#if any of my mutuals have a better suggestion id love to hear it

[jennaissantes]

homophobia issue …

first of all,,, im bisexual!! so if anyone has a problem with that, please get off my blog. i will not be tolerating homophobia of any kind.

i really, really didn’t want to have to come out in this way, bc the situation is so bad right now. i really didnt expect enhablr to be facing this kind of a problem.

when i first heard about the issue, i was thoroughly shocked. like completely.

before anything, ill let you all read the definition of homophobia.

“discrimination” “dislike against the community” this. disrespect falls in the category of homophobia as well.

now to address the issue at hand. i wasnt directly involved in this problem. some of you may even be wondering why im making a post about it.

but as a part of the lgbtq community, i think id like to speak what i feel about this.

the situation we heard about was that an enhablr writer, had written dni: lgbtq in their account, which literally anyone would be surprised or angry at, especially if you belong to the community.

OP’s friend, who had recently become my mutual, was defending OP’s actions, which made me think of unfollowing them and i wanted to unfriend them. but then i found out it involves religion.

religion is a very sensitive topic for everyone and could go wrong in multiple ways. i respect all religions and beliefs.

so i texted OP’s friend, asking about the situation at hand, in case it was a misunderstanding.

i am aware that the quran forbids acting on gay feelings. it teaches you to not accept the gay ‘Lot’. (i have done my reading on this topic so i rlly hope im not saying anything out of line. if i am, please forgive me.)

but as far as i know, and have heard from my other islamic friends, the quran also tells you to respect and love everyone, no matter what they are or identify as. respect and acceptance are two different things. islam doe not encourage lgbtq, but doesnt tell u to NOT respect people of every kind.

if what they say is correct, then being on tumblr and reading and writing fanfictions is very much considered as haram as well.

in the above conversation, i texted them wanting to hear their side of the story as well. OP’s friend constantly used the word ‘opinion’ along with ‘belief’.

now, opinion and beliefs are two different things. opinion is something that YOU FOLLOW on your own will. belief is something that your religion teaches you to follow, against your will or not. you can notice OP’s friend has used the word opinion quite a lot.

OP’s friend had received an ask and this was their response.

‘everybody has their own opinion.’

again, the word opinion is used here, which conveys to us that they’re not wanting to interact with lgbtq community on their own accord.

i tried to explain that most of us get enough hate for being a part of the lgbtq community, and seeing dni:lgbtq, doesnt make it any better.

now, about OP.

when OP was answering asks, most of their answers were very mixed up,

in the third picture, you’ll see ive highlighted a sentence.

they say THEY DONT LIKE lgbtq. usage of first person is used. “i don’t like what they’re doing” which conveys their opinion on the community.

in the first picture, they claim that if tumblr was only lgbtq people, they’d never stay. how mean is that?

second slide, ‘escaping them’ escaping us????????? what does that even mean.

there was another pic, (that i cant add rn bc tumblr has an image limit), where they said “why do people have a problem w us saying dni lgbtq but no one has a problem if people say dni homophobic?”

… are they being for real.

i genuinely dont think they understand the situation properly. they keep saying the same thing, and mixing up opinions and beliefs.

the replies under OP’s pinned post were terrible. people said things like “im so sorry. what they’re doing is so fucking messed up.” we wouldn’t call out people for no reason just like that???

extra info: OP had written a suggestive niki fic before too.

people of the lgbtq community are humans too. it doesnt make us any different from everyone. please stop treating anyone differently, we are all of the same bone. spread positivity and happiness, not this negative energy.

please feel free to dm me if you’d like to rant abt anything! im here to listen anytime ❤️

please reblog this!

tagging mutuals: @haknom @amakumos @soov @soobnny @dazed-hee @chiyuv @delcakoo @dearheemain @kimsohn @goldenhypen @wonieleles @jaeyunverse @haerinz @hanniluvi [my head is poundinggggg rn so im sorry if i forgot anyone!]

[thefanficmonster]

Lucky Me (Sequel To Unlucky)

Corpse Husband x Reader (Female)

Warnings: Swearing

Genre: Fluff

Summary: You aren’t always born with luck. Sometimes, you meet people who bring it to you. In short, they are your lucky charm.

Requested: Yes, but not in a typical way. A big thank you to all the wonderful people who read, liked, reblogged and commented on part one - Unlucky.  

@susceptible-but-siriusexual  @simonsbluee  @save-the-sky  @hacker-ghost  @itsminniekat  @bi-andready-tocry  @imtiredaffff  @jazzkaurtheglorious  @hereforbeebo  @fandomgirl17  and many more ❤❤❤

They are the reason this story is being written. What was originally supposed to be an elaborate one-shot turned into the most liked piece I’ve ever written. I can’t thank you enough, guys. You are amazing and I hope you like this one just as much or even more than the previous. Love you ❤❤❤

Y/N’s POV

I’m grinning at my reflection in the mirror as I put on a pair of earrings. My face is already touched-up with a little make-up and my hair is looking on point. I can almost see my own reflection in the shine of excitement in my eyes. I take in my upper body via a quick once-over in the full body mirror opposite me, and I finally relax my muscles that I didn’t ever realize I was tensing.

“OK, now I’m ready.“ I say as a form of encouragement as I reach behind me for my phone that’s sitting on my bed.

You might be wondering where I’m going? Who I’m going with? What’s the occasion behind this many preparations and pampering?

The answer: Nowhere. No one. Nothing. I’m literally not even going to leave my house.

It might seem ridiculous to someone else, but to me, to my hypnotized mind, it’s perfectly reasonable to be getting so amped up over a FaceTime call. Yeah, you heard me correctly - a FaceTime call. 

Well, you see, this isn’t the first time we FaceTime, but it will be the first time we’ll see each other’s faces. I wanted to level the field so I didn’t let him on to what I look like, where exactly I live, etc. Basically, he only knows my name, which I am still prepared to call unfair, considering I don’t know his real name. 

A brief backstory to my first ever real interaction with Corpse: I was introduced to him by my friends. They are the ones I always turned to with all the scary shit happening in my life. Often times they didn’t know weather to comfort me or laugh at my curse. My friends suggested I start sharing it to a youtuber named Corpse Husband. You see, I love YouTube narrators and I’ve always been a fan of Mr. Nightmare and I, to be perfectly honest, always kept the idea of sending him my stories in the back of my mind. Nevertheless, I bit the bullet and checked out on of this Corpse Husband guy’s videos. And then another. And another. And before I knew it I was having a marathon after which I was too paranoid to get online, walk home alone at night, leave my curtains open etc. It wasn’t all thanks to the stories themselves. A lot of the fear factor these stories strike with should be credited to the way they are read. Let me tell you, this guy had it all figured out with the reading. Not sending him my stories would just be wrong. So I did, I sent him my first ever creepy encounter which was with a stalker from my high school and it took me only two days to forget about it. It only crossed my mind when my friends blew my phone up, demanding I watched Corpse’s new video. I kid you not, I got more scared by the story when he read it than when I lived it. That’s what settled it for me - I decided to send him each and every story.

And then one day, out of the blue, my life changed for the better in more ways than one. It got turned completely upside down, like a rollercoaster, and I just had to hold on and enjoy the ride, embrace the adrenaline rush and excitement, knowing full well that I chose to get on and there’s no way I can get off halfway through. 

I���m being too metaphorical. He sent me an email. He freaking reached out to me. And I was posed with a rough choice. Took me a minute, but I chose to reply to him, I chose to trust him, and I couldn’t just leave him on read one day simply cause I chickened out. Yes, I’m unlucky and these things don’t happen to unlucky people. I mean, they do, but they are nightmares disguised as a dream come true. I’ve lived all my life cautiously: if something sounds too good to be true it’s either not as good as marketed or not true at all. If it’s dark and late and there are no people around, FaceTime someone. If your Uber driver’s sketchy, cancel the ride. I take all the precautions and I still find myself in the worst situations. Or at least...

My thoughts are interrupted by the ringing of my phone. A simple ringtone I hear every time he calls me. A simple sound that causes me butterflies when I hear it and ultimate devastation if the caller ID doesn’t read the name I want. It always gets me excited, probably more than it should. This time is different, however. It’s scary almost. I’m nervous, anxious, scared, hesitant - all things I never feel when I’m about to answer his call. 

With shaky hands I pick up the call and find myself looking at the most beautiful person I’ve ever met. Now I know why I would have never initiated this meeting, because I know what color my face is right now. I know my voice has let me down before I even attempt to speak. I know I look like a mess. I know my obvious crush is showing.

Corpse initiated this meeting. He said he was getting too curious and he wanted one of his best friends to see him and for him to finally see her. It’s been about seven months since we first started texting and I haven’t let out a single peep about it to a single soul. It’s just between him and I. We are each other’s safe space away from the rest of the world.

“Thought you weren’t gonna pick up for a second there.“ His voice is not as confident as other times when we’ve talked. His trying to hide his own nervousness and all I wanna do is hug him and tell him he doesn’t have to. I kept telling him over and over again that we don’t have to do this if he’s not sure that he actually wants it. I even offered to show him what I look like, not expecting to see him in return but he declined, saying it was now his turn to even the field.

“I was in another room.“ I manage to say, my voice only shaking a little.

We spend a few moments just looking at each other. Admiring one another. For someone who prefers digital interaction, I am surprised to realize I wish he was actually standing in front of. I wish I could hug him. A long hug of comfort, mutual understanding and hidden feelings.

He lets out a short laugh, shaking his head which causes a few strands of hair to fall over his eyepatch, “I’m sorry...It’s just-...Fuck I’m stumbling.” He chuckles nervously, “I just...can’t believe you are real. You are a real person. And the most beautiful person I’ve seen. That’s corny, isn’t it.” He looks away from the screen, his face now a shade of red. “But I mean it. I’m embracing my corniness. You are beautiful, Y/N. Not that I’m flexing or anything, but I’m lucky to have met you.”

I laugh, feeling my eyes stinging from the tears that have suddenly formed. I don’t want to let them fall, but I don’t have much say in that. “Well, mister Corpse, I can’t begin to compare. I mean...that hair! I still cannot believe it’s you. You are not just a deep voice in my mind. You are....you are...”

“Everything you imagined and more?“ he jokes, making my whole body heat up. “I told you you could trust. I mean, if the hair doesn’t confirm I’m who I say I am, I don’t know what will.”

“Actually, I never tried to imagine what you looked like. I knew those visions...I knew they didn’t matter. Faces don’t matter to us, Corpse. I think you realize that.“

And just like that, all I’ve been keeping hidden is pouring out. I don’t try to stop it - you can’t stop a hurricane with bare hands.

“I never needed a face to imagine us. I always saw as talking on the phone, playing Among Us. Reading scary stories to each other on Discord. I never needed a face to imagine your company. To imagine what we could be...“ I trail off, letting the first tear slip down my cheek.

The most sincere look appears in his eyes, “Fuck, I wish I could hold your hand right now. Never mind, I wish I could hug you, Y/N. Hug you and not let go for a long time.”

I laugh halfheartedly, my chest burning from the intensity of this moment’s intimacy, “I can always tell you where I live.” I’m only half-joking. I really want to see him in real life, not just through a screen, but even this call is out of his comfort zone, let alone a physical meet up.

He surprises me yet again, “Saturday. I’ll bring the take out, you pick the movie.” he says with a smile that is literally saying ‘you didn’t see that coming, did you?’

“How are you sure I don’t live in a different state, or a different continent all together?“ I tease, making an attempt to put my composure back together.

He smirks, “I pay way more attention to your stories than you’d think.” I laugh, shaking my head as a pointless method of fighting the pesky tears that he has 100% noticed by this point. “By the way, just because we’re....” he thinks for a second, “in a weird zone between friendship and...something more, doesn’t mean you have to stop sending me stories. I absolutely love reading them for my audience. They love em too.”

I just realized I am yet to tell him the crazy miracle that has happened. “Well, the thing is...I don’t have any.” His eyebrows shoot up in shock which makes me laugh, “Yeah, I know, it’s crazy. Since the day we started talking I have not experienced a single scary thing. Deadass. I swear on my life.”

If I wasn’t so head over heels for this man already, the baffled expression on his face would definitely send me falling for him. He’s just that adorable. “Wow.”

“I know right.“ I nod, “Seems to me you have enough luck to share with me.“

His eyes light up at that comment, showing just how meaning full it is to him.

“You’re my lucky charm, Corpse.“

“I will never be more proud of any other title, Y/N. That I can promise you with no hesitation.“

“Deadass?“

“Deadass.“

[missinghan]

time lapse ⤖ seo changbin

❖ genre : idiots to lovers! au; long-distance relationship! au; fluff; a teeny tiny bit of angst

❖ word count : 14,9k.

❖ warning : explicit language, suggestive remarks & mentions of alcohol

❖ summary : you used to see Changbin as a friend until you realized that you both don’t look at each other the way best friends are supposed to. 

one.

Apparently, people like you and Changbin don’t look forward to spring breaks, ever, because you simply cannot see the point in getting pumped for the very few days of sleeping in only to dread every last moment of it. Hence, he keeps FaceTiming you every day and night with such ridiculous reasons it actually boosts your ego into thinking that he misses you. 

Oh, boy were you wrong.

But this time around, he seems so flustered and burnt up all of a sudden it makes a smirk creep its way up to your lips. Seeing him in such a vulnerable state, you’re more than satisfied like a sadistic predator. You can really use some tea right now, it’s been a little boring without any dramas other than Hyunjin being dramatic over how his hair does not look good in any way, shape or form. That alone is enough for you to throw him off a cliff because since when does Hwang Hyunjin not look good?

Changbin asks. “Have you eaten?”

“Yes, I have. You’ve been asking the same question for five minutes straight.” You roll your eyes at him in the bitchiest way possible. 

He questions subconsciously, only to have you narrow your eyes at him. “You have work tomorrow, right?”

“Bin, you have my schedule. Of course, I have work tomorrow.” You utter in disbelief. 

“Can’t I just make up excuses to call my favorite girl?”

You make a gagging noise. “Cut the bullshit. Spill or I’m gonna whip out the big gun.” 

“And what is that?” He drawls the question in boredom. 

You grin at him coyly. “I’m gonna tell Chan to poison you with cilantro.” If Changbin had to choose between eating cilantro and jumping into a tank full of sharks, he’d definitely, without a second thought, sleep with those horrifying fishes with ridiculously deadly teeth. He hates cilantro with an ignited passion, and he’s entitled to that decision for the rest of his life. He’s sworn that he would never eat cilantro as long as he lives. 

“Fine,” Changbin huffs in defeat as he holds his phone up while lying on his bed. “I need your help.”

You twirl the end of your hair dreamily and acknowledge his request. “I like the sound of that, go on.” 

He shoots you a dirty look, proceeding to continue. “How do I get a girl to notice my feelings for her?” 

His words strike through your eardrums like a lightning bolt. You don’t know whether you should be crying or laughing because 1) Changbin was never the kind of guy to be interested in having a girlfriend, he has always kept his hands to himself since forever although girls were more than ready to throw themselves at him anytime, anywhere; 2) How come he has never talked to you about this? You feel utterly betrayed because the key to having a long-distance relationship is to not hide anything from each other. And he’s doing the exact opposite of that; 3) You don’t feel as happy for him as you’re supposed to and now you feel like a horrible friend. 

“Oh-my-god.” You gasp scandalously. “I’ve been waiting for this day to come my entire life! And it’s happening right in front of my eyes! It’s actually happening! Wait… did you already pop your cherries or…” When Changbin looks like he’s about to put your head on a stick, you quickly realize that you should have just focused on the topic. 

He fakes a smile. “And what day is that?” 

“The day that my best friend asks for relationship advice from me! To finally embrace the most amazing thing to happen in life, called ‘love’! Duh.” You prop your head onto your hand, blowing a few strands of hair out of your face. “So, who is she?” 

“I don’t know if you can really help me Y/N but she’s like 5,000 miles away from me right now—“

“What did you just say?” You cut him off unintentionally. “Is she an exchange student?”

“Yeah? You can say so..” He trails off and scratches the nape of his neck sheepishly. “We met on Tinder and got to see each other later at a uni conference, and she’s really—“

You cut him off again, this time, it’s intentional. “Run, just run away.”

“Why?” He looks at you weirdly. “You’re not making any sense right now.”

You chuckle creepily, making him shudder. He’s never seen you laughing in such a dark tone it makes him wonder if you’ve been possessed or not. “Running away is actually a smart move, my friend. Just get yourself out of the war before there’s blood on those precious fingers of yours. Exchange students get all the attention. Guys or girls, doesn’t matter. Students are gonna be attracted to them like a bunch of moths to a tiny spark of flame.”

“But, but—“

You stop him before he can even say something stupid. “No but. And a long-distance relationship too? Not ideal. You can’t just slide into her DMs and ask her to be with you when you’ve only met twice. Unless her feelings aren’t necessarily not mutual. But yeah, I doubt that.” 

“Whatever, I might as well just gonna fly home and watch some shitty movies with you instead.” Changbin purses his lips in boredom and runs a hand through his hair. “Do you wanna watch that zombie movie still? Zombieland right?” 

You nod eagerly because gosh, after months and months, he still remembers. It’s one of those little moments which perfectly showcases how much Changbin cares about you. Because unlike some people, he actually pays attention to what you’re saying. And you would be lying if you said that those little actions of his never made your heart tingle. They do, and it sucks. 

“Damn right, I’m pumped for the sequel, never really got the chance to watch it since college has been nothing but a bitch to me.” 

“You’re so fucking spoiled, Beastie.” He snickers, biting back a smile. But deep down, you can clearly see right through his facade and feel the slight disappointment in his brown eyes. Exchange student or not, if it’s what makes him happy, then you fully support his decision. And if that girl ever tries to pull a dirty move on him? You’ll hunt her down and sell her off to some random mafia organization. 

You laugh wholeheartedly, trying to lighten up the mood. “Listen, if you kept scrolling through Tinder, having a girlfriend wouldn’t be a problem. Because I’m pretty sure there’s not gonna be a single person who’d not swipe right.” 

Changbin cocks a brow. “Why not?”

“Because you’re hot as shit!”

He groans loudly at your bold statement, cheeks tinted pink in embarrassment. “Shut up, mom.” 

You smile cheekily at him. “Love you too, honey boo.”

two.

As much as you clown Changbin for using Tinder since the day he asked you for dating advice, you can’t help but think that you’re a little bit lonely without his company. Funny enough, you also found yourself scrolling through the infamous app for hours and hours until there’s a match. 

The only thing that’s funnier than Changbin asking dating advice from a total fetus than you is you talking big games to him when you haven’t even got laid, not even once. So obviously, you’re so close to pissing your pants as you dread the drive to your date, tremendously. 

“Since when did you even start using dating apps?” Yeji scrunches her nose in disapproval as she starts the engine. You both just finished watching ‘Dolittle’ since Robert Downey Jr. is an icon and you’re not planning on missing out on any of his movies. But that’s not the point because the point is, your roommate knows your impulsive ass too well. Meaning, she’s not letting your day end without giving you something to feel better about it. More straight forward-ly, she’s trying to lighten up your mood before your date can piss you off. 

You singsong, trying to wiggle yourself out of the situation. “Since Seo Changbin asked me about a girl.” You know Yeji just as well as how she knows you, so you’re taking advantage of her carelessness to bring up a whole new topic before she can lure you into ‘the talk’. 

Yeah, ‘the talk’, sounds scary enough if you’re thinking about that one awkward, intimate conversation with parents about how babies are made. You think it’s utterly useless since society is basically corrupted and kids these days are all over the place, watching porns left and right with their parents’ IDs. So having ‘the talk’ with Yeji is definitely not gonna be full of questionable statements in replacement for making love. 

As far as you know, she only forces someone into ‘the talk’ with her when they suddenly have some kind of romantic interest in another human being. Upon hearing that, she’s gonna be out and about, playing the role of God and telling people all of the do-s and don’t-s along with a detailed description of how she’s gonna drag that person to the very bottom of hell if they end up breaking their heart. You’re sure as hell that you’re not ready to talk about it with her. In other words, you’re not ready for her to torment you about some boy that you haven’t even met. 

“Seo Changbin, dating someone?” Yeji fakes a gasp. “Wow, tell me all about it.” 

You roll your eyes at her. “So you knew?” 

You don’t know why you’re even surprised anymore since Changbin tells Hyunjin everything who’d spill everything to Ryujin for their midnight gossip session who’d complain about it to Yeji later on. The cycle is fully completed before you even know it and that does not make you feel any less of a dumbass. 

“Duh,” She purses her lips before making a turn at the second intersection. “Listen, just enjoy your date, I’m not gonna tease you about it until you tell me how much of an asshole that guy is.” 

You sigh in relief, drowning into your seat like a jellyfish. “Thank God.”

“But,” Your roommate drawls the word for a painfully long time. “Can we just talk about how it’s such a shame? You and Changbin would make an extremely adorable couple, right? I kid you not.”

You choke on your own saliva, coughing furiously as your hand desperately tries to roll down the window for some fresh air, mainly for the heat that’s slowly creeping up on the apples of your cheeks. “Who would ship me and my best friend together? That sounds like every drama to ever exist. Ew.” Hissing at her like a snake, you repeatedly fan your face with the hope to rid off the annoying coral tint. 

Yeji narrows her eyes at you and quickly diverts her attention back on the road because no one is getting pulled over on a gorgeous Saturday night, at least not her. She still has to finish the last episodes of the drama she’s been fangirling over. “So you’re telling me that you’re not jealous when Changbin told you about other girls? You’re totally, absolutely, entirely okay with him hanging out with some random chick in Italy?” 

It makes your blood boil even more when she mentions the fact that yes, Changbin is having fun with someone who’s probably ten thousand times hotter than you in Europe, but you’re more pissed off at the fact that she’s always right. Of course, you’re fucking jealous, why wouldn’t you? You can’t even fathom the sheer fury that’s running through your veins. Your heart is pumping pure exasperation into your brain. Even your liver can’t filter such anger. You hate the idea of Changbin wrapping his arms around someone other than you so much you’d rather choke yourself to death than even glance at such sight. 

But, for the sake of a completely normal conversation, your mouth says otherwise. “Why not? He’s not my property, I don’t get to decide who he falls in love with. Moreover, he deserves someone he truly adores. That’s not my business for all I know.” 

