#how to claim a featured snippet

[seoladyltd]

Google UK Featured Snippet SEO Blog post Case Study 2023 September Nina Payne White Label Freelancer

#googledance #googlecore #googlealgorithm #featuredsnippet https://www.seolady.co.uk/google-dance-core-update/

September 7th, 2023 - Google’s Update has finally concluded after it's koolaid smash entry in August. I created a new blog post in August 2023 so I could update the article in real time twice a week. I was aiming for a featured snippet in SERPs for a low competition Featured Snippet at the top of Google page 1, so you can understand what on-page SEO methods you'll need to plan. Also, timescales; featured snippets can take months and years of chasing before you hit the sweet ranking spot and enjoy extra traffic. This core update, confirmed by Google to have completed rolling out on September 7th, took over two weeks to fully implement. Volatility was seen in waves, with initial fluctuations around August 25th, another surge near August 30th, and final volatility in the days before it ended. As with previous updates focused on Google’s core ranking systems, this latest August 2023 core update targeted all types of content and languages worldwide. It aims to reward high-quality, useful content while downgrading low-value pages. Sites generally see ranking increases or decreases of 20-80% or more. While Google continues to release algorithm changes, they changed from the old dancing way of flicking a switch; the gradual rollout method used in 2023 has the purpose of reducing large fluctuations and frustrations. This is to combat an overnight domain bombing in search, like in the twenties with the first introduction of E-A-T and HTTPS-favoured urls in their algorithm changes. The volatility of Google’s search results in the early days of the search engine, was caused by a number of factors – including the fact that Google’s algorithm was still under development and that the search engine was constantly being updated. The Google Dance was a major source of frustration for website owners and SEO professionals. It was difficult to predict how a website’s ranking would change, and it was often impossible to know why a website’s ranking had changed, in the mid-2000s it levelled out as Google’s algorithm became more sophisticated. However, the term “Google Dance” is still used today to refer to any sudden or unexplained changes in Google’s search results from older generation of online marketers. The phrase became more widely used in 2004, when Google’s algorithm was updated and the Google Dance became more pronounced. The Google Dance began to subside in the mid-2000s, but the phrase is still used today to refer to any sudden or unexplained changes in Google’s search results.

[mariacallous]

Neo-Nazis and white supremacists are sharing Hitler-related propaganda and trying to recruit new members on TikTok, according to a new report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) shared exclusively with WIRED. The TikTok algorithm is also promoting this content to new users, researchers found, as extremist communities are leveraging the huge popularity of TikTok among younger audiences to spread their message.

The report from ISD details how hundreds of extremist TikTok accounts are openly posting videos promoting Holocaust denial and the glorification of Hitler and Nazi-era Germany, and suggesting that Nazi ideology is a solution to modern-day issues such as the alleged migrant invasion of Western countries. The accounts also show support for white supremacist mass shooters and livestream-related footage or recreations of these massacres. Many of the accounts use Nazi symbols in their profile pictures or include white supremacist codes in their usernames.

Nathan Doctor, an ISD researcher who authored the report, says he began his investigation earlier this year when he came across one neo-Nazi account on TikTok while conducting research for another project.

He was quickly able to unmask a much broader network of accounts that appeared to be actively helping each other through liking, sharing, and commenting on each other’s accounts in order to increase their viewership and reach.

The groups promoting neo-Nazi narratives are typically siloed in more fringe platforms, like Telegram, the encrypted messaging app. But Telegram has become a place to discuss recruitment techniques for TikTok specifically: White supremacist groups there share videos, images, and audio tracks that members can use, explicitly telling other members to cross-post the content on TikTok.

“We posted stuff on our brand new tiktok account with 0 followers but had more views than you could ever have on bitchute or twitter,” one account in a Neo-Nazi group posted on Telegram about their outreach on TikTok. “It just reaches much more people.”

Others have followed suit. One prominent neo-Nazi has often asked his thousands of Telegram followers to “juice,” or algorithmically boost, his TikTok videos to increase their viral potential.

An extremist Telegram channel with 12,000 followers urged members to promote the neo-Nazi documentary Europa: The Last Battle by blanketing TikTok with reaction videos in an effort to make the film go viral. Researchers from ISD found dozens of videos on TikTok featuring clips from the film, some with over 100,000 views. “One account posting such snippets has received nearly 900k views on their videos, which include claims that the Rothschild family control the media and handpick presidents, as well as other false or antisemitic claims,” the researchers wrote.

This is far from the first time the role that TikTok’s algorithm plays in promoting extremist content has been exposed. Earlier this month, the Global Network on Extremism and Technology reported that TikTok’s algorithm was promoting the “adoration of minor fascist ideologues.” The same researchers found last year that it was boosting Eurocentric supremacist narratives in Southeast Asia. Earlier this month, WIRED reported how TikTok’s search suggestions were pushing young voters in Germany towards the far-right Alternative for Germany party ahead of last month’s EU elections.

“Hateful behavior, organizations and their ideologies have no place on TikTok, and we remove more than 98 percent of this content before it is reported to us,” Jamie Favazza, a TikTok spokesperson tells WIRED. “We work with experts to keep ahead of evolving trends and continually strengthen our safeguards against hateful ideologies and groups.”

Part of the reason platforms like TikTok have in the past been unable to effectively clamp down on extremist content is due to the use of code language, emojis, acronyms, and numbers by these groups. For example, many of the neo-Nazi accounts used a juice box emoji to refer to Jewish people.

“At present, self-identified Nazis are discussing TikTok as an amenable platform to spread their ideology, especially when employing a series of countermeasures to evade moderation and amplify content as a network,” the researchers write in the report.

But Doctor points out that even when viewing non-English-language content, spotting these patterns should be possible. “Despite seeing content in other languages, you can still pretty quickly recognize what it means,” says Doctor. “The coded nature of it isn't an excuse, because if it's pretty easily recognizable to someone in another language, it should be recognizable to TikTok as well.”

TikTok says it has more than “40,000 trust and safety professionals” working on moderation around the globe, and the company says its Trust and Safety Team has specialists in violent extremism who constantly monitor developments in these communities, including the use of new coded language.

While many of the identified accounts are based in the US, Doctor found that the network was also international.

“It's definitely global, it's not even just the English language,” Doctor tells WIRED. “We found stuff in French, Hungarian, German. Some of these are in countries where Naziism is illegal. Russian is a big one. But we even found things that were a bit surprising, like groups of Mexican Nazis, or across Latin America. So, yeah, definitely a global phenomenon.”

Doctor did not find any evidence that the international groups were actively coordinating with each other, but they were certainly aware of each others’ presence on TikTok: “These accounts are definitely engaging with each others' content. You can see, based on comment sections, European English-speaking pro-Nazi accounts reacting with praise toward Russian-language pro-Nazi content.”

The researchers also found that beyond individual accounts and groups promoting extremist content, some real-world fascist or far-right organizations were openly recruiting on the platform.

Accounts from these groups posted links in their TikTok videos to a website featuring antisemitic flyers and instructions on how to print and distribute them. They also boosted Telegram channels featuring more violent and explicitly extremist discourse.

In one example cited by ISD, an account whose username contains an antisemitic slur and whose bio calls for an armed revolution and the complete annihilation of Jewish people, has shared incomplete instructions to build improvised explosive devices, 3D-printed guns, and “napalm on a budget.”

To receive the complete instructions, the account holder urged followers to join a “secure groupchat” on encrypted messaging platforms Element and Tox. Doctor says that comments under the account holder’s videos indicate that a number of his followers had joined these chat groups.

ISD reported this account, along with 49 other accounts, in June for breaching TikTok’s policies on hate speech, encouragement of violence against protected groups, promoting hateful ideologies, celebrating violent extremists, and Holocaust denial. In all cases, TikTok found no violations, and all accounts were initially allowed to remain active.

A month later, 23 of the accounts had been banned by TikTok, indicating that the platform is at least removing some violative content and channels over time. Prior to being taken down, the 23 banned accounts had racked up at least 2 million views.

The researchers also created new TikTok accounts to understand how Nazi content is promoted to new users by TikTok’s powerful algorithm.

Using an account created at the end of May, researchers watched 10 videos from the network of pro-Nazi users, occasionally clicking on comment sections but stopping short of any form of real engagement such as liking, commenting, or bookmarking. The researchers also viewed 10 pro-Nazi accounts. When the researchers then flipped to the For You feed within the app, it took just three videos for the algorithm to suggest a video featuring a World War II-era Nazi soldier overlayed with a chart of US murder rates, with perpetrators broken down by race. Later, a video appeared of an AI-translated speech from Hitler overlaid with a recruitment poster for a white nationalist group.

Another account created by ISD researchers saw even more extremist content promoted in its main feed, with 70 percent of videos coming from self-identified Nazis or featuring Nazi propaganda. After the account followed a number of pro-Nazi accounts in order to access content on channels set to private, the TikTok algorithm also promoted other Nazi accounts to follow. All 10 of the first accounts recommended by TikTok to this account used Nazi symbology or keywords in their usernames or profile photos, or featured Nazi propaganda in their videos.

“In no way is this particularly surprising,” says Abbie Richards, a disinformation researcher specializing in TikTok. "These are things that we found time and time again. I have certainly found them in my research."

