#cake talk in the tags 2.0. the cake never ends

[yafaemi-but-gone-fishing]

Happy birthday!

Thank you! With a cute gif of cake, too. ^^

[8makes1cheese]

f2l with Song Mingi♡

Pairing: Mingi X Reader

RoommateAU, (and like High SchoolAU in the beginning and kinda CollegeAU?)

Tags: cursing, shitty attempts at comedy, fluff, kinda sorta suggestive?, ig drug use and drinking?(booze and weed)

Words: 2.5k

A/N: Okay so, this is my first bullet scenario thing? and its weird...like this is so weird but I tried XD it ended up this weird mix between bullet scenario and oneshot fic and i-

...............all I can do is practice and try to get better but yeah. SO HERES THIS :D (im srry don hate me T-T)

-Finding Your Best Friend-

this bb would be the best-est friend you would have in this world

probably why you fell for him in the first place, but let's not get to ahead of ourselves

you guys met freshman year of high school

your guys' mutual friend Yunho is really the reason why

you just moved to town, and since said town was small, it was clear to you that everybody knew everybody else

you felt pretty lonely on the first day because of that

second day of freshman year is where is all started to come together

you were looking for a nice spot to sit and have your lunch outside because you didn't want to look like the weird loner person eating by themselves in silence

you found a pretty spot under a big tree near the track field, you put a random cool cake making tutorial on your phone and ate your lunch

the video was at a part where they were placing intricate designs in frosting all over the cake when you hear "Whoa, that is so cool!"

you jump about 3 feet in the air and immediately gather up your phone and get up to spin around to see who interrupted your quiet time

a young man, not sure his grade, with peach colored hair and a worried expression on his face, raises his hands in a surrender pose

'okay but what the hell was he doing, watching my phone behind the tree?'

well reader, we'll never know

"I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to scare you that bad! Really, I am so so so sorry!"

you, still in shock, just nod at him

now you're both just standing in front of each other

not saying anything

....well

this is awkward

"I-I'm Yunho...by the way."

you clear your throat, not sure why, nervous habit

"[Y/N].."

"So, uh... Haven't seen you around here before.."

once you explained you were new, and new to the town in general. There was no escape.

you were now best friends with the giant teddy bear and there was nothing you could do about it

yunho immediately took you under his wing and showed you around the campus. Then the town itself after school was out.

but Ro this seems to be turning into a yunho x reader fic/ bullet scenario

stfu I'm getting there

what did this turn into even

so now you and Yunho are bffs

enter giant teddy bear 2.0

you and yunho are hanging out at lunch, it's become a usual for the past two weeks

and Yunhos other bff is becoming sus about why Yunho hasn't been eating with him at lunch or doesn't seem to have as much time after school for him

that's when giant teddy bear 2.0 (if you don't know that its Mingi then idek-) finds his bestie with some random chick

a really adorable random chick

"So this is where you have been?"

you and Yunho start, not expecting someone to find your guys' spot

Also, deja vu, amiright?

"Oh, hey Mingi!" Yunho greets the tall dirty blonde haired teddy bear

And you're totally not sitting there thinking, 'holy shit, he is...wow.'

and that's how it all started

he stayed and introduced himself and you hit it off just as well as you and yunho did

maybe even better..

he started showing up everyday, at the what was dubbed 'The Cool Kids Spot™️' by you all, with yunho

even tho we all know you guys were NOT the cool kids

then it went to him being at the spot before everyone showed up

so he could see you first

then it turned into him meeting you up after class so you both could grab your food together and meet up Yunho at The Spot™️

before you could even realize it, he became your person

you were the first person he ran up to and hugged after him and Yunhos dance group took home 1st place at a competition

he was the first person you called when you were told that your poem won an award

you were the person he'd come to if he needed any kind of advice

and he was the first person you went to if you needed to get out of your head or your anxiety was getting to you

the high school years went by so fast

a lot changed

but what never changed was Mingi, he may have grown

and damn he grew

but he was your constant (and yes, yunho too, we can't forget yunho bro)

-Knowing They're The One-

high school came and went

Mingi and Yunho were accepted by a prestigious performing arts school

you, however, were going to just a regular college

luckily, both schools weren't terribly far from each other

which is why, instead of suffering in dorms, you and Mingi decided to get a apartment together, not far from both schools

yunhos ass stayed with his parents because they live like right next to the school, lucky hoe

you all still make time for each other

but you and Mingi prefer to stay in, order takeout and watch random stuff on YouTube

whenever you or Mingi went out it was always together (unless it was classes)

Grocery shopping? Together. Doctors appointment? Together. Girls night? Together. Guys night? Together.

"So, you must be suffering right now" his friend Yeosang said to him on a rare guys night that didn't involve you.

Mingi looked at Yeosang perplexed, ignoring whatever Wooyoung was talking to him about

"What are you talking about?"

"You and [Y/N] are literally always together, the fact she isn't here surprises me."

Mingi laughed. "We're not always together."

A cacophony of "LIES" and "BULLSHIT" filled the air as all of Mingi friends called him out on his bullshit

Mingi could feel his face heating up

"W-well, so what if we are! Were best friends AND roommates."

"And lovers~" his friend San whispered in his ear from behind and laughed, dancing away before Mingi could hit him

"We're not together!" Mingi exclaimed, rolling his eyes.

"But you want to be."

Mingi turned to look at the owner of the voice. It was Yunho, leaning against the entrance of the kitchen everyone was gathered in

He was looking at Mingi with a smirk

Mingi knew Yunho knew how he felt about you

and not because he told him

well...he kinda did

FLASHBACK TIME

it was your guys' high school graduation

more specifically, the night of, and you were all partying and yunhos house

celebrating the fact that you all were officially adults now

lol you thought

and what better way to celebrate that than with underage drinking

be safe kids, don't drink irresponsibly

and Mingi. Got. Wasted.

by the end of the night, he was crying (and maybe puked once or twice...) in Yunhos arms about how beautiful you were, and how amazing and talented you were

wouldn't shut up about how soft and perfect you feel in his arms when he hugs you or vice versa

"She is my soulmate." After every other sentence mentioning how perfect you are

but wait, where were you while Mingi was crying and puking you ask?

That night you met Yeonjun, who is now one of your closest friends

  at first, a friend of Wooyoungs, who you all became friends with junior year, along with his best friend San

Yeonjun, who went to a different school across town, was invited along by Woo and San

you and Yeonjun hit it off so well, drinking and laughing, and talking about how much he loves his boyfriend Soobin, and maybe you drunkingly going on about how amazing Mingi is

however, Mingi didn't know Yeonjun

and what he saw that night was you, enjoying your time with someone who wasn’t him, laughing at jokes that weren't his, hanging all over someone who could never know you as well as he did (and that totally wasn't the reason that Mingi drank like 2 bottles of straight vodka, not at all)

and at that moment

he knew

he fucked up

he was in love with you

OKAY END OF FLASHBACK

Mingi wasn't sure what to say

he could deny it sure, but he knew it was useless

not after every person in the room gave him a knowing smirk after Yunhos comment

“She doesn't-”

“Oh, whatever. you guys are literally already a couple. And dont even try to deny that. If she was here right now, she’d probably be on your lap and you two would be sitting in some corner of the house whispering some weird drunk lovey shit to each other.”

well...

Mingi really didn't have a argument for that

that night he came home sober

but you didn't know that until months later when he told you he wasn't actually drunk

anyways when he got home you were sitting in the living room

music playing away on YouTube while you type away on your laptop

you didn't hear him come in, softly singing along to the song under your breath

he stood there for a moment and just..looked at you

your hair was a mess

you had on the same clothes as yesterday

probably haven't done a skincare routine in months

you were the most beautiful person he had ever seen in his life

he felt so much love swell in his chest

hes known it for a while now but at that moment all that was going on in his head was

“That’s my soulmate. I love her. I love her so much.”

“Hey.”

he wasn't sure if he had said it loud enough but apparently he had because you flinched and turned to see who the ‘intruder’ was

“Oh, Mingi! Shit, you scared me...” you laughed. “How was guys night?”

He made his was over to sit on the couch as you told him how your paper was coming along and then waited for him to answer your question

he sat for a good minute not saying anything

“Mingi?”

he looked at you

“you okay hun?” you asked, placing your hand on his cheek

and then he kissed you

it was so quick, you had no time to register that it was happening at all

and he left just as quickly

slamming the door to his bedroom and leaving you flustered and panicked

-So....Lovers?-

the morning after the kiss was the most awkward moment that you and Mingi had ever had

luckily it didn't last long at all

you two were silent, awkwardly making breakfast

then Mingi busted out with “Man, I’m so hungover! I barely remember anything from last night!”

“Do...do you remember anything from when you came home?”

“No, to be honest, I don't even remember coming home...”

-cue forced laughter-

-cue Mingi not trying to be disappointed when you looked relieved-

 he asked you if anything happened and tried not to feel sad about the fact you were going on about how nothing happened and he just came home and went to bed

why wouldn't you mention the kiss? maybe everyone had it wrong, you didn't feel the same. why else would you avoid it?

but everything went back to...normal

you two would cuddle every night on the couch

you showed up to every guys night like usual

(there may or may not have been more knowing smirks thrown Mingis way)

he showed up to the rare girls nights you'd have with your (like 2) girlfriends

(they literally just consisted of everyone chilling in some secluded spot and sparking up a blunt or two and bull-shittng)

but everything wasn't normal

because even though it lasted 0.0002 seconds long

Mingi cannot stop thinking about that kiss

neither can you for that matter

that's when you confided in your bestie Yeonjun

who knew all about your love for your other bestie

you went to Yeonjuns one Saturday afternoon without mingi

its been a month since the kiss and Yeonjun is only disappointed in the fact that you didn't tell him sooner

his solution was simple, just tell him how you feel

its so god damn obvious he feels the same

but who are you to do the simple thing right?

so what do you do?

you go with Soobins idea

and :) you:) go:) on:) a:) blind:) date:) with one of soobin and yeonjuns friends:)))))))

well

at least you were supposed to..

the night comes when you were supposed to meet at a nice cafe with their friend Beomgyu

you. were. lookin. FIRE BABY

slaayyyyy

you were in the kitchen grabbing your keys

and maybe prolonging the fact that your going out with someone who isn't MIngi

when Mingi walked out to heat himself up a noodle cup

and maybe one for you too because he didn't think you were going anywhere and was going to ask if you wanted to chill in his room and play mario kart

his jaw DROPPED when he saw you

he felt like he was just kicked in the gut, all breath left his lungs

and he may or may not have gotten an instant boner but-

he cleared his throat to get your attention

“You look...nice.” wow, Mingi, smooth

“O-oh, thanks, um... ill be back later okay?”

when Mingi asked where you'll be going and you said you had a blind date, he swears to this day he blacked out for a moment

next thing he knew he had you pushed against the counter

“Mingi-”

“No.”

