#and simply continues getting more swag from there

[kimpining]

i like that termina game a bit. marina is a character that knocked my socks off.

[eshithepetty]

Vote mob in the @autismswagsummit and support this emotionally repressed, academically challenged and terrifyingly powerful autistic 14 yo and his gaggle of overenthusiastic friends today..!!! (Or. Today as in when the voting starts again ig)

[ID: three drawings of Mob from Mob Psycho 100 interacting with one character in each concerning the autism swag summit.

The first one is a comic of him and Ritsu. In the first panel, Ritsu is clutching his phone so tight it's shaking, the screen showing the result of the Donnie vs Kris poll wherein Donnie had won. The background is a purple gradient, and he says "no..." The next panel, the background a darker purple with wavy swirls, shows Ritsu hunched over, hair falling over his shadowed eyes, teeth grit as he continues "no- this can't be...! I won't allow it, no, no-". He gets interrupted with "Ritsu, are you alright-" and the final panel brightens to a pastel peach, Ritsu looking back, distraught, at Mob, yelling "YOU'RE GONNA LOSE AT AUTISM NII-SAN". Mob, who is simply standing there, in his gym shorts and a half tucked in pink shirt, holding a glass of milk, replies "h?"

The second image is one done in red and green tones, of Dimple and Mob. Mob sits at his desk with a tired expression, one hand curled to his temple as he does his homework, Dimple hovering over him with his fists balled, as he says, "Do you want me to go beat that guy up?". Mob replies, "No, Dimple." Dimple continues, "I follow you 24/7 so I know more than anyone how much you should win this." Mob replies, "That's creepy. Just help me with my maths homework, Dimple."

The third is of Reigen and Mob. Mob has a finger raised, his aura coating his hand, as he looks back tiredly at Reigen, who has one hand on his hip and the other on Mob's shoulder, smiling cockily and sweating slightly. The background a simple light yellow, the both of them colored in pastel pinks and illuminated by a teal light that comes from Mob's power. Reigen says, "It's okay, Mob, no matter what, you're still my #1 autism." Though the annotation beneath his words, pointing to him, clarifies, "has no idea what's going on." End ID.]

[damianbugs]

hi <3 since ive already obsessively reread your works i dont know how many times i think it's time for me to branch out and find some other batfam stuff too (im still a loyal reader tho dw bestie) i was wondering if you had any batfam authors you personally love and / or are inspired by! or maybe your top 5 batfam fics? if you don't mind sharing it ofc! thank u have a swag day and thank u for putting out such amazing amazing work into the world that offers me (personally) so much comfort :)

hello !! thank you so much for reading my works and i hope you will continue to enjoy them <3 i am so glad they bring you as much comfort reading as they do for me when writing !! and YES OF COURSE there is simply nothing i love more than recommending batfam fics that have me going absolutely crazy insane.

i previously did a top 5 batfam fic recs, and so here are my, uh, other top 5 batfam fics? everything is at the top of my list at this point.

+ these are in no particular order !!

MY TOP 5 BATFAM FICS (AGAIN) ON AO3 !

Cold Hard Want by AudreyCritter

“Are you happy?”

“I...I’m getting there.”

A follow-up to DC Rebirth Batman #35, in which Bruce recovers from being stabbed in the back and Damian considers the elusive nature of happiness.

MY NOTES: i might have read this fic a dozen times and everytime i do i am always so amazed by it. i have a soft spot for fics that move alongside actual comic canon, and so this was a lovely follow up to that original story (though you do not need to be familiar with it to enjoy this fic). damian is such a complicated character but at the end of the day, he is a child — and i think this handled his tumultuous relationship with bruce, dick and selina(!!) really well.

White Christmas by LemonadeGarden

Jason's been in the manor for a few months now. Bruce is a pretty cool guy, sure, but he's not exactly sure what to expect from him.

And then they go to Siberia in the winter on a case. It goes horribly wrong, and then pretty well.

MY NOTES: personally i think it is always the perfect time of year for a christmas fic that isn't actually about christmas. now, not only do all the best tropes meet in this fic (cuddling for warmth, sick fic, comfort after nightmares - to name a few) BUT this is also about robin jason todd. the little boy of all time. wonderful fic.

all the other rooms are a party tonight (and you never got an invitation) by irnan

(You will need an ao3 account to access this fic)!

The major difference between Gotham before Bruce left to set up Batman, Inc and Gotham after he comes back is that his children are grown-ups. Well, except for Damian.

Still, four out of five's an overwhelming majority.

MY NOTES: there is something so healing about this fic. bruce is rather pathetic (said fondly) in the way troubled middle aged men become when they finally realise their life is only in consequence of the people who exist around them. the dynamic between cass and bruce and dick and bruce in this is one of my favourites. the latter is very carefully weaved into the entire story, even when pertaining the other characters. a great take on bruce!

Have I Told You About Minnie? by Hinn_Raven

After you’ve known Matches Malone long enough, you get used to him telling you about his kids. Not that his kids know about it.

MY NOTES: oh this is such a fun one!! stephanie and bruce is such a wonderful dynamic and something about bruce creating an entirely new persona as a subconscious excuse to gloat about his children is just too funny. really sweet!

i want you to remember me by zxrysky

Bruce really needs to get rid of his saviour complex. Not all of them are the same as that poor boy who had to watch his parents get murdered in a dark alleyway; not all of them need to be saved.

Jason is perfectly fine where he is. Some capital would be great, but otherwise, he’s fine. He’s fine.

He doesn’t need to be saved again.

“No thanks,” Jason mutters, and pushes the papers away.

MY NOTES: this one hits you when you least expect it. it is so funny, so sweet and it hurts. jason todd you are so ridiculously complicated and tragic. also my favourite kind of time travel, kind-of-time-travel! little jason receives all of older jason's memories and his meeting with bruce and journey to robin is different, but some things are just destiny i suppose. so lovely.

as for inspirations or favourite authors, i have to say it might just be everyone i have ever read a fic from so i can not pick out anyone right now. the writers featured on this list are also phenomenal and some have written other amazing and loved batfam fics you should definitely check out!

hope you enjoy these anon and thank you again <3

[whiskeyswifty]

im the chappell roan anon and i rlly appreciate u sharing your thoughts!! thank you!! but sorry wouldnt you say taylor also has such a level of musical theatricality? and sincerity and corniness well she has that in packs and crates lol. so what makes her different for you?

for me, i don't think taylor is anywhere near as musical theatery, not even close. if chappell was mainly musical theatery on stage and made music more in a direction i enjoy, i probably would be into her. but it's the musical theatricality within the very music, all the noises and the shock value language and her delivery, that does not charm me to say the least. comparatively, taylor's music is very subdued or moody or more centrist pop. which isn't definitively better qualitatively, just speaks more to my taste when comparing the two of them. her performances every now and then contain musical theater corniness (like the ICDIWABH bit) but most of the time, her corniness broadly comes more from being awkward and extremely literal with her dancing/performance, or just being a bit swagless (affectionate!!). almost miming the lyrics most of the time, which is charming and cute to me, disarming and relatable too. chappell is very confident and very swagful in what she does, but i'm just not into the product she's selling. it's as simple as that, not that it's bad or anything. in the same way i detest going to broadway shows or drag shows or anything of that ilk because i get second hand embarrassment from how over dramatically showy they are, that kind of thing just isn't for me. i don't think there is a right or wrong way to be a pop star! i'm just not cut out for the kind with a more cartoonish schtick. i'd say there is very little schtick at a taylor show or in taylor's music, and i think you might be conflating her awkward, earnest corniness and jazz hands "musical theatricality" corniness, which are very different to me.

but i think the main barrier for me to chappell, which i think is what you're trying to figure out here, lies within the almost hypocritical fact that i love and adore gaga, have from day one, and balk at chappell. and that's simply because i used to be charmed and entertained by the very schtick chappell employs, but i just grew out of it, or grew tired of it, or just don't like it anymore. however you prefer to phrase it, and i don't mean that condescendingly to say it's childish. lady gaga caught me at a particular time when i was charmed by it, and now i'm not. nostalgia fuels my love for gaga, and i continue to be charmed by her as a character and the music she creates as this character. had gaga come onto the scene today, idk if i would be as open to receive her as i was as a teenager. probably not. that's just how it is!

