#click on read more if you want the nice clean version

[veerbles]

"He doesn't say goodbye. He just lets go."

goodbye at dawn.

[goatcheesecak3]

Bus stop pt 2

Adam Faulkner-Stanheight x F!reader

Click here for M!reader version!

Click here for part 1!

Includes: fluff, slight angst, brief mentions of violence

Summary: after meeting at the bus stop yesterday, you and Adam go on a day out together, but when he sees a disturbing article in a newspaper, Adam decides to come clean to you about his past.

Adam threw on the cleanest clothes he owned and sat at the edge of his bed. He pulled out his phone and reread his text exchange with the nice girl from the bus stop for the thousandth time.

Y/n: this is y/n from the bus stop :) was so lovely to meet you! You doing anything tomorrow? x

Adam: not much, I was gonna hit the record store and maybe go feed the birds in the park. Wanna join me?

Y/n: sounds great! It's sweet that you like feeding the birds, I used to do that with my parents when I was a kid

Adam: haha yeah, I love animals. More than people tbh. I always feed the stray cats in my area, they're so cute

Y/n: wow, that's so kind :) I wish there were more people like you in the world haha! What time should we meet?

Adam: haha thanks :) is 2 good with you? At the stop we got off at yesterday

Y/n: two sounds perfect, see you then!

It was 1:40, he had 20 minutes to get to the bus stop to meet with y/n. He was excited, for once in his life, mooning over her kind words and positive attitude. Adam was most definitely attracted to this girl, but he tried not to think about that, he didn't want to get too ahead of himself, he needed to actually make a friend before he started thinking about a relationship. Despite this, however, he couldn't help but feel almost giddy at the thought of her smile.

He waited patiently at the bus stop where the pair had gone their separate ways the night before, with his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels. The weather was gloomy and a chill was in the air, but it did little to bring down his mood.

After only a few minutes of waiting, y/n appeared from down the road, and she merrily made her way over to Adam. Adam watched in genuine awe at how sweet she looked, bundled up in a sweater and a tatty scarf, looking elegantly dishevelled and so incredibly cute. He felt a blush creep it's way onto his milky white face, and he prayed she couldn't read his mind and see what he'd been thinking of her- that's if his pink face didn't betray him first.

"Good afternoon! I like your jacket" y/n smiled, her face practically shining.

Adam looked down at his own attire, he wore a plain black tshirt, a pair of ill fitting worn out blue jeans and an army green jacket. His clothes were by no means weather appropriate, but hypothermia was something he was willing to risk if it meant he would look presentable.

"Heh, thanks. I've had it since I was a teenager"

Just at that moment, the bus pulled up and the pair entered and took their seats.

The windows on the bus were all fogged up, and the seats were cold to the touch. Adam let out a small shiver as he sat down, beginning to regret his decision to opt for fashion over functionality. It would appear that y/n noticed this, and without hesitation, she pulled her scarf up and wrapped it over his shoulder, so that they were both wearing it.

Adam was slightly taken aback by this small act of kindness,

"Wh- what are y-" he spluttered

"Please," y/n chuckled, "you were making me cold just looking at you."

Adam turned to look at her, a shy (and very smitten) smile on his face,

"Thanks".

The seats were small and cramped, so their knees touched, and Adam swore he could taste his own pulse when their hands brushed against eachother. Did she do that on purpose? Was that how girls flirted nowadays? No, surely he wouldn't be so lucky. When they approached their stop, Adam pressed the button to alert the driver, and began to lift the scarf off of himself so that he could stand, when y/n stopped him. She took the scarf off her own neck and adjusted it around his.

"Keep it on, I don't want you to freeze to death" she joked with a warm, nurturing glow.

Adam felt a calming, protected feeling. Y/n seemed to want to take care of him,  and he felt as though he didn't have to be stoic and brave with her. He relaxed into the warmth of the scarf, savouring her scent as the pair of them stepped off the bus.

"Just down this street," Adam directed, leading them to his favourite record shop. Y/n followed eagerly,  gripping onto Adam's sleeve to keep up with him.

"I can't wait, I used to love record shops in my home town" y/n remarked gleefully.

Adam couldn't help but let himself take a moment to fantasise about a future with y/n. He barely knew her, yes, but good god imagine if he got to know her better? He thought about long evenings spent listening to music with her, watching old movies together, holding eachother close under a blanket. He knew it was unrealistic, but can't a man dream?

They entered the record shop and began to browse.

"Wow, look at this!" Y/n gasped, "there's all the prodigy albums on vinyl!"

Adam approached to look at the rack she was observing, and to his very pleasant surprise, y/n had been browsing the alternative and punk section of the store.

"I've got most of these records at home," he said,  "if you want, you can come over and listen to them at my place"

Y/n nodded enthusiastically

"Oh I will most definitely  be taking you up on that. Don't songs just sound so much better on a record player?" She beamed.

Adam couldn't quite belive what he was hearing. A beautiful girl, with the same interests as him wanted to come to his apartment to listen to music? Surely he was dreaming, this sort of thing only happened in cheesy movies, not in real life.

Much like waking up from a dream, Adam was bitterly snapped back to reality later on in the day when the pair arrived at the park. Just at the entrance stood a little news stand, advertising the latest issue of the local paper. On the front page, in big bold letters read: "JIGSAW KILLER RETURNS, POLICE HOSTAGE"

"What the hell is the jigsaw killer?" Y/n asked, sounding rightfully horrified.

She turned to look at Adam, who's face had turned stark white. His mouth hung open and his eyes were practically bulging out of his head.

"Adam?"

Adam had already turned away and began hastily walking through the park. Y/n followed worriedly, jogging a little to catch up to him.

"Adam, what's wrong?"

Adam wanted nothing more than to tell y/n exactly what was wrong. He was sure that if anyone knew how to comfort him, it would be her, she was so lovely, of course she'd be able to. But he couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth, she was such a radiant and beautiful person, he didn't want to risk freaking her out and ruining this friendship. His racing mind was halted when y/n spoke once again.

"Come sit down, Adam. You look like you could use it" she said, sitting down on a bench and patting the spot next to her.

"You don't have to tell me what's bothering you, but you do have to tell me how I can help you" she said.

Adam couldn't believe his ears, it seemed as though y/n just knew exactly what he needed to hear in that moment. She was so kind, so attentive, so perfect. So unlike anyone else Adam had ever encountered. Her kindness struck a chord within him that he didn't know he had, and seemingly unprompted, tears began to well in his eyes.

"Oh, honey!" Y/n gasped, "Don't cry, sweetheart, come here, it's okay" she cooed, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and rubbing his arm.

"I'm sorry, I'm being stupid" Adam choked  as he cleared his throat, trying his best not to cry.

"You're not being stupid, don't say that! Just take a few deep breaths, alright?" Y/n said, still smiling, ever smiling. How did she do that?

Adam breathed slowly, attempting to steady his shaking hands. He knew he'd have to tell her about what he'd been through at some point, but he wished he could have gone just a little longer without having to. Just a little longer to be Adam, the animal loving, record playing, charmingly moody guy from the bus stop. He didn't want to have to go back to being Adam, the paid stalker, the jigsaw victim, the self defence murderer. But as they say, all good things must come to an end.

Letting out a deep breath, Adam began to speak.

"I need to tell you something, and I understand if you don't wanna be friends anymore once I've told you"

Y/n's brow furrowed, but she didn't seem afraid.

"I was um.. a victim of that jigsaw guy, the one from the newspaper"

"What?" Y/n said in disbelief.

"He kidnapped me and chained me up in this room with this doctor, said that if we wanted to escape we had to saw our own feet off. A whole bunch of other shit went down, this guy came in the room with a gun and tried to kill me and the other guy, so I had to.." he trailed off and pursed his lips, "anyways, the doctor, he sawed off his foot and got out. I was too fucking scared and I'd already been shot by that point, so I just waited for him to get help. But the asshole never came back. I was in there for a couple days until the cops found me. Doctors say that if I'd been left just a few hours longer I'd be dead now."

Adam's face was expressionless as he started straight ahead at something that wasn't there. His fingers tangled themselves around the ends of the scarf he wore in an absent minded attempt to soothe himself. He could have swore that his heart stopped, the birds ceased their calls, the wind stilled and the world stopped turning for the painstakingly long few seconds he waited for y/n's reaction. He braced himself for the goodbye.

"Wow." She said softly, "you know, I think most people would let something like that turn them into a not so good person. It speaks volumes about your character that you're still so..."

Adam turned to look at her. She was smiling.

"... great" she said.

The look on her face was one that Adam had never seen before. It wasn't one of pity, not even a hint of disgust, just pure, unadulterated kindness. Adam thought she might very have been an angel in that moment.

"So... you still want to be friends?" He asked, feeling slightly more confident.

Y/n pulled him towards her by the scarf and looked him dead in the eyes.

"Adam, I want nothing more than to be your friend"

Adam felt himself smile, only slightly in relief, mostly just in pure ecstasy. Things were finally starting to go right for him.

A/n Hello! Thank you to those who said they wanted a part 2 to this! Comment if you wanna be tagged when part 3 is up :^)

Replies and reblogs are very much appreciated! I thrive on your validation lmao

Requests are open! Check my pinned post for details and masterlist! <3

[danses-with-dogmeat]

I love love love how you write! The little details you add into your reacts are amazing <3 I was hoping to ask if you haven't done so yet, what would the romanced companions say in their own version of the "Hi Honey" holo tape? It could be them making their own tape for any reason or to replace the one the SoSu's spouse made becuase it was destroyed or buried with them, it doesnt matter, just thought that would help the angst/comfort factor 😅 have a good day, love <3

Fallout 4 Companions' Versions of the "Hi, Honey" Tape

Okay, I adore this <3

It's a.... bit more angsty than I meant it to be, but it's all happy and fluffy underneath, so, you know... kinda my forte 😅 And also some of them are... more romanced than others, as you'll see, so just a heads up on that. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

Also, I tried kind of a different format for this one, almost like you're reading the subtitles/script for the holotape, so hopefully the unique format makes this one interesting 😁

Oh, and just a quick TW for mention of suicidal thoughts/actions!

Cait:

"Oi, ya fucking-- Does this damn thing even work?"

*exasperated noise*

"Alright. There, I think that's done it."

*muffled adjusting*

"Okay."

*sigh*

"Hey. Sole... I uh, I don't really know how to tell ya everything I'd like to... Before I go through with this, you know. I'm not sure what's goin te happen, but I wanted you to know one thing before I go inte that machine, since... I don't know, I might not come back out as meself. Or, or even at all."

*deep breath*

"I just, in case somethin' happens, I want ya te know..."

(pause)

"I love ya."

*short chuckle*

"I know, sounds strange comin' from me, I'm sure, but... It's the truth. I do, and I have, for a bit, but... I'm not really sure why it took me this long te tell ya. Maybe cuz I was scared. Scared that I'd scare ya away."

*Huff of breath*

"Me? Scared? I know how it sounds, trust me, but it's true. I was... worried about losin' ya. Cuz, truth is, Sole, yer the first person who actually seems to give a damn what happens te me. You know this, I've told ya, I know, but even me own damn parents didn't give a shite about me. An' the ghoul, well, he only ever considered what I could do for him. Knew how to keep me hooked, to keep makin' him money. But you... I had my doubts, I'll be the first to admit, but... You've looked out fer me better than anyone, and you did from the start, with nothin' to gain by doin' so."

(pause)

"I don't know why ye did it. Almost scared me off, the thought of someone bein kind te me fer no reason at all. Thought you were gonna end up worse than all the rest, because there was no way you were just bein' that nice with nothin' te gain from it. But I was wrong. And I've never been so damn glad te be wrong in me whole life."

(pause)

*Deep breath*

"An' I want ye t'know one more thing... I knew about this machine. I knew about it a bit ago. I could've gone with someone else, could've gone on me own, even. Maybe I wouldn't have made it out alive, but it didn't really matter te me at the time. And neither did gettin' clean. I told you I'd been trying to get sober for awhile, but nothin' was workin', and that wasn't a lie, but... Before you, I didn't really want te get clean. There was just..."

(pause)

"There was no point to it. Get clean fer what? I didn't want to feel anythin'. Well, anythin' but the rush of psycho. Couldn't feel anything if I was off it, I was so damn numb to the whole world... But you... you changed that. Somewhere along the way, when I was with you, I felt... somethin' else. I want te feel that again, but I want te feel it all. No psycho, no nothin'. Just you. And I'm hopin' you feel the same, but if you don't... It doesn't matter too much. I just... I wanted you te know."

(pause)

*huff of air*

"So there. I said what I meant to. You heard it. An' whether or not ye feel the same, I... I just hope it means somethin' to ya."

*click*

Curie:

"My love! Look at what I 'ave found! Or... Listen to it, rather."

*giggling*

"But isn't zhis wonderful? I can now tell you 'ow much I love you! Zhough, I do suppose I say it quite often... Still, what better day zhan zhis? I know zhere are many who no longer observe zhis holiday, but it is our first one together and I wanted to do something special. I thought of many possible zhings to gift you, since I feel as zhough I simply could not give you enough!"

*laughter*

"But zhen... I settled on zhis idea... I want you to listen to zhis recording, any time you are not feeling at your best, when I am not around to help you, or whenever else you feel like it, even when I am in zhe room next to you, you will have zhis at your disposal."

"I just want you to know 'ow much I care for you. You are zhe one who saved me, who made me not feel so alone in zhis new world, who helped me not to be afraid. I was afraid, mon amour, you remember. I was afraid to go out on my own, so you stayed close to my side, I was afraid I could never follow my dreams, zhat I could not become who I am today, afraid I would never be able to be with you, to feel all zhat I do when you are near and beside me. I would not be myself without you, I would still be in zhat 'orrible vault, would still be afraid and alone..."

(pause)

"But I am not, and it is thanks to you. You are... zhe most beautiful person I have ever come into contact with. The kindest, the most loving, zhe gentlest, and you are zhe one I love, when I did not know I was capable of such feeling! You made it so, my lovely Sole, and I could not be more grateful to share all zhese new-- all zhese so very human experiences with you. I love you, vers la lune et retour."

*giggles*

"It is amazing zhat I can say such things and mean zhem! I had heard about love, had read about it, and knew of zhe chemicals and such, but to feel it, to say zhese things, to know why I'm saying zhem, who is making me feel zhem, it is a wonderful feeling, mon cheri/e."

(pause)

"Oh!"

*shuffling paper noises*

"And I almost forgot! Comme c'est drôle de moi... I have a poem to read to you! It is one I read from a novel long ago, I had to dig to find it, to make sure it was correct. I did not understand it zhen, not as much as I do now, but now, it is all zhe more beautiful."

*clears throat*

"Je dédie à tes pleurs, à ton sourire,

Mes plus douces pensées,

Celle que je te dis, celles aussi

Qui demeurent imprécisées

Et trop profondes pour les dire"

"I can translate as well! Do not worry! It just sounds so belle en François. What it means is, zhat I dedicate my sweetest thoughts to both your tears and your smiles, all of my thoughts, zhe ones zhat I say to you, and zhe ones I 'ave no words for, zhat are too imprecise. Even zhose thoughts zhat are so deep zhat you cannot say zhem aloud, even zhose go to you, mon amour. I dedicate so much to you, because you 'ave given me so very much since zhe day you and I met. It does seem rather small in comparison, just zhis little poem, after all you 'ave done, but it is zhe truth. I love you so much, my Sole. 'Appy Valentines day."

"Love, Curie."

Danse:

*clears throat*

"I know I'm not very good at these sort of talks in person, and... I'm honestly not sure it'll be any better through this tape. But I feel like I have to try."

"I'm... Well, let me just preface this by saying that I'm sorry for what happened today. You weren't meant to... Well, let's just say that I should've thrown that tape recording away a long time ago. That same day that I recorded it, even. And if it's any consolation, I never paid the contents of it any further mind after our talk at the Bunker. When I think of it now, I..."

*deep sigh*

"Knowing what I do now, what was to come... I can't believe I would've just... Just ended it."

(pause)

"Everything was so jumbled then. After I found out what I was, I felt so lost. My existence, without the Brotherhood, it felt so... purposeless. The words on that tape... they just helped me get everything off my mind. Helped me feel like there was a way out of all that uncertainty, as rash as it may seem in hindsight."

"Then you appeared below the surface. Even with all my defenses... I don't even know why I put them up, if I was just planning to...

*sigh*

"It's not a day I like to remember."

"You are what made it bearable. Not just that day, not just my... whole self discovery, but everything. Without you, I wouldn't have only been dead, but I would have been lost. Everything I truly believe in, all that I've worked for... I felt like less than nothing when it was all stripped away. Along with my identity. My personhood. But these past couple years... you've built me up again. You've made me into something-- someone I can be proud of. Helped me make the difference I thought could only be achieved through the Brotherhood, and I don't know how I'll ever be able to thank you for all that you've given me."

