#Showing PowerPoint Slide in Full Screen

[gf2bellamy]

haircut — spencer reid

pairing: spencer reid x reader ( no use of y/n ) summary: you're caught off guard by spencer's haircut content warnings: mention of stuffing yourself with ice cream and popcorn a/n: boyband spencer makes me feel things so i just had to write this

You pushed open the door to the conference room. The scent of freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air, mixing with the faint scent of paper and ink from the stacks of case files spread across the table. 

Penelope Garcia was already seated. She looked up from her laptop the moment you entered, her eyes lighting up as she greeted you. 

"Good morning, sunshine!" she chirped, holding out a file for you. 

You smiled, the warmth of her energy making the early morning a little more bearable. “Good morning,” you replied, taking your seat beside her. “Thanks, Pen.” 

She gave you a playful wink. “Always here to deliver your daily dose of doom and gloom.” 

You chuckled, shaking your head as you leaned back in your chair, settling in. “How was your weekend?” you asked, genuinely curious. 

Penelope sighed dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. “Oh, my dear, it was divine—a full 48 hours of zero crime, binge-watching the most ridiculous reality shows, and eating a huge amount of popcorn. A true masterpiece of relaxation.What about you?” Penelope asked, her eyes fixed on her computer screen as she attempted to pull up the PowerPoint for the case briefing. 

You sighed, stretching slightly in your chair. “Same thing,” you admitted. “Spent the weekend on the couch, barely moving, while shoveling buckets of ice cream down like it was my full-time job.” 

Penelope gasped dramatically, turning to you with wide eyes. “You didn’t move? At all?” 

“Barely,” you confirmed, already missing the comfort of your couch. “Honestly, I think I might have become part of it.” 

She snorted, shaking her head as she finally got the PowerPoint to cooperate. “Respect,” she said, clicking through the slides. 

Before you could respond, the conference room door opened again, and the rest of the team started trickling in. Hotch took a seat next to you, as he opened his files, while JJ leaned toward Penelope, the two of them quickly falling into conversation.

You glanced around the table, scanning the usual faces—until you noticed an empty seat. 

Spencer’s seat. 

Your brows furrowed slightly. He was never late. If anything, he was usually one of the first to arrive, sitting quietly with his coffee, already halfway through the case materials before anyone else had even opened their files. 

When JJ and Penelope began presenting the case, you had no time to let your anxieties cloud your judgement regarding the empty seat. voices pulling you back into work mode.

That was until JJ suddenly smirked and said, “Well, hello.” 

Your eyebrows furrowed as you turned to her, confused by her reaction—until you followed her gaze. 

And then, your mouth fell open. 

Spencer had just walked in. 

But not the Spencer you had been expecting. 

He looked… different. 

Not in a bad way. Not even in a way you had the right words for. Just—different.

His normally tousled curls had been cut shorter, neater, styled in a way that framed his face and somehow made him look even more—God help you—attractive. It was a change you hadn’t been prepared for, and from the silence that briefly passed over the team, you weren’t the only one caught off guard. 

Spencer gave a small, almost shy smile at JJ’s reaction before heading to his seat. He settled down on the other side of Hotch, setting his bag on the table. 

Hotch barely looked up from his file as he raised an eyebrow and deadpanned, “What, did you join a boyband?” 

A small frown creased Spencer’s face. “No,” he replied, the petulant tone in his voice making a few people chuckle. 

Conversation quickly resumed, the team diving back into case details as though nothing had happened. But you? You were barely processing a single word. 

Your mind was too busy reeling. 

Your eyes kept drifting back to Spencer, betraying you as they traced over his new look. The sharpness of his jaw, the way his now-shorter curls curled just slightly at his temples, the way his freshly cut hair made his cheekbones stand out a little more. 

This was dangerous. Very dangerous. 

Because if you had thought Spencer Reid was cute before, you had no idea how you were going to survive this version of him sitting across the room from you every day. 

As expected, Hotch wrapped up the briefing with his usual stern voice. “Wheels up in thirty.” 

The room stirred with movement as everyone gathered their files and bags, preparing to head to the jet. You slung your bag over your shoulder, but not before sneaking a few more glances in Spencer’s direction. 

Unfortunately, you weren’t as subtle as you thought. 

At some point during the meeting, Derek had caught you staring—not once, not twice, but multiple times. And when your eyes met his across the table, he grinned knowingly, amusement flashing in his gaze. 

You had felt your face heat instantly and quickly looked away, pretending to be very focused on your files. 

Smooth. Real smooth. 

You got up, ready to make a quick exit before you could embarrass yourself further, but just as you turned toward the door, Spencer’s voice stopped you. 

“Hey—uh, is it okay if I ride with you?” 

It was such a simple question. A question he had asked before. Sometimes Spencer drove with Derek, other times he rode with you. It was normal. Casual. 

So why did it suddenly feel like the most dangerous thing in the world? 

You swallowed, gripping the strap of your bag a little tighter. Your usual response would have been an easy, effortless “Yes. Of course.” But today? Today, you could barely meet his eyes without feeling like your brain short-circuited. 

Because he looked that good. 

Still, you forced yourself to nod, offering a quick, “Sure.” 

You kept your gaze trained on the hallway as you stepped out of the room, hoping that if you avoided looking at him, your heart would stop hammering against your ribs. 

Unfortunately for you, Spencer had already fallen into step beside you. You stepped into the elevator together, the metallic doors sliding shut with a soft ding.

A silence settled between you, not entirely uncomfortable, but not the easy kind you were used to with Spencer either. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed him tapping his shoe against the floor—a habit you’d picked up on over the years. Spencer only did that when he was nervous. 

That surprised you. 

He never did that around you. 

You and Spencer were close—so close that sometimes it felt like too close. Like the kind of close that made your heart race when he so much as looked at you a certain way. And today, with his new haircut and the way his suit fit just right, that feeling was overwhelming. 

Your eyes flickered to the floor, watching his shoe tap against the tile before glancing up at him. 

Big mistake. 

Because the moment you did, your heart flipped in your chest. He looked so good, and that single thought refused to leave your mind no matter how hard you tried to push it away. 

You quickly looked away, biting your lip, hoping he hadn’t noticed your staring. 

But of course, he did. 

“If it’s a bother,” Spencer suddenly spoke, his voice quiet as the elevator hummed downward. “I can drive with Derek to the airport instead.” 

Your stomach twisted at the suggestion. It wasn’t that you didn’t want him in the car with you—it was that you wanted it too much. And now he had clearly picked up on your avoidance, which only made your embarrassment ten times worse. 

“No, Spencer,” you said quickly, shaking your head as the elevator dinged again, signaling your arrival. “You’re not a bother at all.” 

You barely gave him time to respond before stepping out of the elevator, making a beeline for the parking garage. 

Spencer followed closely behind, and even though you weren’t looking at him, you could feel his gaze on you. 

You unlocked the car, and Spencer slid into the passenger seat beside you. Normally, by this point, the two of you would already be knee-deep in some random discussion—whether it was a case, a bizarre fact he recently read, or a debate about which movies held up over time. 

But right now? 

Silence. 

Not the comfortable kind. Not the kind that came from years of understanding each other so well that words weren’t always necessary. 

This was different. 

Spencer was quiet because he sensed something was off. He was a profiler, after all—he could read people better than anyone, and he had definitely picked up on your shift in behavior.

And you? You were silent because you feared that if you opened your mouth, you’d do something completely mortifying. Like stutter over your words. Or say something dumb. Or worse—blurt out the fact that you had spent the entire morning internally spiraling over how ridiculously good he looked today. 

Your fingers curled around the steering wheel, your gaze fixed ahead. 

Beside you, Spencer set his bag down at his feet, shifting slightly in his seat. You could feel the weight of his stare even without looking at him. 

“I’m sorry, Spencer,” you said suddenly, staring straight ahead. “I promise there’s nothing wrong. I guess I’m just… off today.” You exhaled, fingers tapping absently against the wheel. The last thing you wanted was for him to think he wasn’t welcome here. “And I am happy to drive us to the airport.” 

Spencer was quiet for a moment, but then, in a soft voice, he asked, “Do… do you want to talk about it?” 

You swallowed hard, pulling out of the parking lot. The road stretched ahead, but your mind was a tangled mess of thoughts, each one worse than the last. 

What were you supposed to say? 

Oh hey, Spencer, funny thing—I literally cannot look at you right now because you’re so insanely attractive that I might actually die on the spot? 

Yeah. Probably not the best thing to say to a coworker—and more importantly, to the friend you’d been secretly crushing on for longer than you cared to admit. 

So instead, you shook your head, offering the safest response you could manage. 

“No, it’s nothing.” 

You weren’t sure if he believed you. But for now, he didn’t push. 

The drive to the airport was short, but thankfully, Spencer had started talking about the case almost immediately. You were relieved—you could focus on the conversation instead of the way your heart kept stupidly skipping beats.

Plus, driving gave you an excuse to not meet his eyes. 

That was the problem, wasn’t it? His eyes. 

Warm and intelligent, always analyzing, always seeing you in ways that made you feel exposed. So, you kept your attention on the road, discussing victim profiles and behavioral patterns. 

Before you knew it, you were pulling into the airport lot. 

You parked carefully, turning off the engine as the conversation about the case trailed off. Both of you got out, grabbing your bags before heading toward the jet. 

It wasn’t until you were walking side by side—no distractions, no case details to focus on—that Spencer suddenly asked, “What do you think of…” He hesitated. “My haircut?” 

You froze for half a second, your grip tightening on the strap of your go-bag. 

Oh. 

Oh, no. 

You hadn’t been prepared for that. 

“Uhm—” You stuttered, caught completely off guard, your brain scrambling for a normal, casual response. 

You walked slower, suddenly hyperaware of his presence beside you. Spencer matched your steps, his hands tucked into his pockets as he glanced at you, waiting. 

Finally, you swallowed and forced yourself to speak. “It looks great,” you said softly. “I like it.” 

Spencer tilted his head slightly, watching you. “Yeah?” His lips curved into a small, pleased smile. 

“Yeah,” you nodded, willing yourself to keep it together. 

But then—because the universe apparently wanted you to suffer—your mouth betrayed you. 

“I mean, it makes you look…” You trailed off, but Spencer was still watching you, waiting for you to finish, and oh god, you were already in too deep. You cleared your throat. “Really handsome.” 

Spencer blinked. 

Your stomach dropped. 

You hadn’t meant to say that out loud. 

Heat immediately crept up your neck, and you snapped your gaze forward, walking faster in hopes of escaping your own embarrassment. But Spencer—being Spencer—was too damn observant for his own good. 

His eyes widened slightly, something clicking in his mind. His posture straightened, his brows lifting ever so slightly as realization dawned. 

“That’s why you’ve been avoiding my eyes.” 

It wasn’t a question. 

Your breath hitched. 

“No, no,” you said quickly, shaking your head as you picked up your pace, the jet now in sight. If you just got inside, if you just sat down and pretended this conversation never happened, maybe—maybe—you could salvage what was left of your dignity. 

But Spencer wasn’t letting it go that easily. 

“Wait—” He reached for your wrist, his touch light but enough to stop you in your tracks. 

You swallowed hard. 

Slowly, reluctantly, you turned to face him, keeping your eyes trained somewhere near his shoulder instead of his face. 

Spencer let out a soft breath, studying you. “So… I was right?” 

Your lips parted slightly, but no words came out. Your heart was pounding. 

“About you avoiding my eyes,” he clarified, his voice softer now, more careful. 