[queen-diamond-serenity]

The final pushing force that actually got Angelo Bronte killed

So we going to talk about something we going to clear something up a bit. Because the crowd that always want to talk about Dutch going crazy and shit you know I think you're reading to stuff way too much. And I feel like a lot of people that have a negative view on Dutch and the unreasonable way that they do is simply because these are the main people that played the first Red Dead Redemption that came out years before the second one. Y'all already have it in your mind and y'all have your minds made up about who y'all think Dutch is and y'all coming in with a negative view of him to begin with. So when you play the first game it's easy for you to say well I already saw Dutch for who he is in the beginning of the game because you were looking at him from the perspective of the first game. For those of us who never played the first game and walked into the second we don't have that sort of perception. But I think that's a conversation for another time. I need to just point one thing out. And while Dutch may have a bit of crazy in him and give him the circumstances he's under who the fuck wouldn't be. I'd say what really got Angelo Bronte killed was his mouth. Do y'all remember what this man kept saying to him? You could look at how irritated Dutch was getting with him.

Angelo Bronte made it very clear about how he felt Superior to Dutch. And even in his stupidity knowing he was captured by these outlaws couldn't help but keep rubbing that in his face. Y'all give Dutch such a hard time. Anybody in Dutch position would have killed Angelo Bronte a long time ago. But Dutch for whatever reason manipulative or otherwise was willing to work with this man and some kind of way after taking his prodigy son. I'm sorry was anybody else I know including myself would have not taken the kidnap of their child lightly. But they were willing to let things go and let things fly with this man for him to do what set them up to get killed and played games with them.

And then to add insult to injury he still ran his mouth talking shit to Dutch even insinuating that his own men would turn on him for $1,000 hence why Dutch said I possess things that you don't understand that you will never understand.

Angelo Bronte insisted to continue to talk his shit talking about how he run this city and that they're all what people are running from and just kept psychologically and verbally fucking with Dutch and you can see it in his face how fucking tired he was at everybody. Tired of the pinkertons hated the fact that the Braithwaite and Gray situation went soured away it went.

Angelo Bronte insulted Dutch's intelligence and made a fool out of him. And when they were on that boat I didn't get the impression that Dutch was actually going to kill him. Until he started running his mouth talking shit and there it was his head going under water. Angela Bronte running his mouth and kept fucking with Dutch is what got his ass killed. Of course among other things. Go look at the video on the boat when they were having that whole conversation and you can see the anger just growing more and more in Dutch's face. If his ass would have sat quiet and be humble he probably would have had a chance to live and they probably would have used them for some type of ransom. But no he wanted to run his mouth and talk shit crying about how he run this town and so head honcho in town. Well Dutch proved him no matter how much money and swag he had it couldn't save him from a bunch of Outlaws that he deemed lower than him.

So with this being said Dutch going crazy no longer works here even if he was going mad which I believe he was we can't use that for a soul purpose to demonize Dutch. I can understand why Angelo Bronte got killed. I know many that would have killed him sooner. But let me shut up cuz you know y'all like to look at Dutch apologist like we make excuses. No we just see things for what they are. Y'all came in playing Red Dead Redemption 2 after playing the first one looking at Dutch like the bad guy regardless. That's why y'all can't see him the way we see him. But I digress. I simply digress.

Rewatch this video and you'll see exactly what I'm saying.

Like I said he should have kept his mouth shut! And he might have not became an alligators late night snack.😂😂😂

My grandmother once told me a quiet tongue makes a civilized head. And when I look at this clip over and over I begin to realize and see what she really meant by this not that I didn't understand it before but that proverb really hits home in this situation. My grandmother had a saying for everything.😅

[thelensofyashunews]

Ice Spice remix stamps Cash Cobain's "Fisherrr" as the Song of the Summer

The newly-minted Billboard Rookie of the Month, and multi-hyphenate NYC star, Cash Cobain has just linked up with Ice Spice for the long-awaited video remix for "Fisherrr" (feat. BaySwag) [18m+ Streams]. After bubbling the past few years with R-rated anthems over his own ethereal production – creating the playful "sexy drill" sound that he's pioneered and taken to mainstream heights, Cash Cobain is stamping himself as a serious song of the summer contender with this remix. Following up his two smash singles "Dunk Contest" (8m+) and "Fisherrr" (pronounced, 'for sure), Cash is primed for his moment in the spotlight ––  hitting 1M Monthly Listeners on Spotify, Top 3 NYC Shazam Charts, having occupied the #1 + #3 slots of the NYC Apple Music Charts, hitting #45 on the Urban Radio Charts and counting, and now landing Ice Spice's third feature ever  –– in the words of COMPLEX, "the summer of 2024 is looking very slizzy". On the highly-anticipated remix, Ice Spice is simply in top-tier shape. Adding her signature magnetic 'it-girl' flair, charming cadence, and instantly-coinable one-liners, she bolsters the lightning-hot single into astronomical territory with the opening lines –– "Got an attitude but I'm feelingless, so I ain't mad at you, And I'm tatted too on this fatty-tude, I'm the baddest boo". The long-overdue collab from the two Bronx natives is seamless, with her being a tailor-fit alongside the ethereal, dreamy production and silky smooth verses from Bay Swag and Cash. With the recent releases of "Dunk Contest" (watch Genius 'Open Mic')  and now the Ice Spice-assisted remix for "Fisherrr" (feat. BaySwag), Cash Cobain is using his collaborative momentum from last year to continue elevating his signature sound, showcasing its influential and ever-growing widespread appeal in the process. In the words of Cash: 

“It’s a beautiful record. It feels amazing, it feels like NYC is back stronger than ever with me and Spice -– two Bronx legends. Get ready for the song of the summer.” 

Last month, Cash took over NYC with his birthday show, 'Slizzyfest' at Irving Plaza –– a night that was slated as a stacked lineup of NY's finest, with rumors of an A-list superstar surprise set. After chatter spread online and the hype reached a fever pitch, the crowd became too much to handle and the show was ultimately canceled –– but Cash wanted to give the fans their money's worth so he ventured into Union Square and threw a makeshift show with his crew, a Bluetooth speaker, and hundreds of adoring fans (read 'I Went to Cash Cobain’s Slizzyfest and All I Got Was That Classic NYC Feeling' via Rolling Stone + statement in Billboard). Also in Billboard, Cash recently teased potential collaborations with Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, Don Toliver (seen filming a music video here), Lil Yachty and more –– a surefire sign of the worldwide stardom soon to come.

These recent releases arrive on the heels of a career-defining year in 2023 that closed with the production of PinkPantheress' "Nice To Meet You" (feat. Central Cee), which debuted at #20 on Billboard Hot 100 (he alsostarred alongside her in a nationally-syndicated Apple commercial for the new MacBook). This was preceded by producing Drake's"Calling For You" (feat. 21 Savage), which debuted at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, DJ'ing at Travis Scott's Cactus Jack x Audemars Piguet event, and releasing his critically-acclaimed debut solo album Pretty Girls Love Slizzy with Giant Music. 

