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grandinternetcollector · 29 days ago

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How to Use User-Generated Content to Power Your PR Campaigns

Introduction: Why User-Generated Content Feels Like Word-of-Mouth Magic

Picture this: you’re scrolling through Instagram and see a post from someone just like you, gushing about a cozy sweater they just bought. No slick ad, just pure excitement. That’s the magic of user-generated content (UGC), real reviews, social media posts, videos, or stories from everyday folks. It’s like word-of-mouth on steroids, and it’s changing the PR game. A 2025 inBeat Agency survey found that 90% of millennials trust authentic, peer-driven content over flashy brand ads.

This article is your friendly guide to using UGC to make your PR campaigns pop. We’ll walk you through how to turn customer stories into media gold, boost engagement, and build a brand people actually believe in. Whether you’re a small shop or teaming up with pros like 9FigureMedia to level up your online vibe, UGC is your chance to let real voices shine.

Current Trends: Why UGC Is Taking Over PR

Ten years ago, brands ruled with glossy ads. Now? It’s all about real people. In 2025, digital trends show 92% of marketers say UGC is their secret sauce for building brand love. On platforms like TikTok, hashtags like #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt have exploded with millions of posts, sparking shopping sprees left and right. It’s no surprise — folks are 28% more likely to like, comment, or share a post from a real person than a brand.

But it’s not all rosy. Brands have to be careful about getting permission to use someone’s content and dodging posts that could backfire. Plus, with influencer content everywhere, some worry the “real” vibe is fading. The trick? Keep it genuine, as outlets like TechRadar love to spotlight brands that nail this balance.

Picking the Best UGC for Your Campaign

Not every customer post is PR gold, but the right ones can work wonders. Here’s what to look for:

Social Media Gems: A tweet or Insta post about your product — like someone rocking your shoes with #MyStyleVibes — can catch fire.

Heartfelt Reviews: Honest customer reviews, like those boosting Iconic London’s sales by 126%, build trust fast.

Videos and Snaps: GoPro’s fans share jaw-dropping adventure clips that scream brand love without saying a word.

Fan Blogs or Forums: LEGO’s Ideas platform lets fans pitch new sets, making them feel like part of the family.

Organic Influencer Love: When someone with a following raves about your product for free, like NYX’s #ButterGlossPop fans, it’s pure PR magic.

The key is picking UGC that feels right for your audience. 9FigureMedia, for example, hunts down visual stories that vibe with tech fans on sites like TechRadar.

Gathering UGC Without Stepping on Toes

Getting great UGC is like throwing a great party — you’ve got to make people want to show up and share. Here’s how to do it right:

Get Them Excited: Run a fun campaign like Starbucks’ #WhiteCupContest, where fans doodled on cups and shared thousands of pics in weeks.

Chat with Your Crew: Build a community where fans feel heard, as PR guru Lyric Mandell advises. It’s about real conversations, not shouting into the void.

Keep Your Ears Open: Use tools like BuzzSumo to spot hot UGC. 9FigureMedia’s savvy analytics help brands find content that’s ready to shine.

Ask Nicely: Always DM or email to get permission before using someone’s post. It’s polite and keeps you out of hot water.

Doing it ethically builds trust, especially for audiences reading outlets like the Saudi Gazette, who value stories with heart.

Making UGC the Star of Your PR

Ready to sprinkle some UGC magic on your PR? Here’s how to make it work:

Pitch with Personality: Toss a customer’s story into your press release. A startup scored a TechRadar feature by highlighting TikTok reviews that went viral.

Tell Real Stories: Share user tales in blogs or videos. Airbnb’s “Stay for Good” campaign showcased hosts’ eco-friendly efforts, winning hearts and media love.

Share on Social: Repost customer posts on your channels. Parachute’s #MyParachuteHome used fan photos to boost ad clicks by 35%.

Turn UGC Into News: Pitch user content to journalists for features in places like Digital Trends, making your brand the talk of the town.

9FigureMedia weaves these stories into campaigns that feel personal yet hit big with global audiences.

Tips to Make Your UGC Pop

Want your UGC to steal the show? Try these:

Pick the Best Stuff: Choose content that matches your brand’s vibe, like Iconic London’s sleek Galleries tool.

Shout Out Creators: Tag the person who made the post — it’s real, it’s kind, and it builds trust, as Forbes Communications Council points out.

Team Up with Influencers: Mix UGC with micro-influencer posts for extra pizzazz, like NYX’s #ButterGlossPop campaign.

Keep Score: Use PR tools to track how far your campaign travels and how much love it’s getting.

These are the kinds of tricks 9FigureMedia uses to make campaigns feel alive and impactful.

Real-Life Wins: Brands Rocking UGC

Check out these brands killing it with UGC:

Retail Rockstar: Parachute’s #MyParachuteHome turned customer pics into ads, cutting ad costs by 60% and landing lifestyle media spots.

Startup’s TikTok Moment: A tech startup rode a wave of customer TikTok reviews to a TechRadar feature, driving 10,000 website visits in a week.

Nonprofit with Heart: A nonprofit shared community stories for a Saudi Gazette feature, spreading feel-good vibes worldwide.

These stories prove UGC can turn fans into your best storytellers.

How to Know Your UGC Is Working

Wondering if your campaign’s a hit? Track these:

Media Love: Count mentions and links, like MattressNerd’s 90+ backlinks from a UGC-powered study.

Engagement Vibes: UGC posts get 28% more likes and shares than brand content — check those numbers!

Good Feels: Use tools like Meltwater to make sure your brand’s getting positive buzz.

9FigureMedia uses these metrics to keep campaigns on point and powerful.

What’s Next for UGC in PR

The future’s looking bright for UGC. AI tools will soon make finding the best content a breeze, says inBeat Agency. TikTok’s video UGC is set to rule, with eMarketer calling it Gen Z’s top way to discover brands. But staying real is everything — people are getting wise to fake-feeling influencer posts. Brands that keep up with new platforms, like 9FigureMedia does, will stay one step ahead.

Conclusion: Let Your Customers Be Your Megaphone

UGC is all about letting your customers tell your story — and boy, do they tell it well. By gathering their content with care, weaving it into your PR, and tracking the results, you can create campaigns that feel like a warm hug from your community. Start simple: try a hashtag, listen to your fans, and share their love. With partners like 9FigureMedia, your UGC-powered PR can light up platforms from TechRadar to the Saudi Gazette, proving the best brand stories come straight from the heart.

#sales #startup #branding #black entrepreneurship #ecommerce #9figuremedia #success #marketing #entrepreneur #commercial

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daquanshell · 11 months ago

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The Continual Build

Last night I went out to one of my favorite monthly events, where a small group of people I actually like meet up for Karaoke. The event was quite entertaining, with the crowd being made up of mostly older women, and an older gentleman who also happens to be a writer, such as myself. I sang two songs: “Again”, by Doris Day, and “Blinding Lights”, by Abel Tesfaye, also known as The Weeknd.

The conversation was varied and extremely interesting, primarily thanks to a woman named Nancy, who arrived early and commented on a piece of jewelry I was wearing. What followed was a discussion on travel, friendship, religion, and military service, ending with a blessing for my future campaigns. Lately, I’ve been a lot more picky about the social events I attend, and I’m glad I chose this one. I could genuinely use more people like her in my life.

Jews in the Wild

One thing that was pretty funny about Jewish people in the wild (aka outside of an established religious service or in an environment where Jewish people are a minority) is how they approach you once they find out that you are Jewish. They usually do one of two things, both of which I genuinely find hilarious.

The first is that they say a random phrase in Hebrew. Usually something that is neither a proper greeting, relevant to the situation, nor about future plans, but they particularly like to ask about your upbringing, which in my opinion, is a rather strange thing to ask a person you just met, but it happens so often that its more surprising that I’m not usually prepared for it.

In all honesty, I have been slacking on my Hebrew studies lately. It’s been hard to make the time between school, work, furnishing my new apartment, looking for my future wife and trying to have a social life, but I feel as though my encounter last night was a friendly reminder to both take my studies more seriously, while also working on my social skills. It’s bad enough that I’m largely illiterate and don’t have many friends, but my current situation is no excuse for continuing my education nor actively working to improve my social standing.

Regarding my Upbringing

I had a uniquely African American upbringing, more so than a Jewish one. I didn’t actually find my Jewish Identity until I left my childhood home, after recovering from a near-death encounter. I will spare you the gory details, but the encounter left me bedridden for awhile, with a foggy memory and absolutely no idea how to survive, let alone thrive as both an Adult Male, an African American, and member of the Jewish Community with no real education or connections.

To make matters worse, I was extremely poor, and I was not the kind of person who considered himself a charity case, rather I was the kind of person who believed that all problems could be solved through a combination of intelligence and diligent effort.

Of course, I understood luck to be an ingredient as well, but I’ve never been a fan of luck due to its unreliability. Having no idea what to do, I left my home and went into the wilderness for a while, and it was there that I found my answer. I was called to something significantly larger and more important to me.

I was in recruit training when I first had my first real exposure to Torah. I had spent years studying it, reading it from my phone, and reading English versions of the Chumash, but there was something completely otherworldly about the real thing.

It was like the difference between looking out the window and being outside, one gives you the impression of the air and the elements, while the other allows you to feel it for yourself, for better or worse. Being called to Torah is a wonderful thing, similar to being called to military service, and it fills my heart with pride and joying knowing that my decision to join the military lead me closer to Torah.

I sometimes feel bad I can’t dedicate more time to study. I have to spend so much time exercising, cooking, cleaning, working, traveling, socializing, resting, and relaxing, that sometimes I feel like I’m neglecting my studies, despite always keeping Torah with me (shoutout to the Sefaria app).

Speaking of the Sefaria app, they recently sent me something to my home in New York. I really should visit there, both for the opportunity to see my mom, explore my place of birth, and see what the community there is like. It’s no secret that a majority of Jewish people live in either New York or Israel, and even at the Chabad in Baltimore, all anyone does is talk about how “Baltimore is not New York”, which really discounts the charm of this wonderful city.

Yes, Baltimore is dangerous and Democratic, but it’s also full of beautiful art and magnificent people. Moving forward, I’ll definitely try to capture the beauty of Baltimore more in addition to traveling, but in the meantime I have a lot of housekeeping to do, online and offline.

The offline housekeeping is boring stuff like laundry, dishes, and carpet cleaning, but the online stuff is pretty cool. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be revamping my social media to establish a continuity that is ideally easy to follow, so that anyone I meet in person or online can dive into the rabbit hole that is my persona and my writings.

Hopefully the social media revamp leads to this blog evolving into a full blown website, but it’s still too early to tell.

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cruelfeline · 5 years ago

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So, I was admittedly distracted by something a little more... distressing, back in season four. Y’know: that bit where Hordak gets... Well; y’all know. Yes. But now that I’m re-watching various bits and pieces, I’ve realized exactly how much Bow’s friendship speech on Beast Island bothers me.

Though I may be misinterpreting it? Am I misinterpreting it? I don’t know.

I kind of hope I’m misinterpreting it

But to me, it feels as if, upon learning that Entrapta is giving up on friendship because she’s had such difficulty with it, Bow kind of... implies that she needs to work harder?

Is that what’s happening? Because that’s what it feels like.

Again: I may be misinterpreting. But I don’t know that I am? I mean, even his claim that the Alliance never gave up on Entrapta kind of... implies that she’s the one who gave up on them? Is that... is that right?

not even considering the fact that they’ve kind of not really cared about her for a season and a half... until she becomes potentially useful via a mass of magic needing defusing

Because if it is, then I’m not a fan. I’m not a fan at all.

I feel like Entrapta works so hard, throughout the series, to be a good friend. She just does it in a way that makes sense to her.

Back in season one, she tries to provide the Princess Alliance with weapons and technology in order to cement their friendship. She participates in their attempt to rescue Glimmer and Bow after the Princess Prom. She does her best to work with the group during their foray into the Fright Zone, despite their less-than-respectful way of dealing with her. She does her best. She tries. She endures their lack of clear communication in an effort to be useful and belong.

And, for her troubles, she is left behind. Yes, it’s an accident. No, they don’t mean it. But, at the same time, they don’t go back to look. They don’t make sure. And Entrapta, whether intentionally or not, is left to her own devices in the Fright Zone.

Once there, she repeats her attempt at friendship-building. She again provides weapons and technological know-how, trying to use them as the foundation of a relationship because, well, that’s what she understands. That’s what she’s comfortable with, and that’s what she has to offer. So she does.

And it honestly works! She becomes friends with Scorpia. They seem to genuinely enjoy one another’s company: they talk about their (different) interests, engage in friendly physical contact, enjoy the anticipation of hot cocoa on one of their missions. Entrapta seems to make a legitimate connection with her, one that Scorpia canonically admits to missing.

Entrapta likewise befriends Hordak and develops a sweet, loving relationship with him. She connects with him in a way no one else ever has, owing both to her lack of fear and to her willingness to see humanity in a person everyone else writes off as a tyrannical monster. I don’t know that I need to say much more about this: we all acknowledge the wholesome, wonderful nature of Entrapdak.

She tries to befriend Catra, too, both by providing her with tech and by going so far as to petition Hordak to spare her after the Shadow Weaver incident.

My point regarding all of this is that Entrapta does try. She does work at it, attempting to be the best friend she can be. She enjoys an easy companionship with Scorpia (apparently being the only real friend the latter has had, by Scorpia’s own admission!). She falls in love with Hordak, entering into a mutual relationship that eventually gives him the strength to break from his abusive slavemaster of a god-brother. She tries to provide Catra with honest help, succeeding in helping her fulfill her Horde duties and actually saving her life.

And yet, with all of this effort, what happens?

Catra sentences her to death. There’s no way around this: it’s the only honest way to put it.

Scorpia ends up caring more about Catra than anyone else and subsequently allows Entrapta to be shipped off to Beast Island

Hordak... oh, by the gods, Hordak tries, but he ends up a victim of Catra’s manipulation and his own emotional pain. To his credit, he promptly loses his mind when he realizes what has happened.

In the end? In the end, all of Entrapta’s work has led to multiple functionally failed friendships (well, Scorpia squeaks out a save... eventually) and one romantic relationship put on hold because of a tragic misunderstanding. And it’s not her fault. It’s not that she doesn’t work hard enough. It’s not that she thinks friendship is easy. It’s not that she gives up on people. Entrapta does try. She works hard with the tools and the understanding that she possesses. And despite all of that effort, she ends up on Beast Island anyway because Catra doesn’t value her, Scorpia doesn’t value her enough, and Hordak is too wounded to realize what’s happening

So this moment when Bow gives her this talk, when it sounds like he’s telling her that she needs to try harder and really work on friendship in order for it to happen for her... I just... is that really what this scene means? Because, if so, then it just falls so incredibly flat for me.

It falls so very flat, right alongside that uncomfortable moment in S5E2 when all of the princesses are furious with her, and she just doesn’t understand why, because in her mind, she’s been trying to help in the only way she knows how. And no one has clearly told her any other way, so how is she supposed to know?

Agh. I just really don’t like this implication that Entrapta has failed at friendship because she didn’t work hard enough. I don’t like this implication that she is the one that needs to buck up and try harder, when she has been putting forth an honest effort to understand people and give them useful things and interact pleasantly, even when said people refuse to communicate clearly with her.

And for pity’s sake, she’s a wonderful enough friend that she helps Hordak find the strength to take back his memories and his life and his name so that he can free himself and kill his god for her. That’s pretty damned successful, isn’t it?

needless to say Hordak is exempt from this entire pseudo-rant because he actually respects and reciprocates her efforts

So why does the Alliance continuously put forth this demand that she “work harder?” Why do the princesses constantly imply that she’s the one not trying, when they never actually try to understand her even one iota? Why does it always have to be Entrapta picking up the social pace and adapting to everyone’s demands?

And why doesn’t the narrative call out this gross discrepancy?

I can understand the characters engaging in this nonsense, but why doesn’t the narrative point it out for what it is? Why doesn’t the narrative mark it as unfair and wrong?

It’s a major aspect of Entrapta’s “friendship arc” that just doesn’t sit well with me. I feel like there’s this constant theme of “Entrapta needs to work harder to understand people” when she’s already working hard. She’s already giving it her all, but she’s the only one who is. It’s all so uncomfortably one-sided. The actual problem, to my eyes, is that no one save for one (1) grumpy clone is meeting her halfway, and the story just completely fails to recognize that.

#entrapta #entrapdak

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mira--mira · 4 years ago

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Hi! I was wondering

How do you think Hashirama and Madara would be in a Road to Ninja version?

I remember once reading a Hashimada fic (which I never finished RIP) that was about Madara appearing in the RTN universe and the 3 things that stucked with me were:

1.- Madara was the first Hokage (something that Madara thought was horrible when he saw his sculpted face on the Hokage mountain 🤣)

And personally I think that it would not have been like that even in the RTN universe because we didn't see his face along with the other faces of Hokages in the movie (Yeah, apparently I'm basing myself on a movie which I'm not even sure if it's canon or not, even though Kishimoto wrote it) and the RTN characters didn't seem to even know who Madara is.

