SO EVERYONE’S AWARE. This ISN’T the media saying this.“ Matt O’Donnell, listed below the lawyer in OP’s post, is a reporter. He lists the killer’s status as an orphan (with no reason), his young age (with no reason), and suggests he had a ‘troubled’ background. These are softening social cues. And the media doesn’t have to make these quotes the headline. It is they who present these quotes as a worthy title for an article. “Darth Vader is one of THEE most popular villains of all time, and most people ADORE baby-fying him.” Not canon Darth Vader they don’t. If you want an Alt universe Kylo (like Emo Kylo Ren) it’s whatever. That's a separate idea. “He was Kylo BEFORE KYLO EXISTED–he’s WORSE than Kylo–so where’s all the hate there?“ I disagree. Vader was a tool for the Emperor. Kylo IS the Emperor now. And the hate is largely gone because in canon Vader died sacrificing himself for the hero. “Why isn’t the majority of the world turned into serial killer supporters by now? A. The majority of the world isn’t into star wars. We’re a big fandom, but the world is bigger B. and the majority of Vader’s fans don’t try to justify his actions. He’s liked because he makes a great foil for our heroes. Why isn’t OP making a comparison to Darth Vader and attacking his fans? Again, Vader’s fans generally don’t make excuses for his actions. Because OP has an agenda to attack Reylos and make them seem like horrible people, because that’s just the way the shit rolls on Tumblr nowadays. Agreed, he definitely does. “[...]Committing a crime due to violent media, is far less easy to prove, and there has been no direct connection thus far.“ Right, but your post flat said “It isn’t true”, and that has not yet been determined. Hence my post. “All of these still prove my point–media alone does NOT transform you into a violent person UNLESS you already have a predisposition to being violent (like a history of abuse or a mental illness etc). It ISN’T true until you have enough statistics that back up your claim, and this doesn’t. What’s unhelpful, is not being well researched in a matter and making blatant claims. “ But I didn’t make a blatant claim about video games. I literally said the jury was still out. In response to you flat saying it wasn’t true. -_- “The media compares Hux and FO to Nazism because there’s a legitimate comparison to make (I know some SW fans disagree with me, but there is blatant Nazism parallels imo), because that was done PURPOSEFULLY. They took one evil regime irl and were inspired by it to create a fictional one of it. Every writer and design EVER takes inspiration form real life things to create something, eve villains. But let’s give an example here of a rational comparison and a shitty one:- Hux is like a Nazi (this can be confirmed by the imagery in SW, and background information, etc) - Hux is like a Nazi and therefore if you like Hux you like the Nazi party and therefore you’re a Nazi apologist. Hux is a Nazi and you’re a Nazi apologist.“ This is a bit of a straw man. You’d only be a Nazi apologist if you thought Hux’s POV were correct. Once more, liking a villain is fine - liking them to the point where your sympathy leads you to defend their views and actions is another thing entirely. “Saying that someone who likes Hux or the FO is like someone who might have agreed/sympathized with the deaths of millions of people is a HORRIBLE, inaccurate comparison to make (also Hux is LIKE a Nazi and Hux IS a Nazi are two different things, “ Again, that’s not what’s happening here. OP is talking about a specific action (how shippers talk about Kylo). Not liking the character in general. “And if you’re going to make the point that forcing yourself into someone’s mind is akin to rape, and therefore Kylo’s a rapist (and therefore Reylos are rape apologists–no lie i hear this shit WAY TOO much) then guess what?Obi-Wan is a rapist.Vader is a rapist.LUKE is a rapist.” I mean Vader definitely attempted to force himself into his daughters mind in ANH. Dude was the villain. The jedi mindtrick is more deception than anything else - morally suspect but not a painful violation unless there are more than one person doing it at the same time. Which is the actual term Pablo Hidalgo prefers for what Kylo does to Rey in that scene - a violation. “She (or he idk and idc tbh) is basically insinuating that Kylo Ren sympathizers cause school shooters sympathizers.“ Or vice versa, that the media and how damaged white monsters are portrayed is the reason Reylo’s see Kylo as sympathetic. Which was what OP’s excuse was IIRC. Personally I think the fault for both lies more with societies internal preference for white dudes, but that’s my take. “//Also–just for future notice–I don’t suggest ever using a Buzzfeed article to support your claim because your credibility will go right out the window. Buzzfeed is a pandering shitfest that is really written more by biased bloggers than actual reporters. I suggest using articles without bias and an actual good writing team and reputation.//“ I mean at this point that’s every news organization ever - least in America as far as I can tell. You can barely open a paper or watch the news without someone's opinion’s being clear. And it’s hardly the only article: https://www.salon.com/2016/01/12/we_need_to_talk_about_ben_kylo_ren_star_wars_and_the_media_narrative_of_the_mentally_ill_school_shooter/ https://www.theverge.com/2016/1/1/10698090/emo-kylo-ren-star-wars-parody-twitter http://www.forcematerial.com/home/2017/11/5/we-need-to-talk-about-kylo https://geekmom.com/2016/01/trying-not-to-raise-kylo-ren/ Kylo being compared to real world evil isn’t new. Shoot, there’s a bunch that link Kylo to the alt-right as well. Double shoot, Adam Driver himself straight compared him to terrorists. Kylo gets compared to lots of real world evil people. It’s going to happen. “Yup that’s definitely what happened. It wasn’t like he literally saw Luke about to kill him in his sleep“ No, he LITERALLY saw Luke post realization that he was in the wrong but still holding his lightsaber (like an idiot) and jumped to the conclusion his uncle was going to attack him. Luke’s behavior (which is a character assassination if I’ve ever seen one, but that’s an argument for another time) also happens only after peering into Ben’s mind and seeing nothing but evil. Ben then definitely attacks his uncle after that - from his point of view in self defence, sure - but from the overhead view an unnecessarily. “Oh no–wait, I was wrong:“ ...the article LITERALLY lists him murdering the kids. -_- “Oh so I guess it’s like I said before–people PICK AND CHOOSE their biases!! There is a UNMISTAKABLE comparison between Vader and Kylo FOR A REASON–the two ARE very much alike. But Kylo is a shooter and Vader’s tragic and grand?? GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE WITH THIS BULLSHIT.“ Uh, yeah. Vaders complete arc requires six movies at two hours at least each to tell. It’s pretty grand (lofty, big, etc). His heel turn alone is a culmination of three whole films. Also, the article presents Kylo as tragic as well, with Drivers portrayal being described as: “a mixture of pain and hurt so raw it threatens to rend the fabric of the series every time he's on screen“. Did you actually read it? “really made me want to pluck my eyes out. Holy hell my dude, why did you use this as a reference when it’s so clearly just—bad?? I think I lost five years of my life.“ Because it’s another example of Kylo being compared to the evil that is a school shooter. Again, it’s not the only time, and it’s not the only horrible evil he’s compared to. OP was insensitive about it though, given recent events. “And I want to make this clear–I don’t give a single FUCK if you don’t like Kylo Ren. That your opinion.“ I like his character a lot actually. I think he makes an excellent, compelling villain based on Adam Driver’s work. My issue is people attempting to pretend he isn’t one, or that his past trauma absolves him of ANYTHING he’s chosen to do, or that anyone owes him anything at this point, or pretending that this 30 year old man’s childishness can be justified at all. My bigger concern is that sort of thing happens in the real world for folks just like Kylo and that the two often sound exactly the same. “ I CARE when you bring real people into stupid fictional shit and say “You’re the reason why this is happening. It’s YOUR fault things are this way” I don’t think that was OP’s point at all. Least as far as he’s said. “ESPECIALLY when fiction is used right after a real tragedy like this. “ THAT I can agree with. Dude was insensitive. “ It’s disgusting to be compared on ANY level with someone who might do something like this–and again–it isn’t true. “ No one compared you guys to the shooter. How you TALK about the villain was compared. “ Read up on mental illness, debate gun control, read up on what actually causes school shooters to occur, look up psychological studies of BOTH sides, not just what Buzzfeed says–they aren’t accredited to make those calls in any way.“ The article I listed didn’t list the causes of school shooting at all. Did you just skim it? “STOP accepting this shit behavior my dude. It ISN’T OK or educated AT ALL. It’s downright stupid.“ The behavior I don’t accept. The point - that dangerous young white men are coddled both in and out of fiction - is all too true though.

