#leading to higher engagement rates.

[koobruk]

Landing pages play a pivotal role in converting website visitors into customers. A well-optimised landing page can be a game-changer, driving increased conversions, boosting customer engagement, and enhancing the overall user experience. Herein, we shall explore several strategies to optimise landing pages effectively, primarily focusing on achieving higher conversion rates.

[kreativemachinez4]

Account-Based Marketing (ABM): All You Want to Know (Part 2/4)

When this happens, companies can develop more focused strategies that help hit revenue targets faster.

[bethanythebogwitch]

Wet Beast Wednesday: red-bellied piranha

For today's Wet Beast Wednesday, I'm discussing probably the most slandered of all bony fish: the red-bellied piranha. Be honest, when you hear piranha what comes to mind? I'd be willing to bet you thought of roving hordes of hyper-predatory fish that devour everything they find in minutes. Well that's not how red-bellied piranhas (or any piranhas for that matter) act. You've been lied to by the media about these fascinating fish. I'm here to correct the record.

(Image: a red-bellied piranha. It is a laterally flattened, round fish with a blunt head and prominent lips. It is a dark gray color with silver flecks and a bright red underbelly. End ID)

The red-bellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri) is the most well-known of the piranhas and is the species you think of when you think piranha. They are medium fish, growing to an average of 35 cm (14 in) long and 1.8 kg (4 lbs),maxing out at 50 cm (20 in) and 3.9 kg (8.6 lbs). They have round bodies flatted on the sides and gray to black scales with red underbellies and occasional black spots. Famously, they have large, sharp, interlocking teeth set in strong jaws that are usually covered by thick lips. Piranha lose and replace their teeth throughout their lives.Red-bellied piranhas are often confused with other species of piranha or the closely-related red-bellied pacu, whose juveniles have a similar coloration. As pacu and piranha have similar body shapes, an easy way to tell them apart is the teeth. Piranha have sharp teeth while pacu have blunt teeth.

(image: a close-up of a red-bellied piranha showing the teeth, which are large, triangular, and very sharp. End ID)

With teeth like those it's not surprising that piranhas eat meat. What may surprise you is that they also eat plants. In fact, plants, including seeds and fruits, make up a large portion of their diet. When they do eat meat, they prefer to scavenge or go after small animals like small fish, worms and other invertebrates. They will also opportunistically nip off fins or scales from other fish. This isn't unusual for piranhas. All species eat plants and some are exclusively herbivorous. Red-bellies eat so much carrion that they are comparable to vultures. Both animals help control disease, clean their environments, and recycle nutrients. When Piranha do attack large animals, it is usually in times of hunger or because the animal is injured. Red-bellied piranha do not hunt in packs, but they will rarely engage in feeding frenzies that let them take down animals as large as capybaras. Red-bellies shoal not for hunting, but for protection against their own predators, which include caimen, river dolphins, larger fish, and various birds. Shoals can grow to be hundreds strong. During the wet season, when the rainforests flood, piranha will spread out through the floodlands and primarily browse on vegetation. During the dry season, when their range contracts, the reduced amount of food leads to higher rates of carnivory. Piranha communicate with each other through displays of aggression and drumming sounds produced with the swim bladder.

(Image: a small group of red-bellied piranha. End ID)

Red-bellied piranha mate during the wet season, during which time their red bellies will turn gray. Males will dig shallow nests in sandy bottoms where grass grows and attemptp to woo females with swimming displays. When a female selects a male, the two will swim together in a nuptial display. The female then lays her eggs on the grass for the male to fertilize. The parents will then guard the nest until the eggs hatch after a few days. Larvae and juveniles hide amongst plants until they are large enough to join a shoal. In addition, younger piranha tend to feed during the day while older and larger ones shit to feeding mostly in the morning and evening. Piranha can live for over 10 years.

(Image: a juvenile red-bellied piranha. It has the same body shape as the adult, but its coloration is different. Its body is silver all over with black spots and the anal fin is red. End ID)

Red-bellied Piranha have not been classified by the IUCN, but they are considered abundant in their natural range and have been introduced outside of their range, often as a result of people releasing exotic pets. Several places, including the Philippines, restrict their import to avoid them becoming invasive species. Piranha have become popular as exotic pets, though they have some specific care requirements. Piranha are a common food fish in their native range. Piranha attacks on humans are rare and usually happen when the piranha are hungry or the humans are disturbing them. Few fatal attacks have been recorded and even those numbers may be inflated as bodies that piranha have scavenged may have been mistaken for kills. The reputation of piranha as savage predators has been traced to an expedition to the Amazon by former US president Teddy Roosevelt where he reported a story that some native peoples herded a cow into the water and it was devoured in minutes. It was later found that the natives had used nets to capture and starve the piranha in advance to put on a better show. Roosevelt's report of the incident became very popular and has influenced the popular perception of piranha ever since.

(Image: a piranha feeding frenzy. Multiple piranha are eating a pair of fish, which have been stripped to the bone. End ID)

[queers-gambit]

Talk Shit, Get Hit

prompt: ( requested ) your high school bully picks the wrong day to taunt you and it's up to an equally hotheaded Billy to calm you down. call it irony.

pairing: Billy Hargrove x female!reader characters are ALL aged 18 years old

fandom masterlist: Stranger Things

word count: 5.4k+

note: the reader is aggressive. the reader is violent. the reader’s hands are rated ‘E’ for Everyone.

warnings: you know the drill: author projects instead of going to therapy and uses personal experience as details. there's physical violence, aggressive reader, depiction of shitty home life / toxic family, (somewhat severe) abusive alcoholic parent, parental abandonment, cursing, bullying, Jason Carver's sister is the bully, injury and blood. cursing, threats, brief cigarette and illicit material use (marijuana / weed), i guess this is hurt and comfort, angst, we talk about Billy's abuse with Neil, too, and kinda abrupt ending.

PLEASE NOTE -

this fic will depict parental abuse, both emotional and physical. this fic will discuss an alcoholic parent. this fic will detail physical violence BY the reader.

DO NOT engage if any of these topics potentially trigger you. you will miss nothing if you decide to skip. author implores readers to value and prioritize their own comfort and mental health.

Of all the days Brittany Carver could've chosen, she picked the worst day imaginable to bully you - being akin to a ticking time bomb. To your immense surprise, she'd laid off that entire week, focused on the "big" cheerleading competition she was leading Hawkins High to victory in. It left her no energy to engage in her favorite past time of tormenting you; figuring that after 6 years of her brutal behavior, she had grown up and lost interest. You weren't someone who people bullied easily, but this thing with Brittany, it was some kind of twisted pissing contest; competition brewing in elementary school that boiled over during middle school and now lasted into high school.

However, God seemed to have a sick sense of humor because on the week your bully had temporarily forgotten your existence, things at home had escalated to a new height not previously known. It was true what they said: if it wasn't one thing, it was another.

The entire week, your mother had only been sober for - well - none of it. She was found morning, noon, and night slumped over in various locations around your home with different bottles of liquor in her grip. The house grew messier each day, a direct result of a checked-out parent refusing to do any chore and destructive little monsters that took form as your twin little brothers. You couldn't keep up, playing mother, sister, housewife, personal maid, and full-time student all at once; pushing your stress levels higher, making you bitter and short tempered. The times your mother was conscious, which was typically to find a new bottle of alcohol, she was a right nasty fuck.

Her bark matched her bite; not only yelling at you, belittling you, and gaslighting you - but also using physical aggression to "teach you a lesson" for being "disorderly" or "a waste of semen" - and yes, that is a direct quote. Her hands were dainty from malnourishment, bulging veins prominent, and despite your father abandoning the family ages go, she still wore her diamond wedding ring that left small cuts wherever she struck you. The times she wasn't sober enough to really "get" you, she put out cigarettes on your arms and thighs; leaving tiny, circular burn scars you coated in Neosporin. She’s been known to break a few wooden cooking spoons over your head, steal the money made from babysitting, even cashed-in your inheritance - pawning all of your dead grandmother’s jewelry. There were plenty of other examples, but dwelling on those instances wouldn't change the past or alter your future, so you stuffed them way deep down in your soul.

Naturally, you didn't say a Goddamn thing; under the impression that everyone had shitty family members they tolerated and that your home life was normal enough to not report to the police. You didn't know any better, you didn't know that your mother downing fifths of alcohol daily was cause for concern. You didn't know that abuse wasn't the standard - emotional or physical. It took years for you to learn that love wasn't supposed to hurt, that love wasn't supposed to scare you, that love wasn't selfish, that your mother didn't actually love you. It took years to convince yourself that you were worthy of love and acceptance, never receiving it from your mother - not knowing you could get it from anyone else.

And then, William fucking Hargrove - or Billy - breezed into your small hometown with a sweet denim-clad ass, golden, curly mullet, and a bad fucking attitude that rivaled your own.

It was a match made in heaven. Or hell.

You both suffered at the hands of your parental figures, turning abrasive and foul-mouthed as defense mechanisms. You and Billy developed hardened exteriors in an effort to protect your soft insides, and when you met officially, it was as if you two could see past that hard shell - straight through the bullshit. You recognized much of the same in one another - like looking in a mirror - and grew impossibly close in an incredibly short amount of time; grateful to have a second half who understood without ever needing explanation.

He just got you. Able to identify common threads between you. Billy understood you, having more empathy than you thought he could muster. He protected you. He loved you. He took care of you - and you did the exact same, considering you two were cut from the same cloth; wanting to assure him he was just as worthy of love as you.

Billy was known around Hawkins for being a womanizing jock with anger issues, and yet, when you finally agreed to go on a date with him, he never even looked at another girl twice. He felt as if dating his best friend, understanding that nobody else would truly understand him the way you do - so he did what he could to keep you.

He did his best to defend you, but there was only so many tangible things the star basketball player could protect you from. Gossip and petty cheerleaders, prime examples. Yet Billy still tried, even taking the liberty to confront Brittany's brother, Jason Carver, about leaving you alone. Unfortunately, it was as if Billy's concern spurred on the cheerleader's bullying, calling you pathetic for hiding behind a man and sending him to fight your battles. You told Billy to stay out of it, that you could handle the situation by yourself, that he would just make the situation much more sticky.

So he did. Billy backed off, letting you deal with the situation as best you deemed; offering his support in return, being a shoulder to cry on for the days your frustration peaked.

That entire week Brittany didn't bully you had been extraordinarily tiresome due to your mother's abuse, wanting to confide in Billy but refraining when you rationalized not bringing him into your bullshit. He had enough of his own. So, while, yes, it was a comfort to have him on your side, you never indulged Billy on the woes of your life. He was meant to be your escape, not your savior; the burden of shouldering your abuse while enduring his own feeling terribly unfair.