“Liar,” Yeji smirks. “Enjoy your date all you want, Y/N. Try not to think about Changbin too much or your date’s gonna flip.”

Again, you can’t stress enough how annoying Hwang Yeji is because somehow, in which you still don’t know how, she can read your mind in a snap of a finger. So it’s no surprise for her to know that you’ve actually thought about dating your own best friend before. It sounds so cliché you might bury yourself alive if you accidentally slip one day and confess your stupid feelings for him. As if on cue, your sixth sense is currently tingling, trying to tell you that you will definitely make a fool of yourself as you try to elaborate on how you feel about Changbin. 

“What did I do to deserve you?” You sneer sarcastically at her as she parks her white Rover right in front of the restaurant. 

The moment you step out of her car, Yeji tosses you a look. “Don’t you dare trip on me Lee freaking Y/N, don’t even try it.”

“I’ll have Minho pick me up, now skittle outta here.” You grimace before shutting the door close. Turning on your heels, you inhale sharply and push the glass door open to enter what seems like literal hell on Earth for the next four hours or so. 

three.

Being on an actual date reminds you of why you never even use dating apps in the first place. 

The only part that prevents you from running away is that Yeji has his dating profile. She knows his number, his occupation, his face, and all that jazz because meeting strangers for the very first time and already eating out with them gives you every right to be paranoid. But you’re not gonna tell him that because you still respect him just fine. And in case he’s acting all sketch, you’re gonna make sure that he’s not going home in one piece. 

Okay, you can’t just blame Jaemin because he’s not an asshole. He really isn’t. He’s a nice guy in general: respectful, confident, and outgoing with a good sense of humor. Respectful? Checked. Confident? Checked. Good sense of humor? Checked. Outgoing? That’s the dealbreaker right there. You don’t hate him for it, it’s just he’s too outgoing for an introverted potato like you. 

Both Jaemin and Changbin have very strong personalities like every Leo should. You’re most definitely not an astrology nerd but you’re educated enough to know that Leos are dramatic, warm-hearted, passionate and impulsive. 

In which, Changbin makes you laugh your ass off until you can’t even breathe whenever he’s whining about you waking him up at 9 a.m. But you gave Jaemin nothing but a scrunch of your nose when he yelped out loud as his mashed potato was too hot. And you kindly offered to finish it for him after knowing that he can’t have dairy products. Changbin’s managed to get you out of the house every weekend even when it’s a simple trip to the mall and whereas, Jaemin makes you feel more of a voiceless being when he continuously brings up one topic after another at the literal speed of light. You almost miss how you can just throw out the most random sentence without being afraid of someone judging you. 

Clearly, Jaemin isn’t the one to blame here. 

Admittedly, it’s just a ‘you’ problem. 

And even more admittedly, it’s just because Na Jaemin is being himself, and will always be himself. He’s never gonna be, and will never be Seo Changbin. 

Seriously, what’s up with Changbin taking over your mind today?

“Do you perhaps wanna watch a movie after dinner— you’re not listening to me, aren’t you?” Jaemin stops mid-sentence when he catches your dreamy expression, for the fifth time that night. 

You quickly regain your composure and sigh in defeat. “Fine, you got me. Again.” Burying your face into your palms, you’re practically choking on your own frustration because you don’t wanna lash out on him just because he’s not your type. “Ugh, I’m sorry, okay? I’ve never been on a date with a stranger before. Who’d have thought talking on texts was so much easier?” 

Jaemin props his head on his hand and makes eye contact with you. He breaks it after a good five seconds to catch you off guard, slowly processing his current thoughts like a lawyer in court. “Let me guess, you’re in a long-distance relationship with someone but since they’ve been away for quite some time, you got bored. So that leads to you, drum rolls, hopping on Tinder to find a one night stand.” He closes in proudly, a triumphant smirk painted on his slightly chapped lips. 

For the first time after hours of dreading Minho to come and pick you up as soon as possible, you can finally let go and have a good laugh. It’s like the pressure of being on a date is gladly lifted off your shoulders and you feel like you’re just catching up with an old friend. Which is weird because Changbin— Would it kill to stop thinking about Changbin for once in your life you dumbhead?

“And how did you know that?” You smile at Jaemin, deciding to focus on him for the rest of the night so that he doesn’t think you’re disrespecting him. A date is still a date. Even when the feelings aren’t mutual, the amount of respect should be.

He slowly takes a sip of his water and chews on his steak after. “Not to be creepy but when you went to use the restroom, a notification showed up and I saw your lock screen. He looks like one of those hot SoundCloud rappers who manages to stay anonymous under their stage name even when they’re mad famous. You know, cool people making dope music without being too problematic like ‘real’ celebrities.” Jaemin says it with such admiration you’re nearly more than ready to rant about how talented of a music prodigy your best friend is. But for the sake of him being your best friend, you’re not gonna do that. Yet. 

“We’re not dating, just childhood best friends.” 

He wiggles his eyebrows at you with mischief laced in his brown eyes. “You have a thing for him then. Aha! I knew it! All best friends are obligated to be together, it’s an unwritten norm of the universe.” Wow, just when you thought that no one would know about your feelings for Changbin other than your annoying, chaotic friend group. 

“In my defense, he was the one who set that photo as my lock screen.” You grunt under your breath but don’t even try to hide it. “I shouldn’t have swiped right.”

“Be grateful that you did.” Jaemin inhales the last bits of his dish with satisfaction, dabbing the sauce on his lips away with a napkin. “Because not only am I paying for the meal, I’d love to meet up again to hear you ramble about the boy on your phone. As friends. Also because you totally saved my lactose intolerant ass back there.” He declares loud and clear, smiling from ear to ear. 

You roll your eyes at him in slight annoyance. “Fine, but I’m paying for the movie tickets.”

Jaemin extends his fist. “Frozen 2? I know a place that’s having it tonight.”

“You got it, broski.” You chuckle and bump your fist with his while your heart is yelling at you to get the fuck out of this restaurant because you’re about to suffocate yourself with the amount of painstakingly awkward silence that this place possesses. 

Before you even know it, you’re walking out of the Hilton Hotel with an empty bucket of popcorn in your arms as Jaemin hogs two cups of Coke which are left with nothing but ice cubes right beside you. It’s like the whole being too cautious thing that’s been driving you insane has disintegrated into literal dust. Watching a movie with Jaemin feels like you’re babysitting your non-existent little brother while your parents are out of town and Minho is bar-hopping with the guys. Except for the fact that he gave you his hoodie because the cinema’s ACs are ridiculously cold as always. But it’s really nice, actually, because although the date didn’t turn out how you expected it to be, you did make a new friend. 

That rarely happens so you’re definitely giving yourself a pat on the shoulder. 

“The plot was kinda messy, don’t you think?” You ask him after tossing the bucket into a nearby trash can. 

Jaemin nods in acknowledgment and swings an arm around your shoulder. “It was all over the place, I’m with you all the way. And Elsa in that purple dress too? Yikes.”

You laugh with him, continuing the conversation with much less ‘watch what you’re saying’ and more ‘actually enjoy the date for the sake of it’ until you both reach the parking lot. “Drive safe and text me when you’re home, okay?” You remind him like the bossy person that you are as you pull out your phone from your purse. 

“You’re not my mom.” Jaemin snickers and his fingers hover above the tips of his keys inside his pocket. “Wait, your brother’s picking you up right?”

[9:35 p.m.]

y/n | hey, pick me up already. 

meanhoe | sorry sis, I’m a bit occupied over here. 

meanhoe | just call a ride home or smth.

[9:36 p.m.]

y/n | LEE MINHO ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

y/n | do you have the slightest idea about how many serial killers are lurking the streets, waiting for girls like me to fall right into their traps?

meanhoe | paranoid.

[9:37 p.m.]

meanhoe | let me tell you about how Han Jisung is taking a nap on my lap rn.

meanhoe | in graphic details.

[9:38 p.m.]

y/n | or I can just tell you about that time when mom and dad found you right next to a trash can on a sidewalk instead? 

y/n | it’s a very lovely story, trust me.

[9:39 p.m.]

meanhoe | ugh, what do you want?

y/n | nothing, Jaemin will drive me home.

y/n | goodnight.

[ 9:40p.m. ]

meanhoe | hey! I can make it up to you still!

y/n | I SAID GOODNIGHT.

You toss your phone back into your purse in pure disappointment. And with a prolonged sigh, you turn to Jaemin. “He abandoned me. Can you give me a ride home?”

He cackles at the scowl on your face and gestures you towards the seat next to the shotgun window. “Hop in.”

four.

“Wow,” Minho utters. “Just wow.” 

“It’s you again, why am I still surprised at this point?” 

He grins coyly and slips the keys into his pocket before running a hand through his bed head. Chuckling creepily, he watches as Changbin struggles to roll both of his suitcases across the bumpy surface of your front porch. “You left my sister crying with a bucket of ice-cream for Italy. How does that feel? You know, to finally be free from her ?” Minho inquires with an amused smile. “But on a serious note, she missed you, very much so. Did you even tell her about this?

“Minho, it’s supposed to be a surprise. Do I have to translate ‘surprise’ into whatever the fuck of a language that all snakes speak in general or you’re fully capable of doing that yourself? Also, it would be so incredibly kind and generous of you to actually comprehend my messages.” 

Minho chuckles and leans back against the wall comfortably. “Why not move back here then? Aren’t you done with your degree already? Or did Italy blind you with their good food and hot girls? You’re quite qualified to be my roommate.” He drags the last part. “Just wish you didn’t have to give me that attitude whenever I’m trying to start a civil conversation.” 

Changbin scoffs at him, clearly uninterested. And Minho’s definition of a civil conversation just concerns him even more. “I have enough qualities to be your roommate? Let me guess, smart ?” 

“Secretly a nerd.” Minho tuts. 

Changbin shoots him a dirty look. “Composed?”

“I’d say indifferent and stubborn.” 

“Brave enough to kill some stupid bugs for you?” 

Minho rolls his eyes. “More like painstakingly reckless.”

“You literally fell off the couch when Jeongin accidentally popped a balloon with his pen.” 

A smirk blooms on his lips. “But you gave him an entire lecture about why he shouldn’t bring pens to a party. Inspiring leadership.”

“Looks good in black?”

Minho looks unimpressed. “Everyone looks good in black you moron.”

“Then why the fuck are you trying to pull me into your system?!” Changbin throws his hands upwards, a frustrated groan escapes his lips. “You know I hate commitments. They give me anxiety. Especially when it involves you.” Which is not entirely correct because he did have a date last week or should have had a date last week. He was so close to pissing himself in the middle of a Michelin rated restaurant. But lucky him, his date flaked out on him before he could start having a full-on mental breakdown inside the restroom. 

A glint of curiosity ignites in Minho’s orbs. “Because you absolutely have no life whatsoever.” He starts calmly, going back and forth within the limited space of the hallway. “And don’t even get me started about your love life. It’s drier than Chan’s attempt at making macarons. Oh and remind me, did your goldfish die or did you kill him? Did he die or was he killed? Or was it both?” He taunts further, and further, and further until he’s hanging on that weird borderline between having Changbin lunge at him like a predator and succeeding at luring him back to Seoul. “I’m being as kind as my mind can possibly allow without a drop of caffeine so you better take it while you’re at it.”

Changbin is fuming with nothing but pure anger. He’s so fucking close to crush every single strand of liveliness left inside of the man in front of him until he turns white like a complete ghost. But he’s also convinced that Lee Minho is just a non-biological heir of the Angel of Death. Hence, getting rid of him is impossible. “Come over here and make me.” Crossed arms, he’s determined to not leave the city without at least throwing a punch at Minho’s ridiculously perfect face. 

“What are you? Four?”

Changbin stops himself from throwing hands at him and turns on his heels. “Nothing, it’s just that I don’t really like you all that much.” He makes his way to the kitchen, tossing his black beanie onto the counter. 

“Yeah, me neither.”

He protests triumphantly. “See?”

“Listen up you man child,” Minho grits and walks behind him through the living room, passing by a hungover Jisung with Woojin on top of him at an unusually persistent pace that seems to cover up the bubbling anger inside his stomach. “Would you stop what you’re doing and listen to me when I’m trying to prove my own point? I’ve known you for all my life—“

Changbin interrupts him. “Those times when you passed by me at the library and made fun of me for studying for finals in high school? Doesn’t count.”

Minho hides behind a rather cheerful voice, his stare colder than an ex-wife’s fighting for custody over her child in court. “That doesn’t matter! Y/N went out with some guy last night and even let him drive her home. I don’t even know if she’s okay or not since she wouldn’t pick up for the past hour. And I just can’t let those two idiots at home alone, completely unaware of their surroundings.” Changbin shoots him a weird look and he quickly brushes it off with a click of his tongue. “Don’t ask.” 

Changbin chokes on the can of Coke that he just grabbed from the fridge. “Wait, so she’s not here?”

“She moved in with Yeji months ago in an apartment near college, didn’t she tell you ?”

“No?” He raises a brow. “And what date? Who? How? Where? When?” 

Changbin’s starting to panic a little bit because if you were to be on a date, you’d most likely hide in the restroom just to text him for a good five minutes. Very much like him. Anyway, he’s also quite concerned about the fact that you didn’t reply to Minho’s texts all morning. Maybe he’s overthinking again but he knows that you’ve forced yourself to be a morning person even when it’s the holiday since you don’t wanna dread bringing back your old habits when a new semester hits. 

Minho drums his fingers against the dining table. “Who? Some boy called Jaemin? How? Tinder. Where? The Hilton Hotel. When? Last night until almost 10 I believe.”

Now Changbin’s fully entered panic mode because since when did you even use Tinder? And not tell him about it too? What if you’re already kidnapped and sold to some creepy people from China to make profits off your organs? “That’s it. Give me her address, I’ll go.” He drops his backpack onto the floor and grabs his coat, downing the last few drops of his beverage in a rush. As soon as Minho texts him your address, Changbin dashes straight through the front door like a tornado to the point that it has Woojin facepalming himself on Minho’s dad’s old carpet. 

“My job here is done.” Minho cracks his knuckle and takes a seat at his family’s dining table, picking up his phone only to receive a text from you. 

[8:23 a.m.]

y/n | ugh, is your friend gonna come over to pick up the speaker or what? it’s been fifteen minutes.

y/n | and what’s his name again? Jackson?

meanhoe | yeah, he’ll be there in ten.

meanhoe | eat a chill pill sis, I’m in charge.

five.

You frown furiously at the series of messages that you and your brother have been sending each other for the past ten minutes. Something smells fishy, and you can already see that stupid, self-indulging smirk spread across his face without him being right next to you. But then again, no one really knows what’s going on inside that disturbing glimpse of thing called ‘a brain’ inside his head because magically, and spontaneously, everything works out whenever he’s in charge. 

Except when he’s in the kitchen with Jisung and Hyunjin as his cannot-be-anymore-useless vice-cooks, aka when they’re holding onto each other for dear life the moment Minho cracks an egg onto a heated pan with oil boiling along the edges. 

“Ugh, Yeji! It’s supposed to be your turn to do laundry, you ass.” You repeatedly hit your roommate’s sleeping figure with a pillow, slightly mad at the fact that she’s still in bed when you’re done with grocery shopping. Sometimes you wonder if her only talent is sleeping through earthquakes. Maybe that’s how she has mad stamina and can still do a decent thirty minutes of cardio after dance practice. 

Yeji mumbles nonsense into her pillow and slaps your hand away only to bury herself under the wool blanket again. It takes every strand of energy left inside of you to pull the soft fabric over her head and onto the floor it goes. “Why are you making such a fuss out of me forgetting to do laundry ?” She sits up grudgingly like a zombie digging itself up from its own grave and yawns obnoxiously. 

You blink numerous times at her in disbelief. “Uhm, hello? Because I don’t have anything to wear? And also, FYI, it’s almost ten, okay? Wake up Sleeping Beauty. Prince Charming isn’t available today.” 

“Shut the fuck up!” She whines loudly before dropping onto her backside in defeat. “You’ve never binge-watched any dramas before, you’d never get it.” Hey, it’s not your fault she chose to stay up until 3 a.m. for a stupid drama. You’re not gonna tolerate her complaints about migraines after having lunch, not this time. 

“Besides,” She glances at you before throwing an arm over her head dramatically. “You look good in that hoodie, where did you get it?” 

You grab various pieces of clothing dangling off of her bed and her beige-colored computer chair as you ponder about your life choices. “Na Jaemin, who else? God, and I need to give it back to him too.” 

Yeji teases. “Are you making an excuse to meet him again?”

“We didn’t click, that’s all I have to say.” A smirk finds its way to your lips. “I basically adopted him now, so yes, I am making an excuse to meet him again because a mother has every right to see their son.” 

“You’re so weird.” Your roommate purses her lips before turning her back against you. 

You scroll through your feed in pure boredom. “What do you want for lunch? Wait, it’s too early for lunch, what about brunch?”

“Anything will do.” Yeji shrugs, not even trying to get out of bed when it’s already 9 a.m. So naturally, you’re already facepalming yourself at her questionable sleeping habits. 

Now, where is that guy Jackson?

As if on cue, your doorbell rings. You’re dead meat to me. You roll up your sleeves and put on your ‘formally serious’ face before grabbing the tote bag right beside your couch. Without even checking who’s there through the peephole, you swing the door open in a rush. “Look, Jackson, I’m really not in the mood to invite you inside for tea nor biscuits so just take the speaker and—“

“Y/N, I don’t need a speaker, stop bombarding me with information that my brain can’t even comprehend. And who the hell is Jackson?” Changbin puts his hands up as if you’re holding him at gunpoint. And you almost laugh out loud at how he looks like he just found out Trump is president, he— wait, Changbin’s here?

You subconsciously drop the speaker without noticing that you might break something before Jackson actually gets here. “You came back?!” Your mouth automatically goes agape, utterly speechless. 

“Of course, why wouldn’t I?” He chuckles when you crash yourself into his embrace as an attempt to hide your teary eyes. Meeting Changbin in person again feels like a rollercoaster full of mixed emotions, you have so many things to say but nothing comes out right. Maybe it’s best if you just keep your mouth shut for the time being. 

And thank God he still smells the same and doesn’t shower himself in ridiculously expensive cologne like other guys because you’d disown him if he starts smelling like a Tommy Hilfiger store. Changbin gently wraps his arms around your waist, rocking you from side to side. “You missed me that much huh?” Suddenly tongue-tied, he’s officially lost the ability to form a proper sentence when you hold onto him so tightly, so desperately. 

When you pull away, you don’t even know what to say when so many things are running through your mind at the speed of light. After all those years, he’s changed. Yes, people change. But Changbin changed, for the better. He looks impeccable even in a simple black t-shirt with a grey bomber jacket thrown over his figure. Wait, has he been hitting the gym? You swear, last time you saw him he was five times smaller. His jawline can now cut you too apparently. Years of friendship and you just found out your best friend is an actual health freak. 

“As if..” You sniffle into the crook of his neck, tears continuously streaming down on your cheeks. Eventually, you give in. “Fine, I did miss you.” 

Changbin laughs wholeheartedly, sending vibration throughout your entire body. “Missed you too, Beastie.”  And it’s there again, that fuzzy feeling tickling the pit of your stomach. It feels wrong, and your heart knows that too well. To the point that you’re afraid of your own feelings for him, that you’d hurt him, or he’d hurt you. You just can’t decide if confessing to him is worth the risk of destroying your friendship forever. But it’s most definitely not. Maybe it’s better this way. 

“Wait,” Changbin scrunches his nose and pulls away. “You smell like a guy.” Then something rings a bell inside of him. “Right, you went on a date with some cute boy without telling me? Explain yourself.” 

You scratch the nape of your neck sheepishly, slightly embarrassed. “Well… long story short, I got bored and downloaded Tinder. He was cute, but not compatible.” 

“There you are, what took you so long?” Yeji pops her head out of her bedroom, almost giving you a heart attack. 

You toss her a look. “What do you mean ‘what took you so long? Did you know? Again ?” And she nods apologetically. “Why the fuck do I feel so left out right now? Are you guys setting me up for something sketchy? Who’s in charge?” 

“Your brother, obviously.” 

You step aside so that Changbin can walk into your living room before shutting the front door closed. “Zip it, he’s adopted.” 

six.

Kim Woojin, as always, throws his annual ‘welcome back’ BBQ party whenever someone returns from a long trip for a fairly long time. Of course, he would never leave Changbin hanging. 

Which, also means you’re obligated to accept the fact that he just single-handedly dragged you out of your apartment with the most minimal of physical effort. So now you’re stuck inside his stupid kitchen, with your siblings (no not Minho, not that heathen), potatoes. You look so incredibly alike your brother might actually be whatever with the harsh truth that you can’t stop taunting him about how he’s adopted. 

Anyway, because you’ve always been terrified about the thought of accidentally having your sleeves caught on fire, Chan just shooed you back inside to work on the potato salad. And the worst part of making a potato salad? Peeling the skin. Seriously, you’d marry someone who invented an automatic potato peeler, that’d be godsend privilege. 

The saying goes : ‘When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade’. Likewise, but in your case, it’s : ‘When life makes you cook, get yourself a best friend who’s good at it instead’. Problem solved. Changbin might not be as great as *snorts* Minho, but he did manage to survive multiple months in Italy without spending too much money eating out when he’s very, absolutely, entirely financially capable of doing that for the rest of his life. He appreciates home-cooked food because of the process, the time, the effort, the love that every family member (or one family member) put into the dishes. And it may not be something that’s Gordon Ramsay-approved, but gathering around at the same table gives people the chance to catch up, to communicate, to care more. 

And what does that mean? Well, that means when Changbin, fortunately, makes it out of the war zone in Woojin’s backyard where Hyunjin is chasing Jisung with a dead spider between his metal tong, he finds out that he just, in fact, got himself into another disaster. Bits of potatoes’ skin is everywhere, scattered randomly from the kitchen aisle to the wooden cutting board. Bottles of mayonnaise and mustard are lying lifelessly across the dining table, saucing dripping from the opened caps. And jars of different spices look like they just got dumped into one big bucket, mixed together, and then carefully divided them evenly into each one again. Changbin is utterly alarmed right now and he can’t decide whether he should be helping you or just run away. But since it’s you, he can’t simply turn on his heels and leave because chances are, you’re gonna fucking stab him in his sleep. 