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random-notes-and-jottings · 4 years

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Following the toppling of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol (and the daubing of slogans on the Cenotaph in Whitehall and the plinth of Churchill’s statue in Parliament Square), there have been an awful lot of poorly-argued positions flying around. One such is James O’Brien’s tweet which asserts, “Your view of the statue is your view of slavery”. Even given the limited character-count of Twitter, that is a very poor imitation of an argument. It plays well to the adoring gallery, but it’s no more coherent than “Your view of Boris Johnson is your view of people from New York,” or, “Your view of Priti Patel is your view of British Asian women”.

Those who have condemned the toppling of the statue have tended to rely on an equally poor counter-assertion: “It’s part of our history”. That is true, but it’s not an argument in itself, or perhaps not in the sense that its proponents think. Jimmy Savile is part of our recent popular history. Many of us grew up watching him on TV, and though we always suspected he was a bit of a weirdo, he was generally admired for his charity work, and plaques (and at least one statue) were put up in his honour. However, no one would now justify any public memorial to a man whom we know to have been a paedophile and a rapist. The same would go for any public memorials of Hitler. But should, say, Francisco Franco be similarly vilified? In the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca there are dozens of bas-relief roundels depicting rulers of Spain and the one of Franco was removed in 2017. And yet not one of the others (mainly monarchs from Felipe V to Alfonso XI) would pass any current ‘woke approval test’, largely because none of them lived in the 21st century. Franco’s ‘monument’ may have been removed, but the almost 40 years that he ruled Spain is thereby not magically excised. We cannot change the past. It remains a reality of history, to be debated, examined, recalled, abjured and/or celebrated. Few, if any, historical figures are irredeemably evil or faultlessly saintly.

So there is a tension between contemporary approval and “he’s just part of our history”, and no tweet is capable of resolving that tension in a couple of snappy sentences. I say “he” by the way, because very few non-royal statues are of women, and most that are are recent and therefore more likely to meet with contemporary approval. But even here there are controversies. There is a statue of Margaret Sanger (founder of Planned Parenthood) in the Smithsonian. She’s one of Hillary Clinton’s heroines and, thanks to the Planned Parenthood connection, a ‘woke’ liberal heroine. Yet she was also a proponent of race-based eugenics. In some cities in the United States, up to 5 times as many black women have abortions as white women. Surely, even the most ‘pro-choice’ person cannot think that such a racial disparity is something to celebrate?

Then we hear from Professor David Olusoga, a TV film-maker who tells us that statues are “not about history, but adoration” (and, by implication, approval). That is clearly nonsense, though an attempt at a pithy aphorism that will ensure the maximum media appearances. “Admiration” perhaps, but not “adoration” (and, moreover, “admiration” at the time of erection, not for posterity). Catholics and Hindus are usually those accused of ‘worshipping’ statues. I cannot speak for Hindus, but no Catholic ought to be ‘worshipping’ or, to use Olusoga’s term, ‘adoring’, a statue. A statue is a symbol or a token of the thing represented. 90% of the statues in a Catholic church are of the Virgin Mary and various saints, and none of them is to be worshipped — neither the statues nor the people they represent.

Even when it comes to representations of Christ himself, he is most often depicted nailed to a cross. We do not remind ourselves of the way in which Jesus was tortured and the sufferings he endured during his execution because we celebrate or approve of those sufferings. Rather, the cross stands as a reminder of what human beings are capable of — that when we meet perfect love, we are wont to destroy it. The crucifix is both a representation of perfect love and of human evil. It sustains millions in their prayer precisely because it is both. It demands reflection and meditation. Similarly, the fact that Auschwitz has not been bulldozed points to a similar idea — it is an image of something horrible, but what it represents should never be forgotten, even after the WWII generation are all long dead. And then there are the tombs and portraits of people in churches (particularly those dating from before the Reformation) — not honours given to saints, but plaintive pleas of the deceased for the living to pray for them, because they were aware of their own sin in life and believed they would need those prayers to have any hope for heaven. They were about humility, not pride.

Statues and memorials, then, are not straightforward, semiotically speaking. There is a strong case for having Colston’s statue removed to a museum (as the Hungarians did with all their Soviet era statues) or to a less prominent place, or even for its scrapping, certainly, but it does not follow that it stood as a ‘celebration’ of slavery, or its existence suggested that the people of Bristol are (nowadays) enthusiastic slavers. It might have been different if people were still bringing flowers and garlands, but that was not — as far as I know — the case. One annual protest which did take place around Edward Colston’s statue was the placing of figures of human bodies around the plinth, with labels like “domestic servants”, “sex workers”, “farm workers” and so on, reminding people that slavery still exists in this country. Colston’s statue had thus become, not the celebration of slavery that O’Brien thinks it was, but a rallying point for those who work to eradicate slavery in our own time.

Anti-Slavery Day 2018

Edward Colston is an easy target, because no one would defend slavery (pace O’Brien); but he was also a philanthropist, which is why he got a statue in the first place (1895 in fact). Should the wealthy, cosmopolitan, liberal city of Bristol be allowed to forget that it grew rich and successful partly as a result of the exploitation of human beings? Tearing down a statue doesn’t alter the fact, any more than a slave-owner giving money to charity alters the fact that his money came from slavery. One could argue that such an unhappy period of its history should be, visibly and palpably, on Bristol’s conscience; it shouldn’t be forgotten or erased (because it can’t be erased: even if you demolished Colston Girls’ School and all the other public buildings he endowed). He existed. He helped create modern Bristol. As they say, ‘Deal with it’.

