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taylizmasterpost · 4 years

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Jake Gyllenhaal and Jealous Liz (October 2010 - February 2011)

Now, there’s a lot to say about Jake and Taylor. The time they got together was a time when he was promoting his movie, Love and Other Drugs, and she was about to drop Speak Now. So at first glance, it look a lot like a traditional PR stunt. However, they do not have a first public meeting -- something that Taylor has with a lot of her other PR relationships (think Calvin at the Fund Fair or Harry at the KCAs), and seemed generally more camera shy.

Jake’s costar in Love and Other Drugs, Anne Hathaway, was also single at the time, and arguably a PR relationship between the two of them would’ve drummed up significantly more buzz for the film, so stunting with Taylor seems an odd choice.

Jake also reportedly annoyed Taylor with how much he wanted to hide from the press, which is interesting. I’m not totally certain if they were real or not, but I’ll put all of their stuff in here, because it’s interesting to note Liz’s reaction to all of it, despite her relationship:

23 October 2010 - Emma Stone hosts SNL. Both Taylor and Jake G show up to support her, supposedly they’ve already started dating at this point and this was their first public appearance together.

"They walked around together backstage, but they were careful not to be seen too close. It was hard to tell if they were together, but everyone was shocked that she brought him," a source told People magazine.

Notice the lack of public meeting. Strange that they just showed up together dating.

24 October 2010 - Liz tweets about listening to Never Grow Up

October 2010 - Taylor writes All Too Well, the first of the three “Nashville songs” -- All Too Well, State of Grace, Stay Stay Stay-- that were written for the Red album before she moved to LA, based on the fact that she said she started writing for Red slightly before Speak Now was released.

We also know All Too Well has to have been written in 2010 because what the copyright record for it says:

Now, it seems to me that this is too soon to be about Jake. It’s obviously a breakup song, and Taylor and Jake have only just started dating (unless they had a secret dating history we don’t know about). It would be weird for her to be writing all this about him while they’re still dating.

All Too Well could be about any of the three women I’ve spoken previously about in this masterpost. However, I’m going to try to make the case that this song is for Liz:

All Too Well is Liz’s favorite song from Red. She has said so on multiple occasions. Years later, when she came to watch Taylor’s Reputation tour in Glendale, Taylor even played it for her as the surprise song. Sure, it could just be that Liz is just a fan, but the song fits where we are in the timeline. Liz has moved on with someone else. Taylor is trying to get over it, but she can’t help but think back to the past she remembers “all too well.”

If the song is about a woman, lines like “back before you lost the one real thing you’ve ever known” reads to me as Taylor making a (possibly unfounded) dig at closeting. All Too Well also carries the bad driving metaphor with “almost ran the red,” which runs throughout a lot of the other Liz songs on Red, and which Liz will later reference herself in her own music. The lines in the bridge about “asking for too much” and “running scared,” remind me of Taylor insisting she was single during Valentine’s Day, despite spending it with Liz, only to turn around and miss her once Liz got a boyfriend. Lines about loss of innocence are also interesting, when we think about that L Chat post about Liz from earlier...

Of course, obviously, you can think this song is about whoever you want. If you wanna claim it for JH or Joe Jonas or Taylor Lautner or maybe even some girl Taylor went to high school with, be my guest. I personally don’t buy it being about Emily in a post-Dear John world, and the timeline doesn’t read as Jake to me, so I’m giving it to Liz!

25 October 2010 - Speak Now is released. In the album’s prologue, she specifies that the song “Long Live” is for her band, which is interesting to me, considering that the bridge of the song sounds like it might be about a relationship, and the secret message of the song is “For you,” which sounds oddly specific:

Will you take a moment? Promise me this That you’ll stand by me forever But, if God forbid, fate should step in And force us into a goodbye If you have children someday When they point to the pictures, Please tell ‘em my name

The secret message for Mine is “Toby,” which is the name of the actor who played her love interest during the song, making it make no sense for the song to be about him (and, in my eyes, making it more likely she was trying to cover up who the song was really for). We’ve already discussed Story of Us having “CMT Awards” and Back to December having “Tay,” so I won’t beat you over the head with those.

Unlike the original handwritten lyrics to Sparks Fly, which featured the lyric “Get me with those brown eyes, baby,” the version that Taylor put on the Speak Now album had the lyric “hit me with those green eyes, baby,” with the eye color presumably being changed because Liz has green eyes:

The secret message for Sparks Fly is “Portland, Oregon,” which is where Taylor and The Agency covered Tom Petty’s song American Girl in May 2009 during the height of early TayLiz.

26 October 2010 - Taylor and Jake are spotted together in Brooklyn getting lunch with Emma Stone:

Liz does a sound check for Taylor for the Today Show. A video later gets posted on YouTube and someone leaves this comment noting Taylor and Liz’s chemistry:

31 October 2010 - Taylor and Jake are spotted in Big Sur together and stay at California’s Post Inn Ranch.

Liz spends Halloween with her boyfriend:

1 November 2010 - Taylor’s appearance on Ellen airs. Ellen asks her about Jake. Taylor says “I’m always optimistic about love. Yes, always, sometimes.”

2 November 2010 - Taylor and Jake are spotted in Santa Barbara together. They get ice cream, interact with fans, and Taylor reportedly laughs at everything Jake says.

16 November 2010 - Jake attends the Love and Other Drugs premiere alone. This is interesting to me, considering if this was a PR relationship you would’ve thought he’d bring Taylor as his date. Still, Paula made some weird decisions in her time as Taylor’s publicist (like putting her with a carousel of 18 year olds), so this could just be Paula thinking that Taylor showing up at the premiere with him would be too obviously read as a stunt. Doesn’t rule it either way. Still, I think Anne would’ve been a better choice for PR for this.

Mid November - Perez Hilton alleges that Jake has picked up Taylor on his private jet to fly her to London because she was “feeling lonely.” Jake was in London promoting Love and Other Drugs so this seems very stunty to me personally.

22 November 2010 - Taylor attends the American Music Awards and wins Favorite Female Country Artist.

Liz tweets congratulations at her and seems generally excited.

24 November 2010 - Love and Other Drugs is officially released in theaters.

25 November 2010 - Taylor and Jake spend Thanksgiving in Brooklyn with Jake’s family.

26 November 2010 - Liz seems to have spent Thanksgiving with Jason:

27 November 2010 - Taylor and Jake are spotted in a coffee house in Nashville:

And, maybe in response, Liz makes this weird and vaguely jealous Tweet:

Now, I don’t know what this means. Maybe the “you” refers to Liz and she’s having what Carly Rae Jepsen would call “boy problems” -- feeling torn and overburdened between a best friend and boyfriend:

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Or, perhaps, the “you” in this Tweet refers to Taylor, and Liz is trying to say that Jake is “using her up,” maybe meaning taking up her time. Or maybe Liz wasn’t referring to any of this. We can’t really know. Still, it’s interesting.

29 November 2010 - TayLiz hang out and Liz tweets about it. Perhaps to make up for the lack of time spent together since they both got boyfriends.

30 November 2010 - Taylor and Jake have coffee in Nashville:

1 December 2010 - Taylor writes a MySpace post about the CMTs.

Liz tweets about watching Glee, meaning she’s the one who got Taylor hooked on the show and therefore interested in Dianna. Hilarious.

2 December 2010 - Taylor calls Love and Other Drugs a “good movie” when asked about it, and won’t say anything more. She also adamantly refuses to talk about her personal life (This gives me 2018/19 Joe vibes, whatever that means).

3 December 2010 - Liz tweets that her favorite song on Speak Now is Last Kiss. She also tweets at Jason about his cooking:

5 December 2010 - Jake is asked about Taylor and says this:

“One of the greatest parts about being in a relationship is the intimacy you share, but it can be difficult if you’re being watched the whole time.”

This reminds me so much of what Taylor’s currently saying about Joe. Interesting, looking back on it.

7 December 2010 - Jake and Taylor do the “maple latte” pap walk stunt in Brooklyn with Maggie and her daughter. This is the only series of photos of them that I think was a set-up, but that means it’s pretty gross this is the one they chose to bring a child into:

I think the reason this was so obviously a pap walk was to get the “maple latte” in the shot. I’ve already speculated that Taylor had written All Too Well prior to her relationship with Jake, and this stunty pap walk would make sense if she needed to use him to cover for it.

8 December 2010 - Liz makes another weird vague possibly jealous tweet:

Now, in the context of Mine possibly being about Liz and Taylor saying that song is about her “tendency to run from love,” it’s possible Liz is shading Taylor’s pap walk with Jake the previous day. This tweet feels very “back before you lost the one real thing you’ve ever known.”

However, maybe she’s just really happy with Jason. I don’t know. I don’t know these people.

9 December 2010 - Taylor and Jake drive around LA, Jake yells at the paps.

Compare these to those photos with Taylor Lautner earlier in the timeline. These are not nearly as staged. Take away from that whatever you will.

13 December 2010 - Taylor turns 21. Liz and Caitlin bring her a pizza. Liz tweets at Taylor that she’s changed her life. This is supposedly the birthday that Jake didn’t show up to that The Moment I Knew is about. Liz and Caitlin bringing her pizza if she’s sad about it would make sense...

31 December 2010 - Taylor and Liz spotted together in Nashville. They get Pei Wei and JustJared calls Liz a “gal pal.” Taylor seems upset, possibly about her whole Jake birthday thing. Or possibly something else.

Liz tweets about going for a run and listening to Speak Now:

5 January 2011 - Taylor and Jake break up.

19 January 2011 - Taylor and Jake are spotted together by fans in Nashville, first at a coffee shop and then at dinner. Jake did not have any other business in Nashville, so it can be assumed he came there to talk to Taylor:

CONCLUSION: Were Taylor and Jake real? I don’t know. They really only ever did that one pap walk and didn’t seem to publicly promote each other’s work, as far as I could find, despite both releasing projects while together. The one pap walk they did seems to maybe have been to cover for All Too Well, which had possibly already been written (likely about Liz) before Jake and Taylor started dating.

Were those tweets from Liz jealousy? Or am I reading too much into it?

Either way, Taylor’s had her fun, and now it’s time to maybe start thinking about getting back together with Liz. There’s just one problem: her boyfriend.

The Speak Now Tour Begins (February 2011 - May 2011)

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surveys-at-your-service · 3 years

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Survey #426

“insatiable furnace, burning up our surplus / watching all essential life become another servant”

