#just skip to bottom of background for the super short summary of whats up with her

[ximcnadlc]

*·˚ ༘♡ (cindy kimberly, cisfemale) have you seen ximena de la cruz? ximena is in her senior year. the arts management major is 23 years old & is a cancer. People say she is indulgent, vibrant, temperamental and distrustful. Rumors say they’re a member of calloway society. I heard from the gossip blog that she’s recovering from a cocaine addiction that she abused to keep herself thin.

hi everyone ! i’m marci and i’m super excited to present ximena to you all. i’m awful when it comes to writing intros so please bare with me lol. if you like what you read, feel free to like this post or message me so we can get to plotting !

stats !

FULL NAME ― ximena sofia de la cruz NICKNAMES ― xime BIRTHDATE ― june 25th, 1997 AGE ― twenty-three years old ZODIAC ― cancer GENDER ― cis female PRONOUNS ― she/her ORIENTATION ― repressed bisexual

background !

again i tried to write this up asap so it might suck absolute ass, but just ignore that and plot with me anyway :-) also drug and addiction tw

― so ximena and her twin brother were born in nyc, new york BUT were raised in a number of places ‘round the world due to their mother’s constant travel

― despite the twin’s father being permanently located in chicago, illinois they followed their mother wherever her modeling work took her because their father was too busy being the ceo of a conglomerate to take care of them properly

― this company is a longstanding business venture started by the twin’s great-great-great grandfather meaning the de la cruz family came from old money— at least on their father’s side

― their mother wasn’t a stranger to wealth as she earned it herself while working her way up to becoming a world renowned supermodel. considering her familiarity with the working class she made sure to keep the twins aware of their absurd wealth and privilege, which helped the two stay grounded (especially ximena)

— of the two, ximena’s older brother (by 15 minutes) was always their mother’s favorite child and is often referred to as the golden boy by ximena. unfortunately for her, their mother’s preference for her only son had always been clear due to the constant discrimination ximena received

— growing up, she was a fairly chubby girl who barely resembled her mother. her teeth were crooked, her clothes never fit right, she was awkward looking, shy, and not the natural beauty the public expected her mother to give birth to

— the constant criticism ximena received from the outside world never compared to that of which she heard from her own mother. their conversations never veered away from being told how to look, how to behave, what to eat, who to talk to… it was absolutely draining and despite eventually growing out of her ugly duckling phase (thanks to puberty) ximena never seemed to be good enough for her own mother

— this never-ending stream of disapproval really chipped away at ximena’s confidence. it became clear to her in high school that no matter what she’d do, her mother would always view her as a disappointment

— her revelation didn’t stop her from trying to gain her mother’s favor though. she continuously watched what she ate and worked out more than normal, which lead to a mental and physical exhaustion that ximena couldn’t stand anymore. so instead, she looked to ways that would help her maintain the slim figure her mother constantly harassed her about and quickly found that cocaine was the easiest way to go about it

— at first, she only did it recreationally with some friends, but eventually she saw the benefits it had on suppressing her appetite and it encouraged her growing addiction to the harmful drug. the peak of her dependency happened her freshman year at yates when she was found in some bathroom breathing uncontrollably at the brink of an overdose

— after this incident, her parents sent her to rehab immediately and forced her to opt out of her sophomore year at yates so that she could get a handle on her addiction

— it has now been three years since the incident and although she’s been clean since, her mother’s criticism has only grown worse. ximena only hopes that she can manage to keep her past addiction under wraps if not for her family’s sake than for her own

tl;dr — ximena is a wealthy socialite twin with an extremely critical mother. she’s criticized to the point of  acquiring a cocaine addiction to keep up with her mother’s insane beauty standards

extras !

— with a last name like de la cruz i just imagine them all speaking spanish especially with each other and especially bc their mother is actually from spain so, FLUENT SHE IS. i also imagine her with a cute lil accent because of it

— ximena is a total daddy’s girl and absolutely adores him despite not seeing him as often as her mom. in fact, when her addiction became known to the family, he was the one who constantly checked in on her to make sure his little princess was doing okay

— her relationship with her brother is a little rocky due to difference in treatment they received from their mother. she loves him, but can’t help feeling resentful as he got the love and praise from the one person she swears hates her guts

— her parents definitely paid off the person who found ximena in the bathroom and made them sign an nda to keep the accident under wraps. her dad may love her unconditionally, but at the end of the day a scandal like hers could negatively impact the family company and that’s just a huge no-no

— personality wise ximena is a sweet girl who just wants to feel appreciated and loved. she won’t go out of her way to make sure everyone likes her, but will try her best to be kind and accepting of everyone. however, at times she can be a bit erratic because of the cocaine’s lasting effects on her. so if you catch her in one of her moods, she’s sorry lol

— mommy issues call for her repressing the attraction she has towards women in authoritarian positions. be mean to her and she might just get ~secretly~ turned on by it

— during her time in rehab, ximena turned her focus towards her art and used it to distract herself from the withdrawal symptoms she often struggled with. she’s hoping that after yates she can pursue her dream of opening her getting her art displayed at museums and possibly opening her own art gallery

connections !

i usually write out more than this, but again i’m RUSHINGGGG

— ok so again someone who got paid off by her parents to keep hush hush about the accident in the bathroom. maybe they hold it over her head to get more money or maybe they try to make sure she’s actually ok ?? idk you tell me what you like

— she’s an ARTISTE so be her muse !! there’s something about y/c that intrigues ximena and she just constantly finds them sketching/paintaing/doodling her all over everything

— ahaha obviously need a girl that helps her explore her sexuality and attraction towards women. maybe it started off as a drunk one night stand and ximena tries to deny it ever happening but y/c is like “sike ! that shit happened and it was niiiiiiice”

— she. needs. friends. whether they’re just acquaintances or attached at the hip, she needs them !

— someone she has a huge crush on !! maybe they know and tease her about it, or they don’t and are oblivious to her advances. they could reciprocate or not, whatever you think fits

— possibly a second ex ?? they met at yates and maybe used each other for something idk

— also enemies. maybe they’re rivals within their major or bc of the societies thing or maybe they’re in the same society and they just dislike each other for some reason

— literally anything !! i want to plot with everyone !!

[swan-of-sunrise]

The Winter Soldier (Chapter Four)

Summary: (Y/N) and Sam worry about their new super-soldier friend after it’s revealed that he’s on the run and wanted by S.H.I.E.L.D., the very agency he’d dedicated himself to.

Pairing: Steve Rogers X Reader

Word Count: 1.3k

Warnings/Disclaimers: None

A/N: Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Four (Previous Chapter)

“It’s such bullshit! Captain America’s a criminal now?!”

“I know, Greg.”

“They haven’t even said what he’s done!”

“Yep, it’s ridiculous…”

“How can they organize a manhunt for him but not say what he’s supposedly done?!”

(Y/N) pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a frustrated groan. “Greg, you’re my friend and I love you but I can’t keep having this conversation with you.”

The line was silent for a moment. “What do you mean?”

“We’ve been having the exact same conversation for almost a half an hour! You can’t believe that Cap’s a criminal, I agree, you complain that they haven’t said what he’s wanted for, I agree, then you start going all ‘Law and Order’ on me!” She exclaimed, immediately regretting her outburst; with a sigh, she sat down in her desk chair and rubbed her forehead. “I’m sorry, Greg, that was rude. I don’t like what’s going on either; Captain America stands for freedom and honor, he always has, and it just seems…wrong that he’s the subject of a manhunt. I seriously doubt that Captain America of all people did anything to break the law.”

“Wow, when did you become such a big Cap fan?”

“I went to his exhibit when I was at the Air and Space Museum yesterday, and I guess it got me interested.” (Y/N) half-lied, fidgeting with the sleeve of her sweater as she pressed her phone closer to her ear. “Anyway, the reason I called was to tell you that it might take me a little longer to get the draft of my book to you; I still need to look over the last couple of chapters and with everything happening…it might be hard to focus on writing today.”

“Don’t worry about it, Mike’s busy reading through a nine-hundred-page thriller that was sent in this morning so that’ll give you some time. Sorry to cut this short but I’ve gotta go, I have to check on mine and Mara’s dinner reservation for tonight, so I’ll talk to you later, (Y/N)!”

“Talk to you later, Greg!” (Y/N) hung up and set her cell phone down on the desk with a sigh. Ever since she and Sam turned on the television at breakfast and saw the breaking news, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong; Steve Rogers wouldn’t be on the run from S.H.I.E.L.D. unless he had a damn good reason to be. I’m sure he’s fine, he’s probably been through much tougher scrapes than this, she thought to herself with forced optimism as she turned on her laptop and began typing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Humming along to Billy Joel’s ‘Movin’ Out’, (Y/N)’s fingers flew across her keyboard as she typed and she smiled, proud of the fact that her writer’s block from the week before was now officially over and that she was so close to completing her very first novel. Not bad, not bad at all, she thought, hitting the ‘save’ button and stretching her arms over her head to relieve the build-up tension in her shoulders.