Aside from a tangential contribution to parliamentary sovereignty, I do not ‘adore’ Cromwell in any way. He was a small-minded, anti-Catholic thug. But I cannot erase the fact that he ruled Britain for 5 miserable years, nor can I alter the fact that many still do admire and even ‘adore’ him. But the reason why a statue is erected is not necessarily the reason why a statue should be left in place. No one now worships Graeco-Roman deities, yet we do not crush their statues for hardcore. No one worships Bel or Baalshamin and yet most were appalled by the destruction of their temples in Palmyra by ISIS. The reason that statues are “our history” is precisely that they were erecting “in history”. They are snapshots of history. People in Bristol in 1895 deemed it seemly and fitting to erect a statue to Edward Colson. We would not do so now, but they did then. Perhaps even ten years later they would not have done so. People in the present are not bound by history, because we live in the present, but we cannot erase history, however much we might wish that the past had been better or different.

Let’s say that you are a teacher in Bristol and you have a young and thoughtful class of children (say, Year 7 or 8) with whom you wanted to examine the transatlantic slave trade and Bristol’s part in it. At the moment you have statues and the names of streets and buildings to go out and explore — in other words you have some actual history. It would be a similar story in most of Britain (think of Bold Street in Liverpool or Buchanan Street in Glasgow, etc.). Do we really imagine that the presence of a few 100+ year old statues and street names are going to make kids into racist apologists for slavery, or might the effect be rather different? We have heard, quite rightly, voices urging Britain to “confront” its dark past with respect to slavery. Seeking to “erase” the visible legacy of slavery might not be the best way of going about this, however painful those signs are.

There are also the empty comparisons with the toppling of the statues of Saddam in 2002-03, or Lenin in 1991-92, or the destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The difference is surely clear. None of those Iraqis, Russians or East Germans had previously had any democratic means of getting rid of those statues or structures because they were symbols of oppression imposed upon them. Had Colston’s statue in Bristol been universally hated and become an issue in local elections then it could not have remained (Bristol has a black mayor, after all, who can hardly have been ignorant of the connection). It seems that it just wasn’t a major issue for people (which is an issue in itself). Olusoga’s (and some Labour MPs’) view that tearing down statues “IS history” is true, but not a justification. A year ago most people (Labour and Cons) wanted rid of Theresa May, and yet because we knew we had the means to bring this about (a vote of NC, General Election, etc.) we could not have justified sending a mob to Downing Street to remove her. If we were living under an absolute monarchy which still traded African slaves, then tossing Colston into the river would have been a political act, rather than a student jape. It’s worth remembering, too, that although the transatlantic slave-trade ended long ago, we live in a world in which more people are enslaved than at any point in its history. The countries with most slaves are China, India, Pakistan, followed by the Middle East, North Africa and the Sahara region. Protestors against the horrors of slavery should also be demonstrating outside the Mauritanian Embassy on Vauxhall Bridge Road. If we are to ‘never forget’ and ‘learn the lessons’ of slavery, should we not be standing in solidarity with Albanians and the Vietnamese who are the 2nd and 3rd largest groups enslaved in the UK? (And indeed British citizens, black and white, who recently took the No. 1 spot?)

When Britain abolished slavery in 1833 (and she would be criticised now for compensating owners yet not ex-slaves) the government borrowed 40% of the national budget* to do so. That debt was only finally paid off in 2015. In the view of Guardian journalists this was a shameful act and little more than ‘blood money’ (and some on Twitter have suggested that British tax-payers were still “paying slave owners” until 2015), but in the US let’s remember it took a civil war and 600,000 deaths to free slaves there. However differently we think Britain should have acted in 1833, the fact is that the Slavery Abolition Act incurred a significant financial cost. For a country to take on a debt so large that it would take 183 years to repay suggests, surely, an admirable commitment to the belief that all human beings ought to be free?

* £20m in 1833 would be approximately £16.5bn in 2013 wage terms. As 5% of GDP would mean £100bn (in 2016). The Treasury’s statement is here.

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bangkokjacknews · 4 years

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South East Asia's coolest neighborhood

To walk along Soi Pridi Banomyong is not to enter some urban utopia. Uneven footpaths and lumbering traffic are part of the scenery here, just like they are throughout much of Bangkok.

This neighbourhood will not win hearts in an instant. And that might be its greatest attribute. A deep dive beyond its concrete facade is to discover how urban renewal can bring excitement and passion to a community without compromising its identity. This week, it was selected by global Time Out Magazine as the world's 12th “coolest neighbourhood”, the highest selection in Southeast Asia. The list was compiled using the opinions and guidance of the magazine’s editors, writers and readers and was based on cultural and culinary criteria, the emergence of new venues and exciting events, and a neighbourhood’s affordability to travel to and live in.

The types of buildings and businesses in the streets of Pridi vary greatly. (Photo: Pichayada Promchertchoo) Soi Pridi Banomyong - known colloquially just as Pridi - is actually a major road that connects two of Bangkok’s most important arteries, Sukhumvit Rd and Petchaburi Rd. From the main thoroughfare, tiny streets and cul-de-sacs branch out like tiny veins with their own unique offerings and atmosphere. Development is sweeping fast from west to east in the Thai capital, bringing with it development of modern housing, trendy eateries, foreign expats and rocketing prices. Pridi is right on the cusp of the gentrification wave that has taken much before it in neighbourhoods closer to downtown Bangkok, like Thonglor and Ekkamai, both walkable distances away. For now, the area around Phra Khanong, the skytrain station landmark from which Soi Pridi Banomyong begins, is at a happy junction.

An old feel of Bangkok is truly present still in Pridi. (Photo: Jack Board) Street food sellers, iconic in Bangkok, brush shoulders with office workers in front of smoky izakayas, craft beer stalls and colourful street murals. Japanese thrift stores stand alongside massage parlours, achingly hip Melbourne-style coffee houses and old-school coin laundries. It is a place where a vinyl record vendor can be found inside an anonymous apartment complex and where overseas tourists can gawk through open windows at traditional Chinese paper box making operations and pluck cold coconuts from vegetable vendors. It is an infectious mix, where new complements old and has not displaced community or culture. Entrepreneurs have taken root here in search of cheaper rent and the results are the creative releases of small businesses with fresh ideas and quirky focal points. They are the kind that might easily be too niche to exist in more glamorous or homogenised locales.

Colourful artwork can be seen through the window of Craftsman Barber Shop. (Photo: Jack Board) Clouds Across the Moon bar has been open since mid 2018 and is an example of an establishment receiving plaudits for being bold in its peculiarity. It is a fusion of retro and futurism, dripping with 1980s brio with a cocktail menu to match inside a converted shophouse on a small alley. Barman Surasit BoonLeua said a comparatively low rent price for the building, up to 50 per cent less than alternatives in more central locations, was the draw for the business. “People who come here really want to come here,” he said. "I’m happy. I want more businesses of this style in Pridi so that people can come to visit, strolling around.”

Track Addict Records is a vinyl specialty store hidden in an unassuming building. (Photo: Pichayada Promchertchoo) A few hundred metres away, Craftsman Barber Shop is finding cool in the classics. The once ageing building would not look out of place on trendy streets in London or Copenhagen. “In the past, this area wasn’t so developed. The owners thought they should do something with the building instead of just letting it grow old,” said barber Thayapol Thiammeuangpan. “I don’t think these businesses should be described as hip but more like craft and indie but still maintaining their own character, which is not so common.”