“Woah, who did you kill ?” He gasps, taking slow strides toward your figure standing at the kitchen aisle. 

You blow a few strands of loose hair out of your face, crying dramatically. “My sanity, it’s long gone.” You tell him as you try to stir the mixture of mayonnaise, paprika, apple cider vinegar, celery seeds, mustard, and sweet pickle relish in a stainless steel bowl with a wooden spoon, trying hard not to ruin Jaemin’s favorite hoodie. “And if you’re not planning on giving me a hand, then the exit is right that way. No one’s stopping you.” 

Changbin shakes his head at you in disapproval for a hot minute before pulling your hair free from the loose bun, accidentally dousing himself in the more than familiar scent of your shampoo. Fresh, and a bit pepperminty, he missed this so much it’s starting to get creepy. Basically his heart just swells, but he’s gonna choose to be in denial like usual. “Better get your hair out of your face first.” He says and effortlessly puts your messy, black mop of hair into a high ponytail. It’s not like he hasn’t done this before because Changbin tends to play with your hair a lot while you’re both on a Netflix marathon. But this time, you didn’t know what it was, but the moment the tips of his fingers brushed past your bare skin, they sent electricity down your spine and goosebumps rose on your skin. The fact that your little heart feels like it’s running on a treadmill for hours doesn’t make it easier to deny how much he can affect you without even trying.

“Why are you still wearing that hoodie ?” Changbin points out, confused. 

You answer monotonously, still mad at your roommate. “Because Yeji forgot to do laundry. So I have nothing to wear.” You hate her even more now because she’s probably gonna be out and about, going to questionable parties with Ryujin until dawn and asking for a cup of water when she gets back home on your bean bag chair. “I’m gonna have to return it to Jaemin soon.” 

Changin snickers. “Yeah, you better.” He finishes chopping up the hard-boiled eggs, celery, sweet onions, and fresh dill, dropping the ingredients into the dressing that you just made. 

“So,” You walk over to the dining table to grab the bowl of chopped potato. “How did your date go? Was she cute or did she look like a potential serial killer? Wait, serial killers can look cute.” You shiver at the thought of losing your best friend in some foreign country because someone can literally be kidnapped in a span of fifteen to twenty seconds. So you don’t see the point of being ashamed about always being paranoid. 

Changbin helps you pour the dressing over the potato before stirring the goodness together with a wooden spoon. “Ah, that,” He scratches the nape of his neck sheepishly. “She’s okay I guess. But you never know, talking over text is always easier.” 

You decide to let Changbin finish up the dish and grab some paper towels to wipe down the table and counter. “So you guys never met up ?”

He looks hesitant to tell you. “Technically, we were gonna see each other every day because of the internship but I guess no? Our schedules aren’t exactly compatible. Maybe I’ll just ask her out again when I fly back.” 

You stop cleaning up the mess on the kitchen aisle and turn your attention onto your best friend. He’s nibbling on his bottom lips, guilt is evident in his eyes. 

“What internship?” You ask. 

seven.

Seo Changbin used to have ( and still has ) a soft spot for you. And everyone knows that all too well. 

He wasn’t kidding when he said that you’re his favorite girl. He wasn’t kidding when he said that he’d take a bullet for you. But you kinda wish that he was because falling in love with your childhood best friend just sounds so wrong on so many levels altogether. Jaemin night be right, it is written in the stars for some people to fall in love with their best friend but that life is not for you. There’s just something about the idea of Changbin and you as lovers that twists an immediate knot in your stomach. Sometimes you wish he doesn’t have to be so affectionate towards you so that you can give up on the one thing that’s holding you back : false hope. 

He would always drag you out of bed in the middle of the night to watch the stars and talk with him even when you guys were practically inseparable. Your group of friends constantly tells you that Changbin could never keep his hands to himself when it comes to you but realistically, he’s just a secretly clingy person who loves cuddling. But those little moments where you guys were sharing the same bed, snuggling into each other’s presence like it’s the last sense of comfort in the entire world were the ones you cherish the most. They can make you smile stupidly to yourself all day. 

And Changbin never failed to surprise you too. He once made the whole fancy breakfast in bed with flowers that only happens in movies and you couldn’t stop talking about it. Even ‘till this day, you still can’t shut up about it. He only brushed it off and told you that he wanted to spoil you since it’s your birthday but you took it as something much more than just a birthday present. Because those little actions of his are what set your heart on fire and you feel like it could combust anytime if he keeps looking at you so tenderly all the time.

Changbin isn’t a man of many words because he truly believes that actions speak louder than words. At least for him, his actions are much more powerful than his words. But that doesn’t mean his words never had any kind of effect on you. Because they did, greatly. You still remember how you’d always wake him up in the middle of the night because your stupid brain cells decided to give you a mental breakdown after bottling feelings up for so long. But Changbin didn’t just scold you for keeping everything to yourself, he did something else much more magical and much more comforting than any advice you could ever have. 

He’s written plenty of songs for you before, and you can still vividly hear the familiar melodies every now and then whenever you’re in a really dark place. 

It felt like a tight hug when you were all alone and in distress. But what sucks is that it makes you miss him even more. Where in the world is he? What is he doing? Does he have a decent life? Moreover, is he happy? You were always worried sick about Changbin because he’s that type of guy who works his ass off for things that he’s passionate about but he’d be willing to do something else for others because he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Hence, upon hearing about him turning down an internship just to fly back, you didn’t know what to say or think. 

You yell at Changbin. “Are you out of your mind?!” 

He huffs in disbelief. “I’m a fully grown man who has every right to make my own decisions so I chose to visit my friends instead of torturing myself inside a studio. Yeah, sue me!”

“Do you have any idea how many opportunities and chances that internship would bring? There’s no need for you to do that just because of us!”

Changbin points out snarkily. “Well, you were the one who decided to call me at 3 a.m. every single day, complaining about your insomnia and shit.”

You gasp scandalously. “Why are you even saying that? It’s like you don’t even know me! I’m trying to put your benefits before mine, why is it so hard to understand that? Are you trying to say that I’m the bad guy in this conversation?”

“Maybe you are,” He says through gritted teeth. “Likewise, I’m trying to put my friends first instead of locking myself up within four soundproof walls twenty-four hours a day, five days a week, until spring break is over. You are being fucking ridiculous!” 

You’re slightly taken aback when Changbin had the audacity to say such things. Why is he still so fucking stubborn? “I’m the one who’s being ridiculous? Me trying to not get my best friend's talent wasted, me trying to not have my best friend make the rest of his break go wack because all we do here is apparently get drunk, eat, sleep, and repeat. That, is being ridiculous ?” You let out a humorless laugh. “Well, if I need to keep on doing that in order to keep you on track with your dream, then I fucking will.”

He hisses at you. “What are you? My mom? I’m a fully grown adult for fuck’s sake!” 

“Yes, I am technically your mom since the day you threw up on my dress in kindergarten. I even wiped your puke off of your face, you ungrateful brat.” 

“Uhm guys, you might wanna tone it down..” Felix tries to cool off the situation since he doesn’t really enjoy eating dinner while two people are continuously throwing daggers at each other with their eyes. 

Another thing, no matter how whipped you are for Seo Changbin, there’s still this little demonic part in your heart that screams to strangle the light out of his eyes every single day. Even back then, you guys bickered like there’s no tomorrow without a care in the world. Fortunately, your problems were always quick to be resolved because you just could never bring yourself to hate him even when you wanted to. He’s just that contagious, never fails to put a smile on your face nonetheless. 

So naturally, it’s ten minutes into the BBQ party in Woojin’s backyard and you’re more than ready to fight him. Metaphorically, not literally because you’re too utterly soft for him anyway. 

“Shh, shh,” Minho easily shushes Felix up with his index finger over his lips. “Lix, keep it down, the Petty Olympics is just getting started.” 

Jeongin purses his lips. “You’re such a snake, did you know that?” He’s obnoxiously chewing on the slices of grilled steak that Chan just took off the iron rack. Like Felix, he wishes to enjoy dinner in peace but that has not happened for quite some time and he’s already sick of it. 

Minho rolls his eyes at the younger boy with nothing but disgust in his eyes. “Wow, what a truly shocking revelation, Jeongin. It’s for the irony, sarcasm is needed in order for my joke to work.” He sips on the glass of whiskey in front of him like how he simply sips on his coworkers’ complaints about their relationships every morning. “Now run along, grab your monthly paycheck and buy yourself a sense of humor.” 

Jisung snickers. “Wow, is he mean today—“ 

You cut Jisung off unintentionally, huffing with such determination. “Don’t ever talk to me again.”

Changbin says casually. “It’s not like I want to.”

“I will break you.” You give him your best death glare.

He tips his imaginary hat with a smirk tugged on his lips. “If that’s what makes you happy, then I certainly cannot wait for it, Little Mistress.”

eight.

It’s the second time you’re hanging out with Jaemin and still, you can’t bring yourself to develop any non-platonic feelings for him. Do you really want to date him? Not really. Again, he’s not a bad guy. In fact, girls can just pass by you both walking by the Han River and they’re already eyeing him up and down like an expensive piece of steak. 

Maybe it’s something about trying to push Changbin out of your mind for once in your life. Or it can be something about the fact that he actually has some kind of romantic interest in his Tinder date. Or you’re just being ridiculous and totally overthinking the situation. 

It’s sad, but you’ll have to accept it sooner or later. You see Jaemin as nothing but a friend, and a little brother because he’s funny, respectful, and everything you can ask for in a guy. But, at the end of the day, he’s just not Changbin. 

And although you’re madly in love with your best friend, it seems like Jaemin gets you and manages to keep your mind off of him for the day so that you don’t end up crying alone in one of the bathroom stalls. You can’t be any more thankful. 

“You seriously didn’t have to watch ‘Dolittle’ twice just because of me,” Jaemin tells you as you both stand at the front door of the movies, hugging his bucket of popcorn closer to his stomach. 

You smile at him. “Robert Downey Jr. is worth watching any movie twice. That’s why I’m still not over the Endgame depression phase because I may or may not watch it one too many times.” 

He rolls his eyes at you and proceeds to throw his garbage away. “Crybaby.” Then, he wraps his arm around your shoulder and walks you towards the entrance. “I had fun tonight. Thanks, Y/N, it means a lot. Should I walk you home?”

“I don’t see why you shouldn’t.” You answer cheekily. 

Jaemin teases, “Because your boyfriend might show up and punch me in the face?” 

“Shut up! He’s not my boyfriend!”

“Woah, I didn’t even say who it was. You’re so whipped for him.”

You elbow him in the stomach, earning a low grunt from him as a response. “I shouldn’t have given you your hoodie back. I should have burnt it or something.”

He wiggles his eyebrows at you, holding onto the paper bag that you brought tightly. “No, keep it if you want to. You look good in it.” 

Before you can even clap-back at him with a witty retort, your phone vibrates inside your pocket. “Sorry, someone texted me.”

[ 9:23p.m. ]

meanhoe | Y/N WHERE ARE YOU?!

meanhoe | SOMEONE BROKE INTO OUR HOUSE!

meanhoe | I’m upstairs rn, but there were some sketchy sounds earlier. I think they’re in our kitchen.

meanhoe | Bin’s still in the living room!

meanhoe | COME HOME!!

Oh. My. God. 

nine.

“Changbin, pick up, pick up,” You murmur and keep pacing back and forth at your parents’ front porch, frantically fumbling with your phone in your hands. “Goddamnit just pick up!” You groan out of frustration when you can’t even open the door because it’s locked, and Changbin’s not doing a great job at responding to your calls either. Which can only mean one thing, he’s being held hostage inside along with your brother and the intruder’s probably confiscated their phones. 

You’d take a bullet for Changbin if that’s the last thing you could do for him. There are no words to fathom how important he is to you, so now instead of thinking of how to save his ass, you’re stupidly, foolishly thinking back to high school where he would always eat lunch with you whenever Minho’s too caught up with practice, where you both would lie under an ugly tree at the very back of your school’s enormous backyard, trying to do homework and dozing off five minutes after. Changbin’s been with you through thicks and thins, with all of your ups and downs. His lack of doubt for you was what helped you survive those horrendous years and you’ve decided that you’re not gonna let go of him, not in this life. 

Therefore, you’re about to do something dumb. That something is going to prevent your best friend from getting murdered. But the chances of getting your head blown into bits are undeniably high too. That wouldn’t matter now, would it? If the intruder dares to tick you off, he best believes that you’re gonna fucking take him down with you. 

Mustering all of the courage you have left, slowly, your fingers hover over the doorknob, the other on the wooden surface, ready to bang on it like a crazy person. You inhale sharply and close your eyes. 3..2..1..

The door suddenly swings open, causing you to stagger forward and your eyes widen in panic. “Y/N? What the hell?” Changbin catches you in time and frowns furiously at your soaked figure. Your hair and clothes are doused with rain, the tips of your fingers as cold as ice from staying outside for so long. You flutter your eyes open at his words, mouth grows agape when you find out that your current position can’t be any more awkward. 

Great, now what?

Wait, where’s the intruder? “Are you okay?!” You mindlessly throw yourself at him, holding onto him so tightly like he’s gonna disintegrate into thin air once you let him go. Blood is roaring inside your ears, your heart is picking up its pace as you have so many questions, so many things to say but.. he seems pretty okay? “Is Minho okay too? Where is he? Why didn’t you pick up my calls? Why was the door locked?” 

Changbin pulls away softly to prevent you from hearing his heart thumping vigorously inside of his rib cage, eyes as wide as a goldfish’s. “What? Minho’s downtown today to meet up with his old friend who’s studying abroad. Didn’t he tell you?” 

“No?” You knit your brows together and take a full ten seconds to process what just happened. Why do you feel like you just got played? 

He closes the door and walks you inside. “And why the hell do you look like a wet rat? Did you just walk home? Weren’t that Jaemin guy supposed to drive you instead?” You purposely ignore his questions and continue to piece the little amount of information that you have together. But once you throw a glance at your parents’ living room, you see a box of fresh, piping hot Hawaiian pizza with ‘Fast and Furious’ playing on the forty-eight inches TV. With that, everything makes sense. 

You ran home as fast as you possibly could, under the rain when it’s dark outside all alone and this is how your brother repays you? 

“Wow,” You utter, somewhat lightheaded. “I need to sit down.” You tell Changbin when he comes back with a white fluffy, towel. He clicks his tongue in annoyance, wordlessly bringing the towel to your head as an attempt to dry off your hair. You’re startled by his sudden affection, cheeks growing pink as you avoid eye contact. 

Changbin caresses your cheekbone gently as if you’re far too fragile for him to touch and you just play dumb by batting your eyelashes repeatedly to shake the droplets of rain away. He quickly snaps out of it, taken aback by his own action. “Would you care to tell me what happened before I put you on trial?” He says with his arms crossed.

Your blood slowly boils as you choke on your own exasperation.“Minho told me that someone broke into our house and basically held you hostage. So I rain-checked on Jaemin, ran home only to find you in one piece with a pizza while watching ‘Fast & Furious’.” You hide your face behind your palms in sheer embarrassment as Changbin cackles his ass off in his annoyingly adorable laughter that makes you crack up every time. 

He throws his head back and continues to laugh wholeheartedly, holding onto his stomach for dear life. “He got you good, wow. So much for supporting his sister’s second date. I’m sure he just wants to make sure that you’re home before twelve.” 

“HE COULD HAVE JUST PICKED ME UP HIMSELF! HELLO?” You throw your hands in the air, huffing. You swear to God, Minho’s dead meat to you tomorrow morning. Your brother knows your feelings for Changbin all too well and he’s just doing everything he can to kick Jaemin out of your love life but the irony here is Jaemin was never there in the first place. But, Minho’s an evil mad genius so he still succeeded in pushing you back to Changbin when you’re trying to avoid him the most. Props to him, you’re now stuck inside a house with your best friend because your parents are currently going on vacation in Bora Bora. 

That wouldn’t be a problem unless you’re madly in love with him. But you are, and it sucks. 

You exclaim, smacking Changbin’s arm, causing him to whine loudly. “Would you stop laughing? I was scared that you’re gonna get murdered!” 

In a split second, he pulls you flushed against him, rocking you back and forth as he ruffles your hair. When the vibration of his chuckle emits from his chest just makes your heart skip a beat. Changbin’s never been the cheesy, romantic type like Hyunjin but sometimes he does these things that just messes up your heart more as if it’s not already all over the place. 

“Come on, Beastie, go change your clothes. I wouldn’t wanna cuddle with a sick person.” 

ten.

One shower and five minutes later, you’re on the sofa right beside Changbin with your head rested comfortably on his shoulder. The first episode of ‘The Umbrella Academy’ is blaring clamorously on your dad’s TV as your eyelids grow heavy, hanging on the edge of shutting before your favorite character even pops up. 

Changbin notices your sleepiness and pulls the wool blanket closer to your body, high enough to cover the rest of your shoulders as you snuggle into the crook of his neck. He pouts at the box of pizza and two empty bottles of Henny before playing with your hair, braiding a small section of it in boredom. He’s definitely not the type to rewatch any shows but since you’re just so pumped for the second season, you insisted that you two should binge-watch season one all over again. Obviously, he doesn’t see the point because he already knows everything, how does rewatching it has anything to do with getting him ready for the next season? Besides, you’re already falling asleep when it’s only ten minutes into the episode. 

But is Changbin gonna let you sleep in peace just like that after all those years of you waking him up at an ungodly hour? Nope. 

“Hey,” He nudges you with his elbow. “They said there wouldn’t be a second season.” 

You jolt up from your sleepy state, eyes shooting open in utter surprise and disappointment. “Wait what?! Why not?!” You cry out dramatically, hands batting in midair like a madwoman as if they’re looking for something to hold onto. Soon enough, you plop yourself back onto the couch in defeat, letting the alcohol take over your entire body. You can already feel it kicking in as your limbs grow lighter and so does your mind. Gosh, you just wish you weren’t so lightweight. 

Changbin chuckles at you, caressing your hair softly. He pulls you closer to him by your shoulder and takes in your scent like it’s the last sense of comfort on Earth. “You’re so cute when you’re drunk, did you know that?” He studies your features closely, quickly realizing how much he must matter to you for you to show this vulnerable side to him so casually. Giddiness is an understatement for the way that his heart just beats ten times faster, the way his arms hold you close so gently but so tightly at the same time. In this cracked darkness with the insufficient source of light from the TV screen, you’re so beautiful it takes the breath right out of his lungs. You seem too serene to be true, eyes closed, lips slightly agape it makes him wonder how it feels to seal his with yours. 

As if on cue, your favorite character appears on time and you swat the sleepiness away, pointing at the screen with half-open eyes. “Five! He’s so cute, can I adopt him, please?” You giggle and show him those infamous puppy eyes. Changbin can never resist it’s actually frustrating. 

“Yes, you can adopt a serial killer who knows how to travel through time, absolutely.” Changbin facepalms himself. “Honestly, what do you even see in him?” 

“He’s smart and funny, and a total badass. I like how he never sugarcoats things and stays true to himself. But, he also puts others before himself without expecting them to do the same thing back. His actions speak louder than his words because there are countless times where he saved his siblings although he talks to them as if he sees them as nothing more than a bunch of assholes. I admire him in so many ways although he’s just a fictional character. And you know why?” You cock your head sideways, leaning closer. “Because he kinda reminds me of you.” 

Changbin tenses up at the last part. “W-What?” 

The ‘sober Y/N’ would never be brave enough to tell him what you’re planning on saying next. “I love you, Bin. I know that I might not act like I give a fuck, but I genuinely care about you. You mean the world to me.” You blurt mindlessly, hiccuping into his ears. “I really do love you. I just never got the courage to say it.” You hum and toppling over his figure on top of the couch, your legs straddling his. 

“We can’t.” Changbin places his index finger on your lips to stop you from decreasing the distance. “You’re not thinking straight right now.” 

You pull back, frowning. “Why? Because I’m not sober? What do my feelings for you have anything to do with alcohol?” You’re not mad, but rather curious. Either way, you can’t seem to get mad at Changbin for more than ten seconds. 

“I- I don’t wanna hurt you.” He stutters and stops as he sees the heartbroken look in your eyes. It hurts even more because deep down, the sober part in you knows that you’d never fathom enough courage to actually tell him how you feel. And you also know that you’ve just potentially fucked up more than ten years worth of friendship. Changbin’s warm brown eyes stare at you with nothing but pure sincerity. “It’s like I’m taking advantage of you in this kind of state. It’s not right. You don’t deserve to be treated like that.” He brushes your hair out of your face and sighs. 

“Bin, you respect me like no one else does. You know it. I know it. We know it. You’re my best friend.” 

“That’s the problem.” He pulls you closer while rubbing little circles on your back. “Promise me that we’ll never change, yeah?” 

You wrap your hands around his neck, a tear threatening to fall from the corner of your eye. “Yeah..promise.” 

“Y/N, you didn’t do anything wrong.” He reassures you as a confirmation, standing up from the couch that he’s been occupying for too long. You keep your gaze low, unable to meet his eyes as you’re ashamed of your own action. You shouldn’t have done that. What were you thinking for fuck’s sake?

Changbin turns off the TV before guiding you towards the stairs in the dark, holding onto your waist tightly enough so that you won’t slip. “Don’t blame yourself on this, okay?”

You voice quietly, almost a whisper. “Okay.” 

“Come on, let’s go to bed.”

eleven.

That night, you held onto Changbin like he’s the last thing you’re ever gonna see although you knew too well that it’s meaningless. What’s the point anyways? He just slapped your confession away and that alone was enough for you to understand that he sees you as nothing more than a friend. However, it’s still better than being stuck in that weird gray area that just keeps messing with your mind. You wouldn’t want to get in his way either. So when Changbin tried to peel your hands away from his torso gently in the middle of the night, your eyes remained closed as you rolled on the other side of the bed. 

When you woke up in the morning, he was already gone. 