Richards wrote about white supremacist and militant accelerationist content on the platform in 2022, including the case of neo-Nazi Paul Miller, who, while serving a 41-month sentence for firearm charges, featured in a TikTok video that racked up more than 5 million views and 700,000 likes during the three months it was on the platform before being removed.

Marcus Bösch, a researcher based in Hamburg University who monitors TikTok, tells WIRED that the report’s findings “do not come as a big surprise,” and he’s not hopeful there is anything TikTok can do to fix the problem.

“I’m not sure exactly where the problem is,” Bösch says. “TikTok says it has around 40,000 content moderators, and it should be easy to understand such obvious policy violations. Yet due to the sheer volume [of content], and the ability by bad actors to quickly adapt, I am convinced that the entire disinformation problem cannot be finally solved, neither with AI nor with more moderators.”

TikTok says it has completed a mentorship program with Tech Against Terrorism, a group that seeks to disrupt terrorists’ online activity and helps TikTok identify online threats.

“Despite proactive steps taken, TikTok remains a target for exploitation by extremist groups as its popularity grows,” Adam Hadley, executive director of Tech Against Terrorism, tells WIRED. “The ISD study shows that a small number of violent extremists can wreak havoc on large platforms due to adversarial asymmetry. This report therefore underscores the need for cross-platform threat intelligence supported by improved AI-powered content moderation. The report also reminds us that Telegram should also be held accountable for its role in the online extremist ecosystem.”

As Hadley outlines, the report’s findings show that there are significant loopholes in the company’s current policies.

“I've always described TikTok, when it comes to far-right usage, as a messaging platform,” Richards said. “More than anything, it's just about repetition. It's about being exposed to the same hateful narrative over and over and over again, because at a certain point you start to believe things after you just see them enough, and they start to really influence your worldview.”

[regency-monster-love]

Grumpy orc fic master post

An enemies to lovers Regency era monster romance

Grumpy male orc x sunshine female human

In Regency England, monsters have only been integrated into human society with equality for the last couple decades. One monster, a grumpy orc named Garek, hates humans for the injustices of the past. They’re cruel, strange, and ugly. So then why can't he stop staring at and fantasizing about the charming, kind, vivacious human Esther Dayton? It's definitely not because she's his mate—no, he's not going to let himself be mated to a human! But Esther has a mind of her own, and she’s very good at getting Garek to do what she wants of him. Except admitting his feelings.

An angsty Regency monster romance with a happy ending featuring grumpy/sunshine MCs, fated mates, enemies to lovers, secret relationship, idiots in love, and a ton of worshipful forbidden sex.

Status: Complete!

~ 😈🎩 ~

Read on AO3 or below:

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 - NSFW 🌶️ Part 4 - NSFW 🌶️ Part 5 Part 6 - NSFW 🌶️🌶️ Part 7 - NSFW 🌶️🌶️ Part 8 - NSFW 🌶️🌶️ Part 9 Part 10 - NSFW 🌶️🌶️🌶️ - first time Part 11 - NSFW 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Part 12 Part 13 - NSFW 🌶️🌶️🌶️ - wedding night

Bonus snippets: Drunken confession Kissing a scar Impatient wall kiss

Art of Garek and Esther

~ 😈🎩 ~

Comments and reblogs very much appreciated!

Read an excerpt:

“I love when you growl,” she moaned.

“You do?” It didn't seem like the sort of thing a cheery and genteel human would like, but then again, nothing about his abrasive manner or rugged appearance seemed to be compatible with her, and yet here they were, pleasuring each other on a walk for the second time because she had wanted it.

He growled again, just to test the veracity of her claim, and felt her clench around his pumping finger. “Mm, you do. You like that I'm an orc, is that it? A savage monster, touching you.”

He said it like it was an accusation, but she just let out a long, pleasured hum, and smiled. “You like that I'm human. A sweet, little, delicate human.”

He growled again, fighting against admitting that. It was true, he did like that about her. What in hell was wrong with him?

She grabbed his free hand and put it on her breast. “Look how big your hand is on me, Garek. I'm such a small, helpless human compared to you,” she goaded him. And she was right—even with how large her breasts were, how thick her thighs, his huge orc hands against her body made her look small.

“And look at how small my hand is on your cock,” she continued as she pumped it, drawing his eyes back to it. “It looks so good, doesn't it?”

“Yes,” Garek finally hissed.

She beamed at him, all triumphant elation. “Kiss me.”

So he did, tongues dancing in each other’s mouths as their hands worked between each other’s thighs. Garek pressed a second finger into her cunt and drank down the moan that poured out of her lips.

[ladykailitha]

Murder in the Heartland Part 1

Here it is, the most wonderfully insane idea I've ever come up with and I've had some whoppers (Steve in a mental institution and Vecna's Timeloop from Hell for example). This is still the wildest. Only that's a twist that's coming up way down the line. My wonderful discord peeps @forgottenkanji, @dreamercec, @bookworm0690 know all, but you'd have to join my discord to be in on the secret (there are other lurkers there who might know, but they might not *shrug*).

Summary: When a serial killer strikes Hawkins, the police zero in on Eddie Munson. But when the last would-be victim Robin Buckley says that it Jason Carver who was trying to kill her and not Eddie, the police are further put in their place by an anonymous tipper who did all the work they should have done instead of going after clearly innocent Eddie. So Eddie becomes a PI to find this anonymous tipper. Featuring Mystery Writer Steve, who will play into the later plot. ;)

You will see snippets of Steve as the story goes on, but it will be Eddie's story for about 2/3 of it. It is also set in canon time for reasons that will become clear as the story goes on.

~

Interviewer: I’m here with Steve Harrington who has put just put out his seven novel in the thrilling Joe Keery books, ‘The Hollow Promise’. How are you this morning?

Steve chuckled: I’m tired. I’m a writer, I spend all my nights writing and my days sleeping, so this is a little outside my normal waking hours.

Interviewer: Gosh I wish I could do that, but I chose to have a morning talk show instead. Won’t you tell the listeners about your latest book.”

Steve: It’s about a series of murders in a small town and our hero comes to town to investigate and finds a bigger mystery than he anticipated.

~

Eddie’s life went to hell the day Steve Harrington blew town. Not that he would find that out until years later. But then again people were more preoccupied with Robin Buckley swearing up and down that Jason Carver who had been trying to kill her and not Eddie than remember a kid being thrown out of his parents place for being gay so... yeah.

Well, okay, so his life had been hell a little bit before Steve blew town. But that wasn’t as interesting an opening as the day Steve blew town. So he still had a flare for the dramatic, sue him. After all it was that flare that made him become a private investigator in the first place.

When Chrissy Cunningham had been murdered just after Eddie dealt her Special K, that made him the prime suspect in her death.

Which, rude.

She had been dealing with some pretty fucked up shit. Like being queer in a small town levels of shit on top of her mom being constantly on about her weight and her boyfriend pressuring her wear a promise ring. In high school.

Then another student died. A boy on the basketball team, Patrick McKinney, who someone else claimed had bought steroids off Eddie. Which couldn’t have been true, not if it was performance enhancing drugs. He had offered to sell them to high schoolers when he first started dealing, but Rick assured him he already had someone for that.

Then another girl died. Someone Eddie hadn’t known. He knew of her. But she wasn’t even in any of his classes, in any of his senior years. She also didn’t do drugs. Hell, Molly Masters was a known Straight Edger. She wouldn’t have gone near Eddie unless she wanted to throw hands.

Which is why he was blamed for her death, actually. They insinuated that she had finally had enough of his drug dealing ways and had gone after him.

He even had an alibi for that one, not that it mattered. Playing in front of five random drunks and a stingy ass bartender wasn’t exactly as air tight as it could have been. Because as far as witnesses go, they were pretty shit.

Then Barb Holland died. And that was a kick in the teeth. He knew who she was but only in a tenuous ‘best friend of the girlfriend of the most popular boy in school’ kind of way. Eddie was starting to see the pattern, even if the cops didn’t.

Then the final one which ended in the death of Jason Carver, Chrissy’s boyfriend. Only Robin Buckley was still very much alive.

But for the those first three days, she was in a coma. So the police spun the narrative that Eddie had been trying to kill her when Jason had interrupted them; saving her life, but losing his in the process.

Until she woke up and blew the whole investigation out of the water.

“I’m telling you Jason Carver was trying to kill me,” she said for the tenth time to a motley crew of Hopper, Powell, and Callahan from her hospital bed.

“Now why would he go and do a thing like that for?” Powell huffed. “Jason was a good, upstanding young man. Captain of the basketball team. He loved Chrissy. He wouldn’t hurt her. Not for anything.”

Robin let out a long sigh of frustration and buried her head in her hands. She looked up at them, weighing her options before she finally snapped, “Because I’m a lesbian!”

They stared at her blankly.

“Apparently Chrissy was too and that’s why he killed her.”

“You telling me that Jason Carver, all American boy next door was a murderer killing queer kids?” Callahan huffed in disbelief. “There’s no way.”

“And I’m telling you it’s true,” Robin hissed. “Plus whoever saved my life and killed the rat bastard wasn’t Eddie Munson.” She crossed her arms over her chest and settled into the bed, grumpy.

Hopper pinched his nose. “Let’s say we follow this line of inquiry, why do you believe Eddie Munson wasn’t involved at all. You keep saying you never saw your rescuer’s face.”

She looked up at him like he was stupid. “Because the guy that took the bat to Jason’s head was wearing a short sleeve shirt.”