"My life, my belief in myself, the courage to move on when I felt I had nothing, that I was nothing... But I was wrong. I was always wrong. I never had nothing, not even on my darkest days, when I wished beyond reason that I could crawl out of my own synthetic skin. Even on those days, I still had you."

"The day that you confessed your feelings to me was the first day that I began to question a few of the core beliefs of the Brotherhood. With the overwhelming strength and certainty of my own feelings for you, I wondered how the Brotherhood could ever consider me-- my kind, to be soulless abominations. Every day my feelings of fondness for you grow stronger, and every day I stray away from the belief that I'm nothing but a mere machine. I never could've done that without you."

"Ever since the day I met you, I've felt like... somehow, our fates have been tied to one another. Like I was always meant to know you. And it might be strange, to phrase it that way, to think that some... higher power pulled the strings in such a way to ensure our meeting, our friendship, o-our love, but if it hadn't turned out that way... that tape I made would be in the Brotherhood archives, and I would be..."

*exhale*

"I just hope that my presence in your life has yielded even a fraction of the happiness, security and support that you provide me with. If so, it'll all have been worth it."

"I hope what I said on this tape doesn't make you uncomfortable, I-I know the subject matter is quite upsetting, but if I can offer further consolation, the tape in question no longer exists. I erased it, in favor of this message. I thought it would be... symbolic. The way our love for one another, and my dedication to you has erased the negative feelings I had for myself, that almost drove me to complete ruin. I apologize again for what you heard on that tape, and it pains me to know you felt guilt for not being able to do more after my... self discovery. The truth is, Sole, you were the only thing standing between me and the ending that that tape promised for my life, and I could never find a way to thank you for all that you've done for me."

"I love you, Sole. More than I thought could ever be possible, even before finding out that I was a synth."

(pause)

*clears throat*

"Anyway, that was what I felt I had to say. I know it was long winded, and I... well, I never know quite how to end these conversations, but I suppose it's worth saying it again. Thank you, Sole. For giving me my life back. The rest of it belongs to you."

Deacon:

"Csssshhhhk this is your captain speaking, yeah, we're gonna be traveling at around fifty eight thousand feet in a minute here, so just wanted to tell you to get comfortable, drop those trays, get out those peanuts, oxygen masks, space suits, and--"

*muffled laughter*

"No, but anyway... Hey Sole, it's ah, it's me. You're favorite crimefighting deathbunny, and partner in all things inappropriate. I... just wanted to make this... I know we don't have the same type of job security or workers' compensation from before the big booms, so just y'know, like an insurance policy, especially now that there's all this added paperwork with our little developing relationship status, it just felt important, y'know? Another record to dust off one day. And... I wanted to be sure you could always have a way to hear my lovely voice, my bad jokes, my flawless singing, you know, just in case... I know how much you'd miss it."

*sighs*

"Look, I... I know it hasn't always been easy, everything you've been through, to add all my problems to the pile. The trust issues, the compulsive lying, those pesky little intimacy problems that make things extra fun, and... I could go on, but I'm afraid the tape would run out of space."

"I guess, what I'm trying to say is... Thanks. Sole. You're everything I needed and never deserved or expected. I had this plan, this idea of what the rest of my life would be like, and you just--"

*breaks into laughter*

"You just waltzed right into those catacombs and blew those ideas to smithereens. Shot 'em down with your charm and your selflessness and good looks, and man... I didn't stand a chance. I can't believe you chose me. You coulda had anybody. Even Carrington, if you kept at it, but you chose to love me, even with how... difficult it must've been-- must be..."

"I still don't know why you did it, but I've never been more grateful in my life. You're my partner in crime, my fellow deathbunny, my bestie, and now you're my husband/wife?! ... It's crazy. Crazy awesome, and I... I never thought I'd tread that kind of path again, not with anyone, and I wouldn't have... if it weren't for you."

"Ahh, you. You're just... The best, and I love you. I know I don't say it enough, and when I do, I don't sound serious. But no matter how uncomfy it makes me feel to say it aloud, it's true. I love you, Sole."

(pause)

"But alright, bestie, I've gotta go. I'm about to have the best sleepover of my life, with this awesome person, I'm sure you know them, and I'm really feeling like I'm gonna get lucky. You can't see it, but I just winked at you. Anyways, wish me luck, and I'll... I'll see you in the field."

"Deathbunny out."

Gage:

“Hiya there boss… It’s…”

*under his breath* “I hope this damn thing is even recording.”

*snorts*

 “But, it’s me. Jus’ wanted to say some stuff…"

*sighs*

“Look, it’s tough for me, I’m sure you know it more than most, but, it’s tough for me to reach out like this. I never… Well, you know this too Sole, but, I never done this sorta thing before. With the relationship and the… I don’t know, man, the arguments. Before, well, fights like this usually meant the end of things, but you said that ain’t how it’s supposed to be. We’re supposed to work through this shit, somehow, and so I… I guess I figured I’d start with this.” 

*deep breath*

“I’m sorry. Sole. There, okay? I’m sorry for bein’ an asshole, for not givin’ you enough credit, not remembering that yer new to this whole raider thing, this whole Overboss thing. And that… well, you’ve probably never been with someone like me before. I sure as hell’ve never been with somebody like you, but… What can I say? It’s hard to find folks like you out here anyhow. You’re your own breed, boss. And that’s far from a bad thing. Jus’... Well, you know me. If you’re your own breed, I’m a goddamn mutt. I’m rough around the edges, not used to tryin’ to make things work. I’ve solved a hell of a lot more problems with my knife than I have with my words, but… I wanna… Well, I wanna make things work this time ‘round, boss… Sole… I mean, you know how I feel about ya, and I… I ain’t never had anything like this, and I just don’t know how I got along so long without you, cuz… Well, Sole, cuz you just make everything better.”

(pause)

“I mean… my life’s not worth a whole lot, that ain’t no mystery or nothin’, but when yer in it… It feels like somethin’ worth having. Not like the rest of my life, oh… stumblin’ around looking for scraps of quick fixes that could make me forget how little my life really means, but… having something worth holding onto, worth bein’ around for… that’s what it’s like with you.”

*dry chuckle*

“And to think, I was stupid enough to think that one little argument was worth losing all this over. Worth losing the only thing in my life that really makes it worthwhile. Cuz that’s what you are, baby. That’s what you are to me. Even though I don’t say it a whole lot… It don’t mean that I… That I don’t mean it, you know?”

*sigh*

“I can’t be the easiest to get along with, I’m sure. I’m so damn hard-headed most of the time, and I always act like I know what I’m talking about, which… Well, you know that usually ain’t the truth.”

*chuckles*

“But somehow you got the patience for all this. All my shit. And… I may not always be the sharpest knife in the drawer, or whatever the saying is, but I know what I got with you. I know what you’re worth, baby, and it’s more than I got, and I know you bein’ with me at all is a charity, but… Well dammit, I hope I got some worth to you too, cuz I just… I need you now, Sole. I wanna be worth the headache and the patience, and I wanna work through the fights and learn how to make it up to you. I never had this before… I never felt this way about no one. I don’t wanna lose it. I can’t… lose you. Things jus’, well, they just wouldn’t be the same…” 

*deep sigh*

“I know I’m going ‘round in circles a bit here, but you know apologies ain’t really my strong suit. An’ neither is all this mushy stuff, but I’m trying all right? I’m trying for you. And I’m gonna keep on doing that until you tell me you can’t stand it no more. It’s just the kinda reckless, hard-headed, stubborn fool I am, Sole. Gonna keep telling you how you changed it all for me, how you’re so damn incredible it makes my chest hurt, how I… Well dammit. Guess I’ve gotta say it now, huh? Look, there. You did it boss, you got it out of me. Damn near slipped out before I could even catch it too. Nasty little words, but… It’s never been truer. I love you Sole.”

(pause)

*comical sigh*

“And while we’re at it, might as well say I’m sorry again, too. There. You got both outta me. Got it all. There’s nothing left for you to take, baby, all my cards just out on the table like that and I forgot how to fucking bluff.” 

*soft chuckle*

“Nah, but… I mean it, Sole. I ain’t nothin’ without you. Next time we fight, just pull this shit outta your pocket and I’ll shut right up, I promise. And… If I’m ever not sayin’ all that… All that I should, if I’m being an ass like I do sometimes, just listen to this while I’m off sulkin’ somewhere. Cuz it’s true. It’s all true, and no amount of me bein’ pissy or stubborn is gonna change that... Is gonna change the fact that… Well, dammit, I do, I love you, Sole.”

(pause)

“Greedy bastard, you’ve gotten it outta me twice now, so you should be all caught up for awhile… Just don’t use it against me too often, okay? Don’t abuse this shit, or you definitely ain’t gonna hear it as much, I’ll tell ya that.”

*chuckles*

 “Alright, don’t know when this thing is gonna run outta tape, but it’s bound to be close. I’ll, ah, I’ll see ya soon, baby.”

*click*

Hancock:

"Heya, Sunshine. It's, ah, it's me. I know it hasn't been all that long since we've seen each other, and I know you're busy. Hard being the hero all the time, hard being the best person there is in the Commonwealth, I get it. But I wanted to tell ya, that... I miss you. I miss you when we're not together, from the moment I see you leave through the Goodneighbor gate, I'm already turning to tell you how much I'm gonna miss you, before I realize that you're gone. That's how bad it is, sweetheart, I-I talk to you even when you're not here."

*chuckles*

"Maybe it's cuz I'm a little nuts, or something, I don't know. Either way though, when I'm alone like this, jus'... thinking about you, I wish I had a way to hear that pretty voice o' yours. So, I thought we could make somethin' like this. Just a reminder, that I'm thinkin' about ya, I'm wishin' you were here, even though I know it's important that you're away."

*sighs*

"Still doesn't change that I want you back here by my side. Or to be out there with you. Kickin' ass. Making a difference. Watchin' you in action, if you know what I mean, heh. Yeah."

(pause)

"Damn this hurts. I get it. I do. I know you have to be out there. I know I can't go everywhere with you all the time, an' I don't mean to make you feel bad, baby, not at all. Jus' want you to know. Know how much it affects me when you're not here."

*sniffles*

*forced chuckle*

"Fahrenheit even notices. Says I'm no fun when you're not around anymore. She's had to drag me outta bed a few times this week... Yeah."

*shaky breath*

"Sorry 'bout this, Sunshine. Sorry if it doesn't make much sense. Brain's kinda foggy right now. I don't mean to make ya feel bad, you know? Jus'... just wanted you to know."

(pause)

"Shit, already said that, huh? Damn, it's just, it's true. I miss you, I love you, baby, and I want you with me all the time."

*muffled* "Oh Jesus. What are you doing?"

"Nothin,' Fare, go on."

*Fahrenheit* "Who are you talking to?"

"Sole. Now go on. Not done yet."

*Fahrenheit* "Sole? Hancock, Sole's not--"

"I know. Leaving a message for 'em. When they are here."

*sigh*

*door closing*

"Jesus. See? Goin' crazy over here, with her hoverin' over me. Need you, baby."

"Now... what was I sayin'?"

*laughter*

"Sorry it's so all over the place. This is what you do to me."

*a breath*

"There's just one thing I'm gonna ask from you, baby. You can go, I know you've gotta sometimes, just... come back. Alright, Sunshine? Come back to me. Do what you gotta do, but just know, now, that I've got you. You're part of the package. The coat, the hat, my whole look, the talk, my title, everything that makes me, me, now you're in that. I can't--"

*sniffles*

"I can't be without ya. Not for good, ya hear? So all I gotta know, is that you're gonna come back to me. Just... Try and think about that when you're out there on your own. Don't take the risk if you don't have to. You're good, baby. The most selfless person I ever met, and I love that about you, but... don't make the sacrifice, okay? I know I'm bein' selfish, but I ain't a saint like you, so I'd say it's pretty on-brand."

*soft chuckle*

"Just don't... Jus' come back to me. That's all I'm saying. It's all I need, okay, baby? Just need you..."

*sigh*

"Think I should probably let you go now, huh? So you can get back to bein' a badass, an' all that. Just one more thing though, before you set this tape aside... I love you, Sole. Just need you to know that, if you haven't listened to anything else on this tape, just know that. I love you, and... I'll see you soon."

MacCready:

"Geeze I hope this thing works..."

*fiddling noises*

"How do you even know if it's recording? Is that...? Hmm."

(pause)

"Okay. Well, here goes nothing."

*Clears throat*

"Hey, Sole. I, ah, I hope this works, because I've got a few things I wanted to... um, say. Wow, geeze, really off to a good start here, huh? I just hope this dang thing is even recording."

*chuckle*

"But if it is... Well, I just wanted to say... thanks."

*soft sigh*

"Truth is, I wouldn't even be doing this if it weren't for you. Maybe one day, yeah, it was always the plan to go back to Duncan, to be with him, but... I never thought I'd be bringing him back to a family. It was... one of the reasons I think I was putting it off. I mean, what do I have to offer? As a dad I-I'm doing my best, but... Is it enough? Will he be lonely with just me? Can I look after him as well as I want to, as well as he deserves? Is he going to be happy, with just me? And maybe he was, and I worried for nothing, but... With you, the decision was so much easier. And..."

*deep breath*

"Well, without your help, I... I might not even have been able to ask those questions. Duncan might not have... You know."

(pause)

"But you helped me. Even when you barely even knew me."

*laughter*

"I didn't think there was anyone like you out there, who would just help me, and not expect anything in return, I didn't think I'd ever find someone out there worthwhile. I mean, after the Gunners, well, they made it hard to see the good in the world, and even when I met you, I know I was... Well, I was a bit of an ass, huh?"

*chuckles*

"But that didn't seem to phase you. No... I don't think anything I could've done would have scared you away for good, once you saw how badly I needed you."

"And that's why I love you so much, Sole. You put other people before you, and you don't expect a damn thing in return, and it's so... Gosh, it's so weird that you do that, I've never met anyone like that, and I've never met anyone like you, and I didn't think, honestly... I never thought I'd be able to fall for someone again, after everything, but... I never saw you coming. And I mean... I'm a sniper. So I've got good eyes, you know."

*breaks into laughter*

"Sorry for that one. Sort of. But I can see that face, without you even being here, I can see that amused but... disappointed look you give me when I make those bad jokes. Those 'dad jokes' as you call them."

*more chuckling*

"I love you so much, baby. I didn't think I'd ever be able to say those words again. To say those words and-and mean them, but I can. And... I know you felt the same way, about loving again, after everything you've lost, but... I'm glad you found me. In that dingy old underground bar, where I almost got my butt whooped by those Gunner clowns, where I was spending all my hard-earned caps trying to drown out my problems... You pulled me out of that, and probably saved my life... No, you did save it, cuz without you, if I'd lost Duncan too, I just... Yeah, I wouldn't have been able to go on much longer if I didn't have him. If I didn't have you."

*sniffs*

"But he's going to be..."

*laughs*

"Just so excited to meet you, I mean, I've told you about him, he's just so adventurous and playful, and even when he couldn't talk at all, he loved meeting new people, and he's- god, he's gonna love you. And I'm gonna have my work cut out for me, cuz, I mean... you think I'm cute? Just wait, I mean, I'm never gonna see you again, you're just gonna want to run off with him and leave me behind, I mean-- his eyes, Sole, they're so blue, and his little cheeks, and gosh, there's nothing I love more than him... than you, too, and the thought of you two together? Heck, I don't know what I'm gonna do with myself, I'm not going to be able to handle it all. To handle... for the first time in so long, being actually... happy. Being part of a family again..."

*exhale*

"You know... I think you know that it... It makes me nervous. To be so happy. To have so much to lose, but... I know that you know what that's like. And I just- I just can't wait for us all to be a part of it. No matter how scary it is, or how strange it'll feel to have it again, to have a family, but have it be different, but... I'm so glad it's with you. And I just... I can't wait to see you, baby. Can't wait for you to see him."

*a breath*

"Just promise me... promise me you won't... leave."

*sniffs*

"...That you won't run off with Duncan and leave me behind. I promise, there's enough of him for both of us i-if we ration, you know?"

*teary laughter*

"We can share him, just... Just stay safe, for me, Sole, okay? I don't want-- I can't lose... I just... can't do this alone."

*deep breath*

"But, ah, anyway, I'll see you soon, okay Sole? I'll see you when I-- when we get back. I love you, and the next time we're together... we'll be a proper family."

Nick:

"Hey there, Sole. It's ah, it's your Nick here. Just wanted to make somethin' for ya, to help get you through these next few... days, maybe. I know this isn't gonna be easy, but I want you to know, I'm proud of you. You did it. You made it where no one thought you ever could, and hopefully, it pays off."

*low sigh*

"God, I hope it does. If there's anyone out there who deserves it, it's you. But we both know it doesn't always work that way..."