“Now this is good music, Booksmart!”

She spun her desk chair around to see Sam standing in the doorway of her bedroom and raised her eyebrow as she turned down her music. “Oh, so Billy Joel’s okay but everything else I listen to is garbage?”

Sam gave her a teasing eye-roll. “I never said that your music was garbage, I just said it was weird. How’s the writing going today?”

“I edited twelve pages and just spent an hour trying to describe a Soviet Cold War-era missile, so it’s been okay. How was work?”

“It was good, I didn’t have any meetings scheduled so I spent most of the day playing chess with the old timers. I swear, I think Gary cheats but I can’t figure out how he does it…”

(Y/N) shrugged. “Or maybe you should just accept the fact that you’re terrible at chess and the old timers take great pleasure in seeing you lose.”

“Ha, ha, very funny. You still cool with driving me to the shop to pick up my car?”

(Y/N) got up, turning off her computer and unplugging her MP3 player from her speaker with a grin. “Of course! Driver picks the music, though!” She laughed and practically skipped out of the room as Sam let out a groan of defeat and followed her. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Birdbrain, it’s not like I’m making you listen to a CD of ambient throat singing!”

“Wouldn’t be surprised if you had some of that…”

Five minutes later, they were on the road and the two of them were singing along to her one of Panic! At The Disco’s newest singles at the top of their lungs; out of the corner of her eye she could see other drivers shooting them odd looks but she couldn’t care less, she was enjoying herself far too much.

Sam chuckled as the song came to a finish. “Damn, their new album is good. You know, I didn’t start listening to alt-rock until I met you.”

“Then you should be thanking me for bringing such good music into your life!” Giggling, (Y/N) turned down the volume and glanced over at the cheerful man sitting beside her, her smile faltering as she asked, “Do you think he’s okay, Sam?”

Her roommate’s expression grew serious and he shook his head. “I really don’t know. I saw on CNN earlier that inside sources claim he’s wanted by S.H.I.E.L.D. in connection to the assassination of their director, but I don’t buy it. The guy we’ve met, who’s so dedicated to his job that he hasn’t bothered getting a life outside of it, wouldn’t be a part of something like that. I think something else’s up and I’ll bet anything he’s out there trying to figure it out.”

(Y/N) bit her bottom lip, nodding after a moment. “Yeah, me too.”

“Just you wait, this whole mess with S.H.I.E.L.D.’ll be cleared up in no time. I’m calling it right now, Steve’s gonna ride up to the VA on his motorcycle and dramatically whisk you off your feet, and the two of you are gonna ride off into the sunset together while one of those sappy love songs you pretend not to like plays in the background.” Sam's teasing smirk widened when her cheeks flushed. “C’mon, Booksmart, you both were mooning over each other like teenagers after the meeting yesterday; I felt like I was in the live studio audience of a soap opera taping.”

“You know, I could always kick you out of the car and make you walk all the way to the shop, if you'd prefer.”

“And I'd still get there before you ‘cause you drive like a grandma...”

Soon after, she pulled into the auto repair shop’s lot, parking under the shade of a tree before turning to Sam with a smile. “Did you want me to stay just in case your car isn’t ready yet?”

“That would be great, actually, thanks!” Sam gave her a grin before getting out of the car and heading into the shop.

(Y/N) rolled down the windows and sighed when she felt the soft spring breeze against her skin. Taking advantage of the peaceful moment, she let her imagination wander and began brainstorming different stories and characters in her head. You should probably finish the book you’re writing before you start on another one, she thought with a playful eye-roll. Her childhood dream of becoming a published author was in the middle of coming true, and she couldn’t be any happier about it.

Just then, her eyes drifted to a silver truck that was driving past the parking lot. It was going fast so she couldn’t get a very good look at the driver, but for a split second she could have sworn that the man driving the truck had the same blonde hair and chiseled jaw as Steve Rogers. Chalking it up to worry for the runaway super-soldier, she closed her eyes and murmured, “Whatever he’s up to, I hope that he’s staying safe.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I’ve created a Spotify playlist inspired by this series, and I’ll be updating it every time I upload a new chapter. Enjoy!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4BenknAqQQnOWY8NmSa23V

Tagging: @mrs-obrien​ @lahoete​ @awkward117​ @cminr​ @momc95​ @awkwardnesshabitat​ @marinettepotterandplagg​ @khuang3​ @supersouthy​ @benakenalove​ @brooke0297​ @hufflepeople​ @becausewelie​​ @outoftheregular @supreme-tantrum​

Chapter Five

“The Winter Soldier” Masterlist

[enigma-im]

Kindle Unlimited Recommendation

Dark Planet Warriors Series

Warning: Gore, violence, some situation of wrongful touching

Summary:

8 stories. The series begins with a bug infestation on the mining station outside of earth. A species called Kordolians are there to be the exterminators. After a meeting with a strange human our primary story kicks off while the bug story plays in background in some stories while being the main focus for several books. The consistent story for the other 8 books is a romance between the aliens and humans that results in a war for purity.

Person thoughts:

Great fuckin series. Almost every book has a different couple with only the very first couple being the focus several other times. First book is fantastic, especially the first sex scene. Its so good. The next few focus on the bug infestation till its dealt with then it gets back to the war. Don't skip them though, Riker is a treat that deserves to be acknowledged. My favorite one of this amazing series is Infinity's Embrace. That book has some dope characters. Electric Heart is my least favorite because it's like a real bad Watch Dogs (video game).

Rating: 9/10

Books:

Dark Planet Warriors

Dark planet Falling

Into the Light

Out of Darkness

Forged in Shadow

Infinity's Embrace

Electric Heart

Brilliant Starlight

Office Alien Series

Warning: Awkwardness, drug use, kidnapping (kind of)

Summary:

Three books about an office relationship with three different aliens. Each alien goes through the venture of courting a human woman. All of them succeed on confusing then educating these people on their culture. All the aliens come from the same planet that has been ravaged by a tough alien species that try to wipe them out with their superior technology. That isn't a plot point, its just an explanation. Each story shows the struggles of cultural differences and how education and understanding can help make the world a better place.

Person thoughts:

I adore this series. One book in this series actually got a perfect score from me, which is strange cause I'm a tough grader. The first book has a super awkward lad who just seems to hate everyone. Its really cute and I like them both though their relationship is filled with cringe. The second book I didn't much care for. The main love dude was kind of an idiot and was too blinded by acceptance to be a reasonable thinking alien. Still decent but Its not my cup of tea. The last one- sweet jesus- was amazing. It has a ‘my cousin Vinny’ vibe with their relationship where they fight often but its like their form of foreplay. So good. There is another series that’s super short that takes place 1 year later for each story. Totally worth a read after you read the series.

Rating: 8/10

Books:

The E.T. Guy

The New Guy

The Security Guy

(Christmas special)

Kraving Khiva

Warning: Sex workers, forced prostitution, abuse

Summary:

Eve is a virgin who is fed up with it. After her father's death she has been ghosting by in life with her best friend. After said friend points out a brothel of some interesting aliens she decides to give the place a try to finally rid herself of her virginity. After just one night she keeps coming back, falling for the sex worker. Romance ensues with lots of strife and abuse to keep the two from their HEA.

Personal Thoughts:

Man, this story represents everything I love in a story. Tons of fluff. It was a really good slow burn that I didn’t expect from a story about a prostitute. The cover gives the illusion of a typical middle aged mother romance - which I guess it is- but it has so much more. I only had one problem with the story, the ending. I felt they could have given more information but they just glossed over it. Besides that, hot book. The second one is really boring, just a slice of life that I couldn't get into.

Rating: 9/10

Books:

Kraving Khiva

Prince of Firestone

The Queen's Ransom

Warning: Near death situations, a lot of near death situations, gore

Summary:

432 pages. Long book. Jalia enters into a competition to win a great prize. The interest of great fortune is too much for her to pass up. Little does she know the treachery the competition hides or the actual prize. The king of Minotaurs is hosting an event to test the strength, endurance, and intelligence of potential wives. In a culture that values strength they refuse to accept a queen who hasn't been tried. Genius Jalia goes through challenge after challenge, nearly dying about every chapter while catching the attention of a charming king.

Personal Thoughts:

I generally don't have the patience for long books but this one never dragged on. Every chapter was captivating and riveting. The challenges were interesting and Jalia's solutions were pretty genius. The relationship between the king and her is pretty grand, I adore them greatly. My only problem with the book is all the potty humor and insults. She was a genius but her insults left much to be desired. Once her biggest annoyance is no longer in the picture does that kind of stuff end.

Rating: 9/10

Book:

The Queen's Ransom

The Kraken

Warning: Gore, racism, attempts of suicide(only 1 book), sassy AI

Summary:

A mysterious creature has lived in the ocean long ago, since the beginning of the settlement on this planet. After a nearly drowning woman is saved a series kicks off. Each book has a different relationship of humans and Krakens. Every book tells the story of how the krakens go from living in isolation at the bottom of the ocean to breeding with humans.