The cops all looked at each other in confusion.

Robin threw her arms up in the air. “No tattoos, assholes! Eddie very famously has bats on his...” she looked at her own arms for a second, “right forearm. And whoever this Jesus with a bat was, he didn’t have any tattoos on his arm.”

“Robin!” her mother admonished. Melissa Buckley was there to ensure that the police didn’t try and twist Robin’s words into saying something that wasn’t true.

Robin just shrugged, unrepentant. They were being assholes and someone should tell them to their faces.

“Well, shit!” Powell snapped, throwing his hands into the air in frustration. “If it wasn’t Eddie then who the fuck was it?”

Just then the door to Robin’s room burst open, startling all those inside. Officer Glenn Daniels came running up to Chief Hopper, a large envelope in his hands.

“Florence got this this morning,” Daniels said, panting for breath. “And we wanted to verify its authenticity before bringing it to you. So me and couple of the other officers looked into it.”

Hopper opened the envelope, his eyes growing wider the more and more he looked through it. “And how much it of is accurate?”

“All of it.”

“There is no way,” Hopper growled, slamming the envelope on Powell’s chest. “No evidence is that air tight. There must be some kind mistake or error in there somewhere.”

Powell took the envelope and looked down into it. His eyebrows shot up. “There are actual fucking writings by Carver in here. Where the hell did they find those?”

Daniels just shook his head. “Whoever found this shit was meticulous. There are no other fingerprints than Jason’s on anything. But there is a letter.”

Powell went searching through the envelope and pulled it out, handing it to the Chief, who read it, mumbling to himself.

“Well, as much as I would like to say the bastard is wrong,” Hopper said with a resigned sigh. “He’s not. Or she or whatever. They’re not wrong. The victims wouldn’t have gotten justice, not with them being queer. Jason would have been lauded a hero and paraded in the streets for taking out the trash.”

“‘To the police,” Powell read out loud. “I am sending you all the evidence you failed to collect when you were too busy trying to pin these murders on an innocent man. It didn’t take a lot to realize the true connection the victims had. I’m just sorry I was too late to save Molly Masters. She didn’t deserve to die in that horrible way.

“Once I figured out who it was, I knew that there would be no justice for these kids. Not when Jason Carver was who he was, and why he was killing his peers. So I quietly compiled all the evidence I could. His journals. His distinct lack of alibis for any of the murders. His emotional connection to the first victim, his girlfriend, Chrissy Cunningham.

“I’m just glad I was able to stop him from killing that final girl. But if she did die later, I hope Carver rots in the hell of his own making. No one deserves to die because of who they love.

“-Jason’s Executioner.”

“Well, that ain’t creepy as shit,” Callahan said sarcastically. “Well it’s not as though we could have used any of this evidence anyway.”

“And when is Eddie Munson being released?” Melissa huffed, pulling herself up to her nearly six feet of height.

Hopper blinked at her for a moment. “I’m not sure I understand the question, ma’am.”

“That boy is innocent!” Melissa said sternly. “And what? You’re going to just sweep this all under the rug and leave Jason Carver’s reputation intact?”

“That’s not what I said,” Hopper replied, low and dangerous. “And I don’t appreciate you putting words into my mouth.”

Melissa crossed her arms over her chest and stared him down.

“He is innocent of the murders, yes,” he said, “but he still sold an underaged girl ketamine. And last time I checked that was still very much against the law.”

“I don’t believe you actually have proof of that,” Melissa said with a winning smile.

“He confessed,” Powell said in confusion. “We have it on record of him confessing to selling the drugs.” He put his hands on his hips. “There’s no way he’s not going away for the drugs.”

“Under duress,” Melissa said smugly. “Which any lawyer worth his salt will get tossed out in a heartbeat. You have nothing on the boy and you know it.”

Robin grinned up at her. “Isn’t she so cool? And she’s my mom!”

“Stop calling him a boy!” Callahan hissed. “He’s twenty! He knew full well what he was doing and I’m not going to stand here and let you pretend otherwise.”

Melissa scoffed, eyeing him up and down with a raised eyebrow. “I’d call your dog to heel there, Chief, we wouldn’t want me to scream police intimidation, now would we?”

“Don’t make me arrest you, Mel,” Hopper growled. “Again.”

Melissa grinned up at the chief. They had been on very opposite sides of the Vietnam War. Him having been in the army and her having been in the protests against the War. Hawks and Doves.

“And just what would be the charge this time, Chief?” she asked with a wink.

Hopper squeezed his eyes closed and then opened them slowly. He let out a long exasperated sigh. “Eddie Munson will be released without charges by the end of today.”

But before his underlings could protest he held up his hands. “It’s either release him and sweep under the rug that some rank amateur or we don’t release him and Melissa here goes to the press about how we put away an innocent man and get the national media up in our business.”

They stared at him for a moment before they grumbling agreed. Hopper bid the Buckleys goodbye and then led his officers out the room.

So how did Eddie know all this? He talked to Hopper, Daniels and the Buckleys and while some details varied they pretty much confirmed that how it went down and how Eddie got out on a ‘technicality’ as the cops were calling it.

When he stepped out into the fresh air outside of the jail with Wayne waiting for him, he took a deep breath and let it go.

“I don’t know how you can stand living in this hell hole,” he groused as he hopped into Wayne’s truck.

“Can’t afford to leave,” Wayne huffed and started the truck. “If I could scrape up the money to get out of here, I would and I’d take you with me.”

Eddie gave his uncle’s shoulder a squeeze. “Maybe I’ll be able to get a job and get enough money for both of us out.”

“If wishes were horses,” Wayne said ruefully as he pulled out into traffic. “I’m just glad you were released without charges.”

“You and me both, old man,” Eddie huffed. “I was sure I was going to be Reading, Pennsylvania, Short Line and B&O railroaded.”

“Good thing Melissa Buckley was there when they interrogated her daughter,” Wayne growled. “Or you might still be sitting in that cell.”

“I hope you sent her flowers,” Eddie said. “She certainly deserves it.”

“Delilahs and some of my grandma’s shortbread,” Wayne confirmed. “I even offered to help out any handwork they may need in the future too. And if I were you I’d offer your way around an engine too.”

Eddie saluted. “Aye, Aye!”

Wayne snorted. “If the way she tells it is true, some rookie wannabe detective is the one that provided the most damning evidence against that Carver kid.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Eddie said with a snort. “These backwater cops wouldn’t know their ass from their elbow.”

“Still it makes you wonder who it was...” Wayne said softly as they turned into the trailer park.

“It certainly does that,” Eddie agreed. “It certainly does that.”

~

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

I am ridiculously pleased with the railroad joke. It still makes me smile every time.

Tag List: TEN SLOTS OPEN

1- @itsall-taken @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @sadisticaltarts @dolphincliffs

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @irregular-child @cryptid-system @kultiras

3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog

4- @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @forgottenkanji @dreamercec @blondie1006

5- @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @genderless-spoon @fearieshadow @thesecondfate

6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman

7- @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lingeringmirth

8- @gutterflower77 @a-lovely-craziness @just-a-tiny-void @w1ll0wtr33 @beelze-the-bubkiss

[h4m1lt0ns]

HEARTBREAK SYNDROME.

episode eleven :: “REDBULL FANS”

꒰꒰◌‧₊ ⬪˙⋆ pairing ︴various drivers x y/n

꒰꒰◌‧₊ ⬪˙⋆ genre ︴social media au / irl snippets

꒰꒰◌‧₊ ⬪˙⋆ summary ﹔musical releases resume and so does the drama.

꒰꒰◌‧₊ ⬪˙⋆ face claim ﹔ wonyoung jang (28)

꒰꒰◌‧₊ ⬪˙⋆ warnings ﹕ excessive cussing, none.

ylnestate

♡ liked by lewishamilton, carlossainz55 and 18,450,948 more.

ylnestate U&U no. 44 will be released tonight at midnight. ‘Grandstand Girl’ is the 44th mini album by ﹫y/n and features artists like ﹫theweeknd, ﹫justinbieber, and ﹫champagnepapi. All songs (apart from Trust Issues) were produced and written by Y/n in the past couple months as she’s currently working on her biggest record yet, so stay tuned for that 😉⭐️!

tagged: theweeknd, champagnepapi, justinbieber.

1,492,592 comments.

username MOTHER??????

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username UNITED THE CANADIANS I SEE 🔥🔥🔥🔥

username U&U MEANS FULL ALBUM ON THE WAYYYYYY THANK YOU MOTHER 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

justinbieber thank you for having me ❤️ love you

username CLAIMING I DONT DO DRUGS

username i’m new here!!! what’s does U&U mean?

→ username u&u stands for undecided and unreleased, y/n usually drops u&u eps right before an album when she has songs that don’t fit the genre/make sense with the rest of the album. they usually consist of 2-6 songs and this one is ep number 44! hope this helped 💗

→ username totally did!!!! thank u bae

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[liked by y/n]

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theweeknd 💙💜

username drake finally got that feature 🤣

williamsracing UHM EXCITING????

→ mercedesamgf1 you leave OUR girl alone 🤨

→ williamsracing can i be a stan in peace pls

→ username SO REAL

username let me be delulu for a sec. what are the odds that u&u no. 44 is called ‘GRANDSTAND girl’ 🤨 looking at you lewis

→ username wait.