“w-what..”

“You don't have a date.”

“But I do-”

then his lips were pressed against yours

and unlike the first, this one lasted a hell of a lot longer than 0.0002 seconds

it wasn't fireworks or butterflies or a sudden realization of unconditional love

it was rough and messy and filled with so many emotions including relief that your love for each other can finally blossom

you didn't say a word to each other when you parted

you stared at each other for a while, panting with big smiles on your faces

once your breathing returned to normal you gently pushed him back so you weren't pressed against the counter anymore

“I’m going to change in PJ's.”

Mingis smile lit up his whole face. “But I thought you had a date..”

“No, I don't.” you kissed his cheek and left to change.

-YES LOVERS FINALLY-

so you guys never really sat down and were like ‘hey so are we...?’

because you both knew you just....were

after that night you guys started acting like you had been dating for months

it was just like before

because of course, like always, Yunho was right

you guys already acted like you were dating

now kisses and a lot more were added to the mix

which just made everything 1000x better

everyone knew it was just a matter of time

you loved waking up to his arms wrapped around your waist and him softly snoring in your ear

he loved waking up to you peppering kisses all over his collar bones and neck

your loved bloomed♡

A/N pt2: Im sorry if the end seems so rushed as well, I started running out of steam and my mind blanked but I didn't want to prolong this and never post it...like i do with everything...

Thank you for reading!

[mittensmorgul]

I rewatched 15x07 today and I just couldn't stop seeing how much Eileen was Chuck in 15x7. Her personality, the "ew" when Cas said some part of Sam's soul is in Chuck, her reactions to any talk of Chuck, how she was standing behind Sam and sort of side eying him when Sam said he had been in Chuck's head... Well, even when she propositioned Sam, they were supposed to be looking for ways to *stop* Chuck. Why do you think the show chose to focus on that instead of developing Saileen's relationship?

omg, okay... so you see this exactly the same way I do, and I really wrestled with whether to post this publicly or not, because every time I bring up these extremely valid points, confirmed in canon by Chuck, I get told I’m either a horrible person for thinking this way or I’m delusional or a moron for feeling uncomfortable ignoring this stuff just for the sake of a ship. And I just... can’t ignore it. Because it’s canon.

One of the Big Questions of the entire season is “what is real, and what is Chuck.” Eileen returned ONE EPISODE after we learned the extent of Chuck’s ability to fuck with them directly, via Lilith. The notion that Chuck would just drop that lesson on them and then peace out is just... idiotic to me. We were supposed to see Sam’s statement at the beginning of 15.06, and Dean’s reply, as the huge flashing neon warning sign it was supposed to be:

Sam: No. I haven't had a vision since Colorado. I think maybe they stopped.Dean: Oh, I doubt it. Not until Chuck gets His end game, you know? The Winchester Bowl. Cain and Abel 2.0. This is God we're talking about. G-O-D. Wouldn't be too worried about finding Him. He'll find us. 

LOLOLOLOL I mean, yes? He doesn’t even have to look hard to find you? He knows exactly where you are and how to manipulate you. He’s been doing it basically forever.

and then all of a sudden *random dead character we haven’t seen or even MENTIONED in three years* just suddenly appears specifically needing their help? And we’re supposed to think it’s an unproblematic win all around?

Sure Jan.

Chuck honestly couldn’t have chosen a better lure to send them. Someone the Winchesters would be thrown off by, someone they felt guilt over not having been able to save. Someone they’d be willing to drop everything else to help, and wouldn’t question remaining present in their lives. Someone they would trust without question. And specifically someone who had the kind of connection to Sam that Chuck could exploit to further the divide between Sam and Dean. Exactly as we saw happen... Dean made assumptions about their relationship and retreated even further into his own issues, leaving Sam alone and open to Chuck using Eileen in exactly the way we saw play out in his Vision of the Future in 15.09... driving Sam into her arms only to kill her off in a horrific, tragic situation in order to manipulate Sam into the reckless nihilism that engulfed their world by the end. Sounds exactly like what Chuck failed to accomplish with the whole BMoL plot in s12, which we ALSO know was orchestrated BY HIM, thanks to 14.20. Same story, different turn of the wheel.

Because Chuck needed all of that to get around the effects of that wound and lay down a trap that would eventually be sprung at the end of 15.08. If Cas hadn’t gone poking around in Sam’s wound, compromising Chuck’s plan, theoretically I believe he would’ve continued to use Eileen as his eyes on the Winchesters. The whole “lure Eileen out of the bunker and ensure she brings Sam along for the ride” thing felt more like a scramble to find a faster solution to his bigger problem and eliminate the compromised middle-man in his ability to directly mess with the Winchesters, which brought us to 15.09 and his desperation to force Sam into “breaking the connection” by his own choice. Since it was Sam’s will that fired the not-a-bullet that wounded them both in the first place. He literally had to break Sam’s will that generated that connection in 14.20.

As far as Chuck knew, his plans for Eileen to seduce Sam had failed, repeatedly. Between Cas’s cockblock entrance in 15.07 (which I still struggle to see as Sam ready to accept her proposition, for SO many reasons... I mean just look at his face in the first moments after it registers that she’s propositioning him. Those initial reactions are absolutely not undiluted romantic interest and passion, much as some creatively edited gif sets would lead you to believe.

I appreciate this one, with the further context of 15.09 to support my tag on it from the day after 15.07 aired.

https://mittensmorgul.tumblr.com/post/189512551075

The look Eileen gives Cas is just screaming come on you believe me right? I’m completely innocent in all of this! Just nice little sweet resurrected Eileen! Like Chuck hadn’t expected Cas to show back up and interfere with his Seduce Sam for Manpain plan.

But that seduction scene actually hurts to watch... I mean, Sam is still feeling the guilt and pain over having killed Rowena, only to discover all of her worldly possessions and magic had been entrusted to him (and not yet knowing that specific spell to resurrect Eileen had been planted by Chuck as a deliberate manipulation in itself...).  LOOK AT THIS SERIES OF FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AND EXPLAIN HOW THIS IS ROMANTIC INTEREST AND NOT GRIEF AND SHOCK:

https://canonspngifs.tumblr.com/post/189663948344/adaav-sam-winchester-15x07

Okay, now that’s out of the way, back to Eileen.

Why did they make this particular choice for her character instead of developing a real relationship with Sam and Eileen? Because she was never written with the intent of becoming Sam’s endgame love interest.

Full stop.

Anyone who says otherwise is either choosing to believe that because it props up their chosen ship or they’re unaware of the numerous times that Robbie Thompson has contradicted that statement.

I mean, I don’t usually quote this source, but this is Robbie Thompson speaking recently (within the last year) specifically about the creation of Eileen’s character:

Next up: Eileen and Shoshannah. Did they specifically want a woman hunter?

Robbie: No, it was just, they were looking for standalone episodes. So what will happen is the showrunners will come around and say, “Hey, we need a myth-arc episode. Please deliver X, Y, and Z, but build an episode around it. Or [do] a standalone.” I had this idea for this character and I had worked with Shoshannah, sort of tangentially, because I was the writer’s assistant and I wrote an episode of Jericho. She wasn’t in the episode that I wrote but she played Bonnie on that show and (this is a spoiler if you haven’t seen Jericho) her character has an untimely death. But Shoshannah was so good in the series, and she was so terrific in that episode. She’s a badass in that episode, with a whole infiltration thing and she’s blowing dudes away with a shotgun, and I was like, “Oh, I wanna see her kick some ass.” I always wanted to work with her again. So I pitched the episode with that character in mind, and then I was like, “I’d love to work with Shoshannah again.” They reached out and she fortunately had a window in her schedule; she was available.

Then I reached out, I think originally through her manager, to say, “Hey, can you put us in touch because I’m not deaf and I want to make sure I’m getting an authentic experience for the performer.” So she and I exchanged a bunch of emails. She’s since gone on to be a showrunner and a writer in her own regard. She’s a really, really brilliant writer and a brilliant actor as well. It was great being able to get her the script early so she could help me fix the parts that didn’t work. Then, on the day, she and Jared had really great chemistry and John Badham, who was the director of that episode ("Into the Mystic" 11.11), they really played around and found a lot of fun moments that weren’t scripted at all. That was just them having fun and building moments.

All those cute chemistry moments... were never even scripted. She was intended to be a one-off character that was unsurprisingly very well loved by fandom, and who was brought back when the overarching plot made her MoL connection relevant to the story in 12.17. Unfortunately for her, that meant her ONLY purpose for returning to the story was literally to be killed for Sam’s manpain. They gave her just enough cute chemistry with Sam to imply they had the potential for a romantic connection, and then killed her in one of the most brutal and horrific ways possible. Which was literally exactly what Chuck used her for in s15.

I’d like to suggest that, knowing the full truth of her entire situation, that the sinister parallel being suggested in 15.07 is not between Cas and Eileen, but between Eileen and Lee Webb. Sam’s history with her is similarly tragic to Dean’s history with Lee. And Lee represented a version of an apple pie life that tempted Dean-- the prospect of having food, fun, health, and happiness instead of the grind of hunting. Only it was a lie, because Lee hadn’t made that life for himself, he’d built it off the magic of a creature he sacrificed an endless stream of human lives to in order to falsely manipulate his own circumstances. The cake is a lie, in other words. Just like the cheerful hangover breakfast Sam and Eileen were preparing at the beginning of the episode. It just... wasn’t real. We were being urged to consider this parallel. And not seeing it for what it was required having some heavy duty ship goggles glued on.