You kept quiet, even though you were silently begging for someone to save you. Yet you weren't a damsel, there was no Prince Charming, brave knight, chosen champion to slay the dragons terrorizing you.

However, your boyfriend was much more intuitive than you realized. You always prided yourself on your acting skills, convincing everyone around you that you were indifferent to your mother's temperament, even when showing up at school with a casted wrist, black eye, and split bottom lip. Turns out, parents in Hawkins gossiped much more than the kids, and soon, it felt like the entire town knew about your abusive alcoholic mother and runaway father. Nobody did anything to help you, they just tiptoed around the knowledge and stared at your injuries. Brittany Carver was the only person stupid enough to make the mistake of weaponizing your home situation.

It was a tepid spring afternoon, the sun peaking through the clouds and the first flowers sprouting from the thawing ground. The bell rang to dismiss for lunch, the hallways filled with mingling and milling students all grateful for the midday break. Some gathered in gaggles of friends, some headed directly for the cafeteria, and others, like you, utilized the time to exchange morning class books for afternoon materials. Your fractured wrist had long since healed, but there was a long, straight scar present as a result from the surgery you required; currently, a scabbing cut over your eyebrow, lips stinging from where the flesh split, with a collection of bruises turning different colors to represent various healing stages.

Today simply hadn't been your day.

After a week of constant alcohol-fueled battery, you felt your frustrations finally crescendo after being assigned 3 separate essays; doubling your stress, shortening your fuse, and creating heavy leaded dread as the minutes ticked by. Everyone else felt giddy for the spring-tastic weekend, wanting time to go faster so they could go home - but not you. You might've been the one teenager in the city - no, no, the county - no, wait! The state - WAIT, NO... The country, who didn't want to leave school. You didn't want the day to end and be forced out of your safety zone; anxiety twisting your stomach and prickling your skin at the thought of returning home.

Truthfully, you spent several nights a week at Billy's, being snuck in through his window; feeling unsafe in your own home and wanting to remain close without voicing your need for his proximity. You felt stronger with Billy, as if you could take on the world; as if your safety and wellbeing were (finally) a real priority. He took great pride in being that safe haven for you, thinking it a nice change of pace as he often never seized opportunities to prove himself compassionate and caring. Billy was known for being a brute, someone aggressive and commandeering; nobody associating "safety" with him - except you.

However, this wasn't one of those weekends you'd be able to sneak out, being forced into caring for your two wee brothers; them needing you, dependent on you, relying on the care and love you provide them.

As a result of your shitty week, you had been a right, foul bitch to those unfortunate enough to engage you. Being well aware of your attitude, you tried to avoid everyone, not wanting to lash out at innocent peers - labeling yourself a bitch because of your impeccable self-awareness. Though, no matter the labels you assigned, you simply couldn't rein your emotions into check given your anxiety over returning home overpowered your brain.

Knowing you'd be forced to defend yourself against your own mother set your teeth on edge, projecting your horrible mood onto anyone in your vicinity - making most keep their distance.

Keyword: most.

Much like her brother, captain of the basketball team, Jason Carver, Brittany Carver wasn't the brightest bulb of the bunch. She never picked up hints, she didn't bother reading the room or in-between any lines; she held little to no regard for those around her or their emotional state. Brittany just wanted to assert herself as Queen Bee and thought the best way to achieve that was by bullying those she deemed lesser then she. It gave her a power trip, made her feel swollen with importance, boosting her ego because in her mind, she'd rather be feared than loved.

Brittany was dressed in her pretty, pressed, and bright cheer uniform; her obnoxiously blonde hair tied in a high ponytail that swished dramatically with each step. She wore cherry flavored lip gloss, her make-up caked, skirt hiked higher than school regulation permitted because she suckled at the teat for attention - good or bad.

You heard the second bell ring and finished shoving books in your locker, trying to stuff notebooks in your bag when your locker was suddenly violently slammed shut. Flinching at the quick movement and aggressive bang, you glared at whoever dared interrupt you; a manicured hand flat on the metal to keep the locker closed.

"The fuck you want, Brittany?"

"Awh, someone's already got their panties in a twist," she mocked, two of her cronies giggling their support. "C'mon, babe, I was just stopping by to say hello - missed you this week!"

"Oh, for sure," you sneered in a sickly-sweet tone, "of course you missed me, your life is so much more boring without me in it, huh? Wow, seriously, Brittany, I'm flattered to be the main character in your life, too."

Her eyes rolled and one of the other cheerleaders at her flank, Jennifer, popped flavorless gum. "I'm surprised you still have this level of spunk and cheek to talk like that, would've thought Mommy Dearest beat it out of you by now - she hits you often enough, right? Doesn't she? Hmm, well, maybe she needs to hit you a little harder."

"Excuse me?" You snapped.

"You heard me!" She laughed. "Obviously your mom isn't teaching you any lessons since you still have this whole emo-attitude going on. But I can't say I blame her, you're such a bitch - I'd smack the shit outta you, too."

You nodded slowly, not realizing several students had paused themselves to watch the exchange; knowing this was a longtime coming and didn't want to miss the inevitable drama. Dropping your backpack, you asked, "You sure? You really wanna hit me?"

"Is it that hard to believe? I mean," she smirked, "your own mother does - of course, I do, too. Like, seriously, it's not a secret why she hits you - just look at you! No wonder she hates you, you're just a waste of space, resources, and money. Damn shame Billy doesn't see it yet, but don't worry, he will." She laughed again, "He'll get tired of reopening your lip every time you kiss. It's so pathetic and ugly, he'll start to crave what you can't offer. I mean, seriously, what guy with any self-respect wants to date a girl as broken as you?"

"Know what, Brittany?" You growled, balling your fists at your side. "I'll give you one free hit."

"Excuse me, what?"

"Yeah," your head nodded, "go ahead. One free, clean shot. Hit me if you want to so bad, but you'll only get just this one shot."

Her eyes rolled, "I don't need to, your mom's got that covered."

"Free hit, Brit," you taunted, gesturing, "c'mon, go 'head, lemme have it. Since I'm so insufferable, go right ahead - get your clean hit."

Jennifer and Jasmine shared strange looks, the latter nudging, "Just do it, Brittany, shut this stupid bitch the hell up."

"Yeah, Brittany, shut me the hell up."

She looked to her little goons with a smirk, shrugged and handing over her backpack. When Brittany turned again, she dramatically wound her arm back and used her full strength to swing her fist into your cheek; only making your head turn a fraction from impact. You hummed and nodded, the cheerleader laughing with her girls as if she had "shown you" - but her amusement died when she noticed you barely reacted.

You smirked, cracking your neck, "My turn!"

Your knuckle cracked the bridge of the cheerleader's nose - sick sound of a snap ringing in your ears and jolting the girl's head backwards; momentum forcing her to stumble. Brittany shrieked in pain, holding her nose, unable to defend herself as you launched your attack; first slamming her back into the lockers before jabbing your fist into any vulnerable spot you could.

Similar to the movies, you held Brittany by her hair to keep her in place; wailing your punches repeatedly, each hit making Britt bang into the lockers. Jennifer and Jasmine tried to pull you away but both earned their own punches or elbows to the face for the interference. You focused on Brittany, instantly curating a flock of students all eager to watch.

"FIIIIIIGHT!"

"GIRL FIGHT!"

"BEAT HER ASS, Y/N!"

Brittany sobbed as blood dribbled down her front, staining her pretty uniform, but you were just getting started. The hallway turned noisy, a circle forming around you four as all three cheerleaders were staved off; you running on pure anger, adrenaline, and overflowing frustration that encouraged your foot to kick Britt's gut. You'd never admit it, but Brittany's mocking had hurt you past words, made you feel vulnerable, disarmed, as if you were damaged, undeserving goods. With each punch or kick or stomp, you remembered a different instance of your mother's abuse, seeing her face instead of Brittany's; spurring you on with unrestrained force.

In the parking lot, Billy was leaning on his car with a few teammates from the basketball team and enjoying a hearty nicotine-filled break. Though they'd never label it as such, the boys exchanged idle gossip; listening to Conrad Jones detail his latest conquest, sneering about how "easy" Kennedy Stephens was. They were interrupted when Kyle Lambert sprinted up to them, sneakers skidding over asphalt, panting dramatically, "Billy! Billy! Y-You gotta come see this, man! You gotta help!"

"What?" He asked, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"I-It's your girl - it's Y/N!"

He pushed off his car that was supporting his weight, demanding, "What about her?"

"You gotta come quick, man, you gotta see this! It's fucking wild! Brittany, Jennifer, and Jasmine tried jumping her - "

Billy was surging across the carpark instantly, tossing his cigarette away before yanking the school doors open. He was instantly greeted by the chaotic sight and sounds of a fight, peers gathered in a large circle; screaming their support and hollering encouragement.

"Billy! Oh, thank God!!" Chrissy Cunningham cried, waving him closer. "You have to help! You have to do something, it's 3-on-1!"

He didn't acknowledge the strawberry blonde, just started instantly shoving through the crowd to reach the edge of the fight. It wasn't the sight he was anticipating - fearing the worst, now pleasantly surprised (and a little turned on).

Blood was splattered on the linoleum floors, a single streak smeared on the lockers. Jennifer was left on the ground with her back against the metal, sporting a busted lip as Jasmine was trying to coax her to her feet - sporting a ruddy face and disheveled look. Left in the center, to the entertainment of the crowd, was you on top of Brittany Carver, heaving your fist time and again into her face.

"Shit," he breathed, intending to step forward to stop the fight but needing to shove Tommy H. out of his way when he stepped forward.

"C'mon, man! It's a girl fight! Don't break it up!" Tommy begged, but Billy bullied through.

"All right, that's enough," he grunted, wrapping his arms around your middle and heaving you up and back a step - needing to engage his core and arms when you wriggled in an effort to free yourself. "Hey, hey, hey - "

"Lemme go! This bitch needs put in the ground!"

"Jesus Christ, when did you get this strong?" He grunted, your feet slipping on blood but still being restrained by your boyfriend's impressive strength.

"Talk your shit again, bitch!" You barked at Brittany, who was sobbing in pain and curling into herself. "Lemme hear you say another Goddamn word, you'll need more than another nose job! Fake ass, plastic bitch!"

Jason joined the center and knelt at his sister's side, helping her sit up, glaring at you and Billy. Your boyfriend grit his teeth when Jason snarled, "You need to muzzle your bitch, Billy!"