[variousqueerthings]

the abarat tag exists! it has posts on it! (woo!)

anyway shuffles in here with the rarepair (I assume) of christopher carrion/finnegan hob

no they haven't actually interacted, but listen:

canonically hopeless romantics in ways that have hurt them so so much, and made them afraid of loving again, but also they can't help themselves...

were both duped and manipulated by the same woman in the exact same way (boa really played them like cheap kazoos huh)

the themes of night-and-day as something that need to be reconciled carried within both of them

specifically the whole fairytale element of "marriage to heal the kingdom" type story, first subverted with boa dying and then again by her resurrecting and being evil....... then possibly deconstructed by being very gay? (well, that and maybe the fact that it isn't a marriage that was really needed to heal the abarat, so much as candy's different perspective, so they can just do it without all that pressure on them)

finnegan is a fixer and carrion is a fucking mess

also finnegan needing to fix things/be Heroic is something to unpack as well, considering these books are continuously flipping character Types on their heads and I think carrion might like being supportive as a way of building some form of selfhood/finnegan learning to be cared for...

smthinsmthin on that above note carrion could conceivably save finnegan's life right now, considering finnegan is basically boa's hostage and carrion is trying to learn how to do right/interesting reversed damsel in distress tropes?

pretty boys -- I understand that mr clive barker's illustrations and descriptions of carrion have not been giving us pretty boy, but he's got that pathetic goth boy swag to finnegan's jock-hero type pretty

both flamboyant and performative

they hate each other on principle, simply because their stories have had boa in the middle up until a certain point, but she's been deliberately stoking up that enmity/manipulating that story, so now the scales have fallen from their eyes, what better way to counter that than by realising that they... quite like each other when they actually meet, perhaps even-

barker has yet to give us as much queerness in this text as in his other ones, and it's been enough years that I think he could get away with it more in a YA than back in 2003

also as an extra, both of them retiring out of the idea of kingdom/prince type shit, because neither of them have seen that sort of setup have good results (although of course, abarat wasn't really feudal by the time candy came along, so much as just... the idea of an aristocracy as something still to be respected? anyway, tear that down, especially now that most of the aristocracy is just straight up dead), and just retiring to one of the islands

wonders which time would suit them.... feel like a dawn-or-dusk would be their preference...

[adultswim2021]

Xavier: Renegade Angel #13: “Free Range Manibalism” | March 13, 2009 - 12:15AM | S02E05

I’m sorry, but this one is simply too crazy. Xavier finds a restaurant that very snobbishly turns their noses up at his offer of meat. The meat in question is splattered stuff from roads. He is accused of being a bathroom user, and truly, he is. So, they throw him out and he encounters two bums, whom he convinces to pose as pigs so he can offer them to the restaurant. The restaurant’s whole deal is that they pamper their livestock until they pass away from natural causes. Then, and only then, are they turned into a nice meal.

From there it goes off into a direction that I’m not even that sure I can adequately summarize. So, I won’t. Like, no, really, the episode was great, and I laughed at it a bunch, but I genuinely felt like I missed a key word or something that would have explained, sorta, what was going on. 

The honest truth is, sometimes I just don’t want to write about Xavier. That’s because the show is just one incredible joke after the next, and I tend not to enjoy write-ups where all I do is list jokes I like. Here’s some I wrote down, to shut you up: Xavier’s belabored pun of “Heil-er Meatler”. The part where he distracts the sporting goods store (to steal footballs from, so he can sew up new pigskin for the hobos) by getting them to chant “sports” over and over. “Spreading like a mother’s legs on free peanut butter day”. There’s like, way more insane wordplay in this episode than most others, I think. 

This is a wild one, and I probably should have watched it twice before covering it here. Oh well! Merry Christmas, everyone!

MAIL BAG

I definitely took a couple days off so I could use the above screenshot on Christmas Day, and no other reason. Time to shine a spotlight on the man of the hour, Mr. Ho-Ho-Ho himself, Santa Claus:

I don’t think you’re nuts! By the time Delocated season 1 started airing, 30 Rock already had appearances from faces familiar to Late Night w Conan fans, like Brian Stack, Brian McCann, Andy Richter, ofc Jack McBrayer, Conan. i wondered too if they hoped to get those Conan fans who gave 30 Rock a chance bc of those cameos. Good theory!

Hey, thanks for that. 30 Rock was definitely a movement, and it's something we could all get behind.

hey man i dunno who told you that SH*T about robot chciken being canceled but creator-whos-not-seth-green just said in a interview two weeks back that its still going so get your hopes down

The funniest case scenario is that Seth Green is too mad about his monkies that he refuses to do the show, and they try to continue without him. He was probably running around the writers room doing nut taps and throwing Nickelodeon Gak on people so they couldn't write funny sketches ever. Maybe this made-up thing that I'm making up right now is just what the show needs.

Tommy Wiseau is an absolute nut job. Mike Lazzo was playing with matches letting that guy in the adult swim ecosystem. Wish he got burned, boyo.

True that!!! Tommy Wiseau is not "WISE" at all... he is a menace

If Santa could put on piece of Adult Swim swag in your holiday stocking this year what would you want it to be?

A new Space Ghost Volume 5 DVD. The second disc on my copy stopped working. I can't even sell it on eBay anymore! WAAAH! Also, the actual plastic case it came in got extremely brittle and it caved in when I tried to open it last time. It's just all the way fucked. I have a digital backup of it, at least. But, I prefer tactile sensations, and the crackle of the vinyl record.

Santa has just left my house. He left 10 presents and ate all four cookies we left him. I was telling my dog who sleeps in my room how great a deal that was. 10 presents for four cookies? My dog didn't seem to care but enjoyed all the attention he was getting. Welp, back to bed.

I'm glad Santa came. I have a question about dog ownership for you: do you have a dog door and do you ever go through it for fun? I feel like if I had a dog and a dog door I would be going in and out of that thing constantly.

If you got bit by the Santa Claus bug, what would you do? Merry Christmas from LA

Hey, thanks, cool to hear about the move. If I was bit by the Santa bug, I would be in heaven, and I hope that answers all of the Christmas Day questions for AdultSwim.Com (my blog).

[burneracc2094]

I posted 49 times in 2022

That's 49 more posts than 2021!

7 posts created (14%)

42 posts reblogged (86%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@mansplain-manipulate-malewife

@burneracc2094

@chocolatefrostingenjoyer

@weirdly-queer

I tagged 9 of my posts in 2022

#what the fuck :/ - 1 post

#this is to my transgender mutuals - 1 post

#radfem please interact - 1 post

#terfs please interact - 1 post

#terf - 1 post

#radfem - 1 post

#important - 1 post

#what a special girl i am tee hee tee ha tee hoo - 1 post

#i am married to myself. - 1 post

#and most importantly to me - 1 post

Longest Tag: 70 characters

#he pounces with the horrifying 'transgender' swag.... 'autism' swag...

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

I miss my grandmother.

2 notes - Posted November 24, 2022

#4

@gaslight-gatekeep-goncharov Did you miss me?

3 notes - Posted December 2, 2022

#3

gonchin time

I have been harassed several times for simply not liking a piece of media and you are no exception. Want to hear about my experience with St*ven Universe?

10 notes - Posted November 25, 2022

#2

APOLOGIES IF I REBLOG ANYTHING THAT CONDONES TRANSGENDERISM OR HOMOSEXUALITY OR THE ACT OF BEING A DECENT HUMAN BEING. AN AWFUL HACKER HAS BROKE INTO MY ACCOUNT!

11 notes - Posted December 2, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Call-out post regarding @gaslight-gatekeep-goncharov 's actions. Part 1 of many more to come 🖤🖤🖤

To begin this post, I shall show this horrendous meme. 😠😠😠 You may be asking, "AJ, where is this from?" My child, it is the banner of this awful blog and I assume he finds this image humorous. I, in fact, do not. When I was a wee child back in the 80s, my grandmother 👵👵👵 and I were on a picnic when a faceless creature offered us beans on toast. I only choked on it but my grandmother passed away.

2. His blog is one dedicated to the 1973 film Goncharov; an overrated nothing film 🎥 that tumblr continues to rave about. To start off; Goncharov encourages violence 😈😎✨ and as a film🎥, it fails spectacularly. "And the most awful thing?" you may be asking. It is it's portrayal of "homosexuals" (I am homophobic). Please do not support this film nor homosexuals/gays/rainbow people (they have so many names now...) hiding as "Goncharov fans".

See the full post

25 notes - Posted November 24, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[flywheelbrands]

How Customized Company Logo Merchandise Amplifies Marketing Impact

As the world of marketing continues to change, companies are looking for new ways to increase brand awareness, customer involvement, and competitive advantage. A good strategy that is, however, very much underestimated by butt many marketing professionals all over the world to use company logo goods specially developed for an individual business. Branded pens and apparel to, unique promotional items, and logo merchandise provide a dynamic tool for supporting advertising efforts. In this blog, we will look into all the different ways in which personalized company logo merchandise can dramatically increase marketing effect and where to get these promotional materials.