The main section of Soi Pridi Banomyong is like many parts of Bangkok: busy and chaotic. (Photo: Jack Board) The majority of the shop’s customers are foreigners, many of them expats drawn to the area for its public transport connections, affordability and vibe. More visitors, like American Nick Reynolds, have been drawn by Pridi’s growing reputation. “It’s got that rustic, old and not as modern as downtown Bangkok kind of feel to it,” he said. “I’ve heard people speaking English, speaking Thai, speaking other languages that I didn’t recognise. I think you get a good mix of a lot of different cultures and things coming together.” Change and the inflation it brings seems inevitable for Pridi. But its older custodians like braised pork and noodle seller Meuanthong Thipleutri are enjoying the opportunities that come with new faces in the ‘hood. “Many foreigners visit this area nowadays, like Koreans and Japanese. Quite a lot of them come here each day, during the day and at night. I’m happy,” she said, adding that her rent has not increased despite the increased attention and investment in the area. The ability of sellers like her, and the push cart vendors and long-standing specialty stores, to survive in this neighbourhood is key to its lasting integrity. There is still hardly a chain outlet to be spotted and that is a welcome find in a fast modernising metropolis. In the age of Google Maps and TripAvisor, walking around here is a testament to the joy that can still be found in exploring. The area has its hotspots, undoubtedly. But finding the hidden, the unspoiled, the enterprising or the eccentric might be the coolest thing that Soi Pridi Banomyong has going for it. - CNA – Stay up to date with BangkokJack on Twitter, Instagram, & Reddit. Or join the free mailing list (top right) Please help us continue to bring the REAL NEWS - PayPal Read the full article

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growinstablog · 4 years

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5 Simple Tips for Effective Social Video Branding Campaigns

In the old days, people used to meet in person to get their news, exchange information, and trade goods. This was known as the marketplace, and you could usually find it near a port in the big cities.

Fast forward a century later, and people still need a space where they can learn, shop, and be entertained. It’s just that now, those things happen in the digital world, on social media platforms.

And just as it was then, standing out and having your message heard in such a crowded place remains a challenge today. The good news is that we have way more tools to solve that problem nowadays, and the chief among those is video content

However, ask any savvy video marketing team about the topic, and they’ll tell you that on social platforms, it is not just about uploading videos. You need the right videos with the right strategy to get results.

In this piece, I’ll give you a no-nonsense, brief list with key aspects to make videos that get more engagement, on any social media platform!

The advantages of natively uploaded video

Native videos are video files uploaded directly to a specific social media platform. Particularly important if you’re using Facebook or Twitter, where you can either upload content natively or share a link to a video hosted on YouTube or another site.

But you may ask: what’s all the fuss about? What is the difference? Well, native videos are proven to perform up to 10 times better on Facebook when compared to YouTube links, for example.

Facebook knows that video is the most engaging type of content, and its algorithm will prioritize native uploads because they keep users inside the platform’s environment. Users don’t need to leave Facebook to watch the video somewhere else, as it happens with embedded YouTube links.

Plus, native videos begin to play automatically when you’re scrolling down your feed, while YouTube videos need an extra step to be manually played. This Autoplay feature translates into more views and, most importantly, a better chance of grabbing your user’s attention!

So, all things being equal, try to upload your videos natively if you’re using Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. On Instagram, though, you don’t have a choice since the platform currently doesn’t allow videos hosted on external sites.

Choosing the best type of video for each social media platform

Every social media platform is unique in some way and attracts different types of users interested in different types of content. Technically speaking, you can just go and make any old video and post it on social media. But do you think that’s an effective long-term strategy? Hardly ever!

If you want to max out your potential, you need to create videos based on what’s proven to work best on each specific platform. Or that has incredibly broad appeal. More importantly, audiences respond well to content that feels like it’s been specially made for them.

Here are four types of videos and the platforms on which they perform best.

The ‘product video’

Sometimes, all that stands between your customer and a purchase decision is the right kind of information. Product videos list the key attributes of your product or service simply and directly. They are perfect at highlighting the uses and benefits that you want your audience to know about.

These videos are a powerful tool in the e-commerce business, but if you want to use them on social media, they shouldn’t feel like any old product demo. Product videos with a fresh and informal look can work well both on Instagram and Facebook. But I wouldn’t recommend using them on LinkedIn or Twitter, where users are less likely to be interested in this type of content.

The ‘explainer video’

The first rule of video marketing is to grab your audience’s attention with a piece that delivers value. It makes sense then, that explainer videos ended up being one of the most popular styles in this arena. In a simple, appealing package, they give you a way of educating, entertaining, and advertising to an audience.

Most users look for social media posts that teach them about something, which is where explainers shine. They are compelling pieces that describe your message using the power of storytelling, making them interesting from the get-go.

Learning through videos is much easier than learning through other content formats. Because of their short-length and direct message, explainer videos work perfectly in social media, especially on Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

The ‘company story video’

The first two types of videos we covered focus on your brand’s products and core message. Company story videos, on the other hand, shift the spotlight towards the people and process behind your brand. They are a great opportunity for you to showcase your brand’s personality and create an emotional connection with your audience.

This type of video gives your audience a glimpse into the human side of your company or brand, which can improve the trust and investment your audience has on you. They can also be the start of a fun conversation and interactions. After all, we all would like to know something about the people who design the products or make the content we love!

Because of their nature and purpose, Company Stories videos work best on LinkedIn, and YouTube, where users are eager to watch company-related content. But an inspiring and heartfelt – albeit more informal – story can also work wonders on Facebook and Twitter.

‘Events’ and ‘live’ videos

In the last few years, Facebook Live and Instagram Stories began to develop into a new type of content: live-streamed videos. They are an exciting and interacting way of increasing your brand’s presence in social channels while also boosting brand awareness.

But Live Videos only work if you have something meaningful to broadcast. Is your brand planning a new product or service reveal? Do you want to show behind-the-scenes of what it’s like to work with your company? Then you should think about including this type of video in your strategy!

Keep it short, engaging and useful

There’s a lot of psychology necessary to market effectively in social media. You need to understand that some people would like to spend less time on social channels, and overall attention spans are at an all-time low. Many users find themselves scrolling just to keep track of the latest news or look at a funny meme, before moving on.

So, to be effective in such a ruthless arena, you need to make content that works despite all of that! The best way is to make pieces that are short, engaging, and useful.

Short

Brevity is the golden rule of social media. It should be no surprise to know that short videos are proven to perform best on such platforms. After all, “mobile” and “on-the-go” are analogous to the social media experience. When it comes to effective videos for social, we’re talking 2-3 minutes tops! (With a couple of exceptions that allow for long-form content).

Engaging

One helpful thing to understand about social media is that most videos are discovered, rather than searched for. On Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, users don’t search for videos (they have YouTube and Google for that). They’re more likely to “accidentally” stumble onto your video when scrolling their feed or a hashtag.