"I'll fuck you up for talkin' about her like that, Carver, don't provoke me. Watch yourself," Billy snapped in warning, successfully managing to get you behind him.

However, you dodged around him with only enough time to spit hatefully on Brittany, warning, "You wanna talk shit, you'll get hit! Don't let me hear you again - don't you ever dare say another word about my mama! I'll put you in the ground, bitch, fucking try me! I dare you! Try me again, say shit about my mama, and see what the fuck I do!"

"All right, all right, you made your point," Billy stiffly told you, pulling you away by force to avoid you actually killing Brittany. He got a look at her injuries, thinking there must've been more than a broken nose from the way her uniform was stained and her entire face bloodied. "C'mon, we gotta get outta here, come with me - c'mon, baby, you can't touch her anymore, you made your point, you'll end up killin' her or some shit," he panted, shoving through the crowd and effectively ending the fight.

Billy didn't let go of your form until finally outside - letting you rip yourself away as your blood boiled, adrenaline making you much stronger. He watched you pace; huffing, puffing, seething, all but gnashing your teeth hatefully. "That fucking bitch had it coming, Bee, it was self defense!" You finally explained.

"Oh, yeah, princess, totally looked like it," he scoffed, blocking the doors in case you tried to go back. He lit another cigarette.

"It was, you condescending asshole!" You snapped, eyes ablaze and anger tangible. "She approached me, she ran her mouth, and she hit me first!"

"Well," he sighed, "whatever the reason, it's not worth jail time for beating her to death."

"Might be."

"Ain't nothing worth throwing your life away," he offered you the cigarette, but you refused. "Why don't you just tell me what happened? What'd she say?"

"It doesn't matter, Billy."

"I think it matters when she looks like she's gonna need a blood transfusion to replenish what she's lost."

"Whatever - let it be a lesson that you shouldn't throw stones if you're scared of a boulder."

Billy sighed, smoke blown from his mouth, "C'mon, doll, tell me what happened?"

"Doesn't matter, it's done, it's over, it's in the past."

"Baby, I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

"You can't help, period, Billy! There's nothing you can do!"

"Well, you're not even letting me try!"

"'Cause it's redundant!"

"Obviously not when you look like a raging bull!"

Your eyes rolled, head shaking, "I handled it."

"I saw," he scoffed. "So, 3-on-1? How'd that happen?"

"I told you, they approached me."

"Well, I'm gonna need a little more to go on. C'mon, pretty girl, the fuck just happened? You know you can get suspended!" This made you freeze, muscles clamming up, looking purely petrified as if the thought hadn't occurred to you. "I know you don't want that, but if you talk to me, maybe I can help lessen whatever punishment."

"Oh, whatever, like I care about being punished," you snipped, hands twisting together - telling Billy you were beginning to get anxious.

"I think you do, it'd put you in the house with your mom alone," he trailed, pushing away from the doors to approach you like a baby deer. "C'mon, I know you don't wanna get suspended, so just tell me what happened."

"I'm sure you'll hear all about it from your little basketball buddies."

"I don't fucking care!" He snapped with the cigarette trapped and bobbing between his lips, making you look at him in mild shock. "There's gonna be a hundred different rumors, whole fuckin' school watched you beat the shit outta those girls - but I only care about what you have to say."

"There's no point - "

"Oh, Jesus Christ," he growled, snatching the cig between his knuckles, "I just saw three bitches on the ground, all injured, beaten up, bleeding - so stop being so Goddamn stubborn and just tell me! I'm tryna help you!"

"You pulled me off of her, you've helped plenty."

"I'd like to understand how this happened."

"It won't change anything."

"No, it won't, but you have a side to the story. Tell me what went wrong? What happened?"

You sighed, no longer pacing, planting both hands on your hips. Your head shook as Billy tossed the filtered cigarette butt aside, muttering when he exhaled the last of the smoke, "It seems so stupid now."

"Hey," he soothed, crowding into your space and taking one of your hands in his. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it wasn't stupid. You're forgetting, I know well enough to understand you wouldn't throw a punch unless absolutely necessary. Whatever got you riled up like that ain't stupid, sweetheart."

Like a glazed donut, your eyes turned glassy. Billy frowned and took your other hand off your hip, forcing your attention on him. "I swear, I didn't start it," you whispered.

"Only matters that you finished it," he smirked. "Tell me, what the fuck was all that?"

You sighed deeply, offering meekly, "Guess they had it comin'..."

"I know they did," Billy chuckled. "Nobody's that stupid to provoke you, except Brittany."

"I was at my locker... They approached and slammed it shut."

"Right, okay..."

"There were words exchanged, but Brittany, she - " You paused, swallowing thickly, "she started talkin' shit about my mom, about, you know, what she does..."

Billy understood instantly. "You fuckin' serious?" He growled, seeing you nod and fill him in on what was said - unable to look him in the eye as you relived your anger. By the end, you were trembling in emotion and adrenaline loss, Billy sighing deeply and yanking you into his chest for a tight embrace. "All right, yeah," he mumbled, "should've put them bitches in the ground."

"And now," you sniffled, "I'm gonna get suspended, forced to stay home with Ma all next week."

"We'll get you outta it."

"Can't, the school doesn't tolerate fighting on school grounds."

"You said she swung first?"

"Technically, yes. I might've - allegedly - prompted her into it."

"It's still selfdefense, toots, no matter what you or anyone said - if she swung first and hit you, you were only defending yourself."

You shrugged, resting on his chest, "You see the damage? Admin won't care who swung first - not when they're beat to shit."

"Yeah, there's my li'l hothead," he smirked, chuckling slightly before pecking the top of your head. "But you gotta admit, it's impressive how you took on all three."

"I guess, doesn't exactly feel like an accomplishment."

"Nah, princess, seriously," he pulled you back to look at him again, "that's fuckin' hot. I mean, they approached you and still got their asses handed to 'em. That's straight skill."

"Or just a lot of anger with nowhere to go," you frowned. "Think I should go find admin?"

"Nah, they'll probably find you - "

The doors opened and your name was called, the principal's secretary waving you to her. "Fuck," you whispered, releasing Billy.

"I'll come with you," he promised, lacing your fingers together when he took your hand. Billy had to admit, it was a little weird being in the principal's office but not being the one in trouble; waiting without patience in a fraying chair, picking at the exposed stuffing with his leg bouncing. He'd been there 45 minutes, skipping the last half of classes, just waiting as you were behind a closed door with the principal, vice principal, and the disciplinary officer.

He looked up when the school nurse lead Brittany, Jennifer, and Jasmine inside - glaring at them but admiring the scattering of cuts and bruises with dried blood on their precious uniforms. A few minutes later, you were exiting the office with a passive and neutral expression settled on your face. Your lip curled only slightly when you clocked the cheerleaders - hating how smug they all looked - approaching Billy instantly.

"You all right?" He checked, standing and adjusting his jeans.

"Mhm," you nodded, keeping your voice low as the principal called the three cheerleaders into his office. You waited until the door was closed, then informed with a smirk, "I'm not suspended."

"No?"

"Nope," you confirmed. "Apparently, they asked a couple other kids what happened and my story matches theirs. I was minding my business, they came up to me, they started mouthing off, and Brittany was the one who hit me first. So," you shrugged, "guess your idea of selfdefense held strong."

"See? That's good, huh?"

"Yeah," you sighed, nodding absently, "but he said the girls were gonna lose their spot on the cheer squad for this. Listen, I don't think I feel like goin' back to class - kinda just wanna take a nap."

Billy hiked up his jean jacket sleeve, consulting his watch for a moment. "Wanna head to mine? Neil's got the evening shift and Susan has bridge club for a few more hours - we'd be alone."

Your eyes rolled, "No offense, Bee, I don't feel like fucking right now."

"I'm not sayin' that, I'm sayin' let's go nap at mine," he chuckled, picking up your backpack that you forgot about. "We can come back to get your brothers but you know you're not gonna rest if you go home."

You gulped, sighing sadly, "Yeah, well, about that..."

"Something else happen?"

"Apparently... The school has an obligation to call the police if a student reports abuse."

"You reported your mom?"

"Not on purpose," you rushed in defense, "just that... I had to explain what Brittany said to me - so I had to admit what Ma did - or does."

Billy frowned, "Jesus."

"Yeah, so... Maybe going home isn't the smartest idea right now. I wouldn't wanna be there when they conduct their wellness check."

"You wanna stay at mine?" He offered.

"What about Neil?"

"He's a lot nicer with you around," he admitted. "Won't care too much if you stay the night. Plus Max has that club thing after school, then she's going to the arcade; so, she won't need a ride, we can just go."

"You know what? Sure, all right, I'll come to yours," you accepted, your lover boy whisking you away without a second thought. "Thank you, baby."

Your hands were stiff, and when you looked at them, noted split skin and stained blood as a reminder of your aggression... Wondering why the fuck people pushed you to these limits and acted surprised when you reacted? If they wanted a punching bag, they picked the wrong one - but you were willing to remind them.

When you got to the Hargrove residence, you were silent as the grave; stewing in your anger that rolled off you in projected waves. Billy was terribly disarmed, unsure how to properly comfort you - wondering how he would want to be comforted, realizing he'd want to be alone, not subject to anyone's bullshit advice. So, he did what he knew and after handing you a bag of frozen peas for your split knuckles, comfortably stripped and crashed in bed with the window cracked and a rolled joint between his fingers.

You rested on his bare chest, sighing deeply while watching the end of the spliff come to life in a smoldering ember. Billy took the first inhale to make sure it was lit and instantly handed it to you, his arm snug around you and the silence hanging in the air like the swirls of stale, exhaled smoke.

"I'm sorry it got to this point, pretty girl," He offered awkwardly, his other arm bending to prop under his head. Both of you stared off aimlessly, stereo filling the space dully in the background.

"Not your fault," You inhaled and held your breath, handing him the joint. He casually flicked the end in an ashtray resting on the window sill.

"No, but I could've done more."

You chuckled, smoke seeping through your lips and teeth, "Oh, yeah? How? You gonna beat up three girls?"

"Nah but I could beat the shit outta Jason."

"What good would that do?"

"If he didn't want a weekly black eye, Jason would control his sister."

"It's always about control with you, isn't it?"

"I'm just saying," he handed the joint back, lungs pinched to hold the smoke, "I could protect you."

"You already do, baby."

"Let me do more, princess."

"You can't fight every battle for me."

"You could let me try."

"You'd be fighting on two fronts," you frowned, exhaling slowly. "Can't fight for me when you're defending yourself against Neil."