→ username omg the delulu is deluluing

→ username oh yall crazy 😟 (i believe you)

→ username lewishamilton explain yourself.

fernandoalo_oficial slay

→ username WHAT

→ username THE HELL 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

→ username NANDO WHAT IS THIS SKDKEK

jensonbutton i already knew abt this yet i’m still surprised

→ y/n u should be used to my bullshit by now 🤨

→ sebastianvettel i know i am lol

→ username “slay” “abt” “lol” who are you folks anymore

→ username no bc like.

→ aussiegrit it’s the y/n effect

→ username MARK WHAT ???????????

lilymhe how dare you

→ lilymhe do it again 🤭

landonorris NEEDED A FIX OF YOU 🗣

→ charles_leclerc NOT JUST A KISS FROM YOU 🗣

→ yukitsunoda0511 I NEEDED MORE 🗣

→ username SPOILERS?????

→ landonorris yes.

username YES?????

y/n

♡ liked by lewishamilton, oscarpiastri and 11,393,159 more.

y/n SEBASTIAN VETTEL PLEASE COME BACK 💔 adopted another papaya fucker and a williams kid ft. fernando rizzlonso and sir lew 🩷

993,593 comments.

y/l/nestate more kids?

username LEWIS 👊🏽 IS SO 👊🏽 HANDSOME 🗣

→ mercedesamgf1 real

username all this content today i feel like a ten year old at a sephora 😍😍😍

username THE ROSCOE STICKER.

→ mercedesamgf1 so cute isn’t he 😍

→ username ADMIND KAKFJSKSK

username lewis graduated from a bank cause that face card can’t decline.

username how does he *just* look like that ????!,!,’ 😭

username FERNANDO RIZZLONSO.

fernandoalo_oficial in slayzuka

→ username IN WHERE????

username YESSSS OSCAR AND LOGAN 🔥🔥🔥🔥

username aRE WE GONNA IGNORE HE COVERING MAX’S FACE WITH A ROSCOE STICKER???

username WHAT THE FUCK IS A KILOMETRE 🦅🦅🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

landonorris new brothers unlocked

→ logansargeant hello brother

→ landonorris hello, i hope you know you’re my step brother bc i don’t share y/n 🙏🏼

→ oscarpiastri what about me?

→ landonorris read the terms and conditions, same rules apply to every adopted kid AFTER lando norris 🫶🏻

→ logansargeant ok

→ username PLS

→ username TERMS AND CONDITIONS 😭😭😭

yukitsunoda0511 why does lewis get the good photos

→ y/n he was literally just standing there and he looked good

→ georgerussell63 not fair u always catch the rest of us off guard

→ y/n i caught him off guard too, maybe he’s not the problem 🤭

→ charles_leclerc I’m-

→ lewishamilton ﹫y/n thank you love 🖤🥰

→ username pls don’t flirt with my gf

→ username she will leave us for u in a heartbeat sir PLS stop 🙏🏽

username casually posts after ep announcement, no one like you, y/n y/l/n.

mercedesamgf1 pls bring lewis and george back, we need you three in the office rn 🩷🎀🩷🎀🩷🎀

→ y/n on our way rn 🏃‍♀️

carlossainz55 you adopted oscar???

→ y/n yeah.

→ carlossainz55 oh.

→ y/n if u have a problem with my son u talk to me 🤨

→ oscarpiastri thanks mum

→ username … is the beef squashed now??

→ username i mean.. i hope

[would-you-punt-them]

Anyway some new updates on the Beast situation were made. Not going into specifics but a few of the things Dogpack was going into were either fabricated or slightly manipulated. Obviously this doesn't change what Jimmy did is still shady

Yeah, I've been seeing people saying that, so I'm guessing this is about SoggyCereal's 90-minute video "exposing" DogPack from 4 days ago.

But having seen the video, I think it is itself ridiculously manipulative in a lot of ways, and as of right now I'm hesitant to consider the source trustworthy.

In the final third of the video Soggy flies out to America and goes to MrBeast HQ in North Carolina to conduct some interviews with current employees who used to work with DogPack. He also later admitted that a MrBeast employee paid for his international flight.

These interviews take place in a room at MrBeast HQ, with people who are currently working for the company.

In other words, SoggyCereal contacted MrBeast and requested an interview with employees who worked with DogPack for his YouTube video responding to DogPack's specific talking points and calling him a liar for an hour and a half.

So, MrBeast prepared an interview space in their headquarters (with professional lighting, sound, and cameras all set up) and hand-picked some of their current employees to give pre-prepared anecdotal evidence that they thought DogPack was a douche who made them uncomfortable, and then heavily-edited snippets of these interviews featured in the video.

Soggy did an interview himself the next day (it's also where he revealed his flight was paid for) where he insisted that these employees weren't selected and the interviews were fully unbiased and unprepared, but that is impossible to believe. As far as I'm concerned, this entire portion of the video can't be trusted.

But unsurprisingly, MrBeast has been pushing this video like crazy. Multiple drama YouTubers (including Pyrocynical and Spill Sesh) have revealed that Jimmy had personally messaged them with a link to the video, and encouraged them to cover it.

People have been theorising that this whole thing is part of a ploy by the MrBeast company, who knew that this positive video was being made. The suspicion is that the MrBeast company had employees reach out to SoggyCereal and supply him with "evidence" that discredits and slanders DogPack.

He even managed to get a hold of the full audio recording of DogPack being fired, where he begs for his job back. He presents this as proof that DogPack is a disgruntled employee, like what MrBeast's PR team have been implying.

Okay, but like... how in the hell would he gain access to that kind of sensitive information? He doesn't cite any kind of source, he doesn't even claim it was an anonymous leak. He also gives a lot of other very specific behind-the-scenes information that disprove various individual claims made by DogPack, even claims that were mentioned for like five seconds in DogPack's original video.

In contrast, Coffeezilla, who was making a video on the allegation that Jimmy has been conducting fraudulent crypto scams (it came out 5 days ago), reached out to MrBeast repeatedly to fact-check, and MrBeast refused to reply, other than with a single statement from their legal team. MrBeast hasn't responded to any other allegation publicly. And yet SoggyCereal suddenly has access to a mountain of insider information and full cooperation from MrBeast. It seems likely they're using SoggyCereal as a mouthpiece to slander DogPack while avoiding making any kind of statement themselves.

Jimmy also commented on SoggyCereal's video itself on the day it was first posted, even though it still only had a couple thousand views at the time.

He later deleted that comment, because it's just a terrible look, and supports what we already knew: that Jimmy was well-aware that this video was about to come out.

There are legitimate reasons to criticise DogPack, as he has made serious errors over the course of this drama, a lot of which he has acknowledged (including the James Warren thing, which he was rightfully criticised for heavily).

And this video shouldn't be discounted in its entirety, as it has raised some questions about DogPack. It does expose some worrying factual inaccuracies in the major accusations, and does seemingly expose some shady behaviour on his part. So, those points are valid (although I do consider the way Soggy presents them as manipulative).

But people have been saying (mostly in clickbait titles) that this somehow exonerates MrBeast, when that couldn't be further from the truth. That's just how drama YouTube works. To get people's attention, there has to be a hero and a villain. Either everything DogPack and Rosanna say is true, or nothing is and they should burn in hell. There is no middle ground.

As it stands, take any of the clickbait tweets, videos and articles saying anything has changed with a grain of salt.

That's all this is: clickbait.

In my opinion, the situation hasn't changed significantly. The main takeaway is that MrBeast is even more desparate than we thought.

[live-fast-pet-frogs]

Helluva Dads, and why Blitzø is better than Stolas

This post is not a Stolas hate post in any way, I think this is just an interesting perspective on the main characters of Helluva boss as parents, mainly Blitzø and Stolas. If you want to avoid spoilers please skip.

The latest episode has brought up some speculations on how the trailer snippet from this seasons (meant for the next episode) will be about Octavia growing resentful of Stolas and thinking that he has abandoned her.

I have seen some posts claiming that Via is a spoiled rich kid and that she is demanding so much from her father, some posts even going as far as saying she is exactly like Stella. I disagree with these takes heavily because Stella is a one dimensional villain, portrayed to have no other function than to be Stolas' abuser. Octavia is actually extremely valid in her feelings and she has more than enough reason to resent Stolas.

If you noticed, every single Octavia centric episode portrays the same conflict between father and daughter: Octavia feeling like an afterthought and worrying that Stolas will leave her for Blitzø.

This has been featured in "Loo Loo Land" where Octavia is exasperated by the fact that even when Stolas plans a whole day for the two of them to spend time together (even by disregarding Via's feelings about the theme park), he still spends most of his time flirting with Blitz, whom he invited along just for the sake of it as there has been zero need for them. At the end of the episode, Stolas apologies for not hearing Via out, promises that he won't ever abandon her and the two head home with their conflict resolved.

Or not....

In "Seeing Stars" Octavia runs away to the human world because Stolas forgot about their promise to watch a meteor shower that they have been looking forward to seeing since she was a toddler. Stolas spends his day arguing with Stella over their divorce and ignoring his daughter. I just want to say it's not Stolas' fault that he is stressed because of his divorce and his ex wife is making the whole process harder for him but ultimately his daughter should take priority over anything else in his life. A parent should put their child first, always.

Enter Blitzø:

He has his fair share of faults, and he infantalises Loona often but at the end of the day, she know he will be there for her and she will be there for him. She knows Blitz cares for her a lot, and she never doubts that or expresses feeling neglected (i mean also because of her background).