You exhaled sharply, forcing a nervous laugh as you rubbed the back of your neck. “I—no, I just—” You sighed, giving up mid-sentence. Lying to Spencer Reid was pointless. He could probably read you better than you could. 

His fingers twitched at his side, like he was debating whether or not to reach for you again. Instead, he tilted his head, his eyes flickering across your face, searching for something. “You think I look… handsome?” 

You groaned, shutting your eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. “Spencer, please.” 

But he wasn’t teasing. He wasn’t smug. He looked genuinely curious. 

And that—somehow—was worse. 

You sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat. “Yes, okay? I think you look… really good.” You avoided his gaze, focusing on a spot over his shoulder. “Too good, actually, which is kind of annoying because it makes it really hard to—” You stopped yourself before you could say concentrate at work like a normal human being, realizing how that sounded. 

Spencer’s lips parted slightly, as if surprised by your admission. But then, slowly, his mouth curved into a small smile. 

Not a smirk, not teasing—just… soft. 

Warm. 

And something about that undid you a little. 

“I didn’t think you noticed things like that about me,” he admitted quietly. 

Your eyes snapped to his. 

Was he serious? 

You let out a disbelieving laugh, shaking your head. “Spencer, are you kidding? Of course I notice things like that about you.” 

His smile faltered just slightly, a flicker of something vulnerable crossing his face before he looked down, like he was processing that. 

The jet door opened in the distance, voices echoing faintly from inside, but neither of you moved. 

Then, after a long moment, Spencer glanced back up at you. 

“I think you look really good all the time,” he said simply. 

Your breath caught. 

Before you could respond, a voice called out from the jet—Derek, naturally. “You two coming or what?” 

You cleared your throat, tearing your gaze away from Spencer’s as you took a step toward the jet. “Yeah, coming!” you called back, trying to keep your voice steady. 

Spencer fell into step beside you, hands in his pockets, but his small smile remained. 

And as you both climbed the steps to the jet, you couldn’t help but think that maybe—just maybe—this conversation wasn’t over yet. 

[prettygirl-gabi]

Full-Court Love

Pairing: Paige Bueckers x Reader x Azzi Fudd

POV: First-person

Fandom: UConn’s Women’s Basketball

Word Count: 1,500+

Summary: they make time they always do

Valentine’s Day as a college athlete is a tricky thing.

Between practices, classes, and upcoming games, there’s barely any time to breathe, let alone plan something romantic. And this year? It was even worse.

We had the biggest game of the season against South Carolina on the 16th, which meant Coach had us locked into an intense practice schedule. No distractions. No excuses.

But when you’re dating both Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd?

You make time. They make time.

The first sign that Paige and Azzi were up to something came when I walked into the locker room after practice and found a red envelope sitting on top of my bag.

I glanced around, but everyone else was either showering or changing, too focused on their own post-practice routines to notice.

Curious, I picked it up and opened it.

Inside was a simple note, written in Azzi’s neat handwriting:

“Meet us in the film room. Don’t be late. ❤️”

I raised an eyebrow, then shook my head, a smile tugging at my lips.

Whatever they had planned, I already knew it was going to be good.

By the time I got to the film room, I could hear Paige’s laughter through the door.

I pushed it open to find her and Azzi standing in front of the projector screen, which was now displaying a homemade PowerPoint slide that read:

“WHY YOU SHOULD BE OUR VALENTINE”

I blinked. “You made a PowerPoint?”

Paige grinned. “You know I love a good presentation.”

Azzi nodded, holding up a remote. “We have five slides prepared.”

I crossed my arms, biting back a laugh. “This is so unserious.”

Paige smirked. “Just sit down and watch, babe.”

I sighed dramatically but took a seat. “Fine. Impress me.”

Azzi clicked to the next slide, which had a picture of me in my UConn jersey mid-game, looking absolutely locked in. Underneath it, the text read:

“Reason #1: You’re the best player on the team (don’t tell Coach we said that).”

I snorted. “Y’all are ridiculous.”

Paige grinned. “Next slide, Z.”

The next one showed a candid photo of the three of us from last semester, curled up together on the couch, half-asleep during a movie night.

“Reason #2: You make every moment better.”

I felt my heart squeeze a little.

Azzi glanced at me, a small smile on her face. “It’s true. Even when we’re exhausted, just being with you makes everything feel easier.”

Paige nudged her. “Damn, getting sentimental already?”

Azzi rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Paige.”

I grinned, shaking my head. “Y’all are actually kinda cute.”

Paige winked. “Just wait.”

The next slide had a picture of me standing between them after a game, arms around their shoulders, all three of us grinning.

“Reason #3: We love you, duh.”

I exhaled softly, warmth spreading through my chest.

Paige leaned against the desk. “We know the timing sucks this year with the South Carolina game coming up, but we didn’t want today to just feel like any other day.”

Azzi nodded. “So, will you be our Valentine?”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t stop the smile on my face. “Like I’d ever say no to you two.”

Paige grinned. “Good answer.”

Azzi smirked. “We also have dinner plans.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Coach explicitly said no distractions—”

Paige waved a hand. “Coach didn’t say we couldn’t eat dinner.”

Azzi nodded. “And we already cleared it with the team. A bunch of them are doing their own little date nights before we go full lock-in mode tomorrow.”

I sighed, standing up. “Y’all really thought of everything, huh?”

Paige smirked. “Always.”

Azzi grabbed my hand. “Come on. It’s a surprise.”

They took me to a small, cozy Italian restaurant about fifteen minutes off campus, one of those places you’d never notice unless you were looking for it.

The second we walked in, I realized Paige and Azzi had really planned ahead—the restaurant had a private table set up in the back, complete with dim lighting and a tiny vase of roses in the center.

I turned to them, impressed. “Okay, I was expecting something chill, but y’all actually went all out.”

Paige grinned, pulling out a chair for me. “Only the best for our girl.”

Azzi sat down across from me, smiling softly. “We figured we wouldn’t get much alone time after today, so we wanted to make this one count.”

I glanced between them, warmth pooling in my chest. “I love you two, you know that?”

Paige smirked. “We do now.”

Azzi reached across the table, lacing her fingers with mine. “Love you too.”

Paige nodded, grabbing my other hand. “Love you more.”

I rolled my eyes. “We’re not doing the ‘who loves who more’ thing at this table.”

Azzi smirked. “That sounds like something someone losing would say.”

Paige cackled. “OHH, she got you.”

I groaned. “Y’all are literally the worst.”

Paige winked. “And you love it.”

Unfortunately for me, she wasn’t wrong.

After dinner, we walked back to the car, hands intertwined as the cold February air nipped at our skin.

Paige nudged me playfully. “So, did we do okay?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Okay? Y’all actually managed to surprise me. That’s a first.”

Azzi grinned. “That was the goal.”

I looked between them, my heart feeling way too full. “Best Valentine’s Day ever.”

Paige smirked. “Just wait until next year.”

Azzi nodded. “We’re only getting started.”

And knowing them?

I believed it.

---

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                 -Thank You For Reading!🩵🩶

                             -prettygirl-gabi🎀✨️

[sunshineyuyu]

chained (c. jh)

★ summary: jongho wears a silver chain that you’re obsessed with, and you finally get his attention after some calculated flirting with yunho and some beer pong. ★ pairing: jongho x f!reader (ft. yunho) ★ genre: friends to lovers, college, smut (mdni!) ★ word count: 5.4k ★ tags/warnings: alcohol consumption, vaginal fingering, jongho calls reader babygirl and yunho calls reader princess, features friend!san and previous hookup!yunho, some jealousy/tension, reader also kinda uses yunho… but he’s okay with it, lowercase ★ notes: beta’d by the bestie @starhwas-bunny. there may or may not be a yunho prequel coming soon hehehehe. also please let me know if i’ve missed any warnings! ★ masterlist | read on ao3 | part 2

you feel your eyelids droop, heavy from the burden of attempting to stay away in this godforsaken class. it doesn’t help that the seats in this lecture hall are so damn comfortable: plush and tall enough for full back and neck support and a slight give that lets you lean back. you’re one lecture slide away from calling it a day—even though class started just ten minutes ago—when you feel something at your left shoulder.

it’s choi jongho, leaning closer towards you over the armrest dividing your seats. 

hot, attractive choi jongho, with broad shoulders and strong arms and thick thighs. 

you stare adamantly at your laptop screen, at the blank google doc open, at the blinking cursor teasing you for almost falling asleep. you focus on literally anything except jongho’s overwhelming presence at your side–the subtle scent of his musky shampoo, his hot breath fanning over your shoulder.

 the silver chain that he normally hides behind the collar of his shirt hangs out, dangling in a way that has you imagining a different scenario: your string lights illuminating the outline of his body while he presses you into the mattress with his weight, one hand gripping your waist and the other on the headboard, that goddamn silver chain swinging above you while he—

“late night last night?” jongho says, voice low because you’re in class, and deliciously deep. it’s unintentionally sultry, and you find yourself squeezing your thighs together.

“shut up,” you say. “i was finishing an essay.”

jongho hums, and you start to aimlessly copy down the words of the lecture slide. you know that jongho sees right through you; the slides will be posted online later, so there’s no point regurgitating the content.

but you cannot let yourself look at jongho, because you’d probably try to kiss him right then and there.

“weren’t you with yunho?” he says.

“not like that,” you grit out. “we’re just in the same class so he was helping me.”

jongho hums, and he finally returns to the confines of his own seat. you let out a breath of relief. you continue copying down words from the powerpoint, even letting yourself tune into the professor’s voice; at least you’re wide awake now, a nagging feeling of want coursing through you.

you feel a nudge at your other elbow. this presence is comfortable, familiar. it’s san, your first friend at university who is conveniently the same major as you. even though he’s just as big and built as jongho, he’s less intimidating. he’s soft and nice, and he’s showing you a topical meme on his phone from  some computer science joke twitter account.

unfortunately, jongho notices san’s phone turned towards you and leans over again, except this time he’s closer, his shoulder brushing against yours as he tries to make sure he’s also included in the joke.

“i don’t get it,” he says.

“it’s because you’re not actually a computer science major,” you say, rolling your eyes and pushing jongho back into his seat—you exert more effort than you anticipated because of how solid jongho is.

“tsk,” jongho says. “at least i actually understand what’s going on in this class.”

this shuts you up, and you go back to glaring at your laptop and reformatting your bullets because you’ve already lost track of the lecture.

you last another fifteen minutes of attempting to pay attention, before you resign yourself to scrolling through instagram and mentally planning how you can coerce jongho into sharing his immaculately organized notes.

in the final minute of class, the whole class begins unceremoniously packing up, even though the professor is still droning on about greedy algorithms. everyone shuffles out of their row and through the doors at the back of the lecture hall, and jongho falls into step with san, talking about working on the homework tonight. you walk a step behind them, because your legs are shorter and because you want plausible deniability while admiring the shear breadth of jongho’s shoulders.

you leave the lecture hall, and san heads to the academic quad for his next class.

“see you later,” you say to him and jongho, who usually has to work at the library after class, but you notice him following you to the coffeehouse.

“don’t you have work?” you say.

“i changed my schedule,” jongho says. “are you gonna go work at the cafe?”

you nod, and he follows you to the campus coffeehouse where you stand in a fifteen minute line. jongho only gets drip coffee, so you end up ordering something frivolous to make the wait worth it. the two of you squeeze into a small table in the corner, your knees constantly brushing against each other as you read over the essay you wrote last night in a red bull induced haze.

most of it is thankfully salvageable, and the hit of caffeine helps you.

every once in a while, you find yourself glancing over the top of your laptop at jongho. at the lines of concentration etched into his handsome, tanned face. how his hair is getting scruffy and how he pouts when he’s deep in thought.

you’re so hopelessly in love with choi jongho.

at some point, he gets up to get a napkin, and when he returns, he doesn’t sit back down in his own seat. no—instead he hovers behind you, invading your space with one hand on the back of your chair and the other stretched onto the table to keep himself stable.

and that chain—that goddamn silver chain dances over your shoulder again.