*exhale*

"No matter what happens in there though, I'm here for you. Always, alright? I don't mean that lightly, Sole. I've helped you come this far... even when it really didn't seem like you needed my help."

*chuckle*

"I mean it was you who saved me first, right?"

*more laughter*

*small sigh*

"Anyway, guess what I'm really saying here, Sole, is that... I want it to go right. I want you to find your boy, I want you, more than anything, to be happy. You've been through so much, more than anyone should have to go through, and I want you to be able to rest, to have the family you wanted, that you deserve, or, part of that family, at least. You're one of the best damn people I've met in all my years, and no matter how this all goes, I'll be by your side to help you face it."

(pause)

"You know... I'm not really sure why you picked me, if I'm honest, Sole. I'm just a rusty old synth, but... I'm a rusty old synth who's... in love with you. Who wants, more than most anything, for you to just be happy. And if I can have some part in making that happen, well, then I guess I shouldn't really question it, huh? But who am I kidding? I'm a detective, it's in my nature to question unlikely things."

*small chuckle*

"Well, guess I've rambled on here quite a bit, but I wanted you to have something. For when you're in there, so you remember that you're not alone. You've got good friends out here, so many people who care about you, who are rootin' for ya. Me, most of all. No matter what happens, we're all proud of how far you've come. No one even thought this would be possible, but since the day I met you, I've been realizing that the word 'impossible' really isn't in your vocabulary, huh? Who would've thought some pre-war vaulty would get as far as you did? Well, you did, and you really showed anyone who thought differently. It's one of the, oh, couple dozen or so things I love about you, darling. You always show those that need showing, always right the wrongs around you, even when some would argue it ain't your business. But you show those folks too, don't ya?"

*chuckles*

"You're just a whole lotta something, there, Sole. I never met anyone like ya, and there's no one else I could think of who could get through everything you've survived. You'll get through this too, I know it. And... I don't know, maybe I'm just losin' a few screws or something, but I believe you're gonna find your boy in there... But no matter what happens in the Institute, just know you got people out here waitin' for ya. Wishin' ya the best. Wishin' for ya to make it back home to us. We all love ya, Sole. And me? I love ya most of all."

"Yours, Nick."

Piper:

"Come on, come onnnn."

*Nat speaking indiscernably*

"That did it? You think?"

*Nat* "Yes."

"Oh. Okay. Geesh, this is why I just wanted to write a letter or something, but Nat said I should... cuz of the tape that you lost, and what it meant to you, and hearing my voice and-- Geeze, already rambling. So unlike me, huh?"

*laughter*

"Uh, anyways, um... Hey. Blue."

*more laughter*

"Who let me do this? This is awful. I wanna just talk straight to you, you know? See that cute little face of yours, that embarrassed smile with the way your eyes crinkle. The face you're probably making right now. Eh? Did I getcha? Are you making that face? Bet you are."

*giggling*

"I guess I know you pretty well by now, huh? Four years, Blue. Four! I don't know how I've put up with you all that time, but also, I... I don't really know what I would've done without you. That day we met... I think back on it all the time. How perfect everything had to be for us to meet like that, to get that great first impression. It always makes me laugh, the way we still give Danny a hard time about it, blaming him whenever we have those silly little arguments, just so we can't blame each other. I wonder if other couples do that? If they have a sort of scapegoat for their silly little..."

(pause)

"Okay, yeah, getting off topic. The reason I made this, well, this tape recording, that I wanted to be a note, that I probably could've just said straight to your face, was so I could just say... thanks. I know I tell you a lot how much you mean to me, but, I also think you always need to hear it. You've been through so much, lived through multiple lifetimes... you really were-- and are, the story of the century, Blue. You're incredible, and strong, and goofy, and absolutely adorable, if I do say so myself."

*giggles*

"Ahem, anyways, um... Where was I?... Oh! Yeah, you're..."

*quick breath*

"You're a great leader, and you could do anything you set your mind to, I mean really, once you've lived over two hundred years, learned how to fight giant monster lizards, how to cure super mutants, travel through someone's brain, and even teleport, I think the sky is hardly the limit."

*more soft laughter*

"Yeah... I knew I'd get just a little off topic, but when it all comes down to it, there's really only one thing you need to know, Blue."

"I love you. And I'm so grateful to have you in my life and as my partner in everything, and though these past few years have been like... the best of my life, I think the future holds a lot for us. Keep being strong, keep being you, and I'll be right here, cheering you on, loving you. Like I have from the start."

(pause)

"Oh, and Nat'll be here too. Rolling her eyes. Scrunching her face when we kiss in front of her and pretending to barf, but... she'll be loving you too. Won't you, sis?"

*Noncommittal noise*

"See? She agrees. Love ya, Blue. See you soon."

(pause)

*whispered* "Which one do I press to stop it? Which one? Oh. Oh, okay, I see--"

*click*

Preston:

"Sole? Hey. It's Preston."

*light chuckle*

"But you could probably guess that, huh? Yeah, well, I just wanted to say a few things. So you have them, so we do, for later, and everything... I'm just... Where to even start with you?"

*a breath*

"You're just... so amazing. You have been, since the day I met you, and every day since. You've taken everything the Commonwealth throws at you, and you've turned it into something beautiful. Something we can help grow, help to make this world a better place. And... you've given me hope."

*light laughter*

"It sounds so simplified when I put it like that, but it's not."

*soft sigh*

"I had no hope, before I met you. It was gone, and I just felt... hollow, but now I see all of the amazing possibilities for the world, for you and me, and the Minutemen. I never would've made it this far without you, and what we're doing now? This big adventure we're taking together? I know... I know you've been there before. That you... had a family before, and I know the way it turned out, and I can't imagine how difficult it is to look past that, and to try again. But... I want you to know I'm here for you. I always will be, just like you were there for me, when I needed you most."

"I want this for us, and you're... God, Sole, you're just so strong to want this too, so brave, and selfless, and-- and you just see the possibilities in life and you go for them, and I love that about you."

"Even just saying all this, it has me smiling from ear to ear. Just thinking about you does that to me, babe. I couldn't tell you the last time I smiled like this before I met you. I don't think I even could, to tell you the truth, but now... I mean, my cheeks hurt. Just thinking about seeing you after this mission, thinking about our talk, about us... settling down... Yeah, it's gonna be tough. Like you said, it's hard to get me to stay in one place, but you like to wander a whole lot too, you know."

*laughing*

"But I don't think I've been more ready, more excited for anything in my life. I love you so much, I almost can't believe it sometimes, but then I see you, and I... Well, I can believe it, because you're just that good. That perfect, that kind and loving, and selfless, and I just can't believe that out of all the other people in this world, I was lucky enough to meet you, and somehow, you wanted to be with me too."

(pause)

"I think I might've told you this already. At least once, but just in case, I'm gonna tell you again... Sole. I loved you from the moment I saw you. I... I couldn't believe it."

*laughter*

"I thought it was crazy, thought I lost my mind or something, but it was true. As soon as you came into my life, I was ready to pledge mine to you. I-I was in love. And as unbelievable as it seemed at the time, so soon after meeting you, that's never changed. And I'm betting that it never will."

"I love you, Sole. So much, and I can't wait to see you back here, and I can't wait to make that pledge all over again, can't wait to start our family, and... And god, I'm so excited to see you, I can't even sit still, I just--"

*muffled voice*

"What? Now?"

*sound of confirmation*

"Already? But I thought--"

*Annoyed sound getting further away*

"No, hold on, I'm coming!"

"Sturges says you're here."

"You're... you're home. You're home early..."

*disbelieving laughter*

"I'm gonna go and see you. Now. Right now, I've gotta--"

*muffled rustling noise*

"I'm gonna go. Sort of. I love you Sole, see you soon!"

X6-88:

"Sole... Ma'am/Sir. This is X6-88. I..."

*small sigh*

"I would like to extend my condolences to you. Your son... I wish you could have known him as I did. As so many of us did, as you never had the chance to. It is unfortunate, but... What I said, before, when I told you that I believe in you... It was not a lie, sir/ma'am. I do believe, fully, that you are meant to take his place, that you will do incredible things for The Institute."

"To be honest, I'm not sure why I felt the urge to record this message for you, but... Perhaps it's because I feel... that you should be able to hear this, to listen to this tape if ever you feel... inadequate, or... alone. You are neither, sir/ma'am, I assure you."

(pause)

"And I also... I know what it's like. To feel that way."

"Perfection is something that's required in every unit that is created to be a courser. It's something hardwired into us, and so is our aptitude for solitude, and yet... Either there is great fault with my programming, or you were enough to bypass all of it altogether. I've never felt less... Well, perhaps not less perfect, but I've never felt... more..."

*quietly*

"Human, than when I'm with you."

"It is not by my own conscious decision, but all of my defenses seem to lower when you are at my side. I've spoken so outwardly with you, I've... laughed, which is something I never knew I was capable of doing. I've come to despise being alone completely. Or... perhaps not alone, but more... without you. It makes my chest feel tight, and my thoughts wander to your safety whenever I'm not by your side. I'm not... I'm not quite sure why I feel so differently about you than I do anyone else I've met, why you elicit these reactions and thoughts, but I do know that they are enough for me to believe you are... exceptional."

*soft exhale*

"There is no one more capable, or better suited to leading us. No one who has had the influence over me that you do. Not Ayo, not Father, not even the... infuriatingly endearing young Shaun."

*short laugh*

"None of them... and yet you, from the beginning, have surprised me. Your prowess in combat, your amusing commentary, your strange empathy and searing wit... It all took me by surprise. Which isn't easy, I'll have you know. I'm a courser after all."

*muted chuckle*

(pause)

"I'm a courser... And yet, you've always treated me like an... an equal. Not a machine, or a weapon, not something to fear or to order around without regard for my own preferences, my own... conscience. It's something I never thought that I would find to be a virtue. Not something that's ever mattered to me, and yet, now... Now anyone who's not you, everyone here who disregards me the way they always have... It tries my patience."

(pause)

"I blame you, for that, sir/ma'am. But also I'm... Thankful to you. I'm... glad I've been able to accompany you in your travels, that I've been able to guide you in your new time in this world, I feel privileged that I've been able to witness your transformation, that I've gotten to know you, after all this time, and I... I want you to know that I'm here for you. Now, as you grieve the loss of your son, and in the future, as you take on your new responsibilities as the leader of The Institute. I will be here, by your side. To protect you, to help you, to amuse you, even, if that's what you require from me, since I often seem to do so without realizing it."

*soft exhale*

"I want the best for you, Sole. I want you to feel safe, I want you to be... happy. It's not something I'm used to... wanting these things for another, but as always, you are the exception. If you need anything from me, if you want anything, I will be here. For you, Sole."

"Sincerely, X6."

[mr-voorhees-husband]

ANON IM SORRRY I DID A DUMB BUT

THIS IS FOR THE ANON WHO WANTED PENGUIN N HARVEY DENT X VIRGIN READER

Also I'm sorry for being like, hella dead on here. Life's been life, to put it bluntly.

How about.. Arkham!Twoface and... Reeves!Oz

Warnings/tags: losing your virginity, soft sex, very gentle, Daddy Kink (Oz), slightly ooc Harv? Idk its my hc version so..

Reader: Gender Neutral, virgin

Arkhamverse! Harvey + Harv Dent

Good god are they soft.

They were scared that you'd yet to sleep together, but, when you finally came clean? Both were so relived they didn't even realize what you said at first.

The first one to fully react it Harv, he wasn't as worried about the 'no sex' thing as Harvey, surprisingly. So while he was relieved, it clicked almost immediately.

He chuckles and grins, taking control so he can yank you to their chest and tilt your head up with his hand, Harvery's resting on your waist, "Why didn't ya' just say so, Doll? Y'know we'll never judge ya'."

Oddly gentle for such a sleazy, rough man, but it's simply because he can understand it. He technically was a virgin too, even if Harvey wasn't. Yeah, he'd know what to do, Harvey had plenty of experience, but, he'd never actually had sex before.

The idea of you both being eachother's firsts made him giddy, already planning the perfect date night to end with you three in bed.

Harvey, on the other hand, when he comes too, is so completely awestruck. He really had expected someone else to sleep with you before him.

The fact no one had though... it's kinda hot to him. Unlike Harv, he's excited at the idea because this means he gets to mold you to be absolutely perfect for them

They both get very possessive at the idea, though. This means they'll be your only frame of reference, and if they do good enough? You'll only ever want them.

"Oh, darling..." Harvey mumbled against your skin, watching in awe as you whined and squirmed on the bed. They'd been unintentionally teasing you for what felt like hours, calloused fingers stretching you open while a rough hand rubbed and stroked your most sensitive parts. "You look amazing."

"Harrv.." You whined, hoping that maybe if the other took control, they'd finally fuck you like you'd been planning for them too.

"Yeah, dollface?" Harv muttered, moving up just a bit to kiss your chest. They didn't stop their assault, though, continuing to bring you to your third climax of the night. "What'dya need?"

"You two- please-" You almost sobbed out the words, moaning as they sped up their ministrations.

"Soon, sweetheart." Harvey promised, kissing your jaw.

"We'll fuck you real soon." Harv agreed, nipping your clammy flesh with a lovestruck grin.

Over all, extremely soft and sweet about it. When they fully take you, they're muttering praises against your skin. Harvey telling you how good you're doing, thanking you for letting him do this, while Harv is growling out how good you feel, how gorgeous you look splayed out like that

Aftercare is a must, of course. If you're exhausted, they'll carry you to the bath and help you scrub off all the sweat and cum, cooing softly as they do it. They're absolutely in love right now, literally over the moon that you'd trust them both enough to take your virginity.

The morning you have breakfast in bed and a nice planned day of relaxation and plenty of cuddles.

They secretly hope you'll want to do something else that day, something a bit more sensual, but they're happy to just have you in their arms.

Reevesverse!Oswald Cobblepot

Okay let me explain, my friend's version of Oswald literally made me simp SO hard that I went looking for an Oz that was similar. I read one fanfic of this guy and he won me over. Sorry anon I declined I was wrong this guy is such daddy material, i will gladly write for him now <3

"Hm? Oh, okay, sweet cheeks."

Yeah, that's his response. It takes him a moment to fully process it, honestly, but he doesn't tease or mock you, he never really does. Instead he urges you onto his lap, kisses you softly and goes "do ya' want daddy t' change that, sweet thing?"

Immediately after you agree though, he's giving you that smile he gets when he's made a good deal, kisses you again and softly tells you to wait here until one of the girls comes to get you.

Eventually, when one of the girls do come and grab you, you make it into your room and are pleasantly surprised to see how much Oz has set it up just for you.

He'd make it overly romantic, but, in a good way. Candle are lit, some soft music in the background (or the slightly muffled music from the club below), with nice silk sheets and champagne or wine (whatever's your preference) for when you finish.

He starts it off slow, letting you set the pace so he knows for sure how you want to handle it. Getting you to straddle his thighs, hands resting on your hips as you kiss and slowly grind down against him.

He's so unbelievably sweet, the exact opposite when he's in the club. The sleeze isn't gone, but the teasing is, giving you whatever you whine or ask for in moment. You want his mouth on your neck? He'll gladly oblige, licking, kissing, and biting every inch of skin he can reach.

Oswald has to prepare you, definitely, he may not be that long below the belt, but he's wide. He won't even humor the idea of fucking you properly until you can take at least two fingers, though, preferably three.

When you're finally nice and loose for him, though, he'll ask you softly if you're 100% sure you want this. When you agree, downright begging him to fuck you already, he gets a small, loving smile and shushes you gently.

"Go slow, sweetheart." Oswald groaned out, keeping careful hold on your thighs so you couldn't try and slam down like you wanted too. "I know ya're excited, but ya' gotta go slow so I don't hurt'cha."

"Ozzie please-" you moaned softly, trying to force him deeper inside you. "Ozzie-!"

"Shhh... C'mon baby, be patient." He urged softly, lowering you down just a bit, biting back a grunt as you clenched around him. "Daddy'll get there, he's just gotta make sure ya're not gonna hurt."

"Daddy..." You whined, being met with a kiss from your lover. He mumbled softly against your lips in Italian, letting you take more of him inside you. "Daddy please.."

"Paitent baby," Oswald smiled, kissing your lips once more, "be patient for daddy and he'll make it worth it. I promise."

Afterwards, he'll help you sip on some cool champagne, before pulling you to the bathroom for a nice shower before bed. He's way more cuddly than usual, too, large arms keeping you to his belly and chest all night long.

In the morning, he'll call you both up some breakfast, and ask if you'd let him give you oral before it gets there.

"Just a snack before breakfast, sweetheart, where's the harm in that?"

An insatiable, depraved, incredibly soft and sweet man indeed.

[thychesters]

ok backlog of thoughts on the one piece arcs i did not think to liveblog! putting a bunch under a read more because this got long and i don’t want to make a ton of separate posts for retroactive takes.