Are you a brunette? Yep. It is way past due time that I get it dyed... What is your favorite channel on TV? I don't really watch TV, but if I did, I'm pretty sure it'd probably be Discovery. Have you ever been to Chicago, IL? Yes!! It's my only experience with a truly BIG city, and though I'm not a city person, the experience was pretty magical. It was something I wasn't even remotely used to. Just so much life and business and energy to feel there. Who was your first friend? Brianna. She was the sister of my older sister's best friend. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas. :') Do you regret your last kiss? Nope. Have you ever taken a karate class? No. Who was the last person to tell you ‘I love you’? My mom. Have you ever been to the Statue of Liberty? No. Do you live on your own? Noooo. I don't think I ever could. I would have to stay VERY busy, or else the loneliness would kill me. Hell, even if I was very active in stuff, I still don't know if I could. With how bad my depression is capable of being, it doesn't sound smart at all for me to move out unless it was with somebody. Are your the oldest child? No, I'm the middle kid. How many X-rays have you had in the last 2 years? Two, maybe? One for my legs and the other for my teeth. Are you on good terms with your last ex? Yeah, we're best friends. Do you have scars you don’t like to talk about? Nah. Do you freak out if a bee/wasp flies near you? ... yes lol. What subjects in history interest you most? The Holocaust. It's just so... shocking and extreme that it's oddly fascinating, but of course horribly sad. Are you superstitious in any way? Nah. How do you get rid of anxiety? Do what? Are there any items of jewelry you never/rarely take off? Yeah, my two rings, my lip piercing, and tragus piercing. Has a song ever made you cry before? There are many. ^If so, what about it brought you to tears? Again, I said "many," so this would be a horribly long list. There are four though - "Eternally Yours" and "Another Life" by Motionless in White, "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin, and "The Mortician's Daughter" by Black Veil Brides - that I really, really try to avoid, because I WILL cry. They're all associated with Jason for one reason or another. "Stairway to Heaven," especially, is absolutely forbidden for me to listen to. Would you consider yourself open-minded? Very, honestly. Have you ever met someone online that you wanted to meet in real life? I've met Sara! :') There are a handful of others I'd love to meet, too. Tell me about the last thing that made you laugh until it hurt. Wow, I have no idea. I don't remember the last time I laughed THAT hard. When you graduate, what color will your gown be? Ugh, it was this insufferable red. We got to vote on it, and I really wanted navy instead, as it looks more formal and not as obnoxious to me, but red won. Do you own a gun? No. My household legally can't because of my suicidal history. What color of shirt are you wearing? It's a black tank top. Do you use any acne medication? Nah, I don't really get acne anymore. Are you emotional or very stoic? I'm emotional as shit. Have you ever watched an anime series, start to finish? A few. There's Fullmetal Alchemist (as well as the Brotherhood expansion), Deadman Wonderland, and Ginga Densetsu Weed. I've seen bits of others. Which baby animal is your favorite? MEERKATS!!!!!! :') Once they reach three/four weeks, they're fucking precious. I also really like kittens. Do you like jam on your toast and biscuits? Sometimes. Have you ever reread a book? It is very, VERY rare I do this. The only cases I remember are for Because of Winn-Dixie and Meerkat Manor: Flower of the Kalahari. Do you have any religious symbols in your home? I think Mom has some religious quotes on the walls? What religion do you identify with, if any? None. What is you favorite flavor of pudding and/or yogurt? I love chocolate pudding, but I'm not very big on yogurt because of the sourness. I can sometimes eat a cookies 'n cream one, but occasionally I'm like "ew." We’re going to the best amusement park ever, first ride you choose is? One of those water rides where you go down a big slope. Did you have intense night terrors as a child? No. Know anybody who works in a tattoo parlor? No. That'd be dope. Have you ever had a piercing get infected? Ugh, yes. Worst was the first time I got my tongue pierced. It was early into infection though, thank God; I ended up having to take it out and get it re-pierced later. Have you ever shoplifted? No. Do you hate when people say, "Everything’s going to be fine,“ when it’s not? Sometimes. It can feel kinda dismissive of your extreme situation, and sometimes, things simply won't be okay. Like, you can't tell that to someone on their death bed. Do you check your fire alarms when you’re supposed to? No, oops. Are you a shorts-wearing kind of person? Absolutely not. Nobody wants to see my legs, not even me. Is your grandparents’ house obsessively tidy? My grandma's sure as hell was. She was very old-fashioned and "proper" and took cleanliness and manners very seriously. Do you know how to jumpstart a car? Nope. Would you date someone 8 years older than you? Probably. What did you do today? I WENT TO THE GYM AND DID A FULL HOUR OF EXERCISE!!!!! :') For once I am SO fucking proud of myself. I left drenched in sweat, but I also left with a feeling of great accomplishment. I'm going to be going twice a week now with a personal trainer. (: Who was the last person you fell asleep with? Sara. Have you ever punched a hole in the wall? No. People doing that shit terrifies me. Have you ever felt replaced? Sure have. Have you ever kissed someone who was high? No. If you caught your significant other cheating on you what would you do? I don't have a partner, but hypothetically, leave their ass in a blink. I don't fuck with those kind of people. Do you know who Jeffree Star is? Well, yes. I watch him on YT sometimes and (astonishingly) love his music, and I find his work ethic extremely inspiring. That man knows how to hustle. What’s your favourite alcoholic beverage? Probably sangrias. When was the last time you saw a photo of your ex? "The" ex, it's been years. I've removed all pictures I have of him, irl and digitally, because it's triggering for me. How many push-ups can you do? Probably zero. Do you play any games on your phone? There's Pokemon GO, DragonVale, and Dragons of Atlantis that I play semi-regularly. Have you ever received a compliment from a stranger? Yes. Have you ever shaved your face? Just my upper lip to avoid the lady stache, ha ha. What colour is your front door? It’s white. Do you take the stairs or the elevator? If an elevator is available, I will ALWAYS use that. I have an extreeeemely hard time getting up stairs because of having just about no leg muscle. Do you get motion sickness? No. When was the last time you went to your favourite restaurant? Oh man, it's been forever. :/ Olive Garden sounds soooo good right now. Do either of your parents have any tattoos or piercings? No. Well, Mom has her earlobes pierced once, but that's it. Are you desperate for anyone’s approval, in particular? It's funny, even though he hasn't been a part of my life for years, I still desperately crave what I think would make Jason proud. There have been many times where my mind has wondered to what he would think of me now... and I know it's not good. Are there any activities you enjoy doing, but can only do for a short amount of time before you get bored or tired of them? Reading. When was the last time you felt hopeful, and why? Today, after finishing my workout at the gym. I think, finally, that I may be taking another stride forward in life. Do you find yourself asking for the same things for your birthdays and for holidays? Ha, yup: a new tattoo, 100%. What is something someone recommended to you that you disliked/hated? Girt's recommended some music to me before. He loves sharing songs he likes with me. Of course I didn't tell him it sucked, ha ha. What’s a fact about the last person you kissed? She is very passionate about animals, reptiles in particular, and is simply amazing with them. If you had a child, would you rather have a girl or a boy? A girl for sure. Has anybody ever accused you of doing drugs? No. Have you ever fallen asleep with the last person you kissed? Yeah. Honestly, do you think that you will wanna settle down in the same town you’re currently residing in? HELL no. I hate this place. Does anyone call you darling? If so who? Sara does sometimes. Are you close to any of your cousins? No. Are you a romantic person? I think I am. What’s the coolest thing you’ve seen out the window of an airplane? Mountains. Have you ever been in the mountains when the moon and stars were up? NO BUT FUCK I WANT THAT. Just lay in a grassy spot with some s'mores or something and just ~vibe~. Do people like your hair? I get complimented on it a bit. Have you ever held birdseed and a bird came and ate out of your hand? Yeah, at a bird sanctuary. Could you ever live in Alaska? Hell yeah, I'd enjoy that. On the main page on YouTube, what’re the three recommended videos? There's one by a WoW gold maker, a song by 3TEETH, and a video of bullsnakes hatching. Do you really care how many friends you or anyone else has on Myspace/Facebook? Couldn't care less. I only "friend" people I know and care about. Does your significant other have any piercings? I'm single. Do you ever get bored of yourself? Oh, all the time. I feel like I'm extremely dull and plain and, well, boring. How many band shirts do you own? Which? Oh goodness, I have no idea. I own a lot. Do you go to shows mostly for the music, the moshing, or the merchandise? I go for the music. It's nice to buy merch, but it's SO expensive that it's dumb. Moshing, I think is just stupid. Have you ever had anything pierced that you don’t have now? Many places, actually. So many holes closed because piercings had to be taken out when I was in the psych hospital. I was so annoyed. Who were you with the first time you watched the last movie you watched? I was alone. Do you have any twins/multiples in your family? Are they identical or fraternal? No. What is the highest number of jobs you’ve had at one time? One. Is your mom a good mom? She is the actual best. Last thing you threw in the garbage? The crust of some leftover pizza I had this morning. I generally eat the crust, but this time it was WAY too hard.

#survey #surveys #random questions #lyrics: ''altaer" by 3teeth

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jessahmewren · 5 years

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“Birthday Boy Seeking Party Guests” / Queen / Bohemian Rhapsody Fan Fiction

Summary: Tired of spending birthday’s alone, John posts an ad on Craigslist hoping to spice things up. Set in the 2000′s.

Rating E for Everyone be aware here be smut.

Pairing: Poly

Word count: 7,556

Also on Ao3

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John erased what he’d written for what seemed like the tenth time, squinting at the screen on his laptop. He cracked his knuckles, taking another sip of wine. The bottle was more than half gone, but he couldn’t be bothered to care. It was the weekend, and he was spending it, like every other weekend, alone in his flat browsing the internet.

The wine settled in his bones, making him feel warm and heavy and a bit giddy. He opened up the Word document where the Craigslist Personal’s ad he’d been fumbling over for the past half hour sat half written.

“I am a single male seeking three men for a one night stand at my flat. I have no other preferences other than that you be reasonably good looking and clean. I will send a headshot and directions when you send one.”

Wait. The fuck? That sounded really off and vain. No way should he be writing this while drunk. Or, he thought miserably, writing this period. But anyway.

“I am a single male seeking three men for a one night stand at my flat. I am fit and disease free; please be the same. Details to be follow.”

Was that better, he wondered? Worse?

“I’ve never done this before; I’m not weird or even kinky…just a normal guy wanting to have a good time for once on his birthday.”

There, he thought. That sounded nice and normal, not scary like some of the other ads (seriously, the one asking for the fart buddy was a little out there…). He copied the ad and, before he could chicken out, pasted it into the text box.

He titled the ad “Birthday Boy Seeking Party Guests” and hit submit before he could talk himself out of it.

John checked his Myspace briefly before closing the laptop. His cat, Gwyneth, coiled around his legs. He reached down to stroke her ginger fur. “Again, lovely? You’ve already had your dinner,” he cooed fondly. He reached for a bit of chicken from the fridge, leftovers from his own meal. “Just a snack, now.” The cat was an absolute unit, and he couldn’t afford her getting any fatter.

He put the wine glass in the sink, nodding off slightly as the water ran. Gwyneth waddled off to her cat bed, sniffing it delicately before she sank into the pillowy softness. John smiled at her as he switched off the light and shuffled off to his bedroom.

As he lay down beneath the covers, he thought of his little Craigslist ad, and smiled.

Freddie woke up early for once, silencing his alarm on his phone and stumbling to the teapot. He put the kettle on and grabbed a lemon strudel before settling on the couch and opening his laptop.

Craigslist was still open from the night before where he had entertained himself with reading the personal ads. It was one of his favorite past times late at night…sitting with a bag of crisps with his legs crossed reading some of those wacky adds. As his kettle hummed, he decided to scroll further down the page.

He landed on John’s ad, and something made him smile. “I’m not weird or even kinky…” Freddie laughed at that. Why yes you are darling, you’re asking for a foursome for your birthday! Still, his smile never faltered. He clicked on the user name and opened up his email program.

“Hi John, I’m Freddie. I AM weird and VERY kinky, and would love to come to your birthday party ;). I have attached a headshot. Cheers.”

He hit send and closed the laptop. His kettle was boiling by now and he poured himself a cuppa. He thought about the email he’d just sent and sighed. It wasn’t likely he was going to get a reply, and if he did, he was up for it. He hooked up regularly with no problems. This time was likely to be any different.

Brian cursed to himself. He was late and the computer labs at the university were always nearly full around lunch. He had a paper due in two hours. Maybe he could swing it.

He found one open kiosk in the corner and settled in front of it, plugging in his flashdrive. After an hour of typing, Brian closed the document and submitted it to his professor. One more paper, one more assignment closer to his PhD. He took a moment to relax and opened up his Hotmail.

After a few moments of aimless clicking and deleting, he opened one of his Craigslist notifications. Unfortunately, the amp he had wanted for his guitar was already sold. He clicked the link anyway, the website opening in a new window. He browsed the website a bit, eventually landing on the Personals section.

He entertained himself for a while, admittedly enjoying the sexier ads. And then he read John’s.

Something about it struck him as honest, and Brian could respect that. Brian considered the prospect of fucking three other guys, a little thrill running through him. What would that even be like?

He decided, like a good doctoral researcher, that he needed more information. He emailed John.

Roger was drunk (and maybe something else). His limbs were loose, and he couldn’t feel his lips. An easy euphoria fell over him, throbbing in his skull in time with the pulsing music and the girl riding his lap. The friends he’d come over with were somewhere else, but there were others here. So many people just walking around him as this girl fucked him right here on the sofa.

“Lay back baby,” She said as she rode him, steadily lifting herself off of him, the wet squelch of her tight heat lost to the music and the chaos of the open room. She was pretty in an odd way, Roger thought. His body felt like it was on fire, and he felt the involuntary response of his orgasm winding its way to completion.

He gasped, coming inside the condom as she giggled and contracted around him. He was panting hard, his heart racing. Whatever he had taken was too much, he thought, too much this time. He felt sick. He pawed at the girl as she chased her own climax, pushing her off just as she came, nibbling at his sweat-slick skin.

“Thanks for the fuck,” she said as she slid off him. She pulled up her panties under her skirt and wobbled away.

He sagged back against the couch where no one seemed to pay attention to him, feeling used. Tears stung his eyes, and then someone called his name.

“Hey Roger, you done fucking around? Come play this game with us.”

He raised his head, the whole room swimming. Gingerly, he made his way over to the small gathering. There were shots set up in front of a laptop. Greg, the leader of the group, pushed Roger down in a chair.

“It’s youngest against oldest, and Rog, you’re the youngest. Whoever does the least amount of shots has to answer one of these Craigslist Personals ads. I’ve put them all in a random name generator so it’s totally fair.”

Roger felt sick. He knew he’d had too much to drink already, and there was no way he would win. He stared the other man down anyway.

Greg counted them out. “On your mark, get set, go!”

Roger started downing shots until he declared he’d had enough. He was nearly blackout drunk when they pulled the virtual lever on the random name generator. The ad title that came up was “Birthday Boy Seeking Party Guests.”