Personal thoughts:

When I first read this story I was just getting into monster romance. The love interests have fairly human tops but hella tentacle bottoms. So I was a little off-put by it but as I read on I didn’t care. The first one is pretty good for a start. The second one was decent, I didn’t really care for it. I actually skipped the 3rd one my first go around. Which is fine, it doesn't add too much and its short. Its still worth a read. The 4th one, fucking grand. 5th one? My all time favorite of the series! If you don't want to read them all at least read the 5th one. Like ask me for story details and I'll give you a cliff note for what's mentioned in that story then you can read in peace. 6th was ok, love the sassy AI. I didn't read the 7th one. Its two old people and I just can't

Rating: 8/10

Books:

Treasure Abyss

Jewel of the Sea

Hunter of the Tide

Heart of the Deep

Rising from the Depth

Fallen from the Stars

Lover from the Waves

Escaping Wonderland

Warning: Sexual assault, gore, lots of sexual stuff

Summary:

Alice is wrongfully placed in a psych ward that specializes in simulation therapy. She is placed in a pod then taken to the world of wonderland. This twisted version of the children's classic introduces a rapey mad hater and manipulative Red King. The main love interest is a playful lad who has more control of the simulation than most. The two run from the clutches of the Red King while trying to escape the simulation.

Personal thoughts:

I had very low hopes for this story. I didn't expect it to be as good as it was. It was a twist on the beloved movie and book. Everything was rapey and creepy and I weirdly loved it. Of course nothing too terrible happened to the main lady so it made those situations more tolerable but only just. I adore the main dude, shadow. He was a playful little mischief maker and I would die for him. What made this book better for me was when everything hit the fan they didn't rid him of his sassy personality. Most books make the cocky, silly, playful personality as something that is bad and needs to change. This one they didn’t and kept it. So good.

Rating: 9/10

Books:

Escaping Wonderland

Infinity City

Warning: Abuse, gore, sexual assault, dope ass fighting

Summary:

A city where criminals are more in control than most people think. Each book takes the reader through different adventure of different people. All having the similarity of protecting the ones they love. The first is of an assassin protecting the only woman who has made him feel so strongly. The second is with a mob boss hacker who grows fond of a shy human. The third is the second in command of the mob boss hacker who finds a pregnant woman in a menagerie and discovers she is his mate. Fourth is one of the workers of the mob boss's security team who gets taken by some slavers along with a woman he was entertaining for the night.

Personal thoughts:

First book sucked. He was obsessives and pretty much took all her choices. It wasn't till the end that he was like "my bad, you can leave if you want". Bleh. Second book was fan-fucking-tastic. Arc is a charming idiot with an amazing backstory. I didn't like the girl in the beginning but she grew on me. I love that he focuses on her but still pays attention to work and his 'family'. The third was surprisingly good. I generally don't like stories where someone is pregnant because they get boring. This one was not that. She was never a hindrance or weak, she was a badass. With her big kitty man they made an amazing duo. Also any scenes with her man and the baby made me tear up. He was so sweet. Fourth was boring, it reminds me too much of a lot of other stories.

Rating: 8/10

Books:

Silent lucidity

Shielded hearts

Untamed Hunger

Savage Desire

------------------------------------------

While people watch TV or Youtube in their free time, I read. I have such a weird organization with everything i read because i tend to reread stories and forget i read them. the entire time i read it im like “have i read this before?”. so for books i write them down, rate them, then review them. i didn’t post the reviews here because it would be so many spoilers. Also i sort my favorite fanfics by fandom then relationship. i read so fucking much, its a problem at this point.

If you liked this recommendation drop a like, reblog, or reply. i will perhaps do another if you all like this. i have read so many books and i can post some decent ones and some god awful ones. perhaps you all can tell me how wrong my thoughts are on the ones i deem terrible. i think we will probably agree, ‘free’ books tend to have lower standards.

[jojotichakorn]

HIStory3: Trapped: Review (& General Info)

About the Series:

Summary: A police officer and a gang leader were killed in a gunshot attack four years ago. What's the secret behind this case? The only survivor, Tang Yi, is now the gang leader. Shao Fei is a police officer, who’s been following Tang Yi around for the past four years, trying to figure out what’s really happened during the attack. Will he be able to get to the bottom of the case? And can something unexpected come out of their rivalry? (Trailer)

Couples: Main gay couple, as well as two side couples - one gay, one straight.

Running Time: 10 episodes - around 45 minutes each - 8 hours in total

Cast (& their Instagram pages): Jake Hsu (Shao Fei), Chris Wu (Tang Yi), Andy Bian (Jack), Kenny Chen (Zhao Zi), Diane Lin (Hong Ye), Sphinx Ding (Dao Yi), Zhang Guang Chen (Andy), Stanley Mei (Li Zhi De), [more].

Where to watch? VIKI (if you watch on mobile, you’ll have to download the app).

Related Shows: HIStory is a recurring Taiwanese BL series, however, each season is separate from the others and none of them are connected in any way, so there’s no other Trapped content out there.

My Review:

Rating: 9.5/10

Short review: Trapped is my favorite BL of all time. It has a good plot, fantastic acting, the most wonderful couple ever (whose intimacy is handled incredibly well), amazing characters, awesome friendships and a whole list of other great things. Despite having one controversial character, a slightly questionable background couple and a not-so-satisfying (though still not bad) ending, I don’t think there’s anything that could stop you from enjoying it. And though, as usual,  it’s obviously your own decision to make, it’s definitely a must-watch in my book. 

Extended review (under the cut):

I consider Trapped the best BL that exists to date – without a shadow of a doubt. Not everyone agrees with me and that’s entirely understandable, however, I assure you that even though someone might prefer one or a couple of other BLs to this one, everyone considers Trapped one of the best ones for sure.

The plot of Trapped is thought-out and actually good. It obviously isn’t a masterpiece of modern cinema, however, unlike so many other BLs, the plot actually matters. It’s interesting, gripping, well-thought-out, with a nice mystery and some unexpected reveals that might actually surprise you. Everything gang-related isn’t just there for show – it’s done tastefully and doesn’t seem cheap at all, you truly believe it. So many moments are hilarious, especially in the beginning. And the show is very meticulous and careful with all its little details, so there are no annoying minor plot or aesthetic inconsistencies that could take you out of immersing into it. The pacing of the plot is a tiny bit slow in the first couple of episodes, but it needs that to build itself up properly, and it quickly picks up as soon as it can.

The characters in this show are amazing. You will not only fall in love with the mains, but also adore most of the background characters and hate the rest of them, which just goes to show how much each of them can impact you emotionally because they’re that fucking great. All the details about the characters are well thought-out and awesome too. Tang Yi is not just a gang leader in name – Chris, the actor who plays him, does a fantastic job of showing just how intimidating Tang Yi can be and generally convinces us of him being the Big-Bad-Gang-Boss through so many brilliant subtle acting choices. The villain is actually threatening and terrifying too. Shao Fei can be rather embarrassing and cringy, however, Trapped certainly manages to show that this is truly just his personality, and they’re not just doing this for laughs. Besides, I’ve heard many people who usually get second-hand embarrassment all the time say they didn’t feel awkward for Shao Fei at all – he isn’t embarrassed since this is his true, authentic self, so no one else is embarrassed for him either. Finally, two background queer characters are fantastic. Usually, in other BLs background queer characters, who aren’t there for a romantic plotline, are never anything beyond a stereotype and are always there for laughs. That’s not the case in Trapped. Both of the characters are absolutely incredible, authentic and beautiful – most certainly one of the best background characters I’ve seen in any BLs.

I must note that one character definitely caused some controversy in the fandom, and I can’t say much else beyond this without giving you a gigantic spoiler. However, even though I do think they could’ve handled the topic better overall, I don’t find there’s anything wrong with having one of the many queer characters in the show be a bad person. I’ve talked about it many times and, considering the fact that we still have at least six positively-portrayed queer characters, the seventh being a piece of shit does not affect the representation in any way and doesn’t suddenly give all queer people a bad name. There are shitheads among us too, you know. And it’s important to talk about it.

Moving on, let’s talk about relationships. For starters, the main couple is hands down the best enemies-to-friends-to-lovers you’ll ever see – that I personally guarantee. Their romance is developed well and treated with the care it deserves, and they end up being the most adorable, wholesome couple ever. I also want to especially point out how well Trapped handles their intimacy. A lot of other BLs have their couple treat each other like friends half the time, be dating another half and kissing/having sex on rare occasions. In reality, though, a couple is always intimate with each other. And I don’t mean that everyone fucks like bunnies – no. I mean couples have intimate conversations, hold hands, kiss each other in a million different ways (and on a million different spots), cuddle for no reason, hug, express emotions and, of course, sometimes have sex. Not every couple does absolutely everything I’ve just listed, of course, but you get the overall point. Couples are intimate. And Trapped gets that. It shows that. And that’s wonderful. As for others, the straight background couple takes up just enough screen time to not annoy you and it’s actually kind of cute, which is super rare for me to say. Now, the gay background couple is rather questionable. One of the guys is kind of oblivious and juvenile, while the other pushes him too hard. It’s not so critical that I’d tell you to skip their moments, however, it is definitely food for thought and I’d say pretty problematic.