“what do you want?” you mumble, skin prickling at the sensation of his proximity.

“this is not bad,” jongho says, eyes skimming over your essay.

“what’s with the tone of surprise?” you retort.

jongho shrugs. “just thought you would’ve been distracted last night.”

you finally chance a look at him, if only to stare at him puzzled until it finally clicks. you shove him off—subconsciously admiring, once again, just how solid he feels.

“for the last time,” you say. “it’s not like that. yunho’s just a friend.”

jongho sits back down, patting the napkin on a part of his laptop.

“good.”

you stop typing and gape at jongho, who’s returned to focusing on his own work. did he- did he just—? your brain works at miles a minute, offering bold assumptions and then instantly refuting them and then rebutting those and then raising new anxieties and then being hopeful and then—

you spend the rest of the time at the coffeehouse overanalyzing one word you’re not even sure you heard.

⋆⋆⋆

the three of you are sat around the coffee table in the living room of jongho and san’s apartment on the west side of campus. their apartment has become the haven for your discrete math class, where jongho blesses you and san with his knowledge in a class he’s taking pass/fail that isn’t even a major requirement for him. their apartment also has plenty of alcohol for when the nights get particularly rough and a good stash of unhealthy stacks.

it’s 1 am now, and the three of you have finished three out of five of the homework questions, eaten five packets of ramen, two sleeves of strawberry pocky, downed six bottles of yakult, and watched an eighteen minute youtube video theorizing that bakugou might become the second user of one for all.

you’d consider this a productive night.

now, you’re perched on the couch, san leaning against your legs while you play with his hair. it’s softer than yours, which frustrates you to no end because you know for a fact that he uses 5-in-1—how are there even five things to incorporate into one bottle?

jongho’s in the kitchen, contemplating a late night—or early morning—beer.

“seonghwa’s throwing a party this weekend,” jongho says, when he returns with another bottle of yakult instead of the beer. the bottle is already small, but it’s positively dwarfed by the size of his hands.

“if seonghwa’s hosting, then yunho will be there,” jongho continues. he looks pointedly at you.

“i thought,” you say, tugging a little on san’s hair and earning a sharp shout of pain, “we established that i don’t. like. yunho.””

“but didn’t you hook up with him?” san says, removing himself from your vindictive fingers and rubbing his scalp. as he sits up to look at you, he instantly regrets bringing up this point as you glare daggers at him. he’s not wrong; you and yunho had hooked up once, at the birthday party of an acquaintance, after seeing jongho chatting up some other pretty girl.

“you guys hooked up?” jongho says, breaking the stare-off you’re having with san for betraying your trust like that.

“it didn’t mean anything,” you say quickly, glancing up at jongho and double-taking at the shadow that’s fallen over his expression. how his jaw looks tensed and his eyes narrowed.

“but you guys hooked up,” he repeats.

“just the one time,” you say, not quite understanding why it feels like you’re being accused of something far worse than a hookup between two consenting and single adults. “we were high and he was just there and it happened.”

“when?” jongho says, continuing the interrogation and maintaining eye contact with you while san switches his attention between the two of you, the instigator but certainly not the mediator of this conversation.

“at yeji’s birthday party,” you say. 

“so that’s why we had to pick you up from the burger place on 8th,” jongho says. “because you were at his place.”

“yeah,” you say. “but it literally does not matter because i don’t like him. we’re just friends, and i’m not gonna hook up with him again.”

jongho stares at you.

“good.”

there it is again. that word, said under his breath. barely there, but enough that you feel a mix of doubt and hope.

you hate it.

“hey!” san says, forcefully cheerful in a way that means he’s trying to change the subject to diffuse the situation. “i found another my hero theory video. the one has 100k views!”

you drop jongho’s gaze first, letting your attention shift to the video san has pulled up on his laptop. “i just don’t think my hero is that deep,” you sigh, trying to ignore the way you can still feel jongho’s eyes on you.

“well, 100 thousand people do,” san sniffs. “including me.”

finally, jongho takes the bait. “how long is it?” he asks.

“thirty minutes!” san says cheerfully.

you and jongho both groan, but dutifully allow san to press play.

over the next thirty minutes, you tune in and out of the overdramatic video as you turn over the previous conversation in your head. you can’t help but read into the situation: clearly jongho is bothered that you’re close with yunho and hooked up with him once. in fact, he’s so bothered that you could even interpret it as being… jealous. 

but if he is, why doesn’t he do anything about it?

you’re half asleep by the time the video ends. san nudges you and gives you an sheepish, apologetic smile.

“it’s late,” he says. “do you want us to drive you home?”

“nah,” you say. “can i just stay over? i’m too tired to move.”

it’s not your first time staying over. your apartment is on the other side of campus, so after most long nights of working you sleep on the couch. san lets you borrow the same old high school volleyball shirt every time, and you slip into it and pull off your jeans. the shirt is thankfully long enough to cover your butt, and the no-pants thing has never been a problem.

until now, when you step out of the bathroom, and jongho’s just entering his bedroom, and he looks at you. you clearly see his eyes roam down your legs before springing back up to meet yours.

“let me get you a pillow and blanket,” he says, voice gruff and deep.

“san’s getting—”

“let me get you a pillow and blanket,” he repeats.

it feels like an olive branch, and you fall asleep surrounded by jongho’s scent. distinctly masculine and musky and oddly soothing.

⋆⋆⋆

when you wake up the next morning, it’s to the sound of whirring from the kitchen. from your spot on the couch, you can vaguely make out the blurry shape of someone in the kitchen. your hand flails around the coffee table, blindly slapping until you find your glasses and shove them onto your face.

it’s jongho, wearing gray sweats and no shirt, leaning against the counter while making coffee. you take the time to admire his back, feeling your cheeks warm as you do. in all honesty, you’re surprised that this is the first time you’ve ever seen him shirtless, and you’d be dumb not to take advantage of it.

you run your eyes over the contours of the muscles in his back, the way they flex and ripple as he crosses and uncrosses his arms.

you yawn and wipe at the sleep still in your eyes. this noise gets to jongho, and he turns around. this action draws a sound out of you, something that comes from the back of your throat, somewhere between a gasp and a groan. because jongho—

jongho’s shirtless, and he’s facing you, his naked torso completely exposed to you. you stare at that goddamn silver chain, nestled against his substantial chest. at the miles and miles of smooth, tanned skin and his fucking arms.

you clap a hand over your mouth and pretend to yawn again.

“you want coffee?” jongho calls.

“yeah,” you manage to say, while laying back onto your back and averting your eyes to the ceiling.

a little while later, you hear jongho pad towards you and you sit back up again. he gives you a mug of coffee and sits down at the opposite end of the couch, leaning back and stretching out his offensively nice upper body. the light from outside peeks in from the blinds of the large balcony windows and bathes his skin in golden stripes.

“is san—?”

“he’s at his 8 am,” jongho says. “when’s your first class again?”

“not until 10:45,” you say. “i’m gonna go home and shower and stuff first.”

“i’ll give you a ride,” jongho says.

you protest politely, mostly because you don’t know if you’ll be able to stand being in such a small space with him, especially when he drives a sleek black mercedes with silky black leather that’s just begging for someone to ruin with some steamy car sex.

but jongho manages to convince you that he needs to drop by the convenience store on the east side of campus anyway, so you find yourself following him down to the apartment parking lot, wearing yesterday’s clothes and hair tied up in a bun to disguise how oily it is.

when he backs out of his spot, he does that thing: wraps his arm around the back of your seat and backs out with one hand. it’s disgustingly attractive.

you sink lower into the heated seat, staring out the window to avoid daydreaming about car sex with jongho.

⋆⋆⋆

you do end up going to seonghwa’s party that friday, after your girlfriends unceremoniously invite themselves into your apartment carrying a huge case of peach soju and a twelve pack of beer.

after a beer and two shots of soju, you’ve changed into a crop top, a silky leopard print skirt, and cute black boots. 

thankfully, seonghwa’s place is only a block away from your apartment, but you and your friends still find a way to get lost on the way there. it takes ten minutes longer than necessary, but you’re finally crashing into the living room of seonghwa’s townhouse.

it’s already packed, but roomy enough that you can move freely without having to slide against other sweaty and drunk people. you break off from your friends to seek out san (and jongho). as you pass the kitchen, you swipe a red solo and a meager amount of whatever mixed drink atrocity they’ve made for the night that you immediately water down. you’re man enough to acknowledge that you’re a lightweight, and you’ll be damned if you end the night puking into a toilet rather than flirting with jongho.

you find san first. he’s lurking near the beer pong table, leaning against the wall and talking to wooyoung. you sneak up on him and he jumps when you give his side a big poke.

“san!” you say, wrapping him a big hug. you’re known to be more affectionate with alcohol in your system. after san clumsily returns your hug to avoid spilling his drink on you, you release him and give wooyoung a similar hug.

“where’s jongho?” you ask, standing on your toes to speak directly into san’s ear.

san points to the other side of the pong table, where you see jongho huddled in a corner with some blonde girl who looks suspiciously like the one from yeji’s birthday party. your reaction is immediate, something joining the alcohol to course through your veins—something fiery and prickling. jealousy, you think numbly.

“we’re playing next,” san says. “me and jongho. you should stay to watch.”

you hum noncommittally, peering at the ids lined up on the pong table and seeing only jongho’s. an idea strikes you, and you give san a peck on the cheek and some excuse about using the bathroom.

you wander back through the crowd of people, occasionally saying hi to people you know as you seek out one individual in particular. you find him on the couch, arm hung lazily on the back, hovering behind some girl. he’s clearly chatting her up, leaning close to her ear and hooded eyes making generous peeks at her cleavage.

you down the rest of your diluted mixed drink and throw yourself at him.

“yunho!” you cry, squeezing into the small space between him and the arm of the couch, meaning you’re basically sitting on him. “thank you so much for helping me with the essay! i definitely would’ve failed without you.” you flutter your eyelashes at him and simper.

the girl scowls visibly, crossing her arms in a way that makes her tits swell, but yunho barely notices—you know he has a sweet spot for you ever since that one night stand, and besides, he could get any girl he wants.

“y/n,” yunho says, shifting his body so that his back is to the girl now. she scoffs and leaves. “you good?”

“i’m great,” you giggle.

“you look good,” yunho says, shamelessly running his eyes over your figure.

“let’s play beer pong,” you say, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“you think you’re good for pong?” he says, a little dubiously as you let out a hiccup.

“yeah, because i know you’ll carry,” you say.

“alright, princess,” he says. “let’s go.”

you tumble off of him and pretend to be wobbly on your feet to let him steady you as you walk towards the beer pong table. yunho slips his wallet out of his pocket and slides his id onto the table to get in line to play the winner.

when he notices jongho, yunho lets out a chuckle.