Roger was passed out on the couch when Greg sent the email to John along with a fetching photo of Roger smiling with friends while wearing his favorite sunglasses. Greg was sure to add, “you can’t tell, but my eyes are blue ;).”

John forgot about his little ad until the following evening, when he was coming home from the repair shop and remembered that he should probably check his email. He picked up dinner, fed Gwyneth and did just that, deleting the spam and adverts and noticing, to his surprise, several emails from Craigslist users.

He omitted some right away…not on a superficial bases, but just based on how they sounded. Bossy, arrogant, or their emails gave out a creepy vibe. The next one he clicked on was a bloke named Freddie.

“I AM weird AND kinky…” John laughed at that. That was mild compared to some of the other things he’d been told. It was rather endearing, actually. As the pic took forever to load, he thought Freddie might be interesting to get to know.

Then the pic finally opened and John’s mouth flew open.

Black, lustrous, shoulder-length hair framing the most stunning face…tan skin stretched over sharp cheekbones and jawline and those piercing brown kohl-lined eyes. He was easily the most exotic person John had ever laid eyes on. He was immediately attracted to him.

John hit reply and began typing. “I love your headshot. This may be a little forward, but would you like to come celebrate my birthday with me? You would be my first guest :).”

He gave him the time and place, included a headshot, and hit send, hoping for the best.

The next email was a bit longer and more thoughtful but just as intriguing.

“Hi there. My name is Brian. I am a college student getting my PhD. I saw your ad on Craigslist and I must say I am intrigued. I have never done anything like this, either. I would be interested in helping you celebrate your birthday if you provide a safe, clean environment in which to do so. Please provide photos of your flat.” Thanks –Bri”

John smiled. How considerate to think of a safe environment. Bri was definitely getting an email. He replied to Brian and included photos of his living room, kitchen, and bedroom (he left the bathroom out for reasons). Thankfully he had just tidied up. He also included a headshot.

The next email that caught his eye was from Roger. When the pic loaded, he was stunned to find a beautiful blond man with a winning smile standing in a group of friends.

“Hi! My name is Roger. I saw your ad on Craigslist. You can count me in! Just send me the time and place. Also, you can’t tell, but my eyes are blue ;).”

John smiled at his enthusiasm. He attached a headshot, gave him the details and hoped he would hear a little more from him.

John switched over to his Myspace and made a post for the first time in a long time. “Happy for new adventures,” it said with a sticker. And for the first time in a long time, he was.

Freddie was late, and he had just enough time for tea and maybe to check his email before he was needed at Splash, the high-end fashion boutique where he worked. He scrolled through his messages on his phone, reading a few replies, when one from Craigslist user John caught his eye.

“I love your headshot. This may be a little forward…”

Freddie smiled at that.

The pic finally loaded, and Freddie’s mouth watered at the sweet sight. A young man, early twenties, long brown hair, lovely green eyes, and the sweetest smile stared back at him. There were secrets in that smile, he thought, and Freddie wanted to find them out.

So Freddie had a date with not one but three other gents. He better get to work so he could find himself something new to wear.

“I want a double mocha latte, no whip, no drizzle, but soy sub on the milk,” the customer spouted off dryly, and Brian just nodded. He’d been working as a barista at Starbucks to help pay his way through college, and while things could get a little crazy, he mostly liked it. “No problem,” he said as he tried to smile. “Name please?”

The teenage girl grinned. “Princess of the Universe.” Brian’s face fell. “Alright miss I’ll try to fit that on the cup,” he muttered as he turned to make her coffee.

At his next break, he sat in the back and played Angry Birds on his phone until his email notifications pinged. John from Craigslist had written him back.

“Hi Bri! This is John. I really enjoyed your email and appreciate you thinking to ask about a safe environment. That is really important and is honestly something I would do. I have included the requested pictures of my flat. Thankfully I had just tidied up (haha).

The flat was neat and clean. Very homey. There was a fat orange cat nestled on the couch in one of the pics, and it made Brian smile. The headshot John had sent was of John in profile, looking out a window. His green eyes were luminous in the sunlight, and his long brown hair was pulled back over his shoulder. There was a slight smile on his face.

Brian hummed as he looked at it, eyes going over the smooth skin of the young man’s neck and where that skin stretched over the juncture of his jaw and cheek. He was lovely.

“Brian! You’ve got customers!”

Brian muttered a curse to himself.

“I’d very much like to attend,” Brian found himself typing. “Send me the details.”

His head was pounding, and the afternoon light of his bedroom hurt his eyes. Those were Roger’s first cognizant thoughts as he gradually returned to wakefulness after coming home last night and passing out on top of his sheets.

He doesn’t remember coming home, really, or how he got home. But he assumed Greg and his friends dumped him off here after he woke up on their couch.

It didn’t matter, not really. He stumbled home like this a few times a week and he invariably always recovered.

Roger peeled himself off the mattress, dragging himself into the bathroom to splash some water on his face. He endured the light so he wouldn’t miss the toilet, and when he passed the mirror, he paused.

There were dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. His face was puffy, his hair in disarray. He looked older somehow, and he swore under his breath. Shit had to get better than this.

He peeled off last night’s clothes and stepped into the shower, letting the hot spray wash off the filth and sketchy memories. Stepping out of the shower, he toweled off and put on a pair of sweats. He had a few hours before he had to be at his bartending job at a local nightclub, so he decided to forego the tea and head straight for the coffee.

He settled into the couch, letting the weariness leech from his boned into the cushions. Sipping his coffee, he checked his email, frowning when he got a notification from Craigslist.

“What the hell,” he muttered to himself, opening the email to find the top half of a picture loading.

It was a young man with soft green eyes crinkled at the edges, a wide smile and long brown hair. Something caught in his chest, something warm and fluttery, as he looked at it.

The email was underneath.

“Hello Roger! I’m John. I’m excited that you want to attend my birthday party. You’re my third guest, so that makes four of us, lol ;). I’m sending you the date and time below along with directions to my flat. I can’t wait to meet you in person. :).”

What the actual FUCK.

And suddenly it all came flooding back. The shot game, the lost bet. Roger’s heart sped up. Was he going to a foursome? Were they all dudes? His mouth went dry. While Roger had always been attracted to men, he had never actually slept with one. He swallowed. Could he actually do this?

FUCK.

There was no Emily Post etiquette guide for hosting a foursome, so John decided to wing it.

As he stared down into the homemade pasta sauce, he reasoned that food was a good move. Food brought people together, and togetherness brought sex. John smiled, satisfied with his ingenious if rather simplistic reasoning. He stirred the sauce, pausing before adding the browned ground beef. What were the odds that one of them was a vegetarian? He shrugged and dumped it in. Not too high.

The doorbell rang and John nearly jumped out of his skin. It was 6:05, and his guests weren’t due until 6:30. He frowned, turning the burner on low and moving to the peephole.

There, on the other side, was the same face he’d viewed in the email, only in living color. The sharp cheek bones, the elegant nose, the kohl lined eyes. John couldn’t get the door open fast enough.

“Freddie,” he almost breathed. His heart was beating fast and he self-consciously smoothed the hair around his face.

Freddie’s eyes flicked down to his chest, then back up to his face before he smiled, stepped into his space and smoothly kissed him, steadying his chin with the tips of his fingers.

John returned the kiss before breaking away, sputtering a little before getting his bearings. “Do you…do you always greet strangers like that?”

Freddie laughed smoothly. “No, silly.” He looked down, then back up at him, one neatly trimmed eyebrow cocked slightly. “But I’m excellent at following instructions.”

John flushed, remembering his ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron, and ushered him inside. “Um, can I get you something to drink?”

“I dunno, can you?” Freddie said smoothly as he walked through the living room of John’s flat, taking in every detail. He was impeccably dressed, John thought as he tracked him through the space. He stirred the sauce, leaving it to simmer and reached for a bottle of red wine, pouring Freddie a glass.

He handed it to the man who took it gratefully. “Something smells yummy. You didn’t have to cook, darling.”

John smiled, flushing at the epithet. “It’s just pasta. It’s nothing.”

Freddie settled on the couch, balancing the wine glass on his knee. “I hope you don’t mind that I arrived a little early. I always arrive early to these sorts of things. It keeps me safe.”

John nodded. “That’s smart actually. I don’t mind at all. I’m just glad you came.”

Freddie waggled his eyebrows over his wine glass. “I always come.”

John’s blush deepened, and Freddie laughed.

“I can’t help myself, darling, you’re just so damn cute when you do that.”

John lowered his glass. “Do what?”

“Blush like that. It’s precious.”

The two of them sat there for a few moments when Gwyneth took that opportunity to rub against Freddie’s leg.

“What a baby!”

John laughed as Gwyneth stretched and meowed, looking up at Freddie with affection. “I think she likes you.”

Freddie cooed and scratched her head. “I think I’m in love.”

When Brian arrived, John was busy straining the pasta, so Freddie got the door.

“Hello, darling,” he said brightly.

Brian looked at Freddie blankly. “You’re not John.”

“Come on in!” John called from the kitchen, and Brian side-stepped the man at the door a little nervously to meet the man in the kitchen.

“Um, sorry darling, but as I was about to say, “I’m Freddie.”

Brian looked down at the enigmatic man who had a delicate hand stuck out for him to shake. He took it.

Brian pressed his lips together. “Sorry about that earlier. I uh…I was just expecting John.”

Freddie patted his arm. “It’s alright love. We’re all a little jumpy. Just meeting and all that. But John is lovely. He even cooked.”

John appeared behind Brian, a dish towel over his shoulder. “Hello,” he said. “I’m John.”

Brian shook his hand, noticing the calloused fingers. The young man was trim in figure-hugging jeans and a crisp blue shirt that brought out the green in his eyes. Brian swallowed hard.

“Brian,” he said a little thinly.

John smiled, and it went straight to his gut. “I hope you like pasta Brian.” He walked to the counter and poured him a glass of wine.

Brian took it from him. “I do actually. Just no meat sauce. I’m a vegetarian.”

John looked horrified. “Fuckity fuck,” John he said allowed. “How about a salad?”

Freddie howled with laughter, the outburst so loud it scared Gwyneth under the couch. Brian just smiled softly, laying a hand on John’s shoulder. “That actually sounds lovely John.”

Brian made his way to the couch, followed closely by Freddie. The other man was observing him very keenly, taking in the softly curling hair and the sharp nose framing the delicate face. Brian was dressed very casually compared to Freddie, but he was no slouch. His neat jeans and tan blazer suited his slim physique very well.

John stared at the clock. It was crowding seven now, and Roger was nowhere to be found. A little pang of worry stabbed at his heart. It was possible that he might not show, and that was fine, but he was certainly looking forward to meeting him. He thought of the blue eyes the photo had hidden that he would never get to see.

Instead of worrying, he busied himself with plating the pasta and salads. Brian met him in the kitchen, setting his wine glass down. “Let me give you a hand, John.” His smile was genuine and warm, and John found that he liked it very much.

With two working it took half the time, and everyone had their food. Freddie looked around at the empty place setting and frowned. “Where’s number four?”

John worried his lip. “I don’t really know,” he said honestly. “I’m sure he’ll make it.”

Freddie smiled sympathetically. “Sometimes they don’t love. Nerves and all.”

Almost on cue, there came a tentative knock at the door. John stood a little too fast before settling himself down enough to answer it. He knew before looking through the peephole who it was.

Roger was dressed in a fashionable leather jacket and matching pants that hugged his figure. His trademark sunglasses were in the collar of his frayed t-shirt, no doubt purchased that way. His hair was messy-chic. John couldn’t stop staring at him until those blue eyes popped up to meet his. “You’re John?”

“Y-yeah,” he stammered out. “Nice to meet you Roger.” Roger shook it rather limply as he breezed into the living room, not giving John more than a glance. He stiffened when he heard voices from the kitchen.

“There you are!” Freddie called out to him. “Thought this was going to be a threesome. And while that’s still lovely, I do hate it when plans change,” he pouted.

Roger turned rather haltingly to face the other two men who had been eating and chatting, getting to know one another. Brian pointed to the open seat at the table, and Roger took it.

“Mind if I smoke John?”

John liked his voice…soft but still masculine. It made his stomach flutter. And while he smoked, he usually didn’t smoke inside because of Gwyneth. But he supposed—

“That’s fine,” John finally said. He watched as the fire from the lighter illuminated his fine features; he was certainly very beautiful, this Roger.

“I made dinner,” John offered, hoping to start a conversation with the man who had said very little since he arrived.

“Not hungry mate. Thanks though.”

John frowned a little, and Freddie cleared his throat.

“Well I’m Freddie, and this is Brian,” the ever talkative Freddie began with the introductions.

“Roger,” the newcomer mumbled around his cigarette.

They resumed eating and things grew quiet and bit awkward as Roger sat there smoking while everyone ate. He was very closed off, like he didn’t want to be there. John would need to get to the bottom of it if things progressed.