- luffy really just set out to sea with the thought process of “if i die well lmao.” decidedly unlmao, but don’t tell him that. he also immediately decided koby made a perfect punching bag

- the entire exchange with zoro was basically “join my crew!” “no.” “i think you should.” “guess i have absolutely no choice but to join.” and that is now their entire story

- luffy getting anyone to join his crew is basically just that gif that cuts between bryan cranston dancing and pointing at himself. luffy isn’t asking, either. welcome to the crew, you start in an hour.

- also, love this dinghy. two dudes, chilling in a small boat two feet apart because there’s no room. luffy’s having a blast with his two man crew and zoro’s just along for the ride. completely unfazed. gonna work on his tan and nap.

- also, also. they showed it later in the anime but it was the first thing in the manga, but luffy stabbing himself in the face. see, i remember reading the first volume in middle school so i was waiting for that scene. i also had vague memories of other characters like zoro and sanji, so it was nice to see them appear again. not so nice to remember my first introduction to one piece was the 4kids version lmao

- i love makino. this woman is like 20 on the outside but you know after dealing with luffy and shanks & co. she’s gotta be feeling 50 on the inside. i hope she gets to hit someone with a broom at some point. or go on vacation.

- shanks is like the cool uncle you’ll let watch your kid for a few hours, but only because you called another adult to watch shanks. the dude leaves a devil fruit on the bar in plain view of a hungry child and goes yep, surely nothing will come of this. of course he fuckin’ ate it. freaked out for a minute and went damn, well what can you do lol this is inconvenient

- these bandits coming into the bar and giving shanks shit, only to have luffy give the leader shit back and the guy decides well! guess i, a grown man, have no choice but to beat up a child.

(karma said lmao)

- nami showed up and said she’ll fuck luffy’s shit up if she has to. and then she did. good for her.

- i think the introduction of buggy was the first time i really went oh, so we’re weird weird here, huh. i mean, with a name like “buggy the clown” being taken seriously that’s when it clicked. AND THEN HE STABS THE STRAW HAT? sir you’ve crossed a line. luffy’s gonna chop chop your head clean off and drop it in the ocean.

- when i got to the syrup village/kuro arc i was like damn, how long is this battle. oh you fool, you pathetic fool. you knew nothing.

- jango got sent after some kids to go kill them and like. not for nothing but if i had a nickel for every time someone went after a kid in this show ...

- ok but when kuro was doing his whoosh whoosh invisible move or whatever the hell it was, why didn’t someone just get out a stick and trip him. fight’s a lot shorter then.

- zoro’s backstory thus far is just here’s his friend! and now she’s dead! he has no friends but he has a dream! he + the others need therapists.

- see when we got to sanji i knew him!! i remembered this man. 4kids also gave him lollipops instead of cigarettes. lolly suckin’ loser. love zeff too. between the anime and manga i’m not sure which canon i want to lean into more: him severing his foot to save sanji, or him eating it.

- mihawk fight!! the way luffy SCREAMED when zoro nearly got slashed in half and the weight behind “i will never be defeated again. YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT, KING OF THE PIRATES?!” ohhh these two boys in a dinghy. there are a lot of promises being passed back and forth.

- the don krieg fight! idk that guy was just annoying. not much else to say about that aside being glad when it was over. also hilarious how for each of these fights everyone took their turns. like no, no, like mihawk and zoro fight, and then we’ll go next. and meanwhile those not involved are just pivoting to watch each fight.

- i feel so bad for baby sanji. i still want to study the grown man like a bug, but that baby has been through a lot. (hey, so, does this show hate kids or something.)

- arlong park! ok this was the first arc that really shows how deep the story can get, i think, or at least the first glimpse into it. this was more than “i took over this town to get some money.” this was using a young child to get something he wanted and her using him in return. and she had to work for the man who murdered her mother! who he shot right in front of her and then laughed and dragged her away!

- zoro beat up a bunch of fishmen because he got BORED. luffy told him to wait and “what do you do while i’m gone?” “wait for you to get back” except there are bodies everywhere

- NAMI STABBED HERSELF IN THE ARM SO MANY TIMES how does she not have serious muscle pain after that? AND THEN LUFFY GIVES HER HIS HAT. that’s the first time we’ve seen that one. oh my god

- also zoro is still heavily wounded from his fight with mihawk, arlong rips his bandages off and even he’s shocked he’s alive, nami and the others are horrified, and then luffy just fuckin’ tosses him into the ocean

- luffy’s secret move in a boss battle is just to piss them off. what’s the difference between their species? idk, noses? he’s going to break arlong’s. AND HE DID.

- luffy: “huh, maybe we should get a doctor on our crew first instead of a musician.” zoro, getting his innards sewn back in: “why do you say that?”

- he’s so excited about his bounty! good for him. he’s a wanted man.

- i like this smoker dude. seems like an okay guy.

- roronoa “can i borrow money but also jk i got two swords for FREE” zoro who has so much debt his credit score has plummeted. he’s never going to be able to financially recover from this.

- usopp v daddy fight. words i didn’t think i would say and yet.

- only luffy would nearly get executed and treat it as a “WHOOPS LMAOOOO” only to have an act of god save his life.

- the millenial dragons arc. oh my god. why does apis SCREAM LIKE THAT. they spend five episodes going back and forth to two different islands. “is this the right one? oh jk actually it’s the one we just came from.” is this what hell is like

- because sailing UP a mountain into the grand line makes perfect sense

- THE WHISKY PEAK STORY AHHHH the first moment where luffy jumps to conclusions and zoro doesn’t get a chance to explain himself, but also why should he have to? and luffy yells that he’s going to kill him? they’re supposed to trust one another implicitly! since day one! and then luffy punches him in the face and he’s not holding back and neither his zoro

- luffy says “i’m going to beat the shit out of you” and zoro says “go ahead and try” and nami says “WATCH THIS”

- love that vivi’s like don’t say his name too loud! and luffy immediately goes “who, CROCODILE?”

- an island with dinosaurs. because it just makes sense.

and that’s about caught up to where i started blogging during little garden

[stevetown]

On The New Tumblr Desktop Dash

I've been using the new Tumblr desktop dashboard for a few days now and I have some Thoughts that I thought would be useful to put out in to the wild. Most of the reaction I've seen has been...abnormally harsh about this UI update, so I think it would be interesting to actually go through the changes and point out what I like, what I don't, what I think could use some improvement, and maybe break down a little about why those Twitter comparisons are way off the mark.

More below the fold, but the tldr for me is - I think it's great! At the end of the day, I feel like I use the desktop version of Tumblr more and more since the change. Whereas before I used to just pick up my phone and refresh the app, now I get a hit of dopamine flipping over to the Tumblr tab when I need a work break.

The change is clean and logical, and as someone who came to Tumblr a year ago and still never quite grokked what all the icons at the top meant, having them spelled out is much nicer than guessing what they mean, even for someone who has become more familiar with the site. And to be clear, from what I can tell that's the goal of this change - to make it easier for newer people to use Tumblr and find their way around. Despite all the hate this change is getting, that is an unabashedly good thing.

The Left Nav

It's really, really clean. The old dash had a lot of unused space on the left, it makes sense to carve some of that out to have a menu that actually lays out what each icon means. The font size and style is comfortable without overcrowding. It just feels more...confident? Like these are the features Tumblr has. Use them! It's also just a more familiar web browser experience for anyone who has been using web apps since the dawn of email.

The badges also fit much nicer with the left nav. They don't float above an unclear icon, they're right next to what it says on the tin. You got 20 new posts to read, buddy. 5 new notifications. 1 anon ask. It's just better on my eyes.

I do understand the gut reaction that things are "too" cluttered. One of the first things I did was snooze Tumblr live and that helped me out a lot. Just removing all of the noise of live tags and loading-in thumbnails of people I'm not interested in watching went very far. It brought the post content further up on the screen.

A little before and after snoozing Live:

Explore

I didn't even know what Explore was used for before. It was a compass icon. I think I thought it was some kind of search? I can't remember if I ever clicked on it before. Explore is much more interesting to me. It makes me curious. For a site that struggles with getting new users to find new content, it's a beacon that says "Find some cool new stuff!"

My problem with Explore is that clicking on it...doesn't get me much. The landing page just takes me to a feed from @todayontumblr that almost never has any content that I'm interested in. The "For You" tab on my regular dash is where I go mining for new blogs, along with "Your Tags." If Staff finds this change leads to more Explore click-throughs, I'd love if the tab itself get some love and made it a hub for finding new content easier. Maybe mixing up a feed of any tags you're following, trending posts, and other algorithmically sorted goodies that I'll want to take off the shelf and put in my chronological dash. I want it to be a place with the goal of encouraging me to follow new blogs.

Live

The transition to the Live page doesn't feel good to me. You're taken to a totally different kind of page, and the UI jumps all the way to the left. It feels like you're going to a separate site. At least when you snooze Live it also removes the menu item. That's really nice! But I'll save Live thoughts for another day.

Activity/Messages/Inbox

I never knew how much I suspected these things were a bit redundant, but I'm glad now that they're separated and labeled correctly. I don't have to remember what the face icon/mail/lightning bolt all mean or why they're different. Things are much cleaner in that regard.

I don't really care for the popups when you click on them. Those do feel cluttered to me, like I'm going to lose sight of my dash, or the notifications. I don't have much UX advice here, other than to say I think I prefer how the Inbox is handled, where you're just taken to a full page view of the page. However maybe another solution would be how the Account and Settings icons are conducted...

Account/Settings

This is the section that sold me on the new dash. On the old dash, I found navigating the Account and Settings options...ephemeral. I was afraid I was going to lose my place if I didn't find the menu I needed. Here, having them slide out as a drawer, keeps me in place and lets me orient myself easier. It's made exploring settings overall frictionless. I've changed dash palettes like ten different times just because I could and it was easy to find. Maybe something similar for inbox/messages/activity would make the UI feel more consistent and less overcluttered-feeling?

I do notice that the Account dropdown adds a new scrollbar which makes things like the t logo and badges jump to the left. That can be a bit disorienting.

TumblrMart/Get a Domain

The Get a Domain menu item is fine, but TumblrMart feels like it needs some love. On a new refresh, clicking the icon loads for a total six seconds before the mart pops up. By this point, if I wasn't intentionally testing, I would have just moved on. Again, I also just don't like pop-ups like this. Feels loosey. Much prefer the full-spread domain page you get.

Create

This is maybe my least favorite change. Every time I switch to my Tumblr tab, I see it in the bottom left and think it's the "Where were we?" button. When I do want to create a post, it feels like I have to travel far to get to the button, and then I have to travel again when the dots come up to select what type of post I'm making.

I wonder if just tucking it at the bottom of the menu under "Get a domain" would be better? Or at the top of the menu? Not sure. I feel in my jellies there's a better spot for this one.

On Twitter

If I can address the most frequent criticism I see on this site, which is that @staff are trying hard to "ruin" Tumblr by "turning it into Twitter," I understand that gut reaction.

But I'd encourage folks to think about that for a minute. UIs change, and a left-aligned nav is extremely common for a reason. Since the dawn of email, menu navigation has been relegated to a left sidebar. Twitter is not "burning to the ground" because their nav bar was on the left. Having a left sidebar means literally nothing in the grand scheme of what makes a website what it is.

What, truly, has this nav update changed? It does not change the functionality of the site at its core at all. It doesn't change what you can post, how you can post, what content you find, reblogs, or tags. For a site that struggles with new users "getting" the site and finding their way around, this nav change makes it much easier to settle in with something a bit more ubiquitous to the modern browser-viewing experience.

Thus leading me to believe the only reason people hate on this change so vehemently is they don't want to see new users or any effort at all to attract them at all, and I think that's exclusionary crap. Knock it off.

Change is Scary!

That said, the change is scary! Having your muscle memory interrupted isn't fun and can take a while to get used to. Every change has a growing period. I get that. For me, I got over that period fairly fast, but I recognize this process is different for everyone, especially those who have been around here for a lot longer than I have.

The change is also open for valid criticism. There are usability and likely accessibility concerns for sure. Staff needs time to iterate, and they need to know what problems are actually worth fixing and addressing. "I hate it turn it back" doesn't help anyone - it doesn't help Staff, and it doesn't help new users who are trying find a new place on the internet to call home after *shakes fist at the rest of the internet.*

I really like this change as a starting point, and I can't wait to see it iterated on further.

And on a small end note, if you also have thoughts and opinions that you want to tell Staff, please, please, please remember there are other human beings on the other end of line.

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Homesick

CW; Some dehumanizing language (not much, and not purposeful), nonhuman whumpee, lab whump aftermath, blood, medical whump, mer whump, needle references, clinical depression

Signs of the Sea Masterlist

-

BAHRAM’S NOTES

Written on paper with pen, kept folded in a copy of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

January 15th, 20XX

1:42 am

Mer in Residence: 93 Days

He’s homesick. I mean, of course he is. I’d be homesick too if they’d taken me away from my parents when I was a kid and dumped me in an enclosure that looks like the uncanny valley version of my life, surrounded me with things who don’t speak like I do and had to learn to communicate by force just to beg for mercy I don’t get

I’m dwelling again. Maman keeps telling me not to dwell, that that’s how everything fell apart before. Why I ended up dropping out, how I fell headfirst into the universe’s oddest babysitting job in the first place. I mean, she doesn’t say that, exactly - she doesn’t know just what I’m doing. Maman and Baba think I’m watching an orca calf. 

I think that’s what I told them, anyway.

Honestly, things are kind of running together, and that’s scary - that’s what happened before. The days run together, I spend more time lying down than upright, and eventually the haze just gets heavier. I stop reading, I stop gaming, eventually I just... stop. I can't do it again. I can't.

I told Maman I might go back on my medication. She said, you know, that’s up to me. She wanted me back on it ages ago, but she never says I told you so and that’s why I tell her these things first, and not Baba. He always asks me why I can't just decide to be happier.

I would if I could, Baba.

Earlier today, after Dr. L was done with the mer, she just... cleaned herself up and then stepped right out. Left. Said she had to make a phone call.

The mer was still on his back, weeping blood all down one side from Dr. Lachlan’s work today. It was pooled all over the floor. At least she seems to have finally decided she’s taken enough of his scales, and his tail doesn’t look like such a mottled, reddened mess any longer.

She says we’re going to give him an MRI soon, and I am not looking forward to trying to get him through any of that safely. Not that safety is something Dr. L is remotely worried about. 

Safety or, you know, basic employment protocols to keep me from losing my mind. I’m on a 24-hour shift, and I should be sleeping right now, but even though I can barely handle standing up, I’m wide, wide awake.

I think it’s making the thoughts worse. I never sleep anymore, except when Miah comes in to give me a day off now and then. She can tell, I know it, but she’s nice enough not to say anything.

I should ask her out on another date, the first one was amazing, but... I don’t know. We kissed at the end and she asked me if I wanted to go inside with her and I said no. Because...

I don't know why.

Because I'm afraid I'll, what, infect her with depression? Who knows. I don't even know. Sometimes it's just too hard to do the thing I want to do. She's made a few attempts to talk since but I just can't seem to find the right signs to connect my brain with my hands.

I should tell her about why I dropped out of grad school, shouldn’t I? I should tell someone that it's happening again. I should tell someone I'm thinking about k

I’ll think about that later. 

Anyway... Dr. L left, and the mer was just... lying there, still strapped down to the examination table, looking at me with those huge green eyes. I thought they were eerie at first, almost emotionless, but I can see all the little shifts now, as he follows my movements. I know some of his clicks, what he’s trying to ask.

I know that he asks for help over and over again, and I know that I don't provide it. I can't.

I could

I can't.

I was pushing over the tub of water we use to move him around when he clicked at me three times, head tilted back. There was dark red blood, nearly purple, staining his white hair. She did some exploratory cuts along his neck, I think prepping for a full surgical look at his vocal chords soon.

She told me why. She did. It's just... I’m just having a hard time listening now. 

I keep looking at him and thinking of how I would feel if my life had gone from family and ocean life to being strapped down and made to bleed for the education - and probably entertainment - of creatures I couldn’t even begin to know.

We talk about alien abductions, but humans are the ones who sometimes just take things and cut them apart to look inside. To Kima, I’m the alien, the evil villain, the monster under the

Bahram you are losing your grip. Stop it.

The blood he lost pooled underneath him and it stained the water as I moved him from the exam table back to his tank. It stained his hair and my hands. He smelled like copper and seawater in those moments. He smelled like bloody tears.

I almost threw up but I couldn't find the energy even for that.

Dr. L told Miah’s dad that forced-captive mer don’t usually last more than a year, especially young ones. I was thinking about that, and how does she know? There aren’t even enough official captivities to begin to have expert knowledge on that, let alone of calves.

Right?

Is there something she’s not telling me about how she knows that kind of information?