2.- Hashirama having his bowlcut as an adult

And I agree with the Madara from that fanfic, it looks awful on him. Hashirama, babe, I'm sorry but the only ones who can rock that style are Guy Sensei and Rock Lee, I know you just were trying to be cool but it doesn't suite you.

3.- Tobirama was a porn writer

Instead of being a fan of forbidden jutsu and creating justus, he wrote porn novels a la Jiraiya. And I'll hold that headcanon with my dead hands.

The only other fanfic that places the founders in the RTN universe is one where the protagonist is Mito (it's an interesting one-shot that pairs her with Itama 🤔)

She was kind of a shy person 🤔? And so it was Tobirama 🤣 which I found fun.

Hashirama, as the first fanfic I mentioned, was the Tobirama of the place (saddenly Madara wasn't in this fic).

So I would like to know what are your versions of the founders (or only Hashirama and Madara if it is too much) in the RTN universe! And how do you think things would be

Hmm, RTN is an interesting concept to me but, to be honest, I don't think Konoha would exist if a lot of personalities got flipped 😂 I haven't read any RTN fics with the founders, but if you, or anyone else, have links at hand I'd love to check them out 👀

1. Madara

Here's the big one and the crux of why I don't think the village would exist. Typically I characterize Madara as an extremely responsible man who internalizes things when he shouldn't, takes himself way too seriously, is aggressive and abrasive even to people he loves sometimes, but genuinely loves the people closest too him. Reversing this would make a character that slacks off, takes no responsibility, and is completely passive in life and has fleeting attachments to others around him. Assuming he wouldn't die on the battlefield, I could see the RTN "alternate" personality coming about of Madara's being so overpowered and competent that he loses interest and distances himself from things before he can get attached and lose them.

It makes building a village very hard though. (At first I was tempted to go RTN Sasuke route and maybe RTN!Madara is a little more openly flirty than canon!Madara, but the passivity and refusal to take responsibility would be the "core" qualities for me.)

2. Hashirama

Hashirama is a bit weird because he has a lot of surface-level "conflicting" traits in canon. He is optimistic but he pushes beyond his natural attitude and uses it as a mask to hide instead of addressing his feelings. He's mischievous, likes jokes and games, and can be a bit hedonistic with his pleasure but can equally be serious when necessary and will willingly sacrifice for others around him. And simultaneously, Hashirama and Madara are connected by a shared sense of idealism but also anger. Hashirama is a very kind, but extremely angry, man. I think a RTN!Hashirama would share a kind of apathy of RTN!Madara but instead of passivity his lack of anger would manifest as cruelty. Because canon!Hashirama is angry but his anger is usually a righteous kind. I don't think RTN!Hashirama would go out of his way to be cruel, but he doesn't have the empathy of canon!Hashirama, especially to others' suffering. He enjoys fighting just a bit too much and has no qualms about killing. In his mind, he should always come first in any situation and prioritizing (or even considering) others' is effort and him going out of his way to be "nice" and the other should be thankful. Similarly if he feels any negative emotion, he won't bottle it up and swallow it down, he'll immediately address it, usually confrontationally. RTN!Hashirama is as intelligent as his canon counterpart but he doesn't suffer fools and he hates it when people underestimate him. He's pretty proud and vain, tbh.

I really don't think the above would make him the "Tobirama" of RTN verse. To me Hashirama and Tobirama have different core values and perspectives and inverting Hashirama's doesn't make it become Tobirama's, if that makes sense. This one is also wordy bc I immediately knew how RTN!Madara would be RTN!Hashirama is a bit harder to pin down. But I hope it's clear why I have doubts about the village existing...maybe if RTN!Hashirama got it in his mind as a pet project for the hell of it, that he'd be a better leader for the country and not just the Senju alone, and RTN!Madara liked the idea of no responsibility and being able to detach even further than he already was? But that's still kind of grasping for a reason.

3. Hashimada

Equally I think any Hashirama/Madara relationship would be ehhh. They definitely wouldn't have the overwhelming bond of their canon counterparts, and it could be a relationship ripe for unhappiness. The closest I can think of to making the ship work is RTN!Madara would be drawn to Hashirama's absurd level of self-confidence and able to let the casual cruelty slide off instead of getting worked up about it. In a way RTN!Hashirama is stable and predictable. If he's pretty overpowered, there's less of a chance RTN!Madara would lose him, so their relationship isn't deep but it's more or less dependable and Madara knows exactly what he's going to get. In contrast RTN!Hashirama has an audience in the form of RTN!Madara and a partner that's not going to push back against his ideas. RTN!Madara doesn't ask for much and he doesn't complain when RTN!Hashirama puts himself first. He doesn't want, or might not be capable of, the deep emotional bond their canon counterparts have. RTN!Madara wouldn't leave Konoha (if it existed) in the AU, because he doesn't really care. If someone upset RTN!Hashirama and he decided to leave to 'do it right' RTN!Madara would probably follow, maybe out of some loyalty for RTN!Hashirama but mostly because it's what's easiest.

4. Tobirama

The core of Tobirama's character to me is prioritizing logic over emotion and both a conscious and unconscious failure to realize he can't completely eliminate emotion. Tobirama loves his brother, he's curious and has a desire to find out what makes things work and is willing to bend morality to get results if it'll serve a greater good. He's very aware of the unfairness of the world but believes it's an unspoken truth of humanity and can only be mitigated through logical means, but never completely erased. He'll be the sacrificial lamb, the one that works in shadows so his brother can have his utopian dream. Despite everything, he loves his genin, the strongest bonds he has aside from Hashirama, and does try to instill in them lessons he think will help them and lead to peace and stability in the village. He's still influenced by the prejudices of his time and can never find it in him to truly forgive the Uchiha.

A RTN!Tobirama would be a man ruled by emotion. Him writing erotica all day definitely could be one way this manifests lol. But overall he's sensitive and spiritual and can't stand the idea of killing. He and RTN!Hashirama don't get along and he actively tries to avoid his brother. RTN!Tobirama has equally strong principles as canon!Tobirama, but they're pacifist in nature and while he likes his studies, he prefers to be out talking to people and learning from them first hand. He's very naive and can be easily taken advantage of and he has trouble focusing on any one thing for too long. No matter how many times this happens, he never can harden his heart or be overly suspicious of others. RTN!Tobirama would most likely be the one support peace in this AU. He embraces the Uchiha and all the Senjus past enemies with open arms, almost to a foolish degree. It'd be a bad idea if he became hokage in this AU because he's a terrible negotiator and has a bad people-pleasing streak and struggles with long-term tactics. With the exception of RTN!Hashirama, who he considers an aberration who doesn't have a soul, humans at their core all have good intentions at heart.

5. Mito

I characterize Mito as a very level-headed woman. Her marriage to Hashirama is political in nature but they grow to be good friends and she never expected to fall in love and she's glad Hashirama didn't want a traditional wife. Mito is devoted to her community work (she works hands-on with people in the village), she seeks out connections with others and, despite the distance, remains close with her family in Uzushio, constantly writing them letters. She's spiritual and follows the Uzumakis' beliefs (not gonna list this OoT spoiler lol) and studies fuinjutsu in her spare time, something she's done since she was a child. She is willing to sacrifice if it meant protecting something she considered greater than herself, much to her own personal detriment. She loves and is proud of her children and grandchildren, but if she had a choice, she would have chosen to remain childless, she finds her true calling elsewhere.

RTN!Mito, similarly to RTN!Tobirama, is ruled by emotions. She dreams of one day making a good marriage for herself and centers romance and being a mother as her ideal life, but she's extremely picky when it comes picking the perfect husband. RTN!Mito knows how much she's worth and she refuses to settle and will not even entertain the idea of an arranged marriage. She has a hard time forming long-lasting, deep bonds with other people and views starting her own family as the solution to this problem. At times she can be a bit absent-minded and unintentionally selfish, but she's not actively malicious. She blusters a lot and depending on the situation can come off as cold and uncaring, but it's only to hide the depth of her true feelings and loneliness. In this AU she would absolutely refuse to marriage RTN!Hashirama. Nothing on hell or earth, could make her change her mind.

Mito is such a blank-slate character it feels like writing an oc more than a canon character, tbh. And this is something I don't see brought up a lot but a "heart full of love" to combat the kyuubi's hatred to me has never been exclusive to romantic or familial (to children) love. *cough* I want a complex female character who's not vilified for not wanting to have children and/or regretting having them *cough* Mito's "love" was for the people of Konoha and Uzushio. My personal headcanon regarding her and Hashirama's child (I don't think she had more than one) was that she was dedicated to her son, but quickly realized being a mother wasn't her dream or something she even actively liked. The kid was well-cared for and she was dutiful towards him, but Hashirama was the parent that loved and embraced him with his whole heart and it led to some tension between Mito and her son as the kid could tell the difference and neither of them were "wrong" to feel the way they did. This is why Tsunade was shown with Hashirama instead of Mito, he was a lot more present in her life when she was young (instead of Kishi just not having made Mito as a character yet). But after Hashirama and Tsunade's dad died (and then Nawaki), she and Mito grew close but it was definitely more of a friendship or student/mentor relationship rather than a traditional grandmother/granddaughter relationship but both were satisfied with it and loved eachother. Likewise I didn't want RTN!Mito's characterization to be shallow and hit misogynistic undertones with her being an "opposite" to Mito's calm, level-headed, focused on her work/passions characterization.

6. Closing thoughts

#1: Wow this got long #2: I feel conflicted about RTN because it seemed to flip surface-level characteristics instead of deep characterizations, and ignored flaws altogether. The ones above, esp. Hashirama and Madara's, are kind of dark in a way? But that's the only way it makes sense to me...Gai and Lee caring about style and being stylish is a funny joke but if you were to actually poke and prod and say their personalities were inverted, neither of them would be top-notch ninja as we know...unless I'm just completely misremembering RTN because I realize it's been years since I saw it lol. Anyway, hope this was entertaining!

#naruto #hashimada #hashirama senju #madara uchiha #mito uzumaki #tobirama senju #asks #al-stuffy #rtn au #long post

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nepenthendline · 5 years ago

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Heyyy, could you do a headcannon post for tsukki, kenma, suga, Kageyama, and kurro, and how they would go about proposing to their s/o. I love your writing btw!!! 💜

proposal hcs make me so sOFT, and thank you so much 🥺🥺🥺 It means a lot! I’m going to bury myself in these hcs to get rid of the stress my uni are giving me rn also kageyama’s is so long omg i got a little carried away

slight timeskip spoilers (kenma, sugawara, kageyama, kuroo)

Requests are open!

Proposal Headcanons - Tsukishima, Kenma, Sugawara, Kageyama and Kuroo

Tsukishima:

Tsukishima wasn’t one for extravagant publics displays of love and affection, so his proposal wouldn’t be either

he wanted it to be natural, not some crazy, over-the-top event that had everyone in the neighbourhood witnessing

it would be around 5-10 years (depending on how old you were when you started dating) of being together when Tsukishima decided he wanted to marry you, it’s not that he never thought about it, he just wanted to be sure this was the right decision for both of you

he had mentioned marriage to you one night a few months before proposing to test the waters and see your opinion so that he could gauge whether you would say yes or not

he took Yamaguchi with him to pick out a ring, he was great friends with you too so he knew your style and preferences well to help out Tsukishima

the proposal itself what somewhat planned, he knew the day he was going to do it but, other than that, he left it open to change

the two of you had gone for an evening walk across a pathway that overlooked the town, something you two do often to wind down

you two hadn’t spoke much, a comfortable, warm silence surrounding you besides pointing out the odd squirrel or brief check-ups on each others day

both of you had stopped at a railing on your walk, leaning against it to watch the sun set over the tall buildings

his hand was in yours, brushing his thumb over the back of it as he looked out to the view

“I love you (Y/N),” his voice was quiet but it seemed certain

he wasn’t the kind of man that told you he loved you multiple times a day, it was reserved for special moments and the times where he couldn’t get how lucky he was to have you out of his mind

“I love you too Kei,” you didn’t need to be loud, or shout your confession to the world to know that you both meant it deeply

“Marry me,” it sounded more like a instruction than a question and his gaze hadn’t left the sky

“W-what?” had you heard him wrong? was this a joke?

he turned his eyes to you, locking them with yours - this was the most serious and sincere you had ever seen him

“Marry me,” he repeated

you stood with your mouth slightly open, eyes wide as he pulled out a box from his pocket, opening it to display a simple, yet stunning ring

“I always thought that if you went for what you truly wanted, it would just end in pain and disappointment, that all the effort and sentiment would be for nothing, but with you it’s so easy. I might never be, but I want to become the best man for you, that you deserve, so marry me.”

Kenma:

gets married for tax purposes

marriage was not something Kenma had ever though about in his life growing up

he never thought he would get married or find someone he had a connection with and, honestly, he was fine with that

he didn’t really see the appeal of it in the first place

it wasn’t until many years down the line of being with you and his friends around him getting into relationships when he started to consider the possibility

the first time it came into his head was at Kuroo’s wedding

he spent most of the time wishing he could go home and get out of this uncomfortable suit, but there were times when he say Kuroo’s beaming smile that he was glad he came

some of the ex-nekoma team members had poked at him with questions of when he was going to get ‘hitched’, which he responded to with a sigh

he certainly wasn’t going to propose because others told him he needed to

the next time it crossed his mind was when he started a new game that his fans had recommended he play

it was a romance game which wasn’t his usual go-to genre, but it had incredible reviews and created a storm in the gaming world so he thought he might as well check it out

through the game he got to witness an endearing story of a couple that went at odds to be together

the story delved into their married life and all the little things they enjoyed together through the years

he didn’t really want to admit it, but it did make him feel a little emotional

he saw himself and you in the characters, as if he was watching his own life play out on his screen

every now and then you and Kenma played some games together so you could spend time with him and he could show you want had been interesting him lately, so he decided to show you this game

you thought it was adorable, so heartwarming yet a little sad at points, but you had always been a little more outwardly emotional then Kenma

“imagine if we got married haha, how cute would that be!” you gushed out in the moment without thinking as you played

“eh...I guess” it wasn’t really the answer you were hoping for, but at least he didn’t sound utterly disgusted by the thought

you continued to play with him for a while, tucked into his side and making comments every now and then

a particular endearing part was plating on the screen and your eyes shone as they fixated on the characters

he could tell by the glassy look that you were getting a little affected by the story, but you looked so cute

the way your lip pouted ever so slightly, and how you gripped at his hoodie, as if to steady yourself

he had a sudden rush of adoration for you, he really did love you and the last couple years of you living together had been wonderful, how he got to wake up beside you, do daily chores with you, how you supported him in his many careers

“Maybe we should get married,” he blurted out, you whipped your head towards him so fast you almost got whiplash

“Are you...proposing?” you questioned, with somewhat of a laugh in your voice

“huh...looks like I am.”

Sugawara:

Sugawara was sensible, mature, a little bit of a tease and sometimes chaotic if Daichi wasn’t watching but also traditional

he had often thought about what it would be like to grow up, get married and have a family

it wouldn’t take long before he knew he wanted to marry you, even throughout the 3 years you had already been together he had daydreamed about marrying you more times than he could count

from all the memories you had together, all the times you helped enough other in rough patches and the learning the two of you wanted to continue in the future had him certain that he wanted you beside him forever

so he set out his plan

he took his old teammates, Daichi and Asahi with him on a hunt to find the perfect ring

Daichi was there to keep him in check and calm his nerves, although Asahi was probably the most nervous and Asahi had a great eye for stylish, beautiful pieces due to his designing career

now it was time to plan

he didn’t want it to be crazy, but he wanted it to be something, a whole event in itself

so he scheduled a meal for the two of you and some of your friends

it was at quite a fancy restaurant in the evening and your group had its own secluded table at the back, surrounded with dividers from the rest of the restaurant

all of you spent the meal catching up and laughing, but Sugawara seemed a little quieter than usual

you had asked him if he was ok, but he just replied with an ‘of course!’ and a smile, so you let it be

Asahi was shaking but you put that off to general anxiety

you guys had ordered desserts and everyone had gotten theirs first

as the waiter brought yours over, the table went silent

the waiter came from your left, Sugawara on your right, so you had looked over as he came

as he set the plate down, you noticed the words spelled out in chocolate sauce

“Will you marry me?”

you gasped and turned towards Sugawara, who was now on one knee next to you, holding out an open ring box

“I have known for so long that I wanted to marry you. You’re beautiful, smart, courageous and so loving, and I want to have you by my side forever. I promise I will continue to grow as your partner and take care of you every step of the way, so, will you marry me?”