“ah, y/n,” he says, catching your wrist and pulling you into him. “i see what’s happening.”

your cheeks heat up at being caught so quickly. “i’m sorry,” you say sincerely. “he keeps bringing you up and being weird, but now, he’s got that girl with him…”

“don’t worry, princess,” yunho says. “i know how to put on a show.”

jongho and san are playing now, and it looks like they’re winning. that same chick from before is hanging off of his arm, acting like a cheerleader. you catch jongho’s gaze, and the cheery smile he’s wearing slips off immediately when he notices yunho behind you, hands on either side of your waist.

you shiver as jongho gives you a salacious up-down that has you convinced you’ve pressed the right buttons to make something happen tonight. you giggle, tugging your lower lip in between your teeth and leaning a little closer to yunho.

something must snap inside jongho, because he and san end the game with three cups in quick succession. the losers slink off, as you and yunho take their place. yunho reracks the cups and refills them with a thin layer of beer. jongho rolls a ping pong ball towards you. 

“eyes,” he says.

when yours lock onto his, you smirk. he grimaces.

to decide who gets to start, you have to hold eye contact with each other and try to make a cup. whoever makes one first gets to start the actual game. jongho misses, but you don’t, so you and yunho get to go first.

you and yunho go toe to toe with jongho and san, which is surprising considering how little beer pong you play. by the fourth turn, the blonde girl has left, unsatisfied with the lack of attention she’s received from jongho. by the seventh turn, you and yunho have two cups left, and jongho and san have three.

yunho goes, and makes the first. you cheer and jump up to plant a wet kiss on his cheek. he steps behind you, massaging your shoulders theatrically. you close your left eye, lining up your shot. just as you’re about to let go of the ball, you turn around and pull yunho down to your height.

“give me a good luck kiss!”

he smiles into the kiss, which turns out to have a lot more tongue than you’d expected, but yunho is a good kisser so you don’t mind.

“let’s go, princess,” yunho says, slapping your ass as you turn back to the pong table.

jongho’s positively glowering at this point, and you smirk at him as you map out your shot again.

you miss.

you’re not entirely surprised.

yunho’s not even mad, and begins grossly comforting you with arms wrapped around your shoulders and kisses to the crown of your head.

jongho and san make the last two cups easily.

“too bad, princess,” yunho says into your hair. “you were doing so well.”

you pull yourself out of his grasp. “bathroom,” you explain sheepishly. yunho gives you a knowing look and a wink.

you’ve been to seonghwa’s house enough to know about the secret bathroom on the second floor that he doesn’t allow partygoers to use, so you slink up the stairs when million dollar baby starts playing and the crowd swells with renewed enthusiasm.

just as you’re closing the door behind you, a shoe shoots out to stop the action. someone pushes the door back open, and who else but—

jongho.

“i thought you said you didn’t like yunho,” he hisses down at you.

“i need to pee,” you reply, cocking your head to one side and widening your eyes at him.

he considers you for a second before stepping inside the bathroom and locking the door behind him.

“alright,” he says. “pee.”

“i don’t- are you going to watch me?” you say.

“didn’t seem like you minded people seeing you and yunho all wrapped up downstairs,” jongho says, crossing his arms over his chest, and you hate the way his biceps bulge when he does.

“that’s different from- from peeing,” you mumble.

“fine,” jongho says, and he turns around to stare at the bathroom door.

you’re not entirely satisfied, but you really do need to pee, so you pull down your underwear and sit on the toilet.

it’s awkward, but at least the music and noise downstairs mask the sound. you end up peeing for a surprisingly long time, and even jongho feels the need to break the tension with a poorly timed,

“damn, you’re like a waterfall.”

“i’ve had a lot to drink tonight,” you snap.

“you’re that drunk?”

“no—i’m drinking water, too, you bastard,” you say, finally finished. “don’t want to be hungover tomorrow.”

you flush and wash your hands, and then you’re leaning against the sink and saying, “okay, you can turn around.”

he does. “so. yunho?” he prompts again.

“i told you,” you say, staring directly above jongho’s shoulder. “i don’t like him.”

“then why were you all over him?”

“why do you care?” you sneer.

“just answer the question, y/n,” jongho says.

“why are you so obsessed with yunho?” you say. “if you want to fuck him, be my guest! i won’t get in the way.”

this hits a sore spot, because jongho moves quickly, crowding you into the sink in one step.

“it’s not him i want to fuck,” he breathes.

your breath hitches in your throat. you feel your heartbeat in your mouth.

“what do you mean,” you say, mouth unbelievably dry.

“c’mon, y/n,” jongho says, voice husky. he’s looking at you, eyes darting to your lips. “you can figure this out.”

it’s the same phrase he always uses when you’re struggling through a discrete math problem that he’s already solved, but normally he’s nice, barely teasing.

right now, he sounds downright condescending.

so, you snap. you grab him by his chain and tug him down to your height, slot your lips over his and kiss him.

his lips are nice. soft. he tastes like minty chapstick and bitter beer. his tongue slips into your mouth, and suddenly the kiss takes a turn from intense to lewd.

his hands find your waist, his palms burning into the exposed skin between your crop top and your skirt. his thick thigh pushes apart your legs, and your skirt rucks up above your hips. you gasp and break away to tug at the hem, but jongho stops you.

“that’s counter productive,” he whispers.

“okay,” you say. “i’ll be productive then.” and you pull off your crop top to reveal a lacy black bra and pull up your skirt all the way to reveal a matching lacy black thong. you hear jongho inhale, and then a deep chuckle.

“fuck,” he says, drawing out the word. he meets your eyes again. “you’re so fucking hot.”

“that’s you,” you say.

he dives back in to mouth at your pulse point, as his hands slip down to your ass, palming the flesh and leading you to grind against his thigh. he’s flexing, and the fabric of your underwear is thin and you can already feel a wet patch spreading, and the combination along with the friction of the movement has you moaning.

“that’s what i like to hear.”

you hear the muted opening strums of mr.brightside just as jongho’s thumb begins circling your clit over your underwear. you moan into his shoulder and buck against his hand. he continues to work you until the crotch of your panties is practically soaked, and you’re a whining mess. 

“p- please,” you whisper, fingernails digging into his shoulders.

“since you asked so nicely,” he murmurs, and he’s drawing aside the lace and pushing two fingers into you. you throw your head back at the feeling of being filled and stretched; his fingers are long and thick, nothing like your own or any of your previous hook-ups.

“shit, you’re so wet,” he says, pulling back to watch his fingers fucking you. the sound it makes is positively vulgar, and you pant with every motion. at some point, he starts curling his fingers so that they hit that perfect spot in the back and rubbing his thumb across your clit, and you can feel your high building.

“fuck, jongho,” you whine. 

“shit, babygirl, you’re gonna make me cum in my pants if you keep talking like that,” jongho says, smiling into your neck.

“don’t,” you say. “you can- you can- please, fuck me. you can- cum in me.”

jongho stops, only the tips of his fingers teasing at your entrance, and you whimper as your pussy clenches around nothing.

“are you serious?” he asks, as you circle your hips in an attempt at some relief.

“yes,” you hiss.

“fuck, babygirl,” jongho says, taking a step back and a new glint in his eyes.

but just as he puts his hand on the button of his jeans, there’s a sharp rap on the door that makes both of you jump.

“oi! this bathroom is off-limits!” it’s seonghwa, and to be fair, he’s right. 

“give us a second!” jongho calls, wincing at the subtext. you jump off of the bathroom sink, swaying a little with how jittery your legs are. jongho stabilizes you with a hand on your hip and hands you your shirt.

“jongho? is that you?” seonghwa says. “little shit. this is the third time—”

your head snaps up to look at jongho, who’s unlocking the door and pushing it open, effectively interrupting seonghwa’s rant. he nudges you out first, standing behind you, and you suspect it’s to hide the very visible tent in his pants that’s currently pressed against your ass.

“oh,” seonghwa says, as his eyes fall onto you. he takes a second, glancing back and forth between the two of you, running over your mussed hair and flushed cheeks, jongho’s screwed up face and his right hand still grasping your hip, the wrinkles in your skirt and finally—

“oh,” seonghwa repeats. “oh, shit. okay, well congrats and all that—” and here he punches jongho in the shoulder “—but that doesn’t mean you can fuck in my bathroom!” he finishes cheerfully. he steps behind jongho and begins ushering the two of you back down the stairs and through the living room until you’re on his front porch.

“if you’re going to be doing the nasty, i’d rather you do that at home!” seonghwa says, wagging a finger in your face. “make sure you use protection! love you both!” and he shuts the door.

he leaves you and jongho in a stunned silence, both staring at the closed door.

“uh—” jongho tries.

“what did he mean third time?” you say.

“oh,” jongho says, and his big dick energy dissipates as a sheepish expression takes over. “well, i- i might’ve… y’know… a couple times in seonghwa’s bathroom.” he rubs the back of his neck and offers you an apologetic, gummy smile.

“and you got mad at me for fucking yunho once in his own apartment?” you demand, actually stopping your foot to emphasize the clear double standard at play. “while you were off playing merry-go-fuck-around in seonghwa’s private bathroom?”

“i wasn’t mad at you,” jongho says. “i was just—”

“just what?” you say. “slut-shaming me for having consensual sex?”

“no!” jongho says quickly. “i was jealous.”

“oh,” you say. so, you’d been right. he has been jealous of you and yunho. but somehow, you don’t feel vindicated in the slightest. “i mean—that doesn’t make it any better. i’m not some object—”

“i know that,” jongho says, exasperated. “but i just wanted to be… with you.”

“with me?” you say, wrinkling your nose. “you wanted to fuck me, too? like those other girls you had up in seonghwa’s bathroom?”

“no! with you, like—” jongho’s tongue darts out to wet his lower lip “—like as your boyfriend.”

oh.

well, you hadn’t been expecting that. you blink at him once, then twice. you open your mouth and close it again, gaping like a goldfish.

“do you- do you like me?” you ask, voice hoarse.

“well, yeah,” jongho says. “do… you like me?”

“yes!” you nearly shout the word. “yes—i’ve been in lo- i’ve liked you for at least a whole semester!”

“oh,” jongho says, looking as dumbfounded as you feel. “well, me too.”

you look at each other, and then start laughing. you hiccup, and jongho moves closer to you, wrapping his substantial arms around your shoulders and pulling you into his firm, warm chest. your cheek presses against that goddamn silver chain, but it’s no longer a source of stress for you. he peppers the crown of your forehead with kisses, until you finally look up at him and he kisses your lips softly.

“so,” he says, “can i?”

you raise your eyebrows. “can you what?”

“be your boyfriend?”

you pretend to contemplate the question, and when it takes you longer than a few seconds to respond, he knocks his chin against your temple affectionately.

“yeah,” you say, grinning. “yeah, you can be my boyfriend.”

“so then, what do you say about going back to my place and finishing what we started?” he asks.

“yes, please.”

continued in part 2!

[rottenpumpkin13]

You know how moms have photos of their kids that the kids find mortifying, their friends find hilarious and moms find endearing?

What photos does Lazard have of his idiots?

Blackmail Photos On Lazard's Phone

• Sephiroth and Angeal sweeping confetti from the floor after an office party but they're posing like American Gothic, with Sephiroth holding up the broom like the pitchfork.

• The same after party cleanup, this time it's Sephiroth and Angeal beating Genesis with their broomsticks because he wasn't helping.

• Zack holding out his burger, where Sephiroth is taking a bite.

• Sephiroth in the corner of the conference room using Genesis' balled up red coat as a pillow and his hair as an eye mask.

• The First Class trio covered in mud after a mission. Head to toe. They clearly look like they're being forced to stake the picture.

• Minutes later, a photo of Genesis and Sephiroth flinging mud at each other while Angeal yells at them.

• Angeal mid-fall as the chair he had been teetering on finally tipped back. Lazard had been warning him he would fall, but Angeal didn't listen.

• Sephiroth with a failed merchandise prototype that's a plushie of Genesis, but it doesn't have eyebrows. Sephiroth is holding it like a trophy.