The friendships in Trapped are sort of a double-edged sword. On one hand, we have Shao Fei and Zhao Zi, who were proclaimed to be best friends, but don’t end up having any meaningful moments together and are really out of the loop with each other’s lives by the end of the show. This can be explained and justified, but I still feel like it’s a little unrealistic. On the other hand, though, we have Tang Yi and his friends – mainly, Andy, The Doctor (whose name I, apologies, don’t remember), as well as Hong Ye and Tang Guo Dong. Despite only seeing a couple of moments with each of them, we get attached to every character and their relationships with Tang Yi very easily. His friendships with Andy and The Doctor are familiar and realistic. His relationship with Hong Ye is deep and authentic – you can truly see they are like siblings to each other. And his relationship with Tang Guo Dong is so beautiful and raw that you end up falling in love with the “found father” trope and wish you had the same relationship with your parents or any mentor figure, really. Despite Tang Yi and Tang Guo Dong only having four small scenes with each other – all of which are flashbacks, their dynamic is my second favorite in the show and their relationship is one of the best father/son relationships I’ve ever seen.

Finally, the show is shot beautifully and the acting in it is on a completely different level. Seriously, you will say, “Holy shit, this actor is so good!” like every other second. I literally grabbed my pen to write some version of “the acting is so good” in my notes, while rewatching the show for this review at least twenty times, and the only thing that stopped me is already having it written down thrice.

The very last note I have is about the ending. Now I will say immediately that this show does not have a bad ending – I could not have it as one of my favorites, if it did, I’m strictly a happy-ending kind of person. However, the ending is still a little too vague for my taste and I wouldn’t say I’m satisfied with it. It’s not the end of the world and overall it’s an alright ending you can live with – nothing bad happens. However, I wouldn’t call it the best ending this show could have – and that’s all I can say without giving any spoilers.

Finally-finally, should you watch this show? Fuck yes! Absolutely, my guy! Have you heard all I’ve just said? It’s brilliant. An absolute fucking masterpiece, I’m telling you. So yes, I recommend it to literally everyone. There is legitimately no other series I want to show everyone as much as this one – this is fucking mandatory in my book. Regardless of however I feel about it though, at the end of the day, it’s obviously your own decision to make.

[singlepot264]

Zoosk Reviews For Seniors

Seniors seeking love and other casual meets will find Zoosk to their liking. It is a safe and discreet platform for members to locate partners nearby with similar interests. Before you decide on alternatives, peruse our detailed list of pros and cons as well as features of this site. We provide the necessary insight for users seeking intimacy, with no time-wasting.

Is Zoosk Seniors Free

Zoosk Reviews For Seniors Consumer Reports

Zoosk Reviews For Seniors

Is Zoosk A Good Site For Seniors

Now, why is Zoosk popular with senior members? Zoosk Seniors Our review shows there’s quite a lot of factors behind its popularity—the simple registration, familiar functionality, easy-to-use design, and discounts that Zoosk offers. Zoosk has over three million active users from diverse backgrounds. This means meeting interesting singles is not only accessible but also with Zoosk, seniors, you can connect with your community. Whether you’re looking for someone similar or different from yourself, you can find someone who gets you with Zoosk.

Zoosk User Testimonials

“I was told this was a popular dating site for anyone needing quick results. Though I had tried other platforms, this senior dating site connected me with a match in a relatively short time. It is all thanks to Zoosk couples who drew me in subtly.”

– Jamie, Freeman, Melbourne

“It was unimaginable that I would find love courtesy of an online dating site. Until recently, I was a loner with little or no social life at all. I agreed to join the site after attempts by my neighbor to get me connected. Now I have a loving partner right here in Australia, who incidentally happens to live less than a mile away.”

– Felice, Morgan. Sydney

Setting up a profile is short and easy.

You have the option to search personals or use the matching system.

Cool insight and tips on dating.

Zoosk couples showcase their results, having found love on the platform.

A few customer complaints �� nothing out of the ordinary for a dating site, but worth noting.

Messaging and a few other features accessible only on paid memberships.

No refunds.

The site makes little effort to verify the authenticity of information.

The customer support hotline is not available.

Some Background on Zoosk

Founded in 2007, it is the product of two University students based in Iran. The site has over 40 million members online today, using the mobile app available for iOS and Android. The matchmaking system is unlike many older sites. Single men and women are connected based on preferences, or they can peruse the personals of their liking. It is open to anyone over the age of 18.

Is Zoosk Seniors Free

Which People Do Use Zoosk?

Most members fall under 40 years of age, which leaves a narrowed pool to select from. The elderly on this platform are here for one thing only – long term relationships. The culture on this site is diverse, with genders looking for liberated hookups and relationships. However, older people within Australia have met their partners on Zoosk and proceeded to live happily after that.

What Is the Signup Process Like on Zoosk?

Uploading a profile photo does not have to be immediate. You can skip that and register using your email address (google) or Facebook account. The entire registration process can be completed within ten minutes on this senior dating site. You will need to provide a few basic details such as age, gender, and location. Then verification will be carried out through mobile phone or email.

What about Matchmaking on Zoosk? How Does that Work?

This senior dating site allows users to make use of two compatibility variations on one platform. Users can utilize the algorithmic system and let the website bring them closer to like-minded people. Alternatively, simply navigate through the personals of people nearby, based on location listings.

What Is Zoosk’s Profile Quality Like?

Singles can create a storyline for other users to read. Members list their interests for others to view on their profiles, making it easy to select who does or does not meet your preferences. Profile photos are visible to all as well, and there is no need to message someone for those. Incidentally, you get to view how a member verified their identity. It is important when deciding whether or not to engage a member.

What about Matchmaking on Zoosk? How Does that Work?

This senior dating app gives users access to contacts and searching features on the bottom of the screen. For a user-friendly platform on-the-go, developers focused on two colors; blue and gray. It is downloadable for Android and iOS platforms, with some annoying ads on free accounts.

Zoosk Design and Usability – Seamless or Tiresome

This website was structured with novice online daters in mind. It is easy to use, with contacting icons conveniently located on the bottom of the page. A drop-down menu on the top right is your go-to spot for everything profile related. A bell icon signifies notifications, and a chat icon directly you to chatrooms.

Special and Unique Features on Zoosk

It is Carousel. Yes, there is a round table, roulette experience that lets you select members as they are presented. You can send flirty messages or ignore them at your discretion. Smart pick discerns your preferences, applying them in future matchmaking. Use boost to gain more visibility, or super send to send one naughty message to many users.

What about Security and Support of Members Online?

Users have the option to report or block malicious members via an easily accessible link. It is recommended that members be vigilant while communicating with others. Always keep an eye out for scammers, BOTS, and Phishing accounts. Herpes singles dating sites reviews.

Strict verification for memberships to be approved is required of all members. Dissatisfied or concerned users can submit an online form to customer support.

I Am Overs 60, Should I Use Zoosk?

This platform is not only easy to use; it is popular among men and women globally. If you happen to be in Australia and seek like-minded people nearby, this may be the site for you. Unlimited messaging is accessible via paid membership, with the added advantage of SSL encryption for messaging and browsing.

What Zoosk Alternatives Can I Try?

Depending on religious affiliation and sexual orientation, there is an abundance of alternatives awaiting your review. Check out Christian Connection, Match.com or eHarmony, EliteSingles, and Just Senior Singles for memorable matchmaking experiences.

Pricing and Costs on Zoosk

Make use of credit cards or coins to boost your account memberships.

Make use of credit cards or coins to boost your account memberships. • 1 month – $ 29.99 • 3 months – $59.99 • 6 months – $74.99 Alternatively, top up with coins and get 180 coins, equivalent to $19.99, or 480 coins equivalent to $39.99.

Conclusion

This site boats several positive stories from users who found a long-lasting relationship online. Navigating the website is a breeze for any non-techy guy or gal. One thing that stands out is the thoroughness of the signup process.

It gives users peace of mind as they communicate with other members. If you are a novice at the online dating scene or a veteran, this Zoosk review will get you signing up sooner rather than later. Try Zoosk.com for free now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, they use encryption methods to protect data and require email verification for registration to keep the community clean.

The platform brings users together on a safe and easy-to-use platform. It is as safe as a website gets, with few scammers or fake accounts reported. Several users have attested to finding friendly matches on the Zoosk app, and countless others are joining based on client feedback and popularity.

We hope our Zoosk dating review answers to your queries. Try Zoosk.com for free now.