And whether they watch your video or not, it all depends on first impressions. Hyped and viral content have one thing in common: they offer instant gratification. So, leave suspense to Hollywood and start your video off strong! Always polish the first 5 seconds of your video.

Useful

As we’ve said before, people don’t want to feel like they’re wasting their time on social media. A helpful, interesting, or entertaining video will help you attract the right kind of attention and strengthen your core audience.

So, once you get their attention, offer them something they can use in their day-to-day life. That’s how you get them to remember your piece, and share it with their friends.

Video branding techniques

Most Gen-Zs won’t know it, but in the early days of social media, branded content wasn’t allowed. Remember when the feed was exclusively composed of posts from friends and family? That’s one of the reasons why branded content may still feel like a bit of an intruder on social media feeds sometimes.

The branded content that tends to work best, then, is the type that doesn’t feel branded at all! The design of your video should walk the fine line between brand identity and a more user-friendly look. If there’s one thing users don’t want to watch on social media it’s traditional advertising.

But this shouldn’t set you back; take it as an opportunity! Present your brand in a new and fresh way, as it has never been seen before. Consider repurposing existing content in new formats to find new audiences.

Technical tips from the pros

Before you go, let’s get technical for a bit! Here are a few tips you may want to check before putting the last touches on your video.

Sound: Did you know that most videos on social media are muted until the user chooses to turn on the sound? Plus, you never know what device your audience is using! Make sure your video works without sound.

Captions: If you need to use dialogue, then your video should include captions so viewers can follow along, even during muted plays.

Thumbnail: a lot of users my scroll through your video without even giving it a chance. Use an intriguing thumbnail to grab their attention.

Loops: On platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, short videos loop automatically. Make the beginning and end of your video match, so you create a seamless loop.

Call to Action: Video content is short, and if it’s engaging, you’ll keep them wanting more. Give your viewers clear instructions on what to do next if they enjoyed your video.

Wrapping up

Do you want to build a strong social media presence? Then start creating video content. But, as we’ve seen in this article, it’s not a simple equation!

There are bits and layers to an effective social media video, but when done right, there’s no stopping what your brand can achieve.

So, take these tips and start creating fantastic social branding campaigns. You won’t be disappointed.

https://growinsta.xyz/5-simple-tips-for-effective-social-video-branding-campaigns/

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chfaiq5k-blog · 4 years

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Tips 2020 Social Marketing : Online Social Marketing Strategies

Social Media Marketing, Truth and Lies

You order a specific thing online and it will require way more time for you to arrive than it should. As well as, a few items are missing inside the package. Disappointed, you decide on the vendor’s Facebook funnel to tone of voice your concerns and be prepared to be paid for.

And inspite of repeated prodding, there is full radio silence at the opposite end.

The experience decided not to feel good made it happen? You think might be this organization doesn’t treasure you – how you trusted it to provide you with a good knowledge and this shattered this trust instead. So you carry out what virtually any frustrated person would — you vow never to order anything from here again and hit the “unlike” switch.

For social networking strategists, there is also a lesson to be learned right here. A social media marketing strategy may eventually fail with a few unlikes and bad comments.

Like a business owner, social websites gives you limited chances to have a good impression. How you take full advantage of these chances might make your business or break it.

The proof is at these numbers:

• 71% of users who have a positive social media experience of a brand can easily recommend this – Ambassador

• Regarding to a research, hardly 20% of social media posts rarely generate virtually any emotional reaction on social websites – Havas Media

• 42% of Twitter users expect to get expect a small business to respond to their inquiries inside an hour – Ambassador

Social media seems to be the most recent buzz word for anyone looking to enhance their online presence and sales, but is certainly Social Media Marketing (SMM) all it is cracked approximately be?

H. M. M companies are right now springing up all over the place today and they are revealing anyone that will listen about how precisely incredibly essential social media just like Facebook tweets and Aol are to your business but , for the average up-and-coming small to medium sized business, does advertising to social support systems really meet all the hype? Is spending a small fortune about hiring a SMM company well worth it? And has anyone seriously done the research about this before that they hired someone to set up presently there Facebook organization page?

A few SMM companies are setting up items like Facebook business pages (which are free) for $600 to $1, 000 or more and showing their clientele that they don’t need a webpage because Fb is the biggest social network on the globe and everybody has a Facebook account.

Right now while it could possibly be true that Facebook certainly is the largest social networking in the world and yes, Facebook’s members happen to be potential consumers, the real query is could they be actually ordering? Social media marketing companies are all too very happy to point out the positives of social media just like how many people work with Facebook or how various tweets were sent out this past year and how various people enjoy YouTube movies etc . tend to be you getting the full photo?

Social Media Promotion Strategy

I when sat up coming to a SMM “expert” for a business class who was spruiking to anyone that came within earshot about the amazing advantages of setting up a Facebook business web page for small companies (with him of course) and offering on Online social networks. So , intrigued by the previously mentioned “experts” advice I viewed him on Facebook only to find he had just 11 Online social networks friends (not a good start). So staying the research nut that I was, I decided to adopt a good look at SMM in regards to selling to find out if it essentially worked, exactly who did it are working for and if that did as to why did Social internet marketing work for them?

And should business rely consequently heavily upon social networks to get sales?

Like a web builder I was regularly (and nowadays increasingly) confronted by several online community challenges the moment potential clients might say that developing a website sounds good nevertheless they had a Facebook business page and had recently been told by simply various sources (the ever before present however anonymous “they”) that social support systems were one thing to do, nonetheless after speaking about their needs it has become quite clear that those potential clients don’t actually understand why they will needed web sites or SMM to generate internet sales.

They just wanted it. For small and medium sized business I usually recommended building a quality web page over any sort of social network, for what reason? Well it can simple seriously because social media is Social websites, and great example of such are Internet sites they are certainly not business press and business networks (that would be a lot more like LinkedIn).

Marketing Via Social Networks

I do know that seems simple but it’s accurate and the information back it up. In fact that social media fails to tell you that Facebook is a online social network not a search results and regardless of the number of Fb users and Google users being throughout the same, persons don’t use Fb in the same way that they can use a search engine like Google (which offers around smaller portion the search engine market), Yahoo and Bing to find business or perhaps products. They use it to keep in touch with friends and family or intended for news and entertainment.

In a recent research done by the IBM Institute for Business Worth around 55% of all social websites users explained that they will not engage with brands over social networking at all and later around 23% actually actively use social websites to interact with brands. Nowadays out of all the people that do use social media and who also do connect to brands whether purposefully or not, nearly all (66%) state they need to think a company is communicating truthfully before they may interact.

What exactly is use social internet marketing? And is that even well worth doing?

Aspects Of Social Media Marketing

Very well first of all We would say that using a well improved website continues to be going to enable you to get far more organization that social networking in most cases specifically if you are a small to medium sized regional business mainly because far more people are going to type in “hairdresser Interface Macquarie” into a search engine like Google, Bing and Google than they ever will certainly on any Social Media Internet site and if you don’t have a website occur to be missing out on all that potential organization. However in spite of all the (not so good) statistics .