Blitzø also puts his daughter even before Stolas, as seen in Western Energy. He has to take Loona to her doctors appointment and even though Loona is a grown adult at this point, he knows she gets super anxious around shots so he insists on accompanying her, even when Stolas tells him that he has been kidnapped. Blitz sends M&M in his stead, because Loona takes priority.

The main difference between Loona and Octavia is how much their parents wanted them.

Both Stolas and Blitzø love their daughters and want the best for them. However I can't help but think that the main reason in how they are treated is the fact that one of them was unwanted.

Stolas loves his daughter, that is undeniable and before Blitz re-entered his life Octavia was probably the only person in his life who made him happy. But he didn't want her. Everything in Stolas' life until the main plot has been decided for him, and he has done everything he did out of obligation: his job, his marriage and his heir. Paimon has decided that he will marry Stella when Stolas was a small child, and they were expected to produce an heir as soon as possible. Stolas most likely became a father against his will at an age where he was barely an adult and unprepared to raise a child. And that is not even mentioning the fact that he is gay.

This is not his fault, again. But it is the main reason why he always tries to escape his life and obsesses over Blitzø, ultimately including Octavia in the multitude of things he is running away from. Via is extremely entangled in the "list of chores" Stolas has to do, while Blitzø represents the freedom of choice for him.

Even so, it feels like Stolas is running the same circles around his daughter throughout the story, which is: Stolas neglects Via, Via feels sad and abandoned, they have a wholesome discussion that Stolas won't ever abandon Via and he loves her a lot, 2 seconds later Stolas is off chasing cock.

At the end of Mastermind, Via is seen visibly upset, probably thinking that his father left her behind for Blitzø again. She feels betrayed by him over and over again, and she is right because Stolas, despite making promises still disregards Via's thoughts and feelings at the end of the day.

Stolas is absolutely devastated when he realises that he might not see his daughter again, that he has lost custody over her. But it's too little too late, and while in this particular case it was completely justified that he went to save Blitzø from literally being executed, maybe Via would be taking it better if she wasn't left behind by Stolas over and over again.

Meanwhile Blitzø finally manages to connect with Loona on a deeper level by proving to her that he will always prioritise her safety and will die for her if it comes to that. It was the last push for Loona to completely lower her guard and actually allow herself to express outward affection towards her father.

And I think this progress could only happen because Blitzø has never given Loona a reason to feel left behind. This can also be a reason of introspection on Blitz' part as he adoped Loona after seeing himself in her. They had similar childhoods, full of abuse and neglect, and he was determined to make sure Loona won't have to feel that way with him around.

Unfortunately Stolas has suffered so badly from his depression and loneliness that even by trying his best he has subjected Octavia to the same loneliness he is desperately trying to escape. I hope that instead of resentment, he can learn from Blitzø on how to be a better parent, and also to take care of himself as well. I hope he and Octavia can reunite at some point, but Stolas will need to work more consciously on being there for his daughter.

[for-a-longlongtime]

WIP on Wednesday Thursday

Well, first of all, my WIP folder is currently looking like this:

But fuck it, we ball right?

I got tagged by @din-cognito and @avastrasposts this week, and @the-blind-assassin-12 and @lotusbxtch last week, so I've got some catching up to do! I've been all over the place working on different docs, so you're getting a few tidbits this week.

I've posted snippets of this before (and lo! a hozier title! I'm gonna have to change that though because the story ended up going differently than planned), and after it having been on hold for months, the pieces are coming together at last.

let me wrap my teeth around the world (working title) | Santiago x Frankie “You think we did the right thing there?” Santiago says, staring at the ceiling as he avoids Frankie's eyes. Unsure he really wants to hear the answer, because of how likely it is that he is the only person who can’t answer that with a decisive yes. Fish was the only one on their team - besides Tom - who'd had a family to take care of, who needed that money probably more than any of them did because of his pilot license being suspended. “I mean... Following his lead with the money.” No answer. The deafening silence lasts for much too long. Santi grimaces as he closes his eyes. Shit. Why did he even ask? He keeps fucking up like this.

Next we've got a WIP that I haven't worked on in a bit (it wanted to go on break, bummerrr) but that I'm hoping to pick up very soon.

Untitled | Reynaldo x Matthew It’s those large hands that draw Matt’s attention first.  That, and the golden chain partially but-not-quite hiding under that checkered golf shirt, glistening every now and then in the bright afternoon sun. It’s almost as bright as the gleam in Sophie’s eyes when she throws back a shot and listens to the older man introduce himself as Reynaldo. Matt is only vaguely aware of the prepared talk that the man launches into, a few words standing out, such as ‘exclusive members only’ and ‘the best golf club in all of Arizona’. Things that everybody wanted to hear, and that gave Sophie all the more opportunity to coo at the man how this was ‘one of the best premium golf clubs’ she’d ever been at. It probably isn’t all that premium though, considering the Scotts and Dale had been able to book this place on a budget. And truth be told, it’s still unclear to Matt why they are here on a ‘vow renewal bachelor staycation’, which seemed a contradiction on its own. Or even why Sophie showed up here, acting like one of the guys, just long enough until she found someone who was willing to give her the attention she was clearly looking for. He’d seen the pattern before, especially with the girls on the Kel-squad. None of that matters though, he tries to remind himself as they make their way up to the golf course. He’s simply glad to get away from Kelsey for a couple of days - not just for some peace and quiet, but also so he doesn’t have to wonder if she’s talking to Domingo every time she smiles at an incoming message on her phone.

Finally, this last one is still in the VERY early stages, but ngl... I'm excited. Thank you to the folks who encouraged me to keep going with it! This is hella out of my comfort zone but what the hell, that's where the fun is, right? This one is going to more filth than I'll probably be able to shove into an one shot... so it may end up becoming two or three parts. We'll see.

for glory (working title) | Harry Castillo Harry is speechless, shock painted over his features, and it takes him a moment to find his voice. "You wouldn't dare to," he finally manages to say, and what had previously been surprise in his eyes has now flipped into unmistakeable rage. "Mmm, is that so, Harry? What - you think I've got morals or something?"

EDIT: WAIT!! I forgot to add one final excerpt! This is from a yet to be decided chapter from Joel and Marcus Moreno' story. I spent way too much time trying to find the right face claim moments for them at different ages, and this is what I settled on for their mid-twenties:

Joel in his mid-twenties (a.k.a. Zach Wellison in Brothers & Sisters)

Marcus Moreno in his late twenties (a.k.a. looking like Comandante Veracruz from the Burn Notice movie).

Yes, I'm as shocked as y'all are about the latter, but I promise it'll make sense. As for the excerpt:

Untitled series | Joel Miller x Marcus Moreno Marcus folds his arms as he leans back against the wall, looking every bit the charismatic guy most people know him to be. But Joel has known him a long time and can see where the varnish has cracked, and the parts he so desperately tries to cover up.  "So you don't like it. How I look. You don't like me anymore," Marcus says after a moment, and there’s something about all that combativeness on display - as well as the bitter irony of those words - that hits Joel much harder than he was prepared for. He doesn’t have the same defense system that Marcus clearly is equipped with; the mask that he can put on and off so easily after years of practice. So he just shakes his head. "Think it's been too long since you've had someone push back against you, M." "The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Joel tries to hide his sigh by drinking from his coffee, but the beverage has gone cold, the stale taste of it now bitter on his tongue in a way that feels oddly specific to this situation. "Don't pick a fight with me because you're unhappy, Marcus," he says softly.

I know a lot of y'all already posted a WIP Wednesday, so I'm just gonna link a couple of folks, no pressure as always (apologies if you've already made your weekly WIP update):

@perotovar @sin-djarin @lotusbxtch @mountainsandmayhem @qveerthe0ry

@letsgobarbs @gothcsz @milla-frenchy @guiltyasdave @oliveksmoked

@magpiepills @arcanefox207 @reallyrallyauthor @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @clubsoft

@romanarose @the-blind-assassin-12

[dvinefem]

untitled elriel vibes pt. 7

i'm back bitches. az too. the length of these will start to increase as we move forward, i just wanted to get the first few out the way i envisioned them. which means shorter snippets and more impactful endings. that's just how I roll. also i’ll move this over to ao3, i’m just busy. p.s. spicy shit coming soon. god forbid a girl catch a vibe first (jk love u). ~previously on untitled elriel~ read part 6 here.

“Do not think, even for a moment, that I do not ache for you. With every thought, every beat of my treasonous heart — every dream of you that I am unworthy of having..” A reverent, worshipping kiss to her forehead. Her nose. Her lips. "There is no part of me that does not belong to you."

Azriel felt the words tumble out of him, beyond his control. Over five hundred years of steadfast restraint, and this female — this goddess of gentle kindness and quiet strength — had him in ruins.

Unbeknownst to her, Elain had sunk her tender hands into the soil of him.

Not to change him. Not to fix him. No. She’d simply breathed life into him.

He knew he was fucked from the very beginning. But the moment their lips met, he was lost to her completely. He understood then that there would never be anyone else. Not for him, at least. If she wanted to claim him with her light, only to leave him in nothing but shadows — he would let her. Willingly and without hesitation.

In the hours between sleepless nights and weary mornings, he’d often found himself trying to pinpoint when it had happened. When had she weaved herself so deeply into the cracks of his soul? So completely intertwined that he could no longer tell where he ended and she began.