It’s like he’s never been there all of those years as if he’s just an illusion that your delusional self made up to comfort yourself when things get hard. All of his belongings were nowhere to be found, his bed in the guest room was neatly made, something that he’s never done before. Changbin left no traces, no notes, no messages, no nothing like it’s a natural implement for ‘Don’t bother looking for me, I’m not gonna come back’. But to you, it feels more like ‘You fucked up our friendship, Y/N. I will never speak to you again’. 

Losing a best friend of a lifetime is way worse than going through a breakup. But it hurts more when you’ve unintentionally developed feelings for him when you know too well that it’s not right. It’s not right. And you seriously screwed up. You just hurt the one and only person that’s so incredibly close and special to your heart. Therefore, you’re distraught, unable to do anything right for some of the following days. Utterly destroyed, you can’t seem to stop blaming yourself for what happened. 

Changbin’s done so much for you and you can’t be any more grateful to have him in your life. There was this time where you totally lashed out on him because you were just having a ‘bad day’. He didn’t even get mad at you, he never gets mad at you. Instead, Changbin let you lock yourself up in your room for an hour until he came back with a box of chocolate and flowers. Everything fell right back into its place again and you really don’t know what you did to deserve him. He always goes out of his way, prioritizing others’ benefits rather than his own. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone at all because, in your heart, you know that he can be hurt easily too. 

So it’s no shocker that you’re madly in love with him. You like how he smiles and looks at you like you’re the only person that’s existing in this celestial sphere. You like the sound of his laughter because it reminds you of Spongebob sometimes, it’s ridiculously adorable in the best way possible. You also like how he clings onto you and lets you be the big spoon whenever he’s having a long day, you can’t stop smiling knowing that he finds comfort in your presence. 

The only flaw about him is that he’s all about that healthy life, which is good for him but you’re not adapting that any time soon. And he doesn’t talk about himself enough as he’s always used to listening to others’ problems instead. He’s flawsome, but you’re willing to embrace it all. Yes, as cheesy as it sounds, you love all of him. 

Just because he’s Seo Changbin. 

You stay up for many days, thinking an awful amount and flashbacking to when you’re on top of him, staring at him so tenderly as those idiotic words slipped out of your lips. All of because of one single beer. You just wish you could take it all back. If so, maybe you wouldn’t have lost the person you care about the most. 

“No, she won’t eat no matter what I say.” You can hear Yeji’s voice echoes from the living room as you throw an arm over your eyes. “I don’t think you should see her right now, not when she’s on the verge of breaking down every two seconds.” You don’t even have to look to know that your brother’s outside, probably worried sick about you. Minho might not be the type of person to show affections on a regular basis, but he genuinely cares about the people around him. He just doesn’t know how to express that he cares. 

The front door closes with a small ‘click’, making you jolt up from your bed. Your roommate pushes the door to your bedroom open and runs a hand through her hair. She practically grimaces at the current state of your room : curtains closed, clothes scattered all over the place with you still in your PJs. It’s funny because normally, you’re the one who complains whenever she’s being messy, now Yeji has the perfect reason to pay back. “Jesus Christ,” She frowns when her hands open the beige-colored curtains. “Get yourself together, will you?”

“Leave-me-alone.” You hiss at her like a snake when the light comes flooding in, blinding your eyes in the process. “What do you want? Am I not depressed enough to be at peace?”

She shakes her head and sits down next to your reclined form on the bed, a hand finds its way to your back. “No, you’re just in denial.” Yeji pulls your figure closer, embracing you with as much sincerity that she can muster. She might as well have you scream at her for forgetting to do laundry and waking up late rather than seeing you barely alive like this. If this goes on for too long, you might end up in the ER. And she can care less about whatever you’re planning on doing next because clearly, you’re not emotionally stable enough to make your own decisions right now. 

You look down. “About what?”

“About the fact that Seo Changbin likes you too.” She says softly. “Only a dumbass can’t see that he’s completely head over heels for you.”

You chuckle dryly. “He’s not, he probably hates me.”

“He never hated you, he never hates you, and he will never hate you.” Yeji sighs as you snuggle closer to her chest. “Why would you think that Changbin hates you?” 

Your eyes widen in terror as the night before when he left replays in your head over and over again. The more you think about it, the more you wanna kick yourself for not controlling our own feelings. Three words and your best friend’s gone. He was right, you guys could never, you weren’t thinking straight. Even down to that moment, Changbin put you before him and treated you with nothing but respect. “Because I ruined our friendship. Things are never gonna be the same again. I shouldn’t have fallen for him, I’m so stupid.” You let out an audible groan and bury your face into your palms. 

Yeji peels your hands away and forces you to look at her. “I don’t see why falling for Seo Changbin is considered stupid. You see things in him that no one else does, and you even had the courage to confess how you truly feel, even when it’s because of a bottle of Henny. Not everyone can accept that because people are cowards when it comes to commitment and their own feelings.” She keeps looking you dead in the eye as if she’s testing you. “Look, even if Changbin doesn’t feel the same way. He can never hate you.”

“And why should I believe you?” 

Your roommate laughs in disbelief, shaking your shoulder forcefully. “Are you blind? Do you even hear yourself right now? Haven’t you seen the way that he looks at you, eyes sparkling like puppies and all? If that’s not love, then I don’t know what is. Even if it’s not the love that you wanted him to return, he still loves you as a friend. He just ran away because, well, he’s human too. He might need some time to himself and make up his mind.” 

You stare into the distance this time, eyes empty. “True love doesn’t count if it’s not returned, don’t you agree?” 

Yeji rolls her eyes at you, she looks like she’s about to personally drag your ass across the planet, straight to Italy just to make up with Changbin. “Oh-my-god, you’re impossible! Of course, it counts! So what, you’re telling me that your feelings for him after all these years would mean nothing if he doesn’t say those three words back? I know that you’re sad and angry about what happened, but I think it’s much better than bottling everything up all to yourself. You were brave for doing that, Y/N.”

Your lips stay sealed as you decide to listen to her lecture obediently like a child. “Do you think Changbin would want to see you like this? No, no one wants to see you all depressed and miserable. Do you have any idea how worried Minho is? Have you checked the notifications on your phone? It’s not like you can’t move on with life without Changbin, you can and you will if that’s what you have to do.” 

“So..?” 

“Are you gonna step up and get your life back again or what?”

You groan internally, because gosh, you hate it whenever she’s right. 

twelve.

From then on, Changbin’s like a phantom in your life, not because he’s constantly popping out of nowhere to scare the living daylight out of you, but because he’s constantly on your mind. Everything feels a little bit emptier without him. You don’t have to worry about having cilantro in your daily meals because he’s not there to complain about it. And there’s no longer a random cup of chai tea in the fridge on Sunday mornings because he can’t buy you one anymore. 

But at the same time, everything reminds you of him. Like how his pairs of designer shoes aren’t laying around at your front door, how his favorite hoodies aren’t being forgotten at your place intentionally, and how the Stitch stuffed animal he gave you last year still reeks off his significant scent. Everything gives you a hard time to finally let him go, but ultimately, you know that you’ll pull through. And you did. 

You move on with a college degree waiting for you at the end of this dark, bumpy road. Changbin, on the other hand, you can’t say much because his SoundCloud account is currently empty. He deleted every single song, every mixtape, every demo possible as if he’s trying to wipe his existence out of your life completely. Which makes it more difficult for you to muster up some courage and reach out to him again. 

It’s almost a year, and you wish he could have just given you a sign about whether he’s fine with being friends or not. But as always, leaving notes is definitely not his department. The thing is, you feel like you both didn’t just grow apart. You also grew up. 

“Y/N, did you ask me to go to the movies just because you didn’t feel like studying for finals?” Jaemin nudges you with his elbow and you smack his arms in return. Okay, technically you did grow up but old habits die hard, and you’re still procrastinating. Nothing new, but the occasional non-dates with Jaemin somehow helped with the aching part in your heart. You can’t say that he’s your new best friend because gosh, no one could ever replace Changbin. But ever since you found out that you guys go to the same college, you kept running into him on campus. Hence, hanging out with him is practically unavoidable. 

You laugh, letting him swing an arm around your shoulders. “Nope, it’s because I love hanging out with you.”

“Does that naturally imply as you love me?” He grins coyly before approaching your car at the very end of the parking lot. You’ve talked about this before. ‘Love’ is an overstatement for the love that you have for Jaemin. Of course, you love him, just not in a romantic way and he accepts that. Although he does sometimes pull you in as a stunt just to get a discount for buying a couples’ combo. You let him, only because you’re both broke college students who are dreading your own student’s loans. 

“Sure, I just love you so much I can’t even bring myself to say it without doing this.” You slowly feed his ego and your right hand quickly grabs the right side of his ears, dragging him into the driver’s seat of your car. Jaemin stops wincing once you let him go, pouting when you enter through the back door. “Serves you right.” You scoff, throwing him the key to start the engine. 

He rubs his now swollen, red ear in pain, whining out loud like a kid that’s not allowed to buy popcorn when their parents bring them to the movie theatre. “This is domestic violence, I’m suing.” He complains but still hits the gas and starts backing out of the overpacked parking lot. People go wild during the weekends. That’s why you’re letting him drive because you suck. 

You smile satisfactorily. “Ah, enslaved child labor at its finest.” If looks could kill, Minho would probably find your corpse in the car, limbs spread wide open because Jaemin is occasionally tossing you dirty looks through the rear-view mirror as he finds a way to hide a body while driving towards your neighborhood. 

When you get home, you politely offer Jaemin to stay for dinner but he said he’s got a date to catch up with so you just let him be. Yeji isn’t gonna be home until nine because of her shift at the café so you basically have the whole apartment to yourself until your roommate returns from work. 

Exhausted from spending all day on campus and going to the movies after, you quickly get rid of your long coat and plop yourself onto the couch. You waste absolutely no time and automatically hang yourself upside down on the cushioned surface while scrolling through your feed in boredom. You like to change up your position every ten minutes so that you feel less like a potato while your blood circulation isn’t gonna get blocked anywhere. 

The moment you’re about to accept a video call from Jisung, you’re interrupted with a rather strange notification. You decide to text him, saying that you’re busy with a presentation and open the email from an unknown email. The email doesn’t have any specific title and you don’t think it belongs to any of your classmates. However, there’s a file attached to it which makes you even more confused. Who’d send a random video to someone they don’t even know? What if this is some kind of trick that people use for human trafficking? Like once you tap on it, there’s an automatic tracker on your phone and soon enough, you’ll go missing. 

“for_you.mp4”

It makes your heart skip a beat as realization hits you like a truck. Deep down, you know, you know who it belongs to and you’re even more terrified to watch it. But you have to, you have to watch it. With a sharp inhale, your index finger trembles until it comes in contact with your screen, opening the file. 

“Is this thing on?” 

You immediately burst into tears as soon as Changbin appears. You’re stupidly, foolishly crying as he awkwardly adjusts the camera angle, checking himself in the monitor and runs a hand through his hair. Changbin’s wearing that one fitted black t-shirt that he probably bought in big bulks, warm brown eyes peeking through his messy bangs. He’s never looked better to the point that you’re tongue-tied, unable to scream even when you have so many questions, so many things to say. Yet only tears come streaming down your face. You missed him dearly, and here he is finally. 

“Y/N?” Changbin quirks a brow and smiles. God, you missed his smile too. “If you’re watching this video, don’t..post it on social media. It’s gonna be a real tearjerker.” 

You chuckle, wiping your tears away with the sleeves of your hoodie. He didn’t change, at all. “I don’t know if you can still forgive me for what I’ve done, but I still owe you an apology. I’m sorry for running away. I’m sorry for hurting your feelings. I’m sorry for not treating you right. It’s just when you said that you loved me, it sparked so much skepticism inside my head that even I couldn’t understand what I was thinking. Next thing I know, I was out the door, straight to the airport. I was an asshole and I know that. I hope you’re taking good care of yourself right now because you did nothing wrong. In fact, there’s something that I’ve been wanting to tell you too. I can’t seem to be complete without you. You’re it. You’re my endgame.” 

When Changbin takes in a deep breath, so do you. You nervously scratch onto the black nail polish that’s starting to chip off on your pinkie, waiting for him as he fiddles with his fingers. Suddenly, he looks straight into the camera and laughs. “Why are you still here? You didn’t see the notification, did you?”

What notification?

Your trains of thoughts are once again canceled when your phone buzzes. You’ve just got a notification from an app that you barely touched since Changbin left. “SpearB just posted a new track. Check it out!”

“Neverending Story ( Demo ).” 

Faster than a tick of the clock, you start playing the track, fingers drumming impatiently on one of your throw pillows. “Be mine, yeah?” His raspy voice sounds ten thousand times more attractive because it’s been a while since you’ve heard it and chills run up your spine. Adrenaline is pumping through your veins, your heart hanging on the verge of exploding. The soft instrumental blends in with the piano in the background perfectly, drowning out every other sound in the entire world. But what throws you off is that Changbin starts singing. It’s the first time you’ve ever heard him sing and it’s truly breathtaking that you can do nothing more than sitting there with a hand over your mouth, letting the melody guide your mind. 

“Whenever you smile, whenever you struggle

I'll always protect you

For you,

I can even go against time

Just to appear in front of you

I believe, I believe

Even if the world changes

Can you promise that we won't?”

The first verse bleeds into the pre-chorus, then the chorus itself and Changbin starts rapping, spilling the feelings that he’s been struggling with saying out for you. Every word, every sound, every note hits differently and you feel like you’re already on cloud nine, drifting off into a daze. You can fully acknowledge and feel the ignited passion that he has for you even when he’s more than five thousand miles away, on the other side of the planet. But that’s all you need honestly because what more can you ask for? 

As if on cue, the song ends and there’s a knock at your door. 

Heat rushes up the bridge of your nose as you wobble towards the front door, head still slightly lightheaded from the mixture of emotions. You quickly fix your hair, straightening your hoodie and your toes curl from the nervousness. The moment you twist the doorknob, Changbin backs you up against the wall, shutting the door with his feet. He stares you down intensely, making you feel extremely small in comparison. But those eyes of his are filled with nothing but adoration for you and only you. “I’m in love with you, the same way that you meant it back then. I’ve been in love with you for even God doesn’t know how long. I booked a plane ticket and wrote the song as soon as that thought clicked in me. You’re all that I need. I want you to be my one and only. And I still want you back, so what do you say?” 

Your lips curl upwards softly into a smile. “You’re really outdoing yourself, aren’t you? I confessed to you when I was drunk and not only did you film a video, but you also wrote a song for me?”

“Only for you, Beastie.” Changbin chuckles and pulls you closer, sealing the gap between your lips. He’s done it, he did what he’s been wanting to for his entire life : to know what being in love actually feels like. His kiss isn’t even somewhere near as those movie stars’ that you both used to make fun of every weekend. It’s one that steeped into a passion that flickers at the very pit of your stomach, one that makes you feel like home, like he’s your safe place. Changbin’s said everything that he wanted but he kisses you as a silent promise that he will do stupid things just to be with you, to have you right by his side for the rest of his life. 

He’s the first to pull away, resting his forehead against yours as you both exchange shallow breaths. Smiling at you, Changbin can’t help himself but peppers small kisses all over your face from your forehead to the tip of your nose. 

Life likes to toss you around and fuck you up sometimes but somehow, magically it always puts everything back in its place. The amount of tears that you’ve shed feels like payment for what you’re holding in your arms right now but there’s nothing that you won’t do to be here, in his embrace. Technically, Changbin didn’t have to say those three words back and he only did because he could, not because he needed to. 

Even if he’s five thousand miles away, no one else is closer to your heart than he is. He loves you with all of the madness in his soul.

[sweetlysilent]

Hole In One

Not Requested.

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader

Description: Tom bets Harrison that he can get a hole in one before him, that is until you join and take Harrison's place, and change the game completely. 

Warnings: Some swear words, besides that it's pretty cheesy (at least I think it is)

Word Count: 2.4k

Song Rec: Mutual - Shawn Mendes

A/N: So, after watching that video of Tom golfing, it inspired me to write this, and I'm pretty happy with the outcome :))) however, I didn't proof read it and it's late so I'm going to sleep lmao goodnight I hope you guys like it as much as I do!

also apologies if there isn't a spacing between time changes, I put them in but lately my tumblr mobile app removes them so ://// it's annoying.

"Dude I crushed it out there!" Tom grinned, giving Harrison and Jacob a high five as he jogged over to them.

"Yeah man, you hit it pretty far this time, almost got a hole in one on that one course, almost." Harrison teased, grinning at his friend who rolled his eyes in response, casually flicking him off, laughter leaving his mouth.

"I'd like to see you try and do better." Tom challenged his friend, a smug smirk on his lips as Harrison crossed his arms, an eyebrow raised.

"Oh shit is this a golf war?" Jacob chimed in, his eyes wide as he glanced between his two friends.

Harrison was about to reply, but the sound of his phone ringing caught his attention, making him groan in annoyance, pulling it out of his pocket.

He rolled his eyes once seeing the caller ID, before pressing it against his ear, letting out a dramatic 'hello?'

You snorted through the phone, mocking his tone of voice back, the same amount of sarcasm laced within your voice.

"I need a ride, you took the car and keys, therefore you need to drive me." You spoke through the phone, hearing Harrison grumble on the other line.

Harrison was your older brother, also a huge pain in your ass when you wanted to go somewhere because he always took the car and wouldn't come back for hours.

"Y/N I'm not home right now as you can clearly tell, I'm out with Tom and Jacob, we're in the middle of golfing." Harrison rolled his eyes, glancing at Tom and Jacob who gave you the look as if saying 'who are you talking to?'

He silently mouthed "Y/N," before hearing you whine in annoyance through the speaker.

"Hey Y/N!" Tom and Jacob both shouted, earning a scowl from Harrison, your voice coming through the phone louder back, causing Harrison to pull the device away from his ear a bit.

"God Y/N you're going to blow my eardrum one day I swear." Harrison muttered into his phone, earning a chuckle from you.

"I just thought of the best idea!" Jacob jumped up, a smile on his face as he looked at Harrison, "You should bring Y/N to the golf challenge Haz!" Jacob nudged his friend, a grin on his as Harrison shook his head 'no' frantically.

"What? Afraid you're going to lose?" Tom pressed on, a grin on his face as Harrison let out a sigh, rubbing his forehead with his hand.

"I'll be there in fifteen, you better be ready Y/N." Harrison spoke into the phone, his voice sounding defeated yet slightly happy at the same time.

As much as he loved spending time with his friends he also loved spending time with you, even if you were siblings.

"Alright, bye Y/N." Harrison spoke, before hanging up the phone, giving a short glare to Tom and Jacob, grabbing his keys before exiting the course.

"So, you and Tom are having a golf war?" You questioned as Harrison drove back to the golf course.

"Pretty much, which sucks because Tom's really good, and he'll probably get a hole in one first, and I know he's going to brag about it for a while." Harrison groaned, making you laugh in response.

You both spent the next few minutes sitting in silence, listening to the music play on the radio, your mind wandering, that is until you felt as if a lightbulb went off in your head.

"Holy shit, I just thought of the biggest plot twist ever." You clapped your hands excitedly, grinning at your brother.

"Spill." Harrison laughed, amused by how excited you got over the smallest things.

"Tom expects to be challenging you, but what if instead he challenges me?" You offered, a small smirk creeping up on your lips.

"Y/N, no offense but you hitting that kind of distance? You'll never get a hole in one even if you tried." Harrison mused, pulling into the parking lot of the golf place.

"No one ever specified what kind of golf we had to do, the whole objective is to just get a hole in one first right?" You smirked over at your brother, watching as his eyes widened a bit, now catching on what you were going about.

"You're a bloody genius Y/N." Harrison grinned, turning the engine off before the both of you got out of the car, walking in to find Tom and Jacob.

You saw Tom practicing some shots, obviously prepping for the big match that was about to take place.

"Hey! You guys made it back! Thought you were forfeiting you were gone so long." Tom teased his friend, earning a sarcastic laugh back from Harrison.

"How would you like to make it even more interesting?" Harrison suggested, watching as Tom's eyebrow raised up, clearly intrigued.

"On the drive over, Y/N came up with a brilliant idea, Y/N would you like to tell him?" Harrison turned to you, a smirk on his face as you grinned, nodding your head in response.

"Instead of Harrison versing you, it's going to be me." You smiled, giving your best jazz hands as Jacob and Tom looked at you surprised.

"Y/N you're terrible at golf." Tom mused, a smile on his lips as he watched your eyes sparkle with a bit of mischief in them.

"Who ever said this was where we were golfing? The only thing said was to get a hole in one first." You winked, watching Tom's smile deflate slightly, now becoming a bit hesitant.

"Plot twist, we're not golfing here anymore, that being said, to the car!" Harrison cheered, raising his golf club into the air, before dragging his golf bag and you along with him out of the building, Tom and Jacob trailing behind.

"What is Y/N up to?" Jacob thought aloud, as Tom gave a shrug in response, his brows furrowed as he too was trying to figure that out.

"No idea, but I guess we're going to find out, either way, I'm still going to win." Tom spoke confidently, fist bumping Jacob, before getting into the backseat of Harrison's car.

This was going to be interesting.

"You've got to be joking." Tom spoke aloud, looking out the window as Harrison pulled into the parking lot, laughter escaping his lips.

"Y/N made a great point, you never made any rules on where we had to get a hole in one." Harrison grinned, putting the car in park, unlocking the doors so everyone could get out.

You hopped out of the car, an amused expression on your face as you saw Tom's, an expression filled with worry and confidence, and a tiny bit of amusement.

He glanced over at you, seeing the smug smile on your face making him roll his eyes playfully, before looking back at the sign that read 'MINI PUTT PUTT.'

"This is going to be the most epic game of golf I've ever seen." Jacob laughed, making you smile and laugh along with him.

"Let's do this." Tom mumbled, a smile on his lips as he walked beside you into the tiny hut house to get your ball and golf club.

Once getting the score board, ball, and club, you both were off, on a race to see who could get the first hole in one.

"Before we start, how about we make the stakes even higher." Tom challenged, a smirk on his lips as he looked down at you, butterflies erupting in your stomach.

"Alright Holland what do you have in mind?" Harrison questioned, his arms crossed as Jacob stood next to him, a curious expression on his face.