“Now that we’re all here, I’m a true bottom,” Freddie said matter-of-factly, “so I hope there are some tops among us.”

John nearly choked on his penne, and Brian had to pat him on the back, a fond smile on his face. “It doesn’t matter to me either way,” Brian said, his face growing hot.

“Me neither,” John said quietly.

Roger took a bored drag on his cigarette. “Top,” he muttered.

Freddie’s eyes grew wide. “Really…”

Roger snapped his gaze Freddie’s way. “Yeah, that’s right. Is that so hard to believe, you wanker?”

Freddie put his hands up in defense. “No reason to be nasty, love. Just took me by surprise is all. You just give off…bottomy vibes.”

Roger stubbed out his cigarette in his empty plate. “What the FUCK is that supposed to mean?”

Freddie rolled his eyes. “Nothing darling. Forget it.”

Roger had stood, fists balled at his hips, and he was gyrating with anger. John and Brian were looking on, wide-eyed, wondering where all of this would go.

Until Freddie stood and hugged the man.

Roger relaxed into his grip, his head dropping to his shoulder. He sighed, arms relaxing at his sides.

“Darling, it’s alright,” Freddie soothed against him. “It’s all alright now.”

And when Freddie pulled away, he kissed him softly on the lips.

Roger hummed in surprise before relenting into the kiss, letting his mouth go pliant against the other man’s and enjoying the faint hint of tomato sauce and chapstick on his tongue. When Freddie released him, he sighed.

“Why—why did you do that?”

Freddie reached up to thumb at his chin. “Darling, you looked like you needed it. When’s the last time someone hugged you?”

Roger’s eyes stung with oncoming tears, but he willed them back down. His lack of an answer was enough for Freddie.

“Let us take care of you tonight,” he said sweetly. “Show you true affection. Make you feel good.”

“Yeah,” Roger found himself saying. It sounded so nice, after all, to be truly wanted and cared for, if only for the night.

Brian and John were beside them now, and John leaned in and lay a hand on Roger’s arm. “Are we ok?”

Roger nodded, feeling much more at ease. “Yeah, everything is fine.”

John smiled. “Let’s clean up, yeah? Then maybe we can move this into the bedroom.”

“You uh…You mind if I just watch for a while?”

Roger had gotten his shirt off, and then nerves had taken over. Freddie was on all fours, moaning into John’s talented fingers as he opened him up, his heavy cock straining with need.

John shot him a smile. “Sure love. Do what you’re comfortable with,” he said as he punched another moan out of Freddie, twisting those fingers inside of his tight walls.

Roger eased off the bed before a hand grabbed him. “Hey,” Brian said, hazel eyes soft with lust.

Roger swallowed, the tall man’s kind smile making him feel instantly at ease.

He smiled, his heartrate going down a bit.

“Where are you off to?” Brian answered innocently. He was crowding his space, the bare skin of his chest now flush with his as he bent his head to nose at his hair.

“That chair in the corner,” Roger said softly. “I was gonna watch.”

Brian placed a little kiss to his hair. “Not gonna play?”

Roger’s throat was dry, and he was straining in his trousers. “Not right now,” he trailed off.

Brian kissed further down the side of his face. “Pity,” he said as his hands traveled over Rogers bum.

“You ever had a really good blowjob, Roger? One that makes you feel like you’re exploding into a billion stars?” Brian finally reached his mouth and locked lips with him, his tongue curling around his, kissing him so deeply it stole Roger’s breath.

Roger moaned in spite of himself, leaning into Brian’s touch. Brian released him, never breaking eye-contact. “Well, have you?”

He answered him truthfully. “I guess not,” he said a little breathlessly.

Brian smiled. “That’s what I was hoping you would say.”

“Can you take a fourth finger baby?” Freddie just moaned, gripping the sheets as he tossed his head back. John slid it in, delighting in the way Freddie just fluttered around him, drawing him in like he was born to take it. He worked his fingers in and out of him, hitting his prostate to make him moan. The sound of Brian going down on Roger was in his ears and it home to John that this foursome dream of his was really happening, this little birthday fantasy of his was real.

John pressed kisses into Freddie’s neck, making sure his fingers kept up a steady pressure. Freddie just moaned—he was so vocal—and thrust his hips up to meet his fingers.

“Need your cock,” he finally breathed. “Give it to me John.”

Roger shivered as Brian circled the head of his cock with his tongue, licking the slit before descending on him again. Brian took him all the way to the base, his nose buried in the dark blond hair there, Roger’s hot length stretching his throat with every bob of his head.

Above him, Roger was coming undone. He was making little keening sounds as Brian played with his balls while sucking him off, moaning and sputtering that he wouldn’t last long. It didn’t matter to Brian. He loved this.

The man grabbed a handful of his hair just before coming hot and full down his throat, his back arching prettily. Brian swallowed him down, finally pulling off him when he was sure he was finished.

Brian dabbed at his mouth as Roger looked at him with a little bit of awe.

“You good?” he asked Roger as he sat back on his knees, smiling up at him.

“Incredible,” Roger sighed. “That was better than X.”

Brian frowned. “X?”

“Ecstasy? The party drug?” Roger looked perplexed that the man had never heard of it.

He dug in his pocket and produced a little baggie and handed it to Brian, who pushed it away.

“Sorry mate, but I’m not down for that. Brian looked nervously over his shoulder. John doesn’t look the type either, so I’d put that away if I were you.”

Roger stuffed the baggie of pills back into his pocket. “Do I look like the type?” he said as he zipped up his fly.

Brian just sat there, thinking.

Freddie had one hand on his leaking cock, stroking it in rhythm to John’s thrusts. His head was pressed into the mattress, and he was having the time of his life.

“Harder John. Fuck me harder babe. Like you mean it!”

John loved how vocal Freddie had been to begin with, but now he was being outright bratty. John hitched Freddie’s hips higher, angling them so he could aim directly at his prostate. Freddie’s body was slicked with sweat as was his own, so maneuvering them was no easy feat. He pulled out of Freddie and then slammed back down again.

“God yes that’s it lover,” Freddie mumbled into the sheets as he set up a blistering pace, wet flesh slapping against each other as he John chased his release. Freddie was furiously stroking himself, so it wouldn’t be long for him. Through Freddie’s plaintive, sharp moans, he could feel the crest of his orgasm stop right at the edge. He tightened his grip on Freddie, emptying into the condom as wave after wave of pleasure gripped him. Somewhere through the fog he heard Freddie come right after.

Brian followed Roger into living room, where he was trying to collect his things. “You’re leaving?”

Roger turned on Brian, his hands on his hips. “I don’t have much choice, now do I?”

Brian shrugged. “You always have a choice.”

“I don’t belong here,” Roger said, shaking his head. “I’m not even gay.”

Brian’s eyes widened. “Are you sure about that?”

Roger shook his head, withdrawing the little baggie of pills. “Ah fuck it,” he said as he poured a few in his hand.

Brian approached him slowly. “I can’t let you do that, Roger. Take those pills. Not on my watch.”

Roger clutched the pills in his hand tightly to his chest. “What the fuck do you care, Brian? You’re just some guy who blew me off. You don’t know me?” He was vibrating with rage, his eyes wide. “You don’t own me!”

Brian shook his head. “Listen to yourself. You sound like a child. We’re talking about drugs, here, Roger. You could seriously hurt yourself.”

“Yeah well, I hope I do,” He spat.

Brian had no choice. “John! Freddie! I need you in here!”

The two of them came rushing in, John in a robe and Freddie struggling into pants. “Brian, what’s wrong?”

“Roger has drugs,” Brian got out quickly. “Ecstasy. He’s about to take some.”

Freddie stepped forward between them. “Oh darling that shit is hell on you. You don’t want to do that. Tell me what’s up.”

Roger relaxed a little. “Nothing,” he whispered. The pills were sweating and melting in his hand. “I just needed to get out of my head for a little while.”

John was watching the proceedings, trying not to panic. No way did he want drugs in his house, but he also didn’t want to see Roger hurt.

Freddie nodded. “I so understand that love. That’s why I hook up a lot. Sex helps me forget some nasty things in my past and some things that are going on in my daily you know? It’s a nice escape. Plus it’s legal and it doesn’t hurt me as long as I’m safe.”

Roger’s hand relaxed a little on the pills. “Yeah that makes sense,” he conceded. “I’m glad you have that.”

Freddie nodded again, getting close enough to Roger to smooth some of the hair that hung around his face behind his ear. Roger seemed to lean into his touch. “Did you enjoy your time with Brian, him? Freddie couldn’t keep the wicked smile from his face. “Sure sounded liked you did.”

Roger smiled then. “Yeah it was really nice.”

“I bet. Might have to see how nice it is, huh Brian?” Freddie said as he threw a wink over his shoulder at Brian who just laughed at him, shaking his head.

Freddie grabbed Roger’s hand. “Give me these darling…they’re all melted now, anyway. Come have some fun with us instead.”

Roger’s lips were dry as Freddie pried the pills from his grip. “I’ve never…I’ve never been with a man,” he admitted.

“A virgin?!” Freddie gasped, “Oh our boy’s a virgin…we’ll have to take extra special care of him won’t we boys?”

Freddie discreetly handed off the baggie of pills and the few tablets to John who promptly went into the bathroom to flush them.

“Yes,” he said as he stroked his face. “We’ll take extra good care of you love. You won’t have to worry about a thing.”

Brian stroked the young man’s face as John worked on the fly of his dark jeans, easing them down his hips. His cock sprung free…no pants underneath, and John smiled, stroking him lightly. Freddie hummed, squeezing Brian’s buttocks as he wrapped an arm around his waist.

“You sure you’re ok with this Roger?” John’s voice was husky with want, his eyes flicking up briefly from the young man’s cock to his blue eyes where they looked down at him expectantly.

“Yes,” Roger said, leaning into Brian’s hand on his face, his eyes fluttering closed. “I want this.”

Freddie smiled, tightening his arms around Brian. They walked Roger back until his legs touched the bed. He sat down, easing onto the soft comforter while they helped him scoot back. Brian was between his legs in an instant, easing between his thighs to skate his hands along his chest and arms while Freddie cradled his head in his lap. Roger’s eyes were wide, his lips slightly parted in a pretty bow, and John bent to kiss them, unable to help himself.

Roger sighed, giving himself over to the kiss, letting his tongue dart out to meet John’s as his arms strained against Freddie hands. At some point, the dark-haired man had pressed his arms down into the mattress.

Roger panicked for a split second, then the thrill of the restraint sank into his bones, and he truly felt free.

“That’s it baby,” Freddie soothed, “Just let go and let us take over.” Roger stared up into the man’s soft brown eyes, feeling a strange sense of peace.

Brian was making slow circles on his hip, thumbing the sensitive skin there. “Roger,” he said softly. “Do you want to top?” His hazel eyes bore into his. “It’s your first time. It’s easier that way.”

Roger worried his lip. “No,” he said firmly. “I want to do it like Freddie did.”

Freddie smirked a little, still stroking his hair. “I knew it. He’s a natural bottom.”

John giggled a little, tossing Brian the lube. “Open him up nice and slow Brian. Your fingers are slender.”

John crawled over to Freddie, pulling his head up and kissing him firmly. Freddie groaned into John’s mouth, letting his hand slide up his chest. “Up for round two love?”

John just hummed. “Maybe. Maybe not. On your knees, True Bottom.” John pushed Freddie down on his knees, smacking his bum on the way down. Freddie fell forward, grunting as he hit the mattress, landing on all fours.

He shivered as John climbed up behind him. He could feel his warm breath on the back of his thigh, whispering over his bum as John’s hands settled there. He parted his cheeks, and Freddie hardly had time to catch his breath before John had licked a hot strip up the cleft of his buttocks.

“Fuck!” Freddie cried out, his whole body jerking under John’s mouth. John smiled against him, and Freddie felt the wry grin against his skin.

Brian eased a pillow beneath Roger’s hips, watching Roger for any sign of discomfort. He betrayed none; he seemed as relaxed as he did when Freddie was cradling his head. Indeed, Freddie had now clasped the blond’s hand while being eaten out, a look of sheet bliss on his face, and Roger gripped it tightly.

“We’re going to do this very slowly, Roger. It will feel different at first, but then it will feel good, ok?”

Roger nodded his head, taking in a breath.

Brian tutted. “Don’t hold your breath love. Blow it out for me. Just try to relax, ok? I’m not going to hurt you.”

Brian smiled at him, and Roger returned it. Brian had the sweetest, most genuine smile, and while he didn’t really know the man, he knew instinctively that he could trust him.

He warmed the lube in is fingers before circling Roger’s entrance with smooth, calculated movements, relaxing the tight muscle. He pushed one in, and Roger jumped a little.

“How does that feel Roger? Talk to me.”