Kima clicked at me three times and I just smiled at him. He’s getting used to smiles, I think he gets that they’re not a sign of danger or being angry at this point. He tries to smile back sometimes, although that mouthful of fangs is a little unsettling, even if he means well. 

I said, “I know it hurts, but I promise I’ll put something on there for the pain in just a second.”

He made a sound very much like a chirp and settled back as best he could, but I could see how it hurt him. 

I hate this job.

I hate myself.

I rolled him back down into the tank room, past the computer and the couch and everything, but when it came time to give him an injection to sedate him I just... couldn't do it.

I had to sit down on the couch and just stare. I don't even know what I thought, or how long I did it. But eventually I heard a soft sound like rhythmic scrapes, and I looked up-

And there's Kima.

He was throwing himself against the side of his rolling travel tank to make it roll inch by inch across the floor, closing the distance between us.

When he got close, our eyes met.

I was in the water and out of it, breathing through gills and breathing air. I had rubbery thick skin and heavier weight and thin layers of delicate cells interlocking over muscle and bone. All of it at once.

In my head, I thought was told, Bahram sad.

"Yes." What else could I possibly say?

Kima watched me, solemn and still, with those enormous allover green eyes. Then he pushed upwards, hooking his arms over the side of his travel tank. Dark blood ran mixed with our imported seawater down from the cuts over his neck, staining grayish skin

Kima sad.

None of this was in words. All of it is simply... thoughts. Full thoughts, slipping back and forth like fins in water, slippery as eels. Thoughts that aren't words, but images, feelings, visions behind my eyelids.

I should tell Dr. L he talks to me this way.

I should absolutely not tell her that.

"I'm sorry," I said. My voice cracked, like being a teenager all over again. I could share with him how awful and guilty I felt. I could show that to him. "I didn't know. I didn't know you were... You could think."

"Bbhhh-rrrmmm," Kima said out loud. He tries so hard to make the sounds work. I can't possibly type them out in a way that actually reflects how he says it. "Bhhhh-rmmm. Heh-... ehp. Ulp."

Bahram help.

His brow furrows a little, head tipping to one side. White hair sticks to his cheeks and forehead, drips water down him. His nose slits flare as he breathes through lungs for the moment.

"I don't know how to help you," I said, and put my head in my hands. "I don't know what to do."

He was quiet, then. He looked confused more than disappointed.

After a while, I found the energy to put him back in his big tank and even dropped some fish in. After that, it took all I had in me to dump the bloodied travel tank water and make it back to lie down on the couch.

I've been here basically ever since.

I should read or study but I can't. I just physically can't make myself move. Kima watches me sometimes, and I watch him nurse the bruises and blisters and bloodied wounds Dr. L opened on him. The new ones starting to layer over the old.

He tries to think Bahram help but I don't answer. I don't even have the words to begin.

How do I tell him I need help, too?

If I do, I could lose this job.

Would anyone else talk to him? Miah, yeah, but she has school, she can't be here very often. Who else would take this job?

Would they be worse at it than I am?

Is that even possible?

The alarm just went off

Never mind. It was just Dr. L, she bumped one of the alarms with her hip. She's come back carrying a box. She said tomorrow we take some skin.

I didn't ask how much.

Just said okay, watched her head for the lab, and laid back down on the couch. Kima asked what skin is. I decided not to tell him.

I can't keep being the bad guy, I have to quit.

I can't quit, who would take care of him?

So instead of doing anything, I do nothing. Just like before.

I should tell someone it's happening again.

I should tell someone, anyone, that it's happening again.

Literally anyone.

I'm so tired.

Bahram help.

Okay, but could someone help Bahram, maybe, too?

-

@astrobly @burtlederp @finder-of-rings @thefancydoughnut @whumptywhumpdump @boxboysandotherwhump @yet-another-heathen @fanmanga1357-blog @justabitofwhump @crystalrainwing @keeper-of-all-the-random-things @orchidscript @whump-tr0pes @hackles-up

[audio-luddite]

More Old Vinyl

I warmed up the steam powered stereo with Apple Music and Billy Joel. We were watching that TV special in a place they let him finish his last song. So with all these songs in my head I decided to let them ride. He has a lot of songs.

After 90 minutes I decided to dust off Bruce Springsteen. Also NY metro as in New Jersey rather than Long Island. ( I have a bit of history in that area) I have a few Springsteen albums. I pulled out "Darkness at the edge of town" and "The River". These I think map his shift from a Jersey Shore party punk to more of an urban version of country music. Soulful and reflective and solid common man stuff.

Oh and full disclosure, I saw mention of these on that annoying Better-Records site. They want $750 USD for one apparently very good copy of the River.

I and thought hey why not. I have those.

I never thought to listen to these "critically" I bought them new soon after their release. I only played them on good equipment and kept them clean. The two albums consist of three disks total.

Darkness was a clean and rather hot record on the first track. The extreme treble was almost too much, not distorted or wrong, just like the knob was turned a bit too far. The rest were more reasonable. No clicks or dirt sound and very good condition for an early 80s disk. There actually was some realistic space which I find surprising in a studio record. The drums and Bass were very good. That record store wanted $400 USD for their copy.

My copy has intensity and drive and all those things. I know that the Boss was looking for a particular sound ( I read his book) and that was tricky as he and SVZ were new to the producer game. Generally they seem to have got it in the end.

The River was more reflective and felt more influenced by old school country and folk like Hank Williams and Woody Guthrie. (I am old remember). There are two disks with one of my favorites "Hungry Heart". My granddaughter likes that song too and sings along with her 7 year old voice. One of the interesting things is I often play this off my Iphone in the car and well it sounds much better than that on the big system, surprise! Overall it has good sound and timbre and even space. But it is not about sonic tricks and that. It is a document on dreams, pain, and loss. Hey if you want a scholarly analysis, that exists just wiki it. I am just one guy in the crowd.

You know this curating of old records is laced with irony. Who spends almost $1100 bucks to buy 2 "good copies" of albums singing about failure, loss, broken dreams, and the working class? It almost feels like betrayal. Hey I know Bruce is wealthy and successful now, but then..... He worked really hard for it.

If a disk is free from damage and dirt let it spin dammit. Clean it if needs be. Listening critically is not what you are supposed to do with this stuff. It is not for audiophiles, but just normal guys. If such has a nice system well rock on. If not just share the feeling.

[multidiscussion]

The Best Montessori Toys for 3-year-olds

The Best Montessori Toys

Shopping for gifts for a 2-year-old? The central piece of advice we heard from Dr. Roberta Golinkoff, a professor of child psychology at the University of Delaware and co-author of Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children, was “Don’t constrain them.” The ideal toys for this age are open-ended and malleable, so the child can learn new things, develop their imagination, and discover their own ways to have fun — whether that be with a Golinkoff-approved dress-up toy, a universally celebrated balance bike, or the arts-focused subscription box chosen here by a pediatrician (a nice companion to the mess-free markers appreciated by reality-TV star Lauren Conrad).

To find toys that fit that bill, we talked to professionals like Golinkoff as well as highly discerning parents, nannies, and toy buyers to assemble a list of 31 expert-approved gift options for the 2-year-olds in your life. Then we mapped them onto a handy grid whose four sides are “Educational” (say, a butterfly science kit), “Brain Candy” (a broccoli-shaped stuffed animal), “Reasonably Priced” (under $50), and “Splurgy” ($50 and up.) The result is this 2-year-olds edition of the Strategist’s Toy Matrix, a kid-centric version of New York Magazine’s “Approval Matrix” that applies the model of what falls where on our taste hierarchies to the infinitely expanding toy universe. Each toy in every quadrant comes highly recommended — click here to learn more about our sourcing process and the dozens of experts involved — and every age up to double digits is covered, all of which you can see by also clicking here.

A lot of these toys are already sold out or not expected to arrive by Christmas. We’ve noted which ones below won’t arrive in time and which will arrive if you pay extra for expedited shipping. As the big day gets closer, stock and shipping times will certainly change, so if you see something you like below that will ship in time, you’ll want to order quickly. (And because the perfect present is always worth the wait, we left in toys that won’t arrive by December 25 but would still make great gifts.)

If you already know what you’re looking for, you can jump directly to the section that interests you most in the table of contents or read all the way through to get the full picture of what kids are into these days. Whether you’re shopping for a birthday or the holidays or any other day, it’s a list that keeps on giving.

“Two-year-olds are definitely interested in being read to,” says Dr. Alexandra Figueras-Daniel, an assistant research professor at the National Institute for Early Education Research. “Repetitive texts help to build phonological awareness and draw attention to individual sounds in words as well as rhymes and patterns.” That’s why she and Shannon Lockhart, a manager at education-research foundation HighScope, both love the book Good Night, Gorilla. Not only does it repeat the phrase good night, allowing children to become familiar with words, it also names each animal as the zookeeper makes his way through the zoo. Lockhart adds that if you’re going to give a book, look for one with recurring elements — like the pink balloon found in the first few pages of Good Night, Gorilla — which can help keep kids engaged.

Note: This book arrives by Christmas with expedited shipping.

As with all Melissa & Doug toys, you can count on this cleaning set to be well made and safe for toddlers. And as with many of the brand’s toys, this set will engage kids for hours. (One Strategist editor’s son was so motivated by the idea of cleaning with it that he took his first official steps while holding the green broom — and still does plenty of sweeping with the set now, at 3 and a half.) Golinkoff says: “Kids always want to be like big people. So if they see you using something, they’re going to want to do it, too.” And toys like this “require children to be active and can spur the development of the imagination.” Plus, when used with another child, “they can increase social interaction.”

Note: This toy cleaning set arrives by Christmas with express shipping.

This is just about the most interactive book that Strategist writer and mom of two Lauren Ro and another writer of this article (Steven John, who also happens to be a parent) have ever seen. Almost a game, it encourages finding patterns, making predictions, learning colors, remembering sequences, and having fun with a parent, sibling, or other caregiver. After a few readings, your kid will start to know how and when to clap or tap, making it even more fun each time. (You can find many more recommended books for kids here.)

Note: This book arrives by Christmas when you order from Barnes & Noble with expedited shipping. You may also be able to order online at Target and pick up in-store, depending on your location.

Here’s a bath toy that has a little science built into it. It’s a favorite of Strategist contributor Regan Stephens and her three girls, the eldest of whom received it as a gift when she was 2 years old and now shares it with her younger sisters. “You fill the toy with tub water, then use your finger to plug the little hole on top; when you release your finger, water rains down from tiny holes in the bottom of the cloud,” writes Stephens. “Simple physics, lots of fun.”

Note: This tub toy arrives by Christmas with express shipping.

Two of the people we spoke to say that Duplos — Lego’s larger blocks designed with tiny hands (and mouths) in mind — are great for this age. One of them is Erica Hill, a consultant at HighScope; the other is Ro, whose son received these two affordable sets for his second birthday. Trains and cars are already beloved by kids at this age, and these combine those vehicles with the cheeriest color schemes — and your basic ABC’s and 123’s — resulting in a gift that is playful, educational, and not hideous for parents to look at, Ro says. Her now 3-year-old, Augie, loves putting both sets together to create a mega-train-truck that he drags all over the house. When he’s not doing that, he loves stacking the blocks as high as possible. Like all Lego products, these are virtually indestructible and thoughtfully made: The characters come in a range of skin tones and sport clothes that evoke the toys’ themes, like the car T-shirt one is wearing. And if you want to expand your 2-year-old’s universe, the Duplo Town World Animals kit has enough pieces for two kids to enjoy at once, including pandas and giraffes, an airplane and pilot, and a canoeing dad and child.

Note: These Lego blocks will not arrive by Christmas.

Learning to play the drums (or any musical instrument) can be a great way for young children to develop critical skills like mathematics. But as Dr. Kathy Hirsch-Pasek, who is Golinkoff’s co-author, admits, a toddler incessantly beating drums is not always music to a parent’s ears. But for something that will stimulate a 2-year-old and actually sound pleasant to adult ears, consider Plan Toys’s lovely little wood drum. “You can drum together and make little drum circles,” adds Hirsch-Pasek. If you think your recipient might prefer playing with something that makes a bit more noise, the light-up Vtech drum set recommended by John has a bit more going for it. The set has built-in programs that teach letters, colors, numbers, and so forth. But in his experience, what kids at this age love most about the lap-size toy is the freestyle play it encourages by basically allowing them to sit and bash away at the flashing drum pads and cymbal whenever they need to blow off some steam.

Complete your 2-year-old’s White Stripes–inspired duo with this wooden ukulele that New York Magazine deputy editor Alexis Swerdloff bought for her toddler. “It’s just the perfect size for his 2-year-old hands and body; he totes it around from room to room and actually has figured out how to ‘play’ it when his favorite song (currently, ‘YMCA’) comes on,” she says. “Plus, he’s thrown it onto our hardwood floor quite a few times and there are no scratches to speak of.” It’s also tunable, making it as close to the real thing as possible.

Note: This toy ukulele will not arrive by Christmas.

There are Kiwi Crates designed to suit every age from birth through the teenage years and into adulthood. The Koala Crates, delivered monthly at $20 a pop (you can cancel any time), are packed with thematic activities perfect for the rapidly developing 2-year-old: an ocean-themed crate with a fishing game that promotes dexterity, a sea-turtle art project, and more. “Play is essential to young children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development, and it is under threat,” says Dimitri A. Christakis, an MD and editor-in-chief of JAMA Pediatrics (he’s not sponsored by KiwiCo, just a fan and believer in the products). He adds that he’s been especially impressed “with how KiwiCo uses the science of child development to promote healthy play grounded in the latest research.”

Note: This art kit may not arrive by Christmas.

Every day-care classroom has its own “It” toys — the ones that all the kids fight over, for whatever reason, some of them seemingly very random (e.g., the blue ice-cream cone in the pretend food bin, the red squares among the Magna-Tiles). But an especially big hit for the 2-year-olds at Tribeca Kindercare, according to teacher Ms. Kelsey, are the finger puppets. Figueras-Daniel also recommends finger-puppet toys for this age group, specifically citing the ones from Folkmanis, like this owl, because of how super-realistic the brand’s puppets are. In addition to helping kids work on their fine motor skills, puppets can “inspire lots of language, as children can speak through the role of the puppet,” Figueras-Daniel explains. Plus, she says, you can use the puppets to start teaching 2-year-olds about specific animals.

Note: This finger puppet will not arrive by Christmas.

Golinkoff encourages parents to give young children toys that promote empathy, like dolls or dress-up clothes. This simple but realistic doctor kit is a good choice because it doesn’t include a bunch of small parts toddlers could choke on. According to Golinkoff, playing make believe, whether it’s with old clothes or store-bought costumes, helps children practice social interaction and experiment with different roles and personalities. She says it’s wonderful if they can play dress-up with their peers or siblings, but that parents can also join in on the fun.

Note: This play set will not arrive by Christmas.

Figueras-Daniel says that there isn’t a specific stage of development when concepts like science or nature really begin to take root in children’s minds, but giving a 2-year-old a bird feeder like this would be a way to “provide them with opportunities to make observations about the world around them.” While they’re certainly not going to go out and put food in it at this age, she says, kids (including her own) enjoy watching the birds visit if the feeder is stuck on a window in their nursery or playroom. “It attracts all kinds of birds when filled,” she says, adding that this can be a gift that grows with a child. “We now keep a journal by the window for drawing and keeping track of all the varieties that come to visit.”

Note: This bird feeder will not arrive by Christmas.

“Similarly, watching growing caterpillars and ladybugs can also be a fun way to encourage observations about how living things grow for little kids,” says Figueras-Daniel, who recommends Insect Lore’s butterfly and ladybug kits. The Butterfly Garden kit comes with a cup filled with five baby caterpillars and nutritious caterpillar food, as well as a pop-up mesh habitat, a chrysalis holding log, a butterfly feeder, food droppers, and a journal. While setting everything up will require the assistance of an adult (the manufacturer recommends 4 years as the starting age for this kit), a 2-year-old will definitely get a kick out of watching the caterpillars metamorphose into butterflies up close — and will perhaps be reminded of a certain classic board book.

Note: This butterfly garden will not arrive by Christmas.

For learning the alphabet (and a bit of word association), Ro recommends these handcrafted wooden blocks that she bought when her son was 2 years old. Made of beech and walnut wood, they come from South Korean–based company OiOiooi, and each letter has a corresponding shape it can connect or slot into. The letter T, for instance, fits into the bed of a truck, while the B makes up one half of a butterfly — so kids not only learn to identify the letters as they play but also some words associated with them. (In addition to the English alphabet, the brand makes a numerical set and one featuring the Korean alphabet.) Admittedly a splurge, Ro notes the blocks are “heirloom-worthy,” not least because they come with a fabric pouch and a sturdy cardboard box that has handles, making the set easier to carry — and to store for future generations. The set also includes a hardcover book with illustrations of each letter and its matching shape.