Building Brand Recognition

Customized company logo products essentially are one of the most potent tools for brand awareness. By choosing everyday items, such as water bottles or notebooks that customers can use productonally to your logo products printed with the same you are implicitly creating a constant reminder of your brand. This constant touchpoint strengthens brand recognition and familiarity also ensuring that the customers are likely to remember your firm when determining what to buy.

It has been proved by the researchers that such kind of promotional products are predominantly effective in this regard. As a result, according to one study by the Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI), 85% of consumers recall who gave them that promotional product, while, for those respondents interviewed, nearly half commute with having kept their stress ball for four years.

Strengthening Customer Engagement

However, beyond just brand recognition, customized company logo merchandise also serves well for customer engagement. While conventional advertising techniques are often cold and detached, when you receive a personalized gift, it feels like they owe you something. Customers tend to identify with your brand better when they receive something physical and considerate.

Customized items can be described as possessing the function of instilling emotions and memories, which simulates an even deeper relationship between your brand and its clientele. Logo merchandise can be a simple, heartfelt gift or something that actually improves their daily lives, but regardless of the item itself, it provides an opportunity for meaningful communication between you and your audience.

Increasing Reach and Visibility

A big distinctive opportunity for personalized business logos gear is the potential to widen your marketing influences outside conventional ways. As customers use or show off your branded products in public, they become moving billboards for the name of your company. Such word-of-mouth exposure can boost your visibility to a great extent and attract a lot of new customers who wish to know more about it.

In addition, through the provision of logo merchandise, customers have a real way of interacting with their target market at events, trade fairs, or even during community meetings. You can personalize your company's brand by distributing swag (promotional products) that corresponds with messaging used to attract attendees and create a hum out there about the organization.

Differentiation and Competitive Advantage

In such a cluttered market, differentiating from the competitors seems to be harder than it ever was. Customized company logo merchandise will give your brand a chance to stand out from other competitors, giving you an edge over them. The ability to offer one-of-a-kind company stores for promotional products of superior quality characterizes your brand identity and values.

In addition, personalized merchandise gives you an opportunity to adjust your marketing campaigns to suit certain types of people or special events. Whether you want to buy logo merchandise for launching a new product, celebrating an anniversary, or simply saying 'thank you' to your consumers who have stood by your side throughout the years, they can be customized as per need.

Measuring Impact and ROI

However, as with any marketing planed it is necessary to measure the effect and ROI of your logo merchandise projects. Luckily, a great number of metrics and tools can assist in monitoring the results of your promotional product campaigns.

For instance, you can monitor the website traffic or sales generated from promotional product referrals, conduct customer surveys that determine brand recall and perception, and review social media engagement when it's related to your logo merchandise giveaways or contests. Based on such monitoring of these metrics, you will gain priceless information as to whether or not the marketing approach (i.e., using logo merchandise) yields its full value, and herewith, about altering this strategy database if necessary when it comes to choosing the best place to get promotional products.

Future Trends and Innovations

In the future, the trends that are most likely to emerge for this kind of personalized corporate logo merchandise are not only opportunities, but chances meant especially for innovation and creativity. Thanks to technology and the advances that have been made in manufacturing processes, businesses are now able to produce practically unimaginable promotional products.

For instance, promotional products can include AR and VR-themed experiences, allowing the users to participate in memorable brand experiences. Greener products are on the rise, as well as environmentally friendly practices; this follows changing trends in consumer behavior leading to greater interest and concerns over environmental preservation.

Therefore, in addition to their current popularity among consumers and the companies that design marketing strategies for them as factors contributing towards a higher need for customized company logo merchandise will increase along with other changes brought about by technology.

Conclusion

In summary, specially tailored promotional company logo merchandise provides a wealth of means to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of marketing efforts tending towards accomplishment yields sought goals. Logo merchandise actively participates in building brand recognition, boosting customer engagement, enhancing reach, and differentiating.

Using promotional products strategically and innovatively, businesses are able to leave an indelible mark on their target audience as well as win a competitive advantage in today's business world, which is highly evolved. Whether you are searching for where to get the best promotional products or need new ways of amplifying your marketing influence, using customized company logo merchandise is too valuable not to look at.

[govindhtech]

Investigating Google Cloud Labs at AI

New no-cost laboratories in Google Cloud for generative AI for developers

Want to improve your generative AI skills? The Arcade, a free, gamified learning experience that introduces new games each month, now allows you to develop your technical general AI skills for the Google Cloud environment. You will engage in games based on Google Cloud Skills Boost labs each month to practise using the company’s robust AI tools, Vertex AI and Generative AI Studio.

In addition to The Arcade, we also offer various free tools to support your understanding about AI. You can prepare for the technical upskilling featured in The Arcade by reviewing this foundational-level training material. Continue reading to find out how to prepare yourself and make an impression on prospective employers.

Gen AI this month in The Arcade: prompt engineering

The Arcade’s gen AI game for October is centred on prompt engineering and will show you how to optimise your text prompts to make the most of Google Cloud’s gen AI capabilities.

The goal of these games is to teach developers, cloud aficionados, and AI/ML engineers how to make relevant prompts. To do this, you must complete a series of labs.

Go to The Arcade to start the gen AI game, and keep playing other games and finishing trivia to improve your cloud knowledge over the following months. No matter how many games you play, there is no fee for finishing them.

Freely acquire further fundamental cloud skills

The Arcade provides beginner and more difficult games based on labs in addition to the monthly gen AI games to help you hone your cloud abilities. These are free, and every month a different topic is covered.

No prior knowledge is necessary; simply play The Arcade in October to learn about data analysis and serverless technology. To understand more about the security technologies and procedures used by Google Cloud, you can also experiment with security and monitoring.

How to use The Arcade to play games

The process is as follows:

To activate your account, sign up for The Arcade. If you haven’t already, signup for Google Cloud Skills Boost.

any moment throughout the specified month to begin the games.

Complete the games before they expire, which is usually at the end of the month.

Earn points by completing the laboratories and skill badges that are a part of the games. Additionally, you’ll gain badges that you may display on your Google Developer Profile to improve your resume.

Earn points to redeem for Google Cloud stuff in the Prize Counter!

Want assistance with a game? To work with others, check out the Google Cloud Community.

More points equals more swag.

You build up points over time to redeem prizes from the Prize Counter since we showcase new games each month; keep an eye on your email for The Arcade Insider about upcoming Prize Counter dates. The next time the Prize Counter opens will be in December. It typically opens twice a year.

For a chance to win points while putting your knowledge to the test, you may also take part in our weekly trivia challenge. Here’s an example of how your points will be calculated:

Play as often as you can since more plays equals more prizes. Hats, mugs, pens, and other items have previously been given away.

Looking for a chance to earn even more points? Seasonal campaigns present special obstacles that can increase your point total. The Google Cloud Community’s Learning & Certification Hub and Arcade Insider are the two finest resources for information.

Additional free methods to learn about general AI via the #LearnGenerativeAI video series

Check out this video series to grasp the technology and how to utilise it if you are just getting started with generation AI and want to learn the basics in no more than 60 second increments. Additionally, you’ll get to know some of the Google product developers. Watch this video right now for an easy learning experience.

Introduction to the course on generative AI

This 45-minute, free fundamental lesson delves into the specifics of generation AI. You will gain knowledge about general artificial intelligence (gen AI), its applications, how it differs from machine learning, and the Google Cloud tools you may use to create your own apps. Start over here.

GENERATIVE AI LEARNING PATH INTRODUCTION

Four courses make up this free learning path, and when you finish them, you’ll receive a skill badge for your Google Developer Profile and resume that verifies your understanding. You’ll learn about general artificial intelligence, extensive language models, responsible AI, and how to use Google Cloud to implement AI principles. Start here.