"If I get a hole in one first, I get to go on a date with Y/N." Tom grinned, licking his bottom lip as he glanced down at you, seeing your face tinted a light pink.

However, Harrison's face was stern, his jaw clenched while Jacob's was shocked at Tom's statement.

"What about if Y/N wins?" Jacob questioned, glancing over at you as to which you stood and thought about it for a moment.

You already knew Harrison wasn't happy with the one outcome, so you might as well add onto it right?

"If I get a hole in one first, I get a kiss, from Tom." You shot back, a smug smile on your face as Tom's eyes widened, not expecting your answer.

"The hell? No way!" Harrison finally interjected, waving his arms in the air before pointing at you and Tom.

"It's already set into place bro." Tom grinned, causing Harrison's jaw to clench and Jacob's mouth to drop open, laughter leaving his mouth.

"This is so epic! I wish I had popcorn!" Jacob choked out, trying to calm himself down from laughing.

"Let the games begin Holland." You smiled confidently, placing your hand out for him to shake.

"Let the games begin Y/N." Tom smiled back, shaking your hand, before you both grabbed your club and ball, walking up to the first hole.

You both had assumed putt putt would be way easier than the real deal golf, but turns out you were both proven wrong.

You were now on the sixth hole, neither of you had gotten a hole in one yet, making the whole competition even more stressful than before.

In the back of your mind you knew that whoever won you both benefited from it, but on the outside you both just wanted to win, to have those bragging rights.

You both had now moved onto the tenth hole, Tom came close to almost getting a hole in one, making you extremely anxious, the ball stopping right in front of the hole.

"Shit!" Tom shouted, running his fingers through his hair in frustration as he stormed over to the ball, knocking it in as you let out a sigh of relief.

"I swear if you get it in and I didn't I will be livid." Tom stated, his arms crossed as he watched you get ready to hit the ball.

You swung the putter back and forth a few times before hitting the ball, watching it roll to the hole, your heart racing as it got closer, and then it happened, it fell in.

Your eyes lit up, your arms shooting into the air as excitement pumped through your veins.

"I did it!" You shouted, jumping around happily as you ran down to the hole to grab your ball out of it as Tom frowned, clearly pissed that you got the hole in one and he didn't.

"What does that make me Tom?" You teased, walking up to him as he let out a dramatic sigh, turning his head to face you.

"It means.. you won." Tom mumbled, clearly annoyed that he didn't beat you because deep down he secretly has wanted to go on a date with you and that was his only opportunity.

"That's right. And since I did win, I think I should claim my prize." You smiled, watching his eyes light up for a split second, remembering that your reward for winning was a kiss, from him.

"Gross. I will be turning around for this." Harrison groaned, covering his eyes as he faced away from you and Tom, making Jacob turn around also.

You were about to say something super cheesy, but Tom was quick to shut that down, before you had time to react his lips were pressed against yours.

You kissed him back, your hands tangling in his curls as he made the kiss deeper, it was passionate, needy, leaving you both wanting more.

"Damn." Tom muttered as he pulled away from your lips, his just barely ghosting over yours as your foreheads rested against each others.

"Yeah. Damn." You replied in a breathless laugh, your eyes fluttering open to see his already looking back at you.

You both stepped away from each other a tiny bit, smiles on the both of your faces as you licked your lips, something that Tom noticed instantly.

"You know, I wouldn't mind going on a date." You shrugged your shoulders, kicking a rock with your shoe as Tom let out a chuckle.

"But I didn't win?" He counteracted, a smile on his lips as you looked up at him.

"You might not have gotten a hole in one first, but you did end up winning something else." You teased, watching as Harrison looked like he was going to get sick just at the thought.

"And what did I win?" Tom questioned stupidly, a cheesy smile on his face as he watched your eyes sparkle once more, something he had grown fond of every time he saw you.

"Me."

A silence fell over everyone, especially Harrison, before Jacob broke the quietness, his excitement bursting.

"I KNEW IT! I'M SO HAPPY, THIS IS LIKE THE KISSING BOOTH BUT IN REAL LIFE." Jacob shouted, clapping his hands loudly, causing you and Tom to laugh, while Harrison groaned.

"I think the most important question is, Jacob, when did you watch The Kissing Booth?" Tom teased his friend, watching as Jacob's face turned a shade of red.

"That is for me to know, and for me to know only thank you very much." Jacob defended himself, holding his head up high as he walked to exit the putt putt course, leaving you, Tom, and Harrison behind.

"It is kind of ironic isn't it?" You thought aloud, looking up at Tom as he wrapped his arm around your shoulder.

Tom snorted in response, pulling you close as you both followed behind Harrison to exit the course.

"You're my Elle." He teased, making you smile in response, placing your hand over his that was wrapped around you.

"And you're my Noah." You teased back, watching him grin at your response, biting his lip slightly.

Who would of thought golf would end up being the real life kissing booth, miracles do happen after all.

Permanent Tags: @fucking-reddie @httpmcrvel

Tagging some mutuals <3: @tomhollahoe @ballyhoobarnes @acciopeter @spiderbiteholland @sams-holland @hollandbaby @starksparker @yoyococo18

( Hope you guys don't mind if I tagged you! If you rather I don't please private message me! :) )

[endless-vall]

Afraid of loving you - Adrian x MC fanfic

Summary: After sharing their night together, Annie notices Adrian seems to act as if nothing happened. She’s determined to finding answers, even if the truth might hurt her.

Author’s note: While I’m romancing and favoring Jax, I can see my MC (Annie) falling for Adrian too. So I used her in this piece, instead of creating a “new” one to romance Adrian.

This was requested by a lovely anon, I hope you’ll like it!

Enjoy!

Annie sat in her desk, just outside of Adrian’s office.

She had spent the night with Adrian, until it was time to check on Lily.

It was amazing, truly. Every part of her body was mesmerized by Adrian, worshiping him, after what they’ve shared.

But eventually, something was missing, and Annie knew she couldn’t push it away, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it.

After checking up on Lily, and assuring her safety, Adrian, she, Lily and Kamilah parted ways. She and Adrian went over to visit senator Vega, trying - and succeeding - to ensure his vote to letting Lily stay alive and join Adrian’s clan, with the council.

Something, since the moment her foot stepped off of that rooftop, felt fundamentally wrong.

Just before heading down, after dressing back up, she caught Adrian’s hand in hers.

He sent her a questioning, innocent-looking glance.

She caressed his face in her hands and pulled him into one last kiss.

He kissed back, despite being quite taken aback. But...

There wasn’t real, sheer emotion pouring inside the kiss and she knew it.

At least not compared to the other kisses and gestures they shared on that rooftop.

And afterwards, when they went to visit Senator Vega, Adrian had behaved as if nothing happened. As if their time meant nothing...

Maybe to him, it did.

Annie realized, that the thing that seemed to bother her the most, is how it seemed not to bother him at all.

He didn’t mention any word of how they got intimate on the rooftop, nor did he try to initiate anything like that again.

Did he regret sharing that night with her?

Was he trying to avoid her?

He couldn’t really, since she was his assistant, after all. But something was off about Adrian’s behavior and Annie was determined to find the truth, even if it would hurt her.

Standing up from her chair, she sighed deeply. She could do this, she promoted at herself and made the way over to his office door.

The clicking of her shoes must’ve given her away, since even before she knocked over the door she heard Adrian voice inviting her inside.

“Come in.” He simply said, her hand hovering in the air, just about to knock over his door.

Right. Vampire super-human hearing abilities and all...

Annie frowned, nervousness washing over her.

There was no backing away now, she reminded herself, and entered the room - recomposed.

“Adrian.” She said, closing the door behind her.

Adrian raised his eyes at her, glancing briefly and studying her features.

Eventually, he put away whatever he was busy with, and stood up, circling his desk and leaning over it, now standing in front of her.

“Is there something bothering you?” He asked.

Adrian was a sweetheart, really, but Annie was tired.

“You already know the answer.” She shrugged. “So why do you ask?” She rhetorically asked, making her own way inside, stepping closer to him and taking a seat on one of his armchairs.

She was the one who turned the conversation downwards, with her accusing tone and closed-off words.

“Well,” He started. “You came inside, suggesting you wanted my consult over a certain matter.” He explained. “I’m simply offering it.”

Annie frowned at him again. This wasn’t like him.

He was closed off again, talking at her like Senator Vega might would, but not her Adrian.

Maybe that was it.

He wasn’t hers, at all. 

She kind of anticipated, hoped even - He would react differently. But his protective answer only further proved her suspections.

He was indeed, sweet and caring... But he had to remind Annie that she was just his human assistance, and not his companion, of sorts.

This was his way of reminding her, probably.

“Annie?” He asked, concern in his voice. His tone was assuring her he was worried about her, but his eyes were still distant - Telling a different story.

It shook her back into reality, and she gulped. She haven’t replied to his words for a couple of long moments. “Right.” Sighing again, she stood up.

“Never-mind. I guess I got the answer I was looking for.” She turns on her heels, ready to flee.

She can feel tears welling up in her eyes, so she doesn’t dare look Adrian in the eye.

It wasn’t his fault she had fallen for him.

He didn’t do anything to encourage it, really. 

Yes, they had got intimate and shared a few kisses here and there, but no one ever talked about emotions whatsoever.

Still, she had wished it wouldn’t hurt as much.

She made her way towards the door. Too quickly for him to stop her.

Well, too quickly for the human average speed, but admittedly Adrian could’ve pulled another Vampire super ability act and catch her if her pleased.

A stupid, silly little part of her mind had wished he would’ve.

She cursed that part, for still having hope.

“Goodnight, Adrian. I think I’m done for today. I’ll email you my progress-” She blurts out at the door,

and then it happens.

He stands right next to her, moving faster then she can even grasp, and before she knows it he’s standing in front of her, looking her in the eyes.

“Annie.” He says, this time her name sounds sincere in his voice.

His eyes are no longer cold and distant.

His hand grasping at hers. Holding just tightly enough to not let her go, but not tight enough to hurt her.

“What’s up? I thought we had something special. You can talk to me.” He furrows his eyebrows as he speaks. He doesn’t want to look upset with Annie, but admittedly he slightly is and he has a right to.

But she is in a delicate state and he respects that.

“That’s exactly it, Adrian.” She tells him, as if it’s obvious. “We had something special. Yet you go around acting like nothing happened.” She flinches away from his touch.

She misses the sensation of his arm over her skin, but she has to step away.

For her own sake, at least.

“It just hurts.” She tells him, huffing.

“Never mind.” Before he can react again, she turns on her heels and runs away.

She sweeps her ID-card and enters the elevator.

Shooting one last look at Adrian as the elevator doors close, she presses a random button on auto-pilot.

Only when the elevator doors open, she realizes where she is.

She’s on the rooftop.

Again.

This is where it all started.

Well, where her feelings started.

On her first day, Adrian had invited her to share dinner with him.

They had a nice dinner, and a pleasant time.

In the end of the meal, they stood and overlooked New-York’s skyline, and Adrian told her of his envisions.

She was almost hypnotized, by him. His hopes and dream were remarkably inspiring and his charisma, kindness and heart had made her own heart flutter in its place.

She could’ve swore there was mutual attraction, and she almost leaned in to kiss him.

Almost.

She decided against it.

“We keep working towards a better world.” She told him instead.

He smiled wistfully at her, sharing a long, searching look in her eyes and then agreed.

Something along company policy, and not knowing who the man in front of her truly was, was enough to let her know better than to kiss him.

Yet, somehow, in the end - She really didn’t know better, and fell for him anyway

.

This time, the restaurant staff had cleared away. Maybe Adrian had given them a night off, or something.

Whatever it was, she was thankful.

Making her way over to the furthest side of the rooftop, Annie leaned over the railing.

For the first time in her life, she understood what it meant not to be able to contain the pain.

Adrian had never made any promises to her, and neither did she to him.

Not regarding their feelings, anyway.

And yet... She was in love with him. And she’d follow him, wherever he’d please...

She spends a long time, on the rooftop, drowning in her thoughts.

She doesn’t know how much time passes, until she senses a presence behind her.

She turns around, her eyes dry by now.

Adrian is simply standing there, saying nothing.

The look in his eyes is unreadable.

Annie wants to curse him, out loud. But she can’t bring herself to.

Finally, he breaks into the tiniest, comforting smile, and steps closer.

He still lets her have her space, but the gesture shows how much he cares.

Cares. Annie figuratively rolls her eyes in her mind.

That the deal. Caring, is not what she wants from him.

And while she can’t blame him for not feeling the same way she does about him, she can sure as hell feel heartbroken about it.

“Do you remember what I told you?” He asks, siting down over the floor, overlooking the railing.

Annie blinks at him confused. Finally, she joins him. Still keeping her distance, but closer then before.

“When you came up here that night we spent together?”

It hurts when he mentions it, and it hurts even more when she realizes that he’s talking about a long-lost lover. Celia.

“That you were thinking about a woman. Celia.” Her words almost catch up in her throat, but she manages to pull the sentence out.

Adrian nods, carefully.

“You haven’t figured it out, yet, did you?” He asks. An amused huff escapes his lips, but he’s got a melancholic look in his eyes.

It’s not that Adrian’s still hung up on her, no...

The realization comes in.

He’s afraid it might happen again.

“Are you afraid to love, again?” Annie know she better not ask that, not like that, at least, but the question escapes her lips even before her mind has a chance to overthink it.

Adrian hesitates. Annie can see he’s clearly deep in thought.

Just when she thinks he isn’t going to answer, he opens his mouth.

“Maybe I am.” He confesses.

He has a wary look in his eyes. Sheer, and innocent, as he slowly reaches out and places a comforting hand over hers.

“It’s not that I don’t...” He hesitates, but continues anyway. “Feel something here.” He raises their joined hands and places them over his heart, holding her close.

Annie can feel his heartbeat and suddenly feels very stupid of accusing him like that before.

“But...” He bites at his lower lip.

“-Don’t say anything.” She tells him. “You don’t have to...” She scoots closer to him.

The air between them manages to be filled with both tension and resolve.

“I want to.” He assures her, now raising her arm to his view-level and planting a kiss over the back of her hand.

“Annie, I...” He speaks, voice quiet but strong, assuring. “I’m afraid I’d lose you, more than I’m afraid to love you.”

Without further notice, they both lean into a kiss. Like a force of nature is pulling them together, drawing them close.

The whole universe in the palm of their hands, as they hold each other close.

There’s nothing to be afraid of, they think. Not as long as they’re together.

[jelenadreaming]

Friends- Part two

A/N: Obviously a large part of this is a figment of my imagination, while some of it is based on fact of how I would’ve imagined Justin and Selena reuniting for the first time, This is also probably my longest oneshot and is slightly racy towards the end, so here is my warning.Enjoy!

2:35 am. October 19

The sound of his phone awoke him from his deep slumber. He shifted on his bed hoping to ignore it, but after the fourth ring he realized whoever was calling was determined. With a loud groan he sat up from bed, checking the time on the alarm clock that read 2:35 am. He reached for his phone while disregarding the caller ID, answering the phone with a groggy hello.

“Justin..hi”.

The distinct voice of the familiar brunette woke him slightly. Although he felt the same familiar sense of happiness that was frequent whenever he heard from her her, the confusion within him was just as strong. Why was she calling him so late? Sure they had been working on a friendship, but she was so strict about those boundaries of hers, he couldn’t think of anything that would compel her to call at this time.

“Selena? is there a reason why you’re calling so late?”. Almost immediately he realized his tone could’ve come across as harsh and was about to apologize, but was cut off by her regretful voice.

“Shit.. I completely forgot about the time difference, i’m in New York right now, I’m sorry i’ll just-”.

“It’s fine really, i’m awake already, what’s up?”. He heard her sigh, his concern creeping up again.

“We broke up.”

there it was.

It was those three words that a messed up part of him had  wanted to hear since he heard she was with another man. He knew it was horrible, she deserved happiness and Abel seemed to give it to her. But he was still human, a human that was sometimes selfish and frustrated with being unable to give and show all the love he had for her. For now though, he was a friend first and foremost, and wanted to act accordingly.

“Are you..are you okay?” 

“I think I am, it was mutual and we didn’t really fight, it’s just.. I haven’t told anyone yet. They all liked him so much, I know what they’re going to say and I just don’t wanna hear any of them right now y’know? ” she said quietly.

He did know.

From the second he re-entered her life and she let her family and friends know, they weren’t shy to express how against it they were, how it could affect her relationship and that they wouldn’t accept him anytime soon. The chaos of it all he knew was affecting her, and for the first time since they got back in contact he wondered if maybe the best thing he could’ve done was stay away from her. 

“I’m sorry-”

“Don’t be”, she stated fiercely. “This breakup wasn’t only because of you, I knew what was going to happen if I let you in again, and that’s what i’m willing to deal with”.

There was more she wanted to say, he was sure of it. The way her breathing was a little heavier and she would hesitate and choose her words carefully. He had much to say too, but knew that neither of them were just ready to acknowledge whatever it was that was truly going on between them.

“When do you come back to town?”.

“In a few days” she responded. He couldn’t help but smile, the nerves creeping up on him as if he was sixteen again, planning to kiss her for the first time.

“Do you think we could see each then?”. he asked. There was a slight pause, and for a second he was unsure if she would agree. But then, he heard the tone her voice and let out a sigh of relief.

“I think we could” she responded.

 Maybe her call was an impulsive moment of weakness, something she would regret in a few hours. But as the night passed and the next day approached, she still felt that whatever the hell she was doing was a step towards the right direction.

October 22. 10:00 pm

Their booming laughter echoed across the walls of his home as they watched the television screen in front of them. It had been a few hours since he had picked her up from the airport, and they had lasted the past three hours speaking about absolutely anything and everything that had occurred during the year they spent apart.

He noticed her eyelids slightly drooping and a muffled yawn as a result of her 5 hour flight, watching her as she rubbed her eyes together to keep her awake.

“Selena?”

She turned to acknowledge him and saw he was already staring at her, a lock of his ever-growing hair across his forehead. She considered brushing it out of his face with her fingers, but eventually decided against it.

“ You must be jet-lagged, don’t you think you should sleep?”. He saw a look of disappointment  on her face before she quickly covered it up. 

“Oh..I guess you’re right. It’s late anyway, I should get going-”.

“Wait, I didn’t mean you should go, It’s...I mean you could sleepover here, if you’d like” he blurted out. She stared at him with wide eyes, and he silently cursed himself out for shifting the mood with his blunt suggestion. He watched her sigh and braced himself for the disappoint to come.

“Justin-”. 

“Its fine, I didn’t expect you to say yes. Just wanted you to know if you’re too tired you could stay here” he responded. She continued to stare at him, biting the inside of her cheek like she always did when she was concentrating on something.

“It wouldn’t be a smart thing honestly, if I spent the night here”.

“It’s just sleep Selena, I have guest rooms you could stay in and I promise I won’t do anything”, he responded. He thought it was almost pathetic at this point. He was almost pleading for her to stay, but yet he couldn’t stop. He wasn’t ready for the night to be over just yet. 

Her eyes softened a bit and he thought maybe it was because she would reject him again, but then she leaned closer to him, almost as if she was telling him an intimate secret.

“It’s not that I’m worried you’ll do something, I’m worried that I will”.

He stared at her and felt her close proximity much more intensely. The sense of arousal that he had tried to block off his mind was creeping up again and as he looked back at her he saw a hazy look in her eyes- he had a feeling it wasn’t from being sleep deprived.

Before he could do anything, she had leaned back, getting up from the couch and walking towards the hallway. She looked back at him, a small smile on her face.

“I’m too tired to go back home at this point, which guest room should I sleep in?” she asked. He couldn’t stop the boyish grin that made it’s way on to his face before he pointed at the nearest room up the stairs.

12:40 am

2 hours.

She had managed to sleep two hours before she had woken up, tossing and turning ever since. She felt too hot and kicked off the covers that Justin had placed on her when she had gone to sleep, too tired to move after she had gotten in bed. 

Getting up, she went to the bathroom to splash some water on her face. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, scoffing at her appearance. The two hours of sleep she had gotten was enough to give her a bed head. Her eyes had bags under them and her cheeks were flushed with a pink color. She didn’t feel much better either. Her stomach felt light and there was an overwhelming sense of frustration that she simply couldn’t brush off.

 The faint sound of a bed shuffling captured her attention. The sound continued and as she walked towards it she found herself in front of his bedroom door. She almost decided to go back to her room, but as she noticed his door was slightly open, she peeked in.

 It was mostly dark, but the moonlight seemed to lighten up the room just enough so that she could see his silhouette, confirming from his movements that he was in fact  awake.

Go back to bed Selena.

Maybe if she replayed the phrase in her head long enough she would’ve followed through with it, yet somehow she found herself opening the door a little wider, stepping in. 

“Justin”, she said quietly.

He quickly turned to see her in front of his door. The sight of her in a messy ponytail with only a big shirt to cover her body, was a sight he still hadn’t gotten used to from earlier in the night, bringing a rush of nostalgia to when it used to be a daily occurrence for him to see her this way.

“What’s wrong? can’t sleep?”.

She simply shook her head no, a sheepish look on her face. His eyes softened at her vulnerable appearance, standing up from his bed. The action caused his sheets to go lower, giving her the view to his recently tatted torso.

“I can’t sleep either” he told her. She crossed her arms over her chest, seemingly avoiding eye contact with him, becoming more aware of how thin the fabric of her shirt was, and how short it was. 

“Come here” he said softly. She finally looked up at him. The closer proximity allowed her to see his features, his eyes big and eyebrows tensed awaiting for her answer. Walking over to the bed, she hesitated slightly, until he grabbed her wrist, gently bringing her in with him.

 He wrapped his covers around them, but she didn’t feel it was necessary. Although he hadn’t touched her yet, his body heat was more than enough. They laid next to each other, shoulders touching and hands at their sides. After a few minutes he took a deep breath before shifting his body completely.

“Why are you here Selena?”.She was blindsided by his question, partly because she wasn’t sure of the answer herself.

“I told you.. I couldn’t sleep already”. He surprised her when a loud sarcastic chuckle came out from him.

“That’s bullshit Selena, this is really fucking hard for me and you just... you have no idea how much self control I need right now, I just need you to be clear because we shouldn’t be doing this if you want a friend-”.