This was doubled-down on in 15.08, with Sam being a bit overbearing and nearly getting himself killed in the opening hunt, pushing Eileen to their “agreement,” which additionally foiled Chuck’s plans to push them together romantically. Eileen couldn’t spy on Sam for Chuck if she still retained enough independence to set boundaries like that, you know? If she didn’t have eyes on the Winchesters, she wasn’t useful for what Chuck was using her for, and she was punished for that failure as much as Sam was, being forced to hurt Sam in 15.09.

Heck. This is how I’ve always seen all of this. If folks enjoy assuming some Grand Romance between Sam and Eileen, more power to them. But honestly I just can’t personally see the justification in canon for that read on things. Not to say that Sam and Eileen won’t choose to come to a different understanding in the future, or that their relationship couldn’t develop into something more once Chuck has been dealt with, but I can’t see it as romantic yet. I’d be totally down to ship them in that eventuality. And in fanon, I’m totally here for it even now.

[cyberdva]

Drummer Boy Part 5 Roger Taylor X Reader

(Originally From My Wattpad Book @panicathetrash15 )

Five days straight!! I’ll try to upload as much as I can.

Paring: Ben Hardy!Roger Taylor X Reader 

Warnings: Swearing and Mentions Of Smut

Words: 1.1k

Main Masterlist

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 3

Part 4

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

——— Y/N POV ———

"Do we even have a choice?"

"No." Why do they have to ruin everything? Deaky fishes at the sight of Tam. Does he like her? Why does everyone fall do the drummers? I just  to have one successful relationship, just one. I've had my fair share of girlfriends and boyfriends, I stopped dating last year to focus on my music. Now after this fiasco, I've been spiraling down the same hole. 

At this point leaving wasn't an option. I didn't want to sit with dick-ass Roger, stuck up Tammy, and innocent Roger. It's like Roger is rubbing off onto Tammy gradually each day. It's like a sitcom, or a crappy fan fiction. I just want to get up and leave. Everyone ordered and I just asked for water. I can barley speak, I'm just sitting in silence. The peace and quiet was nice, maybe I shouldn't have gone out today.

 Deaky started a conversation with Tammy and Roger. He kept glancing to me, his eyes glistened when he looked at Tam. Is this a set up? A cruel joke to break my heart? Did Roger and Tammy get together just to mess with our emotions, just to make fun of me? Deaky is so obviously in love with Tammy, Am I her replacement? Tammy 2.0? Am I just a ditz to get close to her? John doesn't seem like the type of person to do that, but do I really know him? It's been two bloody days, of course I don't really know the man. He just seems to nice, but he likes Tammy just like every other boy I've liked to some extent. I zoned out again for the 90th time this week. I've never been this lost in my thoughts until now. It is utterly ridiculous.

 "So, how is band practice going, Y/N?" Roger asked out of curiosity. I glanced up at him, he tried to encourage me to talk to him, I looked back down and grabbed a book of a shelf next to us, it was called, "The Stepford Wives," I picked it up. The hour ensued and I got deeper into the book.

The Welcome Wagon lady, sixty if she was a day but working at youth and vivacity (ginger hair, red lips, a sunshine-yellow dress), twinkled her eyes and teeth at Joanna and said, "You're really going to like it here! It's a nice town with nice people! You couldn't have made a better choice!" Her brown leather shoulderbag was enormous, old and scuffed; from it she dealt Joanna packets of powdered breakfast drink and soup mix, a toy-size box of non-polluting detergent, a booklet of discount slips good at twenty-two local shops, two cakes of soap, a folder of deodorant pads --

"Enough, enough," Joanna said, standing in the doorway with both hands full. "Hold. Halt. Thank you."

The Welcome Wagon lady put a vial of cologne on top of the other things, and then searched in her bag -- "No, really," Joanna said -- and brought out pink-framed eyeglasses and a small embroidered notebook. "I do the 'Notes on Newcomers,'" she said, smiling and putting on the glasses. "For the Chronicle." She dug at the bag's bottom and came up with a pen, clicking its top with a red-nailed thumb.

"Y/N we're going to leave now, you haven't said much. Are you ok?" Tammy asked.

"I'm fine." slipped the book into my bag, I had never stolen before, but one book won't hurt anybody. We all went out and Deaky offered me a ride, I said it wasn't that long of a walk, so I started to head home before it got dark.

——— Roger's POV ———

I was in utter shock when I saw Y/N was walking home, is she mental? It's almost dark out and she could get hurt, but we hate each other apparently. She's still holding onto the fight we had the other day, if she didn't have a stick so far up her ass, maybe we could date. She's probably a good shag in all honesty. I like the way her eyes gaze out the window, or how passionate she is when preforming, but of course her personality could be different. Don't get me started on the way she acted tonight. Well faze one of are plan seems to be working. She seems to be jealous of Tammy and I, and she is getting her end of the bargain too. Deaky is slowly falling head over heels for her.

 She seems to be ignoring all of us, well darling two can play at that game. Tammy and I may just have to step or game up, I'm not exactly sure how though.

Deaky had gone in his car alone, but Tammy and I were in my new car, an Alfa Romeo, we hopped in and I told her about my idea to step up the "relationship."

"You know what Roger, that's not a bad idea, do you want to sleepover tonight? Maybe have a party tomorrow?"

"That's perfect!" We looked each other in the eyes, her eyes glistened in the moonlight, she look so beauti- No, I'm not falling for her. We have a plan in motion even if she is hot I've got a goal set. This time I can't get my reputation in the way, but one night won't change anything. I pull the car over and glance to the girl in my passengers seat, she looks at me with lust. One night won't change anything, will it?

——— Y/N POV ———

 The sun was completely set, I was jogging home. The only thing that was guiding me was the pale moonlight. it took me awhile, but I made it back home. I took the elevator up to my tiny flat. No one was home, what a relief. I decided to continue the book I had been reading from earlier. I pulled it out of my grey saddle bag, opening to the page I was on,

Joanna told her where she and Walter had moved from; what Walter did and with which firm; Pete's and Kim's names and ages; what she had done before they were born; and which colleges she and Walter had gone to. She shifted impatiently as she spoke, standing there at the front door with both hands full and Pete and Kim out of earshot.

"Do you have any hobbies or special interests?"

She was about to say a time-saving no, but hesitated: a full answer, printed in the local paper, might serve as a signpost to women like herself, potential friends. The women she had met in the past few days, the ones in the nearby houses, were pleasant and helpful enough, but they seemed completely absorbed in their household duties. Maybe when she got to know them better she would find they had farther-reaching thoughts and concerns, yet it might be wise to put up that signpost. So, "Yes, several," she said. "I play tennis whenever I get the chance, and I'm a semi-professional photographer -- "

My reading was cut short by the door opening, it was Roger and Tammy, their clothes and hair messy and in ruffles, he they go again....

Tag List:

@onceuponadetectivedemigod @cosmiclunas 

[arsonisticscholar]

I posted 343 times in 2021

114 posts created (33%)

229 posts reblogged (67%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 2.0 posts.

I added 263 tags in 2021

#linked universe - 56 posts

#linkeduniverse - 55 posts

#lu - 51 posts

#scholar sharted herself and this post came out instead - 23 posts

#lu legend - 17 posts

#lava family - 13 posts

#lu wild - 13 posts

#the apple cake chronicles - 12 posts

#lu warriors - 12 posts

#lu wind - 11 posts

Longest Tag: 133 characters

#but for real if the artist dosent want their art to be used as wallpapers then i can change it to what it was before it’s no big deal

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Sky: do you think birds get sad because they don’t have arms?

Wind: well do you get sad you don’t have wings?

Sky: every day!!

124 notes • Posted 2021-08-15 17:37:06 GMT

#4

Legend: I lost Four

Twilight: YOU LOST FOUR

Legend: give me a break he’s like 2 inches tall

128 notes • Posted 2021-10-07 21:23:52 GMT

#3

My friend names LU characters

See the full post

143 notes • Posted 2021-07-12 16:18:25 GMT

#2

Why do we never talk about how Legend hit the arrow WITH THE FREAKING ARROW

LIKE ITS NOTHING

188 notes • Posted 2021-12-06 23:07:45 GMT

#1

The fact that this will probably happen at the end of LU

308 notes • Posted 2021-10-09 03:37:41 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[gutsybitsies]

part of pride and prejudice pnp au (due to tech difficulties ie forgetfulness, parks and rec au and pride and prejudice au are in the same tag...). i’ve decided to say “fuck it” to writing this in a wholesome linear fashion. people know what happens anyway. hit me up on which scene from pride and prejudice u wanna see! 

part 1 

part ? 

It was 3 am in the morning when a loud knock woke everyone in Lardo’s dilapidated Haus 2.0, except for Lardo. Bitty and Ransom blearily opened their eyes as the knocking continued. 

“Shot not,” Bitty said. “You go see who’s making that huge racket.” He pushed Ransom out of the guest bed they were sharing. 

Ransom fell on the floor with a thump. “Why doesn’t this woman ever buy comfortable rugs? I’m getting her one for Christmas.” 

“She complains about cleaning them,” Bitty replied. “Go, or that person’s not gonna stop.”

Ransom yawned and cracked his neck as he left the guestroom, grabbing a hockey stick along the way in case there was a crazy person standing outside the door.

Ransom swung open the door, hockey stick and hand, and ended up looking at a very tall, imposing old woman. There was a tired younger woman standing at her side, holding a suitcase and clutching a phone. 

“Who are you?” The old woman asked. 

“Uhhh...” Ransom blinked and opened his eyes wider to make sure that he was indeed seeing an old lady standing in front of his friend’s door at 3 am. “Who are you?” 

“I am Catherine de Bourgh-Knight,” she said haughtily. “Is this...residence...” she looked at the Haus with disdain, “...where Larissa Duan resides?” 

Ransom pursed his lips together. Haus 2.0 was important to him. It may not be the original Haus at Samwell, but it was the place Lardo shared with him, Holster, and Bitty when they started their first real adult jobs. And this woman was looking at it like it was a dump. 

“This is where Lardo lives, yeah.” He said.

“Ah, well. I found the place then,” she pushed past him, leading the woman behind her inside the house without even asking for Ransom’s permission. “Thank you for inviting me into this...quaint dwelling.” 