Awaiting you in The Arcade

You can build on the aforementioned training options to get ready for the technical labs in The Arcade. Together, this course can help you deepen your understanding in order to get ready and position yourself as a candidate to assist fill in-demand gen AI roles with the necessary abilities. Go to The Arcade when you’re prepared to begin developing those technical skills!

[eshithepetty]

LISTEN. I KNOWWW that the polls haven't even started, but I'm impatient, ok, I'm just putting this out there now cause I can't take it..... anyways - I've seen people do powerpoints as a way to campaign for their blorbos in the various polls that have been going on, so!! I thought I'd do one of my own for the @autismswagsummit ^^ as I simply can't pass on any chance to be brainrotted over this series, it seems...

ID under cut, as it's very long!

[ID: a powerpoint presentation campaigning for Mob from Mob Psycho 100. It's formatted in dark purples and pinks.

The first slide is the titlecard, differing from the main slides by having a pink holographic aura, like the ones from the show, as the background. The text says:

"#MOBSWEEP 2023

Aka why you should vote for Mob in the upcoming autistic swag summit. Please

(JK follow your own heart ^^ but for your consideration:)"

The second slide is titled: "Who is Mob, aka Kageyama Shigeo?" and below the text lists:

"Source: Mob Psycho 100, which is also where Reigen comes from;

The protagonist! Only with background character syndrome (which is why he’s named ‘Mob’ – it’s kinda like naming your protag ‘John Doe’ lol);

A 14 year old with the psychic strength to destroy the world. Which he’s not very happy about actually;

Cause really, he’s just a nice, gentle boy who simply wants to improve and impress his crush by getting swole :) Oh, and he also experiences the horrors. Btw."

On the right of this text, there are two images: One is a zoomed in screenshot of Mob, his face blank and confused, and the other is an official art of the show, depicting Mob in the center, aura glowing, with many of the show's other characters around him, with the show's title at the bottom of the image.

The third slide's title is "Ok but tell me more about the autism", and below, the text says:

"Gladly ^^

Ok, first off – symptoms:

Bad at reading social cues, detecting sarcasm, lies, etc.;

Struggles with recognizing/expressing emotions. Has what could be called psychic meltdowns;

Very honest and blunt, sometimes appearing ‘ruthless’ as a result;

Explicitly low empathy, in that he can’t feel what others are feeling;

Actually very compassionate, and follows a really strict moral code;"

There are no images in this or the next slide.

The fourth slide is a continuation of the previous, with the text being:

"Abnormal reaction to sensations, but instead of overreacting, he underreacts, rarely responding to physical touch and disturbing imagery. Has shown to be at times sensitive to loud sounds, however;

Prefers following a routine. One of his biggest conflicts with Reigen literally arise from the man often calling him out of the blue and making him suddenly adapt, which Mob finds really annoying/upsetting;

Struggles in school. Explicitly bad at math, japanese and PE (really passionate about the latter tho), which could be for a variety of reasons, autism related conditions (like dyscalculia/dyslexia/dyspraxia) being one of them;

Has felt like an outcast for most of his life. Even if he grew up in a pretty loving environment, he recognizes that he is different to others, and people sometimes treat him as such (in a /neg way);

His main arc is about overcoming trauma and… just masking (and how to stop doing it), pretty much, lol."

The fifth slide, in contrast, is mostly just images, placed upon a white background. The title for this one is "Alternatively, just look at him:"

The images, from top to down, and then left to right, are:

Three cropped subtitles out of screenshots of the show, which say:

"I'm sure I just got the wrong idea again. How embarrassing."

"He's detached from urban legends, fads, and other hot topics among people."

"You just can't lie, can you?"

The fourth is a cropped screenshot of Mob's explosion meter. Both in Japanese and English. Specifically, it says: "Progress towards Mob's explosion: 92%". Additionally, there is an annotation above this image, saying: "Literally has a meltdown meter ksfdks"

In-between these and the next column of images, there is also a transparent image of Mob, him standing stiffly, faced towards the camera, his standard, blank expression with a small smile on his face.

The next column of images goes like this:

A screenshot from the show, done in paint on glass, of various kids towering over Mob, who's standing in the middle of the image, small. Their expressions wary, from sneering, to frowning, to looking disgusted. The subtitles at the bottom say, with one part blocked out due to spoilers: "[spoilers] didn't treat me any differently even though I could use psychic powers."

Next two are cropped dialogues as well. They say:

"This version of him was created from being suppressed and locked away."

"Social skills like that are beyond you."

And on the right of the slide is one vertical image, showing one of Mob's books, with the subtitles translating the Japanese title of the book as "The Proper Way of Reading the Room". Next to this one, there is also an annotation, saying: "He has a book on learning social cues :’)" That's all for this slide.

The sixth slide is titled "Is he good rep though?" Text below is:

"Well, to answer the first thing relevant to this question… no, he’s not actually confirmed canon autistic. But c’mon.. it’s so obvious. This kid is not fucking allistic like c’monnnn

Of course, what people consider good and bad rep is gonna vary from person to person. But to explain why a lot of people see him as very positive rep:

"1) He’s the main character, so he gets the most spotlight, and the narrative is formed around his pov, in that we only see things that are relevant to Mob, and visually things are often represented in the way Mob sees them as well (take the body improvement club or Tsubomi, for example), which puts all viewers soundly in his shoes and makes him easy to relate to and sympathize with, and makes it clear how important his emotions and view of things really are;"

On the right of this are 3 images against a white background. The first one is a screenshot of the Body Improvement Club - 5 very buff and large dudes - standing against an explosively red and yellow background, with all of them enthusiastically flexing. The caption below that is "The body improvement club! ...they're supposed to be middle schoolers lol".

The next two, below the first one, are two screenshots of Tsubomi. The one on the left has her smiling, her eyes wide and bright, the background being pastel pinks and yellows. The one on the right, however, has her frowning, the background turned black, her eyes dark and disinterested. The caption below says: "Tsubomi :) And how her design subtly changes alongside Mob’s view of her".

The seventh slide is a continuation of the previous, with the text being:

"2) He’s a very well rounded character, with well thought out strengths, flaws, motives, and his overall story is very cohesive and satisfying; 3) His autistic traits are portrayed neutrally – in both where they help, and where they can cause conflict. It balances between him learning what things he would benefit to address and deal with, and what things he shouldn’t be trying to change at all, and as the whole message of the show emphasizes – he is no more or less special than anyone, no more or less of a person – he is simply human, and his autistic traits are just part of what makes him himself."

This one has images next to it as well. The first one is a screenshot of Reigen looking towards the camera (at an off-screen Mob), hand to his chin, eyebrow raised and smiling, some food crumbs still stuck to his face, as he says: "Today you happened to save some people that only you could have saved." Next to it is the annotation: "Reigen reassuring Mob about how his inability to read the room and feel empathy actually can be a huge benefit sometimes :)"

The next image below is a zoom in of Mob's face, his eyes shadowed by his hair, the scene's lighting dark, as he says: "I'm not being mocked, nor am I easily taken advantage of." The annotation next to this one says "Mob learning to recognize his emotions and assert himself better as the story goes on!"

And the last two images is a screenshotted dialogue, saying "You don't think changing yourself for someone you love is natural?" "I don't. At least, not when we're talking about [spoilers]" (The last bit is blocked out again).

The eight slide is also a continuation. The text says:

"4) He is loved. Loved by his friends, his family, his allies… even most villains come to take a liking to him. In fact, he’s something I haven’t seen many autistic characters be – he’s admired! So many characters, and even viewers of the show I’ve found, really admire him and want to be more like him. And not because he’s a perfect person, or super smart or anything, but because he sincerely tries his best. And I just really appreciate that, personally,, 5) And more than just loved, he is accepted – the whole main arc and the resolution of his story centers around that, around how important it is to feel accepted by the people around you, in all your entirety, no matter how strange or destructive you may feel yourself to be. And how you need to come to accept yourself in the same way as well. I just think that’s a really sweet in a story centering around a neurodivergent person :’)"

And the images next to it are as follows:

A screenshot of dialogue from the show, saying: "At first glance, Mob may seem unreliable, but his strength is undeniable." The annotation clarifies with: "The ‘strength’ in question, in this case, being Mob’s ability to reach out to people ^^";

A screenshot of Teru placed against a blindingly white background, him grinning widely, looking down, eyes shining, as he says: "I knew it, you really are amazing!". Next to him, there is a small caption of "Lol gayass /pos";

And a screenshot of Mob, in the bottom center of the image, small, as he is surrounded by various characters. Most of them are smiling encouragingly, with the ones closest to him, like Reigen, Ritsu, Dimple, Teru and Tsubomi, being bigger and placed in the front. A small caption at the top says: "He has so many friends and allies ueueeueueue.."