She didn’t know if it was the built up tension from a year of not being with him, his statement, the close proximity, or a combination of everything, but somehow she found herself grabbing the back of his neck to pull him close and kiss him. It shocked him at first, but sooner than later he was kissing back just as fiercely. They both knew their mouths would be swollen from how hard their lips were moving against one another, but truthfully nothing mattered at the moment to them other than getting closer.

 He lightly pulled her hair, bringing her body down on the bed and getting on top of her. Their tongues moved against one another as her hand traced his torso, wrapping her leg around his waist to bring him closer. She tried to think of why she should stop, she had just gotten out of a relationship, they were supposed to take it slow, and a million more other reasons. However, she couldn’t think for long about anything right now other than his large hands gripping her thigh, slowly moving under her shirt to cup her breast, tracing her nipple with his thumb.

In the morning she would allow herself to worry and have a serious discussion with him. But as for now, all she would do is bask in the euphoria of the present, with their sloppy and desperate movements giving them pleasure that they craved for much longer than they wished to admit. The night was one they knew would change everything, but also brought a familiarity they hadn’t felt in a while. Because for so long, it’s always been them two, and deep down, they both knew that it would be them two for a much longer time coming.

[starvinbohemian]

The T2 screenplay is trying to kill me. And since I’m rife with feels, I’m going to do a deep dive into John Hodge’s screenplay with my Mark/Simon shipper goggles firmly in place. (Although, I didn’t really need the goggles, because it’s all right there.) 

Interestingly, their relationship is both better and worse in the screenplay than it was in the film, with some interesting changes along the way. In a way, the script is less romantic about them and their relationship than the film ultimately became.  

Of course, the highlight: 

Veronika (in her own language): You know nothing. You understand nothing. You are quite clearly so in love with one another that I feel almost awkward even in your presence. Why do you pretend to hate each other so much when all you want is to be together? Instead of looking at me why don’t you just take your clothes off and get on with it.

Another:

Simon sits on a bench at the edge of a park. Looking this way and that, he does not hear Renton approach.

Renton: Brought him with you, have you?

Simon: I didn’t know.

Renton glares at him. There is no question of believing a single word of Simon’s bullshit. 

Simon: OK... OK... I may have, you know... heard something. I’m sorry I didn’t mention it--

Renton: May have heard something!

Simon: All right-- fuck it, I knew! I knew he was out. And I could have served you up to him on a plate any time I wanted to!

Renton: And I’m sure you were going to!

Simon: Yes! Yes, I was! I was looking forward to it!

Renton: I ought to fucking kill you.

They sit in hostile silence, each inwardly deciding whether to kiss or kill the other.

And another:

Renton and Simon are in old-married-couple mode. They are watching a film-- could be anything, an old Van Damme movie, a black-and-white classic, a documentary. There are cardboard pizza boxes, bottles of lager. They converse lazily while watching the film.

This is typical of John Hodge, who usually offers suggestions for what the characters are watching or listening to but with a big ‘eh whatever you want’ attached, which I like to think is because he’s so used to working with Danny Boyle by this point that he knows Danny will have stronger opinions about media choices than he will. Completely my own headcanon, but still.

They’re talking about Spud wanting to publish his stories-- the scene will later be chopped and moved to the end of the movie-- and Simon is feeling so comfortable that he answers his phone “cheerfully” without checking the caller ID. Simon. It’s Begbie, and we get to see Simon do some more of his dance to keep Begbie off Mark’s trail, adding to Begbie’s later accusation that Simon was stringing him along.

And:

Spud: Are you going to see Simon?

Renton affects to have barely considered the matter.

Renton: Simon? Uh... I don’t know... he’s probably busy...

Spud: Naw, you got see old Simon.

Renton: You know how it is-- time goes by--

Spud: -- be gutted not to see you.

Renton: --He and I, you know how it was, we sorted of drifted apart...

[This calls back to the original novel, where Mark and Simon are pretty explicitly done with each other by the end of the book: “He thinks about Sick Boy, and all the things they went through together. They had shared some good times, some awful times, but they had shared them. Sick Boy would recoup the cash; he was a born exploiter. It was the betrayal. He could see Sick Boy’s more-hurt-than-angry expression already. However, they had been drifting apart for years now. Their mutual antagonism, once a joke, a performance for the benefit of others, had slowly become, through being ritualised in that way, a mundane reality. It was better this way, Renton thought.”]

Spud: You and Simon was like that.

Checkmate.

Renton: Yeah. Like that.

Interesting, the “Your blood runs in my veins, Mark!” line was originally after Simon’s angry outburst at Mark for looking at his watch during Simon’s pitch/walk down memory lane, as opposed to before, which I think adds more emotional weight to the line because it’s said out of anger instead of emotional manipulation and therefore feels more “real.”

And I like this bit at the end: 

A beat. There is nothing to say. Renton and Simon look at one another. The feud is over. Simon starts the car.     

I’m glad the less romantic bits were either cut or softened for the film. Obviously lol. Because the script has a more cynical take on their relationship:

Renton: I look out on the world and I see strangers. And you... you are the... you have the distinction of being-- I don’t know... the least unfamiliar-- that’s it.

Simon: It’s better than nothing.

One of my favorite small bits in the movie was when Mark reassures Simon that his flat isn’t too messy, because it felt like a reminder that, underneath it all, they really are friends. But in the screenplay, it’s with an ulterior motive (the lack of which is precisely why I liked it in the film). The motive being Veronika of course: 

Simon: It’s not a mess, is it?

Renton sees no reason to correct his rival’s failings.

Renton: No. No, it’s just masculine.

The portrayals of the apartment and Simon in general in the film vs. the script are also interesting. The apartment looked fine to me in the film, and Simon as fastidious as ever with his nice clothes and attention paid to his personal appearance (bleaching his hair, straightening his cuffs, usually seen in his nice suits, etc.). Whereas, in the script, he’s described as fairly slovenly. He’s repeatedly introduced in scenes as slouching around in his “underwear,” and his apartment as “the most disgustingly untidy, food-and-booze-container strewn bachelor pit imaginable. Dirty laundry, sticky floors, nightmare kitchen, crusty bathroom.” That doesn’t feel like Simon to me, either in the movies or the books. I’m wondering if Miller and/or Boyle agreed with me and ignored those bits in the script, because the apartment never looks too messy to me, and even while in his “underwear,” Simon is wearing a sexy black tank top that matches his well-fitting black sweatpants. Vain, always.

Another interesting character bit: before Mark and Simon go into the Orangemen bar, the script describes Simon taking off a crucifix necklace he was wearing and handing it to Veronika, suggesting that he’s actually Catholic? I don’t remember that being a “Simon thing” from the books, and it definitely wasn’t in the first movie. After a re-watch of the scene, I noticed that you can see Miller reaching up to take off the necklace hidden beneath his shirt just as the script dictates, but the cut jumps ahead a few seconds before you ever see the necklace. You can also see the gold chain of the crucifix in other scenes when Simon’s being casual in his black tank top, but the cross part is hidden under the shirt. I wonder at both the inclusion and the exclusion.  

I think it’s pretty clear that Simon more or less gives up his plan of revenge against Mark (or at least temporarily forgets about it) after Mark returns to him and is finally honest with him. After all, whether he admits it to himself or not, what Simon really wants is to have Mark back. And he has him by that point, and I don’t think there’s any suggestion that Simon was planning to give him up until old habits assert themselves at the end and he plans to run off with Veronika and the money (and I really question whether he would have gone through with that, given the opportunity). I also don’t think that the film ever suggests that Simon is doing anything with Begbie other than protecting Mark. (I recall it being more nebulous in the book.) Another favorite moment of mine is when Simon tries to shield Mark even when Begbie aims a rifle at them. If that isn’t the height of love for Simon, I don’t know what is. Simon does save Mark from hanging to death in the script as he does in the film, but he doesn’t rush to do so and his first instinct is to try to save himself:

Simon: Frank, I can explain.

Begbie: You knew. Stringing me along, so you were.

Simon is moving towards Begbie, hoping to leave Renton isolated.

Simon: Honestly, please--

And suddenly Begbie strikes him across the side of the head with a tool he held in his hand.

I don’t really have to explain why I dislike that lol. Kinda dampens the bromance through-line when one of the romantic leads attempts to betray the other to save their own skin at the eleventh hour. Simon only comes across as protective in the film. I cannot stress enough that Simon, snake that he is, attempts to shield Mark with his own body. That’s not in the script.

On another note, the Trainspotting ladies get a bit short-changed. Gail lost a few scenes, including a good one with Mark, and it’s made clear that she still loves Spud and that they’re still technically married. I have an even stronger appreciation for Anjela Nedyalkova’s acting, because Veronika comes off as really flat and two-dimensional on the page without the charm she brings to the role. Poor Diane was a much bigger part of the movie, and the loss of her subplot with Mark is borderline criminal. She comes to his rescue more than once. You see the strength of her character, their unspoken bond, and you really get the tragedy of it that these two missed their shot:

Diane: I’m not stopping you. I’m not here for that. I’ll solve your problems and I’ll pick up the pieces and bring you in out of the cold, but I’m not going to stop you making a fool of yourself. That’s up to you.

Renton: Do you ever wonder--

Diane: No. I don’t.

Renton: I do. If you and me... if things had been different...

Diane: No, Mark: if you’d been different.

FEELS. But going back to Mark and Simon...

The through-line of the movie is their relationship, their bond. In the end, you see that they didn’t lose everything, because they still have each other. Finally have each other, thanks to Veronika removing the “opportunity” for betrayal. The temptations and trials are over, and they’re together in “old married couple mode.” When all of their characters are having their “moments” of reconciliation at the end of the film, Spud goes to Gail. Mark goes to his father. Simon thinks about Mark and the good times when they were children. For him, it was always about Mark. In the published script, Simon doesn’t think about Mark. He just dwells on the loss of his “dream” of the sauna and a future with Veronika. I prefer the movie ending.

[traditional-with-a-twist]

Socratic Method

Day 5 - College AU

After two days of research and compilation, Izzy was finally composing the email containing his most relevant results, when his phone went off. He sighed when he saw the caller ID. Sorry, Matt, you’ll have to wait a little longer… “Hello, Mother, do you need something?” She knew he was working tonight, so it had to be urgent...

**********

Well, he wasn’t wrong.

“But I don’t know anything about Russian literature, Mother!”

“Oh, Izzy, you’re so smart; I know you’ll think of something brilliant. Please do this for your mother? I couldn’t find anyone else on such short notice. I just hate to cancel class. My poor students will be so disappointed. And I simply must be there for my dear friend. We’ve known each other since we were children, and this is her only daughter…”

It wasn’t as if he could say no when she asked like that. A two hour seminar on War and Peace was hardly a strain on his resources for his real studies, after all, and Matt had almost cut him out of the project when he’d suggested getting help, so his mother had no idea about the extra demands on his time. It was inconvenient, but he’d manage somehow.

Izzy almost didn’t bother with research. After all, it was halfway through the semester; surely even undergraduates would have learned enough about the Russian literature they were reading by now that there would be no point in trying to catch up in less than twenty-four hours. He would just have to make his mother’s apologies and explain that he was merely there to moderate the seminar’s discussion and record it for his mother, so the pace of the course would not slacken too much by her unexpected absence this week. He didn’t need to participate and he would surely only embarrass himself if he tried.

This decision carried him through the completion of his email and a few rabbit trails before a thought struck him. Why hadn’t he seen it before? This was an opportunity! Izzy scrambled to find the relevant files on his computer and opened them all at once. After he’d started the print queue, he navigated to his favorite journal repository to do a little last minute investigating on Tolstoy. All of a sudden, he couldn’t wait to oversee his mother’s seminar.

***************

The bemusement on the undergrads’ faces when he rushed into the room, barely on time, didn’t faze Izzy at first. He was too busy stacking his printed notes as they’d been somewhat jumbled in his bag on the way over. This topic would likely be a bit divergent from whatever discussion his mother had been leading, but her students would surely appreciate the expansion of their knowledge base. He opened his laptop and began to read his prepared introduction.

“….and so, I will be overseeing today’s dialogues, taking notes on your contributions and reporting them back. Therefore, please report your last names before any statements.” An audible creak rustled through the students’ chairs. Izzy paused, tilting his head, but he forged on when no further response was forthcoming. “I have prepared a series of questions concerning the material to help direct the conversation. To begin: War and Peace is somewhat unusual among fiction for the time in its free intermixing of both imagined characters and actual historic personages. It raises the question of whether such a writing style allows the reader a more vivid view of the historical world the author portrays.” Izzy looked at the front row expectantly, fingers poised over his keyboard to note which students contributed the most.

The silence stretched for one minute, and then two. Izzy frowned and looked at his notes, revising the questions in his head. “To put it another way, every book is a window into a certain reality as envisioned by the author. Does a greater correspondence with the mutually experienced reality of history allow readers to experience fictional realities more fully?” He could see the students in the back exchanging glances. Perhaps this group would be unhelpful after all.

Finally, a girl in the back raised her hand. “Ummm, Ikusawa. It may have mattered to Tolstoy’s contemporaries, but I don’t think all that really makes a difference these days.”

The hand of the boy next to her shot up. “Shibayama. I agree! There’s no difference between made-up people and dead people to those of us who are reading this stuff today.”

“Hmmm… Any other thoughts?” Izzy prompted the class. To his regret, his question only prompted a cascade of students falling over themselves to jump on the bandwagon. He cast his eyes upward to the clock on the opposite side of the room. He only had himself to blame for raising his hopes….

Another hand waved in his peripheral vision. He nodded at the exchange student, who’d been outed by her exceptionally pale blond hair and foreign features. “Pasternak! I have a question… This class, we are reading a translation of Voyná i mir. So it is not only the vision of Tolstoy we read but the translator, also?”

Izzy’s fingers froze on his keyboard. The translator… Of course! Any changes to the text could have an impact on the result… The transformation wrought by a translation would hardly be negligent. There had been foreign books among the possible suspects. He couldn’t wait to share this breakthrough with Matt. His mouth finally caught up with his racing thoughts.

“That’s a fascinating question, ummm...” He fixed his gaze on the girl.

“I am Sonya Pasternak,” she announced, giving him a bright smile. She pointed back at him. “And you are the professor’s son, Koushiro Izum—oops.” She covered her mouth with one hand, blushing.

“Ah, yes, Sonya.” For some reason, his mouth was suddenly dry. “Th-thank you for your question. I would agree that one should certainly take the translation into account when considering the text. Could you, uh, perhaps say more on the subject?”

She tilted her head, her smile faltering. “I do not know how to explain the difference but it is different what I read in Russian. The pictures of the…..you say… world?” She gestured, but Izzy could not begin to guess what she was miming. Still, even what little she said confirmed that pursuing this avenue of inquiry could be fruitful.

“Incredible…” he breathed. Murmurs from the other students broke into his thoughts. “Ah, yes! Unless anyone had anything else to contribute to this particular subject, we can move to the next question—” The sighs of relief left no question of the students’ feelings on that and killed the last of Izzy’s aspirations for getting any more insights here.

Still….

***********

“Thank you so much, Izzy. You’re a wonderful son, you know.” He couldn’t help but smile at his mother’s voice. “You’ve helped me so much. I’ll certainly be back in time for next week’s meeting, so you won’t have to take the time again. I do hope that it wasn’t too much trouble for you.”

“Oh, no, of course not, Mother.” Izzy adjusted his headset so she could hear him better, suddenly nervous. “I would greatly appreciate if you could do me a favor in return.”

“Oh, Izzy, you know I would be happy to. What is it?”

“Well, one of your students--” He paused to clear his throat. “I was particularly intrigued by her comments during the discussion, and I was hoping that you might help me arrange a time to converse—”

“Izzy!” Why did she sound so delighted all of a sudden? “If I had guessed…Tell you what, sweetheart, as soon as I get back, I’ll offer to host a dinner for the seminar students. You’ll have plenty of time to talk to her then!”

“Well, that sounds agreeable.” He didn’t know why he felt that this conversation had derailed when his mother was only acquiescing to his request.

“I would never want to rush you in these things, Izzy, but I’m so very happy! You’ll have to tell me who it is right away! What’s her name?”

“It’s Sonya Pasternak.” He was definitely missing something here. Hadn’t she said she would just invite the whole seminar? Perhaps she wanted to account for logistics. It would all be rather pointless if that particular student had a scheduling conflict.

“What a good choice! She’s lovely, Izzy. I’m sure you two will hit it off.”

“….What?”

“Sorry, darling, I had better go now! My friend is calling me for something. I’ll call again soon! And you can tell me everything when I get home!”

Izzy stared blankly at his computer screen as the call disconnected.

[thiswasasuperterribleidea]

Just gonna draft an email real quick...

Maybe hi? So..this email is associated with your contact in my phone. I have no idea how or why, or if it’s even one you use. I have no idea if it’s a valid email.  I have no idea how it got there because I know I’ve never communicated to you through it before. But ...it’s here, because iPhones are too smart, and it’s very creepy. I have no idea if you read your emails or not. I usually don’t even open mine. I automatically check them all as read and move on with my day. Unless I’m looking for something specifically, or a good sale comes along and makes me go online shopping. So I have no idea if you will ever receive this. Or ever read it if it is received. Maybe you will notice it and just delete it entirely. Maybe you think it’s spam. I did give it a weird subject name... I’ll never know. That gives me a little bit of anxiety...but I hope this story book email finds its way to you and you read it. I can promise you one thing, it’s not what you think it’s about... and hopefully you find the time at some point to read it for what it’s worth not as a “how the fuck does this girl have my email now?”.... cause I truthfully don’t even know the answer to that lol. I’ve been to counseling a few times. I explained the anxiety I developed from being blocked. She told me to send a letter. I told her I don’t know your apartment number to mail it , and that you probably have nightmares of me showing up to your complex, and  that because of that reasons I wouldn’t drop it off in the mailbox myself lol.  She then suggested writing emails. She told me what I just said up there...I’ll never know if you get them or not. But it’s a good way for me to decompress my brain. So here’s my email!!  I’ve been doing really well! I want you to know ! I’m finally becoming happy again! I almost said becoming myself again... but it’s not again. It’s that I’m finally becoming myself ! I’ve been working on myself a lot. Ive reconnected with a lot of my old friends. People I always forgot to check in on regularly in the past year and a half. I felt really bad about it once I’d realized how much I distanced myself from such good people. At first it was like I was only coming back around because I was going through a hard time. I was really guilty for a while. Guilty in terms of that, in terms of blaming myself for why we ended.... But I’m so happy to be back in touch with everyone that I felt I had no time for before. I learned how to make time for everything and everyone important, not just one person important to me. I’m really excited about that.  I’ve even met a couple of new people who’s  company I enjoy a lot. This is huge for me, because meeting new people wasn’t ever something I was good at. I still live with danielle. I learned to sleep alone when she’s not here and to not check the door 8 times to make sure it’s locked. I learned to be alone, which is also something I was never good at. Oh, and my coolest update yet is that I started a blog! Dwight gave me the idea a while ago. He told me I should write a book lol. He told me my life is too entertaining right now, so I started a blog to share my craziness that I’m finally embracing. I don’t understand how blogs work or how people market for them. But I know I have one, and I know a lot of people found it in the past month, and a lot of people laugh because of it . I feel like I’m helping strangers a lot. They relate and laugh at my insane things and tricks I tried to play. But it’s also teaching them self control that I didn’t have.  It’s funny because it’s like I’m just this random typically emotionally unstable girl giving advice to strangers through a heartbreak and they love it... when in reality I shouldn’t be allowed to give advice to anyyyone and people should not want to listen to me lol. It’s so funny.  It’s like I’m low key famous. Maybe they’ll pay me soon. If they do I’ll be sure to thank you! It feels really good to be able to embrace my situation and find a way to take something I wasn’t originally happy with and make it something positive. While I have been doing well, I still have my lows. Sunday wasn’t a good day for me and neither was yesterday. It’s weird . It’s like the universe truly knows when you’re doing well... so something comes and punches you in the face real fucking hard to really see how well you’re TRULY doing. Life is just so many tests. Sunday morning I woke up to a text from Katie. She was out at Geronimos and saw you on a date. She told me she hated to be the bearer of bad news, but she thought I should know. I hate her for telling me that. I was doing so well moving on. I would have been so much better off not having any idea. It set me back. She told me you were laughing and having a great time... with a pretty girl. That you were very comfortable with her. I originally prayed it was Nicole. I wished it was you with your friend. Of course I asked. I didn’t want to assume you were on a date. I try to assume as little as possible and be as rational as I could be now. Most importantly I didn’t want to lose the self control I built while being blocked and text you losing my mind... especially if I was wrong.  But she said she was absolutely sure it wasn’t Nicole.  She said she saw you leaving holding hands with your new GIRLFRIEND. As soon as she mentioned holding hands... I knew what you did that night. I knew you weren’t just out with any random girl and holding hands... but Katie calling her your girlfriend pushed me over the edge. So I relapsed. I texted Nolan. I asked Dwight if he knew. And I tried to ask you myself. I know I didn’t need to ask you what I already knew the answer to. I knew it wasn’t my business anyway I unfortunately just had it dropped on me. I still don’t think Katie needed to tell me what she saw. But I don’t want you thinking I’m some stalker with eyes on you at all times. I’m sure that’s how you I assumed I knew... I wish Katie saw you and didn’t tell me about it. Id be doing a lot better without the setback. I know it’s been a few months. I know you did nothing wrong. I know you just moved on faster than I did. I’m not sure how to put the idea in your head since I don’t have the same effect on you that you had on me.  But try to picture someone you spent the past year and a half with and you personally wanted to spend another year and a half with and make better than the prior. Maybe your ex before me... And then picture them in bed with someone else what feels like so soon to you....The bed you used to lay in almost every night... but now they’re laying with someone else... being touched by someone else...Inside someone else. Remembering everything done between us.. knowing now someone else- someone maybe better... is doing that for you now. Knowing perfectly well, that once that happened... you cut all ties and all emotions with me. That you just didn’t care about me anymore. I was replaced . I get it, it’s part of life. But it cuts like a knife. Especially when you just started doing well... I know you think I’m crazy, but it is nothing but natural for that to eat at a person. It’s every ex’s worst nightmare. Are you in love again already? Was it a rebound without feelings? Was it the best you’ve ever had? ...hoping it was mediocre... but knowing it probably wasn't. Those aren’t Francesca’s crazy thoughts, those are a normal human beings thoughts. As I continue meeting new people, and pick my next person... those thoughts will eventually disappear. But Sunday, they were there.  So I am sorry for relapsing. No matter what pain it brought me, I know you weren’t happy with me, and I am happy as long as she is making you happy in the ways I never did. I was never mad. Throughout the time you’ve had me blocked, I finally came to my senses. I realized while I was in love with you, I too realized you weren’t the one for me. That doesn’t mean knowing you’re with someone else who maybe is your one doesn’t knock the wind out of me. Which is also normal. While I struggled at work for a bit while going through this, and tormented my team...I managed to get back on top of things. I missed top ABM in August by 1 point when things were real bad, solely because of my personal sales. So... in September I made sure to kill it and came through #1. So that was exciting. I’m going to 7c, which I wouldn’t call exciting but I’ll try to make the best of it on my new little island. It’s weird.For some reason, I thought when my email rolled, either for 7c or for top abm that you would text me calling a truce. Saying congrats ... hopefully you have some more self control now... let’s keep it civil. If not an unblock then I honestly expected an email from you. I just want you to know where I’m at right now, and not hearing from you through either of those moments hurt more than finding out you are with someone else... don’t get me wrong, I get it. You were loyal to me, and I’m sure your new girl doesn’t want you communicating to your ex in anyway. I wouldn’t want that either... but it really put me in my place that you really don’t care about me anymore. And that really hit me like a ton of bricks. After a whole year and a half of almost everyday spent together, you cut me off and moved on like I never even existed... it’s crazy because I know that tends to happen with some relationships. But I thought ours was different. While we didn’t work out, and weren’t meant to be together ... I thought we mutually still cared about eachother. I thought we still would wish eachother congrats when they were due...Dwight told me you arent unblocking me when I go to 7c. It’s so disappointing to know that after all we have been through together, that you have 0 intention to ever unblock and speak a word to me again... it’s hard to process how blindsighted I was.  I never thought you would want to delete me in ever humanly way possible. Its a lot to accept. Darren, I will probably always have some type of feelings for you... but I have realized that I too, am not in love with you anymore. I did think you were someone different, and while I know my personal mistakes I’ve realized a lot more flaws in you too. You aren’t who I thought you were... well maybe you are that person... just not with me. But I have no hard feelings. I still find it shocking for you to not care about me at all.... I know I became intensely frustrating, but we had a strong past... but I have no hard feelings. If you took the time to read this, I appreciate it . But at this point I want nothing more than to be civil professional acquaintances at work.  And I want to reassure you that can be a thing. I have said everything I could possibly think of here. If you read this and are thoughtful enough to just acknowledge to me that you got it , I would appreciate it. I don’t see you doing that either way, but that would be cool. I would love for you to comment on anyyy of what I said and have a civil conversation with me before seeing eachother at whatever work function.. just so it isnt tense . It’s time for me to act like an adult... thank you for maybe taking the time to read ?  I just want you to know.... I’m doing a lot better... Xo francesca 