“Different,” he breathed. “Not bad.”

Brian smiled. He began working the finger in and out of Roger rhythmically until he felt Roger relax around him, then he added a second.

Roger jerked, a little half-moan escaping his lips. Brian cocked an eyebrow. “Is that better?”

“Y-yeah,” Roger stammered. “It’s ok.”

Brian aimed for his prostate, finding the little bundle of nerves in moments, and Roger nearly folded in half. “Just ok?”

Roger was panting, a fine sweat on his brow, and he unconsciously thrust onto Brian’s fingers. “So good,” he said, his grip on Freddie’s hand tightening.

Freddie preened. “Look at you baby boy—ahh—taking those fingers so well. I knew you could do it.”

Freddie looked ruined, very near coming, and the sounds coming from John were bordering on obscene. Roger couldn’t see him, but whatever he was doing to Freddie it sounded like he was enjoying it.

Brian twisted the fingers against him, making him writhe and squirm, until he added a third.

Roger winced at the sting, the stretch of a third finger, but Brian was gentle in coaxing him open. He was leaned over him, planting little kisses on his collarbone, his throat, and finally smothering his moans with his own mouth. It all felt so intimate, not at all like his drug-fueled shags. Tears began to spring in his eyes.

Brian noticed immediately. “Roger, am I hurting you? He lost the fingers immediately. “Talk to me, Roger.”

“No,” Roger choked out. “Give me more please.”

John laughed as he was helping Freddie clean up. “You’ve got him begging Brian. So beautiful for us.”

The fingers returned, a little rougher this time, a little more insistent. Roger’s legs were open wide and he was almost swallowing Brian’s hand.

“You’re ready, gorgeous. I think my work here is done.” Brian withdrew his hand, wiping it on his thigh, and met John in the middle of the bed. He kissed him deeply. “You have him nice and open for me?” Brian murmured softly.

John nodded. “He’s all yours. I bet you can get him to come again.”

Brian squeezed John’s arm, locking eyes with him. “Be gentle with Roger.”

John blinked up at him. “Of course Bri,” he said, using his sign off from his email. “I wouldn’t dream of hurting him.”

Brian smiled. “I know.”

John crawled over to Roger, who was still red-faced, his chest heaving. He leaned over him, giving him a tender kiss. “Hello love. Don’t you look ravishing like this?”

John cradled his face in his hand, then trailed it down his chest to tease at a nipple. “I’m going to take good care of you, yeah?”

Roger only nodded, his eyes half-lidded, lips kiss-swollen and irresistible.

John slid on a condom, coating it with lube. He pressed against Roger’s open entrance, letting his cockhead push at the rim. He looked up at Roger. “We don’t have to do this. It’s up to you.”

Roger shook his head. “I want it,” he said throwing his back into the pillow. “Give it to me.”

John pushed gently inside, watching Roger’s intake of breath, is fluttering eyelids at the sudden onslaught of being filled. He gave him a moment to adjust, the vice-like grip of him around him, hot and incredibly tight driving him mad with the need to move.

“I’m ok,” Roger said finally. “Go ahead.”

He had one arm over his face and his lip between his teeth, but for his first time he was taking cock so well. John basically made love to him…slow, measured strokes, his face buried in his shoulder and his hips undulating over his. He had one hand on Roger’s cock, slowly stroking it in time with his thrusts.

Then Roger started kissing him…hungry, desperate kisses that made the fire rise in his blood. That, coupled with the feeling of how bloody close they were, their bodies nearly fused together, made John want to give it to him just a little harder.

“Hitch your legs around me baby. Come on, that’s it.” John increased his pace, and little whines started coming from the back of Roger’s throat.

“You doing ok?”

Roger nodded furiously. “Gonna come,” he managed.

Freddie and Brian rolled over close to the couple, Freddie taking over for John by working Roger’s cock, and Brian sweeping the hair back from John’s neck and placing an encouraging kiss there.

John could feel his own orgasm building, a tightly packed explosion of euphoria ready to burst at any moment. It was finally punched out of him when Roger looked up at him with those blue eyes and said “Just let go…” He had been the one who had been so careful with him, but it finally took permission from Roger for him to get release.

With Freddie’s help, Roger came right after.

The four of them lay beautifully spent, bodies sweating and coming down from their highs. Roger lit a cigarette and shared it with Freddie.

“We never cut the birthday cake,” John mused.

Brian laughed. “What time is it?”

Someone looked at their phone. “10:20.”

Roger smiled. “Well, it’s still your birthday.”

John laughed. “Indeed it is. Who’s up for some post-coital cake?”

Freddie grimaced. “That does not sound right.”

They all tumbled out of bed toward the kitchen where John dished up the plates and began serving cake.

John flushed. “Um, before you go, you’re free to use the shower. Freshen up a bit if you like. Or, you could stay over…”

Something flashed in their eyes, and they all shared a look.

“I’m actually off tomorrow,” Freddie said.

“I don’t work until nighttime,” Roger added.

“My shift at the coffee shop doesn’t start until ten,” Brian replied.

John brightened. “Well, that’s great! I mean, I wouldn’t want you traveling so late and all. Let’s take our cake back to bed, shall we?”

John gathered up the plates and began to traipse back to the bedroom, but as soon as he got out of sight, Freddie grabbed a piece of paper and put his phone number on it, then gave it to Brian and then Roger and let them do the same. At the bottom, he wrote “Happy Birthday” with a heart and stuck it on the fridge for John to find later. Then, all three of them followed John back into the bedroom to finish their cake.

-0-0-0-

#queen #bohemian rhapsody #queen fanfiction #queen fan fiction #queen fanfic #queen fan fic #bohemian rhapsody fanfiction #bohemian rhapsody fanfic #bohemian rhapsody fan fiction #maylor #maylor fanfiction #deacury #deacury fan fiction #poly!queen #my writing #josqueenfamily

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makingmoneyonlinemethod · 3 years

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HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE: 28 REAL WAYS TO EARN MONEY ONLINE

From online poker to selling your collection of Beanie Babies, there are lots of popular get-rich-quick, money-making ideas that always pop up. Do they work? Not really. Will you make money doing it? Maaaybe. But you’d probably make more money from your 9 to 5 job. At least then it’s a guaranteed paycheck.

The truth is there are real ways to make money online – millions of people are doing it each day. From freelance digital nomads to savvy marketers to rising entrepreneurs, there are plenty of business ideas you can try at home using your laptop and a solid internet connection. So let’s break down how to make money online… the real way.

How to Make Money Online: 28 Real Ways

1. Start Dropshipping

Let’s start our list off with one of the most popular ways to make money online. According to Google Trends, dropshipping’s popularity is rapidly growing, highlighting its viability as a way to make money online. With success stories about how an entrepreneur made $6,667 in eight weeks or how a store owner made six figures selling just one product, there’s plenty of proof that dropshipping is a real way to make money online.

In case you don’t know what dropshipping is: dropshipping is a business model where you sell a product to a customer, but the supplier stores, packages, and ships the product to your customers on your behalf. With Oberlo dropshipping, you have access to millions of products that you can add to your store. Oberlo’s toolkit also allows you to hand-pick your product images, edit item descriptions, and give your business a personalized vibe, so people love shopping from you.

The best way to make money online dropshipping? Most entrepreneurs have been focusing on a few marketing strategies: running Facebook ads, having influencers promote your products, and sending Direct Messages (DMs) to potential customers on social media.

P.s. if you want to build your first dropshipping store, don't miss out on our Dropshipping 101 course.

2. Try Print on Demand

Print on demand is proving to be a popular option too. Graphic designers are turning to the business model to sell their designs on clothing and other products to monetize their art better. With their unique designs, they can create a consistent and established brand for their business.

Print on demand is similar to dropshipping in the sense that you don’t need to carry inventory or ship out products to customers yourself. There are two slight differences, though. First, you can add branded labels on packages. Second, shipping costs are excessive, making it difficult to create a sustainable business unless you charge higher prices or sell higher quantities.

The best way to make money with your print on demand business? Free marketing channels. Your best bet would be to promote your products for free on Instagram, Pinterest, or with Instagram influencers who convert their audiences well.

You can get a complete overview of print of demand vs dropshipping by watching us get into a healthy debate with Wholesale Ted about the pros and cons of each business model.

3. Make Money with Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the most popular ways to make money online. Throughout the years, its popularity has gone up and down, but it continues to prove to be a stable way to make money online. The best part about affiliate marketing is that you can be an affiliate for nearly any company, from Shopify to Amazon to Uber to FabFitFun.

Affiliate marketing allows you to earn a living by promoting other brands. If you’re a savvy marketer, you can earn a commission from sales by promoting retail products, software, apps, and more. While earning a commission may seem small, keep in mind that you can be an affiliate for several brands and include several affiliate links on a single blog post.

If you really want to make money online doing affiliate marketing, your best bet is to focus on content marketing. By building out a blog with several pages of high-quality content, you essentially create an asset you can call your own. The best part about focusing on content marketing is that if an affiliate program shuts down, you can switch the affiliate link to a competitor without negatively impacting your side hustle income.

4. Start a YouTube Channel

If others can make money from YouTube, so can you. The highest-paid YouTuber is 7-year-old Ryan, who reviews toys on his YouTube channel, which made him $22 million in 2018. Another high earner is Jeffree Star, who’s made more than $18 million on YouTube and has a cosmetics brand that sells about $100 million in products annually. His YouTube (and Myspace) fame helped him use his influence to make money online beyond his YouTube earnings.

Your YouTube channel should focus on a single niche so you can build a strong, loyal audience. For example, you can create makeup tutorials, stream video games, review products, teach skills, create prank videos, or anything else you think there’d be an audience for.

The secret to making money on YouTube is to create content people want that either educates or entertains. You can use a headline that’s witty to entice people to watch, or you can use keywords that are optimized for YouTube search. Once you’ve reached the 1,000 subscriber milestone, you can officially monetize your channel with YouTube ads.

5. Become an Influencer

Building a personal brand can also help you make money online. Did you know in 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo earned $975,000 for every sponsored Instagram post, making him the highest-paid influencer? While it may seem like reality stars, singers, and athletes are the biggest influencers, keep in mind that even smaller-scale influencers can make more money today than they did a few years back

To become an influencer, you need to build a healthy following. The easiest platforms to do that: YouTube and Instagram. Some of the biggest non-celebrity influencers often gained their first taste of exposure on these platforms. You might want to check out how to get more Instagram followers if you want to build a big Instagram audience.

To make money as an influencer, you can charge for sponsored posts, speaking gigs, create your own online store and sell products, add affiliate links in your bio, sell your photos, sell ads on your own podcast, get paid as a brand ambassador, create a book, get paid to appear at events, and more.

6. Create an Online Course

Sharing knowledge is one of the best ways to make money online. If you’re an expert on a subject, you can monetize your knowledge by creating courses online. You can sell your course on Udemy or, if you already have your own audience, on your own website. Some entrepreneurs earn as much as $5,000 per month with online courses.

To create a popular and successful course, your best bet is to watch other courses on your topic. Then, look at the reviews. What are the aspects that people praise, and what are the things people hate? How can you create something better than what’s already been created? Focus on creating content that solves the biggest complaints while emulating the positive aspects people rave about.

The platform you sell your course on will determine how to best make money. If you sell your course on Udemy, you don’t have to do much to promote it. You can almost set it and forget it. Maybe promote it to some blogs or on your own website. However, if the course is hosted on your own website, you might want to run ads to promote the course. You can also build an email list so you can continue to promote future courses to that same audience.

7. Publish an Ebook

With Amazon KDP, it’s never been easier to publish an ebook. All you need to do is write the ebook, format it, create an ebook cover, publish, and promote it. Back in 2013, I created several ebooks on Amazon (took all but one down), and even though it didn’t make me rich, I still make some money from it.

You can choose to hire a writer for your ebook, a graphic designer to design the cover, or a freelancer to format the ebook for you to help minimize the work you need to put into it. It’s best if you focus on keywords based on popular searches on Amazon. I often use the Keyword Tool, which allows you to find the words people use while searching so you can craft your title around it.

To make money online selling ebooks, you can market it in a number of ways. You can give away your ebook for free for a few days. This helps you rank high in search results for some time and get some reviews, which helps you rank better for paid listings. Plus, I like to create custom graphics on Pinterest that match the “Pinterest style” rather than just placing the ebook cover as a pin. This has helped me get some clicks to my ebook from Pinterest.

8. Start a Blog

Blogging is one of the oldest methods for making money online. People who love writing tend to start blogs with a niche focus. For example, a blog about procrastination, cars, dropshipping, toys, etc., is often a narrow enough focus so you can build a loyal following, but big enough that you can cover a lot of ground.