“Hey, what the fuck? You can’t just barge in like this! It’s 3 am in the morning!” Ransom said, not sure what the do as the younger woman closed the door politely and Catherine de Bourgh-Knight made her way into the living room. 

Ransom fingers itched as he stopped himself from trying to haul them out of the house and shut the door in their faces. A tall, bulky 6′2′’ black man couldn’t just physically drag an old white lady out of the house.

“Bitty!” He kept an eye on the women while he called for Bits. He was pretty sure Bitty can push them out without consequence. “Bitty!!! We have guests!”

Bitty bursted out of the guestroom, which was directly opposite from the living room, clearly rumpled from sleep, while holding another hockey stick.

“I’m here, Ranso-” He stared at the scene in the living room. Bitty, like Ransom, blinked and rubbed his eyes to make sure that there was indeed a tall, imposing old woman standing with a posture full of disdain inside the living room. “Um.”

“They just came in after I opened the door,” Ransom explained. 

“I’m here for Larissa Duan, I have a great opportunity for her and she will not regret talking with me.” the lady said, she looked at the couch. “Is this thing safe to sit on?” 

“Yes,” Bitty lied through his teeth. “But it is the middle of the night! Ma’am, we cannot be having with this!” 

“Lards is asleep, you’re not seeing her.” Ransom said. He waved a hand at the door. “Please leave.” 

“Do you two know who I am? I am Catherine de Bough-Knight, chairwomen of more committees than I care to remember. It is extremely advantageous for the both of you to listen to me now, or I can and will be able to make life difficult for you.” Catherine de Bourgh-Knight said and aggressively thumped the floor with her cane. 

“Nope, nope, nope,” Bitty walked over and started to physically herd her away with his hockey stick. “Ransom’s got the right idea, we’re not letting you see her.”

Catherine looked at the young woman next to her, who mustered up a breath. 

“Larissa Duan you come out right now!!” The young woman shouted.

Ransom heard the telltale creak on the ceiling that meant that Lardo had gotten up from bed. Another creak told him that her bedroom door was open. At this point in time, Bitty had stopped trying to push the two women out as Lardo’s footsteps came down the stairs methodically. First her feet appeared, then her legs, and finally the whole full Lardo emerged. She was wearing Holster’s old hoodie that he swore he lost months ago and Bitty’s new shorts that Bitty swore he didn’t lose.  

“It is...” Lardo looked at her phone. “2 am in the morning. No. 3 am. Mrs. de Bourgh, I hope you have a very good reason for coming to this place.”

Catherine de Bourgh-Knight looked shocked at Lardo’s abrupt way of speaking, as if she expected Lardo to thank her for visiting her in the middle of the night. Of course someone like Larissa Duan should be grateful that she took time out of her busy schedule to see her. 

“I must converse with you,” Catherine said haughtily. “I suppose I will, as the gracious person, thank you instead for attending to me at this hour.” 

“And I’m gracious enough to say you’re very welcome,” Lardo said blithely. “Let’s go in the backyard. Rans, Bits, you two can go back to sleep.” 

“No man,” Ransom said. “We’re not leaving you alone.”

“This is a matter of utter privacy and sensitivity,” said Catherine. “I must insist that I speak with Miss Duan alone.” 

Lardo gave Bitty and Ransom a thumbs up and led Catherine de Bourgh-Knight into the yard, but not before Ransom grabbed a pair of sweatpants from the pile of laundry on the living room table and threw it to her. The young woman from before hung behind and stayed inside with Bitty and Ransom while they waited. 

There was a full moon out that night; two months ago Lardo had received a package of moon cakes from Chowder. He’d timed it so that she received the package on the exact day of the Mid Autumn festival. She never had any time to celebrate it herself, but this year she’d made a pair of matching masks to send to Chowder and Farmer in return for Chowder’s gift. 

While Lardo contemplated the moon, Catherine drew herself up and wasted no time in starting to speak. 

“You know the reason I’m here, Miss Duan.” She said gravely. “I don’t wish to beat around the bush, you surely do know my reputation for being a straightforward woman.”

“I don’t know why you’re here,” Lardo said. She saw that Catherine frowned indignantly at her answer. 

“Don’t make me spell it out loud for you, Miss Duan. You and I both know what this visit is about.” 

Lardo pursed her lips and pretended to think. “Hmm. Nope. Nothing comes to mind. Unless you came to commission me for a piece of art. For you, I can set my rates real cheap. You’ll be happy with that kind of discount.” 

“I received some alarming news in the rumor mill,” Catherine said. “Someone told me my nephew Bartholomew has intentions with you. Now of course someone like Bartholomew is expected to sow his wild oats before marriage, and your status is of the perfect level for a dalliance with him. But he is getting to be the age where we are all expecting him to settle down, and now whatever it is you have between you must stop.” 

“Hmm,” Lardo said. Her mind was racing. Did Shitty still think of her? She hadn’t spoken with him outside of what her friendship with Jack necessitated them to. Even though Jack and Bitty’s relationship meant that they inevitably saw each other more often than before. Did he still think that she was likeable after all the snubbing she had given him? 

Catherine grew more agitated at Lardo’s reticence. 

“You must know that the position of Bartholomew’s partner in life, his wife, has already been chose. Now we understand that as a modern young man, he would like to have a few chosen romances of his own, but Bartholomew knows his duty to his family. Your relationship with him will never be serious or important. When the time comes, he will leave you. I’m telling you this for your own well being in order for you to avoid being humiliated when he inevitably rises to his own...class of people with more similarities to him.” 

“Interesting,” Lardo said. 

“This is common knowledge!” Catherine said. “Now, will you agree to leave him?” 

“If Shitty is obviously going to leave an unimportant relationship, then let him leave on his own,” Lardo said.

“So you two are in a relationship?” Catherine asked intently. 

“Hmmm,” Lardo shrugged.

“Miss Duan! I will have to tell you something then, to insist that you leave my nephew alone. He is in fact engaged to my daughter, Anne.” 

“Wait what?” Lardo finally broke her chill. 

Catherine triumphantly smiled. “Yes, I’ve discussed this engagement with his father since my dear Anne and Bartholomew were infants. It’s set in stone, his wife to be is Anne.” 

“No, wait,” Lardo said, with enough emotion to make Catherine’s face look more smug until she continued, “Anne is his cousin. I thought you were going to tell me he’s engaged to a Vanderbilt, not his own cousin.” 

“They are far apart enough that it’s legal,” Catherine said, a bit haltingly. “And in fact we do have kin ties with the Vanderbilts.” 

“But you and his father are cousins.”  

“Second cousins.” 

“Didn’t they grow up together?” 

“That makes them perfect and fitting for each other.” 

“But they grew up together as people related to each other.” 

“That’s not important-”

“No, no it is. I’m interested in this now. Just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s not taboo. Does Anne really think of her cousin, who she’s known since childhood and presumably who she’s close as a sibling to him, does she really think of him as husband material?”

“You are an insolent young lady. No! Not a lady. You are a rude little hussy! You seduced my Bartholomew with your exotic nature and assume that he’s going to stay with you. Well, good luck to that because I know my nephew and he will never, ever, be with an uncouth young lady like you. He is a diligent young man who puts the will of his family first and graduated cum laude from Harvard law, and you are some hustler from the streets.”

“That’s very nice, Bartholomew sounds like a wonderful young man who makes good choices. And I’m sure that when the time comes, he’ll marry his cousin like the polite young man he is. You don’t need me to do anything.” 

“His association with you will be the laughter of our community if you let this linger on longer!” 

“He’s a tough guy, he can handle it. I’m sure he won’t be too charmed by my exoticness. If he is, then I’m afraid I can’t help you with anything. And you should leave my property now.” Lardo ignored the indignant huffs of Catherine and led her inside. 

“You are going to regret my warning, Miss Duan! I have come here out of the goodness of my heart, in the middle of the night-”

“Oh, so she knows it’s the middle of the night!” Ransom exclaimed. 

“Out of the goodness of my heart,” Catherine repeated. “To advise you on the dangerous waters that you are treading, and if you had listened to me with kindness and respect I would have offered you redress and compensation for your efforts! But as of my mistreatment in your home I will have a strong word with Bartholomew and my committees. And you can expect that neither your art nor your presence will be tolerated in any society that I preside over!”

Lardo ignored her and walked back up the stairs to her room. Bitty firmly guided the two women to the front door and shut it in their faces in the middle of Catherine’s firm “Good-bye and I shall ignore-!” 

After a while, Lardo crept back downstairs, to find that Bitty and Ransom were waiting for her in the kitchen. 

“Sleep with us tonight, okay?” Ransom asked. “Old cuddle pile?” 

She smiled and walked with them to the guestroom. “Yep. Old cuddlepile.” 

When she was sandwiched between Ransom and Bitty, she heard Bitty say, “You know, I knew there would be something good that comes out of that other room being out of order because of some old problem.” 

“Shut UP don’t remind me!” Ransom whispered. “That used to be my room! There are roaches!!! In my room!!” 

Lardo giggled, and she could feel her boys relax. Bitty fell asleep first, then Ransom, then Lardo drifted off, cocooned in family. 

[khunvegas]

Saphael Fanfic Rec 2.0

A Saphael Fest.

More writing goodies from amazing writers.

As always, if you know any of the authors and tag them, that would be very much appreciated

A Daisy instead of a glass shoe by @soft-saphael

Tumblr prompt: runaway prince!simon and commoner!rapahel

Two weeks from his coronation and three from his wedding to Princess Isabelle of Idris, the Prince of New York found himself on a park bench in Brooklyn. His face buried in the palms of his hand as his phone continued to ring. Deep breaths. Deep breathes. Deep- the phone is laying in pieces on the concrete walkway in shattered fragments.

“You’re a little far from the palace” A slightly accented voice said, from out of the corner of his eyes Simon saw black leather.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh I’m sorry your highness, I apologize for not bowing” The boy snorted.

“Please, just leave me alone” Simon huffed tiredly.

A First Date (Kind of. Almost.) by SnogboxesAndChips

Simon is always looking for excuses to be near Raphael. When he finally finds a suitable excuse, he walks in on Raphael doing something that Simon would have never thought Raphael would do. He was cooking.

And every road you take (will always lead you home) by @woodenhallslikecaskets

For Raphael's 55th birthday Magnus gifts him a portal that leads to 1956.