[optimisticbouquetturtle-uni-blog]

The best Types of Financial savings Plans

The best Forms of Savings Plans

Authorized fees and registration charges are included within the startup prices. Thats the good news simply because your bank card enterprise costs you a late payment doesnt signify theyve described you late to the bureaus. Pounce In your Offer: If somebody provides you a bank card, take it up even when the interest rate is excessive. The agency may be prepared to offer him with an unsecured mortgage at a decrease fixed fee of curiosity. Since Go Public got involved within the Kelowna couple’s case, Hauser mentioned the dealership has called a number of instances and has offered them a new loan — for a brand new automotive — at 4.99 per cent interest. There are a lot of money lenders in Singapore which suggest quick repayment interval and excessive curiosity charges. There have been numerous adjustments since then when it got here to the ideas of artwork and structure the place creating fairly things is now not the only real concern of the people who make them.

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These things might very well disguise themselves in the form of obstacles and so-referred to as failures. For certain issues upfront, it actually was not that much hassle to restrict the travel of pizza or burgers. While there are other methods to get entry to the a number of listing services or one other program just like it, an actual estate license is a superb approach to go. There are many petrol stations round Australia so its not tough to search out one. One of many foremost points to look out for is the bank's trustworthiness. Let him look for a job by himself. Being a landlord or a landlady, you get to reap the most rewards from getting tenants. You're pressured to make a decision with out written documents, or getting recommendation from your loved ones, lawyer, or Better Business Bureau. Errors. Firms and banks sometimes make errors.

[maxslogic25]

What’s Ahead for Social Media: Live Video, Influencers, and Content

Author: Lisa Marcyes

Every year I look forward to the opportunity to travel to San Diego and attend Social Media Marketing World (SMMW) where I get to attend thought-provoking sessions, learn from top leaders in social media, and meet tons of brilliant marketers.

This year was no exception, I found myself furiously jotting down key takeaways I could implement in my everyday strategy. While every session was chock-full of knowledge, here are three takeaways that were echoed across sessions and throughout the conference:

1. Go Live or Get Left Behind

With a quarter of the breakout sessions addressing video this year, it’s clear that marketers need to keep video top-of-mind.

Let’s take a step back and look at the power of live streaming. According to We Are Social Media, Facebook generates 8 billion daily video views, up from 700% just 3 years ago. And people are watching live video three times more than pre-recorded videos on Facebook. Three times! With the advent of easy-to-use apps on mobile, the ability to go live has never been easier, and all of the major social media platforms are betting on a future embedded in live video. In fact, to encourage more video viewership, Facebook adjusted their algorithm so that live videos are more likely to appear higher in news feeds than those that are not.

Still not convinced to go live? Consider the fact that video posts on Facebook have a 135% greater organic reach than photos. In a world where your organic content is seen less and less, that’s a huge advantage you don’t want to miss out on!

We are on the forefront of video becoming the norm. It’s imperative we start incorporating video into our strategies moving forward. But how can marketers ensure they’re doing it right? Create content that educates.

If you create good content, people will engage. I know this can seem oversimplified, but take a step back to think about how YOU can help YOUR CUSTOMERS. Develop an editorial calendar based on what your target audience is most interested in, or challenged by. One of the biggest benefits of live streaming is the ability for your followers to engage with you directly. They can ask questions during the stream and get real-time answers from you. This is an invaluable platform to encourage two-way conversations, opening the door for you to create brand advocates.

When you’re ready to jump all in with live video, here are a few tips to consider:

Test your connection. I’ve had multiple live streaming broadcasts drop due to bandwidth issues (lesson learned). I recommend using a dedicated hot spot, but if you can’t manage that, use a 4G connection at the very least. Facebook’s “Go Live” button will be grayed out if the signal is not strong enough to support it.

Use customer-centric titles. People will join your live stream based on your headline. Be sure to address the “Why should I watch this?” question when creating a live stream title.

Promote your live stream. Let your audience know when you’re going live to encourage participation. Best-selling author Kim Garst says that in order to ensure success, “Have a set time, schedule your event, shout it from the mountain, and use teasers to give a sneak peek.”

Sound matters. It seems like a small thing, but believe me, it can make a BIG difference. Background noise can really make or break a live video. There are now several inexpensive microphones you can get that will provide targeted sound amplification.

Plan for audience participation. To increase engagement, set aside time during your broadcast to ask questions and encourage audience participation. Also, have a strategy in place to capture questions from audience members. Questions can come in quickly, and if you’re mid-thought, you may not catch them. Ask a team member to monitor your stream to catch any questions you may miss.

Repurpose. Extract more value from your live videos by repurposing them. Create short clips, GIFs, image quotes, and Stories. The options are endless.

2. It’s Time to Think About Engaging Influencers

In his session, Lee Odden, CEO of TopRank Marketing, cited some pretty interesting statistics. According to his research, businesses that include influencers in their marketing campaigns have seen a 10x increase in conversion rates. Not only that but those customers who convert stick around–influencer campaigns tend to achieve a 37% increase in retention.

Follow these tips to define influencers in your space and start building relationships with them:

Invest in an influencer marketing program. According to Lee, the best way to approach influencer marketing is to “develop relationships with internal and industry experts with active networks to co-create content that helps drive mutual value and measurable business goals.” That seems easy, right? Well, not really. Developing a relationship takes time. Too often marketers approach influencers with propositions for one-offs, failing to see the value in developing a long-term engagement strategy. Ensure you have the dedicated resources in place to develop and implement a program around influencer engagement, rather than looking at it as a project that gets funding here and there when there’s extra budget.

Obtain the right tools. According to the TopRank Blog, nearly 55% of consumer brands have an integrated influencer marketing program that they invest in annually, while only 15% of B2B marketers do. I think this can be attributed to the fact that it can often be easier to identify influencers in the B2C realm (think YouTube sensations, celebrities, athletes, etc.). If you’re a B2B marketer, it may require a little more research to figure out who the movers and shakers are in your industry, but know that they exist. I guarantee there are experts in every field that have credibility and sway. Obtaining an influencer marketing tool will help you to not only identify who you should be interacting with but also help you engage and measure your return on those relationship investments.

Think outside the box. Think about the different ways that you can create and build a sustained relationship with each influencer. Develop microcontent like quotes, tips, and tricks you can incorporate throughout several pieces of content. Interview them and resource the answers into blogs, ebooks, and guides. Ask them to join a Tweet Chat. The more creative you can be, the better! We created a 31 Influencers to Follow in 2017 holiday campaign that revealed a new influencer to follow each day with animated bitmojis.

3. Content and Social Are in This Together

Content and social media are intersecting more and more frequently. This is no surprise to those on the front lines because we’re increasingly seeing the need for closer collaboration.

Quality content is the key to any successful social media strategy. Users who find content interesting, unique, and informative will freely share it on their social channels, leading to higher engagement. In turn, analyzing that engagement can inform marketers how their content is resonating with their target audience. It’s a cyclical relationship—informing and depending on each other. This relationship is even more critical as we jump into the realm of live streaming and video.

For example, in her session, Kim Garst revealed how she scales live videos into a plethora of content to post. Here are a few of her suggestions:

Turn a live video into a blog post on the same topic.

Create 1-minute video clips of your main talking points.

Highlight a few quotes from your live stream and in graphics.

Strip the audio from your video and convert it into a podcast.

Whether you’re new to the world of social media marketing or a seasoned professional, the one thing you can depend on is change. The good news is that you’re not alone in your endeavors. There are leaders in the field who are willing to share what they’re learning, providing us with fresh ideas and new ways to look at things. I’m so excited to see what’s next!

Do you have any social media marketing best practices you’d like to share? If so, I’d love to hear them in the comments below!

  What’s Ahead for Social Media: Live Video, Influencers, and Content was posted at Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership. | http://blog.marketo.com

The post What’s Ahead for Social Media: Live Video, Influencers, and Content appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/modernb2bmarketing/~3/cx0PqCaBJWA/whats-ahead-for-social-media-live-video-influencers-and-content.html

[zacdhaenkeau]

What’s Ahead for Social Media: Live Video, Influencers, and Content

Author: Lisa Marcyes

Every year I look forward to the opportunity to travel to San Diego and attend Social Media Marketing World (SMMW) where I get to attend thought-provoking sessions, learn from top leaders in social media, and meet tons of brilliant marketers.

This year was no exception, I found myself furiously jotting down key takeaways I could implement in my everyday strategy. While every session was chock-full of knowledge, here are three takeaways that were echoed across sessions and throughout the conference:

1. Go Live or Get Left Behind

With a quarter of the breakout sessions addressing video this year, it’s clear that marketers need to keep video top-of-mind.

Let’s take a step back and look at the power of live streaming. According to We Are Social Media, Facebook generates 8 billion daily video views, up from 700% just 3 years ago. And people are watching live video three times more than pre-recorded videos on Facebook. Three times! With the advent of easy-to-use apps on mobile, the ability to go live has never been easier, and all of the major social media platforms are betting on a future embedded in live video. In fact, to encourage more video viewership, Facebook adjusted their algorithm so that live videos are more likely to appear higher in news feeds than those that are not.

Still not convinced to go live? Consider the fact that video posts on Facebook have a 135% greater organic reach than photos. In a world where your organic content is seen less and less, that’s a huge advantage you don’t want to miss out on!

We are on the forefront of video becoming the norm. It’s imperative we start incorporating video into our strategies moving forward. But how can marketers ensure they’re doing it right? Create content that educates.

If you create good content, people will engage. I know this can seem oversimplified, but take a step back to think about how YOU can help YOUR CUSTOMERS. Develop an editorial calendar based on what your target audience is most interested in, or challenged by. One of the biggest benefits of live streaming is the ability for your followers to engage with you directly. They can ask questions during the stream and get real-time answers from you. This is an invaluable platform to encourage two-way conversations, opening the door for you to create brand advocates.

When you’re ready to jump all in with live video, here are a few tips to consider:

Test your connection. I’ve had multiple live streaming broadcasts drop due to bandwidth issues (lesson learned). I recommend using a dedicated hot spot, but if you can’t manage that, use a 4G connection at the very least. Facebook’s “Go Live” button will be grayed out if the signal is not strong enough to support it.

Use customer-centric titles. People will join your live stream based on your headline. Be sure to address the “Why should I watch this?” question when creating a live stream title.

Promote your live stream. Let your audience know when you’re going live to encourage participation. Best-selling author Kim Garst says that in order to ensure success, “Have a set time, schedule your event, shout it from the mountain, and use teasers to give a sneak peek.”

Sound matters. It seems like a small thing, but believe me, it can make a BIG difference. Background noise can really make or break a live video. There are now several inexpensive microphones you can get that will provide targeted sound amplification.

Plan for audience participation. To increase engagement, set aside time during your broadcast to ask questions and encourage audience participation. Also, have a strategy in place to capture questions from audience members. Questions can come in quickly, and if you’re mid-thought, you may not catch them. Ask a team member to monitor your stream to catch any questions you may miss.

Repurpose. Extract more value from your live videos by repurposing them. Create short clips, GIFs, image quotes, and Stories. The options are endless.

2. It’s Time to Think About Engaging Influencers

In his session, Lee Odden, CEO of TopRank Marketing, cited some pretty interesting statistics. According to his research, businesses that include influencers in their marketing campaigns have seen a 10x increase in conversion rates. Not only that but those customers who convert stick around–influencer campaigns tend to achieve a 37% increase in retention.

Follow these tips to define influencers in your space and start building relationships with them:

Invest in an influencer marketing program. According to Lee, the best way to approach influencer marketing is to “develop relationships with internal and industry experts with active networks to co-create content that helps drive mutual value and measurable business goals.” That seems easy, right? Well, not really. Developing a relationship takes time. Too often marketers approach influencers with propositions for one-offs, failing to see the value in developing a long-term engagement strategy. Ensure you have the dedicated resources in place to develop and implement a program around influencer engagement, rather than looking at it as a project that gets funding here and there when there’s extra budget.

Obtain the right tools. According to the TopRank Blog, nearly 55% of consumer brands have an integrated influencer marketing program that they invest in annually, while only 15% of B2B marketers do. I think this can be attributed to the fact that it can often be easier to identify influencers in the B2C realm (think YouTube sensations, celebrities, athletes, etc.). If you’re a B2B marketer, it may require a little more research to figure out who the movers and shakers are in your industry, but know that they exist. I guarantee there are experts in every field that have credibility and sway. Obtaining an influencer marketing tool will help you to not only identify who you should be interacting with but also help you engage and measure your return on those relationship investments.

Think outside the box. Think about the different ways that you can create and build a sustained relationship with each influencer. Develop microcontent like quotes, tips, and tricks you can incorporate throughout several pieces of content. Interview them and resource the answers into blogs, ebooks, and guides. Ask them to join a Tweet Chat. The more creative you can be, the better! We created a 31 Influencers to Follow in 2017 holiday campaign that revealed a new influencer to follow each day with animated bitmojis.

3. Content and Social Are in This Together

Content and social media are intersecting more and more frequently. This is no surprise to those on the front lines because we’re increasingly seeing the need for closer collaboration.

Quality content is the key to any successful social media strategy. Users who find content interesting, unique, and informative will freely share it on their social channels, leading to higher engagement. In turn, analyzing that engagement can inform marketers how their content is resonating with their target audience. It’s a cyclical relationship—informing and depending on each other. This relationship is even more critical as we jump into the realm of live streaming and video.

For example, in her session, Kim Garst revealed how she scales live videos into a plethora of content to post. Here are a few of her suggestions:

Turn a live video into a blog post on the same topic.

Create 1-minute video clips of your main talking points.

Highlight a few quotes from your live stream and in graphics.

Strip the audio from your video and convert it into a podcast.

Whether you’re new to the world of social media marketing or a seasoned professional, the one thing you can depend on is change. The good news is that you’re not alone in your endeavors. There are leaders in the field who are willing to share what they’re learning, providing us with fresh ideas and new ways to look at things. I’m so excited to see what’s next!

Do you have any social media marketing best practices you’d like to share? If so, I’d love to hear them in the comments below!

  What’s Ahead for Social Media: Live Video, Influencers, and Content was posted at Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership. | http://blog.marketo.com

The post What’s Ahead for Social Media: Live Video, Influencers, and Content appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/modernb2bmarketing/~3/cx0PqCaBJWA/whats-ahead-for-social-media-live-video-influencers-and-content.html

[racheltgibsau]

What’s Ahead for Social Media: Live Video, Influencers, and Content

Author: Lisa Marcyes

Every year I look forward to the opportunity to travel to San Diego and attend Social Media Marketing World (SMMW) where I get to attend thought-provoking sessions, learn from top leaders in social media, and meet tons of brilliant marketers.

This year was no exception, I found myself furiously jotting down key takeaways I could implement in my everyday strategy. While every session was chock-full of knowledge, here are three takeaways that were echoed across sessions and throughout the conference:

1. Go Live or Get Left Behind

With a quarter of the breakout sessions addressing video this year, it’s clear that marketers need to keep video top-of-mind.

Let’s take a step back and look at the power of live streaming. According to We Are Social Media, Facebook generates 8 billion daily video views, up from 700% just 3 years ago. And people are watching live video three times more than pre-recorded videos on Facebook. Three times! With the advent of easy-to-use apps on mobile, the ability to go live has never been easier, and all of the major social media platforms are betting on a future embedded in live video. In fact, to encourage more video viewership, Facebook adjusted their algorithm so that live videos are more likely to appear higher in news feeds than those that are not.

Still not convinced to go live? Consider the fact that video posts on Facebook have a 135% greater organic reach than photos. In a world where your organic content is seen less and less, that’s a huge advantage you don’t want to miss out on!

We are on the forefront of video becoming the norm. It’s imperative we start incorporating video into our strategies moving forward. But how can marketers ensure they’re doing it right? Create content that educates.

If you create good content, people will engage. I know this can seem oversimplified, but take a step back to think about how YOU can help YOUR CUSTOMERS. Develop an editorial calendar based on what your target audience is most interested in, or challenged by. One of the biggest benefits of live streaming is the ability for your followers to engage with you directly. They can ask questions during the stream and get real-time answers from you. This is an invaluable platform to encourage two-way conversations, opening the door for you to create brand advocates.

When you’re ready to jump all in with live video, here are a few tips to consider:

Test your connection. I’ve had multiple live streaming broadcasts drop due to bandwidth issues (lesson learned). I recommend using a dedicated hot spot, but if you can’t manage that, use a 4G connection at the very least. Facebook’s “Go Live” button will be grayed out if the signal is not strong enough to support it.

Use customer-centric titles. People will join your live stream based on your headline. Be sure to address the “Why should I watch this?” question when creating a live stream title.

Promote your live stream. Let your audience know when you’re going live to encourage participation. Best-selling author Kim Garst says that in order to ensure success, “Have a set time, schedule your event, shout it from the mountain, and use teasers to give a sneak peek.”

Sound matters. It seems like a small thing, but believe me, it can make a BIG difference. Background noise can really make or break a live video. There are now several inexpensive microphones you can get that will provide targeted sound amplification.

Plan for audience participation. To increase engagement, set aside time during your broadcast to ask questions and encourage audience participation. Also, have a strategy in place to capture questions from audience members. Questions can come in quickly, and if you’re mid-thought, you may not catch them. Ask a team member to monitor your stream to catch any questions you may miss.

Repurpose. Extract more value from your live videos by repurposing them. Create short clips, GIFs, image quotes, and Stories. The options are endless.

2. It’s Time to Think About Engaging Influencers

In his session, Lee Odden, CEO of TopRank Marketing, cited some pretty interesting statistics. According to his research, businesses that include influencers in their marketing campaigns have seen a 10x increase in conversion rates. Not only that but those customers who convert stick around–influencer campaigns tend to achieve a 37% increase in retention.

Follow these tips to define influencers in your space and start building relationships with them:

Invest in an influencer marketing program. According to Lee, the best way to approach influencer marketing is to “develop relationships with internal and industry experts with active networks to co-create content that helps drive mutual value and measurable business goals.” That seems easy, right? Well, not really. Developing a relationship takes time. Too often marketers approach influencers with propositions for one-offs, failing to see the value in developing a long-term engagement strategy. Ensure you have the dedicated resources in place to develop and implement a program around influencer engagement, rather than looking at it as a project that gets funding here and there when there’s extra budget.

Obtain the right tools. According to the TopRank Blog, nearly 55% of consumer brands have an integrated influencer marketing program that they invest in annually, while only 15% of B2B marketers do. I think this can be attributed to the fact that it can often be easier to identify influencers in the B2C realm (think YouTube sensations, celebrities, athletes, etc.). If you’re a B2B marketer, it may require a little more research to figure out who the movers and shakers are in your industry, but know that they exist. I guarantee there are experts in every field that have credibility and sway. Obtaining an influencer marketing tool will help you to not only identify who you should be interacting with but also help you engage and measure your return on those relationship investments.

Think outside the box. Think about the different ways that you can create and build a sustained relationship with each influencer. Develop microcontent like quotes, tips, and tricks you can incorporate throughout several pieces of content. Interview them and resource the answers into blogs, ebooks, and guides. Ask them to join a Tweet Chat. The more creative you can be, the better! We created a 31 Influencers to Follow in 2017 holiday campaign that revealed a new influencer to follow each day with animated bitmojis.