“It should have been you.” She whispered.

He blinked a few times in shock. In wonder. And fuck if he wasn’t self loathing enough to believe it to be true. The very thing he'd been questioning for quite some time now.

Azriel ran a hand through his dark, mess of hair — disheveled by her affections. He squeezed his eyes shut. “Elain… you shouldn’t say such things.”

The spymaster had come to know pain and torture like old friends. But this was agony without the blood and bone and gore.

“Azriel, look at me.”

“I cannot.” He breathed. For he knew that if he dared to open his eyes, the weight of his long-suffering grief would likely spill freely down his cheeks. Like a fucking child.

Mother above.

“Please,” She brought her hands to his face. “Do not hide from me.”

He shook his head.

“You are allowed to feel. You are not ‘unworthy’. You deserve to love and be loved in return.” Something fragile in his heart fractured under the weight of her words.

He mustered every drop of strength in his body toward choking back the discomfort, and finally cracked his eyes open.

“Do not let Lucien, or whatever Rhysand thinks, or the damned Cauldron—“

“You don’t understand, it is not so simple.”

She went quiet then, confusion and sorrow written all over her beautiful face.

“Do you… know what a Blood Duel is?” After all this time, she was certainly owed the truth.

“Sounds preposterous.”

“It is a battle to the death. An Autumn Court tradition. Lucien could invoke it if—"

“That is revolting.” Elain folded her arms over her chest. She worried at her lower lip. “This nonsense... that is Rhysand’s concern?”

“The potential fallout could be... significant. He ordered me to stay away from you. To keep the peace.”

She bristled, and he could have sworn he felt the ground beneath them tremble. He tucked the thought away.

“There will be no fighting over me.”

“Wouldn’t be much of a fight.” He muttered under his breath.

Elain’s wide eyes flickered with amusement. “That is not funny.“ He watched her attempt to school her features into neutrality.

“It wasn’t meant to be. But,” He shrugged, irreverently. “I’m glad to know you’re aware of who the stronger male is.”

“Azriel. You will not kill Lucien. I truly do not think he would demand a duel, regardless.”

“Very well. But if you asked me to…“ Blue siphons shimmered menacingly under the moonlight — a devilish sort of grin tugged at his lips as his wings spread wide. The kind of grin that said, I could.

She snorted, and then tilted her head back just slightly. Searching for patience. “Stop that.”

He sighed. “As you wish.”

Silence fell upon them for some time after that. Staring at each other, at the stars — thinking, breathing.

“So,” Elain began, cool and pensive. “Rhys threatened you. And you obeyed.” A forced laugh fell from her lips — fragile and breathless. “For months you pretended I was nothing to you. Because of the High Lord and his political motives.”

Fucking hell.

“He thinks he can discuss and dictate my life without my knowledge, when so much has already been taken from me?” She shot him a pointed glare. “…You, too.”

“I never meant to— I’m sorry.” Azriel realized then, that even though Rhys had given the order, he’d had just as much of a hand in stripping her of free will as his brother did. Deciding for her. And the thought of it horrified him. “I convinced myself I had no choice. I am so sorry, Elain.”

“There is always a choice.” She whispered into the darkness, taking his ruined hand in hers.

And then he tracked it. The slight furrow of her brow. Her breath catching in her throat. Her eyes glazed over — looking glassy and far away.

“Elain.” He caught her chin in his hand. Searching for something, anything in her now vacant gaze.

Shadows swarmed him. Writhing and coiling and shrieking in his ears. A primal instinct inside of him screamed the kind of warning that came too late to matter. Her petite frame went limp and the world seemed to shatter. In one swift motion, Azriel lifted her into his arms.

It was as though she’d taken too far a glimpse into that other realm.

[holylulusworld]

Big grumpy bear - Christmas snippet

Summary: He’s grumpy. You are sweet. A match made in heaven.

Pairing: Alpha!Walter Marshall x OmegaReader

Warnings: a/b/o, a/b/o dynamics, grumpy alpha, tooth-rooting fluff, pregnant reader, overprotective alpha

Big grumpy bear masterlist

“What is this?“ Walter grumbles under his breath as he enters your office. There is a huge bouquet of roses on your desk. “Why are there roses on your desk? I got you a…” He inhales sharply as the poinsettia plant he gifted to you now stands on the windowsill. “Why did you move the plant I bought for you?”

“Uh-it needs bright daylight, alpha,” you giggle as he seems to be jealous of whoever gifted the roses to you. “You want it to survive, right?”

“Sure…sure,” he says but eyes the roses with darkened eyes. “Who gave you these?”

You’d love to tease your alpha and make him jealous but you show mercy and tell him the truth.

“Oh, these are for Susan, but she’s allergic and gave them to me,” you explain. “She didn’t want to throw them away.”

“Susan. Hmm…” Walter considers your answer. He watches you like he does with a perpetrator. Arms crossed over his wide chest, and with a grumpy expression, he watches you watching him. “That true – or did that douche not get the message last time?”

“Walter,” you purr his name as you slowly get up from your chair. His eyes immediately drop to your middle to watch you run your hand over your swollen belly, “I think everyone knows that you laid claim on me and that I love you.”

“Good,” he clears his throat. His shoulders relax and his features soften as he looks you up and down. “Your belly got bigger again.”

This time, you cross your arms over your chest, and huff. “He’s huge, like his daddy. What can I do? The baby always wants to eat. I’m hungry all the time.”

His eyes light up as you keep on talking about your baby. He hums and stuffs his hands in his pockets to search for the chocolate bar he got you on his way back to the office. 

“I’ve got something for you,” he says and offers the chocolate bar to you. “It’s your favorite with chocolate-nougat cream filling, omega. Only for you.”

“Walter,” you suppress a giggle. “How about we have lunch together first? I’ll eat it for dessert.”

“I got lunch for you too, angel,” he crouches down to cup your belly with his large hands. Walter presses his ear to your belly and closes his eyes. “It’s waiting for you at my office. You can sit on the couch and enjoy your food.”

“You think of everything, huh?” You run your fingers through his luscious locks. “My alpha takes good care of me and our pup.”

He hums happily and enjoys your attention. The last weeks were stressful, to say the least. Case after case kept him away from you and your shared home for longer than he liked.

“I’m an attentive grump.”

“No, you’re my sweet grumpy bear,” you softly say. “Big. Strong. Sweet. Cuddly.”

Walter laughs at the last one. “Cuddly?”

“Yeah. You love to cuddle me,” you point out. “You always wrap your arms around me and nuzzle your face in my neck.”

He grins and nuzzles your belly. “Let’s go to my office. The food is calling your name, and I guess little Walter is hungry too.”

“Another bite, for me,” Walter whispers in your ear. He holds a slice of apple in front of your mouth, waiting for you to eat it. “You need fresh fruits and vegetables. Doctor’s order.”

You giggle and open your mouth. “For you.” You chew the apple while wiggling on Walter’s lap. He always wants you to sit on his lap to have you as close as possible. “Hmm, tastes great.”

“I told them that I need a few days off over Christmas,” Walter casually says. “I need to take care of my omega. We will have delicious food, and a lot of free time.”

“What about gifts?”

“We will have gifts too, Y/N,” he murmurs. “Lots of it.”

“I got something nice for you. I got it after my last ultra-sound. I swear it wasn't expensive.”

“A new sweater?”

“No. I won’t tell you, Walter. Not before Christmas morning!”

“Please tell me,” Walter whispers in your ear. “Omega, tell me…”

“Not a chance…”

“Walter, what are you up to?” You wonder why Walter wanted you to stand in front of the Christmas tree he bought and decorated. He didn’t allow you to lift a finger. “Alpha?”

“I-“ he clears his throat and snaps a few pictures with his phone. “Give me a moment to sort my thoughts.”

Walter walks toward you. He looks you all over, hums, and then he goes down on one knee.

“Angel, you are my sweet, annoying wonder. You just popped up in my life and never left.” He glances at his phone. “Wait…not…this sounded awful…crap.”

Your heart flutters with every word that leaves his lips. Walter stammers but tries to play it cool. “What I wanted to tell you is that you made me a better man, and I love you for it.”

“I love you too.”

“Wait, I’m not done,” he grunts as his knee hurts from kneeling so long. “I-I want more. You already wear my mark and carry my child. But I want you to wear one more thing.”

He gets a beautiful ring out of his pocket, hopefully looking up at you. 

“Walter,” you sniffle and clap one hand over your mouth.

“I want you to wear my name…”

“What if I want you to wear mine?” He chuckles, and you laugh. “Of course, I want to wear your ring and your name.”

He exhales deeply. “Thank fuck.” 

“Same, baby,” you offer your hand to let Walter put the ring on your finger. “I love it.”

Walter slowly gets up to cup your face and kiss you softly. “So, what is my gift? The one you were talking about the whole time.”

“I got it right here, Walter,” you grab his hand to place it on your belly. “Say hi to your baby boy and your baby girl.”

Tags in reblog.