• Zack changing a lightbulb on Angeal's shoulder. Sephiroth and Genesis thought the pose looked cool, so Genesis can be seen on Sephiroth's shoulders in the background, except he's falling so he's just a blur of red.

• A shame photo he took of Angeal sweeping up the dirt he tracked into the 49th floor after purchasing yet another office plant.

• A photo of Genesis taken at 4:15 AM, where he's wearing sunglasses and holding a cup of coffee. His coat is inside out.

• Sephiroth at lunch with ketchup all over his chest after the ketchup bottle nozzle broke and squirted everywhere. Zack's hand can be seen dipping a fry into Sephiroth's chest.

• An unflattering photo of Genesis mid-yawn. Angeal and Sephiroth are beside him, Angeal is holding up a piece of Sephiroth's hair so it looks like Genesis is about to eat it.

• Sephiroth having an existential crisis inside a giant cardboard box, except only his eyes are visible, reminiscent of a hippo partially underwater.

• Zack standing in front of a PowerPoint presentation where one slide is just the word "ASS" on screen. He's doing a thumbs up.

• A followup photo of Zack lowering his head in shame, "ASS" still visible on the PowerPoint behind him. Angeal and Sephiroth are arguing in the photo over wether or not Zack should be allowed to spell "ASS" on an official PowerPoint presentation.

• A photo of Genesis laying on the couch in the break room, except it's zoomed in to see what's on his screen. Genesis is in the process of looking up "Sephiroth x Genesis fanfiction enemies to lovers slow burn" online.

• Zack, but his head is through a wall after he ran into it. Lazard actually took this photo to show upper management that they need to do some remodeling.

• Someone organized the letter magnets in the break room fridge to read "Fuck bitches get money" and Sephiroth is standing in front of it, doing a thumbs up.

• Angeal in the process of pouring a beer into a bowl of cereal instead of milk. What makes this photo funny is Zack sobbing in the background as he watches this.

• Genesis but he's just a red blur of motion mid-slip, the wet floor sign in full view.

• Cloud standing outside Genesis' office holding a cardboard sign that reads "PRAY FOR GENESIS. NOTHING HAPPENED TO HIM, HE'S JUST A CUNT."

• A shame photo he made Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth take, where they're crossing out the "This department has gone 15 days without a Jenga-related fight."

• Another shame photo of Sephiroth who's sitting on the floor with his head in his hands, his fallen bowl of splattered ramen on the floor beside him.

• Genesis mid-mental breakdown, curled into a ball on the floor in his office, where they pranked him by filling it with cardboard cutouts of Sephiroth.

• Cloud Strife (in his infantry uniform) posing next to his employee of the month photo. Yes, this was on the SOLDIER floor.

[vancruejovi]

just curious, what else makes u think robert palmer is autistic? i just saw ur post and i’m just wondering (not hate i promise)

I’m so glad you asked! *cracks knuckles, opens a 73974 slide powerpoint* (Just be warned, he has been my hyper fixation for about a month so I have RECIEPTS!) And also I’m autistic and I see a lot of myself in him, but obviously we never know if someone’s autistic or not, especially if they’re no longer around to tell us. But he really really does show some signs that make me think!

Okay first point of evidence is this video of him explaining why he doesn’t like being in front of the camera, where he explains that he disliked being in front of the camera because he doesn’t really know what to do and that there’s other people who are experts at it but he doesn’t feel like one. This could read as him being camera shy, but also, usually behind the camera is a huge team of people, most of them strangers, which can be a struggle for autistic people. He says that it doesn’t really come naturally like it does to other people, and that it’s not that he’s embarrassed but some secret third thing. He also says that he doesn’t like looking at himself, which I feel like can be a very autistic trait, especially when undiagnosed (as a kid, I was convinced that I was some kind of alien because I always felt like something was ‘wrong’ with me but I didn’t know what). Just his mannerisms and the way he explains this feeling reads very autistic to me too.

Another thing I’ve noticed in interviews is that he often only makes eye contact in short bursts, and looks away often. He’s also very soft spoken, which could be like how autistic people often don’t really grasp how loud or quiet we’re being (as a kid, everyone always thought I was mumbling but to me I sounded just fine kinda deal).

Also when you watch him performing live or in music videos with a lot of people involved, he’s usually a bit more stiff. He also doesn’t know what to do with his hands much, so he usually holds his mic the same way every time, or he does the famous autistic T Rex arms, where he sometimes clicks to the music (I don’t know if this is an autistic thing or not but every autistic person I know feels music VERY intensely and deeply, like it’s a full body thing. I’m sure it’s different for everyone but that could be what he’s experiencing, besides just being a musician of course)

You can also catch glimpses of the T rex arms in the video for I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On in the beginning. I think it’s less noticeable here since the dancers are kinda dancing along with him so his ‘mic holding to stop t rexing’ doesn’t stand out unless you’re looking for it.

But back on the thought of Robert on camera, you can see the difference between the I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On video and the video for Looking For Clues (Also just the lyrics for looking for clues is soooo very autistic coded ‘it’s crazy but I’m frightened by the sound of the telephone’ so true darling. That whole song is just about being overwhelmed and having an intense sense of justice, also known as autism lol). In I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On, he’s a lot stiffer, and more dead focused, while in Looking For Clues, since he’s on a green screen with a most likely smaller crew (or a crew he knows better, who knows) he feels more able to be more bouncy and mask less (you can see this in a couple early performances from the 70s too). It could just be a stylistic choice, since they’re both very different styles of video, but with the other evidence I think it deserves to be said.

Also another very autistic coded song is Which Of Us Is The Fool, which is about him wanting to start a relationship with a woman who’s been hurt before or has past trauma, but he doesn’t really know how to convince her that he loves her for real. He knows she has walls, and he doesn’t really know how to navigate them without hurting her (such a beautiful song btw I’m probably explaining it terribly). It shows how Robert, even if he’s not writing from a true story, struggles with knowing what to say and when to say it, but is also very empathetic (autistic people can have hyper empathy where you feel such intense empathy for inanimate objects or people that it almost feels like your own pain, and if you read the song with that in mind it kinda fits in nicely).

That’s just part of the evidence but I’ve been a madman rambling for too long. I hope all of this made sense lol, I often worry that I’m awful at explaining things. I also REALLY recommend watching the videos with the idea of him being autistic in mind, especially if you’re autistic yourself, because seeing is believing and all. thank you so much for letting me yap anon!! But hey, that’s just a theory, a muuuusiccc theory!

[therealvinelle]

Apparently Lionsgate is making a new Twilight TV series. Remain to be seen what's it about, whether it'll be a remake of the movies or something new. Say they went with something new, and they somehow choose an idea that you've already done in a fic. Which fic idea do you: a) just really want to see adapted on screen? And b) thinks that they will do justice the most?

(Muffin can also answer this if they want and if their answer's different than yours)

Well, the trouble is I don't really have any particular fics I want to see on screen. More importantly, I don't imagine they would appeal much to any studios. You want something you can sell to producers, but "The romantic male lead commits cold blooded murder because his quasi-brother was too weak. His quasi-brother killed his wife back in the day, the romantic lead is fine with that and the quasi-brother recruits the murdered man's parents into his harem. Then half the cast goes to Egypt without really accomplishing anything. Please give me millions of dollars so I can make this." would not fly.

(The above, for the record, is The Less Than Immaculate Conception by myself and @theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin.

Painting Red Madonnas by Muffin wouldn't fare much better, "No the male and female lead don't get together. The loveable goof is really homophobic, and the closest thing we have to a love interest murders a toddler and his own son in front of his horrified wife. Help me get in touch with investors.")

The Bleach in the Brain (by me) miniseries and its sequel miniseries, Leech in the Rain (by @theoriginalcarnivorousmuffin and me) would require somebody saying, not only "I want to focus on child abuse and grooming where the white girl protagonist is attacked by a Native American man and disabled at the end", but "I want to depict a bisexual male character whose male former lover, a gay man, is falsely accused of rape, and then he gets sexually assaulted by his son" as well. Also the really hot chick protagonist who looks twenty-five is actually six years old so she can't be marketed as a sexy female character. And then getting funding for all of this.

(They might decide to make a show inspired by Jessica Stanley in those fics, but... god they'd change everything.)

And Then There Were None, same problem. "Please give us money to produce Bella Swan murdering her family for no reason."

Dark Fantasies/Writhing Coils, maybe if I got Guillermo del Toro extremely drunk and called him a coward. Except it would still need funding, so no.

The Invitation, only if the ending is completely changed. Too much of a downer otherwise.

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream would have the producers nodding along until I get to the part where the big battle happens entirely off screen, instead the audience gets to see a gay sex scene. "Full penetration," I say, tapping my powerpoint slide with a stick for emphasis.

"Let's limit her involvement," they whisper to one another, and then I don't sell them the rights so Nebuchadnezzar's Dream is condemned to development hell.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to London is too out there, and How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bacchanals even more so.

The Man Who Would Be King bonus, since Muffin and I got talking about it: might fly, if briefly. It's more viable than the Twilight ideas (we've got an attractive, young, and sympathetic protagonist, an enemies-to-lovers slow burn, and our male romantic lead hasn't actually murdered anybody on screen so viewers can pull a Damon Salvatore and insist he's alright), trouble is it's not going to stay that way. For now, it's shockingly viable and gets my nomination.

My vote for Twilight fic to be televised, however, assuming I win a billion dollar and nobody can stop me...

For the Love of a Woman.

Everybody loses.

[isekai-crow]

Solo Leveling - World Premiere

How hype am I for this show?

I dropped $300 for an overnight trip to Tokyo to go to the World Premiere when I won tickets!~~

It wasn't anything super fancy or special, the tickets themselves were only 2000 yen / $20, but I considered it serendipity that I won tickets when I never win shit! (Capybara has a God Hand Of Luck and I have him do all my gachapon pulls for me to get what I want. He got me this Hisoka figure at the movie theater.) And it was worth the shinkansen ticket!

The World Premiere for Japan was on December 10, 2023, and was simultaneously shown in both Tokyo and Seoul and then at other various large cities around the world at other dates. I assume the later showings were recordings of the live viewing but with subtitles.

It was at 10:30 am and WOW THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE. Half of me was wondering if not that many people had bought tickets, and so the lottery for the tickets wasn't necessary, but nope FULL HOUSE.

(I will retake this once it's on display...)

We got cool little styrofoam cut outs with stands of Sung Jin Woo's very first dagger, the Kasaka's Venom Fang (which I have yet to put on display cause I'm moving soon, but I also got a spare for my Fox friend who's also obsessed with this show :3 Hopefully she'll put hers on display once I give it to her.)

The fricken... powerpoint screen I have at the top of this post. I wish I had been able to take photos outside of my tickets and that screen, cause like.

Thats a powerpoint. (That SURE IS a font choice) But it's not in presentation mode.

It's legit just a screen share of someone's laptop. There were slides with RED SQUIGGLY LINES UNDER SOME WORDS TO DENOTE MISSPELLINGS that don't normally pop up in presentation mode. Or SCREENSHOTS of slides, and various other font choice mishaps.

Welcome to the tech capital of the world, I guess? Lol.

Then we got to see the first two episodes!! I wasn't surprised by the lack of an opening or ending credit sequence because those tend to be a little last minute or have extra special touches put in to them. (For example, Zom 100's opening didn't show up until halfway through the first season because their studio is small and was having production delays, but its SO GOOD and worth the wait.)

I have yet to re-watch the episodes now that they've been released because I'm waiting for a chance to watch them with my Fox and Frog friends, but oh man.