The Full Zoosk Review

The behavioral data used for matchmaking can be viewed at the ‘Dating Insights’ page.

Free Services

Price

Features

Security

Usability

3.4

Summary

The platform has a unique matchmaking feature called ‘SmartPick’. ‘SmartPick’ together with ‘Dating Insights’ works wonders for members of the platform. Instead of asking members to complete a personality test or fill a questionnaire upfront during the sign up process, Zoosk uses behavioral matching technology to help the system know each member when they are using the website.

Zoosk Dating App Review

Zoosk is available both as a desktop website and mobile app. You can freely download the mobile app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store. With the exception of the Dating Insights feature, the app has similar features or functions available on the website. Dating Insights contains a lot of data, making it impossible to fit in the mobile app screen.

Compared to the website, the app has a seamless user experience. The search and contact icons at the bottom of the screen make it easy for the members to easily connect with other members. The ads on the app may however distract you when using the platform. You can avoid these ads by upgrading your account.

This Is How Zoosk Works

The behavioral technology is applied by SmartPick to match you up with a potentially compatible partner. The behavioral data used for matchmaking can be viewed at the ‘Dating Insights’ page. The system takes into account the people that you are liking on the platform, as well as the people you are messaging and winking at.

Zoosk also asks you a few questions to help in matchmaking, in addition to the behavioral data it collects. The match questions asked include: “Would you like to restrict your matches to only certain religions” and “Would you date someone who has a child?”

The paid subscriptions give you more options in terms of making real connections with other members on the platform. For example, only paid members can send messages and see people who have viewed their profiles.

The Registration Process

The sign up process for Zoosk is quick and easy, you will be done within three minutes. You will be required to fill a personal information form indicating your birthday, gender and gender preference, zip code, and email address. If you try using a VPN, it will be detected by Zoosk. You therefore have to use any zip code from your country of residence.

Zoosk will send you an activation link once you submit your details. Clicking on the link sent to your email means you are now a member of the platform. However, your account is not validated yet. To validate it, you will be required to provide a number and subsequently entering the code sent to the number you provided.

A validated account lifts the limits imposed on accounts that are not validated. You also have the option of increasing the credibility of your profile by connecting your Twitter and Facebook accounts to your Zoosk dating profile. The dating service also provides an option to sign up through Google or Facebook, which is much faster.

Membership on The Platform

Zoosk has over 40 million members, and most of them are between 25 and 34 years. A majority of the members are from the United States. A good number of members on the platform use it to look for long-term relationships. The high volume of members makes it possible for people to find their match.

Estimates indicate that the dating site’s membership is composed of 52 percent female and 48 percent male. The average age of female members is 24 and that of people identifying as male is 27 years. The good balance of gender makes Zoosk a good platform for both genders looking for love. Members are also drawn from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, regions, and orientations. The website supports 25 languages.

PROSCONSZoosk has a massive user base that includes people from all demographicsUsers cannot search by keyword or interestAvailable in more than 80 countriesThere is a one-time activation feeTranslated in 25 languagesLive support available through email and phoneIntuitive layout

Profile Making

The profile making process on Zoosk is easy and straightforward. It is even easier if you sign up through your Facebook or Google account. Sign up to either your Facebook or Google account and the system will prompt you to answer some basic questions about your gender, birthday, gender preference, and zip code.

Zoosk then asks you if you have children, your level of education, ethnicity, height, and religion. You will also be asked if you are a smoker or non-smoker. Your profile picture will then be uploaded from your Facebook or Google account. You can further refine your photo with a short bio, uploading more photos, and writing details about your ideal date and perfect match.

The profiles quality makes it possible to easily know about a member’s interests or personality. Any member can freely view another member’s list of interests.

Testimonials

“I have used Zoosk to connect with people when travelling to different cities and countries. I don’t have to go to a club to meet girls when in a new city. All I have to do is log in to the app and start searching for girls nearby.” – Cory Infante

“I like the simple design and layout of Zoosk both on the website and app version. It is actually not too demanding to use the platform, with easy-to-locate icons on the app that makes it easy to find what you are looking for.” – Hulda R Lee

Prices and Payments

You can sign up for free and use Zoosk for free through its free basic account. You can upgrade through different packages to access a few privileges – nothing much.

You can upgrade for one month at $29.95 per month, 3 months at $19.98 per month, and 6 months for $12.49 per month. Paid Zoosk plans make it possible to send messages, use SmartPick, and see who is viewing your profile. You can also browse incognito when you are on the paid plan. The payment options include PayPal, debit card, and credit card.

Special Features

The main matchmaking feature on Zoosk is Carousel. This feature presents to you members through a roulette. You can then send flirts to the suggested members or skip. Another key matchmaking feature on the platform is SmartPick, which uses behavioral data to give you match suggestions.

Zoosk also collects and assembles your data which you can view on the Data Insights page. The data gives you insights on your activity and your dating style, members that you like, and people that like you. These insights can help you determine the kind of people you are going to attract and your similarities with the members you are attracted to. Other special features on the dating platform include Boost, Super Send, and Connections.

Comparing Zoosk with Other Dating Sites

Compared to other websites, Zoosk’s layout is dull or boring. The website has a simple white and blue theme that is simple but uninteresting. Overall, Zoosk aesthetically falls behind compared to websites like OkCupid, eHarmony, and Match. The similarity with these other platforms is that eHarmony and Match also have a paid subscription model.

A comparison of Match, eHarmony, and Zoosk shows that of the three dating platforms, Zoosk is the one more inclined towards a younger demographic or millennials.

Frequently Asking Questions

Who Can Join Zoosk?

Anyone who is at least 18 years of age can join Zoosk.

How Do I Join Zoosk?

You can join Zoosk through your Facebook account, Google account, or through the website’s sign up process. Sign up, fill in the personal information form, submit it, click the link sent to your email, and your account will be ready for use.

Does Zoosk Offer Premium Membership?

Zoosk offers premium membership in three different packages. The duration you choose determine the package, and you can go for the one month subscription, 3 months subscription, or the 6 months subscription.

Does Zoosk Give Out Refunds for Unused Time?

Zoosk does not offer refunds under any circumstances, including for unused time

What Is Zoosk’s Dating Insights?

Zoosk’s Dating Insights is a feature that helps users track their activity on the platform as well as help them in matchmaking. The feature collect’s a member’s data on the people he/she likes and the people who like her/him. Data on their dating style is also available in the insights.

How Do I Search for Potential Matches on Zoosk?

You can look for members through the search tab on the platform. Alternatively, you can utilize the Carousel function to get your matches.

What Is Zoosk’s SmartPick Technology?

The SmartPick technology analyses your behavior on the platform and use the data to suggest matches for you. Christian dating profiles.

Zoosk Reviews For Seniors Consumer Reports

Zoosk Reviews For Seniors

Is Using Zoosk Safe?

Is Zoosk A Good Site For Seniors

You are expected to take caution while using Zoosk to avoid contacts with scammers and fraudsters. You have the liberty of reporting or blocking any member who abuses you on the platform by clicking the ‘Report/Block’ button available on the abuser’s profile.

[flowerpot101]

Civil War

Avengers x Reader, Tony Stark x Platonic Reader

Summary: Reader is a nomad, hasn’t worked for S.H.I.E.L.D in over a decade, but she gets pulled into the Civil War.

Word Count: 3808

Warning: Cussing, mentions of death, small description of a wound.

A/N: This story has an OC character to make this whole thing work.

She was in her kitchen cooking dinner when she heard a knock on her door but she ignored it. The knocking continued for another five minutes and Y/N finally gave up, she turned the stove down to low and walked towards the door. Unlocking it, she pulled the door open, it was pouring down quite heavily. There was no one right in front of the door but there was a certain red head that was at the bottom of the stairs.

Letting out a sigh, with both arms on each side of the door, “What do you want Romanoff?”

“We need to talk.” As she started walking towards Y/N, her eyes rolled and nodded.

Stepping away from the door but not closing it, she went back to the kitchen. From there she could hear the small click of the door closing and Natasha’s footsteps coming towards the room. Y/N turned the stove up and continued to cook. Natasha let out a deep sigh as she went to grab a cutting board and knife, setting the peppers on it once she had cleaned them; she started to cut them in slim slices.

“I’m not helping you with this little civil war that is going on.” Y/N said monotonously, not really caring for whatever is bound to happen.

“Not even when the Captain has a certain friend of yours on his side now?” Y/N stopped when she heard the words fall from her mouth.

Coming up to her side, completely forgetting the food that was cooking on the stove, “What do you mean?”

Natasha set the knife down, turning to face Y/N, letting out a breath, “Someone, most likely Clint, was able to convince her to come back to fight with them, they out number us now and with Lilac, we have no chance and you know that.”

Y/N turned to put her hands on the counter, hunching over as she let out, “Damn it.” She slapped the counter and walked away exasperated. She was pacing the kitchen now, “Why? Why would they bring her back into this mess?” Looking up towards Nat as she continued to pace the room; her face full of worry and confusion.