[sluttysanemi]

Sanemi loves you like loves you when ever you post something on one of your social he spams a bunch of fan comments and is the first to like. As his girlfriend you appreciate it. (after he will ask for some nudes-) You know those girls on tiktok and how they being showing off their looks can you do one with sanemi but you were out with your friends and one of your male friends got in the back ground so all you see is sanemi commenting saying that the dude in the back ruined the video of his beautiful girlfriend. (then maybe he will ask for nudes🥰)

༊*·˚

PROTECTIVE

a/n: hey kitten... u like daddys work, dont u? so why arent u looking at his snippet for his upcoming fic? dont u want more sanemi..? yes.. go look at it.. yes.. thats a good kitten...

c/w: implied nude sending, slightly suggestive, jst sanemi being jelly

Sanemi is a domineering partner who cherishes you sincerely. He tends to come across as possessive, but his intentions always center on his feelings of warmth and love for you. 

He's consistently the first to like your posts upon social media. His online presence is cluttered of photos of you together- Always ensuring to bring up that you were his spouse. He knew you were gorgeous; having you beside him was his greatest pride, and he intended to state such clearly. Everyone needs to be aware of his claim to you. 

He is charming. He truly is. You continually ensure he knows the extent to which you appreciate him. His magnetism is unmistakable. Your admiration for him grows deeper every day. 

Occasionally your affection is expressed through provocative photography. Tormenting and thrilling him. The imagery of your supple breast, or the internal curves of your thigh arouses him immensely. That was simply your effect.

And he loved it. 

༊*·˚

One time, you were out with an abundance of your colleagues, delighting in drinks. The atmosphere was vibrant, as everyone had enjoyed a lively evening, the environment consumed with laughter. It was an indispensable vacation from your routine, and an opportunity to bond with your peers beyond the office.

You decide to capture the occasion as you dig for your phone, striking a snapshot of the entire group. The lens click echoes through the air, preserving a moment in time.

You decide to share the shot, and the tender scenery, upon your page, relishing it. You thought the photo was precious. 

However, someone else had not been so joyous towards it. 

Sanemi, as per usual, was the first to peruse your post. He adored how you looked. You were as stunning as ever. His emotions flutter as he peers at your complexion. 

He caught a glimpse of somebody else. A man. He scowls, as he narrows his gaze at his phone. His pure presence within the frame filled him with revulsion. He had almost been jealous, analyzing how obnoxiously close he sat to you. 

Though he felicitated your appealing features, and the charming glow of your smile, he additionally offered a few personal remarks towards the male outsider. Making certain you grasped his personal opinion of him. 

You swiftly saw what he had said, gasping at his obscenity. You almost struggled to comprehend the bizarre sentence he had managed to come up with. He was certainly envious, you thought. 

You decide not to reveal what Sanemi wrote, keeping your phone obscured among everybody else. 

Maybe his vulgarity excited you. You were almost tempted…

[hightowerqueen]

WIP WHENEVER

thank you for giving me an excuse to double post, @thewardenisonthecase <3

not tagging anyone, since i already did yesterday

a snippet of what i have going for the WIP chapter 3 of "roots planted in my skin":

It's still dark when Bea wakes up. Illario is asleep next to her, an arm slung over her stomach and his face half buried in the pillow. Features relaxed like this, the sharp edges are gone. He looks closer to the man who used to sit her down, carefully brush and braid the hair away from her face before bed, to keep that mess out of MY face, all faux annoyance with a sparkle in his eye. She trails a finger down the exposed side of his face, and his nose crinkles slightly in response.

It's unsettling, how easily being close to him becomes normal again. They're both covered in marks that will need concealing later, little bits of each other claimed viciously, and somewhere in the back of her mind she hears Davrin's mocking voice asking her what the fuck is wrong with them. Davrin had always taken her stories in stride, just part of who she was (is?), the kind of man who didn't flinch in the face of much.

The reminder of the world outside this room is what shakes her out of her reverie. There's still so much to be done, out there. So many responsibilities waiting for her. It all feels like a selfish indulgence now, and the realization has her limbs stiffening nervously.

If she doesn't leave now, she never will. It's a terrifying thought.

She untangles herself from Illario quietly, slides back on the half-ruined clothes from earlier. On a whim, she digs through the pile of his, too. Finds the scarf from the market, and for a lack of functioning pockets to stuff it in, just uses it to cover her tangled hair like a bandana, instead.

She has the decency to leave a note, at least, rushed in that chicken scratch of hers Viago still complains about.

It's a short thing, and she hopes Illario won't notice the slight smudging of the ink and the damp spot where she's written i love you. Maybe it's unfair, putting that out in the open, present tense, and running away from it, but she can't quite stop her trembling fingers from doing it anyway.

There's a quiet snore from the bed, and she itches to go back.

Her head swims with a confused mess of thoughts, and Viago's patience is an already stretched elastic, ready to snap. She needs to get back, and the distance will give her room to think clearly about what she wants. Talk to Ayden about it, maybe, finally. She has questions of her own for her dearest sibling, most of them involving the First Talon, and maybe if they're trading stories on even ground they'll make headway together.

The door clicks shut behind her, loud in the silence of this in-between hour.

[skyrim-forever]

WIP Wednesday

Hello everyone! It's another wednesday <3 I was tagged by the lovely @sheirukitriesfandom @theoneandonlysemla @hircines-hunter thank you for sharing 🥰

Tagging: @captain-of-silvenar @umbracirrus @pocket-vvardvark @lucien-lachance @firefly-factory @lady-iizsil @bougainvillea-and-saltwater @changelingsandothernonsense @dirty-bosmer @thequeenofthewinter

Unfortunately this week I do not bring you a snippet of Rulindil's grisly demise. That needs to cook a bit longer in the brain. Instead I bring you this lovely Theodora and Ondolemar snippet (featuring Phy!) because they are who matters most <3

The previous few days had been special, Phy meeting them on the road before making it to Riften. They spent the rest of the journey catching up, finally reunited after two long years. While Phy was away tending to her dying father, so much had happened. She wrote explaining the big events, the pregnancy, Arthano’s birth, Miraak. Unfortunately due to the nature of her love’s situation she had to keep it vague in the letters, writing that He has returned to me, do not worry I am being taken care of. Seeing her best friend meet her son for the first time was beautiful, albeit a bit funny as she wasn’t sure how to hold him. 

“He’s so sweet Theo, so adorable. He definitely looks like his father though, like completely. I don’t know if your traits even tried.” She teases. 

“Hey, he’s got my hair and my mother’s eyes.” She said pointing to the dark waves on his head and his big brown eyes. That was about it though, everything else was very distinctly Altmer. That was more than alright though. On long nights before he found her, gazing at their son’s face brought her comfort. He was still with her. 

Once having arrived in Riften, they stayed at Phy’s home, Honeyside, overlooking the docks. After having been on the road so long, relaxing in a proper home felt nice. Ondolemar claimed that his time ‘roughing it’, as he called it, looking for her had gotten him used to difficult conditions. Yet, she could tell he was happy to be near proper civilization; his words. Neither Theodora nor Phy had the heart to tell him what Riften was famous for. 

But no, nothing was special that day. As they sat in front of the fireplace, Phy offered to take her new nephew on a walk to calm him down. Thankfully he had been sleeping better since they arrived. She is caught up in the comfort of his arms when he speaks.

“Will you marry me?” It shouldn’t take her off-guard. He had risked his life, given up everything he had ever known to come find her, and on top of all it, they had a child. Yet it does. Theodora can’t shake that she’s dreaming. 

“Are you asking because it’s the proper thing to do?” She teases him, an attempt to deflect. 

“Partially.” He responds. “I was raised to believe that you should be married before children and if you get a woman pregnant the least you can do is take responsibility.” He gives her a quick kiss, turning her head to face him. “But it’s more than merely that.” She kisses him now.

“It’s more than that?”

“I want to call you my wife.” There’s a subtle look of shock dawning her face. 

“You do?” He nods. 

“My wife and I.” A kiss is placed on her forehead. “Oh, my wife likes those.” One on her left cheek. “I’m sorry I cannot, I promised my wife I’d be home.” One on her right cheek. “My wife Theodora.” She hums when he kisses her lips again. 

“I’d like that.” She tried it out, it feels surprisingly natural to say. “My husband Ondolemar.” It leaves her mouth a few more times, a beautiful tune my husband, my husband, my husband. 

“So with that in mind, let me ask again. Theodora, will you marry me?”

“Yes.” 