Kageyama:

the only thing in this boy’s brain is you and volleyball, its all his one braincell can cope with

that being said, he has never once thought about marriage

his whole life he has spend all his energy and focus on becoming a better player, the best setter he possibly can and standing on the court longer

but you were the first person to get him, to understand him and accept him as is while helping him improve and grow

you helped him to open up and communicate with people better

you helped him whenever he was frustrated with volleyball and a certain play he was working tirelessly on

you never once turned your back on him when he struggled or lost his temper

you were his partner, but it was different from a volleyball partner

he cared for you, every part of you, and always wanted to know if you were ok or spend time with you

you made him genuinely smile everyday and he knew that he wanted to be your partner for life

it came about when he was hanging out with Hinata on one of their rare days off to catch up

he had been talking about you constantly, expressing how much he loved you and adored you

“Why don’t you just marry them?” Hinata questioned with his held tilted, as if it was obvious

“w-what? Hinata boke!” he shouted as his face grew red and pushed Hinata aside

the two talked about it and Kageyama decided, very bashfully, that yeah, he should just marry you

but how does he ask you that?

he knew nothing about marriage or proposals, so he spend the next few weeks asking his friends, teammates, even his coach on how to propose to you

“Take them to an expensive restaurant!”

“Wouldn’t it be cute to propose in Disneyland??”

“Well, I proposed to my partner by sending them on a scavenger hunt”

he was bombarded with ideas, but none of them seemed right

none of them seemed like him

he was getting frustrated with the pressure of coming up with a good way to ask you to be his forever, it had to be perfect, it had to be special and it had to fit with your relationship

you noticed he was getting agitated a lot more recently, he was quieter and snapped more often, he stayed back later at the gym to train and he rarely ate dinner with you anymore

whenever you asked what the problem was, he replied with an ‘it’s nothing’ and stormed off

his teammates had noticed too and were less than pleased with his attitude as it affected their gameplay

one of his teammates had begged you to come to the gym and talk some sense into him when he started continuously overworking himself

it was 7pm when you set off from your house to the gym where he was still training

as you entered, you noticed that he was the only one here, hitting serve after serve that never seemed to land right

“Tobio,” you called out

“Baby,” you tried again but you couldn’t catch his attention from his deep focus on the ball

you walked over to him and lightly grabbed his arm, stopping him from serving the ball again

“Tobio, what’s wrong? Everyone is worried about you. Are you having trouble with a play? Because we can sort that out with your coach-”

he cut you off by mumbling something under his breath, much too quiet for you to hear

“What was that?”

“I want to ask you to marry me and I don’t know how,” he said louder this time, his eyes staring at the ball in his hand as he gripped it tightly

“O-oh, right...” you were stunned, speechless, this wasn’t something you thought you would hear from him

“Everyone’s been telling me how to do it, but none of them seem right,” his voice was low and his gaze still hadn’t let the ball

you put a finger under his chin and lifted his face towards you

“It doesn’t need to be what everyone else tells you, we can do things our own way,” you tried to comfort him with a smile and he simply stared back at you

“So go on then,” you were beaming at him by now, yet his face got even tighter with confusion

“Go on, ask me to marry you.”

his jaw hung wide open, his eyes seemed to be staring into your skull like he had seen a ghost, this is certainly not what he expected

he tried to speak a couple times, stumbling on his words as they got caught in his throat

“It’s ok, take your time,” you brushed your thumb over the back of his hand as you held it, encouraging him to continue

“w-will you....will...willyoumarryme?”

BONUS: you two picked out a ring together afterwards, this boy has no sense of style, don’t trust him by himself

Kuroo:

Kuroo had jokingly asked you to marry time multiple times throughout your relationship

the first couple times ended with you being a blushing mess while he teased you

but by now you just tell him to shut up go off sis

marrying you had always been part of the plan for him, just a natural progression of your relationship

while Kuroo can be quite the tease, he was extremely serious of his relationship with you and your future

he started off his plan by asking your dad if he would like to spend the day together, you know, father-son-in-law bonding time

what your dad wasn’t prepared for was Kuroo to turn up in a shirt, suit trousers and confess how he wanted to marry you

he had a whole speech prepared about how he would be the best husband for you, how he would be sure to take good care of you and, possibly, be the best father in the future if you planned to have children

you dad had to eventually shut him up as Kuroo kept going, saying how he would be delighted to have you marry the man

step one: check

now he needed to find the right ring

he had a look around at multiple stores but he couldn’t find anything that was unique enough to be called yours and that captured you or your relationship

since Kuroo had quite the high-paying job plus a little backing from a certain famous youtuber so the cost wasn’t an issue and he wanted to spoil you

so he got one custom made

he sat with a designer for hours creating the most stunning, distinctive ring that he knew you would love

step two: check

over the next couple days he planned a meet-up evening with your family and his where he would pop the question

you both had spent the day cooking and preparing for the evening before they all come to your house

you had all finished dinner and moved over to the living room to chat

Amidst all the chatter, Kuroo stood up and cleared his throat, grabbing everyone’s attention

“I have something I’d like to say,” he said with confidence, then turning to you with a grin

“The last few years with you have been perfect. We’ve had some ups and downs, but we have made so many amazing memories together. You really are my other half and I think everyday about how truly lucky I am to call you mine. You know me better than anyone else. I know I’ve asked you this a couple times in the past when we’re laughing together, but this time I’m serious,”

he got down on one knee, holding one of your hands while presenting the custom ring in the other

“will you do me the honour of marrying me?”

and the crowd goes wild

Tagging @togasknifes so she can read Kageyama ty ly

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aromantic-romance-writer · 5 years ago

Text

Tokito Muichiro x Fem! Pillar! Reader! [It Starts with a Piggyback Ride]

Reposted this here from my other account because it was broken somehow

Aaahhhh!! This my first time EVER writing something kny related. Is this a headcannon? A one-shot? I'm still pretty confused with the terms Woops-

I hope you enjoy!

WARNING: Slight manga spoilers and a long read ahead!

"I'm [L/N] [F/N]. I look forward to be working with you." You smile at your now fellow pillars sincerely. You're only 16, yet here you are; now called the Air Pillar.

In just a few days, Mitsuri, Rengoku and Shinobu has taken a great liking to you already. You can't say the same for Shinazugawa but you surprisingly spend a lot of time with him. You mostly trained and fought with him though. He was deeply intrigued with your breath style. Uzui and Himejima were close enough with you to let you ride on them and train with them for fun. Then there's Iguro, who doesn't really interact with you too much. The same for Tomioka, though you heard he was like that with everyone.

And as for Tokito-kun, he doesn't interact with you at all. You do see him often spacing out. You thought the two of you would get along better than the others since you're both the youngest amongst the pillars, I guess you were wrong.

° ° °

The first time Muichiro saw you, he felt odd. You somehow give off a vibe like Oyakata-sama to him. When you introduced yourself, he felt drawn to your voice. Your voice reminded him of something, but he wasn't sure what, since he lost his memories. He didn't like what he was feeling, what you were doing to him. He distanced himself from you as much as he can. Plus, he was taller than you. Sometimes though, he would watch you. He would watch you talk with Kanroji and Koccho. You always had a calm composure, and you seemed to have an easy atmosphere. He woyld also watch you play along with Uzui's 'I am a god' act, listen to Rengoku's telling you about his past missions and ecncouragement, make an effort to communicate with Tomioka and Iguro. Of course, you applied the same effort with Muichiro, but he somehow always finds a way to distance himself with you.

One day, the older pillars were discussing about something. You were curious as they didn't include you in the sudden meeting. Was it important? Was it about a mission too dangerous for a newbie like you?

Finally, Rengoku spotted you and waved. "Ah, young [L/N]! You're just in time!"

You walked closer and tilted your head in confusion. "In time? For what?"

"Looks like Tokito just arrived as well." Shinobu added.

Shinobu's tone was giving you a bad feeling. Tokito-kun is just as confused as you are.

"Hah! I've seen this kid fight a hundred times already. I'm betting my ass on her." Shinazugawa says with a little too much confidence in his voice.

"This isn't really appropriate for the children..." Himejima grumbles in response.

"It could be fun! Our two youngest, heading face to face head-on! Flamboyantly!" Uzui's eyes sparkled.

Bad feeling confirmed.

° ° °

Muichiro wasn't comfortable at the idea of having a duel with you. He didn't know why, as he never even gave the time to consider talking to you. But it did piqued his interest that Shinazugawa himself acknowledged your strength.

You unsheathe your sword. He had just noticed that a deep-blue ribbon was tied around the handle of your sword with its two tails flowing like a graceful wave behind you due to the breeze. The blade was a blinding silver and it's quite short compared to normal blades. Even as you are about to battle, you wore a smile. "I'll be in your care, Tokito-kun."

Muichiro twitched and initiated first. It was rare for him to attack first, but he wanted to end this as soon as possible. With a deadpan expression, he says; "Breath of Mist, Seventh form: Haze". He charges at you. Before he can even come close...

"Breath of Air, Fourth form: Ozone Deflection." You spin your sword in front of you with full force like a giant fan. You gripped the tails of the ribbon of your sword tighter as all the mist Muichiro created blew away. He falls back, realizing what you have done to his attack.

How can a girl like you were able to deflect his attack like it was nothing? And that calm with a mix of ease expression you always have. He's getting serious now.

"Sixth form: Moonlit Mist." He attempts to attack you from above--

"First form: Intoxicating Oxygen." You deflected his ranged attacks with your swinging the sword around. The slashes of your sword while deflecting his ranged attacks reaches Muichiro. Each slash didn't hurt him or wound him, rather it suffocates him more and more.

He noticed that you weren't holding your sword by the handle at all. You attack and use it like a single nunchuck by gripping unto the tails of the ribbon tied to the handle. If he can only get closer and cut that damn ribbon...

He barely lands back on the ground, coughing and wheezing as he did so. You took this chance...!

"Third form: Mountain Peak." You charged at him with great speed, he barely saw you move. You swung your sword at him consecutively, not giving him time to catch his breath.

Why is the air thinning? Or is it just the form you're attacking at Muichiro? Or is it just because of how fast and continuous your attacks are?

"Second form: Eight Layered Mist." His attacks were as equally fast as yours, but not a single attack from each one of you hits the other.

Soon, one of his attacks reached you and was able to slice the tails of your ribbon. You cuss in frustration and took your sword by the handle before it reaches the ground. You dodged his attacks as you rolled to the side.

"First form: Hanging Sky, Distant Mist." Your eyes widen in conflict as to what form you should use to deflect his straightforward thrust attack. You decided you didn't have a choice.

"Breath Technique: Atmoshpere."

Muichiro stopped in his tracks. You disappeared. He just blinked for half a second and you were gone. A breath technique? What the hell is that? And how did you move without barely--

Muichiro felt his body freeze up as he felt the cool iron of a blade. Your blade. You were breathing hard. The breath technique you used exhausts you too much, but it was worth it.

You won.

"Hell, yeah!" Shinazugawa screamed in triumph. "All of you dumbasses owe me a drink."

"You're surprisingly hyped up about this." Iguro implies. But Shinazugawa doesn't listen.

"I had faith in you, young Tokito!" Rengoku huffs jokingly.

"Ara ara, I didn't think you'd lose, Tokito-kun." Shinobu says with a tone that annoyed Muichiro.

Mitsuri slithered her arms around your neck, pulling you into a hug. "You did so well, [Y/N]-chan!"

"You have such a unique combat style though. What a flamboyant way to use a sword!"

You thanked them and laughed. After that, you all had dinner at the Ubuyashiki Estate. Everyone was talking about your fight with Tokito-kun, and how you defeat him. It was all flattering, but you just really wanted to have a bond with Tokito-kun. Tokito finished early and went outside. You followed soon after, not wanting to be dragged into the older pillars' drinking sesh.

You found him sitting on the engawa, staring at the star-filled sky. You sat a few meters away from him. Tonight, you were determined to at least start a short and small coversation with him.

Muichiro doesn't take notice of your presence on purpose. He knew he was gonna distance himself from you, but he was embarassed of his loss. Leaving might give you an impression that he's ashame of it. Truthfully, he kinda is.

"You're such a skillful swordsman, Tokito-kun!" you compliment him suddenly, almost startling Muichiro. "Even though you're just 14 and have a small build, you seem to have enhanced strength. It was fun clashing blades with you!"

He stares at you. "Fun? You find that fun?"

You nodded, smiling blissfully under the light of the full moon. For a moment, Muichiro was entranced. He never knew a simple smile out of pure joy can be so magical to look at. And he sees grateful faces almost everyday. The people who he have saved would always thank him and smile, happy to be saved and alive. That felt good for him, of course, but seeing you smile such a wonderful smile felt different. It felt foreign to him. Now, he thought if you smile like that and he was the reason...

He felt as if his temperature went up by a few degrees. Is he sick? What's with the sudden high in temperature?

"T-Tokito-kun! Are you okay?" You ask with concern clear in your voice. "You're face is red..." you scooch closer to him. It only made his temperature higher. "May I?" you ask, gesturing if you can place your hand on his forehead. He nodded slowly. You place your hand on his forehead; resulting to an even hotter and redder Muichiro. "You're hot...you should call it a day and get some rest."

Muichiro just kept nodding. He didn't know why his temperature keeps getting higher and higher. What made him question the most is his fondness of you getting concerned for him. Somehow, this felt different from Shinobu and the Kakushis aiding him after missions. He couldn't control himself and lets you pamper him more. This was such a nostalgic feeling for him. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember anything.

All he knows is that he craves for more of your genuine care and concern for him.

You stood. "I'll walk with you to your residence before anything happens to you. I'll tell the others that we'll take our leave-"

You stop mid-sentence, surprised. Muichiro was holding unto your haori, his head low. He was feeling ashamed and good of himself at the same time.

"It's fine, they're too drunk to notice we're gone anyway." He says softly. His voice alarms you.

"A-are you okay?!" You place both your hands on his cheeks and crouched a little to level your eyes with his. It was probably a bad idea because the only thing you can think of is...

Adorable.

A d o r a b l e.

Muichiro was so cute for you at that moment, being red in the face with an embarassed expression.

But you forced yourself to come back to reality. "Tokito-kun, you're burning up! Can you walk?"

His hands slightly shakes as he clasped your hands and put them down. You give him space to stand, flushed about your actions and thoughts earlier. He stands successfully, but when he takes a step, his face almost meets the ground before you catch him.

"How can you have a blank expression right now..." You mumble to yourself as you examine Muichiro to see if he hurt himself. "This will be embarassing for you, but I need you to cooperate with me before you get a fever or flu." He stares at you expectantly.

° ° °

This was definitely not what he had in his mind.

He was riding on your back. A piggyback ride.

You gave him a piggyback ride. He wasn't sure what to feel about this.

"Tokito-kun, hold onto me or you'll fall." You say.

"...o-okay." His wraps his arms around your neck as he let his head rest on you, feeling flustered.

He admits that you are strong. You've proven that to him clearly. And it somehow gave him a sense of security when you're like this with him. The feeling also felt...nostalgic. He couldn't remember what, but it isn't like he's trying hard though.

The crickets were noisy tonight, and the cool breeze is making the leaves of trees rustle. The wisteria trees seems to be glowing with the moon. Deep in his heart, Muichiro wished to stay like this for the rest of the night.

"Are you okay back there?" You ask quietly, in case he was asleep.

He hummed in response. Now he understands why he was so drawn to your voice. Your voice was like a soothing and sweet lull to him. He can listen to you talk all day without even trying. Such a sweet and kind sound...

"Keep talking." He says blandly. He craves more of your voice.

"Oh, okay..." You decided this was a chance to get to know him better! "Do you like to cloud-gaze, Tokito-kun?"

He wanted to listen to you, but he doesn't mind talking with you. "Mhm. They're nice to look at."

"They are since they can form into familiar shapes. I like the stars better though." You smile to yourself. Stars were very beautiful, and you can't help but feel jealous of their beauty.

"You said that you had fun earlier...why so?"

You give it a thought before answering. "Most people would feel anxious about being in a fight, but it's a different case for me. I feel excitement runnung through my veins instead. The sound of swords clashing, the raspy breathing I'll have because of exhaustion...it gives me such an adrenaline rush!" Your eyes sparkled. "Of course, I was against of the idea of fighting you though."

Muichiro stays quiet, waiting for a reason why.

"You're just so cute, Tokito-kun!"

He blushed. Hard.

His heart was beatung way too fast than it should be, and he was starting to sweat. He fiddled with his fingers and attempts to hide his face in your soft hair even though you can't see his reaction. But you can feel his heartbeat against you. You laughed is response.

"Cut it out."

"I'm just being honest."

"Yeah, cut it out."

You let out a giggle, making Muichiro blush even more. What the hell is happening to him?

° ° °

Everyday since then, he was clingy towards you. He was always beside you during meetings, eating meals with the other pillars, sometimes when you chat with Shinobu and Mitsuri. The other pillars were aware of what Muichiro is showing you, but they decided to shut their mouths to tease him. It was obvious he has no idea what he's doing, moreover what he feels about you. Whenever he would give you space, though, he would sit on the engawa and 'cloud-gaze'. That's what he claims. In reality, he would watch you. If he can't be beside you, it doesn't mean he can't watch you, right? Whenever you look at his direction though, he would look up and pretend that he's been watching the clouds this whole time.

"[Y/N]-chan~." Mitsuri calls you with a sly smile. "Have you not noticed it yet?"

You tilt your head in confusion.

"It seems like she has no idea, actually." Shinobu laughs.

You blink. "What?"

Mitsuri giggled like a five-year-old. "[Y/N], you're too cute for your own good."

"I think the right word is dense." Shinobu adds.

"Please don't compare me to Tomioka-san..." You sheepishly smile, half-joking. Shinobu is happy at your response.