Note: These blocks are currently out of stock.

“Kids love to paint,” says Golinkoff. This fold-up easel, which converts to a desk, makes it easy for your 2-year-old to experiment with colors and textures on a large-scale canvas. “I don’t care if parents get newspaper, butcher paper, or brown paper,” she says, as long as the child is free to do as they please. Hill also recommends the easel, pointing out that because kids at this age “paint using their whole body, from the top of their head to their feet,” this will give them a big enough surface for doing that. When they’re not channeling their inner artiste, they can use the desk for other work.

Note: This desk and easel won’t arrive by Christmas.

Balance bikes are a critical step between the trike and the bicycle, helping kids master their balance before worrying about pedaling. “My older son learned how to ride a bike using a balance bike. It allows you to skip training wheels and build their balance naturally,” says Zahra Kassam, founder of the at-home Montessori program Monti Kids. John (and thousands of Amazon customers) likes the Strider because of the broad range of ages it can accommodate. Its seat can be lowered down enough for a kid as young as 18 months or raised high enough for the body of most 4-year-olds, with age 2 being the sweet spot. (Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio, whose two kids are now 4 and a half and 7 years old, both started riding a Strider at age 2, passing it down from older to younger. And each one ultimately graduated straight to a pedal bike without a single training wheel in between.) Plus, it just looks very sleek.

Note: This bike won’t arrive by Christmas.

Another movement-related winner: A version of this plush rocker appeared many gift guides ago in the print version of New York, where it got a huge reaction from the staff. One employee liked it so much that she bought two for her friends with twins and tells us that one of them was recently regifted back for her own toddler (the fur is a bit matted now, but the solid-wood runners and handles are as sturdy as ever, she reports). According to child therapists, this is just the kind of self-propelling toy — rather than those electric ride-ons with flashing lights and blaring noises — that encourages healthy motor development.

Note: This rocker arrives by Christmas when you order by Thursday, December 22 at 8 a.m. PST and select next-day shipping.Brain Candy–Reasonably Priced

Art is essential for childhood development, but messes are still a serious deterrent for the adults cleaning them up afterward. So do what lots of parents do, and find materials that literally can’t make a mess — like these. As Lauren Conrad, the reality-show star, fashion designer, and mom, explained to another magazine, “These little markers only show up on a specific pad of paper.” Which means: “If you’re on a plane or at a restaurant and they touch it to upholstery or a seat, it’s not going to mark.”

This weird-looking Swiss-designed Bilibo is for every preposition: sitting in, climbing over, filling up with stuff — whatever comes to the imagination. “It can be a hat or a chair; that’s fun,” says Golinkoff. “I go by certain principles, and my first principle is that the toy shouldn’t control too much of what the child is going to do. Ask, ‘Is this 90 percent child and 10 percent toy or 90 percent toy and 10 percent child?’ If there’s only one thing to do with it, then the toy is controlling everything. This one’s more open-ended, so they get to invent their own world with it.”

Note: This toy arrives by Christmas with express shipping.

If you’re looking to give a unique stuffy rather than the typical teddy bear or unicorn, Jellycat plush toys should be number one on your list. This plush broccoli (they also make a pretzel, an onion, an eggplant, and an ear of corn) was a hit with the 2-year-old niece of Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo, who loves to “eat” the vegetable. Not only is it lots of fun to pretend to take a big bite out of the toy, but it’s also adorable, super-soft, and just the right size for toddler hands.

Note: This toy will not arrive by Christmas.

Publicist Alisa Richter’s kid is a huge fan of this racing ramp — so much so that he once played with it for two hours straight, an eternity in toddler time. “It’s a really effective cause-and-effect toy,” she says. “He loves watching two cars go down the ramps and zigzag past each other.” The bright rainbow racetrack includes seven cars in corresponding colors that “jump” from one ramp to another, making “a satisfying click sound,” according to Richter. “My husband calls it a ‘more sophisticated fidget toy,” she says.

Note: This toy will not arrive by Christmas.

This little mower (which was first recommended to us as a great outdoor toy for kids) proves how much kids love emulating adults, or at least — if you’re a city kid whose parents aren’t doing a lot of yard work — emulating the idea of adult things. “Toddlers and preschoolers love to copy their parents’ activities,” says child psychologist Dr. Nicole Beurkens, “which makes ‘mowing’ the lawn with their very own bubble mower an exciting activity for them.” Not only that, says Beurkens, the mower helps with “gross-motor, balance, and visual-perceptual skills.” And bubbles are always fun.

Note: This toy mower won’t arrive by Christmas, but you may be able to order online at Bed Bath & Beyond and pick up in-store, depending on your location.

“It’s fun to feel Play-Doh and to squish it. You may not make anything all that amazing, but who cares? It’s just fun to make a ball and sit and experiment with your parent,” says Hirsch-Pasek. Playing with sculpture at this early age is similar to drawing; 2-year-olds are excited by the simple fact that they can manipulate the clay. And it’s a good workout too. “Play-Doh builds dexterity in their hands and finger muscles,” Hirsch-Pasek explains.

Note: This Play-Doh pack won’t arrive by Christmas.

A game that promotes physical activity is always a good thing. A game that promotes social interaction is good too. One that does both? That’s what you have here. “It’s like Twister for toddlers,” says Holly Magelof, toy buyer for the Dolphin Bookshop in Port Washington, New York, who has 20-plus years of experience in the toy-buying industry. “You see the kids wiggling and giggling — it’s consistently a best seller.”

Note: This game won’t arrive by Christmas.

For another no-mess art experience that’s (somewhat) magical, consider this twist on the classic Magna Doodle drawing board, which one of the writers of this story (Ro) bought for her son Augie when he was 2. He received a miniature version of the toy as a party favor at another 2-year-old’s birthday and couldn’t stop making his doodles disappear with a swipe of the sliding eraser. Ro invested in the full-size version after noticing how obsessed he became with the miniature one. The bigger size comes with four magnetic stamps that create shapes on the drawing surface — which, unlike Magna Doodles of yore, is made up of different colored sections to create multicolored drawings. The toy is lightweight (but still sturdy), according to Ro, who notes that it has a handle that makes it easy for tiny hands to carry it into a car, an airplane, or just another room.

Note: This drawing board won’t arrive by Christmas.

“Two-year-olds love to kick, so balls are just amazing — big balls, little balls, any balls at all,” says Hirsch-Pasek. When those balls flash and bounce like these do, they’re that much more engaging — plus the soft spikes make them easier to catch and hold.

Note: These balls won’t ship by Christmas, but you may be able to order them online at Target and pick up in-store, depending on your location.Brain Candy–Splurgy

According to Figueras-Daniel, these rubber “stones” are a fun way to encourage gross-motor skills while introducing an element of make believe. She says they “imitate real stones, which, if discovered in nature, would surely invite kids to naturally balance while they walk across them.” The pieces can be arranged to make it easy or hard for tots to hop from one to the next, and because they’re compact (the set comes with three large stones and three smaller ones), they easy to store, she adds. While Figueras-Daniel recommends them for 2-year-olds, that’s just where the fun starts. According to Trolio, this is the kind of toy that will continue to keep kids engaged for years and years to come. “My 4-year-old and 7-year-old would absolutely play ‘floor is lava’ with these,” she says.

Note: This toy arrives by Christmas with express shipping.

Any good play kitchen can keep kids engaged for a while, but John is particularly a fan of this one. His endorsement comes from firsthand experience of watching how it keeps toddlers cooking for hours on end: It’s his daughter’s go-to play spot when she and her young cousins are at their grandparents’ house, and thanks to the many different components — stove, microwave, sink, fridge, dog bowls, and more, all in a rustic design fit for a home upstate — there are plenty of opportunities for parallel play and minimal arguing. In addition to fostering imaginative play and shared fun, the set also affords parents a minute to do things like actual cooking.

Note: This play kitchen won’t arrive by Christmas.

John has watched kids line up one behind the other for the better part of an hour to take turns zooming down a ride-on roller coaster like this. That alone says enough about it: Toddlers actually wait for a turn; they love it that much. And as long as a parent is nearby with a watchful eye, it’s perfectly safe for most 2-year-olds to use the rider on the ramp. Steps on either side of this one’s platform let kids get on the car all by themselves — and the toy is just as fun to ride on level ground for youngsters not ready for the roller-coaster experience. This model, as its name suggests, packs down compactly when the time comes to hide it away.

Note: This toy won’t arrive by Christmas.

Your first train set is a powerful memory for every generation, notes Carey Reilly, a Today-show contributor. And the Brio model is worthy of such a formative experience. “I love that the set is wooden, and it’s easy for a child’s little hands to use,” Reilly says. As with all Brio sets, it can be endlessly expanded with accessories and integrated into play with other kits, even many from other brands.

Note: This play set arrives by Christmas with expedited shipping.

[goatcheesecak3]

Bus stop pt 2

Adam Faulkner-Stanheight xM!reader

Click here for f!reader version!

Click here for part one!

Includes: fluff, slight angst, brief mentions of violence

Summary: after meeting at the bus stop yesterday, you and Adam go on a day out together, but when he sees a disturbing article in a newspaper, Adam decides to come clean to you about his past.

Adam threw on the cleanest clothes he owned and sat at the edge of his bed. He pulled out his phone and reread his text exchange with the nice guy from the bus stop for the thousandth time.

Y/n: this is y/n from the bus stop :) was so lovely to meet you! You doing anything tomorrow? x

Adam: not much, I was gonna hit the record store and maybe go feed the birds in the park. Wanna join me?

Y/n: sounds great! It's sweet that you like feeding the birds, I used to do that with my parents when I was a kid

Adam: haha yeah, I love animals. More than people tbh. I always feed the stray cats in my area, they're so cute

Y/n: wow, that's so kind :) I wish there were more people like you in the world haha! What time should we meet?

Adam: haha thanks :) is 2 good with you? At the stop we got off at yesterday

Y/n: two sounds perfect, see you then!

It was 1:40, he had 20 minutes to get to the bus stop to meet with y/n. He was excited, for once in his life, mooning over his kind words and positive attitude. Adam was most definitely attracted to this guy, but he tried not to think about that, he didn't want to get too ahead of himself, he needed to actually make a friend before he started thinking about a relationship. Despite this, however, he couldn't help but feel almost giddy at the thought of y/n's smile.

He waited patiently at the bus stop where the pair had gone their separate ways the night before, with his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels. The weather was gloomy and a chill was in the air, but it did little to bring down his mood.

After only a few minutes of waiting, y/n appeared from down the road, and he merrily made his way over to Adam. Adam watched in genuine awe at how sweet he looked, bundled up in a sweater and a tatty scarf, looking elegantly dishevelled and so incredibly cute. Adam felt a blush creep it's way onto his milky white face, and he prayed y/n couldn't read his mind and see what he'd been thinking of him- that's if his pink face didn't betray him first.

"Good afternoon! I like your jacket" y/n smiled, his face practically shining.

Adam looked down at his own attire, he wore a plain black tshirt, a pair of ill fitting worn out blue jeans and an army green jacket. His clothes were by no means weather appropriate, but hypothermia was something he was willing to risk if it meant he would look presentable.

"Heh, thanks. I've had it since I was a teenager"

Just at that moment, the bus pulled up and the pair entered and took their seats.

The windows on the bus were all fogged up, and the seats were cold to the touch. Adam let out a small shiver as he sat down, beginning to regret his decision to opt for fashion over functionality. It would appear that y/n noticed this, and without hesitation, he pulled his scarf up and wrapped it over Adam's shoulder, so that they were both wearing it.

Adam was slightly taken aback by this small act of kindness,

"Wh- what are y-" he spluttered

"Please," y/n chuckled, "you were making me cold just looking at you."

Adam turned to look at him, a shy (and very smitten) smile on his face,

"Thanks".

The seats were small and cramped, so their knees touched, and Adam swore he could taste his own pulse when their hands brushed against eachother. Did he do that on purpose? Was that how people flirted nowadays? No, surely he wouldn't be so lucky. When they approached their stop, Adam pressed the button to alert the driver, and began to lift the scarf off of himself so that he could stand, when y/n stopped him. He took the scarf off his own neck and adjusted it around Adam's.

"Keep it on, I don't want you to freeze to death" he joked with a warm, nurturing glow.

Adam felt a calming, protected feeling. Y/n seemed to want to take care of him,  and he felt as though he didn't have to be stoic and brave with him. He relaxed into the warmth of the scarf, savouring y/n's scent as the pair of them stepped off the bus.

"Just down this street," Adam directed, leading them to his favourite record shop. Y/n followed eagerly,  gripping onto Adam's sleeve to keep up with him.

"I can't wait, I used to love record shops in my home town" y/n remarked gleefully.

Adam couldn't help but let himself take a moment to fantasise about a future with y/n. He barely knew him, yes, but good god imagine if he got to know him better? He thought about long evenings spent listening to music with him, watching old movies together, holding eachother close under a blanket. He knew it was unrealistic, but can't a man dream?

They entered the record shop and began to browse.

"Wow, look at this!" Y/n gasped, "there's all the prodigy albums on vinyl!"

Adam approached to look at the rack he was observing, and to his very pleasant surprise, y/n had been browsing the alternative and punk section of the store.

"I've got most of these records at home," he said,  "if you want, you can come over and listen to them at my place"

Y/n nodded enthusiastically

"Oh I will most definitely  be taking you up on that. Don't songs just sound so much better on a record player?" He beamed.

Adam couldn't quite belive what he was hearing. A gorgeous man, with the same interests as him wanted to come to his apartment to listen to music? Surely he was dreaming, this sort of thing only happened in cheesy movies, not in real life.

Much like waking up from a dream, Adam was bitterly snapped back to reality later on in the day when the pair arrived at the park. Just at the entrance stood a little news stand, advertising the latest issue of the local paper. On the front page, in big bold letters read: "JIGSAW KILLER RETURNS, POLICE HOSTAGE"

"What the hell is the jigsaw killer?" Y/n asked, sounding rightfully horrified.

He turned to look at Adam, who's face had turned stark white. His mouth hung open and his eyes were practically bulging out of his head.

"Adam?"

Adam had already turned away and began hastily walking through the park. Y/n followed worriedly, jogging a little to catch up to him.

"Adam, what's wrong?"

Adam wanted nothing more than to tell y/n exactly what was wrong. He was sure that if anyone knew how to comfort him, it would be him, he was so lovely, of course he'd be able to. But he couldn't bring himself to tell y/n the truth, he was such a radiant and beautiful person, he didn't want to risk freaking him out and ruining this friendship. His racing mind was halted when y/n spoke once again.

"Come sit down, Adam. You look like you could use it" he said, sitting down on a bench and patting the spot next to him.

"You don't have to tell me what's bothering you, but you do have to tell me how I can help you" he said.

Adam couldn't believe his ears, it seemed as though y/n just knew exactly what he needed to hear in that moment. He was so kind, so attentive, so perfect. So unlike anyone else Adam had ever encountered. His kindness struck a chord within Adam that he didn't know he had, and seemingly unprompted, tears began to well in his eyes.

"Oh, honey!" Y/n gasped, "Don't cry, sweetheart, come here, it's okay" he cooed, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and rubbing his arm.

"I'm sorry, I'm being stupid" Adam choked  as he cleared his throat, trying his best not to cry.

"You're not being stupid, don't say that! Just take a few deep breaths, alright?" Y/n said, still smiling, ever smiling. How did he do that?

Adam breathed slowly, attempting to steady his shaking hands. He knew he'd have to tell y/n about what he'd been through at some point, but he wished he could have gone just a little longer without having to. Just a little longer to be Adam, the animal loving, record playing, charmingly moody guy from the bus stop. He didn't want to have to go back to being Adam, the paid stalker, the jigsaw victim, the self defence murderer. But as they say, all good things must come to an end.

Letting out a deep breath, Adam began to speak.

"I need to tell you something, and I understand if you don't wanna be friends anymore once I've told you"

Y/n's brow furrowed, but he didn't seem afraid.

"I was um.. a victim of that jigsaw guy, the one from the newspaper"

"What?" Y/n said in disbelief.

"He kidnapped me and chained me up in this room with this doctor, said that if we wanted to escape we had to saw our own feet off. A whole bunch of other shit went down, this guy came in the room with a gun and tried to kill me and the other guy, so I had to.." he trailed off and pursed his lips, "anyways, the doctor, he sawed off his foot and got out. I was too fucking scared and I'd already been shot by that point, so I just waited for him to get help. But the asshole never came back. I was in there for a couple days until the cops found me. Doctors say that if I'd been left just a few hours longer I'd be dead now."

Adam's face was expressionless as he started straight ahead at something that wasn't there. His fingers tangled themselves around the ends of the scarf he wore in an absent minded attempt to soothe himself. He could have swore that his heart stopped, the birds ceased their calls, the wind stilled and the world stopped turning for the painstakingly long few seconds he waited for y/n's reaction. He braced himself for the goodbye.