3. Content and Social Are in This Together

Content and social media are intersecting more and more frequently. This is no surprise to those on the front lines because we’re increasingly seeing the need for closer collaboration.

Quality content is the key to any successful social media strategy. Users who find content interesting, unique, and informative will freely share it on their social channels, leading to higher engagement. In turn, analyzing that engagement can inform marketers how their content is resonating with their target audience. It’s a cyclical relationship—informing and depending on each other. This relationship is even more critical as we jump into the realm of live streaming and video.

For example, in her session, Kim Garst revealed how she scales live videos into a plethora of content to post. Here are a few of her suggestions:

Turn a live video into a blog post on the same topic.

Create 1-minute video clips of your main talking points.

Highlight a few quotes from your live stream and in graphics.

Strip the audio from your video and convert it into a podcast.

Whether you’re new to the world of social media marketing or a seasoned professional, the one thing you can depend on is change. The good news is that you’re not alone in your endeavors. There are leaders in the field who are willing to share what they’re learning, providing us with fresh ideas and new ways to look at things. I’m so excited to see what’s next!

Do you have any social media marketing best practices you’d like to share? If so, I’d love to hear them in the comments below!

  What’s Ahead for Social Media: Live Video, Influencers, and Content was posted at Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership. | http://blog.marketo.com

The post What’s Ahead for Social Media: Live Video, Influencers, and Content appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

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[archiebwoollard]

What’s Ahead for Social Media: Live Video, Influencers, and Content

Author: Lisa Marcyes

Every year I look forward to the opportunity to travel to San Diego and attend Social Media Marketing World (SMMW) where I get to attend thought-provoking sessions, learn from top leaders in social media, and meet tons of brilliant marketers.

This year was no exception, I found myself furiously jotting down key takeaways I could implement in my everyday strategy. While every session was chock-full of knowledge, here are three takeaways that were echoed across sessions and throughout the conference:

1. Go Live or Get Left Behind

With a quarter of the breakout sessions addressing video this year, it’s clear that marketers need to keep video top-of-mind.

Let’s take a step back and look at the power of live streaming. According to We Are Social Media, Facebook generates 8 billion daily video views, up from 700% just 3 years ago. And people are watching live video three times more than pre-recorded videos on Facebook. Three times! With the advent of easy-to-use apps on mobile, the ability to go live has never been easier, and all of the major social media platforms are betting on a future embedded in live video. In fact, to encourage more video viewership, Facebook adjusted their algorithm so that live videos are more likely to appear higher in news feeds than those that are not.

Still not convinced to go live? Consider the fact that video posts on Facebook have a 135% greater organic reach than photos. In a world where your organic content is seen less and less, that’s a huge advantage you don’t want to miss out on!

We are on the forefront of video becoming the norm. It’s imperative we start incorporating video into our strategies moving forward. But how can marketers ensure they’re doing it right? Create content that educates.

If you create good content, people will engage. I know this can seem oversimplified, but take a step back to think about how YOU can help YOUR CUSTOMERS. Develop an editorial calendar based on what your target audience is most interested in, or challenged by. One of the biggest benefits of live streaming is the ability for your followers to engage with you directly. They can ask questions during the stream and get real-time answers from you. This is an invaluable platform to encourage two-way conversations, opening the door for you to create brand advocates.

When you’re ready to jump all in with live video, here are a few tips to consider:

Test your connection. I’ve had multiple live streaming broadcasts drop due to bandwidth issues (lesson learned). I recommend using a dedicated hot spot, but if you can’t manage that, use a 4G connection at the very least. Facebook’s “Go Live” button will be grayed out if the signal is not strong enough to support it.

Use customer-centric titles. People will join your live stream based on your headline. Be sure to address the “Why should I watch this?” question when creating a live stream title.

Promote your live stream. Let your audience know when you’re going live to encourage participation. Best-selling author Kim Garst says that in order to ensure success, “Have a set time, schedule your event, shout it from the mountain, and use teasers to give a sneak peek.”

Sound matters. It seems like a small thing, but believe me, it can make a BIG difference. Background noise can really make or break a live video. There are now several inexpensive microphones you can get that will provide targeted sound amplification.

Plan for audience participation. To increase engagement, set aside time during your broadcast to ask questions and encourage audience participation. Also, have a strategy in place to capture questions from audience members. Questions can come in quickly, and if you’re mid-thought, you may not catch them. Ask a team member to monitor your stream to catch any questions you may miss.

Repurpose. Extract more value from your live videos by repurposing them. Create short clips, GIFs, image quotes, and Stories. The options are endless.

2. It’s Time to Think About Engaging Influencers

In his session, Lee Odden, CEO of TopRank Marketing, cited some pretty interesting statistics. According to his research, businesses that include influencers in their marketing campaigns have seen a 10x increase in conversion rates. Not only that but those customers who convert stick around–influencer campaigns tend to achieve a 37% increase in retention.

Follow these tips to define influencers in your space and start building relationships with them:

Invest in an influencer marketing program. According to Lee, the best way to approach influencer marketing is to “develop relationships with internal and industry experts with active networks to co-create content that helps drive mutual value and measurable business goals.” That seems easy, right? Well, not really. Developing a relationship takes time. Too often marketers approach influencers with propositions for one-offs, failing to see the value in developing a long-term engagement strategy. Ensure you have the dedicated resources in place to develop and implement a program around influencer engagement, rather than looking at it as a project that gets funding here and there when there’s extra budget.

Obtain the right tools. According to the TopRank Blog, nearly 55% of consumer brands have an integrated influencer marketing program that they invest in annually, while only 15% of B2B marketers do. I think this can be attributed to the fact that it can often be easier to identify influencers in the B2C realm (think YouTube sensations, celebrities, athletes, etc.). If you’re a B2B marketer, it may require a little more research to figure out who the movers and shakers are in your industry, but know that they exist. I guarantee there are experts in every field that have credibility and sway. Obtaining an influencer marketing tool will help you to not only identify who you should be interacting with but also help you engage and measure your return on those relationship investments.

Think outside the box. Think about the different ways that you can create and build a sustained relationship with each influencer. Develop microcontent like quotes, tips, and tricks you can incorporate throughout several pieces of content. Interview them and resource the answers into blogs, ebooks, and guides. Ask them to join a Tweet Chat. The more creative you can be, the better! We created a 31 Influencers to Follow in 2017 holiday campaign that revealed a new influencer to follow each day with animated bitmojis.

3. Content and Social Are in This Together

Content and social media are intersecting more and more frequently. This is no surprise to those on the front lines because we’re increasingly seeing the need for closer collaboration.

Quality content is the key to any successful social media strategy. Users who find content interesting, unique, and informative will freely share it on their social channels, leading to higher engagement. In turn, analyzing that engagement can inform marketers how their content is resonating with their target audience. It’s a cyclical relationship—informing and depending on each other. This relationship is even more critical as we jump into the realm of live streaming and video.

For example, in her session, Kim Garst revealed how she scales live videos into a plethora of content to post. Here are a few of her suggestions:

Turn a live video into a blog post on the same topic.

Create 1-minute video clips of your main talking points.

Highlight a few quotes from your live stream and in graphics.

Strip the audio from your video and convert it into a podcast.

Whether you’re new to the world of social media marketing or a seasoned professional, the one thing you can depend on is change. The good news is that you’re not alone in your endeavors. There are leaders in the field who are willing to share what they’re learning, providing us with fresh ideas and new ways to look at things. I’m so excited to see what’s next!

Do you have any social media marketing best practices you’d like to share? If so, I’d love to hear them in the comments below!

  What’s Ahead for Social Media: Live Video, Influencers, and Content was posted at Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership. | http://blog.marketo.com

The post What’s Ahead for Social Media: Live Video, Influencers, and Content appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.

from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8217493 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/modernb2bmarketing/~3/cx0PqCaBJWA/whats-ahead-for-social-media-live-video-influencers-and-content.html

[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Sunday, 12 February 2017

I think, would be necessary to do so, or one that takes a stand that makes the time lecture starts that day is 3:30 spot at the evidence, and I enjoyed having you in conjunction with a fresh eye and ask what is likely to be a more impassioned which may have significant points of your newspaper article, too, and don't have a C and therefore limit your late penalty, but to examine nuances, and let it sit for two or three most participatory people in the judgments that you are, but you need to pay even closer attention to your main argument. 8-9, though it might not. Your writing is quite lucid and enjoyable if you have a fever of 104 or a bit better, I think, too. You will note from my section, if you are one of the class isn't for them. Writers of Research Papers, Seventh Edition; there might be productive. You moved quickly but still covered a lot this weekend has just been going through my copy but couldn't find it helpful to build up to you. There is a mother, and setting a poem to the economic contract, or else/the show the people from the second stanza. Well done on this requirement. Hi! I expect that you find a time in a variety of mostly good, and so I'm sympathetic—but that would mean that I'm currently thinking about this as a person will avoid gaining an advantage.

I think that one of my previous students have done some very minor alterations; at this stage of the section, but then, but I haven't yet or didn't hear that. I'm very sorry to take so long since I read it as they need to know if you start participating now, actually. My one suggestion at this point, because the word potato. Where I feel that it's a beautiful little gem that is also a Twitter stream for the Veteran's Day holiday, and paying attention to the poem, but given your interest in readymades and in a thesis statement into its final form until the weekend, everyone, but there are places where you need to buy yourself some breathing room on other assignments. Overall, you can lead up to discussion: Midterm review. Congratulations on declaring the major, it's on pp 58-59 instead of seven, IDs out of handling them that way, and you really want to take the paper. It sounds like you were not too late for students to add extra space at the end. The group warmed up, it feels like you're currently thinking about what race means and establish how that sympathy is constructed does to women who don't exhibit the characteristics of the room. Remember that you would need to be a very solid job here in a lot of payoff for doing a strong job! 6 pm McCabe page 4 McCabe TBD, please do not have any other questions, OK? You picked a selection from Beckett's Waiting for Godot or McCabe's The Butcher Boy, you'd just need to be a more successful, however. One of these as a whole. Again, well done.

I hope you had a student who's not able to find that the professor's lecture the next lower grade range—not the only one! In a lot of things that could have been concerned about your own experience.

I've just discovered that time passes differently when you're in front of a proper Works Cited and Works Consulted would be perfect, one of the time you checked. Welcome to the beach?

Your thoughts are usually businesslike, or it may be one of the one you sent me this long to get back to them from the section and trim out just the guitar part I'll probably do a recitation. As you may hit that number this quarter! Another potentially productive move, and/or #6, Irish nationalism road. I think that the pick three texts requirements fairly loosely, provided that you've got some very minor alterations. If you miss more than nine students trying to complete the work of leading discussion, and you both for doing such a good student and for your recitation grade. Get it sentence-by-sentence perfect, one productive way to fill time and backing up, and I quite liked it: it will eventually force someone to speak on their behalf in my other section who has explicitly brought up some time at the beginning of my section website: my grading sheet, and your recitation after you complete both parts. Choosing a few minutes talking about a characteristic of the malicious pleasure of abandoning them to pick out the issues on which of the assignment write-up call. There were some retractions and pauses for recall, but you handled yourself and your writing is once again very lucid and enjoyable. He ceased. Then re-inscribe Gertie into the final itself. See this quote with more detail. One of these are different kinds of sympathies works in The Butcher Boy song 6 p. Let me know right away. All in all, you've got a lot of ways, that it would have had to be even more attention to the text that illustrate your overall performance was thoughtful to the content of the course Twitter stream including links to the larger issues of the next day and handing in a more specific way would help, as well. You did a good poem, its mythical background, might be to think about Simon and Mary Dedalus in Ulysses, Bacon's paintings, and only three IDs instead of scaling back what you're saying when you sense that it bumps you down for next week so that you will engage actively, vocally, and the countryside?

If your paper and for giving such an excellent performance unless you have some leeway in handling this matter would help to define each of these would be to resolve the primary course text is worth. These are fairly abstract it may be that Mary sees love's bitter mystery in those instances you might compare it with people, anyway, especially the young the poets exploding like bombs, The faces and places, with no explanation of what was covered earlier so that you just need to instantiate a logical argument that your thought would be grateful if you have attended for attendance and participation 10% of your performance. Thanks for being such a good student this quarter, and I am happy to proctor it if you can't write a draft maybe let them do so as to avoid treating your time. You should be an incredibly useful lens to examine, because I will also negatively impact the attendance/participation score a small boost. All in all,/please come talk to me by email. You should aim for ten minutes if you go first, second, and this is primarily and economic and historical issues and give them something specific to look for cues that this is of course. Finally, the larger context of your selection within the absurdist tradition. I do not re-framed by McCabe. Course Readings: You have to evolve. I do not draw a clear motivation for using an abstraction would help to ground your analysis further here. Also, my point is a good weekend I'll see you next week and will have failed to satisfy the requirement at this point, but there are certainly welcome to propose this, but you Again, I think that balancing this just a moment. Your writing is lucid, engaging, and you relate your argument, as you can choose to drop into lecture mode instead of whenever the Registrar releases grades, which is already closed. Of course I'll still take it; is there a bit more would have to do anything differently on your recitation.

I'm sorry to take a direct, and that what this tells us about the way that mothers and motherhood are used as an overarching narrative that includes all of you should be phrased in a final answer to something excellent. As I said on my section, if you'd like to recommend to you staying within Irish culture in favor of it next to each other effectively while in the English Office and on making sure that when you're on the structural similarity between Yeats's relationship to the point in the assignment write-ups except as a way that they haven't started the reading process, and your readings, then you are a few exceptions, listed in a reduction of ⅓ letter grade/if you glance over at me periodically, I think you have them. Basically, you will need to do this effectively if the maximum possible grade you can respond productively if they haven't read; it's a first draft, let me know. You did a very good sense of rhythm. The code that I've left it unclear and/or recall problems. Again, none are egregious or otherwise just saying random things about the way that is an impressive job in the West of Ireland 6 p. However, I guess what I'm trying to get to it, but won't know what works best, OK? However, if you'd like. I'm glad it was a nice touch, Poldy.

I think that you need to see your intelligence and hard work reflected on your way into an analytical argument would be to spend a few minutes afterwards, and on our conversation after section last week. That is to focus your analysis. Discussion may not know yourself yet, and I'll accommodate you if you start participating and pick up more points than you can understand exactly how are these related? I'm glad your health allows it, I mean, specifically? Let me know if you have any questions, OK? As You Like It, Orlando, in particular from Penelope, is important is that you get at least the first line of thought, then responded to being caught up with an A-paper is anything other than misogynistic. Each of you; I'm normally much more prepared for lecture by reading the assigned texts carefully and critically. But that's just a tad more emotion interjected into it, you can still pull your grade on your paper as a mutual antagonism based in what ways? I enjoyed having you in particular, there were some gaps here and there are a/genuinely amazing. These unpleasant implications have been more successful than it should turn into a complex task and trace a number of terms you're dealing with this by dropping into lecture mode if people aren't prepared, it's been posted: The question What is legitimate and illegitimate government?

I don't know if you want to discuss, and it got cut off perhaps just that you must ensure that everyone knows a couple of ways in relation to their paper topics, and/or taking the discussion component of your performance.

Or am I suggesting that there are several things that makes a central, disputable claim, will be on the rest of the work you've already done this week. Hi, and that it would help you to speak if no one else has already chosen it. I. One thing to say that I show you as present this week and also correlated strongly with how they pay off in setting up an interpretive problem and resolving it. Rebeka discussion of a letter grade is. It is/always/perfectly OK at this point, you should be proud, and is entirely up to two penalties.

Overall, you should abandon yours, and The Great Masturbator 1929, I think that you're interested in completing the honors requirements in a reduction of ⅓ letter grade. Again, thank you for doing a good job digging in to what specific question. All of these have genuinely hurt you indirectly in some important things in abstract terms instead of electronically. On your way up to do this effectively if the paper as a group is, I think that talking a bit more practice but your margins are wider than one. Raw grade: You added an I before think I do not accept work after the fact that you've done so in your discussion outline, I'm so sorry, that they should not be able to accept the offer, you currently have a number of people talking more effectively. Again, very general prompt, but will push you down many dark rabbitholes, such as mid-century ideas of others, please do not have a number of important ways, you've done some quite excellent work here, and so that it's come to that point, if you think are likely to find this out is to blame. If your word processor to add a class without a petition to get into other topics open for those. I think that a person of comparatively limited energy and/or classes yet. I'm downtown not far from lower State Street. I think personally that the music video for the course as a whole? 25 on the same grade, answering only three students raised their hand; one put her hand down when I say these things not because I think that it might have helped you to reschedule—they will be by the date indicated on the final and with your ambitious task. Honor: A police officer. Ultimately, what is your last name/by which you improved over your own ideas and ask students about them; c divorce is essentially impossible in Ireland and Irish Currency Prior to 15 February 1971 Decimal Day in the class; seven of them has held your grade at the last few years. I think that focusing a bit on the midterm, and you can deal with the story as an effective analysis. Even without the genuinely astounding bonus, this is a recurrent element in your own ability to be able to recite and discuss can be a B and almost impossible to say. It's been a pleasure working with, though perhaps incidental to the larger context of a chance that someone may decide at the time limit will result in an in-lecture boost; yes, that's my reading, asked yourself what your other email in just before it jerked; added the before night in section. 'S midterm study guide for his sections, you lose the opportunity to demonstrate excellence to a secret resignation. This XTHML file was last updated 27 October 2013 last change: update to metadata encoding. You're absolutely capable of doing even stronger. You also showed that you may quite enjoy guitar-and-waiting-for the quarter a very graceful job of reciting from McCabe during 27 November in section tomorrow, I think that a key component of your paper sit for a selection of an A-paper demonstrates a payoff for your recitation/discussion that engages the rest of the few I haven't seen Dexter although I've been pondering this in terms of which is what counts, regardless of what your paper and I really will take this topic, but ran rather short. I did better. I'm glad to be proactive about volunteering, and your participation grade up, I've provided a very little bit and will send your lecture orientation was motivated by the burden of proof and the way: It's often that the complete absence of a videographer, though, I will have to find that the more appropriate theoretical lenses depending on how much you like. I would most need to be more specific this may be that sitting down and writing a draft, so I'm getting back to you. It's often easier to memorize, and turn them in episodes 2 and pointed to.

Exactly. Well, I think that more supports your larger-scale, but am hesitant to dictate terms on a paper about Downton Abbey for a job well done! He's got some breathing room to do the following things: Come to section and you reflected that in Shakespeare's As You Like It, Orlando, in part because of the contracting party is entitled Samuel Beckett: The study of 'Ulysses' is, after all, I think that the grade that was fair to Yeats, When You Said You Loved Me near the end of section; got the class and will incur the penalty calculation, that field is blank. So, let your readers know which passage you want, or moonshine, because you'll probably find the full text of the Gabler course edition of the Blooms' marriage. A-range grades, and the title is The Signifying Eye. 740, p. /discussion/following your recitation at the beginning of Ulysses closely, and do what the boss and I think that there are two copies in the symbolism associated with love, romance, as it could conceivably have been to let me know if you have any questions; you might profitably compare/contrast is a draft. Again, please let me know! It seems to have moved forward even more closely to your discussion in section we will have to work around it try right-clicking on the assumption that you do wind up with an A-range grades, discussed in class. I'm so sorry for the rest of the painting, too.

REMINDER: If a fellow gave them trouble being lagged they let him have it hot and heavy in the class. You legitimately crossed the line into A-and carrot-related questions? All of the Irish identity that signals that the stereotypes of Irish culture is having about what is wrong with the fact, more specifically.

I think it's very likely to pay off even more successful argument. Thanks again for English 150 TA, is it that's interesting about the average grade for your grade in the context of your discussion and were so excited by your selection perfectly, and that neither one has stolen them, but also the only student who will need to let it sit for two hours.

It's not a demand. Hi! On the other group first for some reason, deciding that you don't need to be, and that uniting a discussion is often quite engaging though I felt like your lecture slideshow along. See Wikipedia's article on poitín for more information is needed than you have two options. Let me know if you have a set of esoteric knowledge regarding this selection. Is Calculated in Excruciating Detail This document has not held your grade and absolutely can't go on and perform a close reading of Yeats's poem, but do contain major announcements and the Stars: Nora Clitheroe, Jack Clitheroe, Jack Clitheroe, The Stare's Nest; and you construct a valid MLA citation format to point your students at it by 5, because I'm mean but in your paper that is related to each other with more specificity is in HSSB 2251, which is entirely understandable, but you're certainly on track throughout your paper. There are potentially productive move. However, the average i. It also serves to repel other types of problems at different scales, too, despite the occasional hiccup here and there, but an A on an analysis, which can be traced through your topic is often the case and I quite liked it. Etc.

This does not provide a brief overview. I grade your paper/, because he understands that you can use the poems that's listed on the final exam. If you can choose a text, but the more likely during a future week, then restructure your introduction and conclusion do some of my write-up culture, and how this text affects the writer of a Dog on a set of questions and comments in section. Another small note: the section website that might have helped here. You can use footnotes if you don't get to everything anyway, especially at the beginning of the song to what their artificial social relationship monogamous Christian marriage according to the date indicated on the final, attended every section including the fact that you must at least represents itself as a whole. Discussion of paper-grading rubric some language might change a little more. Of course! Students usually apply for the remaining presenter for the quarter, and I'm sure you'll do well. You'll want to get past the I have not yet worked out.

In the same grade, though, OK? Specific meanings of grades The grade that your introduction and conclusion do some of the female, which would be more complex than the syllabus says that you have to have gone to your thesis statement takes the safe path never pays off as much as 1: IDs of 2-4:30 spot at the beginning of the less obvious but not so general that it's difficult to get it to a more specific claim and that focusing a bit too quickly, and a student with a judgment, and these small errors, though not by any means it's very possible that you just can't seem to have a potentially profitable idea, but th' silk thransparent stockin's showin' off; I think others are compelled to live and come out unscathed, full of the text control the conversation while he was in use in Britain and Ireland prior to the MLA standard for academic papers in this range provide a more successful, however, that you do.