The ninth slide is titled "Additionally:" and the text lists:

"Psychic powers as a metaphor for being nd/othered, if that suits your fancy;

His design is iconic and versatile;

The boy has. Issues;;

There are many other characters in mp100 who can be read as autistic. Not a single neurotypical in this show /hj

Mob has more than just autism swag. I’ve seen people with bipolar disorder, ADHD, anxiety and those who are plural (etc.) also relate to him :)

He is simply the Boy ever"

Next to the last line is a small, low quality image of Mob smiling from the manga. The rest of the images, on the right, are:

The meme "I can be your angle....or yuour devil", with images of Mob instead - on the left, him smiling brightly and blushing, placed upon a colorful magenta background, and on the right, a panel from the manga: Mob in one of his explosion states, surrounded by fire, face shadowed, hair pushed back by his powers and waving in the air, and his eyes, wide and eerie, being the only features on his face that are visible.

On the right of these images, there is a smaller one, of Mob in another one of his explosion states (the one from episode 3, season 1 of the anime). He is facing to the side, aura surrounding him, hair pushed back by his powers and his eyes a glower. His pupils are red.

Below these, there are three images of, in order, Serizawa, Tome and Ritsu. Serizawa is sweating, nervous, Tome is sweating even more and yelling into a phone, and Ritsu is simply glaring towards the camera. The annotation pointing to them says: "A few of the other autistic blorbos in question :] (as I personally see them at least)".

And the last is a panel from the manga, of Mob sobbing, tears and drool dripping messily down his face, his hair waving in the air. His expression is somewhat blank despite the clear distress, and the text boxes next to him read: "His tears won't stop. It's an emotion he has never experienced before."

And the tenth, final slide, is formatted the same as the titlecard with the pink aura background, and says:

"Thank you if you got this far <3

Have good days everyones, and remember, the true win for autism is the fun we had along the way :]

Buh bye!! ^_^"

Around this text, there are various images of Mob. Counter clockwise, starting at the left corner:

A low quality screenshot of Mob flying in the air;

Mob, in his puppy hoodie, sweating in distress as he points at a vase;

Mob caught mid smear frame, his leg kicked high in the air as he jumps, his school bag swinging to the side, his expression comically flustered.

A panel from the manga. Mob's eyes are shadowed, chopsticks held to his face, as he stares to the side and says "Tch... Shut up and eat.";

A Mob in an alleyway from the anime, smiling, pointing and looking up and to the left (the center of the slide);

A photo of a Mob plushie tucked into bed;

A low quality screenshot of Mob, standing against a wire fence, facing forwards, his eyes appearing a bit angry due to his hair cowering them.

End ID.]

[toastlab]

The Benefits Of Wedding Shows

My dearest readers – as you well know, it is now officially 2023. The intentions have been set, the vision boards made, and the midnight kisses shared. It’s time for aligned action – and some DJ business help from yours truly.

It’s absolutely more than likely that one or a few of your intentions for this year revolved around refining your service offerings, honing in on that ideal customer, finding your ideal customer, and gaining more knowledge within the DJ space. 

The solution? Attending wedding shows. Wedding shows and expos are an extremely effective way to connect with potential customers and get inspired by your fellow DJs. 

Here’s the thing: couples will often be flanked by family and friends who will also more than likely be in the market for a wedding DJ at some point or other – and may recommend you to their family and friends should you make a positive impression. It’s an easy network to build.

Let’s get a little more granular some tips for attending a wedding show – and we’ll cover how, with the right approach, it could be a one-way ticket to your next client.

Be seriously scrupulous with event locations

First of all, you want to make sure you’re choosing your wedding show locale wisely. If the words ‘convention center’ are anywhere within the location specs of the event, you’re probably going to a pretty generalized vendor spot, which means you’ll undoubtedly encounter a race to the bottom in terms of price and quality. 

Now, this isn’t to say that these shows can’t be an opportunity to gain some great experience for the newbie, but it’s important to continually evaluate what shows you want to invest your time and energy into. Eventually, you’ll want to try to aim for invite-only vendor shows and dedicate time and effort to building relationships with high-value venues. 

Don’t just hand the pen over

Look – I get it, when the going gets tough and you’re scoping for some clients at a nice wedding show, it’s easy to want to just hand that red pen over to someone who wants to bite. Don’t do this. 

You need to have a discovery process FIRMLY in place. Even if a potential client seems too good to be true. Even if you just click! A good client will understand and respect that there needs to be a process in place, a discovery call or two, and an understanding of what exactly you’re offering.  

For example, my company Toast & Jam will never go to contract without the discovery process complete. We do that because we want to ensure that our prospects actually want what we’re selling – and to ensure that we want to work with them. 

Get that Facetime in

Put simply: the vendor shows you want to be invited to are held at the top venues for the area you want to work in. Tons of venues put on shows during the off season, and every attendee will be looking for that something special in the local area. 

This means it’s prime time for facetime. It can be hard to meet with people and connect in person – you’ll often have at least 3 schedules to work around at minimum, so this is your perfect opportunity to see if you and your prospective client click before you put in the work to set up your discovery call.

Get creative with your booth – and have fun!

We almost hate to say it, but try and keep things original with your booth – but don’t be unsustainable. 

For example, caterers have food. This is easy. Prospects can admire how they set their tables and enjoy a free sample. Photographers can put together beautiful slideshows or set out some photos to reference. Florists can give away little bouquets, and wedding dress designers can put on a mini show (or a big one, really, the sky’s the limit). You get the gist! You’ve got to showcase yourself.

For example, Toast & Jam will spin some music and our table is colorful and we give away swag and candy– it’s pretty sweet. Heh. 

Let’s head to The Lab!

Look, I love wedding shows. It might be a little competition, but isn’t that good for the spirit? If anything, you can see it as inspiration. Get out there and get your name in front of the people you want to work with!

Another way to level up this year? My DJ course, The Lab. It’s my personal DJ training program. 

I’ve created templates, worksheets, and I’ve stuffed this DJ course with super-digestible yet super-valuable info. Not a DJ? No sweat. My course is equally as useful for those starting a business outside of the DJ space – and the videos never expire. 

Ready to get started? Sign up here. 

[everjoygift]

Cheap promotional items that people love to receive

Have you set a budget for marketing? So you’re undoubtedly searching for inexpensive promotional things! Even while you might not be spending a lot of money on swag, it shouldn’t be cheaply made. These suggestions are helpful in that situation!

Four cheap promotional items that people will genuinely want to use will help you stand out from the pack. Regardless of whether they are distributed at a trade exhibition, a charity event, or another setting, everyone will be delighted to have these things.

What Exactly Are Cheap Promotional Products?

The ideal freebies are either:

1) eye-catching, distinctive things that are difficult to resist, or

2) helpful items that recipients are glad to get despite not realizing they need them.

 The following cheap promotional items can satisfy either requirement:

Drinkware

Bags

Laptop and phone accessories

Novelty Pens

Drinkware

Everyone enjoys having a variety of drinking vessels in their kitchen cabinet, whether they are wine glasses for a calm evening or water bottles for hectic days. These things may be personalized for a little cost and still look just as fashionable as anything from Target!

When a piece of personalized drinkware is high-quality and long-lasting, 70% of consumers keep it.