You can start a blog on various platforms, from Shopify (remove the checkout feature, so you don’t have to pay a subscription as you build it out) to WordPress. When you start your blog, focus on very specific keywords with a tight focus and continue to expand into other but relevant categories as you grow and dominate new spaces. This will allow you to build a massive blog over time. Remember that design is also important for making a good first impression on visitors. Here are 20 blog design inspirations to help you launch your blog.

There are several ways to make money blogging. You can add affiliate links in your posts (don’t forget a disclaimer). You can monetize with AdSense by placing ads strategically on your website. Sponsored posts can help you make money from specific brands – this is popular among review bloggers. Bloggers can also sell digital or physical products on their website either (hint: you can add Oberlo products to your website). You can also use it to build authority so that you can eventually get speaking gigs, television deals, or big contracts from clients.

9. Consider Freelancing

The easiest way to make money online is to take your current job in your 9 to 5 role and do it online instead. For example, if you’re a writer, administrative assistant, graphic designer, teacher, developer, etc., you can market these skills and find clients online who are willing to pay you for them.

There’s a never-ending list of websites for each sector of freelance jobs too. For example, freelance writers can apply for jobs on specific online writing job boards, but also general freelance websites like Fiverr, Freelancer, Upwork, and all the others. If you find that your job doesn’t have direct online money-making streams of income, you can look for other transferable skills you may have.

To make money online as a freelancer, you need to start by building out a strong portfolio. That may mean doing some free work with some reputable mid-tier brands to start. Once you gain a strong portfolio, you can start reaching out to potential big clients to earn more money online. Remember, freelancing is a numbers game: the more personalized emails and applications you fill out, the more likely you will get a response back.

10. Create an App

If you’re not a developer, you’re probably looking at this money-making idea and feeling a bit stuck. Fortunately, there is a way to have an app made that doesn’t involve any programming skills.

These days, marketers are using freelance platforms to find affordable developers to create apps for them.

When it comes to making money on your app, your best bet will be to add it to Google Play and the App Store. And while it may seem counterintuitive, having a free app can help you make more than a paid app. With a free app, you can add ads or premium features to help you make money. Since the free app will attract a higher volume of people, it’ll be easier for you to upsell them.

11. Become a Writer

With a growing interest in content marketing, more brands are looking for great writers to create content. The secret to succeeding as a writer is to be an expert in a niche. A lot of writers try to be generalists, writing for a wide range of categories, from food to tech. However, having a niche focus as a writer allows you to write better content.

When you have experience in the niche, you can add a different perspective to a piece of content. That means you’re not just saying the same thing as every other article online. And that’s what brands really want to pay for — your thoughts, experiences, and inside information into their niche.

If someone asks for a marketing writing sample, send them marketing writing samples. Don’t send a finance article. Or a fitness one. It’s hard for a hiring manager to know how well you understand the niche’s industry if they can’t see a relevant writing sample. Apply to opportunities suited to your skills and experience. Also, if your pitch doesn’t have a list of links to writing samples, it’s going to get ignored.

12. Create Side Gigs

Side gigs can help you make money online while you keep your full-time job. If you’re looking to make an extra couple hundred dollars per month, this is a great idea. The work doesn’t always last long-term, but it can.

Use platforms like Fiverr to create gigs. When you’re new to Fiverr, you’ll want to focus on offering a low price so you could get your first review. I’d recommend getting a friend to buy your gig to leave your first review so you can get started faster. Treat the friend like a client and actually deliver a finished product that you can feature on the platform on your portfolio.

The thing with Fiverr is that it’s also a numbers game. If you look at top Fiverr users, you’ll see that they have multiple gigs available. The more gigs you have, the more likely you are to be found.

If you don’t want to get paid Fiverr prices, you can turn to platforms like FlexJobs to find side gigs. Under their jobs section, you can search for contract or telecommute opportunities. The great thing about the telecommute opportunities on FlexJobs is that you can apply for them in any city in the world.

FlexJobs has a variety of side gigs from writing, business, design, accounting, and more. So if your talents don’t match up with anything else on this list of money-making ideas, you might want to try a side gig from FlexJobs, and start making money online. Apply to multiple opportunities to land a few small side gigs.

13. Do Translation Work

If you need to make money now, translation work is a fairly underserved niche. You’ll need to be fluent in at least two languages to do this successfully. So if you’re bilingual or majored in a popular language in school, this may be a great money-making idea for you to try out.

You will need to show proof of your ability to translate. If you have a language degree or experience translating text, make sure to show samples of your portfolio. Most companies will require a translation test. Keep in mind that you need to be fluent in the languages you’re applying to be a translator for. So you can’t use translation tools.

14. Sell Your Stuff

When you’re desperate to make money now, sometimes the only option is to sell your stuff. If you’re unemployed and struggling to find a job, selling your possessions is a great way to make money fast. You can earn money online using the links below, or you can head to a pawn shop. Keep in mind the shipping costs associated with selling online. Be sure to charge the buyer for it if you’re shipping products internationally.

Most people immediately think of selling their junk like books, DVDs, and CDs. But most people don’t want to buy those things. It’s 2021 – are you really going to buy a CD? Probably not. So don’t waste your time trying to sell it. When you’re thinking about how to make money fast, focus on items of value like laptops, TVs, phones, furniture, designer handbags, or clothing. Try selling the same items on multiple platforms. For example, you might try selling your product in Facebook groups and Instagram instead of just one of them. If you sell your stuff everywhere, there’s a chance of someone finding it.

Be sure to take amazing photos and edit them. An online retailer doesn’t upload images as is. They hire a photographer to take great photos. Images are enhanced. The background is often removed. Approach your product post like an online retailer. Avoid taking pictures of products on tables. If a product is on a table, remove the background to make it white. If you don’t own high-end photography equipment, you can consider taking this product photography online course to learn how to take stunning product photos without the fancy gear.

After you’ve figured out stuff to sell online, start your own online store using Shopify. You’ve proven that you’ve got what it takes to be an online retailer. So, now you can start making money from home.

15. Become an Online Tutor

You can make a lot of money online and choose your own hours by being an online tutor. According to Studenomics, Bohdan made $2100 from tutoring. What’s interesting is that he built up his client base through word of mouth, visibility, and great group rates. While sciences and maths often have a high demand for tutoring positions, you’ll also find English popular among international audiences. If you’re an expert on a topic, tutoring may be the right platform for you to make money fast.

Having a degree or experience in a language is essential for this type of job, so showcase your degree, high grade average in a course, or other proof that you’re qualified to tutor that topic. If you have a teaching degree, you may be more likely to land a tutoring position. If you’ve spoken at a conference or event about the topic, you might also be considered for an online tutoring, teaching, or mentoring position. Focus on tutoring in your field of expertise. If you’re not the best, you probably shouldn’t be tutoring on that specific topic.

16. Drive Your Car

If you own a car, you can make some spare cash as an Uber driver or delivery person. If you don’t own a car, you can still be a delivery person using your bicycle or moped. Uber drivers looking to make even more money off their car can turn their car into an advertisement using Free Car Media. Your car will be wrapped with a removable vinyl decal. There have also been cases of Uber drivers selling products in their cars. As a driver, you’ll often start talking about what you and your passenger do for a living.

Want to know how to make money fast driving Uber? If you own your own side business, you can showcase your products to your passengers if they’re interested. Not all will be, though. However, if one expresses interest in your products, you can have products for sale under the driver’s seat for a passenger to sift through. If customers don’t have the cash, you can ask them to pay its cost with Uber’s tip function.

17. Become a Virtual Assistant

With so many entrepreneurs building businesses, the demand for virtual assistants is increasing almost daily. As a virtual assistant, you’ll do a variety of tasks. Writing, order processing, bookkeeping, social media, and customer support are just a few of the tasks you might be asked to do as a virtual assistant.

You can earn money online on websites like Virtual Assistant Jobs, Indeed, or Upwork. Many virtual assistants have also found ways to make money online by reaching out to brands and entrepreneurs, asking if they’re interested in hiring a virtual assistant. Using a combination of job posting applications and outreach, you’ll be more likely to make money fast. Build an active social media presence on Twitter and LinkedIn to help you find new clients.

18. Become a Twitch Streamer

Twitch streaming is becoming increasingly popular. While it started out as a gaming platform, it’s quickly evolving to include other types of content. To make money fast on Twitch, you’ll need to grow your following. If you’re consistent, streaming on Twitch can help you build a sizable audience fast.

You’ll need to find a popular game or channel that isn’t overly competitive so that people can easily find your content. In order to make money online from streaming, you’ll need to have a consistent style to your channel: is it going to be funny, educational, or entertaining? Engaging in the chat feature on Twitch is another way to grow your following. You’ll want to communicate in popular chats. However, you’ll also want to engage with those chatting on your streams as well.

There are five ways to monetize your Twitch channel: selling products, brand sponsorships, fan donations, subscriptions, and Twitch ads. As a Twitch streamer, you’ll want to focus on tapping into all five monetization methods to ensure the highest financial gains. You could make more on Twitch than YouTube, making it one of the best money making ideas for video creators.

19. Invest in Stocks

You can also make money fast by investing in stocks. If you aren’t an expert in picking stock, you might want to skip this money making idea. While it can have one of the highest rewards, it can also result in money loss if you’re inexperienced. If you currently hold a 9 to 5 job, look into your company’s financial programs.

Do they allow you to invest in company stocks? If so, sign up for it. At least with a company stock program, you have some influence in the company’s success as an employee. If your company has an RRSP matching program, you can also sign up for that if your goal is to save up for retirement or a down payment on your first home.

20. Sell Your Photography

Whether you’re a professional photographer or just love snapping great pictures, you can monetize your photography in several ways. You can make money fast by posting your photography services in local Facebook groups for your community.

If you’re looking for more exposure, you can use a site like Burst. However, if you’re looking to monetize your phone photography quickly, you can use Foap. Learn more product photography tips to help you start making money with photography.

21. Sell Your Clothes Online

You likely have clothes you haven’t worn in the past year. And you don’t have the intention of wearing them ever again. Rather than letting them take up space in your closet, why not make money off of them?

Whether you sell your clothes, handbags, or shoes, there are quite a few websites that allow you to sell your used fashion items. Poshmark, Refashioner, TheRealReal, ThredUp, and Tradesy are a few of the online sites where you can sell your used apparel.

You could make money online by selling on several different platforms. If you’re looking to sell items in person, you can use Facebook buy and sell groups in your community to find people online and sell the items in person. I’ve personally sold in these groups before and know they work.

22. Become an Extreme Couponer

When money is tight, using coupons can help save you a few bucks. However, with websites Coupon Chief, it can also help you make money online. Such websites offer a Pays to Share program where you’ll receive some percentage of sales from the coupons you share on their platform. You’ll need to add coupons that haven’t already been shared. In return, you’ll make a 2-3% commission.

It’s like affiliate marketing where you share referral links and get a commission when someone buys through your link. Coupon companies are known to pay their affiliates regularly, so it’s a legit way to earn money online. Coupon Chief has already paid out over $1.4 million in commissions.

23. Sell Domains

If you regularly buy domain names but fail to use them, you can always try to sell them for a profit. Selling domains is ultra competitive, though. If you own a one word .com domain, you’ll have a better chance of selling. Words that have high search volume sell well too.

Also, domains that are on trend at that moment have a better chance of selling. For example, a year ago, fidget spinner domains were an easier sell than they are now. You can search for available domain names and buy a custom domain through the Shopify domain registration platform.

You can sell your domains on GoDaddy’s Domain Auction. Look through the domains with the highest bids to see what type of domains sell well. It’ll help you know whether or not your domains are worth selling and how much money you can make selling them.

24. Sell Your Designs Online

Graphic design is an amazing skill that you can monetize in several ways. You can go the print on demand route and sell your designs on your own custom products. Alternatively, you can pitch your designs on a crowdsource platform like 99 Designs. You can create your own graphics, templates and more and sell them on marketplaces like GraphicRiver or Creative Market. Or you can pick up some clients and work as a freelance graphic artist.

25. Review Websites, Apps, and Software

If you’re passionate about user experience, User Testing pays reviewers $10 to give other entrepreneurs feedback on their websites and apps. That’s one fast way to make money online. You’ll be given a set of questions that you need to answer as you browse through their website.

Through a video, you’ll communicate your ideas and feedback to the entrepreneur while navigating their website or app. Your video is only 20 minutes in length, so if you do three videos per hour, you’ll make $30. It can be pretty competitive, so you have to act fast when a new website or app is added to be reviewed. Those who want to earn money online by reviewing software can use a tool called Software Judge.

26. Get a Part-Time Job

When you’ve done whatever it takes to make money fast but struggle to make an impact, sometimes you’re left with no choice but to get a part-time job. A lot of the money-making ideas on this list are great for building up to. They can be really successful over the long-term too. But if you’re struggling to make money fast enough, you might need to apply for a part-time job in your field. You can browse part-time jobs on job bank websites like Indeed, Monster, or a job website for your industry.