“I don’t know, but we need you, I know what happened to you years ago put a drift between the two of you but this is not going to end well for anyone.” Her hands coming up to the counter to lean over, “Tony needs you now more than ever.”

Y/N let out a deep sigh, “I’m sorry… But I can’t, I’m not going to join in on their little civil war.”

Natasha nodded her head understanding as she left to go out the door. Y/N could once again hear the soft click of the door as Natasha left. Y/N stood there in the middle of the room, contemplating everything; she let out a deep sigh as she shook her head.

                                     Time Skip to Airport.

 Sam, Scott, Clint, Wanda, Lilac, Bucky, and Steve were all standing in the parking structure of the airport when the alarm began to blare. Bucky was the only one who could understand what the person over the speaker was saying, “They’re evacuating the airport.”

Sam let out a slight hush towards Steve, “Stark.”

“Stark?” Scott said questioningly.

Steve looked at everyone as he told them, “Suit up.”

In his Captain America suit, Steve ran towards the helicopter but stopped short when a device hit the top of it causing the whole thing to become disabled. Iron-Man and War Machine were flying down to land in front of the helicopter.

Tony began to say, “Wow it’s so weird how you run into people at the airport.” His mask uncovered his face as he looked at Rhodey, “Don’t you think that’s weird?”

Rhodey replied with, “Definitely weird.”

Steve looked towards the two, “Hear me out, Tony. That doctor, the psychiatrist, he’s behind all of this.”

That’s when Black Panther leaped over and landed close to Steve, in his gruff voice, “Captain.”

Steve gave him a slight nod, “Your highness.”

“Anyway…” Tony starts to say as he began to walk around Rhodey, “Ross gave me thirty-six hours to bring you in. That was twenty-four hours ago. Can you help a brother out?”

“You’re after the wrong guy,” Steve declared.

“Your judgment is askew, your old war buddy killed innocent people yesterday.”

Steve interrupted,” And there are five more super soldiers just like him. I can’t let the doctor find them first, Tony. I can’t.” As Steve gave a slight shook of his head.

Steve turned to look back at Natasha, “Steve… You know what’s about to happen. Do you really wanna punch your way out of this one?”

He looked back to Tony, “All right, I’ve run out of patience.” Tony’s hands came up slightly to cup around his mouth as he yelled out, “Underoos!”

That’s when Spider-Man shot one of his webs at Cap’s shield and pulling it away from him as he shot another web to cover his hands. Peter landed in a crouched form on top one of the many surrounding machines. In the background you could hear Tony say, “Nice job, kid.”

In his raspy teenaged voice, “Thanks. I could have stuck the landing a little better, it’s just… New suit.” But quickly stopped himself before he could offend Tony, “It’s nothing, Mr. Stark. It’s perfect. Thank you.”

Tony’s arm came up in a motion, “Yeah, we don’t really need to start a conversation.”

“Okay. Cap. Captain.” Peter slightly stuttered out as he gave the Captain a small salute. Then pointed slightly to himself, “Big fan, I’m Spider-Man.”

“Yeah, we’ll talk about it later.” Tony let out.

Peter let out a deep exhale of air, “Hey, everyone.”

“Good job.” Tony said slightly done with Peter.

Steve gives a slight nod to Tony as he says, “You’re been busy.”

“And you’ve been a complete idiot. Dragging in Clint… “Rescuing” Wanda from a place she doesn’t even want to leave, a safe place. I’m trying to keep…” Tony let out a deep sigh, “I’m trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart.”

“You did that when you signed,” Steve declared.

“All right, we’re done.” Tony’s voice grew louder, “You’re gonna turn Barnes over, you’re gonna come with us, now, because it’s us… or a squad of J-SOC guys with no compunction about being impolite.” Tony swallows before he whispers out, “Come on.”

Steve’s head was turned away when Falcon’s voice came through the comm., “We found it.” Telling Steve that their quinjet was in hanger five, then his arms came up so Clint could shoot an arrow to cut apart the web. Scott was in his smaller former, running across Peter’s arm as he became big to grab the Captain’s shield and taking it over to him. The fighting was on.

Everyone was scattered about the airport. Inside Spider-Man was fighting against Bucky and Falcon. Steve was fighting with T’Challa, making sure he doesn’t get close to Bucky. Then Scott was telling Cap to throw one of the mini gadgets at the presumed water tank which in reality was a truck filled with gasoline. Everyone on the Captain’s side began to run to hanger five where the quinjet resided but were stop short when Vision shot a yellow laser across them.

Both sides stood across from one another, Peter was the first to realize that they were outnumbered, “Uhm, you guys, they have more people than us.”

Then all of them realized as Tony stood there shocked when he saw Lilac standing on Steve’s side; they were really outnumbered. He let out a deep sigh but then something amazing happened.

From all across the airport, Tony’s team could see someone running in the distance on top of the airport. When they got to the edge, they pushed off, flying towards them as she came barreling towards them. Her long wavy white hair flowed behind her as she came down closer to the ground. The unknown woman was above Clint before he could react, she picked out one of the arrows from the holster on his back. Then she was rolling onto the ground then in a fluid motion she came to a stand, softly turning on her heel to face towards Cap’s side.  She was examining the arrow, everyone stood there in shock. Very few knew who she was but that didn’t matter right now.

Her head looked up to look at Clint who held a smirk of his own, she began to walk towards him as she held the arrow between her two index fingers, “I thought I gave you a special bow so that you wouldn’t have to use these.” She said teasingly as she pointed the arrow at him.

“Well I like my own, think it’s more efficient compared to yours,” he said cockily.

She let out a small laugh,” Yeah, but at least you wouldn’t run out of arrows.”

“Y/N, stop your chatting and get over here,” Tony yelled out fiercely.

Y/N looked back at Tony with a deadly glare, “Listen, I don’t have to be here.” As her arms came out to motion around her, “But I am, so if I want to chat with Clint then I will.” She said menacingly before turning to Clint while smiling, “Besides, the last I saw him, he had just married Laura and now I hear, he’s got three kids.”

“Y/N!” Tony yelled out but she just waved her arm away at him.

She got closer to Clint, whispering gently into his ear in an unknown language. Y/N pulled away as she watched Clint look down and she nodded in understanding. Clint looked at her, he gently hushes out to her so she’s the only one to hear, “You should join your side before Tony thinks you gave up on him.”

She nodded; reaching back she put the arrow back into its holder. As she began to walk backwards from the team, she could feel everyone’s eyes on her but one felt like fire to her. Her head turned to stare at Lilac as she gave a fiery glare her way, Y/N could only give the younger woman a small nod in understanding. Finally reaching Tony’s side, their eyes met and both of them gave each other a small look before setting their eyes on the Captain and his members. Then they were all running.

Y/N was fighting against Lilac, both of them not giving up. Neither of them had seen each other in years, not since they both left S.H.I.E.L.D. Lilac left when she couldn’t trust anyone anymore after the truth came out about her partner and that even the important people of the agency knew. Y/N left when she was backstabbed by agents who didn’t trust her. No one trusted her anymore, not when the truth about her past with Hydra was revealed. She told them what was the truth but no one listened, Y/N knew that Fury knew the truth; but that just wasn’t enough.

The fight between everyone was getting more intense as time went by. Explosions were going off and people were being thrown about. Soon Y/N separated herself from Lilac to go help Natasha while Lilac went to go fight whoever she could. That’s when she heard a loud holy shit fall from Spider-Man and a loud shocked laugh. She turned around to come to face a giant of an Ant-Man. Then everyone was being thrown about. A bus hurdled its way towards Black Panther but Vision was able to stop it, in the distance she could see Bucky and Rogers run towards the hanger but she knew someone else would deal with it.

Over the comms she could hear Tony, “Okay, anybody on our side hiding any shocking and fantastic abilities they’d like to disclose… I’m open to suggestions.”

Y/N let out a small, “Hold on.”

Her body became stiff as she faced towards the giant man, her eyes began to glow a deep blue. Legs were slightly bent but locked in position, arms coming up to move elegantly around her, as a shining blue color came from her hands. Y/N brought her hands in front of her, palms facing one another, fingers bent; a dark vibrant blue began to appear, she then began to say a spell into them. Then her arms came out as the spiraling blue shot out, forming into a giant monster of a man, a replica of the Ant-Man.

“Knew I could count on you, L/N,” as Tony’s voice came over the comms once again.

Her eyes were still glowing, but could feel something hurdling her way before it could hit her she bent forward. Looking to her left she could see a burning hole through one of the trucks, she then turned her head to look over her right, Lilac stood glaring. Both woman were glaring but soon dispersed, knowing now was not the time to start their own civil war.