Brooklyn, NY 1956: he meets a beautiful boy by the name of Simon Lewis. They've never met before but Raphael feels like he could love him. They could fall in love.

Break of the light by @makehomesofhumans

Simon's eyes sparked to life as he was being dangled over the edge of a building. He sighed, because that was just his luck.

But who would love a monster, anyway? By @spendeonswithyou

As he learns later, loving Simon hurts. It’s making his dead heart want to beat again, destroying the remaining bits and pieces of his soul.

Or the Soulmate AU in which you can feel your soulmate's pain.

Customer Satisfaction by kuro1neko2kun

'You’re the customer and you get back at me for all the times I’ve spelt your name wrong by mispronouncing my name in increasingly horrible ways’ AU

Darling, you're all I need by @anjawritingsx

Simon and Raphael are happy together, that is until Simon forgets their 8th year anniversary. Raphael is left heartbroken and Magnus and Alec try to pick up the pieces.

Does that mean you've a really bad crush on me too? By milleniumlint

Simon wants Raphael to understand he has feelings for him but he's not so obvious like he thinks he is.

Dreaming of You (endlessly) by Nubian_Reese

Corazón—His heart. He loves Simon so much it hurts. His beauty, his optimism, it’s a sea of good and Raphael does nothing but dive right in. And he is not ashamed, because Simon is a gift. God’s gift, and sometimes Raphael can’t believe what they have together is real, but when Simon leans down and kisses him, hands running through each other's hair skimming down backs, and gripping hips, Raphael lives in every sense and knows that this is real.

Flirting 101 by TrickyVicky3

Raphael sighs, shaking his head more to himself than anything else as he reaches down for Simon and pulls the other boy up again. “That will be all for today” he pulls the bottom of his tank top up, using the material to wipe away sweat, unaware of Simon’s gaze tracking over his abdomen. “You did good but not good enough, even if you pinning me down was kind of hot”

For Simon by @sirknightmordred

It's Simon's birthday and Raphael has the perfect gift.  {Part of my Malec AU ask blog.}

His Beauty by christinawithav

He is so sensual without even realizing it, Simon muses about Raphael.

Home by @anjawritingsx

Set after 1x13.

A week after his betrayal Simon has nightmares. Jace, Alec, Magnus and Isabelle want to bring him back to Raphael but Clary refuses. Surely she could be the one to help her friend.

I Don't Want You To Get It On (With Nobody Else But Me) by lizards

Simon and Raphael drunk hook up, Raphael is a ass about it because he's an emotionally constipated adult. Simon is eternally frustrated and sucks at not-thinking about it.

I'm a tiny heart that's falling fast by @woodenhallslikecaskets

Before Camille and DuMort, Simon's search history usually brought up games, cheat codes, guitar chords.

And after, it evolves into:

"Does pansexuality include crushing on vampires?" and "How to kiss a vampire."

It's quite revealing.

In other words (I love you) by @woodenhallslikecaskets

In a perfect world, he would take Simon apart with his hands and teeth as sunlight streamed through an open window. The radio would play Buddy Holly and Raphael would hum along.

He would try very hard not to laugh every time Simon tripped over his own feet as they danced.

In stillness, in sorrow (softly sighing lament) by owilde

"Hey," the boy said abruptly. He looked up from his coffee cup, giving Raphael a hesitant smile. Or at least Raphael thought it was meant to be a smile – it mostly resembled a badly carved Halloween pumpkin with social anxiety.

The boy kept looking at him, expecting a greeting in return. Raphael took a leap of faith and bowed down to social expectations. His therapist was going to be so proud.

"Um. Hi," he replied.

Interrupt my sleep, You're in my dreams anyway by PoetryMistress

Simon keeps waking Raphael up over trivial things. At first it's because he needs to get something off his mind. Slowly the reason turns more into the way Raphael looked when he woke up, how he let Simon stay, how he listened even though he pretended to find Simon's talking insufferable.

Kiss me with adventure 'til I forget my name by @woodenhallslikecaskets

Simon's life is fairly predictable and he's comfortable with the quiet routine. Once a week he practices with the band, in his free time he binge watches Jessica Jones on Netflix and has dinner with his mother 'lest she send a police squad to his apartment after he misses two of her calls.

He doesn't care for change, not one bit.

Enter a boxing instructor who belongs on the pages of GQ.

Kiss of light (and all my mirrors are windows) by @woodenhallslikecaskets

Simon falls in love and manages to completely screw it up. Sometimes in order to fix the damage, you have to fix yourself.

Who says an ending can't be a beginning?

Like a love song on the radio by @eversall

Simon could be reading into the tiny glimpses of Raphael’s personality he gets a little too much. But he doesn’t think he is, and it honestly doesn’t matter; when the other man looks at him, he wants to know what it would feel like to be Raphael’s happily ever after. . Simon's a bartender, Raphael plays the piano, and somehow they manage to communicate to each other that yeah, they both want this.

Like what you see? By wvlfqveen

Simon was working through his second rum and coke when he realized he was being watched.

Match Made in Brooklyn by @soft-saphael

Raphael wasn't a fan of blind dating or dating period.

He was content with his life, he had his family, his best friend and his job, he thought that was more than enough but they thought otherwise.

The boy, Simon, he was a friend of Magnus' boyfriend’s sister’s girlfriend, it could have been simpler but Alec refused to say Clary was his friend too.

It was on a chilly October afternoon when Raphael found himself walking down a Brooklyn street lined with small stores and boutiques, several family owned restaurants and bakeries. His destination was a small cafe called biscuits.

Raphael could smell the spend of freshly baked cakes, and hints of overly sweetened coffee. Raphael was a greeted by wide grin that was quickly replaced by a frown when he pulled out the chair in front of Simon Lewis.

Me - Kiss - What? By @bigbisexual     

Isabelle laughed for what seemed like the fifth time that minute, and said, “Simon, truth or dare?” with a light, dazzling slur, grabbing her glass from the table yet again arousing a clink, and putting it to her lips.

“Die-” Said Simon, choking, then quickly corrected, “I mean dare, sorry- tongue twister.”

Suddenly a dark expression appeared on her face. All this time she had kept one dare in her mind for Simon alone, but waited until it was her chance to ask the questions, “I dare you…” She began, took a graceful pause to garner his reaction, “to kiss Raphael on the cheek, or whatever, when you get back to the hotel.”

“…. Is it too late to pick die?” Simon asked, begging.

Not About Angels by @abluelightinthedark 

He remembered crashing down onto snow, his refracted wings spread around his cold body, a bloody taste on his lips.  He remembered coughing and then… then breathing.  He remembered his first breath, he remembered his first heartbeat, he remembered everything.

Raphael Santiago had been an angel. He had been an angel and then he fell, banished from heaven by his own blood.

Raphael Santiago was a fallen angel, because angels are not supposed to fall in love with humans, but that’s exactly what he did. 

One More Memory by @soft-saphael 

Java Jace had become their place. Raphael had kissed Simon there for the first time, his lips had tasted of caffeine and caramel.

Simon had asked Raphael to be his boyfriend there, as they huddled together trying to find warmth from the blistering cold of winter.

Their first ‘I love you’ was spoke with bright smiles as spring blossomed through the windows.

One more offkey anthem by @niifflers

Loving raphael was a new experience for simon.

Only Fools Fall For You by @dauntless-sansa 

Simon is tired of being kept in this house all day. But he's not tired of Raphael. He never could be.

Por silencio by hoywfiction

Simon won’t shut up and Raphael is running out of ideas.

Red gerbera by @fangtasticsaphael

"Looks like you got yourself a secret admirer," the clan leader commented with a shrug and just turned around without another word to leave the room. Simon watched the other go, feeling even more confused by the slightly weird behaviour of the older vampire.

"Hey, what's up with his sour face?" Stan's voice caused him to flinch again and Simon groaned softly.

"Could you guys stop popping up out of nowhere? You will give me a heart attack someday," the fledgeling complained and Stan laughed with a dismissive gesture.

"Good thing you're already dead, then--"

"Undead."

"--and, what, do you expect us to deliberately stomp around the hotel just so your poor hearing might pick it up? Maybe you should start taking your training more serious," the older vampire teased with a grin that widened a little more when Simon muttered a "You sound like Rapha" in return.

I deserve love by WritenStuff

Raphael reaches breaking point and finally opens up about his feelings for Simon. Will Simon feel the same?

Somebody out there by @fangtasticsaphael

He was curled up on the seat, headphones caressing his ears with the tunes of another song by American Authors because he had really enjoyed Best day of my life and didn't actually know any other songs from them. Raphael wasn't aware of humming along until he finally felt Magnus staring at him with wide but amused eyes.

"What is it, Bane?" He asked and deliberately used the other's last name to show annoyance even though both of them knew it was just an act he kept up for whatever reasons. Habit, maybe.

"Nothing. Just...you seem happy," his best friend replied with a shrug and a genuine smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Raphael paused with a frown, his eyes narrowing before he realised that Magnus was actually right. He felt relaxed and...happy. It was weird that he hadn't even noticed it himself, considering the tension he had carried around ever since the breakup. But here he was, feeling comfortable and relaxed in a van with his best friend and a not-so-stranger, humming along to some good music with a smile on his face.

The aftermath by izzyasavestheday (stilessexual)

These are the days following the battle against Valentine.This is Simon breaking down and picking up the pieces.

~~

“It’s killing her,” Simon whispered. “We tried. We tried so hard to be together –to be happy, to forget about you and R-Raphael. But we couldn’t and we couldn’t turn off our feelings. So, yeah. We broke up.”

The conceptual art of brooding by @eversall 

Simon comes home to Raphael sulking. Or, he’s sure Raphael doesn’t consider it sulking, but the older vampire is reclined across the ridiculous amount of throw pillows decorating his bed, a book in his hand that he’s glaring ferociously at. . Simon Lewis faces off against his boyfriend's fantastic dramatics.

The perfect height by @fangtasticsaphael 

Five times Raphael notices their height difference and thinks about Simon kissing him (forehead, nose, lips) + one time Simon notices it as well and acts on it.

“I’m sorry?” Simon offered with a small voice and obediently took a few sips of his blood to show he was listening to the clan leader now, that he was going to be healed in no time and there was nothing really to worry about. The fledgeling put down the glass after drinking half of its content and walked up to Raphael, tentatively stopping right in front of him.