I actually still think it is still a good suggestion for business to use social media simply not in the same way that many SMM experts are today, How come? Because it can clearly not working in the way they claim it can do. Basically SMM Companies and Business as a whole looked at web sites like Facebook or myspace as a fresh new market ready for the picking so when Facebook began getting users measured by millions PayPal co-founder Philip Thiel devoted US$500, 000 for seven percent of the firm (in June 2004) as them one or two venture capital organizations have made assets into Fb and in August 2007.

Microsoft company announced that it had purchased a 1. 6% share of Facebook for $240 million. On the other hand since Facebook’s humble starts up until now (2012) both SMM Companies and Business have got failed to really capitalise around the huge number of Online social networks users on the net. The truth is statistics does not equivalent buyers. Could it be in a Social media company’s welfare to talk social networks up?

Social Media Jobs From Home

Totally. Is it within a Social Network just like Facebook’s needs for people to think that companies can sell all over by advertising and marketing with them? Of course it is actually. In early 2012, Facebook revealed that their profits got jumped 65% to captal up to $1 billion in the previous calendar year as its income which is mainly from marketing had jumped almost 90% to $3. 71 billion so obviously the concept of SMM is exercising for them but it surely is perfect? Well… statistically no, nonetheless that does not necessarily indicate that it do not will.

I think the major big difference between social networks and search engines is motive. People who use Google will be deliberately trying to find something and so if they certainly a search meant for hairdressers which what they are looking for at that particular time. With something like Facebook the primary intention is usually to connect with friends and family. In October 2008, Mark Zuckerberg himself explained “I don’t think social networks could be monetized just as that search (Search Engines) did…

In three years by now we have figure out what the ideal model is. But that is not our primary focus today”. One of the biggest problems business deal with with web sites and SMM is belief. According to the IBM Institute for people who do buiness .

Value review there were “significant gaps among what businesses think customers care about and what consumers say they want from their social networking interactions with companies. inch For example in the current society folks are not just gonna hand you over at this time there recommendations, Facebook . com likes, remarks or particulars without getting some thing back because of it, so the previous adage “what’s in this for me? inches comes into play.

What Does A Social Media Company Do

Therefore the primary explanation most people provide for getting together with brands or business upon social media should be to receive discount rates, yet the brands and business themselves believe the main reason persons interact with them on social networking is to learn about new products. Pertaining to brands and business obtaining discounts just ranks twelfth on their set of reasons why persons interact with all of them. Most businesses believe social media will increase advocation, but simply 38 % of consumers consent.

Companies ought to find more innovative methods to connect with social media if they wish to see some kind of result from it. There initially were some good attempts shown in the IBM review of firms that had gotten some sort of any handle in order to use social websites to their advantages, keeping in mind that after asked what they do when they interact with businesses or brands by way of social media, customers list “getting discounts or perhaps coupons” and “purchasing companies services” since the top two activities, correspondingly a Circumstance. S goodies company referred to as Cold Natural stone Creamery provided discounts on their products on the Facebook webpage. Alternatively there exists a great software launched simply by Best

How To Use Social Media In Marketing

Makes a purchase in the U. S called Twelpforce wherever employees may respond to customer’s questions by using Twitter. With both Cold Natural stone Creamery and Twelpforce comfort is plainly in the go for of the potential customer & the truly amazing trick to social media marketing is always to sell without trying to sell (or looking like your selling) unfortunately most social internet marketing is focused the wrong manner.

Building a perceptible buyer to consumer marriage via social networking is not easy and probably the most profit to business’ using social media to boost their websites Yahoo rankings. Nonetheless business’ have to understand that weight loss just setup a Online social networks business web page and optimism the best. SMM requires work and customers need to find value about what you have to present via your social media work give them something worth their social conversation and as well as then you may improve results.

Today just as a footnote Facebook . com shares include dropped to under 20 dollars per show, that’s 50 percent their first price… as well as the lawsuits will be flying

This content was originally published here.

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fadwabouzangad · 4 years

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How to Earn Money While Traveling

Those who live for traveling, and many folks do, crave for the chance to ascertain amazing places within the world as often as possible. However, only a couple of people can travel the planet and not worry about their finances. albeit you are doing have some money within the bank and choose to spend all of them on traveling, those savings will probably disappear before you even get to travel through your ‘top 10 travel list’.

Of course, there’s also the matter of what you’ll do once you spend all of your money on those memorable travels. Traveling the planet on a really limited budget is usually impossible, but has the thought of earning money on the road crossed your mind just yet?

It has crossed mine. And, oh, numerous times.

The idea of having the ability to travel the planet and go everywhere i would like is filling up my heart with joy. And today is that the time when this is often not just possible, but doable. With numerous opportunities to earn money while traveling, there’s nothing stopping people from crossing everything off their ‘to see list’.

Being a full-time traveler may be a dream come true for several people round the world. I see no reason why anyone should miss out on the prospect if they need to try to to it.

Below is my collection of some great ways to earn money while traveling.

Travel Photographer

Wouldn’t you wish to travel the planet and earn by taking beautiful pictures?

The competition is very large and lots of people sell their travel pictures to budget the non-stop traveling. If you're good at this, you would possibly not only travel tons but travel rich!

With the proper camera and a few photography training, you'll build an excellent portfolio which will land you gigs on tourism boards, travel companies, resorts, etc. you'll quickly become an influencer and obtain people to pay you for your photography services.

Moreover, you'll put up the photos and videos on websites like Shutterstock and earn whenever someone downloads them.

It all starts with an excellent picture. So, once you continue your next trip, use your imagination and your best techniques to start a career as a travel photographer.

Rent Your Home You won’t be using your home or your room anyways, so why not make some money from it? Since you’ll be leaving home to travel, consider putting your space for rent online to earn some money and support those travels.

Being a number nowadays can truly pay off and is quite simple. With websites like Airbnb, you'll list and rent a bed, an area or a whole space and canopy your travel expenses, like your accommodation.

Travel Nursing The career of a travel nurse are often very rewarding. In countries like Saudi Arabia , the demand is large . If you've got some training and a minimum of a year of experience within the nursing career, you'll get a full-time job as a traveling nurse.

This usually combines a provided housing, paid travel expenses, and even meals. And in fact , you'll be purchased the work you're doing, too.

Translation Can you write and speak fluently in additional than one language?

If the solution is yes, you'll test the translating waters while traveling abroad. Many websites offer remote jobs for translators. If you're good at it, you'll use the cash to hide all of your travel expenses.

Social Media Manager If you're a part of the younger generations, you almost certainly grew up with social media. It remains highly popular nowadays which is why the demand for social media managers and marketers has grown within the past decade.

It’s very simple – companies don’t have the time to stay up with social media trends and promote their businesses online. Seeing how important this is often , they often hire remote workers to try to to it for them.

If you recognize your way around Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms, why not give this a shot?

Freelance Writing

Do you possess the talent to write down well? does one enjoy telling stories? what's your literary genre like?