She has a bad influence on you regarding Tomioka.

"Really though. You don't see it?" Mitsuri asks. Shinobu turns to Muichiro, who was looking at your direction. Shinobu waves at him with an innocent smile. He was about to hesitantly wave back, when you turned to him. His face was tinted with an obvious color of red and quickly looked down.

Oh. That's what they meant.

"Do you see it now?"

You nodded, feeling a bit flustered as well. Honestly, you've noticed this behaviour already last week. You didn't want to be full of yourself as you thought it was only you, so you shook the thought off. But knowing that the pillars noticed as well...

Your heart skipped a beat.

Muichiro is fun to be with. He had this side you never knew he had. And you noticed that he only shows that side to you. He was adorable, yes, but he had this charming side to him as well. And the smile he always gives you.

You fiddle at the sleeves of your haori, embarassed. You like him as well. Though all this time you kept convincing yourself that he only sees you as a big sister, since you're older and taller than him.

"[Y/N]-chan! You're sooooo cute!" Mitsuri squealed, pulling you into a tight embrace.

"M-Mitsuri-san!" You stutter. Shinobu just laughs. Your reaction was adorable for them.

° ° °

"Muichiro-kun!"

Later that afternoon, you dcided to spend it with Muichiro. Your heart is already beating out of your chest.

He was silent and just stared at you. You blink a few times. Did you do something wrong? Did he know what you and the other female pillars talked about earlier?

"W-what's wrong?" You ask before you sit beside him on the engawa.

He stares at the ground for a minute before answering. "Rengoku-san and Uzui-san told me something. I'm not sure if it's true..."

The Sound and Flame pillar had given Muichiro a pep talk this morning.

"Tokito, you like [L/N]." Uzui says bluntly.

Muichiro just stared at him. "I know that. Doesn't everyone like her though?"

Rengoku laughed heartily while Uzui face palmed.

"Young Tokito! It seems that you have not realized your feelings yet!"

"Yeah, no shit."

Muichiro just wants to walk away at this point, but Rengoku grabbed his shoulders.

"Tokito...you must know what love is, right?"

He nodded.

"Then let me rephrase Uzui's statement; Tokito, you love [Y/N]."

Muichiro processed what he said. After a few seconds, his face basically exploded. Does he love you? LOVE? Well, he likes the other pillars as well, but he likes you more though. He always wants to lean on you, smile with you, be safe with you...

...to be with you...

Muichiro wanted to stab himself with his sword.

"Question is, does she love you back?" Uzui adds.

Now Muichiro wanted to stab him.

"Why don't you ask her?" Rengoku smiles radiantly.

Now Muichiro wants to stab both of them.

"Just tell her this, then if she reacts this way, you'll know." Uzui winks. "We've got your back."

Can't he just stab himself right now?

"What's that?" You tilt your head a little.

You cute bundle of joy. How the hell is he supposed to say that to you?

He takes a deep breath. "[Y-Y/N]..." he started the statement, too late to back down now. "...I want to be with you."

You stare at him. His head was low, but you can see how red his face is. After some processing, you were a blushing mess.

"E-eehhh?!"

"B-before you say anything...!" he finally looks up at you. He froze. You were very red in the face. Your eyes were darting around. You were fiddling with your hands and hair.

All the reactions Uzui stated.

"...You're more beatiful than the stars!" He exclaimed almost too loudly. "You don't have to compare yourself with the stars. You're pretty just the way you are."

You swear, you're gonna have a heart attack soon.

"A-and I want to take care of you. You make me feel safe. You make me feel like I don't have to draw my sword when I'm around you, but I'll protect you too! My memories aren't back but that doesn't matter as long as I get to see you smile everyday..." he finished. His knuckles were white, anxious and afraid to what you will say.

You finally calmed down and smiled softly. You wrap your hands around his own, making him look at you. You were both a blushing mess, but you were more calm now. You kiss his nose and rest your forehead against his.

"I feel the same way. Thank you for coming into my life. Let's protect each other, Muichiro-kun."

Muichiro has never felt so happy, and hummed in agreement. You stayed like that for what felt like forever.

° ° °

"Muichiro-kun, give this to Tanjiro and the others at the Pillar Training later." You hand him 3 bento boxes and kiss him on the forehead. He was disappointed he can't do the same since you're taller, but you still appreciate his surprise kisses on your cheek.

"Can't you delay the mission just a little bit?" he pouted. You giggle at his cuteness.

"I'm sorry I have to go, Mui, but I promise I'll be back before midnight, okay?" he placed the bento boxes down and hugged you tight.

He regained his memories a while back and met a kind hearted boy named Tanjiro. Though your first meeting was a bit rough, the both of you were very fond of him and soon became close with him and his demon sister. Tanjiro and Nezuko, as well as most of the pillars, are supportive of your relationship. While Zenitsu, Inosuke, Shinazugawa and Iguro woukd either be pretending to throw up or disapproves, or just gets jealous and tries to snatch you away (mostly Zenitsu, and his reason would always be 'because you're the same age', resulting with Muichiro training him harder than ever.)

"You better be back. I'll be waiting for your return." he tries to sound intimidating, despite smiling.

You wave at him as he waves back. "Don't be too harsh on training today!" And you set off.

° ° °

"You're a strong one. You only survived from that attack."

The smell of blood was pungent as at least dozens of corpses clothed in either yukatas and kimonos or the black demon slayer uniform were lying on the cold ground.

"T-this was s-supposed to be a mission suitable for us Tsuchinoto, then an upper moon shows up...!" the demon slayer tells himself, shaking in fear under the intimidating eyes - 6 eyes - of the demon. He attempts to kill him, before--

"Breath of Air, Second form: Jagged Pierce Breathing."

You saved the confused and afraid demon slayer before the demon lands a blow. His arm sprayed blood all over in a zigzag, before the wounds completely closed.

"Run. Escape, and report immediately." You tell him. He didn't hesitate and ran away as fast as he can, but it was useless. The demon had caught up to him and killed him on the spot.

"Breath of Air? In all my years, I haven't heard of that one." he says, as if he didn't just kill a person. As if nothing happened.

His presence made your skin crawl with fear. You gripped tightly on the tails of the ribbon tied to your sword until your knuckles turned white. You can't move, afraid that a single step might do harm on you from him just by looking at you. You took in the scene - the horrifying scene. Adrenaline coursed through your veins. It was a different kind; it wasn't the same as you've always felt when you fight. A new emotion slowly envelopes you.

"I guess you're about to know." You say as fear turned to rage. Without you knowing, a demon slayer mark has appeared on your wrist. Then you see everyone's smiling faces flash before you one by one. Muichiro was last and the longest. Then it ocurred to you.

Upper Moon One.

You're not gonna survive this fight.

You weren't sure if you were gonna win or not.

But you'll die trying. You quietly apologize to Muichiro for breaking your promise.

The demon, with a blank expression, says to you;

"Don't disappoint me."

° ° °

Everyone was at their own home. Enjoying the morning, or eating breakfast, or training. Either way, everyone was calm and peaceful. Then the color of the crow, dark, have influenced the moods of the ones closest to [Y/N] as their own crows brought the news.

The pillars were in disbelief. Mitsuri cried while Shinobu was on the verge of tears, but tried to remain calm. "First, Rengoku-san, now..." She couldn't continue her sentence. Shinazugawa's hatred for the demons only increased as he almost grew violent to the point of almost destroying his own dojo. Uzui heard the news and visited the Ubuyashiki Estate, meeting the other pillars there. They also had a meeting so everyone was present, even Uzui when he's already reitred. Muichiro was the only one who didn't show. Oyakata-sama had exempted him from the meeting.

Muichiro was the last to hear the news. His crow brought along with the news a tattered and bloodied ribbon. Its natural blue color was barely visible because of the blood. He lost his brother, then Rengoku, then you...

You, who brought joy to his world. You, where he can only feel safe. You, who would braid your hair, gaze at the clouds and stars with him, train with him, eat with him and with friends, live happily with him...

At first, he couldn't believe it. But his crow wasn't done delivering the message as it didn't fly away yet. His usually obnoxious crow was quiet, as it can feel the tremendous amount of emotions he's feeling. He saw a piece of parchment tied to its leg. With shaking hands, he carefully unties the parchment from its leg and read what it said.

There, written in blood with your familiar handwriting.

"I love you."

That's where he broke down. The words he always wanted to say. You managed to say it to him first, even after you have died. His sobs were loud. He never cried like this. He never felt this kind of pain before since hmthe death of his brother.

He felt absolutely broken. He misses your soothing voice already.

Tanjiro arrives with Nezuko on his back, who seemed to have been crying on the way. He comforted him as best as he could.

His chest hurt as he brought the ribbon close to him. The only piece of your memory.

After a few months, Muichiro have regained himself and did his best at training the demon slayers, doing his job as a pillar, and making up to Oyakata-sama for not showing up to a lot of meetings. When he was done for the day, he would go straight home and hold your sword that has been delivered to him 2 weeks after your death. On display, a jar decorated with the tattered ribbon stood. Inside were your ashes. Luckily, your battle with the upper moon demon lasted until morning, so you're body was still there. He would always tell you about his day. But he always says the same sentence after he's done.

"[Y/N], you're so unfair..." he whispers. "...you met and seen my brother before me."

° ° °

Muichiro couldn't believe it. In the infinite fortress, there he stood.

Upper Moon One.

The same demon who killed you.

His hands trembled, gripping his sword. He took the ribbon from your jar and have tied it around the hilt of his sword. He can feel his blood boiling. He can feel the anger surge through him as memories of you become fresh on his mind. He was gonna lose it.

"Calm yourself." Your soothing and sweet voice echoed, sounding hollow and afar.

But then a breeze. A breeze that was never meant to be there. A cool breeze as if to cool him down. A breeze where he can breathe. A non-existent breeze.

He can feel your arms hug around his neck; the same way he hugged you that day being carried on your back.

"Breathe. Breathe, Mui, and you will win."

He closed his eyes. "I love you..." he can feel you smile. Soon, he couldn't feel your warmth anymore.

He's gonna avenge you.

Somehow. Even if it kills him.

553 notes · View notes

thetypedwriter · 4 years ago

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Chain of Iron Book Review

Chain of Iron Book Review by Cassandra Clare

You know, I was actually really irritated when this book came out because once again, the Dark Artifices seems to be shafted for this new series (that nobody asked for) to shine, but fortunately I wasn’t as bothered by it as I predicted I would be.

In case you are in the small minority of people who haven’t heard of Cassandra Clare and her millions of Shadowhunter books, Chain of Iron is the next nephilim installment in Clare’s never-ending series.

Chain of Iron is the sequel to Chain of Gold, and the series as a whole is a sequel to the Infernal Devices series, but a prequel to the original Mortal Instruments as well as the Dark Artifices which is the sequel series to the Mortal Instruments.

I would be surprised if you weren’t baffled right now.

I’ve said this before for other Shadowhunter installments, but these books are not user friendly for new folk. You genuinely need to have read the other series to get full enjoyment and understanding of these books.

If you do read them without having read the others, I'm sure it would still be enjoyable to a certain extent, but a large case of ensemble character and relationships will be lost to you and a big portion of these novels are the relationships within them.

To delve right in, Chain of Iron has our main cast of friendly teenagers nicknamed the Merry Thieves (which I just abhor, sorry, not sorry) return from Chain of Gold after fighting one of the princes of Hell, Belial, and now with Cordelia and James being married as to avoid a scandal of Cordelia’s reputation and James’ criminal record.

In addition, there is a new serial killer on the loose murdering shadowhunters at dawn and stealing their runes. Most of the book is dealt with trying to catch the culprit, the Consul and Inquisitor along with the whole of adult shadowhunter authority being inconsequential and inept as usual (how these people became parents are beyond me as they never have any sort of clue what their children get up to) along with side plots including raising Jesse Blackthorn from the dead and romance galore in typical Clare fashion that makes you want to rip your hair out because if everyone just communicated and was honest there would be no issues.

The beginning of the novel is molasses slow.

I’ve come to expect this with Clare’s books. Actually, I think I’ve figured out the formula entirely. Here is is:

Mostly nothing of consequence happens for nearly 400 pages except for character building and small instances of plot

Intersperse some random demon attacks for flavor

Everyone is beautiful, everyone is in love, and love is the most groundbreaking, earth shattering thing in existence

Get into the last 200ish pages and shit hits the fan with action, misunderstandings, and confessions

Nobody is honest with anybody and lying is commonplace

End the behemoth on a cliffhanger so that the audience is kept in suspenseful anxiety until the next installment

You can’t see me, but I am bowing right now.

Genuinely, that is how 90% of Clare’s novels pan out. Obviously, as she has a very successful and long-running book series, the formula works.

That being said, there are some vices and virtues to it.

For this book, the beginning was slow. Almost nothing of significance happens for most of it and it's a dredge to get through.

However, it’s mundane to get through in the same way that reading fanfiction of your favorite characters is mundane. What Clare does for 400 pieces of paper is build up her characters and their relationships. Normally, you would do this interspersed with plot, but not in this case.

It’s not very conventional, but it kinda works?

I definitely struggled connecting with the characters from this series more than any other of Clare’s novels. The Mortal Instruments, as the original, were beloved if a little cheesy. Then came the Infernal Devices with witty Will, soulful Jem, and intelligent Tessa. Then we got the Dark Artifices, which to me, is still the best as Julian, Emma, Mark, Christina and the others are the most flawed in any of the series and I enjoy that.

I enjoy that they’re not perfect, I enjoy that they’re devious and conniving. It makes them more interesting and more worthwhile to read about.

Instead, the main characters in Chain of Iron and the subsequent series are mainly James, Cordelia, Matthew, and sometimes Lucie. I would argue that no one else matters in the book and are just added in for some sugar, spice, and everything nice.

Some of you might be outraged at this statement. What about Grace? You might say. Or Jesse? Or Thomas, Christopher, Alistair, Ariadne or Anna?

They don’t matter.

They matter in a very small, plot convenience, fluff ensues kind of way, but not really in any way of substance. Or, at the very least, that’s how I feel.

Anna is just there to be cool, Thomas is a gay gentle giant with literally no personality, Christopher is so basic and is essentially the Trader Joe’s version of Henry who was better and more interesting as the first, Alistair is a redeemed bully, and Ariadne is an orphan who loves Anna.

The end.

Once again, sometimes Clare bites off more than she can chew and I wonder if she just throws these characters in there just because it makes her happy.

As for our main protagonists, they’re mediocre. Matthew is definitely the most interesting in the bunch and I was jubilant to see him get more screen time this time around. The increasing realization of his alcohol abuse, his feelings for Cordelia, his nonplussed attitude.

All of it is intriguing. I still don’t like him as much as other protagonists from other installments, but he is by far the winner of this triad.

James is too perfect, too beautiful, and a worse version of his father. If I wanted more Will I would have turned to fanfiction of the Infernal Devices instead of imagining up his son. The only interesting thing about James is his demon connection which is not even something he does, but rather something that is done to him.

Cordelia is banal. Once again, she’s too perfect, too brave, and too kind. Literally nothing is wrong with her. She’s level headed, intelligent, forgiving, and fierce.

Basically, she’s boring to the brim.

I do think Clare did a better job this time around to include more of Cordelia’s Persian heritage, but it still mainly fell to the backburner of her lackluster and blank personality. In fact, I think James made more of an effort for Persian food and culture than Cordelia did, but I digress.

Also, a small note, but still with weight, why does Cordelia have eight names??

It bugs the living daylights out of me that in a single sentence she will be called Cordelia, Layla and Daisy.

Clare. Give the girl one name. My god.

Actually, as a side note to this side note, Clare is talented at many things, but nicknames are not one of them. EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER IN THIS NOVEL has a nickname and all of them are horrible. I have never in my entire life known a Matthew that has gone by the nickname Math.

What. In. The. World.

Anyways, the only other character of note is Lucie. I like and dislike Lucie. Lucie is also boring and her novelist passion is aggravating to me. However, I did like her turn with necromancy and her increasing desperation to save Jesse that drives her to work with Grace and lie to her friends and family was a much-needed note of interest.

Overall, this book did make me like the characters more than I did in Chain of Gold, but it took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get there, more than what I think should have been afforded. If you need to kill 400 trees in order to make me like your main characters, that’s a problem.

Whatever the method, I do care about them more than I did previously so I suppose mission accomplished. I do think some of the strongest relationships in the book are the romances, but then also the parabatai bond between Matthew and James.

Matthew and James have one of the best relationships in the book and I’m equally frustrated and intrigued how things will play out with Matthew now having confessed his feelings for Cordelia.

I do feel like female parabatai get shafted in a lot of Clare’s novels compared to the boys. The coed pairs often do well like Clary and Simon or Emma and Julian. Otherwise, the boys far outrank the girls in terms of bond and friendship.

Even in this novel, the “friendship” between Lucie and Cordelia is laughable. They barely talk to each other or spend time together and when they do is shallow. Whereas Matthew and James seem much more involved in each other’s lives.