Whether you’re looking to make an extra couple hundred a month or grow a successful six-figure brand, I hope these money making ideas have inspired you to take action. Learning how to make money fast or how to make money from home is an important part of success, but the execution is what helps you make money now.

27. Become a TikTok Consultant

One of the trendiest new ways to make money online is to become a TikTok consultant. Brands will contact you for brainstorming video ideas, developing engaging bios, and more. It’s the perfect money-making opportunity for digital nomads – you can run the entire business from your smartphone. Compared to Instagram, TikTok is relatively new and untapped, so helping brands grow brand awareness on the app might turn fortunes.

However, you need to have a few talents before you begin offering TikTok consultancy to businesses. The most important is knowing how to create viral videos that get people to engage with brands. If you don’t have the expertise in this platform, you can still learn how to create killer contact by taking this TikTok course.

28. Sell Greeting Cards

If you have a knack for picking out the perfect greeting card for different occasions, this might be an easy way to make money online. However, I don’t recommend that you market your services to anyone and everyone – it’s not a smart way to do business. Instead, you can open a greeting cards brand geared towards a certain segment of the population.

For example, you can make greeting cards that cater to C-level executives wanting to thank their Senior Vice Presidents for making profitable decisions last year. Or you can target healthcare professionals wanting to thank their patients for choosing their clinic. For designing the cards, you can use an online graphic tool like Photoshop or Canva. These tools make it easy to put together nice-looking cards that will cheer anyone up.

Conclusion

Making money online can help you earn some extra side hustle money, but it can also help you escape your 9 to 5 job so you can become a full-time entrepreneur. By making more money, you gain more financial freedom, improve your financial security, and inch closer to living life on your terms. It really is possible to earn a living online if you work hard and stick with it.

#make money online #make money as an affiliate #make money 2021 #how to make money from home

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howyoustudythestars · 6 years

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Behind the Lyrics of Adam Young - “Fiji Water” (with “label” rant)

I know the last time I said I’d pick this “series” up that I’d focus on a request, but I feel like I have to make this, especially with some of the comments I’ve seen flying around here and elsewhere about this track. So, without further ado, I present the reason why this procrastinator will fail his final projects this Behind the Lyrics post! (And not to worry, I plan on making posts for all the requests and find a song for that anon real soon!!)

Tonight’s song is “Fiji Water”, the first track off of the upcoming album Cinematic. You can find the song in all regular music places. (But you’re pre-ordered the album by now, right? Right.)

As always, here are the lyrics:

Got an email at 22 Told me I could be a star On a plane for the first time I couldn't wait to start Landed at JFK Father Christmas picked me up Checked in to a dream hotel And I thought "There's no such thing as luck" I walked into my interview And I thought "There's no such thing as luck" And oh, if I only knew then what I know now I'd stand like a one-man band And I'd say "All this is new to me, but here's how it's gonna be" And I'd say "Hey, there is more to me than meets the eye Let me be who I wanna be" And I'd say "Hey, I'm an oddity and that's alright Let me fly and follow my dreams" And I'd say "Hey, thanks for the weekend A good time was had by all" And I'd say "Hey, thanks for the weekend I ain't a smooth talker but thanks for the Fiji Water" Thanks for the Fiji Water Dinner under a palm tree I had so much on my mind Amazed by the bright lights I stayed up half the night And boy, I took a leap of faith With nowhere else to go but up I walked in to my interview And I thought "There's no such thing as luck" And oh, if I only knew then what I know now I'd stand like a one man band And I'd say "All this is new to me, but here's how it's gonna be And I'd say "Hey, there is more to me than meets the eye Let me be who I wanna be" And I'd say "Hey, I'm an oddity and that's alright Let me fly and follow my dreams" And I'd say "Hey, thanks for the weekend A good time was had by all" And I'd say "Hey, thanks for the weekend I ain't a spin-doctor but thanks for the offer" And "By the way, hey, thanks for the weekend" (cause no one does it like you do) "You know I had a ball" (it was nice to meet you) And I'd say "Hey, thanks for the weekend I ain't a smooth talker but thanks for the Fiji Water" Thanks for the Fiji Water I laughed when I got back home and I thought "There's no such thing as luck"

Here’s a disclaimer that I didn’t think I have to make, but given some of the asks I have received over the years since starting this series, I figure I must re-iterate: I am not Adam Young. I do not know Adam Young. All of this is just my personal opinion and my interpretation of the lyrics. While I try with this series to get inside the mind of Adam Young, I cannot actually do so, and I could be 100% wrong about all of this.

With that out of the way, the main reason I’m making this post is there are several theories out there that claim this song describes some sort of regret Adam had when signing to the label or the so-called “pressure” he had received from them. While it may seem that way at first (especially when all we had to go on was the 30-second preview on Google Play), I don’t think that’s the case for several reasons, especially after watching Adam’s song explanation video, which you can see right here:

youtube

First off, it is apparent this song is primarily around the time he first signed to Republic Records (then called Universal Republic Records). At the time, Fireflies didn’t even exist yet, and his main identity as an artist was his online presence, especially on MySpace. The main time people thought there was pressure from the label was back in the days of the Shooting Star EP leading up to The Midsummer Station. Had it gone from Maybe I’m Dreaming straight to TMS, you might have a point. But any sort of pressure, if it was there, would have happened 3-4 years after the events that this song purports to be talking about. That doesn’t make sense.

If there was pressure from the label during the creation of TMS, then it would be a sharp detour. But I don’t believe that’s the case. As it says in this Billboard article, Adam saw that ATBAB didn’t sell as well as Ocean Eyes, and rather than keep beating a dead horse or worse, blaming the label for making it fail, he asked himself, “What can I do differently to make my next project even better?” It was his idea for collaborating with outside producers, and his label and management at Foundations thought of people he could collaborate with on. In other words, there was no pressure from Adam to change things up for TMS, nor was it the label’s idea. He even personally re-iterated this in his then-personal Tumblr account moderngardening. It was his idea and the label took it and ran with it.

If there was any pressure, it was not from Adam’s creative process, but rather his label rejecting songs he had made and disagreements on a tracklisting with the whole project that was Mobile Orchestra feeling rushed. If anything, this might have been what prompted him to leave Republic Records. Keep in mind, I theorized elsewhere on this blog earlier that Universal Republic was under different management than Republic, and TMS was released under the Universal Republic name, while everything after that was released under the Republic name. If any of this is the case, that seems like a very sharp detour to make on a song that’s supposed to be about an interview that got him signed to a major record label, even more so than it would be with TMS.

Finally, while there is a danceable vibe to it, as Adam explains in the video, Fiji Water is supposed to be an inspiring track that encourages the listener to take big risks in life because, sometimes, those risks pay off. I don’t know about you, but to me, it would seem counter-intuitive to write the song explaining about the negative pressure he felt from the label, especially when it was controlled by different people than when he signed, and with that pressure being about what songs he fully made should and shouldn’t make the cut on an album. Imagine Adam coming up to you and saying, “I took a risk by jumping on a flight to sign with a major record label, and while it worked out well for me at first, after a while they started not liking what I did anymore and I felt it was better for me to leave.” Does that sound encouraging to you? I think not!

And this is not to necessarily squash anyone’s interpretation to the contrary, especially since I can see where some of those ideas come from in the lyrics like “there’s no such thing as luck”, “if I only knew then what I know now,” “let me be who I want to be”, and “I ain’t a spin-doctor but thanks for the offer”. But to me, those lyrics speak of a different idea, and in fact, I think it means Adam was grateful for signing to the label. Sure, they didn’t see eye to eye all the time and Adam and Republic Records occasionally butt heads, but at the end of the day, if Adam had to do it all over again, he’d still end up signing with them. How does this all pan out? Let’s dive into the lyrics:

Got an email at 22 Told me I could be a star On a plane for the first time I couldn't wait to start

For the most part, the lyrics, at least in the verses, are pretty self-explanatory. It’s him telling the story of how he got signed to Universal Republic Records. It all started when he was 22, and he got an email, presumably from Universal Republic’s A&R team, saying they liked what he was doing and they were interested in signing him. Before you know it, he takes his first plane flight in his entire life, and he’s excited.

Landed at JFK Father Christmas picked me up Checked in to a dream hotel And I thought "There's no such thing as luck"

He lands in New York City (as that’s where JFK airport is). Now, the next bit I have a bit of insight into, as this line was explained by Adam’s girlfriend in a YouTube video of hers. The guy who picked him up from the airport, according to Adam, looked a lot like Santa Claus. (And for those not informed, “Father Christmas” is the name of the gift-giver in the UK; Santa Claus is a name of American origin.) The idea of a “dream hotel” makes it sound like it was very glamorous to him. And of course it would; this was the first time he had ever left Owatonna for a big city. (I’ll save myself from having to say he hadn’t left Owatonna until then until we have more clues behind the song “Montana”.)

The phrase “There’s no such thing as luck”, to me, is his attitude for whether or not he would ever make it professionally as a musician full-time. Keep in mind, Owl City was likely created in the same vein as other projects: Port Blue, Insect Airport, Seagull Orchestra, Sky Sailing, etc. It was just another project for Adam to release electropop music under. However, unlike all those other projects, Owl City started to gain traction. “Hello Seattle” was extremely popular on MySpace, he was making a good chunk of money selling his songs through CD Baby, he started to grow a fan base, and for the first time, he was noticed by “the big guys”. To him, he was still humble, and he didn’t take anything for granted. He thought it would be a major step up for his career as a musician, and he had no idea where his career was going to go from there at this point.

(As usual, I will save the chorus until the very end)

Dinner under a palm tree I had so much on my mind Amazed by the bright lights I stayed up half the night

As Abbey also said in the video, the “palm tree” is a reference to a restaurant he ate at while in New York City called The Palm. He had so much on his mind, and I can imagine what it must have been like. Whenever I have something really going well for me, but it isn’t set in stone yet, my mind has a tendency to go on fast forward and think about what will happen once this and that happens. Sort of playing the story in mind before it happens. Maybe it’s an Asperger's thing? He was also awestruck by all the bright city lights, which was something he only imagined in his songs before. He hadn’t seen them for himself until now, and naturally, like back at home, he couldn’t sleep. He was so blown away by this whole experience he was at a loss for words and just had to stay awake.

And boy, I took a leap of faith With nowhere else to go but up I walked in to my interview And I thought "There's no such thing as luck"

Yes, he did take a gigantic leap of faith. He had no idea what was going to happen after that. Worst case scenario, should he crash and burn, he still would have a fall-back fan base with which he could continue to work his magic and keep creating music for. Literally, the only place he could possibly go was up, further beyond his wildest dreams. And when all was said and done, not knowing what would happen to him career-wise, he went into his interview.

And oh, if I only knew then what I know now I'd stand like a one-man band And I'd say "All this is new to me, but here's how it's gonna be

The pre-chorus and chorus are where he gets the most creative lyrically. To me, this is about hindsight, but not what you think it is about. He’s naturally introverted so he may not have had the biggest amount of confidence going into the interview. He probably was really nervous. He probably hadn’t even performed a live show yet. He didn’t know how big Fireflies was going to get in 2009 and beyond. (I’m looking at you, Fireflies memes!) He didn’t know how big the fandom was going to get, let alone get big enough to the point where they could call themselves HootOwls. He had no idea that he’d get to collaborate with great people like Carly Rae Jepsen, Mark Hoppus, Aloe Blacc, Britt Nicole, Hanson, etc. He didn’t know that soon he’d be able to quit that dead-end job at Coca-Cola. He had no idea that Taylor Swift would write a song about meeting him. Had he known that this was all going to happen, and had he built up a little bit more confidence, he’d go in and begin to stand up for what he believes in, even though the experience will be a new one for him.

And as a side note, I love the choice of words with the phrase “one-man band”. That line brings back images from Shining Time Station of a one-man band playing a song. It shows him how talented he is. He’s a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and mixer for all of his own songs. It’s a great symbol to who he is as both a musician and even as a person.

And I'd say "Hey, there is more to me than meets the eye Let me be who I wanna be" And I'd say "Hey, I'm an oddity and that's alright Let me fly and follow my dreams"

Again, these lines are not about what you think, well, not in the context that you’re thinking of them in. Here’s a quote from an interview with Adam’s manager:

Early on we sat down with the label and, frankly, butt heads a little bit. They were ready to send him into the studio with big producers and polish him up to try to become this thing that he wasn’t. But we put our foot down and said, “Look, the reason you signed this kid is because it’s working. Whatever it is about him - his music, his interaction with his fans, his brilliance in the online space - these things are connecting with people, and as soon as you change that you lose what’s special about this artist.” To their credit, they really listened and they got it.