If you're good at writing, you'll earn tons of cash while traveling solely by writing on your laptop. Once you build an honest reputation, you'll earn a high income from selling some ghostwritten content, advertising other sites on your blog or website, helping students with their assignments and essays or maybe from starting a travel blog to share your new experiences!

Right now, the trend within the freelance writing world is SEO. If you learn your ways around SEO, you'll help clients and corporations rank higher in search engines. together together with your writing skills, this will help with your world-travel goals while still earning some extra cash on the side!

Virtual Assistant Those companies who hardly find the time to market their brand on social media often need virtual assistants, too. Many of them will use the AI-provided assistants, but some prefer a true person to assist them manage their daily tasks, schedule some appointments, do some research or reply to emails.

This is an excellent job to try to to while traveling. You simply need an online connection and a laptop, phone or a tablet to urge paid just by assisting others.

If you would like to travel the planet and earn some money while on the move, try one or several of the ideas above to hide your expenses. the following pointers will assist you earn some extra cash to support those travel expenses without having to remain in one place. So, test the waters and, in fact — safe travels!

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5hfanfiction · 7 years

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Amnesia Ch. 16

*Trigger warning*

I don’t really know if this counts as a trigger, but just in case, there’s drinking in the chapter to the point of intoxication.

Camila

“Girlfriend? I never agreed to that! I would never be your girlfriend! You’re an emotional wreck that I could never learn to love." Venomous words spewed from those ruby red lips I loved. The woman I was falling for this week disappeared and she was replaced by someone else.

The moment those words left her lips, I slapped her. It was a natural reaction. I was stunned and I was shocked that she would tell me something like that. We had just been fine. We had been close and sharing kisses all week. Then she ran. She ran away and came back to her house with those vicious words.

Why would she tell me to decide and she would be fine with it if she wasn’t? Why would she go and treat me like I was the only thing in the world and then go and break me even more? Why would she even show she cared for me when it didn’t seem like she didn’t? Why did I even decide to come back for more heartbreak? Why did I trust her with my heart?

"You have no right to call me an emotional wreck when you don’t even know who you were after we were done. I’m not the emotional wreck. You’re the emotional wreck who doesn’t know when to let go.”

______________________________________

I should have never said those words to her, but I was dying from what she had said. I felt the need to strike back, to attack her in ways that I knew she wouldn’t understand but it would feel so good for me to let out. That’s what I thought would happen. I thought it would feel good. All I felt was guilt pour over me and drench me in it. What should have felt good, felt like I took the knife and plunged it into her heart.

I left that night. I left and I ran away this time. I ran away as far as I could go. I went back to LA and I told everyone Lauren would be here tomorrow like planned. They asked me why I didn’t come with her, but I told them that Lauren wanted to spend the last day with her family before she would be away for awhile. Ally was the only who seemed to believe my lie. Dinah and Normani not so much. They didn’t say anything, but from the incredulous looks they shared before me, I knew they didn’t believe me.

Lauren showed up the next day as planned. She looked a wreck. She had bags under her eyes, her face was dark and broody and she hardly said anything. When Ally asked her about spending time with her family, she looked at me before answering and confirming what I had said. I never told her to confirm my lie. She did it all on her own. I could only assume she didn’t want to share with the girls what happened the night before.

For the day, we decided to go out and have fun; something we hadn’t done since the night at the club. It was more than a month since we had gone out to have fun. Lauren and I decided to be civil with each other. We weren’t clinging on each other like we had when I spent almost a week in bliss with her. We just acknowledged that the other one existed in our life.

Dinah tried to get me alone multiple times and Normani did the same. Every time they would try to corner me, I would somehow find a way out of it. I tried to use Ally as a shield from them. Eventually they would corner me and I would have to spill; just not today. Today both of us, Lauren and I, would pretend everything was okay when it wasn’t.

“I’m so excited we’re going to be dropping a new album at midnight and then we’ll be going to Peru in a couple of weeks!” Ally was the most cheerful person I knew. I swear this girl could find light in every dark moment. Plus she was a little oblivious. Well with the whole thing that was happening. Unless she was faking it and she knew everything that was going on. She was mother hen after all.

“I’m kind of excited to see what the fans will think about it. They’re always so passionate about what we put out and it’s great to scroll through Twitter reading their tweets to us.” I commented. My voice was a little monotoned when I spoke. I couldn’t put too much emotion into it with the way I was feeling. Seeing Lauren only intensified my guilt over what happened the previous night.

Normani and Dinah agreed by nodding their heads. Lauren was lost in her own world. She was twirling a strand of hair between her fingers while she stared off into space. I took the time to look at her, to really look at her. I could see how dark the bags under eyes were and how ragged she looked under the harsh lighting of the coffee place we decided to check out on a whim. She wasn’t looking great. Lauren looked like she hadn’t slept in days.

“As much as I know all of us would enjoy to spend more time with each other, Lauren looks like she didn’t get much sleep last night. She probably stayed up all night with her family before she left. How about we all relax and then meet up again before midnight?” I made a simple suggestion to allow time to myself and to end this obvious torture of Lauren.

As much as I wanted to hate her for everything she had done last night, I couldn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to hate her for saying what she did. I had no idea of what happened after our last kiss. She didn’t mention anything further once I had spoken those awful words.

My mind was working in overdrive and assuming the worse. I was assuming she had remembered something and that is why she ran. It scared her and she ran and she said things she didn’t know anything about. She was scared of what she remembered and she decided to lash out; put it all on me because I had hurt her first.

I did all the damage. I took her innocence and shattered it into a million pieces the first time I pushed away from her. I made her the emotional wreck she became. I was the one who made her a drunk and waste away her life for two years. I did that. I was the cause and she forgave it. How? How do you even forgive someone for something you don’t remember?

Why was I such a moron? Why did I think this would be easier just because she didn’t remember? Why did I think it would be easy to win back her heart? Why did I still love her? I should just let it go. I should just let her be and let her do what she wants. If she wants me, then she’ll come find me. But if she doesn’t, then I won’t go looking for her. I’ll let her be.

__________________________________________

We were on tour with Demi Lovato. We had spent the day on the bus going to the next location. There was so many people on this bus. Plus the girls were always around which left very little time for Lauren and I to escape from everyone. I wanted to be alone with my girlfriend. I wanted to hold her hand or give her a soft kiss. The wanting was easy. That was never a problem for me or for Lauren. The issue was keeping it a secret. With how everyone was nowadays, I was afraid to come out and for there to be complications that would prevent Lauren and I moving forward as a couple.

“Camz. Move over. I’m going to come into your bunk.” I had the curtain closed, reading a book like always. I scooted over as much as I could so the Cuban could squeeze into the bunk. I kept reading my book as I was just getting to a good part. Reading didn’t last long once Lauren was settled in the bunk with me. She pulled it out of my hands and closed it before putting the book behind her. I heard it thud onto the floor of the bus.

“Whoops,” she started to giggle. “I didn’t mean to drop it.” This goddess before me, she started leaning in closer to me. She licked her lips just before her lips touched mine. I had to stop her, but it felt so good to be kissing her again.