That being said, if you noticed I didn’t speak much of the plot it’s because for me plot comes very much second in a Shadowhudenter novel. It’s there of course, and it’s entertaining, but I do enjoy the characters and their relationships more than anything else which makes Chain of Iron better than its predecessor but still worse in my view than any other of Clare’s novels.

Plot just doesn’t compare to the soul crushing love and friendships shown between the pages, for better or for worse.

Recommendation: The Dark Artifices > Infernal Devices > The Mortal Instruments ...and The Last Hours fall somewhere after the Mortal Instruments and the trillions of side novels that Clare has co-written with other authors and all seem to be about Magnus Bane.

Score: 7/10

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maxbegone · 5 years ago

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IT’S FINALLY HERE!

In an effort to spread some love to the fanfic authors in the Schitt’s Creek community, this post is a compiling of some of our favorite fics! Thank you to every single person who decided to participate in this dedication of love! And to the fanfic authors out there - thank you for being so wonderful and sharing your stories with us! Here’s to many more countless hours of reading - day or night!

There are repeats! I understand that may seem a little redundant, but I wanted everyone who participated to share their favorite fics regardless of repetition, author, pairing, AU, size, etcetera.

A very special thanks to everyone who participated!

@bestwisheswarmestregards // @brighter-than-sunshine // @danieljradcliffe @darnitdraco // @imargaery // @justwaiting23 // @leopxld-fitz // @lickrustdavid // @loveburnsbrighter // @oceanavinfinity @poorguysheadcanon // @ratchet // @roguebabyinyourstore @stuck-on-your-heart // @thisbuildinghasfeelings // @vulcantastic @wlwbaudelaire

I’m going to go ahead and put everything under the cut, because this should be quite a long post!

**If there are authors on tumblr whose handles were not properly added, please send me a message!

@bestwisheswarmestregards

Fic 1: Ace Of Hearts by loveisallyouneed21

Why I like it: It is just really sweet and made me really happy. Plus I like seeing Patrick as an asexual being one myself. I don’t see a lot of ace characters in the media so seeing someone portray Patrick, a character I love, as one makes me really happy.

Fic 2: An Unexpected Arrival by @justwaiting23

Why I like it: It was one of the first fics I read in this fandom and I fell in love with it. Plus the Brewers are in it and I love anything with the Brewers.

Fic 3: Hammock by @maxbegone

Why I like it: This fic makes me so fluffy inside. Early morning and snuggles are one of the best combinations.

@brighter-than-sunshine

Fic 1: Your Wings Prepare To Fly by @icmezzo

Why I like it: I’m not the biggest fans of AUs/ Fantasy takes on fics, but the characterization of David and Patrick is so good here. It’s such a beautifully written fic, and I just couldn’t get enough of it when I first read it! A definite reread.

Fic 2: Today and All the Days that Follow by @unfolded73

Why I like it: This one is one of my all-time favorites, because it explores so many of the relationships between all the characters… I especially love the bits including Stevie and Alexis.

Fic 3: Little Reminders of our Love by @justwaiting23

Why I like it: The whole idea of David and Patrick leaving each other notes was too adorable not to recommend this fic!

@danieljradcliffe

Fic 1: Watching Through Windows by @helvetica-upstart

Why I like it: Some fandoms have those fics that just inevitably change the game and define what fanfiction can be and for me, this is that fic for Schitt's Creek. It is a staple that everyone's read and continues to talk about and recommend a year after it was published; I'm sure we will continue to talk about it for years to come and to recommend it as new folks come into the fandom.

Fic 2: Until Now Gives Way to Then by swat117

Why I like it: I just read this one-shot recently thanks to your (feel free to edit this how you need for your post) recommendation of their other fic, 'Exposed Brick.' This is a fic that (for me) completely captures why David and Patrick fit and work so well together and how their pasts have made it possible for them to be who they are as a couple in SC. I haven't read another fic that resonated with my own interpretation and appreciation of their relationship as much as this one. This author truly and completely sees them for all that they are.

Fic 3: Red White and Blue Jays by @grapehyasynth

Why I like it: I saw this fic published earlier this year and wanted to read it so badly but figured I should read the source material (Red, White, & Royal Blue) first so I did and absolutely fell in love with that book (who wouldn't?). I attribute this fic for inspiring me to read Casey McQuiston's book and so when I went to finally read it, I had extremely high expectations and even still, this fic exceeded them. The author does an amazing job of incorporating aspects of the original book (RWRB) while keeping the story true to the characters and relationships we know and love in Schitt's Creek. I read the entire fic in one sitting and then instantly, read it again. It is laugh out loud funny while being romantic as hell and keeps David and Patrick incredibly in-character throughout.

@darnitdraco

Fic 1: Red White And Blue Jays by @grapehyasynth

Why I like it: this fic is the reason I bought Red White and Royal Blue. Going into the fic, I didn’t know what the book was about so it was all new to me but it was great nevertheless. Now that im almost finished with the book, I love this fic even more. I know its an AU but I think the characters are written well and I pretty much love any fic when Rachel isn’t made out to be the bad guy. Its 13 chapters and I will 100% be rereading it after I finish the book.

Fic 2: Nothing Burns Like The Cold by @wildxwired

Why I like it: This is a one shot and definitely Patrick Centric. I thrive on Angst and Hurt/Comfort. I personally feel like it is Patrick coming to terms with a things he didn’t have control over and him getting closure on things of the past. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot but please read this guys!!

Fic 3: sometimes good things fall apart by @blueink3

Why I like it: I have reread this multiple times and it gets better each time. Its only 4 chapters but it isn’t rushed. As I said above, I THRIVE on angst and hurt/comfort. This has both, AND protective Patrick. It is a spin on what could’ve happened after the barbecue and it has a happy ending so don’t worry.

@imargaery

Fic 1: Dodgeball is f*cking stupid by alldaydream

Why I like it: This is a one-chapter piece that comes in just under 6k and yet the author manages to build a super rich AU experience and tell a complete story that is at once heart-wrenching, sweet, sexy, and thematic. If you want angst that doesn’t last too long, that leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy, this is the one-shot for you. I go back to it as much as I go back to some of my favorite D&P scenes from the show.

Fic 2: if not for you by goingmywaydoll

Why I like it: When it comes to fanfiction about our boys, there’s almost nothing I love more than a high school AU. This is that. But it’s also a ROAD TRIP. What better scenario is there for a slow burn, mutual pining, dialogue heavy love story with plenty of bed sharing and nobody bothering them?

Fic 3: Beneath the Winter Snow by Distractivate

Why I like it: Can you tell I love a good AU? This one’s about the Olympics and it imagines a world in which Patrick and David have already fallen in love, had a relationship, and have broken up. This is a story about them finding their way back to each other--which isn’t hard because they have to be around each other all the time and work through their issues. It’s written with grace and thoughtfulness, and walking with Patrick and David as they learn to communicate with one another and work on healing makes the reunion that much more satisfying.

@justwaiting23

Fic 1: hit me with your best shot by @ignisgayentia

Why I like it: This is a bit of a random one but it has stuck with me ever since I read it. It’s a short little AU about David and Patrick meeting at a baseball game where Patrick is one of the players. It’s really sweet and does such a great job of keeping the voices in character, especially with the flirty teasing and awkwardness and is one of those fics I go back to over and over again.

Fic 2: Spills & Thrills by storieswelove

Why I like it: This is one in a series of ‘Meet-Uglies’ that the author has written which I adore but it’s my favourite one out of them. It has the perfect mix of awkward interactions which make you cringe and also really sweet and fond moments between the two of them.

Fic 3: You Can Plan on Me by odofidi

Why I like it: This is a sweet little piece of marital fluff about the first Christmas after the wedding. It fits exactly with my idea about what married life would be like for them and is really sweet, plus I always love it when the Brewers are able to see Patrick so genuinely in love with someone like that so it’s definitely one of my very favourites.

@leopxld-fitz

Fic 1: best wishes, warmest regards (sent with confetti effect) by reymonova (costiellie)

Why I like it: This fic is just pure fun. The character voices are always perfect, and it’s such a nice addition to the series. This story is full of incredible one-liners and I think about “th*nk y*u” at least once a week. A must-read for anyone who loves a good Stevie-David friendship moment.

Fic 2: Going Down by @concannonfodder

Why I like it: This is a perfect AU. Rich David? Check. New York? Check. Patrick’s gay awakening? Check, check, check. This fic feels as real and in-character as any canon events of the show, and the author does an incredible job at lining up a love story for the ages all over again under completely different pretenses. Plus, who doesn’t love a “stuck in an elevator” trope? I would watch 10 movies based off of this.

Fic 3: I’ve Never Liked A Smile As Much As I Like Yours by hagface

Why you like it: I live for college AU’s, and this one doesn’t disappoint. I love how the author repositioned characters and events for a new setting, and David as a picky art major is all I ever could have hoped for. Character interactions are pitch perfect and there’s a true “paint me like one of your french girls” pining moment that was truly glorious. A great read!!

@lickrustdavid

Fic 1: Tonight I’ll Drift in A Dream With You by torakowalski

Why I like it: It’s rare to find such a well-written fic with a great family dynamic that makes you feel like you’re almost just reading a script for the actual show instead of an idea. There’s something soft and comforting about reading cohabitation with Alexis and David and Patrick doing there own things on separate sides of the motel room.

Fic 2: A Week with the Brewers by @justwaiting23

Why I like it: The dynamic with David and the Brewer’s is genuinely authentic and it’s made me flash back to some of my own experiences with partners parents. The fact that Patrick’s totally willing to have sex while his parents are there while David is mortified at the idea is also great and realistic. I feel like this fic also shows how partners grow and learn to communicate with one another and trust them.

Fic 3: Welcome to Cabaret by @vivianblakesunrisebay

Why you like it: The concept of David being more included in the whole Cabaret experience was something I definitely appreciated, since during the show I was kind of bummed with the lack of him. Stevie is wonderfully written in my opinion, and I really liked Patrick going on dates with the choreographer and watching David figure out how to cope.

@loveburnsbrighter

Fic 1: Small Projects by GCLane

Why I like it: My ultimate comfort fic. Soft relationship feels and loving, passionate discussion of fiber arts, plus nuanced discussion of coming out and fitting in and what it means to be queer. Also David trying new things and doing his best, which is also fun (he learns to knit!)

Fic 2: You and Me and This Temptation by @leupagus

Why I like it: Another comfort fic! Musician Patrick/manager David. It's funny asf and super sweet at the same time. Plus it does justice by Rachel, and made me totally love her. Also, I was never sold on AUs of any kind and this is the fic that converted me. I re-read it when I need cheering up and it never fails.

Fic 3: The Moment I Touched Down by rockinhamburger

Why you like it: Patrick learning about David's past and being the sweetest most sympathetic bean :(. This one is full of tragic backstory and good emotional hurt/comfort. Super cathartic to read, and it makes me want to wrap David and Patrick both in big hugs and protect them from the world.

@maxbegone

Fic 1: my heart was broke, my head was sore by @blueink3

Why I like it: This was the first fic I read since coming into the fandom. It’s canon-divergent, which, as it turns out, I kind of love. It’s so beautifully-written; a story about David meeting the Brewers much sooner than he anticipated, under unforeseen circumstances that take Patrick back to his hometown - and David is right along with him. And just like in every universe, Marcy Brewer is an angel.

Fic 2: Cleanser by @cypress-tree

Why I like it: Hello and welcome to my comfort fic! This is just the most soothing story. It’s my wind-down fic, and every single time I read it, it makes me want to do my own in-depth skincare routine (that I already do morning and night). But it’s not just about that - it’s about Patrick taking a look at his identity as well. It’s all so tender and sweet, and so intimate in its own lovely way. David pampers Patrick a little bit and shows him that “femininity” and “masculinity” do not have rigid divides. And the first time I read this, I was wearing a mask from LUSH.

Fic 3: keep my spirit strong, you do by fishypots

Why you like it: Content warning; eating disorders, food issues. This hit me square in the chest. It resonated with me in a way I knew it would but struck so much more within me. By the end of it, I was smiling because of how represented I felt. I know this is a difficult topic for some, but I needed to share this fic. As someone with dysmorphia and struggles with disordered eating, it was such a comfort to read about David, who is a character so vulnerable and his partner who doesn’t pester him with questions. Instead he listens, he does a little research (it’s Patrick, of course he does), and remains by him. It’s all written so realistically and tenderly, and without any jabs or awkward nods toward body image. This will forever be at the top of my list.

@oceanavinfinity

Fic 1: I Carry These Heart-Shapes Only to You by ladyflowdi, ships_to_sail

Why I like it: It is a work-in-progress au set in Paris during WWII. Patrick is a soldier on leave, and David is a gallerist who sailed to France to help Alexis (as usual). The characters are so, so true to canon, and the world building of Paris in that era will whisk you away from your current place. I love it.

@poorguysheadcanon

Fic 1: bright lights by falconeggs (series)

Why I like it: my favorite schitts creek fic is definitely the series “bright lights” on ao3!

@ratchet

Fic 1: In the Temple of Artemis by MoreHuman

Why I like it: This story has Stevie exploring (with some help) the identifier of Aromantic after navigating what she thought were her romantic feelings for David. Really sensitively written, with a scene that almost perfectly puts into words my feelings about David & Stevie’s soulmate-esque relationship.

Fic 2: David Rose, Your Husband Is At Guest Services by @patricksdavid

Why I like it: Husbands! At Costco! Giant muffins and comically large bags of doritos! 2071 words of pure domestic fluff! What more could you ask for?!

Fic 3: Fifteen Hundred Miles by MoreHuman

Why I like it: Okay so. This is very new as part of the Reel Fic Fest, but I needed to include it. I love Wild, both the book & movie, and I am very much a “deal with my problems by hiking/biking in the forest” so this spoke to me immediately. Patrick and David meet as strangers hiking 1500 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. There’s nature, pining in nature, tent shenanigans, tent emergencies! Stevie being an excellent friend from afar, a cribbage board, journaling, secret trail register entries, David in flannel, and an ever-present toque. It’s just a really satisfying and calming 30k words with literally 2 characters. I read it twice in 12 hours.

@roguebabyinyourstore

Fic 1: Fifteen Hundred Miles by MoreHuman

Why I like it: I like a good AU as much as the next person, but this one is just STUNNING. The descriptions of the pain and struggle endured by both men, both physical and emotional, was vibrantly visceral. David and Patrick’s relationship bloomed organically and you are hooked on their journey through the wilderness as they grow closer and eventually fall in love. Plus it’s Patrick’s POV. What’s not to love?

Fic 2: Getting Over Getting Older All The Time by Distractivate

Why I like it: You’ve heard of slow burn? Well meet glacial burn. This masterpiece takes us through 10 years of friendship, of missed opportunities, of pining and heartbreak. But most importantly it shows what we all knew - David and Patrick will find their way to each other regardless of time and distance. Also Patrick’s POV, I sort of love Patrick Brewer.

Fic 3: You Could Be The One by bigficenergy

Why I like it: I have a soft spot for early relationship David and Patrick. But almost no fic does it quite like this. This fic highlights points from our boys’ developing relationship scored by the incomparable Carly Rae Jepsen. This fic is so true to the characters, their voices and their story, that it’s all one giant headcanon for me. This fic is part 1 of a larger series and I highly recommend all of them.

@stuck-on-your-heart

Fic 1: a kiss from a rose by mihaly ( @davidroseshusband )

Why I like it: This was the first multi-chapter fic I read when I joined the sc fandom, and I hadn’t read fic of any kind in over a year. It’s a brilliant story where Alexis stars in a reality-dating show. All the characters are portrayed so perfectly in this fic, and you can hear their voices in every piece of dialogue. It’s sweet, it’s hot, it’s everything you could want in an AU. This story helped me fall in love with fic again so it has a very special place in my heart.

Fic 2: Rose’s Eleven by leupagus

Why I love it: This story honestly feels like a movie. I know the concept is based on a film franchise, but the writing in this fic is truly exquisite. It’s so complex and gripping, and there’s a heist which is always a good time. Despite the very different world these characters are in, they are still true to themselves, so it’s very exciting to see how they interact with one another in this universe. This is such a fun read from start to finish and just thinking about it makes me want to go back and read it again.

Fic 3: Simply the Vest by orphan_account

Why I love it: If you couldn’t tell, I’m obsessed with AUs. This fic is such a satisfying AU because it incorporates several tropes that we all know and love. In this story, Patrick is an FBI agent, and he has to go undercover as David’s boyfriend. So right off the bat there’s fake dating! And then it has pining because our boys are dumb! AND THEN it has a little smut if that’s your cup of tea. And while all this is happening, Patrick is being capable and looks very dashing in his FBI vest.

@thisbuildinghasfeelings

Fic 1: Happy to help by @vivianblakesunrisebay

Why I like it: This was the first Schitt’s Creek fic I fell in love with when I started exploring what was out there after bingeing the show for the first time. It’s basically a deep dive into Patrick’s POV from Motel Review through Grad Night. It really helped me appreciate Patrick as a character when I was fairly new to the show. I think I formed a lot of head canon regarding Patrick’s life and backstory based on the things I enjoyed in this fic. And it’s just incredibly well written.