Bags

Continue and imprint the name or emblem of your business on personalized wine bags, totes, and drawstring backpacks. There are a ton of low-cost alternatives available in a range of hues and materials. These bags with logos will undoubtedly be used frequently for shopping, gym gear, and even quick road trips!

Laptop and phone accessories

More than simply Buzzfeed quizzes and Facebook status updates may be found on our desktops and mobile devices. They were game-changers that helped keep us linked during the COVID-19 pandemic! Accessories like phone wallets, earbuds, laptop cases, and camera covers are simply impossible to go wrong with.

The typical American uses their phone for 5.4 hours per day and their laptop or tablet for roughly 3.75 hours per day.

Novelty Pens

Regular pens make excellent giveaways, but novelty pens are even better! The difference is that they are more distinctive. If you give someone a cool pen in the shape of a paintbrush or one with a fancy diamond cap, you’ll see their face light up.

Writing instruments including engraved pencils and pens are owned by 89% of consumers. Being distinctive is a wonderful concept because there are so many possibilities available!

[cozyenigma]

Among the Stars

This one turned out pretty cute!

Word Count- 775

Request?- Yes!

Summary- You liked to think you were close to your crew. Well, close as a captain should be anyway. You were responsible for their well-being and you were determined to see it done right. Two of your crew though hoped for a something a bit more personal.

Tag List- @cookielover0001010​ , @swag-droid , @watchoutforfrostbite​

Warnings- None

"Captain, you're going to catch a chill like that."

The light scolding was accompanied by something warm settling over your shoulders. You blinked, looking up from the display to see Celci, putting a coat on you.

"Huh? Celcion-"

"Just Celci, please, captain," she makes a face as she says it, "the only person who calls me Celcionna is my grandma."

"Right..."

You were still left confused as she reached down, taking your wrist and maneuvering your arm into the sleeve. Despite her hand being gloved she was surprisingly warm.

"Where did you even get this?" You asked, knowing better than to try and argue you're not actually all that cold.

The coat was more similar to hers than the standard issue ones she insisted everyone wear. It had soft, poofy fur around the collar. It was even in one of your favorite colors.

Celci merely shrugs, stepping away and putting her hands behind her back.

"Just something I picked up on the last station," she smiled, "better than those flimsy uniforms anyway, right? Do you like it?"

It was much better. You very much doubted it was something you could just pick up off the rack. It was definitely something you shouldn't accept as the captain but...

You nodded, feeling warm all the way up to your cheeks.

Celci brightened, the same sort of gleam in her eye as when she talked about the intricacies of the cryo system.

"Say Captain, I was thinking-"

Whatever she was going to say next was drowned out by the hiss of the door sliding open. The both of you jumped as your head engineer rolled in.

"Oh, there you are, captain!" He gave you a winning smile that immediately soured as soon as he saw who you were with.

"Something break again?" Celci asked, following him with narrowed eyes.

Mark raised a hand, vicious denial with pointing included at the ready, when he paused. Frozen, glancing between you and her.

"No!" He snapped back a bit too loudly. "I was just- wanting to give the captain some updates. My ship is called the Invincible for a reason."

She rolled her eyes, correcting, "Invincible two."

"Alright!"

You're not given much chance to ask any questions before Mark had you by the wrist, dragging you out of cryo. His hand was warm too. Instead of Celci's smooth, soft gloves, his were worn down. And from the feel of it he'd been elbow deep in the bowels of the ship just recently.

"What kind of updates did you have for me?" You asked, concentrating on that as opposed to... everything else.

Mark jumped a bit, like he had forgotten, and you're abruptly tugged in a new direction. He shot you a sheepish grin.

"Well, not so much of an update in the traditional sense but," he drew the word out, pulling you along a bit faster.

The bridge was deserted. Displays shined back at you but their light was easily dwarfed by what was outside the window.

"Woah..."

The nebula before you wasn't one you were familiar with. It stretched as far as you could see across the inky black in a sea of purples, blues and pinks. Dotted with more stars than you could ever hope to count. In your career you'd seen plenty of space but it still managed to take your breath away.

"Thought it'd be a shame if I was the only one to see it."

When you turned to Make his eyes were on you instead. He looked back out the window quickly, hurrying to continue.

"See? I keep telling people that windows are a must have when you're in freaking space but does anybody believe me? No. You get it though captain."

You simply smiled and nodded, enjoying the moment. It was true that they weren't the most practical additions to a spaceship. Safety issues aside, it took a lot of effort to get materials that would stand up to the elements in space. But what was the point in travelling with your eyes closed?

"Thank you," you said, smiling a bit more at Mark's curious look, "for showing me. It's amazing."

He waved you off with a nervous little laugh, saying something about his duties and getting all embarrassed.

Holding your new coat a bit closer, you looked back out the window. You couldn't ask for a better crew. They strengthened your resolve to get everyone to their destination everyday. You made a mental note to pay both Mark and Celci back at some point. Maybe you could even be lucky enough to count them among your friends at the end of the journey.

[thefallennightmare]

Fallen-Part Four

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Angel!Reader

Words: 2285

Warnings: Fluff, angst, and swearing

Summary: Reader is the new recruit at Avengers Compound, but no one is welcoming towards her because of her past; a very dark past. She was Hydra's greatest weapon for years, until a decision forced her to flee.

Before she could settle into this new life, she's faced with memories of her past, one she thought she would never see again, The Winter Soldier. Can Bucky get reader to open up and show him what she's been hiding for so long?

Authors Note: I know I mentioned that this would be in five parts, but this part got a little carried away, so I decided to make this series six parts. So, two more left! If you want to be tagged let me know since updates come whenever I have time. Also, not sure if I mentioned it but this is obviously a A.U, nothing that happened in Endgame matters in this universe.

Tags: @ginger-swag-rapunzel @hereforstan @boofy1998 @roguediorxoxo

My breathing was heavy and labored as I reached for him, trying to bring him closer, only to be pushed back onto the mat below, by his hips. I was locked in this position, unable to move. His cold fingers wrapped around my throat, pressing his hips deeper into me and I let out a low groan, the sudden friction causing heat to spread throughout my body.

“You’re giving in too easily,” Bucky spoke, inches from my face.

His soft gaze caused butterflies in my stomach but I didn’t let that stop me from wrapping my legs around his midsection, rolling him onto his back. I was now on top of him, locking his hands above his head.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” I said simply.

Bucky looked up at me with a smug smile and before I could register what happened, he had me on my stomach with my hands behind my back, his vibranium fingers locking them into place. I felt his warm breath brush against the back of my neck, sending chills down my spine.

“I’d like to see you try.”

With the sudden weight off of me, I reached for one of the wooden swords that lay meters from me and with a swift swing of the legs I was on my feet. The tip of the sword pressed into Bucky’s neck who continued to give me a smug smile.

“I guess you win this round.”

The sword clattered to my feet, trading it for the water bottle Bucky was extending towards me. After a few large gulps, I let out a few deep breaths to calm my beating heart. This was our third training session in a row and each one always ended the same; him coming out on top.

Figuratively, not literally, even though I found myself silently begging for it to be literal.

The first session was tough, only because I was working through the nerves from being around him. With every kick or punch, all I could picture was using my powers against him to kill him. Bucky was a different person than he was all those years ago so I couldn’t ever tell him about my past.

“I think we’ll call it today, enjoy the rest of the day,” Bucky said while he stripped out of his sweaty shirt, tossing it into his bag.

I bit my lip at the way the sweat glistened over his chest, down each crevice of his stomach. But I couldn’t stop the way I stared at the scars on his shoulder where skin met vibranium. I marveled at how much we actually had in common.

Both weapons of Hydra and both abominations in some eyes.

“Same time tomorrow?”

Bucky sucked in his lip, mewling something over in his head. “Take the day off. You should do something that you want to do; not train 24/7.”

My heart fluttered at the small gesture.

“I don’t think Cap would like that,” I joked with a smile.

“I can handle Steve,” he smirked while running a hand through his short hair.

As I gathered my things, ready to leave, an all too familiar pain shot through my spine, and I couldn’t help the small cry that fell through my lips.