"Might be easier to deal with your shit than my own," he chuckled without humor, accepting the spliff. "Look, I know you don't want me involved, but that's kinda what a boyfriend's supposed to do, right? Protect their woman?"

"I wouldn't know."

"Never had a boyfriend before?"

"Nobody was worth dating until you. Nobody could understand me the way you do so effortlessly."

"'Cause we're one and the same, baby girl. You don't have to do everything by yourself," he inhaled, handing the spliff over again, "don't always have t'be strong."

"Ain't no other choice."

"You could let me in more..."

"You're one to talk."

He sighed, smoke billowing. "You're right. Can't expect you to open up if I don't, so why don't we both try to let the other in more? Yeah, I get it, the shit we deal with ain't pretty but at least we understand each other, right? We're the best for each other to lean on."

"I don't wanna drag you into my bullshit, baby."

"I want you to drag me in, princess. I wanna help you."

You sighed, "Well, Brittany and her cronies are getting suspended and kicked off the cheer squad - they'll be looking for reason to take it out on me."

"Say the word, baby, and I'll beat Jason black-and-blue."

"You're so romantic."

"Only for you - so don't tell anyone. I got a reputation to protect."

You both snickered as the weed you indulged in took effect, lulling you two into a state of ease. Your knuckles had stopped burning, resting your injured hand under the frozen peas, reminding yourself to remain grateful in this turbulent period of life because now, you had someone on your team. Someone who wanted to help carry your baggage. Someone without alternate motives. Someone who was willing to withstand the storm in the hope of feeling the warmth of the sun again.

requesting rules and masterlist

Stranger Things masterlist

[dailyadventureprompts]

Homebrew Mechanic: Fixing D&D’s Gameplay Loop with Item Degradation

Normally I have snappy titles for these, but in this case I wanted to be super upfront with what I was getting you all into. 

Some people are not going to like the idea of introducing item degradation into the game, and they’re ABSOLUTELY right to be hesitant. Just about every attempt I’ve seen (includig both RAW versions from previous editions, examples from videogames, and those I’ve put together myself in the past) have been horribly clunky exercises in beancounting that only ever existed to needlessly slow down gameplay for the sake of joyless realism. 

I’ve come at it from another angle however, but to explain we’re going to need to get into some game design talk. 

The basic gameplay loop of D&D is supposed to be: 

Seeking adventure leads you to face challenges

Overcoming challenges leads you to rewards

Rewards Help you get stronger 

Getting stronger allows you to seek tougher adventures

After a while this system starts to break down specifically with regards to gold as a method of reward. Even if you’re the smart sort of DM who flouts the rules and gives their party access to a magic item shop, there’s an increasingly limited number of things to spend gold on, leading to parties acquiring sizable hordes of riches early on in their adventuring career, completely eliminating the desire to accept quests that pay out in gold in one form or another. This is a pretty significant flaw because adventures that centre around acquisition of riches ( treasure hunts, bounty missions, busywork for rich patrons that will inevitably betray you) are foundational to storytelling within the game, especially early on in a campaign before the party has gotten emotionally invested.  Most advice you can find online attempting  to solve this problem tends to dissolve down to “let them pour money into a home base”,  but that can only really happen once per campaign as a party is unlikely to want more than one secret clubhouse. 

TLDR:  What I propose is the implantation of a lightweight system that forces the party to periodically drop small amounts of wealth into maintaining their weapons/armour/foci. The players will be motivated to seek out gold in order to keep using their best stuff,  giving value to treasure drops that previously lacked it.  Not only does this system act as an insulation against powercreep at higher levels, it also encourages a party to engage with the world as they seek out workshops and crafters capable of repairing their gear. 

The System: 

Weapons, armour, shields, and caster foci (staves, holy symbols etc) can accumulate “ticks” of damage, represented by a dot or X drawn next to their item entry on the character sheet. Because you get better at handling your gear as you level up, an item that exceeds a total number of ticks equal to its bearer’s proficiency bonus breaks, and is considered unusable until it is repaired. 

Weapons and Foci gain a tick of damage when you roll a natural 1 on an attack made with them, or if they are specifically targeted by an enemy’s attack.

Armour and shields gain a tick of damage when you roll a nat 1 on a saving throw or when an enemy beats your ac by 5 or more. A character equipped with both can decide which of the two items receives the tick

Creatures with the “siege” (or any “does double damage to objects” ability) deal an extra tick when attacking gear. 

A character with a crafting proficiency  and access to tools can repair a number of ticks of damage equal to their proficiency on a four hour work period. This rate is doubled if they have access to a properly equipped workshop.  A character with access to the mending cantrip can repair ticks on any kind of item, but is limited to their proficiency bonus per work period.  

Having an item repaired by an NPC crafter removes all ticks, but costs vary depending on the rarity of the item:    5g for a mundane item, 10g for a common item, 50g for uncommon, 250 for a rare, 1250 for a very rare, 6250 for a legendary.  The DM decides the limit on what each crafter can repair, as it’s likely small towns have access to artisans of only common or uncommon skill, requiring the party to venture to new lands or even across planes if they wish to repair end game gear.

As you can see, degradation in this system is easy to keep track of and quite gradual, leading players into a position where they can ignore obvious damage to their kit for the sake of saving their now precious gold.  It likewise encourages them to seek out NPC crafters (and potential questhooks) for skills they do not possess, and encourages the use of secondary weapons either as backups or to save the more potent items in the arsenal for a real challenge. 

Consumables

Everyone knows the old joke about players hoarding consumables from the first adventure past the final bossfight, it transcends genre and platform, and speaks to a nature of loss aversion within our shared humanity.  However, giving players items they’re never going to use amounts to wasted time, resources, and potential when looking at things from a game design perspective, so lets work on fixing that. 

My inspiration came from witcher 3, which encourages players to make frequent use of consumables by refreshing them whenever the character had downtime. The darksouls series has a similar feature with the signature estus flask, which provides a limited number of heals before it must be refreshed at one of the game’s checkpoints.  When the designers removed the risk of permanent loss and the anxiety it creatures, players were able to think tactically about the use of their consumables confident in the knowledge that any mistakes were just a resupply away from being fixed.  

My proposal is that while the party is in town they can refill the majority of their consumable items for a small per item fee. Just like with gear degradation, this encourages them to seek out crafters and do quests for the hope of discounts, while at the same time encouraging them to explore new realms in the hope of discovering higher level artisans. 

The price for refills is set at: 5g for common, 25g for an uncommon, 125g for a rare, 625g for a very rare, 3125g for  legendary.  I encourage my own players to keep a  “shopping list” in their inventory with prices tabulated so they can hand out a lump sum of gold and have their kit entirely refreshed. 

Characters with a relevant skill and access to their tools can refill a number of items equal to their proficiency bonus during a four hour work period. With access to a proper workshop, this rate doubles.   ( At last, proficiency with brewers supplies, carpenters tools etc become useful) 

I encourage you as a DM to check out this potion flasks system, which I’ve found adds a delicious factor of uncertainty back into the mix.  Attached is also my super lightweight rules for tracking gear and supplies, which I absolutely refuse to shut up about.

Artist

[doctorprofessorsong]

It is not even Pride month anymore and I continue to see biphobic things popping up on my SM (seriously I so do not need this in my life right now and it has been relentless). So let me just again rant for a moment that it is NOT a competition for who has it worse, but if you are walking around telling bisexuals their life is easier because they have the benefit of the closet and/or invisibility, please allow me to disabuse you of that notion.

Bisexuals have demonstrably worse health outcomes than their gay, lesbian and heterosexual counterparts. There are numerous studies that tell us this.

Here's a pretty clear article summarizing a lot of the research. Dropping some quotes below if you don't want to click through.

Bisexual people are at higher risk for depression, anxiety, suicide and suicidal ideation than their lesbian, gay or heterosexual counterparts. The Canadian Community Health Survey, for instance, shows bisexual women are six times more likely than heterosexual women to experience suicidal thoughts and attempts, whereas lesbian women are four times more likely. Other research has found that young bisexual women have the highest suicide rates of all LGB youth.

In terms of relationships and sexual health, bi women experience higher risks of sexual assault and intimate partner violence than lesbians and heterosexual women. They also have a higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and bisexual teens face higher rates of pregnancy.

The study found that, overall, bisexuals reported higher rates of poor mental and physical health, chronic diseases, smoking and alcohol use than gay, lesbian and heterosexual people, with bisexual women surpassing nearly all female-identified participants.

While there is less research on the physical health of bi women, studies show they are overrepresented when it comes to diabetes and hypertension diagnoses relative to their lesbian counterparts. Bisexual women are also more likely to smoke cigarettes, abuse alcohol and engage in substance abuse than lesbians. A recent study found bisexual women are seven times more likely to use cannabis on a daily basis than heterosexual women—double the rate of lesbians

One of the leading theories is that bi folks are less likely to have the benefit of support from the queer community and are more likely to experience double discrimination, that is discrimination from both heterosexual and queer folks.

Here's a nice robust study outlining some of that.

Additionally, bisexuals are more likely to feel pressured to stay in the closet.

The point is this: exclusion, biphobia, and bi invisibility are harmful to bi+ folks and treating us like we somehow float through the world if we are in a relationship that is presumed to be straight absolutely ignores the reality shown in the data.

Exclusion is harmful. Invalidation of our sexual orientation is harmful. I am begging people to be normal about bisexuals.

[tgrailwar-zero]

You relinquished the floor to MAX. He took a breath, before stepping up and looking around the chamber. He began to speak, his voice filling the empty space.

MAX: "I didn't realize that today I would be suddenly requested to defend someone's life. If I had, I'd perhaps request more time… but we all have to make do with the time that we have, and I did my due diligence with what I was granted. I walked in, looked upon my clients, and realized that even if the stakes weren't so high, I would be honored to be their defense."

MAX: "See, I can attest that these are good souls. Looking upon how they conducted themselves in recent memory has made that evident. Not more than a week ago, the Nameless City faced tragedy. A Beast, summoned upon the Solar Cell, luckily still within its larval state. As Heroic Spirits, we could all feel its presence. The chill in the air, the prickle at the back of our necks, and the urge to drop what we were doing and save the city. And many Servants did. Lord Sigurd and Lady Brynhildr among them."

MAX: "However, the Beast was defeated not by any of our brave heroes, but by our unlikely Interlopers. Does anyone recall what happened?"

NIKITICH: "Ah yes, the pillar of light."

MAX: "Correct. Through their contract, they called forth the might of their Servant and allowed it to cleave through the Beast. The city found itself saved, and the Solar Cell able to return to peace. This is to not say that the Servants of the Solar Cell could not have defeated the Beast eventually, but the rate of destruction would have certainly been higher. Their assistance was greatly impactful. So much so, that they became the treasured guests of the Lord and Lady of the Nameless City. An honor that very few people have had the pleasure of achieving."