Fic 2: turn down the lights, turn down the bed by @hudders-and-hiddles ( @wild-aloof-rebel )

Why I like it: I love this take on David and Patrick remaining just business partners until Rock On. I can be a bit of a canon purist, so I’m really picky when it comes to AU fic. However, there are actually quite a few I enjoy in this fandom. My favorite thing about this one is that it has the exact right amount of angst, to the point where it’s almost physically painful, but in the best possible way. Especially because you know how it’s going to end. This is angst with a happy ending executed perfectly. And it’s so good that it holds up to multiple rereads.

Fic 3: my heart was broke, my head was sore by blueink3

Why I like it: Another canon divergent AU that I love. This one diverges from canon after Grad Night, at which point Patrick has to go home for a family emergency and David goes with him. What I really love about it is how it puts Patrick in a position to be truly vulnerable and gives David the opportunity to kind of be the strong one and really take care of Patrick. This is something we don’t get to see to this extent in canon until maybe Meet the Parents, so it’s nice seeing it here so early in their relationship. Also, it’s just so beautifully written.

@vulcantastic

Fic 1: no other version of me i would rather be tonight by wardo_wedidit

Why I like it: I’ve always enjoyed the concept of love languages, and it was so sweet watching David do so much for Patrick to show he loves him. Of course, it stems from fear and anxiety that David isn’t doing enough for Patrick (especially with Alexis egging him on), which reads very realistically to me. I think we as the audience tend to forget that David has never had anything like this before, has never experienced the love of someone like Patrick. He’s still learning how to accept that love and return it, in his own unique ways. This fic does a great job of examining that.

Fic 2: Exposed Brick by swat117

Why I like it: To me this is the perfect “Patrick and David visit New York” fic. Patrick is characterized so beautifully here; we not only see how he aims to please throughout his relationship with David but in his interactions with Rachel and his family as well. I imagine there was a lot left unsaid on the show regarding Patrick’s uneasiness about moving to New York and David’s ultimate decision to stay with him in Schitt’s Creek--this is explored wonderfully here. Plus, as a new New Yorker, it was really nice to read about all the iconic places in and around Manhattan.

Fic 3: we’ll take the world together by sonlali

Why I like it: I am a sucker for stories that examine David and Alexis’ relationship before the start of the show. This fic in particular is heart-wrenching, touching on the trauma both siblings likely experienced before we as viewers knew them. I love the idea of David as protector of his younger sister, and to see that sentiment returned by Alexis now that they have grown (physically and emotionally) while living in Schitt’s Creek is beautiful to read.

@wlwbaudelaire

Fic 1: you’re my peace and my quiet by chocobos

Why I like it: This fic is just so soft and sweet and always puts me in a good mood whenever I reread it. It’s wonderfully written and I can truly see this as an actual scene in the show.

Fic 2: Terrified But The Truth is This by ryry_peaches ( @loveburnsbrighter )

Why I like it: As someone who’s had a headcanon that David is autistic since I started watching the show, this was the first fic I saw pertaining to it. I was happy to see how well it was portrayed, especially giving how poorly I’ve seen fics portray autism in other fandoms, and it even made me see the episode “Girls' Night” in a completely different light.

Fic 3: Putting Down Roots by @this-is-not-nothing

Why I like it: Absolute domestic fluff is my jam and this fic delivers it and then some. It gives me everything I could want in a post-canon fic where David and Patrick are happily married and living in their cottage.

Again, thank you to everyone who made this post possible! I am so happy we were able to spread some love and cheer to the fic writers of this community! Sending so much love to each and every one of you, and I’m hoping this provides some new material for the community to discover as well!

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flooffybits · 5 years ago

Text

Hope Not

Idol: Kim Jisoo (Blackpink)

Being an idol, she knew that it took a lot of sacrifices and heartaches if she wanted to reach her goals. But Jisoo thought she could do it, especially when she had someone who supported and understood her as a partner. But sadly, a person could only take so much.

Author’s note: I suggest you listen to their song while reading since this story is actually inspired by Hope Not

*update: part 2 is here

Staring blankly at her reflection, Jisoo let out a deep breath before she’s forcing her body to move, getting to her feet so she could do the choreography again. Despite it being late, she needed to catch up from all the times she missed practice just because she lacked the energy or motivation to do anything.

The rest of the girls had grown worried for her well-being, because even though it’s been a year, she could still barely be herself anymore. A year after the breakup, and she had yet to pick herself up from the slump she’d fallen into the moment she realized that there was no getting you back.

She kept telling herself that she would be okay and that she only needed time, however she knew that it wouldn’t happen when she continued to dwell on the past - something she could never change no matter how much she wanted to.

“Unnie, come on, you have to stop this.” Jennie sighed when she gently shook the older girl’s shoulder, Lisa and Chaeyoung quietly watching with worry swimming in their eyes, but they knew that whatever they wanted to say wouldn’t help her feel better.

They weren’t you.

“I’m okay, really.” But they all knew that she wasn’t as she refused to tear her eyes away from the little note that she held in her hands.

As cliche as it sounded, you had often handed her handwritten letters back when you were dating. She assumed that it was something that would only happen in the first few months, but you never failed to give her a letter every time you thought of her, more so when she was on tour. For three whole years, you managed to keep up with sending her letters, and even when she teased you about them, she was actually moved by the gesture because it wasn’t something she thought she would get to experience.

Every letter had been full of your emotions from when you’d written them and she could feel the sincerity with each word.

Now though, she could only read those letters and all can feel is the weight that settled on her chest when she remembers what she’s done that made her lose one of the best things that have ever happened to her.

You walked around your apartment with a bright smile adorning your face, making sure that everything was clean and in place for when your girlfriend came over. The dishes were washed and put away, the clothes were in the basket and the couch and bed were both fixed.

It wasn’t as though you were a neat freak or that Jisoo minded a bit of the mess you had, because she understood that you were also busy with your own work that you would be too tired to clean up all the time. You just wanted to give her a space to breathe since she had just gotten back from tour.

Despite not talking to each other for the past few weeks, it was basically tradition that Jisoo would come over after a concert or tour. Your apartment was basically hers as well since she spent a lot of time there just like the dorm.

Honestly, your relationship wasn’t exactly perfect since there were times that work got in the way and you barely managed to communicate with each other, especially when your schedule couldn’t meet, but during the times you did get to see each other, it was what made everything worth it.

There were times you’d make time for her though. Knowing that she couldn’t just change her own schedule, you did your best to make time for her, visiting her when you could and even joining her and the girls for some of their performances.

You were Blackpink’s number one fan and supporter and everyone knew that.

You were the girls’ best friend, which was actually true. The only thing they didn’t know was that you were dating one of them.

There was a mix of positive and negative comments because of this, but you’ve always been brave with being yourself and being around the girls. You weren’t afraid to shut people down when they made the wrong assumptions about you or any of the girls and they adored you for that. It was one of the reasons they had accepted you in their little family because you acted much like a parent as Jisoo.

She sees you, every now and then. It was one of the disadvantages of working in the same building. Though you weren’t an idol like her, she knows how much you had to work, too.

When you arrive and greet your colleagues or anyone in the building, actually, she can’t help but smile when you do. It was your kindhearted personality that drew her to you in the first place. Despite being constantly busy with meetings and trying to keep up with deadlines, you were always able to squeeze people into your time just to listen to them talk.

It was initially Lisa that introduced you to her and the other two, stating that she had bumped into you in the cafeteria and you were quick to greet her while also making her feel welcome. The youngest was able to warm up to you quickly and opened up about her troubles, things that you made sure to keep to yourself to keep her privacy.

Jisoo admired you from the very beginning because it was difficult to find people who were genuine about their well-being, and you proved to them that you were more than enough for them to trust.

She didn’t approach you anymore like she used to, though. She knew her place and she didn’t want to invade your space unless it was completely necessary for her to talk to you. It wasn’t because of her pride, but the fact that she still couldn’t look you in the eyes after breaking your heart with her insensitivity.

Arriving at your apartment, all Jisoo wanted to do was lay down after all the work she’s dealt with that day. It was getting late, so she was sure that you wouldn’t be up and about. You would probably be watching something or maybe sleeping by now, she thinks.

Upon entering though, her brows pinch together to see the food that was prepared on the table, though the candles were already out, meaning they’d been left there for quite a while.

Were you waiting for her?

You didn’t send her a text with regards to a date, so she doubts that it was that. Plus she was trying not to cancel or miss anymore dates after the countless times she had to blow you off. Also, she’s checked the calendar and it wasn’t your anniversary. “Y/n?”

Her tone is unsure when she ventures into the apartment, quietly looking around until she spots you nodding off against the headboard of your bed with a book placed on your lap. It was a cute sight and she couldn’t help but smile as she walked over, carefully pushing your hair from your face and then cupping your cheek.

At her touch, your eyes quickly find hers and a tired smile makes its way to your face before she’s pressing her lips against your in a soft kiss. “What are you doing, up so late?” She whispered as you leaned against her touch. “I was waiting for you. I know that you’ve been busy, but I thought it would be nice to surprise you.”

She’s touched by the gesture but shakes her head. “Baby, you need to sleep. Don’t you have a meeting tomorrow?” She asks, but you shake your head. “It’s okay. I can handle it.” You insist, shifting so that you could sit up properly while she withdraws her hand.

“We talked about this though. You don’t have to keep waiting up for me especially when you have an early schedule.” She tells you, but you just smile at her. “I know that, but I wanted to. You know that I don’t mind losing sleep for you.” As endearing as it was, it worried her how you would always put her before yourself.

“Y/n…” She starts, but you quickly intercept her by holding her hand and giving it a squeeze. “Don’t worry. As long as you’re happy, I know I’ll do well.”

Often, she can’t help but stare at you when you’re in the same area as her. It looked like you had moved on. Compared to the first few months you were away, you looked less tired, less tense, and less heartbroken.

She wishes she was the same.

You were back to your usual smiling self, chatting with those who approached you and making YG feel more tolerable despite the people there.

When you spend more of your time with certain people, she can’t help the jealousy that grows inside her chest. But she doesn’t mind it because she’s done worse when you were together.

While she slept easy at night, you would be awake, wondering how you could be good enough for someone like her, wondering if all of this would be enough to satiate her compared to the tons of affection she received from everyone else.

“Can we please just talk?” You ask her, frustration clear in your tone when you follow her inside one of the many practice rooms.

Jisoo huffs in irritation. She was too busy for this and you didn’t seem to notice that. “We are talking.” She retorts, making you scowl and throw your hands in the air. “Jisoo, I’m trying to make an effort here. I know that you’re worried about your comeback, but can’t you at least appreciate the time I put into seeing you?”

“I didn’t ask you to come here, though. I specifically told you that I’m busy.” She emphasizes the last word with narrowed eyes and you can feel your patience thinning. “I know that, but what kind of person would I be if I didn’t at least check in on my girlfriend?”

She scoffs at that while turning to grab her water bottle. “Stop being so dramatic. We can always see each other afterwards.” Her nonchalant attitude and the way she was dismissing you hurt, and you just couldn’t understand why she was being like this.

Sure, there were times that she got a bit irritable due to the pressure of higher ups, but she was never this hostile towards you. The past few weeks, it just felt like things have shifted in your dynamics, and it scared you.

“I’m putting an effort to make this work, Jisoo. Why can’t you see that?” She groans, finally turning to face you with a scowl on her face. “Y/n, stop it. I’m an idol, and I have things I need to do. I can’t just cut my time and squeeze you in the same way you can.”

You don’t hide the offended look on your face at her words. It feeds your insecurities because she knows well enough that you have worries when it came to her being an idol. “Just because you’re an idol doesn’t mean that I don’t work just as hard.” You tell her. “I help keep this company from falling apart. I make sure that everyone in here is safe, both mentally and physically.”

“But that isn’t your responsibility.” She cuts in. “You’re looking after everyone around you, and for what? Not everyone has the time that you do.” She argues and you scoff at her. “Yet I still make time for you.”

“You knew what you were getting into.”

“The last I remember, you were the one who approached me.”

“Well, maybe I shouldn’t have because clearly, this isn’t working.”

At her words, your mouth immediately screws shut. Your eyes bore into her, trying to see if there was any sort of remorse to what she said, but there was none. Her face was blank with no hint of an apology and you could feel your heart sink before sucking in a deep breath and biting your cheek.

“You know, I actually thought you were different.” You muttered quietly. “I thought you would have appreciated the fact that I chose to stay or even made the effort to see you even when you couldn’t… wouldn’t do the same. If I had known that this was actually how you felt…”

It takes your glassy eyes for her to snap out of her angered state and it was like a switch went off as she realized what she’d done. “Y/n!”

But you were already out of the door, ignoring her calls as she ran after you.

Right after that, you’ve packed all of her things and sent them all back to her dorm and the girls were confused to see the boxes outside their door and Jisoo all but sprints all the way to your apartment after she opens the first box to find the contents inside it.

But instead of letting her speak, you never answered the door, and that was the last she’s ever talked to you because you were able to avoid her despite working in the same building. You had asked Lisa for your spare key from Jisoo, and though the younger girl was a bit hesitant, she complied and asked her member for the key.

That was where she knew that she has screwed everything up.

Though you still spoke to the girls, it was a bit awkward for them because they were so used to having you and Jisoo together. Lisa was particularly torn because she has grown to see you as an older sibling and Jisoo felt her guilt grow stronger because she knows that she’s the reason you’ve both drifted apart.

She can’t fall asleep at night partly because of that and because she’s used to having you next to her. She often checks the time, almost as though hoping that you’d walk through her door and lay next to her so you could both cuddle until you fall asleep next to each other.

After a year, she still does this, but she’s gotten used to not having you in her arms. She’s used to being alone when she gets in bed.

Every little thing she does, it somehow draws her back to you and it brings a smile to her face as she relives the memories because she feels like you were still hers and she was yours.

Whenever she sees you, you’re brighter. Meeting new people, she notices one girl in particular is constantly around you and she wonders, is she just a friend or has this girl taken the pieces of your heart and is trying to put them back together?

Either way, she seemed wonderful, and she knows that you deserve someone who treated you like you were the world and knew that while they had you. Because she had only realized what she had as soon as it was gone.

She won’t approach you, because she sees the way you look when you notice her somewhere nearby. If being away from you was what made you happy, then she was willing to pay that price.

After all, she didn’t realize that her presence was the source of your happiness until she made it the source of your pain.

She only wishes that you don’t forget her, even when you’re with someone new, because despite everything, you were a big part of her life, and she hopes that she was the same with you even with all the pain she’s put you through.

#girl group #girl group scenarios #girl group imagines #blackpink #blackpink scenarios #blackpink imagines #kim jisoo #jisoo #blackpink jisoo #bp jisoo #jisoo scenarios #jisoo imagines

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kridosd · 4 years ago

Text

Proof That Technology Groups In Massachusetts Is Exactly What You Are Looking For.

The technology resembles craftsmanship which is taking off the exercise of the human creative mind. Therefore by joining a technology group just imagine what all wonders you can experience.

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Table Of Content

1. What is Technology?

2. What is a Technology group/community?

3. Benefits of joining technology groups in Massachusetts.

4. List of technology groups in Massachusetts.

5. Conclusion.

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List Of Technology Community in Massachusetts.

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Technology Enthusiast And Software Engineer Group.

Boston New Technology.

She Geeks Out.

Tech in Motion: Boston.

The Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange.

Technology Enthusiast And Software Engineer Group.

Welcome tech and programming sweethearts from everywhere! We're an online tech and programming enthusiast bundle encouraging live talking events on an extent of tech and programming topics. You can oblige us on one of our live streams. Post for different frameworks organization events.

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She Geeks Out

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The Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange.

MITX (The Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange) is a local area of restless data searchers who cooperate and drive how advancement is shaping the possible destiny of customer experiences.

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#tech #techworld #technolovers #technology #group #community #technology group #massachusetts

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soonwellbefoundfic · 6 years ago

Photo

in too deep, can’t think about giving it up.

larry.

The pads of her feet were soft thumps against the floor. They, however, didn’t wake me. It was her exit from the bed ten minutes ago that had pulled me away from my less than blissful slumber.

The bed barely dipped under her weight but the duvet rustled and the sheets tugged. The disruptive behavior of the bedding was enough to make her pause and cautiously eye me.

I could feel her gaze. Heat fizzled over the surface of my skin under it but I wouldn’t dare open my eyes. Nowadays the only way I got to see a genuine Marlee was when she thought I wasn’t paying attention.

Our dreaded doctors appointment had been four days ago and Marlee had been on a roll, acting like nothing happened ever since then. I let her – because I didn’t know what else to do.

I wouldn’t force her into talking to me because I didn’t even know what to say. I wouldn’t force her into making a decision because I didn’t even know what I wanted. We were both – confused but I was the only one embracing my true emotions.

I’d been with Marlee for all of my adult life. I knew her. Her containing her feelings behind multiple layers was nothing new to me. However, this felt different. It felt urgent. It felt final. Now was not the time for her to be building walls and hiding her vulnerable nature.

In the past I’d resented her ability to shut me out and in turn chronically neglected her. Most recently, with the involuntary reset to our relationship. I’d been working on respecting her need for space but also making it very apparent that I was present. Now – now I didn’t know what to do.