Before I could stop her, she tore away from the kiss. “Sorry. I couldn’t control myself. I’ve been dreaming of your lips all day. I had to steal a kiss from you.”

I blushed, my cheeks heating up quickly with the new flow of blood through them. I ducked my head into the crook of my arm. Blood rushing to my cheeks was a natural reoccurrence around her. It was hard not to blush when she complimented me.

“Don’t hide your face from me baby girl. I love it when you blush. You’re so cute when you do.” Her lips were near my exposed ear. It sent shivers down my back and made me blush even harder. “Look at me Camzi.” She used her hand to raise my head so I could look at her.

I looked into her forest green eyes which were staring right back into mine. They were mesmerizing, majestic and I could say so many more things about those eyes that could see into my soul. They were almost as beautiful as her soul. It was her soul that was making me fall in love with her. I was falling hard and deep into those eyes and the beautiful soul in front of me.

“Kiss me Lo. Kiss me again. Just kiss me.” I begged her. There was urgency in my words. The need to feel her lips again was grand and I knew she knew it by the way her eyes softened. A smirk graced her lips.

“You want me to kiss you?" Lauren scooted closer to me, her hands finding their place on my hips. She surprised me by lifting me and placing me on top of her body. Shivers ran down my spine. This was new. We had never been in this position before. Laying side by side had happened. Making out on several couches had happened as well; nothing like this had happened before. "Do you mind?” She asked me.

The smirk was replaced with a soft smile. Gentle with the way she did things, she always asked me if it was okay for her to do new things. My feelings were never put aside or ignored. They never were.

I shook my head, unable to speak. She was amazing. I still couldn’t believe I could call her mine. Lauren Michelle Jauregui was mine and I was hers. My poor heart could barely handle the thought. It was pounding continuously in my chest.

It would be useless to try to run from this feeling. Because I would never be the same after her.

_________________________________________

That night was the first time Lauren and I fought. The reason was so stupid. I just started a fight over nothing with her. I did it because I was scared. I was scared of Lucy and the friendship she had with Lauren. I was scared because I had this gut feeling that Lucy was in love with her. It wouldn’t have been until years later that my gut feeling was proved right, but I knew back then there was something there from Lucy at least.

Pretty much every time we had a fight, it was because Lucy this or Lucy that or Lucy was coming to our concert. Or if it was okay if Lucy came to hang out with us. Or do you mind if Lucy and I just go by ourselves? I was intimidated by the history they had and the way sometimes Lauren talked about her. I don’t think she ever knew that. I think up to this day she had no clue about the look she would get when she talked about Lucy.

Which was why I was here, alone in my room drinking. I had gone through about two bottles of whiskey within the last two hours and I was sure if the lights were on I would start to see double. The liquor was coursing through my veins; it was infused with the blood that was pumping through them. Soon, I knew I wouldn’t remember much and then the water works would probably commence if I didn’t go and make a fool of myself.

For once, I could see why Lauren became a drunk for two years. It was a way to numb the pain, excruciating pain that shot through my heart last night.

I grabbed a new bottle and I took a long drink from it. At this point, the alcohol wasn’t burning my throat on its way down. It was smooth and it warmed my belly–other extremities as well. My whole body was feeling warm and toasty from the whiskey. Taking another drink straight from the bottle, I tried to take as much as I could. I was a fish without water. If I didn’t have this, I wouldn’t be able to survive my heart breaking.

There were soft knocks at my door. I looked in the direction of the door. Since the lights were still off, I could barely make the outline of the door through the bit of light that filtered in through the bottom of the door.

Sluggishly I made my way to the door. I almost tripped on my way over. I was pretty clumsy without the alcohol. With the liquor in my system, I was ten times more prone to fall or drop something. I took another drink making sure not to drop it when I was done.

I opened the door to the person who was on the other side. Low and behold it was my very best friend in the world, Dinah Jane. Good old Dinah Jane who always had the best ideas to get Lauren back. She was the one who had sent me off to find Lauren. If she hadn’t of sent me off, I wouldn’t be like this right now. Last night would never have happened. Last night would not be permanently engrained into my brain. I would be happy. Or as happy as I could be.

“Hey Cheech!” I slurred out. My speech was a little impaired from drinking. I tried leaning up against the door so I wouldn’t fall over.

“Camila?” She looked me over once. “Are you drinking?” She reached for the bottle I was holding in my hand.

“No. It’s mine.” I stumbled backwards trying to keep her away from taking it. I ended up falling onto my butt. “Oops.” I giggled and then went to take another drink. I spilled a little onto my shirt.

“What are you doing? You don’t drink. Why are you drinking?” She was on her knees in front of me, looking me over again. It was like she was checking to make sure this was real or the real me.

“I felt like…I wanted to-to-to have a drink.” At the end of my sentence a small hiccup came out which made me giggle again.

“Mila…what happened?” She tried to reach for the bottle again, but I slapped her hand away. She sighed and crossed her arms, looking at me like she was my mother.

“It’s mine.” I hugged the whiskey to my chest. “Get your own. Mine, all mine.”

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” She sighed and pushed up from the floor to get up.

“Tell you what DJ? Do you want some of my whiskey?” What was she talking about? What did she want me to tell her? I looked at my whiskey that I had just offered to her. I knew I offered, but I decided to just drink the rest and have it all to myself.

“Nothing Mila. Let’s get you to bed, huh? Would you like that?” Dinah put both of her hands out for me to grab them. I slapped both of them away.

“No!” I cried. “I don’t want to go to bed yet! I want to go on an adventure!” I got up, my world swishing around in my head as I moved to be upright again. “Ta-da!” I yelled once I was on my feet again. My balance was unstable and I could feel my world spinning just a little more than before.

“You’re in no condition to go on an adventure. Just get into bed Mila.” Dinah gently turned me around, pushing me in the direction of my bed.

“No!” I yelled again. “You can’t make me go to bed.” I managed to evade her when she tried to grab me. As sluggish I was feeling, I should have fallen on my ass again. I used the small momentum I had in my stride to propel myself towards the door and into the hallway.

“Camila get back here!” Dinah yelled from inside the room.

I scrambled to move as quickly as possible to get away from her. I didn’t want her to catch me and then drag me to bed. I had strength and probably could hold my own against her any other day of the week. Being drunk had its complications and I would lose if she got ahold of me.

I hurried to the stairs. I was able to walk down two stairs before I lost my balance. In slow motion I watched as the stairs–which had been under my feet seconds ago–got closer and closer to my face. My face met the stairs I missed and then the rest of my body was greeted by them. They got to know each other really well as I continued to fall down the stairs.

“Camila!” I heard about four different voices yell out once I felt myself come to a complete stop.

My body was aching from the fall. I couldn’t form any words. My world was really spinning this time. I felt cool hands gently lift my head up. I flinched when it was placed against something soft.

“Camz. Oh my God. Camz. Can you hear me?” The last thing I heard before passing out was Lauren’s husky voice telling me to stay with her.

____________________________

Well well…

–brknshdws

#UPDATE #series #non AU #camren #based on song #submission #Amnesia

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