Bucky and Steve had made it towards the quinjet for they now were flying away. Falcon, Iron-Man, War Machine and even Y/N were all flying after it, in her ear she could hear Rhodey ask Vision for help but it quickly back fired. Y/N saw as Falcon dodged the fiery yellow, she saw it getting closer to Rhodey but before it could, she flew in front of it, hitting her right in the middle of her chest. The power of it causing her to fly backwards a few yards as she began to slowly fall down, crashing into the grassy field, everyone stopped as they flew down to her. Tony quickly asked F.R.I.D.A.Y to see if your body was healing like it always did and let out a sigh of relief when she told him that you were. In the distance they could hear the sirens and they watched as the quinjet left.

Bucky, Steve and Lilac were on their way to the Hydra base that held the other five super soldiers. While everyone from Steve’s team that was left behind was being cuffed and taken to a much secured prison for criminals. Tony carried your body and everyone else followed, to go back to the compound. However, this was not the ending; Tony would soon find out the truth and will go after the two super soldiers.

                                     Time Skip to Tony Arriving at the Base.

 Y/N was behind Tony as he began to shove the metal doors apart, behind it stood Bucky with his sniper pointed at them and Steve behind his shield. Lilac stood behind the two with her hands blazing with electricity. Tony began to explain to them that he knew the truth now.

Then all five of them began to look for the room that held the other super soldiers. They finally found it, when walking in the lights flickered on. Over the speaker a muffled voice came out, “If it’s any comfort, they died in their sleep.”

Y/N ignored the man’s word as they walked in further. She was only here for Tony when he found out the truth. After a while of talking, the man had a screen open up to a video; the video of Tony’s parent’s death. Bucky and Lilac stood away, while Y/N stood a couple of feet behind Tony. When the video was over, Tony went to attack Bucky but was stopped by Steve. Instead of looking back at Steve his body turned to you.

“Did you know?” His soft broken voice came out, his face falling as he looked at you.

You swallowed before looking up, “Yes, in a way.” Tony’s nose flared so you continued, “Hydra had planned for Howard’s death for years… at one point they even considered me doing the job but then I had the accident.” You took a deep breath as Tony looked down to your leg, “When Howard took me in, I told him the truth, I told him that they were going to kill him and I even said to not have your mother in the car if he ever left with serum inside the car…” She let out a sad sigh, “But obviously he didn’t listen.”

Tony then turned to Steve to ask the same question, ignoring Lilac’s scoff. Then everyone was fighting again. The three men fought one another as the two girls did their own fighting. They quickly all got out as part of the building began to fall apart. Punches were being thrown, as they heard loud grunts coming from large cylinder room. Lilac occasionally got shots of electricity towards Y/N hitting her wherever. But soon Y/N got a hold of her and into a choke hold, putting pressure as she saw in her side vision of the three men falling to the underground area.  Lilac was out like a baby.

Quickly Y/N got down to where they were, she stood on the higher level as they fought, not wanting to interrupt their fighting. Then she watched as Bucky’s arm came up to grab the arc reactor of Tony’s suit, digging his fingers inside to rip it out. But then a loud blast came from it, causing Bucky’s arm to be scorched off. Y/N watched at Steve and Tony began to fight, finding a good point to join them. She finally came up from her position about to join them but that never came.

A hot blast hit her back as she was blown into the wall. Her back slammed into hard concrete, as her head collided harshly. Her body fell to the ground in a slump. She squirmed as she felt pain go up through her body. There was now a large opened wound in the back of her head. Her eyes blinked and blinked, losing their sight. Her mouth was agape as she gasped for air; all she could do was gasp over and over. Her head looked over to Bucky as he too laid there on the cold hard ground. Their eyes met, e/c meeting blue, Bucky could see her distress, he could see her life slipping away, and he couldn’t do anything about it.

He remembered you from Hydra’s files that were of the agents who had escaped. Your eyes disconnected as you looked back up to the ceiling. Remembering everything you’ve done in the past. Bucky watched and you listened to the fighting. But then you took your last breath and Bucky turned away.

The fight was coming to an end; Bucky’s flesh arm came out grabbing Tony’s ankle as Steve came up and grabbed him. Soon Stark was on the ground with Steve on top of him as he pounded and pounded his shield into the arc reactor to shut off the power of the suit. Steve fell to the side of Tony as he panted heavily. Then Tony looked over for you, to make sure you were fine. That’s when he saw you lying on the floor motionless.

His face fell even deeper, his heat beating like crazy, “Y/N? Y/N are you awake?” He took a deep breath when you didn’t answer, his heart clenched, “Y/N?!” He began to scream over and over. He let out a final silent, “Y/N?”

“I’m here.” She let out gently.

Tony took a deep breath in as his nerves came down from his fear of losing you, “Don’t do that to me woman.”

She let out a small laugh, “Sorry.”

Steve watched the whole interaction between the two of you as he came up to Bucky’s side to pull him up and take him away.

Y/N didn’t hear what Tony yelled out to Steve but she soon heard a clatter of metal hitting concrete. She got off the ground slowly as she could, standing she began to walk over to Tony, but couldn’t for her right foot was twisted at an odd angle. Lifting her right leg up, it came down to the floor and she twisted it putting back into place while making a loud crunching noise.

“Oh, please don’t do that again,” Tony cringed out.

She glared at him, “Don’t tell me what to do.” She let out a deep sigh, shaking her head, “me and you are gonna have a long chat about this whole ordeal.”

Tony just swallowed as you helped him up and get out of the building. Lilac was long gone; either went back into hiding or followed Steve and Bucky; who knows. They had greater matters to fix, like the fact they will have to explain to the whole world with what happened. Y/N let out a sigh as she realized, that she may be a nomad but that might soon change with the events that happened here today.

                                     Months Later.

 Y/N sat in nothing but a sports bra and spandex shorts; she sat on a cold metal table as she swung her left leg back and forth. She would have done it with the right but that wasn’t happening since it wasn’t there right now. She was in Wakanda, getting a new vibranium leg for her old one was no longer in good use. Her head was lulling back as she waited. Y/N heard the door whoosh open and looked up; there stood Steve Rogers, staring at her in deep shock.

He scanned her body and his eyes stopped on the missing leg. Before he could ask her, she answered the question he was thinking, “I was thirteen when I lost it. It was a mission gone wrong during my Hydra years.”

His ears perked up when she said Hydra. She let out a small giggle, “And yes, I was part of Hydra once but I’m nomad now, at least I think I am.” She let out a small sigh.

Steve looked at her confusingly, “If your nomad… Then why help Tony?”

Y/N swallowed while nodding her head, “Because he’s family, his father took me in when I needed a place. You don’t turn your back on family or the people you love. Which I gotta say I admire about you, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone else like you and I’m real happy about that.” As she smiled towards him.

For the next hour, the two talked and talked, slowly realizing they had more in common then anyone else they had ever met. Steve watched as they put her metal leg back on, the scorch line along the where hydra first gave you the leg reminded him of Bucky. Everything about you made Steve remind him about his friend. He knew, right there and then, that you three were going to be closer than anyone could ever imagine.

This may be the ending for them but it was the start of a new beginning to a great future, one that would hold great pain but great fondness.

@dekahg

[actionpackedmarketing]

How To Start a Free Blog With Blogger – A Complete Guide for Beginners

Starting a blog is an excellent idea of expressing your own thoughts or expertise with the people around the world while making a decent passive income.  

Hundreds of thousands of people around the world have blogging as their main source of income and they love what they do. Still, there are millions of people who don’t know how to start their blogging career or how to set up their blog. Well, this guide is made for those beginners who want to kickstart their blogging career with zero investment.  

In this guide, we will be talking about one of the most reliable and secure blogging platform – Blogger.com which is a free blogging platform by Google. In this guide, I’ll lead you step-by-step on how to create a blog on blogger.com with zero initial investment. So, let’s dive in to learn more. 

  What is Blogger.com – Google’s Free Blogging Platform

Blogger.com is one of the most popular and widely used free blogging platform which is provided by Google. It allows millions of people around the world to set up their blogs for free. In addition to hosting your site for free, it also gives you a subdomain with blogspot.com (such as actionpackedmarketing.blogspot.com) with an option to switch to a professional domain anytime at a later stage (e.g., actionpackedmarketing.com). 

Advantages of Setting up Your Blog on Blogger.com 

Setting up your blog on Google Blogspot is very simple and straightforward. You don’t need any prior coding experience to create your blog on this platform. 

With Google’s security and reliability, you don’t have to worry about anything.  

Zero initial investment as it is a free blogging platform. 

It offers tons of features that make this platform better than any other free blogging platforms. 

Google Blogspot allows you to switch to a custom domain whenever you want.  

You get a free SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate from Google that loads your site through an HTTPS secured tunnel for complete security. 

There are tons of free templates available which you can switch and customize within minutes to give a new look to your blog. You are also allowed to use custom templates on your blog. 

It offers a clean and easy editor to create, edit, and publish your articles.  

There are tons of tools that you can use to communicate with your visitors to build a better portfolio.  

You can take a backup of your blog anytime and can also migrate your site to other CMS like WordPress, Wix, etc., whenever you want. 