"Wow." he said softly, "you know, I think most people would let something like that turn them into a not so good person. It speaks volumes about your character that you're still so..."

Adam turned to look at him. He was smiling.

"... great" he said.

The look on his face was one that Adam had never seen before. It wasn't one of pity, not even a hint of disgust, just pure, unadulterated kindness. Adam thought he might very have been an angel in that moment.

"So... you still want to be friends?" He asked, feeling slightly more confident.

Y/n pulled Adam towards him by the scarf and looked him dead in the eyes.

"Adam, I want nothing more than to be your friend"

Adam felt himself smile, only slightly in relief, mostly just in pure ecstasy. Things were finally starting to go right for him.

A/n comment if you wanna be tagged when pt 3 is up :^)

Replies and reblogs are very much appreciated! I thrive on your validation lmao

Requests are open! Check my pinned post for details and masterlist! <3

[izetitta]

Appcleaner for mac 10.6.8

Appcleaner for mac 10.6.8 for mac#

Appcleaner for mac 10.6.8 mac os x#

Appcleaner for mac 10.6.8 mac osx#

^ a b 'Allows you to clean junk files, eject drives and monitor disk space'.^ a b 'CleanGenius review at Mac.Informer'.^ 'CleanGenius App Store version in Apple Inc.'s Mac App Store'.

Appcleaner for mac 10.6.8 mac os x#

ClamXAV 2 requires a 64 bit Mac running Mac OS X 10.6.8 to 10.9.5.

Appcleaner for mac 10.6.8 for mac#

^ 'CleanGenius direct version on EaseUS official website'. Adobe Flash Player For Mac 10.6 Flash For Mac 10.10 Flash For Mac 10.10 Can I use.

^ a b 'EASEUS rebrands MacCleaning - it's CleanGenius 2.0 now'.

^ 'EASEUS brings cleaning software to Macs'.

^ a b 'Alexandru Tanase, MacCleaning review at Softpedia'.

^ 'What Mac Operating Systems does EaseUS CleanGenius work with?'. OnyX is a multifunction utility that you can use to verify the startup disk and the structure of its system files run tasks of cleaning and computer.

The login items automatically run every time Mac OS X is booting up. Delete, hide or add applications to the login items list. Their uninstallation can be one by one, or you can select however apps you want and uninstall them all at once.ĬleanGenius provides an alternate method to manage Mac OS X login items. Listing of found apps provides their name, location on your local storage drive, and size. This includes your manually installed apps, app installed from AppStore, Widgets and other apps that are found. A clean and up-to-date Mac is a faster and higher-performing Mac. Installing an application distributes many files throughout your. Appcleaner Mac Os X 10.6.8 freeload Read more Appcleaner Mac Os X 10.6.8 freeload Updated. Main interface of AppCleaner for Mac consists from only one window, that lists applications that are find with the scan of your Mac OS. AppCleaner is a small application which allows you to thoroughly uninstall unwanted apps. This application features a nicely-designed. application itself in order to drop it onto the AppCleaner screen.

Appcleaner for mac 10.6.8 mac osx#

In mere seconds uninstall procedure will be ready and will wait for you to click on just one button to begin. AppCleaner is a program that provides you with a solution for uninstalling unnecessary utilities from your Mac. to uninstall it, but the uninstaller doesnt work on my Mac OSX 10.6.8 (only the. To remove unwanted program, just simply drop an application into AppCleaner for macOS, and he will automatically sweep your entire hard drive for relevant files. Not only that it removes main files of selected program, but it searches entire system in the hunt for countless of hidden files that waste space and can cause degradation of OS speed and usability. Tags search: appcleaner mac 10.6.8, app remover, app cleaner, mac 10.6.3. AppCleaner for Mac is a small and very easy-to-use application for removing unwanted application from your Mac with a click of a button, enabling users to safely maintain integrity of the operating system without fear that some core service will be damaged or that some remnant files will remain on your hard drive, wasting precious storage space. Tags search: whatsapp freeload, whatsapp, software mac 10.6.8 whatsapp.

[dritabuddy]

Yacreader apk

YACREADER APK APK

YACREADER APK RAR

YACREADER APK SOFTWARE

Therefore, if you want to read comics and you're searching for a good reader to be able to enjoy them on your computer, download YACReader. It just takes a tap of button to have your device scanned and all your comics nicely arranged. Among the possibilities worth highlighting you can find the import and export comic covers option or the possibility to edit the name of the files straight from the program. ComiCat is a fast and slick comic reader and catalog manager. Magnifying glass to increase the size of the images.įurthermore, YACReader also offers certain library functions to be able to maintain an order in the comic files saved on the computer.Turn pages by means of the mouse or keyboard.Images in JPEG, GIFF, PNG, TIFF and BMP format.

YACREADER APK RAR

Support for the CBR, CBZ, TAR, ZIP, RAR and ARJ file containers, as well as reading images directly from folders.

An overall efficient comic book readerĪll in all, YACReader comes bundled with a decent feature pack for helping you read comic books and magazines, and it is suitable for rookies and power users alike.Each day it is more common to be able to find comics on the Internet, whether in CBR or CBZ format, and to be able to read them it is ideal to have a reader that is compatible with these formats like YACReader, also known as Yet Another Comic Reader. On the downside, the tool doesn’t let you reassign the hotkeys. stripe look, overlapped stripe look), alter the brightness, contrast and gamma levels of the image, as well as save the current page to JPG file format. The utility offers support for a built-in dictionary that helps you translate words between various languages, such as English, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, French, German, Greek, Bulgarian and Arabic.Īdditional configuration parameters enable you to select the viewing mode for covers (e.g. YACReader latest version: A free app for Windows, by Luis ngel San Martn. YACReader gives you the possibility to specify the folder where your comic books are stored, go to the previous or next comic book, jump to the next or previous page from the current comic book, access a specific page, rotate the image to different angles, and create bookmarks. It lets you switch to fullscreen mode, activate the double-page viewing mode, zoom in or out to examine the details, as well as use hotkeys for a better control over the entire process. The tool works with the following file formats: CBR, CBZ, RAR, ZIP, TAR, PDF, 7Z, CB7, ARJ, and CBT. Other great apps like Manga Rock are HoneyView (Free), YACReader (Free, Open Source).

YACREADER APK APK

You can add files into the working environment using the built-in browse button or drag-and-drop support. Hence, it is necessary to get the APK file from genuine sources. Plus, when you perform a right-click operation on the current comic book, the utility reveals various options that you can choose from. The main functions of the program are embedded in the toolbar, so you can easily select them. The main panel is kept very clean, so you can focus solely on reading your favorite comic books. Intuitive layout and supported file formats

YACREADER APK SOFTWARE

YACReader is a lightweight software application designed specifically for helping you read comic books and magazines in a clean and intuitive working environment.

[thegrazingblacksheep]

Road Trip to Isle of Skye – Day 6 of 6

And sadly this day arrived: we leave Scotland today. It is still a long trip to Cardiff, so our plan was to stop somewhere half way again for a night, and then go home.

Leaving Skye

We mostly packed our stuff last night to be able to sleep a little bit more, but we still had to finish the cleaning. I loved the touch of a really squeaky-whistly hoover, even the Mr. heard it from outside when he popped out. I hate leaving nice accomodations, especially when we are on a holiday like this. But still: home is home, and you know, that little buzzing noise coming from cities... I needed that for normal operation.

At Coop we tried to find a bit of booze for one of our friends, but turned out that there is no chance to buy alcohol in those early hours (around 9:30). Well, we were sure he will be happy with some fudge too.

We went through Glencoe this time. We loved that part on the first trip, as Ben Nevis and Glencoe are absolutely stunning. We also visited the famous James Bond: Skyfall view! If you plan to go there, just google James Bond Skyfall on the Maps, and it will give you the exact spot. Amazing stuff for movie junkies.

Hadrian's Wall

Since I have seen King Arthur (the 2004 version), I always wanted to visit The Wall. I read about it a lot, and was planning to see it before, but this time we both found something interesting around, so chose our accomodation close to it.

There is a little, friendly car park called Steel Rigg, and from there a simple and easy path leads to the Wall. Which is sturdier than I thought actually. Right, I get that an 1200 years' old construction can't be a silly little fence which could be destroyed by a light breeze, but still... Completely see how it could keep barbarians out.

The Tree

We were both hungry and tired, and we didn't have much time to have dinner and come back here to take the walk again. Not in my pace anyway, which is not ridiculously slow, but the Mr. is running almost! Anyway, I asked him to just drop me off at the accomodation, go and do the shot, and we will have some dinner later, I will investigate about our options.

I was in the BnB for 30 minutes when he messaged that he just realised: it's full moon that night, and basically nothing else can be seen on the sky at all... So he returned, and we went out to look for something to eat :)

Or not to eat...

We didn't really have much options. The pub we targeted was advertised as open, we went there before the serving time ends, so everything clicked. Until we went there, and  found a scruffy A4 sheet on the door with some scribble that it is "fully booked". We checked it on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google, its own website - nothing indicated this flip off, really. This is the thing I will never understand.

So we ended up going to a really dodgy and filthy looking Chinese take away, which had shedloads of health and safety issues around. Daisy chained power extender plugs, scruffy and broken fans, and opaque-of-dirt shopfront windows. I didn't want to imagine the kitchen area, but in that time we were so hungry that I didn't mind eating the Demogorgon itself. 

We were not surprised when we opened the boxes at the BnB and turned out that it is completely not what we ordered. Maybe it was really the Demogorgon, and if it was, I can state that it is quite an oily boy. Stinks as well. Whoop whoop. 

At least we had a good night sleep that night. Next day we started at a petrol station to have some breakfast, and man, I never expected Starbucks' porridge to be that good. The Mr. had some vegan pastry from Greggs, and with these fill-ups, we headed back to Cardiff.

I have some 4K footages of driving past the Prince of Wales bridge, Welcome to England, Welcome to Scotland, and all of these on the way back. Videos about lovely little drives among towns and villages, sheep who never care about cars, majestic mountains and stunning rows of Victorian houses. 

Once I have time, I will combine them and share the video here :) Thank you for following this nice little adventure, I can only recommend Scotland to anyone who never been. We will miss it!

[flanagan73kilgore]

As A Lot As 50% Off Replica Balenciaga Luggage Sale

By signing up above, you agree to stay in contact with Balenciaga. Following Ghesquière’s 2012 exit and Alexander Wang’s transient stint as artistic director, Vetements founder Demna Gvasalia was appointed artistic director of Balenciaga in 2015. Since his appointment, the model has turn out to be identified more for its sneakers than dresses, with its Triple S turning into the quintessential chunky sneaker. Not solely that, however the edges are additionally not so clean. And, for our final tip, let’s focus on the insole itself. It comes off simply, so, fortunately, you ought to have no downside eradicating it from the shoe. What's New - A itemizing of the new gadgets added to our web site.Hopefully it'll assist you to locate changes and additions since your last go to. The pilot left formation as he tried desperately to get the plane underneath control and make his means back to England. The pilot soon gave the "Bail Out" order and all ten parachuted and landed quite close collectively close to the town of Detmold, Germany. If you are in search of the best Adidas replicas available within the market, then click on on the hyperlink and go to the Spacejam store on DHgate. It takes a special design to make white look good on a bag, but we merely love the way the white version of the Balenciaga Hourglass dupe imitation bag. This is the choice for the woman who needs to be seen carrying the Balenciaga Hourglass. As for the sixth step of our real vs pretend Balenciaga Speed Trainer information, we’ve prepared the center stitching. First of all, the “B”, “E” and the “G” within the word “BALENCIAGA” are completely different as they appear too thick and massive on the fake pair, while the legit Balenciaga Speed Trainer has these letters wanting thinner. Going contained in the Balenciaga Speed Trainer, we are ready to see the insole. Here is the picture with the real vs pretend Balenciaga Speed Trainer comparison, and below are the flaws that we discovered on the replica insole. As we stated above, you can notice how the center stitching on the replica pair of the Balenciaga Speed Trainer isn’t coming to the center of the “BALENCIAGA” textual content. It’s normally a Nike, Jordan, and Yeezy kind of get down right here. They shall be very informative, and may have the place to cops . wikipedia handbags I also suggest you go read their megathread underneath “hot posts” that tells you the way to purchase. The most essential technique of identification is Balenciaga's LOGO. The BALENCIAGA stencil on the facet of the shoe is type of nice, and the counterfeit is so much rougher. It is the one online trading platform created by Alibaba for the global market. If it pulls aside easily and spreads into particular person threads, it is definitely a cheap, pretend shoe lace. After that, take notice of the stitching, as it is always crucial element in determining the standard. Here you presumably can see that the stitching of the replica is bigger and messier, with larger distances between the stitches. Another flaw is that the sews are too easy, whereas on the legit pair the sews create little angles. If you are going the replica route, then your best bet is to seek out an authentic replica. That sounds slightly contradictory, but for essentially the most part, it is unimaginable to tell the original from the pretend purse or wallet, unless you may be deeply immersed in the trade. To the widespread man, one Balenciaga doesn’t look too different from the other. Suggestions and ideas for doing research on World War II prisoners of warfare. The Kriegies- This is what the POWs called themselves. It is short for Kriegesgefangenen which is the German word for prisoner of struggle. Learn how to authenticate items The most exhaustive Library of faux vs real comparison guides. We are Reddit's largest group for the dialogue of replica footwear. https://skel.io/balenciaga-replica.html Our subreddit is essentially the most intensive archive of replica-related information on the planet. Many of our members are extremely expert in differentiating replicas from genuine products , for the aim of serving to others keep away from scams. Additionally, we welcome the dialogue of replicas as a interest, including reviews, tradition, guides, and related discourse. BenzinOOsales is a high quality replica clothing web site from Chicago, USA. They began BenzinOOsales to bring to folks a sure and safe reliable place to order replica fabric.

[winters28scott]

Need Help With Wordpress? This Article Can Help!

One of the most popular blogging platforms for beginners and experts alike is WordPress. If you're looking to get into blogging or are wanting to learn more about this specific platform, then this article can help you find out some great information. Continue reading so you are sure to have a great experience as you begin to use WordPress. Keep your permalinks clean and understandable. That means you should look at the permalink box every time you put up a new post. Does the title in the URL make sense? Does it help from an SEO standpoint? If not, click on it and alter it until it is perfect. Always upgrade WordPress as soon as possible. Hackers will target WordPress because of the large amount of users. Updating WordPress as soon as updates are available can be on of your most valuable security tasks. The longer you wait to update, the better opportunity for hackers to get into your business. If Criação de sites wordpress want to create a line break, but not a paragraph break, hold shift while you press the enter key. This moves the cursor down to the next line without including any blank space. If you want to put a letterhead-type address on your page, this should make it a snap. At the very top of your WordPress page, create a catchy greeting for your visitors. This makes things a bit more personal with readers since you can make a message that shows how others found your site. desenvolvedor de sites will be less automatic looking, and will be accessible via the Greet Box plugin. Constantly work on improving your permalinks. As WordPress becomes more popular, your traffic may decline. Change the URLs of your WordPress articles and incorporate higher quality keywords. You can minimize the amount of keywords as long as their value increases. This can be a nice boost to the traffic you see. If you upload changes to your Wordpress site, but they don't appear to have taken effect, try to refresh from a clear cache. Hold shift as you click the reload icon in your browser, or hold shift-ctrl-r at the same time. This will give you a clean version of your site which should be updated. Use a security plugin. Keeping your blog secure is important, and there are plenty of plugins out there that promise to do just that. Try a plugin you feel you can trust. Wordfence is a good choice. Criação de sites wordpress offers a firewall, does virus scans, blocks any malicious networks, and is free. Is it hard for you to post at the times that you promise to? Write your posts when you want and set the time when it should be posted. You can find this option when you open a new page to post. Therefore, write away and get everything taken care of ahead of time. Want to create a new link in your post? There is no need to click the link icon any longer. Use ctrl-shift-A instead to start the link creation process using the keyboard and not the mouse. When you create many links within your content, this can shave time off the creation process. Sticky the posts the you want to stay at the top of your page. If there are posts you want your visitors to see first, sticky them by going to the 'visibility' option on the 'edit posts' screen. Choose to sticky the selected messages to the first page, and that is it. Get a webhost that is able to install WordPress by simply clicking a button. This can spare you the hassle of creating a database of your own. With one click, the host can create the blog domain for you as well as the associated database. Make sure that your blog is compatible with mobile phones. By failing to make your blog compatible with mobile phones, you will be missing out on a lot of traffic. Make sure that your page layout will work with mobile phones or use a plugin like WPtouch for the job. While there is much to know about this blogging platform, WordPress is very user-friendly. This article has provided you with helpful tips and tricks for being able to do things the right way. Be sure you apply the information you've learned, and get ready to start using a great blogging platform.