The Japanese names sure did throw me off. Here is a link to a reference post I made about the Korean to Japanese names.

Solo Leveling Korean -> Japanese Names

I admit. I held out hope for keeping the original Korean names, but I'll leave my complaints about that for a different post. (Message from future Crow!! THERE ARE TWO VERSIONS!! A global version with the korean name, and a Japan version with the localized Japanese names. Curious if it'll be Korea or Japan in the global version.)

I was so excited by the sequencing of the story, though. We got to see Byung-nim in the first scene, AHHHHH!! 😍😍😍 The pacing is very good, the animation is very well done, I was holding my breath despite knowing what was coming and having an ABSOLUTE ethereal experience with one my favorite medias coming to life before me.

I'm also so happy I got to see Woo Jin Chul / Akira Inukai (BEST BOY). I love his Voice Actor. Unfortunately, he was not one of the VAs at the World Premiere. ALSO - HE'S BEING PLAYED BY SUNGWON CHO IN THE ENGLISH DUB. THAT ALMOST MAKES ME WANNA GO WATCH.

After the two episodes and credits played, the VAs came on to the stage and had interview time, and took a massive group photo.

The VAs from left to right:

Cha Hae In / Shizuku Kousaka played by Ueda, Reina (Also plays Kanao from Demon Slayer, Lemon from Mashle, Akane from SSSS.Gridman, Ruri from Dr. Stone, IdolM@ster and

Sung Jin Woo / Shun Mizushino played by Ban, Taito (Also plays Soyuz in Dr. Stone (HILARIOUS), the MC in Angel Next Door, YAGI FROM GIVEN.)

Yoo Jin Ho / Kenta Morobishi played by Nakamura, Genta, who is also a baby VA! He's only been in stuff since 2020, and considering Covid, there probably wasn't a lot of work for him to do! Hopefully he'll be popping up more in the future!)

Lemme just say.

Taito Ban.

Holy shit this dude goes SO. HARD. SO. EMOTIONAL. SO. GOOD. I don't know how he doesn't have more main character roles??? But maybe this is his big break?? He super fucking deserves more roles cause DAMN he's giving me chills.

At the Premiere, when they came out on stage and started interviewing, he was acting like the "cool guy" who was trying not to show how nervous he was, and honestly it took him a bit to warm up to the crowd, but when they brought out the real replica of the Kasaka's Fang Blade, he got so excited like a little kid. It was very fun.

Shizuku Kousaka was a lot more used to these events, which makes sense considering shes in SO MUCH, including IdolM@ster, and a few magical girl animes.

Genta Nakamura was excited and nervous and happy to be there, and you can tell he enjoyed his character and was excited for future episodes where his character would appear.

Multiple photos of the above shot were taken for various online news / anime websites (including another foreigner who might have been there for crunchyroll?)

Me in the top left corner of that group photo. I could spot my glasses, the little white patch is the skeleton clip I have in my hair, and I'm half a head taller than everyone else in the seats lmao.

Over it was super fun! It was only about two hours, but I got to hang out in Shinjuku and go hunting through Animate for various anime goods before taking the bullet train home again for work the next day.

I'm excited for the goods that will be coming out for Solo Leveling soon! I had a photo of them but NOW I CAN'T FIND IT??? was it a FEVER DREAM? hopefully it reappears soon. I want goods. Need a can badge of my boy Woo Jin Chul like now.

Hopefully I'll get around to write ups about the episodes now that they're coming out! They're on my to do list~

[felix-lupin]

ID from @themoonisnice

[Image description: a screencap showing a woman with long dark hair wearing a short dress. She is in a cozy room lit by many lamps, and it is full of old looking furniture and books. She stands in front of a large television screen which has a PowerPoint slide with the title “morning people are an oppressive class.” That title is also on the screencap as subtitles. End ID]

Ok wait let her speak

[pointonefour-io]

How to Insert Video into PowerPoint (Quick & Simple Guide)

Videos in presentations? A total game-changer. Whether you’re pitching to investors, teaching a class, or leading a team meeting, visuals do the heavy lifting. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to insert video into PowerPoint—without overthinking it.

And if you want your presentation to look like it came from a creative studio? We’ve got a shortcut for that too.

Why Add a Video to Your Slides?

Captures attention fast

Simplifies complex ideas

Makes your slides feel more dynamic

Great for storytelling and product demos

Top design platforms like this one, known for standout decks, often use video to level up visual storytelling. It’s one of the easiest ways to turn a plain deck into something memorable.

Step-by-Step: How to Insert Video into PowerPoint

Step 1: Pick your slide

Open your presentation and select the slide where you want to drop the video.

Step 2: Navigate to “Insert”

Click the Insert tab → Choose Video You’ll see two choices:

Video on My PC (to upload a file)

Online Video (to embed from YouTube or Vimeo)

Step 3: Add your video

Upload your clip or paste a video URL—PowerPoint takes care of the rest.

Step 4: Customize playback

Resize, reposition, or trim the clip. Use the Playback tab to:

Enable autoplay

Hide controls during show

Loop video or play full screen

Just like that, your slides are more engaging and professional.

Want Better Slide Design? Try This.

Let’s be honest—adding a video is just one piece of the puzzle. If your slides look dull, it won’t matter how many cool effects you include.

That's why creatives and startup teams use unique presentation templates like these, built for pitch decks, student projects, and business proposals.

You can also browse through this portfolio of past work to see what quality slide design actually looks like. Spoiler: It’s clean, modern, and 100% customizable.

Prefer a Custom Layout?

If you want something truly one-of-a-kind, skip the DIY route. You can collaborate directly with the designer behind PointOneFour by connecting through his Fiverr design profile.

He works with:

Founders and startups

Corporate teams

Students and educators

Agencies looking for polished visuals

From custom slide decks to beautifully formatted documents, he helps your ideas look as good as they sound.

Wrap-Up

Now that you know how to insert video into PowerPoint, don’t stop there. A good presentation informs. A great one inspires.

So, if you’re ready to give your next deck a visual upgrade, take a look at what this expert-led template site can offer—or reach out directly for something tailor-made.

#powerpointdesign #pitchdeckdesign #digitaldesign #graphicdesign

[reysim]

Friday April 18 / 2025

It was a rainy and miserable day, but it was also a red carpet day! They picked us up at 8:00 am and drove to another part of peking university. This university is the most famous and largest in China. It was a city by itself. The main campus is several square kilometres of tightly, packed multistorey buildings, restaurants, and parks. Thousands of bicycles are scattered around every building. Years ago, when Simon first came here, everyone walked and bicycles were the main transportation on the roads. Today everyone drives a car, and only bicycles are used on campus.

When we walked to the building that was holding the event, camera’s were clicking and people were rushing towards Simon to either talk to him or take a picture with him. There was a huge red board announcing the conference that they asked Simon’s to sign. They photographed him signing and his signature.

Simon’s friend who was a university professor opened the talk by playing games and made the room become alive and together.

Simon’s talk was translated through AI on a five metre high plasma screen that was showing his powerpoint slides. Very impressive!

Then, he sat on a panel with four other Chinese professors and answered questions from the conference attendees.

After, we walked to the university cafeteria for lunch. It was raining hard, but they walked behind Simon holding an umbrella over his head even though he was wearing his heavy duty raincoat. The cafeteria was a three story building by itself with lots of different choices of food.

Then, we came back to our hotel to meet a young girl that was going to translate Simon’s talk for tomorrow.

This afternoon Simon’s had another talk for students in the sport university. While driving between campuses, elementary schools were letting out. In three different places along the route, cars were simply parked waiting to pick up children in two of the four lanes going in that direction. What a traffic jam! Cars left parked in the middle of the road, with their four-way flashers or hazard lights on, were empty!

We had a tour of the sports campus and met with couple of deans. They served me tea and gave me gifts. At the teaching building, hundreds showed up. We had to get extra chairs and some were turned away! The classroom was full with many standing in the back.

It was very nice to see that much interest from young students. They were very eager to learn and appreciative of Simon’s presence.

After the question and answers were over, we went to dinner with one of the professors families. This generous man hosted Simon 20 years ago as his visiting professor and 10 years ago, when we were last in Beijing together, we went to dinner with them. The little boy and baby are now teenagers. We had a delightful meal, great conversation, and got dropped off at our hotel.

[betterbibleteachers]

How to Be the Best Bible Teacher for Kids

Teaching the Bible to kids is a rewarding and impactful responsibility. As a Sunday school teacher, your role goes beyond just reading scriptures—you are shaping young hearts with God’s Word. But how can you be the best Bible teacher for kids? In this guide, we will explore practical ways to engage children in Sunday school lessons and help them build a strong foundation of faith.

1. Understand the Importance of Teaching the Bible to Kids

The Bible is the foundation of Christian faith, and children need to learn its lessons early. Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) says, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.” Teaching kids about God’s love, Jesus’ sacrifice, and biblical principles gives them the guidance they need in life.

Sunday school lessons for kids should be engaging, relatable, and filled with stories that make them eager to learn. When you teach with enthusiasm and love, children will develop a passion for the Bible.

2. Make the Bible Fun and Interactive

Kids learn best through fun activities and hands-on experiences. Here are a few ways to make Sunday school lessons engaging:

a) Use Storytelling Techniques

Bible stories are full of adventure, miracles, and life-changing moments. Bring them to life with expressive storytelling. Act out scenes, change your voice for different characters, and use props to make the stories more visual.

b) Incorporate Games and Activities

Kids love games, so why not include Bible-themed activities? Try:

Bible Trivia: Ask questions related to the lesson.

Memory Verse Challenge: Give rewards for kids who memorize verses.

Scavenger Hunts: Hide Bible-related objects around the room.

c) Use Multimedia and Visuals

Modern children are used to screens and visuals. Use PowerPoint slides, YouTube videos, or animated Bible stories to enhance your lessons.

3. Teach with Patience and Love

Every child learns at their own pace. Some may grasp biblical concepts quickly, while others take more time. A great Bible teacher for kids is patient, encouraging, and supportive.

a) Listen to Their Questions

Children often ask deep and unexpected questions about faith. Take the time to answer them thoughtfully, using simple language they can understand.

b) Show Genuine Care

Kids respond to teachers who genuinely care about them. Greet them with a warm smile, remember their names, and show interest in their lives.

c) Encourage Participation

Let kids be part of the lesson. Ask for volunteers to read Bible verses, act out scenes, or share what they learned. Engaged kids retain more information.

4. Apply Biblical Lessons to Their Lives

Kids need to see how Bible lessons apply to their everyday lives. When teaching, connect stories to real-life situations.

For example:

David and Goliath: Teach kids about courage when facing fears.

The Good Samaritan: Show them the importance of kindness.

Noah’s Ark: Explain obedience to God’s commands.

Encourage kids to practice biblical principles at home and school. Give them small challenges like helping a friend, praying before meals, or reading a Bible verse daily.

5. Be Well-Prepared for Each Lesson

A great Bible teacher is always prepared. Plan your lessons in advance, gather necessary materials, and review the content before class.

a) Use a Structured Lesson Plan

Follow a simple structure:

Opening Prayer – Start the lesson with a short prayer.

Bible Story – Tell the story in an engaging way.

Discussion – Ask kids questions about what they learned.

Activity/Game – Reinforce the lesson with a fun activity.

Closing Prayer – End with a prayer of gratitude.

b) Stay Consistent

Consistency helps kids develop a habit of learning the Bible. Make sure you have a regular schedule and follow through with planned lessons.

Conclusion

Being the best Bible teacher for kids requires passion, patience, and preparation. By making lessons fun, interactive, and applicable to their lives, you can help children grow in their faith. Remember, your role is not just to teach but to inspire and nurture young hearts for God’s kingdom.