“Hey, you alright?” Bucky wondered while gently grabbing my elbow.

“Yeah, just post training pains,” I lied through gritted teeth.

The pain was slowly starting to get worse even with letting my wings out every night. But those few minutes weren’t enough, I needed to stretch them wide and actually use them.

When it finally subsided, I let out a deep breath and opened my eyes only to be met with a concerned one from Bucky.

“Are you sure you're okay?”

I nodded. “I’m fine.”

“Why don’t you sit down and take a breath. It looked like you were in a lot of pain,” he suggested.

“I said I’m fine,” I spat.

Anger took over causing fire to spread to the tips of my fingers that were wrapped around Bucky’s flesh arm. He let out his own painful hiss, ripping his arm from my burning grasp. With tears in my eyes, I watched as he stared from the red mark on his arm to my face, shock on his face.

“I’m sorry,” I stuttered. “I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s alright, doll,” Bucky tried to reassure me, seeing the tears in my eyes. “I heal fast, it’s alright.”

I refused to listen, quickly grabbing my things and rushing out of the gym, ignoring his calls after me.

I stared up at the ceiling of my room, letting another day waste away at the Avengers Tower. It had been a few days since I burned Bucky’s arm and in those few days, I did everything I could to avoid him. I opted out of the training sessions, even with Steve returning from his mission, because I feared that I wouldn’t be able to control myself anymore. I didn’t want to hurt anyone else.

The soft knock sounded on my door and with a sigh, I sat up in bed.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y, who’s at my door?” I asked towards the Avengers’ A.I.

“Captain Rogers.”

“Go away, Steve!” I yelled.

He responded with another knock; another I ignored. But the persistent knocking continued so with a disgruntled sigh, I rolled out of bed towards the door. I didn’t have a second to think of what was happening, Steve pulling me from my room and down towards the common room.

“Steve,” I protested. “I don’t want to socialize.”

Steve sighed and stopped, turning to face me. “Natasha came up with this weekly movie night and you’ve missed the last few. She’s going to kill me if I don’t make you come to this one.”

“Why?” I shrugged.

He raised a brow. “Because people want to get to know you, Y/N.”

“Right,” I scoffed. “They probably want to see my wings.”

Steve pinched his eyes together. “Not everyone you meet has some hidden agenda. Some want to be your friend.”

“Like you?”

“Yes, like me. And Bucky,” He responded.

At the mention of his name, my ears perked up. “How is he?”

I couldn’t stop the worry I felt knowing that I had burned him.

“He’s fine, healed in less than an hour. I think you forget we’re super soldiers and we can handle whatever you throw at us,” Steve reminded.

I bit my lip while messing with my fingers. “Is he going to be there?”

Word around the compound was that I wasn’t the only antisocial member of the Avengers so I couldn’t help but wonder if he was going to be there tonight.

Steve smirked. “Would it change your mind on coming if I said yes?”

When I remained silent, Steve knew he had his answer so with an arm around my shoulders, he started leading me back towards the common room. My heart was hammering hard in my chest, and I knew Steve could hear it because he gave a comforting squeeze on my shoulder.

The sound of many voices that seized when we walked in did nothing to calm my nerves, multiple pairs of eyes on me.

“Look who decided to join!”

I rolled my eyes at Tony. “I didn’t have much of a choice.”

Steve let me out of his grasp, and I couldn’t help but stand there, feeling awkward, while I scanned a place to sit. There was only one spot left on the large couch and it wasn’t much of a spot to begin with.

Bucky gave me a warm smile and patted the empty spot. My eyes glazed over his flesh arm, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed that Steve was right; the burn was non-existent.

Quietly sitting next to him, I kept my lips together because I didn’t know what to say to him. Not only because of when I hurt him but also because of the way I felt around him.

While a part of me felt guilty about being sent to kill him years ago the other part felt so attracted to him. The way his eyes shined under the light from above, or the way that he smelled; his scent engulfing my nostrils the second I sat next to him.

Mahogany and a small bit of cinnamon.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

I looked up at him with a raised brow. “You are?”

Bucky nodded. “I’ve been worried about you.”

This caused my body to turn completely towards him. “You have?”

His vibranium fingers twitched with nerves. “I know how it is to be the new kid around here and try to fit in.”

That caused a small smile to tug at my lips. “It’s kind of like high school, isn’t it? Afraid of not being considered cool?”

Bucky chuckled lightly and rolled his tongue over his bottom lip. “Well in my eyes, you’re pretty fucking cool.”

My stomach flipped a few times in tangent with the butterflies I felt, and I had to look away so he couldn’t see the way the blush took over my whole body.

For the first time since I arrived here, I started to feel comfortable around him. I marveled at the way he looked under the moonlight that broke through the sky light above. It casted him in a radiant glow and I bit my lip when the moonlight highlighted how plump his own lips were.

“Y/N?

“Hm?” I looked towards the new voice and met eyes with the fiery red head I kept hearing about.

“Drink? Natasha asked, extending a beer towards me.

I shook my head. “I actually don’t drink.”

Her brow was quirked. “Really?”

“Yeah, the alcohol doesn’t sit well with the-uh-,” I motioned to my shoulder blades.

Bucky noticed how stiff my body had become so he cleared his throat, turning the attention towards him.

“I’ve got some root beer in my stash. That's alright?”

I smiled warmly at him and nodded. Bright eyes watched the way his back muscles tensed underneath his shirt while he bent low in the fridge, rummaging around for a few moments. A moan rumbled in my throat as I watched his shirt ride up just a tad while he reached for something in the cabinets, showing off the ripped muscles of his back.

“Something catches your eye?”

Snapping my eyes away from Bucky and towards the man that sat on the opposite side of me, I felt the heat cascade over my cheeks to the tops of my ears.

“Nice to meet you, Wilson.” I leaned back into the couch.

Sam returned the smile. “You too, Y/N. You know, us with wings have to stick together.”

All I could do was nod with my best fake smile, hoping he would catch on that I didn’t want to talk about my wings; it was something that I didn’t want any of them to see, even talk about.

“Sam’s not bothering you, is he?” Bucky questioned while sitting back in his previous spot.

“Not at all,” I shook my head.

When I realized what snacks he had brought back, a warmness filled me when I picked up an all too familiar snack.

“Zefir?” I question, looking into his eyes. “Where did you get this? I haven’t been able to find this chocolate anywhere.”

It was a popular chocolate bar in Russia and when I spent some time there with Hydra, that was one of the things I ate every day.

“The second cabinet to the left of the fridge is mine and full of these. Help yourself anytime,” Bucky offered with a warm smile.

“Thank you.”

In that moment, I realized how sweet Bucky was and knew that he was someone I would be able to trust as we spent more time together. As Natasha chose a movie, one that I really didn’t care to have an input in, I found myself getting comfortable on the couch next to Bucky, who offered me some of the large blanket he had draped across his lap.

“I’ll keep my hands above the blanket,” he promised.

I accepted with another smile, an action that he had caused me to do a lot lately.

That night was the first night since I arrived that I started to feel I belonged with the Avengers. They made me a part of their family, even knowing about my past. Truth was, everyone in this room had a terrible past and they couldn’t judge anyone else when they had blood on their hands as well.

Suddenly, a pain started to slowly creep through the bones in my shoulders and I sucked in a breath through my teeth.

“Are you alright?” Bucky breathed into my ear.

I tried to nod but the pain had become too much. I didn’t want to cause a scene, however, so I did my best to slip out of the dark room unnoticed.

Thankfully the only one that knew I left was Bucky and he swift jumped off the back of the couch, following me. Once in the bright hallway that led back towards the dorms, I grasped for some sort of support when the pain had become too much.

“Mother fucker,” I uttered in pain, falling to my knees.

Strong arms wrapped around me before I fell to the ground and held me upright, soft voice cooing in my ear.

“I’ve got you, doll,” Bucky mused.

“Rooftop,” was all I could mutter through the pain.

Without another word, he quickly led me up the few flights of stairs towards my solace that I had called my own the last few weeks.