SIGURD: "It's the truth. They saved our city, and I am grateful for them."

You watched as BRYNHILDR stepped closer to SIGURD, lightly squeezing his hand.

BRYNHILDR: "…We are grateful."

MAX: "Thank you. From my experiences, Lord Sigurd is an honest man, and Lady Brynhildr is a woman of rectitude. I can attest the same traits to my clients. Was there a mistake made, absolutely. There is no doubt on that front, and I will not argue otherwise. However, I do emphasize that it was a mistake, made with good intentions. A failed attempt at maintenance, that was cleaned up as swiftly as possible. Listen, am I telling you to accept them as the Solar Cell's IT professional? Perhaps not--"

You saw CLEOPATRA half-smile, and NIKITICH and SETANTA stifle a laugh.

MAX: "--But I do insist that they deserve to live. If Lord Sigurd saw them fit for forgiveness, if Lady Brynhildr saw them fit for forgiveness, if even Miss Rindr and the Valkyrie thought kindly enough of them to fulfill their request for counsel without delay… then does that not show strength of character? The Valkyrie are drawn to those with noble hearts, after all. And noble, these once 'Interlopers' are. They slew the Beast, they saved our Solar Cell. After you hear all of the details, you'll be asked to vote upon their fate. I hope those details lead you to the decision that my client deserves life."

You observed a bit of cross-chamber eye contact from between each of the Lair Servants as MAX finished. The only one who didn't engage was the ADMINISTRATOR, who's gaze didn't leave your position. Locked. Focused. Intense. It only ended, briefly, when the Keeper acknowledged her.

PTOLEMAIOS: "Thank you, Maxwell. Madame Administrator?"

With a swift, elegant movement she jumped from her loge and gracefully across from you and MAX.

ADMINISTRATOR: "That's a rather pretty tale. As always, you're ever the sharp-tongued, Maxwell."

ADMINISTRATOR: "However, you neglected to mention that the Priestess had to practically beg for their assistance, and they were more concerned with haggling and haranguing rather than the safety of the Solar Cell's citizens. And who is to say that this wasn't carefully constructed by their own benefit? Create a problem, solve it, have us indebted. Target a noble soul like Sigurd first, and then squirm their way into a position of comfort before rending it all asunder."

MAX: "…"

ADMINISTRATOR: "You weren't around, Maxwell, but I remember the time before the Origin War quite well. And then, soon after we let the Interlopers in, welcomed them, saw them as allies... Asclepius has a blade in his back, Ozymandias is forced to destroy himself in a suicide attack, Uesugi Kenshin dies upon her own pagodas, Karna is destroyed in a earth-shaking duel, and the surface of the Solar Cell and even deeper is scorched."

ADMINISTRATOR: "All because we were too forgiving. Too open. Too soft-hearted."

ADMINISTRATOR: "It is true that Lord Sigurd has forgiven them. It is true that they defeated the Beast. However, it is also true that they were responsible for the birth of said Beast, and that they've served as a danger to the Solar Cell not only before their sealing, but after their awakening as well."

Snapping her fan, you felt the attention in the room be drawn to the ADMINISTRATOR, as if she was magnetic. A beauty that could turn heads and topple countries- that's what CAT described her and the other facets as- 'country ruiners'.

ADMINISTRATOR: "Quetzalcoatl has vanished to the winds, and Asclepius is lost to us. Which one of us is next? So close to our goal, which one of us next? We can't go through something like the Origin War again. We need to remember that we are survivors. That we are humanity's last hope. And last hopes cannot be laden with risks, even with all of our grandeur."

She gestured broadly to her peers.

ADMINISTRATOR: "Respecting what Maxwell has told us, there are two options laying before us- either they're blind fools with the destructive power to set loose an Evil of Humanity by total accident, or they're malicious and smart enough to play the fool. Either way, to cut them out now would be the most efficient course of action. I ask of you, let's not belabor our decision here, not when it can be handled so simply compared to everything else we have to do."

After MAX and the ADMINISTRATOR made their statements, you felt a silence settled over the Council. Not a cold silence, but a pensive one, as a few of them settled into their seats, realizing that this perhaps wouldn't be as quick of a trial as they thought.

A considerate silence. That was... good. They were paying attention, now it just meant keeping their attention- and keeping their perceptions receptive and positive.

The Keeper cleared his throat, regaining the Council's attention.

KEEPER: "Thank you, Madame Administrator. I'll open up the floor for responses and further questioning."

As soon as he declared it, you saw NIKITICH stand up, bestial ears twitching with anticipation.

NIKITICH: "So? The Administrator says that you have blood on your hands, is this true?"

MAX: "Slayer Nikitich..."

NIKITICH: "I am asking a question. You had your big speech, the Admin had her big speech, but I cannot ask my question? I ask again, how crimson are your palms, Interlopers?"

Before you could answer, she held up a hand, signaling that she wasn't done yet.

NIKITICH: "Furthermore, you slew the dragon-beast. I want to know the details, do not spare a thing. Did you talk with the dragon? Did you even truly wish to slay the dragon? Were you enticed by it, enthralled? Or was it a heartless monster that needed to be murdered?"

SIGURD: "Hm. I see."

SETANTA: "Is the Council boring you so much that you need a bedtime story already?"

KEEPER: "Is this relevant, Slayer?"

ADMINISTRATOR: "Yes, is it relevant? I thought you wanted to end this trial as quickly as possible."

NIKITICH: "This is relevant to me. I am sitting and looking at these 'Interlopers', and they are sitting there with their hands in their lap like a good little kid. Very polite. But... you know what they say: 'v tíxom ómute čérti vódjatsja.' Now, I want a tale about you and the dragon."

MAX: "...And so it begins, like I said, this is far from a traditional court. That's certainly more than 'a question', though... Anyways, you've been addressed directly, but I'm not going anywhere."

[wintaerbaer]

things we don't say: part 5 TEASER (kth)

banner credit: @itaeewon

summary: Three years after graduating college, everything seems to be falling into place for you: stable job, cozy apartment, and a long-term boyfriend with a ring box hidden in his desk drawer. But when a mutual friend makes a remark that your best friend of nearly two decades is clearly in love with you, you realize that life may not be as simple as it seems.

pairing: Taehyung x Reader (with some VERY brief Seokjin x Reader and Yoongi x Reader)

rating: 18+

genres: best friends to lovers, idiots to lovers, slow burn, angst, fluff

word count: 721 (for the teaser; full chapter is expected to be 8-10k)

chapter warnings: weddings!, feelings, seventeen is here now because i fell into a rabbit hole and needed fill-ins, jimin kinda ruins everything, jk is relatively well-behaved, kissing?!

a/n: given that it's been the craziest time of year for work (and i may be focused on a jk oneshot rn), i figured i'd throw out a teaser since it's taking me longer to write! i'm heading into my job's off-season soon though, so i'll have more time to write and will aim to have this next part out by end-of-year :)

PART 4 // SERIES MASTERLIST

You look up to find Taehyung's eyes gazing steadily down at you, a small but confident smile playing on his lips.

"Dance with me?"

And in spite of the unease that had plagued you only moments ago, you don't hesitate to let him wrap up your small hand in his large one and lead you to the dance floor. His palm settles on your lower back to pull you in close, and maybe it’s the proximity or the intoxicating smell of his cologne that weakens your resolve, but you find the words spilling out.

"Did you get her number?"

Taehyung looks at you quizzically, brow furrowing in confusion. "Whose?"

"The woman at the bar."

His face relaxes as he realizes. "Oh, yeah. I did."

"Good." You manage a smile. Why does it feel so hard? "It really is…good you're getting back out there. Are you going to ask her on a date?"

He laughs, mischief in his eyes. "I don't think her fiancé would like that." And now it's your turn to look confused.

"Her fiancé?"

"I met the two of them through Hoseok a couple times so we've chatted. Nice people." He nods his head, and you look over to see the woman now dancing with a man not too far from you. "They just got engaged, and she knows I'm a photographer so she asked if I'd be interested in doing the wedding. I said I'd call her this week to talk about it."

"Oh." You can feel your face flush, but there's no doubting the relief that floods through you. And Taehyung surely notices, grinning down at you in amusement.

"Were you jealous?"

"No!" you say, but perhaps a little too quickly because Taehyung laughs, his fingers applying a gentle pressure to your back to pull you closer.

"I'm here with you," he murmurs matter-of-factly.

You shake your head at him. "It's fine, Tae. If someone catches your eye…like I said, it could be good—"

"I'm here with you," he repeats, more firmly this time. He releases your hand for a moment to tuck a stray curl behind your ear, and you have to look away. You spot Hoseok and Sunny swaying together in the middle of the dance floor, pressed closely together and smiling at each other like they're the only two people in the world. What it must be like to have someone look at you like that, you think, to hold you like you're something precious to be cherished. You had thought Jace made you feel that way, but now, watching your friends gaze at each other so delicately, so in love, you're no longer sure he even came close.

"What are you looking at?" Taehyung's voice rouses you out of your thoughts, and you suddenly notice his hand has drifted a little higher to where the back of your dress dips down low, exposing your bare skin.

Trying to pass off the shiver that involuntarily runs through you as a nod, you gesture at the newly married couple. "They're so good together."

Taehyung follows your line of sight, watching Hoseok lean down to murmur something in Sunny's ear that makes her giggle and press her face into his chest. "They are."

"Can you imagine loving someone like that?" Your voice is a bare whisper as if the words slipped out of their own accord, like a wish you didn't even realize you were making.

Taehyung's fingers splay at your spine, gently tugging you in until your hips are bumping his. Startled, your eyes snap back to him, breath catching in your chest. He's gazing at you intently, but as opposed to the intense fire that you've seen from him at times, there's only a deep warmth to his brown irises that you're not sure you've ever seen before. He looks at you with softness, with both a sense of familiarity and wonder that can only be attributed to your many years of companionship, and you see it all swimming behind his eyes—every day spent together seeking refuge from your families, every stupid childhood fight, every time you comforted each other through the bad days. And before you can deflect, can explain away the question as a rhetorical slip of the tongue, you hear his answer come out on a breath.

"Yes."

[wing-ed-thing]

Annie Leonhart Relationship Headcanons

Tags/Warnings: No Reader Pronouns

𓆃 Because no matter how Annie actually feels about you, she's one to keep her distance. Your best bet is to kind of ease into any kind of relationship you can get.