If you’re looking for Sunday school lessons for kids, be sure to explore structured curriculum guides, printable resources, and interactive Bible storybooks to enhance your teaching.

[techtalktutorials]

How To Play A PowerPoint Slide Show In Non Full Screen Mode | Office 365...

Learn how to play a PowerPoint slide show in non-full screen mode using Office 365. This step-by-step tutorial will help you present your slides in a windowed view, allowing you to multitask or share specific parts of your screen during a presentation. Perfect for online meetings, webinars, and tutorials. Watch the video to master this useful PowerPoint trick and enhance your presentation experience!

Simple Steps 1. Open your PowerPoint project. 2. Click on the "Slide Show" tab. 3. On the ribbon, click on "Set Up Slide Show". 4. Under "Show Type", toggle on "Browsed By An Individual (Window)". 5. Click on "OK".

[baizlucy]

Video Backgrounds and Animations: Enhancing PowerPoint’s Visual Appeal

PowerPoint presentations are no longer just about bullet points and static slides. They have evolved into dynamic storytelling tools that can engage and captivate audiences. One of the most effective ways to elevate the impact of your presentation is by incorporating video backgrounds and animations. These advanced PowerPoint tricks can transform a dull deck into a visually stunning experience, leaving a lasting impression on your audience.

Why Use Video Backgrounds in PowerPoint?

Using video backgrounds in Microsoft PowerPoint can immediately enhance the visual appeal of your slides. Video backgrounds are a perfect way to grab attention right from the start and maintain it throughout the presentation. Unlike static images, videos introduce movement, providing a richer, more immersive experience. Whether you’re delivering a sales pitch, a business update, or an educational lecture, a well-chosen video background can reinforce your message and keep the audience engaged.

For instance, if you're presenting on environmental sustainability, a subtle looping video of a forest or flowing river can set the tone without being too distracting. This feature is especially effective when combined with other PowerPoint features like subtle text animations or fade-in effects. The key is to use videos that enhance, rather than overwhelm, your content.

Leveraging Animations for Greater Engagement

Animations in PowerPoint PPT are often underutilized or misused. While flashy animations can become distracting, when used thoughtfully, animations can serve as powerful tools for guiding your audience’s focus and making your slides more interactive. By animating text, images, or graphics, you can direct the viewer’s attention exactly where you want it at the right moment.

One of the top hacks for PowerPoint is to use custom animations to introduce elements gradually, rather than overwhelming the audience with too much information at once. For example, you can use "fade in" animations to introduce bullet points one by one, allowing you to discuss each point without showing the full list at once. This keeps the audience engaged and prevents them from reading ahead.

Moreover, animated transitions between slides can provide a seamless flow. Instead of jarring cuts between slides, smooth animations like "morph" or "fade" can make your PowerPoint presentation feel more polished and professional. The trick lies in moderation—too much animation can detract from your message, so use them sparingly and purposefully.

How to Add Video Backgrounds in PowerPoint

Adding video backgrounds in PowerPoint is easier than you might think. Here’s one of the Top 21 PowerPoint Hacks for Amazing Presentations: choose a high-quality video that complements your theme, and then follow these simple steps:

Insert Video: Click on the “Insert” tab, choose “Video,” and select the video you want to use from your computer or an online source.

Format Video: Once the video is inserted, you can adjust its size and position to fit the slide layout. Make sure to stretch it across the entire slide for a full-screen effect.

Playback Settings: Go to the “Playback” tab and set the video to “Play Automatically” or “Play on Click,” depending on your preference. For backgrounds, it’s best to set the video to autoplay.

Loop Until Stopped: If you want the video to keep playing in the background, make sure to check the “Loop until stopped” option.

Send to Back: If you need to add text or graphics on top of the video, right-click the video and choose “Send to Back.” This will place your content above the video, ensuring everything is visible.

Incorporating this PowerPoint feature helps in making presentations more engaging and professional.

Best Practices for Using Animations and Video Backgrounds

While advanced PowerPoint tricks like video backgrounds and animations can make your presentation more engaging, it’s essential to follow best practices to ensure they don’t become distractions.

Consistency is Key: Stick to a uniform style of animation and video throughout the presentation. Overusing different types of animations can confuse and distract the audience.

Stay Relevant: Ensure that the videos or animations you use are relevant to your content. A random, eye-catching animation might draw attention, but if it doesn’t align with your message, it can confuse your audience.

Avoid Overloading: Don’t overload your slides with too much movement. A simple, looping video background with subtle animations can be more effective than a slide crammed with competing elements.

Balance with Simplicity: If your slide already has a video background, consider using minimal text and animations. This will prevent visual overload and allow the audience to focus on the key message.

Test Before Presenting: Always test your presentation on the actual device and setup you’ll be using to ensure everything runs smoothly. Videos and animations can sometimes cause lag, so it’s essential to ensure everything works perfectly.

The Future of PowerPoint Presentations

The future of PowerPoint presentations is undoubtedly moving towards more immersive and visually compelling experiences. Top 21 PowerPoint Hacks now frequently include tips on how to integrate multimedia elements like video and animations to enhance storytelling.

As more people become aware of the advanced capabilities of Microsoft PowerPoint, the traditional, text-heavy slides will become a thing of the past. The goal now is to create presentations that not only inform but also inspire and engage. By mastering these advanced PowerPoint tricks, you can ensure your presentations stand out, whether you're speaking to a room of five or 500 people.

Conclusion

Using video backgrounds and animations is a powerful way to elevate the visual appeal of your PowerPoint presentation. Whether you're incorporating videos to set the tone or using animations to guide the flow of information, these elements can transform a simple deck into a memorable experience. With Microsoft PowerPoint offering more sophisticated tools than ever, it's time to move beyond static slides and embrace dynamic storytelling techniques.

By leveraging the Top 21 PowerPoint Hacks for Amazing Presentations, you can create visually appealing, engaging presentations that leave a lasting impression. With the right balance of video, animation, and content, your next presentation can truly shine.

[andriod-apps-downloader]

Top 5 Uses for Screen Mirroring in Business and Entertainment

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, screen mirroring technology has become a vital tool for both professional and personal use. With the advent of powerful apps like Screen Mirroring Pro, users can effortlessly project their smartphone or tablet screens onto larger displays, such as televisions or computer monitors, for a variety of purposes. This blog will explore the top five uses for screen mirroring, demonstrating how it enhances both business productivity and entertainment experiences.

1. Presentations and Meetings

In the business world, presentations are a fundamental aspect of communication, whether in small team meetings, corporate conferences, or client pitches. Screen mirroring has revolutionized how professionals deliver presentations by enabling them to cast content from their smartphones or tablets directly onto larger screens without the need for cables or additional hardware.

Wireless and Seamless Setup: Using screen mirroring apps like Screen Mirroring Pro, professionals can project PowerPoint slides, documents, or multimedia presentations to a room full of colleagues or clients, quickly setting up their mobile devices to display the content on a projector or TV. This reduces the time and technical difficulties that often come with wired connections or traditional projectors.

Interactive Collaboration: Screen mirroring allows real-time collaboration. For example, team members can brainstorm using shared visuals, annotate live on the screen, or provide feedback on documents, making the process interactive and dynamic. It’s especially useful for remote teams, where a member can present wirelessly from anywhere in the room or even from another location.

Mobile Device Accessibility: Many professionals find it convenient to carry presentations and data on their phones, and screen mirroring enables easy access to this information without the need for a laptop. Whether you’re working from a conference room or on the go, screen mirroring makes presenting simpler and more versatile.

2. Training and Education

Training sessions and educational programs often involve displaying learning materials to groups of students or employees. Screen mirroring can elevate the learning experience by offering a more interactive and engaging approach.

Interactive Teaching: Teachers and trainers can use screen mirroring to project educational apps, videos, or digital content from their phones or tablets onto a classroom’s smartboard or TV. By doing this, educators can easily switch between apps, play instructional videos, or highlight certain areas of a lesson on the screen, enhancing student engagement.

Real-Time Demonstrations: For industries requiring hands-on training, such as medical or technical fields, screen mirroring is ideal for showing real-time demonstrations. Instructors can use apps or specialized software on their mobile devices and mirror it to a larger screen, allowing trainees to follow along closely and understand complex procedures in detail.

Remote Learning: With more institutions embracing remote learning models, screen mirroring can support seamless distance education. Students or employees participating in virtual training can mirror their content from a device at home to their TV screens, making it easier to follow lessons while using their phone or laptop for notes.

3. Gaming on the Big Screen

Entertainment has also been transformed by screen mirroring, especially for mobile gaming. While mobile games are often designed for small screens, mirroring allows players to project their games onto a much larger display, significantly enhancing the gaming experience.

Improved Gaming Experience: Mobile gamers can enjoy their favorite titles on the big screen without the need for a console. Whether it’s a racing game, a strategy game, or a high-definition adventure, screen mirroring brings mobile games to life by making them more immersive and interactive when viewed on a television.

Multi-Player Fun: Screen mirroring also enables multiplayer experiences. Friends or family can gather around a large screen, taking turns playing mobile games, or competing against each other in multiplayer modes. This transforms mobile gaming into a social activity rather than an isolated experience.

Cross-Device Gaming: Gamers can also use screen mirroring to play cross-platform games, using a mobile phone as a controller while displaying the gameplay on a TV. This setup combines the portability of mobile devices with the comfort of larger screens, giving users the best of both worlds.

4. Movie and TV Streaming

One of the most common and enjoyable uses for screen mirroring is movie and TV streaming. Whether you’re streaming from Netflix, YouTube, or another media app on your phone, screen mirroring allows you to share that content on a larger screen, creating a more cinematic experience.

From Small Screen to Big Screen: Mobile devices are great for convenience, but their small screens can detract from the full enjoyment of a movie. Screen mirroring makes it easy to transfer what you’re watching from your phone to your home’s smart TV, providing a theater-like experience from the comfort of your living room.

No Extra Devices Needed: With apps like Screen Mirroring Pro, users no longer need external devices like Chromecast or HDMI cables to mirror their phone’s content to their TV. The wireless functionality is especially appealing, as it allows users to move around without being tethered to any hardware.

Hosting Movie Nights: Hosting a movie night becomes more effortless with screen mirroring. Whether you’re sharing home videos or streaming the latest blockbuster, everyone can enjoy the content on the big screen, making it perfect for social gatherings.

5. Photo and Video Sharing

In the age of smartphones, capturing photos and videos has become part of everyday life. Screen mirroring allows you to share these memories with friends and family on a larger screen.

Instant Viewing: When you’re gathered with loved ones, you can instantly share your latest vacation photos, family videos, or important moments through screen mirroring. Rather than passing around a phone, everyone can view the content simultaneously on a big screen, making the experience more engaging and inclusive.

Perfect for Celebrations: Screen mirroring is great for parties, weddings, or celebrations. Imagine projecting a slideshow of photos during a wedding reception or showing videos of the birthday party highlights at the event. This feature adds a personal touch to special occasions and creates memorable experiences for guests.

Editing on a Larger Screen: Another great use of screen mirroring is for creative projects. If you are editing photos or videos on your phone, you can mirror the content to a larger display to get a more detailed view of your work. This makes it easier to spot small details, make precise edits, and finalize projects with a higher degree of accuracy.

Conclusion

Screen mirroring, especially with apps like Screen Mirroring Pro, offers versatile and convenient solutions for both business and entertainment needs. Whether you’re delivering a professional presentation, streaming your favorite show, or sharing photos with friends, this technology allows users to enhance their viewing experience and interact with content in new, dynamic ways. As more people embrace mobile-first lifestyles, screen mirroring will continue to play an essential role in bridging the gap between small-screen portability and large-screen immersion.