Under the screen of night by @fangtasticsaphael

The boy sat up and scrambled to his feet after tugging his beanie back in place and when he glanced up at Simon - cheeks red from the cold just like the tip of his small nose that peaked out of the top of his scarf, big and round brown eyes framed by long lashes and a few curls of dark hair tumbling into his forehead - the vampire couldn't help but think that this kid was absolutely adorable. He resisted the urge to reach out and pinch the child's round cheeks because this gesture might not be very appreciated, especially from a total stranger.

"I'm sorry, Mister, I didn't mean to run you over," the boy mumbled into his scarf and one gloved hand tugged nervously at the partly torn fabric of the other glove. His jacket seemed a little too wide, kind of dirty and also littered with several tears in the material. Simon doubted that the clothes did a very good job at keeping the boy warm in these temperatures.

Walked into the flames by @joanthangroff

A desperate Raphael takes up the offer of a warlock to grant him a second chance to live as a human in exchange for his voice.

We're no strangers to love by @taylorcoley

The vampire clan switches over to email, and Simon seriously overestimates Raphael's knowledge of contemporary memes.

You can get used to a certain kind of sadness by @woodenhallslikecaskets

"How do you move on?" He adds, not entirely wanting to get over Simon.

(Don't make me)

Jace makes a small broken noise that goes straight to Raphael's heart. Here are two men from different worlds who cannot seem to win at life or love. For all their sins and triumphs, they are the same where it counts.

"You don't."

(Raphael is shrouded in the oppressive shadows and this is how I die, he thinks. Watching him watching her. Loving her. History repeats itself)

You put the stars in the sky by @malecxdreams

Simon goes out with the clan and things happen with stars and stuff

You’re enough (I promise you’re enough) by @woodenhallslikecaskets 

Simon needs advice. More specifically: he needs to know how to romance Raphael or at least spit out his feelings already.

Enter Magnus and Jace.

This can't possibly go wrong.

Your left hand man by @madroxed

“Okay,” Simon says, shoving a shirt back into the overly ornate closet that takes up half his room, “this isn’t a nineties movie. There’s not going to be a shopping montage to indie rock chick music, and even though tiny backpacks are probably cool again, please don’t ever buy one.”

Raphael looks at him like he’s a moron. “Do you even understand half the stuff that comes out of your mouth?”

[imreviewlab-blog]

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No question, you can sell your products via existing systems such as Amazon.com, ebay.com and so on. But hey, Amazon as well as ebay.com are product-centric. They aren't seller-centric. As well as this fact is a piece of cake- Competition on Amazon, eBay etc., is obsessive and also extreme. For all intents and functions, the thrill of developing your very own on-line shop and also operating is inexpressible. And also below's another reason to begin your own eCommerce site-- You need not pay any type of payment to distinguished worldwide marketplaces.

Wanting to surpass the perspectives of Brick & Mortar stores? Definitely a superb idea! But starting electronic selling is much easier stated than done. At the really start, you have to take an essential decision-- Do you want to offer items by yourself internet site or on Amazon?

Now that you have genuine factors to start your own eCommerce company, allow's look at the most effective buying cart software application.

1: PrestaShop This worldwide purchasing cart service is programmed in PHP. Across the world, it's made use of by more than 270000 shops. Its interface is flawlessly user-friendly. You can download and install the software application free of charge but pay for its webhosting. If you aren't careful as well as persistent enough, you could end up paying a ton of money for its holding and set-up.

This e-commerce software is backed by a neighborhood of 800,000 members. They are doing their greatest to keep Prestashop unique to open resource shopping neighborhood. Thanks to their efforts, this buying cart software program is readily available in as numerous as 65 languages.

Various other significant attributes:

More than 50 world-class payment cpus More than 5000 modules and styles Designer guides Shopping analytics SEO and also mobile commerce PrestaShop is optimal for medium as well as large companies. It's not recommended for small businesses. If you require numerous add-ons, this buying cart option can come to be pricey. If you don't have technical expertise, you might have a bumpy ride!

2: OpenCart OpenCart is one of the best shopping cart software. It's complimentary to download and install and also extremely customizable. Much like PrestaShop, it's configured in PHP and also has a substantial swimming pool of area members. Thanks to their significant initiatives, OpenCart has more than 13000 expansions. The most up to date variation is OpenCart Cloud. Yet it's not excellent. There are quite a few bugs and the development group is working on them.

OpenCart's control panel is clean as well as systematic. There are intriguing functions such as the discount rate engine, sales records as well as analytics, multi-language and also multi-currency support etc. You can quickly customize your items as well as include group meta tags.

Other significant features:

If you are a small/midsize business, OpenCart is for you.

Stunning styles Mistake logging component and endless listings Back-up and remediation tools Bookkeeping as well as marketing Product review as well as score OpenCart is totally free to download and also update. But you can not utilize it without a web hosting, SSL certificate, as well as a domain. You should spend some considerable money. Likewise, customer assistance is restricted. While there are countless integrations, a lot of them aren't totally free.

3: Magento On Magento, the customer experience is merely top notch. Many supporters of this shopping cart service attest its bundle of features such as scalability, high-level security, excellent resource library and so on. The reality that many popular brand names utilize Magento talks volumes about its popularity. Consumer support is excellent. There are different resources such as an informative blog, data base, talking discussion forums and so on

. Other notable features:

Greater than 9000 plug-ins Open up resource SEO as well as Social business extensions Directory as well as item administration Personal sales Durable stock monitoring Seamless checkout as well as several settlement gateways If you are a newbie, it's most likely to find Magento never easy to make use of. Its Community version is offered completely free. But it has its very own collection of limitations. The Venture edition is pricey. Modification and also set-up are complicated. This buying cart option is best suited for company shops.

4: BigCommerce Keen on making BIG loan in e-commerce organisation? BigCommerce will surely assist you in your ventures. It's a SaaS (Software Program as a Remedy) purchasing cart option. To put it simply, you do not have the software. You are called for to pay a month-to-month charge to utilize it.

This system can be utilized for offering both physical and also electronic goods. As well as unlike Magento, BigCommerce accommodates non-tech wise people as well. If you have little or no expertise in HTML and also CSS, it makes no difference!

BigCommerce has advanced attributes such as automated image optimization, integration with powerful email solutions such as MailChimp, Continuous Get in touch with, iContact, etc. Content monitoring and product evaluation performances are robust. There is a wide variety of specialist coverage tools also.

Other noteworthy functions:

If you are searching for an expert as well as e-commerce centric business remedy, you should attempt BigCommerce.

Several repayment entrances 7 complimentary motifs and 120 paid styles Purchasing cart abandoner Great drop delivery support The straightforward and also intuitive user interface There are limitations imposed on yearly sales. If you surpass them, it's necessary to upgrade to pricey monthly plans. Styles are extremely pricey. BigCommerce starter plan isn't inexpensive for starters. The built-in blog site function goes over. Unfortunately, it doesn't support RSS feeds.

5: Volusion Volusion is yet another finest buying cart software. Much like BigCommerce, it's a SaaS (Software Program as a Solution) ecommerce solution. Globe over, Volusion is used by more than 40000 stores. In fact, these 40000 shops produce an estimated $17 billion in sales.

I wish this article on 5 finest shopping cart software program to start an eCommerce service provided you an introduction of various shopping options. There are lots of node js purchasing cart options that are worth trying.

Got any questions? Got any kind of queries? We would certainly like to hear them. Fire them in the comments below. I will respond in a day or two. Keep viewing this room for understandings on node js buying cart solutions. Thanks!

There are 2 variations of Volusion-- V1 and V2. The most significant difference between these 2 versions is the presence of deal charge in V2. The deal fee is zilch in V1. Yet there are impositions on data transfer allotment. If you overshoot your data transfer quantity, you are needed to pay $7 per GB. In V2, there are no impositions on data transfer quantity. Nevertheless, the transaction cost is charged and is anywhere between $0.5 as well as $2.0%.

Volusion is certainly a long-lasting financial investment alternative. However I can not wholeheartedly advise it due to its limitations.

Various other significant features:.

More often than not, both the variations sign up an impressive 99.9% uptime. For all intents and also objectives, the platforms are PCI compliant. Night and day support is a boon to beginners and ambitious eCommerce entrepreneurs.

Built-in e-mail advertising and marketing system. Step-by-step tutorials. Social media sharing plug-ins. Mobile management. Returned Product Authorization tool. While continuous support is most definitely in the offing, Volusion's client service is spotty and also unpredictable. Certainly, both the variations are PCI compliant. However, if you are running your store on V1, you still have to pay for SSL certification. Transaction charges on V2 is an unending discomfort.

[empathique]

Tehg

Tagged by @pengwenno <3 *tosses you your daily quota of plushies*

1. Are you named after someone?

Nope. Apparently my father, who is very knowledgeable about Mandarin and Chinese Culture, gave me named me after some sort of jade. So although my name isn’t exactly uncommon, the characters used aren’t very common.

(Still, better than the time my mother told me that I was named to match my brother and thus my name had no meaning)

((Evidently, my mother didn’t name us.))

2. When’s the last time you cried?

Er-- *checks the time*

......half an hour ago?

3. Do you like your handwriting?

U g h not at all. It’s right in the middle of cursive and neat so it’s really just a mess.

4. What’s your favorite lunch meat?

I’m not picky, but duck meat is pretty good. 

5. Do you have kids?

Nope. I’m actually quite scared of them.

6. If you were another person, would you be friends with yourself?

I... might? I’m horrible at staying in contact with people even though I like them, and I’m Awkward Turtle 2.0, so I might just be... a friend that I’m comfortable with hanging out with but not usually talking to/messaging with.

7. Do you use sarcasm?

I used to be known for my sarcastic humor back in secondary school and junior college, but I think I’ve just been trying to be more positive in general so I’ve lost my flair for it. 

8. Do you still have your tonsils?

Yep (what are tonsils--)

9. Would you bungee jump?

I wouldn’t want to, but if my friends wanted to and I was already right there at the top of the... thing, I probably would.

I draw the line at sky-diving though. 