𓆃 Perhaps you might have higher chances if and when you survive the national conflicts, but given her withdrawn and skeptical nature, it's very likely that even post-war, it will take a significant amount of years for Annie to even consider an invested relationship.

𓆃 Or, she'll immediately dive into a relationship and remain emotionally unavailable and aloof. Both are likely depending on the circumstance.

𓆃 Annie is naturally reserved, rather blunt, and calculating. Add into the mix guilt, loneliness, repressed childhood emotions, and Annie's tentative attitudes toward compassion, and you have the perfect storm for an emotionally unavailable partner.

𓆃 This is, of course, not to say that she's one to wait until she's "perfect" or otherwise "healed" to dive into the dating life. Rather, this has more to do about the rate at which she'll warm up to you.

𓆃 You have the best chances being a long-term friend and support and having that friendship evolve into something more. Annie is most definitely not one for fuzzies or touchy-feely things, but you can warm her up to gestures that are more on her level.

𓆃 Your relationship will likely be an unspoken one as well. Don't expect Annie to use labels to introduce you or refer to you. Perhaps you'll get "partner" down the line if you're very close and very lucky.

𓆃 And don't expect large, traditional milestones that other couples may have. Annie hasn't been planning a wedding, picking out engagement rings, or pointing out ideal locations for an engagement.

𓆃 Perhaps you can convince her for an intimate ceremony if you insist that those sorts of things are important for you, but anything that borders on grandiose Annie will certainly consider offensive.

𓆃 She's honestly quite the contradiction, because there's a yearning deep down for deep relationships— she is human, after all— but she's prone to self-sabotage and general aloofness.

𓆃 This may lead her to jump into commitments that she's not actually committed to. She wants your love and attention, but only on her terms because she doesn't feel whole.

𓆃 And maybe you can have a moment just the two of you when she finally reaches an emotional breaking point. Maybe then you can almost build up to a real relationship within your relationship.

𓆃 Annie also isn't one to perform traditional gestures of affection. Don't expect flowers, cutsie acts of domestic labor, or words of affirmation. While she does have a threshold for acts of physical affection, they're executed more like a mundane chore or in times of extreme emotion.

𓆃 Most gestures of affection, you have to squint to see. A lot of them come from her upbringing.

𓆃 Physical activity such as runs, strength workouts, and wrestling is something Annie will willingly bond over and will form an integral part of your relationship. Even if you are unable or unwilling to perform at the intensity that Annie holds herself to, meeting you where you're at is a real gesture of affection for her.

𓆃 She's not a cook but can and will make some cultural foods that have been passed down from her father for you. It's rare, but the cooking is surprisingly solid.

𓆃 Annie is an interesting person to have a relationship with and likely the only one where you can be equally emotionally stunted in and still have a working connection.

Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed, and supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.

[rideboomindia]

That's great to hear that RideBoom's drivers are happy with the platform! Here are a few reasons why RideBoom's drivers may be more satisfied compared to Uber's auto drivers:

Competitive Commission Rates:

RideBoom may be offering drivers a more favorable commission structure, allowing them to keep a larger portion of the fares they earn.

This could provide drivers with a better opportunity to make a sustainable living.

Transparent and Fair Pricing:

RideBoom's approach to pricing may be more transparent and equitable, avoiding the perceived issues with Uber's algorithmic and surge pricing models.

Drivers may feel that the fares charged to customers are reasonable and aligned with the value they provide.

Driver Classification and Benefits:

RideBoom may have classified its drivers as employees, granting them access to benefits such as minimum wage, health insurance, and other employee protections.

This sense of stability and security could contribute to higher driver satisfaction.

Deactivation Policies and Dispute Resolution:

RideBoom may have more robust and fair deactivation policies, with clear communication and opportunities for drivers to address any issues or concerns.

This could provide drivers with a greater sense of job security and confidence in the platform.

Engagement and Communication:

RideBoom may have established stronger channels of communication and engagement with its driver community.

This could include soliciting driver feedback, addressing their concerns, and involving them in platform decisions.

Drivers may feel that their voices are heard and that RideBoom is responsive to their needs.

By addressing these key areas effectively, RideBoom has likely built a stronger and more positive relationship with its driver community, leading to the high levels of driver satisfaction you mentioned.

This is an excellent example of how a transportation platform can prioritize the needs and well-being of its drivers, which can ultimately contribute to the overall success and growth of the business.

[nightbunnysong]

Shinrin-yoku

A BIOCHEMICAL PERSPECTIVE

Forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku (originating from Japan), involves immersing oneself in the natural environment of a forest, engaging all the senses. This practice has been shown to have profound biochemical effects on the human body, promoting both physical and mental well-being. Here's a closer look at the biochemical benefits:

1. Reduction in stress hormones

One of the most studied benefits of forest bathing is its ability to lower cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress. Time spent in a forest environment has been linked to:

Decreased cortisol levels: Prolonged exposure to nature decreases sympathetic nervous system activity, which helps in reducing stress and anxiety. Lower cortisol reduces the risks of chronic stress-related diseases, such as hypertension, heart disease, and immune system dysfunction.

Improved parasympathetic activity: Forest exposure boosts the parasympathetic nervous system, enhancing relaxation and recovery.

2. Boost in Immune Function

Exposure to forest environments has been shown to increase Natural Killer (NK) cell activity in the body. NK cells are a type of white blood cell that plays a critical role in defending the body against infections and cancer cells. This boost is likely due to:

Phytoncides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by trees and plants, have antimicrobial and immunostimulatory effects. When inhaled, phytoncides increase NK cell count and activity, enhancing the body's ability to fight off disease.

Reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines: Forest bathing reduces the release of cytokines like IL-6 and TNF-alpha, which are markers of inflammation. This contributes to a lower overall risk of chronic inflammatory diseases.

3. Enhanced Cardiovascular Health

Forest environments can improve cardiovascular health by:

Lowering blood pressure: Studies indicate that time spent in forests reduces both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This effect may be due to the reduction in stress, improved autonomic nervous system balance, and the vasodilatory effects of phytoncides.

Improving heart rate variability (HRV): A higher HRV is associated with better cardiovascular fitness and resilience to stress. Forest bathing has been shown to increase HRV, which is a marker of autonomic balance.

4. Enhanced Mental Health

On a neurochemical level, forest environments can:

Reduce the activity of the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain associated with rumination, overthinking, and stress. This reduction leads to a calmer, more relaxed state.

Increase dopamine levels, associated with motivation and pleasure. Spending time in nature has been found to improve mood and mental clarity, potentially by influencing dopamine and serotonin pathways.

Decrease the levels of cortisol and catecholamines like adrenaline and noradrenaline, which are involved in the body’s "fight or flight" response. A reduction in these hormones promotes a sense of calm and reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression.

[photos from Pinterest]

[canonicallyobserving911]

Flashback Fridays - Buddie Fanfics

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

Hiatus Reading

Buck and Eddie are madly in love with each other and the love they share will intensify once they start dating. Additionally, it'll propel into the stratosphere after they get married and they've decided to live their lives together forever. The fanfics listed below are one shots that depicts their relationship in different phases as they date, get engaged or are already married and they illustrate how they're the loves of each other's lives and soulmates who share a once in a lifetime love that transcends space and time.

Alone Together - 13.3K Words; Rated: Mature:  While Chris is away at Summer Camp, Eddie plans a weekend getaway for him and Buck because he’s going to prove to him that he does not suck at dating.

“Believe half of what you see” - 7.7K Words; Rated: Teen and Up Audiences:  With only a few weeks left until their wedding, Eddie sees Buck having dinner with a woman and he assumes he’s not enough for him and he thinks he never will be. But did he actually see what he thought he saw?

I love the way you heat things up in the kitchen - 4.2K words; Rated Mature: Buck is supposed to be teaching Eddie how to bake a cake but they end up leaving the uncooked batter on the counter as things heat up between them.

Let me love you - 3.3K words; Rated General Audiences:  Or Eddie doesn't think he deserves to be loved by Buck but he's wrong and Buck proves just how wrong he is.

"Lost Without U" 11.8K Words; Rated: Mature:  A miscommunication between Buck and Eddie leads to an even larger misunderstanding and it causes Buck to return to the loft instead of him spending the night with Eddie. After he leaves, Eddie feels lost without him and he decides the conversation they need to have can’t wait. Will he make it in time to fix it or will he be too late?

“You Mean the World to Me!” -  7.8K Words Rated: Teen and Up Audiences:  After a chance encounter at the scene of an accident, Eddie decides to surprise Buck and they fall even more in love than they already are.

“You wanna go for the title?” - The Rematch - 7.5K Words; Rated Mature: Eddie asks Buck for a rematch to the video game they played three years ago. However, the stakes are much higher this time because Eddie's playing to win Buck’s heart.

[fatliberation]

"I didn't give out any medical advice" lmao you were heavily implying that person's doctor was wrong and that they shouldn't listen to their doctor's advice. that's irresponsible. you're going to get somebody killed with this bs

If their doctor's advice is to lose weight through dieting, it is wrong and I can say that in full confidence because it. (x) doesn't. (x) work. (x) Here! (x) Take (x) these! I am (x) chucking (x) peer reviewed sources (x) at you. (x)

Anti-fat bias is at work here. And so is a weight-loss market worth $90 BILLION as of 2024.

In 2013, UCLA researchers Traci Mann, Janet Tomiyama, and Britt Ahlstrom conducted the most comprehensive and rigorous analysis of diet studies, analyzing 31 long-term studies.

“What happens to people on diets in the long run?” Mann asked. “Would they have been better off to not go on a diet at all? We decided to dig up and analyze every study that followed people on diets for two to five years. We concluded most of them would have been better off not going on the diet at all. Their weight would be pretty much the same, and their bodies would not suffer the wear and tear from losing weight and gaining it all back.” (x)

Certain factors biased the diet studies to make them appear more effective than they really were. For one, many participants self-reported their weight by phone or mail rather than having their weight measured on a scale by an impartial source. Also, the studies have very low follow-up rates — eight of the studies had follow-up rates lower than 50 percent, and those who responded may not have been representative of the entire group, since people who gain back large amounts of weight are generally unlikely to show up for follow-up tests, Mann said.

Evidence suggests that repeatedly losing and gaining weight is linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and altered immune function. Mann and Tomiyama recommend that more research be conducted on the health effects of losing and gaining weight, noting that scientists do not fully understand how such weight cycling leads to adverse health effects.

“We asked what evidence is there that dieting works in the long term, and found that the evidence shows the opposite” Tomiyama said.

Here are some quotes I pulled directly from the study.

It is implicit in this definition that losing weight will lead to improved health, and yet, health outcomes are not routinely included in studies of diets.