[govindhtech]

Corsair Stream Deck Neo: Elevate Your Content Creation

Corsair Stream Deck

Today, Elgato unveiled the Neo hardware line, which combines plug-and-play ease of use with top performance. Neo unveils five new items in total: Stream Deck, LED light, webcam, capture card, and microphone. All five are compatible with practically any machine, including laptops and iPads, and are made to simplify tasks like livestreaming and video chats. Neo, in the meanwhile, assists professionals and creators in showcasing their best self online while providing the same excellent standards for which Elgato is renowned. For those wishing to upgrade their setup, Neo offers excellent value with prices ranging from $89.99 to $119.99.

Neo items can be ordered online as of right now, and they will soon be accessible at major retailers worldwide. Customers can visit the Elgato website to find out more about the full Neo family.

Neo Stream Deck

The renowned workflow controller, redesigned for routine operations of any size. With its sleek design and eight programmable keys, the newest Stream Deck model looks great on workstations. In addition to two Touch Points that make page navigation easier than ever, it has an Infobar that shows the date and time. Even the most boring tasks become enjoyable and quick again using Stream Deck Neo. These include:

Pasting text and browsing directories

Overseeing the music

Getting around slides

muting the microphone sound

monitoring stocks

Using the free Stream Deck programme on Mac and PC, changing actions and customising keys is as simple as drag and drop.

Concerning the Neo family

Neo PC hardware gives creators and professionals more:

An inspirational style

Neo blends in effortlessly with any decor thanks to its muted hues and amiable forms. Its style fosters creativity and reduces distractions, resulting in a unified aesthetic that looks great on all devices.

Corsair Elgato Stream Deck

Neo, which is at least 60% recycled plastic, is a significant step forward for Elgato’s sustainability journey. Its packaging utilizes less colour and is entirely plastic-free to save water and minimize material waste. creating a product that benefits the environment as well as the consumer.

Technology that collaborates

Connected workspaces make life easier. Professionals may construct quick, simple workflows by controlling all of their Elgato devices simultaneously with Stream Deck Neo at the centre of their setup. Everything is at their fingertips all from a single interface including audio, video, and lighting.

LINE UP EVERYTHING

Your environment is how you set it up. One interface to manage your numerous apps and tools is required for everything from broadcasting and editing to creating, developing, and networking. Corsair Stream Deck is required.

ACCESS POWER

Fifteen LCD keys ready to set off an infinite number of activities. You may operate apps, open social media postings, change the audio, mute your microphone, turn on lights, and do a lot more with one touch tactile action. Visual feedback verifies each command you issue.

FIT YOUR ECOSYSTEM INTO IT

Plugins enable your apps to quickly integrate with Corsair Stream Deck. Elgato Control Centre, Wave Link, 4K Capture Utility. YouTube, Spotify app, XSplit, OBS, Twitch, and Twitter. iCue, LIFX, IFTTT, and Philips Hue. Apple Mail, Zoom, Keynote, PowerPoint, plus a tonne of other stuff. Get fresh plugins on a regular basis and find them all in the Stream Deck Store.

SELECT YOUR LOOK

Bright and audacious or dark and subdued? Selecting between black and white will help set the mood.

Corsair Stream Deck MK.2

The Stream Deck MK.2 has an easily replaceable and customizable removable faceplate. Pick from an expanding collection of amazing designs, or make your own with paint and decals. Easily switch up the faces on your Stream Deck MK.2 and fully customize it with unique screensavers and icons.

GENERATE EASILY

Activate audio clips and sound effects. Play films and GIFs on the screen. Turn on your signature outro visuals, interval screen and lower thirds. Corsair Stream Deck allows you to effortlessly navigate through your workflow and concentrate on your audience by integrating your tools and identifying your scenes, media, and audio sources.

MANIPULATE YOUR WORKFLOW

Disregard keyboard shortcuts. With Hotkey Actions, you can jam macros into keys for error-free, instantaneous identification and deployment. Open files, view written documents, and launch programmes and websites. Simplify the processes involved in your music production, film editing, or photography. Your alternatives are endless. Stream Deck MK.2 with faceplate “No Signal”

DESIGN DISCRETELY

Hold your electronic devices near at hand.

SETTLEMENT AUTOMATIONS

As your welcome message posts to chat, your intro scene plays, and your Ring Light turns on, take a seat back, press a key, and smile. To switch to flight mode, play Spotify, and open your preferred creative app, press one more key. Any number of actions can be chained together, assigned to a single key, and activated periodically or all at once with Multi Actions.

PERSONALISE YOUR SETTING

To add icons and drag actions onto keys, simply do so. Do you need to take further action? You can save as many actions as you need by converting keys into folders. In order to have quick access to task-specific activities, you can also save distinctive key layouts as profiles. Set Corsair Stream Deck to automatically swap profiles when you go between programmes for an even better experience.

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[radio-charlie]

"Okay buckaroos. Listen up and let me tell you a thing."

The federal agent had the spiritual stench of somebody who knew their own self to be irredeemably unappealing, and was now straining against that knowledge to How Do You Do Fellow Kids, right in front of an auditorium of sleep-addled 18 to 28 year olds, many of whom did not even want to be there.

"Um. Ok. So, my name is Sivilizabrett. Shrett for short. And I'll be walking you through some crazy stuff today. Are we all hyped to be here at the Seminar for Planet Earth's Specialest Snowflakes!"

A small whoop echoed from the backseats. Elsewhere, the glow of phone screens illuminated faces resolutely trained on far more appealing things on social media.

"Alright, maybe we could've named it something else. But that's really what you all are! You've been chosen because you're special and we're going to make you even specialer!”

The screen behind Shrett turned on. A PowerPoint slideshow with cryptid fanart and severely unfunny vaporwave dadacore memes on the title slide appeared. The title text read "Make America Spooky Again".

"I bet you've wondered - since you discovered our existence that is - what exactly it is that we do with all this stuff we learn from the weird toasters and tentacled horrors. After all, that note-taking and archiving has gotta be for something right?“

Some faces looked up from their phones.

"Well, that something is this!" Shrett trilled, clicking a button on a remote. The slideshow flicked to a screen full of words the likes of which people had only seen in science fiction. Space-time compression. Long-distance healing. Telekinesis. Remote viewing.

Mind control.

Shrett couldn't resist prancing around on the stage a little, making sure to show everyone how nice and shiny their hair was. It felt a little bit like watching a showhorse. Except nobody was paying much attention to the mane.

"Um... Does that text there really say 'mind control'," said a Dominican Republic diaspora black woman from the second row. "Like. Actual mind control."

Shrett whizzed around to stare at her, barely managing a smize that concealed the triple K tier racism swelling in their Crackerian veins at the sight of this untermensch that the Department was going to use like a farm animal anyway.

"Yes sistah! Sorry, please feel free to tell me how you'd like to be addressed. I am aware of my white privilege and I'm listening and learning." Shrett stretched the smize a little tighter. "Anyway - yes! That does in fact say mind control. It's a scary phrase! I totally understand that everyone's freaked out. But it's not gonna be like in the movies or video games!”

The slideshow clicked forward again.

"It's going to be more like this!”

In the cold dark of the auditorium, a little rectangle of a video glowed, displaying a gritty low-res preview of a small Indonesian person crouching on a plastic stool. They appeared to be in the middle of a bath that they were taking with water they scooped from a large plastic bucket.

Shrett hit play.

The person continued bathing. It went on like this for awhile, just a normal person doing a normal person thing. And then, just as coolly and languidly as one would pick a little roadside flower to put in one's hair, the person got up, towelled themself off, then headed to the kitchen of their little wooden house. Grabbed a knife. Went to the living area where their mother and sister were watching afternoon TV together. Slashed their mother's throat. Watched their sister scream silently, then loudly, then scramble away on the floor, knocking hot tea everywhere. Slashed her throat too, but not as deeply. Tore off her underwear, raped her as she choked to death on her own blood.

After the murderer was done, they sat on the floor, watched TV for a bit. And then, slowly, something crept into their body and face. As if a part of them was returning. They looked around frantically at the scene as if they'd just awakened right into a nightmare, and started screaming too.

Shrett clapped their beautiful lily white Aryan hands together to signal the end of the video.

"Omg, so sorry, we really should have put a content warning for that. We care a lot about the feelings and traumas and marginalisation of survivors. Next time we'll do better, okay? Listening and learning."

Nobody in the audience made a sound. But everybody was paying attention, now.

"So that right there, that is just the tip of the iceberg of our capabilities. You see, the United States Department of Paranormal Phenomena, that's just our front-facing name okay! Just some icing and cherries for the cake. The cake itself though is called the United States Department of Multi-Reality Quantum Engineering and Modification. Doesn't roll off the tongue as easy!”

Some audience members were starting to look at each other, mouthing 'what the fuck' and other such expressions of horror. Feeling themself losing ground, Shrett picked up the pace a bit.

"So yeah, basically you can see that it's not like in the movies where a blue light shines out of the robot's eyes or they shudder violently and speak in suddenly ominous tones. It's like it's the same person still, but it's not! All their agency, their personality is briefly muted, so that we can kick in with our contraptions and take over!

That's why we sometimes call them robots, or fuckpigs. They're as good as. After all, everything that made them human was taken away."

It's generally difficult, for someone like Shrett to hide just how much sadistic megalomaniac hatred they harbor for almost every living thing on the planet. In this case, they might have let a bit too much of it slip. They smoothed their leather mommy dom skirt out a bit, searching inwardly for a way to soften the blow.

"With the technology we have developed, we can give you this power, and the best part is, you don't necessarily have to use it like this! You can use it to make people smile! You can use it to give them good luck, or good weather. Good dreams, even! You could be a GOD!”

Somebody in the audience had started to sob.

"You could be what America was always meant to be. A distant, loving keeper of the peace. A beacon! For the white western Christian kingdom. Millions turned into sweet little lambs of The Good Shepherd. The rest, well, discarded however you see fit-"

"You are FUCKED UP man. You and this whole fucking thing. FUCKED UP." A chubby young white guy in a Mortal Kombat t-shirt stood up from his seat, his face pale with fury. His shoulders were trembling. Around him and even further away, people nodded and murmured in agreement. Shrett threw them all a disdainful little smile.

"Okay. I see that not everybody is on board. Understandable! It's a lot to take in." They calmly walked to the center of the stage, until they were standing in the middle of where the video had stopped. The crying and screaming bloodied Indonesian, rocking back and forth between the corpses of their own family.

"I'm gonna have to remind you though. You are not being given a choice."

There was no sound, no movement anywhere however minute, to warn anybody of what happened after. The recruits only knew that, all of a sudden, the white guy who had spoken up started reeling. When his companion asked him if he was alright, he couldn't even answer in full sentences. It was as though he'd lost the ability to speak.

"Don't worry kittens. Your brave friend there is lucky. This effect is only temporary. He's going to be one of God's beautiful precious angels, after all. And we need those to be able to speak English. I mean, like. What kind of angel would that be otherwise." Shrett let out a little laugh. It met zero response in kind.

"You're not gonna let any of us go?" A small voice quivered from another row. This time, Shrett didn't even bother looking to see who it was. They simply slapped their hands on their thighs like they were addressing some errant preschoolers, and said:

"No."

You work for the United States Department of Paranormal Phenomena, where you deal with stuff ranging from a harmless talking toaster to world ending eldritch abominations. Today you have been tasked with giving an orientation class to the new recruits.