I wanted to push, and plow through the layers she’d so carefully constructed but I knew that would only urge her to build up more walls – stronger ones. At the same time I wanted to support her and do whatever she needed me to do. And apparently what she needed from me right now was Denzel level acting skills that matched hers.

She needed me to pretend so that she could carry on with her fictitious shenanigans.

So I did. I pretended to sleep as she stared me down, making sure that her return to the bed hadn’t shaken me out of my slumber.

It took what seemed like a million seconds for her to look away from me and a million more for her to lay down.

She settled on the edge of the bed and when I slyly peeled my eyes open I found her back to me. An unimaginable coldness consumed me, snuggling against my every bone, and I wanted to do nothing more than crowd her body with mine but I couldn’t. If I did she’d step into character and go back to pretending that everything was alright.

It took three sniffles for me to realize she was crying.

I chewed my lip, wondering if I should go to her. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and squeeze all her worries away. I wanted to wipe away her tears and erase the trails they created with soft kisses. I wanted to lull lullabies in her ear that translated to promises – promises I knew I couldn’t fulfill.

But I didn’t.

Instead, I laid still and pretended to be sleep. I told myself there was no comfort I could bring. I told myself that she needed to let whatever she was feeling out. I told myself everything in an effort to not feel terrible about ��ignoring’ my wife’s pain.

Eventually she cried herself to sleep, leaving me up. Her sniffles. though nonexistent now, echoed throughout the room. I felt like I was suffocating. The room was cool yet I felt hot despite only wearing briefs and not being under the covers. Sweat quickly began to tattoo the surface of my skin and when it got to be too much I took cues from her and rushed to the bathroom to avoid waking her.

“Gooood morning,” Her being up before me was a surprise but her being in the kitchen, cooking, was even more surprising.

We’d both had rough nights but it didn’t show. I’d silently praised her acting skills last night but mine too were quite impressive. It was shameful.

We were doing exactly what we said we wouldn’t do when we decided that fighting for our marriage was our only option. We weren’t being honest with one another. We weren’t openly communicating but then again neither of us were prepared to have to communicate about a pregnancy that we hadn’t planned for.

“Morning,” I smirked, rounding the island that separated me from her. Dropping a kiss onto the back of her neck, I peered into the griddle. “What you cook?”

“Crepes.” She turned and grinned proudly, revealing a face dotted with white shit.

“You lie!”

“I did,” She shifted so that I could see her work. “Look.”

Before me were five perfectly crafted crepes. They were golden in color, light in texture and folded, concealing sweet surprises.

“They look good?” She quizzed, folding the last one and setting on it a plate before handing it to me.

“They so beautiful.”

“Forreal?!” She chirped and then kissed her teeth. “Don’t gas me!”

“I not! They look good.” I reached out poking the tip of her nose. “I’m so proud of you.”

Her smile was wide and genuine. It nearly made me forget that for days now she’d been giving Viola Davis a run for her money.

Marlee was so good at masking her emotions that sometimes it left me wondering if I’d imagined certain things.

“Come on. We gotta eat before they get cold.” She led me over to our neglected dining table.

Years ago whenever I was home we always ate breakfast together at this very table. It had once been our thing but as time passed it faded into the background just like majority of our other good habits.

I wondered if she remembered and if so what memory had triggered this act. There had been so many. We shared a million laughs here. I revealed some of my biggest news. She laid out her goals. We argued here, sexed here, planned here…

“Why are you looking like that?” It was when she spoke that I realized that she was already seated, leaving me hovering awkwardly over the table.

“You remember when we get this table?” I quizzed as I sat.

She paused, bit into her crepe and moaned. “No.”

“Oh.”

“You gonna tell me?” She pressed, eyeing me from under the fan of her lashes. “Or are you still listening to the doctor’s orders?”

The mention of a doctor was an instant reminder that she was pregnant and refusing to talk about it at the moment.

“We just see somethings like this – in Italy but it’s so expensive and even more money to ship,” I trailed off, not caring much for the story but for the matter at hand – the one my wife wanted to ignore.

“And?” She pressed.

“We just get it.” I shrugged leaving out the part about Marlee shooting the owner’s daughter wedding for free in exchange for the table.

“That was uneventful.” She grinned, amused.

I opened my mouth to spit out an excuse or maybe the rest of the story but she beat me to the punch with her own set of words.

“Speaking of Europe,” Her eyes were bright as she spoke. “I was looking at some flights to Paris today and they’re soooo cheap.”

My mouth opened to ask why leaving the country was on her mind but I quickly shut it.

This was her thing, and Paris her oasis.

When things got heavy for her, France was where she sought solace. I never could quite understand it.

“Do you and Lau have anything major coming up?” She quizzed before forking food into her mouth.

I’d yet to touch my own food. I was far too distracted.

Her refusal to acknowledge the elephant in the room wasn’t new to me but it wasn’t any less annoying.

“Nope.” I tried to keep my tone light as not to give away the fact that I was annoyed.

Lately Lau and I had been in talks with our management about doing TV. Dance competition shows were on the rise again and since we hadn’t gotten as far as we wanted with our own show idea it seemed fitting to do someone else’s.

Exposure was important and our constant relevance would make securing our own dance competition show much easier.

I hadn’t told Marlee about it because things were still up in the air. We also had a lot of our own shit going on, even before we learned about her pregnancy.

We were rebuilding and very fragile – talking about a show that would require me to relocate to LA for a few months just didn’t seem all that important.

“Larry, you haven’t even touched your food!”

Smiling sheepishly, I grabbed my fork. “I listen to you, and get distracted.”

I was distracted but not by what she was saying. I was distracted by everything that she wasn’t saying.

“Just tell me what you think.” She waved my excuse off, motioning towards the plate she’d made me.

Saying nothing, I cut into the crêpe and stuffed a hefty amount in my mouth.

The flavors danced over my tongue as I chewed. I looked up finding her eyes wide-set and on me. I smiled despite my sour mood because it was impossible not to.

“Is good.” I chuckled, amused at how she was watching me. I knew she was anxious – she’d talked about making crepes for years.

“Really?!”

“Yeah,”

“How good?”

“I teach you good.” I stuffed more into my mouth. It really was good.

“Nigga please,” She cackled. “You taught me nothing. All these years – you barely let me watch you make them.”

“They taste like you know my recipe.” I watched her roll her eyes.

“They taste like you’re not the only one in the house who knows how to cook.”

“Since you say like that I hope now you cook more then.”

“I never said all that.” I chuckled but continued to eat in silence.

She had actually done really well. I would even argue that her flavor profile was a bit better than mine. But the good tasting food wasn’t enough to jerk me away from my thoughts.

I tried to imagine what life would be like if she said she didn’t want to go forward with the pregnancy. I attempted to mentally prepare myself because truthfully I felt like that was the road she was going to go down – especially now that she was caught up on her painful past.

It would hurt but I understood.

She didn’t want to suffer and I didn’t want her to. Though the doctor had said technology had advanced, I knew that Marlee’s past pregnancies, and the abortion, would put her at risk. I didn’t want any risks – we couldn’t afford them.

I needed her.

Marlee’s body couldn’t take another failed pregnancy but most importantly her psyche couldn’t take it. The physical effects would be detrimental but the psychological effects would be catastrophic.

I know she blamed herself, and she expected me to blame her too.

I didn’t.

“Why are you frowning?” She quizzed.

“How you think of LA?”

Confusion contorted her features. “It’s fine.”

“To live?”

Her brows scrunched. “Larry, what are you talking about?”

I frowned at my bad timing. This wasn’t the time but talking about the direction my career was going in was the only thing lofty enough to shadow my other thoughts.

“Is not in the rock yet but,”

“What?” Confusion sewed itself to her pretty features.

“How that saying is about set rocks?”

Her eyes narrowed then widened before laughter pulled her mouth open. “It’s not set in stone, nigga?”

“Yeah,” I flushed. “Shut up. That’s what I say.”

“Mmmhmm,” She hummed still smiling.

“Is not set in the stones yet but World of Dance do a dance competition show and me and Lau maybe do it.” When she was silent I went on. “It tape for two-three months… in LA. But it’s not in the st– we don’t know yet but I wanted to say to you. We just start talk about it.”

“When would it tape?”

“Less than two months.”

“You wanna do it?”

“Only if you come with me.” Our eyes caught and I was shocked to see the surprise in hers.

“You want me to come?” The question threw me even more than her expression.

Why was she shocked?

“Of course,” I deadpanned. “Why I not?”

She shrugged and then forked food into her mouth, stalling. I watched her chew, wearing a mask of patience. However when she went for another fork of food I huffed out, cutting my eyes at her.

“I’m hungry, Larry!” Her defenses went up.

“You stall.”

She opened her mouth to defend herself but she knew I was right.

“In the past – and don’t say that this isn’t about the past,” She warned. “You would go away for extended periods of time and I would stay home and I know I worked but there were times when my work wasn’t constant and I could have been with you but – the offer was never on the table.”

My silence prompted her to go on.

“I know that wasn’t an option for tours and such but there were times when I could’ve come – I wanted to but I don’t think you wanted me to. I don’t know.” She sighed, shoving more food into her mouth. “Maybe you needed a break or something. We weren’t all that good… I don’t know. I’m rambling – I’m just shocked that you want me to come with you.”

She was right. I hadn’t wanted her with me. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Larry. I’m just telling you whats on my mind.” She sighed. “We are supposed to be doing that, right?”

“We are.” I agreed, willing my face to remain neutral. “We supposed to talk for everything we feel – that’s what we say.”

“We did.” She nodded, glancing down at her now empty plate.

“You say everything to me?” I pressed, unable to help myself.

I wanted to know everything that was happening in that head of hers. I wanted to know how she truly felt about our current situation. I wanted to know what she wanted. I needed to know.

“I’ll gladly come to LA with you.” She smiled a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

I stayed behind in the kitchen to clean up the mess Marlee had created after turning our kitchen into a creperie. She was always messy in the kitchen, dirtying more dishes than necessary. I had a habit of cleaning as I cooked, making the aftermath minor. Marlee was the opposite.

It looks like a toddler got loose in here, I thought glancing around at the mess my wife had made. My thought made me pause. I relished on the fact that had our other pregnancies been successful we would indeed have two toddlers right now. I then silently acknowledged that Marlee was indeed pregnant now.

I dipped my hands into the hot, sudsy water I’d prepared, attempting to cleanse my brain of its current thoughts. I was bound to drive myself crazy if I kept this shit up.

I finished the kitchen faster than expected and headed to the bedroom to get dressed. We had an important appointment and I didn’t want to be late.

I expected Marlee to be dressed or halfway there since she’d left me in the kitchen to do just that several minutes prior. I was more than surprised when I heard the shower running.

I inwardly ranted about her ability to always make us late as I stripped in route to the shower. Steam engulfed the bathroom, leading me to question just how long she had been in the shower.

I approached the door and pulled it open, wordlessly reminding myself that getting distracted by her body was not an option. We had shit to do.

“I shower with you to save time.” I smirked and then forced my eyes up to her face.

My smirk instantly fell when I caught sight of her reddened, tears rimmed eyes. Reacting immediately she pushed her face into the spray of the water, disguising the fact that she’d been crying.

“Marlee?” I called, concerned – annoyed.

“You can have it, baby. I’m done anyways.” She forced a smile on her lips and moved past me for the door.

I didn’t miss the raspy quality of her voice or the way she dropped her eyes when mine continued to search her face.

She was out of the shower before I could press her, leaving me stewing in frustration as the syrupy scent of her body wash swirled around me.

I showered quickly, anxious to see her before she secured her facade on. Perhaps I was being a bit of a masochist for wanting to catch her in the act of her pain, or a sadist for not attempting to ease it.

It was torture for me and felt completely out of my control. It felt wrong to force my comforting gestures upon her especially when she was clearly going through great lengths to hide what she was really feeling from me. At the same time it felt wrong to pretend nothing was happening – as her husband I should have been acting as her anchor, her peace.

In some sick and twisted way I needed the confirmation that she was actually feeling – that she was truly affected by what was happening. Her outward displays of emotion were sort of comforting because I felt the same. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how I’d feel if I hadn’t witnessed her true emotion state spilling through the cracks.

I’d feel alone.

Did she feel alone, I wondered, pausing. She hadn’t caught me crying or witnessed me restlessly tossing and turning at night due to my less than savory thoughts. How did she know that emotionally we were on the same page? I mean, I hadn’t said anything because she was going through such great lengths to hide her pain.

I was left to wonder if she was hiding her pain because she wasn’t sure where I stood emotionally. I hoped not.

I would put an end to this today, I silently promised as I dressed, determined to take the wheel of what would eventually morph into a deadly crash.

The drive was silent and as comfortable as it could possibly be given the circumstances. We were both lost in our own thoughts. Mine were dark and cloudy and I’m sure hers were the same.

“Nervous?” She quizzed as we walked hand in hand towards the towering building in Midtown Manhattan.

“Not really.” I answered honestly. I felt many things and nervousness wasn’t one of them.

“You were so quiet on the way here?’ She pressed.

“I just think of a lot of things.”

“Like what?”

I smirked. “Why you nosey?”

“I just wanna know.” She shrugged smiling a small smile. “Whats on ya mind?”

“You,” Our eyes locked. “LA and everything with that – the show, an apartment, Paris–“ I shrugged, wanting to leave it there.

“You wanna go?” Her smile was wide – we were talking about her oasis.

“We can – you say is cheap, yes?”

“So cheap!”

“…Okay.”

I managed to tune her ramblings about Paris out as we made our way up the elevator to the 29th floor where our marriage counselor waited.

The room was bright and airy – white walls with white curtains and splashes of pastel colors here and there. It was calming and it evoked peace, which made all the sense in the world. Marriages often turned to war zones and this was were people came to fix them – peace was necessary. On the walls were minimalist artworks compromised of mere lines and a few certificates, speaking to the experience of the highly recommended doctor.

Introductions were brief – cheerful. Refreshments were offered. Words of encouragement were recited.

“Mr. Bourgeois, what are you feeling right now?”

I briefly wonder why she targeted me first. Was my depressive state apparent? Could she see the weight of my reality weighing me down? Was Marlee that much of a better actor than me?

“I feel like,” I paused glancing at my hands and then Marlee. “Confused, sad, frustrated… so many things happen in my mind right now. Is like – I don’t know.” I huffed, hating that I couldn’t tell the person who was here to help us exactly what I was feeling.

“Tell me what you’re frustrated about?”

I sighed, as my thoughts raced. I knew this was the time and the place but exposing Marlee, especially when I’d done nothing to remedy her woes felt wrong. Maybe she should have been frustrated with me.

“She won’t let me in,” I started, glancing at my wife who was now staring at me. “I want to help – and maybe I can or should have but she hide everything – from me.”

“Is there something specific you’re talking about?” Dr. Fagan quizzed, looking between Marlee and I before resting her gaze solely on me.

“She cry.” Out of my peripherals I saw Marlee shift, displaying her discomfort and shock. “In the middle of the night she cry when she think I’m sleep. She do again today after we eat breakfast.”

I looked over at her, frowning when I found that her eyes had widened..

“How does that make you feel?”

I shrugged, never removing my stare from Marlee. “Left out.”

“Lar–“ Marlee began in a whimper.

“I know I will never, ever understand what she go through because is not my body – I know this. She have emotional pain and physical pain,” I winced at thought. “I know I can not fix it – I can’t even fix myself but to me, for me is feel like maybe we get through it better if we talk about us feelings about the ba… this pregnancy.”

Marlee dropped her face into her palms and I hated the fact that it was my words that triggered her agony. I reached for her, placing a not so steady hand on her knee.

“Mrs. Bourgeois, do you want to discuss how your husband’s words made you feel?”

They’d made me feel like shit so I know they’d ripped her to shreds. I stooped low but my desperation made it feel necessary. Throwing her under the bus and plastering what she was trying to hide on a metaphorical billboard was necessary.

“I’m pregnant, and I don’t know if I want to be.” She breathed and though I wasn’t looking at her, I knew her face was coated with tears.

The room was quiet – too quiet. I could hear my heart drumming in my ears. The bass was stronger – harder than any beat I’d ever danced over.

Within five minutes of being here, our biggest issue was splattered across the room. Dr. Fagan had no prior knowledge of our past or even our present and looked mildly shocked by us divulging our issues so quickly. But we were desperate.

Desperate to fix us.

Desperate not to experience pain…

I waited for the counselor to speak, to counsel but she said nothing, prompting me to look at her.

Her stare was glued to Marlee which made me look. I winced when I found my wife shedding silent tears.

The tissue box was pushed gently across the table towards Marlee and I immediately grabbed it, plucking a few of the soft facial papers from the bunch.

“Chink, please stop cry,” I begged, softly gripping her chin.

My eyes sought her out but she wouldn’t look at me even as I dabbed the tissue delicately at her face.

“Please,” I pressed. “Je déteste quand tu pleures,” (I hate when you cry) I whispered.

“Mrs. Bourgeois, can you tell us a bit of what you’re feeling?” Dr. Fagan pressed gently.

“I— I don’t… know,” Her voice was clouded with her agony.