To me, the above quote makes it sound like he was too scared to speak up for himself to the label, but what he’s saying here that he’d speak up and say those things himself. Furthermore, it shows that he knows what he can do and that he’s not afraid to be true to himself. The line that really speaks to me is “I’m an oddity and that’s alright.” Maybe it’s just the Christmas season, but it seems like he’s subverting the usual misfit trope here. Instead of saying “I’m odd, why won’t the world accept me”, he’s essentially saying that he knows he’s a little odd and he’s okay with that. He’s accepted himself. I think that’s encouraging to a lot of us, especially myself.

And I'd say "Hey, thanks for the weekend A good time was had by all" And I'd say "Hey, thanks for the weekend I ain't a spin-doctor but thanks for the offer"

To me, this is his way of thanking the label for this great opportunity. The great weekend experience he sang about in the verses, and that he had a good time. To me, much like with the word “fireflies” in Back Home with Jake Owen, I think the line definitely is a call out back to his hit with Carly Rae Jepsen, “Good Time” (which, by the way, is on a short list of possible songs I may cover under this Behind the Lyrics series). However, I don’t think there’s any deep meaning or secret message or correlation between the two pairs of songs other than that shout out.

As to the line “I ain't a spin-doctor but thanks for the offer", I think it has a connection to the phrase, “I ain’t a smooth talker”. I say that because both smooth talker and spin-doctor have similar definitions:

Smooth Talk:

use flattering language to (someone), especially to persuade them to do something

Spin Doctor:

a spokesperson employed to give a favorable interpretation of events to the media, especially on behalf of a political party.

Both use charming and flattering language to either persuade someone to take a particular course of action (smooth talker) or to present a depiction of events in a positive light (spin-doctor).

In the case of the use of spin-doctor, Adam’s essentially saying he doesn’t want to make it sound like everything’s a certain way with the label, but he’s grateful for the offer that he signed. This can easily be understood, as this happened in 2008, but it wasn’t announced he had signed to Universal Republic Records until February 1, 2009. And above all, he’s saying he’s not in the business of making everyone happy, but he’s grateful he can still be himself and continue to follow his dreams.

And "By the way, hey, thanks for the weekend" (cause no one does it like you do) "You know I had a ball" (it was nice to meet you) And I'd say "Hey, thanks for the weekend I ain't a smooth talker but thanks for the Fiji Water"

Again, he re-iterates he’s grateful for this whole experience. The lines in the backing vocals are particularly interesting. He’s essentially saying he was blown away by everything the label was offering them. Like I said above, he saw these people as “the big guys”. He’s amazed at what these people could do in the music industry, and how they can make someone a star. He’s saying that no one has the potential to do that quite the way they did with him. And even if this didn’t skyrocket his career, at the very least it was amazing to meet them. (Enchanting, if I may say so?)

With regards to the smooth talker thing, I think it’s both referring to his shy, nervous demeanor and that he doesn’t have a way with words to convince them to “let [him] be who [he wants] to be”, as I explained above. But above all, he’s still glad he had this experience, and this is symbolized in the Fiji Water. Although, based on some of the remarks that Abbey made about Father Christmas and The Palm, I wouldn’t be surprised if he got a Fiji Water in his interview with the label and that’s why he titled and referred to Fiji Water in the song.

And while not a lyric, I just want to say that I love that synth that comes on right after the chorus.

I laughed when I got back home and I thought "There's no such thing as luck"

To me, there are two interesting points here. First, this is his way of saying that he still has no clue what’s about to happen, for the better or for the worse, in terms of his music career. He had no idea if he was going to make it. But this carries us to my second point.

I think there’s one last tongue-in-cheek reference here, and while I can’t say for sure if this is for sure or not, I think it’s worth mentioning. In the now-meme-worthy song Fireflies, right after the bridge, when he sings the line “When I’m far too tired to fall asleep”, there’s a brief chuckle in there, almost like an easter egg. I bring this up because he recorded Fireflies and the rest of Ocean Eyes just like he did with Of June and Maybe I’m Dreaming: in the basement of his parent’s home while he was struggling with insomnia. He retained complete creative control, just like he did before. So, in other words, he laughed back at home now, and he still continued to think that he wasn’t going to make it big. Then, that very song reaches number 1 in many countries, and it amazes him how people who don’t speak English as their main language are now singing the chorus to this song he put together in his parent’s basement. He fully made it as a musician. He was able to quit his job at Coca-Cola and pursue his dream of making music full time. He may not be a star like Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, or Taylor Swift, but he’s still a star in his own right. He has made it.

Well, that just about does it for today’s Behind the Lyrics post. I’m still leaving requests turned off for the time being, while I catch up with all of the other requests I promised I would get to. I can’t promise when I’ll get to it, but it’ll be there in the not-too-distant future. Until next time, my fellow HootOwls!

#owl city #adam young #fiji water #cinematic #behind the lyrics

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lalka-laski · 4 years

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Where is your favorite place to get fries? Hm... curly fries are my fave, so anywhere that has those!

What is the most recent article of clothing you’ve purchased?

Leggings and a purse from Plato’s Closet

Have you ever paid for anything with a cheque (check)?

Honestly I don’t think so. Who uses those anymore?

Do you know anyone who was raised by their grandparents?

A few people

Have you ever made your own pie from scratch?

Nope and I wouldn’t dare try either

Who was the last person you had an in-depth conversation with? Glenn

Are there any waterfalls nearby?

There are a few small ones in the area and Niagara Falls is less than an hour away. And I mean... that’s the waterfall of all waterfalls.

What was the last food item you ate?

My homemade mac & cheese last night. It came out splendid!

What are your earliest memories of going to see a doctor?

I remember basic pediatrician appointments from an early age but I’m not exactly sure how young

Can you hear traffic right now?

Nope

Have you ever pulled a muscle?

I think so?

What did you do last weekend?

Had my usual date day on Saturday with my honey, then went to a Mardi Gras party at night. Then spent Sunday nursing a hangover while watching trash tv... it was glorious!

What is your favorite gaming console?

No preference

Have you kissed someone today?

I kissed Glenn’s forehead while he was sleeping to say goodbye this morning, but he didn’t kiss me back

What is your favorite condiment?

MAYO ON EVERYTHING

Do you have a strong opinion for or against Justin Bieber?

No opinion

Have you used a telephone today?

I’ve been texting on my personal phone and I’ve used my office phone twice.

Do you prefer coffee or tea?

I alternate between the two.

Have you taken a painkiller today?

No but I feel a potential headache brewing so I may pop over to the nurse’s station for some Advil

How many theaters does the closest cinema from your house have?

Not a single clue

Do you always have a stock of alcohol in your house?

I wouldn’t say a “stock” but there’s usually a bottle of some kind.

Have you ever had a pumpkin latte and if so, did you like it?

They’re ok. I don’t drink them mostly just because of the stigma. I look like a basic white girl enough as it is, I don’t need an accessory.

Have you had a nap today?

I’ve only been awake a few hours. I’m crossing my fingers I get out of work today in time for a nap before my boyfriend gets home but I’m not sure that’ll be possible

Is there an antique store in your town or city?

Quite a few. I should visit them more!

Have you ever been to a baby shower?

Of course

Are you currently in a relationship? If so, do you think it will last?

Yes and well, we have plans to get married so it’s a safe bet

Do you have a hyphenate name or know anyone with one? (eg. Carter-Brown)

I know a few people who do, but it’s rare.

What would you wear if you were being taken out to dinner tonight?

Well I am technically being taken out to dinner tonight. Though we’re just going to grab subs (and our favorite giant pickles!) I’ll either be wearing my work clothes if I don’t stop home first, or something super casual and bordering on pajamas.

What were the last shoes you wore?

I’m wearing my work flats right now. They’re pointed toe so they have an 80s vibe. Which is, of course, why I love them.

Who cooks most of the meals in your household?

Exclusively me. But I’m happy to do so!

Do you know anyone who has been to rehab?

Yep

Have you ever had a mojito? Honestly I’m not sure. If I have it was only a sip or two. But now I’m inspired to maybe try one this weekend... Do you take your Christmas decorations down before or after New Years?

Typically after, I like to keep them up as long as possible. Though my mom always warned us that if the tree wasn’t taken down by January 6 then hobgoblins would crawl out of it. My family is very normal.

How many romantic relationships have you been in so far?

Ehh... that’s a little murky. But it doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is that I’ve found my one and I’ll be with him forever.

Have you ever been camping in the wilderness?

Yes and it’s not really my cup of tea. A cabin or cottage is fine but I have to draw the line at sleeping in a tent.

Do you have any money on you right now?

Nope

Would you consider yourself to be a picky eater?

Not in the slightest. And picky eaters actually bother me, I find them childish! (Though I have nothing to back this assumption)

Have you made a large purchase today?

Nope

What was the last candy you ate?

Gummy hearts for Valentine’s Day

How often do you eat Subway?

Absolutely never. If I wanted to eat a sandwich on a damn hot dog bun, I’d make it at home.

Have you ever lived in a house with a pool in the yard?

My childhood home!

What color is your toothbrush?

Pink, as are most objects in my life.

Do you have gluten intolerance or anyone who does?

I’m sick of hearing about supposed gluten intolerance. It’s so phony.

Have you ever cried while watching a movie?

You must not know me because I cry at EVERY. MOVIE.

First thing that catches your eye when you look out the nearest window?

I have no windows in the dungeon I’m currently trapped in

Have you ever had a migraine?

Thankfully no

Do you have a gym membership?

I do but I’ve been meaning to cancel it.

Have you locked your front door today?

Mhm

Have you ever slept in a car overnight?

Nope

Have you washed the dishes today?

Ugh, thanks for reminding me that I have to do that when I get home

Have you ever fainted?

Nope

Have you been awake before sunrise today?

Yeah I’ve been up since 5:07 exactly.

When was the last time you went to the bank?

I took cash out a couple weeks ago to tip my nail tech.

Do you avoid conflict as much as possible?

Absolutely. Which usually ends up creating more conflict for me in the end. You think I’d learn but I haven’t yet...

Have you ever used a leaf blower?

Nope

You see someone running around naked in the street. Your reaction?

“That looks like fun”

Have you hugged anybody today?

Actually yes. It’s my coworker and dear friend’s last day at work today and I hugged her as soon as I walked in the office this morning. LOTS of tears happening today.

Who called you last?

Tommy

Have you ever been to Mexico?

Nope

Has someone close to you died of murder?

Thankfully no

Do you cry easily?

You don’t even know

Do you have any drugs in your bedroom?

Nah

Would you ever have sex with the last person you texted?

My sister? I’m throwing up

Do you abbreviate when you text?

More often than I realize actually

Did you ever have sex with your ex after you broke up?

Yes

Have you ever given up something you really wanted?

Yes, haven’t we all?

When’s the last time you did laundry?

Just yesterday. I have more to do today though.

Do you recycle?

I really ought to more. I admit I’m lazy about it. It’s one of my worst habits.

Are you afraid others will judge you from reading some of your answers?

I’m pretty certain no one even reads these so I’m not worried.

Do you pray to God often?

That’s a tough question

Have you ever done volunteering work abroad?

Nope

Can you stand spicy foods?

I’m working on it! My palate is evolving

Is anyone in the room on the phone right now?

It’s just me here right now

How good are you in terms of ‘saving up’ money?

I used to be great at it and I moved into my current apartment with almost $6k in savings. I honestly have no idea where it went now. I guess I severely miscalculated my budget

Do you have a shower stall or a bath tub?

Bath tub

Have you been to the beach this year?

It’s January in upstate New York so.... no.

When did you graduate high school?

2010

Can you read HTML code?

I may have some leftover knowledge from my Myspace days... but not much

Does a blizzard from Dairy Queen sound good right now?

Actually no

Do you drink diet pop?

I switched to it for weight loss purposes. And I want to bash my head against a wall whenever some pseudo-scientific twit warns against the dangers of artificial sweeteners and claims regular soda is “healthier” than diet. No food product is categorically healthy or unhealthy. Food is a personal experience colored by a variety of factors. Diet soda is the ~healthier option for me because drinking it has allowed me to drop 20 pounds of excess weight that was straining my body. No one can tell me that’s unhealthy.

Do you like the taste of cough syrup?

Who does?????

How many people did you hang out with today?

None, unless you count everyone at work right now. But we’re not exactly chilling

How much money did you spend today, and on what?

None so far.

When’s the last time you were high/drunk?

I was a little tipsy last night, I won’t lie

What are you doing tomorrow?

Girls night!!

Who is the person you often go to for venting?

All of my friends, my sisters or Glenn

Why do you do these surveys?

There’s not much else to do when work is slow so these are a good way to pass the time. Plus I like the self reflection they allow me.

Have you spoken to your mother today?

Nope, but she might text me later

Do you have current feelings for anybody? The love of my life!!!

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