10. What’s your favorite kind of cereal?

Don’t really eat cereal, and I’m not picky~

11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

If I can toe them off, no. But I am that loser that has to retie my shoelaces when I put them on again, so I honestly just hold everyone back while I bend over unattractively and balance on one foot.

12. Do you think you’re a strong person?

Ah this question is always a conundrum for me. On one hand I think that I’m just good at keeping up appearances and in truth I Cannot (TM), but on another hand, well, technically I’m pretty strong for being able to keep up those appearances. Hm.

13. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Mint chocolate. 

14. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Their - how do I put this without sounding weird - vibes? Just the entire feeling they exude, and it might not have any relation to their looks or personality or what I’ve heard about them. I can usually tell off the bat when that person will become a very close friend, or when I will dislike them (and I’m usually right). People that I come to dislike (I’ve only ever met four in my life) tend to have this... slimy kind of vibe. I try not to let it interfere with how I interact with them but it usually ends up going the way I expect it to. And they usually end up quite unpopular among everyone else, honestly. 

15: Red or pink?

Red. My room was an obnoxious shade of pink for the past... 10 years, and I’ve just been scarred. Thankfully I replaced that horrible color with grey recently.

16. What’s the least favorite physical thing you like about yourself?

My cheeks. It’s true that I first lost weight in my face (as most people do) but then it just. Stopped. And now I’m left with this annoying baby fat that refuses to leave. The only redeeming quality about it is that I look younger and that will probably be advantageous when I get older lmao. 

17. What color pants and shoes are you wearing now?

Black and black. If you must know my top is black as well. I clearly have a very friendly and bright atmosphere about me I don’t know what all these stares are about--

(ah, there’s the sarcasm I thought I lost) 

18. What’s the last thing you ate?

A slice of banana cake for breakfast. I’m hungry.

19. What are you listening to right now?

The mournful cries of stressed college students.

20. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

The beige crayon because everyone just uses it until it’s a teeny stub that cannot handle life. But people still try to lose it please stop--

21. Favorite smell?

Books. Books. And fresh laundry. And I have a friend whose fabric softener smells really good and I was nearly falling asleep next to her during lecture.

22. Who’s the last person you spoke to on the phone?

My mom. 

23. Favorite game?

Ib. Left 4 Dead also has a special place in my heart.

24. Hair color?

Brown with my black roots growing down half of my head. Hair dying is just such a long and tedious process and I don’t have time for that.

25. Eye color?

Boring ol’ black. I’m Asian.

26. Do you wear contacts?

Nope. My mom is quite adamant against my wearing contacts, and I can still see without my glasses on, anyway.

27. Favorite food to eat?

Sweets. Desserts. Anything sweet. Except maybe pudding because I don’t like the texture. Ooh, and anything that has cheese as well.

28. Scary movies or comedy?

Comedy. I can’t handle horror movies...even though I enjoy horror games. I haven’t quite figured that out.

29: Last movie you watched?

.....*squints* Hero (the chinese movie! I watched it for Literature class)

30. What color shirt are you wearing?

Black

31. Summer or winter?

Winter

32. Hugs or kisses?

HUGSSSS. I love snuggles please give me snuggles 

33. What book are you currently reading?

I Am A Cat by Natsume Soseki. I’m terrible I haven’t read much of it and I feel so guilty hngah ;A;. That, and I’m studying the Great Gatsby for my Literature module

34. Who do you miss right now?

Not a person, but I can’t help but mourn the passing of the time where the people around me were happy, when our biggest problems were arguments over trivial things, and when we never had to worry about mortality. Especially so now, because many things have been happening and sigh. Feelsbad, even though I’m very aware that this is a growing pain and an inevitable part of life.

35. What’s on your mouse pad?

A picture of Sebastian and Ciel from Kuroshitsuji. I’m waiting for a BSD mousepad for me to throw my wallet at, though. 

36. What’s the last TV show you watched?

*whispers* I really don’t watch TV

37. What’s the best sound?

Keyboard typing, flipping of the pages of a book, a crackling fire (can you tell I like ASMR)

38. YouTube mashups or ambient noise?

Mashups. Ambient noise was what I listened to when I was studying for my O levels, and I think I’ve been traumatised.

39. What’s the farthest you have ever traveled?

England, for a Literature school trip! I went with two of my best friends and a bunch of people I got along with, so I have very fond memories of it. 

40. Do you have a special talent?

U h, being able to accurately guess the topics that are tested on exams? I’m really good at predicting stuff. 

41. Where were you born?

Singapore, and I’m still here.

42. People you’d like to participate in this survey?

www why does this sound so formal.

@looking-for-stray-dogs, @hanahikari, @magicalgirlmafu, @nekojimaxosamew, @moneera-87, @truedespair

(please don’t feel obligated to do it if you don’t want to!)

[destieltropecollection]

Destiel Trope Collection 2019 Day 9: Coffee Shop AU

rain is falling, looks like love | @alullabytoleaveby Rating: General Word Count: 5536 Main Tags and Warnings: coffee shop au, student!cas, barista!cas Summary: “Um. I didn’t order this.” Cas shrugs.“It’s on the house. Consider it a thank you for your patience.” Dean snorts. “Thanks, I guess. Although I’ve never been much of a muffin man. Honestly, I’d prefer a piece of pie,” he says with a winning smile. Cas determinedly doesn’t fall for it. “Beggars can’t be choosers, Dean. Eat your muffin.” -- OR: Cas works at a coffeeshop, Dean is a customer, and they're both ridiculously in love with each other.

...And One Awkward Barista To Go | @isolemnlyswear-iamsuperwholocked Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 2113 Main Tags and Warnings: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - After College/University, Coffee Shop Employee Castiel, Post-High School, High School Crush, Tumblr Prompt, Based on a Tumblr Post Summary: Dean finally got out of his hometown to go to college, but when he comes back on break he passes the cafe where he first met his old crush, Castiel, and old memories make him go inside...because what are the chances he'll even still be there, anyway?

Noveltea & Coffee | @rustling-pages Rating: Explicit Word Count: 50064 Main Tags and Warnings: Magical Realism AU, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining Summary: Dean once thought his literary themed coffee shop ‘Noveltea & Coffee’ would be a better, more satisfying source of income than working as a mechanic. He thought people would come for the good coffee and stay for an even better book selection. He also thought he’d be running it with Sam, but that didn’t happen. Now he’s stuck with a bad mood he’s emoting all over the place, a lovingly created coffee shop no one ever frequents and a soul full of worry for the brother he no longer talks to. When Castiel – a defeated librarian turned accountant – comes stumbling in during a November downpour, things change so drastically for the better, it might as well be magic…

Not So Alone Anymore | @pherryt Rating: General Word Count: 4211 Main Tags and Warnings: a/b/o dynamics, omega!cas, omega!dean, alpha!michael, web designer!dean, Mpreg, abandoned!dean, Misunderstandings, Pining, Confessions, Cas owns a coffee shop, Angst and Fluff, Pups, past michael/dean Summary: Suddenly alone and pregnant, Dean’s resigned himself to raising his unborn pups by himself after Michael skips out on him for greener pastures. Along comes Cas. They get off on the wrong foot but maybe Dean isn’t so alone anymore...

Nobody's Fault But Mine | @peanutbutterjelly-pie Rating: General Word Count: 6139 Main Tags and Warnings: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Bakery, Misunderstandings, Mistaken Identity Summary: Castiel just should have listened. He seriously should have. But instead he found himself hypnotized by those beautiful green eyes and he totally missed the most important thing in the process.

50 Last Dates | @reaperlove77 Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 1379 Main Tags and Warnings: pining Dean, clueless Cas, Humor, fluff, coffee shop au Summary: It was Dean's guilty pleasure, watching scruffy guy dump his various boyfriends, a real life soap opera. He really, really wanted to get to know blue eyes better, but come on, Dean doesn't date shady. But there's more to the story than he expected.

Autumn in His Eyes | @DesiraeLovesDestiel Rating: Explicit Word Count: 50464 Main Tags and Warnings: Bar Owner Dean/Artist Cas, Humor, Fluff, Angst with a happy ending, Smut, pining, minor character death, Summary: Castiel worked his ass off to escape his family and make a name for himself in the art world and now C.J. Krushnic was one of the most sought-after artists around. After years of abuse from his dysfunctional family, he was finally living as he pleased and answered to no one other than himself. Until his older brother, Lucifer, was arrested and found guilty of multiple homicides. Now the name C.J. Krushnic was synonymous with sex, lies, and murder. Castiel, exhausted and stressed by the constant paparazzi and speculation into his own psyche, goes into hiding, moving into an inherited property of his beloved grandmother’s in the cozy little town of Bear Claw, Vermont-where he meets one Dean Winchester. Dean, though not without his own baggage, is a kind and generous soul who unlocks something in Castiel. Seemingly not put off by his surliness-in fact, Dean seems to enjoy it- the kind bar owner reawakens Castiel’s muse, making him want to open up about his past and who he is. But Dean is too bright to deserve all of Castiel’s dark and the artist is determined not to let them become anything more than good friends. But Castiel soon learns that Dean has other plans.

Bean's | @lemonsorbae Rating: Teen & Up Word Count: 6787 Main Tags and Warnings: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fluff Summary: When Dean had returned home from his third tour in Iraq, he’d begged the universe for a mundane life. No more guns, no more Arabic, no more shitty showers and MREs; Dean just wanted quiet.

Cakepocalypse! | @mittensmorgul Rating: Mature Word Count: 64145 Main Tags and Warnings: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Episode: s13e23 Let the Good Times Roll, Baker Dean Winchester, TV producer Castiel, Alternate Universe - Reality Show, 13.23 coda fic and therefore canon, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, Angst and Fluff and Smut, but mostly fluff with a dash of crack.. Summary: “What the hell you tryin’ to sell me?” Dean asked, folding his arms across his chest. “Not selling, Deano. Buying. Or at least, renting for the duration of a limited season run,” Gabriel said, as Dean’s frown deepened. “Have you ever dreamed of being a Hollywood superstar?” Dean laughed outright at that and shook his head, turning around to pick up his coffee again. “Man, no way in hell. You got the wrong guy.” Spoiler alert: He did not have the wrong guy.