Overall, there were only slight improvements in most health outcomes studied. Changes in diastolic and systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were small, and none of these correlated with weight change. There were also very small effects of these diets on lipid-lowering medication use and coronary morbidity and mortality. There were a few larger positive effects for hypertension and diabetes medication use, as well as diabetes and stroke incidence. In correlational analyses, however, we uncovered no clear relationship between weight loss and health outcomes related to hypertension, diabetes, or cholesterol, calling into question whether weight change per se had any causal role in the few effects of the diets. Increased exercise, healthier eating, engagement with the health care system, and social support may have played a role instead. Our findings are in line with a recent meta-analysis (Flegal, Kit, Orpana, & Graubard, 2013) that found that overweight and class I obesity were not associated with higher all-cause mortality. Moreover, Ortega and colleagues (2013) have documented metabolically healthy but obese individuals, and an emerging literature on the “obesity paradox”, whereby obesity appears to confer health benefits in certain diseases (Amundson, Djurkovic, & Matwiyoff, 2010), suggests that a disconnect between weight loss and health outcomes should not be surprising.

We believe the ultimate goal of diets is to improve people’s long-term health, rather than to reduce their weight. Our review of randomized controlled trials of the effects of dieting on health finds very little evidence of success in achieving this goal. If diets do not lead to longterm weight loss or long-term health benefits, it is difficult to justify encouraging individuals to endure them.

See for yourself.

[tricitymonsters]

I know I put a lot of attention on Steam because of the sheer size of the marketplace and the effort Steam itself takes in marketing for devs but I really wanted to take a second to shout out TCM's numbers on itch.io because I really feel like the game found it's first platform there and I especially want to highlight what a great community it is for Indie Devs of all experience levels.

So I have TCM split up between 4 titles on itch- the main one is for all the new stuff and then each beta has it's own homepage. Downside, it kinda splits all my metrics up but the plus side its much easier to navigate for yall so I'll refrain from complaining lol.

Now given we started with just the Mori beta in late 2021, and added chapters slowly over time, here's where we're at right now.

Views: 312k

Downloads: 22.3k

Browser Plays: 35.6k

Ratings: 347

Collections: 5295

Comments: 189

So there are a couple really interesting things going on with this data. Let's analyze

Firstly, the numbers on the main chapter beat the *hell* out of the beta numbers. BUT this makes sense as more people are going to find the main game or PLAY the main game first at a vastly higher rate. So even though that game page has been up the least amount of time, it gets *by far* the most traffic. For example, if we take away the main page numbers, here's how the betas are doing on their own:

Views: 63.3k

Downloads: 5.4k

Browser Plays: 18.2k

Ratings: 133

Collections: 847

Comments: 42

So, if you were an indie dev posting your game on itch.io, these numbers should tell you to carefully consider how you're going to organize your game- especially if it comes in multiple parts. When I was going through the betas I did consider keeping everything on one page and therefore aggregating all of my traffic stats into one place but there are pros and cons.

Mostly, I went with separate pages because:

It's easier to organize files for downloads per character/game piece than to have a huge list of system-specific builds for every character that players have to scroll through. It's just hard to parse out.

Second, I thought that breaking up the chapters like this might help me better gauge each character's popularity via their stats. This... sort of worked. Because the Mori beta went up almost a year before Amir's, his numbers are MUCH higher and I have to be careful not to conflate that with his raw popularity. Another tricky note is that since Mori was the first chapter uploaded, many people will play his beta and then if they decide they're not into the game, won't play the other two characters, which again inflates Mori's numbers.

It was obvious in the gap after Spooktober 2021 and Amir's chapter that I had a project worth pursuing but the way I structured itch.io has made it hard to accurately gauge how popular exactly each character is.

Most of you know I'm running a popularity poll right now for some milestone art and while I expected Mori to lead (even with all the caveats I just listed, he does tend to be the most popular of the bunch) but I did not expect Akello to be *right* on his ass, even before weighing the patreon votes so.

Goes to show you that understanding structure and traffic trends can really go a very very long way to engaging your audience and build a stable, fun community around your game.

Another huge advantage to itch is that- in generalities- the community and ecosystem there is much kinder to beginner devs and passion projects. On steam, I'm taking up the same marketplace space as AAA multimillion-dollar games and while the eyeballs that comes with that is great for TCMs longevity hopefully, it also comes with the reality that I'm marking a queer niche adult visual novel right next to Mainstream Gamers. Now, I do want to be extremely clear that my experience with Steam so far has been really good- TCM has good and (more importantly) honest reviews, people have passed constructive critique to me and been extremely reasonable, I've managed to connect to some content curators who have similar tastes... But Steam is also the home to like. "Oooh Naur Woke Games Kill Art" Lists and stuff so. My experience on Itch is that- while some of that exists to a certain degree- the general ecosystem is much more forgiving and less sharply fractured.

I'm not sure that I would change anything I've done in the point leading me here so far, I think that by and large I've made the best choices I could given what I knew at the time and also managed to roll with the punches as the come but my experienced advice at this stage is definitely for an indie dev who hasn't landed a solid success yet or a hobby dev looking for feedback to start with Itch.io as a place to build your game's community.

There are other game hosting sites too, like Gamejolt, for instance, but while TCM used to be on Gamejolt their content policies and audience demographics were not a great fit, as was my experience with Newgrounds.

So. there are MANY choices but in all I'm grateful I didn't jump right into steam and also that my itch.io audience has been SO supportive and so enthusiastic about rating/commenting/and curating TCM to help spread the word. Especially since early in the project I had basically no marketing budget (I have a very small one now that covers the occasional blazed post but still).

ANYWAY thanks for reading my big dumb rambling posts but I really wanted to shed some light on the virtues of Itch after I've been chasing my own tail trying to get Steam working for me the way I want.

[tsuki-xoxo]

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐: 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐲𝐦𝐢𝐚

⚘. playlist: Creep by Radiohead (acoustic version)

"A wave of heat rose through her chest. It spread across her cheeks, burning her with the shame and disgust she felt. Heroes don't need to be controlled. Yet, here she was, stained by darkness."

cw | emotional and psychological distress, Thanatos being hell on Earth, Minori's inability to trust (even herself) | 2.6k

M.LIST | ᗢᘏᓚ | TAGLIST | ᓚᘏᗢ. III

Minori tugged at the hem of her blue U.A. gym uniform. Its fabric dimmed against the vibrant and elaborate hero costumes surrounding her. She shifted her weight from foot to foot. Her eyes darted to the ground as her classmates adjusted their gear. Their excited chatter and bursts of laughter felt distant, as if she was an intruder in this realm of heroes. She took a deep breath and glanced down at her sneakers. It was her first day, and she already wanted to run out of the door.

"All right, let the Battle Trials begin!" All Might appeared in his glory, towering over every single person in the room. Minori’s eyes widened at the number one hero. His hair was much brighter than it appeared on the TV they provided in the rec room at Thanatos. "Most of the time, fighting villains takes place outside. But if you look at the total numbers, atrocious villains appear indoors at a higher rate. Imprisonment and house arrest are common. There are also backroom deals. Heroes fill this society. But, truly intelligent villains hide in the shadows! For this class, you will be divided into villains and heroes and engage in 2-on-2 indoor battles.”

Minori scanned the room, her eyes flickering from one aspiring hero to another. Amidst the sea of faces, she finally found a familiar pair of deep blue eyes that belonged to Sora. She stood beside Aizawa across the room with a smile and sent Minori a double thumbs-up. They were close enough to keep an eye on her but far enough for All Might to lead the class.

“Now, listen here,” All Might announced. "The villains have hidden a nuclear weapon in their hideout. The heroes are trying to dispose of it. They need to catch the villains or get the nuclear weapon back within the allowed time. The villains need to protect the nuclear weapon for the whole time or catch the heroes."

Drawing lots determined all the teams. Minori's team included her and Koda Koji. He was a tall, peach-colored boy with an uneven, rock-shaped head. Their opponents were Aoyama Yuga, a blonde boy with a sparkly cape, and Ashido Mina, the pink alien girl.

"The first battle is between teams A and D. A will be the heroes, and D will be the villains. Everyone else heads into the monitoring room," All Might said.

Along with her class, Minori watched the battle unfold in front of her eyes from screens. Each fight had a fifteen-minute time limit. The spiky-haired, ash-blonde started with a surprise attack from the start. A collection of smoke had appeared from the blonde's preemptive strike. He clawed at the air to make himself visible. His sharp, crimson eyes glared ruthlessly down at the boy in the bunny-eared hero suit.

Even from where Minori stood, she could see the vein on the blonde's forehead. It was ready to burst from their yelling match. Although no one could hear what they were saying, the emotions between them were palpable. With bated breath, Minori watched as the blonde lunged toward the greenette. It felt almost intrusive to witness such an intense brawl between the two boys. It was clear to tell that the blonde's intention was to blow the other into dust. His talent and obvious distraught kept propelling his merciless attacks.

"This really doesn't feel manly, guys. It feels like Bakugou's gonna kill Midoriya!" someone whispered. Minori turned toward the redhead who spoke out with a quizzical look. So that's what their names are. Her mind still lingered on the scene of Bakugou's ferocity.

"Ribbit. He has a villainous expression."

"His personality is like the furthest thing from a hero I can think of..."

Minori frowned as her class criticized Bakugou’s actions. Her eyes never left the screen as she watched the battle. The blonde was a mystery to her, but he was definitely an intriguing character. She had never seen anyone fight with such ferocity. It didn't seem fair to dismiss him like the rest of the class did. Sure, his tactics were overzealous, but to label him as a villain struck a chord deep within her.

Their battle trial ended in the heroes' victory. The building smoldered from their fight, and a giant hole writhed with smoke billowing out of it. Midoriya's attack nearly ripped the building in half and shattered all the windows. He directed a full swing through the roof, allowing his teammate the opportunity to retrieve the weapon.

Bakugou walked with the rest of the group back into the observation room. Once back, he sat in the very back, not raising his head to look at anyone. His head slumped forward, his eyes trailing listlessly across the ground. Minori observed his shallow, uneven breaths. His crimson eyes were so subdued and vacant that they didn't look like his own. He looked so completely and utterly broken.

His haunted expression mirrored the way she had felt at Thanatos. After the Hecate Massacre, teachers, guards, and students all bullied her. She could never forget the way they looked at her—like she was a monster—the same look Bakugou was getting now.

Minori tore her gaze away. Her battle trial was up next, and she needed to focus. Forced out the door with Koda, Aoyama, and Ashido, Minori spared one last glance toward Bakugou. She tilted her head as a redhead offered Bakugou a curt nod and sat next to him.