[luxiaosh]

TRACES FOR YOUR HEART .

tokyo debunker ⎯ㅤ zenji kotodama .ᐟ

fluff but a little suggestive, based on zenji's birthday, subaru is just a baby, gender neutral, hotarubi spoilers

ZENJI held the brush reverently again.

he couldn't help it.

when that birthday present was more than pigments and bristles... when bright streaks of sunlight slipped through the windows of clementia's old dormitory, golden and slow, sinking into the ground the way he imagined in real forests. . . when the wet tip of ink waved, zenji studied every feature of your body, like a confectioner examines a cake before decorating it; patterned with dark colors and bright curves just the way you, his newest work of art, should be. . . then he hummed and glided, shodō over soft skin and crimson eyes glowing with the promise of art and affection. 

you knew that, for zenji, this was the opportunity to express what his fingertips – and the rest of his body – couldn't capture. you thought, face in the pillow and cheeks burning pink, at his happy expression, the inspired man of the feather blowing out candles with the help of haku; and you eagerly slide a gift box in front of zenji, from which subaru gently removes the purple ribbon and lid, waving to his dear friend with an emotion of unspoken words, but the wish of “happy birthday,” loaded in your gaze violet. . . but it's then that zenji squints his eyes, bright spots, hot drops in the corners and it's then that he thinks about crying when he finds your face again. “th-they're anomalous brushes. haku and subaru came up with the idea.” you explain, expounding the credit as if you could take the attention away from that phantom ghoul; balanced by tears and the urge to hug your two old friends and especially you!

zenji recognizes when you try to make sure he doesn’t fall on top of the three of you. zenji recognizes crossing the atoms of his body. zenji recognizes his own knees giving way to the floor. empty. “forgive me, friends. sometimes, i forget that i can go much further.” and it was worth it in the end: “thank you, my dear.”

sweet words and unwavering smile, your heart – which you didn't imagine beating – warms, stumbling faster knowing you did something for your special day. it was a magical day, zenji thinks, a perfect day that he would remember later when he sang whatever came to mind and seemed appropriate for the moment as the biwa, suitable ballads, snippets of his own invention, came to an end. sometimes, right before he claimed you as his muse, music played in his sleepy ears, entire orchestras and choirs sternly but joyfully proclaiming something unremembered. he tried to remember these songs and sing them too; but seeing how giddy you looked, bright and flushed from receiving devoted attention, makes zenji want to write a new chapter in your body. lips instead of bristles. saliva instead of ink. he's almost jealous of how his beloved honor student sighs, the material slides down his collarbone, arms, thighs. . . “you're adorable. so adorable.” — i love you.

and then there is nothing more to say to you than lines engraved on your body.

but if there were another life after this, zenji kotodama would hope to write with his lips on his skin what those brushes were privileged to have.

[riverxsong-ao3]

Wipper Snipper

Thank you for the tag, @hikarimeroperiddle ! Here’s a snippet from a very silly Good Place au that’s taking me forever to even finish the first chapter:

Voldemort opened his eyes.

He found himself, bizarrely, staring at a flat wall, unadorned with the portraits to which he had become accustomed in the magical world but painted a blazing shade of lime green, with the words, “Welcome! Everything is fine.” stencilled in white. Taking in his strange surroundings, he was surprised to find that despite the unfamiliarity of the room in which he had appeared, he felt no fear, no anxiety – merely a calm that welled up from deep within. This was alright, he thought. He was alright.

It would not last.

“Tom?” He glanced up to see an older gentleman, dressed in a well-tailored, crisply-pressed suit, a peacock-feather bowtie that put him in mind of Albus Dumbledore’s inappropriately lurid robes fastened smartly about his neck. “Come on in.”

For reasons Voldemort did not understand, he followed the man into the office beyond this strange, unexpected waiting room.

The man settled himself behind a large desk, constructed from walnut or perhaps mahogany, and Voldemort took his seat across from him, smoothing his robes across his lap. It should have been uncomfortable, a reminder of the many times he had seated himself across from Professor Dippet, or, in later years, Dumbledore himself, but the action brought him no distress, no sense of self-betrayal. To submit his will to this strange man felt bizarrely natural, his only disquiet being that he could not seem to remember how he’d gotten here, or where he’d been only moments before.

“Hi Tom,” the man said, “I’m Michael. How are you today?”

“I am feeling quite well,” Voldemort replied, ignoring the use of his discarded name – he was too at ease to do otherwise. “Thank you. Oh – one question: where am I, who are you, and what’s going on? And, if you don’t mind, where’s my wand?”

“Right,” Michael said. “You, Tom Marvolo Riddle, are dead.”

Ah. That ease disappeared in a flash, a horror welling up inside his gut as the words washed over him. He wasn’t – he couldn’t be. Hadn’t he secured his immortality years prior? But no – that’s right, in the moments before he’d blacked out, hadn’t that… that child… what was his name? Voldemort could no longer even remember what he looked like, but he’d claimed there were no more Horcruxes, no more tethers to the earth, and then… And then they’d duelled.

And Voldemort had, apparently, lost.

“Your life on Earth has ended,” the man calling himself Michael continued, apparently oblivious to Voldemort’s panic, “and you are now in your next phase of your existence in the universe.”

“I can’t be,” Voldemort said after a moment, his hand rising to cover his mouth. To his surprise, he felt lips, then, patting up his face, found a nose – an actual nose – soft eyelashes, and eyebrows. Were his eyes even still that lovely colour of red they had become over the years? He didn’t dare ask for a mirror, but there, on his head, was hair again. He had forgotten, in these last several years, just how soft it was.

“Ah, yes, your appearance,” Michael said. “I figured you must be wondering about that. It’s nothing to worry about, we know you’re a wizard, and that sometimes,” he laughed, “you folks change your appearances. Everyone comes in with their youth and original features restored. You’re free to have it changed back, should you wish.”

“No!” Voldemort hastened. He hadn’t missed his face, a constant reminder of his Muggle father, but the hair… It felt so nice to comb his fingers through hair again, instead of raking over tight, bald skin. “This will be fine, thank you.”

“Good, good,” Michael said. “Now, as a wizard, we have placed you in a magical neighbourhood.”

“Neighbourhood?” Voldemort asked. “I apologise, I have some questions.”

Tagging @screamingmandrakes @theonceandfuturequeenoftarts @saintsenara @old-angryslytherin

[artsyacorn]

new year, new pinecest fic work in progress! this time we're driving to 🚙˖°𓇼🌊⋆🐚🫧 malibu!

i plan to release this 8 chapter fic once i finish the NYC AU that I'm pretty much done writing with. just 3 more chapters and i'll publish this new fic!

here, we introduce a new original character of mine who plays the role of dipper's college girlfriend!

her name's 'Vivienne Tham', a jet-black haired girl with striking smokey eye makeup that makes her recognisable from miles away. she's a little taller than mabel but shorter than dipper, and her physique's slightly buff from all the gym workout she does.

she has a rather reserved look on her face, barely having expressions aside from the gentle grin she shows dipper. guess you can say she has that 'RBF' look — something mabel described vivienne to be in the first chapter of this fic.

i might just make an illustration of ethan and vivienne so yall can have a visual of how they look like! who wants em?🤭

enjoy the short preview :)

Summary: When Mabel’s boyfriend, Ethan, invites the Pines family to his family’s beach house in Malibu to celebrate his little sister’s birthday, it throws a wrench in the twins’ plans for a long-awaited, intimate summer break together. What started as a purely physical relationship between Dipper and Mabel begins to shift as the vacation week unfolds.

The tension lingering in the air while being in close proximity to their family and partners forces them to confront deeper feelings they’ve long been in denial of. As hidden emotions arise from beneath the surface, the idyllic vacation becomes a complicated test of loyalty.

---

The following paragraphs you're about read are snippets from Chapter 3**

The car door swung open, and out stepped Vivienne Tham, her presence commanding attention even in the casual morning light. She was effortlessly stunning—her long, silky black hair flowing down her back, perfectly styled bangs framing her sharp features. The smoky makeup around her dark eyes gave her a mysterious allure, and her outfit—a black and white flannel draped over her cropped tank top and a pair of high-waisted jeans that showed off her toned abs and hourglass figure.

Mabel’s eyes involuntarily flicked down to her own body. She wore a loose pale blue sundress that hid the curves she often felt weren’t pronounced enough, especially compared to someone with the body of a supermodel like Vivienne. Her fingers unconsciously tugged at the hem of her dress, a familiar pang of insecurity gnawing at her.

Vivienne’s voice was low and smooth, like something out of a movie. "Mason!" she called out with a smile that seemed to brighten just for him.

Dipper didn’t hesitate. He jogged over to her, his face lighting up in a way that made Mabel’s stomach twist. It wasn’t jealousy, she told herself. It couldn’t be. Yet, the sting was undeniable.

"Viv!" he greeted, his voice warmer than she’d heard it in weeks. He pulled her into an embrace, and before Mabel could look away, Vivienne tilted her head up and kissed him.

It wasn’t a chaste kiss. It wasn’t the kind of kiss you gave someone in front of their family, and yet there it was—open, affectionate, and claiming.

Mabel’s chest tightened further as she watched, her hands curling into fists at her sides. Why did it bother her so much? Vivienne was a really gorgeous woman and Dipper was lucky to have won her heart—so why on earth did her brother confess to still wanting to continue their secret affair?

She had Ethan. Ethan, who adored her, who always told her how beautiful she was, who was standing just inside the house probably waiting to ask her what they should do after dinner. She had no right to feel this way.

And yet, as Dipper rested his forehead against Vivienne’s for a brief moment, the jealousy coursed through her like a bitter wave.

"Hey," Ethan’s voice broke through her spiraling thoughts. He had appeared beside her, his usual cheerful smile in place. "You okay, babe? You look like something’s bothering you."

Mabel plastered on a smile, her cheeks aching from the effort. "I’m fine," she lied. "Just—uh, need some fresh air."

She got up from the comfort of the patio couch to step away, eager to escape, but Ethan caught her hand.

"Wait," he said, his tone warm and casual. "How about we all go for a drive? The coastal highway’s gorgeous at sunset, and it’ll be fun with the four of us. Double date?"

Mabel hesitated, glancing over at Dipper and Vivienne. They had finally pulled apart, but their close proximity still stung. She opened her mouth to decline, but Vivienne spoke up before she could say anything.

"That sounds like a great idea!" Vivienne said, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm. "I mean, my body’s exhausted from the crazy long drive. But I’d love to see more of the area."

end of sneak peek! 🫣 see yall soon with this new series~ to find more of this series, search #pinecest malibu on my blog!