[abramssellers76]

Simple Suggestions And Ideas For Competitive Marketing With Articles 구글상위 노출방법 등록방법 백링크 판매 SEO 메타태그 단기 홍보 키워드 작업효과 전문업체 랭크업솔루션 구글상위 키워드 등록프로그램 백링크 생성 SEO 컨설팅 단기 구글상단노출 키워드 마케팅 전문업체 랭크업솔루션

With regards to marketing with articles, on the list of most basic tactics is that of utilizing article submission sites. This is useful, as it brings targeted traffic to your page. A good amount of article directory sites have zero charge and also permit you to include a website link. There is no limit about how many posts you put out there. This informative article will help you to ensure that the ones you create are effective. Create posts and testimonials of the items that you will be making use of. You will need to appear educated and pleased with something for the audiences to would like to try it out. Providing comprehensive reviews or specifics of the merchandise can help your viewers be aware of the product or service and wish to click on through. Even if you're outsourcing work the producing of your respective site, make sure that you generally seem individual and as original as possible. A sensible way to start this, would be to publish your personal site and after that give it to a expert to the final details. Producing might be a sensible way to make earnings for kinds personal budget. Going online to promote versions composing like how you can manuals or short stories can certainly produce a return for the reduced to free of charge start-up charges. One can also take things they might already have published for college or fun to conserve time. Should you be experiencing difficulty coordinating your articles and getting them read, utilize the tried-and-accurate collection format. Content articles set up as lists have proven to be increasingly popular and successful online. The dwelling is a straightforward one for authors to work with. Visitors reply nicely to list-variety articles. Details always keep post sentences brief and punchy - suitable for on the internet writing. Placed your article on your web site very first, await it to be listed by search engines, then send it to directories. It is possible to obtain again stop targeted traffic, along with the authentic write-up will demonstrate up in the indexes of search engine listings. 구글상위노출 For max marketing with articles performance, the seasoned post author will complete each of the necessary study prior to she or he sits as a result of commence producing. Using research substance for rates or statistics is ok, however the learning needed to compose with confidence ought to be total just before the producing commences. This may cause the composing more quickly and keeps this article centered. In relation to advertising your articles, concentrate on your posts. Your site content need to virtually get you to seem like you're an expert or a person who has at least an effective understanding of the topic. This will get you loyal viewers who will believe in info and will return to go through clean information on your own internet site. Supplying readers specifically what they really want is a wonderful way to enhance your visitors and product sales in article promotion. Consider the needed time to determine your market target audience. As soon as you understand what they need, make sure that you're continuously working to provide it directly to them. Stay sharp and centered and on level. You should publish inside your indigenous language. Even when you feel you may compose in one more language, stay away from doing that and industry for some other organizations. Writing inside a diverse mouth can make you sound uneducated and slang. Your perspective is likewise various, which means this can mistake visitors. Article directory sites are perfect for driving a vehicle high numbers of targeted traffic to your blog. A lot of article submission sites can be used free of charge, and they are often fairly simple. They're an incredibly efficient means of getting to more people. The more info you give about yourself along with your web site on-line, the more likely it can be that end users will see your web site which your site content can look on top of search engine listings -- a high concern for anyone wanting a web-based living. 높은 점수를 획득할수록 상위에 노출될 가능성이 점점 높아지는 것이죠. 하지만 검색광고 영역이 오가닉 서치 영역보다 상위에 위치하고 있기 때문에 이 두개를 적절히 신경 쓰는 것이 효과적일 텐데요. 백링크 역시 검색 결과 1페이지 노출에 큰 역할을 하게 됩니다. ​검색엔진 최적화에는 여러가지 요소가 복합적으로 고려되기 때문에 백링크만으로 모든것이 완벽해진다고 기대하긴 현실적으로 어렵습니다. 하지만 사이트가 성장하고 발전하는데 큰 도움을 줄 것입니다. 백링크란 무엇인가요? 백링크란 다른 사이트에 내 사이트가 언급된 것, 즉 다른 사이트에 있는 내 사이트의 링크를의미합니다. 내 사이트가 ‘A com’ 일 때, ‘B com’이라는 사이트에 ‘A com’이라는 링크가 있는 경우 이것이 백링크가 됩니다. 예를 들어, Myspace라는 사이트에 우리의 프로필 링크를 생성하는 경우 그것이 백링크가 됩니다. 이제, 그 웹마스터로 돌아가자: 손을 뻗을 때, 친근하게 자신을 소개하라. 이 개인에게 더 이상 사용할 수 없는 리소스에 연결되고 있다고 말하십시오. 항상 파손된 링크의 정확한 위치를 제공하여 쉽게 찾을 수 있도록 하십시오. 링크를 대체할 수 있는 몇 가지 대안을 제시하십시오(자체 웹 사이트 포함). 백링크를 얻으려는 욕심이 아니라 도움이 되도록 노력하라. 종종, 이 방법은 효과가 있을 것이지만, 웹마스터가 당신에게 다시 연결하기를 거부하는 경우도 있을 것이다. 2. 인포그래픽을 통한 백링크 인포그래픽은 당신의 웹사이트에 트래픽을 가져오고 가치 있는 백링크를 얻기 위한 가장 인기 있는 방법 중 하나이다. 그들은 또한 이해하기 쉽고 공유하기 쉽기 때문에 훌륭하다. 모든 사람들이 시각 자료를 좋아하잖아? 그래서 인포그래픽에 대한 수요가 상당히 증가했어. 매시블과 같은 영향력 있는 온라인 출판물들이 인터넷 전역에서 수많은 인포그래픽을 출판한다고 생각해봐. 이제, 여러분의 인포그래픽을 신중하게 선택하라: 각각의 인포그래픽은 여러분의 청중들을 위해 독특하고 흥미로운 이야기를 포함해야 한다. 선택하려면 현재 추세 항목을 따르고 사람들이 찾고 있는 항목을 확인한 다음 통계 데이터를 사용하여 인포그래픽을 만드십시오. 6. 컨텐츠를 홍보하십시오. 훌륭한 콘텐츠는 제대로 홍보할 줄 모르는 한 백링크를 얻지 못할 것이다. 당신은 당신의 최고의 기사를 홍보하기 위해 세상에 나가 이메일 발송을 해야 한다. 이를 위한 가장 좋은 전략 중 하나는 블로거나 매주 또는 매월 라운드를 운영하는 웹사이트에 연락하는 것이다. 다시 구글을 사용하여 “키워드 + 라운드업”과 같은 쿼리를 검색할 수 있다. 반드시 지난 주 또는 월의 결과만 보려면 선택하십시오. 그런 다음 웹 마스터에게 연락하여 웹 사이트를 간단히 소개하십시오. 메시지와 함께 최고의 튜토리얼 또는 가이드에 대한 링크를 보내십시오. 만약 그들이 당신의 자원이 유용하다고 생각한다면, 그들은 다음 주 회합에서 당신에게 다시 연결될 것이다.이 블로거들은 끊임없이 훌륭한 콘텐츠를 찾고 있으니, 반드시 당신으로부터 소식을 듣고 싶어 한다. 다른 기술과 마찬가지로, 직접 링크를 요청하여 웹마스터와의 관계를 악용하지 않도록 하십시오. 당신의 페이지가 최적화되는 방법은 순위를 매기는 능력에 큰 영향을 미칠 수 있다. SEO의 페이지 순위 요인은 무엇인가? 페이지 내 순위 요인은 적절히 최적화되면 페이지 순위 지정 능력에 큰 영향을 미칠 수 있다. 검색엔진 순위에 영향을 미치는 가장 큰 페이지 요인은 다음과 같다. 최근 구글의 강진에 맞춰 검색엔진최적화(SEO)가 점점 중요해지고 있습니다. 첫번째로 테크니컬 SEO의 가장 중요한 항목에 대해 알아보도록 하겠습니다. 1. 제목(Title,타이틀) 태그 제목태그는 “웹페이지의 고유 제목” 이며, 검색엔진이 웹페이지를 읽을 때 가장 먼저 읽는 내용입니다. ①웹브라우저 탭메뉴에서 보여지고 ②구글 네이버 검색결과 시 검색결과의 제목이기도 합니다. 7. 오픈그래프(Open Graph) meta og 태그(tag)와 트위터 카드(Twitter Cards) SNS미리보기 화면은 평소에 친구나 지인에게 공유를 하면서 보셨으리라고 생각되는데요! 웹페이지의 공유 버튼 혹은 URL을 복사하여 SNS로 콘텐츠를 공유합니다. 이때, 해당 콘텐츠의 요약내용이 “SNS에 게시되는데 최적화된 데이터”를 가지고 갈 수 있도록 설정하는 것입니다. 공유 할 때 미리보기가 이상하다면 클릭하지 않을 확률이 높겠죠? 네이버 서치어드바이저 > 웹마스터도구 > 검증 > 웹페이지 최적화 > 콘텐츠항목에서도 체크를 하고 있습니다. 당연히 설정해야겠죠? 8. 캐노니컬(Canonical) 대표/표준 URL 주소 동일한 웹페이지가 서로 다른 URL을 가지고 있을 수 있기때문에 검색엔진은 판단을 할 수 있는 기준이 필요합니다. 이때, 정식 URL을 알기 위해 Canonical URL을 지정하는 것입니다. 동일한 웹페이지가 각각 다른 5개의 URL로 검색엔진에 등록되어있다면 5배 더 방문자가 높아야 하지만, 실제 방문자는 1개의 URL인 경우보다 오히려 낮게 됩니다. 이유는 5개로 분산된 URL의 중요도도 함께 분산되기 때문입니다. 올바른 백링크 구축 방법 올바른 백링크는 사람들이 필요로 하는 양질의 데이터, 정보를 제공함으로서 자연스럽게 공유를 유도하여 사이트의 신뢰성을 올리는 것입니다. SNS 활동을 통해 백링크를 구축하거나 적절한 사이트 내부 이벤트를 통해 사이트의 백링크를 구축하는 방법도 바른 백링크 구축 방법에 포함됩니다. 특히 이제 막 초기 사업을 시작하신 분들이라면 돈을 주고 판다는 양질의 백링크를 산다고 하더라도 쉽게 상위에 노출되지도 않습니다. 이미 여러분의 경쟁상대는(대기업, 중견기업, 중소기업, 개인사업자)는 마케팅 활동을 진행하고 있었고, 이것이 SEO에 좋도록 계획하여 작업을 하고 있지 않은 부분이라도 이미 상위 노출되고 있음으로 그들의 페이지에 방문한 많은 방문자 수, 공유 횟수가 알고리즘에 중요한 척도가 되기 때문입니다. 이것을 키워드 선점효과라고 하는데, 이런 경우 더 양질의 콘텐츠를 제작하거나 그것이 어렵다면 키워드 우회를 통해 새로운 전략을 세워야 합니다. 사실상 경쟁이 너무 과도한 키워드지만 투자 대비 수익이 높은 꼭 필요한 키워드라면 오히려 검색광고를 추천드립니다. 구글 상위노출 작업은 보통 SEO작업이라고 사람들은 부릅니다. 정확히는 검색엔진 최적화라는 작업인데요. 이 작업이 선행되어야 내 사이트 또는 페이지가 특정 키워드로 검���을 했을 때 1페이지까지 도달할 것입니다. 어떤 방법이 있는지 지금부터 알아보도록 하겠습니다. 1. 키워드 타겟팅 구글 상위노출에 있어서 제일 중요한건 어떻게 보면 키워드 타겟팅입니다. 하지만 구글 상위노출을 처음 접하신 분들은 처음부터 내 키워드가 메이저 키워드로 1페이지에 노출되기를 원합니다. 예를 들면 "인스타 팔로워 늘리기"라는 키워드가 메이저 키워드라고 봅시다. 맨처음부터 최적화 작업을 하면 이 키워드로 상위노출이 될까요? 정답은 "아니다" 입니다. 맨처음에는 이렇게 경쟁률 센 키워드 보다는 경쟁률이 낮으면서 고객 유입은 효과적인 롱테일키워드를 중심으로 키워드를 선정하는게 중요합니다. 예를 들어 "인스타 팔로워 늘리기 프로그램"이런식으로 말이지요. 처음부터 메이저 키워드로 작업하면 구글에서 내 사이트를 1페이지에 올려줄 확률은 0%에 가깝습니다. 경쟁이 심각하게 포화된 키워드이고 작업하는 사람은 50명, 100명이 넘는데 새로 홈페이지를 만들었다고 1페이지에 노출시켜준다는 것은 큰 오산이라고 보시면 됩니다. 따라서 우리는 처음에 메이저 키워드보다는 롱테일 키워드를 먼저 공략할 필요가 있습니다. 롱테일 키워드로 1페이지에 들고 유입량이 점점 많아지다보면 메이저 키워드 순위도 자연스럽게 오르게 됩니다. 기존 메이저 키워드에 추가적으로 단어 1-2개가 더 붙는 형식입니다. 이러한 것들은 검색량은 낮지만 그만큼 경쟁률도 낮기 때문에 효과적으로 유입을 늘릴 수 있다는 장점이 있습니다. 8. HTTPS와 같이 웹사이트에도 보안이 필요합니다. HTTPS와 같이 쇼핑몰 사이트에서만 필요했던 것이 이제는 모든 사이트에서 점점 더 필요해 지고 있습니다. 구글은 암호를 저장하거나 신용 카드를 허용하는 경우, 모든 HTTP사이트를 보안되지 않은 사이트로 표시하기 시작할 것이라고 발표했습니다. 사용자가 웹을 안전하게 검색할 수 있도록 Chrome은 주소 표시줄에 연결 보안 상태를 나타냅니다. 과거에 Chrome은 HTTP연결을 보안되지 않음으로 표시하지 않았습니다. 2017년 1월(Chrome56)부터 모든 HTTP사이트를 ‘보안되지 않음’으로 표시하는 장기 계획의 일환으로 비밀 번호나 신용 카드를 수집하는 HTTP페이지를 ‘보안되지 않음’으로 표시합니다. 또한 구글은 모든 HTTP URL을 보안되지 않은 사이트로 표시하고 있는 중입니다. "결국 모든 HTTP페이지에 ‘보안되지 않음’으로 레이블을 지정하고 해당 페이지에 대해 Not Secure에 해당하는 빨간 색 삼각형으로 변경할 계획입니다. 이러한 맥락에서 본다면, 구글이 HTTPS사이트에 HTTP보다 더 많은 알고리즘 순위 혜택을 주기 시작할 것이라고 상상해 보는 것도 무리가 아닌데요, 사용자가 사이트를 클릭하기도 전에 안전하지 않은 사이트에 대한 경고가 검색 결과에서 직접 사이트에 표시될 가능성도 충분합니다. 구글은 현재 해킹 당한 사이트에 대해 이것을 보여 주고 있으며, 이는 단순한 SEO를 넘어 웹 개발, IT및 사이트 전환율과 관련이 있습니다. 확인작업: 현재 사이트에 HTTPS가 배포되어 있는 경우 사이트를 실행하여 페이지가 어떻게 해결되는지 확인합니다. 모든 페이지가 사이트의 HTTPS버전으로 해결되는지 확인합니다.(앞에서 언급한 URL정규화와 동일). 추가작업: 사이트가 HTTPS에 없는 경우 Google에서 해당 전환이 HTTPS에 얼마나 중요한지 확인했으므로 전환하려는 페이지에 대한 맵핑을 시작합니다. SEO마이그레이션 통해 순위를 잃지 않도록 HTTPS 전환에 대한 관리를 합니다. 네이버SEO, 네이버SEO랭킹, 구글SEO업체, 구글SEO랭킹, 구글SEO, SEO랭킹 2.사이트를 무조건 새로 만들어야 한다는 업체(대부분 워드프레스 나 윅스 등의 형태로 새로 제작) 현재 사이트가 없는 상황에서 새로 사이트 제작을 해야 할때 어떤 형태로 제작을 할 것 인가에 대한 여러 방법 중 하나라면 괜챦겠지만 지금 현재 운영하고 있는 사이트가 SEO 에 맞지 않는다면서 무조건 다시 제작 해야 한다는 업체는 말그대로 SEO 업체가 아닌 그냥 홈페이지 제작 업체 입니다. 워드프레스 와 같은 CMS 솔루션들이 SEO 에 친화적이긴 합니다.하지만 지금 현재 갖고 있는 사이트 대신 새로운 사이트를 제작 해야 한다는 것은 비 효율적인 내용입니다. 구글이 SEO 알고리즘을 만들어 순위에 적용을 한 이유가 사이트를 새로 제작 하라는 의미는 절대 아니기 때문입니다. 여러 이유로 해서 사이트를 목적에 따라 다시 제작하실 때 CMS 솔루션들은 휼륭 한 방법일수는 있습니다. 여기서 중요한 것은 아무런 이유 없이 새로 제작만을 요구 하는 업체들 이란걸 다시 말씀 드립니다.