“What about Larry’s admission triggered you?” Same question, different words.

The mention of my name drew my wife’s tear stained gaze to mine. Tears nearly came to my own eyes. She looked pitiful and it was killing me.

It was because of me.

I briefly wondered how things would have gone had I not brought up the fact that Marlee was hiding her true feelings from me. Had I not forced her out of her emotional hiding. Would she have eventually come to me to have an open and honest conversation about our future? Or would she have sprang her final decision on me at our follow-up doctors appointment.

I didn’t know with her, and I was desperate to know. So – I acted, yanking her out of hiding. And now it was clear to me that though it was necessary, I wasn’t prepared for the fall out.

“I– I don’t want to disappoint him.” She cried in a voice that reeked of shame.

“Chin–“ I started only for Dr. Fagan to call out to my name softly, gesturing for me to remain silent.

“Why do you feel you would disappoint him?”

Marlee’s face curled in despair at the question. “I know he wants children and I can’t give them to him.”

My eyes glazed. She sounded sure. Nothing the doctors had told her – us about new techniques and technologies resonated with her. The past weighed on her mind, overruling the optimism of the medical professionals.

“In the past,” I was surprised when she continued on. “We had issues carrying a pregnancy to term – there was never an issue with conceiving but–“ She paused, looking off into a vacant corner of the room. “I just couldn’t carry them… healthily, and we lost them.”

Silence consumed the room, sliding down the length of the walls. It was heavy – thick, making it hard to breathe.

Marlee’s words painted a gnarly picture. I saw us on the bed, me holding her, as contractions beckoned by medicine instead of nature yanked her body through the flames of hell the night before we lost our first son. I then remembered myself holding my son, Laurent, I heard his ragged breaths and saw his pale cheeks. I looked down at my hands almost swearing that I felt his sweet warmth going cold on the very tips of my fingers as I held him.

I shook my head and balled my fists, clearing my thoughts – or hoping to. And then Marlee spoke again.

“I terminated the third pregnancy.” My heart stuttered and eyes watered, prompting me to shut them.

We’d talked about this, I’d forgiven her but it stung. The what ifs would never leave the surface of my brain.

“And you know,” She chuckled dryly. “I’m sure that fucked my reproductive system up even more.” The guilt would never leave the core of her heart.

“I feel like a fucking walking cemetery.”

“Marlee,” I whispered her name because I didn’t have the strength to use my full baritone.

“I know you have hope,” Her eyes lazily drifted to mine. “I don’t.”

“The doctor say–“

“They said good things the last time too.” She interjected, reminding me that the past was fresh in her mind.

Her memory had been rebranded by the blazing steel of her past and the area was still consumed with blisters. I, on the other hand, had worked for years to forget – healing my scars.

“For Men’s Fashion Week – they want us?” Lau quizzed as though Karine, our manager, hadn’t just gave a thorough explanation.

“Yes. January 16th for Berlutti and January 17th for Jacquemus.”

“And Jordan – January 19th,” I beamed repeating the news I was most excited for.

For years I’d been obsessed with everything Michael Jordan and Jordan brand affiliated and now we would be working with them, and going to a party hosted by Mr. Jordan himself.

I couldn’t be happier.

“Oh yes!” Lau sang, equally as excited as me.

We’d signed the contracts weeks and ago but the awe still hadn’t left. I’d nearly passed out when Karine delivered the news but instead I’d used my last bit of strength to tug my phone from my pocket.

It was as my finger was hovering over the name that was first on my favorites list that I realized I couldn’t call it.

She would never answer for me.

“Also Dior sent over some stuff,” She glanced at a neat tower of boxes in the corner of the room. “And Larry, I need to speak with you.”

The cheer left her tone and her eyes offered no more brightness. I nodded and it was shaky. I was too consumed with trying to imagine what could possibly be wrong to present steady movements.

Last week I’d had a less than cordial encounter with a shitty judge at a Berlin battle – was it that? Or was it about that club in Turkey that kept trying to book us despite them having a very racist staff?

Lau, distracted by his phone, hadn’t left the room but he’d already checked out of the conversation.

Karine peered carefully at me from across the table before reaching for her prized Hermès bag and extracting a manila folder.

With a sigh she slid it across the table. “Came this morning.”

My eyes danced over her face, in an attempt to read her but I couldn’t – so I gave up and dropped my gaze down to the folder. Contracts often came in folders like this but what contract would lead to her solemn expression?

Annoyed with the hot curiosity seeping from my pores, I flipped the folder open and signed, finding the tiniest of black words. Without my glasses I was left to squint.

“What is this?” I murmured more to myself than the other parties in the room.

“What is it, bro?” Laurent decided to mentally join us again.

I ignored him as concentration narrowed my eyes further, causing strain that went right to my temples. I opened my mouth to complained about my lack of understanding when words I never wanted to see paired with a name that I’d cooed and sang and hissed and moaned for years became clear.

“Larry?” Lau pressed, standing from his seat and towering behind mine.

His vision was perfect unlike mine. It hadn’t taken him long to find the words that’d powered my heart down to nothingness is mere seconds.

“Petition for Divorce.” He read and my heart blackened, turning to dust in the cavity of my chest.

never knew love would hurt this fuckin bad..

#swbffic #lt fanfic

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emma-what-son · 5 years ago

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Exclusive: Emma Watson On Why She’s Joining Kering’s Board Of Directors

Vogue June 2020: The actor tells Vogue her hopes to create a more sustainable future for the fashion industry — and how the pandemic has given her a chance to reflect on how she can create meaningful change away from the screen.

Here, we caught up with Watson to find out more about her new role at Kering and what sustainable fashion means to her.

Why did you decide to take up this new role at Kering?

“As the Covid-19 crisis has shown, sustainability is an urgent issue which closely aligns to questions of justice and equality for women, black, indigenous and people of colour, and the environment. The work Kering is doing [in advancing sustainability in fashion] feels more vital than ever and I am extremely grateful to be able to join these efforts, putting my support behind a group who are demonstrating they take this responsibility seriously.

“I look forward to helping Kering further accelerate the pace [of its] work, building upon what it’s already doing. I am also extremely excited to collaborate with Kering’s women’s rights foundation. I’m always just excited to learn.”

Why is sustainability in fashion so important to you?

“I’ve been interested in sustainability in fashion ever since I had to properly engage with it during my time of junkets and promotional tours for Harry Potter. That started as early as 12. At school, I took a specific interest in Fair Trade fashion and renewable energy sources under the supervision of a really inspiring geography teacher. This eventually led to a trip to Bangladesh in 2010 with sustainable brand People Tree.

“It became clear to me then that sustainability in fashion is a critical issue given how the industry can have damaging impacts on the environment, on workers’ rights, and on animal welfare. It is also a feminist issue. It’s estimated around 80 per cent of the world’s garment workers are women aged between 18 and 35.

“At this unprecedented time in history, we have big decisions to make and actions to take in how we positively reinvent and reconfigure what we do and how we do it. It genuinely feels like an exciting time to have this opportunity when things might shift. So, for example, when I saw last year that Kering announced the group would become carbon neutral within its own operations and across its entire supply chain, with a priority of first avoiding, then reducing, then offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, I noticed!”

There are lots of different ideas about what sustainability actually means. What does it mean to you?

“I understand sustainability as the interrelationship between society and community, the economy and the environment. Issues of justice, fairness, and equality are key to what sustainability means — whether we’re talking about environmental justice and the fashion industry’s impact on our planet, or workers’ rights and the impact on families’ abilities to support themselves.”

How does this new role at Kering connect with other work you’ve been doing?

“During this pandemic, like many of us, I have had time to reflect on the work I want to be involved with and what is meaningful to me moving forward. Having been so public in making films and being so active on social platforms in my activism, I am curious to embrace a role where I work to amplify more voices, to continue to learn from those with different experiences (from garment workers to designers to company directors), and to ensure a broader range of perspectives are considered. Behind the scenes now, I hope I can be helpful in making a difference.

“If people notice a new quietness from me, it does not mean I am no longer there or do not care! I will just be doing my work in a different way (fewer red carpets and more conference meetings!) This is a unique moment in time and I intend to embrace the opportunity it presents for change. As my friend [artist and scholar] Dr Fahamu Pecou says — this work is a relay marathon, not a sprint, and I know I want to be in this for the long run and in the right place when it’s time to run my relay.

“Last year, I was part of the G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council convened by President Macron, and while our recommendations were directed at states, without question, businesses play a hugely important role in driving change. So I hope to find ways to ensure that fashion companies can use their power to help create a more just and equal society for people of all genders.

“As part of the TIME’S UP movement, we’ve campaigned hard to ensure that all workplaces are safe places for women. Having heard horrific stories of abuse and intimidation from within many industries, I’m keen to ensure that workers across the fashion supply chain can do their jobs free from fear and intimidation, and that new policy developments like the International Labour Organisation’s Violence and Harassment Convention are felt on the ground in factories and on shop floors. Many of the organisations I’ve supported over the years work with garment workers, women farmers, and others in the textile trade, and I hope to share what I’ve learnt from these voices in my new role.

“I’ve worked a lot with domestic violence charities here in the UK and beyond, and during the Covid-19 lockdown, calls to these services in many countries have seen a sharp increase. So I’m also really keen to work with Kering’s foundation to see how we can meet the challenges that organisations working on gender-based violence are facing in these difficult times.”

Are there particular issues within the fashion industry that concern you?

“There are so many, from the ways that fashion marketing can affect body image issues in young girls to levels of water pollution by denim brands.

“Covid-19 has obviously had a huge impact on the demand for clothing and it concerns me that not all companies are acting responsibly towards factories and workers in these challenging times, with many cancelling orders or demanding price reductions for clothes that are already being made. Happily, Kering has honoured all of its commitments during the pandemic.

“In the present moment, brands have rushed to show their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, but we need to ensure that this is not rhetoric and that the industry gets its house in order with regard to representation and inclusion. There are still huge issues with employment discrimination, issues with how black talent is represented in leadership and creative roles, how black people are depicted in marketing materials and the fashion media and so on.

“So yes, there are lots of concerning issues, but it feels like there is a real opportunity for uncomfortable conversations, radical decision-making and lasting systemic change — whether that’s in relation to environmental sustainability or racial justice. 2020 has been tough so far for so many people, and there’s a lot of talk about ‘going back to normal’. But it’s increasingly clear that ‘normal’ wasn’t working for so many people in our society.”

Do you have any tips on how to shop more sustainably?

“I’m a supporter of the Good On You app which makes it very easy for consumers to see what impact individual brands are having. I have committed to only purchasing and wearing brands that are rated ‘It’s A Start’ or above, as I want to be able to support brands moving in the right direction.

“I’m also a big fan of TRAID [in the UK] who provide door-step collections of clothes you no longer wear and then reuse and resell them in their shops. They then use the money raised to fund projects to end abuse in fashion supply chains.

“Really learning about yourself, who you are, and what you actually wear enables you to be a smarter buyer. Tailoring, modifying and being creative with clothes gives them a longer life, more meaning and personality. I recently wore a dress for a [pre-lockdown] photoshoot that I originally wore to a premiere when I was 15. I carefully archive and catalogue everything special I wear in my wardrobe and keep everything!

“The best-dressed people I know have figured out their formula and know they tend to wear a few favourite things over and over again. Invest in those and don’t buy fashion you’ll throw away. Never buy anything unless it’s perfect. I’ve convinced myself to buy some strange things because I said I’d alter them or I’d grow etc. And I don’t!

“My friend Emily used to say that everything has a ‘cost per wear’. Meaning every time she wore it, it reduced its overall cost of purchase in her mind and the cost to make it. A bargain isn’t a bargain if you never wear it or it falls apart! I often leave a shop and if I don’t go back for the item, it’s a sign I didn’t really want it.”

What are some of your favourite sustainable and ethical brands?

“Anything vintage! Reusing and recycling and rewearing clothing that already exists is the most sustainable thing you can do as a consumer. I highlighted some really awesome black-owned vintage shops on my Instagram recently. If you do need to buy something new, I am loving Christy Dawn’s summer dresses and jumpsuits. The brand’s designer and founder Christy is wonderful.”

---

Is it just me or did she say a lot without actually saying much? Oh well. I feel like this really was a way to tell people that she’s still a good activist even though she isn’t quick to comment on something lol. And I believe that she won’t do many red carpets since there won’t be many events anytime soon and she has no movies coming out. Notice how she mentioned the Good On You app again.

And was she really involved with fair trade fashion at 12? I feel like we would’ve heard about that long ago.

#kering #fashion

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justforsmiles · 6 years ago

Text

I’m quitting Tumblr

I’m making the decision to leave Tumblr. @staff @support

Having been on Tumblr since 2010, I never really thought about when this day would come, but now more than ever, I don’t see why not.

It has been a great journey, I won’t forget that. From writing little poems to writing more about my personal experiences to reblogging Cyanide and Happiness comics, to memes, dogs, motivational quotes, inspirational images and building a positive community of my own, it felt so empowering and gave me something to look forward to during my high school and my college years.

It was addictive. It felt rewarding when I was featured on Tumblr’s “radar”- hand-picked showcase of creative, interesting, and awesome posts. It was my go-to mood booster. I read up on news, learned new terms, saved a ton of hilarious, fun gifs (back when Tumblr did not have a button to easily look up gifs and what not), became heavily invested in social justice issues, posted my ideas, learnings, what I stand for, and have people thank me and my blog for existing.

I connected with other people from all over the world. I met up with two of my Tumblr friends in person. I could share my thoughts, genuine interests, and have it liked and reblogged by thousands? It felt like a platform I was never ever going to see myself exit from.

Until the start of this year. I don’t feel safe on Tumblr.

On December 17, 2018, Tumblr’s ban on adult content went into effect (after the fact that Tumblr’s official app was removed from Apple’s App Store over the discovery of child pornography on the site). That meant that all pictures, GIFs, and videos that feature erotic content will be removed from the site.

A reblogged photo from back in 2011 of a newborn’s feet was flagged but when a porn blog (blacksinasian) decides to share my (fully clothed) self portraits and write crude things on it, impersonate me in writing those things to lead people to my Tumblr and social media- that is not okay.

I had to find out through Instagram DMs when some people let me know that they saw me on Tumblr, asked if I had Tumblr and if I knew that my pictures were being circulated on Tumblr.

This is screwed up on so many levels. I never agreed to allow my content to be used in this way. The blog decided to repeatedly take my content and twist it in their own nasty words.

This is unwanted harassment and violation of community guidelines, but Tumblr decides to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

I sent in a support request January 21, 2019. I received NO reply whatsoever and followed up on February 5, 2019 to which I receive a reply to on February 11, 2019 with the following:

Hello,

Thank you for writing in. It sounds like you may be reporting a violation of our Community Guidelines instead of a technical issue on the site. In order to more quickly and efficiently handle this, we ask that you use our online Abuse forms located here:

https://www.tumblr.com/abuse

To report a post in the mobile apps, just click the share icon (that paper airplane) and choose "Report." That'll open the form and you can tell us what you're reporting from there. To report an entire blog, tap the blog's username to view their blog, then tap the little human icon, and then tap "Report."

Please select the form that most closely corresponds to the violation you’re reporting, which will help us correctly route your complaint.

We appreciate you taking the time to write in.

Jay,

Tumblr Community Support

That was a slap in the face. It was a response that was like, oh, seems like you sent in your request to the wrong department, here, try again, I won’t bother reading your request and helping you to route it to the right place and resolve it ASAP. That was terrible customer service for someone who has been a loyal user since 2010. Thanks a lot, Justin. Or as you called yourself in the email, Jay.

After reporting abuse and writing the description of the abuse AGAIN, I received an automatic message from Tumblr Trust & Safety with the below message:

Hello,

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We're checking out the content and will determine an action appropriate to our policies and procedures.

In the meantime, we do strongly suggest you block this user. If you need help doing so, have a look at the docs (

https://www.tumblr.com/docs/en/social#blockactions

). Blocked users can't follow you, can’t see your posts on their dashboard, reblog your posts, like your posts, or do anything else with your posts. You also won't get Asks or Fan Mail from users you've blocked, and you won’t appear in their search results.

Keep in mind that we don’t notify bloggers that you’ve blocked them—although they may realize it if they try to reblog one of your posts, say, and are prevented from doing so.

Tumblr Trust & Safety

Tumblr.com/abuse

Gee, thank you so darn much. Can you tell me something actually valuable in less words? The fact that Tumblr could not give less of a crap about this shows just how hopeless Tumblr is. Take a hard look at your own Community Guidelines and tell me that you’ve done everything you can to uphold all of that. Theblacksinasian blog clearly violated some of these guidelines and they’re still out there, posting away. No suspended account, no consequences. And I’m left here spending countless amount of time and effort in writing something that Tumblr will most likely ignore for the umpteenth time.

Yeah sure, thank you for being the platform from which I got to experience laughs, meaningful conversations, humor, and encouragement. That can be found elsewhere. This just isn’t worth it.

Goodbye.

To all my wonderful mutuals and friends old or new on here, you can find me on Instagram.

#Tumblr #I quit #thoughts #utterly disappointed and disgusted

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