A snicker broke out nearby. "Isn't it ironic that Ki is playing a villain," someone remarked. Minori huffed in annoyance. Her heart was racing from the nerves, and she tried to push the snarky comments out of her mind. She had never used her Quirk in front of others before—let alone in a fight. It was frightening enough. But the thought of hurting another human being was even more terrifying.

The objective was simple. The role of villains was assigned to Minori and Koda. The heroes, Aoyama and Mina, had to either defeat them or save the nuclear weapon. Koda was chewing at his fingernails and she wondered if he had similar fears. He didn't seem like the fighting type. His Quirk, Anivoice, allowed him to speak to animals, but that was hardly an offensive power.

The two entered Ground Beta. All Might announced the beginning of the battle trial. The two had five minutes to prepare before the heroes entered the building.

"We have to defend the bomb, right? Do you have a plan?" Minori asked.

Koda turned toward her with wide, frightened eyes. He looked like a deer in the headlights, and Minori almost pitied him.

"You're not the fighting type, are you?"

He shook his head, his face growing paler by the second.

"Okay," Minori nodded to herself. She didn't have the best understanding of her Quirk, especially since it was strictly prohibited to use in Thanatos. If authorities caught anyone using their Quirk, they would face severe consequences. Before Sora arrived in Thanatos as a troubled youth counselor, Minori never even considered using her Quirk. It was dangerous. She was dangerous. She could cause chaos and destruction as her mother did. That thought alone sent shivers down her spine. But Sora convinced her that there was a chance for her in society. A chance to rewrite her own story and be a hero, unlike her mother. She was in a reformation school after all; she was meant to have a second chance at life.

At Thanatos, she practiced her Quirk in secret. She did so in her cell at night or outside during recreation time. Fortunately, she could discreetly use her Quirk because air always surrounded her. She trained herself to feel the molecules in her environment, the movement of the wind, and the density of the air. Now, at 17, she had developed a heightened sensitivity within her Quirk, allowing her to perceive subtle shifts in her surroundings.

"Alright then, Koda, here's the plan: you cover the weapon while I cover you, okay? All we have to do is hold them off for fifteen minutes."

Koda gave her a nervous thumbs-up. They got into position as they waited for their enemies. They both covered the weapon and watched the door where the two would come in from.

Minori got low to the ground, feeling every particle around her lighten as she relaxed her limbs. The air around her started to shift, and the particles grew heavier. She felt the pressure in the room begin to fluctuate. Minori took a deep breath.

They're near.

Particles around her quivered; her hair stood on end. Footsteps thudded unevenly outside the door.

They were here.

"Here comes the sparkles!" Aoyama barged into the room with a shot from his large, blue, sparkly laser belt. It only lasted a second, though, before he stopped and grabbed his stomach. Ashido followed behind.

"We made it!" Ashido pumped her fists. Aoyama's cape swished behind him dramatically. He carefully avoided his partner's acidic trail. Minori's mouth hung open at the comic-like appearance. Then, she noticed Ashido's acid was slowly eating the floor. 

That wasn't good. They'd have to finish this soon before the whole floor collapsed.

"Stop Villain! We've come to—" Minori's eyes widened, and moved her hands out of reflex. She waved her arms in a circular motion and threw a gust of wind toward Aoyama, cutting him off. Aoyama staggered and fell backward onto the acidic floor that Mina had created. "Oh no, my sparkles!" Aoyama whined as his cape disintegrated before them.

"Sorry!" Ashido apologized, rubbing her hands together.

Minori repeated her last motion and threw another gust of air in the direction of the distracted two heroes. The heroes lost their footing and fell into an acid-induced hole in the ground, ending the battle.

"Villain Team Wins!" All Might announced. Minori let her body relax, and the tension in the air dissipated. "Good work, everyone. We didn't have any major injuries, other than young Midoriya, either! You all did a good job for your first training."

All Might escorted everyone outside to the observation room. He congratulated the winning teams on their victories, but he also acknowledged the losers for their efforts.

"There is a lot of merit in each of your performances today," All Might praised. "You can't always expect a clear-cut win, especially when your opponents have skills or abilities that you didn't expect. That's why these training exercises are so important. They help you learn how to react to your opponent and use your strengths against them."

Minori's attention waned as the hero lectured her classmates about the importance of being prepared. She didn't mean to tune him out, but she couldn't stop thinking about her battle trial. When Aoyama shot his laser, her reaction was instantaneous. It was like her body had taken over her mind. She protected the weapon. She won. She was a successful villain.

Minori bit her lip. Her trembling fingers brushed the scar under her elbow. She had played the "villain" with such ease. Her actions gnawed at her conscience. They were like creeping vines in her soul. Was this her destiny, to become a mirror image of the darkness that enveloped her mother?

She peered down at her arm. The violet mark left by Sora's Quirk seemed larger. The ragged edges and sickly hue deepened, spreading like an ugly bruise across her skin. A wave of heat rose through her chest. It spread across her cheeks, burning her with the shame and disgust she felt. Heroes don't need to be controlled. Yet, here she was, stained by darkness. Minori scoffed to herself. How could she even think she was worthy of being a hero? She wasn't a hero. She was the villain everyone expected her to be. It was only a matter of time before Sora would have to stop her. Like mother like daughter.

"That was incredible, Ki!" Minori's heart leapt to her throat, and her shoulders jerked. She whipped around, and met the bright yellow eyes of the alien girl. The pink skin of her cheeks stretched to her earlobes as her toothy grin widened. Her smile was like a ray of sunshine beaming from a cloudless sky. "Your Quirk is so cool! I mean, we were so surprised when you made that gust of wind, and then you went all boom, pow!" Ashido's hands waved wildly in front of her as she attempted to describe her powers. "So awesome!"

Minori blinked and took a step back, her eyes wide with confusion. This didn't make sense. No one at Thanatos had ever praised her Quirk. Why was this girl—someone she had defeated as a villain—complimenting her monstrous Quirk? Minori frowned and furrowed her brows. It had to be a trick, a cruel prank.

She glared at Ashido. Yes, that was it. She should have seen through it sooner. This was a familiar tactic, one she had endured countless times at Thanatos. Lure her in with false kindness and so-called friendship, only to shatter her trust in the end.

Minori remembered the times when her fellow inmates at Thanatos had feigned friendship. They would invite her into secluded areas under the guise of friendship. But, then they would turn on her viciously. Locked rooms became traps. She found herself surrounded and cornered by mocking faces and cruel laughter. They mocked her Quirk, her heritage, and her dreams of redemption, and left her with bruises that would never fully heal.

Ashido's smile faltered. "Hey, did I say something wrong?"

"Are you playing a joke on me?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"My Quirk." Ashido’s brow wrinkled, and her face scrunched up. She snapped before she could stop herself. "What are you trying to say? That I'm just a freak with a dangerous Quirk?" She let out a dry laugh, "Or is it 'cause the world's shittiest fucking person ever is in the same class as you heroes?”

Ashido’s jaw dropped. "No! I wasn't, I just... I thought you were really strong—"

"Stop it," Minori spat. Her fingers dug into her arms, and she gritted her teeth. "You're lying! That's the way it is, isn't it? You're just like everyone else. That's why you're trying to mess with my head, right?"

"No, Ki..." Ashido reached out her hand.

"Don't touch me," Minori snarled. Ashido's lips quivered and pressed into a tight line. The image burned into Minori's mind. She squeezed her eyes shut. She was better off alone. No one would want her around. They all feared her. That was her fate. That was who she was. A monster.

“Just leave me alone. I don't need you speaking to me. I don't need any of you guys."

"Minori?" Sora asked, looking between the two girls with a slight frown. "What's going on here?"

"Nothing,” Minori bit out. “Everything’s fine.” Sora's shoulders slumped, and she exhaled a slow, heavy sigh. Minori spun on her heel and stalked away, her heart pounding against her ribcage. The weight of Sora’s disappointment and Ashido’s pained eyes bore down on her. Her steps quickened. She felt her classmates' stares. Their eyes dug into her back as she left the Beta Grounds and went toward the locker rooms. It was suffocating. She clenched her jaw and pressed her nails into her palm. The sharp sting a welcome distraction from the ache in her chest. She had to get out of there. She couldn't afford to let it in. Not now. Not ever. She couldn't trust anyone. Her mind replayed every betrayal, every false promise of friendship that had led to locked rooms and cruel ambushes. Her pulse raced. She forced herself to focus on the rhythm of her steps. Each one a mantra: don't trust them, you can't even trust yourself. She was better off alone. Safer.

M.LIST | ᗢᘏᓚ | TAGLIST | ᓚᘏᗢ. III

♡tagged♡ @yogurtsdayout

[amirhamza74]

What are the advantages of digital marketing? Digital marketing offers numerous advantages over traditional marketing methods. Some of the key benefits include: 1. Cost-Effectiveness: Digital marketing is often more affordable than traditional marketing channels like TV, radio, and print. Campaigns can be tailored to fit any budget, allowing small businesses to compete with larger companies. 2. Measurability: Digital marketing provides detailed analytics and reporting, enabling marketers to track the performance of their campaigns in real time. Metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and return on investment (ROI) are easily measurable. 3. Targeted Reach: Digital marketing allows precise targeting based on demographics, interests, behavior, and location. Platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads enable marketers to reach specific audiences that are more likely to be interested in their products or services. 4. Flexibility and Agility: Digital marketing campaigns can be quickly adjusted based on performance data. Marketers can experiment with different strategies and tactics without significant delays or costs. 5. Global Reach: The Internet provides access to a global audience, enabling businesses to expand their market beyond local or regional boundaries. E-commerce platforms and international shipping options further support global expansion. 6. Enhanced Engagement: Digital marketing channels, such as social media, email, and content marketing, facilitate direct interaction with customers. Two-way communication allows for better customer relationships and improved customer satisfaction. 7. Personalization: Digital marketing tools allow for personalized marketing messages based on user behavior and preferences. Personalization can significantly improve the customer experience and increase conversion rates. 8. Higher Conversion Rates: Digital marketing strategies like search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and social media marketing can drive highly targeted traffic to websites. This targeted traffic is more likely to convert into leads or sales. 9. Better Customer Experience: Digital marketing enables businesses to provide a seamless and integrated customer experience across various online channels. Techniques such as remarketing and automated email responses can enhance the overall customer journey. hashtag#Overall, digital marketing offers a versatile, efficient, and effective way for businesses to reach and engage with their target audience, leading to increased brand awareness, customer loyalty, and revenue growth.