Last but not the least, you can also earn a decent income from your blog using Google AdSense or any other Affiliate marketing techniques in simple steps. 

Well, that was a very brief and straightforward introduction to Google Blogger. Since you have read the above information, I hope you have a clear idea of what Blogger.com is and why you should choose it.  

Now, it’s time to cover the main aspect of our guide – creating and setting up your blog on Google Blogspot. I’ll be covering everything step-by-step so that you can follow each and everything very precisely. So, let’s do it! 

How to Create and Setup Your Free Blog with Blogger.com

Before I start this guide, it must be noted that the given steps are updated according to the newly refreshed Google Blogger. Although everything remains the same, some of the steps have changed as per the previous version of the Blogger.com setup. 

1. Create a Google Account

Since Blogger is one of the platforms of Google, you need to have a Google account to make your blog on that. If you already have a Google account, you can skip this step, otherwise, create a new Google account. 

2. Sign in to your Google account on Blogger

Once you have your Google account ready, head on to blogger.com and sign in with your existing account or with the newly created account.

  3. Enter Your Blog Title

Once you are signed in successfully, you will be redirected to a page where you need to enter your Blog Title. Just enter the title of the blog (e.g., Blogger 101) that you want to create and click on NEXT.

4. Enter Your Blog Address

Now, enter the Blog Address (e.g., blogger101guide.blogspot.com) and check whether it is available or not. If it is available, click on NEXT, else choose a new blog address that is available to use.

5. Enter the Display Name

This is the name that will be displayed after every blog post on your blog. Basically, this is the author’s name for the blog. So, enter the name and click on FINISH.  

Note: You can always change the Blog Name, Blog Address, and Display Name anytime you want at a later stage. 

6. Launch Your Blog

Once you are done with all the above-mentioned steps, your blog is ready to work and will be taken live immediately. You will be redirected to your Dashboard that looks like the screenshot attached below.  

Your blog will be live with a default Blogger theme that we will learn to change and customize at a later stage. You can see your blog anytime by typing the URL (blog address) in your browser or clicking on the View Blog link at the bottom of your dashboard. 

Yay! We have done the first step of setting up our blog on Google Blogger. Now, it’s time to make your blog more meaningful by customizing it and doing some other setups to make your Blog appear in Search Engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. 

How to Customize Your Blogger Blog?

Customizing your blog on Blogger is super easy. You just have to navigate through some simple steps to give your blog a new and professional look.  

When talking about customization, Blogger offers us two different options: 

Changing the Layout of the current theme 

Changing and customizing the complete theme 

To change the layout of the current theme just head on to the Layout option and rearrange and then edit the widgets as per your need to give your existing theme a new look. In addition to rearranging the widgets, you can add a Logo and customize other fields of your blog in the Layout section.  

On the other hand, click on the Theme option to change your existing theme or customize it completely. Here, you can change the background color of your blog or edit the entire theme that includes text color, style edit, or custom CSS.  

What Things You Can Customize in Blogger

You can choose from dozens of free templates offered by Blogger or take a free template available on the Internet.  

To safeguard your current theme, you can always take Backup and Restore your theme if anything went wrong while importing or customizing the new theme. 

By clicking on the Customize button, you can customize the text color, background color, or image, or you can add your custom CSS via template editor. 

You can edit the HTML codes of the template for further changes. 

In the Layout section, you can add a logo, favicon, blog header/footer, sidebar, and other custom widgets. 

  Customization is something that depends on what type of blog you have and how you want it to look. So, it all depends on you how you customize your blog. After going through this section, I expect you that you can easily customize your blog.  

Now, it’s time to take a further step which is optimizing your blog for search engines and users. So, let’s jump straight to it. 

How to Optimize Your Blogger Blog

Optimizing your blog for search engines as well as the audience is very important to make your blog successful. Just like customization, optimizing a blog on Google Blogger is way too easy. Just follow the steps given below.  

First thing first, click on the Setting option that sits at the left panel of your dashboard. Here, you will see tons of options and that we go through step-by-step.  

1. Add Blog Description 

Under the Basic Settings, you will find an option called Description. Here, you have to specify what describes your blogs at its best to your readers as well as search engines.  

2. Edit Posts and Comments Setting 

On the same page, scroll down a bit to go to the Posts and Comments section. Within the posts setting, you can set the number of posts visible on the homepage. On the other hand, the Comments section will enable you to set commenting rules. 

3. Edit Search Preferences for SEO 

This is one of the most important settings in terms of optimizing your blog for search engines that affects your ranking on them. So, proceed carefully with all the inputs that you give in this section. 

Meta Tags: Meta tags is a summary of your blog that tells search engines what is your blog about. So, carefully add a brief but short description under 160 characters in the Search Description edit box. 

Custom 404: This is the page where your visitors land when that particular URL doesn’t exist on your blog. Here you can give a simple message that this page doesn’t exist or set a custom HTML message. 

Custom Redirects: This option is used only when you want to redirect a broken link to the new URL or your long permalink to a short link. Please note that URL redirection on Blogger is only valid for the URL within your blog. 

Crawlers and Indexing: This is one of the options that you have to choose only when you have good knowledge of them. When configured correctly, they can improve your site’s ranking on SERPs and can harm it when not configured correctly. So, proceed with caution. 

Adding Your Blog on Google Search Console

To get better control of how your blog performs on Google Search, it is always recommended to add your blog on Google Search Console. Here you will see the latest reports on how your blog is performing on SERPs. This will be helpful for you in the future to optimize your blog as per the reports generated from the Search Console. 

To add your blog on Google Search Console, follow the given steps: 

In your Blogger Dashboard, go to Settings>> Crawlers and Indexing.  

Here you will see an option called Google Search Console. Clicking on it will take you to Google Search Console on a new tab. 

Here, type your blog address (e.g., blogger101guide.blogspot.com) in the Domain box and click on Continue. 

Since Blogger is one of the platforms of Google, it will automatically verify your ownership of the blog. Now, you are good to go with Google Search Console. 

Now, your blog is fully customized and ready to go for your readers. The next thing we have to do is to learn how to create, edit, optimize, and publish the articles for our blog. So, let’s do it right now! 

How to Publish Articles on Your Blog

Once your blog is ready to have its first article, it’s time to create one. Blogger offers a very clean and simple content editor that allows you to write, edit, and publish articles on your blogs.  

One of the best features of Blogger Post Editor is it autosaves your content so that if anything went wrong while publishing the article, your content will be saved automatically under the Draft section. Let’s try to publish our first article on our newly created blog. 

1. To add a new article, click on the New Post button that sits at the left panel of your Dashboard. You will be taken to Blogger Post Editor. 

2. It is similar to the post editors provided by many other CMS. At the top, you have to enter the Post Title. Next, write your content with correct formatting as per your wish in the editor.  

3. Once you are finished with the content, it’s time to start the publishing process that includes various steps to be executed. 

Labels: Here you will add the niche of your content or what labels justifies your content like in our case – Blogger, Blogger Guide, Blogger 101, etc. Every label should be entered separated by a comma. 

Published Time: You can leave this section as it is if you want to publish the post immediately. In case, if you want to schedule your post to be published later, you can set the date and time in this section. 

Permalink: Blogger will automatically generate a permalink for your post as per your post title. However, if you want to make changes in it, you can edit it before publishing. 

Location: If you want to add a location for your post, you can add it to this section or leave it as it is. 

Search Description: This is one of the most important sections as per the SEO point of view. You have to summarize your post under 160 characters that will work as a meta description for your article. 

Comment Options: Here you can edit comment rules for that particular post. 

4. Once everything is done, click on Preview to see a preview of your post or click on Publish to publish that article on your blog.  

Great! You have just published your first article on your newly created blog. That’s such a great achievement for you in the field of blogging. I really appreciate it.  

This is how you will be publishing articles on your blog and engage more visitors on it. Once you think you have enough traffic on your blog, try to apply for Google AdSense. If your blog has good traffic and your blog qualifies the Google AdSense standards, your blog will be approved by Google and you are good to go to generate money from your blog. 

BONUS: Tips to Make a Blog Successful on Blogger

First thing first, write original content at your blog for a better ranking in SERP. If you are using someone’s quote, give them proper credit for that.

Use a custom theme that looks attractive and suits the niche of your blog for a better user experience. =

To meet Google’s criteria for AdSense approval, add these pages on your blog – About, Privacy Policy, Disclaimer, Terms of Use, and Contact Us. 

If possible, get a custom domain to build trust among your audience as well as in search engines. 

Set up social profiles for your blog on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc., and engage with your audience. 

Last but not the least, try to publish articles on your blog very frequently for a longer time to increase your chances of getting success.  

Here we came to the end of our step-by-step guide on how to create a blog on Blogger. In any case, if you find difficultly in grasping something or encountered an error while setting up your blog on blogger, don’t forget to put your doubts in the comment section. I’ll be pleased to help you.  

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