The Angel Cake Challenge | @almaasi Rating: General Word Count: 8132 Main Tags and Warnings: Canon Universe, Fluff, Romance, Team Free Will 2.0, Day At The Beach, Mistaken For A Couple, Bakery and Coffee Shop, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Public Displays of Affection, Pet Names, Endearments, First Kiss, Closeted Dean Winchester, Coming Out, Openly Bisexual Dean Winchester, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Good Omens Summary: There's a kooky gay couple sitting in this little beachside bistro, at the table next to Dean. Dean's biggest mistake was telling them they looked cute together. Now they've noticed Cas, and they're silently encouraging Dean to be as openly affectionate as them. Dean didn't sign up for this challenge. But now? Hell, he's in it to win it.

Purple Horse in a Coffee Shop | @almaasi Rating: General Word Count: 8437 Main Tags and Warnings: Fluff, Crack, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Office, Pride Parades, Coffee Shops, Horses, Colorblindness, Pride, Workplace Relationship, Agender Castiel, Asexual Castiel, Wizard Castiel, Bisexual Dean, Prince Dean, Pansexual Sam Summary: Nobody expects to see a purple horse at a Pride parade. So, naturally, Dean Winchester is surprised to meet his office co-worker and long-term crush, Castiel, riding atop a magnificent steed - and dressed in full wizard regalia, no less. Somehow, Cas thinks he (and his decked-out horse) are wearing grey. They visit a coffee shop with their friends and family, trying to get to the bottom of this mix-up - and apparently the purple horse is coming too. “One medium black coffee with two sugars; one macchiato; three small soy lattes; one large decaf with a caramel shot - and ten apples, please.”

[media104blogposts]

Media 104: Assignment 2: Short Discussion Paper

YouTube provides lots of interactive processes which afford and influence users to Social Capital, Social Norms, and Social surveillance advantages. These processes have an impact on the affordances users get whilst using the social platform.

 YouTube is “the largest and most popular video-based social media website. YouTube has over 1 billion website visitors per month and is the second most popular search engine behind google” (Antony Maina. 2017). YouTube users gain a Social Capital advantage through subscribers, Ads and self-promotion, these features affect the social norms in the YouTube community and all have a social surveillance effect as the users are putting themselves out there to the entire world to judge, which affords YouTubers to make a career for themselves and earn an income.

  Social Capital is about the popularity and success through a social media platform, Social Capital is trusting relationships that allow you to support one another, It’s what you build up when you’re a part of a trusting community. YouTube is a platform where users gain Social Capital as they are putting themselves out there to the entire world to build a fan base that fits the criteria of your content. The subscribe feature allows users to build up a following and community of fans. This button is used to attain social capital and convert their popularity into economic capital as YouTube affords people to make a career for successful users and eventually earn an income and use the platform as a sustainable job. Once a user has used that subscribe feature, another feature is used to gain even more of a social capital, The Bell icon is a feature users can use for their favourite YouTubers, this allows them to receive a notification every time they post. If people use this bell feature on your channel, you may see yourself getting more views faster, as your followers are being notified immediately after you post resulting in the user gaining social capital. Famous YouTubers have social capital as they call their fans family, or creating little names for their following, making the community of fans feel like friends or family, for an example, famous YouTuber Trisha Paytas calls her fans “Trishy’s Little Fishies”, this is an example of how Trisha uses Social Capital to build more of a following. YouTuber’s gain social capital through promoting and advertising certain companies. For example, Trisha Paytas promotes the company ‘Adam and Eve’  which is an online adult store, she gives out promotion codes so her followers can get discounts, this is social capital as it brings YouTubers together with big companies, enhancing each other’s views and buyers. Reading a Scholar source on Social Capital I came across an interview explaining how social capital is increased by the type of content posted on social media. “Interviewer: Do you feel like people put stuff on Facebook trying to elicit a type of reaction from other people?” The interviewee Josh replies with “Definitely, like insulting other people. Posting pictures that they’ve taken of themselves etc. or trying to get other people to like them” (Marwick vol.9). This is used on YouTube to gain Social Capital as certain YouTubers post content they know will draw attention to their channel, resulting in more views.

Example of Trisha promoting a company to gain Social Capital 

The Social Capital acts discussed above, are all usually influenced by the social norms on the platform. “Social norms are the rules of behaviour that are considered acceptable in a group or society. People who do not follow these norms may be shunned or suffer consequence” (YourDictionary,2017). YouTube has certain Social Norms that must be followed to be successful. The content a user posts determines what audience they will have, and how much of a following they will get, this is the reason why most popular YouTubers post similar content because they want to be socially normal and accepted. Buzzfeed is a leading independent digital media company that delivers news and entertainment to hundreds of millions of people around the world, one of their main platforms is YouTube. Buzzfeed is a channel that is an example of the social norms around YouTube. They post content they know people will like, they try hard to keep up with all the latest scandals and trends, and incorporate them into their content. They aren’t original at all. Buzzfeed star Candace Lowry came out to the public about her departure from Buzzfeed and explained that she wanted “to be able to create her own path” and to have “creative freedom” (Spangler, Todd). She explained that Buzzfeed was making her post certain content that she had no interest in, however it would boost views and popularity. Ironically, she made a “Why I Left Buzzfeed” video because she was trained by them to focus on creating content that can go viral and be socially normal, with big bold titles, this worked as she gained 8.6 million views. This idea of having to post certain content on YouTube to be socially normal has taken over almost every popular YouTuber today. Looking at Famous YouTubers content shows that to be a successful YouTuber, you need to follow the social norms of the social media platform. An example of famous YouTubers following the social norms, is looking at the content they post. I looked at Shane Dawson, Zoella, and Joey Graceffa. All these influencers have millions of followers who watch their content every day. I noticed these three YouTubers all post very similar content with catchy titles. Common video ideas such as “The Boyfriend Tag” or a “Draw my life” video is socially acceptable and normal to post on YouTube nowadays. All three of these influencers have made these videos and have followed the social norms of posting the content to build a social capital. 

As talked about previously, YouTubers promoting products or being sponsored by companies is also socially normal for big-time users, there’s almost a pressure that to be a successful YouTuber, you must be sponsored by something and promote it in your content. Shane Dawson expresses this idea in his first sponsor video, he lets everyone know how much of a big deal it is for him to be sponsored by the company ‘Best Fiends’ he mentions that he “finally got sponsored!” and that he’s “Never been sponsored before”, he celebrates this with a cake and balloons as if it was somebody’s birthday, he tells his mother in the video that “there’s a lot of YouTubers that always get sponsored, and I’m like dam how come I don’t!” (Shane Dawson). This is Shane’s way of celebrating his success. He’s not the only YouTuber to be sponsored by this certain company, in fact, almost every other successful YouTuber has been as well, and Shane was happy as he is finally like the other famous YouTubers and is following the norms of the community. 

 Keeping up to the Social norms and posting “draw my life” videos influences the users Social Surveillance as it is giving the viewers a background check of the YouTuber, looking inside of their past and current situations in life. “Social surveillance is the use of Web 2.0 sites like Twitter, Facebook to see what friends, family, and acquaintances are up to” This is also relevant to YouTube, and targeted towards YouTubers that ‘vlog’, as we get a view inside of their personal life. “These technologies are designed for users to continually investigate digital traces left by the people they are connected to through social media” (Marwick, Alice). YouTube content all have a social surveillance effect as it is exposing their life’s. Trisha Paytas exposes her life in her videos by uploading daily vlogs uncovering her lifestyle to the entire world. YouTube is a very public platform and the only way of gaining views and followers is to make your content public. The privacy settings are very limited on YouTube if you are wanting to make a career and income out of it, so users must be aware of the social surveillance once starting YouTube. Social surveillance can have negative effects on YouTube, as users are obeying by the social norms to gain social capital, and the content they post can be revealing and potentially be co-opted for disruptive acts. YouTuber ‘Freelee’ also known as the ‘Banana girl’ is an example of using the platform for disruptive acts. She uses YouTube to express her feelings on veganism, exposing other YouTubers lifestyles in a negative way. Freelee has exposed and tormented Trisha Paytas numerous times causing drama throughout YouTube. Freelee’s way of gaining social capital is to expose others in a harsh way and to gain views on top of this, she uses click bait, which is another disruptive act on the social media platform, as its false advertising. Posting videos with the title “eating meat!”(Freelee Eats Meat!) draws her fan base in, as most of her following will most likely be vegan, and look up to her as being vegan, so when she makes this bold title, it’s instant scandal and viewers watch the video, later to find out it was her way of drawing people in to increase views. Freelee affords exposing other YouTubers to make a career and income through YouTube. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg states that “Privacy is no longer a norm” (“that’s just creepy: When Privacy Settings Aren’t Enough”). This explains why more YouTubers today expose others, as it gets them more views, and privacy is no longer followed by the rules in social media.

Example of Freelee exposing Trisha’s life in order to gain views

 Many other channels on YouTube are purely made to disrupt and expose others. As YouTube is such an open platform, nearly anyone can make content out of anything. TMZ is another example of using YouTube for disruptive acts. TMZ is a channel which claims to provide latest celebrity gossip and entertainment news, however, they most always just end up leaking false news which often makes the celebrity sound bad. Their way of constructing the news is on YouTube, which can cause disruptive behaviour on the platform such as nasty comments or videos are made in response, since YouTube is such a popular platform, people use it so the message they are wanting to spread, goes viral or gets around appose to other social platforms such as Facebook, which isn’t as good for click bait and grabbing people’s attention worldwide.

In Summary, YouTube is a popular social platform that does provide processes for users to gain a social capital by obeying by the social norms, which can affect their privacy and social surveillance in use of the platform. Using popular YouTubers such as Shane Dawson, Joey Graceffa, Zoella, Trisha Paytas and Freelee, are all examples of the processes spoken above, which back up the thesis and ideas on the advantages and disadvantages of this platform.

 Works Cited:

Antony Maina. “20 Popular Social Media Sites Right Now” Small Business Trends. Feb 15,2017. https://smallbiztrends.com/2016/05/popular-social-media-sites.html”

 Marwick, Alice E. "The Public Domain: Social Surveillance in Everyday Life."Surveillance & Society, vol. 9, no. 4, 2012, pp. 378-393, ProQuest Central; Sociological Abstracts, https://search.proquest.com/docview/1314689547?accountid=14782.

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